by K Fisher
“What is it you’re asking, Atair?”
“I want to work under the ruler once again, the rightful and honorable ruler. I know that Alni and your warlock are not here. I have been in Glade and the Elven lands, I hear the whispers from the darkest corners and fear that someone is trying to harm or attack you. I am here to temporarily stand in as your warlock, to do whatever needs to be done to keep you and the lands safe - if you’ll have me.”
Dora froze, eyes narrowing briefly as she tried her hardest to assume the intent from the man before her. Her gut was calm but her mind wandered, finding it curious that he had arrived just as the mental warfare was being reigned down upon her and the taunting of the curse at its worst. “How do I know you’re not the danger here, Atair? Why should I trust you in such an important and close position?”
He nodded quickly, almost as if he expected her to ask that very question. “Naturally you’re suspicious. I get it, the last time we met, I wasn’t in the best of conditions but you cannot argue that my interest is in the freedom of the people, and at this moment you’re the one that can ensure that. I am not influenced by money or evil, otherwise I’d never have left my station to protect the less fortunate, so you can ensure I have not been propositioned to come before you by anyone. Come to think of it, kid, I might be one of the only people here you can actually trust right now.”
“Kid? You really are confident. If you want to guard anything more than a bridge for the rest of your existence you better start acting like my equal and not some nuisance. If I wanted someone to degrade me, I’d keep my family closer,” Dora snapped, unable to stop her exhaustion from getting the better of her and the anger to lash out.
Atair must have seen something flash across her eyes because the grin he had sported a moment before was erased and he pulled his chair out a few inches, adjusting it so he was facing her. He reached a hand into the pocket of his tunic and Dora put up a hand to stop Phillip as he took a quick step towards him. She was certain he couldn’t be stupid enough or have any reason to actually hurt her.
The realization hit her hard. He didn’t have any real reason to harm her. At least nothing like the others she came into contact with on a regular basis, her seemingly innocent aunt, as well. A woman that would have every claim to the throne if Dora was removed from the situation and ceased to rule.
“There are a great many things that I learned during my brief time under Mallor’s rule. I told you once before I’d seen the Stone of Dragons and the Mystic Dragon, I was around when the stone was broken and the pieces scattered. In fact, I was close to a certain elf that assisted in taking a piece of that very stone from Mallor’s grasp. During this time I never said a thing to Mallor or endangered the life of my friend, if you are in contact with your warlock, Bethinium, he can vouch for me. He knows how close I was to Daeso.”
“Daeso Dalcan?” Dora whispered, the name in her head familiar.
“Yes, Alni’s father. I had no idea the skinny beanpole was his son or the interaction would have been a little bit different. That being said, it didn’t take long to connect the dots after word of his and your win started to spread throughout the Nevina Forests. I was able to track down the town he lived in, the situation he had left behind, and the fate of Daeso and his wife.”
“So you’re tempting me with information?”
“No, I’m promising you the information whether you give me the position or not. Besides, the information doesn’t directly apply to the situation at hand. That being said, I can assist you in weeding out those who want to cause you harm. Right now, you don’t have magic at your back and that was the very thing that has helped you get to this point. Don’t turn me away, give me something to fight for once more.” There was a desperation at the edge of Atair’s voice, a crack that allowed some of his true emotions to escape.
Dora was quiet, allowing the silence to drag on before she took a deep breath. When she let the air she had been holding out, she looked over her shoulder at Phillip and Marianne. “Please leave for a moment.”
They looked at each other but did not argue as they left their stations next to her, opening the large door leading out of the room and into the large hallways. Once the wooden doors were closed and the two of them were alone, her shoulders sagged as she allowed her guard to fall.
“There is something trying to make me go mad, Atair. A force that’s taunting my dreams and creeping around my room. I believe it’s a curse that has either recently been cast or something placed here before Mallor was killed, if there’s a spell that intelligent. Something that knows how to get into my head. I followed it to a… Apothecary? Spell room? Secret place here and have been able to get my hands on some books, as well as a journal owned by Daeso Dalcan. I haven’t stopped reading them, pouring over the pages. I need some help getting a grip and sorting this before I go mad and they all use the lack of dragons or power at my back to take me away from the throne.” The confession came out in one long breath, Dora staring at him wide-eyed after the words left her lips, unable to stop them once she had started. “I will choose to accept your help but if you betray me in any way, I’ll ensure you’re food to Silthia when she returns. She mentioned missing the taste of human flesh, something about it being delightfully gamey.”
“Well…” Atair was speechless as he mulled everything over, shock clear as day on his face. If Dora needed any further confirmation that the warlock wasn’t behind the recent attacks on her sanity, his reaction was consistent with innocence. Finally, after a few more silent moments stretched between them both he spoke again, his voice low and rumbling as a smile broke across his face and his white teeth shone.
“I guess we better get to reading, then.”
Chapter Eleven
When Alni and Bethinium had started their trek up the mountainside there had been a slight chill in the morning air. Now that they had continued on for several hours in direct elevation up the winding pathways, it was positively icy.
