by Ben Hale
“That there are plenty of krey sites,” Water said. “I fear we may have to search them all.”
Elenyr’s eyes were on the map. “Actually, I think I know exactly where Wylyn is hiding . . .”
Chapter 37: A Daring Plan
“You do?” Fire asked, surprised.
Elenyr nodded, her thoughts returning to the dakorian that had fought the First of the Blades. Of all the injuries, one had stood out, one that had not come from the duel. Her confidence mounting, Elenyr turned to Mind.
“When we witnessed the dakorian fight Mox, did you notice anything unusual?”
Mind frowned. “A burn on his leg. The injury did not come from the duel.”
“Did you recognize the burn?” she asked.
“What does this have to do with Wylyn?” Water asked.
Elenyr turned to Fire, whose eyes had gone wide. The fragment seemed lost in thought, but Elenyr saw his expression as one of recognition. She called his name, and Fire started. He motioned to the map.
“The burn came from a dragon.”
“How can you know that?” Lira asked.
Fire snorted. “I’ve caused more burns than anyone alive. Burns from magical fire are distinctive, as is an injury from a dragon. The dakorian had endured dragon flame within the last week.”
Lira reached up to the map and caught the sphere of light with her hand, rotating the globe. “Do the dragons still live in the south?”
“They do,” Elenyr said, but her attention was on the map.
The entirety of the kingdoms comprised the northern side of the continent, with a large swath of land to the south. Dominated by mountains, jungles, and canyons, the southern region had never been explored, and for good reason. It was already inhabited.
Known as the Dragon’s Teeth, the mountain range south of the Evermist swamp extended for hundreds of miles. Dragon kind had lived in the land since the Dawn of Magic, and few ventured north, a fact for which the people of the kingdoms were grateful, even if they did not know the cause.
“There,” Elenyr said, pointing to an outpost in the center of the Dragon’s Teeth. “It’s the only krey outpost south of the Evermist. It has to be here.”
“A dangerous choice,” Mind said. “The dragons are as likely to kill us as Wylyn.”
“Perhaps,” Elenyr said, and considered revealing the truth. “But I think it’s more likely Wylyn made a deal.”
“With whom?” Water asked.
Elenyr considered her answer. Certain truths on Lumineia were known only to the high oracle. If she spoke now, the fragments would possess the knowledge, as would Lira. But if Wylyn was there, the fragments needed to understand. Making her decision, Elenyr spoke.
“What do you know of the dragons?” she asked.
“They never stop growing,” Water said.
“And we learned the Dragon’s Sleep from them,” Fire said.
“And their culture?”
Water shrugged. “They are territorial and prone to quarrel.”
Elenyr motioned to the map. “There are actually three types of dragons, and each keeps to themselves. The fire breathers are the ones we usually associate with dragons, and they are the gold, red, and brown dragons. The elementals are a second type, and breathe frost or lightning. They are the blue and white dragons. Blacks are a type of their own, and possess acid breath that can melt through steel armor.
“How does this matter to us?” Mind asked.
“Because the three factions of dragon kind are not divided,” she said. “And they, in fact, have a ruler.”
“They have a king?” Fire asked.
“They do indeed,” Elenyr said. “And the king maintains order. All dragons fear the king, for he is the strongest of all.”
“So the most dangerous,” Fire said.
“Exactly,” Elenyr said. She then stepped to the map and pointed to the krey outpost, positioned in the center of three gigantic mountains. “This krey outpost was one of the first from the Dawn of Magic, but since then it has been occupied by the king.”
“How do you know so much about the outpost?” Lira asked.
“Because I’ve been there.”
“You’ve been to the throne room of the king of dragons?” Mind asked.
The surprise in Mind’s voice brought a smile to Elenyr’s lips. It was not often she managed to shock Mind, and she enjoyed the moment—especially because she was about to surprise him again.
