Arch Mage Gresham looked around the table. “Are there any more questions for the lieutenant?” No one answered so he turned to Holden. “Thank you for your report, Lieutenant Holden. As always, we appreciate your updates of events on the battlefield.”
Holden nodded, saluted, and left the room.
Gresham turned back to the assembly. “It appears we are battling two enemies at once. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to deal with the dragons?”
“Is there a way we can establish a warning system to alert us to a dragon attack?” asked Arch Mage Belham, who had been silent until now.
“Arch Mage Penna has an eagle as a familiar,” said Toele thoughtfully. “If she can use it to scan the area of a battle, it could spot the dragons approach well before they arrive on site.”
“That’s a good idea,” said Gresham. “If we could get all the mages with birds as their familiars to scan important sectors, we would at least get some forewarning of the approach of dragons.”
“I can gather the master mages and have them do a survey to find any mages who have an aerial familiar,” said an arch mage. He was a tall, wiry man with straight dark hair and a mustache. His real name was Arch Mage Sallow, but he was known as ‘The Teacher’ because he was the one who did training for the master mages who in turn taught the new recruits. His interaction with other mages made him popular and well known among the guild. “Once we find a number of mages equipped with the appropriate familiars, we can send them on scouting missions.”
“Very well,” said Gresham. “I suggest you get started as soon as the meeting is adjourned.”
Sallow nodded.
“We should look into practicing a combined shield spell for our troops,” suggested another mage. It was a stout mage with short brown hair and had dimples when she smiled.
“That’s a good idea too, Arch Mage Doris,” said Gresham. “I’ll have that passed along to Penna with the next caravan out to the barracks.”
“We could combine the magic with the clerics,” added Doris. “It has been proven that shield magic is common between black and white mages.”
“I’m sure we can do something there,” said Gresham, “as long as the clerics aren’t needed to perform healing, which is their primary function.”
“Of course,” smiled Doris, her dimples clearly evident.
“Any other ideas?” asked Gresham.
With no response, Gresham moved on. “On a lighter note, the tower is nearing completion. We will be able to cast a defensive shield on the building by the end of the week.”
Enthusiastic murmurs and head nodding emanated from the assembled arch mages.
At this point an aide came in and whispered in Gresham’s ear.
The arch mage thanked the messenger and straightened in his seat. The assembly, anticipating further news, quieted.
“We have some interesting news,” stated Arch Mage Gresham. “It seems we have succeeded in taming our first dragon!”
Gasps escaped the lips of those in the room.
“Do you have proof of this?” asked Arch Mage Belham.
“Indeed we do,” said Gresham. “Apparently Arch Mage Brendan is waiting in the courtyard with evidence of his success.” Gresham looked around at the other mages. “We have been invited to see for ourselves.” He rose. “Let’s not keep him waiting.”
The mages all rose and exited the meeting room. They reappeared at one of the tower’s exits leading to the courtyard. The sun shone brightly in the sky and the surrounding edges of the courtyard were occupied by mages poised to shield everyone from potential attacks. But this was all ignored in favour of the magnificent and intimidating sight before them. It was immense, larger than any other creature any of them had ever seen up close before. Its wings were folded back along the length of its reddish golden scaled body. Its tail waved back and forth and its head turned on a long, flexible neck to observe the newcomers with interest through reptilian eyes.
The arch mages returned the gaze with awe and wonder.
Arch Mage Brendan stood close to the creature’s side and turned to greet his visitors. He was so small next to the reptilian beast that some of the arch mages were startled to catch sight of him when he moved. He held in his right hand a glowing white orb.
“Hello!” he exclaimed, his face beaming. “Welcome!” He indicated the dragon behind him. “This is my friend, Burnett!”
“It has a name?” asked Toele. He, like many of the others, looked uneasy despite the sizeable security provided by the mages surrounding the courtyard.
“Oh, yes!” said Brendan with a smile. “Each one has a name, just like humans do.”
“How do you know?” asked Belham.
Arch Mage Violet, who stood nearby, answered. “Apparently, the magic in the orb allows telepathic communication between the mage and dragon. It is the necessary ingredient in the magic of the orb that we had overlooked previously. Without it the orb would not work.”
“And this allows you to control the dragon?” asked Toele incredulously. He still couldn’t believe this giant beast was under Brendan’s control.
“For the most part,” said Brendan.
“For the most part?” asked Toele. He looked nervous again.
Brendan smiled again. “The dragon is an intelligent creature. In order to get it to obey, you have to reason with it.”
“So you can get it to do what you want as long as it agrees to it?” asked Belham.
“Pretty much,” said Brendan.
“Excellent work!” exclaimed Gresham. “This could prove to be a turning point in the war if we can get more dragons to support us willingly.”
“That remains to be seen,” muttered Toele. “I doubt that dragons would be willing to fight one another.”
“We’ll see,” said Gresham. He turned to Brendan. “How many dragons are under control of an orb right now, Brendan?”
