Master's Mind (The Dagger of Dragon Rose Book 1)
The Hunt Begins

When the hunter becomes the hunted, that ’s when the animal’s rejoice. - Fillion the hunter

In the twilight of the deep forest, a solitary figure sat on a carved tree stump pondering. Not far from where he sat, a large white tiger anxiously paced back and forth. She hated seeing her master like this. He was angry, but not with her.

She hesitantly approached him, coming up behind his chair. He jumped as she tentatively nuzzled his hand, causing her to shrink back in fear. She had seen him destroy benign creatures with just a glance, and she did not want to incur his wrath. He was Dareth, the lord of night, and he was quite literally a god.

“I am sorry, kitten.” He said. “I did not mean to startle you.”

He had always been very gentle with her, even when he had not been so with any other creature. She didn’t know what made her so special, but she was glad for the gentle attentions with which he usually administered to her. She nuzzled his hand more confidently, and he began to absently scratch behind her ears.

“How can he have survived? I gift wrapped the boy for the ogres, yet the boy lives. Not only does he live, but one of the ogres is in jail, while the other one hides in fear.” Dareth shook his head. “What is it about the creatures that I create that make them so flawed? First the Dark Elves. I created them to be the pinnacle of perfection. Then came their rebellion. They thought that they were so smart, too smart to keep following me, so they aligned themselves with Cara.”

“Next I tried creating the Ogres. I made them less intelligent, so they would not rebel, but I made up for it by giving them strength. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to have helped.” He lapsed into an uneasy silence, his fingers still absently stroking the tiger’s fur.”

“What am I to do, Narissa?” he asked. “My brothers think that the flaw in the weapons design will be enough to ensure our victory, but I am not so sure. Why should we take any chances? If we kill the child master then the prophecy will fail.”

Narissa hated to see her master like this. She began to purr affectionately.

He sat up on the stump. “I have an idea.” He turned to face her. “You have never failed me. Will you track down the Elf King? When you replace him, kill him and anyone with him.”

Narissa growled menacingly, signifying to her master that she would undertake the task.

“Here is something of his that I liberated from the thieves guild when it was destroyed.” He held forth a tattered traveling cloak so she could catch his scent. She sniffed at it a few times, and then sneezed.

“Go then.” He said, pointing into the forest.

As Narissa passed over the threshold of the natural structure that Dareth had adopted as his home, a black collar attached itself around her neck, causing her to cough uncomfortably. She hated this collar.

Dareth watched as Narissa disappeared into the forest, smiling wickedly. “Yes my pet, you will kill your king.”

Neither Dareth or Narissa saw the small four pointed star that flew off into the forest, following the tiger.

A shadow materialized in the dense swirling mists that hung over the landscape. It paused a moment, appearing to take its bearings, before slumping to the ground. “I wished I would never see this place again” A female voice echoed through the strange stillness.

She sat there listening to the strangely muffled sounds. She strained to hear the sounds of the waterfall in the distance, but was unable to hear the distant roar that had always brought her such comfort. She scanned the landscape, marveling at her ability to see clearly, even on the foggiest of nights. She saw the rubble that was the ruins of the castle. She saw the once manicured gardens, now overgrown and wild with neglect. She remembered very clearly the last time she had been here. It was the day that her life had been shattered.

An uncomfortable feeling began to creep into her soul, causing her to climb quickly to her feet. “I must get away from this place.” Panic caused her voice to break slightly.

Shaunna Nightshade began to run west, as fast as her legs could carry her. She needed to get as far away from the old Elf castle as she could. Besides, she had a job to do.

She ran through the forest heading towards Brightbay for most of the day, stopping only when she needed to eat. When the sun went down she continued to run, relying on her excellent night vision to keep her from harm.

It was just after midnight when she found him. He was sitting alone on a stump in a clearing. There were two tents on the far side. That must be where the other was.

She was prepared to step out into the clearing, but was stopped as the sound of a twig snapping echoed through the night. She watched as the large tiger emerged from the trees. She decided she would wait to see what happened. If the boy happened to defeat the tiger, she would step in and finish him off.

The city was covered in a thick blanket of fog when Taren and Parel stepped out of the Dragon Storm’s Refuge Inn. Taren took Parel’s hand to lead her, as he could see through the fog as if it were not there. Her Human eyes would not be able to do the same.

“I really don’t need your help, Oran can guide me.” She protested.

“Oran will need to save his strength. It wouldn’t do any good if we got into trouble and Oran was too tired to cast a spell.” Taren reasoned. “Besides, you usually jump at any chance to hold my hand.”

