The Dragon's Heart

by David Powers King

  Celesia covered her mouth. He eats wood?

  Mavarco suddenly turned to the keyhole.

  She adjusted her dress before she grabbed the door’s handle, but it wouldn’t open. She pushed and pulled on it again. It wouldn’t budge. Peering through the keyhole again, she saw Mavarco reach for a strange panel filled with small knobs, just like the ones on his transmutator outside. He then glanced at the closet door. A tight grin spread across his face as he pushed a wooden lever.

  A sudden draft hissed at her ankles. Celesia gasped as she jumped aside and clawed at the door, doing all she could to open it. The air felt thin, and she coughed. An uncontrollable urge to sleep had captivated her eyes.

  Whatever it was, she succumbed to the mist.

  Chapter 24

  Confronting the Alchemist

  Celesia opened her eyes to a wall of granite stone that reminded her of home. She sat up and looked around. She was in Castle Bëdoustram, but she wasn’t entirely sure where. A red carpet lay beneath her, leading to a balcony. She stood and walked under the archway to have a look outside.

  Below her was the roof of the main hall. This was the keep, where Mavarco had set up his laboratory. The castle grounds were bustling with people, hundreds of armed men standing along the walls and bastions with numerous others sitting idly in the courtyard. Several taskmasters stood over groups of subservient laborers, ready to strike with long whips if they dwindled in their work. She had seen this sight before, months ago in a disquieting dream. All that was missing was a loathsome figure by her side. She didn’t have to wait long. He was standing behind her, close to where she was sleeping.

  Celesia turned to face him, his pace watchful and slow. All she could do was glower back. “Astonishing view,” Mavarco said. “Would you not agree? There is nothing more delightful than young leaves and the budding blossoms of early spring. The forest will be green, and the sun will shine on our wedding day.”

  Celesia glared at him. “That will never happen.”

  Mavarco smiled as he reached for her shoulder. “As you can see, those who reside within these walls know their place, Celesia. In due time, you will know yours.”

  She shrugged away from his cold, scaly touch. “What did you do to me? How did I fall asleep?”

  “A simple mist, infused with a draft,” Mavarco said as he held up the quaternary. He unsheathed the blade and examined its edges. “When combined right, rare materials can bestow curious results. I released a vapor into that wardrobe, inducing you with a deep sleep. You would be easier to deal with that way. No chance of you to connive a plan. Now, I want to know if you have any knowledge about the markings on this blade.”

  Celesia gulped. “How did you find that?”

  “Hard to miss a dagger that follows you.” Mavarco sheathed the weapon and reached for her shoulder a second time. She shrugged away again, and smashed her heel into his foot. He didn’t react, nor did he move or respond at all. He stared menacingly into her brown eyes. “That was unwise, Princess. I would hate to have your life end prematurely. Come back inside with me. There are a few things that I want to show you.”

  Celesia hesitated. Mavarco had the dagger. She had to see the words again, but she would have to wait for him to lower his guard first. The keep had round walls supported by countless wooden beams, rafters and joists. Many strange devices dangled throughout. At the top was a framework of iron that resembled a large funnel, with a complex array of pipes connected to the center to supply the castle with rain water. These pipes lined the walls and ran down to the base of the keep. This place had many landings, connected by a narrow flight of stairs. Each one curled along the walls.

  There was another platform some fifty feet below her, and a ledge beyond that. A heavy brown cloth was covering something there. Something massive.

  “A few items came to light while you were asleep,” Mavarco continued as he opened a small bronze chest, resting on a stool. “These scraps of parchment were discovered in your boot, containing information about the Royal Magical Family. What did you have in mind with these?” Mavarco smirked with an incredulous grin when she refused to answer. “I think I know.” The next article he removed was the magical pouch. “What can you tell me about this one? A shoulder bag should carry several items for it to be useful. Why were you carrying an empty pouch through such a desolate wilderness?”

  “Do I need a reason to carry a spare bag?”

  “Indeed not.” Mavarco reached into the chest again.

