Dragons Shining

by Michael Sperry

  “Look out, here come the Orcs”, yelled Rolph They were hopelessly outnumbered but he could not let the Orcs reach the valiant dragon that had saved them, and which was fighting the much larger black with all of its might.

  So the four brave knights met the twenty Orcs and certain death with the battle cry “We die for the Maker and the King!”

  Justin had his jaws clamped on the slowly weakening black serpent. It rolled and twisted violently, yet Justin would not let go. When his wing severed the Malaga in half and its blood sprayed over him, he had seen the life energy leave the sorcerer. Before it escaped, Justin had sucked the energy in and his strength was renewed. He saw the Orcs approach, yet would not let go of the serpent. Rolph and the others tried to keep the Orcs off of him, but they were not enough. Jerold fought with heart and soul, killing two Orcs, one with his bow and the other with a deft thrust of sword, but that dying Orc killed Jerold’s horse with an axe blow to the head and Jerold went down under a third Orc. They both lay dead as the serpent rolled over them with Justin on his back. Pomroy rode between Justin and an oncoming Orc. He knocked the Orc down and lost his sword in the Orc’s chest. He managed to get the axe and strike a second Orc dead with it before he too was down. Justin got a glimpse of Rolph and his horse down and Ender pulling him up from behind.

  Then an ear piercing scream split the air as a violet dragon swooped in with its jaws wide and crimson fire erupting all along the Orc lines.

  Justin and Denise absorbed all of the life energy released by the dying Orcs, growing stronger. Justin wrenched hard and the serpent’s neck snapped under his jaws. In a flash, Justin was back in the air. Ender stood to die protecting injured Rolph and Pomroy. The Remaining Orcs recovered and charged at Ender, who fought like a madman and threw them back, killing two. By that time, Justin had wheeled and sprayed the remaining Orcs with the fires of Hell. They ran in all directions screaming, only to cook in their own juices.

  The battle was done, and Justin landed as Denise circled overhead. He approached Ender and Rolph look tiredly up at him.

  “Justin?”, he asked, weakly. Justin could see that Pomroy was dead and Rolph would soon follow, unless....”.

  “Yes friend. Now you know my secret. But I will not let you take it to your grave just yet.”

  Justin pressed his toothsome snout into Rolph’s chest, and willed healing energy into him while uttering a healing spell in his mind. He felt much of the excess strength leave him and enter Rolph.

  Rolph had never felt such burning, tearing, itching pain as when the rust dragon touched him. He screamed as the energy repaired torn tissues and ligaments, pressed broken bones together and nit them tight. He passed out twitching as the healing continued.

  “Guard him, Ender, until the King arrives. I will return in human form shortly.”

  “Yes, My Lord. What shall I tell the King?”

  “Tell him the truth, in private. In public, just alter it so that two wandering dragons saw your plight and decided to lend a hand. Do not give my secret to any but the King and Albrite, the Wizard. They know it already.”

  “As you wish, Prince Justin.”

  Justin rose to meet Denise and the two flew to the woods where Justin had been hunting, and landed. They changed into naked human form, and faced one another as such for the first time.

  “You are more beautiful than a golden sunrise”, he said as he took her in his arms.

  “And you are more brave and foolish than a man’s hound”, she managed before he shut her up with a lasting kiss.

  Before long the two were in total bliss and lack of concern.

  When they were finally done she whispered into Justin’s mind “I will come to you in your Palace, my Prince”.

  “Come and stay, my Princess.”

  After trying for some time, Ender finally managed to whistle his horse and Justin’s horse over to him. He was strapping the unconscious Rolph to Justin’s horse when he heard from afar the pounding of hooves and armor, signaling a large force of armored men galloping toward them from the direction of Windhaven. He turned to see the violet dragon rise above the forest and climb out of sight in the morning sky. Not long after, Justin came walking out of the forest wearing his hunting gear, just as the King, Prince Bruce and Baron Josef arrived in full armor, leading a full company of Royal Cavalry at full gallop into the field.

  Kirkland raised his hand, calling a halt as they reached the bloody and burned field of carnage. “By the Maker, what has happened here?” He saw a monstrous, saddled black serpent dragon with arrows through its broken neck and head. Its head had been nearly torn off by what he knew was another dragon, or rather a young Dragon Lord. There were hacked and burned Orc remains scattered widely and what looked like half of a hooded Malaga with a pulsing black light ring on its right hand. Albrite rode directly over to the Malaga, waved his arms and the black glow was quenched and subdued. He then took the ring and placed it in a pouch, returning to the king.

  “The Malaga’s spirit, somehow greatly diminished, entered the ring when he died. That means this was a major Demon with the power to regenerate. Something sapped its power, yet the ring must still be destroyed with utmost care.”

  “I will leave that to you, high wizard”, said the King. “Ender, what happened here”.

