Calor walked a step behind and to the left of Prince J’kwaad, his gaze searching the dark recesses and alleyways they passed.
The moon shone directly overhead as they approached the town centre. The street opened onto a large common area surrounded by several long buildings. A large oak tree dominated the middle of the relatively unencumbered town square, its gnarly branches and twisted trunk making it appear like a creature rising out of the cobbles at its base.
The Serpent’s Eye ring irritated his ring finger with an intensity he wasn’t used to. Devius claimed that a well-spring of earth magic fed the tree’s roots.
The prince uncharacteristically shivered. Being as adept as he had become with his own skills, the brooding tree still gave him the shivers. In his youth, his imagination had envisioned the tree to be the remains of the first wizard—a claim Devius had never denied.
He spotted cloaked figures skulking about the shadows of the buildings lining the square, alone and in small clusters. Two examined the base of the oak—for what, J’kwaad couldn’t imagine.
He led Calor to the left, avoiding the tree and most of those milling about. Arcanium was known as the sleepless city, a reputation it never failed to live up to. Many were the magic users that required a lack of sunlight to operate effectively.
Not intimidated by much, besides his father and the Inquisitor, the prince detested anyone in possession of dark magic. When the day came for him to ascend the Ivory Throne, the demonic practitioners’ days of employing their craft in the Great Kingdom would come to an end.
A gust swirled crisp oak leaves around the town centre and played with the placards hung above shop doors. Locating the inn he was looking for, J’kwaad indicated with his eyes for Calor to enter before him.
Calor stooped beneath a long, thin shingle comprised of a crooked stick laying on its side, inscribed with the words, Wizard’s Staff, and pushed through its round-topped door. He paused to peer at the occupants in the room beyond before nodding to J’kwaad.
J’kwaad entered the musty barroom and searched the area himself. Four of the half dozen tables sat empty, including the one Devius liked to sit at by the hearth. The prince was half relieved and half disappointed. If there was a spot he thought Devius would be, it was the high wizard’s favourite drinking hole.
An older woman with big hips, wide shoulders and ample breasts stuffed into a reasonably modest, frilly white tunic watched them from behind the bar. The bar owner, Nelly. That wasn’t her real name, but it was the name Devius had taken to calling her; stating she was a real nelly of a woman—whatever that meant.
Nelly’s green eyes followed their squeaking progress across the dirty floorboards to the table by the hearth.
Though J’kwaad didn’t acknowledge her, he knew she recognized him. Perhaps he shouldn’t have come here.
He sat with his back to the wall, providing him a clear view of the exit and the stairs that rose steeply into a hole in the thick raftered ceiling. If Devius were staying in the rooms above the bar, he’d have to show his face sometime.
The heat from the fireplace drove home the fact that neither he nor Calor had slept in days. Already, he could feel his eyelids growing heavy.
A young, shapely woman wearing enough to cover her essentials caught his attention. She started toward them but a wave from Nelly stopped her. Looking shyly at the ground, the barmaid turned to clean a nearby table.
Nelly stared at them for a while, as if she was considering calling the Watch. J’kwaad almost welcomed that idea. The Arcanium Watch were unlike any other in the land. Instead of using weapons and brute force, the Arcanium Watch resorted to more subtle measures like mind control and ethereal restraints. He had seen several unruly magic users cleared from the Wizard’s Staff by these security gangs. He doubted they were used to facing someone of his aptitude.
“What brings you here?”
Nelly’s sudden appearance at their table startled J’kwaad. He didn’t appreciate being taken unawares. Had he not been loath to draw attention to his presence in Arcanium, he might have incinerated the woman, but the sensation irritating his left ring finger stopped him. The Serpent’s Eye was open, warning him of a strong magic user nearby. The witch would be ready for it.
At least she had the sense not to speak his name or treat him as his station demanded. But when had she ever done that? Devius had claimed she was wilier than the usual witch.
Twisting the offending ring that alerted him to magic users, he grumbled, “Looking for someone.”
