Deathsworn Arc: The Last Dragon Slayer

by Martyn Stanley

  ~

  Enter the Dragon’s Den

  Brandishing their weapons they started the slow walk towards the cave. As they did, Harald chuckled and cast a sly glance at Korhan. ‘Tis true. Sometimes the minds of people can be bent to do strange things, even in the absence of enchantments.’

  Korhan scowled at him. ‘Keep your mind on the task at hand, Harald son of Korvak.’

  Brael paused to load a bolt into his crossbow and Saul handed out a tiny vial of slipperin oil to each, with the warning it would probably only last for a couple of strikes. If they decided to use some, they would have to make their attacks count.

  As they neared the cave entrance, the smell of brimstone and soot grew stronger and a deep rumbling sound could be heard. The warriors gripped their weapons harder and darted their eyes about the cave. Smoke rose eerily from the entrance and the foul air thickened about them like rope. Silus cast a glance over his shoulder as they were about to enter, to spot Callen retreating up the steep shale-covered slope to recover his horse. This was it, any chance to turn around and head back was gone.

  The entrance to the cave was as big as a grand hall, sloping steeply downwards a short distance after the entrance. The walls, ceiling and floor had a smooth appearance, clearly melted by the dragon fire and polished by the great slithering bulk of the dragon. As they entered Saul cupped his hands and started chanting into them, using magic to form a small glowing globe of light. The globe became a bright white ball, and he threw the spell up into the air where it began to hover. ‘Racha... Vorrow!’

  The illumination allowed the companions to see that even more of the cave had been melted smooth; the ground was treacherous and difficult to traverse. The cavern was deep, too, with a sickening warmth. Saul then held the top of his torch to his mouth and worded another spell. ‘§im §ar!’ causing the torch to burst into flame, providing an additional source of light.

  As they picked their way over the rocks, a voice echoed through the heads of all the warriors. ‘Welcome. I have been expecting you.’

  Saul rolled back his sleeves, a common tradition amongst magic users, and called out to the gloom. ‘We are going to stop your evil, Thrax, here and now!’

  The voice, invading their heads became laced with mirth. ‘Evil? What evil is this you speak of?’

  Saul shuddered. The voice confirmed his suspicion, which had been growing since the blacksmith Tam had told them the dragon’s name – it confirmed this truly was a draconis nobilus. The secret hope he had nurtured despite the accounts of Tam, Mildred and Callen, that it would just be a swamp dragon after all, withered. He roared into the tunnel, desperately trying to hide the subtle tremor in his voice. ‘Your enslavement of these people is over! You have devoured your last, Thrax!’

  ‘You pathetic hypocrites... You kill and consume what you deem to be lesser life forms when you have your swinish banquets; even your children know the taste of tame blood. Why is your diet more acceptable than mine? I take care of my livestock, I care for them, I ensure their welfare, and when the time is right, I eat them.’

  Harald brandished his weapon, shouting into the darkness. ‘You have slain the innocent and grown fat on dishonourable sacrifices. You have inflicted suffering on defenceless villages. You will reap Orion’s justice Dragon; in Ishar’s name, we will end your shadow of terror! Your feast of maidens is over!’

  ‘You wonder that I prefer young maidens? It seems especially abhorrent to you. Ask yourself why veal and lamb is considered a delicacy; soft, supple flesh, young and tender. Flesh which has not been worked hard enough to form difficult to eat, stringy muscle. Young maidens are so much more enjoyable to eat than old farm hands or warriors, or even young men who have grown muscle-bound through working in the fields.’

  The grating voice echoing through their heads sounded mocking. The pleasure it took in explaining its practices was obvious. The talk of eating people made Korhan feel sick, he fought the urge to retch. At the same time the warriors felt a mental probe, testing their defences. They even sensed a hint of surprise that these mental probes were ineffective thanks to Vashni’s whisper.

  ‘Impressive... You’ve come well prepared; I did not expect an elf to be amongst your number.’

