by C. E. Swain
"Three thousand solders and refugees are waiting on your return?" Menimeth asked.
"Yes." Banadar replied. "And they are in need of a safe place to stay for a while."
"There is more than enough room in the empire for all of them." Menimeth said. "And we will welcome you here."
"We thank you for your kindness." Banadar replied.
"There is a force of his solders in the northwest, who wish to take half our empire from us." Menimeth said. "We will drive them from our lands, and you could help defeat them."
"We should speak to your king about it, but I think the men would like to help in killing servants of Arnoran." Caladon said, and Banadar agreed with his brother.
"There is a city to the north and west of here called Glansford." Menimeth told them. "That is where the king lives, and there is more than enough room for all of you there for now. Those of your men who wish to, can join the army at the garrison across the road from the city."
"We will need to return to our camp in the east, and start the people moving this way." Banadar said. "But we will start as soon as your king agrees to allow our arraignment."
"You two need not return to the camp." Menimeth told them. "I can get there much faster than you, and have them started sooner."
"How can you get there faster than we can?" Caladon asked. "Do you have some super horse that we cannot see?"
"I do not ride my horse much anymore." Menimeth said. "But I have a friend who can carry me there quickly."
"And how do you know your king will honor your word?"
"Because I speak for the empire." Menimeth said. "And agree to all we have discussed."
"They do not believe you." Danorathin told his master.
"They will as soon as you get here." Menimeth assured his dragon.
"You speak for the empire." Banadar said, but his voice was filled with disbelief.
"Yes, and your horses may become hard to contain, so be prepared. My friend arrives." Menimeth said.
Danorathin landed beside his master seconds later, and Menimeth looked at the two brothers and smiled. They stood with their mouths open and could not believe what they saw, but no longer doubted him.
"Do you have something that will identify you to your men at the camp?" Menimeth asked. "It will help to convince them that the empire welcomes them."
"Take this." Caladon said, and handed Menimeth the pendant from around his neck. "It belonged to my father, and Gareon will recognize it."
"I will send them up the old east road, which is about one week east from here by horse." Menimeth said, as he climbed onto his dragon and secured the battle straps. "If they travel north west to the road, they should arrive in Glansford no later than two weeks after you."
The two brothers watched as the dragon spread his wings and leapt into the air, flying east, and out of sight. They were still stunned from the appearance of the great dragon, and sat looking into the distance, silently. Banadar looked at his brother, and shook his head.
"I thought there were no more dragons." Banadar said, and urged his horse forward.
"I might have been mistaken." Caladon replied, and followed his brother as they headed northwest. "But at least he did not eat us."
"Great." Banadar said. "I hope he will eat you first, and be too sick to eat me."
"He would not want to eat you anyway." Caladon said. "You are too skinny, and you smell."
"How could you smell me past your own stench?" Banadar asked. "I am surprised your horse can still walk."
"At least I ride a horse, and not a mule, like you do."
"That is because you are the mule."
"Ok, there are still dragons in this empire." Caladon said.
"Now was that so hard to do?" Banadar asked his brother.
"Yes. He replied.
Menimeth flew east, and in the direction of the camp the brothers had set up. Two thousand battle-hardened warriors was something the empire needed, and Menimeth would try to get as many to fight for him as he could. They would be well compensated for their service to the empire, and he hoped most of them would stay in the realms after the war was over.
The refugees were also something the empire needed, to grow and prosper when the west was cleared of its enemies. Until then he would find a place for them in the cities, and some of them may even wish to remain. The population of the empire had declined over the many centuries without dragons, and the land was now overgrown where the people once lived. No sign of them remained in the wilds of the empire, and even the roads that were once used by so many, were no longer there.
Danorathin spotted the camp long before they reached it, and landed far enough away, to allow Menimeth to approach the camp without panic spreading among its occupants. He was no more than fifty feet from his dragon when a patrol spotted him, and rode in his direction. Seconds later, Menimeth was surrounded by the solders, who cut of his access to the camp.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" The patrol leader demanded.
"My name is Menimeth, and I am here to speak with Gareon." Menimeth said to the solder.
"And what is your business with Gareon?" The leader demanded, walking his horse forward a few paces, and closing the space between them.
"Our own." Menimeth stated flatly.
"You have a smart mouth on you." The leader said. "I think I should teach you some manners."
"You can try." Menimeth said. "But you will not be successful in your attempt. I am not here to challenge you, but will not be disrespected in my own land."
"We will see." The leader said, and started his horse forward again.
"What is going on here?" The voice from behind the solders asked.
