A supervisor entered a control room. There were four control stations, each of them manned by two people. In addition, there were several aides and a coordinator who was in charge.
"Sir?" the coordinator greeted the newcomer.
"We've decided to provide this operation with some oversight," replied the man brusquely. "We don't want any further mishaps."
"Very well, sir. The vehicle carrying the drones will arrive to the deployment zone shortly."
The supervisor nodded and took a seat.
"The deployment vehicle has reached the destination," announced an operator after a while. "May I release the drones?"
"Sure, of course!" confirmed the coordinator.
"Now wait a minute," protested the supervisor and stood up. "I am the one who should give such orders."
"I was under impression that you were here to observe. Do you wish to take full control over the operation?"
To be honest, the supervisor had no idea what would that even entail.
"No, that's your job. But orders like this one should come from me."
"Very well, be my guest."
The supervisor swallowed his indignation and stepped forward.
"Release. The drones!" he intoned theatrically, saying it as two separate sentences. Obviously, he had wanted to say such a thing for a long time.
Three screens showing visual feeds from each unit brightened up as a door in front of them opened and they jumped out.
"The vehicle is leaving," announced the operator.
The coordinator looked at the supervisor questioningly. The supervisor brushed him off with a gesture. The coordinator walked to another control station and told them to take point with their drone.
What they didn't see on their screens was what the co-driver in the vehicle saw.
"What was that?" he yelped and turned around.
"What was what?" asked the driver.
"Nothing. I thought I saw something in the wing mirror."
And so, unbeknown to them or the operators, they were returning home with a tracking bug.
Back in the mission area, everything seemed to go according to the plan. The drones reached the basement and barged in. That was the point where things started to go downhill - it was empty. No people, no computers, no tables or chairs.
"Where the hell are they?" cursed the coordinator.
That was when they started to experience inexplicable connection problems. They didn't realize it right away but their orders couldn't get through because of a DoS attack on the drones. Some of the packets reached the destinations but the orders weren't complete and there was a lot of timeouts. The protocol didn't account for such a situation so they were basically cut off.
"What's happening?!" boomed the supervisor.
"I think I might have an idea," spoke an operator. "Let me check something quickly."
That was the moment when AVG on his computer decided to download an update.
"What? No! Not now!" he yelled and attempted to cancel the operation. It didn't work so he pressed control, alt, delete and attempted to kill the application.
An error box popped out: Detected an external attempt to terminate the application during an update. Entering full system diagnostic. Please do not use your computer for next several hours.
The operator started pressing control, alt, delete again frantically until the blue screen appeared. That was the last straw. He grabbed the monitor, lifted it above his head, and yelled, "Argh! Damn us! Damn us all to hell!" before smashing the monitor on the floor.
"Wait, we are using our own system?" asked the supervisor.
"Yes, company policy," confirmed the coordinator.
"Well, that explains a lot."
The dragon stirs. He can tell right away that it hasn't been a whole century yet. That's not a big problem, there are only several years left anyway. What's more interesting is the reason for his early rousing. He felt as if somebody called him to wake up. He breaks through the wall and crawls out, clearing away outer barriers.
The country around is bleaker than he remembers. A large swath of the forest in distance is missing. It seems to have an effect on the local ecosystem.
The most interesting thing is a small hut nearby. The dragon is detecting a human there and the signature seems familiar. It must be one of Syward's descendants.
Closer inspection reveals desolate state of the abode. There's a dilapidated animal pen on one side. It probably used to hold sheep or goats but it's empty now. There's a small garden on the other side which has fared only marginally better. There are some sickly plants but nothing edible.
He probes the insides of the abode. There's an old man sleeping on a cot. He's ill and suffering from malnutrition and dehydration. The dragon is sure that he's Syward's descendant.
A voice-over starts, with a new narrator. It's a voice of an old woman.
"I never gave much stock to beliefs of my granduncle Aylmer as a child. To me, he was just an old fool clinging to stories told to him by his grandma when he was a child. His self-imposed exile was most certainly more harebrained than anything I've ever done. But looking back, I can't but admire his dedication to the family."
The probing wakes the man up. He tries to rasp something. He doesn't succeed but the dragon can pick out two things from his thoughts. One is merely a call that he's inside the hut which is quite redundant considering that the dragon obviously knows that already. The other is a question whether it's truly him. That seems like a pointless question to ask but the dragon understands what the man means.
"Yes, it is me," he tells the man. "Don't move, I'll be back."
There's a barrel for water inside but it's empty so getting some water is the first order of business. The dragon opens the door carefully and reaches in for a bucket which is by the entrance. His actions are extremely clumsy due to his size.
He finds a spring and fills the bucket. Most of the water is spilled out by the time he gets back but it will suffice for the moment. Before pushing the bucket back inside, he grabs a pebble, breathes some fire on it, and drops it in the water so it's not cold.
"Drink," he orders.
The hermit falls over the edge of the cot and starts crawling to the bucket.
"I'll get you something to eat."
The dragon flies to the forest. Yes, people were there for lumber and left again.
The game is sparse but he manages to find a boar. He eats it quickly and searches for something smaller. He finds a hare and examines it for any diseases. The ordeal knocks the animal out.
When he gets back, the old man is sleeping again - on the floor.
"Wake up! Pass me a bowl."
The man does as he's told with some difficulty. The dragon slits the hare's neck and lets it bleed into the bowl.
"Drink a little of this. It will give you some strength."
Because his breath is no ordinary fire and unsuitable for preparing food, he flies to fetch some wood. Afterwards, he helps the man skin the little animal and makes a fire, shielding it by his own wings. He cooks the morsel by holding it above the flames. Obviously, he doesn't need a skewer. The man crawls out and warms himself by the fire. It's windy outside but the dragon creates a sort of a tent in front of the hut.
"Thank you, my lord," he rasps. He seems embarrassed.
"Don't talk, just think. And I'm not your lord. Now, tell me, should we worry about anybody coming here?"
