Kazin took the cue and left the insane mage to himself, the laughter ringing mockingly in his ears. He reached a corner and nearly bumped into an old cleric.
The cleric looked at Kazin in surprise but hurriedly rushed to Sandor’s room to see what was bothering the master mage.
Kazin continued down the hallway and came upon a room where several black-cloaked mages sat in discussion around a long, wooden table. Benjamin was among them.
When he saw Kazin he rose and stepped forward.
“Welcome,” said Benjamin. “I’m master mage Benjamin. You are—?”
“Kazin,” answered Kazin, shaking the mage’s hand. “We’ve met before. I’m the one who brought in your difficult patient.”
“Oh, yes!” said Benjamin in sudden recognition. “It’s good to see that you’re well. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”
“I’d like to borrow your orb to contact Arch Mage Krendal,” said Kazin. “It’s concerning the elves.”
“The elves!” exclaimed Benjamin eagerly. “Are they coming to aid us? Please say yes!”
“Well, yes, but—,” began Kazin.
“Then we are saved!” exclaimed Benjamin. He turned to the others at the table. “Did you hear that? The elves are sending aid!”
“But not right away,” added Kazin.
Benjamin turned in surprise. “What?”
“They have some pressing affairs to attend to first,” said Kazin.
“But what is more pressing than our war to the northeast?” demanded Benjamin.
“It’s a long story,” said Kazin. “You can hear all about it when I tell it to Krendal.”
“I’m eager to hear it,” said Benjamin. “Let’s go to the orb room at once.” Over his shoulder, he added, “I’ll tell you the details later, fellas.” He led Kazin from the room and they entered the orb room higher up in the tower.
Krendal appeared shortly after being summoned and was surprised to know that Kazin was already at the Tower of the Stars.
Kazin explained what had happened since the last time he spoke with Krendal. It was a good thing it was only a brief overview of those events, otherwise Kazin would have had a difficult time leaving out the part about his being a dragon mage.
“I’d like to know how you disrupted such a large army by yourselves,” said Krendal at one point. “To do something like that is suicidal at best, yet you and your companions did so without a single casualty on your part! One day we will sit down and you can tell me all about it.”
Kazin finished his tale with the efforts he and his companions had made to persuade the elves to send aid, including the part about the help of the pegasi.
“Excellent!” said Krendal enthusiastically. “That familiar of yours is a remarkable creature if he can manipulate kings! With the elves coming to aid us, we might just be able to hang onto the Tower of Strength until they arrive. Otherwise, all is likely to be lost. Where the minotaurs are getting all their backup is beyond me, but they are certainly numerous!”
Kazin nodded and decided to briefly mention what Sandor had warned him about.
Krendal frowned at this news. “Let’s hope he’s wrong, Kazin. There are no soldiers in our area to defend us if something like that happens. We’ll be on our own. Almost the entire army is stationed at the Tower of Strength or on their way there. A small garrison under General Larsen guards the Tower of Hope, but they’ll never reach us in time to help if we’re attacked.”
“I wouldn’t put too much stock in what Sandor says,” said Benjamin. “He’s always babbling something about prophesies and none of us can make heads or tails of it even if we try.”
“I’ll place sentries near the mountains just in case,” said Krendal. “If such an attack happens, any forewarning we receive will add precious seconds to any defences we can arrange.”
“What do you want me to do next?” asked Kazin.
Krendal scratched his beard thoughtfully. “You’d better go and help our forces in the Tower of Strength, Kazin. You’ve done well in getting a response from the elves. Now all that remains is to hold the minotaurs and their allies back long enough for our friends to arrive.”
“We still can’t get through to the dwarves,” said Benjamin sadly. “Each of our messengers has returned without success. The dwarves are holed up but good.”
“Keep trying,” said Krendal. “If we can get their aid, it will bolster our forces considerably and give the minotaurs two fronts to fight against. The dwarves could end this whole mess if they’d just attack the minotaurs from behind.”
