Lusam: The Dragon Mage Wars Book Five

by Dean Cadman

  “You’re the legendary Gardan. The fabled creature who helped the mighty Hagu cross The Boundary into the land of The Keeper, and back again…” Lusam replied, crying with laughter.

  “No. Actually, I’m the Guardian who saved and sent home a drunk orc with a pocket full of Soul Stones,” he replied, then with a mischievous grin he added, “But I have to admit, your version has a much better ring to it.”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  “So, how did he die then?” Lusam asked after he finally stopped laughing.

  “Who… Hagu?”

  “No. The Keeper. You said that you thought he was dead.”

  “Oh, yes, he is. And I’m afraid that’s probably my fault too,” Arlo replied sheepishly, then quickly added, “Unintentionally, of course.”

  “Of course,” Lusam agreed, stifling a grin. “So how did it happen?”

  “He tried to go through the portal,” Arlo replied, with a slight shrug.

  “Why would he do that?”

  “Ah… I might have accidentally mentioned that Erebi had been killed by Aamon during one of our lengthier conversations,” Arlo said, grimacing slightly. “He became quite upset about it, actually. In fact, it almost ended our fragile truce.”

  “I bet it did. It’s not every day that you learn your God is dead. Not to mention the fact that everything you have ever done is for nothing.”

  “Yes, thanks for that,” Arlo replied, sarcastically. “Anyway, at first he refused to believe what I had told him, and instead pursued his work with a renewed vigour. I think the inhabitants south of the mountain saw more of him during that time period than they ever had before. He also actively avoided any contact with myself and Ryuu, as if denying our existence could somehow change what he already knew to be true. It was only because we were discussing our respective Gods, that it came up in conversation in the first place. He confided in me that Erebi used to visit this realm often, to check on the progress of his creations and make any changes that he deemed necessary to improve them. But The Keeper also told me that those visits stopped abruptly many millennia ago, and he didn’t know why. He suspected it was to do with the time differential between our two worlds, which is how I learned about it myself. He thought Erebi was simply busy in our world, where time passed much more slowly than here. But of course, I knew differently, and opened my big mouth without thinking first.”

  “Well, at least now I know where I get that from,” Lusam said, trying to lighten the mood in the room a little, which had darkened considerably since he’d first asked about The Keeper’s demise. It was obvious that his father felt remorse and regret about what had happened to him. “Who knows… maybe he made it through alive,” Lusam said.

  Arlo shook his head. “No. He didn’t. He could never have. And he knew it even before he tried.”

  “But how can you be so certain if he was that powerful?”

  “For two reasons. The first reason he told me himself shortly after we agreed our truce. You see, the Soul Stones are not the only safeguard against creatures ever leaving this realm. Erebi also included another, more fundamental safety measure into all of his creations, and that was an incredibly short lifespan. Whilst they remain in this realm, they age at what we would consider to be a normal rate. But if any creature somehow managed to pass through the portal into our world, they would die the instant they arrived.”

  “Maybe The Keeper was different though. Or maybe he knew a way to counteract the effects.”

  Arlo shook his head again. “No. I’m afraid not.”

  “How can you be so sure?” Lusam asked.

  Arlo paused a moment before replying, as if he was listening again for something in the distance. He sighed quietly, and a look of resignation appeared on his face. “Because Ryuu saw him die,” he said, quietly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was obvious to Lusam that whatever memories he was about to share were difficult for him to relive, so he remained silent and gave him the time that he needed to prepare. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked at Lusam. The depth of the pain that he felt was evident. His voice broke with the first few words, but somehow he managed to keep his emotions in check.

  “It was during a particularly traumatic period for Ryuu and me that it happened. A period which lasted from the time just before we first entered this realm, right up until… well, if I’m honest, it still affects us both today. Especially, Ryuu. Which is why he has chosen to cut me off from his mind now. He knew this conversation was inevitable and didn’t wish to be a part of it. And if truth be told, given a choice, neither do I. But it is, in a way, the reason you are here, Lusam. So I believe you have a right to know the full story.” He paused and poured himself a small amount of the sweet tasting liquid from the jug. He took a small sip, then cleared his throat to continue.

