Dragon Magic: Lyric's Curse 2 (Dragonblood Sagas Book 4)

by Robyn Wideman

  The troll roared in anger, turning to where Lyric was now standing. It prepared to charge again. But then out of the air appeared Kemoth. The dragon flew at the troll, striking the hideous beast in the face. The troll raged as it swung at Kemoth. The dragon darted out of the way.

  Stay back, mindlinked Kemoth.

  I can help, replied Lyric.

  No, stay back. I don’t know what is going to happen I’ve never tried this before, mindlinked Kemoth.

  Lyric shifted to a safe distance and waited. He wanted to help, his instincts were to not let his friend fight alone against the enormous beast. But his earlier conversation with Celine came to his mind, he needed to learn to trust those around him. Reluctantly he watched the fight.

  Kemoth shifted behind the troll and from his mouth a blast of purple mist struck the troll. The troll turned and more of the purple mist covered it.

  The troll started to step towards Kemoth but then fell to its knees. It then fell further, its face slamming into the ground. The troll lay unmoving. The purple haze had killed it.

  What was that? mindlinked Lyric.

  Vile. It is highly poisonous.

  Poison? I thought you were a regenerative magic dragon. Your magic heals, mindlinked Lyric.

  My healing abilities comes from positive energy. But not all energy is positive. There is light and darkness within all creatures. My dark energy becomes vile.

  Do I have poison magic?

  I don’t know how your darkness will show up. I only had an idea of what mine would look like. Apophis warned me that purple dragons tell to have magical extremes. We have magic beyond other dragons, some that can heal and others that harm.

  Lyric nodded. Like himself Kemoth was young and only discovering the extent of his magical powers. It seemed his bond with the dragon was enhancing the dragons magic and not just his. It had been his being attacked by corca cats that had brought upon the dragon’s ability to shift. And now the troll attack was the catalyst for Kemoth using vile. Kemoth’s protective instincts pushed it to use magic beyond what it already knew. It was something Lyric understood. He had found himself doing things beyond what he thought himself capable of when a friend was in danger. Was it the dragonblood that did this, or did he just share a strong protective instinct with his dragon. We should go back. Celine will be worried.

  I doubt it. She only made it half way back to the fortress before the fight was over. She saw everything. She’s on her way back now.

  Lyric turned. Kemoth was right. Celine was running towards him. He stood there waiting as she ran to him.

  Celine gave him a big hug, holding him tight. “Are you okay? I saw the troll hit you.”

  “I’m fine.” The blow had been painful and had opened a small cut in his mouth, but he’d been lucky. If it had been the troll’s claws instead of the back of its paw it would’ve been a much worse injury.

  Celine stood back. “I can’t believe you held on those flowers the entire time. Are you crazy?”

  Lyric looked down. In his left hand, he still held the handful of wildflowers they’d been picking before the troll jumped out from behind the Star Lilac bush. “I didn’t even notice,” he admitted. “I was so busy trying not to be troll lunch I forgot to let go.”

  Celine shook her head. “Unbelievable. I wonder what that troll was doing out here in the open. They don’t come this close to human dwellings often.”

  “There haven’t been humans here for very long,” remind Kemoth. “And it was probably chasing butterflies.”

  “Chasing butterflies?” asked Lyric.

  “Don’t you know anything about trolls? Every young dragon learns about them. Trolls are some of the strongest beasts in the world, but they are also the stupidest. They will chase butterflies all day. That is why high mountain meadows are so dangerous. Stupid trolls.”

  Lyric sighed. There was much he didn’t know about trolls, or other creatures like corca cats. The education he’d received in the orphanage had been limited. And on the streets, he’d received a different type of education. “I shall have to learn more about the creatures that roam here.”

  “And when to drop your flower,” quipped Celine.

  “Hey, I told you we need color in our quarters. I not going to let a troll ruin my flowers.”

  “You should take Celine and your flowers back to the fortress,” said Kemoth.

