Smart Alec in the Dark Lands

by Donald Wigboldy

A red claw tapped his lip as if the questions required thought. "We needed to see what you planned to do. While I could have assumed that you would do as you have, I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

  "They attacked us. We destroyed some while others ran away. Of course we defended ourselves from the attacks."

  "That wasn't the test," the other dragaoin replied with a sigh. "You had a choice. You could have driven them away and ignored them. Instead you pursued them through every opportunity to find other paths."

  "They... attacked... us," Helios stated slowly. "I was sent to find out why the hollows have been acting strangely of late as well. Since their path led us to the valley and we were sent to inspect Soyanne, both matters intersected. Following hollows that were acting strangely to try and find their source made sense to us too. You practically begged us to chase them."

  "Hollows... such limited and incomplete thinking," the Zmaj replied sounding disgusted by the word. "These bodies are vessels; even that is true of ours. We simply come to life in a different manner. These children come to life fully grown, perhaps ancestors returned to life or merely bodies given shape by the magic of Atropos. They can grow and become something more just as a child birthed by dragaoin parents can become more than a drooling baby."

  Helios' blue eyes glanced at the hollows from the corners of his eyes. The red wizard might have noticed the shift in his attention, but the sorcerer didn't really care. Wondering about the validity of the red dragaoin's words, especially given the oddly tactical nature shown by them over the last few days, Helios wanted to take a closer look but there were too many distractions and possible dangers in very close proximity to his body for his comfort.

  "I can see that these are different, but is it because your attention has corrupted what they were by steering them to this? Magic made them, you say. Certainly magic could change them and we both know that you hold magic as well."

  Frowning at the silver scaled dragaoin, the red Zmaj spoke sounding disappointed by the accusation, "My magic isn't what has guided them. More accurately, they have reacted to the guidance given by our words. I told you several times, they aren't as hollow as you believe.

  "Have you studied the hollows that your people have captured?"

  "I'm not a researcher. I have seen what I have seen while dealing with them."

  This time the wizard sighed. "Oh, son of dragons. How much of what you know and believe about the ones you call hollows comes from the Ciemnosci?"

  Helios paused after what might sound like a simple question was asked of him. "I was near the researchers at times, but most of them were Ciemnosci."

  "And you believe that they told you the truth or at least all of it that they understood? The dark elves lied to you and likely continue lying to you. First they attacked Atropos and drove our people from it. Then they returned to destroy the return of the new lives given form by this world. These dark elves only seek to destroy those that they can't control. Our people refused to bow their knees and they wiped our cities out without breaking their weapons against the stone of our walls. Now the hollows have arisen and the dark elves seek to eradicate them before they can evolve to the greatness that they might attain.

  "This is your time to decide who you serve and which is the right side in this, son of dragons. Which way will you choose? Will you continue to bow to the will of the Ciemnosci scum who killed our people and wounded our world, or will you join us by helping to bring back the glory of Atropos by throwing these invaders from our home?"

  It took very little for Helios to question the red wizard. "Why should I join you? Even if you mobilize the hollows and could train them to be as powerful as the Minos and Koze soldiers, the magic we wield will destroy them as you have said. I have no reason to join these creatures or you. More importantly, why would I join you, my attacker for the last few days?"

  Shaking his head, the Zmaj chided the younger dragaoin, "Their might hasn't been reached yet. They might yet wield magic as well, but listen to me, boy. Listen to your heart and follow me. You can destroy the ones you brought with you or send them home. We are merciful and can live with either choice."

  "And if I don't?"

  The black eyes narrowed slightly. "Then you will receive the judgment being dealt to the fort as we speak. You will be a son of dragons no more.

  "I wouldn't kill you without remorse. If you continue to side with the enemy, however, I will have my friends destroy you and you will see how powerful they can truly be."

  His first words sent a chill up Helios' spine. "You sent more to attack the fort?"

