Tig took in the sight, then turned back and raced toward Brianna and the pride. They were half an hour from the city when Tig returned, sharing mental images of the city from memory. For Brianna, it was almost as if she had seen what Tig had seen.
They had landed to rest and allow Brianna to share Tig’s report. Zollin could communicate with Ferno, but only Brianna could communicate with all the dragons-at least until they began vocalizing words. Speaking was difficult for dragons, and Brianna didn’t push her pride to use words. Ferno was the first to try, saying simple words or phrases, usually to emphasize the mental communication the dragons relied on.
“The city is besieged,” Brianna told Zollin, the dragons crowding close to the two humans. “It looks as though King Zorlan has surrounded the city, but there are soldiers on the walls. None of Zorlan’s troops are engaging.”
“Well, that may give us some time,” Zollin said.
“What exactly is our plan?”
“I’m not sure. I mean, we need to stop Offendorl, that’s our highest priority. As long as he lives we will never have peace. But we also need to deal with the witch. We may be the only ones who can.”
“Okay, so if the witch is in the tower of the Torr, perhaps we should just fly there directly.”
“And just let King Zorlan conquer Osla?” Zollin asked.
“Is that really our responsibility? I mean, we have enough on our plate with two wizards and a dragon, don’t you think?”
“Yes, I guess you’re right. But if we could find a way to thwart King Zorlan’s plans, it would go a long way to restoring peace to the Five Kingdoms.”
“Well, we still have no idea where Offendorl is. So, if we can stop Zorlan, we will, but let’s stay focused on the goal at hand.”
“Okay, so we’re flying to the Torr. I think you and the dragons should stay in the air while I go in. I have no idea what I’m going to find there and I’d rather you cover my back.”
“But what if the witch casts her spell on you?”
“I think I can deflect any magic she uses on me,” Zollin explained.
“But what if her spell isn’t like the others?” Brianna argued. “What if just seeing her forces you into her service, like Prince Wilam said?”
“Okay, you go in with me. I’ll protect you with my magic and watch your back. Ferno and Selix will have to remain outside though. They’re too big to be of help inside the tower.”
Ferno growled menacingly but didn’t object outright.
“Tig wants to help,” Brianna said. “I think Tig might even fit through the windows.”
“That’s a good idea. We’ll make that call when we get there,” Zollin said to Tig. “For now, let’s get a little closer. I want to see exactly what we’re dealing with, and it doesn’t seem like we’re in a hurry.
They took flight again and circled the city from so far away that it was just an indistinct blur to Zollin. The dragons and Brianna could see much further. And it was only moments before they spotted Bartoom approaching the Grand City.
Ferno began sharing mental images with Zollin of the city and the massive black dragon. Ferno’s body shook with rage at the sight of the black dragon, but Zollin did his best to calm the beast he was riding on. He made a few quick decisions and shared his thoughts with Ferno, who passed the makeshift plan to the others. They moved slowly at first, watching to see what Bartoom would do.
Zollin was sure the black dragon’s presence indicated that Offendorl was in the city. When they saw Bartoom attacking the soldiers on the city walls, Zollin deduced that Offendorl wasn’t in charge. He decided that Gwendolyn must still be in control, and Zollin figured that his best approach would be on the ground but inside the city walls. He could levitate himself quickly around the city if he needed to, but the pride would have to deal with Bartoom and that meant that Zollin would need to confront Offendorl as quickly as possible.
Then, Tig noticed the soldiers moving out to attack the main gate. Zollin could not see the soldiers on the ground yet, but the city was becoming clearer. He told Ferno to drop him and Brianna on top of the massive gatehouse. The dragons sped up, racing across the open ground. Zollin’s eyes stung from the wind, but he forced them to stay open. He could see the scaling ladders going up and the troops with their big shields slowly ascending. Then he jumped off Ferno’s back. Falling through the air was terrifying and he quickly controlled his fall with the magic that was churning excitedly inside him.
