by Jay Lynn
After the door clicked shut behind the sorceress, Alec rang for a servant. Picking up a knife he headed towards the washroom. While he waited for a bath to be prepared, the scuff on his face was going to be the first thing to go.
More than an hour later, Alec emerged from his bathroom freshly scrubbed and shaven. It was the most human he’d felt in a long time. Tying his belt over his new tunic as he strolled back into his bedchamber, his steps suddenly came to a halt. Half a smile appeared on the side of Alec’s face. While he was gone, Isabelle’s presence was replaced by Leos.
The gruff earl stood by a window with a hand resting on the frame. A thoughtful frown pleated his brows as he gazed out at the mountainous terrain. The moment Alec came into view, he spun around and strode across the space.
Alec tried not to wince as he was tightly embraced. With a chuckle, he willingly returned the gesture. He missed the warrior as well, and was starting to get used to such signs of affection.
“I knew you were alive,” Leos declared stepping back with a bright grin. “I was not going to misjudge your survival skills yet again. I knew those pompous windbags in the capital were mistaken.”
Alec’s smile faded. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised that we were abandoned.”
Leos shook his head. “Not everyone gave up. Malcolm never stopped seeking your location. King Titus has been continuously working with Rhordack to find new leads, and even Duke Stafford contacted everyone he knows in Zerrok. There just weren’t any clues. It was as if you both vanished. I spent weeks looking for you myself.”
The warrior blinked. “How long were we gone?”
“Over three months. Since the soldiers you were sold to never returned to their base, your trail was almost impossible to track.”
“I wonder why they didn’t go back.”
The noble shrugged. “Perhaps they discovered it was no longer under their control. My troops wiped out both settlements under The Pure’s command.”
“Perhaps,” Alec agreed.
There was no way for them to know for sure. The Pure did seem to be filled with some slippery individuals. There was also the leak within the sages to consider. Had they found the traitor while he was imprisoned?
“Feel up to joining me for a walk?” Leos questioned, breaking into Alec’s private thoughts.
The offer of fresh air and open spaces was too tempting to pass up. Pulling his cloak around his shoulders, Alec strolled beside the earl as they traveled through the castle and out into the courtyard.
During their journey down the corridors, Alec noticed he was receiving some unusual looks. Once outside it intensified. Soldiers, servants and nobles alike were watching Alec with a variety of poorly disguised stares. As the sorcerer kept pace with Leos, his eyes scanned the courtyard. There were some who smiled and bowed, others who gawked, and a few who either tracked his movements suspiciously or backed away as they whispered behind their hands.
Alec bristled. Riding a dragon into the castle grounds had not been to his benefit. Every time he was free of people’s fearful glares, something would cause them to arise anew. Would he never escape their constant judgments?
Trying to focus on anything else, Alec followed Leos up onto the battlements. They slowly moved among the soldiers until they came to a quiet spot overlooking the city. Those in the courtyard could not see them from here. Exhaling, Alec’s shoulders sagged as he leaned on the stone wall.
Below, people flowed through the maze of streets which descended the mountain. Snow had fallen recently, covering the rooftops with a blanket of white and leaving melting mounds beside dwellings and on street corners. Well acquainted with heavy snowfalls, the weather did not hinder the bustling city’s activity.
Gazing over towards the valley where he met up with Cassidy, Alec wondered how the green dragon was fairing. He hadn’t seen her since before his initiation into the Emerald Sages. Had she found a more ‘interesting’ human to watch over? Alec doubted it. Cassidy knew more about his strange connection to dragons than she claimed. He was tired of being kept in the dark.
Alec lightly pounded a fist on the stone wall. At least Leos was always straight forward with him. He glanced to the side.
The noble was looking out at the city with a slight smile.
Following his gaze, Alec too, peered into the distance. While the state of the kingdom might be unknown, at this moment, it didn’t seem to matter. On top of the battlements everything was quiet and peaceful.
