by Rain Oxford
“It is the only way to go up,” Tao said. Then he grabbed me and shoved me in. When he and Wei blocked the door, I couldn’t get out. The door slid closed, locking us in the box. I really started panicking then. Immediately, the box hummed and rattled as it moved.
Finally, it stopped, and the door slowly opened. I ran out of the box. We were now on the roof of the building, which was flat. There was nothing but metal pipes sticking up from the solid white ground and a torch at each corner of the roof. I went to the edge, where the only protective ledge was brick and came up to my knees. I could see the tops of other buildings down to the city. From a distance, the flashing lights and signs were actually pretty. The air, unfortunately, was still terrible. Thick, black clouds blocked most of the moonlight. Tao waved his hand at the torches and they lit. A moment later, a black dragon landed.
His hide was rusty brown with black horns and a line of black spikes down his spine. Even his claws were black. His eyes, however, were white, and there was a nasty scar over the right side of his face, over his eye. It looked like another dragon had slashed him with a claw. His head was also rounder and he had a more pronounced snout than the dragons of my world. He was huge, but not the largest dragon I had seen.
Merlin and my father taught me to bow to dragons, but since Tao and Wei didn’t, I figured the rules were different here. “Hello, Ayden Rynorm,” the dragon said, ignoring Tao and Wei.
“You know me?”
“We have foreseen your arrival. I am Óttadugr.”
“It’s nice to meet you. Merlin is still with the Bahong.”
“We know.”
“Then you must have a plan for saving him.”
“Erica Baltezore shields the Bahong from our power so that we cannot overhear their plans. We will send Tao and Wei to rescue him.”
“I’m going with them.”
“You are an important adversary of Erica Baltezore. You must stay here, where you will be safe.”
“The only way I’m not going after Merlin is if I’m dead.”
“If that is your wish, we will not stop you. Be warned, however, that if you fail, Erica Baltezore’s power will grow and many wizards will die.”
“I know. Do you know why we were told to come here?”
“We can help you and Merlin defeat Erica Baltezore.”
“Do you know Cennuth?”
“He is the brother of Rijah Baltezore, but he chose to be exiled in shame rather than accept punishment.”
“For what?”
“For killing Gadiel.”
“Cennuth killed his brother’s mate? He started the war on magic?”
“Cennuth and Rijah both loved Gadiel, but she chose Rijah.”
That sounds familiar. That’s something Merlin should know.
“If you insist on going with them, you will plan and lead the rescue of Merlin.”
I normally hated the idea of leading others, but I didn’t trust Tao and Wei to do whatever it took to protect Merlin. “Out of curiosity, Erica is only half dragon. How can she overpower you?”
“Being half mortal is not a curse but an advantage.”
* * *
I tried to sleep, because I figured Merlin would use dreamwalking to contact me. The person being dreamwalked on had to be asleep for it to work. Unfortunately, I was too worried, so instead, I sat up and meditated.
Getting into someone’s dream required being in such a deep mental state that it was like falling asleep in a dream. I was better at it starting from meditation, which Merlin had told me was unusual.
Time slowly faded away, as did my awareness of my body. In my mind, I was floating in a quiet lake. When even that faded from my mind, I visualized a full-length mirror, through which I could see Merlin as a man. He appeared in the mirror and I stepped through. This all went as planned, so I was confused when I saw myself and the wolf in the forest. I knew it was the same as when Merlin was trying to reach his magic.
I tried to tell him to stop, but I made no sound. I tried to stop him with willpower. Nothing happened. I have control over this dream. My dream self took off and the wolf chased after him. I didn’t have any control over it.
I woke with a start, having no clue why it failed. I should have had control. Merlin and I had practiced the ability for this very purpose. Unfortunately, magic was never perfectly reliable.
I considered remaking the dreamwalking potion, but they didn’t have the necessary ingredients on Raksel, and I didn’t have any of Merlin’s fur.
* * *
“They must be blocking him from us,” Wei said.
Tai, Wei, and I were in the room just under the roof. It included a bed, a couch, a low glass table, and a black glass panel like Seza had. When Tai told me I could watch the news on the “screen,” I said I wasn’t interested. It was much simpler just to look out the window. They also gave me canned vegetables, saying the bread supply wasn’t safe.
I discovered that “canning” was the process by which vegetables were magically drained of their flavor and freshness, boiled until they were mushy, and put in a metal jar filled with saltwater, where they could be left for decades before being eaten. This was why only children ate them. From this, I deduced that the people of Raksel hated children very much.
“Dragons are supposed to be more powerful than people,” I said.
“Not here. People have been fighting to survive for thousands of years. Dragons have become negligent. Only since Erica arrived did Bahong stand a chance, but they were never weak. We’re going to have a difficult time getting Merlin back. Do you have a plan?”
“If we attack openly, they could kill Merlin before we could save him. Do they have any anti-magic wards?”
“Not that we know of.”
“Can Óttadugr or another dragon stop them from using magic?”