  The voice resonated through the entire group, the words rammed into their heads by a force unseen. They shook themselves and pressed on, down the treacherous slope into the gloom.

  ‘And yet they come, heroic fools who would dine at Ishar’s side. They will sing songs of your bravery in the ale houses of Torea, while your bones are ground to dust in my belly. Who would like to sacrifice themselves to me first? Which one of you is keenest to die?’

  As he spoke, the yellow flare of glowing eyes peered through the gloom. The dragon towered above them, looming in the shadows, yellow and orange embers flickering around its dagger-like teeth. The stench grew stronger, the air heavy, making it hard to even breathe.

  Votrex hefted his axe, bellowing into the cavern. ‘It is you who will die Dragon! If I have to hack off your scales one by one!’

  Thrax tutted with feigned regret. ‘I will give you one chance... I do not like “warrior”. It is too stringy and tough, besides which, I find armour sticks in my teeth. Go now, re-shackle “Ellen” to her sacrificial stone and leave. Do this and I will allow you to live. Remain here, and you will suffer the same fate as the blacksmith and his wife, who thanks to their treachery are now no more than piles of ash.’

  Vashni growled. ‘I suspect Thrax’s words are true. Last night he flew over to Duramer. I did not want to believe what I suspected, but I watched him burn something to cinders last night. Poor Callen! I wish we had rode on by and searched out Thrax without their help.’

  ‘Tam was a good man, an honourable man,’ Silus muttered, his shock and sadness quickly hardening into a blazing anger. ‘The worm will pay for this evil.’

  Korhan boomed into the darkness. ‘You waste your breath, lizard – we shall not turn back!’

  ‘Then die...’

  The burst of flame roared from the depths and the whole band scrambled desperately towards the side of the cave, white hot flames shooting past them. Even through Saul’s ward, they all felt its intense heat. The blast rushed by, and even though all managed to evade the jet of flame, its proximity left their skin smoking. Silus cowered momentarily, the flash a hellish reminder of his encounter with Firus. Forcing himself to his feet he called to the others, ‘Spread out! So he can’t catch us all in one blast!’

  As the companions edged around the cave, the voice of Thrax invaded their heads again. ‘That was a warning shot. I invite the dwarf Votrex to leave. He has a right to quarrel with the dragons, a dragon is responsible for Durgheim Holt’s inaccessible status, its inhabitants trapped and enchanted. I will even tell you how to undo this evil. See how I reward those who leave me be? The power word to open the great door is “Kchta§ala scri§iroth umbrnar!” Speak this and the door will open. Find the temple of the mad god deep beneath Durgheim Holt; therein seek Sarazar the Red... Sarazar has been locked into stasis by a power word, to release him, and all of the dwarves in Durgheim Holt; you must find Sarazar and unspeak the power word by uttering “Hju§u §avati everor nomenci§” Go now, free your people.’

  Votrex wavered and frowned at his companions. ‘My kin, trapped? Can this be true?’

  Vashni smirked. ‘Perhaps... Dragons have a reputation for being experts in deception. In order to be a true master however; you must mix the truth with lies. We can only be sure, that either Thrax is telling the truth, a lie or the partial truth.’

  Votrex glanced up at the entrance to the cave, turned back and peered into the darkness. ‘Thrax! I will not leave this place until you are dead!’

  ‘If that is your choice dwarf, then so be it. Die.’

  Another blast of heat surged through the cavern, causing the warriors to throw themselves at the wall and grunt in pain as the air super-heated. This time Harald was left with red raw skin and blisters desp
ite Saul’s well placed ward.

  Sweating and shaking, Saul pushed himself off the rock face. ‘We’re standing targets here! Come, we must attack now or we die before we even meet our foe!’

  As he spoke he quickened his pace into the depths of the cave, the others following, shaking from the narrow escapes they had already endured. The cave began to widen, until it was the size of a banqueting hall – large enough to contain the dragon’s gargantuan form, but it would be difficult for the companions to stay out of his reach for long.

