Dragons Descended Upon the Wicked (13 page)

Esork, where are you? I need you now. I want to kill Poloski more than ever before. I want to kill him over and over again.

The slow world Nick was witnessing resumed to its pace. Nick took off from the cabin in a sprint and began to deliver ice to the base of the fires. Nick looked to his right and out of the corner of his eye he saw Penny throwing water onto the flames. More and more people came running from Terrel to assist the camp. Eventually the fire was eliminated. The night sky was now a cloudy morning. Every able body was now picking up the dead and carrying them to a secluded area along the great wall of Terrel. Nick and the king’s men had to carry familiar faces and close their eyes. Everyone’s hearts had been ripped from their chests, stomped on, and then eaten by maggots on that night.

Jeffrey passed by Nick and said, “Come with me. We are going to the castle. I’ll need your help.”

The look on Jeffrey’s face represented emptiness. Nick shared the same face, as did the entire camp. Hundreds from their camp were dead from two consecutive attacks and hundreds more were injured. Devastation and torment for the camp was inescapable and at times seemed inevitable.

CHAPTER TEN

Everyone who Nick was acquainted with was safe. Penny’s parents were safe as were all of his comrades. The dragon could have done plenty more damage but its breath of fire only caught an edge of camp. Nick walked through the streets of Terrel, following Jeffrey and Andrew. They had finally made it to Castle Terrel. They walked along the bridge with the river that flowed beneath it and they went straight into the king’s room where the throne sat on top of the white marble pyramid staircase. Guards tried to stop the three men but they ignored their requests and pushed on into the room. Jeffrey demanded that Lord Senvot speak to them immediately.

They waited a few minutes before Lord Senvot made his appearance in the king’s room and sat on the throne. The fat, old lord exhaled as he sat down.

“Your people murdered twenty members of our camp last night,” said Jeffrey.

Lord Senvot rubbed his head for a moment. He pondered as he starred into the white marble wall behind the three men.

“I am gravely sorry that happened,” said Lord Senvot. “How do you know it was citizens of Terrel and not your enemy?”

“I questioned one of the young boys,” said Nick. “He stated that Hentrio was their enemy and that they want us all dead. They were, in fact, lead by one of our enemies, but it does not erase the fact that your people believe it is okay to come into our camp and commit murder.”

“So I shall simply believe your word?” asked Lord Senvot.

“We did not come here to play games,” said Jeffrey.

“Why did you come here then?” asked Lord Senvot.

“We need justice for our fallen,” said Andrew.

“Well, is anyone who attacked your camp last night alive?” asked Lord Senvot.

“No, but we have their bodies,” said Nick.

“So I cannot bring you justice even if they were citizens of Terrel,” said Lord Senvot.

“You need to make it clear that those in Terrel who wish to bring the people of Hentrio harm shall receive a sentence in your prison,” said Nick.

Lord Senvot chuckled and looked at the white wall again as he pondered and thought for a few moments once again. He scratched his long scruffy beard and tapped his right foot on the floor.

“Fine, that is fair,” said Lord Senvot. “I will post notes and spread the word that those who conspire against Hentrio will be imprisoned. Those who commit the heinous crime of murder shall receive a beheading.”

“Thank you,” said Jeffrey.

“Now let us talk about the fire that raged in your camp earlier,” said Lord Senvot.

“Sure,” said Jeffrey. “We tracked down the leader of the attack early this morning and found that he was none other than Poloski, a high ranking member in the six. We followed him and three escaped captors from our camp towards the main gate of Terrel. Once we got face to face, he revealed that he had a dragon with him and it walked out from one of the dark corridors of your city.”

“A dragon was in my city?” asked Lord Senvot with a booming voice that echoed throughout the king’s room.

“Yes,” said Jeffrey. “Poloski said if we attacked him the dragon would unleash its fury throughout the whole city, so we let him go in the hopes he would leave the city alone. He then flew into the city on top of his dragon and commanded it to breathe fire down upon our already ravished camp. Hundreds died last night.”

“Where are your dragons that you stated would be here to defend such an attack?” asked Lord Senvot.

