FSE

Silver Nights - Chapter 6

Story by Fatchaos on SoFurry

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Silver Nights - Chapter 6

-=The Slayer=-

Cael could barely believe what he had just heard. Earthym Dragonslayers? He didn't even know Earthym had such a group. King Mederik could see the confusion in his eyes.

  • "Yes, indeed, dragonslayers. You heard me correctly, Cael Marthym. "

  • "My apologies, my liege. I was... dumbstruck. "

  • "Understandable. I can give you time to think if that is what you wish. It's no small decision, after all. I admit, the last group of Dragonslayers didn't quite make it. I am hoping for this group to be more... successful."

  • "I've already made my decision. I accept. "

Cael sensed this would be perfect. He would gain honor and glory, and rise in the highest possible ranks. He bowed his head down.

  • "Fantastic! I am relieved to hear that, Cael Marthym. Our lands are being savaged by all kinds of hideous beasts and monsters, but dragons... they are above all. They are intelligent and powerful. We must be thorough to get rid of them. "

  • "My skills are at your disposal, my liege. "

  • "Wonderful. Captain! See to it that Cael Marthym here is given the proper gear. And before anything else... "

Mederik took his staff and gently placed it on Cael's head.

  • "Hereby, I, King Mederik of Earthym, make you the loyal Earthym Dragonslayer. Your rank is now above all common military ranks, Lieutenant Cael. You answer directly to me and the Earthym Dragonslayer Captain. No one else. "

  • "I am honored, my liege. "

  • "Now... I think your journey here was tiresome. Get your new gear, the Captain of the Royal Guard will show you your quarters in the castle and show you where you can get your gear from. Feel free to rest for now. You are dismissed. "

Cael rose up and bowed.

  • "Thank you, my liege. "

Cael left to catch the Captain of the Royal Guard, for his gear and for his new... home.

Cael was in his quarters, trying out his new gear. The quarters were inside the castle, in the 2nd floor on the left once you enter the castle. Seemed like this whole part of the castle was devoted to the dragonslayers. It had private training grounds, library, armory and a cozy, large room for leisure. He had to admit the new gear looked rather fantastic. Red silk clothing with the Earthym Emblem over the light chest plate, decorated shoulderguards ( that had the mark of the dragonslayers in them : A black dragon impaled by a sword ), bracers and shinguards. The boots could have been a little lighter for his tastes, but they fit his foot perfectly and seemed sturdy so he didn't complain. He had a chainmail skirt and a chainmail shirt under the chestplate, so it didn't hinder much of his movements. Fitting. His new sword was very nice. It was a longsword, and it was perfectly balanced. It was neatly decorated as well. He was also given a new crossbow once he asked. It was of sturdy design, much like a regular crossbow, though it was a little bit more decorated and made out of more expensive wood. Cael could hear a knock on his door, so he opened it. A young man, much about as old as Cael was, was standing there with a similar gear Cael had. He had blonde, short hair, and blue eyes. He didn't seem to be quite as muscular as Cael, but he had two swords instead of one. The man smiled.

  • "Hello there! You must be a fellow dragonslayer now, aye? "

  • "Indeed I am. Cael Marthym. "

Cael offered his hand. The man shook it with both of his.

  • "Tras Mawwerick os Langhast. But just call me Tras. "

  • "Pleased to meet you. "

  • "As am I! Seems like we are comrades. "

  • "Indeed. Glad to see an friendly face here. "

  • "You can only make a first impression once, and I intend to give a good one every time. Since we have the time, how about we check the cozy chairs at the lounge? "

Cael thought that was an excellent idea.

The two sat there, with the fireplace giving warmth and light to the room.

  • "So, Cael, what brought you here? "

Cael briefly told him the story behind his military career.

  • "I was asked to come here shortly after I was promoted as the Lieutenant. "

  • "Really? Tell me, what was the skill that impressed Mederik? "

  • "I suppose it was my... accuracy. Not to brag, but I can pretty much hit anything with my crossbow, at any given range. "

  • "Ah! I believe I heard a few guards talking about it after you came. Splendid! "

  • "What about you? "

Tras looked down.

  • "I was an orphan, living in the Northern Earthym, not in any specific city. I traveled a lot. I was also a thief. "

Cael was genuinely surprised, and his expression told that to Tras.

  • "I am not proud of that time, but I still believe I did what I had to do, to survive. And I was no cutthroat. Still, eventually, I was caught. I was given two choices. Hang, or join the army. Guess what I chose? "

Cael chuckled.

  • "Hanging? "

Tras laughed.

  • "Sometimes, I wish I had chosen the end of the rope to be honest! I wasn't exactly treated as a fellow... soldier since everyone knew where I had come from. But eventually, they had to acknowledge me. I kept training, honing my skills. There's no better tracker in Earthym now. No matter the size, shape or any other feature, I can track it down. It helped me deal with the thieves in the cities. You could say I have an eye for... details. So much, in fact, that I was summoned here. I suppose my years as a thief paid off. "

  • "Sounds like it. Are there any other slayers here yet? "

  • "A few. They like to keep to themselves. Bah. I came two weeks ago and you are the first one to who actually agreed to talk to me. I think some of them are a little over their heads. In fact, I think some of them got here because of their status rather than any special skill. And they are all arrogant. "

  • "That tends to happen within the military. "

  • "Aye. The worst is the Captain. Rogardo, his name. He must think he is some sort of icon because he defeated many of Earthym's enemies in the Western Earthym during the war. He might be a veteran, but I still think he's over his head. And between you and me... We all know the opposition on Western Earthym isn't exactly organized, mostly. "

Cael had to agree to that. Western Earthym is an unstable area, but it doesn't have any organized military. Bands of raiders and marauders, mostly. The only thing organized there is the guild of mercenaries, called "Black Viper Mercenaries". But they are swords-for-hire, so they do not meddle with politics directly. Maybe an assassination or two. Cael wondered if Rogardo was able to adapt into facing something as powerful as dragons, since normal tactics wouldn't just cut for the job.

  • "Well, let's hope he is at least an able leader once we get to our... duties. Speaking of it, are we just... waiting for now? "

  • "Aye, we are. More will join us shortly. In the meantime, we can get ourselves familiar with the city and the castle. "

Cael had a perfect idea for the rest of the evening.

  • "Well... how about we visit the Full Moon? I hear they have good ale there. "

Tras chuckled, and agreed to the offer.

The evening turned slowly to the night, and Cael was not only having fun with his new friend, but also with the Lieutenant from the gates of the castle. Laureen was her name, as Cael soon learned. She had long, blond hair that she kept on a ponytail. She was athletic, to say at least. And she proved to be quite a formidable drinker, for a woman. Tras, however, did not. So the night ended as Laureen and Cael dragged Tras back to the castle. Finally having escorted Tras to his own quarters, Cael and Laureen were left on the hallway.

  • "Well, Cael... we need to do this again sometime. Preferably as soon as possible. "

  • "I agree, your company is most... pleasant. "

  • "I think I could use some sleep, myself. So I'm heading back to the barracks before there is trouble. "

  • "You know where to find me. "

Laureen leaned towards Cael and gave him a brief kiss. As she left walking towards the barracks, Cael was left standing alone in the hallway. Slowly walking towards his own room, he thought that life like this suited him just fine.

A few days passed without anything of note happening, besides Tras constantly getting into brawls in the Full Moon, even as the bar was a bit more "high-class". He was crafty and skilled with his mouth, and once he finally got his "target", usually a feeble noble, to the point where he was attacked, he showed he was also pretty good at dodging fists. And that he had a nasty right straight. Because he never threw the first punch, he was never thrown out, much to his and Cael's amusement. Cael met Laureen in the Full Moon whenever Laureen had the time, and before long, they had a little... tea moment in Cael's room. Laureen was such a spirited woman, suited Cael so much. She had strong opinions and she didn't back down with her ideals. And she had a sharp tongue. During the days, Cael studied the books. He was amazed how little FACTS were written about dragons. Stories, yes, but few facts. He learned what he could from the books, nevertheless. Eventually, more and more dragonslayers moved in the castle, and it was finally the time of action. Captain Rogardo had them all gather in the lounge room. He was well-built with a tidy beard, about forty of age, and his face was pouring with confidence.

  • "Finally, we have all the members we need gathered. I am Captain Rogardo, and you will state me as so. "

Tras gently poked Cael's side with his elbow and whispered:

  • "I told you he was an arrogant bastard... "

Rogardo continued.

