"In all of my years of friendship with the dragons," Dar stated quietly, his face worried. "I've never heard of a black dragon."
"I know someone who will be able to answer these questions." Damion turned and started back down the steps.
"Where are you going?" Sly called after him.
"I'm going to see if Tempest is home. Maybe she will know what's going on."
*************
Damion quickly made his way to the edge of town, ignoring several merchants who called out. The instant he was out of sight, he drew in his magic and slipped into the form of a sleek black panther, then melted into the shadows without a sound. He was able to move much faster through the unforgiving terrain in this form, and it wasn't long before he lost the sounds of the city amidst the noise of the wilds.
"Snowfeather?" He silently sent his thought out to his familiar. "Where are you?"
"I'm right here." The huge snow owl ghosted through the treetops over Damion's head. "I'm always here. You should know that by now!"
Damion quickly made his way across the valley towards Tempest's new lair, just few leagues deeper into the wilds of the Godstear Mountains. Her new cavern was nearly twice the size of her cavern in the Endless Forest, and was very nearly inaccessible by land.
After several hours of travel, Damion and Snowfeather finally reached the mouth of the great scarlet dragon's lair, located high up on a steep ridge side. They slowly entered the cavern, then paused as Damion returned to his normal form. Snowfeather settled gently on one of his shoulders, then they began to carefully make their way deeper into the cavern.
It was soon too dark to continue safely, and Damion was forced stop and draw in his magic once more. A fist sized ball of light formed in the air and hovered near the ceiling, casting a gentle light that led the way as they continued to move deeper into the mountain side.
After several minutes, they reached the main chamber where they found Tempest curled up comfortably along the far wall, sleeping gently amongst her hoard of treasure. The great serpent was massive, with gleaming red scales and a body rippling with muscles. Two spiraling horns sprouted from the back of her huge armored head, and two great bat-like leathery wings were folded closely to her sides. Her long whip-like tail had a number of sharp spikes protruding down its length, and was casually swishing back and forth unconsciously while she rested.
As Damion moved closer, she suddenly raised her head and gazed down at him with surprise. "Dragonkin!" She exclaimed, her voice booming through the empty cavern. "This is unexpected!" She slowly rose and stretched her wings, then settled back down before him. "You didn't have to travel here to see me. You could have just used the Dragon Sword to summon me! I would have came to you!"
Damion shook his head. "I am not your master. I will not use the sword to keep you at my beck and call."
Tempest gazed down at Damion with respect. "I am honored that you would show me that kind of consideration, but there is no need. Feel free to call upon me whenever you wish. The dragons are indebted to you, and I will always strive to honor that debt."
"That's what I've come to discuss with you." Damion said seriously. "The power of the Dragon Sword is still in effect, is it not?"
Tempest nodded her great head. "The chains of that cursed sword still bind my kind." She gave him a curious look. "Why ask what you already know?"
"We've had a couple of odd occurrences here as of late, and we're at a loss to explain them." He described his encounter with the black dragonspawn.
"Shadowspawn!" The scarlet serpent spat, causing twin coils of smoke to drift up from her nostrils. "I didn't think there were any left! I thought they had all long since died off!"
"Then when we returned to the castle," Damion continued. "I was attacked by a man who claimed a dragon had attacked and burned his home, killing his family."
"That's not possible. We are bound by your command never to harm an innocent."
"What was really strange was he claimed it wasn't a scarlet dragon. He said this dragon was black as night. He claimed he witnessed it with his own eyes." He looked at Tempest seriously. "He seemed genuine with his claim. I really don't think he was lying."
Tempest shook her head. "He could not have seen what he claims." She declared adamantly. "What he describes is a shadow dragon."
"A shadow dragon?"
Tempest nodded. "They were cousins of the scarlet dragons. Dark creatures, shadow dragons were. They were banished from our world over four thousand years ago, never to return."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that."
