Dragon Mage Academy Box Set

by Cordelia Castel

  He nodded. “The little female is easy to fix.”

  My gaze dropped down to Evolene. Everyone in Steppe referred to witches with a little more decorum, but I wouldn’t complain. Ko-ra-kenn pointed his trident at Evolene, and boiling water shot out.

  I rolled to the side, taking Evolene with me. The water landed on the stone and evaporated in a sizzle. “Hey!”

  “Why do you interfere with Ko-ra-kenn’s healing?” he growled. “Do you not see me as worthy?”

  “You’re fine,” I said. “But it’s your trident. Most land-folk don’t take too well to hot water.”

  His gray face split into a grin, and dread lined my belly with a coating of lead. If my every objection was to be twisted into a compliment, Fyrian, Evolene and I would never get off this island, and we’d wouldn’t stop the spriggans from resurrecting the Forgotten King.

  Before he could repeat my comment to the crowd, I asked, “Is there another healer?”

  An elderly male with pink skin as thin as a jellyfish waddled out of the crowds. “Dohr-nii is a healer.”

  My shoulders slumped with relief. At least this one didn’t carry a weapon. He opened up his bag and pulled out strips of pale, dripping seaweed, which he placed on Evolene’s forehead.

  I drew back, giving him space to work. “What does that do?”

  “Sargassum draws out the injury and lets the body do its own healing.”

  Ko-ra-kenn sniffed. “Dohr-nii is the layer of weeds.”

  I ignored the boastful warrior, wrapped my hand around Evolene’s, and fixed my gaze on her face. The seaweed darkened, and he pulled it off her head. Her eyelids twitched, and I drew in a sharp breath. It was working. Dohr-nii continued laying strip after strip of seaweed onto Evolene’s forehead and replacing it when it darkened. Eventually, Evolene’s eyes fluttered open. “Stafford?”

  “He’s not here,” I murmured. “But you’ve had a nasty accident and were knocked out for a bit.”

  She exhaled. “I’m not dead?”

  I squeezed her hand. “You’re perfectly alive and well.”

  The healer packed up his seaweed strips, and I glanced up at him. “Can you help my dragon?”

  “Dohr-nii will need more seaweed.” He pulled himself to his feet and waddled out through the crowds.

  I gulped. Did I need to follow him and help him carry the seaweed, or did he want me to wait here? I sat back on my heels, watching over Evolene. Just because she was awake, it didn’t mean she could protect herself or wield magic.

  Ko-ra-kenn crouched close and cleared his throat. “Fairies invaded our waters to steal sitio-pearls from the ocean floor. Is that what you seek?”

  “No.” I leaned back and placed a handkerchief over Evolene’s mouth and nose. In her weakened state, she probably couldn’t flinch away from his breath. “What’s a sitio-pearl?”

  “The most potent receptacle of magic.” He spread his arms wide, as though he was paying himself a compliment. “A single pearl can carry enough power to shatter Finmanland.”

  I gulped. “When you say fairies, are you talking about beautiful creatures with wings?”

  Ko-ra-kenn’s face twisted into a rictus of disgust. “They were ugly, with misshapen heads and dark magic. But they carried no staff like your witch, so they had to be fairies.”

  “How long ago did they come?”

  “The last moon.”

  I cringed. That was just after the confrontation at the border hills over the dragon eggs. Back then, the spriggan had identified me as their master’s kin. The spriggans had either been planning to steal the blessing from the quadruplet’s naming ceremony, or they had decided they needed to put my magic and life-force into a sitio-pearl. “How many pearls did they take?”

  “A dozen.”

  My throat spasmed. Right now, I wished Fyrian was awake, so we could discuss the implications of those pearls. With Aunt Cendrilla, Chrysus, and the combined power of Fyrian and me pushing our magic into that blessing, the spriggans would have enough of the right kind of magic to wake even a sleeping volcano.

  Dohr-nii waddled through the crowds, holding a dripping basket the size of a sack. He layered the seaweed on Fyrian’s brow. “Your dragon was not as badly hurt as the witch, but it sleeps deeply.”

  I exhaled a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

  “Do not thank the fin-men,” said Dohr-nii. “Ko-ra-kenn was the idiot who spotted you in the skies and blew the fog-horn too hard. He was supposed to cover the island with mist, not bring you crashing down on top of us.”

