CHAPTER 7
A group of elves rode along a narrow mountain road. Their horses gaited easily as they travelled one after another in line, led by Commander Taigren. They were a small group of four, all dignified warriors, and they were traveling towards the mountain of dragons. There was only a slight wind blowing over the mountains, and the elves had no problem to keep their balance although the road was precarious. There were sharp turns and sudden inclines, and there was always a threat of falling stones and loose gravel giving in under their feet. They had travelled for a good while without speaking, as is often the habit among the elves. But if there had been someone observing the crew, it would have seemed clear that one of them seemed to be a bit insecure of the purpose of their journey. He kept casting sidelong glances at the others and seemed generally dissatisfied. And finally he broke the silence.
“So these dragons…are they dangerous? Are we going to be safe?”
In front of the queue Taigren grinned a bit to himself. He paused for a moment to allow the grin fade before he pulled on the reins and turned around in the saddle to address his fellow traveler.
“Geriner… I know you are inexperienced, but you may keep your calm. Did I not assure you and your father that your soul shall be kept in safety? Yes – which I did. And you should not question the word of a commander. You best remember that” he said in very assertive tone. “It is the time for you to see what these mountains hide from most peoples. We the elves are among the few who still have dealings with this ancient race. The dragons are our friends in their own way. Yes, they are very dangerous and sometimes unfathomable, but we shall be safe as long we abide them and adhere to our agreement about always approaching them unarmed”. With that he turned and signaled his horse to continue. “If I am not mistaken we are just about there!” And indeed, right behind the next turn the road suddenly widened into a large clearing and on the other side there was a sizeable opening in the side of the mountain, right in front of them. An entrance to a huge cave, it seemed. Taigren sniffed the air and closed his eyes for a second before he turned and spoke again: “Geriner, Lelathi, and Arenof, I may repeat myself, but I desire no conflict with the dragons. We have been asked to arrive here, so we shall act as visitors should. We must relinquish our weapons – all weapons – when asked, and remember not to speak unless I give the word. I have visited here hundreds of times, so they know me. Also Lelathi and Arenof, you are already used to the company of dragons, but you, Geriner…well, rest assured there is no need to fear. We are safe, especially now as we share an enemy with them”
“You mean the beast, the demon…” Geriner said.
“Yes. Now step down and leave your horses. They will wait for us here”, Taigren said and dismounted his horse. The rest of the elves followed suit and they walked into the cave. Almost the very moment they entered the shadows of the cave, a row of torches burst into flames on the wall, revealing a dragon standing in front of them; its scales and teeth gleamed in the light of the torches and its piercing eyes regarded them with a reptilian stare that could bring chills to most any mortal’s spine. Geriner flinched and took a couple of steps to the side. The dragon eyed them with fuming nostrils and grinned even wider.
“Tam” Taigren smiled. “I know you sense that we have an inexperienced one with us, but I already told him he does not need to fear that mangy old gatekeeper lizard.”
The dragon opened its eyes wide and appeared very insulted, raising its wingtips a little and inhaled as if ready to scorch them with its fiery breath. The three elves behind Taigren cowered, but suddenly the dragon burst into laughter. Tam and Taigren had been good friends since before they could even remember. They had always lived close to each other, and despite the vast differences in their species, there had always been a certain sense of belonging…to a same era, to the same destiny, as the tales and stories had always told.
“Taigren, you are almost as old as I, if I remember correctly. Where did you leave your cane?” the dragon roared with laughter. “It is nice to see you, though. Like to talk more, but they await you in the large hall…so please, leave your weapons here and venture forth”, Tam said and could not resist grinning wide at Geriner, who did not knew what to do facing the huge row of Tam’s teeth at close proximity. Tam laughed again, in the manner dragons do, and the sound alone would have been enough to send a weaker fellow running for cover.