The man concentrates and thinks "It's unlikely. No one travels through here."
"You are Syward's grandson, right?"
"Yes. I have so much to tell you."
"All in good time. What's your name?"
"Aylmer," answers the man out loud. Maybe he needed to hear it himself.
"Eat. I'll fetch more water."
Aylmer is fast asleep again when the dragon returns. He leaves the bucket in front of the hut and goes to collect some more wood. Then he hunts again.
Herbs are one of the few supplies still left in the hut so Aylmer makes himself some tea when he wakes up. Next day, he is well enough to share what he knows with the dragon.
Syward's and Hylda's kids turned out to be quite promising. Those of them who were told about the dragon had no proof that he truly existed but they had no reason not to believe their parents. However, all of them knew about the monster which had controlled the goblins and about the missing "dragon worshipers" and all of them acknowledged the importance of those issues. Hence, they agreed to conduct search for any leads on these.
Of the former, they found no trace and perhaps it was better that way. A sure way to track down some of those monsters would be to go to the ancient city mentioned by the dragon and start from there but they didn't have sufficient resources for such an expedition, they weren't sure whether they were going to be able to find the city at all, and there was always the danger that the abominations still had a strong presence in the city and would capture the spies.
As for the latter, there was some marginal success. One of Syward's son traveled with a group of merchants to a land far in the south and heard rumors there about some crazy pilgrims worshiping a giant, winged, fire-breathing god. They had settled there for some time many years earlier and attempted to convert the local people to their faith. They were driven away, of course, most probably further south. Again, there weren't sufficient resources for a bigger expedition so it was left for later.
Alas, there was no later. Aylmer was the only grandchild who believed the story about the dragon, which was why Hylda told him where the dragon was sleeping. Everybody else went about his or her own business (that is, unrelated to the dragon - as a family, they have been always pretty tightly knit). Their parents didn't try to persuade anybody otherwise. After all, they had never seen this dragon themselves and Syward and Hylda told them how he felt about blind faith anyway. At least everybody kept their mouths shut but that was probably motivated by fear of being ridiculed like the village of Syward's grandparents.
As for the barony, it grew, swallowed other settled territories, and eventually became a kingdom. The current monarch is its first king. The only real competition around is a duchy on the other side of the goblin reservation. It's smaller but it has an access to sea.
As expected, the goblins were pushed back gradually until the mountain where Syward and the dragon had defeated the blood-drinker became a center of their territory. That's where the retreat ended. Both because the site had a special significance to them and because the people on the other side pushed in the opposite direction. At the present time, the goblins form a "natural barrier" between the kingdom and the duchy. Their territory is narrow but long, completely separating the two countries and thus ensuring peace indirectly. Both nations are quite satisfied with the arrangement and the goblins do not protest much either.
"And how have you ended up here, all alone?" asks the dragon.
"Well, our king needed wood some thirty years ago. Rather than devastating his own land, he decided to take it from outside. I guess his motivation was also denial of the resource to lands outside of his rule. I couldn't have cared less but the excavation was happening at your doorstep. So I joined in to make sure that you remained undiscovered. I worried unnecessarily, whatever you and Syward did to conceal you worked perfectly. The excavation stopped after some time anyway, the transportation cost was too high. Afterwards, I decided to build myself a little abode here, perhaps even bring somebody along. It was a foolish notion. This land is one of the most inhospitable around."
"That's why I chose this place. Although I have to admit that your king made it even better for the purpose. That still doesn't explain what were you doing here, ahead of time, dying of hunger."
"Don't worry, it's not a matter of worship. I'm here because of Osith."
The dragon gives him a questioning look.
"She's my grandniece," clarifies the old man. "She is, how to put this, magical. We don't know how exactly is that possible. Maybe it's because of Syward's and Hylda's exposure to you."
"I see," comments the dragon. And he can truly see how the girl could be a great asset - with proper training. As for the source of her magic, he has as little idea as Aylmer. He asks about her abilities.
"Last time I checked, she couldn't cast any actual spells like you can."
"Obviously. Discovering a useful pattern is not so easy. Have you tried to search for any knowledge which could help her?"
It's clear to him that Osith won't be able to do anything without exact instructions. He himself needed a few decades just to process the theory. Then again, it was in sleep and his theory was somewhat deeper that what a human practitioner needed.
"That's the problem. She isn't taking it seriously. I tried to talk some sense into her and make her understand what an important heritage it is but she thought that I'm just using her condition to reinforce my own beliefs. So I moved here permanently with an intention of waking you up prematurely. The time was nigh anyway and to be honest, I feared that my old age would get me even sooner. I couldn't find anything in there besides the old cave-in. So I thought that perhaps I could reach you with my mind instead."
"I didn't hear anything until recently."
"Yes. I guess I didn't put my heart into it. But then I got sick and fell behind with everything. I ran out of food and in the end I wasn't even strong enough to go for water. Only when the death was near I was able to truly focus."
"And your relatives just left you here with no backup?"
"They don't know about this place. If they did, they would drag me back to the kingdom."
"Very well. We'll stay here until you get better and the we'll move out."
Aylmer wants to protest but the dragon will hear nothing of it.
The narrating voice returns:
"I've never broached this subject with the dragon so I don't know if he truly believed him. Personally, I think that Aylmer lied by omission. What he had feared more than anything was for the time of the awakening to pass and the dragon not showing up at Osbert's estate. That would mean that all he ever believed was a lie. He was willing to vanish in wilderness to avoid that. And this kind of blind faith the dragon disapproves of the most."
During next few days, Aylmer's health improves. However, it seems that his old age is catching up with him. Moreover, the dragon has hunted out all animals around.
"Is there anybody in your family who can take care of you?" he asks. "Somebody reliable who can be trusted. And with resources."
"Sure. My cousin Osbert is a big merchant. His father was the one who found the trace of the cultists down south. His estate and warehouses are outside of a city so there will be less unwanted eyes. Incidentally, the location is right where the old village once was so he would have been your contact if I had died."