Alni swore for the third time in the past few minutes as his shoes slid on the ground. Grabbing onto air, he attempted to steady himself, succeeding in the battle not to fall, unlike the last two times he slipped. All around them, the once lush trees had thinned with the winds, the snow and ice heavy on naked branches as they sagged towards the ground. Their breath came out as vapor before them, the only warmth they had to rely on were the small balls of flame in their hands. Alni had two, one in each hand and Bethinium had one large flame in his right, a walking stick he had procured during their climb in his left.
The stick had simply been laying on the side of the pathway, picked up without comment by Bethinium as they walked by. During the last few hours they traveled he had whittled away at the bark during their breaks until deep, swirling designs covered the entire branch, the top curved with two protruding stubs where smaller branches had once grown. The walking stick’s top reminded Alni of an elk’s horns, only the smallest of miniature branches growing from each of the stubs.
“Up ahead the trail comes to a stop and we will reach a clearing, that should be around where Silthia is hiding and I’m sure she will hear us coming. Only the dwarves know how to proceed from there. Well, the dwarves and those who have been trusted with the information.”
“So if the dwarves hate magic so much, why did they do anything for you? Let alone hold onto a key for you for so long,” Alni inquired, staring back forward on the trail as he dodged another patch of ice.
“The key was easy, truth be told. They are very confident beings and entrusting a key that would keep an evil force at bay was something they were glad to have control over. As for me? I’m the very reason dragons cannot get to the top of this mountainside and they were safe from them. When Dora’s Grandfather created the Stone of Dragons, he wanted control over the dwarven mountainside and High Mountains as well. He sent the dragons to terrorize them. I was young and traveling at the time, but have always been quite capable. It was a tricky spell, but it kept them all safe and I
’ve been in good favor. Granted, as long as Meek and Brig are still living, not sure anyone else would recognize me with this beard.” Bethinium shook his head, the beard whipping about as another icy gust of wind hit them.
Alni groaned, the fire in his hands going out as he reached for his head to pull his cap down over his ears, head lowering against the cold. Just before he covered his ears, he picked up on a rustling ahead. Looking over to Bethinium, it was clear he had heard the same. He lifted one flamed finger to his lips, gesturing for Alni to stay silent as he jerked his head towards a few trees to their left.
Leaving the pathway, Bethinium and Alni snuck forward through the trees. The snow was freshly powdered, making far less sound than the icy path they had traveled before. When they came to the edge of the clearing, they shrunk down and peered through the trees.
Silthia’s large tail lay close by, the end flicking erratically against the icy ground as she busied herself with something unseen on the outskirts of the trail and clearing. Her long head whipped around when they peered from the trees, a smile cracking at the edge of her scaled lips.
“It’s about time you two came. I didn’t find food, but I did find the way,” she rumbled out, turning her body to face them as they left the protection of the trees and approached her.
“Can I trade the way for some food?” Alni piped up, surprised at the overwhelming feeling of relief that washed over him the moment he saw Silthia was safe, pausing only when he caught sight what was clutched in Silthia’s talons. “Is that…?”
Silthia looked down at the thing in her possession, her eyes narrowing in a warning at it before she released it, allowing the small man to spill out upon the ground before them. He gasped, not standing as he clutched a hand to his chest and tried to regain control of his breathing, eyes wide and big as they stared at the two of them, unfocused.
Bethinium took a step forward, observing the dwarf for a moment before the flame in his own hands went out and he grasped the walking stick with both hands, tapping it against the ground in excitement over and over again, his voice joyous and bellowing across the clearing.
“Oh glorious day! Brig, is that really you?”
The dwarf’s eyes came into focus, stopping when they reached Bethinium’s excited frame. He slowly rose to his feet and took several steps towards the warlock, coming to a halt when he reached the two of them. Silthia’s tail flicked to the side dangerously, her eyes sharply on the dwarf and every movement he made. Her crimson eyes bled amethyst around the edges, almost glowing as she prepared to stop the dwarf if he tried anything risky.
But there soon appeared to be no need for her protection, the dwarf’s hands clapping together in happiness as his fear turned to excitement and he laughed loudly. “Oh Bethinium, ya old bag, I hardly recognized yer face! You know this angry lizard?” He jerked his hand towards Silthia, receiving a huff of disapproval from the dragon in response.
“Her name is Silthia, she’s a blessing to behold. This is my friend, Alni - half-elf, little bit of magic, but respectable fellow. No reckless power tossing over here. We’re looking to meet with Meek and I guess I didn’t think you’d still be head patrol at the clearing! It’s just circumstance you’re the one she was able to get her claws on. But fear not, she won’t be going the rest of the way, the protection up high on the mountain is still in place.”
“A mighty fine spell, at that,” Brig piped up, his voice high and squeaky. It was a direct contrast to his stout, strong frame and wrinkled face. Alni had expected a low grumble or something unpleasant. Of course, the only dwarf he had come in contact with thus far had tried to banish both Bethinium and himself out of the tavern on the mountainside. “I ne’er thought we would see ya again. Why do ya need to get to Meek? I mean, I’m sure he’d be happy ta see yer face…”
“I’ve got to check on a key and inquire about potential travel across the Yurel,” Bethinium responded simply.