She let out a loud harrumph and pulled her hand from his.

They walked side by side, both of them seeing images in the swirling mists, but neither of them admitting to the other how scared they were. They were both stepping into an unknown future and their lives would forever be changed.

“You don’t have to...” Taren started to say, but Parel cut him off.

“We have been through this, and the bard agreed with me. I have to go with you.” She said, sounding more angry than she had meant.

Taren looked into the fog. Even though he could see through the mists, the images that he saw in the mists unnerved him.

“Maybe we should wait until this fog lifts to leave.” He said.

“Oh... A fine king you will make, jumping at shadows in the mist.” Parel snapped. “Pull your self together, and let’s get going.” She adjusted the pack on her back and started walking faster.

The fog was too thick for her to see through, and Oran’s vision spell caused her to feel a bit dizzy as the view that it showed her was a bit distorted. It was a bit like viewing the world through a large magnifying glass. She swayed slightly, and was angry with herself when Taren caught her elbow to keep her on her feet.

“If you are going to insist on coming with me, at least let me help you navigate the city.” He said. “Once we are out of the city walls, I will not assist you any further, unless you ask me too.”

She grudgingly agreed, and they were off, winding through the maze of houses, doubling back on their tracks, and generally trying to make it as confusing as possible for anyone that might be trailing them. This was on the bards orders. He was very nervous after the events of the previous couple of nights.

A light pink glow could be seen on the horizon when the reached the city wall. The fog had not thinned, and the light refracting off the moisture particles played tricks on the mind that were worse than they had been when there had been no light at all.

As they passed through the gate, Parel pulled her arm out of Taren’s grip.

“I can manage on my own now, thank you.” She said, and she set off towards the rising sun.

Taren just stood there watching her go, trying to figure out what he had done to earn such animosity from her.

“It’s not you.” Cyan told him. “She is very scared. She was told some things that has her very anxious about this trip.”

“What kinds of things?” Taren asked.

“That is not for me to say. She will tell you when the time is right.” Cyan said. “Just be patient with her.”

“Do you know what the bard was talking about when he told me that I was not free to give her my love?” Taren asked.

“Yes.” Cyan said.

“Will you explain it to me?” Taren asked.

“No.” Cyan answered. “As with the bard, that is not my place to tell you. All I can tell you is that your father made an oath, and it falls upon you to keep it.”

“It appears that my father did a lot of things that it falls upon me to continue.” Taren said, his voice sounding bitter. “What if I fail to live up to the standard that my father set?”

“Your father did not do it alone. He had help from a small group of friends that he trusted very much.” Cyan explained.

“You are talking about the Guardians, aren’t you?” Taren asked.

“The Guardians of the Balance were more than Paron’s companions or his comrades in arms, they were his friends.” Cyan explained. “They were all friends. The hardest day for any of them was when Shalarandra was murdered.”

Taren was confused. “Shalarandra Kaardrannan? She was a Guardian? She was a dark elf.”

“The Dark Elves are no longer the monsters that they once were. They have been working tirelessly to protect the world from the wrath of the Dark Lords. In a way, you could count them all as Guardians.” Cyan explained. “The Kaardrannans have been the most valiant of them all in keeping the fight alive. It is very likely that you will have to decide whether or not to let one of them join your quest. The time for the next generation of Guardians to take up the mantle is at hand.”

Taren was not sure exactly what Cyan meant. The bard had eluded to a similar event when he had told Taren that claiming his birthright would be more difficult than just claiming the throne. He was to take his fathers place as leader of the Guardians.

He shook his head at the thought. He was only thirteen, and he wasn’t even sure of that. They had always celebrated his birth anniversary on the same day, presumably the day that Zorah and Jarno had found him.

“You are as old as you think you are.” Cyan told him. “The day that the Mother Dragon attacked the castle was the day of your first birth anniversary.”

“Are you always going to read my mind like that?” Taren asked, annoyed,

Cyan’s mechanical voice was almost filled with mirth when he answered. “You will get used to it.”

Taren shook his head and continued to walk in silence, following the path that Parel had blazed in her haste to outdistance him. The trail was not hard to follow, even through the thick fog. Apparently she was in a hurry to get somewhere. Where this place was, he did not know. He wasn’t even sure that she knew. When they left, they had no destination in mind. The bard had just told them to travel east, so that is where they were headed.

He was slightly worried that he could no longer see her, but she did have Oran. The little knife would not permit any harm to come to her.

