Uck! One of these days I fear I might not change back. How horrible would it be? An orc is me.
On the edge of the town stood an orcen sentry with a helmet of Barnabus on its head and a spear resting at its side. Gorlee approached with a toothy smile.
The orc lowered its spear. Spoke in orcen.
“Who are you?”
Gorlee shuffled in his armor. Imitating the bodies of others was one thing. Natural. Instinctive. Imitating their garb and armor was another. That took more effort. Armor’s the worst.
“Why,” Gorlee said back in orcen, coming closer, “can’t you see I’m you?”
He could see the yellow of the orc’s eyes now. Confusion filled them. It should have been fear, but orcs were hard headed and stupid. It was hard to scare an orc. Even when one was looking at an exact replica of itself.
“You’re,” it started, leaning its big chin forward, “me?”
“No, no,” Gorlee said, “I’m your cousin. It’s good to see you. How’s the family been?”
“Uh,” the orc said, blinking.
Squawk!
“My, what was that?” Gorlee said in Common.
“Dragon,” the orc said. It jumped back and lowered its spear. “Say, you didn’t speak orcen. What’s the password?”
Great! Soldiers on post always had a password. Anyone that didn’t know it was challenged and killed. It was common. Even for orcs. Assuming they could remember the word.
“Chicken feet,” Gorlee said.
“No,” the orc said, shaking its head, “that ain’t it.”
“I’m certain it is.”
“No.”
“Think about it,” Gorlee said, in orcen. “It’s late. You’re standing at your post talking to an exact replica of yourself and you’ve forgotten your own password. That’s not right, is it?”
The orc looked left and right. It bared its teeth and growled.
“What’s the password?”
“Chicken feet. I’m certain of it. Now before you act, are you willing to kill yourself?”
“Huh?”
“I am you, after all,” Gorlee said. “And you are asleep and dreaming.”
The orc shook its head. “I never sleep on post.”
“Haha. Never. Now, I know better. I sleep when you sleep. But,” Gorlee came closer and spread out his arms, “if you want to wake up, just pierce yourself. Well, myself. Yourself. It’s all the same. But you need to wake up now.”
“I am awake.”
“Well, then you need to go to bed now. The sheep are calling.”
“What sheep?”
Gorlee locked eyes with the orc. Summoned his magic. Made a suggestion in orcen.
“Sleep.”
The orc collapsed to the ground with little clamor.
Gorlee removed its helmet, grabbed its leg, dragged it farther from town, and donned the helmet. Uck! Picked up the spear and resumed the orc’s post. Only one thing bothered him. He still didn’t have the password.
Squawk!
The sound was closer.
What kind of dragon is that? Sounds terrifying and fascinating. Can’t wait to see it!
CHAPTER 5
Nath donned his hood and headed straight for the middle of town. His clawed toes sank deep into the muddy streets, and the rain became heavy. Be smart about this. Someone controlled the dragon. Or dragons? And that person, most likely, was the Overseer. The sluggard the boy had mentioned.
Squawk!
The sound came from the other side of town. Nath kept going and made a beeline for the steps of a large wooden building. Outside the double doors were posted two soldiers that lowered their spears on his approach. They were men. Sizable.
“What are you doing out of your room, villager?” one said in a rough voice. “You want killed, do you?”
Nath ripped the spear out of the man’s hands and drove the butt of the spear into the chin of the other soldier, who sagged to the ground just as Nath wrapped his fingers around the bewildered first soldier’s throat. The man’s face turned purple.
“Is the Overseer in there?”
The soldier nodded.
“Does he control the dragon?”
The soldier nodded again.
“Blink for every person inside the assembly room.”
The soldier’s bulging eyes blinked five times.
“Including the Overseer?”
The soldier nodded.
Nath hauled the man over to the porch post. “Ever kiss a post before?”
Wide eyed, the soldier shook his head.
Nath shoved his head forward.
Bonk!
He dropped the man to the ground.
He opened the double doors, stepped inside, and closed them right behind him.
