by Bryan Davis
After a few seconds, the sleeping dragon stirred. With a great stretch and a mighty yawn, Clefspeare rose to his haunches, his enormous tail acting as a balance. Smoke and sparks belched from his open mouth. The king drew back and once again gripped the hilt of his sword.
Clefspeare spied his two visitors. His deep gravelly voice erupted. “Master Merlin! I have been expecting you, though I did not expect to see the Sovereign.” Clefspeare gave him a clumsy bow and nearly fell on his face, but with a flap of his wings, he righted himself. “Master Merlin, would you be so kind as to remove that accursed stone from my sight before I become violently ill?”
Merlin picked up the candlestone and covered it with both hands. “Are you sure the stone made you lose your balance, or are you still overcome by sleep?”
“I assure you that my eyes are clear. I recognized the king, did I not? Now please put that wicked jewel under a pile of rocks. Covering it with your hands does little to blunt its evil effects.”
Merlin walked to the cave’s edge, guided by a dim, flickering light. He found a flat rock and placed the candlestone underneath.
With a great snuff from his nostrils, Clefspeare blew a stream of flame at an iron stand on the wall, igniting a rag-topped torch. “Aaah! Now we have better light.” He looked back at Arthur and this time merely bowed his head. “Your Majesty, welcome to my humble abode.”
King Arthur bowed in return, much more gracefully than did the dragon, but his voice carried a slight tremble. “After fighting alongside you in the heat of battle, I am honored to visit the home of the greatest of the dragon warriors.”
Clefspeare nodded again. “Your words are overstated, yet still treasured.”
“How long has it been since the battle?” the king asked. “Three years?”
“Three years and six months, to be precise. Forty-two months of fleeing Devin and his band of slayers.”
Arthur drooped his head. “Yes, it took quite some time for Merlin to convince me of the truth. My apologies seem shallow in the wake of so many dead dragons.”
“Heartfelt apologies are always deep, and perhaps yours are not too late.” Clefspeare turned to Merlin. “Am I to understand that your presence signals the coming transformation?”
“Yes, Clefspeare.”
“How many are assembling?”
Merlin shook his head. “I’m not sure. The slayers have been busy, so very few of you remain, I’m afraid. Hartanna is gathering the dragons who still honor the memory of Makaidos.”
Clefspeare let out a long, spark-filled sigh. “The corrupted ones have been our downfall, Merlin, as you prophesied. A fallen dragon is the most detestable beast on Earth.”
“And who can know,” Merlin added, “whether corruption hides in the hearts of the remnant? Hartanna is wise, but she cannot always detect the seeds of darkness that spread evil shadows within. She has examined them to the best of her ability, but even a dragon’s senses can be fooled.”
“True enough.” Clefspeare blinked at Arthur. “And the king? What is his role?”
“We will need his help after we are finished. I can trust no other.”
“But will the other dragons trust the one who commissioned the slayers to eliminate our race?” Clefspeare turned on his eyebeams and aimed them at the king. “We know of his deeds, and we have seen his valor in battle, but how can we know his heart?”
King Arthur strode boldly forward and stood directly in front of Clefspeare. “How else can a man’s heart be known, or even a dragon’s, if not by his deeds? To me, you look very much like the dragon that murdered my brother and sister right outside the very walls of Camelot, the beast which Sir Devin slew only last week. Against my earlier judgments, I was persuaded by the wise prophet to come to your lair in order to help the race that stole the lives of my beloved siblings. He has recounted your many deeds, deeds that have been explained away by your enemies as mere selfish desire for treasure. I learned why you accept the gifts of the wealthy after you do your mighty works. I also know of the appearance of these treasures in the homes of the poor, benefiting widows and orphans who now have good food on their tables and warm clothes on their backs. Your deeds have set you and your friends apart from the evil dragons, Clefspeare, and I have come to grant Merlin’s request and aid you in your time of need.”
Clefspeare bowed once again, this time with more agility. “Well spoken, wise king. I was wrong to dwell on your past mistakes. Forgive me for not accepting your earlier apologies.”
