Dragon's Teeth: An Alex Rogers Adventure (Ranger Book 2) Read online

  Dragon’s Teeth

  An Alex Rogers Adventure

  Book 2

  By CW Lamb

  To my Wife, whose patience and understanding helps make these books happen.

  Edited By: Patrick LoBrutto

  Cover Design: www.art4artists.com.au

  Copyright © 2016 by CW Lamb WWW.CW-LAMB.COM

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the Author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  First Edition

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  Prologue

  Lady Amelia of House Griffin, sister to the King of Great Vale, stood quietly in the darkened corner of the hallway, dagger in hand. In her free hand she fingered the pendant hanging around her neck, a gift from her brother. The weapon in her hand did little to ease her anxiety as she listened to the two men rummaging through her room.

  She was startled as she watched another guest of the inn arrive in the hall at the far end and enter their room without giving her even a passing glance. The setting sun provided little light through the far windows to betray her hiding place. Even so, she tried to press herself deeper into the shadows.

  “Where is she? She was supposed to be here!” she heard a man ask his companion in hushed tones.

  “I don’t know. The boss said her guards went to that mermaid bar, so we were supposed to grab her while the others took care of them,” a second voice replied.

  Amelia had been fortunate enough to catch the two men as they were entering her room without being seen. She had been in the small private parlor downstairs, reviewing letters of intent she had collected from the trading houses earlier that day. Since arriving in Freeport, she had been meeting with every trade house in hopes of establishing overseas trade with Great Vale.

  The haste with which the two men had entered the inn had raised her curiosity as she watched them dart up the stairs. It was the fact that both men drew their weapons as they topped the flight that had caused her to become concerned.

  Leaving her things behind, she hurried up the stairs, stopping just before the turn for the hallway at the top. Peering around the corner, she had been in time to see the second man as he presumably followed the first into her room and closed the door.

  She had then rushed to the corner of the hallway where she hid in the shadows as she listened at the wall separating her rented lodgings from the hallway itself.

  “Her things are still here, so she must still be in the building somewhere,” the first man declared.

  “Should we go look for her or wait here?” the second asked as they stopped whatever they had been doing that made the rustling noises masking their discussion.

  “We can’t just snatch her in front of everybody, you idiot. Let’s wait here, she has to come back sometime,” the first replied.

  By now, Amelia had moved to the door so she could better hear the two men talking. With the last comment, she decided it was best for her to retreat until her guards returned from their mission. During their meetings, they had heard rumors that one of the trading houses was aligned with Prince Renfeld of Windfall and that there was a plot to attack Great Vale.

  She was about to turn when she suddenly felt a blade at her throat, its cold metal pressing lightly into her skin.

  “Lady Amelia, I presume,” she heard whispered in her ear.

  Driving the dagger in her hand into his leg, she spun away from the blade at the throat and attempted to push past the man as he howled in pain. The noise however, brought the two men in her room into the hall as they threw the door open wide.

  “There she is, grab her,” she heard from one of the two as she slipped between her attacker and the wall, ducking his grasp as he flailed wildly for her.

  Amelia dashed for the stairs, hoping to reach the front door where she could lose herself in the evening crowd on the streets outside. Unfortunately, she had no such luck as two more men appeared at the end of the hallway before her. Turning, the men who had broken into her room blocked her retreat while the third lay on the floor still grasping his leg and whimpering.

  “Take me to your master,” Amelia announced, sighing in resignation as she drew herself up, projecting an aura of authority.

  “That’s the idea,” replied one of the men.

  Amelia let the men lead her down the back stairs of the inn and out into the alleyway between the buildings. Normally traveled by the inn staff and other traders providing food and supplies during the daytime, it was now completely deserted. In the fading sunlight it was also almost completely dark out.

  She could hear the man she had wounded complaining as the rest of the group hurried to their destination. Even in the darkness, Amelia could tell they were headed to the warehouse district where she had earlier spent the day talking to traders.

  “In here,” one of the men ordered as they reached one of the large structures that acted as collection points for the goods traded in Freeport. As she passed through the doorway, she entered a small room, lit by a single candle on a small table. Next to the table was a stark wooden chair, barren of any padding. One of the men placed her next to the chair.

  “Sit,” he instructed as he pointed at the chair. Doing as instructed, she sat quietly, waiting for their next move.

  “Ah, Lady Amelia, so good to see you again,” a voice in the darkness finally announced. As she watched, she saw the familiar form of the master of House Drakon appear before her.

  “Master Tantalus, have you lost your mind? My men will have your head when they return to find me missing,” Amelia declared as she started to rise. The man standing behind her placed a firm hand on her shoulder, stopping her progress and motioning for her to sit once more.

  “Ah yes. I am afraid your men ran into a nasty incident at the Siren’s Song. Apparently involved in a drunken brawl, I hear. Both quite dead, I am afraid. Put up a considerable fight. They will be missed. It is so hard to find good men these days,” he said sarcastically.

