by K. Dzr
Chapter Twenty-One
S M O K E Y
Meelix, Tahir and Oraden decided to spend the next few days traveling to the outlying villages. They often interacted with the residents closest to them, but rarely ventured beyond the city walls except in battle. After his conversation with Gavin, he thought spending some time away from Destiny was in order.
The sky was clear, the air cool; it was a perfect day for strolling in the wilderness. Oraden was in a great mood, happy to be in the forest with his friends. Meelix told one funny story after another of the odd characters he’d become acquainted with in the town. Tahir eased into contentment like a favorite tunic he hadn’t worn in a while.
Suddenly they heard a commotion coming from a nearby village. Human screams brought their laughter to an end, and the thunderous roar rising above the clamber brought their hair on end. Tahir scooped Meelix up and jumped on Oraden’s back. The unicorn raced at a full gallop toward the ruckus.
“Declan! Declan!” echoed a roar above them.
“Stop, Oraden!” Tahir shouted. “I hear a voice calling for someone!”
“Declan! Declan!”
“What is that, Oraden?” they all looked up for clues to the source of the voice.
“I don’t know. I can’t imagine a bird having so loud a voice,” Oraden answered.
“It’s definitely something large,” Meelix said.
A darkened shade suddenly enveloped them; a shade that disappeared as quickly as it had come. Oraden caught a glimpse of the thing responsible for the shadow.
“It went this way!” He reared and sprinted off. Darting between trees and bushes; they followed the creature’s cries. They entered into a clearing and stopped to look and listen.
“Did you see it?” Meelix whispered, clutching Oraden’s mane in case he took off again.
“Yes, it’s big and green. I only saw its tail though.”
“It’s tail? Do you know what it is?”
“I’m not sure. I think it might be—look!” Oraden whispered. “There it is!”
Tahir and Meelix saw it too, though it seemed oblivious to them. It was small in comparison to Jeverre, hardly bigger than a jackal, but it was definitely a dragon. Its slender, snake-like body was covered in greenish-brown scales, and its muscular legs ended in webbed feet and clawed toes. Fins and spikes protruded from its entire body.
“What do we do now?” Meelix asked in a hushed voice.
“Are you looking for Declan?” Tahir called out to the dragon.
The creature whipped around to face them. “Do you know where he is?” It spoke quickly, in a sing-song cadence.
“No, but I heard you calling for him.”
“I have to find him. I think he’s around here somewhere.”
“Who is he?” Tahir slowly dismounted Oraden and motioned for him to stay put.
“He is Declan.”
Tahir looked at Oraden and Meelix but they offered no help.
“Okay. How did you lose him?” Tahir asked the dragon.
“He was sent to find nexus. Now I have to find him and nexus.”
Tahir inched toward the dragon.
“So, who is Declan and Nexus?”
“If I tell you, will you help me find them?”
“I don’t know, tell me first.”
The dragon, realizing that the human might help, apprehensively approached Tahir and began his story. “Declan needs nexus to finish the spell.”
“What is he talking about?” Tahir asked Oraden.
“How should I know?”
“Who is Declan?”
“My friend.”
“Is he a dragon?”
“What’s a dragon?”
Tahir and Oraden exchanged glances.
“Enough. I’m leaving.” Oraden turned to walk away.
“No, wait.” Tahir stopped him. “You,” he said to the dragon, “are a dragon.”
The creature looked perplexed. “He isn’t me.”
“Uh, huh…” Tahir was dumbfounded. “Is Declan a man?”
“Of course.”
“So, your friend Declan is a man and you think he’s lost, right?”
“Right. Now you’ll help me find him, yes?”
“Well, who is Nexus?”
“Nexus is the herb.”
“Oh, nexus isn’t a person?”
“No, why would it be a person?”
“I don’t know.”
“Tahir,” Oraden cocked his head in disbelief, “why are you even trying to figure this out?”
Tahir shrugged. “What’s the herb for?”
“To complete the spell.”
“Spell? Like a magic spell?”
“Yes.”
“Is Declan a wizard?”
“No, he’s a magician.”
“Who sent him to find the herb?”
Oraden stepped closer.
“Morrigan and Skelly.”
“Are they magicians, too?”
“Yes.”
