Tales of the Lorekeepers 01 - Rise of the Red Dragon

a Lorekeeper anymore.”
    “Unfortunately, the decision is not up to you, Samuel. However, you may find comfort in knowing that being chosen means you have the ability to succeed in every one of your adventures. Even without their powers, Lorekeepers always have the ability to vanquish their foes. Keep that in mind, Samuel.”
    “I understand.”
    Samuel remained in this light for a few more seconds … or maybe eons; he could not have said which. There was no time here, only peace.
    “Tell me,” he said. “Who was the dark man?”
    “That, Lorekeeper, is for you to find out.”
    Before Samuel could say anything else, the bright light flashed intensely, until it reached a point where Samuel thought he would become mad, unable to shut his eyes and shield himself from this godly glow.
    And then everything returned to blackness.

    Myrddin was repeating the sacred words Angeline was whispering in his ears, holding the mixture in front of him. The soldiers had found all the ingredients for the antidote, and now it was a matter of infusing it with the right energies.
    When the incantation was done, Myrddin spilled a little of the liquid onto Malloy’s lips, attempting to make a few drops slip into his mouth. At first, the young man did not seem to notice, still shivering and drunk with fever, but soon he opened his mouth a little wider and quickly drank the whole bottle.
    A few moments later, he opened his eyes, the blood slowly making its way back to his face and his skin gradually regaining its pink color.
    “Good to have you back, son,” said Ambrosius.
    “What … what happened to me?”
    “You saved my life,” said Uther, kneeling. “I owe you everything, my friend.”
    Angeline smiled warmly, happy to have been able to save this dying man, before the Grim Reaper could claim him. She only wished she could do the same with Samuel. She turned around, to see how the Lorekeeper was doing.
    “Sam!” she yelled, making Myrddin jump on his chair.
    The other three men looked at the young boy, puzzled by his sudden jerk.
    On the bed behind him, Samuel opened his eyes, looking at the ceiling of the tent. Slowly, he lifted his head to see where he was. Once he realized he was back in the real world—or the mythological one, at any rate—he let his head fall back down, glad to be among the living again.
    Myrddin leaped to the bedside of his friend.
    “Sam, by the gods, you’re alive!” he said, bursting into laughter, tears running down his cheeks.
    Ambrosius and Uther also knelt by Samuel’s bed.
    “You’re as mysterious as you are resilient, young man,” said Uther. “Both of you deserve to be heroes.”
    “Don’t move! You need to rest for now,” said Angeline to her protégé. “Are you cold? Do you feel sick? Do you need anything? Water? Food? Food! You need food!” She turned around. “Bring this man some food!” she yelled to the others.
    “No one can hear you, Angeline,” said Samuel.
    “Oh! Right.”
    “I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”
    Angeline could not help herself and flew over to Samuel’s bed, throwing her little arms around his neck.
    “All right, all right,” protested the young man.
    The others looked at him, witnessing his struggle against an invisible foe.
    “Fairy again, I presume?” asked Uther to Ambrosius.
    “Just tell me one thing. Did we succeed?” asked Samuel. “Is the dark man dead?”
    “Rest assured, young man, he is very much dead,” replied Uther.
    The king’s brother quickly related to everyone how Malloy had saved his life and how the dragon had come to his aid to do the same. He told them of the fire that incinerated everything, including the dark man.
    “He’s not dead,” said Angeline to Samuel. “He vanished just before the fire reached him. If he were dead, I would know by now.”
    “Of course he isn’t—that would have been too easy,” grumbled the Lorekeeper.
    “What about Vortigern?” asked Malloy. “Does anyone know what has happened to him?”
    “We looked everywhere for the murderer,” answered Ambrosius. “But we could not find any sign of him or his body. Either he perished inside the hill when he freed the dragons or he fled somewhere once he did. Either way, I doubt we will see the traitorous scoundrel around here any time soon.”
    Suddenly, a subtle, distant rumble seemed to gather strength around the hill. It was like a rolling thunder coming from outside, growing louder with every passing moment. Not knowing