“Ben, do you have any idea who might have stolen the bow?”
“I really don’t. No one in my household remarked about anything strange.”
“Thank you, Ben.”
Lindor asked Anlee if she wanted to question this witness.
“Certainly, Judge.” She marched right up in front of Ben and asked, “Did the box you secured the bow in have a lock?”
“Yes, a good one.”
“How many keys are there to the lock?”
“Just one.”
“Do you keep the key with you at all times?”
“No.”
Anlee gave Ben a quick smile. “Ben, do you think it’s possible for the key to be stolen or the lock to the strongbox to be picked?”
“I suppose.”
“You know Nath Dragon well, right?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think that if he wanted to, he’d be clever enough to retrieve the bow from your strongbox?”
“I suppose. If anyone could do it, Nath could.”
“Objection!” Nath shouted out.
“Shush, Nath,” Laylana said.
“Why didn’t you object to that absurdity?” Nath glared at Laylana. “She’s putting words in Ben’s mouth.”
“Order! Order!” Lindor said. “Laylana, control your client’s outbursts.”
“Apologies, your honor.” Laylana bowed. “To all of the panel. It won’t happen again.” She eased over to Nath and talked under her breath. “You’re making this worse. I’ll handle this. You might not see it, but this is going much better than expected.”
“Even a mole could see that you are losing.”
Aghast, she said, “You aren’t making it easy. I’m the only hope you have left, you know.”
“Laylana, is there a problem?” Lindor asked.
“No, your honor. There is no problem at all.” She moved away from Nath. “Please, continue.”
With a smug look on her face, Anlee said, “No further questions, your honor.”
“Does the defense have any other witnesses?” the judge said.
With a disappointed look at Nath, Laylana said to the judge, ‘No.’”
“I see. Then we will allow for the closing arguments after a short recess.” Lindor banged the table. “Adjourned.”
Nath tried to get Laylana’s attention, but she moved on. Brenwar and Ben disappeared among the soldiers and the citizens. Standing in the cage surrounded by thousands of people, he had never felt so alone. He could see now that his outburst against Laylana hadn’t helped him any. Guilt dug between his ribs. Everything around him was so surreal. It didn’t seem like anyone was on his side at all. He rested his head against the bars.
Some of his father’s words came to him. “Often, there’s a veil over the eyes of the races that clouds their judgment. They can’t always see the truth like a dragon can. They are flawed and prone to error. Their hearts can be easily manipulated.”
Nath watched the judges begin to reconvene. They were so casual. They drank and jested with one another as they sat down.
They are flawed, and my fate rests with them.
CHAPTER 37
The sun was setting, casting gray shadows over the courtyard. The dwarves lit the oil lanterns and hung them on tall posts. Wavering yellow light cast shadows on the people’s faces, giving them a disturbing look. Many of them jested and frolicked.
Elven and dwarven cajolers unified together. Madness!
Nath rubbed the chill crawling up his scales. He’d always felt like he had all the time in the world. Today was different. Time was running out. His fate now rested in the hands of people whose reasoning had been diluted. He scanned the faces in the crowd and those of the soldiers who manned the walls. There wasn’t a friendly face among them. The only person on his side was himself.
Every seat in the stands was filled. Laylana and Anlee stood before the judges with their chins down. Laylana hadn’t so much as acknowledged Nath.
Lindor clonked the stone table again. “We have heard all the evidence, and now we will hear your closing arguments. Anlee, you may begin.”
Laylana stepped aside.
Anlee stood tall. She brushed her robes behind her back and spoke with conviction. “Judges, the defender is making the case that Nath Dragon is not the murderer by using nothing short of deceit and misdirection. I’ve called a dozen witnesses, all credible elves and dwarves who are pillars in their communities. Every last one of them described the murderer of Laedorn and Uurluuk as a man fitting Nath Dragon’s description. Look at the man, the assassin himself. There can’t be any mistaking his identity. His flaming mane of hair. Those insidious black scales.”
