A.O.E.M.: Chasing Dragons

by Kate Douglas

  The Elf coughed, and spit up blood. Internal injuries as well. Frantically, Les raised his head and looked north along the raging river. How far were they from the Seat of Magic? Les stood and gazed up at the edge of the cliff where he’d left the wounded Faerie and the brave Unicorn. It was at least a thirty foot climb. How could he get Tady out of the canyon without injuring him even worse?

  A soft nicker startled him. Spinning around, Les discovered the Unicorn had somehow made it to the bottom of the cliff. Both Les and Tady’s packs were slung over his back. The Faerie road astride, her face pale and her jaw clenched in pain, but her tiny hands clutched the animal’s thick mane and she was definitely awake. “How…” Les scratched the top of his head.

  The Faerie blinked. Les saw that her eyes were a brilliant blue, like the sky after a summer rain. Her voice was soft and musical, though it was obvious she was still in tremendous pain. “I helped him gather your things. We must take your friend to She Who Rules. The Lady is our only hope to save him.”

  Les squatted down next to Tady. “Can you stand it if I carry you? I’m going to have to splint your leg. Will you be okay?”

  Tady clenched his teeth and nodded. Les found two straight branches, tore a strip of fabric from his sarong and knelt beside Tady. He looked into the Elf’s eyes as he placed one hand on Tady’s left hip and wrapped the other around his ankle.

  “I love you!” Les shouted the words as he quickly jerked Tady’s broken leg into position. Tady screamed and passed out. Crying now, unable to stop the tears, Les quickly bound Tady’s broken leg between the branches, immobilizing the bone. Then he gathered the small Elf up in his arms, carrying Tady as he would a child, and followed the bank of the river out of the canyon.

  The Unicorn stayed behind him, his nose almost touching Les. The Faerie clung tightly to his mane and rode stretched out along his neck. Feeling like the leader of some macabre parade, Lester set a quick pace. By the time night fell, they’d left the canyon far behind and crossed a broad plain -- the same one he remembered from the vision.

  Before them, looming over all, was a single, snow-capped mountain. The one he’d stood before in the vision. The one where all had gone black.

  The Seat of Magic.

  Kneeling, Lester placed his small burden on the ground. Then he turned and lifted the tiny Faerie, barely conscious now, but still clinging to the Unicorn’s back, and set her beside Tady’s silent form. She curled up beside the badly wounded Elf and sighed. Then she closed her eyes and lay quietly.

  Lester twined his fingers in the Unicorn’s silky mane and stood before the mountain. There was no trail to climb it, no doorway to enter. Trusting in the magic of the Northern Realm, Lester prepared to wait.

  Light faded from the sky. All about them slowly turned to velvety black night. Still, Lester Ondáge waited. His fingers curled tightly in the Unicorn’s mane, he stood watch before the Seat of Magic.

  * * *

  Glinda awoke with an unfamiliar sense of expectation, a feeling that today would bring change, if nothing else. She’d fallen asleep, sprawled across the golden throne in a terribly un-rulerlike posture. Now fully awake, she crawled stiffly out of her convoluted position, stood up and stretched. An image flashed into her mind and she smiled with the memory of a most amazing dream.

  There’d been a man. Definitely a man. He was tall and fair-haired, his ears had the pointed tips denoting his Elven race and his eyes were the color of new grass in Spring. They’d lain together, just the two of them. Their unclothed bodies had fit perfectly, their thoughts had meshed as well, and Glinda had felt contentment such as she’d not known in many hundreds of lifetimes.

  Of course, as a white witch of the twelfth degree, she’d never actually lain with a man. Probably what made this dream so exciting.

  Remembering the dream brought a long forgotten tightness to her womb. She felt her breasts respond as well and knew that beneath the heavy royal robes she wore, her nipples had peaked against their restraints.

  She’d not felt like a woman in so long. Had forgotten the warm clenching between her legs, the sense of her body awakening, ripening. Like a plant kept in darkness much too long that is finally exposed to the sun, Glinda felt herself unfurl.

  What portent be this? Feelings so strong, so visceral, must foretell something of great importance.

