A ring of black robed Priests stepped from the thickening mist and advanced on Lorit and his friends. They were surrounded.
"I think we've lost the chance to take the Temple by stealth," Lorit said.
Lorit, Chihon, and the dragon turned their backs towards each other to provide some form of defense as Lorit focused his magic in a tight circle around their small troupe. He concentrated on a spell of exclusion that should have created a wall impenetrable to the advancing Priests, but it did nothing to deter their advance.
"I think we're in trouble," Lorit said.
The ring of Priests halted and one stepped forward. He wore a black robe trimmed in gold and had a thin birdlike nose. It was Sulrad.
"Thank you for bringing the Charm back to me," Sulrad said. "That was so kind of you. Saved me a lot of trouble, it did."
Sulrad advanced towards Lorit. The Priest extended his hand and a fireball appeared, twisting and turning as he walked. The spot on Lorit's chest, where the last fireball struck him, itched as if in anticipation.
Chihon stepped up beside him and took his hand. The surge of power from her was unexpected, but welcome.
"Oh, how sweet. Now I can deal with both of you at once." Sulrad raised his hand and motioned to the Priests to advance. As one, the black robed acolytes stepped forward.
Sulrad raised a second fireball in his empty hand. He paused as the fireballs increased in intensity, staring at Lorit as if waiting for Lorit to strike first.
Lorit felt the heat from where he stood. His chest screamed out in anticipation now. He tensed up, clenching his jaw against the coming onslaught, but before Sulrad could throw his missiles, a shimmering wall of light appeared between Lorit and the advancing Priests. It started out as a light mist, but grew thicker and brighter. It looked like the lights in the sky when the dragons crossed over from their home to the realm of man. The shimmering gossamer curtains grew brighter, the greens and blues blending and strengthening.
The first Priest contacted the shimmering light and froze. He screamed in pain and burst into flame. It reminded Lorit of the dragon's fire.
Sulrad looked around. "That won't save you," he shouted and hurled the fireballs at Lorit.
Lorit flinched, but the fireball had no effect on him. He glanced at Chihon. She was equally unaffected.
"Looks like your magic doesn't touch us any longer." Lorit took a step towards Sulrad.
"I don't need magic." Sulrad reached in his sleeve and pulled out the sacrificial knife as he jumped at Lorit.
Lorit caught a glimpse of the blade and grabbed for Sulrad's hand, catching the wrist that held the knife as the Priest swung. The two combatants lost their balance and tumbled to the ground.
Lorit held Sulrad's arm fast as the Priest struggled to get free. They rolled over and over, shifting position, each struggling to get an advantage. As they fought, a sharp pain stabbed Lorit in his back. He tensed up, wondering how Sulrad could have gotten to him, but quickly regained his composure when he realized he'd rolled over a sharp rock. Yet that distraction was enough. Sulrad shifted and got the upper hand. He straddled Lorit and twisted his knife hand free. Sulrad held the knife over his head, ready for the final blow that would end Lorit's life.
Lorit quickly crafted a spell of protection, but it didn't seem to do any good. He felt the magic of the gathered Priests held back by the shimmering light. He sensed the magic of the Arda'um and the hatchling. All of it became sharp and clear in his mind.
Lorit tried to access that magic, but it was closed off to him. Ever since Chihon had been healed by the arrow, his usual magic was gone. All he had was the power of the dragons. Would that be strong enough?
Lorit saw the knife coming at him as if in slow motion. The blade gleaming in the light, the gold piping of Sulrad's robe standing out sharp against the black that flapped in the wind of his arm's passage through the air as it headed for Lorit's exposed throat.
Lorit closed his eyes and sent one last thought to Chihon. He wanted to make sure before he died that she knew he loved her, when a screech split the air, distracting Sulrad. The swing went wide, slicing through Lorit's neck with a blaze of pain, but not cutting deep enough to kill.
Lorit knocked the knife out of Sulrad's hand as the Priest renewed his attack. Du'ala in her dragon form loomed large over Sulrad. She leaned down and slashed Sulrad's throat with her massive claw. She could have taken his head completely off, but instead she only tore flesh from his neck. Sulrad's hands came to the wound, but it was too much. His lifeblood poured out on the ground just as Sulrad had spilled the blood of so many sacrificial animals.
