"Because you didn't ask, Dummy!" She shot back before turning to hear what Talia had to say.
"Sanche I have heard of." Talia said, pointing to a figure at a corner table. "I believe he is here as a guest of Xctchul, one of our retired generals."
Missy thanked the Anuunaki and flew to where the elder elf was seated, Nord and Jaxon trailing in her wake.
Nord didn't even recognize the man they approached. Sanche looked nothing like the elf Nord had trained and fought with. His cheeks were sunken in, and his eyes stuck out from his face, making him look bug eyed. Sanche's hands appeared skeletal. His fingers stuck out like claws. But the worst were his ears. Before, he had long beautiful ears. They had been his pride and joy, now nothing remained. Holes were all that showed where his ears had been. He used his hair to cover the scars of mutilation.
"Sanche?" Nord asked, still not believing it to be him.
Sanche turned his head slowly. He scowled at the three companions, then rubbed his eyes vigorously. "Nord?" He asked, disbelief in his voice. "Damn hallucinations, be gone!"
Nord reached out and touched Sanche's hand, "Sorry old friend, you're not licking the toads of ogier groves... I'm real."
Sanche jumped from his chair, and Nord couldn't believe how horrible, emaciated, and creepy his friend looked. "Oh my goodness! Nord!" Sanche wrapped the giant elf in a tight hug. His great big smile made him almost appear normal. "I never thought I'd ever see another elf!" Sanche took his seat again and looked around the room. "Where's Lov?" He asked, eager to see his best young archery student.
"His grandfather came and took him." Nord answered truthfully. He pointed to Missy. "She had me thinking we were going to find and meet him here."
"We are, ijit." She shot back, floating to the table to land next to Sanche's drink. "These youngsters can be so impatient. I told him we were going to meet Lov here, and we will. As soon as his grandfather brings him." She nodded her head to emphasize the point.
"If you say so, little one. I try not to fathom the mysteries of dragons." Sanche shuddered. "My own are bad enough.”
"How did you end up here anyways?" Nord asked, leaning into the table.
Sanche shook his head. "I wish I could forget that journey." His eyes lost focus and the smile left his face. "I won't tell you what happened in the council room. I don't want to relive that nightmare again unless I must. Suffice it to say, I escaped with my life if not my ears."
He took a long pull from his cup and motioned for Talia to bring him more. "I found a woman escorting her children out of the city. One was an infant, the other couldn't have been more than twelve. I joined them, thinking to keep them safe. We managed to avoid all the Titan patrols, and I managed to keep them from the mutilation. We made it to the Great Wyrm Desert, but the infant couldn't survive on the little bits of water we were able to find."
Sanche saw his cup was filled, and drained it in one shot. "The mother, I lost a short time later. We were crossing the back of a dune made from the spine of one of the great Wyrms. She was bringing up the rear, and as she crossed one of the vertebrae, it separated from the spine, sending it tumbling down the dune. She was buried under the sand, and though we dug for her, we never found her." He paused a moment, then took a deep shuddering breath before continuing.
"Her son and I struggled on. We made it to the bay just fine, but once we reached it, and saw the reflection of the sky in the water, he seemed to give up. I told him not to drink the water, but he wouldn't listen. He drank his fill. As we approached the bluff, he collapsed, falling from his horse and smacking his head upon the salt. He died, of course. I told him not to drink the water!" The last he yelled, hurling his cup across the room before bursting from his seat and running out the door.
Chapter Nineteen
Lov watched the fire he had started drop to bare embers. They were outdoors tonight, enjoying the cool air. The ever present waves played their continuous song. His grandfather sat across from him, stretching and yawning lazily. Lov struggled to find power to feed the coals, but wasn't able to grasp it. The embers died, a trail of smoke rising serenely from the now blackened wood.
"Better, Lov." Tryton said lazily, scratching his side as if he had just woken up. "Much better. I actually had to put a little effort into it." He leaned forward and shook his finger in Lov's face. "But you can do better. I know you have elf blood in you, but you're still a dragon!" Tryton pumped his fist in the air. "We are beings made of magic. Nothing is beyond the realm of possibilities, but you have to concentrate!"
