Jewel of the Hoard Ch. 01

Looking back into the cave, the dragon frowned. If he left, the humans would have to fend for themselves. He would be able to survive the trek but the people inside would be dead and he felt somewhat to blame if they were to perish. Items could be restocked and enchantments reapplied but lives could not. Although the Princess had an attitude, she did not deserve to die in whatever horrible way fate had in store if he were to depart and Aries may have tried to kill him but he felt some direct responsibility for bringing both of them into his temporary home.

He sighed and placed a hand on his muzzle and swore.

"Such soft creatures," he said out to no one in particular. The wind carried his words off into the raging blizzard and out into the night.

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Aries woke up. His body lunged forward and he yelled out as if shot from an arrow that pierced his soul.

He clutched at his heart, sweat forming on his body and he felt the back of his head. He did not even have a wound or swollen spot where he was struck. He started to touch the rest of his body. He was still in his armor and had his clothing on. He reached down to feel across the silks of the bed and questions started to race through his mind.

He clearly was not dead. The throbbing pain near his left eye told him that much. His mind processed that fact rather quickly when the blue wisps lit up the environment he was in. They reflected off of the vanity mirror and the polished stone was the first thing he saw. Aries clicked his tongue and looked over to the Princess to see her still sleeping soundly. Her clothing was partially off her body and she had a sloppy smile on her face.

Was this really the fair maiden he was sent to save? Aries' expression looked as if he had bitten into something rotten. Clearly, the creature was a fool for sparing his life. He reached down to his belt to grab his sword but found it was missing along with the sheath of the blade. He frowned as he searched around the covers as if expecting it to turn up but he came up short.

It appeared that whoever this creature was, it was more clever than what he had anticipated. Aries began to move his body and his eyes glanced over his wrists. He wiggled his fingers, checking each one individually and felt only a mild amount of stiffness. How long had he been out? The knight searched his mind for what had happened. He had dived forward with expert speed and with a blade that was going to strike true but then...

Aries cringed and reached up towards the left side of the head where he was struck. He felt across the tissue and braced himself for pain. He felt only his fingers graze across raised, irritated flesh but no pain. It was as if the healing process of the wound was accelerated and stopped about a third of the way through. He found that he was still in his leathers and they resisted his movement as he got up off the bed. Aries could not recall any moment in time where he fell asleep in his armor. He started to remove it to leave him in just his shirt and trousers and began to look around the environment. He would have to be quiet if he wished to sneak out of the cave with the Princess.

The only light in the bedroom were the small wisps that fluttered around the room. Their light blue glow gave an almost other-worldly glow to the polished rocks of the cave. They danced around the Princess and Aries used his hand much like a broom and scattered them. The light their bodies produced dissipated for a moment before reappearing and Aries knelt down by the Princess and put a hand on her shoulder.

"My Princess, we must leave at once. This wretched creature will surely..."

A loud snore, followed by a quick inhale of breath was all the concerned knight had in response and he let go of the Princess's right shoulder for a moment. She adjusted her posture and rolled further onto her left shoulder and started to drool into the table.

"Princess..." Aries whispered and leaned forward. He could smell the alcohol on her breath. It was a sweet wine that was more fragrant than anything he had ever caught a whiff of. Aries guessed it had to be a vintage from the North.

The wisps appeared again and fluttered around Aries' head and floated around his shoulders. No amount of magic had been cast when he trained as a squire but the nuisances still managed to show up where they did not belong. Aries waved his hand dismissively and the wisps disappeared for a mere moment. They seemed so interested in the events going on and their small bodies still held that eerie glow.

The Princess reached her hand up when Aries gave her a bit of a shake.

"Enough of that, father..." she mumbled drunkenly. "I doooo not wish to put on that wretched thing for the ball. Have the dragon wear it..."

Aries frowned and got back up out of his kneeling position. If he could not convince the Princess to come with him, he might as well not come back at all. Maybe, he could cut his losses. After all, there was nothing wrong with having a second shot at the dragon and the creature seemed established enough that the lizard was not leaving his cave system anytime soon.