“At the close of the Dawn of Magic, a treaty was made. The dragons got the south, and the races got the north. The northern edge of the Dragon’s Teeth became the border, and dragons were not permitted to come north. Every generation, the high oracle traveled to the king and confirmed the treaty.”
“But why do they obey?” Mind asked. “Surely they are as strong as the races.”
“Not against an oracle,” Lira said, and Elenyr motioned her to continue. “The oracle’s farsight is a powerful weapon against the dragons, and the magic of the races is formidable as well. The dragons could do tremendous damage, but a full-scale war would likely result in their demise.”
“You met with the king to confirm this treaty?” Mind asked.
“When I was high oracle,” Elenyr said.
“So why would Wylyn choose such a location?” Fire asked. “It is remote, and inaccessible to the populace, but the dragons could kill her easier than we could.”
“The outpost would be accessible to other outposts through the Gates,” Lira said.
“Which would explain how easily they’ve traveled,” Water said, nodding to Lira.
Elenyr noticed a glint in Water’s eyes that she’d never seen, a softness, a closeness. Lira shared the same, and Elenyr wondered how close the two had become. Was it possible for a fragment to fall in love?
“I still don’t see why Wylyn would make her home with the dragons,” Fire said. “They are volatile, powerful, and lethal.”
“Much like Wylyn,” Lira said.
“Are dragons present elsewhere in the Krey Empire?” Water asked.
Lira shook her head. “They are unique to this world. As are the phoenixes, the moordraugs, and the reavers.”
“Lucky us,” Fire said, his tone sarcastic.
“So Wylyn arrived on Lumineia, and then it appears she encountered the dragons.” Mind spoke slowly. “How would she react? The dragons would have recognized her as a krey, and . . .”
“Seen an ally,” Elenyr said with a nod. “Of any race, the dragons are the most respectful of the ancients.”
“Just how many allies does Wylyn have?” Water exclaimed.
“Too many,” Fire said.
“So you think she is there?” Lira asked.
“I think it’s worth a try,” Elenyr said.
“Then we should gather the fragments,” Fire said, rising to his feet. “I’ll dispatch messengers for Shadow and Light.”
Elenyr raised a hand and Fire stopped at the door. “Light cannot be reached,” she said. “And if Shadow is occupied, we should not interrupt.”
“You’re saying we go on our own?” Mind asked, and shook his head. “If Wylyn truly has made a friend of the king, then we need all the support we can get.”
“We’ll have it,” Elenyr said. “And I think it’s time Wylyn saw what the fragments are capable of.”
“Draeken?” Fire asked, his voice incredulous. “Every time we unite, we can’t sustain it.”
“There will be only three of you,” Elenyr reasoned, “and we cannot wait for the others.”
Elenyr watched Mind, gauging his reaction. Mind scratched his chin, his brow furrowed in thought. With three fragments joined, Draeken would be more powerful than the three fragments apart, and it would give them an advantage.
But could Mind hold it together? The question was written on his features. Elenyr saw his consternation and knew the fragment feared becoming Draeken. Mind’s eyes flicked to Fire and Water.
“Do you think it’s time?”
&nb
sp; Fire nodded and stepped forward. “Let’s show them the magic they face.”
Water seemed uncertain, and Elenyr noticed he glanced to Lira. Was it possible he now wanted to be apart? From the beginning the fragments had yearned to be whole, but lifetimes apart may have changed that. Then the fragment gave a curt nod and motioned to Mind.
“If you believe we can hold together, then we can.”
Mind regarded Water and then agreed. “We are ready.”
“Then we depart in the morning,” Elenyr said. “Prepare yourselves, and convene at dawn.”
Fire nodded and then departed. After looking to Elenyr, Water and Lira left together. When they were gone, Mind approached Elenyr where she stood watching the map. For several moments there was silence until Elenyr sighed.
“You fear Draeken.”
“I fear his power,” Mind said. “We have yet to control him successfully.”
“Even with only three?”
“It is easier with three fragments,” Mind said. “But when we combine there is something in us that wants to get out.”
