Underdog Mage Chronicles: The Captive
Book Two
By R. D. Bernstein
Books by R. D. Bernstein
Underdog Mage Chronicles:
1. The Crippled
2. The Captive
3. The War https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F6XZLTB
Fate Chronicles:
1. The Eternal War
2. Children of Fate
3. The Drakaran
4. Deadly Diplomacy
5. Mystery at Crescent Islands
Ship of Secrets
Raven and the Phoenix
Chapter 1
The harsh Drakaran sun filled the sky with its blood red magnificence. General Crowl clutched his chest in pain as he and Mallagan waited for help to arrive on the crest of a sand dune. Crowl’s red eyes no longer glowed bright red, now a dulled hue as his lifeblood weakened, his strength and power leaching from his body and into the dry sand of his home planet.
“They are coming if you can stay alive for a few more minutes,” Mallagan said. She tightened the magical restraints on Lance’s body and he squirmed in discomfort as the black tendrils coiled around him.
“And you stay quiet,” Mallagan told Lance, pointing a bony finger at her captive. “You’ve caused us enough trouble as it is.”
Lance couldn’t move even if he wanted to. He had expended most of his energy during the assault on the Delvin palace and now he felt completely and utterly useless as he was dragged across a strange desert-like landscape with a sun he did not recognize.
In the distance, two riders approached. Lance’s eyes widened in surprise. As they grew closer it was clear they were not riding horses, but wolves, giant ambling beasts three times the size of any dire wolf he knew of back home. On top of the wolves sat a rider each, their clothes stark black against the sandy backdrop. Their cloaks fluttered in the wind as they made haste toward their direction, a cloud of sand blown up in their wake.
“Took them long enough,” Mallagan muttered quietly. She stood up on shaky legs, her frail body protesting.
General Crowl was no longer speaking, his breathing shallow, his eyes closed.
“Oh, would you quit dying on me?” Mallagan moaned. “These hills are no place for a Drakaran General to die. You must die in battle as is fitting someone of your stature.”
Lance watched as the wolves pulled up in front of them, giant fangs dripping with saliva. Their fur was broken up in places by several sharp spikes sticking out in random directions, their points glistening in the sunlight.
The wolves lowered themselves so that their bellies touched the ground and their riders dismounted. Without hesitating, the mystics both raised their hands and General Crowl was covered in a bright red light, his body hovering in the air. Suspended in mid-air, the warm, red light rotated his body as it coursed through him.
After a few moments, one of the riders turned toward Mallagan and said, “He would have been dead in less than an hour. He will live now though, but will need a lot of rest. We will take him back to the capital. Commander Voltross has been anxiously awaiting your return. You take your prisoner with you.”
“I wouldn’t want to ride one of those things anyway,” Mallagan said, waving her hands dismissively. “An old lady like me wouldn’t last long on such a beast.” Despite her frail body, Mallagan had an air of power about her, her eyes bright red, full of intelligence and raw inner fortitude.
The Drakaran mystics nodded, their faces covered in shadow from their hoods, and rode off, General Crowl slunk over the back of the lead wolf.
“Come on, crippled,” Mallagan said. “We have a lot of walking ahead of us.”
* * *
Charlotte and Quincy tumbled through the portal and landed in a heap on top of each other. Charlotte raised her head and spit out a mouthful of sand.
Quincy pushed off of her and stood up, looking around in panic. “Where the hell are we? What did you do?” He ran his fingers through his black hair and dusted off the ample sand that found its way onto his scalp.
“I didn’t tell you to follow me,” Charlotte responded. “I couldn’t just let them drag him off. We have to help Lance!”
“I don’t want them to take him either,” Quincy said. “Hell, I’ve actually come to like the guy. But those two Drakaran took on our entire palace filled with knights and powerful mages. We’re in their world now and who knows how many others there are! We have no idea where to go, who or what we face, and if we can even get back!”
“Let’s get Lance back and then worry about getting home,” Charlotte advised. “If they were able to get to and from our world, so can us.”
“You speak like this is going to be easy,” Quincy said.
“No, I know it won’t,” Charlotte replied, taking a step toward him with her arms crossed, her lips pursed tight. “But I’m not going to sit on the ground and mope about it.”
Quincy smiled. “No wonder he likes you so much.”
“Wait, he likes me?”
Quincy moaned. “You are just as blind as he is. You’re practically made for each other. Never mind about all that. Where to?” He looked around at the endless sea of sand, the occasional dune rising up and breaking up the monotony. The sky was a strange reddish hue, the sun a fiery ball of crimson red. This was truly an alien planet.
“The footsteps lead that way,” Charlotte said, pointing. “They can’t be too far ahead.”
“And what are we supposed to do when we get there?” Quincy asked. “Ask them to hand Lance over nicely and then take the time to open a portal for us back to our world? They’ll kill us if we’re lucky, and imprison and torture us if not.”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead,” Charlotte admitted.
“Well then start thinking while we walk.”
