A dragonslayers tale

The next morning was grey, and the clouds did hang low, as if it was gonna rain. The villagers had been burned and the blackened squares of soil were like open graves, speaking of death and despair. Phraan had a headache as he woke up, Vitile had curled up next to him and she was still sleeping, her face revealed worries. He sighed, stared up at the canvas, not knowing what to think, what to do. Five of those smaller dragons and one huge one, and a village which had been obliterated, it couldn’t be the only one. People did flee, villages had burned. Why not this one? Why had those dragons just crushed everything? It didn’t make sense, unless the five had arrived after the attack and the huge monster was the one responsible for the whole mayhem. That meant that they were co-operating somehow, even if they were of different species and that was new. Phraan closed his eyes, tears did still burn in them and he swallowed not to sob. It felt so unfair, but what were they to do? They were just one group, and these new horrors were beyond them. The alchemist had killed the five but he was just one man and he couldn’t possibly kill that many more? He pulled Vitile closer to him, held her and felt the warmth of her, took comfort in her presence. She had always been the one to keep him stabile, to show him the way. He had been reckless back then, sometimes almost suicidal. He hadn’t truly cared that much about anything except the feeling of victory, of knowing he had conquered yet another monster. She had been the balance of him and she had been well aware of that fact.

There was the sound of a horn, horses were whinnying, orders being shouted and he sighed and shook her gently. She yawned and sat up, her eyes were a bit red, perhaps that was no wonder, they had all wept. She pulled the blanket tighter around her elegant frame and bit her lower lip. “Phraan, I went out last night, after you fell asleep.”

He frowned, searching for his underwear. “You did?”

She nodded, the long silky hair like a curtain around her face. “Yes, I checked the large dragon, it too had a gem in its chest”

He stiffened, dropped his pants, stared at her. “It did? Oh Gods, that means…”

She looked at him with large eyes. “They all have one, it is deliberate Phraan, not nature. It is an attack against the realm.”

He reached out, took her hand. “I have hard time believing it, but…it sounds so real”

She nodded. “I have put the gems in my saddle, the horn is hollow. If we had had a magician I bet that person could have determined where they come from, what sort of history they have”

He felt a sting of anger towards the king who had sent them off without a mage, but there wasn’t anything they could do about that now. “What are you gonna do?”

His voice was low and she sighed again, her elbows resting on her knees. “Keep them, see if we can find out more. I don’t like them, they are bad magic.”

Phraan took a deep breath. “If just someone knew more, I remember those stories, the wall in the mountains and the balance. What if the legends are true?”

She had to smile. “Yes, what if? But it is time to get up, we need to get going. There has to be something we can do to get a better view of the situation, to find out just how many dragons we are talking about”

He nodded, sighing. “What we need to do is warn the king, and tell him that this is something nobody has encountered before. That everything is going to hell with record speed unless those beasts are stopped.”

She looked down, her face revealed a great deal of uncertainty. “Phraan, when I was out there, I heard something, or rather, I believe I heard something.”

He pulled his pants on, tightened the belt. “You did? What?”

She shrugged. “It could have been nothing but…I felt watched for a moment”

Phraan swallowed. “Vitile, take care of yourself, never go anywhere unarmed. I don’t like the feel of this.”

She grasped for her tunic. “Neither do I”

He stared at her as she got dressed, why would anybody be out there, watching her without letting themselves be known? He just felt strange, as if he too was being watched and that by someone with ill intent. They left the tent and the camp was being broken by the soldiers, tents reassembled and packed away and Tersus stood by the carcass and he was making drawings of the beast. Ivran had just gotten up and he did look rather disheveled, Phraan still couldn’t help but think that he had seen something, but what? Why didn’t he tell them? Fastonar came walking at a brisk pace. “I say we do get back as fast as possible, I don’t like being out here now, not with monsters like that flying around. The Gods alone knows what else could be out there”

Dhokay and Shaluun had shared a tent that night, both looked as if they hadn’t slept at all and the two wood elves were still wearing the sorrow bands. Rhuk and Dabin went to the river to wash the ash out of their hair, they returned looking like cats which had been half drowned and Phraan pulled Fastonar aside. “Do you have any idea of what to do next? We cannot fight such monsters, we don’t know enough!”

Fastonar looked down. “Look, Kapha was my friend too, I…I was very fond of him, and the loss…I am sorry but…The best we can do from now on is simply warn people, help them get out of harm’s way. Those dragons, they don’t behave the way they used to, it is as if they are set upon destruction and only that. It is frightening.”

