D& D - Mystara 02 Dragonking of Mystara

by Thorarinn Gunnarsson

  Marthaen wished he could have fled as well, but he knew an accounting was due. Indeed, he was well aware that the matter was better handled sooner than later, before the dragons were trapped by their own actions into consequences they did not foresee. Kharendaen landed on the pier like an eagle descending upon its prey. Quickly she folded her wings, then paused a moment to glance about at the destruction surrounding her. Dragons were busy pulling apart the burning wreckage of the settlement, and dark smoke poured from the caves where ships had been assembled and timbers stored.

  "I looked for you at Windreach," Kharendaen said at last as she approached her brother. "They told me that you were teaching the dragons to make war."

  "I am not prepared to argue the matter," he replied, standing firm. "We are well within the rights granted to us by our truce with the Dragonlord. You know the circumstances well enough to understand that."

  "I am not arguing your right to make war," she told him sharply, arching her neck in a fierce gesture. "I am arguing the wisdom of going to war without discussing the matter with the Dragonlord to insure there will be no misunderstandings. And without warning me. You left me with a monstrous problem. I had to answer for your actions, even though I could only guess what you were doing."

  "And so the Dragonlord has sent you to demand an accounting?" Marthaen asked.

  "Actually, he is willing to be more generous with you than I am," she answered. "He is prepared to be understanding, but you must realize that you have also placed him in a difficult position. If the Alphatians should ask him to defend them from your attacks, he has to know they are at fault before he can refuse them."

  Marthaen looked uncomfortable with that. "I feared from the first that we would be unable to completely protect our secrets."

  "The Thyatians learned of your attacks upon the Alphatians," Kharendaen continued. "Others will also be hearing of the news by now, and the thought of the dragons going to war with anyone is a frightful concern to them. They want assurances from the Dragonlord, and for that, he must have certain assurances from you. He is prepared to consider this a matter between the dragons and the Alphatians, as long as you can explain your intentions. He needs to know about the extent of the war you propose to make, and how long he can expect it to last. He needs to be able to assure others that your war will not involve them."

  "That is fair enough," Marthaen agreed. "You can tell the Dragonlord that I will come to speak with him myself in a few days."

  *****

  Kharendaen needed only a few short moments to prepare herself for the short predawn flight from Braejr to the mountains east of the city. She slipped into her dragon saddle, settling it over the short plates of her crest at the base of her neck and buckling the straps about her neck. As he watched, Thelvyn reflected with wry amusement that one advantage of a dragon over a horse was that a dragon could saddle itself. He opened both doors of the warehouse that served as Kharendaen's lair so she could slip through. Then she crouched in the center of the open court while he climbed into the saddle. Although the morning was somewhat cool, he didn't think he would need to wear the armor of the Dragonlord. He could teleport into it in an instant simply if need be.

  Kharendaen leaped into the air with a thrust of her powerful hind legs, climbing slowly into the morning sky with long sweeps of her broad wings. Once she got up to speed, she settled into a more relaxed flight, rising steadily as she headed north over the city before turning eastward to pass over the Aalban River and on toward the distant mountains. The full sleeves of Thelvyn's shirt snapped in the wind, but the air was fresh and cool.

  "What do you think?" Thelvyn called out. "Is Marthaen prepared to be reasonable? He must understand that his recent actions might result in consequences he could not desire."

  Kharendaen bent her long neck to look back. "Marthaen has been ensnared in a conflict of duties. He must protect the secrets of the dragons at all costs, yet he is also the defender of the Nation of Dragons. Secrets have already been compromised, and actions he must take to protect his people will only compromise those secrets even more."

  "I can appreciate his situation," Thelvyn said. "But those secrets could become too costly to protect."

  "That is the decision he must now make."

  They had risen so high that the morning sun suddenly lifted above the great Colossus Mounts to the east. The warm light startled Kharendaen, who had been flying with her head bent around while she climbed steadily with long, slow sweeps of her wings. For a moment, she faltered, then resumed her pace.