  Slowly, she turned toward the mirror.

  Glinda sucked in a quick gasp, then covered her mouth with her fingers. Four lost souls waited. One man, tall and dark stood before the portal. His hand rested on the snowy withers of a Unicorn. At their feet lay two small creatures. A badly injured Elf, by the looks of the larger of the two, and a Faerie. Her body was wrapped in gauze, but blood seeped through the dressing across her back and it was obvious her life-force was slipping out with each crimson drop.

  Glinda sensed their agony, felt their need and something else, as well. A sharp, stabbing pain crossed her chest and lodged just beneath her heart as the truth was made clear at last.

  This was a test. Not only of the four supplicants.

  This was also a test of Glinda the Good. An exam, of sorts, of She Who Rules. The knowledge slipped into her consciousness, leaving behind a feeling of both exhilaration and fear. She’d not been tested in all the years she’d ruled this land. Never questioned, nor had she met with anyone other than the stalwart souls who braved the dangers of a journey to the Seat of Magic.

  For some reason, the four who waited were deemed special by the One whose power was even greater than Glinda’s. Their needs were unique.

  Accepting her own fate, holding the fate of four strangers in her hands, Glinda spoke the words that gave them entrance into her castle.

  * * *

  Lester had stared at the mountain for so long he no longer actually saw the rough stone and scraggly plants he’d stared at the night before. The sun must have come up some time ago because once again he saw plants and rocks instead of darkness, yet still he waited. The Faerie slept, the Unicorn stood patiently beside him, and Tady had not been conscious since they’d arrived.

  At least the Elf no longer moaned in pain, and the blood had stopped trickling from his parted lips. Les had even gotten him to take a swallow of water during the night, but that had been hours ago.

  At least is felt like hours. It was hard to know in this magical place. Lester might not be Fae, but he sensed magic that was truly strong here. He felt no desire to search for a doorway, no need to look for a trail. Lester was sure he would be shown the entrance when She Who Rules was ready for them.

  The Unicorn nickered and rubbed his nose against Lester’s shoulder. Les felt a change in the pressure at the same moment and realized the rocky face before them was beginning to shimmer. Within moments it had faded entirely from view, leaving a well-lighted staircase that appeared to wind upwards inside the mountain.

  “This looks like the right place. Are you ready?” The Unicorn dipped his head in reply. Lester picked up the Faerie and settled her along the animal’s neck. She didn’t completely awaken, but her fingers wound tightly into his thick mane. Then Lester grabbed Tady and held the Elf against his chest.

  Tady moaned, then seemed to go unconscious once more. Lester started up the stairs but his eyes filled with tears and he stopped. What if he fell? What if this didn’t work and She Who Rules refused to save Tady?

  Les blinked until his vision cleared. He leaned over and kissed Tady and felt his heart lurch at the lack of response. Then he started up the stairs again, one step following another. The Unicorn followed close behind.

  Chapter 8

  “Lorcan? Sweetheart, are you okay?”

  Amanda rolled over in bed and stared at her beloved spouse. He sat near the window, his chin resting on his fist and the other hand supporting his elbow. “You look like that statue, The Thinker. What are you thinking?”

  Lorcan turned and smiled. “I’m thinking Tady and Lester should have been back by now. I’m worried about them.”


  Amanda crawled out of bed and slowly waddled across the room. She pressed her gravid belly against Lorcan’s bare back and looped her arms around his neck. “I’m worried, too, but worrying won’t bring them back any sooner. Remember, they have no idea how far the journey will be, nor do they have any idea what sort of tests they’ll need to pass.” She kissed Lorcan’s neck and inhaled his beloved scent. “Don’t doubt them, my love. They’ll be fine and home before the baby comes.”

  Lorcan turned and wrapped his arms around Amanda, then dragged her into his lap. “And when will that be, my lovely Mandy? Not much longer, I hope.”

  “No. Not long.” Amanda smiled through the twinge of pain. She wasn’t quite ready to tell Lorcan the baby might be here sooner than they’d planned. She only hoped Les and Tady made it back before the next royal baby made its entrance into the Land of the Eldar.

