Lusam: The Dragon Mage Wars Book Four

by Dean Cadman

  “You look a bit better today, lad,” Renn said, trying to look into his face.

  Lusam nodded. “I feel a little better,” he admitted, as Neala walked through the door. She smiled as she heard his words, and came over to give him a big hug. He hugged her back, and suddenly remembered her parting words from the night before.

  “I love you too,” he whispered in her ear. She hugged him fiercely, and he could feel her sobs of joy. “And I know my mother would have loved you too,” he said, remembering his mother’s prophetic words about having a family of his own one day.

  “Oh, Lusam. I’ve been so worried about you,” Neala whispered in-between sobs.

  “Neala… will you marry me?” he asked, suddenly wishing that he had taken a deep breath before asking her. She squeezed him so hard he thought his ribs would break.

  “Yes!” she squealed in his ear excitedly, then threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Renn stood at the doorway with tears of joy in his eyes. He quietly left the room, and gently closed the door behind him.

  Outside, Durlan was waiting for them all to say his goodbyes, and had acquired three good horses and enough supplies for their onward journey to Lamuria. He gave Renn a questioning look when he saw him drying his eyes.

  “Sorry, they might be a while yet. Lusam just asked Neala to marry him,” Renn said grinning widely.

  “That’s great news. I’m really happy for them both,” Durlan replied genuinely. “Renn, what will happen when you return to Lamuria? Won’t the King arrest you all and throw you in prison?”

  Renn chuckled. “No, I don’t think so. I am a Paladin of Aysha, and as such, I only answer to the High Priest, not the King. As for Lusam and Neala, they’ve returned unscathed, physically if not mentally, and all the King was ever concerned about was keeping Lusam as a deterrent against any future Empire attacks. So it’s far better for Lusam to be seen out and about in Lamuria, than have him locked up somewhere and rumours of his disappearance start to circulate amongst the people of Afaraon. Besides, it looks like the King might be too busy planning a state wedding soon,” Renn said, laughing loudly.

  “So… Uncle Renn might be doing a lot of babysitting soon then?” Durlan teased, chuckling to himself.

  Renn’s face went pale. “Seven Hells! I hope not,” he replied, with an image of two or three young Lusams running around terrorizing him with their magic. Durlan almost fell over laughing at the look on Renn’s face, and it took him several minutes before he could speak again.

  “I think I’d better put these horses back in the stable. Looks like you might not be leaving today, after all,” Durlan said, nodding towards the building where Lusam and Neala were. Renn looked at the closed door, and a stricken look came over his face, making Durlan laugh once more. “Don’t worry. I have a spare room you can use tonight. And a good bottle of brandy which needs sharing,” Durlan said with a grin.

  Chapter Forty-One

  The next few days saw a vast improvement in Lusam’s overall outlook on life. It appeared that he had come to the conclusion that his mother would have wanted him to be happy, and live his life to the fullest. He spent his time whilst travelling making plans with Neala for their future together, and although he was more focussed on where they should choose to live, or how they should fill their time together, Neala rarely strayed off the topic of their future wedding plans.

  Renn found himself smiling on more than one occasion at how expertly she always seemed to steer the conversation back around to it. It didn’t seem to matter what Lusam started speaking about, the conversation always ended up about their wedding. So much so, that by the time they were approaching Lamuria, they had no idea where they would live, or what they would do together to earn a living. But they knew exactly what Neala’s dress would look like, how many bridesmaids she would have, and every other detail of the wedding, from the cake to the extended guest list. She even had the design of her wedding ring all figured out, and had asked Lusam if he could collect the gold to make it as soon as they got back.

  Renn had rarely seen them as happy together, and offered a silent prayer of thanks to Aysha for the blessing of it. Both of them had been through so much lately, especially Lusam, and it was about time they had some happiness in their lives. No one should ever have to see or do what Lusam had, let alone someone so young. Renn smiled and shook his head to himself, as he realised that Lusam was no longer the boy he had first met more than a year ago. Now he was a man. And he had more than earned that title. Renn felt a strange sense of pride in that, and knew that both Lusam’s mother and grandmother would have done too.

