The Dragon God Page 12

  “Where is A Pinch of Luck located?”

  “They left Pirate’s Belly yesterday, and sailed into the Whispering Sea.”

  “Is that it? That’s all you have?”

  “That I give you for free, but what I have next will cost you dearly, rest assured.”

  “Fine, name your price, Thief,” Veric snarled, “I’m not used to having my pockets cleaned out as I stand by and watch.”

  Daysho ignored the insult. “I was informed that they are retrieving an item.”

  “Yes, we know, the blue stone.”

  “Nay, not the blue stone. The Pearl of the Deep.”

  “A pearl? Why?”

  “Supposedly, it is one of the elements required to destroy the Dragon Stones.”

  Veric cupped his hand around his chin, “Raina is craftier than I thought. Did they mention the blue stone?”

  “Nay, there was no mention of it, only the pearl.”

  “Interesting. Yasooma’s compass is leading them to his sunken ship, but they aren’t aware that is the location of the fifth stone as well.”

  “That is my contact’s understanding.”

  “If she doesn’t retrieve the stone, then we have to. Are you able to—”

  Daysho interrupted, “Already done, a ship sails in their wake as we speak.”

  Veric’s eyes narrowed, “You are very good at what you do Daysho, and worth every coin.” He grinned devilishly.

  Whitecaps dotted the surface of the ocean as small waves broke. Howling wind filled the mighty sails of the four masted ship. Despite the heavy seas the two days since departing Pirate’s Belly, the galleon pushed its way forward to its destination.

  Captain Elsbeth shouted over the roaring wind, “We are close.”

  “Are you well, Elsbeth?” Raina asked.

  “Yes. I remain apprehensive about going back.”

  “I understand, but this time it will be different.”

  Suddenly, the ship groaned to a stop; an unknown force below the surface of the water held the galleon frozen in place; all aboard stumbled about as the ship lurched and became stuck, in spite of the continued high winds whipping all around them.

  Captain Elsbeth shouted, “Lower the sails.” She peered over the side, “Raina, we are here.”

  The heroes were ready. They knew the mystery of Yasooma’s ship, from all those centuries ago, was about to be revealed.

  Skath and Myers gathered the crew. Captain Elsbeth stood on the upper section accompanied by the tortuous creaks and groans of her ship, and announced, “Men, we have travelled the Great Illustrya Ocean for many years together and we will continue to do so. It is not by chance we have come to this place. I have brought several passengers aboard, as you know. Remain vigilant during whatever may happen and follow the commands of your leaders. With my permission, Mistress Raina will address you.”

  Raina nodded and stepped forward, “I have brought you to this place not to fail, but to succeed on a great quest. There is a ship below us that holds items that will help us in destroying a great evil attempting to enter and overtake our realm. King Manasseh was the most powerful Horn King, and yet he has fallen by the grace of God, at our hands. With the same hands and the same grace, we will protect this ship.”

  At that moment, the swirling water spun forcefully around the galleon’s hull, however, the vessel remained fixed.

  “We’re stuck in the middle of some kind of whirlpool,” the captain cried. She shouted, “Men, weapons ready!” Elsbeth turned to Raina, “It’s happening just like before!”

  “I won’t let anything happen to your ship,” Raina responded.

  “This had better work. I don’t want a repeat.”

  Suddenly, the ship lurched and plopped lower in the water with a dull thump, causing all aboard to stumble, some grabbing on to each other to remain standing.

  Many cried, “She’s going down!”

  Raina continued, “Everyone, I will protect the ship by keeping the sea at bay, but it won’t keep anything else from coming in or leaving. Stay at the ready and kill anything that boards.”

  She turned back to her comrades. “Xan and Lufra will retrieve the items aboard The Wave Rider, El’Korr and Rondee will protect me from being disturbed. I will be in a casting trance, producing a large enough pocket of air to surround the ship. Once you have secured the items and returned, I will bring us back to the surface.”

  “What about us? We can help,” Rozelle said.

  “We can?” Trillius questioned.

  Raina smiled, “Of course, you both may do what you can to help where needed,” she said as she descended to the main deck, positioning herself with her back to the sterncastle for protection. El’Korr and Rondee took their places in front of her.