  I raised my head and glowered at Ko-ra-kenn. “Well, I appreciate your efforts to put things right. I was traveling with two other dragons. Have you seen them?”

  Dohr-nii nodded. “There was one the color of blood who crash-landed in the sea. We summoned a wave and pulled it and its three passengers ashore. Ko-ra-kenn put them in our prison.”

  This time, Ko-ra-kenn had the decency to look ashamed for potentially drowning Byrrus, King Magnar, and his sisters.

  “Are they awake?” I asked.

  “Of course,” said Dohr-nii. “We do not imprison the dead or the sleeping.”

  “How long were we unconscious?” I asked.

  “Not long,” replied the elderly fin-man. “About—”

  ROAAAAARRR!

  I clapped my hands over my ears and grimaced. That could only be the roar of a purple dragon. An unnatural wind swirled around the village square taking with it all the moisture from the air, the signature attack of a blue. Above it, flames burned on the undersides of the clouds, reminding me of Fyrian’s display with her friends at King Magnar’s tournament. My insides twisted into knots. In moments, flaming venom and jets of boiling water would rain down on us. I glanced up at the sky to find a shape that reflected all the colors of the sun. It could only be Gladius trying to mount a rescue.

  I turned to Dohr-nii. “That dragon up there is powerful and wants us back. You have to wake my dragon up. Now!”

  The old fin-man placed both hands on the seaweed he had piled on Fyrian’s brow then closed his eyes. Darkness seeped into the fingertips of his translucent skin and up his arms. When it reached his chest, he shuddered and grimaced with pain.

  Suppressing my guilt, I reached into my bond. “Fyri? Are you awake? Gladius?”

  Fyrian groaned. “What’s happened?”

  “You crash-landed. Can you reach Gladius?”

  “Fairy? None-Of-Your-Business?” Panic laced his voice. “What happened?”

  “Gladius, stop attacking. The fin-men thought we’d come to kill them, and they knocked us out of the sky with their mist. They realize their mistake now.”

  ROAAAAARRR!

  I scowled up at the iridescent figure disappearing into a cloud of fire which had already started raining drops of flame. “Didn’t you hear what I said?”

  “I’m just giving them a scare.”

  “What does it want?” Ko-ra-kenn wrung his webbed hands. “I-it isn’t stopping!”

  “I’m trying to explain, but it’s taking a while.”

  “Can we give the dragon something to appease its anger?”

  I glanced at the horn on Ko-ra-kenn’s hip. “Do you have a spare one of those?”

  He unsheathed it and threw it down. “Call off your dragon!”

  “Gladius, you can come down now. They’ve given us something that can help kill the spriggans.”

  Chapter 10

  In an instant, Gladius appeared beside Fyrian, crushing the rock beneath his claws. Screams filled the village square, and the fin-men scattered toward their seaweed huts. Gladius stamped his foreleg and made the ground beneath us shudder. Pulling Evolene’s head on my lap, I sucked in a sharp breath. This was the attack of a black dragon. The Forgotten King really had made him all-powerful. If that wasn’t enough to terrify the fin-men, Gladius tilted his head to the skies and blew out a stream of flames that flattened mere feet over the roofs of their homes. Only red dragons could produce such prolific and wide-spre
ad flames.

  Ko-ra-kenn fell to his knees and bowed his head low. “Forgive us, great Bringer-Of-Fire. We did not realize your might!”

  Gladius turned to Fyrian, who still lay immobile on her side. “None-Of-Your-Business, are you well?”

  “M-my head hurts a little.” She opened her crimson eyes a fraction and closed them again.

  I turned to Dohr-nii. “Is there anything you can give her for the pain?”

  Gladius placed his forepaw at the base of Fyrian’s tail, filling our bond with warmth. It reminded me of how Healer Alabio had fixed my dislocated shoulder. “This should help.”

  She let out a smoky sigh. “Th-thank you. That feels much better.”

  “I will find a meal for None-Of-Your-Business—”

  “My name’s Fyrian. Fyrian-Lacerta,” she said.

