The Exodus Sagas: Book II - Of Dragons And Crowns (75 page)

“
Jusivix nizrx ashrel relvix uun.”
t
he words carried power, enthralling, terrifying power even though no one but the possessed priest understood them.

“You will drink of my blood and be bound to me.” Veuric shuddered as he reached for his sword and cut the outstretched tongue that writhed in front of him, a tongue of red and black at least ten feet
long from the tip of its jaw
, as thick as a grown tree
. The edge sliced a small cut, then another, then three more along the side as his mind was directed
to
. He kneeled, putting his hand to the rough wet bleeding tongue of the dragon that held his will. His mouth opened up and lips covered the cut that poured deep red draconic blood. He drank, swallowed and swallowed more. Soon Katrina and Faldrune did the same
, gulping mouthfuls as the red sustenance ran down their chins
. The petrified sons of the late lord Marcell just watched the hellish horror of these three drinking from the ble
ed
ing tongue of a giant serpent, u
nable to move.

Silence reigned as Veuric, Katrina, and the red minotaur stood slowly, as if nothing had happened at all. They turned disturbingly slow, the colossal dragon glaring from behind at the two young men with its red eyes glistening light into the cavern. Katrina opened her eyes, re
d e
yes
,
now red with black slivers for pupils that held an unholy glow in the dark. She, the burned priest, and Faldrune walked toward the sons Keervin.

“It is great dishonor to the dragon to deny her wishes.” Lady Katrina Willb
orne spoke softly with her long
sword lowered and her helm clutched un
d
er her other arm.

“Especially with the loss of her children.”
Faldrune held up his spiked mace
.

“There shall be a consequence for failure to protect her and kind.”
Veuric put two hands on his weapon as they moved to give proper sacrifice to the great dragon they now
unfailingly
served.
Screams rang loudly from the cloud covered temple on Mount Bailey, screams that no one would ever hear.

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The night air hung with moisture on the clear sky over Willborne. The buzzing of insects and picking of birds as they scavenged upon the mutilated corpse of the male dragon in the river was all Shinayne heard. The still waters were depressing to the elf, hoping the scene of the fallen dragon would have washed away instead of being displayed on a
calm
moonlit river for all nature to view the atrocities of men. She waited for Gwenneth and Zen to catch up to her and for directions from the site of their defeated foe.

“
To the right, due east up the river.”
Gwenne whispered in the dark, not wanting to share that her view of the arcane would not show her a living person, just the enchantments on the sword. Her doubts ran heavy that James was alive, hoping not to find his lifeless body or just his gear that had possibly been thrown in battle.

“
They killed it, by Vundren they finished the beast off.
James! Saberrak!”
Azenairk whispered loudly, hoping that only they would hear him and that nothing was here to contend with them in their search.

Shinayne snuck through the foliage and trees along the river, poised with hands on her weapons and keen senses alert for the slightest motion. She heard something, a rustle in the cattails ahead, the ripples in the water, her enchanted swords out in a flash. “Who goes there?”

“
Shinayne?”

“James!” t
he elven woman ran toward the rising tunic and wet brown hair and beard she could now see as James Andellis rose from his hiding.

Gwenne Lazlette and Azenairk ran with their elven friend to hold James as she did, both relieved beyond words that he was alive and apparently in one piece. James embraced them all as they mobbed him, then the questioning looks turned their heads around
in
the area.

“Where is Saberrak?” Shinayne asked, assuming he was scouting as usual in his overprotective nature.

“Where is Taira?” James half heartily asked. He had seen her fall as the dragon fl
ed the mountain, he assumed they would have brought her
. The question was
to stall in answering Shinayne
just as much
.

“She did not survive the fall lad, I tried to help her.” Zen lowered his head.

“James
Andellis, where is Saberrak?!” s
he spoke stern with a line of anger and worry to her words.

He lowered his head, stumbling for the right words to say. He sat down, the moment of joy over too quickly for him and the time to be the bringer of ill tidings once again reared its head. He froze, like in years past after the battle of Arouland, his words would not come forth.

“James, what has happened to Saberrak!” Azenairk felt anger rise in his throat, he wanted to see his horned friend here and now. He grabbed James by the tunic to shake him into speaking.

“He was taken.”

“Taken by who?”
Gwenneth snapped
fast as the words escaped his lips.

“Slavers
, same ones that did this.” h
e pointed his broadsword to the remains of the ravaged dragon. “There were at least thirty. He distracted them from me so that I could hide and
gave me time to
escape from being pinned under the beast in the river. They mean to sell him in Devonmir
, north of here
, I overheard them.”

“Why didn’t you
do
something!” Shinayne stifled tears and turned away, her blades sheathed.

“Until an hour ago, I could barely walk. It took this long to heal, and they would have taken me, I assure you. They used poisoned darts I believe, and they have Norrice and his
men caged for sale as well.” d
espite the truth of it, James still felt shame for his powerlessness in the situation.

“Wonderful. Now what do we do?” Gwenneth sat on a bent log near the riverbed staring at her staff.

“Has anyone ever been to Devonmir? How will we buy him back? Who do we speak to in this matter?” Zen knelt in silent prayer, trying to get a sense of direction and strategy on how to remedy this and get the minotaur free so that they could continue west.
“How much does a minotaur cost then anyhow? Damn it!”

