Dragon Master (Dragon Collector Book 2)

by Simon Archer

“He said she had been corrupted,” the older woman said with a straight face.

  I looked over my shoulder at her. “I didn’t catch your name. Who are you?”

  The old woman’s thin, white eyebrows shot up. She did her best to lift herself into a more imposing stance. Pride swelled inside her, and I realized everyone would know this woman on sight… except for a guy not born in this kingdom who had only immigrated a short time ago, of course.

  “I am Parri Firewis, daughter of Lewis and Deenan Firewis. Sister to Anais Firewis, Atlus Mason’s mother.”

  “So, you’re the king’s aunt,” I said, mentally constructing a family tree. “And you two are his cousins, so Emerald is like his second cousin?”

  “Regardless of the titles, we are family,” Parri said, never losing the sharp clip to her words. “And we will be treated with the respect of a royal family, even from an insolent, ignorant foreigner.”

  “Mother!” Ravenia scolded, though the effect was lost due to her scratchy voice from all the crying.

  “It’s okay,” I said with a shrug. “Where I come from, respect is earned, not given freely. I will do what I can to show you I am worthy of your respect. I hope you endeavor to do the same for me.”

  The elderly woman clenched her jaw. I suppressed a smirk, pleased with myself that I had annoyed her so. Then she turned with surprising speed and grace. She made her way to the door, the cane tapping along the floor with each of her steps.

  “Tell me when the foreigner is done here,” she said. “I refused to breathe the same air as him any longer.”

  Korey opened the door for the lady and bowed her head slightly as Parri passed. The woman didn’t even acknowledge the soldier. Instead, she disappeared from the room without another word.

  “I am sorry,” Ravenia said. “She does not handle her emotions well, and this is a dire time for all of us.”

  “Don’t worry,” I said. “We have prickly old ladies in my world too.”

  I wondered if I crossed a line, insulting the late king’s sister-in-law in that way, but Walnes’s eyes lit up like he wanted to laugh but couldn’t. I decided to be satisfied with that response for now.

  “Martin.” Someone saying my name broke my rapport with Ravenia and Walnes, and we turned towards the source of the sound.

  King Atlus finally looked up at me. Our eyes met, and I had to blink several times to make sure I saw things clearly. Atlus’s eyes looked dipped in gold. The color surrounded his entire eye, branching out beyond the iris and pupil. The sight was slightly terrifying, as it gave him a possessed look. However, the longer we gazed at one another, the more the gold faded. He emerged from whatever trance he was in and acknowledged me.

  “Martin,” Atlus said with a wispy breath. “Thank you for coming.”

  “You didn’t exactly give me a choice,” I said with a sharp shrug.

  He sighed and hung his head. “You will understand why.”

  The king stepped away from the young girl and crossed to me. He was dressed simply, something I would expect from a commoner, rather than the ruler of this land. His shirt was damp and loose around his torso. It was only half-tucked into his pants, and the string meant to tighten the neckline hung lopsided. I never expected to see the king so disheveled.

  “Rough night?” I jabbed.

  His eyes flashed up to me, warning me that this was not a joking matter. I swallowed the rest of my sarcasm and refocused. Apparently, Atlus cared rather desperately for the girl on the table, and I was rather insensitive to make light of such an obviously heavy matter.

  “I’m sorry,” I muttered, checking myself.

  King Atlus waved a hand at me, dismissing my apology. “Levity is your vice in situations like these. I understand this about you. Nevertheless, know this: This young woman is my cousin, and her illness means so much more than you could imagine.”

  “I know what the corruption can do,” I said, unable to hide the sharpness in my voice. The fact that Atlus would suggest that I didn’t understand the gravity of the situation annoyed me. While I may have told him about all of the sick people and afflicted lands I worked on the past several weeks, it was he who had never ventured beyond to see the devastation. It appalled me to think that he had more understanding than me.

