“Lingaria?” Miralee said softly, as she sat on the edge of the bed where the dragon lay. “I’m going to put something in your mouth, and you have to promise not to fry me, all right?”
She laughed nervously, but the dragon didn’t even groan in response. He was clearly dying, or very close to death. The woman only hoped the Aquaberries would be enough.
She pushed the berries between his dagger-like teeth, small as they were and closed his mouth over them, but the beast didn’t move at all.
“Perhaps I should have cooked them into some meat? I guess you have to be able to chew for that to happen, though,” she whispered.
She put her hand on his lower jaw, and upper snout, and forced chewing motions, but there was no way she could make him swallow.
“Mommy,” little Luna stood in the doorway, watching the woman with growing curiosity, “what is that?”
“It’s a dragon, my darling, Unseen Ones help us all, it’s a dragon.” She continued the chewing motion for the dragon, and then blew into his snout. Knowing, if there was any amount of life left in him, the action would cause him to swallow as a reflex.
It worked, and she heard the soft swallowing noise. Feeling proud of herself, she pulled a blanket around his head, leaving his nostrils free to breathe. In a little while, she would return with more berries, and water. Hopefully as he healed, he would open his eyes and be able to eat.
“why did you say that?” the little girl asked, following Mira out of the room.
“Because, my dear, history has taught us that when dragons are needed, there is great evil afoot,” the woman responded, her delicate form attending to the kitchen where she set water to boil for tea.
“But I thought dragons were evil!” Luna said, large eyes wide and shining, thick lashes framing them. Her impishly childish face alight with wonder and fear.
“Only some, darling, but those that are…” Miralee shook, she would never tell her child the true horrors that could befall them if a dark dragon were afoot. She knew Lingaria to be an aid to Svana, and she had long since suspected Hekla to have a little help from one of the winged beasts as well.
That would explain a lot, she thought.
Meanwhile, back in the bedroom, Lingaria was beginning to stir. His scaled body uncomfortable under the weight of the cloths that had been laid over him to keep him warm. He shook them off, opening his eyes. In his mind, he searched for Svana. Wondering why she was not by his side.
Svana, he spoke softly. An image of Svana flashed in his mind. She was far away, trapped inside some kind of contraption.
Speltus, Aronus, Svana has gone missing, is there word?
No, Aronus answered. Svana lives?
Indeed, she does, Lingaria answered.
Why do you sound so weak? Speltus asked.
It took Melifera’s and I’s combined strength to save Svana, otherwise she would have died. Melifera has passed, but her spirit lingers to continue to help Svana. We must hurry so that she can be freed. Lingaria spoke sternly, frustrated by how much his body needed rest, and how powerless he felt in that moment.
Melifera is gone? Aronus sounded shocked, and slightly appalled as they continued talking across the mental planes.
She is, it was her choice to die for the Svana, but her spirit will not rest until she knows Svana is safe.
A collective sigh from all of the dragon guides could be heard.
As long as the girls were at war, the dragons would be as well. And as long as Svana was away from Lingaria, he would be weak. His soul was intertwined with hers. It was the only thing that saved him when he gave up part of his soul to save her. One way or another, their lives were connected, and without being by each other’s side, they would each be weaker.
31
Hekla
All life is precious. For some of us, they believe one life is greater than another. As if one’s actions and deeds can be judged and deemed whether or not that person is more worthy or less worthy of life. It is not for death, but for the chance to be saved. However, there is no life that is more important than another. We’re all worth saving—no matter our deeds.
Ugiotti, The Eternal, Fourth Dragon Elder, Fifth Age of Verdil
The castle was unlocked and without traps, which Hekla found suspicious. She didn’t have the time to dwell on it though, as her time was wearing out. Hekla was beginning to feel the effects of holding a spell for so long.
There is something inside of this castle, Speltus said into her mind.
What do you mean… something? Hekla responded.
I am not sure. I cannot tell if it is human, dragon, or something else. All I know is… whatever it is… is full of magic, and more powerful than anyone else I’ve encountered.
Hekla had stopped in her tracks and stood still in the hallway. She remained that way for a long moment before someone spoke up.
“Is everything all right, Hekla?” Isabella asked.
“Someone or something is here,” Hekla whispered.
“Where?” Jetevius asked.
Hekla focused, using the scepter, and Speltus, to guide her. After a moment of silence, she opened her eyes and took a step forward.
“Follow me,” she said.
Hekla allowed Speltus to guide her through her scepter toward the source. According to him, he couldn’t feel any other presence inside the castle. There was only one, but he was blinded to who or what it was. That, above all else, worried Hekla.
They traveled through dozens of hallways, until reaching the center of the castle. Hekla was glad whoever or whatever it was hadn’t chosen the highest tower to be. She reached for the door handle, when an electric shock ran through her.
Wait, Speltus said in her mind.
Hekla paused at the door, taking in a deep breath.
The presence is behind that door. You need be careful.
Understood, Hekla said.
“What is it?” Isabella asked.
