Eye of the Oracle oof-1

by Bryan Davis

  Edward fumed. How could the king put up with Devin’s sarcasm? Sure, the knight had good reason to hate dragons, but his irreverence deserved a date with the ax man.

  Merlin pounded the end of his walking staff on the leaf-strewn ground. “Sire, a man who breathes rumors of treachery had better back his words with more evidence than his own hot air.”

  Edward clenched his fist. That’s telling him, Merlin!

  Devin swept his arm toward a village on a nearby hill. “Didn’t Goliath’s slaughter of six orphans convince you? Isn’t that enough evidence for us all to hate the very air they breathe?”

  “You only hate what you fear,” Merlin retorted. “If you weren’t such a coward, you would learn that many dragons are trustworthy.”

  Devin sneered at him. “It’s easy to feign courage when you hold the dragon’s bane, but you won’t even tell us what it is. Every dragon seems to tremble when you walk near.”

  “That will remain my secret, for I am bound by a covenant from Noah himself to protect what he has passed down to me.”

  “Merlin,” Devin said with a condescending glare, “having heard you recite your pedigree too many times, we are painfully aware of your prophetic heritage.” He turned to face the king. “My point still stands. The seed of murder had to come from somewhere, and Goliath’s father is the sower.”

  “And God himself created Satan and all the demons.” Merlin pointed his staff at Devin. “Where did your seed come from?”

  Devin grasped the hilt of his sword. “Listen, old man, you ”

  “Enough!” Arthur rose to his feet. “In a time of crisis, what might happen must yield to what is certain to happen. We cannot defeat the barbarian horde without help from the dragons, so there is no real choice in the matter.”

  The crowd of soldiers murmured. Edward picked up the words of the closest men. “Fight alongside dragons after so many years? How can we know which ones to trust? And, in any case, who would dare venture a journey near Bald Top to request their aid?”

  The king waved a hand toward Devin’s squire. “Palin. I will assign another scribe for the battle. Go and ask Makaidos to come!”

  Palin lifted his quill and stared at the king, wide-eyed. “To the dragon’s cave, Sire?” He glanced at Devin, then shifted his gaze back to the king. “I only brought my close combat sword,” he said, patting his scabbard.

  Cold sweat dampened Edward’s back. He took one step forward, then hesitated.

  The king scowled. “You won’t need a sword, Palin, just ”

  Edward cleared his throat and thrust himself into the inner circle. “I beg your pardon, Your Majesty.” He stepped up to the king and dropped to one knee. “I will fetch the dragon for you, Sire.” Looking King Arthur in the eye, he tried to keep his voice steady. “He will either come with me or die.”

  Arthur smiled and gestured for Edward to rise. “What is your name, young man?”

  Edward stood and nodded at the king. “Edward, son of your servant, Edmund.”

  “Edmund, the orphan-keeper?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “He told me he named his son Edmund, after himself. Why would you disrespect him by calling yourself by another name?”

  Edward nodded again. “I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but I honor my father. I have chosen to take a similar name until I prove myself worthy to carry his.”

  “And what would make you worthy? Daring to enter the cave of Makaidos? He is not a danger to you or anyone in my kingdom.”

  “No, Your Majesty. I wish to prove myself as a faithful servant to you. A dragon killed my father as he defended the orphanage, so the thought of aligning myself with their kind is abhorrent to me. Yet, I am willing to do your bidding in spite of my hatred of dragons.”

  Arthur slid his sword into its scabbard. “Well spoken, young knight, but your father’s murderer was Goliath, not Makaidos.”

  Sir Devin patted Edward on the shoulder. “It is said that the sprout never sloughs off its seed, Your Majesty. Edward is brave and honorable, as was his father. Goliath is a murderer, so his father ”

  Merlin pushed Devin away with his staff. “You have spilled enough bile, Devin. Let the boy get on with it before we all freeze to death.”

  “And before the Saxons return for another attack,” the king added.

  The burly man from the circle stepped forward. “I volunteer to accompany him, Sire.” He drew a long sword from his scabbard. “I fear no dragon.”

  “Excellent!” the king said. “No one should venture toward Bald Top alone. We will assemble at Chalice Hill as planned and await the dragons.”

