Part Four...The darkness comes

Chapter Three….Nightime wanders

The moon rode high in the sky as Myriad picked her way through the city streets. It was a much changed city that she walked through,for days the quiet bustle had been replaced by fevered activity as the people put up what barriers they could to protect their homes from the oncoming battle. In the meeting in the great hall she had given them the choice to stay or go. Wishing them well for their journey should they wish to leave and make their way to the lands in the north. She had assured them that they would be welcomed there just as they would be welcomed back to Duranbro when the battle was over. The people had decided to stay. And while it pleased her that they had chosen to remain and fight for their home it saddened her too that so many could be lost in what was to come. Some of the homes were empty,but not because the people had left. they had decided to make the children of the city safe and they were now residing beneath the Great halls as safe as it was possible to make them. Should the city fall their fate would be no longer in her hands but in the hands of the Godessess. She had seen wars when she was younger,she had gone and fought beside the kings of other lands. These had been wars she had understood,territorial wars. Wars over land and water. Wars over mines. Wars over the dislike of one race for another,which when she thought about it she hadn`t fully understood but had fought them anyway. This one would be different. This was a war for freedom and the survival of a race, The Dragons. Argarth had explained to her that should the new Queen not be born the old Queen would continue to reign untill the end of her time. She had asked could she not just lay another Queen? And patiently he had explained that the Queen only lay a Queen egg once in a lifetime, only one Queen was ever born,the one who would take over,he supposed this was so there was no fighting amongst Queens to determine the ruler.But if the new Queen is not born would not natural law determine a new one would be laid? She had questioned.As it had never happened as far as he knew he could not say,only the Queen could answer that one. How old do Dragons live to? She had asked him. Some they do say can live till they are eighteen or nineteen hundred years old,though he personally had never seen one that old,he himself was the same age as the Queen. Red and Green Dragons only lived about a thousand years,and some not even that. In that case,she had pushed,why do Queens have such a short life compared to the rest? He had sighed in that good natured way he had and stated that he did not have the answer to that question he supposed that when the new Queen got to a certain age the old Queen just took herself away and died. Just because he was Hundreds of years old did not mean he had the answers to everything,he had grumbled “ Tsk Myriad you are still as full of questions as you were as a child “ he had teased “ But tis not a bad thing” he had concluded quietly.
She was worried about Argarth,he had gone missing for three days and when she had asked he had said he had been hunting. She had known it not to be true even though he had the smell of the hunt still on him. But she had not pushed the matter,he would tell her when he was ready.
She left the streets now through the gate in the City wall,a gate that would be blocked off and no longer usable come the morrow,she had the need of the grass beneath her feet and though they had two areas in the city that were fenced in grasslands and trees she needed the freedom of the fields beyond the walls. It may be a long time before she could do this again if they were besieged as brachnech was. As she walked she thought about her Argarth and what she would do if aught happened to him,he had been with her as long as she could remember. Normally a Dragon became a partner at ten years of age,but she had been only two when he had come to her and rocked her to sleep with his warm breath,the year her Father had died. She did not remember him but knew the stories of his bravery and the way he had ruled his people. Argarth had been his companion all his years from his tenth birthday and he had mourned greatly at his passing. Had he died in battle no doubt Argarth would have died with him,but he had died suddenly at home,his heart giving out. A heart that had held the safety and love of his people and had grieved with them and celebrated with them,could no longer take the burden it had to bear and it had gone to sleep taking her Father with it.She knew the stories but wished she could have known the man.
She had walked the length of the field and was near the trees when she realised that she was not alone,she could see no one but could feel their presence. She didn`t feel fear,or apprehension she had the feeling that whoever it was meant no harm. She looked about the trees and still could see noone. She thought she heard a whisper,she stood stock still,just for a moment it sounded like……but it couldn`t be,six long years he had been gone,she shook her head she had suffered many moments like this in the first years after his dissapearence. Her imagination that’s all in this time of darkness it was only natural she would feel theis way. Nevertheless as she turned and walked back to the city she felt lighter somehow,more sure of herself as though a warm cloak had been wrapped round her.
As she neared the gate she stopped, wondering if she looked back would she see…once again she shook her head and told herself she was being like a silly girl just come back from a meet with her new love and not looking back she pushed open the gate and entered the city.
The figure in the trees watched her till she had passed through the gate,soon,he would show himself soon the time would be right.

