by Eric Vall
“This is a small misunderstanding,” I announced, and when rebuttals rose up, I just spoke louder. “We’ll send for more horses from the capital to replace the mounts that were lost, and the generals will form a clean-up crew to restore the stables before the new horses arrive.”
“Like hell we will,” Kurna snorted, but when I leveled him with a sharp look, he abruptly nodded.
“In the meantime, Grot,” I continued, “I should have been clearer. The metal planks that run between the village and the stables are not a divide. They’re called train tracks, and they’re used for the contraption I mentioned to you in Jagruel. The stables are within the bounds of Falmount, but the ogres can use the woods beyond for hunting grounds.”
Grot spat into the flames before he nodded in understanding, and I ordered the mages to cease their Ignis Magic to release him and his soldiers.
“It’s important to remember, though,” I said as the fire slowly ebbed, “that mages, citizens, and the king’s guard travel frequently between here and the capital by the road that winds its way south. So, no human, horse, or pet you find along that route should be eaten. Stick to wild game only.”
“Aye,” Grot grunted.
“Thank you,” I muttered. “Everyone else, get on with your day, and remember these ogres have allied with the Order. Any act of violence against one another will be cause for the perpetrators to be thrown in the dungeons, whether ogre or mage.”
Everyone in the lanes looked caught off guard by the threat, but it worked to send them on their way with only a low buzz of disapproval amongst the residents. The ogres growled their way back to the northern woods as well, and once my generals took a crew toward the stables, only one man remained near the oak trees.
I recognized Markus by his muddy green eyes and shaggy black hair, and the young man offered an unconcerned wave when I saw him there. Then I beckoned him over to us before I turned toward my women to find Aurora’s emerald eyes shimmering with excitement.
“We finally get to build our own dungeon?” she whispered loudly.
“No,” I snorted. “I just said that so they’d take the situation more seriously.”
“Damn,” the half-elf sighed.
“Listen, I’ve really gotta head to Nalnora, but can you ladies do me a favor?” I asked, and they both nodded at once. “Bobbie’s still gone, so Shoshanne is probably handling things in Serin, and I’m visiting House Quyn, House Fehryn, and trying to hunt down these portals before I get back. I need the two of you to keep an eye on things here for me, alright?”
“We can do that,” Cayla purred as she stroked her rifle with a lethal grin.
“No shooting anyone,” I clarified.
“But… can I shoot near them?” the princess countered.
“No.”
“Why not?” Cayla grumbled. “I haven’t gotten to use my AR-15 for anything fun yet.”
“Because I didn’t ask you to terrorize our residents,” I replied. “I asked you to keep an eye on things. That’s all I need, and Aurora, keep an eye on Cayla.”
“Okay, but you know I have very little control over her,” the half-elf muttered. “She only listens to me when we’re in bed.”
Cayla nodded. “It’s true.”
I took a steadying breath as I scruffed my beard and hair to keep my sanity intact, and I turned to Markus, who looked relatively comfortable while he studied the large black dragon behind me.
“Markus, you’re coming with me to Nalnora,” I informed the mage. “I need to bounce some ideas off you, and your help with a task I have tonight would be greatly appreciated.”
This immediately caught the Terra Mage’s full attention. “Um… I don’t know if that would be wise? I heard elves are pretty unforgiving and violent, and I’m not too skilled with a sword.”
“It’s alright, I am,” I said as I motioned for him to saddle up.
Markus just stood there for a moment, though, so I sent Deya to introduce herself, and when the black dragon dipped her snout closer to the mage, he raised his eyebrows.
“He seems pretty tame,” Markus mused.
“She is tame,” I assured him.
“Most of the time,” Aurora chuckled, and she lovingly patted Deya’s hindquarters as I lent Markus a hand in climbing up.
“Be careful out there,” Cayla warned. “You better bring our daggers just in case.”
“Good idea,” I agreed, and while the two women handed up all ten of the daggers they had on their belts, Markus watched with growing alarm from Deya’s back.