  • "Now, we have finally got information about our first target. Earthym Order scouts have reported sightings of a green, most likely she-dragon. Lives in the Southern Earthym in some old ruins of no further interest. Powerful, yes. Match for us? No. Our basic strategy is simple. We have ballistae, and we use them. Lure her out, and with a well placed shot, we have our first dragon. "

Cael muttered to Tras.

  • "He makes it sound like a walk in the park. I don't like it. "

Rogardo continued his speech again.

  • "Now, we form teams for the ballistaes! "

He divided the slayers to groups, each controlling a ballistae. Cael was issued as a group leader on his part, thanks to his Lieutenant status. Tras was lucky to be in the group once Cael smoothly asked if he could have him on his team. Two other slayers also joined the team. Rodrigo gave them the plan:

  • "We move in the area, place our ballistae in close proximity to the dragons lair, and lure her out. Fairly simple. I'll give further details as we get there. Now, let's move out, we have wasted precious time, and the journey is long. King Mederik expects us to have a dead dragon this month, and I intend to deliver! "

The trip took over two weeks, every day the slayers became more tense as they approached their location. They could resupply at towns without any charge, and Cael had the chance to see his parents once they moved through Lavathia. They were overjoyed to hear their son was becoming a real-life hero of Earthym! Such cheesy title made Cael blush. But they were also worried about his well-being. And not without a reason. Eventually, with the help of Tras extraordinary tracking skill, they had made it to the cliff near the ruins where the dragon was supposed to dwell. It was nighttime when the arrived. Rogardo's eyes glowed from the sense of glory.

  • "Alright, this is it, slayers! We position the ballistae in my marked positions, and lure her out. We have the element of surprise in our hands, and the darkness will shroud us neatly. We being our attack in the morning. "

Cael didn't bother to mention that dragons could see perfectly in the dark, let alone smell them. In fact, he was secretly hoping some of Rogardo's plans would backfire. It would give him a nice opportunity for him to overthrow him from his Captain status... and give it to Cael. Still, Cael was determined to do his best and not fool around. Too much was at stake. Cael's ballistae was placed on the far end of the cliff surrounding the ruins. Cael had placed it on a different spot than Rogardo had planned, he was sure this provided more cover and shrouded it mostly in the bushes that grew in the spot, giving him the edge and peace to aim his ballistae. Some of the ballistae were ridiculously exposed, Cael felt sorry for them and really hoped they would not miss their target.

  • "I don't like this plan, Tras. Those slayers down there are exposed. "

  • "Agreed. If she doesn't smell them that close, she can just plainly see them. "

  • "Well, makes me glad I'm not there. "

Tras huffed in slight amusement. The two other slayers kept to themselves, but were discussing something nevertheless.

The morning slowly started illuminate the sky, and there was much tension in the air. Rogardo would have two men lure the dragon out. They would enter the lair, and run as fast as they could out. What could go wrong?

The dragon could swear she smelled humans nearby, so she didn't sleep much and with one eye open. The scent of man was still within as the morning came. They were outside her lair. But they hadn't moved. Ambush? Ridiculous. Who would dare? She was surprised to hear two men approaching the entrance of her lair. Are they mad? Or just genuinely stupid? Or both! They would witness her glory and power as they die, how fitting. And since they were so kindly offering themselves, she could have a breakfast right here. If there would be anything left of them, of course. She rose up and started walking outside.

The two "baits" could hear loud steps coming from inside the lair. The dragon! It was coming. They started walking backwards as the steps became louder. The dark entrance of the lair was like death's eye, glaring at them, as the steps became even louder by the second, now shaking the ground a little. They now started running away from the ruins. Rogardo was watching from the distance with great anticipation! Soon, the dragon would appear, and they would shoot her down. However, that was not the case, as a stream of green liquid was fired from the entrance of the lair, hitting the two slayers who were making their way out of the ruins. The slayers watched as their two comrades were dissolved in their eyes, only bones and pieces of armor left. There was no screams. That's because they didn't have the time to even do that. Second after, there was a loud roar that nearly deafened each and every slayer. And then the dragon appeared. She was huge, to say at least. Green, shiny scales covered it's body, with spikes and fins covering her thoroughly. Near-black bellybands ran across the lower body to the long neck. It was looking around, watching the intruders. For everyone's amazement, it spoke.

  • "Morning, ignorant fools. I believe it's time for breakfast. "

The voice sounded like it was roaring, with a bit of odd feminine pitch in it.

The dragon chuckled. She took a deep breath, and let a rain of acid pour on the first row of ballistae, dissolving everything the stream touched. Now there were screams, as some of the men "merely" lost a leg or two, as they could take cover from most of the stream. Rogardo watched with a less confident face as the front row of ballistae was obliterated. Without hesitation, he screamed:

  • "Fire the ballistae! "

Cael couldn't believe his ears. Way too soon! They would expose their locations, not to mention at that range, most would miss! Cael whispered to Tras and the two other slayers:

  • "Not yet. Hold your fire. "

The dragon could see the shots fired at her. In a blink of a second, she was already airborne, dodging all of the shots fired at her. The woods, eh? She took a deep breath again, and started breathing acid at the attackers yet again. The ballistae were defenseless as they had to reload and it was too time consuming. More and more ballistae and their crew were obliterated and Rogardo could do nothing but scream "Fire, fire fire! Keep it raining! " helplessly. Cael took note of the dragons breathing attack. When she inhaled, she seemed to be the most vulnerable. Finally, the ballistae had reloaded, and they took their shots again. Terrified and panicked, they barely aimed them, and the dragon didn't even have to move much to dodge them all. She flew a lot closer, determined to corrode each and every attacker this time. She started inhaling again. Rogardo could witness the dragon up-close, ready to corrode him to non-existence. Cael aimed carefully, took his time and fired his ballistae at close range. And by the looks of it, not a moment too soon. It hit the dragon directly in the chest, impaling it's scales and going deep inside. The dragon dropped to the ground with an impact that shook the ground, roaring, kicking it's legs, firing acid and toxic gas randomly around it. Tras and Cael reloaded their ballistae with the help of the other two slayers. The dragon was now roaring with a more desperate tone, the kicking was nearly stopped. Rogardo screamed:

  • "Ahhah! Victory! We have her! "

He took a look at the dragon. Pathetic, it looked now. It's eyes nearly were pleading. Rogardo waved his hand in order to stop the ballistae from firing at the downed dragon.

  • "Let it suffer for a while. "

Yet, there was a shot, hitting the dragon in the chest again, in the heart. Cael huffed as he stood up on the ballistae. Perfect hit.

  • "I said let it suffer! Who the hell? Lieutenant Cael! Why are you not on your spot? "

Cael and Tras and the other two slayers were walking down the cliff to meet with Rogardo as he kept demanding explanations.

  • "Why did you disobey my orders?! "

As the last meters between Cael and Rogardo closed, Cael nearly sprinted the last meters, brushing against Rogardo and looking him in the eyes.

  • "Because we came here to kill it, not to watch it suffer. And leaving it there could have exposed us to one last attack from it. I think we lost enough men here thanks to your utter incompetence. "

  • "State me as your Captain, Cael! "

  • "We'll see how long you'll stay as a captain once Mederik hears about this. I think everyone here, save for you, realize my team saved each and every one of us. Now be glad I don't apply field justice on you right here and cut you where you stand! "

Cael let go of Rogardo, who was left there standing in complete awe.

Cael walked to the dragon, and Tras followed with a smile. Other slayers joined them. They were impressed by the flashy show. As Cael saw more slayers leaving Rogardo alone, he couldn't help but smile gleefully. Now all he had to do is to convince Mederik that Rogardo is dead weight to the dragonslayers. Cael took a good look at the dragon. Now that it was no more trying to kill them, he admit, it looked magnificent. It's eyes stared at emptiness, so Cael placed his hands on them and closed them. Somehow, the sight made him kind of sad. One of the slayers noted to Cael:

  • "Mederik want's proof, Lieutenant. And I think some of the mages will be overjoyed to have dragonscales and whatnot. "

Cael nodded in agreement, and the slayers pulled their knives out. The sight of having dozen of men gutting a dragon corpse gave a good idea just how honorable this battle had been. Cael didn't join the gutting process as Tras did, instead, he pulled a parchment out, dipped his feather in a inkwell that he dug from his pouch, and started writing notes. About the dragon's anatomy, scale tensity and durability (easily judged by watching how hard it was to gut it) and various other notes. Lastly, he drew a sketch of the dragon. He thought it looked pretty good, and showed it to Tras, who was covered in dragon blood.

