Vegenrage: Dragon Reclaim (6 page)

Farrah has run a bath in the fairly nice bathroom off to the side of Mournbow’s bedroom. She slips out of her clothes and gets in, wiping the blood from her face and washing it out of her hair. She looks depressed but really has been consumed by the visions that have been plaguing her mind. The bathwater is already turning red from blood, and chunks of flesh in the water really freak her out. She gets out and puts Cleapell in the tub, washing it clean, and then drains the tub. It drains very quickly, and she throws away the pieces of flesh that do not go down the drain. She hangs Cleapell to dry and runs a fresh pool of water, filling around her beautiful but now tormented body. She sits there as the water fills, adjusting the faucets in this very modern and nice bathtub until the temperature of the water fits her desire. She watches the scenes in her mind like they were movies on a screen, and she does not have to think about it; they just flow as visions. She can see herself using Vergraughtu, consuming breath attacks of all the dragons and the colors they were. She sees Vergraughtu as the beautiful staff he was and his head as he spoke to her. Before she had lost Vergraughtu, he was speaking to her in her mind, and she had told Vegenrage how this was scaring her. She now sees visions of her casting the breath attacks of dragons from her hands, and all this magic and all this power as alluring as it is, she is realizing that she does not want all this power, all this torment, all this pain she feels when she sees Vegenrage hurt and battling for his life. She wants Vegenrage to teach her magic so she will never be held captive ever again like the way Alisluxkana had her, and now that Alisluxkana is gone, she feels the same kind of hold over her by Vergraughtu. The visions continue, and she sees Vergraughtu as he rises from Vegenrage’s body, the newly formed humanoid dragon that he has become, and he moves close to Farrah with his big brown eyes, gazing at her, freezing her. She cannot move, she cannot look away.

“Farrah, my companion, the wielder of the Staff of Barrier Breath. You were meant to serve me. You were meant to guide me to lead me to the races of man. Do not fight my will. I am Vemenomous, and I am coming for you. You are my queen to be. You were meant to rule the Maglical System by my side. Your children will be kings and princes, queens and princesses, and all will bow to you.”

Farrah breaks the hold he has on her in her vision. “No, you will not hold me captive, nor will anyone or anything ever again.”

“Then your fate shall be the same as all the rest of the humanoid races.” Vemenomous opens his mouth wide and comes in close to bite her.

“Farrah, Farrah. Hey, Farrah.”

Farrah is staring straight ahead, and her eyes look like they are watching, but they cannot see. Vegenrage is gently shaking her shoulder. “Farrah, Farrah. Hey, Farrah, it’s me, Vegenrage. Are you there?”

Farrah comes to, and she squints as her face clinches, and she quietly cries. She raises her arms to hug Vegenrage, and he returns the hug. She squeezes him tight. “Vegenrage, it’s Vergraughtu. He is in my head. He is calling for me. He has become Vemenomous, and he is coming for me. I have these visions in my head, and I can’t stop them. I just saw it rise from you, and I thought you were dead. It said it was coming for me.”

“Hey, hey, Farrah, I am right here, and you are right here, and neither one of us know how we got here. Whatever is going on, we have to see it through. You and me. We were brought together for a reason, and now that we are together, I am not going to let anything take you away from me. I know if we run and hide, whatever is looking for us will not stop until it finds us. Not only that, but the people of the Maglical System also need us, and I am not going to let them down. I don’t know what is going to happen, but I know that whatever happens, I will try my best to make all the best it can be. I don’t know what Vergraughtu has done to you, but whatever you need, you tell me, and it will be.”

“I need you to be with me. I need for you to live and not be hurt anymore.”

“Okay, Farrah. I need for you to be with me. You are the strength behind me.”