  ‘I have not tasted elf flesh in a long, long time. I shall look forward to consuming you. Perhaps I shall not kill you, but capture you and consume you later at my leisure. ’

  Harald pointed to an opening a hundred feet further down the slope. ‘There!’

  A wall of red-brown scales loomed, barely distinguishable in the dim light. As Harald pointed it out, there was a deafening roar that echoed off the walls. The scales shifted and were replaced by a grim looking head, full of menace. Its face was constructed of sharp, jutting bones, wicked looking scales and demonic eyes, each eye bigger than a man’s head, each jagged tooth bigger than a man’s hand. Its horns were twisted and sharp and reached into the darkness behind him.

  Thrax’s massive mouth opened and a fire started swirling and building, but before he had the chance to release the jet, Brael raised his crossbow and unleashed a single quarrel. Thrax saw the shot late, but moved fast, shifting his head. The flame blasted harmlessly into the cave wall. The quarrel missed, bouncing off his iron-hard scales, but the distraction was sufficient for the warriors to charge into range. Silus was first into the attack, launching his short spear again at the beast’s eye. Again Thrax swung his head out of the way with a mighty roar, but the distraction allowed Silus to get closer still and slash at the beast’s scaly neck. The sword scraped against the scales as if they were made of solid steel, then a mighty claw swung at him, forcing him to dive clear. As the claw narrowly missed Silus, Harald came into range, hacking at the limb with Korhan’s great sword. Again the steel bounced off the scales with a hollow clang. With a vicious back swipe the claw lifted Harald off his feet and slammed him into the wall of the cavern with a meaty crunch.

  Votrex was hot on Harald’s heels, while Vashni, Korhan and Saul fanned out, trying to outflank the monstrous lizard. Votrex swung his axe landing a powerful blow on the forearm of the winged beast, again meeting too much resistance. This time Thrax nudged Votrex onto his back, pinning him down with his claw before moving his head into position to burn him to death.

  ‘I will boil you alive in your armour, dwarf!’

  Korhan, to the dragon’s side, had flashed a drop of his slipperin oil onto Harbinger. Seeing Votrex about to die, he charged forward and threw all his weight and strength into a slice aimed to slide under the scales and damage the dragon’s right forearm, which was holding Votrex in place.

  As the blow landed, it acted as intended and slid neatly under the scales and sliced into his rough hide, severing several scales and causing a gushing wound. Thrax roared in pain and swung his head from Votrex to Korhan, but before he could attack Korhan jumped and span in a circle, throwing everything he had into a committed, downward slash at the wounded area now missing scales. The craftsmanship of this blade, the rather unsubtle extra sharpness caused by Saul’s concoction, and his impressive strength, meant the blade cleaved cleanly through the flesh. It severed sinew and carried on until steel met bone.

  The blow was devastating, leaving Thrax’s forearm limp and weak, but also leaving Korhan vulnerable. Thrax was bearing down on him, preparing to bite him in two, when Vashni leapt onto the side of his head and stabbed her rapier-like sword right into the beast’s left eye, almost up to the hilt, splattering her arm and leather shirt in ocular fluids. The wound caused Thrax to roar in pain and throw his head upwards, smashing Vashni on the roof and sending her tumbling into a crumpled heap on the cave floor.

  Saul threw his torch to the floor where its additional light would aid the party. He then raised his staff, aiming the head right at Thrax, his eyes flickering. His voice took on an echoing, rolling tone ‘§uira firio jakar!’

  A spear of solid ice formed in the air above him and he flicked his staff forwards with force, causing the massive, frozen shard to fly at Thrax and slam into his side, smashing against his scales. Thrax bellowed and thrust his head at Saul who, drained from the spell casting, only just managed to dive clear. Silus meanwhile was back on his feet and uncorking his slipperin oil. Seeing Thrax lame in one forearm now, and bleeding profusely, he slipped the full vial onto the edge of his sword. Then he charged at the now weakened side and yelled, ‘For Ishar!’ as he inserted his sword between Thrax’s scales and shoved the blade in as hard and deep as his strength would allow.

