Wanderer

by Nancy E. Dunne

  “Show offs,” Teeand spat. “Hack and I had them right where we wanted them.”

  “Yeah! Druids are kill stealers!” Hackort agreed, scowling.

  “Right where you wanted them, right,” Elysiam said, chuckling darkly. “If you wanted them to be on your heads then yes, you did.” She wiped her brow on the back of her hand, plastering her fringe up against her helmet. “Ginny, pleasure as always,” she said, clapping her sister druid on the back. Gin beamed a grin back at her.

  “Aye, Elys, we make a pretty good team,” Gin said, scratching the ears of Sath’s tiger who had wandered over and begun rubbing his head on her hip. “You too, sweetie. Now, where’s your master?” She scanned the room for Sath, her anxiety level rising as she failed to locate him. Taking a deep breath to steel herself against what she was afraid of most, she turned her eyes downward to look for him among the dead, but again did not see him. “Hey, guys…where’s the cat?” she asked, her voice filled with fear. The tiger winked out of existence under her hand.

  Tee spun around in a circle and then swore in Dwarvish. “Sorry Gin,” he said as her face blanched at his words. “Forgot you could understand that, Flower. That mangy cat must have used the fight as a distraction to go on ahead without us.” In what seemed to be one fluid motion, Tee swung his poleaxe around and placed it in its holster on his back, replacing it with his twin short swords. “He won’t get far,” the dwarf rumbled as he charged through the fading carnage toward the doorway. Hackort and Elysiam followed him, but Gin hung back a moment.

  “Trade the life of your sister for a wood elf who doesn’t know…doesn’t know what?” she wondered aloud to herself. “More secrets and lies, Sath?” she said sadly, as she ran to catch up with the others. They all knew that the ranks of undead they had just killed were not defeated, but instead were dispersed and would soon be gathering their strength together in order to exact revenge. She caught up just as they were heading through the doorway and into the hall that led to Salynth’s chambers at the very top of the Tower.

  The door to the cell swung open and Salynth marched in, a cold and howling wind seeming to follow her like a train hanging off her cape. Her dark eyes settled first on Kazhmere, who had drifted off to sleep while meditating, and then moved to lock with Taeben’s own as he stared up at her from his own meditation pose on the floor.

  “Well? Have you been practicing, my Pet?” she asked him as she drew closer to him. As always, in her presence Taeben felt his skin grow icy as the ocean outside.

  “No, Mistress, I am sorry but I have not,” he replied, bracing himself for her chastisement. It did not come. “I fear that our transport earlier did take a lot of out of me, and so I have been in meditation to regain my strength so that I can do as you ask.” His words were like bile on his tongue. Nothing made Taeben angrier than being subservient to another, especially one he deemed as low as Salynth. However, knowing already her magical prowess, he had decided that he would live longer if he played the part of the obedient student.

  “So you have regained your stamina. Begin,” she said, pointing one clawed finger at Kazhmere. “Claim her will for your own.” Taeben took a deep breath and got to his feet, holding out his manacled wrists to Salynth.

  “Ah yes, my Pet, my apologies. Let me remove those awful things. Come closer.” Taeben did as told, grimacing as Salynth ran one finger down the side of his face. “You would make the most beautiful dragonkind,” she said softly, her voice husky.

  “As you wish, Mistress,” he said, his stomach doing flips at the prospect of her touching him in that way again. He would kill her or die trying if she were to try that, he decided. The ancient dragonkind sorceress ran her hands slowly down Taeben’s neck and onto his shoulders, then trailed her knife-sharp fingernails down his arms to the heavy chains around his wrists. “I do like seeing you trussed up like this, my Pet,” she said softly, “but it will not get us where we need to be today, will it?” She moved her hands in the shape of a long forgotten rune and the chains fell away from his wrists. Taeben swallowed back the bile building in his throat. “Now then, on to your homework?”

  Taeben nodded solemnly and then turned to Kazhmere to find her awake and staring at him. Her teal eyes searched his, her furry blonde face wrought with curiosity but no fear. She does not fear me, Taeben thought, frowning. She will. He felt Salynth’s eyes burning into his back so he moved closer to Kazhmere, kneeling down to her level and taking her furry chin in his hand. With all of the magic he possessed, he forced his will into her mind, burning his gaze into hers. The Qatu Princess thrashed for a moment, squeezing her eyes shut. Taeben panicked and with his other hand grabbed the side of her face, trying to pry her eyes open.

