Selene and Ben dashed through the crack. Nath’s strength gave way to the giants. He got trapped between the doors with his head on the outside.
The crowd ignited when they cast their eyes on Selene. Nath let out another blast of smoke. In the confusion of smoke and mist, he noticed Selene and Ben changing into a pair of orcs. They wrestled with the crowd for a few moments and finally disappeared.
Trapped and wriggling between the doors, he said, “Well, two out of three’s not bad.”
CHAPTER 40
Fanning the smoke from his face, Eckubahn said, “Clever, Nath Dragon. You almost managed to pull it off.” The titan remained seated on his throne with little change in his expression.
Two giants held Nath up by the arms. His feet dangled high over the ground. The potion of fleet feet had worn off. The use of all his fire and smoke had left him drained. He still had enough energy to say, “I disagree. I did pull it off. My friends are free.”
“They’ll never make it beyond the wurmers and all of my spies.”
“I made it in. It will be even easier for them to get out.”
A rumbling sound came out of Eckubahn’s throat. “You are overconfident, Nath Dragon. We titans know everything. When we were trapped behind the Great Dragon Wall, we still heard and saw everything that went on. We’ve seen every trick mankind has ever pulled. We are always ready for anything.”
Nath didn’t like the way the titan said it. Eckubahn was entirely too calm. “So what are you going to do to me?”
“That’s a good question. Now that I have you, I’m not sure if I want to torment you. I missed that opportunity when I killed your father. I was looking forward to that. Or should I take your life and be done with you once and for all?”
“I can see your point about not wanting to let me hang around.” Nath kicked his feet, which dangled in the air.
“Silence.”
“Sure, I always do my best thinking when it’s quiet.” He started to whistle.
Eckubahn looked right at Nath and grinned.
It sent a chill right through him. Something was wrong. The only ones in the room were him and the giants. There wasn’t anyone else left. What is he hiding? What am I missing? Nath told himself the only thing that mattered was that Selene and Ben were safe. He was confident that the two of them together would get out of Narnum. They had to. But something else was eating him up, raising his scales on end.
Draw him out, Nath. Use your wits. Think of something.
“Say, Eckubahn, it seems rather pathetic that you aren’t willing to take me on in a straight-up battle. Would you prefer to settle the matter of conquest on the field? As a matter of fact, I challenge you to a contest in the open plains and skies.”
Eckubahn’s eyes flashed. His chin lifted. “The battle is already won. I’ve taken the general from the field.”
“Face it, Eckubahn, the dragons will never surrender if I don’t. The only way to take this world is through my submission. I’m offering you an opportunity to prove yourself. You should take it. Or are you scared of losing again, like you did against my father?”
Leaning forward with his hands crumbling the stone armrests of his throne, Eckubahn said, “Your father deceived me! That is why he won.” His voice shook the room. “He took the coward’s way out when I challenged him to a head-on battle.”
“That’s not how I understand it. Didn’t he defeat you on your own terms in your hive? You and your spirits were in the belly of Nalzambor when you lost…”
“Silence!”
The flames covering Eckubahn’s face fluctuated. His expression darkened. The fires brightened and dimmed.
Nath could feel the heat rise in the room.
I’ve gotten under his skin. I’d better not overdo it, lest these giants pull my arms off.
He could see that he’d hit a sore spot, however.
Grahleyna had revealed how Balzurth had defeated the titans. They’d lured Balzurth into a battlefield deep in the core of the earth, where their spirit-like forms had strength and a great advantage. The only way to finish them off completely was in their realm down there. Balzurth led the dragons to the threshold of the titan netherworld. Instead of taking the bait of Eckubahn’s challenging calls, Balzurth—in his great wisdom—had sealed the titans inside the netherworld by forming the Great Dragon Wall.
Nath smiled. Not only had the Dragon Wall vanquished the spirits, it had saved countless dragons as well. The battle had been won without shedding a single drop of blood.
No wonder Eckubahn’s furious at the mere mention of it.
Still dangling, he said to the silent Eckubahn, “Unlike my father, I will face you above the ground in an all-out battle. You have the giants and wurmers, and I have the dragons. Come now, Eckubahn. You’re a warrior. You can’t tell me that isn’t exactly what you want. Let’s finish the fight once and for all. Dragons against titans.”
“You are all bluster, Nath Dragon. From my side of things, it is very amusing. You see, the spirits know everything, but you don’t. But now a portion of that mystery is going to be revealed to you. You’ll have plenty of time to contemplate it.” He gave his giants a hand signal. “In the Deep.”
