War In The Winds (Book 9)

by Craig Halloran

  Sluggish, Inferno raised his weary head. Pain throbbed in every scale. He leered at the steel dragon and filled his breath once more. All the dragons had landed and surrounded him.

  I wouldn’t do that if I were you.

  Inferno scoffed.

  Why? Because there is an orb in me?

  It will kill you instantly. Surrender and go home to the king. Ask for mercy.

  Never.

  Then you will die.

  Then I’ll take all of you with me.

  The steel dragon’s eyes went wide.

  Move!

  Inferno let out a gust of flame. And exploded.

  Most of the good dragons survived, recovered, and stared down into the smoking crater. Only scales, horn, and pieces of bone remained of the vanquished Inferno and almost half their comrades.

  A threatening roar came from high in the sky.

  On the ready, dragons! the steel dragon said, twisting his great neck in the air.

  Inferno’s brood, the sky raiders, blackened the sky in the dozens.

  “Vengeance comes!”

  CHAPTER 15

  Nath snapped up into a sitting position.

  “Agh!”

  Shards of pain lanced through his body.

  “Oh,” he moaned, slowly collapsing back down on the bed. He tried to rub his sore head, but could barely move his sore arms. He narrowed his aching eyes and turned his chin from the candlelight that blurred the distance. “Where am I? What happened?”

  “You jumped off your balcony, you fool,” a harsh woman’s voice said.

  It was Selene, but Nath couldn’t see her.

  As his memories rushed back to him, every bit of his awakened body began to throb. He’d jumped and plummeted a thousand feet. He hadn’t meant to. His intent had been to regain his dragon form and fly. Halfway down, he panicked. Mouth screaming and arms flailing, his life flashed in clips of his two hundred twenty-five years. In a split second, he met the sweet kiss of the bone-crushing street. Lucky for him, he didn’t feel a thing, until now. And he wasn’t dead. At least, he didn’t think he was.

  “So, I live?”

  “Call it a miracle. They often favor the foolish.” Her face appeared before him. A hard scowl. A look that wanted to kill him herself. But there was worry behind her dark eyes. “Patience, Nath. It’s no wonder you can’t take dragon form. You have no patience.”

  He propped himself up on his elbows.

  “Ugh! How long have I been out?”

  “That does not matter,” she said. “What matters is that you breathe again.”

  “Breathe again?” His heart jumped. “Did I die?”

  “Sorry,” she said, brushing his hair out of his eyes. “It was a figure of speech, but I can only assume at some point you stopped breathing. Falls from tall towers typically knock the wind from a fellow.”

  “Heh,” he said, unable to contain his smile.

  “What is that for?”

  “Well, it’s good to know.”

  “What’s good to know?” she said, lifting her brow.

  “That I’m so hard to kill.”

  “It’s not that, it’s because your skull is ten times thicker than others.”

  “And that’s a good thing.”

  “Being thick-headed is not a good thing!” She huffed. “Will you ever outgrow your boyish charm?”

  Wincing, he swung his legs over the bed and said to her, “Are you saying I’m immature?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  He rolled his neck and cracked it from side to side. Her words had the sting of truth in them. But he thought he’d been more responsible than ever. After all, he’d agreed to the Truce and spared all his friends. Hundreds and thousands of lives had been spared. But now he sat in the tower, feeling much like a child again.

  I never should have transformed back into a man. I wouldn’t have all these problems then.

  “Come with me,” Selene said. “If you are able to walk, that is.”

  With a groan, Nath stood up and wobbled. Selene caught his arm and helped straighten him up. Shaking her head, she said, “I can’t believe you jumped. Perhaps I should shackle you somewhere. After all, you are my prisoner.”

  “Don’t you dare,” he said, limping after her.

  “Why not? You are a prisoner, and I am responsible for your care.”

  “Hah,” he laughed, glancing around. He wasn’t familiar with his surroundings. “You shoved me off the terrace in the first place. You had me fight Kryzak to the death. And then you tried to kill me.”

  She stopped and pushed him back.

