Moving with a speed that would have barely been visible by the light of day, Colbie cut down on the shimmering spear of air. It resisted as she struck the construct, but only for a split second before the black blade shattered the shaft.
Eyes going wide, Olan replied in shock, “I’ve never seen a sword do that before. We’ve trained with swords and air spears for hours in practice. They wear down eventually, but I’ve never seen one split so easily. Hang on. Let me make a new one and we can see if I use it to spar will it last longer. I’ve never seen a blade like that before either. It looks impressive.
“Air lance,” the mage finished summoning a new weapon.
“My friend created it from an unusual material. The original weapon it came from cut stone. Yours can puncture steel plate, but mine seems better than yours,” her smile played at her lips as she teased the mage once again. It was a horrible habit, she realized, but the constant banter between her and Evantus seemed ingrained in the woman.
Swinging in a horizontal slash with her blade caused Olan to catch and turn the weapon easily with his own. Several thrusts and slashes soon proved that her single strike of intent on the thin shaft had been a flaw of any staff. Once in use, the air lance was quick and strong enough to bat the black sword away.
“Not bad,” the girl grunted as she struck again. Their maneuvers were becoming swifter like a practice session in a weapons’ yard. Still feeling each other out, the two knew a single mistake with the black blade could prove disastrous.
“Thank you, though I can hardly take credit for it. As you can see, it is strong and like a real spear it has greater reach than a sword. You can even adjust the length with your magic,” the mage took a swift step back and without changing his grip on the air lance covered the extra distance with the shaft as if he were in the same spot.
Holding up his hand, Olan added, “And like a spear it can be thrown.”
A wood cask that had been discarded from the inn after use was sitting alone by the stone wall. Throwing his spear, the shimmering shaft flew swift and accurate. There was no adjustment for weight and distance. It flew straight and unerringly from his hand to barrel shattering the wood container easily. “Even our wizards hadn’t thought to throw the things before Bas figured out this spell,” the mage chuckled as he turned to look at the pretty woman in front of him.
Mouth partially agape momentarily, Colbie turned to look at the mage impressed. “Should you even be showing me this? It could change mage battles with just one spell. A fireball doesn’t even work as well.”
Nodding, Olan agreed as he replied, “A fireball can be blocked with a shield. An air lance or spear can be targeted to pierce a shield or armor with a little concentration. It can cover a greater distance also for anyone with the talent. Since it requires concentration and some affinity for the wind element to be really good with it, not everyone can throw them as far.
“As to being appropriate to share with you, aren’t Staron and Southwall more than allies? We shared Hurst’s teachings with our sibling when he created the school of magic, so I am pretty sure that it is fine.”
Smiling back at the mage, Colbie sheathed her weapon and agreed, “True. Since both royal families can trace their roots to the Grimnal’s children, we are more like siblings than just allies. Siblings that actually like each other,” she finished with a laugh thinking of some of the fights had with her brothers and sister as a child.
Shrugging as he grinned at the idea, Olan said, “Sebastian’s been able to crack several different wizard schools. He can heal, use air spells and even cast lightning. While he’s tried to teach us a lot of new magic over the last several months, not everyone can grasp what he can do.”
“Like wizards and their schools of magic?” she countered and received another nod.
“I am sure, when more of us have been trained in the new magic, we will send battle mages to Staron to spread the teaching.”
Colbie sensed a familiar presence nearby and turned back towards the courtyard entry quick enough to see blonde hair wave a moment before disappearing behind the corner of the inn. “Perhaps you would be so kind as to show me again after I go drag my companions from their hiding spot.”
Raising her voice, Colbie demanded, “Alright Evan come on out, because if Cheleya is here I know you wouldn’t let her come alone.”
The two spies meekly stepped into the light of the red moon and crossed the distance, albeit hesitantly at least for Evantus.
“That was an impressive demonstration,” Cheleya said sweetly as if nothing else had happened. The dragoness held a little embarrassment on her face, though any blushing could have simply been a trick of the light.
