by David Ekrut
Once more the Air master looked down at Elwin and yelled, “Go! Curse you! Now!”
The pleading in the grizzled warrior’s voice spurred Elwin into action. He opened his essence to Air. Beside him, he felt Zarah do the same. As they lifted from the ground, the dragon’s head swiveled toward them. It turned its back on Breaklin and darted forward, it’s body slow to follow its head.
Elwin froze, suddenly more aware of the size of the beast. Its serpentine eyes burrowed into Elwin, the diamond pupils widening as it spoke the foreign words.
Then Breaklin was there. His sword struck the wide pupil. The dragon recoiled. Its roar rattled the cobbles. The force of the creature’s retreat swept Breaklin along behind it.
With one eye closed, it held claws out toward the old man. Crackling energy lanced out from the tip of each taloned finger. An Air shield rippled in front of Breaklin. It blocked three of the bolts. One struck him in the shoulder. The other hit his torso.
Breaklin flipped backward, but the dragon never slowed.
Elwin wanted to help, but he couldn’t move. He could only watch with horror as the dragon descended on the old man. Breaklin darted below a wide sweep of the dragon’s claw, moving much slower now.
Zarah’s grip yanked Elwin the other direction. “Come on! We need to get my father!”
“We need to help him.”
“There’s nothing we can do. Move. Now! And stop taming. It won’t be able to track us if we don’t tame.”
She ran the other direction, pulling Elwin with her. Releasing the power in his essence, he gave in and followed. He hated himself for leaving, but Zarah was right. They would only get in Breaklin’s way, and Zaak would know what to do.
As he rounded the broken statue, Elwin spared a glance toward the sky behind him. Breaklin retreated and dodged every attack, but his maneuvering seemed far less precise than before. Blood soaked his tunic where his shoulder had been gouged. He couldn’t last much longer like this.
“Father!”
He turned back to the road. Zaak Lifesong and a hundred armed men marched toward the courtyard. Zaak’s plate armor was covered in eloiglyphs as was the great sword in his hands.
“Get behind me,” Zaak commanded without slowing. “Both of you.”
Zaak and his contingent of soldiers moved into the courtyard together. More than one of the swords trembled as they looked to the creature in the sky.
Breaklin glanced down at the movement beneath him. The Air master stopped. Elwin’s eyes met the old man’s just as the dragon’s claw whipped out. It seized hold of the man. With triumph in his eyes, it spoke the foreign words once more. Breaklin’s essence rose from his body.
“What in the abyss?” Elwin said at the same time Zarah said, “That is impossible.”
An essence could not be seen from the physical realm. It could only exist in the shadow realm. But here he was, seeing it with his own eyes in the light of day.
The dragon inhaled deeply. Breaklin arched his back as if greatly pained. His screams ripped through the courtyard. The man’s essence flowed into the dragon. When it was all gone, the dragon stopped speaking the strange words, and Breaklin’s body relaxed.
Elwin found himself wanting to run and hide in a deep hole.
Despite the blood leaking from its swollen eye, the dragon’s grin returned. “You fought well little man. I am truly sorry. But Althimorphianus no longer rules.”
It lowered Breaklin gently to the courtyard, then looked up. Its eyes flickered to Elwin and Zarah but settled on Zaak and widened. The dragon inclined its great head ever so slightly, as if in salute to the warrior. Then it spoke more foreign words and vanished.
Crashes still resounded elsewhere in the city. He saw a dragon leap into the sky, chasing an elementalist. Not as swift as Breaklin, the woman was quickly captured. It spoke the same words. Just as before, the woman’s essence appeared and vanished into the dragon’s mouth.
“To me!” Zaak screamed.
His soldiers ran after him as Zaak darted between two buildings, toward the dragon. Elwin felt Elemental power flood into Zaak and he froze. But no, it hadn’t gone into Zaak. The sword flared with a brilliant light. Zaak leapt. A burst of Air left his blade. Zaak landed onto the roof.
