Zhimosom's smile softened to a mischievous grin. His eyes wrinkled up and his bushy white eyebrows raised. "It has not really been that long." He waved his hand in the air as if to dismiss the idea.
"So, what's got you so alarmed, my boy?" Zhimosom hitched up his robe and sat in the chair next to Rotiaqua. He pulled out another chair and patted the seat.
Lorit stood in shock. He didn't know what to say. Zhimosom was usually so secretive, and now he seemed to be only too happy to talk.
"Sit. We have much to discuss."
Lorit took a seat next to Chihon. "Why now?"
Zhimosom raised his eyebrows. "Why now, what?"
"Why are you ready to tell me about this now, but not before?"
"Because, before now, it was my burden to carry, and my shame to bear." Zhimosom slowly shook his head. "I had the chance to set things right, but I failed in the end." Zhimosom frowned.
"Failed?" Chihon asked. Lorit had not told her about Zhimosom's shame.
"I could have defeated Sulrad and freed the dragons, but when it came right down to it, I failed. I couldn't do it." The old wizard looked down at the table.
"What couldn't you do?" Chihon asked.
"Kill Sulrad. If I had, it would have killed Rotiaqua too. Their magic is entwined and their life force is blended. If I had killed Sulrad, Rotiaqua would have died along with him."
Rotiaqua patted his hand in a gesture of affection Lorit had never seen them share before. "That was long ago. You've made up for that many times since then."
"No," Zhimosom said. "I should have killed him when I had the chance. The temple would have never gotten a hold and the dragons would be free."
"That was long ago and is no longer your burden," Rotiaqua said.
"As I feared, my magic is fading," Zhimosom said. "Several of the spells I held were recently broken. I have been growing weaker. I'm not certain how much longer I could have held them regardless."
"Who? What spells?" Lorit couldn't get the questions out fast enough.
"The first spell was the one that bound the Charm of the Joiner. It was broken earlier. I felt it snap." Zhimosom looked sad, and Rotiaqua patted his hand before he continued.
"There was a bit of a surprise for whomever attacked me. I hope it worked." He waved his hand in the air. "Nevertheless, the Arda'um are now free to transform back to their original dragon form once more. But they are also subject to the commands of the Charm of the Joiner once again."
Zhimosom looked sad. "And the Charm is still in Sulrad's hands."
Chapter 36
Tass fought the backlash from the spell as it broke. It wrapped tightly around her, choking off her breath. She panicked. What had she walked into? She should have known better. A senior wizard like Zhimosom would not be without his tricks and traps. This was even worse than the one Sulrad had used on her. The cords tightened, threatening to break her ribs as she thrashed about in terror. She tripped, fell to the floor, and lay there, struggling to breathe. Stars formed in her vision, and she grew lightheaded. She had to find a way out of this trap.
She calmed herself and reached out for the altar where the stolen magic of untold wizards had been carefully accumulated against just such a need. She drew on it, pulling the violet cloud of magic from the altar stones into herself. She made her ethereal body grow, stretching the tough threads of the spell that held her.
At first, it was painful as the cords bit into her body. She wasn't sure this was going to work. The stars spiraled around her vision, circling like fireflies on a moonless night, swirling around her sight, threatening to consume what little vision remained to her.
Something snapped. A thread of the spell, stretched beyond its breaking point. She felt the slightest bit of relief as it burst. She was heartened and kept pressing the stolen magic into her body. She strained against the spell until another cord broke, then another. Slowly, she struggled, half conscious, determined, until at last the spell broke in a shower of sparks that fell slowly to the floor and died.
Tass rolled to her hands and knees. She panted as her breath came back to her and chased away the fireflies. Her head exploded with pain, and she crumpled back to the floor. She lay there, gasping for breath, her heart beating so hard she feared it would burst.
