“Even for humans, you are still quite young,” Evan agreed. “Humans rarely live to be a hundred and to think that your parents waited an entire century before having a child is literally a lifetime or more for us. I can understand there being too much to tell a child after a hundred years though.”
Cheleya nodded and admitted, “Being their child leads to the same thing. What do I ask? Where do I start? Do they even want me to know something that happened several of my little lives ago?”
“My father died when I was young. My mother was barely twenty when she had me and he died when I was just four. I have questions that I can’t even ask with him gone. At least you still have the chance and will probably live long enough to find out the answers.”
Her eyes darkened at the thought and Evantus thought that he spied tears threatening to escape her green eyes.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad,” the man couldn’t help laughing self consciously at his bringing up the sad feelings in the girl.
Wiping at her eyes a moment, the dragoness smiled quickly and admitted, “These human eyes seem to weep very easily. It is all right though. They seem to leak when I am happy sometimes too.”
That did make him laugh. “I guess that che’ther don’t cry then?”
“Their emotions aren’t so close to the surface,” Cheleya said as the couple dancing renewed their motion. “It has been a little difficult holding such things in, since the change. While these emotions are hard to get used to, I almost prefer them to how stoic many of my people are. The mar’goyn’lya are maybe even worse about that.”
The current song ended and they clapped for the musicians again, but when the next music started up, it was a much faster tune. Evan leaned in close to be heard over the music and noticed a strange sweet scent on the girl. He warned Cheleya, “This one is faster and at the chorus we change partners, so don’t be afraid.”
“I won’t,” she assured him keeping her eyes on the man before her.
“You’re doing very well by the way. I would never know that you hadn’t danced before if not for the first few seconds as you learn the steps.”
Before she could answer, the chorus began and those who knew the words sang out as the dancers changed partners. An older, bearded man took her hand and smiled appreciatively at the pretty girl as he twirled her in the steps. Returning his smile, the dragoness finished out the chorus and found Evan leading her again.
“Miss me?” he asked with a quick laugh.
“My partner was charming,” she exaggerated as the girl teased him and danced.
A slight frown creased his forehead as he replied, “Great, I think that Colbie is rubbing off on you. You’re quick to learn dancing, but you don’t have to learn how to tease me as well.”
The dragoness found herself giggling at Evan as they parted for the next chorus and a nice looking blond haired man took her hand with a grin at his luck.
“Well, now you must be the prettiest girl in here tonight and I get to dance with you. I must have done something right,” he said coming on a little too strong for Cheleya’s taste.
She could smell the ale he had been drinking as well. Cheleya put up with her new partner for the chorus, but as she tried to part to rejoin Evan the man continued to hold onto the dragoness.
“Let her go, Kerlan,” his partner a brown haired woman, who was pretty enough in her own right, tried to get the man to release her firmly.
Evan moved closer trying to help Cheleya as well. “Let her go and get back to your partner, sir,” the mage cautioned politely. “We’re trying to have fun here, so let’s not ruin it.”
“That’s what I’m doin’, boy. Now I’ll just keep your little girlfriend for the rest of the dance and maybe the night,” the man stated taking her with both hands trying to pull Cheleya closer.
Chanting quickly, a surge of electricity flowed into the dragoness causing the man to let her go with a yelp of pain. Glaring at the drunken man, Cheleya wagged her finger at him dressing him down as she warned, “I am a wizard, sir. I suggest you do as your partner says. My partner is a battle mage and will hurt you a lot worse than that tickle I just gave you.”
Grumbling and shaking his hands out to try and remove the tingling, the blond haired man looked much less attractive to the girl’s eyes after his bad manners. Luckily, the man was still sober enough to realize where he wasn’t wanted, however, and let his partner lead him to a table where she tried to get him to sober up before they left.
Cheleya took Evan’s hands even as he looked at the girl with his mouth open in surprise. She had cast the spell so quickly and without the use of her hands. The musicians received a nod from the dragoness and started a new song recovering quickly after the break had disrupted the dancers.
“Close your mouth,” the girl said with a grin.
Shaking his head, the mage smiled and nodded. “I thought that I might have to protect your honor, but you showed him firmly and gently. I would’ve fought him though.”
Her emerald eyes caught his with a bemused smile and she replied, “I know you would have, but sometimes it is best if a girl takes care of it. In my culture, an angry dragoness is more feared than the fiercest warrior.”
With an amused laugh, Evan nodded and replied, “I can see that. Hopefully, I will avoid making you angry in the future.”
“It would probably be best,” she coyly added turning her head to look away.
Chapter 13- A Comfortable Bed
Darkness ruled the mountain pass heading south towards the human lands of Staron and Southwall, Malaketh had waited until everyone was asleep before heading towards the call of dark magic to the south. Hidden just beyond the next turn of the pass, the dragon mage master had felt the familiar magic that was meant for him to find alone.
His dragon mage wings lifted the master quickly up and over the rise and beyond. Darkness seemed to move with his appearance on the far ridge and Malaketh moved to find a pair of shrikes perched on the upper part of the shadowed side of the mountain. Coming to a rest on a large stone just above the creatures, the master wondered how he could communicate with the warped birds.
