I kept my breaths shallow, not wanting to inhale the homunculi who had probably used this passageway to ascend the mountain. This was another breach to the mountain’s structure I would need to report to Madam Maritimus.
A loud thud of four feet hitting the ground sounded outside. I hoped it was a dragon and not a quartet of jumping homunculi.
“Where are you?” Fyrian asked.
“On our way. Do you see any homunculi?”
“No, but I can smell them.”
I relayed Fyrian’s message to the others, and they groaned. The explosion earlier had probably alerted the homunculi to our location. We continued through the corridor until Evolene’s magic detected an opening.
Moments later, we stepped out into a different area of pastureland. This one consisted of clover and mixed grasses, dotted with a few purple wildflowers. A giant sequoia stood several yards away, its insides hollow and black. Judging by the slivers of bright sunlight bleeding through where the dark clouds were thinnest, I guessed it was about midday.
“Where is Fyrian?” asked Niger.
I scratched my head. “We must have taken a wrong turn. This exit must have taken us to another part of the mountain.” I reached into our bond. “Fyri, we’re somewhere different now. There’s a giant sequoia whose insides have been burnt—”
“The lightning tree?”
I’d always thought lightning made trees split, but I supposed it could burn them from the inside. “Ummm… I think so.”
“It’s not far. Hold on.”
“She’s coming,” I said to the others.
A rain of pebbles fell onto our backs with several thuds. I whirled around and glanced up at the first terrace. A pair of homunculi stood at a wooden catapult the size of a small carriage.
I was ready to unsheathe my sword, when Niger grabbed my arm. “We should run.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s another lot trying to work out where to throw the explosives!” shouted Evolene from a point halfway to the lightning tree.
A second rain of stones fell on our heads, and I glanced behind us. Four homunculi held glass jars stuffed with what looked like flaming fireworks.
My stomach dropped, but my feet sprang into action. I sprinted alongside Niger, making fast progress toward the lightning tree.
Boom!
A small explosion sent massive clumps of earth and vegetation splattering on our backs, and probably sticking to our invisibility cloaks. Niger growled and picked up his speed. I had to sprint hard to keep up.
BOOM!
The force of the next explosion sent us both stumbling. Niger righted himself first and dragged me forward. “The next one will kill us if we don’t run faster!”
A roar of outrage filled the air, so loud it rattled my bones. Fyrian swooped down from the skies, eyes blazing with crimson fury, dagger-like teeth exposed in a snarl. She opened her jaws, revealing a ball of flames rotating in the back of her throat. Then, as we passed under her body, she exhaled a stream of fire.
Heat warmed my back with the intensity of a midday sun. The burst and squelches of the homunculi brought bile to the back of my throat, and I swallowed hard. Anything was better than the fate those alchemists had planned for us.
BOOOM!!
By the time we reached the lighting tree, our invisibility cloaks reverted back into singed hospital sheets. Niger clutched his nose and gagged. “Disgusting!”
Fyrian soared back up into the air, wings outstretched. I leaned my back on the tree. “Where are you going?”
“Turning around,” she replied.
Evolene pulled off her hood. “If Fyrian hadn’t arrived, they’d have brought out that huge explosive.”
I wiped the sweat off my brow and tried to shake away the ringing in my skull. “That explains the third boom.”
Niger grabbed me by the shoulders. “Are you all right?”
I blinked. “Y-yes. I’m fine.” My gaze slid to Evolene, who stared at us with her mouth slack. Why wasn’t he checking on her? She was half my size, timid, and wasn’t disguised as a boy. “You can let go, now.”
He stepped back and blew out a breath, running his hand through his long, auburn locks. “If anything happened to you under my care, the Prince Regent would cleave me in half!”
My hopes of things returning to normal with Niger deflated, along with my spirits. I’d at least have thought that after the adventures we’d shared, he’d see me as more than a delicate Princess. I’d dueled and defeated King Magnar’s battle form in his presence, yet one sniff of my true scent had him treating me like I was Father’s property to safeguard. I ground my teeth. This was nearly as mortifying as being bartered to King Magnar… Only because Niger was supposed to be my friend.
