Faolan stood fearfully before the dazed beast. His mind failed him as his hands did not move to unhook his swords, and his legs did not permit him to flee. The beast turned its head and stared at him with one of its yellow eyes.
At that moment, something odd happened. The dragon calmed and lowered its massive head so its eye was level with his. It drew closer to him as it gazed at him. The dragon’s yellow iris contracted, and its pupil expanded to its maximum diameter. The eyes of the Great-Horned dragon were able to look deep into a soul and see a person’s true essence. The beast stepped backward from Faolan and lowered itself, head and all, before him. A sound emanated from the lizard’s closed maw that could only be related to a dog’s whine. The dragon cowered before him.
Faolan was confused by the dragon’s actions and ignorant as to what the dragon’s eyes saw within him. The young guardian stood in wonder as the beast bowed before him and whimpered. He cautiously stepped forward and outstretched one arm toward the massive creature. His mind raced to understand what was occurring while he took the few remaining steps and lay his hand on the side of the dragon’s jaw. He could feel the scaled hide trembling underneath his touch. His hand moved down the length of its head and stopped just beneath its large left eye. He gazed into the dragon’s eye. He felt nervous standing so very close to it as the yellow eye peered back at him, although it was far more afraid of the individual standing beside it.
Faolan was so very confused. This very large, very violent dragon just attacked Lesley. It stood against dozens of soldiers, ballistae, and Caedmon. Yet it stands before me now, quivering in fear. Why? I have not attacked it. Why does it just cower here?
The dragon tilted its head slightly and shifted its eye as it heard the raucous clanking of elven armor. It understood its adversaries were quickly approaching and began producing a deep vocalization. The massive creature moved its front left leg toward Faolan and nudged him with its unopposable jaw.
Faolan dared not struggle against the dragon and feared it would become aggressive. He did not know the beast’s intention, though the movement urged him onto its leg as the creature impatiently slammed it against the cold stone floor. He wondered if he could manage to escape the beast’s reach or if it would chase him. If it did, he knew his injuries would make it difficult to flee, and he would not make it far. He did not know what he should do; the dragon was offering its leg as a step, and he hesitated. The dangerous beast had just caused a great deal of damage to Lesley and was becoming agitated with his hesitance.
The dragon insisted with a whimper and another nudge of its muzzle.
Reluctantly, Faolan started to climb the dragon’s front leg. It required a bit of effort to get up to the dragon’s back, but once he was atop the beast, everything was fine. The only things he could hold were the anterior edges of the dragon’s wings. So he moved over, grabbed onto the left wing, and lay down with a tight grip.
When the dragon felt Faolan grab onto its wing, the beast stood up and turned toward the opening in the wall. The massive creature dipped into a crouch and then soared off into the sky. With every flap of the dragon’s wings, Faolan went for a wild ride. He bounced between remaining flat against the dragon’s wing and surrounded by open air with only his hands connecting him to the flying beast.
The flight was not very long, and Faolan felt the dragon land. When he looked around from atop his perch, he noticed they were outside the walls of Lesley. They had landed a good distance away from the front gate and beyond the archers’ reach. The dragon settled down on the grass and allowed him to climb down.
Faolan was even more confused now, unsure why the dragon had allowed him to ride on its back and why it had gone such a short distance before stopping. He moved to where he could look into the beast’s eye and tried to understand the odd behavior. Minutes passed as he pondered the great creature. The beast did not move from the spot where it had landed; instead, it gazed at him.
“Faolan!” A shout came from the direction of Lesley.
Faolan moved around to the other side of the dragon and saw Caedmon.
“Faolan, that dragon is dangerous!” Caedmon yelled.
The massive creature recognized its previous adversary and rose to its feet in order to face him. Its muscles rippled beneath its thick scales at it positioned itself before the old wolf. The dragon lowered its colossal head, its large maw eased open, and it bared its teeth at the approaching foe. Faolan saw the dragon’s movements and quickly moved to Caedmon’s defense.
