King's Dragon: Chronicles of the Dragon-Bound: Book 2

by William Culbertson

  They were just about to mount up when Kahshect raised his head and looked off in the distance. “Horses . . . coming this way.”

  Dax looked up and saw two men approaching on horseback. Doke and Narsus started to place themselves between the riders and Dax, but Dax dashed forward to meet the men. “Scarlet!” he shouted with joy. “You don’t know how glad I am to see you.”

  Scarlet pulled up and dismounted. He looked grim. “Have you heard about the dragon?”

  Dax frowned and nodded. “Kahshect spotted it yesterday. What did you see of the lancers?”

  “They were riding headlong toward the Tharans. It looked like Kankasi meant to lead a glorious charge—right at the dragon.”

  He had not expected anything less, but Dax was still disappointed. “Did you see any of the Ugori I sent out as raiders?”

  Scarlet nodded. “Saw them and told them what to expect. I even managed to see Markadamous.”

  “What’s his thinking?”

  “Just about the same as before. He says he plans to give the dragon plenty of room, but he said he ‘will raise merry hell’ with their support troops and supply lines. He also said to tell you that you will have to take care of the dragon yourself since he doesn’t want it mad at him.”

  Dax gave Scarlet a sour smile. “Kahshect and I were just talking about what to do about the dragon. Now that you are here, you can help us with the strategy.”

  Doke had listened to the conversation between the two friends, and now he spoke up. “Yeah, and feel free to tell him he’s totally out of his bleedin’ mind if he expects to poke a stick up the dragon’s bunghole and live to tell about it.”

  Scarlet looked at him, and Dax saw the man go pale. “You don’t really mean to do that, do you?” he asked Dax in a voice full of tension.

  Dax actually laughed. “Doke is just stirring the pot, and that’s not what I had in mind.” He said it to reassure Scarlet, but Dax made a mental note to think about whether it would be easier to attack the drakon’s tail rather than its head. He clapped his friend on the shoulder. “I had in mind a more frontal assault, and I want your advice on laying a trap for the drakon,” he said. “We were just heading out to find the right spot.”

  “Well, at least let me go up against the dragon instead of you.”

  Dax smiled at his friend. “Don’t think I’m not tempted, but Kahshect and I will need split-second timing to make this work. We can do that through our bond.” He raised his hands in a helpless gesture. “I don’t see any other way.” He could see that Scarlet still had misgivings, so he tried to lighten the moment. “Besides, where could I find more glory than to take on a dragon?” Scarlet snorted in disgust.

  They mounted up and headed back toward the city. At the gate they turned and followed the West Road. Although the others chatted and made observations, Dax did not join in the banter. He visualized an angry drakon coming down the road from Drundevil Pass with the Tharan army behind. He scanned the road as they rode. He noted the irregularities in the terrain and how they had been filled or bridged, but he really wanted a closer look at Magnon’s Gully and the bridge that carried the West Road across it.

  The gully itself was a wash that carried water from the occasional cloudbursts that rolled in off the Morning Ocean and dashed themselves against the Kakaras Crags in late fall. The gully ran all the way to the straits just west of the city. While not as wide or deep as the gorge through which the East River flowed as it came into Frohliem City from the north, Magnon’s Gully lay across the West Road a mile west of the city. The Tharans would follow the West Road from the Chammanie Valley to Frohliem City. The Tharans, and their drakon, would have to cross that bridge.

  The bridge over Magnon’s Gully had been built long ago. The gully was too big for even a drakon to step across. The West Road bridge was the one spot Dax could be sure the drakon would have to pass. It was the logical place for his trap. Once they reached the bridge, Dax sat on his horse for a long time and surveyed the surroundings without trying to plan anything. Magnon’s Gully was an abrupt slash across the land. To the west of the bridge on the far side of the gully, the ground was open prairie with Breyman’s Hill rising in the near distance. On the east side, the city side, another shallow-sided gully intersected the larger ravine to the north. The land in between was a jumble of trees and brush. Dax stared at the low area and visualized dragons.