“We’ll keep trying,” sighed Benjamin. “But personally, I think it’s wishful thinking.”
“Wishes are all we have left to count on,” said Krendal.
A short time later Kazin walked slowly down the corridor in the Tower of the Stars thinking about the massive battle in the northeast. His turn to go to that dreaded area had come. There was no turning back now. He knew he would have to go there eventually, his private errands for Arch Mage Krendal at an end. He wondered idly how many of his companions would come out of it unscathed.
He paused when he heard a man weeping. It came from Sandor’s room up ahead. Kazin quietly walked up to the mage’s doorway and peered inside. Sandor leaned against his window sill looking out at the world beyond. He wept openly, and occasionally he spoke, his words sounding garbled and cut off.
“I’m sorry,” he wept. “The ring consumed me. Where is the ring? I can’t find the ring. Power! Evil! Why did I let it consume me? I didn’t mean to—the ring! Give me the orb! Fools! Darkness—death! It should have been me! Max? Who is that?”
And so it went. Kazin couldn’t bear to hear more. He didn’t want to relive those events as Sandor was doing. He understood now how consuming the smoky rings were; corrupting their owners into believing that personal gain meant everything. Sandor had survived the ring’s effects, but what had survived was merely a tormented soul seeking escape.
Kazin and the others gathered on the deck of the Lady of the Sea a few hours later to compare notes.
Harran confirmed the lack of success in contacting his people in the dwarven realm. His Uncle Red, who still worked in Star City in a woodworking shop, claimed that giant boulders blocked off any entrances on the western flank of the mountains, effectively isolating the dwarves. No one could get in or out.
Della and Perenia gleaned little of interest in the city’s squares, claiming there were few who would talk to the two southerners for any length of time.
Sherman and Zylor returned to report that the shipyards were sending a last fleet north with reinforcements for the war. Those ships were due to depart within a few hours.
Rubin claimed they would be loading supplies for the war for another day at the very least. They would be trailing the main fleet by approximately 30 hours.
Milena offered to use her magic for them to catch up with the fleet and then let them sail as normal under the protection of the main fleet.
Captain Durango appreciated her offer and once again offered her a job on his vessel. He even offered to give her his own cabin.
Milena thanked the captain but declined, as usual.
Chapter 52
The companions assisted the sailors with their loading and the following day they departed, Milena spurring them on with the additional wind. Within one day they had caught up with the main fleet and Milena went below to rest.
By the end of the second day the fleet sailed past the mouth of the dreaded Grille River, where the much-feared minotaur fleet was known to originate.
Everyone stood alert on deck that night but all was peaceful as the ships made their way north just out of visual range of the minotaur shore patrols. The soldiers were just congratulating each other on their successful night of travel when a scout in the crow’s nest of o
ne of the ships cried out and pointed eastward.
Outlined in the rising sun were several ships. They were minotaur vessels.
Orders were given and sailors sprang to comply. Several captains shouted to one another and Captain Durango confirmed his instructions. They were to continue sailing north while the ships containing the soldiers went to divert the minotaur vessels. The ships with the goods were not as heavily armed, with only sailors to defend them. Their cargos were valuable to the war effort, so they were sent scurrying for their destination instead.
“Why are they coming out of the east?” asked Sherman of no one in particular.
“They were waitin’ fer us out at sea,” answered Rubin. “They didn’t expect us to sneak through between their ships and their shoreline. They expected us to be more cautious and go farther out to sea, and we didn’t do that.”
“We almost lucked out,” said Harran wistfully.
Kazin came out on deck and learned what was happening. He thought of the youths that were aboard the other vessels and, almost instinctively, transformed into his dragon form.
Captain Durango and his sailors were stunned by the dragon’s sudden appearance.
Durango chewed his pipe curiously. “Well, I’ll be! That group’s got a new surprise fer us every day!”
