Three Quest Deal (Tales of Former Dragons Book 1)

by Rainer Domingo

  When Drakor returned to his lair, he drank from the small fresh-water pond inside and then used the water to clean most of the blood from his face and claws. When day turned into night, he found a comfortable spot and tried to sleep. Tomorrow would be the first day of spring, and the stomach pains that accompanied the mating summoning would force him to fly to the Cave of Origins.

  CHAPTER 3

  After two days of non-stop flying, Drakor sensed he was close to the Cave of Origins. He still felt cramping in his bowels, but the fog of summoning was clearing from his mind. He looked down to where the island should be, but all he saw was a black outcropping of rocks. When he got closer, he made out three dragons on the rocks watching him approach. They were dark-blue, crimson, and white. He knew each of them, because they were the only other dragons to have made it to the cave for the past five years.

  “You’re at the right place,” Xan, the white female dragon, told Drakor. “It’s just that the island is sinking.”

  “Sinking?” Drakor asked as he hovered above them.

  “It took us a while to come to that conclusion,” said Toshen, the blue dragon—male. “We flew farther west and the cramping increased. The same happened when we flew north and south.”

  Drakor landed on the rocks next to the others. He stretched his neck and shoulders, and shook his head. “What now?”

  “We hoped you could answer that question,” said Aesus, the crimson male dragon.

  “Me? Why me?”

  “Because we’re out of ideas.”

  Drakor gave the others a confused look. “Humph.” He took flight and slowly circled the outcropping a few times. He headed south, hovered over a dark spot under the water, and did something the others didn’t expect. He dove into the water.

  The three remaining dragons gasped. Xan took flight to the spot where Drakor entered the water, the others not far behind. They hovered just above the surface and searched for any trace of him. All they saw were bubbles.

  “What happened? Is he dead?” Aesus asked.

  Xan gave him a puzzled look. “I don’t know. Can you breathe underwater?”

  “Of course I can’t breathe underwater. What dragon can breathe underwater?”

  “Not me,” Toshen said. “He must be dead.” He shook his head and flew back to the rocks.

  Xan and Aesus stayed above the water and continued to look for any sign that Drakor was still alive.

  After a few minutes Drakor surfaced.

  “The cave entrance is below,” he said. “There’s a flat section in the cave we can stand on above water, but it’s wet. The roof is too low to fly, so you’ll have to stay on the surface of the water to get to that spot.”

  The two dragons didn’t respond; they just stared at him.

  “Are you coming?”

  “How is it you can breathe underwater?” Xan asked.

  Drakor laughed. “I don’t breathe underwater. I hold my breath.”

  “Hold your breath?” Aesus asked. “How do you do that?”

  “I take a deep breath, like I’m about to breathe fire, but I don’t exhale. Then I put my head under the water.”

  “And the water doesn’t go into your mouth or nose?” Xan asked.

  “Well, I do close my nostrils. Don’t tell me you don’t know how to hold your breath.”

  Xan and Aesus looked at each other, then back at Drakor. “No,” they said in unison.

  Aesus inhaled, greatly expanding his chest. When he held his breath, he stopped flapping his wings and fell into the water, splashing Drakor. Aesus flailed about until he was able to flap his wings and get back into the air. Xan couldn’t stop laughing. Undaunted, Aesus held his breath again and got it right.

  “Now try it in the water,” Drakor said, “and be sure to close your nostrils.”

  Aesus landed in the water, sank a bit, and got airborne again. He huffed and shook his head.

  “You need to move your legs to stay afloat,” Drakor said. “When you’re ready to move forward, tuck in your wings and legs, and move your tail back and forth. Like this.” He demonstrated the technique, swimming in a circle twice, and stopped.

  “Ah,” Aesus said, “now I understand.”

  He landed in the water and, through trial and error, figured out how to move his legs without sinking. He successfully held his breath underwater and swam a short distance.

  “I can do this,” he grinned.

