Curse of the Dragon Kings

by Anne Spackman

  "You'll ruin the edge!" Mygdewyn huffed. Galanor only shrugged.

  "I need something to spit the fish with." He offered peaceably.

  "Not with my axe you don't!" Mygdewyn retorted hotly, glaring at him, then marched back to the circle, squeezing the axe tightly in his hand. Suddenly he stopped, and his features blackened.

  "Hey, who stole my fish?!" He whirled around accusingly, sweeping the axe into an arc. Behind him, Aiovel ducked quickly. "Was it you, your highness?" Mygdewyn demanded, and his vitriolic gaze fell on Dylan.

  "Don't look at me." Dylan waved his hands in protest. "I don't even care for fish."

  "You know I wouldn't have eaten it Mygdewyn," Ronan said reassuringly when the dwarf's attention turned to him.

  "I hear dragons have an insatiable appetite," Mygdewyn began, now regarding Aiovel.

  "Are you suggesting that I ate it?" Aiovel arched a fair brow, incredulous. "Come come now. If I wanted more fish, Mygdewyn, I would merely have gone out and caught some more." Mygdewyn nodded reluctantly, seeing her point.

  "Maybe you forgot you'd already eaten it, Mygdewyn," Lilia put in.

  Gil thought the dwarf still looked unconsoled, but he grudgingly shelved the issue.

  Some time later, Galanor returned with more fish for everyone. Lilia refused her third piece and gave it to Mygdewyn, placating him somewhat. Instead she lay back on the ground for a moment's rest, her head by the water. She squirmed in the hot sun a few minutes before deciding to pull her cloak from under her; then she put it on top of her face to protect her from the mid-day heat.

  "Sourface!" She heard someone mutter nearby and sat bolt upright, knocking off her cloak. Next to her, Gil turned and offered her a broad smile.

  "You little twerp!" Lilia cried and suddenly seized Gil by his earlobe. "Take it back!"

  "Me? I didn't say anything!" Gil protested painfully.

  "Yes, you did! You called me a sourface!" Lilia wailed unhappily. "I am not a sourface!"

  "Good one, Gil," Dylan said, chuckling.

  "Honestly, I didn't!" Gil cried.

  "Something tells me that more is going on here than we think," Aiovel said judiciously, looking about with a degree of circumspection.

  "Yes!" Lilia exclaimed. "Gil is about to get dunked!" And with that, she dragged Gil into the water.

  Gil knew better than to resist, for Lilia's strength magnified several times in the water, but he kicked about anyway, hoping at least she might let go of his hair. His scalp was really beginning to hurt. Lilia pushed his body down under the water just as he took a breath; sensing his predicament, she let go.

  But not before he had seen the face under the water.

  Gil came up for air, spluttering water and gasping for breath. Before Lilia could apologize to him, he scrambled madly to the shore like a man on fire.

  "There's someone there!" He wheezed at last and pointed to the water. Lilia's eyes widened in horror, and she jumped to the shore just as quickly. She dived behind Gil for protection and peered over his shoulder at the river.

  With a great splash, a small creature half the size of a dwarf surfaced its shaggy head and hopped onto the shore, tittering gleefully.

  "I fooled you!" It cried and danced about upon two spindly legs, its great coat of clattering sea shells making a terrific noise. The creature had a stringy tangle of sea weed hair, bright green eyes, and smelled like raw fish.

  "A bogle!" Aiovel cried. "I thought I sensed foul play."

  "So it was you who stole my fish!" Mygdewyn exclaimed.

  The creature nodded and patted his stomach. "Tasty, tasty!" he said. Mygdewyn scowled unhappily but made no move toward the creature.

  "W-who are you?" Lilia stuttered nervously from behind Gil.

  "Bewbachod Shellycoat at your service!" the bogle bowed. He cut a fine figure, Gil thought, even with the stringy hair. At least he could be pleasant and polite when it suited him.

  "What's a bogle?" Lilia asked, confused.

  "Imagine a Sea Elf not knowing that!" The bogle fixed its merry eyes on her and laughed. Gil thought his laughter was as high pitched as a child's. And he seemed to employ it with the same whimsical abandon.

  "A bogle is a kind of water sprite that delights in making mischief," Aiovel answered Lilia's question, following the bogle's movements carefully with her eyes. "But bogles are usually harmless, once their trickery is discovered."

