by Jake Adler
In a gesture of pure instinct Ethan raised forward his hand and imagined lightening leaping out of his fingers. Again, Alexon responded immediately. Lightening streaked out of his right hand as he steadied himself on his horse with his other hand. The lightening hit the beast square in the chest and it shrieked in both surprise and rage as it was punched backwards towards the earth. It sat heavily winded, shaking its head with smoke billowing around its body. Its forked tongue flicked briefly upon its heaving chest, checking for injury. Although its scales looked slightly charred there were no signs of serious damage. Within moments it was bounding forwards again with a howl of fury.
The delay and commotion had given them valuable time. The soldiers atop the fort were already scurrying around on high alert and within seconds of the companions passing through the gates they were closed. A shriek of rage could be heard from outside the walls as both Blood Trackers began to prowl its outskirts looking for a way in.
“What are those things?” A soldier yelled from the ramparts.
“They are demons,” a loud deep voice replied. “I am at your service,” a large silver Dragon bowed its head at the companions. “Do not fear,” it spoke as it padded softly towards them, “there are several mature Dragons inside this fort. Demon or not, if they enter, they will die.” His strong silvery grey eyes twinkled in the moonlight.
The companions slid from their saddles in relief, their legs momentarily weak with exhaustion. The silver Dragon spoke once more, his eyes resting upon Ethan, “You are gifted at using magic in the dark.”
Ethan sensed that the Dragon was making a statement rather than asking a question. He nodded slowly and remained silent.
“You may call me Palaxon,” he continued, “I am the Major-General of this garrison.”
“Isn’t the fort Dwarven?” Cara stared at him incredulously.
“What a quaint question.” Palaxon smiled warmly. Without offering any explanation he motioned them to follow him, “Come, we must talk”.
“What about the demons?” Ethan asked hurriedly.
“My men will keep an eye on them,” Palaxon responded calmly.
They moved towards a large building centered across the main courtyard. As they approached, Ethan glanced at hundreds of soldiers patrolling the ramparts. He had also seen two enormous Dragons take flight to begin an aerial patrol. Ethan marveled at the sheer size and magnificence of the Dragons and his fear of the two demons that prowled outside began to subside.
Master Bedwyr explained to Palaxon the origins of their journey and that Ethan was from another world. He spoke of Brid Clodagh, of the End of Days and of the weakening of the veil. To save the loss of magic from Nemedia he informed Palaxon that it was essential that Ethan reached Findias as soon as possible.
“You shall be there in two days,” Palaxon declared firmly. The Dragon lifted his head in response to a Dwarven soldier who arrived within the hall.
“What is it?” Palaxon asked, his eyes narrowing.
“The demons have retreated sir. They were last seen heading East.”
The Dragon tapped the floor reflectively with a huge talon. “It seems that they are attempting to move ahead of your position. They knew already that you were travelling East.”
The Grand Mage frowned deeply, “We are being hunted and now they wish to set and ambush. They must know about Ethan.” He glanced sharply at Palaxon, “but they assume that we will be travelling by land.”
“Indeed.” Palaxon smiled.
“What are you talking about?” Ethan exclaimed in exasperation.
“We are going to fly to Findias!” Cara grinned, grabbing hold of his arm excitedly.
Chapter 12
Delabo’s body suited GraJin perfectly. After thousands of years of existing within his own grey skinned corpse, he enjoyed the sensation of warm blood in his veins, and the throbbing pulse of a heartbeat. He examined his new body in the mirror with a surgical fascination. Its face was rather plain but it was fully functional. The hair was dark and short, with slight silvering at its temples. Once Delabo’s spirit had been removed its complexion had returned to a soft healthy glow. Satisfied with what he saw, GraJin smiled.
There was a knock at the door, “Enter,” Commanded GraJin who arched his eyebrows at the sound of his new voice.
Captain Vanimar entered and saluted, “My lord, an audience is requested.”
GraJin’s dark eyes glittered, “Who asks this of me?”
