The Trinity of Heroes (I Will Protect You Book 1) (35 page)

Just west of the ironworks rises the Pass, known throughout Forme as Broken Wing Pass, where a mighty beast sits guard, blocking all trade and communication between Melde and Forme. Men say the beast towers easily over even the largest of dwellings in Forme, and is overshadowed only by Knights Runn, Haile’s massive castle. Men say the beast’s wings span seventy-five feet to each side, and its claws are like daggers; daggers so finely honed as to make a forgemaster weep. They say the beast’s teeth put the claws to shame, easily cleaving an envious tear in twain as it falls to the earth; they say its breath is hot enough to melt the strongest steel and thickest armor to a river of iron tears down a brave Knight’s chest. But the eyes. The eyes. Men tell no tales about the beast’s eyes. Not the most seasoned trooper in a bright-lit taproom full of good friends and strong ale; not the bravest Knight in armor brilliant, atop trusted steed on sun-dappled dale in wide-open field. No man tells tales of the beast’s eyes; he whispers. Whispers say that the eyes glow redder than the hottest of morning suns, redder than the freshest of blood, redder than the hottest fury of a good man wronged. Whispers say that the eyes torture the soul, vanquish bravery, and haunt deep-night dreams forever. Whispers say that the eyes hate.

-
The Legend of Valpherinox

Galvan was surrounded by sandstone and boulders. He walked forward. He had been here once before. When he was younger, after first leaving the Everglen, he was looking for shelter during a storm, and sought it out under the large cliffs of the Pass. He did not encounter the dragon then, but he could still remember the noise he heard that night. It was a roar louder than any he had ever heard before; its ferociousness pierced his very soul.

Galvan never thought he would see the day when he was actually seeking out the legendary Valpherinox within these stone walls that could soon be his own tomb. As he walked, he noticed dead animal and bird carcasses scattered everywhere. Death was abundant in this cavern. He walked into an opening, a gigantic clearing in the chasm. He saw nothing but bones, and a vile stench caused him to gag slightly.

“Now, where is he? I thought he would be here for sure,” Jameson’s voice called from Galvan’s pocket. His little paws crested the edge of the pocket as he pulled himself up to see the surroundings. “Do you think he’s hiding?”

“No, I think he’s waiting,” Galvan responded, bracing himself for what may come. He knew Valpherinox was here. Deep in his chest, he could feel a strong, ominous presence following them as they walked.

Galvan walked further into the clearing, noticing a few rock structures jutting from the earth. The next couple of steps that Galvan took caused him to pause. The solid stone and rubble turned to loose sand that barely supported his weight. He watched as the sand around him formed small whirlpools that very slowly fell away underneath him. Galvan summoned some of his spiritual energy to make his steps as light as possible. He barely upset the sand as he walked now, his presence even less detectable.

Jameson again poked his head up out of Galvan’s pocket as they neared the middle of the clearing. “We should not be here. I have a bad feeling about this.”

Galvan stopped as he felt the sand shift quickly underneath him. Galvan quickened his pace almost immediately. The sand continued to shift, now flowing from side to side, almost as though it were water. Galvan looked to his left and his right as he ran to the other side of the clearing. The sand was now falling on all sides of him. The solid ground he had been on started to move as he neared the end of the clearing. Suddenly, it began to rise up underneath him.

Galvan knew he had to act fast.

He leapt for his life. He stretched out, barely grasping a rock ledge on the opposite side of the clearing as the ground beneath him fell away. He pulled himself up slowly and upon glancing back, he saw it. The great dragon, Valpherinox, was standing in a massive sand pit; its body length went from one end to the other, stretching completely over it. The beast had yet to notice him. Galvan was sure he would already be dead if it had. He scanned the recessed clearing; he could see the large, scaled legs and wings of the creature. The gale force of the wind from just one wing made standing difficult, and Galvan had to brace himself against a stone outcropping. The creature’s head came down toward Galvan and rested on the bank. Its eyes scanned the area. Galvan froze. The monster’s huge, fire-red eyes became transfixed on him. It opened its mouth, revealing its razor-sharp fangs. The dragon reared its head back, roared ferociously, and lunged for the sorcerer.

“Run!” Jameson squealed from his pocket.

Galvan spun around, avoided the dragon’s bite, and broke into a fierce dash. He tore through a narrow passageway, running as fast as he could. He could feel the ground tremor underneath him as the beast made its way free of the sand pit, and climbed up onto the top of the Pass. Galvan looked up and saw only the scaly underbelly of the beast, which blotted out the sun and covered the Pass. Galvan kept running, winding around bends, and ducking under broken trees until he spotted another clearing. He continued his dash; the hulking, lumbering dragon followed him until it came to the end of its higher ground. It tumbled off the ledge without a care, and hit the ground with a crash. It spun around, its feet kicking in the sand for a brief moment. It stood, positioned itself, and turned to face Galvan who had just made his way out into the opening.

