It shrieked in pain and fury, then belched a huge blast of flames which completely engulfed Damion, robbing him of what little visibility he had. He didn't even see the shadow dragon's tail as it whipped through the flames, catching him across the back of the knees, and sending him flipping backwards through the air. He crashed to the ground, knocking the air from his lungs with a loud whoosh.
The shadow dragon roared in triumph, preparing to move in for the kill, but was suddenly slammed violently to the ground as an enormous scarlet dragon fell from the night sky, landing with crushing force on the smaller beast's back.
The shadow dragon roared in pain and surprise, then twisted to one side, throwing the larger beast from its back. It lashed out with its whip like tail, forcing the scarlet dragon back, then turned and launched itself into the air in a desperate attempt to flee.
The scarlet dragon roared in rage, then leapt into the air in pursuit of the smaller dragon. The shadow dragon had been critically wounded by the force of the larger dragon's attack, and it was only instinct that was keeping it alive. It clawed its way through the air, its torn and bleeding wings working desperately to clear the top of the escarpment, but the scarlet dragon quickly overtook it, slamming into it at full speed. There was a tremendous crash, and the momentum from the larger beast drove both dragons smashing into the cliff side, still ripping and slashing at one another as they plummeted towards the ground.
They collided with the largest platform, ripping it free from the cliff side, and sending it crashing to the ground. Hundreds of people fell screaming to their deaths as the platform disintegrated, dragging another smaller platform down as it fell.
The two serpent's continued their fall until the very last second, when the scarlet dragon suddenly flared its wings, allowing the smaller injured beast to crash to the ground. It landed atop the smaller creature, ready to make the kill.
The shadow dragon threw its head back and screamed once more in agony, then fell silent as the scarlet dragon latched onto its exposed neck and ripped out its throat with a sickening wrench. The smaller serpent fell lifelessly to the ground, its wings flapping uselessly as it convulsed, then it finally fell still, leaving the larger scarlet dragon to stand over its carcass triumphantly.
The crimson beast spat out the shadow dragon's throat, then turned to face Damion, who was still struggling to his feet. "Always laughing in the face of overwhelming odds." The serpent rumbled in a deep voice. "You've never been one to back away from a fight, have you?"
"Tempest?" Damion panted, still trying to catch his breath. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you! You really get around for someone who can't fly!"
"I can fly if I need to!" He said defensively. He looked up at his friend, who was still perched indifferently on the shadow dragon's carcass. "It is good to see you, my friend. You have impeccable timing!" He gave her a confused look. "How did you find me?"
"I could see the village burning from miles away." She explained. "Once I drew closer, I could see you battling with this beast." She nudged the corpse. "I saw it send you flying, and struck before it could try to finish you off."
Damion smiled up at her as he returned the Dragon Sword to its sheath. "Thank you for that, by the way."
"My pleasure." Her head whipped around. "Let me disperse these spawn, then we can continue our reunion." She rose into the air with a thrust of her great wings, then began to circle overhead. She released an ear splitting roar that echoed through the desert, causing every dragonspawn and shadowspawn to freeze in their tracks. She roared once more, and they turned and began to flee, disappearing into the darkness as quickly as they appeared.
She circled overhead for another moment or two, then rejoined him in a clearing not far from the edge of the burning village.
"So, here we are again!" She settled down before Damion, who was recovering from his battle with the shadow dragon. She peered at him closely. "I've seen you look worse. You'll be fine."
"Thanks for that!" He snorted in amusement.
"What have you been able to discover?" Tempest asked eagerly. "Have you heard anything useful?"
Damion shook off the stunning blow he had absorbed, then turned to his friend, who sat with an eager look. "Well, that depends."
"What do you mean?"
He described their trek across the continent, and the encounters with the other shadow dragons. "I don't think I injured the first shadow dragon mortally," He said with a shrug. "But we managed to bring the second one we encountered down." He smiled smugly. "It won't be bothering anyone ever again!"
"As that one will no longer cause problems." Tempest gestured to the huge corpse a few hundred yards away.
"But the most important information we have discovered is that they first appeared to the east. We heard rumors that they were first spotted somewhere around a group of volcanic islands on the other side of Arleia."
"I know these islands." The scarlet beast murmured thoughtfully. "It would be just the type of place the brood mother would choose to make her lair. I'll investigate it as soon as I leave here and report back to you what I find. What do you plan to do now?"
Damion thought about it for several moments. "I think I'll continue towards Arleia. Perhaps I can learn something further that will help us later on." His face grew wistful. "Have you stopped through Sevria lately? Do you know how they're faring?"
"I stopped through several weeks ago." She told him. "They have been quite busy preparing for war."
"War?" He exclaimed in alarm. "What do you mean war?"
"They have built a large stone wall to surround the city, and cleared the surrounding countryside of all obstructions." She chuckled. "The area bordering the road now looks like a porcupine's back from all of the battlements. That crazy old wizard has even devised a number of formidable machines capable of bringing down a shadow dragon! I would say that they are fairly safe from any danger that may present itself."
Damion frowned. "I think I may have blundered when I gave Sly access to the vaults."
