Dragons' Onyx (4 page)

“I left it in the factory,” shrugged Wylan. “I am sure it was just meant to cheer me up anyways. I can’t really be a Knight of Alcea and be blind. Arik would not waste his time talking to me anymore.”

“Well I brought it with us,” grinned Sheri. “And you should not judge King Arik like that. He cares for all of his people, and that means you as well. Here, put it on.”

“I will not wear that in public,” Wylan retorted stubbornly. “The tunic of the Knights of Alcea is a symbol of greatness. People must know that they face a warrior of amazing character when they see one. Put it away.”

Sheri frowned and started to object when she realized that people were all staring at her and Wylan. Mumbles about the tunic of the Knights of Alcea rippled through the crowd. Suddenly, a man raced forward and tried to grab it out of Sheri’s hand. She screamed. Wylan paused only a second to filter out the distant sounds from the noises of the nearby scuffling.

“Head down!” ordered Wylan as he gripped his staff with both hands.

Sheri had seen enough of Wylan’s practice to instantly obey. She let go of the tunic and dropped to the ground. Wylan lunged with the tip of his staff and was rewarded with the sound of an expelled grunt. He focused on the sound of the grunt and swiftly brought the staff upward towards the man’s head. He tapped the side of the man’s head and immediately pulled back on the staff and struck the other side of the man’s head. Even as the man was stumbling, Wylan lowered the staff and swept the man’s feet out from under him. The thief tumbled to the ground, and Wylan heard the shouts of Red Swords charging towards him.

“What’s the commotion?” asked the first Red Sword to arrive as he pulled his sword from its sheath.

“That man tried to steal my friend’s tunic,” Sheri replied as she rose.

“A Knight of Alcea tunic?” questioned the Red Sword as other soldiers arrived. “And who did you steal it from?”

“That is Wylan,” announced one of the arriving Red Swords. “The tunic belongs to him.”

The first Red Sword turned and stared into Wylan’s sightless eyes and nodded. “So you are Wylan?” he said in surprise. “I have heard about you. Pretty feisty for a blind man.”

Wylan stiffened and a scowl fell over his face. His hands went taught on the staff.

“Easy, lad,” apologized the Red Sword. “I meant that as a compliment. I have heard of your deeds, but I did not imagine that you were still capable of them. I saw the blows you struck while running over here. Blind or no, I wouldn’t want to face your staff.”

He bent down and retrieved the tunic and handed it to Wylan.

“You should be wearing that tunic, Wylan,” the Red Sword stated. “The thieves would not bother you, and your girlfriend would not have to duck.”

“Good going, Wylan,” another Red Sword said as he slapped Wylan on the back. “Somebody help me get this trash to the dungeon,” he continued as he bent to grasp the unconscious thief’s arm.

The Red Swords removed the thief’s body, and Sheri hugged Wylan.

“Put it on,” demanded Sheri. “I will not let you wallow in self-pity any more. You may be blind, but you are still a Knight of Alcea. Give me your staff.”

Wylan frowned, but he handed his staff to Sheri. He pulled the tunic over his head and shoved his arms into it.

“Why don’t we just return to the factory,” Wylan suggested when Sheri handed the staff back to him. “I am not sure why I even wanted to come here. It is not like I can see Arik ride by.”

“I want to see him,” Sheri shook her head. “I will describe it to you.”

“Then you can describe it when you come back to the factory,” Wylan said stubbornly. “I will wait for you there.”

“Here he comes!” Sheri said excitedly as she grabbed Wylan’s hand tightly to keep him from leaving.

A dozen Red Swords preceded the Knights of Alcea as they rode through the streets of Tagaret. Prince Midge rode on Arik’s shoulder, and Tanya rode close to the king. Darok, the dwarf prince, and Garong, the elf prince, rode side-by-side. Behind them, Alex and Jenneva rode together, followed by Tedi, Bin-lu, and Natia. They all wore the tunics of the Knights of Alcea. Another dozen Red Swords followed the procession.

“Tell me when to bow,” Wylan whispered nervously as he sensed the nearness of the Knights.

“They will go by quickly,” responded Sheri. “You will feel my movements. Just time it as I do.”

Wylan could taste the excitement in the air as the Knights approached. He heard the shifting of garments to his left as citizens bowed or curtsied as the king rode by. He tensed as he felt Sheri’s hand with anticipation.

