“What do I have to do to get that damned Dragon Sword?” Kaviel raged at Tempest, who watched the scar-faced human with scarcely veiled contempt. “That warrior has thwarted my every plan!” He yanked a two-inch-long thorn from his thigh, then screamed in pain and fury. He threw the thorn away in disgust, then rose to his feet and began to pace nervously, limping heavily on one leg.
“You seem bothered by something.” The scarlet dragon mocked, sneering hatefully at the injured human. “Whatever could be the matter?”
“Shut up, you overgrown flying toad!” He roared angrily. “I need to think!”
Tempest snorted, sending black smoke billowing from her flared nostrils. “Think hard and think fast.” She growled warningly. “That warrior is coming, and he is set on destroying you.” She chuckled coldly. “Once he gets his hands on you again, your plans are going to come to an abrupt and permanent end!”
“I told you to shut up!” Kaviel snarled, rubbing his injured ribs gingerly. “He and his companions are not stupid enough to attack the camp!” He murmured, more to himself than to Tempest. “They are but five pitiful warriors. I have an army a thousand strong! They haven't the power to face me!”
“Are you so sure?” The massive serpent questioned, eyeing the man speculatively. “Do not forget that he is a sorcerer, and a powerful one at that. He also has the Dragon Sword. It appears to have powers similar to the Dragon Gem. You may be a bit closer matched than you realize.”
The scar-faced man scowled, then returned to pacing. “I must get that sword!” He burst out after a moment, sounding much like a child whining for its lost toy. “Without it I cannot release the power of the gem!” He kicked a pile of gold coins, then cried out in pain and fell writhing to the floor holding his foot.
Tempest chuckled again, then sighed heavily and laid her massive head against the cool stone floor. It had been hard for her to accept the fact that such a bumbling idiot had found the Dragon Gem. Unlimited power and very little intelligence had proven to be a dangerous combination. Kaviel had used what little intelligence he did possess to discover that he needed the Dragon Sword to unlock the gem's true power. With that discovery, she concluded, his intelligence had run empty. He completely lost touch with reality during his search for the sword, laying waste to everything that stood, then searching the remains after all were dead. She had tried many times to explain that there were better ways to search for the sword, but the human had ignored her completely. He seemed to become nearly drunk with power as he discovered more about the gem's true purpose, mostly from Tempest herself.
When she had first been released from the confines of the Dragon Gem after so many years, she had been somewhat surprised to find herself face to face with Kaviel. He had looked as surprised to see her as she was to see him, and after a single glance, he had screamed in terror and tried to scramble away, still grasping the huge gem in which he had been inspecting. It had taken her quite a while to calm him long enough to listen to her, and then quite a while longer to make him understand that the beautiful gem he held controlled her every move.
At first, she was relieved to finally be free of the gem's confines, but she soon learned that the scar-faced man was to be a scoundrel that went berserk with his first taste of true power. He used the gem to force her to tell him everything she knew, then to force her to commit unthinkable atrocities, just to satisfy his homicidal instincts. He also forced her to rip the entire continent apart in search of the sword, and she was completely helpless to stop him.
But now the Dragon Sword had appeared being wielded by a warrior that possessed a power unlike any other human on the planet! A fierce warrior that Kaviel had already crossed, and to which he had very nearly lost his life! And that warrior was now on his way to finish the job.
Her heart had nearly leapt from her chest when she saw her old friend Dar in the company of the warrior. They had locked eyes for only a brief moment, but she instantly knew the childlike Alena had been hot on their trail, searching for some way to set her free. She took comfort in knowing her ancient little friend was guiding the warrior. It was reassuring to know that he was still searching for a way to release her from her imprisonment, even after all this time.
She fixed her gaze on Kaviel, who had stripped off his boot and was examining his big toe, which was swollen to twice its normal size and was badly discolored. She snorted in disgust, then closed her eyes and sighed. The only thing she could do was sit back and wait for what was to come.