  As they approached the gates of Lamuria, Renn noticed the two guards pointing towards them and hastily discussing something between themselves.

  “Looks like we might have a problem,” Renn said quietly.

  “Do you think the King has issued orders to arrest us on sight?” Neala asked nervously.

  “I’d like to see them try,” Lusam replied in a challenging tone. “When we first left Lamuria, I never intended to return here again. I’ve only come back to get my journal and a few other things, then we’ll be leaving again. The further away from the King and his politics we can get, the better.”

  “Just don’t do anything rash, lad. Remember, the hand of the King reaches an awfully long way.”

  “I think even the King would find it hard to reach me from underneath the rubble of his palace,” he replied, deadly serious.

  Renn chuckled. “Anyone would think you didn’t like him,” he teased, but Lusam didn’t get the chance to reply, as the two guards moved to block their path. Lusam wasn’t in any mood for them, and was more than prepared to forcibly remove the guards from their path if need be. Both guards were looking directly at him when they called a halt to their progress. They obviously knew who he was, which wasn’t a surprise given that just about everyone in Lamuria knew him by sight now.

  “Sir, we have orders to instruct you to report directly to the High Temple on your return,” one of the guards said addressing Lusam directly.

  “What’s the problem?” Renn asked the guard.

  Both guards looked at each other as if they weren’t sure how much they could tell them. After checking that nobody else was in earshot, the guard quietly replied. “I’m not sure, sir, but there are rumours that The Sanctum of Light’s bell is glowing. All the paladins left here in a hurry almost two weeks ago, and no one has heard anything since. There is currently a ban on all non-essential travel in and out of Lamuria, so information is a little scarce.”

  “Seven Hells!” Renn cursed under his breath. “Get out of our way man!” The two guards jumped back out of the way of Renn’s horse as he spurred it on through the gates, and headed directly for the High Temple at full gallop. Lusam and Neala tried to catch up and ask what was going on, but they could barely keep pace with him, and almost trampled several unsuspecting citizens along the way. Renn dismounted his horse even before it had come to a full stop, and simply abandoned it in the street outside the High Temple. He was halfway to the door before he slowed enough for Lusam and Neala to catch up.

  “What’s going on?” Lusam called, as he ran towards him.

  Renn looked all around him, then shook his head. “Not here, lad. Wait until we’re inside.” Lusam had never seen him so agitated before. He knew whatever the problem was, it was serious.

  They entered the High Temple and were almost immediately greeted by one of the acolytes there. Without introduction he instructed them all to follow him, then raced off towards the High Priest’s office. The High Priest saw them enter the inner chamber and came swiftly out of his office. The worried look on his face told Lusam all he needed to know about how serious the situation was.

  “Thank Aysha you’re back,” he said breathlessly, heading straight towards the inner sanctum without another word. Renn, Lusam and Neala followed in his wake, the feelings of foreboding increasing with every step they took. The High Priest removed a key f
rom his robe and quickly unlocked the door. A moment later they were all inside the inner sanctum and the door was closed firmly behind them.

  “Your Grace, is it true? Is The Sanctum of Light bell glowing?” Renn blurted out, not able to contain himself any longer.

  “Yes, I’m afraid it is,” the High Priest replied solemnly.

  “What does that even mean?” Lusam asked, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer.

  “It means that The Great Rift has been opened again, lad,” Renn replied quietly. Lusam’s mind went numb at his words. He couldn’t even begin to understand the enormity of what he’d just said. Everything Renn had ever told him about the Guardians and their struggle to close The Great Rift came back to him. He had no idea how many Guardians there had originally been, but he knew that all, apart from five, had been killed attempting to close it. Their combined strength had not been enough to seal The Rift, and in the end, it had only been made possible by the sacrifice of one Guardian and his dragon flying directly into it. The resulting magical explosion had collapsed The Rift from the inside, and trapped Aamon within the Netherworld until the present day. Only now The Rift had been reopened, but this time there were no Guardians or dragons to close it again. The Netherworld creatures would have unrestricted access to their world, and Aamon would be free once more to destroy all of creation.