Myriad had not been the only one out and about beyond the city walls,the darkened figure hurried now towards the gate. Fearful that he might be seen though he knew that all were busy with the preparations for what was coming. The coming and goings of men at this time was no surprise though had they seen who he was they might have thought so. His meeting had gone well and he was feeling a little jubilant at his success. He allowed himself a smile. In a shaort while the city would fall and he would be the ruler og the one that would rise in its stead. It wasn`t that he didn`t like Myriad,he did, he adored her,as most of her council did. But he had never forgiven her for passing him over for the upstart she had married. So what if he had been a brave warrior,where was he now? Not where he should be that’s for sure. He allowed himself another little smile,of course he knew full well where he was he had arranged the ambush himself with the help of some travelling thiefs and vagabonds and they had brought him the sword of the mighty leader the great Zargrith. He had magnaminously let them keep the sword and studded belt,their reward he had told them,in truth he could not have kept it lest it be discovered. Yes tonight he was a happy man. Soon everything he desired would be his. And he whistled softly to himself as he climbed the streets to the great hall.

Part Four…The Darkness comes
Chapter Two……. Allies and Enemies

There were no days here on the underground waterways,the sun didn`t rise and set and the moon didn`t lend its light to the travellers. All around was just the strange glow of the rocks that reflected off the water. The Lanterns in the boat did little to disspell the gloom in those places where the glowing rocks dissapeared. They had travelled in this gloomy world for what seemed like an eternity,ahead of them lay the three courses,Kaliq knew that they could not go back on the white water,sailor or not he knew that his men didn`t have the strength left that was required to fight the water. He had to choose between the two ways that were left. He knew if he chose the far right that he would have to face the creature that the garbled tale of the dying man from the third boat had told them about,before he had breathed his last and joined his comrades. That left only the left way,and unknown dangers. He had anchored here for a few hours while he thought about this the last leg of the journey,and of the journey that they had made already.
With the loss of the third boat and its ten men Kaliq knew that they would have to share the Dragon eggs out among the other two,and that this would mean extra hardship for them,but this was what they had been sent to do and this was what they would do. The journey down the white water had been exciting tempered only by the loss of the other boat. Yet it had not prepared him for the strange creatures waiting for them some way down river and round another bend. The three ways had converged into one large river where they could not even see the shores easily from the boats in the middle,just the glow of the rocks told them where the shores were. After some time of travelling along this vast waterway it once again divided itself, as instructed he took the left way which travelled a while then ran round a bend. It was round this bend that they met the creatures. Because they had to use the oars to travel they had been taking it in patterns of five men at a time,four to row and one to steer,it was on the changeover when they were still that the creatures appeared.
Neither man nor beast did they appear to be,strange man shaped beings,stooped and covered in coarse hair with glowing eyes that burned red in the strange light from the surrounding rocks and walls. They threw missiles from the shores in an attempt to damage and sink the boats and wound and kill the men,yet they were feared of entering the water to board the boats. Kaliqs men fired back arrows,he would not let his men leave the boats to go fight on the shores,they would be easy targets in the water. It was only when one of their own fell into the water that they all suddenly stopped, the man was scared this much was obvious and he tried desperatly to get back to the shore,but there was no way to climb out and his comrades would not go near the edge to help him up the steep wall of rock that prevented him from dragging himself out. Kaliq had his men steer the boat towards him,he knew that they ran a great risk in doing this,for the others could easily jump into the boat,perhaps overturning it with their numbers. He leaned over the side of the boat reaching out his hand to the creature hoping to pull him on board. He grasped his hand and pulled him towards him when the river