Dragonhold (Book 2)

by Brian Rathbone

  "Why did you not come to the council?" Onin asked Allette.

  Her response was much faster this time. "I listened to what the child queen told me. It's a mistake I'll not make again."

  "What did she tell you?" Kenward asked.

  "She said none of you wanted peace and that the council was just a way to draw me out of hiding, so you could more easily dispose of me."

  "And do you believe those words?" Onin asked.

  "Not now," she said. "Many things have changed since then. I have changed since then."

  Onin nodded his understanding, and Kenward could relate. Some of life's lessons leave us forever changed, and we cannot go back, no matter how hard we try. It was among the harshest lessons he'd learned: innocence lost could never be regained.

  Kenward would have put those thoughts to words if not for battle cries echoing through the halls. The hair on Kenward's neck stood, and together they ran.

  Chapter 7

  Even the powerful have feelings. Tread lightly.

  --Trinda Hollis, the child queen

  * * *

  The mysteries of Dragonhold grew in Sinjin's mind. He'd never been unable to imagine the scope of the place. Now that he'd journeyed so far and still not found an end, he tried to reconcile it. "The ancients must have been something to behold," he said without really meaning to.

  "They frighten me," Kendra said. "Even long dead, they threaten us all. How do you fight dead foes?"

  "You don't. You just do your best to clean up their messes."

  "And not get caught up in them in doing so."

  Sinjin laughed in spite of the truth.

  "At least we're together," Kendra said. "It's not so bad."

  She was right. Had they been separated, things would have been far worse for them both. They were stronger together. Her very presence made Sinjin a better person. He wasn't quite sure how she did it, but that didn't change it.

  When they reached halls where the stone showed no sign of humans, Sinjin was disturbed to find evidence of clawed feet. They moved forward with even greater care. Something lay near the center of the hall and Sinjin slowed. Upon closer inspection, the shape turned out to be a skeleton, perfectly preserved bones resembling nothing Sinjin had ever seen. He was no expert, but the shape and elongated finger bones gave him the crawls.

  More skeletons appeared as they moved deeper, each more mysterious and disturbing than the last. The keep had gone mostly quiet, which was even more unnerving than the noises had been. Now they had no way to know how far they were from the sources of those sounds.

  "Look," Kendra said, pointing at the floor near an upcoming junction. The scratch marks in the dust almost all turned in the same direction.

  If this was a test of courage, Sinjin was failing. Nothing anyone could say would make him believe turning the same direction as what were presumably demons was a good idea. Kendra appeared to be considering it. Sinjin pointed straight ahead rather than the more used tunnel to the right. Kendra frowned.

  "Let's see if we can flank them," Sinjin said. "Look for the next hall to the right."

  He hoped using tactical reasoning would resonate with his wife as it usually did. He'd married a fighter, and he'd eventually learned how to talk to one. Kendra nodded after a moment, and they crossed over the junction quickly, hoping nothing saw them pass. Kendra kept their herald globe tightly wrapped, but even a small amount of light was a beacon this deep underground. Not long after, they came upon another junction, the right-hand hall showing fewer signs of usage.

  Kendra nodded in satisfaction and turned right. Looking over his shoulder, Sinjin had a bad feeling. Taking this hall had been his idea, which made it worse. Gently sloped halls curved in sweeping lines, much like the rest of the hold, which cut down on long-range visibility. This was an advantage in that it hid their light from others, but it also prevented them from seeing what lay ahead. Sinjin's knees trembled with anticipation. Part of it was fear, and part of it was being alert and prepared for anything.

  Eventually the hall led to a flight of steps that descended into an oval-shaped chamber. Dust-covered forms filled most of the room but gave no indication of their true nature. Sinjin's imagination conjured frightening images that he sought to banish.

  "You should go no farther this way," Trinda Hollis said in a low voice.

  Kendra and Sinjin both jumped. It wasn't until Kendra lifted the herald globe over her head, still wrapped in cloth and glowing brightly nonetheless, that he saw her. On a rock shelf high above, Trinda sat. Had the girl not broken the illusion, the ledge would have been invisible.

  "What game is this?" Kendra asked in a hiss.

  "No game," Trinda said. "Just a final warning. If you go past this point, you are beyond any protection I can offer. My men do their best to keep the darker forces within the hold isolated, but I can make no promises. Dragonhold has more secrets than you may want to believe."

  "And what of you?" Kendra asked. "What will you do?"

  "I can take care of myself," Trinda said. "You should concentrate on what Catrin will do. She's a danger to us all, even if she does not wish it. I'm sorry. I know she's your mother, Sinjin, but please remember the rest of us when the time comes."

  Sinjin nearly scoffed at her words. It was an old reaction and one that probably would not serve him well. It was a credit to his maturity that he gave what she said credence, even if he did not believe it to be true. His mother was one of the few things keeping darkness from claiming them all, and he could not imagine anything that would make her a threat.

  "Thank you for your kind words of warning," Kendra said. "If you wanted to be of help, you'd provide us with the documents you used to make such wonderful decisions for all of us."

  Trinda flushed at Kendra's scolding, but Sinjin could not deny the truth.

