by Dean Cadman
Many conflicting thoughts passed through Lusam’s mind. Not least of which was Aysha’s inability to see within the hidden realm. She had told him that his destiny had become clouded to her sight, but one possible future that she had foreseen, was that he would re-emerge from the hidden realm even more powerful than when he entered. That, of course, had suggested the existence of a Guardian book there. And his own recent divination spell had confirmed that hypothesis to be true. But what Aysha could not possibly have known, was who, or what inhabited this realm. Nor did she say how many of those possible futures ended with him never returning at all. Something that he was keenly aware of as he contemplated breaking through the barrier.
It didn’t take him long to come to the conclusion that he didn’t really have a choice. He had to find the Guardian book and return to his own world as soon as possible. He’d already been gone for far too long, and only hoped that Captain Waylon had been able to wait for him. If not, and the winter storms had forced him to retreat, he suspected that Neala would insist that she remained on the island until he returned. Something which could quite easily cost her her life at that time of year, especially in such an exposed landscape. He had no doubt that Captain Waylon would give her enough provisions and whatever else he could spare to help her survive. But against the freezing winter storms of the southern ocean, that might count for nothing if he didn’t get back to her very soon.
He took a deep breath, and with a single thought, a small opening appeared in the barrier just above the ground. As the foliage peeled back it revealed a perfectly formed paving stone on the other side. He crouched down to peer through the gap and could clearly see it was one of many that made up a very large courtyard. On his hands and knees, he reached out towards the opening. He was fairly certain that the magical barrier was only designed to stop the plants and trees encroaching on the courtyard beyond, but he still breathed a sigh of relief when his hand passed through it unscathed. He crawled forward and ducked his head through the opening to take a better look, and gasped loudly at what he saw.
“Seven Hells,” he cursed under his breath, as he got to his feet. Before him, in the distance, stood an exact replica of Coldmont. Only this time, it was in perfect condition. The huge multicoloured glass dome glistened in the sunlight like a mountain stream. Six massive stone pillars stood at the base of the gigantic stone staircase, supporting an extended roof which had been missing at Coldmont. And two perfectly formed life-size dragon statues—which had also been damaged at Coldmont—guarded the entrance to the magnificent building. They looked so real, he swore that he could see them breathing if he watched them closely enough. But of course, he knew they were not. Multicoloured stained glass windows to rival those of the High Temple in Lamuria adorned each aspect of the magnificent building. And even the massive oak doors glistened in the strong sunlight, their intricate golden inlays clearly visible to him from across the enormous courtyard.
Unlike Coldmont, the four enormous water basins here were full to capacity with clear water. Each one was at least two hundred paces long, and not much less in width. Fantastically detailed statues graced the centre of each basin, so life-like, he wouldn’t have been surprised at all to see them move at any moment. He suspected that they might have been fountains at some time in the past, but water no longer flowed through any of them now.
Instinctively, he slipped into his mage-sight to see if he could detect any residual signs of magic within the statues, but he could not. If they had ever contained magic, it was now long gone. He looked towards the enormous building, expecting to see it glow brightly with strong magical wards, just like Coldmont. But instead, it remained only a distant shadow to his mage-sight, with not even the slightest hint of magic.
At first, he was a little confused, knowing that Coldmont’s magical wards had endured for almost two thousand years, even surviving the various cataclysms which had befallen it during that time. But as he thought about it more, he realised that this building didn’t really need those same protections, and therefore probably never had them in the first place. After all, according to Renn, Coldmont’s magical wards were mainly used as protection against Netherworld creatures, and they didn’t exist in this realm—or at least he suspected they didn’t. At one time in the past, the Guardian book in Coldmont had also been magically hidden, just like the ones in Helveel and Lamuria. But here in this realm, the Guardian book was already hidden from view, which meant that it probably didn’t need the same magical protections as the others. Which would also explain why he was able to detect the Guardian book using his divination spell. Either that or the magically devoid realm itself had drained every last drop of magic from the place, he thought, as he walked slowly towards the building.
Lusam was so enamoured with the incredible building that he was already halfway across the stone courtyard before he noticed something different about it. At the far end of the courtyard, directly in line with the main entrance of the building, was a fifth water basin that had been absent at Coldmont. It was much larger than the others and had no statue at its centre. It was almost flush with the ground and had smooth, round-edged topping stones all the way around it. As he walked towards it, he could see that it was full of clean water. Only a handful of small leaves marred its otherwise sparkling surface. It was truly enormous in size, stretching at least three hundred feet in either direction. How it was being kept topped up with so much water in such a hot place, he had no idea. But it wasn’t until he got closer, that the true scale of it became clear to him.
He leaned over the edge and peered into the water below. It wasn’t a shallow basin like the others, but instead a deep reservoir. From what he could tell it appeared to be at least a hundred feet deep, maybe even more. And most incredible of all, was how clear the water was. He could even make out the shapes of a few rotting leaves on the bottom, and the telltale shadow of a tunnel leading off in the direction of the main building. Given the absence of magic, the only other explanation that he could think of was that the main building had been built on top of a natural spring, and the water was somehow channelled to this enormous pool from there. But for what reason, and how it was kept so clean and free of debris, he hadn’t a clue.