  "That should teach me to pay better attention," she remarked, then glanced back once more. "Marthaen would not have asked to speak with you unless he has something important to say."

  They were approaching the forbidding heights of the Colossus Mounts, still dark in the shadow of the morning sun, when a second gold dragon rose suddenly from the high cliffs to join them. Marthaen looked a good deal like his sister, although as the older of the two, he was somewhat larger and his face was more full. He came in close beside Kharendaen, and they flew together for a time, soaring on the cool winds of the heights. They seemed to enjoy each other's company, almost as if they were at play. Mindful of her passenger, Kharendaen refrained from the more adventurous tricks that her brother tried. Thelvyn watched them with interest, thinking once more how dull Kharen-daen's life must be in his company. Dragons were meant to live free.

  After a brief time, Marthaen began to circle downward toward a ledge high up on the side of a steep, rugged mountain. Kharendaen landed on the ledge beside him, folding her wings and then pausing a moment to allow Thelvyn to drop down from his saddle before she sat back up on her haunches. Thelvyn stood facing the larger dragon, who had been watching him closely. Somehow Thelvyn had the impression that Marthaen didn't approve of the company his sister was keeping.

  "I have been told—rather sternly, I might add—that my actions may have placed the dragons in a difficult position," Marthaen began.

  Thelvyn nodded. "I understand your need to protect your secrets, even if I do not know what those secrets are. If it helps, tell me only what I must know to understand this matter, and I will promise to keep your secrets.

  Rather than repeat them to anyone else, I will simply use all the influence I have to assure others that the dragons have been acting justly and in their own defense."

  Marthaen frowned. "We have guarded these secrets since the fall of Blackmoor."

  "That may well be," Thelvyn said, "but just the same, if the Alphatians come crying to me to protect them from the dragons, I have to know why I should refuse them."

  The gold dragon considered that for a long moment. In spite of himself, he had always liked Thelvyn, and he trusted his sister's judgment of the Dragonlord. While he did not show it, he was very impressed that Thelvyn had been speaking the language of dragons with him, and speaking it well.

  "Very well," he agreed at last, frowning. "The first issue is one of security. The Alphatians have established extensive settlements in our lands. I suppose it must be obvious by now that the region you know as Norwold is in fact the core of our own homeland. It is a secret we have guarded for a long time. Although we have ignored the Alphatians these last few years since they first arrived, they began the actual fighting early this spring when they began attacking not only the dragons of that region but also the frosthomes of northland elves who dwell in those forests and who are under our protection."

  "That might have been in reaction to certain events of the previous winter," Kharendaen reminded him pointedly.

  Marthaen glanced at her, still frowning. "Last winter, invaders entered our hidden city of Windreach, among the greatest of our secrets, and succeeded in stealing the Collar of the Dragons. The collar is the most ancient and powerful heirloom of our people and also among our greatest secrets."

  Thelvyn smiled wryly. "Your secrets have taken a rather hard knock in all of this."

  "My immediate suspicion is that either the Air Wizards o
f Alphatia or the Fire Wizards of the Flaem took the collar," Marthaen continued. "Either could have thought that such a thing would be useful to them in their ancient war with each other. Since our lands are fairly crawling with

  Alphatians already, I tend to suspect the Air Wizards. I personally do not think the Flaem are competent enough to have managed such a thing."

  "And I suspect that neither the Alphatians nor the Flaem could have acted alone," Kharendaen added. "They could not have learned of the collar by themselves. Neither could they have found Windreach alone. And they certainly could not have removed the collar from the very heart of the city. Whoever took the collar almost certainly had to have been in league with renegade dragons."

  "Then you really do not know," Thelvyn assumed.

  "In the last five years, the dragons have been in conflict with both the Flaem and the Alphatians," Marthaen said. "That in itself is a cause for suspicion. And I have reason to suspect a renegade would not have gone to such trouble. Taking the collar would be an insult to the Nation of Dragons, even a provocation. But, like all dragons, even a renegade would know that the collar would not serve him."

  "Unless he has convinced himself that he is the rightful Dragonking," Kharendaen observed. "You must not underestimate the madness of a renegade."

