Ella turned and went into a small cave that was barely big enough for her to fit in. She turned around awkwardly and stared forlornly into the blue sky. Was there a cloud up there that looked a little like Zedock? The dragon lay there for more than two hours and felt lonely and confused. She closed her eyes not to sleep but to think, to listen to the sound of the distant crows.
Suddenly Zedock stuck his head into the cave. “Hey Ella, what are you doing in here? Are you sleeping?”
Ella shook her head as she couldn’t believe her eyes. She was happy to see him, but she couldn’t let him know that. “Are you crazy! This is red dragon territory! Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“No, I brought you lunch. Look.” On the ground was a dead pterocrit that he had killed; he was trying to show her that he could be a good provider, which of course he had to be if they were going to raise a family.
Ella knew that she wasn’t supposed to accept a gift as it was considered part of the bonding process even though she was a bit hungry. Why was she so delighted to see him? Why did her heart jump at the pleasantness of his voice? “I can’t accept that Zedock, and you know it.”
Zedock hung his head down, saddened by the refusal to accept his gift. Perhaps if he showed her how dejected he was, she would take it? He stuck his head into the small cave. “Do you live in there?”
“No silly I’m just hanging out here. Trying to get away from the world I guess.” Suddenly she had an idea. “Zedock, what the heck is that way up there? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The black dragon looked up and scanned the sky but couldn’t see anything, and as he was doing so, she took a bite out of the pterocrit and swallowed it. “I don’t see anything.”
“You don’t see that way up there? Are you blind?” And as he looked up trying to zero in on whatever she was seeing, she took another big bite of the pterocrit and swallowed it.
Zedock stared at her and smiled. “Hey, there’s a bite taken out of the pterocrit, two bites! I don’t think it had two bites taken out of it when I bought it.”
Ella laughed. “Don’t look at me that’s the way you brought it here.”
He had to smile. “Are you trying to tell me that pterocrit was flying around up there with two big bites taken out of it?”
“Yup.”
“Oh, I think I see something fascinating up there.”
Zedock continued to stare into the sky as Ella finished the rest of the bird; he could hear her crunching the bones, and then she kicked what remained off the cliff. “See you didn’t bring me a gift.”
“No, it must have been my imagination. There was no pterocrit here.”
Zedock pulled abruptly into the cave as a flock of red dragons appeared from the west and then flew overhead. Not much room at all. “Hey, what gives?”
“Red dragons. Stay in here until I tell you it is safe.”
“Aw, I didn’t know you cared.” Zedock slowly managed to turn around while scraping the walls.
“I don’t,” she lied, “but I don’t want to see you dead either. All right you can go out now.”
Those words were like a stake in his heart. He waddled out scraping the cave wall and stared at her as she stared her at him. Caught in the moment, and it was difficult for Ella to break away from it, but she managed. “All right black dragon it’s best that you be off and don’t come back here it’s too risky.”
“I’m going I’m going. Can I give you a farewell kiss?”
Ella took a long time to answer, transfixed in place like a statue. Zedock didn’t dare say another word until she answered, fearing that it might change the outcome. Eyes locked as Zedock raised his eyebrows expectantly. Finally, she acquiesced, and they kissed, and it was as if their hearts were one. She hadn’t expected much out of a single kiss, but she was wrong as both hearts were melting.
“All right then off with you. Don’t … come back here. You have something on your face. Here let me get it off.” She kissed his cheek and then his eyes, licking his face to finish. “There that should do it.”
The black dragon turned and took a wrong step and fell off the cliff. Ella watched as he flew away disappearing into a fluffy white cloud. “Why oh why did I do that! He sure tastes good.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
AS THE NIGHT GAVE WAY TO MORNING the sounds of weapons forged were already in the air, mixing with the cacophony of the kingdom like bees swarming the hive. Most rose before the sun. The smell of meat cooking was strong and satisfying, especially the scent of bacon on the wind. Mothers were teaching their daughters how to fight just as the men were teaching their sons. Several wizards were in discussions near the north wall, one repeatedly nodding as if he agreed with everything, a nervous tick. A battalion of soldiers next to the west wall was enjoying one another’s camaraderie.
A dead crow fell out of the sky near one of the wizards, and although they said nothing they all wondered if it was a sign. Looking around they could find no cause for its death, no one had struck it with a rock or an arrow. They stared down at it and then moved away from the lifeless bird continuing the conversation. Although they had never been able to enchant a black dragon they continued to try, the wizard that came up with that spell would be above the rest and would receive a great reward from the king. Black dragons were born with counter magic and could only be spelled by special magic wielded by a powerful wizard.
Early morning fog went through the area, with a red dragon dispersing some of it as he moved forward, guided by a bearded fellow named Breacher. He was an exceptionally hairy man; his arms had so much hair that they looked black. Breacher smashed his mace into the side of the dragon’s head and laughed; he was cruel to just about everything and everyone. The blow stunned the dragon and it shook its head; the jolt had rearranged some of the cobwebs in his mind as clarity tried to emerge from the spell that had attached itself to the dragon.
