Mastering the Elements: Elwin Escari Chronicles: Volume 2

by David Ekrut

  “How far are the ruins?”

  “Tarthinius is two or three leagues from Abadaria. We should be there by midday.”

  Elwin took a deep breath. “We should get some sleep.”

  Daki nodded.

  Elwin settled onto his woolen cloak and stared up at the star-filled sky. The quiet times before sleep brought pangs for home. What had become of his parents? Was Feffer staring at the same constellations? No. Different stars would be visible from Justice, and it might not even be dark there. From what Daki had claimed, night came sooner in Alcoa than in the islands.

  As much as he wished to see his friend, Feffer was safer with the Lifesongs. Zarah would take good care of him. Maybe Elwin could return someday and make amends, but he’d been right to leave the Island Nations.

  For better or worse, his quest for the Order of the Sun and Stars would soon come to an end. He would pass their test and get the training he needed. Then he would defeat the dragons and tame again.

  There was hope.

  He laid for several minutes. Unable to quiet his mind, he rolled over and grabbed his tome. He leaned closer to the fire and flipped through the pages, looking for a new incantation to memorize.

  “What are you doing?” Daki asked. “You also need sleep.”

  “Tried and can’t,” Elwin said. “Hey, what sort of traps are there? Maybe I can work out some counter incantations from them.”

  Daki frowned, but he nodded. “It would not hurt to consider such a notion. The most common is a ward to turn flesh into stone.”

  “I have already memorized that one. What else?”

  “Hmm,” Daki said, considering. “There are a few traps that will cause a person’s blood to become acid.”

  Elwin flipped to the contents page and found a transmutation matching the description. “Oh look. I have the same incantation.”

  As he began to study the words, Daki said, “Promise you will sleep some.”

  “I promise,” Elwin said waving a dismissive hand. “Let me concentrate.”

  Sighing, Daki rolled over.

  ~

  Jax marched alongside the cobbles. The ground was soft and preferable to the hard stones of the forgotten highway.

  His legs ached, but it was just past midday. If he hoped to catch the others, he could not slow or stop for longer than necessary. The nights were empty and restless. He spent the downtime studying the pages he’d stolen from Elwin’s tome. He had started early each morning and had traveled late into each night, guilt and regret propelling his steps.

  He’d seen several doused campfires alongside the path. Jax was far from the best tracker, but he knew enough to recognize bear prints next to a campfire. Elwin and Daki had come this way for certain.

  But what of Daren? What if he’d gone back for Jax to find Jesnia less friendly than he’d expected? As skilled as Daren was, Jesnia would have the element of surprise on her side. But the Kalicodian also knew how to cover his own tracks. Or, he could have already caught up with Elwin. There was no way to know for certain, so he pressed onward.

  In the distance, he saw buildings hugging the road. No wall surrounded it, and none of the structures were tall enough to be aeries. He quickened his pace, not slowing until he reached the edge of the city.

  Windows and doorways were empty, the glass and wood having long-since weathered away. Moss and vines twined their way up the walls. A deer appeared in the street, saw Jax, and darted in the opposite direction. A few blocks up the main road, a large man leaned against what was once a smithy.

  Jax’s heart fluttered with relief and excitement. “How did you know I was coming?”

  “I saw your fire last night,” Daren said, pushing off the wall. “When did you come to your senses?”

  “I’m not sure I have, but I left Jesnia soon after I found you had gone.”

  “Why?”

  After all they’d been through, Jax owed Daren the truth. He dug the scales out of his pack and lobbed it to Daren. “It makes gold.”

  His eyes widened. “And you took if from the huntress?”

  “I did.”

  “She will come for you.”

  “I know.”

  “Well, you have plenty of gold for your army now. I suppose you followed to convince me to turn back. I will not.”

  “No,” he said, offering the schematics of Abadaria to Daren. “I plan to return this artifact to the Lenders. With any luck, Tessaryn will come after me instead of Jesnia. In the meantime, I came to help.”

  Daren took the proffered pages. “We might be too late. I have run myself hard to catch them in time, but judging by their fires, I am still an hour behind.”

  “Hmm,” Jax said. “Well, there is probably plenty of time before reaching the ruins.”

  “No,” he said with certainty. “They are less than a day from Abadaria.

  “How do you know that?”

  “Come.”

  Jax followed Daren to the heart of the small city. The large square was made of multi-colored tiles. A gargantuan statue of a dragon rested upon it, curled around its tail as if sleeping. Daren went to a five story inn on the other side. Etched into the wall was a map of Arinth. Only, it depicted the Arinth that was, rather than the one of now.

  Daren pointed to a star on the map. “This is us, a city called Tarthinius. Judging by this scale, Abadaria is a few leagues away. No more than four.”

  “How much trouble do you think he can get into in an hour?”

  Daren only grimaced.

  Even though his legs screamed against the thought, Jax said, “If we push hard, maybe we can make up some of that time.”

  “I only slowed so you could catch me.”

  “Right. Are you ready then?”

