Celesia ran under his wing. “I know your name!”
Flint smiled, suppressing the elation in his voice. “I knew you’d find it. I’ll know if you’re right when you say it—but wait until I scrap this machine first.”
He jumped forward, and gashed his fangs into the middle neck. The dragon and the elemental fell off the landing together. Flint kicked off the beast, landed on a joist and perched like a recovering hawk. The elemental screeched with a sharp pitch as it flapped its wings and blew fire at the dragon from each of its three mouths. Flint avoided the flames, hopped onto a wall and kicked off the stone, attacking headlong to bite another neck.
The elemental slashed its iron claws into the dragon’s face. Celesia wanted to help. She didn’t know how.
There wasn’t much room for the creatures to carry on like this. They moved fluidly, their bodies damaging everything they hit. Flint soared over the alchemist, and waited for him, or the beast, to make a move. Alkivar smiled as he cast his arm into the air and struck Flint in the side with a bolt of lightning. Flint repelled most of the surge, but this allowed the beast to advance. The machine bit into Flint’s neck, shoulder, and arm with three simultaneous lunges. Celesia bounded back up the stairs. She had to stop Alkivar. The elemental would destroy Flint if he was forced to fight two battles.
Alkivar exposed a weapon when she reached him, a black blade that absorbed all the light around it. Celesia couldn’t wait for him to make the first move. Their swords clashed. He pushed her to the floor with little effort. She was no match to his strength. He made to cast another spell at her, but it receded around her.
“You foolish girl,” Alkivar mocked. “What makes you think you can stop me? You can barely stand.”
Celesia tightened her grip. “Don’t hurt him.”
“Are you volunteering yourself, then?”
Celesia held up Ereman’s sword, but Alkivar was too quick. He knocked it from her hand and backhanded her across the face. Flint roared as he darted for Alkivar, but the elemental latched onto him, causing them both to fall. They smashed through the weakened landing beneath them. Most of the furniture fell to the floor, including a cabinet filled with the four thunder-rods.
Celesia tasted blood as she descended for them.
Flint was crawling up the wall like a frightened lizard, dodging each of the elemental’s heads as they gnashed at him. The right head, exposing its metal fangs, bolted for Flint’s neck—and missed. The iron frame of its skull remained as an indentation on the wall. Flint whacked his tail into the center head, causing the beast to stagger on the beam it was standing on. Celesia slipped on a pile of rubble and fell. The balcony was to her left. A gaping hole was to her right. Helplessly she watched the dragon as he fought two battles. Alkivar tried to detain Flint’s movements every chance he could, and raised his arms once more to blast the dragon with a freezing wind.
Flint flapped to the other side of the keep.
“Look out!” Celesia’s warning came too late.
The Elemental sprang after the dragon, and sank its fangs into his side. He cried out as he pulled away. Dark blood spilled from his wounds. Deep gashes remained in his body. The beast was unstoppable. It was going to kill him. She couldn’t let that happen. She stopped to think, and noticed a thunder-rod lying amidst a heap of splinters. Alkivar eyed Flint like a bird of prey, waiting to cast another spell. Celesia sprinted for the thunder-rod and aimed at Alkivar. She felt a mechanism above the handle, like the trigger of a crossbow. She pulled it, and the thunder-rod exploded with a deafening crack that threw her off her feet. Alkivar blocked her round. Sparks flashed throughout the keep until the iron ball punctured the funnel above. A thin trickle of water fell from the hole and sizzled on one of the beast’s heads. It screeched and pulled away, as though it feared the icy water. She then remembered the Trisontian villager.
The beast despises the water ...
Just like Mavarco, fire made the machine work. The beast recoiled and flung its three heads at Flint again. The dragon bounced off the wall and landed on the shattered landing, not far from her. He rolled onto his back. His chest heaved like a hunted animal, gasping for breath. Three thunder-rods remained, scattered beside Flint’s head—each of them armed and ready to use.
Celesia grabbed another rod and closed her eyes as she pointed at the funnel, and fired. The shot pierced a second hole, and another trickle of fresh water fell.
