by Rick Brown
I was awoken some time later by Ryan coughing and hacking. “Sorry, Sire. I don’t think they’ve changed out the wine since your forefather’s time.”
“That’s not wine,” I explained. “It’s some liquor they make from mushrooms.”
“It’s not that bad,” Barad defended the liquor as he walked in the door. “I’m developing a fondness for it.”
“You’d develop a fondness for a leather tanner’s water if you could get drunk on it,” Bri said as she, Abigail, and Farloc walked in.
“Maybe, I admit I’ve never tried drinking tanner’s water before,” he answered with a shrug.
"Gross, why would you talk about drinking tanner's water?" Lenux asked as he joined us from his room, now wearing a patch over his injured eye.
“Forget that, where did you find an eye patch?” Brianna asked.
“I found a leather merchant selling it. I didn’t ask what it was made out of. Not sure I want to know,” Lenux admitted.
“Well, I think you look dashing,” Abi told him with a smile.
"I'm glad it looks good, because it smells a lot like ogre," Ryan said as he scrunched up his nose.
“Sorry, the dwarf who sold me it said that would go away,” Lenux apologized.
“Let’s hope it does... Soon,” Brianna agreed.
“So, what did you find to help us take down a dragon?” I asked the group.
“I bought more arrows, also a set of spears,” Lenux listed.
“I also got arrows,” Bri added. “I like your spears idea, though. They may come in handy.”
“I’ve got you all beat,” Barad stated with a big grin.
“Uh oh. I’ve seen that look before, it’s always meant trouble,” I said as I looked at Barad suspiciously.
“My Liege, you wound me,” he replied as he held his hand to his heart. “I’ve got something I doubt any of you considered. I went up to the underground lake and purchased a fishing net.”
“A fishing net?” Lenux asked perplexed.
“No, wait,” I said as I held up my hand. “Barad may be on to something. Go ahead and explain your plan.”
"Well," Barad started. "We find whatever cave this thing is living in and put the net over it. When it comes out, we've got it caught!"
Brianna looked confused. “I… I can’t find anything wrong with that. It’s a good plan!”
Barad feigned an injured expression. “You don’t have to look so shocked.”
“Still, it’s a good plan,” Whilhoit agreed. “Better than anything I was able to come up with.”
“I thought you’d like it,” Barad said proudly.
“We’ll need some way to pull the net tight,” Ryan added.
"The horses!" Abigail yelled. "We can use the horses."
This was not the first time Abigail had requested we gather the horses, but this time, she was right. “Barad, you, Abi, and Ryan go see Orlik about getting our horses. She’s right. We’ll need their muscle to grapple with a dragon.”
“So, it’s all coming together,” Ryan said excitedly. “We are finally going after the dragon!”
“That’s it,” Brianna stated as she crossed her arms. “You’ve been spending too much time practicing with Barad. He’s damaged that brain of yours if you are excited about hunting dragons.”
“You think I’ve damaged his brain?” Barad asked. “The boys gotten so good he’s more like to injure mine.”
“The loss is not so great that way, sweetie,” Brianna teased as she kissed Barad’s cheek.
Barad rubbed the place she had kissed. “I’ve never felt so hurt and pleased at the same time.”
“That’s a good way of describing life with our Brianna,” I said with a laugh.
They returned with the horses that night, and the next morning we started heading towards the southern exit of Olingard. What would likely have taken days of traveling on the mountains, took only a few hours of travel by tunnel. It was a shock as we exited the shaft into the bright sunlight.
“Was it always this bright?” Barad asked as it was his turn to step out. “I don’t recall it quite so blinding.”
"Your eyes will adjust with time," Orlik explained. "Now you see why we dwarves are so at home underground."
"I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to life underground, but that bright sun really hurts my eyes," Abigail stated as she pulled out a scarf, wrapping around her eyes. "There, that's better."
“I don’t suppose you brought enough for everyone?” Barad asked.
