Lepkin shoved Aparen onto his knees. “Hold your tongue.” He looked up to Dimwater and then glanced to Marlin. “Why didn’t you mention that?” Lepkin asked Marlin. “Surely you can see the difference in his aura enough to know what he is, just as you can with Dimwater.”
The prelate sighed disapprovingly. “Assuming he could deceive me, I suspect he is strong enough that he would have already attacked if he had come to cause trouble. I say we let him speak.”
Lepkin growled and roughly shoved the young man forward while yanking the book back. Aparen didn’t show any sign of aggression or resentment. He slowly stood and then turned to Marlin. “I can show you something.” Aparen brought a single hand up before the two of them. He muttered a word and then an orb of silver appeared in his hand. “I have not performed this spell before, but I believe it will give us some insight into Tu’luh’s mind. I was just explaining to Master Lepkin that I found this book in an old orcish ruin buried in a mountain east of Pinkt’Hu. They have used the spell already, but I destroyed Pinkt’Hu and everyone in it, preventing that army from assaulting anyone in the Middle Kingdom.”
Lepkin glanced to Marlin. Marlin nodded, showing that he thought Aparen was, in fact, telling the truth.
Aparen muttered a few words and the silver orb flashed yellow, then white. The orb then cleared of all color, allowing Lepkin to stare into it. Lepkin saw a large chamber, as if it were in a stony mountain. In the center of the chamber he saw an altar. Beside the altar he saw Gilifan and a large, silvery dragon.
“Tu’luh has returned,” Marlin gasped.
“Tu’luh does not look like that,” Lepkin argued.
Marlin shook his head. “A new body, but I see the same aura within. It is him. The beast has returned to Terramyr.”
Lepkin was not overly convinced by the orb that Aparen used, but Marlin’s word was good enough for him. He did not need to see anymore to know that Tu’luh was real.
“Does this orb show the present or the past?” Lady Dimwater asked.
“This orb shows the past.” The orb melted into Aparen’s hand. “Because I was inside the chamber, I was able to capture some of the past and put it into this orb. As I said before, I had never done this before, so, I was unsure it would work. That is why I grabbed the book. I want you to understand that I am a friend in this battle. I do not pretend that I wish to stay in the Middle Kingdom when this fight is over, but I do not want the dragon to win.”
“How long do we have?” Lepkin asked.
Aparen shrugged. “I do not know. The master who taught me is Njar, a satyr. It is he who told me that Tu’luh has gone to Ten Forts to raise a large army.”
“What did you say?” Lady Dimwater asked as she grabbed Aparen’s shoulder and spun him toward her.
“I said Tu’luh has gone to Ten Forts to raise an army.”
Dimwater shook her head. “No, the name of your master. Who did you say it was?”
Aparen frowned. “Njar, he is a—”
“I know very well who he is,” Dimwater said quickly. She looked to Lepkin. “If Njar taught him, then we have nothing to fear.”
“What is it that you suggest we do?” Lepkin asked. “I should trust him because you know his master and Marlin says his aura is clear?”
“I know Njar,” Dimwater said.
“And since when have you ever doubted me?” Marlin cut in. “I may be blind, but my eyes see more than yours.”
Lepkin stared hard at Aparen for a long while. He didn’t like it. It all seemed too easy. “Why would Tu’luh leave the spell behind?”
Aparen shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “I only know what I showed you.”
Dimwater interjected, holding her hand out for the book. “Perhaps there is something wrong with the spell,” she said. “If they have already used it, then it should have done more than conquer a city. Perhaps its reach was not what Tu’luh expected. If this is the case, then he would have transferred the power to some other artifact. Something that can be carried before him to dominate all that stand in his way.”
“So, then back to my question,” Lepkin said. “What should we do?”
“I suggest you run.” Aparen said coolly. “I will stay here and fight the dragon.”
“Where should we go?” Lepkin pressed.
