The Chronicles of Dragon Collection (Series 1 Omnibus, Books 1-10) (63 page)

CHAPTER 21

“Maybe they’re good dragons,” Ben said.

“Good dragons aren’t so easily seen,” Bayzog said. “Remember the last ones we saw at the crater? They scattered.”

“Oh,” Ben said.

Bayzog’s heart pounded. Dragons were the most exciting things you’d ever see, but only because sighting them was a rare thing. Like watching a flower bloom. This was different. Dragons flying in plain sight and coming right at them. Reason for concern.

“Brenwar,” he said, “Perhaps we should venture on another course. There’s no rush, after all, is there?”

Brenwar grunted. “Perhaps.” He tugged at the reins, taking a more westward direction. The dragons, less than a mile away, still headed right for them.

This is not good.

Sasha came along Bayzog’s side. “I can’t tell if they’re dragons or birds. They’re just specks to me. Are you certain they’re dragons?”

“I am,” Bayzog said, reaching over and grabbing her palm. “Stay close, Sasha, and have a spell prepared.”

“What kind of spell? Don’t I need to know what kind of dragons they are?”

Every dragon had a weakness. It might be an element such as water or fire. It could be a sound, loud or soft. Different metals and different magic. If you didn’t have what you needed in a battle of mortal versus dragon, they’d rip you apart with their teeth and claws. In most cases, that was all they needed.

“I’m not sure. Not without a closer look. What do you think, Brenwar?”

“Yer eyes are better than mine, elf,” Brenwar said, squinting, “Tell me what you see.”

“Black wings and grey scales,” he said, “and a smooth oval head. A little more color in the tail, a dark red.”

“Oval head,” Brenwar said, rubbing his beard. “Hmmm, what about the belly?”

“Dark grey, almost black, I’d say.”

The dwarf made an ugly sound in his throat and pulled his horse to a stop. Brenwar had at least a few centuries on Bayzog, and he was certain the dwarf had had more dragon encounters than him by far. Bayzog also knew that Brenwar had been inside the Mountain of Doom, where he’d probably seen things an elf could only dream of.

“Those,” Brenwar said, “if they are as you say, then they are grey scalers.”

“Why do they call them that?” Ben said. “Because they have grey scales?”

“It doesn’t matter why they call them that!” Brenwar huffed. “What matters is what happens if they come after us.” Brenwar eyed their surroundings.

The mountains were still distant. The closest forest was miles away. For now, it was just them, the dragons, and the plains.

“Do you know how to handle grey scalers?” Sasha said to Bayzog.

He shook his head.

All this time with Nath, and I’ve never bothered to ask him about all the different dragons. You always think you have more time than you have. What a fool I’ve been.

“Whatever you’ve got, wizard, get it ready!” Brenwar hopped off his horse and slung his trunk on the ground. “Sorceress, see what you can find in there.” He fumbled with Nath’s wrappings and pulled out the bow and quiver. “You know how to use this?” he said to Ben.

Ben nodded his head.

Brenwar tossed it to him. “Load it up, then. And use the moorite.” He started to walk away and stopped. “And aim for the belly when they ain’t looking. And don’t fire until I tell you.”

“How powerful are those things?” Sasha said.

“Just pretend they’re big scaly dogs with wings.” He winked at her. “A few good licks and we might scare them off.” He looked up at Ben. “Get off that horse, will you? And kneel down in the weeds. They come!”

CHAPTER 22

Snap. Clatch. Snap.

A circle of dragons, wings beating, screeching a terror, was coming right at them.

Ben wanted to plug his ears. Instead he took aim, but his arms were shaking.

“Don’t shoot, boy!” Brenwar growled from somewhere near.

Ben didn’t take his eyes off the dragons.

They flew in a ring, stretching their long necks and screeching down. Their talons clutched in and out and clicked and clacked. Their jaws snapped in the air, and their tails rattled.