The great serpent fell silent for several long moments. "I would dismiss his claim as nonsense if not for your encounter with the shadowspawn." Her eyes were lost in thought. "They were the underlings of the shadow dragons, fanatically loyal, and much more intelligent than a normal dragonspawn." She shook her massive head. "If the shadow dragons have somehow returned to this world, chaos will soon follow in their wake!" She rose to her full height and unfurled her wings. "I need to go investigate these claims. If they are true, there will be no place left in this world that will be safe from their taint!"
Chapter 3
Damion arrived back at the Serpent's Keep as the sun was rising above the mountain peaks. He asked a passing servant to have the cooks bring some food to his office, then wearily made his way to the upper levels of the castle. He wasn't surprised to find Sly, Dar, and Lady Skie awaiting his return as he opened his office door.
"So was you able to speak with Tempest?" Dar asked, his boyish face alight with curiosity. "Was she able to identify the black dragonspawn that attacked you?"
Damion nodded, wearily dropping into a chair across the table from Lady Skie. "It's called a shadowspawn. Apparently they were once as numerous as the normal dragonspawn we are accustomed to encountering. Tempest was quite surprised to discover that they still exist. She had thought that they had died out thousands of years ago."
"Great! Just what we need!" Sly snorted sardonically. "As if a typical dragonspawn wasn't bad enough!"
"And what of that man's claim of a black dragon attacking his home and killing his family?" Lady Skie asked. Dar and Sly had obviously filled her in on the recent events that had transpired since they had last spoke. "Is there any truth in that?"
Damion shrugged uncertainly. "Possibly. There was once a race of black serpents that were banished from this world. The shadowspawn were their loyal followers."
"Shadow dragons!" Dar exclaimed suddenly, snapping his fingers. "I knew something sounded familiar about that man's story!"
"Shadow dragons?" Sly asked in confusion.
The boy nodded. "I remember hearing a story many years ago. There were once two races of dragons that ruled our skies, fighting a great war that engulfed the entire world." His voice was grave, and he had a slightly haunted look in his eyes. "Abominations rose from the earth and laid siege to all, man, elf, and dwarf alike, commanded by the shadow dragons. Many innocents died in their wake."
"What finally happened to them?" Lady Skie asked, her face pale.
"The mightiest of the scarlet dragons defeated the matriarch of the shadow beasts. Instead of killing it, the scarlet dragon forced an oath from it. In exchange for its life, the shadow dragon swore an oath to Draco, the god of serpents, that it would take its brood and depart from this world, never to return."
"When did all of this occur?" Damion asked.
"Over four thousand years ago, or so the story went."
A servant entered the room carrying a tray of food and a small keg of ale.
"I'll take that!" Sly told the servant, relieving the man of the keg. "You may want to bring another."
The servant shot him a dirty look, then placed the tray down on the table, and hurried off to retrieve another keg.
"Tempest definitely found this news disturbing. She said she needed to investigate further. The last I saw of her, she was heading north in a hurry."
"Sounds serious." Dar said worriedly.
"Where is that man that attacked me right now?" Damion asked, sliding the tray of food in front of him and digging in hungrily.
"Downstairs in the vaults." Sly replied, smiling at the servant who had bustled back into the room carrying another small cask of ale. The man shot him another dirty look, then hurried from the room. "We cleared out a room with thick walls and a stout door, threw in a cot and a bucket, then tossed him inside and put a pair of guards outside the door."
"I think he and I should talk." Damion decided, spearing a thick slice of beef with his dagger.
Sly nodded. "I'll have him brought up."
Two guards escorted the failed assassin into Damion's office about twenty minutes later. He was wearing shackles on his wrists and ankles that were attached to one another with a short chain. The man shuffled over to stand before Damion and the others, his head bowed in defeat.
"Remove his shackles." Damion commanded the guards, who still stood behind the prisoner, their weapons at the ready.
The dark skinned man looked up in confusion. "You're not going to kill me?" He stared at Damion in disbelief. One of the guards began to remove his restraints, but the other still stood with his weapon at the ready.
