Sandy looked at Azerick through the bright orange flames. “Does that mean you apologize?”
“Yes,” Azerick replied after a short pause.
“Does that mean I can have a sugar cube?”
“I suppose.”
Sandy drew herself up haughtily. “Very well, even though we sand dragons are the fiercest of our kind and implacable enemies, momma always said that we must be forgiving when someone realizes the errors of his ways and confesses his fault. You may give me a sugar cube now as a token of reparation.”
Azerick was unable to contain his mirth at the little dragon’s hauteur. Great bellows of laughter escaped unimpeded from deep within his belly as he rolled over onto his side holding his stomach.
“Why are you laughing? I am quite serious!” Sandy insisted indignantly. “This is a standard gift for admission of guilt among my kind, and you are mocking it! If you do not stop laughing at me, it is going to cost you two sugar cubes, and the price of forgiveness goes up from there!”
Sandy’s outrage only caused Azerick to laugh even harder. Sandy stood up and swung her heavy tail into the sand in pique, sending a large spray of sand to wash over the prone sorcerer and nearly extinguished their fire.
Azerick finally got his laughter somewhat under control and pulled out a pair of sugar cubes. He sidled around the dying fire, still chuckling, and gave them to the irritated dragon. Azerick fell asleep sniggering to himself under Sandy’s green-eyed glare.
It took several days of travel before they left the dry desert behind and began approaching Southport from the southeast. The pair avoided roads and traffic as much as possible, but the farther north they traveled it became more difficult for them to avoid the more heavily traveled roads.
By the time they were within two days ride of Southport, traveling by anything other than the roads was nearly impossible. The land and hills were too thickly wooded and overgrown to try to ride through without tripling their travel time on their way to North Haven.
Fortunately, Sandy found that she was able to burrow into the denser dirt of the northern terrain much as she did the sands she was more accustomed to, albeit with more difficulty. Instead of being able to dive below the earth almost as if it were water as she could do in sand, it took several seconds for her to submerge herself beneath the damp soil.
“Ugh, what is this horrible substance,” Sandy complained bitterly the first time she had to hide from an approaching traveler.
“It is called dirt, Sandy.”
“Dirt. The name is as disgusting as its substance.”
Azerick found that Sandy’s amazing burrowing ability lay far beyond just her sharp claws and muscular body. When asked, Sandy replied that she simply makes the dirt or sand move out of the way as she propels herself along with her powerful legs and hard talons. She complained that the dirt was more stubborn and refused to move as quickly as the sand did and was sure it was simply being rude to her.
The pair met a large contingent of the King’s soldiers a little over a day from Southport. The military force was not moving swiftly, and Sandy had plenty of time to hide herself.
Azerick and Horse stood patiently off the road as the approaching force drew near. He hoped that they would continue past without bothering him, but three men brought their warhorses to a trot and rode up next to him, dashing such hopes.
“Good day to you, traveler,” one of the men greeted him when they drew near.
Azerick marked him as an officer by his red cape and plumed helmet.
“I am Captain Cooper, an officer under King Jarvin’s standard.”
Azerick inclined his head in greeting. “Good day to you, Captain. You and your men are a little far from home are you not?”
The Captain furrowed his brow, obviously unhappy with their assignment. “Aye, we have been patrolling the roads around Argoth, but Duchess Paullina has enough men-at-arms to deal with most any incursion being so close to the border of Sumara. Word reached me that there were still sporadic raids happening along this route, so I took my men this way to secure the roads. Apparently, something has happened to cause Duke Ulric’s vigilance to lapse,” Captain Cooper intoned almost under his breath. “Have you perchance seen or heard anything during your travels? Seen any large groups of men or raided towns or farms?”
“Sorry, Captain, I rode from out of the desert and avoided the roads much for that very reason. The only people I have seen are a few travelers and merchant trains. A few of them spoke of depredations but nowhere near the scale of earlier this year.”