Logantrance is reading from the book
The Rising of Vemenomous
for the entire party in the Mystical Erkens to hear. Already, everyone is looking at one another with eerie silence as the book describes in detail what has happened over the past few days. It explains in detail exactly what happened at Vollenbeln, how the dragons all met there, how Vegenrage’s home was transformed, how all the books in his library would be used to create the
Wogenkeld
, and how dwarven magic user, elven magic users, and human magic users would unite to fight the dragons. It even describes in detail the beheading of Hornspire himself who wrote the book. He knew he would lose his life to a human infused with pig blood. It describes how Vergraughtu would infiltrate the human savant called Vlianth or Vegenrage and transform into Vemenomous. It describes how Blethstole would lose his supremacy as the dominant dragon, not to Vemenomous but to the human female wielding Vergraughtu. It tells how all the dragons left Vollenbeln to summon all the lesser dragons faithful to dragon rule to rise against all the races of man, and the dragons are waiting to do battle with the new dragon for supremacy of the Maglical System. The book does not tell how this battle will go or unfold. It goes on to talk about the human female of tainted mind, the beautiful girl who has stolen the heart of Vlianth and will lead him to his end. She has been cursed her whole life, and her savior, Vlianth, will eliminate the witch but not the curse. The magical staff will fall to her hands, gifting her unrivaled magical power except for that of Vlianth. The staff will become dragon again and infiltrate the subdued but not destroyed Vlianth and rise. Vemenomous will escape to the unknown, and Vlianth will rise again, the only power that can tame the new dragon. The Sapphirewell and the Octagemerwell will reunite with their owners, bringing a short-lived calm to their owners. Vemenomous will hunt the dragons, calling to his human female guide, and she will not know how to defend against the visions Vemenomous sends her. She will lead Vlianth into a well-planned and set trap, and there, Vlianth will be subdued and the female tricked into mating with Vemenomous. Once the mating has finalized, the female and Vemenomous will consume Vlianth. Logantrance runs out of words. The book is finished. “This can’t be all. There must be more.”

“Logantrance, are you thinking what I am thinking?”

“Yes, Oriapow, we need to get to Vollenbeln right away. Glimtron, from here, we need to travel a little lighter. The elves of Erkensharie can use our help.”

“Yes, Logantrance, I agree. Rifter, Silgeqwee, Krimzill, Reger, and Dormins, you travel with me. The rest of you help the elves protect Erkensharie. Blythgrin, I think it is best you stay here with the Sapphirewell and the Dagi. The power of the two stones with the most gifted of the elven and dwarven magic users will make Erkensharie impregnable.”

“We will see nothing enters Erkensharie, and if it does, it will be met with an offensive force to make all Glabor and Erkensharie ancestry proud.”

“Well said, Blythgrin. Best to you and the elven homeland.”

“You as well, Glimtron.”

Logantrance, Oriapow, Kearsebe, Cellertrill, and the six dwarves all say their good-byes for now and get ready to go to Vollenbeln. The rest will help protect Erkensharie. The book is replaced in the tree, and it sinks back into the magical earth.

Back on Vollenbeln, the body of Hornspire lies on the metal ground with his head next to it. The eyes of Hornspire open, and he laughs as his head moves toward the neck and reattaches itself. He stands and flaps his wings, which start to glow golden, and a thin gold drape with golden ropes and golden tufts at the end of the ropes form and run the length of his wings. There are rubies studded all throughout the drape of gold on his wings, and it is awesome-looking. The gold on his right wing starts to fade from where his body meets his wing, and it fades all the way to the end of his wing until it is gone. Hornspire shakes his body like a wet dog and tucks his wings in, and the gold on his left wing vanishes. He takes to the air, flapping his wings.
“So now it begins”
is said by Hornspire.

The two parties split at the Mystical Erkens, and the ten head through a Dimension Door that Logantrance casts, taking them to Vollenbeln. They arrive right on the metal platform where all the drama had taken place, and sure enough, they see that the corpse of Hornspire has gone.

