Dragonsbane (Dragonsbane Duology Book I)

Chapter 1: Night

It was night and the lamps were tiny suns.

Dim-Eden's Capital lay sleeping with only the night watchmen patrolling the keep within the stone walls. It had been there long before any of them. It had been there long before the oldest man who nobody knew because he never came outside. 

The Capital was where King Erimon was, and Queen Galian, and it was a playground for Prince Larian, a playground for twenty-four-year-old Prince Larian. There was a name for the Capital that only Erimon and Galian knew, and it was one of the only things they knew about its history. Records had been burned away by human monks by order of the King. That had been at least four decades ago when Erimon was older than Larian still.

The Siladrin Mountains, tall above the plains and capped with snow, were the only conceivable place where dragons could still be, if they still existed, which was a subject of great debate among the scholars in the Capital and elsewhere. 

Scouts had not ventured that way for many years, they were very far away and they were a symbol of an uncertain past and nobody wanted to delve into a place of such darkness. One could be sure some had been foolish enough to seek it out for themselves but they were not recorded in history, they were not sung about in songs as they had figured they would be when they set off. They were bones by now, or a rotted pile of flesh after meeting a giant's club. Perhaps one had been swallowed by the swamp and they had seen things the scholars could only imagine.

That night the moon was particularly bright, its light reflecting on the lake near the gate, the lake didn't have a name, it was just the lake because that's what it was. Crickets were singing and a large lizard scurried up onto a log and a fly dropped by to say hello. They didn't know each other, or at least they weren't on friendly terms because when the time was just right the big lizard extended its very long tongue and he ate his guest. It wasn't the first time in Dim-Eden one had been too trusting and had paid the ultimate price. 

The lizard hid when it heard a strange noise, a noise it had never heard before so therefore it was a threat. Something moved the grass on the plains in the shadow of the moon, obscuring the projection on the lake. A Guard on the wall saw it through a looking glass and though he didn't know what it was, it was a threat, so he rang the bell.

It was red and crimson, even in the dark that was clear, and it had a large wingspan, and they were fairly certain it had come from Siladrin. There were faint cries with the bells and then there was fire, citizens were burned in their homes before they could scream. The fire breathing beast sent people running for the lake on fire as the gate opened and they jumped in, leaving their own trails of destruction and damage in their wake. 

The crimson terror touched down finally atop the castle with such force it shook the ancient structure. King Erimon felt he had been summoned and he showed himself, his armor was silver and red like his beard and his hair, his broadsword was heavier than it used to be but he'd had it since he was a young man and it fit him like a favorite shirt. 

The beast growled at Erimon as archers formed up behind him, they seemed to recognize each other, and that was why there was rage, and that was why the King extended his sword forward and the archers fired a volley of arrows. Some pierced the scaly hide but the beast still flew, it was not so badly hurt and Erimon cursed and cussed and told his men to hit it in any way they could. Thoughts about how he seemed so prepared for a fight against the monster crept into their minds, how did he know exactly what it was? How to hurt it? Such thoughts did not stay natural instincts, trying to kill the thing that was destroying their homes and killing their friends was only the natural course of action.

There was a brief respite from the continuous torching when the beast cleared the gate and landed by the lake and the archers took up their formations along the walls. Some had retrieved crossbows and fired bolts while catapults were prepared, but would need time before they were fully functional. 

Erimon marched to the already open gate and sent his troops forward but they were set ablaze almost immediately and the dragon rose from its rest and wanted to fly again but the combined force of the archers finally staggered it, making it cry and fly awkwardly in a rage, it was angry just as much because it had suffered the embarrassment of allowing them to damage it. It fell and groaned, and fell to one knee, a pose Erimon had seen many times on the battlefield, it was a sign of defeat, all he had to do was land the killing blow. 

He took a flanking path to the beast and jumped up on its back. His stomach knotted a bit when he heard the thing whimper, its head was hanging down, and he got the feeling this was a young one, a young and foolhardy one that had attacked without orders, hoping for glory in triumph. Still, it had killed dozens at least, it had destroyed buildings that would take years to rebuild fully, it had to die, just like any other criminal. Erimon climbed the beast, too weak now to fight it off. The King's men watched in silent astonishment, their hands trembled on their bows and arrows. 

Erimon was winded by the time he reached the dragon's head, but he had to act fast because it was getting mad again, he knew it was dying but a dying dragon could still crush him with minimal effort so he buried the broadsword with a cry in the dragon's skull and kept it there longer than needed, pushing it down as deeply as he could, wanting to make sure it wouldn't move again.

The King finally removed the blade and raised the bloody weapon to the night sky.

"Let it be known that I! Erimon! First of his name! Am the dragon slayer!"

But nobody cheered, because it was happening again, this time they were all there to see it, nobody was sleeping anymore. It was a much bigger dragon, darker, its true color more difficult to make out in the night. It picked the King up in its massive talons, arrows were loosed but none of them hit their mark and the commander told them to stay their bows, that they could hit the king. The larger dragon growled once and then took off for Siladrin. It never looked back.

***

"Archymides! Gather a force! Devise a plan! Do anything!"

Queen Galian ran out to the top step of the castle steps and fell to her knees in tears though her legs were restless, her heart was racing, she found herself weak. The strategist, Archymides, rushed out to her as fast as he could and knelt beside her and stroked her graying brown hair before hugging her tightly.

"Shhh."

She clutched him just as tightly, her nails dug in but he didn't flinch.

"You will do something won't you? Tell me you will?"

The wise old man held her there, steadying her in front of him, he smiled and his smile was one that could calm anyone.

"We'll get him back. But we must plan with calm minds."

Galian nodded, she felt her heart slow, the tears were drying in her eyes.

"You're right. Of course, you're always right." He got a smile out of her and helped her up and led her inside. He took one look over his shoulder. He could see the faint outline of the dragon but it was soon gone in the encroaching black.