Vegenrage: Dragon Reclaim (15 page)

“What is this?”

“This is Fyshria. This chain mail cannot be cut by any weapon. Even Foarsbleem weapons cannot cut it. Not only that, but it also makes its wearer resistant to all fire attacks. You are fireproof and resistant to all cutting weapons but be careful. It can be pierced by stabbing Foarsbleem weapons like arrows and swords that stab you. Even Foarsbleem daggers can puncture this, but they cannot harm you by slicing or slashing.” Fraborn looks it over and puts it on.

“It is so light. Thank you, Cloakenstrike.” It is a very beautiful armor, silver and gold rings one after the other, and when he puts the shirt and pants on, they form to his body like regular clothing. There is a ring around the top of the pants that he can put the belt holding his sword through, and Fraborn is well protected. The shirt is a long sleeve shirt, and the pants fit right to his ankles.

“Okay, Cloakenstrike. What is our plan?” Bastrenboar asks.

“Well, it is still going to be the same. We need to enter the throne room of Trialani, and this time, we kill him, and the Snow Gold Trinket is then yours. We have to move close to Ugoria, and this time, we will watch from the forest and see what kind of attack the dragons and lesser dragons have initiated. We don’t know for sure if the dragons will attack, but I believe they will. We watch from afar, unnoticed, and see what happens. Hell if the dragons wipe out the elves, then we move in.”

“The dragons will undoubtedly take the treasure. Then what do we do?” Bastrenboar asks.

“Well, then we take it from the dragons.”

“You are crazy, you know that, Cloakenstrike. But what the hell. Let’s see what happens. What do you say, Fraborn?”

“I like it. The book says Ugoria will fall, and the dragons will suffer greatly, and the man with pig blood will hold the Snow Gold Trinket. That must be you, Bastrenboar, but do you really want to become human? I have always been humanor. I do not want to change.”

“We will meet that challenge tomorrow.”

“No one will be expecting us to be watching. I think it is smart, and I can’t wait to see you with the Snow Gold Trinket.” Fraborn says smiling always believing in his king. Cloakenstrike pats Fraborn on the shoulder saying.

“Let us rest and eat. Come dawn, we will move to the outskirts of the Ugorian Forest and see what is going on.” Cloakenstrike, Bastrenboar, and Fraborn eat and rest. When Cloakenstrike notices that a great magical power is gathering on Fargloin, he tells the humanors of his magical senses coming to life and lets them know that all or most of the dominant dragons are meeting on the Planet Fargloin. He knows that something is going on, a great battle, and he knows that a dragon has been killed, a dominant dragon, and most likely, all the other dragons have gathered for some reason. Later on, he senses that another dragon has been killed, a younger dragon, and there is a great power that he learned from the book. It must be Vemenomous. There is a strange phenomenon that is happening here. The dragons cannot detect when Vemenomous kills a dragon, but the strong magic users of the races of man can detect this. This is because Vemenomous is a dragon, and he masks his magical presence, but when he kills another dragon, he absorbs their magic, and the dragons still detect this as one of their own. The more powerful presence of Vemenomous is hidden from the dragons, but the races of man can detect him and know when he gets stronger by killing another dragon. Cloakenstrike is very confused because he can detect that two different dragons have killed two other dragons on this night, and this is very unusual, especially during what is technically the third Dragon Feast, and during this time, the dragons don’t usually fight among themselves. Very strange things are happening. He tells the humanors, and what is going to happen in the morning is going to be the type of crazy and adventurous day that Cloakenstrike lives for. This is the type of day that creates the rulers. Bastrenboar and Fraborn look at each other, a little worried, seeing that Cloakenstrike is enjoying this way too much. The humanors always seem to take on challenge with superior confidence, but even Bastrenboar and Fraborn find it hard to escape the reality that their whole race has been lost, and they are the only two humanor left. Come morning, whatever challenge presents itself to them, they will take it on, feeling the weight of their whole race on them, and how this will play out is what they quietly think about.