Two candelabra hung above the room. A large fireplace on the opposite side was filled with burning wood. A long table stretched out in front of the mantel from one side of the room to the other. The place smelled of wine, sweat, and old food.
A man sat at the table, back to the fire, chewing on a rack of meat. He was big boned and heavy, with greasy black hair combed over the side of his head. A large, bright crystal hung from a heavy gold chain on his neck outside his heavy leather armor. Two dog-faced gnolls in plate-mail armor stood on either side.
“Can I help you?” the heavy man said in an arrogant voice.
Two lizard men shifted in the corners closer to Nath.
“I’m not of the impression that you are the kind of person that helps anyone,” Nath said. He kept his hooded head down. He raised his clawed finger. “But if you truly want to help, you can stop eating and start leaving.”
The Overseer’s head popped up from his food. “Huh-huh,” he laughed. “Do my ears deceive me? Are you another upstart villager? A foolish troubadour passing by, perhaps?” He dropped his rack of meat on the platter with a bang, stood, and drew his heavy shoulders back. “I am Overseer Dormus. I am not amused. Remove your hood, or I shall have my soldiers remove it for you. Head included.”
Nath heard the lizard men’s swords sliding out of their scabbards. The gnolls hopped over the table and stood between him and the Overseer, leaving a man-sized gap between them.
“I am unarmed,” Nath said, holding his hands out wide. “Certainly I’m no threat to you, Overseer Doorknobs?”
“It’s Dormus!” he rapped his fist on the table. “And you just came into my assembly room and told me to stop dining.” He grabbed his goblet and took a slug of wine. “And to start leaving?” Overseer Dormus leaned closer, his beady eyes squinting. “My, what long fingernails you have. You speak too well to be a lizard man, but your build is that of one. Interesting.”
The Overseer didn’t seem one bit nervous. His stern face overcompensated for his sagging jaw. At one time, the man might have been a seasoned soldier, but now he didn’t look the part. Still, Nath sensed something dangerous about the man. He was sly. Unpredictable. Nath’s eyes slid over the gnolls. Each carried a flail with three spiked balls and a chain.
“Feel free to take your men and leave now,” Nath said, walking into the center of the room, “and no harm will come to you whatsoever.”
Overseer Dormus yawned, resumed his seat at the table, and poured another glass of wine. One of his hands slipped under the table. The other hoisted the goblet.
“They say brave men are fools that survived.” A pair of gold teeth showed when he grinned. “I say brave men are fools that die.”
Clatch-Zip!
A crossbow bolt zoomed from underneath the table.
Nath snatched it out of the air.
“Impossible!” Overseer Dormus yelled. He jumped up and banged his knee on the table. “Kill him! Kill him now!”
CHAPTER 6
Pilpin passed through the fog and strode right up to a pair of orcen soldiers who had their spears lowered.
“I don’t suppose either of you know where the nearest shower is?” he said, fanning his nose. “Because you smell worse than ogre dung.”
“Skewer that hairy halfling,” the second orc said.
“Halfling!” Pilpin swung his mace into the orc’s knee, socked the other in the groin, and took off running.
“Kill that rodent!”
A spear zinged by Pilpin’s ear.
“Oh my!” He darted between the storehouses with the orcen soldiers on his heels. He pumped his short legs as fast as he could, but the orcs were gaining.
“Oomph!”
An orc tackled him to the ground.
He busted it in the nose.
“Ow!”
The orc jerked Pilpin up over his head, slammed him into the ground like a sack of grain, and drew a dagger from its belt.
The other orc pinned Pilpin down with a spear.
“What are you doing here?” the orc said, chuckling. “I’ve never seen so small a dwarf before. Huh-huh.” It kicked Pilpin in the gut. “Didn’t think dwarves could make even smaller runts.”
“Didn’t think orcs could speak so many words,” Pilpin shot back.
The orc kicked him again.
“Ooph!”
“Go ahead,” the orc said. “Kill him. There’s probably more around here anyway.”
“Ahem.”
The orcs turned.
