Dragonwatch, vol. 4: Champion of the Titan Games

by Brandon Mull

  Hermo crawled over to the lamp and put it out, plunging the room into darkness.

  “I’d bet my boots it’s down there,” the female said.

  “Through the hidden door?” the male asked. “In the old slave quarters?”

  “I’d bet my boots,” the female repeated.

  “Maybe all we’re smelling is the humans who were down there once upon a time,” the male said.

  “It’s fresh,” the female said.

  Seth heard the mat being tossed aside, and the trapdoor opened at the top of the stairs, letting light into the enclosure. Seth could not see Hermo, and he tried to lie flat with the quilts over him.

  “You’re right,” the male said. “That’s fresh human. Plenty scared.”

  “Told you so,” the female said.

  “We could grind it up and make bread,” the male said. “You get to keep your boots.”

  “Was there ever any doubt?”

  “Do I have to go down there?”

  “How else do you expect to get him out?” the female asked.

  Seth knew the quilts were a flimsy hiding place. He decided it would be better to take the initiative rather than be discovered cowering.

  “You could ask nicely,” Seth called in Jiganti.

  There was no response for a moment.

  “Who is down there?” the male voice called.

  “A traveling shadow charmer,” Seth replied. “Just roaming around, looking for work.”

  “Show yourself,” the male demanded.

  Seth got out from under the quilts and walked to the foot of the stairs. He stared up at two huge creatures, humanoids with stout bodies and thick limbs, at least twice his height. Their countenances looked like somebody had sculpted ugly faces out of dough, and then someone else had come along and pulled them out of shape. They wore homespun clothes with work boots and had dirt-rimmed fingernails.

  “You speak Jiganti?” the male asked.

  “One of the best languages,” Seth said.

  “You don’t have to lay it on so thick,” the male said. “But I’ll admit it is nice to hear Jiganti from a human. Proper accent and everything. Amazing that humans come to the home of the giants from all parts and don’t even bother learning how to say ‘hello’ or ‘thank you.’”

  “It’s barbaric,” the female said. “Not to mention insulting.”

  “It would be hard to ask for work if I couldn’t speak the language,” Seth said.

  “Funny place to ask for work,” the male said. “In a hidden cellar under the barn.”

  “Nobody was home,” Seth said. “It was getting dark.”

  “Barn was locked,” the male said.

  “Nothing is locked for a shadow charmer,” Seth replied.

  “That might be reason enough to be rid of you,” the male said.

  “I didn’t bother your home,” Seth said. “Didn’t damage or take anything.”

  “If that’s true, it’s better than nothing,” the male said.

  “See for yourself,” Seth said.

  “I reckon you ate from the supplies in the cellar,” the male said.

  “A little. Sorry for the imposition. Happy to pay you back. I’m Seth.”

  “Bogdun,” the male said. “What work can a shadow charmer do?”

  “Have you been haunted by the undead?” Seth asked. “Any phantoms in the vegetable garden?”

  “We wouldn’t want ghosts troubling the zucchini,” the female said.

  “Quackery,” Bogdun said. “What sort of payment are you after?”

  “Just trying to make my way in the world,” Seth said. “A little food. Some shelter. Not being made into bread.”

  “We don’t have any trouble with the undead,” Bogdun said, hefting a large pickax. “I don’t need a shadow charmer. But I always have an appetite for bread.”

  “That would be a waste,” Seth said. “There aren’t many shadow charmers.”

  “Special bread,” Bogdun said. “Rare ingredients.”

  “You have quite a farm here,” Seth said. “Looks like you need help. You had slaves?”

  “Tried human slaves,” Bogdun said. “Slow workers. It got too tempting.”

  “We ate them,” the female said. “Pies, bread, muffins.”

  “Fun while it lasted,” Bogdun said.

  Seth thought of Hermo’s warning, astonished that he really might get eaten!

  “Do I have to come down there and get you?” Bogdun asked. “I won’t be gentle. Save me the trouble. Come up. Quick and painless.”

  “He is very polite,” the female said. “No need to be cruel.”

