by C. E. Swain
"I will have to see what is in them." Menimeth said. "Show me the way."
Chanry walked to the hidden door, and pressed the latch he found by accident that morning. It was one of the many dragons carved in the stonework of the rooms, but it opened the door when pushed up.
Menimeth followed Chanry through the door, and down the stairs it led to. Chanry summoned the sphere of light to guide their way, and Menimeth was impressed. That was one of the spells he thought he would never use, so he did not think to use it now. Chanry was learning quickly, and Menimeth was very proud of him. They looked in several of the rooms along the way, that Chanry had not investigated earlier. These doors were locked, but Menimeth spoke the spell that would open locks, and it worked on each of the doors they tried. Chanry was good at it, as he was with all the spells he attempted, but still had some trouble pronouncing some of the harder words.
When they reached the doors with the dragon on them, Menimeth removed the key from around his neck, and opened them one at a time. The first room was small, but it was full of chests with gold and jewels inside them, and there was a tablet that identified the room as reserves for the empire. The empire was far richer than anyone had suspected, but Menimeth would not mention this room to the others for now. The second room was different all together and inside, books, scrolls, and other parchments of various kinds, were stacked on shelves and tables around the room.
Chanry saw the Elvin bow sitting on a stand to one side, and was drawn to it. It looked just like the one his master carried, only it was shorter, and the shaft was thinner as well. Menimeth removed it from the stand in which it sat, and looked at it closely before handing it to the boy. Chanry held the bow in his hands, and felt the power it possessed, flow through him. The feeling was almost unnerving, but he grew used to it quickly and drew the string back several times to feel its pull.
"This bow looks like it is one you can use for several years." Menimeth said to the boy. "Keep it until you grow a little taller, and we will find you a bigger one."
"This bow is for me?" Chanry asked with wide eyes. "To keep?"
"Yes, you are the only one in the Dragon Guard that does not have a bow." Menimeth said. "And this will solve that problem"
"But it is a magic bow." Chanry replied. "Are you sure you want me to have it?"
"You can control magic as well as I can, so yes, I want you to have it." Menimeth told the boy. "I think you were the one for which it was made, by the runes it has inlayed in it."
"But I am just a boy, how could it be made for me?" Chanry asked his master, puzzled by the idea.
"The Elves of the old world could see events that were to come, and they made things like bows, swords, and other items for people of their future." Menimeth said. "Ancient races could see these things also, but could not know when what they saw, would happen. Some of the ancients made stone tablets with these events to come carved on them, and we call them prophecies now, but few of them exist today."
Chanry listened intently to his master as he spoke, and wondered why a bow would be made for him. What could he do that he would be thought of by the Elves of a long past age? He would think about it later, but for now he wanted to show his master the armor he had found behind the metal door.
"There is another room you must see." Chanry said to Menimeth. "It has a metal door, and you have to use magic to open it."
"Then let us see it." Menimeth said, and looked at Chanry smiling.
"It is this way." Chanry said, as he walked from the room, holding the bow in his hands.
"What are in these rooms, we are passing?" Menimeth asked, curious about this part of the castle.
"Many different things." Chanry replied. "From cloth to weapons, and tool of all kinds. I have not been in all of the rooms, but they are almost all full."
"Is there a way into the other parts of the castles underground storerooms?" Menimeth asked the boy.
"I have not found one on this level." Chanry replied. "But this is the only level that I have been on so far."
Menimeth was impressed by the boy's memory, but when the door glowed and the words appeared, he was more than impressed. He knew the boy was very special, but did not know how special until then. The armor that was inside the room, was more than special, it was a treasure. It was made of Alezium, which was the strongest of the metals in the lands of magic, and it was very rare, as well.
When they returned to the king's room at the top of the stairs, and had secured the door, Menimeth removed the key from around his neck, and held it to his side.
"You have been very busy while I have been away." Menimeth said, as he looked at the boy. "We should keep this section of the castle to ourselves for now."
"If that is what you wish." Chanry said with a smile, and looked at the bow he held.
"Since you are to keep exploring the lower levels, you may need this." Menimeth said, and he handed the key to Chanry. "You should make lists of all you find, and bring them to my room when you are done. Let no one see them, or you, entering or leaving the door to those levels."
Wide eyed, Chanry took the key from his master, and put it around his neck. He would make sure no one knew he had it, and he would not be seen by anyone, he assured his master.
The next morning Chanry went to his master's suite, but Menimeth was already gone. He walked to the chest that held the things his master had collected, and opened it. The sword he wished to see was on top, but the stone he had found along with it, was there as well. Picking it up, he looked into it, and it began to glow. Chanry set it down quickly and backed away from it, but it only seemed to glow brighter.
