Caged: Book 2 Of the King's Hand Series

by B. A. Monaghan

  The priest looked to be about 40 years old. He boldly stepped up in front of the adventurers. “Welcome to the home of Apep. How is it that someone from the outside world has found his home? An illusion has been cast on this city for a millennium. You shouldn’t be here.”

  Mateo, being the leader, spoke up. “We found this city while we were searching for an amber slime. We more or less stumbled upon it.”

  The priest didn’t seem to like what he was hearing. “No matter. You have condemned yourself to a life dedicated to Apep. He will take you as a supplicant, or if you don’t agree he will eat you. No one can know where this place is. It is his residence. What will it be? Will you become his dinner or will you surrender to his will and become a supplicant?”

  Roland was feeling strange. He really wanted to become a supplicant. Deep down he knew that wasn’t right but oh how much he wanted to be a supplicant. Shadow interrupted his thoughts. He cast a spell on you. He is persuading you to do this thing. He thinks you are easy prey. Let’s show him the truth.

  As Roland and Shadow began to attack the man, Mateo slammed his Shield of Void Magic into the old man’s face. The old guy was holding his nose and screaming about why they would hit him in garbled speech. Then he spit out some of his teeth.

  Roland looked up at Mateo, “Remind me never to cast persuasion on you.”

  Mateo was caught back a bit. “What do you mean cast persuasion on me? Can you cast that spell?”

  Roland smirked a bit. He had given too much away. “Well maybe not that same spell, but Shadow and I were about to go into action when you hit him. How did you know he was casting a spell on you?”

  “The shield was tingling and I could feel it in my whole arm. The rest of the group had a weird look on their faces like they were zombies, and you looked like you were about to kill the guy. I was thinking we might need to ask him a few questions before you killed him.”

  The rest of the group was acting like they had just awoke from a long sleep. Mateo was the first to speak with them. “How are you feeling? I hope you’re not feeling like being a supplicant to the water drake.”

  Odelia looked irritated. “Does he understand casting a spell of persuasion on a member in good standing with the Mages Guild is punishable by death? How dare he! I am going to cast light shock until he begs me to kill him.”

  Vena was the next to comment. “The One True God was waking me up from the spell cast on us when you attacked Mateo. I follow the One and He will not allow one of His followers to fall under the corrupt influences of an evil creature.”

  Everyone looked to Damari. “I guess it is good that I’m with the group. I was ready to bow down before that stupid lizard. I don’t know about you, but that thing needs to be taken out before he does this to more adventurers. “

  Mateo was looking concerned. “Let’s see what this priest has to say about the drake. Before we take on a water drake we should know more about him than we do. I’ve never fought a water drake and I’ve never heard of anyone winning a fight with one. More than likely it probably never happens, and if it did we just haven’t heard about it.”

  They all crowded around the whimpering priest. Both eyes were already black. His hands covered his nose and mouth now covered in blood. Vena stepped up. “Let me heal you. Just know if you try what you did a few minutes ago, my friends probably will not be as kind as they were this time.”

  She pulled his hands away from his face so she could see the damage. He was crying at this point. That must have really hurt. Vena cast her healing spell and he visibly relaxed. His nose straightened, his eyes lost their bruised look, and he even got his teeth back. This brought about a comment from Damari. “Why did you give him his teeth back? He didn’t deserve to get them back after what he did to us.”

  Vena looked back over her shoulder to Damari. “Mercy is better than sacrifice.” Roland wasn’t sure what that meant, but he was impressed with the mercy Vena’s she showed the priest.

  Mateo grabbed the priest who appeared happier. He picked him up and stood him on his feet. “OK, you know that casting a spell like that on us is useless. If you try to do that again it will be even worse for you. I might even let Odelia have a go at you. Believe me when I tell you that having your face bashed in by my shield will hurt less than what she has planned for you. Now, think carefully about what I’m about to ask you. If we get any idea that you are lying to us again, I’m giving you over to Odelia.”