“Don’t forget to keep an eye out for the Raxis groves,” Aurora reminded me.
“And don’t let the dragon get caught in the Purtre grove like those sphynxes did either,” Cayla added.
“But mostly, watch your backs at House Quyn,” the half-elf said with a frown. “I wouldn’t put it past Qiran to order his warriors to take you down while Dragir’s back is turned.”
Deya screeched with disapproval, but when both Cayla and Aurora arched their eyebrows at her, she shifted on her feet and averted her gaze.
“I’ll stay on my toes,” I chuckled as I climbed up in front of Markus. “You two just make sure no one here slaughters anyone unless they’re possessed.”
“Yes, my lord,” Cayla murmured, and I furrowed my brow with slight concern as I caught the lethal cast of her eyes.
Deya launched into the air, though, before I could reiterate my ban on using rifles against my residents, and Markus’ grip clamped on my vest as he yelped in fear. Then we soared over the oak trees once more as Deya turned us to the east, and the sun was beginning to turn the foothills gold as it sank even closer to the horizon.
“You’re perfectly safe,” I hollered over my shoulder. “She’s a smooth flyer, and we’ve never dropped anyone.”
“Never?” Markus checked in a strained tone.
“No,” I chuckled. “You might wanna take some deep breaths, though, because we’re taking this leg of the trip at top speed, and it can be a little overwhelming at first.”
“How fast is top--” Markus tried, but Deya shot forward before he could finish the question, and I tightened my hold on her spines as the forest blurred beneath us.
We passed Serin less than a minute later, and I leaned forward as I braced myself against the wind howling over us. I could hear Markus chuckling to himself after another twenty minutes, though, and I remembered the Terra Mage as being more laid back than many others I’d met around here. As he relaxed a bit, his grip on my vest slowly eased up, and I grinned at how quickly he adjusted to the circumstances.
Hopefully, that would carry over into the jungles, because personally, I was more afraid of getting a dagger in the back of my head than I was of jetting over the world at more than a hundred miles per hour.
The last time I’d been to Nalnora, I was only there long enough for Deya to maul a massive dragon and do a clomping victory dance over it, but I’d still gotten a slew of blades thrown at me. Now, I’d be risking a few hours in the jungles after dark, but I was better armed than I’d been when I first spent weeks there, and my senses were more acute, too.
Without having to worry whether the Baroness would be concealing anyone’s presence, I figured I had a decent chance of making it out of the elven nation unscathed. I just needed to make sure Markus made it, too, so as we neared the rocky divide between Illaria and Nalnora, I nudged his boot to get his attention.
“Keep your head low and your limbs in,” I warned. “The dragon’s good at blocking most attacks, but it’s mostly blades you’ve gotta look out for here.”
“We’re visiting allies, right?” Markus shouted.
“Sort of,” I admitted. “Our first stop is a mix between elves who have fought beside me, and one or more who might want to kill me. Stay close once we land, and be prepared to shield yourself with your magery, alright?”
There was a long beat of silence as Deya slowed down to a coast, and I scanned the dimming canopy under us while the
sound of glaives and swords clashing came to me from several different directions. I could see the eastern ocean glistening with fading sunlight far ahead, but there was no sign of the water dragons this evening. I could hear the roar of a waterfall drawing closer, though, and the familiar yip of House Quyn’s dogs eventually joined into the mix.
“Can I ask why I’m risking my life out here?” Markus finally replied. “Because no one really told me why you were looking for me, and like I said, I’m no good with a sword.”
“I know,” I chuckled as I glanced back, “but you’re the most skilled Terra Mage I’ve met at the Order, and I need your input.”
Markus looked less concerned as he nodded. “What’s the problem?”
“When I spoke with you at the Oculus, you told me there were six fundamental ways of gathering information through our element,” I said. “We talked about sensing physical presence, sensing magery, and then whatever we did to read the ancient design of the city.”