Arthur returned the bow. “All accounts are now clear between us, good dragon.”
Merlin picked up his bag, threw it over his shoulder, and placed a hand on Clefspeare’s flank. “I have summoned all the remaining noble dragons to Bald Top. Come, now. We must fly to the meeting place.”
“Master Merlin!” Clefspeare’s beams shifted toward the cave entrance. “You and the king must climb on my back. Make haste. I smell danger.”
Merlin squinted at him. “You will allow the king to ride?”
“No time to argue!” Clefspeare growled.
Merlin reached for the torch and stamped it out, then, with the scales’ luminescent glow guiding their way, he and Arthur scrambled up the dragon’s scaly flank, stepped to his spiny middle ridge, and seated themselves at the base of his neck.
Merlin held on with one hand while gripping his saddlebag with the other. “Do slayers approach?”
“Most likely.” Clefspeare straightened his tail. “Heads down and hold on!”
“Wait!” Merlin shouted. “The candlestone!”
“No time! And I will not fly if you carry that cursed dragon’s bane!”
With a great flap of his wings, Clefspeare rose from the ground and hovered in the midst of the cave. After taking in a deep breath, he blew out a raging river of fire. Then, slowly at first and still breathing fire, he moved forward into the stream, floating easily on the cushion of flaming air. As they passed through the tunnel, accelerating as they traveled, Merlin peered through the passing inferno. Flames bounced in all directions, and two shadows dove for cover in the rocks. Within seconds, Clefspeare burst into the open and launched into the clear, night sky.
Arthur gripped Clefspeare’s spine with both hands. “Amazing!”
“Hang on!” Merlin called. “We have to get higher than their arrows can reach.”
When their angle of ascent tapered off and they reached a safe altitude, Clefspeare snorted a final puff of smoke. “I apologize, Your Highness, for the rough ride.”
The king took a deep breath in the cold, thin air. “It was exhilarating! A masterful escape!”
“Could you tell if Sir Devin was among the attackers?” Merlin asked.
Arthur shook his head. “I saw only shadows.”
“I saw him,” Clefspeare said. “His lust for my blood is stronger than ever.”
Merlin looked out over the scene far below, a shifting gray canvas with firelight speckling the shadows cast by the ghostly moon. “The drug I slipped into Devin’s mead wasn’t timed as well as I had hoped, but at least he will be far from Bald Top while we take the next step in my plan.”
The light of two flashing torches filled the cave, and a pair of shifting shadows crawled along the walls. With every step of the dark images, an echoing clop replied, but there was more silence than echo. The wary travelers made their way ever so slowly toward the center of the main chamber.
“There is no hint of fresh kill to guide us,” Sir Devin said.
Palin sniffed the air. “No, my liege. In fact, the air is very clean, but I am sure his bed must be right in front of us. I see flashes of light.”
Palin stooped over a pile of gems and swung a pair of saddlebags to the ground. “All is not lost. We have the treasure.”
Devin knelt and scooped up a handful of glittering stones. “It is much smaller than Goliath’s.” He grinned at Palin. “May his dragon soul rest in peace.”
Palin opened the saddlebags. “It was so kind of him to desi
gnate us as heirs to his fortune.”
Devin let the gems spill back to the ground. “Split it up in my presence and reserve the proper portions for God and for the king.”
“Of course, my liege.” Palin deposited the stones into the saddlebags piece by piece, cycling through the bags to make an even disbursement. “You are most gracious to give equal shares to us all, even though the others wait outside in fear.”
Devin held his torch close to the ground and surveyed the cave floor. “What does the census say now?”
The squire pulled a scrap of parchment from his tunic and studied it for a moment before looking up again. “After your valiant conquest of Maven last week, and your extraordinary slaying of Goliath this morning, I know of only ten remaining. The Demon Witch, Hartanna, is next. She will pay for wounding you.”
“All in good time, my friend.” He stalked across the floor, kicking the pebbles in front of him. “By our count, only ten of the devils are left, and now that the king knows of Merlin’s conspiracy with them, I shall have the old wizard’s head by noon tomorrow.”
