Stone Dragon

Barhed ran to the door. Opening it, he saw Adam Levy with his mother. Adam was a young man who lived across the street and occasionally hung out with Ian. The boy was standing in the rain, his eyes frightened, while his mother stood a little further back with obvious embarrassment.

"Mr. Barhed," she said hesitantly.

"Call me Barhed," he replied.

Adam caught a glimpse of Darma and his wings inside the house. His eyes went wide for a moment.

"Adam," Barhed called, bringing him back. Adam's mother interjected.

"Barhed," she said hesitantly. "Something's wrong, isn't it?"

"I'm looking for Ian. He's gone and hasn't said a word. I have no idea where he is."

The woman's lips quivered. Barhed didn't even notice that they were standing in the rain.

"Tell him, Adam," she finally said.

"I saw Ian."

Maynar and Darma, hearing the boy's words, approached. Darma stepped out of the house to spread his wings and stretch his legs. Adam's mother was startled at the sight of him but tried not to show it. Maynar gave her a reassuring gesture.

"Where did you see him, Adam? Tell me."

The boy hesitated, and his mother held him by the shoulders. "There," she said, pointing to the great stone tower behind them.

The others turned and began to walk towards the tower.

"Here? When?"

"The day before yesterday, I think."

"The day before yesterday? Impossible."

"I saw him, Mr. Barhed. Climbing the wall."

Darmakaya looked at the boy, his eyes narrow. "There is no man who can climb that smooth stone. The tower is over twenty meters tall, smooth as a seal's ass."

Maynar glared at him, and the boy's mother pouted.

"He was climbing the wall like a spider. It was so easy for him it was like he was taking a walk."

"And then?" Barhed said.

"I called him. He stopped for a moment and turned to look at me."

"Tell him," his mother insisted, but the boy hesitated again.

"He turned his head and looked at me, Mr. Barhed. He was strange. He wasn't himself. His head turned abnormally, very much the opposite of the rest of his body."

Maynar shuddered. Darma closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Barhed just seemed to be angry.

"Children often see nonsense," he said sharply, and the boy was offended.

"I'm telling you the truth."

Barhed went to the front of the tower. "You're making a mistake, boy. Ian didn't climb up here. Ian! Ian!" He started shouting, causing everyone to become irritated. Darmakaya grabbed him by the shoulder. "Easy, old man." Barhed pulled away from his grip.

"Let's go, Adam," his mother said, and they hurried away. "Thank you!" cried Maynar in vain.

"It is not wise to treat those who bring us valuable evidence like this," scolded Maynar.

"Look," Darma interrupted them.

He pointed to the old tower door. It was steel, covered with strange, red branches, thick and curiously alive.

"By the gods," said Maynar, "what the hell is that?"

Barhed looked closer. These strange roots were coming from the small crevices under the doorway, covering the entrance more and more heavily. When he tried to remove one of them, Barhed saw that the resistance was tremendous. Even Darma couldn't move them. A swipe of his blade, and Barhed took two small steps back. Blood dripped from the tentacle, very thick and dark, but its course didn't even change.

"I think the kid was telling the truth," Darma said. "We'll have to go in and see what happened."

"You think Ian's in there?"

"I have no idea, Barhed. But he definitely went in. We need to find out why."

"How?" Maynar complained. "Another door lies sealed in front of us, and we don't have Ian's scrambling skills."

Barhed glared at him. "If the rumors are true," the poet added timidly.

"I'll go" Darma said.

"How? I thought you couldn't fly. You said your wings were irreparably pierced."

"I can't fly, poet. Not quite and not consistently. But I can make great leaps and cling to the stone afterward."

"Little jumps? Ah, like chickens, that is."

Darma grabbed Maynar by the neck. "Are you being funny, poet? Do you want me to tie you to these roots so we can see your true colors?"

Barhed interjected. Darma loosened his grip, and Maynar fell to the ground, trying to catch his breath.

"I didn't say it offensively. Chickens have admirable qualities."

"I'll try to open it from the inside," she said to Barhed, and he nodded.

With a great leap, Darma reached five or six feet up, his claws sinking into the stone with tremendous strength and mastery. As if he had hooks, he began climbing higher in one motion after another. Soon, he reached the top of the tower and clambered up the bell tower.

From the top of the tower, Darma could see Spiritwood stretching out on one side and the black waters of Brauso on the other. The temple they had visited was visible in the distance, its walls jutting out between tall trees. In front of him, he saw a tube that ended at his feet, folded several times. It was ancient. Beside him, a barrel contained a substance with a strong smell. Then he understood: the tower, called the Stone Dragon, had a secret weapon. The tube shot flames at the hordes below. The liquid fire was created through an alchemical process initiated by the substance in the barrel. Darma had seen it up close near the Solite coast. The men of Sol's theocracy, on their ships, had similar weapons that aimed and shot liquid fire, setting opposing ships ablaze. Darma and his crew had been at the bottom of the sea before they knew it. It had taken them months to recover after the defeat, and many had died during the attack.

A twisted stone staircase led to the belly of the tower. He made a move to light a torch, but at the last moment, his instincts kicked in. Any living flame would cause such an explosion that there might be nothing left of Brauso. Who knows how many barrels are in the lower parts of the tower?

"Perfect," he said, and descended into the darkness.