  The priest nodded his head yes in agreement and looking over at Odelia, who looked like she would skin him alive at any moment. Mateo then began his interrogation.

  “What are we dealing with here? What can you tell us about the water drake Apep out there?”

  The priest was visibly shaken and seemed hesitant to speak, but he finally began his story. “I don’t know that I should, but I will tell you what I know. Apep is of course a water drake. Dragons look down on drakes because they are considered inferior. Apep hates dragons. He came all the way out here into the Endless Swamp to get away from their arrogance. He believes he is their equal but he has never challenged them. I’m guessing he wouldn’t last long against a dragon in a head on match or he would have done so already. He is very arrogant. He likes when men worship him, but always ends up killing the humans who come here.”

  Mateo broke in. “Why hasn’t he eaten you?”

  “It is his custom to keep a human around as his priest. He taught me a few spells which I’ve only used a handful of times. There are always adventurers around looking for treasure. There is treasure in the swamp just not around here. I took over for another man who was too old to perform his duties. I’ve been here most of my life. The drake took me from my home when I was a teenager. I really don’t remember much except that I lived on a farm near the swamp. I’m sure that he is probably seeking to find another priest to replace me. I’m getting old and living in this swamp is tough on a person.”

  “What spells has he taught you?”

  “I know the spell of desiccation. It sucks the water out of any creature I cast it upon. This is a very helpful spell living near the swamp because all the creatures here are dependent on water. My casting doesn’t work really well, but it is enough to kill most creatures in the swamp. I mostly use this to kill creatures that I can eat.”

  Mateo had a look of suspicion on his face. “You only know this spell?”

  The priest looked embarrassed. “I know another spell. I can cast cooking fire too. Apep gave me only these spells. If I were to cast anything else he said he would eat me, then find someone to replace me.”

  Mateo gazed at the old man with a look of sympathy. “OK, back to the drake. Do you know what magic he is likely to use on us, or anything else we might need to know about how to defeat it?”

  “I believe he is very old for a water drake. He talks to me on occasion complaining about getting old. I know he is over 2,000 years old. I don’t have any knowledge on how long water drakes live, but Apep seems to think that he is older than any other drake he knows about. He is picky about keeping plants out of his lake.” The old man pointed to the big clear lake where Roland and Vena had just examined.

  Roland interrupted the old man. “Why didn’t he just kill us when we walked up to the lake? It would have been easier to do that than wait for you to send men out to him. What was that all about?”

  The priest sighed. “I’m not sure. I think it is because it is much easier to eat a man when his mind is fuddled. He doesn’t fight back. There isn’t any chance he would get hurt that way. He is very cautious, and is more into preserving himself than anything else.”

  Odelia jumped into the conversation. “I think this drake is on the brink of dying of old age. A normal dragon wouldn’t’ ever be dependent on a human for anything. For a dragon, that would be a great insult so I’m guessing it would be the same for a drake, but what I was taught at the Mages Guild is that the dragons are the epitome of arrogance. As for the drake, not wanting anything to grow i
n the lake isn’t surprising. He is afraid of dragon bane growing in his lake. Dragons like living in the desert because dragon bane can’t live long without a lot of water. It is the one thing to which dragons are very susceptible and it will cause them to lose much of their magical resistance, including physical resistance. They are easier to kill.”

  Mateo was looking more confident. “What type of magic have you seen him use?” he asked the old man.

  “He uses ice shards and electrical attacks. I haven’t seen him use magic in a long time. If any dangerous animal comes into the city that I can’t kill, he will help me, or he used to. He hasn’t helped me in at least a decade.”

  Mateo was formulating a plan. He had his hand on his chin and looked up and to the right. “OK, I think we might have a chance of getting out of here alive. Roland, do you know what Dragon’s Bane looks like and can you get us some? Odelia, what type of magic can we use against this drake that would be effective and where is it the most vulnerable?”

