Chapter 8: Father Achilleos

        Caden and Rilyn went to the temple as soon as they finished eating. They left Starlight and most of their gear back at the Blue Fox. They walked along the river. They banks of the river were replaced by stone levees. About every eight fathoms there were stone stairs and a stone landing for boats to tie up to. Many fish merchants docked at the landings and sold the fish straight from the boat.

        Rilyn plugged her nose. "Uhg," she grunted. "I hate the smell of fish."

        "So, do I," Caden said. "And the taste is even worse."

        "Well, at least Cassy gave us good food before I lost my appetite from this smell."

        "Yeah, I guess she heard some rumor about us."

        "You mean a rumor about you," Rilyn said. She poked Caden in the ribs. "I wasn't even mentioned."

        "It's not a big deal." He shrugged. "Everyone is going to forget about it and move on to a new story tomorrow anyway."

        "This coming from a kid who sat on the roof of a Tavern to listen to traveler's tales."

        "How did you..."

        "The mayor told me." She slapped Caden on the back. "He said it was important information to know."

        Caden blushed. "Well, from now on, I'm going to be writing my own stories."

        They walked around a corner and saw numerous people stand on the Temple mall. Father Achilleos and two other priests were speaking with them.

        Rilyn looked at Caden. "Another witch?"

        Caden shook his head and ran up the steps and onto the mall.

        The people in the crowd were shouting to the three priests. "... protect my son!" "My brother disappeared on his way to Scania, can he find him?" Everyone was calling out a request for protection, aid, and a few seeking revenge. 

        Caden pushed his way to the front of the crowd. "Father!" he called. "Father!" He got pushed back and fell down. He moved between the crowds legs till he got right next to Father Achilleos. "Father!"

        Father Achilleos looked at Caden and grabbed him by the arm. "Good, to see you my boy," he said. "Now let's go." Father Achilleos lead Caden through the shouting mob.

        "Shouldn't we go inside the temple?" Caden pointed behind them.

        "Uh..." Father Achilleos looked back at the crowd. "Where are you staying?"

        "The Blue Fox."

        "That will be much better I think." Father Achilleos lead Caden away from the shouting mob and past Rilyn. She followed them.

        Father Achilleos didn't say anything until they were sitting in the Blue Fox's common room. He asked Caden to tell him what happened with Father Coteson. Cassy served them all cinnamon milk tea. While Caden talked, Father Achilleos scratched his short scraggly beard. Their mugs stopped steaming before Caden stopped talking.

        When Caden finished his story, Father Achilleos said, "That is very distressing. Brother Coteson was protecting a very religious site. There might be greater dangers then the dragon queen." 

        "Then you didn't see what she did to my home," Caden said. "And what was going on at the temple?"

        "People have been making requests," said Father Achilleos. "That are beyond the church." He took a drink of cold tea. "As for the dangers I mentioned, I spoke with the council of Brothers, and the Dragon Queen has been seen attacking other Temples."

        "Where has she been seen? We need to get that information to the Knights!"

        Father Achilleos held up his hands. "That will be dealt with in due course," he said. "However, the barrier that protects the temples seems to be fading. The next temple that the Dragon Queen may not survive the assault."

        "Barrier?" asked Caden. "Do you mean the magic that saved our temple?"

        "Yes. There was something very important in Erdon that made that protection possible."

        "The Queen's Heart."

        "No." Father Achilleos shook his head. "There is something far more valuable in Erdon."

        Rilyn looked at Caden. He shrugged. 

        "Brother Michael was supposed to go, but he seemed busy today. I think I shall make the trip to Erdon in his place." Father Achilleos looked at Caden. "If you'll talke me."

Chapter 6: Departure

        Caden saddled and groomed Starlight while Rilyn settled with the Barkeep. Rilyn walked outside.

        "Are you ready?" Caden asked. "We've wasted two nights here, and we're no closer to finding the Dragon Knights, or getting them to save Keilee."

        "You were the one who spent the night with a witch."

        "She's not a witch," Caden said. "I'm certain of that now."

        "Then why did the towns people attack her?"

        "She was found with the witch."

        "And what would they have been doing together?"

        "I don't know."

        "I'm not from around here," Rilyn said. "But our cultures do agree on one thing. Thou shall not suffer a witch to live."

        "She wasn't a witch."

        "But if she had dealings with one, maybe she's on the journey to become one."

        Caden looked away. He led Starlight out the courtyard gate. Rilyn followed. Cassy came out the front door to the Tavern. She ran up to Caden and handed him a loaf of bread.

