The Dragon Swordmaster - 4

The Westonian Princes

The Lord of Weston had sent out invitations to the surrounding territories to come to a banquet to be held in honor of his eldest son. Having proven himself to be a fair and just person, King Edgar felt that it was time to name him heir to the throne of Weston, a feat that must be witnessed by representatives of the bordering kingdoms. Cedric Gwillam had held court many times in his father's absence dispensing fair justice. His younger brother, Gilian, was more interested in serving in the palace guard than dealing with the complexities of law and the Manor.

Despite knowing that his father would name him heir, much to his brother's delight, Cedric still felt ill at ease about the evening's planned festivities. Gilian had crossed swords with a dragon that now slept somewhere in the castle. The Mage had locked himself away inside his tower room after having wandered the halls muttering odd enchantments throughout. The kingdom of Arbor had sent a single knight. The law was clear on how many witnesses they required for his father's proclamation to be binding. And they were one kingdom short.

Gilian had followed the Green Knight to the castle from The Unicorn's Arse. He wanted to make certain the knight's arrival for the banquet. He also had a few questions for the swordmaster. He knew from her reputation that he and his men had exhausted her too quickly. She should have easily disarmed them. He watched the Arboreal knight slip into her quarters and followed, keeping close to the drapes while watching. The knight's visit was brief.

After the knight left, Gilian approached the bed. As soon as he parted the curtains, a leaf floated free landing on the floor. Cynara opened her eyes and smiled at him. She slowly resumed human form and reached out to Gilian. He took her hand and helped her out of bed. "I take it you are well rested."

"I am," she replied. As she stepped forward, her bare foot felt a cool object. She stepped back and bent down, picking up the leaf. "One of yours?" she teased.

The Dragon Swordmaster - 3

The Dark Mage

To the north of the Kingdom of Arboria in the heart of the Great Forest lay the Dark Kingdom ruled by a powerful mage. Onyx Black, it was rumored, had won the heart of a dragon and fathered a child with her. But only Onyx could testify to the veracity of the claim and he had nothing to say on the matter. He took great pains to travel to Weston without anyone being wise to his arrival. For that reason alone, he did not engage his travel companion in conversation. Along the way, he learned a great deal about the Great Forest and the House of Arbor from the young knight. In spite of his lack of exchange, the lad was quite chatty about matters of import to no one.

Onyx left the Green Knight behind at a local inn and continued on to the castle. He had a matter to attend to there. He arrived at the castle while the Westonian Guard were engaged in combat with a female swordmaster. He quickly passed through the halls and found his way to the back keep where the castle mage held quarters. The young mage greeted him warmly. "Lord Black, thank you for coming. I was afraid that you would not respond."

"What frightened you into calling for my help? You were the brightest and most powerful of my acolytes. This is why you were posted here."

"I have seen portents, Milord, of wickedness sweeping through the halls of this edifice. The Lord of the Manor has called for warriors, but he has refused to state why. Only a few have responded. I fear the other kingdoms may have fallen to the evil stench that wafts on the winds of time."

"We shall find out at the evening meal. Until then, I need to wash off the dust of the road and rest from my long journey."

"Of course, Milord. I shall tend to those needs at once."

The Dragon Swordmaster - 2

The Green Knight

In the early morning, Linden Arbor had arrived in Weston on a black steed wearing black armor and bearing the green and gold banner of the House of Arbor. He had settled in at the local alehouse for a short rest before advancing to the castle. Rumors of the arrival of the dragon swordmaster had travelled quickly throughout the small principality of Weston. Members of the Guard would soon confirm the rumors as they quaffed pints of ale at The Unicorn's Arse.

The Green Knight sat rapt at the end of a long table. The story being told by the men of the Westonian guard intrigued him. The Captain of the Guard spoke of Lady Cynara's prowess wielding her dragon blade. "She battled the ten of us, turn by turn, until she fell exhausted from defending the constant parries and thrusts. She sleeps in the palace now, resting up for the evening feast." 

