The Dragon's Flame (The Chronicles of Terah # 2)

by Morgan, Mackenzie

  “I’d love a cup of coffee,” Kevin said with a big smile. He picked up Gaynor’s bags and set them on the front porch as he followed Warren and Gaynor into the house.

  Torrey had set the table with fruit, cheeses, eggs, sweet rolls, coffee, and milk. Kevin drank a cup of coffee while Warren and Gaynor ate breakfast. When they were done, Warren asked Gaynor if he was ready to see his new house.

  “I won’t be living here?” Gaynor asked.

  Warren smiled and said, “No, we thought you’d like to have your own place. I know I would. So the people of Walnut Springs built one for you about half a mile outside of town. Come on. I have a wagon hitched up out in the barn. We’ll all ride over there. Torrey, are you coming?”

  “Not this time,” Torrey answered. “You men go ahead. I’ve got some things I want to do in here.” Then she turned to Gaynor and said, “We’d like for you to plan to eat your meals here for the first couple of days, until you have time to get settled. It’ll give you and Warren a chance to chat and get acquainted.”

  Gaynor knitted his eyebrows and mumbled, “Thank you.”

  When they reached Gaynor’s house, Warren pulled the wagon around to the back near the stable. The house was small, but attractive. There were flowerbeds in front, a long porch with chairs, a small garden off to the side, and a sitting area around back between the house and the stable. Warren stopped the wagon near the hitching post. Then he grabbed one of Gaynor’s bags and hopped down from the seat. Kevin and Gaynor followed.

  The inside of the house was as attractive as the outside. The furniture didn’t look new, but it was well cared for and comfortable. The kitchen was furnished with plenty of pots, pans, plates, bowls, mugs, and utensils. Fresh fruit was set out in a large bowl, and there was a loaf of fresh bread on the cutting board.

  “We hope you’ll like it here,” Warren said quietly.

  Gaynor looked a little awed. “I’m sure I will.”

  Kevin smiled. “Well, I’ve got to be getting back. Let us know if there’s anything else you need. Warren, are you going back to town?”

  Warren nodded. “Gaynor, I’ll be back to get you for lunch around noon. That’ll give you some time to settle in. See you then.”

  Once Warren and Kevin were out of earshot of the house, Warren asked, “Did you have much trouble convincing him to come up here?”

  “Not really,” Kevin answered. Then, after a minute or so, he added, “Warren, don’t turn your back on him. I don’t trust him at all. He’s a piece of work. He has a nasty temper and a rotten attitude, and I don’t really see him changing. If you decide he’s not going to work out, just let me know. We can find someone else to help you, and I’ll find some other place for him to live. Seriously, don’t put up with any of his mess.”

  Warren nodded. “I understand what you’re saying. I’ll be careful, and I’ll keep a close eye on him, but let’s give him a chance. He may surprise you.”

  “Maybe,” Kevin conceded. “Now, I hate to take off so soon, but I really do have to go get the field set up for the competition.”

  “Of course,” Warren said. “Good luck.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  It was a little after 10:30 by the time Kevin finished setting up the field and made it back to his office. When he opened the door to the reception area, he saw two men and a woman seated on one side of the conference table and Joan and Karl on the other. The three competitors had plates of food in front of them, but none of the plates looked like they’d been touched. Joan and Karl had coffee cups in front of them, but no plates. Ariel and Elin were standing between the conference table and the smaller table where they had set up platters of fruits, cheeses, and pastries, looking a little perplexed.

  “Good morning,” Kevin said as he entered the room. The three competitors started to stand, but Kevin waved them back down. “Keep your seats. We still have a few minutes before we have to leave.” When he pulled out a chair and sat down beside Karl, Ariel set a cup of coffee in front of him.

  While Kevin sipped his coffee, Karl introduced the woman, Lynda, and the two men, Colin and Marcus.

  “Lynda is from the south, so she’s familiar with the area,” Joan said, “but Colin and Marcus are from up north. They think it’s hot here.”

