(Dragonkin) Dragon Rider

by C. E. Swain

  "Yes I do. He has always kept his word, and he is honorable above all else. " He replied. "He has the people of the empire in his thoughts but he does not want to rule them. He is a warrior of the empire and only the empire."

  "I trust your judgment Captain Brannor, and thank you for your time." Falendor said to his friend, and stood. "I will let you get to your duties now, I have kept you long enough."

  "Thank you sir." Captain Brannor said, and walked from the tent.

  Later that night, a figure slipped into the camp and entered the tent Litlorn used. Thirty minuets later he was gone, and Litlorn went to see his leader.

  "I have urgent news for you." He said when they were inside Menimeth's tent.

  "At This hour?" Menimeth asked, puzzled.

  "One of my kinsmen has just informed me that a force of twenty-one solders from the brigand camp in the north, is on its way to ambush you at Glansford. A mage is with them and gave him the information. We will meet at the crossroads in two days and will have to be ready for them.

  "Who is this mage and what does he want?" Menimeth asked.

  "My kinsmen believe it is his freedom from Arnoran he seeks." Litlorn replied.

  "Then we will keep an eye on him and see what his intentions are."

  "What about Falendor?" Litlorn asked.

  " We will inform him of the ambush and hang back to give him time to pass. I do not want any of his party injured." Menimeth replied.

  "And what about Commander Rayden and his cavalry?"

  "I think I will send them on ahead to the crossroads to hide, and ambush the ambush. Menimeth said.

  Litlorn smiled and shook his head.

  "We could pass it by early and avoid them altogether." He said.

  "But then we would not know where they were and we would have them to worry about on the return trip. Menimeth replied.

  "That is true, and so we must vanquish them at the crossroads." Litlorn said, and turned to leave.

  "I will see you in the morning, and we will decide how best to proceed, then." Menimeth replied, and went into the private quarters where Chanry slept.

  "What can you tell me of the solders who come to kill me, my friend." Menimeth asked his dragon.

  "They camp just off the road, northeast of where you are. The mage is very powerful but he uses dragon magic. I do not think he is a threat to us, and he has cast spells to hinder the solders he is with.

  "How far from the crossroads are they?" Menimeth asked.

  "Almost the same as you but they travel faster even with the spells the mage has cast. They will reach the crossroads before you will, do you want my help.

  "I do not think so, but you can be close by just in case we do."

  "As you wish."

  The next morning Menimeth discussed the ambush with the men. The plan was to send Commander Rayden and his cavalry to the crossroads now, and let the regent pass before Menimeth and his four companions walked into the trap. After informing the regent of their plans, Commander Rayden and the Lost Cavalry moved out to get into position before nightfall. They wanted to be sure to get to the site first, to set up the trap for a trap.

  Chanry was the biggest problem Menimeth could foresee, but he could hold the horses when the battle started and be out of the way of the fight. Everything was planned and ready, all they had to do was to wait until morning, and the fight to come.

  It was just growing light in the east when Falendor loaded his family in the carriage. Menimeth and the Dragon Guard waited until they were far enough down the road to be safe from the ambush, then they followed slowly behind to make it look as though they were in separate groups, and watched the road for any sign of the attack.

  The western regent's group was well passed the crossroads when Menimeth and his companions reached it. The attack came from the left side of the road, and the west corner as they had expected. Menimeth dismounted and drew his swords and the others did the same. Chanry took the horses across the road from the attackers, as the four warriors defended themselves. The two swords glowed white as they flashed around Menimeth's head and body, and into the brigands in front of him. Javen was fighting two of the outlaws, and Kyler had killed one but was being pressed by two more. Litlorn was fighting furiously, and one brigand was at his feet while another had lost the use of one arm.

  The mage, who was with the outlaws, raised his staff and a ball of fire flew from the end of it. The flash was very bright, and the closest bandit to Menimeth was burned to nothing in seconds.

  "You traitor!" The leader of the outlaws yelled, and turned to attack the mage.

  Donderan burst from the trees between the outlaw leader and the mage, and buried his war ax into the leaders chest. The look of shock remained on his face, even after he was dead.

  Menimeth already had three men at his feet, when the second trap was sprung. Commander Rayden and his men came from two different sides, to attack the remaining outlaws, and the fight began to go badly for the solders dressed as bandits, quickly.

  Brylen was beside Donderan as they fought beside each other, and several men lay dead at their feet. The fight was almost over, when the five remaining outlaws turned from the men they faced, and attacked Menimeth. Darik raised his staff once again, and spoke one word in a language no one had ever heard before. The staff glowed brightly, and the five outlaws that were still alive screamed a death scream. Seconds later they fell to the ground, and were dead.

  Donderan stood in the road, and smiled at Litlorn as he cleaned his sword from the carnage around him. Brylen stood beside him, and looked around at the bodies of the dead outlaws, lying in the road. This was better than what had happened to his home, but he was not a killer, and he disliked having to kill.

