Keep of Dragons (The Azuleah Trilogy Book 3)

by Daniel Adorno

  "Not at all," Lucius replied. "I was accepted as a son to one of the most respected families in Evingrad. My adoptive father, Helmer Silverhart, taught me so much about the world and my place in it. And as you can see, my brother Siegfried and I are quite inseparable."

  "I'm glad to hear this. I spent many nights worrying how the elves might've mistreated you or exiled you for being an unwanted son of man in their forbidden world," Simeon said.

  "There were challenges, of course. Those who are different in any society are not welcomed as warmly as they should be," Lucius explained. "But I'm sure you understand that more than most. Can't imagine the Uwadi welcomed you with open arms at first."

  Simeon laughed. "No. A fair skinned man in this land is seldom trusted. But I earned the trust of my head man, Sabu, by saving his life from a group of bandits. His family was in trouble and I helped route the thieves before any loss of life occurred. In a way it was a kind of redemption after failing your mother. After that, Sabu was quite loyal to me and we found more Uwadi who needed help. Now we have become the most feared war band in Kroshen. Not my intention mind you. Community is all I sought, not notoriety,” he said.

  "Have you engaged in many battles with the war band?"

  "A few. Mostly to expel bandits from neighboring villages, but every so often there's a rival warlord who wants to give us trouble. I try to keep a low profile here. Disguising myself as Al-Abya helps with that. But the Draknoir are never too far—Nasgothar is only a few hundred miles from here."

  "Have they attacked you here?" Lucius asked.

  Simeon nodded. "About a year ago. That's when Memnon mobilized to Ithileo and we had the unfortunate luck of coming across one of the roving battalions. I lost twenty men in that skirmish. Now I care for the families of those who fell. It's all I can do, I suppose."

  Lucius shuffled his feet on the sand, not sure how to respond. Then a lingering question came to his mind. "I know you spoke with Dudley this morning. Would you be willing to help us... Father?"

  The abrupt question and use of his parental title took Simeon by surprise. He nodded several times then turned to Lucius. "As I told you earlier, I am weighing the option. Understand, Lucius, I have a responsibility to these people. They are loyal to me and I to them. To ask them to take on such a dangerous mission is asking more from them than I ever expect."

  "I understand that. But I've heard that some of your men know the best way to Ghadarya and have even stolen dragon eggs to sell on the black market. This knowledge would help us immensely,” Lucius said.

  He hadn't verified the dragon egg story, but Liam had corroborated it with a few other the Uwadi nomads. Apparently, the Uwadi were risk takers and fond of wagering. Two of the nomads had made a bet that neither could steal a dragon’s egg from Ghadarya without being seen or killed. Despite the ridiculousness of such a wager, the Uwadi eagerly took up the challenge. Two of the four men who traveled to Ghadarya stole eggs from the dens and returned them to the camp. To prevent having hatchlings emerge from either egg, they were dipped in a thick clay that hardened and allowed the eggs to be glazed and decorated. Both eggs sold in a local market and fetched several solidi.

  "Yes, I understand the knowledge of those men would be invaluable to you," Simeon said, confirming the truth of the story. "But these men have families — children to care for. Going to Ghadarya won't be a simple task of stealing eggs this time, but killing dragons. That could mean certain death for many of the Uwadi," Simeon said.

  Lucius sighed, unsure how to proceed on the topic. His father seemed resolute on the matter, but he knew there was a small chance he could be persuaded to help. He wondered whether the chance hung on the fact that his only son was going to a possible death.

  They stood on the dune for several minutes, watching the camp until the sun rose too high for the heat to be tolerable anymore. As he descended the dune and headed back toward the tents, a stir of commotion rose ahead. A rider on horseback appeared zigzagging through the huts until he reached the two of them. The rider dismounted and Lucius saw it was the headman, Sabu. He had done away with the mask over his face at Simeon's request the previous night. His face had a softness to it, betraying his youth, but there were lines beneath his dark eyes which revealed a life of adversity and toughness.

  "Al-Abya, Naphtali has spotted a party coming in our direction," Sabu said.

  "Raiders?" Simeon asked.

