by D K Drake
Chapter 2
Dragon Round-Up
“I
don’t understand. How did I humiliate you?” Micah lifted himself up on his hands and knees while swallowing a mouthful of blood. His father would kick him again if he dared get a drop of blood on the floor. “I sliced that Collector’s chest open and left him for dead the night I won Mertzer.”
“You should have made sure he was dead.” Omri stomped on Micah’s back, sending him crumpling to the floor. “Not only did that Collector survive, but he collected a Noon Stalker. He forced me to release the prisoners and made me look like a fool in front of my people. Now Javan has a flying dragon with the power of invisibility. All you have is a wingless dragon who can’t even teleport.”
Micah eased himself into a sitting position and looked up at Omri. “Mertzer is the last of the Dusk Stalkers. Javan has no hope of winning the competition since I already claimed that dragon.”
“Now you are the fool!” Omri pulled Micah to his feet by his hair. “All the Collector has to do is kill you, and the dragon becomes his. I’m tempted to go ahead and kill you myself just to prevent that from happening.”
“Father, please.” Micah had to find a way to keep himself alive; he knew his father didn’t issue idle threats. “Keep me alive, and I’ll hunt you more dragons. Imagine how powerful you’ll be with eight dragons under your control.”
Omri released Micah’s hair. “I’m only letting you live, because I want more dragons. Clean yourself up. Gather soldiers. Go to midnight territory. I want a Midnight Stalker next.”
Micah’s blood-soaked mouth went dry. “A Midnight Stalker? Shouldn’t I get a little more practice hunting the other dragons first?”
“Those are my orders. It’s the only way to show the people that I am more powerful than that Collector.” Omri glared into Micah’s eyes. “If you return here without a Midnight Stalker, I’ll feed you to my dragons. I’ve seen the way you treat them. They’ll be happy to tear you limb from limb. Now go.”
“Yes, sir.” Micah nodded and left the room.
As he made his way down the long spiral staircase to the Dragon Quarters, rage and confusion masked the pain of the beating he had just endured. How could his father hurt him after Micah brought home a dragon for him? That was a feat no one else had ever done or even thought of doing. So why did his father hurt him? He had done nothing wrong.
That’s what the boy Micah whipped a little over a week ago told him. Micah had whipped him anyway. Had he been wrong to punish that boy?
No. The boy had violated curfew. He should have returned from hunting before dark. So what if his family was hungry and wanted the food? He broke the law by ignoring the curfew. It was Micah’s job to make sure people respected the King and the King’s laws.
Maybe that’s why Omri had beaten Micah. To instill respect.
He would let his bruised ribs serve as a reminder to be more respectful. He hoped he had a chance to demonstrate his increased respect for his father. This trip to hunt a Midnight Stalker could easily turn into a suicide mission. Did his father expect him to succeed in capturing a Midnight Stalker or die in the process?
After being humiliated by the Collector, Micah didn’t think Omri cared one way or the other about Micah’s life.
“So I’ll make him care,” he muttered to himself. He would hunt a Midnight Stalker. Then a Noon Stalker. Then a Dawn Stalker.
Once he had all four dragons and was able to keep his father in power, Omri would have to care. Then Micah would finally know what it felt like to be loved by his father.
His entire life had been dedicated to pleasing his father, making him the favored successor. The fact that he grew taller and stronger faster than others his age didn’t hurt. Most weren’t strong enough to join the army until they reached 100; he became a soldier at age fifty. Now at seventy-seven, he had already accomplished more than most men twice his age.
He knew he would have to wait several hundred more years, but he was still young. By the time his father retired in another two or three hundred years, Micah would be plenty young enough to rule for a good seven hundred or so years.
At least that was the plan until Javan came along. That Collector had to pay for the damage he was causing. He needed to die. And he would. After Micah captured himself a Midnight Stalker.