Mournbow is moving the survivors of Mourbarria and Valvernva swiftly, and they are making good time, thanks to the Graybazells. They will reach the crossing at the Strait of Hercon in the morning, and they will probably rest there. Mournbow knows the Krinston realm very well. This region includes Shaspar, Breezzele, and Noireen. This is where he grew up and spent all of his life until Xanorax branded him, made him his servant, and sent him to run Mourbarria. Mournbow also knows the Mytek Mountain and the path to the Strait of Hercon as well as anyone. Inglelapse and Oliver are very familiar with this territory as well. Vegenrage has given Inglelapse a Belt of Levitation that he recovered from the lair of Alisluxkana so he could venture ahead of the traveling party and scout for danger. Inglelapse needed a little coaxing, but with the belt, he felt a little more secure and is far ahead of the party, making sure the path is clear, and if not, he will warn the others. Farrah is walking with Vegenrage, and she has all kinds of questions. “Vegenrage, how does Gwithen call to you? Why don’t I hear her communicate telepathically like you do?”

“Well, it’s kind of like she is thinking out loud, and I am picking up her thoughts. It is very faint, and I think it is meant only for me. How she can target only me is very interesting. I think the frequency or pitch she is thinking in is very faint, so it does not attract other dragons, but I have to believe the dragons can hear her too. She is calling for me by name, and I have to say I am dying to go and see her. It could be a trap, but still, the curiosity is killing me. She is sending visions so I can teleport to her mountain that is very close. It is the Shandeltowen Mountains. This is where her home is. She is saying to me that all the dragons will be destroyed by Vemenomous unless the dragons unite with the races of man, and if we don’t unite, the races of man will be next. She senses that not only is Vemenomous going to spread fear and death, but that the demons are also coming to the surfaces of the worlds, and they too will project death and destruction. The powerful users of magic, no matter what race or species, have to start uniting, or there will be no end. I can’t seem to ever catch up to all the races, all the magic, all the history. I mean, I have only been here for, well, I don’t even have any sense of time yet, but every time I turn around, something new is popping up.”

“I can feel a lot of the dragons and see them too. I wonder why I can’t see or hear Gwithen. She is the most powerful magical being in the Maglical System, isn’t she?”

“She is certainly one of them. I don’t know why you don’t hear her. I think you will. I think you will keep getting stronger and stronger.”

“I’ve been thinking maybe you should go and talk with Gwithen. Maybe the people here will be settled enough if I stay. I mean, maybe they will let you go if you promise to only be gone for an hour or two. If Inglelapse gets back and says he feels no danger, I will talk with Mournbow and see what he thinks.”

“Well, I don’t know if I can handle seeing all those teary-eyed and pissed off people anymore. There, there it is. Can you hear it?”

“What? I don’t hear a thing.”

“Here, hold my hand. I will help you.” Vegenrage holds Farrah’s hands, and they both close their eyes and concentrate.

Vegenrage, are you listening? Can you hear me, Vegenrage? This is Gwithen, the white mare, and I am calling for you and only you. It has been written that you are the only one who can destroy the dragon that rose from your body. You are the only power equal to that of Vemenomous, but he grows stronger and stronger with every dragon he kills. You must act. You cannot wait.

“I can hear her, Vegenrage. I can hear her.”

“Shh.”

Vegenrage, I ask that you meet with me in peace. I invite you to my lair in the hopes that we may discuss events to unfold very quickly. If you hear this message, then you see the opening to my lair. If you come, come ready to talk about the reality of the dangers you face, and I send out peaceful communication for us to meet. You do not have a lot of time. I ask that you come alone as a sign of your intent for peaceful communication. Gwithen, the white mare.”

The message ends, and Vegenrage looks at Farrah.

“You see, she has been sending me communications, and something is going to happen soon. I bet it is a dragon attack of some kind.”

“Yes, Vegenrage, I heard her. I even saw the opening to her lair. I think you should go, but be careful in case it is a trap. I am scared for you, but I am scared for us all anyway. I know I’ve said it before, but I am not going to be scared anymore. You go, you go and see what she has to say.” Farrah and Vegenrage go to Mournbow and Inglelapse who has returned and tell them that they have both heard from Gwithen, and Farrah has agreed to stay with the party, while Vegenrage goes to talk with the white mare. The party is going to have to do without Vegenrage for a little while as he goes to see the white mare, and he doesn’t waste time. He vanishes through a Dimension Door and is gone.