Phraan nodded. “Indeed it is”

Fastonar patted him on the back. “We will get back to the city, then we will make plans”

Phraan smiled and started helping the soldiers roll up the remaining tents. The faster they got away from there the faster he could put it all behind him. Ivran stood by the carcass and he felt angry and also confused. The dark simmering feeling he had felt had vanished, it was gone. The dragon had been cut open by Tersus and for some reason the magic wasn’t there anymore. Had the alchemist something to do with it? He doubted it somehow. Ivran frowned, he intended to keep his eyes open, if he was to carry the burden of having inherited his grandfather’s powers then he ought to use them for something good, and he was sure he could sense it if that magic appeared again. He would try to find out what it had been.

The soldiers were quiet as they rode past the remains of the village, one of the officers did throw a torch onto the dry wood, just to cleanse the place. There shouldn’t be anything left to tempt those able to pillage the ruins. Tersus stood in the chariot with the mine of a king but there were shadows in his eyes and Ivran felt that he perhaps was the one who saw deepest of them all. They knew the way now and the horses knew that they were heading back to the stables and thus the ride was fast but relatively easy. They returned to the city just after it got dark and the place did simmer with activity. While they had been away a convoy of refugees had been attacked by a horde of small flying dragons and many had been killed. Luckily the dragons too had suffered losses since there had been archers among the refugees and a small group had brought one of the dead creatures to the city. The survivors were heading south but there had been wounded and they had been taken to the city. Phraan ran to the officer’s tent the moment he heard of the dead dragons, the animal was laid on display there and he stopped in the doorway, staring at the creature. It was larger than a blood wing, and it had an uncanny red color and its claws were razor sharp and long. The greatest difference though was in its eyes, they were huge and Phraan immediately knew what that meant. “These dragons are bred for night attacks”

The officer who was present nodded. “Yes, they did come at night”

The half elf stared at the man. “The ones who brought it here, where are they? I need to speak with them, it is urgent”

The officer pointed. “They are in the infirmary, there were wounded among them”

Phraan just bowed his head and ran off. The infirmary was a tent, placed close to the wall where it was shade and where the wind didn’t get so cold. He entered and found three men standing by a bed and two women were there too. One was old, her back bent and her face wrinkled and grey but the eyes were clear and piercing. She wore a very elaborate headdress and lots of jewelry and Phraan immediately knew that she was a person of considerable power. They stared at him and he grimaced, realized that they probably found the sight of him intimidating since he was dressed like a warrior and were armed. “My pardons, but you brought that dead dragon here, what can you tell me of the attack? “

The old woman stared at him, her eyes were rather hard and her expression one of grief. “They came suddenly, with the dusk. But there was still some light left, and our archers managed to fell some”

Phraan saw that the beds were occupied by mostly younger people, and they didn’t appear to have burns but rather cuts and bites. “Was the flock large?”

The woman nodded and one of the adult men made a grimace, his face was a bit pale and he had blood in his hair but didn’t appear to be severely wounded. “We counted about fifty, but we did see a larger flock in the distance, maybe two hundred, three hundred? It was hard to tell since it was getting dark so fast. But they made a terrible racket, and did smell too”

Phraan saw that the people weren’t local. Their clothes and the accent with which they spoke told him that beyond any doubt. “But arrows did kill them?”

The man nodded slowly. “Yes, if you hit the head, from the underside. The chest appeared to be too hard to penetrate”

Phraan knew it was important information, he ought to tell the others right away. The old woman did raise her chin. “We have travelled far, from the lake by the foot of the mountains. The dragons came and ate our sheep and then they burned our tents and huts and chased us away. They will continue until they have reached the far south.”

Phraan stared at her, his eyes narrow. “Why do you say that?”

She looked him straight in the eye. “I say that because it is the truth, because it is what the ancestors warned us about. The dragons will rule this land, and everything will be ashes”

Phraan saw that she was trembling ever so slightly, her voice told of fear and a lack of hope and he wished that he could have comforted her somehow. “It could be that they will return to wherever they come from?”

The man shook his head. “No, Irife is speaking the truth, the tales all speak of a time when the dragons will break free from their leash and take over the world, unless certain things do happen”

Phraan had to turn and look at him. “Excuse me, their leash?”

The man nodded solemnly. “Yes, the dark brothers are behind all of this, they unleashed the dragons the last time, and they will unleash them again but then the dragons will be too strong and destroy their masters and it may all end in flames”

Phraan had to frown and his eyes did probably speak of disbelief. “That is a new one, I have never heard of that tale”

The young woman had been sitting until now, she was looking at one of the wounded persons and she hadn’t even looked at Phraan. He did see that she had her hair covered by a very colorful scarf as it was customary in this region and her dress too looked very elaborate. Now she turned around and Phraan was stunned by her appearance, she had a shocking lack of colors and her eyes were red. She was an albino and he had never seen a human one. She was smiling, a very faint smile. “It is old, our people have preserved it for ages, as a warning. The dark ones will return but their arrogance will be their downfall”

Phraan took a deep breath. “Listen, I have heard legends speaking of that brotherhood and their dedication to chaos but there is nothing proving that they are behind it all? They disappeared thousands of years ago.”