  A grim smile tightened the red dragaoin's jaws. "Others sympathetic to the cause will join forces with the children to destroy the meager defenses the fort has. With you three here, what little power it could muster has been reduced and I think that dark captain will find out quite quickly that not even those inside her fort's walls are loyal to her. I mean, why should they be? Her kind only rule because they have killed and destroyed all their opposition with their evil magic.

  "We, however, will give Ediyem a chance to go on trial. If she fails as you have, then the hammer will fall. Then we will move on to the next fort and the next until Atropos is cleansed of these evil elves once and for all."

  "You speak as if it is a foregone conclusion that you could win. If you choose to attack me, I think that you will discover that I will not fall to creatures such as these." Blue eyes narrowing, the sorcerer readied his spell in his mind before pushing the last of his luck. "I wouldn't expect a red to understand. Your kind have always been overconfident.

  "So you have told me your plans, but you have yet to speak your name. If you were truly honest, you would have introduced yourself, wizard."

  Smugly, the red dragaoin replied, "I am Cursule, one of the Haileni. We use the old tongue and use this word for both our people and those you call hollows. Do you know the word and why we might use it, Helios?"

  It was the first time that the red dragaoin, Cursule, had used the sorcerer's name. Helios knew that he had not given his name during their discussion. How Cursule knew his name wasn't something that he knew for certain, but he worried that there was at least one traitor inside Naermere. Ignoring that slip outwardly, the silver dragaoin replied, "I know it. It means reborn. You believe that these hollows are reborn Zmaj obviously."

  A grunt that sounded like Cursule was less impressed with his belief came from the red wizard's mouth. "Not only they have been reborn, Atropos is coming back to life as well and is more awake now than before the Ciemnosci tried to kill the world." Throwing his arms wide, Cursule's face lit up as his black eyes lifted towards the ceiling. "We will help Atropos remove those which would kill or enslave it. Our people have come together as one and once we deal with Fort Naermere, we will spread across the land strengthened by Atropos as we continue the fight until it is cleansed.

  "I would offer you the chance one last time to join us, Helios, son of dragons. This will be the last time," Cursule stated bringing his attention back to the silver scaled sorcerer before him. The hollows shifted slightly with the ultimatum as if they understood every word. Helios felt no magic pull. If Cursule was controlling them through magic, the sorcerer couldn't feel it. Either way, he knew that it was about time to leave before his welcome ended badly.

  "I think that you are mad. You can't do this without bringing the wrath of the Ciemnosci onto you and this little collection of hollows. Call them Haileni or whatever you want, but they won't last. The black sand will be unleashed again and maybe this time Atropos won't recover."

  "Wrong answer, son of dragons," the red dragaoin replied with an angry look on his face.

  The hollows leaped for Helios, a few hands gripped his arms as the silver sorcerer disappeared in a flash of light.

  The daylight of the outdoors reappeared as the radiance of his portal released the sorcerer. Hands and arms severed near the elbows slipped free of Helios as he looked at the other two sitting on Alec's salamander
.

  "Time to go," he ordered as the dragaoin practically jumped up into the saddle with a single motion.

  Alec and Shaelamee were surprised by his reappearance, but as Helios turned his mount away from the building spurring it back the way they had come they followed in his wake.

  "What happened?" Shae questioned even as the salamanders responded to their urging.

  "I found the cause of their changes or at least someone who I believe has had some effect on them anyway," Helios replied over his shoulder as the salamander moved into a quick trot. Though he wanted to make it run at top speed, doing so would exhaust the creature far too quickly. It was a long trip back to the fort. At best speed, they might make it back in half a day of nonstop travel. Best speed also meant pacing the creatures giving them small breaks along the way or the salamanders would eventually either refuse to move or die trying.

  "What?"

  "There is a red wizard, a Zmaj. The hollows seemed to follow his direction, but I can't tell if he is using magic to control them or..."

