Prophecy of Swords, page 3
"Shock troops – dirty business."
"The pay is good."
"I'll figure a way out," Shadowhelm replied, finishing the second pint. "Loan me some money for some food and a bed tonight – I'll pay you back later.”
Chapter Four
"I do not trust him."
Lachlan, the Son of Rhyn'athel, turned to meet the speaker's gaze. In that dim ruddy light, his eyes seemed to glow with an ethereal fire. Lachlan met the Firedrake's gaze. "Why not, Haegl?" He puts his trust in you."
The black dragon blinked slowly, carefully considering his words. He was a large worm, even when compared to the ancient ones. He loomed over the large walled tent they stood beside and made the air stifling hot. Black scales covered red-hot skin that glowed like embers. He flexed his talons slowly and then shook his massive head. "A dragon is a known adversary," Haegl remarked. "We are bound by older magic than Eleion, you know that. If we give our word, our word binds us. Not so with Eleion or Ansgar."
Lachlan smiled wryly. "Yet, you trust both Elsonre and myself."
"Indeed, and it may be a foolish trust. For if you choose to ally yourself with Allarun, then I fear we will not live long enough to regret the choices we've made."
Lachlan laughed. A powerful Eleion, hardened from years in battle, he stood face to face with the black dragon. Like all from the House of Lochvaur, his hair was red streaked with gold and his eyes were silver. He wore the armor of a warrior – only the gold circlet around his head marked his rank. "Old Friend, can't you trust the Alliance of Swords?"
"Allarun is not pure Eleion as you are not," the Dragon replied. "He has a god's blood in his veins, though which god, I cannot fathom. I do not trust him, as you should not."
"All the more reason for an alliance," Lachlan said. "The Swords of Destiny tie us more closely. Elsonre holds one, I hold the other; who else could wield the third?"
The Dragon's slitted pupils narrowed. "I would, if I could. But only those with the power to do so can wield the Swords."
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A rumble like thunder woke Shadowhelm from the dream. Half asleep, his mind wove thunder into the dream. The next rumble was an explosion that shook the bed he lay on. Disoriented, he leapt to his feet, sword in hand. The next sound he heard was screaming.
Shadowhelm had been too tired and inebriated to bother removing the chainmail – for this he was thankful. The headache that followed the ale he could do without. He opened the door and was greeted with heat, heavy smoke, and flames. A number of patrons fled down the hall towards the stairwell. "What's happening?" he shouted to no one in particular.
No one answered. Instead, another explosion rocked the inn, throwing him to the floor. When Shadowhelm looked up, he saw that the stairwell had disappeared. Smoke and flames filled the hall. He turned around and found that the rest of the hallway had collapsed.
Shadowhelm found himself looking into the night's sky. Clouds of smoke hung over Citadel Heights, reflecting the angry red flames below. The entire city was on fire. Overhead in the smoke-darkened skies, Shadowhelm could see large bat-like creatures swooping down towards the city and belching flames.
Dragons.
Shadowhelm scrambled over the shattered rafters and bits of roof to the end of the hallway. The second story had partially collapsed and he clambered down the ruins to the street below.
The world was in chaos. People were fleeing the Quarter in terror, but there was no place to go. Instead, the people ran panic stricken in all directions, looking for any shelter. The Keep and the Garrison were in a heap of rubble.
One large dragon swooped overhead, belching flames toward this section of the Quarter. A volley of arrows flew from archers along the curtain wall. The dragon turned its thick scaly hide towards the volley and the arrows snapped harmlessly on the scales.
The dragon turned on the soldiers defending the wall walk and slammed its spiked tail into the allure and merlons, breaching the wall. Shadowhelm could see the dark forms of men fall from the wall in the ruddy light. Another salvo of arrows sped towards the dragon from an adjacent wall. This time, the dragon could not turn as quickly and screamed as an arrow penetrated its eye. It plummeted to the ground in a fiery ball right into the Quarter before Shadowhelm and destroyed part of the curtain wall that protected it.
