Raulin's Oath

He should’ve known to stay out of the Priest’s tavern. There was a shift in power; it thrummed deep in his chest, and Jerry looked out the window to the raging sky. It was angry, deep gray nimbus clouds, swollen, prepared to spill back onto the earth. He shivered, paying the tab he’d opened at the tavern. A figure moved in his peripheral, and the hair on Jerry’s neck stood on end. This was bad. The room silenced as the figure moved closer, tucking himself into the chair across from Jerry. Jerry looked up slowly to confront the attention of the stranger.

“Gerald, how are you?” The serpentine eyes were fixed on Jerry’s. A horrific realization hit Jerry: he knew the creature sitting across from him. The gaze that pinned him to his spot was the gaze of a murderer and torturer. Of a dreadful, vile king. His heart seemed to stop, the world blurring. “Don’t worry, you are safe. You may drop your energy shield if you’d like. I know where you are now.” Jerry obeyed this command, his power now thrumming and mixing with the air. Lucius inhaled deeply, a moan humming in his throat, and he closed his eyes. “So much power from you, so much potential.” Jerry knitted his eyes together, shifting uncomfortably.

“Let us get to the business at hand.” He grinned, bracing his hands together and leaned across the table. “Gerald, there are many things to consider, many things that you need from me. I can give you the world, you know?” Jerry sighed, fidgeting nervously. He tried thinking of Arietta’s face, to the kind soul of her grandfather. He tried picturing Arkas, the grumpy old potion master. He tried remembering why he was here and to not be so horrendously tempted by those words. He couldn’t stand himself. He wallowed in self-loathing by being so intrigued with this simple statement.

“What do I need from you?” Jerry said this thoughtlessly, surprising himself.

The king let loose a dark smirk, leaning forward. He saw an opening, and the opening spoke of opportunity. Chosen or not, people were corruptible.

“Many things. You crave power. You crave freedom, justice for the hand the world has dealt you. Am I right?”

Jerry stared at his hands, nodding slowly.

“Boy,” the king sighed. “You reek of death.” He propped his head up with a loose fist. “Your poor mother weeps for you at home. She cries, she prays, she pleads. She already lost your dad, and that nearly ruined her. If she loses you too, she won’t survive.”

Jerry inhaled sharply at this. “We both know it, do we not? She is reliant on you. I know you love her, but I see a much darker emotion concealed under that love.” The King looked pointedly at him, and Jerry shrank.

“And that is?”

“Resentment, my dear boy. You resent that she cries for you daily. You know the amount of pain that you have caused her. You can’t have what you want with her still in your life.” Jerry’s eyebrows lifted; a look similar to rage flashed in his eyes.

“That’s not true! I love her,” he insisted, and the king chuckled in a rich undertone.

“Of course it is. I’m not here to judge you, but to help you. I know that you love her, but she is your only tie to the world that has given you nothing but grief and pain. Without that attachment, you could stay here permanently and be strong. No more pain or weakness.” Lucius took a deep breath. “I can feel your power, see your true potential. You could be a ruler here. There, you will die soon. I can make her forget you. You can still see her, check in on her, but I will give her the life she always wanted. I’ll give her wealth, give her a husband that has the strength to protect her, give her a boy that isn’t dying. On top of that, I can give you strength beyond your wildest dreams, and cure your ailing body. No ties, no death looming over your head; all your wildest dreams will come true. All you have to do is--”

Jerry interrupted, “Sell my soul, I suppose. Betray my friends, help you murder innocents, a small price really.” The sarcasm lashed at the king, and he slowly shook his head.

“No, I would never ask you such a thing. Instead I will present you with an offer. A clear conscience and a life of luxury. As I said before, you could rule over one of my new provinces. I could give you immortality and everlasting peace. I’m asking you for so little, in exchange for the world.” Jerry held his breath, studying the features of the snake.

“I…”

Jerry awoke covered in a sheen of sweat. The dreams were becoming more vivid each day that he spent in Draconis. Was he on the verge of accepting the Dragon King’s offer? He violently rubbed his eyes. Of course not! It was just a dream. He knew that time was running out. He needed to gather the information that he was sent to find before he was discovered.

***

Lucius sat up in his bed. A smile snaked across his face. Entering the boy’s mind was becoming easier each night. This kid, Gerald, was here in Draconis, searching for something. Lucius couldn’t read what he was seeking. Though the risk was great, he had decided not to alert his guards of the boy’s presence. The power that he could feel emanating from the boy could be of great use. He must tread carefully with Jerry.

***

Raulin awoke startled by the clash of swords and axes, the roar of a mighty beast. He snorted, eyes widening, realizing he was alone in the room. Where was everyone? What was happening?

“Raulin!” Dimitri’s voice boomed outside the room. “Raulin! The dragons are here! We need to leave!” Raulin gripped his battle armor in the quarter of the room with his teeth, slinging it haphazardly over his back.