  Roland was the first to answer. “Dragon’s Bane can be found just about anywhere. I’m sure I can find some in the city. If we can wait until night time, it would be better for my stealth abilities. I wouldn’t want the drake to attack me before we were ready to fight the thing. How much do you need?”

  “I want at least a basket full. What do you think Odelia?”

  “A basket would work well, but even a basket for a lake that large might not be enough. I think we should cook it down and concentrate the liquid coming out of the plant, then we can put it on our swords, spears, and arrows. I would get two baskets full, Roland. As to the magic, your shield would work better than anything else for defense. I think casting shield against ice shards and electrical attacks would be the best use of my magic. Fire attacks would be the best thing to use against a water drake, but that isn’t my preference. That or earth magic, and again not my choice.”

  Mateo was almost himself again. He was all smiles. “We’ll need to secure the biggest pot we can find. Roland, you and Shadow go out tonight and get two baskets full of Dragon’s Bane. In the meantime, as long as we have a roof over our heads, let’s eat and rest as best we can. We will want to take on the drake in our best form.”

  The priest was actually very helpful. He wanted to get out of the swamp as much as the adventurers. He provided a bunch of greens that went well with the snake meat. He also provided a tea and he put sugar in the tea. According to the old man he grew a substantial amount of sugar cane and other plants in the swamp. If anything, the man was a good farmer.

  That night Roland and Shadow went into the city and eventually back to the swamp to acquire the two heaping baskets of Dragon’s Bane. The old man provided the baskets. He had weaved them from the grasses that grew up thick in the swamp. They returned just before dawn and the group began boiling the Dragon’s Bane down while Roland and Shadow got some well-deserved rest.

  The day was spent preparing for the battle with the water drake. Later that night it was up to Roland to dump the pot of concentrated Dragon’s Bane into the lake. He used his invisibility to get close to the lake and return. He didn’t want to take a chance that the drake could detect his shadow form when he was close to the lake. The concentrate looked black in a moonless night. As he poured the concoction into the lake, the water took on a murky look. In fact, as he watched the liquid spread into the lake the whole lake grew darker. His invisibility spell was about to run out so he quickly headed back to the building.

  Everyone was waiting for him. Shadow wasn’t concerned, he knew all was well. Mateo was the first to speak to him. “It obviously went well. You returned in one piece. Did you see or hear anything while you were out?”

  “Everything was very quiet. When I poured the concentrated liquid in the lake it made the lake look murky. More than it should have. I’m not sure what was going on.”

  The old man stepped closer. “The reason the lake is so clear is because of the dragon’s magic. He has kept that lake sparkling clean ever since I’ve been here. I asked him about it once and he said that he would never accept anything less than crystal clear water. I’m thinking that Dragons’ Bane might destroy dragon magic somehow or interfere with it. If that plant makes the water murky, he is going to be more than a little upset.”

  Mateo felt like he needed to speak up. “I wasn’t planning on briefing you on what I wanted to do until morning, but, if this Dragon’s Bane works better than I think it will, we should be prepared for anything tonight. This is my plan. I will lead with my shield with Roland and Damari behind me. I will take any direct magic shots. Odelia, you will stay back and shield us against anything that my shield won’t handle. Vena, please stay out of the way. If any one of us falls and has a chance to survive, let them stay back until the battle is over. If they need immediate help to survive, I will leave the decision up to you whether to help or not. Remember we need you if we are going to get out of this swamp. If you die more than likely we all die. Don’t risk yourself more than is needed.”

  He turned back to Damari and Roland. “When the drake gets close enough, we will need to attack the eyes first. That is the one vulnerable place on a dragon without any magic. If my shield works he will have to get closer to us so he can kill us with his very dangerous teeth. Damari, use the longest spear we have to go for his eyes. Roland, shoot for his eyes with your bow. I’m not sure what to do for Shadow so I’ll leave that up to you Roland. My short sword isn’t going to be of much use, so I will hold my shield with both hands and defend with it. If I can get close enough, I’ll smash his face with it too.”