CHAPTER 41
The Deep of Narnum was a well that waited below the city’s tallest tower. It was more than a thousand feet down, so they said. Nath knew of it. Gorlee had talked about his experience of the deep, including his encounter with the triant Bletver and the Phantom—both of whom Nath knew were now dead.
Nath stood in the sublevel below the great tower facing the entrance to the deep. Giant soldiers surrounded him. One of the giants—bald and smelly with sagging skin—held the line of iron cord that was wrapped around Nath’s neck. Nath’s hands were bound behind his back. Another soldier kept a spear on his back. Every doorway he passed through was heavily guarded and sealed.
The giant holding the rope shoved him forward. “Go.”
Nath shuffled ahead. Hanging over the twenty foot-wide-hole was a cage similar to the ones miners used to be lowered into the mines. A crank-and-pulley system was manned by an ogre. Nath stepped onto the big oversized platform, joining the one-eyed ogre that stood within. The ogre held a lantern with a flickering eye of flame inside.
Looking up at the ogre, Nath said, “Down, please.”
The ogre’s lips curled. He grunted words in Ogre to his kin at the crank, who pulled back a lever, unlocking the gears with a grinding of metal. Slowly the ogre began turning the handle with a note of strain in his face. The caged platform started down.
As they descended, more ogres poured barrels of black oil down the edges of the well. Nath could see the surface was as slick as black ice.
I should have negotiated for better quarters.
The cage descended at an agonizingly slow rate. The air became stale and chill. The heavy breathing of the ogre was accompanied by the steady click click clack from the crank above. Nath could see the oily stone walls. No one would be climbing out again like Gorlee had. Nath marveled that the changeling had managed that feat.
Almost an hour later, the cage neared the bottom. There was a faint illumination in the corridor below them, of an unknown source. The ogre let out a loud grunt. The cage stopped ten feet above the ground. The ogre took the noose from Nath’s neck, grabbed him by his cloak, and slung him out of the cage.
Nath hit the ground with a thud then forced himself up to his knees. The cage began to rise. His hopes began to fade. Oil dripped in his face from the inner core of the well that hung thirty feet above his head. The ground was slick with black oil as well.
“Yeck!”
Up on his feet, Nath moved down the corridor. He knew the Deep harbored the worst of the worst of Narnum’s criminals. He imagined someone ruled down here—like Bletver, but even worse.
This must be what Eckubahn had in mind. Imprison me like Father imprisoned him. Or have me devoured by some vicious monster down here.
The corridor was illuminated by
a type of rock that glowed when crushed into gravel or powder. Called Alsium, it filled the cracks in the walls. It was more common in the world of dwarves and gnomes. The corridor sloped upward, then bent to the left up a crudely cut set of wide steps in the stone. He followed the path in eerie silence until a grand chamber opened up before him. It was a sunken cavern surrounded by several levels of small caves. It must have housed hundreds of people before. Now there wasn’t a soul to be found. It looked abandoned.
Nath tried to smell for people, but he found it hard to breathe.
Don’t tell me I’m here alone. I can’t think of anything more miserable.
He hopped off the overlook unto the cavern floor. His eyes scoured the interior and froze on a figure lying with its back to him just inside the mouth of one of the small caves. The person shifted. Nath’s instincts ignited as he crept forward.
Careful, Nath. It might be some sort of marrow-sucking monster in disguise.
A tail licked out and swept him off his feet. Something strong and powerful pounced on top of him and pinned him down.
Nath found himself face to face with the unexpected. “Selene?”
“Nath?” Her weary violet eyes couldn’t hide their surprise. Then her expression changed. Her voice filled with concern. “Nath, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. I know I look bad, but it can’t be that bad.”
“No, Selene. That’s not it.” He had trouble finding his breath. He shook his head. “Oh no, oh no!”
“What is it, Nath? Tell me.”
“If you’re down here, then who did I rescue up there?”
Selene said the dooming word, “Tylabahn.”
“Sultans of Sulfur! Ben’s in trouble. They’re all in trouble!”
CHAPTER 42 (Epilogue)
Posing as orcen soldiers with an orcen search party, Tylabahn—still disguised as Selene using Gorlee’s body, but temporarily transformed into an orc with a potion—and Ben managed to slip outside of Narnum. Letting the old human lead the way so he wouldn’t ask the wrong questions, she told the rest of the search party in Orcen that the two of them would expand the search to the southern part of the city.
Taking them on a fork off the main southern road with Narnum a mile behind them, the bony old man sighed.
