When they came to rest, it amazed Eric that he was still alive. Jolian was turning to stand on the ground more firmly, her front claws still around her brother’s neck, and it gave Eric a clear sight of Novir having unfastened himself and sliding down the blue dragon’s side to splash into the water. The sound of footsteps plunging through the shallows told the rogue that his quarry meant to flee.
“Jolian,” called Eric, “let me go.”
“Done.”
Eric felt the spell holding him to the dragon’s back release, and he smoothly pulled a throwing knife out as he raced down the wing that the red dragon helpfully lowered like a ramp to the sand. He kept a running count of lost throwing knives and still had roughly half of the dozen. He turned after Novir, who had a thirty-yard head start on him, heading along the beach instead of into the trees. Behind him, Eric heard Jolian take a deeper breath and wondered what she was doing until something crackling went over his head. He barely saw the man-sized fireball that landed in the sand a few strides ahead of Novir, who stopped in visible surprise, then turned and ran toward the woods.
Eric smirked and changed course to intercept him. He took a chance and slowed to throw a knife at his prey. He had already resumed course when the blade sank into Novir’s hip to create a second wound. The King’s Guardsman staggered a few paces toward the trees, pulling out the blade and throwing it down as he turned to Eric, ripped a sword from its sheath. The rogue stopped ten feet away, certain he wouldn’t win that way. Instead, he threw another knife that Novir deflected.
“Coward!” he shouted. “Pull your sword and fight me!”
Eric threw two in quick succession, the first intended to distract and then second going for the sword arm. It worked, Novir wincing, his sword lowering as he tried to remove the blade with the other hand. Eric charged to make Novir think they would land in a heap, but at the last moment he leaped up, delivering a kick to the jaw that sent Novir on his back, the sword falling. And Eric was on top of him in an instant, another knife to his throat, Novir’s arms pinned between his body and Eric’s legs. The trees were just strides away, and he briefly scanned them for danger he didn’t see before returning attention to his captive.
“Why?” Eric demanded.
Novir spat at him, but the rogue saw him getting ready to do it and leaned sideways to dodge it. “I’ll tell you nothing.”
Eric punched him in the face, not bothering to wipe the spit from his ear. He sometimes forgot that one hand had a magic ring that did far more damage than might be expected of a blow, but Novir’s broken lip and shattered teeth reminded him. He almost felt bad for the damage but said, “Normally I’d say I can do that all day, but I don’t have time for this. Are you under control of the orb?”
Snidely, his mouth bloody, Novir asked, “Would it make you be civil if I said yes?”
Eric hit him again, but not as hard. “Answer and you’ll find out.”
A glare of anger appeared, and Eric felt Novir’s arms struggling to slip free. The guardsman said, “I am going to kill you.”
“Not likely. Why did you betray your king?”
Novir smiled, bloody teeth making him sinister. “My allegiance is not to him. I betrayed no one.” A hint of pride surfaced, and Eric used it.
“For what? Money? Whores? A pint of ale?”
Sneering, Novir jerked his arms more and snarled, “Your petty pleasures are not mine.”
“You betray a kingdom for a night with a slut you’ll just get another disease from.”
Novir shouted, “I betray no one! My master is more powerful than any of you! Even your Majestic Magus.”
Mocking him, Eric asked, “Then why does he need the Orbs of Dominion? True power means not needing a magic item to control others.”
Laughing bitterly, “Oh, he knows how to control people without it, trust me.”
“Trust a man who can be so easily bought? You will live your life in chains if I don’t kill you first, beneath Castle Arking in the dungeon.”
“I will sit on the throne of Minari! It is you and your friends that will rot beneath my castle!” He again tried to move his arms and while he’d succeeded some by now, he wasn’t getting them free.
“You betray your king for nothing more than a promise to take his place? What a fool you are.”
Smirking with condescension, Novir asked, “Am I, Silver-Tongued Rogue? If I am such a fool, then why am I the one who cannot see?”
Eric scowled, not understanding.
Novir spoke a word and Eric’s sight went black.
Chapter 7 – Valegis
Novir violently bucked a startled Eric, twisted, and yanked both of his arms free. Eric swung but had his blow blocked, a fist finding his jaw as he fell back into the sand onto something long, flat, and hard.
His sword, Eric thought, rolling off and grabbing it, the edge slicing his finger until he found the hilt. Using his other hand, he swung fast twice, just hoping to ward off Novir, whose movements he heard. He advanced, swinging wildly, feeling disoriented. His own sword was on his hip, which meant he didn’t need to see to keep the man away or save himself. That gave him an idea and he pulled out a knife. Novir cursed and ran toward the trees. Eric listened intently, trying to gauge distance and the path. Then he threw the knife, which sounded like it struck a tree. Novir continued crashing through the foliage as he escaped.
Eric turned toward the lake, or the direction he thought it was in, stumbling. He first needed to get the sand off his hands. And the blood. He wished Anna was here to heal him so he could see. All he saw was blackness, and having his eyes open but seeing nothing disturbed him. Hearing his booted feet splash, he dropped the sword, crouched, and cleaned his hands, rubbing one over the other, which is how he felt the Trinity Ring on one finger. He cursed himself for a fool. It had three healing spells. Surely one was strong enough to restore his sight. He didn’t really know how much strength was needed but saved the strongest spell for something more serious.