A black tide of soldiers stormed in, but Shadowhelm could see the shock troops rush to meet them. Mercenaries and brigands, Shadowhelm thought and felt a pang of remorse. Mic would be among them. Shadowhelm could not see how anyone could live through that. But he and Mic had seen worse battles, albeit not with dragons. He was tempted to find Mic and try to convince the old mercenary that it would be better to forget about the money and let the city burn. But, he knew that was useless. Mic was a professional. He'd fight to the death, if necessary.
This isn't my war, Shadowhelm reminded himself. Less than a day ago, Citadel Heights was all too willing to hang him. His main concern was how he was going to escape without being killed. He scanned the curtain walls, looking for a possible unnoticed breach, but the dark and smoke made it almost impossible. The west wall – the wall that faced the mountains – was the shortest wall and unlikely to receive much notice.
But how to get to it was another matter. The smoke was thickening, making it difficult to breathe. Shadowhelm chose a street that appeared to head towards the western wall, only to have it turn south and become choked with smoke. He cursed the city and the damned Quarter. He'd never get out at this rate. He turned around and headed back towards the main street where the inn had been.
Another dragon swooped towards him overhead. Shadowhelm cursed again, wishing fervently that part of his issue had been a longbow. His sword was useless against the firedrake unless it came for him on the ground. Still, Shadowhelm drew it as the creature flew towards him.
The dragon's vision was excellent even in the dark and the smoke. It immediately saw Shadowhelm and turned in mid air. Shadowhelm dove behind the rubble as the dragon spouted hot flames towards him. He peered from behind the smoldering slag – all that was left of the rubble he had sought safety behind and moved to the next mound. This time, the dragon circled around, hoping to get behind the Shara'kai. But Shadowhelm had already moved.
Keep moving – don't be a target,said a voice inside his head. Force it to fight on your terms.
The dragon screamed in frustration and belched another column of flame at him. This time, Shadowhelm barely made cover and his cloak caught fire. He tore the cloak off and threw it to the ground. He dove behind another pile as the dragon angled its hot breath towards him. This was getting downright annoying. Do they ever give up? he wondered. He had a dreadful feeling they didn't.
The dragon landed, irritated that its prey was not so easily killed. It wormed its long neck around the piles of burning wood and crumbled stone and brick. Shadowhelm had already left his hiding place, in search of a new one. The dragon spied movement and issued a column of fire towards him. It barely missed and Shadowhelm was near exhaustion.
How in the gods' names did anyone kill these things on foot? Shadowhelm wondered. He looked around for anything that would give him an advantage over the dragon. Nothing tactical presented itself. Still, he had the beast on the ground now, which was slightly better than having it in mid air.
The firedrake turned its head and screeched as something else captured its attention. Shadowhelm turned to see two riders approaching along one of the few stone walls left standing. Shadowhelm recognized one almost immediately: Kalena. He screamed "Go back!" but the din drowned out his words. Kalena, however, already saw the dragon. Both she and her companion leapt from their steeds as the dragon attacked.
The horses went into blind panic. One ran right towards the dragon, the other reared and slammed both Eleionagainst the wall. The dragon grasped one of the steeds in its claws and bit deep into the creature's back, snapping the vertebrae. For a split second, Shadowhelm hesitated; he could escape while the firedrake was preoccupied. Instead, he charged straight for it.
The dragon had forgotten about him. Having made a quick meal of the horse, its attention was on the two Eleionnow. The horse had injured both when it had slammed them into the wall. Kalena's companion could barely stand, but held the sword in a strong defensive position. Kalena stood before the man, her hands gripped solidly on her sword's hilt.
