Omensent: Wrath of a Dragon God

by Barry Gibbons

  "Where's Damion?" The other knight's expression was just as confused.

  The young woman laughed as she slid down from the huge panther's shoulders. "He's right here." She giggled, running a caressing hand down Damion's side.

  The knights continued to stare at her in confusion until Damion suddenly shifted back into his own form, causing the men to stumble backward in stunned surprise. "What sorcery is this?" They exclaimed in unison.

  Damion laughed. "It's just a little trick I picked up somewhere." He told the twins, winking at the others, who watched on in amusement.

  But the twins would not take that as an explanation. They stared at one another for several long moments, then slowly returned to their seats. "We think it's time we had a talk." They told the companions, their expressions serious.

  "What would you like to talk about?" Damion asked innocently.

  The twins stared at him with flat expressions.

  "Enough with the evasive answers and feigned innocence." Jarom snapped in an angry tone.

  "We wish to know exactly who you people are." Jacom demanded in the same tone.

  The companions exchanged amused glances, then Damion and Raven settled down across the fire from the two knights, who continued to wait expectantly.

  "We are who we said we are." Damion told the knights with a shrug.

  "Normal folk cannot light up the sky," Jarom stated blandly, looking over at Damarius.

  "Nor can they transform themselves into giant panthers, or speak with animals." Jacom added, gesturing towards Snowfeather, who glided in from the darkness carrying a large field rat in his talons.

  "True enough," Damion conceded with a chuckle. "but we never claimed to be normal."

  "Quit tormenting the poor fellows." Raven chided gently. "They have been quite helpful."

  "Though they have been a bit of a pain." Sly pointed out.

  Damion laughed. "Okay, okay." He gave in finally. "My name is Damion Omensent, but most folk call me the Dragon Lord." He couldn't help but laugh at the looks of dumbfounded astonishment that overtook the twins' faces.

  "You're the Dragon Lord?" They asked in unison. "The man who released the dragons from the Dragon Gem?"

  "Yes, I'm that lunatic." Damion chuckled, throwing the twins earlier words back in their faces.

  The twin knights looked as though they weren't sure he was serious.

  "He speaks the truth." Damarius assured the knights, absently brushing his brow lock from his eyes. "He is the Dragon Lord, the man who united the Dragon Sword and the Dragon Gem, releasing the dragons back into the world once more."

  "A bit of a let down, huh?" Sly snorted in amusement. "The stories always make him sound so much more impressive."

  Damion threw the little man a sour look.

  "And who are you people?" The twins looked to the others.

  "We are his family." Damarius stated with a shrug.

  The knights stared at them few several long minutes. "So you are the Dragon Lord." They stated finally, their tones finally convinced.

  Damion nodded. "It wasn't exactly my idea." He told them ruefully. "It just kind of ended up that way."

  "Are the stories about you all true?" Jarom asked, his expression slightly dubious.

  "Were you actually born from a dragon's egg, and raised by dragonspawn?" Jacom inquired, his expression questioning.

  Everyone laughed at that.

  "Now that's a new one!" Sly chortled, pounding his knee in glee.

  Damion shook his head. "No, my mother and father were human. My size, magic, and my brow scales, were all the result of an attack on my mother by dragonspawn while I was still in her womb. That attack left its mark upon me."

  "And the people that you are pursuing?" The twins asked in unison.

  "As we told you," Damion shrugged. "from what we have learned, it appears they are a highland witch and her khalkan."

  "And the child?"

  Damion frowned. "Our only daughter Leia. The witch and her puppet perpetrated a diversion that drew us away from the Serpent's Keep, then they abducted Leia, murdered a close friend of ours that attempted to stop them, and escaped before we returned. We've been on their trail ever since."

  "What would a highland witch want with your daughter?" Jarom asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

  "You are leaving something out, aren't you?" Jacom asked suspiciously.

  Damion sighed. "Have you noticed anything unusual in the heavens lately?" He stared up at the glittering stars above.

  "Do you mean the missing constellation?" One of the twins asked, glancing up at the heavens.

  "The stars that formed the constellation of Draco, the Father of Dragons?" The other twin inquired. "What about it?"

  "We believe Draco has returned to this world." Damarius told them in a serious voice. "We think He may be who is behind Leia's abduction."

  "Why would a god use a highland witch?" Jacom asked in confusion.

  "Why not just come for her Himself." Jarom queried. "Draco is a god, after all."

  Damarius shook his head. "The gods have an agreement to never take a direct hand in the affairs of mortals. They can only use intermediaries to carry out their wishes. We think that the dragon god decided to use the elder spirits to carry out His plans, knowing His children could not be trusted to carry them out for Him. The scarlet dragons are still under the control of the Dragon Gem, and the dragonspawn are far too unreliable. We believe He enlisted the help of the elder spirits, and they were the ones who decided to use a highland witch to abduct Leia."