The creature was no longer covered with sand, yet its back was the same color as its surroundings. Under its outer shell of armor-like, golden scales sat green flesh that turned several shades lighter as it neared its belly. Its legs were massive, twice the size of any totem, or any beast that Galvan had ever seen. Its wings were edged in sandy gold scales that turned from one color to the next: gold, then green, then to a sunburst orange, and finally to a golden hue. The dragon was one of the most magnificent sights Galvan had ever witnessed. His eyes made their way to the beast’s thick neck that connected to a gigantic head where twin ivory horns jutted from its carapace. Its pointed, jagged teeth dripped red blood from a recent meal. Galvan shuttered at the sight of them.

“Uman!” the beast roared in a low, deadly voice. “What you want, uman?! Why you come here?! My domain, my lands, my resting place! Answer me, uman!”

“I am Galvan Gabrielle and I seek Valpherinox!” Galvan shouted, attempting to assert himself as dominant. He became lost in the beast’s shadow as it lumbered over him, one wing still folded in, its red eyes burning with an intense hatred.

“You find him, uman!” Valpherinox declared. It sprayed a huge wave of fire down on Galvan, covering the sorcerer with a hot, fiery magma. It burned, charred, and killed the ferns and shrubs around them. The dragon lifted its head, let out a shattering roar of victory, and turned to walk away.

“Are we going to talk, or are you just going to breathe hot air at me all day?” Galvan’s voice sounded from behind the creature.

Valpherinox immediately spun around in surprise. “How you survive? No one survive my breath! You just uman, how you do this?” The creature’s broken words formed somewhat cognitive sentences.

“It doesn’t matter how I survived, all that matters is that you realize that your attacks will never reach me. Your claws would shatter against my skin should you attempt to strike me. Your teeth would rot and fall out were you to attempt to bite me, and your stomach would ache should you attempt to swallow me. Now, what say you to a bit of a proposal?”

The beast roared again. It shot another blast of fire at Galvan, who this time, sent a single ice bolt through the fire breath, piercing it. The frost spear smashed into the dragon, nailing it right between its eyes.

The dragon reared in pain as it collapsed to the ground, clawing at the sands and smashing nearby trees with its long tail. “It hurts! It hurts! Why this hurt so bad?! What strength you have?! How you do this to me?!”

Galvan understood Valpherinox’s broken speech enough to know that the dragon was surprised, and fearful. This was his chance to command it. “I am a powerful sorcerer, one that you could never hope to defeat! But, I don’t come to fight. I come asking for your help, your
strength
. Haile is in trouble, its people need you now more than ever.”

Galvan couldn’t say any more, he was interrupted by draconic laughter from the beast. “Hahahaha! Haile hate me. They shot me and broke wing! Why I ever help them?” The creature bumbled out most of its words in between long, anger-filled gaps.

Galvan’s eyes met with those of the mighty dragon, neither of them budging an inch. “I offer to change all of that!” The beast turned its head in wonder. “I can mend your wing,” Galvan continued. “I can give you the freedom to fly back to your home. I offer you the chance to become a hero to the people of Haile.”

Jameson poked his small head out and whispered up to Galvan, “Do you really think he will go for this, Master? I mean just look at him, he’s so angry looking!”

“But without his wings and the power of flight, he’s useless, Jameson,” Galvan patronized, just loud enough so the dragon could hear him. “We just have to hope he’s smart enough to take a good deal when he hears it.”

The great beast roared in an attempt to regain Galvan’s attention that was now focused on his small rodent friend. “No ignore me, uman!” the dragon commanded, stomping a foot on the ground, causing a fissure to form under it. “How you help me? Haile, hate me! They no accept me! I left home on Isle of Dragon… I forge own des…de…dest…destiny! My father said I unruly, unfit to be king! I leave to become stronger! Look what happen to me!”

The beast turned to show Galvan a better view of its wing, the one that Jeremayah Damascus had destroyed during the Great War. The bone protruded, it was splintered and rotting, and black with decay from the years of exposure. “I a sh…sh…shadow of what I once was!” The dragon grumbled out its angry tantrum, smoke billowing from its nostrils every time it breathed.

“Are you near finished!?” Galvan erupted suddenly, his voice strengthened by his own magical energy. “Think of what I am offering you. This is a chance to show your father that you are worthy to be his successor!”

There was total silence; the only sounds were those of the great beast’s heavy breathing and Galvan’s own heart pounding in his chest and reverberating through his head. He needed Valpherinox to embrace its own strength once again, or Haile might never be saved.

The dragon crooked its head and thought for a few moments, smoke billowing out of its nostrils as it breathed. Finally, the creature lowered its body and broken wing down to Galvan and said, “Prove me your strength. Heal me, uman!”

