Author: Well here's chapter two. The girls aren't in it yet but they will be in part three. I'm doing my best to set things up for big battles so hang tight. It'll happen. Enjoy!
Yor spewed his hatred upon the landscape below igniting trees and sending an ancient forest up in flames. The night was lit up with the glow of a thousand fires as what was once a peaceful countryside now lay in ruin. The great dragon was unrelenting in his sadistic rage and showed no discrimination when it came to who would die tonight. He hated humans, always had, but he killed scores of other species that very night. Even the wildlife animals were not spared as many of them were engulfed in flames before they even realized death lingered above. Such was the skill of a dragon. Despite their great size they were masterful in the art of stealth. Yor was especially gifted with this ability as it was one he perfected over the centuries. He had laid waste to many lands beyond the realm of Prince Phobos and was feared and hated by many. The time came when there was nothing left to kill, and worse yet nothing left to eat, forcing the great dragon to seek nourishment and entertainment elsewhere. Something had happened in the kingdom of Meridian. Yor, sensitive to magical energies, no longer sensed Prince Phobos and he took it to heart that the foolish human had been dethroned. With Phobos out of the way Yor took it upon himself to gorge his appetite and pleasures and he got plenty of both tonight.
How they ran and screamed….and died. Yor could not remember when he beheld such a beautiful sight. Their cries of agony were like music to his massive ears. Most enjoyable was the children. Oh, what sweet, sweet melodious wails of pure terror. It thrilled him to no end.
The smoke filled the air with the ashes of the dead. Satisfied-for the moment that is-the wicked dragon pierced the pitch-black clouds and into the moonlight. He was god! Whether on the earth or above it, he was a being of raw power and magnificence. Yor let out a roar of pure joy as he swirled above the black clouds and then made his way home. The mountain range was vast, almost unnavigable and completely closed off to intruders. It was the perfect place to roost, Yor thought. He spotted his home from a mile up; dragons have really sharp eyes, before beginning his descent. His cave sat atop a great peak overlooking the landscape. Yor landed very quietly for one of his size and folded his wings as he entered. Inside the cave opened up into a great cavern big enough to house a clan of dragons. Yor never did like sharing, however, which made him quite a problem hatchling for his mother and siblings. She tried to teach him to be thoughtful to his kin, but Yor was bad from day one. Honor and Friendship! Get Real! It was the strong who survived. Mother tried to be loving, even tried to understand his anger, but she was an old dragon who had long passed her glory days. How she wasted her energies protecting her children against an enraged dragon was beyond him. She died of course along with her young ones and the other dragon had his meal. They tasted so good, Yor remembered. Poor mum. If only she knew her eldest son would eventually grow up to kill her.
Chuckling at the memory, Yor made his way to a pool that was fed by a small waterfall at the back of the cavern. He drank his fill, making sure to wipe the blood from his fangs, before making himself comfortable upon a bed of bones. They weren't human bones but rather the remains of various monsters he slew during the years. It was ironic but his constant battles with other monsters allowed the villages along the frontier to flourish. With so few monsters to harass them, the innocent people down below owed their thanks to Yor. Well he was calling his tab and it was time to pay up. He rolled onto his back while dreaming of the many sick pleasures he would have when he left his cave again.
"Having fun?" a familiar voice asked.
"I was wondering when you were going to come out of the shadows." Yor spoke. His voice was loud but articulate and his pronunciation of the mortal tongue very clear. "I smelled you even before I landed. Come on out, you have no reason to hide from me. We are friends."
The originator of the voice walked out of the shadows. It was a humanoid creature wearing red robes that were tattered yet showed hints of royalty. He held a staff in one hand and used it for support wherever he walked. "Friends? I never thought I'd hear those words coming from you."
"Call us allies if you wish. Just be satisfied in the knowledge that I won't eat you anytime soon." Yor picked a carcass out of his teeth. "I didn't expect to see you for some time. I take it our benefactor is pleased with our results?"
"The fact that I'm here talking to you is proof enough. We are very valuable to him and his operations in Meridian. So long as we remain valuable we can rest assured that he will keep his part of the bargain." The man's voice was deep but slightly hoarse. He seemed to gasp for breath every once in a while and made a bit of effort to stand tall. He grabbed his chest every once in a while as if to keep it from plopping onto the floor. Yor watched his with some amusement. Trying to act strong when you were weak was something every evildoer knew could mean the difference between life or death and this man did not hide it well at all. Yet, there was something about him that intrigued Yor to the point where he couldn't bring himself to kill him. He had seen the frail man wield magics the likes of which the dragon had never seen and was impressed. Yor was strong but even he realized the wisdom in having an ally here and there. Besides, they both had a common goal and if their alliance with their benefactor went well then the two of them could very well become the masters of this world. Until Yor ate him at least. Remember, he didn't like sharing.
