Connery released a grunt as the Stamarian guards dropped him on to the cold dungeon floor. "Oh man," he groaned.
He raised his head weakly as looked around the cell. It was not much bigger than a walking closet. There were no windows, which meant he was under ground. The gray stone walls were covered in moss, and a musty smell of decay filled the air. A torch outside the cell bars was the only light. The sound of water dripping somewhere echoed through out the dungeon.
Connery slowly pulled himself to his feet. He gasped for air as a pain racked his side. A broken rib or two... "Great," he muttered.
Someone laughed and the thief jerked his head up. "My, don't we look a little worse for wear." The voice sounded chillingly like his own.
Konnery the Pestilence Knight stepped out of the shadows. Draped across the back of his shoulders was a deadly looking scythe. Connery hopped back a couple of feet and tried his best not to flinch from the pain. "Do your ribs hurt?" his evil double asked with mock sympathy.
"It was you, wasn't it?" was all the thief said.
The Pestilence Knight looked shocked. "Why what ever do you mean?" All feigned innocence disappeared, and Konnery smiled with evil intent. "I really wish that fool minister hadn't died so fast. It only took one slash across his chest, and he was dead." He unshouldered the scythe and fingered its curved blade. "It really was disappointing."
"You bastard," hissed Connery. "You killed an innocent just to get to me?" He shuffled forward towards his double. "Too afraid to face me one on one?"
Konnery blurred for a second, and suddenly he was standing in front of the thief. He grasped Connery by the throat and lifted him into the air. "You little swine!" he snarled. "If the Demon Dragonmaster hadn't wanted you taken care of this way, I would have split you down the center with my scythe!"
Connery made a gurgling sound in response and the Pestilence released him. A thought came to the thief as he lay on the ground. Let's see if this guy likes to talk just as much as I do. "It's a pretty good idea, though. Did you decide to kill the minister or was that the Demon Dragonmaster's orders?"
"Mine," answered the other with some pride. "Master Kole just told me to get rid of you without an actual battle."
Connery was sitting cross legged before his double now. "So now that you've brilliantly gotten me out of the way, what are you going to do next?"
The evil Knight smiled and twirled his scythe with one hand. "Simple. Once you four Dragon Knights are taken care of, we can find the Resurrection Stones without any interference."
Bingo! "Resurrection Stones?" asked Connery. "Aren't those used to raise the dead?" Please let him be as talkative as I am!
"No you fool! They are the Stones which Althena used to trap the..." he was interrupted mid sentence.
"Shut up you idiot!" snapped Scorn as he pulled away from the shadows of the cell. The Pestilence Dragon in human form was covered in tattered rags. He grabbed the small Knight by the back of his gray trench coat with a blistered hand. "Do you want to tell him everything!?"
"What are you doing here, Scorn!?" shouted Konnery. "This was my mission!"
Scorn's head moved beneath the rags that enveloped it. "Lord Kole sent me along to make sure that you didn't mess things up. It looks like I got here just in time." Shouts from the guards could be heard coming down the hall. "We have attracted some attention."
"Duh," muttered Konnery.
Scorn dropped Konnery and looked at Connery from within his rags. "You would be wise to just die at your execution like a good little Dragon Knight." His putrid breath made the thief want to vomit. "What they will do to you isn't a tenth of what I could do." He left the threat hanging in the air and vanished in a swirl of magic. Then Konnery was gone as well.
As the guards came running towards his cell, Connery groaned again and lay down on his back. "How am I going to get out of this one?" he asked the darkness around him.
Alleia took a deep breath and started out with her head high. With her wings folded tight against her sides, the young White Dragon strolled towards the Stamarian garrison. She had watched the Stamarian soldiers drag Connery into the large gray stone building. If she guessed correctly, the thief was in a cell in the dungeon underneath the garrison and under lock and key. And if she wanted to get him out, she had to get that key to the lock!