“Go north. I have enough power that I can fight and hold the dragon and his army off. You should take your army and retreat northward until the Champion of Truth has met with you again. When he returns, then you will have the power you need to defeat Tu’luh and destroy the curse.”
“How do you know of The Champion of Truth?” Marlin asked.
“We do not have time to discuss it all. I don’t know why you chose Erik to be your student, but I have heard it was because you saw something in him that you had not seen in others. If this is true, and you have such a gift of discernment, then look at me now to see whether I am a friend. I am asking you to trust me.”
Lepkin nodded. Despite the young man’s history, Dimwater and Marlin both felt it wise to believe him. If they did, then Lepkin had to believe him too. “I imagine Commander Nials may wish to raze the city if we were to evacuate. We could leave you a house, if you wish,” Lepkin said.
“Razing the city will make no difference. The army that comes here has no need of food nor shelter. The evil magic that the dragon uses will sustain all who have been raised from the dead. Even if the elements kill them, he can raise them again. We should save ourselves time.” Marlin said.
“It isn’t me we need to convince,” Lepkin said. “It’s Nials.”
“Then let’s go and speak with him now,” Dimwater said.
“Gather what equipment and supplies you need, and then make haste to the north. I will do battle with the dragon as I can, and buy you as much time as possible.”
Lepkin reached out to retrieve the book. “And what shall I do with this?”
“Give me a moment,” Dimwater said. She closed her eyes and weaved a spell over the book. N orb of light, very similar to what Aparen had used, grew on the book and a flood of different colors streamed from the book into the orb. A moment later, Dimwater took the orb in hand and the energy transferred to her body. After a moment she opened her eyes. “From what I understand, the magic that has been enacted has been transferred to an amulet. It has no more power within itself than it used to. So, as long as you do not use your dragon form, you should be fine. However, the book still contains the actual text of the spell, so you should take it with you. Let’s hope that Erik can destroy it when he finds us.”
Lepkin offered a half smile and then he pointed to the house. “If you have some time, we have food if you are hungry.”
Aparen shook his head. “I will begin going south. When I see the orcs, I will fight with them. I have enough food for what I need.”
“Very well,” Lepkin said. Master Lepkin clapped a hand onto Aparen’s shoulder and nodded at the young man. “I wish you the very best of luck,” he said. “If you get into trouble, then retreat northward. We will be ready to fight, so do not think you must do this on your own.”
Aparen nodded and then he vanished with such blinding speed that Lepkin thought he had disappeared. It took Master Lepkin several seconds to realize that Aparen had not actually disappeared. He was traveling exceedingly fast through the air on a small silver cloud toward the south. Master Lepkin looked back to the house and thought of his wife and child. He turned and made haste to set the new orders.
It was not easy to convince Commander Nials, or Al for that matter. The two officers could not believe Lepkin’s account of what happened, nor could they believe that Tu’luh had an army of zombies or had been resurrected from the dead. Al turned to Marlin and asked the prelate whether there was any way he could validate Aparen’s story. Marlin, said that unless he could see the young man while he spoke, there was no way for him to know the truth of it.
In the end, it was lady Dimwater who convinced them all. She told them of her de
alings with Njar years ago and explained that though he was not a well-known individual, he most definitely had the Middle Kingdom’s best interest at heart. She convinced them that the mere mention of Njar’s name was enough to show her that Aparen was in fact telling the truth. None of them would argue with her.
After the orders were set, soldiers went to work with haste. Whatever supplies they could fit in the wagons, they did. When they had no more wagons to fill, they filled backpacks and rucksacks. It took them two days to be fully prepared for the journey. As soon as everything had been collected and prepared they marched north.
CHAPTER TWENTY
After spending a night traveling and meditating, Aparen felt ready to do battle with the army. He wasn’t entirely sure he could unlock the power of his Sahale blood, but he felt as ready as he could given the fact that he could already sense the army approaching. He stalked through the burnt forest, using his new skills and powers to feel the enemy army before his natural eyes could see them.
