Spirit of the Dragon: A Story of Magic, a Witch, and the Third Reich

by J Cameron Boyd

  Casting about for inspiration, she thought, ‘The patterns are like a computer program. The crystals contain the data. Maybe, if I could scatter the data, the spell formed by the pattern would no longer be viable.’ She tried to separate the crystals that made up the pattern. That too failed. The crystals that held the elements of the spells were too tightly bound to one another.

  Her other attempts were met with similar resistance. The magic was strong—stronger, Elizabeth was beginning to think, than hers.

  Then a thought struck her. Focusing on the spells, she latched on to whatever she could find in the room that would yield to her craft and set the molecules in motion. Faster and faster she forced them to vibrate. The friction created heat, the heat loosened the pattern, and as the additional matter also vibrated, the heat increased. The spells were melting.

  As the crystal patterns collapsed, releasing the evil spell bound up in the crystals, Elizabeth removed what was left with magic.

  “Thank you,” Urik said when Elizabeth returned to the floor.

  Elizabeth wasn’t sure the Lantian was referring to his rescue or merely the destruction of that soul-debilitating magic. But she didn’t ask, for there was something else suddenly more pressing.

  “Did you see where Gregory went?”

  “He went through that door.” Urik pointed to the nearest door. “I think he was checking the hall. I’m afraid he doesn’t quite know how to deal with me.”

  “I suspect you both have to come to terms with what happened. I’m also quite confident he will get there. I think the thing that would help him the most is if you get there before him.”

  Urik’s eyes were the eyes of a tortured being as he looked at her. “I understand that is true. I also know that what I have experienced through the centuries will help me in rebuilding my life now.” Urik gave her a weak smile. “I am in your debt. Thank you.”

  Elizabeth was about to reply when a giant boom rattled throughout the gymnasium. Spinning toward the sound, Elizabeth realized it had come from the hallway—the same hallway Gregory had gone into.

  Panicked, she started for the door just as it crashed open. Before the door could bang against the walls, Gregory, singed and covered in concrete dust, burst into the gym.

  “We have magic!” he yelled, looking a little breathless but animated.

  “Are you okay?”

  As he was hurriedly walking toward them, Gregory glanced back toward the hallway. “I think I just annihilated a squad of feran. How did he turn so many in such a short time?”

  Urik, unable to meet his son’s eyes, still chose to answer his question. “Haushofer, the German, practiced on another Lantian before he captured me. Apparently, the poor creature gave Haushofer some enhanced bodyguards.”

  “He turned his own men into feran?” Gregory gasped.

  “I’m pretty sure that’s what happened.”

  Elizabeth smiled at the thought that at least the two were talking. She then asked, “The other old one, any sign of him?”

  “I think the Lantian is female,” Urik said tonelessly. “The screams I heard when Haushofer needed more information were definitely female. But I haven’t seen her,” he added softly.

  Gregory looked at his father, concern written in all his features. He bit his lip, then turned toward Elizabeth. “She could be anywhere in this building.”

  Urik, looking a bit stronger, said, “If she lives, likely she’s close by.”

  “So we need to search just this building?” Elizabeth asked.

  “All I know is that every time I was able to fight against the magic, the German would leave only to quickly come back with something I couldn’t resist.”

  “If we need to search this place, what about the feran?” Gregory reminded them.

  “As you so quietly discovered,” Elizabeth smiled, attempting to lighten the mood, “we have magic, so they’re not as much a threat.”

  The Lascion looked embarrassed but laughed. “What I’m attempting to do today, just wasn’t covered thoroughly enough in my botany classes. But Elizabeth,” he gave a slight nod toward his father, “it’ll take a while to search this place.”

  “You have a point. Come on, Urik, we need to get you back to Raul. He’s waiting in the car.”

  “Good idea,” Gregory said. Then, remembering a small detail stated, “Uh, I don’t think we can get out going through that hall. I sort of made a mess of it.”