suddenly boiled from beneath and the creature gave a loud cry and with that his hand was pulled from Kaliqs grasp and he was gone. There was a glow from beneath the water and the river turned red with the creatures blood. Kaliq looked back towards the other creatures,they were closer now to the shore,at this part the shore walls were steeper and the creatures appeared to be above him a little,but they just stood and looked back. One that seemed to be the leader,nodded its head up and down a little,and then turned and made some kind of signal to the others and they dissapeared silently into the gloom. The boats had survived this with only one man injured,and the boats unscathed despite the missiles thrown at them.
They had travelled two more bends before they were to meet another band of these creatures. Kaliq had made it so that when they rested for their few hours that they would come into shore and spend some hours on the land,this was to ensure that when they reached their destination the men would be able to fight if need be and not be encumbered with the strange effect of sea legs,which would disorientate them. They had travelled two bends before the shoreline once again became accessable,the men were weary and still full of fear of what lay beneath the boat in the water so he ordered that they pull in to rest. They had built camp fires to warm them and to make something warm to eat instead of the ships rations that sustained them most of the time. Fed and warm with the quiet lapping of the water they had become relaxed,not as alert or as attentive as they should have been. When the manlike creatures had attacked they had not been ready. There followed a fierce battle,the manlike creatures were strong,and while they did not have swords as his men did the weapons that they wielded,slashed and smashed against bodies crunching the bones beneath the skin with the power that lay behind the blow. He had begun to fear it was a battle that they might lose and was wondering how to get the men to the boats and set off without being overrun when a loud cry echoed around the walls of the giant cavern. The manlike creatures turned their heads to the sound just as what seemed like an army of the same type of creatures appeared as if from nowhere and set upon the ones that Kaliq and his men were fighting. He ordered his men back to the boats,they being forgotten by the manlike creatures as their attention turned towards those just arrived. Picking up their wounded they made their way back to the boats with Kaliq and a couple of others guarding the rear. As he backed slowly towards his men there appeared the creature who he had taken for the leader of the first set of creatures. He nodded his head to him again and held out his hand.Kaliq thought it might mean a gesture of friendship such as they had in his hometown,but the man was offering him something. He held out his hand and the creature placed a hornshell in his open palm. It was quite large and glowed slightly open at one end and honed to a point at the other ,the creature closed Kaliqs hand round it and made a gesture of putting it to his ear,then he nodded once more and turned back to the battle. Kaliq climbed aboard the boat and they set sail leaving the creatures to fight.
They had gone a few more bends and travelled a great distance before he remembered the shell that he had placed in his belt. They had come to what he had believed to be calm waters,but the eerie glow beneath, different to the surrounding walls and rocks, made him think that the creature from before was somewhere down there waiting.
The shell had begun to glow too,and seemed to move in his belt. He removed it and looked at it,he lifted it to his ear,remembering that when he was a child he had one similar to this and he could hear the moan of the sea in it. As he placed it against his ear he suddenly gave a cry and dropped the shell on to the deck of the boat his eyes wide his mouth open. All the men looked toward him to see what had made their leader jump like that. He was staring at the shell and now so did they, emerging from the large end of the shell was the tiniest creature they had ever seen,perfectly formed with tiny wings,she flew straight up to Kaliqs shoulder and said to him “ I am Trulith,I have been sent to guide you,the one who helps the fair Keelagh said you may be of need of my help as you pass through the waterways” ,and with that she flew around and into his shirt pocket.
“ If you have been sent by those with Keelagh you are welcome” Kaliq answered her “ Though I know not how such a tiny creature will be able to aid grown men against creatures such as lie in wait hereabouts”
Trulith looked up at the Captain smiled and winked.

