Clutch Of The Cleric (Book 4) (2 page)

CHAPTER 2

High Priestess Selene sat on her throne. Dark. Cold. Cunning. She was beautiful. Dark-eyed and raven headed. Her hair was pulled back behind her shoulders as she shifted in her chair, eyes intent and focused on the great doors on the other side of the room.

Nath Dragon. She looked forward to the day he was dragged to her on hands and knees, bound and broken.
I shall have him. I shall have him and all the world of Nalzambor.

Something fluttered above. A dark bird-like creature landed on her shoulder. It had a mix of dark green and red feathers, but it was not a bird. It had the face and mouth of a
Dragon. Its tongue licked her ear and its feathers shuddered when it roared with little sound.

She patted its head.
“Ah, my little Drulture. Such a caring and endearing pet,” she said. “Are you worried about me?”

It stretched its neck, feathers ruffling on its wings, and let
out another tiny roar.

Her black lips pecked its cat-sized head. The Drulture was her companion when no one else was about. So she sat alone in her thoughts in the grand room. She liked the open space. The quiet. She needed time to plan. Nathan Dragon had escaped her clutches again.

“Are you hungry?” she said.

The Drulture bobbed its head.

“I see,” she said. “Just give me another moment.” She snapped her fingers.
Pop!

The great doors across from her opened and a pair of Lizard Men stepped inside and kneeled.

“It’s feeding time,” she said.

The pair departed and returned less than a minute later carrying
a barred cage between them. A spotted bobcat, every bit of thirty pounds, was inside, its eyes and ears alert.

“Leave us,” Selene said, “and seal the door behind you.”

The Lizard Men departed, leaving her, the Drulture and the bobcat all alone.

“He’s a big one,” she said, “
bigger than the last. I hope you won’t have any trouble.”

The Drulture let out a tiny roar and hopped to the ground. The
Dragon-bird was less than half the size of the bobcat. It strutted around on two legs, making a chirp-like sound. The bobcat licked its lips. Its cat eyes narrowed.

Selene
tapped her fingers together. She liked games like this. Who is the hunter and who is the hunted. She’d tried to trap Nath Dragon in a similar way before. Letting him think he was freeing a Dragon when in all reality the Dragon bait was trapping him. It had almost worked a couple of times, but Nath had come out on top again. It had been costly too. She’d lost many of her Draykis, and one of her temples had been wrecked. She clenched her fists.

“I’m going to break him,” she said. “Soon.” With a wave of her hand the metal cage opened.

The bobcat jumped out and gave chase after the Drulture. The bobcat pounced. The Drulture flapped and soared into the air and began circling the bobcat. Once. Twice. Three times and dove.

 
Swish!

It snatched the bobcat by the back and lifted it high in the air. The bobcat hung by the scruff of its neck, clawing, scratching and growling. Higher they went, towards the
domed ceiling. The Drulture dropped the bobcat. The big cat plummeted fifty feet towards the ground.

The Drulture dove, snatching it inches from the ground. Then swooped up to the rafters once more.

Drop. Dive. Catch. Drop. Dive. Catch.

Three times it happened. The bobcat fought and clawed until its strength was out.
The fourth time, it hung limp in the talons of the Dragon-bird and fought no more. Circling thirty feet high in the air, the Drulture swung the bobcat up into the air and opened its jaws wide. They became wider and wider.

Gulp!

It swallowed the bobcat whole and landed softly on the floor. Its belly bulged. It waddled around like an overstuffed chicken for about a minute, burped an awful sound, and returned back to normal.

“Now there’s an idea,” Selene said. She patted the
Drulture when it returned to her shoulder. It purred. She snapped her fingers. The grand doors opened and the Lizard Men came forward and bowed.

“I need the High Cleric,” she said, “and take the cage and fill it with something bigger. A halfling or
Gnome perhaps.”

The
Dragon-bird purred and batted its eyelashes.

Selene smiled. “You’ve given me an idea. If it works, my master will be pleased. If I can’t beat
Nath Dragon as he is, then perhaps I should wear him down first.”

CHAPTER 3

“Are you pouting
?” Brenwar said.

“No,” I said.

“Don’t lie, Dragon. I can see your brows buckling. Straighten up.”

The ride from Quintuklen wasn’t so bad the first day. It was good being in the company of Bayzog the part-
Elf, Sasha his apprentice and mate, and Shum, one of the Elven Roving Rangers. It had been a long time since I’d spent time with so many people. Usually it was just me and Brenwar.

I kicked my steed and rode ahead of the party, leaving Brenwar in the rear.
The day was dreary, a little chilling and nothing but rolling greens hills and wild flowers ahead.

“Don’t leave my sight!” Brenwar said.

I didn’t even look back. Instead, I rode farther out. Far enough until I got the feeling I was alone. As I said, it was nice catching up with everyone, but their chronic presence was disturbing. Every eye seemed to watch everything I was doing and Brenwar kept commenting on what he thought I was thinking.

“Don’t think you’re gonna sneak off
!”

“Stay on this side of the river
.”