  Kevin chuckled. “I hate to tell you, but this is nothing. It gets a lot hotter than this during the summer, and it’s worse on the other side of the mountains. The district we’re going to, Zander, isn’t close enough to the mountains to get their cooling breezes, and it’s too far from the coast to get the wind off the ocean. The heat can get really oppressive there, especially in July and August. But you don’t have to worry much about snow. They’re lucky to see a couple of inches a year.”

  Lynda frowned. “Did you say Zander? I thought Gaynor was the sorcerer there.”

  Kevin nodded. “He was the sorcerer of Zander, but he’s taken a new position. That’s why we have an opening. Did you know him?”

  Lynda blushed. “Not personally. I guess you could say that I know of him. I have relatives who live in Zander.”

  Kevin sighed. “I don’t guess it would hurt to tell you what’s going on. Whichever one of you is offered the contract will have to know anyway. Let’s just say Gaynor was not exactly popular with the people of Zander, in fact, he didn’t get along with anyone. It had reached the point where the people didn’t trust him, and some were even afraid of him. We had to remove him from office.”

  “Remove him?” Lynda asked, eyes wide.

  “No, not the way you’re thinking,” Kevin quickly answered. “We found him another position on a trial basis. If that doesn’t work out, he’ll have to move to some other province and start over there.”

  “Oh,” she said, relieved.

  “I’d like to go over the organization of the competition before we go so you’ll know what to expect,” Kevin said, changing the subject. He went through the entire schedule of events and explained not only which ones would be running at the same time, but also what he was going to be looking for in each event. “We’ve tried to arrange the events so that the people who show up will have something to watch. Those people want to see who their new sorcerer will be, but even more than that, they want to be entertained. Unfortunately, we know that most of what we do with magic’s pretty boring, so when you’re clearing the field, flying, or even breaking up boulders, add a little showmanship if you can. Don’t get me wrong, nothing major or dangerous. Safety comes first, always, for the spectators and for you, but you can do little things to spice it up, a touch of a swirl here, a zigzag there, play around a little, do you know what I mean?”

  All three sorcerers nodded, so Kevin continued. “Between the rounds, there’s going to be a thirty minute break. We want to give the spectators a chance to meet all three of you and talk to you a bit, so during that time you need to circulate and try to speak to as many people as you can,”

  Again the three sorcerers nodded.

  “Then, when all three rounds are done, the judges will meet and decide who they want to offer the contract to. While they’re doing that, I’d like to spar with each of you, just to see how you handle deflecting energy bolts.”

  “Are you expecting trouble in Zander, sir?” Colin asked.

  “No,” Kevin answered. “I doubt if any of you will ever have to defend yourself against another sorcerer, but I’d like to know that you can. Do all of you know how to construct a net?”

  Marcus and Colin nodded, but Lynda looked skeptical. Finally she said, “I’ve done it a couple of times, but I don’t think I’d consider myself competent in that area.”

  Kevin nodded. “That’s okay. We’ll try a couple today and see how it goes. Then, if you want some more practice with it, I’m sure we can arrange something later. It’s not a problem.”

  Lynda nodded.

  After a couple of minutes of silence, Joan said, “It’s getting close to time for us to leave. Does anyone need to do anything before we go?”

  When no o
ne said anything, Kevin asked, “Have any of you ever traveled with a key before?” They all shook their heads no. “Traveling through the energy field is rough the first few times you do it. I was so sick I could hardly stand up after my first trip. I’m going to take you to a small clearing in the woods near the competition field where you can recover in private. You’re going to be disoriented and dizzy when we arrive, so don’t try to make any sudden moves. Just give yourself a few minutes to adjust and you’ll be fine.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Kevin made two trips to get everyone down to Zander. As soon as they were all steady on their feet, Kevin said, “I’m going to have to leave you now. I need to meet Wilhem, the district minister.” Then he pointed to a trail and said, “Karl, when you and Joan get ready to head out, that trail will take you to the field we’re using for the competition. It’s probably a hundred yards from here. There’s a wooden platform near one end of the field. Meet me there in about half an hour.”

