A Rose Amongst the Dragons, page 9
part #1 of A Rose Amongst the Dragons Series
As he examined the dagger, he suddenly doubled up in pain. The dagger fell out of his hands while he reached for his chest. Blood still trickled out from where the dragon had torn him there. Most of the laceration had scabbed over, but there were still parts that remained opened and bled. Thelton noticed the area was inflamed, but thankfully none of the wounds looked very deep. He knew he needed to treat his injuries before he did anything else, for he didn’t want them to get infected.
When Thelton was able to control some of the pain, he straightened up. He picked up his dagger off the ground. Wiping the dirt off, he rubbed the blade against his pants and then used the dagger to pop off some of the dragon scales. After he had four scales, he went to the dragon’s chest and sliced open a good sized hole where he filled up his canteen with dragon’s blood.
Thelton took the blood and smeared it around his chest and then he dressed his wounds with the scales. Ripping his shirt into strips of material, he bound the scales to his body. He knew with the blood and scales, he would be fine, his body would quickly heal, for dragon’s blood and scales had a healing element to them. With his cuts taken care of, Thelton sat down and leaned into the dragon. He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep, for he was drained of all energy. He awoke midday in excruciating pain, the type of pain that would debilitate most men, but, Thelton was not like most men. Despite the agony he felt, he got up and busied himself on butchering the dragon.
He spent the rest of the day harvesting the most needed parts of the dragon. He always collected the scales. It was a painstaking task, one that always cut up his hands, but it was worth it. The medicine woman paid him decent for the scales. It was a good idea to be in favor with her, for she was the most powerful sorceress in the land.
He also cut out all the vital organs, those he took to market and sold them to the highest bidder. He wished that he could take the dragon meat and sale it, but at the time he had no way to transport it. When he first started killing dragons, he would return with a wagon to collect the body. Without fail, the wild animals of the area would get to it before him. After awhile, Thelton knew it was in vain to return for the meat. So, after he killed a dragon, he wastefully left behind the carcass, but he never left behind the scales or vital organs. And of course the head, he always gave to the king.
…
“My fine boy, it is gone. The forest that has blessed my home for generations is gone. Sure, there is still much forest on the other side of the castle ground, but all of the forest to the south is burnt away.”
Thelton sat with King Wolfgang in the war room. The king had huge dark circles under his eyes. Distress filled his soul. It would take years to re-grow a forest. In his lifetime, he would not be able to enjoy the new growth.
Although many things throbbed on Thelton, he felt refreshed. He had been welcomed in the castle with open arms, especially since he came with a dragon head. The king had allowed him to bathe and had let him spend the night. One of the rooms in the castle belonged to Thelton; the king had given it to him years ago. The invitation to sleep in it was always open. In fact, the king had offered Thelton to move into the castle. Thelton had quickly turned down the invitation to live there, but on occasion he would spend a night or two.
After his warm bath, Thelton slept for two days, only awaking when meals were brought to him. On the third day, the king had requested to meet him in the war room. Even though he felt like he could sleep for two more days, Thelton had joined the king. When he at first had entered the war room, only Alashia sat there. Thelton rolled his eyes, what was she doing there? He had to hold back his ire, for he despised her.
Alashia sat with a huge smile on her face. Her hair had been styled to perfection. Her gown was a shiny red and crinkled with each move she made. Her perfume stifled the air in the room.
“Hi, Thelton.” She said in a sexy voice. Thelton bowed and then stood. He desired to return to his room and come back later when she was gone, but he knew he better be there when the king arrived.
“I heard you had quite the battle between the dragon and the fire.” Alashia said, and then winked.
Thelton had not shared the details of the kill with anyone. He didn’t want to look weak for almost losing the dragon twice. He had tried to hide his injuries, but the bath man had seen some of them during the bath and had informed the king. Alarmed, the king sent his physician to treat Thelton right before he had bedded down. Thelton tried to resist, saying his dragon scales were adequate, but the king refused to listen. Despite Thelton’s protest, the physician was sent in and bound Thelton’s wounds and chest, in hopes to set the ribs back in place.
The princess worried about him and had been restless the two days while he slept. Happy to see him looking so healthy, she stood up and made her way to Thelton. Not only did she have a beauty that surpassed even the flowers, the delicateness of her features made her seem almost perfectly crafted, a treasure to behold, but Thelton was blind to her looks because he refused to let her lure ensnare him. He despised her persistence and wished that she would leave him alone, but she didn’t. She went to his side, and without even asking, she lifted his shirt.
“Princess, I must decline your intentions.” Thelton said in a soprano voice. What in the world was she doing? The king would be walking through the doors any minute. Thelton did not want the king or anyone else to see the princess groping him. Thelton stumbled backwards.
Alashia fluttered her eyes and pouted her lip. “I just wanted to see where the dragon had clawed you.”
Thelton pulled his shirt down. “It is all bound up, there is nothing to see.” She was exasperating.
Alashia stepped into Thelton, her shoulder rubbing against his. She put her face directly in front of his. Everything she did felt seductive, and he was not interested, also, he struggled to breathe because of her overpowering perfume.