As he leaned out over the water he thought that he felt a slight buzzing sensation on his chest. He stood up sharply and instinctively swatted at the area with his hand, thinking that an insect had somehow crawled inside his clothing. But as soon as he moved the vibration stopped. He ran his hand over his chest but the only thing that he could feel under his tunic was his mother’s amulet. A moment later he smiled to himself, realising that it couldn’t possibly have been an insect because he still had his magical barrier in place. It seemed like Vultog’s warning about the deadly Dast insect had played on his mind more than he’d realised, he thought, shaking his head to himself.
The strange sensation of being watched had intensified slightly when he had first emerged from the forest into the courtyard. He hadn’t been unduly concerned about it at the time. In fact, he had expected as much. If indeed it was a defensive measure to keep away any intruders, it only made sense that the closer he got to the building, the stronger the sensation would become. But as he began to make his way towards the main building, a powerful wave of emotion washed over him. This time it wasn’t simply a feeling of being watched, it was an almost primordial sense of hatred which assaulted his mind. Even through his mental defences, it dizzied him with its sheer ferocity. He hadn’t felt anything like that since…
He spun around and felt his legs goes weak. Utter terror filled every fibre of his being, robbing him of the ability to even breathe, as he saw a dragon swoop out of the sky and dive towards him. But not just any dragon. This was undoubtedly the very same dragon that had tortured him for weeks in his nightmares. The dragon that had hunted him in his dreams. The dragon that had killed him countless times before. And now it was about to do it again—only this time it would be for real.
The dragon
roared as it swooped down on his position, sending out a powerful wave of pure hatred and malice towards him. The wave crashed through his mind with the force of a raging river, tearing cleanly through his defences and causing him to stumble several paces backwards. He gasped at the huge impact and barely managed to remain on his feet. He could see the dragon’s razor-sharp talons outstretched beneath it ready to crush the life from him on impact, but just like in his nightmares, his body refused to obey his commands. And just like in his nightmares, there was nothing that he could do about it.
“No!” he gasped, suddenly realising that this time was different. In his nightmares, he hadn’t been able to move or use his magic to defend himself. But this time he already had a weak magical shield in place. This time it wasn’t a dream. This time it was real.
Just as the dragon was about to strike him with its outstretched talons, he infused his magical shield with a massive amount of power and expanded it outwards. The incredible impact sent him flying across the courtyard, smashing clean through one of the stone statues, reducing it to little more than rubble. Dazed, but not seriously injured, he got unsteadily back to his feet and checked to see where the dragon was. He quickly found it in the sky to the north, circling around for another attack.
Although fear still coursed through his veins, it was quickly being replaced by something else now: the desire for revenge. The horrifying memories of what the dragon had done to him came flooding back. But instead of filling him with fear and dread, it filled him with fury and rage. This time it would not find him so helpless. This time it would pay for what it had done to him.
The dragon’s mighty roar echoed through the clear blue sky. It banked hard to the right, then began its steep dive for another assault. Lusam felt the fresh wave of hatred hit him, but instead of staggering under its influence, he pulled it into himself and added it to his own, roaring his own challenge directly back at the gigantic beast bearing down on him. He created a small fireball in his right hand and began feeding power into it as the dragon fell from the sky towards him.
Lusam waited unflinchingly until the dragon was within range. He had no intention of allowing it to strike him a second time. He prepared to levitate himself into the air, but continued to hold his ground until the dragon was even closer. When the dragon was no more than fifty feet away, he launched his fireball at it, then shot upwards into the air. The fireball exploded on the dragon’s chest, blackening its dark glistening scales, but doing little or no damage to the beast. Its roars of anger and frustration reverberated through the air, as it flapped its gigantic wings to regain altitude once more.
Lusam was shocked that such a strong missile had done no discernible damage to the creature, but he knew that he was capable of so much more if needs be. Besides, he was more than happy to torment the beast for a while yet, just as it had once delighted in torturing him. He lowered himself back towards the ground and watched as the dragon circled around for another pass. This time it dived towards him at a much greater velocity, no doubt hoping to intercept him as he tried to levitate away. Again, he held his ground and waited for it to come within range before reacting. When it did, he immediately loosed another fireball towards it, but not only did the dragon manage to avoid his missile, it also unleashed an attack of its own. Lusam had already decided that he would dodge to the left this time, but before he could complete his manoeuvre, the dragon opened its giant maw and sprayed him with a fine red mist. The power drain on his shield was instant and significant.
Lusam immediately created a second magical barrier inside the first, then dispelled the outer layer. The red liquid fell to the ground below, sizzling loudly on contact. Plumes of red smoke billowed upwards as the deadly liquid ate away at the paving stones before his eyes.
