“Sorry, old boy, but a dragons gotta do, what a dragons gotta do. Nothing personal,” he said aloud through his teeth. “I huvnae had a tasty stag in years.” The dragon expertly gutted and skinned the animal in moments. “I could eat ye raw, but roasted meat is more my preference.” He carefully roasted the stag to perfection with his invisible flame. After eating his fill, he incinerated what was left. He couldn’t leave the carcass lying about. If someone came upon it, they would wonder what kind of creature could eat an animal that size, bones and all. He didn’t need to start a witch hunt. The thought made him chuckle to himself, “If the world only knew.”
Having feasted, Lazarus took to the sky and headed south. It was late in the evening when he arrived at Almscliff Crag. He didn’t shift when he landed. He needed to remain a dragon until the fairies asked him to become human. He settled on the rocky ground, laid his head down and waited. He had no idea if they would appear or not.
Shortly after midnight, he felt something by one of his front legs. Opening one eye, he peered down to see a small person about two feet tall, trying to pry his leg up with a long pole. He carefully moved his leg over in the direction indicated.
“Thank ye, kindly, dragon. Ah dinnae think ah would ever get ye leg moved off me flower bed.” The small person pulled out a bandana and wiped his brow.
“Ah hope ah dinnae damage your flowers.” Lazarus remarked to the young man. “Ah gladly pay for any damages ah might have caused.”
“Oh no, everything is fine, except I’m just standing here like an idiot, talking to a dragon. Where are my manners.” He wiped his hands on his bandana and stuck out his hand as if to shake hands with the dragon. “Me name is William.”
The air swirled around Lazarus and the dragon disappeared and Lazarus stood before the young man. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, William. My name is Laird Lazarus MacEachthighearna.” He shook his tiny hand.
“Ah know who ye are, we expected ye some time ago.”
“You did? Then you know why I’m here.”
“Yes, yes. Now, what was ah doing?”
“Were you gardening?”
“No, ah wasn’t gardening, ah was waiting for you.”
“How long have you been waiting?”
“A hundred years at least.” Lazarus was shocked. “Well, you’re here now, follow me.” The tiny man walked towards the base of the Crag and a door appeared in the rock. Lazarus wasn’t surprised, his mother used to tell him stories about Merlin and the Crag, she knew Merlin well. Lazarus ducked as he walked through the doorway, in fact he had to stoop once inside. His seven-foot frame didn’t fit in the land of the fairies. “If you wouldn’t mind sitting down, I’ll get the boss. Sorry, I don’t have a chair.”
“Does she know you refer to her as the boss?” Lazarus asked.
“Oh, yeah. We all call her boss.”
“Then I shall do the same.” Lazarus remarked.
“Well, maybe you should wait until you know her better.”
Lazarus chuckled, “That’s what I thought.” He knew the Queen of the Fairies demanded respect. William turned red with embarrassment. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell on you.”
“Thank you, sir. You are very kind.” William rushed away and returned a short time later. “One of the Queen’s assistants will be with you directly.”
“Assistant? Does a dragon not rank high enough to have an audience with the Queen of the Fairies?”
“Laird MacEachthighearna, of course you do,” a soft tinkling voice replied. “We have to be cautious, we have people constantly snooping around looking for Merlin’s tomb. They have become bothersome, putting up signs and whatnot. We had an agreement for centuries, the common people would be told Merlin was a fictitious individual, a fairytale, you might say. In the last hundred years, historians now claim Merlin was real.” She gave a sigh. “I’m afraid the agreement we had has been lost or misplaced, no one seems to know where it is.”
“It is unfortunate, majesty. Times have changed.” He bowed his head slightly, then raised it to meet her face to face.
“Yes, but we stay ahead of it as best we can. What can I do for you, Laird MacEachthighearna.”
“I had a vision from my mother. She sent me to you, she said you would have the answer to what I was searching for.”
“How to cancel the power of an amulet.”
“How do you know this?”
