Five Kingdoms: Book 05 - Fierce Loyalty

by Toby Neighbors

  * * *

  Offendorl was sore. His back and legs ached, but the young woman’s hands kneaded his ancient flesh. Her hands were warm and she rubbed lineament and oils into his skin. Normally, Offendorl did not rely on physical healing methods, but now the elder wizard was conserving his strength. The battle had drained him, and he’d been forced to take shelter in a small cottage after the fire burned most of the village. The townsfolk were either dead or gone, having deserted the village in the midst of the fires. Offendorl didn’t blame them. He was surprised, however, that the young woman had stayed with him. He had cast no spells on her and wasn’t sure exactly why the woman had taken to him so strongly. His only guess was that she was attracted to power. He understood that, and would reward her loyalty.

  He hadn’t destroyed the other dragons the way he had hoped, but he felt he had at least bought enough time to deal with Gwendolyn. Bartoom was in bad shape, but Offendorl wasn’t the type to care overmuch about the people or dragons around him. He had called the massive black beast back to the village when it became obvious that Bartoom could not match the speed of the other dragons in its wounded state.

  Offendorl hadn’t known about the girl. Of course she had created the dragons, he’d read of her kind, but he had not expected her to be with the pride. Her ability to heal the dragons was unique. Gold was the only other thing he knew of that could heal a wounded dragon, if the beast did not heal naturally. They were strong creatures, without many weaknesses, but once their almost impenetrable hide was rent, they were as vulnerable as any other creature.

  Offendorl needed Bartoom healthy when he faced Gwendolyn. He had gathered as much gold as he could find for the dragon, but the village was poor and most of the homes were piles of smoldering rubble now. Still, it would have to be enough. The elder wizard forced the black dragon to heal its wing first. The wounds in its back were serious, but the beast could fly and breath fire with a wounded back. The dragon was worthless to Offendorl if it couldn’t fly. At least the wing had not been broken, like the little blue dragon that had been caught in the trap he’d set in the ruins of the ancient castle. The woman had healed that dragon rather quickly, and her ability to control fire was unheard of. Even Offendorl himself couldn’t endure heat to that extreme. The entire top of the hill had been melted and now resembled a lake of obsidian, like a black, glassy pond.

  He would have to make his next moves carefully. Returning to the Grand City undetected would be difficult. The woman would be of service there, he thought to himself as he calculated his plans. He would have to refrain from using magic—even the smallest spell could be detected if Gwendolyn was being careful. He had to assume that she was, even though the arrogance of taking over the tower of Torr gave him doubts. Perhaps she thinks I’m dead, he pondered. Why else would she act so brazenly?

  It didn’t matter what her reasons were. He had to assume she was at the peak of her power. She also had access to his library. It was the largest collection of ancient books and scrolls ever collected. Each volume was filled with information that a wizard—or in her case, a sorceress—could use. But he would get it back. He would make her pay in pain and blood. Her penalty would be slow and agonizing. And Offendorl would start with the witch’s sister.

  “Tell me your name?” he asked the woman who was massaging him. Although she had seen to his every need, he had not bothered to learn her name. If she was going to help him in the Grand City, he would need to rely on her even more.

  “Havina,” she said, caressing his skin affectionately.

  “Good child, you shall be of service to me in the Grand City.”

  “As you wish, master,” she said in a coy voice.

  “Don’t play games with me. I do not care for your safety or lust for your body. Is that clear? You will do as I say or be cast aside.”

  He knew that being replaced or sent away was more threatening to the power hungry girl even than death. Her face revealed her fear and confirmed his suspicions. She would do whatever he wanted, as long as he was the most powerful person in her acquaintance. She would be useful against Gwendolyn, although he might be better served to discard her before he faced the young wizard Zollin again.

  “Now, find my carriage and a horse. It’s time to move on from this place.”