* * *
Commander Voltross watched as the crippled human was tied to a metal slab. His bald head itched to no end under the stress he was under. His red eyes were sunken and tired from lack of sleep. It was no easy task to manage the Drakaran army and adhere to the orders and schedules of the council. Lately they were pressuring him to conquer more worlds and bring in more resources as if it were so simple.
He had never seen a human, but this one looked much weaker than he imagined. There didn’t even seem to be reason to restrain such a feeble creature.
“This is the one who gave you so much trouble?” Commander Voltross asked dubiously.
Mallagan nodded. “Looks can be deceptive.” She made a point to look down at her own frail body.
“Point made,” Voltross noted. “I want answers from him by tomorrow. The council grows sick of waiting for results.”
“The council can shove…”
“Careful Mallagan,” Commander Voltross warned. “They have eyes and ears everywhere.”
“Of course,” Mallagan said. “How very foolish of me. Yes, I will personally see to it that we extract the boy’s memories by whatever means possible. There will be no mistakes this time.”
“Good. Come to me as soon as you know where the crystals are on their planet,” Voltross demanded. “The council is growing impatient and I do not like looking like a fool.”
“Of course not,” Mallagan said. “I’ll go and wake our friend up.”
* * *
Charlotte and Quincy looked for cover as a wagon approached, but there was none, short of lying flat on the sand, and they refused to die in such a way.
“I have some silver flakes with me if we need,” Quincy whispered to her.
“Good,” Charlotte replied. “Save them for when we really need them. It looks like it’s just one Drakaran riding the w
agon and he’s wearing plain clothes. There’s nowhere to run. We might as well face him.”
They waited uncertainly as the wagon pulled up to them. Instead of riding past, the driver slowed the horses down and waved to them.
“Hello there!” The Drakaran said with a smile. “You two are not from around here, are you? What are you?” His look remained friendly, but there was a hint of confusion and skepticism underneath.
Quincy looked at Charlotte who shrugged.
“We’re from another planet,” Charlotte admitted. “We’re humans.” She couldn’t think of a good lie, and if they had any chance of getting out of this without a fight, it was probably better to be honest.
“A human?” The Drakaran’s red eyes widened. “Well, I’ll be!” He slapped his thigh in excitement and disbelief. “That’s the first time I met a human before. Not much different looking than us except your skin is darker and you have very dull eyes. You’re lucky you ran into me before the army patrols found you!”
“Um… it’s nice to meet you,” Charlotte said.
“Ah, how very rude of me!” The Drakaran exclaimed. “I forgot to introduce myself. I am Thanis, a humble merchant. I travel between Drakaran cities selling my wares. How luck it is that I found you though, because I just so happen to have the perfect disguises for you!”
“Disguises?” Quincy asked.
“Why, yes!” Thanis replied. “You can’t walk around looking like… well, humans. I have low ranking mystic outfits. I was bringing a shipment to the mystic school in Umberog, but I always bring a few extras just in case. Sometimes a few get ruined on my travels.”
“We don’t have gold,” Charlotte replied.
“Gold? We don’t trade gold. Drakaran barter,” Thanis said. “And what you have is invaluable. Let me take a vial of your blood so that I may sell it for a fortune and the outfits are yours!”
“No way!” Quincy exclaimed, holding his arm out protectively in front of Charlotte and forcing her to take a few steps backward. “That’s crazy!”
Thanis waved his hands. “No, no! Please don’t be frightened. You see, if I sold a vial of your human blood, I could retire for the rest of my life. It is a win, win situation. The Drakaran army would kill you on sight, but they would hardly look at a low-ranking mystic. Your faces and bodies would be completely covered up instead of those bright yellow robes you are wearing. The sun practically bounces off of it and blinds me.”
Charlotte looked down at her robe. “Quincy, we need the disguises if we have any hope of saving Lance,” she whispered to him.
“He’s not drawing our blood,” Quincy replied. “He could kill us. It’s probably a trick!”
“It’s our only hope,” Charlotte urged.
Quincy glanced at the desert in front of them and the hazy image of a city on the horizon with tall, dark towers. They wouldn’t be able to take a step inside of there without drawing attention, and any attention would get them killed.
Quincy sighed. “Get it over with.”
Chapter 2
“Shh… Don’t struggle,” Mallagan whispered into Lance’s ear. “It will just make it worse. Think about the crystals and open your mind to me.” She waved her fingers over his head, weaving her hand around in circular motions.
“Get out of my head!” Lance screamed in agony as he felt the icy touch of her power inside of his mind, a strange and alarming sensation. He tried to kick her out of his mind but her grip was strong.
“The more you struggle, the longer this will take,” Mallagan pressed. “Open your mind. Lay your thoughts bare.” She leaned closer to him and increased the strength of her spells. It felt like she was attacking his mind from every angle.
Lance gritted his teeth and tried to remember what that voice told him long ago. It was his father’s voice somehow. He had to keep the secret location of the crystals secret or their world would be lost.