Part Four..The darkness comes
Chapter one….And so it begins

It had been a mere fourteen days since the secret meeting between the Dragons,but during that fourteen days Bracnech had fallen. More Dragons had joined the legions of the Wizard,and they had turned their eyes towards Duranbro. Argarth had watched helplessly as the city fell,he had watched unable to aid in any way as his own kind were killed,crippled and maimed along with the humans so desperatly fighting for their city,but above all to protect the eggs that lay beneath. He watched and he mourned,had he tried to help,and his vast powers might have been some aid,then his secret would be out and it would not be one city that lay in ruins but all cities and all humans that would suffer. He could not let his suspicions be known,not untill the warrior had been found. Of the Dragons that had turned and joined the enemy,he knew that most had not done so because they were traitors but because they had no choice,of course there would be some renegades,but when this was over they would be found and punished. Of course that was providing that Duranbro survived and that they actually won the battle.The one bit of good news was that the eggs had dissapeared from beneath Brachnech,noone knew where,the conquerors were convinced that the people had destroyed them. He had smiled at this for it seemed that the good Captain Kaliq was more of a warrior than he had given him credit for.
He lay now atop the Castle on its long flat roof,made for the landing and leisure of Dragons many years ago, and waited for his beloved Myriad to finish her long meeting with the lords of the Chambers. The city was preparing for war and a long seige,people collecting and storing,soldiers training. He knew that the Lords wanted to go and do battle on the plains,meet the enemy away from the city,it was hard trying to tell them that to do this would leave the city vulnerable. The spell that the wizard cast to ground the Dragons would have a more devastating effect if they were out on the plains and unable to return to protect the city with their fire. He hoped that they would be wise enough to listen to their Queen.

The river was calm here,but Kaliq knew better than to be fooled by the calmness of the waters,they were a bedraggled bunch now that made the return journey only two ships and one of them might not make it yet. The men were weary and some were wounded and not fit to fight much longer. Had they been fighting men,maybe the battles would have been different and more may have survived. It was however Demons they had been fighting,all kinds of different dangers and foes had they faced in this arduous journey. And now they were on the last stages. They had lost some of the eggs and he was just hoping that the one that contained the new Queen was safe,or it all would have been for nothing. He sat now at the helm of the boat watching carefully the shores and waiting for what might come next.
The journey had begun fine,they had gone past the five forks with little mishap,as they had approached the way of three rivers,there had been some argument about which way. He had been adament that they take the middle way as instructed,though that way was full of rapids and white waters,and the other two looked calm and still.One of the ranking sailors on the third boat had pointed out that he was neither sailor nor Dragon and that he was at least a sailor and it would be easier and safer to take the calm route. Kaliq would not be moved,the middle way as instructed. Apparently his word as a soldier was not to be trusted for the third boat instead of following slipped off to the left and at the end of that courseway,when they had survived the rapids and the white waters all that remained of the third boat was a dying soldier plucked from the waters. Alas that had been but the beginning of the dangers they were to face.

Part Three…The Warrior Quest 2
Chapter four..The Dragons unite

He sat at the top of the highest mountain in the land,a long flat plateau high above the clouds. It had taken hours of flying to reach here and he knew he may have to wait a while before his friend and mentor arrived. Things had happened over the past weeks and more so over the past days that had made them realise that there was more at work here than the weavings of some wizard. The seige at Brachnech had been carefully planned a spell weaved that grounded Dragons but didn`t hurt them. That wasn`t what worried them it was the fact that several red and green dragons had now joined the other side unable to fly at this moment,for to allow them to fly they would have to lift the spell on all,and there were still more fighting the Wizard than had joined him,but for how long and why would they turn as they had. If or rather when Brachnech fell,it would mean they would have at least two flights of Dragons with which to attack Duranbro,it was a long time since man and Dragon had fought. It was not a time they wanted to repeat. He settled for his wait for his friend and hoped that he had been right about Yailith and that Keelagh would be safe.

