Dragon Hero

by C. L. Woodward

  A female voice called out from the other room, “Falstrid? Do come in.”

  Clagmir shook Falstrid’s hand, “I should get going. I’ll see you in Vunash.” He waved and walked down the stairs.

  My heart was beating fast as we walked in. Ayjestus was supposed to be this very powerful being, and I was about to meet her. I stared down at the floor as we stepped in.

  “Welcome Falstrid! I see you brought a friend,” Ayjestus greeted. The kindness in her voice eased my nervousness. I looked up and saw something I never would have expected.

  Ayjestus… well, Falstrid should have told me she had blue skin! That wasn’t her only strange feature. She also had four arms and a third eye! She looked far younger than I expected, especially for a person as old as she was. She had very straight black hair which trailed down her back. She wore a simple white dress and stood maybe five and a half feet tall. Her eyes were grey but shone with intelligence. After the shock of her inhuman features, she wasn’t bad looking.

  “I can see your friend has never seen one of my kind before,” she laughed.

  Falstrid chuckled, “I explained much to him but must have forgotten to explain enough about your race.”

  I felt a little embarrassed.

  She made a gesture with one of her hands, “Please sit.”

  Three cushioned chairs faced her. She sat on a similar chair and placed her arms on her lap. I just then noticed that the room was nearly all glass and was filled with all sorts of decorations.

  “I am sure Clagmir shared you our recent adventures,” Falstrid told Ayjestus with a grim tone.

  Ayjestus frowned, “It is a shame he escaped you, but at least he failed in his plans.” She glanced at me, “Clagmir told me he summoned a human by mistake, I presume you are he?

  I smiled and nodded.

  Falstrid sighed, “Blake here is from another world…”

  Ayjestus’ eyes widened, “I knew there was something strange about him, but I didn’t think he was from another world!”

  I shrugged.

  She looked over, “You are wounded… do you wish me to heal you?”

  Falstrid smiled a little, “It won’t work… magic doesn’t affect him.”

  Ayjestus stared at me, “Is that so? That is strange.”

  She slowly stood up and walked over towards me. She got right up to me, leaned over and stared into my eyes.

  I couldn’t help but blush.

  She laughed, “Do not worry, this will not cause any pain.” She placed a hand at each side of my head and closed her eyes.

  It was awkward. I had this strange, four-armed, blue girl placing her hands on my head with her face just a few inches away from me. Her eyes were closed but it appeared as though she were struggling with something in my head. I just glanced around wondering how long it was going to take. A few moments passed before she opened her eyes and stood back. She looked a bit intrigued and rubbed her fingers through her hair.

  She looked over at Falstrid, “He is quite interesting.”

  Falstrid and I leaned forward to hear what she had to say.

  She sat back down on her chair. “I never had so much trouble defining someone before. His resistance to magic is astounding!” She placed her hands back on her lap, “If he is a normal human, his presence in this world must have brought him some changes.”

  Falstrid rubbed his chin, “What kind of changes?”

  I bit my lower lip. I couldn’t help but feel excited.

  Ayjestus shook her head, “First is the magical immunity. I don’t think any spell would even affect him. Except maybe magic that takes a physical form.”

  I looked at her, “Physical form?”

  Falstrid answered, “That’s magic that creates a tangible entity such as a bolt of lightning or a ball of fire.”

  I got a mental image of that Xum’gol guy holding a huge fireball over his head. So glad he wasn’t able to use that on me!

  Ayjestus continued, “His body also seems to regenerate at a faster speed and his aging process has halted.”

  My jaw dropped, “Wait! You mean I don’t age?”

  She smiled, “Yes, your body has stopped aging.”

  The hairs on my body stood on end. “I don’t age! Holy crap! I am immune to magic and can heal fast, too. I’m like some kind of super-hero!”

  Ayjestus giggled, “You don’t seem upset by this.”

  Falstrid shook his head and laughed, “Quite interesting indeed.”