“No!” Faolan shouted at the dragon.
The beast’s attention shifted uneasily between the old wolf and the young guardian. It stepped fearfully to the side and away from Faolan. The dragon angled its head toward him in caution but bared its teeth at Caedmon.
“Calm down!” Faolan urged with outstretched palms.
The dragon could not understand his words, but it still cowered away and kept a fair distance between itself and Faolan.
Caedmon reached Faolan’s side, and said, “That is odd.”
“What?” Faolan asked.
“It acts as if it fears you. What have you done to make it so afraid?” Caedmon was astonished by the dragon’s behavior. He had never seen a dragon act in such a way and was in awe of its wavering demeanor.
“Nothing. I do not know why it is behaving this way.” The young guardian shook his head in confusion.
“Strange.” Caedmon watched the ancient creature inquisitively.
“Very strange,” Faolan agreed.
The old wolf knew what a dragon’s eyes could see, though he said nothing to Faolan as his curiosity had begun to grow. At first, back in Mor, when Faolan had mentioned the odd occurrences he had experienced, Caedmon had brushed them off as unexplainable events. But now, an individual from one of the most fearsome dragon species outright feared the young guardian. The signs could not be ignored, and the old wolf wondered about the events continuing to unfold around Faolan. First was the story about Aili fearing him, followed by the surprising defeat of the Hyip champion, only to find out that it, too, had feared Faolan before its death. And now, a fearsome beast with the ability to defend against the mightiest of armies feared Faolan. Caedmon did not understand what was taking place, but he knew they all had seen something unnatural and terrifying.
“Come, Faolan,” Caedmon said as he began walking back toward Lesley.
“What about the dragon?” Faolan asked. “What if he attacks Lesley again?”
Caedmon glanced back over his shoulder and noticed the dragon following them. “I doubt it will. It seems you have a new friend.”
Faolan turned around in confusion and saw the massive beast trailing him. “Why is it following me?”
“I do not know,” Caedmon said.
The young guardian peered up at the large teeth and nervously chuckled. “Will the army of Lesley attempt to kill it? I mean, he did just attack Lesley. Possibly killed men and definitely destroyed buildings.”
“You are right. Stay here,” Caedmon instructed.
Faolan gulped and stopped following the wolf. “Will you be long?”
“No. I must speak with Zael . . . and Aili,” Caedmon said as he moved farther away.
“Why Aili?” Faolan shouted after him.
The old guardian did not answer and left the young one to wonder. The truth was that Caedmon wanted to ask Aili about her vision and about what she had seen. Curious events had been occurring around Faolan, and Caedmon was beginning to wonder why.
Faolan turned back around and laid his eyes on the dragon. He watched as the beast’s large rump dropped to the ground, and it sat patiently, as a dog would. He sighed and sat down as well, crossing his legs and resting his chin on his fists. His attention stayed on the large lizard, and he grew less worried with every passing moment. The dragon lay down after a while and situated itself so it could keep its eyes on Faolan. There they sat as time ticked by, and minutes turned into hours. Faolan could only imagine the deliberations taking
place in Lesley.
As the sun began to lower over the horizon, a voice sounded. “Faolan!”
Faolan popped up onto his feet looking for the source and saw it was Caedmon.
“Come, Faolan. The king has agreed to allow the dragon inside the gates!” Caedmon shouted.
Faolan was happy to hear the news and rushed toward Caedmon, but he did not make it very far before the ground beneath him shook. He lost his balance and fell to his knees, and then the shaking stopped. Faolan looked over his shoulder and saw the dragon right behind him.
“Caedmon! This is ridiculous. How am I supposed to go on the next mission if this thing will not stop following me?”
“Do not worry; soon we will be on our way to the dwarven lands.”
