Omensent: Wrath of a Dragon God

By Barry Gibbons

It's been one year since the constellation of the dragon god, Draco, disappeared from the heavens, causing rumors and speculation of the serpent god's return to the world. When Leia, the only child of the Dragon Lord, Damion Omensent, is abducted from her crib by a strange witch with fiery eyes, it is up to Damion to rescue her from a terrible fate, and save the mortal world from the dragon god's insidious designs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barry Gibbons
• Release date: Oct 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301110100

Barry Gibbons

37 Year old writer. Resides in Plano, Il

Book preview

Omensent

Wrath of a Dragon God

Book three of the Dragon Lord Series

By Barry A. Gibbons

Omensent

Wrath of a Dragon God

Book three of the Dragon Lord Series

By

Barry A. Gibbons

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © License Notes

Copyright © 2012 By Barry A. Gibbons II All Rights Reserved

This Smashwords Edition eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

Omensent

The Dragon Lord Series

Omensent

Birth of a Dragon Lord

Book one of the Dragon Lord Series

****

Omensent

Rise of the Shadow Dragons

Book two of the Dragon Lord Series

****

Omensent

Wrath of a Dragon God

Book three of the Dragon Lord Series

****

Omensent

Revealing the Dragon

Book four of the Dragon Lord Series

****

Omensent

Princess of Dragons

Book five of the Dragon Lord Series

****

Omensent

Dragons Falling

Book six of the Dragon Lord Series

Prelude

He drew in a deep breath, savoring the taste of fresh air after untold eons. It had been hundreds of centuries since He had chosen to leave His place among the heavens, where He watched over His children with all-seeing eyes, but recent events had unfolded that needed His full attention, forcing Him to return to the world that He had left to His children so long ago.

He exhaled heavily. It was because of His children that He had returned. He had watched as many of them were slaughtered while childishly fighting amongst themselves, until one brood was finally defeated by the other, and was subsequently banished from the world, never to rise again.

He snarled, causing twin curls of smoke to drift up from His nostrils. The decision to accept the oath and banish His children was not an easy one to make, but in the end, He had decided that they would be far better off banished, rather than killed off one by one. He accepted the oath and cast the entire brood down into the depths of the earth where they would remain in a semi-permanent hibernation until the end of time.

With the brood's banishment, His remaining children flourished and spread throughout the world. The centuries rolled by without incident, until a new plague enveloped the land. Humans. The elves and the dwarves had learned to dwell alongside of His children, but the humans seemed completely incapable of living in peace with anyone, including themselves. He had been forced to watch as the world erupted into turmoil, and a number of His children fell to the blades of men.

But He chose to remain aloof from the chaos, allowing everything to play out as it may, trusting in the knowledge that His children were still the most dominant species in the world. The years continued to roll by, and the humans continued to be a nuisance, but after a number of fatal confrontations with His children, they decided that their efforts would be better spent harassing the other races and began avoiding His children altogether.

Then one day He looked down upon the world and saw that a new race had been spawned. A corrupted race born from the blood of his children. Dragonspawn. Created by a human sorcerer, and perverted by magic, these dragonspawn soon looked to Him as their god. At first, He spurned the prayers of these corrupted beasts, despising the fact that they were the result of a human's work. But after a time, He realized that at their core, they were still in some small way His children. He finally relented and looked down upon His new children with favor.

The eons passed, and He was pleased. His new children spread across the land, driving off many of the humans that had infested nearly every corner of the world. The humans were no real match for His new children, and they were soon driven out of the wild lands to dwell in the open areas of the world, where they constructed cities and cultivated the lands to suit their needs.

Everything was as it should be, and He was content, until the fateful day that He looked down to find no sign of His true children anywhere in the world below, and though He looked for hundreds of years, He still could not find any trace of them anywhere.

Then, only a few years earlier, His children reemerged into the world once again, controlled by a mythical sword which was wielded by a man unlike any other that had lived before. This human had the blood of dragons flowing in his veins, linking him to the great serpents like no other human before him. He watched the human with great interest, seeing within him a glimmer of something truly great.