  • "Hey... that looks pretty good! I once tried, but I couldn't draw for shit. And I tried drawing a damn cat! "

Cael chuckled.

The weary but also victorious group slowly returned back to Earthiantum, in order to report back to Mederik. Rogardo did not speak a word during the trip. Cael was interested to see how he would react and what he would say to Mederik. Finally, they got back to the castle. Cael nodded to Laureen who was keeping guard at the gates again. There was joy in her eyes, seeing Cael return unharmed. They entered the Throne room, and kneel down. Mederik was sitting there, anxious to hear from their possible success. Last time, no one came back. Rogardo coughed.

  • "My liege, we have been victorious. The dragon have been slain, and we have brought you the spoils from it's corpse. "

Mederik smiled.

  • "Wonderful! You have done me well. "

Then his face turned dark.

  • "Losses? "

Rogardo shifted his eyes.

  • "Twenty seven. "

Mederik stood up.

  • "Twenty. Seven. Last group was killed to the last man, but you vowed to me that you would do much better. THIS, Rogardo, is NOT exactly better! Tell me, Captain, what went wrong? "

Rogardo found it hard to find words, but finally opened his mouth.

  • "There were... complications. It was expecting us. And some of my men disobeyed my or- "

Cael interrupted.

  • "It was expecting us, my liege. Rogardo exposed us all and endangered the entire mission with his overconfident and may I say, incompetent tactics against a dragon. "

Rogardo understood just how dire his situation now was. Lieutenant Cael was planning on overthrowing him from his Captain status!

Mederik nodded for Cael to continue.

  • "So, yes, my liege. I did disobey his orders to place my ballistae in a different spot. A better spot. Thanks to that, we are not all dead. I thank the courage of my fellow comrades that they stood against the dragon that long under such incompetent commander. "

Cael's words brought the other slayers supporting him with nods. One shouted:

  • "That's right! My liege, Lieutenant Cael and his team saved us all! "

Rogardo was watching behind his back to see as his group was slowly turning against him. He opened his mouth in order to defend himself.

  • "My liege! I only did what I thought was best! Lieutenant Cael disobeyed my orders and HE endangered the whole mission, I- "

Tras stood up.

  • "Don't you DARE claim that, you son of a bi- "

Cael pulled Tras back down. He couldn't lose. Rogardo was done for.

  • "He's not worth it. "

Mederik was confident about his solution now.

  • "Lieutenant Cael. Your actions, that might have disobeyed the orders from your superiors, have proven to be the sole reason of success. And seeing the... incompetence of your superior, I am glad you did disobey. "

Rogardo stood up in desperation.

  • "But my liege! I- "

Mederik's face turned angry and he took his staff in a flash and pointed it at Rogardo, who was lifted in the air.

  • "Silence! I have heard enough, Captain Rogardo. As from now on, you are no longer a Captain. You are no longer in the service of Earthym Dragonslayers. You are no longer in service of Earthym Order. Your utter incompetence has earned you the place in the cells for the next twenty years, should you live that long. Be glad I am merciful and do not have you beheaded where you stand! Guards! Escort Rogardo in the dungeons! "

Mederik pulled his staff back to his side and Rogardo landed roughly on the ground. The Royal guards swiftly moved to drag him out of the Throne room. Rogardo shouted in desperation. "I am a veteran! A war hero! You cannot do this! " Cael had his head down, for he was smiling so gleefully his teeth were exposed.

Mederik's face turned friendly and bright again.

  • "Lieutenant Cael. I hereby name you as the new Captain of the Earthym Dragonslayers. You may name your Lieutenant's as you see fit, and do as you see fit, as long as you get your work done as well as you did now. "

  • "Thank you, my liege. May I ask for something? "

Mederik smiled.

  • "Ask, I'll see what I can do about it. "

  • "I need the help of your mages to prepare for our next mission, and if it would be possible, one mage with us. It would help a great deal. "

Mederik thought about giving a mage to the slayers, but had to agree, it sounded reasonable.

  • "It is done. I'll have the mages know that you can ask them for assistance. Is that all? "

  • "Yes, my liege. "

  • "Then you are all dismissed. Go, and rest. You have all earned it. "

Cael took his job as the new Captain very seriously. He named his Lieutenants carefully, based on military service records rather than the rank itself. Tras was one of them, naturally. He had each and every men study the books about dragons, and had copies of his notes made for everyone. The mages he asked to produce a substance that would cover their scent. It took a while, but eventually, they had a recipe for it. It removed any odor men gave and replaced it with, well, nothing. They had no scent for the next three days after they had applied a little of the liquid on their bodies. As for the mage to join the group, Cael wanted a healer in case of injury. Magic was known to be fairly useless against dragons, since they were almost immune but to the most savage and primal of magic. Ballistae's he had customized for extra penetration power and the huge bolts fired at them were replaced with twilight steel tipped ones for maximum power and accuracy. His perfectionist ways proved to be successful. Instead of just plainly trying to outright ambush the dragons, he had scouts study them for a week. Tras excelled at that duty. They could learn it's way of life, patterns. Not only gave it them new facts about dragons (that Cael wrote down intensively), but also gave them the perfect places for ambush. Feeding, drinking, times like that. To prevent flight, Cael planned two ballistae's to fire at the same time with a strong twilight steel enforced rope tied on both of the bolts. This would entwine the dragon, preferable from the legs or by the wings, reducing it's movements. Their first mission after Rogardo's "resignation" was a blue dragon at the edge of Southern Earthym. It was tricky at first, but after having a decoy boat carrying lots of gold, the dragon was an easy target. Next was a red dragon in the Western Earthym. After studying it for a while, it was clear it was aggressive and very unpredictable, alright, save for one thing. It always went to drink in a hot spring during the morning. That is where it also fell. Cael enjoyed the success and the honor he was awarded. He praised his team and kept their needs satisfied. He wanted them to be in top-condition. He asked for much, but gave much in return. During spare time, Cael, much to Laureen delight, slowly but steadily learned how to play lutes. He had a voice for singing and his blue, innocent eyes could have melt anyone's heart. His way of playing the lute was so beautiful. Gloomy, in a way, but beautiful. For a more useful use of his spare time, he studied medical books about herbs and poisons and human anatomy. Inspired by it, he wanted every slayer to carry a medical pouch with them, containing bandages & herbs. Cael also wrote a few songs that he was always embarrassed to sing in Full Moon, but always did, in the end, encouraged by Tras, mostly. Drunk, of course. He was slowly becoming a hero icon of Earthym. A few more dragons fell, and a couple of tracked down half-dragons and dragonkin (that required a bit more different tactics thanks to their humanoid size and form), but nevertheless, Cael was successful. His plans never backfired, he had backup plans over backup plans just in case something went wrong with the original ones. By the time he was the "Honorable Knight Of Earthym" (a special status given to the most distinguished war heroes and such), he was already 31 years old. He had written a smallish book about dragons based on his studies, explaining about the dragons in general and explaining the types of dragons there were (fixed with his sketches save for the black, silver and gold dragon part since he had never seen one). His scouts spread across the land of Earthym had brought him more information about possible targets. Some of the intelligence he was given were... intriguing. A silver she-dragon named Venzyriel was known to dwell somewhere in the Middle Earthym, but no one was unable to find any trace at all, and a few scouts had gone missing. Locals didn't know much, as they had rarely seen it. More intriguingly and troublesomely, the dragon was known to have a disciple. A silver half-dragon. The name was still unknown, but the few survivors that ever faced him called him "Stormbringer". They seemed to target Earthym Order's local barracks and forts, and there were also reports of footmen of unknown origin following the dragon. A blue dragon was also long been terrorizing the seas in the Western Earthym, Asgarh was the name. However, the sights of it had been reduced lately for some reason. Another interesting fact was about Algra, "The Black Butterfly". A semi-demon-dragoness of sorts, known to be very seducing despite her intimidating looks. And brutal, among the habit of devouring blood of her enemies. Works as a mercenary in the Black Viper group, so she is very hard to locate as they protect their own. The scout told he witnessed her seductive behavior "first hand", so it was no joke, considering how disciplined Cael's scouts were. Then there was Lavianora, a green-black she-dragonkin. Lately, her actions have become even more and more exposed, nearly suicidal. Yet she lives still. Rumors are that she lost her lover so she is desperate and nearly tries to get herself killed. Also works on the Black Vipers. However, all of these are not to be considered a very serious threat. First of all, Venzyriel and her disciple are not a threat to the civilian population, they are known to not hurt innocent bystanders. Their motives were unclear, for sure, but for now, actions are pending, even though the local forces are suffering losses. Algra might be brutal and savage at times, but since she is a mercenary she keeps to the Western Earthym mostly and targets mostly marauders and other targets not important to Earthym Order. Hell, Cael thought she actually made the area safer in her own brutal way. Still, he wouldn't want to meet her face to face. Lavianora was known to take on jobs that involved killing high-ranked Earthym officers or nobles, but aside from that, Cael didn't consider her much of a threat for the time being. Asgarh was now considered a low-priority target since the devastation of ships had ceased for now. They would be dealt later, as they had a high-priority target now. A black dragon. The name was not known. These dreaded dragons were rare, and Cael had never seen one, and only one book had ever written anything about them and how much was true in it was a mystery. This could be the most challenging hunt yet!