  * * *

  Lester felt as if he’d walked miles up the slowly curving staircase, but the way finally opened into a huge room that glittered with thousands of candles. Light reflecting off the gold and silver that adorned every surface might have caught Lester’s attention in other times, but right now he focused on the lovely blonde woman seated in a huge throne and the end of the room.

  It must be She Who Rules. The answer to their troubles.

  With the Unicorn following close behind, Les crossed the marble floor. He knelt before the woman with Tady in his arms.

  “Will you help him? Will you help all three of them?” Les kept his gaze glued to Tady’s face.

  “That’s not why you’ve come.”

  Lester looked up. The woman stood in front of them and she was frowning. “What do you mean? Of course that’s why I’ve come. To ask you to save Tady’s life. To give the Faerie back her wings and restore sight to the Unicorn.”

  She Who Rules shook her head. Her long blonde hair cascaded about her shoulders. “No. Think of your original request. Why are you here?”

  “What?” Lester stood up. Even though she stood upon the dais, he towered over the woman who held Tady’s life in her hands. “What are you talking about?”

  “The original purpose of your journey. Why did you come here?”

  What the hell was she jabbering about? Fighting down the surge of anger, Les gritted his teeth. “I wanted to be an Elf, a member of Clan Dragon. I wanted to fly.”

  She Who Rules smiled as if he were a dolt finally giving a successful answer to a very simple question. “Exactly. And you shall have your wishes. These others…” She waved her graceful hand, encompassing the injured Elf, the bloodied Faerie and the blind Unicorn. “Well, they’re not what you wished for. They require another test.”

  Lester took a deep breath. Let it out. Took another. “Okay, then. I’ll trade my wishes. Use them to make my friends well.”

  She Who Rules tilted her head and studied Lester for a long, increasingly uncomfortable moment. “You’re saying you will give up your wish to become a member of Clan Dragon to a Unicorn you’ve only just met, that he might see again? You will exchange your wish to fly so that this Faerie might regain her wings? And, you will give up your dream to be an Elf that your friend will live? Do I understand you correctly?”

  “Yes, dammit. What’s so hard to understand?” Les felt himself verging on tears again. Damn, Tady felt so small and lifeless in his arms, yet this blithering idiot wanted to discuss semantics?

  She Who Rules tipped her head to one side. “Maybe it’s you, kind sir, who do not understand. You can save the Unicorn and the Faerie with no harm to yourself other than the irrevocable loss of your dreams, but should you give up your chance to be an Elf, you will be exchanging your life for your friend’s. Once a wish is requested, it cannot be rescinded. You’ve given up your right to live as a human in the land of the Eldar. You must become an Elf or die.”

  Les closed his eyes and bowed his head. Tady was lying here in his arms near death because of Lester’s selfish wishes. The one man in all the world Les could ever love, and he might die because Les hadn’t been satisfied with all the wonder in his life. No, Lester Ondáge wanted more. He’d always wanted more.

  Now he merely wanted Tady to survive. Nothing else mattered. Nothing at all. He raised his head and smiled sadly at She Who Rules. “If that’s the only choice I’ve got, then that’s the choice I make. Tady lives. Hopefully, he won’t hate me for making him come on this wasted journey.”

  She Who Rules stared at Lester for a long time, only now the feeling wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable. Les felt light, as if making the right decision had freed him of some undisclosed weight. After a few minutes of silent contemplation, She Who Rules stepped down off her dais and reached for Lester’s pack. She pulled the Faerie’s broken wings out of the bag and ran her fingers lightly over their shimmering surface. Laying them down beside the Faerie, She Who Rules knelt by the small body and held her hands over the Faerie’s back. Her voice carried an amazing aura of power in each soft word she spoke.

  “You’ve known horrible pain, yet you’ve persevered. Your heart is pure and your love for your fellow creatures is true. That which has been torn asunder will be healed. The pain of your wounds will cease. Lester Ondáge-O’Shea’s dream to fly will now be yours.”