  “Yet you live. Why don’t you quit brooding and take a moment to think about that?”

  Taken aback, he said, “Wow, I can’t die.”

  “Now you jest.” She rolled her eyes. “Of course you can die. I could have killed you if I wanted. And I’m not the only one, either.” She ran her claw over his chest. It sent a chill through him. “Every dragon has a weakness.” She patted his chest and walked away. “You know that.”

  She walked on outside the chamber he’d never been in before. The Great Tower had hundreds of rooms, and he’d only been in a few of them. Anything could be going on in any one of them. He followed her down the hall. She was escorted by a pair of draykis guards that leered at him. He sneered back.

  I wonder how they’d fare if I tossed them out a window. I’ll find out soon enough if they cross me.

  Selene knocked on the next door in the hall. Nath heard the soft scuffle of feet on the other side and watched the door open. Sasha’s head popped out.

  “I thought you should know that Nath is now awake,” Selene said, motioning his way.

  “Nath!” Sasha said, running to him and giving him an embrace. “It’s so good to see you!” She patted his shoulders. “Alive!” Her face became confused. “Why-Why did you do that?”

  “Long story,” he said, “but it’s good to see you, even though I just saw you moments before I … well … fell.” He glanced at Selene then back at her. “How long has it been?”

  “I’ve been tending you for more than a week.”

  “A week!” He glared at Selene. “I was of the impression it wasn’t quite so long.”

  “Oh Nath, I’m so glad you’ve awakened. I would have been tormented in my travels had you not.”

  “What travels?”

  “I’m going back home,” she said, squeezing his hands.

  “I’m glad to hear it,” he said, “but I was hoping you’d be able to travel with me across the lands. Say, maybe I can come with you.”

  “We are going south,” Selene injected, “and she is headed north. And with haste, I might add.”

  “What’s the hurry?” Nath said.

  “This is Bayzog’s request. It’s between her and him, and something to do with their children.”

  “What has happened, Sasha?”

  “Oh nothing, Nath. It’s a family celebration. Rerry and Samaz have upcoming years-of-life celebrations, and they urge me home. My return will be a surprise to them, but I’d been tending to you.”

  “Sasha, you didn’t have to do that. Please, get home to your family. I’m alright.”

  “But I worry,” she said, brushing his cheek.

  “I did something foolish, and I promise it won’t happen again,” he said, giving her a little hug. “I should be worrying about you. It should never be the other way around. Now go. And don’t let me be a burden to you any longer.”

  She squeezed him tight.

  “Thank you, Nath. Thank you!” A tear dropped from her eye. “I’m relieved.”

  “Tell Bayzog good-bye for me. He’ll know what I mean.”

  “I will,” she said, scurrying by Selene. The pair met eyes. It left Nath with a strange feeling. Then Sasha, tugging at her pendant, scampered back through her door.

  “Oh my,” Selene said, “you sound so grown up all of a sudden. Humph. Come with me, Nath. Come with. It’s time to travel.”
>
  ***

  Gorlee–disguised as Sasha—stood with his ear to the door. Selene, Nath, and the draykis shuffled by, and then he heard them no more. He wiped the tear from his eye. Selene had told him he needed to work on being more convincing in his role. But Nath’s golden stare had begun to penetrate his disguise. The ruse became harder to maintain the longer they were in company with each other. He had shared this with Selene, and she had decided it was time Sasha moved on.

  Moving away from the door, he sat down at a desk and rested his head on his arms. Tired and confused as he was, scrambled thoughts bounced back and forth in his head.

  What do I do? What do I do?

  Selene controlled him. What she wanted, he did. And posing as Sasha was only one of those things. She’d made him do other things. Despicable acts. He’d hurt people. Cheated and deceived them. And deep down inside, it ate at him. Why?

  The Deep. That was where the answer lay, and he knew it. He wanted to wait until Selene left, but what if she took him along? I can’t wait any longer. I can’t live like this anymore. He sat several long hours and started to cry. What am I? Am I a lie? Gathering himself, he removed the yellow stone pendant, left his room, and headed for The Deep.