  “Ryuu and I were unique amongst the other surviving Guardians. They had all lost their dragons during the final battle at The Rift, but we somehow managed to survive the carnage. Many of the bonded dragons also lost their Guardians, and those that survived eventually returned back to their homeland in the north. Dozens of dragons died in that final battle, and it took weeks for the surviving dragons to recover all of their hearts and return them to the sacred grounds of Nerroth. It was during that time of grief and confusion that we hid the four dragon hearts of the surviving Guardians within the foundations of Aysha’s temple. But a fifth dragon heart was also hidden there. That of Ryuu’s mate, Ietha. Both she and her Guardian had fallen in battle on that final day, and the grief that Ryuu felt was immeasurable. That grief was also transmitted to me through our bond, and I’m not ashamed to admit that it almost drove me to the point of madness.

  “In his grief-stricken state, he fought off two separate dragons that tried to retrieve Ietha’s heart, almost killing one of them in the process. Later, at her request, he removed her heart himself and hid it with the others in Aysha’s temple, so that the other dragons could no longer sense her presence. Neither the Guardians and their dragons, nor Ryuu and Ietha wanted to be parted from one another, so they remained hidden there until the dragons’ recovery efforts were complete. It wasn’t until several weeks later that Aysha revealed her plans for the Guardian books to us, and Ietha willingly agreed to aid us with her power.

  “Ryuu’s grief was still incredibly raw, but the thought of a future together with Ietha, even a non-physical one, tempered that grief to more manageable levels for the both of us—at least for a short while, anyway. New ways were devised to mask the presence of the dragon hearts so they could be transported to the High Temple in Lamuria, where they remained hidden until they were sent on to their final destinations. Each of the surviving Guardians travelled to their assigned destinations alone, to prepare for the arrival of their dragons hearts. They made sure that all of the protective wards and spells were in place, even before their dragon hearts arrived to power them. All except myself and Ellis, that is.

  “We were assigned the two furthest destinations from Lamuria. Ellis was sent to Irragin, in Thule, and as you know, Ryuu and I were sent south to Lohlaen, on The Pearl Isle. We decided that because of the greater distances, we would take our dragon hearts with us when we left Lamuria. We knew they would be safe from detection once we reached our designated temples, and that the warded crates we had built would keep them hidden during our journey there. At first, our plan worked perfectly. Ryuu swiftly carried Ellis and his dragon heart to Irragin, where it was kept hidden until he completed the necessary work there. And Ryuu and I travelled to Lohlaen with Ietha’s heart, and began our work there.” He paused and took another drink, then stared unseeingly into the bottom of his cup. Eventually, he lowered his cup and placed it back on the table, but when he finally spoke again his eyes remained firmly fixed on it. It was as if he feared to look up at Lusam, just in case he saw any signs of judgement for what he was about to say next. He swallowed hard, then continued.

  “The Pearl Isle is a harsh place during winter at the best of times,
but that particular winter was one of the worst ever. Wind and snow battered us relentlessly for weeks. Drinking water froze solid, and food stocks ran dangerously low. Even Ryuu was unable to fly because of the strong winds, and my single-mindedness to complete my task blinded me to the dangers. No trees grew on the island due to its exposed location, so instead, the resident monks usually burned the locally sourced peat to keep warm. But that particular year the ground was frozen so hard that it made it impossible to dig it up. When their stockpile eventually ran out, they began burning old furniture and anything else they could find to stay warm. One of the elder monks approached me one day and asked if he could have the wooden crate that we had used to transport Ietha’s heart in, and of course, I agreed. I knew her heart was hidden from view within the walls of Aysha’s temple, and if it kept the monks from bothering me for a little while longer while I worked, I was more than happy to give them it.