“Logantrance, just as I thought he has gone. Hornspire knew what was going to happen and planned for it. Is he really able to see the future? How can we fight against that?”

“I don’t know Oriapow, but we better think of something.”

“So if this dragon can see the future and knows all this about the dragons and Vegenrage and this new dragon, what do you think he is doing now?”

“That is a good question, Glimtron. We need to find the
Wogenkeld
. That book holds the answers we need to stay in step with the dragons that own it. Where could they be hiding it?”

“It has to be in the lair of Vergraughtu the Violet Violator, and I know where that is.”

“You mean Vemenomous. This is very risky, Oriapow.”

“Risky, indeed, but we need it, and what about Vegenrage? Should someone go to him to warn him?” Oriapow asks.

“It would be a good thing to have him with us going to see the lair of this new dragon. However, the fewer that go there means the less the chance it will notice us. Not only that, if it is out hunting dragons and or Vegenrage, maybe we can slip in and find the book. Something tells me Vegenrage will be okay for now. We should go find the book.” The party agrees with Logantrance, and they all are ready to follow Oriapow to the lair of Vergraughtu, the Violet Violator, now known as Vemenomous.

Farrah has dried Cleapell and dressed, and she and Vegenrage head back down to meet with the survivors of Mourbarria. “You won’t let Vemenomous charm me under any kind of spell, will you, Vegenrage? I don’t know if I have the strength to fight it.”

“You control you, Farrah, and I am not really good at showing my feelings, but you have all of them. I will never let anything happen to you. You have become very powerful, and you are so beautiful that many will want you for their own desires. Just remember that nothing and no one can make you do anything you don’t want to do. Control your thoughts, and create the woman you want to be. Hold true to yourself and all will respect you, and none will control you.”

“Do you respect me?”

“You know I do. I bet you even know that I love you.”

Farrah smiles and holds Vegenrage’s hand as they walk down the stairway to meet with Mournbow, Inglelapse, and the survivors of Mourbarria.

“Vegenrage, Inglelapse and I are heading to Valvernva. All of us here have decided not to hide anymore. We head to Valvernva and see if there are any survivors, and then we are going to head to Shaspar and Noireen to see if any have survived there. We will unite all we can find to fight against the dragons that have destroyed our homes. This is our fight, and we thank you for all your help. You too, Farrah. I hope that our paths will cross again someday, but if this is our end, then it was for me an inspirational one,” Mournbow says.

“Me as well, Vegenrage. I believe your path leads in another direction, but if we need your help, I will be calling for you. Ms. Farrah, the pleasure has always been mine.” Inglelapse kisses Farrah’s hand.

“Oh, Inglelapse, you and Mournbow take care, and we will see you all again.” Farrah gives Inglelapse and Mournbow a hug and wishes all the best of luck to them as does Vegenrage. The survivors all head toward Valvernva, and after all the good-byes and wishes of good luck, Vegenrage says to Farrah, “Maybe we should walk with them for a little while.” Farrah agrees, and they walk behind the party.

CHAPTER 6
Dragons Never Forget

Cloakenstrike and Bastrenboar appear in front of a cave. There is a freshwater stream running close by the entrance to the cave, and the cave has a large rock overgrowth with long stringy mosses hanging down and dripping water from them. This is a very damp and wet place. This is the Centuran Waterways. The waterways flow from the end of the Quawlaren Waters and create large streams that release the overflow from the Quawlaren. The easterly winds drive the rains toward the Akelson Desert, and before the desert dries up the moisture, it is released, and a couple of time a year, the Quawlaren is filled with rainwater, and it spills into the Centuran Waterways. The waterways flow and end at the Hunorian Rock Lands that long ago was hunted and settled by humans until the elves and finally the humanors wiped out the humans. It is believed that the humans have survived, but there has been no evidence of this in over five hundred years. There is a lot of places to be hiding all throughout the grasslands, the rock lands, and the Talbuterall Lowlands, but for the most part, the humanors have taken over, and the instances where the humanors and humans have come in contact, the humans were killed all except for the women. During the last Dragon Feast, the dragons concentrated mostly on Kronton and Fargloin leaving Strabalster, the least ravished by their feeding frenzy. There were some dragon attacks here, and the humans in the open lands were easy pickins. The Ugorian elves have many places to hide from the dragons, easily evading the dragons in the thick forests that they make home so they were the least hard hit of the races of man during the last Dragon Feast.