"Interesting. Perhaps you aren't the only one who believed your grandmother?"
"He's a practical man. It's a good location so it would be no loss for him even if you didn't exist."
Aylmer gathers what few personal possessions he has in the hut and they prepare to travel. Aylmer is unfit to ride on the dragon like Syward did and the dragon is going to need his legs for take-off so he can't do that while carrying the man. With much difficulty, they get Aylmer wrapped in animal furs and strapped on the dragon's back. It's going to be clumsy but the dragon is big enough now so it's not going to be a problem. He makes himself (and his passenger) invisible and takes off.
The dragon sees the city first. It's located further away in the direction of the goblin territory than the old village was. In fact, it's almost entirely on what used to be the goblin territory. It's big and dirty and gives a sense of an urban sprawl that is young and already rotting. The dragon hopes that the other towns has not become such a monstrosity. An interesting detail is that he can detect goblin presence there. Maybe that's why nobody ever bothered to make the city cleaner.
The dragon feels something like a tickle in his gut. He felt something like that once before - when he discovered the blood-drinkers. This is somewhat stronger but it doesn't make any sense. He hasn't felt anything like that around goblins before. Maybe it's not the goblins themselves but their role in this world. Their international role in being a barrier between the kingdom and the duchy, their position in human societies, and their immunity to the disease that is the blood-drinkers.
Osbert's home and office is where the village once was. His warehouses are on the side facing the city. There's farmland on the opposite side, all the way to Syward's and Hylda's homestead. The dragon notices that it has been renovated sometime in the past. Again, the dragon discovers goblins working in the area.
There are too many witnesses at the main house so he lands behind the old abode. He lowers Aylmer on the ground. It's obvious that he's not well and can't go search for his cousin. He walks around the house and waves at a nearest farmer.
"Who goes there?" shouts the man. He's armed by a wooden baton but he hasn't drawn it yet.
"Aylmer, Osbert's cousin," rasps Aylmer when the man gets nearer. "I need to talk to him."
"I don't know you."
"I don't know you either. Tell him I'm here. It's about Osith."
The man mules it over in his mind. Then he calls two goblins to watch the stranger. He uses vocabulary of the local language but copies the structure of the goblin one. Aylmer sits on a bench in front of the house and starts drowsing.
The man returns after a while.
"Master Osbert is busy but he'll come in a moment," he says.
He studies Aylmer, trying to fit him to the description Osbert has given him.
"You don't look well," he adds. "Do you want some water?"
Maybe he doesn't want Osbert to be mad at him in case the stranger is really his cousin. Aylmer nods and the man sends a goblin to a well.
Osbert arrives some time later with a bodyguard in tow. It takes him a moment to recognize his cousin.
"Aylmer! You look terrible!" he admonishes him and commands the men to get him in his home.
"No, I need to talk to you!" protests Aylmer. "Here. Alone."
Osbert is about to tell him to be silent but then he admits that since it's about Osith, it might be important. He gives the others appropriate instructions and helps Aylmer inside the old house.
"What happened?" he asks once the old man is seated.
"I was this close from death," admits Aylmer while Osbert rummages in a cupboard. "But greater power wanted me to stay for a little while longer."
Osbert finds a herbal syrup and feeds Aylmer a spoonful.
"Well, where's Osith?" demands Osbert and looks in a barrel for water. Empty.
Aylmer doesn't understand. Has she left while he was gone? There's no time for questions.
"Go to that window over there and look outside," he says instead and points at one of the windows on the backside of the house.
Now it's Osbert's turn to be confused. Is the girl supposed to be there? Nonetheless, he does as he's asked.
He looks out and he doesn't see anything. Then something changes in the way he sees the wood behind the house. Something like bending of light. He wouldn't notice it normally if it didn't appear right in front of his eyes. Then the dragon moves and it takes a moment for his camouflage to adapt.
"It's true!" he cries out. "It was all true!"
He understands exactly what he sees and why.
"Keep it down," cautions him Aylmer. "He'll talk to you now. You know how."
Osbert takes a breath and nods.
"Pleased to meet you," says the dragon.
Not knowing what else to say, Osbert answers, "Likewise." He shakes his head and adds, "This is how grandpa Syward must have felt."
"Quite. There will be time to talk later. Take care of Aylmer and meet me back here."
The old man is moved into the main house where he's bathed, fed, and put in a bed. It's getting dark when Osbert returns. He's half-tempted to ask to see the dragon on his own eyes in his full glory but he discards the idea as childish.
"You keep goblins here," observes the dragon as an opening.
"Yes. In case another of those dead blood-drinkers arrives," explains (or rather excuses) Osbert. "This is as far as their kind is allowed and only on my land. Deeper in the kingdom, they would get killed on sight. The rules aren't so strict in the city and in the rest of the territory that was originally theirs."
"Are they free to leave?"
"Sure. But they've got nowhere to go."
"I see. Tell me everything that happened since Aylmer left."
Osbert starts talking and the dragon relays everything to Aylmer.
According to Osbert, Osith's attitude has gotten even worse since Aylmer's departure. This culminated a few months ago when she left the kingdom.
"She left alone?!" exclaims Aylmer in his head.
After Osbert gets over the novelty of hearing another mental voice, he answers, "No, Cuthbert joined her."
Cuthbert is Osith's cousin and according to Osbert, every bit as irresponsible and rash as Osith. He supported her rebellious behavior in past few years. There's little doubt that he helped to plan their departure. According to available information, they went east, to the coast. Most probably to the duchy.
"This is serious," comments the dragon. "If people learn about her magic, it will not only put her in danger but it will also disrupt the society. It won't be as bad as me getting seen in broad daylight but every bit as bad as, let's say, discovering the blood-drinkers - and understanding what they are."
"So we are in agreement, she needs to be collected."
They believe that it should be pretty straightforward. The dragon can offer to share his knowledge of magic with the girl. It's unlikely that she will resist such a temptation.