“What if Morgan is right? What will you do if the king betrays you and sides with Merlin?”
“Then we will proceed with Morgan’s rebellion plan. I don’t like the idea of the unusual marriage arrangement she proposed, but having that kind of power would be worth putting up with her.” After sweeping more rocks to the side, Devin stopped suddenly and stooped close to a flat rock near the wall. “Palin, what is this?”
“Where, my liege?”
“This glowing pebble.” Devin picked up the stone by its attached string. As the surrounding light grew dim, he drew the stone closer to his face.
“Our torches are going out,” Palin said.
“No. The flame lives; only the light dies. It is drawn to this gem.”
Devin closed his hand over the stone. Instantly, the light from the flames scattered throughout the cave. “I have heard legends about such a gem, but why would it be here, in a dragon’s lair?”
“What have you heard about it?”
“An ancestor of mine told a story of Nimrod, the king of Shinar, and how he used a light-absorbing gem as a weapon against dragons.”
“A weapon? How?”
Devin slipped the gem into his vest. “I’m not sure, but I intend to find out.”
Clefspeare circled over Bald Top, casting a shadow over a pod of dragons milling about on the summit. As the dragon flew lower, Merlin gestured toward the rear. “Your Majesty, prepare to slide down. Remember, find the clearing and watch the proceedings from the woods. The dragons will not sense you because you pose no danger, but until all is complete, it is best if you stay in hiding.”
The king nodded. “Agreed.”
“He’s slowing down over a clear spot. Go!”
Arthur slid across the scaly hindquarters, then dropped and rolled in the soft turf. Clefspeare rose over the tree-filled mountain and hurried toward the summit’s clearing.
Before descending, Merlin caught a glimpse of Arthur hiding behind a tree a few yards inside the edge of the woods, far enough away to stay out of sight, yet close enough to see the dragons and hear their booming voices.
As Clefspeare settled to the ground, he beat his wings rapidly and lowered his head. Still carrying his bag, Merlin descended the ridges and jumped to the grass. After letting the bag drop, he counted the dragons in attendance, three males, reddish and standing tall, and nine females, smaller and tawny in color.
One of the females stepped forward. “Master Merlin, all are present, as you requested.”
Merlin bowed. “Thank you, Hartanna. You have been a great help. And are all in agreement?”
“Yes. We have discussed the final preparations, and we are ready.” Hartanna shifted her body toward Clefspeare. “Has Master Merlin prepared you?”
Clefspeare bowed his head. “Yes, Hartanna. Diving into the human condition is an adventure that none of us covets, but we dragons do what we must do.”
“Well said.” Hartanna touched Merlin’s shoulder with the tip of her wing. “We await your instructions.”
From his deep pocket, Merlin pulled out a skin flask and placed it in the middle of the semicircle of dragons. Then, standing in front of the solemn assembly, he called out, “The flask contains only wine, but those who drink it in faith will receive what God has promised. All who have their hearts prepared will be transformed, and when the fullness of the time has come, you will be restored to your desired state. The slayers will eventually die out. Once they believe that dragons have become extinct, they will no longer train to battle your kind, and the poisoned hunger for dragon killing will cease to exist. When you return, there will be no fallen dragons to make the people fear you again.”
Hartanna stepped forward. “Then let us proceed. I volunteer to go first.”
“No one will change until all have tasted,” Merlin warned. “Otherwise, faith would be made sight before its time.”
Merlin picked up the wineskin and lifted it toward the sky. “Heavenly Father, King of the Universe, bless this wine. Fill it now with the seed of Adam so that these will bear his likeness, both in his glory as the image of God and in his shame as reflections of a fallen race. They understand that the benefit of your presence will depart from them as they share in the human curse. They also understand that should they fall after the likeness of Adam’s sin, they must find their salvation through the Light of the World.”
Extending the flask in front, Merlin walked toward the line of dragons. Hartanna lowered her head and opened her great mouth. Merlin raised the opening of the skin over her teeth and tipped it forward. At first it came out too quickly, spilling a bit over her jaws, but he pulled back before he lost too much.