  She stared at the floor a bit, “There are some drawbacks. Because of your immunity to magic, you would never be able to use magic yourself.”

  Falstrid added, “Also beneficial magic wouldn’t work as well.”

  Ayjestus nodded, “I believe your body would reject any diseases or poisons, as well, but I wouldn’t advise you to test that.”

  Falstrid looked over toward me, “Is there a way to send him back to his home world?”

  Ayjestus played with her hair and looked at me. She had a sad look in her eyes and said, “No…”

  My heart sank. The excitement of having these abilities died a bit. I took a deep breath, “I can never go back home?”

  Ayjestus felt almost as upset as I did, “I am so sorry. Someone coming here from another world has never happened. Even if we had the power to cast you out, we have no way to send you back to your world.”

  Falstrid nodded, “It might be possible to send you out of this world but the chances of it being to your world is as slim as guessing the right star in the sky.”

  I lowered my head and ran the fingers of my right hand through my hair. It was depressing. There was a moment of silence. I just couldn’t believe I was stuck there. My family and friends… I would never see them again.

  Ayjestus walked over and gave me a hug. Having a four-armed girl hug me distracted me momentarily. Falstrid was right-her race did feel what others felt. She had a few tears in her eyes which prompted me to shed a few.

  After a while she sat back on her chair. Wiping away a tear, she asked Falstrid, “What should we do with him?”

  Falstrid shook his head and nodded, “I guess he could come with me to Vunash, but I am going to be very busy trying to figure Xum’gol’s next move.”

  Ayjestus looked at me. “He has a kind heart and the potential to bring good into this world.”

  Falstrid pondered a moment and then perked up. He turned toward me, “I know of a simple job he can do.”

  I took a few deep breaths. I was still feeling too crushed about not being able to go home to really care.

  Falstrid smiled, “There is a small branch of mages in Halatross. There are always a few students needing someone to run errands with them. It isn’t much but it’s honest work.”

  Ayjestus smiled, “I think it is a good idea. Maybe you will feel better helping someone out. Perhaps you’ll even make a new friend.”

  I shrugged, “Sure I guess.”

  Falstrid stood , “Here, let me write a note of recommendation.” He took out a small piece of paper and a tiny piece of coal. He scribbled on it and handed it to me. “Just show this to the magic guild east of town and they will get you a job.”

  I stared at the words but the language was something I had never seen before.

  Ayjestus smiled at me, “I will give you some money so you can get yourself some basics to live on.” She leaned over to a small cabinet and then leaned back and handed me a few copper coins.

  I smiled, “Thank you so much.”

  She smiled back. “It isn’t much, just enough for you to get started in this new world. Repay me by doing good.”

  I walked out of the room with mixed feelings. I was depressed about being stuck there but also excited about my powers and being in such a world. Falstrid and Ayjestus were still talking to each other. It felt a bit strange to be cast aside, but they were talking about that skeleton guy and other serious things. They must have felt that there was no need to drag me in to it.

  The cute elf girl flashed a
smile as I walked by but went back to her work. I was much too shy to even approach her. A good looking girl is one thing, but an elf girl in a new world is even harder to approach!

  It looked like I was alone. Ayjestus and Falstrid seemed friendly enough to give me some aid if I really needed it or if I were to see them again. Still, it was a bit weird being out on my own. I examined the copper coins. There were some engravings on the coins but I had no clue what they meant. The coins were thin and half of them were faded and worn. I guess the currency was based on the mass of the metal and not on what was noted. I counted twenty copper coins.

  Walking out of the temple, I felt out of sorts. Wounded, depressed, and confused. Twenty copper coins in my pocket and a vague idea where I was supposed to go. There was still plenty of daylight so no pressure in locating the magic place before dark.

  After heading eastward a short distance, I really wished I could read their language. Falstrid and Ayjestus must have thought that I was fully capable of functioning on my own with what I had. Still, I felt like they handed me a few bucks and dismissed me with a pat on the back.

