Scourge of the Dragons (12 page)

“Let me go,” he said.

“No, they’ll come up with something. It’ll
be ok. Won’t it be ok?” She asked as she turned toward Mariah.

“There’s something wrong with them, they
won’t be any help to us at all,” the guardswoman replied.

“Then we will do it ourselves.”

“Focus on Kade, he’s the one who needs your
help. Always has been,” Julian said.

Amber wrapped both her arms around Julian
and held him tightly. Mariah placed a hand on her shoulder, but
made no move to stop her from hugging the dying young man. She
gazed off in the direction that Kade had gone, wondering why he had
suddenly turned on his friend. The others were still collapsed on
the floor and Amber was in no condition for coming up with a plan.
She reached down and wiped the tears off the younger woman’s face
and gently pulled her arms away from Julian. Desperation and panic
tried to take over as she searched her pack for something to wipe
up the blood stains. She helped Amber to get as clean as possible
before starting in on digging a grave.

“Why are you helping?” Amber asked.

“Everyone deserves a proper burial and
Julian is certainly not an exception. He may not have been the
easiest to get along with, but he was a good man,” Mariah
replied.

“I thought you didn’t like him.”

“There is little chance I would have
considered him a friend, but he cared for you and he cared for
Kade. That counts more than getting along with a guardswoman.”

“You are far more than a mere guardswoman.
Your wards are fortunate to have you, or they will be when they get
older.”

“If I ever get a chance to return to our
hometown. The world has changed for us, not just with Julian’s
death. We are moving toward something dangerous. I know not what
that is, but I can feel it within the very core of my being.”

*

Hadrin grabbed his forehead as he came to.
His dream had been a strange one. He fought a dragon that was only
half there. It made no sense to him, but he dared not speak about
it to the others. He opened his eyes and saw that Alandra was
slumped on the floor not too far away, Mariah and Amber were
standing over a fresh mound of dirt, Wrotan was also on the floor
in what appeared to be a trance, and Kade was nowhere to be seen.
The Prince slowly pushed himself to his feet. His vision swirled
ever so slightly, threatening to send him tumbling back to the
ground. He grabbed hold of a nearby tree and rested for a moment.
Mariah squeezed Amber’s shoulder before retreating back from the
mound of dirt. Hadrin waved to her and she motioned for him to stay
as she approached.

“Are you feeling well?” She asked.

“Not particularly. What happened?” He
asked.

“The three of you just fell into what seemed
like trances. You are the first to come out of it. While you were
out, Kade attacked Julian before running off.”

“How strange, I do hope they’ll be all
right. Did you happen to see which way they went?”

“Not they, just Kade,” Mariah said as she
pointed in the direction he went.

The Prince looked back at the mound of dirt
and grimaced. He began to offer his apologies and condolences when
Wrotan began to stir. The hunter lunged forward and mumbled
something about a dragon. He quickly realized he was on the ground
and stood up. Mariah motioned for him to join them. Alandra began
to stir as well and Hadrin rushed to her side, stumbling as he
went. He helped her to her feet and they walked back to the other
two. Amber slowly made her way toward the gathering, her eyes still
red from the tears.

“We need to go after him,” she said when she
got to the others.

“I think we need to bring the others up to
speed first,” Hadrin said.

“Kade is out of our reach now. Unless one of
us knows how to reach into another’s mind, we won’t be able to get
through to him,” Wrotan said.

“What do you mean?” Mariah asked.

“The dragons have him now. Their so called
connection was nothing more than invading a person’s mind with the
intent to control it. A young man like Kade stands little chance of
overcoming their power.”

“We were able to, why not him?” Alandra
asked.

“Because they’ll be extra careful with him.
Their arrogance was the only reason I survived. He let slip that
the fight was going on inside of my mind. Without that clue, I
would most likely be dead.”

“We can’t just give up on him, there has to
be something we can do. Where do we go from here?” Amber asked.