“Declan, Morrigan and Skelly?” Oraden repeated. “Hmm…”
“What kind of spell are they trying to cast?”
“A spell that will get them to the gods.”
“Really? Why do they want to get to the gods?” Tahir asked, realizing his mistake too late. Why was he even bothering with this annoying creature whose friends believed they could get to the ‘gods’ by using some magical herb?
“How else could we get them to help?”
“Why do you need help from the gods?”
“To save the world! Why don’t you know this?”
“Okay. Let’s find Declan. Maybe he can explain a little better. What does he look like?”
“He, he looks like you!”
“What? What do you mean he looks like me?”
“He’s a human and a man like you.”
Tahir was getting very aggravated by this dragon’s inability to carry on a conversation. He turned to Oraden, who obviously felt the same impatience, if not more.
“What do you guys think?” he asked.
“I think this is the beginning of our first real adventure here in England,” Meelix said excitedly.
“I agree with you. I think we should try to find Declan, see if we can figure out what’s going on. It can’t possibly be the same people, but I’ve heard fairy songs with those names before,” Oraden reported.
“Really?” Tahir asked. His apprehension grew.
“I only know tiny bits of the story and it could be coincidence, but it worries me that these magicians are trying to save the world,” Oraden continued.
“I wonder what they are trying to save the world from,” Tahir pondered.
“So we’re off to search for a magician!” Meelix exclaimed.
The plan was for Tahir to go into the village to ask about Declan. He instructed the dragon to remain in the clearing with Oraden and Meelix, and to keep looking for the herbs until he returned.
The search for Declan was easy enough. By the time he got to the village, the people had calmed down enough to provide him with the information he needed. Declan, it turned out, was arrested for trespassing. Tahir hurried to the holding quarters.
Declan was a short, plump, grey-haired, severely bow-legged man. Whatever Tahir thought a magician should look like; this man was the direct opposite.
“Declan?” Tahir called.
“Yes? What is it?” The magician sat with his back to Tahir.
“My name is Tahir. I ran across your dragon friend, and he told me…”
“You met Smokey?” Declan jumped to his feet and grasped the bars of the cell.
“Smokey? His name is Smokey?” Tahir shook his head. “I left him waiting in the woods while I came to find you.”
“You spoke to him? Who are you?”
“As I said, my name is Tahir…”
“Yes, yes, yes, Tahir. I heard you the first time. Has he found the nexus?”
“I don’t believe so. He was…”
“Well, what is he doing then?”
“He said he was looking for you.”
“How did he find me in here?”
“He didn’t. I found you,” Tahir explained, with more than a hint of agitation in his voice.
“Why are you looking for me? Have you found the nexus?”
“I don’t even know what the nexus is! The dragon asked me to help him find you!
“We need that nexus. I am wasting time in here.”
“Tell me about this nexus.”
“It is an aromatic sap extracted from the herb nextius which grows…”
“Wait a minute. Just wait. What I really need to know is why you need this herb.”
“Oh. We need it as our final ingredient to open the doors to the heavens. You see, Morrigan has to go talk with the gods in person since they won’t answer our prayers. But we need the nexus; none of this will work without it. Where is Smokey? Has he found the nexus yet?”
Tahir pressed his forehead against the bars. Maybe he should just walk away from this crazy magician and his crazy dragon. But what if his intentions are good? What if he really is attempting to save the world? But from what? He had to find out. If there really was some kind of danger, he didn’t want to trust the fate of the world to this fool.
“Declan, can you just answer a few simple questions in three words or less?”
“Yes.”
“Is the world in danger?”
“Yes.”
“Who or what is the source of the danger?”
“Gizmoralf.”
“Gizmoralf? Okay. Can you and your friends stop the danger?”
“No.”
“So you want the gods to help you stop Gizmoralf?”
“Yes.”
“Is Gizmoralf a magician?”
“No.”
“Is he human?”
“No.”
“Okay, Declan. What is he?”
“Evil.”
“Evil? Just evil?”
“The most evil.”
“I don’t understand, Declan. How do you stop evil?”
“Must not allow.”
“Allow what?”
“Evil to be.”
“To be what Declan?”
“Released into the.”