Strike him down and destroy his men. He suspects you of something, the demon urged from deep within his mind. They want to chain you, make you a prisoner once more. They are weak. Destroy them!
Shut up, demon, and get back in your cage, Azerick replied, his voice thick with scorn and mentally shoved the demon lord further into the recesses of his mind.
Captain Cooper sighed. “If I could just find where they are hiding and get within striking range! I haven’t enough cavalry for a decisive victory, and I cannot catch them dragging along my infantry. Well, I’ll catch them eventually. Good travels to you, sir.”
“Good hunting to you, Captain.”
Azerick stood by the side of the road until the army was well past before calling for Sandy to come out of hiding. Twenty feet from the roadside, a mound of earth rose up like a giant, breaching molehill. Sandy pulled herself out of the ground and shook vigorously, sending a spray of dirt and globs of mud in every direction.
“This stupid dirt is ruining my scales. Sand has the decency to stay on the ground where it belongs and even helps shine my scales. This stuff is like a parasite!”
“You will clean up soon enough. It looks like rain before the day is out,” Azerick told her as she rolled in the tall grass in an effort to remove the contaminant.
The sorcerer was correct, it started raining less than two hours later and, even though it did wash away the dirt, Sandy simply found another thing to complain about. It was late winter bordering on spring, and the rain was still cold and bitter.
The sorcerer had hoped to enter Southport for at least a few hours to see if he could learn anything of what was transpiring in the land, but he found the gates of the great city locked to nearly all non-residents. A long line of angry merchants, caravans, and travelers shouted at the guards and demanded entrance so they could sell and trade their wares and return home before the summer runs, but their shouts and pleadings were met with stony stares and threats by the city guard.
Many of the merchants swore to take their goods to North Haven even though it meant risking late snows and being stranded in the northern city instead of returning from whence they came. Better to sell their goods in North Haven and spend an extra couple of weeks there than return home with wagonloads of useless goods and no coin.
Azerick and Sandy kept a brisk pace as they rode toward home. Although she never complained of fatigue, her nonstop griping about the cold and dampness of the north was beginning to grate on the sorcerer’s nerves.
A few days out of North Haven, Azerick finally relented to renting a room at the same small town that he had stayed in with Lady Miranda and her remaining entourage after the bandit attack. It had an outside stairway, so Azerick was able to sneak Sandy into the room after dark where they enjoyed a fresh meal and a blazing fire. Sandy lay so close to the fireplace that Azerick was afraid it might burn her, but it apparently had no ill effect on her as she rested contentedly on a pile of blankets.
They had to leave early the next morning before the townsfolk began stirring so no one would see the small dragon and make a fuss, but Azerick was becoming less concerned with discovery the closer they got to home.
An unusually late snow began falling later that afternoon. Sandy was initially curious and stared at the gently descending flakes in wonder, licking them off her snout as they settled onto her scales. She was not unfamiliar with the cold. Deserts got extremely frigid in the winter months, but the air was so dry t
hat it almost never snowed. The snow soon lost its initial appeal and simply gave her another reason to complain.
Sandy’s griping paled in comparison to the demon’s near-constant whisperings, urgings, and nagging. Every traveler they passed, the demon urged him to kill. Klaraxis would say that he was a spy or another assassin sent to kill him. He told Azerick that he could see into the stranger’s heart and knew the evil within and that the man or woman would kill others if Azerick did not stop him.
Once, the demon caught Azerick inattentive and projected an image of the Rook’s face onto a passing traveler. He then gently prodded Azerick into action. The sorcerer bit his spell off mid casting, realizing what was happening just a split second before he incinerated an innocent man.
Azerick mentally lashed the demon, used his soulname to inflict pain, and banished him to the point of almost non-existence. Even then, Klaraxis’s laughter echoed in his mind. Azerick knew he could not rid himself of the demon and had serious doubts whether anyone else could either. The demon was part of him now, their souls deeply intertwined.
