Frostbourne Sample

Prologue

     The sun refused to shine under a cloudless sky. Silhouetted against the darkness, winged figures made their way through a blanket of forged night, in hiding, to a secret, long forgotten fortress high atop the foreboding razor sharp peaks. A flash of dry, conjured lightning should have cast a pale green pall on the creatures, but they seemed to consume the very light itself. Slowly and deliberately they climbed in the still air to arrive at the dark maw of a cave opening. This was their destination, the place of secret, the place where deals were done, and treachery abounded.

     “Why have you summoned us?” Demanded the hooded figure that stepped forward of the woman seated on a black throne. “What gives you the right to despoil that seat with your unsightly flesh? Speak! Why have you called?”

The woman smiled a poisonous smile, the dark smile of one who knows something and revels in being the only one. She slid easily, languidly from the throne she had briefly usurped. “Forgive me masters.” She bowed low, but it was a mockery and they all knew it. “It is starting.”

     “What is starting?” The others had gathered round in the darkened hall. Oily torches, which had sustained the living flame since before time itself was known, cast a sickly, chill light. They all dressed in black and were hooded except for the woman; her long blond hair fell in waves across her shoulders and spilled across her ample breasts. She alone showed her face at the gathering. “The war with the Elves, how?” The speaker demanded.

The woman smiled. “I have my ways. The Empire is greedy, like a child that yearns for more candy, but sadly finds it out of reach; I simply guided their hand towards what they longed for.” She licked her fingers provocatively.

She circled each member, each conspirator as she spoke, arriving back at the vacant throne. The woman brazenly put one foot upon the arm of the throne, exposing herself to the hip. “It is time for you all to live up to your end of the bargain, this seat will be mine!”   

“Our end of the bargain?” The original protestor unwisely spoke up again. “What is this treachery you speak of? Do you really think we will allow your actions to continue? We only allowed you this dalliance because we thought you mad and it would keep you out of our hair.”

The speaker stepped forward alone to confront her and froze in his tracks. His eyes rolled up into his head, exposing the whites as he began to convulse. Thick red tendrils snaked around his body as life left his limbs and his form began to change. Slowly, wings sprouted from his back and his cloak was torn away. His face twisted into a reptilian visage, claws replaced his well manicured nails. The transformation was complete and the speaker was quite dead.

The woman slid back into the throne and hung both legs over one arm of the cold ebony chair. She kicked them about playfully. “Wait, there is more.” She pulled a powdery substance from a small pouch at her side and blew it on the lifeless form at her feet. The corpse twitched back to life and slowly stood. With a look from its’ new master, the undead Dragon Servant shuffled slowly from the hall to wait with the others she had turned.

The lady sighed. “It doesn’t last long you know. The stiffness will take him soon and then of course the rot. Pity, he will be able to feel his body as the maggots consume his flesh and hasten his decomposition, but he will linger until I release him.”

“The Ten shall hear of this, they will know!” one of the hooded figures stammered.

“How?” she asked. “Are you going to tell them?” she glared threateningly.

“No, of course not. It’s just, we have to be sure. They will know if we don’t hit them all at once.”

“True, but that is no concern of mine. That task falls to you.” She stood once more. “You know what you have to do. Don’t disappoint me!” the temptress usurper gave a dismissive wave. “Now, be gone from my sight!”

The sun still refused to shine as the figures, minus one, made their way back into the darkened sky. The task before them was a daunting one, but it must be done. They all knew that their new mistress would seek foul retribution on each if they failed. They flew off to the distant corners from whence they came to contemplate their next move. Whatever they did, it would have to be soon.

Sam Trawick