Several weeks later the company of heroes: Sir Rodrick, Gimlet, and Eckbert, rode eastward towards the wilderness. Their horses were laden with supplies, and upon their brows they wore helmets with the sigil of the kingdom. Here and there could still be seen the destruction of the Dragon but there was new life growing from the ashes, and the days were warm and clear. They passed through many small villages which had seen the dragon or had lost livestock to it. When they entered each village the people were cheered to see the company of heroes. The maidens blew them kisses and threw flowers to them and the lads cheered them on, the old women baked them cakes and the old men told them stories.
As they continued there began to be fewer and fewer villages as they approached the wilderness. When they came upon these villages the townsfolk were less welcoming. They were distrustful of the company of heroes and thought they were there to collect taxes. They said they had not seen the Dragon and only heard rumors of such a thing. “But you must see the red cloud of dragon-fire far away in the mountains?” Rodrick would ask, pleading with them. The townsfolk only sneered and the company passed on without staying in such places.
There came a time when they had journeyed long and yet their path looked no closer to the red mountain. The days grew crisp as autumn set in and the trees began to lose their leaves. Then the cold and wet weather began and the travelers longed for the welcome of a friendly village, hot meals, and warm fireside beds. For days they traveled through lonely roads and their rations grew meager and their horses grew thin. Finally one evening through a wet drizzle they saw the chimney smoke of a small hamlet on a hillside. They eagerly rode up to the town hoping it would give them lodging for the night.
Out of the long house stepped a jolly figure who waved to them through the twilight, “My dear travelers, what brings you three along such lonely roads to my humble fireside this night?” He said with a twinkle in his eyes, “for if you are willing to rest here a while my wife will bake you bread and my children will play a song on the lyre. We will stay up telling stories and I will open a cask of ale and make merry.”
The three companions looked at one another with delight. They longed for the comforts of a fireside and the company of friendly faces. They graciously accepted the offer and handed their reigns to the groom. They were relieved of their wet heavy cloaks and were led into a large room with a roaring fire and many happy neighborly faces sitting and drinking as if on a festival day. There were children playing musical instruments, and women serving hot cakes and bowls of stew. The companions took up their offered places at the big table and began eating and drinking and enjoying the company of the men at the table. More ale was passed around and a great-throated chorus was struck up around the table as the men stomped their feet and sang songs of great mischief and hilarity.
Finally after many hours when much of the rabble had gone off singing to one place or another the head man came over to them with a few other villagers to ask their story and their business. Rodrick set down his cup and told them the story of the Dragon, rambling a bit and slurring his words after so much drink. He began by telling them of the blood-red sky and the dragon fire. He described the burning of the castle and the capture of the princess, although he somewhat garbled his words and skipped over some important points in the story. “You see, I am sent here by the queen herself.” he said.
“Me too” added in Eckbert helpfully.
Gimlet, perhaps a little more level-headed added in, “We seek the Dragon’s lair, we will kill the beast before it can again set forth on the kingdom.”
When the three had finished their tale there was a silence in the room and then the village men began to laugh. “Dragons, they say! What rubbish, I didn’t know we had minstrels visiting us in the late autumn, telling us tall tales!” They said patting one another on the back though great peels of laughter.”
“But the dragon is real!” young Eckbert pleaded, “I saw it with my own eyes!”
“Have you not seen the red glow of dragon fire in the distant mountain?” Gimlet asked
“Have you not lost cattle to the beast?” Added Rodrick?
“No, none of that,” The men responded, “we will show you ourselves, there is no dragon in the mountain, we would know, for we live under the shadow of the mountain and observe it each morning.” The men led them out of the long house and up the hillside toward a dias set on the hilltop.
The sky began to lighten in the east as the group came atop the hill. Rodrick peered keenly at the mountain where he had observed the red glow all these last months since the dragon attack. There over the edge of the silhouetted mountain he observed the brightness of the rising sun which overtook all light and made the once red glow of dragon fire disappear.
“The sun, it dazzles the eyes and hides the dragon-fire” Eckbert said.
“There is no dragon,” the men of the village said, their faces looking paler and more wan in the first light of the morning. “Stand atop the dias so you can see better”
Rodrick eyed the men grimly through his watery eyes but he and his companions climbed atop the dias and peered harder at the top of the mountain. The men of the village surrounded them grasping hands. Their faces seemed somehow changed from the bright cheery faces who had first met them in the village. They now looked sunken and papery like the face of very old men, sneering at them through the gray morning.
From the mountain top came a screeching cry and just as the sunlight broke into view the terrible dragon appeared swooping down the canyon directly at the three men standing atop the dias. The dias that they now knew to be an altar of sacrifice. As the sunlight hit the men of the village they seemed to shrink and crumble turning into lifeless dry bones in a scattered pile around the grisly altar.
