The Dragon Gate (The Dragon Gate Series Book 1)

by Randy Ellefson

  “I have found the spell books, master,” said the elf respectfully to the orb, where a face hovered. “They appear exactly as you described. Do you wish me to return with them?”

  After a pause, a voice replied from the orb. “No. Do not betray yourself. I will tend to them. What of the staff?”

  “It is not here in the room,” answered the intruder, “but I have seen it and it appears like your description.”

  “‘Similar’ and ‘appearing’ are not good enough,” snapped the orb coldly. “You must be certain.”

  “Yes, master.” The elf bowed.

  “What of their identities?”

  “None of them are who they claim to be, master, nor do they know the whereabouts of the true Ellorian Champions.”

  Eric cursed himself for letting them speak with this servant present, and it suddenly occurred to him to stop this communication, not listen to it for intel. He stepped forward and pushed open the door, hoping to catch the spy by surprise.

  “Fool!” the orb snapped. “You are seen!”

  The intruder whirled and threw a punch that knocked Eric back, a kick to the chest sending him to the floor. The elf leapt over him and started down the hall with surprising speed. Winded but undaunted, Eric pursued him.

  The elf disappeared around first one corner and then another as they dashed by startled servants and house guests. Eric was losing ground and reached for a throwing knife to slow the intruder down as they neared an open archway, green fields beyond. Suddenly Lorian strode into view between the intruder and freedom, looking concerned at the commotion. Matt followed, a smile fading at the sight of Eric chasing someone.

  “Stop him!” Eric shouted.

  The spy threw a knife at Lorian, who leapt out of its path. He spoke a magic word and made a halting gesture. A brief flicker of light surrounded the intruder, but he didn’t stop. Lorian’s eyes registered surprise before he jumped forward, one leg arcing through the air violently. The intruder rolled under the kick, sprang to his feet, and took off, casting an intense look at the staff in Matt’s hand.

  Running across the grass toward the forest, the spy turned into a black buck with silver streaks, wicked black antlers thrashing through low branches as it dashed into the underbrush. Lorian transformed himself into an even larger brown buck and bounded after in pursuit. Eric and Matt exchanged startled looks.

  Ryan suddenly cantered up with Anna lagging behind on her horse.

  “Get on!” Ryan shouted, having clearly seen enough from where they’d been riding.

  “Take Matt,” Eric said, running up to Anna and leaping belly first onto her horse. He awkwardly managed to right himself behind her. Then he wrapped both arms around her and kicked the horse hard. Battle-trained and excited, it took off so fast he almost fell off. Ryan grabbed a half-willing Matt by the arm and hauled the wizard up behind him, then followed and overtook the others, his expert horsemanship paying off.

  “Down!” Ryan called out as they raced into thin branches at a gallop. Matt scrunched down behind the knight’s broad back as they leaned forward. Anna buried her face in her own horse’s neck. Trying to shield her from the branches that slapped at him, Eric reached forward with one hand, feeling them sting his hands and face before they burst into daylight.

  To one side, two bucks frantically raced through the thin forest, bounding over fallen trees and ducking low branches. The brown one had already halved the distance to the smaller black one. Ryan charged ahead and Eric realized he was looking for a good place to block the way. They soon slowed to a trot, moving into the woods ahead of the deer. Eric’s horse followed more from training than from Anna’s weak and confused commands.

  “Everybody off,” commanded the knight, “and spread out.”

  They clumsily complied before Eric realized this wasn’t smart. The buck’s antlers were fearsome weapons that suddenly appeared before them as the buck crashed into view. It came straight toward the undefended Ellorian Champions. The intruder saw the way blocked and an available horse, so he changed back into an elf and stepped toward it, something falling to the ground and rolling under some leaves as he did so. Ryan stood nearest that horse and slapped its rump so that it moved out of reach, the other horse following.

