by Brandon Mull
And then Seth knew something. There was someone behind him. Since the banquet hall had materialized out of the mist, he hadn’t turned around. And he felt certain somebody was there. Somebody besides the oblivious diners and servants. Somebody bad.
Part of him didn’t want to look. Part of him wondered if he could walk over to one of the tables and blend in with the guests. But he turned around.
A demon stood at the far end of the room. He was the only other person in the hall not serving or eating the feast. He stared directly at Seth.
The demon had a head vaguely like a wolf, but with darker, oilier fur and glowing red eyes. The height of a man, he wore a cloak that hid most of his body except for his ratlike hands and feet.
Seth had never met this demon before. But there was a strange familiarity. He knew his kind. The demon did not look away.
Steeling himself against showing any fear, Seth approached the demon. He stopped just out of reach.
“Seth Sorenson,” the demon said, revealing an alarming array of sharp, twisted teeth. Seth wondered if there were orthodontists for wolves. “We finally meet.”
“You know me?” Seth asked.
“We all know you,” the demon said.
“All the wolf people who lurk around at parties?” Seth asked.
“I am Talizar,” the demon said. “I suspect we can form a mutually beneficial relationship.”
“Let me guess,” Seth said. “Demon?”
“Indeed,” Talizar said.
“I’m done with demons,” Seth said.
“How can that be?” Talizar asked calmly. “You are a shadow charmer. You are part of the family.”
“I’m no demon,” Seth said.
“You need a mentor,” Talizar said.
“Do you know what I did to my last one?” Seth asked.
“Graulas was on his way out,” Talizar said. “You helped him along. Any mentor who falls to his protégé deserves what he gets. The elite among us have all destroyed some of our teachers.”
“You want to help me even though I killed the last demon who helped me?” Seth asked.
“Graulas betrayed you,” Talizar said.
“You won’t betray me?” Seth asked.
“Only if you let me,” Talizar replied.
“What if I kill you?” Seth asked.
“Try if you must,” Talizar said. “But don’t fail. You won’t like what follows.”
Seth tried not to let the threat chill him. “Might be smarter to stay away from each other.”
“Not if you want the scepter,” Talizar said casually.
“What do you know about it?” Seth asked.
“Enough,” Talizar said. “And I know you’re wandering blind in regard to your abilities. So much lies dormant. You could do so much more. Be so much more.”
“I’ve made deals with demons before,” Seth said. “Never again. I’m serious.”
“You might be serious,” Talizar said. “But are you right? The dragons are a major threat. You can’t stand against them alone. You’re hopelessly overmatched. Demons and dragons are not friends. I could help you.”
“No way,” Seth said. “You’ll help until you betray me.”
“Don’t let betrayal become advantageous to me,” Talizar said. “Follow a few simple principles and we could both greatly benefit from a partnership.”
“Graulus killed my friend,” Seth said, trying not to tear up. The anger and grief were overpowering. It took a moment before he could speak again. “I won’t risk that happening again.”
“Your emotions are tangled,” Talizar said. “Did your dealings with Graulus contribute to the death of a friend? Perhaps. But how many people would have died without that partnership? Would you still be alive? What about your sister?”
Seth thought about it. Without Graulus he might never have recovered the unicorn horn from the centaurs, which could have meant Kendra and many of their friends would have died the last time they came to Wyrmroost. Could they have possibly defeated the dragon Siletta without the horn? No Graulus also might have meant no Vasilis, which could have meant the demons might have won the battle of Zzyzx.
Gritting his teeth, Seth growled. “You demons always turn things around.”
“We see clearly and speak accurately,” Talizar said. “Most people find it very disorienting.”
“Meanwhile you try to take over the world,” Seth said. “You kill and lie and betray.”
“When it suits our aims, I suppose,” Talizar acknowledged.
“I don’t need or want your help,” Seth said. He looked around the busy banquet hall. “How do I get out of here?”
“That would be helping,” Talizar said.
“I’ll take a hint just this once,” Seth offered.
“I can do more than hint,” Talizar said. “How would you like to know what else you can do as a shadow charmer? I can help you activate new abilities right now. How would you like to walk out of here holding the hidden scepter?”
“I guess that would be nice,” Seth said hesitantly.
“Easy,” Talizar said. “Enter into an agreement with me. Your former sponsor is dead. Accept me as your new sponsor, and the scepter is yours.”
“What exactly would that mean?” Seth asked.
“It would mean you and your sister will survive the Path of Dreams,” Talizar said. “Then I’ll help you devise a strategy to return the scepter back to Blackwell Keep.”
“But what would I have to do if you were my sponsor?” Seth asked.
“You would come visit me in the flesh,” Talizar said. “And you would be ready to answer when I call. I’ll do favors for you, and you’ll do some for me.”
“Isn’t this already a visit?” Seth asked.
“This is a dreamspace,” Talizar said. “We’re not physically together at the moment. We’re inside a powerful construct produced by extremely talented wizards. What you say and do is binding. Sustain an injury here, and you’ll actually be hurt. Die here and you’re dead.”