The dragon was in the Northern Earthym, dwelling in the mountains, naturally. Not so north that there was snow, though. Locals had reported seeing the dragon from time to time, leaving empty villages and towns behind it. Only bones and dust were left of the population. And missing people. It was disturbing in a way, since the buildings didn't seem to have taken any damage. The towns were intact, with the exception that everyone in it was either dead or missing. Tracking this dragon proved very difficult for Tras, it didn't leave much marks, and it seemed to fly completely without any obvious pattern. But he was tracking it down, nevertheless, and Cael and the rest of the slayers followed. Eventually, he tracked the dragon to a certain mountain. Amazingly, there was still a small town there that had population. As they moved in to resupply on food and water, it was clear they were not very welcome. People gave them the most unpleasant looks, and the atmosphere was reeked of hostile air. No one spoke. Tras and Cael cautiously watched as they refilled their food and water to check that no poisons were added. Tras didn't like the town one bit.

  • "Cael. I've seen my share of murderers and sheer psychopaths. Frankly, all of these people show the same features. I don't like this place. "

  • "Neither do I. There is something very odd about this town for sure. Like the fact that it's so close to the dragon's lair, yet it's still populated. "

  • "Aye. Disturbing. Could it be... As odd as this sounds, that these people are following the dragon, or something like that? Worshiping? "

  • "Unlikely, but possible. Dragons rarely have followers. But since most of them are arrogant, I doubt they would turn worshipers down. Something very sinister is at work here, that's for sure, though. And your theory would explain why they are still alive. "

  • "We'd better keep our eyes open. "

  • "That is a good idea. And the fact that we sure as hell are not sleeping here. "

Cael made sure every slayer got out of the town safely, and they moved in the forest to put their camp up in a very well shrouded location. Tras and a few more other scouts were to find the dragon's lair while Cael kept his troops on high-alert status at all times. He wouldn't blink if the townspeople would attack them all of the sudden. That was not the case, though. Tras and his fellow scouts had located the dragon's lair. Since the dragon was unpredictable and seemed to travel a lot, it was impossible to observe it much. The only place for an ambush was directly in a chasm near it's lair that it flew through on it's way out or in to it's lair. Cael had his ballistae move into positions, camouflaging them in the rocky cliffs. There were 3 rows of ballistae. The first one had the rope trapping ballistae, where the 2nd would deliver the finishing blows. 3rd was just for back-up, and he had one ballistae for himself with Tras. Tension grew, and the day changed to twilight. Finally, the dragon appeared. It was huge. Black scales and grey spikes and barbs covered it's body, and it had silver-colored bellybands. It's eyes glowed with faint yellow. it had four horns and several spikes on it's head, and great, slightly worn out wings. Out of all the dragons, this, by far, was the most impressive and intimidating one. It also looked much older, nearly... ancient. The ballistae was to wait for Cael's mark. As great as dragons may be, it had no chance to see them. He had taken every possible movement of the dragon into account. Then it started flying towards the ambush. Everything was set. And then all went horribly wrong. The dragon suddenly roared, spewing some sort of dark substance from it's mouth. Everything turned dark as if it was midnight. Visibility had dropped enormously. The slayers, disciplined as they were, however, did not make a sound. Cael tried to keep an eye of the situation with Tras, but couldn't see well. Then he started hearing sounds of combat. The sounds came from the 1st row of ballistae. He couldn't see what was happening, but there were sounds of battle. Suddenly, the dragon appeared as if from nowhere, and spew something that looked like just pure, thick, white fog at the 2nd row of the ballistae. That far Cael could see, so he witnessed most of his men being... turned to dust before his eyes. As if they aged in an instant. A few ballistae were able to fire at the dragon, missing it. Cael started aiming his own.

  • "Take it down! Don't let it kill our comrades! "

The ballistaes fired, but none hit, the dragon moved so fast it was unbelievable. To make matters worse, the 2nd row of ballistae was now under attack by unknown enemy wearing black hoods and robes, armed with swords, pitchforks, clubs, maces, axes and everything that could be used as a weapon. A few of them actually had some sort of armor and were carrying decorated scythes. The slayers started fighting back, but as much better as they were at combat, they were outnumbered and slowly fell. They must have been the townsfolk from earlier. Unbelievable. They did serve the dragon. Cultists! The dragon now poured another rain of terror, this time on the 3rd row of ballistae, so Cael took cover. About one third of his men here were obliterated in an instant, their dust filling Cael's lungs. The taste of the dust in his mouth was horrifying.

  • "Tras!? "

  • "I'm ok, but the maniacs are coming here! We need to retreat! "

Most of Cael's men already did retreat, including the mage. Tras, however, stood by his side still. Cael took a look around, watching his plans, men and victory crumble in front of his eyes. For the first time in any battle, his mind was filled with utter rage. He jumped up on his ballistae, and took aim at the dragon. He had already learned watching it that most of the time, it dodged upwards. So he took his time aiming with his teeth squeezed together despite the fact the dragon was firing another spray of death at them. He would hit it. He had to. He aimed carefully, and took the shot. The dragon dodged it... but not so successfully. The bolt pierced it's left wing from the base, tearing it off completely. The dragon fell a long way down with a raging roar with very dark blood spewing around from the base of the torn wing, but by the sound of it, it was far from dead. It gave another roar, that unmistakeably sounded like it was shouting: "Kill them! Kill them all! " It's followers started moving in to the 3rd row, and as much as Cael had wanted to finish the dragon somehow, he had to retreat. Tras and he ran as fast as they could, with arrows flying at them. The cultists seemed to not be very skilled with bows, but nevertheless, it was now on sheer luck if they would get hit or not. And as luck would have it, before reaching the safety of the forest, Tras was hit on his leg. With a scream of agony, he fell on the ground.

  • "Tras! "

He was screaming, the arrow had went right in his left leg. More arrows flew at them like constant mockery of fate. Cael lifted Tras up on his back.

  • "No! Leave me! "

  • "The hell with that! I'm too pissed to die, and too stubborn to leave you here to die! "

Cael started running as fast as he could with Tras on his back. He kept on running until he reached the woods finally, shielding them from the arrows. And he kept running. He kept running until his mouth was filled with the taste of blood, legs begging for mercy, lungs feeling like they would explode. Finally, he could not run anymore. Cael just fell on the ground, breathing heavily. Tras kept moaning about his leg. It had to be dealt with. Pulling the arrow would make the wound bleed, so he would have to bandage it quickly. He dug his medical pouch and set a few herbs and bandages ready. He gave two leaves of herbs to Tras.

  • "Chew on these. It will ease the pain. "

Tras put the herbs in his mouth and kept chewing on them. Cael snapped the arrowhead-end of the arrow as gently and swiftly as he could. Then, started the hard part. He started pulling the arrow out. Tras bit on the herbs inside his mouth, screaming in agony. Blood kept pouring out as Cael pulled the arrow with all his might. It seemed to take forever. Tras had his hands burrowed deep on the ground, trying to grab anything as if it would ease the pain. Finally, Cael managed to remove the arrow. He threw the arrow away, and stuffed a few herbs in the two holes, and started bandaging them. It seemed to stop the bleeding. For a while, Cael just let Tras lie down there. So did he. He was exhausted. He was desperate. He was disappointed. Cael dug his pouches and took his cloak out, placing it on Tras. Making a fire would be unwise in terms of getting detected. Not that Cael had any strength left to get firewood. Eventually, both fell asleep.