  “Oh, dearie that’s the hard way!” Salynth hissed from behind him. “Move.” Unseen hands shoved Taeben to the floor as Salynth glided across the room and knelt in front of Kazhmere, who still held her eyes shut tightly and her head high and proud. “Now, sweetie, there’s no need for all that,” Salynth said, stroking the side of Kazhmere’s cheek gently. After a moment, Kazhmere’s eyes fluttered open. “Oh yes, that’s so much better,” Salynth cooed at Kazhmere, who smiled cautiously up at her. The sorceress deepened her gaze at Kazhmere and the Qatu’s chains melted away as though made of butter. “See, Pet? There’s no need to be rough, is there, my Princess?” Kazhmere’s eyes drooped and soon she seemed to be asleep again. “I say, there is no need to be rough, you will do as I ask will you not?”

  “Yes, Mistress,” Kazhmere murmured, her face turning upward toward Salynth like a flower opening to the sun. “Anything you ask, Mistress.”

  “That wizard over there troubles me, Kahzi,” Salynth purred at her in Qatunari. “Be a lamb and get rid of him for me, would you?” Kazhmere was on her feet immediately, stalking toward Taeben who skittered toward a corner away from her.

  “What did you tell her to do?” he cried out to Salynth. “What did say to her?” Salynth laughed maniacally as Kazhmere picked up Taeben by the front of his robes and hoisted him into the air. He fought her off but she was much stronger than he was and fueled by Salynth’s magic to boot. “PUT ME DOWN!” he screamed.

  “This wizard, Mistress?” Kazhmere asked, her focus solely on Salynth.

  “Aye, my Pretty Pet, but I think he has learned his lesson. You may drop him now.” Kazhmere did as told and as she released him, Taeben crashed down to the stone floor. He leaped to his feet, swearing in Elvish and calling up the most damaging spells he could to direct at Salynth. He hurled lightning bolts, fire, and ice at her, but all of his magic faded to nothing as it bounced off the magical arcane shield she had thrown around herself. “Tsk Tsk, Pet. That was naughty. Are you not thankful that I called my new Pet off before she hurt you?”

  “He is…trying to…hurt my Mistress, may I kill him please, Mistress?” Kazhmere asked, her eyes glazed over with Qatu bloodlust.

  “Not this time Pet, in fact, I think you’ve done enough,” Salynth replied, turning her magical focus on Kazhmere. Translucent butterflies shot from her gnarled and clawed fingertips and surrounded the Qatu Princess, who laughed happily and then sighed in contentment, watching and swatting at them. “And then a bit of amnesia, I think?” Salynth said, speaking ancient words while focusing her will on Kazhmere, who blinked a few times and then shook her head, looking around as though lost.

  “What happened?” she asked as she backed away from Salynth. “What have you done to Ben to make him attack me like that?”

  “Oh, it’s Ben is it?” Salynth’s voice oozed with jealousy. “That’s awfully familiar. Well, perhaps I shouldn’t have left you two alone up here.”

  “Don’t be…ridiculous,” Taeben said, his breathing still labored from the rough meeting of his ribcage and the floor when Kazhmere dropped him moments before. “I would like another turn, please?” He stood cautiously and then approached Salynth, kneeling before her and keeping his gaze on the floor to hide his contempt. “Please, Mistress, allow me another practice
?”

  “Just this once,” she said, a fangy grin splitting her face, “since you asked so sweetly, my Pet.” Taeben smiled up at her, but his smile did not reach his eyes. He rose and turned on Kazhmere, moving toward her quickly.

  “Are you all right?” he asked her as he drew near, reaching out for her. She flinched away from him.

  “What are you playing at, Ben?” she asked, her voice a whisper.

  “Just play along and I will make sure she doesn’t hurt you again, Kahzi,” he whispered back. He reached for her again and this time she did not move away. “There, yes, just play along,” he cooed at her, stroking the spotted fur on her arms and hands as he pulled her closer to him. As he stared into her eyes once again, he pushed his will into her mind, and found to his great surprise that she let him.