Keelagh had been spending her time getting to know the horse that noone could ride,Yailith had informed her his name was Spirito El Diablo,which apparently meant spirit of the Devil,so she just called him Spirit. He had become very friendly with her and allowed her to groom him,but had not yet allowed her to ride,she knew it was too soon. Wraith had never left her side and though she was at first worried that the horse would take offence or be frightened by his presence it appeared that the Wolf and the Horse were building up their own friendship. This did not surprise her as she had seen wild animals in the strangest of pairings in friendship. She worried that Bryn had gone off hunting at such a time,and without telling her,this was not like him at all. She worried more that she could not feel him around,and she felt strangely vulnerable without the comfort of his presence. Yailith was the perfect host,but she was wary of him all the same. She was edgy nervous,she wanted to be on with the quest,doing something to help her beloved city,before the dark forces came. The only thing stopping her from just going and letting Bryn catch up was that he had asked she stay where she was through Magryth,and that she had the taming of Spirit to calm her.So she would wait,though impatiently,for his return.

Bryntich had been waiting about three hours when he heard the beat of wings that signalled the arrival of his long time friend and mentor. He made himself invisible just in case it was not him and they had been discovered in their secret meeting.
Argarth landed perfectly,and looked around to see if he could see the young whippersnapper as he called Bryntich.
“ Hrumph typical,probably out feasting somewhere” he muttered
“ Not at all My great friend” Bryn said chuckling as he appeared and made Argarth jump.
“ Still japing as ever Bryn,I see “ Argarth laughed at being caught out.
“ Is all well Argarth in Duranbro?” Bryntich asked his friend,
“ As it was when you left,except of course for the soldiers and sailors being sent to their doom in the underground river” Argarth shook his head “ I could not stop it Bryn” he said quietly “ Without letting our suspicions be known,I had to allow those poor men to be sent away to die “
“ Don’t blame yourself my friend,besides they have a good leader they wont all perish,this is the rules of war Argarth,there are things that must be done for the good of all,besides we are not sure that is what will happen we have only suspicions remember”
“ Yes,the eggs do need to be saved maybe we are wrong,I hope we are wrong” Argarth replied sighing deeply. He looked long at his friend,sadness in his eyes “ you realise Bryn that we may not survive this?” he asked him “ Yes I have thought of this Argarth and the thought of leaving Keely is a hard one to bear,leaving her alone to fight grave dangers,as there will be many should we fail in our task” He paced as he talked and then he stopped head lifted high “ But if we don’t do this,then all mankind will suffer for generations to come,and our kind too” he finished forcefully
“ Yes Bryn we have no choice,but we must be careful,even more so now as the wheels seem to be turning faster,the sooner that Keelagh finds Paidrech the better it will be for all of us”
“ You still believe she will find him,Argarth?” Bryntich asked his friend
“ Oh yes she will find him,and with him the great wizard that will help the Humans fight the dark one,you and I have to deal with the ‘ Other’ “
“ And where does Yailith fit into all this?” Bryn asked him
“ That I don’t know,Bryn,but I do know that he will protect her as you,with his life if need be,you will not however convince her of this so be wary,if he says don’t go somewhere and she insists as is her wont to do,then watch carefully”
“ And you my friend?the dangers you face are far more than the ones I do”
“ I shall be carefull Bryn,even more so now,when you have found Paidrech we shall meet again here,I shall know when he is found,if I do not come withing two days then you know I was unsuccessful in my endeavours to be hidden,and then my friend it will all be on you and your friends”
Bryntich looked the one that had been his friend for many hundreds of years,he couldn`t imagine a world without Argarth in it.
“ Be ever vigilant my friend,I can not imagine a world without you in it”
“ I shall Bryn,now you must away,go do some hunting so they are not suspicious,I shall leave later,that way we are not seen together,not yet at least”
“ Be carefull my Friend”Bryn said as he spread his great wings and took flight.
Argarth watched his friend go,and hoped that this would not be the last time that he would see him