“You really liked him, didn’t you?”
“I suppose you could say that. I would have married him if he’d asked.”
“Really?”
Quiet voices again.
“But someday you’ll have to get over him.”
“I disagree. He is still alive, and as long as he is, I will not lose hope.”
“He died. We watched him die. Why do you keep believing he is alive?”
“Because I know in my heart that he is. I can’t explain how I know such a thing—just that I do.”
Kull sighed. “Very well. I suppose I will never convince you otherwise, will I?”
Silence filled the still air. I must have drifted because I remembered dreaming—that same recurring dream where Theht came to me. The next thing I knew, someone was shaking me awake. I took my shift with Brodnik, but the rest of the night passed uneventfully.
The others woke before sunrise. We packed our things and headed away from the accursed temple.
Hiking over the mountains, I held the staff in my hands, letting its magic guide me. “I think I’m getting the hang of this,” I called to the others. “We should go north. I’m almost certain.”
“Almost certain?” Heidel asked.
“You know, seventy-five percent. Give me some credit—that’s better than yesterday.”
We descended the mountain range and entered another flat expanse, although here, scrubby bushes and gnarled trees dotted the landscape.
“I’ve seen trees like this before,” I said. “In a vision Geth showed me. He’d chained Mochazon to a tree similar to these.”
I hadn’t thought about the pixie man, Mochazon, in a while. There was no telling where he was and what he was doing now. He’d had a thing for a girl named Miranda on Earth. Were they still together? Or did they have the same problem Kull and I had—one person with a life on one world, the other with a life on a different world.
Glancing at Kull, I couldn’t stop my heart from fluttering. He wore his hair in a low ponytail held with a black leather cord. His blue eyes reflected the purple-tinged sky. He kept his hand on his sword’s pommel as he walked, always on alert, scanning for threats. Although I was getting married to the man, he still baffled me. Sometimes, when we talked about politics, negotiating with elves, and building libraries, he came off as a cultured gentleman. Other times, he was a complete barbarian.
As the sun rose higher, we stopped for a quick lunch under one of the crooked trees.
“We’ll need to find water at some point,” Brodnik said. “My canteens are almost empty.”
“Mine too. But where are we going to find water in a place like this?”
“And if we do,” Heidel said, “how will we know if it’s safe to drink?”
“Hopefully, we’ll find this druid before we run out completely,” Kull said.
The sky darkened as clouds passed by overhead. The clouds looked strange, like wisps of black fog, reminding me of the Regaymor we’d seen last night. I studied the sky a moment longer just to make sure it wasn’t another group of them, but decided the clouds were nothing more than water vapor.
“Any idea how much longer until we find the druid?” Rolf asked me.
I held the staff with a firm grip, but only got the impression that we should keep heading north. “No idea. Hopefully not much longer.”
Heidel poured some water into a cup and placed it on the ground for Grace. The wolf lapped it up until she’d drank it all. I didn’t say it aloud, but I worried it might very well take weeks to find the druid. We would run out of water long before then. I hoped I was wrong.
We set out again across the desert with the sun overhead and the sand shifting beneath our feet. Wind rushed past, carrying grains of sand that blasted our skin. As the hours ticked by, the landscape began to change. Chalky white cliffs stuck up like the bones of a prehistoric creature. As the wind quieted, I felt the magic in the staff begin to hum.
I stopped, staring as the jewel on top glowed brighter.
“What’s happening?” Heidel asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe we’re getting closer to the druid.” The staff’s magic mingled with my own, painting a map in my head. I turned toward a gap in the tall cliffs. “I think we need to go that way.”
“You’re sure?” Rolf asked.
“Yes.”
“Let’s check it out,” Heidel said. We started forward when Grace whined. She darted ahead toward the cliffs, leaving us behind.
“Maybe she smells something,” Brodnik said.
“We have to catch up to her,” Heidel said.
“She’ll be fine,” Kull said. “She’s part grimwelt. She knows what she’s doing.”