“And who might that be?”
The way she asked the question screamed to J’kwaad that she knew exactly who he searched for.
“A certain, traitorous wizard. One you are quite familiar with.”
She pursed her plush lips and shrugged.
“I’m thinking you know where he is.”
She looked toward the cobwebbed rafters as if in thought and shook her head. “Can’t say I do.”
“If the crown finds out you are assisting him,” J’kwaad continued as if she had answered yes, “it won’t go well.”
“Hmph. Seeing that I have no idea who you’re talking about, I guess I have no reason to worry, huh?”
“Is that so? Well then, think on this. The high king’s men are on the hunt. Should they find him first, he’ll be dragged back to Sea Keep and executed.”
He studied her face. She was good.
“But. Were I to be informed of his whereabouts, there might be a way to keep him from the Inquisitor’s clutches.”
The Inquisitor’s title had its desired effect—visibly alarming Nelly’s sensibilities.
J’kwaad nodded. “Aye. A fate I don’t wish on anyone.”
Nelly regained her composure. “And what would you do?” She held up a wrinkled hand. “If, perchance, I discovered the whereabouts of this certain person.”
J’kwaad tilted his head. “I shall be a tad more lenient toward our mutual friend. Let’s just say, in my hands, he’ll live on for a long time to come.”
Nelly’s eyes narrowed but she was clever enough not to push the issue. She ran the tip of her tongue between her lips, nodding.
Clearing her throat, she spoke loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. “And what can I get for you fine gentlemen?”
Lurker’s Lament
Duke Svelte rose to his feet and bellowed, “Clear the hall!” as guards rushed to surround the dais.
Reecah tensed, scanning the faces of the guards as the nobles hurried from the receiving hall, but Jozwa shook his head and whispered, “Relax. The duke wishes to speak with you in private. There are ears everywhere. Ones that don’t have my parents’ best interests at heart.”
Stryk followed the gathering to the head of the stairs and watched the men and women make their way down the entrance corridor and out of the castle. He spun around and nodded as the distant sound of doors thudded shut. Clasping his hands behind his back, he remained at the head of the steps, keeping watch.
Jozwa returned Stryk’s nod. “Okay, it’s safe. Please join my parents on the platform.” He eyed the captain of the guard. “Fetch five chairs and then join Stryk. Ensure no one interrupts us.”
“Aye, Jozwa.” The head guard stepped away and barked the order.
Following Jozwa’s hand gesture, Reecah mounted the steps. Unsure of protocol, she dropped to a knee and bowed her head. Tamra, Junior and Aramyss did likewise.
“Arise, my friends. Rest assured, I believe you, Reecah. I act thus to exclude those who may prove fatal to our cause.”
Reecah reeled, not sure she could stand long enough for a chair to be brought to her. The duke’s words floored her: our cause. She dared hope she hadn’t heard him wrong. Aside from her well-meaning friends, she felt alone in the world with her attitude about saving the dragons. If what the duke said were true, she might have finally found an ally. One that carried clout.
Five men rushed through a rear door in the chamber behind the duke and set simple st
ools in a semi-circle around their hosts, and not a moment too soon.
Duke Ryonin’s disarming smile eased Reecah’s mind as she caught sight of Aramyss trying to hoist his bulk onto a stool much too high for him.
“Yes, Reecah Windwalker.” He looked to Momme and back again. “We have decided it is time to show our banners. Dragon Home has perished and rumour has it that the Draakval Colony will be next…” he trailed off. “What is it?”
Reecah kept the tears from forming. Barely. “It has already fallen, m’lord. Several days ago.”
The duke and duchess gasped.
Ryonin gripped the arms of his chair with white knuckles. “I had no idea. It wasn’t supposed to happen until the spring thaw.”
Aramyss hocked, but a look from Tamra made him swallow his spit. “If’n I be knowin’ J’kaar, he’ll be mountin’ a new campaign to go after the queen in the east. It shan’t be long afore the beasts are all dead.”
