Heir of Dragmoore- The Veiled Haven

by Jennifer Ann Schlag

“You set me up.”

  “You’re needed, now more than ever.”

  “Why?”

  “Your loyalty is still to this city. You praise the sacred beasts.”

  “We were friends. Not anymore. You destroyed it the day you stole your brother’s throne.”

  “Remy is going to kill Talen. I told him that it is his task of worth. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I fear Talen’s powers. Like everyone feared my brother. Gavin, I need you.”

  “First you want me imprisoned, then you want my daughter dead, and now you want to take it all back?”

  “Yes. I need her alive.”

  “It’s still self-preservation.”

  “No. Did we not say that our children should be married one day? Do you remember?”

  “I remember everything. I remember my good friend Tully not caring about the throne. He only cared about family.”

  “And look what I’ve done for family. We will have our families joined. A marriage between my son and your daughter. Like we planned.”

  Gavin steps back into the darkness of his cell. “You’ve gone mad.”

  “If I don’t live through this, I need the kingdom to have a ruler. Your daughter will be a fine fit for my son. She’ll make him a good ruler. Please. You must ride out and stop him. Please, Gavin. Don’t let our friendship die in this horrible tainted city.”

  “Tully, what am I going to say? I have to convince him that his task is over, and I have to tell her that she doesn’t need to prove my innocence or her own.”

  “I will write your pardon and what my final wishes are to be. Once it is signed by the advisors and myself, it will become bound by the magic that holds each proclamation and he will not think to dispute it.”

  “And what happens when you are feeling better?”

  “I am going to step down and make Remy king. Your daughter will be queen of Dragmoore. You think I will let Desmond become king? I can’t risk that he will give in to his powers and go mad like my poor brother. He misses his father. He holds himself responsible. Desmond cannot rule Dragmoore.”

  Gavin doesn’t want to admit it but he is happy to hear this. He’ll have his daughter home. She’ll be the queen. She will have a good future.

  Bessy and Talen have been digging under a boulder for over an hour. Talen reaches through the dirt until she feels nothing on the other side. “We are through.”

  “Don’t hesitate to kill what keeps your dragon captive. No matter what beast it is.”

  Talen readies her dagger. Bessy leads the way with an arrow ready.

  “How do you keep your clothes and equipment with you when shifting?”

  “That’s a druid secret. Maybe if you behave yourself I will tell you.”

  “Behave myself?”

  “Stop leading Desmond on. He loves you, Talen. He always has. If you can’t return his love, you must tell him.”

  Talen never thought she’d hear this. Bessy is right though. But if she is leading anyone on, it may be Remy. They haven’t made moves on each other but the tension is there. She isn’t doing anything to stop it either.

  The tunnel is a tight squeeze for adult sized humans. Talen hopes that it leads them directly to Kip. She doesn’t like the way this tunnel feels. Not enough room to fight something if it comes to fighting. Her uneasiness makes Bessy stop.

  “You’re making me nervous. I can hear your heart pounding. Stay focused. And why didn’t you bring the bow and quiver?”

  “I am trying. And I didn’t want to take it. It doesn’t feel like it’s my own.”

  “If anything, let me do the killing.”

  They reach the end of the tunnel. Looking down into a huge cave with crystals jetting out from the ceiling and along the top part of the walls, are dozens of dragons inside large glass-barred cages.

  “This is where all the dragons went to. How are they fitting them all in here?”

  “We have to set them all free.”

  “After we find Kip.”

  Talen drops down the few feet into the cave. Bessy drops down next to her.

  “You can’t go running around like you own the place. You realize what dug these tunnels?”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Surely someone must be looking after the dragons.”

  “Yes, there is,” a voice says behind them.

  Slowly they turn around. The creature before them has spiral antennas, an egg-shaped head, fat body, and stubby legs. Although most of his face is humanlike, the rest of him is definitely insect. He is a few inches shorter than Bessy, but then again Bessy is taller than most women standing a little over six feet.

  “Duggs,” Bessy says.

