"Egg Mother, Du'ala said.
When the rest of the Arda'um heard her, they too fell to the ground and bowed their heads. Chants of "Egg Mother" came from all around the camp.
"I think they're happy to see you." Lorit squeezed Chihon's shoulder.
Du'ala stood and approached Chihon reverently. Chihon extended the egg to her, but she refused, shaking her head.
"No." Du'ala pointed at Chihon. "Egg Mother."
Chihon looked confused. "Why me?"
Du'ala's thoughts came to Lorit in his head. She was much more articulate when she spoke to his mind, as if her Arda'um body somehow limited her ability to speak.
"When an egg is found abandoned, it could only be because the mother is dead," Du'ala explained. "In that case, an Egg Mother is appointed to care for the egg until it hatches, and then to become the surrogate mother to the hatchling. The dragons can not stay in this world, but the egg is of this world. The hatchling needs a Human to care for it."
Du'ala motioned Chihon to the center of the clearing. She knelt and carefully scraped together a small mound of the rich black earth. She made a depression in the center of the mound and stepped back.
Chihon knelt and gently placed the egg in the dirt. It glowed with a golden light and Lorit knew that he was witnessing the quickening magic of the baby dragon inside. Du'ala was right. The egg was going to hatch.
The Arda'um stood in a circle and joined hands. They sang, so quietly at first that Lorit wasn't sure what he was hearing. It started out as the whisper of the wind in the grass, but grew louder until it was unmistakable. The dragon song was strange and unfamiliar, not only the words, but also the tune. It was otherworldly, and reminded Lorit of the large red sun and purple sea he had seen in the vision of the dragon realm.
The glow of the egg grew stronger; it started as a uniform white glow, but it soon developed dark lines that crisscrossed the egg in an irregular pattern.
"Is it hatching?" Kedrik asked.
Lorit was so entranced by the egg that he had almost forgotten about the boy. "I think so."
Kedrik took a step towards the egg, bending down to get a better look at it. He shielded his eyes from the brightness of the light emanating from it.
There was a flash behind Kedrik so brilliant that Lorit had to blink back tears.
"Kedrik! Look out!" Chihon screamed from beside Lorit.
A violet cloud appeared in the air behind Kedrik. It was Tass. She had followed Chihon and Kedrik. She held the ceremonial knife in her hand as she advanced on Kedrik.
Chihon rushed to intercept Tass, placing her body between Tass and the egg.
Tass swung the blade, but Chihon jumped back in time to avoid her thrust. Tass pressed her, swinging wildly at the Sorceress.
Two of the Arda'um stepped forward and Tass backed off, but she quickly turned, raised a fireball and directed it at the egg.
Before Lorit could react, Kedrik jumped between the egg and the fireball. The spinning, sparking purple ball of flame sped for the boy, straight at his heart. Lorit tried to raise a shield before the fireball struck, but he was too slow. The glaring ball of purple sparks struck Kedrik, shoving him backwards. He landed on the ground next to the egg and lay still.
Fury rose up in Lorit. He felt the power of his anger as he raised a fireball. Instead of his usual violet fire, this one was pure white, spinning so fast Lorit couldn't make out the features on its surface. It shone like the sun.
Lorit flung the fireball with all his might while projecting a spell to hold Tass in place and prevent her from defending herself. Lorit struggled to keep his spells intact as the fireball rushed towards Tass. When it struck her, it flared so brightly that Lorit was blinded.
When Lorit's vision returned, Tass was gone. He reached for her magic, but that, too, was gone. On the ground where she had stood was a small pile of ash smoldering slightly within a ring of burned dirt. Was it possible? Was Tass gone for good? She was the second in command of the entire Temple, right below Sulrad himself. If she could be killed, there was hope that Sulrad, too, was vulnerable.
Lorit sighed a heavy sigh of relief at Tass's demise and turned to Kedrik, hoping that he had enough magic to save the boy, but Chihon was already racing to Kedrik's side.
"Kedrik!" Chihon shouted.