The old woman pulled her scarf tighter around herself. “When the dragons do fly again they have awakened anew. My mother told me that, as her mother told her. They have returned, mark my words”

The young woman sighed. “And all we are left to do is flee and mourn our dead”

Phraan looked at the row of wounded, he swallowed hard. “Have you lost many?”

The man answered, he was holding his fur hat in his hands, fidgeting with it. “Some now, many before. Most of our old decided to stay behind, they couldn’t travel and chose to die where they had lived.”

Phraan felt a lump form in his throat. “That is too bad, I was afraid of something like this when I was called back into service”

The man stared at him. “You are a slayer? Good, then you know that these dragons are different from the ones which ravaged the lands fifty summers ago. They cannot be beaten”

The young woman looked at him, the red eyes were unreal. “Strangle the source, dam the river, it is the only way”

The old woman put a shaking hand on the girls shoulder. “Imeah is a seer, and our healer. Her powers are growing, but she cannot yet control them very well.”

Phraan blinked. “A seer? That is rare, and a healer too?”

Imeah looked down. “I was born with those gifts, it is my gift and my curse. My path is not my own to rule, I am a pawn of fate herself”

The old woman sent Phraan a faint and somewhat melancholic grin. “She is our treasure, the one who sees the truth of all”

The albino girl appeared to blush a bit, she looked down and Phraan did notice that she had a veil attached to her head dress. “I have to cover my face when I am outside in the sun, it has to be that way, I burn easily”

Phraan sent her a small smile. “I understand, some people have sensitive skin”

The old woman sat down. “We will stay here until our wounded are strong enough to travel, heed my words dragon slayer, these beasts cannot be fought one by one”

Phraan felt that she was right, but he had to hope that they could do something, no matter how insignificant it was. Imeah was staring at the young man on the bed in front of her again, she didn’t turn her head. “We will talk again later, there are things…you will need to know”

He frowned but she didn’t say any more and Phraan bowed and left the tent, feeling confused and a little shocked.

The camp was relatively quiet now, but there was lights everywhere in the building Tersus occupied and he did see that the others had gathered in the large tent for debriefing. He sauntered over, and was met by Crassian who held a jug of ale and a huge piece of cheese. “Get something to eat, the night is still rather young, and there is much to be discussed”

Phraan sighed and got some food too, he was hungry but his mind wasn’t into it, could it be that these old tales were true? He did believe in the powers, just as he believed in magic for it was something he did see every day but prophesies? That was a bit far-fetched the way he did see it. Oh he had heard a lot of prophecies, some grand and others not so much so. He had to grin all to himself, he remembered a somewhat deranged magician who had firmly believed that the volcano dominating one of the islands close to the western coast was going to explode. The man had been so adamant in his belief that he had gone to the ruler of that area and demanded that the entire coastline was evacuated. The king hadn’t believed him at first but after a lot of heavy arguing the coastal villages were evacuated and the magician stayed behind to try to soothe the spirits of the angry mountain. What he really did was steal every little thing worth having before he stole a ship and sailed off.

Prophecies could be used for many a purpose and Phraan knew that the academy forbid its students from trying to see the future. There were spells which enabled you to do so to a certain degree but they couldn’t be trusted at all. Natural seers were a different thing all together, they couldn’t control their visions and neither did they get any explanations as to why they saw what they did. Nobody could deny a natural born seer the right to be who they were born to be but few if any did put full faith in what these individuals did tell. Vitile came forth and hugged Phraan. “So, what did you find out?”

He smiled down at her. “These small flying dragons can be shot, through the underside of the head. But the flocks are large and can do great damage”

Vitile sighed. “And they can fly at night, damn it, that is not good news”

Phraan took a deep breath. “I spoke with some of the refugees. They come from the far north, have travelled for quite a while. They have a seer among them”

Vitile frowned and looked a bit stunned. “A seer? Really? That is quite special, who is he?”

Phraan shook his head. “She, it is a girl, her name is Imeah and she is an albino”

Dhokay did look fascinated. “That gift often is followed by a physical handicap, at least in humans. I met a seer once, he was very powerful but couldn’t move, his legs were dead.”