  Kahshect, who had been circling overhead, landed across the gully on the west side. He looked at Dax. “This is where you want to do it?”

  “This was my first thought.” He looked down into the ravine. “What would happen if the drakon falls? We could drop the bridge as it crosses.”

  The dragon examined the drop. “It would be upset.”

  “Not dead,” Dax observed. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “What if it falls onto sharp spikes?”

  “If a spike happens to hit it in the chest, but wouldn’t the falling bridge knock down the spikes?”

  Of course it would. For a time he toyed with the idea of weakening one side of the bridge to roll the dragon off rather than collapse underneath it. He still could not see how to guarantee a killing strike to the drakon. It would have to be the hard way then.

  The others had dismounted, and they walked the area, making comments among themselves. Dax decided it was time to share his thoughts. He got down from his horse and walked to the east end of the bridge. “Magnon’s Gully is too big for even a drakon to step across,” he said, waving his hand toward the far side of the bridge. “The drakon must pass here.”

  The bridge was a great wooden structure built from large timbers, some made from whole trees, which had been felled in the forests of the Kakaras Crags. The logs had been floated down the river to the shore of the straits. Dax had read an account of how they had towed the timbers along the shore to the gully. He shook his head as he surveyed the structure. Just getting the timbers in place was a monumental piece of work. The bridge was so large it scarcely looked like a bridge. The road rose up as it passed over the defile, but it did not narrow. Over the years, packed dirt and stone from the road had covered the shallow slope of the bridge’s wooden decking except for the very crown. Otherwise, the waist-high wooden beams lining both side of the bridge were the only obvious sign of the bridge structure below.

  The bridge was wide enough for several teams of horses to pass in both directions, and Kahshect ambled across the bridge toward Dax as if it were just another stretch of road. Dax listened closely, but he heard no creaking or groaning in the understructure. Satisfied with the top of the bridge, Dax walked to the side of the gully and looked underneath. The ground dropped away below, but there was plenty of space underneath to walk along the edge to get a good look at the bridge’s understructure. He stepped down into the gully on a broad lip of ground that ran under the end of the structure.

  “Would you walk across again?” Dax asked.

  Kahshect strolled back across, and Dax watched and listened. He heard a faint groan from one of the timbers, and some dust filtered down from above, but the bridge bore the dragon’s weight easily. “Would you like me to do a little dance?” Kahshect asked. “Maybe that one the Ugori like to do where they all stomp their feet?”

  Dax smiled at the thought of the dragon imitating the hand-slapping, foot-stamping capers. “Sure, go ahead,” he answered from below the bridge. Although he heard the thumps and bumps, the bridge was unaffected by the dragon’s antics. The drakon was probably three times Kahshect’s weight, but from the look of it, the bridge would hold three drakons—even if they danced.

  Scarlet was smiling when Dax climbed back to the road. “I suppose you told him to do that,” Scarlet said gesturing to Kahshect, who stood grandly indifferent at the apex of the bridge.

  “Actually,” Dax replied, “it was his idea. I didn’t know he had taken an interest in the Ugori’s after-dinner entertainments.”

  More serious now, Scarlet asked, “Did you find what you needed?”


  “In part.” Dax gestured at the bridge. “This is where they will bring the dragon. Now I need to find a spot to lay our trap.”

  “What about over there?” Scarlet gestured to the north side of the road near where they stood. The ground dropped away from the level of the road. “You would have an upward angle as the drakon came down toward you.” Scarlet led the way down into the area. The ground was irregular, perfect for lying in hiding.

  There was only one bad factor. “Too much brush.” Dax gestured at the scrubby vegetation between them and the road. “The drakon might turn aside rather than push through.” He had another thought. “What if it sets this place afire? Even if he doesn’t hit me directly, I’d be a roasted goose.”

  “How fast do you want it cleared?”

