Theft of Dragons (Princes of Naverstrom)

by John Forrester

  Sebine raised her hand in acceptance and Master Greyth came close and studied the ring with cautious eyes. "Elven made...a magical ring...ah...a precious and powerful ring. Who gave it to you?"

  At her hesitant eyes, Master Vhelan ordered the remaining soldiers and sorcerers to leave the chamber.

  "My father gave it to me through Dakar, a trader from the City of Yhalan." She tilted her as if remembering the scene, a small smile playing on her lips that made Tael jealous. "This is the Ring of Galdora, an ancient Elven artifact. Master Vhelan told me all about it."

  Master Greyth sniffed. "A pact with your enemy is better than a pact with the devil..." He glanced at Master Vhelan. "Never thought I would willingly ally myself with the Hakkadians. Each one of you is still bound in some way to the Princes of Naverstrom. Nothing you can do about it."

  At his grandfather's words Tael pictured the severed head of the Hakkadian sorcerer, his eyes moving around, and the ghoul that was summoned by the sorcerer's death. The brutal truth of it all sobered Tael and caused him to gaze suspiciously at the Hakkadians. They might be temporary allies but they were still strange, powerful creatures.

  "Now tell me your plan of how you intend to kill the King." Master Greyth scanned between Bishop Draven and Master Vhelan. "And do keep in mind that I was the wizard that killed old King Salgar..."

  The Hakkadian leader narrowed his eyes at Master Greyth and began to tell of their plan. Tael's grandfather listened carefully to the sorcerer's words, only interrupting to ask clarifying questions, and allowed Master Vhelan to finish outlining the key points of their attack plan. A few times Bishop Draven had offered items to round out the plan, and the sorcerer had accepted his words with a grave nodding of his head.

  "A solid plan...well thought out. I'll give you credit for that." Master Greyth gave both men a congratulatory bow. "However it's flawed and will fail. Now wait, before you protest, hear me out. I listened while you spoke. King Braxion doesn't think like regular men—or Hakkadians for that matter. He doesn't have routines." He looked to Sebine for confirmation and received it with a nod of her head. "So you plan to go in and find the King in his chambers and murder him? Unfortunately, he's not there and he's not drunk...I already checked. And even worse, he's assembled an army of soldiers outside the gates with his son Prince Brandeth, along with many other nobles still loyal to the King—despite all your bribes and words of loyalty received."

  Master Greyth Shalinor grinned like a fox who's tricked a hunter. "Better secure your dragons and quick, before he gets to them too. Don't look so surprised, just accept that your loyal sorcerers were bribed or manipulated, likely family in Naverstrom with a knife at their throat. Always something like that to get to a man."

  Feet moving quickly for the door, the group followed Master Vhelan outside where they found him counting the dragons. "We're missing half of the dragons, how could it be? I only allowed those most loyal to me to handle them."

  "Including the ones who went off to help King Braxion fight the Malathians?" Master Greyth's eyes shone. "He never went west, he flew north to Naverstrom and secured your people to his cause. Question everything and don't assume loyalties."

  The old sorcerer's face went pale at the words, but his eyes quickly focused back to a fierce determination. "We still have an army, we still have dragons and sorcerers, and we still hold the city secure."

  Bishop Draven's mask of certainty splintered under the news, and he glanced around at the few dragons and squads remaining, and he frowned a deep frown of regret. "How many men does the King have?"

  "Thousands. He's assembled all his forces, summoned them from the Kingdom's cities and far outposts, and has consolidated them outside the walls. By now he might have already bribed or convinced the guards at the gates to open them. All you've managed to do is to steal a few dragons, break a charm that protects the King, and make a mess out of the Arcanum. The next time you develop such a foolish plan you might want to include me first."

  "Fucked again," said the Bishop, who lowered his shoulders and shook his head from side-to-side. "Can't go north, my brother will likely suffer for my moves. What to do?"

