“Mission accomplished!”
There was a resounding cheer that traveled across the Shagornan elf crew of the Unsinkable III.
“You found her!?” the Archmage Havelock exclaimed running up to My-re and Vomarian Fae as they climbed aboard the ship.
“Short answer, yes! Slightly longer answer, kind of, we’ll no,” My-re yelled over the din of the elven cheering.
Havelock looked behind her and due to the noise, brought his head to hers and asked, “Where are the mere dragons?”
“Short answer is we lost them. Slightly longer answer is we sold Koma to Khan Karameikos. The other two scampered off towards the Twisted lands,” My-re answered.
“Karameikos and the Twisted lands?” A confused brow furrowed across Havelock’s forehead as he motioned for her and Vomarian to follow him into the captain’s quarters.
“Prepare the ship for takeoff! Break out the wine! The elven wine, the good stuff! For today we celebrate!” Vomarian Fae yelled to his cheering crew.
Closing the door, which muffled the sound, Havelock motioned with his hands for them to explain.
“There were several accounts of Araminth’s passing,” My-re said and when Havelock opened his mount to speak, quickly said, “But we did our due diligence and followed up.”
Vomarian added. “We found Araminth’s lover Westwind in Shadowspire. He explained she died from plains fever sometime back and is buried in the middle of a river. My-re then stole-”
“Procured,” My-re interrupted.
Vomarian clarified nodding to her, “Procured, an article of Araminth’s clothing. Then we used Kata and Kuki to track the scent to her real grave on a hill top.”
“Real grave?” Havelock asked.
“There was a headstone with ‘AG’ on it,” My-re said. “For Araminth Goldeneye.”
Vomarian Fae continued, “Yes, we then dug up-”
“I didn’t disturb any grave,” My-re interrupted and made a holy benediction.
Nodding in the affirmative, Vomarian said, “And it was confirmed the bones of an adolescent dragon were there.”
“I was expecting human bones,” My-re said.
“Why? Araminth is a dragon that found the ability to change into human form. From your standpoint, I guess it is just easier to think she is a human that can change to dragon form,” Havelock rationalized. “However, I thought you said she was buried in the middle of a river?”
“Westwind lied,” Vomarian Fae said. “I don’t know the reason.”
“Maybe he knew the value alchemist placed on dragon remains and did not want tomb robbers to know where she was buried,” Havelock commented. “If Westwind was here I would ask-”
A Shagornan elf knocked on the door and opened it, “Captain, you won’t believe it. Koma just climbed onto the ship with a wounded human. He said he name’s Westwind.”
“Westwind?” My-re asked. “What’s he doing here?”
“Yes, and he’s asking for My-re.”
They all rushed out of the cabin where they saw the Shagornan elves helping Westwind off from Koma. Both had blood down their fronts. Westwind’s right arm was limp. He shoulder was gravely injured.
“Retrieve the healing potion from my room!” Havelock yelled pointing to one of the elves who hurried off.
Approaching, My-re heard Westwind say over and over in a delusional state, “He has her. He has her.”
Koma then hobbled towards My-re, sniffed her feet, and with what appeared to be a smile inch across his face laid down.
Approaching Westind, My-re cringed at the sight of this arm and the swollen black-and-blue face. It looked like he was hit with a maul. “Oh, what did they do to your pretty face? Where’s that healing potion!?” An elf returned with a blue bottle. She uncorked it, sniffed the sour and bitter smelling contents and helped Westwind drink. His face scrunched at the taste, which brought a knowing chuckle from her.
Westwind lamented, “Ow! My shoulder and arm are getting unpleasantly hot.”
“Good, that means it’s working. The potion isn’t strong enough to heal you completely, so you’ll need about two weeks rest. Get his arm bandaged!” My-re ordered. She then went to Koma and dripped the bottle’s contends on the side of its mouth. The mere dragon lapped it up. Likely upon registering the taste, it issued a growl deep within its throat. However, after a moment, it stopped, breathed out a heavy sight of relieve, laid its head on the deck, and closed it eyes.