  “No, Martin, listen to me,” King Atlus said with a grave expression. “Em has never left the castle. She cannot due to a different illness. Being infected by the corruption means not only that her life is in danger, but so is the whole of the court.”

  Pieces clicked into place in my head, and I used my words to slow them down before they came to an alarming conclusion. “She has never left the castle?”

  “No.” King Atlus shook his head. “Her constitution is weak. She sickens easily, so we keep her isolated. Comfortable and happy, but away from all but a select few. Her medicines are prepared in house only, plants grown only in the castle greenhouses. Whatever she consumes is closely monitored and regulated.”

  I closed my eyes and pressed the heel of my hand to my forehead. If what the king was telling me was true, that his cousin Em was one of the most remote and monitored people in the kingdom and if she had gotten corrupted, then…

  “The corruption has entered the castle walls,” I said, opening my eyes.

  King Atlus nodded, confirming my proclamation.

  “And,” I added hesitantly, “whoever brought it here is a member of the court.”

  “We have a traitor in our midst,” King Atlus announced.

  9

  “And the plot thickens,” I whispered to myself.

  “What was that?” King Atlus asked.

  “Nevermind,” I said, waving a hand at him. “And you’re sure this is the corruption and not just another one of Em’s seizures?”

  “Seizures?” The king looked at me quizzically. “Do you mean her fits?”

  “Yes,” I said and then closed my eyes, exasperated. Sometimes there were amazing things about living in a world with mythical creatures and magic. Sometimes there were some really annoying things, like lack of basic medical knowledge. I didn’t have time to explain neurological disorders and immune systems to the ruler of a medieval land. So I proceeded with his language.

  “How do we know this isn’t another one of her fits?” I repeated the question.

  “Those never last this long,” Ravenia stepped in, finally detaching herself from her husband. “And they don’t come with sweats like this.”

  “Plus, I identified the corruption,” King Atlus added.

  “Right.” I sighed. “You have a way to do that.”

  King Atlus nodded, and I expected him to elaborate. To finally divulge to me that method of figuring out what parts of the kingdom were corrupted or not. It was one of the few pieces of information he kept close to the chest. It was probably his security blanket, knowing that he held some bit of information over me. It wasn’t as though I couldn’t identify the corruption. I just had to be touching the person. But there was no way I could do it from long distances, or at least, I hadn’t tried doing that yet.

  When King Atlus remained silent, I puffed out some air and made my lips flutter. “Well, then,” I started, “I guess I get to play another game of chess then.”

  “Chess?” King Atlus stopped me from approaching Em by catching my arm. “Do you think her life is a game?”

  “No,” I said, jerking out of the king’s grip, “but Hennar apparently does.”

  “What do you mean?” Atlus eyed me suspiciously.

  My gaze snapped to Em’s parents and then back to the king. “I planned to tell you later today, during our meeting.”

  “Tell me now,” King Atlus demanded, with his hands on his hips. “I trust my cousins with my life. Whatever you say to me, you can say in front of them.”

  “I don’t doubt your trust in them,” I said delicately, “but what I am about to tell you isn’t something a parent would want to hear. Trust me. I’ve already had to tell two about the gamble on their chil
d’s life. I would like to do it as little as possible, thank you very much.”

  “We want to know what is happening to our daughter,” Walnes said, taking a big step forward. It was the first time either parent dared to leave their child’s side. “Please, Lord Anthony, tell us what is going on.”

  The two of them clasped hands, and the sight of it brought bile to my throat. I wanted to tell them something good, to give them more hope than I had to offer. Yes, Em had less of a chance of dying, but if Hennar showed up like he promised, I would be able to heal her if I won. If not, the infection would subsist and bite away at her slowly. Because it had only been less than twenty-four hours since I last saw our collective enemy, I had no time to prepare, much less improve my chess skills. And yeah, I’d won last time, but I couldn’t help the niggling feeling that he had let me win.