“Keep away from those!” Alkivar cried.
Celesia ignored him and fired again. The Elemental stepped to the side as a new shower splashed over it. The tiny waterfalls were too difficult for the machine to avoid. She seized the last thunder-rod and fired again.
“No!” Alkivar bellowed.
The final round caused an eruption at the base of the funnel. Alkivar retreated from the downpour of water, but the beast had nowhere to run. Icy fluid doused the life out of its flames. Flint saw what was happening, and struck the beast with his tail, severing two of its necks with a single stroke. Pummeled by the weight of cold water, the Elemental crashed to the base of the keep, snapping several wooden beams as it fell to its end.
They had destroyed the Elemental of Fire.
Alkivar raised his arms. “You will die for this!”
“Celesia,” Flint uttered. “I must tell you something.”
She knelt beside him, watching as blood flowed from his nostrils like a ruptured spring. “We did it, Flint. We stopped that machine together. Can you stand up?”
Flint coughed, his breath stretching thin with every second. “I can do nothing but look at your eyes ... I failed you. Will you forgive me for ... deserting you?”
“That’s not important. I know your name, and if I say it, it may save you, but—I could be wrong—”
Flint closed his eyes. “Do what must be done.”
“No,” Celesia said. “Alkivar has the Dragon’s Heart. Even if I bring you back, he will kill us both, but I know what you must do. The untainted heir must hold the Heart with human hand; touch it when you’re human.”
“If you’re wrong, and I die—I still love you.”
A tear surfaced. He said what she had felt.
“What is this?” Alkivar scoffed as he crept down the stairs. The hem of his robes seemed to float above the stones as he walked. “The dragon is in love with the Princess? What an unconventional pairing!” He laughed. “Do you love the dragon in return, Princess?”
“Yes!” Celesia cried. Alkivar paused in the middle of the stairs, as if her devotion to Flint was the last thing he expected. “There is no magic stronger than that!”
“Yet you have lost. What can you possibly do?”
Celesia looked at the dragon. “Believe in me?”
His blue eyes glistened with tears. “I’m ready.”
“What are you trying to do now?” Alkivar asked as Celesia lowered her mouth to Flint’s bleeding ear. “It is over! Compassion will not save your dragon.”
She couldn’t bear the thought of losing Flint, but she had to take a chance. She knew his name. She was sure of it. The love she felt for him was true. Even if she was right, there was no guarantee that turning into a human would prevent him from dying by his copious wounds.
Tears streamed down her own face as she whispered the name that she had longed to say—“Artizan ...”
Alkivar balked. “What did you say, Princess?”
She raised her head. “Your name is Artizan!”
Chapter 27
Lifting the Curse
A smile crept along the dragon’s face as his eyes shut, and then his body fell limp—and motionless.
“Artizan, No!” Celesia pressed her forehead against the dragon’s cheek. The creature she loved, more than anything, was gone. “You can’t die, you just can’t!”
“So much for love,” derided the voice of Alkivar. He moved down the stairs. “You failed him. All your effort was for naught. Mine is about to be fulfilled.”
Celesia found a piece of
metal next to her, fallen from the broken funnel, its edges sharp like a knife. She grabbed the metal and threw it at Alkivar. The projectile sank a few inches into his leg, but he didn’t wince. He retrieved it, and tossed it carelessly aside.
“You have chosen your demise,” he said, limping toward her. Celesia had nowhere to run. Flint’s body blocked her escape. “I will tear your defiant heart!”
Alkivar was less than a meter from her when the dragon lobbed one of his claws between them. Flint raised his head with a roar. His flaming breath forced the alchemist to retreat. Celesia sat beneath the dragon and waited, while Alkivar raced up the stairs. Something was different about Flint. His scales shined with a glow, and his body ascended into the air. The warmth of his scales baked the walls and parched the wet stones.
Alkivar cast his eyes at Celesia. “What is this?”