Then the human did something that surprised even Him. The man released His children to live free once more. This act pleased Him greatly. What did not please Him was the fact that when the human released them from their prison, he also somehow managed to release the banished brood from their imprisonment, allowing them to enter the world once more.

He had been livid that the brood had managed to cheat their fates, slipping the bonds of their oath to reemerge once again into the world that had cast them out. Even though His anger knew no bounds, He refrained from interfering, and allowed His children to remain free, unwilling to banish them from the world again.

Staying true to their character, the brood renewed their war against their brethren, the scarlet dragons, throwing the entire world into chaos as they began to spread the seeds of destruction throughout the land.

It was then that the human surprised Him once again by tracking down the brood and releasing their brethren upon them. Many of the brood had been slaughtered in the following mayhem, and the rest were scattered to the four winds, finding refuge in only the most remote areas of the world.

He watched this strange human with a calculating gaze. This man had faced the entire brood and emerged victorious! Instead of being furious, He had been intrigued. This man, a man with the blood of dragons in his veins, had managed to do something that He would have never dreamed possible!

Then, a unique opportunity suddenly presented itself. This man, known as the Dragon Lord, produced an offspring. An infant girl unlike any born before. With her birth, He saw a chance to bring about a new reign to the world that He had left behind so long ago. He reluctantly left His place among the heavens above, and returned to the world once more, ready to put His plans into motion.

Now, He stood at the edge of a cliff, staring out over the vast ocean that separated Him from His unknowing quarry. This child shall help Him give birth to an entirely new race of serpents, stronger and more powerful than any before, and His children would once again hold dominance over the world that had once belonged to them.

He drew in another breath of the sweet air, then turned and disappeared into the shadows. He would need to call upon the aid of those who He could trust to help carry out His plans, including several that He would never have called upon otherwise. But His plans were far too important for Him to allow His distaste to color His judgment. He would set aside His distaste and call upon those He would need, and they were going to help Him, or He would destroy them.

Chapter 1

The huge smoky grey warhorse slowly emerged from the darkness, its hooves scarcely making a sound as it trotted through the drizzling rain towards the gates of the mountain city of Sevria. Its rider, an enormous figure wrapped in a hooded cloak, nudged the great shaggy beast forward and guided it towards the open gates, which was located between a pair of massive dragon skulls that had been mounted on the enormous battlements that surrounded the city.

Halt! One of the soldiers that guarded the gate commanded, rushing forward to block the rider's advance. Identify yourself!

The huge figure reined in the shaggy warhorse, then reached up and lowered his hood. It's me, sergeant. The huge man answered with a friendly smile.

Lord Omensent! The sergeant exclaimed in surprise. We weren't expecting you until morning!

The enormous man slid down from his saddle and stood towering over the tallest soldier by nearly two feet. I didn't feel like hanging around Sierra any longer than I really had to. He made a face, which was exaggerated by the thick ridge of dark red scales that grew across his brow and stretched back to each temple on either side of his head. I don't think I could have taken another second of listening to those merchants whine about paying their taxes.

That's what merchants do best, milord. The sergeant laughed. Not a week goes by that we don't catch some merchant trying to sneak out of town without paying his fees.

Was there any trouble while I was gone?

The soldier shook his head. It's been quiet, although there have been a few reports of a one-armed shadowspawn lurking somewhere in the area.

That would be Slither. He won’t cause any problems, The huge man frowned. "but it is unusual that he would allow himself to be seen. He must be trying to get my attention. Where was he last seen?"

Along the edge of the forest on the other side of the trade road. The creature appears whenever someone approaches the city gates and lingers long enough to ensure that it has been seen, then disappears back into the forest.

It definitely sounds as though he's trying to get my attention.

Do you wish me to summon some men to accompany you to confront the creature? The sergeant asked respectfully.

The huge man shook his head, causing his long chestnut hair to fall into his eyes. I had better check in at the castle first. I'm sure they will want to know that I have made it back safely. I'll go find out what Slither wants a little bit later. He remounted, then continued on through the gates and towards the massive castle that overlooked the settlement.

