Keep of Dragons (The Azuleah Trilogy Book 3)

by Daniel Adorno

  Avani had quickly briefed her before the wedding about her role in defending against any Draknoir or dragon attacks. Everyone believed the attack would come any day now based on the reports of Draknoir movements in the north. Violet couldn’t fathom coordinating a defense of this sprawling city, but Avani reassured her that the task would not be hers alone. The thought of men like Weifar staying behind to help keep the city safe definitely allayed her fears. Yet she knew there was a loose thread in all of her worrying. A single person was left out from the pleasant distraction of her wedding and the arduous task of defending Aldron. Ravenmane. Violet was hesitant to mention her in any conversations with Silas, especially now when they shared such a wonderful moment alone. But time was running out, and she knew he had made no clear decisions concerning his estranged sister.

  “Silas,” she whispered.

  “Hmm?”

  “When you’re gone what are we to do with your sister?” Violet asked, making her voice seem disinterested.

  Silas’ grip around her loosened. “She will stay imprisoned, of course. You’ll be to busy with running the city to bother about her.”

  “I understand that, but what are we to do with her beyond the short-term?”

  Silas released her and took a step backward. She’d clearly struck a nerve. “Must we talk about this now?”

  “I just want to know what you intend to do with her. You've scarcely said a word about her since she was captured.”

  “Perhaps I don’t wish to deal with her at all. She’s brought shame and treachery to the Dermont name. But she is also my sister who I’ve grieved for most of my adult life. I just can’t bring myself to do what needs to be done,” Silas said.

  “And that is?” Violet pressed.

  “That is to punish her to the fullest extent of the law. She participated in a plot to assassinate my father — King of Aldron. The gallows is irrevocably her fate,” Silas said definitively.

  Violet frowned. “I know you, Silas. You have more compassion than that. Surely, you know she didn't act under her full awareness. Memnon had her beneath his spell.”

  “That’s what Weifar and Blaise have said,” Silas said dismissively.

  “And you should trust them! They're your advisors and they were loyal to Alfryd. Perhaps you’re looking at this situation the wrong way, my love,” Violet said gently.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Put yourself in your sister’s shoes. She’s done everything she could to avenge her mother’s death thinking wrongly that your father was to blame. She didn’t understand the truth of the matter—she’s just like you. Becca wanted justice for her family and went about it the only way she knew how. It sounds twisted to you and I, but if your life is a complete lie weaved by a sorcerer’s curse, how else could she have behaved?”

  Silas' expression softened. She could tell he was processing everything she said. Though she believed he loved his sister despite her crimes, he needed the right push to make a decision.

  “I guess I never thought of it like that before,” Silas said. He stroked his chin, deep in thought. “What are you proposing I do about her then? I can’t simply free her. Not after what she’s done to the kingdom. People would think I was showing favoritism, exploiting my power.”

  Violet chewed the bottom of her lip as she considered the dilemma. Then an idea came to her. “What if you allowed her to redeem herself and be exonerated?”

  Silas scoffed. “Exonerated? How so?”

  “She’s provided you with invaluable intelligence regarding the Draknoir. That means she knows Arkadeus inside and out. Perhaps she can aid you in the assault against that fortress. Take her with you and once you have claimed victory, nobody will be able to deny her role in it,” Violet said.

  “Yes, but I put myself and my men at risk by having a known assassin by my side. How am I to know she won’t turn against us in the heat of battle and cost us dearly?” Silas asked.

  Violet gave him a faint smile. “You’re going to have to to trust her, Silas. This is the point where you decide if you will forgive your sister and move forward. Or continue to have a black cloud of doubt and bitterness about her for the rest of your life.”

  Silas sighed heavily. "All right. I'll... speak with her in the morning and see what can be done," he said reluctantly. Then he gazed into her eyes. "Thank you, Violet."

  “You’re welcome, my dearest,” she said, stepping close to embrace him again.