Tempest snorted. "There is always more treasure to be had. I'll bring you some of mine once all of this is over." She smiled down at him. "Would you like a lift to the top of the escarpment?"
Damion shook his head with a laugh. "No, thanks. I think we have given the survivors enough to talk about for one evening!"
Chapter 12
It was nearly dawn when he finally met up with the others in the village at the top of the escarpment. It took him several minutes to finally locate them just outside of town, nervously awaiting his return. He circled above the companions in the form of a snow owl for a moment, then dropped down from overhead, nearly frightening the feathers off of Snowfeather, who was keeping watch over the others. They both descended to the ground and Damion resumed his own form, startling Raven and Veren, causing them both to begin cursing violently.
"Are you completely disturbed?" Raven yelled at him, leaping from her saddle and charging up to him, her face a thundercloud of fury. "Who in his right mind would just leap from a cliff like that, then charge into battle with a shadow dragon?"
Veren nodded in agreement. "She's right! You'd be dead right now if it wasn't for that scarlet dragon appearing!"
"I'm glad to see you're fine too." He laughed, an impish smile on his face.
Raven continued to stare up at him angrily. "If you ever do something that stupid again I swear I'll make you regret it!"
Damion looked to Veren. "Funny thing is, I believe her when she says that!"
Raven shrieked in rage and kicked him hard in his shinbone, then turned and stomped back to her horse.
"Hey!" He exclaimed in pain, hopping on one foot while rubbing his shin gingerly. "That hurt!"
"Well, you deserve it!" She snapped, jumping up into her saddle.
"What did the scarlet dragon have to say?" Veren asked curiously.
"Tempest said that she happened to be in the area, and decided to drop in for a visit." Damion to
ok Storm's reins from the one eared man, then leapt atop the warhorse's back. "I told her everything we have learned and suspect from what little information we have gathered. We decided that she is going to go investigate those volcanic islands for us."
"What's our plan then?"
"I told her that we would continue to travel towards Arleia." He led them back into town as he talked. "She will report back with us once she has checked out the islands."
"And what will happen if she is able to locate the brood's lair?" Raven asked, her voice still angry.
Damion shrugged. "Tempest will call in the rest of the scarlet dragons and put an end to their terror." He frowned. "But that is only going to happen if they are able to destroy the brood mother. Once we locate her, we can finally return home." He failed to notice the fleeting expression of pain and sorrow that flashed across the young woman's face.
There was complete chaos in the town. Many of the people had watched what had transpired, and those who hadn't chose to flee into the desert were busy preparing for battle. Men were running back and forth down the roads bellowing contradictory orders to others who completely ignored them, while others watched the early morning sky fearfully, screaming in fear whenever they thought they caught sight of another dragon.
There were a few signs of organized resistance near the outer edge of town. A large number of men were busy building a makeshift barricade in case the dragonspawn returned, while others were busy stock piling weapons in case of battle.
The companions were soon sweating heavily as they made their way through the chaos. They finally decided to take shelter in a substantial looking stone building that looked far older than any of the others in the town.
A surly looking dwarf with enormous side burns met them as they entered, a vicious looking battle axe in his hands. "If your here to loot, you'd better think again!" He peered a little closer at Damion. "You're a big fella, aren't ya?"
Damion looked down at the fearless little dwarf. "You know, I've never noticed that before!" He said mock surprise.
"Funny." The dwarf grunted, lowering his axe. "You're obviously not from around here. Looking for somewhere to escape the heat?"
"Aye," Veren nodded. "and some food and ale. It's been a long night!"
"That it has." The dwarf agreed. "I never thought I would live to witness two dragons fight to the death!"
"It was a sight to behold!" Veren agreed whole heartedly. "Do you happen to have any beds for rent?"
"That I do, my friends. And I also run a taproom where I'm sure you can find all you require." His face clouded. "At least until that big scarlet beast returns to finish what was started!"
"I think we should be safe for a while." Damion assured him in a confident voice. "After that battle, I doubt it will return anytime soon."
"I hope your right. My family has been here for over five hundred years now. I'm not about to abandon this place just because a bunch of overgrown lizards decided to cause a little havoc!" He gave them an sudden smile. "The name is Muddy! Follow me and I'll give take you to one of the larger chambers. They have smaller sleeping chambers adjoining a common room. It should fit your needs quite nicely." He stopped a man in an apron that was hurrying past. "Have someone look to their horses. Let's not leave them out there in the heat any longer."
"This is quite some place your operate here, friend." Veren commented as they followed the dwarf down a narrow staircase that lead deep beneath the scorching desert surface. "Your family has been here for over five centuries, you say?"
"Aye. My great grandfather and my grandfather built this place with their own two hands." He laughed a barking laugh. "The locals all thought they were barking mad when they arrived and began to excavate, but once they were finished they had the best place in the entire desert to escape the blazing sun."
The companions could feel the air grow noticeably cooler the far down they traveled. They continued following the dwarf down, passing several other floors that were bustling with activity.
