Dragon Riders of Etrea—Chapter 5

Garlen didn’t get as much sleep that night as he had hoped, but he certainly felt no need to complain. He had given his house key to Rasud, who slept in his house that night while Garlen enjoyed being in the arms of Lorelie. She proved to be an energetic one, demanding action from him until he could barely move. All in all, a great way to spend a night, especially after a brief stint in jail.

He walked up to his house early that morning, just as the sun was rising above the horizon. Rasud was already waiting there, stifling a yawn behind his hand.

“Sleep well?” Rasud asked, grinning.

“Not really,” Garlen replied, and they both laughed. “I suppose I owe you one.”

“You owe me thirty-six, but who’s keeping count?” Rasud replied.

Together they walked down the dirty streets in southern Selfoss and made their way north, towards wealthier areas where people were clean and the houses well-kept. Women in the south would often give Garlen sly smiles as they passed—they appreciated a tall, strong man—but here in the rich districts, they looked down their noses at him like he didn’t belong. Which, to be fair, he didn’t.

“Good morning!” Rasud said to one of the guards at the front gate to Duke Ardun’s palace. “We are here to see your armorer, Petrus, after which we are scheduled to speak with Colbert. Tell me, is Tobias around?”

“Yeah, I’m here,” a soldier said, stepping up to the gate. It was Tobias with his customary frown. Even this early in the morning he wore mail armor with a tabard in Duke Ardun’s colors over it. He grabbed onto the latch and pulled, then swung the gate open enough for them to enter.

“And how are you on this fine morning?” Rasud asked.

Tobias gave him a quick glance that held no kindness in it. “Follow me,” he said as he strode down the wide path that led to Ardun’s mansion.

Garlen and Rasun fell in behind him and hurried towards the mansion. Once there, Tobias led them through the building and they exited the rear, where they passed a smithy, a small barracks building, and finally wound up in a tall stone warehouse.

“I swear, this place is practically a city on its own,” Rasud muttered as they entered the warehouse.

“What do you need?” asked a graying man who gave them all a hard glare. He looked like he had little time for pleasantries, and no time for anything else. He must have been Petrus, the armorer.

“The duke wants these two fully outfitted,” Tobias said, pointing at Garlen and Rasud.

Petrus looked them up and down with a deep frown. “You’ll have to lose those silly robes of yours,” he said to Rasud.

“Oh, no armor for me, good man,” Rasud said. “I follow a different path, although I would welcome a good belt knife. It’s my friend here that will need to be armed and armored.”

Garlen took a step forward. “I mostly just need a good sword. I can appreciate armor but I need to be able to move silently.”

Petrus grunted and shrugged. “It’s your funeral. Hold on a minute.”

He took a glance at Garlen’s empty sword belt, then walked away. He entered a large room and came out a few minutes later, holding a scabbarded sword in both hands. With a grunt, he thrust it at Garlen.

Garlen accepted the sword and pulled the blade out a few inches, inspecting the steel. It gleamed, the razor-sharp edge evident even at a glance. He pulled the sword the rest of the way out and held it in front of him, getting a feel for the weight of it. 

“The balance is perfect,” Garlen said. “This is a fine blade, and I thank you.”

Petrus scoffed. “Of course it is. And you’re welcome,” he added begrudgingly.

Garlen spent a few minutes attaching the scabbard to his sword belt while Petrus argued with Rasud. The witchman insisted he needed nothing other than a knife. Even Tobias encouraged him to bring some kind of weapon with him.

“I have all the weapons I need right here,” Rasud said, tapping the side of his head. “Trust me when I say that I need nothing. Although a good knife would be nice.”

Petrus rolled his eyes and went back into the warehouse again, then returned with a long dagger that wasn’t far off from being a short sword. He presented it to Rasud, who examined it closely, pretending he knew something about weapons.

“A bit on the large side, but this should do nicely,” he said, making the dagger disappear beneath his robes. “Thank you kindly, Petrus.”

Petrus simply grunted in reply. The man seemed to grunt more than talk. He looked over at Tobias. “What do you need, soldier?”