Anlee pointed right at Nath. “As the old saying goes, if he looks like an assassin, he’s an assassin. But that’s putting it nicely. Don’t be fooled. He’s nothing but a cold-hearted murderer. A villain who took the lives of our heroes.”
She held her stomach. Her dark eyes watered up. “It makes me sick. It makes me sorry. And now, the granddaughter of the slain Laedorn steps forward to defend his murderer. It’s unthinkable. But who am I to judge what kind of relationship she developed with Nath Dragon in their foreign travels together? Perhaps she is more than just counsel. Perhaps she has been dazzled by his golden eyes—which she spoke so fondly about.”
Nath noticed Laylana’s fists ball for a moment before loosening again. She still didn’t look at Nath.
Anlee went on. “Laylana has cleverly concocted a defense that would even stretch the imagination of a ten-year-old halfling.” She began to prowl around the table. “She claims that a person with chameleon-like powers, called a changeling, shifted into the image of Nath Dragon, stole his precious bow Akron from a secret location, and, without any motive whatsoever, invaded Elome and Morgdon and killed our leaders. She claims this assassin is still out there, on the prowl. Hah, perhaps this shape shifter is among us, but the funny thing is that no one else has been assassinated. Once word got out about Nath Dragon, the killing stopped.”
Putting her hands together as if in prayer, Anlee continued, “And finally, to take the theory into another realm of wonder, she brings forth two of Nath Dragon’s dearest friends. One of the friends, Brenwar Bolderguild—who’s probably taken more hits in the head than a one-armed orcen brawler—claims that they time traveled. What a convenient alibi. Now, don’t suppose that I don’t believe in magic. I’m an elf, so of course I do. But traveling in time at the whim of a magic sword which,” she spun around arms wide, “is unaccounted for? Maybe if we had it, we could travel back in time and prevent the assassinations. Perhaps Nath Dragon should have thought of that. Oh wait, why would he want to bring the dead back to life? If he’s the hero he says he is, wouldn’t he have done that?”
Nath rubbed his chin.
Is that possible?
“So, in closing, judges,” Anlee said, “all you have before you is the most convicting testimony of all. Eye witness testimony. As sure as that man stands before us all, the witnesses testified that he indeed is the heartless, cold-blooded murderer they saw.” She moved toward the elven side of the stands and stood quietly.
Lindor gave Anlee such an approving look that Nath thought the judge was going to stand up and applaud. Finally, the elven judge gathered himself. “Laylana, we are ready for your closing arguments, if you please.”
Laylana smoothed some wrinkles out of her skirt. “With intent and purpose, the opposing counsel has created the biggest illusion of all. Like a house of cards, she has stacked one paper-thin witness testimony upon another and another, hoping to build a wall of conviction. The problem is that none of the witnesses, after careful dissection of their testimony, could discern whether or not the assassin was indeed Nath Dragon or just someone who looked like Nath Dragon.”
She took a breath and calmly let it out. “In addition to that, we have the murder weapon, the bow Akron, which was conveniently left behind in Morgdon. The dwarves testify that the bow was found in pla
in sight, long after they’d lost track of the assailant. This is a remarkable coincidence. If Akron is so precious to Nath Dragon, why would he leave it behind? No, honored judges, this was done with intent. It is a set-up against Nath Dragon, the greatest enemy of the wicked.”
She paced back and forth in front of the stone table. “Again, I can’t emphasize enough that Nath Dragon does not have any motive to harm the elves or the dwarves. Personally, I will admit that when I myself sought vengeance against the accused for the murder of my dear grandfather Laedorn, I had nothing but blood in my eyes. I confronted Nath Dragon, and he confronted me with something I didn’t expect: action. I personally witnessed his own sacrifices for his friends, for myself, and, on a broader scale, for all of Nalzambor.”
She faced the judges. “We cannot rule out the involvement of magic or the powers of our unseen enemies when so much is on the line. The titans, the spirits, the hordes of evil want Nath Dragon gone. They will stop at nothing to end him. While we stand here and argue an absurd case against one of the greatest champions of good and freedom, the real murderer runs free. That isn’t justice. That is injustice. No one has even given a shred of thought to the fact that it could have been someone or something else. How can we ignore that?”