“How did you get here?” Seth asked.
“Once you came here, your mind provided access to me,” Talizar said. “This dreamspace forms scenarios in connection with those who visit.”
“Do you have the scepter?” Seth asked.
“I know how to get it,” Talizar said. “I can guide you.”
Seth hesitated for a moment. It would be nice to have help finding the scepter. It would be useful to learn new shadow charmer abilities. Much of what Talizar was proposing sounded reasonable.
But Graulas had sounded reasonable too. Demons could be very convincing. That didn’t mean they were trustworthy. Seth had learned that the hard way.
“I’d rather find it on my own,” Seth said.
“As you wish,” Talizar said, drawing his cloak more snugly around himself.
“Are you going to attack me?” Seth asked.
“If I wanted you dead, we would not be talking,” Talizar said. “I am not in the habit of repeating offers. However, if you decide you could use help, please feel at liberty to seek me in the real world. Assuming you survive this dreamspace.” Talizar glanced beyond Seth. “Keep an eye on this lot. Always eating, never satisfied.”
For a moment all went dark. When Seth could see again, Talizar was gone.
And the banquet hall was silent.
No more mumbled conversations. No more silverware clinking against china. No more hurried footsteps of servants.
Talizar had conversed with him at the end of the great hall, so Seth had his back to the two long tables. He reluctantly turned around.
Nobody was eating. No servants were in motion. Everyone had frozen in their positions, some sitting, others standing. And every pair of eyes was on Seth.
He was unsure whether the people had transformed o
r whether it was just that he had never taken a close look. Now he could see that they were all undead, though not as shadowy as wraiths or as mindless as zombies. All of the corpses looked dried out, with a hint of intelligence in their gazes.
As one, the undead revelers and servants began slowly moving in his direction. Chairs slid back. Figures stood and turned. The entire assemblage inched deliberately toward Seth.
Waves of fear began to wash over Seth, a troubling iciness that slithered across the surface of his skin but failed to penetrate inside. Seth recalled experiences when undead beings had utterly paralyzed him with fright. But since he had become a shadow charmer, none had succeeded, though he was sure he had never felt this raw volume of fear projected in his direction. Each figure in the room seemed to generate as much fear as the revenant he once faced.
He clung to Kendra’s hand.
He needed a way out.
The undead assembly advanced so slowly that it felt like weird performance art. Still, even without speeding up, they would eventually corner him. There had to be at least a hundred of them. If they increased their pace, he would fall prey to them in a matter of moments.
Scanning the walls, Seth saw no windows or doors. But nearby, right behind where Talizar had stood, hung some velvet drapery.
Racing to the curtain, Seth heaved it aside to reveal a door. He seized the handle and found it locked. Desperate, Seth jiggled and pulled with all he had, but the door refused to budge. He fingered a large keyhole.
Did Talizar have the key? Or was it someplace else?
The undead continued to approach in slow motion. From where he stood, Seth searched the area. His eyes felt drawn to a large key dangling from the neck of a withered, aristocratic-looking woman toward the center of the banquet hall.
Seth surveyed the rest of the undead but noticed no other keys. His eyes kept returning to the desiccated noblewoman. That key looked about the right size. Seth decided he had to get it. If the undead party guests started moving at a normal speed, this would not end well. But if he didn’t unlock the door, it would end badly for sure. He had to try.
Seth raced forward. The undead crowd continued to move with uncanny slowness. Seth weaved through the group, ducking and dodging to avoid grasping hands. He had experienced dreams in which he moved with syrupy slowness while an enemy chased him at a normal speed. This felt like the reverse.
The people looked horrifying, with sunken cheeks, leathery skin, and wispy hair. Seth had dealt with the undead many times, but something about dehydrated corpses dressed in fancy clothes was particularly unnerving. Despite their ponderous pace, all of them changed course toward him in response to his movements. All gazes tracked him, and outstretched arms reached in his direction.
As Seth reached the woman with the key, he ducked around behind her. The undead mob continued to converge on him one prolonged step at a time. As the undead noblewoman gradually turned, mouth gaping, Seth grabbed the slender cord attached to the key and pulled it over her head.
Seth found that the way back to the door was a lot less open now that so many of the undead crowd had converged toward him. He was almost out of room to maneuver. A hand brushed his arm, causing searing pain.
Diving sideways, Seth rolled under a table and scrambled along between the chairs, the key in one hand, the other still clinging to Kendra. Instead of moving to block his path, the undead mob came directly at him, which allowed him to reach the end of the table without much trouble.
The undead diners continued to follow, but Seth made it back to the door well ahead of them. He jammed in the key, twisted it, turned the knob, and pushed the door open.
Impenetrable darkness awaited beyond the threshold.
Hardly comforting.
But the blackness was more appealing than becoming the main course at the banquet.
Seth stepped through the doorway and closed the door. Then he ran blindly into the darkness. Before he had taken too many steps, his feet no longer touched the ground. He was floating, and perhaps slowly rotating, but without any perceptible gravity or visual cues, it was difficult to be sure.