A hazy cloud formed inside the smooth round stone, and in it Chanry could see a door. It was a bright red, but a vast darkness surrounded it that seemed to consume all light. The door faded away, and was replaced by a Garden in a place unfamiliar to him. He watched as a young girl walked through the garden, and sang to the flowers as she did. She had sad eyes, and a soft voice, and the flowers slowly bloomed as she passed them. The garden disappeared and Chanry was looking at a dragon by a lake. He watched as the Young dragon lifted his head and looked back at him, but he was not afraid. The scene began to fade. And Chanry could hear the words "It is not yet time" in his mind as it faded. He did not know what it meant, but he would worry about it another time. He did remember the dragon from the last time that he had looked into the stone, and it had grown larger. It was not the dragon that he thought about though, but the girl in the garden that had captured his attention. He did not know why she had appeared in the stone, but he would find out one day, he was sure of that.
Chanry replaced the stone in the chest and removed the sword. He pulled it from the scabbard, and looked at the runes inlayed in it. The sword was very light he thought, even though it was bigger than the ones his master used. The runes looked the same as the ones on the armor behind the metal door, and he was sure it belonged on the belt. He replaced it in the chest before closing the lid, and entered the stairs behind the secret door.
He spent the next several days exploring the dungeons of the Dragon Tower, and recorded all that he found within it. Many things he could not identify, but he described them as best he could, and some of the rooms on the levels below the first were empty, but there were many levels to explore.
*****
Menimeth looked at the trees as they passed below him, and wondered what secrets were hidden beneath their canopy. They were just north of the city and the Dragon Tower it held, but the land was overgrown here, and had been for many years. There must have been people who lived near the dragon rider capital in the days of its former glory, but no signs of them could be seen from above.
In the distance to the west, was a bridge across the Imlador River that looked out of place. There was no stone road that led to it, but still it was there. Donderan told him about it when they were on the road to Corlindum, but he did not expect it to be so grand. Danorathin turned to the northeast and picked up speed as he
did. Menimeth took one last look at the bridge before it was lost in the distance, and turned his attention to the direction in which they were traveling.
This was the first time that he had ridden to the north, in all of the time that he was in the city of the dragon riders, because it was from the southeast that the solders he would need would come. However, today he decided to go northeast, and see what the empire looked like in that more populated area. The towns were closer together in the northern realm, but still far enough apart to be easily attacked. The threat they faced now came from the west, but when the war came, it would be from the east.
Crops were being harvested in the fields as he passed, and the people watched as the dragon flew by overhead. News of the dragon had spread all across the empire by this time, but the people were still shocked when they saw it. They did not run away, but stood as if in a trance when the dragon appeared. For many, it was a sign that the empire was once again on the rise, however, for others it was a sign that changes were coming to their realm. Several times as they flew over the farms of the north, Danorathin and Menimeth felt the evil that came from the west. At first they believed it to be coming from the camp that the solders of the enemy used in the northeast, but as they traveled farther north, the direction in which it emanated, changed with them.
"There is evil in the west that is not at the camp of the enemy." Menimeth said to Danorathin.
"It is on the great road." His dragon replied. "And it travels south."
"When we return from the northeast we will investigate it." Menimeth said. "What ever it is, it does not belong in the empire."
"Dark magic is very strong in the one who walks the great road." The dragon said. "And he is not alone."
"Then we must be careful when we investigate." Menimeth replied.
"I do not think the one with the dark magic can sense us." Danorathin said to his master. "He concentrates on the south and east."
"Then we will approach from the north." Menimeth replied. "And see if we can catch them unaware."
The Dragon and his rider continued to the northeast in search of Litlorn, and the warriors of the realms he commanded. He believed the campaign to begin soon, and he wanted to help drive the outlaws east, and into the oncoming forces that advanced from that direction.
Both man and dragon felt the barrier as it was erected, and the magic it possessed, but they were still far away from the warriors of the realms in the northeast. The spell to counter the one used to hide the brigands, would follow, and the assault would begin soon after. The farmlands were beginning to thin out, as the trees of the region closed in around them, and the mostly uninhabited north began to appear before them.
Soon the farms disappeared altogether, and only the trees remained. Danorathin could see much farther than Menimeth, even though his master could see almost as far as the elves. It was the magic of the dragon he was born with that enabled him to see as far as he could, but his vision was still far less than his dragons.
"Many solders of the enemy are approaching our smaller force from the west." Danorathin told his master. "They will soon be at the backs of the warriors of the empire."
"How long before the enemies solders come within range of our men?" Menimeth asked the dragon.
"About two hours by the time used by the race of men." Danorathin replied. "We will be there in far less time then that, but the warriors of the empire fight the enemy now."
"I can see them," Menimeth said. "They are caught in a trap set by the outlaws it appears."