  "Or if they have grown intelligent enough to follow of their own freewill?" Alec asked from the rear of his salamander. The boy was forced to hold onto Shaelamee tightly or risk being thrown from his saddle. Though he had gotten used to the creature's movements; that was mostly at a walk. This was a much quicker pace and the shifting of the salamander's hips was harder for the young wizard to adjust to right away.

  Helios didn't reply to the boy, but it wasn't just his wish to avoid answering the question. By the second intersection, they spotted a large group of hollows blocking their way.

  "Take the reins," the blue girl ordered as she took one of Alec's hands and slid the leather strap into it. "I'll make room, Helios!" Shaelamee added as the distance between the riders and the hollows shrank.

  Noting spears being set into the ground before being aimed at them by the hollows, Alec's eyes widened at a tactic used by men to stop armored horsemen from running over them in battle. Before he could fully register what was going on ahead of them, Shaelamee shifted in his arms. Pulling her left foot under her first, the girl steadied herself a moment as she stood up on the rapidly charging salamander. While the young wizard behind her could barely stay in his saddle, he watched Shaelamee get both legs under her. One of her hands mussed his hair before she ran forward a step onto the beast's bobbing neck and disappeared from sight.

  With the girl gone, Alec found an empty saddle before him and fumbled with his right hand to catch the loop of the reins. A thunderclap reached his ears drawing the boy's eyes back to the group of hollows in front of them. He had felt the hairs on his arms and head lifting like on a dry winter's day when static filled the air. Flashes of electricity still flit between the mass of bowled over hollows.

  Shaelamee's thunder step had landed in their midst scattering the creatures like bowling pins before a ball. The noise of it still echoed through the empty city streets, but the creatures seemed less affected by the sound than the lightning released from her landing.

  Rushing past her, Helios appeared ready to leave the girl behind as he kept his mount hurrying along. Perhaps he expected Alec to grab the girl instead. The boy wasn't certain but slowed his mount slightly extending his hand to Shaelamee who took his left hand in hers. Expecting to be pulled from the saddle by her weight, Shae felt unexpectedly light. The agility of the genasi was stunning to him as well and suddenly he felt her land in the saddle behind him. He had slid into the forward placement before attempting to grab her and she had timed everything correctly.

  Alec hadn't even noticed as Shaelamee leaped up enough to place her left foot in the path of the salamander's moving leg. Adding the power of the beast to push her up towards its back, the blue genasi landed with a soft thump. Her arms wrapped around the wizard's chest in front of her clinging much gentler than he would have thought after pulling such a stunt.

  "Hurry," Shae spoke into his ear before turning to look over her shoulder to see more hollows chasing into the street behind the riders. They appeared to come from the building that Helios had been inside and the creatures were quickly joined by the fallen undead that her spell had scattered. She looked around Alec's shoulder a moment to make certain that no new clusters of hollows had organized ahead of the fleeing riders before looking back to see the hollows keeping up and perhaps even making up some ground on them.

  "Faster!" the girl urged wondering if she would need to cast another spell to disrupt the dead dragaoin chasing the riders down the long street.

  Helios turned following the twists and shifts of the street designed less for the convenience of those who had once lived there as much as being a tactic of city builders who had worried about defending it in a time of war. Doing his best to control his salamander's flight, Alec did the same and even managed to get his mount to start catching up to the dragaoin ahead of him. Another shift around a corner cut off any view of chasing hollows. Shaelamee looked back at the empty street as the salamander continued to hurry down the straight away ahead of it and could no longer see any sign of their pursuers. The streets that hid defenders from an attacking enemy did the same for those fleeing. She couldn't see anything behind them until Alec turned back to the right.

  The hollows weren't fast enough, but they had been swifter than the girl had ever seen before. She had never known or heard of anyone seeing them running so fast. Slightly fearful that the undead dragaoin might have other unheard of abilities, Shaelamee turned and leaned her head into Alec's back a moment taking a deep breath. She just hoped that they could make it outside the dead city before any more hollows could trap them inside.

