Trial of the Dragon (The Chronicles of Dragon, Series 2, Book 6 of 10) (Tail of the Dragon 7)

by Craig Halloran

  Small wooden racks of colorful potion vials unfolded like they would in a fisherman’s tackle box, filling his eyes. In the bottom of the box—which seemed deeper and wider than it looked—were several strange objects. A bag filled with carved marble pieces. A folded sheet of black cloth. The horn of a ram, curled up with a brass tip on the small end. He picked up a tiny lantern and set it in the palm of his hand. A yellow ember pulsated within. He fished through some other items. A wand of carved black wood, a thread and needle, a bejeweled dagger with a stubby blade.

  I bet Brenwar would have a fit if he knew I was rummaging through this.

  He fingered the potions one by one.

  I love these things. I want to drink them all. I wonder what would happen if I used two at once.

  They were marked with lettering he didn’t understand, but he was pretty certain about the yellow ones. They healed. He shook one up, watching the little sparkles twinkle within.

  I could use one of these about now. My back’s aching. Just a sip.

  He started to twist off the cork.

  “Ahem!”

  Ben jerked around. He found Bayzog’s penetrating violet eyes boring a hole right through him. With a sigh, he put the vial back. “I wasn’t going to drink it.” He closed the lid. “Did you find anything?”

  With a straight face, Bayzog said, “Maybe.”

  CHAPTER 4

  “Glad to see you among us, Dragon King.” Brenwar took a knee and bowed as soon as Nath walked out the throne room door. He remained there, unmoving, and he wasn’t the only one who bowed.

  Slivver, Nath’s brother the silver dragon, was on one knee and had his head down as well.

  Noticing no one else was around, Nath said to them, “Friends, there is no need for such formalities unless we are in the presence of others or it’s a formal occasion, from here on out.” Nath pushed his hair back. “Please rise and just be my friend and brother, the same as you have always been. I mean it.”

  Brenwar rose first and looked around the cavernous hall. “Good. Do you have all of your pouting out of your system?”

  “I was mourning, not pouting.”

  Dragon arms crossed, Slivver stood seven feet tall in his brilliant coat of silver scales with the look of grand nobility. With his long chin up, he said, “Any time that bottom lip is out, it’s a pout. Yours still hangs a little.”

  “It does not.” Nath tightened his lips. The last time he was among them, he’d been arguing with everyone. He wanted to go back and recover his father’s body. They had all told him no, which had infuriated him, because he was the king and they had defied his orders. It wasn’t so much that they stopped him from doing what he wanted but the fact that they convinced him not to do it. Grahleyna and Selene had been adamant. They had made a strong case, but he still stewed over it. Sansla Libor had sided with the women, and so had Slivver, though he hadn’t been very vocal about it. The only one Nath hadn’t argued with was Brenwar. “I still want to retrieve my father’s body. He deserves a burial.”

  “Aye.” Brenwar stated. “He deserves a grand funeral. One that lasts for weeks. I’m all for going back after him. I was to begin with. I’m ready.”

  “And what do you think, Slivver?” Nath said to his older brother.

  Slivver’s icy blue eyes stared into his. “He’s my father too. And I agree about the burial. But I don’t think Balzurth would make that a priority when there was only one king left. That one is you, Nath. But you’ve had plenty of time to think about it. I’ll stand by your decision as your servant, your brother, and your friend.”

  Nath put his hand on Slivver’s shoulder. “You’ll never know how much that means to me. I’m elated to have you by my side.” He dropped his hand. “Both of you—like old times, but with a thousand times more responsibility.” He tossed his long red hair back and allowed himself a smile. “One way or the other, we will get Balzurth back, but after days of thought and careful consideration, I think I need to consider a different strategy. How do we stop the wurmers and titans once and for all? How can I do that and run a kingdom of dragons at the same time?”

  “We take them down one at a time,” Brenwar said. He punched his fist into his hand. “The same as we always do.”