“No. If they could, they would have already.”
“Do you have any spies among them?”
“Not since Erica took them over. She could easily see who was on our side.”
“Do they have any other enemies we could ally ourselves with?”
“No one is willing to go up against Bahong,” Tao said.
“What kind of dragons are these? Dragons are known on other worlds as powerful creatures of ancient magic and endless wisdom. Here, they’re lazy and can’t deal with enemies on their own. They need to go to my world and take lessons.”
“You shouldn’t insult any dragons; it’s bad for your health,” Wei said.
“If you can draw them out, I can sneak in and save Merlin. Tell them you want to trade something for him, or that you want to join his side. Whatever feels natural for you should work. Just get their attention off Merlin without fighting. I’ll signal when Merlin is safe.”
“How do we know you won’t throw us under the bus?”
“What’s a bus and why would I throw you under it?”
“How do we know you won’t betray us and leave us to fight Bahong on our own?” he reiterated.
“Because that’s not who I am.”
“Supposing we trusted you, what is your plan for finding the place?”
“You don’t know where they are?”
“No. They’ve been a secret organization for many years.”
“Give me my staff and I can find Merlin. You’ll have to get us as close to their headquarters as you can.”
“Well, we know they’re outside of our territory, because we have all of the lines of communication in the territory bugged.”
“What does that mean?”
“We can hear what is being said.”
“So you know their code word?”
“We do. We have known it since they came up with it. That was how we found you as fast as we did.”
“Then if you had been just a tiny bit quicker in getting to us, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
He continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “We know Jie Ma and Seza Kal are part of Bahong. We let them think we’re ignorant so that we can k
eep tracking their moves, especially their progress on developing a portal.”
“What is so wrong with them trying to escape?”
“If they have an escape, they will be able to destroy the entire world.”
“Oh. Then we need to get to Merlin right now.”
“Why? What is the urgency? It is better to be prepared than---”
“Merlin knows how to make a portal.”
Their faces drained of color.
* * *
Tai and Wei immediately took me downstairs in the horrible metal box. By the time we got outside, another car was ready. I sat on the wooden seat with the other two this time and the driver started off down the road. For a long time, we sat in silence.
Finally, I asked, “Do you know how you’re going to distract them?”
“For a few years, we’ve let them think we were unhappy with the direction the government has been going, and that we are on the fence about leaving. As long as Erica Baltezore isn’t there, they should fall for it. They would love for us to join them because we have valuable information on the dragon masters.”
We stopped shortly after and got out. The first thing I spotted was a glowing red line in the ground. From one side to the other, even the ground changed. The black rode on this side of the line was dirty, but otherwise in fine condition. On the other side, it was cracked and there were weeds growing through it. Beyond was even worse.
The buildings on this side were extremely tall and well-maintained, even though it did stink and the road was full of trash. While the area I arrived in wasn’t nearly as nice, it wasn’t a tiny bit as bad as the buildings on the other side. They were no more than three stories tall, and most of them were collapsed.
“What happened?”
“This is Bahong territory. They set traps to keep out dragons and steal our resources when they’re not poisoning them. Crime is so rampant there that there are no establishments that run on money. This is what happens to our people without dragons.”
“It explains why so many of the Bahong members live in Honlon territory,” I said.
“We let them, yet we risk death with every step inside we take.”
“But you don’t know which building it is in?”
“It won’t be anywhere near the border.”
“Then why did we stop here?”
“The driver isn’t going in, and neither is the car. It’s too dangerous. We’re walking from here on out. Try to keep a low profile.”
When I crossed the line, my magic detected a change. This land was no place for light magic. Nevertheless, I pointed my staff into the sky and said, “Find Merlin.” My magic flowed readily through the staff and out in the form of blue light. The light quickly focused into a narrow beam that led north, so we followed it up the road.
As we traveled, I sensed people moving in the buildings and heard whispers carried by the wind. The only comfort I had was knowing that I could do dragon magic. I was best at it when I was in dire need of it, in fact.
“I really hate being blond sometimes,” I said quietly.
“That doesn’t matter here,” Wei said. “We’re all thin, and we can easily change our hair and eye color to appear fiercer. Your staff is what everyone is looking at.”
“If anything, people will be jealous of your hair, because it’s impossible to get that color naturally here,” Tai added. “Being called the ‘blond wizard’ is a compliment. Either way, hair doesn’t intimidate people here. Now if you were abnormally tall and muscular, that would intimidate people.”
“Warriors can be intimidating, I guess, but it’s because of their training, not their size. At least on my world. Sorcerers are the most feared people. Well, there are necromancers, but they aren’t as likely to go into a fit of rage and curse an entire town. The worst necromancers do is sic their zombies on people until they get bored.” Tai and Wei both stopped and when I looked at them, they were sickly pale. “What?”
“You have zombies?”
