by Jay Lynn
‘The strong must take power for themselves,’ his father would often say. ‘Otherwise, you will be trampled upon like the weak. Never be weak, Colton.’
Recalling his personal battle with Alec, the sage frowned. Eyeing his would-be target, he also thought of the way Alec fought against his father’s enchantment. How could anyone think of the warrior as being weak? Colton shook his head against those poisonous thoughts. Alec was a trickster. He would not let this man sway him from that truth. Letting his aura surge around him, Colton shattered the remainder of the stunning spell placed upon him. Aiming his hand in Alec’s direction, the wizard paused. As if by a will of its own, his fingers slowly curled into his palm and his arm started to lower. Giving himself a good mental shake, Colton’s face hardened. Striking the warrior in the back wouldn’t give him the satisfaction he desired. When he defeated Alec, Colton wanted it to be face-to-face.
“Next time, Alec,” he muttered like a curse.
Turning away, Colton slipped from the chamber in search of his father.
Backed into a corner, the three lords glanced at each other strangely. Despite Alec’s fiery insistence that they explain, not one of them seemed intent on doing so. Watching the blaze still waving about Alec’s arm, the leaders glared defiantly.
“Why not just use your power to gain what answers you seek?” Desmond questioned coyly.
“Perhaps, because he knows he may not get the truth,” Beltmore interjected placidly.
“Hmm, quite the predicament. Try to find the truth you seek, or kill us now and never know.”
Alec’s expression told them nothing as the two men toyed with him. Eyes scanning his adversaries, he inwardly frowned. What are they hiding? Observing them closely, Alec still couldn’t seem to figure out what they were up to. With no weapons… Alec paused. The man known as Lord Sever wasn’t engaging in this mocking display like the others. Peering at him, Alec noted that the man had a hand hidden beneath his tunic. Without batting an eye, the sage extinguished the flames around his arm to fling a strong gust at the tall lord.
Fighting to remain on his feet, Sever tried to brace himself as one after another of the remaining vials hidden in his clothing shattered. Shouting, the man stripped off his tunic and wet undershirt, throwing them on the floor. Red splotches were already bubbling up upon his skin where the toxins made contact.
“Damn you!”
“It’s your own fault for thinking you could use the same trick twice,” the sorcerer told him evenly.
Face twitching, the man glared up at him with narrowed eyes.
“Now then,” Alec began darkly. “If you are finished underestimating me—”
The Dragon Sage didn’t get the chance to complete his all too real threat. The entire top of the tower shook violently as something crashed into the domed roof from the outside. Looking upwards, Alec could see the web of cracks widen to rivers. As the next assault connected, loose pieces of plaster started to fall.
A roar sounded from the outside prior to another strike. Each one was coming faster than the next. The thunderous noise hammered away at the building with a continuous ferocity.
Behind him, Jade let out an involuntary shriek. Larger chunks were falling, some landing dangerously close by. Disregarding the men he was interrogating, Alec rushed to Jade’s side.
“Surgeon, shield.”
Peering over towards Colton, he went to spread the barrier around the defenseless sage as well, only to see that he had disappeared. A quick visual sweep of the space told him Colton was gone, as were the flames blocking the doorway. Focusing on protecting Jade, the sage drew his energy away from the fires to solely concentrate on his barrier.
More of the ceiling was crashing down in boulders. A hole appeared in the supposedly impenetrable roof. Soon, a large clawed foot reached in, prying the opening wider still. Once the gap was massive enough for her to easily pass, Cassidy slipped inside.
The rocks falling upon the chamber were lessening now that a mighty dragon wasn’t attacking from the outside. Seeing Cassidy eased some of the tension in Alec’s shoulders. Stretching out his palm, Alec shifted his attention directly above them to the falling debris.
“Tsumorri, freeze.”
Leaving Cassidy’s escape route clear, Alec used the ice to seal the entire ceiling prior to lowering his shield.