"Do you think that's really wise?" Sly asked doubtfully. "He's already tried to kill you once!"
"He thought that I was responsible for the death of his family." Damion shrugged. "It was understandable." He looked at his attacker, who was now free from his bonds. He gestured to the food and ale on the table. "Have a seat. You must be hungry." He waved the guards off, who reluctantly left the room.
The man cautiously lowered himself into a chair, his eyes suspicious. He stared hungrily at the food for a long moment, but made no move to eat.
"Don't worry, it's not poisoned." Sly reassured him. He demonstrated his words by pouring himself a tankard of ale, and helping himself to a slab of cheese.
The man seemed to accept his words as true, and quickly snatched up a turkey leg and began to devour it, though he continued to watch them suspiciously.
Damion looked at the man, his eyes serious. "I was not responsible for the deaths of your wife and children, and I can assure you the dragons under the control of this sword," He put his hand on the hilt Dragon Sword. "were also not responsible."
The man's face clouded with anger. "I know what I saw! It was a dragon! It was as black as the night, its scales seeming to absorb the light around it! It materialized from the darkness breathing fire, then after it destroyed everything, it disappeared, leaving only carnage behind!"
"I do not doubt your story." He assured the man, nodding his head. "I believe it was a shadow dragon that killed your family." He went on to explain everything that he had discovered, including his encounter with the shadowspawn.
"Why should I believe you?" The dark skinned man's face had grown uncertain.
"Because it's the truth." Damion stated firmly.
The man stared at him for a number of long agonizing moments, then broke down and started to cry. "I thought this was the end! I thought by killing the Dragon Lord, my family would be avenged and I could die in peace!" He dropped his head into his hands and continued to weep. "I thought I could avenge them, but I was wrong!" His shoulders trembled as he wept. After several more moments, he composed himself and raised his head. "What is to happen to me now? Will I be imprisoned?"
Damion shook his head. "I don't think there will be any need for that. You were only doing what you thought was right. I probably would have done the same thing."
Sly snorted. "You did do the same thing, remember? Only difference is that you never actually hurt this man's family. Kaviel, on the other hand, murdered your father, and destroyed Sevria."
The man stared at him with disbelief. "You're not going to see me punished? But I tried to kill you!" He trembled as he suddenly realized he was free. "I had never expected to survive our meeting, Dragon Lord. How may I repay your mercy?"
"You can start by not calling me that. My name is Damion."
"I am Veren Verilian. I am a Jaghern. Our kingdom lies many leagues to the north, across the sea."
"I've been to Jaghera." Sly commented. "Mostly farmers."
Veren nodded. "There isn't much work for a man in Jaghera other than laboring on a farm and joining the king's army." He filled a tankard of ale, and took a long drink. "I was raised on a farm until I was fifteen, then I served in the army for twenty years. When I finally retired from service, I purchased my own farm and settled down with my wife and children."
"How long ago was this attack on your farm?" Lady Skie asked, taking a small sip from her tea.
"Six months ago, milady." The dark skinned man replied respectfully. "There had been talk of other attacks on isolated villages and farms for the last three years, but I never paid them any heed. That was the biggest mistake I ever made!" He shook his head, then took another long drink. "I searched for the dragon for weeks, then I gave up and decided to search out the man rumored to control the beasts." He looked at Damion with profound respect. "I had heard tales of your exploits from various travelers. I had thought you were nothing more than a fairy tale, but I figured if the dragons were real, you had to be too. I booked passage on a merchant's ship bound for Sierria, then travelled with a caravan here. I only arrived here yesterday. I was trying to figure out a way to get into the castle without being detected when I spotted you and your friends returning." He smiled nervously. "The stories described you in a fair amount of detail, so I knew it had to be you." He shrugged. "I figured it was probably the best chance I would have at getting close enough to strike, so I stepped out from the shadows, and tried to take my revenge!"