As usual, this isn't something the dragon can do alone. Fortunately, Osbert has a perfect candidate to accompany the dragon - one of his sons.
"His name his Syward but don't expect him to be like his namesake too much," he elaborates. "He's far more domestic and far less adventurous than him. But he'll be surely eager to join you once he gets over the shock. That is, unless he's got too much work."
The dragon learns that this Syward is also younger than his namesake when they met. He's a charcoal burner and lives with his family nearby. His wife ought to be able to handle things there without him for a while.
Next day, Osbert and his bodyguard ride off to Syward's homestead. Osbert is carrying a long package which the dragon knows to contain a sword made of good steel. Quite a costly thing.
Osbert leaves the bodyguard with the horses and asks to talk with Syward in private. His meeting with the dragon follows the usual pattern - shock, acceptance, pride, getting to businesses. He's as concerned about the situation as anybody else.
"They've got a few months of head-start," he muses. "How are we, I mean me, going to catch up with her? And what if she isn't there any more?"
"We'll fly over the goblin reservation," answers the dragon. "You'll ride on my back."
"On your back?" repeats Syward in disbelief.
"Not like on a horse, that would create drag."
Syward has no idea what that is but Osbert has received a crude explanation.
"We've made a rudimentary rig for you," he explains. "Not like a horse saddle, you won't sit straight up on the dragon. You need to be more prone, as flat as possible."
"That doesn't sound pleasant," remarks Syward, eying the dragon's coarse scales. There are ridges where he's supposed to sit.
"That's what the padding is for. It will be a short trip anyway."
"Very well, I'll go explain to my family and pack for the trip."
"Don't forget to pack this," says Osbert and passes him the sword. "I trust you still remember how to use it."
Syward unsheathes the weapon and swings it a few times. Normally, he would be ecstatic but in the light of the situation, the sword seems like an appropriate complement.
"Thank you. I'll take good care of it," he says.
"This is for last resort only," cautions him Osbert. "We don't want to start a diplomatic incident."
Syward is ready in an hour. He attaches his pack to the dragon's harness and mounts up. The dragon casts the spell and they both disappear.
"Can you hear me?" he projects afterwards. "Don't answer, think it."
"Yes."
"And we are still invisible too. Good."
That's not such a breakthrough. After all, nothing leaves the ward. However, it's clear to the dragon that he ought to learn how to communicate with people outside sometime in the future - at least with some select people.
They take off. In about an hour, they reach what used to be the lair of the blood-drinker. Now the mountain looks like a honeycomb and it's teeming with goblins. The dragon doesn't have time to gather more information at the moment so he decides to come back later.
When they land in the duchy, Syward is quite eager to get off the dragon's back. There's a small town near the wood they are in. It's unlikely that Osith and Cuthbert has passed through there but Syward needs to buy a horse. Not cheap but his father gave him enough money. He leaves his pack and the sword on the dragon.
As expected, the innkeeper hasn't seen anybody matching their description. Syward returns with a passable horse and some supplies. He transfers his things on the horse and helps the dragon out of the harness. They stash it in case it's needed later again.
They start their journey to the main harbor of the duchy, which also happens to be the biggest city of the country. Just like in the kingdom, this city is not the capital. It seems like a good place to start. The dragon can use his senses to detect usage of magic in quite a wide area. Any magic user is most likely going to be Osith.
When they arrive, the dragon makes a cursory scouting of the city. It's all that anybody could expect from a major harbor. The only surprise, albeit a minor one at this point, are goblins working in the docs. That's a step further than in the kingdom (where goblin presence is limited only to areas originally wrenched from them).
There's little point in trying to ask around about Osith so they camp near the city. The dragon doesn't detect anything in the area for next few days. Syward starts wondering whether their information is even accurate. What if Osith and Cuthbert moved on in the meantime?
Fortunately, their patience pays off in the end. The dragon detects a small magical disturbance on one of the roads leading to the city. It's like a stone dropping in water and making waves. Syward starts packing hastily while the dragon flies to investigate.
"I've managed to lock onto the caster," he reports. "The person is going to the city."
Syward rides there while the dragon continues to the site of the incident. There are three people lying unconscious on the road - two guards and an officially looking civilian. They have been knocked out by magic. It doesn't seem like it was a concussive force. It feels like something more on a biological side but the dragon can't tell more. One of them does have a concussion but that's probably from falling from a horse. There's a stunned horse resting nearby and two more some distance away. Judging by the magical residue, it was very crude piece of magic - most definitely not an actual spell.
The dragon has a tough decision to make. He can either do nothing or he can probe the men's minds and possibly muddle parts of their memories of the incident. He confers with his companion.
"If Osith and Cuthbert are responsible, then we can assume that they had the wherewithal to be discreet," muses Syward. "I'd say leave them be."
The dragon agrees. While exposure of magic would be a serious thing, getting involved would do more harm than good if the caster wasn't Osith. The dragon's duty is to hide his own existence, not the existence of supernaturalness. Still, he hopes that if the girl is involved, that she is being careful not to expose her magic too much.
Following the dragon's directions, Syward enters the city. The dragon climbs higher and circles above it. They maintain connection so he isn't invisible, just masked. Syward stables his horse and leaves most of his things with it but he takes his sword hidden in a bedroll with him.
The harbor itself is so large that it goes through two districts. One is for merchants, warehouses, and ship officers while the other is for goblins and other dock-workers and sailors. The latter is where the contact stops.
Syward arrives to a dirty, dilapidated pub. There's an armed human bouncer by the entrance. He's accompanied by a goblin who's technically unarmed but Syward guesses that the plank which is leaning by the wall next to him could be used as an improvised weapon.
As he stands there and contemplates whether he can just walk in there, a sailor approaches and walks in, giving the two bouncers a slight nod. Following his example, Syward heads in as well.
"Hey, I haven't seen you around yet," stops him the human. "Where are you going?"
Syward is very little like his namesake indeed.