Zylor noticed what Kazin was up to as well. He took off his amulet, allowing him to take his true form, and handed it to Harran. “Hold this, dwarf,” he growled. “I have some work to do.” He sprinted for the dragon.
Kazin spread his wings and jumped into the air. A sudden jerk knocked him slightly off balance but he recovered and looked back curiously.
Zylor climbed up Kazin’s scaly back, hung onto his neck, and grinned wickedly. “Let’s go, mage. We’ve got a battle to stop!”
The dragon flew toward the approaching minotaur ships, which were still a good distance away from the human vessels, but closing fast.
“They must have mages aboard to be moving so fast,” commented Milena as she and the others watched the dragon become a spec in the distance.
Della, who stood next to the druid, stamped her foot furiously. “He should have let me come! He needs me!”
Milena hid a grin. “Don’t worry, Della,” she said calmly. “He’ll be fine.”
“Sure,” growled the elf. “But only until he gets back!”
Captain Durango easily kept pace with the other supply ships. His cargo hold was full, but his sailors’ skill at navigation was unequaled.
They sailed peacefully for a good half hour, the defending human ships long since hidden beyond the horizon behind them.
Then the lookout in the crow’s nest cried out in alarm. Vessels were spotted dead ahead. Within minutes, their worst fears were realized. The ships were minotaur vessels.
There were ten supply ships and four minotaur ships. Six human ships would luck out and escape to the north. Four would not. Durango’s ship was slightly ahead of the others and was bound to be engaged with the enemy, and preparations were made accordingly.
“Time to prepare for a fight!” cried Captain Durango. “Ready your weapons!” Sailors everywhere scurried like mice.
Milena took up a position by the hatch doors and Perenia and Della flanked her on both sides armed with bows and arrows. Sherman and Harran stood resolutely among the sailors waiting for the inevitable clash.
As the ships neared, a lizardmage aboard one of the minotaur vessels cast a lightning bolt at the Lady of the Sea. Milena countered the attack with a bolt of her own, knocking both projected magics aside harmlessly.
The lizardmage scowled, obviously not expecting a magic wielder to be aboard a supply ship. He tried the same thing once more with the same result.
Milena then went on the offensive and sent a volley of fireballs into the minotaur ship’s sails. Within minutes, the sails were engulfed in flames. Minotaurs scurried to put out the flames while the lizardmage chanted a complex spell.
Suddenly, the water around the Lady of the Sea churned and bubbled. Before long, a number of gigantic, dark blue arms pierced the water’s surface and swung at the Lady of the Sea. They landed with hard blows, causing the ship to shudder and splinter. Sailors everywhere were thrown off their feet, some toppling overboard into the churning sea below.
The giant kraken scooped up the sailors and, with its suction-cupped tentacles coiled around their bodies, squeezed the life out of them as they screamed in agony.
Della and Perenia showered the beast with arrows but to no avail.
“Two can play at that game,” said Milena sternly. She raised her voice into a high-pitched chant and clapped her hands loudly. Many heads suddenly appeared in the water all around the Lady of the Sea. They had long, flowing hair and female faces.
“Mermaids!” cried Della delightedly. She had seen them before but only from a great distance. She had watched them swimming far out in the sea beyond her favourite observation tree in the eastern part of the elven realm. “They’re so beautiful—!” she stopped herself in horror.
The mermaids’ faces, which were ordinarily so pretty and enticing, had become savage and violent upon seeing the kraken. With sheer violence, and a total disregard for their own safety, they struck at the kraken in fury. Their spears did severe damage to the huge creature, causing it to cry out in rage. It was a low, menacing howl, so loud that all who could hear it had chills run up and down their spine.
An older mermaid, no less beautiful for her age, looked on from a distance. Someone had summoned them here; someone with tremendous power. Indeed, to summon a group of mermaids required a special kind of magic. Then she found what she sought. A blue robed figure aboard one of the vessels was casting spells continuously at a lizardmage in another vessel.