The king bellowed a guttural shout at the nearest dragon.
It flapped its great wings, turning to face the man. Zaak looked like a pebble challenging a mountain. But to Elwin’s surprise, the dragon did not descend. It hovered for several moments. Then it spoke the foreign tongue. And it vanished.
Zaak only stared upward, turning a full circle. Eyes still to the sky, he lowered his blade.
“My king!” one of the soldiers shouted.
Zaak’s sword returned to its ready position. He looked down upon his soldier, gaze demanding an answer. “What?”
“It’s the Air master. He’s alive!”
With another burst of power from his weapon, Zaak hopped from the building, feet touching lightly on the ground. He ran to Breaklin, barking orders to his men to find a litter. He knelt beside the old man, voice tinged with anger, fear, and confusion.
“Are you alright, master?”
The old man barked a laugh filled with pain. “I’m dying, boy.”
“No,” Zaak turned to Zarah. “Quick. Heal him.”
“Stop.” Breaklin’s hand took hold of Zaak’s wrist. “Did you not hear me, boy. It’s over. There is no saving me. It took my essence.”
Zaak’s forehead wrinkled in confusion as he turned to Zarah for clarification. “Is this even possible?”
“I did not think so, but …,” Zarah shook her head, disbelief clear in her expression.
“Listen, boy. It came after I tamed. Tell your girl and the prat. They can’t … Don’t let them—” Breaklin coughed and spat blood.
“Rest,” Zaak said, then he shouted over his shoulder, “Where is that thumping litter?”
Breaklin took Zaak by the back of his neck. “I’m proud of you, boy. You’ll make a great king. Even if you do have two left feet.”
The old man laughed and coughed, grimacing while he grinned. Then he leaned back. His gaze swept toward the sky as if searching but settled on something. His face relaxed into a broad smile, perhaps the first Elwin had seen from the old man.
Breaklin said, “I always hoped I’d die in the fall,” then he let out one last gasp. His eyes remained fixed on something above, until the spark of life left him.
Elwin followed Breaklin’s gaze. The tree above them had been knocked aside and partially uprooted, but a single yellow leaf remained at the end of a thin branch. A cool breeze swept through, rustling the tree, yet as the wind died down, the leaf still held. But soon, it too would fall and winter would come.
The Lifebringer save them. The dragons had awakened.
Chapter 2
Legends Awaken
Dear Anetia,
I hope you are recovering well from your travels. It was good to see you during the reunion. It is still difficult to believe it has been ten years since we became full magi. I’ve missed discussing moral philosophy with such a keen observer as yourself. But to continue our discussion, there is more our order must do. True, neutrality has preserved us; however, the time will soon come where indecision cannot be tolerated.
Our people have become scarcely more than legend. It is said our words of power are scant whispers against their tamings, and with their rise, we fell. Time has a way of effacing truths never written. Once upon a time, we carried the might to rival the elementalists. When our great secrets within the Library of Tanier were stolen away, our power was crippled. We were weakened, not killed. Rather than battle the elementalists on their terms, we peered beyond space and time to see a better path.
I have long believed our order errors by not choosing a side in this war. The elementalists drew first
blood, but we will spill the last. Our time will soon come. Finally, I see the way forward. The dragons will be the great equalizer in this war. When they return, we can crawl out of the dregs and back into the stations of our ancestors. I do hope that when the time comes, you will join me. Will you at least consider it?
All the Best,
~Ricaria Beratum, 2991 A.S.
~
Several figures ran across the deck of the great ship as the wind and waves carried the vessel away from the coast of the rocky island. Five figures flew above the waters, taming the Elements to keep Air filling the sails.
The man in the crow’s nest pulled out his spy glass and aimed the telescoping object toward the horizon. A creature appeared just above where the blue line met the sky. Its sinewy shadow snaked across the waters as it stretched its massive wings and flew in the direction of the ship.
The sailor’s breath caught. As the imminent attack became clear, his fingers trembled and loosed the device he held.