  The slipperin oil did its work and Silus managed to slide his sword into Thrax’s chest right up to the hilt, causing him to recoil in anguish and swing his head back towards him. Silus had over committed though, the blade had gone in easier than he’d expected, leaving him unbalanced. Thrax clamped his jaws over Silus’ upper body and bit him in half, his torso, arms and head ending up in Thrax’s mouth, and the hips and legs, quivering, then falling to the floor in a bloody mess.

  Harald was on his feet now, winded, but fighting. He uncorked his slipperin oil with his teeth and splashed the contents on his blade, when he glanced up, he saw Thrax gulp down Silus’ upper half. ‘No!’

  He raised his great sword and charged forward again, past Votrex, throwing all his weight into the thrust and trying to slide the blade between the scales. At the same time Brael had poured slipperin oil on the blade of his sword and charged, sliding the sword deep into Thrax’s flank behind the lame forearm.

  Both warriors’ attacks succeeded, causing Thrax to unleash an agonised howl and lunge his head at Harald, who tried to leap back. He caught his foot on the rough cavern floor, tumbling. As he flailed, Thrax clamped his jaws on his leg, and ripped him from the cavern floor. Gripping Harald in his teeth, Thrax smashed Harald up against the cavern ceiling, before swinging him sideways, hard into the wall. Finally, Thrax bit through the leg with a shake of his head, sending Harald spinning up towards the cavern entrance.

  Korhan watched Harald’s battered form tumbling through the air. Vashni was still down; she appeared unconscious. Brael’s weapon was lodged in Thrax’s side and he was weapon-less, though he was scrambling to reach Harald’s dropped battle-axe. Votrex had gotten to his feet and landed another blow, only to be thrown back, his armour clanging on the cavern wall. Before he could rise he was forced to roll clear of another intense jet of flame. Korhan’s warrior instinct made him slow down time and assess the situation. The battle wasn’t going well; they’d injured the beast, causing one arm to become lame and blinding one eye, and he now had Silus, Harald’s and Brael's swords embedded in his torso. But Silus was dead, probably Harald too, maybe even Vashni. He scanned around for Saul, hoping the wizard could bring some more potent magic to the fray.

  Saul stepped out from behind a lump of rock and raised his staff to unleash a magic missile. ‘Fir§a mamirxic §osh!’

  A blast of red and white light shot like an arrow at Thrax, hitting him in the torso. Where the spell struck, Thrax’s scales deepened in colour and cracked, but remained intact. The dragon lunged its head out at Saul and unleashed fire. He leapt for cover, just in time.

  Saul was cowering behind the rock, shaking; his robes on fire, his skin blistered in places from the heat. He felt drained and hopeless. He’d unleashed the most powerful spells in his repertoire to little effect.

  Brael charged, now holding Harald’s battle axe, but Thrax spotted his approach and swung his good claw, sending the dark elf sprawling. Korhan glanced at Vashni, her face a grimace of pain, her chest still. Thrax had killed her! He heard Harald moaning in agony near the cave entrance. Even if he lived, what kind of warrior could he be with one leg? A man he’d fought alongside many times, a man he’d come to conside
r not just a friend, but a brother? Silus, his legs lying in a pool of blood on the cavern floor, his torso filling Thrax’s belly. He glanced back at Vashni, he longed to rush over, to try and rouse her – but he couldn’t lose focus. His hands started shaking, his brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed. Thrax. Thrax had harmed Vashni. Thrax whose smug voice still echoed in his ears, who had Silus’ blood running down his throat and Harald’s leg in his belly, who stood between him and Vashni. Korhan allowed himself to hate. The red mist that had nearly overcome him when they’d encountered the bandits came over him. A berserker rage started building, urging him to lose control.