  “Eventually, though, I had to temporarily halt my work, and use my power to not only keep the monks warm, but also a very cold and unhappy Ryuu. He hated the cold far more than I did, and he made sure that I knew about it every waking moment. Fortunately, the worst of the weather only lasted another week or so, and Ryuu was able to resume hunting the large sea mammals which frequented the waters around the island, and I was able to return to my work.

  “I should have known something was wrong when Ryuu didn’t return after three days, and I could no longer sense his presence. But it wasn’t the first time that he had gone off in a sulk and blocked me from his mind. I simply thought that he’d decided to fly south, to seek some warmth until the weather improved at Lohlaen. And selfishly at the time, I was happy about it. Not only because I was able to continue with my work and not have to listen to his almost constant complaints about the cold, but also because I no longer felt the overwhelming sense of loss that he was still feeling over the death of his mate, Ietha. But the truth was, he hadn’t flown south at all. He had inadvertently flown through the sea arch and found himself here, instead. Needless to say that he enjoyed the perpetual warmth of the place, not to mention the new and tasty prey animals that he found on the southern plains.

  “Ryuu kept the realm a secret from me for weeks. He would disappear for several days at a time, before returning to complain about the cold, and flooding my mind with sadness and remorse once more. I feel ashamed to admit it now, but at the time I looked forward to his absence. It was an opportunity for me to begin healing the great loss which I felt through our bond, as well as reconcile my own thoughts about what we all had both lost during that final battle at The Rift. His return visits were brief: just long enough to regain the power that he had used to travel through the portal—and at the time, I was thankful for it. That was, until that fateful day.

  “Ryuu had been gone for two days already when it happened. I had yet to complete my work within the temple, therefore no wards or protective spells were in place yet when the ground began to shake. It was just after dawn, and early morning prayers were underway in the chapel when the first wave of tremors hit. The roof of the chapel collapsed almost immediately, killing all but two of the monks inside. I survived only because I managed to erect a shield in time to stop the masonry from crushing me, and fortunately, I was able to save the dragon heart and Guardian book too.

  “It was a frantic time, digging through the rubble to find any survivors, and avoiding the many aftershocks. Lohlaen lay in ruins. Not a single wall remained intact, and even the foundations were shattered. The sea that day was uncharacteristically calm for that time of year, so I sent the two surviving monks back to the mainland for help and supplies, and to send word to Lamuria of what had occurred. I didn’t really expect to find any more survivors under the rubble, but I tried. Gods, did I try…” Arlo said, his voice cracking with the words.

  “I used what little power I had left to move the giant stones of Lohlaen in search of more survivors, but it was a fruitless task. After several hours of hard toil, I gave up, all but exhausted. Without access to Ryuu’s vast power reserve, my own was already very low due to the work I had undertaken on the temple, and searching through the countless tons of rubble did little to improve the situation. I called out many times to Ryuu, but he just wasn’t there. I remember sitting down on a large block of stone and looking out across the sea. I saw a distant speck in the winter sky, and my heart soared at the thought of Ryuu’s return. At first, I saw only a single spec, but then I noticed a second, and then a third appear. I thought they must be birds and watched dejectedly as they slowly approached the island. They were still too far away to clearly see when I felt the wave of hatred hit me, and I realised for the first time what I was looking at. Not one, but three dragons were bearing down on me. Three very angry dragons.

  “I called out desperately for Ryuu with everything I had, convinced that he would be able to hear me. But of course, he couldn’t. I had already considered the possibility that the dragon heart and Guardian book may no longer be hidden due to the devastation caused to the temple, which was why I sent word to the High Temple as soon as I could. But seeing those three dragons on the horizon confirmed my worst fears: even the temple’s foundations had been destroyed.

  “At first, I had no real concerns for my own life, only the imminent loss of Ietha’s heart and the resulting effects it would have on Ryuu. I knew that a dragon would never usually attack a Guardian without provocation, and I was in no shape to put up a fight against a single dragon, let alone three. My main concern, however, was for the Guardian book itself. I knew that without a dragon heart, we wouldn’t be able to maintain the wards and spells required to protect it for future generations. And without my Guardian book, the other four could never fulfil their true potential either. As I explained earlier, each successive book releases not only the knowledge it contains, but a portion of all the other books previously read. And it is the fifth and final book that is the key to releasing the full and unrestricted knowledge of the Guardians.