“As of right now, our best bet is the spirit
monks. They might know of ways to contact others.” Hadrin
replied.

“It seems our best course of action.” Wrotan
added.

“What of Kade? We can’t just let him wander
about. How should we deal with him?” Mariah asked.

“With the head start that he has and us not
knowing his destination, there is little or no chance that we could
catch him.” Alandra replied.

“How do we know that the dragons have him?”
Amber asked.

“The scourge, they used it to invade our
minds. He has a small portion of the scourge within him, that is
enough to give them access to his mind,” Wrotan replied.

*

Kade stumbled through the forest, unable to
remember anything other than his name and a burning hatred. He
wasn’t even certain where the hate came from or what it was aimed
toward. His head felt as though it were filled with clouds, yet
there was a single unknown purpose driving him forward. The forest
around him was far from inviting. His senses amplified the dangers
around him, pushing him to quicken his pace. The nagging feeling in
the back of his head pushed toward an unseen enemy, promising
respite when that enemy was defeated. A strange sadness pulled at
his heart as he pressed on. He pushed forward, sealing away all
feelings that made him seem weak. A new Kade strode through the
forest unafraid, brimming with newfound power, and set in his
purpose. The old Kade had shrunk away, locked inside of a new cold
exterior.

*

Obrin flexed his muscles as he felt his
strength return. It had been far too long since he had felt this
good. The night elf King drew his sword and tested his agility. He
felt as though his youth had returned to him. A part of him felt
bad that they had to trick his son into thinking that the scourge
was truly a problem, but it had been an integral part of their
plan. His dragon ally let out a soft growl to remind him of the
importance of their task. He nodded to the beast before turning
toward his castle. Though he enjoyed spending time at the Citadel
of the Night, there was nothing like the feeling of being welcomed
home. His kingdom was in the capable hands of his Generals and he
was certain that they would be able to ready their troops within a
week. Ungaroth had his doubts, but the dragon knew better than to
push the night elf King too far. Their alliance was strongest when
they worked together as a team. The night elf King raised a hand as
he made his way toward the outer gate.

“Your majesty, we are pleased that you’ve
returned!” One of the guards said.

“As am I. I trust that the sun elves are no
longer bothering us?” Obrin asked.

“They returned home some time ago, your
highness.”

“Are my Generals close at hand?”

“Yes, your grace, they’ve kept us prepped
for war since your departure.”

“Excellent. I must pay a visit to our
allies, but you can give this to Neilon.” The King handed the guard
a small scroll with instructions on where to meet.”

*

“These lands will test us,” Wrotan said as
he held up his hand.

“Is this not your home?” Hadrin asked.

“As close as you can get to it. We are
entering the wilds or the proper part of them. The nomadic peoples
of the wilds do not see the forest as a part of their lands. They
see it as the elves giving of their bounty as a sort of tribute so
that they are not inconvenienced by the inhabitants of the
wilds.”

“That is certainly a stretch,” Alandra
said.

“If you truly think that, then you have
never traveled the wilds,” Mariah said.

Wrotan nodded before setting forth. The
others followed closely behind, not wanting to be left behind in a
harsh land. They had all heard the tales of pioneers being lulled
into a false sense of security by the bountiful look of the wilds.
The name referred to the inhabitants and their attitude toward
outsiders. Their bloodlust toward outsiders seemed unquenchable.
Few knew the truth behind what had driven them to adopt such a
stance toward the neighboring peoples. The hunter glanced back to
check on Amber. They all knew that she only stayed with them
because she feared what would happen if she were to try to track
Kade on her own. Wrotan slowed down so that he could speak with
her.

“We will do everything we can to bring him
back,” he said.

“What if it isn’t enough?” She asked.

“It may not be, but I will die trying to
save him. You have my word.”

“That is a lot to sacrifice for a young man
and a young lady that you barely know,” Mariah said as she joined
the two of them.

