Dragonhunters

by Sabrina Chase

  MacCrimmon shook his head. “Not natural. That is, it was created by the ancient animals, descended from the dragons, that made their home here. The kai–‌ling are their modern descendants, and their magic, while present, is much too weak to produce the residual effects of their ancestors. The cliffs, eroded and riddled with caves, were used as the dragons’ rookery—‌and the droppings, rich in magic, accumulated over the centuries. The magic now is in the soil, in the food, and the people here pick it up unconsciously. Anyone with even the slightest trace of talent has a constant low–‌level source of power at their disposal.” He looked down and pulled at the blanket with thin, shaking fingers. “I suspected what he was doing when I saw the mining, and my suspicions were quickly confirmed. I apologize, Sonam, for not telling you this when I sent you for help—‌but your innocence of the salts both protected you and made certain you could not reveal the secret.”

  “One wonders, then, how Denais found out about this,” Markus said. “Not that it affects what we plan to do next, but as much as I enjoy travel, coming here on a regular basis would prove tiresome. I would rather no one else found out about the unusual properties of the local soil.”

  “Agreed—‌but if Denais regains access to the main source, that would likewise be difficult to regain control of. I chose the location for the barrier quite deliberately, and I waited until the magician in charge had left to set it up for precisely that reason. I did not know his name then.”

  Ardhuin stirred. “Had you heard nothing of him before? He claims to have been a magician of the Grand Armeé who escaped the impoundment. He certainly knows the war magic spells they used and makes extensive use of the geas.”

  MacCrimmon’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

  Ardhuin indicated Dominic.

  “I can see it clearly. Yes, he uses it wherever he can.”

  “Well, that explains the single–‌mindedness of his people, then. But enough of this. What can we do to stop him? I regret to say I am unable to be of much assistance. Any physical exertion, even walking, leaves me on the verge of unconsciousness. Establishing the barrier weakened me even further. I am very much afraid you will have to rely on your own abilities to stop this madman.”

  “First we must learn where he is and what his current strength is,” Gutrune said. “What forces does he have at his disposal, and can we eliminate or distract them?”

  “That you will have to discover for yourselves. Anything could have happened in ten months. They were setting up some kind of structures near the river, on the northeast slope. Something to do with the extraction process—‌they have a waterwheel. I’m not sure what they are managing to extract, though. I had thought I had enclosed the majority of the deposits within the shield.”

  Markus narrowed his eyes. “What makes you think you did not?”

  MacCrimmon gestured weakly. “Why, that the barrier is still present, which means Denais either was not told when it appeared or he is unable to take it down—‌a most unlikely case. The extraction has been going on for some time, alas. He must have a significant store of this magic power at his disposal.”

  “I will go and discover what has happened here,” Sonam said quickly. “Is there any way for me to speak to those inside, or must the barrier be taken down?”

  “Ah.” MacCrimmon closed his eyes, a thin smile on his face. “There is a way, or at least there was. A tunnel that connects to a well inside the Celestial Cloud Palace and goes underneath the barrier. I put a separate barrier in the tunnel, but you should have no difficulty removing it. Be very careful that no one else sees you near it, though.”

  “I will use great caution,” Sonam assured him emphatically. “And if sir allows, I will go now.”

  MacCrimmon gave Sonam directions on how to find the tunnel, his voice going fainter as he spoke. His hands trembled as he adjusted the blanket that covered him. The cave was getting chilly again.

  Ardhuin moved some of the larger rocks Dominic and Markus had brought in from the landslide so they were closer to MacCrimmon and focused a blast of raw power through them until they glowed red. “We decided a fire was too dangerous here. The smoke…‌” she said, when she caught his curious gaze. “Stoller has seen some patrols on the paths nearby when he was bringing up more supplies. It appears Denais knows something is happening.”

  “There is little time.” MacCrimmon sighed. “And not just Denais. You feel the cold? The snows are coming soon.”

  Farther down the trail and nearer the valley it was not so bare, and Sonam felt he could slow down. The vegetation gave him a little cover, and it was also not so steep making it possible to go off the path. That is what Dominic Kermarec had advised, for the detection traps appeared to only show up where people might walk, at least below the pass. If he had come with Sonam, he could tell him if the webs were dangerous or not, but this way it would not matter.

  For the first time in many months Sonam had no illusions or magic about him. It felt good to be back home, and yet with his prolonged absence it seemed he had a better sense of the magical power that covered the land like mist. Perhaps it was good he had gone away, so he would appreciate this world better. So he would see with new eyes.

  In normal circumstances, at this time of year the roads would be busy. Everyone would be preparing for winter, when travel was nearly impossible. Now the roads were empty and the few huts outside the barrier were showing signs of neglect. There were footprints in the dust, so he could not be the only one outside the barrier.