“Sorry, I only thought to bring one scarf to a dragon slaying,” Abigail answered.
The trek over the mountains was slow. Most the time we were forced to walk the horses in fear for their safety. Still, Orlik knew the mountains well and guided us to the safest trails for the horses. Along the way, Orlik pointed out berries and leaves that were edible to snack on while we walked.
“Ewe, that was a tart one,” Barad complained as he spit out a berry.
“It’s still summer,” Orlik reminded. “They aren’t at their best yet.”
“Did you spend much time on the surface when you were younger, Orlik?” Abigail asked.
“Aye,” he said with a smile. “I guess I’ve always had the wandering bug.”
"That explains…." Abigail began before she froze. "What's that?" she finally asked.
Looking up, there was a dark silhouette across the sky. “That?” Orlik asked. “Why that be a dragon.”
“That’s a dragon!” Ryan asked aghast. “It’s huge! Is that the one we are fighting?”
“Nah, that be a baby green,” Orlik explained. “They’re the small ones. Wouldn’t call them gentle, because no dragon is, but they don’t normally hunt people.”
The dragon’s shadow swept over us as it flew between us and the sun, casting the mountainside where we stood in shadow.
“Do I have time to rethink this?” Barad asked.
"Nope," I answered as I tilted my head back to watch the enormous creature fly overhead. While barely flapping its massive wings, the beast sailed over the mountain and out of sight.
Chapter 29
(Lee)
It took two weeks of hard travel to cover the distance to the dragon’s den. Once we were getting close, Orlik ordered that we should break until morning. Once again, we made our camp for the night, but this time we all felt the anxiety of what was to come. As we had traveled the mountains, we went without a fire. Orlik said they just attracted dragons. Instead, I created a heated dome over us to keep warm.
“So, what do we do tomorrow?” Ryan asked.
"Just scouting, for now," I said as I tried to find the least rocky spot for my blanket. "That will be Lenux and Brianna."
“So, we just wait?” Ryan continued. “The longer this takes, the more my anxiety builds.”
“Patience is the key in any hunt,” Farloc said as he sat beside Ryan. “To act too soon can lead to your prey escaping.”
“Or in this case, eating you,” Barad added.
“Yes, thanks for that imagery,” Ryan said with a roll of his eyes.
“Here, let’s get some practice in before bed,” Barad volunteered as he started to get up.
“Not tonight, lads,” Orlik said as he pulled Barad back down. “Dragons have very good hearing. No reason to advertise we are here.”
“New plan,” Barad said as he quickly sat back down. “We all sit very quietly and not make a sound.”
Orlik laughed. “It’s not as bad as all that, but we do be sleeping on his doorstep. I think some caution may be due.”
“Maybe I can tweak the shield to block sound,” I wondered aloud.
“Wait!” Lenux said suddenly, putting his hand up towards me. “I hear something.”
We all sat quietly, looking up into the night sky as Lenux continued to listen. “I think I saw something,” Ryan said as he scanned above. “Something briefly blocked out some stars.”
"Are you sure you aren't just…" Barad began before there was a su
dden, amazingly hard impact on my shield. It was like nothing I had felt before. Flames shooting from a dragon's snout lit our surroundings as it hovered over us. The creature was enormous. Its head the size of a carriage hung mere feet from my shield. The dragon's giant claws scratching across the shield's surface.
Lenux unrolled his spears and started passing them to everyone. “Lookout!” Barad yelled as flames engulfed my shield. Sweat dripped down my face as I pulled more and more energy from the stone. The earth shook as the dragon released a frustrated roar.
“Lee!” Abigail screamed as she tried to control the horses.
“I’m working on it!” I yelled back. Frantically I tried to come up with some idea to save our lives. Our hunt for the dragon had backfired, and now we were the prey.
“Lee! There’s a cave under the surface,” Lenux stated. I no longer asked how he knew these things. “Can you blast out a tunnel big enough for us?”