  In a flash, Shellycoat stuck his pink tongue out at Aiovel, jammed his thumbs in his ears, and twisted them obnoxiously. Then just as quickly he clattered over toward Gil.

  "I've heard of bogles. They live in the sea." Lilia said, nodding. "So why are you so far from the ocean?" She asked, moving out from Gil's shadow. She reached out to touch the bogle's shell coat, but Shellycoat rapped her hand and danced back.

  "I might ask the same question of you!" the bogle retorted gleefully as Lilia clutched her throbbing fingers. "But since you asked, water sprites can live anywhere near water. Real Sea Elves know that!" He sneered. "What's the matter, aren't you a real Sea Elf?" Shellycoat waited, fixing his eyes on Lilia in an annoying stare.

  Lilia hmmphed, nettled beyond words. Meanwhile, Gil changed his mind about the bogle. Lilia had asked but a simple question. That was no call for insults!

  Sensing Lilia's irritation, the bogle continued to pester her.

  "You're a land dweller, aren't you!" The bogle snickered. "A sea scammer! A man-in-the-water!" He called, borrowing a derogatory sea folk expression regarding creatures out of their element.

  Lilia had attempted to ignore the hideous diatribe, but the last remark seemed to have hit home.

  "All right! So you know the truth!" Lilia screamed tearfully. "I wasn't raised in the sea at all!"

  What was this? Gil was surprised by her admission, but more so about her sudden sensitivity. But then, in his experience, those with the most painful secrets sought most to hide them.

  "My father was Raff the Silversmith. He took care of me when my mother left us to return to the ocean." Lilia admitted. "I visited her a couple of times, of course, until she died a few years ago."

  The bogle stopped jumping about and regarded her with an odd expression.

  "The truth is," Lilia said, swallowing the lump in her throat, "I don't really understand Sea Elves. Of course, I do know enough to speak with them and get along with my ocean side of the family for a while. But others called me a land lover, and a flat foot and a—" she gulped. "Man-in-the water!" Lilia burst into tears, and Mygdewyn went to her side, patting her on the shoulder consolingly. Lilia looked up at him, seeming to feel better.

  "I see, so you've always lived on land." Dylan said facetiously. "No wonder you get along so well with humans." He had hoped to cheer her up, but saw that his attempt at humor was not appreciated. Lilia started to cry again.

  "You see?" Lilia wailed to the dwarf. "Humans aren't any better! To them I'll always be seaweed girl, or fish face, or water hog!"

  "Not to all humans," Gil reassured her.

  Dylan also winced at Lilia's words. He perfectly understood what it was like to bear the brunt of cruel childish jokes.

  "And the worst part is, the bogle was right." Lilia went on sadly, unmollified. "I am a land lover! It's true I'm half Sea Elf which keeps me tied to the water, but I can't live there all of the time. I crave flowers and trees and open air, too. But I never could play in the summers with the other Windfall kids. It's no fun being misunderstood— and unwelcome, everywhere you go!

  "On land, people think I'm a repellent, shady crafts dealer, but the Sea Elves don't think I belong in the sea with them, either." She went on. "So I left home. At least that way I choose to be an outsider. And I intend to be the greatest treasure hunter of them all!

  Gil listened, stunned by Lilia's sudden disclosure. He looke
d to the bogle, for the creature had also remained uncharacteristically silent during Lilia's tirade.

  To Gil's surprise, two fat tears trickled down Shellycoat's face! The creature flung himself at Lilia with a great clattering of shells and latched his scrawny arms around her neck.

  "Oh, forgive poor Shellycoat!" he wailed. Lilia stopped and stared uncomprehendingly at the water sprite's sudden affection. "Shellycoat knows what nasty sea creatures say, oh yes! They call him cruel names and kick him unmercifully! Shellycoat had to flee from them, too!"

  "What a little suck-up." Dylan muttered, but the creature must have had good ears, even though they were buried under his mop of seaweed hair. Shellycoat turned to glare at Dylan.

  "You see? Meanies on land wouldn't welcome a poor lost bogle." Shellycoat looked back to Lilia. "Poor Shellycoat had to wander far away, to very lonely country. But he remembers cruel land folk! But now he pledges friendship to Lilia!