Strabalster holds probably the richest diversity of life, and the dragons have so much to choose from here. The Hunorian Forest has a great variety of lethal and large carnivores, and all dragons love feeding on the deadliest of natural predators. It makes them feel most supreme. The Swapoon floodlands support all kinds of very large herbivores and predators. The Krasbeil Mountains hold all kinds of apes and large predators as well, which the dragons love to pick off the mountainsides while practicing their flying skills. The Hiplimson Forest is the only place to find the Hiraffoose. This is a very large and very unique animal. The Hiraffoose stands fourteen feet tall on four legs. Its four legs and body are kind of like a horse but with a much wider girth, and it has legs that stand six feet. It has a very muscular neck, growing up for eight feet to a very unusual head. The head is long and slender with four very long fangs on top and bottom of its mouth, followed by grinding molars all the way back in its jaw. This animal is not a herbivore. It is a meat eater. It has flexible antlers that lay down its neck behind its ears for six feet. They tuck in tight to its neck, and you would never know they are there unless you look for them. They also have another pair of flexible antlers that lay down the length of its back. The Hiraffoose walks the Hiplimson Forest in search of bird’s nests, and it has evolved a very neat way of getting the nutritious eggs within. The trees here are very tall, and most birds try to nest high out of the reach of the Hiraffoose, but the Hiraffoose is very deceiving in its height. It naturally reaches almost fifteen feet in the trees, but it can stand on its hind legs, reaching almost twenty feet, and it can then extend its antlers nearly thirty feet high in the trees. The antlers look like moose antlers, very wide and plate shaped with four prongs that protrude from each side, and they are movable. When the Hiraffoose sees a nest, it can reach its antlers to the nest and shakes it free from the tree, and the eggs roll into the antlers, and it then funnels the eggs to its mouth for consumption. This is a most unique adaptation and one worth mentioning on the planet Strabalster. Most predators stay clear of the Hiraffoose because they too are carnivores, and they seek out snakes that slither through the trees and monkeys and birds, if they can catch them. The land predators that are not aware of the danger of the Hiraffoose and try to take it down usually become the prey. The Hiraffoose has a six-foot tail, and at the end of the tail, it has spines—long sharp barbed spines—and if anything tries to attack the Hiraffoose, which seems to be an easy target, they in turn usually get clobbered with the tail, and the spines stick to the animal, and it is raised to the antlers on its back that have spikes on them. The would-be predator is spiked and raised to the higher up antlers that pull the animal apart, and the Hiraffoose can bite very large chunks of flesh and rip it away from its victim and chews with its many and powerful molars.

Back just off the Hunorian Rock Lands and into the Centuran Waterways, Cloakenstrike and the remaining humanors, still faithful to Bastrenboar, have found refuge here. They remain hidden and out of sight in a cave just large enough to hold the lot of them. They have hid here for days now, and the threat of the dragons seems to have passed. They hunt the waterways that is full of game. Cloakenstrike, who was beaten and bloodied from his run in with the elementals, is going to need some much-needed rest. This is the first time in a long time that he has been bested by an opponent. Bastrenboar fared much better and has the confidence and bragging rights of sitting on a dragon and beheading it. All the humanors have waited in the cave, while Cloakenstrike and Bastrenboar have been hunting down the Sapphirewell, and they have returned not only without the Sapphirewell but also minus the Octagemerwell, plus Cloakenstrike took quite a pounding from the elemental and has broken bones to mend. They arrive near the entrance of the cave, and Bastrenboar helps Cloakenstrike into the cave, and inside, there are about twenty humanors.

