Bryan Davis - Eye of the Oracle

Clefspeare bowed once again, this time with more agility. “Well spoken, wise king. I was wrong to dwell on your past mistakes. Forgive me for not accepting your earlier apologies.”

Arthur returned the bow. “All accounts are now clear between us, good dragon.”

Merlin picked up his bag, threw it over his shoulder, and placed a hand on Clefspeare’s flank. “I have summoned all the remaining noble dragons to Bald Top. Come, now. We must fly to the meeting place.”

“Master Merlin!” Clefspeare’s beams shifted toward the cave entrance. “You and the king must climb on my back. Make haste. I smell danger.”

Merlin squinted at him. “You will allow the king to ride?”

“No time to argue!” Clefspeare growled.

Merlin reached for the torch and stamped it out, then, with the scales’ luminescent glow guiding their way, he and Arthur scrambled up the dragon’s scaly flank, stepped to his spiny middle ridge, and seated themselves at the base of his neck.

Merlin held on with one hand while gripping his saddlebag with the other. “Do slayers approach?”

“Most likely.” Clefspeare straightened his tail. “Heads down and hold on!”

“Wait!” Merlin shouted. “The candlestone!”

“No time! And I will not fly if you carry that cursed dragon’s bane!”

With a great flap of his wings, Clefspeare rose from the ground and hovered in the midst of the cave. After taking in a deep breath, he blew out a raging river of fire. Then, slowly at first and still breathing fire, he moved forward into the stream, floating easily on the cushion of flaming air. As they passed through the tunnel, accelerating as they traveled, Merlin peered through the passing inferno. Flames bounced in all directions, and two shadows dove for cover in the rocks. Within seconds, Clefspeare burst into the open and launched into the clear, night sky.

Arthur gripped Clefspeare’s spine with both hands. “Amazing!”

“Hang on!” Merlin called. “We have to get higher than their arrows can reach.”

When their angle of ascent tapered off and they reached a safe altitude, Clefspeare snorted a final puff of smoke. “I apologize, Your Highness, for the rough ride.”

The king took a deep breath in the cold, thin air. “It was exhilarating! A masterful escape!”

“Could you tell if Sir Devin was among the attackers?” Merlin asked.

Arthur shook his head. “I saw only shadows.”

“I saw him,” Clefspeare said. “His lust for my blood is stronger than ever.”

Merlin looked out over the scene far below, a shifting gray canvas with firelight speckling the shadows cast by the ghostly moon. “The drug I slipped into Devin’s mead wasn’t timed as well as I had hoped, but at least he will be far from Bald Top while we take the next step in my plan.”

The light of two flashing torches filled the cave, and a pair of shifting shadows crawled along the walls. With every step of the dark images, an echoing clop replied, but there was more silence than echo. The wary travelers made their way ever so slowly toward the center of the main chamber.

“There is no hint of fresh kill to guide us,” Sir Devin said.

Palin sniffed the air. “No, my liege. In fact, the air is very clean, but I am sure his bed must be right in front of us. I see flashes of light.”

Palin stooped over a pile of gems and swung a pair of saddlebags to the ground. “All is not lost. We have the treasure.”

Devin knelt and scooped up a handful of glittering stones. “It is much smaller than Goliath’s.” He grinned at Palin. “May his dragon soul rest in peace.”

Palin opened the saddlebags. “It was so kind of him to designate us as heirs to his fortune.”

Devin let the gems spill back to the ground. “Split it up in my presence and reserve the proper portions for God and for the king.”

“Of course, my liege.” Palin deposited the stones into the saddlebags piece by piece, cycling through the bags to make an even disbursement. “You are most gracious to give equal shares to us all, even though the others wait outside in fear.”

Devin held his torch close to the ground and surveyed the cave floor. “What does the census say now?”

The squire pulled a scrap of parchment from his tunic and studied it for a moment before looking up again. “After your valiant conquest of Maven last week, and your extraordinary slaying of Goliath this morning, I know of only ten remaining. The Demon Witch, Hartanna, is next. She will pay for wounding you.”

“All in good time, my friend.” He stalked across the floor, kicking the pebbles in front of him. “By our count, only ten of the devils are left, and now that the king knows of Merlin’s conspiracy with them, I shall have the old wizard’s head by noon tomorrow.”

“What if Morgan is right? What will you do if the king betrays you and sides with Merlin?”

“Then we will proceed with Morgan’s rebellion plan. I don’t like the idea of the unusual marriage arrangement she proposed, but having that kind of power would be worth putting up with her.” After sweeping more rocks to the side, Devin stopped suddenly and stooped close to a flat rock near the wall. “Palin, what is this?”

“Where, my liege?”

“This glowing pebble.” Devin picked up the stone by its attached string. As the surrounding light grew dim, he drew the stone closer to his face.

“Our torches are going out,” Palin said.

“No. The flame lives; only the light dies. It is drawn to this gem.”

Devin closed his hand over the stone. Instantly, the light from the flames scattered throughout the cave. “I have heard legends about such a gem, but why would it be here, in a dragon’s lair?”

“What have you heard about it?”

“An ancestor of mine told a story of Nimrod, the king of Shinar, and how he used a light-absorbing gem as a weapon against dragons.”

“A weapon? How?”

Devin slipped the gem into his vest. “I’m not sure, but I intend to find out.”

Clefspeare circled over Bald Top, casting a shadow over a pod of dragons milling about on the summit. As the dragon flew lower, Merlin gestured toward the rear. “Your Majesty, prepare to slide down. Remember, find the clearing and watch the proceedings from the woods. The dragons will not sense you because you pose no danger, but until all is complete, it is best if you stay in hiding.”

The king nodded. “Agreed.”

“He’s slowing down over a clear spot. Go!”

Arthur slid across the scaly hindquarters, then dropped and rolled in the soft turf. Clefspeare rose over the tree-filled mountain and hurried toward the summit’s clearing.

Before descending, Merlin caught a glimpse of Arthur hiding behind a tree a few yards inside the edge of the woods, far enough away to stay out of sight, yet close enough to see the dragons and hear their booming voices.

As Clefspeare settled to the ground, he beat his wings rapidly and lowered his head. Still carrying his bag, Merlin descended the ridges and jumped to the grass. After letting the bag drop, he counted the dragons in attendance, three males, reddish and standing tall, and nine females, smaller and tawny in color.

One of the females stepped forward. “Master Merlin, all are present, as you requested.”

Merlin bowed. “Thank you, Hartanna. You have been a great help. And are all in agreement?”

“Yes. We have discussed the final preparations, and we are ready.” Hartanna shifted her body toward Clefspeare. “Has Master Merlin prepared you?”

Clefspeare bowed his head. “Yes, Hartanna. Diving into the human condition is an adventure that none of us covets, but we dragons do what we must do.”

“Well said.” Hartanna touched Merlin’s shoulder with the tip of her wing. “We await your instructions.”