Chapter 226: Pride and Prejudice

Katlyn Farragher

Tarnu stood with Kat on the steps of the manor house. Everything in Kat’s body was screaming for her to turn back, to run and hide, not to go forward another step. She knew the Dragon was behind those feelings, though not entirely. After her encounter with Eldest of All the other day, she wasn’t a huge fan of walking back into his audience chamber, either.

“Ye’re sure it’ll be fine?”

“He can already smell, much less hear you. He’d be shouting if he didn’t want you here,” Tarnu pointed out. “You can just coward out about it.”

That was rude, and exactly what Kat needed to push her to action. She was anything but a coward.

The doors creaked as she pushed them open. Funny, they hadn’t when Alruna did the same. Still, they were easier to shove open than she’d expected. Their boots clicked as they crossed the foyer, directly towards the earth dragon’s room.

Sweat beaded on Kat’s forehead, rolling over her scales and into her empty eye socket. Her muscles were tenser than in a fight, and each step was an effort to keep going. Each footfall registered as an alarm to her ears, and she even picked up some shifting in the next room. Her enhanced hearing was biting her in the arse.

He was awake.

No excuses, Kat. Ye wanted tae be here, she told herself.

He will dessstroy usss. Flee, protect your hoard. He will take them from you! the dragon’s hissing roar filled her skull. You will perish along with me, and then you will have nothing! Nothing at all! Why do thisss when we can have sssuch greatnesss? I can give you all the power you want!

Kat ignored its howling. Its temptations were there, but right now, she was frustrated enough to push them back. She finally had a real dragon to talk to, and she wasn’t going to let this apparent mockery stop her. Yeah, Eldest of All might help with her head, but still, she did want to properly meet the ancient creature.

Pushing open the doors, she strode in ahead of Tarnu. Her bravery wilted as the Eldest of All peered down at her from his full height. Those burning orbs pinned her to the spot. She couldn’t take another step.

“Come on. You wanted this,” Tarnu growled, pushing her forward.

The spell was broken as soon as she stumbled. Her legs caught her, so she didn’t make a complete fool of herself, but still made a little bit of a fool.

“Tarnu, Son of Bears,” Eldest of All rumbled. “What is the meaning of this audience?”

Tarnu dipped into a deep bow, which Kat mirrored. Manners mattered here.

“Eldest of All, I bring you Katlyn again. She says she’s got some stuff in her head to talk over with you, and we both agreed sooner was better than later.”

“Rise, Tarnu.”

Tarnu stood, but Kat didn’t dare do the same. She hadn’t been allowed.

“I’ve made my opinion on this abomination clear. I do not seek kinship with her.”

“Yeah, you sure did. Entire damn cavern heard it,” Tarnu grumbled, sticking a finger in his ear as if it had deafened him. “Still, she’s got something wrong with her, you’re the best to talk about.”

“Hah, help a whelp who aims to be a shadow of what I was.”

Tarnu gave the old dragon a sardonic stare. “You’re being petty, Eldest. You made a damn promise. We all heard that, too. The Goddess made her terms clear.”

Eldest of All huffed, tapping his claws with annoyance, while his tail crashed rhythmically with the sound of stone on stone. “I did. I will… hear her out. Rise, creature.”

Kat stood. She tried to hide the shaking in her limbs, but she couldn’t. Her armour rattled a little, giving it all away.

“What is this matter that you think I’m the best to deal with?” Eldest of All asked, his head still poised imperiously far above them.

“Well, sir, can I sit? Sorry, me legs aren’t doin’ so great right now.”

Eldest of All rolled his eyes and nodded.

The welcome stability of a chair supported Kat as she got her thoughts together. She’d had them together before, but something about a very old dragon being pissed off at your existence tended to scatter them.

“Alright, it’s about me an’ me scales. I’ve… well, the truth is, I’ve got a dragon in me soul.”

Eldest of all tilted its head to the side like a curious cat. “A dragon, you say?”

“Aye. It started a while ago, when me body first started growin’ scales. Shite, they were more rashes than scales at tha’ point. We were tryin’ tae figure out what was happenin’ wit’ me, an’ a Priestess o’ Orenous tried tae figure it out. Well, that chucked me intae me soul, an’ I got tae run around in there. Didn’t properly know what it was, an’ helped this ol’ man who was bein’ harassed by thugs. One o’ ‘em turned intae this monster an’ ran. Found out the ol’ codger was Illdall, an’ we got tae talkin’ about what was happenin’. I freaked out an’ ran. Ran, an’ ran, an’ ran. Eventually, I ran intae this dragon on the streets. It was feckin’ long and boney thin. Longer than ye, actually. Its wings were all leather stretched too tight, an’ so was all o’ its skin.”