"This man was sneaking up on the camp, so I stopped him." The patrol leader said.
"Did you ask him his name, and his business?" The man asked, as he walked up to the solders that surrounded Menimeth.
"He said his name was Menimeth, and that he was here to speak with you, sir." The leader replied.
"Did he now?" Gareon asked. "And why was he not brought to me?"
"He was about to attempt to teach me some manners." Menimeth said, and looked at the patrol leader. "I am ready when you are."
"And what of the other men in the patrol? Will you fight all twenty men by yourself?" Gareon asked.
"I was to be taught by the leader." Menimeth replied. "I am not alone as you would think, and my friend would not allow the others to interfere."
"Two of you, to defeat twenty men." Gareon said. "I would like to see that."
"My friend will not show himself unless the other solders interfere, or I ask him to." Menimeth informed them. "This is only a friendly lesson that I will teach your man."
"You, teach me?" The Patrol leader roared. "We will see about that."
"Please have your man show himself." Gareon said, as he stopped the leader from advancing. "We will not harm you, or him."
"I did not say my friend was a man." Menimeth said. "And we will not be harmed, regardless of how many solders you have."
"Have him or her reveal themselves, and we will go into the camp and listen to what you have to say." Gareon said. "There is no need for lessons to be taught or learned today."
"I am to give you this." Menimeth said, as he handed the pendant to Gareon. "Caladon and Banadar sent me to speak with you."
"And why are they not with you?" Gareon asked, concerned.
"They are far from here to the west, and it would have taken too long for them to return." Menimeth replied.
"When did you talk to them last?" Gareon asked, puzzled by the cryptic response.
"Just passed midday today." Menimeth answered.
"But they have been gone for almost three weeks. How could you have spoken with them today, if they are far to the west?
"I can travel much faster than they can." Menimeth replied.
"Three weeks ride in just a couple of hours. I find that hard to believe."
"It will not be so hard to beli
eve when I depart." Menimeth told the man. "My friend and I will reach our home by night fall, and that is more than two month's ride by horse.
Gareon looked at the warrior with suspicion and disbelief. He wondered if the man was delirious, or just trying to make them look like
fools. The time had come to end this game, he thought.
"Why not bring your friend into the camp, and we can discuss it." Gareon repeated his earlier request. There is no need for him to hide any longer, we will not attempt to harm you or him."
"They will not listen to me until you show yourself." Menimeth told his dragon.
"They will see me eventually, anyway." Danorathin informed his master. "But I did want to see the lesson that was to be taught."
"My friend will show himself, but will not come into the camp." Menimeth said. "We did not want to scare the children."
"You do not look that threatening to me." The patrol leader said.
"My friend had hoped to see the lesson you would teach me." Menimeth said to the leader. "He thought it would be amusing."
"How do you know?" Gareon asked. "We have heard nothing, and see no one."
"We will bring him out." The patrol leader said, and began to advance on Menimeth, along with the other solders of the patrol
Danorathin came from the trees with a roar, and looked at the solders that threatened his master. He would not allow them to reach him, but he did not wish to harm them either. The solders halted their advance when the dragon appeared, and began backing up, and away from the beast. Those solders, which were behind Menimeth, moved around him to where their leader sat, frozen. Gareon stood stunned at the sight, and looked from dragon to rider.
"Do not fear, he will not harm you." Menimeth told the men. "But he will not allow you to attack me either."
"That is a dragon?" Gareon said, when he regained his wits.
"At least the man is not stupid." The dragon said to his master.
"Yes, he is a dragon." Menimeth said, smiling at Danorathin's remark. "This is called the Great Dragon Empire for a very good reason."
"You ride him?" Gareon asked.
"I may have spoken too soon." Danorathin said to Menimeth.
"Well, yes. It is better than walking." Menimeth replied. "And I can reach my destination much faster."
"What is it you wanted from us?" Gareon asked. "Why did my prince's send you?"
"I am here to invite you all to the city of Glansford." Menimeth replied. "There is a road northwest of here. Follow it to the crossroads, and travel east on the Great East Road until you reach the city. We will be waiting for you, and will have accommodations ready when you arrive."
"All of us?" Gareon asked.
"Yes." Menimeth replied. "And your prince's will be there when you arrive."
"We will leave as soon as we can." Gareon assured Menimeth.
"I must go now, but will be looking forward to your arrival." Menimeth said, as he climbed onto his dragon and prepared to depart. "You can travel at a pace that is easier on the women and children, and the wounded as well, for you will be safe from harm while you are in the empire."