“There are three district leaders. They await you in the main hall.” Captain Vanimar replied, without expression.
“Tell them I will be there shortly.”
The Captain promptly saluted and left. Several moments passed as GraJin’s body shook with rage. He knew that he must explain to the humans the destruction of the College of Mages, execution of all its senior mages and imprisonment of all its trainee mages in order to retain the secrecy of his identity. Having to explain his actions to others had not happened in thousands of years and he barely contained his fury at this new indignity.
The counterfeit signed confession of Master Bedwyr regarding the use of necromancy at the college would be used to explain the destruction of the College of Mages and execution of all senior mages. However, holding the trainee mages without trial would require some careful explanation.
With a monumental effort he calmly got up from his desk and made his way towards the main hall. He would ensure Yariq learned of every vile secret of these city leaders and use it as leverage, should diplomacy fail. Everybody has secrets, everybody has a price. He would find out what they were. A faint smile crossed his lips and he quickened his pace.
* * * *
Axcil and Ellaminva had been riding hard for several days. Vank provided regular aerial updates and reported nothing out of the ordinary. As they approached the main gates, the guards recognised Axcil and they were granted an immediate audience with Jarl Egill.
“You are a welcome sight,” he growled, shaking Axcil’s hand vigorously.
He motioned them towards a set of high backed chairs. Vank lay upon the cold granite floor where he sat close to Ellaminva.
An old woman appeared, carrying a tray of golden goblets filled with wine. She silently handed a goblet to each of them, her eyes flashing briefly at the Dragon. She left the room and swiftly returned with a large golden bowl filled with wine for Vank and then departed.
Axcil kept his gaze upon the face of the Jarl. He noticed that the old Dwarf’s face looked pale, “Tell me the latest news.”
Jarl Egill smiled wearily, “Our enemy is underground as my messenger may have already mentioned.”
“How can I help?” Axcil asked. He braced himself for the need to refuse any request to go underground. Ellaminva had made her position quite clear on the matter.
The Jarl shook his head ruefully. He informed them of the new plan to flood the mines. If achieved successfully, he expected the surviving enemy to lead an attack from the sewers at any moment. The attack was likely to happen within a matter of hours. Axcil quickly informed Egill of his need to get an urgent message to the High Dragon to a Grand Council of the Tuatha Dé Dannan.
The Jarl’s bearded face looked drained, “The pieces begin to fall into place,” his eyes narrowed, “we are not dealing with just an invasion of Takrak, but of Nemedia.”
Axcil nodded solemnly. There was a long moment of silence as the group stared at one another. Finally Axcil spoke, “My message is urgent.”
In the Chambers of the Jarl, Egill stood up and began to pace the room, “A Dragon or two would be of immense use to us right now.”
With these words, Vank’s head raised from the floor. Ellaminva’s heart raced fast with fear as she realised that she may have placed her beloved Vank in danger. She thought quickly, “My lord, as you know, Vank is not a Battle Dragon. He is of no use to you in battle,” she cocked her head slightly, “however, we could deliver Axcil’s message at Fort Mavak. We could also ask the High Dragon to send you Battle
Dragons.”
Axcil studied the strained expression of the Jarl, “He will respond to my message.”
The Jarl nodded slowly. Although the Battle Dragons would most likely arrive too late, Axcil’s message still needed to be delivered. It was decided that Ellaminva and Vank should leave immediately.
Axcil stood before her in the courtyard and gently closed her hands around a medallion which the High Dragon had personally given him many years ago. “Give this to Halaxan.” He spoke softly, “it was how we usually communicate with one another, but it does not seem to work now for some reason.”
Ellaminva blinked, “I don’t want to leave you like this.” She moved forward and grabbed his arm, “don’t go risking your life foolishly!” she glared at him in desperation.
“We must both do this, you know that.” He replied nodding to affirm his statement. He stared at her worried face and was reminded at how pretty she looked.
Her eyes suddenly filled with tears and she clung to him. Within moments of doing so, she’d angrily pushed herself away, tears now streaming down her face. “Fine, go kill yourself if you must,” she yelled, beginning to turn away in anger.