  In answer, Daren turned toward the northeastern road and leapt into a jog. Sighing, Jax pushed up the sleeves of his tunic and chased after the man.

  Chapter 57

  The Aries of Abadaria

  Carpeci,

  The fate we have long foreseen inexorably approaches. Sending the rogue to Wiltshire was the right move. As we predicted, his interference has prodded the prodigal son toward his necessary course. However, our circle has seen that he did not diverge as intended. He persists on the unfavorable course. Remove him, then confront the others beneath Amonius, as we discussed.

  A friendly reminder, if you damage the vessel, do us both a favor and slit your own throat. Once the two become one, you can consider your obligation to the Father fulfilled.

  ~His Messenger, 2999 A.S.

  ~

  As the sun began the first descent from its zenith in the midday sky, three travelers crested a long hill. Mountains loomed in the distance. Rocky formations jutted from the cliffs like reaching arms. The ends held cavernous structures with wide entrances. Dragon statues could be seen perched inside or atop several of the caves.

  Tall buildings reached toward the sky, but still fell far short of the aeries. Many of the white walls toward the center of the city had been well-maintained, while most had seen centuries, if not millennia, of neglect. Darkened windows looked out at the empty city like the lifeless eyes of skeletal warriors.

  A cool wind swept from the mountains, whistling its way through the streets to the figures standing on the cobbled road.

  Elwin shivered.

  He pulled his cloak tighter until the cold breeze abated. Then he continued walking along the cobbles toward the walled city with Daki at his side and Taego ambling on behind them.

  There was no gate barring the entrance to Abadaria, but several dozen statues of soldiers blocked the way through. As he neared, Elwin recognized a few of the sigils beneath their feet as parts of incantations he’d studied.

  One of the statues held a notebook with descriptions of Abadaria in the common tongue. His cloak was crusted with rub
ies, the only part of him to hold any bright color.

  “Look at this,” Elwin said. “There are notes on the Orb of Incantus on this statue’s tome.”

  “These were once men. It appears as though they were attempting to disable these traps and failed.”

  “Who were they, do you think?”

  “I recognize this from Iremine.” Daki pointed to the crest on the statue’s breast. “One of the manors we passed had the same symbol on the gate.”

  “He was an Alcoan lord. How did he come by these notes?”

  Daki craned his head to inspect the cover of the book in the statue’s hand without touching any part of him. “Ah. See here. He was a magus. This is the Keeper’s seal.”

  “Unlikely,” Elwin said. “If he was truly a magus, he wouldn’t have been turned to stone without stepping foot into the city. I would guess he acquired the book from a magus, who wanted him dead or someone sabotaged his notes.”

  “I believe you are correct. These instructions are false. Look. This same symbol is in our tome. Countering this snare requires crossing it with this mark here. His page has a different sign.”

  “But wait,” Elwin said, as Daki knelt to inspect the trap. “What if our instructions are also false? We acquired these pages from the clairvoyants. They knew we were coming. How do we know they left the real tome for us to take?”

  Daki stood, frowning down at the symbol. “That is a fair question. Can we go over it? You could levitate us into the city.”

  “Probably,” Elwin said, pulling out his tome. “But, if we cannot trust these pages, we will never reach any of the artifacts. Give me a moment.”

  “What are you doing?”

  Elwin flipped to the index at the front. “Here. Maybe this one I’ve been studying will help. Transmute flesh.”

  He compared his text to Daki’s. The base symbols were the same. Daki’s had alterations Elwin recognized for Earth. The symbols for the Elements were the first he’d memorized.

  “What do you think?” Daki asked.

  “It looks right,” Elwin mused. “I believe our book is genuine.”

  “Your word is my truth.”

  Before Elwin could stop him, Daki pricked his finger with his knife and crossed the symbol in the road, making a replicate of the markings on the page. The etchings flared to life, then vanished.

  Elwin’s heart pounded. He pulled Daki back, despite the danger having passed.

  “Are you mad?”

  “Not at all. You said it was real. I trust your instincts.”

  “We could have found a way to test it without risking your life.”

  Daki shrugged. “No harm has befallen me, and I have confirmed what we knew.”

  “Fine. Great. Thank you. But would you please not do that again?”

  “Where should we go first?” Daki asked.

  “The orb. And if the magi don’t discover us, we’ll go for those heartblades.”

  Daki’s voice took a sombre tone. “Are you certain you wish to do this? You are learning well-enough on your own.”

  “Teaching myself is too slow, and I do not want another enemy. They’ll come after me if I fail, remember? Besides, if I can get a proper trainer, it is worth the risks.”

  Taego snorted.

  Daki frowned down at him. “You do not have to come. There is a forest right there.”

  In answer, the bear pushed past him into the city.

  Elwin walked behind, scanning the road for symbols. Street after street looked much the same. Dirt and moss covered all of the shops and homes to either side of them, but the roads were mostly cleared with only a bit of grime on the stones. He heard birds fluttering through some of them, and he was surprised to see squirrels running across the vines connecting some of the buildings.

