Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
End notes
Dragon Slayer Book 4
Michael-Scott Earle
Chapter One
I had to get more magical powers if I wanted to unlock the door to ultimate power. Or, more accurately, the door that guarded the “key to ultimate power”.
My mind raced as I hurried out of the underground crypt where I’d found the magical door. I’d come down here with Rizzala, the woman that had once been the black dragon Emroth, to find answers to the secret beneath the palace of the king of Whitespire. Thanks to Letharia, the woman that had been Zaddrith the green dragon until just a few hours earlier, we had learned of the mystery, one that it seemed not even King Obragar himself knew.
I found the king still seated at the dining table, with Princess Selene beside him as they shared a cup of wine in celebration of our victory in the battle for Whitespire.
“King Obragar, do you have any idea what’s in your crypt?” The words poured from my mouth in an excited rush.
“You mean the bodies of my forefathers?” The king, a tall, slim man with pale blonde hair, gave me a curious look. “They’ve been down there for hundreds of years, so yes, I did know.”
“Not that,” I said with a shake of my head. “The magical door.”
“Door?” The king’s white-blonde eyebrows knit together in a curious frown. “There is no door, not to my knowledge, at least.”
“That’s because it’s hidden by magic!” For emphasis, I summoned a thread of fire and set it dancing around my fingers. “What looks like the back wall of the crypt is actually a doorway, one sealed by all of the eight powers of Agreon. Fire, ice, water, acid, darkness, light, and…”
I hesitated. I didn’t actually know what the other two powers were.
“Lightning and spirit,” Nyvea added helpfully. The voice in my amulet, a gift from the god that had brought me to Agreon, was a useful resource of information on all things magical. She had a tendency to turn everything into a thinly veiled innuendo, but she had been my most valuable companion and guide during my time on this world.
“Lightning and spirit,” said Letharia at the same time, then she looked shocked that she had spoken aloud. She almost collapsed in on herself, as if trying to escape notice. That fit what I knew of her personality. She was tall and thin, without Rizzala’s musculature or warrior temperament, Irenya’s fire, or Arieste’s cool confidence. She’d been so afraid for her life upon being turned into a human that she had sworn to serve me without my even asking. The way she hunched in her green dress made it clear that she still feared repercussions for her actions as Zaddrith.
“Right, thank you.” I gave her a smile. Hopefully, she’d come to learn that she had no reason to be afraid. I wanted her to see wasn’t the enemy, not since I had claimed her magic.
“So, we have to have access to all eight powers,” I said as I turned back to the king, “and we’ll be able to open the door. Which, according to Letharia, is guarding something that she called ‘the key to ultimate power’.”
“The key to ultimate power?” King Obragar repeated the words, then shook his head. “Neither my father nor my grandfather mentioned anything about ultimate power or any hidden room beneath the palace.”
I shot a glance at the dark-haired, slender woman beside me. “Letharia said she found it on a stone tablet that spoke of ancient magics lost to the world. Maybe it’s just so old that your father and grandfather didn’t know about it either. How much do you know about the founding of Whitespire, or the reasons it was built here? How old is the city?”
“I do not have all those answers,” King Obragar said with a shake of his head. “But I will have my scholars comb through every volume in the Royal Library of Whitespire to find out.” and his expression grew musing. “You are certain such a doorway exists? Not that I have any reason to doubt you, but you know how tales and legends grow with the passage of time.”
“I just saw it with my own eyes, Your Majesty,” Rizzala said, and she stepped forward. She was tall, with skin of a deep brown, and wore her hair tied up in warrior’s braids. Even though she wore only a gauzy dress, all that remained of her dragon scales after her transformation to human, she still looked like a fearsome warrior with my axe gripped in her well-muscled hands. She had the body of a professional athlete, an appealing mixture of strength and feminine grace. “And your man as well.” She pointed to Dranith, the king’s manservant, who had accompanied them into the crypt.
Dranith straightened as the king’s eyes fell on him. “A thing of wonder, my king. Runes of glowing red, green, white, and black lighting up at the touch of their magics.” His expression turned rapt. “I’ve never seen anything like it in all my days.”
During this exchange, Princess Selene had remained quiet in her seat. Her face, as narrow and pale as her father’s, had a pensive frown to match, and her button nose wrinkled in contemplation.
“And what is this ultimate power, Sir Ethan?” she asked. I hadn’t seen her since I saved her life on the wall the previous day, but her close encounter with death had somehow changed her. She’d gone from the coquettish princess I’d met my first day in Whitespire to a more solemn, mature future ruler of Whitespire. “Did you ascertain what manner of magic or sorcery it is?”
“No, princess.” I shook my head. “I need all eight magical powers to open the door. I have four, but I’ll have to work on getting the other four before we can find out what it’s guarding. The good news is that I know where I can get one of them.” I thrust a finger toward the southeast, the direction in which the blue dragon and her minions had fled that very morning. “Curym Waterblade made the mistake of attacking Whitespire. I’m going to show her what happens to those who threaten our safety.”
