by Charles Lamb
“Ah… ladies, the topic at hand, please?” Cassie interjected before Leena could counter Kelby’s statement. She had to wonder if nymphs had issues like these.
“Yes, well, as I was saying, I was in Nyland for a short time before heading south to warmer waters. While I was there, I saw several Tantalus ships make port with nothing to deliver to town or pick up. What little they landed was shipped straight to Gundor Stronghold.”
“Any idea what they were delivering?” Cassie asked after listening to the mermaid.
“No, but whatever it was, they had guards from both House Drakon and Gundor escorting it,” Leena replied.
“How long ago was this?” Cassie asked.
“Last month. I came down here about three weeks ago,” Leena replied.
“We should get back to the castle and tell Uncle about this,” Cassie replied after some consideration.
“You are not leaving without me!’ Leena announced.
“Leena, we are going north, and likely inland, and away from the sea,” Kelby replied, obviously trying to influence her sister with the last comment.
“Then you need me, I know the way!” Leena replied as she rose and led them downstairs and into the tavern below. Cassie watched her exchange a few words with one of the other women Cassie took to be the owner. The woman examined both Cassie and Kelby before nodding, and then Leena turned and joined the two.
“I’m good to go when you are,” she stated while waiting for them to lead the way.
“Let’s get the rest of our party then,” Cassie replied while Kelby simply glared at her sister. Scanning the room, Cassie found Leander and his two Rangers covering all the exits and ready for action, while appearing casual. With a nod from Cassie, all three rose, and with her leading the way, the entire party exited and headed south, down the street.
“We have another one?” she heard one of the Rangers comment to Leander, as they followed closely behind.
----*----
Alex had gone down to check on Rose and Shadows, with Kinsey by his side. His unease over Cassie’s prolonged absence had him restless. Besides distracting him, he suspected they would soon need the mounts as the next part of their quest formed around them. As he checked on Rose, it occurred to him that the gift from the elves had been well timed; something he very much doubted was a coincidence.
To date, he found nothing related to elves as accidental. It was with these thoughts running through his head that he exited the stables in time to see Cassie and Kelby enter through the main gate. Kinsey rushed to Cassie, but Alex did a double take, seeing two Kelbys following his fiancée. He was also taken with his fiancée’s appearance.
“I love your new look!” Alex said while indicating the considerable amount of cleavage on display. He assumed it was part of their tavern disguise as Kelby was even more exposed.
Cassie appeared to realize she had forgotten the alterations; she blushed bright red and quickly rearranged her attire.
“Kelby, you’ve come up in the world,” Alex heard the Kelby clone say in awe as she surveyed the castle courtyard.
“Alex, this is my sister, Leena,” Kelby proclaimed. She made no attempt to adjust her clothing to cover anything on display.
“Sister? A pleasure to meet you, Leena,” Alex replied wrapping an arm around Cassie’s waist as she came to him.
“Leena was in the north when Tantalus landed several shipments there. She can help us,” Cassie commented as a way of explanation for their growing numbers.
“Let’s get you inside to see the king before you all start a riot,” Alex said, indicating all the gawking guards on the walls and in the courtyard.
“King?” Leena said nervously as they made their way inside.
----*----
“That’s quite a story,” Ben commented as he sat listening to Leena describe her travels from Freeport to Nyland. She had then added her time in the north before coming south to Windfall.
“I was in Nyland once, many years ago. That was before I married your mother,” Ben added with a smile, telling Abrianna as if preparing her for any further disclosures. The seven were sitting in the small private dining room, reserved for royalty. None of the three women had eaten lunch, so Alex had them served while Ben took the opportunity to question Leena on the things she had seen in Nyland.
“The Drowning Man, isn’t that the name of the bar there?” Ben asked to everyone’s surprise.
“Yup, that’s the place,” Leena replied with a bob of her red head.
“They still go out to all those hot springs inland?” Ben asked absently.
“Oh, yes. That was what saved me while I was up there. Some people will tell you that a mermaid doesn’t feel the cold water, but they are liars. I would visit the hot springs almost every day while I worked in the north,” Leena said, looking to her sister for agreement.
“Geothermal?” Alex asked Ben, wondering about the relevance and getting confused looks from the others.
“Yes, there is volcanic activity in the area, very close to the surface. It makes the valley very fertile and they have a productive growing season. In addition, there are rumors that the Gundor Stronghold sits on top of a volcanic vent, buried deep within the mountain,” Ben replied. Alex noted several of the others nodded in understanding at Ben’s reference.
“I don’t get it, what’s the connection?” Alex asked, not seeing the relevance of volcanic activity and the quest for Amelia. He took a moment to toss Kinsey a morsel from the table. She had found a spot to one side of the room and curled up.
“Dragons are born from eggs hatched in volcanic fissures. Because of that, they are very fond of anything volcanic,” Abrianna supplied.
“Gundor Stronghold was once a dwarf city, carved right out of the stone on top of a small mountain in the central valley. The walls and buildings are solid structures, left after the surrounding stone was removed. It is said that the dwarves exhausted the precious metals and gems in the mountain, leaving a maze of tunnels and caves beneath the castle. They dug so deep they struck lava,” Ben explained.