  Edward frowned. With that huge man at his side, no one would ever give him credit for bringing back Makaidos. Besides, this wide-bodied soldier needed a bath worse than if he had been sprayed by a polecat.

  After bowing to the king, Edward turned and stalked away. He could hear the soldier’s heavy footsteps behind him and his deep voice. “Edward, may I suggest the more gradual slope? It makes a wide circuit around the mountain.”

  Marching more quickly, Edward held his shield close to his side to keep it from bouncing. “If you’re too old or fat to follow, then take the easy path. I’m going the fastest way.”

  “I am not concerned for my sake. Goliath was seen on that slope only yesterday, and if you have never fought a dragon, you’ll need ”

  “The faster we get help, the faster we defeat the Saxons.” Edward halted and spun around. “Are you with me, or aren’t you?”

  The knight’s thick mustache lifted as he spoke. “I am with you, Edward, to be sure, but you are not showing proper respect to an elder soldier.” He moved his shield to his other arm and peeled back his sleeve, revealing a tattoo on his hairy wrist. “And one of higher rank.” The black ink was bloodstained and crude, but clearly displayed the insignia of a captain.

  Edward bowed. “I had no idea. I beg your pardon, Captain, uh. .”

  “Barlow,” he replied, placing a hand on his chest. “Winston Barlow of Hickling Manor.”

  “Captain Barlow. I apologize for my rudeness. Your manner of dress didn’t match what I normally see in an officer, nor did your. . uh. . your odor.”

  “Completely understandable, young man.” Barlow strode forward through the underbrush, scaling the steepening slope with ease as Edward followed. “When I go to battle,” he continued, “I don’t stay back and shout at my men like a prissy schoolmarm. I charge with them on the front lines. As you might expect, that can be a messy business, and we have not had time for baths in almost a month.”

  “I see, and again, I beg your forgiveness.” Edward had to hustle to keep up with the huge man who showed no signs of slowing down as he leapt from rock to rock like a big mountain goat. “Captain Barlow, I don’t mean to question your directional skills, but we just missed the path that goes around the summit of Bald Top.”

  “You’re the one who wanted to get there quickly.” Barlow grabbed a sapling and hoisted himself up to a ledge, ripping out the tree and its roots in the process. “And the shortest way to the den of Makaidos is straight over the top.”

  Edward scrambled up to the ledge, using his shield for leverage, and reached the Captain’s side. “But we would be exposed. If we skirt the top we could ”

  Barlow halted and pressed a finger into Edward’s chest. “If you fear Goliath, then go around, and I’ll scale the top. If Goliath accosts me, then all the better for you. At the very least, I will distract him and clear your path to Makaidos.”

  Edward clutched the hilt of his sword. “And lose my chance to slay Goliath and gain honor in the king’s eyes? Never!”

  “Honor?” Barlow pushed him away. “This isn’t about honor.” He turned and marched up the slope.

  Edward ran after him, his cheeks now blazing. What a fool he had been! He sounded like a self-serving mercenary, not a humble knight! Grabbing a fallen branch from the undergrowth, he pushed the end into the ground and hoisted himself up the hill. It was
time for more action and fewer words.

  When they neared the summit, the forest ended abruptly, revealing a huge, grassy field that served as Bald Top’s treeless dome. Flakes of snow mixed with stinging sleet, and the gusty breeze whipped the icy mix into their faces.

  Barlow withdrew his sword. “Dragons can sense danger, so Goliath likely knows we’re in his territory. There is no reason to dawdle.” The hefty knight broke into a trot, his chain mail jingling as his feet pounded the grass.

  Edward dropped his stick and slid out his own sword, balancing his body between his weapon and shield as he jogged stride for stride behind the captain. His eyes darted all around at the dreary skies, and his boots crunched a thin coat of ice pellets that salted the ankle-high grass. The clamor drowned out any hope of hearing the wings of an approaching dragon.

  As the forest on the opposite edge drew nearer, Barlow stopped and raised his sword high. “Back to back!” he shouted.

  Edward swung around and pressed his back against Barlow’s. He scanned the blanket of clouds but could find no dragon. “Where is he?”

