by B A Fleming
Jayom sat at his large work bench as Thomas walked in, shouldering the heavy bag.
“Master jeweler, I bring much news of the dragons’ den.”
The jeweler stopped momentarily to look at him. Thomas removed the black rock from his bag, and Jayom lit up with interest.
“What is it?” questioned the jeweler.
“I’m unsure, but it exists in several of the tunnels to the front of the dragons’ den and along some of the walls of the main cavern.”
“It is like nothing I have ever seen, although it does seem to be some sort of metal, by the weight and feel of it. What news have you?”
Thomas laid out a map of the caverns in front of the jeweler, explaining the various areas where each of the samples the soldiers had brought in had been located. He had also marked the three spots where the miners were currently working. He had started with his explanation of the black stone, and ended with it as well.
“Please request an audience with Lord Casperi, Thomas,” asked Jayom. “I wish to show him this black stone of yours, and update him on our mines.”
Thomas quickly walked out along a corridor and up a flight of stairs to the room of priest Nolan. With the passing of Merlane, all duchy business was now overseen by the holy man. He indicated a time a few hours hence.
Lord Casperi sat in the grand hall of Catheridge. Thomas and Jayom entered as several merchants departed.
Apart from the guards, Curran and Nolan and two squires were the only others in the room. They were busily organizing papers.
The two men bowed before Casperi.
“My jeweler, I see that your second has returned from the dragons’ den,” Casperi nodded to Thomas.
“Indeed sire, he has. We bring news of rare gems being found, of which our mining crews are working to extract for you. Additionally, sire, we have something of an oddity that I believe to be of significance.”
Nolan and Curran turned to join the conversation, both indicating to the squires to continue their work.
Casperi stood and made his way down the stairs to where the men stood. Thomas lowered the large bag from his shoulder and all five men now crouched around it.
“It is rare indeed,” finally whispered Casperi. He glanced up at Jayom.
“I believe it to be some sort of metal. I placed it across a blue flame for half an hour, but to no avail.”
“Nolan, please call a halt to my appointments for a short while. Jayom and Thomas, come with us. Curran, could you please fetch our guest and we will meet in my private dining room.”
A few minutes later the three men stood around the table as Curran and the dwarf entered the room. Casperi had already sought the silence of the two gem smiths on pain of treason. The dwarf approached the table, staring at the stone as he came closer.
“This is nothing like I have ever seen,” he muttered as he came close.
“Would you be able to work this stone? Jayom here believes it to be metal of some sort.”
Scrapgryke, examined the rock, feeling it over, the slight indentations, pressing occasionally to see if it would meld.
The dwarf called Casperi to opposite corner of the room and the mumbled something to each other.
“Scrapgryke would ask if he may use your furnace to work this stone?”
“My lord, of course. Thomas here discovered the stone and believed it to be special.”
Casperi looked at Thomas. “I wish to award you a bonus for this find, as I too believe it to be significant. What would you have young jeweler?”
“Sire, I would to honored with a piece of stone from the others that I have returned to Catheridge with, to make a ring for my wife.”
Casperi smiled. “Jeweler, please give him the choice of stones and cut it ready for him. I will give five extra gold coins to each of you for your service. Nolan and Thais have always had better eyes for gems than myself, so they will come down to inspect them tomorrow, after young Thomas here has made his selection.”
Both bowed.
“Scrapgryke, would ask to commence work on the black stone this evening. As you are aware, he is a guest of Catheridge in secret. If one of you could remain for the night to tend the fire for him in your hearth, that would be greatly appreciated.”
“The boy has just returned to his family, sire. I would be honored to work with our guest,” offered Jayom. Scrapgryke nodded to this.
“It is settled then.”
*****
Later in the day the royal carriages arrived in Vasa. They had travelled the road around the lake to allow the Queen and Princess Lapse more time to sleep in the wagons, only briefly stopping overnight in Caitawalaan. Lord Polan and Lady Mary had been devastated with the news of the deaths, although now busily prepared the new accommodation for Princess Anna upon the King and Queens’ departure.
Birger appeared through the hidden door of his fathers’ study. It was a hinged bookcase that revealed a low, hidden passage, half the height of a man, but in opening it and stepping down through a tunnel appeared, slightly over a full mans’ height of six foot. The tunnel lead into darkness and the narrow pathway quickly moved downwards to another level below the main floor of the castle. Apart from a series of cellars and dungeons, there was nothing else is on this level, so the tunnel turned into a series of interconnected, barely furnished rooms with passageways leading off in several directions.
Several times the paths turned extremely rough, both in the floor and the walls as if it was quickly made using spare stones from the outer wall.
Dampness appeared several times, as was the smell of the stale air. The occasional rough stone stepped up over bedrock.
Without this being their castle, several of the Tullav had tried to follow the young prince on several occasions, only to quickly lose his direction and find themselves appearing in the back end of several cellars, a dungeon pathway, and finally a false door leading out deep below the walls. The Tullav had tried to map the tunnels, although Birger could hear them, and had used several sliding walls to confuse their later return when they had stumbled upon a cache worth stealing.
