“Those beasts are cunning, but you’d have to know the difference,” Myrthyd said in a smooth, deep voice. “A man such as yourself committed to their extinction must surely know a shifter from a real person.”
Lailoken nodded. Several awkward moments passed before Lailoken spoke.
“Alushia has had dreams. Bad ones of a half-dead black dragon devouring everything in sight.”
Myrthyd sat upright and stroked his scraggly beard. “Half-dead? And it destroyed everything?”
“Yeah, but not as if what she was watching was a dream, but more like it was devouring her dream. She claims she had the sense that if it finished, something bad might happen. She woke before it turned everything into a black void.”
Myrthyd stroked his beard again and peered at Lailoken with his unsettling gray eyes, making him squirm in his seat. He didn’t like the way Myrthyd stared at him as though about to accuse him of heresy.
“So your daughter had these visions. Do you think she made them up?”
“She’s much smarter than that! She told me of her own volition. There must be something causing them.”
“If she has these again, come to me immediately. I expect they’re nothing more than coincidence, however I want to be sure. So,” he said, “tell me all about the hunt. Every little detail. You know how I enjoy the demise of those filthy dragons.”
Lailoken spent nearly three hours recounting their two dragon encounters. When he was done, Myrthyd closed his eyes as if in meditation. When he opened them, Lailoken felt like Myrthyd’s gaze bore into his soul. It was more unsettling than he expected.
“You kill one beast and allow the shifter to spew lies and escape? I had higher hopes for you, Slayer. I was told upon my ascension that you were the best in Tregaron. None were more ruthless and cunning than you, yet you let the Onyx simply walk away. On top of that, you allow it to infect your mind with lies about your wife. I bet your next thought was if your daughter was a halfling.”
Lailoken was taken aback by the shift in Myrthyd’s tone. “Kull, it’s not exactly that at all.”
Myrthyd leaned forward, resting both hands on the desk. “Then tell me what it’s exactly like,” he said, drawing out each word; accusing him, daring him to argue.
Lailoken stumbled to find the words.
“Slayer, this is your last failure. We cannot allow those creatures to poison our people with their treachery.”
“I will not fail you, I ask your guidance to help find this dragon-man. Help me to seek him so I may exact my vengeance on him for his deceit.”
Myrthyd’s lips cracked in a sinister smile. “That’s the slayer I’ve come to adore. I’ll help, but I need you to do something for me in turn. Do we have a deal?”
“Of course, I’m here to serve.”
“We must hurry. Time is not on our side.”
CHAPTER
Nine
Myrthyd enjoyed watching Lailoken squirm. The great and mighty slayer was no match for him. He may have been stronger and more experienced in the ways of dragon hunting, but he was not smart. Like most around him, Myrthyd assumed he was a brute with little intelligence. Now that he spun his tale, Myrthyd was ready to make the slayer more uncomfortable.
“I’ve heard of this Onyx. He’s been known to lie to humans in order to preserve his hide. I fear he may have poisoned your thoughts with his lies. I can help you rid Rowyth of it. But to do so, I need something from you.”
Lailoken shifted in his chair. Myrthyd knew he had him.
“What do you require?” Lailoken asked.
“There is a gem. A blood gem. It’s hidden inside the Dragonback Mountains and has been there for centuries.”
***
Before Lailoken’s return, Myrthyd had studied Drexon’s tome carefully. The verses taunted him.
From dark crystal once hidden now found
Comes power unchecked, unbound.
Fill the blood with a dragon’s soul
And own the dream, the dreamer whole.
Find the crystal among a dragon’s back
Within a cavern, dark and black.
Slay the keeper and take the gem
Power eternal, over dragon, over men.
What did the words mean? How were these more powerful than a normal spell? He mulled it over day and night, racking his brain to discover their meaning. Then in a moment of sheer brilliance, it dawned on him.
Find the crystal among a dragon’s back
Within a cavern, dark and black.
