Rage of the Dragon

CHAPTER 8

Fala was a young dragon, proud and vain and arrogant. The Dragon Kahg had known many such dragons down through the years and he might have dismissed her as a heedless, reckless youngster. But the Dragon Fala was different, unlike any other dragon Kahg had ever known. She was an apostate. She had abandoned her faith in the Dragon Goddess, Vindrash, to give her loyalty and service to one of the new, upstart gods. The Dragon Kahg was more curious than afraid. He wanted to know why.

Most dragons believed that their goddess, Vindrash, was lost or dead. Some were starting to think she and the Old Gods had fled. There would be many more like Fala soon, for as yet Vindrash did not dare reveal herself. The servants of their enemies had seen the power of the Vektia spiritbones and they had learned the secret to wielding that power.

The Dragon Kahg was angry at Vindrash, angry for lying to him and their people about the Vektia spiritbones, angry for telling him they were mighty dragons, the mightiest of their kind, godlike and wonderful. But when the Vektia dragon appeared, Kahg saw that it was no dragon. It was death made in the image of a dragon. Death made in the mockery of dragons.

Kahg remembered what the fey child, Wulfe, had said about it. It’s old. Really, really old. It used to run wild, but then the gods of the Uglies captured it and kept it chained up. The power of creation was captured when the Dragon Ilyrion fell.

The Dragon Kahg knew the truth. Vindrash was not dead, nor lost, nor had she fled the world. She had gone into hiding. Kahg was the only dragon she trusted. She may trust him, but now he was not certain he trusted her. He and the elders believed they had discovered the true nature of the Vektia dragons. If so, Vindrash had not exactly lied to the dragons. She had just not told them everything.

He eyed the Dragon Fala flying high above the waves, shimmering orange and red.

“So you are the mighty Dragon Kahg,” Fala taunted him, her voice booming. “Come do battle with me, mighty Kahg.”

“You are the traitor dragon, Fala,” Kahg returned.

Fala laughed in disdain. “Traitor? What have I betrayed?”

“Our Dragon Goddess, Vindrash,” said Kahg.

Fala hovered in the air, did not fly immediately to attack him. She was probably delighted with her own importance, glad to talk about her favorite subject-herself. She would be eager to proclaim her views on life to this old dragon, who was too weary or too cowardly to engage her in combat.

Kahg was keeping watch on Sigurd’s ship, which was slowly if steadily pulling away. Kahg could see Fala was tired. He would keep her in conversation, allowing her to tire herself still further.

“Humans!” Fala snorted a gout of flame. “Look at them on board my ship, running about pissing themselves at the sight of my glory.”

“Why do you serve them?” Kahg asked.

“I use them, I don’t serve them,” Fala said with scorn. “I pretend to go along with the whims of Raegar, who stupidly believes he is my master. But, like you, mighty Dragon Kahg, I do the humans’ bidding because I am being well paid. The humans have promised me jewels. They have a treasure vault filled with them.”

“Have they given you any jewels yet?”

“No, but they will.”

“And what does the god Aelon promise you?” Kahg asked.

“Is that his name?” Fala asked languidly, flying lazy circles above Kahg’s head. “There are so many gods tromping about heaven these days I don’t know one from the other. I care for no gods, any gods. Why should I? They have no care for us.”

That much is true, Kahg thought bitterly.

“You know that if this Aelon succeeds in driving out the Old Gods, we dragons are next,” he said. “We are a threat to Aelon’s power. He will kill us or drive us off and then seal the entrance to this world.”

“That old cow Vindrash would say that, wouldn’t she?” Fala sneered. “Anything to keep us subservient. Aelon proclaims that he will welcome dragons to his world.”

“Gods lie,” said Kahg.

Fala shook her head. Flames rolled off her crest. “I grow weary of all this talk,” she said, annoyed.

“You are just plain growing weary,” Kahg said dryly. He cast a glance down at his humans. They were well-trained, bracing themselves for the fight, trusting in their dragon. “For days you hauled that war galley across the sea from Sinaria. And now you think you have energy enough left to do battle.”

Fala was angry. “Very well, coward dragon, Kahg. We will see who is weary when I slay you and set fire to your ship!”

“Which is what you should have done in the first place, you silly twit!” Kahg roared, laughing.

Fala shrieked at him, furious, and dove down at Kahg. Her wings trailed fire, her breath roared flames that seared Kahg’s scales. The pain was not severe, but it made him angry. Kahg roared and then ducked his head into the ocean, as though he were trying to douse the fire. He sucked in a belly full of seawater, raised his head, and spewed the water at his foe.

The blast struck Fala in the chest and sent the startled dragon reeling. Her wings flapped wildly as she tried desperately to maintain altitude. Kahg sucked in more water and hit her again. The second blast flipped her over and knocked her from the air. Fala plummeted into the sea, steam rising from her floundering body.