Shadowhelm yelled as he swung the blade into the underside of the dragon's throat. For a terrible moment, the dragon turned to meet his attack, but the blade entered the soft underside. The firedrake tried to scream, but the very force of the charge had buried the sword up to its hilt. The blade sliced arteries and veins and the dragon shook its massive head. Shadowhelm was thrown hard into the wall and fell unconscious.
Chapter Five
Quite impressive, said a voice.
Shadowhelm awoke to darkness and pain. The headache he had earlier that day was nothing compared to the pounding he had now. Every nerve in his body screamed in sheer agony and moving caused even greater pain. He was certain he had broken bones: it hurt to breathe and his left leg throbbed unmercifully. But pain meant that he was alive.
Shadowhelm was thirsty too. His throat felt dry and scratchy and had that familiar coppery taste. Blood. His blood. He could smell the dampness, the earth, and even the rocks. Cold air entered his lungs as he took shallow, painful breaths. The air had a musty taste to it. I must be in a cave, he thought. Though why, he had no idea. Perhaps after he fell unconscious, a dragon had carried him to its cave for later dining.
He moved his fingers and felt warm fur. Certainly, the dragons wouldn't have left him a blanket or any sort of comfort. He tried to listen above the throbbing buzz in his ears and see forms within the darkness. Had he heard a voice or simply imagined it? In his state, Shadowhelm wasn't surprised if his addled brain had thought he heard it.
No, you heard me, Shara'kai.
"Who are you? Where am I?" Shadowhelm rasped. In the darkness, he could just make out a form of a large creature. The features came together and Shadowhelm saw that he was looking in the eyes of an enormous wolf or dog. Shadowhelm moved his hand to look for his sword, but pain shot through him.
Be still and I will heal you. The creature loomed over him and Shadowhelm felt the hot, meaty breath against his skin. Shadowhelm tried to move away but found himself unable to do so.
I am at the mercy of a wolf. To escape from dragons to be eaten by a gigantic wolf, Shadowhelm thought dismally. He steeled himself as he felt the hot breath pass over his neck, expecting to feel teeth at any moment.
Instead, Shadowhelm's mind began to clear and the pain dulled. The buzzing left his head and he began to breathe without pain. He sat up and touched the wolf's shoulders as it stood over him. The creature felt warm and real enough. Shadowhelm buried his cold fingers in the animal's fur. "Who are you? What are you? Where am I?"
The wolf considered Shadowhelm with its yellow eyes. I am Ni'yah, the creature said. Your people are not far.
"My people?" Shadowhelm mused.
The army from Caer Sithar.
"Citadel Heights?" Shadowhelm looked bewildered. "Why would they save me?" Had Kalena saved him after he killed the firedrake?
The wolf nodded slowly.
Shadowhelm stared. You can read my mind?
It's not hard, Ni'yah remarked. Your thoughts are unguarded. The wolf carefully licked his front paws and then settled down beside the Shara'kai. It seems you saved the life of the High King. Quite impressive.
"The High King?" Shadowhelm asked and then his mind returned to the battle. There had been another warrior with Kalena. Could that had been Romarin?
The wolf stood and sniffed the air. We will talk later. You have much to learn, Shara'kai.
Shadowhelm awoke to darkness. It was cold and damp. At first, he thought he was in the great cavern where he had dreamt about Ni'yah. But Shadowhelm had hid in caves before and this smell different. The caves smelled of earth, dampness, and stone. This place had a familiar stench too: one of fear, dying, and decay.
Shadowhelm's mind lingered on the wolf. Had the wolf been a dream? It had felt real, but Shadowhelm knew better than to trust his addled brain. The fight with the firedrake had thrown him into the wall and he was certain that he suffered a concussion. Shadowhelm shifted and felt pain, but unlike the dream, the pain was one of bruises and sore muscles – not the sharp agony of broken bones. Perhaps he had escaped serious injury after all.
"Shadowhelm?"
