The Dragon's Champion by Sam Ferguson, Bob Kehl Read Free Book Online Page A

order of the Honorable Judge Alan McTeabe, you are hereby charged with
several crimes against the crown. These crimes include; fraud, extortion,
murder, and practicing the forbidden dark arts. It is the order of the Royal
Court that you be arrested and brought to stand trial and, if found guilty,
hanged for your crimes.”
    “Get out of
here!” a large man shouted. The crowd echoed his sentiments. Baltezer stood
silent, still smiling as smugly as ever.
    “Continue,”
Dimwater whispered.
    “If you resist
arrest, then the agent of the court, Lady Dimwater, has been authorized to use
any force necessary to subdue you, including death. Any other persons who try
to hide or defend you shall also be subject to Lady Dimwater’s judgment.”
    “This is an
outrage!” a woman shouted.
    “The priest has
done nothing wrong, he has blessed our village,” another shouted.
    “He’s done more
for us than the crown ever has,” yelled another.
    Baltezer raised
has hands to silence the crowd. “Why do you come here with false accusations,
read by a beardless boy? I am insulted. You have no proof of these
allegations.”
    “If you desire
proof, I will give it to you,” Dimwater replied. “I know that your religion
demands human sacrifices. I have three witnesses that have already testified to
this. Do you deny it?”
    “The sacrifices
keep our town safe from demons that would destroy us,” a large, burly man
bellowed.
    “He’s right,
Lady Dimwater,” Baltezer said. “I cannot deny that we do sacrifice on occasion,
but without these sacrifices the demon would devour our city whole.”
    “What is the
name of this demon?” Lady Dimwater demanded.
    Many of the
spectators gasped and covered their mouths.
    “You know that
to speak a demon’s name is to summon it,” Baltezer said angrily. He took a few
steps closer and folded his arms. His smile was replaced by flushed cheeks and
sharp eyes. “I will not speak his name.”
    “As the agent of
the Royal Court, it is my right to demand this and any other information I deem
appropriate.”
    Erik took a deep
breath as Dimwater returned Baltezer’s steady-eyed stare.
    “Baltezer the Brown,
I order you, on pain of death, to give me the name of the demon.” Lady Dimwater
lifted her staff and tipped it, pointing the top at Baltezer. Erik had not
noticed the brass lion’s head ornament on the staff’s top before. It seemed to
Erik that the lion’s head was snarling at Baltezer.
    “Milady, with
respect, I must remind you that if I say the demon’s name it will be summoned
here. It will put all of us at risk. I fear the demon is too powerful, even for
a sorceress.”
    “Enough games,
Baltezer,” Dimwater growled. “You know full well that you may write the name
and it will not be summoned.” A white piece of paper and a quill magically
appeared in the air in front of Baltezer. “Write the name and give it to me.”
    “Baltezer was
right about the nobles,” the burly man shouted. “He said they would never help
us without seeing the demon for themselves.” The crowd murmured and shouted
derogatory comments about King Mathias, Erik, and Lady Dimwater. “Well, I ain’t
gonna let some high-and-mighty witch call a demon on us.” The burly man pulled
a broadsword from a sheath on his back and charged.
    Erik had not
brought his waster, but he instinctively reached for it and was surprised when
he gripped the hilt of a sword of steel in his hand. He drew the sword and took
a high-guard stance, holding the blade above his head. The crowd laughed at
him, but Erik pushed the noise out of his head. He poured all of his focus into
his foe. This was not a duel with wasters. This was real. He studied his foe’s
heavy run, calculating how many steps it would take for the burly man to reach
him. In the span of a single second, Erik determined that the burly man was
right-handed, due to the fact that he gripped his sword with his right hand
over his left. He also knew that the man