  The statement drove a bolt of pain right through Amelia’s heart as she considered the death of the two. She had become quite fond of them as they traveled, both handpicked from her brother’s personal guard to ensure her safety. She expected that Tantalus had lost twice their number in the attack, something that seemed to trouble the man not at all.

  “What is this about?” she asked sternly as she recovered her composure.

  “Power, wealth…what else would it be?” he replied lightly.

  “My brother will ransom me, that is true, but what will be the cost to you in the end?” Amelia replied, insinuating the vengeance the King would inflict on her kidnaper.

  “Ransom? Oh no my dear Lady, this is far more audacious than a mere kidnaping. You are a pawn in a power play for the rule of kingdoms. But fear not, you have great value,” Tantalus replied with a flourish.

  “How?” Amelia asked, not happy where this was going.

  “Once your brother is dead, his daughter will be married off to Prince Renfeld of Windfall who will then be master of both lands. Should she resist, or worse yet, succumb to some unfortunate accident, then you could marry the fine Prince, insuring his rule. If all goes well then maybe we shall find happiness together.”

  “NEVER!” Amelia replied in disgust.

  “Ah, I suspected as much, however I hear you have a lovely daughter as well, perhaps she could
marry me?”

  “Over my dead body!” Amelia spat.

  “Let us hope not,” Tantalus retorted as he motioned to his men to take her away.

  Chapter 1

  Alex Rogers stood at the window of the castle’s keep, overlooking the bay. As the newly appointed Lord Protector for the city of Windfall, it was his responsibility to ensure the safety of its people and the ships that came to trade here. As he watched the activity on the wharfs below him, he marveled at the changes in his life.

  “Sire, do you require anything more?” asked his personal steward as he placed an ornate silver tray on the small table nearby. He noted the teapot and pastries that had become his daily mid-day reward. He sighed. What he wouldn’t do for a pot of coffee!

  “Not for the moment, thank you,” Alex replied as he waved the man out the open doorway.

  Hardly more than a few months ago, he had been a successful engineer in a prestigious Seattle engineering firm. He had been responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of construction projects worldwide. His technical expertise was sought by peers and competitors alike.

  Then, he had fallen into a sinkhole while hiking in the forest, and found himself transported into a world straight out of his imagination. Literally dropped into the heat of battle, he had been fighting for his life ever since.

  Standing next to him as he looked out the window was a large black wolf, his companion on this adventure. Kinsey had been a mixed breed dog in his previous life, transformed by the same magic that brought them both here. Alex found her current form much closer to her real personality than her former shape. Here, she had protected him from humans and mythical creatures alike, and was always nearby and ready to act in his defense.

  Dropped here in the clothes of a Ranger of the Ranger’s Guild, an organization created to protect nature’s balance, Alex had fought his way across the foreign countryside. It seemed that every time things started to quiet down, another creature from his encyclopedia of mythical critters would appear to threaten his very existence. So far, he had managed to avoid death, at times by the thinnest of margins. The current lull in his life was a welcome break.

  Unfortunately, the parchment Alex held in his hand indicated that everything was about to change once more. He had longed for some extended downtime since the battle to take the castle here at Windfall. He hoped the reprieve would give him time to prepare for his wedding. He was betrothed to the niece of the king of the adjoining Kingdom of Great Vale.

  Her name was Lady Cassandra, Cassie to those close to her, and she was the redheaded daughter of a woman King Ben had saved when he first arrived here. He had been transported here from the same reality as Alex, many years earlier. Adopted by that family, Ben had risen to the position of Royal Wizard of Great Vale, eventually marrying the King’s daughter and becoming King himself. No one but Alex and Cassie’s mother knew the King’s real origins. His name, Ben, was just assumed exotic for the locale. Only Cassie’s mom knew that the House Griffin was really his last name and she was sworn to secrecy, as was Alex.

  At the thought of Cassie’s mother, Alex looked at his hands again. One contained a parchment, and the other a pendant and chain. The items had been delivered earlier that day, intended for the previous occupants of the keep. Prince Renfeld had perished in the fight for the castle, a passing mourned by only a few.

  Scanning the words written on the parchment for the hundredth time, willing that they might turn to something other than what they were, he read them to himself.

  “Have taken King’s sister as ordered. Holding her at an agreed location, awaiting further instructions. Included royal pendant as requested for proof.”

  Alex examined the pendant, recognizing the insignia. He had seen it all over the Royal Court at Great Vale. Someone had Cassie’s mom, and the only person Alex was aware of that knew the referenced location, was now ashes spread across the bay below.

  Currently, Cassie was with her uncle, returned to Great Vale after the last of Prince Renfeld’s forces had yielded to Ben’s authority. Once the declaration of Alex’s position as Lord Protector was settled with the community leaders, Ben had decreed a period of mourning for the dead King of Windfall, Prince Renfeld’s father. While the Prince was a puke, his father’s passing deserved the respect his many years of peaceful rule had earned him.

