Several of the Holy Order soldiers began running when they saw the winged beast. That’s right, Paul thought, run away. He laughed as he looked at the scattering warriors. Argos let out a massive blast of lightning as they closed within range. His massive tail whipped around and lashed at the group of soldiers as he landed near them. Paul jumped off the dragon’s back and into the midst of the enemy. Flames ignited around his sword as he swung at his disoriented foes. He batted away two blows and followed up with a sweeping strike that took down three soldiers. Argos caught up several of his opponents in his claws and tossed them into the air. Paul leaped into the air as the dragon’s tail came around for another pass. He landed and shot fire out of his free hand, engulfing three charging soldiers. The dragon roared and his Wizard companion quickly climbed aboard. They took off into the air and unleashed a storm of fire and lightning at the surviving Holy Order members.
“That should teach them to think twice before dealing with us,” Paul said as he watched a small fraction of the original group retreat to the north.
“Yes, but we seem to have more pressing matters to attend to,” Argos replied.
What is it? Paul asked, using his mind so that the high winds didn’t drown out his words.
Your eyes are not in tune enough to see, but there is a dragon to the north. It appears to be engaging the Holy Order’s new fortress, Argos replied.
Let us join the battle!
The dragon replied with a burst of speed toward the battle. Paul hoped that it was James that they were flying to assist, but he knew better than to assume it. Argos only mentioned a dragon, not a rider as well. They would find out soon enough. The Wizard wondered why a single dragon would attack the Holy Order so boldly, but no answers came to his mind. He asked Argos, but the dragon didn’t care to speculate. It was one of the stranger traits of dragons. They held a vast array of knowledge, but rarely discussed it with other races. There was no doubt in Paul’s mind that it came from their lengthy exile, but it bothered him nonetheless. His mindmeld with Argos allowed him to access the dragon’s knowledge, but all their conversation on it had to be started by the Wizard. Paul pushed aside his distracting thoughts and focused on the small figure of the dragon ahead of them. It flew about bombarding the fortress with swaths of fire as it darted to and fro.
Paul tightened his grip as Argos shifted into another dive. The dragon kept up a steady pace as they plummeted toward the ground. He whipped out his wings just in time to ensure that they did not crash. Several flaps of the wings had them near striking distance with the castle. They were close enough to recognize that it was James that was attacking the Holy Order. Paul also noticed a band of people further to the north. They appeared to be skirting well out of range of the enemy fortifications while James provided a distraction. They won’t have seen this coming, Paul thought as Argos closed in on the fortress wall. Dragon and rider both unleashed a flurry of lightning at the soldiers atop the wall. A cry rose through the enemy ranks as archers abandoned their spots atop the wall. Hanoth swooped down and took out a large chunk of the wall, flinging it into the buildings within. Argos, not wanting to be outdone, took down the top of one of the Holy Order’s cathedrals. Massive stones rained down from above as the dragons continued their deadly game of one-upmanship.
“Whoa, Argos. Easy, we don’t want to needlessly endanger ourselves,” Paul yelled as the dragon made a beeline for the keep.
“It is merely a game, Paul. Hanoth and I are driving fear into the hearts of our enemies. You cannot deny the strategic value of tearing apart an opponent’s defenses, can you?” Argos replied.
“Be that as it may, we don’t know if they have any surprises in store for us.”
“You are a fine Wizard, Paul, I highly doubt they could ever be able to touch us in an instance like this. As long as my wings are able, I can fight these fools all day long.”
Argos voice boomed as he took out another tower. It was a fair point, the Holy Order was far from prepared for the continued attacks from the dragons. For all their skill and boasting, the order had very few members with skill fighting a Wizard or a dragon. Likewise, the dragons had little experience fighting Wizards. An army was an easy target for the dragons, but they knew very little of the threat posed by those who wielded magic. Paul hoped that this would give them a boost when facing the dragon King. His years chasing the Knights of Doom had conditioned him to look for his enemies in the shadows. Even when he faced the Galimdorians, Arcantos had been pulling strings from the dark. The dragon King, much like Grand Cleric Bartholomew, made his opinion well known. A little secrecy will get us a long way, Paul thought as he instructed Argos to pull back.