  “I’m beginning to see how indispensable you’ll be to this kingdom, Queen Violet,” Silas said with a smile.

  “You have no idea, your Highness.”

  Chapter 18

  The mood around the camp betrayed a sense of panic among the assembled Uwadi and Drachengarde warriors upon hearing the news of the scouting mission. Woken from their uncomfortable sleep, the men looked dispirited and miserable in the desolate surroundings. A glimmer of hope for good tidings had sustained many of them, but others like Dudley and Darius wore expressions of resignation toward whatever challenge awaited them. The news of a dragon sentry guarding the dens didn’t come as a shock since Lucius had guessed as much before they set out. However, guessing and knowing led to much different outcomes. And now that the worst scenario was a reality, it struck them like a fist to the stomach. Their dilemma became even more dire when Siegfried shared his own troubling discovery while scouting the higher mountain path with Naphtali.

  “There are three dragons patrolling the pit in the mountains,” Siegfried said. They had previously guessed the pit would be guarded by a single male dragon or possibly two den mothers. Siegfried confirmed the dragons were all male based on their size.

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. We won’t be stupid enough to get trapped in the pit,” Dudley asserted. The statement prompted a murmur of agreement among the men.

  But Siegfried would not dismiss the situation so easily. “The problem is the dragons will be within earshot of anything that occurs outside the dens. When Naphtali and I were high up on the pass, rocks sliding to the ground below could easily be heard. Imagine an entire force of men traversing there? Not to mention, depending where the wind is blowing, the dragons might be able to pick up our scent. So if we engage the dragon at the dens, his friends will quickly come to his aid,” he said.

  “Which means we have four male dragons—possibly more—to contend with before we’ve even dealt with the den mothers and hatchlings,” Simeon declared. A look of defeat passed over the soldiers at his words. Previously, the mission had only taken account of the den mothers and hatchlings. A daunting challenge to be sure, but now the thought of fighting four adult males as well seemed impossible.

  With the morale dropping in the camp, Lucius nearly allowed himself to be dismayed by the massive hurdles they faced. And yet deep within, he knew Yesu could help him through this insurmountable obstacle. In Caelum, Yesu had reminded him that he needn't fear anyone or anything so long as he followed Yéwa. An idea was forming in his mind, a plan to forge ahead despite the odds stacked against them. It would probably cost them dearly to slay the dragons in Ghadarya, but if the price ensured the victory of Aldron against Kraegyn, it would certainly be worth paying.

  “What if we do as I suggested before and create a distraction?” Lucius said. Simeon and the others turned to him, questioning expressions on all their faces. “We assemble a group of men to lure the sentry away from the cave entrance and the guards at the pit. Once they are away, another team enters the dens to engage the mothers and hatchlings,” he said.

  “It’s a good idea, but you still haven’t addressed the biggest problem—fighting four dragons,” Darius interjected. “We have fifty men here, so we do have strength in numbers. But they have the advantage of flight and familiarity with the landscape.”

  Heads nodded in agreement with Darius though Lucius would not let his doubts dissuade him. “Then we need to gain an advantage over them. Siegfried, you told us earlier that the mountain pass leads directly to the cliffs
where the guards watch over the pit, right?”

  Siegfried nodded. “Yes. They patrol the area quite diligently, looking down into the gully frequently,” he replied.

  Lucius took the information in, devising another plan to supplement his previous idea. “If we could have the element of surprise on them, it might give us a considerable advantage,” he said.

  “What about a smaller team inside the pit?” Dudley suggested to the surprise of many.

  “You want to send men to their deaths?” Sabu spoke up.

  “Not at all. A few men in the pit will catch the attention of the guards. While they are distracted a larger group has already taken position on the pass and at the right moment, they strike against the guards. It won’t be easy and will put many at considerable risk, but it’ll give us the element of surprise needed,” Dudley said, glancing at Lucius.

  “I think it’s an excellent idea. Once the guards are engaged, the noise of combat will likely rouse the sentry at the entrance. That will clear the way for the infiltration team,” Lucius said.

