Chapter 5: Buried in the Sand (Mark I)

Caden and Rilyn walked for the rest of the night. Caden never rode Starlight. They reached the highway by sunrise. The road to Erdon was marked by an old well next to a log lean-to and trough. Caden drew water from the well and filled the trough. He let Starlight drink while he sat in the lean-to.

"Planning on taking a break already?"

"No," Caden said.

"Just asking," said Rilyn. "Because when I ran away from home, I went more then a couple of hours away."

"This is the farthest I've ever traveled from my home."

"So what?" Rilyn dropped the bucket into the well. "Eric told me you wanted to leave that town."

"Hey! Do you even remember what it was like to leave your home for the first time?"

"Yeah." Rilyn pulled the rope and hauled the full bucket out. "It was a month ago. And I haven't looked back." He carried the bucket to Caden. "Like you, staying home meant death."

"I'm not going die if I stay in Erdon."

"You're not?"

"No!" Caden yelled.

"Staying put, delivering bread every morning, getting married and raising a home," said Rilyn. "While every year, the Dragon Knights come, and choose people, but never you? Watching the people you know, leave you behind and live the life you dream of?"

Caden looked at the bucket in Rilyn's hands.

"There are ways of dying that don't leave you buried in the sand."

"I will join the Dragon Knights," Caden said. He looked Rilyn in the eyes.

"Not like that you won't." Rilyn set the bucket down. "Unless you want to be buried in the sand, get that sword of yours off the horse."

Caden looked down the road, back to Erdon. Rilyn picked up the bucket and threw the water on Caden. "What?" Caden shook his head.

"I said, get your sword and..."

Caden ran at Rilyn. He threw a punch with all of his strength. Rilyn stepped to the side. Caden's punch missed. It passed by Rilyn's ear. Rilyn's elbow hit Caden in the solar plexus while he drew a dirk. He put the tip against Caden's neck.

"As I said, you'll be buried in the sand." Rilyn put his dagger away. "Your Mayor charged me with making sure that doesn't happen."

When they started, Caden couldn't lift the stone sword. When they finished, Caden couldn't lift his own arms. He laid on his back in front of the lean-to. He stared at the light filtering through the trees.

Rilyn looked at his stone sword. "I could break this thing," he said. "Then you'll have a better chance of clubbing someone with it."

"No. I can use it. I saved the children."

"From a grumpy, moldy old man," Rilyn said, "in robes. That's hardly proof of your prowess against a trained fighter. This thing is going to get you killed."

Caden sat up. "Don't doubt me. I was able to lift it in one hand."

Rilyn looked at Caden's skinny arms. "I doubt that." Rilyn opened Caden's knapsack and took out two loaves. He tossed one to Caden. "Eat, drink, then we need to get moving." Rilyn broke the hard outer crust.

"Wait." Rilyn looked at Caden. "Switch loaves."

Rilyn looked at the two loaves. His was darker. He thought it was over cooked and burnt a little. He shrugged and swapped loaves with Caden. He broke the lighter loaf in half and bit into the meaty filling. He cringed and puckered at the taste. It was the most sour thing he ever put into his mouth. And there was a lingering taste of something he never had before. He looked at the bread, it was dotted with green specks.

Caden laughed. "You're really not from around here," he said. "Don't worry, I don't care for the sour seaweed stew either." He broke open his bread and took a big bite. "Now the sweet honey stew is to die for." Bits of food flew from his mouth as he talked. He picked up his knapsack. "Next time, don't take my food without asking."

Rilyn smiled. He watched Caden untie the horse and lead it out onto the highway. He looked down at the disgusting bread. He took another bite and forced himself to eat it while following Caden.

Chapter 5: The road to Tinate (Mark I)

A week passed, and the Dragon Queen had not returned. It seemed like the old stories were true. A sacrificed daughter would appease the queen and she would not return for a year and a day. The stories did not say why she wanted the sacrifice.

