The Dragon's Champion

by Sam Ferguson

  Janik closed the window and pushed Lepkin back to the table. “I was making my rounds when I heard Orres give the initial order to search your study. I thought it would attract too much attention to stop them, so instead I snuck into Orres’ study and took his journal. I’m not sure why he seeks the dark tome, but I suspect you’ll find the answers in that journal, if you can figure out how to make the words appear.”

  “You did right,” Lepkin said. He started organizing the papers and hurriedly stuffed them into a saddle bag that he had brought up. “Orres can look all night. They won’t find the book here.”

  “You’ve hidden Nagar’s Secret elsewhere then?” Janik asked. Master Lepkin didn’t respond. Janik paused for a moment and inhaled deeply. “Did you hear about Tukai?”

  “Yes, I heard your brother mention the warlock,” Lepkin said grimly. “If that is true, then it is likely too late for Erik.”

  Janik grabbed Lepkin by the shoulders. “Look at me,” Janik implored. “If Erik is strong enough to defeat Dimwater’s wolf, he can probably hold off a warlock, for a while at least. You have to get to him.”

  “There is little chance that Erik is still alive,” Lepkin said, colder than he meant to.

  “If he dies, then there is little chance that any of us will live.” Janik sighed heavily.

  “Alright, I’ll go. You keep an eye on your brother, but don’t do anything until I return. I will deal with him later.”

  “May the gods grant you strength,” Janik said. “I will tell Lady Dimwater that you regretted not being able to say good-bye to her.” The two clasped wrists and then Lepkin grabbed the saddle bag and bolted for the door.

  Janik cleared the rest of the papers and books from the table and put them back in their rightful places on the bookshelves. He had just put the last book back when three men, dressed in plain, dirty clothes came through the doorway. One of them had a split bottom lip.

  “Gentlemen, I’m afraid Kuldiga Academy is closed for the weekend. You’ll have to come back in a couple days.”

  “Do you think he knows anything?” one of the men asked. Janik noted that the man’s hand lowered to the hilt of a sword hanging from his belt.

  “There is one way to find out,” one of the others said.

  *****

  Erik stumbled right through the spikes and then the door and fell flat on his stomach. Braun ran right over him and stopped at a rack of swords. He grabbed a short sword and quickly belted it to his waist. “Get up, Master Erik,” Braun said dryly.

  Erik looked back at the door, but it was gone. All he could see was the hallway they had been running in. “Where is the door? I swear I saw a door with spikes, and you pushed me right at them.”

  Braun looked back and regarded Erik for a moment before smirking. “Warlocks aren’t the only ones with magic. It’s an ancient spell meant to slow down any intruders that may have found the tunnel.”

  “You mean the door wasn’t real?” Erik asked incredulously.

  “That’s exactly right.” Braun reached to a rack on the wall and grabbed a pair of battle-axes. “C’mon, boy, we need to move. Get up here and choose a sword.”

  Erik pushed up to his feet and went to the sword rack. He grabbed the nearest long sword and held it up, testing its balance. Deciding it would do just fine he took the sword and went to a nearby wardrobe to find a belt. Braun marched over and pushed Erik back from the wardrobe. He eyed him quick, measuring him, and then grabbed a leather hauberk, leather leggings, and a leather helmet.

  “Put these on as fast as you can,” Braun ordered. “Right over the top of your clothes,” he added. Erik did as he was told. By the time he was finished Braun had chosen a chainmail shirt and steel helmet to complete the ensemble. “Here, arms up boy,” Braun said. Erik lifted his arms and Braun pulled the heavy mail over Erik’s torso. Then Braun placed the helmet on his head and tightened the chin strap. “It ain’t the best armor, but it will do till we get to some place where we can buy you a proper suit.”

  Braun helped Erik belt the sword onto his waist and then looked at the boy for a moment. Braun turned around and pulled a bow from a rack near the wardrobe. He slid the bow over one of Erik’s shoulders and then he grabbed a quiver with a dozen arrows and strapped it to Erik’s back.

  “I’ve never shot a bow before,” Erik said.

