Omensent: Princess Of Dragons (Book 5) (37 page)

Darkness had fallen by the time they finally reached the old elf's substantial looking house. Marken quickly led them inside, leaving behind a small crowd of curious elves who had gathered to follow them as they made their way through the city.

Damion paused for a moment before he followed the others into the manor.
"This may take us a while."
The huge warrior told Snowfeather, who circled in the darkness high above the treetop city.
"Can I talk you into staying close by while you're hunting tonight, and keeping an eye on everything?"

"Of course."
The huge snow owl agreed immediately.
"Are you expecting something to happen?"

"Not really, but we're in unfamiliar territory right now, and I don't want to take any chances. We really don't know who are our friends and who are our foes, and that puts us in a very dangerous situation. Just keep an eye out for anything unusual, and let me know the instant that you see anything. We don't want a bunch of blood elves to catch us unprepared."
He turned and hurried inside, leaving the crowd of curious elves staring after him with disappointed expressions.

Chapter 13

"Are you ready to go before the council?" Sly asked Leia curiously as they followed Bativa up the large spiral stairway that led to the uppermost floor of the massive fortress city, where the Deolan Council traditionally held court.

"As ready as I'm going to be." The young girl shrugged, attempting to conceal her nervousness. "Like Bativa said, we're not here to negotiate for anything. We're just here to alert them to the dragonspawn problem. Once we let them know what we have discovered, we can leave, and let the council decide what they will."

"It
sounds
like a good plan," The little man started in a dubious tone. "but things rarely go smoothly when it comes to dealing with the Deolan Council."

"You can say that again." Bativa grunted sourly. "Sometimes I think that some of my brothers have been kicked in the head by a few too many horses. They want to argue over the slightest little thing nowadays." He shook his head. "Several of the clans are on the verge of open warfare. It's gotten to the point that a couple of the council members have had to be forcibly separated."

They reached the top of the stairs and found themselves in a beautiful domed cathedral that had been built from floor to ceiling in a glistening white marble that reflected the sunlight that streamed through a half dozen huge skylights in the ceiling. The entire cathedral was void of any decoration, save for twelve ornately carved chairs that had been positioned in a half circle in the center of the room. Eleven Deolan warriors sat upon the elaborate chairs, leaving only one on the very end vacant. They watched in silence as Leia, Bativa, and Sly approached, though several of the men wore disapproving expressions.

"Bativa!" One of the tribesmen greeted the huge chieftain with a smile. "It's about time that you finally arrived! We were beginning to think that you were going to skip the Spring Council altogether."

"I've been dealing with some issues that have required my full attention." Bativa explained, taking his seat at the far end of the half circle. "Those damned dragonspawn are still causing us problems."

"Those beasts are becoming a nuisance." The tribesman scowled. "There seem to be more and more of the wretched creatures appearing every day, and no one seems to know where they're coming from."

"What are
they
doing here?" One of the tribesmen demanded angrily, pointing to Leia and Sly. "Outsiders are not permitted before the council!"

"Settle down, Lek," Bativa told the tribesman calmly. "This is Leia of Sevria, daughter of the Dragon Lord, and Princess of Dragons."

Leia turned and glared at Sly, who grinned back at her mischievously.

"And this is her companion," The huge tribesman continued. "Gabriel Quickhand, advisor to the Dragon Lord. They have come to warn the council of a danger that threatens us all. I think it would be best if we hear what they have to say."

The arrogant young tribesman scowled angrily, but remained silent.

Bativa looked to Leia and Sly. "Allow me to present the Deolan Council. Thenke, the Clan Chief of the Unta clan,” He gestured to the overweight, heavily tattooed man on his left. "Gredee of the Galaspe clan," He continued down the line. "Suscep of the Noste clan; Wathre of the Hasht clan; Tonke of the Worashe clan; Cinte of the Calite clan; Druta of the Supece clan; Menke of the Asnote clan; Lek of the Nacetre clan; and Fathre of the Decribe clan."

Each tribesman nodded his head as their name was announced, their eyes carefully appraising Leia and Sly. Several of them wore disapproving looks, and were clearly unhappy with their presence, though none looked as angry as Lek of the Nacetre clan, who stared at Leia with open hatred.

