Three Quest Deal (Tales of Former Dragons Book 1) by Rainer Domingo Page A
Authors: Rainer Domingo
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wizard.”
“Why would he kill anyone looking for him?”
“No one knows why. What we do know is that any man looking for him usually ends up dead the next morning.” Damon took a deep breath. “I’m all right now. I’ll take the reins. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
The group reached the first rest stop late in the afternoon. It was a large area enclosed by a high stone wall with two heavy wooden doors at the gate. The buildings were simple wooden structures with hay-thatched roofs. Several vendors were selling food next to tables where people were eating.
Damon stopped in front of one of the shelters and dismounted. “We’ll sleep here for the night. It doesn’t look like much, but the beds are comfortable.”
“Are there any orcs here?” Xan asked.
“Not here.”
Drakor noticed they had caught the attention of some people eating at the tables. “Do you know any of those men over there?”
Damon looked at the tables and shook his head. “I don’t know them. Why do you ask?”
“They looked our way.”
“It’s your cloaks. We never see nobles on the road to Kazzix—and I mean never. But don’t worry about it. They’re merchants like me. They’re curious, but they won’t give us any trouble.”
“I’m not taking any chances,” Drakor said. “It seems warm enough here. Let’s remove our cloaks.”
The former dragons removed their cloaks and put them into their packs. After a simple meal of porridge and bacon, they retired for the night.
“I’ll take the first watch,” Drakor said, “followed by Aesus, and then Toshen.”
The group travelled for two more days before they saw a large city in the distance.
“Is that Kazzix-Tor?” Drakor asked Damon.
“That’s it,” Damon said.
“What’s that group of buildings off to the side of it?”
Damon turned and looked at Drakor. “Well, that’s where we’re heading. Little Kazzix.”
“What’s Little Kazzix?” Drakor asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“That’s where we sell our goods.”
“I thought we were going to Kazzix-Tor?”
“Well, we are. Just not the actual city itself.”
Damon paused and looked for some type of acknowledgement from Drakor, but Drakor just looked back at him with a blank stare.
“Men aren’t allowed in Kazzix-Tor,” explained Damon, “so the orcs let us build our own town outside of their city. They come when the sun rises and leave when the sun sets. That’s how it works.”
“If we can’t go into the city and we can’t ask about Raah, how are we going to find him?”
“That’s your problem, not mine. Just don’t get me killed.”
CHAPTER 16
Toshen sat in the back of the cart and stared at the city of Kazzix-Tor. Its dark-red walls were one hundred feet high, with harpoon turrets scattered halfway up the sides and on top. The walls stretched one thousand yards in each direction. Large roofs and tall towers were visible above the wall line.
“I wonder what they’re protecting themselves against,” said Toshen.
Aesus smiled. “It’s impressive, isn’t it? I’ve never seen anything like it in the land of men.”
“I wonder how many orcs are in there.”
“Too many for us to take down, that’s for sure.”
“And we’re supposed to steal a staff from a shaman in there?” Tess asked. “That’s impossible.”
Toshen looked at Aesus. “If anyone’s going to do something impossible, it’ll be us.”
“Drakor,” Aesus called out in a loud voice, “I’m starting to regret my decision.”
Drakor turned his head, gave Aesus a piercing glance for a few seconds, grunted, and looked forward again.
Damon steered his cart through the back entrance in the wall that surrounded Little Kazzix. After a few minutes, he stopped the cart in a stall at the side of a tan house with a red roof. He stepped off the cart and the others got off as well.
“This is my place,” Damon said. “It only has one bed, but you can sleep on the
“Why would he kill anyone looking for him?”
“No one knows why. What we do know is that any man looking for him usually ends up dead the next morning.” Damon took a deep breath. “I’m all right now. I’ll take the reins. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
The group reached the first rest stop late in the afternoon. It was a large area enclosed by a high stone wall with two heavy wooden doors at the gate. The buildings were simple wooden structures with hay-thatched roofs. Several vendors were selling food next to tables where people were eating.
Damon stopped in front of one of the shelters and dismounted. “We’ll sleep here for the night. It doesn’t look like much, but the beds are comfortable.”
“Are there any orcs here?” Xan asked.
“Not here.”
Drakor noticed they had caught the attention of some people eating at the tables. “Do you know any of those men over there?”
Damon looked at the tables and shook his head. “I don’t know them. Why do you ask?”
“They looked our way.”
“It’s your cloaks. We never see nobles on the road to Kazzix—and I mean never. But don’t worry about it. They’re merchants like me. They’re curious, but they won’t give us any trouble.”
“I’m not taking any chances,” Drakor said. “It seems warm enough here. Let’s remove our cloaks.”
The former dragons removed their cloaks and put them into their packs. After a simple meal of porridge and bacon, they retired for the night.
“I’ll take the first watch,” Drakor said, “followed by Aesus, and then Toshen.”
The group travelled for two more days before they saw a large city in the distance.
“Is that Kazzix-Tor?” Drakor asked Damon.
“That’s it,” Damon said.
“What’s that group of buildings off to the side of it?”
Damon turned and looked at Drakor. “Well, that’s where we’re heading. Little Kazzix.”
“What’s Little Kazzix?” Drakor asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“That’s where we sell our goods.”
“I thought we were going to Kazzix-Tor?”
“Well, we are. Just not the actual city itself.”
Damon paused and looked for some type of acknowledgement from Drakor, but Drakor just looked back at him with a blank stare.
“Men aren’t allowed in Kazzix-Tor,” explained Damon, “so the orcs let us build our own town outside of their city. They come when the sun rises and leave when the sun sets. That’s how it works.”
“If we can’t go into the city and we can’t ask about Raah, how are we going to find him?”
“That’s your problem, not mine. Just don’t get me killed.”
CHAPTER 16
Toshen sat in the back of the cart and stared at the city of Kazzix-Tor. Its dark-red walls were one hundred feet high, with harpoon turrets scattered halfway up the sides and on top. The walls stretched one thousand yards in each direction. Large roofs and tall towers were visible above the wall line.
“I wonder what they’re protecting themselves against,” said Toshen.
Aesus smiled. “It’s impressive, isn’t it? I’ve never seen anything like it in the land of men.”
“I wonder how many orcs are in there.”
“Too many for us to take down, that’s for sure.”
“And we’re supposed to steal a staff from a shaman in there?” Tess asked. “That’s impossible.”
Toshen looked at Aesus. “If anyone’s going to do something impossible, it’ll be us.”
“Drakor,” Aesus called out in a loud voice, “I’m starting to regret my decision.”
Drakor turned his head, gave Aesus a piercing glance for a few seconds, grunted, and looked forward again.
Damon steered his cart through the back entrance in the wall that surrounded Little Kazzix. After a few minutes, he stopped the cart in a stall at the side of a tan house with a red roof. He stepped off the cart and the others got off as well.
“This is my place,” Damon said. “It only has one bed, but you can sleep on the
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