  “Shields up!” Barlow yelled, crouching low. “Now!”

  Edward crouched with him, his heart pounding. “I don’t see him!”

  “If you don’t raise your shield, you will never use it again!”

  Edward thrust his shield up over his face and tucked his body into a ball. Suddenly a wave of fire splashed around the edges of his shield, so hot, it felt like his hair had caught fire.

  “Flatten!” Barlow yelled. “The tail is next.”

  “Flatten?” Edward repeated. “What do you mean?”

  Barlow’s heavy body flattened Edward face down on the slushy grass. Then, the weight suddenly lifted. Edward flipped over. Barlow was flying away, the strap of his shield caught in the spiny tail of a dragon!

  “Let go of me!” Barlow shouted. “Or I’ll feed your bones to my dog!”

  Edward jumped to his feet, snatching up his sword and shield in one motion. With the dragon’s tail swinging violently, Barlow swung with it, his arm apparently stuck in the shield’s strap. The knight clawed viciously at the dragon’s tail with his free hand as he continued to shout, but the wind garbled his words.

  With his sword at the ready, Edward pivoted in place, his gaze locked on Goliath. The dragon swooped low and tried to slap his rider against the ground, but he only managed to dredge a Barlow-sized divot.

  As they zipped toward the edge of the hill, Barlow shouted, “Complete the mission! I will take care of this overgrown butterfly!” The dragon glided over the trees and disappeared from sight.

  Edward gasped for breath, his heart pounding in his throat. Seeing Barlow’s fallen sword in the slush, he grabbed it and thrust his own sword into its scabbard. Pivoting again as he scanned the skies, he puffed clouds of vapor into the chilly air. What should he do? He couldn’t abandon his captain, nor could he defy his orders. Either choice seemed dishonorable.

  Edward clenched the strap on his shield. This wasn’t about honor.

  He ran toward the opposite edge of the hilltop and found a treeless slope. Dropping his shield to the deepening ice, he sat inside it and pushed against the ground until the shield began sliding on its own. He plunged down the hill, pushing Barlow’s sword on either side to dodge stumps and holes as he careened toward a narrow brook in the distance. When he came to a halt at the muddy bank, he jumped out, grabbed his shield, and waded across the water, exchanging swords in his scabbard, feeling much more comfortable with his lighter blade.

  A muddy path on the other side led into dense forest, but, for the most part, the trail stayed clear of obstacles. He ran under the shelter of the forest canopy until he came upon a sheer cliff face, a wall of granite with mossy growth in its crevices. As he slowed to examine each dark recess in the cliff, he tried to calm himself. “Okay, the cave’s around here somewhere. Just take it slow and easy. You don’t want Makaidos thinking you’re a danger to him.”

  “Are you?” a deep voice called from behind him.

  Edward spun around and swung his sword, barely missing the snout of a huge red dragon. The dragon slapped the sword away with his tail. “Has a boy come to try to slay the king of the dragons?”

  Edward backed away, trembling. “Ma. . Makaidos?”

  Another voice answered from behind him. “Do not hurt him, my dear. He is harmless.”

  Edward spun again. Another dragon, a beige one, sat in his path. He raised his shield, first toward Makaidos, then toward the female. “I. . I’m not here to slay you. I’m here to ask for help.” He cleared his throat and steadied his voice. “His Majesty, King Arthur, requests that you join him in our battle against the barbarians from the north.”

  Makaidos twitched his ears, glancing at Thigocia as he replied to Edward. “With or without riders?”

  “Uh. . I don’t know. The king didn’t say. Does it make a difference?”

  “We need riders. Ever since the fall of the tower, I have trained my sons and daughters to follow only the commands of humans when fighting in a group. They would be severely handicapped without experienced riders, and we have had no need to train any riders since before Arthur’s coronation.”

  “Then how will we find riders?” Edward asked.

  Makaidos moved his head up and down, examining Edward. “How old are you? Sixteen? Seventeen?”

  Edward squared his shoulders. “Eighteen.”

  “Old enough. You will begin training immediately.”

  “Me?” Edward said, pointing at himself. “Why?”

  “Because you are at hand. Do you know anyone else who is brave enough?”