As the Shagornan elves bandage Westwind’s arm, he said, “Varick has her.”
“Wait, you said Varick?” My-re asked and while he heard him wanted clarification.
“Yes. He was chained, so it seemed he escaped from prison,” Westwind said.
It couldn’t be the same Varick she was imprisoned with when she was captured as a child during the Rirorni war, My-re thought to herself.
“He knew you My-re,” Westwind said.
“By the nine hells, it’s Varick! That’s great news!”
“No, not great news. He has a serious grudge against you. He was using Koma to track you, which I then did to find you and Vomarian. I need your help. He took Araminth,” Westwind explained.
“Whoa, you said Araminth was dead. You lied to us,” My-re said.
“No, I said she passed, which is open to interpretation.”
Rolling her eyes. “You said she was buried in the middle of the river.”
“She will be. When the time comes. That’s where she wanted to be laid to rest.”
“Wait, we found her resting spot on a hill outside of Shadowspire with the gravestone ‘AG’. Explain that?” My-re asked. “It was right before the mere dragons Kata and Kuki took off westwards towards the Twisted Lands.”
“AG? Agnus? That’s Araminth’s old mere dragon she had since she was a little drake. Araminth called her AG for short,” Westwind explained. “We buried her there on the hill with some of Araminth’s things. Now, specifically tell me what those two mere dragons did again?”
“Once we uncovered AG’s spot, they took the piece of clothing I procured from your shop, uh, sorry about that, they bellowed out their terrible screech for what seemed an eternity and headed straight west.”
“A death howl. That’s not good. You said Kata and Kuki traveled west towards the Twisted Lands, and not south towards the Drakenfell Mountains on the Ratan border? That’s not good for any of us,” Westwind said shaking his head.
“Why?” Vomarian Fae asked.
“Koma is from Araminth’s family, who live in the Drakenfell Mountains to the south. However, I don’t recognize the names Kata and Kuki. If they were traveling west towards the Twisted Lands, they must be from the main dragon community,” Westwind explained.
“But all three were provided by Shelia Greywand to help find Araminth,” Vomarian said.
“Three? That duplicitous…Greywand is up to something. One mere dragon would be sufficient. There must be a treaty of dragons and or more than one party looking for her,” Westwind said.
“Yes, but that’s what we’re doing too,” My-re scoffed.
“You’re just doing their leg work, but you don’t understand. If those mere dragons present Araminth’s clothing, whoever received it will assume she’d dead,” Westwind said. “Amongst dragons, nothing travels faster in Ghea than news and gossip of one of their own.”
“It’s a misunderstanding. Besides, people die all the time,” Vomarian said.
“People yes, but not a dragon. They will assume she was killed within the Rirorni Empire.”
Met with blank stares, Westwind continued, “It is not in a dragon’s nature to be empathetic towards other races. There will be a terrible outrage from her family. Retribution will be demanded. Indignation repaid with fire.”
“Great, now we have to worry about a dragon setting a few fires,” My-re said.
“No, not a dragon and not a few fires. A family, or worse, a treaty of dragons. The entire Rirorni Empire could be purged by flame.”
“They would kill hundreds of thousands of innocent people?” Vomarian asked.
“Yes, like humans would slaughter a pack of feral dogs that killed a child. None are innocent. You don’t understand. When hatchlings are born it’s usually in pairs. Unless food is plentiful, it’s not uncommon to eliminate one to ensure the other survives. Dragon parents are extremely overbearing, protective, and put their essence into raising and caring for the surviving offspring. So much so, they will not mate again for fifty or more years. That hatchling’s entire future is planned hundreds of years in advance.”
As the group contemplated the serious nature ahead of them, Westwind continued, “If Varick kills Araminth and once her family learns he’s an Alastarian, their vengeance will then turn northward. All of Alastari will be forfeit and become a sea of fire.”
My-re cursed in Rathiri, the Rirorni native language, which roughly translated to ‘procreate with oneself’. “How long would it take for the mere dragons to navigate the Twisted Lands?”
“It’ll be slow for them, but at best, two weeks.”