A Fool's Fantasy

A Fool’s Fantasy

The letter might as well have had the words DO NOT TOUCH printed in bold script across its crisp parchment. It would have had about the same effect.

"There is something about the idea of being forbidden an act that just makes one itch to do it. And being handed a letter with the precise order not to open it - that is just asking to be defied." Jax cast a meaningful glance at his cohort from behind his frothing, tankard of beer. "Go on. Open it. It wants you to."

Bastian looked down at the letter that sat on the table between them as Jax's fingers crept eagerly across the smooth wood and began nudging the parchment towards him.

"I don't think that's a wise idea. I mean, the order DO NOT OPEN..." he shrugs his shoulders, still casting wistful looks at the temptation. "I really don't think he wanted us to. He seemed pretty serious after all."

"Oh come on. You think he's going to come back? You worried that he and his motley group of idiotic guards are going to suddenly come waltzing through those doors, rapiers, pistols or whatever it is they carry these days, in hand to gut you from navel to nose because you opened a letter?"

Bastian cast a suspicious look towards the door.

"Oh gods above!” Jax's chair gave a convulsive shudder as he let out a deep laugh. "Look. Give it to me you coward." his thick hand snatched across the table, pudgy fingers snagging the letter up from its place.

"Y'know where they was going don't you?" Bastian stated, rocking back on the rear two legs of his stool, pipe hanging from two fingers that paused midway to his lips. "Its not his wrath I'm worried about so much a Hers."

Jax paused and let the letter slide back onto the table.

"How do you mean you great oaf? Reyna couldn't care less what we do with 'em as long as they get to her in one piece. He isn't coming back anymore than you or I are going to sprout wings and fly. Soon as she gets her claws on him..." Jax fell silent, staring across at Bastian who was still staring at him wordlessly, pipe flaring as he inhaled deeply.

Jax waved his hand dismissively before snatching the parchment up again and deftly snapping it open. "Look... This is worthless whatever way you look at it. We have no intention of delivering it - his pretty little princess is never going to know what happened to him, and we're seven crowns better off for the trouble we've caused. Now shut up and let me read."

Bastian grunted and continued with his pipe, casually watching his companion as he browsed his way through the 'private' letter. Every now and then the tall man's eyes would dart towards the doorway; as if to reassure himself that the young nobleman who had paid them was indeed not going to come charging through the door like some avenging angel. He rather liked his insides where they were.

Jax gave a sudden, very loud, snort of laughter that even startled the rowdy bunch who were seated around the next table down. Bastian flashed them a grin that swiftly convinced them not to make an issue of it and the whole lot of them suddenly found more of interest in their drinks.

"What is it?" he asked, turning back to Jax questioningly.

"The boy is insane. I thought he was a little bit cooked in the head when he came charging in here. Now I'm certain of it." Jax threw the letter back down on the table. "You were right about one part - Reyna's going to love him. He's going after the scroll."

Now it was Bastian' turn to laugh. A low chuckle as he laid his pipe down on the table and leaned forward, soft thud as the feet of his stool hit the ground.

"Somebody's been listening to too many fairytales. Does it say why?"

"A woman. Isn't that always the reason why? A woman like always. The man is willing to be torn limb from limb to secure the heart of some fair maiden. Or rather to convince her overbearing guardian father that he's worth his daughter’s hand. Again I say it - the boy is cooked in the head."

"Desperate more like. Guy like that, could have any woman in the land. Why do they always have to settle for the ones that they can't have?"

"Self destruction and the heart of the human condition."

Bastian stared at him blankly and with an exasperated wave of his hand Jax deigned to elaborate for his slightly denser companion.

"Everyone wants what they can't have. Always striving for the highest rung of the highest ladder; as if the shiny silver piece at the top is worth more than the one they can actually reach. Both the same in value but the human must always take the one he can't get to and will therefore suffer the consequences of trying."

Bastian's brow wrinkled as he considered his companions words, wondering if there was actually some meaning behind the rambling or whether Jax was just trying to make himself sound that bit more philosophical. He shook his head and dismissed the whole thing as unworthy of the effort.

"I didn't expect you to understand that." Jax intoned wisely, shoving his chair back and rising to his feet. He reached into the pocket of his coat and dropped a handful of copper coins to the table. Bastian made to join him, nudging his head in the direction of the motley group to his right.

"If he'd asked the unrespectable's, his letter might have seen its destination." he stated dryly.

"Yes. But think... Now we don't have to worry about dinner."

Bastian grunted and turned to follow his companion up the stairs at the back of the room. Indeed. Dinner and a comfortable bed. Now there was a rarity.

The letter lay where it fell, discarded and crumpled, surrounded by a rough scattering of copper coins.

***

She watched from her high perch as the tiny human picked his way carefully down the stony path. The only access to her Valley - she had made sure of that in the beginning.