  “I trust you not to hurt me, Ben,” she murmured, and then blinked a few times. “Command me, Master?” she said, staring up at him. Her once inquisitive and bright teal eyes had gone dull and lifeless, and they stared up at him anxiously, awaiting his instruction. Taeben felt his stomach flip over but he took a deep breath and focused on the task at hand. Weakness is death.

  “Kahzi, I know that you know my will already, do you not?” He pushed images of Salynth dead at his feet into her mind and she smiled wickedly, those dead eyes locked on his.

  “Aye Master I do. Will you let me serve you?” she asked, purring behind her words. Taeben smiled. One step closer.

  “Not yet, my Princess, not yet,” he said, his voice oozing over her like syrup. Kazhmere pouted. “Sit,” he commanded, and she immediately flopped down on the floor at his feet. He turned back to Salynth, whose eyes were glowing with an ethereal light.

  “Yes, my Pet, that is how it is done,” she purred. “You are a natural. You will be the first of your race to wield this magical power and you and I will rule Orana.” She moved over to him and stroked the side of his face until a growl from Kazhmere stopped her. “Ah, it is loyal as well, you have outdone yourself,” the sorceress said, her voice heavy with pride and admiration. “Enjoy your new pet, dearie. You will move on to more challenging game very soon.” She snapped her clawed fingers and seemed to wink out of existence.

  Taeben’s shoulders sank in relief as he turned his attention back to Kazhmere. “Enjoy my new pet?” he mused aloud. “I think not. There are others more suited to my tastes.” An image of an upturned wood elf face and sparkling ice blue eyes passed through his mind. “Much better suited indeed.”

  “May I find her for you, Master?” Kazhmere said, clearly growing impatient with nothing to do for him. Taeben turned his attention back to her, realizing that he did not possess the magic needed to release her from her enchantment. Cursing under his breath, he tried the simple mesmerization spells that Salynth had taught him but only managed one or two butterflies.

  “Drat. Well, I’m sorry, dearie,” he said, imitating Salynth’s dragonkind accent on the common language as he said the word dearie, “but this may sting a bit.” He focused his will and spoke words that called up magical lightning from the ground and sky, making them meet with Kazhmere at the dead center of their path. She wailed and collapsed, knocked unconscious by the force of the electricity in the bolts. “Next step,” Taeben said as he turned his back on the smoking pile of fur that was Kazhmere, “is to learn the stronger mesmerization and amnesia spells. Then it will be on to you, my Mistress,” he said, spitting the word as his words filled with anger, “and then I will be free.” The image floated before his eyes again, complete with a memory that he sank into like a comfortable bed. “Okay, Ben it is then. I’m Ginolwenye but you can call me Gin,” the memory-image said, a smile spreading across its translucent freckled face. Taeben could almost smell the sunflowers.

  Sath had tried shaking off the after effects of passing through the enchanted doorways, but it seemed with every successive floor, the icy cold that clung to his fur got worse and worse. He could only imagine how bad it felt for the non-magic-using warriors. He rubbed his arms vigorously through his armor, but to no avail. Sath sniffed the air, searching for the telltale scent of another of his kind and soon found two distinctive scents. There was one, but it was not his own family… must be Anni. The next one caused tears to prick behind his eyes. “Kahzi,” he purred deep in his throat as he took another deep breath to get his bearings and looked into the giant room he had entered off the hallway.

  He seemed to be on a platform in the middle of a body of water, but that was not possible inside a tower, was it? More enchantments. Sath moved forward cautiously, very aware that the invisibility magic Gin and Elysiam had cast on him was long gone. There was a walkway ahead of him and he followed it, careful not to slip off the sides into what seemed to be icy water. Soon, before him was a large empty room save a few drakes flying about at the ceiling and the largest creature he had ever seen in his life.

  It was male, and appeared to be a full-grown dragon like those he had heard tell of in the past when he was on the hunt. They were the creatures of legend on Qatu’anari, and young Qatu were taught to fear the flying reptiles. That fact alone should have been enough to set his blood boiling. Sath hated dragons for their terrorizing of his homeland. But this one gave him pause as it turned slowly and set its frozen gaze right on him.

