The Lone Dragon Knight

by D. C. Clemens

  “Wait, who was anyone taking care of you after your parents left?”

  “Riskel moved us out of Gremly and into a little village before he moved north. One of his more casual mistresses watched over us for a few years before Vey went off on her own and I moved back into Gremly.”

  “Another mistress? Who was she? Where is she now?”

  “You know, I haven’t thought about her in a long while. Gwen Prothoro was her name, or is, if she’s still out there.”

  “Does she know anything about your father’s work?”

  “Gods no. She was a lovely woman, but a simpleton not worth trying to breed children with.”

  “What else can you tell me about your father’s work? I mean, you really don’t know why he moved north when he did?”

  “My early work involved searching for that very answer in his research. I do recall my father was confident he would return to us or I’m certain he would have told us more about his undertakings, whether personally or in clearer notes. Vey took a more pragmatic approach, but if she discovered why Dad left, she hasn’t told me.”

  Getting back to his home had us begin setting up the groundwork needed to trap his sister, much of which involved the actual ground. I burrowed groupings of explosive stones around the fort, while Ghevont went ahead and dug some pieces of parchment inscribed with paralyzing runes. Most of these were near the tower’s entrance, but with weeks of waiting ahead, we placed more and more around the fort each passing day.

  Ghevont also set up an early warning system to alert us of his inbound sister. He buried hundreds of paper sheets about a hundred yards from the fort, each etched with a sensitive rune that, when stepped on, would trigger a particular light rune in the basement. The problem with this system was that it was easy to trip. The red warning light would glow and we would rush to our planned spots just inside the entrance, only to have no one arrive after hours of heedful waiting. Ghevont would go out and conclude that an animal or falling seed had been the cause. This happened two dozen times.

  The scholar likewise began practicing using spells for offensive and defensive purposes. As he mentioned before, he could cast a wide variety of incantations. He knew how to levitate objects and hurl them at a target, how to manipulate every element, and create a short-lasting shield of magic strong enough to deflect the swing of a sword, but his weakness was the speed in which he cast these spells. He would have been a formidable opponent against the average bandit, but if his sister was as half as skilled as he said she was, he was better staying in the background of a fight.

  I also trained, though never too arduously, not wanting to be too fatigued in case Vey showed up that day. I was especially vigilant after the first week of waiting went by, though I was aware it could be months before she showed up, if she came at all, but the more days that passed, the more I felt that wouldn’t be the case. It was as though my old mind rune was sensing her dreadful presence ever nearing. Of course, it was barely more than a hunch, a hunch that gnawed the back of every thought I had.

  Though difficult to tell under his natural fidgetiness, I saw that Ghevont was growing more nervous at the impending meeting. He would dive into his books when his twitchiness reached acute levels, becoming a statue for hours at a time, stopping only to go about doing the most critical of bodily needs. Something else that calmed him down was when he asked me new questions he would come up with. Some of these came just a few days after we left the girls in town. He came up to me as I watched the outside world from an arrow slit in the tower.

  He couldn’t hold back a look of incredulous wonder in his eyes when he asked, “Did you know woodland sprites have bark like iron? They are incredibly resistant to fire, yet I saw two sprites burned nearly to ash. I can only come up with three possibilities for a flame that potent. The first is that you are already a master pyromancer at such a young age. The second is that you have access to phoenix feathers, but in lieu of feathers, I found stones melted to their core, bringing me to my third theory-”

  “Let’s go with the master pyromancer thing.”

  “I’m aiding you in your retribution against my last remaining family, you would think that would give me some trust from you.”

  I sighed. “Fine, what was your third theory?”

  “You told me you picked up your sword in the depths of a mountain, and you also told me you saw my sister in the Onyx Mountains. Most may have forgotten what happened there, but I’ve read all I could on the War of Dragon Fire. If you’re not Veknu Milaris, then you’re something close.”

  “Let’s go with ‘something close.’”

