United Dragons

by Calista Lambrechts

  I couldn’t keep it in much longer before my grip on the bars loosened and I sank to the ground, turning to sit and mourn against the wall. I sobbed silently, unable to get much of a sound out of my mouth. I kept grieving until my chest started to burn.

  Suddenly, a voice called out from the darkness on the opposite of the room. It was abrupt as it said, “Oh, what are you on about?”

  The voice was rude and didn’t seem to care of my problems at all. It sounded selfish and corrupt, finding joy in shouting at absolutely anyone who were already broken. I was fairly startled. I gasped and fell back against the wall. I wasn’t aware that I had company. Not at all!

  Not to mention that I absolutely dreaded the fact that they had to see me like this.

  “Who-Who are you?” I asked cautiously, cocking my head at the pair of eyes staring at me from the darkness ahead.

  “I know you’re name, but you do not know mine? Why, Terrowin, you and your girl ruined my life!”

  I was still caught in a fog, unable to make sense of this. It wasn’t until a plump figure stood from its bench, adjusted to the wall by a set of chains, and stepped out of the shroud of darkness. I was quick to stand at the presence of this man, my heart skipping a beat. This man… I knew him. I knew him well.

  “Du Perron?!” I gasped.

  The former governor of Morrowburg spread his arms as he took another step forward, carrying the little pride he had left within him.

  “Yes, it is I. No one else than I.” Maxus du Perron looked weary. A beard of stubble hugged his face and he wore a loose white shirt that was torn and stained by dry dirt alongside a pair of old trousers.

  His dark hair was tousled and had grown thicker during the time he had spent in this cell, in which case I had no idea for how long. For a moment, I had never been happier to see a familiar face, be it friendly or not, but the feeling soon faded as soon as Maxus tried to hold on to his revenge and unstable anger that consumed his thoughts.

  “Because of you, they stripped me of my title, took all my gold, kicked me out of Morrowburg and sent me to die in this cell!” the man yelled like there was no tomorrow, so consumed by fury he was.

  “You cheated them, not us. All we did was expose the truth after you so thoughtfully ran off with the Artemilis.”

  Maxus raised an eyebrow, clearly not aware of what I was talking about. “The what?”

  “The Star of Hallos, you cretin,” I replied, somewhat irritated. It were times like these that when my personality would step up and encourage my hidden anger. My heart was still carrying that same heavy burden of having to lose a father and chances of angering me were all the bigger.

  “I lost everything. What are you crying for? I should be the one crying!” Maxus snapped once again. I knew I had to answer or he would be staring at me for what’s left of the night. I can’t lie, the moment he asked my heart sank down to my feet and my spirits dropped. I cast my eyes to the ground, hesitantly answering, “They killed my father.”

  You lost your title, Maxus? I will show you what is truly terrible. I will show you what loss really is, I thought.

  It was almost as though a spark of understanding and or pity shot through Maxus as his infuriated resentment also dropped. With a soft tone he tried to comfort. “Oh… I-I’m sorry, kid... They just threw you in here for their own pleasure?”

  “No, I was in their way: One of the only things standing between Brendwin and complete control and domination over Ysellian. They saw me as a threat.”

  This conversation was starting to bother me. I wanted no more of this. Yet, it wasn’t long before Maxus hesitantly asked, “W-Want a hug?” He seemed somewhat afraid to ask, shy I mean. I raised my gaze and met his, somewhat questioning his enquiry, but before I knew it, I found myself asking, “Do you?”

  I was just as hesitant as Maxus, but for some strange and unexplainable reason I just had to ask.

  Maxus dropped his gaze, his feet shuffling about uneasily. His hands were behind his back like a shy little girl.

  “I need one,” Maxus answered frailly. Before he submitted to melancholy, I kept telling myself that I didn’t need comfort. I didn’t need anything of the sort and I sure as hell didn’t prefer an embrace, but things worked out differently than I had predicted.

