“Incredible. Make a deeper cut and see if you can get some of that in the bowl.” The guard was about to comply when he suddenly started shaking. He dropped the knife before retreating. His head jerked to one side of the cell before a sudden blast of fire exploded around him. The suddenness of the attack caught everyone by surprise. The guard’s screams were short lived and in a few moments it was all over. It took a minute before either of the watchers on the outside of the cell were able to speak.
“What do we do now?” Alban had felt a burst of power from within the cell that left him shaking.
“We wait on him. He will weaken from hunger before long.” Reigns paused a moment before yanking the cell door shut. He then swung on his heels and began threading the corridors back towards the surface. They had almost reached the castle level when the ground shook. They both had to catch themselves against the stair wall to keep from falling.
“What was that?” Alban inquired in annoyance.
“I am not sure, but from the shouting that I hear, I believe that Firgrest is under attack.”
“Under attack? I thought that this castle was virtually impregnable.”
“It is, but in all my years, I have learned never to underestimate the Asgare. His hand has to be involved in an attack this brazen.” Reigns listened intently to the sounds drifting down the stairs with a deep scowl on his face.
“But this is a castle! He doesn’t have an army.”
“I recently figured out that most of the people I sent him to kill were probably only moved to safer places. He might well have an army at his disposal.”
“We can’t wait in here forever. Should we go up and see what can be done?”
“No, there is another way out. We can defeat him even if he does manage to get over the walls. He is after his son.” Reigns brushed past Alban and descended the stairs. When they reached the lowest level, he closed the door into the staircase and pulled a cord that ran into the ceiling. A thunderous rumbling sounded above them before some heavy impacts began buckling the door. A moment later it gave way letting a flood of boulders into the corridor. Reigns and Alban hastily retreated to the other end of the sloping tunnel where a heavy door with an iron lock waited. The tunnel was filling with dust before Reigns got the lock undone. On the other side of the door was a small room with some dusty old supplies on a few shelves. Taking a bundle of candles, Reigns lit one with the torch and handed it to Alban.
“It is a fair walk to the other end so we will be needing these.”
“What is this place?” Alban asked hesitantly. The man he had addressed had just buried alive all the prisoners in the dungeon. The men on the surface were equally abandoned and now he was calmly preparing for an underground journey.
“I am sure you have heard of the legend of the robber baron and how he was never found in Firgrest once it was taken? Well, during the three years it took to take the castle, he had this tunnel constructed. He escaped through it with most of his stolen riches and for all I know is living a quiet life in some hidden corner of the world.”
“How long is the tunnel?”
“It is hewn through the stone for a distance before they broke into a natural lava tunnel. It comes out near the edge of the forest to the north of the castle. As I said, a long walk so we should get moving.” Alban took one last look at the door behind them before hastening to keep pace with Reigns’ long stride.
“Amazing.”
“Why don’t you send out a message, however you do it, and have reinforcements try attacking the Asgare at the rear by surprise.”
“I can’t. My Gift isn’t of that kind. That is what my groom was for. He was the telepath and was up on the surface.”
“Too bad. I wish I hadn’t been forced to bury the Dragon Lords. They would have been fascinating to study.”
Chapter Sixteen: Choices
Torroth marched with his eyes fixed on the ground a few feet ahead of his boot tips. It was a tortured decision that led him down this path. A path that he felt was the only one that was possible. It was far too dangerous for Anissa to be anywhere in the Braebach. On the one hand, Reigns was most likely trying to recover his fake princess. On the other hand, Torroth had been forced to fight off two sets of men that had intended on having their way with the girl. They hadn’t anticipated that Torroth might be more than a simple farmer with his betrothed.
Anissa was terrified of every shadow that moved after these two experiences. That was one of the reasons that he was now wending his feet towards the Vaulwar Mountains. Dragon’s Hamlet offered safety in its isolation. After leaving Urake, they had intended to disappear into a secluded town where he could practice his smithing skills. That was when they saw a poster that remotely resembled Anissa. In truth the primary detail that resembled the girl was the purple eyes prominent in the poster. However vague it was, the resemblance was enough to require Torroth fending off a few individuals intent on collecting the five gold coin offered for the capture if the pictured individual.
After leaving that unfortunate town, the real trouble had begun. Even dressed in the wardrobe of the commoners, Anissa was a young woman of rare beauty. The brigands that had tried to share their camp had noticed and attempted to force themselves on her without having taken Torroth into account. One had even had the misfortune of drawing a knife. The ensuing battle had lost the knife wielder a thumb and cost the other a deep cut down the side of his leg. They had been more than happy to drag themselves away before any chance for further bloodshed.
Anissa wanted nothing more to do with people and the places that they congregate so they had taken to slowly making their way down unfrequented trails. As the fates would have it, a couple knaves were also intent on avoiding the general populace and so they had met along a secluded trail. Ruffians in every sense of the word, they advanced with swords drawn and while one took on the task of eliminating Torroth, the other made for Anissa. Their fortunes ran closely along the lines of the other two proceeding blackguards leaving them to retreat while trying to staunch the blood flowing from a dozen injuries. It was then that Torroth was decided on going back to the village hidden in the Vaulwar.