  "That is, if she will ever forgive him," he added, whining plaintively.

  Lilia nodded. "As long as that's the end of your pranks," she said at last. "I don't have a very high tolerance for them, you know."

  "When it isn't you being the prankster, you mean." Ronan interjected, and Lilia narrowed her eyes at him.

  "Well, isn't it time we get going?" Galanor said, having finished covering up the leftover fish bones.

  "Too dangerous!" Shellycoat cried and pointed up ahead, just beyond the waterfall. "There are lots of river and land monster dens that way." He said and shivered. "But," he added, brightening, "I can guide you around them!"

  So, Shellycoat only referred to himself in third person during his dramatics, Gil observed in amusement. What a strange little creature he was!

  "All right," Aiovel said. "You're sure about that, now?"

  Shellycoat nodded. "Monsters leave a bogle alone. But Shellycoat knows all their nasty, dirty tricks. You'll be safe with him!" He tittered, grasping Lilia's arm and pulling her to her feet.

  Dylan didn't like it. How could they trust a water sprite? No doubt Shellycoat was in cohoots with the monsters, an accomplice set out to lure other creatures to the monsters' dens. The bogle had to be lying!

  Or would he lead them faithfully, knowing that Dylan was wise to him, hoping the Prince would persuade the others to take a different route?

  Dylan sighed and allowed the bogle to lead them.

  It was the only way to find out the answer.

  * * * * *

  "There he is!" Shellycoat exclaimed and began a little dance. "The Leviathan's lair!" He stopped and pointed toward a large sandy spot on the right side of the trail, near the basin of a large waterfall.

  "I don't see anything," Lilia said, regarding the sand circle dubiously. "If that's a trap, why would any one fall for something so obvious?" She wondered.

  "Yes, quite!" the bogle replied, his head bobbing up and down. "A simple trap, but it works. You see, if it's not a trap, what else could it be? People always wonder that. But anyone who is curious about the answer finds himself—or herself the Leviathan's dinner." He narrowed his eyes at Lilia. "But Charley's not too bright, so if you just walk around him, you'll be safe."

  "Charley?" Gil asked.

  "The Leviathan!" Shellycoat said, exasperated.

  "You know this creature?" Dylan asked, suspicious.

  The bogle glared at him. "Can't say I like him very much, but at least he's never bothered me. He moved up here a few years ago from down south somewhere. The fisherman were plundering the seas of so many fish that there were hardly any left for the sea creatures. Then one of the fisherman got the fool idea to try and harpoon old Charley. He'd never had much of an appetite for humans before, but since then he hasn't had any problems about eating them. Still, if you want to get to know him better— Oh, do be careful, friend Lilia!" The bogle cried, hurrying around the sand pit to catch up with the girl. As impatient as ever, Lilia had already charged ahead, risking life and limb.

  "Why did you never mention the Leviathan before? Dylan asked, turning to Aiovel.

  "Well, I haven't come this way in a long time." Aiovel offered, shrugging. "Some creatures move in, others move out. And I prefer traveling on the ancient road myself. There, you only have land monsters to deal with."

  "Sounds like Lilia's gotten herself caught in a Tangle Vine." Mygdewyn said, laughing. "Those things don't let go very easily." He slung down his axe and headed down the path to help her.

  The others followed, but Dylan lagged behind. He hesitated on the other side of the sand spot. Was it really a trap? Or was it just Shellycoat's way of getting them to trust him?

  Out of curiosity, Dylan idly tapped the sand on the edge with his foot. Suddenly, the sand circle began to quiver. In a second, it had collapsed. Dylan had no time to react; his foot sank, and he nearly slid into the gaping pit along with the falling sand. But he was far enough away from the center to grab hold of a nearby tree branch with the handle of his staff.

  He quickly pulled himself away from the trap, narrowly missing being sucked below by the writhing, ascending tentacles of a giant green monster. Dylan grimaced; each serpentine, flagellate arm was the thickness of a giant snake. A moment longer, and he would surely have been the Leviathan's dinner.

  Up ahead, Shellycoat laughed gleefully, his arms on his hips.

  "Now do you believe little Shellycoat?" He tittered. Dylan nodded, deciding it was time to give up. The next time Shellycoat warned him of danger, he was going to take the creature's word for it.

