Omensent: Revealing the Dragon (The Dragon Lord Series) Page 16

  Leia looked up from her plate, and smiled at her father sadly.

  "Have you heard any news from the dwarves, or the lords of Sierra or Kainpre?" Sly asked through a mouthful of boiled potatoes.

  "There's been no word from Kainpre yet." Shirk frowned. "They are notorious for being difficult to deal with. I wouldn't be surprised if they slammed the gates shut on the city the instant they heard the news about the Etazk."

  "What about Sierra?"

  Shirk shook his head. "It's not good. As soon as word began to spread about the Etazk, people began to evacuate the city in droves. Most of the locals have already hopped aboard ships bound for the north or the east, and many of their own soldiers are deserting. As for the dwarves, we haven't received any word from them yet."

  "We should hear something from the dwarves soon enough," Damion assured them confidently. "King Garth and Queen Gretta are old friends. They're sure to help us in every way they can. The Lords of Kainpre, however, won't have any choice but to assemble their men once Bativa is finished with them. No one in their right mind would want to make him angry."

  They finished their meal, then Lady Skie and Raven took Leia to her chambers to rest, while Damarius and Dar hurried down to the Vaults where the old wizard had set up his workshop, hoping to find something in all of the old man's various designs that may aid in the defense of Sierra.

  "I need to make my evening rounds and make sure everything is still on track." Shirk sighed, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Would you gentlemen care to join me?"

  "We may as well." Sly sighed, staring at his empty tankard with remorse. "We've run out of ale here. Besides, we still need to go introduce ourselves to these mercenary friends of yours." He looked over to Slither. "You coming?"

  "Of courssse." Slither hissed quietly.

  They quickly made their way outside, and hurried down into town.

  "That should be the last wagon of supplies that they are loading right now." Shirk grunted, gesturing to a group of men who were busy loading a wagon full of heavy looking crates. "The caravan should be ready to depart once they are finished."

  "That's good." Damion nodded approvingly. "We need to make sure they get to Crete as quickly as possible. They're in dire need of more weapons."

  They continued to make their way through town until they reached one of the local taverns.

  "We'll probably find most of my old associates in here." The old bandit told them in a dubious tone. "I guess I'll make the introductions." He led the way inside of the crowded tavern, then paused to look around. "That's Juco. He's the unofficial leader of the group."

  The man Shirk gestured to stood out from the locals of Sevria like a sore thumb. He was short, standing around five feet in height, but was much more heavily muscled than a normal man, a trait he was obviously quite proud of as he happily showed off his biceps to anyone who cared to look. He was dressed in a black fur vest and pants that had been crudely sewn together with sinew, and soft leather boots whose soles appeared to be made from a thick durable rope, allowing the heavy warrior to move in virtual silence. He had a pair of brutal looking daggers strapped to his belt, and his long matted hair had been pulled back in a loose ponytail, exposing a long jagged looking scar that ran down one side of his neck.

  "Shirk!" The man bellowed in a drunken voice, throwing his arms wide, and emptying the contents of his tankard onto a man at a nearby table. "It's about time you dragged yourself down here, you old bandit! Have you been too busy posing as a nobleman to sleaze it up with an old friend?"

  "Well, as a matter of fact, yes." Shirk nodded. "I have been too busy. We're about to go to war with a bunch of religious zealots that want to carve out our hearts and present them to their god, and we're not even close to being ready to face them yet."

  "You worry too much." Juco glanced over and noticed Damion. "Whoa! Look at this freak, boys!"

  Several fur clad warriors turned to stare at Damion with unfriendly eyes.

  "And he has a pet lizard with him!" The muscle bound warrior gestured to Slither, who bared his teeth at the mercenary aggressively. "Is that your father, big guy?" He took a step closer towards Damion, flexing his muscles in an effort to intimidate the huge warrior.

  "Uh, Juco," Shirk's eyes had grown alarmed. "You really don't want to do that." He turned to look at Sly, who had wandered over to get himself a drink. "Aren't you going to do something?"

  "I am." He held up his tankard for the old bandit to see, then sat back to watch the confrontation with an amused expression on his face.

