Ruby Mage

by Dan Raxor

  A push of air from a spell he cast sent the ducks flying into Susanna. She snatched another, followed by another snap.

  “Wait…” Leafin warned. “See the orb seeking a home, it is a faded memory of the magic power that creature once held. It doesn’t want to be forgotten. The magic yearns for a new purpose.”

  “I could have used this lesson months ago,” I grumbled.

  He tisked. “That is not how the world works. Summon the spirit.”

  I did as directed.

  “Forget about it.”

  I cleared my mind, thinking of kittens. Why kittens? Eh, not sure.

  The purple energy froze, a tendril of energy that floated through her body. The power glowed brightly with Siofra running her fingers through the magic.

  I saw numerous defined lines of black magic in a garbled mess over her heart.

  “You have about a minute to piece them to -”

  I reached forward, sliding my hands into her body. We gasped and my hands… felt slimy.

  With my hands magically in my lover's chest, I focused.

  The tattoos were akin to a ‘fit this piece to create an object’ game. The object was a heart. Due to the outline of her heart and the shapes presented, the process was fairly easy.

  When the last piece locked into place, I smiled after safely extracting my hands.

  Siofra crashed to the ground in convulsions. Susanna jumped on her to help control the seizure. Leafin edged me back and I heeded his warning.

  “Are they friends?” he asked.

  “Uh… yeah,” I said, mystified by -

  There was a whoosh of magic and a second later Susanna and Siofra were cocooned in a big red dragon egg. The exterior was jagged with ridges of darkness. The shell itself expanded by the second and I was thoroughly confused.

  “Um, what the hell is that?” I asked.

  “That is the process. By this time tomorrow, you will have a confused big human and a red dragon wanting to eat her. Ensure you’re here to avoid that. It should be you in there, but I understand,” Leafin said.

  “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

  Leafin shook his head. “Nothing. Siofra will become a dragon. Coax her into becoming a human. Eventually build a private location for her to swap. She will become a cagey ass if you don’t let her transform on occasion.”

  “So I just wait?” I asked.

  “No, you go to work building your wall for the next twelve hours and then you wait. Oh, and probably set this place to off-limits for now,” Leafin said with a shrug.

  “Thanks,” I muttered

  “Don’t thank me. Reds are powerful and fiercely loyal. If her father finds out you can convert… Just don’t let him. That means even if you want an army of his children to become your dragons, I’d avoid it. Of all the threats, Telfi of Farlake is a foe to avoid,” Leafin said in warning.

  “Wait, before you go. Are there texts about the origins of the six or any more information you can divulge?” I asked.

  He sighed, shaking his head. “We have secure vaults in our capital. If you visit, ask to see them. Other than that, I’d avoid mentioning how much was revealed to you. Then again, Arenia favors you for her own reasons.”

  “Thank you for your help,” I said and the moody elf finally smiled.

  He gave an over the shoulder wave as he exited the barn, leaving me along with a growing red egg.

  I was… indifferent to the moment until I heard a faint knock coming from the egg.

  “Master, I love you,” Susanna’s scream leaked out of the egg as a whisper.

  I went to where her voice tried to shout to me. Ugh… people were going to think me crazy. I cupped my hands against the egg and to my mouth before shouting, “I love you both, be safe, see you soon.”

  She said something back I couldn’t understand and then the egg went quiet.

  When I exited, I sealed the barn in ice, and headed for the wall. Arenia City wasn’t going to build itself, and with the invasion starting, the mission was clearer than ever. Hard work might save thousands of lives that relied on me.

  CHAPTER 54

  Lornia - Arenia City

  58th day of the 2nd year of King Partel’s Reign

  A small dragon head nuzzled into my chest. In actuality, the head covered half my torso. I just thought she would be… bigger. Yes I could ride her, but she was the size of a big truck. Those dragons I saw when I first arrived in Lornia were massive compared to her.

