PURE OF HEART Read online

  “Vavick,” one spat, pushing Dean as he passed.

  Dean gritted his teeth and remained silent. The Krulg laughed, stopped, and turned as the four continued to walk.

  “Palairg.” It sneered as it ran back in front of the group and stopped before Dean. “Palairg. Farlow jurgr . . .”

  As the creature reached out and grabbed Dean by the chin, Dean’s fist shot forward and smashed into its jaw. He punched it in the stomach and pounded it on the back with both his hands. The Krulg smashed to the cobblestones and lay unmoving. Another Krulg swung at Dean, but Oieda grabbed its arm and swung it headfirst into the side of the stone building. Bravic growled and threw himself into the last Krulg. His arms circled its chest. A large rock bounced off the Krulg’s head and the creature went limp in Bravic’s arms.

  Bravic cast the Krulg to the side and looked at Han, who stood with another large rock in his hands.

  “Well, there wasn’t one for me,” Han said as he cast the rock aside.

  “What should we do with these guys?” Dean pushed one farther into the shadows.

  “Leave them. If they’re found, they’ll think it was another group of Krulgs that attacked them,” Bravic answered.

  Oieda’s hand reached up to her face and stopped. She started shaking.

  “It’s okay.” Dean rushed over and grabbed her arm. “You’re doing great,” he whispered.

  “Do not ever call me a flower again,” she snarled.

  “What?”

  “This buttercup. I am doing this because of your whole suck it up buttercup talk. It is a flower.”

  “It’s just an expression, but you’re doing great.”

  “I am not your buttercup or baby. Like in your song. I am a warrior.” She panted and closed her eyes.

  “You are. You’re very brave. I wouldn’t call you my baby.”

  “Why not?” she snapped.

  Bravic moved behind her so she couldn’t see him. He started shaking his head and waving his hands.

  Dean nodded. “Nothing. Everything is good. You’re doing great Oieda. We should get going.”

  “Walk. Now.” Oieda nodded.

  The four again moved closer to the tower that rose in the distance. As they rounded a corner, they saw the main gate of the castle with a large group of Krulg guards standing before it. They quickly hurried past, into the shadows of a side street.

  “Just our luck. How can we get around the guards at the gate?” Dean leaned against the wall. “They seem to be paying attention.”

  Bravic held up his hand as the sounds of footsteps came from the other end of the street.

  A dozen Krulgs, sacks on their shoulders, appeared from the gloom. They shuffled past as they headed down the road.

  Oieda leaned close to Dean. “We could use them and then follow them in.”

  “How?”

  “Trust me,” she said, but her eyes still looked wild.

  Dean grabbed her arm. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  She nodded and walked toward the Krulgs. “Gunak,” Oieda snarled in a voice that sounded just like a Krulg. “Turlargan unbuldik wunur,” she growled low as she pointed at the first Krulg with her spear.

  “Not only can she talk to animals, but she can sound like a Krulg too,” Han whispered.

  The Krulgs nodded and turned toward the castle; Oieda followed. Han skipped forward as Bravic and Dean smiled under their skins after them. As they passed through the gate, the guards didn’t even look up from their conversation.

  They came into a wide courtyard, and as the Krulgs turned to the right, Oieda headed straight toward a large building in the center. The others followed her. They crossed through a smashed door into a dimly lit, massive hallway littered with filth. A few Krulgs either lay drunkenly on the floor or were engaged in snarling arguments. The hallway was so wide you could drive two carts down it side by side.

  Bravic took the lead again. He kept close to the wall as they made their way toward a door at the end. As they reached the middle of the hallway, two Krulgs started pushing each other. One of them grabbed the other and pushed the Krulg into Oieda.

  Both Oieda and the Krulg crashed to the floor. The Krulg’s eyes widened as he stared into Oieda’s face; his mouth formed a scream. Dean kicked the Krulg in the head, and it fell limp on top of Oieda.

  She rolled the creature off her and hurriedly got up.

  A deep, rough voice called from behind them. “Trugak. Vakin Larkork nugak.”

  They turned to see a massive Varlug motion to them.

  “Oieda, tell it to get lost,” Dean whispered as he and the others turned around.

  “I do not know how to speak Krulg. I can only repeat what they have said. I do not know how to tell it to get lost,” Oieda explained.

