Chapter 2
The thieves’ guild master complimented Alric on his successful acquisition. “You’ve done well, Alric. Few could have acted so promptly and efficiently. This is a fine magical specimen. The merchant will be pleased.”
“I live to serve the guild,” said Alric.
“I wish more of us were like you,” said the guild master. He withdrew a pouch full of gold coins and tossed it to Alric. “As you can see, we treat those well who serve well.”
Alric was surprised at the large sum he was paid but didn’t show it.
“You will be considered for other special tasks in the future,” said the guild master.
“I look forward to the challenge,” said Alric.
The guild master nodded and Alric was dismissed.
Alric hid the purse of gold beneath his cloak and pretended it was not there. The last thing he wanted was to display his newly earned wealth to a lair full of thieves.
The thief reached the gate leading from the underground lair to the outside world and stepped out onto a narrow, winding bush path. He followed the path for several minutes. The path finally led to some back streets in the city and Alric used an alternate route to reach his room in a local inn. He made sure no one had followed him and then entered the inn.
The innkeeper was not at his desk but Alric didn’t care. He took the stairs two at a time to the second floor and went down the hallway to his room.
Once inside, he stashed the sack of gold coins under the floorboards. When that was done, he picked up his overnight bag containing his dark green cloak and left the inn. The dark magic society was having another meeting this evening and he had to give his report to the others.
The dark elf strode quietly from the inn, used his usual changing course, and finally reached the old blacksmith shop where the dark elf meetings took place. He entered the shop and said a secret word to the shop owner, who nodded toward the back. Alric entered a small room in the back, donned his dark cloak, and pushed a wall aside, revealing a set of stairs leading into darkness below. He descended the stairs, drawing the wall closed behind him, and stopped on a wooden platform at the base of the stairs. He spoke a word of magic and a torch on the wall lit up. The mage pulled the torch from the wall sconce and followed a narrow corridor straight ahead. The platform behind him grew dark but the corridor in front of him ended abruptly in what appeared to be solid rock.
Alric spoke another word of magic and the wall of rock began to undulate. Then the mage deposited the torch in an empty wall sconce and spoke his magic to cancel the spell that had activated it. The torch went dark and the elf simply took a step, entering a giant chamber with a stone floor, walls, and ceiling. A grey stone table was the only furnishing in the chamber. Its edges were engraved with magical symbols and diagrams.
Standing around the table and in the background were numerous mages, all hooded and cowled like Alric himself. The reason they dressed like this was to keep their identities a secret. One could be standing next to someone one knew, possibly even a relative, and not even know it. The hooded robes saw to that. As for names, everyone had a false name to identify themselves. Alric’s name here was Windoor, a name given him when one of his spells had backfired in an underground study chamber during his studies as a youth. A lightning bolt had accidentally become a strong gust of wind and had blown the classroom door open. The combination of ‘wind’ and ‘door’ had given him his name.
The meeting this evening was rather boring and when his turn came, Windoor was eager to give his update on the humans’ magic and the methods and components they used. When that was finished, most of the younger mages left to go to the hidden classrooms where they practiced their skills and performed tests for their teachers. The rest of the mages either went home or consulted with some of those who gave reports that evening, wishing to clarify details and facts. Windoor had only two inquiries to deal with before one of the senior black elves came up to him wishing to obtain some information.
The elf identified herself as Sawtooth. She wanted to know how Alric had obtained his human magic so handily, but he refused to give up his secrets. She wore a strange alluring scent that made him want to tell her everything, but he kept his head. After pressing for a little while longer, she left.
Alric waited a few more minutes for any other inquisitive mages and, having none, took leave himself. He left the way he had come, exiting the blacksmith shop and heading back to the inn to get some sleep. On the way, he examined the ring he had taken from Sawtooth. It was golden with a dark green gem in its center. He smiled. She probably just now realized that her ring was missing. Alric was sure she would never guess that it was he who had stolen it.
