Treasures of Fantasy - Margaret Weis [27]
The serpents attempted to wrap their bodies around the dragon, trying to squeeze the breath from his lungs and crush his bones. The Dragon Kahg slashed at the serpents with his clawed feet and tore at them with his fangs, ripping out chunks of scaly flesh that he spit into the sea.
Blood rained down on Acronis. One of the serpents, bleeding from a ragged tear that had nearly split its body in two, sank beneath the waves. The other struck at the dragon’s hindquarters with its tail. The Dragon Kahg caught hold of the serpent in his claws. The serpent writhed and coiled and struck repeatedly at the dragon’s head and wings.
Some fool archer let loose an arrow, aiming for the dragon. Kahg, battling for his life against the serpent, never saw it. The arrow fell harmlessly into the sea.
The wind strengthened, whipping up the waves so that the Venjekar and the Light of the Sea rocked violently. Dark clouds boiled up from the horizon. Thunder rolled and lightning flared. The blasting wind seized the dragon and the serpent and carried them, still battling, up into the clouds. The dragon and the serpent, tangled together, were swallowed up by clouds and vanished from sight.
The Torgun fell silent. Raegar stood on the deck of the Venjekar, glaring at the heavens. Men on board the galley were dazed, dumbstruck.
Acronis was the first to speak, and his voice shook with rage.
“I want the man who fired that arrow whipped!”
CHAPTER
7
* * *
BOOK ONE
On board the Venjekar, the Torgun gazed into the thunderclouds, praying desperately that the Dragon Kahg would fly back to destroy their enemies. Time passed. The thunder ceased. The clouds drifted off, casting dark shadows on the sparkling water. The dragon did not return.
“This proves our gods are dead,” said Erdmun glumly.
“The Dragon Kahg killed two of his foes,” said Skylan. “The dragon and our gods are alive and fighting. If you want further proof,” he added with grim satisfaction, “look at Raegar.”
Raegar’s face was purple, his neck red, cords bulging, blood vessels throbbing. He had just seen the creatures of his invincible god go down in defeat. He was so furious that he lost control and raised his hand to strike Treia, blaming her for his failure. Aylaen stepped between Raegar and her sister.
“Touch her,” said Aylaen, “and you will die.”
Her voice was soft with menace and, though she had no weapon to carry out her threat, Raegar lowered his hand. The Torgun were shouting and yanking on their chains. Zahakis decided this had gone far enough and he stepped in to try to regain control.
“One of you men, take the women below,” he ordered sharply, then turned to confront Raegar.
“What the hell are you doing? Your kinsmen are trouble enough without watching you mistreating their women. Keep it up and they will rip their chains out of the bulkheads to get at you!”
Raegar glowered, hands clenching and unclenching. He began to try to say something, but Zahakis coolly cut short the man’s raging.
“We have bigger worries. How do you propose we sail the ship now that the dragon is gone?”
“I will order the prisoners to sail it,” said Raegar. The flush was slowly fading from his face, leaving it an ugly mottled color, red with whitish-yellow spots.
“I’m sure they’ll be eager to obey you,” said Zahakis dryly.
Raegar gave an unpleasant smile. “Leave it to me, Tribune. I know these brutes.”
“Because you’re one of them,” muttered a soldier standing near Skylan.
Raegar walked over to face his former friends and kinsmen, who told him what they’d like to do to him. Raegar looked smug and Skylan tensed.
Whatever the whoreson is planning, he is confident of the outcome.
“You will sail this ship,” Raegar said loudly, “or I will order Tribune Zahakis and his men to whip you until the flesh falls from your bones and you bleed to death. You will go to Torval in chains, bloody from the lash, the mark of the slave upon you. Is that how you want to die?”
Skylan held rigidly still. The Torgun fell silent. No man moved. No man spoke.
To die a slave was to die dishonored. Torval