Dragonsbane (Dragonsbane Duology Book I)

Chapter 2: Day

The dragon corpse in the lake was a bigger story than the King's abduction.

There were very few things in the world that had no use, and the dragons were no exception. They didn't know exactly what the blood would do but that didn't stop them from ripping the scales off and filling buckets with it. The lake was red from the arduous task, removing one scale could take several moments of vigorous sawing and it was unseasonably hot so the work felt even harder.

Morrigan was looking upon the monster she thought only existed in her childhood story books which she still had. She was seventeen and dragon sightings were not commonly reported in her lifetime. She looked at it like she was sure it would spring back to life at any moment. Her home and farm hadn't been damaged in the attack, surely it should have been, surely whatever god it held would reanimate it to finish the job.

Leyden put a strong hand on her shoulder, and told her it was okay, that it was really dead but his words were just noise in that moment. The thing in the water was not of her world, her world was the crops, her dog, her father, her books, her sword. In that moment she didn't even want her sword anymore, the violence had reminded her that she was a child, a young woman, she wasn't ready for the world if this was what it held, maybe she would never be ready.

Archymides and the Queen met in the war room, before their scheduled meeting with the commanding officers was to take place. The Queen had slept more than she thought she would have, she was moving around like she was a young woman again, her words resolute, the strategist was struggling to keep up with her. He swore her plan was to march to Siladrin herself and was more worried for the dragon.

"Is a full-frontal assault really not the best option?" She asked, pacing around the seated man, doing nothing to quell his concern for her. Sleep had only made her foolhardier and more reckless in her thinking, though in her mind she was operating at the highest levels of logic and reason.

"Possible? Yes. Wise, no. Foolhardy. Many would be slaughtered before getting close to the mountain. Surely whatever is driving them will have eyes in our direction at all times now."

"I await your suggestion then."

Archymides sighed, his mission was to save her as much as it was to save Erimon."Sending a small force would be safer and more practical. Maybe only three or four good men."

"And we must examine if rescuing my husband is the only goal here."

Archymides shook his head.

"If this was truly the work of Covac and Maev, we cannot defeat them directly, not alone."

Galian stopped pacing, bringing relief to the old man, he saw her thinking, but that wasn't always a good sign. She trusted him, more than she trusted Erimon, but her love for her family was dictating her thoughts.

"If we're not going to spare soldiers right now, who do we send? Volunteers?"

"Many would jump at the chance to volunteer, for enough coin."

"There's only one man I trust with this task."

Archymides nodded, he knew the man she had in mind. He would do it because being a soldier was in his blood. The Queen's gaze fell to the door, she was worried, annoyed.

"The prince should've been here by now I would think."

"I trust Larian is seeing to some important matter, my Queen."

Two soldiers, scouts came in and bowed. Galian had sent them out an hour ago to ask around about her son and they'd apparently learned something. They didn't seem particularly happy, not like they would give bad news, but they didn't reassure her right away and that was enough.