The Sworn Knight, Robert Ryan [good beach reads .txt] 📗

“You mix truth with lies and lies with truth. You are adragon, and you are dead. Your power is spent, great as it once was.”

The skull of the dragon moved, and there was a rattle ofbones. More smoke issued from the nostrils, but the figure of Lindercroftremained still.

“Truth and lies?” it said. “I know truths that would searyour soul and lies that would give you an eternity of bliss. Do you reallythink you are wise enough to tell which is which before it is too late, or evenwhich is better?”

“Perhaps not. But I’m wise enough to know that one doesn’twin a debate with a dragon. It always ends in death.”

Lindercroft laughed, and the sound was like the hissing ofsteam. But out of the corner of her eye she saw Kubodin begin to move, andthough she heard nothing, she also saw his lips twitch as though he were chanting.

“Listen to me, girl that was and seventh knight that is. There are worse fates than death. Listen and learn thehorror of your—”

But even as the vision spoke, Kubodin broke free of theinvisible bonds that held him. His axe was in his hand, burning with fire, andhe struck at the image of Lindercroft.

The sorcery flickered, and the smoke that formed it rose,making Lindercroft waver but rise in the air out of Kubodin’s reach.

But Ferla was free now too, and she uttered a word of powerand with her left arm extended sent a spurt of lòhren-fire hurtling through theair. She almost sent it at Lindercroft, but at the last moment knew where itwould best serve.

The lòhren-fire streamed through the air. Blue it was, palelike the sky, but at its edges it burned white. It smashed into the ribcage ofthe dragon, right at that very spot where Kubodin had touched it with hisblood.

She could not produce lòhren-fire as hot as Kareste, or evento the strength of Faran, but Ferla concentrated hard, using the force of hermind. And her magic, if not strong, was not weak either.

White smoke rose from the bones. The image of Lindercroftbillowed up in a vast cloud and then dispersed. The dragon lay still, and herfire weakened and flickered out.

Ferla stepped back, wanting to run but not daring to turnher back on the creature. Asana and Kubodin did likewise, until they were ahundred feet or so away. Then they turned and ran.

They ran a good while, for the fear of the dragon was onthem. And vast must its power have been in life if its magic still enduredafter thousands of years of death.

But the fear wore out as the bright sun rose higher, and anew fear replaced it. They were in the open, and visible to their enemies ifany were about.

Ferla slowed to a walk. “We need shelter,” she said.

No one disagreed. But they still walked for another halfmile or so before they found a small patch of trees. They were not of a varietythat Ferla knew, but even if they were small they still grew a wide enoughcanopy to provide shelter from both sun and prying eyes.

They settled down and ate a cold meal. The fear was gonenow, and just tiredness remained. But, as ever, they would keep a good watch.

Yet tired as they were, Asana at least still had somequestions he wanted answered, and they were not about the dragon.

“It’s time,” he said, turning to face Kubodin from where hesat. “It’s time to tell us who you really are. For you are more than you seem,as is your axe. How do you come to possess magic?”

Ferla suddenly forgot her tiredness. This was something shewanted to know. Twice now Kubodin had displayed magic, but it was not of a kindthat she understood.

8. You Are My Family

Kubodin sat in silence a moment. His eyes were dark andimpenetrable, his face giving away nothing of what he thought.

“Very well,” he said at length. “This is my story, such asit is.”

He sat still, only tilting his head as though rememberingthings long passed.

“You found me, Asana, being tortured by bandits. This weboth know, and Ferla has heard that story too. When you intervened, they wouldnot let me go and attacked you. So you slew them. All ten of them, which was nosmall feat. But hey, you do like to show off.”

The little man grinned at that and fingered his brass earring.

“I do not show off,” Asana muttered.

Ferla knew that was true. But she also knew this was a gamebetween these two.

Kubodin looked away a moment, and then back at Asana. The smilewas gone from his face.

“It was a lie. The torturing bit was real, as well you know.You saw what they were doing to me. But they weren’t bandits.”

Asana did not move. This must have surprised him, but he hidhis reaction well.

“If they were not bandits, then who were they?”

“Dogs is what they were,” Kubodin replied. And his voice wassuddenly fierce. “Dogs on a leash that served another, and did his bidding inall things no matter how foul the deed.”

“And who was this man?”

“He was my brother.”

At that, there was silence. Ferla could not believe one brotherwas capable of doing that to another brother, but one glance at Kubodin assuredher the little man was telling the truth. His face was hard as a rock, and sheknew he was remembering a terrible time in his life and fighting to ensure hisemotions did not show on his face. But she sensed them roiling beneath his calmexterior.

“I’m sorry, Kubodin,” Asana said. “Small wonder it’s not asubject you speak of often.”

Kubodin sighed. “No, but perhaps I am wrong to keep it allto myself. I had thought to put my past behind me, and that if I never spoke ofit I would forget. But it hasn’t been so.”

The little man shifted to a more comfortable position, andhe did not look at them as he went on with his story.

“I’m the son of a chieftain. A petty chieftain by somestandards, but in the hills that are my home on the lands bordering the Cheng,the clans are fierce and wild.