Suddenly, he felt Sheri moving downward, and he bowed low. A frown crossed his face when he could no longer hear the procession while bowing. His mind wondered about this defect. He had never imagined that his hearing could be impaired depending upon the position of his body. It frightened him. Wylan stiffened when he felt a hand placed upon his shoulder.

“Rise, Knight of Alcea,” King Arik said loudly. “Rise also, leader of the Queen’s Helpers.”

Wylan raised his head and rose. He felt Sheri rising with him.

Sheri grinned as she rose and watched King Arik signal the Red Sword escort. Two of the Red Sword riders dismounted and led their horses towards her and Wylan.

“Do you need help mounting a horse?” Arik whispered to Wylan. “You are joining the procession.”

“No, Sire,” grinned Wylan. “Just let me feel the mane.”

King Arik reached for Wylan’s hand, and Sheri let go of it. The king took Wylan’s hand and placed it on the mane of one of the horses. He stepped out of the way as Wylan mounted. Within minutes, the procession continued with Wylan and Sheri riding at the rear. Red Swords filled the courtyard when the king arrived. Prince Oscar was waiting and escorted the Knights into the library. The room was already filled with Arik’s closest advisors and friends.

“There is no need to ask if your travels were successful,” grinned Prince Oscar. “I know the reaction of the people of Tagaret to your restoring of the skies. The fairies have also brought word from every corner of Alcea. Your people worship you, Arik.”

“It is not their worship that I seek,” smiled Arik. “I wish only their loyalty.”

“You have that and much more,” interjected Konic Clava. “Did you have any problems with Sarac’s people?”

“Never saw them,” Arik shook his head. “We left Elderal immediately after restoring the Emerald of the Elves. Prince Garong rode with us as the elven representative.”

“Welcome to Tagaret, Prince Garong,” greeted Prince Oscar.

“Thank you,” nodded the elven prince.

“What gem is next?” asked Alan Markel.

“It will be the Dragons’ Onyx,” answered Tanya. “We should determine which direction we need to go.”

“We need a campfire for that,” frowned King Arik.

“I don’t think so,” offered Jenneva. “The fireplace here should do just fine. Did you get the bead from the Sword of Heavens?”

“Of course,” grinned Arik. “Colonel Nolan, light us a fire.”

General Gregor caught Arik’s attention while Zackary was lighting the fire.

“There are some disturbing items that need to be addressed before you leave on another quest, Your Highness,” the general stated. “The attack on Trekum appears imminent. I am sure that you are aware that once Trekum falls, there is no force between it and Melbin. Emperor Hanchi could be at the gates of Tagaret rather quickly unless we do something to slow them down.”

“You are not proposing that we send our army southward in support of Trekum, are you?” asked King Arik.

“Not at all,” General Gregor replied. “Emperor Hanchi is only one force opposing us. I strongly suspect that Sarac’s army will return to the Castle of Man after they find out that Mya is empty. Lieutenant Montbalm reports that the ogres and goblins remain camped in the pass. When Sarac’s army returns, the Castle of Man will likely fall.”

“Likely?” echoed the king. “I have seen the Castle of Man and I would not be so quick to write it off as a defensive fortress.”

“I do not write it off nonchalantly,” assured the general. “We learned from the elves that Sarac’s army contains a fair amount of wizards. Your own words stated that King Devon forbids the use of magic at the Castle of Man. Sarac’s forces will not be under any such restrictions. I am not a wizard myself, but I have heard tales of what Jenneva can do. Frankly, the thought of magic being used against the Castle of Man scares me.”

“Jenneva,” asked King Arik, “does the general have a valid fear?”

“He does,” nodded Jenneva. “If Sarac wants that pass open, and King Devon precludes the use of magic in its defense, the Castle of Man will fall. Even if we countered their magic with our own, it eventually will fall if Sarac is intent on coming through the Tor Pass.”

“Why wouldn’t he just take the easy way around?” asked Arik. “Surely he will lose a great number of his army ensuring that the pass is open to him.”

“Because he has lost every battle so far,” interjected Alex. “I cannot imagine the moral of his troops with the losses he has incurred. He will strike the Castle of Man because he has to. It shortens the trip to Tagaret for his forces, and it will signify his first victory. He can play it as a change in the tides of battle. His troops will be eager for more battle.”