Cael slept uneasily, as did Tras. But the morning light finally started peeking from behind the trees.

  • "Tras? "

  • "I'm awake. "

  • "I know you're in pain, but we need to get moving. "

  • "I know. Let's just get out of here. "

With Cael's help, Tras was able to walk slowly. They decided to check if their camp was intact. As they reached it, it seemed to be abandoned. However, the mage and a handful of slayers were still there. The mage seemed utterly happy to see Cael and Tras.

  • "Captain! Lieutenant! You made it! "

  • "Yes, we did. Help Tras. He's been shot. I removed the arrow already. "

  • "At once. "

The mage examined Tras. Nothing he couldn't handle. Muttering a few select words, and placing his hand on his leg, he slowly started regenerating his cells. It would take a while, but he would make a full recovery.

Cael took a look at the surviving slayers. Only a handful. Was this all that was left of them?

  • "Is this everyone? "

  • "Yes, Captain. If there are others, we do not know about them. They should be here already, considering you were able to get here with Lieutenant wounded like that. "

Cael sighed. They would need to get out of here fast. The territory was clearly hostile.

  • "Pack your things. And see to it that you take as much personal inventory from the fallen as well. Their families will most probably want to have them. "

Cael sat on a rock, and watched as his men packed the camp in a hurry, everyone carrying as much as they could. Cael took a few things on his backpack as well.

The mage was finished, and Tras could stand up again.

  • "Tras. You alright? "

  • "Yes... Cael. And... thank you. "

Such compliments didn't make Cael feel better. If he was able to, he would have dragged each and every of his men to safety. But he couldn't. He just couldn't. His eyes turned glassed, and he looked away.

  • "Let's get out of here. Move up. "

Eventually, the defeated slayers made it back to Earthiantum. Cael was unsure about his words for the first time. As they walked past the castle gates, Cael took a look at Laureen who was standing guard at it as usual. She could easily tell from Cael's eyes that something had gone horribly wrong. But Cael didn't stop to talk. He entered the Throne room with the rest of the slayers. Mederik was already waiting. His face turned dark as soon as he saw how little men had returned.

  • "My liege. We have... returned. We... No. I failed. I failed us all. "

Tras couldn't believe his ears. Was he taking the blame?!

  • "Cael! You- "

Cael looked at Tras with the pleading expression demanding Tras to stay silent.

  • "Captain Cael. Please. Explain. Why is over half of your fellow slayers not here? "

  • "Because they are dead! "

Cael couldn't look at anyone. His face was fixed on the floor. He was biting his teeth.

  • "They're all dead. We didn't slay the dragon. It killed most of my men. Who weren't killed by it, were killed by cultists! "

Mederik looked surprised.

  • "Cultists? "

  • "Cultists! Madmen! Fanatics! Following the dragon! They attacked us when we tried to ambush the dragon. I... I couldn't do anything. I failed my comrades! I failed them all. "

Cael bit his teeth together even harder. Fighting the urge to shed a tear grew harder. His breathing gave a good idea just how hard it was. Tras looked in silence as the man known for his professionalism and discipline was crumbling to his emotions before his eyes.

Mederik had seen enough.

  • "Captain Cael. "

Cael tried, but he couldn't lift his head. He was already crying. He hated it.

  • "This... was an unfortunate set of events, Captain. I do not blame you. I know better than to accuse you from making excuses. "

Cael was surprised, but it didn't help his feelings much.

  • "I feel sorry what happened for your team. I really do. They all deserved better. I'll see to it that this cult you spoke of is being dealt with eventually, but swiftly. Disturbing news. Go. Rest. You need time alone. Dismissed. "

Cael rose to his feet and saluted.

  • "Thank you, my liege. "

He turned around and walked straight to his quarters. Tras could see a few ponds of tears where Cael had been. It left him completely speechless.

For a few days, Cael spoke to no one. He mostly sat on the library, reading. Everyone knew it was clear Cael took his defeat very seriously. And that he kept blaming himself for the deaths of his fellow slayers. Tras tried to comfort him for a couple of times, but every time Cael just said he was alright, when he clearly was not. He didn't speak to Laureen that much, either. As if he was dead inside. Laureen was sad to see Cael so... defeated. Cael couldn't help but blame himself. If he didn't, who would? He didn't take everything into account. He couldn't even kill the dragon in the end. The faint glee he had came from the fact he knew that dragon would never fly again. But it helped none. It didn't bring his men back. Every day, his mind grew darker. His nights were filled with nightmares. The taste of the dust inside his mouth came back every night. The dust of his men. It made him shiver. He had to be better. He had to be able to never miss a shot. Never. He had to be able to see everything. To be a superior commander in the battlefield. Sinister clarity reached his mind when he was reading a book about demons. Nazaroi. That name. A demon known to offer "trades" with humans. Offering various things, such as power. But he needed to give it something in return. His mind was clear again. He would summon the demon. It would grant him the power that would make him an ultimate commander and marksman. His plans might have been sinister, but they were clear. He sneaked to the Castle's vault. Getting past the guards was not exactly difficult if you lived in the castle and knew their patterns and patrol routes. Once he got there, after stealing a key from a guard, he opened the vault carefully. Magnificent artifacts of unknown origin lay there in shelves. But he came for two Demon Stones. Demons valued them. And he found two. Rubies, they were. How fitting. He placed them on his pouch and disappeared. Outside the city walls, he kept walking in the forest, looking at his map. There were ruins of an old monastery nearby. No one used it. Perfect. He had everything he needed. Goat blood, candles, sulfur, a vial of mercury, the Demon Stones and determination. Wards he couldn't make since he was no mage, so he was just trusting his instinct that the demon would not attack him. At least Nazaroi was known not the be an aggressive demon. Finally, Cael reached the ruins of the monastery. He had the book with him. It explained in great detail what he had to do. Draw the runes with goat blood. Pour sulfur on top of the blood in a circle. Lit the candles in their designated spots. Place a vial of mercury at the middle. Stand aside and say the words that will summon the demon. The words made no sense to Cael, but he spoke them anyway. Nothing happened. He spoke them again. Again, nothing. He tried again and again, but nothing. Cael threw the book on the ground in frustration. But then, he saw the vial of mercury was gone. Had it worked?

  • "Ooooh, aren't you an impatient one? "

A hollow voice echoed in the monastery walls.

  • "Nazaroi? Is it you, demon? "

  • "Indeed it is I. "

The voice came right behind Cael, and he turned around. And there it was. A demon. Dark red skin. Muscular body. Semi-human semi-snake head. Long black hair. Hooves. A whip-like long tail. And it was a he, unmistakeably, since he was completely naked. Cael stepped back.

  • "I love doing that. Creeps you mortals. Can't blame you I suppose. Thank you for not making wards, they always make business like this so... unpleasant. "

Cael regained his resolve again.

  • "You're welcome. "

  • "And polite as well. Don't see that everyday. But now... I suppose you summoned me for a reason. And worry not, I am not going to take your soul unless you offer it. It would be bad for my reputation! "

  • "There is something I want. Something only you can give me. "

  • "Oooh, I wonder what. Love? Status? Fame? Wealth? Getting more hung? Those are the most popular items, after all! "

  • "None of those. I want something special. "

  • "Really now? By all means, do explain. I'm all ears. If I had ears, that is. "

  • "I want to see. I want that I can never be blinded. By darkness, by light, by anything. I want to be able to never miss my targets. I want my eyes to be... perfect. I want to be aware of everything around me. To see what happens in the distance. Like I said... perfect. "

Nazaroi laughed.

  • "That must be the most original request in a hundred years! I like you! "

  • "Can't say that feeling is mutual. "

Nazaroi looked hurt, but he was undoubtedly faking it.

  • "Oh, but we could have some fun as well... "

Cael lift an eyebrown and looked confused.

Nazaroi looked at himself.

  • "Oh, yes. I see. I forgot. "

He spun around gracefully, and with a puff of flames, he was about the same, except his figure had changed to less-muscular, more slender body. And he had breasts. Perfect ones with black nipples. And feminine yellow eyes, despite they were clearly reptilian. Unmistakable Nazaroi was now a female in all aspects of anatomy.

