The Wizard

Castle

Onward they climbed on the narrow tumbling mountain pass. By midday, the parapets came into view. Three pointed spirals reached for the sky above the mountains and called to them with bleached limestone walls shining in the afternoon light. From a distance, there were no signs of life in the long-derelict castle. 

It would take them the rest of the afternoon to trek up and over hills to reach the steps that led to the entrance. When they finally arrived at the hundred story staircase the party felt winded just looking up. 

"At least the dragon is asleep," Mevner confirmed with the Knowing Diamond. 

"But for how long?" Grimble asked. "Two of you can ride up in my arms and another could ride on Øregård's back."

"Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Grimble. I'm fine on my own." Pathos started up the steps two at a time. 

Øregård followed suit and the two effortlessly bounded upward. Grimble's metal golem lifted its solid arms up like it was flexing its muscles and Bill and Mevner sat on its biceps. They began the climb at a slower and clunkier pace. 

Far above the peaks in the crisp blue sky, geese flew in triangular formations. Mevner felt a sense of calm as he rocked back and forth in the titanium arms of the iron Øregård. He focused his mind and honed his concentration on the confrontation ahead. 

As they reached the top steps, the angular stone castle came into view. The front gate was wide open and lit up by beams of the early evening sun. The heat of the day's end warmed the courtyard beyond the gate while the chill from the darkening valley below crept up the stairs behind them. 

Øregård stood in the center of the large open court holding the Sword of Doom out to his right side and stared into the open doors of the main entrance to the castle. Pathos de Martín was nowhere to be seen. Mevner and Bill jumped down from the iron golem's arms and took up positions between the two Øregårds. 

"The beast wakes," growled the ogre with revenge in the front of his mind. 

The entrance to the castle was big but certainly a tight squeeze for a dragon. The glaring light outside contrasted the dark shadowed interior. If the dragon was in there, he was in the great hall just beyond the doorway. 

"Is she inside already?" Mevner asked of Pathos. 

"Ya, know it, boy-yo," Bill said with a grunt. "And I'll be going in too." 

He spat in his palms, rubbed them together, ran through the tall open doors with ax raised overhead, and vanished into the dark interior. 

The other three began to follow but froze in their tracks. The shrieking cry of Bill's final bloodbath was unnerving, but it was the head of the great beast filling the entire entrance that sent fear rippling down their spines. His spiky cheeks jutted out to the edge of the door frame and he chewed as he stretched his neck forward revealing his broken horns and missing eye. 

Luhng, the destroyer, the bringer of death, and the fire in the night, spat out Bill Hanuman's weapon like an offending chicken bone. The blood-covered battleax skidded to a stop at Øregård's feet. 

"You don't like to stay dead, do you? Have you come for my other eye?" 

The red and maroon scaled dragon spoke with a low rumbly voice. He pulled in his torso and squeezed himself through the door. He was mammoth and could easily swallow them all whole. His agile clawed hands manipulated the earth in the courtyard as he stretched out his enormous wings. The setting sun caught them like the sails of a magnificent ship. 

"You are wondrous to behold, Luhng. I beseech you to return to your island," Mevner implored. 

Luhng cracked his long neck and sucked down the last of Bill before he spoke again, looking right at the wizard. 

"I recognize your tiny friend with his toys and I'll deal with the walking green snot soon enough, but you, bold little one, I've not known before." He continued to bask lazily in the sun. 

"I am Mevner Ozgold, apprentice to Melock the Wise, and I come here to return you to your island." 

Luhng squinted his single red eye in a malicious manner. "You wear the wizard's ring. Is Mazlovado not his heir?" 

"Redwing will be contended with as well." Mevner stood his ground flanked by two Øregårds ready for a fight.

The dragon seemed to be sizing up the situation and coming to a conclusion, took a big breath, opened his gaping jagged toothed jaw, and unleashed napalm breath upon the courtyard. Grimble covered the golem's eye to shield himself from the blast, his mechanized suit radiated red from the heat. Øregård stuck out his chest unphased. Mevner held forward the small stick of charcoal that was the fire wand. It absorbed the flames in a ten-foot area around him and stored them for later use. Mevner felt the surge of powerful energy stored in the palm of his hand. When the dragon stopped spraying he put the wand back in his satchel.

Mevner reached over to the glowing hot iron warrior and tapped the ice ring on his shoulder returning the metal to current air temperature. The grass in the courtyard was singed black and smoldering. 

"I'll ask you again, Luhng. Will you return to your island?"

He smugly smirked and shook his ancient head in the negative.

"Will you make this castle your home then? And swear to keep to the mountains?"

"You talk like the wizard. Maybe you are his heir?" said the dragon.

The epic dinosaur rampaged forward swatting away the iron man and opening his huge jaws toward Øregård. Grimble flew across the court and slammed into the inner wall, sinking several inches into the brick. Øregård sidestepped the great head and raised his sword. Luhng focused on the black blade rushing toward his neck. He whipped his head back and reached forward with his massive claw.

Øregård swerved the wicked sword in an arching u-turn and ripped through the dragon's hand taking off half the claw and all the fingers sans the thumb. Luhng roared with rage and blood sprayed everywhere as he thundered forward. Øregård leapt off the ground, landed on the dragon's nose, ran up his snout, and slammed the broadsword into the base of his skull. 

Luhng lifted off the ground shaking his head and sending Øregård, sword in hand, hurtling back to earth. Once he had reached a decent height he turned and came flying back like a dive bomber. 

Mevner took out the vial of goat's blood and nightshade, held it in his hand with the ice ring, and quietly whispered chilling commands to it. Øregård got up, shook off his fall, and made a run for the castle. Grimble tore himself out of the wall and followed suit. Luhng doused them both in flames and lit the great wooden doors ablaze. He careened around the western turret in an impressive feat of aerial acrobatics and went for Mevner, the last person standing outside. 

The ball of ice with the vial frozen within became far too cold for him to hold and he summoned his tiger's claw to do it for him. The dragon finished his arching circle and landed with a crash right over the wizard. He arched his long neck and opened wide in an attempt to eat Mevner. 

Mevner snapped his fingers and took a half-step back. 

"Retreat."

In a flash, Mevner sailed twenty yards across the courtyard in the direction of the castle entrance. The dragon's head bit down on the exact spot he was standing and the phantom tiger claw took a snowball's shot into hell. For a second, Luhng inhaled and choked, then he roared and coughed and shot fire everywhere. 

"Rotten wizard!" He spat a thick black gooey sludge onto the ground. "Your poison won't kill me!"

He charged after Ozgold, who high-tailed it into the castle. Luhng flapped his wings rushing through the doorway right on the wizard's heels. Bright setting sunlight changed to a darkened interior as the dragon's head went through the still burning doorway. The first light inside that came into focus for Luhng was a reflection off the end of the iron golem's war hammer. Fire breath didn't stop it from slamming down smartly on the end of his regal nose. 

The dragon dragged his claws and stump of a hand on the limestone floor slowing to a halt and pulled his head back from the vicious punch in the snout. His missing eye blinded him to the enraged, scorched, and blood-covered ogre standing to his side holding a wicked black blade above his neck. The Sword of Doom came down with a vengeance.