Dragons Shining

by Michael Sperry

  Vazlos, a powerful, once human wizard in his own right, had joined Belaros and had become an immortal Vampire as well, he and several dozen other ancient wizards, many that had escaped Hell with Belaros. Vazlos and the other wizards did not have the monstrous appetite displayed by the weaker of the Demon Belaros’ converts, only because their magic was strong and could always appease the hunger in other ways. Yet, they required blood from time to time even so. Vazlos had ample access among the Demon’s most tender slaves, so aimed to please Belaros in all things. The girl though, he would take himself if he could. He understood the power he would gain, more power than the Demon Belaros even. “I will not risk death before I take this twin, no.”

  “As you command, Master”, said Vazlos, without a hint of his true thoughts.

  Then they heard Owen join the song and saw exactly where he was, and glimpsed what they must contend with if they permitted these two to join forces.

  “Take nine of the Wyrm masters with you, Vazlos”, commanded Belaros. "And load twenty Wyrms with our Trolls and Orc friends. They are not to kill the boy!"

  “I will make sure they understand. Butt that’s a fourth of the black wyrms we have available now, master.”

  “Yes, I know. Do not fail me in this, my friend”, he said ominously.

  Owen Hears Her

  They were sailing up the bayou with a fair wind off of the starboard quarter. The lateen rigged animal barge followed behind the smaller gaff rigged vessel carrying Owen and the others. Owen had been performing the difficult practice of viewing the swamp as an entity, letting the swamp monitor it denizens, rather than trying to monitor them all on his own. Since this swamp was not an entity, Owen had finally learned to simulate one using a wisp of his own spirit, freed to "inhabit" the swamp. This arrangement had allowed him to monitor every creature in the swamp. He noticed something puzzling. Something was watching him. Something cold and merciless, neither good nor evil, yet powerful. Then like smoke, it vanished from his senses.

  Baird had been watching the process with some trepidation. Suddenly Owen stiffened and the whole arrangement collapsed like a stack of cards, sending the boy reeling mentally as the wisp of spirit rejoined him. Then Baird heard the Elven song too.

  “That’s her, isn’t it Baird? Briana sings, oh how exquisite!” Owen said. The pain of his collapsed spell was forgotten.

  “Yes, Owen, it’s her. She is using an ethereal form of magic I have never been witness to. It is exquisite indeed. Alas, every mage on this planet will hear, Belaros as well. All twelve of the other young Dragon Lords will hear this as a call and realize the time is near. She must know that, so whatever her reason, it must be dire. I fear for her.”

  Owen was lost in the song and did not even realize when he joined in. He could not help himself. His young tenor melded with the other Elves in a now far more powerful and compelling series of complex, interwoven melody transcending space and time.

  Just before all the other Elves were drawn in and compelled to join the song, it ended, leaving everyone who had heard in wonder. The song was heard both in Heaven and in Hell and had shocked Angels and Demons alike. The Maker smiled, and Vaness tossed within her waking dreams.

  Owen’s thoughts were of Briana, of the undeniably compelling magnetism between them. “It’s as though we are fragments of something greater, something that we can only glimpse while together. It seems so right. How could that be wrong? Yet I must learn to control this, I must!” He knew this as surely as he knew night would fall. Without control, all was lost.

  “Was this but a gentle breeze compared to what will come?” thought Baird. “This must be what the Archangel Michael had been alluding to when he said Heaven itself would suffer from their loss, the Maker’s gifts to the races of this world in the light. Normally I would chastise Owen for letting something distract him like that, but not this time. No mage could have ignored that song, Dragon Lord or no. ”

  They sailed on, with only the creaking of the boat and the sounds of the swamp to break the silence.

  Chapter Seven – The Ogres Choose

  King Gorogath slowly studied the young dragon eyed Elf he was commanded to take. She had been quiet since the singing. All of the Elves regarded him in silence, knowing the Ogre’s methodical way of thinking. He had been painstaking taught by his elders to see things as trustworthy or not, good or evil, darkness or light. Simple delineators he could hope to use in a way so that decisions could be made more swiftly in crisis, something the Ogres were not good at to say the least.

  When the monster Belaros had confronted him he saw the untrustworthy, evil and the darkness. He was coerced by dire threat and had agreed to seek this girl. Belaros had assumed much when he took that to mean Gorogath would go through with her capture and transport back to him.

  In this young elf he saw trustworthiness, goodness and light, as well as power in abundance. “Can I as leader of my people choose darkness over light simply to save them? Will either choice save his people in the end?” The concept of evil and that of darkness were very relative in an Ogre’s mind. Being trustworthy or not was the key element that Gorogath wrestled with. “No, I cannot trust Belaros. But then how to defy him and not be destroyed?”

  “What is your name, aspiring young Dragon Queen?” he asked.

  Onadath had contacted Briana when the song ended. He was very concerned, as she thought he might be. “We are coming, Briana. Three hundred warriors and ten Magi ride for you. Delay the Ogres as long as you can.”