Ivran had been sitting by a table drinking on his own, but now he started listening. A seer? He had never met one, but the masters at the academy said that some seers were mad and others touched by the Gods themselves. Could this girl have true powers? Shaluun was speaking to Taurin in the soft elvish language and Fastonar was looking at maps, his face was grim. “I have no idea of what to do, honestly! There are too many people in danger and we do not have any way of knowing for how far the dragons have spread now. Have this camp received news from the south lately?”

The commander had agreed to come to the meeting and he shook his head. “No, we normally receive pigeons from the other camps up north one a week but we haven’t received any for at least three weeks now. We fear the worst”

Fastonar took a deep breath. “How far away is the nearest camp?”

The commander Janok and his officers did look at each other. “A five days ride to the west of here, along the trading route. It is a small camp though, just one officer and twenty soldiers. They guard an important bridge”

Fastonar nodded. “I see it here on the map. Send four riders there tomorrow, we do need to know if they have heard something from the west, and to the east I see one camp too but that is way too far away”

The commander nodded. “Indeed it is, two weeks of ride. And you have to cross a desert to get there”

Fastonar looked at the map. “Have they ever failed to deliver reports before?”

Janok shook his head. “No, but considering the situation it isn’t that odd really”

Fastonar sighed. “Folks, we need to rest and to think, we’ll assemble again tomorrow evening to discuss the further path of actions. The one thing we can agree on already now is that we cannot hope to just ride out and kill dragons the ways we used to, these beasts are way too hard to slaughter.”

Everybody mumbled and Phraan was thinking of the prophecies they had heard and his mind was working and dragging him in a direction he didn’t like at all. He left the tent and walked over to the corrals to check on his horse. In the old days they would use spears against the dragons, and ropes too. They would dig traps with skewers at the bottom, logs with spearheads which would fall down onto the dragons, even leave poisoned baits. Now these options were useless, or at least it seemed so. He groomed Drake for a good hour and when he left the corral he saw Ivran standing on the wall, the young man looked towards the south and Phraan didn’t know how to read the expression within his eyes. He walked up and Ivran saw him, made a grimace. Phraan sighed. “You don’t want me here?”

Ivran looked down. “No, I mean...it is alright. I just…”

Phraan saw that the young human was struggling with something and he had never left the feeling that Ivran was hiding something behind. “You need to let something off your chest right?”

Ivran bit his lower lip, his eyes were moist. “I…I killed that dragon, I admit it, it was me. But I have no idea of how I did it.”

Phraan took a deep breath. “You are a mage after all?”

Ivran shook his head. “No, I am not. I haven’t passed my tests, I studied for so many years and I never managed to do anything right. They had to let me go in the end, since I was unable to learn.”

Phraan looked confused. “Really? But…”

Ivran sighed, his shoulder slumped forward. “I feel so…guilty, if I had tried perhaps I could have killed that huge one, before it killed Kapha. I should have told you but I haven’t dared to”

Phraan frowned, he did feel a sting of anger and he sent the young man a rather harsh glance. “Why? Do you think we are some sort of threat to you?”

Ivran sniffed. “No, I just…listen, my grandfather was a great magician, capable of doing things nobody else would even dream of. And I have inherited his powers, but I don’t know how to use them yet. I did see him in a vision and he warned me, told me not to tell anybody of this, for there are enemies out there, who would do anything to possess the magic I now harbor”

Phraan stared at the young man, saw the sincerity of his soul and understood. “I see, it is wise then to keep it hidden, but you do have some idea of what you are capable of? Vitile said that the heart of that dragon had exploded from the inside”

Ivran sat down, his legs dangling over the edge of the wall. “When I first noticed my gift…this is embarrassing but it did include a girl I liked”

Phraan tilted his head. “Why do I get the feeling that this is something you find difficult?”

He made his voice playful and Ivran was blushing like a beet, his eyes cast down. “I…I wanted to see…more of her if you catch my drift? And she fell and her skirts did fly up and well, I saw it all”

Phraan had to snicker. “That sounds like most young males yes, eager to catch a glimpse of the ladies.”

Ivran was biting his lower lips, the deep blush getting even deeper. “Uh, what happened next was…strange. She came to me, I was in the dorm thinking about her and she…she just…you know”

Phraan lifted his head, eyes narrow. “She fucked you? And she hadn’t shown any interest in you before? What exactly did you think back then, and when that dragon charged?”

Ivran blinked. “Uh, I just thought that I wanted her, imagined her with me, and she did show up just like that. And the dragon? I guess I wanted it to die, I shouted something but I cannot remember what”

Phraan swallowed. “Ivran, a gift like that is extremely rare, and you have got to learn how to use it. You have been taught discipline haven’t you? How to meditate and ease your mind?”