  "Very good." A woman's voice hissed from amidst the small fire. "You are far more intelligent than even the spirits realize."

  Everyone turned to stare at the fire in disbelief. The flickering flames suddenly began to grow, leaping higher and higher, and a figure began to form inside of the flames, indistinct at first, then slowly growing more distinct as the fire continued to leap toward the sky.

  "You have made it much farther than I would have ever thought possible." The woman continued, her image appearing solid in the wavering flames. "It isn't often that a person is able to avoid the fate the spirits have laid out for them."

  Damion was on his feet in an instant, his lips curled back in a bestial snarl.

  The woman that appeared before them was surprising tiny, with long coal black hair, and eyes like twin balls of violet fire. She wore a long hooded cloak which covered her every inch of her pale, nearly transparent flesh. "You have continued to follow us, even though you were commanded to remain in the south. You play a dangerous game, Dragon Lord."

  "Release my daughter!" Damion roared in fury. "Release her to us, and we'll let you live!"

  "That I cannot do." The witch shook her head firmly. "The elder spirits have demanded her presence at the highland temples. The dragon god plans to favor her with His presence."

  "What does the dragon god want with my Leia?" Raven cried fearfully, rushing forward with frightened eyes.

  The figure in the flames shrugged. "His plans do not concern me, nor the reasons behind them. I am guided by those who dwell among us, the elder spirits, who witness all that happens in the mortal world. It is they who demand the child be presented, and it is they who guide my steps."

  Damion roared at her in frustration, then leapt forward into the flames, trying to seize the tiny woman by the front of her robes, but his hands merely passed through the figure as she weren't even there.

  "Damion!" The twins both roared in shock, rushing forward to try to drag him from the flames, but they both stopped as he suddenly stepped clear of the roaring fire, completely unharmed. "By the gods!" They exclaimed in disbelief.

  The figure in the flames laughed as she watched Damion's futile efforts. "Turn away, Dragon Lord. Heed the warnings of the elder spirits, and return to your home, lest your suffer the dragon god's wrath!"

  "Never!" Damion roared in fury. 'I will hunt you down, even if I have to chase you to the ends of the earth, and when I finally get
my hands on you, you'll suffer a fate that will make the elder spirits tremble in terror!"

  For the first time, the young witch seemed unsure of herself. "Y-You would ignore the demands of your god? Draco Himself has demanded the child to be brought to Him at the highland temples. Who are you to defy His commands?"

  "I am her father!" Damion snarled furiously. "And I care nothing for the commands of the dragon god! I will find you, and free my daughter, even if it kills me in the process!"

  "It will, Dragon Lord." The witch warned ominously. "Turn back, or face the wrath of your god!" With that final warning, the image suddenly wavered and vanished, and the flames dropped back down until they had returned to normal.

  Damion roared in anger and frustration, casting his gaze about for something to destroy, until Raven placed a gentle hand on his arm, bringing him back to his senses.

  "Calm down," She told him in a composed, almost emotionless voice. "There will be time enough for that when we finally get our hands on her." There was a cold fury in the young woman's eyes.

  "Why would she appear to us like that?" Sly asked in confusion. "To try and scare us off with a few vague threats? She must have known that would never work!"

  "Perhaps not." Jacom told the little man, his eyes still locked on Damion. "The people of Teirsia are a superstitious lot that fiercely believe in the spirits, even those who worship Triton, the god of war."

  "If a highland witch was to tell a Teirsian that the spirits gave them a command, most would follow that command without question." Jarom continued, also watching Damion closely. "She may have expected you to follow her orders, believing you would react as any Teirsian would."

  "That could explain her visit." Damarius grunted. "If she has never traveled outside of her homeland, she may expect everyone in the world to behave like Teirsians. That's not too far of a stretch, if you consider highland witches spend most of their time communing with the spirits. They're not known for having a real firm grip on reality."

  "She may also be feeling the pressure." Damion grumbled, still trying to rein in his anger. "We discovered the tracks of two adults and a child in the soft soil at the abandoned campsite we visited. We also found this." He pulled out the tiny smock they had found discarded in the brush. "We think Leia was wearing this when she was taken."

  "That means we're still hot on their trail." Sly said in satisfaction. "She must have realized we were closing in, and tried to frighten us into returning home." He snorted, then shook his head. "I'm almost feel sorry for the naive young girl. I don't think she even realizes what will happen to her once we finally catch her."

  "Don't feel too sorry for her." Damarius warned. "That young girl is capable of inconceivable destruction. Remember that maelstrom that she conjured. It took an incredible amount of power to perform such an act. I have the feeling the elder spirits have given her more power than any normal witch would have." His face was grim. "We should be extremely cautious from here on out. If she knows that we're this close, she will probably attempt to slow or stop us soon. She won't chance failing the elder spirits. She will use every ounce of power they bestowed upon her to try and keep us away from Leia."