“Do not tease him, Tam. Do not you have a bone or something to gnaw at?” Taigren scolded the dragon and then turned to the rest of the elves. “You heard what the dragon said” he said, and laid his longbow, quiver and sword to small table obviously meant for the purpose. Lelathi and Arenof followed his example while Geriner still hesitated.
“But… my sword, my father gave it to me and he said never…” he started but cut it short as he saw how Taigren began to raise an eyebrow, and promptly placed his sword on the table. When they were ready Taigren nodded at Tam.
“Ready? Follow me then” the dragon grunted and waved his wings towards the large doors behind him, which opened slowly as they walked towards them.
“Now remember what I said before” Taigren instructed the others. “Not a single word unless I say so.” He was just stepping through the doors as he remembered something: “Oh yes, one more thing. Do not touch any treasure you might see. Seriously.”
The other three nodded with compliance and they stepped through the doors. The hall opening wide behind the doors was very spacious. And if Tam had been enough to scare Geriner alone, now he was forced to witness a sight few mortals had laid eyes on. There were no less than thirteen dragons in the hall, and the air inside seemed to pulsate and throb to the rhythm of their breathing. Their scales glittered in the sparse light available and their teeth gleamed in the shadows like swords drawn out. Many of them were much bigger than the gatekeeper they had first met, and several of them carried scars made by creatures the elves could only guess what they could have been. There were piles of gold and diamonds, all kinds of treasure on their feet, and it seemed almost like the dragons were bathing in riches. In the middle of the room there was a huge dragon whose scales had a particularly deep lilac tint to them, and besides sheer size it clearly was a head above the others in the room: an ancient horror that had eyes like golden pools washed in black clouds. As they approached warily, it lowered its head to meet them and spread out its wings, which seemed to send a gust of wind all across the cavern. Taigren stopped, nodding at Tam, who slid back to the antechamber and closed the doors behind.
“The big one is the leader” he whispered to the others. “Now wait here, do not move, stay silent” he whispered and then walked into the ring of dragons. The dragons eyed him with interest as he walked past them, straight to the leader in the middle. It bowed its immense head even lower until Taigren felt its scorching hot breath so strong he could hardly stand up straight. The dragon turned its head to turn its huge disc of eye closer to the elf, who was relieved to get out of the steam pouring from its nostrils. He put his palms together and bowed with respect.
“Galtrone” he spoke in a voice that showed respect, and the dragon nodded its head in acknowledgement.
“Taigren…” the dragon growled, recognizing the elf, and its grandiose voice echoed and roared in the hall as all the other dragons just watched in silence. “Galtrone is pleased you honored the invitation. Stand on this so I need not lie down when I speak the thee” it said, pushing a large chest filled with riches towards Taigren, and the elf promptly climbed atop the case and looked at the fearsome creature.
“I believe you invited us to talk about the beast”, the elf began with a bow.
Galtrone’s eyes flickered.
“Yes, the beast, Firnaraee. You elves are wise. You see things better than humans. Yes. We all know that the world destroyer has been awoken. But the humans…will live happily until they perish, yes. But this is not arbitration, no. I ask you to come, to hear.”
“I do not understand, to hear what? I assumed that
we would speak about what we ought to do with the beast” Taigren said, puzzled.
“But you assume wrong, yes…we the dragons are going to do nothing, no. We are leaving….” Galtrone spoke in the manner dragons tend to do, drawing out words in long reptilian sighs between pieces of sentences. “The dragons…decided to leave this world, yes. This world…will die”
“What!” Taigren shouted and raised his hands in disbelief. “Your intention is to leave? But why? We have to fight it, not flee!”
“Ah, you are brave and foolish enough to make a stand to the beast. I knew that, yes” it hissed in a low voice. “But this is not wise. There is no chance to win. Not for the elf, no. Not for the dragons, no. Not without Bathalá”, Galtrone pronounced the last word with reverence and lifted his head up towards the ceiling, and the rest of the congregation of dragons hissed and murmured in agreement. Taigren started to become nervous, not believing what he was hearing.