Right now, I felt like I could dig a tunnel to Vaelin if I thought it would get us out of here. Pointing my sword where Lenux was indicating, I started blasting away the stone. I quickly learned I needed another shield to protect us from the debris. In a quick moment of inspiration, I directed the debris to fire out towards the dragon, who was still unleashing his fire against my shield. I was granted a moment of respite as the dragon paused in shock as rocks and gravel came spewing out at it. It took to wing, hovering over us as it considered this unexpected behavior. I used the moment to double my efforts on the digging.
“Lee, he’s coming back!” Barad warned.
“I’m through, grab the horses and lead them down, quick!” I ordered as I stepped out of the way.
It took no encouragement from Abigail to guide Dreamer in the tunnel. The horse was happy to go anywhere the dragon wasn't.
Barad pushed my horse Mabel through next, quickly following with his own. The dragon recovered from its shock and once again attacked my shield with incredible force. "Hurry!" I yelled as I strained to pull enough energy from Alynon's Tear to keep the protection up.
Finally, Lenux tugged my shirt. “They’re in Lee! Let’s go!” I let him guide me as I stared at the now panicked dragon as it slowly watched its dinner disappear.
“Where are we?” I asked into the darkness.
"Hold on," Orlik ordered. "Alright, I got me opal. Can ya light it?" I search out with my magic until I felt the familiar stone we used to light our way through the underground tunnels of the Veluvian Mountains. Soon, the cavern we entered was illuminated by the stone.
“Is everyone alright?” Abigail asked.
“I think so,” I said as I looked over my friends.
“And you Lee, are you ok?” Abi asked as she walked over to look at me. “That was a lot of magic you were using out there.”
I nodded my head. “I’m just tired. I’ve never used so much magic before in my life! It’s exhausting!”
“Lenux, are we safe?” Bri asked.
Lenux listened for a moment, then nodded. “It’s moved on.”
Ryan looked at Orlik in shock. “Was that the dragon we are supposed to fight?”
“Aye, a beastie that big wouldn’t allow anything else to be in its territory. That be our dragon,” he answered grimly.
Looking around, I could see the cave extended out into darkness. “Well, we find ourselves in another cave,” I said with a smile.
“Not all caves are friendly,” Orlik reminded.
“I can’t say I’m a fan of any of the caves,” Father Pild admitted.
“Lenux, do you hear anything in the cave?” I asked.
Lenux once again listened to things none of the rest of us could hear. “The exit is that way,” he said after a moment. “I can hear the wind.” Even straining, I couldn’t hear anything.
"Well, let's start going that way, then," Barad said as he grabbed his bag. Reaching in, he pulled out his opal. "Lee, do you mind?" With a thought, I lit his stone. Soon, all the others had theirs out and strapped to the backs of their bags. Taking the horses reins, we started guiding them into the cavern.
Falling into our familiar routine, we formed up single file and started making our way in the direction Lenux had indicated. We were about an hour into our hike when Lenux once again raised his hand. Our group froze as we waited on what he had heard.
“Guys… I, I think we are in the dragon’s lair. It just landed at the cave entrance,” he said nervously.
“How far back are we?” Orlik asked.
“It’s maybe a half mile ahead of us,” Lenux answered after considering.
“Lee, dim these lights!” Orlik ordered. I quickly reduced my magic from the stones, casting us into barely visible shadows.
“Are we trapped?” Brianna asked.
“Maybe,” I admitted, “or we might be in a better position to strike at it.”
“Strike at it?” Ryan asked in shock. “You still want to fight it?”
“We have to,” I answered. “That gold is down here somewhere with us, and we have to find it.”
“There be no getting that gold down the mountain. Not with an angry dragon following ya,” Orlik explained. “If you’re gonna get your gold back, it will be over that dragon’s dead body.’
“So be it. Lenux, Bri. The two of you go scout the situation, the rest of us will wait here,” I directed as I dropped my bag.