I folded my arms. “Why would His Highness bother himself about the fate of a cadet?”
“Because you are his dau—” His face dropped, and he cast a guilty glance at Evolene, who was pretending to study the lightning tree’s blackened interior.
“Come on, then. Let’s rescue Magnar!” Fyrian landed behind the lightning tree. She lowered herself into a crouch.
Evolene rushed toward Fyrian. I let out a quiet huff and headed after her.
Niger took my hand. “Princess—”
“Don’t call me that, please.”
His brow furrowed. “I have offended you.”
I shook my head. Things could have gone worse. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” A lump formed in my throat, making me gulp. “Mount Fornax has been more than I could have wished for, and I’m not ready to let everyone know I don’t qualify to be part of a brotherhood.”
“But the witches—”
“They dine in a separate room and don’t mix with the warriors. And I’m not one of them.”
He grinned. “You are more like Her Majesty, except she does not hide herself under a glamor.”
“Her father didn’t try to marry her off to a warlord,” I muttered.
He reared back. “King Magnar?”
“HURRY UP!” Fyrian bellowed into our bond.
I winced. “Fyrian’s getting impatient. We have to go.”
He squeezed my hand, and a flush bloomed on my cheeks. Up until now, I hadn’t noticed he’d been holding my hand ever since Master Jesper had exposed my true scent. I ducked my head and rushed to Fyrian.
I had just let go of Niger’s hand, when Fyrian shouted, “Behind you!”
A quartet of homunculi stepped out from behind the lightning tree. I snarled. “It was a hidden passageway!”
Fyrian sprang to her feet to face the homunculi.
“Never mind that.” Niger pulled me to one side. We rushed toward her tail, but it thrashed too fast for us to climb.
“I’ll burn them all before they hurt Magnar!”
I sprinted out of the way, hoping Evolene had an enchantment to help her stick to an angry dragon. “The loyalty elixir had gotten her riled up.”
She lowered her head, baring her teeth at the creatures. That’s when I noticed they carried what looked like a net of red algae.
“Attack them, Fyri!” I yelled.
“You two are in my way. If you get burned, you won’t be able to help me rescue Magnar.”
“Then fly up! It’s some kind of trap.”
Fyrian hesitated, seeming to decide between self-preservation and burning the homunculi before they killed King Magnar. Her delay gave the hooded fiends enough of an opening to throw the net over her head.
The net caught in her horns, and no amount of head-shaking could remove it. Fyrian pushed up on her front legs, but they trembled too much to support her weight.
My breath caught. “What is that?”
“It’s hurting her!” Evolene cried.
I sprinted forward, unsheathing my Parched Sword.
Niger grabbed my arm and pulled me back. “She looks about to fall. We must keep our distance.”
“But she’s still weak from the plague!” I tried yanking my arm fr
ee, but his grip was too strong.
“Oh… I feel awful,” said Fyrian.
I snarled. A day ago, Niger wouldn’t have gotten in my way. “Evolene, blast that thing off with your magic!”
She clung to Fyrian’s neck with both hands, her staff wedged under her right arm. Eventually, Fyrian’s thrashing slowed, allowing Evolene to free her staff and point it at the net.
White light flared from her crystal, so bright, I had to squint. When it cleared, the net still remained fixed to Fyrian’s head.
“I’ll try something else!” shouted Evolene.
The homunculi advanced on Niger and me. I supposed they no longer needed to worry about Fyrian because of that pink net of poison.
Niger released my arm, unsheathed his sword, and leaped forward, blocking my view of the homunculi. “Stay back!”
I gaped. This was the same ogre who had practically dragged me to participate in that duel with King Magnar. Now he was treating me like a damsel in distress! “I’m not—”
“Stay. Back.”
