The Druid's Spear (Ascent of the Gem Bearers Book 1)

by Payne, Parker

  “The king wishes to have the blood gem by sundown,” the messenger said as he walked over to a large wooden pail with water in it and immersed his hands. A moment later he left the room.

  The jeweler, Ken assumed, shook his head but took the organ and placed on a metal surface. He picked up a wide blade of a knife with a marble handle and sliced into the cerebellum and the flesh fell to the ground. Ken felt sick again.

  After the meaty parts of the cerebellum had been sawed away, a fist size rock covered with small bits of brain matter remained. The jeweler then took an instrument and capped it over the blood gem and sanded it. At least that’s what Ken thought as he watched the action.

  It was now smooth like a polished rock, but the jeweler wasn’t done. He took a hammer and gently tapped the rock-like brain until it splintered into several cracks. The surface fell away to reveal a jewel similar to a ruby, but the color was much more vibrant and deep. Taking a pair of metal tongs, he gripped the gem and carefully walked over to a cauldron that contained what looked like melted silver. Gingerly, the jeweler lowered it in. The silver bubbled around the stone. When he lifted it, the stone shone more brilliantly than it had before. He placed it back on the surface and walked away. From what Ken could tell, the jewel was hot and would probably need to be cool.

  “This is why they killed the dragons. The gem, rather blood gem, is the center of the dragon. It gives the dragon its power and certain physical abilities. It is nestled inside the cerebellum of the dragon’s mind for its entire lifetime. Yet, in the hands of man, it makes them more than they ever dreamed possible. Stronger, more confident, powerful. That is what the kings long for.”

  “Plus it makes great jewelry.” Ken couldn’t keep the bitterness hardened his voice. A sinking sensation swept over him. It wasn’t any different than killing the elephant for the ivory tusks.

  “That is also why some of the Druids helped the dragons by creating the collars around their throats, which is the weakest part of a dragon’s physique. What you saw on your grandfather. Yet, it was a temporary measure as men hunted down the Druids that helped the dragons and killed them. Thus making it difficult to create the collars.”

  The smoke thickened once more, and they found themselves back in the cave with the five dragons. Once again, he met the gaze of his grandfather.

  “The Great Druid knew that the only way to save the dragon was to make them less than a dragon. So he waited until the right time and did a great many things. And here is where the ceremony took place.”

  Once more, the smoke grew more opaque, until it resembled a white curtain. Then it parted, and a strange creature was sitting up from a flat surface in the room. It reminded Ken of the thing in his apartment, the same height, but the eye color was different.

  “This is a Druman, Kenzo—sama.”

  Ken’s heart stopped beating for a moment when he saw the thing that had been in his apartment and undoubtedly killed John was standing next to the other creature.

  “The one to your left is your grandfather.”

  “But how can that be? I mean—”

  His voice trailed off as he recalled the first scene back with the wedding. He’d never saw the guy’s face, but now he noticed something he hadn’t before. The height, the scaly hand, the bride…

  “So my grandfather married a human?”

  “Hai. It turned out to be the thing that killed him.”

  “Why?”

  “Another time.”

  Ken let out a harsh growl. “I want to know now!”

  “Do you know why you were able to electrocute my son?”

  The words stopped Ken in his tracks. He faced the Elder, expecting censure in the man, but only saw the black eyes fixed on him. “No. Why?”

  “The blood gem was given into your grandfather’s care, and was passed down until it came to you. It enhances your latent abilities as a dragon. All dragons have special abilities that are controlled by it. Humans, though they possess it, could never fully unleash the power of the gem. A Druman has the ability to unleash that power, but it is severely diminished because of his human flesh. You must remember that you are not human.”

  Ken reeled with the knowledge of what he’d learned. It was too much to take in. The smoke curtain appeared once more, and he found himself back in his room.

  Uchida—sensei stood off to the side, her back toward him. Without turning she said to him in a clear voice, “How does it feel to find out you are a dragon?”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Sweat dripped into his eyes, the salt irritating and then burning the delicate membrane, but the spy didn’t dare move. Not even an inch. They were about to kill him.