  Sabu shook his head. "No, my Lord. It is the Draknoir."

  Both Simeon and Lucius' eyes widened at the statement.

  "How did they find us? We haven't traveled on the border for months," Simeon said.

  Sabu pointed an accusatory finger at Lucius. "They are tracking the Drake garden. Did they not come from Ithileo? The beasts have probably been trailing them from there."

  It was possible that the Draknoir had trailed Lucius and his party into Kroshen. But they had seen no sign of Draknoir in Ithileo or on trek travel along the Feilon River.

  “We didn’t know they were trailing us. Father, if we would’ve known—” Lucius began.

  “It doesn’t matter now. Sabu, get the women and children inside the temple. Rouse the rest of the men and prepare for an assault,” Simeon ordered.

  Sabu nodded then glared at Lucius. He mounted his horse and yelled something in Uwadi as he rode toward the tents. Women gathered their children and ran toward the pyramid. The response to the incoming attack seemed perfectly orchestrated with little panic among anyone. They’d experienced this before, Lucius thought.

  In the midst of the commotion, Simeon ran to the stables at the edge of the camp where several of his warriors were assembling. Lucius followed him and saw the Drachengarde there as well. Liam and Gordon were saddling their horses when Dudley stepped into the small wooden stable.

  “Where are all the women and children going?” He asked no one in particular.

  “They’re taking refuge in the temple. There’s more Draknoir headed our way,” Lucius said.

  “Draknoir? Didn't expect to see those lizards here,” Dudley said.

  “They’ve been tracking you since Ithileo. You were careless,” Simeon said, frowning.

  Dudley glowered at him. “I’m sorry, we were attacked by Kraegyn himself and nearly burned to death. We barely made it out of Ithileo alive. So spare me your accusations, Al-Abya.”

  “Arguing the fact will not help us right now,” Siegfried interrupted as he stepped into the stable. “The enemy is forty in number and over a dozen are mounted.”

  “Mounted?” Dudley asked. “On what?”

  “Mundi lizards,” Simeon replied. He tied the saddle of his black stallion then sheathed a curved sword given to him by one of his subordinates. “They’ll try to devour the horses to take away the advantage of cavalry, so steer clear of their mouths.”

  “I’ll try to keep that in mind,” Dudley said sarcastically.

  Simeon shrugged then gave two short whistles to his men, who were all ready to move out on horseback. “My men and I will move to outflank the foot soldiers before their riders get too close. Horses are faster than those smelly beasts.”

  “Wait, shouldn’t we try to coordinate our attack before we engage them?” Dudley asked incredulously.

  “We’ve done this before, Captain Dudley. My men are not familiar with your Drachengarde tactics. Just stay out of the way and provide auxiliary support if we need it,” Simeon said. The statement incited an icy stare from the Drachengarde captain, but Simeon ignored it. He turned to Lucius and his father's confident gaze seemed to falter for a moment. “Be careful out there, son.”

  Lucius opened his mouth to reply, but Simeon let out a long whistle that prevented him. The whistle was a signal for his men to move out of the stables. Two dozen Uwadi rushed out and joined another group waiting near the pyramid. In a few seconds, they left the camp in a trail of dust.

  “He’s a real treat, your father,” Dudley said, climbing the saddle of his horse.

  Lucius shrugged.
“I guess he just knows what he’s about.”

  Darius rushed inside the stable and the others quickly briefed him on the situation. “What’s the plan, Dudley? Fight the Draknoir alongside the Uwadi?”

  Dudley shook his head. “We’ll engage the Mundi riders. Use your spears and bows to dismount them. Without the riders, the lizards will be easier to kill. Keep a healthy distance though. Those infernal beasts might as well be wingless dragons.”

  Lucius followed the Drachengarde out alongside Siegfried. They rode out about four miles from the camp where the battle was underway. As he approached the chaotic scene, he reminded himself that his father had fought Draknoir for most of his adult life. He was a hardened veteran of these kinds of encounters and Lucius had little need to worry about his father’s ability to survive. Still, his stomach wrenched at the sight of the massive Mundi lizards which slithered across the sand with incredible speed. The lizards created a wall around the Draknoir troops on foot. Simeon and his men moved to flank the Draknoir. But when they got close enough, two of the Mundi lizards lunged forward at their horses. The Uwadi riders pulled back, and the lizards followed them. What seemed like a reactionary move to Lucius was actually a coordinated attack. Once the Mundi riders broke rank, it created a gap in their defensive wall. This allowed half a dozen of Simeon's riders to attack the foot soldiers. The results were devastating.

