Soldiers of Legend
Page 27
“I know, but the sooner we leave, the sooner we get it over and done with,” Aiden said. As he stood and reached for his dusty longcoat, he noticed a tall, intimidating warrior standing before the table, blocking their exit.
“Robert Black, I never thought I’d see your face around here again,” growled the large man, glaring past Aiden to where the mercenary sat. He wore heavy armour encrusted with the ubiquitous red dirt of the region, and carried a large warhammer over his shoulder. Despite his receding grey hair, his eyes were like iron, and his rigid jaw gave the impression of a man unwilling to compromise. Robert puffed on his cigar for a moment before turning to address the newcomer.
“Brian, fancy meeting you here,” he drawled. “Have you lost weight? You’re looking fit.”
“That’s Captain Brian to you,” Brian grunted. “And I think I’m doing a bit better than you. Lost yourself an eye there, mate. I hope it hurt, you cheating bastard. Let’s cut the bullshit,” he growled, leaning on the table with two clenched fists. He smelled of strong wine and anger. “You still owe me for those siege engines you bought, months ago. You’re weeks overdue, in case you hadn’t noticed, and you’re not leaving here until we settle accounts.”
“Yeah, I was thinking about you when I arrived,” Robert remarked blandly. “I was thinking ‘I need to find Brian and pay him back, ‘cause he’s such a pauper he couldn’t live without the five grand I owe’. The bloody trebuchets weren’t half as good as you promised. We had to do a lot of repairs before they were even usable. The way I figure, you owe me for the work my lads did, so we’re even.”
“Okay, if you fixed ‘em up, hand ‘em back to me and I will,” Brian suggested.
“No can do, mate,” Robert responded, “they were destroyed in the siege of Culdeny.”
“That’s on me,” Pacian added helpfully. “What can I say? I love my work.”
“Well then you do owe me. A deal’s a deal, mate,” Brian suggested ominously as three other large warriors stepped in behind him to add their weight to what was rapidly becoming the prelude to a fight. “I see you’ve got some new friends here. Pretty ones, too. Don’t see too many armoured women walking about, but them that do aren’t to be taken lightly. Maybe one of them could loan you some coin so you can pay back your good friend Brian, before he takes out your other eye as payment?”
“Do we have time for this?” Sayana asked quietly, receiving a brief shake of Aiden’s head in reply. She stood and raised her hands, and suddenly Brian was tumbling up towards the ceiling. He smashed through the tiled roof and disappeared in a cloud of dust and debris. His associates, taken aback by the unexpected exit of their boss, hesitated for a moment in confusion, which was all Sayana needed to act.
Taking out her staff, she pointed it threateningly at the three large men towering over her. The rest of the tavern’s patrons, a motley assortment of brigands, mercenaries and soldiers were staring at the scene, whispering to each other in fear at the woman who could work powerful magic with a simple gesture.
“The next man who moves against us will find himself torn into fifty different pieces by my friend here,” Robert growled at the assembled warriors. “The rest of you will have to figure out how to put him back together again.” His words had the desired effect — Brian’s associates backed away, though the tension in the room could be cut with a knife.
“We’re leaving, now,” Aiden muttered under his breath. “If this excavation site doesn’t contain what we’re looking for, we head straight back to the fort and make sure it’s ready to withstand the coming siege.”
“Much good that’ll do if we don’t find something useful,” Robert grunted. “By the way, thanks for the assist, Sy. I had a feeling I’d run into some old friends down here, but you probably shouldn’t have done that. Brian has powerful friends who’ll avenge him.”
“He’s still alive,” Sayana corrected him. “He’s just going to be stuck on the roof for a while.”
“That’s probably not going to make much difference in the long run,” Robert answered, glancing around at the unfriendly faces glaring back at him as they left the tavern.