  ***

  Fortunately, there was more than one door leading into the gym. They found another that got them to a staircase and down to the first floor. From there it was just a short time until they found the front door. Only two feran tried to stop their escape. With Urik still too weak and Gregory’s spells a little too wild for comfort, Elizabeth insisted on taking point. Using her magic, she took the feran out from a distance.

  Destroying the hypothalamus is the surest, not to mention safest, way to kill a feran. But when done with magic, silver bullet, hand or mind, there is typically an unpleasant reaction. The feran’s head explodes; brains and blood everywhere. Elizabeth made sure to be far enough away when she took out the two.

  Back at the Packard, Raul and Urik greeted each other with a warm and relieved hug. Then the witch and Raul went to the Finder. Typing in the general terms—the nearest Lantian besides Urik and himself—Raul tuned the Finder and waited. Instantly, it gave a result.

  “She is in the building,” Elizabeth said grimly. Stepping out of the car, Elizabeth looked at Gregory. “Are you up for another round?”

  ***

  To Gregory’s credit, he followed Elizabeth without hesitation back into the feran-infested Barracks. He also didn’t exactly answer her question; just picked up his weapons, shoved the sword into his belt and chambered a shell. Their first encounter, once back inside the Barracks, got a little messy.

  “Umm … try to channel your shots,” Elizabeth encouraged him after Gregory blasted one of the guards and a ton or two of rock and earth off the planet.

  “I might miss. Not a lot of practice.”

  “Now that we have magic, use your mind. See the spell guiding the shot into the skull. Don’t aim with your hand; just see it going to where it’ll do the most damage.”

  “The skull, right,” he repeated as two more feran came at them from his right. Gregory appeared to focus for a second, then the earth shook again.

  “Sorry, no time for two shots.” Gregory grimaced.

  “Whatever,” Elizabeth sighed, entering the same doorway they had taken the first time. As she did, she yelled back to Gregory, “That guard. He’s beginning to stir.”

  It was the same feran he had tagged with the shotgun the first time through. Taking his time, Gregory narrowed his gaze. With his eyes almost closed, he tried to see inside the beast’s brain. Feeling his way almost more than seeing, he sent a spell spinning into the creature’s skull. The ensuing explosion soaked the Lascion’s leg.

  “Eeww,” he cringed, doing his best to shake the feran’s blood off his leg. “Now I know why I’m a botanist and not a biologist.”

  Realizing that Elizabeth, who hadn’t waited, was disappearing into a doorway, Gregory hurried to catch up.

  Following her through the doorway, Gregory had to spin to the right while trying to stop to keep from running over Elizabeth. The witch had halted just inside the doorway.

  The maneuver worked—in that he avoided the witch. But his shoe, slippery with feran goo, went out from under him.

  Gregory slid and crashed to the floor. His momentum carried him until he slammed against what he knew had to be a body. It was covered with a tarp at the other end of the small room.

  Recognizing what the horror was that he had just run into, Gregory stammered, “She’s … is she …?”

  “Dead,” Elizabeth closed her eyes in sorrow as she finishing the Lascion’s question.

  Getting to his feet, Gregory raged, “How could anyone do this?”

  “I don’t know,” Elizabeth quiet
ly responded as she fought back her tears.

  “An old one … It’s unthinkable,” Gregory shuddered, realizing his father’s fate would have probably been the same had they not found him.

  The evil of it was overwhelming. Yet something was drawing the witch in. For some reason, she had to look closer. Reluctantly she did so, and that’s when she saw the Lantian’s face. The look of serenity on it was in such contrast to the situation that it left Elizabeth with but one conclusion.

  “She’s finally free of it.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Gregory thought the sight of his father ripping into the girl was the worst thing he could ever have imagined. Going back into Pinder Barracks demonstrated to him something far worse. The gravity of what he was involved in hit home, shaking everything within him but his resolve. The person behind this had to be stopped.