  Commander Rayden and his men retrieved their horses, and began clearing the bodies from the road. Menimeth looked at the dwarf, and knew him from his days with Captain Brandt. He wondered how he had come to be here, and decided he would have to talk to him later when they stopped for the night.

  Litlorn and Donderan walked to the side of the road, and talked until the road was cleared, and the armor and swords of the outlaws were stowed on the packhorses

  "It is good to see you old friend." Donderan said to the elf.

  "As always, you show up from out of nowhere when there is a fight, and kill everyone." Litlorn said to his friend of more than five hundred years. "It is good to see you too, Donderan. You are the sneakiest dwarf, that I have ever seen, and dwarves are not very good at it, normally."

  "You travel with the dragon rider do you lad?" He asked, very excitedly.

  "Yes, and his name is Menimeth." Litlorn told the dwarf.

  "And you have seen his dragon?" The dwarf asked, and danced around in front of the elf.

  Litlorn could never get used to the dwarf and the way he danced around when he was excited. It was very funny to see him hop and jerk around like he was in pain from some invisible arrow. Brylen watched the dwarf as he danced around, and shook his head, for he had seen it several times before.

  "Yes, but the regents have not. I do not know when they will find out about him, but it will be a sight to see. We are on our way to the council of regents and that is most likely where it will happen." Litlorn said, and smiled as the dwarf stopped dancing, and looked at him.

  "I will have to tag along, and see that for myself. I saw the dragon weeks ago as he passed overhead, and would like to see him up close."

  "You may get your wish sooner than you think." Litlorn said, and turned his attention to the mage.

  Once the bodies had been removed, everyone turned their attention to the mage, who still remained beside the road where he was when the ambush began. He had not moved from where he stood during the battle, and watched the men as they worked. Menimeth walked up to the mage and stopped in front of him.

  "I am Menimeth, and I was told that you gave us the information about the ambush."

  "Yes I did, but it was to be free of these solders more than anythi
ng else." The mage replied.

  "I thank you for your information, but am curious about your motive for helping us." Menimeth said, and watched the mage for his reaction.

  "My motivation for killing these men, is the fact that I was not to leave the ambush alive. My motivation for coming to this land is that Arnoran would have had me killed if I had not. And my motivation for coming along, and not disappearing along the way, was to see the dragon warrior." The mage said.

  "I am the one they refer to as the dragon warrior." Menimeth told him. "And what is your interest in me?"

  "My name is Darik, and I am from a land far to the east of lake Kathirem, but the forces of Arnoran overran my land, and I was forced to join his army. I have studied magic most of my life, and devoted it dragon lore."

  "What is your title, if I may ask?" Menimeth inquired.

  "Arnoran believes me to be a mid level mage, but I am a Supreme Master Dragon Mage. I hold the highest level in dragon lore that my land has ever produced." Darik replied.

  "You studied dragons?" Menimeth asked surprised.

  "I studied dragon magic, but there is a lot about dragons in dragon lore." Darik responded.

  Falendor was far down the road, and out of sight of Menimeth and the men in the crossroads. There was very little chance that the regents would find out about his dragon before he wanted them too, so he called Danorathin to him.

  "Would you land in the road beside me please?" Menimeth asked his dragon.

  "You are a mage, could you have not killed the solders you were with without our help?" Menimeth asked once again turning his attention to the mage.

  "Twenty-one men is more than I can face at one time, and still live." The mage replied. "Are that many hardened, solders, no match for you?"

  "What are your intentions now that you are free of the solders?" Menimeth asked him. He was curious about the man and his magic, but more than that, he was interested in the dragon lore.

  "I do not know. I have thought about it, but have nowhere to go." Darik replied.

  He was about to continue, when Danorathin came in low over the trees, and landed on the road beside his master. Darik stood stunned. His whole life had been dedicated to the study of dragons, and he looked at the great beast in awe. It was a real dragon, and he was close enough to touch. He was captured by the magic of the dragon, and could not take his eyes from him. Darik now understood why Arnoran feared the warrior so much, and why events brought him to this place, at this time.

  Brylen began backing up as soon as the dragon appeared over the trees, and he continued to do so, until he backed into the horses, and could go no farther. He watched the scene before him as it unfolded, and could hardly believe his eyes. A dragon, an elf, and a dwarf, were all in the same place, at the same time. It was the first time in over five hundred years that this had happened, and the dwarf was the first to realize it.

  Donderan started dancing around beside Litlorn and began singing, if that was what you called it, and Danorathin looked at him as he did. Litlorn was laughing at the dwarf, and Brylen just shook his head.

  Menimeth looked around the road, at the men who stood and watched him. They were caught in the middle of a war they did not want, or start, but refused to be defeated without a fight. He could not allow the empire to fall into the hands of the mage king, or his henchmen, and these men looked to him for leadership. This moment in time was important to those whose destiny was tied to the war for the lands of men, and Menimeth knew it. The decisions he made on the road today would shape events to come.