Lawrence awoke with a steely resolve; he knew it was time. Lawrence dusted the dirt off of himself from the night’s slumber and rose to his feet. A cold morning breeze blew through the clearing. The remains of the pyre smoldered, a faint smoke rising from it. He glanced over at his father, who was stirring beside him. The two men gathered their things without speaking, knowing the challenge that awaited them.

Jerreth finally broke the silence. “Tell me, son, what has happened to Haile, to the Knight Guard?”

“Father, the city has been overrun by Razzius and Phillip. I know you have met them both before. I don’t understand where they got their power, but their army seems indestructible,” Lawrence answered, shaking his head. “I don’t know how we can stop them.”

A pained look overcame Jerreth for an instant as he tried to remember the two young men Lawrence had mentioned. “Phillip….Razzius…but why? Why would anyone want to destroy our great city?”

“I don’t know, Father. I am not sure I can ever understand their reasoning, if they even have any. Razzius was my friend, one of my best friends, and a promising young Knight. Yet he has forsaken everything the Knight Guard stands for. He killed his own father during an argument, then blamed Benni and me and the entire Knight Guard for not taking his side in the matter,” Lawrence said, recounting his memory of that fateful night.

“Wurn…” Jerreth said solemnly, shaking his head.

“I fled the city with Mother, so I cannot say what horrors we will encounter when we return. But his army, Father, they form and re-form. They overwhelm anyone who tries to oppose them.”

“Well, my son, they have never faced the likes of Lawrence and Jerreth Sanctus. I ran away once before, but not this time,” Jerreth said, raising a fist in the air. “We’re riding back to Haile, we’re freeing the citizens, and we’re going to kill Phillip and Razzius and their damned army!” he shouted, his voice rising to a fevered pitch.

Lawrence looked at his father, grinning at the man’s surging confidence. That was the Jerreth Sanctus he had known. Maybe he hadn’t resolved all the issues with his father, maybe it would still take him a long time to come to terms with the terrible hurt this man had caused his mother and him, but for the time being, he was happy to have a companion to accompany him in his darkest hour. Lawrence nodded his head and clasped his father’s hand, signaling that he accepted the man’s rousing proclamation.

Lawrence followed Jerreth, happy to have someone with him that knew how to navigate the dense, never-ending menagerie of trees. Jerreth moved like a wildcat, guiding his steed from opening to opening, from tree to tree, hardly ever slowing or cutting a branch. Lawrence struggled to keep the pace, even without a horse to lead. Luckily Jerreth’s stallion’s bright coat emanated a fiery hue, something that Lawrence could easily follow, even in the darkness of the dense forest. He used Einhander to make his path.

Lawrence followed his father out of the Endless. “Lawrence,” Jerreth said, “let me lead our charge into Haile. Let the first thing this evil sees be the mighty Jerreth Sanctus as he rides once again to fight for his city, his lands, his loves.”

Lawrence looked over at his father. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll let you lead the charge under one condition, you let me have Phillip. Once we get there, he’s all mine! Clear?”

“I can do that, son. Now let’s ride!”

They emerged out of the Endless and stared at an eerily beautiful sight before them. The sun was barely cresting the horizon and an orange hue covered the lands of Forme as far as the eye could see. It was peaceful, mesmerizing. Lawrence called to his horse, which was still nearby the opening where he had left it. Both men mounted their horses, and rode for Haile.

Both Lawrence and Jerreth slowed as they crested a grassy hill. The sky was clear and bright. A tear welled up in Jerreth’s eye. “Lawrence, when I left, I thought I was doing it for the right reasons. But, I’ve realized I was wrong to abandon my family, no matter what my personal feelings were toward Mayor Flint. I wanted to come back, but I just couldn’t, I was too ashamed. I couldn’t bear to see how everyone would react, it made me sick. I felt worthless. Lawrence, this battle in Haile is more than just a fight for me; it’s a chance at redemption. It’s a chance for me to protect my people once again and regain my honor.”

Their horses’ hooves crashed against the lands, thundering in the imminent battle to come. Lawrence had never ridden so fast in his entire life; his body was surging with adrenaline as he charged across the lands toward his city. Haile had been invaded by Razzius and his unholy, demonic army, and Lawrence knew one thing was certain; death would eat its fill that day.

They continued to ride, getting closer and closer. At these high speeds, it would only take them a few hours to reach Haile. Their charge would no doubt take their captors off guard as neither Razzius nor Phillip would expect Lawrence to do something so reckless as to charge into the heart of the captured city. As they rode Lawrence could feel the intensity building in his chest, he knew a great battle lie just ahead. He mumbled a short prayer for their safety.

Just then, Lawrence caught a glimpse of something off to the east; it was another steed mounted by an unknown rider. A massive cloud of dust was stirring behind the steed as it raced across the lands. Closely behind the roaring dervish Lawrence could see a group of horses each mounted by unidentifiable riders. They were racing toward Haile. Lawrence could feel hope return to his heart as he now knew that he and Jerreth wouldn’t be the only ones fighting this battle.