Brothers

by Viktor Zólyomi

  `Well, no, I remember well.' I tell her, as I sit down beside her. `But I'd have thought you'd call reinforcements by now.'

  `Why bother?' she asks. `By the time we rebuild this place, the dragons will have come and destroyed everything. I might as well just let them take me fast. Let them end my misery quickly...'

  `I don't think the dragons will show up here anytime soon. They've got bigger problems than you now.'

  `Like what?'

  `Like that.' I tell her, pointing up to the sky.

  `The twilight and the realigned stars?'

  `They're not stars. Ignore them. Just look at the twilight.'

  `It's just twilight. It's been an exceptionally long lasting one, but still only twilight.'

  `No. You've never been to the Afterlife, have you?'

  She turns towards me surprised.

  `Have you?'

  `I've traveled to many worlds. I've also seen the Afterlife, yes.'

  `I should have guessed. But what does it matter?'

  `That thing up there...' I tell her, pointing at the twilight sky. `That's no twilight. It's the Afterlife trying to swallow Arghard, like a shark trying to swallow a little fish.'

  `That's impossible.' she says, shaking her head.

  `Oh, it's true. It's very true. Why don't you try and teleport?'

  `To where?'

  `Anywhere. Over there, just a few feet from us. Or anywhere else you like.'

  Now she looks curiously, and slowly stands up. She waves her hand, and...

  ...and of course, nothing happens. I smile as she looks at me with a shocked face, and a genuine interest in her eyes.

  `What is this? You are not blocking it, are you?'

  `Of course not. I can't do it, either. That should mean something to you, Ghaubel.'

  `Then how did you get here? Did you walk? Or perhaps came flying? That is hard to imagine.'

  `I took a shortcut. Now that the Afterlife is trying to swallow this world, the barriers between Arghard and the Afterlife have thinned. So much that now it allows the summoning of ghosts to be done extremely easily. Why, not long ago, someone summoned the ghosts of around forty recently deceased warriors to have me killed. Forty.'

  `But you're still alive, I take it.'

  `Yeah. And once I find out who that asshole was, I'll teach him not to fuck with me!'

  `That I believe...' she says, spitting aside. I guess she's still angry. Well, she asked for that beating...

  `Anyway, point is, not only can ghosts be summoned with ease, Portals to the Afterlife can also be created easily. It's tricky, but with the right tools, it's very simple now. I have such a tool.'

  `So, you enter the Afterlife at one point of Arghard, and then...'

  `Then I return at another point, yes. Makeshift teleportation, if you will.'

  `Why did you come here?'

  `Believe it or not, I am here to save your worthless life.'

  `You? That's reassuring. Last time you were here you tried to kill me...'

  She points to her neck, and the scar on her face. The scar hasn't healed, and her neck still has the marks of my grasp from earlier.

  `Forget about all that, Ghaubel. I have a proposal for you. Accept my offer, and I will get you away from here before the end comes.'

  `How can you do that?'

  `I can't open Portals to any place other than the Afterlife. But Gateways still work. Through the Afterlife, I'll take you to a Gateway, and get you out of here.'

  `What do you want in exchange? I suppose you want something.'

  `Yes. I want you to find Danny Boy for me.'

  `What?' she asks, shaking her head. `How come you can't find Daniel?'

  `Did you watch the siege of Keehmor Keep from your Observation Room?'

  `Siege?'

  `Oh, you missed a Hell of a battle, and the bang that ended it. It went out it with one Hell of a bang, you should have seen it!'

  `What are you talking about?'

  `Well, Keehmor Keep is gone. There is nothing but a big fucking crater in its place. Danny Boy survived, but I don't know where he went. He was at the crater after the explosion, but then he left. I somehow missed him, and I have no idea which way he went. He must have walked, and that limits how far he could have gone. So you should be able to find him eventually.'

  `I'll do this... and then you'll take me away from here?'

  `On my honor!' I tell her, smiling.

