Dragons Shining

by Michael Sperry

  There were tables set along the open windows, with a nice view down the length of the bayou.

  Behind the trade counter Owen could see large stocks of various goods. A young, pretty woman tended the bar, and a plump woman tended the cafeteria counter. He could see movement in the kitchen behind the counter.

  Baird led them up to the trade counter, where a large and rotund man had been watching them from the time they entered. He had a thick black beard and bright blue eyes. “Hello, can I help you? I saw you riding down the ridge. From a distance you look like a mining party, but up close, I don’t think so. What can I do for you gentlemen?”

  “You have not seen this face before, Thomas. I am Baird, transformed. I am sure you remember when I brought Kirkland and the others through. Remember their infant son and the Queen?”

  “Wizard Baird, huh? Guess what I heard is true. You can change bodies. You look much younger, but I don’t want to know how. It’s been almost sixteen years since you came through, coming and going with the Royals in tow. I see you bring me an Elf this time. Coincidence, eh. Or not, I expect.”

  “I see you are still investing well, Thomas. We will need one of the Lateen Rigs, and a Gaff Rig, along with a full crew for each, and also food and lodging to the Hills. We have the five of us. Five horses will come with us and two pack mules. The three other mules with the mining gear can stay here till we get back.”

  “I suppose you mean investing here, huh?” said Thomas patting his stomach. “Sure, no problem, Baird. You have money, I presume?” He had taken the hint that asking questions about this crew was not appreciated.

  “These should perk your interest, and maybe even buy some discretion? Four of us, and the two pack mules will be returning in less than two weeks. The three mules and all the gear can be considered collateral, if unforeseen events affect your profit.”

  Thomas’ eyes widened at the sight of the four Royal Crowns, normally carried by only the Royals or their most highly regarded and inner circle agents. “So this is still King’s business”, he thought. “Better not to even ask why I am being paid twice as much as my normal price. All of that mining gear outside, and those mules could be worth one of the Lateen Rigs. But look at that Elf and his ready swords, and the battle scars on those hard men. The Elf is a wizard of some sort, like Baird. I can tell. I better include wizard Barlow and his apprentices to protect the crew in case there is some fighting involved. These guys look like they might attract trouble like a magnet.”

  “Yes, Baird. No questions asked, but I hope you don't mind if Barlow and his apprentices come along? You are paid up all the way to the Hills and back. We will wait two weeks at the hills. If you are hungry now, go on and help yourselves over at the cafeteria.”

  "He and his apprentices are welcome indeed, Thomas", said Baird. He meant it too. Barlow was a minor wizard, yet his help might come in handy in a fight.

  “Let’s eat”, said Owen. “I am so hungry these days.”

  “Hey, that’s Purdy’s line”, said Tamaris.

  Thomas left the building to set up the trip, while they had some of those crabs, mudbugs, catfish and alligator. There was a gumbo that included all of this and other unidentifiable vegetables and other things in a thick, tasty soup. And, there was Nomad beer.

  “These people eat well”, said Ender. “No wonder their ‘investments’ show.”

  “You mean they are all even fatter than Purdy, huh?” said Tamaris.

  “This delicious food, and the excellent beer, have me in such a good mood that maybe I won’t throttle you for that remark”, said Purdy.

  They had finished eating and were sitting there watching the activity on the bayou when Thomas returned.

  “It’s all arranged. You will depart at dawn tomorrow. The cafeteria and store open two hours before dawn, so you can get breakfast before you leave. One of the crew will come up to get you here an hour before dawn. Here are four keys. Rooms 1 and 2 have two beds. Rooms 3 and 4 have only a single bed. The cafeteria closes two hours after sunset, but the bar is open until midnight. Drink all the beer you want, but be ready to go on time.”

  “Fair enough, Thomas”, said Baird. “Show us where to put the horses and mules and we will take care of that.”

  “We would have taken care of that already, Baird, but one of your horses scared the boys. Tommy says it growled at him, ha. Kids. One of you better head down there and calm that horse down.”

  “Uh Oh. That’s Gander I bet”, said Owen. “He is a warhorse, and is protective of the others. I’ll go down.”

  “Warhorse huh. Why am I not surprised? The kids would like that, I think. They have never seen an Elf before. I don’t even know your names though”.

  “How rude of us”, said Baird. He introduced everyone.

  “Owen, then. I will tell them you are coming. The older one is Larry and the younger is Tommy. They are my stable boys, not that we have much to do with horses ourselves most of the time.”

  “Here Owen, take Room 4”, said Baird who handed Owen the key. “I will take 3. You guys take either of these.”

  After checking out the room, Owen headed down to where they had left the horses.

  “Hey Larry, here comes the elf”.

  It was Tommy, the younger dark haired lad just outside near the hitching rail. He looked to be about 8 years old, stocky for his age.

  “Hello Tommy. I hope Gander didn’t scare you too badly.”

  “Nope.”

  “That’s a lie, Tommy”, said the older boy walking up to meet them. “I saw you run away like a little girl.” Larry looked to be about 11 years old. He was thinner and had sandy hair and blue eyes.