I flinched at the steel in his voice but stopped in case he had something planned. My gaze darted to Fyrian, whose neck drooped to the ground. Evolene twisted her staff, creating a little whirlwind that lifted the net off the back of Fyrian’s head. She rose and edged her way down Fyrian’s neck and removed the net as she progressed.
Niger stepped forward, drawing what looked like an executioner’s sword above his shoulder in a two-handed grip. It pointed at the pair of homunculi holding daggers. Runes ran alongside its blades, leading to three tear-shaped holes arranged in a triangle in its rounded tip.
A burst of fluorescent green smoke shot from the holes and burned through the homunculi’s skin. Liquid seeped from their puncture wounds, and they each dropped their daggers and deflated.
“What was that?” I asked.
He glanced over his shoulder and grinned. “A Choker. The mage weapon best suited for partners of yellow dragons.”
I nodded. “Right. They produce toxic smoke. Why didn’t you just slash the homunculi?”
“And risk being covered in that stench?” He curled his lip. “Not even Master Jesper could remove that from my memory!”
“Fyri, how are you feeling?” I asked.
“My head hurts, but I have to find Magnar.”
“Are you sure? We can—”
“I can still fly. Magnar’s out there, scared and alone with alchemists. We have to save him, now!”
Chapter 20
Fyrian knelt beside the lightning tree. Niger climbed up her back and reached down to help me up. A protest that I could mount my own dragon died on my lips, and I took his hand, breathing hard to stave off a blush. He was still treating me like I was some kind of lady. After settling myself behind Evolene and with Niger at my back, Fyrian took off into the skies.
“Where is Magnar?” she asked.
“Remember the night I got expelled?”
“Are they keeping him in that hut?”
“Yes.”
Fyrian flapped her wings harder, propelling us further across the lands. We passed meadows, farmland, and the grassy mounds of the black dragons. The vegetation looked a little more sparse and less green than usual. With everybody so occupied in taking care of the sick dragons, there had been no time to fix the damage the locusts made to the land. I shook my head. When I’d finished with King Magnar, he’d pay out much more than reparations.
“Did you say something about Magnar?” asked Fyrian.
I gulped. “What did you hear?”
“You were angry. Did the alchemists hurt him?”
“I don’t think so.” Ever since the dragon quest, it was easy to lie to Fyrian. It wasn’t something I wanted to continue doing, but time was short. Each hour that passed meant the dragons fell deeper into the influence of the loyalty elixir. I couldn’t even hold out hope that the masters were unaffected, because their defense of King Magnar during his interrogation was the first sign of their odd behavior.
“Don’t worry.” Determination hardened Fyrian’s voice. “We’ll get to Magnar as soon as we can!”
My heart sank. The loyalty elixir had changed her from my closest companion to someone preoccupied with saving an undeserving wretch.
“What’s that?” asked Evolene.
I glanced down, expecting to see either farmland or scrubland. Instead, beneath us stretched a carpet of multicolored fur.
“Rabbits,” said Niger.
“Largomorphus rex!” I snarled.
“How could Master Jesper transport so many from Tundra?” he asked.
“It didn’t,” I replied. “They’ve been reproducing for days, and all the dragons have been too sick to cull their population.”
Fyrian dove. “Tasty rabbit rex!”
My stomach lurched. “Don’t eat them, they’re—”
It was too late. She’d already snatched one in her jaws. Evolene shrieked and erected a magical barrier.
Fyrian tossed the dazed rabbit up in the air. Slamming my eyes shut, I turned my head and cringed. It did nothing to block the flare of her fire, the scent of singed fur and barbecued meat, and the crunch of giant rabbit bones.
“They’re poisoned,” I said. “Spit it out!”
“How can something tasty be so bad?” she asked. “Besides, I need my strength for the battle ahead. Those alchemists might have hundreds of homunculi guarding where they’re holding Magnar.”
“I hope she doesn’t get sick again,” I muttered.