“Um, we came out for a breath of fresh air?” Evan coughed up their excuse like even he wasn’t sure he could say it with belief in the words.
“Right,” Colbie said refuting his statement with sarcasm. Turning to her dance partner and teacher, the young woman introduced the intruders, “Olan, this is Cheleya and my long time, stupid friend, Evantus. He’s like the brother that I never asked for, since I already have two.”
Olan nodded a greeting to the other man, but lost his breath seeing the beautiful blond beside him. Her emerald green eyes seemed to shine with more than just the red light of the war god’s moon. “Pleased to meet you,” the man greeted unable to wrest his eyes from the stunning dragoness. “I think that I was correct earlier. Staron has truly beautiful women hidden there.”
As the man pulled his attention back to Colbie in admiration, the girl felt her cheeks blush again. He was so quick to say the wrong thing, but his compliments still boosted her ego amazingly enough. “Evan and I are from Staron, but Cheleya is a friend that we came across along the way. Admittedly, she is beautiful and we just can’t get enough of her ourselves.”
“And you trust her to see the magic I was showing you?” Olan suddenly became slightly suspicious as he wondered at her origin. She was certainly lovely and smelled very good, but like Colbie had questioned earlier, Sebastian’s new spells were still somewhat under guard to avoid giving them away to enemies like the Dark One.
“With our lives,” Colbie assured him. “Plus she is a wizard in her own right and could probably teach us a few things as well.”
“Well, it is getting a bit late,” Olan said suddenly feeling shy as the new eyes were on him. “I can show you the air lance a few more times, but then I need to get back inside for some sleep before the morning. We have a lot of people to follow tomorrow with our wizards and Bas competing in the tournament.”
They spent only a fraction of the next hour trying to pull up their own air spears. Colbie and Evantus struggled, but looked on with envy as Cheleya somehow figured it out with her first try. Even controlling a spear in flight came naturally to the dragoness and made Colbie wonder if she knew a similar spell from her training in Mar’kal.
Before they had all finished, two more faces had joined their group. The two older mages had arrived to check up on their friend and with their arrival, Olan soon left to return inside the inn. They had backed his excuse to leave and soon the three were alone.
“Maybe we had better go back inside as well,” Evantus said, “or the others might get worried. Orlerin noted you leaving, but let us follow you without complaint.”
“He probably figured that I am a big girl and can handle myself,” Colbie complained to the man as she concentrated for another attempt at an air lance.
“You didn’t know him,” Evan cautioned his friend.
“I am good at reading people. Olan is a good guy, but I was still careful. I have my sword and my magic after all.”
Cheleya took each by a hand disrupting their concentration on the new spell. “No arguing, you two. It was my fault anyway, since I dragged Evantus with me to check on you. Forgive me if I worried.”
Sighing with her annoyance drained away, Colbie let the girl drag her forward holding hands between the two like a young child getting her way. Even that
thought couldn’t make the mage get angry at her friends just wanting to make sure she was safe. She was getting soft, the mage thought slightly amused at the idea.
Cheleya hid within the restroom as Colbie and Tilana slept together in a bed. Lystheir, in theory, would share with her fellow dragoness, but the younger girl had her doubts. Dragons didn’t need sleep as much as humans whether in their form or not. Their patterns followed the sun, but in truth a che’ther could stay awake for days. Cheleya wasn’t sure if that was because of the world they had come from or if it was simply something physiological. If it was the latter, she had studied little of dragon anatomy beyond basic teachings. She had never planned to become a healer, though that appeared a little shortsighted in retrospect now that Cheleya had discovered her ability and enjoyment of healings others.
Her mind remained distracted by such thoughts for only a moment and the blond haired girl found her gaze lifting up to the window above the large tub. The water had been drained long ago from her bath. Colbie hadn’t shared with her this time, as likely from having Lystheir’s disapproving presence around as her own need for personal space. Cheleya brushed her hair from the right side of her face as she looked at the window. Darkness caused the glass to reflect the light of the oil lamps back preventing her vision of the stars.