  “Stay with me, Father. I hope to negotiate with Gorogath, yet have no basis in strength at the moment. I might have to make some decisions for our nation. Guide me if I err.”

  “I know you heart and soul, Briana. I only hope we do not let you down.”

  “I am Briana, King Gorogath. Why have you come, with so many warriors? We are simply gathering herbs.”

  “I know. We have come to take you, Briana, to the Demon Belaros. He has made dire threats against my people if I do not do this thing.”

  “May I ask what threats, Majesty?”

  “He would turn our daughters into vampires, to feed upon us in frenzy. Nor can we hope to defy his other magic, and so defy him, little one.”

  “You know he is Satan’s Son, Majesty?”

  Gorogath looked uncomfortable. “No, I didn’t know that.”

  “Know also that I cannot go willingly, and would rather die than be delivered into his hands.”

  “Truly, little one? To die is final. I cannot believe you would deny yourself to the world. I have heard your song.”

  “It would be even worse than that. There is another to consider, King Gorogath. Owen, my twin, would not take my death or imprisonment well at all. If you think Belaros can defeat your whole nation, then you will tremble in fear at Owen’s revenge. I am fated to keep him from becoming a second Kragon, potentially far worse. You have heard of Kragon, I am certain.”

  “You speak of a new Dragon King. One far more terrible than Kragon could have ever been. And you say only you can control him?”

  “YES.”

  The Ogres started at this mental blast from above. Great shadows covered the ground, and a giant blue dragon peppered them with dirt and debris from her flapping wings as she landed on the nearby, rocky ridge. Three more, huge dragon dams circled overhead.

  “Oh Zana, am I glad to see you!”

  The great dragon bared her awesome fangs in a toothy smile, her mouth exuding a wisp of smoke. “Do not fret, little one. The odds are in your favor now.”

  “What am I to do then?” asked the King, eyeing the immense dragon warily. “Am I to lose my people no matter which decision I make? I can see we need to fight hard to take you now, but so be it if some must die a fiery death while doing so. Better that than my people gone.”

  “You would not choose Good over Evil, Majesty, no matter what the outcome?” asked Briana.

  “We have learned painfully that good and evil are in the eyes of the beholder. T
rustworthiness and survival we understand more readily. What is good and what is evil, we have made mistakes defining in our past. We are few compared to the Dwarves and the Humans, even the Elves because of those mistakes. I strive to consider, and truly trust not any of the other races who have all taken advantage of us in the past.”

  “You heard me sing, Majesty. You heard Owen join us. That was no small thing we did for your benefit, so that you could see our hearts and know you can trust us.”

  “Yes. That is true. Yet trusting you could still get my people killed.”

  “How many live within Belaros’ reach, Majesty?”

  “Almost thirty thousand live outside of the Dwarves protection, in the mountains closer to the wastelands. The other fifty thousand live in the high valley of Ganesh, somewhat close to the largest Dwarf mountain cities. Ganesh is warded against outside magic, for the Dwarves benefit, not ours. The Dwarves have no protection against vampires, but they actively prevent any of Belaros’ agents reaching their cities through the valley. They have even been successfully killing vampires lately, I have heard.”

  “How many more can move into the valley for two or three years?” asked Briana.

  “Perhaps all could be moved to the valley, and fed for that long with some hardship. Food and other goods merchants would need to be diverted, so the merchant trains would then be vulnerable. The refugees would be vulnerable immediately, at least until they reach the valley. The forest and lands of the valley cannot support us all, Briana so the trade tally will be against us.”

  “The Elves can provide you with the means to kill vampires. Would you consider an alliance with the Races of Light, King Gorogath? The Alliance will provide magi to your people to protect the refugees this very day and for the future transports. The Alliance will also provide food and supplies to aid the refugees beginning as soon as possible. The Alliance will press the Dwarves to help protect and help supply your people in the valley. You in turn will provide at least 13,000 warriors to fight with the Alliance against Belaros and his dark hordes for as long as the Alliance requires. You shall respect all of our allies and fight alongside them, and your people in the valley shall do their best to provide for their own and shall respect and aid their neighbors. First and foremost, you will not kill or eat allies. Such will be governed as murder and the punishment death.”

  While Gorogath was pondering this in the slow and methodical way of an Ogre, emergency negotiations and barely secure communications flew through the realm of magic. The young Dragon Lords in the various capitols had roused their Kings as Briana sang. They used simple water divination for this purpose, only the Dragon Lords understood their dragon's language. This had always been a major advantage to them.

  Briana received notice from Onadath that the Elf King, Ovine had agreed to her terms. Also he told her that King Ovine and Brant, the Dwarf King, and the dwarves would welcome the Ogres as an ally on her terms as well.

  The two human Kings had also been contacted and both had agreed readily.

  “Do you speak for the elf King, Briana?” asked Gorogath finally. “You are one with the Elves for a short time, girl. As a Dragon Lord your alliances will change.”

