Zai's story

The emerald green eyes that glared down at him matched the glinting green scales. He froze in mid-stride. Too late he realized he had stumbled upon a green dragon’s lair. He had not noticed the dragon until after it was too late. He had been too busy searching for the object.
“What iss your name and what are you doing here?” the green dragon hissed as fear flooded his mind, freezing him in place. A green dragon? Here? It doesn’t make sense. There was no good hunting in the area. The dragon wasn’t here a week ago.
“I ssaid what iss your name and what are you doing here? Tell me or I will cook you from the feet on up. SSLOWLY.” That broke his paralysis. He spun only to find a long tail blocking his path. He turned slowly, fearfully, to find the large green head much closer than he wanted. “What iss your name?”
“Zai. Zai Rowan, son of Yaxon Rowen. I am sear… I am a woods-guide,” Zai stammered. He hoped the dragon couldn’t tell when someone lied like in the stories. “I am looking for new trails.”
“You lie,” retorted the dragon, “You were not looking for new trailss, you were looking for something elsse. What were you looking for?”
“There was something on a hill over here. I came up here looking for it.”
“That be the truth. If you promise to return here with the object I will let you go, for now.”
“I swear on my life that I will return here with the object.”
“Very well. You must return here in two dayss or I will hunt you down and eat you. Now GO.”
Zai started up the trail, wondering how he had gotten away with his life. The only time that happened in the stories was when the hero killed the dragon. The trail grew steadily steeper, forcing him to focus on the trail and not on his brooding thoughts. Up and up the trail lead, mist started to hide the trail. Chilling winds swept the trail. Zai shivered and pulled his cloak closer around him. The wind had an unearthly feeling, something that was not of this world but of the underworld.
Zai had seen the part of the underworld once, in a pit for a funeral. The white spirit floated down slowly into the green black darkness. The wind that had swirled around the pit had felt like ice. The mist that had enveloped the ground around the pit was just like the mist around him now. Zai shuddered. It was bad luck to think of the underworld. Thinking of the underworld could bring spirits, talking could bring the dead. Zai started when he saw his breath in a small cloud in front of him. His breath was coming in ragged pants from the climb. He felt himself numbly trip over a rock to the ground. He slowly stumbled up not feeling the fall. He came around a bend and stopped. There in the center of the flat area on top of the hill was a rock. In the rock was a sword. He moved slowly towards the sword and stopped as he noticed the green-black glow coming from the rock. The glow of the underworld.
He spun ready to run but the trail was gone! All that was left was a cliff. Zai looked over the edge and jumped back in shock. The bottom of the cliff was 2000 feet down. He turned slowly back to the sword. The rock was still glowing that green-black glow of the underworld. Zai stepped slowly up to the rock, holding his breath, hoping against hope that the underworld wouldn’t claim him.
He shut his eyes and touched the sword. He stood there waiting for the pain and glow that would tell him he was in the underworld. When it didn’t come he opened his eyes. He looked around. There was the rock and the cliff. There was the sword. He gripped it firmly and pulled. It came out easily, slowly as if time had slowed. Inch by inch the gleaming blade slid out of the rock. Finally the tip pulled out of the rock. Suddenly the rock, mist, cliff and icy wind were gone. He was standing on the hill with the sword. Zai turned still clutching the sword in one hand. There in the middle of the trail was a scabbard. With his free hand he picked it up and slid the sword into the scabbard. It fit, perfectly sliding right up to the ornate hilt. Zai strapped the scabbard to his belt and noticed that it was made to be strapped over the shoulder. It would have to be strapped to his waist until he was back at his house.
Zai started down the trail and stopped when he felt a warm sticky wetness covering his leg. He looked down and saw blood oozing from a cut on his leg. Zai realized that when he had fallen on the trail on of the rocks had cut his leg. He sat down and pulling clothe from his pack, bandaged the small wound. He then stood and continued down the hill. He was amazed how quickly he descended the hill compared to the time he spent climbing.
He stopped suddenly on the hill and listened. He heard a low gruff voice giving orders. He couldn’t hear the orders, but he understood the meaning. The men were hunting something. He looked around with the light of the setting sun lighting the hills, and saw no one. There was nothing in this area to hunt. Except the dragon. Zai felt his heart beat quicken. His anger flared at the men to want to kill such a magnificent creature.
He suddenly realized that he was clutching the hilt of the sword and the leather wrapping was digging into his flesh. He let go of the sword and tried to slow his rapid breathing. He heard one of the men ask why they were hunting a dragon.
“Because you fool, a dragon hoards gold and jewels. If we kill it we will be rich,” came the low answer, “Now be quiet.”
