The Dragon of Charred Scales

Fury of a Scorned Dragon, Part Two

Jheecu

"I need to tell you something," said a voice from behind. I turned towards the door to my room to see Shenring standing there, looking nervous.

"What got into you?" I asked. Never had I seen Shenring anything but confident or irritated.

"I'll tell you once you close your door and I block eavesdropping."

He did his chant as I closed the door. I did not lock it, though. That would mean locking this poison bird in here with me. I'd rather lock the door with him out.

"I need to leave Oita soon. Or I will be killed," Shenring said after a while.

"What did you do?" I asked, suspicious. Shenring is one of Harogbas' biggest helpers. Surely Harogbas would not threaten him if Shenring had not done anything too serious. I feel relieved that the door is still unlocked, so that I can force him out if needed.

"It's not so much me, but what others did that I tried to stop."

"Just tell me, so I can decide if I need to eat you."

"Eat me and it will be your last meal," he threatened, still lacking his normal tone.

"We'll see."

He sighed. "Whatever. Harogbas tried to use Novayar and Oculeera to overexert themselves. If they succeeded in their task, Alustagal would have erupted and they would've died. If they failed, they would've probably died in the Turn."

I almost laughed. "They're not here yet. Hernat and Harogbas both told me this morning that they have been delayed."

"I can prove to you that not only are they here, sitting in a prison cell, but they have taken residence in an offshoot tunnel for the past few months."

I shook my head. "Lies, I'm sure. You're trying to get me to believe you, to save you from some wrong."

Shenring stepped back and vigorously shook his head. "If that were true, I would have just left the clan rather than speak with you. Coming to you is a risk, but you need to know who Harogbas truly is."

"I don't need to know anything more. I've known him for decades."

"You know his facade. Not his core."

I snorted, jetting some flames in the Zhenniao's direction. We all have a hidden side, right? I highly doubt Harogbas is evil at his core. "Whatever," I said in a more confident tone than he had when he said the same thing.

"Jheecu, you never listen to anything unless it fits your reality. If Harogbas wasn't hunting me, I would go now and show you everything. Guide you to their rooms, show you their Masters, give you the hidden reports on their training progress. At least go down to the prisons."

"What prisons?" I asked, somewhat curious. I did not know Oita had a prison.

"Ah, you did not know," he said, for a moment his old self. "Dragons who try to stop your lover go there, trapped in human form with a spell, and live a miserable existence until they die. It usually doesn't take long."

I snarled when he said "lover." My bond with Harogbas goes much deeper than just that word said in that tone. I have too little doubt yet for that to change. "But those must be bad dragons. Dragons who take on the nefarious ideals of human criminals."

"Some of them are. But I very much doubt you would describe Novayar, Oculeera, or Karomba in that way."

Karomba?