Omensent: Revealing the Dragon (The Dragon Lord Series) Page 24

  They soon reached Bativa's rolling quarters and walked inside, only to find Leia sitting next to Slither on a pile of cushions on one side of the room, while the tribesmen Bativa had assigned to protect her were huddled on the opposite side with fearful expressions.

  "What is going on here?" Bativa demanded of the tattooed tribesmen in a bewildered tone.

  The men looked to their chieftain, then over to Leia, who glared at them with threatening eyes. They all flinched noticeably, then one of the men looked back at Bativa with a terrified look in his eyes. "There's n-nothing wrong, Chieftain. Everything was..." He glanced at Leia once more and gulped. "Everything w-was uneventful." Without another word, the frightened tribesmen hurried from the room, leaving them all to at stare at Leia with suspicious eyes."

  "What did you do to those poor men?" Damion asked, staring after the men in disbelief.

  "Nothing." The young girl answered in a sulky tone, scowling at her father.

  "You had to have done something. They looked terrified!"

  "I didn't do anything." Leia replied with exaggerated innocence.

  Damion stared at his daughter for a long moment, then looked over to Slither. "What did she do?"

  "SSShe threatened to turn them all into garden ssslugsss." The huge shadowspawn hissed in amusement.

  "But you can't use magic," Raven protested, staring at her daughter disapprovingly, then her expression suddenly became uncertain. "Can you?"

  Leia merely looked away innocently.

  "SSShe didn't need to ussse magic." Slither chuckled a deep throaty chuckle. "Knowing ssshe isss the daughter of the Dragon Lord wasss enough to convince the horssse-men that ssshe could follow through with her threatsss."

  "It seems as though Leia is turning out to be just like her father." Garth laughed, slapping his knee in amusement. "I don't know if the world is prepared for two of you!"

  Leia smiled when she saw the stocky dwarf, and she quickly jumped to her feet and rushed over with a silvery laugh. She suddenly stopped before him and performed a perfect curtsy. "Your majesty." She greeted him in a respectful tone, then she laughed again and threw herself into his arms.

  "Hello, little one," Garth laughed as she began to smother him in kisses. "Have you been having fun tormenting Bativa's kinsmen?"

  "Not really, but since mother and father decided to leave me behind while they went and dealt with the Etazk," She scowled and Damion and Raven, "I had to do something to entertain myself."

  They settled down around the large table, and Bativa ordered several servants to bring food and drink.

  "So what have I missed?" Garth asked as he climbed up into one of the padded chairs around the table.

  "Quite a bit actually." Damion quickly filled him in on everything that they had discovered about the Etazk, and the discovery of a new species of dragon. "So," He summarized with a sigh. "Not only do we have two separate Etazk armies, and a new species of dragon to contend with, we recently discovered that there were a significant number of spies among our forces."

  "I'm fairly certain we were able to eliminate most of them." Bativa told the dwarf confidently. "The few that remain will be ferreted out by the soldiers. Now that they know what to look out for, it should take them very little time to flush out any spies that remain."

  "What's our next step?" The dwarf asked curiously, accepting a foaming tankard from of the servants.

  "Our next move is to get reinforcements to Sierra." Damion replied, snatching up a sizzling turkey leg and taking a huge bite.

  "They're virtually defenseless against invasion." Raven agreed with a nod. "Most of the of the locals jumped aboard ships heading elsewhere when they received word about Etazk, while almost all of the city watch deserted. There's no one left to defend the city."

  "We sent Sly, Damarius, and a small force ahead to begin planning the defenses, but we need to get more men to them as soon as possible."

  "It's going to take quite some time to march a force this size all of the way to Sierra." Garth grunted, scratching his beard thoughtfully.

  "We don't have any other choice, I'm afraid." Damion sighed. "It's going to take a significant amount of men to repel the Etazk. We can't afford to allow them to get a foot hold on this continent."

