Princess of Lanfor (Heroes of Ravenford Book 4)

by F. P. Spirit

  Glo and the others were left on the main deck with the three dragon youths to ‘escort’ them. The elven wizard decided to pay them little heed. I still don’t trust this Princess of Lanfor, but it’s not like we’re planning on trashing her vessel in retribution.

  Above and around them, the great blue ring flared to life. A few moments later, the Wind Hammer finally lifted off.

  With not much else to do, Glo made his way to the nearest railing for a better view. The rest of his comrades followed, Elistra planting herself on his left, and Elladan on his right. Lloyd and Cyclone did so as well, but both propped their backs against the rail, not taking an eye off their silent dragon escorts.

  The tall elf leaned heavily over the rail, watching with mixed emotions as the meadow slowly receded away. Ruka was gone now, just like Seth. A deep furrow creased his brow as he thought about their halfling friend. It had been nearly two days since Seth had taken off after that black mage. With all that had transpired, there had been no time to contact him, but Aksel said he would try first thing in the morning.

  The airship soon rose above the clouds, leaving the Darkwoods far below. It slowly turned east, the late afternoon sun now behind them. As the airborne vessel effortlessly plowed its way through the sky, Glo silently wondered to himself, just what in Thac have we gotten ourselves into?

  A short while later, the area below the quarterdeck had been cleared per Anya’s orders. It turned out to be one large cabin, the entire length and breadth of the quarterdeck, with separate bunks for each crew member. A long wooden galley table ran down its center, with benches of equal length on either side.

  The party stored their gear there, and then took turns roaming the upper deck in groups of two or three. Elistra joined Glo, the couple strolling around arm in arm as if on some pleasure cruise.

  As they started out, Glo immediately noted two men standing guard in front of the door below decks. Both wore deep purple naval uniforms laced with golden trim. They were the same color as the Lanfor flag, thus Glo assumed they were crew members, and not dragons.

  Each group that roamed the decks was escorted by at least one dragon in human form. The young blonde in blue chose to follow Glo and Elistra. She was rather quiet at first, but after a while the seeress managed to draw her into a conversation. Her full name turned out be nearly unpronounceable, so she shortened it for them.

  “It’s Ysauraithus, but you can call me Ysa if that’s easier for you.”

  Glo watched with clear admiration as Elistra worked her magic on the dragon girl. Before long they were chatting as if long-lost girlfriends. Elistra had let go of Glo, and now walked arm in arm with Ysa as they continued their stroll toward the front of the ship.

  Glo trailed behind the two ladies, listening with one ear as he swept his eyes carefully across the deck. Other than the companions and their escorts, the upper decks were empty. The only additional people in sight were solitary figures watching over the large cannons.

  Much like their escorts, these people were garbed in fine clothes of the shades blue, black, and white. Obviously more dragons in human form, they appeared a bit older than their escorts. Where Ysa and her comrades seemed like very young teens, these others appeared somewhere between Ruka and Ves in age.

  Again, like their escorts, the cannon guards were comprised of two males and one female. Yet within this group, the white dragon was the female. Her long white hair had an almost silvery sheen to it, perfectly matched by a glittering white dress draped so perfectly over her tall, lithe figure. As the three of them approached, the older dragon teen motioned for them to keep moving along.

  Once they were passed, Ysa spoke in a confidential tone to Elistra. “That’s Irovnia. Did you see how her dress sparkles? I wish I could get mine to do that.”

  Ysa’s young features turned into a pout. Elistra patted the young dragon girl softly on the hand. “There, there. Shape-shifting is an art, my dear. You’re very pretty, you know. Give it time and I’m sure you’ll get the hang of the dress as well.”

  Ysa’s cheeks flushed pink. “You really think I’m pretty?”

  Elistra shrewdly regarded the young dragon. “Why of course, dear. Doesn’t Anya tell you so?”

  Ysa fervently shook her head. “Oh no, no, no. No one is as pretty as the Princess. Not even Mallona, and she’s her favorite.”