  “Stay where you are!”

  He kept his hands in the air for the two cloaked guards stood at the entrance of the cave to see. They carried bows and arrows.

  He opened his mouth. “Wait, my name is—”

  “Be silent!”

  “Please listen—”

  “You have three seconds to turn back around and go the way you came or we will kill you.”

  The spy’s chest caved in. It was impossible to leave. He had completed his mission. It had taken twenty years and five days. How could all of his efforts come to naught because the people who sent out the command did not recognize him?

  “Wait! I have news for—”

  The man to his right angled the bow toward him and the spy gulped, legs trembling.

  “Iie!” he screamed, squeezing his eyes shut.

  “Stand down!”

  A deep, gruff, thunderous voice boomed from the darkness. The guards’ hardened expressions slacked to those of frightened children in seconds. The man who had angled the arrow at him was jerked from behind and receded into the darkness. The distinctive crack of bone breaking echoed in that same abyss, and then the man’s limp body landed back in the sunlight.

  The other man fell to his knees, bowing. “Master forgive us! We did not know.”

  “Come to me.”

  The man rose, his face so full of fear it was grotesque. He disappeared into the darkness. A strangled scream was abruptly cut off. Then that guard’s body was thrown outside the cave in the waning sunlight.

  The spy’s breath hitched in his throat. The guard had been gutted from his stomach and neck.

  “And you are?” the voice asked in a quiet, even tone.

  The spy dropped to his knees and bowed, planting his face into the ground. “I am Callen, servant to Lord Ludovicus.”

  “Do you have it?”

  “Hai, master.”

  He heard the ground crackle under a shuffling sound. “Then you may enter.”

  Callen picked up his belongings he’d thrown to the ground and made his way inside. The shuffling sound disappeared as suddenly as it came. Had the master somehow disappeared? Here the darkness that lingered in the cave had an otherworldly feel to it. It felt heavy as a curtain. When a thin pinprick of light came into view he eagerly sought it.

  “Follow the water,” the voice called out.

  He did as instructed and the light grew, illuminating his way until he came to a large clearing with massive stalagmites to rival the ones from the cave of Rhychard’s followers. There was a step down. The clearing was occupied by other servants of his master.

  “Leave us!” the same chilling voice commanded. Again, he did not see where his lord was.

  The followers went out until he was left alone.

  Callen took in his surroundings. It was a throne room. Lined with torches along the wall, the clearing was devoid of decoration and adornment. But it was the court of a king. Toward the back of the cave, there was a demarcation of a raised dais. He turned to see a stone chair on it, dressed in rich cloth edged by gold threading along the back and armrests.

  “Come closer.”

  He did and then froze at the face of his master as he came into the light.

  It was a monstrosity. It was a visage of reptilian skin and wide, sunken eyes on either side o
f his head. The skin was of a purplish black color. He had long limbs, unnaturally long with three fingers and three toes peeking from the jeans. Tall, so tall Callen had to crank his head upward. Yet it was more than the appearance of his master that chilled the blood in his veins. An aura of suppressed wrath emanated from Lord Ludovicus. With the master’s gaze locked on him, the black eyes devoid of any expression, a trickle of alarm tiptoed up his spine.

  “Bring it to me.” The mouth, shaped like a snake’s with more fullness to the lips, moved.

  Callen’s feet had rooted to the floor. They refused to cooperate.

  “Are you…disobeying me?” Lord Ludovicus asked in an even tone. The black eyes narrowed but they were still bereft of any emotion. Soulless. That’s what it was.

  Callen stuttered. “My-my l-lord, please forgive my-my insolence. But, I have never seen you before and the awe of your power has rendered me immovable.”

  “You lie.” The master took one stop toward.

  Callen fell to his knees as all strength left his legs. He gulped and grabbed his throat. “I am fearful of you, my lord.”

  “You should be. But fortunately for you, I am not interested in killing you. In fact, I have seen you before.”

  “You are kind, my master,” Callen bowed his head to the ground. “I apologize for my ignorance, but I do not understand what you mean you have seen me before.”