“Only two,” said Brendan. “My associate has one under control in Arral.”
“But several more orbs have been created and are ready to be used as we speak,” added Violet. “We expect word from other mages within days.”
“Excellent!” said Gresham. He pointed to the majestic beast before them. “Perhaps we can have a demonstration?”
Brendan grinned. “Of course!” He turned to the dragon and appeared to be deep in thought for a moment. Then the dragon lowered its wing and Brendan climbed onto its back right behind the head. He held on tight and the great beast stretched out its wings and launched itself into the air. It flapped its wings with a slow, methodical rhythm. Brendan and his dragon swerved in a long arc and dove back toward the courtyard. They flew in a low trajectory and surged over the assembled mages with incredible speed. Most of the mages ducked instinctively as the dragon and rider flew past. Several mages had even cast a shield spell to protect everyone from a potential attack.
The attack didn’t happen, and Brendan and Burnett rose back into the sky. The dragon let loose with a flaming fireball, much to the delight of the spectators. The fireball fizzled out before hitting the ground a safe distance away. Then the dragon and rider swung back to the courtyard where the dragon opened its wings and slowed its descent. By the time the dragon reached the courtyard, it was going slowly enough that it could come to a running stop. As the dust settled, Brendan climbed back down to the ground via the dragon’s wing.
Several mages cheered as he stopped to take a bow.
“Well done!” exclaimed Gresham.
“Impressive!” added Belham.
“I think we ought to make preparations to equip more mages with dragon orbs,” said Gresham to the others.
“I recommend we assign orbs only to mages with a higher level of magic,” said Brendan, as he strode toward them from the dragon. “It takes a considerable amount of concentration to maintain control of the dragon e
ven when you’re just flying through the air. My associate has the rank of master mage and he can barely control his dragon. Anyone with a lower rank than a master mage should not attempt this.”
“Concentration to hang on?” asked an arch mage.
“Concentration to maintain control mentally,” explained Brendan. “The dragon is quite intelligent and always tries to seize control of its actions. If you haven’t got good enough mental control, the dragon will choose its own actions and convince you that it is in charge. It will then control you instead of the other way around. It could potentially find a way to seize the orb for itself and regain its freedom, leaving you in a vulnerable position. If you become separated from the orb, we don’t yet know what could happen, since the orb links you to the dragon. It could even mean death.” Brendan shrugged. “We just don’t know right now.”
“Understood,” said Gresham. “We will limit the orbs to arch mages and seasoned master mages for now.”
“And those who don’t mind heights,” added Belham.
Gresham chuckled. “Of course.”
“How do you recommend capture of a dragon?” asked an arch mage.
Brendan turned to her. “Once you have learned the magic associated with the orb, you will be given one and then it would be a good idea to position yourself in one of the remote villages where dragon attacks are common. Sooner or later, one will appear in search of easy prey in the form of farm animals. Then you must confront the dragon with the magical spell you have learned while holding the orb in front of you. If you succeed, the dragon’s life force will channel into the orb and the dragon will not harm you for fear of damaging the orb. To do so would kill it.”
“So you keep the orb with you at all times?” asked Belham.
“Yes,” said Brendan. “A good practice is to mount it atop your staff.” He held his out so the others could see it.
“Excellent idea!” exclaimed Gresham. “It can’t be lost so easily that way.”
“It was Violet’s idea,” said Brendan, turning a smiling face to the fair-haired mage.
Violet blushed.
“Have you thought about how you’re going to fight other dragons?” asked Toele.
Brendan frowned. “Yes, but I have no answer for that as yet.”
“How do you care for such a creature?” asked Arch Mage Doris. “It must surely have an appetite.”
“We have thought of that,” responded Violet, “since that’s when the dragon is hardest to control. They do indeed eat an enormous amount of food. Brendan has an arrangement with his dragon to let it fly north to an area where dragons like to feed.”
“How do you know it goes north to feed?” asked Toele. “For all you know, it goes to the nearest human settlement to gorge itself before coming back.”
Violet shook her head. “While giving the dragon permission to feed, Brendan had given it instructions to leave the human settlements alone. While it was gone, we watched for signs that a dragon attack had occurred in a human settlement. As yet there have been none. A few dragons have been spotted in towns south of here, but each of those times Burnett was with Brendan.”
“That’s good,” said Gresham, “but we should continue to monitor this going forward, particularly if we manage to control more dragons.”
“Absolutely,” said Brendan, “but once you get to know one of these magnificent creatures, you’ll know they are as good as their word.”
“Telepathically speaking,” said Belham with a wink.
Brendan laughed. “I suppose you’re right.”
“One other note,” added Violet. “Brendan’s dragon will only venture a certain distance for a certain time before it feels strongly inclined to return to where the orb is located. It cannot stay away for long, no matter how hard it tries.”
“That’s good,” said Belham. “That way we know they will always return.”
Gresham rubbed his hands together. “Well, I think it’s time to get into action. We have much to do in the next short while.”