  A berserker rage now, against a band of warriors could be devastating, but against this near invulnerable beast, he needed control. He thought about Vashni’s teachings, he felt his body and his blade; he focused his mind, and in an instant decided what to do. He sprinted straight for Thrax’s blind side with the empty gushing eye-socket. He timed his assault for when Thrax was distracted by Brael and, with icy calm leapt up and grabbed one horn. The muscles on his arms were burning, he dropped his grip on Harbinger into a downwards one for more purchase. Thrax ripped his head from left to right, trying to shake Korhan off. Just as he lowered his head, ready to crush Korhan against the cavern roof, Korhan plunged Harbinger right into Thrax’s ear with all his strength, aiming the tip towards the creature’s brain. It slid cleanly for half of the thrust, but halted on some inner bone. Thrax shook his whole body, writhing and scraping to dislodge his assailant. Korhan steadied himself, gripped the horn in one and the handle of Harbinger in the other, using every sinew to draw the two together. With a final grunt the sword snapped in, right up to the hilt.

  Thrax emitted an unearthly shriek and thrashed his head around, dizzily. Again and again the deafening yell of pain and anger reverberated around the cave. His uninjured arm scrabbled, clawing at the ground. He thrashed his head again then slowed, wobbled and slumped forwards in a heap, his last grasp at life - over.

  In the convulsions Korhan had been thrown clear, tumbling against the rocks and smacking his head, hard. Thrax was still grunting and quivering for some time, his death groans filling Korhan’s head, but fading, along with the strange clarity of his harnessed rage. He felt more tired than he had ever known, and lay back, capable of little more than breathing. As Korhan was about to lose consciousness, Brael appeared and tried to help him up. ‘Are you hurt, Avil?’

  ‘Aye. I’m not sure how badly. Votrex?’

  The dwarf appeared, his helmet dented and missing a horn, his breastplate hanging off, one pauldron missing and his face bruised and battered. He had a trickle of blood running from his lip and his beard was burned away in places.

  ‘I live, Korhan, as does Saul.’

  ‘Vashni,’ Korhan uttered, his eyes springing wide as the image of her motionless form returned to his mind.

  He surged to his feet and barged past the others. He scrambled across the cavern floor to where he’d seen her; she was still lying in a crumpled mess. He wet his fingers and held them in front of her mouth; he felt a weak breeze on his hand. ‘She breathes! Help me!’ He picked her up in his arms and almost lost his balance, surprised at how light she was. Saul and Brael helped him up; then they started to trudge closer to the entrance and to where Harald lay.

  As they got nearer to Harald, Vashni opened her eyes groggily and glared at Korhan. ‘Ri§ine! Put me down this instant!’

  He smiled weakly, relieved beyond expression, and stood her up. She wobbled for a second before regaining her composure. ‘Sorry Mir§a Vashni I did no-’

  ‘Yes, yes, well I’m fine, I must have hit my head. Did my thrust slay the beast?’

  ‘No, though in blinding him on one side, you perhaps allowed me to pierce his brain, ending his life. Silus though... Silus is dead. And Harald...’

  Vashni spotted Harald lying on his back, bleeding from the gory stump of his left leg. She darted over to him, knelt next to his stump and whispered. The bleeding slowed and stopped. Vashni and Korhan knelt close to Harald’s head. His whole body was battered. Skin had been scraped off on the rocks as Thrax had thrashed him about, his breathing was shallow and he seemed barely conscious.

  Korhan sighed. ‘Friend, can you hear me?’

  Harald coughed, spraying blood from his lips. ‘I... I can’t feel my legs, or my arms.’ Korhan and Vashni looked at Harald’s battered body, his limbs still and lifeless. Vashni examined him more carefully, caressing the back of his neck gently, almost imperceptibly with her fingers for a moment; then she exhaled heavily and frowned at him. ‘Harald, you are bleeding inside and your neck is broken. I’m afraid Thrax has eaten most of your leg.’

  Harald tried to smile, but struggled. ‘Then we killed it?’

  Korhan nodded. ‘Aye... We did. Though poor Silus is dead.’

  Harald shifted his eyes to Vashni. ‘Can you use your skill to heal me?’

