The Elder's Curse Andrew Walbrown (red scrolls of magic .TXT) 📖

“The Matriarch comes.”

A massive shadow appeared in the night sky, obscuring any stars that had been visible. As they waited Ulam felt the tension grow inside him, knowing he would soon learn why they were brought here. He presumed they were not abducted for food, because if so they would have already been dead and in the process of being digested. Adding to his belief was the fact that the plains in the nearby valley were teeming with sheep, the charred remains of some Ulam saw in the far reaches of the den. Unless they want more variety in their diet, but that seems unlikely. Hopefully.

Suddenly a great gale of wind rushed through the chamber as the Matriarch flapped her wings to slow her descent. The gusts were so strong they threatened to topple Ulam, whose trunk-like legs typically made him as steady as a mountain. When the Matriarch landed she created a tremendous cloud of dust that hovered in the den, forcing Ulam’s eyes shut for a moment. After he was sure that enough dislodged dirt had receded, Ulam reopened his eyes and was awestruck by what he saw.

Standing before Ulam was the largest dragon of the group, but despite her immense size, she was very sleek and slender. Her scales were the color of the sun, just like those of her progeny, with a black stripe that ran the length of her spine. Her presence created a stir among the whelps, all joining in a chorus of yipping, as she stomped around the cave inspecting her brood. Satisfied with what she saw, she then turned to the group along the wall, Amantius staring with wide eyes while Ulam stood defiant. The Matriarch took no interest in them, though, her curiosity instead piqued by the females. Without any regard, she nudged Kona aside and looked at Nilawen, who remained unconscious on the ground. Amantius started to stand, clearly wanting to force himself into the gap between the Matriarch and Nilawen, but Ulam grabbed his foster-brother by the shoulder and forced him to remain seated. Amantius glared at him and struggled a little, but Ulam held him tight while wordlessly mouthing, “Do not move.”

The Matriarch nodded, then turned her attention to the other dragoness. “Good work, Ushokku. Although, the Elfling is hurt.”

Ulam was surprised by how soft the Matriarch’s voice was. For a dragon of such size and stature, he expected the kind of voice that would shake the ground.

The Matriarch turned to Kona and inhaled, the power of the dragon’s lungs whipping the loose fabric of Kona’s shirt and trousers like a flag in the wind. “You smell of herbs, Kalikki. I presume you have the skill to heal, but do you have the ingredients?”

Kona shook her head. “I fear not.”

Of the group, Ulam thought Kona looked the least intimidated by the dragons, as though this turn of events did not shock her. As she told the Matriarch what ailed Nilawen and what herbs she needed, it dawned on Ulam that maybe Kona knew there were dragons in the Ummdani Mountains before they left Yawan. After all, she did not marvel at their terrible size or their massive claws like he did, nor did she care about the whelps when they landed in the lair. Her voice was stable, in such a way that she was talking to an old acquaintance and not the world’s most sophisticated carnivore. It seemed to Ulam that she had seen these dragons before, and perhaps even knew they were coming.

“Very well,” the Matriarch said, turning to the dragon named Zhalmi. “Take the Kalikki with you and find the plants she needs to heal the Elfling. Ushokku,” she turned towards the eldest sister, “you will take the others and move the whelps further into the caves. Chulzi, you will watch over them and make sure they do not eat our guests.”

Zhalmi walked over to Kona, carefully grasping the Kalikki with one of her claws. With a few beats of her wings, they were in the air and flying away, disappearing into the night. Ulam watched closely as the scene unfolded, his theories feeling validated as he watched Kona so willingly leave with a dragon. If it had been him or Amantius, they would have been far less cooperative. The other sisters then moved the whelps further into the caves, their yipping slowly fading the further they went into the tunnels. Soon Ulam, Amantius, and Nilawen were left completely alone with the Matriarch, who oversaw everything with a stoic look.

“I apologize for what happened to your friend, the Elfling” the Matriarch said after everyone had gone. “It was not part of the plan, I assure you.”

So there was a plan. Now Ulam was even more suspicious of Kona, entirely convinced she had lured them to this place. Did Tomo know too?

“I am sure you are wondering why you are here,” the Matriarch continued, “do not worry, we do not want to eat you. Your kind does not taste good, too bitter for our tastes. No, you are here for a different reason, a more important reason. We need your help.”

“Our help?” Amantius blurted. “With what? You’re dragons, what can we do that you can’t?”

The Matriarch sat on her hind legs, wrapping her slender but powerful tail around her body. Moonlight poured through the entranceway, causing her scales to glimmer in the luminescence. She lowered her brow, adopting a saddened countenance, as though the weight of the world was on her shoulders. “One of our own, the Elder we call him, is very old and very sick, and we do not have the means of curing him. Many years ago he had a curse put upon him by a mage named Kuruk, who wanted to control the minds of dragons to do his nefarious bidding in a quest for world domination. We defeated Kuruk in a battle that claimed many of our kin’s lives,