Omensent: Rise of the Shadow Dragons (6 page)

"
I
have!" Veren declared, his voice angry. "I saw the black serpent with my own eyes as it was destroying my home and killing family!" He gazed up at Tempest unflinchingly. "And I will
not
rest until that beast is dead!"

Tempest stared at the dark skinned man appraisingly for a moment before replying. "I believe what you say. If the shadow dragons have
indeed returned to this world, they would take special precaution to keep their existence a secret from other dragons." She looked at him with sad eyes. "I grieve for your loss. The shadow dragons are dark, evil creatures with no respect for life. I hope you will accept my condolences on behalf of my brethren and myself."

Veren
's eyes filled with tears, but he nodded his acceptance of her kind words.

"If the shadow dragons have returned," She continued, looking at Damion with solemn eyes. "It will not be long before their infection spreads across the entire world!" Her face grew puzzled. "What I don't understand
is
how
they returned! They swore an oath to Draco, the serpent god, that they would never return to this world!"

Damion nodded. "We have been discussing this in your
absence and it seems to us that their return coincides with my releasing your brethren from the gem."

Tempest
considered this carefully. "You may be on to something there. When you gave the command that allowed them to emerge from the gem, it must have also freed the shadow dragons from their oath to Draco!"

Damion swore. "So
I
released them?" He looked around at his friends helplessly, then looked back up to Tempest. "If I'm the one who is responsible for their return, then I must be the one who puts a stop to their terror!"

The scarlet serpent shook her head. "Nay, Dragonkin. Their fight is with us. It shall fall to my brethren and myself to face the dark brood.
"

Damion refused to hear that. "I will not stand by and do nothing!" He declare
d with heat. "If I'm responsible for this, then I must help search out a way to destroy these foul creatures!"

"
You must prepare for what is to come."

"And what
is
to come?" Lady Skie asked apprehensively.

Tempest  looked up into the night sky, and stared at the
constellation of the serpent god. "I fear there are dark times coming. Shadow dragons and their minions delight in destruction. War will be coming, and worse than war!"

"What do you mean, worse than war?"

"If the shadow dragons have returned, every dark creature will rise from the underworld! There will be chaos on every continent, and there won't be any place safe from their taint!" She continued to stare up into the sky, her eyes lost in thought. "They only emerge at night, attacking without warning, and disappearing just as quickly. They're almost invisible against a clear night sky since their scales absorb light, and they rely heavily upon deception and trickery."

"
And where did the shadowspawn come from?" Sly asked, plopping down on a nearby stone bench.

"The wizard who created the dragonspawn, also created the
shadowspawn." She told him, her deep voice dripping with contempt. "He was seeking to create an invincible army. He first created the dragonspawn, using the blood of one of my brethren. He quickly realized that they were wild and untamed, and really not very intelligent, so he created the shadowspawn, using the blood of a shadow dragon." She snarled. "He wasn't prepared for what he unleashed. The shadowspawn were far superior to the dragonspawn, and just as vicious as a shadow dragon! It wasn't long before they turned on him and eventually destroyed him!"

"What do you plan to do?"
Dar asked his ancient friend.

"I must gather my
brethren and search our enemies out, and this time, we must be sure that they never return!"

Lady Skie looked to Damion. "And you?"

"I'm going to Jaghera to try to find some clues on where these creatures may be found."

Veren
flinched at the sound of his homeland. "Jaghera?"

Damion nodded. "That's the last place we know a
shadow dragon has been seen. Maybe if I nose around a bit, I may be able to locate others that have encountered it."

Lady Skie did not look pleased. "
Jaghera is nearly a thousand leagues from here! You can't just run off to the other side of the world!"

"I haven't any other choic
e! These beasts must be stopped
before
they begin their war!"

She stared at him helplessly.

Damion sighed, then went and embraced her. "I'm sorry, Aunt Skie, but I must do this! It's my fault that this has happened, so I must be the one to correct my mistake!"

She punched him in his muscular chest, her face still angry, then she threw her arms around him,
tears flowing down her cheeks. "I know! I just don't like it!" She wiped her tears away. "When do you plan on leaving?"

Everyone looked to him, their eyes questioning.

"First thing in the morning." He decided firmly.

Sly sighed heavily. "I'll make sure the stable hands know to have our horses ready at first light." He looked to Dar. "Will you be joining us?"

Dar shook his head, then smiled broadly. "I've had quite enough of adventuring for a while. I think I'll stay here in Sevria and enjoy the leisurely life!"

"Milord?"
Veren asked with a desperate look on his face. "Please allow me to accompany you to my homeland! I wish to help stop these beasts!"