Ivran nodded. “Of course, I did way more meditating than the other students, the masters believed that maybe that was what I needed to be able to use spells like the others”

Phraan took a deep breath. “Ivran, to be able to use magic without the focus of a spell should be impossible. And yet you do it, did your grandfather do the same thing?”

Ivran nodded slowly. “Yes, but he did camouflage it, nobody suspected anything”

Phraan looked Ivran in the eye. “Listen, I will go and get Vitile, she is very smart and knows a lot about magic and so does Shaluun. Wait here”

Ivran nodded and Phraan left, Ivran felt both relieved and terrified, the cat was out of the bag now, anything could happen really.

After just a moment the half elf returned with the two and Ivran had to tell everything once more, from the beginning. Shaluun did look a bit shocked. “You have the original magic, the undiluted pure power. You have to learn how to control it lad, it could become so valuable.”

Vitile nodded but her eyes were dark. “Ivran, when you were brought here you were drained, your life almost spent. You had fired off all you had in one go, no wonder why that dragon was charred. You cannot do something like that again, it is dangerous to you and if there indeed are enemies around that much power is like a beacon.”

Ivran sighed and looked down, the arms crossed over his chest. “I guess I know that, but I just…I wish to help, I just don’t know how”

Shaluun put a hand on the young man’s shoulder, smiling. “I can help you, we had young in my tribe who had some magical abilities and we always tried to teach them how to control it. I can teach you those methods”

Ivran looked eager all of a sudden. “You can?”

Shaluun nodded. “Yes, and I suggest we start right away. If your powers can help us you need to start using them soon.”

Ivran smiled and his eyes were huge. “Please, let us do it”

Shaluun sent the young human a wry grin. “Alright, then let us get down from here, I suggest we go somewhere undisturbed to start your training. There is a small Holt of trees by the cliff you see out there due south, we can start there. Go get a horse, I will meet you by the gate”

Ivran nodded and sprinted down the ramp, Shaluun was smiling. “He is eager, I am sure he can become a valuable resource. With that sort of power there ought to be at least something we can do to help people”

Phraan was frowning. “I am not so sure that I like this Shaluun, he is perhaps powerful but we have no idea of just how much he can do. He did kill a dragon but that was in a fit of panic”

Vitile gave Phraan a swift hug. “Yes, but it does show us what he can do. His mind forms the magic, not the spells. There are no limitations to what he can achieve whence he has opened his mind to the possibilities.”

They watched as Ivran and Shaluun rode out, Phraan got an odd feeling in his gut watching the young human. Why he didn’t know, it was just some nagging sensation of having overlooked something, something important. They returned to the tents and tried to find some rest but it was very hard. Phraan was thinking about the changes which had happened to the dragons, and the gems Vitile had found. He had a bad suspicion growing steadily within his heart, these attacks had been just the start.

Shaluun had taken Ivran out to the cliff and lit a small campfire, it was dark and the skies were clear, it did look so very beautiful and Ivran remembered that the smoke and dust of the city had obscured the view of the heavens. He stared at Shaluun who sat down not far from him. “The young of our tribe would often prepare themselves before starting the training, by fasting or ingesting certain herbs. But you have trained at the academy for a very long time, so I guess you are as ready as anyone can be”

Ivran nodded, changing his seat to one more comfortable one. “Yes, I hope so”

Shaluun pointed at the small campfire. “Alright, look into the fire, feel its warmth and its ethereal substance”

Ivran swallowed and did what he was being told to do. The fire wasn’t large but it was warm and pleasantly so too for it was very cold there now. Shaluun didn’t move, the soft deep voice was very pleasant to listen to. “Think of yourself as a part of that fire, think of it as your breath, as your heartbeat”

Ivran relaxed, remembered the countless hours of meditation he had been through. He let that deep almost trancelike state descend upon him again and continued to stare into the flickering flames, doing what Shaluun said. The flame did stand still for a moment, then it started to move slowly, grow and shrink, grow and shrink in rhythm, with his breath. Shaluun watched in astonishment, the human did indeed possess a strange magic and this was the key to controlling it, his very own mind. The elf saw that Ivran was in a sort of trance and whispered. “Make a tower out of it, a structure”

Ivran saw a sort of cylinder made from the flames themselves and sort of formed it with his mind, he felt sweat pouring down his neck but he didn’t think much of it, there was as sort of shivering running through the flames and then they solidified, into a cylinder. The flame stopped moving completely, but it did produce some heat and he stared at it with huge eyes. Shaluun did look shocked. “Ivran, touch it”

The young human did reach out, slowly, the flame had become a sort of crystal, and he could lift it without getting burned but it was still rather warm. It was as if he had caught the essence of those flames in some manner. Shaluun was impressed and a little scared, transmutation, that ought to be impossible. “Good, you did well, how do you feel?”