“Should we escort your people now?” Paul yelled as James and Hanoth got closer.
“I think it is the safest option for them. The Holy Order would be insane to mount a counterattack against us. Without ground troops to protect, we can deflect their arrows for hours. Argos and Hanoth could wreak destruction until we were too tired to move,” James replied.
“They are lucky we aren’t trying to destroy them.”
“That they are, though we may have to take them on in the near future.”
“I don’t doubt it. This should keep them on their heels long enough for us to formulate a plan. With luck, Rolin and Janessa will be willing to join our cause after we overthrow the dragon King. I suggest we head south and see if we can’t contact them.”
*
Rolin slipped out of the city gates just as the hysteria started. He considered going after the assassin, but questioning the castle guard had been less than fruitful. Lethos waited for him far enough outside the city so as to not cause any panic. The Archwizard could feel the dragon scanning through his mind to find a proper explanation for what was happening. Rolin had long since concluded that the mindmeld worked best with the past. The workings of the mind were too complex in the moment for the meld partner to fully understand the situation. To make matters more difficult, a strong mind could shield itself from even the strongest meld. Rolin didn’t care if Lethos knew what happened, only that the dragon would not betray him to the dragon King.
I have no love for the dragon King, Lethos’ thoughts flooded his mind.
Nor do I think you do, Rolin replied.
Then you need not worry about it.
I would prefer not to underestimate my enemy. That mistake was far too costly last time.
The dragon knew as well as Rolin did that he was thinking of how he had underestimated Arcantos and the Galimdorians. He blamed himself for the failures of the Wizards and the subsequent tyranny courtesy of the dragon King. Lethos understood his manner of thinking, but knew of no way to convince him otherwise. Both the Wizards and the dragons that had mindmelded often found it difficult to deal with their meld partners. Their connection allowed for complete understanding of why either party acted or felt the way they did. However, their lack of understanding of the other’s race made it difficult to deal with such situations. The dragons did their best to let logic rule their lives, yet, at the same time, their emotions were much stronger than that of a human. A dragon’s bloodlust could drive the creature mad for hours, but their meld partners were nearly permanently driven mad by the same need. The other rift between the two races was how they perceived time. Though Wizards had longer lifespans than humans, they still lived a fraction of the time a dragon lived. This caused individual events to factor into the human Wizard’s process much more than that of a dragon. To make matters even more confusing, the mindmelded Wizards’ lives were stretched even further by the connection.
What happens when we live far longer than a human is accustomed to living? Rolin had wanted to pose the question to his dragon companion since their meld.
I have no answer for that question, Lethos replied.
You must know more than most on the matter.
A Wizard should know more than anyone. You have unnaturally long lives compared to humans. What affect does that have on your m
inds?
The eldest Wizards often focus on one or two tasks and begin to understand little else. We don’t necessarily go insane, but our minds experience a sort of overload of knowledge. Perhaps having a connection with a dragon would prevent that.
As interesting as the conversation was, Lethos felt the need to cut it short. They were getting closer to the dragon King and there was a strange feeling emanating from his brethren. Something is not right, he informed Rolin as he sped up. The Wizard attempted to pry more information out of the dragon, but Lethos was forced to focus on his flying. He was having difficulty not being overwhelmed by the emotions that poured at him from one of the other dragons. Rolin could tell that Lethos was reaching out to find which of his race was in such pain and confusion. The Archwizard used his magic to augment the dragon’s speed, propelling them beyond the natural pace that a dragon could fly. As they closed in on the dragon King’s tower, Lethos became less aware. Rolin used his magic to block out all distractions, allowing the dragon to free his mind.
“We must leave!” Lethos bellowed.
