Well, half-truths were better than no truths, Gerinvioch thought.
"This town of yours is near here, I presume. Long have I been asleep else it would never have been built," the dragon said more to himself than to the man. "Why should I not simply go and destroy it myself?" he added, looking directly at the man.
"No!" Aniolon shouted, panting hard. "Please, do not do that. It is my dream." "Oh? And what is it that insects dream of?" "Freedom," the man said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Freedom? That is what you lust after so desperately?" The human only nodded.
Gerinvioch almost laughed at the word. Freedom. What could that mean to a human? Perhaps there was a way to find out, the wyrm thought. It was hard to keep from smiling.
"You are the leader of this town?"
Aniolon renewed his nodding.
"You led your people here from Estagund? For freedom from what?"
"The tyrannical rule of a madman," the man said as if repeating by rote.
"And your own rule is different?"
"Mine is benevolent," Aniolon said. Then the man shook his head and quickly amended, "We rule ourselves, we choose what we want. No one gives us orders."
Gerinvioch smiled and gave a nod. These humans were quite bold. To lust after treasure would be offense enough, but power? What could slake the lust of these humans, he wondered.
"I see. Freedom is an admirable gift to provide your people," he said, deciding to grant the man his gift. Thirsts must be quenched, after all.
The man's eyes grew wide. "Yes. It is. I am pleased that you… Thank you," the man offered with a bow.
"I will help you, Gruanthe."
Aniolon almost stumbled backward with surprise. "You will? That… that's wonderful! Thank you." The man stared off into the gloom of the cavern, obviously lost in thought. "That's wonderful," he repeated softly as a smile danced across his lips.
"It is an exhilarating feeling to wield power over others, is it not?" the dragon said, no longer hiding his grin.
"Yes," Aniolon said with a distant look in his eyes. "Yes, it most definitely is."
How wonderfully oblivious these creatures were, Gerinvioch thought as he shook his head and chuckled.
The little man seemed to awaken from a daydream. "You will fight them?"
"That will not be necessary. I will come to your town and grant it a protective spell."
Aniolon shrugged and nodded.
"The cost you pay for my assistance will be high. You will obtain an item for me that lies here in the desert. Also, you will leave these others for me," the dragon said motioning toward the man's smoldering companions.
The wizard grimaced but agreed.
Gerinvioch told him where to find the item, the Evise Jhontil, which would seal their pact and instructed him to make contact again once it had been obtained. After Aniolon departed, Gerinvioch inspected the first of his payments.
The other man who obviously fancied himself a wizard was still alive, though immobile. Gerinvioch sniffed at the man, letting the aroma of scorched human skin overwhelm him.
"Ple-please," the man stuttered.
"I have answered one man's pleas today. I think that quite generous of me," Gerinvioch replied.
"You are going to he-help him?" the human asked, swallowing back an eruption of blood.
Gerinvioch cocked his head. "You muster the strength to ask me one question and that one is your choice?"
The man assented.
"He wishes freedom from this Estagundian tyrant and his killers. I will grant him that," Gerinvioch answered, leaning in closer to the man.
The wizard's face contorted in obvious confusion. "Why?"
"Humans need to learn that desire is a dangerous pursuit. My desert has been invaded by your kind more times than I can count. I roam the skies beyond the desert and see that your disease has taken a firm hold in most of the lands I find. I tire of your endless quests and searches, your discoveries and advancements, your invasions and intrusions. It is in your nature to 'outdo' yourselves, so you say. What you are doing is outpacing yourselves, you are overstepping yourselves more and more each day. I tire of it," the wyrm said, his cadence slowing. "He wants freedom from this ruler when all humans do is imprison the world around them in their lustful, greedy pursuits? So be it."
"But our town is sm-" the man started, cut short by a surge of pain-"is small. We are but a few humans."
The wyrm conceded the point. "True. However, everything starts somewhere."
The man started to respond, but ceased abruptly as Ger-invioch's gargantuan maw creaked slowly open and lowered itself toward him. The wizard screamed so loudly as to cause his voice to crack and fade away.