Alric was too engrossed in his new acquisition to notice a cowled figure that had followed him home from the blacksmith shop. The figure half walked, half ran to keep pace with the agile elf, and watched intently as the elf entered his inn for the night. The figure paused and then melted into the shadows. The elf’s speech that night had him curious, so he had followed the elf home. What had aroused his curiosity was the amount of information the elf had gleaned in only two nights. This elf was thorough and efficient. These traits were just what the dark figure was looking for. He needed someone to do a special task for him, and this elf might be the one to do it. He decided to wait and watch awhile longer.
Alric’s night was restless, the cloak of invisibility occupying his mind constantly. So he rose early, well before sunrise, and made his way to the human mage’s house. There he climbed the tree and looked into the bedroom window. The hollow lump in the blankets indicated the invisible elf’s sleeping form.
Alric cursed under his breath. The elf was still wearing the cloak. How was he going to get it from her? He agonized long minutes over what to do. If he entered the study and waited for her to wake up, he could sneak into the bedroom after she left and pick up the discarded cloak, then wear the cloak and sneak back out the study window. But what if she left the bedroom and entered the study? He would be cornered! Furthermore, what if she kept the cloak on after getting out of bed? He would enter the bedroom and search in vain for the cloak!
There were too many variables. Hiding in the study was too uncertain. He would have to stay in the tree to see what she did first. Then he could decide on a course of action. But what if the sun rose before she got out of bed? Surely a passing neighbor would see him sitting in the tree. Worse still, an elven guard might spot him and he would be in deep trouble! If only he had the invisibility cloak! Alric chuckled quietly. Then he wouldn’t be sitting in the tree right now, would he?
Finally the thief decided to wait. Time and darkness was on his side for the moment. He waited for an hour and was about to give up as the sky began to lighten, when the female elf began to stir. Alric tensed. This was it!
The elf stirred again and the blankets rose and then fell flat. The elf was up!
The sky lightened some more, but Alric could sense no movement in the room. Where was the elf? The bedroom door hadn’t opened yet so she was still in there, but he couldn’t see her! For all he knew, she was staring out the window. She could even be staring at him! Alric’s heart was in his throat. To make matters worse, the rising sun was directly behind him, leaving the tree’s shadow, along with his own, on the bedroom’s floor!
The thief nearly cried out in fright when the elf suddenly appeared at the foot of the bed. She had removed the cloak to change into some other clothes. The cloak was thrown on the bed, visible now that it was not being used. The female elf gave no indication of having seen Alric’s shadow on the floor. Alric dared not breathe for fear of moving his shadow.
Before long, the elf left the room. The thief waited to see if she was going to enter the study but she didn’t. Stiff from sitting so still, Alric climbed to the study window and eased it open.
A cowled figure in the shadows watched with interest as Alric slid into the study and disappeared from sight.
“I could use such a
one! Oh yes, indeed!” it whispered.
Alric peered into the hallway but everything was clear. He slid from the study into the bedroom within seconds. His hands shook with anticipation as he reached for the still warm cloak. He put it around his shoulders and looked down in surprise. He was still visible! How could that be? He quickly located a mirror on the wall and looked into it - and breathed a sigh of relief. He WAS invisible. Only he could see himself. The mirror reflection showed nothing.
The bedroom door suddenly opened and Alric froze. The elf had returned!
The female elf walked past the thief and picked up a hair brush on the mirror ledge. Then she began brushing her long, golden locks.
Alric held his breath and waited tensely as the elf finished brushing her hair. Then she put the brush down to inspect the results in the mirror. “Good enough. There’s nobody here to see it anyway.” She sighed. “He’d better get home soon.” Then the beautiful elf departed the room once again.
