I turned to look also but when I didn’t see anything I turned instead to Zetzu and Tromuelan. They both had the same confused look as I did but then theirs turned serious. “What is…” and then I felt it. A massive magical shockwave came through the cave and then another and another. Whatever was creating such power was emitting it in pulses and the waves grew in power and frequency quickly.
“What is it?”
“I am not entirely sure. It seems to be some sort of gathering spell,” said Zetzu.
“Those levels of magical concentration are very dangerous. What spell would require such power?” asked Tromuelan.
“I can’t think of one that would be needed in Zulia or that uses such massive amounts of magic. Something is wrong.”
“I can think of three which would need that kind of magic and only one meets this pulsing wave,” said Vaurion.
“By the Dragon Lords, what was that?” asked Tromuelan, almost to himself.
“Something which has not been used since us, Ancient Ones destroyed its creators. It is a Celestial Gate. An extremely old magic, it allows any two places on the whole world to be connected instantly and allow travel between both places. In essence, it is a portal of sorts.”
“Why did you destroy it? It sounds to be a useful spell,” I asked.
“It would be useful were it not for its side effects. Aside from the large amounts of magic needed to open the gate, it requires an equally immense amount to hold it open, so the gate which opens on the other side will draw magic from where it can find it to lessen the burden from the original group of casters, for no single creature on this world could power something like that on its own.”
“But it was opened over Zulia…The elves can’t possible hope to power something like that.”
“Oh you are quite wrong my young Knight. The center of the elven power happens to be its most populated city. Their collective selves could power the gate for at least an hour before being completely depleted of magic. But the elves guard something which can fuel it for much longer,” said Vaurion as he walked outside of the cave.
I looked up in awe at the sky. It looked like it had been set ablaze, with large flares of red and yellow moving through it until joining at the origin.
“Who could open a gate? It must take considerable more magic to open than to maintain it,” said Zetzu.
“One of us could do it with help from a lot of humans. But no Ancient alive would do such a thing. The likely culprits are the Irkanians. However I don’t understand how they got their hands on such a spell,” said Vaurion.
“He is here.”
“Dragons… The Reaper just spoke.”
They turned to me. “What did he say?” they all asked.
“All he said was ‘he is here,’” I replied.
“Who is he?” asked all three again in unison.
“The one who imprisoned me and an entire legion of those you call Irkanians.”
I relayed the message to the three of them.
I was surprised when both Tromuelan and Zetzu turned to Vaurion for an answer.
“I will teleport us to the elven capital and I shall close the portal while you rally those that are still able to fight the Irkanians before they flee the city, but before we leave allow me to shed this weak and frail body.
He tossed me his staff, which transformed into a sword the moment I caught it and then he began to shine. It got to the point he became so bright I had to look away. Finally when I thought it was safe to look again I turned to find an enormous dragon standing in front of me. Maybe three times the size of Zetzu, with a tail full of spikes sharper then the sword I was holding. He had a brownish color and blue eyes. But unlike Zetzu or Master he seemed old, like he could be an ancient rock that belonged with the mountain he lived on.
“Keep that sword, it’s made of Izaanion. It suits you better than the one Nostrous gave you and should be able to withstand anything either dragon or Irkanians throws at it. Now stand very still. I wouldn’t want to teleport you to the wrong location. This teleporting business is a once in a seldom while sort of thing because of the magic requirements and we can’t afford to mess it up.”
Describing teleporting was hard at best. We were simply standing next to the entrance of the cave one moment and in the next we were in the fields outside Zulia. It literally took only a split second. It took me another second to adjust my eyes to the brightness which emanated from the sky high Celestial Gate. The Gate itself was a strange mix of purple and red, no real shape just a giant tear which extended from the ground upwards as far as the eye could see. I assumed from there came its name of Celestial.
“I will cross through the gate and attempt to disrupt it from the other side. In the mean time you will find out how many Irkanians came through, and what is their objective. Also if you can, find Shadow and Nostrous. They should still be conscious, and able to fight any possible attack,” just as Vaurion finished speaking a large explosion was heard followed by a large trail of black smoke rising from the inner part of the city.
As we all looked at the smoke Vaurion spoke up again, “Stay close to each other. I trust you know what to do, Zetzu and Tromuelan.” He then turned one of his enormous blue eyes on me. “It’s your first time in combat Alex. I would have hoped for you to have a lot more practice before you were thrown into the battlefield but it seems the world had a will of its own for you. Guard your life and follow your instincts. You have the heart of a dragon and a magic eating creature inside your eyes, there is no Irkanian here who can pose a threat to you!” he said, giving me a wink.
He then stepped away, extended all four wings, and took off. It was a more violent take off than that of Shadow or Zetzu because he relied solely on his wings to lift himself up. I watched him fly towards the Gate with my hands protecting my face from the fierce winds he was creating. Under any other circumstance it would have been a beautiful sight but with the lives of every elf in the city in peril, it was a rather gruesome one instead.
