Breath of the Titans: The False Titanbringer: Complete Trilogy

by Riley Westbrook

  “I would think that you of all people would understand, Da. You struggle with your anger every day. Why wouldn't you want to fight?” Koan knelt before his father, taking his hand. “I know you love to fight, no matter how much you try to hide it.”

  “It's that reason that I fear a war, young one. I know what I'm capable of, what I would sacrifice to save this world.” The elder Ogier lifted his head slightly. “And call me a coward, but I don't want to pay the price!” He hugged his son close to him, setting the younger Ogier at arm's distance after. “But I won't stop you. You have your mother's kind heart. Maybe you can find a way to help without the sacrifice, without the death.” The innkeeper stood, patting his son's shoulder. “Now then, I'm tired. We had a long day. I am going to bed. You better wait until I wake up to leave with that young dragon.”

  “I will, Da. I will.”

  Koan passed the elder elf, who was serving himself from the taps in the common room. The Ogier hurried past him and up the stairs to the only occupied room. He knocked on the door and waited.

  He heard a scrambling from within, then the door was yanked open. “Sorry, I forgot it was your room too.” Lov said, turning back to the bed, assuming it was Sanche at the door.

  Koan stood in the hallway, and cleared his throat. “Sorry to bother you, sir, but I wanted to tell you that I'm coming with you when you leave.”

  Lov frowned at the young Ogier in his doorway. “No you're not, Koan. Close the door before you go.”

  Koan felt a little flame of fire in his chest. “Yes I am.” He said, stepping into the room boldly. Koan was shocked at himself, these were the kind of actions his Da would take. “And if you tell me I'm not, I'll just follow you. What are you going to do? Restrain me?”

  “Don't tempt me.” Lov said softly, heading from the room down the stairs into the common room. “Sanche, tell this idiot he's not coming with us when we leave.”

  Sanche swayed drunkenly on his stool, looking back and forth at both of the young men. “I don't see why not. Two pups is no worse than one.” He hiccuped before standing, swaying on his feet. “And since our room is open now, I'm going to go pass out.” Sanche stumbled to the stairs, tripping and falling on them as he tried to climb. Soft snores issued from where he landed on them.

  “See, even your friend agrees.” Koan said, crossing his arms, a smile on his face.

  “He's drunk, his opinion doesn't count.” Lov snapped back softly. “Still, if you insist. Let's at least talk and figure out what you would bring to the fight.” They sat at the bar, drinking tea, and discussing different tactics that Koan could implement. They had a basic idea down before the innkeeper awoke the next morning.

  With Koan traveling with them, the group crossed the farmlands quickly. The young Ogier struck direct routes to other settlements, and as they went, they ran into more Ogier. They were making up so much time, that Koan was able to stop and talk with all the elders they ran into, asking for advice on his situation. The one thing that resonated from all of them was the disdain they had for Titans tromping through their fields.

  One elder, his gray beard hanging to his chest, complained loudly about the metallic constructs. “They always rip up our plants and vegetables, leaving our fields bare and brown. It takes hard work to replenish and regrow from nothing. A whole day wasted resowing a field instead of just harvesting and growing.” Other adults rushed over, trying to silence the old man. Gray beard lowered his voice to a grumble, and walked away from their group refusing to talk to them.

  The more he talked to the elders in the different settlements, the more Koan knew they needed to stop the Titans from coming. The problem was, how to do it without killing.

  Chapter Thirty Six

  Missy flew through the fields, heading in the direction she sensed Lov in. Sherman had sent her to get in touch with the young chief, hoping to get him back to the orcs before the factions began to shatter. She flew in front of Lov's face, zipping around him like a pest, giggling as she watched him swing around to keep an eye on her. She flew up behind him, pricking him with her knife before flying back as he whipped around. “What are you doing, Missy?” He demanded, Sanche stepping from the foliage behind them. A young Ogier showed up from the front. The plants seemed to lean towards the giant before Missy.

  “You've been making friends, I see.” She said casually, flying up before Lov. “I'm here to bring you back to the orcs, we need you there.”