The mountains. The Dragonback Mountains. He’d been searching the backs of real dragons, but to the south bordering the land of the infidels was an entire range of mountains—the Dragonback Mountains. It must be there! Whatever they needed must be hidden within those accursed peaks.
He’d understood the part about a dark crystal and a blood gem. Whatever they were seeking was a dark, blood-like gem of some sort. Not the easiest item to find hidden somewhere inside a mountain range, but at least it was a start. Leaving the tome aside, he spent days within the Tower archives searching for clues to the spell and the implications therein.
Two days before Lailoken arrived, he spotted an anecdote from one of the earliest Kulls of the Magus; a man named Doothan. Doothan wasn’t well known in the Order, he hadn’t done much of anything important. Myrthyd vaguely remembered the name let alone anything he’d accomplished. In truth, none of the former Kulls would matter if he had his way. If he lifted the curse upon his land, they’d all be forgotten in favor of him.
In an ancient history of the Order, Doothan mentioned a blood stone that was “forbidden and hidden” within the mountains as to deny the power to any human soul. He claimed to have a slayer in his service who knew of a cave on the southern side of Opaline Mountain where such a thing might be hidden. The problem was, Myrthyd had never heard of Opaline Mountain. Where was it? Did it exist amongst the Dragonback Mountains or was it somewhere else? There were a few mountains within that range with names like Dragonfire Peak, Mount Routhan, to name a couple. But nothing called Opaline Mountain. However, if the spell were to be understood as real, then it had to be within the Dragonback Mountains. That was where his studies ended. He tossed the book against the wall, startling a novice who was silently attending those in the archives.
Myrthyd closed his eyes and held his fingers to his temples, massaging the tension growing inside. He was so close to the truth! The sooner he uncovered the meaning, the sooner his power would be complete and the Drakku wiped from Rowyth forever, and Tregaron returned to its former state.
He locked himself in his room until Lailoken’s arrival, turning the spell over in his mind trying to discover some other hidden meaning within the text. It eluded him, though he felt on the edge of a discovery. It was like he saw the silhouette of something he couldn’t bring into focus. The lack of insight aggravated him.
***
With Lailoken seated across from him in obvious discomfort, Myrthyd issued his orders.
“I need you to canvas the Dragonback Mountains.”
“For what?”
“Do not interrupt me, Slayer!”
Lailoken shifted in his seat, a sign pleasing to Myrthyd.
“You are tasked with searching the mountains for the gem called by some the Blood Stone.”
Lailoken’s face flashed surprise. “A gem? I’m a slayer, not a treasure hunter. Send someone else to find your wealth. I have land to tend to and a daughter to take care of. I’ve been gone long enough. Like everyone else, my fields are in terrible shape, and food is growing scarce.”
“This is not an ordinary gem. It is not a treasure in the sense that it will bring great wealth. Let me ask you something…would you care to see the elimination of all halflings from Rowyth?” Myrthyd leaned back with his hands interlocked behind his head, waiting for Lailoken to reply.
“They’re part of the reason our fields refuse to yield their bounty.”
“Then find this gem. I believe it will unlock som
ething so powerful that we can make it a reality. No more dragons. No more halflings. They’ll all be wiped from existence. With them gone, we’ll be able to march on the south, bring them to the truth, and end our misery. No longer will they worship a false god and spread their evil ideas. With halflings eliminated, nothing would stand in our way.”
Lailoken’s green eyes widened and he stroked his long beard. The lines on his chiseled face were deep.
“Tell me, Slayer, would that appeal to you?” His eyes were far away, lost in thought.
“Anything to help Tregaron recover. I’ve witnessed our land grow bleaker as halfling and dragon influence grows. I will not allow my daughter to one day have a family, only for them to starve.”
“And tell me, Lailoken, how many dragons have you slain?”
Lailoken looked down at his leather gauntlet. It was adorned with dragon scales. He pretended to count them.
“Come, Slayer; you know the number without counting those. How many?”
“Twenty-two.”