  Lusam opened his mouth to speak, but a bright white light suddenly erupted within the room, forcing them all to shield their eyes against its intensity. When they looked back, Aysha was standing before them in all her glory. Her long silver hair flowed over her shoulders, and blew freely in an ethereal breeze they could not feel. The High Priest and Renn fell to their knees, quickly followed by Neala and Lusam.

  “My children, I come to you with grave news. I fear the world teeters on the edge of oblivion, and my brother, Driden, refuses to allow me to interfere. My paladins fight valiantly at The Great Rift to hold back Aamon’s hordes of Netherworld creatures, but I fear they are now losing the battle. With each Netherworld creature that enters this world, Aamon’s power grows stronger. He is using the power which the creatures send back to the Netherworld to widen the tear still further. For now, he must remain within the Netherworld to force open The Great Rift from the other side. But soon the tear will be too large to control the flow of creatures coming through it, and when that happens, Aamon will also escape into this world. If that is allowed to happen, this world, and all of its creations, will be destroyed forever.

  “Lusam, my child, I fear the destiny of which I once spoke quickly approaches for you. You alone have the strength to stem the tide of Netherworld creatures entering this world. You must travel with all haste to The Great Rift and do what is necessary to ensure this world survives. Aamon’s power has been greatly diminished due to his long imprisonment within the Netherworld, but he grows stronger with each passing day The Great Rift remains open.

  “My brother, Driden, remains neutral in this conflict, but I fear that if I attempt to help you in any way, he will choose to side with Aamon, and then all hope for this world will be lost. Go now Lusam, while there is still time. And remember, whatever happens in my house, only I can see…” Aysha said, slowly fading away.

  No one moved or said a word, as they all tried to digest the enormity of what they had just heard. They all got back to their feet and simply stared at each other, not knowing what to say. It was Neala who finally broke the silence in the room, but what she said, none of them were expecting to hear.

  “Well, I guess that means the wedding is off then,” she said grinning. Lusam and Renn burst out laughing at her, but the High Priest simply looked confused. Obviously the last thing he had expected to hear, was laughter.

  “Hold on to your sense of humour, lass. You may well need it before the day is out,” Renn said smiling at her, then he turned back to face the High Priest.

  “Your Grace, is there any word on the situation there?”

  “I’m afraid not. All I know is that Hershel and his new recruits were the first to reach The Rift. He sent two recruits back here with the news about The Sanctum of Light’s glowing bell, and a request for every able-bodied paladin to be sent immediately. He also requested your help, Lusam. As well as every blessed weapon in the armoury to be sent. Of course, you were not available, so I had to send word of that along with the reinforcements. The paladins left here with the weapons almost two weeks ago, but no news of their situation has reached us yet. I believe the King has sent several scouts to find out what is happening at The Rift, but I fear none have returned.”

  Renn cursed under his breath. “That would mean Hershel had to clear and hold The Rift alone with his new recruits for the best part of ten days before the reinforcements arrived,” Renn said, calculating the travelling time required each way.

  “Oh, Gods… Alexia was in that group,” Neala gasped.

  “Don’t worry, lass, if anyone can do it, Hershel can. Besides, you just heard what Aysha said. She said her paladins were fighting valiantly. She didn’t say they had been defeated,” Renn said, trying his best to give her some hope.

  “Yeah, but I also heard her say that they were now losing the battle,” Neala replied.

  “Then we’d better get there as fast as we can and help them, before it’s too late,” Lusam said, already heading for the door. He suddenly stopped mid-stride and turned back to face the High Priest. “Your Grace, we will need access to the Guardian book room.” The High Priest nodded to his request, and just like before, never questioned him as to why. Lusam knew the High Priest was a very intelligent man, and had no doubt already worked out that when he vanished through the book pedestal, it was to travel to the location of another Guardian book. But to his credit, the High Priest had never questioned him as to the whereabouts of the third Guardian book. He obviously understood the importance of keeping its location a complete secret, even from himself.