Brianna flipped and tumbled through the air just above Zollin. When they landed on the gatehouse, that section of the city walls was nearly deserted. The soldiers had either been killed or fled in fear. Zollin used his magic to break the scaling ladders. The soldiers fell hard and were carried back from the wall by their comrades. Zollin didn’t have time to concern himself with the second wave of soldiers King Zorlan sent to attack the gate-he and Brianna were watching as Selix soared high into the air while Tig shot forward and ripped at Bartoom’s wing with the smaller dragon’s needle-like talons. Zollin was waiting for Offendorl to reveal himself, but nothing happened. Bartoom was just turning to confront Tig, who had already raced away, when Ferno crashed into Bartoom.
Zollin could feel the rage pouring off of Ferno, but the bulky green dragon didn’t fully engage in the fight. Both dragons were snapping at one another with their razor sharp teeth, but only Bartoom was flapping its wings and scratching with its talons. Ferno just held the bigger, black dragon, using its own weight to drag Bartoom down. They fell, and the descent took several tense seconds as Zollin and Brianna looked on. They were terrified for the green dragon, but Zollin used his magic to flip Bartoom onto the bottom just before they crashed.
Three stone buildings were destroyed, and when the dust cleared Zollin could see the two dragons fighting for their lives. Ferno was strong, but the green dragon’s scales weren’t as hardened as Bartoom’s. Fire and smoke billowed as the dragons fought. More buildings were knocked down, the entire area was littered with rubble, and anything combustible was burning.
Brianna sent an idea to Selix, who dove immediately. Bartoom’s back was still vulnerable from the dragon battle at Castlebury. Selix raced down, flaring its golden wings at the last second and extending talons like an eagle diving for salmon. Selix’s talons sank into Bartoom’s back and then ripped free, sending blood cascading through the air. Bartoom’s roar of pain and rage shook the entire city. Soldiers stood dumbfounded, watching the battle between the dragons.
“Now’s our chance,” Zollin said to Brianna. “Let’s get to the tower.”
He flung Brianna high into the air with his magic before levitating himself toward the massive stone tower. Brianna flipped and bounced along, almost as if she were dancing through the air. Zollin saw Tig racing toward them too.
They were almost to the tower and Zollin had to ascend higher in order to land on the top of the tower, which was by far the tallest structure Zollin had ever seen. He had no doubt powerful magic was employed to create such a structure. He could see King Belphan’s opulent palace not far away. It was a stunningly crafted castle, but it paled in comparison to the tower of the Torr. Then Zollin notice the dust and debris billowing out from the bottom of the tower and he realized that a magical battle was already taking place.
The top of the tower was flat, with small stone crenellations circling the top. The tower sloped ever so slightly as it rose, the top floors only half the circumference of the bottom floors. Still, the top of the tower was large, and Zollin, Brianna, and Tig all landed easily on top. Zollin took a moment to catch his breath, letting his magic flow down into the tower to give him an idea of what was happening inside. He felt Gwendolyn, who was hunched over a book in the top floor. Most of the room seemed seared with fire-there were books all around but most of them were blackened and curling. Beside Gwendolyn, sitting on the floor and grasping her sister’s leg, was Andomina.
Zollin could tell immediately that Andomina was a warlock. He could feel childlike emot
ions, mostly fear, pouring from her, but she reminded him of his old staff that had once been a thick branch of a tree that was split by lightning. The staff had been full of magical power that almost reached out to mingle with his own power. Once Zollin had learned to tap into his own reservoir of magic, it had made the magic of his staff seem weak. But Andomina was brimming with magic-a dark, seductive power that filled Zollin with longing.
“They’re just below us,” he said. “And they know we’re here.”
Zollin felt Gwendolyn call to him. She knew his name, and the call made him burn with passion for her. Even with Brianna right in front of him and his magical shields surrounding him, he wanted to run to her.
“You have to go,” Zollin said. “She’s trying to seduce me.”
“Not for long,” Brianna said angrily.
Tig snarled and they both ran and jumped off the roof. Brianna summersaulted in the air, but Tig pulled a tight loop, twisting through the air and then shooting into the tower with a strong flap of its wings. Zollin felt the desire to join Gwendolyn vanish as fire flashed out the opposite window. He used his magic to learn what was happening below him.
