The Dragon War

by Salvador Mercer

  Diamedes toppled into the nest head first and then scrambled to stand upright separating himself from the cleric and looking back onto the deck of the ship to see what was happening. What he saw next chilled him to the bone. A large, blue dragon erupted from the water and balanced itself precariously on the starboard gunwale of the ship towering over the pirates. The boat listed dangerously at first causing a couple dozen of the normally sure-footed sailors to lose their balance and fall to the deck. Both Dour and Diamedes had to grip the edge of the crow’s nest tightly to keep from tumbling out of it.

  The second in command yelled one word of warning, “Dragon!”

  Dour yelled back down at the man, “Ya think?” then turned to Diamedes and winked.

  Chapter 11

  Blue Dragon

  The dragon looked at the men, some of which could touch its scaly skin. Water dripped off the beast in flowing rivulets and fell on more than a dozen pirates who were still in shock at the sudden intrusion onto their boat. The ship managed to stabilize under the great beast’s weight and an eerie silence came over the boat that turned out to be fleeting.

  The dragon scanned the humans, but its gaze was drawn to the captain. Despite the clothes and coverings, the man almost glowed a blue hue so strong was the light emanating from the sheathed dagger. It longer pulsed, but instead it emitted an intense and steady light in the presence of the dragon. There was one last pause before the storm when the beast roared, a sound so deafening that Diamedes pressed his hands over his ears momentarily risking his precarious stance in the little nest that he had been hauled to as a temporary sanctuary.

  “Kill it,” the second said, breaking the hypnotic like trance that had come over the crew. The dragon didn’t need further prompting and inhaling so quickly and deeply that the air was taken out of their sails, it unleashed a bolt of lightning that took the pirate leader square in the chest and hurled him back against the small wall that separated the stern section of the ship from the officer quarters. A smoking, black-charred hole filled the area where once the captain had a healthy chest.

  Captain Red Blade’s command of the Vindicator came to an untimely end.

  Chaos erupted as most of the pirates weren’t armed, instead they had both hands free either to work the sails and rigging on the ship or to clap and entertain themselves at the death of their captive and ultimate bounty. Those that weren’t armed scrambled for weapons and the few that had them tried to use them against the dragon.

  The dragon didn’t waste time, stepping onto the ship purposely and squashing men by the half-dozen with each of its four massive feet. Where it didn’t squash a man, it would slash him with its razor-sharp claws. Its maw gaped as it snapped at the sails and rigging that was in its way causing large parts of the tarp-like fabric to fall and cover some of the pirates, many of whom quickly succumbed to being trampled by the beast.

  Dour pulled Diamedes down and into the nest itself when the dragon had extended its head up and pulled down a cross section of the rigging that connected a set of sails to the rear mast. This had brought the dragon’s head high above and much closer to the crow’s nest and Dour didn’t want to bring its attention to their exposed location. Dour looked at Diamedes saying, “It worked.”

  “It did not,” Diamedes protested.

  Dour frowned, “Your magic blade summoned a dragon.”

  “Your plan was for it to summon a red dragon. A fire breathing dragon. Instead it summoned a blue dragon and one that fires electrical energy.”

  “Energy from the very thunder gods themselves,” Dour said, his eyes wide and the excitement in his voice was quite the opposite when contrasted to the screams of pain and death that were going on below them. Another blast was heard, and wood splinters rained down around them as shrapnel from the blast.

  “Was that Zokar in the mask?” Diamedes asked.

  “Aye, it was.” Dour said also nodding.

  “I passed Azor on the way up so that leaves Damien. Where is he?”

  Dour nodded as if anticipating the question. “He’s at the rear of the ship where we left him. He’ll wait for the dragon to do most its work before coming out to save our bacon.”

  “Your plan is for Damien to fight the dragon alone?”

  “Of course not,” Dour said. “I’ll come down to fight it as will Azor and Zokar once the beast has spent its energy.”