  “Does anyone know?”

  “No.”

  “Is this why your corruption is being held back?”

  “Mostly.”

  “Do you know what will happen when word spreads?”

  “I’m not planning on letting you or anyone else spread that word.”

  “Oh, it won’t be me, I can assure you. It’ll be when someone else figures out you use dragon fire, or when someone sees you summon or riding a dragon, and if you wish your power to mature, you’ll be doing such things. The Warriors Guild have done their best to supersede the dragon knights of old, but their influence is nowhere near that zenith. You’ll have to be wary of how your actions are perceived. People will either believe you are a threat to be rid of or a guide to follow—likely both, actually.”

  “I’ll move to Gremly if that happens.”

  “Can I study your dragon fire?”

  “If it’ll make you shut up about the whole damn thing.”

  Chapter Thirty

  One and a half months twitched by when the warning light started to burn for the twenty-sixth time. We climbed up to the first floor, where the always open door allowed us to see the diluted evening light shimmering off the warm mist. I put my back against the wall by the entrance as Ghevont stood next to the trapdoor facing the outside world. We waited patiently as before, and after half an hour of doing so, I began thinking it was just another false alarm, but Ghevont squinting his eyes and leaning his head forward told me he spotted something of interest.

  “Gods, it’s her,” he whispered a moment later.

  I nodded and tightened my grip on Aranath’s hilt. Though he was already inside the shadows, Ghevont couldn’t help taking a step back to press his back into his wall. I didn’t hear anything for a few minutes, imagining that Vey was being cautious in her approach to a place she believed had been attacked, especially if she passed the dead sprites. I knew she was close when Ghevont took a deep breath. A few seconds later and tender footsteps crunched some leaves we had purposely placed in the way.

  After another deep inhale, Ghevont said, “Thank the gods you’re here, Vey.”

  “Ghevont? What the fuck is going on?”

  “Just hurry up and I-I’ll show you.” She took a couple more steps toward us. Then, for my cue, he thrust his arms forward and said, “Stop!”

  With all the prana I could muster in my feet and arms, I whirled out from my hiding place. A bright yellow light was glowing from underneath her as the rune of paralysis was activated. She was temporarily helpless as I took the second I had to aim the longsword’s point to where I wanted it—her right shoulder. The chainmail she wore under her brown mantle was not enough to prevent the blade from puncturing her skin and muscle. By the time I sensed the tip of the sword grating the chainmail over her back shoulder, the rune’s light was gone, but I no longer needed it. Aranath began pouring his power into her, dropping her to her knees.

  When time once again flowed at its normal pace, she used a laboring voice to say, “What the fuck is this, Ghevont?”

  “Show her,” I said.

  Ghevont cast a little ball of white light over his palm, lighting up the room.

  She looked up to see a face she quickly recognized, going by her widening hazel eyes. She laughed. “I’ll be fucking damned.”

  “That’s the idea. Who’s your master?”

  She c
huckled. “That’s the question you ask?”

  “What would you recommend?” I asked, twisting the blade a bit.

  Through clenched teeth, she replied, “It doesn’t matter. I won’t say shit to the likes of you. As for my dearest broth-”

  I pushed forward with Aranath, sending her to the ground. “Ghevont, restrain her.”

  He shuffled forward with some rope he had enchanted to be stronger than normal. As he was finishing up binding her legs together, the corner of my eye saw something come out of the forest and rush with terrible speed at me. It was instinctual more than anything that I rose my sword in time to shatter an incoming javelin of ice. I was more mindful when a second spear came hissing out of the shadows. I ducked to allow the projectile to break behind me and made sure Vey didn’t try anything by placing Aranath’s point against her throat.

  “Who’s with you?”

  She snickered. “The answer to your first question.”

