Chapter Seven
The Dragon Trainer
As they walked, Andy filled Alden in on everything that had happened since he arrived. He left out the part about the message sphere and him being chosen, however, since he wasn’t sure what Alden might think.
“So, you’re supposed to get the scale of a red dragon?” confirmed Alden in the end.
“Yes, and you’re supposed to help me.”
Alden stopped. “The King said that? But I don’t know anything about dragons. I’m just a servant.”
“I don’t know why you keep saying ‘I’m just a servant.’ He thinks a lot of you or he wouldn’t have suggested you come with me. By the way, if it makes you feel any better, I don’t know anything about dragons either. Not real ones at least.” Andy grimaced.
Alden shook his head. “Great. Neither of us knows anything about dragons. We’re so going to die!” The drama in his tone made both boys snicker and burst out laughing.
They made their way to the main street of the festival late in the afternoon and refocused on finding the dragon master. “Where should we start?”
“I know the general area Merodach probably is,” Alden informed. “It’s an open field at the back of the festival grounds where there’s plenty of room for dragons to stretch out. I’ve heard dragon trainers say, ‘The more room dragons have, the less fierce they are—the more closed in the surroundings, the more fierce they become.’”
“Lead the way.”
The festival grounds were extensive, and it took the boys several minutes to reach the area. As they walked, they could hear bands playing off in the distance. They emerged out into an open grassy field. Several makeshift campsites with one-person pup tents dotted the field like white chicken pox. Dragons were staked between.
“How’d you like to sleep between dragons?” quipped Andy.
“Ah, no thanks.”
Ten dragons paced a good distance apart across the immense field, each a different color: yellow, pale orange, dark blue, purple, green, pink, bright orange, brown, crimson, and bright blue. They all sported a multitude of horns. A metal ring around a hind foot staked each brute in place, but that hardly seemed substantial enough if any one of them got upset. For now the dragons seemed calm. As the boys inched closer, they heard a low rumbling sound.
“What’s that noise?” asked Andy.
“It’s the dragons growling at each other.”
“Sounds like a freight train in the distance.”
“Freight train?” asked Alden.
“Don’t worry about it. Dragons give me the creeps.”
Alden glanced at Andy and shuddered. “Me too.”
As they drew near, Andy whispered, “These dragons are huge!”
The area was strangely quiet. Ahead they saw a group of twelve or so gruff, unkempt trainers standing around a campfire and speaking to each other in hushed whispers. Several water-filled buckets stood nearby.
“Let’s go see if they know where Merodach is,” Andy suggested.
“You sure? These guys have a reputation for being ruthless.”
“You have any better ideas?”
“Well, no.”
“Then come on, let’s go ask them.”
Andy headed through a large common cook site and past a smoldering fire. Alden followed. On the way, Andy tripped over the handle of a cast-iron skillet that stuck out into the path. He fell, doing a face-plant in the dirt. The skillet hit a lantern that stood next to it. Glass shattered and something else crashed to the ground, making a huge racket. Two dragons nearby raised their heads and roared at the commotion. The dark blue dragon reared up on its hind legs and sent a blast of fire at the yellow dragon several yards away. The yellow dragon retaliated and met its attacker with a blast of its own. The pup tent that had been between the two dragons caught fire. Several other dragons began tossing their heads and roaring.
The trainers sprang into action. Grabbing buckets full of water and two blankets, they doused the sparring dragons, distracting them, while a trainer climbed onto the back of each. Both dragons shot flames at each other, but the yellow dragon’s fire connected with the trainer. A deep-throated scream sounded just before the man on the blue dragon fell off. Another trainer took his place. Two trainers tried throwing blankets over the dragons’ heads between blasts of fire and struggled to hold on to the lunging beasts. After several failed attempts, they finally secured the blankets around the dragons’ horns and under their chins. Both beasts struggled for several minutes, tossing their heads about wildly and trying to remove the blindfold. At last, they both calmed down. The trainers who had ridden out the storm on their backs dismounted.
“You okay, Ror?” one of them asked the man who had been burned.
“I’ve had worse,” he replied, standing up and walking over to the few remaining water buckets and cleaning his burns. “Get me something to wrap this with.”
The rest of the men turned piercing eyes on Andy and Alden, then slowly encircled the boys, who froze in terror.
“What do you think you were doing?” accused the self-appointed leader.
“I’m sorry!” pleaded Andy, afraid he and Alden might not live to see tomorrow.
“Keep your voice down, boy,” the man scolded in a gruff whisper. “You nearly created a ruckus with all the dragons. Do you have any idea what could have happened?”
“I’m very sorry, sir. I didn’t mean—” whispered Andy. “Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”
“Yeah, you and your green-haired friend can get outta here, and stay out,” the trainer hissed in a stern voice.