  Celesia froze. Her heart slumped into her stomach as Mavarco exposed the one thing she feared the most.

  The Dragon’s Heart was in the palm of his hand.

  “No!” she cried. “How?”

  “Poor child,” he heckled. “You cannot talk your way out of this. I am not easily hoodwinked as other hapless creatures, which you happened to encounter. I thank you, Princess Celesia, for collecting this for me.”

  Celesia couldn’t think. She couldn’t believe Mavarco was in possession of the Dragon’s Heart. Her entire quest revolved around avoiding this from happening.

  Mavarco walked to a nearby torch without removing his eyes from her. He then rolled up the parchments and prodded them into the flames. Burning ash fell to the stone floor like black snow. There was nothing she could do. He had the stone. She had failed everyone.

  Maybe all was not lost. Flint was still out there. He could stop this. All she could do was stall for time.

  “What makes you think that’s the real one?”

  Mavarco reached into his robes and revealed a piece of torn canvas. “My apprentice told me you found a stone like the one in your mother’s portrait. To know if he had spoken the truth, I compared art with artifact. There is no mistaking it, for this is the one and only Dragon’s Heart. The fear on your face verifies it.”

  Celesia shivered. “You ransacked my room?!”

  Mavarco tossed the Dragon’s Heart into the air and caught it again. “I looked there first. My apprentice saw you that night, when all else assumed you had fallen.”

  “Tuke?” Had he betrayed her? “He told you?”

  “Not directly. I saw him return from the woods after your disappearance, and again when he found you. It was not hard to brew a truth draft to make him talk.”

  “But, the stone was in the pouch. How?”

  “The interest you displayed in that empty sack was your first giveaway,” Mavarco answered. “After you fell asleep, I experimented with your slumbering hand. Your cooperation was so exquisite. I did not suspect that I would find the stone in such a ... unique shoulder bag.”

  “What will you do now? Eat a block of wood?”

  “I had a feeling you saw that.” Mavarco placed the chain around his neck. The stone came to rest over his heart as he moved a step forward. “We shall wait.”

  Celesia stepped aside, feeling the balcony’s archway press against her back. “You have the magic that you’ve stolen,” she said. “What are you waiting for?”

  Mavarco motioned his arms to a flight of stairs on their right, indicating that he wanted her to climb them. “That is for acolytes to know,” he answered, “however, since I no longer see you as one of Bëdoustram’s elite, I will do my best to compensate for your incompetence. I cannot release the magic of the Dragon’s Heart by sheer touch alone. It must be awakened first.”

  “I assume you know how?” Celesia goaded.

  “Patience,” he replied. “Once my apprentice returns, I will use his life force to conjure the magic, and then my empire will begin. Until then, I have made some accommodations for you on the landing above. Do not think of running away. The landing beneath us rests at an unfriendly distance. I would hate for you to slip.”

  “Don’t you dare harm Tuke!” Celesia cried.

  “Well ... Would you rather I use your life?”

  Celesia held her ground as Mavarco lunged at her with great speed. He grabbed her dress and pulled her to the stairs. She pushed against and clawed at Mavarco as ha
rd as she could. He didn’t respond to any of her defenses. He didn’t flinch. He wouldn’t even blink.

  Is he impervious to pain?

  Slowly she made her way up the stairs, and Mavarco followed close with patient strides. The stairs curled and narrowed along the round walls of the keep. Tangled ropes in the high rafters resembled a diminished spider’s web. Celesia looked behind her. Mavarco still held onto the scabbard. The dagger’s grip was visible. Maybe she could reach around him and take the dagger back. She had learned much in the last few months, having battled strange creatures and outwitted others. She could take on the alchemist. As the landing came into view, she thought up a clever plan. Only her dexterity would determine if her idea was going to work or not.

  “See how much easier it is to cooperate?”

  Celesia suddenly reached under Mavarco’s arm and grabbed the dagger’s grip, then kicked him high in the stomach with her knee. Mavarco lost his balance and fell back a few steps as she unsheathed the dagger. She waited on top of the landing with her weapon drawn for Mavarco to make his move. He recovered and crouched low like a frog before leaping high into the air.