  “Hunter. What brings you to my lair?”

  “Duggs aren’t a sacred beast,” Talen says.

  “Thankfully. I might have felt a little guilty killing them,” Bessy says.

  “Oh, you aren’t going to kill me.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because we have poisoned all the dragons.”

  Talen raises her dagger. “You what?”

  “Only we can administer the antidote to cure them. Some of them aren’t looking so well.”

  “That’s why they are all subdued,” Talen says.

  Bessy grabs the Dugg by his antennas. “I only need to keep one of you alive.”

  “Better make sure that the one you keep alive is the one that makes the antidote.”

  Bessy releases him. “What a waste. We have to find the generals. He is just a drone. He won’t be of any use to us.”

  The Dugg laughs as he pushes the women aside.

  Bessy aims an arrow at his head. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  Talen lowers Bessy’s arrow. “What do you want? Every creature can be bought.”

  The Dugg comes back around. “Let us keep the humans we have already and I’ll release your baby dragon. She was going to eat them anyway.”

  “You need to release all of the dragons.”

  “A few humans is not worth enough to release every single dragon.” He circles Talen. “You’re different. I can sense it on you.”

  “Tell me what you want.”

  “If you can make the harpy queen stop killing us, then I’ll release all of the dragons.”

  Bessy pulls on Talen’s arm. “Don’t believe him.”

  Talen pushes Bessy away. “How will I convince the harpy queen to stop killing your kind?”

  The Dugg directs Talen’s eyes to a net hanging from a long chain that is connected to the ceiling. Kip is sitting in there.

  Talen grits her teeth, lets out a low human growl. She pushes the Dugg against the dirt wall, places her dagger at his throat. “If you do not keep to your word, I shall kill every single one of you. Then you won’t have to worry about the harpy queen eating you.”

  “Do we have a deal?”

  “We have a deal,” Talen says.

  Talen finds a small path leading back up to the tunnel they came out of. Bessy points her finger at the Dugg, like marking him for death, and then climbs up.

  Once outside, Talen breaks down into tears.

  “Pull it together. If you marry the prince, you can’t be crying in front of one of your subjects. It shows weakness.”

  “Why would I care if I married the prince and showed weakness by crying?”

  Bessy shakes her, trying to get sense into her. “Do you like Remy?”

  “I suppose I do.”

  “Do you like Desmond?”

  “It’s clear that you do, very much.”

  Bessy grunts as she walks away, putting her bow over her back.

  Gavin rides down the main road thinking he may never find Talen. No one knows where Talen is, except those that are already with her. It’s like the blind leading the blind. He stops halfway down the road, comes across a few horse prints that pull off into the Wilderness. He pulls his horse towards that way.

  The shrill of someone in pain stops him. As he moves in closer he sees that it is som
eone he knows. “Elsa Falconclaw.”

  The harpy queen wipes green blood from her mouth. Her fangs are red, her lips are quivering from the kill, and her eyes are glowing like embers in the sky. Her repulsive side fades and in comes her beauty. “Gavin.” She nurses a wounded shoulder.

  “A Dugg? Thought they gave you stomach aches.”

  “Desperation. The delicious food is scarce lately.”

  “Have you seen my daughter?”

  “I have. She travels with unusual people. A prince. Two sea druids, and a sea witch.”

  “But sea witches cannot come onto land, unless it is the queen.”

  “This one found a way to conquer that little problem. I was going to ambush the camp and kill only the witch, but the Marksman will kill me.”

  “Where is Talen?”

  “She has gone to retrieve her dragon. These foul little bugs have all of the dragons in their underground lair.”

  “Duggs. All of them you say?”

  “Say it and I shall make them extinct.”

  “No. Something isn’t right here. How can the Masters be okay with this?”

  “Duggs are very clever. They apply their poisons and watch their victims suffer. They can induce a euphoric state of mind and make you believe anything. What makes you think they can’t use it to influence the Masters? Or perhaps they threatened the elves.”