She ignored the alchemist. He backed up a few more steps. The color of Flint’s scales changed from black to flesh. His tail and wings molded into a new body, as his claws morphed into fingers and toes. The outline of his reptilian frame shrunk into a young man. Thick dark hair replaced the black scales on his head. The wounds on his body healed. Not a single scar remained on him. A tabard draped over his chest, extending beyond his waistline. A final blast knocked every article in the keep from its resting place, including Celesia and Alkivar.
Flint had become Artizan—a prince of the Royal Magical Family. His body floated back to the landing, and he laid there for a moment until he tried to sit up. All Celesia could do was stare in awe. He was perfect—more handsome than her dreams had ever portrayed.
“Flint?” She rushed to his side “Artizan—”
“Celesia!” He pointed at her. “Behind you!”
She reached for her sword and raised it in time to block a hefty boulder that had been conjured out of the walls. Alkivar threw more things at them, but the sword provided them with enough protection from his indirect attacks. He then cast more elaborate spells, yet Celesia’s enmity guided his streams of evil magic into harmless corners. The only way that he could stop them was to kill them, without using his magic. Celesia could sense that Alkivar had grown wary of approaching them.
Does he know touching the stone will be his undoing?
Alkivar tapped his fingers as he descended, his eyes glaring at Celesia with a deadly stare. “Curious. You of all maidens were the key to my brother? If I had known, I would have murdered you the very day I arrived. Now I will finish what I started a century ago.”
Artizan shifted to Celesia’s side, and cast a shower of sparks. The hem of Alkivar’s robe started to smoke. “Don’t bet on it!” Artizan reached for Celesia’s hand, using her grip for support. For the first time in his life, he stood on human legs. He continued to stand behind Celesia with his hand resting on her shoulder. She sensed his height was taller than hers by nearly a foot.
Celesia raised her sword again.
Alkivar pulled a dark hood over his head. He tugged on a cloth from under his shirt, and used it to cover his mouth and nose. His appearance changed as soon as he applied a menacing glare. He held up his black sword again. The light-removing blade shifted into a created darkness. “I see that your prince cannot stand without you. There will be no mistake this time.”
“What should we do?” Celesia whispered. They had seconds to come up with a plan. Alkivar raised his black sword as he approached. “I can’t think of anything.”
“Move to the balcony,” Artizan equaled her tone. In spite of the pounding fear in her chest, she couldn’t deny how pleasant his voice was. Not nearly as deep as the dragon, but no less powerful in stirring her heart. “We’ll use leverage from the banister when he strikes.”
“Right,” Celesia said. “Guide me there.”
They stepped away and headed to the balcony.
Alkivar crept over the floor, holding his sword at the ready. When Celesia and Artizan couldn’t pull back any farther, they peered over the side. The battle pressed on beneath them. Hordes of men lay among a number of wounded dwarves and elves, while other creatures had entered the battle that Celesia hadn’t seen. Among them were white horses, a handful of trolls, and giant eagles. The fight would soon end, unless reinforcements came.
Celesia closed her eyes, wishing for a miracle.
“So long, brother,” Alkivar hissed with bloodlust in his throat, raising his sword as high as he could. “Same to you, Celesia. Your blood will secure my reign!”
Celesia winced, waiting for the end, when her sword flew from her grip. It clashed with Alkivar’s without any effort on her part. He fell to the floor as the sword flew inside, where it was clasped by a weathered hand.
Everyone faced the stranger. His figure was old, but his stance was strong, making Celesia wonder if Master Mayhew had returned from the dead, but this wasn’t so. The man held the sword in his hand, and he clenched a long wooden staff with a glass sphere in the other.
A long, draping blue robe covered his body. Golden LaVóndian emblems glimmered on his garment. Several braids entangled with his long white beard, and equally long hair. His calm and dangerous eyes surveyed the balcony, and stopped when they found Celesia.
He looked at her with a wink.
“Ereman!” Alkivar stood on his knees as he stared. “You were destroyed with the palace. The Enchantment of Resurrection made me immortal. This cannot be!”
