Tales of the Lorekeepers 01 - Rise of the Red Dragon

so.”
    “Oh I’m sorry,” interrupted Corwan. “I suppose the tremors we endured for the past two hours were simply my forceful snores?”
    “I admit I did not foresee these events. How could I have known that these hills were cursed? It came as much as a surprise to me, as it did to you, Corwan. Nonetheless, even you can’t be blind to the fact that the landscape is an absolute dream come true for an army trying to defend itself. The steep hillsides, the dense forest surrounding it, the slippery ground. It would be impossible for an enemy to bring any sort of equipment up to the ramparts. Our archers would crush any army trying to make it up the hill. If it wasn’t for the tremors, this would be the perfect place for our stand.”
    “Morghan,” intervened the king. “I’ve known you long enough to guess that you have a plan. I’ll admit that I do not want to leave this place, if you can assure us that the curse causing these tremors can be broken. If you can do so, then this is the place where we will defeat the Saxons.”
    The advisor laid out his plan, without disclosing the existence of the dark man. “My lord, I assure you the curse can be broken. Earlier this evening, before the ground shook, I was in my tent, reading more scrolls about Dinas Ffaraon and the region around us. Someone had to have discovered this place before us, and I wanted to know everything there was to know about it, make sure there was no flaw in this impenetrable terrain. Doing so, I came across a story concerning this place and the curse that inhabits within hill. When the tremors finally stopped, I went back to my tent to finish studying this text. Unfortunately, the author was not specific about the cause of the curse, but I’m afraid some passages were very clear on the consequences. The tremors we experienced tonight will occur again and again, every night, for as long as we stay here. With this curse still in effect, it will be impossible for us to build anything on this hill. However, the text also mentioned a way to remove this dark spell. I’m sure the council has heard of the fatherless boy who walks on the great island of Britain.”
    Every advisor held his breath. The king opened his eyes wide, not sure he had heard correctly. They had heard of this fatherless boy before, but always assumed he was only a myth or a legend.
    “There has never been proof of his existence,” pointed out Vortigern.
    “I assure the council,” continued Morghan, “that he is very real. I know for a fact that this boy is living in a monastery east of Mancunium, hidden by an impenetrable forest. He was placed there by his mother after she gave birth, for she knew the child possessed magical powers that would make him a target in the eyes of others. Today, this boy is eight years old, and he has displayed extraordinary powers, as expected.”
    “How do you know all this?” asked an advisor who had remained silent until now.
    “I’ve known for a long time, my friend.”
    “And you kept this from us, from your king?” questioned Corwan.
    “I’m sure we all have our reasons for displaying our knowledge only when it is necessary and prudent, advisor Corwan,” replied Morghan.
    “Still, I don’t like that you kept this from me, Morghan,” said the king.
    “My apologies, my lord. I only acted in what I thought were your best interests.”
    “Accepted. Now that we know of his existence and where to find him, how can this boy help us?”
    “It is still unclear exactly what the boy can do,” answered Morghan. “However, there is no denying that he is the only one who can break the curse. My king, noblemen, I propose that we bring this boy here and have him examine these hills. With his powers, surely he can figure out how to remove this curse.”
    “And what if he can’t?” asked Corwan.
    “If he cannot render this hill safe with his words, then he will do it with his blood on the land. This curse dates back from a time when our ancestors still honored pagan gods. Only a pagan ritual can break this curse. This is the only way we will free ourselves from the nightly tremors.”
    Morghan paused, waiting for the idea to sink into every advisor’s mind. Most of them were hardened men and brutal warriors, but even for them, the thought of spilling a child’s blood was immoral, perverse.
    “What guarantee do we have that it will work?” asked the young advisor who had accused Morghan at the beginning of the council.
    “It