“No, I must know what happened,” Rolin replied.
“You will not like it and there is a chance you will not survive the aftermath.”
“I do not care, take me to the dragon King.”
*
Emily slumped against her bed, her body quivering in fear. She could scarcely believe what she had heard Kadegar say. They can’t possibly think the others are in league with the dragons, she thought. A knock on the door nearly caused her to cry out in surprise. She vanished as the door swung open. Two of the Supreme Wizard’s men began turning the room upside down as they searched for her. She held back her rage as she watched them pick apart all of her belongings. They left in anger after finding no signs of her whereabouts. She let out a sigh of relief as they disappeared down the hall. Her options were limited. Kadegar seemed to know about others who would be willing to side with Paul, Rolin, and James, but she had not heard about any of them. She slipped out into the hall, conscious that sound could give her away were she not careful. Attempting to calm her nerves, she checked her pack to unsure the Tome of Illusion was still there. She held the pack tightly as she headed for the main courtyard. Kadegar was addressing a large crowd.
“It has come to my attention that some in our midst seek our downfall. Not to worry, though, we have it under control. Many of you know Emily. She came to us for guidance and assistance or so we thought. It turns out that she is a spy for Rolin and his band of usurpers. It is still unknown as to whether they have thrown their lot in with the dragon King, but we do know that they have joined forces with at least some of the dragons,” Kadegar’s voice boomed as he spoke.
“What does this mean?” One of the students asked.
“Good question. I cannot overstress the importance of awareness in this situation. We do not know Rolin’s intentions at this point. All we know is that he and his followers are a real threat to us. Be ever vigilant, my friends.”
Emily looked around and saw more of Kadegar’s men pulling people aside for questioning. She wanted to scream, but knew that it would only cause her problems. The crowd began to disburse and Kadegar’s men directed them back to their rooms. She knew it was only a matter of time before somebody discovered what had happened to her. It frightened her that the Supreme Wizard knew she was spying on him. He can’t possibly know, she thought, it must have been a bluff. Whether or not he knew the truth of the matter, the possibility bothered her. The thought of it intimidated her, though not as much as the thought of Kadegar actively searching for her. Every time she saw one of his lackeys, she felt like running away. Not knowing the specifics of illusion magic only exacerbated the problem. She worried that the magic would falter and she would be found.
“The boss ordered us to double the patrols. He really wants to find her,” one of the nearby soldiers said.
“What makes him think she hasn’t left?” the other asked.
“We have spells in place that would detect her if she tries to leave.”
The guards continued on their patrol, leaving Emily alone in the courtyard. She paced back and forth as she contemplated her situation. There was no choice but to risk leaving, even if it would set off the spells to alert Kadegar. She went back to her room, but everything important was either already in her pack or broken. The room was still a complete mess, just as Kadegar’s men left it. Seeing the room in that state gave her an idea. She began tidying up as much as she could. Her plan would require somebody discovering the change in the state of her room, but she didn’t know who she could trust. I’ll have to think up a spell, she thought as she opened the door. The hallway was empty, giving her a little extra time to prepare the spell. She set everything up and then left, setting a spell that would make noise several minutes after she left.
She made it to the outer gate before seeing guards rushing toward her room. It’s working, she thought as she continued to the gate. After making sure the coast was clear, she ran out of the gate and onto the dock. The dock had no boats or even any other forms of transportation. Emily began to panic as she reached the edge of the dock. Without a doubt, Kadegar’s spell would lead everyone to her position. Even with the illusion spell, she wasn’t sure that she could escape that. She ran back toward the castle. The sound of guards rushing to the dock made her stop. Her heart began to beat faster as the soldiers came into view. You can take them, she thought as she dropped the illusion spell. Several of the guards pulled out their weapons and charged. Emily formed a wave and used it to knock her opponents into the water. She stopped the next group by destroying a large part of the dock.
“You cannot win this,” Kadegar said when he arrived on scene.