“That should hold for now,” Alec said to no one in particular. A smile appeared on his face as he looked at the green dragon. “I can’t believe you were able to break in. How are the others? Have you had any contact with them yet?”
What Alec truly wanted to know was if Malcolm had indeed survived. He didn’t want to upset Jade at the moment with the details of their battles through the tower.
“Tatsu and Ardys were circling the tower in search of them,” Cassidy informed him unhappily. “I have yet to see any of the others.”
Alec was about to ask something more when a frown marred his features. The chamber was cluttered with various debris, but the one thing he didn’t see was any sign of the three Pure leaders. Where did they sneak off to? The doorway was blocked. However, the exit was within the sorcerer’s peripheral vision throughout the ordeal. He would have noticed if they tried to flee in that direction. Alec’s gaze shifted to the area beside the altar where the men had gathered. There had to be some kind of clue to their mysterious disappearance.
As stones crashed around them, Beltmore jerked back, momentarily forgetting about the magical wall of flames surrounding the chamber. He cringed, jumping in the other direction while expecting for his skin to be burnt. The man felt no pain from his momentary lapse of memory. It was then he noticed that Alec’s spell had dissipated.
“We should retreat while that demon is distracted,” Sever advised.
His two partners nodded in agreement. Destroying the dragon prince would have to wait for another time. Tapping a secret pattern on the stone wall, the lord unlocked a hidden passage which stretched out behind the platform. The three men raced down the steps as they dodged the endless raining debris. Once all of them cleared the steps, Desmond pulled a lever to close the stairwell. Cast in shadow, the three lords were now locked in a pitch-black corridor. Blindly feeling the wall, Beltmore, Desmond and Sever all traveled down the hallway as quickly as they were able. Eventually, it would lead to another hidden door within the main tower. There, they would be safe from the vile sorcerer.
A light suddenly appeared streaming from a bend up ahead. The men stiffened. Without Sever’s potions they were defenseless.
His hood lowered to reveal his features, Derek quickly strode towards them. A torch was clutched in one hand while a long knife was grasped in the other. He said nothing as he continued to approach menacingly.
“Derek, what are you doing here?” Beltmore questioned with raised brows. “If you seek the Dragon Sage, he is still in the chamber above.”
The lethal man’s expression didn’t change. “My orders do not involve him at this time.”
Desmond pulled back with a jerk. “Wait—no. You cannot be serious!”
“How dare you turn on us?” Sever demanded.
Derek shrugged. “You knew there could only be one true leader of The Pure when you joined my master. And you all have come to the end of your usefulness.”
The torch clattered to the ground, deepening the shadows of the corridor. In the next instant, Derek seemed to disappear. The lords jerked around, squinting in the poor light for the assassin. Slipping behind them, an eerie smile stretched across the man’s face as he moved in upon his first victim.
Studying the floor where he had left the three lord’s company, Alec tilted his head to the side. No bodies were crushed behind the heavy stones, nor did they seem to be hiding anywhere among the boulders.
“Where did they flee?” Jade asked with a puzzled frown. It didn’t seem possible for them to just vanish.
Eyeing the ground, Alec paused. Lips pressing together, he stepped closer towards the platform containing
the altar and throne chairs. Among the dust were three sets of footprints. The impressions were abruptly cut off as if something else had been covering the floor where they stood. Or nothing, Alec privately corrected.
“Rokon, shift,” the sage said, calling up a spell.
This tower had been nothing but tricks and traps. Why would this be any different? Alec knew they had been hiding something and a trap door seemed the most logical answer. Manipulating the stones, Alec slid them around until he found an opening. A dark narrow staircase was revealed at his feet. Gazing into the shaft, Alec unsheathed his weapon and summoned a fireball in his palm.
“You are not going down there are you?” Jade whispered as if there was someone standing at the very bottom listening.
“I will be fine. Wait here.”
Alec knew they should depart. He knew more soldiers were bound to be on their way or even another sage, but he couldn’t stay his course. He needed to know if it was possible for him to cut off his enemies’ retreat in order to subdue these men. If The Pure crumbled, then he could stop their war from taking flight.
