Tales of the Lorekeepers 01 - Rise of the Red Dragon

answered Myrddin, smiling at the advisor. Then he looked toward Vortigern. “But he does.”
    The ruler of the Britons was cautiously thinking about what he would say next, weighing every word. Then he realized something, a detail that had escaped his attention at first.
    “You said the red dragon’s shrieks were heard by every Briton, resonating in their hearts and rendering them mad. What about its foe, the white dragon? Why did no one hear it?”
    “It’s simple,” answered Myrddin. “The red dragon represents the people of this island, the Britons. It is a part of them, it lives in their hearts and their souls. It is the spirit that guides us through history, the idea that defines us as we are. It is our ambitions, the challenges we face and our victories. The white dragon is also a spiritual guide, but it represents a foe of Britain, an enemy who would seek to destroy the people of this island by killing the red dragon. It is the invader, trying to subdue the rightful owners of this great land.”
    “The Saxons,” whispered Morghan.
    “Exactly,” replied Myrddin. “Ever since the Saxons have been on these lands, the conflict between the two dragons has escalated to the point that they now fight every night, inside the hill, causing the whole region to shake.”
    Vortigern immediately saw the opportunity to turn this situation to his advantage. This was precisely what made him such a fearful and efficient leader: the ability to turn everything back to his advantage. At least temporarily, anyway. If he were able to slay the white dragon, it would show his people that the Saxons were a weak enemy and could be repelled and sent back to their continent. He would win back their trust and inspire courage by defeating the legendary beast, just like in the stories of old times. This was exactly what he had been waiting for, what he needed to regain to trust of his men.
    “So, if I understand this correctly,” he said, “under our feet, there are two dragons, fighting for supremacy over these lands. One represents the Britons and the other the Saxons. Am I correct?”
    “That is correct.”
    “Then it is clear what we must do: we must fight by our dragon’s side and kill the Saxon spirit.”
    Morghan, Samuel, Ambrosius and the rest of the council collectively held their breath for a second. Surely, they must have misunderstood what the Briton ruler had said. Releasing two dragons from the cell that had kept them captive for so long? Fighting alongside one of them to vanquish the other?
    “Surely,” said Morghan, “you are not serious, my lord?”
    “As serious as one can be, Morghan.”
    “This is madness! You can’t unleash something like that without first taking the necessary precautions. Not to mention that the men are in no condition to fight such a powerful being. They are tired and weak, their spirits shattered.”
    “Morghan, I am warning you, these are dangerous waters you are embarking on,” threatened the king. “I suggest you remember your place and weigh your words carefully.”
    “I beg your pardon, my lord, but I must insist. We don’t know if any of this is true. For all we know, this boy is sending us on a wild goose chase, so he can gather more time to escape and warn others.”
    Vortigern considered what his senior advisor was saying. This man had been with him for a long time and had always been right … until recently, that is.
    “I have made my decision,” Vortigern announced at last. “I will gather the strongest of our men and turn over the ground, until we find this pool of water, where the dragons are presumably buried. In the meantime, Morghan, you will prepare the boy for the sacrifice. Let’s be safe and spill his blood anyway, just in case there is an authentic curse on this hill and none of this is true.”
    “As you wish, my king,” answered Morghan, satisfied with his lord’s decision.
    “What?” Ambrosius cried out suddenly. “What kind of animal are you, Vortigern? You can’t kill an innocent child. This is murder. You’re as mad as your advisor!”
    “Take this man away,” ordered Vortigern. “Morghan, bring them all with you and dispose of them.”
    The advisor flashed a chilling smile to Ambrosius as he passed by, and signaled for a few guards to bring the three prisoners along.
    “You will pay for this, Vortigern, that much I swear!” yelled Ambrosius, as he was carried outside the tent.
    Once they were out in the open, the rightful heir