  She lowered her eyes, a little uncomfortable at this. She clearly did not want to maintain eye contact. Eventually she shook her head. ‘I am sorry Harald son of Korvak. There are limits to what magic and whispering can do. I can tend to you, and make sure you live, but your leg is gone. I’m afraid I do not believe it is possible for you to regain sensation, or motion in your arms or legs, with whispering or with magic.’

  A flash of panic passed over Harald’s face, and he coughed a little more blood out. ‘S... Saul... Can you-’

  ‘I do not have the skill or stored energy to attempt something so audacious,’ murmured the wizard, sorrowfully pushing the dents out of his singed hat.

  Brael sighed. ‘If I were in my laboratory in Durth Orza and I did not have this cruel curse upon me, I could perhaps try something. As it stands I am helpless. Even then, however, I fear I would not be able to restore your leg or your broken spine Harald son of Korvak.’

  Korhan frowned at Vashni. ‘What are we to do? Is there nothing anyone can do for him?’

  ‘No. Not that I am aware of. Nerves - the strands of flesh that allow our bodies to move, are near impossible to join so far as I know.’

  Harald wheezed again. ‘Please... Get me out of this damned cave. I want to see the sky again before I meet my end.’

  Votrex spat a glob of blood out of his mouth. ‘Come on, we need to move him with care. I’ll get this side.’

  Saul nodded and positioned himself opposite; Brael supported the legs and lower body with Korhan while Vashni gently held Harald’s head. They slowly carried him up the remainder of the slope out into the open and laid him against a boulder so he could sit up. In the daylight he looked terrible, like an empty shell. Dried blood ran down his chin from his mouth.

  Struggling for breath he gazed up to them. ‘Thank you.’

  Korhan glanced at the group; Harald had been a good friend for a long time. ‘Please, give me a few minutes alone with him.’

  Vashni, Brael, Saul and Votrex edged away, sitting closer to the edge of the cavern, tending and cleaning their own wounds. ‘Harald... I’m sorry... ‘

  ‘Don’t,’ he coughed. ‘Don’t be. We’ve ridden together for a long time now; we both knew one of us might meet their demise before we returned to the steppes of Silavria.’

  He sighed. ‘I know. I just... I... I know we have not spoken much these last few days...’

  ‘Hah! No... Your mind has been on other things Korhan son of... Urgh... Son of Brian... Will you return to Silavria?’

  ‘You mean we return.’

  ‘No. I can’t live like this. I’m finished.’

  ‘Not so! Vashni, Brael and Saul do not know everything, there may be some- ‘

  ‘I do not want to live out my days as a talking lump of meat, being fed and cleaned up by others. Let me die.’

  ‘I don’t think you will, Vashni has stopped the bleeding. Your life for now, is saved!’

  ‘Life? What life? Better to end my life swiftly and claim my seat in Kirkfell, the banqueting hall of the dead, at Ishar’s side. ‘He managed a one-sided smile. �
��I should think dying in battle against a dragon should reserve me a seat next to Ishar himself! ‘Then a worried expression grew on Harald’s face. ‘If I ask you to end my life, will this count as dying in battle?’

  Korhan sighed, his eyes full of sadness. ‘None can doubt your valour Harald. As long as I have known you, you have always fought bravely and never retreated in battle. Your place in the banqueting hall of the dead is assured.’

  ‘Then end it for me now. Tell father, and Moira that I died facing the dragon, none need know any different.’

  ‘Harald... I ca-’

  ‘Please, I beg you... Don’t force me to live like this! You were willing for Gedric to be relieved of his terrible existence, a man we know was worthless, yet you would condemn me to a life of indignity and torment? End it for me now Korhan or I shall never forgive you.’

  Korhan leaned forwards and hugged his old friend’s head. ‘I will brother... I will miss you.’

  ‘We shall meet again in the afterlife, I shall save a seat for you in Kirkfell, we will drink together again. Now please end it.’

  ‘Aye. Goodbye, brother. Until the next life.’

  With that Korhan rose stiffly. The others watched him return to the stinking heat of cave before emerging carrying Harbinger. He was wiping it on his sleeve, having pulled the blade free of the dead dragon’s head. Votrex stared grimly at him as he approached Harald. Harald looked up as Korhan readied his blade. ‘Thank you, friend.’