Alric waited a few moments and then checked the hallway. All clear. He sprang for the study and bounded for the open window. He had spent enough time in this place! The thief climbed down the tree quickly, shaking the branches in his haste, and landed on the ground with a soft thud. Then he bolted for the nearest cover, forgetting that he was invisible anyway. He rounded a bend in the trail and sighed in relief. He had done it!
“I’m impressed!” said a voice suddenly.
Alric froze. Was someone talking to him? Was he visible?
“Don’t worry,” said the voice, “I can’t see you but I know you’re there. Don’t try to run away. You’ll find that you can’t.”
Alric tried to turn and face the source of the voice but found he could not. He was bound somehow! “Who are you?” demanded the thief.
“Why, I’m a fellow mage!” exclaimed the voice. As if to back up his words, a dark, cowled figure walked around from behind to face where he thought Alric stood.
“What do you want?” demanded Alric furiously. He was angry that a mage had discovered his secret.
“I need you to do me a little favor,” said the cowled figure.
“Why should I?” demanded Alric.
“I’ll pay you well,” said the figure.
“I don’t need your money!” growled Alric.
“I’ll also keep your little secret,” added the figure, prolonging the ‘s’ in ‘secret’.
“Forget it!” growled Alric. “The cloak’s mine!” He didn’t like being manipulated.
The cowled figure nodded as if confirming a suspicion. “Very well. I’ll just have to turn you in. The elven guard would love to get their hands on a thief like you!”
Alric swore under his breath. He gave in. “What do you want me to do?”
The cowled figure’s face was hidden but it sounded like it was smiling when it answered. “It’s quite simple, really. I need you to deliver something to the Tower of Sorcery for me.”
“Why can’t you do it yourself?” asked Alric.
“I haven’t got the - er - skills to enter the Tower of Sorcery undetected.”
“What makes you think I can do it?” asked Alric.
“You can’t,” said the figure.
“Then why ask me to do it?” demanded Alric angrily. His patience was wearing thin.
The cowled figure held up a gloved hand. “You will be able to enter the tower while wearing the cloak, but the tower will not sense you as a human black mage. Thus, you will end up in a holding cell.”
“But -,” began Alric.
“Then,” continued the cowled figure, “the mages will no doubt come to check on their prisoner, but the cell will appear to be empty.”
“How -?” began Alric again.
“They will not see you,” finished the cowled figure. “In the confusion, you can escape into the tower and deliver my package to the designated drop off point. When you are finished, simply rub the ring I give you for this task and you will be paid for your services.”
“That’s all?” asked the thief.
“That’s all,” stated the figure. “Will you do it, or are you more of a coward than I give you credit for?”
Alric thought about his options carefully. He did not want to be turned over to the authorities. That could result in a very long prison term. In the elven realm, prison life was difficult and merciless. Thieves and black mages were dealt with harshly. Black magic was frowned upon by most elves. Plus, Alric was no coward, and accepting a challenge like this would just prove it. “Yeah, I’ll do it,” said Alric reluctantly. “Just unfreeze me so I can get started.”
The cowled figure laughed. “All in good time.” He withdrew a small package and placed it on the ground in front of the thief. Then he placed a ring on top of the package. “Do you understand the instructions?” asked the figure.
“Yeah,” said Alric.
“I have them written on a note inside the package just in case.” The figure turned to go. “The spell will dissipate in a few minutes.” He paused and turned back to Alric. “Consider it a service to your Dark Magic Society!” He turned and melted into the shadows, his laugh sounding more like a hiss than a laugh.
Alric stared after the mysterious figure with undisguised hatred and curiosity. Who was the cowled figure, and why did he want him to do this task? It must be very important for him to go to such great lengths to get a complete stranger to do this job for him.
* * * * *
Kazin allowed the wind to whip against his face as he flew over the elven forests below. The fresh woodland scents rejuvenated his dragon body and he flapped vigorously toward his hometown of Greenwood. Greenwood was a small town just over a day’s travel west of Venn, the elven capital, where the king of the elves lived. It was hidden from aerial view just like many of the elven cities because of the dense forest cover. The elves preferred to live within the forest canopy where it was safe and secure from other races. In the past, it was also beneficial to be concealed from dragons, which would occasionally attack in search of food.
