Black Dragons
Chapter 5: Freedom at Last
Disclaimer: I do not own Dungeons & Dragons
Arjhan lifted his shield. Corrin's grip on his knives tightened. Harbek spun his hammer in his hands. Aldain's eyes flicked from left to right. And Sariel lifted her staff into a defensive position.
"Well, we don't have all day!" The Baron shouted.
"On my signal… Sariel, aim for the right side of the room. Arjhan goes for the Baron, the rest of you with me on the left side of the room," Aldain whispered to the group.
They all nodded their understanding. Aldain waited a moment, then he held his sword out in front of him at an angle, the large window behind the Baron's desk let in some sunlight which he caught on the flat of his blade and aimed at the Baron's eyes, the sudden glare temporarily blinding him.
"Now!"
The group launched into action. Arjhan stomped across the room, his hulking form blocking the Baron's speckled sight of the others. He was upon the Baron in a flurry of striking steel, his sword rising and falling, barely giving the Baron a chance to counter-attack. The Baron was only equipped with a Bastard Sword, an ineffective weapon for blocking. The hand-and-a-half blade became heavier and heavier in his hands as he attempted to ward off Arjhan's attacks.
Sariel turned to her right and pulled her hand from the top of her staff, a trail of fire coming from the weapon and manifesting into an orb in her extended hand. She flicked her wrist and the flames shot forward, colliding with the wall and exploding, catching the men and the surrounding furniture ablaze.
Aldain, Corrin, and Harbek darted to the left, each taking one of the men who lined the walls. Corrin's sudden movements caught his guard unaware and he was able to sink his blades deep into the man's shoulders, he slumped to the ground with the unexpected pain before Corrin kicked off him, freeing himself and his knives as he backflipped to land in the middle of the room in a crouch. Harbek, using the momentum of his charge, brought his hammer around with a sickening crunch as it smashed the plate armor and the ribs of the man beneath it, he screamed in pain as he slumped over, clutching at his side. Aldain however, had a bit of trouble. The man had seen him coming and struck out with his blade. Aldain had managed to deflect it, earning himself a small cut on his left cheek, he and the man were now locked with one's blade on the other's shield, and neither willing to budge.
Corrin saw his opportunity with Aldain's opponent and threw one of his knives, burying it in the man's exposed neck. He stiffened from the sudden pain but got no further before collapsing to the floor, dead. Aldain gasped as the pressure on his shield and blade was suddenly released. He regained his footing and looked over to Corrin who gave an informal salute wave. Aldain nodded his thanks before sheathing his weapon and ripping Corrin's knife out of the man's neck. He walked back over to his comrade and returned the weapon to him, they both looked over to see Arjhan delivering a few more blows to the Baron's weakening defense until finally, with a massive two-handed, over-head blow, Arjhan knocked the sword out of the Baron's hands. The man collapsed to his knees, panting and sweating from the exertion of holding Arjhan at bay.
"So what now?" The Baron demanded between pants, "Kill me? That'll just prove me right!" He shouted.
Arjhan glared at him before sighing and slamming his blade into its sheath.
"You're a stubborn fool," Arjhan told him. "I am no spy, I am no traitor. I am a simple traveler trying to make my way through these lands."
"A likely stor-" the Baron began to say
"It's the truth!" Arjhan shouted, cutting him off and causing him to whimper in fear and slink back from the large dragonborn.
Arjhan sighed again as the adrenaline drained from him. He put his fingers on the bridge of his snout and rubbed them over his scales.
"I just want to move on, I do not mean to kill you or take any sort of revenge against you. I just wanted your word that you will listen the next time someone tells you they aren't a spy before you lock them in your dungeons and torture them," Arjhan told him.
"And what if I refuse?" the Baron asked.
Arjhan looked to Sariel and Aldain, he shrugged while she tilted her head as if to consider the possibility. Arjhan returned his gaze to the Baron.
"Then I would leave you in the capable care of your commanders over there," He said, indicating Sariel and Aldain.
"Those traitorous wretches? You'd leave me 'in their care'? More like sentence me to death," He said.
"I would ensure that didn't happen," Arjhan told him, "No matter how much you tempt me to,"
The Baron scoffed, "You sub-humans are all the same. Think you're so special because you've got magic or breathe fire. It's a load of rubbish, you should just bow to us already and make it easier on yourselves."
The whole group stiffened at that. None of them were human after all, they had all faced some kind of discrimination based on their heritage.
Arjhan slowly walked over to the Baron before reaching down and grabbing him by the collar of his tunic. He lifted the man and held him at face level so the two could look each other in the eye. Arjhan noted, with some amusement, that the man's gaze never met his own for more than a second or two.
"You will apologize for what you just said, and then my friends and I will be on our way," Arjhan said in a low, threatening tone.
"I will not. I will not apologize for speaking the tru-"
He was cut off as Arjhan gave him a violent shake.
"You. Will. Apologize."
Arjhan left his mouth agape slightly as he finished the threat, some of his acidic saliva slowly dripping out of his mouth and onto the Baron's tunic. The material sizzled as the acid began to burn through it.
The Baron's eyes widened before he began to thrash frantically against Arjhan's grip, but it was like an iron vice.
"Yes! Ok! Fine! I apologize! There, happy? Now let me go before you melt my skin off!"
