Deragan Sword Prophecy: Book 02 - Meladrom

by Rosemary Lynch

  “Yes thank you,” she replied, stepping towards him as he entered the room. He eyed her approvingly. She wore a long green velvet gown, which enhanced her figure and stirred his insides.

  “This morning I shall take you for a tour of my Fortress while we await the arrival of your husband. Would you like that?” he asked, raising a hand to her face and stroking her cheek. She nodded. Deep inside of her, she shook at his touch. A tour however, may provide her with the information she needed to help with her escape.

  “He….he is coming?” she stuttered, a little fearful of his response.

  “Yes I have seen his dragons and his very small band of men and women,” he said, somewhat amused.

  “Kainan?” she questioned a little nervously. He gazed into her eyes and said slowly.

  “No I haven’t seen him yet.” He smiled at her. “Do not worry he will come.” Without warning, he kissed her. Her immediate reaction was to pull away and slap him across his face, but her plan was to get, as close to him as she could without actually having to sleep with him, so she relaxed and kissed him back, imagining in her mind that it was her husband.

  Gemini shuddered pleasurable at her lips on his, his hand moved around to the back of her head where he grasped her firmly. His other hand that held her waist began moving up her body until she felt him grasp at her breast she flinched; he immediately felt the change in her. As much as he wanted her, as hard as it was for his dark soul to stop, he did. Breaking away from, her he gazed at her, she at him fearfully and he could see it in her eyes. He held out his arm.

  “Come let me take you on your tour.” Arweyn nodded relieved and hooked her arm into his. Please hurry Kainan she thought to herself, please hurry!

  He walked her along the long stone corridors of his Fortress. It was dark, despite the torches that blazed on the walls. At regular intervals there were guards, each one lowered their heads as Gemini passed, not one looked at her. Eventually he stopped at a set of double oak doors. Releasing her arm, he stepped forward, pushing open both doors simultaneously. Arweyn squinted at the brightness that came from within the room, and with a sweep of his hand, he ushered in. It was a sumptuous room, with a huge fireplace running along the back wall, with oversize sofas pulled up in front of it and furs scattered everywhere. The walls themselves painted a dusky blue with fine artwork of landscape scenes and naked women adorning them. To her right was a huge black dining table, it had been gilded along the edges in gold and the black chairs that surrounded it had dusky blue covers that matched the walls. In the centre of the table was a huge crystal candelabra, which as she glanced up she noticed matched the two chandeliers that hung from the ceiling roses above.

  “This is my favourite room, I call it my sanctuary,” he said, leading her in further. The doors closed behind her, making her jump. It was then, as she glanced over her shoulder, that she noticed the black bed in the other corner of the room. It had black and gold silk sheets and rich furs draped across the bottom. She swallowed, it was not hard to guess why this was his favourite room. To the left of them was a set of glass doors and much to her relief he walked her over towards them. Opening them, she followed him through and was quite surprised to find herself in a beautiful enclosed walled garden, full of red and white roses in full bloom. In the centre was an arbour, he led her to it.

  “This is so beautiful,” she complemented, stopping to smell a rose. He watched her.

  “Then this shall be yours,” he said, smiling at her.

  “Mine?” she questioned and he nodded.

  “When you are my queen this can be your private garden.” She smiled at him and said thank you. Running her hands along the white wood of the arbour, she ducked inside. There was seat in the centre. Gemini watched her, she tantalised him and he begged to himself for Kainan to hurry, so he could kill him and have her to himself.

  A black cat jumped up onto the bench startling her. She smiled and just as Gemini was about to dispose of it, she reached down and picked it up. The cat immediately nuzzled into her and began purring.

  “What is its name?” she asked, stroking it.

  “Its name,” Gemini shook his head. “It doesn’t have a name it is just here to kill the mice.”

  “The poor little thing,” she cooed at it like a child. Gemini gazed at her, his understanding of kindness was limited. It just was not in his nature, and he watched her with fascination. She lifted it up.

