Vegenrage: The Magic User

by Robert Spina

  Oriapow walks in from behind Hornspire, and the seven magic users look at one another in a very awkward and uneasy situation.

  Logantrance smiles, putting his hands on his head. “I can’t believe it!” As Farrah walks to the circle joining the magic users, Logantrance runs to her.

  “My queen, you are still alive.” Farrah looks at Bastrenboar with a blatant look of unacknowledged disregard.

  “Farrah, how did you survive? I saw what Hornspire did to you. How did you?” Logantrance hugs her as she hugs him.

  Farrah takes a step back and raises her left arm to Logantrance, revealing a gold band around her third finger. Logantrance grasps her hand and pulls it close so he can inspect the gold band.

  “A Band of Life. You are a most surprising and resourceful young woman, Farrah.”

  “Vegenrage found this in the lair of Alisluxkana. He gave it to me along the Smildren Sea and said this would marry us forever. I told him I would never take it off. I did not know it was a Band of Life until just a little while ago. Oh my god. Vegenrage.” Farrah goes to Vegenrage, who is still lying motionless in the sapphire bed.

  Meanwhile, Oriapow walks to the Octagemerwell and picks it up. He walks through a Dimension Door, giving Cloakenstrike a very mean look. Bastrenboar walks through a Dimension Door of his own and so does Cloakenstrike. Farrah, the Dagi, and Logantrance look at Vegenrage’s motionless body.

  Farrah puts her hand on his chest. “Vegenrage. Vegenrage, wake up.” She shakes him.

  “Logantrance, what is wrong? Why isn’t he waking up?”

  Oriapow, Cloakenstrike, and Bastrenboar walk out of the air right next to them. They all look confused.

  “What is this? Are we in some sort of trap?” Bastrenboar looks to the others for an explanation.

  The Octagemerwell floats out of Oriapow’s hands and fuses with the bed Vegenrage is in, and the bed becomes a mix of sapphire and emerald. Wogenkeld starts to flip through its pages, and The Wattsverocy comes free from its hiding place underneath the clothing on Logantrance’s back. Both books hover in the air and join, becoming one. The book falls hard on the podium, and Vergraughtu, now a real dragon only the size of a small dog, jumps onto the book. He is black with golden streaks all throughout him and is looking very mean, showing his teeth and grumbling.

  “Vergraughtu, is that you? You could take your form at any time. You know I would’ve done anything to help you return to your real form.”

  “Shut up, all of you, shut up. There was no prophecy. No real prophecy. That rambling idiot Hornspire wrote all his dragon prophecies, and I used the foolish ones that bought into it to further my power to live forever and control you all. The only real prophecy is knowledge, understanding, and using that to increase the power that already exists. You were not the only one that knew of Vegenrage’s dreams and their presence, Logantrance. I homed in on this human just as you did. I knew as you did there was something special about this human, and it is pure magic, the ability to just think it and it happens. No one and no being other than Vegenrage has this ability until now. Now that I have figured the way to use him as a vessel for myself …” Blood starts to trickle from Vegenrage’s neck. “Now that I have planted the demon seed in him, he is mine for the taking.”

  “Logantrance, Vegenrage is bleeding. What is happening to him?”

  Vergraughtu spits a black dart from his mouth, and it strikes Vegenrage in the neck. The dart turns to black powder and fuses with Vegenrage’s blood, entering the hole created by the never known mosquito. The miniature Vergraughtu deflates and falls to ash on the book, and the book goes up in flames. Vegenrage starts to shake.

  “Logantrance, we have to help him. We have to do something.”

  “Hurry, everybody, hold him down.”

  He is starting to shake violently as everyone rushes to hold his legs and arms down. Logantrance starts to chant a spell, but everyone backs away, except Farrah, as Vegenrage’s ribs pop up and out and fall back down. Everyone can hear his bones breaking, and Farrah is crying.

  “Logantrance, help him.” Farrah has to fall back with her hand over her mouth, crying as the head of an incredibly mean-looking dragon rises from Vegenrage’s chest. It is black, but the head sits on a bipedal neck not that of a four-legged animal. It continues to rise, showing frills growing out the back of its head, and it has long ears and long whiskers. It has very pronounced ridges covering its glassy large brown eyes that seem to look right through the spectators. The neck has yellow scales, and humanoid arms reach out from Vegenrage and put its hands with long black claws for fingernails on the sides of the bed. Farrah falls back on the ground, almost out of breath in horror, and the others back up slowly, speechless and scared as well.