“That’s considered sensing a magical memoriam,” Markus told me. “It only applies where a mage has fused their presence permanently with their element, and it’s not possible to do in a lot of circumstances.”
“Well, what I need to find out is how to sense other forms of magic,” I replied. “As soon as we finish speaking with a couple armies here, we’re tracking a few things down before we get back to Falmount.”
“Alright, but maybe we should discuss all of this now in case I die soon,” Markus suggested, and I laughed as Deya slowed her flight by another few degrees.
“You won’t die,” I assured the mage. “Just remember what I told you about shielding yourself, but save that for if we’re under clear attack. For now, I’m gonna tell these elves you’re an Ignis Mage. That’ll give you some added protection.”
“They know about the different elements?” Markus asked. “I thought elves knew little about our craft since the tension between our nations has kept us apart for thousands of years.”
“The majority know virtually nothing about magery,” I agreed, “but the elves in this area have joined with me and my women in a couple battles, and they fear Defender Solana’s powers more than a lot of things.”
“Yeah, I can understand that,” Markus chuckled as the waterfall of House Quyn came into view. “Even I’m afraid of her, and she’s taught me at the training fields before.”
I grinned with pride as Deya began her descent, and as soon as we dipped beneath the canopy, I recognized the crystal bridge that arched over the raging river. Then I realized it was guarded by twenty elven warriors with glaives in hand, and I swiftly grabbed my pistol as I steered Deya toward the cover of the ferns about fifty yards away.
None of the warriors advanced or shot any darts at us, though, and once the black dragon touched down, the four elves who barred the crystal bridge lowered their glaives and nodded to me.
I nodded back before I jumped down to the ground, and Markus was pale as a sheet when I dragged him down after me. He craned his neck at the ferns towering over our heads while he turned full circle, and I could sense him scanning the soil as well.
I scanned the area as well, but the heavy scent of the jungle in these parts hit me in a way I hadn’t expected while I took in our surroundings. As anxious as I’d been to travel here, it was actually comforting to be back, and the dense fog and bluish undergrowth reminded me of the first time I’d met Deya outside House Quyn.
The black dragon seemed happy to be back, too, and she snuffled through the dirt with her tail flicking back and forth.
“Stay behind me,” I muttered as I handed Markus a dagger, “and remember, the elves have acute hearing, so let’s keep our conversations to a minimum.”
Markus nodded and took the blade, and while he secured it in the belt of his mage’s robes, I assured Deya we’d be right back.
Then we left her to have her fun, and we wove through the fronds as the thick blue fog made the jungle air feel even more humid. It was already dusk now as we approached the crystal bridge, and I sensed Markus sending his magery ahead of us to study the elaborate construction of the bridge that looked like a huge geode.
I bowed my head in greeting to the warriors of House Quyn as soon as we reached them, but before I could say anything, a guard on the bridge spoke in a thick Elven accent.
“Defender Flynt,” the elf said with a slight dip of his head.
“I’ve come to speak with Dragir,” I told the men.
“The head of House Quyn is awaiting your arrival.”
I tried for a polite smile. “That’s alright, I’ll just meet with Dragir.”
“Dragir has been appointed as head of House Quyn,” the warrior clarified. “The ceremony was performed only hours ago. We have orders to protect your dragon with our lives or perish. Fear not. The dragon will be well guarded in your absence.”
“Oh,” I said with surprise as the elves stepped aside, and I glanced back to see Deya’s violet eyes peeking over the ferns at me.
I could tell she was dying to congratulate her brother, and I wondered if she was hoping to see her father while she was here, too, but she stayed where I left her as I headed over the crystal bridge with Markus close behind.
Then we followed a winding path to pass under the draping fronds of the willowish trees beside the river, and I grinned up at the strange white birds that squawked in warning from the treetops. Once we reached the edge of a hazy glade, we headed through the sea blue leaves, and we were suddenly surrounded by two dozen more guards stationed throughout the undergrowth. The ragged dogs of House Quyn prowled beside us with their tongues lolling out of their gaping mouths, too, and Markus walked stiffly while he tried not to look too terrified.