Twenty feet from the bottom step, the wizard came to an abrupt halt. A pool of liquid reflected his flame’s light. Increasing the blaze, his eyes narrowed. Blood covered the floor surrounding three bodies. From the amount of red liquid he expected to find multiple lacerations covering them, but the only injuries he found during a quick exam were deep slashes to each of their necks. Whoever got to them first knew what they were doing.
With one last look, Alec exhaled deeply and turned away. There was nothing more he could do here. Instead, he shifted his focus to Jade and getting her to safety. After all, there was a promise he would not fail to keep.
Chapter 19
“This way!” a soldier shouted from somewhere in the adjacent corridor. “Don’t let them escape.”
Racing through the unfamiliar depths of the Imperial Tower, Isabelle and Nathan closely followed the two Zerrokian princes. At some point, while fleeing from the dungeon Derek became separated from the group. Isabelle hoped he was alright. With so many guards on their tail, they couldn’t afford to search for the boy. At this rate, they would be lucky to escape themselves.
After leaving the dungeon, Prince Ashton had led them towards the west wing. Away from the main tower, the number of soldiers had lessened, but with so many stationed outside on the grounds, she couldn’t devise a way to reunite with the dragons.
A roar sounded, rattling the windows within their frames. They were close.
“Prince Ashton,” Isabelle called, quickening her steps to join his side. “Is there a large balcony or any access to the roof nearby?”
The man frowned thoughtfully. “This place was designed as a fortress, so there are no larger balconies. There is however, a small Keep nearby which we could use to get onto the roof. What are you planning?”
“To call for a ride,” she answered with a grin.
Eyes narrowing, the royal glanced at the windows then back at the sorceress. “Surely you do not mean to summon that beast?”
“Quite so, he is one of our escorts.”
“Indeed?” Ashton returned strangely with a frown.
Isabelle shared a glance with the warrior behind her that the prince did not miss. He opened his mouth to say something, but his less disciplined brother drew everyone’s attention.
“I am not riding one of those things. It is bad enough that we are being rescued by her kind,” Sebastian whined snidely. “But I shall not lower myself to associating with dragons.”
Ashton’s steps drew to a halt. “We spoke of this Sebastian. These people are here to help us. Their means do not matter. Without their aid, we would not be able to escape from our captors.”
“Personally, I would rather stay here,” the younger prince muttered tightly.
“You know we cannot,” Ashton told him with a pointed look. Peering at Isabelle and Nathan, the prince gave them a slight bow. “You must forgive him. Our Kingdom’s unjust fear of magic has tainted every class. My family is no exception.” When Ashton looked at his brother, the younger man turned away without a word. “We are thankful for your assistance.”
Loud voices and racing footsteps echoed down the corridor.
“We can’t linger here,” Nathan reminded everyone. “We are counting on you, Your Highness. Lead the way.”
Once more taking charge, Ashton took off down the hall towards the Keep and their freedom. Outside an armored door, two wide-eyed guards slowly began to draw their weapons upon seeing their uninvited guests. Nathan didn’t allow them the opportunity to gather their wits. Charging forward, he slashed both men before they were able to fully unsheathe their weapons. Checking the bodies, the warrior searched for a key.
“It only unlocks from the inside,” Ashton supplied, glancing at Isabelle.
Nathan followed the man’s line of sight. “Are you able to break through it?”
The sorceress strode forward and closed her eyes. Her energy was nowhere near fully restored after summoning her ice beast, yet she did have some mana to work with. Smirking, she pushed some lose strands away from her face.
“Men…always looking to destroy things. Why blast it open when there are easier ways?” she giggled. “Infureono, slice.”
A faint light shone from Isabelle’s finger tips. Running her hand down the seam of the door she cut through the locks. Releasing her spell, she reached forward and easily pushed the door open.