The new King had organized to have the Royal Throne returned to its original place, in the grand hall of Vasa Castle. The blue and gold velvet had been stained by the obese King Edward, not interested in maintaining the finery of the throne. Red wine, butter and oils had stained it over his time of reign so that Daikin had asked for a full upholstery. The solid gold chair had finally been delivered this past week, but he still preferred the comfort of his own study. His son bowed before him.
“Father, I have news,” he bowed again.
“You know, my son, I wondered when you were young how you would survive. Especially with such large brothers. I seems that my concerns were unfounded, as adept as you have become to skills that none others in this palace could possess. How goes our arrangement with the Mordare?”
Birger smiled. “I believe that Gameard can be trusted father, especially since we organized for him to shadow Casperi on his journey. Who would have thought that the thief would inherit his fathers’ legacy, or become so attached to Princess Thais.”
“You will develop your skills in time, my son. Gameard has indeed been more than a windfall for our family. We must ensure that we maintain our alliance with him. Our people must continue to sacrifice a little to earn a lot in the long term.”
*****
Emperor Koguryo sat upon his throne, watching the light dance across the floor through his stained-glass windows. The servants busily prepared the room as one provided him with a hot drink, that steamed in his hand.
He considered the liquid momentarily and then sipped it as he went back to his study of the light.
Soldiers marched in, forming two rows facing each other as the commanders casually strolled in, discussing and bowing to the Emperor over the next thirty seconds. Dralan entered last, Manchur glancing at him momentarily. The obviously outcast warrior looked to his father, Dralans eyes darker than when he previously pas
sed Koguryo in a corridor several hours earlier.
The generals stood in a semi-circle, Dralan on the left end, Manchur in the middle and Shigeru at the other end. The other commanders, Wudi and Eji, Ocolan, and another, Basan, sandwiched in between.
“My warriors,” the Emperor commenced. “The time has come for the Empire of Narthal to impose on our enemies. We have waited, patiently, for the Gods to create a sign, and now everything is in place. We shall now go forth and cleanse the lands with the blood of our enemies.
We will conquer those that have tried time and again to impose their will upon us. The Moreans have grown in arrogance and taken lands that have traditionally belonged to the Narthal.
We will reclaim these lands and then march on to Corone to remove the Herula. We have suffered long enough in these cold lands. Now it is time to reclaim our tribal ancestry.”
The guards, warriors, and servants alike cheered.
Koguryo smiled. He looked at his warriors, Manchur staring directly back towards him.
“Ocolan? The Warang?” The warrior bowed with his head. The Warang were the elite soldiers, often trained from a very young age. Their parents presented them to the Warang Temple on the day of no sun, the middle of the winter, each cycle. It was believed that almost one tenth of the children died in training during that first winter where they were subjected to harsh conditions and long days of training and discipline. Those still alive and not chosen were returned to their parents the following mid-summer. The Warang were then trained for over ten summers before they would be allowed to battle outside of the training grounds. They were known to be opportunistic assassins, sent in to Morea when required to cause havoc.
“Basan? The foot soldiers?”
The young soldier had recently been promoted, after the death of his superior. Basan nodded.
“Yes, sire,” he fumbled on the words. “They are prepared.”
“Wudi and Eji. Your legions?” Both nodded to their Emperor.
“Shigeru, I would like you to remain here at Koguryo, to defend our homeland.”
“Yes, my lord,” he answered with a bow.
“Manchur. Is your detachment ready as well?” Manchur nodded, and bowed.
“My lord, I have men, which could easily serve under Wudi and Eji, as I will be too busy focused on leading our men into battle.”
Emperor Koguryo smiled.
“My son. You are indeed a fine warrior, and well known as the best strategist of all of Narthal’s soldiers. Which is why you will serve next to your brother, Dralan, who will lead us into battle to take back the valley. I’m sure he will benefit greatly from your wisdom.”
Dralan didn’t look surprised, knowing Manchur’s deadly look now focused on him.
“Dralan, your army is ready to command. My generals, you will meet with Dralan tomorrow to finalize your battle plans,” Koguryo looked at Manchur.
“Enough! I will never serve under this peon,” yelled Manchur as he stormed out of the throne room.
Dralan walked away from the meeting of generals in disgust. His brother had once again tried to undermine him. He seethed with anger as he walked down the corridor towards his room. He didn’t remember the next few moments, except feeling the weight of his knee crash against the black slate stone floor.
He put his hand out to stop his fall, landing on both knees with his hands spread forward. He breathed against the cold of the stone, a darkness swimming around him. Everything went murky momentarily, then Dralan snarled. He didn’t realize it at first, but then as he rose to be on all fours as he clearly saw two guards in the distance that had started to run towards him, stop, and then start to run away. His sight was amazingly focused, far better than he had ever experienced in his lifetime.