  Of course. “Fight fire with fire?” he thought to the dragon. “Kahshect just reminded me,” he announced to the others, “he could burn this area clear before the drakon gets here.”

  Dax looked at the area more carefully. He saw a plan. Large trees, an angling shallow draw, a downhill pitch . . . The dragon would follow this line . . . He took one more look around and climbed back up to the road.

  He gathered the others and started describing what he wanted. “We won’t clear the whole section.” He pointed to the scatter of trees across the area. “Those trees in the center come down, but leave the timber. I’ll set the ambush behind one of them. I need the two large ones to either side there left standing. We’ll clear the brush back away from the trees we’re going to save.”

  Doke handed Dax his horse’s reins, and Dax swung himself back into the saddle. He was about to go on describing the layout he wanted, but Scarlet interrupted, “I’ll have to go get an axe.”

  Dax looked at his companions and immediately felt sheepish about his rambling string of orders. These were not the men for the job. “Let’s head back for the city,” Dax suggested. “I need to get a work crew out here as soon as possible.”

  On the way back Dax revealed most of his plan to his companions, but he swore them all to secrecy. He had weeks of planning with just days to do it. If word spread of his intentions to fight the drakon, too many people would want to talk with him. Whether they wanted to warn him or to say good-bye, he did not have the time. Dax also worried that news of his strategy would get to the Tharans before their attack. There had been at least one agent in the city. How many more were there?

  #

  His plan was secret, but Queen Layna needed to know. Dax took Scarlet with him that evening to have supper with the queen. He wanted her to hear Scarlet’s news from the pass, but he was also nervous about the queen’s reaction to his scheme to fight the dragon. He wanted Scarlet there for moral support. Even though Scarlet was appalled by his plan, he at least admitted its feasibility. Dax knew his motives for Scarlet’s company were worthy of a first-year cadet at Iron Moor, but he wanted someone at his back who would vouch for him.

  Their meal was light, and they worked as they ate. Scarlet described what he had seen at the pass and gave news of the steps the Ugori had taken to harry the Tharans along the road. For his part, Dax contributed details about preparations for the city to resist the attack. Only after the remains of their dinner had been taken away and they sat in more comfortable chairs did Dax lay out his plan for the drakon to the queen.

  When he finished, Queen Layna turned to Scarlet. “You support him in this madness?” Scarlet had so far only narrated events while the queen listened passively. Now Dax watched as she turned the full force of her personality on the younger man. Dax had warned Scarlet on their way to the palace the queen could be intimidating, and Dax was pleased to see that his friend did not flinch from her intensity.

  “Do I want to see him do it? No.” Scarlet said it firmly. He leaned back and took a sip of his drink. “Do I see any other way to kill the dragon before it ravages the city? Also, no.”

  The queen arched her eyebrows at him and tapped her index finger forcefully on the arm of her chair. “So far, I do not hear an answer.”

  Scarlet smiled at the queen, and Scarlet’s smiles were always charming. “I support my commander. He’s not completely out of his head. Physically, any number of men could stick the dragon where it counts. However, only Commander Daxdendraig will be able to coordinate his attack with the attack of the dragon Kahshect. I see that as the key to the whole plan.” Scarlet took a last sip of his wine and set his empty glass on the small table beside his chair. “I don’t like it, but he has a good chance to make it work. My main concern is, will he survive the attack?” Scarlet looked at Dax. “I can’t bear the thought of having you killed.”

  Dax swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’m certain I can make it work,” he said quietly. Dax blinked and thought about what he had said. He had said it aloud. Now he realized he really did believe it.

  The queen studied them both for a time. “I haven’t changed my mind. I still think it’s madness.” She dropped her eyes to the floor. “But you are right. It’s the only plan I have heard that offers any hope to avoid the destruction of our city and the conquest of East Landly.” She stood up, and Dax and Scarlet rose as well. She put her hand of Dax’s shoulder. “I could never be an officer in the military. I can’t bear sending good soldiers to their death even though I know it’s a job that must be done.” Her eyes were moist. “This is hard for me.”