"I'm trying!" Lov complained, grabbing the energy and using it to restart the fire. It roared to life. "It's so hard trying to set it. I feel the pattern forming, but my own doubts stop me from stopping you from killing the fire!" Lov sprang to his feet. "It makes me just want to scream. Balancing the knife edge, using my dragonhunger, while not letting it use me." His shoulders slumped as he sat back down. "Maybe I'm just tired."
"Well, you identified half the problem. You need to conquer your doubt." His grandfather gave him an appraising look. "What are you worried about anyways? Do I beat you when you fail, to make you so afraid of it?"
"No, you don't." Lov conceded. "But I know that until I master this, I'm stuck here." He gave a sigh and lifted his eyes to the sky. "I just want to save my mother and my people. I feel their captivity like a chain around my neck."
Tryton took Lov's hands into his. "My boy, you are still very young. You'll learn in time that all things happen in their own time."
"Yes, boy." A strange voice said contemptuously from behind Lov. He turned, seeing an old woman. She was attired simply in a long dress in varying hues of purple that covered her from neck to ankle. Her hair was white as snow, gathered into a bun on the top. She carried herself with a regal air as she approached Lov flashing him a predatory smile. "Don't worry, boy, I won't bite you. At least not hard enough to draw blood."
"Ah, Draka, I was beginning to wonder when you were going to show up." Tryton said, turning to Lov. "Be careful around her, kid. She may be your grandmother, but you need to watch her, she's one of the great Wyrms."
Lov moved away from the woman. Draka pouted at Tryton. "There you go again. I suppose you've told him how evil and wrong we Wyrms are, but your vaunted light wouldn't burn so bright without the darkness." She turned to Lov smiling and appraising the young half-dragon. He was beginning to feel like he was being hunted. "I come bearing a gift, Grandson." She snapped her fingers and a belt appeared in her hands. Long and supple, the belt was made of braided leather with a buckle that glowed reddish silver in the firelight. "Here, this will help you to find your focus."
Lov eyed the belt and his dragonhunger roared within him. Tryton glared at Draka, "Can't you wait until I've trained him before you ply him with your toys?" He asked her contemptuously.
"Well, I would have left him alone for a bit longer, but someone who had an engagement at a party with me didn't show!" Her voice roared like a hurricane on the last two words, but was clear in Lov's ears. In her normal voice she continued. "You and the dragons were supposed to meet us in a neutral battleground. I've wanted your head for my cave for a long time, and I'm growing impatient with your cowardice."
"That's right, Draka, show the boy how dark and twisted we become. Show him why we must always fight our dragonhunger." He took the belt from her. "I'll make sure he gets this when we finish his training. You're right saying it will help him someday.
"As for our battle, even you must agree we should put it off long enough to train our youngest descendant. I mean, what would the other Wyrms say if he were to be weak? What would they say about you? Besides, I refuse to let him languish in ignorance. That would do nothing but leave him to your clutches once I was gone. I could never harm you, you're my sweet buttercup." He caressed her cheek softly, and she leaned into it, she loved attention of any kind. He pulled his hand away quickly, as if burned. "But you are not the woman who was my mate. I hardly recognize you anymore."
Lov
sat, utterly stunned by these two insane beings. Between the two of them, he knew whole worlds could be ripped apart. It was like watching two feral cats fighting over a piece of meat. "You two do realize I'm still here, don't you?"
Tryton and Draka both jerked slightly. "Little boys should be seen, not heard!" Draka replied coolly. She snapped her fingers, and Lov felt his mouth slam shut. He tried to speak, but his lips wouldn't part. She turned back to Tryton a fiendish light in her eyes. "Do what you will with him. But I think first, you should remove your block. It's hampering his ability to connect."
Tryton bowed. "We'll try it. I will concede, you were always a better teacher than I."
Draka turned to Lov and grinned before disappearing in a clap of air. That predatory smile made him feel even more like a piece of meat.