  He continued through a grove of juniper trees, using the magic his people called large–‌shadow to keep watch for anyone nearby. Now he could see the edge of the Celestial Cloud Palace just above the trees, and he felt his pulse beat harder. He needed to be even more cautious now.

  Using magic to make himself light, he climbed one of the trees that ordinarily would not have been able to support his weight. There, where the river widened near the base of the cliff Celestial Cloud was built on, was the foreign camp. In the months Sonam had been away, however, it had become more than a camp. No more canvas tents. Wooden buildings had taken their place, and…‌he squinted. Yes. A new building was right next to the rock outcropping where the entrance to the tunnel was.

  Sonam waited and watched. He found other concealed places to observe from, closer to the camp. He was surprised how many Aeropans were present, at least twenty that he could see. There were also some that looked like they came from Ynde and Cathai, but not very many. They had haggard expressions and did not speak.

  He saw Bhutans too. They were chained in threes and nearly skeletal. They carried picks and pushed wheelbarrows, but strangely all their tools appeared to be made of wood. One path they followed went right to the outcropping with the tunnel. Had it been discovered? Even if it had not, there was no way he could sneak past without being seen.

  As one ragged group left the compound, another would come in. An Aeropan sat on a raised platform, and the groups of three would stop there while he looked at the contents of their wheelbarrow and held up one, two, or three fingers. The contents of the wheelbarrow were then emptied into a large copper vessel, and the group of workers staggered away to where a large pot of rice stood. For each finger that had been raised, a bowl of rice was handed over. Most of them got only one or two bowls for three men, and it looked like this had been going on for a while. Sometimes fights would break out, but the workers were too weak to do much damage to each other.

  Sonam waited until one unlucky group wandered off, still chained together, to the edge of a covered shelter open on two sides that appeared to be their sleeping area.

  “Do not fear,” he whispered from the shadows behind the shelter wall. “I have come to help you.”

  “No one can help us. The white devils will devour our souls,” the stronger of the three said bitterly. “How is it that you have not been chained as we are?”

  Sonam wanted to tell him he had gone to bring powerful assistance to give him hope, but
there was always the risk that this would be discovered. “I have been given the gift of a strong spirit,” he said instead. “I only show what I wish them to see. Where do you go with your wheelbarrow, and what do you bring up?”

  “The sour dirt,” said the oldest. His voice was weak and dry, like paper rustling. “Deep down, with the dragon bones. If we do not bring the white devils enough, they do not feed us. Then we have no strength to dig and bring nothing. And then we die.”

  Sonam had taken some dried meat and fruit with him when he had left the cave. “Here. I have food. Will you help me defeat the white devils? I must go inside that cleft without being noticed to do this. Let me take the place of one of you when you go back there.”

  All the men could focus on at first was the food. Only after every scrap was gone would they discuss which one of them should be released so Sonam could take his place. To Sonam’s surprise, the older man, Dezen, insisted the youngest go free.

  “We are used up.” He indicated himself and the other old man. “To live a little longer, it is not so important. Tsering has more to lose.”

  “I hope to set everyone free, if I succeed in my task.” Sonam made a reverence. “I give honor to your sacrifice.”

  “I will fight,” Tsering said bluntly. “That is how I will use my freedom.”

  “Better if you stay hidden, find food, and help free the others,” Sonam said. “There is a big fight coming, to drive all these evil strangers out. Let the people be strong, and watchful for that time.”

  Tsering gave him a hard, thoughtful look and then nodded. “Yes. I could kill one, maybe two. Better to kill them all.”

  The chains were not made of iron, but brass. Sonam was easily able to defeat the locks with magic. Tsering vanished into the night once he was free, and Sonam curled up to rest with his arms over his head. He would have to use illusion in the morning to disguise himself as Tsering, but according to the other workers, the supervisors rarely looked at them.

  Then he heard voices. Voices speaking Gaulan. His understanding of the language had improved, traveling with the Mage Guardian, and he understood most of what was being said.

  “…‌and none of the gateways have been triggered?”

  “No, my lord.”

  Sonam did not dare shift his arms or do anything to attract attention. The speakers were walking by the shelter for the workers now, very close. He should have used illusion—‌what if they saw his different clothing?

  “And the power residual scrying? You have done them every week?”

  “Yes, my lord. No results.”

  “Excellent. Whoever created the barrier is either dead or trapped inside. Clearly they cannot come out and fight for whatever reason. Korda. Has there been any sign of Kohlmann?”

  “No, my lord.” This voice sounded different to Sonam. It seemed to hold more emotion, or some other quality that made the speaker real, not like the rigid automatons that had spoken earlier. The voices had passed the shelter now, and he dared to open one eye.

  A tall, older man with a cane was walking away. Beside him were two other men, and behind followed a man with thinning hair and a round face damp with perspiration. All were Aeropan.

  The older man stopped, turning. Sonam squinted so his eyes would appear to be closed. “Take a horse and go discover what has happened to delay him. Return and report immediately when you have found him. Make no unnecessary stops. Go.”