Ben swallowed hard, closed one eye, and took aim. “You can do this, Ben,” he muttered to himself. “Be brave. Not foolish.”

A grey scale swooped down and snapped at Brenwar.

The dwarf swung and missed.

Another dragon came, snapped, and darted back into the ring.

“Keep coming, you ugly birds,” Brenwar said, waving his hammer. “I’ll show you!”

A grey scaler dove straight at Ben.

He hunkered down.

It clipped his helmet with its claws, screeched, and flew away.

Ben rose back to his feet with his heart pounding in between his ears. He couldn’t breathe.

One by one, the dragons dove, dipped, and snapped, like eagles snatching at fish in the river.

Ben heard Sasha scream. He whirled.

A dragon stood on its hind legs, facing her and snapping.

Brenwar charged it.

Twang!

When the first arrow embedded itself in the dragon’s chest, the dragon screeched an awful sound and twisted in the grass.

“I got him!” Ben pumped his fist in the air and raised his knee.

“Quit talking and start reloading,” Brenwar said. “Now they’re all coming!”

Ben nocked another arrow and aimed at a diving dragon.

Twang!

It dipped under the arrow and barreled straight into his chest, driving him into the dirt.

“Get off me!” Ben yelled.

The dragon pinned him to the ground, biting and clawing at him. He felt his skin start to burn. It was like a big dog with a long neck. Strong and fierce. It bit Ben’s leg.

He screamed.

“Let ’em have it,” Brenwar yelled. “All of them!”

A missile of blue light blasted through the wings of the dragon on top of Ben.

It shrieked and darted away.

Nearby, Bayzog’s hands were bright with energy, sending one missile after the next.

Ben slipped an arrow from his quiver and nocked it. Kneeled and searched the sky. His heart was racing. His breath was lost.

Dragons streaked through the sky from all directions, swooping, circling, and diving.

“They’re too fast!”

Twang!

The arrow sailed. The dragon rolled from its path and darted straight for him.

“Ben, look out!”

Brenwar swung his war hammer. Bayzog fired his missiles.

Too late.

A dragon swooped behind Ben and knocked him to the ground, making Akron fall from his grasp.

He looked up in time to see a dragon wrap its talons around it. “No you don’t!” Ben jumped on his bow.

The dragon’s claws tore into his arm.

“Argh!”

The pain was blinding. Ben held on. He was bigger than the dragon by at least a hundred pounds, but the smaller creature was stronger than him.

Swap!

The dragon’s tail cracked him across the face.

Akron fell from his fingers. He hit the ground. There was blood in his eyes. Dizzy, he stumbled forward, chasing after the dragon.

It hissed and took flight with Akron gripped in its talons.

“Dragon’s going to kill me,” Ben said, dropping to his knees.

A bolt of light flashed over his head.

Ssssram!

The dragon exploded in the sky and spiraled to the ground. Akron dropped to earth as well.

“Hurry, Ben!” Sasha said.

She was right behind him with her hands smoking.

He ran over, snatched up the bow, nocked an arrow, and pulled the string back.

“There!” Sasha pointed.

Two grey scalers flanked Bayzog. The wizard had a long mystic shield up that only protected one side.

Twang! Twack!

The arrow struck the pressing grey scaler on its back between the wings. It fell to the ground and died.

“Look!” Brenwar yelled. “They flee!”

Less than a dozen of them took to the air, screeching and roaring, and disappeared.

Bayzog’s shield winked out, and he jogged over to Sasha, who was dusting off her smoking hands. “Are you all right?” Bayzog said.

She swallowed hard. “Just a little faint, but I think I’m all right.”

“You made that dragon explode!” Ben said. “Into pieces! How did you do that?”

“Yes,” Bayzog said, “how did you do that? It was certainly impressive.”

“I drank from this,” she said. She held a sparkling vial that looked like lighting lived in it. “It was in Brenwar’s chest.”