  “Well done,” Drakor said.

  Xan’s eyes followed Aesus as he continued to practice swimming. She paid close attention to his every move. Toshen joined the group, and after he received instruction from Drakor, he got into the water and swam around. Xan switched her watchful eyes to Toshen.

  “Amazing,” she said.

  “It’s your turn, Xan,” Drakor said. “Get in the water.”

  Xan looked at him, turned, and flew back to the rocks. Frowning, Drakor followed her. When the other two noticed what was happening, they also flew back to the rocks.

  “What’s the matter, Xan? Why aren’t you getting into the water?” Drakor asked.

  She shook her head. “I’m not getting into the water. The three of you should go without me.”

  “But why? Just get into the water. Everything will be fine. You can’t stay out here. The cramping will start to get worse, and you’ll die.”

  “The fact that the island is sinking is a sign. A sign our time in this world is ending. Maybe we’re not supposed to go into the cave. Maybe it’s our time to die.”

  Drakor moved to stand face to face with Xan. “You’re right. It’s definitely a sign. This time next year, the cave will be filled with water, and we’ll surely die.”

  “Then what’s the point of entering the cave now? Our lives haven’t been the same since the emo started hunting us. What does it matter if we die now or a year from now? Nothing will change.”

  Toshen stepped forward. “I’ve felt that way for a long time too, but I chose not to give into those feelings. No matter how much the world has changed, I’m still a dragon, fierce and strong. I won’t give up and die so easily. I’ll die fighting.”

  “Toshen is right,” Aesus said. “Don’t give up. Come with us to the cave.”

  Drakor nodded in agreement. “Come with us, Xan. Let us bask in the glory of the birthplace of dragons one last time.”

  “All right,” Xan said with a smile. “I’ll come with you.”

  CHAPTER 4

  The dragons’ first night in the cave was uncomfortable. Unlike prior years, when the cave had been spacious, warm, and humid, the stone floor section of the cave where they slept was cramped, cold, and wet. The self-illuminating crystalline rocks lining the ceiling that had brightly lit the cave for eons were now dim, giving the cave an eerie, dusk-like glow.

  Drakor tossed and turned most of the night. He bumped into the others and constantly woke them. By morning, they all looked tired.

  “I don’t know what’s worse,” Aesus told Drakor, “the smell in here or you keeping me up all night.”

  Toshen laughed. “That smell is coming from Drakor.”

  “It’s not Drakor,” Xan said, rolling her eyes. “It’s the water.”

  “She’s right,” Drakor said. “When the cave was dry, the air removed most of the dragon smell while we were gone for the year. All of it is in the water now.”

  “What you’re saying,” Aesus said, “is we’re all covered in dragon smell, but you happen to smell worse than the rest of us.”

  Drakor turned in place, and made sure he lightly hit Aesus across the face with his tail. “Sorry, didn’t see you.”

  They all laughed.

  A piece of ceiling broke off, hit the floor next to Xan, and sent shards of rock and dust in all directions. The dragons scattered. When the dust settled, they took a closer look at the debris and examined the spot where the piece had fallen from the ceiling.

  “That’s odd,” Drakor said. “I didn’t think there were any gaps in the rocks of light,
but many of them are missing.”

  “There were never gaps before,” Toshen said. “I used to spend hours lying on my back looking at the lights.”

  As they looked up, an illuminated rock a few yards away from them turned dark and fell into the water.

  “Ah,” Aesus said. “I know what’s happening. The rocks are losing their light and falling.”

  “You’re absolutely right,” said a voice behind Aesus.

  Aesus spun around, looked down, and saw an old man with an ornamental staff. He had a long white beard and shoulder-length white hair, and wore a gray robe. An emo. Aesus instinctively reached down to bite off his head, but the man dodged the attack and scampered toward Drakor.

  “Stop, stop!” the man yelled. “I mean you no harm.” He stood by Drakor and put his hand on the side of the dragon’s body.