  During this time of mourning, Alex had sent for Kinsey, while he and Ben established themselves with the various factions running the commerce of the city and port. With assurances of support for the new leadership out of Great Vale, Ben took his leave, taking Cassie and a large portion of his army with him.

  Alex was left with enough Vale troops to staff the castle walls, and had the additional protection of the newly returned Rangers of Windfall. During his rise to power, Prince Renfeld had implemented a plan to root out any of the Ranger’s Guild that might oppose Ranger involvement in his grab for dominance in the region. In so doing he had gutted the local Guild.

  The Rangers were an organization dedicated to the preservation of nature and harmony, and had been historically apolitical. Its origins went back for hundreds of years, and was created and sponsored by the Woodland Elves. They had fashioned the Rangers to help instill a sense of ownership in humans with their surroundings. Alex recalled how Cassie had described their charter when she thought him a real Ranger, “You are sworn to protect nature and slay foul creatures.”

  “Come on Kinsey, time to go back to work,” he said absently.

  Turning away from the window, Alex went over to a desk against one wall of the study. As Lord Protector, he had taken up residence in the royal bedchamber. It was the very same room where he had discovered the remains of the former King of Windfall, not so long ago. This room had been the king’s personal study, conveniently located across the hall from his bedroom and with a commanding view of the bay.

  Taking up a quill, Alex dipped the tip and began a message to Ben, King of Great Vale and his new magic instructor. While Alex was actually the more powerful of the two, Ben had decades of education and experience in magical manipulations. It was Ben who had placed Alex in charge of Windfall, proclaiming him Lord Protector, and making Windfall a vassal state to Great Vale.

  Alex wrote out a quick explanation of how he had received the message about Cassie’s mom and asked for permission to go in search of her as soon as possible. Once he was satisfied with the message’s contents, he sealed it, the pendant, and its parchment companion into a leather pouch.

  With that completed, Alex got up from the desk, and with Kinsey at his side.

  “Please inform the magistrates I will return shortly,” Alex passed to one of his ever present guardsmen as he exited the room.

  “Yes sire, right away,” the man replied before he hurried off. Alex had left a room full of people downstairs when he received the message.

  He then headed down to the stables with Kinsey close behind. As they passed through the halls of the keep, Alex recognized a mixture of Vale and Windfall troops going about their duties. It would be quite a while before there was enough confidence in the local military to allow Alex to rely on them for his complete protection. He continued to carry his sword everywhere he went, although it was now at his side, rather than strapped across his back, as he had done in Ranger garb.

  He and Ben agreed that the people of Windfall needed time to adjust to their losses on the field of battle, and learn how their fortunes had actually turned for the better. Every day, Alex worked hard to undo the negligence Renfeld’s regime had shown to the people here.

  Once on the ground level, Alex exited the keep and crossed the open courtyard, heading to the stables near the east gate which opened into the city. With a message this important, Alex knew he needed to expedite its delivery. Unfortunately, the pendant precluded the normal method of magical message birds.

  Still a marvel to Alex, the message birds were carried as acorns, but once the sender scribed his message, the two transformed into a sm
all magical bird, with the recipient imprinted in its mind. Once delivered, the bird disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the message with its intended recipient. While certainly not the equivalent of texting, it was still a marvel.

  Alex entered the stables, searching for his mount, Shadows. He found the black mare in a stall near the entrance, her head and neck over the lower half of the stall door, watching him approach. She looked well cared for, and apparently happy to see him as she buried her head in his chest. He opened the lower stall door and led her out into the open courtyard. A gift of sorts from Elion, the King of the Woodland Elves, Shadows had been Alex’s constant companion since the day he arrived here.

  The horse was a marvel, tirelessly carrying Alex everywhere he traveled. However, it wasn’t until after the battle at Great Vale that he learned she was more than a mere horse. He wasn’t sure what the elves called them, but to him, she was a Pegasus, or flying horse. He had flown with her on several occasions and enjoyed the experience greatly. Besides the exhilaration, it cut a lot of time off any trip. As the journey to Great Vale was four to five days on foot, depending on the urgency, he had no choice but to use his prized mare as a messenger.

  Attaching the leather pouch around her neck, ensuring it was secure, he led her out into the center of the courtyard.

  “Shadows, take this to Ben and Cassie,” he declared as he released her from his grasp.

  Stepping forward, the mare produced wings, magically hidden under normal circumstances, and spread them wide. Her wingspan was magnificent, first spreading them as if in a stretch, and then she sprang forward in a leap. With the first flap, she was airborne and gaining altitude fast. Alex continued to watch until she was lost in the distance, headed southeast at a good rate.

  Looking down at Kinsey by his side, Alex scratched her between the ears in affection, and then turned to head back up the steps and into the keep. While he intended to try and make a dent in the never-ending line of individuals seeking an audience, he doubted his mind would be on his work.