Shadows Over Arcadia Chapter 29: 29. Highwaymen

Read chapter 29 of Shadows Over Arcadia by Zacheas on NovelPedia.

29. Highwaymen I am Ren Drakemore, age 8, the 2nd Prince of the Kingdom of Arcadia, and I have been summoned by an ancient dragon. https://shadowsoverarcadia.com/api/storage/objects/uploads/94d9f12d-768f-4ec3-a12d-51b487be4617 "Those are the correct syllables, but the wrong intonation," Willow corrects patiently. "A rising tone for the first and a falling tone for the second syllable would mean 'friend' . Saying both with a flat intonation, however, would make the word 'vegetable' ." "Well, that explains a lot," I mutter, flipping to the next page of the massive leather-bound tome resting awkwardly on my knees. The book's cover is aged and worn, the gold metal corner protectors, shaped like little dragon heads, have been dulled by time and the hands of the countless scholars who preceded me in making it past the first ten pages. Embossed in the center, in regal yet faded lettering, is the title: The Wisdom of the Dragon God. The book is heavy. It's so large that balancing it on my lap is awkward and very uncomfortable, especially in a moving carriage. I prop it against my legs, my feet braced against the opposite wall, while I lie on my back across the cushioned bench, my head resting on Lady Willow's lap. My scowl deepens as I skim through the cryptic passages. It's an unhelpful book; an exhausting collection of vague prophecies from a god who, according to its pages, died over five hundred years ago. If his foresight was so great, shouldn't he have predicted and avoided his own demise? The most ambiguous so far speak of a "chosen one," born from death and destined to become the vessel of the Dragon God. That sounds like a raw deal, condemned to a life of torment just to have your body taken over by a reincarnated god. Who would want that? The only reason I even picked this book back up after giving up on it ten pages in is because it's the only text I have that is written in both Common and Draconic, side by side. Willow takes advantage of my position on her lap to smooth my perpetually unruly black hair, her soft, delicate fingers gliding through it. "You don't need to do that," I grumble. "You're right. I don't," she replies calmly, continuing to brush her fingers through my hair anyway. Our carriage clatters down the stone road from Cairndorn to Stonebrook, heading north. We set off the moment Shadow transmitted his memories of the kobold calamity to me... Well… not immediately after. First, I threw up. A lot . Then I spent another half hour rolling around on the ground, screaming and writhing in horror—which had really ruined my dinner. I had just started to enjoy one of Willow's beef pies when it hit me. By the time I came to my senses, the floor, the table, and I were all covered with half-digested steak, vegetables (not friends), and what had been a very flaky pie crust. I really could have done without the memory of that enormous pile of corpses... Despite the implied urgency, we aren't heading straight to meet the dragon. There are a few things that need taking care of first if I'm to be properly prepared to negotiate with such a creature. I have something she wants; knowledge of rare magic and potions to heal her tribe. But that isn't all. Given the sheer size of her hoard, it's clear that gold isn't just a means of trade to her, but an obsession. She has plenty, yet, like all dragons, she will always want more. The promise of additional wealth, a steady influx of treasure, could be just as enticing as anything else I have to offer. What I want in return is far more valuable to me than it is to her. I want access to raw mithril from the mine and, more importantly, the kobolds' help in refining it. From what Shadow saw, they have far more mithril than they could ever use, leaving vast amounts untouched within the mountain. To the dragon, gold is the ultimate prize and her hoard is proof of that. She has more wealth than she can ever spend, yet, like all dragons, she'll never have enough. If I can offer her a way to