Dralan bumped the top of his head on the ceiling of the corridor, but not his head, a horn, a boney horn, and as he slightly stretched his body his wings as well were contained in the now, narrow space. What had always been a wide corridor a few moments before was now perceivably thin and small. He looked around at the dimensions of the hallway and then down at his front feet, covered in black scales, and sharpened black claws.
Dralan carefully turned in the area where two paths intersected. More soldiers appeared, as did his brother, who all slowed quickly to a watchful step. A few moments later, the Emperor Koguryo appeared at the end of the hall. The old man smiled, as if proud.
The black dragon that Dralan had become looked on as they cautiously moved towards him.
“Brother?” called Manchur is a questioning voice. The dragon snarled and laughed at him, as if in the same breath.
Emperor Koguryo seemed to rub his hands together as he smiled and walked closer, through his soldiers, and completely unconcerned.
“Or should we call you Arthung?” asked Koguryo with a smile.
“Zenath, it seems you are no longer the only shape shifter in this palace,” observed the dragon. Manchur shot his father a look of grave concern.
“Indeed, I am not,” replied the Emperor. “How much of you is Arthung, and how much is Dralan?”
The dragon smiled.
“Enough of both. We seem to keep each other in check,” observed the dragon. “and you, Zenath? Is the Emperor the one that rules the mind, or the dragon?”
“The dragon in me has great wisdom to draw upon, and patience that the human in me could not even imagine, but it is the human that experiences the pleasures of the world.”
Manchur and the other soldiers still stood in shock as they observed the dragon and the Emperor talking freely.
“Father, you are the great blue dragon?” finally stuttered Manchur.
The Emperor laughed heartily. “My boy, yes. But I’m weary of my powers, and less so of my ambitions.”
Manchur now looked at the man he had sought to remove from the throne, now realizing that the task would be impossible.
“Your brother Dralan, whom you have disparaged far more than me would probably not be so kind as I. Maybe your last words to him were less wise than the mouth that spoke them?”
Manchur turned to the black dragon again. “I am sorry, dear brother,” he bowed in acquiescence.
The black dragon laughed, his body bouncing off the stonework, that shook with his movement.
“Come Dralan,” motioned the Emperor. “It seems that we will need to relocate your boarding’s. The Emperor walked a few paces down the corridor, signaling the guards to open the large doors to the outside at his first chance. “Take to the skies, my son. Test your wings. I will prepare the chapel for your new lodgings. Return before sunset.”
Dralan crawled through the narrow passage as he followed his fathers’ command, and made his way through the slender doorway, wings folded back.
Ten paces out into the courtyard he stretched out his wings again, looking at them as he gently flapped them both.
“It’s easy once you begin,” reassured his father. “The dragon within you will take control.”
The black dragon glanced up into the sky, pushed off, flapped its wings as they expanded and slowly left the castle behind.
Chapter 7
Dralan woke in human form on a large mattress. He was naked, and the sun shone through the windows upon him. Although he normally would have, he no longer felt the cold, although a half-folded blanket laid near him.
Guards stood outside the large, oak doors that led to the courtyard. Another set of guards were assigned outside of a small doorway that led back into the castle. He knew that as a dragon he would not fit through.
He dressed in the robes provided that sat upon a pew towards the back of the hall. He looked around his new accommodations. A bath had been provided, the same as the one in his room, and in similar, a table of fruits and bread had been laid out for him. Dralan bit into an apple and turned as the smaller doors opened.
“Did you sleep well, Dralan?” Emperor Koguryo asked as he strolled in behind two guards who stepped aside as he started to talk. “It seems that you’ve
created quite a stir. If the servants of the castle were not afraid of you before then they certainly are now. On the positive side, the whole army is now willing to follow you. Even Manchur has accepted his role within your ranks.”
The Emperor smiled.
“You knew father. It was just a matter of time.”
“Of course. I could see it coming for days. The question was if the transformation would occur here, or on the battlefield?”
“and now you have the final piece, father. The one you were waiting for,” surmised Dralan returning his smile.
“and now we go to battle.”
*****
Casperi spoke with Nathe and Thais.
“It is time that we began this journey,” mentioned Casperi. “We have much to do.”
They both nodded. Although many had joined both of the young royals throughout their expeditions, the Catheridge knight held a stronger bond, having helped guide them since their youth. They saw him as almost like an older brother, even though over thirteen summers their senior, and held his opinion in high regard.
“My Lord and Lady, I have watched both of you grow, and if this passing of seasons has taught me anything, I know that your journey lies not trapped in these walls, but on the path that opens before us. I’m sure both darkness and light stand before us, as do anger and fear, as much as laughter and joy. We have all experienced these in more abundance than expected.
We must trust those that deserve our trust, and be weary of shadows that hold over us.” Nathe looked at them for a long moment.
Thargus had sent a message that a servant of Malbork had been arrested and was in custody in Anil. He and several of the Salararius had headed off to track down Princes Richmond, Tostig and the advisor Cedric. Thargus would meet them in Bhagshau, where he would return to help Trajunus. Botan had also been dispatched by Trajunus to Corone, to find word of Dralan. He was chosen to go because of his family connections in northern Morea.