  “Baldazar,” Drakor sneered. “What are you doing here?”

  “You know this emo?” Aesus asked.

  “I know him. He’s a wizard.”

  “A spellcaster?” Xan asked in amazement. “That explains how he got here. I thought all the spellcasters were dead. The last time I encountered a spellcaster must have been a few hundred years ago.”

  “We’re not all dead. There are still a few of us left,” Baldazar said.

  “You mean a few too many,” Drakor said. “What are you doing here? This place is forbidden to you.”

  “This place won’t be here much longer, my old friend.”

  Drakor grunted and jerked his body away from Baldazar’s hand. He moved to stand with the other dragons.

  “You’re not still angry with me, are you? That was a long time ago.”

  “Not so long ago that I’ve forgotten.”

  “These are difficult times for all of us. We need to help each other while we still can.”

  “Like you helped me and the other dragons? I don’t think so.”

  “What are the two of you talking about?” Aesus asked.

  “A group of us were held captive by the dark elves,” Drakor said. “Our chains were enchanted, so we couldn’t break free of them. Baldazar came and offered to release us in exchange for owing him a favor sometime in the future. I paid my debt by fighting beside his undead army against the forces of man. When Baldazar was defeated, my debt to him was paid in full.”

  “Dark elves?” Toshen asked. “They haven’t been seen for more than two hundred years.”

  “And you fought beside an undead army?” Xan asked. “I’ve never heard that tale.”

  “And you won’t,” Drakor said. “That was a long time ago. It doesn’t matter now. All that matters is why Baldazar is here right now.” Lowering his head, he came face to face with Baldazar. He forced air through his nostrils, which made Baldazar cough and take a few steps back.

  Baldazar cleared his throat. “I know this is a difficult time for all of you. No one can reliably predict the future, but one thing is certain. The cave will be completely underwater next year. You won’t be able to respond to the summoning, and in all likelihood you will die.”

  Drakor took an aggressive step forward. “We already figured that out. If that’s all you came here for, you wasted your time.”

  Baldazar held up his hand as if it would prevent the dragon from advancing any further. “Yes, yes. Of course you already figured that out. I didn’t mean to insult you. Please let me finish.” He paused briefly, waiting for any objections. “You see, my friends—I mean—Well—I—” He put his hand up to his forehead, closed his eyes, and mumbled to himself as if trying to remember what to say.

  “Go on, Baldazar,” Xan said. “We’re listening.”

  Baldazar regained his composure and focused his gaze on Xan. “What I have to offer you is a new life. A fresh start. You can live the rest of your lives without having to worry about the cave, the summoning or being hunted. You can go wherever you want. Be whatever you want to be. Doesn’t that sound like something you’d want?”

  “What exactly are you offering to do?” Aesus asked.

  “Transform you into men, and a woman.”

  Drakor shook his head and laughed.

  “Turn us into men and a woman?” Toshen asked. “You can’t be serious.”

  “No,” Xan said with a disappointed look. “Not that.”

  “Given our situation, it’s something we should consider,” Aesus said. “If I have to choose between certain death and living the rest of my life as a man, perhaps being a man isn’t such a bad idea.”

  “But wait,” Drakor said, “you haven’t heard the best part of his offer.” He turned to Baldazar. “What exactly do you want in exchange for this transformation?”

  Baldazar grunted and gave Drakor a disapproving look. “All I ask in return is that you complete three quests after the transformation.”

  “That’s all? Only three quests? They must be extraordinarily difficult if you can’t do them yourself.”

  “I’m not as young as I used to be, and certainly not as strong as any of you.”

  “What are the quests?” Aesus asked.

  “I can’t tell you. If the quests fall into the wrong hands, the world as we know it would come to an end.”

  “We’re the only ones here. You can tell us.”

  “No, I can’t. It’s not safe.”

  “Then how are we to know what quests you want us to do?”