"Quickly, the Charm," Du'ala rumbled.
Lorit grabbed the Charm of the Joiner and held it up. He reached out with his magic and guided Sulrad's power into the charm, soaking up every bit of it. The Charm glowed with a brilliant light and shuddered in Lorit's hands while Sulrad turned to a shower of violet sparkles that spun crazily about the Charm, swirling and darting about as if a cloud of fireflies were in a competition to enter the jewel.
The charm grew warm, then hot, and Lorit threw it to the ground. Sulrad's body and his magic were both drawn into the Charm, but the Charm was not done yet. It continued to glow and vibrate, emitting a single sharp note like a stringed instrument that had been strummed by the hand of a troll. The noise grew louder until the Charm exploded in a shower of sparks. Silence fell as the sparks faded to nothing, but it was quickly broken by the sound of creaking trees as the ground shuddered, then shook. The earth bucked and rolled violently and a great rumbling came from deep inside the ground itself.
Lorit turned his head just in time to see the spire of the Temple crumble to the ground. He sat up, but the earth bucked and rolled so hard he was unable to remain upright. He dropped back down on his back and waited for the world to stop moving.
The rumbling intensified, but instead of a resounding crash, this rumbling ended with the return of Lorit's magic. All of it. He had it all back. All the magic he had ever possessed was once again his, and he could still access the dragon's magic. He reached out to Chihon.
"Do you feel it?" he asked.
"I do. Our magic is back."
The earth settled down and Lorit was able to stand. He looked around, suddenly remembering the ring of Priests, but they were nowhere to be seen. All that remained was a ring of black robes crumpled on the ground.
Royalty
The clouds below Kedrik were white and fluffy as the dragon skirted the mountains. Amedon appeared through a break in the clouds as the dragon dove through the gap in the clouds, flaring at the last moment to touch down in the market square as gentle as a kiss.
Tai'kan lowered her neck and waited for Kedrik to slide down her smooth scales. Amedon was its usual bustling whorl of activity with the market in full swing and Wizards rushing between classes, but everything ground to a halt as Kedrik dismounted.
Kedrik turned to Tai'kan. "I suppose you're off to Quineshua, too."
"If the Wizard wishes," she said. "Please inform Zhimosom that I am here to transport him if he desires to join the battle."
Kedrik found Zhimosom in Lorit's study. The old Wizard sat in Lorit's chair besides the Sorceress Rotiaqua. Zhimosom glowed with a golden glow, but he seemed insubstantial, almost transparent. It was as if he were fading out of existence.
"Lorit and the dragons have gone to Quineshua to confront Sulrad," Kedrik told him.
"So they have," Zhimosom replied. His voice was soft and low, barely above a whisper.
"Lorit invited you to join him if you wish. He's arranged a dragon to transport you to Quineshua."
"Lorit is a master Wizard. With Chihon and Du'ala by his side, he will do just fine. He doesn't need help from an old man like me." Zhimosom looked over at Rotiaqua. The Sorceress was just as insubstantial as the Wizard.
"Our time is over," Rotiaqua said. "We have done all that we can. It's in Lorit's hands now."
"Aren't you worried? Lorit may need your help," Ked
rik pleaded.
"Lorit will do just fine ... and you will need your dragon to transport you to Veldwaite." Zhimosom nodded his head towards the door as it burst open.
Queen Ukina stormed into the study in a flurry. She appeared to have slept in her gown and had just awoken. Her hair was in complete disarray. "You have to take me to Veldwaite," she said panting for breath.
"Why?"
"I heard that Tass was killed. She is the one who captured Sir Adane. We have to rescue him." She turned without waiting for an answer and rushed out the door.
"You'd better hurry," Zhimosom said with a smile. "Royalty hates to be kept waiting."
"You're sure you don't want to go to Quineshua?" Kedrik asked.
"Yes. You may take Ukina home," Rotiaqua said.
Kedrik caught up to Ukina in the yard, where she stood before Tai'kan, waiting for him. He was nervous about disagreeing with the Queen, but he didn't want to get in trouble with Lorit either, and he definitely wanted to be in Amedon when they returned.