"There is a way out to the south, but it will not be opened long." The dragon said. "The enemy moves to cut them off, and will do so within a few minuets."
"Not if I can help it." Menimeth said to his dragon, and concentrated on the solders of the enemy that threatened his men.
"Drathin-Voran-Cathantry-Adrada-Fathean." He said, and a wall of fire sprang up, cutting off the forces of the enemy, from the solders of the empire.
The forces of the empire spotted the opening to the south and took advantage of the escape route provided by the wall of fire. All of the men escaped before the wall if fire dissipated, and they rode east to join Litlorn and the warriors that advanced from that direction.
Menimeth watched as the solders of the enemy regrouped, and set out in pursuit. There were only a few miles between the two forces of the enemy, as they advanced on the unsuspecting men of the empire to the east, and the warriors of the empire needed to be warned. It was obvious to Menimeth that the forces of the mage king knew their plans for the assault, but did not know how they could. A trap had been set to catch the forces of the empire off guard, and destroy them.
"Let us see what they have in mind before we show ourselves." Menimeth said to his dragon. "It could be the difference between winning and losing."
"Should we not delay the enemy, to give our men time to reach the solders Litlorn leads?" Danorathin asked. "It can be done without giving ourselves away to them."
"Falare-Netar-Restal-Drathin-laranta" Menimeth said the words as though he had used the spell many times, and the forest in front of the enemy's forces began to grow rapidly. Within seconds, brush blocked the way, and vines that created a wall fifty feet thick as well. It would not slow them down for long, but it would give the solders of the realms time to reach their companions to the east.
"That should help." Menimeth said to his dragon.
"It will slow them down, but it will allow the forces behind them to close the gap between them." Danorathin replied.
"We need to find Litlorn, and warn them of the ambush they are walking into." Menimeth said. "We need to create an ambush of our own."
Several minuets later, the dragon spotted the Elf and the mage advancing in their direction, leading the men as they did. The men of the empire rode in formation, and carried the banner of the king with them as they advanced. They were proud of their land, and were determined to clear it of its enemies.
Danorathin landed in a small clearing just behind the last of the retreating warriors, which had escaped the ambush with the help of the wall of fire. Those that were wounded would continue east, while the rest joined their companions in the attack formation that advanced on the oncoming outlaws. Menimeth dropped from his dragon when he landed, and walked to the trees to await the arrival of his friends, and the warriors they commanded. He would have enough time to think about the trap the enemy had set, after they had defeated it. Any of the realms could be where the spy was located, but Menimeth believed it was in Argnon that the traitor resided. The conversation with Captain Brannor so long ago still echoed through his mind, and the time that had elapsed since the plans were made, seemed to point to it as well. The brigands had known the routes the patrols were taking, and he had suspicions of a traitor, then.
Several minuets passed before Litlorn and Darik came into view through the trees, and Danorathin sat in the sun of the clearing, and looked to the west. Watching the solders as they cut their way through the overgrown forest Menimeth had created, he relayed the information to his master. Once again the realms were beset with foes, which gathered their strength to bring about the empire's destruction. The battle fought today would set events into motion, which would shape the future to come. Menimeth had a plan, but it would require a bit of luck to pull it off, and he needed Darik's help to do it.
Menimeth stepped from the trees when his friends were close to the clearing, and stopped them from advancing farther. The time had come to discuss the plan with the men, and find out what they thought about it. They had very little time to prepare for the enemy that approached, but it would have to be enough.
Chapter Twenty-One
Litlorn walked from the hilltop, and the exposed rock outcropping on its crest. He could see the line that separated the empire from the ruined lands clearly, and the foothills of the Shimmering Mountains to the north where it began. The trees abruptly ended at the edge of that barren and desolate land, and even the grass would not grow within its b
oundaries.
Darik remained behind, to study the runes and symbols that had been crudely carved into the stone. He ran his fingers over the runes several times, and had them deciphered within minuets, and it was just as he said it would be. The spell was a Hunter's spell used for hiding the hunter, and he could counter it easily. The spell only worked as long as the hunters remained still, but it was not hard to be still for a few seconds. When the barrier was in place, and the warriors were in position, he would cast the counter spell, however, he must create the barrier first.
Darik walked down the hill, to the boundary that separated the empire from the ruined lands, and looked around him. The Land before him was a stark contrast to the empire, and even the soil was ashen and gray. He raised his staff and the wind began to blow, and it grew stronger as he chanted the spell. "Dometra-Salvera-Covrenta." Several seconds later, the wind stopped abruptly, and a shimmering wall that separated the two lands, appeared. Darik lowered the staff, and looked at the wall he had created. It would not last more than a few months, but that should be long enough to stop the forces of the mage king from continuing to attempt to reach the west.
