Varheiman Myths: The Dragon And Her Fire

The alliance.

Considering Rhineas’s strategy they rode to the port. Alistair seemed to have a knowledge of where to seek the sea lords. They were popular for hiding in the sea, they seldom walk the dry lands spending the abundance of their lifetime on the sea. But if they are lucky they could find a ship of the sea lords somewhere near the port of Talle.

The knights watching the port wouldn’t let the sea lords approach any nearer to the shore, but indeed there’s always a sea lord claiming his domain of sea. The kings of the particular territory had to pay a tribute to them if the kings wanted to trade through the sea without any Hindrances. They were said to be the children of Anlectus  the god of seas, from the kingdom of sun. He is one of the four significant gods ruling the kingdom of sun. He is the god who fathered many children. He conquered the waters from the kingdom of sun and claimed them his domain, no god can control over his domain. The sea lords are the precise reflection of the mighty god, as he had fathered them all. Alistair was well aware of the famous tales of their callousness.

‘We’re getting ourselves into a great peril making an alliance with the sea lords.’ Alistair muttered.

‘Who rules over the Daleus territory of Halem?’

‘Hadrites, the son of Woreus. Fourth generation of Anlectus.’ Alistair answered.

‘Where shall we expect to find him?’

‘I’ll tell you when I know for myself, boy.’ Alistair said grimly.

They had reached the other side of the shore, a deserted and quiet side with no trails of human dwelling. The sea hit against the rocks making a violent splashing sound, the humid salty air tickled through Rhineas’s nostrills ,flurrying his blazing red hair behind. The hooves of their horses buried deep in the moist sand slowing them, with a sloshing sound.

There was a blue flag with a black Hydrofid on it whipping against the wind. The Hydrofid was frightening, it said that it could swallow a big ship. The creature was huge with two heads their mouth extended out like a pointed tip of an spear with teeth as big as a dagger and fangs long as a sword lowering down out of it's mouth. It had four long arms which wiggled against the sea waters, serpent like body with sharp fins. Only thing the Hydrofid knows is hunger. A pair of Hydrofids yoked to the chariot of Anlectus and pulls it with their mighty arms, through underwater. After the great war gods confined Hydrofids in the depths of sea, where the mighty Anlectus tamed them, if the god is angered he emerges out of the sea standing on the huge Hydrofid and swallow the ships if the prayers are not offered to the god. The tales had been told by the sailors all over the world who'd infuriated Anlectus. Rhineas shivered in chills when he thought of the giant Hydrofid.

‘We are in Hadrites's territory.’ Alistair informed.

‘How can you tell?’

‘Their banner.’ Alistair pointed at the flag which Rhineas had already acknowledged.

Rhineas vaulted off the horse and pulled it by it's rein, scrutinizing the abandoned shore. No living soul had been in the sight. Alistair hitched his horse to a big ruins of a ship, Rhineas followed by him.

‘Look.’ Rhineas peered in the sea. Two boats rowing towards them with four men in them, oaring rapidly from behind a cliff which was ridged over the sea. As the men approached Rhineas got a good view of them. They were awfully muscular and  brawny all draped in leather and animal fur, their long black hair shone against the bright sunshine. A battle axe slung down on their side was fearful, Rhineas immediately began to regret his decision.

‘Are these men –’

‘Men of the sea lord Hadrites.’ Alistair completed Rhineas's sentence.

They walked heavily across the shore.

‘Disarm yourself.’ A man ordered harshly in raspy voice.

Alistair began to speak, the man thumbed him and said, ‘You shall answer to the lord Hadrites.’

The Hadrites’s men seized all of their weapons and tied them with thick rope.

‘As I have been told lord Hadrites does not imprison his guests.’ Alistair grumbled.

‘Uninvited guests. Nay, we are not so fond of them.’ A woman’s voice answered.

A hooded figure emerged from the group of men, a woman. She a thin layer of leather embraced around her beneath a black woollen mantle, and an unfamiliar skin draped below her waist like a lower body of fish. Rhineas thought she would be a mermaid but he realised he was wrong when her foot stretched out of the anonymous animal skin, as she paced forth them.

‘My lady.’ The big burly men bowed.

Her skin was the Colorado of the ground beneath, the pale yellow. She pulled her hair back a big scar was carved on her face from the corner of right eyebrow stretching across her nose to her left cheek.

‘A warrior beauty.’ Alistair opined.

The giant man shoved his balled fist in Alistair’s stomach violently. Alistair groaned in pain.

The man spoke, ‘You will be speaking with more respect to the lady Dalenes.’

‘I beg your pardon my lady, but is this how you treat a man who had brought you an alliance of your interest.’ Alistair scowled .

‘I bear no interest in you old man.’ Lady Dalenes darted towards Rhineas, ‘However, this boy reflects the flames of Emone. I would be much curious about his offer.’

She looked at the brown man the bulkier of all and called him , ‘Brietos’ he bowed.

‘Free the boy, had if the old man speaks again kill him.’ Lady Dalenes ordered.

Rhineas was untied and they were taken to the boat to present before the great sea lord Hadrites.

Hadrites was drinking from a big, hollow and long sea shell like a horn of bovid. The lord was robust and hugely rugged, his bare chest appeared so hard that if someone thumped him, it would c***k the bones of that person. He rose from his seat shambling unsteadily from the ale he'd drunk. His thick long beard swayed down his chin. The several scars and cuts from the weapons were proudly announcing his savage bravery. He didn’t try to hide his upper body he wanted people to know the wounds he bore in his life and survived so far. He wore thick leather breeches down his waist. A heavy mace sagged down his belt.