Putting on her cutest expression, Alleia walked up to the guards in front of the garrison entrance. She was about to start purring and meowing, but had second thoughts when the nearest guard scowled down at her. Alleia bit back a cry building up in her throat and quickly scurried away. Once back in a nearby alley, she stopped running. "Okay, the front door is a no go. Time for plan B."
Alleia carefully made her way to the rear of the garrison, where the kitchens would almost certainly be. As she neared the back of the gray stone building, the sun had started to go down. The smells of dinner being cooked was thick in the air. Alleia easily picked out the aroma of fried trout. With the scent of food full in her nostrils, Alleia quickened her pace. She smiled to herself as the kitchen doors came into view. Cook hands were peeling potatoes and onions. The White Dragon hurried to the nearest cook hand and started to purr loudly while rubbing up against his leg.
The potato peeler was wearing all white and stared down at her with a pair of kind blue eyes. He brushed some shaggy brown hair out of his eyes and smiled. "Hello, kitty," he said in a soft voice. His face was smooth with strong cheek bones and a mid-sized nose. He reached down and scratched behind her ears. Hooked 'em!
She purred again and licked his hand. It tasted like raw potatoes, but she resisted the urge to gag. "Are you hungry, kitty?" he asked. Alleia rubbed her head against his hand more vigorously. He picked her up and headed for the kitchen. "Well let's just see if Mistress Juan will give you something to eat."
They entered the kitchen, and Alleia was somewhat disappointed. She was used to the massive kitchens in the Royal Palace of Lucitania. This was not even as large as one of the smallest ones. At most this rectangular chamber was fifty feet long. But like all kitchens, it was a mass of chaos. Stoves lined the walls and there were white clad men and women slaving over boiling pots and hot grills. In the center of it all was a large woman wearing all white except for a big red apron. Her many chins were covered in flour and grease. She had a stern look on her face, but her eyes held a feeling that beneath the rough exterior was a kind hearted soul.
The boy holding Alleia in his arms stopped in front of this massive woman. "Mistress Juan?"
She gave him a brief look over and returned her gaze to stoves. "Yes, Itise? What is it?" she answered in a voice that was used to giving orders and not receiving them.
Itise swallowed before speaking. "I found this poor cat out in the alley behind the kitchen. It looks half starved, and I was wondering if I could give it a little bit of food?" Alleia balked at the words "starved to death." She knew that she hadn't been eating that well for the past week, but she didn't think that she looked that bad.
Mistress Juan looked at her for a moment. "It does look kind of bony." Alleia almost spewed a cone of frost in the woman's face. "Give it some fish and milk, and hurry back to your chores," she said finally. Itise thanked her and walked off with Alleia still in his arms.
A few minutes later, Alleia found herself eating a whole fried trout and a saucer of milk. The young White gulped down her food as Itise watched. When she had picked the fish clean and drained the saucer, he gave her a pat on the head. "Feel better?" She purred in response. "Good," he replied. "You can stay with me tonight and tomorrow we can try and find whoever you belong to."
Alleia faked falling asleep as the boy walked away. He was actually pretty nice, but Alleia had no time to spare on him. She rose easily and began to search for the mess hall. The young White Dragon didn't find it too difficult. She could hear the drunken shouts of the soldiers halfway across the garrison. Alleia poked her head into the large gallery that was the mess hall for the soldiers. Seated along rows of tables were the Stamarian soldiers not on duty. And sitting at the end of one of the tables was a soldier with a key ring at his waist.
Staying close to the walls, Alleia stalked closer to the soldier who was obviously the key master of the garrison. Choosing her moments, she darted between the legs of servants carrying trays of food back and forth. Finally, the Dragon Kid made it to the table with the key master. Now to get her paws on that key ring!
A rough hand grabbed her by the neck just as she reached for the keys with her paws. "Now what do we have here?" said a deep voice. Alleia was raised up to the brown eyes of the key master. His fleshy face was unshaven and he smelled of sweat and fish. Alleia could barely keep her dinner from coming back up. His smile did nothing to reassure the helpless Dragon Kid. "Looks like we've found a little after dinner amusement." The men at the table broke into roars of laughter.
