Just as the wizard’s form was registering what it had seen, Jenka reached into the misty wizard’s chest and sent out a visionary casting of his own.
For a few moments, the wizard took in the images of Gravelbone and the Sarax Jenka was sending him. Jenka was filling him with visions of the battles they had already won, but then Jenka let Jade project through their bond-link and the wizard let out a scream when he felt himself being swallowed by the pale fleshy alien.
I knows where he is nowsss, Jade hissed into Jenka’s mind through the ethereal.
The wizard, in a show of defiance, or maybe out of fear, sent back images of his own ilk battling a dragon, of all things. It was huge but, by the darkness of its scales, Jenka could tell it was a mudged. Jenka doubted they understood the difference. Either way, the wizard disappeared with a static pop and Jenka went racing to Jade. As he climbed onto his dragon’s back and buckled himself into his saddle, Linux reached out to him through the ethereal.
Tell me where you are going so I can direct the others when they return.
They are about to be ambushed, Jenka answered simply, and then he and Jade were flying, but moving so swiftly that they looked like an emerald comet speeding across the sky.
“King Richard, please elaborate a bit more about these dragon riders we have been hearing so much about,” King Chad asked.
They were seated across from each other on a cushioned divan in an opulent parlor room of King Chad’s castle. The tall, robust man was pale and had an aversion to the sun, but he was not sickly. He was not so much a good king either, which Richard found he liked.
Richard had seen firsthand how cold the man could be. More often, he was being invited to court and he was learning how the Vikarian system of rule was handled. The daughters had been narrowed down to three who were still interested in him, but Richard had learned that there were dragons in the mountains further inland and he was determined to find another one to ride. Now he spent his time trying to get closer to the curious, intelligent king, for he had the men and equipment to make such a journey, and Richard was growing more anxious with each passing moment.
One particular day, he was sitting behind and to the right of the throne. There were side mirrors staged for the King’s Guard to use and, in the reflection of one, Richard could see the king’s face clearly.
King Chad’s icy blue eyes sparkled brightly as he made the decision to have a man beheaded. And when the man’s wife wailed out in protest, he offered to throw her and the children in the dungeon. They grew quiet, of course, but that is when the king gained Richard’s true favor for he didn’t let it end there. The family was made to come stand before their father, and Richard couldn’t help himself, for like he had been a hundred times before, he was giddy with anticipation.
“Make him confess to them what he did first,” Richard whispered loud enough for the king to hear. He received a look of total dissatisfaction from over the king’s shoulder, and then a second look that showed a slight upward turn of King Chad’s mouth.
“Tell your children what you did, man,” the king barked. “I want them to hear it from you.”
“Please, just kill me.” The convicted man’s face was twisted in a knot of anguish, as it had been since the crier read the heinous charges.
King Chad slammed his staff on the floor hard. “Tell them what you did or I will nip their digits half a finger at a time until you do.”
Richard knew the groveling man hadn’t dismembered the young chambermaid, for he had, but nevertheless, it was gripping listening to him confess the crimes to save his family’s fingers.
“Highness?” Richard shook his head and cleared it, bringing him from the memory, back to the present. “What do you want to know about the Dragoneers?”
“The Dragoneers.” The king said the word as if he were tasting their flavor. He even let out a slow, “Mmmm,” before responding. “Why everything, of course.” The king leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. He was clearly very interested and eager to learn more.
Richard looked around the room and nodded for the king to dismiss his attendant.
“Bring us a full carafe, and then you can retire, Jameth,” King Chad called to the man by the door. He took a deep breath and sat back. “What I wouldn’t do to have a dragon to ride at my leisure.”
King Richard smiled to himself. This was going to be far easier than he thought.
Chapter Twelve
Crimzon and Golden were flying an ever-widening circle around the lake. Their riders were talking through the ethereal about Clover’s son, while the dragons searched for sign of the colossals on the ground. Rikky hadn’t seen or heard from them in some time, and he was suddenly aware that he was alone with Zahrellion. He found his heart was racing because of it. This wasn’t the first time he had felt something for her. The truth was, he always had. When Jenka married her, he’d been jealous, but being the true friend he was, he buried those inclinations and moved on with his heart. It was strange, for he loved Zah as a sister, too, but there was part of him that would always want more.
Over his life, Rikky had overcome so many things that he knew he could have her, too. Where there was a will there was a way, and Rikky had more will than any score of men, but he wasn’t willing to betray his friends, or his honor, to have that end. No matter how determined he was about some things, like matters of the heart, the outcome just couldn’t be up to him. Still, he enjoyed the fresh feeling of being close to her and held a bit of hope that maybe she would willingly separate from Jenka and chose to be with him. Jenka was in a daze most of the time, anyway. Rikky doubted he would care.
Do you think they are safe? Zahrellion’s voice held enough concern to draw him back to the moment. They were flying close circles around a lake looking for giant creatures after all.
Who?
Jericho and Pascal of course. Crystal lurched ahead of Silva, but with two quick wing beats they were side by side again.
They are fine, Rikky told her honestly. The castle is magically fortified and nearly two hundred rangers have taken up residence in the valley.
