Omensent: Revealing the Dragon (The Dragon Lord Series) (22 page)

"I
meant
about the Etazk." The young girl told him primly. "Surely there is
something
we can do about them."

"Got any suggestions?"

She stared at him helplessly.

"Don't worry about the Etazk, little one," He scooped his daughter into his arms. "I won't let them hurt you."

"I'm not worried about myself," She told him, a serious expression on her face. "I don't want them to hurt anybody else. They're such horrible people! And their god!" Her eyes looked haunted. "What kind of a monster commands His people to sacrifice one another?"

"Etaz has always been blood thirsty." A new voice told the young girl from the shad
ows cast by their fire. "He has always desired the world be brought under His dominion, and to see those who oppose Him slaughtered. Out of all of the gods that plague mankind, Etaz is, by far, the most disturbing."

Slither hissed in alarm
and dropped into a crouch, ready to attack at the slightest hint of aggression, while Raven reacted by instantly drawing her bow, notching an arrow, and then leveling it onto the shadows where the voice emerged.

Damion gently sat Leia aside, then turned to face to shadows. "Step into the light with your hands where we can see you." He commanded, stepping in front of his daughter protectively.

"Of course, Dragon Lord," An elderly woman stepped from the shadows with a amused expression on her wizened old face. "but there's no need to be so jumpy. I just wished to say hello to some old friends."

"Gwynth!" Leia laughed happily, then hurried over to hug the old woman.

"Gwynth of the Gods," Damion bowed to the elderly woman respectfully. "It's been a while since your last visit."

"I've been rather busy as of late." Gwynth explained in an apologetic tone. "Ever since the gods
began to return to the world, they have had me on the move almost constantly."

Gwynth of the Gods was a legendary figure known throughout the world as one of the immortals chosen by the gods to deliver their words unto mortal ears.
She wore a long satin robe that had been trimmed in a rich silver fur, and her long white hair had been carefully arranged into a neat bun. Her weathered old face was a mass of wrinkles, making it nearly impossible to determine her true age or origins.

"I'm surprised you're so busy." Raven c
ommented, laying her bow aside, and hurrying over to embrace their old friend. "Now that the gods are free to return, I would have thought they would prefer to deliver their commands themselves."

"Some do. Some still prefer to remain apart from the world."
She wandered closer to the fire and extended her hands to warm them. "It's a bit cool for this late in the spring, isn't it?"

"This is about normal for this time of year in the mountains." Damion shrugged, watching the old woman closely. He had the oddest feeling that this was
not
just a social visit.

"I sometimes forget how cold it can get this high in the mountains." Gwynth admitted with a smile. "I rarely have the leisure to stop and enjoy the sights."

"What brings you here to see us?" Raven asked curiously.

"I have brought the Dragon Lord a message from the Serpent Mother, Estheryal." The elderly old woman turn
ed her gaze to Damion.

"
Another message?" Damion frowned. "I don't think I want to hear it. The last time I received a message from the Serpent Mother, She advised me to murder my own daughter."

"You know why Estheryal advised such drastic measures." Gwynth
told him in an unyielding tone. "If Draco had managed to spirit Leia away, mankind would have been doomed. By denying Him His prize, you forced Him to alter His plans."

"
We didn't thwart the Dragon God's plans," The huge warrior disagreed with a shake of his head. "Draco has created a new breed of dragon with, we suspect, the blood He took when He pierced Leia's throat with His talon."

"These new beasts can
shift the colors in their scales to mimic their background." Raven told her, a worried note in her voice. "They can make themselves virtually invisible."

"Yes," The old woman nodded, her expression grave. "The
Dragon God has indeed created new children using your daughter's blood."

"I told you." Leia looked to her father
triumphantly, though her eyes were still haunted. "I told you that Draco used my blood to create those beasts. I could feel it was true."

"Leia s
ays she can sense when these new beasts are close." Damion murmured unhappily. He had been secretly hoping Leia had been mistaken, or simply overreacted out of fear, but now they knew that these new dragons had indeed been created from his daughter's blood, and he found that knowledge to be deeply disturbing.

"Really?" Gwynth looked to the young girl. "Is this true?"

Leia nodded. "Every time one of these new dragons have drawn close, my skin suddenly starts to feel like thousands of tiny little bugs are crawling all over my body. It's quite an unsettling sensation."

"This is interesting." The old woman murmured thoughtfully. "
Estheryal did not mention this, which means Draco is probably also unaware of this ability. It should prove quite useful in the future."

"That sounds rather ominous.
" Damion murmured with a frown.

"Draco created these new serpents with a specific purpose." Gwynth told him seriously. "You disrupted His plans, causing Him to lose control and break the Pact of the Gods. Estheryal has warned Draco not to
take a direct hand against you, so He needed another way to dispose of you."

"Estheryal told Draco not to take action against me?" The huge warrior asked in surprise. "And He actually agreed?"

"Of course He agreed." The old woman laughed a youthful laugh. "Draco knows Estheryal can be most troublesome if She is displeased, so He'll avoid crossing Her if He can."

"So that is why the
Dragon God created these veiled dragons." Raven said, her expression troubled. "He needs them to kill Damion and gain possession of the Dragon Sword to free the scarlet dragons from Damion's influence."

"
Veiled
dragons?" Gwynth looked to Damion curiously.

"It seemed fitting, given their abilities."

"How many of these new dragons are there?" Leia asked the legendary old woman.

"Twenty. Ten males and ten females. Draco wanted to insure the new serpent
s would breed and spread throughout the world."

