Dragons Descended Upon the Wicked (7 page)

“Not necessary, sir,” said the guard. “My apologies. All four of you are free to go.”

The guard quickly dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a silver skeleton key. He unlocked the door made of stone and pushed it open.

“Have a good day,” said the guard.

Mr. Goldstem smirked and nodded his head at the guard. Nick and Amy followed Mr. Goldstem out the door while he held onto the chain; Mrs. Goldstem followed behind. The door shut behind them and they all had smiles on their faces.

“That was a good bluff,” said Nick.

“I like to play card games and gamble,” said Mr. Goldstem. “It helps to keep my mind quick and my face straight. Where are we going to now?”

“Well, we have to find our transportation,” said Nick as he looked up into the sky.

There was no sign of Esork anywhere. He wasn’t flying around and Nick had been gone for a whole day. He had never been taught how to find the dragon if they ever got separated.
There’s only one place that he could be that I would know of. If he is not there then it will be a long journey back.

“See that hill straight ahead there?” asked Nick.

“Yes,” said Mr. Goldstem.

“We shall head in that direction,” said Nick. “I do not wish to alarm you all but I have to tell you something. I am a supreme Reza. I know ancient and long forgotten powers that every Reza possesses. One of those powers is being born at the same time a dragon is born. That dragon is forever matched with that person. Our form of transportation is on the back of a dragon.”

“A dragon!” yelled Mrs. Goldstem.

“Yes, but you must understand that it does as I command and it is friendly,” said Nick. “You have to trust me on this. If Esork is behind that hill you will see your daughter in a few short hours.”

They walked towards the hill. They turned the corner and stepped over a few loose rocks. Esork was there, eating a couple goats while he lay on the ground. All three who were with Nick were completely stunned and scared at the sight of the massive white dragon. Fear filled their eyes and Nick once again had to reassure them that they would be safe. He went over a list of commands with Esork to prove that he was capable of controlling at least some aspects of what the dragon could do. After his display they all felt a bit more comfortable, although they were still scared. Nick helped them up onto the dragon’s spiky back one by one. Before they knew it they were above the clouds and on their way to the north bend. Nick took the few hours in the air to talk about what the group had gone through and what Hentrio was up against. He described their plan and the trek to Terrel. However, the day was still young and Nick had a plan of his own for a few king’s men.

CHAPTER SIX

Esork flapped his mighty wings and eased into the crevice that was the north bend. Nick and the three who were with him descended from the neck of the giant dragon. Penny ran over with heaps of excitement. She was reunited with her parents. Tears rushed down their faces, they hugged each other, and then kissed one another. It was a beautiful sight in the days that had been filled with nothing but heartache for the camp at the north bend.

It was midday and Nick knew he had no time to spare. He quickly ran over to where the king’s men were huddled.

“I have a plan,” said Nick.

“And what would that be?” asked Tyler.

“We have started to train the capable men and women with sword and magic the past few days,” said Nick. “Have we not?”

“We have,” said Jeffrey. “We are making steady progress for just a few short days of work. What are you getting at?”

“We need to be prepared for everything,” said Nick. “We need to be more prepared than the six are. We need to match the power that they have. We need to be able to put up a fight when the time comes. I say that I take Jeffrey, Ron, and Andrew to the dragons’ lair to find their dragon. Today.”

There was no response, only silence.

“Think about it,” said Nick. “We are supreme Reza. If I had not been chosen to find my dragon, then that would be the end of it. No. I was chosen to lead the right people to find their dragons. The dragons are our allies. We were meant to ride them and we were meant to use them in battle. All we have to do is go to the dragons’ lair and you will all find your dragons. If there is one dragon for each supreme Reza, then we will have four dragons to fight with. The six have shown that they have three dragons. We will outnumber them in the skies.”

“It is a bold plan, Nick,” said Jeffrey. “But I hope you do not underestimate the power of a single dragon. One dragon can eliminate an entire army. If we use four dragons and battle against theirs, who knows of the damage and turmoil would result?”

“I understand that,” said Nick. “But either way we will be facing the six and their ever-growing army. They are taking every man and woman capable of fighting and adding them to their ranks in Genold City. They are making some sort of army of slaves.”