  Seeing the false Lord Korrin, the elf sneered and stepped forward. Then the brown buck bounded up behind him and he turned to face Lorian, whose antlers were too close for the elf to transform before he’d be gored. With a snarl of irritation, the intruder turned back to Ryan but found Eric had replaced the knight. The rogue flashed an insincere smile of greeting and punched the elf in the face, knocking him down.

  “Now we’re even,” the rogue remarked in satisfaction. To his surprise, the spy’s nose had shattered, spraying blood everywhere. Eric didn’t think he’d hit that hard.

  Lorian morphed back into an elf and approached, hauling the spy up with Eric’s help.

  “Who are you?” Lorian demanded, receiving only a glare in response.

  Matt stood watching the item that had fallen into the leaves, seeing its surface moving strangely. He went to where it lay and pushed aside the leaves to find an orb, which still swirled with colors as he looked into it. A partially hidden face stared back. At first he assumed it was his reflection, for it certainly stared with a curiosity bordering on his, but while his face shone with innocent wonder, nothing innocent existed in the cold, angry visage that appraised him.

  “Lorian, I found something that guy dropped,” he said, unnerved.

  The elf’s eyes widened on seeing the orb. “Bring it here, quickly.”

  The wizard did so, but as he neared the intruder, words of magic that he now recognized suddenly erupted from the orb.

  “Rolinmor astorli nurarki a finta!” Burning light, strike as fire!

  Crackling bolts of lightning arced from the orb to strike the spy in the head and chest, incinerating him. Eric and Lorian recoiled in surprise, letting the intruder fall as Matt dropped the orb in alarm. When the attack finally stopped, the smell of charred flesh filled the air. Anna choked and turned away to vomit. No one had to check the intruder’s pulse to tell he was dead.

  As they watched, the body shimmered briefly, and the countenance changed from beautiful to sinister. The skin turned black as night, the hair a dull silver. What had been pleasant elven features were now cold and foreboding. Even in death, a certain arrogance had seemingly come over the corpse’s expression.

  “A dark elf!” Lorian exclaimed.

  Eric noted, “You’re surprised? I thought dark elves were known to be up to no good.”

  The elf nodded. “Yes, what you’ve heard is true.” He flicked a glance at the rogue. “Once again you seem to know all about a race that you believe does not exist on your world. In any case, dark elves live far from Alunia and have no business here.” He cocked his head, examining the body.

  “What is it?” Eric asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Lorian replied. “Something about this dark elf is different in a way I cannot ascertain. We will need to examine his remains.”

  “Lorian,” Matt interrupted, getting his attention. “The orb?”

  The elf retrieved it and Matt saw it had gone dark, looking like little more than a shiny black ball, and weighing several pounds. He told Lorian what he’d seen in it, getting a nod of recognition.

  “It’s a communication sphere,” announced Lorian, slipping it into a pouch. “It is unfortunate we cannot learn what this elf was doing here or who he was communicating with.”

  “He was using it when I caught him,” said Eric, watching Anna, who still looked pale. He related what happened prior to the pursuit.

  “But I thought no one knew we were coming here,” Ryan objected.

  “No,” disagreed Matt, “the queen’s inner circle knew.”

  “Yeah, but she’d have no reason to stop us,” observed Anna, grimacing, “unless it was Sonneri.”

  “Perhaps not,” agreed Lorian, “but I have known Queen Lorel
la for years. She is trustworthy. But it is not unheard of for those close to a ruling body to have their own secret agenda.” He went on to relate the bird spy Matt accidentally roasted. They absorbed that in silence.

  Ryan remarked, “So two different spies. Does that mean someone was being cautious by making sure one spy succeeded if the other failed, or were two different people trying to get information about us?”

  “I suspect the latter,” Lorian replied, “based on what Andier has related.”

  Eric asked, “Is there any way to see who this spy was talking to last?”

  “You mean like dialing star sixty-nine?” Matt asked, thinking of telephones and calling back the last number that called you.

  Clearly not understanding the reference, the elf just said, “Not that I know of, no.”

  “We should warn the queen, for her own protection,” Anna suggested weakly, “in case there is a spy in her midst.”