  I got a fair amount of stares-my clothes did stand out. I wondered if I should have gone and bought somenew clothes. I thought it might have been wiser to see if I could afford some basics first. After a while I found myself a bit lost. I really hated to ask a random person, but seeing I really didn’t have any choice…

  A middle aged man stood next to a wagon of produce that I had never seen before.

  He smiled at me as I walked up to him. “Hello there, Sir! My prices are the best in town!”

  I stared at his selection and my stomach started to growl, “Um sure, how much is this?” I pointed at some red colored fruit that was shaped much like a pear but with bumps on it.

  “Everything here is just one copper,” the man said cheerfully.

  I handed him a copper and grabbed the fruit and took a bite, he seemed a bit surprised.

  All right, that didn’t taste like I expected it too. It kind of tasted like a bell pepper with a hint of onion-not bad, but I was hoping for something that tasted sweeter. I tried to act casual and took another bite. He stared at me oddly but didn’t say a word. The vegetable wasn’t that bad. It could have used some salad dressing or it might have been good roasted.

  I swallowed and asked, “Um … do you know where the magic guild building is?”

  The man chuckled and pointed right behind me, “It is on the other side of that building.” I felt really stupid, but I thanked the man and walked that direction.

  The building I walked around was smaller than I expected. It looked just like any other building and could easily have been mistaken for a small inn. The front of the building had a small sign in a language I had yet to learn. A few people in blue robes sat outside on a long bench with a small wooden table. They were reading and talking to each other. They stopped and looked at me as I walked past them into the building.

  The main room looked like a library. That’s not what I expected but I really didn’t know what to expect. There were several large bookshelves and even more tables with people in blue robes reading and discussing things with each other.

  A large desk stood in my path. An older-looking woman in a red robe sat by it. She was writing something on a large notebook but stopped to watch me as I walked.

  She wrote a little more carefully then put down her quill and stared back at me, “May I help you?”

  I put the half-eaten vegetable in my mouth so I could have a free hand to take out the piece of paper. My left arm was still mostly useless but at least my right arm worked. I sat the folded up piece of paper on the desk and grabbed the vegetable from my mouth. The old woman looked puzzled. I opened up the piece of paper and handed it to her, “ Falstrid told me to show this and something about work.”

  She grabbed the piece of paper and turned it around so she could read it. Now she looked surprised, “How do you know Grand Master Falstrid?”

  She stood up and walked over to a file cabinet. I continued eating; it wasn’t that bad. The old woman pulled out a drawer and thumbed through some papers mumbling to herself. Finally, she pulled out this one piece of paper.

  “Ah, yes, we do have someone that could use an aid.”

  She handed me the piece of paper and I just pretended to read it. I must have held it upside down since she flipped it over for me. I felt really stupid.

  “Just head down the hall and you will see a tall man named Bolam. He will fill you in on the rest,” she instructed.

  She looked at me like I was some kind of an idiot and, at the moment, I could understand why. I walked the direction she was pointing while finishing my snack. All that was left of it was the stem but I didn’t see a single trash can, so I put it in my pocket. Bolam, huh? I hoped I wouldn’t mess up finding him.

  I lucked out. Down the hall stood a large man in a blue robe and glasses. There was no one else down the hall at the time. He had dark, black hair that was slicked back and tied into a short ponytail. He also had a short mustache and beard, and it didn’t seem his glasses had any lenses in them.

  I quietly walked toward him. He seemed too preoccupied with stuffing a pack full of books and other things to even take notice of me. I stopped and cleared my throat then asked, “Um, Bolam?”

  He looked up at me and smiled, “Yes?”

  Yeah! I lucked out. I handed him the piece of paper, “Um, I’m supposed to show this to you?”

  He looked a bit puzzled and grabbed the piece of paper. He towered over me and could easily have been mistaken for some big thug rather than a mage.