Ivran shrugged. “Good, but tired.”

Shaluun swallowed. “Alright, just one more test, then we’ll rest. This one is hard, so focus your mind”

Shaluun picked up a small rock” See this one? It is small, and light, I will toss it in the air and you are to stop it, without touching it, alright?”

Ivran made a nervous laugh. “A-alright, I’ll try.”

He followed the small rock with its eyes and imagined it stopping just before it hit the ground. Nothing happened and it landed with a small thud. Shaluun smiled. “We’ll try again, just keep your eyes on it!”

Yet another miss, the rock fell to the ground and Ivran felt frustrated, why couldn’t he stop that tiny rock when he had solidified flames? The rock was tossed again and Ivran clenched his teeth together, focusing on the falling pebble. Suddenly it was gone, heading upwards at a tremendous speed. Shaluun did wet his lips. “Ah, alright, it isn’t falling anymore, now it is shooting for the moon I suppose. You used a bit too much power, try again”

He found another small rock and this time the rock did stop a few inches above the ground before it shot off along the terrain and embedded itself in the base of a tree with a loud thunk! Shaluun swallowed. “So, rocks can be used as projectiles, good to know. This time, just imagine the rock hovering, gently”

Ivran felt his heart hammering but he nodded. “Yes”

Two more attempts were needed before the rock hovered and Shaluun was intrigued. It seemed that Ivran had way better control of certain elements than others, fire was easy, and also water. Rocks were hard, but doable and when he tried to make the young man create a zone around them free of wind all they got was a mini tornado threatening to flatten the nearby trees. But the elf was very impressed, in fact he had rarely ever met someone of such immense talent and power. He patted Ivran on the back. “Rest now, you deserve it. Remember, focus is the key to success, do not let your mind wander in any way, see the goal ahead of you in detail”

Ivran nodded slowly, dragging a blanket around himself and the elf lit another fire. The old one was still standing in the grass next to them, a cylinder of light and warmth, like a frozen flame. Shaluun wondered what fate had in store for them now, could the young human really make a difference? He did hope so, oh by the gods how he hoped so.

The morning came to Mudwall with drizzling rain and a wind which was so cold you felt frozen to the core the moment you stepped outside of the door. The soldiers did get up to start their chores and the city was alive as always with people trying to buy or sell things and the rain didn’t stop that. The area around the house Tersus had been given had been sealed off on his request, he was afraid that some of his so called experiments could have unexpected consequences as he called it and the soldiers walk around that building very carefully and nobody got too close. The gates were guarded the whole time, the guards were changed every second hour now and the two who stood there now were at the end of their shifts and eager to return to the barracks and warm clothes and warm food. They were leaning against the gate, blowing warm air at their fingertips as they dreamed of their cots and probably also of payday when they could buy themselves a night out and maybe even some company. The first one heard the sound of hooves and straightened himself up, it was just one horse but the fog lay thick over the ground and muffled the sounds and he pushed his companion and nodded. “Someone’s coming”

The other guards grumbled and held his spear in a manner which was a wee bit more intimidating. The hooves got closer and it was soon rather clear that yes, it was just one horse. As the rider got closer both guards took their positions, one rider was hardly a threat but they needed to make sure that nobody entered the city without having been checked over. The commander didn’t want anyone to get inside who were ill or a criminal. Both gaped as a figure appeared out of the fog, it was a cloaked rider on a giant mule and the animal was wearing just a rope around its neck and no saddle. The rider wore a huge cape which covered the entire body and it was impossible to determine who or what this was. Very few people used mules for riding, they were usually rather stubborn and also not very comfortable to sit on. The rider stopped and the two guards stepped forth, the rider appeared to be unarmed and that in itself was very odd. Few travelers would risk traversing this area on their own, especially now, the situation taken into consideration. “Who are you, and what is your business here?”

The rider pulled the hood down and the guards just stared. The rider was female, and she didn’t look like any creature they had met before. Her ears did reveal that she was an elf but her facial features were different from any other elf they had come across. Her eyes were rather large and golden in a very deep tone and her skin was rather dark, almost like oiled wood. The most stunning detail was her hair, it had a very deep rich amethyst color and it appeared to be very long and thick. She was a stunning beauty and completely inhuman in a way most elves were not. The guards just gaped and she smiled, a swift smile from perfect cherry red lips. “My name is Zaray, and I am here to buy a horse or two”

The guards relaxed. “You have lost your horse?”

She nodded. “Indeed I have, some pesky dragons did chase it off, and I was left with my pack mule.”