She frowned and turned to him. “You’ve never said that before.”
Mind grimaced and looked to the hearth. “There’s a part of Draeken in each of us, and the more that comes together, the stronger he becomes.”
“You think it’s weakness to admit a fear?” Elenyr asked. “We all have fears. We all have fragments of ourselves that make us weak.”
“Not like this,” he said.
“Exactly like this,” Elenyr said.
He raised an eyebrow at her suddenly harsh tone. She smiled and pointed to a tapestry hanging between the bookshelves. She’d woven it herself shortly after becoming the Hauntress, in memory of the threads of the future she’d once seen. It depicted a scene of battle, with smoke and fire rising in the background. A general with a mighty spear sat on a horse, the mount rearing back, arrows reaching for his body.
“General Jarvin,” Mind said. “He was a good man.”
“When you knew him,” she said.
He frowned. “What do you mean? He led the Griffin army in the great Talinorian War. Even outnumbered, he preserved both kingdoms when they would have perished.”
“You did not know him in his youth,” Elenyr said. “In my closing days as an oracle, prior to the mage wars, I met with Jarvin’s mother. She wanted to know of her son’s life, and I saw that scene in Jarvin’s future.” She pointed to the tapestry. “But I also foresaw a man of devious appetites.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Few did,” she said. “After the Mage Wars, he grew to manhood and fought his demons. He did not prevail, and spent many nights answering the beckoning call of harlots. When his wife discovered his infidelities she left with their children, and shortly thereafter he lost every copper he possessed. I found him on the streets of Terros, a beggar.”
“And he grew to that?” Mind asked, gesturing to the tapestry.
“I was no longer an oracle, but I told him what I’d foreseen when his mother came to me. Just knowing what he could become changed him, and he fought his demons again. Over ten years he became a master with the spear, rose through the ranks of the Griffin army, and even saw the return of his family. All know his feats on the battlefield, but his true victory was the mastery of self.”
Mind examined the tapestry with new eyes, and then nodded. “And you think I can master Draeken?”
“You are the eldest fragment,” Elenyr said. “Lead them, and neither Wylyn nor Draeken will be greater.”
“Thank you,” Mind said quietly. “You have given me much to ponder.”
He turned and departed. Elenyr watched him go, and then looked back to the tapestry. Her story had been true, but in the end, General Jarvin had once again fallen to his weakness, leading to his ultimate demise.
She sighed and turned away from the reminder of her time as oracle. For the first time in a long time, she regretted her choice to become the Hauntress, and wondered if she could have done more as an oracle.
Chapter 38: Draeken
“Are you ready?”
Water nodded and tried to keep the surge of excitement from showing on his face. The other fragments were equally as fidgety, with even Fire falling silent. Water glanced to Lira and noticed the curiosity on her face. Their eyes met and he read the concern on her features. She was worried for him. He gave her an assuring nod.
“We have two days to the outpost,” Lira said. “Why are you going to become Draeken now?”
It was the morning after their decision, and Water and Lira had talked deep into the night. He knew he should have rested, but for the first time he was reluctant to merge with Mind, and worried that doing so would erase what he’d become. And remove his feelings for Lira.
“Mind?” Elenyr asked, motioning to him to answer.
“We’d rather fail here than outside the outpost,” Mind said.
Water flashed a faint smile. “It’s rather destructive.”
“That’s an understatement,” Fire said with a grunt.
They had gathered in what had once been the meal hall of the refuge, a vaulted chamber that extended into the cliff adjacent to Elenyr’s home. It was the strongest room in Cloudy Vale, and had proven before that it could bear the brunt of Draeken shattering.
Cut by magic, the vaulted stone supports merged into the ceiling, the arches intricately detailed and scorched by fire to add contrast. The tables were long gone and the space was open. Early morning light streamed through the large windows set against the cliff face, the light augmented by the bracketed light orbs that hung from the ceiling.