  The silence is almost painful, and the creature continues to rise from Vegenrage’s corpse. The dragon head rises black on top, black down its back and yellow down its chest and belly. The head is dragon, the neck and shoulders are a mix between dragon and human. The arms are human, with dragon claws on the fingertips. Its skin is scales, and it has wings. The abdomen thickens as it goes down to the hind legs. It crawls out of the bed very slowly, looking at the horrified magic users, who, out of fear, huddle close to each other. Its hind legs are very long, and it stands up tall, tilting its head slowly from side to side, looking over the magic users. It is thirteen feet tall, very slender with a long thick whiplike tail. It extends its long narrow wings and flaps them very slowly, looking at the magic users, slowly swaying its head back and forth with a quiet and terrifying hiss. It turns, jumps, and with a powerful flap of its wings, is gone.

  Glossary

  Adronpee—A Salcendreepe

  Agilaseed—Magical boots once owned by Varlana

  Ahnkle—A Glaborian dwarve

  Alitch—A Glaborian dwarve

  Alisluxkana—A once beautiful woman, now a master witch

  Alluradaloni—A seductress who steals the life force of men and women, giving her eternal life

  Angribe—An Erkensharie magic user

  Arglon—A Ugorian magic user

  Arman—One of the Ugorian guard

  Bag of Holding—A small pouch that can store almost any object of any size in it

  Bailseize—Brown dragon

  Band of Life—Will restore the life of the wearer up to three times

  Barrier of Force—An invisible barrier made of magic that repels all that touch it

  Barrier of Magic Deflection—A barrier that deflects all magic spells

  Bastrenboar—The first and now leader of the humanor

  Behaggen—The first Bag of Holding

  Bell of Realm Reset—When struck, this will reset the realms of Wherlerria back to their true home Kronton

  Belron—Mournbow’s personal servant

  Bengwile—A servant of King Trialani

  Biyardus—A dwarven archer

  Blethstole—Black dragon

  Blythgrin—A dwarven Dagi

  bog owl—An owl that lives in the Bore Bog

  bog wolves—A species of deadly wolf that live in the bogs south of Erkensharie

  Bondlagorm—A small four-legged animal living in the Bore Bog

  Bore Bog—A large bog west of the Terrashian grassland surrounded by the Blimith and Crisdor Seas

  Bore Worms—Flesh-eating worms

  Brad—Sarah’s father

  Breath of Aquaisen—Blue dragon breath attack

  Breath of Biopleen—Peach dragon breath attack

  Breath of Broam—Brown dragon breath attack

  Breath of Decadence—Black dragon breath attack

  Breath of Glasand—Fluorescent green dragon breath attack

  Breath of Grianaslenth—Yellow dragon breath attack

  Breath of Halgespace—Purple dragon breath attack

  Breath of Gustament—Gold dragon breath attack

  Breath of Molten Metal—Silver dragon breath attack

  Breath of Rot—The breath attack of Drase

  Breebellow—A dwarven
Dagi

  Breezzele—A village in the Krinston Realm

  Bricekleel—A long sword with a blade of magical ice

  Brimonious—Glimtron’s father

  Bronsilith—Leader of the Ugorian bowelves

  Cebleeth—An Erkensharie magic user

  Cage of Draining—Drains both the magical and physical energy of its captive

  Cannonbolt—A large magic harpoon shot from its caster

  Carbonheight Hills—The great hills made out of carbon

  Carboul—A Glaborian dwarve

  Casaundra—One of Altrar’s most distinguished female warriors

  Casson—A Salcendreepe

  Casur—The southernmost inner gate to Ugoria

  Changenoir—A man that can change into a terrifying cross between a bear and a werewolf