Sevria was a unique little town, built along the only trade route that passed through the Godstear mountains. It was a necessary haven from the numerous dangers that plagued the land, threatening the lives of those who attempted to make their way through the mountain range. The city itself was completely enclosed inside of an immense granite wall that cut across the valley, protecting the people from the dangers of the wilds. A number of strange-looking siege machines were positioned along the top of the wall, providing another layer of protection for the sleepy little settlement.

The people of Sevria were a sober, industrious folk, fiercely protective of their tiny slice of heaven. The entire town had been destroyed many years before, but the people had returned to rebuild their homes and businesses, refusing to allow themselves to be driven away. Even an attack by several vicious shadow dragons and an army of dragonspawn could not drive the determined townsfolk from their homes.

Overlooking the town and its inhabitants was an immense fortress carved into the mountain side itself. Named the 'Serpent's Keep' by the people, it had been constructed by the scarlet dragons as a symbol of the bond between the majestic serpents, and the man who released them from their enslavement.

The huge warrior moved slowly through the quiet town. It was well after midnight now, and the people had already went to their beds. The only activity he found as he moved through the city was at the local tavern. As he approached, two men suddenly burst out of the doors, reeling drunkenly as they clung tightly to one another in an effort to hold each other up.

One of the men, a short, wiry fellow with a scraggly beard and dirty, unkempt hair, suddenly stopped, his bleary eyes going wide. Damion? He roared, releasing his grip on the other man, allowing him to topple to the cobblestones. What are you doing back so soon? I thought you weren't due back until tomorrow?

I thought I'd come home a little early. The huge warrior laughed. I didn't want to miss the celebration. It isn't every day that my only daughter celebrates her first birthday. He looked at the scruffy little man and his companion. By the looks of it, the celebration has already begun, though.

The scruffy little man waved his hand dismissively. Me and Veren were only having a couple of nightcaps. He gestured to the unconscious man, who was still lying face down on the cobblestones. "We'll be ready to really let loose when it comes time for the celebration tomorrow."

Damion laughed, then slid down from the huge warhorse and walked over to nudge the unconscious man with one toe. I think Veren may need a little help making it back to the castle. He observed, nudging the man again.

He can't hold his ale. The scruffy little man shrugged. He thought he could outdrink me. He snorted in amusement. I guess he didn't know who he was dealing with!

The huge warrior knelt down and rolled the unconscious man onto his back. He was an odd-looking fellow, with a cleanly-shaven head, and dark swarthy skin. His eyes were strangely slanted, and at some point in his life he had lost an ear. He was dressed in a tight-fitting leather armor that was bristling with numerous daggers, and he had a short sword belted securely to his waist. How many drinks did he have?

The scruffy little man shrugged. We lost count after the first dozen or so.

Sly, Damion sighed plaintively. Didn't I ask you to stop dragging Veren along with you when you go drinking?

It's his own fault. He said he could handle having a few drinks.

You know that every time he accompanies you drinking, it takes him several days to fully recover. The huge warrior sighed heavily. I guess we had better drag him on up to the castle. We can't just leave him here in the center of the street. He heaved the unconscious man onto his shoulder, then carried him over and draped him across the warhorse's saddle.

They set off towards the castle on foot, leading the warhorse along by the reins. They stopped in the courtyard, and Damion gently pulled the unconscious man down from the warhorse. Take him to his quarters and see that he's looked after. He told the servants that tended the livery. He's probably going to need a bucket for when he wakes. And make sure he has plenty of coffee waiting on him when he finally regains consciousness.

He's going to need it! Sly snorted in amusement. The last time we went drinking, he spent the entire next day emptying his stomach into a potted plant.

Damion rolled his eyes, then sighed wearily. You'd better find your own bed. It's late, and the celebration for Leia's first birthday will start bright and early.

That's not a bad idea. The scruffy little man agreed, swaying unsteadily on his feet. I'll need my energy for all the celebrating I'm planning on doing.

Damion watched in amusement as one of his oldest friends disappeared into the castle, then turned and led the shaggy warhorse towards his pen.