Gwithen is lying with her three draglets who are sleeping. She raises her head and looks around her lair. “Show yourself. I know you are here.”

Vegenrage appears, standing on the rock ledge against the wall, a good forty feet from Gwithen and her draglets. Vegenrage remembers being in the lair of the black dragon, Blethstole, and now in the lair of the white dragon, Gwithen. He can’t help as his heart races just to be this close to such a majestic and magical being. What a difference he feels being here versus what he felt being in the lair of Blethstole. He is actually more scared now than he was in the lair of Blethstole. There, he knew he was going to take on Blethstole. Here, he is not sure how this is going to play out, so he asks the white mare. “I am Vegenrage. You have been calling for me.”

Gwithen stands to face Vegenrage. She stands between her draglets and Vegenrage. “Yes, you are Vlianth. You are the one Hornspire has told me about long ago.”

“Why have you called for me? Is this some sort of a trap to catch or kill me, or do you truly wish to unite the dragons with the races of man?”

“I think it’s a good idea to unite the races of man with the dragons, but I do not think the male dragons are going to go for that. Instead, I wanted to talk with you because in my time spent with Hornspire long ago, he used to talk about you a lot. He told me how everything was going to revolve around what Vlianth did, and now that you are here, things are starting to play out. Hornspire had told me that if it were to be Vergraughtu who would transform back into dragon form and then rise from Vlianth, he would become the most deadly and powerful force in the Maglical System, and it would have to be Vlianth and the female of tainted mind to face him and end his destruction, or he will rule supreme for a thousand years. Hornspire had told me that if it were Vergraughtu who rose from Vlianth, that power would hunt down and kill Hornspire, and all he knew of his own death is that it would follow a bright light. Hornspire had told me long ago if this was to be the path of the future, and now I see that it is. He told me to contact Vlianth and befriend the human, that he would not hurt me, and in fact, he would save the life of my draglets. I cannot explain, but all of what Hornspire had told me over fifteen hundred years ago is coming true. He had a whole lot of different scenarios in which the future was going to play out, but it must be the one where Vergraughtu has become Vemenomous, and Hornspire is now dead, and you are the human that will save my draglets from certain death. Vemenomous will hunt down the dragons and kill them all, including my draglets, and mate with me to continue his rule and his new species of dominant dragon.”

“Is this what Hornspire had told you would happen? Because I believe Vemenomous has the DNA of both dragon and human in his blood, and he has not finished with his transformation yet. I believe he could possibly mate with dragon or human. He is actively hunting dragon that leads me to believe he will mate with dragon, but I know of a human female who he comes to in visions and makes her believe she is to be his queen. What do you think Vemenomous is doing? Has Hornspire told you any of this?”

“Yes, he has told me of many different ways things can play out. I always found spending time with Hornspire to be very interesting because he used to have such fantastic stories, but now they are coming to pass. He had so many different ways things would play out, and I would listen to him for hours and hours. He would just talk and talk like the future was going to happen just like this or that, and it was very interesting to listen to him. I think I remember him saying that if Vemenomous were to kill him, this would be on the eve of the first united dragon attack on all three worlds. I mean, the dragons will coordinate and work together to strike all the races of man on all three worlds. The main attack will happen in Ugoria with all the lesser dragons converging on it. Ugoria will be destroyed. Erkensharie will be attacked in the same fashion, and Glabor will be spared. The people of Kronton will be hunted, and the races of man will be scattered and in ruin after just one day. This is not one sided though. Hornspire told me that the dragons will lose just as badly as the races of man have on this day. He told me that before the attack, I should contact Vlianth, and this will unite him and me, and we will come to protect each other in the future, and this is needed, or we shall both perish. We have meet, so I believe we have safety with each other. I don’t know how, but I feel relieved that you have come. Watch for not only Vemenomous but for Cormygle as well. He has been in the study of demonology, and he too will fight against not only the dragons but man as well. He is to be mastered by a human warlock riding him called Xanorax. This is a very powerful duo, and they cause many deaths.”