"I have answered your question, human. Now you will answer my hunger," Gerinvioch said before he sank his teeth in slowly, savoring the squirming delicacy.
Aniolon returned to his town and shared the news with his followers. The people had their trepidations and were sorrowful over the loss of those who had accompanied him. He, naturally, didn't give all of the details of the journey, but insisted that the dragon would protect their new home.
A party of twenty was dispatched from the town to the location of ruins described by the dragon. Among them had once been a temple to the evil god Set. Aniolon told them the artifact would be there.
Aniolon enjoyed the attention of his people while they waited for the party's return. This is one of the rewards for being a good leader, he thought.
Upon their return, almost a tenday later, the intrepid searchers described the ordeal of their quest. The wards and defensive measures surrounding the artifact, mysteriously still in place nearly half a millennium after the temple was abandoned, had claimed the lives of almost a dozen of their ranks. Another four were killed when they had encountered a roaming ef reeti on their return journey. The others had barely escaped. Aniolon listened to the tale, adding empathetic remarks at moments he deemed most effective, attempting to console them for the loss of their friends. He was, of course, certain to remember to congratulate them on a job well done. The wizard turned leader took the item to the dragon. Upon his return to town he once again assured his people that they would be safe.
The next morning the great beast arrived at the edge of the freshly formed town, keeping his distance from the nervous inhabitants.
"Thank you for coming. Your largesse honors us," Aniolon greeted the Great Blue loudly as he approached, so everyone within earshot could hear his easy tone.
Aniolon led the beast to the center of the town, smiling at his followers and giving them reassuring nods. Gerinvioch " produced the artifact the townspeople had retrieved for him as if from thin air. Aniolon looked carefully and still could not begin to guess where the dragon had hidden it on his person or how it had been hidden in the first place. The wyrm placed the object on the ground at his feet and nodded to Aniolon.
"You are using the Evise Jhontil in your spell?" the wizlrd asked.
"It is essential to your protection," the dragon responded.
Aniolon regarded the dragon curiously and finally shrugged. The enormous creature reared onto his hind legs, exposing the gold-green scales of his belly. They were dull and void of life compared to the dazzling azure that adorned the rest of his body. Gerinvioch looked equally comfortable standing on two legs as he did on four, Aniolon noted.
The dragon began chanting in a language Aniolon did not recognize, occasionally gesturing with his large, three-fingered hands. Aniolon chuckled as he wondered if they were called fingers and hands when it came to dragons. The wizard turned to see his followers watching the great beast carefully. He smiled as he watched them, knowing soon they would be safe under the protection he had procured for them. They would be in his debt and provide him with a comfortable, free existence for the rest of his life.
The dragon ceased its incantation and turned to face the wizard. "It is done."
"What does it do?" Aniolon said doubtfully, looking at the still inert object on the
ground.
"The barrier will make your home invisible and impenetrable. And if these men hunting you cannot see you…" the dragon began.
"They will pass by and continue their search elsewhere," Aniolon said, a large grin spreading across his face.
"But surely they will detect the magic of the barrier itself," said a man with graying hair named Umbeso, once one of Aniolon's rivals for positions of power in Estagund.
Like many of the arcanists in the town, Umbeso had desired a respite from the Estagundian worship of a class of warrior nobility. Most citizens held those warriors in high regard, but the hierarchy often led to political conflicts with the magic-using citizens of Estagund, who did much for the country but were not very highly regarded under the current regime.
Aniolon spun to face the man, red with anger, but before he could speak, Gerinvioch responded, "I have concealed the magical emanations that are usually a natural part of both spells and artifacts of this sort. However, I will need to place a finishing charm on it once I depart."
"But they will still be able to detect the people here in this place," Umbeso interrupted again.
"Enough, Umbeso," Aniolon said.
"His questions are reasonable, Gruanthe. I will answer them," Gerinvioch said. "I have concealed this area and all in it from detection of any sort."