  Elistra cast a brief glance at Glo, then spoke softly to Ysa. “How long have you known Anya, dear?”

  Ysa’s brow furrowed slightly at the question. “Why, as far back as I can remember.”

  Elistra’s violet eyes narrowed. “What about your family?”

  Ysa’s eyes suddenly went blank, her voice becoming hollow. “Family? Anya is my only family. I need no other. Anya loves me. She takes care of all my needs.”

  Elistra peered sharply at Glo. The elven wizard returned her gaze, as mystified as she. It was almost as if the dragon girl were hypnotized, but that was supposed to be impossible with dragons. Impossible for anyone but the Dragon Thrall Master.

  Abruptly, they passed Aksel and Lloyd, the pair being followed by the hawk-nosed young dragon escort. The youth in black eyed Ysa and Elistra with clear concern.

  Elistra must have seen it as well. Glo heard her whisper to Ysa. “Don’t look now, but I think your friend over there disapproves of us.”

  Ysa suddenly came out of her trance, her electric-blue eyes shifting in the direction of the hawk-nosed man-dragon. A bell-like giggle escaped her lips, all evidence of her former state gone. She leaned close to Elistra and spoke in a hushed voice. “That’s Munwithurix. Pay no attention to him. He’s a party pooper.”

  Elistra grinned at her co-conspirator as they continued past the glaring young dragon.

  The threesome eventually wound their way past the bow and then toward the aft of the vessel. Up on the quarterdeck, Glo observed the captain at the helm with the pilot and the navigator.

  Ysa cautioned them to give the helm a wide birth “for their own safety.” When she spoke those words, her voice once again took on a hollow tone.

  Glo arched an eyebrow as he exchanged yet another glance with Elistra. It seemed far more than mere hypnosis. It’s almost as if she’s been brainwashed.

  Elistra seemed to catch his thought, responding with a barely perceptible nod.

  Glo knew that chromatic dragons were supposed to be evil, but Ysa seemed pleasant enough. Perhaps the scholars had it all wrong. Maybe chromes were not inherently evil, but were in fact raised as such. Either way, the apparent brainwashing of the young dragon girl was a definite strike against Anya in his book.

  As Glo suspected, the last mage cannon was mounted at the aft of the airship. Yet unlike the others, this one stood unguarded. Ysa stopped them before they could get too close, once again parroting those hollow-sounding words about “their safety.”

  Elistra expertly steered them away from the cannon, while asking Ysa a pointed question. “Shouldn’t someone be guarding that cannon?”

  Ysa cocked her head to one side. “That’s normally Karnikogth’s job, but he’s out on an errand for the Princess.”

  The young dragon girl’s brow furrowed. “It is strange though that he hasn’t returned yet.”

  Glo narrowed his eyes as he gazed at Ysa. “Tell me, dear, what color is your friend?”

  Ysa responded with a derisive snort. “Friend? Karnikogth is no one’s friend. He thinks he’s better than everyone else.”

  The young girl’s hand abruptly went to her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t talk that way about my fellow dragons. We are all Anya’s family, after all.”

  Glo and Elistra both smiled at the young dragon teen.

  “That’s okay, dear,” Elistra said in a comforting tone. “Even family sometimes has their differences.”

  Glo gazed at the seeress curiously. Her voi
ce had taken on a clear tone of irony with that last statement. Elistra never talked about her family, but perhaps like him, she had issues with hers.

  His thoughts were interrupted by Ysa. “Green.”

  His mind a million miles away, Glo peered at Ysa uncomprehendingly. “What was that again?”

  “You had asked about Karnikogth’s color. It’s green.”

  “Ohhhh.” The word passed through Glo’s lips as his mouth dropped open. A green dragon that Anya had sent out, but that hasn’t returned?

  Glo’s eyes suddenly went wide. The one we killed back at the monolith!

  The elven wizard peered guiltily at Ysa, but thankfully she hadn’t noticed his reaction. Elistra had smoothly drawn the young teen’s attention away. So, that was Anya’s dragon. She must have sent it ahead of her airship.

