“By the Maker”, exclaimed Purdy. There were burned and exploded bodies and parts everywhere. The porch was covered with blood and dead men in black. The main force had struck here.
Owen heard groans from inside. They dismounted and ran into the cabin with swords drawn, but nothing lived inside except bloody and broken Baird. Dafford was dead and lying across Baird. His last act had been to save the Wizard from instant death. Dafford’s sword was still imbedded in the last vampire’s severed head.
Owen knelt by his dying master, ready to heal him at any cost. “No, Owen. This is too much for you. I am over 10,000 years old, and not readily healed. Listen to me. Take the Ring.”
Owen took the large Emerald ring from Baird’s finger. “Place the Ring on the third finger of your left hand.”
When Owen had done so, Baird shivered and died. As he died, a bright green spirit rose from his body and was sucked into the Emerald ring. The ring glowed with pulsing power, and then dimmed as if covered by a veil.
“Now, Owen, I am in the ring and can speak only to you the wearer. Remember what I told you.”
“Yes, Master. I remember. If I can find one of the soulless alive, I will do it then.”
“Good luck then. Look into the red chest in my bedroom. I have gifts for you there. The swords are Elven, made by the greatest mage of all time, an elf who transmuted by his own volition long before I was born. The elves gift these to you, gifts beyond any price, for as long as you wish to keep them in the Maker’s service.”
As Owen made his way over corpses into Baird’s bedroom he asked, “transmuted?”
“Yes, he is the Elves guardian. He is the one who controls the walls of magic around the Elven heartlands. None can pass without his consent, or face the wrath of one with all the power of an angel.”
Owen opened the red chest and saw the most exquisite two star metal swords lying upon jewel studded, dried blood colored star metal sheaths. The golden sword blades were covered with red runes that seemed to crawl upon them. There was a widening of the long, thin blades at their base, just before the grip. The barest of golden guard flared so as to catch an opponent’s sliding blade. The grips looked they were covered with Wyrm skin, black as soot. Large red rubies were fixed into the golden pommels of the swords.
Owen lifted one from the chest and marveled at its balance and weight, He picked up a light cloth from Baird’s dresser and dropped it upon the blade edge. The cloth was severed and floated to the floor in two pieces. He quickly extracted the swords and the shoulder harness that held the sword sheaths. “I bet these are much stronger than steel.”
“Yes, Owen. They are one hundred percent ensorcelled star metal, and will adapt to you as you grow. These and armor to match were gifted to the Dragon King ages ago. Kragon returned the swords when he acquired Soul Taker, his own alteration of the Elven master’s hand and one half gift.”
“They are beautiful, and with perfect balance”.
Owen arranged his hand and one half sword to hang on his back along with the two Elven swords. Dafford had trained him to use double swords as well as single, and there were situations better for one than the other.
When Owen exited the bedroom, Ender whistled. “Let me see the swords. Look at the runes, are they are moving?”
“They will adapt to me as I grow. Wizard’s stuff.”
“Baird sure killed allot of these scum before he died. More even than that beast of yours”, said Purdy.
“Let’s go see how Heath is doing, ok?”
“Whatever you say, my Lord”, Ender said, smiling. “Anyone with swords like that is a Lord to me!”
“Stuff it, Ender”, Owen said.
They left the building and mounted. There were onlookers now, come to the sounds of battle and aghast at the carnage.
“Back off!” Owen shouted. They moved back, surprised by Owen’s commanding tone. He turned and spoke with Baird assisting, and cast a stream of fire over the bodies and the cabin. In an instant the entire compound went up in flames, and the onlookers backed away whispering “Sorcerer”.
“Beware the blood of these vampires”, Owen called out as they galloped away toward town. The three galloped headlong down the cobblestone street to the Ironist blacksmith shop. The street there was littered with black armored bodies, three dead guardsmen and five butchered townspeople, who had apparently joined in the fight with sword and axe. There was a crowd around the shop. They made way for the Owen and the two Guardsmen who dismounted and pushed their way into the shop. There Owen found Rolph, another guardsman, Sophie, and Heath, who held his strong father, Donald Ironist, in his arms. Irene, his mother was kneeling next to them, ringing her hands.
“Hush father”, said Heath. “You will be ok.” Donald was covered in blood, having been run thorough more than once.
The still breathing soulless soldier at his feet would do nicely, thought Owen.
“Would everyone please leave, except the Guards, Heath, Sophie, and Irene”, asked Owen.
“Who are you to make us leave?” demanded Greg, the town butcher.
“I am the King’s Guard”, said Ender. “Do as the Lord Owen says! Now!”
There was no further argument as the people left the forge area.
“Owen”, said Heath in tears. “You warned us I know. I didn’t believe you, and now he is dying.”
“He will not die. Let me have him, Heath. Move back, all of you.”