  Sabu led the first assault, commanding those around him to hurl javelins at the Draknoir. The javelins were simple wood shafts with iron points that hooked slightly. But the metal hooks not only penetrated through the Draknoir's heavy leather armor, they were also impossible to remove once embedded. The Draknoir who were not immediately killed by the javelins were now burdened with the additional weight of the javelins. It was a brilliant tactic by the Uwadi.

  "Lucius, Siegfried!" Dudley called to them. "Take out those two lizards moving in behind Sabu."

  Lucius raced toward the lizards Dudley indicated. Two of the beasts from the rear were moving into the central ranks where Sabu and the others were cutting down the Draknoir infantry. Siegfried raised his bow while urging his horse to faster speed. The elf drew back and released an arrow. In the commotion of the fight, Lucius lost track of its trajectory. But then one of the Mundi riders fell off his reptilian steed and crumpled into a heap onto the sand. He was motionless and a single shaft stuck out from his neck. As Lucius moved into engage the other rider, more arrows pierced the tough hide of the riderless Mundi lizard. The projectiles did little damage and only seem to infuriate the creature.

  Brandishing his sword as he urged Penna closer, Lucius focused on the rider ahead and where he could do the most damage. The rider wore thin leather armor, making it easier to steer the massive lizard, and a brass helmet with a feathered mohawk that stood out among the other riders.

  Lucius drew closer and noticed a gap in the Draknoir riders armor between the helmet and shoulder. He moved in quickly, whirling around the side of the rider to avoid the massive jaws of the Mundi lizard. His heart pumped wildly as he circled his enemy. He stretched out his right arm with sword in hand and thrust at the vulnerable spot. But the rider expected the attack. He leaned back on his crude saddle and Lucius' blade merely cut part of his shoulder armor.

  Pulling back on the reins, Lucius steered Penna back for another try. But the Mundi lizard turned around with ungodly swiftness. The creature's massive tail whipped about, striking Penna's side and Lucius’ right leg. Though the hit was not terribly painful, the jolt of the lizard’s tail scared Penna and she reared back on her hind legs suddenly.

  Lucius gripped the pommel of the saddle, trying to keep his balance. But the blindsided attack caused him to fall off the horse and into the scorching sand. The Draknoir rider steered the lizard around, commanding it to devour the horse in front of it. Penna kicked at the creature's head with her hind legs, catching it in its large yellow eye. Then the horse whinnied fearfully and galloped away.

  The blow to the Mundi lizard’s eye gave Lucius enough time to gather himself up to avoid being trampled by the beast. He looked around in a panic, searching for Penna who was now several yards away from him.

  "You will die for that, Aldronian scum!" The Draknoir rider hissed.

  Lucius saw that Penna's wild attack on the lizard had gouged its left eye. He’d be impressed by his horses strength if he wasn't so upset that she sped off, leaving him in this predicament. The rider gripped his scimitar and sliced wildly in Lucius' direction. He parried the blows easily since the Draknoir was uncoordinated on the saddle of the half-blinded lizard. The bigger threat came from the wounded lizard itself. The beast constantly took bites in Lucius' direction. He avoided them by jumping toward the creature's side, where he was greeted with another swipe from the rider.

  The back and forth between him, the Draknoir, and the lizard went on for a few minutes. Lucius found that if he kept himself in the Mundi lizard’s blind spot, he could avoid being eaten by the reptile’s large jaws. Unfortunately, the physical effort of dodging and dancing around the creature was exhausting in the sweltering heat. To add to the struggle, the Draknoir rider did not let up his attacks and Lucius blocked slower by milliseconds each time. Eventually he would exhaust himself defending and unwittingly give the rider an opening to exploit.