"It's not a private club," advises him the dragon. "Just tell him that you aren't local and that you are meeting Osith there. Be vague, if possible."
"I've just arrived to the city," answers Syward. "I'm meeting a relative of mine here."
"Yeah? And who that might be?"
After a brief hesitation, Syward divulges the name.
"Don't know that name," responds the bouncer. "How does she look?"
It's when he gets the description does Syward receive the man's full attention.
"Yes, I've seen her," he admits. "You say you are related to her?"
"Yes," confirms Syward patiently.
"We'll see. I hope you aren't pulling my leg. Follow me."
The man tells the goblin to stay put and walks inside. He doesn't tell Syward to unroll the bedroll.
The inn is as seedy as they get. Half of the staff are goblins and a surprisingly big portion of the clientele as well. The bouncer leads Syward to a table in the back.
And there they are - Osith and Cuthbert, sitting at a table with a goblin. He looks important and dangerous. There's a few goblins hovering around, his bodyguards probably. The voice-over returns.
"I've got to say, I didn't expect anybody to show up to collect us."
"Do you know this guy?" asks the bouncer.
Osith is so surprised that she can't speak for a moment. She doesn't have to, Cuthbert beats her to the punch.
"Uncle Syward!" he exclaims. "What a hell are you doing here?!"
The answer is self-evident and sitting right next to him.
"What is the meaning of this?" demands the goblin in a surprisingly good language.
"I need to talk to Osith," answers Syward. It's obvious to him that he's interrupting something illicit but there's no going back.
"It's not a good time now," hisses the girl, confirming his observation.
The goblin's bodyguards are looking at their boss, waiting for a sign what to do. Alas, he's not giving them any indication in either way for the time being. Cuthbert, sensing the tension, rushes to defuse it.
"Wait, wait, wait," he says quickly. "He could be helpful."
"In what?" asks Syward. His question is mostly ignored.
"This wasn't part of the deal," reminds them the goblin.
"Trust me, he's one of the most cautious people in our family," maintains Cuthbert. "It will be much smoother with his help. So, your part of the bargain have just got much easier."
The goblin gives the bodyguards a sign to stand down.
"Two people or three, that's not such a big difference," he admits.
He stands up and approaches Syward.
"You wear a proud name," he tells him.
Syward doesn't realize for a moment that the goblin is talking about his namesake. When he does, he's amazed that some goblins still remember what he and Hylda did for them.
"So I'm always told," he responds. "I have to warn you though, I'm not like him very much."
The goblin doesn't answer and turns to Osith himself.
"You know where to meet us," he tells her. "Just the three of you, no one else."
With that, he and his men turn and leave. They don't use the main entrance and head for the kitchen instead.
Osith is silent.
Cuthbert approaches Syward and tells him, "I know what are you going to say but please, this is really important. Not just for Osith."
Syward ignores him because he's absolutely certain that meeting a dragon is far more important. He steps toward Osith instead and tells her, "Let's not speak here. I have to introduce you to someone. Immediately!"
"And why should I go with you?!" snaps the girl back. Something about her tone and even her very voice makes Syward want to slap her to teach her some respect to her elders. Luckily, he has experience with two daughters and realizes perfectly well that Osith isn't one of them.
"We have time," admits Cuthbert. "We can explain on the way."
"Can I take him along?" asks Syward in his head.
The dragon considers it. If Cuthbert learns about him, he'll have to go back with them to the kingdom. For now, at least. On the other hand, it seems that he and Osith have managed to make a contact with a leader of local goblins. A smart one to boot. Maybe he should stay and cultivate the relationship.
"Let's take him along," he decides in the end.
"Well, let's go," he declares and makes an upward gesture with his hands.
Osith rolls her eyes and gets up from the table.
They keep their talk general at their way back to the stables. It wouldn't do if someone overheard them talking about magic or their dealings with goblins.
Only when they retrieve the horse and are out of the city gates does Syward ask, "What the hell is this about? Why have you attacked those people on the road?"
"How the heck do you know about that?" exclaims Osith.
"Your usage of magic," utters Syward. "It's like a campfire to other magic users."
That's not entirely true, not necessarily. Syward actually isn't sure whether other magic users are capable of detecting magic the way the dragon does. The phrase "other magic users" catches Osith's attention.
"I hope that those three men won't tell any stories when they wake up," he adds. "By the way, one of them is hurt badly."
Osith ignores his comment because she's more interested in what he said before but Cuthbert assures him instead.
"Oh, don't worry. It was planned to the finest detail. They'll think that somebody pushed them from behind from their horses."
"What do you mean, other magic users?" Osith asks finally. "You aren't here alone?"
Syward turns to her and answers, "No, obviously not. How else would I find you?"
"Well, who's with you?"
"A proper spell-caster."
"Who!"
"An old family friend. Aylmer tracked him down for you."
"Aylmer?" exclaims Cuthbert. "That old geezer?"
"Indeed. I was as surprised as you are. He really came through for you. You should be grateful, at least, if not respectful."
"We'll see when I meet this man," dismisses Osith. "Is it safe? What do we know about him and his intentions?"
"My father trusts him implicitly and I've traveled with him for some time now."
Osith grumbles something. It doesn't seem like either holds much stock with her. And yet, she follows Syward. While his story seems unbelievable, the possibility of gaining magical knowledge is too appealing. The only thing that worries her are potential risks. What if this magic practitioner wants to use her somehow?
"Are you going to answer my question?" Syward interrupts her musing. "What is this all about? Why have you attacked those people?"
"Oh, we were stealing a package of blank errand permits for goblins," answers Cuthbert. "They don't actually allow them to travel freely but they are useful for explaining their presence outside of districts where they are supposed to be."
"Are you serious? Do you know what a gangster like that might do with those?" exclaims Syward. He's talking about their goblin associate.
"Come on! They are useless without a good forger to fill them out. If they have that kind of resources, they can fabricate blank ones as well if they wish."
"You don't give a damn, I get it," gives up Syward. "Still, that doesn't explain what's in it for you."