  Roland looked back at Shadow. What do you think about all this? Is this a fool’s errand? Do we have a chance or are we going to be easy prey?

  Shadow looked off into the darkness. When it comes to mountain wolves we always consider ourselves to be the hunters, not the prey. That is until it comes to dragons. We stay out of sight while any dragon is lurking in the area. I’ve never dealt with a drake before, we might have a chance. It is better to hunt and die in the hunt than to die as prey. Tomorrow you should stay behind that shield of Mateo’s. I will stay back and will let you know of any problems coming your way. If I have a chance to attack I will. Right now, my teeth aren’t likely to do any damage to the scales. I will act as a second set of eyes.

  With nothing else to do, they took turns watching. Roland tried to sleep but that was a lost cause. Tomorrow was truly a do or die moment in his life, and the lives of all his group.

  The next morning met with a heavy fog. It was heavy enough that the adventurers elected to stay in the building unless the drake attacked directly. The fog was so heavy that if the drake was out there they would be at his mercy, and everyone was sure he had no mercy.

  Finally by the late afternoon, the fog dissipated and the group was able to head out toward the lake. They crept just far enough to look and see what the lake looked like, and to see if the drake was making himself known. As they approached the lake, they could see that it now looked like greenish swamp water. The crystal-clear lake was no more. Now, it was so murky that the drake could be right next to the edge and they wouldn’t know of his existence until it was too late. They backed away cautiously and continued to watch from the building.

  They were waiting and resting into the early evening, when suddenly they heard a great howl. It was very deep and sounded like it was in utter agony. Everyone reacted immediately. Roland strung his bow, attached his quiver to his side, and slung the second one over his back. Mateo picked up his shield and stepped to the front door of the building, Damari was right behind him with his long spear. Odelia was straightening out her clothes, acting as if she was about to enter anything but a fight to the death.

  She saw everyone looking at her. “Well, just because I’m going into a fight doesn’t mean I need to look poorly. I want to strike a courageous image so that if anyone gets out of this alive they should recall how I looked.” That got everyone to chuckle.

  Just as they prep
ared to get into fighting formation, the drake spotted them. He looked a bit peeved. He brought his head back and then flung it forward, sending out a lightning bolt. It hit Mateo’s shield full on. Mateo fell forward a bit catching his balance, then got his feet under himself again. “I thought that thing was going to knock me backwards so I pushed forward into nothing. I won’t do that again.”

  They marched forward to the halfway point between the building and the lake. Odelia was between Mateo’s group and the building. Vena and the old man were just outside on the porch. Shadow had stationed himself to the side, well out of the fight but in a good position to keep an eye out for anything unusual.

  The drake rose up out of the water and met Mateo’s group in a collision. This time Mateo had to brace himself, taking on the full brunt of the attack. He stepped back a few steps and repositioned himself. With a stupid smile on his face he yelled at the drake, “Is that all you’ve got? I thought a monster like you would have more power than that”

  The drake pulled back and again his head went back and he flung it forward, indicating to Roland and Shadow he was casting a spell. This time chunks of icicles came falling down from the sky. The icicles were almost destroyed when suddenly they swerved away from the group back towards the drake, a few of the ice shards hitting the drake. They caused several scales to fall off the drake and blood trickling out of its body. The adventurers had made the first hit that counted. Well, Odelia did anyway.

  The scales on the creature were incredibly small, nothing like the scales of a dragon. The scales of Eli’s miniature dragon Rogue had bigger scales than the drake’s, which were more like fish scales. Maybe they did have a chance of winning this fight, thought Roland

  The drake took the fight more personal now. He drove his head first into Mateo and his shield. Damari and Roland both ducked down behind Mateo and helped him steady against the blow. The drake did this several more times and each time the strike was weaker.

  Damari looked back at Roland. “You support him now. I’m going to gouge that drake’s eyes out.”