“They are still not here and I am more sorry than you are of that fact,” said Jeffrey. “If we had but one dragon we would have seen that that man was ripped from the sky and thrown to the ground.”

“This is all terrible,” said Lord Senvot.

“I need men from your army to join my ranks,” said Jeffrey.

Nick and Andrew curiously turned and stared at Jeffrey.

“Why would I do that?” asked Lord Senvot. “You promised me protection and you give me nothing. Look at what happened last night.”

“In times like these the best defense is done by building a strong offense,” said Jeffrey. “I need only a dozen of your finest archers. I know you are all humans but I also have seen the capability you all possess. Humans can make fine archers.”

“What do you plan to do with a dozen of my archers?” asked Lord Senvot.

“Attack the heart of the enemy when the time comes,” said Jeffrey. “I know how vast your army is. It is comprised of thousands. A dozen archers wouldn’t even make a dent.”

“Fine; a dozen archers will be given to you,” said Lord Senvot. “I am only doing this because of my kind heart. If you do not deliver your promise of protecting my city with dragons then I reserve the right to take those twelve men back.”

Jeffrey walked up the marble staircase and held out his right hand to Lord Senvot. They shook hands and Jeffrey said, “That is a deal.”

“A deal it is,” said Lord Senvot.

Jeffrey walked down from the stairs and got down on his right knee. He lowered his head to the floor. Nick and Andrew did the same.

“We are grateful for your kindness and willingness to help,” said Jeffrey.

The three men rose to their feet, turned around, and walked out of the king’s room.

As they were walking away Lord Senvot said, “My condolences for all of your losses.”

***

Jeffrey stood behind the mass grave as snow fell upon his face. He had just finished saying every name of the fallen and had given a speech, speaking of their bravery and determination to fight for their country. Thousands of teary eyed people gathered around the grave to pay their respects. Hundreds had lost members of their families, friends, or loved ones. Heart break and torment was ever so present in the camp.

Jeffrey walked away and immediately began to try to reconstruct cabins and sent men into the city to buy supplies for making new tents. The clouds overhead were rushing through the sky. The clouds were getting darker and darker with each passing minute. A storm was brewing and would be there by nightfall. Protection from the cold was going to be a necessity and Jeffrey knew it.

Nick was nowhere to be found in camp. He knew the importance of helping everyone in camp. However, he still knew how important it was to have Esork back, both in terms of protection and the possibility of helping Thomas and Phillip. Nick made his way through the empty streets in the cold. Citizens of Terrel were in their homes, bundled up by fires. Nick wore a heavy coat made of deer skin and fur. It kept him bearably warm from the harsh cold. He made his way out of the city’s main gate and walked up a nearby hill, slipping on the snow covered ground and nearly falling a few times. Nick got to the top of the hill and looked out towards the mountains in the south. The visibility was poor but he knew which way to face. He dropped to his knees and looked out into the horizon.

Esork, where are you?
thought Nick.
I need you here. Everyone needs you. I cannot help everyone on my own. The world is a cruel place and the wicked deserve to have a righteous fate. Esork, please...please...please, come back.

Nothing. There was still no sign of Esork. There were no wings flapping along the horizon, no roar echoing through the wind and snow.

It is pointless,
thought Nick.
What good is being a dragon born if your dragon is never around?

Nick placed his hands on the snow covered ground beneath him and closed his eyes. He concentrated and cleared his mind of all thoughts and sights. With his eyes closed and his concentration elevated, he tapped into something remarkable.

Nick’s vision was transported. He was soaring through the sky thousands of feet above the ground. In his peripheral vision he could see two white wings flapping. He could not hear anything or control anything but he understood that he was seeing what Esork was seeing. He looked down and saw what Esork was flying above; it was Genold City. Within seconds Esork was flying above the arena. The vision was pure and clear from the thousands of feet above the ground. It was as if Esork could zoom in on targets from far away. The arena got closer and closer even though Esork did not descend.

Nick could see clearly what was happening in the arena. He could see Thomas and Phillip battling an onslaught of men and beasts coming from every direction. They were surrounded and had their backs to each other. Nick could see that on a balcony a man in a black hooded cloak sat on an elegant and raised chair. Three more were behind the man in black cloaks.
Vicon and members of the six
, thought Nick.