  “Agreed,” said Lorian. “I will send someone.”

  Suddenly Matt noticed an elf silently step out from behind a nearby tree, then another and another. He’d heard of their legendary quiet in books but never witnessed it. They’d come right up on them without anyone noticing, save perhaps Lorian, who didn’t look surprised. The elf directed the newcomers to take the body to the house as the rest of them followed, feeling like a funeral procession. The body count continued to climb and it was hard not to wonder if it would soon include them.

  Chapter 11 – The Ellorian Champions

  Unable to stop his pacing, Ryan waited for Lorian to join him in a private meeting room. The time had come to get at least himself out of going to Castle Darlonon, as guilty as that made him feel about not helping his friends. He’d decided he could live with that, however, but not with causing another person’s death. The scene of the dark elf’s murder had shocked him, and though someone else had done it, even being on Honyn had led to that. It seemed that death would follow them until this quest ended, and he wanted his part done right now. He would not watch another man die.

  When Lorian arrived with a questioning look on his face, Ryan turned to him almost angrily.

  “Shut the door,” he commanded, then realized his rudeness and softened his tone. “Please.”

  The elf nodded and did so, quietly watching Ryan continue pacing.

  “How many elves are going to the castle?” Ryan finally asked, opting for small talk first.

  “I haven’t decided,” Lorian began, “but sufficient numbers that the four of you should see little fighting or a need for magic and healing.”

  “Good.” After a pause, he blurted out, “Because I don’t intend to go with you at all.”

  Lorian’s surprise shone on his face. “You will remain behind while your friends ride into danger?”

  Ryan opened his mouth, then shut it. That wasn’t fair. It made it sound like that was his goal. “Look, I can’t do this. I’m not a knight and know nothing about sword fighting, and I don’t like killing people! I want no part of it!”

  Gesturing to a chair, the elf said, “Let us sit and talk. I understand your reluctance. You seem to know something of elves, but let me assure you we value life greatly and do not lightly end it or risk our own.”

  That sounded like elves, alright. Ryan reluctantly took a chair, trying to calm down.

  “It is common among elves,” Lorian continued, “to avoid a death strike and instead disable our opponents, but we also understand that death is sometimes the outcome of such violence. Even the gentlest among us must acknowledge that those who seek to do evil through violence are risking their own lives of their own volition. They must expect violent opposition, and it is foolishness for us to refuse self-defense.”

  “But I’m a Christian!” Ryan protested. “We’re supposed to turn the other cheek because violence begets violence. The cycle will never end if we don’t. There are whole regions of Earth that will forever be at war because they always retaliate.”

  Lorian held up a hand to calm him. “But what happens if you do not defend yourself? Are you not merely cut down, your life ended by those with an opposing view of what is right and just in the world? Is it right that your values cease to exist because you would not defend them? If they mean so little…” He trailed off.

  Ryan sat at a loss for words, unsure where to start. Finally he said, “They mean a lot, but I don’t want to have to kill for them.”

  “Understandable, but it is sometimes necessary. Something that you must understand, and this is of great importance, is that ending a life when that life is seeking to end yours, is wholly different from the aggressor trying to end the lives of others to further some cause of your fancy.”

  “Yes!” Ryan agreed, standing up in his passion. “But I’m going there to kill a dragon!”

  Lorian shook his head as the knight paced. “No, you are not. That is not part of the quest. You are to banish the dragons, not harm them.”

  Ryan opened and then shut his mouth again, his emotions ahead of his mind. “But what if I have to kill this one in order to banish the others? Doesn’t that make me the aggressor? This dragon hasn’t hurt anyone since coming through, right?”

  “On the contrary, it killed four men that we know of, but I’m afraid it is only a matter of time before it kills far more. It is the nature of these dragons.”

  “But preemptively killing this dragon before it kills someone else is hardly a justification. That’s murder!”