“What do you mean, an army of slaves?” asked Dani.

“First off, I have just gotten back from Vincot,” said Nick. “After a few unfortunate events I learned how they brand the citizens’ foreheads and only allow them to live in that city. Each citizen gets the first letter of the city to which they belong. They can’t go to another city and they certainly can’t be living freely. To top it all off, they are taking the citizens against their will and making them fight for them. They have no choice; there are no free men in Hentrio. We are the last free men and women.”

“That’s terrible,” said Jeffrey. “I predicted something like this might happen, but it is completely terrible. We will go to war with them. But who are we going to war with? The army of slaves? Are we going to march into Genold City one day and kill the very people we were neighbors with?”

“We are going to do what is necessary to save everyone,” said Ron.

“And kill innocent people who are being forced to fight?” asked Jeffrey. “I will not have it.”

“Listen to me,” said Nick. “If we have dragons we can get into the city. We can fly directly to Castle Teon. We can take the fight to their doorstep. We can end the war by ending those that created it.”

They all thought for a moment. It was hard to comprehend. It was one thing to go to war against an army that believed in the six. It was completely different fighting people who wanted nothing more than to be at home with their loved ones. They were to fight against people who they had grown up with one day. It did not sit right for anyone.

“I agree with Nick,” said Ron. “If we can take all of this to their doorstep, then that is an advantage we must take. I’ll ride with you to this dragons’ lair you speak of.”

“I feel I may be too old for such excitement,” said Andrew. “However, I believe that the cause is right. I am with Nick on this.”

“You say the dragons can be commanded?” asked Jeffrey.

“Yes,” said Nick.

“They know commands, but they also have minds of their own,” said Andrew. “A single dragon can kill all of us in a split second if it wanted to. How can you be so sure that not a single dragon will want to do such a thing? Maybe one will do it because it’s bored. Maybe one will do it if it’s hungry. Maybe one will do it out of pure pleasure.”

“It’s one thing to see me command my dragon,” said Nick. “But I feel a connection with him. It’s utterly impossible to explain to you. But you feel as though the dragon is a massive being that is simply an extension of yourself. The dragon is as good as you are, or as evil as you are.”

“This is the single most risky idea I have ever heard,” said Jeffrey. “The positives don’t outweigh the negatives and the negatives don’t outweigh the positives. It’s a gamble. I am not a gambling man. But taking dragons to their castle will be the best way to avoid the slaughter of thousands of innocent lives. The slaughter would be ten times as great as the slaughter those dragons would display in our camp. So, Nick, I will ride with you. I have never put so much trust into another man’s hands.”

“Thank you all,” said Nick. “We have no time to spare. Daylight is burning and the dragons must make their way to the lair.”

“This must be done today,” said Jeffrey. “We move towards Terrel in the morning.”

“We must leave now,” said Nick.

Nick, Jeffrey, Ron, and Andrew all ran to Esork. They climbed upon his back and made their way to the base of his neck.

Penny ran over and stood just five feet from Esork.

“Thank you again, Nick,” said Penny. “You have given me the greatest gift ever. You saved my parents. I love you forever and always, Nick Bint.”

She kissed her hand and blew him a kiss.

“I love you, too, Penny,” said Nick as he blushed.

The three men who sat behind him laughed as they witnessed the look on Nick’s face.

“Silner,” said Nick.

Esork rose to the heavens and began to fly north. Nick was not entirely sure where the dragons’ lair was. They flew for a good while. Nick finally began to notice some familiar features in the landscape. The mountain up ahead was closing in fast. It was the same mountain that kept the dragons’ lair hidden. Esork flew over the highest peak of the mountain to reveal the flat and barren landscape. There it was, the dragons’ lair.

“Looks like an arena,” said Jeffrey.

“That’s exactly what I thought,” said Nick. “Esork, taltu!”

Esork descended from the heavens and landed at the base of the dragons’ lair. The three men were amazed at the architecture and grand size of the walls.

“Do we go in?” asked Andrew.