They crossed the short grass fields outside Lesley and walked through the outer gates. The wary soldiers kept their distance from the dragon as it entered the town. Caedmon turned left and led them to a cleared area with large chains lying on the ground. Faolan quickly realized why it had taken Caedmon so long to return.
“Zael reluctantly agreed to care for the beast while we complete our next mission,” Caedmon divulged to him. “But it must be chained here.”
“Are you sure about this, Caedmon?” Faolan was equally concerned for the town and the dragon.
“It will be fine. The dragon will be blindfolded to keep it calm.”
The young guardian was not sure about keeping the dragon tied down. He eyed the chains and figured the dragon could probably break them, even though they were quite formidable. He thought it would be wiser to let the thing go and figure out a way to break its fascination with him.
Faolan shook his head. “What is the point of keeping it here, Caedmon?”
“Hopefully, it will become your ally.”
“It is a dragon, Caedmon.” Faolan was uneasy about the decision. “I have never heard of a dragon being tamed before.”
“We are not going to tame it. The beast does not care for us. That is why it is being blindfolded.”
“Then how will it be our ally?”
Caedmon stared at Faolan. “Not our ally, your ally. Although I think the term pet would be more suitable. It has bonded with you for some unknown reason.”
Faolan glanced up at the dragon with doubts and laughed. “Right . . .”
Chapter 14
“The Presence”
“The immortals shall unwind the fates of many.”
The Ikalreev Prophecies 8:34
The group was prepared to set off for the dwarven lands. Leith’s wagon was loaded with supplies, and Ireli was lying next to their provisions. The king had granted them four new steeds to speed up their travels. Kellen, Gavina, Auvelia, and Treasach each rode a horse in order to lighten the load on Leith’s dependable horses. Leith was all smiles because he did not have to share his bench with Treasach anymore. Instead, as they set out on this new journey, he shared his bench with his sister and Faolan. King Zael also gifted Leith with two new horses for his wagon, primarily to appease Treasach, as the king could not bear his son’s complaining. The king would do anything to get the prince out of his throne room. The distance the group would need to cover was longer than their previous trip, and since time was short, Zael had provided them with the best horses available in order to expedite their journey.
They set off from the castle and made their way down the long main road through the forge and trade district. They passed the buildings destroyed by the encounter with the Great-Horned dragon and through the inner gate. As they traveled through the military’s outer ring, they could see the dragon, shackled and blindfolded, to their right. There were dozens of soldiers guarding the dragon. The elves were none too keen on keeping the dragon within their city after what it had done the day before.
The small group proceeded through the outer gate of Lesley, and as they did, they passed two lone travelers. Faolan looked over the odd pair with curiosity because the two travelers had no supplies and no horses. One had long white hair and was covered in a hoodless cloak. He was an old man placing most of his weight on a tall staff. The second traveler was wearing unique clothing never before seen in Harmaalinna. The individual had an unusually decorated sheath protruding from a slit in the flank of his cloak. The sheath bore a wicked-looking beast on its exterior. The animal was long and slender with artistically carved scales. Faolan figured it was a dragon of some sort, but its elongated form was unlike any dragon he knew. When the pair was too far behind them and his neck began to hurt from the strain, he turned back around and wondered where the two odd individuals could possibly call home.
“So, Faolan, I hope this mission fares better for you.” Leith spoke with a wide smile.
“I hope so too. I would rather not obtain a scar for every day I know you,” Faolan joked.
“That would be something.” Leith raised an eyebrow. “You may want to be more careful in the future. I do not know how many times my sister can save you.”
Faolan’s eyes shifted from Leith to Aili’s beautiful form. She was sitting between them, and it was a bit awkward for him to be conversing around her.
“She fancies you, ya know? And she does not enjoy the sight of you getting strewn out as a fresh kill. So do me a favor, and do not be the hero, understand?” Leith talked nonchalantly around his sister.
Aili looked at her brother. “I can hear you.”
“Yeah, so?” He shrugged.