"They could simply stumble into the town. If it is invisible, they may think they are simply proceeding through the desert," Umbeso put in.
Aniolon saw the townspeople looking between Umbeso and Gerinvioch and suddenly felt very unnecessary. It was a familiar feeling and not one he enjoyed.
"The barrier will not allow them passage," the wyrm replied, locking eyes with Umbeso.
"Yet if anyone from inside the town," Umbeso said waving his hand over the gathered crowd, "should leave the town, this barrier will allow them to enter once again?"
Aniolon broke in before the wyrm could respond. "Silence, Umbeso! We have an arrangement with Gerinvioch. It is settled," he said, glaring at the older man.
Gerinvioch looked at Umbeso and the man took a step back. "You are wise to surround yourself with capable advisors, Gruanthe," the blue said.
Aniolon turned to face his town's winged salvation once again. "Yes. Very well. Thank you for your assistance, Gerinvioch," he said, dismissing the dragon's comment. "I will contact you when we have your first payment," Aniolon said, hoping his informal tone did not distress the great wyrm, but knowing the comforting effect it would have on his followers.
Gerinvioch smiled, his eyes shifting from their locked position on Umbeso to rest on Aniolon. "Enjoy the freedom you covet so dearly," the dragon said. He then leaned in to Aniolon and spoke in as hushed a tone as a creature so enormous may. "Continue to enjoy the power, Gruanthe," he said, a grin slowly overtaking his mouth. "I certainly shall."
Gerinvioch spread his batlike wings and gave a mighty flap. Coming to a hover some forty feet off the ground he made a final magical gesture and bellowed a last arcane phrase. Aniolon raised an eyebrow and watched the great wyrm speed away.
Aniolon heard a wave of gasps erupt from the gathered citizens and turned to see the inert artifact on the ground begin to crackle to life. Orange lights surged inside it drawing pulsing, racing lights that shone through its dull exterior. It rose from the ground, levitating slowly, coming to a resting position nearly sixty feet off the ground and began to spin in place.
The sky momentarily flashed bright orange, like a burst of sunlight, and everything seemed as it had been, except for the dull whir of the spinning object hovering overhead.
Aniolon turned to look upon his people. "We are saved!"
Cheers rose tentatively from the crowd as everyone gathered closer to the object that would save them. Aniolon barked orders for the celebratory feast to be prepared and everyone scattered to do their part. It would be quite a celebration and they had much to be happy for. Indeed, there was much to celebrate, Aniolon thought. His people would throw a victory celebration in his name. Aniolon smiled. His people.
The next day, Aniolon awoke to shouts and screams. He left his home and jogged south. The hedonistic celebration had endured for many, many hours. Remnants of food and drink were strewn all about. People were passed out everywhere, some in piles of spent carnality. Aniolon found a crowd of frenzied people and pushed through the gasping throngs to find a young man screaming, being held upright by two other men. Streams of air poured from the young man's right hand as he held it before himself.
"I can't stop it!" the younger man being restrained cried, his voice cracking. "I can't stop the spell! I was using a simple wind gust to clean the refuse from the streets, and now I cannot stop it!"
Aniolon noticed a woman convulsing slightly as she let loose a small scream.
"I tried to dispel his magic and-" she stopped abruptly, convulsing again.
With the eyes of every person witnessing the spectacle turned on him, Aniolon could only stare at the convulsing woman. Her face seemed to be wrinkling in waves before him. It was as if a ripple was moving across her stern features.
"Someone stop this! What's causing it?" Aniolon heard someone shout. Questions echoed from all around the crowd.
Umbeso stepped through the crowd to stand directly in front of Aniolon. "The boy may simply be inexperienced. She, however," the man said, indicating the spasming woman behind him, "is not. There is something wrong here, Aniolon. Many of us cast spells as simple as these daily here. These particular spells are two very different kinds as well. It surely is not the magic itself."