“Come on, move you fiery bastard!” Another blow to the dragon’s face brought a small amount of blood to the wound. Breacher nodded to several of his companions as they passed with swords over their shoulders. Not many liked him, but he didn’t care one iota; some said that he was a copy of his father who died valiantly in battle. He liked that they observed him beating the dragon. Some liked it, and some didn’t but he wasn’t concerned.
More than ten thousand men were in an area where one of their generals was speaking to them, always encouraging them to show no mercy, which the weak deserved their fate for being weak. Tough-looking men and hard looking women were preparing for war; strategies were being discussed and Leeander was mentioned several times. “We know that Leeander has a powerful wizard that protects it. Our sorcerers are working on a spell that will eliminate the wizard so that we can crush them as well. We can’t leave a single kingdom untouched so that they will seek revenge. Leeander must be destroyed.”
At the edge of the group a serious battle had commenced over a young female that had been flirting with both of them, knowing what the outcome would be. Blythe disliked both men, and because they refused to leave her alone, she decided to make them fight. They wrote ballads of males under the influence of beautiful females, of the blood and guts that remained after the battle. The randy men were so easy to manipulate, their minds clouded by the anticipation of mating, some even frothed at the mouth. She watched as they charged one another with the fury of dragons as the crowd turned to watch. Grunts ensued as they swung their weapons; neither warrior was holding anything back and would likely end in death.
“You die now!” Several vicious swings of Zobin’s massive club with the protruding spikes missed its mark, but his thigh nicked with his brother’s long sword. Not deep or severe but bleed and burn it did.
Tobin attacked, just narrowly missing his neck. Zobin was smaller but faster and strong as hell. Tobin took a foot to his chest, and it knocked him down, and he screamed as his left leg stuck with the spikes that had been covered in rotten meat that morning, a sure way to cause the l
eg to swell. He smiled at the thought that no matter what the outcome the infection would probably kill him. It took two pulls to remove the spikes from his calf, and when he got back on his feet, the sword went through his gut. Tobin threw up his arms in victory but Zobin drove the club into his head, and they both fell dead as the woman walked away with a smile. Her wiles had been too much for them. It wasn’t often that two combatants killed one another, but appreciated by the crowd.
Achakos and Adela were talking to seven other warriors in a small group and trying not to look suspicious, making sure that no others were close enough to eavesdrop. Achakos was spinning his double sided battle axe with a red dragon magically sealed into its blade like a tattoo into an arm. Another fellow was busy honing his dagger with a whetstone as he listened. What they had in mind was a dangerous undertaking but if successful could change the lay of the land.
“We are all in agreement with what has to be done?” Adela studied their faces as they nodded, and their expressions looked to be genuine. Before King Chromos, they had a balanced society, but now it was all about conquering.
Achakos nodded to the group as he spoke in a low voice. “We are but seven now, but our numbers are growing. If we are to kill King Chromos we have to be smart about it. We need more men that are sympathetic to our cause. Before you approach a man, judge him wisely, or our heads will all be on pikes. If there is any doubt that you can get someone onboard then don’t approach. Stay away from his inner circle; they are all mad with bloodlust. It would be wonderful if we could get someone close to the king to join us but it is too dangerous. They might feign interest but then go right to the king.”
They all took note of a red dragon flying by with a second following close behind. They were put through their paces to see if they were sufficiently enchanted. One turned on the other and let go with a burst of fire and then flew away, having broken the spell not properly attached.
He was silent for a time as others passed. “We must also have a way to call off the assassination should that become necessary, which would only postpone it. I have lost seven friends to senseless battle, not to mention all of my relatives. I have no one left. I have no desire to fight and kill until I am killed. I would like to live my life as I am sure others would as well. ”
Adela nodded in agreement. “Remember that the king doesn’t care how many of us perish in his desire to conquer. We must wait for the proper time; Chromos is a ferocious fighter. If the first attempt fails, we probably won’t get a second chance. It must be swift and decisive.”
If they eliminated the King, the Yurrosy would immediately turn their efforts to selecting another monarch. There would be no avenging Chromos as all the males would instantly focus on becoming the new king. The infighting for that coveted position could take months and months. It was their way. It would be necessary to influence someone that was less warring in nature.
The group broke up and scattered in opposite directions.
Breacher smashed the dragon in the head twice more. Akort returned to full clarity, having the sense knocked back into him, and with a burst of red fire that would kill a dragon, he incinerated more than a hundred of the Yurrosy, making sure that Breacher was the first one to go. And then the dragon took to the sky and would never look back.
CHAPTER TWENTY
ZAK, THEON, TITUS AND URBAN WAITED PATIENTLY IN THE DARK for the boy and the dragon to show up, with the sun just below the horizon, its glow commencing to give definition to the trees in the distance. Zak finished eating his small roasted chicken and tossed the bones into the small fire that was burning branches. They had spent the night talking about the old days even though it saddened them it was important to keep the memories of their loved ones alive. They also talked about what they were going to do with so much gold. Urban’s thought that he might eventually find a woman and settle down; he couldn’t forget the past, but he might be able to make a better life for himself.
