by F. P. Spirit
Sir Craven had not lowered his guard, instead eyeing the other knight with caution. He shouted up to him, “If you intend this to be a fair fight, you’ll come down and face me man to man!”
The strange knight’s mount began to growl, but immediately stopped at another wave of its rider’s hand. The black knight regarded Sir Craven quietly for a few moments, then responded in an almost unearthly voice. “It would not be a fair fight either way.”
Before Sir Craven could answer, the dark knight waved a hand at him. The valiant Knight of the Rose abruptly crumpled to the ground in a heap. Martan’s mouth fell open—the knight had felled Sir Craven without so much as lifting a sword. He had to be some sort of caster, but Martan doubted that even Glolindir could have done that to the valiant knight.
Martan watched in astonishment as the rider spurred his mount over to the fallen knight. The huge dragon reached down, and with surprising gentleness, scooped up Sir Craven, carefully cradling him in its front claws. The creature’s vast wings then spread apart, and with a few large beats, lifted into the air. As the huge dragon slowly rose higher, its dark rider called down to the first dragon. “Guard this monolith. Let no one in or out until I return.”
With those final words, the huge dragon rose above the treetops, and with a great beat of its wings, took off, swiftly disappearing into the night sky.
Dark Dreams
There was fighting… and a lot of blood… The knights were not winning…
Glolindir Eodin woke with a start. He hadn’t exactly been asleep, more like in a waking trance, as was the way of Elves. Yet something had roused him from that peaceful state—a strange sound that didn’t belong there. The young wizard pushed himself up onto his elbows, casting a quick glance around.
Everything appeared peaceful. He was in a wide chamber, an expansive rug across the floor beneath him, and several chairs spread about. A long couch sat a short distance away, in front of a small fireplace, the warm glow of its golden fire dimly illuminating the otherwise darkened room. A translucent crystal statue of an elf-maiden stood next to the hearth, holding up a tray in one hand. The only other source of light came from the stairwell, where a solitary figure stood guard.
Glo immediately recognized the tall, broad-shouldered young man in red armor with a shock of tousled brown hair—it was Lloyd, one of his closest companions since he had ventured here to the east coast of Thac. The young warrior seemed relaxed, unaware of whatever noise Glo had heard. The elven wizard sat up further, squinting his eyes as he swept them across the large chamber.
Most of his friends lay around that room, the little gnome, Aksel, curled up into the soft cushions of a plush chair, his white robes pulled tight around him, and his copper-colored hair glowing red in the firelight. Across from Aksel, his fellow elves, Donnie and Elladan, lay stretched out at either end of that long, comfy couch. Donnie, the smaller of the two, had the lighter complexion capped with a mop of sandy blonde hair. He lay sleeping soundly in his leather pants and white puffy shirt, his brown leather vest and knee high boots lay strewn on the floor next to the sofa. Elladan’s boots and cloak also lay by the couch, the elven bard curled up into a mound of pure white except for the neatly combed head of jet-black hair that adorned his decidedly handsome face.
On the floor beside Glo lay the lovely seeress, Elistra, her long blonde tresses down for once, as she snuggled into her warm blankets. The seeress had doffed her black and red cap decorated with yellow stars, as well as her black stockings and boots, sleeping only in her red skirt and short black and red top. Deep creases furrowed into Glo’s brow as he gazed around the quiet room. Nothing appeared out of place. The door to the next room lay open, the young elf’s keen eyes fixing on a large four-poster bed where Alana and Ruka slept. The lady knight had stuck by the young teen’s side ever since she had been poisoned.
Poisoned…
The thought brought yesterday’s events rushing to the forefront of Glo’s mind. The small company had finally made it past the numerous traps and puzzles that riddled the Darkwoods Monolith, only to be confronted with an astonishing find. A huge cavern lay hidden beneath the sub-basement, containing a weapon of unparalleled magnitude—a colossal stone golem, stretching to an incredible height of nearly seventy feet. No sooner had the companions made this amazing discovery, than the Serpent Cult reared its ugly head.