  “I agree,” Raul replied when Gregory insisted they go after the German immediately. “It’s just that your father’s ordeal has left him drained. There’s a woman in Prague who has a place and the skill to help. We’ll lose less than a day if we head there now.”

  “But the Nazi already has a head start. You know he’s up to no good. We can’t let him do any more damage,” Gregory argued.

  Elizabeth and the Lascion, having returned from their search for Haushofer’s first victim, sat in the back of the Packard. The two Lantians were in the front of the parked car. Urik, who hadn’t said a word since his son’s return, spoke up.

  “Raul,” Urik said slowly. “I have to stay here.”

  “Old boy, don’t argue. You need rest,” Raul said with concern, looking at the haggard visage of his friend. Then, in an attempt to enlist support, he looked to the back seat.

  Elizabeth waited for Gregory, but when he said nothing, she broke the awkward silence by agreeing with Raul.

  “This cannot be a debate,” Urik countered. “Please, let me explain.”

  The Lantian had the look of a man without hope. He was traumatized, physically depleted, and without a doubt, shamed beyond the point of self-forgiveness, but his words demanded attention.

  “Okay, Urik, please go on,” Raul capitulated.

  The Lantian sighed. “This isn’t easy.”

  “Take your time,” Raul said gently.

  Abruptly, Urik opened the Packard’s door and jumped out saying, “I can’t sit still. I need to move to do this.”

  Elizabeth, who was sitting behind him, jumped out of the car and moved quickly to Urik’s side.

  “Urik,” she cautioned. “You can’t be walking around out here in the open.”

  “I need to tell you this,” he cried, tearing at his hair with both hands.

  The witch poked her head back into the vehicle. “He’s about to lose it. Honestly, he does need to move.”

  “Where can we go?” Raul questioned. “By now the Germans or feran have to be hunting for us. It’s got to be just a matter of time before they extend their search beyond the gate.”

  “How about the farmhouse? It looks deserted to me. And it will be easier to defend ourselves there if they come looking for us.”

  “Fine, get him in there. We’ll bring the weapons and be right behind you,” Raul agreed, opening his door.

  Gregory silently followed, though as Elizabeth looked back, she was certain he did so reluctantly.

  Inside, the dust covered furnishings supported Elizabeth’s guess that the homeowners were gone. They also told of a hasty departure.

  “Whoever lived here left in a hurry. Everything is still here,” Gregory remarked as he looked around.

  “Please close the door,” Elizabeth nodded to him, then to Urik, who was pacing about the room, “I’ve looked around. We’re alone.”

  “It looks as if they planned on being right back,” Gregory observed.

  “While you were in the Barracks, did either of you encounter a female feran?” Raul asked.

  “They were all male,” Elizabeth answered. “They also appeared to have been soldiers. No indication that anyone was civilian.”

  “That’s good. If the family wasn’t turned into feran, they might still be alive,” Raul hoped, before turning to Urik and asking, “Will this do, my friend?”

  Urik, who was still restlessly moving about, turned to his friend and nodded, “If you permit me, I shall start from the beginning.”

  His pacing resumed and his story began.

  ***

  From the knock on his door to his time in the cage, Urik didn’t miss a detail. It was as if the memory was burned into his being. Three weeks of nonstop horror as the Lantian, left without a defense against the curse, went through resistance, despair, anger, weariness, self-loathing, resignation, and shame. The hunt came upon him, and he took—again and again until the German withheld what the Lantian needed most.

  “Urik,” Raul questioned. “I don’t understand. It’s only been three weeks. How is it that the hunt came upon you that frequently?”

  “Once I gave in, it never let up,” Urik confessed. “With every bite, I needed more.”

  “Oh, God,” Gregory gasped, running to the kitchen sink.

  Urik started to follow his son, stopped, then looked back at Raul in anguish.

  Measuring her steps so as to get there at a point at which he wouldn’t be so embarrassed, Elizabeth reached Gregory’s side as he was wiping his face.