“With nothing left to mine, the dwarves moved on. It was then that the dragons moved in, laying claim to the inside of the mountain and driving anyone away that dared try and claim the abandoned city above,” Abrianna added, smiling at her father’s acknowledgement of her contribution.
“Finally, after the last great battle, the dragons were thought extinct and humans took possession of the castle. With no dragons left to contest ownership, the Vassal King took control of the surrounding valley and port of Nyland,” Ben finished as if ending the lecture.
“So are we now assuming that the dragon is hiding in the Gundor Stronghold?” Alex asked, confused at the turn of events.
“Not in the Stronghold itself, but likely deep in the mountain it sits upon. The occupants above may not even know it is hiding there.”
“Then what’s with the land grants to Tantalus in the Northern Mountains?” Alex asked, not quite willing to relent on their earlier suspicions of the dragon hiding there.
“The dwarves that built Gundor still exist in the mountains north and south of the valley. From time to time, they rattle their sabers, making threats on retaking Gundor for themselves. While Renfeld bestowed said lands upon Tantalus, his ability to claim them rests on his dragons driving the dwarves away. I am beginning to see a very uneasy set of alliances here,” Ben said as he stared up at the ceiling.
“I don’t understand, Uncle,” Cassie said, speaking up for the first time since accepting the seat by Alex. She had been eating quietly while the others talked.
“Renfeld sought help from both the Lords of the North, and Tantalus in the west. The Vassal King would take nothing less than assurances that their lands would be defended against any dwarf claims. Tantalus and his dragons would be a great aid there. A single dragon can go a long way in intimidating dwarves.
“Tantalus wanted access to the volcanic chambers beneath Gundor, most likely to try to expa
nd his dragon collection,” Ben said, then paused.
“But neither participated in the attack on us?” Abrianna commented.
“They likely were to assist in his planned attack south on Great Vale but Alex accelerated the timeline. Burning the supplies in A’asari required Renfeld to move up the attack earlier than expected, and necessitated leaving them out. Neither Tantalus nor the Northern Army could arrive in time,” Leander suggested.
“I wonder what was in those crates shipped from the west and destined to Gundor. If they were dragon’s eggs, it would scare the hell out of both the dwarves, and the Northern Lords. Renfeld would have been unstoppable if he fielded several dragons at once,” Ben finished as the others considered his theories.
“So Tantalus would have to drive the dwarves out of the Northern Mountains to take possession of his claim there. I am sure Renfeld spun tales of gold and gems in those mountains to spur his desire.” Alex began again.
“That move would likely cause the dwarves to attack Gundor, who would then retaliate against Tantalus. The fighting would decimate them all,” Leander said.
“And the Renfeld would be free to move into the north and claim those lands as well as the south they all had helped him conquer,” Abrianna completed the thought.
“Wow, what a conniving bastard Renfeld was!” Alex stated.
----*----
Naga was not so unhappy with the latest turn of events. Yes, the White Wizard that had confronted her in the Dragon’s Teeth had forced her to leave her beloved den and make a hasty exit, that was for sure. Had it not been for her charge, she would have pressed the man much harder before relinquishing her home.
As she considered this she watched the human female as she made herself comfortable in the pit next to her. Unlike her previous location with the stone pedestal, this cave had a deep pit set to one side to prevent the woman from escaping. Items had been provided on their arrival from the humans above to make the prison more comfortable for her.
Naga had cleansed the area with a bath of flame to remove any traces of previous detainees, a gesture the woman seemed to understand and appreciate. Naga took her responsibility very seriously, for she understood that Tantalus held hostage her most precious treasure. Should she fail in her duties, the results would be devastating. While she would act with integrity, she was all too aware that the man had none.
As she settled down next to the pit, her one piece of satisfaction was in knowing that this relocation placed her very close to those treasures taken from her so long ago. She could feel its presence and it comforted her.
Chapter 17
After a late lunch, everyone had gone their separate ways, with Ben and Alex headed back into town to deal with issues of state. Cassie, Abrianna and the mermaids had gone upstairs to change, while Leander dealt with his own duties involving the Rangers of Windfall.
That evening, everyone gathered in the small study after dinner, and the group considered their next move. Alex noted that since the arrival of Leena, Kelby had been far less flirty with him and Leander. Even though Kelby and Cassie seemed to have settled their initial differences, the mermaid attention still made him very uncomfortable. He hoped that it was a thing of the past.
As he was considering this, he was suddenly drawn back into the conversation in the room.
“What do you think Alex?” Cassie asked, an expectant look on her face.
“Ah…” he replied, trying to recall what they had been discussing.
“We were discussing which of us you wanted to kiss more,” Kelby supplied with a seductive smile; she leaned forward causing her charms to become more exposed. While wearing different attire than earlier in the day, it was no less provocative.
“So much for that hope,” he sighed to himself.
“We were discussing the legends on how to control a dragon,” Abrianna returned sharply, rescuing him.
“And?” Alex asked, trying to draw Cassie’s question out again.
“We were thinking that the crates Leena saw might contain the dragon’s eggs,” Cassie explained.