  "Chieftain Bativa!" An injured tribesman suddenly burst into Bativa's hut, causing them all to turn and stare in surprise. The man had a bloody bandage wrapped around his head, and one arm was suspended in a sling. He limped towards the huge tribesman, his eyes wide with panic. "Chieftain Bativa! Kainpre has fallen!"

  Damion quickly leapt up and led the injured tribesman to an empty chair. "What do you mean Kainpre has fallen?"

  "The Walled City has fallen to the Etazk." The tribesman explained in a weak voice. "I had ridden to the city to deliver Chieftain Bativa's demands that the Lords of Kainpre send men and supplies to help combat the Etazk, but the lords refused to even see me." He drew a deep shuddering breath, then continued, a note of pain in his voice. "I had rented a small room in an inn near the northern gates, and had just returned after failing to gain an audience with the Lords of Kainpre, when I suddenly heard the sounds of fighting coming from nearby. Dusk had already fallen, but the torches that lined the streets provided enough light for me to see that a large force of men were attempting to overpower the guards protecting the city gates."

  "The Etazk infiltrated the city?" Raven guessed, her expression horrified.

  "They did indeed." The injured man confirmed with a grim nod. "Once they slaughtered the guards, they raised the gates and more Etazk began to pour into the city. That's when the slaughter really began." He shook his head sadly. "The people of Kainpre didn't stand a chance. I somehow managed to fight my way through the gates, and stole a horse from an Etazk soldier that I managed to kill, then I set off as quickly as I could." He sighed again. "By the time I finally looked back, half of the city was already in flames."

  "Gods!" Garth exclaimed in shock. "The Walled City of Kainpre has fallen? I would have never thought it possible!"

  "All of those poor people!" Leia had tears in her eyes.

  "Now we know where that second army is located." Damion growled angrily. "But how did the Etazk managed to get so far south without anyone discovering them?"

  "They must have found a secluded area somewhere along the coast far to the south." Bativa murmured, his face a thundercloud. "They had quite a bit of time to gather their forces and make their way north before we ever even learned there was a second army." He looked to his fellow tribesman. "What happened next?"

  The tribesman shrugged. "I hurried north as quickly as I could, stopping only once in a small village to get patched up." He gestured to the bandage on his head. "Once I reached Mercedia, I alerted the city watch, and sent word up to the Council."

  "You didn't inform the Council yourself?" Bativa asked in surprise.

  "I thought it best to bring the news directly here. The Council knows that we're at war, and Mercedia is safe from any outside force once the city has been sealed."

  "But what about the Etazk that may be inside the city?" Raven asked pointedly.

  "I made sure to include a warning to have the city scoured for anyone who may be an Etazk." The injured man reassured her. "I explained how they managed to take Kainpre by overpowering the guards and raising the gates, and warned them to take steps against it happening in Mercedia. By the time I made it to the gates leading north, the city guard had already been assembled, and they were stopping anyone that fit the description of an Etazk."

  "This certainly changes things." Damion frowned. "We can't march all of the men north as long as there is another force running around unchecked."

  "But we can't split up our forces." Bativa disagreed with a frown. "That's exactly what they want us to do."

  "I don't see where we have any choice." Damion sighed helplessly. "We have to get forces to Sierra, but we can't leave these Etazk to slip up and ambush our forces from behind."

  "How many me
n would you estimate attacked Kainpre?" Garth asked, his expression speculative.

  "I couldn't say." The tribesman shrugged helplessly. "There were several thousand, at the very least."

  They sat in silence for several long moments, still shocked by the news of Kainpre's destruction.

  "Why don't you just take the Deola to Kainpre to deal with the Etazk, while the rest of the army goes to Sierra with Garth and his dwarves?" Leia asked in a reasonable tone. "The Deola will be able to move much quicker than the rest of our forces using their horses, and they know the area better than anyone. That will leave Garth and his kinsmen free to help prepare Sierra for a siege. The dwarves are some of the finest builders in the world. They should be able to help Sly and Damarius with constructing the city's defenses."

  "That's true." The fiery haired monarch puffed out his chest proudly. "Give us a week and we'll have that city defendable. Give us a month and it will be impregnable."