Nick’s vision was transported but his mind and body were very much still present on the hill. His knees and legs were cold as ice as he knelt in the snow, but his hands were no longer cold. His hands were burning from heat.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Thomas and Phillip stood on the elevator as it slowly rose to the ever-growing roar of the arena’s crowd. They grimaced in pain from the horrific brands that they had just received. They were tired, hungry and, most of all, thirsty. However, they understood that the longer they fought on the sands the longer they would live.

The elevator reached the top floor where the Genold City Arena was. The crowd was going insane, cheering out of pure excitement to watch the extermination of two members from the king’s men’s group. They were all branded as the enemy of Hentrio; now they could witness two of them dying.

“Where have all of the good people of the world gone?” asked Thomas.

“Only the wicked have come out to the arena today,” replied Phillip. “The good people of Hentrio are going about their business or spending time with loved ones. There are nothing but monsters here, my friend.”

The doors of the elevator opened. The two guards accompanying Phillip and Thomas pushed them to step off the elevator. They were in a rocky walled dungeon that had a steel metal gate leading to the arena. It was an area Phillip was very familiar with. The last time he was in a room such as this he had the idea that he controlled his fate and that he could fight for his life. Now he possessed no such ideas. Rather, he understood and accepted the fate of his untimely death.

Thomas and Phillip walked up towards the metal gate and it started to raise as another guard, stationed by the gate to maneuver the wheel, cranked it up. Thomas and Phillip were instructed to go out into the middle of the arena even though they still had their hands cuffed together in front of them. The two guards once again pushed Thomas and Phillip. They walked out into the arena and the gate slammed shut behind them. With their hands cuffed together the fight ahead was even more hopeless.

It was snowing heavily. The wind gave an unsettling chill that resonated in their bones. The sandy ground was covered in a thin layer of pure white snow. As they stepped through it their footsteps left a trail that revealed the sand beneath them. They made their way to the center of the arena while the crowd grew in loudness. They looked upon the wild excitement of the people in the crowd. Phillip had never seen a crowd go so ballistic before.

At the center of the arena there were two steel long swords. They were not in the best condition. They had chips along their sides and the tips were dull from use. They bent down to wield their weapons. As they were doing this the crowd began to settle down and became completely silent. Phillip and Thomas looked around the crowd to see what was going on and saw Vicon standing on a balcony, waving his hands to settle down the crowd.

“People of Genold City,” said Vicon in a booming voice. “People of Hentrio. Today I give you all a treat. These two men you see in the arena come straight from the king’s men’s camp.”

The crowd began to cheer and Vicon held out his hands once more to silence them.

“That is right, the same king’s men who came into this city and murdered innocent lives,” said Vicon. “These two men stood by their horrific actions and believed in their cause. They are our enemies. So today we will get to see them die. They will fight an endless array of beasts and soldiers. Enjoy.”

The crowd began to scream, chant, and clap as Vicon ended his speech.

“He is lying!” yelled Thomas. “He himself killed those innocent people, wearing stolen king’s men armor!”

It was no use trying to yell over the thunderous cheer of the crowd. Thomas and Phillip stood back to back. On the opposite side of where they came from another gate rose and three setar wolves walked out. The setar wolves were larger than common wolves and were notorious for attacking people around Hentrio when they felt threatened or were simply hungry. The dark grey coats of their fur began to accumulate white specks from the falling snow. The three setar wolves walked in a line towards the two men, snarling their teeth. It seemed as though the three wolves planned on hunting the two men as a pack.

“We can’t be back to back on this round,” said Phillip. “They’re too fast. I’ve battled one of these guys before, albeit I was much younger and the setar wolf was not as big. Aim for their eyes and mouths.”

Phillip and Thomas moved from being back to back to standing side by side. The three setar wolves came closer. The one in the middle slowed its pace while the two on either side of it continued to walk forward. Now the two setar wolves were ten feet from reaching Phillip and Thomas, one for each of them.