  “Not if he comes up like a gentleman,” Bogdun said.

  “You have zucchini,” Seth said. “You have this farm. Why eat me?”

  “Do you know what goes great with zucchini?” the female asked.

  “Pot roast?” Seth tried.

  “Roast human,” she said, licking her lips. “Piping hot, on a stick.”

  “We’re what folk call green ogres,” Bogdun said. “Some of our kind call us dull ogres. Because we work the land. But that doesn’t mean we don’t like a bit of meat in the porridge, so to speak.”

  “Or you could let me go,” Seth said. “Do me that favor, and someday I can do one back.”

  “I already did you a favor,” Bogdun said. “Gave you a warm night, a final meal. This is the last time I ask. You won’t like it if I come down there.”

  Seth knew maybe he could back out of sight and try to shade walk. Blend into the shadows and attempt to slip around the ogre. Or he could try the invisibility glove. But the confines of the little room were snug, and the ogres seemed to smell him as easily as they could see him. With Bogdun coming for him and his wife at the top of the stairs, slipping by them wasn’t realistic.

  “It’s time to do some haunting,” Seth said. “Get him, Reggie.”

  As you command, Master, the dirtman said, charging up the stairs.

  “Now what is this?” Bogdun asked, swinging his pickax and smashing the top third of Reggie to dust. A return stroke pulverized most of the rest, and what remained of the legs crumbled.

  “What a strange little creature,” the female remarked. “Smelled exactly like dirt.”

  “It’ll take more than that,” Bogdun said, striding toward the stairs, pickax held ready.

  GET AWAY FROM MY MASTER! Reggie bellowed.

  The ogre was lifted into the air and hurled across the room. A moment later the female left her feet and slammed against a large handcart. Seth hurried up the stairs in time to see Bogdun rocket out the door backwards to tumble in the dust. The female exited under her own power through a different doorway.

  Roaring with rage, murder in his eyes, Bogdun came storming back inside, only to sail out the door again, bouncing and sliding farther in the dust this time. He sat up, glaring into the barn, but made no move to enter.

  “Looks like your barn is haunted,” Seth called. “Too bad there isn’t a shadow charmer around!”

  Bogdun stood and dusted himself off. He put his hands on his hips, then folded his arms, then put his hands back on his hips. “All right. What’ll it take to get that ghost out of my barn?”

  Seth smiled. “I think we can reach an arrangement.”

  No fair!” Knox exclaimed. “Kendra gets her own pool?”

  Kendra looked up from her chocolate croissant to the doorway where Knox stood. Vanessa, Warren, Knox, Tess, and the satyrs had gathered to her room for breakfast. According to Warren, Tanu was exploring the fortress.

  “Kendra is a former dragon sanctuary caretaker,” Newel said.

  “Rank has its privileges,” Doren added.

  “I wish I could be in charge of a dragon sanctuary,” Knox said.

  “Be careful what you wish for,” Warren said. “It gets complicated when people you love start dying.”

  “Or losing their memories,” Kendra said.

  “I’m sure it’s hard, but that pool looks like it belongs to a sh
eik!” Knox exclaimed.

  “You’re welcome to use it,” Kendra said.

  “How cool to be you,” Knox said. “Stumble out of bed and plop into your pool while your servant makes breakfast.”

  “You can stumble out of bed, walk down the hall to my suite, and do the same thing,” Kendra said. “I haven’t tried the pool yet.”

  Knox smacked his hand to his forehead. “What good are luxuries you never use? That pool is wasted on you.”

  “I never asked for it,” Kendra said.

  “What is the pool policy for goatmen?” Newel asked.

  “We shed much less than strangers assume,” Doren said.

  “So little that shedding is hardly worth mentioning,” Newel said, jabbing the other satyr with his elbow.

  “I don’t shy away from the hard topics,” Doren said. “We’re hairy guys, it’s no secret.”

  “Anyone can use the pool,” Kendra said. “The servants clean it.”

  “Dragons clean your pool?” Tess asked in wonder.

  “I guess,” Kendra said. “Unless some of the servants aren’t dragons.”