  "Well, it won't work!" Raven declared fiercely. "I don't care how she tries to stop us! We're going to catch that crazed witch, and get my Leia back, then I'm going to teach her the true meaning of pain!" She flexed her fingers eagerly.

  Damion stared at his wife in disbelief. He had never heard such fury in the young woman's voice before, and it more than startled him. After several moments, he realized that he was smiling broadly, and a feeling of pride suddenly filled his entire being. He knew his fiery young wife was a more than capable warrior, but to see such passion filled him with delight. He reached out and gently drew her into a soft embrace.

  "Did you happen to discover anything else at the abandoned camp?" Sly asked him curiously.

  Damion shook his head. "There wasn't much to find other than Leia's smock. The campsite is only three or four days old, though, so I figure we must be gaining on them." He noticed that the twins were still staring at him. "What?" He asked in exasperation. "You're staring at me like I've sprouted a second head."

  "You jumped straight into that fire," Jacom started, his expression still one of shock.

  "But the flames did not harm you." Jarom finished in a dumbfounded tone.

  Damion chuckled. "I have the blood of dragons in my veins. Fire can not harm me."

  The twins exchanged a long look, then simultaneously dropped to their knees before him. "Forgive us our doubt, Dragon Lord." They apologized in formal tones. "We should have never doubted you."

  "Get up." Damion rolled his eyes. "You two look ridiculous on your knees like that."

  The twins quickly rose to their feet, though they still watched at Damion with wide eyes.

  "What do we do now?" Sly asked with a huge yawn.

  "We try to get some rest." The huge warrior said with a shrug. "We'll take turns standing watch, and then set off at first light. With a little luck, we may be able to catch up with them before they get much further."

  ************

  "There is a group of thirty or so riders on the road ahead." Snowfeather warned Damion, swooping down low to catch his attention. "They're stopped in the center of the road, and appear to be waiting for someone."

  Damion quickly relayed the warning to the others.

  "It's probably an Aliono patrol." Jacom grunted in a grim voice. "They could be trouble."

  "It would probably be best if you allow us to handle this, milord." Jarom told him, his expression worried. "The Aliono can be troublesome, but they usually avoid interfering with the business of the Knights of Sarath."

  They continued forward at a trot until they caught sight of the patrol, still standing in the center of the well maintained road, blocking any further advance. They reined their horses in a dozen or so feet away from the fierce looking warriors, who watched them with suspicious eyes.

  The warriors were all dressed in a heavily embossed armor made up of heavy plates of thick steel, and carried long, wicked looking javelins. Their horses, though not as large as Storm, were still much larger than a normal mount, and had been fitted with their own heavy armor.

  The twin knights rode forward to greet the man leading the patrol, an evil looking warrior with a short cropped beard, and large watery eyes, who nudged his horse forward to meet them.

  "What is your business in these lands?" The man asked brusquely, cutting across any formalities.

  "We are passing through on our own business." Jacom told the man coldly.

  "Who are you to question the us?" Jarom asked in a haughty tone. "All in this land know what befalls those who interfere in the business of the Knights of Sarath."

  "We have been charged with locating the source of a number of disturbances that have happened here in this area recently." The man told them in a gravelly voice. "There have been reports of strangers in the area, and a number of locals have suddenly disappeared."

  "We have seen nothing out of the ordinary." Jarom told them shortly.

  "Nor have we seen any of the locals," Jacom informed him in a superior tone.

  The man sneered at them, his distaste obvious. "How do I know that you and your companions are not responsible for their disappearances? The Knights of Sarath are known for being little better than common mercenaries. How can I be sure that you are not the ones preying upon the locals."

  Both knights hissed in anger.

  "You dare to question our honor?" Jarom snarled in fury.

  Jacom didn't say anything, but instead, reached for his sword, his face mottled with rage.

  "Enough!" Damion roared, his impatience reaching a boiling point. He nudged Storm forward until he stood between the knights and the Aliono warriors. "We haven't the time for this right now!" He turned to glare the the twins. "Put your weapons away, and stand down." He growled, causing the knights to flinch back uncertainly. He turned towards the patro
l's leader, a dangerous look in his eyes. "Let us pass." He looked down at the man, who suddenly shrank back fearfully. "We do not have the time to spare to sit around trying to convince you that we're not responsible for the disturbances in the area. Take your men, and leave us in peace," His eyes flashed dangerously. "before we remove you from our path."

  "You cannot threaten me!" The evil looking man protested, backing his horse up several paces.

  "I just did." The enormous warrior snarled furiously. "I'll not waste another second on you. Be gone, while you still can."