Kedrik lay on the ground next to the egg, which glowed brilliantly. Before Chihon reached Kedrik, the glow of the egg expanded to cover him and block her out. The shimmering sphere of light surrounded Kedrik and the egg. Chihon ran headlong into it and was thrown back as if she had contacted a brick wall.
"Kedrik!" she screamed.
Lorit reached out with his magic. He tried to break through, but his new magic had no effect on the shimmering white light. The shield around the egg was too strong. Kedrik was visible inside the shield, but Lorit could not feel the boy's magic. The egg glowed brightly now, the dark lines more pronounced, widening, as if the egg were in the process of shattering.
The Arda'um bowed to the ground once more and resumed their song as they rocked back and forth in unison. The singing grew to a deafening level, its unearthly strains wafting up and down the musical scales.
Du'ala transformed into her dragon form and let out a piercing screech that somehow matched the music.
"Help him!" Lorit shouted at her.
"No need. Watch and wait," Du'ala rumbled back at him.
One by one, the Arda'um transformed to their dragon forms. They stood now in the circle, towering beasts that sang so loud Lorit could not hear his own thoughts. The egg continued to glow. Cracks appeared along the lines on its surface and a brilliant golden light emanated from it in shafts. The egg slowly split into a dozen fragments.
Chihon grabbed Lorit's arm. "It's hatching. What am I supposed to do?"
"I don't think there's much you can do at the moment. Just watch and be prepared to help out if the shield falls."
The golden glow from the egg grew stronger. First one piece of shell broke away and fell to the ground, then another, and another. A tiny snout appeared, poking out of the hole in the shell. It withdrew to be replaced by a set of claws that grasped the edge of the hole and shoved. More of the shell broke away as the tiny clawed foot pushed at it, dropping pieces of broken shell to the ground one at a time, enlarging the hole in the egg.
Finally, the egg split completely, the shell fragments fell to the ground and a tiny white dragon appeared. It stretched its head and neck after being curled up inside the egg for an untold amount of time.
The newly hatched dragon spread its tiny wings and flexed them, opening and closing them slowly, as if getting a feel for them. It stretched its clawed forelegs out and flexed its talons, looking with interest at each, as it saw them for the first time.
It hopped from the egg and stretched its hind legs. First one, then the other extended, and the hind feet opened and closed. The tiny white dragon sat back and looked at the egg, then at Kedrik.
The boy was badly injured and Lorit wasn't sure he could save him even if he broke through the shield. Lorit pushed at the glowing light once more, but it firmly resisted his efforts.
The tiny white dragon turned on its unsteady feet and took tentative steps towards Kedrik. It studied Kedrik as it had studied its own body. It nudged Kedrik over, exposing the burn on his chest, not unlike the one Lorit had suffered at the hands of Sulrad.
The dragon nuzzled the wound with its snout. It sniffed the boy's chest, raised its head in the air, and inhaled deeply. A short burst of flame flared from the snout of the newborn dragon. It lowered its head to nuzzle at Kedrik once more, then drew in another deep breath and shot flame, brighter and hotter than its first feeble attempt. This time, it directed the flame at Kedrik. The fire struck him and washed over him, licking his body.
Kedrik moaned.
Lorit reached out for him, but the shield around the hatchling and the boy was too strong. He gripped Chihon's hand tightly for reassurance.
"I think it's healing him," C
hihon said.
"I wish I could do something." Lorit was helpless and had tried everything he could think of. He finally gave in to wait it out as the dragon played fire over the boy. Sweeping orange tongues of flame washed across Kedrik from head to foot and back again. Lorit had to admit, it looked as if the boy was all right. His hair wasn't singed by the flames, and his clothes were unburned.
Finally, the dragon ceased its fire and sat back. The shimmering orb around dragon and boy faded. The adult dragons' singing grew softer and softer as the light dimmed, until silence fell over the clearing.
The glowing shield abruptly burst. Lorit rushed to Kedrik, but the baby dragon nipped protectively at Lorit, keeping him away from the boy. Lorit held his hand up. "Hold on. I just want to make sure he's all right."