“Scales?” Eldest of All interrupted.

“None that I saw at the time.”

“Continue.”

“It offered me power. Power tae make everythin’ I wanted safe. Power tae take whatever I wanted fer meself an’ hold it. Said we would go far, become mighty together. Honestly, if it wasn’t comin’ from such an awful image, I mighta taken it. Still, I refused. The bastard attacked me, an’ Illdall intervened. He put up wards like Orenous did inside Ann’s soul tae keep the creatures contained, but that doesn’t stop ‘em from talkin. By the Gods, it talks a lot.”

Eldest of all rumbled deep in his chest. It was strangely not a threatening growl, but more a hum of consideration. His head lowered as Kat spoke.

“It keeps offerin’ me power, keeps tellin’ me tae protect an’ take. It’s gettin’ worse, an’ I dinnae what tae do about it. So, I’d figured since ye were a dragon yerself, ye might have some insight on this?”

Eldest of All’s head landed gently on the floor in front of Kat. She could feel his hot breath wash over her every time his nostrils flared. Those bouldery scales, and the cracked and bleeding scales on his eyelids. He had to blink fairly often to keep his eyes clear, Kat noticed. “Has this dragon ever claimed a name?”

“Nae. Honestly, the only spirit who has is Xirali. Oh, she’s this goat person who’s in Rosalyn. Ann’s got a massive wolf she named Waheela.”

“Interesting, but irrelevant. Were this a true dragon, its name would be one of the first things you would know. Strange that it keeps this hidden.” Eldest’s brows furrowed, the scales breaking and oozing more black ichor. “Describe it once more, please.”

Kat ran over it again in as much detail as she could remember. Unlike Ann, she hadn’t been back to visit the evil bastard. Some of the details were getting fuzzy.

“Is it speaking now?”

“Nae. Been quiet since I got intae the room. Was screamin’ fer me tae run until then.”

After a long pause, Eldest of All growled. “So it fears me and hides when in the presence of a true ancient. Demand it speak.”

Oi, ye heard the bigun. Start talkin’, ye skinny lizard, Kat growled into her soul.

No response.

Ye start talkin’, or I’m gonna come in there an’ make ye.

Still nothing.

Kat sighed, letting her shoulders droop. “No response. Not even a whimper.”

“Hmm, I cannot follow, but I suggest it is time to drag it out. Would you be willing to attempt this?”

“Sure,” Kat sighed. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

“It consumes you and your soul, completing your corruption and perverting your body into a monstrosity I would be forced to kill.”

Kat cocked her only eyebrow. “Real good at comfortin’ people.”

“Better know the risks than to jump in blindly.”

“Well, Illdall’s got wards, so I doubt it’ll get me, but I’ll be careful. Um, how do I do this?”

“How has your mate spoken with her wolf?”

“Waheela’s pretty social, so she just kinda does. Last time she was just done fuckin’ three o’ us intae a bed an’ passed out in a chair.”

“Do you need such stimulation?” the dragon asked.

“Nae nae!” Kat yelped. “Feck, nae, just think I need tae meditate. Don’t ye ever talk about that shite again.”

Tarnu was snickering as he watched from a polite distance. He was on the wrong side for Kat to be able to give him a glare, too.

“Alright, well, guess I gotta give it a go.”

Kat got as comfortable as she could in her armour and closed her eye. Polaris had taught her how to do this, but she’d never thought it’d be used in this way. Peace washed through her as the business of her mind cleared away. She let thoughts come and go without lingering on them, and sank into her soul.

Kat’s eyes opened, and she was in the dream city again. The strange place that resembled Korvas, but also Graven Keep, and a little that didn’t belong to either. Buildings and streets as far as the eye could see, with mountains looming on the horizon and touching the sky itself. Shapes of people moved past Kat in the streets, ghostly apparitions that hinted at various races and ages. Sounds of chatter and city life filled her long ears.

No sign of the dragon.

“Oi! I know ye’re feckin’ in ‘ere!” Kat shouted.

The city didn’t respond. A ghost of a man walked right through Kat, unbothered by her presence.