  “My best friend, Newman, but he ”

  “Then for your first lesson, you will ride Thigocia to send my acceptance to King Arthur. After that, you will pick up Newman and return here. While the two of you are training, I will summon those who are still loyal to me.”

  “I am willing,” Edward said, glancing around for his sword, “but won’t we need more riders than just Newman and me?” Finding his weapon, he hoisted it up to his shoulder.

  “I know of three retired soldiers who battled from our backs before Arthur’s time. Perhaps they would be willing to relive their glory days. With them and five dragons, we should have enough to defeat a band of savages.”

  “Will you also summon Clefspeare?” Thigocia asked. “We could always use a sixth, especially if it is he.”

  Makaidos pawed the muddy ground and snorted. “How can I be sure we can trust him?”

  “He is not like his father. You know that. And he will not need a rider.”

  Makaidos scowled. “Will not accept one, you mean.”

  “Let us not go over this again. Not in front of the human. Clefspeare is a great warrior, and his loyalty to you is unquestioned.”

  “Very well,” Makaidos said, sighing. “I will ask him to join us.”

  Edward stepped between the two dragons. “I beg your pardon, Makaidos. Another knight joined me in this quest to find you, but Goliath captured him with his tail and flew away with him. Is there any way we can conduct a search?”

  Makaidos’s eyes flamed. “Captured him with his tail?”

  “Yes. His shield got caught ”

  “Ahem!”

  Edward turned toward the sound. Barlow emerged from the trees, sleeveless and brushing a coat of thistles from his vest. “There is no need to go into details,” he said, his face reddening. “I survived.”

  “Captain Barlow! Your chain mail came off?”

  “Yes.” Barlow picked a thumb-sized beetle from his undergarment and flicked it away. “The mail caught in the strap, so I stripped it off. Such a pity. That was my best shield.”

  “You can ride with Edward,” Thigocia said. “I will take both of you home.”

  Barlow gave her a slight bow, apparently too sore to bend lower. “I appreciate your offer, dragoness, but after the ride I’ve been on, I would rather walk.”

  Edward pulled Barlow’s swor
d from his scabbard and handed it to him. “What about Goliath? He’s sure to be looking for you.”

  “I will take the long way through the forest,” Barlow said, sliding his sword into its scabbard. “Fortunately, I wore my thick undergarments, so I should not be too uncomfortable.”

  Edward clapped Barlow on the shoulder. “Thank you for protecting me. I am forever in your debt.”

  “Think nothing of it.” Barlow clenched wrists with Edward. “I’ll look forward to seeing you and the dragons on the front lines.”

  As Barlow walked away, Thigocia dipped her head low. “First lesson, a neck mount. It’s the safest and easiest. You will learn other methods later.”

  Edward stepped up close to the dragoness’s neck. “Why would I need to mount any other way?”

  “Well, it sounds as though Barlow very nearly succeeded with the most difficult maneuver of all, and with Goliath, no less. If I had trained him to perform a tail mount in midflight, he might not be walking home in his underwear.”

  Chapter 2

  The Lady of the Lake

  Sapphira sat at the side of the pool, gazing at the Ovulum. Even though it had been silent for centuries, she kept bringing it back to the healing waters every few days. . hoping. . hoping to feel love once again.

  Holding it close to her lips, she whispered, “Elohim?” but, as usual, there was no answer. She dropped her hands to her lap and sighed. She didn’t dream it. She really was healed. Whoever was inside really did sing that heavenly song that told her of Elohim’s love.

  She gazed at her reflection in the pool. The same fourteen-year-old girl stared back at her the same smooth, pale skin and stark white hair. Morgan had warned her that the tower’s dimensional rift could have altered their plane of existence, but she didn’t expect not to age at all.

  Still, the spawns kept growing, though very slowly, and she would have to rise early to prepare the newest candidate for mobility training. She slid the Ovulum back into her pocket and rose to her feet, grabbing her lantern on her way up. As she strolled through the corridor, she waved her hand over the flaming wick. “Come on,” she said. “You can get brighter than that.” The lantern responded with a flash and burned steadily, brightening the entire tunnel as she marched on.