The other trainers remained stone-faced and glaring. One mumbled, “Stupid kids. They have no clue.”
Before retreating, Andy summoned his courage and asked, “We are looking for Merodach. Would you happen to know where we might find him?”
“Merodach? What would two servant boys want with him?”
Without missing a beat, Andy said, “I want to learn how to battle a red dragon, and I was told Merodach could teach me.”
The trainer stared at Andy in disbelief and then broke out in controlled bursts of laughter that would have been heard for miles were volume not an issue. Several others fell to the ground, holding their stomachs, aching from fits of laughter.
“That’s…the stupidest…thing…I’ve ever…heard,” the trainer managed to spit out.
“You two? Battle a red dragon? Are you out of your minds?” interjected another.
After several minutes, the trainer pulled himself together and said to Andy, “Merodach is over there in his tent, catching up on some sleep.” He motioned to an oversized, tattered gray pup tent pitched beside a large oak tree. “By the time you’ve convinced him to teach you how to battle a red dragon, you’ll have already mastered the art.” He broke off in heaves of laughter once again. The rest of the trainers followed suit.
The pair headed for the dragon master’s tent. The trainer hissed a warning after them, “He don’t like Cartesians. Might feed your friend to a dragon just for fun.” Muted laughter broke out once more behind them.
Andy looked back at Alden who followed. “Don’t mind them.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t.”
They reached Merodach’s tent and stood outside listening. Heavy breathing mixed with snoring came from within. They sat down in the shade of the oak tree and waited for the man to awaken. They played with the grass under their feet and twigs on the ground nearby, and still the dragon master slept on. They climbed the lower branches of the oak tree and gradually made their way to the topmost where they got a bird’s-eye view of the festival as far as the fog would permit them. The sun started going down and their stomachs began growling, but the man slept on.
“Do you think we should come back tomorrow?” asked Alden. “No telling how long he’s going to sleep.”
“I’m not leaving until I’ve spoken to Merodach. What we need from him is too important.” Andy’s stomach dissented, grumbling at
the news. And I can’t go home…
“Well, I’m starving. I’m going to get us something to eat.”
Alden shinnied down the tree and left to retrieve dinner. He was back in no time, handing Andy some treats that smelled amazing. Andy’s belly intoned a blessing over the Cartesian. The deep-fried turkey drumstick and pork rolls in BBQ sauce tasted even more mouthwatering than they smelled!
At the scent of the delicious fare, Merodach roused, yawned a yawn that sounded exactly like the beast the trainer had mastered, and stuck his head out of the pup tent. “Who’s there and what’d you bring me to eat?” he bellowed.
His black curly hair stuck out at odd angles, like a startled cat crowning his head. Clearly he was not friends with a comb, for his bushy beard was full of morsels from past meals. As he crawled out of the tent, his enormous belly brushed the ground, adding yet another layer of dirt to his well-soiled plaid shirt, the buttons of which were stretched to their limits over his generous girth. His left hand was missing two fingers. Merodach liberally scratched his big butt as he stood.
Even though Andy craved the food, he said, “I’m Andy, and this is Alden. Someone told me you know all about red dragons and how to find them. You can have our food if you tell us where they are at this time of year.”
Merodach, who towered several feet over them, grinned. “Think you can bargain with me, huh, boy? The last fellow who tried that went missing for quite some time. His body was finally found washed down a river.”
Alden glanced quickly at Andy, but Andy ignored him.
“Please, sir, I just need to know where I can find a red dragon.”
“Well, why don’t you start by minding your manners and giving me that turkey drumstick. That might help my memory.”
Andy passed his partially consumed dinner to Merodach who had seated himself on the grass next to the tree trunk. Immediately, the man began greedily devouring the turkey leg, dripping grease down his beard. Between voracious bites, Merodach asked, “What would two servant boys from the King’s castle need a red dragon for? Surely the King could get one for you if you asked as nicely as you’re asking me,” he grinned. “Have you asked the King so nicely for a wittle wed dwagon to play with? You can feed your friend to it. Red dragons love folks from Carta,” he chided as he took another oversize bite.
Merodach devoured the turkey legs, fried mesh marvels, candy apple, three donuts, and taffy, all the while grunting and slobbering. When he had finished, he let out a thunderous belch, lay down on the grass, and closed his eyes, ready to doze off again.
“So now that you’re full, where are the red dragons?” Andy’s patience wore thin, and while he attempted to hide his annoyance, his tone betrayed him.
The dragon master ignored the question.
We’re getting nowhere this way. Inspiration struck when Andy noticed a bright red sash with yellow flames hanging in the opening of the pup tent, and he moved quietly toward it.