“You’re thinking about your father,” Mallagan noted. “He isn’t here to protect you. You won’t hear his voice any longer and won’t have any of his extra protections. Your mind is weak all alone. Let me in. As soon as you do, your pain will vanish. It will feel so good to finally let go.”
Her voice came from within his own head, so loud and powerful that his own mind retreated deeper into the dark recesses of his head to escape it. The entirety of his mind was ringing from the voice reverberating inside of his skull.
Lance struggled, hiding further and further into the back of his mind as Mallagan ripped through his memories, searching for the one she wanted. He tried not to think about the crystals, but the more he fought it, the more it came to the forefront of his mind.
“Get… out of… my head!” Lance screamed. He felt sweat dripping down his body from the effort. It seemed like the more he struggled, the more pain it brought.
Lance couldn’t take it anymore. He needed the pain of her lancing magic to clear his mind and let go of its tightening grip.
“Ah! Okay, take it!” Lance’s head slumped forward as he stopped fighting against an impossible wave. A major sense of relief flooded through him as the pain subsided. Then it was replaced by an overwhelming sense of guilt for giving up a secret that was clearly dangerous to the world.
“Ah, excellent choice,” Mallagan cooed. “I see the crystals now. So beautiful. So elegant. Thank you, crippled. I have my answers.”
* * *
“I feel ridiculous,” Charlotte said. She tried to roll up her sleeves just a bit so it didn’t fall over her hands so easily. It was a size too big for her, but it would have to do.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, you look ridiculous too,” Quincy added. He meant it as a joke, but realized how under the circumstances it might not be construed as one.
Quincy couldn’t see her face under the odd mystic outfit, but he was sure it wasn’t a kind expression. What he said was said as a jest, but in reality, they both knew it held some truth to it. The robes were meant for Drakaran frames, all of which were much wider than them. The flowing material was also too long and it took great effort not to trip over the excess cloth.
They found a small oasis on the way toward the Drakaran city and drank their fair share, uncertain of when the next time would be. If Thanis, the Drakaran merchant meant to betray them, they would have been captured long ago. If Lance was brought to the closest city, it would be the one about half a day’s march ahead. The footsteps they followed suddenly turned into large footprints from two sets of creatures that must be larger than any horse back from where they were from. It was a scary thought, seeing as some of the Delvin palace war stallions were huge back home.
It took several more hours before they made it to the edge of the city. Giant black stone towers ascended into the sky on either side of a large portcullis that was only half open. Wagons, armored troops, and civilians alike walked into and out of the city. Guards wearing obsidian armor stood like statues along the walls, giant halberds dug into the sand, red cloaks fluttering behind them in the wind.
“They're going to see right through us,” Quincy whispered out of the side of his mouth.
“Just keep walking and don’t make eye contact,” Charlotte replied.
They approached the front gate, trying their best to keep pace with a group of Drakaran entering the city. Charlotte could feel the gazes of the guards lining the front wall, their red eyes glowing through slits in their obsidian helmets.
Suddenly, two guards left their positions and marched forward.
“Hold it!” One of the guards shouted.
Charlotte and Quincy froze in place next to several others around them.
They were caught. This was it. They would die in an alien world with no human around to give them a proper burial.
“Move along!” The guard said to Charlotte and Quincy. Then he grabbed the wrist of a plain clothes Drakaran next to them. “You! You know better than to come here.”
Charlotte and Quincy continued on as they watched through the corner
of their eyes the guards give the Drakaran exile several kicks and shoves back toward the expansive and miserably hot desert.
“That was too close for comfort,” Charlotte whispered as they made their way through the gate and into the Drakaran city.
* * *
It was impossible to follow Lance’s trail with so many people and guards walking back and forth across the city streets. Unlike Delvin, the Drakaran city streets were so wide that everyone including wagons could fit comfortably, even on side streets.
“Where do we go?” Quincy asked.
Charlotte looked around at the towering buildings and thousands of Drakaran milling about. There was no way to know where they took Lance, and even if they did, they couldn’t ask for directions or that would raise a red flag.
“Let’s stick to the main street,” Charlotte suggested. “Maybe we can find a prison where they are holding him.” She knew it was a long shot, but they had to start somewhere.
Quincy gave a doubtful look under his disguise. He doubted they could find Lance, and even if they did manage to locate him, they had little chance of breaking him out. And even if they miraculously managed all of that, they still had no idea how to escape and get back to their world. The more he thought about it, the more impossible their situation became.
They made their way past a cart being pulled by two lumbering beasts, a horrible and twisted mix of some type of bear and wolf. Giant iron chains hooked around the creatures’ fur along their necks kept them in line, but with so much muscle, both Quincy and Charlotte prayed the chains would hold.
They walked in front of what looked like a religious temple of some sort, its massive columns rising above the surrounding houses and buildings, ending in an extended tower with a crescent moon structure above it. Large birds, probably twice the size of ravens, circled lazily above the top, their cawing lost in the noise of the bustling city.
Underdog Mage Chronicles_The Captive_Book Two Page 1
