“What if it does?” asked Alric.
“Run. Hide if you have to,” said Kazin. “The dragon will be unpredictable and very dangerous.”
Alric stared.
Kazin smiled again. “Don’t worry. I’m still in control. You’re safe for now.”
Alric didn’t look convinced. “Just make sure you warn me in advance.”
“I will,” said Kazin seriously.
* * * * *
“I don’t know which is worse,” grumbled Larsen, “sick people or drunken ones.”
“We are doing what is necessary,” said Malachi consolingly. His words sounded empty to his own ears.
The two men stood atop the battlements surveying the thousands gathered there in the hopes of being cured. Tents and shelters were sprawled far off into the distance. Camp fires flickered eerily off the faces of those who were huddled near for warmth. Those not by the fires staggered around under the influence of the dwarven spirits that were handed out earlier in the day.
“At least when they were sick they stayed in one spot,” continued Larsen. “The drunken ones keep getting in the way of my soldiers.”
“It’s far better being in the way than being dead,” said Malachi. “The spirits give us hope and extra time to find a cure. Already the numbers of dying have decreased.”
“I suppose you’re right,” admitted Larsen.
Malachi looked up at the moon, briefly visible through an opening in the perpetual clouds of the past several days. “Our magic is more powerful each day we get closer to full moon, and it helps when the moon’s rays are able to get through these clouds. I should get back inside to assist in the healing magic. It’s been a productive day. Perhaps the night will prove fruitful as well.”
As the high cleric turned to go, Larsen stopped him. “I don’t want to end the day on a negative note, Malachi, but there is one more issue that has come to the forefront that requires your attention.”
“What is it, Larsen?”
“Our food supplies are dwindling,” said Larsen. “As you know, many domestic animals have succumbed to the same disease that is affecting the people. As a result, good food is in short supply. As of today, we have begun to ration supplies to the people. Many who lined up today opted for dwarven spirits instead of food so that those who are weakest would not go hungry.”
“You mean some of the people drank dwarven spirits on empty stomachs?” asked Malachi incredulously. “Do you know how spirits affect the body when there is no food to absorb some of it? How could you let that happen?”
“I cannot force people to eat,” said Larsen calmly. “The people are free to do as they choose.”
Malachi groaned. “Well, tomorrow we’re supposed to be getting food supplies shipped up from the far south, including the elven realm. Also, any day now the dwarves are due to deliver fresh supplies of the spirits we requested. The dwarf whose recipe we’re using is doing an admirable job overseeing the production of his brew.”
“Good,” said Larsen. “That settles that problem for now.”
“Is there something else?” asked Malachi.
“Well,” began Larsen slowly, “it’s something that just came to my attention today.”
“What is it?”
“Some of my soldiers have tried an experiment where they sampled the dwarven spirits in an effort to see if they will remain immune to the disease. They plan to drink only a certain percentage of the spirits daily. I was going to put a stop to it, but have decided to allow it. I’m thinking they might be on to something. The spirits won’t cure the disease, but maybe they will prevent it from being acquired.”
Malachi considered. “Good thinking. Let me know how it turns out. Things can’t really get any worse than they are right now anyway, can they?”
At that moment the ground shook. The sudden upheaval was so violent that the two men had to grab hold of something to keep from being thrown off their feet. Below them, several tents collapsed, and screams of surprise could be heard over the rumbling.
As suddenly as it had begun, the rumbling stopped. A strong gust of wind suddenly blasted out of the north, and the smell of ozone could be sensed in the air. Thunder and lightning was evident on the northern horizon.
Malachi and Larsen looked at each other in alarm.
“You were saying?” said the general.
Chapter 26
A horn sounded far off in the distance. The dwarf immediately held up a hand for silence as she and her companions came to a stop. “It seems our escape has been detected,” she whispered.
Vera’s staff light reflected ominously off the tunnel’s walls. “We’d better keep moving,” said the cleric silently.