You actually made it.... That's something of a surprise...

She peered out from between the branches of heavy bushes, sinuous form pressed low against the ground and hidden by the thick foliage. The ledge extended outwards from the cliff, the dark gaping hole that led to her lair disguised by the hardy bushes that grew there with a little encouragement from herself. It was the perfect vantage point from where she could quietly observe her realm without threat of discovery. The ledge was one of many such that extended from the side of the mountainous cliffs ringing the Valley she called home; only one of many, but definitely the best concealed. Silvery eyes rotated left and right, watching the humans scurrying about below. The men in question had managed to reach the bottom of the pathway; or rather a sudden landslide of loose rubble had unceremoniously dumped them there, where they were currently picking themselves up from the floor and dusting off their clothing as she watched. Or at least two of them were. The third had struggled weakly for a while, whilst the other pair selfishly dealt with their own interests, until his struggles had finally ceased, Then the other two decided to go searching for their missing comrade.

Not quite the dashing, heroic rogues we think we are, are we? Bully boys. Cretins, who pick on beggars and steal from old women and slaves. You would take on the guardian of this realm? She couldn't help but laugh at that idea. You're lucky I only dunked you in the river a few times. I should have eaten you all then and there.

She cocked her head to one side, as she slid her neck out further to look down at the silk clad human who picked his way out of the rubble of the landslide. Little princeling dressed in silks and velvets now dusty and stained and torn. Almost like a beggar yourself but without even the honour of that pitiful race...

Long chestnut brown hair whipped idly about his strong features in the blowing wind. Eyes that she recalled as hazel stared out from that firm countenance with an intensity which would not have seemed out of place on an eagle. His frame was light and the upper portion clothed in red silk, contrasting with the dark black of his pants and shining boots. I wonder what happened to that fanciful coat you had... She mused, eyeing up the damage to his attire. His red silk shirt was torn in several places, a gash exposed down his left arm visible where the shirt had been ripped away completely leaving muscle to ripple visibly as he moved. In all he was not an unsightly young man, yet if one looked deeper one would see the loathsome brew of malice and greed that bubbled within.

The other two humans that accompanied him, the only ones remaining of the five she recalled from their previous encounter, were in even sorrier states; one dead, the other a mess... But then they would be she guessed, taking them now as she had before to be members of some form of paid guard. No chance of our little prince taking the brunt of anything when he has you lot to run around for him.

A scratching sound in the tunnel behind her suddenly snatched her attention back. She pulled her head back, turning her sinuous neck to peer into the semi-darkness behind her slender tail. A pair of golden eyes blinked back from the blackness, growing larger and closer until the shape of a long, golden snout emerged from the gloom.

"Reyna... You get what you came for?" the male asked her softly, moving closely to wrap nudge his snout against her neck affectionately.

"Mmm, indeed. Such a treat this one will be. But shouldn't you be inside? Keeping watch on the scroll lest the human find it before we're ready for him... love... Marcellus?"

Pressed up against him she felt the chuckle before she heard it issue from his lips.

"Indeed. But I got sick of waiting..." One of her thin, clawed finger-like digits suddenly pressed itself against his lips.

"Not much longer. It all depends on whether you want to show him the way in or not. You know how these humans are; they cannot see anything unless you point it out to them."

Marcellus simply nodded, pulling away and stepping backwards into the tunnel with a sharp click of claws on stone.

“I’ll should go and show him the entrance then, and let you take care of the welcoming reception. After all, only a woman knows how to throw a true welcome to a guest."

***

Jasper turned and threw a withering glower at the offending rubble pile as he brushed the last remaining flakes of dust from his shirt; or what remained of it. The dusty snowfall that turned his hair the colour of ash would simply have to remain until he could find some place to wash it. At the very least he was thankful that no-one besides the birds had been about to witness that terrifying and undignified descent. Well. There had been the guards he mused with pursed lips. But they would hardly be fit to tell anyone anything come the end of this venture.
He cast around to locate the useless duo. One was up and moving, but the other... well. Apparently he now only had one to worry about silencing. The whole damned command had been a complete waste of money, he scowled.
And time. He cast a glance towards the rapidly dimming sky; night was falling and although closer than he had anticipated he was now too close to the supposed lair for comfort. Another thirty minutes of so and night would be fully fallen, no safe camp on a sheltered shelf of rock now...

He considered his options as his gaze wandered over the nearby surroundings of the valley. His first option would be to give up and go home. But Jasper Nandos was not one to admit defeat. Ever. He could therefore keep searching. But with the light fading so rapidly so did his chances of finding the entrance to the tunnels that his sources had so obligingly informed him as being the ever sought lair. He would probably walk right past it in the dark and never even notice. And of course there was always the risk that the dragon would show its head after dark - and brave though he considered himself to be he was not foolish enough to want to tackle a full grown dragon in the darkness. Which left one other option - stop and make camp. Which was little better than the second since the beast would still find him wherever he hid and he would be right back to the dragon in the dark idea. Not very appealing.