He looked up when Anissa gave a terrified gasp. He had warned her that they would be meeting dragons, but there was nothing that could be said that could prepare one for the foreboding prospect of meeting one such creature face to fang. His heart sank a little as he saw the gilt color of the scales belonging to the great dragon that soared overhead. He had hoped to be greeted by a familiar dragon, but then again, this one had not threatened a horrific death should any harm befall their beloved Dragon Lord. This was the one thing that had loomed large in his mind since making the decision to leave Inadar with Urake. It helped none when he had decided to return to Dragon’s Hamlet. The gold dragon lazily banked and swung back around gliding over close enough that Torroth could see the individual scales. There was something that he interpreted as irritation on the dragon’s visage when they didn’t flee.
Deciding that merely presenting himself was not having the required response of pure panic, the gold dragon wheeled and folded his wings, falling to the ground a few paces away with an earth shaking crash. Even this had not the desired effect. Now the gold dragon simply looked at them with a puzzled expression. Torroth was about to speak when the dragon reared back and unleashed a thunderous roar that nearly knocked them off their feet. Torroth shielded Anissa from the blast and wheeled on the dragon as soon as he was able.
“STOP IT! I want to speak with Iradaemi or Setur.” This demand was met with a long hiss from the dragon.
“Foolish human. Speak sooner or I would have killed you.”
“I want to speak to Iradaemi or Setur.” Torroth repeated his demands.
“You must be Setur’s human. One called Torroth. That one must be the hatchling. They spoke well when they said she was ensafar in looks. For a human.”
“Dragons can talk?” Anissa finally managed to stop shaking enough to speak.
“I spoke hastily. She is still ensafar, but not our hatchling.”
“She is my mate.”
“Humans call their woman mates wives. She is your wives?” The golden dragon stalked close enough to sample the air around them with his nose.
“Not wives. She is my wife. I need to speak to Iradaemi and Setur as soon as possible.”
“Wife, wives… How do they differ in derora?”
“Wives means more than one. I only have one wife so you would call her my wife. When can I see Iradaemi or Setur?”
“Human runes are inmack. No vishny… mind speak in them.”
“Will you let us past into the village?”
“I know not yet if you are truly Torroth of the iron fires.”
“How am I going to convince you that I am who I say I am?” Torroth inquired as frustration began setting in.
“Tell him something only you would know.” Anissa tried to offer some advice.
“This is noverum inglast… idea. If only he knows it, how will I know if it is yarin? He must sera something that we would know, but he would not tell any iron shell.” The gold dragon waited expectantly.
“I can’t understand half of what you are saying. Let me try thinking of something… What about this? I was one of the soldiers that came with commander Verkal.”
“I suspect that is not hidden among humans.” Torroth glared up at the gold dragon.
“I was sent with Inadar to find the other Dragon Lord and a soul forged weapon.”
“This could be told to iron shell.”
“Iradaemi and Rothlt are going to roast me alive when they find out that I am not with Inadar.” Torroth lost his morose expression as the gold dragon began laughing.
“Iradaemi and Rothlt informed me that you were given an impossible task and required encouragement.”
“Encouragement?! How could that ever be called encouragement?” Torroth was nearing the point of pulling his hair out in frustration.
“There are two things that encourage… drive humans. One is gain and the other is fear. Would you have gone with Inadar otherwise?”
“You don’t understand humans at all! Fear and gain are not the only things that drive people. Yarin… I mean true love is stronger than both of those together.”
“So you love Inadar?” Torroth realized the mistake he had made in his outburst.
“No I don’t… I mean yes I do, but not in that way.”
“You are inmack. How many ways are there to do this love?”
“There are a lot of ways to love. There is the way that I love Anissa and then there is the way that I would love my parents. There is the way that I would love my brother or my own children. I love Inadar like I loved my brother.”
“Entack inmack assuredly. One word should not mean so many things. I will now lead you to the village of humans.”
“What? Are you done interrogating me?”
“Yarin.”
“True? What was it that I said that convinced you?”
“No limun would have an iron shell tell of Iradaemi and Rothlt’s threat.”
“What does limun mean?” Anissa inquired drawing the golden dragon’s attention.
“It mean to make thoughts of work before doing but in a bad work.”
“Like a plan?” Anissa had lost her initial fear of dragons while listening to Torroth and the dragon arguing.
“More like a plot.” Torroth had returned to his morose state.
“Plot. Make plan of bad workings. This is good.” The dragon mouthed the word for a few moments.
“Glad that we could help.”
“You seem to know many words of the human language. Perhaps you can answer me a question that I have long unknown the derora.”
“We would love to help you but…” Torroth’s attempt at requesting permission to advance to the village without the dragon was stymied as the dragon interrupted him.