When we reached the cliffs, we spotted a narrow trail leading between the towering rock formations. Taking the path, we walked through the gorge. Pebbles crunched underfoot. Hiking through the pass became a chore with the uneven ground and loose, shifting rocks. Wind blew with a shrill wail through the canyon.
When we neared the gorge’s exit, the staff’s magic tugged me forward with more intensity than before. As we stepped out of the gorge, a wall made of enormous bones blocked our path. They looked to be the leg bones of giant dragons, though I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen one large enough to have bones of that size.
The wall towered over us. I had to crane my neck to see the top.
“My goodness,” I said, looking up and shielding my eyes. “It’s enormous.”
“Can we climb over it?” Rolf asked.
“Possibly,” Kull answered. “But the question is, what’s on the other side?”
“And do we even want to find out?” Brodnik added.
“We can try to go around,” Heidel suggested. “Although it seems to stretch pretty far in either direction. It might be faster if we climb over.”
“I don’t think so,” I said, focusing on the staff. “The magic seems to be focused on whatever is beyond this wall, but it’s not pointing me over the wall. There’s something around it.” I closed my eyes, trying to decide exactly what the staff was communicating to me, but only felt that we should keep walking.
“Where should we go?” Rolf asked me.
“Around the wall,” I said. “I’m fairly sure.”
“Fairly sure?” Heidel asked. “I still believe it would be faster to climb over.”
“I disagree,” Kull said. “We’re safer to go around.”
Heidel eyed her brother. “You’re okay with sleeping in Theht’s temple but not okay with climbing over a little fence?”
“I would hardly call it a fence. Or little.”
“Can we just get moving?” Rolf said. He turned and started down a trail leading beside the wall. We followed in silence. I stared in awe at the wall. I’d never seen anything like it before. Who had built it and how had they accomplished it? I reached out and felt a trace of black magic in the bones, but since I knew so little about the enchantment, I couldn’t decide the function of the spell.
“Be careful,” I told the others. “There’s a spell in this wall. It may be warded.”
Up ahead, we finally found Grace. She frantically scratched at something in the ground.
“What’s she doing?” Brodnik asked.
“No idea,” Heidel answered. “She’s been acting strange since we arrived in this world.”
We approached the wolf and stood over her. She glanced up at Heidel, let out a short whine, and then started digging again. Heidel knelt beside Grace.
“What’s got her so stirred up?” Rolf asked.
“Maybe she found something?” I asked. As I examined the wall, I realized the bones were arranged vertically. Could it be a door?
“Does that look like an entrance?” I asked
The others looked up.
“Could be,” Kull said.
“Should we try to go inside?” Rolf asked.
“How?” Heidel asked.
“Push it open?” he answered.
Kull took a step towa
rd the gate, but I stopped him. “I wouldn’t touch it,” I said. “There’s magic in it, and it’s more powerful here.”
Grace let out a long whine, looking from Heidel to the gate. I gripped my staff, the wood warm in my hands, and felt its magic tugging my senses, pushing me in the direction of the gate.
“Then again,” I said, “the staff’s pointing me in that direction. Maybe we should try to get through.”
“But what about the magic?” Heidel asked. “Shouldn’t you try to remove the spell?”
“I can try, but if I do, there’s a possibility I’ll alert whoever lives beyond the wall.”
“Risk it,” Kull said. “We’ll have to get inside anyway. Chances are they’ll be alerted to us at some point.”
I nodded, then stepped to the gate. The magic coiled around me. It felt thick, fluid, and very strong. It wasn’t a tainted magic like the Regaymor used, but it was powerful. And I could tell that it didn’t want us to enter.
Reaching out, I let the magic gather around me. Holding the staff, I repeated the process of gathering magic from the air, the stones, and the sand, letting it fuel the staff. Then, when I felt ready, I attempted to strip the spell away from the gate.
The gate’s magic hit me in the chest, tossing me backward, just as a shield of shimmering magic ignited around us. I landed on the ground hard, my back taking the brunt of the impact. I lay on the ground, staring overhead at the shimmering dome, when Kull knelt beside me.