  However, their eyes told me neither would let me lay a hand on their daughter if I didn’t tell them the truth, if I didn’t admit to the impossible situation that we’d all been put in.

  I closed my eyes, so I didn’t have to look at them. It was cowardly, but I couldn’t stand the change in their expressions as I spilled the beans about our predicament.

  “Last time,” I began, “I fought the corruption, Hennar showed up, and challenged me to a chess match.”

  I decided to leave out the part about me having to sacrifice a piece of my light if I ever lost. They didn’t care about that part of the bargain. They only wanted to know what was going to happen to Em, whether she would live or die.

  I reopened one eye, like peeking at a present on Christmas, though this sight was a lot less pleasant. Predictably, Ravenia started the cry again, and Walnes held her tightly. King Atlus looked as though I had smacked him in the face with a frying pan. Which, admittedly, I had imagined on more than one occasion.

  “The Dragon Killer wants you to play chess with the lives of my citizens?” King Atlus clarified.

  “Essentially,” I said. “And when did you start calling him ‘The Dragon Killer’?”

  “It is what my father called him,” King Atlus said. “In the stories that he told me, Hennar was always The Dragon Killer. I believe he thought it was more sinister than his name, and he refused to acknowledge any other king than himself.”

  “Which is completely understandable,” I conceded. “Anyway, I need to see what I can do because, chess game or no, I’m not going to let Em suffer like this.”

  “Can I come with you?” King Atlus asked, surprising me. “When you go wherever you do to meet Hennar. Can I come with you?”

  I looked from Atlus to the couple comforting one another, back to Atlus. My whole body stiffened with bafflement and confusion.

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I don’t really know what happens when I meet Hennar. When I touch the corruption with the light, I go into a sort of trance and meet him in this white space, but I don’t physically transport anywhere.”

  “It is what you described when you healed Ffamran, yes?” King Atlus asked eagerly.

  I had told King Atlus and the council what happened when I healed my own dragon from the corruption, which was the second most successful case. The first was when I nearly obliterated myself decontaminating an entire town. Since then, I managed to temper my healing abilities, so that I didn’t become completely useless for three days afterward.

  “Yeah, it’s the same space,” I confirmed.

  King Atlus put a hand to his chin and stared at the ground, deep in thought.

  “Why do you want to come with me?” I ventured the question, unsure if I should be considering the possibility.

  “Because I am a wicked chess player, and if winning a match is Em’s best effort, then I am the best chance in the entire kingdom,” King Atlus said. It was a matter-of-fact statement, rather than something he was bragging about. “And from what I’ve heard of Hennar, he was very, very good.” He looked right at me. “Are you very, very good, Martin?”

  “No. I’m a passable amateur.” I sighed as I looked at the king, “But you’re not, are you.”

  “I am not an amateur,” Atlus said. “It was King Garham’s game, so he taught every member of the family strategies that have been passed through generations. My father and I often played together, and after he passed, I kept up with the game.”

  “Well, that’s more than I know,” I admitted. “I just learned some from my dad, a few basic strategies and whatnot, so if you come, that would be better.”

  “Do you think it is possible?” King Atlus wondered. His gaze shifted desperately from me to Em. “Can we not at least try?”

  “I mean,” I said, throwing my hands up in the air, “you can touch my shoulder while I heal her and see what happens.”

  “No one has touched you when healing someone?” Atlus asked, curiously.

  “It’s a bit of an intimidating sight,” I said. I flared up the light for emphasis. The strands wrapped and spun around my fingers and up my arms. They tucked into the recesses of my shirt, and I could feel the warmth spread up to my shoulders. “You know that as well as anyone.”

  “Don’t I,” the king muttered, sharing my thought back to when I threatened him across the courtyard and threw a ball of light or two in his direction.

  Ravenia and Walnes returned to their daughter’s side, the woman touching her head and the man gripping the girl’s hand. They were devastated by the whole situation. I knew that parents should never see their children this way. It was a torture I wished on no one.