  He landed behind her without a sound.

  “That was a terrible mistake, Your Highness!”

  Celesia held up the dagger as Mavarco charged at her with unnatural agility. She dodged, and he slammed his fist into the wall. Fragmented rocks flew into the air. Surely his hand would be broken. She pressed her back against a barred door behind her. Beyond its hinges was a cell that should’ve belonged in the dungeons. Mavarco charged, and Celesia ducked again. The barred door tore from its hinge as he smashed into it. The Alchemist was strong, more powerful than she imagined, and she had underestimated him. She couldn’t fight him like this.

  “Come here, you insolent brat!”

  Celesia closed her eyes as she thrust the dagger into his chest. The disquieting sense of steel pressing deep into another person made her squirm, but then Mavarco knocked the blade out of her hand and pushed her away. The dagger skidded across the stone floor until it stopped behind the prison cell bars. Terror swelled inside Celesia’s chest. He wasn’t phased in the least.

  No blood dripped from Mavarco’s wound.

  Celesia held her breath. “What are you?!”

  “Mavarco! What are you doing?!”

  Tuke was standing on the next floor down, his eyes darting at her and Mavarco with panic on his face. He charged up the next flight, as if his life depended on it.

  “Tuke!” Celesia cried as she rose to her feet.

  “No!” Tuke screamed. “Leave her alone!”

  The Alchemist caught her by the neck and pushed her over the edge. She reached out and grabbed the sash of his robe, and pulled him with her. Celesia closed her eyes and braced herself for the unknown when a sharp tug pulled against her waist. She dangled to a halt while Mavarco ripped the hem of her dress, and continued to fall. He crashed on the floor beneath her. He convulsed for a moment and stopped moving completely. It was over. Celesia couldn’t believe that Mavarco was dead.

  ˙ ˚ ˚ ˚ ˙

  “Celesia!” Tuke called to her. “Are you hurt?”

  “I’m fine!” she said, trying to balance herself.

  “But ... how are you floating like that?”

  “I’ll explain after you help me down.”

  He unraveled a rope on his belt. “Grab this!”

  Tuke cast his line, but his first and second attempts missed by a few feet. His third proved the charm. Once she grabbed it, Tuke exerted all of his strength to pull her to him. He reached for her hand and hoisted her onto the steps. Celesia wrapped her arms around him.

  “How’d you get here?” He glanced at the landing below and pointed at Mavarco. “How’d that happen?”

  “I didn’t mean for it—it was an accident.”

  “I don’t believe in accidents, remember?”

  Celesia couldn’t help but blush, remembering their kiss. She ran up the stairs to find the dagger. “I wanted to come back to Bëdoustram with you, when you asked me to, but there was something I had to do first.”

  “I don’t understand, Celesia.” Tuke’s bewildered plea reminded her of when they had conspired to escape from the castle together. “What’re you looking for?”

  “The Dragon’s Heart,” she answered, scanning over the utmost landing for the dagger. It was lying on the floor behind the holding cell, caught between the iron bars. The tethered blade had saved her. All she needed now was the scabbard and gemstone—but she didn’t look forward to crouching next to Mavarco’s limp body to find them. “It’s the stone that was used by the Royal Magical Family to become Castors of Magic. Mavarco caught up to us in his flying ship. I think my friends are in the dungeons somewhere. I hope Flint comes soon.”

  “Sounds like you’ve been through a lot. What can I do to help? If you can float in the air and kill a tyrant, what good am I to you? Who is this Flint, exactly?”

  “He’s a dragon.” Celesia beamed as she answered, and she ran back down the stairs with her quarry. “We searched for the Dragon’s Heart together. You came close to meeting him, had you stayed a minute longer.”

  “You have no idea how much I wanted to stay with you.” Tuke held her face and drew himself in for a kiss.

  She pulled away before their lips met. “Tuke ...”

  “Sorry,” he said. “I—I thought you loved me ...”