Too bad I can’t stay here forever.
“Amazing, is it not?” Leos asked breaking the surrounding silence. “I come up here to remind myself what it is I am protecting. Did you know our lands stretch from the sea all the way to the top of the Black Mountains?”
Alec shook his head.
“For two hundred years our family has been guarding Malyndor from this spot. It is a noble task which cannot be left to just anyone.”
Brows lowering somewhat, Alec watched the earl carefully. They had spoken at length many times, yet the warrior could not recall him behaving so strangely. Did he really say ‘our’ instead of ‘my’? Alec pushed the thought aside. He must be reading too much into it. Turning, he propped a hip against the wall as the earl continued to speak.
“A lot has happened since our paths first crossed. I must confess, Alec, my reasons for bringing you to Marcia were quite selfish.” Leos watched as Alec smiled. “Do you remember our last meeting when you were a boy?”
“Of course.”
“I never told you, but I went back a few weeks later…for you.”
Alec froze. Eyes locked on Leos, he didn’t dare move a muscle.
“Not just to see you, but to buy your freedom, Alec. You were the son I was never blessed with. I wanted to bring you here, to Marcia, and make you a part of my family. Those wishes have not changed.”
The warrior opened his mouth, then closed it. He must be misunderstanding the noble’s words.
“Leos, what are you saying?”
The other man released a short laugh and shook his head. Placing a hand on Alec’s shoulder, he clarified, “Alec, I want you to become an official member of the House of Kegan, as my son and heir.”
Alec simply stared at him. Then, blinking rapidly, his brain tried to process a reply. Leos wanted him as his son? He was no one, just an expendable peasant with no last name and a knack for finding danger. He couldn’t possibly become a noble. It didn’t work that way.
“I was a slave,” Alec finally managed. “There’s no way I could become a lord or be responsible for protecting this city and all these people. I’m no one, Leos,” he said bitterly looking out beyond the battlements.
The noble didn’t back down. His hand still resting on the warrior’s shoulder, he gave it an encouraging squeeze.
“One’s birth does not define the type of man he is or his worth in my eyes. It is a man’s actions which define him. Just look at Lord Vincent. He was born with all the wealth, privilege, and power a man could desire. Yet, he lacks half the strength of character I have seen in you time and again. You are far more worthy than you realize, Alec. You must stop thinking of yourself as a slave. It is not who you are.”
Gaze lowering, Alec gripped the unyielding stone beside him. Leos’s words impacted him with the effectiveness of a blow. The sorcerer joined the Emerald Sages to become more and gain the merit he needed to ask for Jade’s hand. Somewhere along the way, he forgot all that he had accomplished. His return to Zerrok only served to deepen the doubts still plaguing him. Malcolm never thought him insignificant. Neither did Leos. Even Roderick now treated him with the utmost confidence. In the eyes of those who mattered, Alec earned his place because he proved himself. What could make a person more worthy than that?
“I would be honored to be a part of your family,” Alec answered at last, meaning every word.
Lunging forward, Leos grabbed Alec in a bear hug. “Well kiddo, you better get used to calling me father.”
Sitting in his c
hambers, Alec stretched out in a deep armchair with a book propped open on his lap. The sorcerer hadn’t found much tranquility since arriving in Marcia and he was enjoying some time to himself without either Leos or Isabelle hovering close by.
Suddenly, the door to his room flew open.
A knife practically materialized in his hand as Alec bolted upright.
Chest heaving, Malcolm stood in the entry encased in a damp, dirt stained cloak. Striding forward, he approached Alec just as the sorcerer sheathed his blade. A hand grasped each shoulder as the wizard bent down to study his former apprentice.
“Alec? That is you isn’t it?” Malcolm questioned, looking him over. Sighing, the sage’s shoulders sagged as he dropped into a neighboring chair. “I told those fools you were alive. Still,” his gaze lowered to the ground, “I failed to protect you, yet again.”