Bayzog leaned over and kissed her forehead.

“Excellent choice. I think you saved us.”

Brenwar walked over with a dragon in his arms. An arrow jutted from its back. “It was a good shot,” Brenwar said.

Ben reached over and touched it. The creature didn’t seem so deadly anymore. He wondered if Dragon would be upset.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Brenwar said.

“What do you mean?” Ben said.

“Take the arrow out of it, boy! Great Guzan! It’s moorite. Do I have to do it for you?”

“Uh …”

Brenwar set the dragon down at his feet. “Whenever yer ready.”

Ben stroked his neck and said to Bayzog, “Do you think it’s evil? Maybe this was one that Dragon would have saved?”

Bayzog furrowed his eyebrows at Ben. “Do you think it would have killed us?”

“Ah,” Ben said. “I see.” Ben pulled the arrow free, cleaned it on the grass, and slid it back into his quiver. “Do we just leave them? Won’t the dragon skin be worth something?”

“Ben!” Sasha said. “What would Nath say if he heard you say that?”

“He wouldn’t say anything,” Ben said, grinning. “He’d just knock me out.”

They laughed.

“Ben, chances are the dragons will come back for their own. I don’t think any poachers will get them.” Bayzog stretched out his fingers and ran them over the dragon scales and wings. “They are such magnificent creatures. It’s hard to believe they can be evil.”

“Get yer heads down!” Brenwar yelled.

Zip!

Something hit Bayzog and spun him to the ground.

“Bayzog!” Sasha yelled. A hail of arrows followed.

Zip! Zip! Zip! Zip! Zip!

Beads of energy showered everyone in a hail that came from the distance. Everyone was cut and scraped up already, but these magic missiles took things to another level.

“Get us some cover, wizards!” Brenwar yelled. “Return fire, boy!”

“Where?” Ben said.

Brenwar pointed toward the mountains where the light was flashing.

“That way!”

Ben unslung an exploding arrow, nocked it, and let it loose. It sailed through the sky in what seemed to take an age then disappeared into the ground.

Brenwar stormed back at Ben and said, “You got to be a dragon to fire those! Gimme that!” He spun Ben around, snatched another exploding arrow, stuck the tip in the grey scale’s wet mouth, and handed it to Ben. The arrow tip glowed like fire.

“Stop staring and shoot it!”

Ben let the shaft fly.

A bright flash of light and the sound of an explosion followed.

Zip! Zip! Zip! Zip!

A green wave of missiles ripped into them. The sound of a thunderclap followed. A bolt streaked down from the sky and knocked Brenwar clear out of his boots.

Head ringing, bones aching, Ben crawled up on his knees.

“Brenwar! Bayzog!”

He couldn’t hear himself yell. One of their horses darted by him, knocking him back down. Smoke was everywhere. When he looked up again, he was at the center of a circle of spears. They were held by lizard men.

CHAPTER 23

“Circle Nath!” Brenwar ordered above the commotion. He stood tall for a dwarf, waving his war hammer back and forth. “Wizards, what are you doing?”

“Can you move?” Sasha said to Bayzog.

“I’m all right,” he said, taking her hand. “It’s you I’m worried about. Just get us over to Brenwar.” He got up, wincing and clutching his side. His robes had burning holes in them. Whatever had attacked them had rocked them, and he wasn’t sure where he was. There was smoke everywhere, and it burned his eyes. “Brenwar?”

“Get over here, wizards,” Brenwar said. “Hurry!”

They stumbled through the smoke and almost ran right into Brenwar.

“Where’s Ben?” Sasha said. “Ben!”

Bayzog didn’t know who had hit them, but he could feel their energy now. It was dark and powerful. It had hurt him. Rattled him. He fine-tuned his thoughts and found something.

“They’re not after us,” he said. “They’re after Nath.”

“Who’s after Nath?” Brenwar said.

