“But where’s the dragon? A Garnet by the looks of it, too,” Driano said.
Lailoken scanned the chamber, wary of an ambush. Dragons were sneaky and would surprise them the first chance they got.
“Keep your eyes open, men; this might be a trap. If there is a dragon around here, it can’t be far.”
Ori carried the torch along the right wall, careful to avoid the carcasses. “It has to be a dragon. Nothing eats like this,” he said. The torch cast dancing shadows on the wall, the bones and bodies gaining a more grotesque appearance in the flames.
“Over there!” Lailoken said, pointing near the pool of water ahead of them. The water occupied about a third of the chamber and to the left was a passageway, the only other way out.
Ori carefully walked across the front of the water, peering inside as he passed. When he came to the passageway, he turned back to the group. “Are you coming? I’m not going in here alone!”
Lailoken grinned. In their wonder, none had moved to follow. “Yes, we’re right behind you.”
Jor led the group toward the mysterious passageway. It went much farther back than they imagined.
“How long is this?” Jor asked.
“I can’t tell, though I think I see light up ahead,” Ori replied.
“Be ready for anything,” Lailoken said.
“I hear something,” Tozgan said. The men stopped and listened. They heard claws scratching the hard-packed dirt in front of them. After a few moments, Ori continued on.
“We may have our prey yet,” Lailoken said. He wished he’d been in front of the line. There was no way around the others in the narrow confines of the tunnel. He had to hope they were ready to strike if needed. Myrthyd called it the keeper of the Stone, and it might be ahead of them. If it was a large dragon, Ori was not fit for such a fight.
“There’s certainly something ahead of us. I hope you’re all ready,” Ori called back. Lailoken noticed the light growing larger as to illuminate a large cavern. They crept slowly through the tunnel until they were inside an imposing cavern. They were quiet, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Their torch would’ve given them away—if there were something to give them away to.
The cavern’s roof curved upward, ending at a large opening at the top where the blue skies peeked in. Inside the cavern, dark green lichen spread over the brown walls and reached toward the light above. It smelled of death; the rancid thick scent of meat and rot hanging in the air.
“What is this place? What is that awful stench?” Darlonn asked.
“A dragon’s been here,” Jor said. “It brings its food here to eat in private.”
“But it’s not here now,” Driano said.
“Unfortunately not,” Lailoken replied. “Come, let’s get out and continue our quest.”
Startled rats pulled themselves out of the rotting carcasses, running from the group.
“Why don’t we stay here and wait for the dragon to return?” Driano asked.
Lailoken considered his question.
“We could wait for it to return with its prey and slaughter it while it eats. My guess is more than one dragon uses this cavern,” Darlonn added, pointing to the floor. Green guard uniforms were piled in a heap.
“The Verdant Tower guards?” Driano said. “It’s eaten Magus guards!”
“But what if it smells us? They have a heightened sense of smell,” Ori said. He brushed back his long brown hair and leaned against the wall. “I don’t wanna end up like them “ he said, pointing at the uniforms, “I have dragons to kill.”
“I agree with your man, Darlonn. Instead of living in the snow and cold, why don’t we wait it out here? At least we can back track through the passageway. There’s no way a dragon is getting in there,” Driano said pointing from where they came. “That putrid smell might be a bother, though.”
Lailoken offered a slight laugh. “True. Well, what do the rest of you think? Does Driano’s plan have merit? Do you believe we can surprise the dragon when and if it returns?”
He looked to each person for affirmation, and one by one they nodded.
“I might slit his throat though if he complains about this place. I can’t take his crying much longer,” Jor said, glaring at Driano.
“Looks like we follow Driano’s lead. Set up our gear in here and we’ll enjoy the comforts of the cavern,” Lailoken said.
They searched for wood to build a fire and huddled in the cave with the pool of water. At least there they’d be out of view if a dragon did return to the larger cavern, though Lailoken doubted one would ever return.
After they found enough wood to keep the fire burning through the night, they settled in.