Caden was there. He saw the Dragon Queen take Keilee. It didn't kill her, it took her. He knew she was still alive. No one else believed him. Even if it took her alive, it would have eaten her by now. She was dead, the town held a memorial for her, and thanked her for saving the town.

Yet no one thanked Harron.

The town did not mention the role he played in the sacrifice of his daughter. He saved them, they knew that. But no one approved. Harron returned to his homestead with the remainder of his family. No one went out to check on them. No one would consider talking with him.

In that week, the people were busy rebuilding their town. Sir Eric eventually recovered, but moped around worse then before. No one ever saw him sober anymore. He just walked around the town with a bottle of shine in his left hand. His right arm and shoulder were gone.

The stranger, Rilyn, even helped out with the rebuilding. He had recovered and was only using a cane instead of a crutch.

Caden fought a different battle. He tried to convince his father to let him go after the Dragon Knights. To get them to mobilize and hunt down the Dragon Queen, and save Keilee. His father refused. He told his father that someone had to notify the church of Father Coteson's actions. His father refused.

Caden crept into the kitchen late at night. He carried a knapsack with a change of clothes. His father had been baking a lot of stew rolls lately. Giving them to the workers around the town. It was a good bread, hard outer crust allowed it to last for days. Inside was a soft bread stuffed with meat, vegetables, gravy, and potatoes. Caden preferred the spicy and sweet flavors, but couldn't tell which were which in the dark. So he opened his knapsack and filled it with loaves from all three trays.

He moved a bench over to the ovens and climbed up. On top was a small lock box. Caden grabbed the box and brought it down. Inside was a handful of coins. He took about half. Right now, neighbors were helping neighbors. His father received free ingredients as long as he gave free bread to the people working. But it wouldn't last, and Caden wanted to leave him with enough to buy what he would need.

His father's mare, Starlight, was old, past 10 harvests. Caden walked her out of his father's back yard and through town. He wasn't going to ride her until they were past the hollows left by the dragon's attack. Instead he carefully lead her down each one and back up the other side.

He passed the temple, and saw the stone sword laying in the garden where he left it. He walked over and picked it up. He could barely lift it. He tried to swing it, but failed. He didn't understand why he couldn't lift it anymore.

"What are you planning on doing with that?" Rylin stepped out from under a tree. In the moonlight, his hat cast a shadow over his eyes.

"Protection," Caden said. "Bandits are on the highway, and I've heard people talk about the gremlins attacking at night."

"And what good will it do you if you can't lift it?"

"Hey, I can lift it." Caden strapped the sword to Starlight. "I saved the kids using this sword. And I'm going to save it Keilee with it."

"You're going to get yourself killed."

"Why are you here, Rilyn?"

"The mayor said you were going to be leaving tonight," said Rilyn. He picked up a sack, threw it over his shoulder, and tied it in place. "Asked me to go with you."

"How could he have known that?"

"I don't know, kid. So where are we going?"

"The Dragon Knights left town, heading north. So I'm going to check Fort Tinate first."

"Lead the way."

Rilyn wasn't stopping him, so Caden didn't care what he did. Rilyn followed Caden as they walked out of town. They exited the northern gate and followed the road till they reached the highway.

Chapter 4: Save Erdon? (Mark I)

Thadeus Silverthorn took Caden aside. "Caden, you're father doesn't want you to go, but I think you are the best choice."

"Why?" asked Caden.

"Do you have to ask? Or are happy that it gets you what you want."

"I guess so." Caden looked around for Keilee. She had disappeared while he was talking to the mothers. "It just seems like no one else in this town thinks so."

"I've been around long enough to see things most people miss." Thadeus put his hand on Caden's shoulder. "Now, tell me about how you saved the children."

Harron held his daughter by the arm. She followed him, but continued to look up at the sky. Harron used the time that Thadeus was distracted by Caden to leave the temple unnoticed. They walked out to the town square. There was a large pole in the center of the town square, and Harron was glad that it still stood. Ropes with broken lanterns hung from the top.