The moment he brought it up, Brig’s face darkened, his brow furrowing as a trail of mumbled words spilled from his lips. They tied into one another, making the dialogue incoherent and unpleasant.
Now that was more like it. There’s the dwarf demeanor he had been waiting for.
“Will the boy be coming with?” Brig finally forced out, regaining his composure and providing no further explanation to the three of them. Although, from the look on Bethinium’s old face, it was clear he had come to expect the reaction from his friend.
“No, he will be returning in a day’s time,” Silthia growled out.
Both Bethinium and Alni paused, heads snapping to look at her as the new information hit their ears.
“Silthia is just as hungry as I am and has no idea what she’s talking about,” Alni shook his head, certain it had something to do with being apart from Bethinium and himself any longer and the bond they both had. No matter the reasoning behind her declaration, there was no possible way he’d wait a day for Bethinium to go off into the High Mountains.
Bethinium was silent, his eyes on Silthia as they exchanged a few moments of eye-contact. When he looked away, it was with a curt nod in her direction and his next words were directed to Alni. “Alni, trust the decision and listen to Silthia, she will explain her reasoning. I’ll be perfectly safe with my old friend.” With those words, he extended a long hand and leaned down, clasping it onto the shoulder of Brig with a smile. “I will be seeing you tomorrow.”
“No, you two can explain yourselves now,” Alni fought, feeling the burn of anger deep in his stomach. The hunger, exhaustion, and cold were starting to get to him and the idea that he was being treated like a young child and told to just follow blindly was beyond his comprehension. There was a familiar burn of magic at his fingertips, the reaction to his emotions that had otherwise been under his control the past few weeks. Shock registered and he shoved his hand into his cloak, eyes narrowed at them both.
Silthia was not focused on them anymore, instead, her eyes were on the trees near the clearing, her body crouched and prepped. The lack of relaxation in her had Alni further on edge, almost as if his energy were feeding from her own and amplifying the sudden burst of emotions.
“I am asking you to please, trust me, Alni,” Bethinium said once more, his eyes firmly on his as they hardened, screaming a message Alni did not know how to receive and understand.
Behind gritted teeth, Alni took a deep and controlled breath and forced the warming at his fingertips to calm and cool once again within his pocket, regaining control over his magic.
“I see.” It was all he managed to say.
“Wonderful!” Bethinium’s happy voice responded, giving Brig’s shoulder a soft squeeze before using the grasp to turn the dwarf around and away from them. The man had a look of confusion on his face but appeared to be pleased enough to be out of Silthia’s clutches, and with a familiar person heading back home to safety.
The two of them walked across the clearing, speaking softly to each other as they strolled. Alni watched as they disappeared from sight, each step they took away from himself and Silthia making it more difficult for him to keep control over the magic he possessed and the anger he felt. When they had disappeared altogether he finally turned to Silthia, eyes shooting daggers at the dragon as he waited for an explanation.
“We are taking a small detour,” she said finally, jerking her head towards her back for him to get on. “It will only take a short time, I hope.”
“Where are we going? I’m not a child, Silthia. I thought we were all in this together, I thought we all had the same common mission to get Taber and prevent him from bringing back his mom. I don’t remember there being a part of that where you and Bethinium get to secretly plan things without letting me in and decide detours without me hearing about it.”
Her crimson eyes flashed down to Alni’s pockets where his hand was stuffed, appearing to pick up on the flash of magic along with his emotions. Her head snaked forward and stopped before him, nostrils flaring as she sniffed at the air in
front of Alni’s face, blowing the red hair that poked out from his hat in all directions when she exhaled. His body didn’t move an inch, fixing her with a challenging glare as they stared each other down.
Suddenly, her lips peeled back from her large, white teeth and she nudged her head forward towards his cloak. She bit onto the fabric quickly and gently, lifting him into the air with ease despite the kicking of his long legs and the wiggling of his body as he attempted to escape the prison of his cloak in her grasp.
“Put me down! Silthia!” But Alni’s words did nothing as she released him on her back, his hands jumping out to grab hold of one of her spikes as he kept himself from sliding down to the ground below. Before he had a chance to safely get free of her back, she lowered her head and tensed her legs. Alni gasped, quickly securing both hands on her large spike and feet against her opal scales as he held on tightly, knowing just what he was bracing for.
She pushed up from the icy ground, soaring through the clearing and up into the dark clouds away from the mountainside, leaving Bethinium at the mercy of the dwarves.
Chapter Twelve
They were soaring back down the mountainside, leaving Bethinium and the unknown trials he would face long behind. Each beat of Silthia’s wings pushed Alni’s anger further through his body until it radiated from his toes to the top of his head. There was no possible way his magic would allow him to be silent, even if his mouth remained shut.
Sparks of magic erupted from Alni’s fingertips, glowing along the spike he held onto. The power holding him safely against Silthia’s flying body was something Bethinium had taught him and he’d previously perfected it, but with the rage he felt, his power was inconsistent and flickering, scarcely holding him safe.