  Glancing around him, Lucius saw the rest of the Drachengarde were embroiled in their own battles with the Mundi lizards and the Draknoir. He would find no immediate aid from any of his shield brothers—including Siegfried. The elf’s back was to him as he provided long-range support to Sabu and the Uwadi.

  Another bite came at him, followed by a scimitar strike. He hopped to the left and deflected the Draknoir’s strike, but this time he followed with a high cut across the rider’s midsection. The Draknoir blocked it and pulled the reins once more, shifting the lizard to the left for another round.

  Something caught Lucius’ eye.

  A single leather strap held the rider’s saddle to the Mundi lizard’s massive body. The strap was thin and taut to keep the saddle from slipping on the reptile’s body while riding. The obvious flaw in the design was how easy it would be for an attacker to cut the strap with a blade. Lucius moved in close and did just that.

  At first, the Draknoir looked confused at the sudden motion of cutting that missed him entirely. Then as the lizard shifted to the left to attack Lucius once again, the saddle slipped backwards and tossed the rider from the creature’s back. A surprised cry escaped the Draknoir’s mouth as he hit the ground which distracted the Mundi lizard for a brief moment. Lucius used the opportunity to strike. He thrust his sword between the neck and shoulder blade of the lizard. The Requiem Sword, forged by enchanted elvish steel, easily sunk deep into the tough scales of the lizard. The creature released an agonized roar and scrambled away from Lucius with the sword still embedded in its body.

  The Draknoir rider, still stunned on the ground, became entangled in the reins and his body dragged across the sand as his steed ran away. Unarmed, Lucius chased after the lizard before any nearby Draknoir attacked him. A wave of relief washed over him as a javelin struck the lizard’s head. It fell headlong into the dirt and trampled its rider. Looking around for the javelin thrower, Lucius spotted his father who waved at him several yards away. He retrieved the Requiem Sword and surged ahead into a clash with another Draknoir who had killed one of the Uwadi.

  Their blades struck with a loud clang. Lucius shifted to his right to avoid a downward thrust that nearly sliced his shoulder open. He went down on one knee and thrust upward into the Draknoir’s midsection. The sword pierced the enemy’s vulnerable ribs. The warrior’s eyes widened in shock then they clouded. A second later, the Draknoir’s body hit the ground with a satisfying thud. Turning around to take stock of the battle, Lucius saw most of the Draknoir were retreating. The Mundi lizards were either dead or scattered across the field without riders to guide their attacks. Simeon rallied ten of his men for a final push against the Draknoir ranks. After a solid voll
ey of javelins battered the enemy line, the surviving Draknoir quickly lost their nerve and broke formation to escape.

  Although the skirmish was a decisive victory for both the Uwadi and the Drachengarde, each side shouldered casualties. Simeon’s war band lost thirteen warriors and a handful more were seriously injured in the fighting. On the Drachengarde’s side, they had lost Gordon and Curtis—bringing the number of their party down to five. Dudley also suffered an injury to his shoulder where a Draknoir scimitar had cut deep. Besides the dead men littering the desert floor, horses and Mundi lizards lay motionless around him. He panicked for a moment as he remembered Penna running off during the fighting. Thankfully, his fears were premature. Sabu rode up to him, leading the chestnut mare by her reins alongside his own horse.

  “She’s a strong steed, this one,” Sabu said, handing the reins to Lucius. “Kicked the eyes from the skulls of a few Mundi lizards. A fine horse for a brave fighter.”

  “Thank you,” Lucius said.

  The friendly gesture from the previously hostile headman took him by surprise. Perhaps killing a Mundi lizard was all it took to get into the man’s good graces.

  “Excellent work on killing that Mundi lizard,” Siegfried said. He dismounted his horse and clapped Lucius on the back. “You didn't even need me to rescue you this time.”

  Lucius gave him a withering look. “Of course not. I've handled myself quite well in your absence, big brother,” he said sardonically.

  Simeon sidled up to them and gave Sabu an order in Krosheni, the native language of the Uwadi. The headman gave him a curt nod then took off on his horse.

  “Lucius, are you hurt? I saw the trouble that Mundi rider gave you,” Simeon said, a note of fatherly concern evident in his tone.