Chapter One
Theft
The caves were dark and dry, and the entrance was surrounded by lush trees and ferns. One side was barred off with a walkway and by the other a small stream passed merrily to rush down the steep drop off and into the valley below. The cavern sat high up on the side of the mountain, just under the top and large openings along the walkway showed the star strewn sky above which gave little light without the moons to shine the way.
Two pairs of soft soled shoes crept over the barrier, the leather that made up the coverings just as soft as the tunics the two men wore. Their shirts were black and so were their wool leggings. One man stood taller; his almost shaved head showed the stubbly growth that should have been cleaned off days ago. Light blue eyes darted around the area, searching out the guards and night patrol he knew should be there. Beside him was a younger man, just out of boyhood, and his apprentice. It was an arrangement that would last for another seven years and the only way the boy could get out of the arrangement, was to either be passed on to another master or die. The younger man was furtive and jumpy at the thought of their task. It was the first time he was to come up against the beast that they sought.
Keeping to the deep shadows of the cave and away from the sporadic torches that lined the walkway they moved deeper into the system of caverns. A large opening gaped dark and wide and the bald man strode on past it, as if he belonged there, while the younger dashed with quick steps, trying to keep quiet. He clutched a satchel bag to himself tightly, his breath coming in fast and shallow gasps.
“Do try to be quiet, Loxa,” the older man said softly, with a hint of menace and boredom.
“Sorry, Master.” The boy followed along, trying to emulate his master, Scetis No Name, dubbed as such as no one knew who or where he was from.
More openings passed them, inside a few sounds could be heard. Soft talking of men from some, and others a sighing sound, like material being swished across a floor. A rumble came from the last one, a bellow quickly followed along with a belch of flames that momentarily lit up the rock that sounded the beast.
In that moment of brief light from the flame Scetis saw his prey. A great golden and red dragon curled in on itself and in an agitated state. A man stood to one side of the great beast, carefully watching it.
“It’s alright girl, you’re just about done. Just one more to come now, Screamer,” the man said gently. Scetis could see he was not as calm as his voice was trying to sound. He was on edge and knew this was not the Dragon Master or even a Dragon Warden.
The only reason he had even thought of trying to do what he was there for was because the Dragon Master was dead, and the current Dragon Warden was in disgrace. He had been suspended and banished for a time from court and the Cave of Dragons. With the men that were left in charge, Scetis knew they would become lax in the absence of true authority. Scetis stepped in through the entry to the cavern and walked up behind the man. Earlier in the evening, before they had made the long climb up to the caverns, he had taken a serum to enhance his night vision. The concoction he had carefully created for just this moment was made up of crushed vaccinium and biloba berries, along with the oils extracted from the small white euphrasia flowers, and other less palatable parts of a small rare animal. The serum was now taking full effect and the Rider did not see him coming.
A hand reached up and grasped around the Rider’s neck, while the other was placed over his mouth and nose to muffle any sound he made. With a quick twist Scetis broke his neck with ease and let the man drop where he had been standing. Another bellow from the dragon was loud in their ears and Loxa came running up to his master.
“Go fetch the eggs, there’s a good boy,” Scetis asked calmly.
“Me? You want me to go near that thing?” Panic was rising in Loxa’s voice as he stared wide eyed at the large creature.
“Who else, unless you would like to finish your apprenticeship now?” It was a common question Scetis used when Loxa’s lack of enthusiasm for something that they were doing annoyed him enough. “Move along, it will be morning soon and I want to be gone from this place long before it has been discovered we have been here.”
Loxa took a hesitant step towards Screamer, who let out another belching flame ball. The large dragon was moving, its long thin body undulating and its shimmering gold wings held high up in the ceiling of the cavern. He eyed up its gaping maw, filled with razor sharp teeth as he stepped closer and closer to it. The body moved revealing the nest where she was laying her eggs as she prepared to birth another. Quickly Loxa ran and picked up the two eggs that sat on the straw, turned, and fled while the dragon was preoccupied with the next birth.
Handing over the two precious eggs to Scetis, Loxa knew better not to expect praise from his master. Instead, he shuffled the bag that was slung across his body around to the front and held it open for Scetis to carefully deposit them in.
Scetis looked at each egg. Alternating bands of gold and red lay on one, while the other shone a brilliant emerald green in the semi-darkness. Carefully and quickly, he placed them in the bag that his apprentice held open, and then turned without another word to the entry. He was not willing to wait for the third egg, two would more than suffice for this order.
If Loxa had seemed nervous going in, he was now terrified of heading out. Scetis did not blame him. To be found in possession of the prohibited items would place both of their necks firmly on the executioners chopping block. It had happened in his lifetime; he had remembered the last Trader of Mystical Medicine who was caught with dragon eggs. His punishment of losing his head should have given Scetis enough warning to stay away this time. But he was aware of his own abilities and strengths, and felt he was the only one to successfully be able to fulfill the order. In addition, it had been hinted as to who the originator of the order was.
Scetis reached out a hand and pushed Loxa up against the rough stone of the cavern, well into the dark reaches of the shadows. Further ahead footsteps could be heard and the light from a lone bobbing torch could be seen coming towards them on the walkway. Loxa held his breath and waited for the Rider to pass them, his eyes fixed firmly ahead of him and not expecting any strangers or trouble, yawning as he went.
As soon as the man had passed, Scetis pulled on Loxa’s arm to get him moving again and then quickened his step. They made their way out of the caverns by the same way they had entered, bypassing the barrier at the entrance of the caverns, and taking a long unused steeper path down the mountain. Reaching almost halfway down they came across their hidden climbing ropes and lashed themselves once more into them. While the steps that were embedded in the side of the mountain and the path they were on both led down to the citadel below, their ropes would take them straight to the bottom of the valley and to their horses that were tethered waiting for them. The pair would be able to ride for cover before the sun came up and be well away from the citadel, palace, and town that surrounded it before any alarm was given.
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