Hartanna lifted her head and swallowed with a loud gulp. “Be brave, my friends. The wine goes down without harm.”
One by one, Merlin gave the drink to the dragons. A few seemed tentative, but they took it without much hesitation. When he came to Clefspeare, the last in line, the great red dragon bowed his head. “I look forward to shaking your hand.”
Merlin bowed in return. “And I, yours.”
Clefspeare followed the ritual, and after he swallowed, the twelve waited in silence. For the first torturous minute, nothing happened. Merlin took a seat on the ground, while the dragons gathered in a circle.
Several more minutes passed. A few dragons lowered their hefty bodies to the cool grass. Hartanna and Thigocia whispered to one another while Valcor and Legossi tested their wings. Merlin crossed his legs and bowed his head in prayer.
After what seemed to be an hour, one of the dragons broke the silence. “He’s a fraud!”
Merlin looked up. A male dragon backed away from the rest of the council, his head low.
Hartanna beat her wings against the ground. “What did you say?”
“He’s a fraud! Merlin has made fools of us all. There was a second man riding on Clefspeare’s back. I saw him. He must be a slayer, and he will bring the others while we wait for this traitor’s potion to fail.”
Hartanna roared. “Silence, Gartrand! Will you destroy the faith of the others with your own infidelity?”
“This is not faith,” Gartrand said, thumping his tail. “I, too, want to survive. Who ever wants to die? But we have stepped into the humans’ trap. Let us kill this evil sorcerer and fly away to safety.”
Gartrand lunged toward Merlin. In a flash of wings and glistening red scales, Clefspeare blocked Gartrand’s path, but when he opened his mouth to attack, only hot air spewed forth. He turned, as if trying to slash his foe with his tail, but when he swung, the tail shriveled and vanished.
Edging backwards, Gartrand trembled. “This must be one of Merlin’s tricks. The rest of us are still in dragon form.”
Clefspeare’s scales melted into smooth skin, his claws reshaped into fingers and nails, and his giant mouth shrank into the jaw and lips of a human male. Gartrand let out a piercing scream and took to the skies,
still completely in dragon form.
Clefspeare pressed his hands together and interlocked his fingers. Hartanna shuffled toward him, and as she moved, her spiny top transformed into long, silky blonde tresses and her scales smoothed into milky white skin. Soon, the other dragons began the metamorphosis, and within minutes, all eleven had the appearance of fully mature adults, perhaps in their early to late thirties. When the process was complete, they gathered together in excited laughter.
Merlin rose to his feet and carried his leather bag to the huddle. He pulled out bundles of clothing dresses, shirts, and breeches and tossed them to the ground. “Get dressed,” he said, in a matter-of-fact tone. “You are naked, and the king is watching.”
“Oh! Yes, of course!” Hartanna picked up one of the dresses and smiled. “Come everyone! Here is another new experience. Clothes!”
The former dragons picked through the garments, offering pieces to one another and helping each other figure out how the fasteners worked. Soon, all were dressed in the garb of middle-income commoners.
While Thigocia buttoned the back of Hartanna’s dress, she peered at Merlin over her daughter’s shoulder. “Master Merlin, what of Gartrand? Surely this was unexpected.”
Merlin dropped his bag to the grass. “Unexpected, indeed, and unfortunate.”
Thigocia fastened the last button. “How so?”
“He may be the only dragon left in the world. He will feel abandoned, frightened. He will not take the usual care, so Sir Devin will have no trouble finding him. Gartrand is extremely vulnerable, and since he knows what has happened, all of you are vulnerable as well.”
“What shall we do?” Hartanna asked.
“While I was in prayer, the Lord spoke to me. His purpose remains unchanged, but with the departure of the traitor, God will accomplish what he has set out to do in another way.”
“Traitor?” Clefspeare tied a leather belt around his waist. “Will Gartrand betray us?”
“Yes, but only at the point of a sword. Devin will extract the information he needs by force.”