They hastily assembled their gear and made ready to depart. A number of Trinity guardsmen were heading in the direction of the tavern so Aiden and the others quickly moved out of the area. Shortly, they were astride their horses and cantering out of the southern gate, just as the sun was passing its zenith. The guards only seemed to care what was coming into the city, for they made no move to stop or investigate them on the way through.
The road south of Trinity was empty, leading directly into the deep wasteland. Only when the road veered to the west did they stop for a short rest to water the horses. When they set out once more, they altered course, leaving the road far behind. Their heading took them directly toward distant rock formations Sahar had pointed out on the map.
Travel became difficult in the shifting sands of the Hocarum Desert, and it was especially trying on the northern horses, unused to the heat and uneven terrain. Not long afterward the winds picked up, adding to their discomfort as the fine gritty sand blasted them mercilessly.
Aiden took a spare shirt and wrapped it around his head to provide some relief, but more than that, he was concerned about losing their way in the desert, for every sand dune seemed the same as the last. Only Sayana’s uncanny knack for direction provided them with reassurance, and even then, it was more a measure of faith than of hard fact.
Tall spires of rock began to appear as they continued on, more of the same curious formations that had been sculpted by the fierce winds over the years. They towered over the landscape, providing Aiden with the hope they were nearing their destination. A glint of shining light in the sky indicated Spartan was shadowing their course, but as Aiden squinted up into the sky, he thought he saw the dragon flying down towards them with increasing speed.
There is something wrong here, Salinder said with a weak voice in Aiden’s mind, adding to the feeling of disquiet welling up in his chest.
“Can you be more specific?” Aiden asked, signalling for the others to halt as he brought his horse to a standstill.
Reality has been altered, came the cryptic reply. A falsehood stands before us.
“That doesn’t help,” Aiden mumbled, glancing around at their surroundings to try and fathom what the sword was talking about. There was only the sand and rock formations, some of which seemed over a hundred feet in height. As he looked, however, Aiden thought he noticed that one of the formations directly ahead of them was closer than before. It must have been a trick of the heat rising from the parched surface, for it almost appeared to be moving.
The rock formation seemed to warp and distort, reforming into a different shape. The rippling increased until it began to resemble something other than mere rock. His horse suddenly reared, screaming in terror as the illusion vanished and a dragon sat before them, not fifty yards away.
It loomed over the small group, impossibly large, as if the side of a mountain had been hewn from the rock and given form. Its wings were folded neatly along its back as it sat upon its haunches, staring down at them with eyes the colour of flame. Scales like armour plates lined its serpentine body, the same hue as the red sands around them.
It is Leviachon, Salinder informed Aiden, who detected a faint trace of fear in his voice. Aiden was doing all he could to control his mount, while his friends were having similar difficulties. Through all this the dragon sat, observing the impact of its sudden appearance impassively, like a cat watching a trapped mouse try and scurry away.
Ordinarily, I do not talk to my food before I eat it, but one of you is in possession of something… interesting, the sound of Leviachon’s voice rumbled in Aiden’s mind like an erupting volcano. The sound of the dragon sniffing at them with its gargantuan nostrils could be heard as Aiden finally brought his terrified horse under control.
He recalled the warning Salinder had given him about Leviachon earlier in their journey, and knew t
hey were in serious trouble. He tucked the Lexicon deep within his pouch and hoped the dragon wouldn’t notice it. If ever there was a dragon that lived up to the winged creatures’ fearsome reputation, it was this one.
“What is it you want?” he shouted up to it, doing his best to keep his voice strong and firm in spite of the terror welling in his heart. Instead of answering, the dragon’s head snaked down towards him. The head was over fifteen feet high and sported a mouth filled with teeth as long as a man was tall. Long scars adorned its head and neck, a sure sign of many years of battles survived. He felt the moisture of its breath which stank of rotting meat.
I have sensed your approach across the mountains and the burning sands, Leviachon purred. For long weeks I have awaited your arrival. You are dripping with ancient power and something else, something weak, yet alive within the marvellous sword you carry at your side. I will take it all, human — thank you for delivering such treasures to me. The great maw opened revealing a cavernous mouth lined with a forest of immense teeth.