  A feeling of dread abruptly came over Glo. Had Anya ordered the dragon to kill whoever it found at the monolith, or had it been acting of its own accord? Anya seemed more reckless than cold-blooded, and, as Lloyd had pointed out, she was the Princess of a well-renown nation.

  Perhaps someone else had given the order. Maybe Sigfus? The wizard had tried to kill Donnie with a spell.

  Either Anya had less control over her dragons than she thought, or someone in Anya’s retinue was a killer—someone who could order her dragons around. Whatever the case might be, Glo and his friends were all in extreme danger.

  Later that evening, the companions reconvened in their cabin for dinner. Anya proved once again to be a gracious host, serving them a sumptuous, multi-course meal. Glo’s appetite was quite sated when they were finished, yet it had done little to quell his apprehension.

  After dinner, Aksel motioned for them all to remain seated. He then asked Elladan to play them some “nice” music.

  Elladan responded with a knowing smile. A golden lute suddenly appeared in the bard’s hands, his fingertips dancing as they gently strummed the strings. Soothing music spread out across the room, each note laced with bardic magic. Glo could practically feel the web of sound being slowly woven in the air around them.

  After a few stanzas, a familiar half-smile graced the bard’s lips. “There, that should keep us from being overheard.”

  Aksel thanked Elladan, then proceeded to share observations with everyone in the group. No one had seen Anya, Sigfus, or the rest of her entourage since the party had first come aboard. For unknown reasons, the Princess and her followers had sequestered themselves to the lower decks.

  The discussion then turned to the upper decks. They talked about the guards to the door below decks, the mage cannons, the dragons guarding them, and their dragon escorts.

  Glo and Elistra shared with the others what they had found out from Ysa. The pair went into detail about the dragon girl’s hypnotic reaction to certain questions.

  When they were done, Aksel sat quietly rubbing his chin. “It does appear as if Anya’s control over the dragons only exerts itself in certain situations.”

  The gnome got up and started pacing around. “If that control isn’t constant, perhaps some external means was used to condition the dragons.”

  Aksel shifted his gaze toward Elistra. “You’re the expert on this. What do you think?”

  Elistra sat back in her seat while placing a slim finger on her chin. “I think… that would explain a lot.”

  The seeress sat forward again, sweeping her violet eyes around the room. “Ever since we came on board, I’ve been sensing some very powerful psionic emanations. If what Aksel suggests were to exist, it would have to be very potent indeed. As I’ve said before, the will of a dragon is a tremendous thing, and it is not easily bent.”

  Donnie shot up from his seat, and slammed a hand down on the table. “Well that cinches it. Anya is definitely up to something with these brainwashed dragons. I say we should check out the lower decks. Whatever Elistra is sensing has to be down there.”

  “Does that mean you’re volunteering?” A wry smile crossed Elladan’s lips as he stared innocently at the slight elf.

  Donnie shifted his gaze toward his elven friend, his expression resolute. “As a matter of fact, I am.”

  Alana, quiet up ‘til now, stood up and placed a hand on Donnie’s shoulder. Her eyes were filled with extreme concern. “I’m not sure that is such a good idea. Anya and all her cronies are down there. The chances of you being spotted are too great.”

  Donnie turned to face the lady knight, his expression melting as he took her hand into his own. “I greatly appreciate your concern, my dear, but I am rather good at sneaking around… and anyway, Glo can make me invisible again.”

  “You still need to watch out for Sigfus. You were invisible last time, but he still managed to spot you,” Elladan reminded his friend.

  “Duly noted,” Donnie replied with a grateful nod to the elven bard.

  Aksel softly cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention back to him. “I have to agree with Donnie—it does appear that Anya is up to something with these chromatic dragons. I also believe it a good idea that we clandestinely search out the lower decks, for any evidence of her plans or the possible mechanism of her control. But perhaps it would be best to wait a while. The later it is, the more likely everyone will be in their cabins.”