“My sword is fine,” Tobias said. “I could use a good shield, though. Nothing too large. And a bow and some arrows if you’ve got them handy.”

Petrus returned a few minutes later with a sturdy kite shield in hand and passed it to Tobias. After that, he fetched a bow and a quiver filled with arrows and handed them over as well. 

“Anything else?” Petrus asked, hands on his hips. He seemed rather impatient. 

“Can I get a dagger like his?” Garlen asked, pointing at Rasud.

With an audible huff, Petrus went to fetch the dagger. He returned a moment later and handed it to Garlen, who began affixing it to his belt opposite his sword.

“That should be everything,” Rasud said, giving Petrus a friendly smile. “Thank you for your help, good man.”

Petrus simply grunted.

Tobias led Garlen and Rasud across the compound to a large set of buildings that included stables. Colbert was there, nose in the air as usual.

“You’re late,” he said in a tone that made it clear nothing was ever up to his standards.

Rasud looked around, noting the position of the sun in the sky and the horses that stood ready nearby. “Looks to me like we’re right on time!”

Colbert scoffed and turned to the horses. “Our stableman has prepared these for you. Fine horses, both of them, with as much food and supplies as we could fit in the saddlebags. Tobias, we took good care of your horse.”

“Thanks,” Tobias said, selecting one of the horses that apparently belonged to him. He rubbed the horse's neck for a moment. “Hey, boy. You ready for a nice long walk?” The horse whickered in reply.

“Treat them well,” Colbert said to Garlen and Rasud. “These are fine animals, much finer than the lot of you.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Rasud said as he approached a dappled horse.

Garlen walked up to the remaining horse, a tall brown, and let it smell his hand. “Fine animals indeed,” he said, examining the horse. In his years, he had never seen an animal like this, and he had been around a number of horses.

“Ready?” Tobias asked, swinging himself up into the saddle.

“No use putting it off, I suppose,” Garlen said. “Although I believe we’re supposed to see the wizard as well.”

“Yes, you will,” Colbert said in a smug voice. “He’ll meet you around the front.”

He and Rasud mounted their horses and Tobias led them around the palace towards the front gate. As soon as they found themselves, an old man with robes much like Rasud’s approached them. 

He was of average height, with a white beard that fanned across his chest. His long hair was white as well, and cut short, although it had an unkempt look to it. While his face was lined with wrinkles, his bright blue eyes were almost predatory as they focused on Garlen. 

“His eyes,” Garlen whispered.

“That’s not natural,” Rasud replied. “It’s something to do with magic.”

“So, you two are going to steal a dragon’s egg?” the wizard said, looking them up and down. “You will definitely need my help. I am Kelthorn, wizard in service to Duke Ardun.”

“I don’t think I’ve met a wizard before,” Garlen said.

“You went to the Academy?” Rasud asked. “Up in, what is it…Gardabaer?”

He looked down his nose at Rasud. “I am older than the Academy, boy. You would do well to remember that.”

Garlen was tempted to ask about the academy, but decided to wait until later. Rasud probably knew something about it. That man knew something about everything, it seemed.

“What do you know of dragons?” Kelthorn asked.

“They’re almost impossible to kill, and don’t die of natural causes,” Garlen said.

“Correct,” Kelthorn said. “Furthermore, they can see like an eagle. Their sense of smell isn’t too sharp, so consider yourselves lucky since you’ll probably spend a week or two without a bath. I see one of ours is going with you.”

“Tobias, my lord,” he said from behind us.

“Yes, yes, I know of you. Keep these two on the straight and narrow.”

“I plan on it, my lord,” Tobias said.

Kelthorn cleared his throat and looked at the two adventurers again. “What you are setting out to do is not easy, but it is possible. I have scrolls that mention an egg being stolen once, five hundred years ago. Go at night; wait until a moonless night if you must. They tend to live in caves, at least the southern dragons. If you sneak in while they sleep, you stand a chance of taking the egg.”

“Doesn’t sound too hard,” Garlen said.