Brenwar stood behind them with his war hammer over his shoulder.
“Ye be right about one thing,” Brenwar said, raising the war hammer over his head. “There’s more of us, all right.” He slung it from his hand.
Whop!
The first orc flopped on the ground.
The second orc lowered its spear and charged the grizzled dwarf.
Crack!
The spear tip shattered on the chest of Brenwar’s armor.
Brenwar swiped the orc’s legs with his knotty arms and knocked it to its knees, saying, “You’re just as ugly short as you are tall.”
Pilpin hopped to his feet and swung his mace into the back of the standing orc’s head.
Clok!
It fell face first to the ground.
“That was fun,” Pilpin said. “Why don’t we do that more often?”
Squawk!
The dragon sound was close.
“’Cause if we make too much noise,” Brenwar said, peering back between the buildings, “a bunch of evil things start coming.”
On the road ahead, something slithered through the mud and fog.
Brenwar stayed Pilpin back with his hand. A pair of bright eyes was looking right at him.
Squawk!
***
Gorlee stood on the road near the outskirts of town, watching the muddy water run between his boots. The town was dark and foggy, but lanterns glowed outside the buildings along the streets. The warm glow of fire could be seen in many windows, but the atmosphere was still gloomy. The dragon sounds were startling. They made him more curious than fearful. Being a Chameleon, he didn’t fear much of anything. Still, his fingertips were tingling.
Squawk!
He felt the sound inside his chest. A few lights in the buildings went dim. The dragon was coming. Two lights hovered down the road like glowing moths. Closer they came, swaying in the fog, back and forth. Dark silhouettes appeared next. Then large figures that carried the lanterns. Lizard men.
Judging by their gait, they were making their rounds. Heading right toward him. He edged closer to the road and waved. Hopefully, they’ll move right on by me.
A long, serpentine head stretched out between the two lizard men. Gorlee caught his breath. The dragon’s body was big enough to ride. It had six short, powerful legs. It looked more like a great lizard with a long neck and small horns on its head. Its scales were purple and maroon. Its long tongue whipped over razor-sharp teeth. It had small wings folded down over its back. Its eyes shone bright and evil.
Gorlee took a half step back. Dragons fascinated him, and he’d studied them for years, but he was still getting accustomed to the more aggressive sort. The evil dragons didn’t value the lives of the other races. They’d rather snap men in two or incinerate them just for staring. A sweep of their tail could break a man’s back in an instant. Yet somehow, the men, the Clerics of Barnabus, were controlling them.
Gorlee remained still, awaiting their approach and watching the dragon’s long, black tail sweep back and forth. He rubbed his hands together. He was exposed at the moment. His fleshy form would not hold against the dragon, but becoming something thicker such as stone or metal could be detrimental. Dragons were very sensitive to magic. Things out of the ordinary did not escape their notice.
The dragon’s eyes grazed over him. It snorted and stopped.
Gorlee kept his eyes down. Waved at the lizard men again and stepped back.
Squawk!
The sound shook his bones.
A lizard man approached and pulled off his helmet.
Gorlee blinked wide eyes.
I’m still an orc. I’m still an orc.
The dragon turned and faced him. Eyed him up and down. A rumble started in its throat, and it stepped back.
I can fool men, but can I fool dragons?
It snorted a blast of hot steam in his face.
Gorlee choked and spat. Spit the foul taste in his mouth on the ground. He cringed. This dragon was a hunter. A predator. He could tell by its legs and the small wings on its back. Like a great cat it prowled, and it probably ran like an antelope.
I bet it hates orcs. I’m going to die. Everything hates orcs but orcs.
Its jaws opened wide and snapped shut again.
Gorlee flinched.
Its tongue rolled from its mouth right toward Gorlee’s eyes.
Drat! I might look like an orc, but I don’t smell and taste like one. I’m done for!
CHAPTER 7
Nath snapped the crossbow bolt in half and tossed it to the ground.
Speed. I love speed!