"I'm supposed to wait here for their return." Kedrik reached up and stroked the hatchling's neck while he spoke. It was oddly comforting to him to have her perched on his shoulder.
"And you always do what you're told?" Ukina stared him down, hands on her hips.
"I ... I try."
"Is that your dragon?" Ukina nodded towards Tai'kan.
"She's not my dragon. She brought me here."
Ukina turned to Tai'kan. "Can you take me to Veldwaite?"
"I will take you if Kedrik wishes it." Tai'kan lowered her head to the ground, making way for Kedrik, who reached out to Ukina as he straddled the powerful neck of the dragon. Ukina grabbed his hand and climbed up behind him. Kedrik felt her grasp him tightly as Tai'kan took a few steps, spread her wings and lifted into the air.
They flew above the clouds for most of the journey with the ground below occasionally peaking out between puffs of white and off-gray, so it came as a surprise when the dragon suddenly dove for the ground. Kedrik was used to the feeling of falling but Ukina held on so tight, he could barely breathe.
"Why are we dropping so fast?" Ukina asked.
"Humans rarely look up," Tai'kan said. "They won't see us until we get close." She arched her neck to look back at Ukina. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
"Yes," Ukina said. "Sir Adane was captured by Tass. If she is dead, we may be able to rescue him."
"There are other Priests there. They still have magic." Kedrik shuddered, recalling his last visit to the Temple. He wasn't sure he was ready to take on the Priests, but Ukina could be persuasive.
"I have faith in you," Ukina said.
Tai'kan twisted in the air and dropped like a stone. Kedrik's insides knotted and he felt Ukina grasp him even tighter, but within moments, his weight returned as Tai'kan flared her wings and touched lightly down on the Temple avenue. She strode to the tall golden doors that stood wide open and lowered her head to the ground.
Kedrik jumped down and turned to help the Queen, but Ukina was already beside him.
"Come on. We have to find Adane."
Kedrik rushed to keep up with Ukina as she entered the Temple, heedless of the crowd of faithful that had run from the sight of the dragon.
Inside the Temple, the faithful crowded the back wall as if the dragon were about to step inside and eat them all. Kedrik scanned the faces, looking for a Priest or an Acolyte that could direct him to the cells where Sir Adane was likely being held.
A young girl in white robes hid behind a rotund merchant wearing altogether too much gold. Kedrik pointed to her.
"You, there. Come out here."
The girl crouched down, trying to make herself less visible. "Come over here and I won't hurt you." Kedrik raised his staff, menacing the girl. He didn't intend her any harm, but the hatchling leaped from his shoulder and flew straight for her. She screamed and jumped out from behind the man and bowed to the floor.
"Please don't hurt me," she begged.
Ukina stepped up to the girl. "Do you know who I am?" she demanded.
The gild looked up at Ukina and a frown crossed her face. She bowed her head to the floor and muttered. "Your Grace. Please don't hurt me. Don't let the dragon eat me."
"No one is going to eat you, if you do as we ask." Ukina reached down and grasped the girl by the shoulder. "Stand up."
The girl stood, shaking.
"Where is Sir Adane?" Ukina demanded.
"I don't know, Your Grace," the girl said.
"Where are the dungeons?" Ukina asked, shaking the girl.
"I don't know, Your Grace. I'm just a serving girl."
"I know where he is," a voice came from behind Ukina.
Kedrik turned to see a Priest with black robes and silver piping. He was a High Priest. Kedrik relaxed only slightly when he realized it was not the Priest who had tortured him, but another.
"Brother," Ukina said. "Release Sir Adane immediately. He is under my protection."
"It's Father Ghall to you, and your protection is not worth much at the moment. Haven't they already built the gallows for your execution?"
"And yet here I am," Ukina said.
Ghall raised his staff and a golden light emanated from it, striking Ukina. The Queen fell to her knees and cried out in pain as the heat of the spell the Priest used touched Kedrik. He knew the spell and he knew how to counter it. He raised his own staff and formed the spell to stop the Priest, but before he could speak the words, a cord of magic wrapped around him, binding him tight. The hatchling leaped from his shoulder, but a bolt of lightning touched it and it fell to the floor. Kedrik turned to see the Priest who had tortured him smiling.