But dragons were long gone, mostly disappearing from the world soon after the Dragon Wars a number of generations ago. Fortunately for Kazin, he had found a dragon orb in one of his earliest quests which allowed him to transform into a dragon. It was difficult to master, but he had now become used to it, and it was a particularly useful skill to have at his disposal. It was an extremely rare skill, and there were no other mages that he knew of who had a similar ability. Kazin didn’t let this go to his head and made sure he didn’t boast about the ability, using it wisely and sparingly. Indeed, it was a dangerous ability that could lead to his destruction if he were to let the freedom and power of being a dragon consume him. The dragon’s essence lived within the orb, and could consume the owner of the orb by taking control of his mind and making him do what the original dragon wanted. If the original dragon won out, the human mage would lose control and become a dragon permanently. Without any form of control, the dragon would cause destruction and kill animals and people, and would undoubtedly be hunted down and killed itself. So Kazin was always on his guard when transforming into a dragon, and would change himself back into a human as soon as he could.
Now he was glad to be back home after several stressful weeks of work in the human realm to the north. Most of his work these days consisted of solving land disputes for farm territory. After the last wars over a decade ago, large tracts of land had become vacant as a result of the land owners having been killed and leaving no next of kin to take over their farms.
Kazin knew he was overworked when he nearly lost his temper trying to solve a dispute between two cousins who claimed a third cousin’s land was now theirs. The cousins argued aggressively, and Kazin finally made a decision that made neither of them happy. He put the land up for sale and declared the money to be donated to the local food shelter. The final transaction was entrusted to a local farmer, whose land bordered the disputed land. Kazin allowed for a small percentage of the transaction money to go to
that farmer for his trouble.
From there, Kazin sent a messenger to the Tower of Sorcery explaining his absence for the upcoming mage meeting. He was taking a much needed vacation, and he refused to wait any longer.
Now he was almost home. Soon, he spotted the town and turned west, lowering in altitude as he neared his home on the outskirts of Greenwood. The dragon came to a running stop as he landed in a clearing. Within moments, he transformed from a ferocious, lightning-breathing dragon into a much smaller, inconsequential human mage. Indeed, at first glance Kazin merely appeared to be a young man with shoulder length blonde hair and blue eyes. One would never suspect that this young man was now one of the most powerful beings alive, with the ability to transform into a dragon at will.
None of this mattered to Della as she bounded through the trees toward the clearing. She had spotted him in the clear skies above and immediately headed for his favourite landing spot. Now she broke through into the clearing and ran for his outstretched arms, her golden hair flying out behind her.
Kazin embraced his elven wife, hugging her close. When they pulled apart, Kazin ran his hand through her soft hair, exposing her pointed elven ears. He looked into her bright hazel eyes and smiled. “It’s good to see you again.”
Della frowned. “You took your time getting home,” she pouted. Then she smiled and kissed him. “But I’m glad you’re back.”
“Me too,” said Kazin. He took Della’s arm in his and led her back to their home.
Kazin had deliberately chosen their remote house to escape the suspicious and curious stares of the townsfolk, who still weren’t used to a human mage living among them. In a previous adventure, Della had been given a writ by the elven king himself, promising to pay her in some way for her part in that undertaking. She had used that offering to gain her husband entry into the elven realm so they could live together. The elven king wasn’t sure that was such a good idea, but granted her wish nonetheless.
Now Kazin and Della lived a relatively peaceful life in the remote community, and only Kazin’s continuing work in the north took him away from home. He was working far too much, as far as Della was concerned, but she took it all in stride, knowing that Kazin was needed by those who were less fortunate in the north, namely the humans.
Cloak & Dagger: Book II of The Dragon Mage Trilogy Page 2