“Twenty-two. Now imagine doubling or tripling that number and eliminating the source of all halflings. In fact, imagine an entire suit of armor created from the scales of all the dead dragons. It would be enough to outfit an entire army! We can do that. With this Blood Stone, it can happen.”
“But how?” Lailoken cocked his head as though not understanding.
“That will be up to me. With my powers, I can make it happen. But only if you find me that gem.”
Lailoken crossed his arms on his chest. “I still don’t understand why you need a slayer to find a gem. Do you even know where to look?”
Myrthyd went into his bedchamber and returned with Drexon’s forbidden tome, though he figured Lailoken would know nothing of what was allowed and what the Magus had declared to be dangerous. He opened it to the Nightwraith spell and read the spell aloud.
“From dark crystal once hidden now found
Comes power unchecked, unbound.
Fill the blood with a dragon’s soul
And own the dream, the dreamer whole.
Find the crystal among a dragon’s back
Within a cavern, dark and black.
Slay the keeper and take the gem
Power eternal, over dragon, over men.
The dragon soul you will bind,
A Nightwraith to destroy the mind.
The living will live among the dead,
When you control the visions within their head.
Vile offspring of a dragon’s lie
Controlled by the onyx eye.
Within the fatal dragon fate,
Power of yours, a Nightwraith.”
When he had finished, he slammed the book shut. “The crystal is in the dragon’s back. The Dragonback Mountains. It has to be. It clearly states the gem is in a cave hidden in the mountains. Slay the keeper. I need a slayer to fight what might be the strongest dragon known to man. Who better than the greatest slayer ever known? It’s you. I need you, Lailoken, to find the cave, find the gem, and slay the keeper. When you return that gem to me, my power over dragon-kind will be absolute.”
He watched as Lailoken considered his request. Silently, he cast a spell he learned from the tome on the desk to compel Lailoken to agree to his suggestion. So far, the spell didn’t force someone to do something they normally wouldn’t do, but it did make them much more agreeable to the question at hand, especially if it was something they would consider anyway. This just cleared internal boundaries to make the decision easier and more to Myrthyd’s wishes.
“I will do as you ask. I will need my team of slayers, and I will need to collect my things. Alushia will not be agreeable to this.”
“Do not worry about your daughter. I will personally ensure she and your homestead are properly taken care of. You have nothing to worry about while you go on this most important hunt. I’d prefer a certain level of…discretion. Do you trust your slayers? I need your party to understand the need for silence on this matter. If this gets into the wrong hands or the southerners somehow find out, it would be devastating. It must remain private. Find this cave, find the gem, and slay the keeper. I care not if it’s a dragon, a person, or something else. Bring that gem to me.”
“I will do as you bid.”
“Good,” Myrthyd said, a grin spreading across his face. “Within a week you must go. Until then, prepare your daughter for your absence once again. Know that you are now part of the greatest hunt in the history of Tregaron. Do not fail me.”
Lailoken stood and bowed.
“One last thing. The cave you seek is on Opaline Mountain.”
“Where is that?”
“That’s all I know. Now hurry; time will not wait for us.”
Lailoken excused himself and left the chambers.
Myrthyd closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. The longer they waited to find the gem, the more chances it could fall into the wrong hands. No one was actively searching for it, at least not that he was aware of. Once in his control, the Drakku would be over. Their reign of terror would end.
During the meantime, he’d figure out what the rest of the spell meant. All he knew was that it started with the gem. How he’d use it was still a mystery, but not for long. He’d discover its meaning by any way necessary.
CHAPTER
Ten
An hour later, Lailoken entered the door of the Wandering Sailor, his favorite place to have a drink and unwind. It was near Kulketh’s northern wall and often frequented by the Black Magus. He hadn’t been there in a while but when he entered, he could see nothing had changed. The walls were still grey wooden boards, worn and useless to stop the elements from entering. The bar was made of the same grey wood. Oil lamps ran along the walls, flickering and casting shadows in the corners. A small band played music at the far end of the room where several people were up and dancing.
