The next morning, after breakfast, we assembled in the room the Cave Master had set aside for us. Everyone seemed to have recovered pretty well, including Caveria. To my relief, she’d been back to her normal, brusque self during breakfast and didn’t seem to hold any kind of grudge against me.
“We have a decision to make now,” Tiriel began. “First, a simple choice. Do we continue looking for the sword by ourselves, here or elsewhere, or do we go searching for a dragon?” She glanced at Caveria who looked back blandly.
“I would like to hear your thoughts,” she said.
“I think we should look harder for the sword,” Arndrir said. “It can’t have disappeared. If, that is, it existed at all. I am beginning to wonder. Why has nobody done what the Duke tried to do, with the real sword? It seems like a terrible temptation to resist.”
Tiriel nodded. “I have thought the same.”
“Sorry,” I said, feeling a bit silly at interrupting, but they all just looked at me with interest. I still didn’t fully believe, deep down, I was a full member of the party, even though they treated me as one.
“Since I came here from elsewhere I don’t know all the background. What do we know about this sword? Why do we think it’s real?”
Arndrir glanced at Tiriel who nodded back. “I first heard about the sword a month ago,” he said. “There were sudden rumors everywhere, that the Dragonblade had been found. At first there were different stories, both of the find and of what happened once everyone realized what it was. Then they converged, and told roughly the same story. That the Blade had been found, in a cavern deep in the earth in the Ruula mines, lying by itself in an empty cavern. That was strange enough, and so suspicions arose very early. According to the stories, the miners tried to keep it hidden, but of course rumors spread. And so, one day a battle mage blasted his way into the mining town and stole the sword.”
“Just like that?” I asked. “Didn’t they guard it?”
“Of course they did, but too much security would draw a lot of attention. I believe they hadn’t decided what to do yet. You must understand, the real Dragonblade would destabilize all the kingdoms. Its wielder would become the most powerful person in all Lumaria.”
“Human,” Tiriel pointed out. “Only a human can wield it.”
“Why is that?” I asked.
“Nobody knows. It was made that way. It channels enormous power to its wielder, but only to a human. To the other races it is inert.”
“It was stolen by a human battle mage,” Arndrir continued, “and he tried to wield it. And, according to multiple stories, he blew himself up.”
“As in, exploded?” I said.
“Yes,” he replied. “Apparently the Blade channeled far too much energy into him, much more than he could handle.”
“Most likely a junior mage,” Caveria sniffed, “with more ambition than power. Or sense.”
“He certainly wasn’t humble - but then, he was a battle mage,” Arndrir said, with a pointed glance at Caveria, who snorted. “That explosion seemed proof enough this was the real Blade, and so every ruffian, scoundrel, brigand and adventurer in the land converged on Ruula. According to King Orcander it was then stolen by brigands, taken from them by Dimran agents when the brigands were attacked by a dragon, and then lost in a second dragon attack. After that, nobody has seen it.”
“That was also when I set out,” Tiriel said, “under directions from my brother to locate and retrieve the sword, and try to keep it out of human hands in order to prevent a great war. That’s why I assembled this wonderful party!” She’d looked serious, but now she beamed at us in her old way. I realized I’d missed it, the last few days.
“Do the rest of you have anything to add?” she asked. Thord, Serah and Caveria all shook their heads.
“If I may,” I said, “so I can understand.” Tiriel nodded at me, smile blazing. “One option is that one party of adventurers or another - or maybe brigands or something else - got hold of the sword and are now either hiding it, or taking it to somebody who will then use it. Another option is that it’s somehow lost: that it disappeared during the second dragon attack and is now either lost in the wilderness or in the hands of somebody who doesn’t know what it is.”
I glanced around. Tiriel and Arndrir nodded back. “Somebody has it, somebody does not have it. Those seem to be the two main options, but there may be sub-options, of course. Unless - do you think the dragon may have taken it?”
Caveria laughed out loud and Tiriel giggled. “A dragon doesn’t need the Dragonblade,” she said gently. “It has their magic in it, but weaker.”
Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!
I wasn’t completely happy with the answer. “Why did the dragon attack then, and twice? Are dragon attacks common?”
“Not common,” Tiriel said, “but they happen. Mostly in the mountains where the dragons live, and if you come too close to their homes. Not counting the official challenges,” she added.
“Dragons sometimes venture out of the mountains,” Serah said, “but that is almost always to carry the gods’ messages to someone. Sometimes - very, very rarely - they deliver the gods’ justice, and then they attack mercilessly. That’s most often when someone misuses magic in very egregious ways.”
She gave me a disapproving nod. I smiled back reassuringly - I certainly wouldn’t misuse magic! I couldn’t even use it, so the risk of misuse was very small indeed.
“Why do you think it attacked the brigands then?” I insisted. “I had another thought. Could it have taken the sword for the same reason Tiriel was sent out? To keep it hidden and prevent a larger war?”
Serah frowned and looked at me in speculation. “That... could be possible.”