  Lyric frowned. Yes, they should go back but leaving a poisoned troll body lying around didn’t see right. “Celine and I will head back. I will return here with a shovel. Kemoth, you mind flying around for a while? I don’t want to be surprised by another troll while I’m digging.”

  Kemoth nodded and took off. Lyric and Celine walked back to the fortress.

  They were half way to the fortress when Celine spoke. “Did Kemoth poison that troll?”

  “Yes, I think so. He called it vile. He didn’t know if he could do that or not. He explained it as dark energy.”

  “That makes sense,” said Celine. Purple dragons being so magical. There had to be a balance with his restorative magic.”

  “Why?”

  “Magic is like emotions, it has spectrums. Perhaps light and dark aren’t the best way to describe them but it is the way we are taught so that we understand using dark magic is dangerous. For some cultures only the most deadly magics are called dark magic. But in reality, it isn’t the magic that is light or dark it is the way it is used. Vile, that dragon poison, Kemoth just used caused death. So, it would be called dark magic. But it was also used to save your life, so how dark is it? The blackest magic involves necromancers and those who manipulate the bodies of the death and those who summon demons into the world. Magic like vile is what I would call gray magic. Magic that can be used for good or for evil. Much of dragon magic would be gray. Dragon fire, dragon ice, the ability to read minds, fear magic. It is all powerful magic that can be called black.”

  “I will have black magic,” said Lyric. It wasn’t even a question now.

  “Yes. But if you use if for good is it black? You have a very kind soul, Lyric. You don’t hate your father for abandoning you. You don’t hate the kids at the orphanage for the abuse you suffered. You don’t hate or act cruelly towards anyone.”

  “That is bad?”

  “Of course not,” said Celine with a smile. “However, it is natural to have negative feelings. You have had much bad happen to you. Whatever negative emotions you have about those events has been pushed aside, somewhere deep inside of you. Maybe you naturally can let go of the bad, but I suspect that it is more of you ignore the hurt. You repress your anger the same way the broggins bark repressed your magic.”

  Lyric thought about it. Did he repress his feelings? He’d never thought about his own feelings enough to understand. “If you are right, and there is this ball of negative emotions hidden away in me, what does it mean?”

  Celine squeezed his hand comfortingly. “It could mean nothing. You may be so skilled at controlling those negative emotions now that you will never have to worry about them. But you asked about dark magic, and if you have any in you. That is where your darkness will come from. Your emotions. The magic that you have, be it shifting or aura orbs or something more dangerous isn’t what is dark. It is those emotions inside you that will make the magic dark or light. I hope this isn’t too confusing. There just isn’t an easy answer to your question. I don’t know what magic you are capable of, nor does Azina.

  When they returned to the fortress, Marsden was coming out to plot out the new walls. He noticed Lyric’s bloody face. “What the hell did you say to her man?”

  Lyric shook his head. “Never tell a woman her butt is looking big.”

  Celine punched him in the arm. “You’re so romantic.” She turned to Marsden. “I didn’t do it. We ran into a troll down by the lake.”

  “Troll!” said Marsden as he nervously looked around. “How did you escape?”

  “Kemoth killed it,” said Celine.

  Marsden rela
xed. “Izzy Lamar warned us that there were trolls in these mountains, but we hadn’t seen any tracks before. I apologize.”

  “Don’t do that,” said Lyric.

  “Do what?” asked Marsden.

  “Apologize. You aren’t my babysitter, not are you responsible for my safety at all times. I am capable of defending myself and have a dragon. Daxrah may be the protectors of dragonbloods but I am my own man.”

  Marsden frowned. “If you’d died—”.

  “It would’ve been my own fault. You and the others may want to be Daxrah, but I haven’t accepted any oath. I will not have Daxrah if it means you think you’re responsible for my life.”

  Marsden shook his head. “You are nothing like Sir Fallstorm, nor any other dragonblood lord I’ve ever heard of.”

  Celine laughed. “I doubt there has ever been another dragonblood like Lyric. How many dragonbloods lived in orphanages and on the streets. You will have to learn to accept that Lyric is not going to be like the dragonbloods you’ve been learned about.”