“The dragons need to be stopped or the
entire world is doomed. That much I’ve already accepted. Going a
step further and saving the boy instead of killing him is reward in
itself. Furthermore, Amber and Kade are among the few people I’ve
met that are willing to help their fellows, human or elf. That is
something the world needs more of. Look at the wilds, these people
are still stuck on tragedies that occurred hundreds of years
ago.”

“You are quite the enigma, Wrotan.”

“I think it is a good thing,” Amber
said.

“I never meant it as a slight,” Mariah
added.

“You can thank the elves for his
upbringing,” Hadrin said.

“As much as I share your love for our
people, I cannot help but think it is in spite of the elves,”
Alandra said.

“Why can’t things be like they were in the
stories of old?” Amber asked.

“The stories were written to inspire and
impress. They leave out the negative parts when it fits their
worldview better. It would not sound so good if they told the part
about Randor torching an entire elven village or how Gellian
ordered the slaughter of all the human captives that had
surrendered on the field that day,” Wrotan replied.

“Why do they leave such things out of the
histories?”

“Some claim they do so as a way to not
influence the younger generations. A sort of clean slate to end the
previous wrongs. Others say it is a way for each kingdom or race to
make themselves look better.”

“And what do you say?” Mariah asked.

“I say that it doesn’t matter. What matters
is that we understand the mistakes those before us have made so
that we do not make them ourselves.”

*

Kade smiled as he neared the stronghold.
Several guards stepped forward to intercept him. They threw aside
their orange cloaks as they drew their swords. The young man made a
fist with his right hand. He reached up with his left hand and
caught the oncoming sword. His fist shot out and hit the man in the
chest. A burst of electricity shot out of his knuckles and blasted
the guard backward several feet. The other soldiers stepped back,
both awed and terrified by what they had witnessed. Kade continued
forward as they moved out of his way. He stepped up to the gate and
placed his hand against the massive gate leading into the
stronghold. A shockwave of fire smashed into the gate, knocking it
to the floor.

“Knights of Ardevale, you answer to me
know!” Kade yelled as he stepped into the courtyard.

“Not if I have anything to say about it,”
one of the Knights said as he stepped out into the courtyard.

Something deep inside Kade shuddered when he
saw the man. The fear washed away as he clenched his left fist. His
combatant was taller and stronger, but the young man knew it
wouldn’t be a problem. He strode forward as the man charged. The
Knight raised his shield and catapulted himself toward his
opponent. Kade grabbed hold of the sides of the shield and tore it
out of the Knight’s hands. He threw it aside before grabbing the
man by the throat. The man attempted to break free as his
opponent’s free hand came to rest on his chest. Kade closed his
eyes and his palm began to glow. A blast of pure energy shot out of
his palm, tearing a hole through his opponent. He tossed the corpse
aside and turned toward the others in the courtyard.

“Anyone else wish to question my rule?” He
asked.

*

Hadrin positioned himself between the
wilderlanders and Amber. He motioned for Alandra and Mariah to do
the same. They others did as he asked. They all watched as Wrotan
stood up as tall as he could and approached the nomads. The Prince
half expected them to attack the hunter. Alandra and Mariah each
stood ready to draw their weapons. One of the wilderlanders took a
swing at Wrotan, but the hunter was too fast. He caught hold of the
man’s fist and delivered a punch to the man’s side. Another nomad
got an elbow to the face as he stepped forward. The hunter held up
a hand that told Hadrin and the others not to interfere. He
proceeded to make quick work of the two wilderlanders before
calling the others over.

“They are willing to let us travel through
this part of the wilds without incident,” Wrotan said.

“Without incident? What do you call that?”
Hadrin asked, motioning toward the two men that the hunter had
thoroughly thrashed.

“They were under the impression that I had
spoken ill of their sister. I set them straight.”

“Did you speak ill of their sister?” Amber
asked.

“It seems that somebody has been
masquerading as me. We shouldn’t focus on stopping the man, but if
we happen across him, I would very much like to set him straight,”
the hunter replied.