The battle behind Vera ended at the same time. Cyril lifted his club from the chest of his last opponent and turned to see how Vera was doing. Seeing the dead and burning bodies all over the place he asked breathlessly, “You didn’t -?!”
Vera shook her head. “It wasn’t me.”
Across the cavern, Vera and Cyril could make out a dark cloaked figure lit by a staff adorned with a bright green orb of light. As it came closer, Vera could see that it was a black mage.
The cleric did not lower her shield as she spoke. “Who goes there?” she asked in a quavering voice.
The figure continued to come closer but all they could see was a black cloak. The face was hidden beneath the hood. Suddenly, the cloaked figure threw his hood back, revealing a young man with blue eyes and blond hair. “I am Arch Mage Kazin.”
Vera gasped.
“And you are?” prodded Kazin. He stopped walking.
Vera lowered her shield and started running toward the mage, who instinctively held his staff in a defensive pose.
“Kazin!” cried Vera. “I’m Vera, Max’s sister! Remember me?”
Kazin was surprised. He allowed his old friend’s sister to embrace him before holding her back and looking at her up close. “Vera? Is that really you?”
“Yes!” cried Vera joyfully. “You came just in time!”
Kazin’s face darkened. “You shouldn’t be running around in these mountains. It’s too dangerous.”
By now Cyril had wandered up to the two. Kazin looked directly at the cyclops’ eye and nodded. “You must be Cyril. I’ve heard about you.”
Cyril, realizing Kazin was looking into his eye, looked away hastily. A moment later he returned his gaze, his eye showing surprise and bewilderment. “Hey! You’re not paralyzed!”
Kazin continued to look Cyril in the eye and smiled. “My magical training includes mental discipline. I’m not as susceptible to your magic as most people are. But I’m not immune to it either. If I let my guard down, I can be paralyzed too.”
Cyril could only shake his head in amazement. He offered his hand. “I am pleased to meet you. Vera has told me about you. You are her friend. Therefore, you are mine as well.”
Kazin shook his hand. “I’m honoured.”
Cyril’s face momentarily darkened. “I hope you were not sent to take me back.”
Kazin shook his head. “No. High Cleric Malachi wishes you were back, but he certainly wouldn’t force you to go back against your will.”
Cyril’s face brightened. “Really?” He looked at Vera.
The cleric grinned. “See! I told you Malachi liked you!”
“We’d better get away from here,” interrupted Kazin. He indicated the fallen ogres. “Some of them might wake up any time now. When they do, they won’t be happy.”
“Aren’t you going to kill them?” asked Vera.
Kazin looked at the cleric. “Why? They are not a threat to us right now.”
“But they’re our enemies!” pouted Vera. “They tried to kill us a moment ago!”
“We are the intruders here,” responded Kazin. “To kill them in their sleep makes us no better than they are. I used to be like you, but I have learned a lot in my travels. Not every creature is evil. For example, I knew a minotaur who was not evil. He became one of my closest friends. Cyril is another example. Some people think he is evil just because he is part cyclops. You and I both know otherwise.”
Vera sighed. “I suppose you’re right, Kazin.” The cleric was just frightened, and her fear made her want to lash out. The familiar feeling of compassion suddenly kicked in. “Should we try to heal the ones who are still alive? They might see that we don’t want to harm them and -.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” interrupted Kazin. He chuckled and patted the cleric on the shoulder. “Besides, there is a darker force at work here. The ogres aren’t smart enough to be behind it.” The mage turned to go and the others quickly followed.
“Where are we going?” asked Vera after they had put some distance between themselves and the cavern of ogres.
Kazin stopped and turned to face the cleric. His face looked greenish in the light of his staff. “You should return to the Tower of Hope at once. The clerics are needed more than ever with this new disease present.”
“But I can’t cure that illness,” lamented Vera. “Believe me. I tried! People were even chasing me away and calling me a fraud!”
“Don’t agonize over that,” put in Kazin gently. He held the cleric by the shoulders. “I know it can’t be healed yet. Even the expert healers can’t do it. But once a cure is found, your magical skills will be invaluable.”
“The best cure is often found at the source of the trouble,” said Vera. “Cyril and I are trying to do just that.”
“That is my mission as well,” said Kazin. He released the cleric. “But I don’t think you know how dangerous a mission this is. There are many evil creatures in these mountains, and the most dangerous ones wield magic.” He pointed back the way they had come. “You saw first-hand how dangerous it can get. If I hadn’t come along, you might have been killed!”
Vera looked crestfallen.
“Then we should join forces,” put in Cyril suddenly. He had been quietly observing the conversation until now. “My - gift - (he looked at Vera as he said this) could prove useful. I am quite strong too.” He flexed his arm, causing Kazin to grin in spite of himself.
“And I can heal your wounds!” cried Vera. She looked into Kazin’s eyes anxiously.
Kazin’s grin vanished. “Vera, I couldn’t save your brother, and I don’t want your death on my conscience as well. If harm came to you, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. What would I tell your parents?”
“Don’t worry about me,” said Vera. “I won’t hold you accountable for my well-being. I’ll take care of myself. If I die, it’s my fault.”