On impulse, he caught hold of her arm and swung her around to face him. He pulled her close towards him and kissed her hard on the mouth. She froze in shock but quickly responded, her mouth hungrily devouring his in a passionate embrace.
“Don’t” you dare die!” she sobbed, gripping his shoulders firmly, her face still wet with tears.
Without speaking further she turned away and mounted Vank. With a loud yell she kicked hard into his sides. He immediately responded and leapt into the air, his powerful wings taking them swiftly above the clouds.
* * * *
Dawn was breaking across a chill winter morning as the companions readied themselves. They had each donned a fur lined Dragon rider outfit and face mask to protect themselves from high altitude frostbite. Ethan was assigned to Mavolin, a deep crimson Dragon. Cara travelled with Haxabine, a jade green Dragon with golden eyes. Master Bedwyr was assigned to the dark blue Dragon named Tamavok. He was by far the largest Dragon of the group and stood a clear meter taller than his brethren.
Their journey would be non-stop for two days. Tactically, this made sense in terms of increased speed and stealth and in reducing the massive amounts of energy needed to obtain such high altitudes.
“Ethan?” Cara sounded nervous.
He stared at her wordlessly for a moment. For the past few days, they had not had not spoken very much and he realised that he had missed that.
“When we reach Findias, there is something that I must ask you.” Her expression remained hidden behind her mask.
Ethan nodded and slowly returned his gaze towards Mavolin as he was helped upon his back. Their horses would be well cared for. As they needed to sleep in their saddles while riding the Dragons, they were safely strapped in.
“Fly swift.” Palaxon ordered the Dragons to take flight.
Ethan gasped as the forces of gravity pushed hard against his body. The sheer weight of air pressed down upon him and he felt his neck and arms strain under its pressure. With a supreme effort, he inhaled deeply and screwed his eyes shut as they flew higher into the clouds.
Their climb was steep. The Dragons had been trained to obtain high altitude as quickly as possible and little consideration had been given to their inexperienced riders. After what seemed like an eternity, they began to level off and he opened his eyes.
What he saw was beautiful. They were gliding now, high above the clouds that spread out beneath them like tiny balls of cotton wool. Sunlight bounced off Mavolin’s crimson scales and Ethan squinted at its brilliance. He moved his hands downwards to locate his water rations. A dozen Gaka leaves filled with fresh water had been individually sewn into a sheep’s skin bag. When thirsty, he was to use one of these leaves to slate his thirst.
The hours passed by quickly and Ethan began to feel weary. Through his fur lined hood, he could hear the thunder of air amid the occasional powerful beat of Mavolin’s wings. The sun had now dipped beneath the clouds, allowing the first stars to peep through the fading sunlight.
A sharp yank awoke him. He realised that he must have fallen asleep as it was now dawn again. Ethan glanced about and wondered what had caused Mavolin to swerve. He craned his neck to find Cara and Master Bedwyr flying just below his position. Then he saw something else. A dark mass followed directly beneath them.
If Mavolin had not swerved, Ethan would never have seen it. He blinked a couple of times, letting the last vestiges of sleep depart. Whatever it was, it was travelling at a speed and direction that directly matched theirs.
Ethan’s mind worked quickly. He needed to let the others know of what he’d seen. He gestured wildly in the vain hope of catching someone’s attention then rapidly gave up. It could be hours before anyone noticed anything was amiss and by then they would be in Findias. By then, they would have led whatever it was directly to Princess Talina.
“I can help.” Alexon interjected Ethan’s frantic thoughts.
“How?”
“You are sat upon Mavolin. I will help you communicate.” Immediately, Ethan’s mind filled alien thoughts. Tactical battle formations, training routines, death grips, and mathematical formulae filled his head. After a few moments his thoughts cleared and he heard a voice.
“WHAT ARE YOU?” It asked as it had already sensed him.
“Mavolin?” Ethan spoke nervously, “I’m the human travelling with you.”