  "I have not forgotten that," Marthaen agreed. "But I think he would have proclaimed himself by now. A renegade who believes he is the Dragonking would not have to steal the collar. He would merely claim it. Others would judge the validity of such a claim. Now you know enough to understand our actions. What do you say? Will you support us?"

  Thelvyn nodded. "There is no question of my support. More than that, you can trust me to do what you cannot. I will do what I can to discover if the Fire Wizards have the Collar of the Dragons. They might be incompetent, but an alliance with a renegade might have still given them the means. And I will also do what I can to find out if one of the renegade kings has it."

  "And will you remain apart from our conflict with Alphatia?" Marthaen asked.

  "You must first tell me the terms and limits that you are willing to place upon yourself in this war," Thelvyn insisted.

  The dragon glanced away, plainly reluctant. "Our only concern is that the Alphatians withdraw from our lands, and we expect from them either the return of the collar or the right to satisfy ourselves that they do not have it. I have already sought a parley with their leaders, but I will fight this war how and where I see fit."

  Thelvyn considered that briefly, staring down at the ground, before he sighed and nodded. "I will not interfere, although it is against my better judgment. If the dragons have a just claim against Alphatia, then it only seems right for the Dragonlord to take their part. But I will tell you this: You must try to put a quick end to this matter, with the least violence you can manage. And you must not make war upon any group simply because you suspect they have possession of your collar. If you attack the Flaem on suspicion alone, I will defend them."

  *****

  On the way back to Braejr, Thelvyn considered the matter carefully. He remained dissatisfied, even fearful, about one point. He suspected that the dragons would never be satisfied until they discovered who had stolen the Collar of the Dragons and were able to reclaim it. Marthaen might be willing to promise not to act on suspicion alone, but it was always possible that the impatient reds and the younger dragons might turn rogue once again and take the matter into their own hands. He vowed to do whatever he could to find the collar first, and at the moment he could think of only one way to attack that problem.

  The morning was still young by the time they returned to Braejr.

  The gold dragon came in low over the crowded streets and found the yard of the house with uncanny accuracy, descending lightly into the court and folding her wings before she settled low to the ground to allow her rider to drop down from the saddle. Kharendaen bent her neck around to rub her nose against his chest, an old, very familiar gesture of affection. Thelvyn rubbed her nose in turn.

  "You seem to be running a great many errands these days," he said. "I hesitate to ask you to make another journey."

  "This is a dangerous time, and I must do my part," she assured him. "Where do you wish to go?"

  "I need to stay here and deal with the king and his wizards," Thelvyn explained. "I'm going to put the matter of the stolen collar to them as directly as I can, so I can see how they react and hear what they have to say. But we're going to need help in finding the collar, and I can think of only one expert with such a talent for finding lost treasures. I need to send you alone to Darokin, to see if you can find Sir George for me."

  Kharendaen nodded. "That is a wise choice. As a mandrake, Sir George is a dragonkin and he would know something of the Collar of the Dragons already. Our secret would be safe with him."

  She departed at once, still wearing her empty saddle so she would be able to bring back the old knight, provided she was able to find him. She couldn't easily go into the city, so the best that she would be able to do would be to land at the court of the capitol and send someone to find Sir George for her. The journey was a fairly short one. Even allowing for the time needed to locate Sir George, she expected to return by that evening.

  Thelvyn had his own task to attend, and so he hurried to the king's palace as soon as Kharendaen had left. Like Marthaen, he was more inclined to suspect the Alphatians of the theft than the Flaem, but he felt certain that the Fire Wizards would have stolen the Collar of the Dragons if they had the means. He hoped that by throwing suspicion directly at Kalestraan and reminding him of the wrath of the dragons, he might be able to judge something of the wizard's guilt by the way he reacted.

  As he had feared, it was too late in the morning to expect a private conversation with the king any time soon. Jherridan was holding a public audience that morning. It provided a chance for people from throughout the realm to petition their king in certain matters or seek his judgment in others. For once, Kalestraan was nowhere to be seen in the palace, so Thelvyn sent word to the Academy requesting the wizard to join him to discuss an important matter with the king that afternoon. Since the subject doubtlessly involved the Alphatians, Kalestraan was not about to refuse, and the king set aside time for a meeting in his private chamber after lunch.