Tumbling end over end, the spy glass plummeted to the deck. The larger end struck first, and the lens shattered. The impact sent a gong across the deck. One by one the other sailors stopped in their work as each saw what was coming.
From the confines of his cell in the hold below, Feffer Madrowl heard the loud clang on the deck far above him. He did not stop to wonder at the noises or concern himself with the muffled shouts soon to follow. He ignored the sounds above and those of the waves crashing into the wall behind him, placing all of his focus into his work.
Balancing against the bars so his body would sway with the ship, he labored to keep his picks steady in the lock on his cell door.
Sweat poured into his eyes as he lifted the tumblers into place. His captors had left him here without bothering to bind his hands or to search him, beyond taking his weapons. That was their first mistake.
How long had he been aboard the ship? Not more than a day, surely. Glancing back, he could see mountains in the distance. Maybe he could still swim for it.
Since waking, Feffer had not seen Zeth, Fasuri, or the black savants who had abducted him, but he couldn’t imagine they would leave him unattended for long. He would get one chance to slip off this boat without being discovered.
Jasmine Lifesong would be down here somewhere. They had both been captured in Goldspire during the battle with Zeth and Fasuri. If he could find and free her, she could fly them back to safety. Otherwise, he would swim for it. No matter what, he would be better off away from this ship.
The shouts above took on a different tone. Panicked was the word that came to his mind. Probably just a storm.
He paused as sounds from the hull came closer to his cell. The words were strained and garbled. Were they under attack? Pirates rarely came close to the islands. Curse it all, what if he’d been out longer than he’d thought?
The ship lurched. He felt, more than heard, the snap. At first, he thought the lock had opened. Then he looked down to see his lockpick in two pieces.
“Dragons take me!” he cursed.
Throwing the pick to the side, he moved as far back as the tiny cell would allow and lunged for the door. His shoulder slammed into the bars, and his vision turned white. He found himself on his back, aching from head to toe.
At first, he thought it must be a curse on the door, left by Zeth or Fasuri. But no. The floor had shifted beneath him.
Now that he was still, the movements of sailors stomping above became more insistent. A deep voice rose above the raucous and spoke in a language Feffer had never heard. Seconds later, someone screamed in agony. The shrill voice cut off with an abrupt crunch. Several desperate shouts added to the cacophony, but one word stuck out above all others.
“Dragon!”
Just as Feffer sat up, something heavy struck the side of the ship with a resounding crack. The ship lurched beneath him, and he tumbled into the wall.
Using the bars to stand, Feffer shouted, “What in the abyss is going on! Someone get me out of this thumping place!”
Once more he stood and lunged at the door. This time, he kept his footing. The door didn’t give. He lifted his foot and kicked. And kicked. His heart slammed in his chest. He felt a surge of strength flood through him. The wood finally cracked. Once more he lunged, hitting the wood with his shoulder. Another crack.
He inspected the door. The metal around the latch hung loose. He moved back. Feffer took a deep breath. And he leapt. His heel slammed into the lock. And he almost fell. The door flew open. He stumbled forward.
He turned to look at the ruined door. A laugh escaped his lips. “I’m free. Take that you thumping piece of—”
A roar cut off his words. His heart surged in his chest, beating so wildly, it might burst through his throat.
“What in the abyss?”
Was it really a thumping dragon? It couldn’t be. Still, Feffer found himself looking through the crates for a weapon. He pushed a lid aside to see salted meat. Another held grain. Barley in the third.
He stepped up to a fourth and stopped when he felt wet in his boots. Water streamed in from the door at the end of the hall.
“Thump the weapon. I’ll swim for it.”
The door dragged against the water as he pulled the knob. With some effort, it opened to a wide room filled with yet more crates. At the far end, he saw a woman hanging by ropes. A man in black robes stood next to her. But his attention was upward. Wide eyes stared through the square opening above.
