Offspring (The Sword of the Dragon) (33 page)

S
tanding over Loos’s corpse, Oganna pulled Avenger’s blade from his eye and used it to pry open his jaws. The boomerang had been lodged deep into his head. She reached inside his mouth, feeling through the slimy saliva. When she found her weapon, she jerked it out. She pulled away her sword, and Loos’s jaws snapped shut.

She looked down on him and shook her head. Slaying the creature should have brought some remorse to her heart, but though she tried to feel compassion or sorrow, she could not feel any for him. He had brought this end on himself by slaying the people of Bordelin. He was an unrepentant murderer, and she had been the agent of justice.

She waved a hand at Loos’s companions. “It is over. He is dead. Get out of my sight before you meet similar fates.” They dug their claws into the ground and bolted into the tunnel from whence they’d come.

“Oganna, are you all right?” Even as Caritha asked the question, she was beaming with pride. “You have done well.”

Oganna pointed at the creatures around the arena. “Will they give us trouble?”

“The megatraths? No, I don’t believe they’ll give us any trouble. Their leader, Vectra, seemed to sympathize with us and showed bold dislike for the creature you just slew.”

Nodding her head in the direction of an approaching megatrath, Oganna raised an eyebrow. “Is that Vectra?” Her aunt nodded and stood back.

The creature was over ten feet tall and walked with a confidence that seemed to frighten the sisters, but Oganna discerned admiration in the creature’s eyes. Vectra neared and snorted a flame, then spoke to Caritha. “Who are you? Never before have I seen humans fight with such ferocity.”

Caritha bowed and gestured toward her sisters. “We are the Warrioresses—”

“Welcome to my domain, Warrioresses.” Vectra turned to Oganna. She bowed in the young woman’s direction. “And who is this?”

Oganna sheathed Avenger and tucked away her boomerang. Her silver dress vanished, and her aunts gasped. “I am honored to meet you.” She wiped sweat from her forehead and bowed low. “I am Oganna, princess of the Hemmed Land.”

“I am also honored by your presence here, Princess. My name is Vectra, and these are my people, the megatraths.”

“I am sorry for this intrusion, but it was necessary,” Caritha said.

Vectra shrugged, kicked Loos’s carcass, and returned her attention to Oganna. “Megatraths respect a valiant warrior who does not back down in the face of great odds. You have proved yourself to be most valiant and a superior combatant, unlike any human I have ever encountered. You have proved your worth to us today and have earned an eternal remembrance in our stories. From this day forward any megatrath that disgraces you or your subjects will bear eternal shame. Please, accept my friendship and join me for my evening meal.”

Caritha raised a hand. “Thank you for your generosity, but—”

Knowing that her aunt’s refusal would injure Vectra’s feelings, Oganna cut her off. “You are most kind. We accept.”

The creature’s lips opened to reveal a long row of teeth. It lumbered into the arching tunnel opening. Its long legs quickly moved it deep into the dim subterranean habitation, outdistancing Oganna. It glanced back at her, as if realizing it needed to slow down, and reduced the length of its gait.

They passed through several caverns before coming to a dining chamber. Along the way, Oganna and the sisters were greeted by silent stares and deep bows from the megatraths. Oganna wondered how many of these creatures there were. They came from every tunnel and chamber, and many more lumbered out of sight into the caverns’ dark recesses. She imagined that if these creatures were organized into a military force, they would be capable of incalculable destruction. They could probably tread entire forests, destroy fortresses, drink up lakes and, in the process, destroy nations.

She imagined hundreds of megatraths storming through the Hemmed Land and punching holes in Ilfedo’s army. She shuddered. “It’s a good thing that Vectra has taken a liking to us; otherwise she might pose a real threat to the Hemmed Land.”

Laura pulled on her sleeve. “Oganna, what were you thinking? We don’t know anything about these creatures.”

“You are right.” Oganna swallowed hard. “For all we know they might be planning to feast on us!”

Laura stared at the floor, worry creasing her brow. Then she turned up her nose and looked sidelong at Oganna. “That was not funny, young one.” She dropped behind and spoke in a low voice to Rose’el.

Glancing about, Oganna realized that she was standing opposite a monstrous stone slab about six feet high, twelve feet wide, and nearly a hundred feet long. Vectra directed several megatraths to set another stone on one side of the table for her guests. “I apologize for the height of my table, but we rarely receive human visitors.” She waited for them to sit atop the stone.

When everyone settled, a megatrath thrust its way through the creatures milling around the table. Its enormous hands plunked massive stone dishes onto the table. Desert fruits overflowed several bowls. The megatrath curled its lips up, showing its long rows of teeth as it plopped a stone platter in front of Oganna. Fat black fish of a variety unfamiliar to her ringed the platter.

“I hope you will enjoy these.” Vectra tapped the fish with the tip of her claw. “My cook snatched them from our underground rivers. Also try this.” From a bowl she extracted an oblong orange fruit as long as Oganna’s arm and cracked it on the table. Taking a small piece, Oganna tasted it. The cream interior tasted like pears and, strangely enough, beef.

“This is delicious.” She smiled at Vectra. “May I ask what it is?”

“Da’pra!” The megatrath rumbled, and it licked its lips. Then it grabbed at several bowls, moving each aside until it picked one up and sniffed at it. “Try this and let me know if it also pleases you.”

Oganna stood on her seat to peer inside the bowl. Yellow leaves, brown grape-like things, and glowing red beans the size of carrots floated in a soupy mix. “What are the ingredients?”