“Let me leave, I mean you no harm!” She yelled back at him.
The Supreme Wizard raised his hands, causing the seas to form up around her. She created a shield of fire around herself. Kadegar proceeded to continue pummeling it with more and more waves. Some of the Wizards behind him sided with Emily, but the majority sided with the Isle of Magic. Her potential allies were quickly incapacitated and the others joined their leader. He stopped the onslaught of waves and used his magic to disrupt her sphere of fire. She launched a bolt of lightning at the Wizards, but Kadegar redirected it back at her. Pain coursed through her body as the bolt connected with her. She cried out and fell to her knees as they continued to pummel her with spells. A constant stream of pain drove her to the edge of consciousness. She refused to give them the satisfaction of hearing her screams. The darkness slowly closed in around her as the pain increased. A smile formed on her face as she saw Paul walking toward her. He bent down and scooped her into his arms.
“Everything is going to be fine,” he whispered as her vision failed her.
“No, I am dying and leaving you behind. You aren’t real!” She yelled at him.
“Shhh, your perception of Paul is strong. If he is anything like you think he is, he will find you when he is done with that life,” the figure of Paul morphed into Owyn.
“I don’t understand.”
“Nor will you for some time. I’m here to help you transition. It is truly good to see you again, Emily.”
“How do I know that this is real?”
“You don’t, but if it is any consolation, I asked the same thing.”
*
Leniya took the lead as they approached the cave. Though neither of them were fighters, the former witch did have some basic magical knowledge. They slowly entered the cavern, expecting something to happen. Be strong, Leniya told herself as she lit a torch. The cave walls were a sight to behold. They looked as though they had been carved out of gold and gems. The light sparkled off of them with a glory not easily matched. Caitlyn couldn’t help but smile as she watched the light dancing about. Leniya stopped moving when she realized that it wasn’t the torch that caused the light to dance so. The gems seemed to light up out of their own will. Caitlyn gasped when she realized that they were watching fair
ies dart between gems and gold veins. Leniya looked at her companion with almost pure shock.
“How is that possible?” Caitlyn asked.
“We are being of pure magic, our physical properties are unlike anything you have experienced before,” the voice came from one of the gems.
“Then the legends are true,” Leniya said.
“Yes, we are real. It was smart of the two of you to come. We do not like to be approached by those who are dangerous.”
“Do you mean men?”
“No, we are speaking of the warriors that you call your allies. There are few among them that hold pure hearts like yours. I am Ilyania, the best understanding you have for my position would be ambassador. We are fearful of the others, even the Druids and elves have not always proven trustworthy.”
“Thank you for trusting us, but a pure heart is not enough to protect you from others who wish to hurt you. Not that I am not ungrateful, but why are you willing to help us if we cannot guarantee your safety?” Caitlyn asked.
“A fair question. The two of you are unique in that you hold sway over two important figures. If Leniya vouches for us, Gareth will not allow others to harm us. We met Sev when he was younger. Though he is a ferocious and fearless warrior, his intentions are always for the greater good. As a people, the fairies pledge to combat evil throughout the world. Those of our number who practice evil are expelled. We firmly believe that Sev would side with us if anyone turned on us.”
“It seems we have a deal,” Leniya said.
“Not quite yet, you will need to present your case to the ring,” Ilyania announced.
*
Serith motioned for the army to slow down as the Fortress of Exaltation came into view. She clenched her fist as she looked at the smoke rising from within the castle. This is worse than I expected, she thought as the army picked up their previous pace. By the look of things, the Holy Order had driven off whatever enemy had caused the damage. As they got closer, the Crusader became more confused. The outer walls were nearly unscathed, yet many of the buildings within the walls were in tatters. She questioned her troops to see if they knew anything about what the Holy Order forces in the Telmac Valley were up against. None of them provided her with any answers. They traveled the rest of the way without speaking. One of Xander’s men rode out to greet them as they got closer to the fortress.
The Tomes Of Magic Page 17