  A large humanoid shade stepped out from the darkest part of the forest. He was a tall man with bronzed skin and arms like tree trunks. His graying hair told of an older man, but he exhibited few wrinkles and his black, vibrant eyes had a sheen of vitality not seen in most people my age. Beneath a waistcoat of dark purple was a thick sample of leather armor. Sticking out from behind him were two hilts.

  “I’m disappointed in you, Vey,” said the newcomer with a voice that vibrated through that meaty neck of his. “Your attachment to this place lowered your guard far too much.”

  To Ghevont, who had hid himself behind the wall, I said, “Keep your sister secure.”

  “Err, right.”

  A yellow glow enclosed Vey as I stepped toward my new opponent. The big guy stopped his unhurried walk when I asked, “What’s your name?”

  He bowed and said, “Corbin Tolosa, at your service. You, on the other hand, I already know. I’m impressed that you’ve been able to be rid of my mind rune. Perhaps it was a mistake selling you so cheaply. I suppose allowing me to examine your living body will be out of the question.” He unsheathed both swords at his back. Both were katanas, the right one being a few inches longer than the other. “No matter, a dissection of your corpse will do just as well.”

  I triggered the explosive stones nearest him and dashed toward the dirt cloud’s left flank. I expected to hear scuffling feet or the casting of a spell, but he seemingly didn’t move at all. When the dirt haze dissipated somewhat, I cast my illusion spell and followed the false me into the cloud. I saw his dark figure react to my illusion, swinging down a blade to destroy it. The impact the katana made with the ground was powerful enough to blow away some of the cloud. I had my opening. I swung at his wrist. The edge of my sword cut through a leather gauntlet, but it then hit something as hard as iron. Aranath glanced off this second armor. Corbin now had an opening of his own.

  The brute lunged at me with his left blade thrusting out. I felt his steel nick my neck as I twisted my body out of the way. His right blade was next able to swing upward and scratch my left knee as I leapt backward to reassess the situation.

  When my feet were back down, Aranath said, “There’s a dense concentration of prana around his body. It’s likely that he’s enchanted his flesh to be as hard as stone. He won’t be easy to cut. Only your strongest thrusting attacks will have an effect.”

  By his last words, Corbin was already swinging away at me with blurs of steel. I was forced to move backward and could not break from my defensive stances. A peek at the others showed me Ghevont trying very hard to make sure his resisting sibling did not escape. It was over for us both if she did. When Corbin stepped near another hidden cache, I set them off. I spun and blindly shoved Aranath at the darkest spot in my field of vision. The leather armor gave way, but unlike before, there was also some give in the second layer of armor.

  Shortly after Aranath sent his power into the body, I heard one of his weapons drop, but before I could send more of my own strength to pierce deeper into him, one of Corbin’s shady hands grabbed a hold of my blade. I was pulled in closer, bringing me in range of a downward swing. A fountain of hot blood poured out of the deep wound that started from the top of my collarbone and went down five inches more.

  “Aranath!”

  The dragon knew what I needed. My left arm flared up and pulsated waves of ice cold energy. I freed my weapon from his grip, watching as droplets of blood leaked from his palm. He was now in the defensive, barely able to deflect most my flurry of strikes with his single sword. I couldn’t find a good opening to puncture a vital organ, but the loose corruption now allowed my swings to cut through his armored skin with ease, so whenever we exited or cleared away the clouds of chaos I created, he would have new wounds somewhere on his body. I especially enjoyed giving him the laceration above his bushy left eyebrow. Corbin’s eyes quivered every time our blades clashed, though he wore no expression of concern.

  “Shit,” said Aranath. My prana took a sharp dive in that instant. The opening was enough for Corbin to send a spinning kick at my side, sending me rolling for a dozen feet. “I cannot stabilize your corruption much longer, boy. End this.”

  I rolled away from a javelin of ice. I jumped back to my feet expecting to evade or deflect a blow, but I instead caught Corbin about to propel a ball of fire at my ally.

  “Ghevont, watch out!”

