Da'Tara Saga Vol. 01

Koal waved both groups off and grumbled, tossing his red cloak back over his shoulders before clasping it around his neck.

"Come on, let's get this over with." Koal frowned.

* * *

The way armed men had come and taken away Koal under the implied threat of violence, and the urgency expressed, one would believe that the Queen had summoned him for something important for a change. But Koal highly doubted it. He had been waiting in the Queen's salon for nearly 2 hours now, utterly alone save for the scantily clad young women that came in to offer him a lavish assortment of food and drinks and any sexual favor he could imagine.

But of course he turned down anything offered. His aunt was a fair and very capable ruler, one of the best in recent history actually. And the Kingdom was simply flourishing under the guidance of her hand. Despite this though, she was still rather lecherous, favoring the younger men of the court whom she could ensnare, deflower and discard in short order.

Koal knew the servants were there to tempt him, sure they would give him any pleasure he asked, but the Queen knew he wouldn't ask for anything, hoping instead that the variety of firm, young flesh would arouse and weaken him enough to be susceptible to her charms.

One time he had made the mistake of accepting a goblet of wine as the Queen kept him waiting for number hours, only to find that the drink was laced with a tasteless, green powdered sex drug.

It had the effect of making its user orgasm almost instantly, their entire bodies becoming highly sensitive erogenous zones for a time after, depending on dosage. And the only sure way to burn through the drug was through rigorous sexual activity and stimulation. Even if the Queen had very willingly helped him work the drug out of his system, Koal had come roughly two dozen times in six hours. An arduous orgasmic hell that he wished to never visit again.

He sighed and reached down to his side, bringing up a small leather flask and sipping some of the warm, but none the less fresh water from it as he looked around.

Koal was a member of the royal family, though quite a ways down the line of succession. If the Queen were to die suddenly the next day, it's not like he would take up the fancy hat and start giving orders. It would take something more like a freak storm with winds strong enough to collapse the entire Palace, killing 75 or so of his relatives before his name might even be bumped up on the Royal rolls. Even then, he wouldn't want the job.

A number of members of the royal family held positions all over the kingdom. Cushy but still important jobs in the day to day running of things. Ministers, Dukes, Barons, Lords, Generals. If Koal spoke the words he could have a title, an estate and a whole company of military troops to enforce his authority. All these things were promised to him by birthright, but all of these things were blatantly refused by the young warrior.

Queen Petra had lost track of how many times Koal had snuck over the wall of the palace. Past trained soldiers who were the cream of Banneth's military crop, putting them to shame in the eyes of the court. Again and again Koal snuck off with Moria in tow, with nothing on their backs but their traveling cloaks and dreams in their hearts.

Finally the Queen gave in, recognizing a potential asset when she seen it. Since Koal wasn't a figure of immediate presence or prestige in the court, he easily escaped the notice of most of his other scheming peers. Koal had been trained like a Knight of Banneth. He was educated, skilled in chess, dancing, diplomacy, yet he could blend almost seamlessly in with the commoners and their caste.

Koal was family, and trustworthy, which meant he could carry out sensitive tasks discreetly for the Queen. Yet at the same time he was unimportant enough to be expendable should something happen during one of his assignments.

The arrangement worked well. The Queen would have a special party of skilled warriors at her beck and call, ones that she could send out on tasks others couldn't be trusted to fulfill and in return Koal could wander around, going on whatever little quest and adventure pleased him.

The young man was kind hearted and honest, the Queen knew, and it served to keep his integrity in tact by keeping him away from the court. And of course to bolster the Queen's reputation whenever Koal and his companions pulled off some feat of kindness and heroism. After all, he was still family, and his good deeds worked well in keeping the people happy and loyal to the crown.

"Aww bugger." Koal sighed, stretching his legs out as he shifted around on the plush, velvet covered lounger. He felt himself nearly nodding off when the wide double doors at the opposite end of the room finally clicked and swung open.

Koal slowly rose to his feet as Queen Petra strolled in and then promptly held up her hand, waving her attendants out into the hall before the doors shut behind her. She turned to face him, wearing an eloquent, yet revealing dark red gown that was trimmed with rich black fabric. The sleeves were cut low at the top to reveal her bare shoulders, the chest flared open to expose the silky curves of the tops of her breasts.