  “As the dragons grew nearer I was surprised to feel their wave of hatred intensify. It both confused and concerned me, as I knew how incredibly good a dragon’s vision was. There was no doubt in my mind that they should have already identified me as a Guardian. But a few moments later the reason for it became clear when I recognised the lead dragon. It was one of the two dragons that Ryuu had prevented from retrieving Ietha’s heart at The Rift. The same dragon that he had badly injured. And now that dragon wanted its revenge. I knew that it wouldn’t care if it killed me or Ryuu. To it, we were one and the same. But looking back now, I suspect that it would probably have preferred to kill me anyway, especially knowing what pain it would have inflicted on Ryuu for the rest of his life.

  “I desperately called out to Ryuu again, but there was still only silence. There was nowhere for me to run or hide on the island. Even the ocean would have offered me no sanctuary against the underwater prowess of a dragon. Only the scattered debris and low-lying walls of the temple stood between me and the three dragons’ fury. I knew at that moment that I was about to die, and all I could think about was how it would affect Ryuu, and how he himself would die when he tried to seek his revenge against his own kind.

  “I fought them off for what felt like hours, but in reality, it was little more than a few minutes before I succumbed to their first strike. Fortunately for me, the other two dragons didn’t seem that interested in causing me any real harm, and simply positioned themselves to make it easier for the one trying to kill me. Eventually, though, my shield failed, and I took a direct strike from the lead dragon’s tail. My leg shattered on impact, and I was catapulted into the air. Somehow I managed to avoid hitting any of the large blocks of stone which littered the ground, and eventually came to an excruciatingly painful stop some sixty feet away from where I was.

  “I thought the pain alone would kill me. Or maybe I was just hoping that it would. But a moment later that pain seemed inconsequential when the dragon began toying with my broken body. It wa
sn’t content to simply kill me. It wanted to torture me first. And torture me… it did.” Arlo closed his eyes against the painful memories and lowered his head. Lusam didn’t know whether he should speak or not. If he did, what could he possibly say? Instead, he watched mutely as Arlo took a deep unsteady breath, and raised his head to continue once more.

  “By the time I felt Ryuu’s presence enter my mind I had already given up on life, but fortunately, it had not yet given up on me. With his presence came a renewed clarity of thought, and I was able to erect a protective shield around myself just before the dragon’s killing blow struck me. With Ryuu’s power at my disposal I knew that I was no longer in any immediate danger from the dragons, but even in my current condition, I could sense that his own reserves were much lower than they should have been. As the dragon battered at my shield, I set about dulling the pain and repairing the worst of my injuries, fully expecting Ryuu to still be many miles away from me. But of course, he wasn’t.

  “He struck the attacking dragon with such force that I heard several of its bones break. It roared in pain, and immediately the other two dragons came to its aid. As my mind started to clear, I began to assimilate the information from Ryuu’s mind about the strange realm he had been visiting. A bond is a difficult thing to describe to another, but it goes far deeper than simply sharing information and thoughts. I instantly knew everything that he did about this realm, including the fact that it had been responsible for shielding his presence from me.

  “Ryuu took to the air with the other two much larger dragons in pursuit. I knew that he couldn’t hope to defeat them alone, and would likely be killed if I didn’t intervene very soon. The injured dragon had gone to retrieve Ietha’s heart, and had already taken flight with it in its huge talons. I suppose that I could have brought it down if I’d tried. But at what cost? Even if we did manage to kill the two remaining dragons, it still didn’t address our main problem of hiding the Guardian book. Now that the temple was gone, both the book and the dragon heart were exposed. We could never have hoped to rebuild the temple before the dragons returned in much greater numbers. So in that instant, I made a decision which changed everything for us.