“We have known for many years. Your mother’s spirit has inquired about you often, but you never went to her for guidance. There was no other way she could tell you where to go.”
“I have only just discovered what I am dealing with. I didn’t know my brothers and sister were alive or their whereabouts until a few days ago. I’m afraid a wizard is involved and is using magic to keep them prisoner.”
“Yes, we have been keeping an eye on Manfred, but as you know, we can’t involve ourselves, we can only advise those who ask. Your mother has watched over your siblings but is unable to assist them. Tell me, what has happened that you have come to us now?”
“I found a woman on the moors, she was near death. She has since recovered and informed me of my family’s whereabouts.”
“Oh dear. You must be speaking of Aria McDuff.”
“You know about her?” Lazarus was shocked.
“Yes, it was unfortunate for the woman. She wasn’t supposed to stay there as long as she did. She was to find your sister and report back to you or one of the men working for you. We didn’t know she would become a prisoner as well.”
“Her kidnapping was orchestrated by you?” Lazarus couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Did she know?”
The royal fairy shook her head. “We are not allowed to reveal ourselves. We are sorry if we caused her any inconvenience.”
“Inconvenience! You stole seventeen years of her life. I think it was much more than an inconvenience, it was inhumane. Oh, that’s right, a human year is a mere drop in a bucket to a fairy. How can you be so nonchalant? I wasn’t aware fairies could be so heartless.”
“Oh dear. We are not heartless, Laird MacEachthighearna, we are sorry it happened, but there was nothing we could do. We had hoped you would come to us long before this.”
“Oh, so now it’s my fault.” Lazarus was getting angry.
“Oh dear, of course it wasn’t your fault, it was most definitely ours. Please calm down. This is all history, we need to deal with today. Where is the young lady now?”
“She’s at my home. She plans to accompany me to the island when I return.”
“Oh dear, she must not be involved with this situation any longer. We need her to forget the past seventeen years. We will just have to do something about it.”
“You will do nothing of the kind. She has a right to remember her life, good or bad. She is no threat to you. If she returns with me to the island, it is her choice and free will to do so, not yours.”
“Oh dear, I suppose you’re right. She must never know of our involvement, do you understand.”
“Yes, I understand. She’ll not hear of it from me.”
“Very well. Now, we must deal with the problem at hand. You need an incantation to render an amulet powerless. What color is it?”
“Aria says it is green, and sometimes bright yellow.”
“Oh dear.”
“Would you please stop saying that!” Lazarus was losing his patience.
“This is very disturbing news. The amulet you have described belonged to Merlin himself. Manfred must have discovered Merlin’s tomb and stolen the amulet. I must send out a team at once to discover what else has been taken.” The Queen of the Fairies hurried off.
“Wait, we’re not done here.”
A voice softly sounded in his head. “I will return to you shortly. I must confer with my advisors regarding your situation.”
William reappeared. “Can I get you some refreshments, something to drink, perhaps.”
“No, thank you.” Lazarus knew never to eat or drink with
the fairies. They weren’t to be trusted. “How long will she be gone?” Time to a fairy was very different to normal time. A moment could be ten years.
“Not long, not long at all. Are you sure I can’t get you something?”
“You ask me that again, and I’ll incinerate you where you stand.”
“Yes sir. Sorry. I’ll go see what is keeping the Queen, shall I! “
“Yes, you shall, and tell her my mother would be very disappointed.” William stopped and was about to make a remark but decided he’d better not and scurried off. He returned a short time later to inform Lazarus the Queen was on her way.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” a soft tinkling accompanied her voice every time she spoke. “You must remember this word for word.
Merlin of old, retrieve the power of your amulet, regain what was yours.
Reverse the power of yellow to green, powerless evermore.
Once you are near the amulet, you must start the incantation. Clear everything from your mind except for that. You must repeat it over and over. Manfred will try to stop you. You will feel his assaults, but he won’t be able to harm you, as long as you continue to repeat the words.”
“How will I know it’s working?”