The Queen was beautiful, there was no debate about that. The trick however, was to avoid being ensnared by her, in more ways than one...

Petra raised one hand and gently brushed away the long, gracefully coiled curls of her hair as she looked her nephew up and down. "I've been summoning you for nearly a week now. What business could you have at a tavern that could possibly be that pressing?"

Her tone was neutral if not bordering on irritated.

Still, Koal's cheek twitched. He hated bowing to authority of any kind, one of the many reasons that Castle life just didn't suit him. "We were sampling some fine meads by the barrel full. You know, dropping large amounts of coin, trying to stimulate the local economy, Your Majesty."

Queen Petra frowned. "You are such an arrogant ass, Koal."

"Just trying to do my part, My Queen." Koal bowed curtly.

The Queen gestured for a small alcove with a window just above it where a large table and two padded benches sat, not unlike a booth. Koal nodded and walked over, waiting for a moment as the Queen took a seat before slipping into the bench across from her.

"So how is Moira? She's in good health I hope?" Petra asked as she picked up a small crystal bell and rang it twice sharply.

"As well as she can be for the moment. The wind and the snow, being bundled up in the city... It's all too much like a prison at this point. The weather is making it difficult to travel on foot so we've limited any jobs and tasks we take on to inside the city walls." Koal shrugged, folding his arms together across his chest.

A pair of servant girls came in, pushing a small car littered with covered silver serving dishes and numerous glass jars containing dried and preserved fruits, spices and other delicacies. Koal and the Queen waited in silence for a moment, their eyes locked on one another as the servants poured some fresh tea into their cups and then also poured out an extra cup of cool water for the each of them.

The two then laid out the small trays of food before humbly bowing and promptly leaving the salon.

Koal perked a brow as he looked over the assortment of goodies and reached for a glass jar of long candied peppermint sticks. They were a fine, if very expensive candy to produce given the massive cost of that much sugar and spice. Only the very wealthy could afford to have it made, and this particular batch was made exclusively for the Crown. Koal reached in, pulling out a fistful of 2 dozen or so of the candies before he wrapped them in a cloth and carefully tucked them into his tunic. Fully intending to distribute the small fortune in candy to any children he bumped into on the way back to the tavern.

The Queen gazed into her cup of tea, holding the saucer in one hand as she brought the cup to her lips with the other and slowly took a tip before gracefully setting both the cup and the saucer down. It had been hours since his breakfast was cut short, forgoing any concerns about being drugged and molested, Koal grabbed a small, carefully prepared finger sandwich and set it down on his plate. Nibbling slowly at it as he waited for the Queen to speak again.

"Travel won't be as difficult. You'll be provided armored war horses and the weather is much, much warmer where you are going." The Queen said finally.

"Armored horses you say? Just what in the hell could we be facing that would require such an expensive necessity?" Koal frowned, putting his food back on his plate as he again folded his arms across his chest, his attention now focused wholly on the Queen.

"Have you ever heard of the Dragon's Eye Gem?" Petra asked, bringing her cup up for another sip.

Koal narrowed his eye for a moment, his thoughts whirling around for a moment, but he could recall nothing. So, he simply shrugged. "Can't say I have. What is it?"

"It's reported as being a large ruby roughly the size of a grown man's clenched fist. And it's imbibed with an immense amount of magical energy. Supposedly it was created by a mage during the wars fought in the north against the Draconian Empire, some 500 years ago or so." Petra's brow furrowed for a moment as if remembering something unpleasant.

"Nothing is certain, but according to the elders and their archives, the gem drank in an unprecedented amount of energy before the mage unleashed it. The resulting discharge scoured the earth for a hundred miles in each direction. Wiping out a considerable amount of the Draconian Empire and turning the lush, green jungles into a dry, barren wasteland."

Koal slowly rubbed his chin, so far disliking everything he had heard. "What happened after that?"