  “Nath, I know you think the dragons won’t rally around you, but they will. They are ready. I’ve spoken with many of them, and they see what’s going on. They are more than ready to fight.” Slivver smiled. “Besides, at this point, they really don’t have a choice.”

  Nath started to walk with his friends in tow. The cavernous tunnels inside the Mountain of Doom wound, turned, dipped, and bent. They passed chamber after chamber as they walked. Most of the huge alcoves were open for all to view, but some had beautiful woven curtains hung on iron rods. He made his way to the outside top of the mountain, where the stiff winds greeted his cheeks like icy kisses. The clouds soared more than a thousand ells below his feet in some places. Beyond the greenery were the surrounding lands of Nalzambor. Nearby, scattered in the rocks, dragons of all sorts were perched. Their eyes were outward, wings closed behind their backs, as they studied the enemy that lurked in the distance.

  “No wurmer attacks?” Nath asked.

  “Every once in a while a few rogues will fly too close, but our brethren have been quick to take them down.” Slivver’s wings stretched out for a moment and folded behind his back again. “Things have been quiet the last couple of weeks.”

  “Too quiet.” Brenwar clawed his skeleton fingers through his thick locks of beard. “Something’s brewing. They are stacking up fortifications all around the mountain. Their armies are building. I’ve never before seen so many giants in one place. It should be a feast for Morgdon when the real battle comes.”

  “Assuming the dwarves show up,” Slivver commented.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  Nath stepped between them. “It sounds like you both know what you mean, but I’d like to be filled in.” Brenwar and Slivver turned their backs on one another. “As your king, I command you both: out with it!”

  CHAPTER 5

  “You’re the one flapping your lizard lips, Slivver, so go on with it.” Brenwar’s brows furrowed as he crossed his meaty arms over his chest.

  Slivver stretched his neck over Brenwar, glowered at him. “Call me a lizard again and I’ll roast you like a chestnut.”

  “Go ahead and try it, fish bait.”

  Nath pushed them away from each other. “Just tell me: what’s going on?”

  Slivver the dragon put his fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. “It seems that the dwarves and elves are becoming more obsessed with your capture these days.”

  “What do you mean?” Nath suddenly recalled the other dilemma. “Oh, they’re still looking for Laedorn and Uurluuk’s murderer. Am I still the only one accused?”

  “Both the dwarves and the elves have sent messages to Dragon Home, demanding your surrender,” Slivver continued.

  Exasperated, Nath said, “And how in Nalzambor did they get messages to us through all that?” He pointed out toward the distant and growing armies of the titans. “Do they not know that my father is dead? That I am the Dragon King?”

  “The letter came from a mystic envoy, signed by both the elves and the dwarves.”

  “Did we send them a reply?” Nath asked, eyeing Brenwar.

  “I sent them a reply, all right. Now I’m out of sorts with them and them with me.” Brenwar made a long face. “It doesn’t sit well with me, being at odds with my kin. You know how they are when it comes to justice. They won’t stop until they find Uurluuk’s assassin.”

  “Dwarves do have one-track minds,” Slivver commented.

  “Well, the elves and the dragons aren’t any better!” Brenwar picked up a hunk of rock and punted it off the mountain ledge. He wagged his finger at Slivver. “Next time, it’s going to be you going over the cliff like that.”

  “I can fly, you know
.”

  “You’re not going to fly!”

  “Enough,” Nath cut in. “We should all be happy about one thing.” They looked at him with perched brows. “At least the elves and dwarves are working together for a change.” His friends remained expressionless. “Fine, no more levity, even though I could use some. So, have we had any luck finding Bayzog and his family?”

  “I’m afraid I don’t have anything to report,” Slivver said. “I’ve dispatched dragons by the dozens to find them, but it’s been difficult communicating with our brethren. There’s just so many wurmers dominating the skies. Any time a dragon is sighted, there’s no hesitation. They attack. Bayzog and his family have enemies coming from all sides. Wurmers, giants, dwarves, and elves are all searching for them now. The elves and dwarves are determined to bring anyone close to you in for questioning at their high tribunal.”

