The Fifth Magic

by Brian Rathbone

  Those words softened Allette's expression, showing hints of the frightened and broken little girl who'd fled back into the Jaga after their last meeting.

  "Why did you bring me here?" Allette asked him softly. "Why would you want to hurt me so?"

  The feral queen growled, low and deep.

  "I was summoned, same as you," Thundegar said. Allette looked dubious. "Trinda has the ability to summon dragons. I was riding the dragon you see behind me with my friend Onin when it happened to us too."

  Suspicion showed on Allette's face and posture.

  "There are other dragons here as well," Thundegar said. "They're hiding--first from Trinda and now from you."

  Allette's eyes narrowed. "You lie," she said.

  Sinjin stepped closer but Kendra grabbed his arm and held him fast.

  "This is something I must do," he said. Kendra squeezed hard one last time before letting him go. He made a mental note to remind her how strong her grip was if he survived the next few minutes. "I, too, was summoned along with my dragon."

  At the sight of Sinjin, Allette hissed and the feral queen's pupils narrowed. It was a disconcerting sight, and it stilled his breath for a long moment. "You know me," he said. "And I know I've brought you great pain in the past, but it was not out of malice."

  Allette did not appear convinced.

  "Sinjin is among those who voted to leave you in peace," Kendra said, stepping out behind him. "There're others who wished to attack you before you could regain your strength. I beg you not to prove those imbeciles correct."

  "Where is your dragon?" Allette asked Sinjin, no warmth in her manner.

  "Valterius!" he shouted. Nothing happened. Demons moved closer. Sinjin could feel the beasts' hot breath on his face. The smell alone was enough to make him want to flee, but he held his ground. To retreat would be to trigger instinct in the predatory dragon; this much Sinjin knew. He also knew standing his ground probably didn't increase the odds of his survival by all that much. "Valterius!" he shouted again, hoping his dragon would sense the urgency in his voice, but still nothing happened.

  "Gerhonda!" Kendra shouted when Valterius did not materialize.

  The feral queen hissed and turned on Kendra, ready to snap her up in her jaws. The creature's head was so big, it wouldn't even need to chew before swallowing her. The thought made Sinjin ill. Demons closed in on him now, perhaps only Rastas kept them from harming Thundegar. Sinjin and Kendra had no such protection.

  Just as they found themselves back to back, the air pressure changed. Sinjin cried out as he was violently snatched from within the crowd of demons. In the next instant, he was flying, but not as he usually did. Valterius gripped him with both claws and flew through the halls of Dragonhold with incredible speed. Only when his wife cursed did he know Gerhonda followed. About the rest, Sinjin could not say. He was too busy being terrified.

  Valterius wove through towering pillars, making himself a difficult target to hit. Jehregard's massive head appear before them, and Valterius flew just a little higher before turning on a wingtip and diving toward the hall leading to the God's Eye. There Kenward, Chase, and the others waited.

  "Look out!" was all Sinjin had the time to shout before they flew through a too-small space. Valterius' scales made a frightening sound when scraping against the ceiling, and Sinjin's feet occasionally came into contact with the stone floor, causing him to nearly slip from his dragon's grip. The sound of Kendra's complaints gave him a little comfort--at least he knew she was alive. His breath and all other thought were taken from him when they entered the chamber containing the God's Eye.

  Valterius flew higher, dodging the stalactites reaching down from the chamber ceiling. Sun- and comet light streamed in through a narrow opening in the ceiling of the chamber, and Sinjin had a sick feeling when he thought his dragon might try to escape through that too-narrow gap. Instead, Valterius continued toward the far side of the chamber. When Al'Drak was forced lower by a protruding formation, Sinjin saw the reflection in the still lake. It featured him and Valterius against the backdrop of daggers made of stone. That was until a demon burst forth from the water, breaking the illusion and nearly catching Sinjin's ankle as they passed.