“One thing before we depart,” Lira said. She reached to her wrist and tapped a rune on the band there. Images flowed upward, creating a figure the size of a dakorian, its body layered in bone. Horns extended from its skull, the ends serrated, but not naturally, as if they had been marked by hand.
Bone covered much of its body, a natural protection that eliminated the need for armor. Its resemblance to a rock troll was uncanny, except for the eyes, which burned with a haughtiness that did not match the rigidly disciplined rock trolls.
“This is Tardoq,” Lira said. “Wylyn’s Bloodwall. Where she goes, he goes, and he’s the only ageless of the dakorians here.”
“What does that mean?” Fire asked.
“The life span of a dakorian is around five hundred years,” she said. “But the ones that attain a captainship through loyalty are given a gift, and their bodies are perfected. Tardoq is several thousand years old, and has trained his entire life. He’s smart, vicious, and strong. Like all dakorians, he uses an impact hammer in combat. Every impact powers the weapon, and the power can be fired like an arrow, to devastating effect. Water has seen it before, but in the hands of Tardoq, the weapon is truly lethal.”
Fire’s expression glowed with anticipation, but Water was not so confident. They’d fought countless foes but this was different, and Water noticed Elenyr’s sober expression, and recalled their conversation of the previous night.
“What are we waiting for?” Fire asked, clenching his fist and letting fire trickle down his forearm. “Let’s get going.”
“As soon as you are ready,” Elenyr said, and she raised an eyebrow to Lira.
“I’m not leaving,” she said.
Water wanted to protest, but the woman folded her arms. Seeing she would not be moved, he relented, and then stepped to Mind’s left. Fire took up a position on his other side, while Mind reached out and placed his hand on Fire’s shoulder.
Cracks blossomed across Fire’s flesh, fire spilling forth until the cracks widened and consumed his form, his body turning elemental. Then the flames flowed upward and swirled around Mind’s arm, sinking into his skin.
The fire bled away from Fire’s body, his features losing their form, until he resembled an entity. Mind clenched his jaw as his flesh brightened, his veins turning red, cracks appearing in his flesh and spilling flames. Then the last of Fire’s b
ody faded, the flames extinguishing.
Mind’s body seemed to pulse with power, and then the light dimmed and he reached for Water. Casting Lira a final look, Water relinquished his will, and his body turned elemental. His consciousness seeped up the magic on Mind’s arm, sinking into his flesh, adding to the power within.
Like a sudden fever, heat filled Water’s mind, Fire’s simmering determination adding to Mind’s methodical thoughts. Fire’s interests, likes and dislikes, even Water’s attraction for Lira sank and blended into a single consciousness, until Water’s individuality blended with the others and the last of his elemental form sank into the new body . . .
Draeken smiled as the sensation of power filled him, of strength tinged with a simmering heat. Fire’s mind was now merely a series of emotions and ideas that were all but indistinguishable from his own. Water’s thoughts were also gone, leaving a legacy of attraction for Lira, an emotion stronger than expected.
For a moment the dissonance rose inside, and Water threatened to burst apart. But Draeken controlled his breathing and his body stopped pulsing, the powerful magics finally beginning to settle. He still felt Water’s touch of doubt, of worry that he would not get to be his own person. Then it too faded, and Draeken straightened.
He drew in a long breath, relishing the feel of power in his blood, of the three magics merged as one. He felt the absence of Shadow and Light, and yearned to be whole. A genuine smile crossed his face as he turned to Lira.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He was pleased to notice a slight pink light her cheeks, the heat only noticeable to one with fire magic. It was not the first time Draeken had been attracted to a woman, but this felt different. Both of them were ageless, and any sort of connection had much larger ramifications. But the attraction left him conflicted, as he recognized that only a part of him desired Lira.
“I am well,” Draeken said. “No breaking apart today.”
He actually felt bound, more stable and powerful than he had on previous attempts, and he felt a deep craving for more. He wished Light and Shadow were present, and imagined how much power he’d have when all five were merged.