The next morning Lov awoke to an empty beach. The fire had burned down to coals and the sea spread out from the sand into the horizon. He sat, thinking about the woman from the night before. She hadn't seemed as horrible as everyone had led him to believe Wyrms were. Still, he couldn't help the feeling that she looked at him as nothing more than a pawn. A piece to move around the game table at will. He looked to the belt she gave him. Tryton had given it to him the night before, after thoroughly inspecting it to make sure there wasn't a curse upon it. His dragonhunger sighed contentedly whenever he looked upon it.
His stomach grumbled at him, so he rose to his feet, grabbing his bow and quiver. He heard the sharp bark of Fifi and knew his grandfather was still on the island. Lov considered that Tryton might be trying to get him to move camp. They had done that several times since Tryton had joined Lov, but he never came out and said, 'We're moving!' It took Lov a week to realize that the first time, and three days the second.
As he moved inland, searching for small game he saw not one creature. The animals had come to fear him since he arrived on the island. It became harder and harder to find good meat. All he needed was to get lucky and shoot a nice sized hog. One of those would feed him for a few days.
He found one of the bright purplish fruits that tasted of heaven, spotting it high in a tree. He managed to find a few of these rare and succulent delicacies throughout the island. They seemed to grow randomly, sometimes high in a tree, other times growing straight out of rock. He plucked the fruit, savoring the taste as he continued on his journey.
Something told him to head up the side of the mountain. He felt guided, as if a hand held his collar and dragged him there. He searched for a good game trail to start the climb, finding a well-worn goat path winding its way up the rocky terrain. He kept an eye out for any animals, knowing a ram wouldn't hesitate to headbutt him off the path. He followed the trail and slowly wove his way up the mountain. As he reached a certain point, impassable because of loose pea gravel, he felt himself guided into a crack that appeared without warning. Sheer walls rose high overhead, a narrow strip was all that showed the sky. He had to turn sideways in a few places, but finally found himself walking into a wide open bowl, a large cavern on the opposite side.
Lov could see immense dragon skulls lining the way. Some had crests three feet in radius, the bone rising away from the neck like a lion's mane. Others had horns as tall as Lov's uncle. He passed through a large gaping maw, a wall of smaller skulls lining the inside of the bowl. As he drew nearer, he could see even smaller skulls, those the size of an elf's head, pressed into the mouth of the cavern, making a rough doorway. He approached cautiously.
He tried to pass through the doorway, but an invisible force refused him entrance, pushing him back. "Back off, kid," Tryton called from inside. "You're not ready to come in here, it would fry your mind." Tryton came out, carrying a skull as big as Lov's torso in his hands. Tryton motioned Lov into the middle of the bowl. A fire appeared from nothing, illuminating the whole area like a blazing sun.
Lov walked to the edge of the fire.
"Step in." Tryton told him, motioning with the skull for Lov to step into the flames.
Lov forced the fire out, as he passed into the center of it. The flames roared around him, Lov liked the warmth they shed upon him.
"I needed some help with this." Tryton told Lov, handing him the skull.
Lov held it by a tooth and a horn, the other horn resting on his upper arm. The horns were smooth and black. His hand glided over it like polished marble. The fangs were immense. He gripped one by the tip, but it easily outsized his hand. He could feel sharp serrations along one edge of the canine.
A voice flooded his head, seeming to reverberate through him. "Ah, a young one. I see why he needs help. His shields have fused with those your mother put upon you." Lov felt a pressure he never even realized release. The world seemed brighter. He heard a loud repetitive sound, but he couldn't pinpoint it.
"I suggest you don't leave the valley for, oh, a hundred years." The voice vibrated through him. His sense of it was intensified, he could feel it in his temples. The sun, which had been hidden behind the mountain, rained down into the bowl. Intense pain greeted the young half-dragon's eyes as he tried to look at the world as he always did. The voice commanded him, "Hey, hand me back to Tryton before you drop me!"
Lov thrust the skull out, blindly, and felt the presence disappear as it was lifted from him. The world was still too bright and rough on his vision, and the popping of the fire sounded like explosions in his ears.
He heard his grandfather's voice, booming and echoing around the bowl. "I'm sorry, Lov. This is going to hurt, but we don't have time to coddle you as your mother would want." Lov heard a splatter near his feet. "I don't envy you right now, but this needs to be done."