  Gerhonda swooped in, smacking the demon in the head with her bottom jaw. The demon quickly disappeared from sight, and Sinjin caught his first glimpse of Kendra, who hung upside down, Gerhonda gripping her by her ankles. Sinjin knew Kendra well, and if they survived this, he knew he might need to intervene on Gerhonda's behalf. Of course that would have to be after he and Valterius got a few things straight.

  Those thoughts were washed away when Sinjin saw the barges under attack and the head of a feral dragon sticking in through the far entrance. Demons taunted those aboard the unarmed and overfull barges.

  What had Trinda been thinking? Sinjin had to ask himself. Then he had to hold on as Valterius plunged him into the lake. The dragon's open jaws sent demons flying away from them. The feral dragon roared, trying to squeeze itself into the chamber without much luck. Though the feral dragon posed little danger as long as they did not approach it, Sinjin also knew they wouldn't be able to escape that way. Valterius fended off demons and placed Sinjin onto the barge. The dragon did not let go of him.

  "Hold on to me," Sinjin shouted, and the people around him did as he asked, nearly crushing him with their desperate grasps. Valterius flapped his wings and moved the barge toward a nearby opening, one Sinjin knew led to the inner hold, perhaps their last chance at finding safety. Water splashed behind him followed by more of his wife's cursing, and he shouted, "Help her!"

  Those nearest Kendra let go of Sinjin and reached out for his wife. The moment she was in their embrace, Gerhonda released her. The regal dragon used teeth, claws, and tail to fend off the encroaching demons. Gathered beneath the barge, the twisted, unnatural creatures rocked the unwieldy vessel, trying to tip it over. Those aboard were tossed about when a massive wave pitched the barge as Gerhonda dived beneath.

  Moments later, Valterius's effort paid off, and the barge thumped into the wall of the chamber. As soon as they struck, the people let go of Sinjin, and Valterius flew on into an even smaller hall than the last. Sinjin had to keep his knees bent to not be dragged along the floor. Again, Kendra's shouts reached him. He turned long enough to catch a glance of her, now right side up and struggling the same as he.

  Remembering this hall, Sinjin hoped Valterius could truly read his thoughts, for there were tight places ahead, places where he'd nearly died the last time, he recalled. The dragons proved their skill at flying even in tight spaces, executing swift turns that left their humans pale and queasy.

  When at last they broke into the chamber with the mountain like bridge of loose, black stone, the true majesty of the city on one side of the bridge was revealed. Beside the titan wheel that spun ever faster, Trinda waited. Sinjin wondered what kind of reception they would get.

  Valterius denied Sinjin a dignified entrance and sent him sprawling on the wet flagstone at Trinda's feet. Gerhonda, at least, tried to redeem herself by gently placing Kendra at Sinjin's side. His wife helped him stand and wiped blood from his lip.

  When he looked at Trinda, he expected a sarcastic remark, but all she did was raise one eyebrow. This, he decided, was no better.

  * * *

  Occasional sounds of battle and the roars of dragons filtered down to where Sinjin and Kendra confronted Trinda. Or perhaps it was she who confronted them. The dragons had retreated to a pair of rock protrusions high above.

  "None of this makes sense," Sinjin said. "Why have you done this? What purpose could it possibly serve?"

  Trinda responded with nothing more than a smile. It crawled under his skin and made him want to scream, but when a growl escaped his wife's lips, he held her back. This was no time for tempers.

  "Are you going to let them take over the hold?" Sinjin asked. "Or are we going to fight?" It was the most diplomatic approach he could take. Perhaps if Trinda could be persua
ded to align her forces with his, then they would have a chance.

  "Allette is not evil," Trinda said.

  Sinjin blinked. "What?"

  Trinda sighed with a pained look on her face, as if she spoke to a slow-witted child. "The sounds you hear are not the slaughter of people; it is the posturing of dragons trapped in a confined space and people being herded into areas where they can be controlled. I'm not saying no one will get hurt, but I can assure you the self-proclaimed Black Queen is not a mass murderer."

  It took a bit of time for Sinjin to process the information.

  "That still doesn't explain why you summoned the dragons here. What game are you playing?" Kendra asked, venom in her tone and flames in the corners of her eyes. By the gods, Sinjin loved that woman, and by the goddess, she did her best to drive him mad.