  He just smiled, “Oh, good! I was afraid I wouldn’t get anyone to help me!”

  He extended his hand, “My name is Bolam. And your name?”

  I smiled and shook his hand. Even his hand was large.

  “My name is Blake. Nice to meet you.”

  Bolam adjusted his glasses. “Are you alright?”

  I stared at him but then saw that he was referring to my arms. I just laughed, “Oh, I’m fine. I’m a fast healer.”

  Bolam chuckled, “Well that is fine. We shouldn’t have any problems anyway.”

  I was a little confused, but before I could ask what he meant, he spoke again.

  “You don’t mind if we leave right away, right?” Bolam chuckled, “Sorry, I am just excited to investigate the ruins west of here!”

  I just stood there, and he went off again.

  “I’ve been stuck here for several days and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get someone to help me. Traveling alone is somewhat dangerous and none of my peers want to go out there. They said it might be dangerous and my superiors wouldn’t let me travel without someone else to help me out. Though, I don’t know why no one would come with me. There should be all sorts of interesting things for my research.”

  Man, did he sound excited. I just chuckled, “Okay, um, do you mind if I get supplies?”

  Bolam cheerfully walked with me outside of the building. “How much money do you have?” he asked.

  I shrugged, “Nineteen copper… is that enough?”

  Bolam smiled, “Maybe, but we will see.”

  He carried around a large book and a staff like he was trying to show others he was a mage. The only thing he needed was a large pointy hat to complete the look. There was something odd about it. The fact that he wore glasses without the lenses bothered me, but he didn’t seem to be an idiot. Maybe he was just eccentric.

  We walked into a shop that carried all sorts of tools and goods. I saw small notes by items but couldn’t understand what they meant. Bolam walked off looking around while I stared at the tools.

  He soon walked over with a heavy cloth pack. “This is actually a good price. Now, I already have some supplies you can use but you need your own basics.”

  I spotted a small wooden box. Inside it were some writing tools but didn’t think I needed them so I put the box down. I had a feeling I was under a tight budget.

 
; With the help of Bolam I now owned a pack, two small pouches, a heavy blanket, a small leather case, a simple looking toothbrush and a knife that was about an inch long. The pack and blanket looked a bit old, but they were clean and in good shape.

  I handed the merchant my copper and ended up using every coin.

  Bolam smiled, “Now I will fund you for your food, so don’t worry about that.”

  That was a relief, but I felt the need to ask the shopkeeper a very important question. I took out the toothbrush, “Please tell me this hasn’t been used.”

  I walked out of the store feeling a bit better. I had a job, I didn’t have to worry about buying my food and the toothbrush was brand new. Regardless, I decided I would still wash it before using it.

  “So what’s your expertise?” Bolam asked me.

  I shrugged, “I really don’t know.”

  Bolam adjusted his glasses, “You don’t have a weapon so I doubt you are a fighter. You don’t look like a mage. Um… you also have strange clothes.”

  I laughed, “Yeah, about that…” It was tempting to tell Bolam the whole story, but I really didn’t want others to hear. I knew all sorts of complications could arise. I couldn’t think of what I was really good at. He interrupted me again.

  “We can discuss that after we get our provisions.”

  Our packs were stuffed with dried meat, bread, dried fruit and some powdery stuff in cloth sacks. Bolam’s pack was much larger than mine, but it was full of his books and other things. I ended up carrying the bulk of the food but I didn’t mind. The pack was heavy walking out of there, but it would get lighter as we traveled.

  “I think that is all we need, though I would feel better if you had some sort of weapon,” he muttered.

  I put my hand in my right pocket and felt my wallet and pen. “How much does one cost?”

  Bolam looked at me oddly. He seemed to be feeling a bit concerned about who he was hiring. I felt under qualified but decided to boost myself up a little.

  “Oh, I know how to use a sword pretty well. I just don’t own one” I explained.