A sudden explosion of dirt in front of him jerked him sharply out of his pondering thoughts. Before his eyes a tremendous, golden dragon burst forth from the earth at his toes, long and sinuous body shimmering in the fading light as it somersaulted effortlessly above his head. The shower of earth from the giants leap landed mostly over the head and shoulders of the tall human, covering him once more with a rain of pebble and soil and a cloud of choking dust.

The one remaining guard threw himself backwards at the explosion, turning his awed gaze skywards to watch the beast’s ascent. It soared, somersaulted, turned and wheeled. Then it suddenly dived back towards the ground and in a blink of an eye the last guard were gone.

The roar of the dragon’s fury still echoed in the evening air as it climbed skywards once more, limp body of its victim clutched in shining claws before discarding it like a rag of useless cloth to crash against the bare rock of the mountainside.

Coughing and cursing Jasper lifted his gaze skyward, watching the beast. As it dove once more, this time for him, he threw himself sideways sharply, hitting the ground with a breathless thud as the monster dove for the ground once more. A long and membranous wing clipped Jaspers lifted arm as it passed, folding sharply against slender body as the creature vanished beneath ground once more.

Jasper lay on his back for a moment; gasping out a breath he hadn't been aware of holding. Then he turned his head, rolling shoulders and hips to lean over the hole that was now his gateway into the hidden lair. God damned beast had just signed its own death warrant.

***

In the cool darkness of the tunnel Marcellus paused, ears pricked and listening for the sounds that would prove the humans gross ineptitude. A muffled thud and a flicker of light at the far end of the tunnel as a candle flickered to life; all the evidence he needed.

Reyna... Your turn... The telepathic message went flying across the distance to his bond mate as he turned and slid silently into a side tunnel, claws lifting up to collapse the entryway behind him; leaving the human with only one logical direction to go.

***

Reyna crouched motionless in her hiding place. The darkness of her alcove cloaked her middling bulk; the rough stone on either side of her a cooling comfort as she waited impatiently for her turn to begin. With what seemed like irritating slowness the human made his way down the tunnel; flickering candlelight bobbing up and down as he crept forward. Apparently he had been smart enough to bring a lantern...

How unusually thoughtful; usually they just steal them from the front entrance.

Of course this one hadn't even found that so perhaps it was just as well.

Lips twitched in playful grin as she dropped the inner lids of her eyes; masking the glitter that would otherwise reveal her presence, yet not completely restricting her sight.

Come into my den, said the spider to the fly... She hummed softly to herself as the human crept up almost beside her alcove.

Closer and closer crept her hapless pray...

With a loud snort the dragoness exhaled sharply, and the lantern went out; plunging the tunnel in darkness.

***

Shocked into sudden blindness Jasper dropped both his lantern and his weapon; the items hitting the floor with a clatter that echoed down the smooth tunnel. Automatic instinct threw him back against the wall, breath dropping to a low whisper as ears strained in the darkness to fill in for what his eyes could not. After a few moments or listening only to the thudding of his heart within his chest he edged back out into the open, dropping warily to one knee and fumbling for the items he had dropped in his panic.

His hands fumbled on the ground around him as he searched, finally wrapping about the hilt of the sword, and a moment later the handle of the lantern.

He stood shakily, brandishing the sword blindly in front of him, other hand holding the useless and dark lantern.

There was a noise in front of him, scraping of metal or some similar substance against stone. A flicker of flame...

The lantern in his hand ignited again. And in the sudden illumination the wicked jaws of the dragon appeared before his nose. A soft, warm breath blew the hair back from his face and Jasper Nandos, warrior fearless, dropped his sword and bolted.

***

Reyna snorted loudly as the human took off into the gloom of the tunnel. Right back the way he had come. Her eyes drop towards the discarded weapon at her feet and she flicked at it with one extended claw. The sharp clang of claw against metal echoed down the tunnel as she kicked the sword back down the corridor, dismissed, as she pushed forward with powerful muscles and began pursuit of the intruder.

***

Jasper panted breathlessly down the long tunnel, feet thudding against the stony ground. The newly lit lantern in his hand fluttered wildly as he ran. Left and right he searched for some way out of the tunnel that was taking him straight back towards the entrance.

There has to be a way off this path!

Behind him he could hear the scrabble of the dragon’s claws as she followed him down the tunnel. Perhaps it has been a trick of the light but he had been sure she had been gold a moment ago; now she was silver. His mind never registering the possibility that there might be two of them.