  "Perhaps I don't want to tell you," Trinda said. "You haven't been very nice to me, so you shall have to wait and find out with all the rest." The words were said with cool power flowing through them. They escaped the child queen's lips like wisps of mist. Then her voice turned hard and icy. "But do not think for an instant I'm vapid or without cause. Perhaps someday you'll find understanding, but I doubt today will be the day."

  Kendra audibly ground her teeth, and he could only hope she would maintain control of her rising temper. Kendra was no stranger to conflict. Clenching her teeth, she let Sinjin ask the next question.

  "What are we going to do when they get down here?" Sinjin asked in as polite a tone as he could manage without sounding entirely insincere.

  "Leave me to worry about that," Trinda said.

  Sinjin couldn't help but feel betrayed and helpless. They'd never had any choice in the matter of coming here. He worried over these things to mask deeper worries. Trinda eyed him as if trying to read his anxiety, and he pushed those feelings deeper. Fortunately for him, he had an abundance of things about which to worry and let his thoughts remain a maelstrom of anxiety. The sounds drifting to them grew louder, and he wondered just how much time they had left.

  "If we are to defend the hold," Sinjin said, "may I have my staff and Koe please?"

  "That won't be necessary. Now is not the time," Trinda said.

  He had known she wouldn't grant his request, and it further soured his mood. This trickster clothed in the body of a child was starting to push Sinjin's patience to its limits. Dealing with Trinda required Sinjin to constantly remind himself she was far more powerful and intelligent than her form would suggest. The girl was an expert at using this to her advantage. Even people who knew how dangerous she was still sometimes fell under her spell and underestimated her.

  Considering some of her abilities, Trinda was perhaps the most powerful person on all of Godsland. Sinjin noticed Trinda staring at him, and he pushed that thought down as far as he could. Despite his efforts, blood rushed to his face. Sometimes he envied his mother's ability to speak with her subconscious. Maybe then he could convince his body to stop embarrassing him. Trinda's smile grew wider.

  Given the chance, Sinjin would have said something, but his knees buckled when the keep shuddered. An instant later, a clap louder than thunder and a familiar roar filled Dragonhold.

  "Well," Trinda said, her face a mask of innocence. "I think we have another visitor."

  * * *

  Kenward watched the events unfold in a state of increasing shock. Far too many demons and feral dragons flooded the hall, and the Serpent wasn't yet ready to fly. He eyed Jehregard and wondered if the huge dragon could push his way out of the hold. Visions of being in a wooden box atop that dragon forced Kenward to consider other options.

  In the end, he turned to Chase and Martik to see what they would do. So far, they had remained near Onin and Jehregard for the semblance of safety the dragon provided. But it was clear Chase was looking for an opportunity to make their escape. Martik was eyeing the tierre atop the verdant dragon, but the longer he thought about it, the more color drained from his face.

  Allette remained atop her dragon and appeared torn as to what to do with Thundegar. She'd been ready to cast him aside not long before, but Rastas stood defensively beside Thundegar, his tail wrapped around the man's leg.

  "I'm not your enemy," Thundegar said.

  "Nor are you my father," Allette responded with venom. "He's dead, along with all my friends and family."

  "Not all of your friends are dead," Thundegar continued, his voice calm and level without a hint of fear. Kenward admired him; the gaze of the feral queen was enough to make his legs turn to jelly.

  "I betrayed you!" Allette shouted at Thundegar as if he were deaf. "You've no reason to be my friend."

  "You did not betray me," Thundegar said. "You were unable to help me, that is true, and you did what you had to do save yourself, but that doesn't make you a traitor; it makes you a survivor. If you had come back, it's possible none of us would've survived. Do you understand me?"

  The hall was mostly silent. Kenward drew ragged breaths. The air reeked of power and left a metallic taste in his mouth that grew progressively worse.

  "What do you expect me to do? Just leave? After I was drawn here against my will and threatened by that . . . that . . . child?"

