Star Mage (Book 5)

by John Forrester

  The daggers twisted and turned, and in a torrential rage burst alive as if awakening from an ancient slumber. Eerie green fire poured out from the blades and rushed into the knight’s mouth and filled his body with wave after wave of demonic-headed fire. Excruciating screams sped from his shivering mouth as Mara could see the demons eating away the man from the inside. A quick flood of blood streamed down his eyes as the demons consumed his brain and the soft tissues of his skull. Mara wrinkled up her face in disgust as she found herself falling from the knight’s now limp grip.

  She scrambled up to her feet and spun around the throne expecting another blow from the knights, but only found bodies bleeding on the red rug. Talis cast several wind magic spells to knock a group of Dragons away from him, and Mara realized that many more adherents of the Order had appeared, numbering at least a hundred Dragons protected in their weird, scaly armor and brutal claw-like fists and feet. But the way Mara felt, fear melted away in a wash of crazed laughter, and she charged after a Dragon sneaking up behind Talis.

  Green shadows enveloped her as she vanished and raced after the man clad head to foot with dragon scales gleaming in the fiery remains of the burning Dragons. She tried to pierce the weak point under the Dragon’s arm as the man went to smash Talis in the head. The Dragon growled in fury and spun around from the glancing blow and smashed her in the face. The instant the blow was about to land, the daggers fired in fury and a kind of green shield soared up and subdued the blow, causing Mara to only feel a slap sting her face.

  She ran forward and climbed up the scales of the man’s chest until she stood on his shoulders, and twisting around, she clenched her legs around the Dragon’s neck, and caused them both to tumble backwards to the ground. As the man beat at her legs in an attempt to break free, she pulled both daggers in a quick stab underneath his scales, and the blades bit and broke though and punctured his heart.

  Shoving his heavy body off of her, Mara stood and scanned around at the countless Dragons threading around bodies and blood, advancing on them with their cool, deliberate eyes studying Talis and Mara. They raised no hand to cast a spell, and moved in a madly precise formation, fanning out in clear attempt to surround them.

  A quiet command to her daggers brought invisibility to her once again. In the cool calm of their advance, Mara studied the Dragons and spotted Princess Devonia stalking around with another Dragon that had a similar face as the Emperor. Was this her brother? Why were the children Dragons but the father only a weak Emperor with no power? Then Mara remembered the mention of the Empress, and Talis knew that she was a Dragon. But where was she hiding?

  Talis caught Princess Devonia’s approach, and he furrowed his brow at her and said, “Can’t we end this? I’ve found your weakness and have it in my power to obliterate your entire Order until every single one of you is burned up from inside. We’ve come here seeking peace…can we end the fighting once and for all?”

  “Never,” hissed the Princess, and aimed her clawed fist at Talis. “As much as I enjoyed your pretty fire magic show in the square, I know you’ll never be able to sustain that amount of power against our entire host.”

  “Try me,” Talis said, his tone challenging and curt. “Perhaps you’ll be next, Princess. Would you like to feel the heat of my fire boil you up from the inside?”

  Princess Devonia scoffed and flourished her hands in quick snapping movement, forming a crystalline shield around her figure. “Good luck trying. Not all Dragons are as susceptible to that spell. You’ll need to try another approach. And the only answer for the violence you’ve wrought here will be for us to rip your flesh from arm to leg and paint the walls with your blood. We’ll make a memorial out of the display, and add the blood of every single person in Naru to adorn the shrine. Our dragon gods will be pleased with the sacrifice.”

  Mara was glad to see that the Prince had failed to raise a similar shield, and instead he chose to hide himself behind his sister in a cowardly move. He was a handsome boy her age, but his eyes held the raw cruelty of the overly privileged and the seldom punished. She already knew how to slip her blade up under his scales and let her daggers kiss the soft skin underneath. Wasn’t it the Prince’s time to die? Surely she was hearing the voice of Zagros call out to her? Slay the tender mortal and feed me his royal blood. I’ve more demons to spawn and release unto the world…

  Who was she to disobey the Lord of the Underworld? With several stealthy steps she darted over and in a raspy whisper said, “My prince, my love, come to me,” and as he turned his horrified eyes to face her, she jumped into his arms and snaked a hand around his head, and kissed his mouth with her dagger. Blood gushed from the wound and his sister screamed in a wild wail that echoed across the chamber walls as they fell to the ground in a rush. Such pretty eyes he had, blue as the summer sea.