  The street ended in a wide square with a large sculpture resting atop the far edge of the platform at the square’s center. The stone carving stood on two legs, as tall as many of the buildings. Wings protruded from the back of a feminine torso, whose long neck ended with a dragon’s head. Its hands rested on sensuous hips, and it looked down as if in challenge to inferior beings.

  “A dracon,” Daki said. “They are close cousins to the dragons.”

  “Is it real? I mean, is there a living being beneath?”

  “Perhaps,” he answered.

  “We should go.”

  “Yes. We are almost to Abadaria’s center.” Daki looked to an aerie high above. “The central ones house the most prominent dragons. They have the most powerful artifacts.”

  “How do we get up there?” Elwin asked, walking wide of the statue. “Clearly I cannot levitate us that high without being spotted. I could try to incant us into it.”

  “No. Wards will prevent this. Each of the aeries were constructed above a manor or palace to remind the lords who rule them. Only the dragons may fly through the openings of the caves unhindered. It is impossible for one not of the dragonkin to incant into an aerie without first activating a portal from atop the manors. Not all of the portals will lead us to where we wish to go. The minor lords do not have access above their stations.”

  “Which one takes us to the orb?”

  “This way.”

  The square exited into a wide street. These buildings were free of moss and grime. Wooden doors blocked entry into the shops and homes, and glass filled the windows.

  He froze mid-stride.

  In the distance, people moved about the road. Men and woman pushed carts or cried wares, while children played in the streets.

  “What in the abyss?”

  He’d expected to find someone here, but aside from the unused section, it looked like any other city he’d been to.

  Elwin turned to the sound of a boot scuffing the cobbles behind him.

  “Interesting,” the woman’s voice said. “I foresaw Jax accompanying you. Where is he?”

  Several robed figures stepped from the alleys, surrounding Elwin. Taego growled in surprise. Daki shifted his stance, ready to draw his twin blades.

  Tessaryn walked casually toward him.

  “Gone,” Elwin said.

  “No matter. He will be along shortly.”

  “You are mistaken. He has his gold and no longer has need of the artifacts.”

  “No, child. The huntress gave him fake coins. He will come for you, but do not be concerned with Jaxton. You will be otherwise occupied by then.”

  “Why is Jax so important? What do you want from him?”

  “Do you not have larger concerns at the moment than the rogue who betrayed you?”

  “Yes. I do. Maybe we can barter. We don’t need to fight. I just need one artifact.”

  “I cannot allow that. And before you consider taming, you should know some of those dragons above us are fully awake. Most are neutral in the war, but several will want to claim your essence to wake their brethren. From what I understand, you are quite powerful and could stir many dragons.”

  Tessaryn stopped several paces in front of him, but the others had kept a healthy distance. Her shoulders were relaxed, her hands resting on her hips, not unlike the sculpture of the dracon looming behind her.

  “You want something from me,” Elwin reasoned.

  “I do. You have potential. You’ve taught yourself a few minor incantations, and you’ve bypassed the gates which have claimed thousands of lives over the millennia. I could train you.”

  “And what would you want in return?”

  “It’s quite simple really. First, I would require you to return to the Order of the Sun and Stars as my spy. Galivant will also come, asking you to report to him, but you will only tell him what I allow. Next, I will require your essence. Not for myself, you understand. Others more powerful than myself have already claimed it. With the Words of Power on your lips, what need have you of such a
trivial appendage? Think of it, Elwin. You could stand with the most magnificent being to grace Arinth.”

  “And never tame again.”

  “There are worse fates, I assure you. Galthiadronus will win this war. One way or another, he will take what is his. You would do well to surrender and save yourself.”

  “Take what is his? I was born with this gift. My essence is mine.”

  Tessaryn took a step closer, flicking her hand in a gesture of disgust. “That arrogance is precisely why there is a war against your kind. You have forgotten the histories. The dragonkin lent elementalists their essences to build their cities and protect these lands. You are supposed to be their stewards, alongside the magi, but you have turned against your masters. Now you will pay for your crimes.”

  “I wasn’t even born yet when the dragons were betrayed.”

  “Yet, the blood of the one who sent them to their slumber flows through your veins, Elwin Solsec. You are Abaddon’s descendent.”

  “You are mad,” Elwin said. His essence had nothing to do with dragons.

  “Yet, I am your only hope for salvation.” She walked closer with every word. “And our time is running short. Make your decision. Surrender your essence to me and join us, or raise your hand against us and die.”

  “To me!” The call came from behind him.

  Elwin flinched as a man dressed in black armor bounded from an alley, holding a dagger high, aimed to throw.

  ~

  Bain approached Abadaria from the west, because Lord Argyle’s notes explained how to disable the symbols there and contained nothing on the other entrances. As he neared a collection of statues blocking the entry, he slowed his horse and hopped from the saddle.

  He recognized Argyle’s crest at once. The statue wearing the lord’s sigil held a tome out in front of it. As Lana pulled her mount to a stop beside him, he held the reigns of his mount out to her.