Sands of Nezza

by M. L. Forman

  It wasn’t long before Savage stopped and sat down on a fallen log. They were surrounded by pine trees, and Alex found a comfortable spot at the roots of one of them. He leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes.

  “What did you want to talk about?” Savage questioned.

  “The order of Malgor,” said Alex. “I want to know why you were surprised when you thought they had sent me here.”

  “Let’s just say the order isn’t what it used to be,” Savage answered.

  “They aren’t able to get things done the way they used to?”

  “I’m not sure they get anything done at all these days.”

  “Why do you think that is?” Alex asked.

  “I don’t have to think—I know,” Savage answered in a fierce tone. “There are too many lazy people in the order, making decisions about what is and isn’t important. Not enough information is getting to the top levels of the order anymore. Nobody checks up on things because it’s easier to say there isn’t a problem than it is to find out what the problem really is.”

  “Don’t you send your reports to a central location?”

  “I used to, but they changed things a few years back, just after I started working for them,” said Savage. “There were rumors that someone with evil intentions was interfering with the order, maybe even trying to kill the leaders of the order, so the order became more secretive.”

  “I can understand the concern,” said Alex. “I’m sure the order has made a lot of enemies over the years.”

  “Not as many as you might think,” said Savage. “The order has never played favorites, so today’s enemy might be tomorrow’s friend, if you follow me.”

  “Yes, I understand. The order passes information to the people who need it, even if those same people have been a problem in the past.”

  “Exactly, so I don’t see the reason for their fear,” Savage continued. “Whatever their reasons, all the reports have to pass through levels. At each level, a person or a group of people decides what is important enough to pass on and what isn’t.”

  “That’s the problem?” Alex asked.

  “No, the problem is that I don’t know who’s reading my reports and what they are passing on,” said Savage. “If I say that it looks like all of Nezza may soon be at war, someone higher up might decide that Nezza has been at war for years. They might think that war in Nezza is normal, but they’ve never been here and they don’t know what it’s really like. But they pass on the message that everything is normal in Nezza, and nobody higher up knows that there is a problem.”

  “Yes, I see,” said Alex. “But couldn’t you send a message to someone higher up and tell them what’s going on?”

  “That’s where the new security becomes a problem,” said Savage. “I don’t know anyone higher up than my contact.”

  “What?” Alex asked in disbelief.

  Savage shrugged. “Oh, I know a few other agents, but looking at it as a sensible man, I have to wonder if I’m even working for the order of Malgor. I have no way of knowing for certain. I know my contact has a pendant with the symbol of the order on it, but that’s all. I have to trust that I’m working for the order and hope that I’m doing some good.”

  “I’m sure you are,” said Alex. “I wish there was something I could do to help the situation.”

  “Maybe you can.”

  “How?”

  “Talk to your wizard friends,” said Savage. “I’m sure some of them must know members of the order, members who are higher up in the chain of command than I am. Maybe they can point out the current problems and get things changed.”

  “I’ll do what I can,” said Alex.

  After a few more minutes, they continued on. The campsite Savage had mentioned would be a good place for a longer rest, and Alex was still a little worried that another earthen stoic might turn up. Having a larger source of water nearby would be useful if one did, but he’d used a lot of magic already today. There were limits to every wizard’s powers.

  When they came to the campsite, Alex liked it at once. The mountain stream fell noisily over a nine- or ten-foot waterfall, filling a deep, wide pool before continuing down the hillside. Alex walked to the stream’s edge and stuck his head into the falling water. Shaking the water out of his eyes, he turned back to look at Savage. The cold water had refreshed him, but the look on Savage’s face turned his bones cold.

  Turning back to the stream, Alex saw a creature in the shape of a man standing in the center of the pool, seemingly floating on top of the water. The moonlight reflected off the water stoic’s body. Its skin seemed to flow like a fountain in the middle of the stream.

  Alex didn’t need his O’Gash to tell him how to deal with this stoic; the answer was obvious. He could turn the stoic into ice and shatter it with a blast of lightning. He lifted his staff and spread his feet, then sent a freezing spell into the creature’s liquid body. Ice formed over the surface of the monster, but before Alex could work any other magic, the ice seemed to melt and fall away. The fluid nature of the stoic’s body was drawing warmer water up from the stream, and the ice Alex had created was only on the outer surface of the creature.

  Knowing that his magic was almost used up, Alex reached out for the power of the dragon, a power that had saved him more than once in the past. He knew his dragon powers would restore his magic and make him stronger, but when he reached for it, he found nothing. The power of the dragon simply wasn’t there. Nothing answered his call.

  Panic filled Alex’s mind and heart. The power of the dragon had never failed him before. It was always there; it was part of him. He turned, looking for Savage. He wanted to yell for him to run, but Savage was gone.

  Before Alex could start running, a stream of water hit him like a fire hose, sending him tumbling across the ground. He tried to get back on his feet but slipped on the wet ground and fell into a muddy puddle.