"No!" cried Itise as he ran into the room.
The cook hand skidded to a stop in front of the key master. "Is this flee bag yours, boy?" asked the fat man.
Itise nodded quickly. "Yes, Master Liss. She is mine." He took a hesitant step forward and extended a hand. "May I please have her back? I promise to keep a better eye on her from now on."
The hand holding Alleia released her, and the Dragon fell towards the ground. Resisting the urge to use her wings for a parachute, Alleia tensed for the impact. She hit the hard ground all too quickly and made a small cry on impact. Liss started to laugh, but it was cut short as Itise lunged at the man. As the two bodies started to crash around the tables, Alleia suddenly found the necessary energy to run for cover. She stopped short as the key ring at Liss' side was knocked loose and fell to the ground. Making sure that no one was looking, Alleia snatched the key ring between her teeth and ran to find the dungeon and Connery.
Connery was slumped against the wall drawing ragged breaths. The guards had just finished giving him another complementary beating for being a guest in the dungeon. He turned his head painfully to give his cell one more look. There was not a single thing in there that he could use to escape. The guards had taken his pouch and all his lock picking rings. He released a groan and closed his eyes. "I'm finished."
There was the sound of a lock clicking and a door being pushed open. Connery tensed for what he believed to be another visit from the guards. "Connery?" came a hushed call. "Where are you?"
The thief shook his head to make sure he was not imagining things. "Alleia?" he answered in an almost lower whisper. "I'm over here."
He heard the flapping of small wings, and Alleia was suddenly hovering in front of his cell with a key ring in her paws. After a few moments of fumbling with the keys, she finally found the one for his cell door. The bars slid open, and Alleia flew to his broken body. Her blue eyes were filled with worry as she looked him over. "Are you okay, Connery?"
"I've been better," he said with half smile. "Did you see a goddess statue or anything else on your way down here? How did you get here anyway?" he asked as an afterthought.
She was shaking her head. "No, I didn't see a statue. As to how I found you, I'll explain later." She stopped hovering in the air and landed on his chest lightly. He winced, and she jumped back into the air. "Sorry."
"It's all right. Your sure you saw no statues of Althena?" She nodded. "Damn," he muttered. Then an idea hit him. "My pouch! If you can find my pouch, there are some jasmine herbs inside it. Get the herbs and come back here."
Alleia's feline face looked worried. "But Connery, I barely made it down here. How am I going to find out where they put your equipment? I have no idea where anything is in this place. It took me just an hour to find my way here."
"Then it looks like I'll have to come with you." Several grunts and curses later, the thief had successfully gotten to his feet.
"Are you sure that you can make it?" asked Alleia.
"We don't have another choice do we?" he answered with a half smile. "Let's go before I change my mind."
With Alleia flying slowly ahead of him, Connery hobbled down the dungeon's hall. He arrived at the guard room outside the cell block and found three of the Stamarian soldiers with their feet frozen to the ground. They saw the thief and started reaching for him. "Impressive," said Connery.
"Thanks," replied the Dragon Kid. "I thought you'd like it."
He followed her out of the guard room and began the torturous climb up to the main floors of the garrison. Fifteen to twenty minutes later the thief and the Dragon were peeking into the halls of the garrison ground floor. "Now where?" asked Alleia.
"My Spear would be considered magical treasure. It and my pack should be in the armory with the rest of the garrison's magical and non-magical weapons." He stepped from the stairs and started down the hall made of gray stones. "The trick is getting past the guards."
Alleia smiled as she flew by his shoulder. "I think I've got a little more ice in my little belly." Connery only smiled at her.
The two of them made dreadfully slow progress on their way to the armory. Connery's condition slowed them to a near crawl, and avoiding Stamarian soldiers was no easy task. But finally after an hour of near disasters, detours, and breaks to allow Connery to rest they finally found themselves staring down a long corridor at he doors to the garrison armory. "Just two guards," whispered Alleia.
"Okay, you know what to do," said the thief. Alleia nodded and disappeared around the corner.