“We shall not abandon these people in their time of need! We will fight!”

“Father, your life is far too precious to risk! We need your essence, your blood, for the blade! We cannot aid them now!”

“Check your priorities, boy. They can soak up my blood from the battlefield if need be; we must fight with the dwarves. They would never join us if we allowed them to be slaughtered.” He exited his room to join his distressed son, looking regal as ever. He nearly glowed in the dark hall, eyes burning. It sounded like a hell symphony, the screaming and clashing and roars melting together to create a song of the damned. If the stallion had to pull on his inner demons to end the cacophony of noise, then that he would do. Contrary to popular belief, he could dance with the darkness.

***

Armess stood at the foot of the great mountain with three of the hunters at her side. After a brief assessment of her surroundings, she concluded that the entrance was too small for her dragon form to enter, so as she made her way to the door, she morphed into her human form. Her auburn hair billowed in the cold mountain breeze; her slender body was midnight black with an emerald green cape flowing from her shoulders. As she entered the gate to the mountain, a frozen fog surrounded her as she felt the pull of the dwarven spell on her spirit. Her eternal self exited her body, producing an inky black cloud that filled the room, taking the shape of her dragon form.

“I AM THORUNDALL, FIRST KING AND PROTECTOR OF THE GREAT DWARVEN CITY OF DERGE! BEND THE KNEE, THEN REQUEST THY ENTRY INTO THIS CITY!”

“I bend the knee to Lucius, the true king. I will not bow to a pretender!” Armess’s raspy voice echoed in the chamber as the dwarven king appeared atop the throne.

“THEN BEGONE, VILE CREATURE! YOU ARE NOT WELCOME UNDER THE MOUNTAIN!”

Armess focused her energy on her physical self. Dwarven magic was strong, but it was no match for dark magic that she possessed. The dark cloud that was her eternal being began to swirl and slowly move towards her frozen body. It took all of her focus to maintain control of her spirit as she battled the dwarven magic. As the inky blackness began to enter her body, there was a blinding white burst of light in the chamber as Thorundall winked out of the room. Following the flash of light, Armess’s spirit slammed into her body. She quickly called for the hunters as she rose to her feet. The room was not large enough for her to take her dragon form, which was unfortunate. She would have to have the hunters do most of the early work. The three hunters moved to her side as she pointed to the granite throne, the only break in the smooth structure of the room. Armess’s tongue flicked through the air, sensing the warmer section behind the throne. She closed her serpent eyes and sent a thought to the hunters. “The throne holds the key to entering the mountain. Destroy it!”

Thorundall immediately ordered his army to the entrance. Hundreds of dwarves adorned in body armor, carrying their battle axes in hand, sprinted to the entrance. He then quickly made his way towards the chambers that had been reserved for their other guests.

The hunters made quick work of the throne that blocked the entrance. The three of them together had been able to rip it from the structure that allowed for it to be moved from the opening. They were able to fit single-file through the opening as they made their way to the city of Derge. Armess followed them, hoping that the opening at the other end would allow for her to take her dragon form.

The first of the hunters exited the tunnel before the dwarves could move into position. Godrin, general of the army, ordered for the entrance to be blocked as the dwarves surrounded the hunter. A loud crash echoed through the city of Derge as the dwarf miners pulled the keystones and collapsed the opening to their city. The second hunter bellowed in pain, entombed in the falling stone.

The remaining hunter roared in rage, her eyes glowing a dark emerald green as the army moved in on her. She opened her maw, and a brilliant green flame erupted. Armor and axes clanged to the ground as the first wave was turned to ash. The dwarves behind them who were unlucky enough to feel the secondary heat screamed in pain as their armor was melted and fused to their bodies. Godrin roared in anguish as he watched his brothers being incinerated, their bodies turning to ash before his eyes. He ordered the throwers into action as the beast began to recharge its fire. The hunter made quick work of those closest that had survived the flame, slashing with its claws and whipping its tail.

The throwers had loaded their trebuchets, and boulders were being hurled at the beast. The hunter charged the line of defense, rubble piling up at the entrance. As the dwarves reloaded, they made adjustments to their aim. The beast was simply too quick for this tactic to be effective. Godrin ordered his next line of soldiers into the fray.

The beast’s eyes glowed that deep emerald green again as Arkas’ voice boomed throughout the city, magnified tenfold by magic. “MOVE AWAY FROM THE BEAST!” he bellowed. He then focused all of his energy to the newly loaded trebuchets. “LET LOOSE THE STONE!”

The dwarves launched a second round of stones. Once they were in the air, Arkas altered their path so that the aim was true. The beast was crushed under the weight of twenty large rocks, and she panicked. Releasing another terrible burst of flame, the rock melted together, and she trapped herself inside the tomb that would bring her demise. The army cheered in victory, as Arkas’ voice boomed once again, “The beast is not yet vanquished! Only a dragon blade can do such a deed.”

