by Logan Jacobs
We walked through the hallways in search of the throne room at a quick pace with our shoulders straight and our chins lifted. There wasn’t a group of people in the world I trusted more at this point, and I was proud of the company I brought before the king.
I made a new save point before we went any further, though, since I wanted my meeting with the king to be perfect.
We found the throne room at the end of the hallway behind the giant stone statue of the king, and the lavish decorations were amped up to a million in the extravagant room. Green carpets ran the entire length of the massive room, and gold sconces emitted a soft glow of light. Behind the dais where the throne sat, a humongous window let in streaks of light that bathed the throne in shadows.
It was certainly an imposing scene, and the king looked especially regal as he sat upon the throne with an arm tossed over the side casually.
“Good morning, Your Highness,” I greeted in a loud voice as my group approached the throne.
“Ah, at last,” the king said in a friendly tone. “I’ve been looking forward to speaking with you, Great One.”
“I take it you are wanting a full report on yesterday’s incident?” I guessed in a curious voice.
“Yes, that, too.” The king waved a dismissive hand. “First, satiate my curiosity about you, Sir Sebastian. Where did you come from?”
“I was summoned to this world by the sorcerer Raijin Thornheart,” I explained, and I rolled my eyes. “I don’t really want to talk about him, though. He was an asshole if you know what I mean.”
“I do not.” The king frowned and scratched his chin. “But very well, perhaps you would be willing to tell me of your travels through Sorreyal so far. I’m curious to see how a god was received in my land.”
“I thought you said you had ears everywhere?” I crossed my arms over my chest and raised one eyebrow. “Wouldn’t you have already heard of my travels?”
“I have heard rumors of your appearance in my land,” the king confirmed with a nod. Then he stood from the throne and stepped down from the dais. “I thought it could be the typical mystical murmurings of bored citizens. There has been talk of other things, goblins, griffons, and the like, but you and I both know these are rare occurrences.”
“I’ve encountered both,” I pointed out. “Perhaps you need to get out more and get to know the people you rule.”
“There has been too much conflict lately for me to take time away from the throne,” the king said in a rueful voice. “So much squabbling among the lesser nobles. Everyone wants what someone else has… If I vacated the throne, even for a short while, the civilian unrest would grow even stronger.”
“Maybe if you got to know your people,” I countered in a firm voice, “your people wouldn’t feel restless.”
“Perhaps you are right,” the king mused in a thoughtful tone. “But now is not the time to tour the countryside, a dragon is on the loose.”
“That is exactly why we came to Vallenwood in the first place,” I reminded him. “Duke Bullard requires aid.”
“Typical of him,” the king snorted. “Bullard is always wanting something from me. He even asked me to help him clear goblins from one of his mines.”
“Mahini and I were the ones to kill the goblins in the copper mine,” I informed him as I jerked my chin toward the desert goddess.
“That’s right,” she confirmed with a nod. “The Great One saved the town, and it was renamed in his honor.”
“It’s called Bastianville now,” Elissa chimed in with a cheerful smile. “You should have your maps updated.”
“You have enough men in reserves,” Riondale interjected in a frustrated tone, “so why can’t you spare some for Bullard? It’s not the duke’s fault a dragon attacked, after all.”
“Remember your place, soldier,” the king admonished in a stern voice. “Do not speak to your king in such a bold manner.”
“Riondale is my man,” I cut in with a harsh glare at the king. “Only I can tell him what he can and cannot do. In my opinion, you need to answer his question.”
“I wouldn’t be able to spare a single man with a dragon on the loose,” the king countered with a shake of his head.
“Fine.” I shrugged, and I gave the king a decisive look. “I’ll kill the dragon.”
I almost bit the words back into my mouth, but I knew it was my destiny. The people of Sorreyal needed a hero, and their leaders weren’t stepping up to the plate. It was up to me, and me alone.
I was going to be Sir Sebastian, the God of Time, and Dragon Slayer.
Chapter Ten
King Frederick’s eyebrows rose in surprise, and he was quiet for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his tone was awed and grateful. “Thank you, Great One, for your sacrifice.”
“I’m not sacrificing anything by taking on that overgrown snake,” I assured the king with a grin. “He’s got it coming, and I’m the one who’s going to bring it to him.”
“What is the it you refer to?” The king blinked in confusion at my odd choice of words.
“Death.” I shrugged. “What else?”
“You sound confident,” the king said in a thoughtful tone. “If you are so eager to kill the beast, what caused you to fail so far?”
“My main goal has always been to protect the people,” I pointed out. “Once the dragon flew away, it was no longer a threat. I didn’t expect to see it in Vallenwood, though, but I think I saw the general direction in which it was heading.”
“At least the trail will be easy to follow,” Riondale interjected. “The destruction will be easy to follow and witnesses easy to find.”
“You’ve got a point,” I said as I scratched my beard. “All we have to do is follow them until we run across the dragon again.”
“It could have a nest somewhere,” Eva mused. “I’m sure it retreated to someplace safe to lick its wounds.”