Moving to stand on the edge of the tub, the girl could still barely reach the window and test its seal with a shove. It resisted half frozen shut and Cheleya frowned as her fingers couldn’t put enough strength against it even standing on tiptoe.
“Dragon claw,” she breathed extending her reach magically and put a little more force behind her shove. A brief creak preceded the window giving way. Cold air swept into the bathroom touching the dragoness on her bare legs and arms instantly. The silk sleeping top and panties resisted slightly, but it mattered little to a che’ther who could ignore the winter wind.
Cheleya wished that she could fit through the window and probably could with someone to give her a boost. Longing that she could simply slip away for a little flying above the city and perhaps out to the fields beyond, the dragoness could only sigh and continue to wish.
Her father still hadn’t come to a conclusion as to what to do about Malaketh and the trackers. She had found out that Mor’treya had come with her mentor and wondered what lies he could have told to bring her friend along against her. Her father had told of the lies about her stealing from the academy and Kel’lor’s supposed involvement in the theft. Whether Mor’treya could believe such things of the people she had worked alongside to learn the dragon magic or not was uncertain. Cor’Dargan had fooled the other trackers until he could make a move to help her after all, but the mar’goyn’lya was usually pretty straightforward and not known for lying, so Cheleya doubted her friend would desert Malaketh without reason.
It was up to her to give those following the human the reason, but she couldn’t be sure that they would hear her out to receive the truth about the one leading them. The little dragoness sighed and closed the window once more. Only Lystheir could ignore the cold between the other three and even she seemed to notice it more than Cheleya.
Nothing could be done until morning with the che’ther watching over her. She wouldn’t allow the girl to leave her room until morning. Even if she could be convinced, Cheleya guessed that Lystheir would force her to let the tracker come to hide her magic and scent. Wanting to be alone with her thoughts would have to wait.
Returning to the bedroom, the blond haired girl noted the brunette dragoness sitting on her chair in the corner with only moonlight trickling past the drapes to illuminate her. Giving her elder a friendly smile, Cheleya received a bland look in return. She wondered what Lystheir thought of things. Following after her father on reputation alone, the two trackers were all business and quiet in dealing with her and the others. If Fa’Elenek couldn’t look at her because she was broken, what did the female che’ther see in Cheleya trapped in human form?
The girl slipped between the covers and expected that the bed would likely remain hers alone this night.
Malaketh sat in the stuffed chair of the ambassador’s home stroking his beard furiously. An entire day in the city and the so-called trackers could find no clear trace of the girl. Yes, he had found and slain Kel’lor, so that part was finished, but it was Cheleya who could truly harm his mission.
“I was surprised to see you, Master Malaketh,” the old man hiding his dragon form expressed as he drank tea from a cup recently brought to him by a servant. Ambassador Theress Sselanus appeared like the old man he was to Malaketh’s eyes. Old, unassuming and lacking in physical strength like a man in the later years of his life, a mere shell of what he once he had been.
Giving a sincere looking smile, Malaketh nodded and replied casually, “It was a trip given on short order, ambassador. I am sorry if we are inconveniencing you with our needs, but with the tournament underway we could find no inn for now. This pursuit of a thief in the remains of winter and at this date was truly poor timing, but I thank you for your hospitality, sir.”
Theress waved off his gratitude and shook his head, “It is no trouble really. This suite is much larger than I need, even with my assistants, since they have their own homes. Most of the time, I am just a single, lonely soul bumping around these rooms. The representative wizards for Mar’kal reserved rooms around the city, so my extra rooms are yours to use, Fa’Malaketh.”
A moment’s pause as Malaketh watched the fire in the fireplace was broken by a question, “You haven’t been contacted by Cor’Dargan or any other che’ther recently have you, ambassador?”