He continued to walk at a leisurely pace, enjoying the smells and the sounds of the forest, trying to not look around to much, because the mist was still swirling through the trees. It was around mid-day when the fog finally lifted, giving way to a cloudless warm day. The chill of the morning evaporated quickly, leaving him feeling better than he had about everything.

He had always loved nature, he supposed that was his Elf blood, so living in the big city had always been hard for him. Whenever life got to hectic, he would just spread his wings and fly to a wild spot somewhere, and just sit and enjoy the feelings that he got from just being there.

“Flying sounds like a really good idea.” He said to nobody in particular.

As he removed his cloak, he took a running start, spread his wings, and jumped into the air. His wings were still sore from the beating that they had taken over the past few days. He could still feel glass lodged in the tender flesh from the window that he had smashed through. The muscles that moved the large appendages were sore from the effort of trying to carry a second body while flying. Despite these things, however, flying felt incredible.

He flew east, keeping a sharp lookout for any sign of Parel. After searching for a couple of hours, he came upon a clearing where a thin plume of smoke betrayed the location of a small campfire. His sharp eyes picked out a pack, very much like the one that Parel had been wearing, lying next to a large rock that was situated not far from where the campfire was slowly burning itself out. There was a stream not far from the would be campsite where the small form of a raven haired women crouched washing a pan.

Taren landed in the clearing. He quickly shed his pack and sat on the large rock next to the fire’s embers. He waiting patiently for Parel to return. He knew that she knew he was there, Oran would have told her by now. He let the warmth of the dying fire seep into his body. It had been very cold in the higher elevation where he had been flying.

He waited for quite a long while for Parel to return to the clearing. He was getting ready to go to the stream to check on her when she approached him. It was apparent from her red eyes and the streaks down her cheeks that she had been crying. Her skirt was dirty from her kneeling on the creek bed. Her blouse was dirty and torn in a few places. Twigs and leaves stuck out of her usually immaculate hair.

When she saw him, she burst into tears again.

“Oh, Nathan... I am so sorry.” She said, not realizing that she had called him by his Human name. “I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean any of those mean things that I said to you this morning.”

“It’s okay.” Taren answered. “I know you are scared. I know that this journey is going to be as life changing for you is it is for me.”

She stoked the fire as she sat down, and added some wood to it. She produced the pan, a strip of meat, and some herbs.

“Are you hungry?” She asked as she began to rub the herbs into the meat

Nathan had not realized how hungry he was until she asked him. “I am famished. I haven’t eaten since before we left the inn.”

Parel nodded and continued to prepare the food for him.

They sat in silence while the meal was prepared, Taren reveling in the wonderful smells of the herbs cooking into the meat. When the meat was finished cooking, Parel placed it on a small, light, metal plate and handed it to Taren. She then grabbed a small cup and went toward the stream. She returned a few minutes later with the cup full of fresh water from the stream.

The meat did little to curb Nathan’s voracious appetite, so he pulled a bag of nuts out of the bag that Zorah had packed for him. He was surprised when the little cylinder that he had found in Knoro’s mansion fell out of his pack. He picked it up to examine it and was shacked when he saw the words flash across it again. Choose your color!

“Did you see that?” He asked holding the cylindrical object out to Parel.

“Did I see what?” She asked “What is that?”

“I don’t know. I found it in Knoro’s old mansion the night that I got attacked. When ever I look at it words flash across it asking me to choose my color.” He explained.

Parel wore a quizzical look. “So choose a color and see what happens.” She suggested.

Taren held the object in his hand and once again the words flashed across it. He thought for a moment ad then said “Purple”. New words flashed across the surface “It is well!” and the object started to glow a deep purple color.

“Wow!” Parel exclaimed. “Now what?”

“I have no idea” Taren said.

He examined the, now, purple cylinder for a while longer. When he couldn’t replace anything new about the object, he placed it in the pouch that hung from his belt. He watched as Parel disappeared towards the stream again to wash the dirty dishes and put them away. When she returned, she placed the dishes back in her pack and sat down.

“Are you okay?” Taren asked her.

She smiled nervously. “I was told I would replace out about my real family on this trip. What if I don’t like what I replace out? What if my parents were criminals?”

“Would it matter if they were?” Taren answered. “Look at your adoptive father, he is a criminal, and you seem to have turned out all right.”

Parel stuck her tongue out at him.

“This is serious, Nathan.” She said.

“Can you please stop calling me that? I choose to go by Taren now.” He asked

She looked confused for a moment before realization came to her. “Oh... I keep calling you Nathan, don’t I?”

He just nodded.

“I’m sorry. It’s just hard for me. You’ve been Nathan for as long as I have known you.”