  My mind had stepped aside and my heart, my emotions, stepped in. Maxus and I both grabbed each other and gave each other what was most probably the tightest hug I had ever experienced. We sank to our knees. Maxus was sobbing out loud. Tears escaped my eyes and rolled down my cheeks, my eyes closed tightly.

  If anyone would see us like this… My embarrassment would most certainly flare up.

  “I miss my father! Drat this godforsaken curse, this sickness of mine! Curse Thomason and absolutely everything that tore out my heart! I don’t want to go. I don’t want to die...” I cried out, finally realising my inner fear. The fear that I had been trying to ignore for so long. The fear that had brought me so much heartache... The fear of finally lying down in my grave only a few weeks from now…

  Maxus couldn’t hold onto his feelings as well and with teary cheeks he cried, “I miss my gold and my title! I blame everyone! I should be in my tower, counting loot and shunting peasants around to please myself. Now I’m stuck in this godforsaken stone box! What, oh, what have I done to deserve this?!”

  As we both cried out our sorrows in each other’s arms, a sudden loud noise caught us both by surprise. It sounded as though someone was hammering on the cell bars, the sound echoing throughout the entire dungeon. Maxus and I immediately let each other go and fell backwards.

  “Are ya done or should I give ya another moment? We don’t have all night,” Borin said as he pounded his fist against the bars. My eyes widened with absolute surprise.

  “Borin?” I slowly tried to get to my feet, my gaze not daring to leave Borin for but even a single second. It seemed that he had brought along a small army of his own – everyone equally as short and equally as heavily armoured as Borin.

  Maxus was rather taken aback, startled by the abrupt appearance of a little man he had probably never seen before.

  “You know this imp?” he asked, sounding rather disgusted.

  Of course I ignored him and behind the tears I rejoiced, for I never realised how much I actually missed this bastard. We haven’t seen each other ever since he showed me the way out of their mines.

  “Borin! I have never been happier to see you in all my life,” I shouted out with relief, falling to my knees in front of the cell bars, clasping the bars with both my hands, reaching Borin’s level of height.

  “Why did you come to help me?” I asked wearily.

  “Well, we weren’t here for ye. No, goodness, not a’ all! We had a promisin’ battle strategy to take the city for our kin. Suntaria became somewha’ lackin’. The dwarven council was convinced tha Krea is tha perfect city to upgrade our stock and increase trade and riches from the farthest reaches of tha lands.”

  “You give me a worthy reason, but I still ponder on the thought of how you could’ve found me. You came marching up to our cell as though it was your main intention to set me free. I mean honestly, you scared the hell out of me.”

  “Aye, I never knew ye were a cryin’ baby. Ye were leakin’ more tears than anyone I had ever seen before.”

  I felt insulted. Absolutely mocked. Everyone knows I don’t cry. I never cry. What gave him the right to criticize?

  “I am not-” Before I could prove my point, Borin cut in as though I had nothing to say and continued, “We were on our way to tha parliament house to apply our strategy. It was a perfect plan. It was carefully though’ out. It was two-ply.”

  “I’m sorry, but did you say two-ply?”

  I stood.

  “Aye, we were plannin’ on bombardin’ the government with toilet paper – tha best way to weaken the city’s line of power, but as we were makin’ our way to the parliament to apply tha secret weapon, our navigation system gave out and led us to the Krean p
risons. At first we though’ it was the upper house, but when we stormed in to take over congress, we discovered it to be the prisons and noticed ya instead.”

  I tilted my head. “Then why help me?”

  I just had to ask, but behind me I could hear Maxus abruptly clearing his throat. I couldn’t help but sigh, yet I corrected my sentence.

  “Us. Then why help us?”

  Borin straightened himself, standing as proud as he possibly could.

  “We need yer help in directin’ us into tha way of the parliament buildin’.”

  I was about to accept, because frankly I was desperate to get out of this room of cold stone, when Borin added a few extra details.

  “Tha… and we though’ you might want to know tha we saw yer girl bein’ with another man: Dark luscious hair and sexy eyes.”