“Cor’Dargan, that old farmer? Why would he be contacting an ambassador to humans like me?” the old man asked with a single raised brow. For a che’ther, he had an unusually good feel for human mannerisms, Malaketh thought. Most who used their amulets for change usually had tells to give them away as something other than human despite their appearance, but the ambassador had lived with humans as a man for years at a time and had picked up their ways.
“He is the thief’s father and came to Hala just ahead of me looking for her. Perhaps he hopes to find her and bring her back to avoid a blemish on his reputation by doing so.”
“Or he may simply wish to find his daughter to protect her,” the ambassador replied casually before taking another sip of tea from the delicate cup. “Fathers don’t always think with their heads before they follow their hearts. As a human, you should know that better than I. We che’ther aren’t as close with our children, even though we raise them years longer, though maybe that is why? We become sick of seeing them around,” he finished with a chuckle. The old man’s eyes didn’t seem as amused as the rest of his face as they peeked over the lip of the cup during another sip.
A slow nod from Malaketh acknowledged the voiced worry and he replied, “There is that possibility, but how much trouble can a farmer cause?”
“A simple farmer would probably cause little trouble to be sure, but Fa’Dargan’zer, on the other hand, is no mere farmer. Haven’t you heard?” the ambassador asked setting his emptied cup down with its plate on a side table. At Malaketh’s silent shake of his head, the old man continued, “Dargan is an expert wizard specializing in earth magic. They once called him ‘Stone Runner’ for his unique skill. If you have to face a master of magic, I think even one who turned away from the Academy of Magic to farm might be troublesome.”
Malaketh nodded as Theress confirmed the worries he had about the man. Cheleya was a savant with dragon magic and other schools of spells from what he was told by the other masters before receiving the student for tutelage, and apparently she was a chip off of the block from her father’s side. He could handle a naive girl, even with her innate abilities, especially locked in her human form, but this Cor’Dargan was becoming a larger pain in his side every day.
“Do you think the girl would try to find some of the che’ther wizards in Hala for help?” he queried trying to work out his next move and the strength of
the opponents he might face.
Theress looked surprised at the question, as if it truly shocked him at the thought. “If the girl is a thief, why would she and her partner in crime think to go to the wizards? I would think they would look for whoever they planned to sell their stolen items to and avoid their people entirely. Wizards like those chosen for this tournament are among our best and brightest. They are also loyal to Mar’kal. I am sure they would capture her and turn them over to you instead.”
“Only if they knew she was a thief,” Malaketh stated backing off the idea. If the ambassador was so sure of the other wizards, should he still bother checking with them? “Maybe I should give them warning about the thieves? I would hate for the wizards to be fooled into helping them because they were uninformed.”
A casual wave from the ambassador preceded his assurance, “Not to worry, I can tell them for you in the morning. I met with our che’ther representatives for lunch today and promised to see their matches, if possible with scheduling, of course. When I see them, I will warn them of these thieves you seek, Master Malaketh.
“We wouldn’t want our best wizards involved in such dark things. Who do you think they plan to sell these relics to anyway?”
Appearing conflicted, Malaketh paused as if in thought about such a dreadful idea. The man was surprised that the ambassador had brought the thought to this path, but he was ready for such a question as he had been with the masters at the academy and the city council. “One can only guess, of course, but we can assume that it isn’t one of our allies. We can only hope that they haven’t chosen to go the Dark One. No one wants to see the emperor and his armies gaining more power after having them in check for so long now.”
Letting out a sigh of regret, the old man nodded quietly thinking on the implications of such words. He didn’t answer right away and Malaketh thought perhaps he was getting tired as it was late evening. The trackers had gone to their rooms awhile ago leaving just the two to talk. When the ambassador finally answered, he did sound tired, but his words were clear, “The emperor would be a likely target, but I wonder how he would have made contact with them in the first place. I wonder if Mar’kal has become too soft in its dealings with the rest of the world. Even hidden in the mountains, humans like you come and it is not beyond conceiving that the Dark One might slip someone into the city for such malicious motives.
Battle Mage: Dragon Mage (Tales of Alus) Page 34