Three days and nights they stayed without a single sound or sight of a dragon. Lailoken spent much of his time scouring the network of smaller tunnels in search of the Blood Stone to no avail.
The slayers grew anxious.
“How long are we going to stay here when the dragons are out there?” Jor asked. It was the morning of the third day and they were sitting around a small fire.
Lailoken sighed. “We won’t be here much longer.”
“I like this comfortable place to stay, but we’ve not had any sign of a dragon,” Tozgan said.
“I swear, I feel it will return at any moment,” Driano said trying to justify their stay.
“What do you know of dragons and their tendencies? What experience do you have in finding and killing them?” Jor grumbled. Belthos snickered, and quickly covered his mouth. Driano left the boy alone.
“We’ll leave in the morning if no dragon returns,” Lailoken said.
The mood lifted. Most were anxious to be gone, except for Driano. He sulked back to the larger cave after he ate, most likely to find anything to prove his point.
“Rest up. From here on, we’ll be in harsher climes and you’ll need your strength. Relax and enjoy the last day of comfort you’ll have in a while.” Lailoken lit a torch and left them to perform a final search through the tunnels. There was one section he’d barely inspected, and this was his last chance to search.
He entered the larger cavern and found Driano looking out over the mountains from the large exit tunnel at the far end. Even from where he stood, he could see the snowy peaks beyond the Magus and the jagged rocks poking through. It almost looked like Driano was talking to someone, but as they were so high up, it wasn’t likely. He was probably performing a spell or incantation.
To the left of Driano inside the cavern was a small passageway that Lailoken had explored on their first day, though he didn’t get to finish the search. That was his plan for this day.
He entered the tunnel, the light from his torch illuminating the darkness, and found the one tunnel he had yet to explore.
Going inside, he hoped for a quick end to the hunt for the gem, but as the minutes became hours, he was certain it was not there. The tunnel twisted and turned, but in the end it led to nothing. He carefully retraced his steps until he found himself in the large cavern again. Stuck in the narrow passageway all day, he went to the exit to gain a moment of sublime freedom overlooking the mountain range. Driano was gone and Lailoken took his place, scouring the endless valleys and peaks outside.
It was a breathtaking view. Trees raced across the bottom of the mountains, a few stragglers daring to grow farther up. Rocky peaks jutted from the snow and clouds carefully surrounded many of the highest reaches. The outside air was cold and the wind picked up. He hadn’t noticed how close they were earlier, but Dragonfire Peak was next to them.
For some reason, Lailoken’s thoughts turned to his long-lost wife Etain. She was a beautiful woman with curly red hair. Her amazing smile and soft lips were alluring. When those dragons took her—it had to be dragons—they carried his heart away right with her. He’d never been the same since, and channeled his rage into the hunt, slaughtering each dragon as if it was the one who stole his wife. He hoped after all these years she was still alive, though that hope had faded some. The flame h
e carried for her dimmed, but it was still there.
The dragon guarding the Blood Stone would feel the full fury of his wrath. The anticipation of killing it grew with each day.
Turning from the ledge, he returned to the group and found them joking and laughing. A good sign. They’d been under stress as they waited for any sign of a dragon, and as the days dragged on and none appeared, it seemed more and more likely they were wasting time.
“Good to see you all in better spirits,” Lailoken said.
Darlonn smiled. “We leave tomorrow and it would be great to find ourselves again. The hunt was invigorating.”
“Tomorrow we continue our quest. There are more dragons awaiting the bite of our blades. Tregaron needs us. We will come through,” Lailoken replied. Most of the men nodded in agreement, but he did notice Driano looking away as though lost in thought. The on-again off-again nature of Driano sparked a tiny bit of doubt of the man’s trustworthiness. Lailoken wanted to trust him and would have to let him prove it or prove otherwise. Either way, he’d be watching him carefully.