“Very well,” sighed King Arik. “Let us find out about the next gem required by the Sword of Heavens. I will not leave Tagaret in search of the Dragons’ Onyx until we have developed a plan to defend the city against these two great armies.”

Arik took the bead out of his pouch as the people in the room made a semicircle around the fireplace. Arik drew the Sword of Heavens and held it before him, its tip resting gently on the floor. The room grew deadly silent as King Arik tossed the glass bead into the fire. Immediately a white cloud grew out of the freshly started fire. Instead of going up the chimney, the cloud drifted out of the fireplace and consolidated before the mantle. The wisps of cloud spun around and mushroomed into a large ball. Several soft gasps could be heard throughout the room as many of the people involuntarily backed up a few paces.

For several moments, nothing could be seen in the white cloud and portions of it appeared darker than others. Soft scrapping sounds echoed off the walls of the library, and Arik looked around to see who was fidgeting. He frowned in confusion when he saw that everyone was standing perfectly still. He returned his attention to the cloud and concentrated on the sounds. He detected the noise of something dragging along the floor and some heavy breathing, but nothing more.

Suddenly, a huge dragon’s head turned and stuck out of the cloud. Several people screamed or swore in fright.

“It’s about time you showed up,” bellowed the dragon with a wisp of smoke curling from its nostrils.

“It can see us,” shouted Sheri.

“Quiet,” Wylan said soothingly as he put his arm around Sheri. “Just watch and listen.”

“We didn’t know this was a rush meeting,” snarled a voice from within the cloud. “What is the problem?”

“The problem is Gorga,” bellowed the visible dragon. “He was here again. I am not going to be responsible for safeguarding the Dragons’ Onyx if the rest of you are going to be gone when he comes. I cannot stand up to him alone.”

“Why does he always come when we are gone?” mused another dragon voice.

“Because he wants the onyx, foolish breath,” bantered yet another dragon voice. “Would you expect him to come and bully us when we are all here? Of course he will come when only one of us is here.”

“Why don’t we just let Gorga safeguard it?” asked another unseen voice. “If it means that much to him, let him have it.”

“Have you eaten bad meat?” snarled the dragon’s head in the cloud. “Without the Dragons’ Onyx, we will never be able to fly again. Do not forget the words to our prophecy. We may be limited in where we can travel, but without the onyx, we cannot travel at all.”

“Until Dragon Heart arrives,” interjected an unseen dragon. “Then we can fly around the world again.”

“Do not hold your breath for any human that will stand up to Gorga,” belched the dragon’s head. “I have yet to find even a dragon that will stand up to him. Besides, he wants the onyx to destroy it. He has made a bargain with the Foul One. The rest of you had better realize what is at stake here. I cannot hold him off much longer if you leave me alone. He gets nastier and more insistent each time. One of these days he will demand it or kill me. I think we need to recite the prophecy so that the rest of you understand how important this is.”

After a bit of bickering and snarling, the dragons began reciting the Dragon Prophecy.

  The dragons fly in wind-blown skies

  Until the Dark One stirs the realm

  Then inky black infests our eyes

  ‘Til Dragon Heart can take the helm

The vision winked out of existence, and the white smoke cloud simply vanished.

The mottled magpie flew cautiously over the treetops outside the walls of Tagaret. It constantly eyed the forest trails for any signs of life while it contemplated flying into the city. Erring on the side of caution, the magpie flitted down through the trees to a small clearing. After the transformation, Fredrik straightened his clothes and started walking towards the gates of Tagaret.

Although the Red Swords at the Royal Palace recognized Fredrik as a Councilor who was present when Queen Marta took control of Tagaret, they still sent a runner to King Arik before allowing him entry. When the runner returned with word that Fredrik was allowed to enter the palace, two Red Swords escorted him to the Council Chamber where King Arik was holding a meeting. They led Fredrik into the room and waited to see King Arik’s acceptance before leaving. Fredrik was surprised to see Chaco in the room.

“Have Master Khatama and Niki come with you?” King Arik asked Fredrik.

“No,” Fredrik shook his head. “I came alone. I have something to discuss with you in private.”

“In private?” frowned King Arik. “Why in private?”

“Because I am learning that trust is a very fragile thing,” replied Fredrik. “If I tell you in private, you can determine who shall learn the news I carry.”