by Charles Lamb
The river was now washing up on both banks as the Lindworms created a partial dam in the river. The party of six were all in ankle deep water, except Teivel, who was drenched and regaining his feet.
“WHAT THE DREK WAS THAT FOR? Are you meshugener?” the dwarf screamed at Alex.
Before he could answer, both dragons slammed into the shield again from the far side, causing the ground to shake all around them. Without replying, Alex turned his entire attention to the two serpents. He watched as the two fixated on his movements, striking out every so often, as if to test the barrier between the two groups.
With his people regrouped on either side of him, Alex pushed the shield toward the pair of dragons; following their movements as they retreated until all six were knee deep in the river. He could see the Lindworms almost pacing back and forth, pressing against the shield as they looked for the edges of the barrier.
He watched as the pair suddenly retreated, and then split as one rose up, disappearing into the ceiling, while the other dropped into a hole in the floor.
“Where did they go?” Cassie asked quietly.
“There are levels above and below this one, dug out as we chased the gold veins,” King Teivel said thoughtfully.
“Now you tell us?” Leander cried, mimicking Alex’s own thoughts.
“How does the river flow?” Cassie asked as she realized the space below their feet was hollow.
“The river bed is stone. We took great care to ensure we wouldn’t flood the mine,” Teivel replied, sounding somewhat offended at the question.
Before anyone else could speak, one of the dragons burst through an opening in the floor behind the six. Popping up like a jack in the box, it snapped at one of the dwarves behind King Teivel. The dwarf leaped to one side as Cassie released an arrow that drove solidly into the side of the beast’s head, both surprising and injuring it.
The creature howled in pain and rage as it started to retreat. King Teivel managed to leap forward and slam the edge of his double bitted axe into the side behind its head. The wound it left, while not deep, sprouted blood before the dragon disappeared back into the hole.
With everyone was distracted, the second dragon dropped from above, with the intent of attacking Cassie. Alex spun in place, driving his sword out while grasping and pulling Cassie by the arm. The Lindworm turned its head sideways to allow it to open its jaws wide, and surged forward, snapping at its intended target.
By pulling on Cassie’s arm, Alex had maneuvered her body out of harm’s way, leaving only one leg exposed to the Lindworm’s bite. He heard her scream out in pain as the jaws clamped down on the limb. Next, it was the creatures turn to howl, as Alex’s elven steel bit deeply into the soft, exposed under chin of the dragon’s jaws.
He withdrew and stabbed over and over until the creature released Cassie, but not before thrashing her about in its attempts to avoid the demon blade. Alex was covered in dragon’s blood as he had closed in on the creature that was holding his love.
Once released from the dragon’s jaws and down on the ground, Cassie attempted to edge away. Alex could see the bleeding skin of her leg from where the tattered garments and elven underpants had been pushed aside. She tried to crawl, only to find Leander there to drag her clear of the battle between Alex and the dragon, holding the spear out in defense. Never relenting, Alex continued to stab at the Lindworm as it tried to dodge and parry his thrusts.
The dragon feinted a retreat, only to spring forward at Alex, its jaws agape, but limited by the ceiling above. Side stepping the strike, Alex drove his blade into the passing eye. With the strike, the creature slammed its head up, wrenching the sword from his hands and tossing him several feet away.
It was then the second dragon sprang from another hole in the floor, slithering to the spot where Leander crouched over the prone Cassie. Picking himself up, he checked on the location of the dragon he had been battling before returning his attention to the new threat. He could see two of the dwarves pounding their axes into the side of the serpent; it ignored their efforts on its way to Leander and Cassie.
Leander rose, spear held out in preparation to defend the prone Cassie.
“ENOUGH!” Alex screamed as he fired off a concentrated bolt of energy, drawing the power from deep inside himself.
The bright white beam struck the approaching serpent straight between the eyes, leaving a burned tunnel the length of its head, near splitting it in half. His overhead light extinguished with the effort, the burning dragon was the only illumination left for the humans. The last thing Alex saw before he passed out was the second dragon charging him as he hit the floor, his sword still protruding from its eye.
----*----
The road to Gundor Stronghold was nothing more than a single cart track worn into the usually frozen earth. Over half the year the area was covered in snow and ice, and it was as firm as stone and easy to follow. The area on both sides of the trail was flat, providing little impediment should wagons need to pass going the other direction.
That however, was an unnecessary concern, as they hadn’t seen a soul the entire trip. Kelby and her sister had been riding for most of the day and were now within sight of the keep. It rested at the top of a small mountain in the center of the broad flat valley.
To the south, she could see the Northern Mountains, where deep in its bowels, Alex and the others were making their way here. To the north was another range of mountains, all capped in snow and ice, which marked the boundary for the desolate north.
Having spent her life in the warmer southern waters, she was beginning to understand her sister’s dislike of the cold, though she would never admit to it. Both she and Leena had acquired the proper attire to both protect them from the cold and provide the illusion that they were servants of the merchant.