Gwendolyn had not been expecting an attack, and had only managed to shield herself from Tig’s fiery blast. Andomina was burning alive. The usually silent warlock screamed, her wail freezing her sister for a moment before Gwendolyn brushed the fire away with magic. The damage to her sister’s body was not life threatening; most of the burns were only skin deep, but her hair was burned away, as was the filmy dress her sister made her wear. Worst of all was the damage to Andomina’s lungs. Tig’s flames had seared the delicate lining of Andomina’s lungs, making it difficult for her to breathe.
The blast of superheated air had also caused the humidity in the tower to form into drops of water that clung to the stone ceiling. Gwendolyn lashed out at the blue dragon with a blast of freezing air. Normally the cold didn’t bother the dragons, but Gwendolyn froze the moisture in the air and hit the dragon with tiny shards of ice. Tig’s scales were strong enough to deflect the ice, but the dragon’s wings were pierced with hundreds of tiny holes. The blast forced Tig to dive out the far window at the same time as Brianna landed lightly just inside the other.
Brianna was stunned by what she saw. Andomina was writhing next to her sister, but Gwendolyn looked calm. She was watching Brianna with a sense of surprise mixed with fear and anger.
“You are dragon-kind?” she said, half asking, half stating the fact.
“And you are a witch.”
Gwendolyn smiled. It was a sickly sweet look that reminded Brianna of rancid meat. “You should join me,” Gwendolyn said. “Together we can rule the Five Kingdoms.”
“I’m not here to join you,” Brianna said, fire erupting from her hands.
“Surely you don’t think you can defeat me?” Gwendolyn said. “I hold the Torr-not even Offendorl can stop me.”
“Maybe not, but I know one person who can.”
Zollin was on top of the tower, monitoring what was happening. His first instinct was to run to Brianna’s aid, but he didn’t. He could feel Andomina’s magic fading. The poor mute warlock was struggling to breathe-the pain in her body from the burns was overwhelming. Then Zollin saw Tig, struggling to fly. The blue dragon’s wings were in tatters. He reached out with his magic and pulled the dragon up onto the roof. Tig growled, but there was no malice in it.
Zollin then looked out at where Ferno and Selix were still battling Bartoom. All three dragons were on the ground now, their heads lowered and the haunches up, like dogs. Ferno was clearly the strongest of the group, but the green dragon was favoring one leg where Bartoom had sank razor sharp teeth into the thick muscle, and there was blood dripping from several long gashes in Ferno’s stomach. Bartoom’s scales were almost impenetrable except along its back between the massive wings, and Bartoom was as deadly with its long, thick tail as it was with it’s gnashing teeth and razor sharp talons. Selix was forced back by Bartoom’s tail.
Zollin sent the green dragon a mental image. It showed Ferno and Selix dropping as low as they could get onto the ground. Zollin was several hundred yards from the battling dragons, but he let his power build into a crackling ball of white-hot magical energy. Tig hissed and backed away from Zollin, but the young wizard didn’t notice. He sent the ball of power streaking toward Bartoom, who had just reared on its hind legs, preparing to lunge at Ferno.
Bartoom saw the ball of magic, but even though the massive beast jumped, flapping it’s wings and rising into the air, Zollin magically maneuvered the spell straight into Bartoom’s chest. The magic snapped and sizzled, weakening the dragon’s scales.
Selix shot into the air after the black dragon, but Ferno stayed on the ground, watching the golden dragon attack. Bartoom hadn’t been hurt physically by the magic and must have thought its scales had saved it from the attack. But Selix closed with the massive black dragon, ripping with thick talons at Bartoom’s chest. The black beast was shocked to feel the pain as the talons tore through Bartoom’s scales and shredded the flesh beneath.
Bartoom was torn between the order it had received from Offendorl to attack the city walls and it’s own desire to survive. It chose the latter, pulling away from Selix and turning to escape. But Ferno had been expecting Bartoom to flee. The green dragon flew up and sank its teeth into Bartoom’s tail. Once again the black dragon was dragged out of the air and crashed into a tall stone building that crumbled beneath Bartoom’s weight. Ferno’s teeth didn’t penetrate the hardened scales on Bartoom’s tail, but the green dragon held on, keeping the black dragon from flying to safety. Selix swooped in once more, extending talons like a bird of prey, catching Bartoom’s neck in its hind feet and pinning the black beast’s head to the ground.