  There was a loving rub for attention. Siofra had calmed from her feral side the moment she transformed.

  “Susanna told me stories of the northern lands while I transitioned… the painful process was reduced by her constant talk,” Siofra said.

  Her voice had stayed the same even though she had changed. I rubbed my hand gently over her glistening scales, letting Siofra know I adored her.

  “You okay, Master?” she asked and I nodded.

  I glanced down at a sleeping Susanna. When Siofra finished transforming it wasn’t a hatching. The shell merely vanished into her body with magic.

  My attention returned to the beautiful dragon Siofra had become. She was sleek in a fiery red with an orange sheen. Her body was smooth beside the spikes that raised along the ridge of her back.

  I saw her aura had increased by almost double, telling me she was a lot more powerful. Still not what her mother held and I was more than okay with that.

  “I… I’m in shock,” I admitted.

  Her snorting chuckle blew a gust of air into my face. “I feel the need to fly, Trevor. Please.”

  I softened from Siofra’s plea. “If you really want to leave this barn it’ll probably cause issues, but I’ll support you,” I said without hesitation.

  “Master, how about I stay in here, and then we go out at night?” she asked.

  I tossed my head around while thinking about it. There was a reality here. I didn’t have some epic base nestled against a mountain like her father had.

  There was no private exit. If Siofra was a dragon, I’d be seen with a dragon at some point.

  “Works for me, you rest. I’ll get Susanna to a bed and get back to work. See you at dark,” I said excitedly.

  ∞∞∞

  I pried open the big barn doors as quietly as I could.

  So… the dwarves and human guards scoffed when I told them I had a pet dragon. They were warned to not let out a peep of noise when my red beauty left the barn.

  One of them lost his shit, screaming in fright. Another guard tackled him, silencing the dwarf.

  They all wore anti-magic charms to help protect me, preventing me from freezing him in magic. Another item on the list of production materials we were rapidly building.

  Not letting the commotion halt us, I raced for Siofra. She lowered herself flat, tilting just enough so I could pull myself onto her back. Her spikes had the closest thing to a seat slot that I could ask for. I tied myself onto her back with a rope that wrapped between her legs.

  It wasn’t perfect but it was enough to make me feel secure.

  “Alright… I’m on.”

  She burst into a run. Siofra’s steps rumbled the area from her clawed feet impacting the hard ground. Her form exited the barn, leaped onto the nearby barn’s roof, and spread her wings wide.

  A massive gust of wind washed over me with her wings snapping the air. Her body burst off the roof and a moment later we were high in the sky.

  The feeling was wondrous and amazing. She flapped hard, taking us higher with each beat, leaving me breathless.

  Siofra took to the sky like a natural. After the initial thrill I had to admit I was concerned she’d struggle with flight. No, she excelled in his dragon form. Maybe a little too well as we increased to a speed that was well beyond what an eagle-fey could achieve.

  The late winter’s chill bit at my travel robe, freezing my cheeks and nose. My shivering on her back caused her to slow. When we were high in the sky and the fires below were mere dots, I figure
d I could talk.

  “How does it feel?” I asked and she craned her neck like a snake to look back at me. “Uh… that is different.”

  “One word, natural,” she said delightfully. “Also yes, my head can turn like a snake. Odd, but natural.”

  I was freezing. I’d worked so hard today I was covered in grime that was not helping with the cold. Next time a thick bundling would be required for certain.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying this but we need to get me back, and you back into a human form,” I said, wishing for a warm bath.

  “How about I drop you off? Then I’ll fly for a few hours to do a scouting of the area and then have a guard lock me in the barn when I return?” she countered.

  “Works for me,” I said, crouching low against her body. “Can you see in the dark?”

  “Clearly, and better than my human eyes can see in the day. I can hear your heart beating, and your teeth clattering. My smell is incredible too. There are more than a few advantages in this form. I see the wood elves’ fleet. Borr Village in the distance has a big fire blazing and there is a troll-kin yellow portal up river in the woods,” Siofra said and I groaned.