“And quickly,” added the cyclops.
Rebecca hesitated. “I just wish we were going the right way. We could be heading into even more danger.” Noticing the worried expressions on her companions’ faces, she attempted to cheer them up. “I think the way we’re going is our best option. We’re going away from the more heavily traveled routes, so we’re not as likely to get caught. Besides, I’m wearing my magic-detecting talisman. Any change in magic level warns me that there are lizardmen nearby. We won’t get caught off guard this time.”
This did not seem to reassure the others, so Rebecca said with exaggerated confidence, “Follow me.” She trudged off in the direction they were originally heading and the others followed without saying anything.
They had taken no more than a few steps when another earthquake struck the mountain. Everyone lost their footing and debris showered from the ceiling. The mountain rumbled and shook so violently that the tunnel behind them caved in, foiling any would-be pursuers. The trio tried to rise to their feet, but the shaking was so vehement that they couldn’t regain their footing. Then the tunnel in front of them caved in. At the same instant, the wall to their right began to crack, threatening to crumble like the rest of the passageway. They were about to be crushed! But instead of caving in on them, the wall simply fell outwards, tumbling in many various sized pieces into an unknown gorge below them. The place where the companions lay was like an alcove, protected on all sides from the shower of stones coming from somewhere above them.
Finally the mountain stopped rumbling. The companions coughed in the dusty aftermath of the earthquake, trying to fill their lungs with clean air. It was a full five minutes before they regained their composure.
Cyril helped the others to their feet. “Is everyone O.K.?” he gasped.
Rebecca and Vera confirmed they were alright. Vera found her staff and held it aloft to examine their surroundings. The dust reduced visibility, but they were able to determine the alcove they inhabited was solid and intact. Where the wall used to be on their right, was now a steep drop down to what sounded like an underground river. The staff light was not bright enough to illuminate the depths below.
“Now what?” asked Vera uncertainly.
Rebecca, after confirming the tunnel was hopelessly blocked, stated the obvious. “We’ll have to go down.”
Vera stared at the dwarf in horror. “We don’t even know if we can go down!”
Rebecca withdrew her rope from her pack. “I’m open to suggestions.”
Vera looked hopelessly at Cyril, who looked away.
“Don’t worry,” said Rebecca. “I’m a skilled climber. I grew up high in the mountains. I’ll set you both up so we can go down in unison. We’ll be tied to one another so if one of us has trouble, the others can come to their aid. The rope will be permanently fastened to the alcove we’re in, so it will be supporting our weight. The lanyards tied to your chest will keep you within range of the rope, but allow you to move down unrestricted.” Rebecca glanced at Cyril. “It is the finest rope available in the dwarven realm. It will even hold up a cyclops.”
“Like the rope on the swing bridge?” asked Vera uncertainly.
Rebecca gave the cleric a glowering look. “It’s much newer than that! This rope is even somewhat fire resistant, if that�
�s what’s bothering you.”
Vera sighed. “I guess we don’t have a choice, do we?”
Cyril laid a gentle hand on the cleric’s shoulder. “We’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
Vera gave the cyclops a wan smile. She held her staff over the edge again and this time the air was clear enough to see the river below. It was not as far down as she had first thought. The cliff was not as anticipated either. The rocks from the earthquake had made the slope much more manageable.
It took nearly an hour for the companions to descend to the river because the rocks were loose and unstable, but they managed without incident.
At the bottom, Vera approached the river and tested the water with magic. It was more contaminated than any water sources she had tested so far, and the stench was almost unbearable. “This is awful!” she gagged.
Rebecca was holding her nose too. “We’d better get away from here!” she said in a nasal voice.
Suddenly an idea occurred to Vera. “Wait a minute!” She did another spell test and the water close to her glowed with a faint greenish light. “Just as I thought!” she exclaimed.
“What is it?” asked Cyril.