“Enurarki,” he said. Blackness lifted as light crept in, his sight blurry before slowly clearing. He sighed and picked up Novir’s sword, glancing toward Jolian as he straightened. For a moment, he thought both dragons had left, but both had shifted to human form. He turned back toward the trees, which were quiet now. Either Novir was hiding or he was far enough away to be unheard. Eric wasn’t sure if he should go after him, but the surprise spell made him decide against it. There was no telling what the man was capable of. Eric didn’t like surprises. He was lucky to be alive.
He went to collect his knives, since he had thrown pretty much all of them. He kept an eye out for danger. Seeing some fruit made him realize his hunger, but there was no way to know what was safe to eat on this planet. There had been rations in their gear. Had Novir put it there? It no longer mattered because Eric wasn’t eating it in case it had been poisoned. His face fell. What if the others were snacking on it now? He found several of the knives and hurried back to Jolian, noticing as he neared that Brazin seemed unconscious.
Eric asked, “He changed form?”
“Yes, trying to get out of my grip, but I just knocked him out after he did it.”
The rogue looked back toward where Novir had disappeared. “I don’t know if I should go after him.”
“What did you learn? Was it enough?”
“No, only that he was promised the throne of Minari. He didn’t say how he would earn it.”
“That’s a hefty reward for trapping us in a cave, however briefly. There must be more to him.”
Eric nodded. “Maybe he was responsible for the king being enthralled. If so, he has delivered Minari to whoever has the master orb.”
“That might be enough, assuming that person doesn’t want the throne for himself, which seems likely only because he has already ensnared two rulers. Why stop there?”
Eric agreed. These Orbs of Dominion were far too much power in one person’s hands. Part of him wondered if a James Bond-like villain was behind it all, b
elieving he would create peace across an entire world, or multiple worlds, by enslaving minds so that everyone just agreed with everything. The problem with that was the adage that absolute power corrupts absolutely. The sort of person who would use “evil” means to reach a “good” end could not be benevolent, because that required ethics they clearly didn’t have.
Jolian looked out over the forest and mountains. “We needn’t worry about Novir. He has no escape that will occur in time to interfere with us again. There are many things in between here and civilization. He is unlikely to survive, especially wounded and with no sword. His scent and that of the blood will bring trolls.”
“Good for him. Maybe he can be their king.”
“Their next meal is more likely.”
Eric hadn’t seen a troll and wondered how big they were. Did they really eat people? Though cannibalism was about eating your own kind, sentient species consuming each other was nearly as disturbing. On Earth, only animals ate people, and usually by accident or in desperation, but then there weren’t any other sentient species. Only a few animals like crocodiles ate humans on purpose. He supposed it didn’t matter if you were already dead, but the truly awful thing about crocs was the way they twisted a limb rapidly until yanking it off while you were still alive and going into shock. It had to be one of the worst and most terrifying ways to die.
Just today he’d seen a leviathan try to eat Jolian. Being reduced to food felt ignoble and wasn’t something he’d ever considered as a likely end to his life before these quests began. Had he entered a new food chain where he was a few notches down from the top of it? How did one go about making themselves unappetizing? The thought made him want to laugh, but maybe he really did need to look into it. How do you convince a predator that eating you in particular will be disgusting or make them sick? Did he just have to run faster than his friends? He smiled at the realization that he was already the fastest.
As for Novir, he felt some sympathy at the idea of being eaten. Traitor or not, it wasn’t a good way to go. Hopefully, he’d be dead instead of boiled alive in a stew or something. The thought made Eric realize how dependent on Jolian he was to get out of here. He turned to her.
“I don’t suppose you knew he could do magic?”
She frowned. “I did not, but that may explain the cave in. I saw nothing that looked like physical force had been used to cause it, but I thought perhaps such evidence had fallen with the rocks. He appears to only know simple spells, which is not a surprise. He would do more with his life with more power.”
Eric sensed she was taking some responsibility for not realizing Novir could do magic, but he had something else on his mind. “What if he can do a spell that could help him contact someone he’s working with? That would still interfere with us.”
Jolian considered that. “The spell he cast on you was simple, as would be the one for the cave in. It might mean he cannot do much more.”
“What if he has a device we don’t know about?”
“I think the only one that could matter would be one that allows him to communicate our plans to reach Ortham.” She looked down at her brother, frowning. It seemed clear that they had been trying for the city and the Lords of Fear.
Eric observed, “True, but if he had that, he presumably would have already used it. Otherwise, why bother fleeing at all when we came out of the Kirii Cave? He could have just contacted them and remained a hidden traitor among us.”
“I think we can safely ignore him.” She looked at Eric, eyes on his hips. “We must bind my brother. The spell will keep him in human form until I release him, but he is still dangerous when he awakens.”