Harron tied Keilee to the pole. "Why are you doing this?" she cried.

"I'm sorry, but the scriptures are clear." He pulled the ropes tighter. "Before the Queen was sealed, we appealed her with female sacrifices. You are going to save the town."

Rilyn was helping Sir Eric through town. He survived the dragon attack, but his right arm was caught in the blast. It vanished with the rest of the Tavern. Rilyn heard the screams and pulled Sir Eric out the backdoor as the building was destroyed by the dragon's attack.

Sir Eric was lucky, he was already passed out from drinking too much. Yet Rilyn did not envy him waking up to finding his right arm missing. Rilyn watched Harron tie the girl up. He adjusted Sir Eric and left the square.

Harron lit two fires, one on each side of Keilee. She just hung her head and cried.

Rilyn carried Sir Eric into the temple. He placed him with the rest of the injured. Only a handful of people managed to survive being hit by the Dragon Queen's attack. Caden walked over to them.

"It's good to see that you survived," said Caden. "I'd heard that Sir Eric died."

"Not dead," said Rilyn. "But he's not lucky either." Rilyn laid a blanket over Sir Eric. "Who was that girl you were with last night?"

Caden looked at Rilyn. "At the town social?"

"Yea."

"Her name's Keilee. I didn't think you would have noticed us."

"Hmm... Well, Keilee is being tied to a post in town square right now."

"What?" Caden looked around the room. He didn't see Keilee anywhere. Outside the Dragon Queen roared. Caden ran out of the temple.

Caden reached the town square in time to see the Dragon Queen land. It crushed several buildings that were still standing. It's tail swept through the half destroyed remains of other houses. Keilee screamed. The Dragon Queen reached forward and grabbed her and the pole she was tied to. It snapped the pole.

Caden ran at the dragon. It spread it's wings and flapped them. The wings sent gusts of wind down that blew Caden down. A few more flaps and it was airborne. The gusts knocked houses over. Caden stood back up and watched the Dragon Queen carry Keilee away.

Keilee screamed Caden's name. He ran after her and the dragon till they disappeared into sky. He fell to the ground. Tears running down his face.

Chapter 4: The Death of Erdon (Mark I)

The town of Erdon was gone. Some buildings remained, and parts of other buildings still stood. But most of the buildings were gone, replaced by deep holes and long hollows. Caden walked into town along the main road. The children huddled around him. The streets were deserted.

Caden couldn't figure out what happened. There was no smoke, no fire. The buildings were just gone. Long deep hollows cut through the ground, and when they passed through a building, that part of the building was gone. There was no debris or anything else left.

The Dragon Queen roared in the distance. The children cried and grabbed Caden. Caden lifted the stone sword, it was getting heavy again. "Don't worry," he told the children. "We'll just go to the temple. The Five Sages will protect us there." Caden said a silent prayer for the temple to still be there.

The temple still stood. Caden and the children walked towards the sacred gate. The deep hollows lead up to the temple, then stopped. The gardens around the temple were untouched.

The Dragon Queen roared. Caden looked back. It was flying straight for them. It's massive black wings blocking out the midmorning sun. It's mouth opened, and a ball of black darkness formed. Everything around it was stretched and distorted, like it was consuming the very light around it. The ball stretched into a streak. It struck the ground and the ground vanished, leaving a deep hollow as it approached.

Caden and the children ran for the sacred gate. One child tripped and fell. Caden heard him crying. "Keep running!" He told the children. He stopped and looked back. The black streak hit the child, and the crying stopped. The child was gone, and the black streak closed in on Caden.

The town was huddled inside the temple. Mother's cried over their missing children. The men were gathered at the entrance. They held tools and poles, anything that would pass for a weapon. Mayor Silverthorn stood in the middle of them.

"Have you found anymore survivors?" asked Thadeus.

Max, the barber, closed his razors. "No, everyone seems to be here already, or they're missing."