“You are so brave to bring down that nasty dragon that burnt down father’s forest. So, so brave.” She brought her finger up to his cheek bones and traced the scratches on them. Her delicate touch electrified Thelton. He had stopped breathing.
Outside the doors, Thelton could hear the king talking to the guard. Quickly, Thelton bolted away from the princess. He found a chair and stumbled into it. He despised the idea that the king would find him alone with Alashia.
The doors flew open and the king, Trevor, and four guards entered. The guards took their places along the walls.
“Alashia, what are you doing here? This is no place for a princess.”
“I was just seeing if Thelton needed anything.”
“Our servants will attend to his needs. Off with you.”
“But father, I just wanted…”
The king’s patience had extinguished days ago. His thoughts were a dark burden he carried. Without compassion, he barked at his daughter. “Guards, take her out NOW!”
It humiliated Alashia to be yelled at in front of Thelton. Without waiting for the guards to further her embarrassment, she ran out of the room. With her gone, Thelton could relax.
The king sat next to Thelton as if nothing had just happened.
“My fine boy, it is gone. The forest that has blessed my home for generations is gone. Sure, there is still much forest to the other sides, but the northern end is gone.”
Thelton didn’t know what to say. The king had lost much because of the dragon, but Thelton knew it could be worse; at least his castle was still standing.
“Not only is the forest gone, but the dragon burnt down my armory. And there’s more than that. Numerous families in the kingdom had their barns and fields burnt down. There is a rumor that it was more than one dragon. There have been reports of at least three dragons.”
“I consider myself to be a just and fair king. I care about my followers. When they have a loss, I have a loss. How can I care for my people when the dragons come in and take everything from us? How can I?”
The king rubbed his head in his hands. His voice choked up. Kings were not supposed to get emotional. It angered him that his feelings were betraying him in front of Thelton. He sat up and slammed the side of the table with his hand. His knuckles stung from the impact, turning red and blue.
“This can’t go on!” He yelled. “It can’t. We cannot idly sit down why the dragons take our kingdom from us. You are doing your part, Thelton, I know you are. But you must do more than you are doing. You must kill all the dragons. Go to their nest and rid Vegus Forest of the dragons once and for all.”
Thelton’s temperature rose as the king yelled. What was Wolfgang thinking? Thelton had no idea where the nest was. He had spent most of his life searching for it, but as of yet, he had never found it.
The king sat and thought for a long time. He suddenly jumped up; his eyes looking crazy, a mania surged through him.
“That’s it, Thelton, that’s it! You will go to the heart of the Vegus Forest to the dragon’s nest and kill the queen. Of course, you will kill all of the dragons, but with the queen gone, then no other dragons can be born.”
Thelton’s hairs stood up. What in the world was the king babbling on about? No one knew where the dragon’s nest was, not even Thelton.
The king flew around the room, adrenalin dictating his every move. He seemed delusional. Thelton feared the king’s disposition, for he had never seen him like that before. The king carried on with his plans without even pausing to take a breath. Finally, after an hour of ranting, he dropped right next to Thelton’s face.
“Are you healed enough to leave tonight?”
As if on cue, Thelton’s ribs throbbed. “Leave tonight, and do what my king?”
“Have you not heard a word I said? You are going to slay the dragon queen.” The king put his eyes directly on Thelton.
“Uh, well, you see my king; I regret to tell you that I don’t know where the nest is. I have spent my life searching for it, but as of yet, I have not found it.”
“Well, that presents a problem, doesn’t it, my fine boy?”
The king walked over to the diorama of his kingdom. He picked up a flag and put it in the middle of the Vegus Forest.
“The queen’s nest is in the middle of the forest. Trek to the middle and slay the queen. Thelton, I have done much for you over the years. You owe me this. No, you owe your kingdom this.”
Under his armpits, a large amount of perspiration formed. Thelton sniffed at his arms. He usually didn’t notice his smell, but since the aromatic bath had washed away his grime, he could now suddenly smell his own stink return.
“Well?” the king asked.
Thelton’s momentary distraction had caused him to miss what the king had said. He tried to fake it. “Is that what you think we should do?” Thelton returned the question with a question.
The king’s voice elevated. “Of course it is what I think we should do. I need to know that I have your full support.”
Thelton let out a deep sigh. The king was neurotic. Thelton might be able to find the nest, but he couldn’t bring a whole colony down. It was a death sentence.
“I will locate the nest and stake it out. Before I can charge into their camp, I need to know how many dragons I will be dealing with.”
“How much time are you asking for?”
Thelton stood up and went over to the diorama. The Vegus Forest spanned half of the table, and it was considerably larger than he had thought. “I am not sure my king, it might take me several weeks to a month to find it, study it, and then return and report.”
“Months? Months! My fine boy, we don’t have months. What do you expect me to do, sit around and watch the dragons destroy my kingdom why you take a holiday in the forest? Your plan is no good. We must attack, and we must attack NOW!” The king threw his arm over a village on the diorama, the homes toppled over. He turned and faced Thelton, drool was pooling up at the corner of the king’s mouth. He looked and acted like a raging lunatic.