“Shum, go with him
.”

“Bayzog, can you cast a spell that can track him?”

It got old. It was aggravating. I was a Man. I was becoming a Dragon, and I didn’t need anyone’s protection. Especially now. Now I had two Dragon arms, not just one, and I was itching to see what I could do with both of them. I massaged my arms. I loved the slickness and toughness of my scales. And my claws―mostly yellow, but a little gold―came in handy when I gutted fish for dinner. I clicked them together. I loved the sound they made.

Burp.

A white puff of smoke came out my mouth. My nostrils steamed. I tapped my fist into my chest.

I guess
ed I’d had too many fish earlier, but I was still hungry. Hungrier than ever. Nowadays I was even eating more than Brenwar, and he always ate a week’s worth.

I fanned the smoke. I didn’t want Brenwar to see. He’d say ‘Smoking’s bad’ or something silly like that.

I had been able to burp smoke a few times when no one was looking, but I hadn’t summoned anymore fire yet. I wasn’t certain how I’d done it the last time, but I knew it was in me, brewing. A volcano ready to burst. Remembering the cleric Finnius whom I’d turned into a human roast bothered me, but not as much as it should have probably.

Well, remembering
the smell did make me grimace. A little.

I heard horse hooves trotting up behind me.
Oh great.
I hadn’t even been alone for a few minutes and already―still well within eye shot―I had company.

I turned
and yelled, “Will you leave me alone!”
Gulp.

It was Sasha. She sat tall and splendid in the saddle. Her blue eyes were bright and her auburn hair was lustrous. Her apprentice robes hung loose
ly over her elegant form. She was one of the prettiest women I’d ever seen. And she was smiling.

“No,” she said, smiling
bigger.

“What?” I said. “Oh. Well, I’m glad you aren’t Brenwar and I’m sorry that I yelled, Sasha. I’m just not used to having all of this bossing around.”

She rode alongside me, giggling.

“I understand
, Nath,” she said. “Even Bayzog is demanding from time to time.”

She called me Nath and that was fine by me, but I didn’t like it so much when others called me that. Nath was
just the beginning of my long name. Longer than a hundred men’s strung together, and whenever I heard Nath, my mind would start running through it.

“I believe you do know what I’m talking about. Bayzog’s rigid as a
Dwarf sometimes.” I winked at her. “But don’t tell him I said that.”

“I won’t,” she said. “So, Nath, tell me. What’s it like having
two Dragon arms?”

She caught me off guard with that one. I figured she was going to ask how I was feeling or in her own polite way offer some advice
. And I’d hate to tell her I’d had all the advice I could swallow. My father was bad enough, but Brenwar was worse.

“Uh …,” I said, glancing over my shoulder, then back at her, “can you keep a secret, Sasha
?”

“So long as it doesn’t place me in conflict with the others,” she said, nodding.

I hesitated. I could see her point, but I didn’t think what I was about to tell her would create a conflict.

“Alright … It’s wonderful, Sasha. I feel like I can do things I could never do before. I feel faster. Stronger.” I held my hands out in front of m
e and gazed at the black scales that shined like black sheets of ice in the sun. “I feel like I could fight anyone, anywhere, and win.” I flexed them. “I was strong before, but now, well, I just want to test them out.”

“Whoa,” she said, “you really are infatuated with yourself, aren’t you?”

“Well, no, it’s not like that. I’m just amazed.”

She giggled. “I’m just teasing you
, Nath. I really like them too…”

She trailed off, her light eyes glancing away.

“But?” I said.

She reached over and rubbed my arm. Her eyes brightened when she did it.

“Oh, but nothing
, Nath. I trust you and I’m thrilled for you. Who wouldn’t want to be a Dragon anyway? And Nath, you know I think the world of you. I always have. You’re a hero. You’ve done great things and you’ll do more…”

She did it again. Trailed off and glanced away.

“But?” I said.

“As long as you stay on the right path. Let us help with that, Nath. Why do you rebel?”

“Because I’m a rebel,” I said, laughing a little. But it wasn’t very convincing. Not to me or her.

“Oh Nath,” she said, “you just have to be careful. This world, Nalzambor, it has a way of changing people
who aren’t careful. I lost some family because of that. I don’t want to lose you too.” Her eyes watered up and she was looking right at me.

It got me, right in the heart
, the Dragon heart. And I felt guilty. Unlike the others, Sasha had a way of saying things in a manner that I would listen. 

I think it helped that she was pretty and her soft voice gave me chills.

I cleared my throat. There was a lump in it still. I did it again.

“Sasha,” I said, touching her hand, “you don’t really think anything will happen to me
, do you? I’m a good Dragon, remember. I’ll never turn evil.” I said it as if I was trying to convince myself. That bothered me. “Look, I know I have to be careful and that I can’t run off on my own like I did before. But, what if it happens anyway? Didn’t you say something about it mattering more what’s on the inside that on the out?”

She nodded.

I went on. “And, we don’t know that Black Dragons were all evil. Maybe just some of them. Aw … I don’t know, Sasha.” I shook my head and ran my fingers through my mane of hair.

