Kesi stood up.
“It’s time,” he said. “It’s time I had your power. I have just the thing here to pull every bit of that delicious magic out of you.”
He reached into his shirt and pulled out a second sheet of paper. This sheet was folded into fourths and when he unfolded it, Senta could see that large portions were covered with his blood. He held it outstretched in his hand, as he got to his feet. Just as he did, Zurfina crushed the glamour between her thumb and forefinger, and a tiny ball of flame appeared in its place. It looked much like the fireball that Kesi had hit her with, but when it flew from her fingers, it didn’t grow much larger than it originally had been. It also didn’t hit the wizard. It instead hit the paper he was holding, which burst into flame.
“You bitch!” screamed Kesi. “Do you have any idea how many buttons I had to press, how many levers I had to throw? Do you know how hard it was to get that machine to create this spell?”
Zurfina pulled the next to last hovering magic bit from around her head and tossed it at the wizard.
“Tell it to him,” said Zurfina weakly, and then she fell back into the streambed.
Senta could see that the glamour would miss Kesi by more than fifteen feet, and when a cloud of smoke arose in the spot in which it had landed, the wizard realized it as well.
“You missed!” he shrieked.
The smoke slowly sprouting from fifteen feet ahead and to his right exploded in a huge burst, and then almost immediately dissipated. In its place was a monstrous shape. A tyrannosaurus just as large as the one which had hunted the area of the peninsula before the coming of the Dechantagne family and their colonists, just as large as any which Senta had seen roaming the plains below the lizard city, whipped its body around, scattering the few last whiffs of smoke. Several small trees fell, their trunks snapped by the great black body and tail of the creature. The beast rose up to its full thirty-five foot height and roared out a mighty challenge. Kesi screamed. The tyrannosaurus tilted its blood-red head to one side, to look down with one yellow eye upon the human being below him.
“Uuthanum beithbechnoth,” said Kesi, spraying the underside of the dinosaur with half a dozen magical bolts of energy.
It seemed to Senta as if the monster didn’t even feel the missiles hitting it. It reached down and grabbed the wizard in its teeth and lifted him up. Into the air, it tossed his body, which did several end-over-end flips. Then as it returned to earth, the beast snatched it like a terrier snatching a dog treat. The creature chomped down once, twice, then tossed its head back and swallowed, with what seemed to be a self-satisfied grin. The beast took two steps forward, barely missing the crumpled form of the steel dragon, then another cloud of smoke exploded around it and it vanished, returning, no doubt to wherever it had come from.
Senta waited just a moment, and then popped out from behind the tree that had been her protection. She ran down to the stream, dropped down into the water, and cradled Zurfina’s burned and blackened head. The sorceress’s body was floating in the chilly water of the stream. She opened her eyes, both of which were blood-shot, and one of which stared off to the left. She said something, but Senta couldn’t make it out. Leaning down, she put her ear next to the Zurfina’s mouth.
“The boy,” Zurfina said.
Senta carefully set the sorceress’s head down, and then scrambled through the rocky stream bed and up the small embankment to where the steel dragon lay. She could see that one wing was bent back abnormally. Carefully scooping his body with her hands, she lifted him up. He opened his eyes and looked at hers.
“Owie,” he whimpered.
Slipping a little on the round river rocks, Senta returned and took her place next to Zurfina again. The water swirled around her. She carefully placed the little dragon on the woman’s stomach. One single green glittery jewel hovered in front of Zurfina’s face, no longer able to orbit her.
“What do I do now, Zurfina?”
Zurfina didn’t answer. It didn’t look as though she were breathing. The little green object began to float down toward her face, shifting left and right, like a little green snowflake. Senta stuck out her hand and the jewel landed on her palm, then dissolved right into her skin. The world turned black. A moment later, Senta found herself sitting on dry dirt, though her dripping clothes soon made a muddy mess. She was still cradling Zurfina’s head and the steel dragon still sat on Zurfina’s stomach.
Looking up, Senta realized she was in Miss Dechantagne’s headquarters tent. Miss Dechantagne was sitting behind her desk in a white pin-striped dress. When she saw the two people and the dragon suddenly appear she jumped to her feet. Already on his feet, standing just behind Senta, was Zeah Korlann, who was holding a clipboard in his hand. The clipboard clattered to the dirt floor, the papers attached to it coming loose and scattering around the tent.
“Don’t just stand there with your mouth open, Zeah,” said Miss Dechantagne. “Go fetch Dr. Kelloran and Sister Auni.”
The former butler raced out of the tent and Miss Dechantagne walked carefully around her desk. She placed her hand on Senta’s head and looked down at the ravaged face of the sorceress.
“Zurfina, I presume.”
“Zurfina the Magnificent,” croaked the burnt and cracked lips.