  The fur clad man ignored his friend's warning and stood staring up at Damion with an amused sneer. "You really are an ugly freak, aren't you?" He taunted in a slurred voice. "It must be tough going through life looking like that."

  "No harder than going through life as a dwarf." Damion taunted back. "You must have to carry a step ladder with you into battle with you. I bet you really make your enemies' knees tremble in fear when they see you coming."

  Sly snorted in laughter, while the rest of tavern fell deathly silent. Most of the locals quickly made their way to the door, while the tavern keeper and the serving girls hurried into the backroom to escape the coming carnage.

  "Are you calling me short?" Juco's tone grew dangerous.

  "No," Damion growled in an equally dangerous tone. "I'm saying everyone else is tall when compared to you, stumpy."

  "I'll show you stumpy, freak!" The heavily muscled warrior threw a vicious overhand punch directed at Damion's armored midsection.

  The huge warrior easily deflected the blow, then snatched a tight hold of the short man's twisted and matted hair. Without changing expressions, Damion lifted him off of his feet and held him out at arm's length.

  Juco started squealing in agony, his feet kicking helplessly in the empty air. "Shirk!"

  "Don't look at me." Shirk snorted with disdain. "I warned you not to start causing problems, but you didn't want to listen."

  "Don't just sit there!" The man roared at the other fur clad warriors, who stared on in disbelief.

  The warriors instantly jumped to their feet, but a hair raising hiss caused them to freeze in their tracks. Slither, his razor sharp teeth bared, stared at the men aggressively for several long seconds, then the huge shadowspawn slowly shook his head discouragingly. The warriors stared back at the hulking beast for several long seconds, then, one by one, they slowly dropped back into their seats.

  Juco, still squealing in pain, grasped Damion's forearm in an effort to break his grip, then gave up and fumbled for one of the daggers belted to his waist.

  "You won't be needing those." Damion deftly removed the man's daggers and tossed them aside.

  Juco's screams of fury could be heard all of the way up at the castle. He let out a strings of vile curses directed at Damion, but the huge warrior merely laughed at the man's struggles.

  "I bet if you swing him around a few times, you could probably toss him all of the way to the wall!" Sly pounded his knee in glee.

  "Please!" Juco finally began to beg, tears of pain and frustration running down his cheeks. "Please, put me down!"

  "Let me make a few things clear to you." Damion growled, bringing the man closer, until they were nearly nose to nose. "If you wish to remain here in Sevria, you will abide by our laws. We will not tolerate anymore disruptions by you or your men." He drew in his magic and focused it carefully, then released his grip on the fur clad warrior, who continued to dangle by his hair three feet off of the ground. He crossed his arms firmly, and stood staring at the muscle bound warrior with pointed expression. "Do make myself understood?"

  "Yes!" Juco cried in surrender. "I understand! I understand! Just let me down!"

  "Very well." Damion agreed in a reasonable tone. "Just remember, next time I'm not going to be so nice." He released his magical grip on the warrior's hair and allowed him to crash to the floor.

  Juco lay gasping on the floor for several minutes, then slowly climbed to his feet, rubbing his scalp gi
ngerly. "That was not fun."

  "I warned you to control you tongue while you were here." Shirk told him in an unsympathetic tone.

  "That you did." The muscle bound warrior admitted, still rubbing his scalp. He cast Damion an irritated look. "You didn't have to be so rough. I was just having a little fun with you." He stumped over to the bar and yelled into the backroom. "Hey! We need some ale out here!"

  One of the serving girls appeared from the back room with hesitant eyes, and quickly filled several tankards.

  Juco grabbed the tankards, then stumped back to Damion, Shirk, and Slither. "Here, a peace offering." He handed Damion and Shirk each a tankard, then turned to look at the huge shadowspawn uncertainly. "Does the big lizard drink ale?"

  "His name is Slither," Sly drawled from his seat at the bar. "and he could drink you and all of your men under the table."

  "Is that right?" He stared at Slither for another moment, then offered the tankard. "One of these days I'll have to put that to the test."