  “Lead with the bad guys are establishing a foothold in our territory next time, you lovely war mage,” I told her. “Take us over it, but not low.”

  “I’d rather not. They have the big ones there. It’s a small army and the last thing we need is a night vision troll-kin downing us both. I will stay super high after I drop you off to recon the area better,” she said, lowering her flight to take us back already.

  The flight was not what I expected or really wanted. I wanted to be the King atop the dragon’s back, soaring into battle while flinging diabolical spells to wreck my foes. Instead I was concerned.

  There was an army on our doorstep and it wasn’t even spring yet. Troll-kin could see in the dark. Meaning I’d need to rally my troops for an attack during the day.

  “I need you to stay in dragon form,” I said.

  She halted our descent to hover above the new city portion.

  I peered down to view the large wall that was nearly finished. Even during the night I saw the new housing being done one building at a time. Outside the city big swaths of trees were being cleared for future farms.

  The city really did shine bright from the illuminating fires to stave off the cold. There was a large night shift moving below like ants constructing a city.

  “You're confusing me, Master. Why do I need to stay in dragon form?”

  “Siofra, I… I need you to scout. Then when the sun rises, if your report is positive, we’re marching an army to crush this portal. I can shut it down right?” I said.

  “The texts mention that a mage can touch a portal and will it away. Getting close enough to touch one is tough though. I think I understand your desire. You wish me in this form during battle. How about I scout and head back, later you let Alexi scout, and then we go from there?” she asked.

  I gave a humphf sigh. “You sure you’d rather not be in dragon form?”

  “Yeah, I feel natural in this body. That doesn’t mean I want to take it into battle tomorrow,” she said and I listened.

  “Alright sounds like a plan. I’ll bathe, get scouts out, and we’ll hold a proper war council. Just for you,” I said.

  She turned his neck in a one-eighty so I could see her roll her eyes.

  When she landed on the ground near the barn we departed from, curious onlookers gawked at the sight of a nearby dragon. There would be no hiding her in a city. One thing was certain, the rumors of the southern Prince and the red dragon were born on this night.

  CHAPTER 55

  Lornia - Arenia City

  60th day of the 2nd year of King Partel’s Reign

  A gush of warm air on the chilly day told me spring was nearing. The first thawing of frozen wild grass transpired as the sun rose to its zenith, producing a dewy shine on the vegetation.

  I sat atop Tsar’s back, a single human among thousands amassed in formations.

  My gear was covered in mud, my staff was fully charged, and I was ready for battle. To my left was Susanna. To my right was Siofra. Behind me, Audry rode atop an all-white mare. Tsar wanted to mount her mare to the point I wished I had spurs on.

  I had to keep the stallion focused every few minutes at first. A quick zap of magic straightened him out. My arcane skills were certainly improving as I found time to train since arriving in Arenia Port.

  Our horses stomped impatiently behind lines of archers. Ahead of the bowmen were shield bearing infantry, and off on the left and right were cavalry. This was an overwhelming force of troops meant to greet the initial invasion with a swift victory.

  The enemy had set up a base in the woods not even a thousand feet in front of us. After a half day of preparation and a half hour’s march to this point outside the woods, this was the proverbial go time.

  A cry from within the forest drew the attention of my army.

  “That’ll do it,” Alexi said from in front of me. He listened to a second cry and then a third. His eyes fixated at an angle from where the shouts of a skirmish were coming from. “Spin formation to the left!”

  His bellowed cry was echoed by unit commanders.

  The army turned for the noise, marching in formation to orient to where the enemy was coming from.

  We were in a big open field that had mostly lost its snow cover. Behind us was lengthy fields with sporadic trees. If you looked closely, you could see the black smoke of fires from Arenia Port.

  Ahead of us was about seven or eight hundred feet of cleared space that rested before a thick evergreen forest. The trees were fifty feet here with gnarled roots and minor undergrowth.