I wish Marcherion was here, she said, and the words stung Rikky a little bit. He understood, though, for March was the most defensive and protective minded of them all. If he was guarding the children, it would be one less thing for them to worry about.
Rikky was about to ask her about a funding issue that needed resolution so that the rangers could continue expanding with the populace, but what had appeared to be a huge boulder near the shore, was now a massive, leaping colossal. And a roiling mass of flame, thrown by the wizard sitting on its back, was heading right for Crystal’s underbelly.
Rikky didn’t see the other beast, but Silva felt it as it narrowly grazed her hind section.
Get higher, he heard Zahrellion say. Then she and her wyrm were tumbling away. They’d tried to dodge the fireball, but only managed to avoid the brunt of it. Crystal roared out in agony, for her icy scales were more sensitive to heat than other dragons.
Rikky made sure Zah’s wyrm wasn’t going to crash, and then Sliva pulled them into a steep climb. A moment later, they were diving and Silva was adding the thrust of her speedy wing beats to their momentum. They leveled out and banked around the colossal before them. A streak of red hot magical force shot past them. Rikky felt his hair curling from the proximity and was glad they avoided the blast. To the creature’s surprise, Silva kept banking, causing it to have to twist and turn to keep them in its sight. Then when it was about to stumble, she turned sharply up, coming to a near hover a few hundred feet over the thing.
She didn’t expect it to leap up at them so swiftly, but it played into her attack, for Rikky’s dragon shot a blast of her molten pewter spew straight down, and then simply pushed herself out of the creature’s way with one casual wing-thrust.
The colossal was scorched down its side, and the wizard riding it, half-melted, as it slowed its rise, and then started back down toward the ground. For
a full heartbeat, Rikky felt confident, then he saw Crystal and Zahrellion, fumbling around on the ground where they’d landed. Zah was defenseless, and it was plain that he had to get there before the other monster did or she was done.
“So, with the amulets we will be able to control the dragons we collar?” King Chad asked as he looked over the dusty crate holding a pair of newly made, and recently enchanted, dragon collars. Richard was familiar with them because his grandfather had used them on the dragons he fought in the pits on King’s Isle. Royal’s twin had fought there and, after attacking his grandmother, had been beheaded by young Herald Kaljatig before a cheering crowd. The thought made him seethe, but he didn’t show his emotion to the king.
A little bit of studying revealed that the devices could be made easily enough and enchanted with certain charm and binding spells by a capable wizard. Richard had tried but couldn’t manage it. He had a knack for the destructive magic Vax Noffa and his Nightshade had taught him, but not much else. Luckily, the king was in league with a clutch of wizards that cared not why they were making the items, but about how much the king was donating toward their attempts at establishing a trade agreement with Zahrellion. Richard doubted that was what the wizards were doing with all the coins King Chad, and the smaller kingdoms were donating to them, for Zah would readily agree to anything fair and reasonable. Giving a bunch of aligned wizards gold seemed like a foolish thing to him, but they ensorcelled his collars with minimal fuss, and he was thankful for that.
Richard looked to the king and smiled a genuine smile. “Yes, but collaring a dragon will not be easy. And on that note, I would like to have the honor of leading the quest to collar our wyrms. I know you have duties and risking your life isn’t what the kingdom nee—”
“Nonsense, Richard.” The king nodded as if hearing Richard’s pledge pleased him. “We will lead the expedition, and we will travel in luxury until we can no more.” Richard wasn’t sure the man could spend a day outdoors, even in the mountains, without being scorched raw by the sun. He was as white as fresh linen. “I fought legions when Kar started breaking into smaller entities,” he went on. “I am no castle raised king, but I will ride to my battles in a carriage on my arse while being fed fruits by naked women, not in a saddle, and definitely not on my feet. And if you ask me why,” the king stopped and laughed, and then put a hand on Richard’s shoulder, “I’ll answer, because I can.”
“What of the wedding?” Richard asked, knowing what the man would say. What any king would say.
“We will spend the weeks between then and now organizing the party.” The king hugged him in a fatherly fashion. It was clear that he would have been a great father to a son, had he had one. “I think three days is a long enough time for the two of you to consummate the union. On the fourth day after the wedding, we will depart.”
Richard laughed out loud and so did the king. Richard knew the king was thinking he might get control of a dragon and try to abscond. By having a huge public wedding first, the union would be undeniable no matter what happened on their quest.
This was all fine with Richard, for once he was married, if something happened to the king, Richard’s son would be the heir. That meant that, for eighteen years Richard would be king regent and, if he had it his way, he would have a dragon to help him hold his son’s throne the whole time.
Chapter Thirteen
Clover urged Crimzon around toward the lake. She looked over her shoulder and checked that Aikira was there and was glad she was. She’d had no idea that the Outland girl had been orphaned, just like Crimzon, and that her son had taken her in and trained her. Clover’s previous thoughts of the young ebon-skinned woman dissipated, for here was, what she could only see in her heart now, as her granddaughter.