A flash of silver suddenly appeared before them as Spartan struck the ground, rearing up between Aiden’s companions and the bulk of the gigantic red dragon. Leviachon’s head snaked back in surprise and alarm, until the two dragons were staring at each other. Spartan could reach fifteen feet in height when reared up on his legs, but he was tiny compared to the colossal monster before them, whose head must have been fifty feet above the ground.
A series of low growls and snarls passed between the two dragons, clearly a form of communication. Although Aiden was unable to comprehend their dialogue, Salinder took the liberty of translating for them, speaking within the minds of all of his companions.
These are not for you, Spartan warned their immense adversary. We seek to destroy our mutual enemy. Let us be.
I find your fascination with these tiny creatures amusing, Leviachon retorted. You know what they are capable of, yet you would stand against your own kind in their favour?
They are not all monsters, Spartan stated clearly. You would do well not to treat all creatures with such disdain.
You have been shackled, dragonet, Leviachon growled. You stand before me draped in their vestments of war, daring to speak to me as an equal. They will not rest until every last one of us is dead, our race extinct. Clearly you have been manipulated into becoming their pet. Perhaps you even let them ride you like a common horse?
I respect them, no more, Spartan corrected. I do not ask you to do the same, for I know your heart is as scarred as your body, but you need to step aside.
This is my land. Nobody tells me what to do, Leviachon snarled, spreading his wings. They were easily over a hundred feet across, and their shadow fell over the group sitting on their horses, clutching the reins as their fate was decided by the two dragons before them. If you care for these insignificant mortals so much, let us see if you can protect them.
RIDE! Spartan’s voice roared through their minds, as the small dragon leaped into the air and charged directly at his gargantuan cousin. Spartan crashed into the chest of Leviachon, biting and clawing at the larger dragon’s exposed underbelly. Leviachon, taken aback by the sudden move, thrashed about as Spartan’s teeth sank into his flesh, shaking the ground when he toppled over.
Aiden, momentarily awed by the scale of the fight before them, snapped out of his trance and dug his boots into his horse’s flank, leading the rest of his companions as they tried to flee the fight.
Without really knowing where he was heading, Aiden spurred his horse onward. He scanned the area ahead, looking for somewhere to hide from the colossal dragon, for as much as he respected Spartan’s courage, his foe was many times larger and Aiden had little hope he would achieve anything more than a brief delay.
His thoughts were proven correct a moment later as Spartan was thrown in front of them, plunging into the dunes with a dull thud. Aiden glanced behind him and saw the towering might of Leviachon rise up from the sand, his wings beating down a hurricane of wind as he took to the sky, a demonic silhouette against the fierce light of the desert sun.
While Robert focused on riding hard, Sayana turned in the saddle and shot a crackling bolt of electricity, striking the huge dragon squarely in the chest. The blast only seemed to annoy Leviachon more, causing him to alter course towards them. As the huge dragon’s maw snaked closer, Spartan emerged from the sands and flashed past, clawing at the larger dragon’s eyes.
Leviachon roared in anger and pivoted in the air, pursuing the small dragon. Aiden was forced to keep his attention on the land ahead, scouring the horizon for a place to make their stand. A large abutment of rock rose from the sands as they crested a rise and, lacking any better objective, Aiden pointed it out to the others and pressed on.
Glancing back to see how Spartan was faring, Aiden’s eyes widened at the sight of their ally diving through the air, with the gigantic spectre of Leviachon right on his tail. So, intent was he on catching Spartan that when the small dragon veered sharply to avoid a tower of rocks, Leviachon was unable to pivot in time and crashed into the formation.
The ground shook as the immense serpentine body ploughed through the sands, sending a storm of red dirt and rock into the air as he tumbled over. A sense of elation surged through Aiden at the fall of the monster, though it was short lived, for Leviachon was on his feet a moment later and made straight for the horses.