Upon their arrival at the castle, the packhorse contained everything they required for the next stage of their plan. Until then, Kelby spent the idle time studying the castle.
----*----
Alex woke to torch light and the smell of burning flesh. He immediately gagged, as the water that was being forced between his lips required an unexpected swallow.
“He’s awake,” he heard Leander announce; Alex realized it had been his friend force-feeding him the liquid.
“Alex, get over here, I need you!” he heard Abrianna’s voice call out as he sat up.
Looking about to get his bearings, he could see both dragons lay dead nearby on either side of him. He could also tell everyone from the tunnel had filled the chamber around them. His head was splitting from the previous magical effort and he had no idea how long he had been out or how the second dragon had been slain.
He could see that Cassie had been moved, and she and Abrianna were now partially in the river, Cassie was laying on her back with Abrianna kneeling next to her and holding her head in her lap. Scrambling to regain his feet, he required Leander’s assistance before he was steady enough to walk the short distance to the water’s edge.
Kneeling in the cool water, he could feel it seeping into his clothing as he examined the pair before him. Cassie was looking pale and a bit worse for wear, the thrashing the dragon provided obvious in her disheveled condition. Looking down toward her feet, he could see blood running in the water where it washed from her calf.
“She’s been poisoned,” Abrianna offered as an explanation, her own efforts showing in the strain on her face. Alex closed his eyes and gently used his magical senses to explore his fiancée’s condition. In his mind’s eye, he could see the fiery redness of the poison coursing through her cool turquoise form.
Countering the destruction racking her body was a soothing green emanating from her cousin as she worked to counter the poison. In addition, he could see more turquoise drawing from the water surrounding the nymph, as her own magic worked to battle the illness delivered from the serpent’s venom.
“What do I do?” Alex asked hoarsely, as he struggled to sit upright. A bleary-eyed Abrianna took a m
oment to look at him before replying.
“Close your eyes and concentrate on the red you see surging through her body. Try to wrap the discrete pieces in your own energy, until it disappears. Be careful to attack only the red, as anything else is Cassie. It could kill her,” she finished.
With the explanation, Alex again closed his eyes and concentrated on what Abrianna was doing. He could see small green tendrils wrapping themselves around streams of red. They would be engulfed and squeezed by the green as it worked to destroy the red. He could feel the energy flair as the red was consumed and destroyed. He could see it was a tedious and exhausting process, one that Abrianna had been obviously working hard at to keep Cassie alive.
“Cassie is helping us by drawing strength from the water, but you must hurry because she is fading,” Abrianna whispered as if to answer the unasked question of the turquoise he had seen earlier.
Concentrating on the red wisps floating in a turquoise sea, he isolated one and started summoning his own energy to the area. Even as he tried to be gentle, he heard the admonition from Abrianna.
“Be careful, you are near her heart!” Abrianna snapped at him.
Probing more cautiously, he could indeed detect the struggling heart beating an irregular rhythm as she worked to fight the poison in her system. Backing away from that location, he located another concentration of red near one hip. He again worked to encircle and contain the wisp of red, feeling the heat of the battle between the white and red.
He was beginning to understand the delicate balance that was needed. He could actually snuff out the red in an instant, but the heat released from the attempt would burn the area, killing the tissue nearby.
The object was to work more at a rate where Cassie’s body could dissipate the heat, as it coursed through her body. He could see the cool water helping her release the trapped body heat they were generating with their efforts. Alex absently wondered if this was how the body actually fought off illness, having experience his share of fevers.
He and Abrianna continued to work on the unconscious nymph for what seemed like hours. Every time Alex thought that they were making progress, another piece of red would flair up, increasing the amount coursing through her body.
“Something’s wrong, she’s not healing properly. Leander, check Cassie’s leg,” Abrianna asked in a voice that sounded hollow. Alex could tell the healer was reaching her breaking point as the energy drain continued.
As both magicians continued their work, Alex could hear the splashing sounds of someone moving into the water nearby. With his hands on Cassie, he could feel her body move as she was being inspected.
“I found it. There is a tooth fragment in her calf muscle,” Leander replied.
“Well, pull it out,” snapped Abrianna, her irritation quite evident. There was a moment’s silence before Leander responded.
“Got it, but its bleeding badly now,” his concern portrayed in his voice.
“Let it bleed for a bit and then bind it tightly. The flow will help clean out the poison,” she replied in a much calmer tone. Alex could see for himself why Abrianna was less tense.
The two had worked nonstop the entire time, and for the first time since he began there was a notable reduction in the amount of red he detected. The pair continued to work until Cassie began to stir. There was a slight moan as she tried to roll away from Abrianna’s grasp.
“Easy, don’t try to move,” Abrianna whispered to her cousin.
“We can stop now. She’s out of danger,” she added, speaking to Alex this time.
“Thank God!” Alex replied as he opened his eyes. Looking down at Cassie, he could see the color had returned to her face, but her eyes were still closed. He reached out and gently stroked her cheek, still covered in dirt from her earlier struggle.
