The Schemes of Dragons wotd-2

by Dave Smeds

  "Do you think it's a trick?" Val asked.

  "I don't know." He picked up his mug of hot wine and sipped. He scowled; the liquid had gone tepid. "It's not the time for the Dragon to withdraw a third of his troops. You say they're on a forced march back to the coast?"

  "It seems that way. Perhaps he's worried about the emperor's army."

  Keron set down his mug. "All the more reason to increase his strength. I expected him to try to take Tazh Tah before our allies arrive."

  Val shrugged. Keron considered dismissing him, letting the boy share in the festivity. Whatever else, the Dragon's retreat meant a lull in the fighting, and Val had earned some relaxation.

  "Perhaps this has something to do with the situation in Cilendrodel," the king mused. Word had recently come of Alemar's victory over the Dragon's sorcerer, and of the subsequent revolt. Keron pictured the withdrawn troops heading north.

  Cilendrodel was a backwoods province. It did not have the means for a sustained fight against the Dragon's empire.

  Toren would have arrived there by now. Keron's grandson would be born soon.

  Disquieting energies thrummed down the haft of his scepter.

  "Dragons!"

  Treynaf stood up, knocking over his small table. The globe struck the flagstones and glanced off a wall so hard that, had it been ordinary crystal as opposed to a talisman, it would have shattered. Keron and Val jumped.

  "Two dragons!" Treynaf cried. "To arms, cousin! March to Elandris! Do not wait for the dawn!"

  Keron felt a cold, hard, satisfying knot in his gut. The scepter warbled. Two dragons? Time to sort the meaning later. For once, he knew unequivocally that his relative had seen with true Sight. Enough waiting. The time for action had come.

  "Pass the order," he told Val. "We attack tonight."

  GLOSSARY

  Achird

  The sun. The star around which Motherworld revolves.

  Alemar Dragonslayer

  Founder of Elandris; slayer of the dragons Faroc and Triss. Also Alemar the Great, Alemar I.

  Alahihr

  A union of tribes of the same race as the Vanihr, living in the Flat. The Alahihr practice of clearing land directly opposes the religious tenets of the Vanihr. The two peoples are bitter enemies.

  Amane

  A Vanihr tribe of cannibals.

  amethery

  An herb of the Cilendri forests, often used to prompt abortion.

  burrost

  Dried tree serpent, a Vanihr staple.

  Cadra

  Progenitor of the Zyraii.

  Calinin

  1. An ancient nation in the far west of the southern continent. 2. The empire that originated in Calinin, composed, at various times, of the countries of Calinin South, Aleoth, Cotan, Acalon, Tanjand, Agon, Neith, Tiandria, Serthe, Riannehn, Sirithrea, Numaron, Irigion, Rhida, Rhada, and Moin, as well as the motherland. 3. Those lands culturally and linguistically tied to the empire, including the countries above as well as Ranagara, Elandris, and Cilendrodel.

  cheli

  Among the southern Vanihr tribes, a person who is not capable of housing the memories of his ancestors, normally because of brain damage or mental retardation. Such persons are considered to be less than human and are not permitted to breed.

  collberry

  A low-lying tree of the Wood whose fruit is often eaten or fermented.

  Dark Night

  A term applied to those rare occasions when Achird, the Sister, Motherworld, and all of the major moons are below Tanagaran's horizon. Although traditionally celebrated only once a year, "dark nights" may happen as often as a month apart. Likewise, many Dark Nights are barely dark at all; total lack of suns, moons, and mother planet sometimes lasts as little as an hour. One of the major preoccupations of early Tanagaranese astronomers was the calculation of when Dark Night would occur.

  drelb

  A dwarfish people inhabiting the countries of Transilia, Intralia, Cisilia, Drelbhaven, and the Drelbmarch.

  Dragonsdeep

  Capital city of Elandris under Gloroc's rule. Originally called Wizardsdeep, it was the last city built by Alemar Dragonslayer, and served as capital of his empire for many centuries. eret-Zyraii The western fringe of Zyraii territory, uninhabitable because of its extremely arid climate.

  erron

  Small copper coin, smallest monetary unit of some of the Old Kingdoms.

  Faroc

  The male of the pair of dragons that once ruled the Dragon Sea, slain by Alemar the Great.