Fala thrashed and fought to keep from sinking as white, foaming waves broke over her head. She choked and coughed and sputtered. Waves struck her repeatedly, slamming into her from behind, crashing over her crest.

Kahg watched with grim amusement as the young dragon paddled her legs like a dog, struggling to keep herself afloat. She glared at Kahg in rage. Her jaws worked. She opened her mouth to roast him alive. A wave hit her in the nose and she began to cough and choke.

“Your human is in trouble, Fala,” Kahg advised. “You had better return to him. And you might tell him, by the way, no experienced Bone Priestess on board a ship in the middle of the ocean would ever make the mistake of summoning a fire dragon, especially when confronted by a dragon formed of water.”

Kahg added in scathing tones, “And no intelligent dragon would ever permit it.”

Fala started to say something, but nothing came out except seawater. She thrashed her legs and flapped her wings and managed, after a few failed attempts, to drag her heavy body up out of the waves. Water poured from her like rain.

Aelon’s Triumph was in almost as sad a state as its dragon. The war galley wallowed in the sea, surrounded by pieces of broken oars floating on top of the water. Raegar was on the foredeck yelling at his dragon, exhorting her to continue her attack.

Fala shook her head sullenly, sending down a flurry of water, refusing to obey. The young dragon had been made to look foolish, her pride wounded. She undoubtedly hated the Dragon Kahg with all her being, but she was too exhausted to fight. Kahg watched her fly off slowly, heading toward the nearest shore to rest and recover, leaving Raegar to shout after her in helpless rage. When men on his ship raised a cheer as they watched the dragon depart, Raegar swore at them and then ordered them to raise the sail.

“This is not over between us,” Fala snarled over her shoulder.

“Come back when you grow up,” Kahg told her.

On deck, his humans were celebrating, laughing at the dragon’s humiliation and jeering across the water at Raegar. The human, Skylan, was urging Kahg on, urging the dragon to attack.

The other humans in the ogre ship were in no danger; they were putting more and more water between their ship and Aelon’s so-called Triumph.

The Dragon Kahg considered his options.

* * *

Skylan stood on the deck of the Venjekar, his sword in hand, thrilled with the thought of avenging himself on his treacherous cousin. Raegar had counted on the strength of his dragon to destroy his enemies. He had never imagined that she could be defeated, or that his men would turn on him. Raegar was out here on the sea alone, with a ship full of demoralized troops. The fearful sight of the Dragon Kahg bearing down on them would unnerve them further.

Behind him, the godlord’s ship, at the sight of the fire dragon, had slowed, keeping well out of the way. The vague outlines of a plan formed in Skylan’s mind. He would send Kahg to destroy Raegar’s ship in full view of the ogres. After that, Skylan would sail in triumph back to the ogres. He would offer them friendship while the Dragon Kahg circled overhead, letting them know what would happen to them if they declined. He would ask them to take Keeper’s body, fulfilling his vow to his friend. Then he would boldly demand that they escort him safely to the ogre homeland.

“I will make up some reason,” he said, explaining his plan to Aylaen. “I will tell them I’ve come to talk peace with their godlords. We will find the Vektan Torque and steal it back. But first”-Skylan gripped his sword-“I will settle my score with Raegar.”

He realized suddenly that the Venjekar was slowing.

“What is the dragon doing?” Skylan asked angrily. “Tell Kahg to maintain course! We’re going to fight-”

He saw the expression on Aylaen’s face. “Now what’s wrong?”

“The Dragon Kahg won’t fight,” said Aylaen. “He says we are in no danger and he won’t risk the Vektia spiritbone for some petty human desire for vengeance.”

The Venjekar was turning, maneuvering through the water.

“Kahg says we are going home.”

Aylaen’s eyes glistened with sudden tears. She lowered her head, averted her face.

“No!” Skylan cried. “He can’t do that! We have a chance…”

His words died. He looked at Sigurd’s ship, sailing north, up the coastline. Heading home. Skylan thought of his homeland. He thought of his father, the fields and the forests, fishing in the clear bright streams, playing games on the frozen lake. To bask in the warmth of a fire on a snow-silent night. To hear the laughter of his people as they gathered together in the Hall.

The two threads of his wyrd, one long, the other cut short. He remembered his dream. The serpents of Oran, the armies of Oran were marching to destroy his people.

Skylan would meet up with Sigurd, the two ships would sail home. Then he would wed Aylaen and she would be Kai Priestess. He would be Chief of Chiefs and this time he would try to be a wise and worthy chief. He would lead the Vindrasi in their fight against the armies of Aelon and when Aelon had been defeated, Skylan would raise a mighty army, command many dragonships that would sail to the ogre lands and beyond to find the Vektia spiritbones.

“We are going home,” said Skylan. His spirit seemed to soar over the waves, carrying him to Vindraholm.