That settled it. He was going to stop the men. They were greedy fools. If he didn’t stop them there was going to be a slaughter. He ran down the hill and took the fork that went down the hill. He slowed to a walk as torchlight came into view. There on the trail in front of him were the men. Twenty strong men carrying bows, torches, scythes, and axes. Several bows tightened before the men recognized him.
“Hello James. What’s this? It’s a pretty large hunting party for deer. You must be hunting some very dangerous deer to have to be armed with axes and scythes.”
“We’re not hunting deer, Zai. We’re hunting dragon.”
“Dragon? James, how many drinks have you had tonight? There are no dragons up here.”
“I haven’t had any drinks tonight. I know what we’re hunting. We’re hunting dragon.”
“Boys, what drunk traveler have you been listening to?” Zai asked, “There are no dragons up here. I’ve been up here for hours and I haven’t seen a dragon.”
“Really. Then were did you get that sword?” James retorted. When Zai was silent he continued, “Men, Zai says there are no dragons, yet is unwilling to tell where he got that sword. I think he found the dragon, stole the sword and is trying to drive us away so HE can be rich. Have at him!”
With that James drew back his knocked bow and fired at Zai. The arrow hit him in the thigh and he flinched as the mob charged, howling at him. Reluctantly Zai drew the sword. The metallic ring echoed throughout the hills. The sight of the sword made the men slow but they charged again. Zai blocked the first axe to reach him and sliced the axe head off the handle. The axe head flew twenty feet and landed at James’s feet. The men faltered but at James’s encouragement pressed forward.
Zai backed slowly up the trail. He was unwilling to fall back because that would lead them to the dragon, but if he moved off the trail to lead them away that would also give them a free path to the dragon. He felt the arrowhead scraping against his bone. He would have to remove it soon or it would cause serious damage. He heard James say something over the jarring pain but was unable to focus his brain until James yelled again.
“You should not have tried to stop us. It is just going to make it worse for the dragon. Come on men. The sooner he is dead the sooner we can be rich.”
“James. You should not have said that. I can’t promise what will happen if you say that again. If you say that again I will kill you.”
“Maybe we should skin the dragon alive,” James screamed.
At that phrase Zai’s rage exploded. He felt time slow to a grinding halt. He felt as cold as ice. Then his wrath flooded into him filling him with a searing hot need. The sword flashed as a bolt of lightning lit the scene. One man fell back, blood gushing from his chest. Thunder crashed as his sword blocked the sweeping blade of a scythe. Wind whistled through the trees as he danced though the mob cutting a bloody swath through the men. The screams turned from warcrys to howls of pain and panic. The men crowded around him, axes swinging for his neck. He dodged and spun in a circle, sending men flying into their friends.
Zai’s eyes danced about, glazed with red, searching for one man. But James wasn’t there. The scene was quiet except for the sound of rain on mud, rocks and metal. His ears pricked at the sound of running. He sprinted toward the sound. There at the edge of a small cliff was James. Zai’s rage ignited once again at the sight of him. James spun around his eyes pleading.
“Please, Zai. Don’t. I didn’t mean it. Please have mercy on me,” James screamed in panic. “Please don’t kill me. I’ll do anything for you.”
Zai ran the blade through him, muttering, “I made an oath.” He kicked James in the chest. James slid off the blade and over the edge of the cliff. “I kept my oath.” He stood there, panting, for a while. After standing there for several long quiet minutes, he turned and walked slowly up the trail, past the carnage and up towards the dragon. There in front of a cave was the dragon.
“Sso you came back.”
“Yes, I came back and saved you in the process. Twenty men were coming to torture, kill and maybe skin you alive.”
“Where are they?” the dragon’s voice was a low hiss. “Where are they sso I can kill them?”
“If you want to kill them you will have to go to the underworld. Nineteen of them are dead a few minutes down the trail and the last is at the bottom of Razor Hill Cliff.” Zai’s voice was low.
“You mean you killed them? You killed them for me? Why would you do that?”
“I killed them because I would not take the risk that they could kill you. If I had let them pass by I would feel guilty forever for letting you run the risk of losing your life.”
“Thank you Zai for saving my life. There is nothing more precious to me than someone helping me. Is there anything I could do for you?”
“It is enough for me to see you alive. Keep yourself safe.
Zai turned to leave but stopped when the dragon’s voice came again.
“Zai no one has tried to save the life of a dragon since the time of the dragon riders.”
Zai spun, “You know about the dragon riders? Were you one of them? If you were your name is?”
The dragon gave a low chuckle, “Yes Zai, I know about the dragon riders. I was a dragon mount. I flew with the dragons and their riders in the great wars. My name is Jade Stoneslicer. Is that sword you are carrying the object you were looking for?”