"Are you truly the daughter of the Dragon Lord?" Menke of the Asnote clan asked curiously.

"I am." Leia smiled. "My father was called away from Sevria and won't return for some months, so I decided to come to Mercedia in his stead."

"We have had meetings with your father numerous times in the past." Tonke of the Worashe clan informed her with a disapproving expression. "He can be a...
difficult,
person to deal with."

"He can be a bloody nightmare to deal with!" Gredee of the Galaspe clan laughed in amusement. "That is one man that you do
not
want to irritate!"

"My father can be a bit... excitable, at times." Leia admitted with a wry smile. "I think it has something to do with the fact that he is constantly running off to save the world from being destroyed. It makes him a little short tempered sometimes."

"He is the cause of much of the disharmony in the world right now." Lek pointed out with a sneer. "His actions have thrown the entire world into turmoil."

"Do you blame the pebble that starts the avalanche, or do you blame the boulders that were hanging precariously?" The young girl asked philosophically. "The gods were poised and waiting for their opportunity to return to the world, and it was only a matter of time before they got their chance."

"But your father was the man who ultimately set it all into motion!" Lek snarled, his face growing an ugly shade of red. "If not for his actions, the gods would still be in the heavens, unable to manipulate the mortal world!"

"My father was the pebble," She agreed grimly. "but would have any of you done less for your only daughter? If it had been you in my father's place, would you have allowed your child to be stolen away? Would you have cowered like frightened womenfolk while the Dragon God took all that you loved?" She stared at each tribesman with a hard expression for a moment, then allowed it to soften. "Of course not. You are Deolan warriors, and Deolan warriors fear nothing, not even pagan gods. You would have reacted exactly as my father did, by chasing the abductors down, and making them sorry that they were ever even born."

"But look what has happened as a result of his actions!" Lek continued relentlessly. "The entire world has erupted into war! All of the gods are returning, and they're bringing chaos with them! The war with the Etazk was only the beginning! We're hearing reports out of the north that the Jagherns and the Deirians are on the verge of war, and that there has already been a number of incidences between the Teirsians and the Oroni in the east! It's only a matter of time before the next crisis emerges to threaten us all!"

"Well, wait no longer." Sly snorted in amusement. "I think that we have identified the next threat, and this one is going to make the Etazk invasion look like a friendly reunion with old friends."

"What do you mean?" Wathre of the Hasht clan asked suspiciously.

"It has to do with the dragonspawn that have been invading your lands as of late." Leia informed them with a sigh.

"Ah," Wathre nodded with a frown. "The dragonspawn. I should have known. The foul creatures have been causing our clans quite a bit of trouble. They seem to be everywhere nowadays!"

"That's true." Suscep of the Noste clan agreed. "My clan rarely ever see any of the beasts on the southern side of the White River, but recently there seems to be a group of dragonspawn hiding behind every bush and shrub. They have slaughtered dozens of our cattle and made off with their carcasses, and every time that we try and run them down and eliminate them, they disappear underground!"

"My warriors have been having the same problem." Cinte of the Calite clan nodded. "We've been collapsing their tunnels behind them, but it hasn't seemed to help."

"That's because they're fleeing into goblin hollows." Leia explained patiently.

"Goblin hollows?" Lek asked doubtfully. "Why would the dragonspawn flee into goblin hollows? I thought the dragonspawn and goblins hated one another?"

"They do." Sly assured him. "They usually slaughter one another on sight."

"Then what has changed?"

"We're not entirely certain," Leia frowned. "but we suspect that the Dragon God, Draco, has ordered the dragonspawn to invade the goblin hollows, and take them over for themselves."

"Why would the Dragon God do that?" Thenke, clan chief of the Unta clan, asked in confusion.

"Because the goblin hollows are all rumored to be interconnected." Sly informed them in a grim tone. "There are supposedly hundreds of miles worth of tunnels hidden beneath the mountains and foothills connecting each and every goblin hollow, allowing the dragonspawn to emerge just about anywhere they wish."