  “I still can’t believe how dragons are treated here,” Vanessa said. “The Giant Queen is more a prison warden than a caretaker.”

  “It’s pretty extreme,” Kendra agreed.

  “Whatever,” Knox said, coming over to the table and spooning scrambled eggs onto his plate. “We’re at war. Be glad the local dragons are on a short leash.”

  “It works as long as the leash holds,” Warren muttered.

  “We have to make sure the leash holds,” Knox said. “Too many sanctuaries are falling. Someplace has to survive.”

  Kendra had instructed Giselle not to spy on their breakfast. Still, she looked around, hoping her servant could not hear Knox’s insensitive comments. “I don’t think the Giant Queen is open to much help from us,” she said.

  “She may not need it,” Vanessa said. “A prison is probably more secure than a sanctuary.”

  “The Giant Queen doesn’t understand how bad this war could get,” Kendra said. “But I’m not here just to keep this sanctuary safe. I’m here to find Seth.”

  “I second the motion,” Newel said.

  “Thirded,” Doren chimed in. “Everything is better with Seth around.”

  “We all want that,” Warren said. “We’ll stay on high alert for Seth no matter what else we do. It will help to learn how things work here. Then we can start to organize our search.”

  “I have a chance to get some useful information,” Kendra said.

  “How?” Vanessa asked.

  “Giselle delivered a message to me this morning from a sky giant named Dectus,” Kendra said. “According to her, he is one of the wisest and most reasonable of the Giant Queen’s councilors.”

  “That sounds promising,” Warren said. “When can you meet?”

  “Open invitation,” Kendra said. “As soon as I want. I thought I might go after breakfast.”

  “Do you mind if I join you?” Vanessa asked.

  “He wants me to come alone,” Kendra said. “Giselle encouraged me to go.”

  “She’s a dragon,” Vanessa said. “Is her approval good or bad?”

  “You should meet with him,” Warren said. “The sky giants have always honored their allegiance to Dragonwatch. From what I can tell so far, I think we’re in more danger of being ignored than betrayed.”

  “I get the same feeling,” Kendra said, wiping her lips with a napkin.

  “Have you heard about the giant killer?” Newel asked. “Doren and I keep overhearing giants and servants talking about him.”

  “Not that we have been skulking about the kitchens looking for extra food and listening to the gossip,” Doren said. “He keeps visiting the Giant Queen.”

  “I’ve heard mention of him,” Warren said. “I don’t know much.”

  “Why would giants want visits from a killer?” Tess asked.

  “Who knows?” Kendra said. “We need better information.” She went to her bedroom and opened the door. “You can join us now,” she called.

  “I stayed out of earshot, as requested,” Giselle said.

  “I’m ready to see Dectus,” Kendra said.

  “Excellent choice,” Giselle said. “Learn all you can.”

  Raza came to escort Kendra to the meeting with Dectus. She walked beside him in silence until he spoke.

  “I trust Giselle is attending to your needs?” he asked.

  “Giselle is wonderful,” Kendra said. “I was surprised to learn you are dragons.”

  Raza rubbed the silver collar around his neck. “No great shock once you get to know Titan Valley.”

  “Do you like some giants better than others?” Kendra asked.

  “That is fair to say,” Raza replied.

  “Where does Dectus rank?” Kendra asked.

  “I was compelled to swear allegiance to the Giant Queen,” Raza said. “Now that I pledged my loyalty, she has it, along with power to punish me if I stray. Were I to voluntarily give my allegiance to any giant, Dectus would be my choice. When he speaks, listen well.”

  That gave Kendra plenty to wonder about as they returned to the areas of the fortress designed for giants. Dectus led Kendra onto a system of catwalks that stretched high along the walls of tremendous corridors and chambers. At last a catwalk ended at a white, human-sized door. Raza tugged a rope that rang a bell.

  “Enter,” boomed a friendly voice.

  “I’ll wait for you out here,” Raza said, opening the door for Kendra and motioning her inside. He closed the door behind her without following.