“It may be easier to kill at the nest,” the king observed. “Especially since it’s already wounded. You will need a powerful weapon to combat it, though, but I may be able to assist you in that regard.”
“What have you got in mind, Your Highness?” I asked in a curious tone.
New weapons were always fun.
“There are legends of the dragons from ages ago,” the king said in a scholarly voice. “My ancestors fought against the fiery beasts, and they handed down a lance that was used against the dragons through generations of my forebears. The weapon is ancient, and it hasn’t been touched in a century, but it could be just the advantage you need.”
“Sounds impressive.” I shrugged and kept my voice casual.
An ancient lance designed to fight against dragons was exactly what I needed, but I didn’t want the king to see me get too excited. Gods always kept their cool, after all.
“I’ll have a servant bring it to your chambers before you leave,” the king said with a pleased expression.
“So, what do I get once I kill this dragon?” I asked. “I think I will be entitled to a reward.”
“What do you have in mind?” the king countered with a patient smile.
I made a new savepoint just in case I asked for too much since I didn’t want to have to redo the entire conversation all over again.
“Kneel before me and accept me as the one, true God of Sorreyal,” I said decisively.
“I accept that you are the God of Time,” the king allowed, “but I kneel before no one. It would undermine my authority and create chaos among the land.”
Well, it was worth a shot.
Chime.
“I will accept a title that equals my standing in the world,” I said. “Being knighted is great and all, but I think king would be more fitting.”
“You wish to usurp my throne?” The king’s eyebrows rose into his hairline, and a hard look crossed his face. “I will bow before no one. You will have to take it by force.”
I didn’t want to start a war, so I reset again.
Chime.
“I
need a title of some kind,” I stated in a vague tone. “Any suggestions?”
“If you bring me the head of the dragon,” the king answered in an even tone, “then I would be willing to name you as a duke.”
“I need more power than that in my title,” I persisted. “That would only make me equal to Bullard, after all.”
“Archduke would make you second in command to myself,” the king countered with a twinkle in his eyes. “You would have an army of men at your disposal.”
“Archduke it is.” I nodded.
“Very well,” King Frederick said as he inclined his head. “Once you have returned with the dragon’s head, I will name you as Archduke to all the land.”
“We got a new adventure!” Elissa squealed with delight.
“You will be above my father,” Eva said with hearts in her eyes. “He wouldn’t be able to say a word against you.”
“Not like he’d bother, anyway,” Mahini pointed out in an amused tone. “He’s already terrified of the Great One.”
“It would be my honor to help you pick men for your army,” Riondale offered with a lift of his chin.
“Let’s go tell the other men about our new quest,” Eva suggested, and her gray eyes gleamed with excitement.
“Good idea.” I grinned.
Another quest was exactly what I needed, and my desire to end the conflict with the dragon once and for all blossomed into an obsession. I would kill the beast and return the head to the king, but I’d keep the scales, talons, blood, bones, and anything else useful for myself to experiment with.
Then I would return to Bastianville with my own army and the title of Archduke, and no one in Sorreyal would stand against me.
“If you’ll excuse us, Your Highness,” I said with a small bow of my head. “I need to update my team on our new mission.”
“Very well,” the king replied. “But I’d like to invite you to join me for dinner this evening. Your entire party is welcome, of course.”
“Sounds like fun,” I said, and I waved goodbye to the king before I led my small group back to the west wing of the palace.
The rest of the men were lounging on the couches in the living room when we arrived, and they all stood up to greet us when we came in.
“The Great One has news for you,” Riondale said, and he nodded to me before he stepped to the side.
“The king has tasked us with hunting down the dragon,” I began, “and I’m counting on each of you to help me in my quest. We will leave tomorrow morning, but tonight we are joining the king for dinner.”
“We are going to hunt down the dragon?” Bryn asked with fear in his eyes. “I thought our job with the dragon was done? You scared it off, didn’t you?”
“The dragon is gone for now,” I said with furrowed eyebrows. “But there is no telling when it will return, or what other towns and villages it will destroy in the meantime. Castle Bullard and Vallenwood are both heavily manned with soldiers, but what about the rest of Sorreyal? How many lives will be lost while we wallow in our fear?”
“He’s got a point,” Jorgen said. “Think about your families. Do you want them to live in terror that any day could be their last? Or do you want to follow the Great One to victory?”
“Victory does have a nice ring to it,” Kylor mused with a half-smile.
“We’re behind you, Great One,” Isak and Asher said in unison in the way only twins can.
“You have my sword, as always,” Ian vowed.
“And my axes,” Thanor promised.
“Alright, Gimli,” I snickered.
“Huh?” Thanor tilted his head to the side.
“Never mind,” I said as I turned to Bryn.
“I suppose it’s not as terrifying if you’re with a god,” Bryn allowed, and the look of fear in his eyes had subsided.
“We took an oath to follow your command,” Riondale said in a solemn voice. “I would be honored to fight by your side.”
“I couldn’t be prouder of all of you,” I told the brave men who stood before me. They knew the risk, but they also knew the end result would be worth it.