Hekla looked to the young woman. A part of her wished she wasn’t with them. Whatever they were about to find could put them all in danger, and she was the one true heir to the kingdom. And, whatever they found, would be something that her father, the king, kept hidden from all of Aequoris.
“It’s behind this door,” Hekla said.
“What is?” Jetevius asked.
“I don’t know,” Hekla whispered.
Jetevius put his hand onto the hilt at his waist, then nodded. Her other companions did likewise, except for Isabella who appeared to be unarmed.
Hekla let out the breath she’d been holding, then opened the door.
Even though they were inside a castle, and in the deepest trenches of the sea, the room they stepped into was brighter than a desert on land. Hekla had to force her eyes closed as she put her hand on her eyebrows to try and adjust her vision. She couldn’t understand what could make so much light in the bottom of the sea.
Gems sparkled everywhere, embedded in the walls, ceiling, and floor. As Hekla’s eyes adjusted, she realized it was the gems themselves that glowed with light. She’d never seen gems that held light in such a way, and it fascinated her. Hekla cautiously stepped forward, reaching her hand out to the wall to touch a ruby the size of her hand. When she did, she felt an electric shock vibrate through her bones. She recoiled.
“What is it?” Jetevius asked.
Hekla shook her head. “Don’t touch the gems.”
“Is that a—” Isabella gulped. “Dragon.”
Hekla looked away from the gems that had stolen her attention and refocused to the center of the room. Her jaw dropped. True to Isabella’s statement, a dragon laid down in the center of the room. Its head rested on his paws and it curled into a ball, like a massive cat. Her eyes widened as she stared at it. The dragon’s eyes were closed, and it snored lightly. Hekla had never seen a dragon so large before. It was at least twice the size of Palladin, and completely black in hue.
Seeing more than enough, Hekla began to carefully back away toward
the exit. She didn’t know whether this dragon was good or evil, but since Speltus or Palladin had never spoken of another dragon being anywhere in Verdil, she didn’t think it likely that the dragon would be receptive to their coming to their castle. That, and the whole Aequoran king feeding gold and gems to the dragon didn’t seem like a good sign.
Speltus… do you know who this dragon is? Hekla asked.
Yes… his name is Duliogial. He was supposed to be a dragon elder, like Palladin, but he was cast out of the council for his wickedness.
What did he do? Hekla asked.
He believes all dragons should be worshipped, like gods. He wanted us to enslave all the races of Verdil and beyond and to have them bring us their treasures. Him, and others like him were supposed to be imprisoned or killed a long time ago. The leader of the movement, Xolderan was imprisoned, but Duliogial escaped. He was believed to be dead.
He looks very much alive to me, Hekla said.
We need to leave. If he’s alive, this explains so much. I would not be surprised if he is the one behind all of the chaos across all three lands, Speltus said.
You believe he created the wizard?
Yes. Hekla, we must go. If it is truly him… we cannot defeat him alone. We will need help.
If it is him? Have you ever met him? Hekla asked.
I have not. I am much younger, Hekla. Duliogial is hundreds of years old. The only one on this plane who has met him is Palladin, though, I’ve heard stories. Black as the midnight starless night, and a scar of gold under his left eye.
Hekla focused her vision on the sleeping dragon. She nearly gasped when she noticed it. A thin scar, like that of a cat scratch, but much larger, was under his left eye. It stretched a foot long, and it glimmered gold. Hekla wondered if the scratch was from a dragon.
She realized she’d been quiet for some time. The others in her party were standing behind her, all staring at the dragon in fear and awe. But all of them were silent. Hekla turned around and motioned for them to leave. She felt the weakness of holding their spell wearing on her more than ever. Hekla didn’t have much time before she’d collapse from exhaustion.
As she reached the door, she saw Ecthelion from the corner of her eye, reaching out to touch a diamond the size of his face embedded in the wall.
“Don’t,” she whispered with piercing caution.
It was too late. His hand had touched the diamond, and an electric jolt traveled through him. He grunted and fell to his knees, the tip of his sword clanging against the golden ground below him.
Hekla turned around, her focus on the dragon in terror. For a moment, nothing happened. Jetevius and Isabella went over to Ecthelion and helped him to his feet, but the dragon didn’t move. Hekla was about to let out a breath of relief, when the dragon’s eyes opened.
She backed away in terror as she felt a mental attack try to penetrate her mind. The dragon snarled, though there was no noise. It was all mental. However, she noticed everyone around her fell to their knees, screaming.
Speltus, I need to help them! Hekla screamed in her mind, though she realized she also needed help herself.
Blind him! Speltus yelled into her mind.
Blind him? she asked.
Yes! He will have a hard time concentrating his mental powers on everyone if he cannot see to focus on them. It will only delay him for a moment, but it should be enough time to run. Do you remember how?
Hekla searched her mind. She’d been studying all the spells Speltus had taught her, and she knew they had only scratched the surface. Hekla would need years, probably decades, of training with Speltus before she grasped half of what he had to offer.
Yes, she said.
She held her scepter firm in her grasp and aimed it toward the dragon. “Occulari Invisitum.”