  Fhali

  A Vanihr tribe of the southern Wood, to which Toren belongs.

  Firsthold

  Original capital of Elandris.

  the Flat

  An unforested region in the center of the Wood, home of the Alahihr.

  forest stalker

  A very large, highly venomous spider indigenous to the Wood, known for stalking and killing large mammals.

  Garthmorron

  A large barony in central Cilendrodel, birthplace of Alemar and Elenya.

  Hab-no-ken

  Healing sect of the Zyraii priesthood, distinguished by their green clothing.

  hai-Zyraii

  A state conferred upon an individual through blood ritual, in recognition of deeds that greatly benefit the Zyraii nation.

  hayeri

  A small, deerlike animal of the Wood.

  High Speech

  Originally the formal court language of the Calinin Empire, now the lingua franca of the civilized lands.

  Ijitia

  1. A nation along the east bank of the River Sha. 2. The ancient empire originating along the Sha, spreading over the Mountains of the Gods into Agon, Tanjand, and Aleoth. Also included Tunaets and Fornaets.

  Lerina

  Mother of Alemar and Elenya.

  Miranda

  Sister of Alemar Dragonslayer; inventor of the airmaker; co-founder of Elandris.

  modhiv

  The warrior caste within the southern and central Vanihr tribes of the Wood. Plural: modhiv.

  mong

  A huge, man-eating fish indigenous to the River Sha.

  Motherworld

  The gas giant planet around which Tanagaran revolves.

  New Kingdoms

  The countries which were part of the Calinin frontier at the time of its greatest expansion, including Irigion, Numaron, Rhada, Rhida, and Moin.

  oeikani (wah-kah-nee)

  A large, herbivorous mammal found throughout Tanagaran, used as a saddle and pack beast, and occasionally as a source of food. Plural: oeikani.

  Ogshiel

  A Vanihr tribe of the northern Wood, bordering the River Sha. Legendary enemies of the Shagas.

  Old Kingdoms

  The northern continent monarchies conquered early by the Calinin, consisting of Riannehn, Neith, Sirithrea, Tiandria, and Serthe.

  opsha

  The military leader of the Zyraii nation. Until Lonal's ascendancy, it was considered a mythical title, because of internecine rivalry among the various tribes.

  Po-no-pha (Po-no-fa)

  The warrior class among the Zyraii, distinguished by their white clothing.

  Retreat

  A ritual hermitage observed by Hab-no-ken in order to recuperate from overuse of their powers.

  the Ril

  Gloroc's elite cadre of sorcerers.

  Serpent Moon

  A moon of Motherworld, original home of dragons and shagas.

  Shaga

  A race of lesser dragons, roughly man-size, that came from the Serpent Moon. They built a great civilization along the River Sha, which thrived until overrun by Ijitians from the north and Vanihr from the south. The refugees relocated in the Valley of Serpents.

  Shahera

  A prophet who lived at the height of the Calinin Empire, a century before the founding of Elandris. Considered the greatest master of the Sight ever to have lived, her auguries often dealt with the fate of nations and entire peoples. Her declaration that the
Calinin Empire had already reached its maximum extent earned her the wrath of the emperor, who had her executed.

  the Sister

  Achird's orange companion star, visible from Tanagaran even in daylight.

  Tanagaran

  The world. Fifth moon of Motherworld.

  thrijish

  A type of coral whose proximity negates a dragon's ability to absorb sorcerous power from water.

  T'lil

  The second largest tribe of modern Zyraii, descended from Cadra's seventh son, Lil. Lonal's tribe.

  Triss

  Female of the pair of dragons that once ruled the Dragon Sea.

  Urthey

  Smallest major moon of Motherworld.

  Vanihr

  A golden-skinned, blond-haired race inhabiting the Wood, the archipelagoes, and much of the Far Western Lands. Disdaining large-scale agriculture and deeply devoted to traditional ways of life, the Vanihr have remained a Stone Age culture, separated into many small tribes. Plural: Vanihr.

  vartham

  A transparent, incredibly strong substance created by Miranda and Alemar the Great, used to form the domes that enclose the underwater cities. Like the airmakers, the secret of its creation was lost with the two great sorcerers.