  Chapter 23

  Brianna’s heart ached almost as much the searing pain in her dislocated shoulder. She and Selix had reached the coast just south of Brimington Bay at dawn. They found the other dragons waiting. Tig and Torc had not been twins in the conventional sense, but she had made them together, breathing the same breath of fire into their stone bodies so that they shared a bond even closer than the other dragons of the pride. Tig’s grief over the loss was staggering. The dragons wailed, almost like abandoned kittens, not quite roaring but making more noise than was prudent, given how close they were to one of the largest cities in Osla. They were nestled in an area of sandy dunes not far from the shore. The dragons nuzzled one another, and especially Tig. Brianna sat on the crest of the dune, watching for signs that someone or something might approach to investigate the heart-rending cries of her pride.

  Brianna had never felt such grief as she felt over the loss of the small, blue dragon. She had created Torc, had watched the dragon grow in wisdom and friendship. She could not get the image of Bartoom tearing the smaller dragon’s head off out of her mind. She felt sick and afraid at the same time. When they had fought Bartoom before, she had been nervous for the safety of her pride, but now she felt terrified they would all be killed. She had to fight the urge to lead them back north. She wanted to take them and hide in the Highlands, to keep them far from danger, but she knew that they could only hide from that danger for so long. If they ran now, Offendorl would only grow stronger. The threat he posed would become greater and their fates would be sealed.

  Zollin was her only hope now. Zollin had to defeat the evil wizard, she thought. He had to win or they would all be killed—or worse, enslaved. Brianna had been hurtling at breakneck speed when she had smashed into the elder wizard’s magical defenses, but she had noticed the young woman clinging to him. The wizard was an ancient looking man, powerful in magic, but his body seemed as fragile as a dried reed. Still, he had taken her blow with less injury than she had. The pain in her dislocated shoulder was so intense she was sweating. She knew that soon they would have to find Zollin, or she would have to go into a town alone to look for a healer. Leaving her pride undefended simply wasn’t an option at the moment, which meant she would have to endure the pain and let the dragons carry her to Zollin.

  The day passed slowly, the sun rising high as the dragons finally gave into grief and exhaustion. Brianna was exhausted too, but she was in too much pain to sleep. She tried lying down on the edge of the sandy hill, but she simply couldn’t get comfortable. Her head was swimming by the time the sun began to set. She roused the dragons and sent them mental images of Zollin.

  Selix was full of concern, but Brianna knew that all the dragons were tired—partly from the battle and partly from shock. Still, they had to move. She doubted that Bartoom could follow them—the big black dragon’s wing was shredded and it had not been healed from their last encounter. That was a clue that led Brianna to believe the wizard who controlled Bartoom did not have the power to heal the dragon.

  Selix had some minor scratches and bruises. Ferno and Tig were both healed of their major injuries, but both were still in shock from the damage done to their bodies in the trap. Tig’s right leg was hurt, but the small dragon refused to have Brianna heal it. The small blue dragon acted almost as if the injury was a badge of honor. Gyia alone had been unharmed, but the graceful purple dragon had been chased by lightning and the terror of that was enough to shock the normally calm and strategic-minded dragon into irrational fear.

  “We must go,” she said through clenched teeth. “He can heal my shoulder.”

  Selix agreed, nuzzling Brianna on her uninjured side, but Ferno looked almost shamefaced. Br
ianna saw an image in her mind of the dragon unable to carry her. She nodded at the muscular, green dragon.

  “I know. We’ll stop and rest when we need to. But we can’t stay here.”

  She felt their fear and was helpless to reassure them. She knew Zollin was their only hope, but she wasn’t sure that they would survive that battle she knew was coming. She would have to explain to them the best she could, and then give them the opportunity to stay and fight, or to return to the mountains.

  Selix wrapped her in its long, golden tail, trying to move her gently, but causing Brianna to wail in pain just the same. Ferno roared suddenly, filling Brianna’s mind with images of anger and hatred. The fierce green dragon had not seen Torc ripped apart by Bartoom, but the others had, and the mental images they shared when they spoke of it were graphic in nature. The big dragon was angry now, anxious to finish the fight or die trying.

  “In time,” she assured Ferno. “Soon we will see the wizard destroyed and make Bartoom answer for the death of our brother. But now we must regroup. We cannot be swayed by the magic of the elder wizard again. We must join Zollin and fight with him,” she said, her voice fading as spots began to appear in her vision.