“To Arms!” Rodrick cried but he found his sword was not on his hip and his helm was not atop his brow. They had been taken by the undead townsfolk the night before. The townsfolk who were now nothing but dry bones, once enchanted by dragon magic.
“My good men has our quest come to naught but this?” Eckbert cried.
“You fools get down off of the dias!” Gimlet demanded jumping down and urging the others off the hilltop.
As the dragon drew closer screaming down the mountainside it threw tongues of flame at the three men running for their lives. Just as the beast reached out its terrible claws to strike at them a trumpet was heard coming from the pass to the north and a volley of arrows flew at the belly of the beast.
A golden rider appeared with a company of nine men all on horseback charging down the pass and holding aloft a sigil bearing an eagle. Above their vanguard flew a real eagle of the same likeness flying swiftly with the riders. They waved glinting swords at the dragon and shot swift arrows up at it. They tossed spears through its wings. The eagle darted about, clawing at the eyes of the dragon.
“Get back ye fell beast!” The golden rider shouted, “By the order of the Emperor leave these lands and release the townsfolk you have so ensnared!”
At this command the dragon let out a horrific roar and wheeled in the sky back toward the mountain. It flew up and up and out of sight with great wingbeats. The golden rider stood tall in the saddle, sword held high watching the dragon retreat. He reached out a strong arm on which the beautiful eagle alighted gracefully.
Rodrick and his companions watched all this conspire with astonishment. They had been rescued from their fate which had a moment before seemed final.
“My lord!” Rodrick cried falling to his knees before the golden rider, “You have come in the nick of time and rescued us. When we thought we were all but finished you appeared and drove back the beast. Who are you that the dragon listens to your commands and flees before you? For we three travelers were sent by the Queen to vanquish this foe in its lair and only now have reached the foothills of the mountain and the edge of its domain.”
The golden rider stepped down off his horse and took off his helmet. He stroked his eagle companion and addressed them, “I am Andras, son of the Emperor and sworn enemy of the dragon Taranis. These are my mounted men, and this noble bird is my dear friend Dartanion, one of the intelligent lords of the sky.”
The Eagle seemed to bow its head and it spoke to them in the voice of a man, “At your service,” it said. Speaking through its sharp beak.
“Your majesty!” Rodrick, Gimlet, and Eckbert said kneeling before Andras. Their hearts filled with astonishment. For they had heard their whole lives of the Emperor of the great country over the narrow sea. Of his mighty Empire of peace and plenty and of the noble race of talking Eagles which were their closest of allies and friends. Their hearts swelled with recognition for the man who stood before them, the prince of the known world.
It was some time before the excitement died down and the work was finished and finally their tales could be told. First they had to bury the dead who were scattered about the hamlet. It would seem the dragon-magic had left the village and the bones now slept peacefully. The men found their horses and recovered their riding cloaks and their weapons, including the sword of King Celtas which the Queen had given to Sir Rodrick.
When finally the work was done that grisly place looked less like a tomb and the company of three met with the Emperor’s riders. Andras addressed the twelve, “I come to your shores on behalf of my father the Emperor. He sends me forth to vanquish the fell dragon Taranis, who has taken captive many maidens from his empire and terrorized people for many years. This dragon was born in the pit of the maelstrom of the sea and has nothing but evil in its heart. All beasts live in harmony with the empire except for this dragon. It’s dark heart has taken up residence in the mountain where it plots the downfall of all kingdoms of men. It will scorch the earth, destroy the crops, devour the livestock, and carry away the young women. It will never stop and it will never be satisfied. Some will seek to make alliances with it, as you saw in the cursed townsfolk of this very valley. The fallen ones. They thought they could satisfy it with human sacrifice but it grew ever stronger, its wretched influence poisoning their minds until every one of them had become devoured by its flames. Even their spirits were twisted by its dark influence becoming undead wraiths each night bent on bringing it ever more sacrifices, and turning once more to bones each morning. You yourselves were almost given to the dragon as its next victims.”
“My Lord Andras,” Sir Rodrick intoned, “Please, we offer you our service. For we are sworn to vanquish the beast. With our powers combined we will make a mighty team which may have just the strength to overtake the dragon. For our good King Celtas has wandered far from our lands and we do not know when he will return. In his stead we are charged with the protection of the Kingdom.”
Lord Andras reached out his hand and took hold of Sir Rodrick, “My friend you shall ride alongside as my equal. For we are brothers in arms and fate has brought us together to accomplish this noble task. I swear to you this day that I shall not stop nor turn aside until the beast is slain. I know of your good King Celtas, he is a kinsman to my mothers family. Your King has too long been absent but I have heard word of him that he will again return and bring peace to your lands. For my eagle has seen him traveling on the distant shores in a hurry to return to his beloved kingdom.” With that the company of three, the nine golden riders, and Lord Andras and Dartanion the Eagle joined forces, all making oaths and solemn promises to one another to fight as brothers until the mission was completed and the kingdom was once again safe from the terror of the dragon.
Comments (0)
See all