CHAPTER
Twenty
Myrthyd walked the halls of the Black Tower, praise heaped on him by the other Magus and novice and initiate Magus. No need for a touch of compulsion; they did so because they feared him and respected his power. He’d already shut down two councils convened to remove him, and the consistent executions gave the impression he was one not to be angered. Did they not see how important his work was? People were dying. They were hungry. At the last meeting he had with the steward, he was told about three grain bins that were lost to black mold. The situation was growing worse.
Tapestries hung throughout the tower told stories of ancient glory, of Magus leading slayers to the hunt, and the stones infused with dragon blood. Soon, a new tapestry, perhaps an entire hallway full of them, would tell his glory. Once he discerned the full effects of the Nightwraith spell, he expected the people of Rowyth to fall on their knees before him. Who else in their history had the foresight to eliminate the Drakku in order to bring their land back to life?
That slayer Lailoken had better come through for him, or Alushia might be headed for execution as a halfling. It was only right. Before then, he’d have that oaf Gregor kill Driano. Too many with the knowledge of what he was doing gave his enemies a chance to discern his intent.
Halflings like Alushia made Myrthyd cringe. He hated those abominations. It was unnatural for dragons and humans to mate, and their wretched offspring were worse. They were born of sin and evil. It was their fault fields were barren and his people were suffering. They deserved nothing short of death and he’d see to it that every last one of them were wiped from the face of the land.
As Myrthyd turned a corner, the group of Magus gathered down the hall to gossip noticed him and scattered like bugs exposed in the light.
The corridor to his room was dimly lit by ever-burning torches. There weren’t any windows in this hallway. It was built in the central part of the tower’s great wall with the purpose of hiding whatever was in it. For Myrthyd, that meant Drexon’s ancient and forbidden spell book he discovered as a novice that aided his ascent through the Order ranks. The book opened many doors for him and gave him power most other Magus feared. When he coupled the words with gems empowered by the blood of vanquished dragons, his power was far greater than any living Magus. The one thing he lacked was the ability to thwart the Drakku menace once and for all. In doing so, he’d no longer have need of slayers and no longer be forced to give away land or dracs for their service. The more land the Order owned, the more powerful they’d grow. Not that he cared about the Order itself, but as the Kull Naga, he’d benefit the most from their unlimited and unchecked power over Tregaron. If he had his way, that would extend south across the Dragonback Mountains and he’d rule over all Rowyth.
If only that damn slayer would find the missing gem—and Myrthyd could puzzle out the rest of the spell—would he then control the most powerful creatures known to man.
And then no one would stop him.
As he neared the heavy wooden door to his room, he noticed the guard was gone and the door slightly ajar. Pulling in a flicker of magic in case he needed to defend himself, he slowly crept to the door and peered inside. He saw no one but it sounded like someone was leafing through a book. Puzzled, he opened the door as quietly as he could.
At his desk, Kreel was turning pages in Drexon’s spell book. Fury rose inside him. The book had been hidden. He forced a tiny bolt of lightning across the room into Kreel’s arm. The force of the bolt and its burn made him squeal.
“What are you doing in here?” Myrthyd asked. His voice was dark and menacing, the anger held in check by a thin veil of restraint.
“Kull Naga Myrthyd! I’m sorry. I-I was worried as your guard was gone. I feared something bad happened to you. I came in here to check on you and found this sitting on the desk.” Kreel’s face exposed his lies. The book had been hidden where only Myrthyd would find it and was not left out in the open. It was too dangerous for that.
“Kreel, you disappoint me. Your lies are terrible. Clearly you have no practice with them. Why are you here?” he asked through tight lips.
Kreel’s expression became a dark, sinister grin. “I’ve come to learn what makes you more powerful than all the rest. It’s not natural, and you aren’t the best Magus we have. There’s a secret, and I’ve found it.”
Myrthyd thrust his hand forward and thin bolts of lightning slammed into Kreel. The novice screamed. Myrthyd used a spell to silence the sound and let the lightning flow into the novice. Smoke curled up from Kreel’s head, the scent of burned flesh growing more intense. Finally Myrthyd relented. Kreel slumped to the floor.