  Korhan stood at the side and lined his sword up with the base of Harald’s neck, preparing to slide the blade downwards through his torso, severing the neck and slicing into the heart. He grimaced, a tear in his eye ‘Farewell, brother.’

  ‘STOP!’

  Korhan turned to see Vashni and Brael, racing towards them. Korhan paused and Brael knelt next to Harald. ‘Harald, before you ask Korhan to do this, I need to tell you something... I... I am fighting my curse hard to tell you this. I will pay a price, but you need to know. There is no Kirk- Arrgh! There is no... Arrgh! No Ish... Argh! I cannot... Please Harald, I cannot tell you what I need to, but I can tell you this, there is no banque... Arrgh!’

  Brael writhed in a shock wave each time he tried to speak. Harald looked sadly at the dark elf’s desperation. ‘It matters not. I would rather not exist at all, than in this sorry state.’

  Korhan turned on Brael, his sorrow cracking into anger. ‘This grim task is bitter enough as it is! Do not deprive this brave warrior of his prize.’ He lowered his sword back to Harald’s neck. Vashni placed her hand firmly on his. ‘Stop Ri§ine, I know a better way. Leave us. Shoo, I need some time alone with Harald.’

  Korhan looked at her uncertainly; Brael was already stumbling back to Votrex and Saul, disconsolate and breathing hard. When his eyes fell on Harald, Harald nodded. ‘Go.’

  Korhan slumped and walked away, leaving the elf and the Northman alone. She positioned herself next to him and pulled him gently over so his head lay in her lap. She stroked his hair and looked down caringly at him. ‘Harald. I cannot do much for you, but this I can. Rather than ending your life in a violent way, in a moment of pain, I wish to end it gently. I wish to allow you to drift away painlessly. No one needs to know. First of all I am going to ease your pain, then send you to sleep. Finally, I will gently, slowly, stop your heart. I promise to make sure you experience no pain. Are you ready?’

  Harald forced a smile, which showed some relief. ‘Yes. Thank you mistress elf.’

  ‘Now close your eyes, and listen.’

  She then began a rhythmic, melodic whisper, almost like a song. He occasionally opened his eyes, to see her elfin features peering down at him. Each time she would gently pull his eyelids closed with her hand and whisper, ‘Shhh, rest. ’ into his ear. His mind relaxed, his worries melted away. Soon he was in a deep slumber, deeper than sleep. She leaned in and whispered, ‘§ara Haraf di§airm hiri§if shom §alla, cora mui§i mecton... §ara Haraf di§airm hiri§if shom §alla, cora mui§i mecton... §ara Haraf di§airm hiri§if shom §alla, cora mui§i mecton... ‘

  As she repeated this mantra she stroked his head, and his heart slowed and stopped. All the life ran out of him.

  She sighed, looking drained. ‘You were a good man, Harald son of Korvak.’ She kissed him gently on the forehead and laid him down. Rising she staggered back to the others, exhausted. ‘Tis done, his suffering is at an end.’ With an attempt at a practical smile, she wiped the gore off her hands on her cloak. ‘All we have to do now is to collect our weapons, bury our dead and evade the Servants of the Flame as we travel back to Cormaroth for our reward.’

  Saul grimaced. ‘If only it were that simple Lady Vashni. We have one more, grim task.’ Korhan and Votrex eyed him with surprise. ‘According to the Empress, if we are to claim our bounty we must bring back proof that we have slain a Draconis Nobilus.’

  Korhan laughed. ‘Hah! What are we to do? Buy a horse and cart and sever the beast’s head, before ferrying it back to Cormaroth?’

  ‘No, according to the Empress, Draconis Nobilus have a unique attribute which will suffice as proof. Supposedly they all have a series of what she described as “Heart Stones”. They say these dragons’ hearts have six chambers and one Heart Stone resides in each chamber. We are to carve the corpse up until we can recover these six stones, and bring them back to the Empress.’