Feffer wasted no time. Grabbing up a mop, he swung it at the savant’s head. The man turned in time for the haft to hit the bridge of his nose. It cracked. The man crumpled.
Before he’d fallen, Jasmine’s eyes snapped open.
Wisps of light swirled around her. The bonds holding her crackled with energy and unraveled. She floated to the ground.
“We need to get out of here,” he told her. “It’s a dr—”
“A dragon. Yes. I heard. And the ship is taking on water. Come. The exit is this way.”
She pivoted toward the steps leading up. Feffer followed, looking at his weapon with malcontent. The end was cracked just below the mop strings. He angled the pole and stomped on the fractured section. The head snapped off, leaving him with a make-shift spear.
Jasmine did not slow. He felt a moment of panic when she vanished onto the deck above. Feffer took the steps two at a time.
“Feffer,” Jasmine said, “we need—”
Her eyes widened, and she shoved Feffer to the side. Energy rippled between them. Feffer rolled to his feet, holding his mop-handle like a sword.
Jasmine flew up into the air, throwing spears of light toward a bald man in black robes.
“Fasuri,” Feffer cursed.
Both flung streaks of light at one another. Fasuri dodged. Jasmine raised a hand. A blue sphere appeared in front of her face. As Fasuri’s spear hit, the air flashed brightly. Feffer looked away cursing. When his vision cleared, he saw Jasmine pursue the black savant into the hold of the ship, both disappearing from Feffer’s view.
A shadow swooped over him.
Feffer looked up. A creature twice as large as the ship with a wingspan wider than a castle courtyard skimmed just above the ocean. Its red scales glimmered orange in the morning light. Its long tail slithered back-and-forth like a snake through the grass. Diamond-shaped pupils split its large, turquoise eyes. It moved with the grace of a bird as it chased after a figure in black robes. Two other savants followed behind, sending bursts of lightning and fire at the beast. The energies fizzled on the thing’s scales, evaporating like drops of water on a fire.
A thumping dragon.
What else could it be? Knowing the piece of wood to be useless if that thing wanted to eat him, Feffer still held his weapon tight. He felt an odd comfort to have even the flimsy weapon at hand. If it wanted to eat Feffer Hanck Madrowl, it would not find a
n easy meal. After all, that thing had eyeballs right there next to its big, ugly maw, and Feffer held a pointy stick.
There was a shrill scream. The dragon held a black savant, who looked like a child’s toy soldier in the clutches of that massive claw. The dragon opened its jaws and spoke more of those unfamiliar words. There was a ripping sound, then a deep intake of breath.
A faint shimmer surrounded the claw before being sucked into the dragon’s mouth.
The other black savants stopped, hovering in place for a few seconds. They exchanged glances then vanished. The dragon turned to the place they had been the moment before and spoke more of those strange words. Both dark-robed figures reappeared, flying in opposite directions. Wisps of light, like those swirling around the black savants, winked into existence around the dragon. A brown cage appeared around one savant. Immediately, the box fell. The trapped savant screamed as the cage was swallowed by the waves.
The dragon pursued the other savant, flying circles around the young woman in black robes. It pulled short, spreading its great wings wide. It hovered for some time, letting the savant fly away. Despite himself, Feffer felt relief for the little savant.
Then Feffer blinked.
The dragon surged forward, faster than Elwin had ever moved, closing the distance to the savant more than a mile away in the blink of an eye. There were faint echoes of what might have been screams. Seconds later, the robed figure fell to the ocean.
The dragon turned back toward the ship. It gave two flaps of its great wings then hovered.
Feffer felt exposed, standing alone on the deck littered with the bodies of sailors and savants. It was eerily silent. No more battle sounds rose from below deck. All Feffer could hear was the blowing of the breeze in his ears.
Even as the dragon flew closer, he dared not move.
Feffer felt a vice take hold of his arm. He turned, swinging his mop-handle without much thought. The pole snapped across Zeth’s pale face. The black savant stumbled back, cursing.