Linden Arbor had never seen a dragon in its natural form. His curiosity drew him to the palace earlier than he had planned. Finding her quarters, he crept silently into her bedchamber and peeled away the curtains. There, lying peacefully on the down-filled mattress, he found a remarkably pleasing creature. She was warm to the touch and, despite her appearance, totally lacking in scales. As he gently stroked her short snout, she let out a low moan and rolled over, turning her face away from him. He smiled and slowly backed away. As the bedcurtains closed, they snagged a small leaf from the Green Knight's waistcoat.

The Dragon Swordmaster - 1

The Lady Drakon

Cynara dropped to the floor from exhaustion. She couldn't hold the human form any longer. Her unusual raiment would stay with her as she slowly stretched and returned to her natural form. The pale human female sighed with relief. Slowly her outstretched arms scaled over. Her hair became a frill at the back of her head. Her face deformed into a short snout. Her legs became more muscular as they also scaled over.

The small dragon sighed again before closing her eyes, expecting to be killed by the castle guard who had challenged her. Instead, she felt the arms of men lifting her up. The Captain of the Guard offered her the sword she had dropped. She grasped it and slid it back into its sheath.

"I should have known," the young captain bowed. "I am Captain Gilian Gwillam of the Westonian Guard. And you are Lady Cynara Drakon. Had I paid any attention to the hilt of your sword, I would have conceded defeat."

Having lost the ability to speak in her dragon form, Cynara managed a bow and what passed for a smile. She stood but a few inches over the guardsmen who helped her to quarters in the castle where she might rest. "You can rest here. And when you have recovered the ability to transform yourself, we shall dine this evening. I must go now to inform the Lord of the Manor that you have arrived with a message. I assume that is why you are here." She nodded before falling onto the bed and closing her eyes again.

A Brief Escape

Vaal chased Aarai down the long corridor in the sub-basement level. She could bring him down with one good jolt, but it was necessary to let him make his escape. Aarai had not been very talkative and spent more time pondering his escape than learning the alien language. He had been uncooperative when it came to answering questions about his ship. His captors decided to let him lead them to it. NASA wanted the technology, the military wanted the weaponry, and Vaal wanted to destroy it. Vaal had kept that last part to herself.

The reptilian was agile as he evaded attempts by security to intercept him. He blew past the elevators, opting instead to use the ventilation system. He proved to be an excellent climber as he shimmied up the airshaft toward the surface. Vaal opted to take the stairs, bounding up them several steps at a time. A squad of Marines had been alerted to the escape and Vaal's subsequent pursuit. The Marines were in position to intercept when Aarai reached the top of the airshaft, but Vaal instructed them to stay out of sight and allow the escape. A surveillance drone hovered overhead and followed him through the woods toward the water. Several minutes later, Vaal emerged from the fire exit and continued her chase.

Aarai emerged from the woods several seconds ahead of Vaal. He ran down the wooden dock and dove into the lake water. Vaal followed, catching him on the way down toward the murky bottom. He struggled to free himself from her grasp. His panic enhanced his desire to reach the safety of his ship. In those vital few minutes, Vaal gleaned where his ship sat and she released her grip on him. After a few minutes of confusion, Aarai followed Vaal back to the surface. "Vaal," he hissed when his head popped above the water. She continued to walk toward the shore. When he reached the shallow water, he called to her again. She continued to ignore his hissing.

Aarai bent down and grabbed a pebble from the lake bottom. Taking careful aim, he threw it at her striking her back with it. Vaal turned to face him, waiting while he ran toward her. Her muscles tensed, ready to fight him off. It wouldn't take much to kill him and she had already rehearsed an apology should she find it necessary. "Take me back," he hissed calmly. "I won't resist, Interrogator. I have no desire to die."

"You can't go home. I can't go home. And I have no intention of turning your ship over to these creatures. It's safe for now. But I may have to destroy it to keep it out of their hands."

"And I would have led you to it," he paused then corrected, "led them to it."