Nigleem jumps to greet the return of his king. “Bastrenboar, you have made it back. Did you get the Sapphirewell?”

“No, we did not, and we lost the Octagemerwell. The dragons attacked, and we attacked back.” He draws his sword and holds it high. “And now the dragons call me not Bastrenboar but dragon slayer. I beheaded the great Hornspire with my magnificent sword, and now all dragons must beware my name.”

“You did not kill him, Bastenboar, and he will seek his revenge on you.”

“
What do you mean? You saw me behead the dragon, and it fell dead.”

“Yes, I did, but Hornspire wrote of the beheading himself almost two millennium ago and surely has prepared for it in some way. That whole gathering we witnessed was for one purpose—to gain the power of Vlianth. You remember when you were in Ugoria, and you felt a chill in your bones, a sense of great power, and you could not pinpoint it?”

“Yes, I remember the power that we must destroy.”

“Yes, that power was laying in the bed of sapphire and emerald. That man was Vlianth or, in Shasparian tongue, Vegenrage.”

“That puny human. I will cut his head off, and the girl will be mine. Wait. That dragon or whatever it was rose from that man, surely, he could not have survived that.”

“I don’t know how, but it was written that he will rise from that event, and it was also written that he is the only power equal to that of Vemenomous, the dragon beast that rose from Vegenrage with the power to cast magic without speaking just like Vegenrage has.”

“How do you know of all this writing? Where did you read this?”

“Oriapow once was an ally, and we together sought the writings of Hornspire, the writer of dragon prophecy. We stole a book together, and I was reading it when Vergraughtu attacked, and Oriapow abandoned me and left me to fight the dragon alone. I was not defeated and had to retreat. I made it my life’s work to create and cast Oriapow into my Genie book and cast him under my control. I was not able to make him divulge personal information; however, his magic and wisdom outside of that was mine. When we entered Vollenbeln, I had to release him. Be ready, Bastrenboar. Hornspire will come for you.”

“Let him come. I beheaded him once, I will do it again.”

“I hope you are right, friend. I hope you are right.” Cloakenstrike finishes healing himself.

“Bastrenboar, you beheaded a dragon. Wait till Fraborn gets back. He won’t believe it.”

“That’s right, Nigleem, and if that dragon or any dragon comes back, we will behead it and feast.” Bastrenboar raises his sword, and the humanors cheer. The cheer of the humanors rise as Fraborn and the party of hunters return from the Centuran Waterways. They have two deer and a handful of large otter that are numerous throughout the waterways. This is a most welcome sight to the hungry humanors that have been hiding out for almost a week now in the cave. They welcome the hunters and go out to gather wood to make a fire.

“Bastrenboar, it is good to see you and Cloakenstrike have returned. While hunting, I noticed footprints, and I believe they are human. They have survived in the caves throughout the waterways. You have gained the Sapphirewell, making us invincible. We will hunt the humans and grow our kind again.”

“No, Fraborn, we did not get the Sapphirewell, and we lost the Octagemerwell. The dragons have set out to destroy all races of man, even the humanors. We must all stick together, and we may have to fight with the humans if there are any and if they can fight.”

“Bastrenboar is right. Not only will the dragons be after all human races, but Bastrenboar also beheaded the writer of dragon prophecy, Hornspire, and he will rise again. I believe he will seek Bastrenboar first and then the magic users. We must prepare for this.”

Fraborn has put his armor in the cave and feels more at home in his traditional humanor pants. He never has put down his sword since Cloakenstrike presented it to him. The three talk for a little then head out to the others who have already begun to skin clean and roast the meat brought back. The humanors have made three fires and are cooking deer and otter meat with potatoes and carrots. There is a form of Centuran celery that grows here and adds nicely to the boiling stew now cooking.