“So, we’re leaving tomorrow?” Eva asked as she planted a hand on her hip. “Does that mean we have time to spar today?”
A chorus of agreements swept through the men, and Mahini let out one of her melodic laughs.
“I think you’re backed into a corner,” the desert goddess observed. “No way out of it this time, Great One.”
“I wouldn’t even think about trying to get out of it,” I laughed. “Of course, we can spar now. Let’s get geared up.”
“We can use the training grounds in the kingdom guards’ headquarters,” Riondale suggested. “I spoke to the captain of the guard about it yesterday, and the space should be perfect for what we want to do.”
“As long as it’s big enough.” I shrugged. “I’d like to spend some time with the horses and practice fighting from Goliath’s back, too, so the space needs to be big enough to accommodate him.”
“I’m sure it will be,” Riondale assured me.
We all went our separate ways to get our weapons and gear, and then we met up at the entrance to the west wing. Riondale led us through town toward the stables, and it didn’t take me long to saddle up Goliath. Then we crossed through the business district of Vallenwood to reach the military headquarters.
Riondale exchanged a few words with the captain of the city guard, and then the tall, dark-skinned man let us into the building and led us down a long hallway wide enough for my horse to walk beside me. Guards in green tunics and armor passed by us carrying shiny tipped halberds, and they saluted the captain as they passed. No one questioned our presence in the military headquarters, though, so I didn’t need to pull out the god card.
Finally, we entered a humongous room that resembled a football stadium. The room ran hundreds of feet back, and benches along the wall created the stands where the audience could sit. The floor was dirt, and the walls were brick, but the resemblance was uncanny. The only thing missing was the green grass and the goals.
I hitched Goliath to a pole on the edge of the room, and then I returned to the group.
“Would you like me to show you the trick I was telling you about?” Mahini asked Evangeline with a smile.
“Oh, yes, please do,” Eva replied with an enthusiastic nod.
“I’d like you to show me some pointers, also,” Elissa added, and the three girls trotted off to work together.
It pleased me how quickly Mahini and Elissa had accepted Evangeline into the fold, and I was excited to watch the three girls get to know each other in different ways. For now, I was satisfied with watching them practice their weapons together.
I went over my available equipment in my mind. I had my feather sword, Lucian’s sword and shield, the two daggers made for me by Bastianville’s blacksmith, and the curved dagger I’d taken from the sorcerer Raijin Thornheart’s dead body. Then there was my obsidian longbow, and the magic I’d learned from Kane, the Duke of Bullard’s court wizard.
I had a pretty strong arsenal, but my curiosity about the king’s lance hadn’t abated, and I was eager to get some practice in with it so I could look like a total badass on the first try.
The nine men around me all looked eager to get some practice in as well, and when I brought my attention back to the current moment, I realized Riondale was dividing them into groups of two. Jorgen paired up with Asher, Isak was with Corvis, and then the lieutenant put Kylor and Bryn together. When Ian and Thonor became the next set, I was left with Riondale as my partner.
I chuckled to myself at the lieutenant’s eagerness to spar with me, and I shook out my hands and neck to prepare for the practice fight. I made a new savepoint just in case I embarrassed myself, but I’d done so much fighting already, I was sure my skill with my swords and daggers was pretty awesome.
“How do you want to do this?” I asked as I loosened my muscles with some stretches. “Weapon of choice?”
“
I’ve been curious about how you use those daggers on your waist,” the lieutenant informed me in an eager tone. “I have a set of my own I want to get better with.”
His humbleness about his own skills surprised me, and I realized his only goal was to learn. The young man looked up to me, and I wanted to be a good role model for him, so I nodded and pulled out the two daggers Jax had made for me.
We circled each other for a moment until Riondale charged forward in a blur of motion. His speed surprised me, but I stayed frozen in place and patiently gripped my daggers. I spotted the stab aimed for my torso, and I blocked it easily with the blade in my right hand, but then I swiveled and aimed my dagger for the lieutenant’s neck.
He leaned back like he was playing limbo, and I relaxed into my standby stance. A glimmer of fear bloomed in his dark eyes, and I reminded myself to hold back a little so I didn’t scare him.
“That was a close one,” the lieutenant observed in a breathless voice as he returned to his ready stance. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“You have to expect everything,” I explained. “Your enemies will not go easy on you, so neither should I. I need you to be in top condition if you’re going to survive the dragon.”
“Yes, sir,” he said, and he lifted his daggers to indicate he was ready to go again.
We continued to go back and forth, but I made sure to let Riondale get close to landing a strike a few times. I reset half a dozen times after I nicked the young man with my blades since I didn’t want him to remember me making any mistakes, but after a while, I got so good at predicting his motions that our daggers were swinging in perfect harmony. Once he was panting and his forehead was dappled with sweat, I let him take a break, and I moved on to my next opponent.
Jorgen stepped up to my area, and the hunter swung a sword around in an arch as he moved into the ready position.
“I’m not as good with a sword as I am with a bow,” he explained when I questioned his weapon of choice. “I need practice with blocking.”