The oldest of the guards were staring still. “But you were unharmed? That is rare”

The woman smiled again, she wore gloves and she had thick and good clothes underneath her cape. She did appear to be rather wealthy. “I was lucky I guess, may I enter?”

The guards stepped out of the way, bowed their heads. “Most certainly ma’am, there are plenty of horses here and I am sure you will find what you are looking for. “

The woman nodded her head politely. “There is one thing, some refugees I met said there were slayers here? Is that true?”

The guards nodded. “Yes, two groups, both very skilled”

She smiled and urged the mule forth. “Good, I have always dreamed of meeting a real dragon slayer”

She rode through the gate and the two guards stared after her, they had never seen anything more beautiful and majestic and the oldest one turned to his friend and made a grimace. “The queen isn’t half as pretty as that one, nor half as lady like”

The other one nodded. “I agree!”

The female rode towards the area of the city which held the inns, they were few and inexpensive and she stopped at the first one and dismounted. The mule was so large it made the horses tethered outside look small and she revealed that she was very tall herself. She stared at the door with narrow eyes, now everything did depend on her approach, her initial contact. They were all there, she could feel it, but how was she to gain their trust? She just had to wait and see. The innkeeper was stunned to see a very beautiful elven female and he did swiftly promise her both a bath and some good food. She carried her belongings in a small bag, she didn’t need much and rarely carried anything except the clothes she wore. Her only weapon was a dagger and a hidden weapon whose origin few knew. It was a bracelet attached to her left wrist and she stared at it with a thin smile. She would have to use it, there was no way around it if the situation called for it. If they were to accept her she would have to prove her worth and that meant possible exposure. She couldn’t hesitate though, she had to be ready. All would be lost otherwise, the balance had to be kept, no matter what.

She ate and bathed and then she took a stroll through the city, just to get familiar with it, it was like hundreds of other similar cities but she did feel the fear which rested in the hearts of everybody present. The last time dragons had ravaged these lands she had been somewhere far south, and the time hadn’t been right. There had been few things she could do. Now on the other hand…She just had to wait for the right moment to strike, and hope that the dark brother’s didn’t know what they were facing, yet!

Ivran and Shaluun had returned to the camp just before dawn, Ivran was so tired he was trembling and Shaluun held him upright in the saddle in front of him. The young man staggered for his tent and Phraan looked a bit worried. “Is he hurt?”

Shaluun shook his head. “No, he isn’t hurt, just tired. He kept trying and trying and he doesn’t know when to stop, but I have to say that he is amazing. When he learns to control his powers he is gonna be amazingly skilled. That is for sure”

The elf put a hand into his cape and pulled out a glowing piece of crystal, handed it over to Phraan who took it with wide eyes. “Is this…”

Shaluun nodded. “Fire, he can solidify fire, I have seen wonders this night Phraan. He must come with us, there is no other way. That sort of power can come in so handy”

Phraan didn’t doubt that, not for a single moment. He just wondered if the young man was ready to face a dragon yet again. Fastonar was walking by and saw the crystal and his lower jaw did almost hit his chest, Phraan had to explain it all to him and for a moment the soul-sworn did look shocked, or rather, confused. There was some sort of shadow in his eyes and he did clench his teeth but then he smiled and was himself again and Phraan wondered what this was, was Fastonar angry becauce Ivran hadn’t told them before, and possibly saved Kapha?

The commander had sent out riders and also pigeons and he was also trying to get a clear picture of how many people did region did house. There hadn’t been any attempt at counting the number of people living there since the area was free of taxes. The king had declared that the region was too devastated after those years of dragon attacks to pay any tax. He didn’t want to plunge already poor citizens of his realm into starvation and for that he had become very popular indeed. The people living in the city did provide him with some information and the refugees who had sought protection there or passed by had also given him some numbers. The habitation as far spread and some were nomads, thus the numbers were estimates at best but it was still chilling. Several tens of thousands of people lived this far north and if the dragons attacked all the regions along the mountains the death toll could be astronomical. Janok didn’t want to think about it. He was already making plans, they had to send riders south soon, ask for more soldiers to escort the refuges and keep them safe. When a society faces collapse the way it did now there will always be those desperate or wicked enough to prey upon the weak and Janok knew of bands of outlaws who until now had lived in the most desolate areas. But the dragons would force them too out of hiding and into the light and the commander wasn’t a dragon slayer but he did know how to fight men.