Taste of War
As I ran across the silent city streets most elves were lying on the ground. Many had lost consciousness due to the magical drain, but more than a few were still hanging on. While I ran towards the black smoke, Zetzu and Tromuelan flew above me and would give me fair warning when an Irkanian might be coming or of any other obstacle that might demand my attention and they could also provide help in the event a fight broke out.
“For this once I shall help you boy.”
I was surprised the Reaper had spoken at all after last night. “You are rather talkative as of late,” I said out loud. Then I realized it would be best to keep such conversations in my head between the Reaper and myself.
“Do not mistake this as kindness boy. We have a common enemy which requires removal. That is all. Will you want my help and advice or shall you go on to face one of the Irkanian’s so called Gods with just the help of those dragons?”
It amused me to think he considered himself more powerful than Zetzu and Tromuelan but he was right about knowing more about Irkanians than I did, and if I could use magic in the way he had last night I would have a powerful weapon to use, although I was unsure if he actually possessed the power he discribed in the dream.
“Sure, I will need all the help I can get. What can you do?” I asked into my mind, testing the communicating mentally idea.
“My battle with the Heart has left me weakened again but you should be able to use my eyes.”
“And what good would making my eyes red do me in a fight?”
“You are foolish to think that is all I can do. No, my eyes are capable of eating magic, just like the rest of my body.
It did make sense that his eyes could consume magic; after all he had suddenly become stronger when Nostrous’s Dragon Heart went wild during the meeting and my eyes had turned red.
“And what happens to that magic that is eaten?” I asked, fearing he would then try to attack me again in a dream.
“For the time
being, I will not resist my imprisonment here. I will let you use this magic for yourself. But beware the longer you use my eyes the stronger the side effect will present itself.”
“Side effect?”
“The longer you use my eyes the more strain it will place on your own eyes and when you finally go back to your normal vision you will lose the ability to see until the stress of using mine is relieved. Last time you didn’t suffer any backlash from using my eyes because the magic was transferred directly to me but this time it will be channeled through your body which is what places the strain on your eyes. I will regulate the amount of magic that you can drain to avoid you losing your sight for too prolonged a period of time. It’s the only thing I can do short of taking the magic in myself.”
I considered it for a moment. It was a pretty serious backlash, but if I regained my vision after a while it would be worth the risk. I could use larger amounts of magic and also drain my enemy of much needed magic in a battle but I had to make sure the red eyes wouldn’t fade until the battle was over.
“The eyes won’t fade until I choose them to fade?”
“So long as there is magic nearby they will remain, unless your Dragon Heart blocks me off completely from you like last time.”
“And how will the Heart know when to stop the eyes?”
“It is just as cognizant of what is happening as I am. However it is more limited than I am in interaction, as it is not a complete entity. It’s a group of thoughts, and that which you humans call feelings, of what used to be a Dragon.”
So my Dragon had imparted bits of its soul in the heart it gave me. It was an odd sensation knowing I had two beings living inside of me even if one was a murderous creature from a different plane of existence and the other was the fragments of an ancient dragon’s soul.
“Then do it give me the red eyes,” I commanded the Reaper mentally. As I felt a tingly sensation in my eyes I heard Zetzu approach me from above.
“I found Lord Shadow and Nostrous. They are up ahead fighting a group of Irkanians. I recommend you keep the use of large spells like Vorms and Brunas to a minimum as we have no idea for how long we will be fighting or how many Irkanians,” said Zetzu, keeping just above the roofs of the elven houses which sometimes had more than one floor.
“Just to let you know Zetzu, I have made a deal with the Devourer. It will allow me to use some of his powers for the duration of the battle,” I said, not knowing what his reaction might be.
To my surprise, it was Tromuelan who answered from far above, “If Lord Vaurion thinks you can fully control the Devourer then there should be no problem.”
Vaurion seemed to command the respect of both dragons, which gave validity to his statement of being older then Lord Vicis, I thought to myself as I ran across the streets of Zulia.
As we got closer to the source of the smoke it became clear the entrance to the Council Chamber was its source. Once there, what we saw was like a bloody scene out of a history book. Master and Nostrous stood at the entrance, surrounded by various Irkanians, and beyond them I could see the Sentinel, Marshal Blight, and a few of the military council members who were still conscious, fighting individual battles with other Irkanians. I noticed one of the Irkanians collecting magic to cast some sort of spell. I set my eyes on him and started to drain his magic from him. It took him a moment to notice what was happening and when he finally saw me, came charging at me.
Somehow I knew exactly what to do, and with one fast motion I side stepped and brought the sword Vaurion had given me up on his chest pushing him back and sending him flat on his back. A scream erupted from the Irkanian as he hit the ground, and blood started to emerge from the large wound on his chest. “Not so tough now are you?” I said, after realizing I could fight them just as well as I could humans.
The rest of the Irkanians suddenly became aware of my presence and more than a few turned to face me. “You are brave to come here Knight. Our queen will be very pleased with your death,” said one of them.