  • "Ummh. I love doing that. When you live as long as I do and have this kind of power, you tend forget mortals are so picky about this whole gender thing. Hell, most of the other demons are as well! Better? "

Her voice was soothing. Seducive.

  • "You do realize I didn't summon you for that? "

Nazaroi chuckled and started walking around Cael.

  • "Oh, I am aware. But you mortals are so... appealing. Fragile. Makes for more passionate and tender... action. I like it. "

Cael kept looking straight forward as the demon/demoness walked around him. Even the scent she was giving was seducing. Nearly intoxicating.

  • "And why not have a little fun beside our business? Besides... I usually get ugly, old men or women. But you... you are a handsome one. "

Nazaroi lay down in front of Cael in a rather inviting pose, her forked tongue coming out from her mouth.. As creepy as it was, Cael had trouble resisting the invite. Like something was speaking inside his head. "Go for it. " But his mind was still clear. Petty tricks would not fool him. He looked away.

  • "No. I did not summon you for that. I just want this deal done. "

Nazaroi looked disappointed. And this time she wasn't faking any of it. She rose up quickly and sighed.

  • "As you wish. "

Nazaroi took one last good look at Cael and mumbled; "Shame." .

  • "Well, Nazaroi? Can you give me that power? "

Nazaroi kept thinking, and a book that was made of leather appeared on her hand. She kept reading it, until she finally whooped out of discovery.

  • "Ah! Perfect! This will suit you just fine. "

  • "I hope so. "

  • "Believe me. I have over four hundred years of business behind me, and no complaints have ever been given. Not that I would note them. My predecessor taught me well, after all. "

  • "Good. "

  • "And now... what would you have to offer me in return? I must say, the item you want is rather... expensive. "

  • "Luckily I have something you might find useful. "

Cael dug his pouch and dug up two Demon Stones.

Nazaroi's reptilian eyes grew wide.

  • "Oooh my. You surely know what you are doing. Two? Hmmm. Deal. "

  • "I'm glad we could come in agreement. "

Nazaroi licked her fangs.

  • "Deal it is then! "

Cael handed the stones to Nazaroi, who made them vanish in a puff or red smoke.

  • "And one last chance. Lay with me now and I can provide a little discount. "

Cael could hardly believe his ears. She was persistent.

  • "No means no. "

  • "Bah. You're no fun. Shame it would hurt my reputation if I just decided to take you anyway. It would be easy. You would be utterly powerless to do anything about it, but enjoy it. "

Nazaroi circled Cael again. Cael was getting nervous. Then Nazaroi stopped and smiled.

  • "Ah well. Code is to be followed. Can't have everything! Hahaha. "

The laugh made the hair on Cael's back rise. Nazaroi waved her hand, and with another cheesy puff of red smoke, something yellow & glowing was on her hand.

  • "This is the item you want. "

Cael looked a bit disappointed.

  • "That? "

Nazaroi could tell Cael was not very happy. But she knew why. It didn't exactly look much else than some weird glowing essence.

  • "I know it doesn't look like much at the moment. But you need to devour it. "

  • "That blob of... glowing yellow stuff? "

  • "Uhhuh. "

Nazaroi handed the blob to Cael. Cael took it. It was glowing in mid-air on his hands.

  • "Don't worry. It doesn't taste like anything. "

Cael hesitated a little, but then placed it in his mouth, and swallowed it. With a gulp, it went down. He didn't feel anything. Cael looked around. Nothing had changed. But Nazaroi had the most mischievous look.

  • "Such a shame about your blue eyes... they truly were... beautiful. "

That being said, Cael started feeling pain. Unbearable pain in his eyes. Like someone had struck a glowing hot iron in them. He screamed and fell to the ground, holding his eyes. Nazaroi kept walking around him.

  • "Truly, a shame. I really liked those eyes. Don't worry, the pain will be gone soon. "

Cael kept kicking the ground and screaming. But finally, the pain stopped. He could see again. Nazaroi was sitting on his lap. She had an aura Cael had not seen before. Dark red, sinister aura.

  • "Get... off me. "

Nazaroi huffed in amusement and rose up. Slowly.

Cael stood up, and looked around. Yes... yes! He could see clearly! Everything was so... sharp! He could zoom into distance! He could see what was behind the walls! And the way Nazaroi moved... as if... he could already know where she was moving to. He took a look at his hands. They were bloody.

  • "It works... But... blood? And what about my eyes? Did something happen to them? "

Nazaroi made a mirror appear on her hand with yet another cheesy puff of red smoke. Cael walked to her and took a look at the mirror. And he did not like what he saw. His eyes had changed. They were all black, empty. Except for his irises, which was now a small, faintly glowing yellow iris with a pointy black pupil in them. The edges of his eyes were scarred and bloody. They looked so... cold. Emotionless.

  • "My eyes. "

  • "Oh, yes. You had beautiful blue eyes, alas, this little power had it's downside. But hey... think of the bright side! I still find them sexy! "

Cael couldn't help but laugh. And laugh. Not out of amusement, but out of desperation and shock. But he wasn't disappointed. This is what he asked for. A small price to pay for what he had received.

Nazaroi knew the deal was over and dealt with, but this man. He was intriguing. Bound to do things, great things for sure. So it was natural she wanted a little taste of him.

  • "One last offer for a little fun time? You could use a little relief, really. "

Cael turned around and looked at Nazaroi deep in the eyes. Even Nazaroi thought they looked intimidating when he was angry. And she was a demon!

  • "No. For the last time. NO. The deal is done. Do whatever you want now. "

  • "Ok, ok, fine. But one last thing. What is your name? "

Cael was surprised.

  • "Why ask? "

  • "I find you... intriguing. "

Cael chuckled.

  • "Cael. Cael Marthym. "

  • "I think I might keep an... EYE on you! "

Nazaroi laughed and disappeared in a puff of red smoke. Cael was left alone in the monastery, with wind blowing through the gaps and holes. He wiped his face with a piece of cloth. The bleeding had stopped. On the last wipes, he realized he could see with his eyes covered. So he tied a piece of cloth as a headband on his face to cover his eyes if they bled more. He could still see perfectly. He took one last look at the summoning circle. The candles had been blown off by the wind. Nazaroi's sweet scent was still left there. Maybe he should have accepted the offer. Or maybe not. Even the thought of her changing into a male all of the sudden made Cael feel sick. Slowly, he started walking back to the Earthiantum. He was unsure what to say to Mederik, now that it was clear he could not hide his eyes forever. Or at all, to be honest.

Cael walked past the streets towards the castle. Most people ignored him, possibly because it was so dark. But those who saw him, gave him the looks. Couldn't blame them. He had a bloody piece of cloth wrapped around his eyes, yet he was walking like he saw everything. Which he did. At the castle gates, he was relieved that Laureen was not there. He was not sure what he would say. He wasn't ready. So he went straight for his quarters. Looking at his mirror, he took the cloth off. Passionless, emotionless eyes stared back. He smiled and laughed again. A small price for such a power. A small price. He slammed his fist on the table and laughed even more. Finally, he stopped laughing and took a deep breath. At least the bleeding had stopped. He took his red cloak, tore a long piece from it and wrapped it around his eyes. It was time to tell Mederik. Now, he would not fail again. He walked straight to the Throne room. Mederik was surprised to see Cael. Though he was kind of expecting him. He had vanished right after someone had taken two Demon stones from the vault. Mederik rose up. Cael was surprised to see an aura on him. It was all white.

  • "Captain Cael. "

Cael kneel down.

  • "My liege. "

  • "Perhaps... just perhaps you could shed a little light to this situation. Two Demon stones are missing, and you seemed to disappear just after the theft. "

  • "I took them. "

Mederik sat down, and leaned his chin on his hand.

  • "Explain yourself. "

  • "I did it for the sake of Earthym, my liege. "

  • "Really? And how? And why do you have your eyes covered? "

Cael rose up and unwrapped his headband, pulling it off with his left hand.

  • "For now, my liege! For now, I cannot fail! "

Everyone in the Throne room looked at Cael with mixed feelings. His blue eyes were gone, replaced with blackness and something glowing with faint yellow. Mederik looked at Cael, thinking. He sighed.