  Celesia looked into his downcast eyes. “Tuke ...” She held onto his arm and paused. What could she say after all this time? She was torn in two, her infatuation with the apprentice, and now the love she felt for the dragon. “So much has happened, and there is so much to do. I don’t know what my feelings are. Please be patient with me while I take care of what needs to be done.”

  He pulled back. “I understand. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, and you stopped Mavarco. I wish I was with you instead of him. What must be done?”

  “I have to search Mavarco for the stone.”

  “... I wouldn’t want to touch him either.”

  Although Celesia was sorry for leading him on, she grew curious over the apprentice’s lack of remorse or enthusiasm. Then again, he knew next to nothing, about what was going on. They stepped down together and reached the landing where Mavarco’s body was at rest, his limbs bent in awkward angles. “You’re not surprised or disappointed, Tuke? You were his apprentice.”

  Tuke hunched over as Celesia made her way to the crumpled corpse. “I’m just glad you’re alive.”

  “Thank you, Tuke.” Celesia smiled as she returned to her purpose. The scabbard was tucked under Mavarco’s robe. She retrieved it, and she cringed at the thought of having to touch him a second time. She knew that the Dragon’s Heart would be even harder to find. She was about to roll Mavarco onto his side when she smelled the unmistakable tinge of smoke. “You smell that?”

  Tuke pointed ahead of her. “Look out!”

  Celesia saw Mavarco in time to dodge his reaching hand. Billows of white and black smoke seeped through his clothing as he stood up, stumbled, and fell again. His entire body burst into flames. Celesia retreated behind Tuke. Little of the Alchemist’s remains were composed of ash. Tiny iron devices scattered over the floor, along with a small stove shaped like a man’s chest. Many wheeled pieces with teethed edges ticked and tocked, until they ceased to move or function. A wooden dowel, like the one she had seen Mavarco swallow on the airship, was burning hot within the iron chest.

  “What in the world!” No figment of her imagination could help Celesia understand what had just happened. This was too bizarre. “Mavarco ... He’s not real?”

  “All this time, he was machine, like his inventions.” Tuke hovered over what was left of his master, stooped down and brushed the ashes away, until he found a blue stone. “Is this the Dragon’s Heart you mentioned?”

  “Yes,” she answered. “He was so lifelike.”

  Tuke waved his hand over the gemstone.

  “Come, Tuke
. We must tell my father!”

  “He’s safe,” Tuke said. “He can wait.” He dug his fingers under the stone and raised it from the ashes.

  Celesia reached to him. “Give me the stone.”

  A thin smile widened on his face as he placed the chain around his neck, allowing the Dragon’s Heart to rest on his chest. He stood and turned to face Celesia.

  “Tuke? Why won’t you give it back to me?”

  “Why should I give what is rightfully mine?”

  A new light filled the keep from within the Dragon’s Heart. Tuke held his arms up as he ascended a few feet into the air. The floorboards rattled beneath him until he landed in front of the rubbish that was the broken Mavarco. He waved his arm away from his body. An unseen force threw the pile of distorted metal and ash aside. Then, as Tuke opened his eyes, everything about him had changed. His clothing was new, tighter, fitting and sleek. He wore a hooded green cloak, tailored with an open seam down his front. A second sleeve draped from his elbows. His face was lean and mature. Celesia refused to believe it. Tuke had been Alkivar all along?

  And the hilt of her dagger was warm.

  The last portion of Ereman’s quaternary revealed itself. The blade flared like a ruptured furnace, forcing Alkivar to shield his eyes. Celesia remained still as she watched the final words etch into the fiery dagger:

  —the untainted heir must hold the Heart with human hand.

  Celesia read the words again, and was about to do so a third time when Alkivar reached into the fire and touched the exposed hilt. A sharp sting caused both of them to withdraw their hands and reel to the floor, leaving the dagger suspended in the air. They watched as a bright light expelled from the sharp blade, causing shadows within the keep as the dagger disintegrated.

  Nothing remained. No sand. No ash.