“You intend to hunt down the blue dragon in her lair?” King Obragar asked, and his blonde eyebrows shot up. “Fighting a water dragon underwater?”
“Yep.” I gave him my best DePaolo grin. “If Curym thinks she’ll be safe in her lair, she’s got another thing coming.”
“And how, precisely, do you intend to reach her?” the king asked. “Forgive me my skepticism, but there’s a very real reason that Curym has never been bested by even Riamod. The ocean in which she hides is simply too vast, too deep for any but another blue dragon to threaten her.”
“A minor hitch,” I told the king with a shrug, then pointed to Rizzala. “I figured out how to see a dragon that could literally be invisible to the human eye. With the help of Rizzala, Arieste, and Irenya, we’ve turned back what should have been an overwhelming force of enemies.”
“You tell him, handsome!” Nyvea purred in my mind. “Maybe you should throw in how your magical dick turned two gorgeous women from your enemies into your bedmates. He’d like that story. I know I do.”
I struggled to hide a grin. Nyvea’s inappropriate comments could always put a smile on my face.
“I know it seems impossible,” I continued, “but hasn’t impossible become the norm in the last few weeks? Frosdar, Riamod, Emroth, and now Zaddrith.” I gestured to Letharia, who turned a shade of crimson and looked like she wanted to pull her filmy green dress up over her head. “W
e’ve defeated a demon, uncovered an ancient lost city, and won an impossible battle.”
“So it stands to reason that conquering the ocean’s depths should be a simple matter.” King Obragar chuckled. “I can see why Sir Galfred and Adath are so fond of you. Your confidence inspires that same confidence in others.”
“I’ve got good allies and friends.” I shot a grin at Rizzala, and she raised my fireman’s axe in salute. I’d lent it to her as a gesture of friendship when we returned from hunting Zaddrith. The battle for survival had turned her from an enemy into what I hoped would soon be a true friend.
“Maybe a friend you have sex with,” Nyvea purred. “Like Irenya and Arieste.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I told her. “One day at a time.”
The king pushed back his chair and stood. “Sir Ethan, if there is anyone on Iriador that could do it, it would be you. While I have no idea how you intend to accomplish it, I also have no doubt that the Goddesses will guide you to success. Go, with my blessing and the gratitude of all Whitespire, and may the Three accompany you.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” I bowed to the king, and heard the rustle of cloth as Rizzala and Letharia did likewise.
I was turning to leave when the king raised a hand. “Before you go, Dragonrider, I believe I have you to thank for my daughter’s life.”
A hint of heat surged to my cheeks. “Princess Selene saved her own life, Your Majesty.” I turned to the princess. “You fought with great courage, Your Highness.”
The princess’ cheeks turned a cute shade of pink, and a smile toyed at her lips.
“Be that as it may,” King Obragar continued as he stepped forward and moved around the table to stand in front of me, “once again, you have earned our gratitude. Not only that of the people of Whitespire for saving their future monarch, but my gratitude as a father.” He pulled me into a tight embrace, his arms tight around my shoulders.
When he stepped back, he had to swallow hard before he could speak. “Please accept this humble gift as a token of our appreciation.” He reached into his robes and handed me a rolled-up scroll.
Curious, I took the scroll, unrolled it, and read the words written in the king’s precise script.
“I, King Obragar of Whitespire, hereby decree that Sir Ethan is to receive dominion over the town of Greenlake and all its surrounding environs as reward for his brave service to the Crown.”
My eyes went wide. “A town? Your Majesty, I don’t know anything about being a lord or running a town.”
“Which is precisely why Greenlake is the ideal reward, Dragonrider.” A wry smile broadened the king’s narrow face. “Mayor Racheos is one of the most competent administrators I have ever met, and until Zaddrith’s invasion, Greenlake numbered among the most prosperous towns in my kingdom. Your role will be as protector of Greenlake, and Racheos will see to the day-to-day of keeping the town running smoothly.”
“Your Majesty, this is too generous!” I protested.
“Not at all.” King Obragar shook his head. “After all, you have just saved the entire kingdom of Elloriel.”
“Not alone!” I insisted. “Sir Galfred handled the defenses, and without Adath, we’d have been sunk. Then there was Irenya and Arieste and Rizzala and Grendis and—“
King Obragar held up a hand. “All of them will receive their own rewards in due course.” His eyes darted to Rizzala. “Including the women who have battled so tirelessly on our behalf. But I wanted to express my personal appreciation, for you saved my daughter. My gratitude comes from the heart of father as well as king.”
“You’re wasting your time if you think you can argue your way out of this, Sir Ethan,” Princess Selene put in, and I saw a little smile on her lips. “My father may not have magic, dragons, or weapons, but I’ve met few men in the world quite as stubborn.”
“A trait you seem to have inherited, my dear.” King Obragar shot a grin over his shoulder at his daughter. “But she speaks the truth, Sir Ethan. I would be very displeased if you continued to refuse my commands. I might even have to send the full might of Whitespire to hunt you down and—“
“I accept, Your Majesty!” A laugh burst from my throat. After the last few days of battle, it felt good to have something to be happy about. “But I’m afraid I won’t be able to do anything until I’ve dealt with Curym.”