  Ender told the King, what happened, except claiming that two passing dragons had come to their rescue.

  “Where is Justin?”

  “Here he comes now, sire”

  Jason walked into the group, straight over to take a look at Rolph, before bowing to the King and saying “Evil things have reached us here in our safety, Father. I morn the loss of such gallant men.” A tear rolled down Jason’s face, followed by another. Then he rubbed his eyes and said no more.

  Kirkland wanted to scold Justin for leaving the men behind while hunting, but he held his tongue wisely. He glanced at his other errant son, who he had found sleeping with Jennifer this morning before dawn when he burst in to fetch him for this tardy “rescue”. “Patience”, he thought. “Even if it is much too soon for a Royal Wedding, it was certainly a blessing that in all of the confusion, the girl managed to fool her father.”

  “General Rankin”.

  “Yes, Sire?”

  “Have your men pile these bodies high upon the serpent. Burn them all to ash. Take our dead back to the Palace. They will be given a hero’s burial for defending a Prince of the Realm, even though it meant death. I want their families taken care of, and the soldiers pay will continue until the wives death.”

  “It will be so, my Lord”.

  Kirkland knew what two dragons had fought the dark ones here. He had no doubt that his men had died fighting alongside the Prince and Denise. She had sent Albrite an urgent mental message earlier, so Albrite had barged past his Palace Guards to awaken him just before dawn. His own mind had been closed while sleeping, by the powerful mental disciplines he had learned from Baird. He knew who the fell beasts had been after, and it worried him.

  “Private Harold”, continued the general.

  “Yes sir!”

  “Give Prince Justin your horse and double up with Hartley.”

  “Yes Sir”. Harold dismounted, grabbed his shield, sword and scabbard and handed his reigns to Justin.

  “Come Josef, Justin, Bruce, Albrite and Ender bring Rolph”, said the King. “You have seen enough blood for this day I think.”

  With that, they and the King’s Elite Guard rode toward Windhaven, towing the unconscious Rolph on Justin’s horse and leaving General Rankin and his men to take care of the dead.

  Chapter Four – First Blood

  It had been two years since Owen had first changed into the red and white Vampire Dragon to kill and consume that large, poisonous serpent. Fifteen now, he had grown swiftly after that, both in stature and strength, becoming a powerful wizard in the process. Many times he had since changed, and he had honed his hunting and aerobatic skills in that form. He was a much larger dragon now, since
his dragon form grew more swiftly than his Elven form, if he kept well fed as a dragon. In his human form, he had the very best instructors, and loved them both dearly. Baird trusted him with his most powerful spells, and if he tried his very best he could easily take even Dafford in the martial and edged weapon arts. One slip though, and the Master would remind him with a bruise.

  Baird remained unaware that Owen had found his large black spell book, and had in secret explored each spell, as far as he could at least. Some spells in the back had been inserted, and were in a different hand writing and different style. These were dark spells of black magic that Owen feared. Although he memorized them, he had never experimented with them. Also there were a couple of very powerful spells that had many warnings of probable death attached. One was an immortality spell with a notation that read: “One in a thousand will utter this spell and live. One in a thousand of those will succeed without madness. None ever has successfully caste this spell on another, and those who have tried killed both.” Of course this immortality spell was one that stuck in Owen’s mind even better than the others.

  He had become adept in farming as well, and played an integral part in the farms day-to-day activities. Baird had told him all about Briana and the ‘joining’, and he was a little nervous about meeting her. He had heard about the attack near Windhaven. The whole kingdom was aghast that the evil ones penetrated so deeply without notice. Other sightings and killings had occurred further east, and even more in the Northern Kingdom where the Dwarves had fought and killed several Ghoul Vampires. Everyone had been on guard lately, fearful of the shadows.

  But this late afternoon none of that would matter, because the Toroid match this time would be for the Southern Kingdom Championship, and would lead to a final Cotera Championship match in Windhaven in two months between the North and the South Kingdoms. He never used his magic in these events, except that which maintained his human form, so the challenge was very real. The Fable’s Arch team was already respected throughout the Kingdoms as a very tough opponent, yet this was the best year since the small town was founded many generations ago. The tension had been building for weeks

  It was mid morning and Owen was finishing his work in the barn when he sensed Suzy walk up behind him. He turned to see the pretty brunette gazing at him. Tom had married her last year and she was now big with child. She had moved in with them when he and Tom had finished the new room additions to the house. A boy, Owen knew even if she didn’t.

  “Hello, Suzy. Are you feeling any better?” She had been sick again lately, just like in the beginning. He saw nothing seriously wrong though.

  “Well I’m over it for the moment anyway.”

  “That’s good then. What’s up?