“While Tantalus can interact and even communicate with dragons, it’s quite another thing to get them to do your bidding,” Ben commented, the Book of Families spread across the table. Alex suspected he had been referencing the page on Tantalus’s family traits.
“Dragons by nature are reported to be quite honorable and neutral to the ways of elf and man. It’s only by consent or coercion that they can be influenced to act on our behalf,” Ben added.
“And how do the eggs help?” Alex asked, clearly far behind on the topic of conversation.
“Blackmail, my boy,” Ben answered with a knowing look. As both Ben and Alex came from the same world, there were certain subjects that had special meaning to just the two of them.
“So he takes the eggs as hostages, and the dragon cooperates or he threatens to destroy them?” Alex asked, the ruthlessness of it a clear indicator of whom they were dealing with.
“In a word, yes. So long as the dragon cooperates, the eggs are safe,” Ben replied.
“How long do dragon eggs last? I mean, won’t they go bad…and why not just lay more?” Alex blurted out.
“A dragon will only lay a few eggs in its lifetime, and they can last for a thousand years before hatching. Only in a lava bed will it hatch, so the dragon must take it there when she is ready. The eggs that Tantalus hold now could have been collected by his great, great, grandfather and hidden away from the mother to control her,” Abrianna answered.
“And, given the opportunity, the dragon would choose to reside near their hiding place. I have little doubt she can sense their presence,” Ben supplied.
“It is said that of all the items a dragon hordes, her eggs are her greatest treasure,” Leena added to everyone’s surprise, as it was almost poetic.
“OK wait. So are we thinking that the Red Dragon from the Dragon’s Teeth is now in the caverns beneath Gundor Stronghold with Amelia? In addition, the eggs Tantalus uses to control the dragon are being kept in the same place. Am I the only one that thinks that this is a bad thing?” Alex proposed to the group.
“On the plus side, this is a strong indication that Tantalus will use Amelia to try and influence me,” Ben replied.
“However, should the dragon recover her eggs, she will likely kill everyone in the Stronghold, Amelia included,” Ben added emphatically.
“We should move quickly then,” Cassie stated, a worried expression across her face.
“We do need to move quickly, yes. However, it is not as dire as it appears. Tantalus is no fool. He will have the eggs well protected and hidden away from anyone looking to take them for themselves. It is also not likely a full-grown dragon can roam the castle unnoticed as it looks for them,” Leander posed.
“And as for human threats, it is a strange thing, but just possessing an egg does not guarantee the ability to control the dragon. One must also be able to communicate with the creature,” Ben said while turning his full attention to Alex.
“Why are you looking at me?” Alex asked; suddenly he was the center of attention in the room.
“It is possible you can communicate with the dragon,” Ben answered after a moment.
“Why in the world would you think that? The only times I have ever been close to one, it’s been trying to kill me,” Alex replied, visions of fire and snapping jaws in his head.
“Precisely. Your brief encounters were centered on violence and you had no opportunity to reach out to either of the creatures. Dragons are actually quite intelligent, and delight in mental games, like riddles and puzzles. More importantly, they are creatures of honor. If a dragon agrees to something, it’s good to its word,” Ben stated.
“And in the cave, it was sleeping when we got there,” Cassie added thoughtfully.
“So why me?” Alex asked Ben directly.
“Remember our conversation about the colors you see with magic. Specifically how differing colors represent core talent
s or abilities?” Ben asked, referring to their discussion on the return trip from Renfeld’s camp the night before the battle.
“Yes,” Alex replied, remembering the night they spent booby-trapping Renfeld’s war machines.
“And what did I tell you about white?” Ben asked as an instructor might quiz a student.
“They are a mix of everything and considered unstable,” Alex replied. The comment brought out a snort from Kelby, who obviously found the reference humorous.
“Not unstable,” Ben corrected, smiling at the mermaid’s insinuation, “unpredictable”.
“The combination of all the magical colors gives white a little bit of everyone’s abilities and disposition. Remember, the color represents a combination.”
“So how does one speak dragon?” Alex asked, curious for the first time.
“It’s not verbal, it’s telepathic,” Abrianna answered.
“We can discuss the hows later. For now, I think we need to get to Nyland and scout the castle, if at all possible. Kelby would you and Leena consider returning to the Drowning Man and see what you can dig up?” Ben asked the twins.
“Sure,” Leena replied before Kelby could answer. The sister appeared excited to be included in their plans.
“Yes, Leena and I can go and see what we can find out. Leena says the castle guards come down from the mountain. I am sure I can get them to talk,” Kelby added, making a move with the last part that left little doubt she would be successful in convincing lonely men to talk.
“It would be best if you went separately from the rest. Possibly swimming in on your own?” Ben said, clearly uncomfortable with asking the two to travel alone and in mermaid form.
“No problem. We can leave in the morning,” Kelby replied with a shrug, while Leena gave a shiver. Alex assumed it was at the return to cold water.
“Excellent!” Ben replied.
“And us?” Cassie asked her uncle anxiously.
“We will prepare Cassie’s Quest to follow right behind them. However I expect they will arrive well in advance of the schooner,” Ben replied, indicating the mermaids as he answered.