“That’s silly,” Caveria argued. “The dragons never cared about human wars before. I don’t think they’ve started now.”
“Still, the Dragonblade was made with the help of dragons,” Serah said, “according to the myth. Perhaps they decided to take it back. I do think you have a point, Peter. It is almost unheard of with two dragon attacks so close to each other, in such rapid succession.”
“Maybe the Blade irritates them,” Caveria said. “It makes their skin crawl.” She made a face towards Serah. “The myth also says the dragons made the Blade as a challenge to us. They made a gift of the challenge, in the song. I have never heard of the dragons helping out before. They’re harsh, like the gods.”
“I haven’t heard of that either,” Serah allowed.
“I’m sorry Serah,” Arndrir said, “but I’m with Caveria in this. I can’t recall a song or a tale where the dragons interfered and did not cause more chaos and confusion.”
“You’re likely right,” Serah sighed. “Sorry Peter.”
I wasn’t convinced, but I had to admit I had zero basis for that. “Okay,” I said. “So we think the sword was really found and is out there somewhere. And that one way to find it is to make an amulet out of a dragon’s heart that will lead us to it.”
“Yes,” Tiriel said. “That last we do know. Dragons can sense each other across the world, and the Blade is made from dragon bone. The amulet will guide us to it.”
“So... maybe that is the best option, then?” I said. “It seems to me it will be hopeless to find the sword by simply going out looking, even if it’s not lost in a swamp. Especially if it’s not lost in a swamp, and someone is hiding it. It sounds like killing a dragon isn’t completely hopeless, at least.”
“It’s been done,” Arndrir said without looking at Caveria. “It was not easy.”
“One last thought,” I said, happy that they were listening to me. “Could we go to the mines, to this Ruula place, and see if we can verify that the sword was actually there and was the real sword? Serah, could you pick up any sense of whether those stories were true if we went there?”
“Hah!” Thord said. “That’s clever, now. That’s the first question still, if the sword has been found or if we are all chasing shadows because of a clumsy human battle mage.”
“Ye-es,” Serah said slowly, “I might. If the sword is as powerful as they say, it should have left traces, and some of those may still be there.”
“Good thinking, Peter!” Tiriel said, her eyes twinkling at me.
“I have been curious about those mines anyway,” Thord said. “I doubt they are as fine as ours, but it would be interesting to see them.”
“I like it as well, “Arndrir said and nodded at me. “If I am to go dragon hunting again it better not be because of pure rumor.”
Caveria said nothing, but her eyes gleamed, cold and blue.
And so it was decided that we would go to the mines at Ruula and see if we could confirm that they had found the real sword. If so, we would continue into the mountains and - hunt.
Once this was settled Serah took charge of inventory and sent us out to repair or repurchase anything that was missing or broken, and stock up on provisions. Tiriel, Arndrir and Caveria went to visit the embassy, the rangers and the mage’s guild, respectively, while Serah and I went over all our gear and made repairs where we could.
In the evening, the dwarves threw a party to celebrate. Apparently it was the first time an elf had been invited to a party in the Dwarven Hall, and Tiriel thanked them by becoming the centerpiece of the whole thing. She clearly enjoyed herself hugely, even dressing up in a flowing green gown and a silvery tiara with glittering white gems. I hadn’t seen those before, and they made her look very much an elven princess. She was incredibly beautiful, and the contrast with her bubbly, almost child-like behavior was startling but somehow suited her very well.
The dwarves danced and sang and played drums and heavy brass instruments, which were more rhythm than melody. It was very powerful and moving, especially as they got warmed up and the stone walls trembled from their singing. Above them, Tiriel leapt, with her airy elf magic, and sang elvish songs in a clear, sonorous voice that floated on top of the deep bass of the dwarves.
It was a great party. The dwarves built roaring fires in the fireplaces along the walls, and everyone sang and danced and drank dark beer. But the highlight for me was when Tiriel invited me to dance, and let me share in her magic. We danced across the room, skipping from table to table as lightly as birds. I told her I didn’t know any elvish dances, but she laughed and said there weren’t any, they just did what they felt like. She was amazingly graceful, and I found that I could just go along and dance in some kind of steps to the rhythm, and she would adapt and leap and swing around me, and steer us through impossible jumps.
I don’t know for how long we danced, but it ended too soon. I knew I’d never forget that dance with her. Those leaps and jumps, her golden hair floating around her as we jumped, her eyes shining green like the forest in the firelight, and on her head, the stones in the tiara glittering like stars - it was the most beautiful and amazing experience of my life.
The party calmed down towards midnight, and people began drifting off to bed. A lot of the dwarves still continued, and I saw Caveria sitting beside one of the fireplaces, apparently showing fire magic to some fascinated dwarves. At least one of them was a dwarvish mage - I saw rocks floating in the air above him, doing a complicated dance.
I was completely spent by then, and Serah supported me up the stairs and back to the rooms. My last thought as I fell into my bed was that perhaps I shouldn’t have arranged a hangover for myself, now that we were setting out again.