Kedrik sat up and rubbed his eyes. The dragon's long forked tongue stabbed out of its mouth snaking around Kedrik's head to lick his face. Lorit felt the spark as Kedrik and the newly hatched dragon touched for the first time. There was magic at work there. He wondered if it was the bond that Chihon had spoken of.
The hatchling sat back on its hind legs and looked about itself, surveying the ring of adult dragons, but quickly turned its head back to Kedrik, watching closely. When Kedrik smiled, the dragon's snout reached out and smacked him on the mouth. Then its tongue darted out to lick his face once more. Lorit thought he heard the baby dragon rumbling contentedly.
One by one, the dragons turned back to their Arda'um form and approached the hatchling. Each one bowed as they neared the dragon, and then took their place in a circle about it.
Du'ala walked over to Chihon. "Egg Mother."
"Yes?" Chihon replied.
"No more." Du'ala pointed at Kedrik. "Egg Father." The Arda'um laughed.
"Kedrik?" Chihon asked. "He's barely more than a boy himself."
"They are bonded," Du'ala said. She turned to the hatchling and stretched out her scaly hand. The hatchling dipped its head and let her touch its white brow.
Du'ala stroked the dragon's cheek. "Blessings."
The rest of the Arda'um intoned "Blessings."
"What does that mean?" Lorit asked. He knew very little about the dragons and wondered why they were so reverent towards one that had just hatched.
"A white dragon is most rare. They are revered for their wisdom and power among our people." Du'ala waved at the hatchling.
"And Kedrik?" Lorit asked.
"They are bonded. As you and Chihon are."
"I am afraid we're no longer bonded," Lorit said.
"So you say." Du'ala laughed and crossed her arms. She turned towards her hut without another word.
To Kill a Priest
Lorit followed Du'ala back to her hut after the hatching of the white dragon. He wanted to demand an explanation. What had happened to Kedrik? Why had Du'ala laughed when Lorit said that he and Chihon were no longer paired?
"What did you mean, we're still bonded?" Lorit demanded.
"No time." Du'ala slid the Charm of the Joiner back into the center of the hut. "Work," she said nodding to the Charm.
"We have the egg back. You're safe." Lorit didn't think the charm would be able to command them now that he had separated it from Sulrad.
"Not safe." She nudged it towards him again.
"All right. I'll see what I can do."
Lorit sat cross-legged on the floor of the hut. He focused on the Charm. There had been several spells, but one he hadn't been able to defeat. He let his senses roam free, soaking in the magic around him. Kedrik and the hatchling shone brightly with a white light that he'd seen around the egg when it hatched. Chihon had a golden glow, and the dragons were various tints of gold and red. He reached out to them all, asking for power, calling them to join him as he tried to force the remaining spell off the Charm.
Chihon entered the hut and sat next to him. Her knee lightly touched his and he felt her presence in the magic. Together, they probed deeper into the spell. There was a faint tint of Zhimosom and Rotiaqua in it.
Lorit recalled how Zhimosom had been ashamed about leaving Sulrad alive because of his fear of what it would do to Rotiaqua if he'd killed the Priest. All of that was tied up in the Charm, a part of its magic, and part of the spell that bound it to Sulrad.
Lorit probed for any weakness, but the spell was too deeply tied to Sulrad. There was no way to separate them. Sulrad's life force was still strong even after all this time. There was no other way. They would have to confront the Priest directly.
"We still need to deal with Sulrad," Lorit finally said.
"Kill him," Du'ala said.
"The Council forbid it, and Zhimosom and Rotiaqua are tied to Sulrad. I can't kill him."
"You must." Du'ala jumped up and turned towards the door of the hut. "We go. Now. Bring the Charm."
Lorit was tired. He wanted to rest, but Chihon threw him a look that said he'd better get going. He helped Chihon to her feet and followed Du'ala out of the hut.
"We can't confront Sulrad directly. There's too much risk," Lorit said.
"There may never be another chance like this," Chihon said. "Now is the time. Du'ala is right, four hundred summers the dragons have been trapped. It's time to end this."
"But the Council?"
"I'm inclined to disagree with them." Chihon pulled Lorit towards the door of the hut. "I don't think they've been straight with us. It's time we took matters into our own hands."