  Xan weaved his arms in and out while quickly reciting a small incantation. The elf finished his spell and touched each of his comrades, including the gnomes, “This will grant you the power to breathe underwater.” Concerned, several eyebrows rose. “Just in case,” he shrugged.

  Raina began her arcane invocation. Her voice carried a tone of power that came from deep within her soul. A shimmering force-field wall magically circled the perimeter of A Pinch of Luck. It gave off a hum and the crew backed away in fear.

  Within minutes the mighty galley plunged below the surface. The water was held back by the power of Raina’s protective shell, as she concentrated to keep the barrier in place.

  The priest Anders produced a mystical blue light that hovered above like a flare as they immersed into the darkened sea. Swords were drawn from scabbards as the crew prepared for the unknown. Deeper and deeper the supernatural force dragged them. Periodically, crew would call out, alerting all to some movement in the dark-blue water.

  The vessel finally came to rest, now hundreds of feet below. In an instant, several hideous creatures burst through the wall of water and boarded the ship, each wielding a trident. One struck a crew member with its weapon. The hapless man screamed and fell dead. Several sailors cried, “Kelpies!” Instantly, every man engaged the short, hairless, green-skinned intruders. Their bulbous white eyes turned in multiple directions, giving them a tactical advantage, but their webbed clawed hands and feet, designed for water, struggled on the deck of the ship, evening the odds.

  Xan tugged on Lufra’s shirt, “You ready?”

  “What do you think is out there?”

  “You can do this, Lufra. Your family’s curse was lifted because of you, so whatever is out there is, I promise, no match for the fearless Lufra,” Xan smiled.

  Lufra nodded and followed his mentor into the wall of cold water that surrounded them.

  Behind them, Rozelle directed her druidical spell at a group of kelpies, turning their tridents into harmless seaweed, which quickly entangled them.

  Crewmen plunged cutlasses into the green skin of the entrapped creatures, and dark brown blood sloshed out onto the wooden beams.

  Trillius patted Rozelle on the back and smiled at her magical prowess. “I love your style.”

  “I know,” she winked and then prepared for another group of Kelpies flopping to the deck.

  Suddenly, a mysterious voice clouded Trillius’ mind, “Trillius. Come to me.” The tone was haunting and hollow, like someone calling to him from a great distance. Two more kelpies came through and landed next to the gnomes, breaking him from his focus on the strange calling. Trillius hopped back behind Rozelle as she deftly responded with another incantation. Sharp quills were produced out of thin air and hovered before her face. She blew on them and they launched at the kelpies who were readying their tridents to attack. Each of them were impaled with the tiny spikes and shrieked in pain. More of the shipmates stabbed to finish them off.

  “Trillius, I know you can hear me. I am trapped inside the kelpie treasure room. Rescue me and the riches are yours.”

  Trillius felt compelled by his own greed and the power of the mysterious voice to leave the ship. Because Rozelle was thoroughly engrossed in comba
t, he easily moved closer to the edge and dove through the barrier of water without being seen.

  Meanwhile, El’Korr and Rondee, with their devastating magical hammers, protected Raina from the boarding kelpies. The Dwarven King’s loyal bodyguard caught a glimpse of the shadow of a larger opponent and then watched it crash through the wall of water and send El’Korr to the deck. The sea monster was the size of a hill giant. Its bulbous head writhed with eight-foot long tentacles and its slimy ash colored skin gleamed from its webbed feet to the top. It raised a pike-like weapon high to bare down on the king.

  “Me Malehk!” Rondee shouted with urgency, as the wild magic contained within his being burst forth. As he spun in circles, blades of various lengths sprouted all over his body. The tornado of steel launched at the hybrid giant before it could strike El’Korr. Blood canvassed the area as the creature was shredded at the knees down. The visceral blood sprayed Raina as well, but she continued to remain in her stasis of concentration. Rondee continued to spin out of control, hitting multiple targets of new kelpies who dared to come aboard, while shipmates dodged out of the way. El’Korr came to his feet, hammer in hand, ready for battle. Rondee slowed, and the distinct sound of blades sliding back into their sheaths resonated. The wild dwarf was dazed and tried to hold his head from spinning. El’Korr threw his hammer and crushed in the side of a kelpie’s temple and then placed a reassuring hand on Rondee’s shoulder.