Again? “My capture wasn’t your fault Malcolm,” Alec dismissed with a wave of his hand.
The wizard shook his head, causing the younger sorcerer to frown. “I never should have allowed you to go. You have a gift, Alec, and I’ve done my best to look out for you, to protect you. Though, I suppose I’ve ended up sheltering you too much. In some ways, I’m the old fool.”
Brow lifting, Alec pulled back. His heart started to pound in his chest. Instinctively, he knew this was the talk Malcolm wanted to have with him prior to his departure.
“Does this protecting include enchanting my necklace to shield my magic?” he ventured.
Malcolm looked at him incredulously for a moment, then his shoulders sagged with a sigh. “That is part of it,” he admitted. “How did you know?”
Alec didn’t answer.
The sage held his gaze for a second before the warrior broke eye contact. Continuing to watch his former apprentice, Malcolm nodded to himself.
“I see. What precisely did the dragon tell you?”
The warrior’s eyes snapped back to Malcolm’s face. At first, he couldn’t answer. He’s not fishing. He knows. How does he know?
The corners of his mouth dropping in a frown, Alec bristled. “Dragon’s don’t talk.”
“To normal sorcerers, no. But to you they should,” Malcolm leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I meant it when I said you were special, Alec. Do you remember the night I came to the barracks to assess your power after you were injured?”
“Not much of it.”
Malcolm bobbed his head. “I saw your mark.”
Alec straightened. “Wait, you’ve been aware of it this entire time?”
“Yes, and it is a sign of greater power then you could possibly imagine. Would you have believed me if I told you when we first met that you would be able to speak with dragons?”
Exhaling with a long hiss, the sorcerer raked a hand through his hair as he leaned back in his chair.
Malcolm tilted his head to the side. “The red dragon wasn’t the first, was it?”
Slowly, Alec shook his head.
“You surprise me, my boy. It seems I’m not the only one keeping secrets.”
Alec shot him a quick glare. “Alright, so I can talk to them. What does it mean?”
“You’re not cursed, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
A deep frown touched Alec’s lips. What, was the sage reading his mind now? Unsure if he should be cross or elated that Malcolm knew about his mark, Alec told himself to be calm. The wizard was kinder to him than anyone but Leos. He wouldn’t seek to bring him harm. Of that, Alec was certain. All he wanted now was answers.
“Then why am I marked?”
“About five hundred years ago, when Malyndor was first forged out of the ashes of the Great Dragon War, a prophecy was foretold by a trusted seer. According to ancient records, he said this:
‘Ancient dragons, their magic combine,
the blood of one throughout his line.
Till born a child mightier than any blade,
on whom the mark of power shall not fade.
Once to its owner, the magic returns,
a new light awakens, strongly it burns.
Evil will rise; beast and man must unite,
or darkness reign, and hope takes flight.’”
“Only a select few know those words and their significance to the dragon mark you bear,” Malcolm finished, his gaze never leaving Alec’s face.
Rising to his feet, Alec pressed his fingers against his temples. “Wait, so there was a prophecy that someone would be born with this mark? And you said something about dragons combining their magic. Combine it with what?”
Malcolm gave him a look that told Alec he already knew the answer.
“Surely you jest,” the sorcerer scoffed. “I have dragon’s magic?”
“Is it that difficult to believe? Come now, Alec. Name another sorcerer who can cast spells without a creation spell. Speaking with dragons is only a taste of your true power. There is magic in your very blood. You are a link between our kinds. And as such, your destiny will change the fate of this entire kingdom. You are very important to the King.”
Alec blinked, then shook his head violently. “I don’t want to be the…the kingdom’s savior,” he declared slashing the air with his hand.
Helping people was one thing, but this kind of power would bring all the wrong types of attention. Every noble in the land, and possibly neighboring lands, would be seeking for him to join them. Leos and Jade were different. Alec knew there were some good nobles out there. However, many only cared for themselves and the warrior refused to be a pawn. No one was going to use him again.