Sly never seemed to change. He had known the scruffy little man since he was a child. After demonstrating an ability to use magic at an early age, Damion had been sent away to a secluded valley to live with his nanny, Lady Skie, and her father, Damarius, who was a powerful old sorcerer. Gabriel Quickhand, or Sly as he preferred to be called, had journeyed to the valley to take up Damion's training in the art of combat. When Damion's father was murdered, the little man stood with him as he pursued the murderer across the continent, recovering the mythical Dragon Sword and Dragon Gem in the process. His wisdom and expertise as one of the foremost master swordsmen in the world had proved invaluable, which more than made up for the fact that he was also a drunkard, a womanizer, and a thief.

The huge man led the prancing warhorse into its pen, then removed the saddle and bridle, much to the massive beast's obvious relief. He picked up a handful of hay and began to rub the huge stallion down, removing the majority of the rain from its shaggy coat. He was just finishing up when the servants returned from tending to Sly's unconscious companion.

We managed to drag Captain Veren to his quarters and woke one of the castle clerics to watch over him until he wakes. One of the servants reported, eyeing the warhorse warily. He gestured to the shaggy beast. Storm bit another servant the other day. I swear he spends all his spare time waiting for his opportunity to sink his teeth into someone!

Damion laughed, stroking the warhorse's neck fondly. It's just his way of being playful. He's actually quite gentle, when he wants to be. The huge warhorse had been a gift from a Deolan clan-chief as thanks for saving the man's life, and was one of Damion's most cherished possessions. The Deolan warhorses were bred for war and were well known for being extremely temperamental and aggressive. The Deola guarded the beasts jealousy, rarely allowing one to be sold to an outsider, and only then for enormous sums of gold. Make sure he has plenty to eat and drink, and check his back-left hoof for any stone bruises. He seemed to be favoring it a bit, although he may have just been faking it. He definitely wasn't happy that I decided to ride through the night to get home. He turned to the great shaggy beast. Get yourself some rest. He murmured fondly, stroking the stallion's neck again.

Storm nickered at him happily, then turned to gaze at the servant aggressively.

Damion laughed. And stop biting the servants. No one's going to want to feed you if you keep terrorizing everyone.

The huge warhorse ignored him, pawing at the ground with one hoof as he continued to stare at the servant with hostile eyes.

Damion quickly made his way to the upper levels of the massive fortress, then slowly crept through the doorway leading to his private chambers.

The storm outside finally made its way out of the mountains, and the moonlight broke through the remaining clouds and streamed through the large windows that looked out over the quiet town below. A huge bed, elaborately designed to look like a dragon resting on its back, had been placed against the far wall of the room, and small fire burned in a fireplace, helping to ward off some of the dampness from the drizzling rain.

He tiptoed through the darkness towards the bed, then paused for a moment to gaze upon the beautiful young woman and child who were sleeping together peacefully beneath the soft blankets.

You should know by now that you can't sneak up on me. The young woman murmured in a quiet voice, a playful smile hovering about her perfect lips. She opened her eyes and gazed at the huge warrior. I could smell you as soon as you entered.

Damion chuckled quietly. It's the armor. He opened his cloak to reveal a suit of armor made up of overlapping steel scales. It definitely has its own fragrance. He gestured to the sleeping child. I didn't want to wake Leia.

Raven smiled. She just fell asleep an hour or so ago. She's becoming quite a handful and growing quite skilled at escaping her playpen. She had Lady Skie and I running around the fortress after her all-night long.

Damion laughed again. I was exactly the same when I was her age. My father tried everything short of padlocking me inside of a cage to stop my wandering. Don't worry, He assured her. once she has roamed around a bit and seen all there is to see of the fortress, she'll settle down. She's merely curious about her surroundings.

She's so much like her father. Raven smiled lovingly at their tiny daughter.

And as beautiful as her mother.

The dark-haired woman blushed at the compliment. I thought you weren’t returning from Sierra until morning?

I wanted to make sure that I was here in time to celebrate Leia's first birthday. He quietly crept over to the bedside and gently kissed his wife.

Raven wrinkled her nose. Why don't you hurry up and get out of that armor, then go visit the bathhouse. On the way back, you can grab a bottle of wine, and we can have a drink before our little one wakes up and sees her father has returned.

Damion frowned. I have something to do first. He went on to explain the sightings of a one-armed shadowspawn near the edge of the forest. It appears Slither needs to speak with me.