“Well, look who decided to grace us with his presence!” Wichard, the tavern owner said. He was short and still held firm to his pot belly and long stringy hair. It looked like he’d lost a few teeth since the last time Lailoken saw him.
“Hey Wichard, it’s good to see you again!” They shook hands and Wichard poured a large wooden mug of ale and slid it across the bar.
“First one’s on me. The rest, you gotta pay for.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“You slayers have a rough job. It’s the least I can do.” Wichard brushed the hair from his face then pointed toward the dance floor.
“You two idiots start fighting, I’ll club ya both!” he yelled. Lailoken turned and watched as two young men around Alushia’s age prepared to fight. Suddenly they hugged each other, almost toppling over.
“Good to see you again, Lailoken. I gotta take care of them. See you around.” The short man left and scolded the two men as the band played a fast tune, bringing many around the dance floor to their feet, surrounding Wichard in the chaos. Lailoken laughed and drank his ale, asking for another from the woman behind the bar. She did most of the counter work while Wichard worked the crowd.
“Lailoken, is that you?” a gruff man called behind him. Lailoken turned around and instantly recognized the man, though it had been at least a year since he’d seen him.
“Tibaut? Is that you? It’s hard to tell from the ugly on your face!”
Tibaut frowned. Then his lips turned up in a smile. “Lailoken! The best slayer in the land and one of the worst jokers around! Come, let’s have a drink. More ale!” he called to the woman barkeep. He led Lailoken and two other men to a table far from the dance floor, though the music was still loud. They sat and Tibaut introduced the two other men.
“This here is Reinfrid. He’s a southerner, but don’t worry none about him. He ain’t got the stomach for those halfling lovers! He’s up here to learn about us dragonslayers. Says he wants to be one someday!” Reinfrid nodded. He was a thin man, maybe a few years older than Lailoken. His long grey beard was full and he wore a deep gray wool coat and pants.
“And this one over here, he’s Alfan. Been courting my sister for over a year and still ain’t asked her to marry him. It might be he don’t want to be related to me!” Tibaut let out a loud bellow of a laugh.
“He might be right!” Alfan chimed in. He was younger and had a mangled ear. His blond hair was dirty and he had the sturdy build of a farm hand.
“What brings you in here, Lailoken? It must be what, a year since you last came in?” Tibaut asked.
“I suppose it has. Been back from the hunt for a while now. Just me and Alushia at home, and I needed to get out. She’s a great girl, but I miss being around drunks like yourselves.” He laughed and the others joined him, raising their mugs high in a toast to their inebriation.
“The hunt, you say?” Reinfrid asked.
Lailoken nodded. Wichard dropped off another round of ale for the men and cleared their empty mugs.
“Went in search of an Onyx. Nearly caught him, too, but he eluded me.”
“The great Lailoken missed his mark. That calls for a drink!” Tibaut called. He raised his glass, urging the rest to do the same and they gulped in unison.
“Damn dragon shifted on me, too; turned right into a man.”
The group fell silent.
“Shifted?” Alfan asked.
“He means turned into a human. Many dragons have that ability, though why they do so is beyond me,” Reinfrid said. Lailoken narrowed his eyes and stared at him. “What? I’m from the south. I’ve seen it a lot.”
“When that Onyx shifted, he spoke a pack of lies to me, too. Said my wife Etain was a dragon, making my Alushia a halfling.”
The table went silent. Then Tibaut burst out laughing. “A halfling? Are you kidding me? The great dragonslayer lay with the enemy, and now raises a halfling? Ha ha! That’s too good!” He slammed down the rest of his ale and called for more.
Lailoken seethed inside. He was no fool. He did not lay with a dragon, and Etain was no such thing. Alushia was as human as human can be, not a drop of dragon blood filled her veins. He clenched his fists as Tibaut and then Alfan laughed harder, pointing at him.
The Blood Stone Page 6