  "Anytime, ssstubby." Slither hissed back, taking the tankard.

  "Ha!" The muscular little man looked to Shirk. "You told me that things were a little different here in the south, but I had no idea it was this different." He looked back to Damion. "I'm Juco, by the way, the leader of the Silent Shadows. I'm guessing you're the man they call the Dragon Lord."

  "I prefer Damion, if you don't mind."

  "That was some trick you preformed there." He rubbed his scalp again gingerly. "It certainly gets a person's attention!"

  "I thought it might cut to the chase." Damion shrugged, taking a long drink from his tankard.

  "That it did!" The muscular man laughed goodheartedly.

  "What brings you to Sevria?" Sly asked, wandering over to join them.

  "Things were getting a little dangerous for us back home. A fairly substantial bounty was placed on our heads, so I thought it prudent to try and seek our fortunes elsewhere."

  "Shirk tells us your Silent Shadows are some of the best mercenaries money can buy." Damion commented in a doubtful tone. "Are your men really that good?"

  "Better." Juco assured him confidently. "There isn't anyone better to execute night raids on an enemy's encampment. No one can move through the darkness like the Silent Shadows."

  "SSSure." Slither sniffed in a mocking tone.

  Juco frowned. "Do you doubt me?"

  "Careful," Shirk warned his old friend. "Slither is a shadowspawn. His kind can become part of the very shadows themselves."

  Slither slowly moved over to stand in the shadows cast by the fire in the fireplace, completely disappearing from view.

  "Whoa!" Juco's jaw dropped open in surprise. "That's impressive!" He hurried over to stare into the shadows. "I can't even see him!"

  The huge shadowspawn stepped from the shadows once more, causing the heavily muscled man to jump in surprise.

  "So you and you're men have volunteered to help us fight off the Etazk?" Sly sounded skeptical. "I thought mercenaries only fought for gold."

  "That's true. The Silent Shadows only fight if they are paid to fight," The short little man frowned. "but the old bandit over there reminded me that no one has ever heard of us here in the south." He gestured to Shirk, who gave them all a shrewd smile. "He convinced me that if we helped to fight off these religious zealots, it would help spread our reputation, not to mention all of loot we'll be able to take off of their corpses."

  "As long a you and your men refrain from looting the corpses of our own soldiers." Damion warned him. "It's considered disrespectful."

  "A stupid custom, that one. What use is gold to the dead?" Juco sighed. "But we understand the rules, and are willing to offer our services, if you wish them."

  "We would be honored to have you fight by our side," Damion told him earnestly. "and if everything works out, I'll recommend your Silent Shadows to every merchant and nobleman I meet. That should help you drum up a bit of business."

  "Done then!" The muscular little man grasped Damion's forearm firmly in agreement, then drained his tankard in a single gulp. "More ale for me and my new friends!" He called to the nervous looking serving girl in a grandiose tone. "It's time to celebrate!"

  They lingered long enough to have a couple of more tankards of ale, then Damion, Shirk, and Slither left Sly and their new compatriots to continue their revelry while they finished making the rounds.

  After making sure all of the wagons of supplies were prepared to depart, they spoke with the leader of the soldiers assigned to protect the caravan.

  "Make sure these supplies reach Crete as quickly as possible." Damion instructed the armor plated rider. "These supplies are needed to help outfit our soldiers. Once you've seen the wagon there safely, find Ignan and get a full report. We need to know how things are developing there."

  "I'll see to it, milord." The soldier promised with a nod.

  They watched as the caravan slowly made its way through the massive gates of the city, then began to make their way back up to the castle.

  "So what did you think of Juco?" Shirk asked as they passed the tavern where they had left the muscular little man. "He's a bit of a character, isn't he?"

  "That's an understatement." Damion laughed.

  "He's always been a little eccentric," The old bandit chuckled. "but he's a good man to have at your back if you're in a fight. I once saw him grab a guy and..." He was cut off as a loud roar shattered the night.

  "That was a dragon." Damion frowned, staring up into the dark sky.

