The Dragons Queen Saga

Part 6: Preparations

The plan Lazarus laid before him was flawless. The moon would not allow them to wait to execute it, so Dresden checked out of the inn four days early and left for the coast with Lazarus, who talked the entire time they walked. Dresden kept glancing down at Lazarus's bare feet. They were broken and calloused, toenails yellowed and grown too long from being ungroomed. The ease in his steps on the pebbly road suggested to Dresden that the Dragon man had chosen to go barefoot for a long time. He must have grown callouses like leather to bear the terrain with ease. Dresden's gaze moved upwards, taking in Lazarus completely with all his senses. He could see how Lazarus might want to end a life that had degraded to such disrepair.

The scenic coastal road led them through the outskirts of Sveldin, winding its way along a border wall to their right. The castle came into view behind the wall, just the uppermost turrets and battlements, silhouetted against the bluest sky. The cloudless day brought heat, but the winds from the coast could be felt now and the taste of salt in the air made Dresden suddenly crave fish. The castle was modest compared with those he had seen in the Northern Lands, where arrogance and ego ruled with massive structures meant to intimidate any who laid eyes upon them. By contrast, one could describe this castle as petite, almost decorative, easily dismissed and overlooked.

They passed another gate that led out of town at the far Southern border. The road opened up into grassy hills before curving sensuously towards sandy beaches with waves finally crashing in Dresden's ears. He drank up the sounds. Cliffs high to the East in the distance reminded him of these lands long ago, before all the commotion of human activity, when he could fly in and out of the cave in Dragon form, unnoticed by onlookers. That would have been impossible now with the towering castle, and the mass of people. The population was thriving and the lands had suffered for it.

Once on the beach, where his boots sank deep into pebbly sand, he turned to take a better look at the castle, and its fortifications. For the first time he could see blackened marks and heavy damage from the attacks of the islanders. With his experience, he could tell that only minor casualties had befallen this kingdom and that they had fared well considering the length of the war and the determination of their enemies.

Sunset on the beach would have been enjoyable for Dresden had Lazarus shut his mouth for long enough. There was no peace with this man; his inner turmoil kept tumbling out of his mouth as meaningless nonsense to barf upon this holy moment. He had waited weeks to arrive just here, but not like this. So much had taken place during his travels. Being attacked by Lilieth had disturbed him more than the ambush in Knotwood. The demonic entity in the bottle had changed Dresden's plans, and would have ended his journey had Lazarus not offered himself as a sacrifice in his place. Although he had contemplated his own death, or cursedness, he hadn't accepted that his fate would leave him there. He hadn't agreed with time, with whom he would gladly confer in order to stave off such a gruesome fate for himself. Just as he had almost conceded to it, this Dragon, whom he had known, with whom he had studied in Temple, who had shared star-seeded information with him that was not privy to others, had arrived to his rescue at a time when he didn't know he even needed to be rescued. The Universe was truly a strange place, Dresden mused.

He broke away from Lazarus long enough to walk the coastline. There were no islands visible from the beach, but Dresden knew they were there. At the top of the cliffs they could be seen; he used to fly to them and roll on the white sandy beaches. The quality of that sand was unmatched, like liquid gold on Dragon scales. One could liken it to that of a cat, rolling in the pleasure of itself in soft grass. Dragons could be simple creatures, Dresden pondered. Cruel at heart, but simple. The days in the cliff cave had been healing. Exile had been a painful experience. The Dragons had sworn to remain together, to weather their circumstances regardless of what the world was doing around them. It was their oath and their bond upon the understanding that none of them would ever get back to Numa or BasNassal. But that oath was torn apart as humans began hunting them when they remained in a large group. For all of their safety and survival, they split up to wander the world alone.

He wanted to believe in Lazarus and the plan that they were about to execute, but it involved evoking the Haiute, a race of creatures that had no allegiances to anyone and were self-serving. They could be dangerous if negotiations went sour, as they were known to do since the Haiute made sure of it. They were disagreeable, embodying the dark heart of the ocean itself. Still, Lazarus seemed assured of their success in these dealings. The bargain could not be more unevenly balanced towards them, so how could they refuse it?

Dresden glanced back across the beach. Lazarus was rolling in the sand. This made Dresden snort a little at the sight. Even in human form, his Dragon companion still enjoyed the simple pleasures of Dragon things. He found comfort in that. Lazarus had been such an ally and a friend, too long ago to even matter in the world today. But it must count for something for the two of them to be here on this beach with the purpose laid out before them. Lazarus had tried to share some of the future with Dresden. He refused to hear it. Potential futures always disappoint because free will changes everything. It is not worth the trouble, Dresden thought, to become enamored over something that will let you down on the turn of a tide, or the birth of a dove.

The water sounded melodious to Dresden's soul. Shortly after exile Dresden had discovered this place. So far away from BasNassal, it had been the perfect refuge to learn how to live a solitary life. Dragons were communal, so being alone was a torture at first. Once he began to interact with people in human form, he began to find solace in loneliness. Too much thinking in those early days and too much idle time to think properly. He had been wrathful, allowing himself the rage to properly come to terms with his new existence. Dragons were destructive in their worst moments, leading him to tear a chunk from the cliff edge that was still visible to this day. It would forever be a scar of his turmoil, that no one but him would see. They would see a crumbling cliff. He would know the truth of the gouge that was visible to everyone, but hidden from their knowing. At their best, some of the finest magic, art and creativity were showered upon the world by Dragons. Gorgeously carved cities, plants of wonder and magic that the Earth had never known before, and other mysteries. But those times were long since passed, and all that was left for Dresden was the bitter taste of Sariahfina's betrayal of him and his brethren.

"Hey! Hey you! Donkey's arse! Do you hear me?" Lazarus was stomping in Dresden's direction. Dresden sighed. The sanctity of his thinking moment had ended with Lazarus's screaming. He was out of breath by the time he got to Dresden. "Hey," he panted. "Couldn't you hear me calling you? I'll set up right over there, tonight, when the moon is out. You do your part and let me do the talking and we'll both get what we want out of this." He grinned with disgusting teeth, such a wide grin that his eyes were reduced to slits. A mischievous chuckle rose from Lazarus. Dresden was not amused by him. The sooner this was over with the better.