◊◊◊
Micah stormed his way through the double doors at the bottom of the stairs. He hated coming to the Dragon Quarters. The packed dirt floor made everything about this wing of the castle feel dirty. The wide hallway and thirty-foot high ceiling made it spacious enough to house the dragons, but no windows and poor lighting created a depressing atmosphere. The stone walls and ceiling left a constant chill in the air.
It didn’t help that Omri wouldn’t allow the dragon keepers to clean the stalls more than once a month. Micah understood the need to not pamper the dragons, but he wondered if the dragons would be less temperamental and easier to control if they didn’t have to live in their own excrement.
The filthy stalls made the stench unbearable for any humans that entered the area; it had to have been worse for the dragons with their heightened sense of smell. How the dragons lived with the smell or how the dragon keepers stayed down here for eight hours at a time without puking their guts out baffled Micah.
The current keepers on duty were closing the massive stone door at the end of the hall. It was too big and heavy for one man to close alone. The two of them thus had to work together to pull the door closed using a thick, rough rope connected to a pulley on the ceiling. The system had been devised centuries ago to open and close the door for the dragons when they needed to leave the castle to hunt.
The dragons didn’t have to go far to hunt. A wooded area behind the castle was constantly stocked with animals and vegetation the dragons enjoyed eating. Years ago, the keepers brought the dragons their food. The dragons didn’t appreciate being caged up at all times and being given their food without having to work for it.
They took to feasting on the keepers just for sport. Omri tired of having to replace his help every other day and re-established the dragon hunting grounds.
Now Micah had added one more dragon to the mix. Once he finished his job and captured three more, they were going to have to increase the size of the grounds and the food supply. Otherwise the dragons would start fighting each other, and that would defeat the purpose of Micah working to hunt more dragons.
He would let Omri deal with the feeding problem. Right now, he had to do whatever was necessary to acquire a Midnight Stalker.
“Harness the dragons,” Micah said. The keeper looked familiar, but he had never cared enough about the help to bother learning names. “I need them ready to ride in ten minutes. Don’t bother with Eli, though. I’ve got Mertzer.” Besides, Eli was unpredictable and never cooperative.
“Sir, that’s impossible. I just sent Serenity out to feed. She won’t be back for at least an hour.”
“Fine. Get her ready when she returns, but get the other three ready now. While you’re at it, gather the captains of the Justice Units. I need all of them and their units prepared to leave with me.”
“It’s getting late, sir. They’re all settling into their quarters. There’s no way they’ll be ready to leave--”
“I don’t care what time it is,” Micah said, interrupting the man. “Just do as you’re told. I am on a mission for the king. It is your job to assist me, and it is their job to follow orders. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“I’ll be back in an hour. I expect to see all of the dragons and Justice Units prepared to leave.”
Micah turned and left. Next stop: the kitchen. He needed food now and for the journey. He just might have to hurt someone if any of the cooks tried to talk back to him.
He kind of hoped one of them would. He was itching to fight. Beating someone to a bloody pulp would improve his darkening mood.
Chapter 3
The Dragon’s Secret
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Nestled on the soft grass fifteen feet from the shore of the river, sleep easily overtook Javan. He kept his stalker swords within reach just in case he had to fend off wild animals or enemy soldiers who were sure to be tracking him. First, however, the offending party would have to get past Varjiek. Knowing he had a dragon to protect him allowed him to sleep without worry.
He didn’t think about waking up until he felt something sharp poking his back. Figuring it was just a rock he rolled onto, he adjusted his position.
A few minutes later, a warm breeze shot over his face. Annoying. He hadn’t slept long enough. He covered his face with his left arm and kept sleeping.
Until the shaking ground startled him enough to open his eyes. It reminded him of the tree tremors he experienced in Dusk Stalker territory. But that shouldn’t be happening here. Not by the river.
Earthquake. It had to be an earthquake.
Javan sat up only to discover Varjiek running toward the river, causing the earthquake.
The dragon ran forward, sailed through the air, ducked his head and curled his wings and legs into his body. When he was about to the middle of the wide river, his balled-up body splashed into the water. It was the coolest cannonball Javan had ever seen, but he was so entranced by the sight that he didn’t bother getting out of the way of the resulting wave.