  A half dozen archers on mounts poured out of the dense woods. Hot on their heels were an army of lanky trolls with spears.

  In a desperation move the enemy launched their weapons at the horses that were gaining speed now that they were in the open. A wooden stake arced for the retreating archers, smashing into the hindquarters of the trailing horse.

  The running horse tumbled in the field, breaking the spear that had knocked it down. I watched the horse hobble away while the rider remained on the ground, motionless.

  “Ready!” Alexi cried out.

  Susanna leaned closer. “Nothing suicidal, okay,” she said with a smirk, kissing my cheek.

  “I get it, I get it. That rider is alive,” I said, noticing there was no release of power from a death. “Toval will be busy after today.”

  “Not with you,” Siofra said in a stubborn tone.

  Yeah, my ladies were teaming up on me about safety. While they were being sweet, I adored that they cared. They both wanted me to avoid charging in. Tried and true battle tactics were discussed and agreed upon.

  “I hear you clearly. No taking an arrow to the guts this time as I heroically save everyone,” I said, tapping my cheek for Siofra to kiss the other side.

  “I promise he’ll be fine,” Audry said from behind me. “Nothing will get past me, by Arenia’s will herself.”

  That sounded ominous. I was going to bug her but our conversation was put on hold when additional troll-kin exited the woods in the hundreds. That was enough for Alexi who was macro managing the battle.

  I could override him, or take his spot, but he knew the troops the best besides Norlan. I trusted Alexi, I really did. Just not as much as I trusted Norlan. I had left my captain of the guard behind to protect Toval, Libby, and Rivinia.

  Our city had to hold if we lost here.

  Hell, there had to be someone to blunt the invasion so the populace could load the ships to flee too. There was a lot of risk marching out of our walls. The hope was we could earn a quick win and all the reports said we would.

  I decisively picked this option after hearing the facts. I wanted to send an early message in the coming war.

  Southern Lornia was going to defend its lands.

  “Fire!” Alexi shouted.

  Trumpets
blared three short toots.

  Archers nocked arrows, aimed them high into the sky, and released a volley of a thousand darkening arrows as one.

  The flood of gray skinned beasts continued to emerge from the woods. So far, it was only the exploding gremlin types and the lanky spear holders.

  Trees in the background swayed. A loud crack erupted, sending distant birds into flight as a tree toppled. I frowned at the sight, pausing to watch the forest.

  Something big was coming to the front and this was unexpected.

  Based on Siofra’s dragon scouting we vastly outnumbered our foes as of a day ago. There should only be infantry trolls and the gremlins who helped them survive and sustain. No ogres, shaman, or crag riders were seen at all.

  Apparently that changed, because there already were more troops exiting the forest than anticipated.

  “Another volley!” Alexi shouted, taking a hand from straight in the air to slicing it down.

  I watched the first set of arrows blanket the sky as they fell down. A few of the troll-kin panicked but most were curious as to why there was a human army outside the trees.

  The arrows dove into the enemy. Orbs shot out of bodies as hundreds died from our thousands of projectiles. There were shrieks and roars of agony.

  Twang!

  A second set of arrows rushed out to greet the enemy that continued to increase in numbers. I frowned at all the energy I couldn’t steal.

  When a massive ogre the size of a small house exited the trees, I grimaced. This new arrival didn’t hesitate. The ogre took charge, bellowed a war cry, and pointed at our forces.

  Arrows landed among the growing mass of enemy troops, killing trolls by the dozens.

  I saw the power of the dead floating into the blood soaked dirt, sighing at seeing the power vanish. I’d get my turn here soon enough.

  “Seems the warm air welcomed more of them to come,” Siofra said in a grumble. “I swear there weren’t this many when I scouted.”

  “Fret not, my scouts didn’t see the ogres either,” Alexi said in a friendly tone. The man yelled over his shoulder, “Free fire!”