  “We’ll worry about that later,” Braun replied. “Let’s go.” Braun grabbed the back of Erik’s neck and pushed him onward again.

  Erik had to focus hard not to topple over on his face this time. The chainmail made him off balance, the padded leather armor slowed him down, and the helmet was much heavier than he had expected. All Braun needed to do was add just a little more effort to his pushing and Erik would be stuck on the ground like an over-turned beetle. Luckily, the three times Erik did start to fall, Braun’s hand yanked him back upright and kept him going straight.

  When the tunnel finally ended in a ladder, Erik wasn’t sure he could climb. He was tired from running and unable to move half as well as he was used to. Braun didn’t wait. He grabbed Erik and pushed him up the ladder until Erik was finally able to scramble up himself. When the hatch popped open, Erik saw four guards standing there, protecting his escape. A fifth guard rushed over and reached down to pull Erik out of the hole.

  “Come on, Master Erik, let’s go,” the man said as he hoisted Erik up and onto the ground.

  Erik looked around and his mouth fell open. Some of the sheds and guard houses were ablaze, overrun by yellow and orange flames that reached upward, licking at the night sky. Men were shouting everywhere. Erik saw men running with buckets of water, while the guards dismissed the fires and chased other things through the darkness. Screams and shouts of pain were accompanied by ringing sounds, and the occasional howl. Erik had no idea what was happening.

  A hand dropped on his shoulder. “Move, your horse is over there,” Braun shouted. Erik hurried over to Goliath. His mammoth horse was not only fitted with a proper saddle, but also had saddle bags in place. Erik realized that he would not be coming back home any time soon. With help of several guards Erik finally got onto his saddle. Braun wasted no time. He mounted his own horse and then grabbed Goliath’s reins as he charged off, taking Erik into the night and away from danger.

  Erik held on tight, keeping his eyes focused on the trail ahead and trying to force the sounds out of his ears. They rushed over the fields of his father’s land, toward the forest. As they neared the tree line Erik heard shouting from one of the nearby cottages. Something inside crashed, it sounded like a table and dishes falling to the floor. Erik looked to the cottage and realized that it was Louis’ home. He knew the old man lived with his wife, and neither of them would be able to protect themselves against an intruder. Erik felt a strange emotion come over him. He reached forward and, with strength previously unknown to him, yanked the reins out of Braun’s hand. Erik turned Goliath toward the cottage and drew his sword.

  “Erik, no,” Braun shouted. Erik ignored the warning.

  The young man leapt from atop the horse and crashed through the doorway. He quickly gained his footing and assessed the situation. For an instant everyone inside was completely motionless, as if his presence had frozen them in place. Erik saw two men, wearing dirty, old tunics and leather breeches. One man held a knife to Louis’ throat and the other held Louis’ wife on the bed. Their beady, yellow eyes stared back at him for what seemed like an hour.

  Rage boiled up inside Erik.

  He dashed over and cut down the man that held the knife to Louis’ throat before anyone in the room could blink. Then, he turned to face the other man, with the rage burning in his eyes. The man released Louis’ wife and ran for the doorway, but Braun was already there with his axe. Braun ended the man’s life and let the body slump to the floor.

  “Erik, we must go, now,” Braun ordered.

  Erik looked around him for a moment. “We must protect the people,” he replied. He looked down to the man he had killed an
d the color drained from his face. The man’s agony was forever etched into the expression that looked back up to Erik. Suddenly the boy felt weak in the knees. Louis caught him before he fell and Braun was there in an instant.

  “Come on, Master Erik,” Braun said coolly. “We must go.” Erik nodded slowly as Braun helped him regain his footing.

  “Thank you, Master Erik,” Louis offered with a bow of the head.

  Louis’ words helped remind Erik of the urgency of the situation, and helped to lessen the feelings of guilt and horror in Erik’s gut. The young man looked up to Louis and offered a smile before Braun pulled him out of the cottage and flung him back atop his horse.

  “That was a brave thing,” Braun commented. “Stupid, but brave.” Braun took Goliath’s reins again and the two sped off for the forest. They had to slow down once they were inside the trees, but Braun seemed to be much more at ease now despite the slower pace.