  “Thek tu, my friend,” said El’Korr.

  Rondee revealed his grotesque yellow teeth, and then smashed an incoming kelpie with his enlarged golden hammer, crushing its cartilage. Blood continued to drip off each of their weapons and armor. They both shouted battle cries of victory in unison.

  Suddenly, swarms of the sea creatures arrived, and the deck became a frenzy. Captain Elsbeth and her commanders were valiantly fighting back while Anders made his way to the wounded, healing them with the magic of his clerical spells. Urlin Thoom, the ship’s young wizard, blasted kelpies with his precision force missiles. Sounds of clashing steel and the screams of the wounded echoed all around them.

  Meanwhile, after leaving the galleon, Xan and Lufra instantly spotted what had dragged the ship below the surface of the sea. An enormous, barnacle-covered cyclops, the size of three galleys, stood statue-like on the ocean’s floor, holding A Pinch of Luck firmly in place between several huge claws. Xan knew the powerful sea cyclops were once numerous in the Illustrya Ocean, but he didn’t realize any were left. This one had clearly been transformed into some kind of automaton in possession of the kelpies, and no longer truly alive. Massive chains held the legendary beast, but were rusted and nonfunctioning, clearly from a long-past era. Ranks of kelpies were commanding the natural magic occurring within the monstrosity in their unique underwater language. Other ships littered the seafloor, evidence that this location, considered cursed to those familiar with it, had been under the tyranny of the kelpies and their merciless ways for a very long time. Xan and Lufra dove deeper until they were below the hull of the vessel, free of any pursuit by the kelpies.

  Glowing seaweed illuminated the bottom of the ocean floor where rock spires extended upward in varying heights. Overwhelming numbers of kelpies surged from the mouths of small caves. The enslaved leviathan’s action of capturing the vessel had alerted the underwater hive, which massed in hopes of looting the galleon before it even hit the bottom. Lufra followed closely behind the elf, carefully avoiding another school of kelpies on their way to attack the ship they left behind.

  Xan held Yasooma’s compass, which pointed the way to The Wave Rider. The old sunken ship was rotted and broken in half, crusted with barnacles and sea creatures, and partially buried behind a thick crop of the gleaming seaweed. Xan and Lufra glided toward the ancient icon.

  They swam past the tallest mast and the crow’s nest high above the deck. Green vines of ocean plantain weaved and bobbed through the caging. Lufra recoiled when he saw a skull peeking through the ocean greenery, with scores of tiny white crabs filling the empty eye sockets.

  The elf grabbed hold of the young boy’s hand to calm him, and together they descended to the deck, making their way to the captain’s quarters, bubbles of released air streaming behind them.

  Before opening the door, Xan, still apprehensive, motioned for Lufra to wait where he was. He then pulled the cabin door open. Immediately, skeletal hands on bony arms lunged from the room and grabbed the elf, pulling him into the cabin.

  Without pause, Lufra drew the magic sabre gifted to him from the Guardian, and swam quickly after his friend. Inside, the remains of many fallen crewmen grappled Xan; holding his legs and arms. A dozen others brandishing rusted, broken cutlasses were about to strike, but turned at Lufra’s entrance, ready to attack him instead. Captain Yasooma’s blade came to life as the glowing sword pulsated in the boy’s hand. The waves of light encompassed the skeletons, and they abruptly stopped their hostile actions. Each stood at attention, facing the young boy. They released their hold on Xan and he swam to Lufra’s side, showing a puzzled expression at the undead’s apparent change of heart.

  All of a sudden, Lufra became aware of a male voice speaking in his mind. “Captain, we have waited for your return as instructed; we have kept your belongings safe.”

  Lufra glanced at Xan and knew instantly that he had not heard the voice as he had. He tried to respond within his mind and thought, “Thank you. May I have my items now?”

  There was no reply from the phantom voice within his mind, however, one skeleton nodded, giving a signal, which several of the undead responded to by bringing forth an old, locked trunk. It had not rusted and appeared new. They laid it at Lufra’s feet.