  “I need to help my young friend here set up defenses against Heart. I'm needed in other places right now.” Lov told the fairy, glaring at her. “Remember who's in charge here, Missy.”

  “Remember who can take that choice away, Lovonian!” Missy said angrily, ripping her finger through the air. She expected a hole to open up and swallow Lov, dropping him inside of the Greatmothers' Council Chambers. But nothing happened. Lov glared defiantly up at her. “What did you do?” Missy demanded sternly.

  “I didn't do anything. I wouldn't know how to stop your little holes if I wanted to.” Lov replied coolly.

  The fairy ripped her hands through the air again, but still nothing happened. She concentrated for a second, trying to use her other gifts, but she couldn't use them. It was as if she had lost an arm. “There's something repressing my magic here.” She said suspiciously. She flew to the giant of the group. “Who are you?” She demanded, waving her finger under the Ogier's nose.

  Koan looked down at her cross eyed. “Oh, hello, little friend. I'm Koan.” The deep voice boomed in Missy's ears.

  “Not so loud, please.” Missy told him, doing a quick circuit around the Ogier, checking him out. “You are huge! I can see how the plants love you though. Why aren't there any pixies or fairies in your lands?” She asked the large man.

  He snorted, the wind driving Missy back. “I don't know. We have little people in our fields, but they don't fly.”

  “I'll have to do some more scouting.” The fairy replied to no one in general, speaking her thoughts out loud. She turned to Lov and Sanche behind her. “Since I can't get you two to the orcs, I may as well search for the source around here while you help your friend. We have no choice but to pass through Heart.”

  Lov smiled, “Good, I've been hoping to get my eyes on my enemy. Especially since I've gained this second sight.”

  Missy cocked an eyebrow at the young half-elf. “Second sight?” She shook her head. “No, no, never mind. We'll talk about it later. Stay safe! Oh, and here!” She tossed a penny pouch at Lov, and the young half-dragon caught it. It looked like the little pouch the fairies all wore at their sides.

  “Sherman thought you needed it!” She shouted back at him as the diminutive fairy shot off, leaving the three walking the way they had been before.

  Koan let out a soft rumbling chuckle. “That was the strangest thing I've ever seen.” He said happily as they went.

  They passed near a new township, farther south than Sanche and Lov had been heading. “I'd like to avoid towns, Koan.” Lov told the young Ogier, and Koan agreed. Trouble always seemed to find the young half-dragon when he was near people.

  Sanche walked in a trance, lost in thought. Lov felt a demeanor shift behind him, and sensed a different presence than Sanche. He stopped, looking to his old friend. Sanche's eyes were rolled back in his head, and all the anger that filled his steps since returning to life was gone. “Are you okay, Sanche?” Lov asked, reaching out to touch his old mentor.

  A strange voice, markedly different than Sanche's issued from the old elf. “Remember to keep your cool. Even if you see an opening, it may not be there. Caution is best when you don't know the whole situation. Remember that.” Sanche fell silent, still walking trance like, as if being guided by an unseen hand. Even the way he held his relaxed face was different, reminding Lov more of his father in its stern but loving set. It was as if he were marching while asleep.

  Lov shook it off, determined to keep an eye on the elder elf. Koan called from up ahead. “Come here, Lov. I found us some n
ice fat juicy tubers. They're very filling and delicious.”

  Lov ran forward, taking the orange plump root that Koan handed him. He took a deep bite from it, and a sweet juice filled his mouth. Koan bit into one, sucking the juice from the hole he created. When he finished, he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, then pointed to the root he held. “This is the best food, it helps you grow into your strengths, and helps us sing to the plants. Lets make camp here tonight, we'll have a nice hearty breakfast for tomorrow.”

  Sanche sank to the ground, cross legged. He didn't even bother preparing a sleeping bag. His eyes were still rolled back. Koan took and spread his blanket out, growing himself a bed from seeds he pulled from his pouch. “Most comfortable bedding ever.” The Ogier said happily as he lay upon it.