"Obviously, we are getting something in return."
"And what is that?"
Cuthbert doesn't answer and gives Osith a look instead.
She doesn't see why to keep it a secret so she answers, "A book. A grimoire."
Syward doesn't have to asks for clarification. Obviously, they are talking about a book about magic. That leaves him confused momentarily though. The goblin seemed smarter than others but not that smarter.
"He doesn't actually have it, you see," explains Cuthbert. "But he can help us get to it."
"Since when do you take your gift seriously, Osith?" sneers Syward.
The girl doesn't answer but the narrator does.
"Well, I guess the lure of power was greater than my desire to disappoint my family. Still, obtaining magical knowledge on my own terms still felt like sufficient defiance."
"Help you how?" Syward asks Cuthbert when Osith doesn't reply.
"The sewers," answers the boy. "His people are going to lead us through the sewers, which are kind of their domain, to the harbor. Most outlets are protected by bars but they say that they can get us through."
That confuses Syward even more.
"You ought to start from the beginning," he insists but changes his mind immediately. "Or you know what? Let's leave it till after you meet... the guy." He stumbles at the end of the sentence because he can't find an appropriate word and he can't say "dragon" yet.
Osith doesn't talk for the rest of the way but Syward and Cuthbert make a small talk. Syward finds out that Cuthbert misses home on one hand but is also excited to be abroad.
Finally, the moment comes. They arrive to a clearing in a wood and the dragon lands in front of them with a heavy thud. There are no people in vicinity so he doesn't bother with a full camouflage when he drops his invisibility and merely keeps his color adjusted to match their surroundings.
Both Osith and Cuthbert understand perfectly well what they see, of course. Cuthbert's reaction is similar in some ways to those of the others' but far more amusing. He doesn't look like an awed adult - he beams like a little child whose all secret wishes has come true at once.
On the other hand, Osith's reaction is very singular. She stares for a second or two, then she folds her arms and starts laughing.
"So it was all true," she declaims finally. Her tone is as disrespectful as it possibly can be when you are standing in front of a dragon.
Syward wants to snap at her but the dragon speaks first.
"Indeed it was," he emits so all three people can hear it in their heads.
Osith recoils from the experience. While the dragon has learned how to be as non-intrusive as possible, she's more sensitive to such things than others.
"I don't like other people in my head," she says. "Not that I have any experience with that."
The dragon has to admit, he himself didn't like the contact with the one from the space.
"Well, it's the best way of communication for us," reminds her Syward. "You'll get used to it."
Osith snorts sardonically and retorts, "You mean the way everyone in our family has gotten used to being used as pawns?"
Syward gasps at the audacity. Cuthbert raises his eyebrows in a shocked awe.
Osith's attitude is quite a novel experience for the dragon. Ever since he exposed himself to Syward's grandparents, he naturally commanded respect just by his size and appearance. However, Osith doesn't seem to care much about physical strength, probably because of her magical talent. Maybe he ought to give her a taste of his mental potential. When he was just an egg, his mental aura was strong enough to affect anything alive around. He wanders what it would do to her now.
Not wanting to risk any brain damage to her, he decides to take the long road and asks instead, "Have you been told about the circumstances of the incident involving me and the grandparents of Syward's namesake?"
Osith doesn't answer. Syward rehashes in his mind the official story passed down to them. It's not much different from the version which used to be told by the cultists back in the day. It seems that Syward or his children decided to omit some details.
"Sit down, please," he emits. "It's time for you to see how exactly it happened."
He's doing it for Osith's benefit but there's no reason not to include the other two as well.
He shows them everything from the moment he detected the raider scouts to the time when he left the area. He adds a little hint just for Osith that there's more to tell but he has no intention of telling her about the black dragon until she's older.
"Well, life is like a string of little accidental events," comments Cuthbert cheerfully. "It all seems like a big coincidence but if things went down differently, we wouldn't be sitting here talking about it."
"The point is that what happened, happened," states Syward resolutely. "There are some consequences and we are one of them. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask us for a little help with containing the other ones."
Osith says nothing. They'll have to talk again later.
"Why don't you two tell us more about this book you seek?" emits the dragon.
Osith doesn't have to ask how does he know about that - she understands that he was listening through Syward.
"Aren't such things rather insignificant to you?" she asks instead. "Syward says that you can teach me magic."
"I have discovered a few simple spells which could be usable by a human. The power you've used on those people also seems interesting, perhaps we can work on it later. Alas, I have never found any written records of local magical knowledge. I believe it will be worth taking a look at this book."
Cuthbert gives Osith a look and when she doesn't start, he launches into the story himself.
Some time after arriving to the duchy, they heard about a high-end merchant from a distant land who was selling a book of magic. They had no way of knowing whether it was genuine but they thought that it wouldn't hurt to take a closer look. The problem was that the merchant's clientèle was several castes higher than foreign wanderers like Osith and Cuthbert - after all, the merchant was selling the book as a luxury collection item rather than something of academical value.
The merchant's ship is docked in the harbor. Getting there unnoticed is impossible - the pier is guarded and anybody trying to get there from the sea would be spotted. However, Osith and Cuthbert learned that all the outlets of the city's sewer system are leading into the harbor. So they thought, what if there's a spot close enough so we could swim underwater from there to the ship?
"And what are you going to do once you're on the ship?" asks Syward.
They haven't thought that far ahead yet but it's not a problem any longer with the dragon to navigate them. Unfortunately, he can't search the book remotely - even if it was alive, it wouldn't help him to read what's written on its pages. The more interesting question is whether they still need to go through the sewers. The dragon tells them that while it would be theoretically possible for him to get them through, it would be rather difficult and wouldn't be worth it with their way through the sewers already secured.
They can't use invisibility either. While the dragon can make them all invisible, they would became visible again after leaving his side. As for Osith learning the spell herself, that would take years at best.
On the other hand, Osith's magical trick could be very useful there. From what she tells the dragon, it's a purely neurological stun. With enough power, she can stun a grown man without as much as moving a flame of a candle burning next him.