“I won’t be a tool for a bunch of pompous, egotistical nobles,” the younger sage ground out in a low voice.
Interlacing his fingers, Malcolm waited a moment to speak.
“Alec, that is not what I meant, but as an Emerald Sage, you do already work for the Royal Family. Who, in case you have forgotten, are nobles as well as good people.”
The warrior glared at him. Crossing his arms, he turned his head away.
“With everything you’ve gone through, I know this isn’t easy for you to hear. After you’re done plotting my demise, perhaps you will see why I did not inform you of this sooner.” And won’t be telling you the entire truth today.
Unable to remain where he was, Alec’s long legs carried him from one side of the chamber to the other.
Malcolm said nothing further.
Privately, Alec agreed with his teacher. Had he been informed of this ancient prophecy while still under the sage’s tutelage, he might have boarded the closest ship and sailed as far from the western kingdoms as he could get. Returning to the other sorcerer, Alec stopped beside his chair.
“What happens now?”
“Nothing,” Malcolm replied simply.
Alec’s one brow rose.
The great sage laughed. “You don’t need to look at me like that. As I’m sure you are aware, your powers are still growing. Focusing on controlling them is a must. Take some time to process what it is you are destined for.”
“There’s more to this prophecy, isn’t there?” Alec observed.
“Yes,” Malcolm answered dipping his head. “And I promise, I’m not doing this to be cruel. I want what’s best for you. We shall discuss it soon; but for now, I do believe I’ve given you enough surprises for one day.” Anymore and his powers might lash out.
The sage doubted Alec was aware that his aura started to glow faintly while he was pacing. His magical abilities were rapidly increasing. Another upset at this time could shatter his control. The Cunning Sage knew he couldn’t risk bringing any other secrets to light. The darkest ones would have to wait.
A hand flew through the air as it connected with Vincent’s cheek. Biting back a curse, he could taste a few drops of blood from the new cut on his lip. Eyes blazing, the Earl of Parlen glared at his son with a sneer.
“I do not want to hear another word about Lady Stafford. As far as I am concerned, you have done quite enough damage to our family’s honor over that girl
.”
“I thought you would be pleased with my choice. She’s the daughter of a duke.” Vincent didn’t dare say her name this time.
“It would not matter if she was the daughter of a king at this point,” the earl scoffed. “You have no chance of making a match after your last stunt. Do you know the type of mockery you have brought upon us? My own son, banished from another lord’s holdings over a battle with a lowly soldier, of all things!”
Spinning away, his father strode over towards his desk.
“It was only temporary,” Vincent whined.
His six months leave from Stafford was over, yet his father had not agreed to him returning. Vincent curled his fists as his gaze dropped to the floor. He had been so close to securing Jade as his bride. Even now, Alec still seemed to be causing him issues. To think a filthy peasant could be such a thorn in his side.
“Yes,” his father was saying picking up a letter. “The fact that Duke Stafford chose not to take the matter of your behavior up with the King was your only saving grace. Fortunately, this embarrassment can be put behind us as long as you do exactly as I say.”
“Of course, Father.”
He wasn’t going to argue with him if it meant winning back some freedom to pursue his own goals.
“Lord Kegan of Marcia is finally naming an heir. There is to be a ball in his honor.” The earl flipped the letter over and then back with a frown. “No name has been given. I never took Leos as one for a flair for the dramatics.”
He cleared his throat, setting the paper down. “I want you to attend. You are to make friends with the future earl and win back some good will with the other nobles. By no means are you to bother the Staffords. I mean it, Vincent,” his father told him pointing his finger. “Any embarrassment and I shall deal with you accordingly.”
“You have my word, Father. Lord Kegan’s new heir will well remember me.”
“Good. Now be off with you,” the earl said, making a shooing motion with his hand. “I have work to attend to.”