Caden's father didn't have anything for a weapon. "I saw what that darkness does to people," he said. "Anyone not in here, is dead."

"Your son hasn't been seen since last night," Thadeus said. "Maybe he wasn't in town."

"What about Sir Eric?" Max asked. "He was trained to slay dragons."

Caden's father shook his head. "I asked around. He was in the tavern when it got hit."

"Then we only have one choice," said Harron. "We have to bring back the old ways."

"No, we are not going back to that," said Thadeus. "Who would we sacrifice?"

"A lottery. Just like they did back then." The old men looked at each other.

"I'll never approve of such a thing," said Thadeus. "The Dragon Knights were here yesterday. They couldn't have gone far. If someone can fetch them, they'll return with an army." Thadeus looked at each man, daring them to disagree with him. "We're safe inside the temple."

"But who will we send?" asked Harron.

The doors opened. Everyone in the temple looked.

"I'll go," said Caden. He was dirty and bloody. His green tunic was torn and stained. The children huddled behind him.

The crying children ran to their mothers. Keilee saw Caden and ran to him. "Caden!" she called. He walked past her. She stopped and watched him pass to some mothers who were looking for their kids in the group.

Caden dropped his head. "I'm sorry."

Chapter 3: The Dragon Queen (Mark I)

Caden climbed the rough cut stairs. The passage narrowed. Caden turned to his side, and squeezed through. The torch heated up the tight space. Caden sweated. His shirt caught on the rock and ripped. He saw the light outside. Light outside, how long was he in those tunnels? Vines and ivy covered the exit. Caden dropped the torch and pushed through the plants.

He emerged from a crevice in a large rock. The morning sun shone through the forest canopy. He blinked as he looked around. The forest was quiet. Not a single bird sang. The people in town had to have noticed the missing children by now. What will they do when they find the stairs behind the altar? What will they do if they find the bodies of the Dragon Knights?

Caden hefted the stone sword in one hand. It didn't feel heavy anymore. He guessed that it had to be over a stone in weight. He lifted the stone sword. Before, it was too heavy for him to lift with two hands, now he held it in one hand. It was carved imathia green marble, and over 20 hands in length.

He took the time to figure out where he was. He saw a large tree above the stone he climbed out of. It had a thick twine rope tied around it, with white and red ribbons. Caden recognized the tree, and the rock he climbed out of. It was the heart of the Dragon Queen. It was said the Five Great sages sealed the Dragon Queen's heart, a diamond the size of a human head, inside the stone. He never knew the stone was split in half before.

He walked down the path to the Dragon's Maw. Father Coteson stood in the clearing. Surrouned by the rows of sharp jagged boulders. The Queen's half buried teeth. The children stood next to the boulders, not moving.

Father Coteson's staff burned with green fire. He held up the Queen's heart. He chanted in the ancient temple language. Caden could only make out a few words. "δράκος βάσιλισσα," meant Dragon Queen, and "επιστροφή," meant the return.

The giant diamond pulsed. It started beating to the rhythm of his chant. With every pulse, red flowed through it, until it looked like a real heart. Father Coteson dropped the heart and it sank into the ground. Caden saw the black darkness around Father Coteson. It was the same darkness that let him see his attackers in the tunnel.

The ground shook, and split open. Flames errupted from the depth. The green fire on Father Coteson's staff flashed. The ground crumbled away, leaving a fiery ring around Father Coteson. The children's eyes flashed with the green fire. "Come my children," he said. "Step into the pit, feed the Queen, and we shall purify the world."

Caden ran into the clearing. The children stepped forward. Caden jumped over the pit and brought the stone sword down on Father Coteson's wrist. The bones shattered. He dropped the staff. The children stopped.

"You fool," said Father Coteson. "You have no idea what's going on here." He waved his good hand at Caden. The green flame shot up from the staff and into Caden's eyes. "Now, step into the pit with the children." Father Coteson smiled and looked into Caden's eyes.