Chapter 30
(Lenux)
Even though the dragon was still far ahead of us, I could hear its movements as it walked around the entrance to the cave. Brianna and I both had our lights concealed by cloth, giving us greater control over its brightness. It didn’t take long before the cave brightened due to the starlight at its entrance.
“How long till morning?” Brianna whispered.
I could only shrug. It was always difficult to track time when in a cave. Staring ahead, I could see the outline of the cave tunnel's entrance. Just by sight, I couldn't tell where the dragon was, but using the power endowed by Alynon's Tear, I could tell the dragon was in an alcove to the left of the cave's entrance.
Looking at Bri, I pointed to the alcove. She nodded as she took the lead to the next set of rocks, closer to the dragon's resting spot. Listening carefully, I could tell the beast's breathing was falling into the more rhythmic pattern of sleeping. Tapping Brianna's shoulder, I mimicked sleep so she would understand. Now, we could focus more on being quiet, and not worrying so much about being seen.
I followed Bri up to the mouth of the alcove. She made a quick glance inside then quickly pulled her head back. I smiled as I watched her use her guild training. Closing her eyes, she reviewed the scene she had witnessed in the quick flash. Moving aside, she allowed me to do the same. After a quick glance of the room, I pulled my head back and started reviewing what I had seen.
The dragon was there. The dragon and gold. So much gold. I almost wished to take another look, not because I needed to, but I just wanted to gaze on that much gold. The beast slept on a mound of it. It had no choice. The room was filled from one end to the other with glistening golden coins.
Ok, so maybe there wasn't enough light for the gold to glisten, but it did in my mind. I drew my thoughts back to what was important — the giant red mass of angry that was sleeping on top of all that beautiful gold.
The dragon's head faced the entrance, its body trailing off into the darkness of the alcove behind it, reappearing in a monstrous fat tail that the beast's head lay on. One leg was visible, resting on top of the tail. Its disturbingly long claws following along the tail's scales and disappearing into the gold.
Giving Brianna a nod to signal I had seen enough, we slowly stepped away from the entrance and started to explore the rest of the room. Littered on the cave floor there were pieces of wooden planks, likely ripped from some wagon that the dragon had attacked. Here and there were bones that lay about. I tried not to look too closely at those.
Walking to the entrance, I found we were on the side of a cliff. One we could scale but not someth
ing I'd like to do with a dragon in the area. You'd be completely exposed on the side of the mountain, and it would be too steep to run. Finding nothing else of value, I rejoined Brianna and we made our way back to the others.
“So, the gold is there?” Lee asked excitedly.
“Did you not hear the part about the dragon?” Brianna asked sarcastically.
“Yes, I do recall someone mentioning that,” Lee said with a smile. “What about the layout of the room? Did you see anything useful?”
I shook my head. “Just some stones and scraps laying around. Whatever the dragon found and brought back for snacking on. The dragon and the gold are both in a side alcove. It’s sleeping on top of the gold.”
“There’s enough gold for that monster to sleep on?” Barad asked.
“So much gold!” I said excitedly. “I’ve never seen anything like it! Lee will be able to buy a kingdom with all that’s there.”
“We have a kingdom,” Lee reminded.
“So, what shall we do?” Father Yagen asked.
Lee thought for a moment. “Bri, will the net fit over the alcove entrance?”
Brianna nodded. “I think it will be enough.”
“And you’re sure the dragon is asleep?” he asked me.
I shrugged. “It was when we left.”
“Then maybe it’s time we struck back,” Lee said with a smile.
“You’ve got a plan?” Barad asked.
"It's two parts. The second is a failsafe. The first part is simple, I take the sword into the room and stab it through the heart while it's sleeping," Lee explained.
“I thought you were supposed to be some tactical genius!” Abigail exclaimed. “Your big plan is to sneak in and stab it?”
“That’s just part one,” Lee said with a hurt expression, “and I’ll have you know a simple plan is normally the one that works. The second part is to hang that net over the alcove entrance. If I fail to kill it, try to bait it into running into the net, maybe we can pin it down and kill it that way.”