“Greenlake will be standing when you return,” King Obragar said. “Go with the Goddesses, my friend. All of you.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” To my surprise, it was Rizzala who spoke. She had been a prisoner just a few days before, yet now she seemed to be more comfortable in Whitespire than either Arieste or Irenya. Perhaps it was the fact that she’d fought beside the men of Whitespire, or that as Emroth she hadn’t had any enmity with the kingdom of Elloriel. Either way, I was happy that she was finding her place among the humans.
I turned and strode from the palace’s grand hall, with Rizzala at my right hand and Letharia trotting along behind. The dark-haired woman in the green dress was no warrior, so I didn’t think I’d have to worry about her trying to stab me in the back. All the same, I’d still have to keep an eye on her until I got to know her better. Things might have worked out well with Arieste, Irenya, and Rizzala thus far, but it took time to trust anyone, especially someone who switched sides as quickly as Letharia.
As Zaddrith, she had joined forces with Curym to attack Whitespire. Indeed, it seemed she had actually been friends or at least friendly with Curym, something that the other women said was unheard of among dragons. She could be quite helpful when it came to figuring out how to deal with the blue dragon.
But first, I had a few more people I needed to check in on.
We exited the palace’s grand hall and descended the marble steps into the front courtyard, where already life had begun to return to Whitespire. The White Guards no longer needed to hold the city wall had taken up defensive positions at the entrance to the palace. Servants bustled about, and even a few workmen had set about continuing the repairs to the palace, destroyed by Riamod’s attack a few weeks back. We’d won the battle, so hopefully life in the city could go back to normal.
I turned to Rizzala and drew out the black gemstone I’d taken from her when I claimed her power. “You up for a run? I know the journey to and from Zaddrith’s lair was long, but if you’re up for it, we’d get back to Arieste and Irenya far faster than by horse.”
“Gladly,” she said with a broad smile. “I’d almost forgotten how good it felt to run free in my dragon form. And thank you.” She held out my axe. “For lending me your weapon, and trusting me to fight by your side.”
“See? She’s starting to like you!” Nyvea said in a little sing-song voice. “Next step is for you to invite her into your bed for some more quality time--“
“You’ve been one hell of a bad-ass companion to fight with,” I told her, as I tried to ignore Nyvea. “I hope you’ll join me as I go hunt Curym.”
“You hope?” Rizzala seemed surprised by this.
“I told you back when we first met, that I needed your help to protect Whitespire from the blue and green dragon threat. Now that the city is safe, you have the choice of what you want to do. If you want to go free and live your life away from here, I will understand. I’ll miss fighting beside you, but I hope that you’ll find whatever makes you happy. But, if you want to continue on this crazy adventure with me, Irenya, and Arieste, I know I speak for all of us when we say we’d love to have you.”
Something indecipherable sparkled in the woman’s eyes. Her stern warrior demeanor didn’t crack, but I saw something soft, human beneath the tough exterior. She was as human as the rest of us, which meant she wanted to feel that sense of belonging like we all did.
“What else would I do?” she said at last. “Laze around a tavern drinking ale and growing fat?”
“Sure, if you wanted.” I couldn’t help grinning. “Though I’d recommend the Kingswine if you want a real kick.”
I shook her hand. “Welcome to Team Kick-Ass, Rizzala!”
With a grin, she tilted her head so I could press the black gemstone to the right side of her neck. The moment the gemstone touched her flesh, I tapped into the darkness magic within me. Emroth’s power transformed the cells of her scaly flesh to match the colors of her surrounding, similar to a chameleon skin. This magic was spry, shifting, energetic, and it set every cell in my body vibrating with an eagerness to change.
As soon as I touched it, the darkness magic sprang to life within me. It surged along my arm, through my fingers, and into the gemstone against Rizzala’s neck. In an instant, Rizzala’s flesh began to shift colors as the magic seeped into her. Her legs and arms grew long, her hands changed to scale-tipped paws, and her back arched like a panther’s. Her face also changed to feline features, and her green eyes sparkled with eager excitement as she shook herself.
“Hop on!” she rumbled in her deep dragon voice.
I turned to Letharia and held out a hand. “Let me help you.”
“Uh, no thank you?” Letharia’s expression was hesitant, her eyes filled with nervous fear. “Isn’t there a quiet room somewhere I can stay, maybe a library?”
“Later,” I told her. “For now, we need to get to Irenya and Arieste, where you can tell us everything you know about Curym’s lair. We’re going to need your help to figure out how to take on the blue dragon.”
Letharia hesitated, and her eyes went from me to the black dragon, then back to me again. After a long moment, she let out a little sigh and took my hand to climb onto Rizzala’s back. Once she was settled, I climbed on in front of her and wrapped my legs around Rizzala’s neck. The black dragon was far smaller than either the red or white dragons, so it was easier finding a seat. The ride, however, would be less comfortable.
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