Rhineas and Alistair knelt on their knees.

‘The great lord of the Daleus sea, we offer you hearty greetings.’ Alistair said humbly.

Hadrites traced his finger on Alistair’s face and spoke in a husky voice.

‘Rise.’ He said

They rose, Hadrites loomed over them reminding Rhineas of the high buildings of the city. The air around in the swarmed cabin of his ship filled with the dominance of the great lord. He scrutinized Rhineas and smiled brutally.

‘What would the flames ask of the waves?’ Hadrites asked.

His outrageous voice threatened Rhineas to his soul, his legs trembled. He drew the long humid breaths and replied courageously hiding his fear, ‘Fire seeks the alliance of the great wave.’

Hadrites shook his head violently and burst in a demonic laughter, his men guffawed in.

‘Little boy, I would’ve crushed your head in a moment with an absolute ease if you didn’t smell fire.’ He spoke his laughter had dwindled into gruesome remark, ‘But I’ll allow you to leave and never show your handsome face again.’ Hadrites wobbled around getting back to his seat.

Rhineas urged him, ‘I have the map to the royal treasury.’

Hadrites froze, his back stiffened and fist clenched straining his sturdy arm.

‘I’ll have to admire you courage.’ He appreciated, ‘But the gold is not what we trade. We have pearls.’

‘It is not simply about gold, my lord.’ Rhineas tried to get Hadrites’s keen, ‘It is about pride. The last time when you attempted against Edgard you were defeated awfully. The city needs to be reminded of the great Hadrites.’

‘Do not play with words boy. We play with blades, we are the descendants of the mighty Anlectus we needn’t tell people about our gallantry.’ Hadrites determined.

‘Precisely how? I have never heard of Hadrites the sea lord's bravery. All I heard was the laughter of men while they tell the tales of your degrading defeat.’ Rhineas snapped.

Alistair sighed exasperated pitying Rhineas’s foolishness.

Hadrites strode close to Rhineas, he could smell the foulness of the ale in Hadrites’s breath.

‘Careful boy, I don’t want to upset the god beheading you. Be wise and flee.’ Hadrites’s hot breath scattered on Rhineas's face.

‘We are the children of fire, we do not flee.’ Rhineas said proudly.

Hadrites straightened and laughed softly, ‘I have become fond of this boy's courage, he is blazing like the fierce flames.’ He sprawled on his throne, ‘You shall have my alliance. What do you want from us?’

Rhineas smiled wittily and aroused on his feet, ‘I understand my friend has got a big mouth but would you free him?’

Hadrites raised his hand to untie Alistair, he bowed and greeted Hadrites.

‘May I ask for the ale?’ Alistair wondered.

‘Let our guest know the hospitality of the sea.’ Hadrites commanded.

Rhineas was asked to sit across the table, lady Dalenes proceeded next to Hadrites.

‘We seek your help for climbing the palace walls and you may have all the gold you desire, my lord.’ Rhineas proposed.

‘I had lost my hundred men prior when we infiltrated the palace. I don’t intend to lose them again.’

‘You wouldn’t. I will see to that.’ Rhineas said certainly.

‘Could you make a promise, boy?’ Hadrites asked firmly.

‘I cannot make you the promise, but I can tell with certainty that you won’t lose hundred men.’ Rhineas surmised.

Alistair cared to intervene after gushing down the ale, ‘I have a friend inside the palace.’ He said.

‘Very well.’ Hadrites nodded, ‘I’ll have thirty men accompany you.’

‘That would be all the help.’ Rhineas smiled, ‘Thank you.’

‘When do we make the climb?’ Hadrites asked.

‘As soon as the sun sleeps in the ocean.’ Rhineas said eagerly.

‘We shall make the preparation from this moment.’ The lord issued the orders and his men hasted through the deck. Their footsteps  rumbled overhead, lady Dalenes gazed at Rhineas. She was probing for something which is hidden in Rhineas, Hadrites espied his wife’s curiosity.

Alistair spread the map on the table elaborating the strategy he had.

‘We will make a climb from this wall.’ He dabbed on the map circled around the west perimeter of the palace, ‘the rampart here is narrow, no ballista would be here.’

‘After we climb the wall there would be guards on duty scattered over this perimeter.’ Hadrites said.

‘No, that’s not likely to happen.’ Alistair again moved his finger on the map, ‘after we climb surreptitiously. We would only move through the rampart, if you could shoot the guards on the rampart at once. All should fall at once. This will not provide the opportunity for them to blow the horn, and other guards wouldn’t perceive our incursion.’

‘We have some archer who'd never missed an aim in their lifetime.’ Hadrites boasted.

Rhineas and Alistair traded a sardonic smile. Alistair thought that Rhineas would get them killed by the hands of the sea lord but he did a miracle ,allying with them had been very unpopular. They were barbaric and immoral. They were renounced for their betrayal and dishonouring their allies out of self-interest. Alistair felt sorry for accusing them of self-interest, when he himself was doing simila act, simply for fulfilling their self motive.

‘Let me show you the deck of our boat.’ Hadrites said.

‘We’ll be glad.’ Rhineas pointed.

Hadrites stood wobbling from his seat, two of his men had put him under a velvet doublet, extending down his shoulders till his knees.