  XIV: King of the Wind

  Nine days passed without further incident. At least, without any major catastrophe. There were of course certain obstacles and inconveniences to the wilderness, though the company was growing accustomed to them by now. And with Shellycoat and Aiovel as guides, the companions reached the lower peaks of the Silver Mountains without any scrapes with the local wildlife. The rugged landscape of the wilderness prevented them from making as good time as they had in the open fields of Gyfen, but at least they knew that the wilderness would be just as rough on the Dark Wizard's horde of monsters.

  As their path by the River of Argolen climbed higher into the foothills of the mountains, more and more they began to look down on the high, rugged hills of Briodun on their left. Crystal lakes and lush green woods dotted the countryside below, obscuring the dangers of the wilderness; the river dwindled on their right, coursing over high stony banks under the shadow of the mountains.

  "Ooh, I love mountain air!" Lilia cried enthusiastically. The temperature had been dropping steadily since they began to ascend into the foothills of the Silver Mountains, but it was still well above freezing.

  Still, for once, Dylan agreed with her. Though the long upward hike really was becoming murder on his calves!

  Behind him, Ronan puffed noisily. Dylan wondered again about the elf's terrible endurance. It was truly uncharacteristic for one of his race; elves were supposed to be hardy. But as Mygdewyn had explained, Ronan's fatigue was something magical, a side effect of the spell of choosing Myrddin had laid upon him.

  "What's that up ahead?" Ronan cried suddenly, pointing.

  Gil looked up, but he saw nothing unusual at first. He had been trudging alongside Dylan, carefully avoiding stones in the path that might have tripped him. Now, he began to make out the meandering silver line that intersected their path up ahead coming from the West. Beyond it, the River of Argolen branched away to the left following the highway.

  "The ancient highway at last!" Galanor said, letting out a long whistling sigh.

  "So what does that mean?" Lilia asked.

  "We're almost to the Elven mining colony," Aiovel replied. "Look there!" She pointed ahead to their right. For the first time since they had left Argolen, they saw a high, narrow bridge over the River of Argolen.

  "Are you sure it's
safe to cross over?" Lilia asked, hesitating once they reached the bridge. Ahead, the middle of the wooden bridge swayed in the strong wind. As Lilia stepped tentatively on the first plank, the bridge protested with an ominous groan. She leaped back to the safety of the bank.

  "Allow me," Ronan said, stepping forward to touch the railing. A ripple of magic eddies effused from the priest's hand, blanching and rejuvenating the age-worn wood.

  "Good job!" Lilia squealed, hugging him around the neck so tightly that Ronan began to choke.

  "I'll go first—in case it might still break," Galanor offered, and headed over to the other side without incident. They crossed over in tandem one at a time. Gil followed Mygdewyn with Dylan still behind him. Gil clasped the railing tightly as he shuffled to the other side. He wasn't trying to hold things up, but he discovered too late he didn't much care for heights as he eyed the rushing waters far below the thin wooden slats. If only he weren't always looking down!

  After all, Galanor had made it across, and Galanor was far heavier than he was, Gil tried to reassure himself. However, Galanor could save himself from a fall! Still, Mygdewyn had made it, too, despite the dwarf's understandable reservations. At least Gil could float in water should he fall into the river below.

  Gil passed over the final step and flung himself to the ground, panting now in relief as he waited for the knots in his stomach to work themselves out. Gil was so grateful to have reached dry land again that he didn't notice when Dylan rejoined them.

  "I can't go with you, Lilia." Shellycoat said suddenly as they made ready to resume their eastern march.

  "Huh?" Lilia halted, looking down at the water sprite in confusion. "Why not?" She insisted.

  "Mountains are too cold for a poor lost bogle!" Shellycoat said and shook his shaggy head. "Alas, all the water turns to snow and ice!"

  "But you can't leave us now!" Lilia protested, dismayed. Ronan nodded in agreement. Even Mygdewyn seemed at a loss for words. But then, that was usual for the dwarf.

  "Good-bye, Lilia!" Shellycoat cried, flinging his scrawny arms around her for a farewell hug. "Don't forget your friend Shellycoat," he sniffed, taking a step back toward the bridge. "He'll be lonely, so lonely!"