  “What if we are right about its intentions based on dragons’ history? Would you prefer to wait until all the dragons are released and kill countless people before realizing they are indeed the killers history has proven them to be, and then act? Is that not a greater evil for all the lives lost while you waited for the dragons to prove their nature?”

  Ryan’s heart sank. The elf was right about that. He’d certainly feel worse. “The lesser of two evils,” he muttered.

  Rising and coming around the table to him, the elf put a hand on his arm. “Listen, Ryan,” he started, using his real name for the first time, “I know this fight is not yours, but it is important that you accompany us. Your armor is protected against dragon fire. It is the only one of its kind available to us in the time allowed and it will not fit any of my elves. We are too slender. It might be needed to get at least you past the dragon and to the gate, or allow you to distract her while Soliander closes it. We need you. Honyn needs you. Your friends need you.”

  After a long pause, Ryan quietly said, “I wish they didn’t and could just go without me.”

  Lorian shook his head. “I don’t think you mean that. You say you cannot live with the thought of taking another life, but can you live with the thought of your friends dying while you remain safe here, especially when your presence might have prevented their deaths?”

  Ryan hadn’t thought of that and knew he would forever blame himself. His shoulders slumped in defeat.

  The elf said, “I can teach you how to avoid delivering fatal strikes while defending yourself, and since this is your preference, I would like to see you enter into such training with vigor and not reluctance. You can do great good without causing death. We can also teach you how to use your lance to kill a dragon so that you will understand what not to do if you wish to only hurt it, or stop it.”

  Ryan looked up, seeing compassionate slanted eyes on him. He knew the elf was right, and while he didn’t like it, there was no escaping it. He sensed a kind of kinship and suddenly felt grateful.

  “So, if I stay behind, my friends might die,” he said quietly, “and if I go, I might hurt or kill someone. It seems like no matter what I do, death is going to find someone.”

  “In all probability, yes. The important thing is that if you come along, you can help decide who survives, but if you remain here you are powerless to help anyone, including yourself.”

  Ryan looked up, realizing something. “With me separated, someone could attack me here while you’re all gone, couldn’t they?”

/>   Lorian nodded. “Yes, though the estate is well protected.”

  The knight made a rueful expression, thinking of the day’s events. “Not enough, apparently.” He let out a big sigh. “I guess we had better get started.”

  Ryan wasn’t the only one bothered by the spies. Both Anna and Matt found concentrating on their studies difficult, and the former finally went for a walk that didn’t help because she no longer felt safe. She kept expecting someone to jump out from every corner or a staff member to suddenly become a threat. She finally secluded herself in Lorian’s library with a few books on Honyn’s religions and slowly became immersed in them, mostly out of curiosity.

  For his part, Matt struggled to remain focused but more out of excitement than worry. He’d encountered two spies today and wanted to know how to detect them, and more importantly, put a stop to what they were doing. If he could cast a lightning bolt spell like the figure in the orb, someone would think twice about messing with him or his friends. He could now read every word of the spell books and couldn’t believe the powerful spells in them. Only Lorian’s expectations for him and the fear of something going wrong stopped him from working on them.

  Lorian had taken the orb away and not discussed it with them beyond assuring them it wasn’t something they wanted near. As Eric had observed, it was better not to have what amounted to a phone that someone could call you on and then kill you through. And people had once talked about cell phones emitting radiation.

  As the day continued, both Eric and Ryan learned swordsmanship from Morven and Lorian respectively, and shortly before dinner, Matt succeeded in casting a spell under Lorian’s watchful eye. The wizard could read the words on both his staff and Ryan’s sword now, though he refused to tell anyone what the staff said, feeling some responsibility to keep it unknown as much for his sake as Soliander’s. He discovered that even Lorian could not read it despite the words being in the language of magic. It seemed that only its true possessor could, which suggested Matt’s ownership had more finality than he was comfortable with. The sword wasn’t as complicated, however, and had the words “Brave is the Heart – True Flies the Steel” written on its two sides. The sentiment got a frown from Ryan, for the blade would never find its calling in his hands.