The water splashed up and over Javan, drenching him from head to toe. The entire shore was soaked as well.
Varjiek popped his head up from near the middle of the river. Ha! I finally got you to wake up. Some of the scales on his neck were gold, indicating that noon was less than three hours away.
Javan stood and pushed his wet black hair out of his eyes. “You couldn’t have tried a gentle nudge on the shoulder?”
I tried all sorts of things. I yelled at you, but you apparently can’t hear my screaming thoughts when you are asleep. So I poked you with my tail. I snorted smoke over your face. I almost blew a stream of fire over your head but was afraid the fire might get too close and burn you. Then I came up with the jumping in the water idea. Glad I did. That was fun.
“Are you always this perky in the morning?”
This is the time of day I feel most alive. I’m just starting to get hungry, and hunting for food is the most excitement I have all day. He dove into the water and came up chomping on a fish. Tasty!
Javan’s stomach started to rumble, but he didn’t want a fish for breakfast. He’d make a meal out of some of the food his mother had packed for him. That food would only last a few days. Soon he’d have to hunt right alongside Varjiek. “Hurry up and find you enough food. We need to get going.”
We do have a long trip ahead of us. I’ll probably have to hunt several more times before we get there.
“What are you talking about? Dawn territory is just to the south of us. I was able to get there in several hours riding an okty not too long ago.”
Javan had thought himself to have achieved the epitome of coolness the day he first rode that overgrown dragonfly with its fuzzy body, six legs and pink wings—all eight of them, four on each side with one shorter pair stacked atop a longer, thicker pair. Now he rode a dragon. Definitely cooler.
We’re not going to Dawn territory.
“Where else am I going to track down a Dawn Stalker?”
In Keckrick.
“Keckrick? You want to leave Zandador?”
Indeed. All of the Stalker territories are going to be patrolled by soldiers. They are unsafe for us. So we’re going to Keckrick.
“But I need to collect another dragon.”
You will. In Keckrick.
“You’re not making any sense. Dragons live in Zandador, not Keckrick.”
Correction. Most dragons live in Zandador. I have heard rumors of a Dawn Stalker born not too long ago who is hiding out in Keckrick.
“That can’t be true. Dragon eggs can’t hatch in this dimension. They can only hatch on earth. The Dark King hasn’t allowed anyone through that portal with a dragon egg or a dragon in centuries.”
These rumors began about fifteen years ago, right around the same time there were rumors that a baby had been smuggled to earth. How old did you say you were, boy born in Zandador but raised on earth?
“Fifteen.” The possibility that a dragon as old as him weakened Javan’s knees. He plopped to the muddy ground. “How can you be sure the rumors are true?”
I can’t. Not until we get to Keckrick.
Chapter 4
Dissent
Micah hated having to move at the speed of Dahlia the Dawn Stalker. He didn’t expect her to be any help in the fight to capture a Midnight Stalker and thought about leaving her behind. But he needed her for her teleportation power.
Once the mission was complete, he would have Dahlia teleport them back to the castle. He would have had her teleport them here, but she could only pop in and out of places she had been before. It was an annoying limitation to her skill, but it did mean they only had to make a one-way trip to Midnight Territory.
They only had about 500 miles to travel from Japheth to Midnight Territory and could have been there by now had she not been slowing them down. The winged dragons could fly that distance in less than two hours, and with Mertzer’s Dusk Stalker speed, he could run it in less than three. Even the slowest of okties that the soldiers rode could fly three times the speed that Dahlia could run. With Dahlia, however, their trip had turned into an all-day adventure.
The four captains of the Justice Units each rode a dragon and utilized bridles and reigns to direct the beasts. Mertzer hadn’t yet been fit for a saddle, so unlike the other captains, Micah was forced to ride bareback.
Micah led the way on Mertzer. The twenty-four soldiers in his unit flew behind him on okties, six men wide and four men deep.