An intense smell assaulted his nostrils. It smelled putrid and rotten, with just a hint of burn. Lov found himself wishing he hadn't found the fruits this morning. His stomach heaved, bringing up purplish chunks, his throat burning from the acid.
"What a waste of dragon fruit." Tryton said, shaking his head disappointedly. "Remember, this was your grandmother's idea."
Chapter Twenty
Lov suffered through hell the first day. It started out sunny and bright, the popping wood of the fire exploding in his ears. Before long though it rained, and he hated it more. The rain was a light sprinkle, but to Lov the drops were drums, thundering constantly. Lightning would explode in his ears, and the flashes would blind him for tens of minutes. Before he found a slight overhang to huddle undercover the rain had felt as if it were battering him. It pounded into his skin and worked its way under his scales. He felt chilled to his bones as he prayed for the sun to return. His eyes had hurt worse with the blazing ball of light in the sky, but the rain was unbearable.
The storm kept him awake all night. Towards morning, it blessedly moved from overhead. The sun was just lighting the horizon as Lov sat and listened to the world. He heard a sound like someone drumming their fingers. Lov craned his neck around searching for Tryton, or anyone else that could be making the noise. As he looked, he noticed he could focus on a spot, and zoom in upon it. For example, the tip of a blade of grass. He could focus upon it and see the serrated edges of the blade. All of it he processed instantly. The wind blew though the bowl, howling around it, causing swirling eddies. Lov shivered as it blew past him, and watched the sky as the sun lightened it. He was amazed to see greens and yellows mixing with reds and blues. It looked like an oil slick across the sky. It was as if a god had painted the clouds with rainbows. Lov sat breathless and filled with awe.
The sun coming over the lip of the bowl blinded Lov, and he covered his face with his hand, blocking out the burning light. Slowly he felt the searing pain subside. He felt the small puff of wind that signified Tryton's arrival.
"How are you doing, kid?" Lov heard his grandfather's voice thundering in his ears. "Is there anything you need? Food? Water?"
Lov slowly removed his hand from his face, so he could glare at Tryton and give him a piece of his mind. But Lov was shocked to see Tryton standing on the other side of the bowl. Tryton, seeing his grandson's fa
ce, laughed, and it roared in Lov's ear. "You think that mean mug is going to scare me?" Even though Lov watched Tryton say it calmly, Lov couldn't believe what he heard was so loud.
Lov sighed wearily. "I just want to get some time away from here. I've been here for months, and I've hardly relaxed." Lov turned beseechingly to his grandfather. "Will you please send me back to my uncle? I need time to digest everything that's happened to me."
Tryton looked to the heavens, rolling his eyes thinking, the boy will never learn. "Are you sure that's what you want?" He asked.
"Yes!" Lov all but shouted. His own voice thundered in his skull, making him wince.
"Alright, I'll send you back to your uncle. Bumble headed buffoon won't know what to do with you, but that’s better than you moping around here." Tryton yelled out "Tinkle, come here!" The familiar blue fairy appeared out of thin air.
"What's up, old man?" She demanded, anger in her eyes. "I was just about to bathe in the waterfalls."
"What's the idiot up to?" He asked.
"You'll have to be more specific." She replied. "You call a lot of people idiots."
Tryton chuckled a little. "I mean the elf idiot."
"Oh, Nord!" She concentrated for a minute, thinking over her reports. "Missy says they're in Gobekli Tempe with the halfling."
"That will do nicely." He turned to Lov, "Grab the kid's things and drop them there with his uncle. I'll follow with Lov in a moment."
She glared at Tryton. "You better make this worth my while, I'm not an errand runner. Especially since you're making me miss my shower!" She stepped sideways and disappeared.
"Alright kid, you need to grab your power, and just hold it. I'll guide you through the spell we'll use to transport."
Lov nodded and attempted to seize it. The sun blazed on his closed eyelids, blinding and painfully bright. He shook his head in disgust after a moment. "I just can't seem to grasp it." The young half-elf complained.
Breath of the Titans: The False Titanbringer: Complete Trilogy Page 11