The human, with a new goal, started to make his way down the narrow, naturally made hallway. The cave rocks felt as if they were closing in on Aries. He had no clue how someone as large as the dragon could fit through. Perhaps that was the point; it would be an inconvenience for anyone to get through the hallway who happened to be in the bedroom and the dragon could act.

It was really the only thing that Aries could logically think of as he shimmied his way carefully through. There was a bright light at the end of the narrow hall and Aries reached through and pulled himself to the end. There had to be some form of magic the dragon had possessed because Aries could barely fit his shoulders through and he found himself nearly stuck between the two walls.

The dragon waited in the main room of the cave. Aries could see his sword glimmering on one of the many racks and was polished to perfection. The creature seemed to at least care for whatever treasure he ended up collecting in his hoard. Seeing his sword reduced down to decoration sent a pang of rage throughout Aries' body but the human grit his teeth and crouched down. There was hardly any noise to the knight's movements as he swiftly made his way through. The stone left ample room for error and the knight's bare feet provided plenty of areas for him to slip on the cool, smooth stone.

Blue scales sparkled brilliantly in the light and it seemed the dragon was busy at work. He had a small, brown bag clutched in his left paw and his right was busy shuffling through it. Sitting in a modest wooden chair, the dragon looked quite at peace as he pulled out each individual jewel, inspected it, used a small puff of fire to polish the gem, and then set it gently on the table. He would then repeat the process. Aries' eyes took in the environment carefully. The only entrance to the room was far away from the dragon's gaze and tucked away to the left of the room.

Aries glanced over at his sword. It was as if his blade was teasing him and gleamed just right in the torchlight to look appealing. If he could get his hands on his blade, he could possibly catch the dragon off guard...

Aries quickly pushed the thought out of his mind when his head throbbed again. Clearly, facing the creature head on would not go favorably and he could not count on the dragon's "mercy" in their next encounter. His sword would have to wait. He would be back, after all.

Creeping his way towards the entrance, Aries crouched low like his trainers had told him to sneak. Although it was not the most noble of skills, stealth could save a life in the most drastic of situations. The cave was starting to narrow and he looked over his shoulder to see the dragon still concentrating on counting his gems. Keeping in the shadows of the wall, his body clinged to the cold stone like a drop clinging to glass.

Sweat started to form on his hands, the human's breathing becoming rapid. He was almost to the end. So close that he already had racing thoughts of running outside, calling his horse, and jetting off back towards the King to gather reinforcements for their great raid. He would go down in legend for taking down a dragon and fully prove himself as a proud knight. Maybe a statue would even be erected in the square where bards would sing of his victories.

Aries slipped out of the room and into the open mouth of the cave. The torches from before were still lit and flickered all the same. The human frowned as he brought his body up to a more upright position. He scanned the entrance and immediately he started to worry. Snow was starting to buildup along the ground at the entrance of the cave. Aries walked forward, his heart pounding in his chest. His legs began to move faster outside of his own accord until he finally made it to the opening.

The little torchlight that made it out of the cave was dim but it was enough to tell the whole story; large, white flakes were falling from the sky. The stars were completely covered. The clouds that carried the tempest shielded the mountain from any light that would beam down onto it.

The wind that blew through and into the cave carried with it a bite worse than any wolf that Aries had to face off against. It sunk into his skin, down through his flesh, and into his bones. He had no lantern, so if he went out into the snowstorm, he would be without sight and be completely lost. Only the Gods knew how long the snowstorm would last too. If he managed to make it through the night, the day may bring with it more snow.

Aries' expression went sour as he looked out over into the raging blizzard. The snow was coming down in sheets and blanketed his vision. If he did traverse through, his vision would be blinded and he thought of his body, ragged and sullen, dying in the white wasteland. His mind was too busy racing through how he would make it back to the kingdom that he did not hear the scraping of claws on the cave. Even if he did concentrate, the wind would probably block out the sound of the approaching footfalls.