Vera looked at the cyclops and he looked away. “Whatever magic is causing this is not far upstream! The magical signature in this water is noticeable for the first time since I’ve been checking it. When we were farther away, the magical signature in this poisoned water was already gone, but here it is still evident. That means we are near the source of the contamination!”
Rebecca’s eyes widened. “That means we can finally find out what’s causing the poisoned water and put a stop to it!”
“Finally we have a trail to follow!” put in Cyril excitedly. “Let’s go!” He turned and headed upstream without waiting for the cleric and dwarf to respond.
Rebecca and Vera glanced at one another before running to keep up with the cyclops’ long strides.
Suddenly the cyclops yelped and began hopping around on one foot. The others hurried to catch up and see what the matter was.
“What’s wrong?” asked Vera in concern, as Cyril held his foot and continued hopping on his other leg.
“I stepped on something sharp!”
Vera turned to where the cyclops had been but the dwarf was already there. She had a strange expression on her face. She held onto the talisman around her neck. “There’s something magical here!” she exclaimed.
Vera held her staff closer to the area in question and immediately picked out a shiny object protruding from the river’s edge. Rebecca saw it too and reached down to touch it.
“It’s some sort of steel spike,” said the dwarf slowly. “It seems to be embedded in the ground.” She tried to pry it loose but it wouldn’t budge. “Let me try something.” The dwarf withdrew her magical dagger and began to chip away around the object. The moment it made contact with the silvery tine, there was an instantaneous flash. She touched it again but this time there was nothing. “Odd,” she muttered. The dwarf continued digging and succeeded in prying away the shale slabs encasing the object. Another spike was revealed. Soon others came into view. The spikes were all sticking out from a central piece shaped like a ball. Rebecca began digging more furiously. “I think I know what it is!” she exclaimed.
Before long, the entire head of the item had been revealed. The spiked ball gave way to a portion of a handle, and Rebecca grabbed it with her tiny hand and pulled. Still, it did not budge.
“Let me try,” offered Cyril. He had overcome his momentary pain and was as curious as the others over what he had stumbled onto. His huge hand grasped the handle near the spiked ball and pulled. The remaining shale shattered and fell away. The cyclops lifted the item up into the light.
“Just as I thought!” cried Rebecca joyfully. She enjoyed finding treasure, as did all dwarves, and this was the second time on this adventure it had happened to her. “It’s a mace!”
Cyril hefted the exceptionally large mace with ease. “It’s very light!” he exclaimed.
“Let’s see!” said Vera. She took it from Cyril’s hand and nearly dropped it. “Uggh!” she exclaimed. “What are you talking about? It’s extremely heavy!”
Cyril gave the cleric a strange look, while trying not to look into her eyes.
“Let me try,” offered Rebecca. Vera gladly handed off the weapon to the dwarf. Rebecca grunted with the exertion of holding the weapon. “You must be awfully strong if you consider this mace to be light, Cyril.” She passed the mace back to the bewildered Cyclops.
Cyril, meanwhile, hefted the mace and swung it in the air with exaggerated ease. “But it’s light!” he insisted.
“That must be part of the magic,” said Rebecca. “I wonder why it is only light for you.”
Cyril looked at his trustworthy club on the ground a few feet away. “I guess I won’t be needing you anymore.” He glanced quickly in the dwarf’s general direction. “If that’s O.K. with you,” he added.
Rebecca shrugged. “You were the one who found it. You’re the only one who can make use of it. It’s too heavy for me anyway. It’s yours as far as I’m concerned.”
The companions celebrated their find for a few more minutes before continuing on their adventure. With a new trail to follow, and a new weapon at their disposal, they had renewed hope of acquiring their objective. Things were beginning to look up. If only the rest of their party fared as well.
* * * * *
“The forces are gathering in the great caverns,” said Slong. “The ogres, goblins and cyclops are anxious to get started.”
“Good,” said Graf, “but until the orcs get here and the rest of the army is assembled, we can’t march. I want to make a coordinated attack.”