  "You've never really wanted to help us," Kendra continued, and Sinjin doubted those words would improve the situation. "If you had, you would have given us the information we needed--the information we asked for. You couldn't even return all the herald globes to the person who created them. To tell the truth, Trinda Hollis, I've had about all I can stand of you."

  Trinda just sniffed and looked offended. "Fine," she said. "If that is the reward I get for my kindness, then you're on your own."

  The child queen then stood, huffed, and walked along the otherwise invisible ledge. When she disappeared around a corner and into a perfectly disguised rectangular orifice, Sinjin couldn't help but wonder if his wife had made a huge mistake.

  * * *

  There was no time to contemplate their route. All Pelivor could do was run away from demons and whatever else moved within the hold. Catrin kept pace but said nothing, the pain on her face clear. Coming here had been a terrible mistake. What had they been thinking? Exploring in pairs and lightly armed, they were no match for even a single demon, and by the sounds of it, there were many. Part of Catrin's pain came from not being able to help those she loved and now knowing she'd probably sent them to their deaths. Pelivor bore his own measure of responsibility.

  A nearby growl caused them to scurry back the way they had come and around a corner. Catrin breathed heavily beside him. What a shock it must be for her, he thought. To go from having the power to rend the world to being helpless must be terrifying. Pelivor had considerably less access to the energy around them, but he knew how it felt to lose that power. It was something they might never get over if left in this wretched prison.

  There was something that drew them both on, though: a persistent feeling. It wasn't that Pelivor knew which direction to turn or which chambers to explore; it was more the general sense he was getting closer to or farther from his goal. It was something he couldn't explain, and he did not even want to put the feeling to words for fear of breaking the spell.

  When the demon patrols drove them in the wrong direction, Pelivor simply did what he could to find an alternate route toward their goal. Catrin must know, he thought. Why else would she follow
his lead so blindly and without a word? She must feel it too.

  At the next junction, he hesitated. Catrin drew him along, taking the lead and moving in the direction his spirit also told him to go. He'd been right. Both moved with increased confidence. They were getting close. He could feel it.

  When Catrin reached out and squeezed his hand, a thrill ran along his arm, and he met her eyes. Whatever was going to happen was about to happen. Prepare yourself, her gaze said. There was something else there too, and Pelivor felt like a teenager all over again. Before the courage left him, he placed a hand on Catrin's hip, grabbed her face in his other hand, and kissed her like he meant it. When he released her from his grip, Catrin remained silent, her eyes unreadable.

  Demons moving behind them drove them forward without time for further contemplation. Everything changed at once, and Pelivor's mind could barely keep pace with his senses. The first indication was Catrin's herald globe growing the slightest bit brighter. It could have been the result of the cloth it was wrapped in shifting, but then the ambient light level also increased. Amber in hue, natural light pooled in the hallway ahead, filled with texture and life. A familiar buzzing crept back into Pelivor's essence. It was something that had been undetectable until its sudden absence and now its equally sudden restoration.

  Demons appeared in the hall behind them, and Pelivor dragged Catrin forward. She, too, appeared overwhelmed by the changes in the environment. The hair on Pelivor's arms and neck stood, and stepping into a hidden marvel stole his breath. Amber light illuminated a vast plain. Waterfalls and living trees within Dragonhold they had seen before, but this place was different. Raging from high above, the waterfall emerged from a stone god's open jaws.

  The image represented no god Pelivor recognized, and its age was palpable. The water fell clear of the statue before plunging into a foaming pool below. The stone god sat, cross-legged and palms up, providing keys to life within Dragonhold. Clear, fresh water was not all the river brought into the hold. Pelivor didn't know through what mechanism it was accomplished, but a disproportionate number of large fish poured through the god's mouth and into the pool.

  Sizable fins emerged from the depths and converged on newcomers, devouring them. Cradled in each of the god's palms were the largest carved gemstones Pelivor had ever seen. The stones themselves were a rich tapestry of light and texture behind smooth, clean facets. Whoever had cut these translucent green gems had been a master of the craft.

  Above the god's head, roiling black clouds partially obscured amber crystals above. Steadily the waterfall provided additional moisture that gathered in thunderheads over the rolling plain. A bright flash brought Catrin and Pelivor from their revelry. Lightning leaped from the blackness and pulsed with blinding light, leaving purple streaks in Pelivor's vision. The resulting thunder rattled his soul.

  The tree the lightning had struck sizzled and popped. It, like the other trees around it, was warped and twisted like a candle left in the sun. Some trees along the colossal cavern's edges were less warped, but those in open ground showed evidence of frequent strikes. Rich, green leaves harboring glossy, orange fruit proved they were a hardy lot.

  If not for the demons behind them, Pelivor could have spent hours taking in the details. He and Catrin stepped farther into the open, exposing themselves in the process. Pelivor would have preferred having stone on at least one side. His back and flanks were poorly protected. The forest, with its short and widely spaced trees, would provide little cover. Given the size of the fins in the pool, Pelivor wanted nothing to do with those waters. He suspected anyone who ventured in would receive a reception similar to the fish falling from above. Pelivor could see how having a steady supply of stunned, fat, juicy fish could result in some enormous predators.