  Another blast sent more screams of death and Diamedes couldn’t resist. He stood and looked back over the edge of the nest and down at the ship. He could clearly see the dragon’s spine covered in scales and the creature was doing more stomping, clawing, and stamping than biting. Occasionally it would inhale and let lose a bolt of electricity that would shatter the man and ship around it where it hit.

  Diamedes could find no sign of his companions and looking at the rear of the ship only showed the corpse of the captain. The second in command was no where to be seen and Dour tapped him on his shoulder. “Yes?”

  “Look behind ya,” Dour said pointing to the front of the ship.

  Diamedes glanced back and saw that the Balarian ship, Racer, had turned and was now heading straight towards them and closing fast, though it would still take a while to close the distance such was their head start. “I hope there’s something left of the ship when they arrive.”

  “You’re not so optimistic,” Dour said. “Keep your head down and let us take care of this.”

  Diamedes nodded then followed Dour’s motion as the man took out his weapon, holding it in one hand, and grabbed another rigging line while stepping up on the edge of the crow’s nest. Turning to Diamedes, he pointed down at Zokar who was now visible and motioning for Dour to join him. “Be careful,” was all that he could think to say to the cleric.

  “I will,” Dour said. Then, with a wave of his weapon hand, he leapt out gliding down on the rope being restrained by a pulley.

  Diamedes noticed the appearance of Damien coming from out the captain’s private door. That seemed a good place to hide as long as the captain didn’t notice you because for the rest of the crew it was most likely off limits.

  “Get at em,” Dour yelled, directing his companions to engage the dragon.

  At first the beast roared and exhaled one more bolt of lightning that speared two pirates and charred them where they stood. Azor came around the very same main mast where Diamedes was perched in and struck a blow against the creature’s leg. The beast roared in pain and swung its tail at Azor missing the man but hitting the mast which cracked but held. Being the main mast, it was thick enough that it would take several paces for a man to circumnavigate it on foot.

  Zokar shot two small darts at the beast, one clanging off its armored hide and the other hitting the beast’s ear and disappearing inside its orifice. Damien summoned a plume of white smoke and directed it at the beast’s head in an effort to blind it or at least prevent it from seeing well.

  Diamedes was about to feel hopeful when the beast followed its tail attack with another breath charge, hurling an immense bolt of lightning into the base of the main mast. Under this power it did not hold and the complete sundering of it at its base they later learned was audible to the Balarian crew a league distant.

  The nest tilted precariously under the impact and Diamedes gripped the edges before the mast started to make creaking noises and tilted to port. He heard his companions yelling his name and he looked down to see Dour falling into the white smoke at a location where the dragon’s head should be. Another dull smack and his voice wafted up, “Got em.”

  The beast rolled on its right side and into the already tilting main mast pushing it towards the bow at the same time that it was falling to port. The mast cracked again as sails cut loose in the wind flying all around Diamedes who could only hold on for dear life. He thought he heard Zokar yell for him to jump, but he couldn’t be sure.

  With a sudden finality, the mast fell until it hit the gunwale and rested fully horizontally along the ship at a diagonal angle from cent
er of the ship to its port and bow corner. The kinetic energy wasn’t fully absorbed by the mast and ship and the nest was flung loose along with rope, sails, rigging, and support beams into the sea.

  One sail wrapped itself around Diamedes as he entered the water almost blacking out from the force of his impact. He felt his lungs burn instantly as the blow knocked the air out of them and he desperately wanted to inhale but couldn’t. He struggled valiantly against his fabric hostage taker but lost the battle as everything went dark.

  “Is he alive?”

  “Barely.”

  “Is there anything more you can do for him?”

  “I’ve already prayed as best I could and forced one of them there talamans you gave me down his throat. If that don’t work nothing will.”

  Diamedes started to understand that his eyes were shut. He tried to open them, but everything remained dark. He felt a hard surface beneath the length of his back and legs and took it that he was laying prone on something hard.

  “Bring a light.”