  He led them to a huge, thick wall of briar bushes. Braun dismounted and slowly, gently, pushed the thick briar bushes apart so they could pass through. Erik noticed that the ground sloped down steeply into a sort of earthen bowl. The briar bushes stretched over the top of the bowl like a thorny, wooden roof. Erik was surprised that there was enough room in the bowl for him to sit atop Goliath without even worrying about the thorns above.

  “This will keep us safe for a while,” Braun said. “We will pass the night here.”

  Erik looked back over the way they had entered the bowl. The bushes had moved back into place behind them, completely blocking the view of the forest. “We are still quite close to the fighting,” Erik said.

  “True, but any pursuers will try to go around this area. The briars are treacherous to pass through. The thorns can rip through chainmail if you hit them right. Even if someone managed to get through the briars, they will have to answer to my axe.”

  “What of all the people?” Erik asked. “Shouldn’t we help them?”

  “We are helping them, Master Erik. We are helping them by protecting you.”

  Erik shook his head. He didn’t understand that. “Wouldn’t it be better if the enemy got me?” Erik asked. “If they came for me, then all of this will stop if I give myself up.”

  Braun came over and grabbed the boy from his saddle, throwing him roughly to the dirt below. “Listen to me, boy,” Braun growled. “My job is to protect you from all dangers, including yourself. If you gave yourself to the enemy do you really think they would call off the attack?” Braun tightened his grip on Erik’s chainmail. “Your father would never allow them to get away with you in their grasp. He would come for you. The fighting would continue down to the last man, do you hear me boy?”

  “Yes, Braun, I hear you,” Erik replied.

  “Even if the fighting did stop, some of my men have already died. I can not think that they died for nothing. Some will suffer, that is the way of war, but if we hold to our course, we can save many more from suffering. Do you understand?”

  Erik nodded with a tear in his eye. He didn’t like the thought of people suffering to protect him. “Is this about the omen, Braun?”

  Braun was silent for a long time. He released his grip on Erik and walked away. Something rustled the briar branches from the side of the bowl. Braun looked to Erik and held a finger to his lips. Erik nodded and rolled over to his knees. Both of them silently prepared their weapons and waited.

  All at once a trio of men burst into the bowl. They howled savagely and had crazed looks in their eyes. Two of the men went for Braun and one went for Erik. Braun sliced at the men, but caught only air. A knife flashed across Braun’s chest, but he was protected by his armor. Braun struck out with the pommel of his axe and caught one of the savage men square in the face, splatting the man’s nose.

  Erik jumped to his feet and held out his sword, but his attacker came straight at him, unafraid. Erik couldn’t see well enough in the dark to calculate how many steps it would take the man to reach him so he took a wild swing at the man as he drew close. The man rolled on the ground and shoved a knife up into Erik’s abdomen with one hand while he swung a hatchet into Erik’s side with the other hand. Erik’s eyes went wide. The force of both blows was astonishing. Erik crumpled to the side, but he held the grip on his sword tight. His attacker howled with delight and rose over Erik’s head to deliver the killing blow.

  Erik swung his sword back, clumsily, but his attacker grabbed him at the wrist and came down with his hatchet. Just before the blade connected with Erik’s cheek, a flash of fur and metal and hoof caught the attacker in the ribs. Erik felt the force of the impact as though it were thunder. The attacker’s ribs cracked like dry sticks and then he went sprawling to the side of the bowl.

  Goliath trotted around Erik and stood defiantly between the attacker and his master. Erik gave silent thanks to his horse and promised to reward the animal later. He then looked up to see how Braun was faring. Braun had his back against the side of the bowl. Something dark and shiny ran down his left arm and over some other parts of his armor. Both of the other attackers were working ferociously on the guard. Erik rose to his feet. He had to help his friend. The crazed man with the broken ribs also rose to his feet, but Goliath kicked and stomped. The man jumped this way and that, trying to evade the horse and get to Erik, but Goliath held his ground and pushed the man back.