He made the other three dragons walk behind him and his unit; just because the Noon and Midnight Stalkers could fly didn’t mean they had to. His dragon couldn’t fly, so no dragons should be allowed to fly when traveling with him.
He had to allow the soldiers with them to fly on okties since no other animal ran fast enough to keep up with the slowest dragon, but they couldn’t fly ahead. They had to remain in formation behind the dragons.
The one hundred men had traveled through the night over the hilly, rocky terrain, pausing only for Dahlia and the Noon Stalker Vasilis to feed along the way. Now Mertzer’s white scales were beginning to change to blue, indicating that his feeding time was approaching.
At least they had reached some promising hunting grounds. The base of the mountain range that led into Midnight Territory was just ahead. The trees and lush vegetation that grew on the mountainside along an abundance of streams were sure to house ample food for Mertzer to find.
He didn’t want Mertzer to have to work hard to find food and water. The dragon had covered over two thousand miles running at top speed to Gri and back over the past few days. Micah knew his dragon was exhausted, so he reasoned that walking at Dahlia’s speed was a good thing for Mertzer’s sake.
Micah was a bit exhausted himself and wanted to hide under some shade for a bit. He had been riding in the blazing sun on the back of a dragon all day, and his black skin was starting to feel like it was on fire. He also wouldn’t mind catching a quick nap. This was day three without any sleep, and he was starting to feel cranky.
As they reached the tree line, Micah held his hand up in a fist so everyone could see him. “We’ll stop here. It’s time for Mertzer to feed.”
While men and women on okties landed all around him, he slid off Mertzer, pulled the saddlebags of food with him, took off his bridle and gave the dragon his orders. “Eat and return when you’re full.” When he saw Mertzer eying the feast of okties surrounding them, he slapped the dragon’s leg with the flat-edge of his backsword. “No okties. Go hunt your dinner.”
Mertzer didn’t obey. Instead, he scanned the colorful sea of the eight-winged creatures. The fuzzy bodies of the okties were all black, their big, round eyes we
re all brown and their tiny noses were all white, but no okty had the same color of wings. Every color on the rainbow seemed to be represented, and that apparently looked appetizing to the dragon whose scales were changing to pink, purple, blue and green.
Micah was about to slap the dragon again when Mertzer finally huffed his displeasure and walked into the woods. “That’s what I thought,” Micah said and re-sheathed his sword. The dragon better do what he was told. Micah had earned the right to control him the second he cut off that dragon’s tail days ago.
The other dragons had to obey him because their master Omri ordered them to. Micah preferred having direct control, even if Mertzer technically belonged to Omri. He could say he ceded the dragon to his father, but he knew he was the one who had actually cut off Mertzer’s tail, not Omri.
He washed his face off in a nearby stream, inhaled a sandwich prepared by the kitchen staff, and found a place to rest under a huge oak tree. Just as he leaned against the thick trunk of the tree, covered his face with his wide-brimmed hat, and closed his eyes, he heard footsteps.
“This is a good spot.” Micah recognized Galiron’s deep voice. He had been the captain of the Midnight Justice Unit since the beginning of Omri’s reign and was one of Micah’s many trainers. He was the reason Micah was so good with a sword. “Should we set up camp here?”
“Set up camp?” Micah slowly opened his eyes and glared at Galiron. The tall, red-bearded man stood with his arms crossed over his wide chest. He looked like he thought he was the one leading this mission. Micah needed to correct the man, so he stood and matched Galiron’s height. “We’re not camping. We’re headed north. Into the mountains. To catch a Midnight Stalker.”
“To carry on without a good night’s rest would be foolish. We’ve been traveling all night. Some of these men have been traveling for days without any rest.”
“They are my men. They don’t need rest.”
“We all need rest. Especially in this situation. No human has been in these mountains for centuries. Any dragon we face is not going to like having company. We’ll be in his territory during his feeding time. It’s dark and cold. He’s smart and strong. We need time to scout the territory in the daylight when he’s sleeping and not hungry.”