  `That's even less reassuring. You have no honor, Zack.'

  `Oh will you shut up? Just find him, bitch! This is your only shot. Either you find him for me, or you can look for your own way out of Arghard before time runs out.'

  She sighs.

  `Fine... but you'd better not doublecross me.'

  `I won't. As long as you do your job right, I'll get you out of here. I know what gratitude is.'

  `Do you?' she asks, frowning.

  `Just get to work.' I tell her, as I stand up and prepare to leave. `The clock's ticking...'

  Blind feelings

  Keehmor Keep, around twelve years ago

  My first defense of the castle that was to become my home in Draconia was largely successful. The warriors whom I led to victory celebrated joyously, but I did not let the victory cloud my judgment. I knew the dragon's wouldn't quit. Indeed, they did not. They were surprised at having encountered such resistance, and so it took them a while to mount another attack, but they did come. I made sure to be ready. By the time they came a second time, I had almost a dozen golems, and three dozen guards, all well armed. The dragons attacked, we fought them back. After that, they didn't come again for a while. Of course, they wouldn't quit.

  Time and again they returned for some more. Sometimes they rested for years, sometimes only for months, but always, they came back. They never quit. Almost two centuries passed like that. Until, around twelve years ago...

  Well, let's not jump ahead. As I said, the dragons rested for months or years between two sieges. During those peaceful times, I did my best to explore as much of Draconia as possible. The castle was renamed to Keehmor Keep, and it served as my home and refuge over the years, the place that I could return to from my explorations in Draconia. The people who lived in the nearby settlements accepted me as the new Lord of the Keep just as much as the guards did, despite that I was just a stranger who came out of nowhere, and not the true heir to the castle and the lands around it. I was actually wondering when someone would come and challenge me for the Keep, claiming to be a distant relative of the former Lord, but no-one ever came. Slowly the people forgot. Or maybe they didn't care about who owned the Keep as long as they were kept safe from the dragons.

  Years passed, and I created more and more alter golems, always trying to surpass the greatness of my previous creations with the new ones. Until one day, around thirty years ago, I managed to create my masterpieces! Welker, Latta, and Trenz. Sentient golems. With their own soul and own personality, their own freely thinking minds. And bodies that were far more powerful than the body of any other golem I created. They had the wits to use their abilities well and get the most out of what they are capable of doing. They were my greatest creations! They certainly gave me reason to be proud...

  The dragons attacked over and over again, they refused to give up on the Keep. My sentient alter golems gave them a beating like never before. Slowly, the dragons started coming less and less frequently. The constant struggle which had been so characteristic for almost two centuries, was slowly falling off. One day, a most unexpected thing happened after the last unsuccessful siege of the dragons, around twelve years ago.

  My golems had a gigantic battle against around two dozen dragons and about two hundred footsoldiers. Probably the largest group that had ever attacked the Keep up to that point. My guards and my golems, lead by the three sentient golems, defeated the besieging army. The battlefield before the courtyard was littered with corpses at the end of the battle; over half of the dragons were killed, and nearly all of the footsoldiers as
well, and only two of my golems fell.

  After the battle, the rest of the dragon army retreated to quite a distance, but they did not fly away. Instead, they set up a camp, and waited. A few hours later, at around dusk, a lone figure walked out of the camp and headed towards the battlefield.

  It was a human woman in a magnificent red battle armor. She inspected the fallen golems with great interest, then she walked to a largely untouched clearing near the edge of the battlefield, looked towards the Keep, and waited there.

  I watched her from one of the towers of my Keep through a sailor's farseer. I watched her, admired her beauty, and wondered who she could be.

  The Captain of my guards stood beside me.

  `Who is that?' I asked him, after having watched the woman for several minutes.

  `Judging by the armor... that should be Meliorath herself... The Queen of dragon-kind...' he told me slowly, lowering his own farseer.

  `Meliorath? In human shape?'

  `Yes... Rumor has it that she often takes human shape for some reason, and that she wears such armor.'