        "Come back again," she said. "Ok?"

        Caden nodded.

        Rilyn led Caden to the east gate. Identical to the first, except the vertical sign read, "出口 東Tinate."

        "Father Achilleos said the Dragon Knights went west," Rilyn said. "They have a training camp they bring new recruits to."

        "Don't you find it odd that they didn't know about the draft here."

        "From what I've heard of the Dragon Knights, it doesn't surprise me."

        "You're right," Caden said. "A city this size, they must get enough volunteers that they don't need a draft."

        "Yeah," Rilyn said. He walked past Caden. "That's what I meant."

        They walked in silence for the rest of the morning. By noon, they exited the forest and no longer had the canopy protecting them from the hot mid-day sun. Caden mounted Starlight, and rode her while eating lunch. He gave Rilyn a spicy stew bread, and ate the last sour seaweed. He looked in his knapsack. He had two honey stews left, four spicy stews, and the loaf Cassy gave him. Cassy's bread was a simple soft wheat dinner loaf. Dinner loafs don't last as long as the stew bread. It would only be good for today, they'd need to eat it for dinner. But that meant finding something more for dinner.

        "Can you hunt or fish or anything?" Caden asked.

        "I can hunt," said Rilyn, "But not in the way that you're thinking."

        "I think we should have picked up some more food before we left."

        "That reminds me." Rilyn stopped and turned around. "I promised Father Achilleos that we would return after you finished your errand with the Dragon Knights."

        "Why?"

        "I told him what I knew about the Dragon Queen. He said that he wanted to hear the story from you since you were there."

        Caden pulled on Starlights reigns and stopped. He dismounted and put his hand on the ties for the stone sword. Rilyn turned around and looked ahead. A lone traveler walked down the road towards them. He wore simple brown jodhpurs and a white tunic. A black leather satchel hung across his chest from his left shoulder.

        "I don't see any weapons," Rilyn said. "Feeling a bit paranoid."

        "Just cautious."

        "Then use this." Rilyn passed him a brush axe from under his cloak.

        Maybe Rilyn is right, thought Caden. He looked at the man. He didn't have the dark shroud, but neither did the bandits. He didn't have any weapons, but that itself is strange to travel without protection. The highways aren't that safe. Caden stepped away from the stone sword, and put the brush axe into his knapsack. He kept his hand inside the bag on the handle.

        The man stopped ten paces away. He looked at Rilyn and Caden. They looked at him. "Hail and well met, travellers."

        "Good day, sir."

        "I'm Ramone, a simple traveling merchant," said Ramone. "May I ask your names?"

        "A merchant?" asked Caden. "Convenient, since I was just thinking about needing to buy food."

        "Not convenient, my boy. Providence." Ramone opened his satchel and took out a red cloth.

        "For a merchant," said Rilyn, "you're traveling without much to sell."

        Ramone took off his satchel and dropped it next to the road. "If you take your hands off of your weapons, I'll show you."

        Caden looked at Rilyn. What do you think? 

        Rilyn looked at Caden. He doesn't look dangerous. 

        Caden took his hand out of his knapsack. He left the brush axe inside. Rilyn moved his hands out from under his cloak.

        "Talking with your eyes," said Ramone. "You must be long time travel companions." Ramone unfolded the cloth. It was thirty hands wide by 45 hands long. He whipped the cloth into the air. It floated down. As it came down, the center was supported by something that wasn't there. The edges dropped down till they touched the road. It looked like the cloth was covering a stack of boxes. Ramone grabbed the cloth and pulled it off. Underneath was several crates. He rolled up the cloth and set it down in the grass.

        "How did you?" Rilyn asked.

        "That wasn't wizardry or witchcraft," Caden said.

        "You're right, but I can't answer your question, because I don't know. It's just a very useful tool I picked up in my travels." Ramone grabbed a pry-bar that was lying on one of the crates. "Hard to get robbed when they can't find your wares."

        That night, Caden and Rilyn camped just off of the highway. The highway crossed a river. They got water and Caden built a fire on a large flat rock protruding out into the water. They sat around the fire and roasted fish. Ramone even gave them a good deal on preserves for the bread.

        "Rilyn, you've travelled more then I," Caden said. "Have you ever seen a magic that could create something from nothing?"

        "No, but perhaps I haven't traveled as much as you think I have." Rilyn stuffed the last of the bread into his mouth, and stood up. "Finish eating. You still need more practice with your swords."

Chapter 5: The road to Tinate

        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?

        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

        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

        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.