Bartoom was defeated, but not destroyed-the dragons would not kill their own kind. Zollin found that realization noble, but he had no time to focus on it. Brianna was in danger.
Chapter 30
Offendorl lay in darkness. His magical power was weak, like hearing a voice from far away. He strained to feel the familiar heat, but it was like glowing embers that produced no warmth. He remembered falling, and how the world seemed to crash around him. Now, he could feel the sharp angles of wood and stone beneath him, and the weight of debris that covered him. He lay still for a moment, letting his senses return. First had been touch, and then smell. He could smell the dust and freshly rent wood. Finally his hearing returned, first with a harsh ring deep in his ears. Then, as the ringing faded, he heard something else.
It was the frantic sound of someone digging through the debris. Offendorl felt fear at first, as he remembered that Gwendolyn had turned her warlocks against him. But then he realized that Gwendolyn would have moved the debris with magic. The sound, coming nearer and nearer to Offendorl, was the frantic work of a non-magical person. He could hear grunts of effort as the person moved the debris, piece by piece.
Then, last of all, sight returned to the elder wizard. Light appeared in the darkness, tiny shafts poked down into the jumbled mess around Offendorl. He moaned and tried to move. The weight on top of him shifted a little, and the sounds grew closer.
“You’re alive?” a voice said.
It was Havina, and Offendorl felt relief flooding through him. She had come to his rescue. He knew he only needed time to regain his strength. Gwendolyn wasn’t stronger than he was-she had only tricked him. His magical shield had protected the elder wizard, but now he needed time to regroup. Hatred for the sorceress was like ashes in Offendorl’s mouth. He hated the thought that she had gotten the better of him, even for an instant. He would make her suffer in ways that no one had ever suffered, he swore to himself.
“Here,” he said. “I am here, Havina.”
She continued digging, and soon he could see her. She stood over him, staring down, the sun shining into the tower through a high window so brightly that she was just a silhouette, a living shadow above him. She reached down and he raised his arm, but
she didn’t take his hand to pull him up. Instead, she began feeling his body. At first he thought perhaps she checking to see if he was injured, but then her hand groped inside the pouch at his hip and pulled free the gold circlet with Bartoom’s name inscribed.
“What are you doing?” he asked in total surprise.
But Havina didn’t answer-she turned and ran from the tower. Only then did Offendorl realize that he had fallen prey to the young woman’s true intentions. Her loyalty was to power, and although he knew he wasn’t defeated, it made sense that Havina would believe that he was. So she had cast him aside and taken the golden crown. He wasn’t sure how she would be able to use the circlet to control Bartoom. She had no magical power, but his studies revealed that non-magical kings had controlled dragons in ages past, so he guessed it was possible.
For a moment a tenderness he had not expected rose up inside him. Havina had left him, but he couldn’t blame her for that. It was, after all, that same lust for power that had driven her to take care of his every need and follow him to the Grand City. Then anger erupted inside Offendorl, first at himself for being so emotionally tied to the young woman. He had cast off such mortal concerns long ago-and for good reason, the elder wizard remembered. Then, his anger turned to Havina. The young woman had gotten the upper hand, but not for long, he vowed. Once he had settled his business with Gwendolyn and Zollin, he would make it his life’s work to track her down and show her the meaning of true power. The anger stirred the weak magic inside him, prompting him to find a way to get back on his feet.
He pushed his anger for Havina aside. Gwendolyn would not hesitate to slay him in his weakened state. He rose slowly, realizing that the pile of debris was heaped up around him and very unstable. The last thing he needed was to fall and break a bone on the wreckage around him. He summoned his power, but it was like trying to hold water in his hands that kept seeping through his fingers. He tried to levitate himself clear of the wreckage, but he was only able to lift himself a few feet and then pain shot through his chest. He felt like a stone had crashed onto him and was squeezing the life out of him. He struggled to breathe and then dropped to his knees as his vision began to fade.
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