The gnolls rushed in with spiked balls of steel whirling in the air. They both swung at the same time. Nath ducked beneath the lethal blows, popped up, and punched the first gnoll in the belly, lifting it off the ground. The second gnoll struck him across the back with a fierce blow.
“That didn’t even tickle,” Nath growled. He snatched the flail out of the gnoll’s grip and slung it to the floor, then lifted the gnoll and slung it across the room and into the wall. His keen ears picked up the heavy steps of the lizard men coming right at him.
Nath whirled.
A sword blade arced down toward his head. He caught it in the palm of his dragon-scaled hand. The other lizard man chopped into his ribs. Nath laughed. It took more than ordinary steel to hurt him. His scales were as hard as black diamonds. The power of a dragon was awesome. One lizard man soared through the window. The other busted through the front door.
“So much for being subtle.”
He turned to the Overseer. Sweat dripped off the man’s face. His greasy fingers fumbled with the amulet around his neck. He licked his lips and said, “Who are you?”
Nath removed his hood.
“Nath Dragon?” Dormus said, swallowing hard and fluttering his eyelids like a girl.
Nath grabbed the edge of the large wooden table and flipped it aside.
Dormus sank back toward the fireplace. “They said you might come, but I didn’t believe it. So many small towns and villages for you to save, and you pick this one. I must admit you surprised me.” He pulled out a long dagger that had a glow around its blade. “But word of your exploits is well traveled. The Clerics of Barnabus are well prepared. Heh. Heh.” He ran his forearm over the sweat in his eyes. “But you cannot stop armies that control the dragons.”
“I’m not here to stop any armies,” Nath said, coming forward. “I’m just here to stop you.”
Dormus squeezed the amulet around his neck. “I’ll be a bit more challenging than gnolls and lizard men.” The crystal glowed bright red. “Come, dragons! Come!”
Squawk!
***
Brenwar remained s
till. His heart thumped loudly in his chest. The dragon made its way through fog and rain right toward them. He readied his war hammer. The dragon’s head slid back and forth between its great shoulders and stopped between the buildings.
Squawk!
The sound rattled the shed.
“Come on then, dragon. Let me bop the ugly nose on your head.”
The dragon took a deep breath.
Brenwar shoved Pilpin and scurried away. He took a moment. Gathered his thoughts. The sound of heavy footfalls was moving away. He peeked around the corner of the shed. The dragon had made its way into the street and was moving onward.
Squawk!
Another dark-scaled dragon with six legs appeared. The pair seemed to converse with one another, and then they moved on, deeper into the town.
Squawk!
Squawk!
Squawk!
“There be two of them,” Pilpin said.
“Nay,” Brenwar said. “I hear three.”
“Why would this little town have so many dragons?” Pilpin asked.
Brenwar’s muscles knotted in the small of his back. “Because it’s a trap.”
“What kind of trap?”
“A Nath Dragon trap.” Brenwar grabbed Pilpin’s horn and stuck it between the little dwarf’s lips. “Blow and hope it isn’t too late.”
***
The dragon’s hot breath felt like a furnace near Gorlee’s neck. He couldn’t help but notice the numerous razor-sharp teeth. One bite. One bite and it’s “Goodbye, Gorlee.” The tongue eased in like a snake’s, just inches from his face. Just turn to stone, Gorlee. But he couldn’t do that fast enough. The dragon would detect it. Before he could change to stone, its claws would rip him apart like a rake rips into a bale of hay. I’m an orc. I’m an orc. I’m an orc.
The dragon’s head reared back.
Gorlee hunkered down. This is it! He summoned his magic and his skin began to gradually turn to stone.
The dragon’s six legs stomped in the mud. It turned, lowered its head, and squawked.
Others squawked back.
There’s more of them! Oh no!
The dragon stomped onward into the town.
Whew!
Its tail cracked back as it went, striking Gorlee full in the chest and flinging him through the air. Pain filled him from head to toe where he landed in the wet grass, cracked stone that was unable to move.
The Chronicles of Dragon Collection (Series 1 Omnibus, Books 1-10) Page 65