"Nice to have you back. This time I don't think your friends are coming to rescue you."
Kedrik lay, bound, on the altar, just as he had been when the Priests first came to take him away from his family. The cords cut tight into his wrists and ankles and his chest ached in anticipation as the Priest leaned over him, glowing staff in hand.
"I'm glad you escaped. You've grown in power since I first had you here. Now I will get a double dose of your magic."
The pain flared. Kedrik strained against the bonds as the fire seared him from the inside. It was worse than he remembered, but there was something else. The altar vibrated, slightly at first, but quickly gaining in intensity. The whole temple rocked, the ground shaking and rippling. The walls and ceiling groaned under the violence as the earth beneath the Temple shook.
The pain vanished as the rumbling grew louder. The Temple was falling.
Kedrik hastily threw up a shield against the falling stones. He reached out to the Queen and raised a similar bubble of protection around her, but he was too late. The massive stones had collapsed, trapping her beneath a pillar that had tumbled down.
When the rumbling stopped, Kedrik raised a spell and severed the bonds that held him to the altar. He rushed to the entryway to find Ukina alive, but trapped beneath the massive stone blocks that had collapsed around her.
"My Queen?" Kedrik called. "Are you alive?"
"I'm alive, but I'm trapped," Ukina answered him from deep inside the rubble.
"I'm coming for you." Kedrik tried to lift the stones, but they were too heavy. He crafted a spell to levitate the first block out of place and was rewarded with the stone rising slowly from the pile and floating to the side, where he released it to come crashing down onto the growing pile of rubble.
The hatchling landed on his shoulder and wrapped her tail around his neck. Kedrik felt her magic add to his as he lifted another stone free. The next block was large and heavy and Kedrik struggled to lift it with his magic.
"Here, let me help," a voice came.
It belonged to a large man in tattered clothes. He had a dark complexion from constant exposure to the sun and rough hands that were more effective in removing stones than Kedrik's had been.
"Who are you?" Kedrik asked as the man shouldered a shattered block of stone from the pile that had trappe
d the Queen.
"I'm Sir Adane. Knight of the realm." He looked up at Kedrik without slowing his pace. "And you are?"
"The Wizard Kedrik." Kedrik was shocked to hear himself use that title. He was a Wizard, to be sure, but he'd never thought to call himself one.
"Well, Wizard Kedrik, the Queen needs our help. Let's get to work, shall we?" He nodded at a massive block that had formed the body of one of the pillars.
Kedrik formulated a levitation spell and focused on the heavy stone. It shifted and twitched, but remained firm.
"It's too heavy. Kedrik said.
Sir Adane put his shoulder against the stone. "Try again."
With Sir Adane's help, the stone slowly slid out of place and dropped to the floor.
"Adane!" came the voice of Queen Ukina. "I'm here."
Adane shoved another stone away as if he had the strength of ten men. Kedrik barely had the spell cast on the last stone when Sir Adane shoved it out of place so hard, it exploded when it struck the pile. He reached into the heap of rubble and hauled Ukina out.
She was disheveled and dirty, but none the worse for her ordeal.
"Adane," she cried and threw her arms around the knight. "I knew you were alive. You just had to be."
Kedrik blushed as the Queen kissed the knight.
After a while, Ukina released Sir Adane and turned back to Kedrik. "What happened to the Priests?" she asked.
"I don't feel their presence." Kedrik probed for signs of magic, but there were none. No Priests, no power from the altar. Nothing.
"There's nothing."
"What about my brother?" Ukina asked.
"Where was he when all this happened?" Kedrik looked around. Near the pile of rubble, a black robe with silver piping lay flat on the floor as if its occupant had vanished, leaving it to flutter down unimpeded. Kedrik kicked it with his toe.
Beneath the robe was a small pile of black ash.
"I fear he may be gone," Kedrik said turning to the Queen.
Ukina looked saddened by the news. "He was a monster, but he was my brother." She picked up the robe, examining the pile of ash beneath it. "Do you know what happened?" Ukina asked.
Master Wizard (Book 4) Page 27