With a sigh of relief, he leaned back and started to get up from his kneeling position. He stopped as he saw Abrianna start to sway. In an attempt to catch her, he surged forward with both arms extended to catch her. His last memory was the water hitting him in the face as he passed out and dropped in place.
----*----
Kelby and Leena continued to follow the wagons as they traveled the stone causeway leading up the mountain, headed directly to Gundor Stronghold. She could see the series of switchbacks they needed to travel that had been cut into the mountainside so long ago. As it was late in the day, the sun was low in the sky and the starting to cool down.
Kelby hoped they wouldn’t be on this road for too much longer as the cold was starting to seep into her clothing. She pulled her cloak tight around her, and she could see her sister doing the same. Both women were quite ready for this trip to be over; neither particularly enjoyed the ride or the cold.
Kelby was mentally reviewing their next steps as they turned the final corner leading up to the massive gates to the castle. She watched as the lead riders halted the wagon train and began an exchange with the gate guards that would eventually allow them to enter.
She could see the merchant speaking to the two guards at the gate, while a third, high on the wall above, shouted something to the men below. She caught reference to the two women on horseback, understanding the reference to herself and her sister.
They had removed their hoods, allowing their long red hair to be visible to the men at the gate. Although she couldn’t hear the merchant’s reply, she expected it to be the one they had rehearsed before leaving Nyland.
Unlike a nymph, the mermaid’s magic wasn’t limited to water. While their form changed from one medium to another, their magic was constant. This was a fact they chose to conceal, aiding in the perception that a mermaid couldn’t influence you unless they were in water.
Kelby and Leena had used their magic liberally in influencing the merchant and his men in aiding them in their efforts to infiltrate Gundor Stronghold. Now they would do the same, once inside. She watched as the guards opened the gates, waving the lead wagon past while keeping a keen eye on each passing load. As the two women neared the gate, they adjusted their clothing to increase their appeal.
“Bolter says you are here looking for work,” the guard commented while looking the sisters up and down. Kelby and Leena made sure he had plenty to see, while the men completely ignored the packhorse passing through the gate behind them. Both sisters had their charm turned on full, entrancing all three guards at once.
“He was kind enough to offer us work and suggested you might have need for us here,” Kelby replied with her flirt directed at the first man.
“I am sure we can find something for you to do,” the guard replied, the leer in his tone obvious as he waved the sisters inside the gates.
Chapter 24
“It’s about time you woke up,” Alex heard the familiar sound of Cassie’s voice. He opened his eyes to a redheaded blur. As his vision cleared, he closed his eyes again as he winced at the splitting headache and pounding in his ears. All around them were lit torches illuminating the cavern.
“What hit me?” he asked as he tried to sit up, only to feel someone pushing him back down.
“Just lay still,” he heard Abrianna say, as he turned to see her kneeling next to him. With her help, he slid up until his head and shoulders were slightly elevated, resting on something soft. Turning back, he could now see Cassie propped up as well, leaning against a pile of supplies. Neither woman looked terribly great, but he was just happy to see Cassie conscious.
“How do you feel?” he asked, while still having trouble focusing on her.
“I hope I feel better than you look!” she replied with a smile. He could hear the weakness in her voice, but the smile was genuine. He could just make out the leg the dragon had savaged, the bandages covering her from ankle to knee. He was finally able to sit upright slowly, discovering another stack of items behind him to lean upon.
“She will be fine, thanks to you. I was losing the fight with the poison,” Abrianna replied as she was busy with something.
Before he could reply, he d
iscovered Abrianna forcing a cup full of a warm liquid at him. He saw where they had started a small cooking fire with a pot in the middle. Where they had obtained the firewood, he couldn’t imagine. He sipped from the cup, and found the flavor similar to chicken soup.
“What is this?” he asked Abrianna, who had seated herself next to the cooking pot, still looking very tired.
“It’s a healing potion. I have already had some and so has Cassie. Drink it, it will give you strength,” she replied while indicating the cup next to her cousin. With the reference, Cassie lifted her cup to show Alex hers was completely empty. With every sip, Alex could feel a warming sensation spread throughout his body. When the cup was about half empty, he had the energy to lean forward and survey the area around them.
Near the river lay the dragon he had been battling before passing out. It now lay motionless, head separated from its body, the enormous mouth agape. Turning the other way, he could see where the second dragon lay, still burning where he had sliced it with his blast of energy.
It must have been the pounding in his head that had prevented Alex from hearing the dwarves digging away at the far wall behind the dragon. He could see dirt flying as a small group attacked the dirt and stone.
“What are they doing?” Alex asked turning back to Abrianna.
“It seems your energy bolt passed right through the Lindworm and blew a rather sizable hole in that wall. It exposed a considerable gold strike that sent the dwarves into a frenzy. It likely saved your life as the dwarves set upon the remaining Lindworm in mass, charging in from the tunnel and pummeling the beast to death,” Abrianna replied with a smile of her own.
“By the time I entered, you were down and the dwarves and Leander had beheaded the dragon,” she finished.