* * * * *
It was exactly two weeks later that the S.S. Trumpet sailed into the little harbor of Port Dechantagne. It was the second of six transports that the royal colonial governor had arranged before ever leaving Greater Brechalon. Unlike the Dormouse, which mostly carried heavy equipment, the Trumpet was filled with supplies immediately of use to the colonists, including wheelbarrows, ammunition, hand tools, pots and pans, copper pipes, wooden barrels, metal pails, spools of cordage, and grinding wheels. Several hundred sheep and more than a hundred pigs had made the long journey and found homes at the very northern tip of the peninsula, right next to the five domesticated dinosaurs, whose pen was moved. Finally an additional nine hundred thirty colonists gladly stepped onto the soil of the new land.
A group of tribal lizardmen appeared at the gate a few days later. The destruction of Suusthek almost two hundred miles away, had created a political and commercial void in the region and Chusstuss, Tserich, Tsuus, and even Chullu now looked to the only remaining territorial power for protection and trade. The Colonial Council met and worked out a series of agreements that would allow the humans to deal directly with the lizzies.
Though told it would be months before a priest to replace the deceased Father Ian would likely arrive, Terrence Dechantagne and Lawrence Bratihn both decided to stay in the colony and wait, at least for the time being. They hoped that the new Father or Mother could remove the curse placed upon them by the lizardman and return their sight, saving them from making the long journey back to Brech. Corporal Bratihn, no longer able to serve in the militia, began working with the lumber crew. Even without his eyes, he became quite useful sharpening saw blades and repairing other tools. By the time the Trumpet left port, he had regained most of his vigor, much to the delight of his new wife.
Terrence spent much of his time, sitting beneath a tree on the hill just above the docks, the same tree that his sister had once marked so that it would not be cut down. He carried a pad and pencil and wrote most of the day, though he refused to let anyone read what he was writing. He seemed less and less like the heroic captain that he had been, and seemed to shrink away. Many people would see him writing or sitting in contemplation and they almost always noticed Yuah Korlann, whom some thought the most beautiful woman in the colony, watching over him.
The dark haired Honor Hertling became as well known among the original colonists and those who arrived on the Dormouse and the Trumpet as she was among the refugees who had arrived on Acorn. She continued to take care of the sick and be a friend to those who had lost loved ones, either before or after reaching the colony. She served on the colonial council, and she and her two young siblings Hero and Hertzal moved into one of the first full-sized ho
uses constructed at the colony, southeast of the gate in the wall.
Both Brother Galen and Sister Auni worked hard to fill the shoes of their fallen superior. While it was Brother Galen that most of the Kafirite colonists came to for spiritual matters, it was his female counterpart that they came to for her excellent care and powerful healing draughts. While this put her in the esteem of most of the colony members, it left her little time for anything else. So it was Brother Galen who at least temporarily, filled Father Ian’s place in the Council.
When the first shop buildings were completed beside the gate of the protective wall, many people expected Mrs. Colbshallow to open a bakery. Her skill in the kitchen was well renowned. Many were surprised and saddened when she instead, decided to remain in the employ of the Dechantagne family, for whom she had cooked so long. Her son Saba joined the Colonial Militia and upon the recommendation of the Governor and due to the fact that the force had been quite depleted, advanced quickly to the rank of corporal.
The day after the Trumpet left port, Mrs. Phillida Marjoram was found dead. She had died in her bed with an open copy of the Holy Scriptures on her lap and her eyeglasses still on her nose. She was buried in the new cemetery on the east side of the colony, overlooking the sea. There were already almost forty others interred there.
Zeah Korlann and Egeria Lusk continued their engagement, and spent many hours together walking through the forest and along the beach. They continued to be in no hurry to set a date for a wedding. Miss Lusk, who had long since recovered from the injuries inflicted on her, continued to program the Result Mechanism with Professor Calliere’s help. Using her program, she was able to create a long-term plan for the expansion of the colony. She presented this to the newly formed colonial council.
The evening after Mrs. Marjoram’s funeral, Professor Calliere surprised everyone by announcing that he had asked Miss Dechantagne to marry him and that she had agreed, and furthermore that they were setting a wedding date for the very near future. Plans were set into motion and the whole colony looked forward to the event.
Zurfina the magnificent, who fully recovered her health and attitude, supervised the construction of her new home on a hill some three hundred yards outside the wall. Though few dared to look at her for fear of her magics, those that did frequently noticed the bald spot just above her right ear, the only place where she carried a permanent scar from her confrontation with the wizard Suvir Kesi. Most wondered that she didn’t magically repair the defect. Only one or two thought that she might prefer to keep it to enhance her frightening and mysterious persona.
Senta seldom played in front of the five-story house where she lived with Zurfina. She usually preferred to go inside the protective wall, where she could play dolls with Hero or comb the beaches with Graham and Hertzel. The rest of that fall, she grew several inches taller, though she filled out not at all, remaining tall, thin, and gangly. Even the newest colonists knew the ‘Drache Girl.” The steel dragon was usually wrapped around her neck, except when he was sailing off on some mission of mischief. Her little metallic playmate continued to expand his vocabulary and grew at least as fast as she did. One day, when the first fall breeze blew across the bay to the shores of the colony, he told her his name—“Bessemer”.