  “Well you didn’t hear that big brute growl at me, like a Lion!”

  “No, I didn’t”, said Larry, laughing.

  “You don’t believe me just cause you are bigger. I’m telling you he growled at me!”

  “Give it up, fibber!”

  “He is a war horse, fellas. He can fake a growl pretty well. Let me introduce him to you. As long as you don’t mess with his head or his feet, he will cooperate without a problem. My name is Owen, and this is Gander.”

  “We ain’t never seen an Elf before. Paw says Elves aren’t as bad as most other people say.”

  Owen stroked Gander and patted him on the shoulder. Both boys follows suit. They got a distinct purr in response. “What do other people say about Elves, Tommy?”

  “They say elves are arrogant and think they are better than humans just because they live so long and they all have magic.”

  “You be quiet Tommy. You always get us in trouble.”

  “I have never seen another true Elf”, said Owen. “I grew up with humans, so I don’t understand or even know why people should distrust us. I know it’s true, though, until you get to know me I hope. I’ll take Gander here. You boys gather the other horses and show me where the stable is, ok?”

  Chapter Six – Briana Sings

  Briana and three other Elven girls had ventured far from the village to search for forest plants, herbs and lichen, which could be used for healing when dried and ground to paste in exact combinations and with magic known only to their kind. This brought them to a rocky area of steep ravines and deep hollows within the tall Virgin Woods West of the village. Five Elf warriors accompanied the girls, since this would be a three-day trip on their Fenri. It took one day to get here, a day gathering herbs and then the return. Ogres were known to sometimes penetrate into this area through the pass leaning high into the mountain above. Elf and Ogre were a volatile mix, with vastly different cultures. Violence was always possible. These two races did not hate each other. It was more of an individual’s situation to resolve.

  What none of them realized was that Salece watched them from a nearby ridge wearing a cloak she had made long ago in her arrogance at great cost, nearly her life as well as her apprentice at the time. He had perished horribly, and this remained on her conscience even now. It bent reality around her so that n
ot even the strongest mage could detect her while wearing it. She had followed Briana on her familiar, Jugs. She had a feeling about this excursion, but wanted to let Briana handle whatever happened on her own. “Briana needs to become what she must, and she cannot do that while in my shadow.” She was determined not to interfere, and with what happened next, her resolve was sorely tested.

  The girls were picking herbs and lichen, within sight of the five warriors mixed among them when Briana sensed the approach of a large party of Ogres.

  “Elana, please fetch Calia, Dera and the others. Tell them to come slowly to me, and you as well.”

  “Why Briana, what is the matter?”

  The four beautiful young Elves had shoulder bags, each now holding the day’s pickings of one species only per Elf. They wore a simple brown, leather blouse and skin tight leggings. Their long tresses were done in two pony tails, tied with leather and with pretty yellow and red flowers.

  “We will soon have visitors, and I want us to be together, away from the warriors. I want us to sing from our hearts and convince these Ogres that we are not a threat”, Briana said.

  Elana went to do as she was asked. “I hope Briana knows what she is asking of us. Such song is our essence. To bare it to Ogres is not lightly done”, she thought.

  “Felnar, beware. There are many Ogres approaching. Do not touch weapons or even speak unless they ask it of you. They come seeking me and I must deal with them. Please!” Briana had to almost shout mentally to get through the Captain’s wards.

  “Briana, you startle me! We are here to protect you, not be protected by you.”

  “I believe this is very important. There are too many for you to fight, and I don’t want us to fight them. We will sing!”

  “They may think it’s a spell, Briana.”

  “No. We will sing from our hearts, the ancient song. We will need the Ogres desperately, before long. Trust me, Felnar.

  “Your father will be so angry with both of us if we are killed today, Briana. I will not return if you die and I live, but banish myself. Are you certain of this?”

  “Have faith, Felnar.”

  Now the Elves could hear the Ogres approaching from all sides. The great Ogre King Goragath himself stepped from the forest, not far from Briana, along with many others, as the young girls began to sing. Many huge Ogres appeared around them. None reached for a weapon, yet the Ogres were making it clear they were in control. Badly outnumbered, the Elven warriors would have no chance.

  Gorogath at first refused to listen, suspecting an Elven spell song, but then he could not help but hear, powerless before the song of their hearts, and the strength of the one with dragon eyes. Unexpectedly, the song thrilled him, slowly filling him with the unblemished innocence that was in her heart. There was no deception here, whatever.

  The young Elves sang of the ancients, in the age when the elder races were new in the land, before humans. They sang of the alliance between all spirits in those times, of the beauty and grace life had become, and could become once again.

  Humans occupied islands an ocean away then, and the orcs, ghouls, goblins and trolls existed only in the deep waste far away. There were no race related wars, yet violent disagreement was not unknown between the Elves, Fairies, Dwarves and Ogres.

  The song reached out for leagues around them, with the Elven voices linked by twinning filaments of harmony and perfect tone, weaving through the forest for even the Forest Mother to hear. Briana was master of this song, lending it a binding presence beyond and dispelling shadows near and far with a magic so fine and subtle.

