“Maybe,” Seth said, stepping out of his britches and pulling on the new, clean pair that was brought to him. He winced once but worked through the pain, grabbing his shirt and trying to pull that over his head one-handed. “The battle was far from over, and it looked like that duo was ready to hit the dragon again with another attack. Still, I was hoping for an opportunity and they gave it to me, so in that regard you could say I used them.”
“Yes, we could say that.” Alyssa looked down and stole a glance back at Seth as his shirt slowly came over his torso, concealing the ugly, large blue and purple bruise on his rib cage. “Still, that was a mighty strike, Seth. A little deeper and we’d have to change your name from Sword Slayer to Dragon Slayer.”
Seth sat down and started to put on his socks, grabbing his boots and pulling them nearby. “Now you’re appealing to my sense of vanity.”
“Nonsense, you don’t have one.”
“Oh?” Seth asked.
Alyssa turned around and grabbed a comb from the dresser and walked behind the assassin. “You’ve never been one for titles, and we all know how much you hate your own monikor. Wasn’t it Azex who christened you with that name?”
“Seth is my name. The moniker just came with it ever since I could remember. You aren’t really going to comb my hair, are you?”
“Suit yourself.” She held it out for a moment. “You look like a porcupine lay on top of your head and died there.”
Seth brought his hand up to his head and felt his hair sticking out, almost as if floating in all directions. The static electricity was playing havoc with his body. “What in all of Agon did that dragon do to me?”
“I don’t know, but whatever it was, it would kill a hairdresser. Now sit still while I try to manage this catastrophe that you got going up there.”
Seth allowed her to comb his hair, feeling not only silly but almost helpless again, and in front of her of all people. This was not a good day, and Seth worried it would get worse before it got better. “Ready?” he asked her.
“Pull your boots on and let’s get going. I still think you should lie here and rest, but I know that look well enough and I don’t have the energy to argue with you.”
Seth pulled his boots on, again wincing slightly and keeping his head down so she couldn’t see his facial expression. “Thank the maker, for once.”
“What did you say?” Alyssa asked.
“Nothing.” Seth stood, facing her.
Alyssa frowned and then walked over and dumped the comb on the dresser rather violently and then reached for her gear near the door. “Can you make it downstairs on your own?”
“I’ll be fine. But first, before we go to that conclave, I want to ask an expert about our nemeses.”
“You mean the Kesh?”
“No, I mean the dragon.”
“Who are you going to ask?” Alyssa stood holding the door open.
Seth walked over to her. “Let’s stop and see that little historian first.”
Chapter 16
Lore
The trip was uneventful. Alyssa had left Seth at the side door to the safe house and retrieved a carriage near the harbor. Most of them weren’t in use as most of the business had left town on the many freighters and transports that were there earlier this morning. The account of the dragon attack was already making the rounds, and the bars and taverns were filled early with city folk looking to glean a bit of news despite the late morning hour.
The sun was starting to approach mid-day, and Seth worried that they would not make it to the Ulathan villa in time. He wanted a word with the historian, but in private and nowhere near the Kesh or that conclave. He wasn’t sure he’d be welcome there either after his realm had put a distinguished guest in mortal danger. In fact, if the Ulathan’s knew that Balaria had done this with purpose and intent, he wouldn’t have been surprised if that would cause a war between the two realms. Such was the nature of the Tynirians and the Ulathans. They held honor dear to them, and while Seth followed his own order’s code of conduct, he found their behavior to be condescending at times and wasn’t eager to experience it again.
The carriage could have been pulled by horses, but as Alyssa pointed out they were always in short supply. The shortage in Balaria had more to do with the fact that they were on a very large island, almost like a mini continent of sorts, cut off a bit from the major realms of Agon on the mainland. Horses weren’t native to this island and had to be imported, and the amount of grain, grass, and water they consumed was no small matter. Only the nobles here rode horses. Seth wondered if this was something related to the dragons who were usually mentioned in tall tales told to scare children and strangers from far lands. Their recent experiences proved otherwise.
“We’re here, me lord and lady,” A porter said from just outside the sheer fabric that prevented anyone from peering inside the carriage.
“Ready?” Alyssa asked, looking at Seth and watching to see if he would change his mind or not.
“Not really, but I’d rather know than not know, but asking the Ulathans for help wasn’t my first choice either,” Seth said.
Alyssa nodded and then exited the carriage, drawing the obscuring fabric back so Seth could stand on the street as well. The porter knocked on the villa’s gate using the large bronze knocker that was in the shape of a ball when the gate opened and a tall Ulathan stood there looking perplexed.
“Lord Seth and Lady Alyssa to see Master Diamedes of Tyniria,” the porter said, obviously used to this line of work.
“Well met, Lord and Lady. I am Edwin Willis, ambassador to Balaria from Ulatha. Do come in,” and the man opened the gate widely, stepping back and motioning with his free hand.
Seth and Alyssa looked sideways at each other, not accustomed to formalities, but stepped inside and allowed the man to lead them around the side of the building to the back patio.