  “It is a boy,” she declared as the cat nuzzled into her face, obviously starved of any affection, it was going to make the most of her. He played with her hair, whacking it in his paws. It was only a young cat, probably a few months old, she thought. Gemini actually smiled for a moment.

  “Keep it,” he whispered. She looked at him. “If you like it, it is yours,” he offered. She smiled and nodded.

  “Then I shall call you ….” She thought for a moment, studying his face. “Shadow,” she said finally. Shadow purred his approval.

  Gemini turned to the noise behind him. A black-wing soldier stood hesitating.

  “What!” Gemini snapped, clearly annoyed at the interruption. The soldier dropped to his knee.

  “Forgive the intrusion my Lord, but we are having trouble with…..” he hesitated glancing across at Arweyn. “Em, your guest,” he finished. Gemini gritted his teeth he would have to deal with ‘his guest’ personally. He nodded to the soldier who bowed back, turned, and left. Gemini spun around to her.

  “Please excuse me I have some business to attend to. It shouldn’t take too long.” She nodded, still playing with the cat. Turning abruptly, he walked back through the glass doors.

  The door to the cell opened as he approached, the guard on the other side bowed as Gemini entered. He screwed his nose at the stench. There was no window in the small dark cell, only old straw littering the floor stinking of piss and shit. The man hung from his arms beaten until he was black and blue, but still he had refused to talk.

  “Ahab you have seriously pissed me off now,” Gemini growled, stopping in front of him. The twenty nine year old man looked away from him.

  “Look at me you shit!” he yelled at him. One of his soldiers grabbed the man’s head and forced him to look towards the Dark Lord.

  “I will ask you one more time, where are they?” Gemini demanded. Lifting his head the man’s swollen eyes glared at him, he spat at him. The guard immediately thumped the prisoner across his face. Ahab groaned. Gemini’s neck went taut, and he tipped his head towards the soldier. The soldier hurriedly moved back out of the way. Gemini raised his hand towards the man.

  “I shall find your family Ahab and I will have your wife and your daughter. I will slit both your sons’ throats myself they cannot remain hidden for long.” Ahab lashed out with his chained feet.

  “You’ll never find them you bastard,” he yelled. Turning to his fellow guards, he screamed at them. “What is wrong with you, cannot you see what he’s doing? He will do the same to you; he will rape your wives, your daughters. Your families will be his slaves and he will kill you when you turn thirty, there is no retirement, there is no village!” Gemini’s hand squeezed the air in front of him and the man began to choke, his fellow guards looked on. Even if they had wanted to, there was nothing they could do. Gemini’s power was too great. The Dark Lord relaxed his hold. Ahab coughed, gasping for air. Pointing his index finger at him, Gemini swiped it through the air. As he did the man’s throat slit open, he gurgled, choking in his own blood.

  Gemini’s hand moved downwards. Still not touching the man, he grasped at the air. Ahab’s chest heaved forward as Gemini plunged his hand through the air, twisting and turning. Yanking it back hard he released his grip. His guards watched in horror as the man’s heart exploded out of his chest. The Dark Lord gave a satisfied sigh, nodding to himself. He glanced across at the guards, immediately they dropped to their knees.

  “Keep searching for them,” he ordered sharply. The men nodded. “Feed him to my dragons.”

  Gemini
walked back into the garden. She was on her knees now, tickling the cat’s tummy. She looked up as he came towards her and quickly jumped to her feet.

  “Sorry about that,” he said, offering her his elbow. “Shall we continue with the tour?” She accepted his arm having no idea of what he had just done. Shadow tried to follow, but Arweyn told him to stay. The young cat climbed up onto the top of the wall and watched as they exited the garden through a wooden gate. She gazed all around her; they were in a huge central courtyard, it was not the same one that the dragon had dropped her in, she took in as much as she could. The defending outer wall was made of heavy oak and spiked at the top and every ten-foot or so there was a guard. They walked passed a huge set of double doors barred on the inside. In the centre was a well. Arweyn’s eyes widened as they cut across the courtyard and passed by it, that was the way her and Kainan had talked about a way into the Fortress, her heart trembled, maybe he was even down there now, waiting for his chance? She breathed deeper. Please hurry, she begged.