The cold weather was hampering everything and Vitile and the other wood elves sat inside of a tent, taking care of their saddles. As most elves they did ride with just a sort of soft padded one attached to the horse with a wide strap and Vitile put her saddle onto a rack and sighed. Aiolo had been assigned to help them and the young man sat there rubbing saddle oil onto one of the pack saddles. He was as grumpy and anti-social as ever and didn’t speak even when spoken too. Vitile didn’t like him, she trusted him even less than she had trusted the dead drunkard. She and the two others got up to get some food and Aiolo just sneered at them and continued working, his eyes were so dark and she suspected that he was insane somehow. Phraan and Dhokay were explaining the different ways to spear a dragon to some of the knights and the men were paying close attention, they did also ask very sensible questions and Phraan was glad to share his knowledge. They were almost done when there was a shout from the watch tower which had been erected near the middle of the camp. “There is something on the horizon, possibly dragons”

Fastonar had been watching the demonstrations but now he suddenly turned efficient. “Get the horses, armor up, get ready!”

He ran to the corrals and the others followed him, Phraan felt his heart hammer in his chest, was this an opponent they could hope to beat or would they have to flee? Everybody found their saddles and their equipment and before long they rushed out of the gate. Ivran too had been awakened and rode at the back of the group and Tersus had gotten hold of a four wheeled wagon drawn by four large donkeys. The animals were surprisingly fast and Peter was driving. The wagon was stuffed with bags and boxes and Ivran was both curious and a bit terrified. The thing the guards had seen was a huge pack of dreklugnins and also some other smaller dragon species. Ivran saw some very pale beasts the size of a large dog and there were small dragons in the air as well. The huge pack was heading their way and Phraan shouted some orders. The knights did divide into four groups, each consisting of two riders side by side six men deep and all carried lances.

The elves had their bows ready and Tersus had some sort of device on his wagon which resembled a sort of catapult. He stopped the wagon and as the beasts came closer he started to fire, small bags of some sort which flew through the air and exploded in a cloud of powder as they reached the ground. The archers did take care of the flying dragons, they weren’t that many but Ivran saw that they had very nasty jaws and some did spew flames, although not very strong ones. The knights did do as they had been taught to do and Phraan and the others did fight very well. Dragons dropped dead when they inhaled the powder in the bags and arrows were flying overhead like a swarm of angry hornets. Ivran stood there, not really knowing what to do, then he remembered the lesson with the stones and imagined that the forwards charging beasts were stones, not dragons. He immediately felt a terrible jolt, as if something truly massive had crashed into him and he tumbled from his horse with a yell. He rolled instinctively but the impact had been so hard he felt he was slipping away. Shaluun stopped his own horse with a roar and jumped down, stood to guard the unconscious man. “Gods, so brave and so stupid!”

Several dragons had fallen as if their feet had been ripped out from underneath them and the knights didn’t waste any time but attacked with brutal determination. Rhuk and Dabin swung their axes with bellowing war cries and Dhokay used his great hammer as always. The battle had become a true fight now and every trick was legal. Vitile was shooting at the flying dragons, most were felled now and the rest were about to flee and she sent off an arrow with a curse, the goddamn beasts were cowards. She turned her horse around, aiming for a dragon which was heading away from them and suddenly the horse shrieked and stumbled violently. Vitile was an excellent rider like all elves and able to keep her balance rather well but there as a snapping sound and her saddle broke. The elf tumbled down with a shout, hitting the ground hard as she rolled away from the horse. The bow snapped in the impact and Vitile threw it away and tried to get back onto her feet, then a roar came from her right and she turned just in time to see that a dreklugnin had aimed itself at her and it was so close there was no way she could avoid it.

Vitile screamed to warn the others, she jumped, using all her elven grace and skill and managed to get out of the way as the beast snapped after her the first time. She had pulled her long narrow sword and tried to hit the eye on her way down but another dreklugnin interfered with her attacker and made it jerk back and she missed. She saw that Phraan was riding towards her, his lance held in the attack position and she was so very sorry, he would be too late. The other dreklugnin was just too fast and the jaws snapped shut around her legs. Vitile didn’t scream, the pain was just too great, she plunged her sword into the beast’s eye and the dreklugnin did let go of her with a hoarse roar, she tumbled to the ground just as Phraan hit the other one with his lance. The beast fell immediately and Vitile gasped, her field of vision was shrinking and she felt the life leave her swiftly, the legs were more or less bitten off, the blood loss simply too great. She tried to reach for him, to hold his hand, to tell him how she felt one last time but the world went black.

Phraan screamed, a wild cry of anguish and threw himself off Drake, fell onto his knees next to her. Shaluun came running, carrying Ivran over his shoulders. “Fast, your belt, tie off the wounds”

The tall blonde had already taken his own belt and now he attached it around Vitile’s left thigh, Phraan snapped out of it, doing the same thing on the right side and Shaluun was wild eyed and desperate. “We have to get back to the city, now! We are outnumbered!”