“I’ll rearrange the magical ring factory to accommodate more orbs,” said Belham eagerly.
“If you need more people I’ll get Arch Mage Tesa to assemble a team to help,” offered Gresham.
Belham blinked. He had an affinity for the short, stout mage. He had worked with her on several occasions and enjoyed her company. “I’d love the help!” he exclaimed.
Gresham grinned. “I thought so.” He gave a few additional instructions to some of the others and then everyone headed off to their respective tasks, leaving Brendan and Violet in the company of the dragon, along with the mages on security detail.
Chapter 12
A few days had passed and the companions were heading north after stopping briefly in Ridholm. Kazin was disappointed in how little information he had gleaned from the locals. It seemed everyone in that town was too busy to talk. But he did learn a few things about the old world that many of them had left behind.
Apparently, there had been many years of drought, and food was extremely difficult to come by. Nations were constantly declaring war on one another only to discover the territory they were fighting for was just as dry and barren as their own. People quickly became disillusioned about the fighting when they discovered the people in authority were the only ones who benefitted from the spoils of war. They abandoned the army in droves, much to the disappointment of power-hungry leaders who offered substantial gold and silver to their people to fight for them. They didn’t realize that even money could not buy food that did not exist. The people instead used their money to buy one way fares on ships destined to a new land where food was reported to be abundant. Even the rumours of having to fight unusual creatures and dragons seemed more appealing that staying where they were and starving while their leaders decided what rations to hand out on a daily basis. At least they would have something to fight for in the new land.
The shipping companies were the ones who had profited the most from the arrangement. They had plenty of business, and the influx of currency meant they could manufacture additional ships at a record pace. They even manufactured warships for the Barlin Shipping Company, named after Admiral Barlin, who had been the first human to sail into the Bay of Barlin and discover a lush, soil rich land that was ideal for a new settlement. The admiral returned a second time with a number of settlers supported by a military force and the first settlement took hold in the new land. Later ships brought cattle and poultry, and from then on there had been no stopping the wave of newcomers.
Alliances were forged with the dwarves and elves, and trade was established. Magic was an entirely new concept, and the elves were astounded when they learned that many humans were capable of this ancient art. From there, human mage guilds were formed and evolved into the form that currently existed.
But that was all history. The only thing they could establish regarding their mission was that it probably had something to do with the war and the upcoming upheaval to the world as they knew it.
Now they traveled along a dusty road that was used primarily by patrols as they moved between various guard posts situated along the perimeter of the humans’ realm. This was the route they had decided upon after much deliberation. Amelia had cautioned them time and again about the need to distance themselves from any unnecessary encounters that could change the future. There had already been too much interference as far as she was concerned. Thus the less-traveled path was chosen, and here they rode on horses they had acquired in Ridholm.
Kazin did admonish the need to reach the war zone, however, and no amount of non-interference should stop them from going there, since, as he put it, the threat to the future had to be stopped. And he would do whatever was in his power to destroy it. He had no choice but to interfere when the time came.
Amelia was not pleased about that threat, but conceded it was the only way to deal with the problem.
> Because they were effectively going the long way, they were all in agreement that they should make haste. What they hadn’t counted on was the dense fog that had wafted in from the east. The gaseous vents on the jagged peaks to their right were poisonous if one was too close to them, but they were far enough away that the gases were diluted to a harmless level.
Zylor was in the lead on a very large horse. Ordinarily, he would have opted to run alongside the others. Minotaurs on foot could easily keep up to mounted riders provided the horses weren’t galloping at full speed. They didn’t have any use for horses in general, except for the purposes of food. But it wouldn’t do for him to be without a horse should they come across a patrol or some travelers. He was thankful for the thick fog. This meant he did not need to be under the annoying spell that made him look human. Should someone happen along, Kazin could quickly cast the spell on him and the amulet would take over, concealing his true identity once again.
A noise to his right caused him to reign in his horse and hold up his hand. His horse’s breath steamed in the cool, damp air, a testament to its overwhelming load.
Because of the fog, Sherman, on a large horse as well, nearly bumped into the minotaur before realizing he had called a halt. The others pulled up behind them and Zylor explained that he had heard something.
After a few minutes of waiting, he shook his head in exasperation. “Maybe it was just the wind.” He spurred his horse forward and the others followed quietly.
Less than a minute later Zylor called a halt again. He snorted. “There’s something out there,” he growled. “I smell it.”
“What is it?” asked Harran.
Zylor shook his head. “I’ve never come across the scent before. It’s - irritating.”
“Maybe it’s the gas,” suggested Olag. “That’s not a scent you’ve experienced before. I can smell it too.”
“No,” growled Zylor. “It’s the scent of a creature of some sort. My instincts tell me it’s extremely dangerous.”
Olag snorted. “How can you tell it’s dangerous if you don’t -,” he broke off.
Spirit Blade: Book III of the Dragon Mage Trilogy Page 14