  She swayed on the dragon’s back, but Selix used its long tail to steady her, then it took to the air, the other dragons following. The sky turned dark as the big, golden dragon sailed along. It stayed only high enough to be sure no tree or hill impeded their path. Brianna was naked, having burned through her clothes in her efforts to save Ferno, so the dragon let its fiery breath wash over Brianna as often as it could. There were many settlements along the coast, but whenever there was an area that looked sparsely populated, the dragons breathed fire onto Brianna, who was now between consciousness and sleep. She trembled with chills brought on by her injury more than the cold night air.

  Selix was forced to stop twice in the night to rest. Ferno, weak from the injuries it had sustained, still took up a guard position. Tig, in shock from injuries and grief, dropped unceremoniously onto the ground whenever they landed and went promptly to sleep. When dawn broke, the dragons could feel Zollin ahead of them, but they still had several hours to travel. There were clouds in the sky, so the dragons flew into the clouds, doing their best to remain undetected, but of course it was a futile effort. It was almost noon by the time they came within sight of Zollin and Eustice, but the wizard was in a small town, and although Selix wanted to take Brianna straight to Zollin, Gyia convinced them to wait in a tall grove of palm trees not far from the settlement.

  * * *

  Zollin had just purchased a basket of fruit and was looking forward to eating some of the cool, sweet items. The daily heat was growing more intense the further south they traveled, despite the cool breeze from the ocean. He thanked the vender and joined Eustice, who had just strapped a small keg of ale to the back of their packhorse. The ale made Zollin think of Mansel.

  He had left his friend the day before, but it felt longer to Zollin. He missed Mansel, and Kelvich, and of course Brianna—he even missed his father.

  “We can go soon, I just need to see if I can get any information about what is happening in the Grand City,” Zollin told Eustice. “Mansel always said that taverns were the best places to hear the local gossip. How about we get a cool drink and see what we can learn?”

  Eustice, as silent as ever, smiled and flashed Zollin a thumbs up. They led the horses to a tavern that seemed busy. Inside, there were fishermen and merchants. Girls younger than Brianna served as tavern maids, fetching drinks or food. Zollin sat at a table in the shady tavern. Unlike the inns Zollin was used to, most of the buildings in Osla had no walls—just an elevated floor and a sturdy roof. He supposed that it never got cold enough to need protection from the weather. It gave the area a decidedly foreign feel, as did the towering palm trees.

  “Can I get you something?” one of the young maidens asked.

  “What do you have that is cool and refreshing?”

  “We have spiced coconut milk,” the girl said. “It’s very good.”

  “We’ll have two pints of it then,” Zollin said. “And maybe a little information,” he added as he slid two silver marks across the table. It was enough money for the two men to drink on for the rest of the day. The girl glanced around before snatching the coins up and tucking them into the neck of her shirt.

  “I’ll be right back,” she said, then pranced off toward the kitchens.

  “They like their girls young in this town,” Zollin said to Eustice. “It’s hard to believe that girl is old enough to be out of essentials school.”

  Eustice shrugged his shoulders, gesturing that he didn’t know.

  “I don’t guess you got a chance to go to school, did you?” Zollin asked. “How old were you when you went to the Torr?”

  Eustice held up eight fingers.

  “Eight years old? What about your parents?”

  Eustice shrugged his shoulders again. Then the barmaid returned, followed by a gruff-looking man who was carrying his own drink.

  “These are the strangers, Papa,” she said, setting down wooden mugs in front of Zollin and Eustice. She flashed them a smile and then hurried away.

  “I hear you gentlemen are looking for information,” the gruff looking man said. “I’m Ornak, owner of this establishment.”

  “Zollin,” the young wizard said, “and this is Eustice. We saw an army marching into Osla a while back. Any news about what’s going on?”

  “Lots of rumors,” Ornak said. “Word is King Belphan was killed up north. Although that’s just rumors, mind you. I’ve also heard that King Zorlan from Falxis is leading that army, although King Oveer from Ortis beat him to the Grand City.”