"So, are you going to leave?"

Wheeling around, Aries was face to face with the dragon. Putting his arm above his eyes to block out the bright torchlight that reflected off the snow, Aries clenched his teeth.The cornered knight frowned and backed up towards the entrance. His feet dipped into the snow and he felt the cold powder sink into his body. He bit the side of his cheek to prevent himself from hissing out.

Aries turned around and looked out into the night. It would be akin to a desert. He would have no water, no food, and barely enough supplies to make it. The dragon walked forward slow and methodical, his hands raised.

"I can give you the supplies you need, knight," the dragon said with his hands forward. The claws shimmered in the torchlight and they were the first thing that the human saw. The knight watched the dragon and he turned his body, his eyes searching for any ill intent or lying but he turned out to find nothing but truth.

"I-..."

"You can even stay in my cave. As you can see, the princess is fine. Albeit, she is a little drunk," the dragon said with a smile. "Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot..."

Aries frowned and watched the maw in front of him speak so elegantly. Although he hated to admit it, the creature was right. If the dragon had wanted the princess dead or in shambles, he could have done so. He clearly bested Aries in a fight and was not against using force.

"How can you offer me shelter after I tried to kill you?"

The dragon chuckled, the noise foreign to Aries' ears. It was low and rumbly like if volcanic rock could talk. A lava so smooth but was there deadly intent?

"Well, I would advise you not to try a second time or the results would be far more...messy, but I can assure you that I will not be killing you. I have no use spilling more human blood. Those days are long past for me...and my kind."

There was a pregnant pause.

"There's more of you to contend with?"

"Well, 'contend' is quite harsh, isn't it? That seems to imply more violence."

"I should choose my words more carefully now that I am seeking shelter with someone I just tried to kill..."

Aries walked towards the sapphire colored dragon, his gaze neutral as if any fight that he had left was taken from him. Staying silent, the winged beast stepped out of the way knowingly. He knew that Aries was going to be stubborn but the knight knew that running into a cold blizzard to either starve or freeze was not going to be a pleasant death. The likelihood that he would survive even overnight would be surprising. Not because Aries was not fit or unable, but the dragon knew how harsh and unforgiving the wilds could be.

The dragon chuckled and shook his head.

"You say that as if it is the end of the world."

"I can't return back to the King with nothing. This is a humiliation. He isn't exactly...warm when it comes to contractual obligations and you can bet he is feeling slighted and will send another one besides myself."

The dragon crossed his arm and flicked his tail. "You are quite the optimist."

"I'm just telling you the truth," Aries replied with irritation. The dragon deserved to know what he was up against at least. Especially since he spared his life.

Walking back into the cave, Aries stood tall and proud. He may have been stripped out of his impressive armor and greaves, he was still alive.

Even his feet were displaced in a way that he could easily jump into a fighting stance at a moment's notice. Before Aries could get into the cave; however, a hand came forward and was softly brought to his chest.

"What is your name, warrior?"

Aries paused for a moment.

"You don't have to say it if you do not want to. After all, we were enemies moments ago," the dragon smiled.

"We aren't friends either," Aries stated as he glanced down at the hand on him and brushed it off.

"No, but I certainly would like to be on better terms. It would be unfortunate if you were miserable the whole time you were in my residency."

Aries was silent but did not move forward and past his warden. Was the beast really as pleasant as he seemed or was this all a ruse so he would let down his guard?

The creature sighed, his chest rolling and pecs ballooning.

"As a show of good faith, my name is Cadmus."

Stepping back, Cadmus then extended out his arm and his hand opened. Sinew and muscles worked underneath the scales and in that moment, Aries realized that Cadmus was holding back on him. If his newest host wanted, he could have easily overpowered him. It would have been like him bringing a foot down onto an ant and ending its small and comparably insignificant life.

Aries gulped, taken aback. Everything was happening so fast. This...creature had a name, a past, and now he was wanting to shake his hand. If the Gods were playing a trick on him, then he was the butt of the joke. He wanted to hate Cadmus but he had no reason to. He wanted him to be a monster and to be evil and something to kill but instead he appeared...human.