Eric nodded and began removing the black rope he always had around his waist. When neatly placed, it looked like a belt so that he hadn’t actually realized its nature the first time he found himself changed into Andier’s clothes. He’d seen Jolian eyeing it.
He had little experience binding people but knew how to tie various knots from his rock climbing days. Apparently, tying people up was another skill he needed to gain, but no bind would matter if Brazin woke and cast a spell. “What about his magic?”
“I have suppressed that with a spell that is normally forbidden among our kind, but it will only last so long.”
“Long enough to complete the quest?”
“Unlikely. We will need to think of something.”
Maybe this was a problem Matt could help with. That was one of several reasons he said, “We have to get back to the others. What about Brazin? I assume you don’t want to leave him, but did he say anything about what he did, like why he did it? Do you think the orb has compromised him?”
She sighed. “He said nothing I care to repeat before I silenced him. His behavior and the way he looked at me left no doubt the orb has enthralled him. This must have been before the orb left Castle Arking.”
“I was wondering about that. How do you think that happened? How did the dragons get involved? And when?”
“My brother was already at Castle Arking because he spends time among the races, unlike most of our kind. He must have become enthralled. It wasn’t until after Bolin Hill and the Lords of Fear became involved that Brazin asked me and Sebast for help. I am not sure how Brazin encountered the orb and yet did not go with those taking it. He would have been the fastest way to Ortham. It is something to think on. We must go.” Jolian gazed at her brother. “You can ride upon my back. I will carry him in my talons.”
“Where are you going to take him? I assume you don’t plan to leave him at the cave entrance.”
“The town, the one we passed on the way there. Valegis is the only safe place for him. He will remain bound, but trolls and others would get to him if left without a guard. He is still my brother and I do not want harm to come to him.”
“You think he’ll be safe in the town in human form? Will they know the truth? What do they think of dragons?”
She appraised him. “All good questions. I think we must return to your friends, leaving my brother there for now, under their guard. Then you and I will go to the town, landing out of sight and walking the rest of the way. If I fly in, they will almost certainly attack us. Dragons don’t appear often among such places, and people fear us. That we mean them no harm would mean nothing. The best way to gain their trust is for us to make our way to the town’s leader and convince him of our quest.”
Eric smirked. “That should be an interesting conversation.”
She smiled. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
That would be a lot easier if he knew more about this world. He would need to think quickly. And he wondered why she thought it was all on him. Should he take it as a compliment? “What then? We admit to the guy that you’re a dragon?”
“Yes, once we convince him we’re no threat. I hope that you and I can arrange for him to keep my brother under guard and to ease the town’s fears so that I retake my true form outside without causing a panic. I can fly back to the cave, and take my brother back to town, no one afraid of my return.”
“What about if he awakens and regains magic?”
“The town should have wizards. Everywhere does. Magic is common here. Hopefully, they will subdue him. Several wizards working together could handle him. We will have to ask these questions.”
Eric thought was a good idea so far, assuming it went according to plan. “What then? Can you carry all four of us to Ortham?”
“Yes, but two of you would not be in a saddle. You would need to choose one other who handled it as gracefully as yourself.”
Eric started laughing and Jolian smiled. “Oh no, I’m not making that decision. We’ll let them choose. Anyway, how long do you think it will take to do this whole thing with Brazin and be on our way?”
“Hours. I know we must move quickly.”
“Can you hear me well enough while we fly? I must ask you something.”
“Yes. Let us proceed.”
Jolian stepped away from him and Eric made
sure to not get slapped by a suddenly appearing dragon wing as she transformed, both the process and the result once again filling him with awe. She was always more massive than he remembered. That so much bulk could be reduced and then expanded like that made him assume magic made it possible. He wondered if a dragon ever spontaneously returned to their true form unexpectedly. That could be interesting.
He tucked Novir’s sword into his belt in case they needed it, since the current plan meant Jolian and him walking into a town, and she might need a weapon that would not reveal her nature. Then he climbed up one offered wing to her back and felt more relaxed this time as she stepped toward Brazin, gently folding a front foot around him. She took to the sky with powerful strokes. Eric hoped the others were safe outside the Kirii Cave entrance, but Ryan and Matt were good enough at their new roles by now, he thought, that he wasn’t too worried. They could fend off whatever came for them. Hopefully, they hadn’t eaten any of the food, which they could replace in Valegis.
“What is your question?” Jolian asked, her voice rumbling like thunder.
Eric looked out over the forest-covered mountains as they soared between the peaks. He hadn’t exactly been paying attention earlier. “After Novir’s actions, I am not sure who to trust.”
“I am also questioning what we thought to be true.”
“Is there any part of the story that you are certain about? Like these Lords of Fear? Or even the Orbs Dominion? Do they exist?”
“Yes, the lords are well known. Whether they are involved or not, I do not know. Preparing to face such dangerous people will have us prepared for many lesser threats. And the orbs are legendary. Enough people saw an item matching the description, both in Hamarven and Minari, that I do not disbelieve this. I am more concerned about the destination.”
The Light Bringer: An Epic Fantasy Adventure Novel (The Dragon Gate Series Book 2) Page 11