  A sudden strike of shock and warm anger hit my heart with a brutal force. I felt somewhat infuriated, my cheeks growing red. This might or might not have been jealousy, but before I could stop myself, I found myself saying, “Adrian!”

  I practically spat out his name. Strangely, I felt all the more motivated to escape these walls.

  “Aye,” Borin said absentmindedly as he broke through the locks and opened the door. Like a gentleman he held the door open for me, ready to escort me out of here. Of course Maxus was the first to storm out the cell. Yet, I found myself frozen on the spot.

  “Now are you just goin’ to stand thar or are ya comin’ with us?” Borin asked impatiently.

  “I-I just don’t think I can-” I admitted. I was so psyched on getting out of these dungeons, but now that I was given the chance, I felt hesitant. An image of my father flashed in my mind’s eye and stopped me.

  “Come here,” Borin beckoned. I leisurely sank to my knees and met him face to face, but the moment I did, he smacked me right through the face. “Snap out of it!”

  My cheek burned for that one passing moment and my mind took me back to the first time I crouched down to meet Borin face to face. Only last time I received a blue eye, but to be honest, the slap was just what I needed.

  “I think I’m good.”

  “Good. I don’t wanna wreck tha pretty face of yers. It’s yer only asset.”

  I chose to ignore that statement for the time being and got to my feet, following the herd of dwarves through the dungeon. The rest of the dungeon grounds were just as dark and it would have been nearly impossible to see were it not for the moon’s dim light.

  We sneaked through the prison until finally approaching a dead end. There was a single manhole cover covering the entrance to the sewers.

  At first I deeply questioned their means of escape, but I also considered the rest of the prison entrances to be heavily guarded. So, I didn’t question their methods. Two dwarven warriors pushed the manhole cover away to reveal the dark entrance beyond.

  The hole exuded a foul stench, but it did little to stop the dwarves from jumping in, one by one. I saw them drop like weasels until Maxus and I were the only ones left standing.

  “Ugh! Repulsive! I am not going in there,” Maxus exclaimed, probably too good for the sewers. He backed away, pinching his nose, completely disgusted. My cheeks flushed with anger. “You are going in there whether you prefer it or not! It’s our only means of escape and frankly I don’t have time to listen to your complaints.”

  Maxus shot me a cold stare. “You can’t possibly expect me to go in there! I refuse!”

  My blood was boiling and the temper that I thought had under controlled was pushing up my throat. I grabbed him by the collar and yanked him closer.

  “A bastard such as yourself belongs in the sewers. Don’t tell me about vile, you’re the very definition. Now, either you get in there or stay behind and deal with the guards on your own!”

  With that I gave one dynamic shove and sent the man plummeting down the hole. I could hear his sharp scream, and then a splash.

  I jumped in right after him, closing the manhole cover before letting go of the edge. I dropped to the sewers and landed swiftly on my feet. Maxus was just next to me, face buried in the rustic stream of rotten sewer water.

  Gradually he tried to get up, spitting out bits of sewage. I grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him to his feet without thinking twice. On either sides of the stream was a slippery, green-slimed sidewalk.

  In the still air, the bad smell hung around and I’m pretty sure Maxus was the main cause since he was dripping with the rotten stench. One by one the dwarves led the way, Maxus and I doing nothing more rather than to follow. There was a green tinge to the area.

  For the darkness, the dwarves had prepared useful torches with flickering light. Maxus was all too hesitant, all too grossed out as he followed from way behind. I just kept on trotting on, showing no discomfort and sheer determinedness. My head was in the game.

  Set on justice, revenge and perhaps even more revenge…

  Time flew by as we passed through these rotten tunnels, though they were rather large for sewers. I could stand perfectly straight with the roof still meters above my head.

  It wasn’t long before we reached the very end. All dwarves were already out, working together to help pull the plump former governor, Maxus du Perron, out of the hole. I’d say this whole exertion was the most exercise he had gotten in the last few years. I had to help pushing him up from down under until he was pulled onto the road like a newly caught trout.