  The Forest Hears Her

  The great forest existed long before Elves, when only Angels roamed. The Forest Mother listened to the song, within her timeless dreams. She heard the young Dragon Queen, and felt her budding, innocent power. “I must awaken soon”, she considered with thought slow and deliberate. “The new age is nigh, and I must wake.”

  The Dragons Hear Her

  Zana heard the song as well. She marveled at the beauty unfolding in the forest below. The forest was responding to the Elves, to Briana, beginning the ever so slow awakening of the Forest Mother, sleeping for this last ten thousand years. “I doubt Briana even realizes what is happening”, she thought. Zana knew not the reason for this singing. “Something important is afoot. I will attend and discover.” So Zana banked her flight, changing direction toward the pass where the song originated. The three great dams that flew with her this day wheeled and followed. They heard the song and agreed. It was time to take Briana anyway, teach her the Dragon Way and prepare her for Owen. “Past time”, Zana thought.

  Many leagues away in his lair, Znost heard the song as well. “This is high magic, subtle and demanding. Only one could, and only one should. The prophecy unfolds, almost too late for my dying bones. It can only be the young Queen we have awaited so long. If she lives, then so does the King. Yet I am so weak, I can do little now but watch. I hope he comes, and soon. He must be tested. He must prove to us he is light and not darkness, so I must be strong to test such a one. There must not be another such as Kragon.” Their names came to him at last. “Of Briana there is no question from the truth of her song. She is light eternal, but what of Owen. He must prove as well.”

  Outside of his lair on Dragon Mount, the other sires agreed with Znost. Falos, one of the oldest, cast his thought to the others. “I will seek Owen and bring him to you, Znost.”

  “Go then, Falos. Take half the old sires with you. I believe the dark lord will seek him also. Seek Owen’s blood song. It is stronger than mine, yet of the same source, and same as the girl, Briana. Belaros will know it, so if all else fails, follow his minions to Owen. Destroy them if you can, after they lead you to him.”

  “I felt his presence in Moors where his magic flared brightly, oh great one”, thought Kos, one of the more talented young dragons. He was not yet half the size of the older dragons, but his mind was strong already. “I would fly with you, Falos.”

  “Your talons are short, your flame weak and your power not ready as yet, Kos” Falos replied. “Your time will come, and thank you for your aide in seeking. This knowledge will make the task easier by far. He must take the swamp bayou to reach Dragon Mount from there. They will ambush him either there or in the hills beyond. They will not wait for the Forest to protect him.”

  Then they heard Owen join the song and so knew exactly where he was.

  Belaros Hears Her

  Deep in the wasteland, under the largest brooding mountain in that half blasted land of rock and beleaguered virgin forest, Belaros trembled with desire upon a blood red throne. “Mother, this must be the Elven girl child the crow had seen, no other. Briana is her name, now I know. Such innocence draws me as a moth to flame.”

  His mother’s thoughts filtered vaguely through the veils of Hell. “Your Power shall multiply many times if you can take her my son. Draw her blood as you force yourself upon her, and you will reign supreme in that world with the power of her blood. But do not kill her. Keep her as a guilt tortured slave. She is your great aunt, Belaros, ha, my dead grandmother’s sister. Half, she is the innocent half. Take her and it will destroy the other, her twin. He will become a twisted, darkened thing, fit only to Satan’s heel or be slain by Vaness herself. Yet, beware her song my love. She is Vaness’s daughter by someone very powerful. Who, we have been unable to determine, but it would take someone extraordinarily powerful to seduce Vaness. Better not to take Briana than be destroyed by her song. You will need help. Oh, I must go. Your father is coming.” With that, contact was broken.

  “Is she the one you sent the Ogre after, master?” asked Vazlos, who stood facing Belaros. He had been reporting to Belaros when the siren began her song.

  His evil eyes gleamed with thoughts of slating his unholy appetite with an innocent’s blood.

  “Yes Vazlos, my most powerful and trusted Major General, Gorogath will bring her to me, or I will take and turn his daughters into monstrous beasts, who will s
uck his people dry. This I have promised him.”

  “His Ogres should be in that area by now, Master. Why does she sing if captured by them?”

  “If he fails me, then I will delight in bringing the Ogres down. I will get the girl eventually anyway. Go now. Take nine of your Wyrm riders and capture the boy Owen as I have commanded. I know he is Briana’s, the girl’s twin. I have at last identified the two most powerful of my enemies. Do not fail me, Vazlos. My spies in the sky show that he will soon be in the Hills between the great swamp and the Dragon’s Forest, two days hence. Bring him to me. Do not kill him, but you may kill any dragon helping him if such should show up. In fact kill as many as you can. If I have both Owen and Briana, I can play them against one another. Each will sacrifice for the other, so perfect that I will have them both in my thrall. The Kingdoms will fall without them, even with the aid of the others who the Angels have slipped into this realm. We can take care of them at our leisure.”