The Sorcerer's Dragon (Book 2)

by Julius St. Clair

  “And what did you do exactly?” Alicia asked.

  “Have you ever played a board game with a child? And then they get so mad that they overthrow the board instead of losing the match? In a sense, I childishly knocked over their game.”

  “Weren’t you involved in it from the start?”

  “Not as much as you might think,” he said. “But what matters now is that Alicia is still safe with us. We can take the time to determine what she knows that they don’t. We need to find out what they don’t want leaked out into the war.”

  “Besides your existence?” Milo asked. “I mean, knowing that you all are really out there is a big deal.”

  “Not really,” he said. “Our presence won’t change the war. That is certain.”

  “But why?”

  “It will merely postpone it, as both sides come together to combat us. They would lose, and consequently be enslaved. The Sorcerers don’t want this. They would rather the mystery hang over them, so that they can manipulate the course of events in the background.”

  “But why?” Alicia asked. “Why do all of this?”

  “Because at some point, one Sorcerer will win their game. One single Sorcerer will defeat all of the others and become more powerful than the rest, incorporating their power into his or her own.”

  “And then what happens?”

  “Well,” Casimir said. “That Sorcerer becomes God.”

  * * *

  “Do you trust him?” Remi asked as Milo examined her ‘wounds.’

  “Not yet,” Alicia said, stretching her neck up to see Kace and Casimir discussing something in the distance. “But I don’t think he wants to harm us.”

  “Not yet,” Milo said.

  “We’re in over our heads,” Remi admitted. “The war between Cimmerian and Paragon…it pales in comparison to this.”

  “No, it matters,” Alicia sighed. “Because it’s probably being orchestrated by the Sorcerers entirely.”

  “We’ll have to question everything we’ve learned,” Remi said. “Everything. The Great Collision. Bastion. The Sages. The war. Everything.”

  “We have a little time,” Milo said. “But not much. The Sorcerers will be looking for us more than before. We’re an actual threat now that we’ve aligned with one.”

  “Do you trust him?” Remi asked him.

  “I don’t know about trust…but right now I’m kind of looking at it the same way you and Olivia thought of each other when you journeyed together. You might not ever be the best of friends, and you ended up becoming enemies in the end, but in that moment, you needed each other. Right now, he needs us, and we need him.”

  “No, it’s worse,” Alicia said. “We need him far more. You saw how little we did against Ember. How are we ever going to be strong enough to combat that?”

  “We’ll have to learn what the Sorcerers know,” Remi replied, staring at Casimir and Kace. “You heard what Ember said. Knowledge is the weapon the Sorcerers employ. At one point in history, forming an eidolon was seen as the most powerful thing one could achieve in their growth as a warrior. Now it’s looked down upon, and the more I use it in this world, I see just how weak it is. The Sorcerers have been around for centuries. They know a lot more than we do. That’s the only difference between us and them. We might not be able to beat the Sorcerers in hand to hand combat, but we might be able to outsmart them.”

  “And how are we going to do that?” Milo asked.

  “I’m going to get close to Casimir,” Remi whispered, staring at him hard. “And we’re going to pay attention closely to everything he has to say.”

  “Still, it could be a long time before we’re even smart enough to take down a Sorcerer.”

  “Won’t know until we try,” Remi said, rising to her feet.

  “Where are you going?” he asked.

  “I’ll be back,” she said as Kace came walking toward her.

  “What are you up to?” he said with a smile. She ignored his attempts at small talk.

  “What’s Casimir up to?”

  “He’s practicing with barriers. A main part of it is illusion, but he also employs pain to keep out the wandering stranger.”

  “Is it around him now?”

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t get too close. It really hurts.”

  “No worries,” she said as she continued on. Kace grabbed her free arm and she swiveled her head around to glare at him. “You don’t get to touch me like that again,” she said firmly. He let go as his eyes softened.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I was just protecting you.”

  “No more,” she said. “Like I’ve been saying since the beginning, I don’t need you to keep me safe. You need me. Listen, we have a lot to talk about, but now’s not the time. I need to talk to Casimir, and—”

  “—but he’s—”

  “—you don’t tell me what to do,” she snapped. “As of right now we don’t have a relationship. We’re not dating. We’re barely friends, and if you want to keep it that way, you’ll let me be.”

  “Fine,” he said, shaking his head. “But just so you know, I never meant to hurt you.”

  “I know,” she said. “And that’s the only reason we’re still talking. Now let me go talk to Casimir.”

  Kace walked off and she continued forward.

  Hitting the barrier was a strange sensation at first. Her mind was almost humming, telling her that danger was near and she should turn back. It was that feeling of being watched by a sinister force—unknown and full of terrible intentions. She knew it was lie, for she could see Casimir with his eyes closed and hands clasped, muttering inaudibly as the invisible barrier around him expanded.

  Without even taking a step forward, she found herself further inside, and it felt like her blood was beginning to boil. She was hit with vertigo. Her body began to sway against its will, but her will was still sharp. She told her body to stop. She commanded it to take a step forward. To defy all warnings and proceed, because it was the only way to get stronger.