“You okay?”
“I’m all right, but that didn’t turn out how I planned.”
“How do we get out of here?” Heidel said as she kicked the dome with her boot. It echoed with a drum-like sound and a silver glow radiated outward, like ripples on a pond.
Brodnik pulled out his sword and attempted to stab the wall, but the blade wouldn’t penetrate the shield. He tried several more times with no luck. His blade hadn’t even left a nick.
“It’s bloody impossible,” he said.
“It’s made of magic—that’s why,” I said. “Swords won’t have any effect on it.”
“Can’t you work a spell to get us out of here?” Rolf asked.
So far, my magic hadn’t been much help. I’d chased off the Regaymor and used a spell for healing. Except for that, my skills in magic were extremely lacking. It wouldn’t be long before Theht made my powers totally useless and all my friends lost faith in me.
“Let her magic recover first,” Kull said.
Overhead, we heard the sound of beating wings. Staring up through the silver light of the dome, I could only make out the silhouette of an enormous creature descending toward us. The whooshing wings stirred the air and made the sand billow. If we hadn’t been in the dome, the sand would have blinded us.
The ground rumbled as the beast landed beside the dome. As the sand settled, a dragon came into view—though unlike any dragon I’d ever seen before. This was a behemoth, black in color, with frills and spines covering its head and ridges down its back to its tail. As we focused on the dragon, I noticed a rider perched atop its back. The rider tossed a rope ladder to the ground and climbed down. After he stepped to the ground, he turned to face us.
I tightened my grip on the staff as the others readied their weapons. I wasn’t ready for another fight, but it looked like I couldn’t avoid it.
Chapter 7
The man approached the dome. Through the silvery glow, it was hard to make out his features, but I could tell that he wore long, beige-colored robes and had a grizzled, light-colored beard. His eyes made me take a step back. They glowed red—even through the dome, I could see it. What sort of creature was he?
The stranger reached the dome. Peering inside, his eyes narrowed as he focused on us.
“Who are you?” he demanded, his voice slightly muffled by the shield.
“We’re travelers,” Rolf shouted back. “Who are you?”
He cocked his head but didn’t answer. “What are you doing in my lands?”
“We’re looking for someone,” Kull answered. “A druid named Lucretian.”
“Ever heard of him?” Heidel called.
The man placed a hand on the dome, drawing attention to his fingers that ended in claws. Black-tinged magic surrounded his hand, and then the dome disappeared. The Wults pointed their weapons at the man. He knitted his brow, and I noticed his leathery, wrinkled skin. His eyes glowed, even in the sunlight, and fangs protruded from his upper jaw, extending over his bottom lip.
“You’re trespassing,” he said.
“We didn’t know,” Brodnik said. “Should’ve put up a sign or something.”
The man narrowed his eyes. “Do you know what I do to trespassers?”
Rolf thrust his sword in the man’s face. “If you try to harm us, you’ll regret it.”
Magic glowed around the man’s fisted hands. “Do you dare to threaten me?”
I stepped forward. “Hey,” I said. “No need for violence. We’ll get off your land if that’s what you want, but first, we need to find someone. Maybe you know him?”
“Goes by Lucretian,” Kull repeated.
The man focused on my staff. His eyes widened. “Where did you get that?”
I gripped the staff but didn’t answer.
“Who are you?” he asked, eyes narrowed.
“Maybe you should tell us who you are first,” Rolf interjected.
“Very well,” the man answered, straightening to his full height. “My name is Lucretian, and I am the druid you seek.”
“You?” Heidel asked.
This came as a shock. I was expecting someone else… someone less scary. But I supposed looks weren’t everything. Maybe he was a harmless teddy bear under that vampire’s appearance.
“Yes,” he answered. “I am.”
“How do we know you aren’t tricking us?” Rolf asked.