  `What is she doing out there, alone?'

  `She seems to be waiting.'

  `For what?'

  `I don't know.'

  We watched her, for over half an hour, but she just stood there, looking towards the Keep, waiting. Finally, I came to a decision. I lowered the farseer and placed it on the table.

  `I'm going out.' I said. The Captain of my guard didn't like the idea.

  `Alone? But...'

  `No but. I'm going out. I think she came to talk to me.'

  `What if it's a trap?'

  `I can handle it. Besides, if her troops make any sudden movements, the golems will signal me in due time.'

  So, I left the Keep. I ordered the gates to be closed behind me, and slowly walked towards the clearing where she waited. I was half expecting it to be a trap, but the golems did not signal me. Not even when I reached the clearing.

  There she stood, waiting. A beautiful sight, with astonishing long red hair, a red plate armor that fit to her hair perfectly, and a grace that almost betrayed that she was in reality a dragon.

  I stopped about ten feet away from her, and greeted her.

  `Good evening, my lady!' I told her. `What are you doing out here, all alone?'

  `I wish to meet the Lord of the Keep.' she said. Her voice was tender, yet determined. She sounded like a strong individual who knew what she was doing and knew exactly what she wanted. Yet there was a femininity to her voice that only the most lovable women possessed. It was a strange ambiguity, one that made her a woman to be desired.

  `I am Daniel Keehmor, Lord of Keehmor Keep.' I told her, slightly bowing my head. She repeated the gesture, and introduced herself.

  `I am Meliorath. Queen of dragon-kind, leader of the Dragon Hordes.' she said, with both authority and grace.

  `I am honored.' I told her.

  `I guess you knew who I am. You do not seem surprised.'

  `Yes, actually, the Captain of my guard recognized you from rumors he heard.'

  `Rumors, eh? I see I am often spoken of.'

  `So it would seem. Now tell me, why have you come out here to speak to me?'

  `I wish to offer you a truce, Warlord. Let us sit down and talk awhile.'

  `Shall I order my men to bring us a table and some chairs?'

  `I don't think that's necessary. We can sit on the grass.'

  We sat down, and began to talk. There was a strange intimacy to all of that. The way we spoke. Sitting on the grass. Shortly after dusk, with the moon slowly rising in the sky. But there was also tension. Our troops had been at each other's throats for almost two centuries. Though she offered a truce, I knew not what to expect from her, and I am sure she likewise did not trust me.

  She spoke of how she resented the loss of life that was the necessity of war, and that she would like us to put and end to it, and try to come to some peaceful solution. I found it hard to believe her, but I did not want to turn her away. No matter how powerful my golems were, we always suffered some losses, and I would have liked to put an end to that. To be honest, I also admired the dragons, and so I was not too keen on having to kill a bunch of them every time they try taking the Keep. So despite my doubts, I wanted to give her a chance. Peace would have been welcome to all involved. I just doubted that she truly wanted it, knowing the tales of the Great War.

  I asked her why she came out herself, and why she did not send some envoy instead.

  `I came, because I respect your prowess as a fighter.' she told me. `You are a fearsome warrior, with admirable skills, and unrivaled bravery. Not many would have lasted so long here in your place as you have. You even have some skills in magic, as I can tell by looking at these strange golems of yours.'

  `So, you admire my fighting skills?'

  `That I do. I sometimes entertain the thought of challenging you to a duel.'

  `I would not refuse your challenge.' I told her.

  `I am certain, but then again, we are out here to reach a truce, not to kill each other.'

  `A duel need not necessarily be to the death. We may spar, if you wish. Or fight until one of us disarms the other.' I told her.

  `Is that a challenge, oh great Warlord?'

  `Perhaps. You say you respect my skills as a warrior. Why not put those skills to the test?'

  `I like that. What if I disarm you?'

  `Then I will give you one of the towns you covet so much. But if I disarm you, then you will cease your warfare immediately, oh Queen.' I told her. She smiled, and there was a strange intimacy to it.