  "Call your people out of the Arcanum and disperse. There's no reason to die. You can always regroup and fight the King another time. You'll lose today if you try to go after him now, especially after you've made the first moves. Your two hundred men won't stand a chance against those numbers. And the longer you wait the worse it will get. My spies in the north have informed me that more dragons and more sorcerers are on their way to Trikar. In another day, or a few hours even, you'll lose control of the dragons you've got. Go to the dragon's nest, steal all the gold you can get, and flee to a safe place where you can regroup."

  Tael felt a knot wrench his stomach at his grandfather's words. Once again he was on the run. He looked over and caught Sebine's eyes and saw the disappointment and dread on her face. His hands reached out and held hers and he squeezed reassuringly, but her lips only gave a slight smile that soon faded from her mouth.

  "We'll go together...anywhere. Maybe south to the Islands of Marr, or west to the Malathian Kingdom." Tael hoped her eyes would flare with some life at his suggestions, but they stayed cold and distant. "We could go east to Yhalan and maybe—"

  "They won't let you inside the Kingdom of Drazal'tan," Sebine interrupted. "And I don't want to go there yet. Someday I will, but not yet. And it's getting cold here and soon the snows will come. I want to feel the heat on my skin and sweat, but the south holds no assurance of hope, no mysteries, no relics, no promise of power or alliances. But if we go west, to the Malathians, they will accept us and ally with us. We share a common enemy. And there are mysteries there in that ancient kingdom. And magic to be learned."

  Master Vhelan studied Sebine as she spoke and he nodded his head in agreement. "We will go west then." And even Master Greyth agreed it was a good plan, and soon the soldiers streamed out of the Arcanum and formed up around them.

  Bishop Draven hefted up his chest and addressed the grave faces of the assembled companies. "Soldiers! You've fought bravely today, but I'm afraid our battle is over for now. We've come to learn that the King has mustered an army outside the northern city gates, an army of over a thousand men and half the dragons in Trikar. A traitorous day for our cause. But we have weakened the King and cracked a charm that protected him. We've stolen half his dragons and we'll steal much of his gold."

  The priest grinned at that but the soldiers failed to feel his levity. "We've all agreed to go west, to join forces with the Malathians, to meet up at the City of Shaar'el, and to live to fight another day. You are knights, but the time is now for you to be as sneaky as thieves and stalk out of the city unscathed. You knew the risks joining up with our cause and though we've won at first, now the day is dire. There is no need for us to die today."

  Light from the rising dawn cut through the thinning smoke clouds and revealed the stirring, agonizing faces of the knights breaking ranks. Tael knew it wouldn't be long before the soldiers scattered down streets and disappeared into the morning mist. He noticed Kealian's gaze at the Bishop and wondered what promise had been made to the knight.

  "Draven...we'll need more soldiers with us on our ride with the dragons." Tael strode over to where the Bishop was talking with Master Vhelan. "Who can we bring? I'd like Kealian to come and perhaps a few of his best men. We have eleven dragons."

  Sebine joined in. "And if we are fast we can collect a good share of the gold atop the palace. Dragon saddles can hold at least two people and a measure of coin."

  "Master Greyth, do you ride dragons?" The Bishop eyed the old man.

  "Before you were born I studied under one of the few dragon-tamers in the world. That is until the Hakkadians conquered, stole, and destroyed most of the dragon enclave in the north."

  "Then that settles it. We have room for twenty-two riders," the Bishop said.

  Master Vhelan summoned seven of his elders to join in the flight, and Kealian was
able to bring all nine of the men from his squad. With Tael, Princess Sebine, Bishop Draven, and Master Greyth Shalinor, the riders numbered twenty-two. Now the square was empty save for the riders, and the sky had cleared to a blue-grey haze with silhouettes snaking up over the northern horizon.

  The King and his dragons were coming.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  SEBINE GRIPPED THE luminous reins as the dragon's wide, red wings beat and beat and soon they lifted high up into the sky. A chill came soon and caused Sebine to wrap her cloak tightly around her neck. One of the elder sorcerers rode with her, his small form hanging onto the saddle-horn behind her. Tael banked right with his ferocious, fire-breathing black dragon, and he sent her a delighted grin at being able to finally ride a dragon. The other nine dragons raised up around them, with Master Vhelan's enormous gold dragon taking the lead.