Kazin sighed. “Alright,” he said at last. “You can come with me.”
“Yes!” cried Vera joyfully. She jumped up and embraced the mage.
Kazin gently removed the frail cleric’s arms from around his shoulders and looked at her sternly. “You’ll have to pull your own weight. I can’t always watch over you and fight the bad guys at the same time.”
“Of course!” said Vera seriously. But her grin returned a moment later. “This will be so exciting!”
Kazin looked helplessly at the cyclops before turning to continue down the passageway.
A short while later, the trio arrived at a major intersection in the tunnel system. The path veered off in five directions.
“Now which way?” asked Vera.
A sudden gust of wind struck the companions from the left and echoed loudly down the tunnel to the right. The spell casters’ cloaks rippled around their ankles with the cool blast.
“We go this way,” answered Kazin confidently, following the direction of the wind. The mage made a point of marking the walls as he went.
“How do you know this is the way?” asked the cleric as she stumbled down the corridor after the mage. Her sandals slapped noisily on the floor as she went.
Kazin, whose own sandals made echoing noises, turned his head to the side as he spoke. “I’m following the wind. The air elemental instructed me to follow his wind and I don’t want to disappoint him.”
“Air elemental?” asked the cleric. She looked back at the cyclops, who merely shrugged back at her while keeping his gaze averted.
Kazin did not respond to the question, preferring to concentrate on the tunnel ahead of him.
Suddenly, a rumble echoed through the tunnel, followed immediately by a heaving, shaking motion under their feet. Vera would have fallen had the cyclops not held onto her with a massive hand. Kazin was thrown to one side and fell heavily against the wall.
“What was that?” asked Vera fearfully.
“An earthquake,” answered Cyril.
The rumbling occurred again and some loose debris fell on the companions from the tunnel c
eiling. Then the rumbling stopped.
“Is everyone O.K.?” asked Kazin.
“Yes,” said Cyril.
“Let’s keep moving,” ordered the mage.
“Are you sure we’re headed the right way?” asked the cleric shakily.
“I’ve followed the wind since I entered the mountain,” explained Kazin. “The elemental told me to do it, though I didn’t think it applied to the mountain as well. At first I ignored the wind, not realizing that it was guiding me. A couple of times I chose to go opposite the wind to find out if it meant anything. The first time I ended up at a dead end wondering how the wind could have originated there. The second time the wind blasted fiercely into my face and I had to turn back. Ever since then, I followed the wind and have never reached a dead end or trap. The only time I ran into any enemies was when I had to rescue you.” The mage paused thoughtfully. “Maybe I was supposed to rescue you.”
“Because we were supposed to help you!” finished Vera excitedly.
“Perhaps,” said Kazin. He marked the wall and led the others down the tunnel again, his staff lighting the way.
“Do you want me to light the way for a while, Kazin?” asked the cleric suddenly. “Your staff probably needs to recharge.”
“No, it’s O.K.” said the mage over his shoulder. “My staff has an endless supply of energy. It hardly costs me any magical energy to keep it lit.”
“Really?” asked the cleric enviously. She eyed the green orb atop the mage’s staff. “Is it because of the orb?”
“Yes,” said Kazin. He did not elaborate.
“Why are you marking the walls?” asked Cyril.
“It’s just a precaution,” said Kazin. “If we have to backtrack, the marks will guide us. Sometimes I wish we had a dwarf to guide us. They know their way around the mountains better than anyone.”
A good half hour of intermittent rumbling and shaking plagued the companions’ journey before the silence reigned once again. Heavy breathing and footfalls were the only noises.
“It seems to have stopped,” commented Cyril after a while.
“Yes,” said Kazin. He pulled into an alcove with a solid rock wall and ceiling. Using his lit staff, he quickly inspected it for weaknesses and found none. “We’ll rest here for a while. I’ve got some food if you’re hungry.”
“I have food as well,” offered Cyril. He removed his pack and pulled out some rodents and a rabbit. They were still alive but paralyzed.
Kazin blinked. “That’s better than the rations I brought with me.”
“Help yourself,” offered the cyclops. “I can easily get more.”
Kazin thanked him and quickly prepared a fire using some porous rock fragments on the floor nearby. He made a small pile and pointed his staff at it. Then he chanted a spell and the rock fragments lit up in a ball of flame.
“That’s an interesting spell!” complimented Vera. She held her hands over the flames for warmth.
Kazin produced a pot and some utensils. “Can you cook?” He was looking at the cleric.
Vera returned the mage’s gaze when she heard the challenge in his voice. “That’s a specialty of mine!” In a few moments she had a delicious meal cooking for them.
“This method of cooking uses very little water,” explained the cleric as she worked, “which is good since our water is in short supply. The magic draws most of the needed water from the surrounding air. I’ve combined a spell meant to help someone who is dehydrated with a spell to cool the body and restrict perspiration. The spells are almost identical, but when combined produce this interesting effect. I don’t know if anyone else has managed to figure this out, though.” The cleric smiled. “I like to think of it as my own little secret.”