A table was set there with several vacant chairs, and Edwin motioned for them to be seated and then clapped his hands and a pair of servants ran off, disappearing from the eaves of the building’s rear porch into the kitchen. Seth nodded and then looked down, enjoying the view of the harbor. Alyssa was correct; it was more empty than full, and two small ships were moving out of the bay and toward the open waters of the Balar Ocean. The view wasn’t as impressive as from the courtyard another level higher than the villa, but it was close enough.
Alyssa sat, but Seth turned to look up the cliff walls at the governmental complex above and a bit further west. He fancied he could just make out the lower wall of the courtyard where they were suspended on ropes just the night before. Several trees were obstructing his line of sight, and the area would have been dark in the evening, so he felt secure in guessing that no one witnessed them from below.
The lower wall of the Balarian complex was just above them, though a few stone throws farther back. That wall was also thirty feet high and ran between the richer neighborhood villas of this sector of the city and the seat of power in Balax. Seth marveled at its engineering as the wall also went up the cliff face at two points and actually enclosed a large section of that cliff wall within it. That was where he and Alyssa would have died on the rocks below had they fallen.
“Greetings, Master Seth and Lady Alyssa. Did I pronounce your names correctly?” Diamedes said as he walked from the villa to the rear patio.
Seth nodded. “Yes, and I am sorry to disturb you so soon after the events of yesterday evening, but I wonder if I might have a word with you?”
“Of course, though we have less than an hour before the Kesh conclave. Will you be attending?” the small historian asked as he pulled up a chair and sat next to Alyssa.
Seth did the same and paused to allow the servants to set cups and plates out and bring a platter of fruit and a second one with bread and cheese. Some sort of beverage was poured into their cups. “Thank you. They won’t be necessary. We’re here to ask a few questions. That is all.” Seth motioned to the guards who had appeared, spears in ha
nd, standing in several discreet but visible locations around them.
Diamedes looked around and then motioned at Edwin. “Quite right, Edwin, you need not fret about me even though the Fist of Astor is not here. We’ll be fine.”
Edwin didn’t answer, but Seth saw the small motion with his index finger and the guards turned and disappeared from view. Seth noticed that Alyssa had her hand on her dagger’s hilt tucked under her belt and was staring at Seth intensely.
Seth smiled and returned his attention to the small historian. “Are you well, Master Diamedes?”
“Yes, nothing to worry about. Had a bit of a fright and a small bruise on my backside, but all things considered, I’m just fine,” Diamedes said, taking a drink from one of the cups and then placing it back on the table. “What can I do for two of Balaria’s finest?”
Seth watched as Edwin retreated just inside the villa, watching intently but out of earshot. He didn’t notice the holy woman warrior or the Ulathan representative anywhere. “Is the Astor warrior all right?”
Diamedes nodded. “Yes, they left not long ago to the harbor to make preparations for their ship, the Hammer, and we agreed to meet at the conclave at mid-day. Fist Madalena accompanied Justiciar Orwell with a small escort, so it’s just Edwin and myself here for now.”
“Good,” Seth began, leaning in closer to the historian. “I wanted to know more about this blue dragon. Rumor has it you are an expert in dragon lore. Can you tell us anything about them?”
Diamedes seemed intently flattered as he looked at both of them. “Well, I don’t know about an expert, but I’ve been fascinated with them ever since I was a boy and learned to read. Do you know that most of the inhabitants of Agon don’t believe the legends that dragons even exist?”
“I’m aware,” Seth said, looking at Edwin again before resuming his attention on the historian. “I’ve also been told that the death planet is real and that its arrival is imminent.”
“Oh?” Diamedes raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, a dear friend of ours”—Seth motioned with a nod of his head to Alyssa—“was an Akun Priest.”
“I know of the order,” Diamedes said. “The fact that you know of it is of the most interest to me. That is another facet of Agon’s history that seems to be shrouded in secrecy.”
“Which is the reason for our visit,” Alyssa chimed in.
“What can you tell us about these dragons?” Seth asked.
Diamedes sighed and pushed his cup away. He had recently dined with his host and was only being polite, but it was obvious that these Balarians weren’t interested in a late breakfast. He adjusted himself in his seat before beginning.
“I have been chronicling the stories and legends behind the Draconus species as well as the passing of Akun. The amount of information on the two is scarce at best. A few of the enlightened understand that the death planet, Akun, arrives every two centuries and that the rise of the Draconus coincides with that arrival. Nothing is certain as to why they occur simultaneously, but history seems to indicate that the beasts awaken first from some sort of deep slumber and then wreak havoc across the lands before the great transit event of Akun.”
Seth nodded. “Krom, our priest friend, said the same, only not about the dragon species, but he spoke often of the coming of the dark.”
“Right.” Diamedes nodded his head. “The transit seems to catch most of the civilizations off guard when they are at their weakest from fighting the Draconus that arise in the time before the transit. The devastation that follows is why the historical records are so scarce.”
“Yes, but the library and technology survive,” Seth argued.
“Some does, yes, and is reconstituted relatively easily, but the majority of the events are recorded verbally, and the libraries and technology that we have today lies more in the fact that we are experiencing an anomaly of sorts.”
“What do you mean?” Seth asked.
“Yeah, what’s an anomaly?” Alyssa asked.