"There's one thing we should ask ourselves," declares Syward. "Is this book worth killing somebody over it? I think not."
"Agreed," seconds the dragon. "No killing."
"Sure," acknowledges Cuthbert, as if it was obvious. "We weren't going to kill anybody, right?"
"Right," mumbles Osith.
That evening, the three humans meet the goblins as agreed. They are lead through the sewers. Syward has to admit, people who don't know it there would get lost.
At the same time, the dragon approaches the ship from the sea. He's using green-brown coloring and it's unlikely that anybody will spot him under the water at this time of day.
They arrive to a place where the way onward is barred by a grate. It's on hinges and there's no padlock but it's heavy. There are other goblins waiting for them already with ropes and pulleys. They open the way for them with much screeching.
"They must have heard it in the port," remarks Cuthbert as they pass through.
"Hardly," tells them their goblin associate and points onward with his torch.
They have reached the sea-level. The tunnel in front of them is completely submerged.
They know exactly where they are so no one thinks to ask how far is it. The goblin finds that odd but he doesn't think much of it and offers the information himself.
"Swim straight on, it's not far. When you get outside, turn right slightly and continue twice as far again. You should end up under the ship."
The swim is quite manageable for Syward and even for Cuthbert. It's a little too far for Osith but with some help, she can make it.
The boy swims first. The dragon navigates him so he can get to his destination in shortest possible time. Osith follows and Syward goes after her.
Once she clears the tunnel, the dragon offers her an edge of his wing and once she grabs on, he gives her a boost. She's a little disoriented when she surfaces and takes a gulp of air but Cuthbert pulls her to the hull readily. The ship has usual design so people on the deck wouldn't be able to see them even in daylight.
"Move to the back of the ship and await my signal," commands the dragon when Syward joins them.
There's some cabin above them. They can see light coming from little windows and they hear voices. It's probably a business meeting. The windows have heavy wooden shutters (which are open at the moment).
"What if he's selling the book?" thinks Cuthbert.
The dragon repeats his question and answers, "He's not selling the book. This is about another item."
"Do you realize what an improbable coincidence that would be, Cuthbert?" thinks Syward.
The dragon doesn't relay anything this time and tells them to focus.
Some time later, the meeting concludes. There's no transaction happening yet so the merchant is taking the item back to a storage. A servant cleans up, extinguishes the lights, and closes the shutters with the exception of one. This is convenient. Cuthbert would be able to open them from outside but this saves time. In the meantime, the dragon tracks the merchant.
"Cuthbert, go," he orders.
The boy climbs up the hull and slinks in. He opens another window and lowers a rope. Osith climbs up and then Syward. He's a little too big for the window but the others help him in. Once in, he turns back to the window and plans how exactly is he going to jump out of it in a hurry if things go sideways.
"I know where the book is," tells them the dragon and describes what he has seen and where all the guards and other crew members are.
"Don't go yet though," he adds. "Stay put for the moment."
They do as he says. Cuthbert and Osith get nervous after some time.
"What are we waiting for?" complains the boy. "To be discovered?"
"The dragon knows what he's doing," hushes him Syward. "Be patient."
They wait until the dragon tells them to prepare themselves - the servant is coming back to close the window. They position themselves and when the man enters, Syward grabs him in a choke from behind, Osith closes the door, and Cuthbert helps to subdue the man. When the man passes out, they tie him up and gag him.
"Now what?" whispers Osith.
The dragon considers their options and answers, "Now you wait again."
"Are you kidding me?" hisses Cuthbert.
"A fellow crew member who serves the shift with him will come looking for him," explains the dragon. "Waiting for him in ambush appears to be the safest coarse of action."
He has a point. Staying there for too long is dangerous in itself but the party isn't composed of experienced adventurers like Syward's namesake, they are just ordinary people. It's ill advised to risk exposure so playing it safe and progressing slowly is the only viable option.
Just like the dragon predicted, another guy comes looking for his mate. They subdue him just like the first one.
"Well done," tells them dragon. "Your path to the book is mostly clear, all you have to do is to follow my timing exactly. There are two guards in front of the room - that's where Osith comes in. Can you hit them the same way you did with those couriers?"
"You bet!"
In an almost mechanical way, they proceed to their goal. If they were on their own, they would surely stumble and get discovered, but thanks to the dragon's guidance, they avoid all danger.
The two guards in front of the storage room are sitting at a small table and playing cards. Obviously, they aren't standing at the sides of of the door at attention - they wouldn't be able to do that for long. After all, they are crew-members of a ship owned by a merchant - they aren't a king's guard.
"Go ahead whenever you are ready," emits the dragon.
Osith takes a breath and collects her magical power. Nodding at the guys, she steps from behind a corner and attacks with magic. It's completely silent and it affects only the two men. The one in front is knocked out right away but the one farther away is merely dazed. Syward and Cuthbert dart out immediately. Cuthbert makes sure that the first guard doesn't make noise falling down and Syward subdues the second one. It's all managed without alerting anybody.
The merchant has the key for the door and they are most certainly not going to retrieve it from him. The dragon tells Cuthbert what kind of a key it is which helps the boy to pick the lock faster.
With no time to loose, they pick the book and return to their entry point. They wrap it securely in oiled rags which should protect it from seawater for the short distance they have to swim with it. They climb down the rope and return the same way they arrived. The goblins are still there and open the grate for them.
They return to a less wet area and inspect the book. It seems undamaged. The goblin leader watches from afar. It would be hard to say what would he do if the loot was something truly valuable but as it is, the book has no value to him.
"That's it?" he asks. "Doesn't look worth it."
Osith leafs through the book. It's written in the language of the region where the dragon first discovered the undead creatures. The dragon sees everything and translates bits and pieces.
"You are correct," she says after a while. "This needs to be translated properly but I'm afraid the merchant was exaggerating. This isn't what we thought."