“That’s impossible,” the duke stuttered but was met by four shaking heads.
“Has been a light winter in the north. Unseasonably warm. Say what ye will of J’kaar, the man is no fool. Nor is he one to be wasting time, ‘specially now that he knows of the Windwalker. If the weather holds, ye can bet yer castle the Draakvuur Colony won’t be around come spring.”
Ryonin looked to his wife. “It’s worse than I thought. We need to call our banners and prepare to march.”
Momme caught the captain’s eye on the edge of the entrance steps. “You hear that?”
The acoustics in the hall carried sound well. The captain nodded and stormed past them, exiting through the back door.
The duke and duchess stood as one.
Ryonin smiled grimly. “You must excuse us. We have much to do to get our house in order.” He looked beyond them. “Stryk! See to it that our guests are put up in the princess wing. Make sure they receive everything they need.”
The duke motioned for Jozwa to follow him and the duchess through the back door.
After bathing in luxuriously warm water scented with sweet smelling flowers and herbs, Reecah asked the assigned lady-in-waiting to escort her to where they housed the dragons.
The demur young lady, clad in a simple, light blue frock, led her through a maze of pristine corridors, going up steps only to go down again at the end of another hallway. By the time they entered the receiving hall through a side door, Reecah had lost all sense of direction. There was no way she could hope to find her way back to the princess wing without assistance.
Passing the dragon tapestry, Reecah asked, “How do you know where you’re going?”
The lady-in-waiting wouldn’t meet her gaze. She shrugged and carried on to the guarded door at the far end.
The four guards had been changed, but they split apart and bowed their heads without question; opening the exterior doors onto a moonlit courtyard. Each man said respectfully, “Miss Windwalker.”
“Good evening to you.” Reecah smiled and followed her escort onto the inner bailey walkway.
Four guards stationed outside snapped to attention and nodded.
Reecah nodded back, overcome by a strange sensation. She wasn’t used to strangers treating her with dignity.
Large sconces burned along the exterior walls, both at ground level and atop the ramparts. The marble balustrade lining the walkway flickered under the glow of dozens of oil-burning pots. Black flumes rose into the night sky on the cusp of a light breeze.
The lady-in-waiting stopped and stared at the dragons laying about the grassy field. Her face white, she pointed a shaking hand and sputtered, “Th-there they are, Miss Windwalker. If you sh-shan’t be needing me anymore…” she swallowed noticeably, “I’ll take my leave.”
They hadn’t housed the dragons anywhere, but thinking about it, the inner bailey was probably the only area within the castle to hold creatures their size. “Thank you. I can introduce you to them if you want?”
The lady-in-waiting stared at her folded hands and shook her head.
“That’s fine. They can be a little intimidating at first. If you change your mind…”
She laughed as the lady-in-waiting spun around and disappeared into the castle without looking back.
Lurker lay against the exterior wall by the main gate.
The guards manning the base of the gate towers on the far side of the portcullis were talking in hushed tones—their gaze constantly checking on the dragons’ whereabouts. Their eyes grew wide as she approached Lurker without a care in the world.
“Hi buddy. How’re they treating you?”
Lurker sniffed her, wrinkling his nostrils in disgust. “What have they done to you? You smell awful.”
“Ha! I’ve washed the grime from my body.” She leaned in to sniff him and emulated his reaction.
“I don’t like it. You don’t smell like Reecah anymore.”
“Ya? Well, I think I smell pretty.”
“You don’t need false scents for that. You’ll always be pretty to me.”
“Aww, thank you.” She spread her arms and held him by the jaw. Giving him a kiss, she laughed at the guards’ reaction and kissed him again.
She spit out a piece of grit. “You would be well advised to do likewise.”
“Wash? The next time I wade into a lake perhaps.”
“What about Swoop?”
“What about her? She can wash whenever she pleases.”