  He looked up in time to realize a fireball was hurling toward him. He dove out of the way just in time to see the roaring shooting star impact the inside of the tower. His sister used the opening to begin freeing her legs.

  I felt my prana take another dip. With my options dwindling just as quickly, I set off every explosive stone in my circle of influence. The fort itself was overtaken by the dust that erupted. I knew she would target Ghevont before me, so I rushed in Vey’s direction. It was impossible to see her, but I steered toward her grunting and couching. I tossed and ignited an explosive stone in the spot I thought her to be. The little clearing the explosion made permitted me to see her standing form. She had a whip in her right hand and a mace in the other, but it was too late for her to react. A swing of my sword created a large gash that went from the side of her hip up to her navel. I was actually aiming for her thigh, but my own begrimed eyes, lack of time, and wildly fluctuating prana prevented a decent aim.

  She groaned and dropped to the ground as she clutched the severe injury. “Fucking bastard,” she moaned more than said.

  I had no time to contemplate her feelings about me. A fireball exploded at my feet, chucking me to the ground. I rolled to use the momentum to get on my knees. I did so just in time to raise my sword to block a downward swing, except Corbin’s sword went straight through Aranath. When the Corbin in front of me dissolved away, I knew I was left too open to live.

  The real Corbin came out of the dust cloud and was about to hurl a harpoon of ice at point-blank range. Then, just before he brought his arm forward, a whip wrapped around it and pulled him backward. I wasted no time in taking advantage of the miracle. I charged with all the power I had remaining. Aranath punctured both his armors to get to his ribcage. I only stopped charging when the crossguard met his waistcoat. His heavy form trembled before slumping. Withdrawing the sword had his body crumple lifelessly to the ground.

  Behind the dead Corbin was a half dead Vey on her knees. Her hateful eyes wanted to attack me with all her ferocious spirit as well, but she had wasted all her energy lashing her whip in the last attempt. She fell on her side. I went up to the heavily breathing Vey.

  Kneeling beside her, I asked, “Why?”

  Before she could answer, her brother crawled to her. “Vey?”

  “Ah, my stupid little brother. Why couldn’t you just help me? We could have avenged Dad and Mom much sooner.”

  “Avenged?”

  She coughed up blood. “Hurry up and use a spell to ease my fucking pain.”

  He searched my face for permission. When I gave it, he placed his hands over her gash and cast a spell that made his hands radi
ate a golden hue.

  “Stay with me, sis. What do you mean by avenged?”

  “Corbin Tolosa, the fucker who betrayed father and let him die. He was the one who gave him up to the guild, all because he believed he got what he needed from him.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Of course you don’t. All you’re good for is reading his dusty scrolls. I actually went out and did shit. I learned of father’s last living associates. I learned of who was the only person close enough to him to expose him at his most vulnerable. I spent years gaining his trust so that I would end him when the right moment came.” Her fading eyes shifted to me. “Then you showed up. Don’t fucking point out the damn irony in this, I see it.”

  “What exactly did Corbin want out of your father? Who is he?”

  “He was many things. He was once a young ambassador of Voreen. To most today he would be known as an influential business man, but to me, he belongs to a cult who wishes nothing more than to raise a dead god.”

  Aranath grumbled a low growl. “I see. Them again. She speaks of the Advent, a cult who I’m now certain is involved with the targeted valkrean.”

  “He belongs to the Advent, then?”

  With effort, she raised an intrigued eyebrow. “Yes.”

  “Why did you bring him here?” Ghevont asked.

  “I could always give him some excuse to hold off bringing him here, but he was losing trust in me. He would have forced my hand sooner or later anyway, so I brought him along when the rune indicated something was wrong. I also thought it would be a prime chance to kill him if things were indeed bad here. At least that part turned out to be true.”

  “So the Advent were after what your father was after?” I conjectured. “What was it?”

  “The map to a dead god’s grave.”

  “Did they find it?”

  “The short answer is ‘yes,’ but Daddy made it difficult.”