Dragonlust

Chapter X: Departures

       Reno’s head exploded.
       “Lord Void will be pleased!” cried a voice.
       “You can’t have my pendant.... Never!” Reno shouted, and he threw his unarmed self at the wizard. A bolt hit him in the chest, and caused him to drop to the floor.
       Majisto wasn't defeated yet. He summoned more Deathers and charged at Reno. Fool boy! thought Majisto, I already have his pendant, it’s HIM I want!

       Bjarn and the others were still retreating from the spot Dale lay when suddenly several figures stepped out from the cover of trees. Bjarn drew his sword, but then noticed the Elk Crest imprinted on one of the person's shields. They approached Bjarn, and all three of them bowed. One of the figures had tattoos all over his face, and he now spoke.
       “Bjarn, I am Gonderin. I had come to you bearing great news. Your cousin Isaac, Leader of the League of Forestmen, has died. This means you, Bjarn, now bear the weight of leadership upon your shoulders. You are the new Leader of the League of Forestmen!”
       The other two men on either side of Gonderin cheered, and so did two score other Forestmen and women hidden in the trees.
       Bjarn could not say anything for a long time, for the death of Dale and Reno's disappearance still troubled him greatly. At last he said, standing tall, “I accept.”
       The Forestmen cheered again, but it was cut short by an explosion that ripped through the air. Deathers appeared from nowhere and charged the group.
       “STAND YOUR GROUND!” Bjarn shouted, “FORM A CIRCLE! GIVE THOSE DEATHERS MEGABLOKS!”
       The Forestmen obeyed. Bjarn was a natural leader. They formed a circle and began firing into the ranks of the oncoming Deathers, arrows whizzing like angry bees.
       Aros, protected within the circle, looked up into the sky. High above them, he saw Reno battling a person clothed in blue and wielding a staff. As Aros watched, the wizard blasted Reno with such power his staff shattered, and bits of crystal fell like rain. The wizard clutched Reno to him and vanished in a flash of light, taking the Deathers with him.
       Bjarn grimly surveyed the battlefield. Three Forestmen had died, but any Deathers that might have been killed had vanished. He was about to give an order when Aros ran forward, clutching several fragments of crystal.
       “I know where Reno has gone!”
       Bjarn turned, puzzled. Aros held up the crystals and explained breathlessly.
       “Reno has been kidnapped by a Dragon Master wizard! I saw them battling not two minutes ago! That flash of light and those Deathers were created by a wizard!”
       “But how do you know the wizard is a Dragon Master?” asked Willem.
       “These crystals!” explained Aros, “I have seem their likeness before, when I was crossing Dragon Master land five months ago, before I battled alongside Alex. I saw them being mined before I came across a band of Dragon Masters preparing to attack the Crusaders. I am almost certain these crystals came from there!”
       “So...what are you proposing to do?” asked Graygon slowly.
       “Why, go and rescue Reno of course!” retorted Aros.
       Shainya, eyes red, confronted Aros. “Let that murderer rot with the Dragon Masters, I do not wish for him to live!”
       Aros was looking desperate. “My brother could not have killed Dale in cold blood, attack him, perhaps, but not kill him!”
       His opinion, unfortunately, was the minority. As hard as it was for Bjarn, Willem and Graygon to believe, they had been the first to see Dale impaled on Reno's blade.
       Aros was still looking around frantically, almost pleading. “Please! I'm sure he is innocent! Who will go with me to rescue him?”
       Luxus gently pried himself away from Rosa's grip and inched forward, finally standing beside Aros.
       “I believe you.” the child whispered.
       Alex stomped up and patted Aros on the back.
       “I barely know this brother of yours, but I trust you judgment. I'll accompany you.”
       Aros took Luxus's hand and looked and Willem, Graygon and Bjarn expectantly. Slowly, the three shook their heads.
       “I have just received word from Gonderin here that the Fell War has ended and Defoe is dead.” stated Willem, “As the leader of the Wolfpack, it is my duty to command my people. I must return to the Mainland.”
       “As a member of Wolfpack, I follow my leader.” said Graygon firmly.
       Bjarn stepped forward, touched Aros on the arm and said, “Go where you wish, but I must stay with my Forestmen kin. If there was any proof Reno did not commit this deed, I would go with you in a moment. However…”
       He trailed off. There was a silence, and then Gonderin said,
       “There is a port north of us. For who wish to return to the Mainland, I will lead you there.”
       Marcus nodded his head gratefully. “I’m thankful, sir. I must be getting back to me ship.”
       Rodurik glanced at Rosa, and then said, “I would like to leave as well, I have a family and business to keep up.”
       Rosa said, “I will stay with Bjarn. I have no wish to return to Crusader lands.”
       They said their farewells in a quiet, subdued way. Gonderin led Aros, Luxus, Alex, Willem, Graygon, Marcus and Rodurik off toward the north while Bjarn, Shainya and Rosa stayed behind to bury Dale. Bjarn kept Reno’s sword. Shainya kept Dale’s broken guitar.

       Rodurik stared out at the subdued passengers onboard the ship Morning Glade as he fingered his long, black hammer in his hands.
       Aros, Luxus and Alex were huddled in a corner, pouring over a tattered map plotting their intended path to Reno. Marcus was at the stern staring out to the sea blissfully, and Willem and Graygon stood at the bow, saying nothing, just standing and thinking their own thoughts.
       What is in store for them? wondered Rodurik. Aros, Luxus and Alex hoped to find that Reno, but Rodurik had a feeling they had seem the last of that murderer. Oh yes, Rodurik knew Reno murdered Dale, no question of it. Rodurik had seen it before, two men and a woman.
       The blacksmith shook his head. That combination was sure to be explosive, and it had been. Dale was dead, Shainya was left to grieve and Reno was now a murderer. Typical.
       Rodurik knew what Marcus was going to do, return to sailing. If all had gone well, Marcus’s ship would still be in port waiting for him when he arrived.
       The two Wolfpack members would have a lot to deal with when they got into their home territory, Rodurik was certain. The Wolfpack had been torn to pieces by the Fell War, and it would take all the skill of Willem Blackcloak and Graygon to pull things back together.
       Rodurik’s mind wandered to Rosa. He felt happy for the young girl. Her life had been one horrific event after the other, but now she might have some peace. She could take care of herself, he knew, for she was strong and agile and had the knife and plate armor he had made her. He knew she loved him, but he could only return that love in a fatherly way, for he was already happily married and had two kids. Yes, it was best that she was on her own at last.
       “LAND HO!” shouted someone on the mainmast. Rodurik looked up and Aros, Luxus and Alex scrambled to the side of the ship to look. In the distance, the port city of Denderham could be barely seen.
       Rodurik smiled. He was going home.

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