  “So three teams. One inside the dens, another inside the pit, and yet another on the pass against the guards,” Simeon recounted.

  “I don’t think we’ll have a better strategy than that. Many of us might be losing our lives here today to win the day, I know. But I don’t see no other way for us to move forward and I’m open to any better ideas,” Lucius said, gazing around at the gathered soldiers.

  Nobody spoke up against the plan. He only saw determined faces willing to fight their enemy head on. The Uwadi and the Drachengarde were equally committed to rid Azuleah of the dragon threat once and for all. Even if that meant many of them would not return home from this hellish place.

  “We have a few hours before dawn,” Simeon declared. “Everyone gather your weapons and put down stakes to tie your horses to. As long as it’s still dark we can traverse unseen through the mountains. Let’s not waste any time.”

  Over the next hour, the men prepared themselves for the coming battle. Several Uwadi kneeled to pray while others sharpened their swords and bid farewell to their cherished steeds. Simeon and Dudley went over the details of assigning men to the three teams which they designated with the names of birds. The Sparrows would be the group entering the pit and acting as bait for the guards. Darius volunteered to lead the Sparrows which included Liam and ten Uwadi soldiers. The Falcons would be led by Sabu and Dudley. They were the main strike team against the guards on the mountain pass and as such would have the most men—twenty-five in all. Finally, the Ospreys would be the team infiltrating the dragon dens. Lucius and Siegfried would be part of this group and be led by none other than Simeon. Once all the teams were assembled, Darius distributed dragon slayer weapons to each of the leaders. He gave dragoneer nets and glaives to the Sparrows and Falcons who would be engaging the fiercer dragons in the mountains and the pit. The glaives would work efficiently at grounding the dragons if they tore the membranes on their wings. Next, Darius gave fire strikers to the Osprey team.

  “Here you are, Lucius. I will assume since the den mother’s won’t be flying in such an enclosed area, their greatest weapons will be claws and fire. We'll split the remaining fire strikers between your group and the Falcons. With any luck, they will prove more useful than they were against Kraegyn,” Darius said.

  Lucius took the canvas bag the Drachengarde warrior gave him and tied it gently around his waist. He’d have to take the bag off before they engaged the dragons to avoid setting off a large explosion from all the movement and fighting.

  After a few more preliminary instructions from Simeon and Dudley, all three teams headed out from their camp. Three older Uwadi were left to tend the horses and ride back to Kroshen if nobody survived this encounter. It was a grim assessment of the obstacle they faced. But Lucius held on to hope that they could win this fight if they stuck to their plan.

  Navigating through the secret passage into the mountains was a slow affair with more men along for the trek. Once they all made it inside the cleft, their progress was much quicker. As Lucius and Siegfried descended the steep decline outside the tunnel, he looked up and noticed the stars. They shone brightly overhead and, had he not been aware of his bleak surroundings, Lucius would find much beauty in the sight. Turning his gaze to the east, he could see the faint glow of the dawning sun approaching behind the mountain range. They had another hour at most to take advantage of the dragons' slumbering time. At the fork in the path, Simeon bid farewell and good luck to Dudley and Sabu. Lucius shared his concern about Dudley's injury.

  “It’s a superficial wound, Lucius,” Dudley said with a smirk. “Why do you think I trained with the sword in both hands? A warrior needs to prepare for debilitating injuries. Not that this is debilitating — quite the opposite. Just a scratch on my shoulder.”

  Lucius knew arguing the matter would get him nowhere with Dudley. The captain still harbored anger over being bested by Kraegyn and losing so many men to the monster's savagery. Though initially he was reluctant to come to Ghadarya, now that they were here he was quite eager to settle the score with the dragons. Lucius watched the Falcons ascend the mountain path leading to the cliffs overlooking the pit. In a few minutes, the Sparrows would be in position and provide the distraction that would give the Falcons an opportunity to strike.