  "One of the scarlet serpents," Shirk asked with a frown. "or is it a shadow dragon?"

  Another roar shattered the night, sounding much closer.

  "I don't know. It may be the beast that I encountered in the grasslands." Damion told him in a tense voice. "But whatever it is, it's heading straight towards Sevria."

  Chapter 10

  "At your stations!" Shirk roared to a group of nearby soldiers. "We don't know if this beast is friend or foe!"

  The warning quickly spread throughout the city guards, and a number of soldiers hurried to climb up into the siege machines that Damarius had designed a few years before to help defend the city against the shadow dragons.

  "Can you tell which kind of dragon it is by its roar?" The old bandit asked Slither as they all hurried up towards the castle, their eyes still locked on the skies above.

  "Nay." Slither hissed, craning his head around in an effort to spot the dragon. "SSSlither cannot be certain which ssserpent it may be."

  They reached the courtyard in front of the Serpent's Keep just as another roar echoed through the night, this time sounding as though it came from directly above their heads.

  "Do you see it?" Sly appeared breathing heavily, a sign that he had ran all of the way up to the courtyard from his cozy seat in the tavern.

  "Not yet." Damion replied in a tense voice.

  "What, in the name of the gods, was that?" Juco demanded in a drunken tone as he hurried up to join them.

  "A dragon." Shirk answered shortly, his voice tense.

  "A dragon?" Juco repeated blankly. "I thought the Dragon Lord controlled all of the dragons."

  "Not all of them." Damion's keen eyes suddenly caught sight of a dark shape circling above. "I see it! It's circling above the city!"

  "That's means it's not the beast that attacked you in the grasslands." Sly grunted in a relieved tone.

  "Not necessarily." The huge warrior cautioned, his eyes locked on the dark figure above. "It might not be using its camouflage to conceal itself. It may believe that it is safely hidden in the darkness." He watched as the dark figure suddenly began to descend. "Here it comes!"

  The dark shape grew larger and larger as it dropped from above, until it blotted out most of the stars in the sky. At the last instant, the enormous beast suddenly flared its wings and settled gently in the courtyard before them.

  "Tempest!" Damion breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad it's you."

  "Who else would it be?" The huge sc
arlet serpent rumbled curiously. She gazed around and noticed all of the relieved looking soldiers climbing down from the large siege machines, then turned back to Damion. "What has happened?"

  "I was attack a couple of weeks ago by a dragon. We thought you may have been the beast returning for another fight."

  "Attacked by a dragon?" Tempest frowned. "One of the shadow beasts, no doubt."

  The huge warrior shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

  "You were attacked by a scarlet dragon?" The huge serpent sounded shocked. "How is that possible? Even now, I can feel the Dragon Gem whispering its call, influencing my every move. It would be impossible for one of the scarlet dragons to attack you."

  "It wasn't a scarlet dragon either." Damion quickly went on to tell her of his encounter with the strange chameleon-like dragon. "I've never seen anything like it! Its skin could shift colors and mimic its surroundings, making it virtually impossible to see. It was pure luck that I managed to fight the beast off." He looked up at the scarlet dragon questioningly. "Have you ever heard of such a beast?"

  "I'm afraid I haven't." Tempest murmured in a troubled tone. "No such beast has ever existed, so far as I am aware."

  "Well, it exists now." Sly grunted sourly. "It nearly flayed Damion before he was finally able to drive it off."

  "Damarius believes Draco created it using little Leia's blood." Damion informed her in a grim tone. "He thinks that's the reason the Dragon God had her abducted in the first place. He wanted her blood. He believes that's why Draco hasn't attempted to obtain her again. He has already gotten what He wanted. Leia also claims that she can feel when this new beast is close. She claims it feels like thousands of tiny bugs are crawling around beneath her skin. It has her quite upset."

  "This is disturbing news." Tempest clearly did not like what she was hearing. "If Draco has unleashed another brood upon the world, chaos will soon follow."

  "And to make matters worse, these new dragons are virtually invisible." Sly grunted, swaying back in forth in place slightly. "It's going to make tracking these beasts down almost impossible!"