  Baldazar frowned and pouted. He paced, tapping his lips with his finger. He stopped and opened his mouth as if he were about to speak, but closed his mouth and paced again.

  “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Drakor asked.

  “Shush. I’m thinking. Give me a moment.”

  After a minute, Baldazar stopped pacing and looked into the distance. “Yes, I’ll do that. That will work.”

  “What will work?” Toshen asked.

  “You’ll have three enchanted scrolls. They’ll look blank, but when a scroll knows you’re ready to do a quest, you’ll be able to read it.”

  “When a scroll knows we’re ready? What type of magic is that?” Aesus asked.

  “Very powerful magic. Don’t worry, it will work as I say. I’ve been doing this for seven hundred years.”

  “And what happens if we don’t complete the quests?” Xan asked.

  “Oh yes, that reminds me. You need to complete the quests within three full moons.” He tapped his finger on his mouth and looked into the distance. “Yes, yes. Three full moons.”

  “You still haven’t answered my question.”

  “What? Oh. Right. Of course. Well, you’ll die if you don’t complete the quests.”

  “Die? That doesn’t seem fair. What if something happens that’s beyond our control?”

  “Yes, I know it’s not fair, but these quests are important to me, and if you don’t complete them, I’ll die too. So you see, all of us have an interest in seeing these quests completed.”

  “How do you know we won’t be affected by the summoning?” Aesus asked.

  Baldazar sighed. “Questions. So many questions. All right. This won’t be the first time I’ve transformed a dragon into a man. He was never affected by the summoning,”

  “You’ve done this before? To whom?” Toshen asked.

  “Rutar, after his battle with Jarusen.”

  Drakor nodded. “I remember that battle. Rutar killed Jarusen, but almost died in the process. He left the cave and was never seen again.”

  Xan shook her head. “Rutar was so jealous after Usara chose Jarusen over him.”

  “After the battle,” Baldazar said, “he crawled to the other side of the island, opposite the cave entrance. I don’t know how he was able to do it, but I heard him calling me day and night. It was driving me mad. I teleported to him and asked him what he wanted. He asked me to heal him, but I couldn’t, because he was so badly injured. His tail was gone, one wing was completely torn off, he was missing an eye, and his body was cut open from his jaw to his bowels. Even if I healed him, he would never fly again. S
o I made a deal with him.”

  “You and your deals,” Drakor sneered.

  “Extraordinary magic has a price, and there are those willing to exchange something for it. We don’t help others out of the generosity of our hearts. Can I finish the tale?”

  Drakor grunted.

  “I made a deal with Rutar to transform him into a man. The transformation process would make him whole and heal him. In exchange, he would become my apprentice and learn the ways of a wizard. He accepted.”

  “What became of Rutar? Is he still your apprentice?” Aesus asked.

  “Sadly, I ended up killing him. Once he became powerful, he wanted out of our arrangement. I told him it was binding until I was dead. Telling him that was a mistake, because then he tried to kill me.”

  “And so you defended yourself, and killed him instead,” Xan said.

  “I really liked him, and he was adept at spell casting. If he were alive, he would do the three quests for me.”

  “So, Aesus, are you willing to do his quests in exchange for becoming a man?” Drakor asked.

  “No, no,” Baldazar said, “it has to be all four of you. None of you could possibly complete the quests by yourself. It’s four of you or none of you.”

  “Well then, I guess this conversation is over. You’re done here.”

  “Are you speaking for everyone?”

  “I’m not interested in becoming a man and doing your mystery quests.” Drakor looked at Xan. “What about you? Do you want to become a woman?”

  Xan shrugged and looked at Aesus.

  “I’m willing to give it a try,” Aesus said. “The alternative is certain death. Toshen?”

  “I’m with you,” Toshen said to Aesus. “I have no love for man, but I have no love for dying either. I will try as well.”

  “Come with us,” Aesus told Drakor and Xan. “Our time as dragons is over, but we can start a new life like Baldazar said. But we can’t start that life without the both of you.”