I blew a puff of smoke.

“Wow!” she said, “I’m impressed. When did you learn to do that?”

“I’ve been practicing when no one is looking—
what now?”

I glanced back. Brenwar, Shum and Bayzog were galloping towards me. “A
w, here comes another lecture.” I started to fan the smoke away, but thought better of it. “Alright, there’s nothing I can do about … what’s going on?”

They galloped right pas
t us and Brenwar was yelling.

“Are you coming or not, Dragon
?”

Sasha and I looked at each other and then our eyes followed them.

Up ahead, miles distant, was a Giant black plume of smoke.

I might
get to test my arms out after all. Whatever it is, I hope it’s big. Dangerous. Because if it is, I’ve got a surprise for it.

“Let’s ride, Sasha! Yah!”

CHAPTER 4

Selen
e sat with her scaled black tail coiled around her, petting her Drulture as the great doors opened. The Lizard Men led a large Man inside.  He wore dark crimson and purple robes and was accompanied by two Dragon-like men. The Draykis. 

The
Man stopped at the edge of her throne’s dais, kneeled, and bowed his big shoulders. The Draykis kneeled at his side.

“I come as you wish, High
Priestess,” the Man said. His voice was dark and cheerless. “My life is yours.”

It warmed her cold heart whenever he said that.

“Arise, High Cleric,” she said, “and tell me what you know.”

He nodded, rose and pulled back his hood. The High Cleric’s bald head was covered in colorful tattoos. They moved, shifted and changed. Different shades. Different hues. The
Man’s face was hard. Not old. Eyes dark and mean. His hands were thick and calloused. A heavy war mace hung by a strap over his broad shoulders. He looked more like a warrior than a cleric. A destroyer, not a healer.

“The Draykis are excellent soldiers. Hunters as well.” He ran his hand over the amulet that controlled them. “Nine
Dragons have been captured in the last month. Our poachers are in good order.”

“Any unusual run
-ins, Kryzak?” she said.

“No, Selen
e,” he said, “not as I’d hoped to report, I’m afraid.”

“Selen
e?” she said, leaning forward.

Kryzak shrugged.
“You know how deep my love is for you, Selene.” His eyes sparkled and flared. “I’ve died once for you. I’ll do it again.”

She eased back into her chair. Kryzak was the only
Man who spoke to her so informally. He’d earned it. He used it. She liked that about him. Cold. Confident. Fearless.

“Of course, Kryzak, but mind yo
ur tongue. You might lose a soldier if he followed your insubordination.”

“Certainly,” he said, nodding, “And if he did, I’d kill him myself.”

He stood still, chin up, arms folded behind his back, waiting.

She sat, quiet, thinking. Nath Dragon had disappeared once more. But he would show up. He always did. Even Finnius the Acolyte had tracked him down, but the High Cleric Kryzak could do better. He never failed any charge. Not once. Not ever. The Man was on a mission. Her mission. The mission of Barnabus. Capture the Dragons. Sell the ones that could be sold. Kill or turn them.  But most importantly, stop Nath Dragon. Run the world.

“Find him, Kryzak,” she said. “Grind him down. Torment his friends. His allies. No mercy. I want him weak. His purpose meaningless. His focus frayed.”

Kryzak caressed the long wooden handle of his war-mace. The wood was weathered. The flanges of the head a dark iron metal. He nodded. “Our spies are everywhere. As soon as he shows, I’ll know. Track him. Trip him. Snare him. Bust him up. Break him. It will be a pleasure.”

“
Don’t get too carried away, Kryzak,” she said, “I want him alive, but his friends, his allies―do with them what you wish.”

He patted the head of his mace.

“Then his friends and allies,” he said, glowering, “will be dead. Or horribly mutilated.”

Her black t
ail uncoiled from her body, stretched out, and brushed his rugged face.

“My resources are yours,” she said
. “I have many. Be sure you keep me informed.”

“As you wish, Selene,” he said, closing his eyes. “You touch inspires me.”
He smiled and stroked her scales.

Her tail coiled around his neck and squeezed.

“Do not fail me, Kryzak.”

“
Ah,” he moaned, “Your touch is divine and I won’t fail. When Nath Dragon is in my clutches,” he said, “You’ll be the first to know.”

Her tail slid away and
draped over her shoulder.

“
You’re dismissed, Kryzak,” she said.

Kryzak bowed, turned
, and walked away. The Draykis followed. The great doors closed behind them, leaving her and the Drulture all alone once more.

Selene let out a sigh and patted the creature
’s head.

“I don’t know who to feel worse for
: Nath Dragon, or his friends.”

The Drulture flicked out its tongue and
let out a tiny roar.

Selen
e chuckled.

“No, of course I don’t feel for them. It’s just an expression.” She got up from her
throne and walked down the steps. Her tail swished left and right from behind. “Stay, my pet. I have a grave meeting to attend.”

It chirped and growled.

“No, you can’t come,” she said, headed for a concealed exit in the back. “I fear my Master might eat you. He’s eaten too many of my pets in the past.”