"It's been three years since Damion released the scarlet dragons back into the world." Lady Skie reminded. "Perhaps when he released the scarlet dragons, it somehow allowed the shadow dragons to return."
"When will Tempest return?" Dar asked, his face concerned.
Damion shrugged. "She didn't say."
"Then I guess we'll have to wait until she returns to get anymore answers." Sly said, rising to his feet, and tossing aside his empty tankard. "I'm going to find something else to drink." He gestured to Veren. "You want me to return his weapons to him and send him on his way?"
Veren's strangely slanted eyes widened, and he quickly leapt from his chair and dropped to one knee in front of Damion. "I beg you, milord! Let me stay and serve you! Allow me to repay your mercy!"
"There's nothing to repay." Damion replied firmly.
"But there is!" The man argued. "I tried to kill you, yet you still show me mercy! My life is yours until I redeem myself!" He looked up at him helplessly. "Besides, I have nowhere else to go!"
Damion looked to Lady Skie, who continued to sip her tea unconcernedly, then back to Veren, who remained on one knee. "Get up, man! You look ridiculous down there!
Veren jumped to his feet, then stood staring at Damion apprehensively.
Damion placed a huge hand on the man's shoulder. "You are welcome to stay, Veren, though you owe no life debt to me. We can find you a room somewhere here in the castle."
The one eared man smiled for the first time since they had met, then he looked back to the food. "If you don't mind, I think I'll have just a bit more of that turkey." He returned to his seat, and continued to eat ravenously.
*************
It was three weeks before Tempest finally reappeared, dropping from the night sky on silent wings, and settling in the enormous courtyard of the castle. It was not an uncommon occurrence for the great scarlet dragon to visit Serpent's Keep, but her appearance still elicited a few screams from the people, and caused a bit of general panic.
Damion came out from the castle with the others following closely. They had all been patiently awaiting for her return, eager to find out what she had discovered while she was gone.
Veren trembled as he emerged into the courtyard, his hand on his sword's hilt. He stared up at the crimson dragon, his face twisted with anger a
nd fear, but he made no move to attack as he followed the others towards the great serpent.
The dark skinned man had only been there for a few days, when he boldly told Damion that the castle soldiers were a disgrace. From that day forward, he took command of the soldiers and quickly whipped them into shape. His experience in the Jaghern Army proved invaluable, and men who had grown lax in their grooming and manner of dress quickly moved to correct their mistakes. The castle guard was soon running more efficiently than ever, and Damion moved quickly to officially promote him to Captain of the Guard.
Tempest gracefully settled herself onto the cobblestones and waited as they approached.
Dar reached her before anyone, scampering up her leg and onto her broad shoulders, laughing with joy. He then shimmied up her long neck where he stopped to perch between her two large spiraling horns. "Hello, my great scaly friend!"
Tempest chuckled as she reached up and plucked the red haired boy from the top of her head, then deposited him on the ground before her. "My oldest friend! It does my heart good to see you!"
Damion and the others caught up to Dar and gathered around to hear what she had discovered.
"Much has transpired since we we last spoke, Dragonkin." She rumbled gravely. "I have spoke with many of our brethren, and none have encountered a shadow dragon. But there are stories of a black serpent attacking isolated areas, though none have actually seen one first hand."
"I have!" Veren declared, his voice angry. "I saw the black serpent with my own eyes as it was destroying my home and killing family!" He gazed up at Tempest unflinchingly. "And I will not rest until that beast is dead!"
Tempest stared at the dark skinned man appraisingly for a moment before replying. "I believe what you say. If the shadow dragons have indeed returned to this world, they would take special precaution to keep their existence a secret from other dragons." She looked at him with sad eyes. "I grieve for your loss. The shadow dragons are dark, evil creatures with no respect for life. I hope you will accept my condolences on behalf of my brethren and myself."
Omensent: Rise of the Shadow Dragons Page 3