From what she sees, there's nothing about actual magic and spells. Only a bunch of folklore.
The goblin snorts. Chasing after worthless things - how typically human. Osith starts leafing through the rest of the book quickly.
"Wait a moment," stops her the dragon suddenly. "Go back, this seems important."
Syward and Cuthbert look over her shoulders.
"Well I'll be dammed," utters Osith.
Syward takes the book from her and shows the goblin an illustration.
"Does this look familiar?" asks Syward.
The goblin shakes his head but he has a sneaking suspicion.
"Not a very accurate drawing, I'll give you that," continues Syward. "Then again, all who met that thing and lived didn't spread the word beyond their closest."
"It's that dead thing," realizes the goblin.
"Indeed. I suggest we talk later."
The title of the section is the name given to the creatures: vampire.
The trio leaves the city and wait for the dragon who stays behind for a while. There's an alarm when the intrusion is detected but the merchant is relived that only the book is missing. He's also spooked a little. The book contains some rather obscure stuff. What if something in there is true and the thieves are somehow connected to it? All in all, the dragon doesn't have to worry much about a retribution. Moreover, it's just an ordinary merchant, not a crime lord.
The dragon examines the book next day. As suspected, there's not even a shred of magical knowledge. There's a lot of lore though. It seems to have been compiled in the time before the dragon's first big sleep, in the area of his first (indirect) encounter with vampires. Most of it are probably fairy-tales but a few accounts seem to be based on truth - like the mention of the vampires under the city.
According to the book, denizens of the city found out about what was hiding under their feet. They slew the servants and stormed the sewers. What followed was an utter massacre, no one who went down there lived to tell the tale. Any survivors fled the city which was abandoned ever since (or at least at the time of writing the book). People avoided the ruins in later times because they believed them to be haunted.
"We'll have to investigate this later," comments the dragon.
As promised, Syward and Cuthbert visit the goblins before leaving. They discuss the threat of vampires and agree that it's better to stay in touch.
Returning to the kingdom through the goblin territory would be problematic at this point so there are only two options: go around or fly. The former would take too long and the latter is complicated by the fact that the dragon can't carry them all at once - two trips would be needed.
They decide for the second option and return to the wood where the dragon's harness is stashed. The horses are donated to local farmers and the dragon starts ferrying the party over the goblin territory. He takes Syward and most of the baggage first and then returns for Osith and Cuthbert.
The family accepts the two wayward youngsters without berating them much. Cuthbert starts working for Osbert - there are always errands of the kind better left to someone with subtler talents. Osith stays with Osbert as well. She settles in Syward's and Hylda's old house and dedicates her time to studying magic. They have no real magical texts but the knowledge carried by the dragon is more than enough for the moment. Vampires seem pretty ancient though - maybe they know where such texts could be discovered.
Syward returns the sword and goes back to his wife and children. As much as he enjoyed his time with the dragon, he isn't an adventurer and doesn't like being away. That's hardly a loss - it's good to have somebody like him guarding the home front. Moreover, he can help with training the goblins for a possible encounter with vampires.
Osbert speaks with the foreman of the goblins working for him about this threat. Unfortunately, he isn't as smart as the one in the port city. Also, he doesn't represent the other goblins living in the kingdom.
While Osith starts to tackle first bits of magical knowledge shared with her, the dragon and Aylmer analyse the book. They confirm that there's nothing useful about magic. Still, it's an interesting insight into the culture of the region of its origin.
One evening finds the two sitting on a hill overlooking Osbert's estate. It's a small hill but it's probably the last time Aylmer is able to ascend it.
"You know, there's something I would like to ask," says the dragon.
"Go ahead."
"Why were you there in that hut, waiting for me? And don't tell me that it was just because of Osith."
Aylmer hesitates for a moment and then divulges, "You aren't going to like the answer. It's complicated but it can be simplified to just one word: faith."
The dragon doesn't respond. This is something he has worried about.
"You don't like blind fanaticism and people who make you into something you aren't. Neither do we but there's something you ought to understand about us humans: We need to believe in something. And those of us who know you, we believe in you. Do you think that the old Syward would go to save Hylda if it wasn't for you? Do you think our family would be so tolerant to Osith if she wasn't important to your cause?"
"I see what you mean," utters the dragon after a pause. There's no avoiding it, he needs to face the effect he has on intelligent life on this planet.
"Do you intend to stay longer this time?" asks Aylmer after a while.
"Indeed. There's too much work for me here. Before I can go to sleep again, I need to do something about the problems this part of the world faces."
Aylmer has a pretty good idea but he asks the dragon to list those problems nonetheless.
"There are three of them," answers the dragon. "The obvious one is the role of goblins in human societies. One way or another, people will have to face this question because the status quo won't hold forever."
That's nothing the king and the duke haven't been asking themselves for some time now.
"Another problem which is also obvious, albeit known only to some, are vampires," continues the dragon. "It's a disease, in truth. A disease can get out of control or change, get worse. Incinerating every last one of them is imperative. The last problem are the cultists which worship me. I've seen what worshiping of my egg alone did to a goblin tribe. Maybe these cultists are long gone, maybe they are still around. Either way, we need to learn their fate."
Aylmer nods and then starts coughing. He isn't well. It seems his old age is catching up with him.
A van arrived to a middle-sized barn. Emmet got out and opened its gate to allow Carlisle to drive in.
Bella and Edward weren't with them, they had taken another car. Their destination was about a dozen miles away. They were taking a captured drone (deprived of limbs and wrapped in tinfoil) to a small cottage there. They were quite sure that the drone's tracker is blocked by the tinfoil but it's better to be safe than sorry.
While Esme went to a small rural house standing near the barn (half of them were still human and needed somewhere to sleep), the others checked the barn. It wasn't much but it didn't leak and there was electricity - that was all they needed. There was no Internet but that was no problem for them and if they really needed to research something, they could always use an Internet café in a nearby town.
"Well, let's get started with the most important things first," announced Emmett and started unloading computers.