"So what did our illustrious benefactor tell you if I may ask?"
"He says the queen has been alerted to your actions and is sending a force capable of stopping you."
Yor's serpent-like head raised above the ground. "Force? What could that insignificant brat send that could possibly defeat me? I've devastated entire armies in the blink of an eye and destroyed entire kingdoms. Let her send her soldiers. I will tear them to shreds and burn their bones to ashes."
"It is not an army she sends but rather five young girls to be your undoing."
"Five girls? Are they to tickle me to death? Put flowers on my head and dance around in song until I die of boredom? Surely you can't be serious?"
"These girls are no mere mortals, Yor. They are the Guardians of the Veil."
Yor rolled to his stomach. "Ah! Yes! Now there's a challenge. I haven't fought against the guardians in eons. They are worthy opponents."
"And dangerous if I might add. It was they who brought about the downfall of Prince Phobos."
"All the better. Victory is much sweeter when defeating strong enemies. I will clip their wings and eat them one piece at a time. I will keep the Heart of Kandrakar as a souvenir and use it to transport myself into the heart of the queen's bed chambers where I will gobble her up slowly. Royalty is so delicious." Yor licked his lips. The robed man coughed and grabbed his staff for support. The dragon eyed him. "Something wrong? You don't look so well." he really didn't care for the man's health but it was sort of a teasing remark that he asked the question. "Growing old are we?"
"Don't be absurd. Traveling between dimensions takes its toll on the body. I am simply tired afterall."
"Tired. Bah! Mortals are so frail. Rest here if you wish but don't get too comfortable. If what you say is true then the Guardians of the Veil will be here shortly and that means we'll have a fight on our talons."
"A fight which I'm sure you'll win."
Yor noticed the change in words. "You will not partake in the battle? Pity. Though I guess you wouldn't be much help with that bad back of yours."
The man stood even straighter. "I am fine." He lied.
"As you say." Yor laid to one side. "I'm going to rest a while. When the guardians do come I want to be ready and waiting." He raised his head. "How long do you think they will be exactly?"
"Hard to say. They can travel through portals same as I though not as accurately I'm proud to say." Yor looked at him with a questioning stare. "In other words," the man began. "Don't expect them to just appear in the middle of this cave. You may sleep in peace. I will warn you when they are arriving."
"Ah good." Yor laid his head back down. "If you intend to stay I suggest you don't walk near me. I tend to snap out at things in my sleep."
"Good to know." The man said. "Until next time." He turned to leave when Yor called out to him. "And tell our guests," he opened one eye. "That if I ever catch them spying on us again that I will make them permanent residents of my cave as their bones will become part of my bed."
The man sensed the intruders as well but kept silent. He felt them shuffle uneasily at Yor's threat before scurrying off into the shadows. "I think they get the message."
"He does not trust us." Yor said.
"Nor we him." The man said. "Though I'm sure our spy is doing a better job at staying hidden then his are."
"Two steps ahead." Yor closed the eye. "That's how to survive this game. Stay two steps ahead." Yor breathed loudly before falling into a deep sleep. The man chuckled to himself as he walked into the darkness. The dragon was right of course. They would need to stay two steps ahead of their benefactor if they wanted to survive. The man may have been lame but he was no fool. He was smart. Any genius knew how to stay two steps ahead. Only a brilliant one like he would stay three…
The two spies scurried back to their master who was waiting for them in an alternate dimension. They found her sitting alone atop a large rock gazing up at the stars with constellations people on Earth had never even seen. Speaking of Earth, she could have passed for someone from that world. She was a young woman, pale-skinned with hair as white as the purest snow. Her hair was short and fell no farther down than her ears. The orbs that made up her eyes were the palest blue and seemed to shimmer whenever she looked intently on something. She wore elegant white clothing that resembled that of nobility. An aura of light seemed to envelope her at all times adding to her already angelic image. All she needed was wings and a harp.
The spies rushed up to their leader, to the base of the rock anyway, and fell to their knees. "Mistress, we bring word of the cohorts, yes!"
The Mistress didn't bother looking at the rodent-like creatures as she was too transfixed with the beautiful tapestry above her. She sat with both legs dangling over the edge and waved them in little girl fashion. "So pretty."
"Mistress." One of the two spoke again. "We bring word of,"
"I wonder which one he's on now." She spoke to herself.
The rodents looked at one another as neither understood her behavior. They were simple creatures, good for taking orders and carrying them out and little else. The concepts of greater thought were lost on all but the smartest of their race and that wasn't saying much. They muttered something in their guttural language when the young woman regarded them without taking her eyes off the heavens. "My ears are just fine, if you must know."
The rodents gasped. They forgot their mistress could understand them. "Now your report." She said still not looking away from the stars.