“But…but…you just cannot leave all this without a fight” he exclaimed, opening his palm to Galtrone. The dragon watched him from high above and then spoke:
“Yes, the dragons will. We know there will be no chance and it is better to leave than die”, it said, irritation creeping into its voice.
“But…this can not be…” Taigren tried again but Galtrone had had enough. “Silence!” it roared and more fumes arose from its nostrils. Its shadow grew larger and it seemed to fill the entire hall as it flexed its wings. The three elves at the door looked at each other, shaken. Galtrone seemed to consider something for a second before he spoke again. “No one contests me here, no! I, Galtrone, honor our harmony. I, Galtrone asked you to come that I could tell you this, yes. And no one shall know about what became of the dragons, but the elves” Taigren lowered his head.
“I apologize”
“No need. Galtrone have an offer for the elves, yes”, the dragon said, suddenly calm again. “We invite you to join us. To leave this world, yes”
“What!” Taigren shouted. “No! The elves…” but just then there was a crack to be heard from by the doors. Thirteen dragon heads and Taigren’s turned to the doors. It was Geriner - he had dropped his helmet. His face was pale and Lelathi and Arenof stared at him accusingly. In a swift moment Galtrone took onto its wings and very easily flung itself to the elves at the door. Taigren nearly fell under the gust of the mighty wind as the creature swept over him. The dragon touched down in front of the elves, as pale as the moon at the sudden approach of the monster, reeling under its fiery breath and feeling the ground shake as its tail landed on the cavern floor.
“And who is this?” The dragon asked. “Who is the one interrupting Galtrone?”
Geriner fainted before it got an answer, dropping down on the stone like an empty sack, and even though Lelathi and Arenof were already somewhat used to the company of dragons, they also felt their knees buckle. Taigren laid down his gaze in shame. Galtrone guffawed.
“Warriors you have here. These will fight against Firnaraee, hah. You have a change, yes? No!” It turned back to Taigren and hissed a warning in a low voice. “You shall all lie dead if you do not follow the dragons. How is it going to be, Taigren?”
“No”, the elf commander said. “The elves will not give up. We will fight!”
“Very well”, the dragon said, nodding with respect, but perhaps a slight disappointment in its voice. “There are not many peoples left from our era. A shame it is. But Galtrone admires a friend’s decision. Now you shall leave…please” it added the compliment to stress the fact he honored Taigren’s decision. It made its way back to its place in the middle. The elf commander sighed and stepped off the pedestal as the dragons silently watched, and walked to meet his comrades with a heavy heart. “Lelathi and Arenof…carry him out” he pointed at Geriner and pushed the large doors open for them to pass. He walked to the antechamber where Tam was waiting for them. “Did you…” the elf said as he walked towards the yellowish dragon.
“Yes” Tam answered with a heavy voice. “I knew. I will miss you my dear friend Taigren” and lowered its head. Even the sight of the fainted elf being carried by his fellows did not amuse the dragon any more.
“There is little chance, is there?” Taigren asked.
“No” the dragon answered quickly, but added after a second’s pause. “Well, you can always try to find Bathalá…but it is just a tale. Old gods do not exist anymore. The dragons shall leave eventually, once we are ready. There is no other way” Tam heaved. “The rest of your life… I hope you do it well” the dragon said, closing the doors behind it.
“I hope so too” Taigren whispered. Now he feared there would indeed be no hope. If the dragons did not even believe their own god existed, how would he even try to find it? He sighed and turned for others. “Lift that poor one on to his horse. We shall go without further delay since there is nothing to do here anymore. The elders would not be delighted about this” and watched as his companions walked out of the cave. Then he turned to face the dragon again, as something crossed his mind.
“Tam…Firnarae…is an old god, no?” and with that he followed the others, leaving the dragon in the dark, considering his final remark.