Touching his amulet, the shrike leader changed turning into a dark haired man in black. His first words were spoken with a bit of an accent, but they were clear as he said, “The dragoness and gargoyle have joined with wizards and mages from Staron. We were not expecting so many and the dragoness has her magic back as well.”
“You lost the rest of your flock then?”
The shrike leader seemed neither angry nor calm as he replied stone faced, “We killed one of their wizards and the gargoyle is poisoned. The more he uses his magic the faster that one will die. I was unable to catch the dragoness, so you will need to finish her yourself.”
Confused by the shrike’s comment about poison, the man asked for clarification, “What do you mean each time he uses his magic the poison will work faster? A poison kills in a certain time. How have you poisoned him?”
“I used dark magic to infect his power. Every time he uses his magic, the gargoyle will sicken until his magic kills him,” he replied coolly. “If he uses his power like most wizards, he will be dead in a matter of days. If he uses it rarely, it could be weeks.”
Malaketh nodded appreciating the shrike’s deceptive magic. He had heard of the assassins of Ensolus killing a wizard through his magic. While he didn’t know the spell and had never heard of anyone infected, the master had no doubt that this killer had done as he said.
“You will return north to Toban then?” he asked the shrike for no reason other than he felt that there should be more said. This creature spoke with him almost as dismissively as Toban, but having heard his skill with the dark arts Malaketh felt almost fearful of this creature.
“We will return to Ensolus. Do not worry over our departure. We will be sure to avoid your party’s detection so as to avoid drawing any attention to you or our master.”
He was thoroughly dismissed
as the man turned back into a shrike and, with his companion, launched into the night sky. Left on his perch, Malaketh sighed. The dragoness had help now. If his team intercepted Cheleya and Kel’lor with other wizards, he was unsure what the others would do. Worse, he still had her father along despite their ability to fly. The land dragon must be some master of his school of magic. How Cor’Dargan had decided to slip off to become just a simple farmer was beyond him, but he did know that he had to be careful of the Stone Runner.
Casting his wings once more, the dragon mage master returned to his sleeping squad to turn into his bedroll without anyone noticing.
Cheleya danced her way up the stairs and down the hallway to her room as Kel’lor followed the girl. He had remained waiting at the table watching all night without dancing as he watched making sure that Cheleya was safe. While Evantus was probably a capable bodyguard and the dragoness had enough skill to defend herself, the mar’goyn’lya was a protective elder brother as he maintained his vigil.
When the evening’s entertainment ended after a couple hours and the musicians packed up to leave, Kel’lor was more than ready to head to the room. He was just lucky that the White Mare was an inn and shut down the music earlier than most taverns, since they might have patrons staying in the rooms that would need to sleep early.
Cheleya was humming a song as her companion opened the door with their key and continued to dance into the room.
“Dancing with humans was fun, Kel’lor. You should have tried it,” the girl said still swaying slightly to music only the dragoness seemed to hear.
He closed the door locking it to ensure the girl’s safety from a break in, though were someone foolish enough they would still have the mar’goyn’lya to deal with as well. Chanting the words to return to his normal self, Kel’lor held his amulet and changed in the light of the spell. Unfortunately, he was so tall that the gargoyle had to duck to avoid hitting the ceiling. Moving to sit on the floor beside his bed, he prepared to sleep sitting against the wall.
Cheleya sat on the side of her bed facing the grumpy gargoyle waiting for him to comment while removing her leather boots.
“I do not dance,” the gargoyle finally gave in to her staring eyes.
“Pfft,” was the che’ther’s reply as the girl stood up and turned to pull down the comforter and blanket on the bed. While she had slept on the cot in the traveler’s hut, the dragoness had never slept on an true full size bed. Pushing on it with her hand, it felt very soft. “I’ve never danced before and I learned how easily. Perhaps you feared being able to dance only as well as you fly?” she teased as she crossed to the wardrobe.
“I’m a mar’goyn’lya. I know how to fly, little one,” he replied not giving in so easily.
“And yet I fly better than you every time. How is that possible, big brother?” she continued to tease. Pulling her dress over her head, the dragoness then folded the garment and placed it inside her bag before casting the invisibility spell on it once more.
Her bare feet drummed on the floor for just a couple steps before the bare girl slid under the covers. The bed was as soft and comfortable as her hand had told her. The blanket and sheet were pulled up to cover her petite frame before she lay on one elbow to look over at the gargoyle. “You know these beds should hold you. They can hold two or three humans, four if they are my size,” she giggled at the last. Somehow the dragoness always managed to find humor in being small, especially when Kel’lor was so large.
“I am fine sitting here. At home, we mar’goyn’lya prefer resting in this position.” He continued to ignore her jibe about her being a better flyer than he. If the gargoyle let himself admit it, even after an entire lifetime with wings, the dragoness in human form was more agile and had uncanny instincts as a flyer. He refused to admit it, however, and added, “I think these humans have begun to give you bad habits.”
“How so?” she asked genuinely curious.
“You never used to be such a tease.”