Connery tensed when he heard one of the soldiers remark on Alleia's sudden appearance. If all went according to plan, the Dragon Kid would catch the soldiers off guard and freeze them from the waists down. Seconds later the soldiers were shouting at Alleia. "Connery!" she called after a minute.
The thief turned the corner and hobbled down the hall towards two half frozen forms and Alleia. Using the master key ring Alleia had taken from the key master of the garrison, Connery opened the armory and went inside. He saw the White Dragon's Spear and the rest of his equipment leaning against a pile of swords and axes. Connery gritted his teeth to the pain and dropped to his knees on front of his backpack and pouch. With pain-numbed hands, the thief fumbled through his pouch until he finally found a jasmine herb.
Connery took the small cluster of reddish green leaves in his left hand and swallowed the jasmine whole. The healing was instantaneous. Broken ribs started to mend, cuts closed up, and bruises faded away. Connery jumped back to his feet with a small cry of joy. He quickly grabbed the second jasmine from his pack and ate it as well. In moments the thief was fully healed. Next he lifted the White Crest from where it had been hung on the tip of his Spear, hung it around his neck, and activated its magic.
There was a white flash, and Connery was garbed in the armor of the White Dragon Knight. He tied his pouch beneath his white trench coat and slung the pack over his shoulders. Dragon Spear in hand, Connery ran back out to Alleia. He found the Dragon sitting there waiting for him. The two soldiers had passed out from the cold of the ice. Connery gave each mound of ice around the Stamarians a crack with the butt of his Spear. The ice shattered and the two men fell to the ground.
"Let's get out of here," said Connery. Alleia nodded and launched herself into the air after the running Knight.
With his strength back, Connery easily crept through the garrison halls. The Knight and the Dragon were sliding out of a window and into an alley not five minutes later. Connery landed without a sound and broke into a brisk trot for the street. The White Knight's armor and coat began to blend into the surroundings at his silent command. Connery and Alleia exited the alley and stepped out into the empty streets of Nota. At that late hour, there was not a soul about.
A foot scuffed on the pavement behind Connery. The Knight spun about and made a low sweep with his Spear. The man behind Connery cried out as he hit the ground. The Knight was about to thrust down with his Spear, but Alleia called out. "No! Connery, don't!"
Connery stopped and looked at the Dragon hovering by his head. "Why?"
"Don't hurt him," she pleaded. "He was how I got into the garrison in the first place."
The small Knight looked away from Alleia and at the man lying on the ground who couldn't be much older than himself. He had shaggy brown hair and a pair of blue eyes that shone in the dim light. His smooth features with strong cheeks made him look a little odd. His white pants and shirt were stained and covered in dirt. Connery raised his Spear and took a step back. "Alleia says your okay, so I'll let you go."
The man got to his feet and stared at Alleia hovering in the air. "You talked!?" was the first thing that came from his mouth. "And you're flying!?"
"Of course I can talk, Itise" replied Alleia. "And all Dragons can fly."
Itise's eyes began to roll back in his head. Connery grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "Oh no you don't," he said. He shook Itise, and the other man came around.
"Why aren't you in the kitchens, Itise?" asked Alleia.
Itise looked a little better, but he still gave them wide eyed looks as he spoke. "I was fired for starting that fight in the mess hall." The former cook hand started to shake his head. "I have to be imagining this."
Shouts suddenly echoed around the three gathered in front of the alley. Stamarian soldiers were running towards them with weapons drawn. Connery grabbed Itise by the shirt and broke into run. "Where are you taking me!?" cried Itise.
"I've been accused of something I didn't do," said Connery as they ran. "Alleia just helped me escape. Unfortunately, they've seen you with us. You're going to have to come with us or else face an execution." He looked back and smiled at the former cook hand.
To the White Knight's surprise, he found Itise smiling back at him. "It's better than peeling potatoes," was all he said.
Connery barked a laugh. "We'll talk more later, Itise. For now, let's get the hell out of Nota." Connery made a sharp turn and started to run for the docks. Itise and Alleia followed right behind him without another word.