Behind the man, the dragon shook his massive head. The man—Lucretian, I supposed—turned away and walked toward his dragon. “You don’t!” he called over his shoulder. “Follow me,” he added as he reached the dragon, grabbed onto a rope ladder, and climbed atop the creature’s back.
He kicked the beast, and the dragon flapped its massive wings several times until it leapt into the air. The dragon gained height and then flew over the gates. Below them, the doors slowly opened. Grace trotted to the opening gates, sniffing excitedly, but then ran back to Heidel.
“Do we trust him?” Heidel asked.
“No,” Rolf answered. “I don’t like him. And did you see that beast he’s riding? A creature like that could take us all out in a matter of minutes.”
“Let’s not go that far,” I said. “We’ve got Kull with us, you know.”
Kull didn’t crack a smile as he stared at the gates. He’d been unusually quiet since we’d met up with the supposed druid.
“What do you think?” I asked him. “Do you trust him?” Kull had the ability to see people for who they were, not who they appeared to be.
“I trust him,” he said finally.
“Trust him?” Rolf asked.
“Aye, that’s what the man said, didn’t he?” Brodnik answered.
“Yes, I trust him, but let’s not wait out here forever, because I don’t trust the creatures lurking out here. Let’s go and see what’s behind this wall, shall we?”
We followed Kull through the open gate. Once we stepped inside, the two doors slowly closed behind us until they sealed with a boom. Before us lay a landscape of more barren rocks, but at the center sat a tall, cone-shaped structure, resembling a termite mound, made of red dirt with tiny windows peeking from each level. The place was the size of a small mountain. We watched as the black dragon circled the structure, then landed on a platform halfway up before disappearing through a tall, arched opening leading inside.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this, Brother. What if that man was lying and means to lead us into a trap?”
“I’ve said I trusted him, didn’t I?” He turned to stare up at the
mountain. “Still,” he added. “Let’s be cautious, just in case. Never know what to expect in a place like this.”
We followed Kull down a path paved in rough stones made of the same red dirt as the rest of the area. Stretching away from us in every direction was the wall surrounding the mountain.
When we reached the base, we stopped at an arched opening tall enough to allow a dragon inside. Cautiously, we entered. Inside, on the bottom level, I was shocked to find a myriad of creatures loafing about—like some sort of strange zoo. A barnyard smell pervaded the air. Bays, clucks, neighs, and barks filled the room—a noisy, cheerful clatter that was a welcome sound after the oppressive silence we’d encountered in the desert.
I didn’t recognize the beasts, though some looked similar to buffalos and coyotes. A few resembled Pegasus, though the winged horses looked more like draft horses than the Greek portrayals, with muscular bodies and feathering on their lower legs.
Grace pricked her ears as she studied the unfamiliar creatures. A dog-type beast—similar to the one we’d seen in Theht’s temple—came close, but backed away as Grace growled. None of the creatures were caged, though stalls and troughs holding water or grain surrounded the hay-covered floor. A ramp circled the outer wall, spiraling around the room like a corkscrew and leading upward. Since we’d seen Lucretian enter the mid-level of the mountain, we made our way up the ramp, leaving the zoo of animals beneath us.
Smells of cooking food replaced the barnyard odor. We continued climbing until we reached another level and entered a room that resembled a house, with a cooking stove at the center, a table with chairs, and worn, comfortable rugs that hid most of the dirt floor.
The man claiming to be Lucretian stood near the hearth as he stirred a cauldron full of something that smelled delicious. Although, after eating rations for a day and half, it didn’t take much to impress me.
“Come,” he said, not turning to look at us. “Have a seat. I’m sure you’re all famished after traveling through that waste. The deserts on my world are infested with those demon Regaymor, as I’m sure you must know by now.”
No one sat. Except for Grace, who wandered toward the druid with a wagging tail and propped herself at his side, sniffing intently at the food. The man plucked a piece of meat from the stew, carefully blew on it, and tossed it at the dog’s feet. She inhaled it in one gulp before she wagged her tail, thumping the floor. The man patted her head.
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