Crimzon topped the hill that kept them from seeing the lake and Clover was just in time to see the colossal that just missed Rikky, foul its landing and send up a huge splash as it crashed, half in, half out of the water. Another of the huge beasts, this one with a robed figure riding it, was pouncing on Crystal, where she was struggling on the ground.
Clover sent a thought to her dragon and he complied by lurching them closer and sending a streak of blood red lightning sizzling across the sky. It missed the wizard but arced deeply into the monster. For the brief moment it was touching them, Crimzon elevated the amount of power he was expending and caused the colossal to rear up. This not only saved Zah and her dragon from being savaged like a mouse under a hungry cat, but it allowed Rikky and his speedy wyrm to get there and engage the thing so that Zahrellion could tend to her dragon.
Clover saw the injured beast slide into the lake and dive under the water’s surface. She could still see it by using Crimzon’s heat vision, but soon the thing was too deep to make out with those senses.
Aikira blasted the other beast from near Rikky, and soon it had a dragon on three sides of it and was thrashing and turning just to keep them all in its vision. The wizard riding the colossal wasn’t panicking, though. He blasted Golden good, then sent Silva back flapping through the air with some invisible fist of force. Clover had Crimzon bathe the beast in fire and was certain it felt a good deal of her wyrm’s violent heat before the pair teleported away.
Something else comes, Crimzon voiced through the ethereal so that the others could hear. It turned out to be Jenka.
A short while later, Rikky was tending Crystal’s burns with his exceptional healing magic, and Zahrellion was cursing the colossals and their wizards for all she was worth.
“We’ve got to eliminate them, Jenka.” She growled, causing Clover to chuckle despite the edgy mood.
“We will, Zah.” Jenka nodded, but instead of going to his rattled wife, he went to Clover’s side.
“What do you think we should do now?”
“I think we should go hunting for those bastards, is what.”
It was no easy chore getting Crystal back to Clover’s Castle, but together they managed it. They decided to hunt in groups of two, and Jenka and Clover were off while the others were still discussing strategies. Rikky watched Zahrellion and could sense her disappointment when she learned this, but the boys were there, and both she and Aikira were aglow with motherly adoration for their children. Amelia was giggling shrilly and Rikky decided that, since she was running on her own two feet now, she was about to be a handful. He also noted how eerie the child was. It was as if she shared her father’s mind drifting spells, or maybe just stared vacantly at times. It wasn’t fair to ask the women to go hunt these beasts as they had so much more at risk than he, and so many more responsibilities. Aikira insisted though, and Zahrellion agreed to watch over Pascal while she and Crystal rested their wounds and tended to the kingdom’s needs.
“Be careful,” Zahrellion told them as she gave them each a hug in turn. Rikky closed his eyes and savored her embrace. He wasn’t disappointed when she held him a little longer than usual, and she seemed pleased that he gave her an extra long squeeze in return. The moment made Aikira give them both a look though, and Rikky found himself blushing as they levitated to the landing area.
Chapter Fourteen
Jade can sense that wizard’s imprint in the essence, Jenka said, but only when he is using his magic.
So, you don’t know where he is, only where he was when he last cast a spell?
Yessss, Jade hissed the answer, for his rider’s mind had already drifted from the conversation.
Why didn’t you tell me about Vax? The demanding tone of Clover’s voice pulled Jenka’s attention back to the moment.
You were aging once we were free of that place, Jenka surprised her with the clarity of his response. I didn’t want you to spend the last few days of your life wallowing in regret. Had I known you’d be restored by the crazed dwarf’s fountain, I might have.
I’m thankful for you not telling me, Jenka. Clover clarified. I was just curious why.
He has just cast another spell, said Jenka, letting Jade carry them toward the sensation.
It turned out not to be such an easy set up. There was a creature hiding in the shallower part of the Grottoes, and a handful of wizardly spell casters attending it, but it was most likely the creature Silva and Rikky had scorched. The more powerful wizard Jade had sensed must have been there and gone.
Jenka would have never thought to use heat as a focal point but that was how Crimzon located the one creature they found. After trying it a few times, and adjusting his mind set, Jenka managed to get the hang of the trick and could make out the individual men moving about the cavern the creature was mostly filling.
I say we end this one and have one less problem to worry about, Clover suggested.
No. Jenka shook his head, even though she probably couldn’t see him. We let them feel safe here. We creep in through the cavern Richard escaped from, set a few spell traps, and then wait until they are all here before popping the spring.
I see your mind isn’t as mushy as we feared, Clover jested.
My mind mushy? Jenka searched the evening sky for her and found she had a determined expression that wasn’t betraying her thoughts. Just because I am unresponsive does not mean I am not paying attention.
Can’t you see your wife slipping away from you, knucklehead?
Who could blame her? was Jenka’s only response, and Jade churned his wings hard so he could stay ahead of Crimzon. For the smaller dragon, this was no easy task, but Jenka was determined not to let Clover see the moss-colored tears sliding down his ashen face.
Rise of the Dragon King (Book two of the Royalty Trilogy): 2017 Modernized Format (Dragoneers Saga 5) Page 6