  `So be it. Although I am unarmed. Let's say if you can force me to the ground we can consider that as disarming.' she said. I nodded, and we stood up. I slowly drew my sword, and she took up a defensive stance. Then, we attacked each other.

  *

  It was an interesting duel. Her gauntlets served her well as a means to block my sword attacks. Every piece of her armor was greatly enchanted, and she could defend herself well against my strikes. Often she could counterattack, punching me where she could. Her punches were full of strength, completely unexpected from such a fragile looking beauty. She had overwhelming strength even in human shape, even if not the same as she had in dragon form.

  We fought long, for at least a quarter of an hour. Slowly, we felt being exhausted by the duel. In truth, I had the feeling that she was not really trying to defeat me at all. Then again, I did not give it my best, either. I wondered, whether she was just testing me. In the beginning, I even thought it may just be a trap, but her troops hadn't made a move during our duel, and so I slowly came to the conclusion that she really did want a truce, at least for the time being.

  As our duel went on, I could begin to feel an admiration for her. She was not only beautiful, she was also resilient, and fought well. I felt a desire for her, and I decided to put an end to our duel, if only to be able to push her to the ground. I struck towards her head with full force, and it took both her gauntleted hands to block that attack, leaving her legs vulnerable. I kicked her legs out from under her, and as she fell, I dropped my sword to the ground and jumped on her. I grabbed her wrists and pushed her arms against the ground. She was strong, but I managed to overwhelm her.

  She squirmed and struggled for a while, but eventually, she gave in to me.

  `It seems we have a truce, oh Warlord.' she said, smiling. `You are truly a great warrior.'

  `You fight well yourself. And no need to call me Warlord. You can call me Daniel.' I told her, and I moved my lips closer to hers, trying to kiss her. She did not refuse me. She returned my kiss with surprising passion and longing. We kissed so long that I can barely believe we could hold our breath for so much time.

  `I wonder what your men must be thinking now.' she said, as we finally ended the kiss.

  `And yours?' I asked, smiling.

  `I am their Queen, they do not question me.'

  `Neither do my men question me.'

  `Then let us c
ontinue!'

  `My thoughts exactly!'

  *

  I used my magic to make us invisible to all who observe from more than ten feet away. Then we... Well, let's just say that we did something that is not usually done on a battlefield...

  We made that into a passionate night out there, on that clearing at the edge of the battlefield. For the first time in my life I felt that I was feeling much more than physical longing for the woman I had just spent the night with. I felt like I desired her more than any other girl in my life before.

  It was way past midnight when we slipped back into our armor and both returned to our homes. I invited her into the Keep, but she said she had to go and ensure that things proceed as we agreed. I asked her to come to my Keep the other day as soon as she was done. She agreed. I left the battlefield smiling, and feeling a strange, almost alien warmth inside me...

  *

  I know what you're thinking. Screwing with the Dragon Queen is a bad idea. Well, that's what all the guards thought, too. That's also what Zack thought when I told him about me and her. But I didn't care what anyone thought about us. We were one, and we were happy together, as strange as it must sound.

  Alas, it did not last long.

  Months passed, and while our passion never died, I could feel that something was eating her up from within. She told me how much she longed to take revenge for what the Draconian Brotherhood had done to her people thousands of years ago, as well as for what the people of Ess'yer did to her people just after the Great War. She told me that she would not rest until her vengeance was complete. She told me that she longed to reunite Draconia, return all of it to dragon-kind once more, and then march against Ess'yer, to take down the Council, and rain down the fire of retribution on the people of Ess'yer. She even asked me to join her. To aid her in her quest of vengeance.

  I tried to explain to her that she blamed the wrong people for the things that had been done to the dragons in ages past. That the Brotherhood was no more, and that most of the people who had taken part in the Time of Retribution were long dead. She insisted that all the lessers must be punished for what the dragons had to suffer. We argued a lot, and slowly I could feel that we would never come to terms on this matter.