“No clue, Zen. I have heard horror stories of the place and the arenas there.” James struggled to think of a way to bargain for their friend. “I doubt we will be able to find any legal or legitimate way to do this. They
have many hours lead as well, all on horse. We don’t have steeds or even food for that matter and---“

“What would Saberrak do, if it were you or I in there?” Shinayne interrupted them.

They looked to each other, then to her, and then rolling and widening eyes and smirks came across their faces as they thought hard.

“Well, out with it!” h
er voice became serious and demanding, for surely she was
not going to let an
ything happen to her horned friend
if there was anything that could feasibly be done about it.

“Shinayne, Saberrak would likely charge in with his horns lowered and axe raised…” James looked to Gwenneth.

“Raging in anger as he cut down everyone who stood in his path…” Gwenneth looked to Zen.

“And he would fight until we were free and the blood of his enemies lined the walls. Even if
it meant his death, he would…” t
he dwarven priest looked to the elven noblewoman.

“
He would come for any
of us with a fury and loyalty that would strike the fear into anyone that tried to stop him.
He would take on an entire city if he had to.
Does anyone disagree?” Shinayne started walking north.

They all rose to their feet, following their elven leader toward the trail that the wagons surely had left. Zen spoke up to get her determined attention
back
for a moment.

“So, what is your plan then?”

“I believe we all just spoke it, Azenairk. Do you want to go through the Misathi Mountains, littered with giants or worse,
to find Kakisteele,
without him?” Shinayne kept walking, lo
o
king for the trail.

“No, not at all, of course not.” Zen began looking for the trail in the dark as well.

“Wait Shinayne, so you plan to just barge into
Devonmir? A city of tens of
thousands and break him out of the slave quarter or the arena?” James kept pace but had severe doubts that this was even sane.

“Did you just fight off two dragons, riding the face of the second one, and crash it’s defeated body into a river
,
Sir James Andellis Knight of Chazzrynn
?” Shinayne saw the trail of wagon wheels, a dozen perhaps, and followed them step by step.

“Well yes, but this is serious now---“

“So was that.
As was the duel you won on the Altestani warship.
We can buy information with the coin Zen took from the cavern. We will need to buy a few bows and lots of arrows. Gwenenth, you will have to come up with something quite ingenius and powerful to keep us from being mobbed. Zen, we will need your blessings and a little divine intervention in
whatever way you can muster.” s
he stopped and turned to her friends.

“So we break into Devonmir, free Saberrak, escape, and then turn west to find Zen’s
lost mines?” James stated with a resolute sarcasm in his voice.

“Exactly
.” h
er eyes met the gaze of her friends straight on with a seriousness and determination that could not be argued or swayed. Nods of affirmation came from Zen and Gwenneth who held her aquamarine stare
,
and they knew the elf had no intention of failing
, she was in fact quite intimidating at this moment
.

“Very well, he saved me, so I will be returning the favor.” James nodded and looked north.

“To Devonmir then.” Zen stated, receiving the nod from Gwenneth and James as he looked to Shinayne.

“Follow me, and try to keep pace.” she turned back to the north, hands on her enchanted blades, eyeing the trail that would lead to Saberrak.

Shinayne T’sarrin felt her heart beat harder with every step she took toward Devonmir. Her eyes would not lose the trail and her focus would not be distracted. She had her only friends with her here and now, and her largest friend was locked up and being sold to God knows who to do God knows what against his will
,
in the foulest of places. She blocked out the thought of what could be happeni
ng to him as she led them
onward. She knew precisely
what and with how mighty a
degree of devotion Saberrak the gray would
risk
to save his only friends on the surface
world. As Siril, God of the elves, had taught his children since they were born; love and friendship are the bonds upon which true serenity and peace are held strong, and they are the lifeblood of the elven race. Shinayne knew in her heart that she would do anything for Saberrak, and must do everything to save a friend until her last dying breath.
Lavress Tilaniun will have to wait,
she thought.
Such was the love and passion of the elves that made th
em, and her, the greatest ally
anyone could hope to have.
Although he would never speak it aloud, Shinayne knew that Saberrak would
not
disagree with anything she was planning to do
, no matter how insane it may sound
.
The moonlit night calmed her as she tracked her horned ally
,
and his captors, without a drop of fear in her heart.

About the author

Jason R Jones was born September 1975 and grew up in Monroe, Wisconsin. He is an honorable veteran of the United States Marine Corps, a saber fencing enthusiast, and a loving father to his son
s
, Alexander
and Adonis
. His flare for short stories, poetry, drama, and fantasy has existed since he can remember. Jason is the oldest of four siblings; Jeremy, Anya, and Cody and he has resided in Southwest, Florida for over a decade. Interests in fine dining, music, meditation, ancient history, movies, world religion, and mythology keep him very busy and inspired. He plans to bring out many tales of his own life hidden deep within his fantasy sagas. The novel,
“
of dragons and crowns”,
is the second installment of eighteen in the Exodus saga
s
, followed soon by
“of ghosts and mountains”.

Graphic Design by Robert Martinez