The councilmen began to murmur worriedly amongst themselves.

"How did you discover this?" Fathre of the Decribe clan asked, his expression grim.

"It all started with the appearance of goblins along the trade route leading through the mountains." Leia quickly explained everything that they had learned, including the discovery of the winged dragonspawn. "I have the feeling that something big is brewing on the horizon." She sighed finally. "I'm not sure where these dreadspawn came from, but I suspect their purpose is to distract the dragons, allowing the rest of the dragonspawn to attack without to having to fear the dragons' wrath."

"Winged dragonspawn?" Lek asked in a skeptical tone. "I thought you had come to warn the council about a serious threat, not to waste our time with outlandish fairytales of nonexistent creatures." He glanced at his fellow councilmen. "This girl is obviously disturbed." He sniffed in a condescending tone. "She was probably just frightened by a lizard, and has embellished her story to the point where it has now become winged dragonspawn."

"I know what I saw," Leia growled, glaring at the arrogant young tribesman with dangerous eyes. "and it wasn't just a lizard. These beasts stood two foot taller than any of the other dragonspawn, with dark green scales, and wings similar to a bat." She looked at the other councilmen with a serious expression. "Trust me when I say that you need to prepare your people. The Dragon God is gathering the dragonspawn for war."

"War with who?" Fathre asked worriedly.

"Everyone." Sly told them grimly. "Every country. Every continent. Every race. When the dragonspawn finally strike out, no one will be safe."

The council stared at Leia and Sly in stunned silence.

"I don't believe a single word of this nonsense." Lek sniffed dismissively. "Either this girl's imagination has just gotten the best of her, or she is disturbed."

"Watch what you say, Lek." Bativa warned the arrogant young tribesman. "That is the daughter of the Dragon Lord that you are speaking to."

"I do not care who this urchin's father is. She is wasting our time with her ridiculous stories, and I, for one, am tired of listening to her fairy tales." He sneered down at Leia. "I think that you are disturbed, perhaps even mad. It's possible that the attack that polluted your father's blood has had some unexpected effects on your mind."

"Oh no." Sly groaned in dread.

Leia stared at the sneering tribesman in fury for several long moments, then her eyes suddenly narrowed, and she made a small gesture with one hand.

The councilmen all gasped in astonishment and disbelief as Lek suddenly vanished from his seat. An instant later, a scream of pure agony drew their attention to the rafters above, where the arrogant young tribesman had suddenly reappeared dangling in the insubstantial air above the council by an invisible force which held him firmly by his ears. He squealed in pain as he thrashed against the invisible force, trying desperately to free his ears, which were stretching to an almost absurd length. The other councilmen watched dumbfounded as he continued to dangle helplessly above their heads, kicking at the air ineffectually as he began to sob in agony.

"Leia!" Sly barked in a firm tone. "Put him down!"

"No!" The young girl told him in a equally firm tone. "I've had about enough of this!" She made an imperious gesture, and the dangling tribesman slowly descended until he was hanging a few feet above the floor. "I want you to listen closely, Lek of the Nacetre clan," She growled in a deadly voice. "My family has worked hard to do everything that we can to protect the people of the south, including the Deolan people. I'll not stand here and allow you to insult me, or my father, any longer."

"Leia!" Sly barked again, stepping forward to place a hand on her shoulder.

The young girl ignored him and continued to watch the tribesman struggle against the invisible force. "I think I should make an example of you." She growled in a furious voice. "How would you enjoy spending the rest of your pathetic little life as a carrot?"

"Leia," Bativa started, his expression both amused and concerned. "I know that Lek can be an insufferable ass, but he
is
a member of the Deolan Council. It would be inconvenient if you turned him into a carrot."

"Radish it is, then."

The huge chieftain chuckled. "No, I'm afraid we need him just as he is. Would you release him, please? As a favor to me?"

Leia stared at Lek for another long moment, her expression slowly softening. The tattooed tribesman was no longer screaming or kicking. He now hung limply a few feet off of the ground, and looked as though he were on the verge of lapsing into unconsciousness. She finally sighed, then made a nonchalant gesture with one hand, allowing the tribesman to crash to the floor.