“Impressive!” complimented Kazin. He accepted the bowl of rabbit stew and carefully tasted the hot meal. “Impressive!” he repeated.
The cleric beamed and handed a bowl to the cyclops.
Cyril took a spoon full. “Mmm!” he mumbled loudly.
After finishing supper and engaging in small talk, the companions continued their journey. On the way Kazin told them of his adventures leading him to the mountains.
“So you really spoke with the air elemental?” asked Vera for the fifth or sixth time.
“Yes,” said Kazin. “And I hope to speak to him again. He needs our help, and so do the earth and water elementals.”
“I hope we can find the fire elemental,” said Vera, “if he - it - hasn’t already been captured by the lizardmen.”
“It won’t be that easy for them,” said Kazin. “The only magic that can capture it is summoning magic. Most other magic won’t affect it.”
“Wait a minute!” said the cyclops suddenly. The others stopped and turned to look at Cyril. He had a strange expression on his face and a distant look in his eye.
“What is it?” asked Vera.
“What does the fire elemental look like?” asked Cyril.
“I don’t know,” said Kazin. “I haven’t seen it yet.”
“Would it look like a man who is on fire?” asked the cyclops.
“Perhaps,” said Kazin. “Why?”
“I remember seeing a fiery figure shortly after entering the mountains. It looked at me before running away from me down a tunnel. After you mentioned that elementals were immune to most magic, I remembered that it looked directly into my eye before it ran. I thought that was odd at the time. I tried running after it but it was long gone. It sure moved fast!”
“That could have been it!” exclaimed Vera. She looked at Kazin for confirmation.
“It’s quite possible,” admitted Kazin. “You say it looked like a man?”
Cyril nodded. “A human on fire. Where his eyes should have been were dark holes. I couldn’t tell if he wore clothes or not because his fire was too bright. But he didn’t appear to be in any pain.”
Kazin nodded. “That was very likely a fire elemental. If he moves as fast as you say, he may very well still be on the loose. If we find him, I hope we can convince him to help.”
“Can’t you summon him?” asked Vera.
Kazin shook his head. “I don’t know how to do that. It seems the only ones still capable of such ancient magic are the druids and lizardmen. But if we can talk to him, he might help us; especially when he realizes the impact his capture would have on the entire world. If the lizardmen control all of the elementals, the forces they unleash will not only wipe out humans, it will destroy all life, including the lizardmen themselves. The water elemental and earth elemental are already under the lizardmages’ control, as indicated by the poisoned water and earthquakes. Because the air elemental has been captured, the air might soon become contaminated, with uncontrollable winds to spread the contamination around the world. If the fire elemental is captured as well, fires will consume everything the lizardmen wish to burn and then some. Even the lizardmen will not be able to stop the destruction then! So you can see how critical our mission is!”
Vera swallowed nervously at this vision of doom. Even Cyril was frightened by the possible scenario.
Kazin tried to ease their fear with a relaxed smile. “Don’t worry. It hasn’t gotten that bad yet. We still have a chance to change things. I’ve been in worse scrapes before.”
Vera had difficulty visualizing a worse situation than the one Kazin had described. Her look was not lost on the mage.
Kazin laughed. “Remember the wars a few years back? My companions and I put a crimp in most of the necromancer’s plans and we eventually won the war. We beat the odds then and we can do so again. You’ll see.”
“I hope so,” said Vera uncertainly.
“Absolutely!” boomed the cyclops’ voice behind her. He laid a hand gently on the cleric’s shoulder. “The air elemental thought so.”
The cleric looked up at the cyclops, who deliberately looked at her pendant. Cyril’s face had a new expression on it. It was a look of determination and resolve. Vera drew strength from her friend’s expression. She
returned her attention back to the mage with a determined expression of her own. “Lead the way, Kazin!”
Kazin held up a fist in victory and turned to lead them on their important and exciting quest.
What suddenly happened next caught everyone off guard. A deafening rumble was followed by a loud cracking noise. The tunnel behind them rose sharply, dumping its hapless travelers like sand down a chute. They slid helplessly down the tunnel and bounced off a couple of corners on their way down. After a third corner, the trio approached a massive, gaping crevice that separated their half of the tunnel from its continuation on the other side. With too much momentum and no handholds, they were incapable of stopping their descent. The companions tumbled unceremoniously from the tunnel into the black and forbidding nothingness.
Down, down they fell as the heaving mountain changed its form and reconnected the tunnel high above them. Large chunks of rock could be seen breaking off from the sudden impact.
Kazin was trying to complete a complex levitation spell when he heard Cyril cry out. In the dim light of his staff, the mage saw the cyclops frantically pointing below them and looked to see what was wrong. It was too late. This type of landing was not what Kazin had in mind …
Chapter 17
Alric rose to his feet and brushed the dust from his clothing. He shook his head to rid his hair of more dust and flipped up his hood to cover his head. “Does this sort of thing happen often in the mountains?” he asked the dwarf as he helped her to her feet.
Cloak & Dagger: Book II of The Dragon Mage Trilogy Page 16