  The harpy queen talks nonsense. Gavin won’t accept that a Master would allow himself to be taken under the poison of a Dugg, letting the dragons be prisoners.

  “Believe me, I’d rather be eating a beautiful sunfish right now. They are all gone.” She sniffs the air. “Your daughter comes now.”

  A white owl lands and Talen hops off. She sees her father and swears it’s some magic spell.

  “Talen.”

  “Father!” She runs and hugs him.

  Bessy shakes off lingering feathers. She walks over to the harpy queen. “Just the woman we are looking for. If you stop killing the Duggs, they will release all of the dragons.”

  “What if they are lying?”

  “Where’s the Marksman?” Gavin asks Talen.

  “He’s watching Remy and Dahila. She’s a woman whose brothers were attacked and dragged off to the Duggs’ dwelling.”

  “Talen, that woman is --”

  “We should get back to the Marksman and Remy. I only came down here because I smelled your scent, Gavin.”

  Dahila comes on to the Marksman with a kiss to his lips. He responds by gripping her hips and pulling her close to him. He kisses her neck, then grazes the top of her earlobe with his lips. “I know what you are, sea witch.”

  Dahila pulls away and her viperous tongue rolls out. Her eyes turn bright green with red for the pupil instead of black. “I wondered how long it would take you, druid.”

  As she slithers away on her human legs, Remy runs over and swings his sword. Takes her head clean off.

  “You stupid… little… ass!” The Marksman grabs the sword and pushes Remy down.

  “I saved you.”

  “You just condemned us all. You don’t kill a sea witch like that.”

  The sea witch’s head rolls over onto the severed part and her mouth opens wide. She wails, raising her voice into the sky. It turns melodic as it travels over the land and out of earshot. The blood seeps into the ground.

  “She is signaling to the others what has transpired here. You’ll bring a war down upon us.”

  Talen and Bessy ride up with Gavin. The harpy queen flies overhead.

  Talen gets down and Bessy follows. Gavin pulls his horse alongside his daughter. “Talen, you should have let the infant die in the Wilderness.”

  “I didn’t ask for your counsel. I’m happy you’re free but don’t lecture me.”

  The Marksman comes over with his arms open. For a moment, Bessy anticipates his touch, then he hugs Talen. Followed by Gavin. He slaps Bessy on the back.

  Remy walks over awkwardly. “Good to see you again, Talen. Glad that you are safe. Where’s Kip?”

  She looks over at the pool of blood on the ground. Looks back at Remy and more importantly the sword he carries. Blood and pieces of flesh caked on its shiny steel. She doesn’t see Dahila anywhere. “You killed Dahila?”

  “She was a sea witch. She tried to seduce the Marksman to kill him.”

  Talen steps up. Remy panics. Then she pulls him into a hug. Long and almost lovingly. “You did well, my prince. Remy.”

  “I informed “your” prince of how dangerous it is to kill a sea witch improperly. He must feel he can take on the world right now.”

  Talen pushes off from Remy. His arms linger in the air as if still holding her. “We can’t waste any more time.”

  The harpy queen lands in front of them. “I will go with Talen to the Duggs’ lair. I want to see dragons return to this world. After they are freed, your next enemy to conquer should be the elves. The Duggs didn’t come up with the idea to imprison all of the dragons. The elf queen is behind this.”

  “That’s an unfair assumption. No one has spoken to the elves for a long time,” Gavin says.

  “Exactly. Who knows what they have been up to? Don’t start doubting her. Because of her unmatched beauty, many men tend to believe whatever she says. It’s her greatest weapon. Don’t you think it is more than a coincidence that the moment the elves stop talking to people, the Masters do too? Search your mind, Gavin. Leave behind your feelings.”

  “You’re right. I’m making it too personal.”

  “I’ll let you worry about the elves. Let’s go, harpy,” Talen says.

  “I can carry you. Just direct me where to fly.”

  Talen holds up her arms and Elsa latches onto her. At first the harpy queen has a hard time lifting off, then she gets her wings flapping hard and they are off.