Aparen encountered the orcish army just two miles north of Ten Forts. He had never before seen such a large force in all of his life. By comparison, it made the battle at Lokton manor seem childish to him. There were easily twelve, or possibly fifteen-thousand troops marching directly toward him. He scanned the entire area, but saw no sign of the dragon. He knew there was only one thing he could do to draw the dragon out. He rose into the air, shielding himself with an invisibility spell, so he could gain a better vantage point over the enemy army.
He delved into his mind, focusing on the rune Njar had shown him. Thundering boots marched below him as he levitated invisible in the air above the army. The fire built within his chest again, as it had during the night meditations. The rune glowed brightly in his mind, and then it began to chime sharply. The melody it played called to Aparen’s soul. He wasn’t sure if he was unlocking the rune, or if it was unlocking him.
A good portion of the army had already passed under him when the transformation occurred. The transformation was far more painful than anything he had ever experienced while transforming into his shadowfiend form. His body grew to such immense proportions that he felt as if he had been ripped apart and rebuilt as a living mountain of granite. He could feel the fire burning within his chest grow stronger and hotter, waiting to be unleashed on the enemy army.
His arms became thick forelegs tipped with sharp talons and covered in large, black scales. Four horns grew from his head, two on each side that curled upward into sharp points. A ridge of bone formed over his snout and sprouted smaller, pointy horns. His tail grew long and slender, with a large, spiked ball on the end of it. His hind legs were thick with muscle, but also had horns poking out over the back of the leg, like dew claws made of black spears. He roared and unleashed a thick column of green fire.
His vision acuity was heightened so that he could see not only the physical aspects of each individual before him, but he could sense their very spirits. It was this that surprised him most, not because he could see their spirits but because their spirits were gray. Whether they were the living slaves or the resurrected zombies, they all looked the same. Their spirits were the color of ash. In that moment he knew he was not doing battle with any living creature in the sense that he understood. He was fighting animated shells, golems, and abominations. With a mighty roar he swooped down and unleashed his wave of fire, bathing the ashen snow-covered ground in a flood of flame. As had happened in Pinkt’Hu no one screamed or cried out in pain.
However, this army was not without reaction. Archers reached for their bows and unleashed a flurry of arrows into the sky, while spearman from below threw their spears and javelins and the sword men ran and spread out to avoid the flame. As before, Aparen called upon his magic, creating a shield around himself that devoured any arrow or missile coming toward him. There was nothing the army of zombies could do. Time after time he swooped in like a great raptor, burning the zombies with fire and using his tail spikes to destroy others. His magic was so powerful that none of them came close to striking his body.
Aparen dove down, swooping low and gliding upon his jet black wings just out of reach of the enemy spears. He spewed out his green flame and devoured hundreds in a single attack. The mindless soldiers were not difficult at all to fight. In his dragon form, Aparen likened it to stomping on an ant hill and then using a torch to demolish the angry little pests. With this in mind, and the fact that he had never before had any physical power that came close to what he now felt, he decided to experiment.
He dropped down after the second swoop with his fire. He crushed thirty warriors beneath his body and let them test their swords and spears against him. The weapons glanced off his scales harmlessly. Aparen roared in delight and swung his tail around his right side. Dozens of soldiers were caught by the move. Some were crushed while others were flung far away. Several bodies were impaled upon his spikes, but with his strength the extra weight didn’t seem to slow his attacks at all.
Next he shot out with his claws. He had of course used claws before in his shadowfiend form, but these were very different. Each talon was the diameter of a small tree, and their points rivaled the sharpness of any javelin or spear he had ever seen. He punctured through armor and skewered enemies effortlessly. Aparen curled his right fingers into a massive fist and then brought it down like a great boulder upon seven warriors. Their bodies squished and gushed beneath his might.
He launched into the air again, blasting fire over the army and using each of his appendages as best he could to accelerate the battle’s pace.