It was a long time before the pain subsided enough that Tass could think straight again. She dragged herself to her chair and grabbed the arm, slowly levering herself into a sitting position. She hung there and gathered her thoughts and her breath until she was ready to sit up on her own. She slid back into her chair, relieved to be alive.
It took several days for Tass to recover from the backlash. She was off balance, lightheaded, and had no appetite. She lay in her bed, resting, picking at the slight remnant of the spell that had brought her so close to death.
The spell had left a tiny trace behind that she could follow now. It didn't lead to Zhimosom, as she'd thought, but to Quineshua. She traced it as far as she was able. The first few times, it quickly faded and she lost track of it, but each time she tried, she got farther before it faded completely. Soon, she would be able to trace it all the way back to Quineshua and its source.
What would she find there? Was this one of Sulrad's spells, or another part of the wizard's incantations? Would she face her old friend, or his nemesis, when she finally reached the source of this faint trail?
One afternoon, when the sunlight bathed her in its healing rays, Tass reached the source of that spell. She couldn't believe it. It was the Charm, but now it lay open to her, revealing its secrets. The thread wrapped around the Charm and then stretched off in another direction completely.
Tass wondered where the spell went after it left the Charm. She followed it, but it quickly faded and she lost interest. It was the Charm she was after.
She probed the Charm once more. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice, but she had to try again. She felt for the spells protecting the Charm. There were several spells left, but the one she had first felt was broken. It looked like a few days in bed recuperating were worth the price. The remaining spells were much less potent. She should be able to break through them easily.
The first spell Tass severed was the one that extended from the Charm off into the distance. It was intricate, but this time she broke through it without setting off any traps. Soon, she had the Charm free...well, not completely free, but it was responding to her. She made another grab for it.
This time, the Charm didn't fight her. It started to vibrate, violet light surrounding it as the Charm came alive. Tass embraced the vision of the Charm and pulled. Instead of the Charm coming to her, Tass was drawn to it. Too late, she realized that this was yet another trap.
The walls of her bedchamber faded from view and were replaced by the cold stones of the altar room. She recognized it immediately. She had spilled the blood of countless animals and not a few wizards in this room. She landed on the cold floor with a thump and hit her head on the altar as she was thrown backward. She tried to stand but was too weak.
"Please don't try to stand." A voice came from behind the altar. She looked to the side to see a black robe brushing the floor. It was piped in gold.
Sulrad.
Tass craned her neck to get a look at him. He stood there, hands folded, calmly looking down at her. "I have been expecting you." Sulrad had such a smooth silky voice. It was part of his charisma that held the temple and acolytes in his thrall for these many summers, but it held no power over her. She had come to know the man behind the voice.
"What's the matter?" Sulrad purred. "No words for an old friend?"
Tass gathered her power. She reached into the altar for the reserves that she knew were there. She used them to form a shield around herself and hardened it against Sulrad, should he take action against her.
"Come, now. We're still friends, aren't we?" Sulrad extended his hand to her.
Tass reached up and grasped the offered hand. Sulrad pulled her into a standing position and steadied her whi
le she caught her balance.
"Feeling better now?"
Tass shook her head. Words still eluded her.
Sulrad guided Tass to her quarters. She had been away a while, but her room was clean and neat, as if she were expected to return at any moment. He led her to the bed and sat her down.
"I've had the servants keep your room ready for you. I knew you would eventually find your way back here."
Tass snapped to full alert. She was in Quineshua and Sulrad had his hand on her arm. She jerked it away from him. She wanted nothing to do with him since he'd banished her without so much as a word. Sulrad was not the type to forgive her for trying to kill him.
As if he could read her mind, Sulrad said, "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. I have you to thank for helping me regain something that I had almost given up hope of recovering."
Tass remembered. She had broken the spell on the Charm of the Joiner.
"That's right. You have done me a great service." Sulrad smiled at her.
Tass recoiled in shock. When she had last seen Sulrad, he was old and weak. He was constantly tired and lethargic. She had assumed incorrectly that he was not long for this world, an easy target. Now he looked like a young man again. Gone were the wrinkles and gray hair. His skin was smooth and he sat straight and tall.