The tip of the stone sword hit the ground. Caden turned towards the pit. He stepped forward. The children stepped forward. Father Coteson picked up his staff. "Good boy," he said.

Caden grabbed the sword in both hands and swung it around. It dragged a circle around Caden. He lifted it up as he swung it into Father Coteson. The stone sword snapped the staff in half. He cleaved through into Father Coteson. Caden heard Father's ribs crack.

Father Coteson stumbled back. "How?" He fell backwards into the pit.

Caden and the children ran back to the village. The ground continued to shake and tremble. An earthquake shook the ground. Caden and the children fell to the ground. Trees snapped and fell around them.

They looked up, and saw the Dragon Queen rising from beneath the ground. Trees, rocks, and dirt fell from her scales. Her black body sparkled in the morning sunlight. It spread it's wings, and blocked out the sun. It looked to be almost four furlongs tall. It raised it's massive head and let out a roar. The ground shook, and Caden felt the sound in his bones. The children cried.

Chapter 3: Darkness (Mark I)

Caden squinted, then blinked. He stood in absolute darkness. He couldn't see his own hands. Yet he saw three shapes coming at him. Somehow, they looked darker then total darkness. Caden watched them move. They took slow and steady steps.

The first one moved faster. It closed the ten foot gap in an instant. Caden stepped back. A line of fire was drawn across his stomach. He touched the hole in his tunic and felt the warm wetness spreading.

It moved again. Caden ducked. The steel sword rang when it hit against stone. Crack. A large object fell on Caden. The shape moved again. Caden smelled herbs and dried flowers. Clank. The steel sword bounced off the heavy object on Caden's back.

He touched it. The stone was rough. It had ridges carved into it's round surface. Lower, the round shape became flat. It was a statue's stone sword.

Clank. The steel sword bounced off of the stone one. The other two shapes where standing back. They waited for the first to move. Caden grabbed the stone sword in both hands. He screamed as he lifted the sword onto his shoulder, then flipped it over.

The sword came down at the dark shape. It moved. The stone sword hit the steel sword. The weight was too great and knocked the steel sword to the ground. The black shape fell under the sword and disappeared.

Caden couldn't see it anymore. The next shape rushed at him. Caden spun around, dragging the stone sword in a circle. The stone sword scrapped against the floor. Caden lifted the sword up and spun it around in time to catch the second dark shape in the midsection. It hit the wall and disappeared.

Before he could recover, the third shape was on top of him. It moved, and Caden brought the sword up. The steel sword bounced off of the stone one. The tip was caught in the corner between the floor and the wall. Caden held the handle up, and knelt under the blade.

The third one attacked faster then the first. Caden's arm was tired from the weight of the stone and the force of the impact. But the attacks were too fast. He didn't have time to do anything between strikes.

Clank. "One, two, three," Caden counted. Clank. "One, two, three." Clank. "One, two, three." Clank.

"One, two." Caden rolled back. He lowered the handle, but held onto it. The shape struck, missed, and fell forward. Caden lifted the sword up and smashed it in the face. It stumbled back. Caden ran forward and put his shoulder into it. It fell down. He used his shoulder for leverage and flipped the sword onto the dark shape on the floor.

It disappeared. Caden dropped the stone sword.

He couldn't see anything. He felt along the wall until he found a torch bracket. He fumbled with a flint and small knife. Eventually, he got the sparks to land on the oil drenched rag, and the torch burned. He turned to look for his attackers. When he saw them, he fell to the ground and vomited.

He knew these men. One was Max the Barber's son, his head was crushed down the middle. The one against the wall, almost cut in half, was the woodcutter's brother. And the third, laying on it's back with the stone sword on top of him, was the blacksmith's only son.

Only, they were already dead. They were the three dead Dragon Knights which Father Coteson honored at the the funeral earlier that day. Straw and preservative herbs had fallen from their bodies and was scattered across the floor.