  Damion stared at his daughter for a long moment, then broke into a wide smile. "I like that idea." He nodded at his daughter approvingly. "If we move quickly enough, we should be able to retake Kainpre and reach Sierra before the Etazk even set out of Salastar."

  "It's the best plan that we have." Bativa agreed. He looked over to Leia. "Do you have any other ideas that may help?"

  "Well," The young girl scratched her head, her expression thoughtful. "We can send Slither out to contact the dragonspawn. and have them locate where the Etazk landed before attacking Kainpre." She suggested, glancing up at the hulking shadowspawn. "Once the spawn have located where they came ashore, we'll be able to destroy them and their ships, and take steps to prevent any more Etazk from landing."

  The huge tribesman stared at Leia for several long moments, then he turned to look at Damion. "What are we even doing here? We can just have little Leia lead the army. The Etazk wouldn't stand a chance against her!" He looked back to Leia. "Anything else?"

  The young girl made a show of thinking it over. "Not that I can think of, but I'll let you know if something comes to me." She looked at the tribesman in mock disapproval. "You know, for an experienced warrior, you sure seem to overlook the easiest solution when faced with a quandary. I guess it's lucky you have me along to guide you in the right direction."

  "Thanks." Bativa murmured in a flat tone.

  She smiled at him innocently. "No charge."

  They hastily finished their meal, then hurried outside to assemble a force to accompany Garth's dwarves to Sierra.

  "I had my men make camp on the south side of the encampment." Garth informed them as the started to make their way through the muddy lanes that crisscrossed the camp. "I thought it might be best to keep them separate from the rest of the men."

  They reached a section of camp that looked remarkably different from the rest. The tents and structures in this area were significantly smaller, and had been constructed of an unusually dense grey fabric that Garth informed them had been woven from a durable moss that grew in their caverns in abundance.

  "It's called merilith." The fiery hair monarch told them. "It's light, thin, waterproof and fireproof. It can even be eaten, if need be."

  "That sounds like it could be some useful material." Bativa murmured thoughtfully, testing the feel of the fabric between two fingers. "It might be nice to get through entire rainy night without getting dripped on while I sleep." He looked to Garth. "When this is all over, I..."

  The huge chieftain was cut off as an earsplitting roar echoed through the foothills, causing everyone to jump in surprise. Nearly every man, tribesman, and dwarf stopped in their tracks and began staring up into the sky with apprehensive expressions. Many turned to look at Damion nervously, watching as he scanned the horizon for any sign of the incoming beast.

  "That was a dragon!" Garth growled, staring up into the evening sky.

  "Which kind of dragon?" Raven asked in a worried voice.

  They all turned to look at Leia, who had a look of extreme concentration on her tiny face. "It's not a veiled dragon." She reported finally as another roar echoed through the area. "I would be able to feel it with it being this close."

  "There!" Leia exclaimed suddenly, pointing to a dark smudge that had appeared over the looming mountains.

  They watched as they dragon quickly drew closer and began to circle above the massive encampment.

  "It's Tempest!" Damion told them, breathing a silent sigh of relief.

  They watched as the great serpent dropped from the sky and landed nearby in an open clearing, then hurried over to greet her.

  "Tempest!" Leia squealed in delight as she scampered up the huge dragon's armored back to perch on her broad shoulder.

  "Hello, little one." The massive scarlet dragon greeted her in a grave tone. She looked around at the massive encampment, then down at Damion. "I see your army is beginning to take shape. I hope it's going to be enough."

  "Why?" Damion asked, a sinking feeling suddenly appearing in the pit of his stomach. "What is it? What has happened?"

  "The Etazk army set off out from Salastar two days ago heading southeast towards Sierra. If the weather holds out, they'll be there in about two months time."

  "Of course." Bativa muttered in disgust. "They must have timed their departure from Salastar to coincide with their attack on Kainpre hoping they could catch us out of position."

  "Unfortunately, there's more." Tempest rumbled regretfully. "More Etazk have been pouring into Salastar for the last week. Their army has swelled considerably."