  Xais

  1. Capital of the Calinin Empire. 2. Ancient capital of Aleoth. 3. Former northern capital of the Ijitian Empire; its conquest by the Calinin drastically altered the balance of power in the regions surrounding the inner sea.

  Yent

  A province in central Cilendrodel.

  Yetem

  A false name used by Elenya during her years in the Eastern Deserts.

  Zee-no-ken

  Monastic sect of the Zyraii priesthood, uninvolved in political and social life, often hermits. Many are skilled sorcerers.

  Zyraii

  1. A nomad nation of the Eastern Deserts. 2. The people or language of the Zyraii nation.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  This book would not have been the same without the contributions of the following people.

  For material and financial support: Connie Willeford Smeds; Bob Fleming amp; Cherie Kushner; Alfred, Josephine, Fred, and Paula Smeds.

  For commentary on the manuscript: First of all, to the Spellbinders, Inc.: Deborah L. Sweitzer, Shirley Johnston, Brian Crist, Bob Fleming, Marian Gibbons, Pras Stillman, Cherie Kushner, P.M.S. Faught, Jonathan Sachs, Walter Sauers, Lucy Buss, Dinaan McClure, Ken Macklin, Steve Swenston, Marge Windus, Jon James, Hank Roberts, James D. Hudnall, James Ellison. And to the others: Connie Willeford Smeds, Rebecca Priest, Paul Avellar, Jim Musto, Sheri Cohen, Robbyn Fenster, Kathy Payne, Sasha Miller, Joel Fruchtman, Obert Sonsten, Jamie Willeford.

  For the cartography, astronomy, and some of the place names: John Gast.

  About the Author

  Dave Smeds is a Nebula Award finalist, and author of books such as Piper In The Night, X-Men: Law Of The Jungle, Martial Arts Masters: Chuck Norris, as well as The War of the Dragons trilogy. His short fiction has appeared in magazines, including Asimov's Science Fiction, Realms of Fantasy, and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and anthologies, including In the Field of Fire, Full Spectrum IV, Peter S. Beagle's Immortal Unicorn, and the erotic fantasy anthology Sirens and Other Demon Lovers. His writing has been translated into more that a dozen languages. Dave holds a black belt in goju-ryu Karate, and when he's not writing he can often be found teaching martial arts. The Sorcery Within, Book One of The War of the Dragons, is also published by Scorpius.

  Photo by Shel Waggener

  An Excerpt from The Sorcery Within

  Book One of The War of the Dragons

  under the sword lifted high

  There is hell making you tremble;

  But go ahead

  And you have the land of bliss.

  Musashi Miyamoto (1582-1645)

  I

  THE WATER HOLE WAS A TINY POOL virtually hidden in the rocks, an unexpected blessing in the middle of tracts of scoured hardpan and powder-dry arroyos. The lichen growing on the stone at the water's edge was the only green growth they had seen for two days. In the far west, barely visible as early morning sun illuminated their slopes, the Ahrahikte Mountains lay across their rearward trail.

  Alemar dipped his fingers into the water and brushed them tentatively against his lips. The feel of liquid was almost alien, a cool, soft sensation that vanished almost immediately, absorbed into the cracks and dust on his skin. He took a small sip. It was gone within moments, without ever reaching his throat.

  "It's good," he said hoarsely.

  Elenya stooped beside her brother, away from her sentry position. Leaning to the water's surface, she relieved her swollen lips. Alemar sprinkled drops on his face and stayed back, as there was no room for two. Anywhere else, the water would have been brackish and unworthy of consuming. He didn't complain. Elenya filled her mouth, held it, and sat back. She pulled the cowl and veil around her face again, blocking out the glare.

  They drank by turns, relearning how to swallow. After a small amount, Alemar felt dizzy, and lay back against the rock that shadowed the pool. As his head settled onto the rough surface, he felt vibrations.

  Hoofbeats.

  He rolled to the side. Two daggers landed heavily on the spot he had just vacated. Elenya flipped over the water hole, already reaching for her rapier. Another knife narrowly missed her.

  The attackers were three desert riders, clad in loose white robes and veils much the same as the twins' own, mounted on oeikani. They bore down at a gallop, drawing long, slightly curved blades.