"Disconcerting at first, isn't it?"
"What...what happened to your face?" Tass blurted.
Sulrad smiled. "I'm young again. I have the power of the Charm at my disposal once more, and I can use it to drive whatever spell I wish."
Tass probed him. Sure enough, there was power associated with him that she had never felt before. He radiated a faint golden light blended with violet hues that rushed about his countenance as if dozens of fireflies were in orbit around him.
Sulrad smiled. "I suppose you think I should reward you for this?"
Tass cringed. She hardened her shields and gathered her power around her, hoping to protect herself from anything he threw her way, but nothing came.
Sulrad stretched his hand out and touched her cheek. "I have plans for you. You are going to witness my restoration. You can record my victory for the future generations of priests. You will stand beside me as I bring the wizards of Amedon to their knees once and for all."
"And then?" Tass asked. She didn't trust Sulrad. He probably already had some plan to kill her once he felt she was expendable.
"And then, you can run the temple as you have always wanted."
"And you?"
"I'll rule the world, just as I've always wanted."
Sulrad left Tass alone to rest. She slept fitfully. She was still not comfortable with Sulrad's declaration of peace. There had to be something else that he was keeping from her. It was not like him to accept her back after her treasonous act.
The door opened and Sulrad strode into her room, looking innocent. Tass knew it was bad when he walked over to the bed and sat down.
"You never told me how you managed to break the spell on the Charm. Mind sharing that with me?"
Tass clenched her jaw and raised her shield. She held her silence. She knew there was something more Sulrad wanted from her.
"Nothing to say?" Sulrad extended his hand and brushed the hair out of her face. He grasped her chin and turned her face toward his. "Holding out on me?"
A sharp pain flared behind Tass's eyes as red-hot needles stabbed through her eyelids and into her brain. She pinched her eyes closed, and tears ran down her cheeks. She steeled herself and tried to relax against the pain. All priests and priestesses had to undergo the test of pain, but hers was many summers in the past. She wasn't sure how much of this she could endure.
"You don't want to fight me, do you?" Sulrad squeezed her chin and gently moved her head from side to side. "No? I didn't think so."
Tass resisted as Sulrad increased the pain. It flowed from her head down her back. Her muscles tensed up until she feared she would break her own ribs in the spasms that followed the wave of searing pain.
Still she fought his control, but Sulrad was strong. She knew he was barely starting, and she was on the verge of breaking. She bit her tongue and held on.
"No? You want more?" Sulrad grasped her chin and shook her head violently. The pain of it was barely noticeable above the waves of agonizing fire that swept her body from head to toe.
Tass panted, trying to catch her breath between the waves of pain. Finally, when she could take no more, she screamed out between clenched teeth. "The...egg."
Sulrad lightened the pain, but did not release her. "Egg?"
"Dragon's...egg," Tass managed to squeeze out.
Sulrad released the pressure on her. "A dragon's egg? How precious." He stood and drew the ceremonial dagger from inside his sleeve. He fingered the point of the knife.
Tass struggled to free herself of Sulrad's spells, but his hold on her was too strong. He leaned in so close she could feel his breath on her face.
"I need your cooperation. You know how the sacrificial knife works. It has its own special spell. Once it's inserted, it can take your magic before you even realize it. I'll be holding the spell back, but if any harm comes to me, you will die before my eyes close, so don't think to interfere with my plans. Do you understand me?"
Tass muttered a weak "Yes."
Sulrad turned her over and slid the point of the blade into her back. Pain seared her almost as much as his earlier torture. "Remember. If I even blink, you're dead."
Tass struggled, but any movement made the knife dig deeper into her flesh as Sulrad stepped to the corner of the room and vanished in a shower of sparks that settled to the floor, leaving Tass alone in the dark.