Thinking on the idea, the dragoness finally shook her head. “I used to joke and tease with you and Mor’treya also. It is simply that we see each other more now. Be glad that I only tease you occasionally, since you give me a lot to work with,” she finished with a giggle.
A large sigh from Kel’lor preceded his use of a spell to put out the lamps.
“Good night, big brother,” the girl said into the dark before he heard her moving in the covers to get fully comfortable.
“Good night, little sister,” he returned closing his eyes.
Morning came and they awoke to a light rapping on their door. Kel’lor arose and used his amulet to change into his human guise. Cheleya groaned and simply rolled over onto her stomach pulling a pillow over her head at the noise. Shaking his head, the man opened the door slightly to see Colbie outside waiting for him.
“Are we late for something?” Kel’lor asked curiously as he pulled the door open for the young woman to enter.
Colbie walked past the large man who had moved aside and noticed the bed with the pillow held covering Cheleya’s head. “Orlerin wants to be on the way in two hours. If we are to stay on your time table for reaching Hala for the start of the tournament, we’ll need to make sure to keep moving.”
Gesturing to the bed, she asked Kel’lor, “Has the princess decided to sleep in today?”
Closing the door, the gargoyle shrugged as he replied, “I think your human beds are too comfortable and robbed her of her strength.”
Taking hold of the covers, Colbie started to tug them off of the lazy dragoness. The girl’s bare back stopped the mage as she realized the girl would have nothing else on either. “Come on, Cheleya. We have to eat breakfast and head to the stables, while it is still early.”
The pillow was removed despite the girl holding on with her left hand a moment longer. An emerald eye opened looking annoyed, but Cheleya slid to the opposite side of the bed to pick up her pack. “It isn’t too late for me to make you a dress,” the dragoness stated as her hand began to pull her dresses out of the pack to be considered for the day.
Colbie shook her head. “There is no way I am going to wear a dress while trying to ride a horse. I don’t even want to imagine how cold it will be riding to Hala and I certainly wouldn’t recommend it.”
Giving the mage a calculated look, Cheleya took the green blouse she had made and turned it light blue as her mood decided. She slipped it over her head before taking one of the brown pants from the pack. Still too long for her legs and several inches wider than her waist, the wizard used her powers to slide the pieces together. The pants still had buttons in the front, but the waist held tighter and the remainder of the cloth followed the lines of her slim legs to her ankles. Cuffing the remainder of the cloth at the base, the dragoness left the brown color though she wasn’t completely happy with it before pulling on her brown boots.
The pants had a high enough waist that the shortened top lay slightly over the edge in a look that Cheleya hoped her friend would approve. She could change her clothes with magic as easily as she pulled them on by hand, but the girl wasn’t in the mood to play with them anymore today.
There were no complaints from Colbie as she shook her head and said, “I wish I knew how you did that. I know that it isn’t a real necessity, but it is so convenient.”
Picking up their packs, the two followed the mage to the tavern where the other three were already waiting with food on their plates. Evantus had already dug in and was halfway through his breakfast by the time Colbie led them to the table.
The men stood as the two women took their seats raising Colbie’s eyebrow suspiciously. “And to what do we have you two acting like gentlemen this morning?” she queried looking at Evantus in particular.
Sitting back in his chair, Evan pointed towards her and answered, “Well, gentlemen stand when ladies enter the room and sit. By the way, did you realize that you are still wearing your hair the way Cheleya made it last night?”
Cheleya raised her h
ands to her cheeks in embarrassment and quickly asked Colbie, “I’m sorry. Did you want me to change it back?”
Holding her hand up and shaking her head, the female mage answered her new friend with a smile, “No, I like the change. I don’t get time to do things like style my hair, but do you want your hair clasp back?”
Shaking her head with her own friendly smile, Cheleya replied, “It’s a gift. Keep it.”
Turning back to Evan, Colbie glared at the man and said, “You know a real gentleman would have pulled out our chairs for us, but I guess something is better than nothing. By the way, what is wrong with my hair?”
“Nothing, nothing,” the young mage agreed holding up his hands protectively. “I’m just not used to you looking more like a girl than a battle mage. I forget that you’re pretty sometimes, so sue me.”
His words elicited a blush from the woman, but luckily she was saved by the waitress coming up for their orders. Colbie couldn’t remember the last time a man, let alone Evan, had told her she was pretty. Still thrown a bit, the girl ordered quickly with the other two.
Orlerin brought the conversation back to the morning’s activities after the woman had left for the kitchen. “The corps’ stablemen already know that we need six horses for the trip and should be ready when we get there. I also put in for travel rations for an extended trip, which should give enough for all of us for at least a week.
“If we push the horses at a steady pace, and with good weather, we should make it to Hala in five or six days from Televal. Do you need any time to pick up more supplies?” he directed the last to Kel’lor and Cheleya.
The large man answered for them saying, “It sounds like you have handled all the details, though I still wonder if it wouldn’t make more sense for us to simply fly to the tournament. She won’t find anyone to fix this curse on the plains after all.”
Battle Mage: Dragon Mage (Tales of Alus) Page 17