Lorit let Chihon pull him out to the center of the clearing. Du'ala was already in her dragon form, waiting for them.
"It's time," Du'ala rumbled. "We've waited long for this day." She lowered her head and Lorit slid onto her scaly neck. He reached his hand down for Chihon, who slid behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Kedrik caught up to them with the hatchling perched upon his shoulder.
"Where are we going?" Kedrik asked.
"To Quineshua. But you stay here." Lorit didn't want to put the boy in danger again. Kedrik had already suffered too much at his hands. The boy should be in Amedon, learning magic, singing songs in the tavern, and chasing girls, not going to confront the High Priest of Ran in his Temple.
Du'ala nodded to one of the dragons. "Take them to Amedon. Tell the old Wizard where we are going. If he wishes, bring him to Quineshua."
"But I should come with you," Kedrik complained.
"You are the Egg Father. Take the hatchling Sul'ing with you to Amedon. Keep her safe there until we return."
Du'ala sprang from the earth with a mighty leap. They were on their way to Quineshua.
As they flew to Quineshua, Lorit communicated with Chihon through their magical connection. The conversation between them was natural once again and the tension between them was gone. Lorit was glad to have Chihon back. Not having the constant connection to her had left him feeling less than whole after their three summers together.
"I'm worried," Lorit said. "If we kill Sulrad, what about Zhimosom and Rotiaqua? Zhimosom said they were connected. That's why he never took Sulrad on directly. He was worried about Rotiaqua."
"Lorit, I know you're worried about them, but they've lived four hundred summers and they're old and tired. Rotiaqua told me that she is ready to move on."
"What do you mean move on?"
"Move on. That's just the way she phrased it. I presume she meant that she was old and had made her peace with her own death."
"I'm not so sure. She doesn't usually talk in riddles, not like Zhimosom."
"Did he ever say anything about it?"
Lorit laughed. "No. Does he ever?" Lorit laughed at the idea of the old Wizard sharing anything that didn't directly serve his purposes. As long as Lorit had known him, Zhimosom only revealed as much as necessary to get Lorit to do his bidding.
"What do you think will happen if we defeat Sulrad?" Lorit asked.
"I don't know. The whole Temple was built around his magic and that of the Charm. I could feel it in the altar, now that I recognize it."
Lorit
fingered the Charm of the Joiner that hung around his neck. "Do you think we can destroy Sulrad?"
"Lorit. If you can't do it, then it can't be done."
Lorit felt the warmth of her confidence in him. He just wasn't sure it was justified.
Another thought intruded on their conversation. It was Du'ala.
"You must kill the Priest. Even without the Charm in his possession, he is a danger. He must die for the crimes he has committed against my people."
Lorit was surprised. Du'ala the tribeswoman was not a woman of words. She had used the smoke to communicate with him when they first met, but as a dragon, she was wise and full of sage advice. He felt her laughter at the thought.
"I've been trapped in that body so long. It not only limits my physical stature, but my mind as well. It is a great joy to be myself once again. I don't want to have to retake that form. You must end this threat once and for all. My people deserve no less. Please do not fail us."
Lorit felt the burden of Du'ala's words. He had to save them, as Zhimosom had failed to, so many summers ago. He would find a way. He resolved himself to ending the reign of the Temple, yet he feared the vision Rotiaqua had shown them where his assault on the Temple started a hundred summers of war between the Temple and the Wizards of Amedon.
He slept fitfully as they flew.
Lorit woke to the sensation of falling. Chihon grasped him so tight that he couldn't breathe. "It's all right. We're heading down."
"I feel so strange," Chihon said.
"It means we're here."
It was early morning, and the mists lay heavy on the Island of Quineshua. Du'ala landed in the same open spot where Lorit had last arrived to battle Sulrad. The sight brought back the memory of Lorit's past failure. He was less than confident that he could defeat Sulrad, but he had to try.
Du'ala transformed into her Arda'um body and crept towards the Temple. Lorit hoped to take the Temple by stealth, but he was filled with a sense of foreboding when, all around them, a light violet mist arose.
Master Wizard (Book 4) Page 26