“Into the…?” Tahir sighed with the realization that Declan was answering his questions in three words or less.
“The world.”
“How will this evil be released into the world?”
“A powerful wizard.”
“A wizard? Who? What is his name?”
“I don’t know.”
“So a powerful wizard we don’t know is going to release evil into the world? Where is evil now?”
“In a prison.”
“How is evil held in a prison?”
“Magic.”
“You are a magician, right? Why can’t you keep it there?”
“Not powerful enough.”
“So that’s why you need the gods to help you?”
“Yes.”
Tahir paused to rub his barely fuzzy chin the way he saw other men do when they pondered serious matters.
“Would another powerful wizard be able to help?” he finally asked.
“If powerful enough.”
“Where is the prison that holds evil?”
“In the big.”
“Big what?”
“Rocks.”
“Where are the big rocks?”
“East, not far.”
“Can you take me there?”
“Yes. And no.”
“What does that mean?”
“Can, but won’t.”
“Why not?”
“Secret.”
“Declan, listen to me. I have a friend—actually three friends—who are good and powerful wizards. Do you want them to help keep the evil in prison?”
Declan rocked and stared down at his feet.
“Declan? Do you want them to help?”
“Don’t know.”
“Why don’t you know?”
“They could be.”
“Could be what?”
“Evil too.”
“They are not evil. They hate evil. They are good wizards. They want to save the world. They would want to help.”
Once again Declan was silent.
“What’s wrong, Declan? Don’t you believe me?”
“I have a.”
“A what?”
“Question.”
“You can ask a question, and it doesn’t have to be in three words or less.”
“Who are your wizard friends?”
“Demetrius, Alexander and Kraven. Do you know them?”
Declan grinned from ear to ear and began twirling and mumbling. When he finished his little circular dance around the cell, he turned back to Tahir.
“Do you know them, Declan?” Tahir repeated.
“Yes, of course. Who doesn’t? Well, actually I do not know this Kraven, but no matter. Where are they now and how soon will they be here?”
“I have to talk to them about this first. But…”
“I know. Yes, there is much to be done. Where is Skelly? Oh, never mind. I’ll find him myself. Where did you say Smokey is?”
“He is in the clearing just outside of the village.”
“Demetrius and Alexander are both coming?”
“Yes,” Tahir said, surrendering to the nonsense.
“It is time to leave here. Who has my belt? I cannot leave without my belt.”
“Leave? Where are you going? You are in a prison yourself, remember?”
“I must leave to prepare for the coming of the great wizards and the great battle.”
“What battle?”
“The battle between good and evil. Where is my belt? Have you seen it?”
“No, I haven’t seen it. Why is it so important, anyway?”
“I need it for my magic.”
“Your magic is in your belt?”
“Of course. I need my belt so I can get out of here.”
“Listen, Declan. I think I can get you out of here without your belt. But you have to stay put and not do any magic tricks, okay? Just sit here quietly until I get back. The villagers are already in an uproar over Smokey flying around. It wouldn’t be a good idea for you to do magic in here. The people are frightened enough already. Understand?”
“Smokey wouldn’t hurt anybody.”
“I know, I know. But they don’t know that.”
Tahir didn’t trust Smokey to get himself home. Better to keep an eye on him to prevent any more flying through the village and scaring the common folk. He’d speak to Gavin and King Robert to ask for Declan’s release, and then decide what to do from there. He wasn’t convinced that there was some evil about to be released upon the world, but he was certain that Declan believed it. Declan was a strange man but not necessarily a dangerous man. Tahir didn’t feel there was justification in imprisoning him for picking weeds from the forest.
He reached the clearing and found Smokey sleeping under a tree, his body curled up like a snake. Oraden and Meelix kept watch not too far away. Oraden didn’t like the idea of having to guard a stupid dragon while being excluded from meeting with the King to discuss plans that would obviously include him. However, Tahir explained it was best this way, given how the King felt about magic. He couldn’t very well bring Smokey with him; that would be disastrous. Meelix was too small to watch Smokey alone. Oraden was the only logical choice. If Smokey became impatient and wanted to leave, Oraden was smart enough to come up with a way to keep him there or at least race back to the castle to report that he’d left. Oraden reluctantly agreed to stay with Meelix and the dragon.