  “I’ll tell it,” Han offered, but Dean grabbed Han by the neck and moved down the corridor.

  “Just keep going,” Dean muttered.

  “Tarugak. Tarugak,” the Varlug bellowed.

  Every Krulg in the hallway now looked at them.

  When the four didn’t stop, the Varlug roared, “Vaturack!” and charged after them.

  Dean was about to burst into a sprint when the door at the end of the corridor opened, and another Varlug and a group of Krulgs walked out.

  “Crud.” Dean opened the first door on the right and ordered, “In here.”

  They filed inside quickly and closed the door behind them. Loud noises and bright lights caused them to freeze in their tracks. Dean drew in his breath and peered over his shoulder to see a hundred Krulgs in the middle of a wicked feast in the main hall. The hall was lined with tables topped with spilled food that fell to the floor. On the far wall, a life-sized carving of a dragon, ready to spring, spanned from end to end. The room lay in ruin as the drunken Krulgs feasted and congregated.

  “I think we took a wrong turn, guys,” Dean fiercely whispered.

  Suddenly, the sound of steel upon steel filled the air from the corner of the room; the evil creatures howled in glee and raced over to see some form of killing. As the crowd shifted to the front of the room, they could see a shadowy sphere in the back of the hall.

  “Stick to the wall. Move to the back,” Dean said.

  They hurried back, keeping far away from the Krulgs who continued to rush forward to witness the fight at the entrance. When they reached the sphere, they saw a silhouette suspended in the core. A massive red stone spun and twisted above the sphere, emitting the shadows that swirled about and formed the globe that trapped the man.

  “He must be Carimus!” Han pointed to the sphere.

  At that moment, a great howl rose when the two main doors to the hall burst open. Silence fell upon the hall as the huge Varlug stood in the doorway. Its massive head scanned the room. When its eyes came to rest upon the group at the globe, it screamed in rage. It drew its huge spear and lowered the barbed point at the companions. Han unsheathed his dagger; Dean and Bravic wrestled to free their weapons while in their skins.

  Oieda raised her spear and held it poised over her own chest.

  With squeals of glee, the Krulgs parted as the Varlug marched forward. Their screams turned to horror as Oieda thrust the spear through the green hide covering her, slicing it open from neck to belly. As the Krulgs watched in disbelief, Oieda ripped at the skin around her face and body with her hands and threw aside the pieces. Their cries of terror turned to rage as large pieces of cloth fell onto the floor.

  Dean drew his sword. “Stand aside!” His sword flashed brightly, swinging straight toward the gleaming sphere.

  With a blinding flash, it struck the red stone; shafts of light sprang forward and engulfed the room. The sphere shimmied and then vanished. The old man suspended inside fell forward. Bravic leaped ahead, low to the ground, and Carimus fell into his arms.

  “I got him!” Bravic yelled.

  Dean’s heart sank. He expected Carimus to help them, but the old man lay unconscious in Bravic’s arms. He looked across the room filled with K
rulgs and felt as if he’d been kicked in the stomach.

  “I’ve gotten us all killed,” he said. “I’ll try to distract them. Run for the back hallway.”

  Han and Oieda moved to stand beside him.

  Carimus’s eyes opened. “Run,” he said weakly.

  “That’s a little hard right now.” Dean looked back, hoping against hope that Carimus could help them. “We’re surrounded.”

  “If you freed me, you’ve awakened it,” Carimus muttered. “Run,” he whispered and then passed out.

  The Varlug marched forward and pointed its spear at Dean. The Krulgs formed a circle around the companions.

  Dean stepped forward.

  A Krulg shrieked. Dean couldn’t understand what it was saying, but he could hear the terror in its voice.

  Everyone in the hall turned to look at the life-sized carving of the stone dragon on the wall. It was different than when they first saw it. The dragon’s eyes now glowed with a wicked life of their own. The room filled with wails of horror when the massive stone dragon’s head slowly turned, and the beast stepped out from the wall onto the floor. Great billowing swirls of smoke rose from its nostrils as its rock mouth snarled, spewing a great blast of flame straight over the companion’s heads. It engulfed the Varlug and the Krulgs beside it.