  “The Dragon Lords will oppose Belaros and befriend any in the light who will aid us against him. And yes, Majesty, I have received word that King Ovine has agreed to this, I do swear. Also King Brant has been asked, and he agrees to the terms as well. Also both Human Kings have agreed. I speak for all of the allies except the fairies, yet I don't see why they would object as long as you completely respect the Forest Mother and her forest. The fairies are too well shielded to contact in this way.”

  “In that case I accept your Alliance gladly, young one. I trust you to abide by this, Briana, as the Dragon Queen, not as an Elf.”

  Briana took Goragath’s meaning, and considered. “Owen, can you hear me?”

  “Yes Briana. We are linked now. We must be very careful, until we gain better control. We are being tracked by now.”

  “I know. Yet, I cannot give this Ogre King my word as the Dragon Queen without consulting you at least, first. We must agree on this and proceed without the benefit of consulting the others of our kind. Several do know of this since they were involved with the mirror messaging, and I presume they agree.”

  “Of course, Briana, I see the wisdom of an alliance with the Ogres as will Justin and the others. Thus, we will have responsibilities to the Ogres as with all of the allies. And we must enforce terms of the Alliance as well. Mine will be the sword in all that we do. Yours will be the wisdom and light to guide me. You have my word to support you in this. Feel my heart, my Queen. It is the same as yours. They beat as one.”

  “Then let it be so, heart of my heart.”

  By mutual consent, their link severed.

  To Gorogath and to Onadath, she said verbally and with her mind “I have consulted with Owen as well. As the Dragon Queen to be, then, I seal the terms as agreed. They are binding, and will be enforced by the Dragon Lords and our own King. I do this not lightly, my friends.”

  Each Ogre roared with one fist held high to her and the other fist beating his chest. The Elves crossed both their arms over their hearts and bowed to her.

  “Come child. It is time for you to leave the Elves and learn the Dragon Way. Climb onto my back, and I will take you to the dam’s mountain lair. Do not change here in front of them. That would be unseemly for a Queen.”

  Briana sent another message to her father. “Onadath, will you continue this please? The Ogres in the mountains need serious mage protection, immediately. I am going with Zana.”

  “Yes, Briana. Well done, I am so proud of you. We will approach carefully and send the magi with the Ogres. Remember us, young one. The Elves will always love you. The other young Dragon Lords will be headed your way soon.”

  “The mage Onadath will be here soon, with three hundred warriors”, Briana said. “They will not attack you, Gorogath, for we are now allies. They will send ten powerful Elven magi with you. Help each other and we become much, much stronger. You are also joining the Humans, the Dwarves, the Fairies and the Dragons in this coming conflict. Remember to remain pure at heart, no matter what happens. Love can conquer hate if your heart is true.”

  “May your light shine upon us always, little one”, said Gorogath, the huge and potent Ogre King.

  Salece watched with relief when Briana climbed upon Zana and sighed as the dragons disappeared in the distance. “She is in Zana’s care now. My teachings are done. Please guide her, honored Maker, for she is our greatest hope.” Salece made her way back to where Jugs, her familiar in Fenre form, was waiting. She began the ride toward her cabin, once there to help the village elves prepare for what she knew was coming.

  Chapter Eight – The Toss

  This was their second day as they approached a large dock in dusk. They had already stopped at one campground along the way. Cabins at the first stop kept the rain off while they slept on simple cots, and the horses remained under tarpaulins on ship. There they ate off of ship stores. The five cabins were only for shelter and were not provisioned. Nor was there room in the nearby swamp for horses.

  The second campground had an Inn and there was a large dock with several outland swamp vessels. There were a number of cabins behind the Inn, and several other buildings. One was open and had two boats dry docked inside with paint crews just finishing for the day, heading toward the buildings behind.

  Barlow and his three sons, Jasper, Collin and Whistle stood near Owen and Baird at the raised starboard prow of the boat. Barlow said "There are two large fields out back that support the cattle, sheep and ostrich that are meat sources for the Last Stop Inn, aside from alligator of course. Your horses will be welcome there to browse for the night. There is plenty of room for both boats at the dock here."

  "So this is a land oasis amidst the great swamp. I sense that it continues for almost a mile deep by two hundred yards wide", Owen said. "Why is this area not built
up more, I mean with a town or something like Swamphaven?"

  "Once it was, many thousands of years ago", Baird said. "It was called Last Stop, just like the Inn. It was destroyed and everyone killed by Ogres in revenge for being betrayed by Osgard. It is too exposed here, only a day from the Hills and the things that can come through the Forest while the Mother sleeps."

  "The Forest Mother awakens. I sense her, yet I cannot speak with her creeping thoughts", said Owen.

  The others looked at him strangely. "She wakens?" Barlow asked. "Was it that song that woke her?"

  "The Elf song, yes" Baird replied. "The song also woke many things that are best left sleeping. We may get a reception at the end of this waterway, in the Hills."