  "I only ask you to recognize that we are friends and that none of the people you see in this hall are responsible for bringing you here."

  "I'm aware of that," Allette said with a heavy note of exasperation. "But it doesn't mean I don't want to at least pay my respects to our hostess and repay her for her kindness."

  The venom pouring forth from Allette showed just how damaged this child was, and Kenward's soul wept for her innocence. He knew her story and could not help but relate to her. He'd lost a great deal in this life; some of it had been returned to him, but he knew the pain of loss, and he could see it all over the girl's face. Like Thundegar, he hoped she would come to see them as allies. The presence of the demons didn't help Allette's cause in anyone's mind, but Kenward also knew they existed before Allette had come to power among the ferals. The demons were the creations of the ferals, and Kenward wasn't certain just how much control over these dragons the girl really had. If it was anything like what he'd seen out of Valterius, Gerhonda, and Jehregard, then her control was little more than an illusion. From what Kenward had seen, the dragons were the ones in control; if not, they wouldn't be in this mess.

  The taste was overwhelming, and a hum grew in his ears. Kenward opened his mouth to speak, but the humming shut out all other sound; even the feral queen's roar was drowned out. Chase had both his hands over his ears, but he pulled one away long enough to wave them toward the main entrance to Dragonhold, not far from the hall leading to the kitchens and deeper into the hold.

  Kenward caught a flash of light through the open gates, and his mind could not fathom what it was he'd seen. At that moment, consumed with following Chase and the others, Kenward could give it no more thought. The feral queen loomed above him as they slipped beneath her tail. She and Allette were focused on the entrance to the keep, and those who fled were no longer of any concern. Kenward was glad to see Thundegar among those who made it to the hall, the cloud cat, Rastas, never leaving his side.

  Something made Kenward stop and look back, despite his better judgment. When he did, he saw something he'd never have dared to hope for. Glowing like a new star and entering the hold at high speed came a dragon and rider. There was no mistaking Catrin Volker, the Herald of Istra and Kenward's dear friend, and her dragon, Kyrien. Never had Kenward seen either of them shine so, as if Catrin herself were on fire. The saddle upon which she rode spread rainbows of light. Ropes of multicolored lightning shimmered and leaped out at random.

  "Flee!" boomed Catrin's forceful command. "I have to release the energy! No one will be safe."

  She may have said something else, but Kenward couldn't hear over the thunder of his heart and his feet. Tears streamed down his face from the realization Catrin and Kyrien were alive, but he could not slow. When the Herald of Istra tells yo
u to flee, anyone with the sense the gods gave them did just that. When the thunder began and the blast of air knocked them all from their feet, Kenward prayed they had gotten far enough away.

  Chapter 14

  Artifacts of true power are rarely hidden in the light.

  --Ain Giest, sleepless one

  * * *

  The first thundering crash was the least of it. What Catrin was doing to release her energy, Kenward didn't know, but it added to his confliction. The joy of knowing Catrin was alive was unabated. She was among his most treasured friends, but she was also the Herald of Istra and was apparently in the process of grinding the great hall to bits. Those around him had the good sense to stay down, and none were injured by the blasts, but Kenward knew his ears would ring for days.

  "It's Catrin," Kenward managed to say between blasts, and the looks he received in return ranged from fright to disbelief. Chase, though, stood with tears in his eyes and a determined smile on his face. The next blast knocked him back down, and he landed on Martik, who complimented his decision-making skills.

  Eventually the blasts subsided enough that it was safe to stand again. Chase was already moving back toward the hall, and Kenward had to run to keep up with him, and even then, Chase pulled ahead. Others followed more slowly, and the two burst back into the hall, expecting to see the place littered with the bodies of ferals and demons alike. Instead, the demons huddled together against one wall. Jehregard was as still as stone, and Allette remained atop her dragon. They watched Catrin from a distance, the feral queen coiled around a stone column.

  Catrin remained in her saddle as well. The air around her shimmered and sparkled. Kenward had seen her struggle to access her powers early in her journey, and now those very same powers might turn her to ash.