by Brandon Mull
“Do the stones really wander?” Seth asked.
“You see the trails,” Isadore said, clutching her oilskin coat as the wind tore at it. “Without wind erasing the evidence, the tracks would extend much farther.”
“They’re too big to slide around,” Seth said. “This wind doesn’t budge them and the ground is flat.”
“Exactly,” Isadore said. “These trovants seldom move when observed, though I know a wizard who claims to have watched from hiding as a large procession paraded across the prairie one night.”
“Those who venture to this part of the sanctuary rarely return,” Merek said. “Giants avoid this region, as do ogres and trolls. It is often repeated that to sleep here is to die here.”
The nearest hulking slab of rock suddenly seemed ominous to Seth. What would he do if it started to scoot toward him? How was a person supposed to fight a twenty-ton megalith?
“We have about an hour before the storm pummels us,” Isadore said. “If you get the blade before the storm catches up, we can fly southeast until we find shelter.”
“To sleep here is to die here,” Seth quoted.
“Few know of this place,” Isadore said. “You are benefiting from arcane knowledge I worked hard to acquire. If tales are true, the reliquary shifts position as well.”
“Are you coming inside with us?” Merek asked.
Isadore grinned and chuckled. “This is your quest. We’re the transportation. We’ll wait out here.”
“What if the storm hits before we’re out?” Seth asked.
“We’ll be gone,” Isadore said. “We can’t ride out the storm in the open, and we daren’t seek shelter behind rocks or in the reliquary.”
“I’ll go inside with them,” Serena volunteered.
“It might be dangerous,” Calvin warned.
“It will be dangerous,” Serena corrected. “Which is why you need me.”
“Hurry, whatever you do,” Isadore said. “The storm will not wait.”
“Should I take Serena?” Seth asked.
“I’ll go with Merek,” Serena volunteered. “Divide and conquer.”
Merek accepted Serena from Isadore. The wind intensified, peppering them with bits of dry brush and grit.
“I need cover,” Isadore said.
Basirus returned to dragon form, wings tucked, and curled around her. Seth started toward the one gap he could see in the improbable pyramid, weaving to avoid the larger solitary stones in his path. At the base of the pyramid, he scrambled up interlocked boulders using his hands and feet until he reached the gap.
“Check your motives,” Serena warned. “Legend has it that anyone with evil intentions will be crushed upon entry.”
“What if my motives are good, but yours are sour, and I’m carrying you?” Merek asked.
“Put me down,” Serena said. “Calvin too. Just to be safe.”
Seth set Calvin down. He hoped wanting his memories back would be considered an acceptable intention. And he didn’t mean anybody harm. Since time was not on their side, Seth quickly ducked into the triangular gap. The tunnel extended ahead about fifteen yards. The sheer volume of boulders above staggered his imagination, and the air was so saturated with the smell of stone that he could almost chew it.
The tunnel ended in a grand trapezoidal chamber within the center of the pyramid. Daylight filtered in through several shafts.
“Someone has produced an interesting paradox,” Merek said as he crouched to light a small lantern. “A person cannot enter with sinister intentions, but no being of light could wield the Unforgiving Blade. It’s a rare person who could do both.”
“Why can’t you?” Seth asked.
“The power that preserves me derives from light,” Merek said. “However, a shadow charmer should be a different story.”
“I can’t hear the wind from here,” Calvin said, coming into the chamber beside Serena.
Seth noticed that the air was unnaturally heavy and still, especially considering the nearby turbulence of the oncoming storm. At least there should have been a strong draft from the tunnel.
“What have we here?” Merek asked, examining a pedestal on a raised stone slab in the middle of the room.
Seth trotted over to him. The slot in the top of the pedestal seemed the right size to hold a blade. “Do you think somebody already took it?”
“Looks that way,” Merek said.
“There has to be more to it,” Serena said.
“Tell me about your friends outside,” Calvin said to Serena. “Did they stay out in the wind because the entrance would have crushed them?”
“It’s a delicate situation,” Serena said.
“Suppose we find the Unforgiving Blade and exit,” Merek said. “What happens?”
“I don’t know,” Serena said. “Can you trust Isadore? Absolutely not. When she sees the right opportunity to betray you, she’ll take it. She’s here to get the Wizenstone.”
“And she’s your friend?” Calvin asked.
“It’s why I didn’t want you involved,” Serena said. “Isadore helped me learn essential information, but she’s dangerous. Partnering with her is a deadly game. I wanted to protect you from it.”
“You told me to go home,” Calvin said. “That hurt.”
Serena smiled and hugged him. “I would rather you were home because I love you! It took time to learn to swim in these waters. I endured experiences I would never want you to have, and almost lost my life.”
“All the more reason I should be here to help,” Calvin said.
“I would probably feel the same way if our roles were reversed,” Serena said. “Even so, I wouldn’t want people I care about dealing with Basirus and Isadore.”
“We wouldn’t be here without her,” Merek said. “But I can tell she’s no friend of ours. I’m not going to let her hijack the Wizenstone.”