  And it wasn’t out of pride. No, she had lost her pride a long time ago. It had died when she was still little and she had given up all hopes of ever finding peace in her life. This was different. She kept moving forward out of duty. Out of a sense of justice that extended beyond herself.

  To still be alive at this point was a miracle.

  And if she had a purpose out there that was deeper and more powerful than she had ever dreamed of, she was going to reach it. It didn’t matter what the Sorcerers could do. They could bleed just like her. She just had to find the right blade to break through their skin. And even if they did manage to kill her, at least they would think twice next time before they messed with lives that weren’t their own.

  They were stupid to write her off.

  They were blind if they didn’t fear her.

  She wasn’t strong at all by their standards, but that would change.

  Eventually she would gain their attention, but by then it would be too late. Like a plague, she would spread her influence, encouraging others to join in the fight. She would increase in number and overcome their strongholds with their collective might. She couldn’t be broken down physically for she had already been there. Her spirit couldn’t die for she knew who she was. Every death they forced upon her that contained the face of her friends—she would use it as fuel. She wouldn’t give up. She wouldn’t stop.

  For unlike the Mistress Dragon, she was able to sift through the voices of the dead.

  She had plenty of practice.

  The little boys that cried until they starved to death. The little girls that were preyed upon. The elderly that were treated like animals. She had seen people turn into ash and vanish right next to her. In the dead of night, when her illness kept her awake, she would hear their shrieks, and she would weep, knowing that there was little she could do in her current condition.

  But she was stronger now.

  And they would all recognize it.

  As she took another step fo
rward, she could see Casimir’s eyes widen. He screamed for her to get back—she could see his lips moving. But she could not hear him. She refused to, for they only served to hold her back from increasing her potential.

  She bit her lip and tried to crush the pain surging up within her. She accepted it, for she knew that if she survived, she would already be one step closer to her goal.

  She lifted her head and glared at Casimir as she took another step. She was now only a few yards away.

  And he finally gave up warning her.

  He just watched.

  As she slowly made it through the barrier and out the other side.

  She collapsed at his feet and he stared at her in amazement, wondering who this creature before him was. And to his surprise, she didn’t faint. Instead, she climbed to her feet. She took a deep breath and then held it in her lungs until she was on both feet and eye level with him.

  Casimir didn’t say anything. He was in awe.

  There was absolutely no reason for her to go through the barrier like that, and yet, she had just done it, before his very eyes, and for a reason that he could only begin to fathom.

  Was she crazy?

  Remi didn’t say anything either. She looked into his eyes and waited for him to speak first.

  He searched her gaze, still trying to get over the feat she had just accomplished.

  He was beginning to see now.

  It was not the Dragon that the Sorcerers should have been trying to retrieve.

  It was her…the woman standing in front of him.

  Remi was dangerous.

  The Story Continues in:

  The Sorcerer's Blade (Seven Sorcerers Saga, Book 3)

  Now Available for Preorder HERE

  An Excerpt to

  Rise of the Sages (Sage Saga, Book 7)

  Now Available!

  James was startled to find out that he had been humming to himself. He hadn’t done it absentmindedly like that since he was a child, and after careful consideration, he supposed it was a testament to how peaceful his life was now.

  And that wasn’t good.

  James stopped staring at the ceiling and sat up in bed—a spread of silk comforters and cloud-like pillows. The mattress itself felt as light as air and it put him to sleep instantly at night.

  It was more annoying than comforting.

  There were times in which he just wanted to think, and so he would plop down onto it, but the next thing he knew, he would be waking up hours into the evening.

  James kicked the blankets further off the bed and kept his eyes closed as he spun around and sat on his knees, so that he could look out the bay window behind him. His room was so distracting with all of its fancy decorations, plush furniture and extravagant paintings—he didn’t want a single piece to steal his focus.

  He opened his eyes and stared out the open window.

  Birds were tweeting away. The sun was already giving him a sponge bath of warm rays, and he could hear the clashing of students in the distance, sparring with each other over steel and not eidolons. There were no insects to swat away. There were no dangers in the vicinity. Friends and family were in abundance. Everything was so….freaking peaceful.

  “Ugh,” James muttered as he rested his elbows onto the foot-wide windowpane and then placed his chin on top of his arms. His eyes glazed over as his ears picked up the voices of two people talking loudly down below.

  “We should get some lunch,” he heard Arimus shout as he walked by James’ window.

  “Perhaps James would want to join,” Kyran said aloud. James snickered. Kyran was still his moody, dark self, but he had certainly lightened up since he entered Paragon. The clean air and beautiful atmosphere had affected them all—for better or worse.

  “What time is it?” Arimus asked, stopping to look up at James’ window. Their eyes met.

  “Probably two o’ clock,” Kyran muttered, glancing up at James as well. “Which would mean James won’t be up for a couple more hours. No point in bothering.”