  A second blast of water rolled him out of the puddle and across the ground. Alex managed to get to his knees and look at the stoic. He knew he couldn’t stop this creature with the little magic he had left. He gritted his teeth and staggered to his feet. If he was going to die, he would die standing, and he would put up as much of a fight as he could. Maybe he could slow the stoic down, giving Savage more time to escape—maybe.

  Alex took a step forward, lifting his staff. There was no way out of this fight. He didn’t have any hope of winning, but he would fight just the same. He took a second step, and the stoic lifted one of its arms, preparing to hit him with another blast of water. Alex started to take a third step but froze in place as the power of the dragon flooded into him. He let loose the magic without thinking, knowing what he wanted it to do. Snow and mist filled the air as he took another step forward. His clothes were stiff with frost, and Alex was surprised by how powerful his spell had been.

  The water stoic was a blue-and-silver statue at the center of the frozen stream. There was no sound of falling water; the waterfall had turned into a solid wall of ice. The power of the dragon filled his mind, and Alex lifted his staff as a growl of rage escaped him. He, a dragon, had been attacked for no good reason, and now his attacker would pay for its foolishness.

  Alex hesitated as something unexpected caught his eye. Savage appeared from behind the stoic, moving like a skater over the smooth ice. The former adventurer held a massive two-handed sword over his head. The sword glowed deep red, as if it had just come out of the forge. With amazing speed, Savage slammed his glowing sword into the frozen stoic, filling the air with steam and a loud hissing noise. The magical creature exploded into thousands of little pieces, and Savage glided to the stream’s bank.

  Alex was going to say something about his friend’s good timing, but he didn’t. Savage’s eyes were glowing like the dying embers of a fire, and as they came to rest on Alex, he lifted his sword once more. Alex could see the hunger in those eyes, and he knew what he needed to do.

  Alex’s staff hit the ground with a loud thud, like a
massive stone being dropped from a great height. He felt his magic form around him, crackling like ten thousand electrical sparks, all of them jumping from place to place and forming a globe of raw energy. A few magical sparks jumped from the globe to Savage, and Alex gladly let them go.

  “Josephus Sebastian Savage. I am not your enemy. Put away your sword until it is needed once more,” Alex commanded.

  Savage hesitated, looked at the sword in his hands, and then slowly lowered the blade. Once the sword was back in its scabbard, Savage looked at Alex. His eyes were still glowing embers, but the hunger was gone. He turned away, then spoke in a low, gravelly voice.

  “Rest now, if you can, wizard. Your questions can wait until daylight.”

  Savage walked away, and Alex let him go. He had many questions, but not all of them were about the sword Savage carried.

  The power of the dragon hadn’t been there when he’d called for it, and he didn’t know why. Was there some dark power that had kept his dragon magic from coming to him? Only Whalen knew that he could take dragon form, and he was sure that Whalen would never tell anyone. What force could stop the power of the dragon?

  You’ve only yourself to blame, Alex’s O’Gash whispered.

  “Myself?” Alex asked. “How? Why would I do this to myself?”

  Alex waited in the darkness for an answer. Finally, when the eastern sky was changing from black to dark blue, his O’Gash whispered once more.

  All talents and abilities must be used or they will fade.

  Alex thought about that for a long time, and he knew that it was right. He had only used the power of the dragon when he’d been forced to use it. He hadn’t worked with it, hadn’t tried to discover what it could do, hadn’t even thought about it in his everyday life. He knew that would have to change. He would have to accept this power and make it part of everything he did. The idea worried him because the power of the dragon would change him, and he didn’t know how.

  Alex was sitting in the sun and writing a letter to Whalen when Savage returned to the stream. Alex didn’t look up, and Savage didn’t say anything until Alex had finished his letter and, after two tries, summoned a geeb to take it away.

  After another moment, Alex said, “Your sword? Is it a demon blade?”

  “Yes, it is,” Savage answered. “It is a weapon from myth and legends. A weapon not meant for this world. It found me on my last adventure.”

  “It is the reason you stopped going on adventures,” said Alex. It was not a question.

  “The blade has a hunger for battle and for blood. As you saw last night, it doesn’t always care about who is friend and who is foe.”

  “Which is why I have given you a small part of my magic,” said Alex.

  “Is that what I felt last night? But how can you give me part of your magic? Why would you . . .” Savage fell silent.

  “It is said that such weapons change the person who wields them, and not always for the better. You are a good man, you have kept this blade safe, and you have not allowed its hunger to overcome you. The magic I have given you will help you control the sword’s hunger. It will make it easier for you to remember who your friends are, and it will help keep the sword from making you do something you would regret.”

  “A great kindness,” said Savage, bowing slightly. “Though I think it best not to test your magic. I will continue as I have been and only use the weapon in times of greatest need.”

  “Yes, your timing was very good last night,” said Alex.

  “Hardly,” Savage replied. “If I had waited a few moments longer, you would have defeated the monster. I only used the sword because I thought you had used up your power and had nothing left but the will to fight.”

  “That is true,” said Alex.