Aries took the handshake. It was firm even if Aries' apprehensiveness was written all over his face.

"Are you okay?" Aries asked, worried that his hand was still clutched in the dragon's own.

Aries paused and then it clicked.

"You've never given a handshake, have you?"

Cadmus did what could only be comparable to a blush. The scales turned a lighter shade of blue and he looked away. The handshake turned limp. There was an awkward moment when they finally let go.

"In the hundreds of years I have been alive...no."

Aries smiled. "Well, consider that your first introduction to one. My name is Aries."

Giving a thoughtful churtle, Cadmus smiled. "Well, pleased to meet you."

The naive nature of someone so old was paradoxical. Aries could not imagine having hundreds of years to do what he pleased with. How would he fill all the time?

Aries' smile waned and turned back into a frown. All of this could be a ruse. Another trap and that he could be mindlessly falling for. Cadmus shuffled, his eyes flicking back to the cave entrance.

"Come inside. Let's get warm. I can prepare something to eat after I wake the Princess."

The sun started to rise over the landscape. Although it was blocked by thick, grey clouds, it was clear that morning was starting to break. Mounds of snow were starting to stack along the lips of the cave and along the entrance.

"So, I'm not going to be put in chains?" Aries commented foolishly.

Cadmus scoffed and then chuckled. "Heavens no. All the chains I have are rusted anyway. I doubt they could chain even the weakest of your kind."

Aries counted his blessings. Cadmus was feeding, clothing, and taking care of two people now. One, a Princess and the other a knight. It was ridiculous. The whole plot was a tragic comedy. Aries imagined the Fates were laughing as they weaved such a tangled web.

Aries followed close behind Cadmus. The bite of the cold was no longer nipping at his heels and the warmth of the torches sunk back into his skin. Aries looked at the swords again and then towards the hallway that Cadmus had walked down. The shadow of the beast started to grow against the wall before disappearing into the back room.

There was a brief moment where Aries thought of taking advantage of Cadmus' trust. However, something more telling was brought to Aries' attention. The collection. The collection started to make sense. Of the research and conversations he had with the King and his court on dragons, the main thing that stuck out for Aries was the idea of a "hoard." It now made sense as to why dragons collected odds and ends.

Cadmus was bored. A table set for four. Dishes that appeared to be fine rather than the bare minimum. Teacups and kettles of various sizes along with books that were more for leisure than study. Candles were placed around the cave and each one had a full wick; unlit and standing like guards over what never was. Flowers in a strange, foreign vase bloomed with a brilliance that would only be seen in the climax of spring. A shimmer was around them, suspended in time.

Before Aries could do anything else, Cadmus came back with the Princess in tow. She was dressed comfortably in a dress a size too large but her hair was in a brilliant french braid. She walked gracefully towards the table and took a seat. In her obliviousness, she did not notice Aries at first. She fiddled with the ring on her finger; a gold band that was only brought to Aries' attention because of its significance. Left hand and fourth finger, the ring was a simple but firm reminder of engagement.

The frown she had on her face and posture spoke volumes to Aries. If there was a woman at a ball and she had such an expression, the most unwise would try to woo her. Her sullen expression and quiet pose was so different from the night before where she was drinking wine without a care and annoying Cadmus. Before Aries could search for answers in her features, Cadmus cleared his throat.

"Aries, this is Princess Giscela. She has advised me on how to properly greet her as well as how to introduce her to potential bachelors. I hope you find my announcement of her arrival to my humble quarters a pleasure."

The dragon's head bent forward and he brought his right paw in front of his left. Bringing his arms out flamboyantly, Cadmus then started to bend his legs into a formal curtsy and held it there. Aries blushed, his skin flushed red which brought him to Giscela 's attention. She had put a hand over his mouth, the sulking she had done earlier turning into a laugh that sounded light and laced with clear amusement. She had to be in her early twenties and her youth showed throughout her personality.