  James chuckled to himself and launched himself from the windowpane, somersaulting and summoning his white Sage robe in mid-air. By the time the soles of his feet hit the polished brick pavement, he was fully covered.

  “I hope you’re not going to just wear that all day,” Kyran stated, wrinkling his nose. “Because you do know that you’re wearing nothing but shorts underneath.”

  “I’m aware,” James said, flashing him a smile. Kyran was not amused. Kyran bent his head down, trying to hide the lower half of his face behind his collar, but all that he was wearing was a green dress shirt, and therefore, there was nowhere for him to hide. James knew that Kyran wished he had his old black trench coat back, especially since he was surrounded by so many people lately, but at the same time, he didn’t want to become the person he once was. Now that he and Chloe were reunited, he wanted to be the husband she deserved.

  The assassin full of secrets had to be killed.

  And sadly, Kyran had to murder the assassin every single day.

  “You know we were joking, right?” Arimus asked and James nodded his head. He stretched and gave out a short yawn, rubbing a hand through his short brown hair.

  “I’m glad you came by. I swear, I’m at the point where I might start sleeping on the bricks out here. I hate my room.”

  “There’s plenty of rooms to choose from,” his former mentor replied, crossing his arms across his massive chest. Arimus still sported his long grey beard, and his wise blue-grey eyes were as full of compassion as ever, yet he had stepped up his training in recent years and so the already big man had gotten significantly bigger. He too only wore a grey dress shirt, but it might as well have been armor with how much his chest protruded outwards. His legs were like tree trunks and his arms were no different (James still found it strange seeing Arimus with both arms). His hair had been cut short at the top, and he kept a pair of scissors on him to continually keep it at that way. He said that when it was longer it had gotten in the way in battle.

  Battle, he said.

  That was Arimus’ reason to keep his hair short.

  There had been nothing but peace since the Great Collision, and yet, he was already prepared for the war. James found this unsettling, for he felt the pull within him as well—that no matter how beautiful Paradise was, it could become Oblivion in a second. There were so many people counting on the Sages to defend them—to protect the place that had been at peace for centuries. Any warriors they had at their disposal other than the Sages had either long forgotten their fighting skills or lost their drive, while the Sages were still relatively new. Most of them had died just before the Great Collision, and so conflict and war was still fresh on their minds. By all accounts, they were the most equipped for any attacks Cimmerian may send their way, and yet, James was sure their collective power wasn’t enough.

  “All of the rooms are similar,” James replied. “It’s not my room specifically that bothers me, it’s the atmosphere it portrays. Makes me…too comfortable. If I didn’t fight it, I’d probably find myself in there napping all day.”

  “There’s no reason you couldn’t,” Kyran replied. James knew he was testing him.

  “Napping is the last thing I want to do,” James said adamantly. “There’s a lot of work to be done.”

  “Not really,” Arimus said. “As it’s been for years, we’re in a waiting game.”

  “Speak for yourself,” James laughed, poking Arimus’ huge chest. “You’ve been working harder than the rest of us.”

  “It’s because Ashalynn loves my muscles.”

  “You’re a terrible liar,” Kyran scoffed. “When you and your wife were reunited, we couldn’t keep the two of you apart, but ever since the Great Collision, you’ve been spending more nights with us.”

  “I’m not going to lose her again,” he said, clenching his fists. “It’s just…” he paused to look out over the brick walkway, to the rolling hills and lush green fields that went on for miles. The blue sky was
filled with clouds as thick as cotton candy but there was no sign of rain. Their entire academy was floating in the air—a fortress of brick towers and glass buildings. Being off the ground, they could perform their training without interruption. Out of sight, out of mind.

  “What?” James asked, wanting to hear what Arimus was going to say.

  Arimus sighed. “Sometimes I think about when we fought the Yama, and how they were able to overtake us so easily. If I had been training, I could have done more. I could have kept my mind and body sharp while still spending time with my love. I could have had both, as I do now. Kyran understands what I’m talking about.”

  “I’m not going to talk about my marriage with you,” he muttered.

  James threw his hands up in the air. “Oh c’mon. It’s not like we haven’t earned your trust by now. We’ve been through a lot together. You could tell us something about your relationship.”

  “It’s none of your business,” he replied. “It’s a private matter.”

  “You know I could go to Chloe,” James winked. “She would tell me anything I wanted. She can’t help herself.”

  “You could,” Kyran said, his beady eyes unwavering through his long black hair. “But you will soon forget what is said after your head is severed.”

  “I don’t take threats lightly,” James frowned.

  “No one does,” Kyran said. “Believe me. Heads will roll.”

  “No one’s killing anyone,” Arimus chuckled, putting a hand on their shoulders. “We need each other now more than ever. At least before the Great Collision, we had the comfort of knowing that we could see our loved ones in Paradise. Now, that is no longer the case. Someone dies…they cease to exist. We lose them forever.”

  “Is that why you’ve been keeping Chloe from our senior training classes?” James demanded to know. Kyran’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and even James was taken aback by how quick his own demeanor had changed. But it was something he had to do.