  Lov lay out his bedding, thanking Sherman for the pouch he had sent with Missy. Inside had been cook pots and other essentials to keep a camp. Now Lov would have a proper blanket to keep warm under the stars. The young half-elf huddled comfortably in the soft wool, happy and content with the way things were going.

  Lov awoke to the sounds of whispers. He looked around, the world hazy from the sleep in his eyes. He reached up and cleared them, looking to where Sanche had been the night before. The grass had grown up around the elder elf, as if they had been sleeping for a long time. Lov looked to the Ogier, shocked to see him gone. The grass he had planted had continued to grow though. It had spread from where Koan had planted it next to Lov's sleeping spot. The young elf backed away as he watched the grass under his hand grow, jumping from two inches to six in a matter of seconds. The whispers around Lov grew louder, and he leaped to his feet, running to Sanche and shaking him, trying to wake him.

  Grass sprouted from Sanche's mouth when he opened it, his eyes still rolled back in his head. Lov took off through the grass, heading towards the township they had seen.

  As he ran through the plants, they seemed to reach out, trying to grab a hold of him. A vine whipped out, catching one of his legs. Lov fell to the earth as another shot out, catching his arm. The young half-dragon reached for his weapons, then remembered he had packed them in his penny pouch. A pumpkin vine stretched out and grabbed the half-elf's other hand. Lov only had one leg free. He strained to break the vines as others shot out from the foliage. The vines coiled around his wrists, pinning him to the ground, tighter and stretching him out more.

  The vines pulled harder and harder, and Lov felt his joints creaking with the strain. Just as he was about to call out, Lov awoke in his blankets. He hadn't moved since falling asleep, and the cold air made his shoulders and wrists stiff. He went to relieve himself, stretching out the pain as he walked to a bush. He thought he heard a hint of the whispers from his dreams, but he chased those thoughts away as he lay back down to go to sleep.

  Slowly, he fell back into a deep dreamless rest, determined to turn the vision into a lesson. Plants were living things too, and they could be deadly.

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  The group crossed through tall grasslands, still heading north towards the temples at Heart. Lov knew he would need to pass through the city, and cross the canal in order to reach his armies. He was happy to have Koan traveling with them. The young Ogier was good at assessing the mood of the group, and asking questions at just the right time. Lov was sure the young acolyte had learned a great deal just from talking. Lov hadn't even realized he had half the knowledge before Koan began asking. And as they walked, it showed. The weeds around them were well overhead, but there were a few thorns. Koan seemed to part a way for their group from the foliage. The grass was eager, and gentle not to touch the young Ogier, and occasionally Sanche would swear from behind Lov as the grass closed behind him. Lov wasn't sure he'd be able to clear a path like it without a sword.

  The young half-elf carried his bow with him, Koan may be able to survive on nothing but vegetables, but Lov wasn't satisfied. He craved roasted meat.

  Missy flew down from over head, zipping around Lov's head before stopping before him. “You are slow.” She complained bitterly. “I've already covered half the gnome lands in the time it's taken you to travel halfway to Heart.”

  Lov snatched her from the air. “Some of us can't fly, little one, but we have other advantages.” Missy pulled her knife free, jabbing it into Lov's thumb. Lov laughed at her. “That pinprick isn't going to make me let you go. You need to relax Missy, I know you've been searching for somewhere to use your magic and get home. It will come back. Just relax.”

  “Then hurry up!” She started to twist in Lov's grasp, pulling herself free of his hold. “The faster you get north of Heart, the sooner I can get out of the range of whatever is stopping me.” she grunted out, slipping free of Lov's hand. She flew just out of his reach. “It's not as if I can just fly around Heart. They would notice a fairy just flying about.”

  “So suppress your glow. You'll be fine.” Lov told her confidently. “At least then, you'd be scouting something useful. I don't see what good those little gnomes would do.”

  Missy snorted derisively at the young half-elf. “You obviously don't understand what they mean to the Ogier then. They're the ones that set up the irrigation system that goes underground.”

  Koan stopped, turning back to the group. “Irrigation? What do you mean?”