  The Varlug at the entrance threw its large spear. The weapon shattered against the stone. The dragon breathed again, disintegrating the doors and everyone in its path.

  “Run!” Dean yelled as Bravic slung Carimus over his broad shoulders.

  Krulgs scattered and the companions raced for the door. Chaos erupted in the room. Krulgs and the companions rushed to flee the raging dragon. At the flaming doors, Oieda turned and thrust her spear at the Krulgs to drive them out of the way. Dean’s sword lashed out as they ran through the door. A great wave of heat crashed over them. The horrible cries of crushed and burned Krulgs ripped through the air.

  They raced down the hallway, stripping the Krulg skins off , fleeing alongside terrified Krulgs. As they neared the end, there was an enormous crash as the dragon drove its massive body through the stone wall and thundered toward them. Its fiery breath swirled out, killing anyone before it. They ran through the courtyard gates, into the shadows of the streets. The roads were filled with the noisy confusion of Krulgs running to see what the commotion was and others trying to get away from it.

  “That thing is coming after Carimus.” Dean drew his sword from a fallen Krulg’s chest. “Oieda, you couldn’t . . . you know . . . talk to it?”

  “What, are you crazy?” Oieda shrieked as she killed another Krulg with a spear thrust.

  The dragon burst through the outer castle wall and came into the courtyard in a shower of rock and dust. With a tremendous thrust of its long wings, it soared into the air. As it spiraled up, its breath fell like fiery rain upon the darkened city.

  They raced through the winding city streets. Great clouds of smoke and flame filled the massive cavern. Krulgs rushed toward the sounds, speeding by the fleeing companions. The ones who stopped were struck down by bow, spear, or sword. As they approached the exit of the cave, Bravic shifted Carimus on his back and pushed on with greater speed. Shrieks of pain echoed down from the gates. Krulgs fell, clutching their chests.

  Dean ran over the bodies of the Krulgs and saw arrows sticking out of their chests. Dead Krulgs lay on the ground all around the gateway to the city. He smiled when he looked up and saw men at the ready all along the cliffs.

  “Hold fire! Hold fire!” Dalvin ordered as he rushed to them. “Dean! You’re alive. And with Carimus.” Dalvin broke into a bewildered, delighted broad grin. “Move out of danger before you tell me exactly what’s going on in there.” Men rushed to escort them to the cliffs.

  Arrows sped over their heads and struck down a group of Krulgs who ran from the opening, screaming in fear. Two men took the unconscious body of Carimus from Bravic’s shoulders. They laid him on a makeshift stretcher and hurriedly carried him away.

  “A stone dragon is free!” Han shouted to Dalvin.

  “We’ll deal with the dragon after we’ve dealt with the Krulgs,” Dalvin said as a hail of arrows slew another group of fleeing Krulgs.

  Within minutes, a deathly silence fell over the mountain. All eyes looked to the smoking gates. The footsteps of the approaching dragon shattered the silence. One hundred bowstrings pulled back as one.

  A massive shadow filled the gateway. Arrows flew when the dragon appeared. They hit the beast, only to fly in broken splinters off its rock hide. A burst of flame shot from its mouth. Men fell, screaming, from the cliffs. Dean leaped forward; Oieda and Bravic raced after him. Han fired his bow and struck the creature in its eye, but the arrow shattered like glass thrown against stone. Dean’s sword swept downward against the dragon’s foreleg and a shower of sparks rose, only to reveal that the sword had only chipped the surface of the stone hide. Oieda darted underneath the beast’s belly and thrust her spear upward, but it shattered in her hands.

  Bravic’s axe stopped at the peak of his swing. He stood at the side of the beast, motionlessly staring at the dragon. He lifted it high above his head, but again he stopped. The beast swung its massive tail. Bravic tried to leap out of the way but didn’t jump high enough. The tail caught his boots and he flipped end over end before he landed hard on his shoulder. His axe skidded across the cobblestones.

  Oieda stared at Bravic for only a moment. She turned back to the dragon and drew her dagger. The dragon breathed again as a hail of arrows struck it. The archers vanished in the flames. Dean jumped at the dragon’s neck and clung with one hand for a moment. He started to climb, but a mighty twist of the beast’s neck sent him flying through the air. He landed in a heap at the dragon’s feet.