Damion shook his head
. "You are Captain of the Guard. We need you here to protect the people."

"But I
must
go!" The dark skinned man pleaded. "It's the only way for me to avenge my family! Besides," He pointed out reasonably. "You'll need someone with you who knows the northern continent!"

Damion looked uncertain. "
Someone
is going to have to stay behind and take up the protection of the castle."

Everyone looked around at one another, then turned to
look at Sly.

"Oh no you don't!" 
The little man declared firmly, jumping up from his seat on the stone bench. "You're not going to leave me behind to do your jobs!"

"Someone has to stay behind and run things here." Damion pointed out. "The people of Sevria know and respect you. They w
ill follow you much quicker than they would Veren, who's only been here for a few weeks." He gave his old friend an apologetic look. "I'm afraid there isn't any other option."

"And what the hell am I supposed to do if there's a problem?"

Damion shrugged. "Have everyone fall back into the castle. In the meantime, I'd suggest reinforcing the outer wall. Have the masons build it up as high and thick as they can, and lay in a store of food in case of emergency."

"With preparations like that, the peo
ple will know that there is something wrong. They'll want answers." Lady Skie had composed herself, and was now thinking quickly.

"Then give them answers.
" He told them grimly. "The people should be aware of the danger, and some of them may have some ideas on how to help protect the town."

"I can lend some aid." Tempest rumbled. "I shall have my brethren watch o
ver this place in your absence."

Damion
smiled, then nodded his thanks.

The great serpent rose to
her feet. "I must go now. If you discover anything of significance, use the Dragon Sword to summon me." She looked around. "I
must bid you farewell, my friends. There is much still to do." She launched herself into the air with a thrust of her powerful wings, then disappeared into the night.

Damion
looked to Lady Skie. "Do you think Damarius would leave the valley to come help look after things?"

Lady Skie smiled. "He will when I tell him that I'll shave his beard off in his sleep if he refuses!"

Damion laughed, then looked around at his friends. "That settles things then. I would suggest that we all get our preparations made."

Sly gave him a dirty look. "I still don't see why I have to be the one to stay behind.
" He complained sourly. "I'm sure we could find someone else to look after things!"

Lady Skie shook her head. "Damion was right when he said that the people trust you.
You
have to be the one that stays behind."

He gave her a withering look. "Thanks for your help." He said in a flat voice.

Damion looked at the little man and smiled. "Look at it this way, at least you won't have to explain to that mule why you are leaving."

It was an hour or so un
til dawn when they gathered near the stables to say their farewells. The stable hands had readied the horses for their journey, loading down a packhorse with supplies and extra provisions, while Storm stood close by prancing eagerly, clearly happy to be free of the confines of the stables.

Lady Skie's face was somber as she embraced Damion
, who was dressed in the scaled armor that he had received as a gift from the King of the Dwarves, then she wordlessly stepped back as he climbed atop the prancing warhorse. She knew Damion better than anyone, and she knew that arguing about his decision would be useless. He had made up his mind, and no amount of whining, screaming, or crying was going to make him change it, and though it made her sad, she understood his reasons for leaving.

Sly
, on the other hand, stood to off to one side with a sulky look on his face. He had made sure that Veren understood the consequences if he allowed Damion to be injured or killed, emphasizing his point with the edge of his sword against the dark skinned man's throat.

Veren
climbed atop a chestnut mare that had been prepared for him, glancing nervously from time to time at Sly, then waited for Damion to finish his farewells.

Damion
looked to his old friend and teacher. "You know what needs to be done?"

Sly sighed, then nodded. "Aye. I'll take care of everything." He walke
d over and reached out and took one of his hands, grasping it fiercely.

"And you?" Damion
looked to Dar, who stood silently next to Lady Skie.

"I'm going to pay a visit on your old mentor, Damarius." The red haired boy replied. "Lady Skie has asked me to deliver our request
for his assistance, and then to assist in his travels back to Sevria." He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, my friend, we'll take care of everything here. You just keep yourself safe."

Damion nodded sadly, then took one last look at his friends. W
ithout another word, he nudged his prancing warhorse with his heels and led the way from the courtyard. He and Veren made their way through the sleepy town and out onto the trade road without being stopped, then cautiously began to make their way north with Snowfeather drifting high overhead.

Their journey to the port city of Sierria was uneventful. For most of the first day,
Veren remained silent and rode at a respectful distance behind Damion, obviously still a little uncomfortable being alone in his presence. They had spent very little time alone together since the bustle of the castle had made their spare moments few and far between. After several hours, Damion finally took steps and called him forward to ride beside him. It wasn't long before he was able to get the one eared man to begin talking, and they were soon swapping stories, making things much less tense.