The dragon king
A story written by Ademolar
Episode 29
(blood on sand)
The castle dominated the broad fertile valley that maps and men alike called ayetoro Vale. A vale it was, beyond a doubt, but no wood had grown here for several thousand years, be it black or brown or green. Once, yes, but axes had long since cleared the trees away. Homes and mills and holdfasts had risen where once the oaks stood tall. The ground was bare and muddy, and dotted here and there with drifts of melting dew.
Inside the castle walls, however, a bit of the forest still remained. The previous ayetoro king kept the old gods, and worshiped as the First Men had in the days before the evil one’s came to ayetoro . Some of the trees in their godswood were said to be as old as ayetoro’s square towers, especially the heart tree, a weirwood of colossal size whose upper branches could be seen from leagues away, like bony fingers scratching at the sky.
Day stole upon them just as loki had: unseen. Ayetoro had been awake for hours, its battlements and towers crammed with men in wool and mail and leather awaiting the arrival of ajadi that never came. By the time the sky began to lighten , the sound of drums had faded away, though warhorns were heard thrice more, each time a little closer. And still the rain fell.
“The storm will end today,” ogidan one of the surviving stableboys was insisting loudly.
“Why, is it even raining .” adigun would have laughed if he had dared.
He remembered tales Old Nan had told them of storms that raged for forty days and forty nights, for a year, for ten years … storms that buried castles and cities and whole kingdoms under a hundred feet of rain.
Adejare’s hands was tied behind his back while zico ,loki and his other men stood right beside him. After few hours of waiting ajadi and his soldiers appeared from a far distance, he was riding beside his three most trusted men which are the illers, they keep roding until they are totally in before loki and his men.
“Why do they come along with alot of soldiers? ” zillar quarried
“I don’t seem to understand ” replied jillar
” I thought it was just about a submit, what are those chariot and arrow men for?” billar asked
“Ajadi! Keep calm brothers, nothing is going to happen, remember we also have our own plan if they try anything funny ” Ajadi said with a calm grin on his face.
“I still don’t know why you have decide to accept this offer without an iota of suspect ” billar quarried
“Don’t worry I know what I am doing ” ajadi assured
“Even if you will, why do you insist on coming without the dragon?.. it’s way too dangerous ” zillar protest
“I believe there is something fishy about this emergency submit ” jillar retorted!
Ajadi stared at him for a while and he never utter a word..he rode a bit forward and he screamed
” blow the horn ”
Immediately, the soldier holding the horn blew it loud repeatedly for three times until loki’s men blew back theirs.
“So what show we do now? ” jaden one of the wilds soldier asked!
” we wait till they bring forth my father before we take any step ” Ajadi replied
“OK my lord!.. but I think we should send a message to them, someone needs to negotiate with them” jaden suggest!
“Ok, so who do you think we should send?”
“You can send me over my lord!” he replied with total submission
“No I can’t, you are my strongest soldier, it will be too risky to loose you, I think I should go myself ”
“But my lord -”
“Don’t worry I will be fine! ” Ajadi cut in before zillar could complete his words..
To be continued