Godrin hastily ordered his troops to regroup and surround the beast that was entombed in the stone. Dreadful scratching noises sang through the caverns as the other hunters continued to claw their way towards the city.

Thorundall joined Arkas and said, “We must begin forging the weapon immediately. The dwarven army will continue piling rocks to block the entrance, but eventually, they will enter our city. We must be ready. The Dragon King will rue the day that he awakened the sleeping giant under the mountain!”

***

Arietta bowed before the Queen of Ice, and the woman of great power looked upon her. Her eyes snapped to Gustoff and to the rest of their party, before landing back on Arietta.

“Girl, rise. I tire of speaking to old men who think that they are wise. The young will rule this world, so that is why I must hear from you.”

Arietta rose quickly, looking the woman in her icy blue eyes. Her face was ivory, hair frosted a snowy white, as were her eyelashes, and the eyes that Arietta fell into were blizzards of their own right.

“My name is Arietta.”

“Confident,” the queen noted, and smiled. “I admire confidence. Go on, tell me why you visit me.”

“I visit you, my Queen, because we need your help. I was summoned here to protect Palidonaya, yet the Dragonkind’s force is too strong. I watched them light Belamoris on fire, watched them slaughter children. I am frightened of what will happen, but likewise I will not back down. I ask you to join us. I ask Faendell to join our fight, and to put an end to their reign of terror.” Arietta felt as though she held the heart of a lion in those moments, and she held her breath under the cold eyes of her queen.

“My family was slaughtered by their kind. I was the third in line.” The cold queen’s face twisted into an icy half-grimace, half-smile. Arietta’s eyes widened, and she gulped, forcing her face back into a neutral expression. Nova, now in human form since they were within the castle’s crystalline walls, shuddered. “I was never supposed to rule, and yet the dragons made my reign a reality.” Arietta was horrified by those words, and the queen tittered sharply. “Girl, by the look in your eyes, I can tell you misinterpret me. I never wanted to rule. Either of my sisters would have been twice the ruler I was, until now, of course. My soft heart has now hardened like the ice-covered mountains we reside in. I resent the dragon that brings terror. My eyes still see the hellfire raining down upon those I held close to me.”

Arietta gulped, her eyes stinging. “Join us, then. Prevent this from ever happening again, ensure the lasting line of your blood is unfamiliar with the terror of the dragon. Fight with us.”

The ghost of a smile graced the Queen’s feral face. “I will join you under one condition.” She quirked a silvery eyebrow, and Arietta waited with bated breath.

***

The room was filled with a musty, thick smell, and Lucius, in his dragon form, was bathed in sweat. The light knock at the door made him hiss, but still he invited the individual in. Clarette, donning all her robes, entered and shut the door quietly. She padded over to his side, supplying a cool wet rag from within her robes, gently dabbing his forehead.

“How do you feel, my king?” He groaned, opening his eyes, the pupil slits adjusting as they focused on her.

“Do not dote on me, priestess. This task will bring a glorious reign of fire to all of Palidonaya.” He had a fever, and as long as he could stay conscious through it, the eggs should survive. The eggs had to survive.

“I’m not doting, I’m checking in on our future.” She nodded at the large sack at his back. The membrane was heavy against his skin, and he groaned.

“Five new dragons could be the difference between world domination and defeat. The pain that I feel at this moment is inconsequential. I just need to stay awake.” He paused for a moment, stretching his scaled neck.

“Are you in pain?” she asked quietly, and he closed his eyes with a sigh.

“Yes. All the great dragon kings have endured this same pain. My ancestors smile down on me, knowing that I continue my line. Yes, I am in pain, but it is with great honor that I endure it.”

“What will they look like? I’ve never seen dragons hatch before,” she said quietly, and she could’ve sworn she saw a faint smile on the king’s reptilian face.

“They will be beautiful. After the eggs are freed, it will be another few months before they hatch. The egg color tends to be the color of their scales. The young dragon is neither in their humanoid or dragon form. They are somewhere in the middle. Their shape is that of a human infant, yet their arms and legs are decorated with scales, tiny limp wings on their backs. Until they are able to shift, you will be looking after them.” Clarette, a woman of schemes, without a single maternal bone in her body, shivered.

“I’m… I’m not sure that is a good idea, my king. I am not a woman of children, I--”

He cut her off with a hiss.

“Priestess, raising a Draconis child is the highest of honors. You will do it, and you will do it with care. You wanted to serve, and so you shall serve our kingdom. I do not trust the other priestesses like I trust you, and you will look after the infants until they are able to transition to a member of the Draconis race. It is my command for you to do this,” he said quietly, yet sternly, and she dipped her head.

“If that is your wish, then I shall do it without complaint, my king.” He muttered his appreciation, dismissing her from the room. When this was all said and done, the world would be brought to its knees, but for now, he would have to suffer through the night.