Dragon Stones (Book One in the Dragon Stone Saga)
Page 18
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Elias had been asleep for hours when the cold awoke him. He shivered and pulled the hide closer to his body. His crystal lay on the ground, still glowing dimly. Elias picked it up and saw that Thorin was asleep. That was odd. He was always good at covering the first watch.
“I wonder how long we’ve both been sleeping?” he thought to himself. It was pitch black. The sky was overcast and there were no moon or stars visible. It was impossible to estimate the hour.
A cold burst of wind hit him again, and he shivered. “I should probably let Thorin sleep. I can take over the watch.” Elias sat up and stretched. As he did so, he felt a clammy finger slide across the nape of his neck.
“Aughhh!” he screamed, spinning around.
“Ssssssso boy, we meet again,” said the necromancer. She removed her cloak. In the dim light of the crystal, he could see the necromancer’s milky white skin. Her eyes and hair were black, and she had no pupils.
Elias’ face drained of color, and he felt blood pounding in his ears. “Thorin! Thorin! Wake up!” he yelled, but Thorin did not respond.
“Your dwarf friend cannot hear you. He’s slumbering until I say otherwise.” She floated over and patted Thorin on the head, like a dog. “I could leave him ssssleeping for all eternity. Or at least until he starved to death,” she hissed, laughing.
“W-What do you want?” asked Elias.
“Isn’t it obvious, my boy? I want you. You’re the reason I’ve come here. I’m going to take you back to the emperor myself. Why do you think I let you escape in Jutland?”
Elias gasped, “You were following us the whole time?”
The necromancer smiled, revealing rows of razor-sharp red teeth. “Sssssilly boy… Do you think your little spell was going to fool me? I smelled you in that donkey cart before you even reached the gate.” she laughed again, a bubbling cackle. “Your spell was like that of a first-year mage.”
“Why did you come all the way here to capture us?”
“I followed you here to capture YOU, boy. When I take you back to the emperor, he will grant me my freedom, and I can leave the capital forever. We necromancers are prisoners of the emperor; subject to all of his brutalities and caprices.” Then she smiled, and said, “You will buy me liberty, boy!”
She grabbed Elias by his tunic and he screamed. Her hands were as cold as ice. Elias tried to cast a spell to free himself, but his mind went blank. He’d never felt so terrified in his entire life.
Just then, Thorin raised his head and snorted, “Humph! Not so fast, dark lady.”
The necromancer spun around, “What? Impossible! You cannot have broken my spell!”
“You spellcasters always underestimate us dwarves. I always have some tricks up my sleeve,” said Thorin, smiling. “How much did the emperor tell you about this boy?”
The necromancer’s eyes narrowed. “Enough. That he needs to be returned to the capital alive. I follow my emperor’s orders—nothing else is important.”
“I beg to differ, dark one… this boy is Carina Dorgumir’s grandson.”
The necromancer inhaled sharply, and released Elias’ tunic. “No! It cannot be!”
“Yes, it is. Look into his eyes. You know it to be true.”
The necromancer was stunned. Her mouth moved silently, her breath hissing past sharpened teeth, but she did not speak.
“Now is my chance!” Elias thought. “Hringr-Incêndio!” he cried, and a ball of flame appeared in his hand. He threw it at the startled necromancer, and it hit her square in the chest. She shrieked. Her clothing burst into flames. She retreated back into the forest, screaming continuously.
The horses, startled by the noise, woke up. Elias ran over to Thorin and offered his hand, “Get up, Thorin. Let’s get out of here!”
“I can’t,” he said. “I’m paralyzed from the neck down. Remember my pendant? It’s also a protective amulet. It blocked part of the spell, but I have to wait until the necromancer releases me, or the spell wears off. You’ll have to pick me up, and sling me over Duster’s saddle. If you tie me into place, I can ride that way. It’s almost dawn, so we’ll be able to see well enough to ride.”
“Okay, just as long as we get out of here. I got lucky with that fireball spell, but I doubt I will be able to surprise her again.” Elias grunted as he picked up Thorin. “Ugh! What a weight! You’re shorter than me, but you weigh twice as much!”
“Aye, sorry,” nodded Thorin. “We dwarves are a solid folk.” Thorin seemed unperturbed by his current situation, and in fact, was taking all of it in stride.
Elias quickly tied Thorin to Duster’s saddle, and by the time he was finished, pink light was visible on the horizon. Then he mounted Buttercup and dug his heels into her side, “Heyah, let’s go!” They were off. Elias went as fast as they could with Thorin in his condition. Thorin never complained, even though his position was surely uncomfortable.
The sky cleared, and in the distance, Elias could see the pale outline of Hwīt Rock.
His heart pounding, Elias thought, “Thorin was right. We’ve got to get out of this forest, or we’re both going to die. I’m not stopping until we reach the river.”
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