***
Azerick and Sandy crested the hill and gazed down upon the spectacular view of North Haven, the valley, and the sea far in the distance. Sandy gasped at the sight that spread out before them for miles in every direction. Even Azerick could not help but smile in appreciation of the spectacular view.
As the late morning ground inexorably into early afternoon, Azerick and Sandy took a leisurely pace up the newly cobbled road that led to the keep despite Azerick’s anxiousness to be home again. Home, even now it felt so strange to feel so comfortable here.
Wolf’s shrill call broke the tranquility of the moment. “Azerick, you’re back! What is that?” Wolf asked as he and Ghost broke out of the nearby wood line.
“This is Sandy. She is a sand dragon.”
“Wow, a dragon! Does it talk?”
Sandy took an exaggerated sniff at Wolf. “Does it bathe?”
Wolf held his belly and doubled over in laughter. “I like her, she reminds me of Ellyssa.”
“I must really meet this human girl that everyone finds so beautiful,” Sandy responded.
As they drew nearer the keep, Azerick was astounded at the changes wrought upon his school while he had been gone. The towering church with its magnificent stained glass immediately drew his eye. The peaks of other wooden buildings poked up over the surrounding walls as well. What their purpose was, Azerick could only assume. Most likely more living quarters if he were to guess.
The gates were open to allow the seasons’ few remaining workers to come and go unimpeded, but they were under the watchful eye of several young men and a few older ones manning the walls. To the east, he spied worked parcels of land just waiting for the snows to stop so they could be planted and a couple of small log homes, their chimneys sending white plumes of wood smoke into the crisp air.
Several calls of greeting rang out as he, Sandy, Wolf, and Ghost entered the gates. The students that were not in school rushed to see him, especially when word got around about what appeared to be a small dragon accompanying him.
Sensing Sandy’s unease, Azerick slid off Horse’s back and laid a reassuring hand on her back as they walked amongst the astonished crowd. Ellyssa, Roger, and a few of their closest friends broke through the throng of people. Ellyssa surprised Azerick by rushing forward and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.
“Azerick, is that a dragon?” his apprentice asked excitedly.
He guessed Ellyssa was technically his former apprentice since her magical talent likely exceeded his ability to teach her much within the bounds of her own type of spellcasting.
“Her name is Sandy, and she is a sand dragon. She will be staying with us for a while.”
Ellyssa smiled and moved closer to the young dragon. “Hi, Sandy, I’m Ellyssa.”
“Hello, Ellyssa, nice to meet you,” Sandy responded politely then looked over at Azerick. “I suppose she is cute for a human, but she lacks the brilliancy of my scales to compare the two of us. It is like comparing a lovely candle to the glory of the sun.”
Azerick only smiled and shook his head at Ellyssa’s questioning look. Rusty, Allister, and Colleen came out of their classrooms to greet him, releasing their students for the rest of the day. Azerick avoided their many questions until he could get safely inside his tower.
“Everybody, this is Sandy. She is a young sand dragon who recently lost her mother and will be staying with us.”
As Azerick introduced everyone, Sandy committed all of their names to her formidable memory. Each person welcomed her warmly to her new home. Aggie strode through the crowd and stroked the dragon’s neck.
“You poor dear. What is your name?” she asked.
“Sandy,” she replied, wondering if the older woman was forgetful or something.
Aggie smiled and her eyes twinkled with mirth. “Sandy is hardly a proper name for such a beautiful creature as you, dear. What is your real name?”
Sandy hissed out the name her mother had bestowed upon her at her hatching.
“Now that is a lovely name, and quite apt I would say. You do have the most brilliant scales.”
“You speak dragon?” Azerick asked.
“Oh, I have picked up quite a few odd bits of knowledge in my wanderings.”
“The woman is so old she’s probably half dragon herself,” Allister teased with a mirthful snort.