Owen placed one hand upon Donald’s chest and the other on the dying soldier, chanting words of power in his mind. Then as he spoke, the soulless soldier shriveled and Donald squirmed and groaned. Heath moved as if to intervene, but Purdy held him back firmly. Not long after, Donald sighed loudly and fell into a restful sleep, breathing normally. This sort of healing was not so hard on Owen. It was the blood that did most of the work. Owen had all of Baird’s magic at his disposal, as well as his own dawning blood magic.
“He will be ok, Heath. The magic I used did not harm him. It was this scum here that paid the price”. Owen motioned to the bloodless, shrunken corpse.
A wide eyed Heath wanted to speak, but wisely held his tongue.
Owen looked at Sophie. She would not meet his eyes, so he reached out and lifted her chin so he could see her eyes. She did not look away. “I am still the same, Sophie. You only see what has been here always.”
She broke down and flew into his arms, sobbing. He held her close to him until she stopped. He brushed the hair back from her tear filled face. “You will always be in my heart, Sister.” He handed her to Heath, who had come to collect her. “Tom and Father are ok, Sophie. They were injured, but they are ok now.” She smiled back at him.
“I must leave this town”, he was thinking, mainly to keep his mind off of Sophie.
They left the blacksmith’s shop, Owen, the four Guardsmen, Rolph and the other Guardsman. Tamaris had joined them.
“Burn these bodies and try not to get their blood on you. It’s poisonous”, Owen shouted out to the crowd.
“We should let the King know what has happened.” Dawn was breaking.
“Yes, I agree. Let’s ride over to Pug’s estate now”, said Rolph, giving Owen the eye.
They rode west, out of town toward Pug’s secluded estate. “It’s good to meet you, Rolph. Justin holds you in high esteem.”
“And I am proud to ride by your side, Owen. I see that your arm is looking much improved.”
“Well I guess the secret is out now, so I decided being a one armed mage was without sense. I made good use of it this morning.”
“I don’t doubt that. Ender tells me that Dafford and Baird are dead. What a loss.”
“Dafford is dead, but I would not count Baird gone as yet”, said Purdy. “A wizard that powerful has back up plans against violent death. I will miss Dafford greatly. He taught me how to use this axe.”
“The two of them dispatched twice as many of the soulless as the five of us”, said Ender.
“Six of us you mean”, sa
id Purdy.
“Six?” Asked Rolph.
“Yea. Owen’s horse there is actually some kind of familiar. Isn’t that right Owen?”
“He is something like that, now, since our fall at the game. Here, I’ll show you.”
Owen removed the glamour, and Gander growled his delight. The horses shied away until Owen calmed them with a spell.
“It’s a Unicorn”, exclaimed Tamaris.
“Unicorns are smaller, white, and don’t have fangs or claws”, said Ender.
“Yea, but they have a horn just like that one,” said Tamaris. And it was true.
“Closer to a Unicorn than a horse” Owen conceded. “I wish I could have seen him shredding those scum.”
“That was quite a sight”, said Purdy. “He’s fast as lightning with those teeth and claws and has some kind of shield against a sword that comes from the horn. The black sword’s and pikes bounced off of him in a blue flash.”
“Unicorns have that same shield,” said Baird into Owen’s mind.
“So, Owen”, said Rolph with a laugh. “Next time you pass through the Dragon woods, all the Unicorn Mares will be dogging your trail.”
They all laughed.
Sometime later, when Owen spotted a scouting party from the King’s camp, he placed the glamour back onto the grumbling ‘Unicorn Stud’.
“Hail, who goes there”, came from the patrol leader. “Oh, Captain Rolph, it’s you, and Ender, Purdy, and Tamaris. But who is this? And where are the rest?”
“This is Sir Owen, Thomas. You saw him in the game.”
“No kidding. What a pleasure to meet you, Owen. What a fantastic game. But I thought you were badly injured?”
“I had a wizard fix it for me. Thomas is it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, Karl is recovering”, said Owen. “The rest were killed in the night by agents of the Dark Lord, and we need to speak with the King right away.”
“That’s sad news. Kirkland will not be happy. Go on ahead. There is a perimeter guard, although they must be close to marching by now.”
“There is no need to march, Thomas”, said Rolph. “The enemy has been eliminated.”
“Oh. Then hurry on”.
As Owen’s party rode on, Ron, the lance corporal said, “Did you see those sword sheaths, and the rubies on the sword pommels? They must be worth a King’s ransom.”
“Beautiful, weren’t they. You can bet the swords inside are pretty special.”
As they approached the picket, a red flag was raised. They stopped and waited until a single rider came out to meet them.
“Hail Lord Owen”, said Justin.
“Hail Prince Justin. We have news for the King.”
Owen and Justin linked their minds, passing more information than words could convey.
“Come then. We were just about to march.”
They followed Justin through the ranks of soldiers. All eyes were drawn by the prince and his charges. “I think we need to do something about the swords”, thought Baird. “How about placing a glamour on them.”