“Understood,” said Slong. “I will tell them.” He turned to go.
“Wait,” said Graf suddenly, an idea forming in his mind. “Maybe we can let them get a taste of battle to build morale.”
“Sir?”
“Why don’t you let them eliminate the human outposts near the mountains? The outposts are lightly guarded. If those outposts are destroyed, the humans won’t know when we will proceed with an all-out attack on their precious Tower of Hope. They will no longer have an early warning system in place.”
“And we will have the element of surprise!” filled in Slong, “along with creating an element of fear.”
“Precisely!” said Graf. “This attack will mimic the previous one, but seem like we’re testing the strength of the humans. They won’t know we are already capable of destroying them.”
“Excellent,” said Slong.
“Bring the earth elemental with you,” added Graf. “I want to know how obedient it is when we are using it in battle. It is a suitable test.”
“Understood,” said Slong.
“And take out some of the most remote northern human settlements,” added Graf. “There will be more spoils for the army to divide among themselves.”
“Yes, Sir,” said Slong.
When the general had departed, Graf made his way via several magical portals to a place near his home. There he spotted a lizardmage holding a trident and wearing a blood red robe. It was Brind.
“Brind!” exclaimed Graf. “What are you doing here?”
Brind had a dour expression on his face. “I would like to report on the fire elemental.”
“Proceed,” said Graf. He was not inclined to let Brind into his quarters because he sensed bad news.
“We briefly had the fire elemental in our possession,” stammered Brind nervously.
“And?” pressed Graf impatiently.
“We were attacked and lost control of it,” stated Brind. “I think it was the human mage you were talking about.”
“You think?” growled Graf.
“I am fairly certain of it,” said Brind. “I saw him as he was attempting to open one of our portals.”
“Why didn’t you stop him?!” shrieked Graf.
“I did,” answered Brind. “I shot him in the ne
ck with a poison-tipped dart.”
Graf started. “You what?”
“I shot him with a poison-tipped dart,” repeated Brind. “He went down right away.”
Graf clapped his hands together and hissed. “Excellent! What happened next?”
“I was moving in for the kill when an accomplice of his ambushed me,” continued Brind. “I couldn’t see who it was but they were casting magical arrows at me. The portal was my only escape.”
“Were they invisible?” asked Graf.
“Quite possibly,” said Brind. “Do you think it was the elf we talked about?”
“I’m not sure,” said Graf. “It would be a most unlikely alliance, but it’s possible.” He shook his head as if clearing his mind. “It doesn’t matter. The mage has been poisoned! It is only a matter of time before he dies. You have done well, Brind!”
Brind gave a weak smile. “Shall I continue to search for the fire elemental? Once I see it, I’m sure I have the power to summon it by myself using my trident to channel the energy. It is easier to summon on this plane than the one beyond.”
“Yes,” said Graf. “But hold onto it this time. We may be able to use it in our war.”
“Of course,” said Brind, relieved. He turned and left. Brind had told his story in the wrong order, but it had worked out for the better. At least Graf was pleased about the poisoned mage.
Meanwhile, Graf entered his quarters. He cast a spell to silence everything in the room from possible listeners outside. Then he began to laugh. His hissing laugh let decades of stress go. He lifted his face to the ceiling and cried, “The dragon mage is poisoned! He is as good as dead! Next come the human clerics and mages! Then the dwarves and elves! The world will be ours at last!”
From the study doorway, three sets of eyes watched the outburst with incomprehension. Little did the hydra know what plans Graf had in store for it.
Chapter 27
Alric wiped the dust from his clothes and rose shakily to his feet. The partial cave in that had resulted from the earthquake had filled the tunnel with dust and debris. He coughed to clear his lungs. The elf looked around in the falling dust, visibility only slightly enhanced by the light emanating from the elemental.
Cloak & Dagger: Book II of The Dragon Mage Trilogy Page 26