“I expect more from you.”
If Thelton could buy a few days, then maybe the king would calm down and reality would enter in. Right now he expected the impossible. The king turned back to the diorama. He picked up a handful of wooden knights and with a loud scream, threw them into the miniature forest. The wooden men scattered around and landed in multiple spots. The king seemed to have a revelation, one that compelled him forward.
“That’s it, that’s it. THAT’S IT!” He yelled. “Come here, come quick.” The king beckoned to Thelton. Thelton looked questionably at the king, for he was already standing next to him.
“You see in the forest, what do you see?”
“Little brown knights.” Thelton replied.
“No, you are wrong. Those are the people of Andleburg. What do you think they are doing?”
What game was the king playing? They were there because the king had lost his temper and had thrown them there. What answer was the king expecting Thelton to give?
The king grew impatient waiting for Thelton to respond. “Those men are looking for the queen’s nest. They are the answer. I will have a contest. Peasants love contests, the idea to transform their grueling placement in life for something better. In my contest, I will offer a parcel of land to the man that locates the queen’s nest. It may take one man like you a month to find the nest, but with thousands out there, the nest will be found within days.”
Thelton stood alert. Had the king really suggested sending in others to do his job? He did not like that one bit. He was the only one that killed the dragons, not other people. He took offense to the king’s idea.
“My king, give me the first chance. If I have not found the nest in a week, then maybe you should consider other men to aid in the location.”
“Too late, my fine boy, for my plan is brilliant. There will be so many men there that the nest will be found soon. Also, they will be motivated by the hope to be the first to find the nest. The reward will propel them faster than you will go. My mind is made up. We will send out the proclamations in the morning.”
“Well, my king, then I will just have to work harder than the rest. I will leave tonight and have a head start.”
“Oh no!” The king said, turning to Thelton. The wildness had not left his eyes. “I cannot send you out. You need to be here at the castle; ready the moment we know the location to the nest. I cannot have you lost out in the forest while your men wait for their leader.”
Thelton’s stomach twisted up. “What do you mean, my men?”
“Once we know the location of the nest, you will lead forty to fifty men to the dragon camp. Together you will destroy the dragons once and for all.”
Panic began to rise inside Thelton. “What do you mean lead the men to the camp? My king, I am a solitary hunter. I do not lead men. I do not go with men. I go alone.”
“Do not forget your place, BOY! I am the KING! Without me, you are a nobody. I told you to lead the hunt, and you will lead the hunt. You can’t bring the dragons in on your own. Do not worry, though, I will still give you full credit to ridding the kingdom of all dragons. It will be your name that echoes through the ages, no one else’s.”
The king chuckled, and soon the chuckle became a full roar. His laughter had an eerie madness about it. “That is not true,” he said as he tried to compose himself. “They will echo our names together, for I am the king that sent out the hunt.” The king slapped Thelton on the back. “We will be remembered forever, boy, you and I. Look at me, what king out their shares his glory with another? None. None I say, and yet I will share this with you.”
Thelton’s head spun as the room began to darken. Quickly he sat down. His breathing increased while his body became cold. He couldn’t handle what the king was suggesting. Thelton hated people, hated them. Now the king ordered him to lead a group of men. To Thelton, that almost felt like a death sentence.
The king enthusiastically flew around the room, the whole time talking faster than his mouth could keep up with. He spent two hours devising his plans. The whole time Thelton sunk deeper and deeper into despair. Maybe in the morning the king would wake up refreshed and cancel his wild scheme. Thelton could only hope.
After Thelton left the room, Trevor turned to the king. “May I join The Dragon Slayer on his mission?”
“Now why would you want to do something foolish like that?”
“Well, I have always had a fascination for the Vegus Forest. I would like the chance to see the dragon nest.”
“But you are no hunter.”
“I don’t plan on hunting, really, I just want to go as an observer, really.”
“I can’t imagine something so folly. You might die, and then what would I do without you, for you run this kingdom.”
“Aren’t you worried that The Dragon Slayer might die?”
“No, for he is invincible, but not you.”
“I will be fine my holiest king. If you rather I stay, then I will, for I don’t want to displease you.”
King Wolfgang thought for a moment. “Fine, you may go, but if you die, I will cut your family dry, do you understand.”
“Yes my holiest king, you are too kind.”
Chapter 9
Distressed, Thelton stayed in his room for days.
“I hate staying here,” he thought. “I just want to get out of here. This is the king’s home, so what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to just walk around like I live here and tell the servants to wait on me? It is just so awkward here, everything is awkward. I feel trapped here, trapped like an animal.” He spent the first four days in his room, but the lack of stimulation caused him to become very restless in his quarters. The servants brought him any food he wanted and that was the only pleasure he experienced.
On the fifth night, Thelton went stir crazy.
“I must get outside.” He snuck out the back of the castle and wandered around the gardens, being outside felt refreshing. He took in deep breathes of fresh air, a breeze blew by, closing his eyes he pretended he was in the Vegus Forest, far from the confinement of the castle.
…