“If you make even the tiniest mistake, the dragon will wake and kill you immediately,” Kelthorn added. “Keep that in mind. And beware of their riders, for they are nearly as deadly as the dragons themselves.” 

“I’ve heard something of them,” Garlen said. “Only women can link with dragons, right?”

Kelthorn nodded. “Correct again. No one knows precisely how it works, but the dragons choose a person, sometimes from several nations away. That person leaves their life behind and goes to the dragon. They bond, so that their spirits are one. The rider becomes incredibly powerful with magic, and the dragon gets a link to the human world, which can help with survival.”

“So, can you tell me where this dragon is?” Garlen asked. “The one that laid the egg, that is.”

“That will add another layer of difficulty to your mission,” Kelthorn said. His lips curled into a slight smile, as if he enjoyed giving them bad news. Old bastard probably did.

“Oh, stealing a dragon egg was going to be easy. I’m glad something will make it harder,” Rasud said.

Kelthern gave the half orc man a sharp look, but continued. “You are in luck, as the dragon egg came from the closest dragon to us. It is still quite a journey, being in the mountains to the north of the orc wastes. You will have to pass through there to get to the mountains.”

Garlen grunted. The orcs didn’t bother the humans as long as both races kept their distance. Orc raiding parties traveled the wastes and always caught anyone trying to cross.

“I can see from the look in your eyes that you have dealt with them before,” Kelthorn said.

“I have,” Garlen said. “Orcs fight hard, and to the death. We’ll have to work hard to avoid them.”

“What about you?” Kelthorn asked Rasud. “Do you think you have the stomach to attack your own people?”

“Sure. I can think of some humans I’d like to attack right now as well,” Rasud said.

Kelthorn’s eyes narrowed. “You watch your tongue, halfbreed.” He turned back to Garlen and pulled a scroll from his sleeve. “This is a map. It is not perfect, but it’s as close as I could get based on my books. It should guide you to the elemental dragon guarding her egg.”

“Elemental dragon?” Garlen asked. 

“Yes, the snow dragons are elemental dragons,” Kelthorn explained. “They use powerful magic, as opposed to the northern snow dragons that simply burn everything. Some can affect water, some can shape rocks with merely a thought. Some can turn the steel of your sword into dust.”

Garlen briefly unrolled the map and glanced at it. From the city of Selfoss, straight east until they hit the last town, then they would travel northeast to the cave. Notes were scribbled on the map on how to recognize the correct mountain. He rolled the scroll back up and handed it to Rasud, who was much better at reading those sorts of things.

“Anything else?” Garlen asked.

“You don’t seem overly concerned about this,” Kelthorn said. “Most men would wet themselves at the thought of crossing the orc wastes, much less doing that and facing down a dragon.”

“I’m not most men,” Garlen said simply. “This won’t be my first time crossing the wastes. If there’s nothing else, we should get going.”

“Yes, be on your way,” Kelthorn said. He made a motion with his hand and whispered odd-sounding words and a feeling of relief washed across Garlen, as if he had enjoyed a full night’s rest. “That will help you on your journey.”

“Thank you, my lord,” Tobias said. 

Garlen just turned and left. He didn’t like wizards. Men with that much power often wanted more, and would commit black deeds to attain it. Stories of the royal wizard in Akranes had reached Selfoss a few months ago; the man had killed his own queen just to extend his life a hundred years. 

It was said the current king, Owyn, had been a commoner that rescued the princess from some witch in the woods, then brought her back and killed the foul wizard. That sort of bravery was rare these days. It was something Garlen respected.

When they reached the iron gates, the soldiers posted there pulled them open. Garlen passed through, ignoring the glare of the soldiers.

Once on the wide street, they turned their horses east. The sun was there, just over the tops of the buildings, blinding them. 

“I should have brought a hat,” Garlen muttered, shielding his eyes with a hand.

Rasud laughed. “You know, I—”

They were interrupted by the town crier, calling out details of the latest news. The three men stopped for a moment, listening to the main speak about the refugees from Peralta and some from Whiteridge as well.

“You think he knows anything about the lands to the east?” Garlen asked.

“There’s a good chance,” Rasud said. 