The crowd was muttering amongst themselves but Aniolon could not hear. It could not be the magic, he knew. He stared into the eyes of his former competitor. The man was calm, his lips pursed as if waiting for an answer to a question he had asked.
"What is it?" Aniolon asked quietly. He wanted to scream at the man but could find no voice to do so. This was no time to play the role of teacher.
"Think, Ahiolon! What has changed?" the man asked, looking impatient.
"Tell me!" Aniolon cried.
Before the man could respond, a shrill scream rose above the din of befuddlement in the crowd. Aniolon turned to see a nude woman running toward the crowd, her auburn tresses bouncing around her shoulders. The crowd parted to admit her to the center.
"Daron…" the woman panted the name of a well-respected priest among the villagers. "Daron's dying!"
"Speak, child," Umbeso said calmly.
"Daron was praying to Sharess for…" she paused, looking flushed. "Praying for a spell to… enhance our pleasure in our…" she paused again, "activities this morning."
Umbeso nodded for her to continue.
"In the middle of his reverie, he collapsed. He's not breathing!" she said.
Umbeso turned to Aniolon and asked, "Now divine magic as well?"
Without another word, Aniolon pushed through the crowd and dashed to the site of the Evise Jhontil floating in the town square. Aniolon did not want his guess to be correct, but it was the only thing that had changed. The artifact's octagonal shape pulsed more brightly and was spinning faster than before.
Aniolon stared on in silence, hypnotized by the moment and the racing orange light that so entranced him. He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"It must be the Jhontil. Do you agree?" Umbeso asked.
Aniolon nodded weakly. "What do we do?"
"You are our leader, Aniolon. You tell us," Umbeso said with a grin.
"Damn you to the Hells! Tell me!" Aniolon said as he spun to face the man. "This is not the time."
The man took a step back and stared hard at his leader. "You are right, of course. We need to discuss this with all those learned of the Weave."
A short while later, in his home, Aniolon met with the most skilled arcanists in the town.
"As we can all see, something, presumably the artifact, forces the caster of any spell to perpetuate the spell infinitely," said an old man named Sohj, who had instructed Aniolon some years b
efore.
Murmurs wafted around the room. Aniolon hushed them, intent on hearing the man.
"Eventually any spell will consume the caster," Sohj continued, pointing to the dead young man who had attempted to cleanse the street and the still-convulsing older woman in the corner of the room. "There have been four others so far. The priest Daron, two young apprentices who attempted to combine their talents to dispel the effect, and Elder Grashtio. The old fool took it upon himself to rid of us the Evise Jhontil. Each attempt has only made the damned thing spin more quickly and glow more brightly."
"Then we must leave this place," Umbeso said.
"No!" Aniolon shouted.
"Gruanthe, we must leave. There are hundreds of us here and magic sustains us by providing food, water, even shelter. Without it, we will die and now the magic itself will kill us!" Umbeso replied.
Aniolon looked around the room. He saw assent in every pair of eyes. He simply nodded and listened for the next hour as plans were made to abandon the town. It was decided that scouts would be sent ahead to find another suitable location for the town, somewhere in the desert.
Not more than an hour after all was decided and the scouts sent, a dark-haired woman, one of the scouts, burst into the room and reported her news.
"There is a wall… an invisible wall," the woman said, her face twisted in confusion.
"A wall? " Umbeso asked.
"Yes. We were headed east, farther into the desert. We were no more than a mile outside of town and we hit a wall. It appears as if nothing is there, but you simply can no longer walk forward. One of my men has the knot on his head to prove it," she said.
"Then try east, south, or north!" Aniolon said, standing up so quickly that his chair tumbled to the floor.
"We have, sir," the woman said, shaking her head.
"We're trapped then," Sohj said quietly as the other gathered scholars fell silent. "The Evise Jhontil has us, it would seem. Its barrier holds us, yet if we attempt to disarm it, we will get trapped by its power," he said, motioning again to the dead boy in the corner.
"Wands!" Aniolon blurted out.
The Realms of the Dragons 2 a-10 Page 16