  Off to the north the once black silhouettes resolved into eleven dragons rushing to intercept them. Sebine's heart thumped and felt a fear, as she knew one of those dragons carried the King. If only they had succeeded, the day would have been different. Instead of fleeing for their lives they'd be ruling the Kingdom and making war plans against Naverstrom. But could they even defeat such a power as was found deep in the darkness of that foul place? Or could they seal it like a tomb and plug the vileness from creeping out... One day she resolved to fight and destroy that evil and prevent its spread across the land.

  Riding on a black dragon with gold flecks along its face, Master Greyth Shalinor raised his hands and a burst of electricity and wind and water surged out from his palms and filled the sky between them and the enemy dragons. A rising wall of ominous storm clouds formed and boomed with thunder. Sebine was in awe at the wizard's power and craved to learn of his magic.

  The widening storm flashed with brilliant arcs of lightning that infused the center of the clouds with washes of purple and gold and pinks. The sight was the most beautiful and terrifying thing that she had ever seen. She let out a fearful, excited laugh as she watched the storm envelop and smother the King and his dragons.

  "Now!" Master Vhelan shouted. "Dive to the palace rooftops and claim the gold while we have time."

  Sebine obeyed and led her dragon down but it seemed as if the beast needed little guidance, as it was eager and swift in its descent. Soon the great creature flapped its wings and stretched out razor-sharp claws and landed easily near a covered nest bursting with gold coin and chalices and platters.

  The soldiers and sorcerers leapt from the dragons and found feed sacks to fill full with the gold littering the other empty nests. The dragons watched interestedly as the men stole the gold, occasionally shooting quick bursts of fire into the air in displeasure. But when the men returned bearing sacks heavy with gold, the dragon's pupils dilated in pleasure. Weighted down, the dragons had a harder time rising into the air but soon they were far above the palace and the city littered with fires here and there, remnants of their failed attempt at overthrowing the capitol. They aimed their flight west and sped towards the open farmland.

  The morning air was cold in her flight and it stung Sebine's face and ears, but the heat from her fire-breathing dragon kept her body warm and soothed her. Sebine wished she didn't have to leave home and her mother trapped here with the cruel King. But she vowed to return one day with an army, perhaps an army of Malathian soldiers and wizards.

  She looked over at Tael and his handsome face beamed with pleasure as the wind sent tiny tears streaming into his rippling hair. He looked so happy and content riding his dragon, and so oblivious of any problems. The world was newly beautiful to his eyes.

  A shout of warning from a soldier interrupted Sebine's gaze and she pivoted her head around to squint off to the north where the others were staring. The King's dragons had flanked around west of the still raging storm, although from what Sebine counted, only seven of the dragons remained. She prayed to the Goddess Naria that King Braxion's dragon was downed in the storm.

  "Battle formation!" shouted Master Vhelan, and the dragons seemed to understand his command as they banked left and right to gather up into a wide crescent moon formation and Sebine found her stomach pulled down as they soared into the air to gain the height advantage against the enemy dragons.

  But their enemy's lighter, speedier dragons rose faster and faster and soon hovered above them in a jagged, claw-like formation. Sebine glanced at Tael's concerned face as he craned his neck up to study the dragons. She followed his gaze in time to see the creatures plummeting towards them in an angry dive.

  "Raise a shield!" Master Vhelan's voice was shrill and quick, and with a flick of his wrist tossed out an iridescent wall of expanding, gelatinous crystal that spread out to protect the apex of their now V-shaped battle formation. The other sorcerers joined their master in giving shape and power to the shield. Sebine wondered if it would hold against the speed and power of the dragon's dive.

  Fire and acid and smoke belched from the attacking dragons, but the shots bounced ineffectively off the crystal shield, yet Sebine still felt the heat from the reflected flames pass around her. The stench of smoke and burned acid filled the air as the dragons smashed into the crystal shield, shattering it in an instant, and the enemy dragons collided into their own dragons.