  A clawed fist smashed into her shoulder but the daggers once again flared out and shielded the blow, but the force was strong enough to send Mara tumbling across the ground. Now the furious Princess seethed with rage and ran after her, but a quick shot of wind magic from Talis sent the girl flying a hundred feet across the chamber, knocking over several Dragons in the process.

  She looked up in time to see Talis facing three Dragons, and to her horror found his body radiating with the red light of overheating fire. How had she not noticed this before? As he tensed his palms together, the middle Dragon exploded in a brutal burst of blood that catapulted his allies off to the side in a somersaulting spin across the marble floor. After the last attack, the color of Talis’s skin had risen up another feverish shade of red and he panted from the exertion.

  “Talis!” she screamed, and darted over to him, picturing the girl wizard who’d exploded at the top of the Order of the Dawn. “Change form, Talis. Do it now!”

  His head lolled about and he looked over at her in a feverish, glassy-eyed stare. As she shouted another insistent command for him to change into dragon form, a flicker of realization flipped on in his eyes. He flourished his hands weakly in what seemed like the last movement he could make, and Mara found herself stepping back as his figure bubbled and expanded and transformed into beautiful, gold dragon.

  Their attackers stopped their advance, faces frozen in fear, eyes wide in terror and awe. Some Dragons even prostrated themselves and chanted weird, wild words in jubilant tones, as if Talis were their savior and god come to save them. In the serenity and shock of the distraction, Mara ran over and jumped onto Talis’s back, and his long, sinewy wings beat in a furious rush as he lifted high above the stunned Dragons.

  Fire poured from his dragon’s mouth and he bathed the cathedral-like chamber in a hot flash of orange and golden light. The flames were so intense that Mara winced and hid herself against his warm, scaly body, imagining that the fire released now would have killed them both if he’d stayed in human form only seconds longer.

  Shouts could be heard from below, not screams or moans of pain as Mara had hoped, but commands issued and orders given, and through the dancing flames she spotted the Dragons of the Order jogging in formation out of the burning palace. Talis swooped and flapped his wings and with his fiery breath bore a broad hole in the stone ceiling, and flew outside and up into the stormy skies threatening the City of Carvina with rain and lightning.

  Far below, Mara could see the Dragons streaming across the square and several groups dragged long, pole-like devices. When Talis dove to have a closer look, Mara shouted at him to stop but the wind was too strong and swallowed up her words of warning. The Dragons quickly raised the devices and aimed them at Talis as he realized too late that the things were preparing to shoot. Like the sound of a ballista shooting massive shafts, Mara heard four thwumps from below and she screamed as a tangle of sticky cords covered them and constricted his wings, stopping his wings from flying, and soon they fell into a deathly spiral towards the square.

  As consciousness slipped away and the world faded, the only thing that went through her mind was, I’m going to die young li
ke the legends of old.

  29. TEARS AND THE GODDESS

  Talis did his best to break free of the bonds that constricted his wings, but the more he struggled the tighter they strangled him. Mara was riding atop his back and he knew that in maybe ten seconds they’d smash into the ground and she’d be slain. In a quick burst he transformed back to his human shape and twisted about and searched for Mara. Where was she? There! She was just above him and he shot out a burst of wind magic and stretched out his arms and seized her unconscious body, and shot out another stronger gust of wind magic in a vain attempt at slowing their fall.

  They were traveling too fast and the pressure of wind magic sent a terrible strain along his arms and back as he tried to balance and not flip over on their descent. Just to the left was a lake dotted with boats, and in a last second burst, Talis shot them over to the water and they crashed down deep into the murky depths of the cool lake.