"When they first built this place, they had only intended to use it as their private residence," The dwarf continued. "but my great grandfather was a shrewd dwarf, and recognized an opportunity when he saw it. They expanded and added several extra floors and chambers. They even built a large stable and livery adjacent to this place. We have been in operation ever since."
They finally arrived at the bottom of the staircase into a well lit hall with tall, vaulted ceilings. There were a number of heavy wooden tables and chairs placed around the room, filled with mostly locals. There was a large set of swinging doors at the far end of the hall where several barmaids appeared with large trays of food and drink, and disappeared with empty tankards.
The dwarf showed them through a doorway that led to their chambers, then after making sure it was adequate to their needs, promptly demanded payment. "It's troubling times, my friends." He explained with a shrug. "You never really know who you can trust these days!"
"How much?" Veren asked suspiciously.
"Eight silver." Muddy demanded firmly. "Food and drink are extra, of course."
"Eight silver?" Veren exclaimed in disbelief. "Are you serious? We just want to rent the room, not buy it!"
"Just pay him." Damion told him, slipping out out his armor with a sigh of relief. He looked to the dwarf. "Is there a bathhouse?"
"Two floors up. That's an extra silver." The dwarf smiled happily. "Once you have freshened up, you can take any table you would like in the hall. The serving girls will bring you whatever you need. I suggest the house beer. It's from an old family recipe." He quickly bustled off to return to his post near the entrance.
They returned to the hall after scrubbing away the day's grime, and took a seat at a table not far from their chamber door. A serving girl bustled up to them a moment later, then disappeared to fetch them food and drink.
"So I was thinking," Veren began hesitantly, after their beer and food had arrived. "Why are we still traveling towards Arleia? If Tempest is going to investigate for us, why not find someplace to stop and wait for her to return?"
Damion shook his head. "We cannot stop. We need to continue on until we know for sure. Most of the rumors seem to have them emerging from Arleia. Until Tempest tells me otherwise, we keep moving forward. The brood mother must be destroyed!"
The one eared man sighed."I was afraid you would say that." He took a long drink from his tankard of beer. "I'm just saying, there are worse places we could choose to await her return." He took another long drink, then smiled mischievously.
Damion chuckled. "Nice try." He drained his tankard. "Let's try to get some rest. We still have a long way to go, and this will probably be the last time we get to sleep on a proper bed for a while. I suggest we take advantage of that."
It was nearly midday when Damion heard someone slip into his tiny sleeping chamber, and his eyes instantly snapped open.
"Damion?" Raven whispered as she drew closer to where he slept.
"What is wrong?" He asked her in a quiet voice. "Is there a problem?"
She sat down on the edge of his bed. "I wanted to speak to you about what you said about me returning with you to Sevria. Were you serious about that? Did you really wish me to return with you?"
"Of course I want you to return home with me. Sevria would be lucky to have someone like you!"
"But what would you have me do? I'm not sure what kind of position you may be thinking of placing me."
He gave her a devilish smile. "I was actually thinking of several different positions I'd like to see you in."
She gave him a confused look, then her eyes suddenly grew wide and her face flushed a bright red. "That's not what I meant!" She said with a gasp, covering her mouth with one hand.
Damion laughed. "Don't worry. We'll find you something that both suits you, and you are comfortable with."
She shrugged. "I've been a leading a patrol all of my adult life. It's what I know and love."
"There is your answer the
n. I'll put you in charge of the patrols that protect the trade route through the mountains. Hundreds of caravans travel through our mountains, and they all need protection."
Her face brightened. "Really? You can do that?"
"Of course." He assured her soothingly. "You'll always have a home in Sevria. I promise you that."
She smile a radiant smile, then leaned in and gave him a long lingering kiss. She slowly rose to her feet, her face still blushing a bright red, then quietly slipped from the room, leaving him with a racing pulse.
Damion lay there for several long minutes, his heart pounding. It had been several years since a woman had invoked such emotions. With the rise of those feelings brought back the painful memories of love and loss. It had been over four years since he had lost the woman he loved, a beautiful young elf maiden named Kariah. She had been killed during the battle to help release the dragons from the Dragon Gem. He had never thought those emotions would ever resurface again.
But now, here was this brazen young woman, strong and proud, yet deceptively intelligent and breathtakingly beautiful. With that one small kiss, those feelings arose once more, sending his blood racing through his veins. He suddenly had the feeling things were going to get complicated. He finally fell into a fitful sleep plagued by dreams of his lost love.
They emerged from their sleeping chambers early that evening, then gathered together in the common hall to discuss their plans.
"All I'm saying," Veren started, obviously intending to continue his quest to extend their stay indefinitely. "It may be a while before we hear from Tempest. It would be far more comfortable to wait here for news, than continuing to traipse across the scorching desert to investigate a rumor." He nudged Damion's tankard a bit closer to the big warrior. "Once we hear back from Tempest we can decide where to go from there."
"You just want to linger over your tankard for a few weeks." Raven accused, ignoring the fact she was already on her third tankard of the day. "Men!" She rolled her eyes, then took another long drink from her ale.
Omensent: Rise of the Shadow Dragons Page 21