The young woman's face fell. It must be something important if he's trying to get in touch with you.

I just wanted to look in on my girls before I went to find out what he wanted.

Raven smiled sweetly. Well, now that you've seen for yourself that we are fine, why don't you hurry and find out what Slither needs, then make that visit to the bathhouse and hurry back here. I'll slip Leia into her own bed and wait here for you to return. She gave him a suggestive smile.

Damion grinned boyishly, and began to blush a bright red. Why don't I hurry right along, then?

Chapter 2

Damion decided to leave Storm in the stables to rest, and started off through town on foot, moving quickly through the dark streets towards the gates. He had only taken a few steps when the sudden rustle of feathers drew his attention to a large snowy white owl that suddenly appeared from the darkness above.

And where are you going? Snowfeather asked silently, landing gently on one of Damion's broad shoulders. We just got back!

Slither has been spotted lurking around recently. He told his familiar. I figure it must be important if he's trying to get my attention.

Snowfeather was his oldest and most trusted friend. As a child, Damion had fallen into a deep depression from the loneliness he felt from being isolated from the rest of the world in a tiny little secluded valley. When it finally became too much for him to bear, he had gathered his magic, then released it in a silent cry, pouring all his pain and loneliness into the plea for all the universe to hear. The huge snow owl heard his cry and answered his silent plea, creating a link between it and Damion, bonding them together for life, and allowing them to share one another's thoughts and feelings.

I still don't trust that shadowspawn. Snowfeather chirped worriedly. It keeps looking at me like I'm something to eat.

He's not so bad. At least he's been able to keep the rest of the dragonspawn from attacking the merchants travelling the trade road.

Well, I'm not going to get anywhere close to that thing. The huge owl launched itself back into the air. I'll look in on you in the morning.

After briefly informing the same gate guards he had encountered earlier of his intentions, he slipped off across the trade road that ran passed Sevria, and into the open field that separated the edge of the forest from the city.

He had nearly reached the forest when a dark shape suddenly emerged from the shadows and quickly made its way towards him.

Massster!

The huge creature that emerged from the darkness closely resembled a wingless dragon. It stood over eight feet in height, with a heavily-muscled body, and a long whip-like tail. When it opened its mouth to speak, it revealed hundreds of razor-sharp teeth, and two large spiraling horns sprouted from the back of its scaled head, lending greatly to its dragon-like appearance. Its scales were as black as the darkness around them, seeming to almost absorb the surrounding shadows, making it nearly impossible to see the beast with the naked eye. One of its arms had been severed at the elbow two years previous when it had attempted to attack Damion, who crippled the creature, but spared its life when it asked for mercy. Ever since, the shadowspawn had served Damion faithfully, taking steps to ensure that the trade road leading from Sierra to Sevria remained safe from attack.

Massster! The beast dropped to one knee before him. SSSlither mussst ssspeak with you!

What is it, Slither? Damion gestured for the creature to rise. What's got you so bothered?

The crippled shadowspawn slowly rose to its feet. Massster. There are rumorsss passsing among the ssspawn that the Dragon God, Draco, hasss returned to thisss world. It gestured to the empty patch of sky, which up until the previous year, held the constellation of the Dragon God. There are whissspersss that He hasss returned to reclaim thisss world asss Hisss own.

Damion thought back to the night Leia was born, the same night that the constellation had vanished from the heavens above. I have heard the same rumors, although I have seen no evidence of His return, other than His absence from night's sky.

He isss making preparationsss to carry out Hisss plansss. The shadowspawn hissed in warning. "The whissspersss sssay that He isss coming for you, Massster."

Damion was startled by this statement. "And does the whispers say why He is coming for me?"

It isss through you that He plansss to reclaim the world. Slither seemed genuinely concerned for his master's safety. Beware, Massster! Beware the Dragon God! He isss coming, and He will not ssstop until He getsss what He desssiresss!

Damion frowned. Thank you for your warning, Slither. I will be sure to be on my guard.

The shadowy beast bobbed its head once, then turned and disappeared back into the darkness of the forest.