  • "Cael. Cael... You disappoint me. "

  • "My liege. This power is for Earthym! "

  • "No. Your intentions might have been just, but to turn to demonic powers? Unacceptable. "

  • "My liege... "

  • "I am... sorry, Cael. You truly were one of my most skilled and trusted instruments. But this. I cannot let pass. Seize him. "

Guards approached Cael. He stepped back.

  • "I did this for the sake of Earthym! FOR MY MEN! "

Mederik was sad to hear that. Defeat had corrupted his mind.

  • "I am sorry. Lock him away. "

Cael's expression looked like something that anyone could remember for the rest of their days. It was utterly disappointed, shocked, in terror. But he was smiling, eyes open wide. The eyes gave everyone in the room shivers.

  • "As you wish, my liege. "

The guards tried to grab Cael.

  • "I can walk myself! "

Mederik waved to the guards.

  • "Let him walk. "

Cael started walking towards the dungeon. He wasn't sure what to think. Clarity had escaped his mind. After being locked in a cell, he couldn't help but stare at the wall. For all night, he just sat there, staring at the wall. It gave the guard the shivers. Those eyes...

For the night, Cael was thinking nothing. In the morning, after given something to eat in the form of water, bread and a cucumber, Cael started thinking again. Day passed. This is how it ends, huh? Here, in a damned cell!? Another day passed. The guard informed that he would be executed for treason. Treason. For all the things, that's the reason he would be executed for?! After all he had given?! Sacrificed!? Another day passed. He wouldn't accept this. None of it. The guard informed that the execution would happen two days from now, non-public. Naturally non-public. How else? Mederik wanted him to stay silent. Embrace his little, pure fucking paradise of pure men. Now Cael wanted to get out. But he couldn't. He would die in silence. He slowly started to accept that. Day passed. Cael was now just sitting there again, staring at the ceiling. It was night already. Tomorrow, he would die. Great hero of Earthym, executed for treason. So cute. So perfect. He heard some noise outside. He looked outside his cell. The walls blocked his view, but that no longer prevented him to see. It was Tras. And he just knocked the guard out cold. What? He walked to Cael's cell and started looking for a right key he had taken from the guard.

  • "Tras? What are you doing? "

  • "Getting you out, Cael. "

  • "You are in trouble if you do this. Don't. You deserve better. "

  • "Screw that, Cael. Without you, I'd already be dead. No matter what the king says, I'm not letting them kill you for such a ridiculous reason as treason! I know better than to believe bullshit like that. "

Tras unlocked the cell, and Cael rose up, flexing his muscles. He looked Tras in the eyes. Tras was surprised, shocked. But then he smiled.

  • "That's the reason? "

  • "Yes. "

  • "Whatever you might have done, I know you did it for the sake of everyone. Come. We need to get out of here. "

They started walking outside the dungeon.

  • "How could you get in here? It's heavily guarded. "

  • "I'm sneaky. And with a little help... "

Cael missed a heartbeat when he saw Laureen standing guard at the door, watching that no other guards entered.

  • "Laureen...! "

She smiled.

  • "Cael. "

  • "Why? You endanger your whole life for me! I... I cannot accept that. "

  • "You'd damn better accept it. The hell my life. You made me feel special. You were the first one to ever care. The first one I... loved. Let's just escape. All three of us. "

Cael rushed and gave Laureen the longest hug ever. And looked at her beautiful green eyes. Laureen was staring at cold, black eyes, with yellow irises and pointy pupils. Somehow, however, they showed love. Cael looked away.

  • "I'm sorry... I did not want this to go like this. "

  • "Hey, it's alright. Let's just get out of here, we can discuss things later. "

Tras slowly opened the door.

  • "Agreed. Shall we? "

They sneaked out of the castle, and out of the castle gates. Laureen had set a little distraction for the guards, so they wouldn't bother them. But once they reached the city gates, they could hear a horn. They were aware of Cael's escape now. They started running towards the gates, with guards looking at them surprised. They weren't aware yet. Then, a loud voice could be heard. It was Mederik's.

  • "Cael Marthym has escaped the dungeon he was held in for treason! Capture him immediately, and everyone assisting his escape. If you have to, kill them! Do not let him escape! "

That being said, the guards looked at each other, then at the running group of three. And the chase begun.

  • "They have undoubtedly locked the gates! We need to get out some other way! "

Tras knew how.

  • "There are carriages with hay outside the wall near the western gate! Follow me! We will jump out! "

They kept running with guards closing in. Finally, after a run that felt like a lifetime, they reached the outskirts walls, and climbed the ladders up. Cael could already see the haystacks and carts with hay near the walls. They ran there, and without hesitation, jumped down. No time to rest, they kept running away. Cael could sense it. A row of archers taking aim. At least twenty! He could hear the distant cry: "Fire! "

He turned around, and saw the hail of arrows coming at them. He screamed "Watch out! ". He could see all the arrows, even against the pitch-black sky. He could see where they all landed. So he just dodged to a safe spot. This power sure was handy. Then he missed a heartbeat again. Laureen and Tras didn't have this power. He looked to his side. There they were, lying on the cold ground. Arrows filling their bodies. He could see it clearly. They were dead. He couldn't sense any life in them. Not a single breath. He crawled at them. No storybook farewells. Nothing. Just silence. And another hail of arrows, that Cael had to dodge. They wouldn't even let him embrace Laureen. Arrows kept raining down. Desperate, he started running towards the woods. After dodging two more hails of arrows, he escaped to the woods, and kept running. For so long until he fell down. At that instant, he screamed. He pound the ground with his fists, and kept screaming. He wanted to cry. So much. But he couldn't. Not a single tear formed. No matter how much he wanted to. He couldn't even cry anymore. He kept beating the ground until his fists bled.

Cael Marthym was known to be killed during a mission against a dragon. Killed as a Honorable Knight of Earthym. His father had stopped his business after hearing the news, and retired. Tras and Laureen were killed while assisting an unknown person accused of treason to escape. They had all been killed. Hearing it all, it was like a spit to the face. But it was something Cael was powerless to affect in. Cael played his lute in the corner as always. The rest of the mercenaries actually liked it. The tones were... sad. But beautiful. He was a distant person, he rarely spoke to anyone. Sure, no one joined the Black Viper Mercenaries to make friends, but Cael... he was so cold. And his eyes were always shrouded by a cloth. He was mysterious. And skilled. He had never failed a mission, and was known as the best assassin money could buy, which was quite an accomplishment, considering he had joined the Black Viper Mercenaries just two years ago. He was just 33, after all. Rumors were he had never missed a shot in his life. His skill with his crossbow was dreaded across the Western Earthym, as was his swordplay. He had never lost a single fight. His strikes and counterstrikes were devastatingly accurate, and efficient. He had his broad-bladed dagger sheathed on his chest as usual and his longsword on his side. On his back, a crossbow and a quiver of bolts were neatly strapped in place. His brown hair had seen better days. It was fairly long, and some of it blocked his eyes. Or would have blocked, did he not have his headband covering them already. No one knew much about him. He was just called Cael. Or The Truesight. A name he hated. It was so cheesy. But it was also accurate. He was more expensive than any other mercenary, but he was worth every coin. He was more expensive than Algra; the Black Butterfly, Shriek; the Ravager, Hallan; the Knifemaster or Lavianora; The Black Venom Mistress. The fact two of the one's mentioned were half-dragons or dragonkin of sorts just tells how good he was. Naturally, he was feared, so not many even wanted to speak to him. Provoked, he would cut your head off before you had time to blink. So there he was, playing his lute. Singing silently. Most of the time about lost love. As always.

Night like another, Cael was playing his lute. He wanted to take a small break from assassinations for now, since he had the coin to do so anyway. One hit would grant him so much coin he could take it easy. The Viper bar, that worked as the mercenaries main hiring ground, was filled with mercenaries, as usual. And paying customers. Cael sat at his trademark corner table. He was approached. He stopped playing his lute and looked at the individual approaching him. How intriguing. She had blue silk clothes, with a nice blue dress and various valuable jewels on her. All masterfully crafted. Her hair was long, and somewhat orange in tone. She had yellow eyes, most remarkably. A mage? No. That aura was different. Like Lavianora's, except more... powerful. And the color of silver instead of dark green. Could it be?

  • "Keep playing, Cael. It was beautiful. "

That voice. It was... different. Soothing. Gentle. Yet it held something powerful in it.

Cael struck the strings, and kept playing.