“Not yet,” said Nick. “Every dragon from the lands far and wide are on their way here. They all sense that dragon borns have arrived. We must give them time to fly here or else you all risk being caught in front of thousands of hungry dragons. If your dragon is not there then there is nothing to stop the other dragons from attacking you.”

“Right,” said Andrew. He took a seat on the sandy ground.

“I will be right back,” said Nick. “I have someone I’d like you all to meet.”

Nick walked and circled around the massive dragons’ lair in search of Dricos, the dragon master. Before he knew it he had completely walked around the dragons’ lair and did not find Dricos’ cabin. She was nowhere to be found. So Nick turned around and walked the other way, checking every step to be sure he hadn’t missed the cabin. Nothing; there was no cabin.

Nick finally spotted a peculiarly shaped bush. As he inched forward he could’ve sworn it looked like a dragon, or his mind could’ve been playing tricks on him. At the base of the green bush there was a brown leather bound book, and in front of it was a tiny card with Nick’s name. He grabbed the book and the sound of a massive roar made him look up. A dozen dragons circled the sky and descended into the mouth of the dragons’ lair.

Nick quickly stuffed the book into the bag he was carrying and rushed over to meet with his comrades. Once again he looked around for any sign of Dricos as he ran but there was no sign of her; it was as if she simply vanished. Nick turned the corner to see his three comrades with their weapons out and staring at the sky.

“How many dragons did you say will descend upon this place?” asked Ron.

“Only a couple thousand,” said Nick.

They all looked at him with the a face of confusion and annoyance.

“Only?” asked Ron. “Only a couple thousand? This can lead to bad news.”

“Trust me, the more dragons, the better the chance that one of them is yours,” said Nick.

“And where is this person who told you all of this?” asked Jeffrey.

“Well...I...can’t find her,” said Nick. “She seems to have packed up and left.”

“How convenient,” said Ron.

“We must wait here and give it time,” said Nick. “I waited about five or six hours before I stepped in the dragons’ lair.”

“If we wait that long it will be dark,” said Jeffrey.

“I thought we were king’s men; we like ourselves a good challenge,” said Nick.

Andrew chuckled to himself at Nick’s sarcastic and witty comment.

“Easy for you to say,” said Jeffrey. “I doubt you will be joining us in there.”

“No, Esork is right over there. It wouldn’t make sense for me to wander into the dragons’ lair once again,” said Nick. “I’m going to tell you the commands you need to know when you find your dragons.”

***

Night had fallen upon the four king’s men. There were no clouds overhead; it had turned into a clear night. The moon was out and it was quite a spectacle. A full moon appeared every other week. The moon was not glowing white like it always was. No, this night was a full moon and it was blood orange. It sat against the dark background of the night sky itself and yelled with its extravagant colors. Ron and Andrew took it as a bad omen while Nick and Jeffrey took it as a good omen. There was no time to deliberate; it was time for the three men to open the door and step foot into the dragons’ lair. Thousands upon thousands of dragons had descended into the mouth of the dragons’ lair in the hours that had passed.

“Are all of your torches ready?” asked Nick.

The three men who stood in front of Nick nodded their heads in agreement. One by one they lit their torches with fire. Jeffrey opened the door and the two men followed him into the dragons’ lair.

Jeffrey closed the door behind them. They crept down the dark hallway with caution. With each step they took, the rustling and roars of thousands of dragons grew louder. Before they knew it the hallway had ended and they stood in the open in front of thousands of dragons, only they could not see them. Their torches illuminated a few feet in every direction and the orange moon barely gave light to a few wings and structures that moved in the distance. They walked further into the dragons’ lair with caution. After about ten steps Jeffrey stopped in his tracks as his torch illuminated the face of a dragon standing in front of the three men.

Something resonated within Jeffrey. He was calm and collected, unlike the two men behind him who were surprised and frightened by the appearance of the dragon. Jeffrey knew right then that it was his dragon. Just like Nick had told them, when Jeffrey looked upon the dragon he knew without a doubt in his mind that was his dragon born. The black dragon lowered itself so that Jeffrey could climb on top of the dragon. He sat at the base of his neck and looked down at Ron and Andrew.