  Donnie responded with a slow nod. “That’s probably true. Still, Anya is unpredictable. It would be better if she were distracted…”

  The wiry elf wore a sly look as his eyes turned to Elladan. “She seems to like you. Maybe you can keep her entertained?”

  Elladan cocked his head to one side, and fixed Donnie with an acerbic stare. “Sure, why not? Maybe she can turn me into a bunny again, and we can play hop scotch.”

  The conversation broke down after that. Everyone went to their bunks except Lloyd, Cyclone, and Alana. The trio sat quietly at the long table, sharpening their weapons.

  Somewhere just before midnight, there was a knock on the cabin door. Everyone gathered around as Lloyd went to open it. A single guard stood there and announced, “the Princess requests Elladan’s presence.”

  Donnie fixed Elladan with a sly grin. “See, I told you.”

  Elladan cast a prickly smile at his elven friend, then gathered his cloak and headed for the doorway.

  “Lead the way,” he motioned to the guard as he pulled the door closed behind him.

  Love is in the Air

  She spun on her heel, bent down, and kissed the elf on his full, luscious lips.

  Alana watched with a growing sense of dread as the cabin door closed behind Elladan. Sure enough, as soon as he was gone, her worst fears came to fruition.

  Donnie turned to Glo and rubbed his hands together. “Shall we get started?”

  Alana thought she would have to intervene, but thankfully the sensible Aksel came to the rescue. The little cleric put his hands up in front of him and made a halting motion. “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea just yet. Let’s give it a bit longer, just to be on the safe side.”

  Donnie grudgingly gave in, the thin elf slowly trudging over to his cot and throwing himself on it like he had been reprimanded. Alana let out a soft sigh. The crisis had been averted for the moment, but she knew it wouldn’t last forever.

  Unable to sleep, the lady knight offered to take the first watch. She sat at the long table, praying to her god, Cormar, for both patience and guidance in this absurd situation. Alana did not trust Anya, or anyone else on board for that matter. Glo and Elistra seemed to think that the young dragon girl, Ysa, was alright, but Alana knew better. She was a chromatic dragon, and all chromes, as Ruka called them, were evil.

  The lady knight fervently wished her companions had listened to her and not gotten on board this airship, but that was water under the bridge. They were here now, and Ruka had tasked her with watching out for their friends. Alana swore to herself, c
ome hell or high water, she would do just that.

  The lady knight swept her eyes around the cabin. Silence had fallen over the large room, the rest of her comrades now asleep. Even Donnie had finally closed his eyes, though he seemed rather restless, fidgeting in his cot.

  Elladan followed the guard down a steep flight of stairs to the lower deck. The stairwell ended on one side of a long corridor that ran the entire length of the ship. The hallway was lined with numerous cabins, culminating on either end in an ironbound wooden door.

  The guard strode straight ahead toward the stern of the ship, motioning for Elladan to follow. The elven bard stayed close behind the man, counting the number of cabins as he went. There were six in total on the one side, though on the other he counted only four.

  One door stood apart from the others, encompassing the same area as three cabins. Elladan assumed that was the ‘main’ cabin Anya had referred to earlier—the one from which she had evicted the smug wizard, Sigfus. A slight chuckle passed Elladan’s lips as he recalled the wizard’s shocked expression.

  When they reached the door at the end of the corridor, the guard signaled for a halt. On closer inspection, Elladan observed it was not a plain ironbound door. The iron wrought carvings twisted and curved into flowery, ornate patterns up and down its length.

  The guard raised a hand and tentatively knocked on the ornate door. At first there was no answer, then the familiar voice of the Princess sounded from behind it. “Yes?”

  The guard nervously cleared his throat. “I have brought the bard Elladan as you commanded, my lady.”

  “Send him in,” came the immediate response.

  The guard opened the door and gestured for Elladan to step inside. As Elladan stepped through the threshold, Anya’s voice sounded once more. “Oh, and I am not to be disturbed further this night.”

  Elladan cast a side-long glance at the guard, but the man’s expression remained impassive. The bard silently wondered if he were used to the Princess ‘entertaining’ guests in her private chambers.