Claws scratched at the bag slung over his shoulder as the dragon sought to drag him back down the tunnels towards her. He shrugged off the pack; the decision made in a split second and soon enough the sounds of rending and shredding faded behind his speeding legs.

I'll be damned if I'm going to be your lunch dragon! I've come for the damned scroll and if I can't have your head I'm going to get that at least.

His thoughts descended once more into survival and panic as the rending noises ceased and the swift and terrifying clickety-click of the beasts claws resumed once more - volume increasing every second, as if she took five steps to his one. With one last panicked dash he dove headfirst into an opening in the tunnel wall.

Teeth snapped at his heels as he drew his feet into the narrow tunnel. Arms pedalling as swiftly as legs he pushed, shoved and dragged himself further in and away from the monsters slashing teeth. One foot lashed out, kicking at the beast as she tried to force her narrow muzzle down into his hiding place. The foot connected with the tip of her snout, eliciting a snarl of pain. Another snapping, snarling onslaught ensued a moment later, but he was just out of reach. He lay there for a moment or two, allowing his breathing to settle into a calmer rhythm before turning and dragging himself further into the narrow path.

Behind him the sounds of struggle and slashing claws faded and fell into silence.

***

In a large and rounded chamber Marcellus moved swiftly, extinguishing torches as he went until only one remained. A single flame flickered in the centre of the cavernous vault, its warm light illuminating the prize that the human sought. A single scroll, rolled and held now in its casing of silver, lay silently on the pedestal over which the torch’s illumination shone. The rest of the cavern sank into darkness.

Marcellus vanished into the gloom as the human in question came hurtling through a smaller entryway above.

***

Jasper couldn't suppress the giggle of satisfaction that escaped from his lips as his grasping hands wrapped about the metal casing of the scroll. Holding it up to the light of the flickering torch he popped open the seal at the top and let the old and wrinkled parchment tumble into his waiting hands.

The silver casing clattered forgotten at his feet as the wheels of his mind began turning around thoughts of wealth and power - all promised by the scroll in his hand. The only one remaining of its kind in the world.

Eager fingers unrolled the parchment with a crackling noise as eyes read eagerly over the words written thereon...

An Encyclopaedia of Birds. Penned by Jeremy A. Vashning.

With a snarl of fury he threw the parchment to the ground. Yelling curses into the darkness of disappointment, and rage, and outright fury that echoed back to him in loud, endless cacophony. And then a deep and throaty rumble from his shoulder swamped them all with one purely primal response.

Gut wrenching, heart stopping fear...

The golden dragons maw opened wide. Ivory teeth flashed as the air around him was sucked towards that gaping cavern and Jasper turned to face his fate.

In that moment Jasper saw his defeat.

A thundering blast of fiery air enveloped the chamber and the human. And once the blast faded into stillness one word still echoed around the chamber.

"Damn."

***

Marcellus sat picking at his teeth with the human's sword. Reyna had picked it up on her way back to the central chamber and the two of them had shared the roasted meal between them. Now they sat together, appetites sated, contemplating what to do next.

"Since you burnt that scroll I am going to have to rewrite it." Reyna grumbled loudly.

"I was getting a little bored of that one anyway. We should send them out with a new story and word that the scroll is gone..." He suggested, picking up the sword and staring at its intricately decorated pommel. He hadn't noticed that earlier. "Immortality perhaps...That’s always a good one. Always catches a few more than the promise of untold riches does. What’s the point in those if you’re not going to be around long enough to spend it all? Humans might be greedy but they’re not always stupid." he dropped the sword with a sharp clang and looked across at his mate. "We should send them east. I haven't seen an easterner in a lifetime. It would make a nice change."

"Perhaps... But you're writing the damned story this time." Reyna scowled before snatching another bone from the pile and disappearing into an alcove to chew thoughtfully on it.

"Naturally my dear..." muttered Marcellus as she left him staring at the shining sword. “Naturally...”

***

Jax folded the letter again and shoved it unceremoniously into his tunic before turning to convey its message to his dim witted companion.

"Apparently we are to go east this time; something about the ancient and mystical scroll of Narzanna."

"East? What is it this time? Money? Some rich king’s daughter? Magical talismans of the unusual kind?" Bastian asked hopefully.

Jax shook his head.

"Immortality apparently. And what does it matter to us anyway? As long as we're getting paid...”

“Immortality eh? Ah well. I wonder though, what happened to our fabulous friend Lord Nandos?" Bastian asked as he rubbed at is chin with a ponderous hand.

"You know what happened to him; he fell in love with a fool's fantasy and ended up with his deserved rewards. Personally I couldn't give a pig’s ear about him. Twenty gold crowns for every guilty head we deliver is good enough for me. After all, it's not exactly difficult to dig up the dregs of humanity if you fill 'em full of promises of wealth and power."

Bastian snorted at that and turned to follow after his comrade.

East he said? East it would be...