During the deadly battle that ensued, Ruka was forced to reveal her true form—the teen shape-shifter was in reality a young bronze dragon. The party won out in the end, but their victory did not come without a price. Ruka had been severely poisoned. Yet thanks to Aksel’s ministrations, and a strange karmic bond that Elistra had forged between Ruka and Donnie, the young teen’s condition had stabilized. Still, the toxins remained in her system, taking a toll on her strength.
“Nooo…”
The soft moan caused Glo to spin around, his eyes fixing on Elistra. The seeress was still asleep, but her brow was knit together, her expression almost d. “Nooo…” she moaned softly once more.
Glo reached over and gently shook the sleeping seeress. All of a sudden, she shot up out of her blankets and screamed, “Nooo!”
The entire room came awake, the overhead lights magically flaring to life in response to the loud shriek. Glo grabbed Elistra by the arms, and spun her toward him. Her violet eyes were glazed over, as if she were in some kind of trance. Glo, now extremely worried, shook her and called out her name. “Elistra! Elistra! Are you alright?”
Her violet eyes turned toward him, finally coming into focus. Elistra stared wide-eyed at him, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “Oh, Glo…it was terrible.” She threw her arms around him, and buried her head into his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
Glo gently stroked her long, lustrous hair, and cooed to her softly. “It’s okay. It’s okay. You’re safe. You’re safe.” Glo abruptly remembered they were not alone. Aksel, Donnie, Elladan and Lloyd stood over them, wearing expressions of curiosity and concern.
“What happened?” Aksel asked in a quiet voice.
Glo slowly shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
“What’s going on out here?” a familiar voice called from across the room.
Glo peered past the others to see Alana standing in the doorway to the bedroom, the statuesque lady knight dressed only in the form-fitting garments that she wore under her armor, her holy sword grasped firmly in one hand. Alana’s brow was furrowed under her striking head of fiery-orange hair, her deep brown eyes sweeping around the room. A bleary-eyed Ruka trailed behind her, the young teen barefoot, but still wearing her dark leather tunic. She gingerly rubbed the sleep from her emerald green eyes, and peered out from under her shoulder-length, sandy-blonde hair. “Yeah. What’s all the screaming about?”
Donnie turned to face the duo, and replied in a soft tone, “We’re not sure. Elistra suddenly started screaming.”
Alana and Ruka came over to join them, the lady knight placing a gentle hand on Elistra’s shoulder. Even the usually aloof Ruka eyed her with concern. Elistra slowly lifted her head and looked up at Alana. “I’m… I’m alright.” Her eyes shifted back to Glo, still brimming with tears. “Thank you,” she said, attempting a smile, then gently sat back and wiped the moisture from her eyes.
This mysterious woman had firmly captured Glo’s heart, which now ached to see her so distraught. He spoke to her in a gentle tone. “Was it a dream?”
Elistra responded with a short nod. “More like a nightmare.”
“Oh,” was all Glo said, but he implicitly understood how she felt. Elistra, being a seeress, would sometimes get visions of the future. Sometimes those glimpses came to her in dreams. Glo himself had some experience with that, and he knew how overwhelming it could be. The tall elf got up on his knees, placing one arm around Elistra’s shoulder, the other sweeping under her legs. He then lifted her up and carried her
over to the couch. She seemed surprised at first, but then rested her head on his shoulder, gazing up at him with a grateful smile. Glo gently put Elistra down and sat on the sofa next to her.
Alana and the others followed, the lady knight covering the seeress with her blanket. Elistra peered up at Alana gratefully, then sat back and laid her head on Glo’s shoulder, pulling the blankets close around her body. Donnie handed her a cup of water, which she gratefully accepted, taking a small sip before handing it back. Once she was settled down, Glo spoke to her in a quiet voice. “Why don’t you tell us about it?”