Andy cleared his throat. “Oh Mr. Merodach—”
The beefy brute opened one eye. Andy picked up the sash and slowly walked toward him. Merodach sat up. The dragon master had brawn, but Andy and Alden both had greater speed and quickness, and the man knew it.
“All right, boy, hand that to me.”
“Not until you tell me where I can find a red dragon.”
“Boy, I said give it here.”
Andy took a step backward. Alden followed.
“I’ll give you back your sash when you tell me where I can find a red dragon.”
Merodach and Andy glared at each other for a full minute before the dragon master relented. “Fine. You can find red dragons in the Dragon’s Lair in Abbadon’s land, Hadession.”
“Is that where they are right now? Because I know they migrate depending upon the time of year.”
“Yes, they are there now. I was there not more than a month ago and saw them. Now give me back my sash.”
“How do I know you’re telling me the truth?”
“You don’t, but I can call the other trainers over there. They’d be happy to help convince you.”
Andy caught Alden’s eye then turned back to Merodach. “Here’s your sash, you overgrown baboon.” At this, Andy threw the sash at Merodach and the pair took off running, back toward the main street of the festival.
Andy glanced over his shoulder. Several of the trainers had started after them. “Faster, Alden!”
They lost their pursuers before leaving the festival grounds, but with the sun casting long shadows, they headed for home. After crossing the drawbridge, Alden reminded, “We need to tell the King about that vulture-man.”
“Do you know where King Hercalon is?” Andy questioned the first servant he saw.
“Up in the laboratory with Mermin,” the little woman replied.
The pair bolted up the stairs and knocked loudly on the door.
“Enter,” Mermin invited.
The King and wizard sat on tall stools at a large table and studied a scroll laid out in front of them. They looked up in unison.
“Well, how’d you enjoy the festival today?” A grin spread across the King’s face. Mermin pushed his glasses back up his knotty nose.
“It was great!” Andy beamed. “There’s so much awesome food!”
A duet of chuckles acknowledged his outburst.
“There certainly is,” the sovereign agreed.
“But we also saw something we think you should know about,” Andy continued. The boys spilled everything they had seen, finishing with, “So, what are you going to do?”
The King sat quietly rubbing his chin. After a long silence, he finally spoke. “Based upon reports I’m getting from my field troops, I knew King Abaddon was using those birds to spy on us. But I had no idea they could change into men.”
“How do you know they’re working for Abaddon?” asked Andy.
“King Abaddon is our only enemy. Seems to me, he’s the only one who would care to spy on us.”
“Oh. But I’ve seen people who look like that guy here in the castle. Aren’t you afraid they’re informants?”
“What would you have me do, round them all up because they resemble that man?”
“I don’t know exactly, sir.” Andy looked to Alden for support, but the Cartesian remained silent.
“I wouldn’t want spies reporting everything I’m doing.”
“Well, these people have been under my care for quite some time. If they are indeed spying on us, they certainly wouldn’t have much of importance to report. No, I don’t think we need to do anything just yet, if at all.”
Andy raised a finger to object but the King continued, “Let’s suppose your theory is correct, that Abaddon is gathering information on us. If we got rid of these servants, our enemy would know immediately that we are on to him. What do you suppose would happen then? Would he just stop spying on us?”
“Probably not. He’d just figure out a different way.”
“Exactly. And then we’d need to figure out his new methodology.”
The boys nodded.
“By not doing anything, we can control what he learns about us. This is a much stronger position to be in.”
Mermin smiled. “I have to agwee, Majesty.”
“What will he do if he knows about me?” Andy bit his lip.
“No doubt he already does. We need to be careful not to let him know why you’re here, lest he seek to harm you.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Andy, do you mind if I tell Alden what you shared with me?”
Andy met the King’s eyes. He’s asking my permission? That never happens at home. “No, not at all, sir.”
“Alden, you are sworn to secrecy. You may tell no one.”
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
“As I alluded to during Curse Day, Andy has been brought here to break the curse.” The King proceeded to recount what he, Mermin, and Andy had discovered, both about the clue and the message sphere.
&n
bsp; Alden’s gaze bounced from his sovereign to Andy. “Really?”
“Really,” the King confirmed. “But as I said, you are sworn to secrecy. If you let this slip, you could be putting Andy’s life in danger. You see, the curse gives Abaddon superiority over us in many ways. He would not want us to regain our former advantage over him. I believe he would come after Andy if he ever found out.”
“I understand, sir. I promise not to say a word.”
“Not even to your mother.”
Alden nodded.
“Thank you. And now, do you have an update on finding the red dragons? Did you find Merodach?”
Chapter Eight
Poisoned!