  I will find the answers, or they will find me.

  CHAPTER 16

  “It’s a strange place to meet,” Ben said, sitting down and emptying the water from his boots. He and Bayzog had been traveling by foot for days and just finished wading through a waist-deep stream of icy water. His teeth chattered. “And you’re sure this is where they’ll be?”

  “That’s what her note said,” Bayzog replied, ringing out his robes. “Barring any changes in the circumstances.” He coughed. Eyed the ridgeline. A range of rocky steppes surrounded them.

  “Be nice if we had horses, but you had to rush us out of there. My guts are still churning.” Ben rubbed his head. “How can there be power to do that? It’s not right.”

  “It’s magic, and it does plenty of things we don’t understand. How do so many dragons fly with such small wings on their backs?”

  “Huh, I’ve even seen dragons fly without any wings.” Ben stood up and dusted off his trousers. “Point taken. Just give me fair warning before you … uh … what’s the word?”

  “Teleport.”

  “Yes. A warning would be nice.” Ben picked up Brenwar’s chest and slung it over his back with a grunt. “Best we get going.”

  “Is that chest a burden?” He eyed the cast iron bandings strapped over the darkened wood.

  “Oh, now you ask?” Ben shrugged. “No. It’s not as heavy as it looks.” He narrowed his eyes at Bayzog and laughed. “Must be magic. Not very burdensome at all.” He groaned. “Light as a feather. Yep. Light as a feather.”

  “You jest?”

  “Let’s keep moving,” Ben said, huffing his way up the slope. “I’m starting to understand why Brenwar parted with it now. The bearded buzzard got tired of lugging it around. Good for him. Bad for my back.”

  “I can assist.”

  Ben waved him off and started his trek up the slope. He looked back at Bayzog and said, “This is the right way, isn’t it?”

  Bayzog nodded. Pointing, he said, “Just head straight toward the split in the peaks, and soon we will arrive.”

  Ben set his chin and nodded. The rangy man, stalwart as they come, had taken care of most everything on the trek. He hunted, fished, and trapped. Bayzog might have starved without him, despite the last twenty-so years of survival. Although part-elf, the old wizard’s city ways had never quite acclimated to the woods. But he could recognize plants that were edible and maybe catch a fish from time to time.

  He slipped. Ben caught his arm.

  “You really need to be more thoughtful in your gear,” the warrior said, looking at Bayzog’s shoes. “You’d almost be better off in bare feet than those things.”

  His friend’s shoes were little more than leather slippers. But that was all part of being a mage. The lighter you traveled, the better. Bayzog had explained, but Ben hadn’t fully understood. It had something to do with how the energies were harnessed from the world.

  Two more hours they trudged up the slope into the setting sun, winding left to right along the rocky edges.

  ***

  “You realize we’re exposed, don’t you?” Ben said. “Marching right up into the high ground with the sun in our eyes—”

  “It will be alright.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I know.” Bayzog gave his friend a reassuring look.

  Ben shrugged and mopped the sweat from his brow.

  The sun eased its way between the split, and the slopes became heavy in shadow. Bayzog could see the rock faces ahead, less than a mile away. Natural stone columns were in the rock, and many of them looked like giant faces.

  “That’s odd,” Ben said, glancing back at Bayzog. “So you and Sasha have been here before?”

  “We used to ride horses a lot and take trips for days at a time. We came across this place by accident.” He smiled. “She fell in love with it.”

  “With the rocks?”

  “More or less. But it’s what’s on the other side that impresses.”

  “Impresses you? I’ve seen Elome, and I’ve never seen anything more impressive than that.”

  “This is not like that. It’s different, and she’s fond of it. That’s all that matters.” His eyes watered. Doubt seeped into his heart. What if she’s not there?

  “She’ll be there,” Ben said, drifting back and squeezing his shoulder.

  Eyeing the rock faces, Bayzog explained, “We took our vows there.”

  “Well, perhaps you can renew them, now. Come on. I’m excited to see this place. The place that stirs the heart of the Grand Bayzog.”