  In the slow-motion, emerald-green blur of algae and fish and turtles, Talis searched with a frantic slashing of his hands through the murk and he kicked and swam around root tendrils trying to find her. He had forgotten to inhale a deep breath before he’d penetrated the lake’s surface, and his lungs burned and his mind raged in desperation as he hunted for her small figure. He knew she was likely drifting motionless in the water and would drown if he didn’t save her.

  But he couldn’t find her no matter where he looked and he knew that unless he went to the surface he was going to die. He shot out a burst of wind magic and propelled himself the surface and inhaled a huge gulp of air, scanning around for signs of Mara. Despite the Dragons that darted across the square towards him, he ignored his enemies and plummeted into the water and shot wind magic again, realizing with his now cleared mind that it was much faster than swimming. He sped through the water, and dove down deep to the place where the light had been similar to the depths of his previous fall.

  A shiny bauble caught his attention, and he shot off in the direction of the light, thinking that maybe it was a piece of Mara’s ruby necklace or diamond earrings. But instead of jewelry he spied a school of shimmering fish and discovered that it was the fish scales catching the light filtering in from above. But what was that inside the school? He spotted a delicate hand drifting and his heart leapt with joy as he realized that it was Mara the fish were swimming around and nibbling on her toes and fingers. He swam forward and scooped her into his arms and with a burst of wind magic, spiraled up to the surface.

  With a surge of light magic, he filled her small figure with the warm power of the sun and she coughed and coughed and gasped for air, opening her eyes in a strange fury. Off to the lake’s edge he could see the relentless Dragons diving into the water in a slow, plodding attempt to catch them. Talis laughed to himself, delighted that Mara was alive, and he gripped Mara tightly in his arms and shot out wind magic, propelling them across the water and away from the approaching Dragons.

  As they reached the shore, Talis turned back to help Mara out of the water, but strong hands seized their arms and yanked them to their feet. A mob of Dragons surrounded them and stared with cold, serpentine eyes. Talis had the feeling that they were waiting before issuing another wave of violence. Princess Devonia ambled through the crowd and glowered at Talis with tearful eyes and trembling lips, as if she were barely able to contain her rage.

  “You little bitch!” she screamed at Mara. “You killed my brother!”

  Pond water was dripping out of Mara’s nose as she stared blandly at Princess Devonia, her expression unconcerned at the girl’s tirade. She ran a soggy arm across her nostrils and twisted up her face at the Princess as if wondering how she should respond.

  “Think of it as payback for killing my father in the war. Though we are hardly even, considering the countless citizens slain in the multiple assaults on Naru. Just a small taste of the violence to come.”

  Princess Devonia scoffed and spread her hands wide. “You are in no position to make threats, little assassin. The best you can hope for is to beg for the mercy of a swift death. More likely we’ll opt for the slow torture of Master Vaern in the Iron Dungeon.” She stared longingly at Talis. “But this intriguing creature is an altogether different matter.”

  The way the girl looked at him, Talis would have guessed that she wanted to eat him, as if she hungered to consume his flesh in a cannibalistic kind of way. He shivered in response and his mind raced, trying to think of a way of escape.

  “Take them away and bind their hands in leaden sacks to prevent any trickier of magic from interfering with their imprisonment.” Princess Devonia frowned as Talis narrowed his eyes at her. “The Council of the Order will convene and decide their fate. Though we may well feast on dragon heart tonight!”

  “What?” Talis said, his voice mocking and disbelieving. “Does your bizarre Order worship dragons and desire the consumption of dragon hearts?”

  A wry smile crossed Princess Devonia’s face. “Why do you think there are no dragons roaming the skies? The legacy of our Order tells us grand tales of the dragon hunts and the mystical rites performed with dragon hearts. Yours will be the first dragon heart we’ve consumed in thousands of years.”