  The iridescent dragon nodded. “When I return with… Fyrian’s meal, I will give her a little more healing, and we will leave for the island. Fairy, see if you can get us directions.”

  With an unnecessarily large gust of wind, Gladius launched himself to the skies and spread his wings in a blaze of all colors. The fin-men remaining in the village square gasped at the display. I gaped up at his retreating form. Gladius had used the attack of a yellow dragon, whose specialty was the air element.

  Ko-ra-kenn pulled himself off his hands and knees and shuffled toward me, wringing his hands. “I-is there anything else we can do to appease the great Bringer-Of-Fire?”

  “If you can help us reach the island I was telling you about, I think he will forgive you for hurting his friends,” I replied. “And free the others you imprisoned!”

  He bobbed his head, scrambled to his feet and ran toward the houses. “Y-yes. Right away!”

  Gladius returned a few minutes later clutching the long, flat bill of a sawfish. The dragon-sized creature dangled lifelessly in his grip, and I breathed a sigh of relief at the humane treatment. After ordering the killing of the flock of fanged cows, Ko-ra-kenn’s Bringer-Of-Death epithet seemed to be coming true. As Gladius swooped down, he relaxed his jaws, letting the huge fish fall onto the square with a splat.

  Fyrian pulled herself up and blew a stream of flames over the sawfish, filling the air with the mouth-watering scent of grilled fish.

  Evolene stirred on my lap. “W-what’s that?”

  “Fyrian’s breakfast. Are you hungry?”

  She bolted upright. “M-my staff! A-and Master Jesper’s sack. I-I lost them in the fall!”

  A fin-man with plum-colored skin and violet fins that crowned his head stepped forward, carrying the burlap sack. “It landed on the surface of the water, but I don’t think its contents got wet.”

  I reached out my arm and smiled. “Thank you. Did anyone see her staff?”

  A small female with golden skin and spines protruding from her back stepped out from the side of one of the seaweed huts. She dragged the base of Evolene’s staff across the rocky village square, keeping the crystal end undamaged. “I found it!”

  “Thank you!” Evolene grabbed her staff and hugged it to her chest.

  Byrrus joined us shortly after, bringing King Magnus and his sisters.

  “There is enough food for everybody,” said Gladius. “Eat now.”

  I relayed his message to the others, and Evolene reached into the sack and pulled out the wicker basket. A huge dish filled its interior. I lifted it out and placed it on the floor, exposing six spoons and stack of flatbreads. Eyepatch must have heard that King Magnar and his sisters had joined us.

  King Magnar climbed down from Byrrus and headed toward the fish.

  “There’s stew if you want some,” I said to him.

  He turned around and smiled. “The offer is much appreciated. Thank you.”

  Astri insisted on eating the sawfish, and Botilda hesitated as though torn between being loyal to her sister and eating human food. Eventually, she joined Astri at the sawfish and used her staff to carve out a healthy portion for herself. A few of the younger mer-men edged toward the huge fish and Botilda floated steaming chunks to them.

  Gladius sat between the other two dragons and ate.

  I broke off a piece of flatbread, placed a heaping spoonful of the lamb stew on top, and took a huge bite. The rich flavors of gravy, herbs, and meat filled my senses, making me hum with appreciation.

  “Cobbs has outdone himself,” said King Magnar.

  “I-it tastes all the better because we’re so far from home,” added Evolene.

  I grunted my agreement and focussed on my meal. The taste of Eyepatch’s stew reminded me of those I’d left behind. Stafford would probably be annoyed that I’d left him out of this adventure, even though my promise to bring him along still stood. Niger… I sighed. He’d probably shrug off his disappointment with a joke and a smile.

  It was hard to explain how desperate I’d become in the aftermath of the spriggans stealing the blessing. There had been no time to wander around Mount Fornax, trying to find friends to bring along. We needed King Magnar’s knowledge of the territory and Evolene for the spriggan poison. I placed another spoon of the bread-and-stew mixture into my mouth and pushed away my excuses. If we returned triumphant, I would make things up to Stafford and Niger.

  After we had eaten, Gladius gave Fyrian another round of healing. Ko-ra-kenn and the others led us through their village to a beach consisting of algae-covered rocks.