  Menimeth looked down the road to the east, and thought about the regents in Corlindum. Soon he would have to face them all, and make the empire whole again. The time had come to face what he was, and accept his place in the empire. When he rode into the council of regents, he would do so as the king of the Great Dragon Empire.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Rylee watched from the trees as the ambush was cut down in the crossroads. Avren had sent him to follow the warrior once again, and threatened to have him cut into four pieces if he returned to the camp. Messengers would be stationed at the ruins north of Argnon, and he could send his reports from there.

  Avren would need to know about this as soon as possible Rylee thought. He was the only one who could send the news to him, and he hoped the messenger would be there when he arrived. The man in the dragon armor had survived again, and Finor was dead. The mage, that was sent to protect them, however, was not. He had killed six of Finor's men himself, and had used powerful magic to do it. He was not what he appeared to be, and that was for sure.

  Mounting his horse, he rode from the trees where he had watched the battle, and turned northwest. He rode slowly at first to avoid detection, but picked up speed when he was clear of the area. The morning was bright and warm, and Rylee worried villagers along the way would spot him, but even though he used what cover the land provided, he did not slow down.

  Life was a lot better when Grif was around he thought. Back then he could ride wherever he wanted, but now he was forced to sneak around to stay alive. The guard was getting harder to avoid during the day, and the closer to Argnon you came, the more solders of the realm you encountered.

  Several times Rylee thought about just disappearing, but there was nowhere for him to go to accomplish that goal. He believed that Arnoran would win the war for the lands of men, and he would be caught and tortured if he ran. He knew about the White Kingdoms, but Chidren was between him and any hope of escape in that direction. He feared Avren and what he could do to him, but he feared Chidren even more.

  It took him several days to reach the ruins, but no one was there to meet him when he arrived, and it was two days more before the messenger showed up to found Rylee waiting on him. Things had not gone well with the operation in the southern part of Falendor's realm, and the remaining solders there were pulling back to regroup at the camp in the northwest. Rylee did not need to return and watch the warrior any longer, because he had been given new orders. He was to return to Argnon, and report on the people who came and went while the regent was away, and learn the guard's routine. When the regent returned to his castle, he was to return to the camp, and report to Avren.

  Rylee returned to the camp he used when he was in Argnon. He had used this camp many times over the last few years, and liked its location. The whole town, as well as the castle, was visible from it, and the entrance to the camp was not easy to find.

  When he arrived at the campsite it was getting late in the day, and he went about setting up his camp for a long stay. After completing his camp, he decided to go down and visit the inn on the poorer side of town. He was hungry and did not have the time to hunt for his supper, and he needed news of the latest events. He was drunk when he returned to camp, and did not see the man as he followed him from the tavern.

  When he awoke the next morning, the sun was well into the sky, and people were already on the road. He cooked his breakfast as he watched them come and go, and pulled out the bottle he had brought with him from the tavern. He was drunk before midday had reached his camp, and passed out until almost dark. He repeated this every day until he ran short of money, and then he would ride to one of the smaller roads, and kill some traveler so he could start it all over again.

  He was about to go and look for someone to kill and rob, the evening the man with a dragon on his armor came riding in from the west. Rylee spotted him long before he reached Argnon, and watched as he rode into the town, and stopped at the Red Falcon inn.

  He thought about leaving and reporting it to the messenger at the ruins, but the strong drink had gone to his head. He knew the man would stay the night because his bags were taken in the door to the rooms, and he decided that he could kill the man tonight, and redeem his standing with Avren.

  Rylee thought the men of the realms were cowards, and should be killed whenever he had the chance to kill one. He would find out different soon, but he would not live to learn from his mistakes. His destiny ha
d arrived from the west, and Rylee was about to come face to face with him.

  *****

  Avren paced the floor of the tent and grew madder with every step. When he found that fool Rylee, he would kill him slowly for his failure to report to the messenger. They needed the information he was ordered to collect, and he should have already relayed it back to the camp. Chidren was expected to return soon, and Avren did not want any problems to arise before he did. Their plans had not worked out well so far, and with Rylee's disappearance, they had no information on the garrison at Argnon.

  The only part of the campaign that was going as planned, was the traitor in the castle. The messenger would have to order him to relay the information Rylee was to have obtained, and do it quickly.

  Avren returned from his private quarters, and sat at the table in the large tent on the hill. He had just talked to Arnoran about the warrior in the dragon armor, and was ordered to recall Chidren. All of the men that were sent to the Wilderlands were to return as well, and Chidren was to report to Kath as soon as he arrived. Mareston had failed to kill the warrior when he had the chance, and had lost the monastery to him. More than one hundred of Avren's men were dead or captured, and he had recalled the rest.