Their horses scattered to avoid the snapping jaws, and Sayana summoned and discharged a blast of crackling green energy right into Leviachon’s nose, searing flesh and leaving blackened tissue in its wake. He roared in agony and veered away, streaming smoke from the vicious wound. Aiden hoped that might be enough to make the dragon break off the attack, but it seemed Leviachon was only positioning himself for something else.
The immense dragon wheeled around in the sky and took in a deep breath, then aimed directly for Sayana and Robert. As the dragon’s maw opened wide, intense fires building within were on the verge of erupting, but Spartan appeared from above, a shining sliver of steel diving towards Leviachon’s head, pushing it straight into the ground.
The roar of the flames was muffled as the sand absorbed most of the fire, turning the sand into glass and sending a wave of heat washing over Aiden and the others, riding far ahead of the conflagration. Leviachon’s speed upon contact with the ground was such that he flipped over lengthways. His tail stood over a hundred feet in the sky above, before crashing down to the right of Robert and Sayana, shaking the ground and sending up a cloud of red sand.
Spartan pressed his advantage, clawing and biting at his opponent’s exposed underbelly once more until he was thrown backward by a powerful sweep of Leviachon’s tail. As the smaller dragon attempted to right himself in the air, his foe uttered a series of low growls, and suddenly Spartan froze in mid-air — neither falling nor flying, encased in some sort of rippling sphere of magic.
Aiden returned his focus to the rock formation they were approaching and to his relief, saw that a small gash on the side of the stone appeared to be the entrance to a cave. Steering his horse directly for it, he realized they needed another minute to reach safety — time they might not have. An ominous roar erupted from behind them once more, and with dismay Aiden knew that Spartan was no longer able to help them.
“Ride for the cave!” he called to the others as he coaxed one last burst of speed from his tired horse. With his heart pounding in his ears, Aiden and the others covered the final distance to safety, fully expecting to perish in flames at any moment. Once within the relative safety of the cave, he turned to see what had happened and suddenly realized how they’d survived.
Nellise had turned around and headed back towards the imprisoned Spartan, still frozen in time above the ground. Leviachon had given chase and was almost on top of her as she slowed down and chanted a prayer. Aiden cursed loudly, understanding she had chosen to save Spartan at the cost of her own life. Pacian cried out her name in a futile warning as Leviachon swooped towards her.
Aiden gaped in horror until he glimpsed light reflecting off armour. Nellise emerged from the sand, still very much alive, but without her horse. Glancing around briefly, she spotted the others looking back at her from the cave entrance and started towards them as quickly as she could.
Spartan continued to harass the red dragon as they soared through the air, all attempts to injure or distract the huge monster being shrugged off. It was when Spartan came a little too close that Leviachon acted, reaching out his claws to grasp the smaller dragon firmly in his talons. The creatures bellowed as they struggled in mid-air, with Leviachon pummelling his cousin, slicing through his armour to rain dragon blood over the desert.
Leviachon had finished savaging Spartan and simply dropped him onto the red sands, where he laid unmoving. Aiden’s heart pounded in his chest as he saw the immense dragon bank in the sky towards Nellise, who was frantically attempting to reach the cave.
“That’s it, I’m getting her safe,” Pacian snapped, pulling out his repeating crossbow and making ready to ride back out onto the field. Robert put a gauntleted hand across his chest, and gave him a scathing look with his eye.
“If you go out there, you’ll both die,” he warned. Pacian glared back at him and for a moment, Aiden was certain they’d come to blows.
“If she can come a little closer, I can teleport her here,” Sayana interrupted, her eyes fixated on the scene outside.
Nellise clearly knew what was approaching, for she suddenly gave up trying to escape and drew Solas Aingeal, turning to face the oncoming nightmare with calm and steady nerves. The sword flared into radiant brilliance, as bright and long as Aiden had ever seen it, and the power of the blade was not lost on Leviachon.