He nearly jolted upright, but his body reminded him of the abuse. His head pounded fiercely and he slowly turned towards the speaker. Shadowhelm couldn't see in the darkness, but the voice was familiar. "Kalena?" His voice came out in a croaky rasp.
"Yes."
"Where are we?" he asked.
"Sehduk's keep." Her voice was toneless.
Sehduk's Keep. Shadowhelm tried to comprehend her words. Sehduk…Areyn Sehduk? He tried to will away the pounding in his head, but to no avail. But, the name was familiar. Very familiar. The realization slowly filled his brain. "We've been captured."
Kalena's silence affirmed his fears. Shadowhelm frowned and silently cursed his Shara'kaivision. If he had been a pureblood, he would be able to see that he was in a cell by now. Instead, he would have to wait until his eyes focused. "What happened?" Shadowhelm asked.
At first, he thought that Kalena would not answer him. But, after a long time, she spoke. "Romarin and I were riding towards the west walls when the dragon attacked. You saved us both. After you were knocked unconscious, we took you towards the west wall, but Vaurgar, Allarun's son, was waiting for us. We were captured."
"So, it wasRomarin," Shadowhelm wondered aloud, remembering the wolf's words. "What of the army?"
"I don't know."
Shadowhelm felt a knot grow in his throat. "Where’s the king?"
Silence greeted him.
Shadowhelm stared in Kalena's direction and could make out her form. She was motionless. "Kalena?" he ventured.
"Romarin was captured with us."
Shadowhelm closed his eyes and let his head lay back on the damp stone. He knew he should have followed his instincts to leave Citadel Heights. As a mercenary, he had been in many bad situations, but none as grim as this. "Do you have any water?"
"No."
"Didn't think so."
Shadowhelm sat up again, hoping that the headache's roar would eventually diminish. He stared at the cell door – something he hadn't noticed until now. The cell, itself, was only a six by six room. The door was oak and bound with iron. About two thirds of the way up, there was a two-inch by three-inch hole cut so the guard could watch them – if they were deemed worthy of watching. The hole was slightly less dark, suggesting that there might be light in the corridor beyond.
Shadowhelm studied the door and found that there was no interior locking mechanism. He slowly stood up and felt along the doorway and walls. The walls were rough-hewn stones with thick edges he could grip with his fingers. He heard a soft rustle behind him and saw Kalena standing beside him. He raised a finger to his lips; she nodded, her eyes were better than his in the darkness and caught the gesture.
"What are you looking for?" she whispered softly in his ear.
Shadowhelm could feel her breath along his neck as he let his fingers glide along the door, but kept himself focused. "Confirming my suspicions," he whispered back. "This is an old-style bar mechanism." He peered out the hole into the darkness beyond. "If I had a rope or a string or something to catch the latch on the other side, I might be able to open this."
Kalena chewed her lip thoughtfully. "The lacing on our armor could work as a rope, but a hook?"
"Our armor," Shadowhelm said.
"How?"
"Check my armor for a rent," he whispered. "If there's a broken link, I might be able to use it as a hook."
Kalena nodded and ran her hands down his back. It did not take long. "Here," she whispered pulling several links out. "They're small though."
Shadowhelm felt the small links in his hand. They were maybe a half-inch wide. He carefully separated one link and handed her the others. "Keep these," he whispered. He gently pulled the link wire apart.
"It's awfully small," she remarked. "Do you think it'll work?" She handed him some leather lacing.
"I don't know." Shadowhelm frowned as he knotted the leather lace on the wire. The chain link felt light on the end. He knotted it again and tested the knots. "That will have to do," he whispered. He peered through the hole and quietly snaked the line down.
Kalena knelt down beside him and pressed her ear against the door. She glanced up once and nodded. Shadowhelm continued to slide the chain link towards the lever. He felt it catch and pulled it up. The line jerked and the ring bounced free, rattling loudly on the door. Kalena looked up and Shadowhelm shook his head. Again, he felt the link catch and again, when he pulled, it bounced free.