  Oieda sprang in front of Dean and thrust her dagger at the dragon’s leg. The blade snapped at the hilt. The beast snarled and raised its massive head, revealing rows of gleaming stone teeth.

  “If you want to eat something, why not eat me?” Bravic called out.

  Oieda looked up. Bravic leaped onto a rock and waved his hands over his head.

  “Don’t eat him. He’s too sour,” Han yelled as he rushed to stand before the dragon. “You want something tasty like me.” He looked at Dean. Oieda could see Han tremble from head to toe. “Run,” Han mouthed.

  Oieda tried to lift Dean off the cobblestones but he was too heavy. The dragon looked down at Dean and smacked its jaws.

  Oieda ran away from Dean shouting, “He’s too small for you. You need someone bigger.”

  “I’m the plumpest, dragon,” Bravic bellowed as he jumped up and down. “And my people have killed more dragons than anyone.”

  The dragon roared in rage. Its massive jaws opened, and its head swept down at the Dwarf.

  Dean shook his head and everything came back into focus. He was lying on the cobblestones. Oieda and Han were jumping up and down, screaming something, but Dean’s heart nearly stopped when he saw the sheer terror on Han’s face. Dean followed Han’s gaze. Bravic stood on a rock; the dragon’s head coming straight for Bravic.

  “BRAVIC,” Dean screamed.

  The Dwarf leaped upward and the dragon’s jaws snapped closed over him.

  “No!” Han howled.

  The dragon turned and reared back its head. Its jaws opened and great billows of smoke poured from its mouth. Jets of thick smoke came from its nose. It swung its head from side to side and its massive tail beat the ground. Billowing clouds flowed from its open mouth.

  Oieda raced over and grabbed Dean’s arm. “Run!” she screamed, half dragging him toward the cliffs and away from the thrashing beast.

  Han stood frozen in place. Tears poured down his face as he stared at the dragon.

  Dalvin raced out and picked Han up. The dragon’s foot slammed down and the whole street shook. Dalvin stumbled and tripped but remained on his feet. He dashed with Han behind a huge rock.

  Suddenly, a great crack appeared in the dragon’s neck. It lif
ted its head and the crack ripped open to its belly. Molten rock flowed down to its clawed feet and its red jeweled eyes shattered. The beast’s massive head fell forward and slammed onto the ground. Black smoke poured out of its open mouth.

  Dean looked at the dragon, and tears flowed down his soot-covered face. There was no sound now. Silence once again had fallen over the mountain. Not even the wind stirred.

  Oieda and Dean stared at the dead beast. One long horn call split the air. Everyone turned to look at Han as the Elvana lowered the battle horn from his trembling lips.

  “Volesunga!” Oieda screamed as she raised her fist in salute, and the call and tribute was answered by all of the warriors.

  No one moved on the battlefield. No one spoke. The warriors stood with lowered heads. A hero had died.

  Han slowly walked to the dragon’s mouth and sank to his knees. Dean and Oieda knelt beside him. Dean bowed his head and closed his eyes.

  A second later, his eyes snapped open. From somewhere in the dragon’s mouth, he heard a grumble. Oieda jumped up and crept toward the jaws. As they looked into the dragon’s mouth, a pair of boots emerged. With a cry of hope, Dean sprang forward. Han, Oieda, and Dean grabbed hold of the boots and pulled a slightly charred form from the mouth. As they turned Bravic over, he coughed.

  “He’s alive!” Dean announced, and a hail of cheers rose throughout the mountainside.

  “Of course I’m alive.” Bravic grimaced as he sat up. He turned his wrist and the small shield on his arm snapped open. “This little shield seems to stop everything.” He grinned and then shrank the shield back to its small size. “Now what’re you staring at?” He glared at his smiling companions. When he touched his face, his eyes went wide. “Don’t tell me,” he cried in despair.

  Han’s little arms clasped halfway around Bravic’s chest as tears ran down his face. “Don’t worry, Bravic. Your beard will grow back.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Golden Armor

  Dean walked out of the cave and stretched his arms. It was hard for him to think that Bravic had killed the dragon only two days earlier. He turned to see the others walk toward him, Bravic’s grimace even more visible now that only two days’ stubble covered his face. Five horses were being brought to them by some men.