  “Your plants always have water. Don't you think that's unusual? You never seem to have a drought.” Missy pointed to the ground. “If you were to dig down, you would find pipes that feed all these fields with water from the southern ices. The gnomes have conquered the mountain, giving you all the water you need to feed everyone. And you do, that's why they've done it. The Ogier are the only race they could trust with such power over the food supply for the world.”

  Missy pointed ahead of her, flying to stand on the giant's shoulder. “Think of it this way, the society that's sprung up since the Dragon Wars has been built on the backs of your people. You are the ones who fed Heart, and by proxy, the world for years.” She hugged Koan's cheek. “I see why the dragons all respect your race above the others. Well, before they go Wyrm.”

  “Yes, they fed the hand that protected so much that it started to bite.” Lov said cynically.

  Missy flew back, stabbing her finger into the tip of Lov's nose. She glared at him as she told him coldly, “It started as a noble gesture, to support those who revere your ancestor. You should show more respect for their sacrifices. Don't you know, this is the young Ogier that was whipped for speaking to your mother? He's the one that took the other Ogier from the city when they were denied the option of showing proper respect to Tyrosh. He's the one that set your mother on the path to freedom.”

  Lov reached for Koan's hand, stopping the Ogier from traveling. “Is that true? Are you the one that spoke for the Ogier in the city?”

  Koan smiled at the young half-dragon he towered over. “Of course, I could do nothing else, with everyone being so cruel to her. Even in the worst darkness, there is light.” The young Ogier pulled his hand from Lov's, turning to stride through the tall grass. “Besides, I believe I rekindled the light that had burned out in her at your father's death.”

  “Well, I thank you. I was hoping I'd be the one to free her. It doesn't matter how it happened, though.” Lov said, chasing after Koan. “I owe you, my friend. This changes our relationship.”

  The Ogier shook his head as the path continued to open before him in the grass. “No it doesn't. I didn't do it for you. I did it for myself. For my beliefs. For what I know is right in my heart. And I would gladly do it again.”

  Koan disappeared from sight for a second as the grass closed behind him. Lov jumped through the grass wall, and landed in a waist high wheat field. Sanche stepped free of the forest like wild grass, spreading his hands out to touch the unhealthy looking stalks of the field. The anger had returned to his steps as his eyes returned to normal. “Getting closer to Heart. Should be there in a day or two.” The elder elf pointed across the tops of the swaying grain to a house in the dist
ance. “We should stop there, see if we can have some shelter. Maybe our Ogier friend can trade them for some help for their plants.”

  Koan laughed. “I'm helping them even if we don't stay. It shouldn't take long.” A low hum began to escape his throat, and the wheat in the fields sprang to life, the stalks growing thicker, the grains growing to thumb size. After an hour, the wheat stood at eye level, and a farmer had approached to watch. He let out a whistle, pulling his wide brim hat down. “Isn't that something?” The old farmer asked, scratching his long shaggy beard. “Thank you, my Ogier friend!” The farmer offered Koan his hand, the young Ogier's swamping the old man’s hand. “You've given me bountiful crops this year. Is there anything I can do for you?”

  “My friends and I would love to stay in your barn tonight, sir.” Koan asked, bowing low to the farmer.

  “You honor me, friend! An Ogier bowing to me!” The farmer let out a deep rumbling laugh, and though he wore poor clothes, he seemed the richest man in the world with his happiness. “I'll let the missus know we have visitors. She'll be honored to have an Ogier here. You all go ahead and get settled in the barn, she'll bring you something out to eat.”

  The farmer walked through the fields, and the three companions followed. Koan hummed happily to himself as they went, a deep calming rumble filling the air. They all settled in the hay of the barn, Sanche complaining bitterly about being poked.

  “At least we have lodging.” Lov said to the old elf, pointing out the dark clouds in the sky. “And we should see about covering your ears, old friend. They stick out like a sore thumb now that we're nearing Heart. Remember what happened to me.” Sanche snorted, burrowing deeper into the hay before falling into a sleeping pose. Lov turned away, ignoring him. He pulled his bow from his pouch and left the barn to go hunt. Maybe he would be able to add some wild meat to the cooking pot.