“She won’t,” said Evolene. “Master Jesper explained that anyone who drank the alkahest would be immune from elixirs for a whole moon cycle.”
“I wish the troll had never brought those wretched largomorphus rex!”
Niger patted me on the thigh. “At least she has an appetite.”
I twisted around, ready to say something about his straying hand, but he gave me a roguish grin. With a jolt of surprise, I twisted back to the front and focused on the battle ahead. Niger was probably like Father: a male who thought he had a way with women.
We continued over the largomorphus rex, who huddled together as close as a herd. Up ahead, the clouds swirled. Huge swathes of steel-gray clouds grouped together, coalescing into thicker masses the color of charcoal. They blocked out the sun and cast a dark shadow over the land.
Despite sitting between Niger and Evolene, a chill seeped through my leather uniform. Would a dragon, a witch, and two mage cadets be enough against an untold number of alchemists and their allies?
At the end of largomorphus territory, Fyrian’s wings slowed. “The air’s getting thicker.”
“Evolene, can you check for strange magic?” I asked. “Fyrian’s having trouble flying.”
She pointed her staff ahead. “Hold on.” It illuminated a wall of yellow. “This ward shouldn’t be there.”
“Whoever is behind that is a magic user,” said Niger.
I nodded. “An alchemist using stolen power.”
“Or a witch gone bad,” added Evolene.
“It’s possible,” I replied. Only one person fitted that description. “Do you think Roseate would poison fellow witches?”
Evolene shook her head. “I can’t picture any of the Mount Fornax witches committing a crime this bad.”
Fyrian flew along the length of the wall, trying to find an opening, but each time she got close, her wingbeats slowed as if she was being held in solid air.
“It’s no use,” she said.
“Try burning through it with your venom,” I replied. Then I turned to Evolene. “Can you make another barrier? Fyrian’s going to try to burn through this one.”
“Right.” Evolene created a little sphere of yellow around us.
Fyrian spat out a stream of menthol-scented venom. It splattered onto the ward and oozed down. The wind blew droplets of Fyrian’s venom onto Evolene’s shield.
“Fly back a bit, Fyri, so you can put all your firepower behind this.”
She swooped around and
retreated several yards. Then her neck drew back with a massive, indrawn breath. She paused for half a second and let everything out in one massive gust of fire.
Evolene’s shield held, but heat radiated through the magic, hot enough that we all had to turn our heads.
“She is powerful,” said Niger.
“I think she’s getting used to being a full-sized dragon.”
The flames died down to reveal a hole in the ward large enough for a dragon to fly through.
I gave her a little pat. “Well done, Fyri!”
“As soon as we reach that hut, pull Magnar out. Then I’ll deal with the alchemists.”
I stifled a groan. Until that wretched loyalty elixir wore off, we’d have to pretend everything we did was for King Magnar’s safety. “Master Jesper says to leave them alive for questioning.”
“Good idea. If they have allies outside Mount Fornax, we’ll need to deal with them, too.” She flew toward the hole, but it snapped closed.
“What kind of ward is that?” I snarled.
“A very determined one,” mumbled Niger.
“Let’s land and see if we can breach the ward better on foot,” I said out loud.
Fyrian swooped around and down, landing on the dry earth and bringing up clouds of dust. She crouched, allowing us to climb down off her back. Niger scrambled off and stretched out his hand, but I ignored it and helped Evolene down.
When we reached the ground, Evolene placed a hand over the ward. “I’ve never seen anything like it used in Mount Fornax.”
“What’s so special about it?” I asked.
“Most wards have a bit of give when you touch them. This one’s completely solid.”
“That cannot be right. Fyrian would have crashed against it like an invisible wall.” Niger placed a hand on the ward and grunted. “Oh, it is solid.”
“Really?” I reached out. The yellow light crackled under my fingertips like tiny bolts of lightning. I pulled my hand away, but the magic wrapped around my fingers and yanked me through, not even giving me time to yelp.
Dragon Mage Academy Box Set Page 63