  “Let’s head down. We need to be near the dens before the Falcons and Sparrows attack,” Simeon said to everyone.

  They descended into the last cave and made their way through the darkness slowly. Once they reached the end, the familiar outline of the sleeping golden dragon awaited them. Many of the men whispered and gasped at the sight of the beast which evoked a rebuke from Simeon. Though much of the cave was pitch black, the mouth of the cave was well lit from the waning moon. Lucius didn’t dare move any closer to the exit, knowing that the darkness was their best ally in concealment. He carefully unhooked the canvas bag holding the fire strikers. Simeon noticed the movement and gave a questioning expression.

  “I don’t want them on me before we charge inside of there,” Lucius whispered. “It might blow up the entrance and we’ll have an avalanche of rocks on our heads.”

  “Not to mention you’d be dead instantly. Disintegrated into a fine dust,” Siegfried added.

  Lucius gave him a withering look. “Thank you for that image.”

  “You'll come inside with me first, Lucius,” Simeon said, ignoring their playful interchange. “Then we’ll set the bag down just beyond the entrance and hand out the fire strikers to the men.”

  “There are only about ten of them, Father. Perhaps Siegfried and I can carry five each since we are trained to use them. I’d hate for anyone to have an unfortunate accident,” Lucius said.

  Simeon thought on this for a moment then nodded. “Probably a good idea. You, Siegfried, and I will go in first and scope things out. Now let’s hope the Falcons and the Sparrows can cause enough—”

  His father’s words were cut short by the loud scream of a dragon somewhere in the mountains. A sudden movement in Lucius’ peripheral vision caused him to look outside the cave. The golden dragon awoke from the sound of its comrade and stood on all fours, listening and sniffing the air. A loud boom permeated the quiet, and they felt a slight rumble inside the cave.

  “Fire striker,” Lucius whispered.

  Simeon and Siegfried both nodded. Every man inside the cave tensed as they witnessed the beast outside growl loudly then launch itself into the air. The heavy wing beats could be heard in the cave then quickly died off as the dragon reached higher altitude. Simeon held out his hand to the men signaling to stand still. They waited several minutes though it felt like hours to Lucius. In that time, they heard another explosion and more bellows from dragons far off.

  “I think it’s clear now. Let’s go!” Simeon said to Lucius and Siegfried.

  They ran out into the open trail where a large depression in the ground marked the dragon's sleeping spot. Shuffling inside the entrance, Lu
cius put down the canvas bag gently and followed his father further inside. Siegfried pulled out an oil soaked rag from his own bag and wrapped it around a thick piece of wood. He handed it to Simeon who lit the torch with flint and steel. Although the torch might reveal their position to the dragons, Lucius reasoned that stumbling in the dark and encountering one of the foul creatures was less desirable.

  They progressed through the cave slowly through a narrow tunnel that eventually widened and led them into an enormous chamber. The chamber resembled the inside of a hornet's nest. Multiple holes punctuated the high walls of the chamber at even intervals. Primitive stone stairs cut along the domed interior led to stone paths providing access to each den. At the center of the cave was a large pile of discarded bones, broken eggs, and excrement. The horrid smell of the pile nearly caused Lucius to retch.

  “Disgusting creatures,” Simeon said with contempt. He craned his neck to survey the multiple dens around him. “I think they're still asleep. We're in luck. Let's gather the men and take positions outside of each den.”

  “There's at least twenty dens in here. Broughlin guessed there'd be eight mothers, each nursing a single hatchling,” Lucius explained. “That means some of the dens are empty. We’ll waste precious time searching them all.”

  “What do you suggest?” Siegfried asked.

  Lucius pursed his lips. “The Ospreys are fifteen men strong. Perhaps we can have each man inspect a den then give a silent signal to the others if they find one occupied?”

  “Not a bad plan. Naphtali brought colored flags for communicating over long distances. There might not be enough for fifteen of us. But if someone acted as a lookout down here we could coordinate our first attack without losing the element of surprise,” Simeon suggested.