The End
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About the Author
Wesley Allison is the author of more than twenty science fiction and fantasy books, including the popular His Robot Girlfriend. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a Master of Science degree from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. He has taught English and American History for the past 21 years in southern Nevada where he lives with his lovely wife Victoria, his two grown children Rebecca and John.
For more information about the author and upcoming books:
Visit the City of Amathar Blog at http://wesleyallison.com
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Books by Wesley Allison
Look for them wherever fine ebooks are sold. Paper editions are available at the City of Amathar Blog and by special order from your favorite bookseller.
Princess of Amathar
Transported to the artificial world of Ecos, Earth man Alexander Ashton struggles to understand the society of his new friends the Amatharians. As he does so, he finds himself falling in love with their princess and being thrust into a millennium-long war with their mortal foes the reptilian Zoasians. Princess of Amathar is a sword-swinging novel of high adventure.
His Robot Girlfriend
Mike Smith's life was crap, living all alone, years after his wife had died and his children had grown up and moved away. Then he saw the commercial for the Daffodil. Far more than other robots, the Daffodil could become anything and everything he wanted it to be. Mike's life is about to change.
His Robot Wife
In His Robot Wife, the novella-length sequel to His Robot Girlfriend, it is the year 2037 and Mike has been married to his robot wife, Patience, for five years. Troubles are on the horizon though. Prop 22 promises to annul marriages between humans and robots. And Patience hasn’t quite been herself. Is there something wrong, or does she just need a software upgrade?
His Robot Wife: Patience is a Virtue
It is the year 2037, when men are men and robots are cute. Patience, the robot wife, has a new friend– Wanda. Wanda, another Daffodil, has been having difficulty bonding with her human, the recently divorced Ryan. She hopes that with Patience’s mentoring, she’ll be able to help Ryan accept her into his troubled life. But even Patience isn’t prepared for what happens when they take a joint vacation cruise to Antarctica. His Robot Wife: Patience is a Virtue is a science fiction story in a world where technology is more than just a pretty face.
Eaglethorpe Buxton and the Elven Princess
Eaglethorpe Buxton, famed adventurer and story-teller, friend to those in need of a friend and guardian to those in need of a guardian. He is a liar and braggart, not to be trusted, especially around pies. Who are we to believe? Buxton himself leads us through his world as he comes to the aid of… a poor orphan? An elven princess? Who can guess with Eaglethorpe himself telling the tale?
Eaglethorpe Buxton and the Sorceress
Eaglethorpe Buxton, famed adventurer and story-teller is back, this time to put on a play about a sorceress. When the sorceress, subject of his play arrives with fire in her eyes, Eaglethorpe must pretend to be his good friend Ellwood. Will he pull off this charade and survive? And what happens when the real Ellwood shows up? One can never tell, especially when Eaglethorpe tells the story.
The Many Adventures of Eaglethorpe Buxton
Eaglethorpe Buxton, famed adventurer and story-teller, friend to those in need of a friend and guardian to those in need of a guardian. He is a liar and braggart, not to be trusted, especially around pies. Who are we to believe? Buxton himself leads us through his world in The Many Adventures of Eaglethorpe Buxton, which include the two previously published tales and three all new adventures.
Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 0: Brechalon
Brechalon is the novella-length prequel to The Voyage of the Minotaur and the books which follow in the story of Senta and the Steel Dragon. Meet the people who will change a world-- the Dechantagnes, wealthy siblings from a disgraced aristocratic family who plot their revenge; the imprisoned sorceress Zurfina; and Senta, the orphan girl who will one day rise to great fame and power.
Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 1: The Voyage of the Minotaur
In a world of steam power and rifles, where magic has not yet been forgotten, an expedition sets out to establish a colony in a lost world. The Voyage of the Minotaur is a story of adventure and magic, religion and prejudice, steam engines and dinosaurs, angels
and lizardmen, machine guns and wizards, sorceresses, bustles and corsets, steam-powered computers, hot air balloons, and dragons.
Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 2: The Dark and Forbidding Land
Two years have passed since Senta, the sorceress Zurfina, and Bessemer the steel dragon arrived in the strange land of Birmisia. Now it is up to the settlers to build a home in this dark and forbidding land, ruled by terrifying dinosaurs and strange lizardmen. Ten year old Senta must discover which is the greater threat, a would-be wizard or the ever-increasing presence of the tyrannosaurus.
Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 3: The Drache Girl
More than three years have passed since the colonists arrived in Birmisia, and Port Dechantagne is a thriving colony, with the railway line almost complete. Twelve year old sorceress's apprentice Senta Bly, Police Constable Saba Colbshallow, and former maid Yuah Dechantagne must deal with wizards, prejudice, steam carriages, boys riding dinosaurs, and the mysterious activities of the lizardmen.
Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 4: The Young Sorceress
Everyone in Port Dechantagne seems to have an agenda of their own, from mysterious sorceress Zurfina, to agents from the enemy nation of Freedonia, to the kings and witchdoctors of the mysterious lizardmen. On the eve of her fifteenth birthday, sorceress’s apprentice Senta finds herself being pulled first one way and then the other. Will she actually have to split herself into four in order to deal with all her responsibilities?
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