  “Now, I will help you get to the Isle of Iron.” The fin-man placed an iridescent, black bubble on the ground between Fyrian and Byrrus’ forepaws. “The mare-raeda is an artifact we use to help us travel leagues over short periods of time and can reach any location in the Known World.”

  I eyed the bubble, glanced at the ocean and stole a glance at Evolene to check for signs of nervousness at a trip underwater. She stared at her feet, and I gave her a little pat on the arm. The bubble probably worked the same as Master Jesper’s Pisces Pila, the balloon fish it had enchanted to expand and transport us to the underwater prison. “How do you activate it?”

  “Any one of you with a bit of magic needs to summon a drop of water and order it to transport you to a specific location. It works better the more accurate your directions.”

  “And how do you deactivate it?” Evolene’s brows drew together.

  Ko-ra-kenn spread his arms wide. “In your loudest voice, shout, ‘stop, mare-raeda, stop!’ It will return to a small, portable size, ready for its next use.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Are you sure this bubble won’t pop? Dragons can hold their breath underwater for a very long time, and Gladius here can breathe in the water and swim. We might not need this.”

  “We promise,” said Ko-ra-kenn. “The mare-raeda is good for a dozen uses.”

  King Magnar ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sure there are enchantments for breathing underwater if the fin-men’s contraption doesn’t work.”

  I turned to Evolene. “Do you know any?”

  She raised her burlap sack in the air. “Master Jesper also packed a few breathing parasols just in case.”

  “Right.” I pushed aside memories of slimy tentacles slipping through my nostrils, mouth, and throat. “We might as well give the mare-raeda a try, then.”

  Fyrian and Byrrus stepped close to the black pearl. Gladius transformed into a man, making the fin-men fall to their knees, and he positioned himself between the two dragons’ tails.

  Evolene raised her staff and summoned a drop of water. The fin-men all shuffled away. As soon as the water hit the black bubble, it expanded and stretched, engulfing us within its depths. It created a flat platform under the dragons’ paws with plenty of room to move and breathe.

  “What now?” My voice echoed off the pearl’s darkened walls.

  The village now looked like gray storm clouds had dropped down from the sky. All the seaweed houses had turned black in the shade, and I could barely make out the features of the mer-men who surrounded our bubble. I supposed that our strange vehicle was set up for maximum under
water visibility.

  Ko-ra-kenn cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “Command it to take you anywhere under the sea.”

  With a nod, I cleared my throat. In my clearest voice, I said, “Mare-raeda, Take us to the Isle of Iron.”

  The ball rolled toward the water at the speed of a galloping orlovi bird. It traveled over rocks and depressions in the ground, but didn’t create any jolts or bumps. As soon as it hit the water, the pearl picked up speed, slicing through the sea like the giant sailfish I’d sometimes see from the flying ships on trips to the United Kingdom of Seven. The sea around us blurred into a haze of blues, and I glanced around, wishing the pearl would slow so we could take a better look at the creatures.

  Evolene shuddered. “This reminds me of the Magical Militia prison.”

  Wrapping my arms around her in a comforting hug, I glared at King Magnar’s sisters, who stared straight ahead, pretending not to hear her anguish. It was King Magnar who gave me the apologetic smile, and I glanced away. Even though I no longer despised him with the power of a thousand suns, I still didn’t want to be his friend.

  “Oh, no!” said Fyrian.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Some kind of giant whale is swimming in our path with its mouth open.”

  “How big is it?” I asked.

  “It could eat four of these bubbles.” She sent me a visual of a cavernous mouth. Instead of teeth, rows of arched bones helped it gape open, reminding me of the interior of the underwater ship.

  I reached for the lightning rod at the back of my sword belt. “Maybe if I could get out and blast it—”

  Gladius appeared at my back. “Give it here. I’ll appear at its side and scare it away.”

  “Do you know how to use it?”

  He grinned. “Point it at the enemy and push your magic through the handle?”

  “Umm… Yes?” I handed him the wooden lightning rod.

  Gladius disappeared. I closed my eyes and focused on seeing through Fyrian’s eyes. He swam close to the whale’s right and pointed the lightning rod at its flank. White light shot out of the rod’s tip, making the whale flinch to the left. He shot at the whale again, who swerved out of the way.