  Bright violet birds with wings tipped in fiery orange swooped through the trees and danced along the mists' edges; flocks of stark white swallows soared higher, disappearing into the clouds. Given the place's majesty, overlooking critical details might have been forgivable, but Pelivor cursed himself when he saw demons watching from the hall. Standing at the edge of the natural light, they came no farther.

  Catrin watched them as well, and Pelivor turned back to the seated god only to see him moving. He turned her around before his mouth could form any words. The upper portion of the stone god remained stationary, but behind the falls, the giant lap area shifted and moved. Scales appeared within the mists, and Pelivor's mind finally registered the horror awaiting them.

  Perhaps the largest feral dragon to ever exist on Godsland overflowed from the god's lap. It was as if it had chosen its favorite sleeping spot when it was smaller and had outgrown it over time. Everything about this dragon spoke of age and power. It was nothing like those young and fresh dragons, so full of their newfound vigor. The feral dragons Catrin had fought until now had been but babies. Now they faced the elder statesman. At least that was how it felt to Pelivor.

  Come closer.

  The command was palpable, and Pelivor found himself drawn to the water's edge. Catrin walked beside him. The gems reached out to them, calling for him to embrace them and draw from the deep well they provided. He did not know what kind of stones these were, but Pelivor sensed the energy they stored, much like dragon ore. He could feel the energy the shield trapped being intensified and concentrated and forced into the stones with tremendous resistance, unlike the way dragon ore simply absorbed light. The frequency of their vibration made Pelivor's joints ache.

  That's close enough.

  Peering from behind the waterfall, the dragon's head, like a living mountain suddenly awake and hungry, moved. Pelivor looked to Catrin, who was entranced. The herald globe in her hand now glowing brightly, he wondered if he dared tap the power contained within this cavern. Already he could feel his innate abilities warming in the light, like feeling returned to a sleeping limb.

  Your kind forfeited this place long ago.

  Pelivor heard the statement but he was getting only one side of the conversation. With lidded eyes, as if in torpor, Catrin appeared asleep. He had to trust she was communicating with this ancient dragon and that he should keep his mouth--or mind--shut.

  I am much pleased that you've given me back my power. You'll be rewarded for this act once you've completed the task.

  Not knowing what the task was, a bad feeling festered in Pelivor's gut. The dragon looked down on them greedily. Catrin had said this place was a prison. She'd been correct, and it was occupied all along. No ordinary dragon, this beast had full and skilled access to Istra's power. Pelivor could feel the intricate control and subtle touch the magnificent beast possessed. Catrin had once marveled at his control and the complex structures he'd instinctively created, but both were clumsy hacks in comparison to this creature.

  Mael.

  The name thundered in Pelivor's mind; he was helpless to resist such power and control. The chance to run was past, and Catrin appeared to be faring no better. The fear keeping the demons from entering this hall was real and warranted, but Pelivor now realized even that was futile. Mael had long been manipulating the people of the Godfist, preparing to use them as the instruments of his release from this millennia-old prison.

  Even the Dragon's Wing had not been immune. Mael sent Pelivor visions of the events that brought them into the hold. So many random and otherwise unexplainable things began making sense, which terrified Pelivor more than anything else could. If this creature escaped from Dragonhold, no one in the world would be safe, and Mael made it clear he would have no mercy on the descendants of those who'd imprisoned him. It may have been thousands of years ago, but dragon memories are longer than those of trees.

  If Mael had been able to exert that much influence from within the most powerful prison ever built, then he would be unstoppable in the unfettered light. What had once been Pelivor's will collapsed under Mael's influence, staying his hand. Pelivor's fingertips itched with power, the attack ready to be unleashed with a flick of his will, but the dragon
's desires preempted his own.

  Pelivor was lost.

  Chapter 8

  Given a single chance, dragons will rule us all.

  --Lord Bercheron

  * * *

  No matter what logic told him, Sinjin knew his wife would go the way Trinda had told her not to. Kendra was no fool. She knew the child queen was a trickster, and her presence likely meant they had found what they were looking for. The hallway beyond twisted and turned more than any they had encountered before. At times the tunnel would switch back to go in almost the opposite direction only to turn back again a few paces farther ahead.

  Soon, though, sounds began to filter to them. A low, steady roar was accompanied by louder, more abrupt calls along with high-pitched noises. It was impossible to distinguish any of what they heard, which left them on edge. When the tunnel ended, they had to turn sideways to get through the intentionally narrow portal. Amber light poured through, and Sinjin thought he saw grass on the other side. Part of him dared to hope they'd found a way out of Dragonhold.

  Kendra guarded the entrance while Sinjin squeezed through. What he saw when he emerged was beyond his ability to describe. A massive statue loomed over them, shrouded in mists. Twisted trees grew from rolling hills covered in lush grasses. A silver fox peered from behind a nearby tree and issued a high-pitched bark before scampering off, its glorious tail glistening with humidity. Sinjin wondered for a moment if the animals here had fallen into the river above and survived the plunge over the falls. It was unlikely given the feeding frenzy under way in the pool at the waterfall's base.