"Well,
" Damion sighed, holding out his hands helplessly. "we can't just drop everything and go searching for these creatures. We have an army of Etazk preparing to set out from Salastar, and another army running around loose somewhere that we can't locate. I don't know what the Serpent Mother wishes of me, but I cannot focus on the veiled dragons until we have finished with the Etazk."

"You wouldn't be able to locate them if you went searching for them
." Gwynth informed him. "These creatures are far more elusive than the shadow dragons. With their abilities, they can hide literally anywhere."

"They can't hide from me." Leia stated in a confident tone. "I can feel when they're close, and even
get glimpses of what they are thinking." She stared at the elderly old woman with serious eyes. "They won't be able to hide from me."

"You are just like your father!" Gwynth laughed merrily. "I guess some traits breed true." She patted the young girl on her head gently. "Do not worry, young
one. The veiled dragons shall come to
you
when the time is right. It is up to you and your father to make sure that they are not successful in their quest. You are the only ones who stand between the Dragon God and his goals."

"So what was this message Estheryal wished you to give me?" Damion asked in a conflicted tone.

"The Serpent Mother bids you to stay wary. Draco will continue His quest to release the scarlet dragons from your influence, no matter the cost. He cannot continue with His grand scheme without them." She gazed at Damion, her expression grave. "You must remain vigilant."

"Like I really have any choice in the matter?" The huge warrior snorted humorlessly. "The
alternative is death. That doesn't really leave much in the way of choices." He heaved a great sigh of resignation. "Tell the Serpent Mother that we will continue to make every effort to keep the Dragon Sword from falling into the Dragon God's clutches." He was quiet for a moment, then reluctantly added. "And please take Her our thanks."

"Of course, Dragon Lord," Gwynth smiled and curtsied to the huge warrior. "I would be happy to carry your words."

"Do you have to leave immediately?" Leia asked with large hopeful eyes. "Can you stay for a bit and visit?"

"I guess I can stay for a bit." The old woman smiled down at the young girl. "Especially if you were to offer me a bit of that leftover chicken."

**********

"Master," The golden robed man fell to his knees before the altar and pressed his face to the cold stone, anxiously waiting for the shadowy flames that burned atop the altar to acknowledge his presence.

"Is everything in readiness?" The raspy whisper asked from the flames, its voice seeming to echo endlessly.

"It is, Master." The golden robed man nodded, his head still pressed to the stone. "Our men are gathered and prepared to strike at your command."

"How many men?"

"Around ten thousand seasoned men, and a dozen or so priests. They already have a number of
warriors inside of the city ready to disable the guards and raise the gates to allow the rest of our forces passed their defenses."

"And what of the fleet?"

"We have been seizing every ship that enters into our harbor, and preparing them to carry our forces south. We have nearly a hundred so far, and we have another hundred that are nearing completion. Add those to the ships that we've gathered from the other costal cities, and we have enough ships to carry our entire army."

"
Good, Mohaad," The shadowy flames writhed restlessly. "Very good."

"What should we do now, Master?"

The raspy voice that emerged from the flames didn't reply for several long moments. "Send word to our men to take the city. Tell them to show no mercy. I want every single man, woman, and child turned to my worship, or I want their hearts sizzling in tribute."

"W-Won't that draw the Dragon Lord's forces straight to our men?" Mohaad asked in confusion. "Shouldn't we hold them in reserve, and then have them attack from behind once we lay siege to Sierra?"

"No!" The raspy voice bellowed, causing the ground to quake. "The Dragon Lord doesn't suspect we already have men in place ready to strike! We're going to use that to our advantage, and strike a crippling blow to his army! Once we have taken the city, he'll have no choice but to split his forces, leaving him at a severe disadvantage. That's when the rest of our forces shall strike!" The raspy voice sounded pleased. "And once the Dragon Lord is dead, and the Dragon Sword in
my
possession, nothing in this world will be able to stop the Etazk from taking the rightful place as rulers of this world!" A cold laugh suddenly emitted from the shadowy flames, sending chills up the High Priest's spine. "I cannot wait to see the look on Draco's face once He realizes that I control His precious children!"

"I shall send word to have our men take the city immediately, Master." The golden robed man promised, jumping to his feet and hurrying from the dark chamber, followed closely by the cold laughter that continued to emit from the writhing flames.

**********

The enormous dragon lounged lazily upon the cliff side
, high up on one of the massive peaks of the Godstear mountains, staring down at the tiny lights of the human settlement below. His plans were slowly beginning to take shape, and soon He would release His new children upon the unsuspecting mortals who infested the world.

His iridescent scales shifted colors eerily in the moonlight as He slowly rose and stretched His great sail-like wings, savoring the sensation of the cool night breeze.

"Father," A deep guttural growl suddenly broke the silence as a strange shimmering appeared in the air above the cliff side, then settled down next to the massive dragon. "We have done as you commanded and located the dragon man."

"Have you been successful in obtaining the Dragon Sword he carries?" Draco's eyes narrowed as He turn to stare at the strange shimmering in the air.

"The dragon man was somehow able to fight off the attack." The guttural voice growled, a note of fear in its tone. "Stykx struck him when he was at his most vulnerable, but the human still somehow managed to fight him off, though he was injured in the process."

"How badly?"

"Nothing life threatening, unfortunately. Stykx managed to lay open one of his arms before he severed Stykx's forepaw. Stykx was forced to flee to avoid being injured any further."