  Marsden gave Celine a small bow. “I see you are correct. I will have to have a discussion with my brethren about this development. If you will excuse me.” Marsden turned and went inside the fortress.

  Lyric turned to Celine. “What just happened?”

  She smiled, leaned in, and kissed him on the forehead. Marsden just learned you are a terrible lord. That you won’t be relying on the Daxrah to protect you, and that you have a stubborn streak when your blood is up. You should fight trolls more often. I like this side of you.”

  Shaking his head, Lyric pulled Celine in closer. “You are a devil.”

  “I prefer enchantress.”

  “It is apt. What of Marsden and the others. He seemed rather concerned that I don’t share his point of view about what role the Daxrah will have here.”

  “I think it will be fine. You must remember they are feeling their way through this the same way you are. The only knowledge they have of Daxrah is what has been handed down to them from through several generations. There are no living men who were around during the life of Sir Fallstorm.”

  “I suppose. I honestly can’t even think right now. My head is pounding. I’ve never been hit so hard in my life.” Lyric rubbed his jaw. “I don’t think I am a fan of trolls.”

  “What’s not to like? Aside from the foul smell, ill-temper and attempts to kill you.”

  “With a description like that, you could be describing some of the lords hunting me,” said Lyric.

  “I see your brain didn’t get banged around too hard. That is exactly what I was saying. Now, go get some sleep. I’ll go deal with Marsden and the others.”

  …

  “Lady Celine. You will have to forgive my outburst earlier. The sight of Lyric bleeding was quite a surprise.”

  “Yes, as Lyric said earlier you have nothing to apologize for.”

  Marsden shook his head. “But I do. I came here with an assumption that things would be like my father’s stories. That Lyric would be…”

  “Different?” asked Celine.

  “Yes, different,” said Marsden. “I’m afraid I find myself a little lost.”

  “What you choose to do is up to you, but even though Lyric may be difficult to deal with he is as worthy of the title Dragonblood as any proper born lord. But Lyric has his own way of doing things, and he is only finding out who truly is now. You must remember he is barely more than a boy and an uneducated one at that. He is smart, loyal, and brave, but there is much of how the world works that he doesn’t understand. Including how to deal with servants or men at arms.”

  “I know, and I have no doubts as to the character of Lyric. I have no doubts that he is worthy. It isn’t him that I am concerned about. It is us. We have been trained and taught to protect the dragonblood like we would a lord or a king. Everything we know is useless.”

  “It is not useless. It is knowledge that might not be applicable to this situation. You will adapt, as will Lyric. But perhaps you need to remove the concept of protection from your thoughts. You may choose to serve Lyric, to assist him in whatever fate has in store for him, but Lyric is not going to allow others to go into harm’s way for him. If there is a battle to be fought he will be leading the charge. Whether you choose to join him is up to you.”

  “Lady Celine, your wisdom is an inspiration,” said Marsden.

  Celine shook her head. “No. I am not wise or particularly insightful, but I do understand Lyric. He is brave, far braver than he realizes, and he is loyal. He places everyone above himself. Exactly the qualities would want in a leader, but a real pain in the ass for those trying to keep him safe.”

  “So, what should we do, how do we best serve the dragonblood?” asked Tripp.

  Celine looked at Tripp, then Marsden and the others. “Continue doing what you have been doing. Lyric has never had a home before. Once he accepts it as being his he will care greatly about it. Make it something to be proud of. Somewhere he can be himself and not have to worry about what people think. Lyric fought a troll today, and the whole time he had a handful of flowers he’d picked for our quarters. Lyric doesn’t need a fortress, he needs a home. He doesn’t need bodyguards or servants, he needs men he can call brothers and that he can trust with his life.”

  Jarvis Hayes stood up. “And so he will have.”

  Celine looked at Marsden. He’d been the one who she was concerned about. That he would bristle at the non-traditional roles that would be required of them if they chose to serve Lyric.