Chapter 37
Lorit listened while Zhimosom and Rotiaqua filled Chihon in on the dragons and the temple, but they offered no hope for a solution. Zhimosom just shook his head. "Maybe Du'ala can provide some insight. Why don't you go see her?"
"Do you think she will talk?" Lorit asked. "Last time I saw her, she was very closed-lipped."
Zhimosom laughed. "I expect you will get more out of her in her dragon form."
Rotiaqua patted the back of Lorit's hand. "Go see her." With that, the sorceress and wizard turned to sparkles and vanished.
Lorit stormed out of the library without a moment's hesitation and rushed to collect Kedrik. He would have to rely on the boy's magic until his own was fully restored.
"It's time," Lorit said as he summoned Kedrik out of his class and dragged him toward the study.
"Time for what?"
"Time for you to be the wizard you always wanted to be." Lorit hauled Kedrik down the dim hallway by his robe. "Come. We have to see the dragons."
"Dragons?"
"Dragons. We're going to see dragons and you're going to take me there." Lorit urged Kedrik onto the Sorcerer's Stone. "We're going to the Plains of Grass. Can you see the destination in my head?"
"Not so fast." Chihon rushed up to the stone and pushed her way between Lorit and Kedrik. "I'm going with you."
"It's dangerous." With Chihon's power at its lowest, Lorit didn't want Chihon out in the field, even with the magic of the egg in her. The last time she was on a wizards' quest, it had almost cost her her life and he couldn't bear the thought of something like that happening to her again.
"I know. That's why I'm going with you. You have no magic. I have a little. I'll be there to look out for you in case you get in trouble."
"Chihon," Lorit protested. "It's too dangerous."
Chihon grabbed Lorit's arm and pulled him close to her. "You're not getting away so easily." She turned to Kedrik. "We can go!"
Now she wanted to be with him. Was she opening back up to him? Lorit tried to open their magical connection to see if she had dropped the block, but he didn't have enough magic to even find out if she was open to his contact, much less reach her.
Kedrik's magic surrounded them, and the study faded from view as the Arda'um compound materialized around them. The smell of dung was overpowering
as they landed in the middle of the rich black soil where lizard dung mixed with soil kept the grass at bay. Huts woven from sword grass dotted the dark earth in a crude circle. Lorit headed for the central hut. That was Du'ala's.
Before Lorit reached her hut, a short squat man emerged from a neighboring structure and stepped in front of Lorit. He carried a spear and stood in the path, blocking their way. "Not here," the man said.
"Where is she?" Lorit demanded. "You're in danger." Lorit tried to brush the man aside, but the short white-haired man was stronger than he looked.
"Not here," the man insisted.
Chihon tugged Lorit's arm and pointed up into the sky. Lorit followed her gaze. Far off in the distance, a dark red speck bobbed up and down. It swiftly grew closer until it became clear. A large brick-red dragon was winging its way toward the compound.
The beast circled overhead, making a few lazy turns, then folded its wings and dropped like a stone. Just before contacting the rich black earth, it beat its mighty wings and came to a stop in midair, gently settling to the ground.
The dragon folded its wings and shimmered with a gentle golden light. It became insubstantial and turned to a cloud of golden sparks that swirled and twisted in the air, growing more and more compact. The sparks organized themselves into the form of a short human that became solid as Lorit watched.
It was Du'ala.
Du'ala walked up to Chihon and raised her hand. "Greetings, Egg Mother."
Chihon blushed. "Greetings, Du'ala."
Du'ala turned to Kedrik. She stepped close to him and examined him. She grasped his shoulder and turned the boy around, repeating the examination. Satisfied, she let him go. "You'll do."
"What do you mean, he'll do?" Lorit asked.
"He'll do. If necessary."
"Do what?"
"Fulfill his destiny." Du'ala turned toward her hut and the wizards followed. Once inside, she sat cross-legged on the grass mat and signaled. A woman entered with a tray of steaming cups of tea and handed one to each of the wizards.
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