An unnatural breeze started, bowing the grass and pushing away the smoke. The horse Nath’s stretcher was harnessed to nickered and whined. The smoke cleared, and Sasha gasped.

They were surrounded.

A group of lizard men had Ben pinned down.

“I’ll be,” Brenwar said.

There were men in robes with rings on their bald heads, well over a dozen lizard men, and some with grey scalers on leashes. Two satyrs―one male, one female―stood with their arms crossed over their chests in front of a really big man wearing a metal bull head.

Bayzog felt Sasha wrap her arm around him and squeeze him tight.

Their attackers weren’t here to bargain. They were here to take.

“What do you want?” Brenwar said. “And make it quick. I’ve got things to do.”

No one said a thing. Instead they all stood ready, glowering. Ben struggled in his bonds and tried to say something, but he was gagged. A lizard man held Akron. Something snorted behind them. They all jumped around.

“Where in Narnum did you come from?” Brenwar said with wide eyes.

The dwarf looked startled, and Sasha was distraught.

A tiny woman sat atop a wingless bronze dragon with a long, black tail. She was pretty, with a long strand of white hair flowing from her head. The rest of her head was tattooed like Kryzak’s. Her dark robes were sleeveless, and she had a gentle demeanor about her, but her bright eyes were penetrating and evil.

She leaned forward on the horn of her saddle. “I’ll make this simple for you, dwarf. I am here for Nath Dragon. Stay out of my way, you live. Get in my way, you die. Do you understand that, bearded one?”

Brenwar huffed. “So it’s just me that dies and not the rest of us.” He rubbed his bearded chin. “I’ll have to think about that.”

“A witty dwarf,” she said as her pleasant voice turned to venom. “Or a stupid one. Any fool would know I’m referring to all of you.”

“Ah,” Brenwar said, “so if we fight, we die. Hmmm. But did you think to consider that when we fight, you will die?”

“Hahahahaha,” she said. “I assure you there in no chance of that. But if you care to try, I’ll see to it your young friend over there will be the first to die.” Her eyes drifted to Ben.

Bayzog’s mind raced to assess the situation while Brenwar delayed. The woman would be ready for anything thrown at her. He was certain of that. Just moments ago, she had appeared from nowhere, and he could only assume she’d just as easily disappear. He wondered if that was her power or the dragon’s. That left all the rest of their aggressors.

What can I do that wouldn’t endanger Ben?

He had some spells ready, but what help―if any―would they offer?

“Can I have a moment to think about it?” Brenwar said.

“I don’t think there is much to think about, but why not?” the young woman said. “A moment, then, but not a dwarven one. When I say it’s done, it’s done.”

I hope Sasha remembers this.

He squeezed a series of signals into Sasha’s arm, which was still hooked to his.

She squeezed back!

Good.

“My, you are a pretty lady,” the young woman said. “What is your name?”

Sasha released his arm and stepped forward. “Sasha, and what is yours?”

“I am Marlay,” she said, flipping her white hair back over her shoulder. “And I must admit I admire that hair of yours. It would be a shame to lose it, wouldn’t it?”

“You seem to be doing well without it.”

Bayzog grabbed her arm and pulled her back, whispering, “Sasha, please.”

“You have a spirited woman, part-elf. It would be a shame to watch her die, wouldn’t it?”

“Certainly,” Bayzog said, locking eyes with Marlay. She seemed young but powerful. Harmless yet deadly.

Careful, Bayzog.

Marlay made a short smile. “Talk some sense into your friend the dwarf,” she said, stroking her dragon mount’s horns. “I’ve a feeling he’s about to get all of you killed.” She made a clicking sound, and the bronze dragon opened its mouth. Its breath was repulsive and sour.

Bayzog covered his nose.

Sasha’s knees buckled.

Marlay’s dragon mount raked a hunk of ground out with its claws.

“My dragon hungers, and I don’t think you want to see this pretty woman devoured, do you?”