  “What are your orders, captain?”

  “I want you to take your men and engage the kelpies who are attacking my other ship.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Yes, this way,” it guided him. Trillius entered one of the numerous cave entrances, well hidden within thick seaweed. His gnomish vision meant he was able to see in gradients of black and white, even in the deep darkness, but color quickly returned as a strange glow cascaded toward him.

  A voice beckoned him from the recesses of his mind, “Just a little farther, Trillius.”

  He followed his instincts and entered a large chamber supported by barnacle covered columns. Piles of treasure, sprinkled throughout, sparkled underneath string-like vines with colorful orange and yellow sea flowers sprouting out. This was definitely the treasure room of the kelpie’s colony. In the center was the source of the brilliant light—a white pearl the size of his head rested on top of a pedestal formed from beige seashells. Trillius hastily swam to the fortune. He slowly reached for the item, his eyes wide in delight, his hair wafting in the water, and bubbles of air escaping from his mouth.

  “Don’t touch it, Trillius.”

  He stopped short, with his hand in grasping distance, “You said I could have the treasure.” Suddenly, a thought struck him, “Wait, are you the pearl?”

  The powerful voice, sounding stronger and much closer, answered, “I am greater than the pearl. Rescue me, Trillius, and the pearl will be yours.”

  Suddenly, several kelpies entered the room. Trillius darted behind a rock; the fishlike beings did not spot him as they dutifully set down treasure trinkets taken from A Pinch of Luck as the raid continued. The gnome spotted a distinct handbag being set down, “Hey,” he thought, “that is my bag of goodies. Nobody steals what I have already stolen. That is just plain rude!” They soon exited. Trillius approached his stolen satchel but became distracted, and instead rushed to an area bathed in a blue aura on the opposite wall. A patch of barnacles were the source of the mystical light. Trillius inspected it and soon realized that it wasn’t the crustaceans glowing, but instead something underneath. He pulled out a knife and began to pry the shelled parasites away. The glow became brighter and a stone the size of a potato plopped into Trillius’ tiny hands, and spoke in his mind.

  “Very good, Trillius. You
are now my master. I have great resources for you to uncover, and as a gift you shall be rewarded. Go back to the pearl and take it.”

  Trillius quickly hustled to the prize.

  “Before you take this pearl, you must promise me that you will not tell anyone else about me. I’m your secret. If anyone finds out, then you will lose my power.”

  “I understand. You can count on me. I’m the king of secrets.”

  “I knew I chose the right gnome to find me. I’ve waited here for centuries for someone like you, Trillius. We will be good friends.”

  Trillius grinned happily and plucked the pearl from its perch and then swam out the way he came.

  “So, you’re a stone, huh? Do you have a name?”

  “I am the Great Dal-Draydian.”

  The heroes’ frosty breath became more pronounced as they slowly made their way deeper into the ice-crusted tunnel. Each deep intake of air chilled them to the bone. Frost particles began to gather in their hair. They took careful steps to prevent sliding and falling as they traversed. The blue-hued glaze cracked periodically as it expanded.

  Spilf’s voice echoed and his teeth chattered, “We are going to freeze to death before we reach this place.”

  Dulgin looked back and said, “You’ll be fine, Stubby. Strike up another torch to regain your strength before we move on.”

  “Master Dulgin, what should we be expecting up ahead?”

  “We are in the funneling zone. A common tactic of dwarves: funnel the enemies into smaller numbers. This is only one tunnel of many, so I suspect we will come out into a larger chamber that connects them all, and then the front gate of the Shield will soon be before us.”

  Spilf ignited the torch, and the flame fought to stay alive within the hostile environment devoid of much oxygen. “So, this is not the only way to the Shield then?”

  Dulgin nodded, “It would be doubtful your family came this way without an escort.”

  Spilf and Bridazak sat on top of their backpacks and brought the much needed warmth to their hairy bare feet, the stabs of a hundred needles pricked through their tough, leathered soles as a small measure of defrosting started to take effect. A form of ecstasy engulfed them as the countering effect of the intense cold was soothed. Bridazak glanced down the cavern in the direction they were headed and spotted movement. He instantly stood and alerted the others.