  Then Kevin turned towards the three competitors and said, “People have been arriving for the past couple of hours and, as I’m sure you can hear, it’s rather chaotic out there. Why don’t you wait here? The competition isn’t supposed to begin until noon, so you’ve got nearly an hour. I’ll be back before then. While I’m gone, think about how you want to make your entrance and we’ll talk about it when I get back.” Then Kevin turned his key again and vanished.

  When he materialized, he was in Wilhem’s front yard. Rigel was standing on the porch and Chris was coming through the front door.

  “You cut it kind of close, didn’t you?” Chris asked. “We had about given up on your getting back here before we had to leave.”

  “I’ve been a bit busy,” Kevin replied. “Are we ready?”

  “I think so. Wilhem should be along in a minute. Rigel, are the horses ready?”

  “Saddled and standing by.”

  “Let’s mount up then,” Wilhem said as he came through his front door with his wife. “Did everything go as planned?” he asked Kevin.

  “So far. Gaynor is safely in Ragenon, getting ready for lunch with Warren and Torrey. By the way, the house he was living in is a wreck. Is that going to be the new sorcerer’s house?”

  Wilhem nodded.

  “Then maybe you need to get someone to head over there and clean it up. I’d hate for your new sorcerer to get the wrong impression of Zander.”

  “I’ll see to it,” Wilhem agreed. He turned to his wife and raised his eyebrows. When she nodded, he turned back to Kevin and said, “Taken care of. Now, let’s go.”

  By the time they reached the field, the perimeter was lined with wagons. Blankets and picnic baskets were spread out on the ground in front of most of the wagons, but a few of the spectators had set rocking chairs and small tables in the back of their wagons so that they could watch the competition in comfort. Children were running around all over the field playing with balls and sticks while their parents visited with friends and neighbors. Several enterprising souls wandered through the crowd selling snacks, and a couple of wagons were loaded down with kegs of scog. If the number of people gathered around those wagons was any indication, they were doing a brisk business.

  Kevin was surprised at the size of the crowd, especially since word of the competition hadn’t gotten out until breakfast that morning. He had to give Wilhem credit for a good information pipeline.

  Karl and Joan were standing behind the judges’ platform, and as soon as Kevin had tied his horse to the hitching post, he made his way over to them. “Any problems after I left?” he asked quietly.

  “They were a bit nervous, but I guess that’s to be expected. I think they’re taking the time to warm up a little. I saw a few sparks shoot up a couple of minutes ago over in that direction,” Karl said as he tilted his head towards the woods.

  “Good. Wilhem has everything under control here, so I’m going to go talk to them for a minute. Don’t let him start this thing until I get back.” Then Kevin turned his key and vanished again.

  When he materialized in the clearing, Lynda gasped and the other two jumped a little.

  “Nerves,” Kevin said with a quick nod. “You’ll be fine once it all gets started. In fact, after you get into it, you’ll probably have a good time. Just remember, safety is our first concern. Safety of the spectators comes first, and your safety comes in a close second, but if something goes wrong, don’t panic. I’ll be there.”

  The three sorcerers nodded solemnly.

  “Now, have you decided how you’d like to make your entrance? We could just walk in, if you prefer, but if you’ve got a better idea, I’d like to hear it.”

  The competitors looked at each other for a moment, and then Marcus spoke up. “We thought maybe we could fly in? Sort of rise out of the woods here and float over to the field. Would that work?”

  Kevin nodded. “Can all of you just sort of hover? You know, float in the air without moving?”

  They all nodded.

  “Then let’s try this. Once you’re in position over the platform, wait up there until Wilhem calls your name. Then float down and land in front of the platform. How does that sound?”

  “Fine,” Lynda said right as Colin said, “Good.”

  “How will we know when you’re ready for us?” Marcus asked.

  “I’ll send up a few sparks to get everyone’s attention when Wilhem is ready to begin. That’ll be your cue.”

  All three of the competitors nodded.

  “Now, if you don’t have any other questions, I’d better be getting back out there. It’s almost time to get this show under way.” Kevin glanced at each one of them to see if anyone had any questions, but no one did, so he left.