  A giant sat at a massive desk writing on a huge piece of parchment. Dressed in a light blue toga, he hunched over his work, showing Kendra his curly white hair partially wreathed by a laurel. After finishing his sentence, he blew on the parchment, then pinched some sand onto it.

  When he looked up at Kendra, the giant smiled, creating deep creases in his aged face. “Kendra Sorenson, I presume?”

  “Yes, sir,” Kendra said.

  He nodded and stood, taking a moment to stretch and shake out his hands. Despite his apparent age, his body looked sturdy and strong. “I am Dectus, a senior member of the Council.” His voice sounded so well matched for making speeches that it was almost too resonant for casual conversation. “Would you prefer to talk from there, or shall I bring you to my desk?”

  “Either way,” Kendra said.

  He crossed to her, and Kendra climbed onto a hand large enough to cradle her entire body. Dectus carefully shuttled her to the desk and set her down. He reached down to the floor and picked up a human-sized chair, setting it beside her. “Have a seat, if you please.”

  Kendra accepted the seat, and Dectus sat as well. “How much do you know about the Council?” he asked.

  “Not much,” Kendra admitted.

  “You came here on short notice, the result of emergency circumstances,” Dectus acknowledged. “Nine of us advise the queen: four senior councilors, five junior. Her decisions override even our unanimous opinion, but she delegates many of the practical details of governance to us.”

  “So you have an important job,” Kendra said.

  “My role is important only to those who want the kingdom to function,” Dectus said. “You might be amazed how small that group seems at times.”

  “Did you hear when I spoke to the queen?” Kendra asked.

  “All nine councilors were present,” Dectus said. “I took particular notice of your concerns about the dragon war.”

  “I felt like the queen ignored them,” Kendra said.

  Dectus smiled. “I have experienced the same feeling.”

  “I only meant to help,” Kendra said.

  “I believe you,” Dectus said. “Save a few clever rogues who have learned to stay out of our way, the dragons have long been subjugated at Titan Valley. I fear the queen has concluded that just because the dragons at this sanctuary are under control, any dragons who intrude will fall to
her as well.”

  “Celebrant is powerful, and his army is growing,” Kendra said.

  “And Celebrant hates the conditions at Titan Valley more than the situation at any other sanctuary,” Dectus said.

  “You see the danger,” Kendra said.

  “I do, but the majority of my fellow sky giants side with the queen,” Dectus said. “They prefer to assume we are above such lowly concerns. I believe we giants need to take this war more seriously. If we continue to pretend all is well outside this sanctuary simply because we have firmly established authority within our borders, we run the risk of an attack finding us unprepared.”

  “Titan Valley has to hold,” Kendra said. “Too many other preserves have fallen or are teetering.”

  “And if Titan Valley should fall, we need to be in a position to fight and win a war,” Dectus said. “If dragons overrun this world, neither humans nor giants will have a place in it.”

  Kendra felt comforted to be grouped with such enormous allies. “Can giants really kill dragons with their bare hands?”

  “We can kill dragons in many ways,” Dectus said. “Especially those of our kind with hides resistant to their breath weapons, or who are armored to withstand them. But some giants forget that dragons can slay us as well.”

  “I’ve heard talk of a giant killer,” Kendra said.

  Dectus shook his head and covered a smile. “There is plenty of gossip about him.”

  “Who is he?” Kendra pressed.

  “To understand the giant killer, one must know the queen,” Dectus said. “Imani has never married. Sizeism has always been an issue among the giants.”

  “Sizeism?”

  Dectus scowled and beat his chest. “Bigger is better. Smaller is worse. This thinking extends beyond humans and goblins to our own kind. A major reason Imani is our monarch is because she is easily the largest of us. She regards herself as superior to any suitor brave enough to apply.”

  “Do other giants want to marry her?” Kendra asked.

  “Nearly every giant I know would do anything to wed her,” Dectus said. “But she mocks romantic attention. Pats her suitors on the head and suggests they get on a stool if they want a kiss. There is only so much humiliation a giant can take.”

  “She won’t take any giants seriously,” Kendra said.