Elistra glanced up at him and nodded, then sat up and swept her eyes around the room. Everyone was gathered nearby, either on the floor, or in those comfy chairs, listening intently as the seeress described her dream. “I’m not quite sure where to begin... There were many images, some jumbled, some crystal clear… but one image was prominent throughout… a large… green… dragon…”
Ruka let out a soft hiss. All eyes turned toward the young teen. She peered back, a thin smirk on her lips. “Never really liked green dragons. They talk way too much.”
Elistra cocked her head to one side, and squinted at the teen. “Trust me, in my dream it wasn’t doing much talking.”
Ruka responded with a casual shrug of her shoulders. “When greens aren’t talking, they like to fight. Doesn’t take much to set them off. Even reds aren’t as bad as greens… well at least not in that respect.”
Glo arched an eyebrow. He was aware that none of the chromatic dragons were friendly, but this type of insight was not well known outside the dragon community.
Elistra gave the young teen a wan smile and continued. “As I was saying, there was a large green dragon… and there were knights. There was fighting… and a lot of blood…” Her voice fell to almost a whisper. “The knights were not winning…”
Glo felt Elistra shudder next to him. He put an arm around her, and pulled her close. Alana, a dark look upon her face, leaned forward, her tone grim. “Did you recognize any of the knights?”
Elistra met Alana’s gaze, the two women locking eyes. “I’m not sure. One may have looked a little like Sir Craven.”
Alana stood up and retrieved her nearby sword. “That does it! I’m going to check on my men.”
“Wait!” Elistra cried, holding a hand up in front of her. “There’s more.”
Alana had started for her room, most likely to retrieve her armor, but halted, spinning around to face the seeress. Elistra’s eyes took on a faraway look. “There was one more knight… a man in blue armor… I can’t see his face… but he drove the dragon off.”
Alana’s expression was positively grim. “What about the other knights?”
Elistra slowly shook her head. “I’m not sure.”
“Then I’m going to see for myself,” Alana stated determinedly, her eyes afire as they swept across the group, daring anyone to challenge her decision.
“I’ll go with you,” Lloyd declared firmly, striding over to stand next to the lady knight.
“I’ll come, too,” Donnie said, standing up as well.
Alana held up a hand, her eyes still ablaze, yet her tone understanding. “I appreciate the offer, but you’re still weary from that karmic bond. I think it better if you wait here.”
“I agree,” Aksel said, before anyone else could speak.
“But…” Donnie began.
Elladan grabbed his fellow elf’s shoulder, and strode around in front of him. “Don’t worry, Donnie. I’ll make sure the two of them stay out of trouble.”
Mixed emotions played across Donnie’s face, but then a thin smile won out over them. “That’s all well and fine, but then who’s going to watch you?”
Elladan chuckled softly, but Aksel interrupted him before he could answer. The little cleric gazed at Alana, his eyes filled with compassion. “I would offer to come as well, but it is probably best for Glo and me to prepare our spells for the day. We will be better able to help you if we have all of them readied.”
Alana gave the little cleric a nod. “No doubt. And do not worry. We will only do reconnaissance for now, but I must know if my men are alright.”
Aksel gave her a short nod. “Understood.”
Alana shifted her gaze from Lloyd to Elladan. “Just give me a few minutes to throw on my chain-mail.” The duo both gave her a brief nod, then the lady knight marched off to the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her.
Ruka, still looking thoroughly exhausted, threw herself down on the couch next to Glo and Elistra. A loud yawn escaped her lips, followed by a few fading words as she drifted off back to sleep. “Wake me when… they get… back…”
Elistra reached over and covered the young teen with her blanket, then shifted her gaze back to Glo. “Maybe you should check with Raven before they head out?”
Glo had, in fact, just been thinking the same thing, and told Elistra as much. A genuine smile graced her lips for the first time since she had awakened. She winked at him and said, “Didn’t you know I was a mind reader?”