She turned and paced again. “Finally, I say this. Nath Dragon, a friend to all that pursue right over wrong, has a target on him because he’s the easiest to blame. It’s all so convenient to blame him rather than ourselves now that we have realized the true assassin has slipped through our fingers. Nath Dragon is our friend, and he is not guilty.”
Lindor nodded. “We will deliberate.” He banged the gavel. “Adjourned.”
Nath caught Laylana’s attention.
Grudgingly, she came over. Without looking at him, she said, “Yes?”
“Laylana, you did well.” He reached through the bars, lifted her chin, caught her eyes, and said, “I’m sorry.”
Her eyes flicked from green to solid black to green again. “You’re going to be sorry soon enough.” She licked her teeth and floated backward on her tiptoes. “And I can’t wait.”
CHAPTER 38
“Please explain what in Nalzambor you are doing here,” Selene demanded. She had her sword drawn. For some reason, the appearance of Gorlee was unsettling.
The changeling was a fragile creature in his normal appearance, little more than pinkish skin and bones, giving him a translucent look. His head was bald and a little bit veiny. “A thank-you would be appreciated,” he said.
“Thank you.” She poked the sword at his throat. “Now tell me what you’re doing here. And change form. You look like an aging newborn.”
Gorlee sprouted brown hair on his head, his color tanned, and common clothing formed over his body. He appeared to be a middle-aged man, somewhat like Ben. “Is this better?”
“It’s better than a dark gnome. Now out with it.”
“I suppose I could ask the same question of you, but I’ll go first,” Gorlee said with a confidence that belied his appearance. “I know Balzurth is dead, but I was his servant. I’ve been keeping an eye on things, particularly the wurmers.” He turned into the form of a green lily dragon. “Believe me when I say that I have been coming and going from Dragon Home for quite some time. Like you, I presume, I used the Chamber of Murals to map the locations of these nests. I’ve found many and made note of them. My mission wasn’t to seek and destroy but rather to find their weakness and see how they operate.”
Selene put her sword away. “I’m not sold. Why not destroy them?”
“I posed the same question to Balzurth myself. He believed that once one wurmer nest was destroyed, the others would be alerted. They’d move. Once they moved, there was no telling how long it would take to find their new locations.” He transformed back into a man. “Ideally, we wanted to find all the nests and take them all down at the same time. Much the same way as you did, using Orbs of Destruction against their life stones.”
She caught Sansla nodding and said to him, “Thoughts?”
“I’d be curious to know if Gorlee learned anything else that is helpful.”
“On a good note, you managed to destroy one of the life stones. That’s quite a blow to their ranks. But it will only trigger more devastation and make it even harder for us to find the others.”
As they walked through the Valley of Bones, Gorlee tore off a small dying branch. His arm turned into the size and texture of the branch. He tossed it aside, and his arm went back to normal. “The wurmer queen was paired up with a titan spirit, as you encountered. I remained undetected, because I’m getting really good at being me. I imagine the queen is dead, but the titan spirit probably survived. We survived because of the dimension portal I set up. It came from a scroll from Balzurth’s treasure room. I set it up in case I found myself in a pinch. Then the two of you came along.”
“So we can only assume the spirit Tylabahn will warn Eckubahn,” Selene said.
“Exactly. But in order to do so, she’ll need a host body. I learned that much about the titans. They lose strength if they aren’t close to a body. It’s as if another force reels them in. They have power, but they need flesh to thrive.”
“Perhaps we need to capture one,” Sansla suggested.
The distant branches quaked. Pushing through the trees and coming down the hill, the stone giants from the crater came. One of them had eyes red as fire.
Gorlee stepped between Selene and Sansla. “Speaking of capture, did anyone bring a really big net?”
“Maybe you should turn into one,” Selene said.
“If I could—eh, I probably wouldn’t.”