  Brenwar started shaking his head.

  That guilty feeling seeped into Nath’s heart. His friends were in danger because of him. It ignited a fire inside him, because—this time—they were in danger for something he hadn’t done. “We need to find them. We need to find the murderer. Someone somewhere knows something, and we must be overlooking it. Honestly, Gorlee is the only living person I can imagine imitating me and pulling it off.”

  “There are many ways to deceive the eyes,” Slivver reminded him. “There are dark resources capable of such things. Magic disguises. Objects of transformation. Even a potion could do such a thing for a little while.”

  “And let’s not forget that the witnesses could be lying,” Brenwar added. “I hate to admit it, but even some of the dwarves can be bribed.”

  Nath nodded. “True, but they have Akron. Whoever stole it must have been close to us at one time or another. That’s why I think of Gorlee. One of his kin could have fallen under the spell of the titans.” Nath pushed the hair out of his eyes. Now was one of those times he wished he could turn back into a dragon. If it’s not one dilemma, it’s another. How did Father deal with all this? “We are at war, friends, and we are going to need the help of the dwarves and the elves to get through it. I don’t think we can rely on any help from them until we get this resolved. Somebody needs to find this assassin.” He sighed. “I’m not going to lie to you. I’m tempted to just turn myself over to them. After all, I am innocent. A trial will find that.”

  Slivver shook his head. “No, you can’t do that, Nath. We don’t know who is driving this. I agree with Brenwar: perhaps the leadership is jaded. Too many evil spirits abound that are corrupting the minds of the races.”

  “You are as wise as you are silver. Let’s put all our heads together and try to figure out what we need to do to get a handle on this mess. It’s sad to say, but I think we can use Father’s death to our advantage. Perhaps we can regain our old allies while the titans revel in it.” Nath started back inside Mountain Home. “Let’s go advise Selene and my mother.”

  Brenwar and Slivver stopped in their tracks behind Nath.

  Nath turned. “Don’t tell me. She’s gone again, isn’t she.”

  CHAPTER 6

  “Well played, Rerry, well played,” said Scar.

  They’d spent two days breaking free of the settlements by moving a league west around the mountains, beyond the edges of the lava lakes. Heavy downpours came on and off, making for sloppy footing. The rain was pounding at the moment, splattering muddy drops up to the small band’s knees.

  Rerry and Samaz slogged through it, having a little trouble keeping up with Scar’s brisk pace. They’d both become hardened in their early adventures, but they weren’t soldiers accustomed to long marches without breaks. Rerry wiped the water from his face and said back to his brother, “All this because I gave a woman my name?”

  Samaz nodded his rain-drenched mop of black hair. “Your lips are too loose with the ladies.” He grinned. “You need to be more the strong and silent type, like me.” He took a long look over his shoulder as they moved across the rain-slicked bank. “I’m still not sure where we’re going. I thought we were going to take our chances in Elome.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Rerry said. His fingers grasped the branches as he hauled himself up the bank. At the top, he found himself face to face with the one-eyed Scar. “What?”

  Scar grabbed his hands and opened them up. There were pieces of green leaves in them. Aggravated, Scar said, “What’s that?”

  “Leaves. Why?”

  “No, it’s a trail!” The elven warrior smacked the leaves out of his hands.

  “What do you mean? They can’t follow us in this rain.”

  “Of course they can. You’re making it easy. If you were all elf, you’d know that.”

  “I knew it,” Rerry fired back. He hadn’t, but he certainly wasn’t going to admit that to Scar, even though they were getting along much better. “Where are we going, anyway? Wouldn’t it be easier to lose them in Elome? I still want to take a crack at the Ocular of Orray.”

  “We aren’t going to pursue anything until we lose our pursuers. And that won’t be easy. Those dwarves will march nonstop until their feet fall off. Even then, they’ll probably keep going.”