  "How many men do they have?" Damion asked grimly.

  "At least a hundred thousand," The great beast sighed. "All packed aboard ships bound for Sierra."

  Chapter 13

  "I don't care how long it took your stone masons to build!" Sly roared angrily, pounding the table with his fist, and causing the merchant to flinch back nervously. "The stone your mansion is built from is needed to reinforce the breakwater."

  They had encountered Relgin the Merchant earlier that day after the fat little man had discovered Juco's Silent Shadows hard at work disassembling the granite wall that enclosed his lavish estate. He promptly tracked Sly and Fedrio down at one of the abandoned tavern's along the waterfront to protest.

  "But I don't understand why you need the stone from my home." The pudgy little merchant whined, wringing his hands helplessly. "There are dozens of other stone buildings in town that have been completely abandoned! Why do you need the stone from my mansion?"

  "Because your mansion was built from granite." The little man told him in an exasperated tone. "Most of the other stone buildings in town were constructed out of limestone or coral. They're simply not suitable to use as building material for a defensive structure. Granite is far more dense, and can withstand the tremendous forces generated by the crashing waves. Since your mansion is one of the only structures in the city constructed of granite..." He held out his hands helplessly.

  "But... But there must be another way!" The merchant pleaded, tears streaming from his eyes.

  "For gods sake, Relgin," Fedrio told the pudgy man in a scathing tone. "Do you want an Etazk priest to stretch you across an altar and carve out your heart?"

  "Of... Of course not!"

  "Then quit worrying about your home. It's a small price to pay to be able to keep breathing."

  They watched as Relgin stormed away in fury.

  "Why did you insist on using Relgin's home?" Fedrio asked Sly once they were alone.

  "Because he's been an insufferable jackass ever since we got here." The little man snorted in amusement. "All he has done is whine and complain. I decided I would give him something to really complain about."

  "You're an evil little man, did you know that?"

  Sly grinned mischievously, then hurried off in search of Damarius, who was busy with the blacksmith, Stephan, pouring over one the many blueprints the old wizard had brought with him from Sevria.

  "I think steel will be more effective." Stephan was telling Damarius wi
th a frown. "With the forces produced by this machine, wood just wouldn't be strong enough. The first time you tried to fire it, it would shattered beneath its own power, probably killing everyone nearby." He shook his head firmly. "Constructing it entirely from steel would be the only way to make it functional."

  "That's a lot of steel." Damarius frowned in disappointment. He stared at the plans for another moment, then tossed them aside a withdrew a new set of plans. "What about this?"

  "What are you doing?" Sly asked curiously, stumping up to stare at the complex designs spread out on the table before them.

  "We're trying to devise something that will help protect the harbor," The old man grumbled sourly. "but Stephan here has managed to find problems with every one of my designs so far." He glanced at the scruffy little man, who looked even more tired than usual. "How's the work coming along at the waterfront?"

  "Better than expected." Sly yawned. "The men have created a wall of jagged debris in front of almost half of the slots along the docks. If any Etazk ship tries to land, it'll rip their ship's belly wide open, and send them to the bottom of the harbor."

  "Now, this may work." The burly old blacksmith murmured suddenly, carefully looking over the old wizard's designs.

  Damarius hurried over to look at the blueprints. "Oh yes, I'd forgotten about this one."

  Sly leaned in closer to get a better look at the design, and saw what appeared to be a sketch of a long heavy log that had dozens of thick shafts affixed with sharp steel points protruding from it in evenly spaced intervals.

  "It should be fairly simple to construct," Stephan continued, his eyes narrowed in thought. "but how will we deploy it?"

  "It's really quite simple." Damarius explained, absently brushing his brow lock from his eyes. "We'll attach cables to each end, then sink several of these across the mouth of the harbor. We'll run the cables through pulleys, then attach weights. When the Etazk try to sail into the harbor, we can drop the weights, which will raise the spiked shafts and impale their ships, then we can drop the counter weights, which will drag the impaled ships under. If we're lucky, we may be able to clog the opening to the breakwater with the debris from their own ships."