  “Sathlir Clawsharp of Qatu’anari?” the dragon asked. Sath didn’t take his eyes off the creature and nodded his head. “Ah, excellent, my Lady Salynth will be well pleased. She’s been waiting for you, your Highness.”

  “I’m no one’s highness,” Sath barked back. “I’m just Sathlir, plain and simple. Who are you?” He thought that if he could keep the dragon talking, he might just be able to slip past it and avoid a fight…though the thought of another dragon kill was very tempting, especially here.

  “Oh, but you are, Prince! You are the next Rajah of Qatu’anari are you not?” The giant dragon chuckled. “I am Lord Kalinth,” it said, its voice booming. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t bow, your Majesty, but I feel we are on equal footing.”

  “I am no Prince!” Sath bellowed back. “My father disowned me, you see, so I am no more Majesty than you are, my Lord Kalinth.” He took a few tentative steps to the side, pleased when he saw that the dragon seemed to take no notice of him whatsoever.

  “Shall I go tell my Lady that you are so close?” the dragon asked, shaking its head and snorting icy blasts of snow into the air. “She will be so happy! Our plan is coming together. The throne of Qatu’anari is within reach. The Prince and Princess are in place!” Before Sath could attack or even speak, Lord Kalinth winked out of existence.

  “Ikara’s TEETH!” Sath swore, racing back through the room to the doorway and plunging through. He barely felt the icy grip of the magic this time, and hit the ground running. He could hear the cackling laughter of both of the dragons, and the sound chilled him to the bone. Sath skidded to a stop. Ahead of him was nothing but a series of rooms off one main corridor, and the stone walls and floor made it impossible to trace sounds. He took a deep breath to scent the air, and his heart tightened. Both Qatu females were there. The connection he had always had with his sister was strong now that they were back in close physical proximity, and a sudden searing pain that ricocheted through him told him she was in mortal danger. He had to make a decision, and fast.

  Taeben sat on the cold floor, making notes in the tiny leather-bound book that Salynth had not taken from him when he was brought to the Tower. It was the only way that he had any idea of how much time had passed. The book and the robes he wore were the only things she had allowed him to keep. Taeben wrote in the journal every night, even the nights after lessons when it hurt him to even hold his head up, let alone to make notes with the quill. He made a practice of not re-reading the notes, even when he couldn’t remember things that he knew he would have to know in order to keep from angering Salynth. Looking back too soon would be his undoing.

  Kazhmere sat up suddenly from the heap she had been lying in ever since Taeben sh
ocked her to release her from the mesmerization magic. “Sath,” she whispered, feeling their connection rekindle. He must be close by! She focused on him, trying again to warn him but instead her soul screamed out to his to save her. Taeben’s gaze leveled on her.

  “Did you say something, Kazhmere?” he asked, his voice low and even. Kazhmere’s skin began to crawl under her fur.

  “No,” she lied.

  “I told you before that I don’t like liars,” Taeben said, rising and moving closer to her. Kazhmere tried to back up but did not have the strength. “You are up to something. You said the name "Sath", is that the Qatu male that my Mistress was so happy to see in the hallway?”

  “I don’t want to talk to you,” Kazhmere responded, looking away from him toward the doorway. Do not come up here, Sath! Her thoughts were edged with panic that was so strong Taeben could feel it rolling off her in waves.

  “He is special to you, is he not?” Taeben stared at her, trying again to push his will into her mind but failing as she pushed back against him. “A childhood friend? A lover, perhaps?”

  Without warning Kazhmere lunged forward and shoved Taeben away from her. He fell over backward in surprise, scrambling to get to his feet. “Shut your mouth!” she roared at him.

  “You will regret that,” Taeben said as he swept back to her and positioned his face directly in front of hers. He spoke quick magical words that drew roots inexplicably from the stone floor to hold her fast, and then took her face in his hands, shoving his will forward and into her mind. Kazhmere’s consciousness fought against him like a moth beating its wings against the sides of a glass, but he was rested now and easily forced her mind to still and acquiesce. She blinked a few times, and then looked up at him with those awful dead eyes.