  “You think they’re trying to take over Osla?” Zollin asked.

  “I’m sure there is something going on. First King Belphan takes the army north. Now armies are marching into Osla. It’s all shady from my perspective. I mean, what happened to the treaty between the kingdoms?” Ornak said before taking a long drink and then wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “The latest word we got just this morning was that King Zorlan’s forces routed Oveer’s troops.”

  “You don’t seem bothered by this rumor,” Zollin said.

  “Well, I don’t know all the details, but from what I’ve heard, King Falxis was marching with the Oslan troops. That makes ’em more on our side, I suppose.”

  “I guess so,” Zollin said. “But from the way they burned and pillaged their way through Falxis, I’m not sure I’d want them turned loose anywhere near me.”

  “Soldiers are all the same,” Ornak said. “Been that way forever, I suppose. To the victor goes the spoils—that’s the old saying, anyway. I’m just grateful we’re out of their way.”

  “Well, you’ve given us a lot to talk about on the road,” Zollin said, sliding another silver mark toward the man.”

  “No hurry, is there?” Ornak said. “You can have all you want to eat and drink.”

  “We’ve had our fill for today. Delicious drink though,” Zollin said, draining the last of his spiced coconut milk.

  “Come back and visit us on your way back up the coast,” Ornak said, taking them to be traders. “We’re always open and you’re always welcome here.”

  “Thank you,” Zollin said.

  He and Eustice left the tavern and climbed into their saddles. Zollin had enjoyed the drinks, but he was anxious to get on the road again. He wanted to find Brianna and see if what the tavern owner had told him was true. If King Oveer had failed to stop the invading army, there was nothing that would stop them from laying siege to the Grand City. Zollin was just wondering if that would help him or hurt him in his quest to stop Offendorl and the Torr when he heard a familiar growl.

  The horses, suddenly nervous, started backing away from the grove of palm trees ahead.

  “It’s okay,” Zollin said, trying to calm his horse and Eustice, who suddenly looked worried. “I think it’s Brianna.”

  He hand
ed the reins of his horse over to Eustice and told him to wait. He then walked slowly toward the grove of trees. There were large bushy plants growing around the base of the trees, which were tall and skinny. The sound of the ocean waves lapping against the shore obscured all other sound. Zollin let his magic flow into the trees and was rewarded to find the dragons. He also felt Brianna’s pain and he bolted forward.

  “How bad is she?” he said in a loud voice as he pushed his way past the shrubs. The light inside the grove of trees was mottled and Zollin was suddenly aware of the strong, musky scent of the dragons.

  A low growl was the only reply, but he saw Brianna lying on the sand, her body covered with palm fronds. Her skin was pale and she was trembling. Zollin hurried over, ignoring the massive heads of the dragons as they followed her. He noticed in the back of his mind that there were only four dragons with Brianna, and that the smallest one seemed to be sleeping. He assumed the fifth was on watch somewhere, perhaps even high overhead, but those concerns were far from his mind as he knelt beside Brianna.

  Zollin started to remove the palm fronds that covered her, but Selix, the great golden dragon, hissed a warning, lowering its massive head in front of Zollin and baring its teeth. Zollin let the branches go, holding up his hands.

  “I only want to help her,” he said. “Thank you for bringing her to me.”

  He was careful not to touch anything but her hand as he let his magic flood into her and immediately noticed the shoulder that was out of its socket. It was the same shoulder she had injured before in Felson when she had been accosted in the streets. He nudged it gently with his magic. In most cases, popping the shoulder back into place was a strenuous and painful ordeal, but because he sensed exactly what needed to be done to move the shoulder back into its socket, he could do it with a minimum of pain or discomfort. The shoulder slipped back into place easily enough, but the muscles and tissues around it were swollen. Zollin took his time removing the fluid from the tissues until everything seemed normal. Brianna’s bones seemed lighter and Zollin took his time inspecting her body. It had changed since she had found her powers. There was less fat and more muscle tissue, although it wasn’t dense like he expected. There was space between the fibers, almost like a loosely woven garment.