Arjhan released the man's tunic and he dropped a foot to the ground, losing his footing and falling on his side. He scrambled to his feet and quickly began to remove his tunic as fast as he could, the sizzling acid starting to smoke as it ate through the material.
"Come on, we're leaving," Arjhan told the team as he turned and left the Baron behind.
The group turned and followed after him as he passed them, glaring at the Baron before they turned.
They made their way down the stairs of the castle, and eventually out of the main gate and onto the road ahead of them.
"Oh! Before we go," Sariel said as she turned away from the group.
"Corrin, Aldain. If you'd come with me," She said.
Aldain nodded as he realized where she was headed. Corrin followed, confused. Harbek and Arjhan waited for them in the entry hall of the castle. After a few minutes, they heard clinking and looked up to see Sariel and Corrin laden with heavy satchels. Aldain was spinning a ring of keys on one finger.
"All don' 'den?" Harbek asked as he crossed his arms.
"Yes, I believe so. This should cover mine and Corrin's fees, as well as set us up to live comfortably for the next month or so," Sariel explained.
"And I take it that's from the Baron's store?" Arjhan asked.
"Oh yes, but after that last comment I don't suppose you're still in favor of defending his actions and honor?" Sariel asked.
Arjhan shook his head, "Men like him don't deserve to have other people defend them."
"Then we agree!" Sariel said with a wicked smile before walking past Arjhan and Harbek, leading the way out of the castle.
The group returned to Woodsedge, where Harbek used some of his coin to pay off his tab at the bar. The group used the time to eat, and plan their next move.
"I say we continue heading South, it's as good a direction as any, and it'll take us away from the fighting," Arjhan told them as he reviewed the map.
"I take it you're wanting to put as wide a berth between yourself and New Arkhosia as you can?" Sariel asked.
Arjhan nodded, "Yes."
"Then I have no qualms with heading South. We can stop in at one of the ports along the way and purchase passage to one of the other continents, we might as well get out of Leight entirely to avoid the war," She said.
The others nodded in agreement.
"So long as we avoid Port Westwind. I have a uh… history, there, and I'd rather it not interfere with our business," Corrin told them.
Sariel hummed to herself as she took another look at the map.
"Here then, Port Capelift is a week's travel by foot if we cut through the forest," She said, indicating the city with her finger.
"I'd avoid there if I was you," The barkeep said, he had overheard their conversation as he approached to take away their empty platters.
"Why's that?" Arjhan asked him.
"People been saying there's an angry fire spirit what taken up livin' in 'dem woods. Powerful it is, and very angry," he explained.
The others looked at each other and then at Aldain.
"What can you tell us about this? I assume the woods are within the Baron's domain?" Arjhan asked.
"Half of it is. I had heard reports of strange goings on, but that's more Lady Sariel's field than mine," Aldain said, looking at her.
She nodded, "I had heard strange rumors of sudden wildfires in the forest in recent times, but I hadn't had a chance to properly investigate. The Baron was more concerned with sussing out 'traitors and spies' than managing his baronry."
The others nodded at the explanation.
"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure we can take it. Or at least escape from it if it comes to that," Corrin said looking down at the map.
Harbek laughed, "Lad, with this crew I s'pose we can take on the world."
"Speaking of our 'crew', as you call it, we should come up with a name. Might be handy to have a name to call on if someone asks about our affiliations with each other," Sariel said.
The group thought about it for a moment before Corrin clicked his tongue and looked up.
"The Black Dragons," He said decisively.
"The Black Dragons? What makes you say that?" Arjhan asked.
"You. You're the reason we're all together now. Harbek and I came to save you, Sariel was going to free you, and you convinced Aldain to switch sides. If anyone should have a group named after them it's you," Corrin explained.
Arjhan was taken aback by the vote of confidence in him. He looked around at the rest, "Surely there are other suggestions? Ones less, one-sided?" He asked.
The others began shaking their heads.
"I couldn' come up with nothin'," Harbek said, "Never was goo' at namin' things."
"I think it's a fine name. Strong, Unique, and based on a friend," Sariel added.
"I'm fine with it, just tell me where to go and who to fight. As long as I can depend on the rest of you to back me up that's all I care about," Aldain told him.
Arjhan looked at each of them in turn before nodding.
"Then The Black Dragons it is. I appreciate your confidence in me… but, that's enough for now. We have a forest to travel. Make sure your gear is ready and meet outside in ten minutes," Arjhan said as he rolled up the map and placed it in his pack.
"Aye sir," Aldain replied.
The others nodded and began to smile as they made their preparations. Arjhan approached the bar and paid their tab. The barkeep nodded as he took the coins.
"Be a right shame to lose your business sir Dragonborn," he said.
"A shame it is to leave such an establishment, but we cannot stay," Arjhan told him.
"Oh, I know you's can't, put the Baron in his place ye's did, and mighty appreciative we are for it," The barkeep said, nodding his head towards the larger part of the village.
Arjhan let a small smirk sneak onto his face, "Take care of yourself, friend. Maybe someday we'll meet again," Arjhan told him as he turned and left.
The barkeep raised a hand in farewell, and The Black Dragons left the tavern. Heading South on the main road, they swerved in a Westward direction and entered the large, forboding forest.
What none of them realized, was that they were being watched. A pair of yellow eyes were staring at them from the gloom of the forest ahead. The figure smiled to itself before disappearing into the trees.