“Sure. I once had a necromancer friend who accidently summoned a whole horde and couldn’t call them off. They’re pretty slow, so they’re easy to outrun.” I continued walking and once they shook off their surprise, they caught up to me.
We traveled quite a distance without seeing any change or people directly. Finally, the beam landed on a particular building and remained on it as we stopped in front of it. I released my power.
“Is there a back way in?” I asked.
“We wouldn’t know.”
First, I ordered my staff to make me invisible. I circled the building but found no other doors. Then it occurred to me that they would let me in since they wanted to use me against Honlon, so I walked through the door. The setup was identical to Honlon’s entrance, which told me they knew more about Honlon than Honlon thought they did.
I went to the woman at the desk, who looked identical to the other woman except that her dress and shoes were red. “Hello, I’m here to rescue my friend, Merlin.”
She gave me a pleasant smile. “Certainly. Is he being held captive?”
“He’s somewhere here in the building and I need to find him.”
“Oh. I’m afraid without knowing who has him, I don’t know where to send you.”
“He’s a wolf. I’m sure you’ve seen him. Seza sent him here. He sent me, too, but I was captured by Honlon.”
“I’m sorry, but thank you for that information. The person you want to speak to is Zar, but I’m afraid you need an appointment to speak to him.”
“But I was supposed to arrive with Merlin.”
“I understand your frustration and will do my best to help you. I can call him and ask him if it’s okay to send you up to him, but he is in a meeting and can’t accept calls at the moment. You are welcome to wait.” She gestured to the couch.
I groaned and sat. “Merlin, can you hear me?” I called mentally.
No answer.
As I waited, all kinds of horrible scenarios crossed my mind until I couldn’t sit any longer. I returned to the desk. “I’m sorry, but my best friend is in danger and I need to see him now.”
“I understand, but I don’t have permission to open the door unless he clears you.”
“I’m saving Merlin now if I have to tear this building down to do it!”
“Oh?” Confusion crossed her pretty face. “You want to challenge Zar?”
“Yes?” I asked, not sure.
She smiled brightly. “Then I can help you. One moment please.” She picked up her black glass panel and it lit up. “Yes, I have a blond wizard down here that would like to challenge Zar.” There was a series of beeps and she set it down. “Zar’s assistant, Fen, will be right down to take you to him.”
“Thank you.”
“Have a good day.”
I sat and waited again. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the metal door opened and a man stepped out. He was tall and thin with red and black leather clothes and vivid purple hair. He also had a small panel of black glass in his hands, which was lit up. “Hello. I’m Fen. Are you the one here to challenge Zar?”
“I guess so.”
“No problem. I just have a few questions and then you can be on your way up. Your answers will be recorded for quality of service and accuracy.” He glanced at the screen. “First, are you a dragon or a worshiper of dragons?”
“No.”
He touched the surface. “Okay, great. Second, are you a hunter of dragons, have you ever killed a dragon, or have you ever despised the behavior of dragons.”
“Well, my best friend’s mother was killed by a dragon.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. That’s not surprising, though.”
“And I helped kill Rijah Baltezore.”
His eyes widened. “Oh, you’re that blond wizard! Wow, it is such an honor to meet you.”
“Thank you?”
“Before we go any further, I would like to say that you are highly qualified for a position here at the Bahong headquarters. I can personal
ly guarantee that Zar would hire you right here and now.”
“Thanks, but I have a good job. Well, not good… but it’s meaningful and I’m good at it. It’s a bit frustrating sometimes, I suppose. Still, I’m getting used to it.”
“The benefits are better than at any other place on the entire planet.”
“I can’t agree to working with Erica.”
“Oh. I see. Well, I will carry on then. I can imagine that you’re in a rush. Next question; do you plan to use magic or a weapon in your upcoming battle?”
“I was planning on doing a bit of both.”
“Just winging it, then? Changing it up as the opportunity presents itself?”
“Yes.”
“An excellent answer. We get far too many people who think the solution to everything is magic.”
“Does everyone who wants to fight him have to answer these questions?”
“Yes. It helps us to know how we are doing as a whole and if we need to make changes.”
“Like poisoning Honlon’s food supply?”
“Yes, exactly. We were frequently asked to increase the poison.”
“That’s horrible.”
“I’m afraid you can’t file against it because you’re not a member of this territory.”
“Can I fight now?”
“Just one more question, please. With as much detail as you are willing to provide, please state the reason for your challenge today.”
“My best friend is trapped up there and I need to save him.”
“Oh. I feel like fighting Zar is the most difficult way to accomplish that. Who is your friend?”
“Merlin. He’s a wolf… and a wizard.”
“Yes, I know him. He’s on the roof. He was very upset when we couldn’t rescue you.”
“Well, I’m here to save him. I’ll fight Zar if I have to.”
“Have you tried asking for him back?”
“I did, but the woman at the desk said I needed an appointment, and that he’s not available. Seza sent us here, but I was captured by Honlon.”
“In that case, I can bring you to Merlin.”
“I don’t have to fight anyone?”