  Erik nodded to Goliath and then charged the pair hacking at Braun. He stabbed his sword at the back of the closest attacker, but the man somehow knew what was coming and jumped away at the last second. Erik had to scramble to keep from stumbling forward and running his blade through his friend. The attacker he had tried to kill jumped back at him with the speed of a forest cat. Erik was on his back, looking up into the wild man’s eyes. Erik reached up and grabbed the man’s wrist just before a dagger could be driven into his neck. Erik tried to move his sword hand, but the man was kneeling on his other arm and Erik couldn’t muster the strength to free himself. The two were at a stalemate for the briefest of moments, and then the dagger started inching forward. Erik pushed against the man’s arm with all of his might but the attacker leaned forward and let his bodyweight overpower Erik.

  Erik glanced over to Braun with his eyes, hoping that his friend could help and save him, but his hopes were dashed apart when he saw Braun was still locked in combat with the third attacker, and there was no way for him to reach Erik before the knife point would plunge into him. Erik yelled in anger and frustration, pouring all of his strength into the fight. Still the dagger came down toward his throat. Erik called out for Goliath and then the man on top of him was snatched off and Erik heard growling and cries of agony.

  Erik looked over, expecting to see his horse stomp the man into the dirt, but the animal before him was not a horse. It was a wolf. The man suddenly twitched and arched his back, then was still. The wolf looked back to Erik with intense eyes and a wet, shiny maw. It was Dimwater’s wolf. Erik froze for an instant. A flurry of thoughts swarmed his mind. Had the wolf come to finish him off? Was Dimwater part of the assault on his home?

  The wolf leapt back toward Goliath. The two animals made quick work of their foe and then the wolf dashed across the earthen bowl and ripped the last attacker away from Braun. The man emitted a horrible scream as the wolf tore into the back of his neck and flung him around like a rag doll. The man’s neck snapped with a deafening crack, and then the man went limp. As quickly as the fight had started, silence overtook the bowl.

  Erik sat staring at the wolf. Braun slumped to his knees, breathing heavily. Goliath came up beside Erik and pawed at the dirt next to him. Erik absently reached up and petted his horse’s leg, staring at the wolf all the while. The wolf gazed into Erik’s eyes for just a moment before it leapt out of the bowl through the briars, without even disturbing a single thorn of the massive entanglement. Erik shuddered and then went over to Braun.

  “Are you alright, Braun?” Erik asked.

  “Yes, I will be fine. I will need you to fetch a small leath
er bag out of my saddle bag though. I need to patch up a few places.”

  Erik nodded and rose to his feet and then he remembered that the first attacker had gotten him as well. Slowly he slid his left hand to his abdomen, where the knife had entered. There was warm liquid, but not as much as he expected. He then cupped his right hand to his side where the hatchet had struck him and found no blood at all.

  “Let me look,” Braun said. Erik removed his hands and let Braun look at him. Braun traced his index finger over his side. “This side is fine, the chainmail withheld the blow. Let me see your stomach.” Erik turned and Braun tenderly touched around the stab wound. “You’re fine,” he said after a few seconds.

  “But, I was stabbed. There is blood too,” Erik protested.

  “It isn’t so bad, Erik,” Braun reassured. “The knife never touched you. A couple of your links broke through your hauberk and dug into your skin, but that’s all. Go and get my bag.”

  Erik was dumbfounded, but he did as he was told. He opened the saddle bag and felt around. He pulled out a wrapped leather bag closed with a thong tied around the opening. “Is this it?” Erik asked.

  Braun nodded and held out his hand. Erik brought him the bag. “Now, I need you to get a candle so I can see what I am doing. You should find one in the other saddle bag.”

  “Would you rather I make a torch?” Erik asked.

  “No,” Braun said. His breathing was still heavy, but his words were getting softer. “Just get the candle, like I asked. A torch would be too much light.”

  Erik went to the other saddle bag and retrieved a candle and some matches. He set the candle down in front of Braun and lit it. The earthen bowl threw shadows around as the light flickered. Erik looked up and his mouth fell open. Several large gashes hung open on Braun’s left arm. Blood streamed steadily from the wounds. As Erik followed the path of the blood he noticed that there were several gashes along the side of Braun’s left thigh as well.