  Vashni raised a tired eyebrow. ‘I had not heard of this before wizard.’

  ‘Nobody has. Anybody who knows of the “Heart Stones” is asked to swear secrecy.’

  Korhan frowned. ‘What’s so special about these things?’

  ‘The Empress seems to treat them with great reverence. Whatever they do must be important. As for exactly what they can be used for, she would not say. She simply gave me strict instructions on extracting them and storing them for the journey. I get the impression they are very vital to her, certainly more so than as mere evidence.’

  ‘Why did you not speak of this before wizard?’

  ‘Korhan... Firstly I did not know whether it would really be a genuine Draconis Nobilus. Secondly, I did not know that we would succeed. I was on strict orders to tell nobody of the Heart Stones unless it was unavoidable.’

  Votrex cast a suspicious eye about the group. ‘Why am I left with the impression I have been deceived?’

  Korhan glared at Saul. ‘What exactly did Silus and Harald die for, wizard?’

  ‘I do not know. The Heart Stones are a separate matter anyway. We have ended Thrax’s tyranny. Is that not all that matters?’

  Vashni was lying back now, breathing heavily, Korhan looked at her. ‘Are you alright Mir§a Vashni?’

  ‘I am tired. I will stay here, rest and keep watch, while you go and retrieve our weapons and butcher the beast. Do not tarry, the Servants of the Flame will not be pleased when they discover we have slain their god.’

  Korhan rose, and offered Votrex a hand, pulling him to his feet. Once on his feet Votrex unclipped his damaged armour and threw it onto the floor, Saul followed as they made the grim walk back into the cavern.

  Vashni watched them vanish into the depths, then turned to look at Harald. She hadn’t really cared about Harald much, he’d been largely boring. A practical, predictable barbarian. Not interesting, but he had been a good man, an honourable man. He had fought bravely. Silus she had not liked, he had been bitter but... Well, perhaps life had not been kind to him.

  Korhan meanwhile led the party into the blood-slicked cave; Thrax lay still now, no breath or movement emanated from his giant corpse. The group retrieved their weapons, swinging their aching arms to loosen them for another hard task. Brael, Votrex, Saul and Korhan spent a long time carving away the iron hard scales of Thrax and hacking into his torso. The embedded swords had done real damage to the dragon’s internal organs. However, it was possible that Thrax would have been able to heal these grievous wounds given time, had he survived Korhan’s sword to the brain.

  It was laborious and disgusting work, but eventually they f
ound their way to the beast’s gargantuan heart. It smelled foul, and his flesh was tough. Once the heart was exposed, they took turns in cutting, eventually breaking into it. As they did, deep ruby red, egg shaped stones were uncovered. They were smooth and warm to the touch. A slight glow seemed to emanate from their centres. Saul placed each one carefully into his satchel as they were recovered. After a long slog the warriors were ready to leave, weapons and Heart Stones gathered. As they climbed the slope Korhan halted. ‘Wait, what about Silus? We should give him a proper burial. What’s left of him at least.’

  So Korhan took upon himself the gruesome task of carrying the lower half of Silus Mendelson’s torso and his legs. It barely felt like carrying a man any more, though Korhan treated the twists and lumps of flesh with reverence.

  When they emerged Korhan laid the remains down and staggered tiredly to Vashni, along with Saul, Brael and Votrex. Vashni looked up at Saul. ‘Let me see one of these Heart Stones, wizard.’

  ‘The Empress would not-’

  ‘I have risked my long and valuable life for these artefacts, let me see.’

  Reluctantly, Saul removed one from his satchel and slumped onto the ground next to her, handing it over as he sat. She eyed the stone critically. There was a hint of a glow from the centre. The stone was blood red in colour and it emitted a pulsing heat, it seemed almost alive.

  She gazed into the centre of the stone. A soft, but powerful light glowed deep inside the crimson egg. Vashni stared for a few moments, pondering it, then she looked up. ‘Interesting. I do not know what they do. But be assured, these are powerful, very powerful.’