“I will kill you, Kreel. No one gets away with this, especially not a novice who enjoys the pleasures of halflings.” A thought occurred to him; something that would help solidify his hold over the Order. “You are a halfling, aren’t you, Kreel?” Myrthyd’s stone glowed and he cast a small amount of compulsion on the novice. His eyes registered the effect and Myrthyd knew he had him.
“A halfling? Yes. Yes sir, I am. I’m a filthy creature worthy of death.” Kreel’s expression turned to confusion. “Wait, I’m not a—”
Myrthyd’s stone glowed again, making the spell stronger.
“Yes, Kull, I am a halfling and cannot hide it any longer.”
“Stay here,” Myrthyd replied. Kreel nodded and stood as still as a statue.
Myrthyd left and returned with two guards from the central hallway. “Gentlemen, this man has a confession.”
“I what?” Kreel asked.
Myrthyd’s stone glowed faintly and Kreel turned to the guards, lifting his hands to them in surrender.
“I am a halfling. Kull Naga Myrthyd has exposed my truth.”
The guards, looking to each other in astonishment, tackled the novice and tied his hands together with a small length of rope. “By the order of the Kull Naga, you are under arrest and will be sentenced to death,” one of the guards said. They pulled Kreel up and shoved him out the door.
“Set his execution for tomorrow.” Myrthyd waved his hand. The guards nodded and led Kreel away.
The novice had served his purpose, but with his ambition came his end. Myrthyd could not afford for others to know his secret. He may be able to defend himself against a council and even kill a few Magus in the process, but with the entire Order after him, he’d not stand a chance. It didn’t matter, though. Kreel would die for his treachery. Driano and the slayers would die for their roles in finding the gem.
The price they paid would be worth it. Their lives were easily traded for the greater good. With the power he’d possess from the stone, he’d be able to clear the curse on Tregaron, eliminating the Drakku and returning Tregaron to its former glory.
***
The next day, Tower bells sounded to alert Kulketh of the execution. No doubt it would come as a surprise to most because of how quickly it was arranged. The norma
l waiting period with a trial and ultimate judgement was disregarded at Myrthyd’s orders with a slight touch of compulsion magic, a spell he came to rely on daily.
Guards escorted Kreel to the stage at his protestation. He argued vociferously for his innocence, but the damage was already done.
A crowd of dirty and hungry people shouted at him, cursing him for bringing misfortune to their lands.
Myrthyd made sure to send the two guards that arrested Kreel to a small council to share their testimony of what Kreel had said when they arrived in Myrthyd’s room. The council approved the execution, though it was set to happen with or without their approval. Myrthyd had already set the events in motion, again compulsion aiding his cause.
Myrthyd walked farther behind them, watching as the crowd grew as the word spread that the criminal was none other than a novice Magus, which was a rare occurrence. He contained himself and kept a stoic face, though inside he was excited about the events unfolding. Executions solidified his power and brought both citizens and Magus to his side.
Kreel fought with the guards. One of them clubbed the novice with a small, thick wooden weapon, rendering him quiet and barely moving. He was alive, though, which would make for a fantastic execution.
The guards lifted Kreel up the steps and tied him to the charred pole at the center of the platform. The crowd cheered wildly. Kreel regained his senses.
“I’m innocent! I’m not a halfling!” he cried. The guards let him yell. Their job was done.
Myrthyd ascended the steps and stood on the edge of the platform, raising his arms. The sun beat down on him and the stink from the assembled people drifted upwards, filling his nostrils.
“My fellow citizens, it is with great sorrow that I am here this day. It is not common for us to have a Magus, or rather, a novice Magus, be exposed as a halfling in our midst. It is the work of the enemy to infiltrate our Order and cause chaos within.” The crowd roared in choruses of boos and jeers.
“I’m innocent! I swear to you, I’m not a halfling! I’ve done everything you wanted me to do! It’s that book! I know what it is! You can’t hide forever!”
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