“When the amulet releases its power, the stone will fade to black and turn to dust. Manfred will lose all his power. You will feel it, but most of all, you will see it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Merlin’s amulet has allowed Manfred to be ageless. Once the amulet is gone, his frail human body will age rapidly and most likely turn to dust as well. I warn you, it will not be a pretty sight.” The Queen’s tinkling voice was hypnotic. Lazarus shook his head to clear his brain. “Any spells cast by Manfred will vanish once he is gone. Everyone and everything will return to the way they were. Manfred’s power over Gilbert MacDonald will also be gone, you will still have to fight his dragon. I’m afraid I can’t help you there.”
“Aria told me MacDonald was acting odd. He couldn’t hold a shift, it sounded like he had been poisoned. So, Manfred is controlling him as well.” The Queen nodded.
“You have my gratitude.” He reached into his sporran and retrieved the bag with the blue stone and placed it in front of her. “Here is something for the fairies for your help.”
“You haven’t won, yet,” she warned as she picked up the bag and peeked inside, “it will not be as easy as it sounds. Manfred will be a fierce opponent if he has the amulet. If you drop your defense even slightly, miss a single word, he will destroy you. The fight with the dragon will be nothing in comparison, but just as deadly.” It was all she had to say.
“May I ask you for one favor?”
“Yes, if it is within my power.”
“Could you tell my mother, I love her and miss her very much.”
“Yes,” she gave him a nod, “good bye, Laird MacEachthighearna.”
“Oh, I almost forgot,” he reached into his vest and retrieved the tiny yellow diamond and handed it to her, “this is for you.”
Chapter 26
“Where have you been?” Michael MacGregor asked when Lazarus returned to Castle Thighearn “You said you would only be gone two days.”
A week had passed in that short visit with the Queen of the Fairies, to Lazarus, the visit didn’t last more than an hour. “When you deal with fairies, it is very difficult to determine the passing of time. If I hadn’t been cautious, I would have been gone a year or more.”
“What did they do to you to make you stay so long?” Aria asked.
“It isn’t what they did, it’s where they took me. Never go anywhere with a fairy, they can’t be trusted.”
Mrs. Stewart came into the den to tell them lunch was ready. “It’s good to have you back, Mr. Lazarus. Your meal is ready.” She gave him a big smile. “All the changes you’ve asked for have been finished. Mr. Dofri was very helpful.”
“Is Dofri still here?”
“Aye, sir.” Michael answered, “I sent word to let him know you’ve returned.”
“Sent word? I thought you said he was here.”
“He is, he’s down on the beach with Erik. They should be here shortly.”
“How is Erik doing?” Lazarus asked as they walked into the dining room, “has he recovered?”
“He’s recovered completely. The extra days were good for him. Erik and Dofri have been working out on the beach every day. He is anxious to find his brother.” Michael told him. No sooner had he spoken, Erik and Dofri entered the dining room.
“Lazarus, where the hell have you been.” Erik asked. “We were getting ready to send out a search party. What happened?”
“Fairies are what happened.”
“Say no more,” Dofri laughed, “I’ve heard how they can be. At least you’re back in one piece. Was it an informative visit, did you find what you were looking for?”
“Yes. I’m afraid I will have to fight two battles.”
“Two?” Everyone replied at once.
“First, I must disarm Manfred, he has Merlin’s amulet. If I fail, it’s over. If I can defeat him, Gilbert MacDonald’s dragon will return to normal.”
“But, he can’t shift. You said he had been poisoned.” Aria shivered at the thought of Lazarus fighting another dragon.
“All Manfred’s doing. He was using the power of the amulet to manipulate Gilbert. Please, everyone, take a seat. After lunch, we will need to rethink how to deal with what is ahead of us.” During lunch, Lazarus filled them in on everything the Queen of the Fairies told him. He told them about the amulet and the words that had to be repeated over and over, he wanted them all to memorize the woods, it could protect them as well.