Zai looked down and saw that he was still holding the sword; his knuckles were white because he was holding the sword so tight. He wiped the blood of the blade onto the grass and handed it to Jade. Jade’s eyes widened with shock, “Do you know what this is?”
“It is a sword. What else could it be?”
“Zai, this is the sword of the dragon king. Only the heir of Zedderon the Dragon King could draw it from its scabbard, much less use it in battle. It was forged ages ago by the five greatest dragons of that time: Blenios the Blue, Garnosh the Green, Rendos the Red, Brena the Bronze and Glendos the Gold.”
“How can this be? I am not related to the dragon king. That line was destroyed during the Kinslayer wars. The house was shattered and the sword vanished at the king’s death.”
“Few know this but the sword would only work with those true of heart. The Dragon King’s sons were corrupt and each claimed the right to rule after their father’s death. But none could lift the crown from the diamond tomb.”
Zai was speechless. There he was talking to a dragon about history nobody agreed on. “So what happened after that?”
“The house was then shattered. All but the youngest of the sons had a part of the army behind him. The youngest said he would not fight over an empire. The he and the few who followed him left. Those that followed him were his friends, servants and his personal guards. That left the other twelve sons to fight. One thirteenth of the army however left the combat and followed the youngest.”
Jade took a deep breath then continued, “They went into the farthest reaches of the Deorin Mountains and never came out. The War of the Twelve is also known as the Kinslayer War, which is what you called it. The war shattered the empire in to the kingdoms there are now. Six of the brothers killed another brother. The armies that had followed those killed quickly joined the victor’s army. Soon there were only two brothers left. Each brother had almost one half of the empire under his control. Only the empire’s capital and the land surrounding it were not under one brother’s control. The two armies converged on the one city. The territory that each side owned was divided between the nobles that followed that brother.”
Jade continued the story, “In the middle of the battle the two remaining brothers came together in combat. Both wielded powerful magic, which they had used during the war. When the two met the surrounding air bust into flame. The flames built a wall around the two brothers, cutting them off from their guards. Their swords flashed blood red from the flames, as they danced around each other. The tips of the swords screamed as they flew through the air. Finally one of them blinked the sweat from his eyes and in that moment of distraction the other ran him through. The living brother stood tall as he gloated over his victory. But his quickly dieing brother raised his sword and rammed the blade in to his brother’s stomach. Within moments both were dead but the war raged on for many days before a truce was called. And so ended the Dragon Empire.”
Zai realized that he was sitting on the ground, he did not remember sitting down. He was starring at Jade in open amazement. “What can you tell me about the youngest son of the Dragon King?” He asked.
“Of all the sons he is the one least is know about. But before he left he left a prophecy.”
“You mean he was a prophet?”
“Yes and no. He left a prophecy but he was not a prophet. The prophecy states that when one was born pure as an heir to the throne that the blade would return with the power to conquer death. Before the sword disappeared it had the power to conquer life. Now that it is back it can bring the dead back to life.”
“What does the rest of the prophecy say?”
“This part you will not like, Zai. It says that he will rebuild the empire, but,” Jade stopped as if she did not want to finish the sentence, then continued, “But he will leave this land and his friends will be lost to death.”
Zai sat still feeling time stop, it was not the slow stop of earlier but a sudden jolting halt. The ground swam in his eyes and suddenly rose up to meet him. He heard a thud and knew no more.


Chapter 2


“Zai. Zai Rowen, wake up now,” came the insistent voice, “Zai you need to get up right now!”
Zai opened his eyes and saw Jade’s green head above him. The head swirled around him. He shut his eyes with a groan as a wave of nausea swept over him. Zai reopened his eyes slowly and focused on Jade’s eyes.
“Zai you must hide. Quickly.”
“Wha. Why. What’s happening, how long was I unconscious?”
“Some one is coming. You were out for about three hours. Quickly hide behind those bushes.”
Zai moved silently behind the bushes. Soon he heard soft footsteps. The fact that the footsteps were soft puzzled him. The only people that had soft footfalls were those who had soft leather boots or slippers. No one had shoes like that around this area. He looked around slowly and his grip on the sword tightened. There through the trees was movement.
Zai watched the person, not quite able to see fully who it was because the person stayed behind the trees. Suddenly the person stopped and looked around. It was as if the person knew that he was watching them. Zai had to stifle a gasp; the person had stopped in a spot he could see who it was. It was Megan
Zai watched in amazement as Megan walked forward towards Jade. Slowly a low humming filled the small clearing. Soon a higher humming became audible as a vibration started on his hip. Zai looked down in surprise and saw the sword was vibrating. He gripped the hilt of the sword trying to silence it. As he grabbed the hilt several inches of gleaming steel was uncovered. The volume of sound doubled.