  Remy finds a stream and starts cleaning his sword. A crack of a twig sends him into alarm mode. He brings the sword around and water splashes onto Gavin’s face. “Sorry.”

  “I bring news from your father.”

  “He wants me to kill Talen. He wants that to be my task of worth. She has done nothing wrong to me or the kingdom. What kind of king will I be if I kill one of my subjects for no reason? I am not going to do it, Gavin. I thought about it. Thought I could. But now, I care about her. I can’t harm someone that I care about.”

  Gavin takes the sword and rubs it along in the dirt. “It’s better to clean it with dirt rather than water.”

  “Why?”

  “We have to drink the water.” A smile forms on his face. He gives the sword back.

  Remy laughs.

  Gavin takes out a scroll from his quiver. Hands it to Remy.

  “The king’s new orders?”

  “Read it.”

  Remy rolls out the scroll. When he gets to the bottom and sees his father’s signature and the seal: a blue circle with a dragon’s head glowing, he knows that it is set in stone. No way can it be a trick. “Do you want your daughter marrying me?”

  “No. I’d rather she married someone she loved. But at least being married to her, you’ll never suffer a dull moment. The fact that you care about her makes it okay. You have my blessing.”

  Remy hugs Gavin. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. If we don’t return with a Master, things could change. Talen may be persuaded to marry you before we get to the Veiled Haven, but if she decides to stay there, you can’t force her to leave. They simply won’t allow it.”

  “What will be my task of worth then?”

  “It’s clear in the scroll. Bring a Master back to Dragmoore.”

  Remy sits outside his tent watching the Marksman and Gavin laugh at old stories. Even Bessy is having a good time. Until Gavin brings up his wife and all the things she loved to do. Everyone’s mood grows somber.

  The Marksman goes for a walk and Bessy joins him.

  Gavin has forgotten how much it pains the Marksman to hear about his wife. He was there when she was taken. He had saved
Talen but couldn’t save Kylie.

  “Gavin, tell me how long you have known the Marksman?”

  “Longer than I wanted to. His parents sent him to Dragmoore when he was a boy. He didn’t fit in with the sea druids.”

  “How did he hide what he is?”

  “It’s not like we look different from regular humans. In my native land we dress differently. Simpler. Other than that, we look just like every other human,” the Marksman says.

  Remy never noticed him coming back. “Except you perform magic.”

  “It’s not like the magic you’re thinking of. It’s elemental. You’re thinking too much of mage magic, which is very different. They manipulate the elements in poor taste.”

  “My prince, why don’t you read about the sea druids?” Bessy asks.

  Remy rests his head on his knees.

  “At least Talen knows a little more than you do. Maybe she can read to you,” Gavin says.

  Remy feels so out of place. The only person there that likes him is Gavin. But the prince knows it’s sympathy Gavin feels for him. One day he will have Gavin as his father-in law. He will have the love and respect he deserves. Gavin won’t ask his new son to prove his worth.

  “You think we are vile creatures like the elves?” the Marksman asks.

  “My eyes are being opened to new things.”

  Bessy sits down next to Remy. “It is good that they are.” She senses his uneasiness. “We don’t kill like the elves do. We like to live amongst humans because we are human. We’re just gifted. Not by choice. We are born this way.”

  Gavin can’t help but give the Marksman conflicting looks. The Marksman registers those looks. Both men know what the other should say, but neither can reveal their secrets. At this point, revealing a secret or two can’t do any more harm than already has been done.

  Bessy gets up and goes into a tent. The Marksman quickly follows.

  “Another woman? How many women must he have?” Remy says.

  Bessy lies down on a blanket. The Marksman sits beside her. “If you aren’t in here to please me, then leave. I am exhausted with all this shifting. Next time, you do it.”

  “It’s getting harder, constantly lying to Remy. Gavin is suffering too. How can you keep calm?”

  “Because it doesn’t directly affect me to lie to the prince. Stop being a blundering idiot and tell him. He already knows most of it anyway.”