  Les watched, transfixed, as She Who Rules began to glow with a golden light. Slowly the light seemed to move to her palms and then through the air to the Faerie. The wings shimmered and disappeared, the gauze bandages fell away and the Faerie slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes.

  Her once tattered wings, now fully healed and firmly reattached to her shoulder blades where they belonged, glowed with golden light. The Faerie’s eyes glistened. She stood up, curtsied to She Who Rules and whispered a soft “thank you,” then flung her arms around Lester’s neck.

  “Thank you. Thank you so much. I would have died without you.” She kissed Les full on the mouth, then wrapped her arms around the Unicorn’s neck as well. “And you… you’ve carried me so far. Thank you!”

  The Unicorn nickered as the Faerie flittered about the huge room. Finally she settled back beside Tady and touched his cheek with her hand. She raised her chin and stared at She Who Rules.

  “Aye, little one. Be patient. I must gather the magic for each wish.” She Who Rules turned now to the Unicorn. “You’ve proven yourself a loyal friend to those who were strangers.” She smiled and ran her fingers through his silky mane. “I know you stayed for more than the grain.”

  The Unicorn nickered and even Lester couldn’t bite back his grin.

  Once again she began to glow. Then She Who Rules placed her palms over the Unicorn’s eyes. “Lester’s wish to become a member of Clan Dragon is now yours. Use the power wisely and may the purity of your soul govern your sight.”

  When she took her palms away, the Unicorn’s eyes glowed with emerald fire. He blinked and looked first at She Who Rules, then turned his attention to Lester. With much dignity, he lowered his head over one extended leg, bending the other in a perfect bow.

  Les touched the Unicorn’s horn with his fingertips, tracing the silver swirls all the way to the shimmering tip. “I’ve seen magic these past few years unlike anything I ever dreamed, but yours is special. Thank you for all your help.” Lester leaned over and kissed Tady’s cold lips. “You, Tady O’Shea. You have been the most magical of all. I love you. Please forgive me, but the world needs more people like you in it. Thank you for giving me the magic.”

  Les sat back on his heels and smiled at She Who Rules. “It’s his turn, now.” He took one last look around the huge throne room, at the gold and silver panels, the thousands of flickering candles. He smiled at the shimmering Faerie sitting astride a shining white Unicorn and realized his life had been filled with more magic and love than he’d ever imagined possible. “Thank you.” Les held his hand out to She Who Rules, palm up.

  She looked at him with a hint of confusion on her face, but she placed her hand in his. Les wrapped his big fingers around hers and shook her hand. “I wanted you
to know I don’t have any hard feelings for what you need to do. Just save the man I love, please?”

  Glinda looked into the chocolate eyes staring at her with such faith and purity and realized finally what her test would be. She nodded and smiled, but her thoughts were spinning with the risk she was about to take. Would she fail? She certainly hoped not. Too many lives depended on her choice. Her own life would be forfeit if she were wrong, but it was nothing next to creatures such as these.

  This time, when she drew the magic, Glinda placed one hand over Lester’s heart and the other over Tady O’Shea’s. She felt the power, the pure essence of life and magic pouring into her, through her, pouring into both Tady and Lester until their bodies glowed and their life force surged forth, stronger, hotter than ever before.

  She held the connection, drawing more power until her blonde hair stood out around her head and crackled with electricity. Held it until her body grew rigid, until the sparks flying through her bloodstream coalesced into a single point of power that split and arrowed from her heart to her fingertips, to Lester and Tady. Perfectly divided, the same burst for each man, the same powers shared.

  With a small cry, Glinda collapsed to the marble floor.

  Still groggy from the healing, Tady crawled to the side of She Who Rules, then realized Les wasn’t moving. At least She Who Rules was breathing, dammit. He couldn’t tell about Lester.

  After a quick check, Tady turned his attention to his mate. Les lay there, unmoving, his eyes wide open, his lips parted. Frantic, Tady pressed on Les’s heart, blew air into his lungs, then pressed again.

  He felt a slight flutter of breath, then another. Lester’s chest heaved and he drew in a great gasp of air. Finally able to breathe again himself, Tady slumped down beside Les. “Shit, man. Don’t you ever scare me like that again.”