He thought about the shadowspawn's warning as he slowly made his way back to the castle. The Dragon God had returned to reclaim the world as His own. Damion remembered the tales that Tempest, the largest and most powerful of the scarlet dragons, had regaled him with of ancient times, long before the humans had emerged from their caves and infested the world with their cities and farms, back during a time when the dragons ruled the entire world.

If Draco had returned, then it was in response to what had happened to the shadow dragons, when he and the scarlet dragons destroyed most of the brood, and scattered the remaining dark serpents to the winds. The loss of so many worshippers at one time may have infuriated the Dragon God to the point that He felt compelled to return to the world He had been watching over for so many eons.

Damion shook his head. There was no evidence that the Dragon God had returned to the world, other than the sudden disappearance of the constellation, and the whispers of a few superstitious dragonspawn. There wasn't any reason for him to be concerned. He decided to put it from his mind, and hurried up to the castle to visit the bathhouse.

************

He awoke early the next morning to a squeal of laughter as Leia burst into the room and ran across the chamber floor with Raven following along behind looking slightly out of breath. The tiny little girl was a mirror image of her mother, with flowing dark hair, and huge luminous chestnut eyes. She wore a beautiful white dress of satin and lace, decorated with a silver broach crafted into the shape of a dragon in flight.

The young child scampered around the edge of the huge bed still laughing with glee, then took a firm hold on Damion's soft blankets and yanked them away, leaving him to shiver in the cool morning air.

I believe your daughter wants you to wake up. Raven snickered, watching with amusement as he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position.

I've noticed. He answered wryly, scooping his giggling daughter up into his arms.

I forgot to ask you, what did Slither have to say last night? The young woman asked, sitting down on the edge on the bed.

Damion frowned. He wanted to give me a warning. Apparently, there have been a number of rumors being passed through the spawn claiming that the Dragon God, Draco, has returned to the world.

Why would he want to warn you about that?

"The rumors say that He has returned to this world to reclaim it as His own, and that I was the one through which He would achieve His plans."

Raven frowned. Why would a god need a mortal to carry out its plans? Couldn't it just use its own power to achieve its goals?

Damion shrugged. I haven't a clue. Dealing with gods is not my forte. I guess we could ask Damarius. If anyone would know, it would be him.

That's one of the reasons Leia and I came to wake you. Everyone will be gathering in the dining hall to enjoy breakfast together. We can ask him about it then.

Damion yawned hugely, then sat his giggling daughter down on the floor and rose to his feet. Breakfast, you say? His stomach suddenly gave a loud growl.

Raven laughed. I figured that would wake you up.

It's been a few days since I had anything other than traveling rations. He quickly got dressed, then scooped Leia up into his arms, and followed Raven to the dining hall.

They found Lady Skie and her father, Damarius, waiting for them when they arrived.

We were wondering if you were planning on joining us. Lady Skie observed, taking a delicate sip from her tea.

Raven smiled apologetically. Damion got in late last evening. It took a little while for Leia and me to drag him out of bed.

Decided to leave Sierra a little early, did you? Damarius asked, stroking the tangles from his long flowing beard. Were you able to get everything settled with the Merchant's Guild?

Damion shrugged, dropping heavily into one of the comfortable chairs that lined the main dining table. Their main complaint was with the taxes that they pay to do business in Sevria. They don't think that they should help pay for the upkeep of the trade road through the mountains. He gently lifted Leia into his lap. They claim that it should remain our responsibility. They say they shouldn't be forced to pay anything at all.

That doesn't surprise me a bit. Lady Skie laughed. "If they had their way, we would have to pay them."

So, how did you leave it with them? Damarius asked, brushing his brow-lock from his eyes absently.

I told them that they were more than welcome to find another route leading through the mountains if they were unhappy with the taxes.

Raven frowned. I hope you didn't go out of your way to offend them like you did last time.

Damion snorted. I'm fairly sure they were not very happy when I left, but I didn't threaten to turn anyone into a toad, if that's what you mean.

Several castle servants appeared bearing a number of trays of food for Leia's breakfast feast. There were platters stacked high with links of sausages still sizzling from the pan, and plates piled with fresh eggs. There were a dozen loaves of fresh bread, still warm from the ovens, and tubs of jam and freshly-churned honey butter. There was fresh fruit and