Blue magic departed from her scepter in a tsunami toward the dragon. The dragon’s eyes flickered as he looked from Hekla to the magical attack rushing toward him. When it struck, his eyes turned from red to black, temporarily blinding him. The pressure on Hekla’s mind disappeared, and she noticed the others were able to get back on their feet.
“Run!” Hekla shouted.
The dragon roared an ear-deafening scream. Hekla could no longer hear anything else around her as her ears began to ring.
She dared not wait, and she dared not look behind herself. Hekla ran. Her energy was failing fast, and she knew if they didn’t get out of there soon, she’d collapse from exhaustion. With help from Speltus, she was able to navigate her way toward the exit of the castle. She knew without his aide, she would have gotten lost. There were so many corridors, that one wrong turn could leave you in a never-ending maze. She could only hope that everyone else was following her.
From the shadows, hundreds of creatures appeared. They appeared behind them, on their sides, in every corridor, and in front of them. Fear gripped Hekla.
I thought you said there wasn’t but one presence here, Hekla said to Speltus.
I thought there was. I can’t—I—
What?
I can’t feel any of these creatures. It’s like they don’t have a life-force.
Hekla frowned as she looked at them closer. They looked humanoid, similar in appearance to Aequorans, or even some looked more similar to Tellurians, and as she looked at them closer, she even saw several with wings behind their back, though some had been torn, or had holes. Instead of being colorful and full of life though, they all looked decayed, with blackened skin or scales, depending on what race they resembled. And all of them had glowing red eyes.
“What in the Unseen Ones are these abominations?” Jetevius asked.
The dragon roared once again, though distant, still menacing.
“Fight!” Hekla said.
No one asked any more questions. They all unsheathed their weapons and began slicing into the creatures to continue to move forward. The soldiers in the rear began defending against the incoming creatures while the rest carved a path forward. Hekla used her scepter and as many spells as she could manage, but she was only growing weaker with each spell she used. She honestly didn’t know how she was still standing.
When Hekla glanced to Isabella, she noticed the woman wasn’t unarmed like Hekla had initially thought. Isabella had a pair of short swords connected with a chain, and she held onto the chain in the middle, while swinging the weapons all around her. It looked dangerous, as if she would accidently swing one of the weapons into herself, but Isabella was good.
Hekla refocused her attention on the swarm of the creatures blocking their path out of the castle. They were close to the exit now. No matter what, they had to push through.
Taking a deep breath, Hekla steadied her scepter and looked forward.
“Aquum Orbium Expandum!” Hekla shouted.
A massive orb of water formed at the tip of her scepter, and blasted forward, knocking all of the creatures out of their path. Hekla didn’t wait to see what other damage it did as she rushed after it, trying to keep up with the magical water orb, and its clear path that it was creating.
Hekla finally reached the exit of the castle, and she ran with all her might toward it. Creatures began rushing them from all sides, but Hekla paid them no attention. Her focus was on the door. They needed to get outside. And they needed to get far from this place. She reached the door, turned around, and saw at least two of her companions get snatched by the creatures. They were dragged back, screaming. Hekla clenched her eyes as she watched, but there was nothing she could do. She could not face an entire army of the creatures. Hekla held the door open for Isabella, Ecthelion, Jetevius, and eight of the original ten Aequoran soldiers. She closed the door behind her.
Once she was outside, the freedom of the sea above her was pure bliss. She stopped to admire her freedom for only a second before turning back around to look at the door to the castle. Hekla needed to prevent the creatures from getting outside.
She bit her lip, as she used the knowledge given to her by Speltus of how spells were for
med together using a string of words. Without asking him for aid, she decided to try one on a whim.
“Pyrem Lockum,” she said.
The door glowed a blue and clicked. Hekla didn’t have time to see if her spell worked. She simply turned around and began running for the canyon walls. When she reached them, she glanced behind herself to see the others begin climbing as well. The door, however, now that she turned back long enough to look, was still closed. She smiled slightly, proud that she’d used magic to lock the door. But then her smile faltered as she saw the creatures escaping from windows of all levels of the castle.
“Hurry!” she yelled.
They began climbing the walls as fast as they could, but Hekla worried it wouldn’t be fast enough. When she looked down, the creatures were right behind her. One of the Aequoran soldiers screamed as he was torn from the wall and dragged to the ground.
I need to help them, Hekla said in her mind.
You’re too weak, Speltus answered. You’re still holding the air bubbles around everyone.
Do I need to? she asked.
We should be high enough up now, Speltus answered.
“Orbium Expandum Aquum Purum Personaes Ceasum,” Hekla said.
Hekla felt the relief of the spell being released at once. It restored some of her energy, but it still wasn’t enough. She was exhausted. They continued their climb, but they still weren’t fast enough. And what would stop the creatures from continuing their pursuit after they reached the top?
An idea crossed Hekla’s mind, but she knew it was a dangerous one.
Speltus… do I have enough energy to levitate all of us to the top of the canyon?
Fear transcended through their bond. Remember what I said about the levitation spell?
Yes, Hekla said. It drains you and me more than any other, and if overused, it could kill the both of us.
Yes, Speltus said.
Do we have the energy to use it? Hekla asked.
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