Diamedes placed his hand on her knee and looked at Alyssa intently. “It means that every few thousand years or so, us humans actually survive a transit event in much better shape than we normally do, and our progresses, advancements and, yes, even history, survives more . . . shall we say, completely. It gives us a special time that could be referred to as a renaissance of sorts.”
“You mean, right now?” Alyssa asked.
“Yes, now. The only mystery to me is why these possible periods of renaissance are short-lived. Why do we not seize these moments and prepare further?”
“You’re the historian. What do you think is happening?” Seth asked.
Diamedes nodded again and removed his hand from Alyssa’s knee as if a father who had finished his lecture for a wayward child would do. “Actually, I don’t know, but I think I do know who does know.”
“Go on,” Alyssa prompted.
Seth only nodded, leaning in a bit closer since the older man had lowered his voice.
Diamedes spoke, almost inaudible this time. “The Kesh know.”
Seth snapped his fingers and pointed at Diamedes. “Exactly. They are up to something, and we need to find out exactly what they are planning.”
“The Kesh and Balaria are allies. Why don’t you just ask them?” Diamedes said.
“We may be allies, but we don’t trust one another as much as you Ulathans think,” Seth said, lowering his finger as he noticed Edwin leaning too far forward.
“Tynirian,” Alyssa corrected.
“Ulathan is fine,” Diamedes said. “I am in the employ of and titled by the king of Tyniria, but my homeland is indeed, as Master Seth said, Ulatha. Your statement, however, would be of more interest to Justiciar Orwell.”
“Let’s keep the Ulathan delegation out of this for now, shall we, sir?” Seth said.
Diamedes nodded. “As you wish, but I have tried to learn more of the Kesh, what their own historical records state, and what they know as a people and, of course, as wielders of magic.”
Alyssa snorted. “I bet you didn’t get far with them, did you?”
“Indeed,” Diamedes responded, grinning at her and shaking his head.
“The Kesh are of interest, but back to my question. What else do you know of these dragons, especially the blue ones we are facing now?”
“These Draconus are different, obviously being blue in color, they don’t breath fire like the legends tell. I also believe there to be other dragons of other colors—”
“You can’t be serious,” Alyssa interrupted.
Seth waved her quiet. “Go on,” he prompted.
“I am serious,” Diamedes said, placing a hand on his chest and looking intently at Alyssa, willing her to believe him. “I have it on good order from one of the Arnen—”
“Those pagans . . .” Alyssa interrupted again, letting her words die off.
Seth gave her one of those exacerbating looks, informing her to be quiet and not to interrupt again. Alyssa looked at Seth with her frown and then leaned back. “Sorry, Master Historian, do continue.”
Diamedes smiled, a look of pleasantness crossing his face before he continued. “A Druid of the Arnen. They are as secretive, if not more so, as the Kesh and much fewer in number. I managed to corner one in the Earlstyne Forest some years back and spent a pleasant evening with him questioning what he knew about the Draconus along with a good deal of other things. He seemed to confirm my hypothesis on the species and the transit.
“With regards to the chromatics, as he called them, he only said they are part of Agon’s cycle and always referred to Akun as subservient to Agon. I thought that odd, seeing as how he was referring to two different planets.”
“Those pagan worshippers can find deity in a flower. It’s quite pathetic, you know,” Alyssa said, her face a scowl.
“Did something happen to her?” Diamedes asked, turning to Seth.
“I’m right here. No need to ask him,” she responded.
Seth shook his head. “No, I don
’t think so, but our friend, the Priest of Akun, wasn’t on the closest of terms with the Druid order and Alyssa here was practically raised in the Akun temple, so I think her reaction stems from that experience.”
“Ah, I see.” Diamedes nodded and then looked at Alyssa as if he understood the reason for the child’s temper tantrum. “Do not worry, Lady Alyssa, I won’t discuss the Arnen further. What I can tell you is that you’re dealing with more than one blue dragon here, and I think you’ll have to kill this one before you can rest again in Balaria.”
“Of course we are dealing with two dragons, as we killed the first one, this one must be its mate,” Alyssa said, a tinge of condescension in her voice.
Seth now regretted coming to the Ulathan villa with Alyssa, as her recent reactions weren’t predictable in foresight. The loss of Krom must be something she was grieving for more than Seth had imagined. Of course, he knew she was raised with the old holy man, but those years Seth had seldom thought of the young girl and instead was focused on his own ambitions in his order and on several occasions came close to meeting death himself. Now it was all making sense, but having her here with him was now an impediment and he needed to change the subject and end their meeting.
“Is something wrong?” Diamedes asked, and Seth found himself coming out of his intense thoughts about Alyssa to face the Ulathan.
“No, sorry, Master Diamedes, everything is fine. One final question, if you don’t mind?” Seth asked.
“Yes?” Diamedes prompted.
“Do these dragons . . . these Draconus creatures that you refer to. Do they have the ability to have servants or even humans who could work for them, assist them, or something along these lines? Is there anything in your experience that indicates that this could be possible?” Seth asked.
The Blue Dragon: A Claire-Agon Dragon Book (Dragon Series 2) Page 14
