Tales of the Lorekeepers 01 - Rise of the Red Dragon

black mass on the ground, where one of the guards had stood a few moments earlier. The heavy rain blurred his vision, but he guessed it was the fallen body of the soldier. Shortly after, a second shadow appeared next to the body, looking down on it. Before he could react, the second guard fell to the ground as well.
    This time, however, Malloy was able to see a detail he had failed to notice previously: an arrow was sticking out from the neck of the second man. Before he could tell the others about it, he heard a third guard call out, having also seen the second man fall to the ground. The two guards closest to Malloy immediately ran to the spot where their friends had fallen, quickly followed by the pair of guards stationed behind Malloy. Before they could reach the bodies of their fallen comrades, however, Malloy saw a large shadow forming in the rain in front of him, passing over the two dead soldiers. The shape grew larger and clearer, until he was able to identify it as a group of men running toward them, weapons drawn and arrows flying over their heads.
    The guards immediately yelled orders to one another, rushing to confront the incoming group. As the factions met in the distance, Malloy could only see shapes and shadows, but heard the clash of metal against metal, with the occasional cries of pain or pleas for mercy. The four guards fell, one by one, until all four were lying beside their dead companions.
    The mysterious group of newcomers slowly walked toward Malloy and his companions. One of the men detached himself from the gang. With his imposing stature and full-plated armor, he was clearly the leader. The helmet on his head was magnificent, and Malloy immediately recognized the distinctive wings on each side.
    “Uther,” he said. “Am I ever glad to see you, my lord.”
    “Malloy,” said Uther, as he gestured to his companions to free the prisoners. “I’m glad to see you alive as well, my friend.”
    Within minutes, all four prisoners were free, on their feet and equipped with new swords and shields. Freston looked at his blade skeptically. He preferred to use his bow. Whoever took it from him would pay dearly.
    “Where is my brother? Where is Ambrosius?”
    “We don’t know where they took him, my lord,” answered Kaleb. “When we got back to the camp, we climbed up the hill to find Vortigern, but Morghan had set up a trap for us. We were taken to this tree here, while Ambrosius, Samuel and Myrddin were brought to the royal tent. After that, we don’t know what happened to them.”
    “How did you find us?” asked Malloy.
    “My brother is wise and cautious,” answered Uther, “but sometimes he outwits himself and forgets that some people hide their true plans very well. Even with the best precautions, things can go wrong. As soon as you left the monastery, I gathered a few men and followed your tracks from a distance. Although we would prefer to avoid it, the abbey could fall into the hands of the Saxons. The people and brave monks who live there are prepared to make the sacrifice. My brother Ambrosius, however, is too important to leave unprotected. When you climbed up the hill this afternoon, we stayed behind, observing from the fringe of the wood. After the sun set, we walked into the camp, mingling with the other soldiers. That is when we heard about a group of prisoners and Vortigern’s plan to free a pair of ancient creatures.”
    Malloy and his three companions looked at him, hardly believing what he had just said.
    “He plans to do what now?” asked Darroch.
    “There are rumors in the camp that the soldiers are digging up two dragons hidden in the heart of this hill. Once they are free, Vortigern thinks he can kill one of them. He thinks they are symbols of the two nations in this war, one white and one red. I’m betting he hopes to regain the trust of his men by slaying the Saxon symbol—the white dragon. That fool wants to unleash an evil he does not even understand on this place.”
    “Dear God,” said Malloy. “We have to do something.”
    “First, let’s find Ambrosius and the others,” said Uther.

    Vortigern stood silent at the edge of the dark water, observing the incoming ripple, the tenth or eleventh now, he had lost count. All of his men were likewise silently gazing into the vast, obscure cave they had discovered. A few minutes ago, they were all asking questions of each other, wondering what was causing the disturbance on the surface of the water.