  “We’re much faster. I don’t see how they can even stay close. Certainly by now we’ve put a great distance between us and them. We need to relax.”

  “I’ll tell you this, you’ll have plenty of time to relax after you’re captured if you want to wait up for them.” Scar started after his waiting men. “But if you don’t want to experience life behind dwarven bars, you’d best follow me.”

  “Fine, but where are we going? Listen to me, Scar. I want to help my mother. There has to be a way.”

  Scar resumed his pace with the others. “I can’t believe you two made it this far. What you’re looking for is like looking for a needle in a haystack the size of a mountain. You can’t just leave home thinking ‘I’m going to find a cure’ and have it happen.”

  “Why not?” Samaz said.

  “You need a better... Actually, you need a plan.”

  “We had one,” Rerry said.

  “Yes, to steal the Ocular of Orray. But what was your back-up plan?” Scar stopped and poked both of them in the shoulders with his gauntleted hands. “And now you have me caught all up in it. Lucky for you, I do have a plan.”

  “I like it so far. Wandering aimlessly through the mud is so much better than what we were doing.”

  “You’re funny, Rerry. And look how far it’s gotten you. Believe it or not, once we shake these dwarves, I know a seer who can give us a better idea about your situation. She knows much about everything.” Scar pulled his booted foot out of a section of mud that made a sucking pop. “Watch out for the darker patches of clay. Some of them are sinkholes.”

  “Who is this seer of whom you speak? I always heard that seers were misaligned people,” Samaz stated.

  Scar shrugged. “Maybe so, but even misdirected people can be beneficial. Besides, there’s no guarantee she’ll reveal herself. She’s a real crone.”

  “How far away is she?” Rerry asked.

  “She’s on the other side of the Flooding River, west of Harm’s Way.”

  “Harm’s Way?” Rerry gave his brother a concerned glance. “Are we supposed to believe that’s a real place?”

  “I didn’t name it. It just is.”

  They marched, trotted, and ran through the slop and the slick grass on and off for another day and night. Rerry’s legs felt like lead. Samaz’s chin sagged. Even the remaining elven guards were puffing. Finally, just after nightfall, the rain subsided. They stood on the soft bank of a rushing river. The strong current was half a mile wide.

  “We can’t swim that with our gear on,” Rerry said. “Even without, it would be a challenge.”

  “There’s a bridge, more than one.” Scar gave his elven guards a whistle. They sprinted down the riverbank, vanishing among the reeds. He pointed upriver. “We’ll check the next crossing north of here. Last time I came through, it was guarde
d.”

  “You’re well-traveled for an elven guard,” Rerry said. “I thought most of your stations were in Elome.”

  “I made plenty of rounds when I was younger. The elven merchant trains were a good way for a young soldier to cut his teeth.” Scar smirked. “I was young and had some adventures of my own. You’d be surprised.” He picked his way through the thickets that hugged a bend in the river. “That’s how I learned about the seer. My leaders sought her wisdom once. It was a strange thing but beneficial.”

  The group ducked under the rain-soaked branches without disturbing a drop of water until they found themselves in a clearing that overlooked the river. Up the rushing stream, a long, dark bridge snaked over the watery expanse.

  “Hah!” Rerry smiled. “It looks like we have an easy walk over the river.” He started toward the bridge.

  Scar stuffed his palm into Rerry’s chest. “That’s what scares me.”

  CHAPTER 7

  An army of orcs marched down the muddied road heading south. They carried banners of black and red that waved in the brisk wind with the cut edges snapping. Among the hundreds of them were all the races, double in size. They stood out among the ranks like walking trees. Their weapons were made of steel and iron. Great chains hung from their necks.

  They chanted in Orcen, “Death to the dragons! Death to men! Death to all who oppose the titans!”

  The centipede of steel and death pushed up the hill and vanished on the other side. It took several long moments before their bellowing chants were no longer heard.

  Alongside the road was a clump of rocks piled up with the bushes. The image shimmered. Three forms took shape, and they were Bayzog, Sasha, and Ben.