“Amazing as always,” Nathan told her, keeping eye contact longer than needed prior to entering the threshold.
Blinking rapidly, the sorceress’s cheeks began to flush. What was that about? Get ahold of yourself. He was simply paying you a compliment, she scolded, allowing the princes to go first. By the time she followed suit, Nathan was finishing off the few posted guards.
A spiral staircase in the center took them up another three flights to the top of the Keep. Nathan found the outside door quickly. After dispatching the two soldiers stationed on the surrounding deck, he motioned for the others to follow.
Isabelle pointed a hand to the sky and shot a ball of light into the air. She didn’t have long to wait. A bright red dragon soared closer, circling around the Keep before coming to land on the rooftop. A wide grin lit the sorceress’s features in the twilight.
“Ardys!”
The answering rumble caused her to laugh. Vaulting over the railing, Isabelle dropped down onto the lower roofline and rushed to the magical creature’s side.
“I’m so glad to see you,” she told him hugging the side of his face.
Watching the two strangers walking tentatively towards them, Ardys growled in the back of his throat. He didn’t need to be told who they were to recognize nobility.
Isabelle patted the side of his neck. She sympathized with her friend. The sage didn’t care much for the royals either, but a promise was a promise.
“I understand your feelings, my friend,” Isabelle began, knowing there wasn’t time to waste. “And I know it’s a lot to ask, but we swore to Malcolm that we would rescue the princes. You and I both know what it is like to be locked in a dungeon. No one deserves that needlessly.”
With a huff of smoke, Ardys folded his wings and held out a leg so the humans could climb aboard. Not much was said as everyone got situated and braced themselves for the flight. Lifting into the sky, Ardys circled around the perimeter of the grounds as he traveled higher into the atmosphere. The soldiers’ weapons could no longer reach them, yet the great dragon could still make out the events unfolding beneath. After a few moments, Isabelle spotted a flash of green smash into the roof of the main tower.
Drawing back, Cassidy unleashed a powerful blast upon the steel tiles. Once the plates were heated, she slammed into the structure, bending the outer layer. The pattern continued until she formed a hole to the inside. Slipping through the opening, the dragon disappeared from view.
Several minutes passed before she reemerged with two passengers. As s
he rose into the air, Tatsu burst out from behind the tower with his own riders. The three dragons roared to each other, then quickly set off. Rising into the clouds, they headed northwest to journey towards the neighboring kingdom of Rhordack. Flying across the Sea of Narvee with additional passengers would not be wise. Not only had the dragons been engaged in their own battles while awaiting the humans, but they had yet to rest since leaving Malyndor.
Darkness added to their cover as the miles passed by far below. Peering around, Alec could occasionally make out one of the other dragons, but identifying who was with them was impossible. The sorcerer was fairly certain that Isabelle and Nathan’s side mission must have been a success by the number of passengers among them. Had the great sage made it as well? He couldn’t be sure.
Once within the middle kingdom, the companions followed the line of the Black Mountains. They turned north along the coast for an hour or so prior to beginning a descent. Leaning to the side, Alec gazed around at the scenery below. Cassidy was gliding towards a small clearing on the water side of the mountains. The rocks curled inward, creating a natural basin that could only be seen from the air. Thick trees clung to the ridges and grew up the mountainside adding to the area’s camouflage. Once she landed, Cassidy lowered herself to the ground for Alec and Jade to dismount. To the left, was a large cave opening that Alec hadn’t been able to see from the sky. Cassidy walked inside, clearing the landing field for the next dragon. Stepping back, Alec’s fingers tapped the side of his leg. He craned his neck as Ardys drew closer to glide into the petit field.
Hopping down, the blonde sorceress raced to the warrior’s side, hugging both Alec and Jade. The smile upon her face was almost contagious.
“I can’t believe we did it,” she squeaked. “We not only infiltrated the best guarded fortress in Zerrok, but we managed to save Lady Jade and the princes, too. I was sure we were all going to perish, but we survived!”