“A parlay, perhaps?” Bayzog said.
Delay. Delay. Delay.

“There’s nothing to parlay about,” Brenwar said. “We don’t parlay with this brood!”

Marlay leaned back in the saddle and folded her arms over her chest.

“Interesting, wizard, but my patience thins. I’ve no need to parlay.” She pursed her dark lips before she spoke more. “Look around you. Dragons, acolytes, and lizard men―not to mention my finest warrior, Kang. And those satyrs are something. Now, I know you’ve survived Kryzak―well, most of you―but you won’t survive me. Walk away and you live. Stay and we will destroy you one piece at a time.”

It was a moment. One that splintered Bayzog in two. His elven side would never give in to evil, but his human side was unpredictable. Half of him wanted to run and the other half wanted to fight, but there was so much to consider. Sasha was in danger. Nath was too. His gut told him if they lost Nath, they’d lose everything. Sasha squeezed his arm again.

Bayzog stepped back and gestured toward the lizard men who held Ben.

“Show some good faith, Marlay,” he said, “and let loose our friend. There is nowhere for him to go.”

She nodded.

The lizard men cut Ben’s bonds and shoved him forward. Ben fell to his knees, got up, and ripped out his gag.

“Akron,” Ben said to Marlay, looking at the bow. “I need Akron.”

“Oh,” she said, smiling a little, “about that. I can’t have you leaving with your weapons, or your horses, for that matter. I’ll need just about everything you have on you. After all, I have to pay my henchmen and make offerings to the temple.”

“What?” Ben said, stepping forward.

Bayzog grabbed his arm.

“What is your life worth, young man?” she said. Her voice became louder and her eyes flickered with lightning. “Now, drop everything. We’ll start with you, dwarf.”

Brenwar, stalwart as a tree stump, didn’t blink. He just stood there with his hammer crossed behind his arms, eyeing her.

“It’s a well-crafted war hammer, dwarf. Perhaps it has a name?” she said.

“Aye,” Brenwar said, “it has a name.”

“And what might that be? My warrior Kang is in need of a new scepter, and I think that one will do.”

Brenwar tilted his head in the direction of Kang and snorted.

“I call my weapon war hammer.” He held it out with his arm. “And if he wants it, let him come and get it.”

“There’s no need for that,” Marlay said. “Just drop it.”

“So be it, then.” He lowered the war hammer down to the ground and set it down, head down, shaft up. His chin dipped into his chest.

Marlay cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. “I’m surprised. Now the rest of you.”

“Bayzog? Brenwar? Are we really doing this?” Ben said, exasperated. “Is this a
compromise
?”

“What choice is there?” Bayzog said, loosening his robes. “It’s this or death.”

“What about Nath?” Ben said. His voice and eyes were filled with confusion.

“Mrrrruh…Muh…Muh…Mrruh…Muh…Muh,” Brenwar muttered under his beard.

“What is that you say, dwarf?” Marlay said. She snapped her fingers. All her servants started forward. “I can’t hear you.”

“It’s dwarven,” Brenwar said, lifting his head, “for ‘war hammer.’ In Dwarven it’s pronounced ‘mrrrummaah.’”

“Interesting,” Marlay said, “and does that mean something?”

“Aye,” Brenwar almost smiled, “in Dwarven it means ‘war hammer.’ We covered that already.”

“I don’t believe you, but if you say so.”

“Mrrummaah!” Brenwar said. He looked at Kang, who was coming closer. “Don’t forget it. Mrrummaah!”

Kang walked over in front of Brenwar and set his scepter down. He bent over and picked up the war hammer and tested its heft. The thick muscles in his forearms rippled with effort. He turned and nodded his bull head at Marlay.

She nodded.

Then Kang looked at Brenwar and said, Mrrummaah.”

In a flash, Kang twisted his hips, raised his huge arms, and brought the hammer down.

Marlay shouted, “No!”