“I had no protection like yours,” Ereman said with a voice of thunder, “but I could take residence in what would survive. What is better than a wizard’s dagger?”
Artizan held Celesia close. “You were in the dagger?”
“Naturally,” Ereman said, smiling without concern for Alkivar’s presence. “When I learned that Thoth was the captor of the land’s magic, I feared I was too late to stop him. My heart sank when I found your family murdered by his hand. My intervention was swift, but his stolen magic had matched mine. Only by destroying Thoth would there be time for you to grow, Artizan.”
“Clever wizard,” Artizan said, gently and grateful.
“Thank you, but it is too much credit. Thoth knew, as well as I did, that if the Royal Magical Family was murdered, the royal bloodline would fade to nothing, leaving Thoth free to rule, no matter what happened.”
“My! Name! Is! Alkivar!” he snarled through his teeth. “I am might and magic. Earth and sky. You could not stop me then. You will not stop me now!”
Ereman faced him. “I am not the one to stop you.”
Alkivar braced the dark sword in his hand. “These children, then? Sending offspring to fight for you? You will not win. The Dragon’s Heart serves me now!”
“It serves no one. It will betray and destroy.”
Alkivar raised his sword, ready to fight. “Without you, they are defenseless. If you accept your demise here, after all this time hiding in a dagger, so be it!”
Celesia remained with Artizan as the wizard and the alchemist clashed their sharp weapons. They used their swordplay while casting magic. Ereman jumped from Alkivar’s attack, and he stayed in the air longer than natural. Alkivar made use of a similar trick by running up the walls. Red fire billowed at Ereman’s feet. Magic and metal hadn’t clashed like this in a hundred years.
“Celesia.” Artizan tugged her toward the balcony, where they found shelter in a shattered section of wall. Sunlight parted through the clouds for a moment. An endless assortment of spells deflected through the keep. “You did it, Celesia. You found my true name.”
She looked him over. “What of your wounds?”
“Gone. Breaking that curse did the trick.”
“How long have you known your name?”
“Since the mural among the ruins. I knew what my name was then, but to tell or hint of it would’ve killed me. This, Celesia, is the reason why I had to—”
“—keep your distance?” she finished for him.
Artizan raised her chin with his hand, as he had with his claw as a dragon. “Yes. Thank you for helping me. I was rig
ht—you’re more beautiful through human eyes.”
She lunged into his arms. They held each other close, oblivious to the battle waging below and behind them. An engaging scent dwelled in his hair. Celesia smiled as she felt the warmth of his chest. She couldn’t believe this was happening, the love that came pouring from her heart. She pulled away from him and wiped her eyes dry, as she realized what she was doing. She was deeply in love with him. She was in love—and wide awake.
“What is it?” he said. “Did I say something wrong?”
“I’m awake.” Celesia hugged him again. “I’m awake!” She reached for Artizan’s lips, and kissed him.
He returned her kiss, and looked her in the eyes as they parted. “I see your curse is lifted, too.”
Celesia’s growing smile was lost to a bolt of lightning that suddenly tore a baluster from the balcony, leaving a gap by their side. The floor crumpled. Celesia screamed, about to fall, when Artizan snagged her arm. Far below her was the roof of the main hall. He hoisted her back to the stone floor, pushing themselves away from the breach. Artizan looked at the battling Castors of Magic, where there seemed to be no end to their sorcery.
“We have to do something,” Artizan said.
“You have to touch the Dragon’s Heart.”
“Yes, but how we will get close enough?”
“My influence.” She stood up and held out her hand to him. “Stand behind me. I’ll shield you from his magic until you’re close enough to touch the Dragon’s Heart.”
He shook his head. “What if something happens?”
“We’ll be fine, so long as you’re behind me.”
He gave her a sly smile. “Let’s finish this.”
Celesia smiled in return as she led him into the keep. Ereman knelt on the landing above them, heaving out of breath. Alkivar stood in the middle of the stairs with a black cloud around him. His laugh shook the walls.
The Dragon's Heart Page 28