Caden stood up. He grabbed the stone sword. It didn't feel as heavy as it did before. The torch flickered. Caden looked at it. It flickered again, moving the way he had come from. He took the torch from the bracket, and held it up in front of the first two passages. It burned steady. But when he held it before the third passage, it flickered again.

Caden walked down the third passage. He carried the stone sword over his shoulder. He followed the draft till he got outside.

Chapter 3: A splitting headache (Mark I)

Sam beat the dough with her spoon. "How could you do that?"

"I know," Caden said. "I'll apologize to her in the morning."

"Apologize to who?"

"Keilee, I shouldn't have just left her like that."

Sam cracked the spoon against the table. Splinters flew at Caden. He turned away, the splinters stuck into his hair. "That's not what I'm talking about."

"What are you talking about?"

"You are so clueless."

"Caden!" cried Keilee. "Caden! Come back."

"Keilee!" Caden ran out the kitchen door, and was standing in the middle of the town social. Some of the splinters in his hair caught fire. He brushed them away. "Keilee!"

"Caden."

Caden saw Keilee, sitting on the bench where he left her. She was crying. The fire remained in his hair. The heat was getting hotter, but it wasn't spreading, it was shrinking, growing more intense. Caden walked to Keilee. He pushed past the people in his way. "Keilee!"

Keilee was picked up and drawn away. "Caden!"

The fire got hotter, and thinner. Like a knife pressing into his skull. "Keilee!" The crowd disappeared, the town fell away. Leaving only Caden and Keilee. Yet Keilee was being pulled farther and farther away. Caden ran, but couldn't keep up. A bright light blinded him.

When he opened his eyes, he was looking straight up the circular stair case. His vision was blurry and doubled. The fire from his dream was still in his hair. He touched his head. The blood was matted into his hair. It was sticky and clotted.

He pushed against the stairs with his feet until he was lying flat on the floor. He heard his shirt rip. He looked straight up at a lit torch above his head. He grabbed at the wall and pulled himself up. He stood as the tunnel spun until the floor came up to meet his face.

He laid on the floor, just breathing. He waited for his vision to clear, everything return to one image, and his heart slow back down. Then he pushed himself up with his arms. He was sweating. He waited for the wave of nausea to pass. Then he slid his knees under himself and lifted his head. He leaned against the stone wall. The cool stone felt good against his burning face.

He didn't know how long he was unconscious. He didn't know how long he sat there, waiting to be able to walk again. But he was able to walk, and he followed the corridor. The corridor was long, and every twenty feet, there was a burning torch in a bracket. There were turn offs, multiple passages, but only the main one was lit. So he followed the light.

Caden looked at his tunic. It was ripped, stained with blood and dirt. He looked at where it shredded against the stone, and the bruises and scrapes underneath. Every part of his body ached and cried with each step.

Next to every torch bracket were two statues of Dragon Knights. They were huge, each was carved and fitted stone, and held a stone sword taller then Caden.

He stopped. He couldn't see where the next torch was. The path split into three tunnels, but none of them showed any light. He looked back the way he came. It'd be a long walk, and he didn't want to climb the stairs, but what choice did he have? He turned around and walked back. The tunnel ahead looked darker then before.

Then he saw it. The torch 200 feet ahead went out. Then the next one, and the next. Caden stood there and watched the darkness approach. He backed up till he got to the last lit torch.

One by one, the torches went out, bringing the darkness closer. They weren't burning out, they weren't dimming. The flames turned blue, then stopped.

Caden could hear his own heart beating. The torch only sixty feet away flashed blue and went out. With every beat of his heart, Caden heard another footstep. The torch forty feet away went out. Something was coming, and Caden didn't know what to do. The torch twenty feet away went out. He stood between two giant statues of Dragon Knights and spoke a prayer for protection.

The torch next to Caden flashed blue and went out. Shnick... Caden heard the slow sound. It sounded like when the barber drew his razors across his leather strip to keep them sharp. "Max?" Caden called. "Is that you?" Caden heard two more people following the first one.

Shnick... Shnick...