  He led her towards another set of huge wooden gates. Nodding to his guards as they approached, they drew back the bar and opened the gates for them. He took her through. She was stunned. Inside was a village surrounded by a thirty-foot wall of oak. Guards stood at various points along the wall. He led her along a path in between wooden cabins. Women and children dropped to their knees in his presence. Arweyn’s heart ached for them she could clearly see in their eyes, that they were terrified of him.

  “Who are they?” she asked him.

  “They are the families of my soldiers mostly. You see they are well cared for.” They passed a young girl carrying bread. She immediately dropped to her knees. He looked down at her.

  “Sara isn’t it?” he asked, bringing his thumb to his lips.

  “Yes…my..L Lord,” she stuttered, barely able to speak in his presence. He nodded to her.

  “I believe it is your birthday soon?” She hesitated in replying but eventually said.

  “Yes my Lord.” He looked at Arweyn for a moment and then back at the girl.

  “You will be sixteen, won’t you Sara?” She nodded regretfully as she answered.

  “Yes my Lord.” He smiled at her; the age he took them to his bed. He looked across again at Arweyn. Maybe once she had taken the dragon’s blood, he would not need them anymore - well not as much anyway. For she would feel like him, feel the constant need, a need that he had now.

  The village or rather ‘compound’ as she had thought it more like, was clean, and tidy, but they did not stay long and soon he had led her back out and into the courtyard. She glanced back over her shoulder as his guards closed the gates. It was more like a prison than a village. One thing she had noticed was that everyone she had seen so far was young. Where were the parents, the grandparents of all these people?

  “Come I shall take you to see my dragon,” Gemini said with a mischievous grin and pulling her towards the far end of the fortress. Approaching a large wooden hut, the two guards who stood in front immediately stepped to one side. One opened the door. Gemini said something to him and the guard nodded in understanding. Arweyn puzzled as she looked at the small building, he could not possibly have a dragon in there surely, as it was far too small.

  As they went inside it became apparent. There was a huge pit below them dug out of the earth, the top of which covered with an iron grill. To the right was a set of stairs and she followed behind as Gemini headed down them. At the bottom was an iron cage and the poor dragon was barred inside. His head rose to look at them. He was a big dragon and tears stung her eyes at the wretched agony held within his. She noticed his green wings, he was one of theirs, and she placed her hands onto the iron bars.

  “Why does he have that thing on his face?” she questioned, staring at the strange muzzle contraption.

  “It is a magical device that stops his flames otherwise he would burn us all.” Serve you right if he did, she thought to herself as her heart ached for him.

  “I will be back in a moment, wait there,” he said, leaving her and going through a door to his right.

  “Et ool carnor,” she whispered to him. The dragon lifted his head towards her, startled. Arweyn had not realised she had spoken dragona, and that the dragon had understood her. He pushed himself up, and she flinched back, and then nearly fainted when he spoke to her.

  “How do I understand you?” he whispered through his muzzle. Arweyn swallowed back her shock, glancing quickly at the door Gemini had gone through, but it remained closed.

  “I do not know,” she whispered back. He moved towards her, she did not fear him and remained where she stood.

  “Who are you?” the dragon asked.

  “Queen Arweyn of Malgar I am a prisoner here too.” The dragon looked stunned for a moment, and then he lowered his head to her respectfully.

  “My Queen,” he said and Arweyn smiled at him. “My father told me all about you and our King when I was just a hatchling… He hesitated sadly. “That was before I was taken along with my mother.” Arweyn’s heart raced as she thought. She pushed closer to the bars.

  “Are you Kailan?” she asked her eyebrow rose hopeful. The dragon nodded and a small grin appeared on his lips. He glanced to the door before speaking.

  “How do you know of me?” he asked her. She smiled.

  “I think I now know why you understand me. Your father, Meladrom gave me his magic so that I would be able to understand his words.” The dragon’s face lifted.

  “My father is still alive?” Arweyn nodded.