He clung to the unembodied hand in the darkness.
Scepter
When the darkness lifted, Kendra found herself standing beside Seth, his hand in hers. He returned her stare, looking as surprised and relieved as she felt.
“Seth!” Kendra exclaimed, fighting back hysterical tears. “Are you all right?”
“Sort of,” he replied, looking shaken. “How about you? Any sign of the scepter?”
“Just a lot of dead bodies,” Kendra said.
“I saw dead people too,” Seth said. “They attacked me.”
“Were they people you knew?”
“No, dried-up zombies. Really slow ones.”
“I saw you, Mom and Dad, our grandparents—pretty much everyone we know. Dead. In coffins.”
“That’s no fun,” Seth said.
“I’m glad you’re all right,” Kendra said. “Hopefully that means the others are okay too.”
“I could feel your hand the whole time.”
“Me too.”
Seth looked around. “Where are we now?”
They stood in a cave that widened up ahead into a massive cavern lit by flaming cauldrons. Glittering deposits of crystals adorned the walls, most white, others clear.
“I’m not sure,” Kendra said. “Look at all the crystals.”
From up ahead came a loud crunch.
“What was that?” Seth whispered.
“I’m afraid to find out,” Kendra said. “It’s been a nightmare so far.”
“I spoke to a demon back where the zombies were,” Seth said. “He called this a dreamspace. He told me we can still get hurt and die.”
“What demon?” Kendra asked.
“He was called Talizar,” Seth said. “I’ve never seen him before. Head like a wolf.”
Kendra remembered the name. It was one of the three Jubaya had mentioned. “What did he want?” she asked casually.
“He wanted to help,” Seth said. “He promised to help me learn new abilities and to help us find the scepter. Don’t worry—I turned him down. I may mess up sometimes, but I eventually learn.”
They heard another crunch.
Kendra pulled Seth forward. “We better go see.”
Though the rugged walls of the cavern bristled with crystals, the ground was surprisingly flat and smooth, almost polished. Off to one side of the cavern, in a circular depression, they found four eggs, each the size of a watermelon. Two were covered in scales, almost like a pineapple, but purplish in color. A third was glossy smooth with swirling hues, like marble. Fine grooves crisscrossed the last one. It appeared to be made of pure gold.
With another crunch, it became apparent that the swirly one was hatching. The egg rolled over, revealing a pair of scaly legs poking out and a network of cracks.
“Dragon eggs,” Seth said, looking around. “That means there might be a mother nearby.”
“So cute,” Kendra said. “Look at those little claws trying to get free.”
“Cute until they take over the world,” Seth said.
“You can’t blame this little guy for that,” Kendra said. “He’s just starting out. Maybe he’ll be like Raxtus.”
With another crunch, the gap between some of the cracks widened.
“Should we help him?” Kendra asked.
“Oh, no!” Seth said.
“What?” Kendra asked, worried he had seen the mother. Instead, following his gaze, she beheld a huge scorpion approaching, firelight shining off its black carapace. It was gigantic, the tail curling up higher than their heads, the claws large enough to snip off a leg.
Seth tugged Kendra away, backtracking toward the narrower part of the cavern where they had entered. The scorpion followed at first, claws
scissoring. Then it paused and turned toward the depression where the eggs rested.
“It’s going after the eggs!” Kendra cried.
“Better the eggs than us,” Seth said.
“But the dragons,” Kendra said. “They’re little and helpless. Raxtus almost got killed when he was a baby. We’re caretakers here. We have to help them.”
“It’s just a dream,” Seth said.
“A dream where real things are happening,” Kendra said staunchly. She picked up a loose rock and flung it at the scorpion. The stone skipped off the ground nearby, but the scorpion turned toward them, tail raised to strike, the tip quivering.
After a tense moment, the scorpion swiveled back toward the eggs. Seth flung a rock that hit the base of the tail.
This time the scorpion rushed at them. It was fast! Kendra and Seth retreated, but the creature gained quickly.
A bone-quaking roar interrupted the chase. Kendra and Seth ducked reflexively. The scorpion changed course, scuttling off to one side. A second roar shook the cavern. The scorpion darted toward a large crack in the rock wall. Just before it reached the opening, a huge claw fell on it, smashing the scorpion flat with a meaty crunch.
Holding Seth’s hand tightly, Kendra looked up the furry leg to the dragon gazing down at her. Kendra had never seen a dragon like this one. Instead of scales, it had thick, coarse hair, chocolate brown. The head looked like something between an African buffalo and a crocodile, with two sets of horns that flared out wide before curving back in.
“I see I have visitors,” spoke an impossibly rich female voice. “Has no one ever instructed you not to come between a mother dragon and her young?”
“We were trying to protect your eggs from a scorpion,” Kendra said.
“So I witnessed, or you would not be alive,” the dragon said. “Can both of you speak in my presence? What are your names?”
“Kendra.”
“Seth.”
“What folly brings you here, young ones? The lair of a dragon is no place for mortals.”
“We didn’t mean to come here,” Kendra said. “We’re looking for something.”