Aggie turned toward the old mage and feigned crossness. “I would rather be half a dragon than a complete ass like you, you old goat!” Aggie hiked up her skirts to her thigh. “Look at those gams. I have the legs of a woman half my apparent age.”
“Half her age but twice her size!” Allister guffawed.
His beard coiled around his throat like a python and choked off his laughter. Allister clawed at his animated whiskers, trying to break their vice-like grip.
“Blast you, woman, can’t you take a little joke?” the magus shouted as he untangled his beard.
“Of course I can. I’ve been putting up with one since I got here, and quite frankly that joke was old when the elves were young.”
“It is nice to see that you made it, revered grandmother, though you look considerably different than when we first met,” Azerick said with a small bow.
“Oh, still the polite one aren’t you? It’s just Aggie to my friends and that old, used up scarecrow who calls himself a wizard.”
“I take it you two know each other.”
Aggie slipped an arm through Allister’s who tried to glare at her but could not keep the smile from creeping onto his wizened face. “Oh yes, we go way back.”
“Did Joshua and the others make it all right?”
Rusty answered Azerick’s question. “Yes, he and several others arrived just yesterday. Three of them are quite talented and are willing to teach a class for the younger or less skilled students. Allister and Aggie will work with them to improve their skills.”
“That is very good to hear.” Azerick turned to Ellyssa. “Why don’t you and your friends take Sandy to get something to eat and then maybe get to know each other better up in your room?”
“Okay, come on, Sandy, let’s go raid the kitchen.”
“I heard that!” Wolf crowed and urged everyone through the doors of the dining hall.
When all of the youngsters were gone, Azerick turned back toward Aggie. “I wish I had a library worthy to replace the one you had at the Black Tower.”
“Oh, that reminds me! In all the hubbub I completely forgot about my library. Let me see what I can set up.”
Everyone hurried after the wizard as she bounded youthfully up the stairs to the landing where the library was located. She stepped into the room and stopped.
“You call this a library? I have more books stacked next to my privy than this.”
“Yes, we have been meaning to expand it, but with the construction and getting the classes together, none of us found the time to seek out more and make
it a proper library,” Azerick explained as they all looked at the single bookcase that was only about three-quarters full.
“Of course, each of the students has their own textbooks and materials,” Rusty added.
“Well this just won’t do at all,” Aggie muttered and began an incantation.
Several square objects appeared, hovering a few feet over the floor of the library and began unfolding themselves. When the two-dimensional items finished unfolding, they looked like masterfully created paintings of bookshelves full of thick tomes and books. Another gesture placed them where she wanted them where they took on depth and settled onto the floor. Fully stocked bookshelves now lined every inch of available wall space with several others standing in the open areas of the library.
“Wow,” was all Azerick was able to utter at the impressive display.
“Wow is right,” Rusty concurred.
Allister hugged Aggie with one arm around her shoulder. “You are an amazing woman.”
“Of course I am. I’ve been telling you that for…a long time. It’s about time you realized it.”
“Oh, I have known since I first saw you,” Allister told her. “I just did not voice it for fear of feeding your already overgrown ego.”
“Pfft, such a pittance could hardly make an impression on that beast.”
“Cripes, Azerick,” Rusty exclaimed, “every time you leave you bring back something crazy. First, it was a minotaur, then hundreds of orphans, now a dragon and a magus with an entire library in her pocket. What else have you dragged back with you?”
“You do not want to know,” Azerick responded with all seriousness.
Aw, come on. What’s the matter, you don’t want to introduce me to your friends?
Shut up demon. I can smell your breath even in my head.
Laughter filled Azerick’s thoughts until he pushed them deeper down.
“I thought Zeb was going to have you beat this time, but the dragon makes it too close to call,” Rusty was saying.
Azerick brought his attention back to the physical world. “What do you mean?”
“We have another houseguest you need to meet. Her name is Hati. Zeb found her when he was up north and brought her home so Allister could remove a mark of possession from her.”
The Sorcerer's Path Box Set: Book 1-4 Page 130