  “Later. Bring it to me. I shall not harm you.”

  He rose and made his way closer. The aura of his lord crackled like electricity as he neared. The silence intensified. His heart was a useless thing, throbbing in his chest in an effort to escape. Sweat slicked his hand. When he came to the edge of the raised dais, Ludovicus towered over him. He bowed at his master’s feet and laid the blood gem there.

  “My lord, there is something else. I have also seen the Vessel.”

  There was a charged silence and then, “What?”

  “Rhychard’s Descendant is also in possession of it. I have seen it.”

  “Give me the Vessel.” It was a command. An order he couldn’t obey. Seconds passed as Callen debated what to tell his lord. He decided the truth would do. “It was easier to transport the blood gem than the Vessel. I thought perhaps it would be more beneficial for you to retrieve it from the hands of the juusha of Rhychard yourself. I would be honored to show you where they are.”

  Lord Ludovicus said nothing to this as he reached down and grabbed the blood gem. The soulless black eyes then received a semblance of life as a gleam entered in them. Satisfaction lined the lord’s face, lifting the lips into a mockery of a smile. Long, talon tipped fingers clutched greedily at the object.

  “You have pleased me. I did not think a human could do that.”

  Callen bowed once more. “Domo arigato, my lord.”

  “You are of the House of Gowan, are you not?”

  Callen started, surprised the master would know. “Hai.”

  “I could tell. He was my staunchest follower before. The scent of your blood is familiar too. It does not have the typical stench of humanity I have been forced to become accustomed to.”

  There was nothing to say, so Callen remained silent.

  “I shall reward you.”

  No sooner than the words were uttered than he was gripped by his throat and hefted into the hair. Feet dangling, he hung, arrested like a rabbit caught by the ears in the merciless hands of a hunter. The master drew closer. An iridescent glow shone from the black eyes, making him resemble a dark god. The hue of the purplish skin seemed to darken, but Callen couldn’t be sure.

  Lord Ludovicus bent his head to Callen’s ear. In an almost lover-like voice, soft and gentle, he commanded, “Do not utter a sound. I don’t like it when humans squeal.”

  Unsure of what to expect, Callen twitched and squirmed, suspended in midair. Transfixed, he watched as Lord Ludovicus’ talons turned red hot as if they had been immersed in lava.

  He hear the tear of fabric and his shirt fell to the ground in tattered pieces. Agony ripped through him as the master used those heated talons to burn them into his flesh. The taste of blood soon filled his mouth as he fought the screams his lord did not want to hear. Hands fisted and legs kicking out, he trembled in the merciless grasp that held him bound. Each sweep of the talon seared a brand of fire along his skin. Was the master writing on him? Did it matter?

  At last it was over, and Lord Ludovicus let go as abruptly as he’d grabbed him. He plummeted to the ground in a tangle of limbs. It was a moment before he realized…he didn’t feel any pain along his extremities. Besides the stinging ache on his chest, nothing else hurt. Callen rose to his feet, a strange electric surge in his veins.

  “My master?”

  It was a mark of some sort on his body. Red and angry, it circled around his nipples and down to the navel.

  “It is a mark of my ownership. I gift you with a portion of my strength, as I did your ancestor. You will be stronger than most of the pathetic sot of your race. You will tell me all I need to know about the juusha of Rhychard.”

  The knowledge of the power coursing through him made Callen stand straighter. Already he felt a thousand of minute changes happening inside. His hearing grew more acute, and eyesight sharpened. A quick check of his garments showed he’d grown taller, as the pants’ length showed more of his legs than before.

  And more would still take place.

  One thought came to forefront: it would be possible to defeat Alderic—kun. Possible even to defeat Rhychard’s Descendant. Maybe even take Uchida-san under his protection.

  Once more he bowed to the ground. “I will tell you everything I know.”

  The old man stood outside under the dark of night, his eyes fixed on the tiny red speck representing the Angry Son. It burned bright, like a tongue of fire, brilliant and dangerous. Soon, its rage would be spent against the Blue Mother, but until then, it would lend its ferocity and its strength to Ludovicus.