“That was close. If you didn’t speak Orcen, I’m not so sure we would have made it out of there.” He stared right into her face. “I know you’re wounded. Do we need to stop and rest?”
“No, keep going, please. The sooner we get to the others, the sooner we can find a way to help Nath.”
Shuffling along with his arms swinging, he said, “We almost made it. All of us. I hated to leave him. It will haunt me until we get him back.”
“You did well, Ben. You followed his orders. I’m grateful for it. We’ll get him back.” She patted his back. “Trust me.”
Ben nodded.
Inside, Tylabahn was laughing. Fool. All of the races are full of them. She kept up the conversation. “How long do you think this potion will last?”
“Hours, maybe. By the Sultans, I’m glad you said something. Let me know if you see me change. We can’t just walk right up to the others like this. They might kill us.” He rubbed his head. “I’m so weary I wasn’t thinking.”
“Who awaits us, Ben?”
“Brenwar, of course. Bayzog, Sasha, Rerry, and Samaz.” He counted on his fingers. “Oh, and Sansla. He had quite a story to tell about your battle with the nuurg.” He showed her a grin. “You made a lasting impression.”
“I have a knack for that.”
The old fool led them down the path to where the distant woodland started. Deep into the tree line, he stopped and checked his hands. “Huh, still an orc, I guess. I think it’s best we wait.”
***
“Wait for what, you stupid orc?” Brenwar stepped into full view. Mortuun was cocked behind him, ready to swing. “For me to put a crater in your head?”
Rerry and Samaz appeared with their weapons drawn. The three of them had Ben and Selene surrounded.
“No, wait, Brenwar, it’s me, Ben, and this is Selene.” He motioned over toward her with his hands. “We’re polymorphed.”
“You speak awfully funny for an orc, I’ll grant you that, but you sure look like one.” Brenwar looked Ben and Selene up and down. “Tell me something only Ben would know.”
“Uh, well, Nath Dragon wields Fang and Akron. He stood trial at the Corridor, where we just left. Er…”
“That’s good enough. Come on, the both of you. Just stay ahead of me where I can see you.”
“Come on, Selene,” Ben said.
Brenwar led them deeper into the woodland and inside the cover of a cave. Bayzog and Sasha were waiting inside. They stood up with wide eyes.
“Wizard, they say the potion did this to them.” Brenwar shoved them both forward. “I’ll let you vet them.”
Bayzog’s eyes locked on Ben’s with an entrancing power. Ben blurted out the whole story of the ride down the river, a meeting with Guthrie the blacksmith, and finally escaping with Selene. During the duration of his speech, he felt himself change back from orc to Ben.
He also saw Selene change back while he talked. She held her shoulders and shivered.
Ben caught her out of the corner of is eye. “Selene, you’re back.” He checked his fingers. “I’m back as well!”
“You still smell like an orc if you ask me,” Brenwar said.
“No I don’t.” Ben sniffed the air. His face soured. “Aw, maybe it’s the orcen sword belts we wear. We stole them as part of the disguise.”
Sasha got up and draped a blanket over Selene’s shoulders. “You look like you’ve been through a lot. Let me help.”
“Thank you,” said Selene.
Bayzog stood in front of her now, staring at her with penetrating eyes.
Coughing, she averted her eyes. She coughed really hard.
Bayzog reached out to help her. “Please, sit down and refresh yourself. We’ll discuss our plans when you’re ready.”
She eyed his exposed chest. “That won’t be needed. My plans have been fulfilled. Good-bye, Bayzog.” She plunged the dagger into his chest.
Everyone around her screamed, “Noooooooooooo!”
Selene laughed.
FROM THE AUTHOR
Just a quick note: This is book #7, and books #8 and #9 will be released at the end of February 2017 and March 2017. It will be here before you know it. After those books, there is only 1 book left, #10! Also, book 7, this book, is not a cliffhanger, sort of, just a new starting point for book 8. Well, at least it is not to me because I’ve already read book 8. Haha. Book 8, I promise, has a solid conclusion. Please, drop me a line, [email protected] and by all means, if you can, leave a review. Book 8 is ready for pre-order now. Wrath of the Dragon only on Amazon.
About the Author
Craig Halloran resides with his family outside his hometown of Charleston, West Virginia. When he isn’t entertaining mankind, he is seeking adventure, working out, or watching sports. To learn more about him, go to: www.thedarkslayer.com.
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Judgment of the Dragon (Book 7 of 10): Dragon Fantasy Series (Tail of the Dragon) Page 13