“You should never turn your back on an angry dragon,” said Master as he swung his tail and sent the entire group flying. The force of the impact combined with the spikes on Master’s tail killed more than a few of them, and those that did stand up again had broken bones - evident by their limbs bent out of shape - and yet they still began to cast spells in an attempt to attack us. My stomach was starting to turn at the sight of an Irkanian running towards me with part of the bone from his arm sticking through the skin. The gore was sickening, enough to make me stagger momentarily.
This time Zetzu and Tromuelan took over the fight. Their landing was enough to take out a few of the remaining Irkanians, crushing them with massive dragon weight and using their tails, claws, and mouths to rip the remaining ones to shreds. The one who had been running towards me was engulfed in a jet of fire emanating from Zetzu. The elves were just as quick in dispatching their group of Irkanians, but not without suffering a few casualties and a few collapses from magical exhaustion.
“Glad you could make it Alex, Zetzu, and Tromuelan. I saw Vaurion enter the portal and assumed you were here with him. What is going on here and what is draining our magic… or better yet why?” asked Master, clearly tired from fighting and slowly losing his magical power.
It didn’t take long for me to explain to him and the rest what the Celestial Gate was and how it worked, “But we are just as much in the dark as you as to why the Irkanians are here,” I said.
“I might be able to tell you why,” offered Marshal Blight, speaking up from the group of elves.
“Be silent Marshal you have no right to discuss such matters,” said one of the few council members, one that had backed Keren’s uncle in the claim to the throne.
“I was given orders by the Princess herself to help the Dragon Lords and Dragon Knight Alexander to find a way to stop this attack on this great nation, and regardless of the Princess’s orders I will tell him what he needs to know in order to stop this attack.”
“What are you talking about Blight?” asked Zetzu, speaking up before the other council member could argue.
“For a very long time we have had a Dragon Heart in safe keeping.”
“And you decide now is a good time for you to tell us this?” shouted Master clearly upset.
“What makes you think they are after the Heart and how would they even know of it in the first place?” asked Zetzu in a more controlled manner, yet evidently just as upset as Master.
“I assume as much. Ever since that gate was open most of the Irkanians have been trying to gain access to the Council Chamber where the Heart is stored. As to how they know… I would hate to consider one of our own a spy, but nothing can be ruled out.”
“Why would they want the Heart?” I asked walking towards the entrance.
“I don’t know. Maybe it is solely for power, or maybe they have some perverse motive we can’t foresee. Whatever the reason they must be stopped at all cost,” said Marshal Blight, following me.
“That might be easier said than done,” said Nostrous, leaning against one of the trees near the entrance of the Council Chamber. He was panting heavily, “Look around you. We are barely standing and others can’t even manage that.”
It was true. The few guards and council members, who had been fighting a few seconds ago, were now sitting or passed out on the ground. The Gate had drained them of almost all their remaining power. Blight himself was trembling, standing perhaps by sheer willpower. “I am afraid he is correct. I too, am feeling terribly weak by normal standards. I don’t even have enough magic left to change into human form and fight as one. For the time being I am stuck in these small streets in my dragon form,” said Master.
“Master, you are as formidable a threat as a dragon as you are when in human form!” I exclaimed.
“No Alex you are mistaken. I cannot move around as freely in my dragon form and with my magic depleting I am becoming an easy target for an Irkanian. I’m not accustomed to physical combat in thi
s form, unlike Tromuelan or Zetzu.”
“And so many unconscious elves in the city, unable to fight, we are in trouble,” said Nostrous, standing once again but without the support of the tree.
“What do you propose Nostrous?” asked Tromuelan.
“We retrieve the Heart and take it outside of the city where we will be free from this cursed Celestial Gate’s effects.”
“I don’t think the six of us would be able to stand alone to the might of an Irkanian invasion. We would need help from other elves,” I said.
“The closest are the Black Legion,” replied Blight, “and I will be damned if I accept help from them.”
“We need all the help we can get, and Lord Stein did give up his life to save the princess,” said Magistrate Nostrous.
To that statement Blight only snorted and leaned on a tree opposite Nostrous’s.
“All this idle talk is getting us nowhere. We grow weaker as every minute goes by. We have to retrieve the Heart and leave the city, and then we can decide what to do. Zetzu and Nostrous, you can go find the Heart. Alex, Tromuelan, Blight, and myself will keep guard up here. You must hurry as every moment that passes more lives are at risk.”
Just as Zetzu and Nostrous moved to enter the Council Chamber, we heard the sound of metal scrapping against rock. The sound kept getting closer by the second as whatever was causing it came up the stairs towards the entrance of the Council Chamber.
“Run,” said Master in a calm and low voice to Nostrous and Zetzu.
“He is here,” said the Reaper in a serene tone, betraying none of the emotion it previously held.
As if by magic, the moment the helmets of the creatures coming up the stairs appeared, the sun crossed the path and blinded us momentarily. The things wore full battle armor, and when I say full I mean you couldn’t see a single line of skin and the armor itself was darker than night. The helms had two daggers erected at each side while the shoulders had spikes spread across them, and the chest and legs were completely plated. Guessing from their height, they were defiantly not Irkanians… They had to be human or elven.
Time Of The Knights (The Dragon Knight Order Series Book 2) Page 4