“So why are you saying something like that?” She elbowed him hard.
“Ow! Come on, now. I only said it because it is true.” Leith rubbed his side, painful from the piercing attack.
Aili was blushing. “Stop it.”
“All I am saying is that you fancy Faolan.”
Aili elbowed him again, much harder this time.
“Ow!” Leith rubbed his aching side.
Faolan’s face grew red, and he laughed nervously as he pulled his eyes away from Aili.
“Faolan, help!” Leith was laughing as he held his side. “Subdue her with your charm.”
The young guardian chuckled timidly. Aili scowled intensely at Leith.
“I remember that look.” Leith snickered. “Suppose I will stop now. Before she ties me to one of the wheels.”
Faolan tried to hide behind one of his hands as the siblings conversed. It was such an uncomfortable exchange. That was Leith, though: awkward and potentially hilarious. He stayed out of the banter as much as he could, though he realized the dwarven town of Odemar was two days’ travel from Lesley. He smiled and knew it was going to be an entertaining journey.
◆◆◆
Zauvek and Waremasu stood outside the gates of Lesley. After weeks of traveling, they had come upon the renowned forest elf capital. They gazed at the towering walls and took in the sight of the massive front gate. They were not tired from their travels or hungry or thirsty because they did not have the needs of a mortal. The two angels started walking toward the gate, and as they neared it, they passed a small group of nine riding on horses and a wagon. They took no notice of the small procession, and when the two of them passed through the outer gate, Zauvek stopped.
“Do you feel that?” Zauvek glanced around as he felt a lingering power.
Waremasu nodded.
“Razbijen.” Zauvek eyed the faces around him. “He is near.”
They moved farther into Lesley and passed through the inner gateway. They saw the damage done to the town and wondered what had caused the destruction.
“Humph, mortals. So weak,” Zauvek mumbled with distaste.
Waremasu tapped him on the shoulder and wrote in the air in orange glowing script. He is moving away from us.
“Yes, I feel it growing weaker as well. Perhaps he was back outside the inner gate,” the old angel said.
The pair of angels walked back through the inner gate and into the military ring of Lesley.
“We should split up,” Zauvek said. “We will cover more ground.”
Waremasu nodded, an
d began walking toward the west around the outer ring of Lesley. The old angel took a moment more to stabilize himself on his staff before he walked east. His hunched-over form proceeded slowly, and his wiry locks partially shrouded his face from onlookers as he leaned on his faithful staff. His muscles were tight and unforgiving as his bones ached with every movement. He endured the chronic pain spreading throughout his body and the occasional sharp bouts of pain. Though his body ached, his thoughts were clear. It was not long before he laid his eyes on the chained Great-Horned dragon, and curiosity caught hold of him.
“A Great-Horned here?” the angel wondered and safely assumed the beast had caused the town’s damage.
He hobbled closer to the creature and could not understand how a Great-Horned dragon had been tamed by the elves. The beasts were such an aggressive species; it was an impressive feat that the elves were able to tame it.
He walked over to the nearest guard and questioned him. “How was this dragon tamed?”
The knight looked at the old man with an odd expression. “Random chance?”
“What?” Zauvek was confused by the unexpected answer.
“You think we planned this?” The guard laughed.
Zauvek lifted an eyebrow and asked, “Who tamed it?”
“Some fresh guardian. Name is Faolan,“ the knight said. “He was lucky.”
“Lucky?” Zauvek felt the guard was strange in how he spoke with short thoughts.
“Yeah. Lucky. He was lucky this dragon would rather wet itself than eat the boy.”
“What do you mean?” Zauvek asked.
“As far as I understand it, the dragon took one look at the kid and became a coward.”
“The dragon was afraid of this boy?” Zauvek was intrigued.
“Yeah. Strange, right?”
Zauvek gave the guard a look. “You were not born here, were you?”
“No. Why?”
Verdunmull Page 18