Cursing under his breath, Zai slowly slid the blade back into the scabbard. He looked up to find Megan talking to jade. The two were talking in a language that he didn’t understand. Although he couldn’t understand the spoken language he could however understand the body language. Megan and Jade were arguing about something. Megan shook her head, brown hair swirling around her head. Zai shifted his weight to relive his aching legs. As he did his weight snapped a small branch. Both Megan and Jade turned to look where he was hiding. He stiffened, preparing to run when a green glow surrounded Megan’s hand and him as well. The green glow jerked him out of the bushes and facedown into the clearing. He flipped over on to his knees, sword half drawn when a thin slender blade touched his throat. He froze when the cold steel touched. He slid the blade back into the scabbard realizing that resisting was futile. He raised his hands slowly into the air until they were resting on his head.
“Get up,” the command was soft but as had as the steel under his chin, “get up and tell me why you were hiding back there.”
Zai got up, keeping his head bowed.
“Head up,” the request was uttered in such a tone that it was more of a command. For a moment he hesitated not wanting to show his face but then the blade under his chin started up and he lifted his head. For a moment shock registered on Megan’s face then it vanished as grim determination covered her face. Zai began to answer her when he heard something moving behind him. The way it sounded reminded him of a leopard preparing to charge. Instantly he acted moving on a sixth sense. He spun sword flashing in the moonlight and the blade landed in the things side. The sword threw the thing across the clearing like a leaf in a tornado. Again he moved on a sixth sense leaping across the clearing to intersect one of the dark things.
“What are these things,” he called as he danced a shrinking circle around Jade and Megan. The dark things kept appearing, not allowing him to stop moving.
“Shadowlings,” Megan said as she too joined the struggle, using magic and sword interchangeably. The more the killed the more appeared, it was a battle of attrition, they could not win. Abruptly Jade gave a roar of anger and a stream of fire lanced from her jaws. All of the shadowlings were thrown back several steps. That was it. Shadowlings were weak to fire. Quickly Zai sprinted forward scattering the shadowlings, and gathered an armful of pine sticks. Then he ran back to Jade, tossing the sticks in a circle around Megan, Jade, and himself.
“Jade, quick light the sticks,” Zai called. Jade looked confused but did as she was asked. The sap covered sticks exploded in to flame, isolating their small group from the shadowlings. The few shadowlings in the circle of light shuddered then disappeared. Zai and Megan leaned against Jade, trying to catch their breath. Zai looked at the sky and was surprised to sun setting. He had thought that there was several hours until His amazement must have been obvious as Megan asked what was surprising. He pointed mutely to the sun. Megan’s look was not one of surprise but one of horror.
“When the sun sets we will be over run by the shadowlings. The light of the fire won’t hold them back for long.”
“What if we carried torches and walked back to town? We could carry extra sticks and each of us carry two burning torches and drop torches every now and then.”
“It might work. Jade, will the shadowlings affect you?” Megan asked.
“Pahh. Those things of darkness wish they could affect me. They know that they don’t stand a chance against a dragon.”
“Ok it’s all settled then. We have to get going now or we won’t make it.”
Megan and Zai quickly picked up their swords, torches and sticks. The shadowlings followed not allowing them to see beyond their circle of light. They moved on slowly down the trail fearing that if they moved too quickly they would miss the fork down to the town. As the light from the sun faded the shadowlings grew larger and came closer. Each step brought them closer to the town but the light was fading faster.
Zai realized that he was hyperventilating. He slowed his breathing, seeking the calm inner void within. Once there he felt a wave of reassurance course through his body. The calm void was the same but there was something he couldn’t place his finger on that was different. The void was the one place in his mind where nothing existed but something did exist. He gave a mental shrug and passed it off as nothing. It had only been there for a moment and then it was gone. He refocused on the task at hand, getting down to the town alive was his first priority.
He stopped suddenly and turned. Several paces back were the shadowlings as though there was an invisible barrier between them. The shadowlings tried to move forward but hit the barrier and slid sideways. Zai echoed Megan’s sigh of relief that time was no longer an issue. He turned back to find Megan in the middle of the trail with her fists on her hips.
“All right now that we aren’t in danger I want some answers,” Megan said plainly,” Start with who you are and what you were doing up in the forest and more specifically behind the bushes?”
“Well I had been talking to Jade about history and she told me to hide when you came up.”
“You still didn’t answer my first question.”
“I am Zai Rowan.”
“Zai Rowen? The Zai Rowen who would shove me in the mud? The Zai Rowen who stole my mother’s pies shared them with me and took the blame for it?”
“The same. Where have you been? You disappeared about eight years ago. Where did you go?”
“Do you remember the day I left? The women that had spent a few days in town? They were sorceresses. They took me away because I have the Endowment.”