“I will do it before we leave. Right now it would be too obvious.”
“Good idea Owen. You are learning fast.”
They approached the command tent, dismounted, and Justin walked Owen and Rolph into the tent. The rest remained outside.
“You were right Albrite, it’s Owen”, said Justin.
“Oh, and I do like the swords. Baird said the Elves had gifted them but I didn’t believe him. They are magnificent. Thank you for escorting them, Justin. Otherwise those overzealous thugs would have made Owen give up the swords before coming in here.”
“Those ‘thugs’ are just trying to protect us, Albrite. Perhaps I should reduce the guard around your quarters.”
“I wouldn’t sleep well for true, your majesty.”
“Well tell me, Lord Owen, what has occurred to bring you here shining like a beacon in the night with those gaudy things?”
Owen blushed. “Ahem. I won’t be leaving as a shining beacon, Majesty.”
“So. I see. Well what happened?”
Owen related the sad tale, and then lifted the Emerald Ring.
“There is Baird,” said Albrite. “This is my one chance to get even with that old scoundrel,” he said laughing.
“Tell him I will remember that comment when in my next body.”
“He can hear you, Albrite.” The wizard blanched, and Kirkland laughed.
Sobering, the King said, “So I lost six more of my Elite Guard. Justin, you and Owen are on our side, aren’t you?”
“How can you ask that, father?” said Bruce.
“Yes, the price has been high for merely forty soulless and a bunch of vampires, twenty six Orcs, a Malaga General and a Wyrm, father”, said Justin. “We are bound to get much better at this after all. But then, what price freedom?”
“I know, I know. There have been attacks in the North also. Your cousins up there are attracting vermin too.”
“Albrite, what of our plan? Has that been coordinated with King Paul?”
“Yes my Lord. The expedition is set for seven months from now. The fourteen gifted to us will be sixteen years old by then. The Dwarves report an alarming increase in activity in the Forbidden Mountains and the bordering waste lands. By their reports, it cannot be more than a year before they are attacked in earnest.”
“Hear that Lord Owen? We plan to escort your Dragon Lord puppies to the Mounts. There, your Dragons will pick them up, if you can control them by then. You not have long to prepare them for battle, if things go as planned. They never do though, as you discovered today.”
“I must find my way to Dragon Mount and to Znost before that, Majesty.”
The King sighed. “Rolph, take three of your best and escort Owen as close to Dragon Mount as you can. A larger force would attract too much notice. Bring along as many pack horses and supplies you might need for a ‘mining exploratory expedition’.”
“A good idea, Majesty. Just get me close, and I will take it from there.”
“What about those swords?”
“Baird has taught me something about this.” Owen removed the swords and harness and placed them on the planning table. He spoke, and they changed, appearing to be nothing more than fine alloy steel blades in sheathes to match. The harness appeared as simple leather. His hand and a half sword was not as fine as the Elven swords, although Baird had assured him it was made by a master Dwarven smith. “It is good enough, even if a bit large for me at the moment”, thought Owen.
“Amazing. I am surrounded by magic these days, and still my men die. Oh, I didn’t mean that. I just wish somebody else would take care of this Belaros for us.”
“We all heard what the Archangel said, my lord. If they interfere on Cotera both gates will open: The gates to Heaven, and the gates to Hell.”
“I don’t pretend to understand how that Demon Prince could come through then. Anyway, the Dwarves and the Elves will probably bear the brunt of the initial attacks. We do have powerful allies.”
“General Rankin”
“Yes, sire?”
“Please assist Rolph to acquire provisions, and then organize the cavalry for a return to Windhaven. A reserve support services contingent is to proceed to Fable’s Arch for burial and cleanup of the Hodgen farm, the area around the Blacksmith’s, and what’s left out at Baird’s place. They are to help repair any damage, because of our inept intelligence in this case. Simply clear the remains of Baird’s cabin. The crown owns that land anyway.”
“As you wish.”
“Owen, I am sorry for laying any guilt on you. You don’t deserve that. We were alerted too late that a large armed force was making its way toward Fable’s Arch. If my intelligence was better, we could have intercepted them sooner. Albrite, I want magi scattered throughout the realm. They are to do their best to warn me of such incursions. No excuses!”
“Yes, Majesty”, answered Albrite with a worried expression.
&n
bsp; “Albrite’s pet projects will have to wait it seems. He has been using a number of mages to try and determine a spell to control the soulless. His heart is in the right place, yet he will not listen to me when I tell him that power is beyond him.”
“Your majesty, maybe the Dragons will help, and warn us. Any incursion from the wastes and forbidden mountains must go past them or the Dwarves.”
“I will take that under advisement, Owen. But first you must convince the Dragons. To do that you must get to them, so I suggest you start out as soon as possible.”
Dragons Shining Page 10