“Seven Hells,” he cursed under his breath, as he watched the stones simply melt away. He had read stories about the ancient dragons breathing fire, but he had no idea it was a liquid. He had always assumed, like everyone else, that it was only a myth. After all, how could any creature possibly breathe out fire? He dragged his eyes away from the melting stone and refocused his attention on the dragon. It had already regained the sky above and was now on an intercept course with him again. If it wanted a fight, he would give it one, he thought, levitating himself into the air. The sky may well be the dragon’s natural domain, but it would be no match for his own speed and manoeuvrability.
Lusam shot upwards a hundred feet before coming to a stop, then watched as the dragon began its long dive towards him. It sent fresh waves of hatred and malice towards him, but his long journey through the forest had taught him how to deaden its effects. No longer did it cause him to lose control of himself. Now it was little more than an endurable discomfort to him. He formed several weak fireballs and launched them towards the advancing dragon. Not to cause it any real harm, but to force it to take evasive action, and thus slow its approach. The slower it moved, the easier it would be for him to avoid.
The dragon roared in frustration as he forced it to weave a random course towards him. Its giant serpent-like eyes bore into him with such malevolence that he could almost feel its touch on his skin. He shuddered deep inside, but refused to back down. He would make it pay for what it had done to him, he promised himself, as it finally came into striking distance. It opened its enormous maw and sprayed its liquid fire at him again, but this time he was ready. He had already created a second magical barrier around himself, and as the deadly red liquid hit the outer layer, he sent the whole thing hurtling towards the face of the dragon. The magical barrier enveloped the dragons entire head, splattering it with its own deadly venom.
The howl of pain seemed to shake the very sky around him.
He dispelled the magical barrier and the remaining venom fell onto the face of the dragon, causing its scales to blister and smoke, and bringing forth another blood-curdling scream of pain.
Lusam smiled.
The dragon clawed fruitlessly at its face but only succeeded in spreading the deadly venom even further. A moment later, it folded back its wings and plummeted straight down towards the ground below. But instead of crashing into the stone courtyard, it disappeared below the surface of the large reservoir, sending a plume of water fifty feet into the air in its wake. Instantly, an eerie silence filled the giant courtyard. Time itself seemed to come to a stop as Lusam watched the turbulent water with bated breath. His heart thundered in his chest, as the adrenaline of battle surged through his veins.
Suddenly the silence of the courtyard was shattered as the mighty dragon burst forth from the water’s surface with a defiant roar. Even his mental barriers did little to dampen the incredible wave of hatred that the dragon directed towards him. His knees almost buckled under him with its ferocious intensity, but he refused to fall. Defiantly, he called out to the dragon, questioning its battle prowess in a verbal assault, using words that he never thought he would hear himself say. He had no idea if the dragon could hear him, or even understand his words. But judging by its immediate reaction, he guessed that his message had been both received, and fully understood.
Expecting a renewed attack, Lusam bolstered his mental defences with everything that he could muster, and a moment later he was very glad that he had. The assault on his mind was truly incredible. He could feel the immense effort that the dragon used against him. Every fibre of its being wanted to tear him asunder. The edges of his vision darkened under the colossal assault, and he almost lost himself to the beast. But again he took the primordial hatred of the dragon’s assault and added to his own, creating himself a powerful foundation from which to fight back.
And fight back he did.
With an outcry of defiance, he pushed back with everything he had, shattering the dragon’s mental hold over him. He both saw and felt the dragon’s shock at what he had just done, but gave it no time to recover. It was already diving towards him, no doubt expecting to make an easy kill whilst he had been under its mental influence. He flung a magical b
arrier towards it like a giant net, enveloping the entire creature inside. Then rapidly began to shrink its size, forcing the dragon’s wings back against its massive body. The dragon roared loudly as it plummeted out of the sky towards the ground below, unable to slow its descent or even change course. Lusam smiled as the mighty beast crashed loudly through the forest canopy several hundred feet away from him.
Lusam had dispelled his barrier just before the impact, ensuring maximum damage to the creature. Now he hovered in the air, watching the freshly made clearing in the treetops for any signs of movement. He could hear the dragon’s angry and frustrated cries as he moved slowly backwards towards the main building, intent on getting a better view of the area. It seemed like an eternity before the dragon finally re-emerged, but when it did, its injuries were plain to see. It desperately beat its massive wings to gain a little altitude, but even from where he was, Lusam could see the damage that the trees had caused. Ragged flaps of torn skin hung free from its left wing, and with every beat, flashes of daylight could be seen through the tattered holes.
He half-expected the dragon to retreat after suffering such injuries, but instead, it attempted to assault his mind once more and began circling around for another attack. The powerful wave of fear that the dragon sent towards him had little effect, due to the almost primordial levels of hatred he had fostered himself for the creature. It had used that same fear against him in his nightmares many times before, and each time he had been completely paralysed by it, unable to move or defend himself in any way. But now it was different. Now it was the dragon’s turn to fear him.
He watched impassively as the dragon roared its defiance at the sky and begin its dive towards him. This time he would end its pitiful existence. Never again would he have to fear closing his eyes at night and being tortured by this monster. Nor would he have to worry about killing Neala, or other nearby people whilst he slept. Or setting the room ablaze, like he had once done at the Royal Palace in Lamuria. No. Now he would kill the beast, and end its threat once at for all.