There was silence for a moment, “SPEAK.” Mavolin replied.
“Please look below Haxabine,” Ethan cautioned, “something follows.”
After a short pause, Mavolin arched his huge neck and looked down. He changed the angle of his wings, slowing their speed, so that Haxabine flew slightly ahead, instantly revealing the dark mass that followed beneath.
“TARNS.” Mavolin stated without emotion.
“They match our speed and direction – are they-.”
“SILENCE.” Mavolin cut in sharply. “I SHALL INFORM THE OTHERS, NOW LEAVE.” Alexon responded and immediately severed their connection.
Mavolin swooped downwards, a move which caught the eye of Haxabine and Tamavok. With a quick nudge of his head, he directed their gaze towards the Tarns. For several hours, they altered their direction and speed in an attempt to ascertain whether they were being followed. With each move, the creatures matched their position exactly. There was now no doubt that they were being followed. They were closer now and Ethan strained his eyes and saw at least fifty.
From what Cara had told him, Tarns travelling in flocks of this size were extremely abnormal. They rarely risked attacking full sized Dragons. It was strange that largely solitary and carrion eating animals would behave in this way.
Mavolin glanced behind at Ethan and pointed his towards his own mouth, indicating his permission to communicate once more.
“Hello.” Ethan said, nervously.
“WE MUST ATTACK AND DISPERSE.” Mavolin warned, “PREPARE YOUR MAGIC.”
Ethan glanced below to see Haxabine and Tamavok gesture toward Master Bedwyr and Cara, of an impending battle. They glanced below and nodded their heads in readiness.
“Let’s go.” Ethan said with his throat tightening.
They set their battle formation in the shape of an arrow. Tamavok led the attack with Haxabine and Mavolin taking left and right rear flanking positions. Once set, they pulled in their enormous wings close to their bodies and began an almost vertical dive. Within seconds, their enormous bulk had crashed into the mass of creatures below, breaking many wings and necks in the process.
“Lapis Scutum.” Ethan thought, as he narrowed his eyes in meditation. His skin immediately took on a stone like quality.
After several hundred feet, they finally levelled off and he glanced above. The Tarns had scattered, shrieking in a mixture of rage and confusion. At least fifteen had already been killed.
Ethan caught
sight of a solitary Tarn some thirty feet ahead of their position, “Glacialis!” He yelled as he thrust out his hands. Shards of ice flew out from his fingers, immediately finding its target and ripping through both its body and wings. It shrieked in pain and immediately began to spiral towards the earth, weakly flapping its wings as it did so.
Master Bedwyr and Cara followed suit and lightening and ice spells felled several more of the creatures. Upon seeing yet more of their brethren die, the creatures fled, their cries of terror rapidly disappearing far off into the distance.
“IMPRESSIVE.” Mavolin stated.
“Thank you.” Ethan said in surprise at the unexpected compliment.
As their second day of travel drew to a close they descended through the clouds and out into the open air below. The deep green forests of Findias appeared beneath. Gentle mists swirled high above its tree tops, hinting at the mass of life that lay hidden within. Master Bedwyr used his reins for the first time to guide Tamavok towards their destination. Ethan felt an unseen power grow within him.
Chapter 13
Carrying a torch before him, Baxan swiftly led them through the tunnel. Within moments, they came across a second passageway with a steep incline. Previously hidden in the darkness, flaming torches now lit its roughly hewn walls every ten meters as it led up towards the surface. The receding grunts of Orcs could be heard echoing deep within its malodorous depths.
Baxan looked around guardedly, “This must be where the demon went.”
“Not just him.” Commander Haugen grimaced and drew his sword.
Baxan nodded solemnly. Sooner or later they would need to fight. Gizurr smiled wryly at the thought of his beloved Blaze tasting Orc blood one final time.
With their weapons drawn, they breathed in the soured air and pressed forward. As they neared a sharp bend, their Bedazzler lockets began to burn. They craned their necks around to find a large cavernous expanse.