  Dax said nothing in reply. Queen Layna’s reaction made him very conscious of the danger he faced and the cost of failure.

  Her hand tightened on his shoulder. “Save the kingdom,” she said in a voice no louder than a whisper.

  Chapter 16

  Pak Renald slumped in his saddle, exhausted. His thighs were chaffed from two days of hard riding. His buttocks ached from the constant bouncing on hard leather. And his horse? Renald was ashamed of the way Merrybell looked. Her coat was matted with sweat and dirt. Her tack was dirty and loose. They had hardly stopped for food or rest. Now Frohliem City was just ahead. Renald rode close to the front of the long line of lancers from Blue Company. They had followed Captain Baffen all the way back from Drundevil Pass, and at last Magnon’s Gully lay just ahead. The walls of the city were beyond.

  He fixed his eyes on the haunches of the horse in front of him, and unbidden, his mind replayed the awful horrors he had seen. Blue Company of Panther Battalion had been at the rear of the force of lancers when they had charged out of the mouth of Drundevil Pass down at the invading Tharan army. His company had not been able to see the Tharans, because dust from the battalions in the lead had obscured all but his company’s immediate surroundings.

  Then the fire came.

  The rest was a confusion of impressions. The dust lit up with a blazing reddish-yellow glow followed by a monstrous roar. A wave of heat swept over them. They continued to ride for a few moments, but they encountered a drift of overthrown horses and riders. Captain Baffen signaled a halt. Once the drumbeat of their horses’ hooves was silent, they heard a cacophony of shrieks and screams from all around. Another great gout of fire swept toward them, and the roar drowned out the heartrending cries for help. This time they saw the fire as it swept toward them. They were in a shallow depression below the level of the rest of the plain. The searing heat from the inferno crackled over their heads like a beacon from left to right. They started forward again, but a great wind followed the fire. It swept the dust away as they came up onto level ground. That was when they had seen the dragon.

  Captain Baffen had immediately ordered a retreat. The retreat became a rout. They rode hard back toward the pass. They rode hard, as if demons from the underworld pursued them. A fire demon in the shape of a dragon did pursue them. Ragged survivors from other companies caught up with Blue Company. Renald heard stories—horror stories—from lancers who had been closer to the dragon when the fire started. They were unbelievable stories, except he saw the awful evidence with his own eyes. Men cried with unbearable pain, their skin melted off their arms and faces. Others were half
cooked inside their own armor.

  They rode back through the pass and out again onto the clean, open plains of East Landly. As they rode, the injured dropped away. The worst of them did not even make it through the pass. The ones with horrible burns, even if their horses could still carry them, grew weaker and fell behind. Renald did not know what had become of them. Rather, he did not want to imagine what had become of them. He could not think of those men’s monstrous injuries, nor could he think of the disgrace of riding away from a battle instead of staying to fight. He focused only on staying in the saddle . . . and riding. Riding away from the destruction of the lancers. His lancers. The lancers he had vowed to fight and die with.

  #

  Just across the great bridge over Magnon’s Gully, Captain Baffen signaled a halt. Renald reined in, and the group of lancers spread out behind their captain. Four men approached along the road from the city. As they got closer, Renald saw the lead rider clearly. He carried a shield. Tired as Renald was, a chill went down his back. The man carried Frohliem’s Shield! He sat up a little straighter.

  Captain Baffen turned to his men. “Fellow lancers,” he called. “I take this on my own head. I led you away from battle and away from our king. I will pay the price.” With a creak of leather, the captain swung down from his horse and calmly waited on foot to meet the party coming from the city.

  When the riders arrived, their leader dismounted and gave the reins of his horse to his companion who wore a bright-red sash around his waist. The man strode up to Captain Baffen. Renald could hear him clearly as he said, “Captain, I am Commander Gard Daxdendraig, appointed by the queen as defender of the city. Welcome.”