  “Oh, one more thing, before you go,” the High Priest called out to them as they were opening the door. Everyone turned back to face him, and found him smiling broadly at them. “Am I correct in thinking congratulations are in order?”

  Lusam’s face flushed bright red, but Neala simply smiled and nodded.

  “Ah, wonderful. Congratulations to you both. If you wish, I would be delighted to perform the ceremony for you upon your return to Lamuria.”

  “Thank you, Your Grace,” Lusam and Neala both replied.

  “May Aysha watch over you all,” the High Priest added.

  “Oh, don’t worry Your Grace. He wouldn’t dare get himself killed and ruin my wedding day now,” Neala replied grinning. Renn and High Priest chuckled at her words, but Lusam had the look of a cornered animal about him, even if he did attempt a forced smile to try and cover the fact.

  Renn patted Lusam on the shoulder. “Well lad, if it’s a choice between upsetting Neala, or facing the countless hordes of Netherworld creatures at The Great Rift… I almost feel sorry for those things,” he said chuckling to himself. Lusam tried to smile at Renn, but it came out more like a grimace, making him laugh all the more.

  They were soon outside the Guardian book room, and Lusam magically connected the five indentations with each other to form a star matching the one on the door. A low rumbling sound was the first indication that the door was beginning to open, and they waited patiently until the opening was wide enough to squeeze through. As soon as Lusam stepped inside, a brilliant bright light burst into existence, illuminating the small room, and revealing the Guardian book and its pedestal. As soon as they were all inside, Lusam began closing the door again. No one spoke while the door lazily slid shut again.

  Lusam looked at the Guardian book, the name Transcendence emblazoned across its cover. It wasn’t for the first time that he wondered what significance the words had, but he realised that now probably wasn’t the best time to ponder such things. He located the name Freedom on the book pedestal, and positioned himself next to the sparkling green line-of-power th
at intersected it.

  “You both need to hold onto me,” Lusam said, noticing for the first time how nervous Renn looked. “Are you alright, Renn?”

  “I will be when we get there,” he replied, grabbing hold of Lusam’s arm.

  “It’s not like you haven’t done it before,” Neala said, taking hold of Lusam’s other arm.

  “Exactly, lass. So this time I know what’s coming,” he replied. Lusam chuckled to himself. It was quite possibly the only time he had ever seen Renn scared of anything.

  “Take a deep breath, and you’ll be just fine,” Lusam said. “I’ll count down from three. Three… Two…” Lusam grinned and plunged his hand into the sparkling green line-of-power without finishing his count. He could have sworn he heard Renn scream as the bright flash erupted before his eyes, but the familiar falling sensation soon overtook all else. A moment later there was another bright flash, and they found themselves standing in an almost identical room to the one they’d just left.

  “…one,” Lusam said, trying really hard not to laugh at Renn, who was now on his knees panting loudly. The look he gave Lusam spoke a thousand words.

  “Oh, you’re going to regret that one,” Neala said chuckling, as she saw the look on Renn’s face.

  “What? They always say bad things are always better when you don’t know they’re coming,” Lusam replied innocently, trying hard to hide his own amusement.

  “I’ll keep that in mind, lad,” Renn said, giving him a look which said ‘I’ll be sure that you don’t see it coming later.’

  Even though Lusam knew where they were, he still checked the name on the Guardian book, and was happy to see it read exactly as it should: Freedom.

  “Welcome to Helveel,” Lusam said, trying to change the subject. He magically connected all of the indentations, and the stone door began its slow opening process. While he waited patiently for it to open, he suddenly realised that he hadn’t even got a plan for getting past Mr and Mrs Daffer, let alone for when he reached The Great Rift. It had all happened so quickly that he hadn’t had a chance to think about much yet.