  Chapter 16- Welcome to the Jungle

  The flight through the dead city proved almost uneventful compared to what their imaginations had begun to expect. It became apparent that they had moved through the only organized resistance between them and the outer wall thanks to Shaelamee's daring spell. While impressed by her bravery, Alec also had no idea how she had accomplished this spell either. It was yet another spell from a school of magic that he had both never seen nor even heard of at White Hall.

  Once outside, the riders turned northeast towards the jungle. It would be another hurried push through it to get back to open land. Alec worried that more hollows or other beasts would be there to slow them down or stop them entirely. Trying not to think of putting the word death into his head, the boy caught up to Helios as the dragaoin looked back to see if the hollows had continued pursuit.

  "Now what?" the boy asked uncertain of how to phrase the question any more accurately.

  "We need to get back to Naermere as quickly as possible. There will be no camping and we will only stop long enough to rest the salamanders when necessary," Helios replied still looking towards the fallen gates of the city. The hollows had fallen behind and their path appeared clear of danger for now.

  "You seem to have more urgency than being pursued by these creatures should give you," Shaelamee stated without officially questioning the dragaoin.

  "The red dragaoin wizard that I spoke to in there made it sound like there is a major assault planned on Fort Naermere." The words sounded ominous and sent chills down his compatriots' spines. "Worse, he made it sound like there is a traitor inside the fort. If that is true, then even its defenses might not be enough to keep the others safe."

  "Their defenses are lessened with us gone too," Shae noted with a nod from behind Alec.

  "But they have the walls and gate, right?" the youngest rider asked trying to sound hopeful.

  "Helios and I can cast magic at long range. The spells will do more damage than an arrow from the top of the wall. Only Ediyem and Nadron have any magic. The rest of the defenders are mostly clumsy brutes only good for clubbing an enemy," Shaelamee said with a sigh.

  "That is if you believe that Nadron isn't the traitor," Helios replied with a frown as he rode beside them now. Even at the salamanders' fastest run, the jungle would take about an hour to reach from the city. Pacing them to conse
rve energy, Alec guessed that it would take at least half an hour longer.

  Giving the silver scaled sorcerer a frown, Shaelamee countered, "You don't really believe that, do you? I know you two have your differences, Helios, but do you truly believe that Nadron would betray the fort?"

  "The red wizard, Cursule, to whom I spoke, had a good argument to do so."

  Noting his somber features, even more so than usual, Alec asked, "What would make you think of joining them? I assume that was what he offered."

  Helios nodded. "Cursule said that he believes the hollows are like children who just need time to grow and learn. He also said that there were more like him.

  "Joining their cause means driving the Ciemnosci and their allies off of Atropos. He wants to help return the world to full life and rid it of the dark elves who will just try to harm it again if the world recovers enough to drain its magic."

  Shaelamee looked concerned and asked, "You would kill your friends to get rid of the Ciemnosci?"

  A softening of the dragaoin's facial features surprised Alec. "I bear you no ill will, Shaelamee. We are friends, but the idea of trying to repopulate Atropos with my people is compelling. I would certainly do my best to find a peaceful way to do so, if I was to choose that path."

  "If you choose that path?" Alec queried. The boy was too new to this place to be anything other than neutral. He didn't mind helping get rid of hollows when they just seemed like unthinking, dead beasts. Protecting himself, especially in this place, came first so destroying undead didn't seem unreasonable. Even with the new glimpses of intelligence that the creatures had shown, didn't mean that they weren't his enemy in a fight.

  Letting out a deep breath, Helios answered, "I said that his words were compelling, but I am just one Zmaj. If I was to try to kick the Ciemnosci off of my world, I would want the consensus of my people following the same path. We conceded victory to the Ciemnosci and my people went with them to save the remainder of the Zmaj.