  “But you froze the entire stream, you—”

  “Magic can be strange,” said Alex, not explaining how or why he’d regained his power so quickly. “We need to consider the question you asked last night: Who were the stoics after, and why?”

  “We should also consider who created them,” said Savage.

  “I think Magnus must have created them, but I don’t know when he would have done it or why,” said Alex.

  “You don’t think they were sent after you?” Savage questioned.

  “Creating a stoic takes planning and work. Until two days ago, I didn’t even know I would be in Nezza. I can’t see why they would be after me,” said Alex.

  “And to send two such creatures after one man does seem a bit foolish,” said Savage.

  “I agree,” said Alex. “I do have some ideas about why the stoics turned up here.”

  “And?” Savage asked.

  “I think they might have been sent to come after anyone who entered Nezza through the invisible barrier. I’ve been thinking about that barrier, and I don’t think just anyone could get through it. I only managed to enter Nezza because of my magic, and so perhaps the stoics were sent to destroy anyone magical enough to get through the barrier.”

  “I can see that,” said Savage. “If Magnus is behind this, I’m sure he would not want anyone with magic running around loose in Nezza.”

  “Still, as you said, two stoics is a lot of power to send after any one person, unless . . .”

  “Unless what?”

  “How many people know about your demon blade?” Alex asked.

  “Only a few,” said Savage. “Just the adventurers that were with me when I found it—or when it found me—but they’ve all been sworn to secrecy about the blade.”

  “Did you tell anyone else? Did you maybe mention it in one of your reports to the order of Malgor?” Alex asked.

  “Yes, I mentioned it to the order,” Savage admitted after some thought. “When I first came here—what is it, ten? fifteen years ago?—I told the order I had the blade. I expected them to say something about it. At the very least I thought they would tell me never to use it, but . . .”

  “You never heard anything about it,” said Alex, nodding.

  “Never. It’s possible the information about the sword may not have been passed on, or at least not passed on to trustworthy members of the order.”

  “You think there are traitors in the order?”

  “Perhaps,” said Savage. “Or perhaps only misguided people who don’t know where their reports are going. I think it is also possible that not everyone in the order keeps their secrets as well as they should.”

  “And if Magnus heard about your demon blade?” Alex questioned.

  “If he believed it was true, and if he knew I was in Nezza, he would want me out of the way,” said Savage.

  “Or he would want to tempt you. He might want to force you to use the demon blade so that it would change you into something he could use later,” said Alex.

  “Yes, that is possible,” Savage answered in a thoughtful tone.

  “Evil seems to be more organized in all the known lands these days,” said Alex. “I wonder if Magnus has someone passing him information from outside Nezza.”

  “Possible, but I have doubts,” said Savage. “You’ve seen a little of what Nezza is like. You said yourself that a barrier has been created to keep outsiders from entering this land. Why would Magnus be working with someone outside of Nezza?”

  “Because I think he is part of a group that the council of wizards is calling the ‘Gezbeth.’”

  Chapter Five

  The Dungeons of Karmus

  Two days later, Alex arrived in Karmus. He’d felt the need to hurry, so he’d flown most of the way. He had explained the idea of the Gezbeth to Savage and given him enough supplies to get by before leaving. In return, Savage had repeated his earlier advice: if Alex managed get Skeld and the other adventurers out of Karmus, then the best thing to do would be to get out of Nezza entirely.

  “If you can’t get out of Nezza, then go north,” Savage said. “The lords of the north are not as afraid of outsiders, or of magic.”

  Alex appreciated Savage’s advice, but he wasn
’t sure what he would do once he’d rescued Skeld and his company. The rescue would be difficult enough. Deciding what to do after that would have to wait.

  Karmus was an impressive city. It was divided almost in half by the River Pol, and in the middle of the river was an island that rose up like a small mountain and overlooked the city. On the island there were tall buildings that looked like they had once been grand houses and palaces, but now they were uncared for and unused. A high stone wall encircled the entire island, and while it might have once been richly decorated, now it looked more like a prison wall.

  Alex spent the morning near the riverbank, studying the island fortress. Few people were allowed onto the island unless they had some official business with one of Lazar’s ministers. He was certain that Skeld and his companions were somewhere on the island.

  As the day wore on, Alex walked away from the river and found a little-used alleyway behind some empty buildings. He moved a few old boxes and boards that were there, making a hidden spot where he could not be seen even if someone did happen to wander into the alley. Once his hiding place was finished, he stepped into it and transformed into a small swallow.

  In less than a minute, Alex was flying over the island. There were more soldiers than he’d expected to find, possibly more than in the rest of the city. He continued to search the island. It didn’t take him long to find the entrance to the dungeon, and when he did, he wasn’t happy.

  The dungeons of Karmus was a solid stone building with few windows. A square tower sat on top of the main building. A quick inspection revealed that there were only two narrow doors to the entrance of the dungeon. One door, at the front of the building, was open, but it was guarded by more than a dozen men. The second door was at the back of the building and closed; four armed men stood close by. Alex guessed there would be more men inside the building, and more still in the dungeon.