“If I am successful, Manfred will lose all his power and his spells will be gone. The island will no longer be hidden from view and Gilbert MacDonald’s dragon will be restored to normal. When you see the black dragon, you will know I defeated Manfred. That is when the real battle will begin.”
“Will you be able to defeat his dragon?”
“I pray I can. Gilbert was always bigger and stronger than me. Let’s hope being under Manfred’s spell has weakened him. It will be a battle to the death.” No one spoke.
“Is there anything we can we do to help?” Aria finally asked.
“Find Gunnar and release the prisoners. Get everyone to the far side of the island as quickly as possible. If you run into any of Gilbert’s men, don’t be surprised if they are glad to see you. Treat them kindly, they have probably been under Manfred’s spell and will be confused. Protect my family, and the other dragons.”
“What if….”
“Do exactly what you planned. Blow the island.”
“What if you are still fighting Gilbert?”
“Do not wait for me, I will take the fight out over the ocean. We will be too far away for you to harm either one of us. Gilbert will be too busy to worry about what you are doing.”
“But, what if. …”
Lazarus gave her a look, it stopped her from saying anything more. “Erik, you and Dofri know what to do. If I survive, I will meet you all back here in a couple of days.”
“Yes sir,” Erik replied.
“If the black dragon should make it back here, get everyone down to the safety rooms as quickly as possible.” Erik gave him a nod. Lazarus and Gunnar had planned for this day for a long time. If Gunnar didn’t survive his capture on the island, Erik and Dofri knew what to do. “Good, we leave tonight. Good luck.”
“Sir, are you sure you don’t need me to come along?” Dofri asked.
“Dofri,” Lazarus put his arm around his shoulder, “I’m depending on you to protect everyone here, if things don’t go as planned. You know what to do.”
“Yes sir. I won’t let you down.” They went over the plans one more time.
“Everyone knows what to do?” Each one of them gave him a nod. “Good. I want you all to get some rest and be ready to go at three in the morning. We should get there just before dawn. Good ni
ght.” No one moved. Lazarus looked up from the table. “What?”
Aria cleared her throat. “Good luck, tomorrow. We just wanted to let you know, we’ll be there if you need us.”
“Thank you, all of you. Your faith in me, will give me strength. I hope I don’t disappoint you.”
Aria walked to him and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “You won’t disappoint us.” They each said good night and returned to their rooms to rest and contemplate what was ahead. Michael stayed long enough to have a drink with Lazarus and then retired for the night, leaving him there alone.
A short time later, Nicholas entered the dining room.
“Nicholas, what is it? Is something wrong?” He got up and went to him.
“No sir, everything is fine. My family and I wanted to wish you luck. We pray you come home safe. We will do our best to protect your home.”
“Our home, Nicholas.” He reached out to him to shake his hand. “Thank you.”
“It will be alright in the end, won’t it, sir?”
“I hope so.” Lazarus walked him to the door. “Now, go home, I’m sure Roana is wondering where you are.”
“Yes, sir. Good night, sir.”
*****
Three o’clock in the morning found Aria, Erik and Dofri waiting for Lazarus in the court yard. “I thought he would be here. He wouldn’t have gone without us, would he?” Aria asked.
“Lazarus is a man of his word,” Dofri replied.
“Thank ye, Dofri.” A huge dragon head slowly appeared out of the darkness, followed by his immense body. For the first time, Aria could see how large the dragon really was. She stepped back in fear. “Are ye haven second thoughts, lass?” He brought his head down to the ground, so he could see her face.
“No, sir. It’s just, you look so much bigger than before.”
“Ye only saw me heid, now ye get on board. Give the lass a hand Dofri, show her where to sit.” Dofri showed Aria where to step as she climbed up the dragon’s leg.
“What is this thing on your back?” Dofri asked.
“Tis a backpack. Specially designed. It should give Aria something to sit on and lean against.” Lazarus brought his head around to watch Dofri and Aria. “You’ll find a strap, like a seat belt, ah willnae have her falling off.”
Last of His Kind_Lazarus Page 14