Glo gave her a wry smile, then closed his eyes, emptying his mind. Raven was Glo’s familiar—she had come to him when he started studying magic, some forty years ago. Glo had a special bond with the black bird, and could detect her feelings from over a mile away. It was both a blessing and a curse, Glo sometimes experiencing emotions for no apparent reason, only later finding that they were actually from his familiar. Yet now for some reason, he felt nothing from Raven. Glo redoubled his efforts, but to no avail. After a few more minutes of trying, the young wizard finally opened his eyes, and let out a deep sigh.
Elistra grabbed his hand, and gazed up at him questioningly. “Is something wrong?”
Glo looked at her and shrugged, his shoulders sagging in defeat. “I can’t feel anything from Raven. Either she flew off away from the monolith, or all these layers of stone above us are somehow blocking our link.”
Elistra cocked her head to one side, her lovely brow creasing. “Any chance that huge anti-magic field around the colossus could be interfering with it?”
Glo raised an eyebrow as he mulled it over. “I guess it’s possible. I won’t know for certain, though, until we head back upstairs.”
Elistra placed a soft hand on the side of his head, and gently stroked his hair. “Later. Right now, you need to prepare your spells, as Aksel said.”
Glo gave her a brief smile, then grabbed her hand and kissed it. “You are right, as usual.”
Just then, the bedroom door flung open, and Alana strode out, garbed in chainmail, her white tabard with a red rose draped over it. Her eyes swept from Lloyd to Elladan. “Ready?” The duo both nodded. “Good. Then let’s go.”
Alana marched purposely to the stairwell, Lloyd and Elladan in her wake. Donnie followed as well, catching the lady knight at the bottom of the stairs. He caught Alana by the arm, the lady knight spinning around to face him. She seemed annoyed at first, but her face swiftly softened as she saw the look in Donnie’s eyes. He flashed her a brilliant smile, and said, “Good luck up there. Please be careful.”
Alana responded with a warm smile. “Thanks Donnie. We will. I promise.”
The slender elf let her go and stepped back. Alana motioned for the others to follow, then swiftly disappeared up the winding stairwell that led to the cavern above. Donnie watched them go, then took up a guard position at the bottom of the stairs.
Glo shifted his gaze to Elistra and whispered, “Any idea what they’ll find up there?”
Elistra wore a worried frown, as she whispered back, “Yes. That’s what frightens me.”
Enter the Dragoon
Who in his right mind would hunt such a ferocious beast?
Martan believed in the gods, he just didn’t think they necessarily listened to, or cared about, ordinary folk like himself. Still
, when he needed to pray, his prayers would go to the goddess Synopei. He supposed it was a throwback to his days in Deepwood, that his prayers would go to the goddess of the hunt. Yet that didn’t really matter right now, for Martan could think of nothing else that would help other than prayer.
All the Knights of the Rose were gone, deserted by their god, Cormar. Once the greater dragon had winged away, the large dragon had disappeared as well, slinking off into the forest. Martan had been amazed that something so big could move so quietly, but he wasn’t stupid, either—he knew the great dragon hadn’t gone far. It was hunting in the surrounding woods, looking for survivors.
Martan had feared for the young squires, Syndir and Lamorn, and prayed fervently that the dragon would not find them. Thankfully, it had not. Martan had heard the loud cry of a horse suddenly silenced somewhere off in the woods. A short while later, the great dragon returned with an equine carcass in its large jaws. The foul creature re-entered the clearing, parked itself in front of the monolith, and proceeded to feast on the spoils of its hunt.
Martan watched unmoving from his perch, waiting until the great beast was done and had apparently drifted off to sleep. Just prior to sunrise, the wind began to shift. Martan was forced to finally move, the need to stay downwind of the large predator paramount. He carefully climbed his way down the tree, and circled around the outskirts of the clearing, one eye always on the great dragon. Thankfully, the creature did not move. Just as the sun rose, Martan found a relatively safe spot under a thick hedge of brambles, near the head of the trail that led out of the clearing. He had just been deliberating what to do next, when the man in blue first appeared.