  I’m sorry. I mean blowfish.

  Afterwards, I quickly pulled myself up onto the sidewalk like a lithe acrobat and rapidly closed the manhole. The moment I immerged from the sewer, a cool tranquil breeze swept through my hair.

  Countless shining stars adorned the sky and the sound of a ship’s bell and foghorn came from the distant pier. As I looked up, I could notice strings of toilet paper decorating the prison roof and waving oh-so gently in the breeze. The ocean breeze was pleasant and I could hear the sound of sloshing ocean water and rocking fishing boats.

  The harbour… I had no idea whether to despise it, or to cherish it…

  My eyes were fixed on the strings of toilet paper, but it wasn’t long before I redirected my gaze back to the party of gathering dwarves. I was quick to join the assembling group.

  “Thank you, Borin. For everything. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened without you,” I said with the greatest gratitude. B

  orin gave me that sinister smile of his and sarcastically replied with, “You’d still probably be sittin’ in tha cell, cryin’ the night away.”

  I couldn’t help but give a single chuckle. I tried for a smile, though it was faint. I was still rather downcast. For a moment I had forgotten all about my jealousy and turned to matters of more solemn genre.

  There was no way I could possible repay the debt I now owed him, but I knew of a start.

  “You see that big building over yonder?” I said as I pointed towards a large building towering behind the numerous houses, “That’s the parliament building you’re after.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Trust me, it’s the absolute least I can do.”

  Maxus approached us from behind and kept his eyes focused on the parliament building up ahead, looking rather confused and questioning.

  “I don’t need to intrude, but can someone please tell me why a kingdom needs a parliament building?”

  “Well, you’re aware that Krea falls under a reign of its own,” I started, “This is King Geoffrey Landfred’s brother – King of Krea’s – monarchy, although it may only be a mere dock town. Like Borin said, Krea is one of the most important cities in Ysellian because of its trading. Anyways, the king is mostly gone, off on his travels for essential business of the like. You can only imagine he is quite selfish with his castle and no one may rule without him. You’ll find it quite often that his palace is usually empty with no more than his servants taking care of it. So, Krea uses a parliament building to alternatively rule under his reign whilst he is gone. If any place, that would be where King Lanfr
ed would’ve escaped to during the assault.”

  Maxus had no more to say. Borin, on the other hand, nodded off on my explanation before swinging around to gesture out an order. “Bring out tha backup navigation system! Plump version,” he called. Two or three devoted dwarves conformed and instantly rushed to goodness knows where and returned tugging on a thick rope. It was used as a leash, leading a pig – a plump, round-bellied pig.

  Yet, as it was their ‘navigation system’, the pig had a magnetized metallic needle taped to its back with a circle drawn around it to show direction, which included a ‘North’, ‘East’, ‘South’, and ‘West’ quickly scribbled onto the poor pig’s back.

  Both Maxus and I eyed the thing with not a single clue as to why all these dwarven customs were so strange… They readied the pig and looked ready to attack. Judging by the bags some of them carried, they had enough TP for an entire onslaught.

  It took me a while to snap out of it, but the soon as I did, a solemn smile was fast to grow upon my lips. My mind was set elsewhere once again.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I have my own matters to tend to,” I said formally, readying myself as well.

  “Aye, they’re up at tha fountain adornin’ tha palace courtyard,” Borin directed. As a thanks, I gave him a slight bow.

  One of the other dwarves withdrew their one-sided axe and held it out towards me.

  “You might need this axe.” I gave an ominous smile as I took the axe. I gave it a whirl in my hands.

  “Gladly.”

  With that, I was off, running towards the palace courtyard. Maxus was left alone in the company of the dwarves. Truth be told, I wondered what he would do now, now that his title of governor had been stripped from him. Yet, that was entirely up to him. He was now free. Free from prison, free from responsibility. Let’s just see what fate has planned for him.

  As the dwarves’ signature nature, they couldn’t help but bet on me as they watched me make my way back to the castle, back to the ballroom where the main cause of my heartache lay.