“Gonna make me come hunt ye,” Kat grumbled, setting off at a relaxed trot. The stones under her feet felt real enough. That was good.

Eventually, she found the alleyway where she’d first met Illdall. Following that path led to the small yard, and beyond that was more city. Illdall had moved them to the cafe, so she had no reference for where in the city that was, so she just started walking.

That’s when she saw the claw marks. Long and jagged, the face of a shop was torn to ribbons. Somehow, the material between the massive gouges still remained, hung there by an invisible force. Or it was her mind trying to just keep things organised. Who knew?

Still, it was a lead, and Kat saw more down the road. She wasn’t as good at tracking as Lucia, but this thing apparently didn’t hide its tracks well. Cobblestones were turned up in the street as it ran, claws digging into grooves. A building had a dent in it from a hasty collision, a long crack in another where what might have been the thing’s tail hit. For such a proud thing, it sure did leave a mess.

While she thought about how she’d clean this up, she lost track of where she was. The city blurred, and she was suddenly on the cold, windswept face of a mountain. Looking back, she saw the strange sprawl beneath her, going until it hit mountains like this one on the other side. The strangest thing was that there were no large landmarks. Every building she could see was at most two stories tall, with no spires or vertical architecture whatsoever. Even the Mercenary’s Guild would stand out here.

To her left was a sheer drop into thin air. Peeking over the ledge, she saw the hundreds of feet she’d fall should she fuck up. Kat wasn’t scared of heights, but even that thought made her squeeze against the mountain a bit tighter. Her right had a passable ledge just wide enough to walk on. Putting her hand up against the mountain’s face, she started to walk. She didn’t know why she was here, but it was something.

Strange birds with six wings fluttered to and fro up here. Undeterred by the cold, they looked rather plump for something that had to stay in the air. Kat realised they were one of the only living things here she got to see the details of. Their beaks were sharp, black and stubby. Good for cracking seeds and nuts, Rosalyn had explained in one of her lessons on the various creatures of the world. Where they were finding things like that up here? Kat couldn’t tell. Still, they flew up to nests made of sticks and feathers, dropping off whatever they’d found to children or just for storage. It was a calming sight.

Kat’s left foot slipped.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she slammed her chest into the stone wall and forced all of her weight onto the ledge. Once she was sure she wasn’t falling, she caught her breath, not daring to move until she was composed again.

“Careful. The ssslopesss are treacherousss,” an all too familiar voice hissed.

Kat spun her head, trying to find where the dragon was speaking from.

“Keep going. I am jussst beyond.”

“Coulda just came out tae talk when I feckin’ asked.”

“No.” There was no explanation to follow that word.

Grumbling obscenities to herself, Kat got to her feet and kept walking.

Like the dragon said, she was almost there. Around the corner was a large cave mouth, facing perpendicular to the city proper. It was the kind of place where you wouldn’t notice it if you weren’t looking for a cave in a mountain, but once you saw it, you couldn’t un-see it.

Kat stepped up to the mouth and heaved a sigh. This was it. Time to face this shit again. “So, ye gonna make me wait?”

“Come in,” the voice said, sickeningly sweet.

“Nae. I’m good where I am. Ye can hear me, we can talk.”

“Talk is for lesser creaturesss,” the dragon spat. “We are not lesser, are we, Katlyn?”

“Ah, usin’ me name now, are we? ‘Bout bloody time.”

“We are to enter negotiationssss, correct? I inssstead would like to have a wager.”

Kat thought back to Bren’s advice on gambling. Always have an out. Never go in over your head, and make sure that you have an out. He’d repeated the part about having an out every other piece of advice. Going into that cave would leave her with a single way out. One that could be easily blocked. Making a wager with a dragon over something unknown would trap her in whatever that wager would be. She needed more information.

“I’m willin’ tae discuss a wager, but I’m not enterin’ into anythin ye talk about before I know the details, lizard.” Maybe antagonising the creature wasn’t the best idea. She didn’t give a fuck.

An acidic hiss came from the cave. “Very well, child of the Gods. Come, sit. We shall ssspeak.”

Kat stepped up to the dark maw, then beyond the threshold. It was surprisingly warm inside, the harsh mountain air dissipating like a ghost. Kat’s eye adjusted to the gloom and saw the dragon.