A goarg rider charged him once and he reflexively snapped down with his fangs, biting rider and beast in half. The blood rushed into his mouth. Aparen spat the bodies out in disgust, but he had not found the blood itself to have a bad taste. Rather, it was the idea of eating such creatures that had compelled him to spit them out.
As the battle raged on for the space of several hours, he saw reinforcements marching up from the south.
There were another five or six thousand souls, he couldn’t be sure exactly how many. It didn’t matter. He tore into them as he had the first fifteen-thousand. By the time the afternoon had finished the field was covered in bodies and limbs. Aparen had destroyed twenty-thousand troops without receiving a single scratch. He moved on toward the south after he had completed his attack and then he saw Tu’luh the Red. The mighty dragon was massive, much larger than Aparen was in his dragon form.
“Bow before your new master, wyrm!” Tu’luh roared.
Aparen felt the sudden, cold grip of terror seize his spine. He froze on the ground, standing and staring at the mighty dragon as it soared closer with blinding speed.
“Bow to me, or face my wrath!” The beast roared, emitting a column of fire and sparks.
That is when Aparen saw the she-elf upon Tu’luh’s back. A bright yellow amulet hung from her neck, and he knew that was the power source. He made his way toward Tu’luh, unleashing fireballs, lightning bolts, and even great spears formed of ice in the air, but none of them struck their mark. Tu’luh was too powerful. He deftly dodged, swooped, and dove under each and every missile sent toward him and then he fired back a massive sphere of terrible fire. Aparen was not deterred by the fire. Instead he decided to fly directly toward it. After all, his magical shield had stopped every other attack that day. He paid the fireball no mind, barreling forward on a direct collision course, until he came within range for his magical barrier to dissipate the fiery missile. Instead of doing so, the fireball broke through his magical shield with an audible crash and a spray of sparks. Aparen was forced to take action quickly, diving down toward the ground in such a reckless manner that he actually crashed into the snow-covered earth below. As quickly as he had reacted, the fireball still grazed his tail. He wasn’t injured, but he was shaken by the fact that the fire had managed to penetrate his magical shield.
The great silver dragon flew toward him, and Aparen knew he was outmatched. He looked quickly around the ground a
nd saw that the entire army had been destroyed. He wasn’t sure how long it would take, but he knew that Tu’luh would have to stop marching north in order to resurrect his army. So, in a moment of strategizing, Aparen decided to flee to the north as quickly as possible. Better to live another day and delay the enemy, than to die on this day. Perhaps if he continued to kill Tu’luh’s army, forcing the enemy dragon to slow his pace in order to stop and resurrect his army each and every day, that would give Erik enough time to enter the fight and break the spell.
Aparen reverted into his human form, and then cast a very powerful transportation spell that sped him through the air at such blinding speeds that even Tu’luh the Red could not follow him. He retreated out toward the east, hoping that on the morrow he could flank the enemy. Even so, the army was many, many days behind Lepkin’s army. Aparen only had to buy them another few days in order to win the battle.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
After the abrupt disappearance of the strange dragon, Tu’luh surveyed the field of wreckage that only that morning had been a formidable army. Cursing the sudden appearance of a Sahale with powerful magic he called Salarion to him. He took the amulet from her and began the task of resurrecting his fallen army. He was chagrined to find that the dragon’s fire had managed to damage some of his forces beyond the possibility of resurrection. So long as something remained of the body, it could be restored, but ashes were of no use to him. It took until the sun had fallen behind the horizon to complete the task of reclaiming his army from the muck and ash of the battlefield. When they were again prepared, he marched them through the night, with Salarion riding upon his back. The next morning, the strange dragon appeared again and attacked Tu’luh’s army. This time, Tu’luh did not let the strange dragon kill so many of his soldiers. Tu’luh flew into the sky and attacked the smaller dragon. Lightning bolts and fireballs crashed down around Tu’luh, but the dragon did not stop. He broke through the young dragon’s magic and pressed the attack, forcing the young dragon to flee.
Return of the Dragon (The Dragon's Champion Book 6) Page 25