I could see where the damage from our battle against the Master still marred the jungle directly to the south, but it looked like the plants were already taking over again as they wound their way up charred tree trunks and spilled over felled logs. Aside from the thinning canopy above, though, House Quyn was mostly as I remembered it, aside from a few very distinct developments.
The stone house ahead was as overgrown as it always was with half crumbled battlements sticking out beneath the leaves, but instead of torches lighting the entryway, tiny beads of light dotted the stonework and the nearby trees. I chuckled when Markus let out a low whistle at the sight, and I had to admit, Dragir really put his electricity to good use out here. His lights illuminated the foggy jungle better than the torches ever had, and with copper wiring running in intricate patterns to bring the beads of light all over the place, House Quyn looked even more enchanted than it already had.
When we approached the entrance, I was about to state my purpose for being here, but the guards who flanked the door of the house pointed to the hidden path on our left that led to the warriors’ village. Then I nodded my thanks and led Markus over to a wall of leaves, and I brushed them aside to reveal a dark and winding path through the trees.
“Doing alright?” I asked as we headed through the jungle.
“This place is amazing,” Markus breathed. “The guards and dogs look terrifying, but I had no idea elves lived so well. What kind of magic creates the tiny flames?”
“They’re not flames, they’re like balls of light,” I explained. “Dragir, the elf we’re here to see, knows rune magic.”
“Isn’t that the man who came to Falmount?” the mage asked, and he sounded less than enthusiastic about this.
“Uh… yeah,” I admitted. “Nalnora is divided into Houses, and Dragir is the leader of this one.”
“Great,” Markus snorted. “I’ll have something to tell my sister about. She’s obsessed with this guy.”
I smirked as we neared the lights of the warrior village, but when we ducked under a branch, a dagger flew within a couple inches of my head before it impaled the trunk of a tree.
Markus’ muddy green eyes widened as he stumbled back a few paces, and I called out to the warriors up ahead before we came out into the lanes. Anoth
er dozen or so guards stood armed and waiting for us, but when they saw it was me, they lowered their weapons and parted just enough for us to get by.
Then one elven woman tipped her head down the street, and I led Markus into the village while he stepped on my heels from sticking so close.
I could hear the elves speaking in their native tongue while they gathered on their porches to sharpen their blades and repair vambraces, and more ragged dogs curled at their feet or gnawed on raw chunks of meat in the lanes.
Every serpentine eye turned to track us while we continued deeper into the hidden village, but when I heard footsteps behind me, I realized we had a fleet of warriors not five feet behind us. Markus quickened his pace so he was beside me when he noticed, and he sent me a nervous glance as his hand slid to his dagger’s hilt.
I shook my head, though, and I continued walking like I didn’t have seven Halcyan blades poised at my back.
“You’ll be alright,” I assured the mage. “House Quyn has suffered more attacks than usual lately, so their security’s increased. They don’t recognize you, is all.”
“Maybe I should’ve stayed with the dragon,” Markus muttered under his breath.
“No, you’d be dealing with more dangerous creatures and plants out there than in here,” I admitted. “We won’t be here too long, though. Dragir knows we’re coming, and he’s already agreed to join us. I just need to make sure he’ll be ready in time for the attack and check on what kind of assistance he’ll need.”
The Terra Mage nodded as he eyed a group of elves twice his size, and while they slowly sharpened their swords in long, methodic strokes, their serpentine eyes glinted in the light like wild cats. I nodded to the four elves since I recognized one of them from the battle against House Syru, but then I heard Dragir speaking not far away.
He said something in Elvish without raising his voice, and a second later, the guards behind us abruptly dispersed as Markus let out a shaky breath. Then I realized we were nearing the last lane in the village, and I turned in the direction of the small house Dragir had inhabited before he moved to the caves by the sea.