Standing as tall as some of the leafless trees, the giants were still far away. “What do you think, Sansla?” Selene asked.
“If they have our scent, I imagine they’ll be coming right for us. Or as Gorlee says, they might be moving on to warn the others.”
The giants shoved through the trees, splintering branches of deadwood with their brawny shoulders. In longer, heavy steps, they made it to the base of the Valley of Bones in seconds. There they stood, surveying the land and sky with long looks. The giant with the burning eyes looked right in Selene’s direction.
She leaned back behind a tree trunk.
Tylabahn. She’s in that thing.
She peeked back. The giants were on the move, away from them, north. Her breathing eased. “Gorlee, what’s to stop her from taking the body of a bird and flying away from here?”
“Unlike the minor spirits, she’s a titan. Her body has to be strong enough to hold the spirit.”
“I see.”
“What do you want to do, Selene?” Sansla said.
“I want to stop that titan.”
CHAPTER 39
“Isn’t this lovely? All the little heroes of Nalzambor wrapped up in steel like holiday gifts. I do agree that it’s certainly high time for celebration.” The Fairy Empress stood in the dungeons below the fortress where the trial was taking place. She had the appearance of an elf, but her hair was cotton white. The feathery gown she wore was a mix of black, white, and pink. Hovering around her were winged fairies no bigger than a man’s hand. They moved through the air with little impish faces, decorated in many bright colors. “Of course, the celebration has been going on for quite some time, and it will go on forever when Nath Dragon is gone like his father, Balzurth.”
Crammed inside a small dungeon cell, Bayzog stood with his family. All of their hands were bound up in leather so thick that he couldn’t see his fingers. His mouth was covered too. So were the mouths of his family. Staring at Lotuus, he knocked on the bars with his fists. He blinked at her.
“Oh, Bayzog, you are such a flirt. And shamelessly in front of your wife. I’m flattered.” Lotuus reached through the bars and pinched his cheek. “It’s adorable.”
Bayzog continued to blink.
Staring at his lips with hungry eyes, she said to him, “What a shame. I thought you were flirting, but you’re talking.”
She squinted. “I see. You want to know what is to become of you and your family after Nath Dragon dies. No, wait. Oh, this is so dated. Ah, congratulations on fooling the elves.” She shook her head. “I’m not saying what you want me to say?” She looked confused.
Bayzog gave up the attempt.
Lotuus threw her head back and laughed. “This was easy, Bayzog. A well-planned effort for me to redeem myself with Eckubahn. We managed to get the elves and dwarves in such a lather that all they wanted was the blood of Nath Dragon. Here they gather, only to be duped by the fairies. Everything they eat or drink is tainted. It’s our specialty. We’ve had some help from the lesser spirits. They host the weaker dwarves and elves. It worked to perfection. The best revengeful planning always does. And once the trial is over and Nath Dragon is dead, so will fall all of those elves and dwarves up there. The wurmers are close. Nestled by the thousands, waiting nearby, hungry for the slaughter.”
She backed up to where the Elderwood Staff leaned against the wall. She caressed the long staff with the back of her hand. “Another prize for Eckubahn. An artifact that he will enjoy, the same as the bow, Akron.” She kicked Brenwar’s treasure chest. “This hunk of magic will prove useful too. The only item left to round up is that troublesome sword, Fang. Care to tell me where it is?”
Bayzog shook his head.
“I didn’t think so. But I’ll find it. Just like I did Akron. I quickly learned that I was an amazon shot with that thing. Just ask Laedorn and Uurluuk. Oh, but you can’t. They’re dead.” She picked up the staff and hung it over her shoulder. “I just wanted to mention that you have a lovely family. I’m sure the wurmers will find you more than satisfying. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have the final verdict to attend to. Goodbye.” Lotuus departed, and as she left, one by one the fairies took the forms of elves and fell in step behind her, carrying Brenwar’s chest.
Trial of the Dragon (The Chronicles of Dragon, Series 2, Book 6 of 10) (Tail of the Dragon 7) Page 12