  They entered the split in the great stones after traversing a jagged pass over half a mile long. Ben set the chest down and stared into the valley. The sun was a big orange eye overlooking a huge lake surrounded by great trees and abundant forest life. Some of the trees were colored with golden leaves. Others were violet, white, or red.

  “I like it,” Ben said. “So, are we heading down”—he looked left and right—“or around?” The rocky steppes and pinnacles formed a crescent moon around the lake. A narrow path led along the rocks either way. “I find it hard to believe no one lives here.” He lifted a brow. “Giants, maybe?”

  A shadow dropped behind them from out of nowhere.

  Whump!

  Bayzog twisted around.

  Snap. Clatch. Snap.

  Ben hustled to his side, with Akron ready.

  A cherry-scaled dragon filled the chasm. Magnificent. Beautiful. It had small twisting horns and rose-colored belly scales. Long black lashes over its eyes. He could feel the heat of its breath.

  Bayzog stood behind his staff and held Ben an arm’s length behind him. His heart pounded between his temples. “Hold,” he said.

  Ben kept his arrow nocked. “If you want to teleport me out of here, I’m alright with it.”

  “Be still,” Bayzog said. “I’m not so sure she aims to harm us.”

  The cherry dragon shook its scales and wings.

  “She?” Ben said.

  “Aye—”

  “Father! Father!”

  Bayzog’s head snapped up. His eyes fixed on Rerry climbing down the rock.

  “Son!” Bayzog said.

  Rerry, light-haired and lithe, scrambled to the bottom. He embraced his father. The young part-elf’s wiry arms squeezed him tight.

  “You’ve grown well, Son!” Bayzog said, unable to contain his elation.

  “Father, I’ve missed you so much!” Rerry hugged him again.

  “Ahem,” Ben said to them both, eyeing the dragon.

  Rerry looked at Ben, nodded, then looked over at the dragon. “We call her Shayleen. She’s been with us many days. Was it you who sent the tiny dragons?”

  “Yes.”

  “I knew it was. Come, come,” Rerry sa
id. “Mother waits.”

  “What about … er … Shayleen?” Ben said, lowering his bow.

  Rerry shrugged.

  “She’ll be fine, I’m certain. She’s a dragon, you know.”

  “Rerry,” Bayzog said, “this is my dear friend, Ben.”

  Rerry looked Ben over, and his eyes widened.

  “Oh! Is that Akron? Is that Fang?”

  “No, it’s Ben,” Ben said, pulling the bow away. Clatch. Snap. Clatch. His hand fell on Fang’s hilt.

  “Rerry, where are your manners?”

  “Ah, they’re somewhere around here,” Rerry said, scratching his head. He extended his hand. “Hello, Ben.”

  Ben squeezed it, and Rerry winced. Ben picked up the dwarven chest and handed it to Rerry.

  “Oof!”

  “I’d be obliged,” Ben said, stretching his back and eyeing the dragon.

  “I wouldn’t stare too long if I were you,” Rerry said, grinning.

  “Why?”

  “Because she might kill you.”

  “Rerry!” Bayzog said.

  “Come along, Father and Father’s friend, Ben,” Rerry said, teetering with a happy gait. “I can’t wait to see Mother’s face when she sees you!”

  Rerry led the way around the rim of the valley until they stopped at the mouth of a small cave overlooking the lake. Bayzog saw Sasha standing just outside it, auburn hair blowing in the gentle breeze. Bayzog strengthened his knees. Shayleen soared by and darted up, disappearing into the clouds high over the lake.

  “Mother! Mother!” Rerry yelled.

  Sasha’s chin turned. Her eyes locked on Bayzog, and his heart jumped in his throat. The pair collided halfway to the cave. Sasha buried her head in his shoulder, sobbing.

  “Bayzog…”

  He stroked her hair, trembling a little. “I’ve missed you,” he said. “But my heart has never ached so much as it does now. I’m not parting with you again.”

  “Good,” she said, still hugging him. “Good.” She tilted her chin up, and they kissed.

  “Not in front of the children,” Rerry started.

  Ben backhanded his shoulder.