"According to the texts, the mage locked the stone away inside of his tower and then buried the tower inside the expanse of constantly shifting desert sands his weapon had created, ensuring that none could harness it's power again." Petra sighed, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

Koal noted her unease and found it rather alarming.

"So what does this have to do with anything? Why are you telling me this?" He asked softly, his arms unfolding as he settled his hands on his thighs, sitting more upright as he gazed over at the Queen.

"Because our scouts found the tower far to the north, in the desert wastes bordering the Draconian Empire." Petra replied.

A scowl set into Koal's features.

"There was no visible way in, our men rushed back and notified the guard. It's been kept under wraps and our scholars have been digging into the matter. But according to the descriptions given by the scouts, this is indeed the tower holding the fabled weapon of the old kingdom." Petra fixed Koal with a level, appraising gaze as she watched his reaction.

"And what's the catch?" Koal asked, his scowl sliding into a hard set frown.

"The Draconians believe that the eye of their Dragon God was plucked out by humans during the war, and that their God was so angry at their failure to protect him, that he reduced their lands to a practically unlivable waste." Petra paused for a moment before continuing. "They've been searching for hundreds of years for the Gem, believing that if it was found their God would be restored, and their Empire would be allowed to march into human lands to slaughter us all as a sacrifice."

Koal frowned "Why the hell would a God need his subjects to safeguard him?"

"They're lizard people Koal, they aren't very bright." Petra sighed.

"They make up for it in ferocity. So what does this have to do with me?"

"The scouts weren't there looking for the tower, in fact it wasn't even a concern until it was discovered on the return trip. We have reports of an entire legion of Draconian Soldiers marching in from the north towards the tower. It will take them several weeks to get there at the earliest, but probably longer with all the sandstorms and the like slowing their progress. Likewise however, the winter snows here in the south will slow the progress of our army as we move to secure the tower. Given the boarder is no under no threat at all, their pitiful force wouldn't be able to breech our line if it tried. We simply cannot weaken the boarder forts by sending units out to the tower, thus our forces will have to be drawn from further south."

Koal almost let a growl of discontent escape his lips as he realized the purpose of his being summoned. "But a small force could cover infinitely more ground and be to the tower before either of the armies arrive."

"You will be given anything you request and you will be allowed to keep the mounts and any equipment you and your companions take with you, in addition to a rather generous payment in gold." Petra nodded.

"In exchange for?" Koal frowned, he knew he wouldn't like the answer but asked the question anyways.

"You have in your party experienced magic users and people of less than reputable occupations. I want you to go to the tower and use your people to find a way in, if any, and secure the gem. You can then escape before any of the draconian forces arrive and make your way south to meet our army. With luck you can find the gem and be out of harm's way in a matter of days. But failing that, you are to stay at the tower and try to delay any attempts to capture it by the Empire until our forces arrive."

"That is madness. What do I look like? A Blade of Desoul? I can't stave off an entire army, much less in an open field. What you are asking is suicide!" Koal growled but remained seated with his hands in his lap. Tone was enough to get you killed on some days, he was already sticking his neck out and didn't need aggressive body language working against him as well.

"It is not a request, it's an order from your Queen. Should you refuse, you and your companions will be locked away in the city dungeon and left to starve until I can think of an appropriate punishment for traitors to the Crown." Petra let a smile creep onto her lips as she fixed her gaze on Koal, knowing that with no choice he would of course agree.

Koal's expression was that of purest hate, chiseled into the strongest stone. He was silent for several long moments before finally speaking again. "When did you become such a cold, calculating bitch Aunt Petra?"

"Koal darling, I have always been as such, you simply didn't realize it." Petra offered him a humorless grin.

"I'll hold you to your promise of everything we need. And I do mean everything."

"Of course darling."

"I'm serious, I think Victoria was saying she needed a solid gold crossbow that shoots bolts of dragon's bone tipped with heart shaped rubies."

"Enough. Oh there is one more thing Koal my darling... You won't be going alone."

* * *

It was late afternoon when Koal returned to the Drunken Dragon, the predicament he found himself in weighing him down almost literally as he wore a sour expression, his shoulders slumped.