Vectra rumbled for several minutes. At first Oganna thought she had inadvertently insulted her. Vectra scratched her thick chin then scraped her claw on the tabletop. “I’m sincerely sorry, princess. I have no idea how to describe this to you. It is composed of food indigenous to our underground realm.”

Oganna dipped her fingers in the cold soup and slopped it in her mouth. Most of it tasted akin to grass, but a strong aftertaste almost forced her to gag. Apparently some things eaten by desert creatures, God never intended for human consumption.

During the meal an overwhelming sense of belonging filled Oganna. She had fallen upon her aunts’ attackers with strength beyond her years, and she had triumphed. Her actions had saved their lives.

The sisters talked to her with respect. They responded when she spoke to them and even went out of their way to let her eat before they did. At last she had graduated from student to respected asset. Perhaps, in time, they would admit her into their group in the place that her mother had once filled.

Her thoughts then turned to her hostess. Vectra treated her as a hero and displayed confidence in her. Indeed, the other megatraths at their enormous table regarded her with near reverence. It was as if her victory over Loos had elevated her to a higher plane in their estimation than that of the Warrioresses.

Were they naïve enough to trust a complete stranger solely on the basis of that individual’s combat skills? They seemed warlike and strong, yet maybe their culture was more vulnerable than it appeared. She imagined a smooth-spoken warrior, for instance, entering the megatraths’ realm and using deceit and subterfuge to bring about a war among them. They might easily be taken advantage of.

She focused her attention on Vectra, seeking to understand the megatraths and whether or not they would be inclined to form an alliance with the Hemmed Land. She told Vectra of her people’s customs, such as turning one’s sword handle to the victor in friendly contests. More than this, she elaborated on the layout of the land and the difficulties her father had encountered while securing peace.

Vectra found the stories of Ilfedo’s encounters with the Sea Serpents of particular interest. “Your father sounds like a worthy leader.” She licked the food from one of her claws. “We megatraths respect one who proves his worth against such odds. I have never heard of a Sea Serpent before, but my people tell stories about the Sea of Serpents. Our ancestors said it is wild and untamable, with creatures that no being has dared disturb for two thousand years.”

“I don’t doubt it.” Oganna grabbed a sharp stone and carved into an apple the size of her head. “Among my people there are stories of men who have left our land in favor of crossing the Sea—never to return. Although none of my father’s people have attempted to cross, many of them now fish it, and some fishermen are venturing deeper into its uncharted waters where fish abound. Several of these fishermen have become rather prosperous.”

The megatrath picked up a large basket of fruit, tilted it up against her open snout, and swallowed the contents in a single gulp. “
We
do not eat fish. The fruits of the desert and the water beneath it are all we require for sustenance.”

“Have you ever tried fish?”

“I haven’t, but some megatraths did, and they died shortly afterward. Though it is unclear whether or not the fish killed them, we have determined that the spirit of fish was not intended for our consumption. Thus we avoid it whenever possible.”

“But you have served it today.”

“Only when we have guests—non-megatrath guests, that is. The flesh of fish will not harm humans. Thus we serve it.”

“Just as our desert can kill you but will not harm us, so is the way of fish with humans.” Vectra looked into another basket and pulled out an oblong fruit almost five feet in length. “This is Prapra, a delicacy among my species, but to humans it is deadly.”

“Curious. How do you know it is poisonous to us?”

The megatrath grinned a toothy smile. “An adventurer once came through this way and partook of my predecessor’s hospitality. During the meal he was warned that the spirit of Prapra was poisonous to all except desert dwellers. As I’m sure you have figured out, he tried it anyway. Then”—Vectra snapped her enormous fingers—“he died.”

“And who was this traveler? Do you know his name or where he came from?”

Vectra squinted at her and cocked her head to the side. “Come, let me show you something.” She lumbered toward one of the tunnels.

Before following her, Oganna reassured her aunts. “Don’t worry about me.” she whispered. “We can trust her.”

Caritha frowned at first and then nodded. “You may go.” Her mouth formed more words, and Oganna read her lips: “You have your sword?”

Slipping her hand to her side, Oganna activated Avenger so that the blade turned crimson. She turned away and followed Vectra down the tunnel.

In the dimness, Oganna struggled to put one foot before the other without stumbling. She drew her sword and used it and the glow of her silver dress to show the way. The tunnel’s stone walls were smooth and polished from centuries—perhaps even ages—of use, so much so that they could not have been smoother if an ocean had carved the passage. She ran her hand along the stone as she walked, feeling every dip and rise in its surface.

Ahead, Vectra spat a flame into a channel on the rock wall. It sparked in the oil and blazed, the flames spreading over a section of wall about twenty feet high and at least that broad. The firelights helped illuminate the upper interior of a vast cavern, but the cavern floor fell away in front of her into depths cloaked in shadow. How amazing that such a place existed. The air smelled damp, old, and somewhat stale.

Vectra stopped, her body rigid, her head held high as she looked, or waited, for something. From the dark abyss ahead of them rose a silver disc. It looked fluid, like water running over polished metal. It began to revolve clockwise, and various colors streamed from its edges. The stone under Oganna and Vectra’s feet glowed pink in the shape of a rose.

From the shadows beside her a voice chuckled softly enough for only Oganna to hear. “I think I’ll wait back in the dining chamber with the dragon’s daughters. You have good instincts, child. This creature is no threat.”