  • "Evening, madam. What brings a fine lady like you to this dark place? "

The lady sat on a chair beside Cael's table.

  • "I'm interested in you, Cael. Or The Truesight. Whichever way you prefer. "

  • "Cael. I prefer that. "

  • "Marthym, if I am correct? "

Cael stopped playing.

  • "How do you know that name? "

The lady chuckled.

  • "I am a lady of knowledge. Natrually I took a good deal of caution about you when you were still the Captain of the Earthym Dragonslayers. "

Cael was now sure of it.

  • "Lady Venzyriel, am I correct? "

Venzyriel smiled.

  • "You are a gifted man. "

Cael couldn't help but laugh. After all the time she had stayed hidden so well, now there she was. Talking to him. To a former dragonslayer.

  • "We never found any solid trace of you at all. Or of your disciple. I am honored. You truly are powerful, that I know. "

  • "Thank you. My disciple? Ah, 'The Stormbringer'. He hates that name. Makes him feel so... bad. "

Out of pure human curiosity, Cael asked:

  • "What is his name? We never found out. "

  • "Gelorah. "

  • "Gelorah... Thank you. I was merely curious. "

  • "Aren't we all, Cael Marthym? "

Cael huffed, and started playing again.

  • "So, what gives me the honor, Lady Venzyriel? I suppose this isn't about any regular hit or anything, since you have a half-dragon on your side. Not to mention what you are yourself. Not that you needed to deal with things yourself. Your disciple... he's the kind of foe even I would think twice before trying to face. And I wouldn't be so sure if I lived after the encounter. "

Venzyriel smiled.

  • "I was thinking about hiring you. Full time. "

Cael stopped playing again.

  • "I'm listening. "

  • "Heard the name... Storm Covenant? "

Cael had.

  • "Yes. Supposedly only a rumor about an army you lead. "

Venzyriel chuckled. There was something so friendly in that laughter. It actually made Cael feel good. It had been so long since he had last heard such a friendly tone. Well, excluding Algra, who had tried approaching him a couple of times. Every time, Cael turned her down. He was not interesting in some casual sex, which Algra was undoubtedly aiming for. Cael knew her reputation. Still, it was hard to turn her down. As if she could affect a man's mind. Venzyriel continued.

  • "Army? No. A faction, perhaps. We only fight for what we think is right. Small, but expanding. "

  • "Hmm. Now why would you want a lowly assassin like me in it? "

  • "Because we both have something we desire. And we share the mutual goal. Mederik. "

Cael's expression changed.

  • "Mederik... "

He was squeezing his fist.

  • "I know you want him dead. For what he did to you. To your friends. To your loved one. I feel sorry for you. I'm sorry. "

  • "I want no pity, Mi'lady. I just want... revenge. "

For a long time, he had subdued that feeling for revenge. Deemed as impossible to get. But maybe. Just maybe. This could be his way of extracting that revenge. What did he have to lose?

Cael rose up.

  • "My lady. I am at your service. Free of charge. "

He kissed her hand briefly. Venzyriel did enjoy the little gesture.

  • "I am happy to hear that. I heard you are an able leader. How would you like if I restored you with your former Captain status. Give you men that can count on you again to lead them to victory? "

Cael had to admit, she knew what strings to pull. Ever since he lost his former life, he had been a lone wolf, so to say. He didn't like it. His place was at the field, commanding troops.

  • "Then what are we waiting for, Mi'lady? "

  • "Wonderful. I'll wait outside. Take your time. We are not in a rush. "

Cael informed the Black Viper Statistics Officer that he was now on full-time job. The officer knew better than to ask questions, especially from Cael, so he just marked it down.

  • "Shame. We will miss you. "

  • "Not a very mutual feeling, but thank you. "

  • "Take care. "

  • "Will do. "

Cael packed his things. Now that he was carrying all his possessions with him, he was surprised how much coins he actually had. He just never got around to use them. He walked outside into the warm evening. The air was dry, as usual. Venzyriel was waiting for him.

  • "Shall we? "

Cael nodded and the both disappeared in the road. During the walk, Venzyriel explained a little about her little faction. Not revealing everything just yet, of course. Then Venzyriel stopped.

  • "If we could halt for a while. I need to call Gelorah. "

Cael stopped. He was actually pretty excited. He had long wanted to see him, and now that they didn't have to battle each other, it made this feeling far more better.

Venzyriel didn't say anything, but it was clear she had already called him out. For a moment, nothing happened. But then Cael saw him. He was flying towards them. Swiftly, he landed about ten meters away from the smoothly, folding his rather large wings behind him and walking forward. He had a skillfully forged full-plate of sorts on, too heavy for a regular man to use. It made a quiet clanking sound as he walked. He was muscular, and his tail flailed around as he walked. He had a huge double bladed bastard sword on his right side. His aura was much like Venzyriel's, perhaps a little more dim. His hair was azure, and went between his blackish horns. He also had a small beard under the end of his snout. His eyes were yellow. Much like Venzyriel's, but his pupils were round. Overall, he was intimidating as hell. So that was Gelorah, Cael thought. He was not what he expected, to be honest, but he was not disappointed.

Gelorah walked towards Venzyriel and kneel down.

  • "Mi'lady. "

  • "Gelorah. Please. We have a guest. Or hopefully, not a guest, but a comrade. "

Gelorah rose, and walked at Cael. Both offered their hands for a shake, so they smiled briefly. Cael could feel his hand being nearly crushed.

  • "Greetings. I am Gelorah. The Stormbringer. Lady Venzyriel's disciple. "

His voice was clear and loud.

  • "Cael. The Truesight. Ex-dragonslayer. "

Cael smiled and could feel Gelorah squeezing his hand harder after that. He wanted to pull his hand out, but didn't. Gelorah took a deep look at him. Funnily enough, Cael felt he was looking at his eyes, even as they were shrouded. Then Gelorah finally let go, and huffed in approval.

  • "Have to say, you're not exactly what I expected. "

  • "Gelorah. "

  • "My apologies, Mi'lady. "

Cael smirked.

  • "That makes two of us. "

Gelorah gave him the strangest of looks. Then he laughed. The laughter was strong and pure. And it was infectious! Venzyriel smiled. These two just might get along, after all.

  • "I'm glad you two get along. But, we really must get going. "

  • "As you wish, Mi'lady. "

  • "I'll follow, Mi'lady. "

The three started moving towards East, slowly but surely. On their way, Venzyriel took her time explaining a bit more about The Storm Covenant to Cael, with Gelorah explaining more bits about the actual battles he had been in already. It was clear who was the "sword" in this operation. However, it was clear to Cael in a short time, that Venzyriel and Gelorah shared a very special bond indeed. Gelorah was not a tool to Venzyriel, not at all. More like a mother and a child. And by the looks of it, Gelorah still had some naive features in him. The way he explained in great detail about the tasks he was sent to do. He was explaining them like a 12-year old! Excited. Well, except that 12-year old's usually don't storm a fort alone, dispose of the guards and open the gates for your own troops to enter, then take over the fort. And summon thunderstorms. It was rather fun to listen to, Cael admit. Then Gelorah wanted to hear about Cael. So he started explaining about his various assassinations.

  • "No. Not about those. About the time you were a dragonslayer. "

Cael was surprised.

  • "I'm not sure you or Lady Venzyriel would be interested in such. I mean... I did kill dragons after all. Not alone. But did nevertheless. "

  • "Please, do tell. I don't mind. " Venzyriel added.

Cael was a bit dumbstruck. Talking about dragonslaying to a dragon and her half-dragon disciple wasn't exactly what Cael thought was wise, but since they insisted, Cael began from the beginning.

  • "Well, we were set to slay a green dragon in the Southern Earthym, by that time I had met my best friend, Tras. And we were laughing about our current Captain, Rogardo. The plans had been set and we finally were set in motion. We traveled for two weeks.......... "

Telling this made Cael feel so much better. He had not shared these stories with anyone after he escaped Earthiantum. No one had ever heard about Tras. Or Laureen. It made Cael happy. If he could have, he would have cried again. But he couldn't. He had subdued his emotions for two years and now he could share them. It felt good. For the first time in years, Cael actually felt like things might just work out alright in the end. Venzyriel and Gelorah listened to his story with great interest and compassion. Seeing that made Cael even more happy. Storm Covenant was now his new cause. And he would serve it well.

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