  Alemar flung himself flat. A blade snipped a seam in his cowl, just touching his hair. A second rider was on him before he could draw a weapon. He sprang to the balls of his feet, and as the scimitar came down, he sidestepped it, grabbed the man's wrist, and pulled down. The oeikani galloped past, while its surprised rider plunged headlong into the rock, uttering a sharp expletive in an unfamiliar tongue. Alemar kept his grip on the arm through the tumble, hearing and feeling it snap. He took the weapon.

  He glanced to the side. Elenya was ducking the third rider. The man sliced viciously, contemptuous of her thin blade. The cut would have killed a slower opponent, but it missed her entirely, and Alemar saw the glint of metal from her return blow. The rider continued on for several paces, and abruptly fell from the oeikani. A dark stain spread across his midsection. He didn't move again.

  The first rider, having circled, plunged toward Alemar in a slightly less headlong fashion. He pulled up, parried Alemar's thrust, and harassed him from his superior position. As Elenya turned toward them, the rider pressed, hoping for a quick victory. Alemar avoided the oeikani's hooves, slipped his dagger out of his belt with his left hand, and flung it. The rider blocked the dagger with a small shield bound to his empty hand, but wasn't fast enough to catch the thrust that followed. He fell from his mount, partially disembowelled.

  The moaning of the man with the broken arm turned their attention toward the east. There, twenty riders waited at a standstill only fifty paces away, where moments before there had been none. Their robes and the markings on their oeikani were the same as the three attackers. As a group, they raised their scimitars and lifted reins to whip their animals forward. One man in the center held back.

  "Na tet," he shouted. Abruptly, the other men lowered their weapons. He gave a few more terse commands, and the group rode quickly forward to surround the twins.

  When the circle was complete, its center well within range of the throwing daggers that all the warriors bore, the leader spoke again. "Ai natt dor kem?"

  "We use the High Speech," Alemar answered.

  The man regarded them. He was taller than most of the group, a bronzed, handsome forehead showing above the veil. He bore himself like a man accustomed to authority.

  "The tongue of the Calinin is seldom spoken here," he said. His inflection was wrong, but his construction was excellent. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

 
"I am Tebec."

  "And your brother?"

  Before Elenya could answer, Alemar said, "He is Yetem. We come from Cilendrodel on our father's business."

  "You have come a long way." The leader pointed to the water hole. "Here, among Zyraii lands, the penalty for stealing water is death."

  "We are not dead."

  To Alemar's surprise, the leader smiled, the expression visible in the creases around his eyes. "That is true. And you say you came from the west?"

  "Yes."

  "God has indeed been merciful to bring you through the eret-Zyraii." He waved at the wasteland. "Even we do not go there."

  The last two days had not seemed merciful to Alemar.

  "Foreigners are rare in the steppes. Where are you bound?"

  "Setan."

  An animated murmur spread immediately through the riders. The leader laughed momentarily without amusement. "You and every bastard child of ten nations. At least you're honest about it."

  Alemar hesitated.

  The leader said, "I am Lonal, and these are my brothers. We are of the T'lil tribe. You have taken our water without permission." He toyed with his knife hilt, but his expression seemed to soften, the aggressiveness replaced by curiosity. "Nevertheless, I offer you an alternative to death."

  He gestured toward the dead and wounded. "I have never seen anyone deal with mounted attackers quite so efficiently."

  Alemar inclined his head at the compliment, for he could see that this was the appropriate response. Lonal did not seem overtly angry that his men had suffered. He pointed to the two riderless oeikani that had been rounded up during the conversation. The man from whom Alemar had stolen the scimitar was being shoved onto his saddle, arm tucked in front of him. "The laws of the So-de'es allow me to use my discretion in certain cases. You have taken our water,"-he shrugged-"but the rains have been good this year. The T'lil need all our fighting men, and you have deprived us. If you will take their places, and become our brothers, holy law may yet be observed, without requiring your deaths."

  Alemar searched the leader's face three times over, wishing the veil didn't hide half of it. He had already begun to detach himself, preparing to die, and it was difficult to shake the mood. He hadn't expected this. There were hidden motives at work, but if it were a trap, Alemar couldn't fathom it-their lives were already in the hands of the desert men.