  "I spoke this morning with Marthaen, First Speaker of the Parliament of Dragons," he began, careful to relate no more of these events that he had to. "To put it simply, the Alphatians have been settling and fortifying lands that the dragons claim as their own. Earlier this year, the Alphatians began attacking dragons, as well as bands of elves who live under the protection of the dragons."

  "Then I would say that the Alphatians have earned their troubles," the king said, unimpressed.

  "Unfortunately, that's just the beginning," Thelvyn continued. "Someone has stolen an ancient artifact of power from the dragons, and they'll stop at nothing to get it back. As it happens, they suspect that either the Alphatian wizards or the Fire Wizards stole the artifact. For the moment, their greatest suspicion is directed toward the Alphatians. But if they don't receive satisfaction in that direction, they will eventually come looking here."

  Thelvyn had been watching the wizard surreptitiously, waiting to see how Kalestraan would react. To his frustration, the wizard merely listened attentively, as if this was all very new to him, and looked properly concerned. Either he was innocent of any knowledge of the theft, or else his talent as an actor had been refined by years of court intrigue.

  "This is outrageous," Jherridan declared, highly indignant. "Surely the dragons don't think that they can bully us."

  "That's just the point," Thelvyn continued. "The dragons have a real complaint, and according to the terms of my truce, I am required to take their part. I've convinced them to grant me some time to do what I can to find their treasure, and if I manage to recover it, then I hope to be able to convince them to accept it with no questions asked. But if they come looking for it themselves, they'll be t
hinking only of vengeance. And if the thieves refuse to surrender the treasure, I can't do anything to protect them."

  That made Jherridan shut up in a hurry. He cast a brief glance at his wizard. While Thelvyn still felt certain that the king had no part in the theft, Jherridan obviously didn't consider Kalestraan beyond such an act. But the senior wizard only continued to appear unconcerned.

  "I don't know what to say about that," Kalestraan said at last. "Obviously I did not steal this artifact. Frankly, I don't even know what you are talking about, but I can see for myself that I am better off not asking. You both know I already have command of a native source of latent magic here in our own land, though we have much to learn about how to control it. I do not require additional artifacts of power, and I would not want such a thing so near my own source of power in the first place. I have no way to prove that I don't have it hidden somewhere. If you propose to search for it, then I will certainly do anything I can to assist you."

  "Thank you for your generous offer," Thelvyn said quickly. "I propose to do precisely that. Once I've done all I can to find it here, perhaps the dragons will accept my word that you don't have it."

  Thelvyn had to let the matter drop. There seemed little more he could do at that time, and he still couldn't imagine how the Fire Wizards could have learned about the collar or taken it in the first place. But if Byen Kalestraan thought he could bluff Thelvyn into accepting his innocence, he was sadly mistaken.

  Thelvyn wasn't able to return home until that evening. As he walked the short distance from the palace, he wondered if Kharendaen had returned with Sir George. As soon as he stepped through the gate into the yard, he saw that the main doors to Kharendaen's lair stood open and a warm light was pouring through the doorway into the gathering darkness of the yard.

  Once inside the warehouse, he saw that Sir George sitting in one of the chairs speaking with Kharendaen, who reclined in her bed. Although Sir George still spent much of his time in Braejr, the only home he actually owned at that time was his comfortable townhouse in Darokin. He was a tall, powerfully built man who could, when he wished, be mistaken for being rather soft, even plump. He had a friendly and disarming face, with bright eyes, a great beak of a nose, and a long, flowing mustache, and he was fond of dressing in the flamboyant manner of a Darokin merchant. At one time, he had been an errant knight of Darokin, serving in the Order of the Roads, retiring to trade in antiquities when he lost his left hand in honorable combat. Only his closest friends knew that he was also a mandrake, able to assume the form of a small dragon as needed.