  The light flashed and Diamedes blinked understanding that it was no longer daytime and that the sun had set long ago. The twin sisters had either not risen for the evening yet or had done so and set already. The once clear skies were now overcast, and no starlight gleamed from above. He thought he was on the deck of a ship laying on his back. He could make out Dour’s face to Diamedes’ left as the cleric was kneeling on one knee next to him.

  A voice he recognized spoke, “There you are.” With those words the Balarian moved into view opposite Dour.

  Diamedes responded, “I’m alive Zokar, no thanks to you.”

  “Now that’s a bit harsh considering the efforts we’ve undertaken to care for you,” Zokar said. “Better not move yet till Dour says you can.”

  Diamedes felt his ribs hurting again and then asked, “Is the dragon dead?”

  “Aye,” Dour said.

  Damien was unseen, but his voice was heard from somewhere behind Diamedes. “Dour killed the beast.”

  “Nicely done,” Diamedes said trying to sit up and realizing he had a bump on the back of his head.

  “Better if you stay put for a moment,” Dour ordered.

  Diamedes tried to nod but that was too much effort. Instead he spoke, “You couldn’t find something more comfortable for me to lie upon?”

  “Oh, that,” Dour explained. “I needed room to work on you and I thought a bit of fresh air could aid in your recovery.”

  “Where was I?” Diamedes asked.

  Zokar asked his own question first, ignoring Diamedes’ question for the moment, “Do you mean right before we brought you on deck or before that?”

  “How bout from the time I was in the water,” Diamedes said.

  Zokar nodded, “Azor jumped in after you and rescued you. Dour managed to bring you to and resuscitate you as you had stopped breathing and turned purple.”

  “You don’t look so good when you’re that color,” Azor’s voice said, also like Damien nearby but not within Diamedes’ range of vision.

  Zokar continued, “We let you rest till nightfall and, upon arrival of the Racer, we transferred you here.”

  “Captain Crimson gave you his quarters too,” Dour said followed by a grin.

  “Most hospitable of the man,” Diamedes said, the words coming out slowly. “I feel as if we’re moving.”

  “Drifting actually,” Zokar said. “We tied up next to the corsair’s ship and are transferring over some supplies for now. We’ll detach and head to Balaria at dawn.”

  “How many survived?” Diamedes asked hesitantly.

  “A dozen or so,” Zokar answered. “The beast was more effective than even I thought possible.”

  “Give him it,” Dour said.

  “What?” Zokar asked looking up and away from Diamedes presumably at either Damien or Azor standing behind him.

  Damien’s hand extended to Zokar giving him a dagger’s sheath. The light was no longing pulsing a blue color as part of the blade was visible just above the leather portion of its scabbard. Zokar bent down handing it to Dour who in turned laid it on Diamedes’ chest and helped pull the historian’s arms up so his hands could clasp his weapon. “Thank you,” Was all Diamedes could muster.

  “I no longer feel it is wise to head to Balax directly,” Zokar stated.

  “So we ain’t going there?” Dour asked. “You just said we’re going at first light.”

  “I said we’d depart for Balaria,” Zokar clarified. “We need to get near the city but instead anchor a good day’s journey outside of it. I no longer feel its safe to enter the harbor there.”

  “What changed your mind?” Azor asked.

  Zokar shrugged. “A few things. For one, the bounty has spread so far and wide that despite the High Mage renouncing the contract, it will take a considerable amount of time for the dissemination of this new development to spread.”

  “If the Great Shaman actually withdrew the blood contract,” Azor said.

  “Aye,” Dour said.

  Damien spoke, “If Zokar said the High Mage retracted the contract then that is what the man did.”

  “You’re backing your leader after what he did to you?” Azor asked, a tinge of confusion in his voice.

  “No,” Damien countered. “I am not backing anyone. I am simply stating that this is how we work in Kesh, at least those of us in the arcane do.

  “Either way, our encounter with this corsair ship from the east proves that we must proceed with caution even with the rescinding of the bounty. We’ll have to assume that most everyone is still after Diamedes’ head,” Zokar said.