“Keep her in the dark,” Serena said. “She would rather not make her move until she knows what to do with the blade. I think she was bluffing about flying away. Until she knows your secrets, I don’t think she’ll let you out of her sight. She has been trying to gain the Wizenstone for centuries.”
“It’s a complicated situation,” Merek said. “We need to go somewhere else before the storm ends, but our only hope to get there in time depends on the dragon.”
“He won’t be able to fly in the storm,” Serena said.
“Dragons are strong,” Merek said. “With enough motivation, he might be able to run.”
Closing his eyes, Seth reached out with his shadow-charming senses, trying to discern a dark blade. Instead, beneath his feet, he immediately perceived a chattering chaos of entities. The sudden discovery was such a shock that he unwittingly withdrew from his power.
“What’s the matter, Seth?” Calvin asked, looking up at him. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”
“Maybe I did,” Seth said.
“What do you mean?” Serena asked.
“There are beings underneath us,” Seth said. “Lots of them. Gibbering in confusion.”
“Can you still hear them?” Calvin asked.
“If I try,” Seth said. “Give me a second.” He engaged his senses and again was assailed by a confusion of words and feelings. Were they wraiths? Phantoms? Patient listening revealed a mix of voices. Definitely some wraiths. A few phantoms. And uncountable presences.
“What do you hear?” Merek asked.
“Many voices,” Seth said. “They seem unaware of us. Some are undead, but mostly I hear presences. Like when I first met you.”
“Disembodied memories?” Merek asked.
“I think so,” Seth said. “A host of them. They sound confused. The majority are asking about themselves. Their advisers are wraiths and phantoms. It’s the blind leading the blind.”
“Sounds terribl
e,” Serena said.
Seth concentrated on the voice of a single wraith.
Alone, the voice lamented. Surrounded and alone.
That struck Seth as a sentiment he could work with. Can you hear me? Seth projected to the wraith.
You speak to me?
I hear you and I’m speaking to you, Seth affirmed. You must feel lost.
Forever alone, the voice mourned.
Not right now, Seth said. I hear you. Can you come see me?
No way out, the wraith bewailed. The Old Ones forbid it.
Who are the Old Ones? Seth inquired.
Ancient and immovable, the wraith declared. I am trapped. We are all ensnared. So alone.
I can hear you, Seth said.
You are living, the wraith affirmed. You hear me.
I need to find the Unforgiving Blade, Seth communicated.
Above us, the wraith said. The blade can harm us. The blade can end us.
Is the blade gone? Seth asked.
Above us, the wraith repeated. Above you. High above. The blade remains.
How do we get to it? Seth asked.
I am trapped, the wraith grieved. Find your way up. Beware the blade.
Seth took his focus from the wraith and zeroed in on a forlorn phantom.
It never slows, the phantom complained. Broken minds shattering into ever smaller pieces.
I can be patient, Seth assured the phantom.
You hear me? the phantom asked.
It’s noisy, but I hear you.
The ceaseless babbling haunts me, the phantom shared. You are an island in an agitated sea.
Can you help me find the Unforgiving Blade? Seth asked.
That edge is sharp! the phantom warned.
I need a sharp edge, Seth stated. Can you help me?
I cannot rise to where you stand, the phantom moaned. The blade is higher still.
How do I reach the blade? Seth asked.
Find the gaps, the phantom suggested. Climb.
Seth targeted a couple more wraiths and one more phantom, but the first two he had spoken with proved to be the most coherent. He tried to focus on some of the presences, but none could hear him.
“The blade is still here,” Seth said.
“According to the memories?” Calvin asked.
“According to a wraith and a phantom,” Seth said.
“Do you think your memories are down there?” Calvin asked.
“I considered the possibility,” Seth said. “None of the memories could hear me. They are sealed deep under this place. The entities down there can’t get out. Even if this is where Humbuggle stores the memories he steals, remember, the Diviner believed my memories had escaped.”
“I’ll take that as positive news,” Serena said. “With hope that your memories are not among these entrapped wretches.”
“Wraiths can be helpful when I’m looking for things,” Seth said. “Or in a fight.”
“Any other hints?” Merek asked.
“Supposedly the blade is above us,” Seth said. “We need to hunt for gaps or maybe try to climb. They didn’t give good instructions.”
“Not much to climb in here,” Merek said, eyes roving the stony walls. “Could they have meant to climb the exterior?”
“I felt like they meant to climb in here,” Seth said. Closing his eyes, he drew on his power and probed for locks. Anything to unlock. Anything to open.
After a moment, he sensed a simple mechanism. A small mental effort released a catch, and what looked like a rectangular boulder slid slightly ajar, like a door.
“Did you do that?” Merek asked, responding to the unexpected movement.
“I try to make myself useful,” Seth said, jogging over to the rectangular rock. It pulled open smoothly on hidden hinges. Beyond, a crude stairway led upward. “Who wants to climb a pyramid?”
Kendra, can you see?” Warren asked as they left the entrance behind.