He found his party where he had left them, at the far corner table in the back of the now boisterously busy bar. He could see Narissa, sitting with her back to the corner, her violet eyes scanning the crowd as the two approached.

Gerard was wearing a rather tranquil expression on his features as he held a small leather bound book in one hand, carefully flipping through it with the fingers of his free hand as if he were oblivious to the noise and activity around him.

Moira and Castor sat across from one another, mugs of mead laid out in rows in front of both of them as they raced to see who drink their glasses the fastest.

Koal noticed a pair of worn leather riding boots attached to a pair of slender, torn stocking-covered legs sticking out from under the table; seeing where Victoria was on her knees under the table rapidly bobbing her head up and down in Castor's lap.

Smiling awkwardly, Koal approached the table, Narissa nodding to him as he walked up. Moira and Castor frantically raced through a dozen drinks, stopping only when Moira reached 13 and became the winner. The pale, flush-faced elf slammed her empty tankard down on the grimy surface of the wooden table and belched loudly, pumping her fist rapidly up in the air in a gesture of victory as her robe slipped down to expose one shoulder.

"I win! I win! You suck Castor! I AM THE QUEEN OF THE INN!" Moira slurred as a thrown mug whizzed past her head and harmlessly hit the wall near her.

"Shut it you drunk bloody elf!" Someone yelled from a nearby table.

"That's Queen Elf to you asshole! You better watch it! I can have you killed!" Moira declared and waited a few moments, then when there was no reply she hiccupped and resumed her seat at the table.

Narissa and Castor both stared blankly at the grim faced Koal, even Gerard had carefully tucked his book back into his tunic and was now looking up at their leader, and the young woman standing beside him.

Moira looked across to the others, blinking rapidly as she fumbled for a glass that wasn't empty. Finally finding one she took a sip and then looked up to see what the others had seen.

Standing beside Koal was a notably attractive young woman with long, orange-red hair pulled into twin braids that reached down to her shoulders. A simple, ankle-length black gown covered everything from the neck down and a simple chain draped around her neck with the symbol of the temple of holy light that identified the woman as a devout sister.

Moira blinked rapidly as if trying to process this. She looked from the holy symbol and then up to Koal and then back again, noting the white mantle sewn into the blouse of the gown and the large white cuffs at the wrists of the garment. This woman was a Priestess all right, but what the hell was she doing here?

"Koal, I don't mean to seem rude, but you do know that nuns don't put out, right?" Moira asked, cocking a brow.

"Yeah seriously boss, who's the nun?" Castor asked perplexed, his brow furrowed as he tried to rationalize a reason for her appearance.

Koal frowned. "Listen up heathens, THIS is Sister Celestia Moonstone, and she is the newest addition to our group."

There was a loud THUMP and the tankards on the surface of the table rattled against one another as Victoria suddenly banged her head against the bottom of the table.

 

Chapter 3

"This saddle is chafing my ass!" Victoria grumbled from her mount as she shifted from side to side. Leaning heavily to the left and then the right, trying to find a comfortable position.

Koal sighed and shook his head, bringing a leather gloved hand up to slowly massage his temples as he held the reins to his own mount with the other. "It's because you are wearing a skirt, it's practically your bare ass resting on the cold leather of the saddle."

"I'm just wearing string panties under my mage robes and I feel just fine." Moria bragged, grinning over at Victoria as the thief squirmed uncomfortably around.

"Yeah that's because your ass is as hard and calloused as an old, grey-haired whore's!" Victoria barked back.

"Fuck you!" Moira growled. Her face flushing red with anger.

"You can't afford me bitch!" Victoria stuck her tongue out at Moria, the two glaring at each other for a long, silent moment as the horses trotted along through the thin blanket of snow covering the forest floor.

Suddenly Moria brought her staff up, whipping it around towards Victoria who had produced a pair of long, thin throwing daggers in her right hand, the well sharpened blades gleaming in the late afternoon sun.

"Enough ladies. No need to fight over me. I mean I am just the most handsome redheaded warrior this side of Karn and the most dangerous warrior in the party. But enough is enough." Castor trotted up between the two women on his horse, shielding one from any potential attack from the other.