  “What are you proposing we do then if we don’t sail to Balax?” Damien asked.

  “We anchor near the city on the northwest coast. We can take the main shore road into town and conduct our business there with Diamedes staying aboard the Racer till we return. If need be, my master can travel to converse with him where he’ll remain safe,” Zokar said.

  “What does the royal historian say in this matter?” Damien asked, unusually formal for the moment.

  Diamedes’ sighed then spoke, “I agree as long as you let me take one more talaman.”

  The trip took a couple of days and then part of a third one. They left the shores of Kesh and traveled in a southeasterly direction until the island continent of Balaria came into view. Zokar new most of the landscape well and even those who travelled less frequently recognized landmarks that stood out whether it was from personal visits prior to this trip, or stories of the land itself. The pirate ship was left adrift on the sea with its remaining crew who would need days to shore up enough rigging to sail anywhere. They posed no threat to any civilized realm in the foreseeable future.

  When they reached the old port town of Cider, they took shelter in a small cove and used the skiff to go to shore. Zokar and Azor went alone leaving Damien and Dour to guard Diamedes aboard the Balarian cutter. All agreed that keeping Diamedes isolated on the ship was the best course of action for his safety considering all of the variables involved and notwithstanding the fact that pirates were active on the high seas.

  The plan was a day and half to travel what normally took two days by road. Both Azor and Zokar felt they could keep up a quick pace if they travelled together with the slower companions kept back on the ship. Safety was always a factor and it was unknown what scouts or spies would be lurking along the roads and docks of Balax.

  Always they were mindful of Dor Akun which looked like a crescent moon as it reflected a portion of the light from the sun onto Claire-Agon. Most agreed that based on its increasing size they had a few weeks at most before it grew large enough to encompass the entire sky. What would happen then was anyone’s guess. Anyone except for Damien.

  Damien had explained that as a child he was given to his mother, a nymph, to live during the last passing of Dor Akun. The transit was explained to him in detail, but he was tucked away in another dimension where time passed slower than on Agon. It wasn’t till rec
ently that he was released to live out his life in this realm. He had explained to Diamedes that his time with the nymphs gave him a certain immortality that allowed Dour to raise him from death more than once.

  Dour had credited the ability with the Father himself, Dor Akun, and simply said that Damien’s nymph genealogy could play a small role in the man’s regenerative capabilities. Such was the small talk on board the ship for four days while they waited for the return of their companions. As was his nature, Diamedes couldn’t help but inquire about the history of each of his companions and the crew of the Balarian cutter kept to themselves exhibiting a degree of maturity and discretion that was often times lacking on board ships of this nature.

  The talamans worked wonders and Diamedes had healed to a point that he felt almost whole again. Even Damien had reached a state where no visible signs of his trauma, with regards to his combat with the red dragon, remained. For whatever reason, the High Mage had given them the gift of life, almost literally. An odd fact considering the death bounty that was placed by the same individual on Diamedes’ head, even if it was later rescinded.

  In time when the sun set, and the twin sisters rose, they got glimpse of the skiff returning. It was apparent that more than just his two companions were returning as at least four individuals were in the boat, one of which had to be Azor based on the figures silhouette. The group boarded in the night light and a long-ago familiar voice greeted them. “Well met, Diamedes.”

  “Master Seth,” Diamedes embraced the newest leader of the Assassin’s Guild which drew more than one curious look from the bystanders.

  “Just Seth will do,” the men finished their embrace and Seth looked Diamedes up and down. “You’re doing well considering the tales I heard on my way here. I expected to see you in a different state.”

  “Mentally I’m exhausted,” Diamedes explained. “Physically I was broken long ago, though with the aid of Dour’s healing and a gift from the High Mage of Kesh himself, I’ve managed to do. I must say, however, that it’s inappropriate of me to talk about myself this way. Damien here has gone through much worse the last year.”