  “Will you always remain angry, Gakunoik?” He spoke out loud into the hush of the night. The wind rose, as if in answer, swaying the shadowy outlines of the trees. It picked up in strength, flowing around him like an invisible cyclone. Faster and harder the wind blew, ripping at his clothes and chilling his body. Rocks and small stones lifted into the air, spinning about. He watched the spectacle, aware of the event being more than just a freakish occurrence. Gakunoik was answering him back.

  The Elder’s hand tightened around another honey colored gem in the center of his palm. He closed his eyes and opened his mind’s eye.

  Once again the old man found himself adrift in space. Before him, the Angry Son glowed like a ball of fire. The planet seethed, its wrath a steady drumbeat of war. Its fury emanated from him in waves. Even protected by the jewel’s shield, he nonetheless could feel the rage stemming from it.

  “Gakunoik, you must stop this,” the Elder spoke but then stopped. In a strange contact, he felt as if something had gripped him around the middle. He didn’t resist, but allowed the sensation to continue. Soon, he was moving in orbit around the planet, and he didn’t see the dry, red surface, but rather, what it once had been.

  A singular body of water once covered the majority of the planet. He could see if as if he were there. Crystal clear, blue, and calm, it lay still under the light of the sun. Refreshing water, soothing and cool. Rarely had it flowed or become agitated. A glassy surface of infinite calm.

  Mine, Gakunoik seemed to say. Mine.

  The war between Sun’s Children had happened then, and in punishment, the Creator had given the waters to Iethiga and turned Gakunoik into a barren wasteland.

  “Senpai?”

  The Elder opened his eyes to find himself back in front of the cave. He shook his head to rid it of the strange journey and glanced up at his aide, Michel.

  “Hai?”

  “Are you well? Shall I take you inside?”

  Wincing, the Elder rose to his feet and dusted off his clothes. The blackened ash of the gem drifted into the
night air. He once more gazed at the Angry Son and then shook his head. “Hai, take me back.”

  Laboriously he made his way back into the cave and then went to ascertain the state of Alderic’s health. The healer stood vigilant by the boy’s body, but at his entrance, she rose and bowed. He gave a nod and she returned to her ministrations. Alderic was the pride of his life, but perhaps he’d been so consumed by the arrival of the Descendant he’d neglected to restrain the boy as he should.

  When the Descendant had unleashed his power, a thread of fear had jolted for a tiny moment, but then he’d relaxed. Alderic was strong and healthy. He would be fine. Further, the Descendant was of the seed of Rhychard—sama. He would never be malicious and hurt him out of spite. The only one who would do such a thing would be Ludovicus, who would not hesitate in the slightest to destroy them.

  He turned away from his son and made his way back to his chambers, Michel beside him. Where was Callen?

  “Where is Callen?” It wasn’t often he didn’t have the young man at his side.

  “I’m not sure, Senpai. Would you like for me to look for him?”

  He shook his head. Everyone needed time to themselves. Indeed, perhaps the young man didn’t want to be next to the father of the man who had been unkind to him. “It is nothing.”

  The next half hour was spent in preparing him for bed. It was hard to accept the help of Michel for his basic needs, but he had to. Old age had not been a good friend to him. When he was settled on the furs, Michel stated, “Senpai, you asked for any more developments of the Angry Son’s wrath. Would you like to see?” He pulled out a tablet, so out of place in their cave home. Isolation from the world was key to their survival, but they needed to be able to connect when necessary.

  After the incident with the Angry Son, he needed as much information as possible. “Please.”

  “…Tropical Storm Nathaniel continues to rage in Central and South America, so far in its second day, it has caused more damage than Matthew a few years ago. Rainfall is severe, and hundreds of homes have been destroyed. In a video gone viral, one brave camerawoman caught footage of a rare sight. Angel Falls, located in Venezuela and reported to be the tallest waterfall in the world, became a backward waterfall. Due to high winds from the tropical storm, the water is flowing upward.”