  She wanted to hold him. But with a strong feeling that he would not accept her caress at this point, she gently reached out with her words instead. “Are you all right?”

  Gregory shook his head before adding, “There’s no water.”

  “There’s some in the car. I’ll go get it.” Elizabeth reached up to brush damp wisps of hair off his forehead.

  “No, you stay. I need some air,” Gregory responded, abruptly heading for the door. The Lascion disappeared without looking back.

  Elizabeth bit her lip, wanting, with all of her heart, to find a way to comfort him. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath and rejoined the Lantians.

  “The worse came when he started tying them right outside the cage. The smell drove me wild, and all the while he kept telling me they were mine. All I had to do was shift a couple of timelines. I had to give in!” His cry was a plea for forgiveness.

  “He made me shift two timelines just enough so that they now intersect. That’s why he was still feeding me. Once he finishes, the lines will have to be replaced. Otherwise, our now will become unrecognizable.”

  “Which lines?” Raul pressed.

  “This one and the Lantian Age of Dragons.”

  “Do you know what he seeks?” Elizabeth queried.

  “The Hermadolin Dragon.”

  “Whatever for?” Raul demanded.

  “The magic,” Elizabeth whispered.

  “I don’t get it,” Raul confessed.

  “The dragon is said to have flown without wings,” Elizabeth explained. “There was nothing faster or more agile than the Hermadolin Dragon.”

  “He intends to adapt the dragon’s magic so that the German air force can place it in all their aircraft,” Urik added.

  “I see.” Raul looked like he had just had the wind knocked out of him. “Since he has the old books, he’s likely to succeed.”

  “Wait a minute,” Gregory, who had come back in, interrupted. “How can the past intersect with the present? I thought all timelines paralleled one another. Isn’t that why time gains the illusion of being linear?”

  “Think of time as another form of energy. To be in the now is to be in the flow. And, as all energy moves in waves, all have their highs and lows,” the witch explained.

  “I get the lows,” Gregory quipped grimly.

  “That’s not what I mean.” Elizabeth touched his arm sympathetically. “Timelines aren’t straight lines. They have an energetic nature which is why we move through time. The lines undulate, which creates the movement. These waves of time all move up and down together, which creates the orderly progression of time.�
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  There was still a look of confusion on Gregory’s face, so Elizabeth tried again.

  “Think of it as innumerable waves all running parallel; their ups and downs all moving up and down together. If you know how, you can take the timeline just below our now, which is the immediate past, or above—the immediate future—and move it closer to the now timeline.

  “Then, say you shift the timeline from the past slightly left or right. Now the two lines your magic has put together are no longer running parallel. In other words, the waves of the two lines no longer go up and down together. Instead, they intersect at two distinct points over and over again. These points of intersection create a passageway from this time to the other.

  “If you were going to draw this on paper, the waves would move across the page while the progression of time (either forward or backward) would move up and down the page. The timelines on the top of the page would indicate the present or future time. All the lines below would represent earlier years. The farther down the page you go, the farther back in time you would journey.

  “This is why time travel is about moving from the present to the past or future. Moving through time with this method, you have to go through time one timeline at a time. You could not jump over any timelines. We either go up or we go down.

  What your father did was something a little different. He shifted one line on the page to the right without shifting its proximity to the line above or below. He then took another line and, doing the same thing, moved it to the left. They remain parallel but are no longer in unison. Both times are now out of sync with time’s illusion of flow.”

  “But wouldn’t that mess up all the lines in-between as well?”

  “That’s the uniqueness of this magic. Shifting two timelines in opposite directions without pulling them out of order would mess with everything. So instead, the next piece of magic is to draw the two shifted lines out of order either by moving the present to the past or the past to the present. This move is made possible because neither line is in the current flow. Once moved and placed closely together, we have our crossing points, only now we can step from one point in time to another, instantly bridging immense spans of time.”