A young mermaid looked curiously at the older one. “Myla?”
The older mermaid looked at the younger mermaid, her only offspring. “It is time, Kyrie,” she said. “Remember what I told you must be done.”
Kyrie nodded.
“I will deal with the threat first,” said Myla. “Then I will join you.” She dove underwater to aid her sisters in the fight against the kraken.
Rubin looked around frantically. Three of the minotaur vessels had gone off to deal with other supply ships. That left only one. They had a chance. He locked the helm in position and carefully worked his way to the front of the ship. Looking over the side, he could see the kraken as it curled its tentacles around some of the mermaids who had ventured too close. It flung one mermaid away and squeezed another one to death. Even in the throes of death, the mermaid slashed at the kraken’s tentacle, severing the tip.
The kraken howled again and slashed wildly with its tentacles, managing to strike the ship again in the process. Another jolt signalled the joining of the human ship with the minotaur vessel. Enraged minotaurs spilled onto the deck of the Lady of the Sea and the battle was on.
Rubin bounded forward to help his shipmates but didn’t see the tip of the kraken’s tentacle until it was too late. The tentacle whacked him hard in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. He staggered backward but couldn’t manage to hold onto anything substantial. He toppled overboard and fell, hitting the water with a loud splash.
The cold of the water stunned him further, and his body ached with the strain of catching his breath. A wave pulled him under the water’s surface and he began to sink. The din of the fighting overhead lessened as he sank. Soon all was peaceful. He stopped struggling; preferring the peace and quiet the sea had to offer. Down, down he went. Soon even the light had no hold over him, as darkness set in quietly. Rubin allowed the warm embrace of death to comfort him, its lips warm against his own. The last thing he remembered was how real death felt…
Chapter 53
Kazin soared low over the water, heading for the minotaur vessels.
“Dro
p me off on the lead ship,” ordered Zylor. “Then, on my signal, go after any lizardmages you find. I’ll try to head this off before it starts. Try not to kill any minotaurs unless they get in your way. You trusted me in your realm. I expect the same of you in mine.”
Kazin looked back at his rider curiously. That meant rethinking his strategy. He was originally going to fry the enemy ships and give the human soldiers a better than average chance to win this battle. He hadn’t considered Zylor’s point of view. But Zylor was right. The minotaur was trying to save the lives of his own kind, just as Kazin was trying to save the humans. He owed it to the loyal minotaur to give him the chance he needed to save his own kind.
“I’ll give you as long as I can,” said Kazin. “I don’t want to kill the minotaurs if I can help it, but I have to do what I can for my people, too.”
“I’ll be sure to mention that,” said Zylor. “The added incentive might strengthen my own case.”
Kazin flew directly toward the lead ship and alighted on its bow with only a slight wobble. The minotaurs on the vessel originally backed up to give the huge dragon the right of way. Now they pressed forward, intent on attacking this unauthorized passenger. Behind them all, a lizardmage raised his hand in preparation for a spell.
Suddenly Zylor stood on Kazin’s back and the entire crew of warriors stopped in mid-stride, looking at the proud minotaur curiously. They were uncertain of what to do next.
Zylor climbed onto the deck confidently, as though the ship were his, and gave Kazin a wink. “Luck be with you, Kazin,” he said.
“And you,” answered Kazin. He spread his wings. “You’ll need it more than I.” He leaped majestically into the air and circled the minotaur ships, carefully keeping out of range of their spell casters. From his vantage, he could see one lizardmage aboard each vessel. All the passengers of the ships looked warily up at the strange dragon who had just dropped off a minotaur on their lead ship.
Zylor walked casually through the ranks of minotaurs and approached the lizardmage behind them. The minotaurs watched Zylor curiously as he passed them.
Kazin's Quest: Book I of The Dragon Mage Trilogy Page 53