“Just make it quick,” Tobias said.

They rode their horses over to the man, who stopped shouting when they approached.

“Can I help you, my lords?” he asked. 

“We’re traveling to the east,” Garlen said. “Can you tell us anything that would be useful?”

“How far east?” he asked.

“Far.”

The man thought for a moment. “Were I you, I’d be careful and maybe plan an alternate route. The orcs have been restless lately, even attacking some of the farms out to the east. It’s that new chief of theirs. Um, Torgan, that’s his name. Managed to get all the tribes to band together as one people. He’s got them building a city out there, you know. They call it Silverkeep.”

“An orc city? That’s the last thing I’d expect. Do the orc raids extend to the north, or are they focusing on human farms?” Garlen asked.

The town crier shrugged. “That I can’t tell you, good sir. I haven’t heard of any farms to the north of the wastes being attacked, probably because no farms are there.” He gave a good natured chuckle. “But, stories speak of worse things in those mountains. Might be a good idea to hire a ship.” He rubbed his chin and looked at them for a moment. “If you ask me, you should stop by the temple on your way out. Best time to have the priestesses bless you is before a fight, I say. And you three fellas look like you’re going to get into a few fights.”

“Not the worst idea I’ve heard,” Rasud said, looking over at Tobias. “Will you agree to that?”

Tobias rolled his eyes. “Are you determined to put this off as much as possible? Fine. We’ll go to the temple, ask for their blessing, and then we’re off. And nothing else, I don’t care if the king himself asks for your help.”

“Have a good day,” the crier said, then went back to calling out the latest news in a loud voice.

“This way,” Tobias said, nudging his horse into a walk. 

“Are you a religious man now?” Garlen asked as he and Rasud rode behind Tobias.

“When it benefits me,” Rasud replied. “Considering what our immediate future holds, I’ll gladly accept a blessing if they’re handing them out. How about you, my friend? Suddenly feel a yearning for the divine?”

Garlen looked around him. Fewer refugees filled the streets in this part of the city, but they were still there. “Maybe one day when I find a god that’s worth my time. I say, if they actually cared about us, this world would be a better place.”

“I suppose even the gods struggle when a dragon attacks,” Rasud muttered as he watched two children holding tightly to their mother’s hand. Tears had made clean tracks through the dirt on her face, and she had the look of a woman that hadn’t eaten in days. Her children cried softly, and it was clear she was barely keeping it together. 

“Give me a coin,” Rasud said, holding out a hand.

Garlen immediately dug something from his purse and handed it to Rasud without even checking what it was. That woman needed help. For all his scars and coarseness, Garlen didn’t like to see children suffer. Women, either. Mothers held an especially soft spot in his heart. Perhaps because he had never really known his.

Rasud steered his horse closer to the woman, then said something quietly to her and handed her several coins. She stared at him, eyes wide in surprise at what was probably the first act of kindness she had experienced in days. That it came from a halfbreed probably shocked her as well.

“Thank you, kind sir!” she said, choking back tears. “May the gods bless you, sir. You and your friends.”

Garlen nodded to her and nudged his horse closer to Tobias. No sense in angering that old badger. He was about as pleasant as a skunk in the sheets.

As they traveled east, a tall building eventually came into view. It was made from pale stone in a style that had been old a thousand years ago, with towering spires and grand arches. It was the oldest building in all of Selfoss, although no one knew precisely how old it was.

The three men steered their horses to the stable next to the temple. An elderly man came out and took their reins. He offered thanks when Rasud tossed him a few coppers.

“We’re going to be broke if you keep giving away all our money,” Garlen said.

“On the contrary. Everyone knows us as good people, simply because I give away all our money,” Rasud replied with a smile. “Trust me, it will come in handy one day.”

“Enough talking,” Tobias said. He left his shield and bow in the stable, and after staring down at his sword for a moment, grunted and walked towards the front doors.

“Such a charming man,” Rasud said, looking at Tobias’s back. “Well, Garlen, are you ready to beg the gods for forgiveness and pledge yourself to a life of chastity?”

Garlen just laughed.