“We have to make plans. We cannot just sit here and wait.”

“Fraborn is right. Cloakenstrike, what are we going to do? We have eighty strong humanor, and nothing here to defend. We can go to my home and make it suitable for us to start new and fresh.”

“Bastrenboar, we still have to get you the Snow Gold Trinket. That has to be our first objective. This will give you great magical power, and we are going to need it. I have not seen a whole lot of dragons flying the skies, and that concerns me. They must be waiting for something, some sign, but I bet when they do attack, Ugoria has to be first on their list, and this will create the diversion we are looking for. We need to sneak into Ugoria and get you the trinket.”

“I had it in my hand already, and its protector sent us far away. How can I hold this? I heard Oriapow tells us all that in order to have this, it has to be presented to me by Trialani, or I have to become the king of Ugoria. I don’t see how any of this can happen, and if we kill Shenlylith with fire, then the trinket losses its power anyway. What can we do?”

“I don’t know yet, Bastrenboar, but there has to be a way. I just need to figure it out.”

“Well, what about this book you have read? What else do you know about the Dragon Feast and this new dragon that has risen?”

“I only had time to read the very end of it. I basically know Vegenrage will rise again, and I have to believe Hornspire will rise again too. This new dragon will fight all the existing dragons for dominance. Ah, the food is ready. Let us eat and plan to move to Ugoria. If our timing is right, the dragons will have the attention of the elves and not us. Then we try for the Snow Gold Trinket again, and by then I will figure how you can use its magic.”

They eat and fill their bellies and talk about how and what they should do next. They spend all afternoon cooking and eating all the game that was caught. More and more of the humanors show up from the surrounding waterways with their contribution to the meal, and by evening, all the humanors have gathered to see the return of Cloakenstrike and Bastrenboar. The sun is falling, and many of them head to the cave to get ready for the night. Cloakenstrike is sitting around a fire with Fraborn and Bastrenboar, and for the first time, Bastrenboar is questioning Cloakenstrike’s next moves.

“I do not think it is a good idea us heading for Ugoria. The elves are way too much for us. I am a fighter and fight to win. I do not want to go on a suicide mission, and I don’t want to walk the remaining humanors to their deaths. I followed you with all my best fighting humanors into Ugoria, and we lost.”

“It is the only way you can regain your former human self. If you wish to stay and try to rebuild the humanors here, I am fine with that. I don’t know for sure, but I believe Hornspire still lives, and he will come for you. The decision is yours.” Cloakenstrike heads into the cave to rest for the night. Bastrenboar sits at the fire with Fraborn.

“We have followed Cloakenstrike this far. If we are to die even if our race is to die, I would much rather die fighting than grow old and feeble here like this.”

“I have never questioned him before, Fraborn. I just don’t know what to do.”

Hornspire has the scent of Bastrenboar. It is a new scent to him, but the nose of a dragon can follow its quarry from world to world, and Hornspire has a debt to repay—a head for a head. Hornspire had always had visions from the time he was a very young dragon. He wrote lots of his visions into books and has many scattered all around the worlds of the Maglical System. He still remembers that Oriapow and Cloakenstrike stole the book
The Rising of Vemenomous
and not because Vergraughtu told him or because he was there but because he had seen it in one of his visions. He had also seen the Hunorian Rock Lands and the Centuran Waterways, and he knew that Cloakenstrike and Bastrenboar would be here together with a band of humanors. He flies from the west to the east until his nose senses the humanor that beheaded him. He can actually distinguish Bastrenboar from the other humanors. He flies unnoticed to the rock that grows over the cave and creeps up it with amazing stealth. Cloakenstrike has not survived this long without having great senses, and they lighten up. He quickly puts on his Helmet of Missile Deflection and his Cloak of Reflection and yells, “Everyone out of the cave now. Arm yourselves. A dragon is here.”