“Good. I found an inmack word in human runes that is used to say opposite things. Cleave. I find word to mean stick together, but in human cluster of dwellings there is one who cuts and sells meat. He has a devise to cut carcasses apart and he calls it a cleaver. Would not it be a cutter and a cleaver be like dung of ivris beetle?” Torroth almost laughed at the perplexed dragon. His irritation was still present, except at a reduced capacity.
“It is one of the few words that work like that. Cleave does mean to stick together, but it also means to separate, especially when a knife, sword, or an ax is used.”
“Entack madness. How then can a word that means onwath also mean to make things colored?”
“I think you mean die and dye.”
“Yes. Why did you say it two times?”
“Because it is written two ways. One means to stop living and the other means to add color to or to change the color of something.”
“There is no logic to human runes. How does one know if one is talking of one or the other? It would be embarrassing if I were to tell someone to die and he only changes colors.”
“I doubt that anyone would be making that mistake should you make that demand.”
“So there is thought speak with your words.”
“Not quite. It is more context. By the way, you don’t have to take us to the village. I know the way.” Torroth tried to further clarify his point by attempting to step past the dragon, but discovered that they were not as cumbersome as they appeared to be while on the ground.
“I am aware of your knowing. There are other dragons winging the skies over the border. They may not believe you or might be inclined to breathe fire before asking questions.”
“In that case, we are grateful for your protection. Might we know your name?” Anissa cast a sideways glance at Torroth.
“I am the mighty Onwier, third hatched after the great Rothlt.”
“I was under the impression that Rothlt was the only one left from that hatching.” Torroth tried to remember exactly what had been told him.
“He was the only one out of hibernation for a great many seasons. I awakened only this heat season.”
“Hibernation… so you were sleeping?”
“Dragons do not sleep. We rest our bodies, but our minds allow us no sleep. When our minds become burdened with sliveen… tiredness we fall into the eirden slumber. Rothlt has resisted the eirden slumber for many seasons.”
“Onwier, we are near to Dragon’s Hamlet. When can I speak with Iradaemi? Or Setur for that matter, unless they have gone to the eirden slumber?” Torroth suddenly feared that he would be dealing with unfamiliar dragons when he gave them his news.
“They both wing still.”
“Where are they then, if I may ask?”
“Setur is riding the wind to the north. Iradaemi has gone to observe the elves. She believes that they may have a soul forging.” Onwier snorted as if at the preposterousness of the notion.
“Can you recall them as soon as possible? I have important information for them concerning Inadar.”
“In time. They will hasten to this human village on hearing of your arrival. I am sure that they will wish to see your wives… wife.” Onwier took one last look at Anissa before announcing that they were close enough to the village that his escort was no longer required. A moment later he blasted them with all manner of dust and debris as he surged into the air. A minute later and he was lost to sight over the ridge top.
Torroth was given pause knowing not what to do until the dragons came to find him. He knew that there was not likely a free house in the village. With the dragons keeping watch over the path leading into the village, there had been no visitors. Without anyone visiting, there had been no need to build an inn. The only place that promised an open door was Encer and Mytera’s home. How hospitable those doors might prove was yet to be determined. Taking the fateful step, Torroth entered Dragon’s Hamlet again with much trepidation after an absence that to most might seem to be a short while, but to him it embodied half a lifetime.
“Who is this to
be knocking down my door at this hour of the day? Selene shouldn’t be having pains yet for another double moon.” Mytera could be heard mutter as she made her way to the door. Upon yanking it open, she stared speechlessly up at Torroth for the span of a few moments.
“Mytera… I want you to meet my wife. Anissa.”
“Torroth, you ungracious brute. Daft fool, must be intent on giving me heart failure with all that pounding. You know that there is no need to knock on this door. Now Anissa, is it true what that ungrateful lout is saying?” Mytera looked Anissa over with a critical eye.
“We are in love.” Mytera seemed to approve of Anissa’s answer because her next question was on a different topic.
“Where is Inadar? Did she go to talk with some of her other friends before coming over?” Mytera sounded hopeful as she tiptoed to see behind Torroth.
“We had a disagreement. She found what she wanted and refused to come with me when I tried to bring her to safety.”
“That does sound like the girl we raised. Where is she now?” Encer shrugged as he entered the room.
“You aren’t angry?”
“A little, but that girl was always as thick skulled as an ox. You say she found what she was looking for? What exactly was it that she found?” Encer shrugged again before settling down in his chair.
“Well, she found the other Dragon Lord and a soul forged weapon. As far as I know, she is still running around with them.”
“Who is it that she is with?” Mytera inquired with her arms crossed threateningly.
“There is a war going on out there. The High Chancellor is in a war against the royals. The other Dragon Lord is fighting for the cause of the royals and so she joined him.”
“So she is fighting for the royals against the rebels?” Encer rubbed his temples trying to visualize what Torroth was describing.
“The royals are the rebels. We were part of a team that was tasked with sabotage and generally hindering Reigns. That is how I met Anissa.”
Chronicles of Den'dra: A land on Fire Page 30