“No, silly. I mean, what about how she thinks of you? All dirty and smelling like troll offal.”
A hurt look crossed Lurker’s face.
“Okay. Sorry. Perhaps not troll offal, but pretty bad.”
She wasn’t sure if dragons could shrug, but she was fairly confident that’s what he did.
She leaned her head against his, rubbing his upper jaw. “Have you asked her yet?”
Lurker pulled away, straightening to his full height. “Asked her what?”
“You know.” Reecah raised her eyebrows twice in quick succession. “Does she like you?”
“Of course she likes me. I’m her friend.”
Reecah scraped the tip of her boot across the ground, a mischievous smile lifting her cheeks. “Yes, but is she your friend.”
“Come on Reecah. You know it’s nothing like that.”
“But you want it to be, right?”
Lurker hesitated.
“Aha! See? You do.”
“She doesn’t like me like that.”
“How do you know? Because she hasn’t thrown herself at you?”
“No, but—”
“But nothing. How’s she supposed to know how you feel unless you tell her?”
“I don’t know. It’s not something you just come out and say.”
“Why not? If it’s the truth, don’t you think you owe it to her to let her know?” Reecah patted his chest. “If nothing else, you owe it to yourself.”
“Yes, but…”
“But what?”
“What if she doesn’t like me? Then what? I’ll feel so foolish, I won’t be able to look at her again. I don’t want that.”
“Trust yourself, buddy. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
Lurker followed her gaze to where Swoop stood over the skeletal remains of a deer.
Swoop must have sensed their scrutiny. She licked the vestiges of her meal from her lips and started toward them.
“Now’s your chance.” Reecah headed for the other side of the compound to where Silence and Scarletclaws were sitting together. The two dragons had formed a close relationship—surprising considering how they had first met.
“Where’re you going?”
“Over there.” Reecah pointed and winked. “You don’t think I’m going to stand in the way of true love, do you?”
The terrified look on Lurker’s face filled Reecah with strong emotions. Her heart ached for him, knowing what he was going through, and yet, she was excited for him as well. As long as he overcame his fear, she knew in her heart all would end we
ll.
“What’s so funny?” Scarletclaws asked as Reecah stepped around the gore that had been their meal.
“Lurker’s lament.”
Scarletclaws and Silence stared at her.
“He’s about to tell Swoop how he feels about her.”
“Oh, this should be good. I bet he bumbles it.”
Reecah shot her a look of surprise.
“What? You think mister lover lover is brave enough? He’s been keen on her since the first day he saw her but has never once made a move to tell her. He’s lucky there isn’t much choice anymore.”
Reecah’s jaw dropped. “Scarletclaws!”
“It’s true though, isn’t it?”
“Perhaps, but he’s had a lot on his mind. We all have. I’m surprised anyone has time for anyone else.”
Swoop reached Lurker’s side. If they spoke, they excluded Reecah from their conversation.
“What’re they saying?”
“Don’t know. They’ve shut us out.”
“Ah, so it is true. You can include whoever you want in your discussions. Interesting.”
“Of course. We’re dragons.”
“Yes. Of course.”
Even from across the courtyard, Reecah could tell by the way Lurker hung his head, almost refusing to meet Swoop’s eyes, that he was wallowing.
Placing two fingers between her lips, Reecah emitted a shrill whistle. Every eye in the bailey turned her way. The dragons, the guards, and Raver who roosted atop the lowered portcullis.
She emphatically nodded her head, bending at the waist to assist in the movement. “Come on. Do it,” she encouraged Lurker from afar.
Swoop looked questioningly at Lurker.
Lurker stared back before he bowed his head, as if in shame.
Swoop swung her head toward Reecah.
Just when Reecah figured she had messed everything up for her dear friend, Swoop lowered her head against Lurker’s and nuzzled into him, abutting her shoulder against his in a symbolic embrace of dragon affection.
Reecah’s vision blurred, her heart happier than it had ever been.
Legends of the Lurker Box Set Page 67