  In a quiet instant Sebine felt a serenity fill her mind as she found herself studying the now frozen scene. The Ring of Galdora burned hot and glowed on her finger, filling her heart with a fiery power that somehow cooled her mind at the same time. She saw the world clearly now. The King was there atop his brutal beast of a black dragon, Keraxes, his favorite, and the King's face was enraged and enraptured in his assault.

  Sebine discovered that she could move her hands despite the loss of motion in the world around her. The Ring of Galdora gave her speed and swiftness of thought in this her moment of need. She remembered the words Master Vhelan had taught her of the stunning spell and flourished her hands, feeling the rage and power well up inside her from the Ring's power.

  She aimed her rage at the King and cast the spell and it struck him with a slow, blinding light that hovered around his head. Her chest filled as she gulped in air, and as the speed of the world returned, she glimpsed the King tilt in a sideways fall off his saddle. Dragons pounded against dragons. Riders flew screaming from saddles. Spells shot fire and lightning and demonic-headed smoky spirals. Dragons clawed one another and their dagger-like teeth bit at each other's necks and a few dragon jaws caught human flesh that they burned and tore at gleefully.

  Her own dragon fought viciously against a gold-scaled dragon but the beast was too powerful and her dragon screamed as the gold dragon's jaw bit deeply into the creature's shoulder. She closed her eyes and cast a quick burst of intense light and blinded the other dragon, causing it to roar and separate from them until it dove away.

  When she opened her eyes she found her rider gone, and her other companions were swinging swords, casting spells, and some hung on to their saddles, dangling dangerously with only one hand on the stirrup. Dragons clung to each other, flapping wings to keep themselves from falling too fast, biting and clawing savagely, their riders trying to break their dragons free.

  She spotted Tael wheeling his dragon around to deliver a killing blow that sliced through the brain of a dragon with his glowing sword. The slain dragon spewed smoke from its nostrils and gave up, its massive body and writhing rider plummeting to the clouds below.

  On the edge of her vision Sebine saw the struggling shape of the Bishop's dragon clawing at a larger, acid-breathing dragon with two sorcerers as riders. They shot fire at the Bishop who ducked several times in response, barely missing the killing shots. She turned her dragon to face the Bishop and cast two quick stunning spells at the sorcerers, but frowned as the men stayed on their saddles, hands locked on the stirrups.

  Sebine urged her dragon forward and it sensed her desire to attack and poured forth a roaring blaze that washed the sorcerers clean of their skin until only charred muscles and burned b
ones remained. The Bishop gaped in horror at the sickening sight, but quickly turned away, his face pale, and he nodded in thanks to the Princess.

  They had won again in the fight against their enemies. The King's dragon was nowhere to be found. From what Sebine could see they were missing two of their own dragons as well, although she spotted Master Greyth's dragon delivering a killing blow to a smaller grey dragon, and the beast fell, wings twitching, rider flailing.

  Bishop Draven steered his dragon around to survey the damage, and Master Vhelan finished casting a spell that hammered an enemy sorcerer off his dragon, and soon Vhelan gained control of the riderless dragon.

  Kealian flew up to them from below and behind her, his grim face angry in defeat. "We lost one dragon and I lost Raikes...I tried to rescue him and his sorcerer from falling but I failed. He was a good man and he died well with a sword plunged into the heart of an enemy sorcerer."

  "What happened to the King?" Master Vhelan shouted.

  "He fell from his dragon," Sebine said. "I hit him with the stunning spell."

  A light of victory shone in her master's eyes, but it was soon interrupted by Kealian's voice.

  "He was saved by his own dragon." The knight's face looked hard and bitter. "We went after them hoping to intercept and prevent the King's dragon from helping him...but we failed. The sorceress riding with the King was powerful and with a spell lifted the King back to the dragon and she tied his unconscious body onto the saddle with silvery cords of energy. We tried to stop her but she blasted us with a green, grotesque fire that killed my sorcerer and hammered Raikes's dragon, knocking them both into the air."