  When Kevin got back to the field, Wilhem was pacing back and forth behind the platform wringing his hands. Kevin grinned and said, “You look as nervous as the sorcerers.”

  “I probably am. I hate being in front of a crowd, and you can’t get much more in front than this,” Wilhem said as he waved his arm towards the raised platform.

  Kevin chuckled. “It’s not one of my favorite things either. Just remember, no one came to see you, they came to see the sorcerers. They probably won’t even notice you. Now, is everything set up?”

  Wilhem nodded.

  “Then I’m going to send up a few sparks to get everyone’s attention.” Kevin sent up an array of energy sparks. While all eyes were focused on the sky, the three sorcerers rose from the treetops, slowly floated over the woods, and stopped directly over the platform.

  Wilhem grinned. “Nice entrance.”

  Kevin whispered. “Go on out there and introduce them.”

  Wilhem walked to the front of the platform, inhaled deeply, and tried to project his voice to the spectators on the other side of the field. “Our competitors,” he said as he raised his arm towards the sky. “Lynda.”

  Lynda drifted down and settled gently on the ground in front of Wilhem, facing the crowd.

  Wilhem waited a couple of seconds and then said, “Colin.”

  Colin drifted down and settled beside Lynda.

  Then Wilhem looked back up to the sky and said, “Marcus.”

  Marcus touched down on the other side of Lynda. Then the three sorcerers bowed deeply to the crowd, which burst out in applause, whistles, and cheers.

  As soon as things settled back down, Wilhem said, “We’re going to hold our competition in three rounds of three events. During the first round, the sorcerers will have to hold a loaded wagon steady enough for our volunteers to change the wheel.” Wilhem pointed towards a wagon that was sitting near one end of the field loaded with bags of grain, barrels of oats, a mattress, and a small chest of drawers.

  Then he pointed towards the other end of the field where three distinct areas with trees, rocks, and thick undergrowth had been roped off. “Another task they’ll have to perform during this round is to clear a new section for our field.”

  Wilhem stepped to the back of the platform, where one of his ju
dges handed him three small bags. Then he returned to the front and said, “For our final event in this round, our sorcerers will have to use their seeing eyes to find my children. A little while ago, I asked them to hide somewhere in the woods surrounding this field. They know to stay hidden until a bag of cookies lands in their laps.” Wilhem held up the bags of cookies for the spectators to see. “Lynda, you’ll be looking for my oldest son, Alyn. He’s wearing a brown cape. Once you find him, use your outstretched hand to deliver this bag of cookies to him and he’ll come back to the field, but I can pretty much guarantee you that when he gets here there won’t even be crumbs left in that bag.” Laughter broke out as Wilhem handed Lynda a bag tied with brown string.

  “Colin, you’re looking for my daughter, Dorien, She’s wearing a green cape.” Wilhem handed him the bag tied with green string, and turned to Marcus to give him the last bag, the one tied with dark gray string. “And Marcus, you’ll be looking for my youngest, Thom. He’s wearing a dark gray cape.”

  Then Wilhem picked up a hat, held it upside down above his head, turned towards the three sorcerers, and said, “If you’ll draw a slip of paper out of this hat, it’ll tell you which events you’ll do first, second, and third. As soon as you draw, you may begin. Good luck.”

  Most of the spectators drifted down towards the end of the field that the sorcerers would be clearing, but a few chose to watch the wagon event. Almost no one seemed interested in the search and find event, but since there really wasn’t anything to watch, that wasn’t surprising.

  What did surprise Kevin was how difficult supervising two events turned out to be. He’d learned how to split his focus and concentrate on more than one thing while he was sparring with dragons during his training, but that had been a bit different. For one thing, even though several things might have happen at once, his primary focus was his opponent. For another thing, Glendymere was right there to back him up. If Kevin missed something, he knew Glendymere wouldn’t. Now, he was the backup. The sorcerers here were counting on him just as he had counted on Glendymere. He found that idea a bit daunting.