"Thank you for your invitation." Gareon said, and turned to walk back into the camp.
Danorathin leapt into the air, and was out of sight of the camp minutes later. Menimeth hoped events would find the solders helping them in the coming battle in the west, but they had to arrive in Glansford first. He would wait and see when they did, but there were other problems to take care of first. The battle in the west was only the beginning, and the war of the empire would come later. If the west could be secured quickly, they would have a chance to rebuild the four realms before the full forces of Arnoran turned their attention to the empire. Only time would tell, but first there was the battle in the west.
Chapter Twenty
Chanry walked through the castle, and explored as much as he could during the days his master was gone. He practiced his spells as often as he could, and was getting very good at them, though he could only understand the easier ones. He was learning the harder spells as well, but it would take time for him to learn to pronounce the words correctly.
Darik was no longer here to teach him the spells, and he had learned as much as he could from the solders for his size, so he explored the castle. There were not many parts to the castle he had not been to, but when he discovered the secret door in his master's room, he had to explore it. The stairs he found behind the door descended into a part of the lower levels of the castle that was completely unknown until now. He found two doors with the dragon symbol on them, and the same runes as the box. He noticed that they were locked with the same lock as the vault, and wondered what treasures may lay inside. He would have to tell his master about this place when he returned he thought. Chanry did not know what was behind the doors, but it had to be something important to put the dragon symbol and the magic lock on them.
Chanry walked along the hallway with a sphere of light to guide his way, and inspected the rooms as he made his way through the unexplored halls. He learned the spell when Darik was still in the city, to help him find his way to his rooms at night, and practiced it all the time.
There were many halls in this part of the castle that were underground, but none of them led to the level that had already been explored by the workers. Instead, they seemed to go deeper and deeper into the earth. Chanry chose to explore the halls that branched off of the main hallway, instead of taking the stairs he had found at a door at the hallways end. The door to the lower levels would have to wait until another day he thought.
It was the last hall to the left, and the door the hallway ended at, that captured his attention. It was different from the other doors he passed, and it was not wooden. He could not open it at first, though he tried many times. It was not until he stopped and thought about the door, that he realized it was not brute force, but magic, which opened the door.
"Grav-fohr-Drathin Estarea-vorind-Sesterthin." Chanry spoke the words slowly, getting louder as he did, and the door began to glow with a dull white light. He did not know how he knew the words he spoke, but he did. Words began to appear on the door in the glowing white light that said, "Open in the name of the Dragon, A Dragon Rider Commands it." Seconds later, the light and words disappeared, and the door began to open. Chanry held up his hand, and the sphere of light he summoned, entered the chamber ahead of him and illuminated it. Walking inside, and looked around at the items it held, Chanry could not believe what he saw. In the center of the chamber was a shield of an ancient design, sitting on a golden stand. It was shaped like a dragon that chased its tail, and golden runes were inlayed in several places on the dragon. A shirt of chain mail hung on a golden rack beside the shield on one side, with a dragon of gold interwoven into the links. On the other side of the shield, were the boots, leg and calf guards, and gauntlets, to match the chain mail, and a helm shaped like the head of a dragon on a similar stand. A belt hung around the chain mail shirt, but there was no sword attached to it.
Chanry was mesmerized by the armor and shield, and he reached out to touch them, and make sure they were real. And even though he felt the magic of the armor before he touched it, he could not stop himself. The armor on both stands began to glow when he touched them, and he felt the power of them all around him. He looked closely at them, and noticed they had the same runes as the sword in his master's room. He could only see them when they glowed, but he could see them just the same. On the wall behind the armor and shield, was a stone tablet in a language that he could not read. Darik would know what it said Chanry thought, and he would ask him when he returned from the northeast.
The room was one he would tell his master about, along with the ones with the dragon symbol on them, but there were more items that his master would want to know about than just those. He walked from the chamber, and the door closed slowly behind him as he did. Everything was there, except the sword from his master's room, and he knew somehow it belonged in that chamber.
> Chanry continued to explore the first level until late that evening, and when he reached the top of the stairs and his master's room, he was surprised to find Menimeth already there.
"Meni, you're here." He said, as he emerged from the panel in the wall, and ran to his master's side.
"Where did you come from," Menimeth said, surprised to see the boy come from the wall. "You look excited, so you will have to sit down and tell me all about it."
"That door leads to a part of the castle we have never been to." Chanry said, as he pointed to the panel he had just emerged from. "It goes farther underground than the other parts of the castle, and has at least two doors with the dragon symbol and the magic lock."