"Yes! The wizard had just alerted the dragon about the coming of the guardians and the beast sleeps to recover his strength for the coming battle." The first one spoke with the second chiming in a moment after he finished. "The dragon laid waste to the entire countryside, many dead, yes! He relishes each and every kill."
The woman shook her head. "Savage." She spared a quick look at the rodents, her eyes causing them to shudder in fear rather than awe of their beauty. "And what of the wizard? Has he said or done anything that may prove himself disloyal to our master?"
"Wizard is very mysterious, yes! Hard to tell what that one thinks. He comes and goes all the time and never reveals too much, yes!"
"So you have no idea."
"Yes!" the rodents said in unison.
The woman sighed. "That one's gonna be trouble. The dragon we can handle but wizards are a tricky lot. He's up to something I'm sure of it. We must keep an eye on that one." the statement made the creatures shuffle uncomfortably. She noticed the worried gleam in their and the way they covered their heads with their taloned hands. These creatures, whom she detested and only tolerated, were well known for their cowardness yet their sneaking skills had earned them a reputation as spies. They were rarely caught, if ever, and could stay hidden in places for days at a time. She had used them on several occasions to spy on others her leader deemed must be watched and despite her distaste for them she had to admit they were good at what they did. They usually obeyed her without question or remark but something about their stance told her they didn't like what she said. What were they hiding? "You do not agree?"
The rats grumbled in their own tongue. "Answer me!" she commanded forcing them to step back in fear. While this woman seemed young and innocent she wielded a terrible power that would give even Yor something to think about before getting on her bad side. The rats kept their heads bowed as they spoke. "They have found us out." one said.
"They knew we were there, yes!" said the second.
"You were discovered?" she asked a bit surprised. "By the wizard or the dragon?"
"Both, yes!"
She thought a moment. "The wizard, I'm not surprised, but the dragon…looks like Yor is more competent than we gave him credit for."
"He eat us if we return, yes!"
"And we are scared with what wizard will do, yes!"
"Yes." The woman said. She stood up on the rock making her all the more imposing to the little creatures. "Return home and speak of this to no one. Unless our master calls on you do not leave your holes. Until I return you answer only to him, understand?"
"Yes!" the creatures hurried away as fast as they could totally relieved that they were going home. They missed their little holes and wanted nothing more than to be inside their protective walls. The woman watched them go while thinking to herself. "Well I guess I'd better get going. There are other things to do before the great war begins." She flew up into the sky and into a portal that she made appear using her own power. The vortex was one of pure light, much different than the ones used by the guardians. She smiled. "I wonder how your doing on your own mission, brother."
It was raining by the time he had arrived. The sky had opened up and thunder loomed in the distance. The pedestrians rushed to and fro seeking shelter and the quickest way back to their dwellings. This was not a night to be outside and other than the unfortunate few who were forced to stay out by duty everyone else ran indoors. He was not bothered by the rain; he rather liked it, and strolled down casually along the near empty street. He wore a dark sweater with the hood pulled over to shield his face from prying eyes. His hands were safe in his jean pockets and his foots made almost no sound as they pattered on the puddles. Most didn't spare him a glance; he was just a young man out on a walk. Had they just looked more closely they may having noticed something otherworldly about him. For starters, how many young men had glowing eyes?
They weren't especially bright but bright enough to let anyone know that he wasn't exactly from around here. His eyes darted back and forth scanning the entire area. He took special interest in the metallic vehicles the natives of this world used to travel in their own city. They were loud, bothersome things but rather convenient he must say. The people of this place used machines for just about everything in their daily lives and he wondered if there was ever a time when they survived without them. He had spent a great deal of time on this world almost completely ignored by the general population. It was all good as he didn't want to attract attention to himself. He wasn't in his element here and yet he blended in seamlessly. Had his sister been assigned here then she would have raised havoc simply to kill the boredom. That was how they were different. She was the warrior, he the infiltrator. They were two sides of the same coin, joined by blood but different in every other aspect. Other than the undying loyalty they showed their leader, they were two completely different people. He wondered how she fared on her errands.
The youth stopped on a street to get his bearings. That which he sought was nearby; he could feel the intense magical energy even from here. His body tingled with sensation at the aura of power. It paled in comparison to his master and yet it was strong nonetheless. It excited him to no end as the light gave him the go ahead to cross and he began to walk a little faster. The man continued his trek until he had reached another street where he was forced to stop by the light. Looking up, he smiled when he saw the place he had been looking for all this time. The Silver Dragon, what an odd name. Who knew these people worshipped such creatures?
His eyes narrowed and he felt his target just ahead. This was it; he had found it at last. The light changed and he made his way across the street toward the Silver Dragon, toward the one thing he desired above all else.