It started to rain, lightly at first and then it turned into a deafening downpour. Zak crossed his arms and nodded as if the sky itself was taking it out on them, punishing them for deciding to work for a dragon. Titus looked at the others and nodded, life was giving it to them. Not the first time they were soaked, but Urban thought that it might be their last. No saying what tomorrow might bring or today for that matter. If they were to head down into a world of magic, their immediate future looked bleak. Within a few minutes, the precipitation eased and then finally stopped as if Mother Nature had been intent on soaking them and now that she had managed it she was satisfied.
Smoke rose from the extinguished fire.
Urban had brought his bow and plenty of arrows; he figured that they would come in handy wherever the hell they were going, and they all brought several pouches of salt. Zak was looking forward to fighting and killing something that needed to be fought and killed; he could feel the anticipation in the pit of his stomach. In battle, there was no time to think about anything except survival, no time to dwell on what had gone before. He couldn’t get over the fact that instead of serving his king he’d be serving a dragon. God must have a keen sense of humor.
Although they couldn’t see It, they could hear the sounds of dragon wings up there somewhere, slow and deliberate, but after a few minutes, they thought the dragon must have moved on. A lot of dragons didn’t like the rain; it had no effect on their fire as some believed but they didn’t care for it. Of course there was an exception to every rule; Urban thought that some dragons probably loved the rain, but it was a bit unusual to see one flying in it. Dawn was fast approaching, and they wouldn’t be happy if Marcus and Ryxa didn’t show up. All had considered the consequences of being up on the back of that dragon during the long night, and Titus was the only one that was a little worried about it. It was difficult for him to imagine what it would be like up there; he didn’t think it would be pleasant. And what exactly would stop him from falling off? It would be one hell of a ride.
A murder of crows in a nearby tree started to make an awful racket, and Zak threw a piece of branch to make them disperse, hoping it wasn’t an omen of things to come. He could look death in its black eyes and smile, but torture and suffering were something else. A fellow knight long ago had sustained a serious gash on his leg and had suffered for two weeks before he died; Zak wanted to avoid that outcome. He hoped when his time came that it would be quick, but the soul snatcher might have other things in mind for him.
Theon poked into the dying embers. “Care to imagine what the king will do to us if he discovers that we put his boy in harm’s way. We should have all our heads examined by a wizard.”
Zak shrugged. “If we survive we will head west away from Leeander.”
“Working for a dragon makes me want to vomit.” Urban scratched his left cheek as some insect had bit him. The world had changed much and now this, associating with dragons. What the hell was next?
When the sun was completely over the horizon it remained out of sight because of the cloud cover; the morning was dull and dreary but the afternoon might tell a different tale. The smell of fresh bread found its way to them from Leander’s kitchens, making them all want some. All four were beginning to become annoyed at the boy’s tardiness. Were they all so desperate for death that they would go on a fool’s errand? One didn’t need to be a soothsayer to know the result of swords against spells unless they were magical swords.
Marcus on the back of the dragon pushed through the clouds and was being pursued by three red dragons. An enormous ball of fire appeared to surround Marcus and Ryxa; somehow they emerged out of it unscathed, just barely staying in front of it. But they were in big trouble because being chased by one dragon would be bad enough.
“Ryxa, fly over the knights!”
The knights could feel the powerful wind as Ryxa flew only feet above their heads with the other dragons directly behind them. Urban unleashed two arrows catching two of the dragons in the back; his arrows dipped in nightshade and several other po
isonous flowers. Supposedly they could kill a dragon but the concoction usually only made them sick. All three red dragons turned and set their sights on the knights, enabling Ryxa to turn and face one, hitting it with her superheated fire and destroying it. One screeched and then blasted the humans with flames as the other turned to fight Ryxa and the boy.
“Watch out!” Zak pushed Theon out of the way as the fire singed the top of his head.
The four ran toward the dragon as it unleashed more of its life-consuming energy, moving fast enough just to escape a fiery death, running under the flames and its wings. It turned and clawed Titus, sending him flying and opening a gash in his armour. Urban hit it with two arrows to the throat and watched as it fell. Stunned it shook its head as the spell that had been cast upon it wore off, being confused by the predicament it found itself it, remembering nothing of the last several months. The white film over its eyes vanished, revealing beautiful blue eyes. It lay down and went to sleep and Titus removed the arrows with some difficulty.
Zak went over and listened to its chest. “See its eyes change when the magic left it?”
Theon looked up where Ryxa continued to battle the other dragon. “Is it dead?”
“No just sleeping I think. Heartbeats sound steady.”
Urban nodded. “Should we kill it?”
Zak shook his head. “No, let it go back to its family when it wakes up. Hopefully, it can avoid being spelled again.”
Urban aimed an arrow up at the red dragon that continued to do battle with Ryxa, but he didn’t dare unleash it, by the time the arrow reached its destination it could be the boy in front of it, all they could do was watch. Being unable to render assistance was a dreadful feeling; it was the king’s son they were watching.
Knights of the Dragon (of Knights and Wizards Book 1) Page 9
