The Elder's Curse by Andrew Walbrown (ereader for textbooks TXT) 📕

unable to locate anyone. Though he was far away, he could see that the Matriarch’s claws were empty, meaning that she had released the others as well. He feared for Nilawen, Kona, and Mazargo, praying that either Kevea or Eemoneem had guided them to patches of ground softer than the one he had landed upon. As for Ulam, while Amantius did harbor some concerns, ultimately he was not overly worried about his foster-brother’s well-being. The way the Matriarch and the Elder were roaring at one another in their archaic language, as well as the sight of a giant stone wing separating the two dragons, led him to believe that Ulam was under the Elder’s protection.

Where is everyone else, though? Amantius thought as he looked around the glade. He called out to Kona, Nilawen, and Mazargo, but his voice was easily drowned out by the two dragons in the meadow. Since there was no way they would hear him he decided he had to search the tall stalks of emerald grass himself, hoping the nearby winged giants would be too occupied with one another to pay him any mind.

“Kona! Wen! Mazargo!” Amantius looked around. “Anyone?”

In the corner of his eye, he saw a fluffy tail sway back and forth, alerting him to Mazargo’s hiding spot. Quickly he crossed the meadow, feeling a great deal of relief pass over him as his eyes located both Mazargo and Kona. When he arrived Kona sprung to her feet and hugged him, the sudden addition of weight too much for Amantius’ weakened legs, sending them falling to the ground together.

“Ouch! Be careful,” Amantius started, “the Matriarch tossed me pretty hard.”

“Oh, so sorry!” Kona apologized. “I was just so happy to see you’re alive. Are you hurt?”

“Just a little sore,” Amantius replied as Mazargo joined them. Though Kona showed no signs of injury, Mazargo looked as though he would vomit at any moment. “Are you okay?”

The mage grimaced. “Mazargo is fine but his insides feel like jelly.”

“Could be worse, she could have ripped you in two,” Kona said before turning to Amantius. “Have you seen Nilawen?

“No, I was hoping you knew where she was,” Amantius answered, “but I’m sure she is safe. She’s incredibly resourceful and good at sneaking around. Did either of you see what happened to Ulam?”

Both shook their heads, only knowing as much as he had known. Amantius turned his attention to the dragons in the meadow and saw they were no longer roaring at one another. Instead, he saw the Matriarch back away from the Elder as the latter retracted his stone-covered wing, revealing a blood-soaked Ulam. Just as I thought. Thank the Gods he is safe.

Despite Kona and Mazargo’s outcries, Amantius rushed towards his foster-brother, using patches of tall grass to hide him while he ran. As he drew near he saw Ulam hacking at the sheets of cursed stone encasing the Elder’s wings, pieces breaking away like blocks of ice in a semi-frozen lake. Occasionally the Elder winced or moaned from the axe’s impact, but no matter how hard Ulam hit him, the Matriarch remained pacified.

Amantius crouched in a spot where the grass grew tallest, believing he was completely hidden from the Matriarch. But whether he had made too much noise crossing the glade or she was able to smell him, something he did alerted the dragoness. In one swift movement, she constricted him with her tail again, though this time she squeezed only hard enough to ensure he would not slip. As she brought him to the space between the Elder and herself, Amantius noticed the malice in her eyes had faded, replaced by what he thought was either shame or regret.

“What’s happening?” Amantius asked as the Matriarch released him.

“I was wrong,” she replied, “I must offer my deepest apologies for how I acted. The mage has cured the Elder.”

With one last swing, Ulam’s axe shattered the remaining stone, sending a thunderous boom echoing off the surrounding mountains. As soon as his wing was free of the cursed rock, the Elder roared triumphantly, spreading both wings as far as he could. He then ran a few strides and jumped, propelling himself high into the night sky. But the Elder did not stay airborne for long. After making a full circuit around the meadow, he returned to the space between Amantius and his hiding companions.

“Centuries of being imprisoned in stone has made me weak,” the Elder said after he had landed. There was an underlying tone of disappointment in his voice, but it was minuscule compared to the excitement on his face. “But I am finally free!”

The Elder and the Matriarch then spoke in their draconic language, the latter releasing a roar that brought Ushokku, Chulzi, and Zhalmi scrambling from the caverns. While the dragons enjoyed their reunion, Amantius stepped away from the group and called for Mazargo and Kona to join him. Slowly they emerged from the grass, the former using the latter as support as they reluctantly approached Amantius and the dragons. Meanwhile, Ulam sat nearby, axe shaft laying across his lap, as he poured water from his canteen onto his head and arms.

“I can’t believe it worked,” Amantius said to his foster-brother, providing a strip of cloth so Ulam could wipe away some of the dragon’s blood. “I had my doubts about Mazargo, but now I see he can be trusted.”

Ulam looked at the limping mage but said nothing. Instead, he poured more water onto himself and continued cleaning.

“Do you know what happened to Wen?”

“No,” Ulam replied with a frown. “I closed my eyes thinking my death was upon me and when I opened them I only saw a massive wall of stone. For a moment I thought all of you were dead until I saw you sneaking up on the Matriarch.”

“Yeah, that didn’t go so well,” Amantius chuckled before his demeanor turned serious once again. “I am starting to worry about Wen. I haven’t seen her since…”

“Do my eyes deceive me?” The Elder’s roaring voice