  “But I’m hardly a dragon. I’ve just been taught the art of changing into beast form, which for me happens to be a dragon. If you want to see dragons soaring high in the sky, you’ll need to visit the world of Vellia, where you can find massive dragons flying freely. I know, I met the Dragon King himself.”

  Princess Devonia scoffed and glanced around at the others standing around, their eyes laughing in ridicule. “You’ve quite the imagination! Do you actually expect us to believe such a tale?”

  “You might want to listen to him,” said Master Goleth, pushing his way through the crowd of Dragons. “I’ve seen the dragons of Vellia and the Dragon King with my own eyes. And so has Lord Aurellia.” A ripple of whispers spread across the crowd at the mention of the dark lord’s name. “Unfortunately, it is unlikely that you’ll ever see the world of Vellia, not unless you possess the knowledge and power necessary to cast world portal spells. And Talis is correct, he is no dragon. Kill him and you’ll find only a human heart.”

  “Then he is of no use to us at all,” shouted Princess Devonia, her voice sharp and bitter. “And we should just kill them both now and be done with it.”

  This is it, Talis thought, we’re going to die. He glanced at Mara and saw the fondness of love and the fierce determination to live beaming from her eyes. Her wet, glistening arms held the twin daggers inside their protective sheaths, and her hands twitched as if craving to feel them again. She faded away from his view and all he could do in response was to close his eyes and fix the memory of her beautiful face in his mind, hoping he’d never forget.

  They’d kill him and she’d live, that was the way he wanted it. Mara was a survivor and she deserved to live. There was no way he could win in a fight against all these Dragons. When a clawed fist went to his neck, Talis remembered Master Palarian’s words, from the Netherworld so long ago, “If you treasure her, like I see in your eyes that you do, you should find a way home, and protect her.” But how could he escape and stay alive and ensure he could help protect Mara? A wave of remembrance of the Netherworld washed over him and he felt like such an idiot. The shadow spell…of course, that was the answer.

  As the Dragons chanted the arcane words of some strange incantation, rain gushed down in a flood, and Talis felt the spindly shadow lines of energy swishing out from his stomach and he guided them to catch hold of a shadow cord. Just as the Dragons raised their voices in a frenzied pitch, he found his body whipped forward in a mad rush of blurred lines of shadow energy.

  When he opened his eyes he could see that he was standing in a small silent square in front of an old white shrine with a statue of a beautiful goddess, her gentle hands on the head of a child. Behind the shrine stood a decrepit temple, the wooden door ajar, and the wind blew it slowly open and closed in a soothing motion. Feeling compelled
by a strong shiver down his spine, he ambled over to the temple and climbed the steps and entered the cavernous candle-lit chamber. He released a sigh, relieved he had escaped with his life.

  He strode down past similar statues of the same goddess but in different poses: helping a sick girl, giving food to a hungry child, bringing a quarreling brother and sister together, and the most beautiful statue of all stood at the dais, of the radiant goddess, her hands outstretched to the sky, receiving a divine blessing. Mounted beneath was a long stretch of candles, some flickering and alive and others snuffed out by the rising wind from the storm outside.

  The face of the goddess was lit by some mysterious rays of sunlight, but Talis could find no source and was convinced it was because of magic of some kind or a holy relic truly blessed by the gods. He bowed down before the statue and clasped his hands together and prayed to the Goddess Nacrea for Mara’s safety and sanity, refusing to believe that the daggers could overtake her mind. Her will was too strong and he believed that eventually she would overcome and find a way to preserve the integrity of herself, despite the dark power trying to overtake her. He prayed and prayed until tears streamed down his cheeks as the warm, beautiful feeling of the Goddess poured over him and caused his eyes to stare at the ceiling where the dark rafters unfolded like rose petals peeling apart and exposed a kernel of brilliant, expanding sunlight.

  He could see the same beautiful face of the statue shimmering inside the piercing light, her golden eyes staring at him with an intense look of pity and concern. She stretched out hands through the ether and her delicate fingers touched his tears, and in a flash of brilliance, she was gone.

  30. SHELTER AND STORM