  Charumpaboon—A very large mix between a chimpanzee and a baboon

  Churcher—A Glaborian dwarve

  Clawbominal—A four-legged carnivore living in the Krasbeil Mountains

  Cleapell—Casaundra’s magical clothing

  Cloakenstrike—A very powerful human magic user

  Cloak of Concealment—A cloak that can conceal the magical presence of its wearer

  Cloak of Reflection—Reflects all magic back at its caster

  Cocoddlebrew—Alisluxkana’s broom

  Corksez—Captain in Mournbow’s army

  Crayeulle—An Erkensharie magic user

  Creenberk tree—A small tree found only in the Erkensharie forest

  Cremnole—A Stone Giant

  Creshian Forest—A forest to the south of the Ugorian Kingdom

  Crisdor Sea—A sea on the planet Kronton

  Dagger of Speed—A normal dagger but, when thrown, hits its target instantaneously

  Dagger of Motion Slowing—A dagger that disrupts the blood flow of anyone stabbed by it, killing them quickly if not removed

  Dagi—The only dwarven magic users in all the realms

  Dagi Bluffs—Home of the Dagi

  Darnsack Realm—The territory from the Crisdor Sea to the Pinegrow Forest and to the Blimith Sea

  Debbreir—A Glaborian dwarve

  Decadic Marshland—The great acidic lands west of Mirrimya Mountains

  demon seed—A growing entity put in a host by a dragon

  Diamond Skin—Very strong magical barrier just above the skin

  Dimension Door—A magical door that can lead to any location the caster can visualize

  Dormins—A Glaborian dwarve

  Drachen clan—First magical order of the planet Kronton

  Dragon Feast—When all the dragons take to the skies and feed on the humanoid races until their hunger is satisfied

  Dragonmire—Metal magically altered by dragons

  Dragonslayer—A Foarsbleem arrow that can kill dragons

  Dribillion—Leader of King Trialani’s personal guard

  Dribrillianth—Diamond dragon

  Drimdree—A Glaborian dwarve catapultist

  Drumbolt—A demon that can form from all earth

  Drypes—A Glaborian dwarve

  Dwarve—The dwarves of the Maglical System are not “dwarfs”; they are dwarves. They are a humanoid race about half the size of humans.

  Earth Elemental—Earth that can materialize into any form when summoned

  Eebil—A Glaborian dwarve

  Elbutan Forest and Highlands—Large forest with high hills and long valleys on the planet Kronton

  elementals—Creatures summoned and formed from air, water, or earth

  Elkwar—An Erkensharie warrior

  Elvennell—A plain-looking leather armor that repels all attacks by elven weapons or by someone with elven blood

  Emily—Sarah’s mother

  Emzwer—A Mountain Creek Dragon

  Erken tree—The dominant tree in Erkensharie, and it only grows here.

  Erkensharie elves—Live on the planet Fargloin and rule the Erkensharie territory

  Erkensharie language—Language spoken by the Erkensharie magic users

  Farrah—Saved by Vegenrage and named by Vegenrage; she is his greatest admirer

  Farrahbeth—Vegenrage’s guardian angel

  Fillismrend—A Stone Giant

  Fimble—A Glaborian dwarve

  Finkelbrim Realm—The territory owned by Erkensharie elves

  Foarsbleem—Strongest metal on Fargloin

  Fraborn—A humanor

  Gairdennow—Gold dragon

  Gandleleem—A bowelf serving under Bronsilith

  Gannream—Mountain Creek Dragon

  Gardimension—A very small gargoyle that can teleport hundreds of miles at a time as it flies

  Gimstril—A Ugorian elf

  Gisewear—Fluorescent green dragon

  Glabor Mountain—Home to the Glaborian dwarves

  Glaborster dwarves—Live on the planet Fargloin and rule the Glaborian Mountains

  Glagrokwood—A very rare wood growing only in the Glaborian Mountains

  Glownted—A metal similar to lead

  Glurtain—A Glaborian dwarve

  Golems—Very large frog-like men living in the Glaborian Mountains

  Gosebek Lake—A great lake east of Ugoria

  Graybazelle—A six-foot tall greyhound with shoulders and hips of a lion and a head like a gazelle with spiraling horns

  Greeter—A dwarven Dagi

  Grenlew—A dwarven Dagi

  Gripzon—A commander in Bastrenboar’s army

  Grizenlorm—A mix between a werewolf and a bear with a long ratlike tail, very similar to a Changenoir

  Groglegoya—A great winged demon

  Gilderblek—A leader of the dwarven archers

  Guylumbree—Grey dragon

  Gwippen Uprising—A natural wonder. This is the birth of the Gwipps River.