  “Yes Kailan your father is still alive he has been frozen in time for five hundred years along with all my people. The King and I have awakened the dragons and he is out there now with the King planning my rescue and the destruction of Gemini.” The dragon’s eyes widened gleefully.

  “What about your mother?” she asked in a whisper. He lowered his head, shaking it sadly.

  “He drained her till she had no life left within her.”

  “I am so sorry,” Arweyn said, leaning her head onto the bars. She reached her hand through to him. He lowered his head and she touched his snout, rubbing it gently. “Have faith Kailan, we will get you out of here very soon, I promise.” The handle to the door turned and the dragon dropped back down to the ground. Arweyn pulled her hand back sharply and took a step backwards. Gemini entered carrying a strange looking goblet. He looked at the dragon and then at her.

  “I hope he did not bother you,” he said. She shook her head.

  “No he has not moved,” she lied.

  “Good.” He lifted the goblet. It had a lid on the top and a strange spout coming out of the side. The dragon moved sharply, it was obviously scared.

  “I used to have two of these,” he said, turning it over in his hand. “One was stolen from me by a very tiresome wizard it must be…..five hundred or more years ago now. It doesn’t matter though, we can share this one.” He smiled at her before moving in closer. Grabbing the back of her head, he kissed her, and she let him without resistance.

  “What is it for?” she asked, when he finally released her lips.

  “This, my future queen, is immortality.” He turned his back to her.

  “Dragon here,” he commanded. He has a name, she thought angrily as Kailan reluctantly came to him. He may not have spoken dragona but after years of torture, Kailan knew those words as clear as if it was in his own language. It was routine to the poor dragon it had been his life for the past five hundred years. Now however for the first time in his life he had hope in his heart. She smiled ruefully at Kailan behind Gemini’s back as he lifted his front leg towards the gap in the iron bars. She frowned he had some kind of metal contraption strapped on his leg.

  “Hold it steady dragon,” Gemini cursed as he took the lid off the goblet, and held it under what looked like some kind of tap. She then watched in horror as Kailan turned his face away and blood poured into the goblet. She suddenly felt sick, and she lifted a hand to her mouth. Gemini flicked the tap of
f and quickly sealed the lid on. Kailan lowered his leg. Opening a metal box on the floor Gemini pulled a knife from his belt and stabbed at something. Reaching in, he pulled out a wriggling rabbit and threw it in between the bars at the dragon. For a brief moment, the muzzle around his mouth opened and Kailan snatched the rabbit in his jaws, swallowing it whole.

  Arweyn watched horrified by the whole scene. Gemini turned to her, and lifted the tankard.

  “With this you and I will live and rule these lands for ever.” He moved his face next to hers; she could hear his breathing getting rapid as he panted in her ear. He drew his teeth on her ear lobe and then smelt her.

  “Are you sure you want to wait? The dragon would give you his magic so you could take the blood now. The sexual pleasures we could share would be immense,” he whispered, desperate for her. Terrified, she shook her head.

  “Not till Kainan is dead,” she whispered painfully. Moving back from her he opened his mouth. She watched him as he brought the spout to his lips and began pouring Kailan’s blood into his mouth. She watched as his eyes rolled pleasurably as he consumed each drop. Lowering the goblet, his breathing became even heavier, his eyes still rolling aimlessly in their sockets. She glanced across at Kailan. The young dragon shook his head at her sadly.

  Gemini’s eyes focussed and she froze in terror for a mere moment, as they turned yellow, then as the sharpness of his green eyes returned, he looked at her lustfully. He shot towards her, she turned to run but was not quick enough, and he grabbed her, pushing her forcefully up against the wall. His free hand gripped her shoulder as his mouth moved around her neck kissing and sucking at her hard. His hands groped at her body, tugging at her dress. She could feel him shaking as he fought against the urges within him. He stopped, looking at her squarely in the eyes.

  “Leave now,” he urged, in a tight firm voice. As he released his grip on her, she pulled away from him and without hesitation ran for the stairs. Hitching up her dress, she bolted up them as was met at the top by two of his guards. She was shaking profoundly. Taking her arm, one of the men escorted her back to her chamber.