  I stood opposite from Walnes and hovered my hands over the child’s chest. While she was only ten years or so younger than me, she looked like a mere kid. With her frail air and thin skin, Em looked ready to blow away.

  King Atlus put a gentle hand on my shoulder. I glanced over at him, and he nodded, affirming his willingness to participate in this mad experiment. We had no reason to believe that this would work. It was the first of many trials unless we hit the nail on the head on the first try. I sure hoped so, because the prospect of losing to Hennar again dug under my skin, seeped into my blood, hot enough to make it boil.

  With wide fingers, I laid my hands on Em’s stomach and willed the light to surge forward. It compiled and searched her body for the corruption. The room was consumed by a tense silence that waited to be broken by the proclamation of good news. They were stuck in a state of anticipation, their breathing quickened and muscles stiffened.

  I closed my eyes to block them all out, to follow the light as it traveled about Em’s body. It was clear that this was a sick individual. From what I could tell, it was her immune system that was compromised, and she could get sick in the blink of an eye. The seizures were abnormal, like there was too much pent-up electricity built up in Em. I wondered if her gift had something to do with electricity, and the whole thing had backfired on her. I wondered if it was something that attacked her rather than attacking for her.

  The light and I ventured on and couldn’t seem to find the corruption anywhere. We did as much as we could to clear up the cells and refresh them. However, with the basic chemical imbalance, we were doing more than putting a band-aid on a gun wound.

  We searched each bone, dove behind every organ, and sailed along her veins. The source of the corruption was never this hard to find. Usually, the black mass jumped out, as if to say, “I’m moving in!” It flashed a black opal color and simmered below the surface. However, in Em, we couldn’t find anything.

  “Uh, Atlus,” I stammered, still with my eyes closed.

  “Yes?” I heard him answer from behind me, his voice soft and hesitant.

  “Are you sure she’s corrupted because I can’t--?”

  I cut myself off upon the sight of a floating black dot. It circled around the streams of light, teasing them like an annoying sibling.

  “Martin?” The king asked urgently. “What is it?”

  “It’s smaller here,” I said absently. “I have to catch it. Hold on…”

  The room devolved back into s
ilence, and I zipped about Em’s body. The light zoomed and dipped, curved and crossed in order to try to trap this speck of corruption that was apparently enough to damage this poor, already ill girl.

  “Come here, you bastard,” I muttered between my teeth.

  I willed the light to wrap itself into a type of web around the speck, limiting its movement. The dark dot darted about, repelling off the sides of the light, never really touching it until it had nowhere left to run.

  “Gotcha,” I whispered. With an exhale, I asked the light to reach out and touch the corruption. It jabbed, like the strike of a saber, and attached to the darkness.

  Immediately, I found myself warped into the white space. It was populated, once again, by Hennar, who apparently never changed clothes.

  “For a king, you sure have a meager wardrobe,” I commented, resorting back to my comfortable snark.

  Hennar held out his hands humbly. “I choose not to get fancy with incorporeal projections of myself.”

  “You should think about it,” I suggested, preferring to talk about his fashion than get to the matter at hand. “The black looks so stark against this background.”

  “And what background do you see?” Hennar asked with a slim eyebrow raised.

  “Is it different from what you see?” I answered with a question. I didn’t want to reward this villain with any unnecessary information.

  “Possibly,” Hennar responded casually. He waved his hand in the same gesture as before, and the table and chairs appeared again. The same chess set teetered atop the table. “As long as you can see the game, I couldn't care less about what our landscape looks like. Are you ready?”

  I whirled my head about our blank surroundings and realized that it was, indeed, blank. There was no sign of Atlus anywhere, and I scrunched my face up in disappointment. Hennar caught my change in expression.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No,” I murmured disappointedly. I recovered quickly and addressed Hennar directly. “I just don’t feel like playing this again.”

  “Would you prefer to do something else?” Hennar offered.