“I know, but we both need to get used to it.” He said.

“Do you know where we are going?” She asked.

“No.” He answered. “The bard just said to go East.”

“Since we don’t know where we are going, can we just stay here for a while? I like it here. It’s peaceful.” Parel asked.

Taren looked around. The sounds of the creek gurgling by along with the sounds of the insects chirping did add the relaxing qualities of the area. This place was indeed relaxing, but more than that it felt safe.

“Yes, we can stay here for a while.” He answered

They both pulled the tents out of their packs and set them up. In very little time the clearing began to look like a comfortable camp site.

They spent the rest of the day chatting about various topics, but avoiding anything that might have been important. Both Oran and Cyan were circling the clearing acting as guards. It had been decided that the weapons would keep guard while Taren and Parel were sleeping. The weapons did not require sleep, and they would awaken their wielders in the event that anything dangerous should approach.

As the sun began to set, Parel cooked them a small dinner and they retired to their tents for the night. When Taren was sure that Parel was asleep, he left tent his and walked to the large stump that was located on the other side of the clearing. Sitting on the stump he pulled the purple cylinder from his pouch and examined it again. It was completely smooth, and made out of crystal. He did not know how he knew that, but he did.

“What are you?” He asked, wondering if it was intelligent like Cyan was. There was no answer.

Frustrated, he dropped it on the grass next to the stump.

“Cyan, can you come here?” He didn’t speak very loud, because he knew that Cyan could read his mind.

Cyan’s glowing blade came out of the forest and floated towards him. The sight was eerie. The cold blue light that the blade cast cause the grass underneath it turn white and ghostly.

“How may I help you, Taren?” Cyan asked.

“I want to talk.” Taren answered, reaching out to grab the sword and placing it across his lap. “You knew my father. I would like to know more about him. You must also have some ideas of where we should go for this quest. I would like to hear whatever it is that you can tell me.”

Cyan was quiet for a long time. Taren could feel the different emotions that were passing through the sword. It was a very bizarre to feel what another creature was feeling. The whirlwind of emotions slowed down, and Cyan began to speak.

“Your father was a great Elf. He had an ability that no one had seen before. He was able to manipulate crystal in miraculous ways. It was though this ability that he was able to combine crystal and steel to create the blades for us Crystal Blades. The resultant material is stronger than steel, and as transparent as the purest crystal. Through the combined efforts of him and Derek Fantis, the Crystal Blades were created”

“We were created before the techno virus infected the world, but after the dragons had returned. As such, we were built as artificial life forms. The world was fantastic then. Great airships flew across the sky. Cities of the tallest buildings dotted the land. There were even crafts that could traverse the cosmos themselves. But all of that changed when the War Birds arrived.”

“They had been the vanguard of a peaceful group of visitors from beyond the cosmos. They did not know the devastation that their arrival would herald.”

“It was shortly after the last batch of Crystal Blades had been finished. Thousands of us each given to a soldier to combat the devastating force that was the dragons. It was working. The allied forces of the Humans, the Elves and the Dwarves were finally beginning to win the war. The powers that the wielding of the Crystal Blades gave them were able to turn the tide. The dragons were supposedly beaten when the messages from the visitors began to arrive.”

“They were a peaceful group of travelers that needed someplace to re-supply. Our planet was the best place that they could replace to get the fuel and supplies that they needed. The initial group that was sent were a dozen War Birds. When they entered our atmosphere, something went horribly wrong. Nobody knows what caused it, but something on their crafts and something on our world combined to create a virus that affected all technology.”

“The virus brought all of the technology to life, and transformed it into mechanical insects bent on destroying all organic life. It was a long and bloody war, but thanks to the joint efforts of the allies, the Crystal Blades, and the Dragon Bard, the techno-insects were destroyed.

“Fearing that something like this might happen, your father and Derek outfitted us with a very powerful protection against technological viruses. The protection did not keep us from getting infected, but it did stop the transformations and the desire to kill all organic creatures, in most of us. There were a small number of Crystal Blades that were not strong enough, so they killed their wielders and became the Dark Blades. Since then more have flocked to their ranks. Approximately half of our original number has sided with them. We will probably have to deal with them before this ordeal is finished. Ever since then, the bard has been reminding people of the dangers of technology.”

“Ever since then, we have been fighting the virus. That fight gets harder with each passing year.”

Taren sat listening for several minutes before he realized that Cyan had stopped speaking. He was just about to ask a question when a twig snapping behind him caught his attention. He turned in time to see a large white tiger step out of the trees.