It was bigger. No, that wasn’t the right word. It was healthier. The emaciation that plagued its initial form had faded. Its skin was still tight, but there was muscle underneath now. Rings and ridges of scales had begun to grow. Glittering blue. Just like hers. Most importantly, though, were the shackles placed on the creature. Heavy golden glowing manacles clung tightly to each wrist, biting into the growing flesh. Similar golden bands wrapped around its wings, forcing them closed. The tail was chained to a wall, and so were its hind legs. If it wanted to, it could get close to the cave’s mouth, but not completely. There was a good few feet it couldn’t reach.

“He really locked ye down, didn’t he?”

“You really lossst an eye, didn’t you?” the dragon spat back. Its eyes were red coals in the dark, and they burned with an unending hatred for Kat.

“Well, I’m up fer a pissin’ match, but I’m on another dragon’s time right now. The feck ye doin’ back ‘ere? How do ye even talk in me head from this far?”

“You think dissstance hasss any meaning here? Foolish child.”

“Spiritual space has no weight or substance, existin’ in an entire other realm where few traverse, mostly priests an’ the like,” Kat rattled off, recalling a lecture on the topic Bren had given her. “We all ‘ave our spots an’ save corruption or a malicious intruder, it stays like that. So, ye’re squattin’ in me space an’ makin’ me hate ye? The feck does that do fer ye?”

“Princesss, you have so much to offer. I wish to take that power. Raissse it high and make you the greatessst of our kind. A very nation under our grasssp, with your loversss at your ssside, ruling everything within your sssight.”

“Lately, that’s only half o’ what I can see. Pretty shite offer. Never wanted tae rule, an’ ye know tha’. What’s yer offer, snake?”

“I give you sssome of me, for sssome of you. You know you want to be ssstronger. The shield who protectsss. Who keepsss safe those you treasure. That man and hisss group attacked what wasss yoursss, and you could only act becaussse of the Wolf. You need to be ssstronger to keep her sssafe. She killed becaussse you couldn’t sssave her.”

Kat bit down hard on her tongue. Fury boiled in her as she listened to this monster speak. The worst part was, it was right. She hated that she couldn’t have done anything against Durge and his companions before Ann gave them a distraction. She hated that Ann had to kill for them. Most of all, she hated herself for not doing everything she could to get stronger. There was this thing right here, offering her the power to do exactly what she wanted, and she couldn’t extend that hand.

“I hate you,” Kat whispered.

“Hmm? Ssspeak up, little Alfhindur.”

“I hate you!” Kat roared. “Yeah, I want to be the feckin’ protector o’ me clan. I want tae be their shield an’ the one who keeps them from the worst o’ all this world’s got tae throw at ‘em. But ye know what? I can’t! Not bloody possible! I’m tryin’ so feckin’ hard tae be the better woman, tae help Ann an’ let her grow at the same time. Rosalyn doesn’t need much help in that area, but I’m there tae support ‘er anyway! Same wit’ Bren an’ Lucia! Nae, ye’ve got it feckin’ backwards, Dearc. I think I know me place now. I name ye Dearc. Since ye’re not a real dragon, I get tae take that from ye. Eldest o’ All was right, ye woulda told me yer name before if ye were a real one.

“Nae, this ain’t gonna be like Waheela. I’m not bowin’ or makin’ deals wit’ ye. I’m not lettin’ ye out o’ yer feckin’ shackles. Ye are gonna be the one tae listen tae me, understood?”

Dearc roared in defiance. “I am the pinnacle of predatorsss! The doom of the ssskiesss and the thunder of the earth! Break your bonesss upon me and find yourssself wanting, little maggot. I wasss to offer you ssstrength and magic! Now I curssse you with frailty and stupidity.”

“Looks like I’m gettin’ those either way,” Kat laughed. “Nae, ye’re gettin’ tae know this cave real well. I’m never, ever, lettin’ ye leave.”

Dearc lashed its head forward.

A golden sword materialised in Kat’s hand, and she drove it down through the creature’s snout and into the stone beneath.

Kneeling by the impaled head, she stared into that ruby of malice. “Oh, an’ I’m comin’ back. Don’t ye worry about tha’. Ann’s too nice tae gloat o’er a victory, but ye twisted me, tried tae use me. I’m going tae rub every bit o’ yer failure in fer as long as we live.”

Even with its snout impaled, the dragon laughed. “You’re already more like usss than you know, little maggot.”

Kat spat in its eye, stood and walked off the cliff.