The Wood Cutter's Son

by Thomas Wright

  Extaral and Anallese gave chase, spewing fire as they ran through the wood following the injured dragon and dark elves away from Kor’Tarnaeil. Smoke and blood trailed from its burned flesh as it ran. If only Extaral or Anallese had ripped its wings, preventing the enemy dragon from flying. Morgan thought. A cheer went up on the walls of the fortress for the defending white and black dragons and Crystal just as the sun cleared the horizon and melted away the gray. The large black dragon lifted into the air. This time it was able to put some distance between itself and its attackers. The smaller white and black dragons eventually slowed their pursuit and turned around. Morgan could see they struggled, preferring to glide when possible.

  They are tired and will need food and rest before they fight again, Dra said.

  The dragons landed near the fortress and Crystal dismounted from Extaral and walked toward the river. Morgan saw her wave her arms in a pattern, then Crystal bent at the waist and immediately straightened, throwing up her arms as if heaving something upward into the air. A wave rose from the river almost as high as the fortress walls, and with a downward motion the water flew forward in a raging torrent across the land to wash over the burning remains of the slum that Morgan had hid in not long ago. In another motion, Crystal pulled a second wave of water and directed it toward the burning forest that Extaral had just set ablaze. Steam and ash rose into the air from both places. Her actions would help with all the things that the queen’s soldiers had to do next. Survivors from both the slum and battlefield would need to be dealt with, in different ways, he hoped, and then cleanup was necessary. He was sure he would see Crystal again and felt no need to tarry any longer.

  “I think we are through here,” Morgan said to Alexis and turned Blackstar away from the destruction. “Did you have somewhere you want to go?”

  “East?”

  “East it is. How about the Alloran Forest? It’s big and has plenty of game and water. And you’re a ranger. If we chose, no one would find us.”

  “Lead the way, my love.” Morgan looked at the smile on Alexis’s face. Something about the glow and redness of her cheeks spoke of a hunger that told him he was in trouble. A good trouble for once. He felt the same, but there were still so many questions left unanswered. There was a war, or two if the dark elves returned to Kor’Tarnaeil. He looked toward the retreating army and dragon, then back at Alexis. She smiled again, and this smile seemed to question his thoughts, as he questioned the future. There was no decision to be made. His place was with her, no matter what ailed Torinth. Then, as if to prove he was right, her hand grabbed his arm and almost pulled him from his horse. Their faces met, bodies joining.

  “Don’t fear the future, love,” Alexis said, as if reading his mind, and kissed him hard and long.

  The End

  Epilogue

  The moon had risen and fallen eleven times since the battle at Kor’Tarnaeil. In the far frozen north, the dragon born of dark magic and sacrificial death lay in the depths of the cave that had been his birthplace less than half a moon ago. Black blood oozed from wounds that wouldn’t heal. Dragonfyre had seared the wounds closed and allowed infection to breed under the fire-sealed skin. A large, open wound untouched by dragonfyre had almost caused the dragon to bleed out until the dark elves brewed an awful concoction much akin to the pitch used on torches. They coated the hole, lighting it on fire and letting it burn until the bleeding slowed, then stopped.

  The dragon’s roars shook stone and ice and sent dark elves scurrying into hiding. Anger at the defeat handed to him so readily by two lesser dragons burned hotter than the pitch and more painful than anything he had suffered that day. Revenge was the only salve that would heal his soul, and he would have it in time.

  Where is the queen? Bring her before me. The voice boomed in the minds of the few elves who remained tending to his body. Two elves ran from the cavern and returned trailing behind the queen. This body isn’t fit for one such as I. It is sluggish and weak.

  “It was not created for you. We sought to restore our goddess Drae to power. Your arrival was unforeseen,” the dark elf queen replied. “Her symbols are carved and sealed in the bones of one of her daughters.”

  Yes, I know whose bones contain my spirit. It was I who killed her. I need a living host. I want you to bring me Extaral. Do this and I will teach you the darkest magic that has been locked away from all the races. With the knowledge I offer, you can rule all Torinth. There is one thing I require. You must bring Extaral to me alive.

  “We lost many warriors trying to retrieve Dra and sating our desire for revenge against Queen Verlainia. To attempt to capture Extaral alive would cost us many more. My people would not recover from such a loss.”

  You speak to me of loss. My mother Drae—your goddess—and I wanted to teach all races both the light and dark magic. My father Dra would not allow the dragons, no matter who, to teach any magic. He believed this world was not ready for such knowledge. But my mother taught your people in secret and you paid her with the only thing of value your people owned. Your lives. You worshiped her and offered up what gifts you could. Now you will pay me with your lives. I lost my mother and later my own life teaching your people everything you know today. So do not speak to me of loss.

  “You are Lexator, first son of Dra and Drae?” the queen questioned knowingly.

  I am Lexator. The cursed first son and killer of kin. This is not the first time the bones of my sister rejected me. She and many of my brothers and sisters rejected mother and me. I knew what had to be done or they would have continued standing in our way along with father. I gave your shaman of old the knowledge to create the chains that bound Dra, though Drae took the blame. I am willing to give the knowledge to you, Queen Malestoria.

  The queen took a moment to reflect on what the dragon offered. She decided the dragon could and would teach her more, though there would be a cost. There always was a cost. But the knowledge would elevate her people above all the others. “We will do it.”

  I knew as much. Your lives have been bound to Drae and her memory since you were foundlings. Show me the same loyalty and servitude and your people will rise to new heights.

  “I will send out a party to capture dwarves. They will forge the chains, and when they are done, they will be sacrificed to their own work.”

  Good, you understand our needs. But not only dwarves. You capture all races. Many sacrifices will be required in the future. Yes, many sacrifices indeed.

  Queen Malestoria hurried to find the leaders of her army. Her people had worshiped Drae for millennia and it would take time to change that, but change they would. Lexator would demand it in return for the magic he would teach them. The cavern below would run red in blood and every drop would increase her power. The dragon would be their god. She smiled as she hurried along the passageway. Someday soon she would rule the world.

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  Books by Thomas A. Wright on Amazon.com

  The Chronicles of Benjamin Jamison series

  Call Sign Reaper

  Reaper Inc.

  No More Lies

  Empires at War Part One

  Empires at War Part Two

  The Scarab Moons, novella, prequel to Benjamin Jamison series

  Saving Grindrod