  Gwipps River— Forms at the Gwippen Uprising, flows south, separating Ugoria and Hunoria.

  Gwithen—The white dragon mare

  Helmet of Missile Deflection—Deflects any missile that is thrown, spit, shot, flung, cast, or fired at the wearer

  Hobgoblins—Scary humanoid creatures with a liking for live flesh

  Hornspire—Ancient dragon who foretold of dragon prophecy

  Imblogbem language—A language spoken by a race that died long ago

  Inglelapse—Mournbow’s personal magic user and friend

  Jetter—A leader in Mournbow’s army

  Jocklyn—King Shane’s personal scribe

  Johans—One of Corksez’s top fighters

  Kana—A beautiful woman who became Alisluxkana

  Kertinkpice—Pink dragon

  King Estine—King of the Erkensharie elves

  King Gracepian—King of Shaspar

  King Glimtron—King of the Glaborster dwarves

  King Shane—King of Shaspar at the time of Blethstole’s attack

  King Trialani—King of Ugoria

  Krasbeil Mountain Range—A large mountain range on Strabalster, overlooking Hunoria

  Kreil—A Glaborian dwarve

  Krimzill—A Glaborian dwarve

  Krinston Realm—The territory northwest of Shandeltowen Mountains on the planet Kronton

  Krumsel fly—These flies feed on the molting Treestriders and then become the next generation of Treestriders.

  Kwerston—A young bowelf

  Lava Serpent—A serpent that can swim through molten lava

  Lavtonium—A very hard red metal that turns red-hot when touching something

  Lavumptom Drawer—A one of a kind magical weapon imbued with the Night Jewel

  Lavumptom Sword—Only ten of these were made. Made out of Lavtonium, Vullumptom, and chrome steel imbued with the sky jewel.

  Ledgehorn—One of the most powerful magic users from the Krinston Realm

  Leebentin—A Mountain Creek Dragon

  Lentoz—An Erkensharie magic user

  Limms—A dwarven Dagi

  Limsil—A Ugorian magic user

  Logantrance—Master magic user
, Vegenrage’s mentor

  Lushantor—A commander in Bastrenboar’s army

  Lycans—A breed of werewolf living in the Mindsunk Bog

  Lyleede—A leader of the Salcendreepes

  Mage—One who can use magic

  magical Blade of Sharpness—A magical blade that extends from the fingers and/or thumb

  The Magic of Krinston—A very powerful magical book written by Ledgehorn

  Maglical System—The solar system Vegenrage now makes his home

  magic user—Those that use magic

  Meamante—Maroon dragon

  Mezzmaglinggla—Female Mountain Creek Dragon

  Mindsunk Bog—A very large bog in the center of Wickenfall Forest

  Mirrimya Mountain—The home of Blethstole

  Mogle Lands—The lands south of Ugoria

  Morlinvow—A great magic user

  Mountain Creek Dragons—Only dragons ever to live as a family

  Mourbarria—The castle on Mytek Mountain owned by Mournbow

  Mournbow—Ruler and owner of Mourbarria

  Myrenthia Mountain—The first mountain in the Glaborian Mountain Range

  Mystical Erkens—Home of the Erkensharie magic users

  Mytek Mountain—A mountain on Kronton, home to Mournbow

  Necklace of Intensity—When worn, this necklace increases strength, stamina, alertness, magical ability, and the power of magical items two times.

  Net of Magic Absorption—A net absorbing the magic of anyone caught in it, making the net stronger

  Niegeganther—A large catlike creature

  Night Jewel—The magical jewel on the Lavumptom Drawer

  Noireen language—The common language in the Maglical System, much the same as Shasparian

  Nordiath—A Stone Giant

  Octagemerwell—The heart of Fargloin and all elven magic

  Ogres—Large humanoid creatures with fat bellies and a taste for raw flesh

  Orcs—Larger-than-life beastly men

  Oriapow—The father of modern Erkensharie magic

  Oriapow Genie Book—The white gold prison that holds Oriapow

  Orgrange—Orange dragon

  Osworns—A Stone Giant

  Parnapp—The sixth Bag of Holding