  “And so he will have,” said Marsden, echoing Jarvis’s words.

  Carvel and Tripp stood and together they repeated the words. “And so he will have.”

  Celine smiled. These men might not know how to deal with having a dragonblood like Lyric, but they were good men and they were exactly the type that he would need.

  45

  Lyric woke feeling significantly better than he had they day before. That troll had really rung his bell! He slipped out of bed and started to dress. Celine wasn’t in the bed, but that didn’t surprise him. She was an early riser and was often up before the sun. He much preferred to sleep a little longer.

  Heading outside, the smell of fresh baked bread pulled him towards dining room. He entered to find everyone eating.

  “Morning, Lyric, how’s the old noggin today? I hear you were letting a troll play with it,” said Jarvis with a grin.

  Lyric chuckled. He enjoyed Jarvis’s quick wit and easy banter. “A regrettable decision. The next time a troll decides to swat someone I am volunteering you.”

  “Lot of good that would do,” said Tripp. “Even a troll couldn’t knock any sense into Jarvis’s thick skull.”

  Everyone laughed at Tripp’s comments about his brother’s thick skull.

  “I’ll be going to Redfall Estates today,” announced Lyric.

  “Are you sure that is wise? What if the king has spies there?” asked Carvel.

  Lyric had thought about that possibility, but Redfall was safe. The family and their staff were his allies, as was Sir Chestmire and his people. Middale was a different story, as there had many that hadn’t taken to Lyric well before they ever learned he was dragonblood. “Redfall should be safe, but I will be careful. I will be shifting so there is no way to track me back to here.”

  “While you are there, if you could speak to Izzy about supplies. She indicated either she or Sir Chestmire would arrange for more supplies but we’re going through things like flour faster than anticipated.”

  “Your cooking is too good,” said Jarvis. “We’ll be the fattest Daxrah the world had ever known.”

  Marsden raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much Jarvis, you are going to need all the energy you can get. Today you are on wall building duty.”

  Jarvis groaned.

  “Ignore him,” said Tripp. “He moans and cries but he secretly likes getting his hands dirty. Give him a little mortar and some stones and he’ll build walls all day.”

/>   “Just be careful,” said Celine.

  “Trust me, I’ve had enough excitement for a while. I just want to find out what is going on in Redfall and Middale, arrange for Azina and Valeria to come here and come back. No drama, no fighting, just a good productive visit.”

  “Azina and Valeria are coming here?” asked Jarvis.

  “Yes,” replied Celine, but don’t get your hopes up, Valeria is spoken for by one of the best fighters in all of Droll.”

  “Bah, we could take Blair out, that is no problem,” said Jarvis.

  “And did I mention Blair is Lyric’s mentor? Kemoth would probably hit you with the same vile it used on the troll if you hurt a friend of Lyric’s.”

  “Did I mention what a great guy I thought Blair was,” asked Jarvis. “Besides, Valeria isn’t my type.”

  “Too pretty?” asked Tripp.

  “And smart,” said Jarvis. “It is a troublesome combination. Look how much trouble it gets Lyric into.”

  Lyric laughed. “Some things are worth the trouble.”

  “Speaking of worth the trouble. You should get some butter,” said Tripp. “Carvel’s bread with fresh butter? That is something worth fighting for.”

  Lyric nodded. Tripp had a good point. Carvel’s bread with fresh butter was probably good enough to go to war over. “I will see what I can do.”

  “Would you ask Kemoth if he would escort me today? I want to explore more of the mountain today, but after yesterday I have no intentions of walking alone.”

  Kemoth, Celine is wondering if you wouldn’t mind escorting her today? She wants to explore the mountain.

  I would be glad to spend a day with Celine, mindlinked Kemoth.

  “He would be delighted.” Lyric liked that Kemoth and Celine would be spending time together. Celine was the most important person in his life and Kemoth was, well he was bonded to Kemoth. There couldn’t be anything closer than having a being that could talk in his mind and feel his emotions.