  “Well, I just wanted to warn you about what Dan Tharp told me yesterday when I was buying some baby stuff. You know he trades with Dell’s Keep and heard something in the tavern there when three of members of that team were talking about the match today”

  “Oh, what did he hear?”

  “They were talking about how they were going to take you out of the game, even if it meant a permanent penalty. Since they figure you are Heath’s main goal maker, and it would be too obvious if they injured Heath with a foul, they will go after you instead.”

  “Do you think they would really do that? It would be so un-sportsmanlike they could get disqualified completely.”

  “I asked Dan and he said they would need a unanimous decision by the umpires, and since one of the umpires is from Dell’s Keep, it might just work.”

  “Well thanks for the warning, Suzy. Have you told Tom?”

  “Of course I have. He plans to bring it up before the game just so your team mates will watch out for it.”

  Just then his mom came into the barn and stepped up beside Suzy.

  “Did you tell him about what Dan said, Suzanne?”

  “Yes, Mom, I told him.”

  “So you are going to ride anyway, Owen? Knowing they intend to hurt you, maybe you should stay out of the game today! Think of your horse too.”

  “Gander would never forgive me for not riding, Mom. He puts up with us just so he can”, Owen said with a laugh.

  “It’s not a laughing matter, son. The Queen will be angry if you are hurt. I will just be very sad.”

  “Well the King would think less of me if I don’t ride, mother. And so would I. I know you are always wise and cautious, and I do listen. But I will ride today, come what may.”

  ”Well at least I tried. Good luck, then, and I will pray that the Maker watches over you. Oh, make sure y’all win!” When that, she went back to the kitchen to make them something for lunch later.

  “I better go help her. But before I go, what did she mean about the Queen?”

  Thinking quickly, he said” I heard she is betting on us, and the King too”.

  “Oh, I see. Well, see you for lunch”.

  “I’ll be there. See you then.”

  He finished up in the barn and was heading over to the pigpen with two heavy buckets of slop when he met Tom and Paw working on the pigpen gate.

  Tom looked up and said, “Hey Owen, I guess you heard, huh?” He was well muscled now, soon to be a rock hard farmer like his Paw. He had gotten quite good with his sword too. He said it was only self-defense; otherwise Owen was bound to kill him at practice if he didn’t.

  “Yep, I heard. Guess I better be careful.”

  “I am surprised”, said Paw.

  “How?”

  “That the word careful can live in that hard head of yours.”

  “Oh. You are right, Paw. Somehow it got lost in the last few years.”

  “Come on Paw”, said Tom. “You can’t expect Owen to run from this. We will be looking for it and teach them a lesson.”

  “No, I don’t expect either of you to run from it. Just don’t be foolish. That’s all I ask. Don’t be what they are either. This is darkness, come to the center of our town. Don’t give in to it.”

  “Ok Paw”, they both said.

  “Well, we are finished with the gate here. Go ahead and give them their lunch, Owen, and the both of you can have the rest of the day off. Rest up for the game later. Take the horses out and loosen them up a bit. That will take the nerves out. No sense everyone fretting all day. Don’t worry about tomorrow either. The plowing can wait some, till it rains and the ground softens up a little anyway.”

  “Let’s go get the rest of the team after lunch, and ride easy on over to the river and back. How about it Owen?”

  “Sounds good, Tom. I want to stop by Baird’s place on the way. You can get the guys and meet me there.”

  “Ok, deal.”

  Paw and Tom went to clean up while Owen slopped the pigs. That didn’t take long, so he made his way over to the house after cleaning up outside.

  Owen went in the Kitchen where he piled his plate with the chicken and dumplings the girls had cooked up, and joined them all out on the porch to eat.

  “It seems wrong not to have Sophie out here with us”, said Owen between bites. “I miss her.”

  “It’s not wrong”, said Suzy. “A woman needs to be with her husband”.

  “I know”, said Owen. “It’s only been two weeks since she married Heath. I just haven’t gotten used to her not being here.”

  “We feel the same way, son”, and the other Hodgens all nodded.

  “She will be at the game this afternoon with us, won’t she?” asked Suzy.

  “You bet”, said Angie.

  After lunch Tom and Owen walked over to the barn. Owen saddled up Gander and Tom saddled up his big Quarter Horse, Tiny. Tiny was not Tiny for a Quarter Horse. He was quite a brute, and agile even so. Gander was taller and faster and could jump higher, but not as agile.

  “We can have a team meeting near the river, and come on back in time to suit up. It’s nothing for the Horses“.

  They rode to the edge of town, where Owen split off toward Baird’s cabin.

  “I will be waiting at
Baird’s.”

  “We won’t be long. See you in about half an hour.”

  Owen trotted up to the cabin and tied Gander off to the porch.

  Baird and Dafford came out to meet him.

  “Big day huh. What are you doing out here today”, asked Dafford. “Unless you think you can whip me again today.”