Kendra realized it must be getting dark for her companions. She could see just fine in any nonmagical darkness, and there was still some extra light from the open doorway behind them. They had tried to shut it to no avail. The heavy stone door had refused to budge.
“We’re in a grand hall,” Kendra said. “There are four big dragon statues on each side.”
“Let us know if they start to move,” Warren said. “Or breathe acid. Or even if they wink.”
“We’ll have light shortly,” Tanu said, mixing two solutions into a clear container. A moment later the concoction shone like a lightbulb.
“Yep,” Warren said, glancing around. “Dragon statues. She wasn’t bluffing about her night vision.”
“I think they’re only decorative,” Vanessa said. “They look too primitive to come to life.”
“But sometimes that’s exactly how they get you,” Warren said. “You let your guard down, and the crudely rendered dragons attack, all the scarier because they’re so unrefined.”
“We could run into the first guardian at any moment,” Tanu said.
“This hall is safe,” Raxtus said. “I would sense a dragon.”
“Any idea who we’re up against?” Vanessa asked.
“The guardians of the Dragon Temples were established long before I hatched,” Raxtus said. “Few dragons know who was selected. The guardians will possess uniquely challenging abilities.”
“Can you help us survive?” Kendra asked.
“I’ll do my best,” Raxtus said. “The only dragon I ever defeated was in human form at the time.”
“That’s only because you’ve never fought a dragon in his natural shape,” Kendra said.
“Is that anything to brag about?” Raxtus asked.
“You’re undefeated,” Kendra encouraged.
“Any living dragon you meet is undefeated against other dragons,” Raxtus explained. “My kind don’t give second chances.”
“You’ll have backup,” Kendra said.
“Having somebody to fight for is the only reason I’m here,” Raxtus said.
“If this area is clear, let’s ready our equipment,” Tanu said. “May I take a moment to whip up an elixir or two using the ingredients Raxtus brought?”
“By all means, if it will help us survive,” Warren said.
“Don’t forget the entrance lies open behind us,” Vanessa warned. “We don’t want to be ambushed from the rear.”
Raxtus took a few steps back toward the entrance. “In this weather, surrounded by such unwelcoming terrain, we probably won’t see more dragons until the storm clears.”
“This is your dad we’re talking about,” Kendra said.
“Where he’s involved, anything is possible,” Raxtus agreed. “I’ll watch our tails.”
“I wish I had more equipment and time,” Tanu said. “It’s a shame to waste such fine ingredients on half-baked potions.”
“If we don’t live, all of your ingredients will go to waste,” Warren said. “Anything that could provide an advantage is worth a try.”
Tanu uncapped a flask, sniffed the contents, then poured some fluid into a little bowl. “Even under these conditions I can improvise some powerful defensive potions. Whether they help will depend on the kind of dragons we meet.”
“Expect the unconventional,” Raxtus said. “They will be chosen from among the most feared dragons in history, seasoned veterans of extraordinary power.”
“He’s unselling me,” Warren said. “Anyone want to throw in the towel? Go play in the nice rain? Jump in some puddles?”
“Few attributes are as attractive as courage,” Vanessa said.
Warren straightened and spoke in a grittier voice. “Those dragons better get ready for me to bring the thunder.”
“Better,” Vanessa approved.
Kendra checked her ma
gical bow. Having not been shot recently, it should have three hundred arrows at the ready. Her sack of gales remained available and probably had three-quarters of its wind left, estimating based on how much she had used. She checked in her pocket for the ring Raxtus had just given her, relieved as her fingers curled around it.
Minutes crawled by. Holding a bottle over a low flame, Tanu stirred in some powder. Kendra wondered if the first guardian could have overheard their conversations.
“This will have to do,” Tanu said, repacking his ingredients. “I have a lotion to cure injuries, a salve to heal diseases, and a potion that bestows resistance to fire.”
“Dragon fire?” Warren asked.
“Probably not full immunity to a direct attack,” Tanu said. “It would be a close call.”
“A close call beats charred to the core,” Warren said. “I want that gummy potion ready as well. After last time, I’m a believer.”
“Several of those elixirs are ready to go,” Tanu said.
“Listen to me,” Raxtus urged. “Huddle up. I’m going to let you in on a secret. Dragons are complicated creatures. Yes, they’re antisocial, but they also get lonely. These guardians have been isolated for long years. They may find conversation hard to resist. If you can, keep them chatting. Dragons love the cat and mouse of talking to their food. It could buy us time.”
“Most of us will be paralyzed in their presence without courage potions,” Warren said. “Do we have any?”
“For all of us except Kendra,” Tanu said. “She resists dragon fear without it. I dosed the courage potions so we should be able to take one other potion on top of them.”
“Brave and gummy,” Warren said. “Sounds like a winning combo.”
“Or maybe brave and fireproof,” Vanessa said.
Tanu distributed courage potions and drank one himself. “Don’t forget, until we face a dragon to dampen the effect, courage potions can make you overenthusiastic.”
“I feel fine,” Warren said. “Better than fine. I might take on this first dragon with my bare hands, you know, to keep it interesting.”