“Go get your father, Danus,” he said and released his hold around the young fellow’s waist.
Meanwhile Sorus rode over to the older boy who looked to be in his early teens and dismounted from his steed. “Hi there, do I know you?”
The boy shook his head and gazed back with wide eyes.
“I’m Sorus Nightwalker but I used to be Sorus Brewer from Black Dale down the river. I bet you’ve been to town a few times, right?”
The boy nodded his head his eyes still wide.
“Have you seen any patrols come by lately? Any dragon children?” said Sorus as he led his horse over to a nearby post and tied off the reins. “Is your mom or dad home?”
The boy shook his head at the first question but then nodded it at the follow-up.
Sorus looked at him for a second, “Was that no to seeing any patrols and yes to the dragon child or yes to your mom and dad?” The young knight then laughed out loud as the boy stared at him for a moment. “Never mind, we’ll figure it out. Come on, let’s go to the house with Jon and your brother. That is your brother isn’t it?”
The boy nodded his head and smiled.
“What’s his name?” said Sorus as he motioned with his head to the younger boy who walked with Jon Gray towards the house.
“He’s Danus,” said the older boy, “and I’m Olneus.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Olneus,” said Sorus and he suddenly realized he mimicked the behavior many of the powerful knights of Elekargul used when the spoke to him back in Black Dale. “Have you seen any children of the dragons around here at all?”
The boy shook his head no again as they got to Jon and Danus. “What have you managed to get out of this one,” said Sorus to the knight of gray, just as a tall man came out of the house, a sword buckled to his side and a square jaw that looked a bit orcish, although his blonde hair and features were mostly human. “Proteus,” said Sorus with a smile. “I thought I might know who lived here. It’s me, Sorus Brewer, except I’m a knight now, Sorus Nightwalk.”
The man’s frown suddenly broke and he smiled at Sorus, “Sorus Nightwalk, it suits you, and who’s your big friend?”
“I’m Jon Gray,” said Jon and moved forward to grasp the man by the hand. “Sorus and I are looking for the First Rider. Has he been by on patrol anytime recently?”
Proteus looked to Soras for a moment and then at Jon with a glance of narrowed eyes.
“He’s ok, Proteus,” said Sorus. “He’s an ambassador from a place called Tanelorn. We were up in the Mountains of the Orc with Sir Germanius a few days back. Jon, show him that sketch you made of Sir Germanius.”
“That old man,” said Proteus with a smile. “He served with my grandfather if you can believe that and I’m old enough to be your father, Sorus. How is he?”
Jon handed over the sketch and the square-jawed man looked at it for a moment and said, “Oh, well, that puts a new light on the subject then doesn’t it? Why don’t you boys come on in and the lads and me will make up some dinner. You’re welcome to stay in the barn tonight. We can talk about the First Rider in a bit. So how did you end up with a sketch like this of Sir Germanius, Jon?”
The two boys tried to peek at the paper their father held, he looked at it one more time as a smile appeared on his face and then handed it to his oldest son. “Don’t rip that Olneus and make sure your bother doesn’t either.”
The young boy nodded his head solemnly and took the piece of paper over to a butcher block table in the kitchen. His brother climbed up on a chair next to him and they stared at the paper wide-eyed while the others walked through the kitchen and into a small dining room.
As they passed, Jon noted the kitchen looked well equipped with a fine wood stove and a number of cabinets but none of the floral curtains or vases filled with flowers that one expected to find in the domain of women. They made their way to the dining room that was also clean and orderly although lacking in the feminine touch.
Proteus motioned to the chairs and took a seat at the head of the table. “So, Jon, tell me how you ended up with this sketch.”
Jon looked at the square-jawed man and then to Sorus, who nodded his head, “I came to Elekargul on a mission from my father and we ran into some trouble in town with the mayor. He didn’t… think my story was believable and refused to send out scouts to alert the First Rider.”
“I can understand that,” said Proteus. “Who knows who you really represent and, if you wait long enough, the First Rider will find you eventually.”
“That seems reasonable,” said Jon. “It was Sorus here who I first met up with when I came out of the Mountains of the Orc and he suggested heading out to prove myself as a warrior. Sir Germanius and the mayor’s son came with us.”
“The old fellow looking to get himself killed in one last heroic stand no doubt,” said Proteus, “but why did Mikus come along?”
“I’d guess the mayor wanted to make sure I didn’t do anything to harm Elekargul,” said Jon with a shrug of his shoulders although he did raise his eyebrows.
“That’s a charitable assessment,” said Proteus as he nodded his head. “So you found a dragon up in the mountains. That’s quite an achievement.”
“I don’t think it was a coincidence,” said Jon. “The dragon recognized me as soon as it saw me and called out my name. Fortunately for me, Sir Germanius had one last good fight in him and killed the beast before it did the same to me. I’m no artist but I think the sketch is fairly accurate.”
“Why would the dragon recognize you?” said Proteus his hands flat on the table.
“We don’t know,” interrupted Sorus, “but I heard it say his name as clear as day. The dragon children are involved in this as well. Jon
… Jon confided his mission to me and I can vouch for it. He needs to see the First Rider as soon as possible. There are forces in the darkling lands moving against him and maybe all of Elekargul.”
“We’ve seen several reptile men about of late but none with dragonish features, just the usual sort from Darag’dal but they did act a bit strange,” said Proteus.
“The mayor martialled all the civilian knights in Black Dale and sent them south to fight off an invasion from the reptile people,” said Sorus. “The town is completely vulnerable and Jon and I found a stairwell in the darkling lands wide enough to march up an entire army. We have to find the First Rider and tell him what is going on.”
“He was here not long ago,” said Proteus. “But, there’s nothing we can do until tomorrow morning,” he went on. “You wait here and the boys and I’ll set up something to eat.” With that the square-jawed man stood up and left the room.
“He looks like a knight but he’s a farmer?” said Jon.
“Proteus’s wife died in childbirth with their second son. He has no sisters and he took the Brokenshield so that he could raise the boys. He’s one of the finest knights in all of Elekargul and once served as the First Rider but that was before I was born,” said Sorus. “Once the boys are old enough to be on their own he can try to regain his name.”
“Can’t he just take it back; it’s not like those other fellows who had theirs stripped from them,” said Jon a puzzled expression across his face.
“That’s not the way it works,” said Sorus with a shrug. “It doesn’t matter how you become a Brokenshield, the only way back is through some act of heroism and then another knight can give you a second name.”
“We’ll be safe here?” said Jon, “He can be trusted?”
Sorus nodded, “Absolutely Jon. I know the mayor comes across badly but there aren’t many knights like that in all of Elekargul. Even the mayor did what he thinks is best for the nation even if it doesn’t seem that way.”
“Unless he’s being influenced somehow,” said Jon his hand placed on the table as he drummed with his fingers. “There are forces here at work beyond what I understand. The Staff of Sakatha is a relic of the Old Empire there are a lot of people who want to get a hold of it. The reptile men, or dragon children, or whatever you want to call them, yes, but other forces as well. An item like that brings out the worst in men, that’s why my father wants to put it away where it can’t influence the world.” Jon suddenly looked up from the table and saw that young Danus gazed at him with wide eyes from the doorway. “Did you hear all that?” said Jon looking at the boy.
Danus nodded his head. “What’s the Staff of Sakatha?”