  “Yes, my lord,” Korda, the round–‌faced man gasped.

  “You two, report to me in the morning. We must take the barrier down. The good ore is all within—‌and we need more workers as well.” The older man walked away, out of sight. Korda’s face worked with emotion. He looked frightened and desperate. He took one step in the direction the man with the cane had gone, stopped, then quickly ducked inside a small shed.

  A few minutes later Korda peeked out the door, chin trembling, and looked about. He was stuffing some round brown sticks in his jacket. Something made him whip his head around, and his expression became more resolute.

  “You there. Heinzen. His lordship orders you to take a horse and ride it on the trail to Ghot until you reach the base of the mountain. You will hold this and set it alight. It will…‌it will give you further instructions.” Korda handed him one of the brown sticks.

  Another man came in view, his eyes wide with pain, sweat beading his brow. Every motion was jerky and stiff. He was clearly fighting the compulsion, but it was no use. He slowly turned and walked away. Korda ran.

  “Why did they not put compulsions on you?” Sonam asked the others.

  One shrugged. “Maybe the evil magicians must speak our language to give us orders that way. Why should they? The chains are enough.”

  Sonam put it aside as another question to ask the Mage Guardian when he returned. He slipped out of his manacles when it was fully dark and most of the workers were asleep. He wanted to know what was in the small shed.

  Inside were small wood crates with rope handles. One had its lid ajar, and he opened it. With a trickle of moon–‌seeing, he saw that the contents were the same brown sticks that Korda had taken. On the outside of the box was writing. “Gefärlich—‌Explosiv” and a symbol of flame. He took a few himself, thinking they might be useful, and pondered what Korda had done. He had ordered the man to take the horse instead of himself, and given him one of the sticks. Something that would explode. Why would he do that? Why did he not follow the orders he had been given, if he was under a compulsion?

  He is not compelled, but he can compel others. This was something those in the cave needed to know. As was the fact the old man intended to remove the barrier tomorrow morning.

  Sonam went farther out, to the cliffs. The kai–‌ling were sleepy now, and he found one perched on an outcropping, blinking slowly and grooming its scales. It was young, which explained why it was still active. He reached out gently to scratch the dorsal spines, and it arched its back and kittered at him, making no move to leave. When he thought it was relaxed enough, he picked it up and tucked it in his jacket.

  Quickly, before the kai–‌ling warmed up completely, he took the hollow reed he had found and cast the magic to capture his words. He described the old man with the cane, warned them of the barrier destruction, and described the strange behavior of Korda. He did not mention his plans for the morning, just in case the message was intercepted somehow.

  Now the kai–‌ling was very active. He finished with one last instruction that the kai–‌ling would certainly consider important, and sealed the message. “Find the red hair in the mountain.” He made a series of simple illusions as the kai–‌ling watched intently. They were drawn naturally to magic, and a magic image would stay in their minds for days. “Red hair gives meat.” The kai–‌ling grasped the reed in its foreclaws, kittered at him again, and took off in a rush.

  Now he had to return to the chains that did not hold him so he could go into the mine and find the way past the barrier. And now, thanks to Korda, he had a way to ensure the hidden entrance was not found and that he would not be missed. He would simply blow up the mine.

  Ardhuin had slept uneasily, so it was not as much a decision to wake up as to stop trying to sleep. The faint illumination of magefire still filled the cave, enough that she could see Gutrune shift and raise her head as she went by.

  “I’m going to check outside,” she whispered. Gutrune nodded and sat up. Ardhuin sighed inwardly. It really should be possible for her to do something without offers of help.

  Nothing had changed. Her various traps and detection systems had not been triggered, and the path remained in darkness even though dawn lit the sky. Something flew overhead, briefly making a small, darker shadow, and she went back in the tunnel to the cave.

  “I suppose we should start making plans,” Ardhuin said as soon as she had gone through the barrier.

  “It would be wise, but we should also consider waiting a few days more for the detachment.” Gutrune spoke in low tones, b
ut the others were beginning to wake. “In fact, I—” her gaze sharpened, and she moved swiftly between Ardhuin and the opening, her pistol in her hand. “Something is moving.”

  Something was, and it moved very strangely. Ardhuin called up brighter magefire and blinked in astonishment. The creature was long and sinuous, a curious combination of weasel and snake, and a beautiful cerulean blue shaded with purple at the edges of its scales. It was now running back and forth along the ground, raking its claws against the barrier in an agitated way.

  “How did it manage to get past the illusion? And what is it?” Ardhuin had the strangest feeling it was staring at her.

  “It looks like a little dragon,” Dominic said drowsily. “Are you doing illusions for fun?”

  “What is it?” The thin voice of MacCrimmon came from the back of the cave.

  “Some little creature got in the tunnel and wants to visit,” Markus said over his shoulder. “That or high altitude causes me to hallucinate. It is a rather improbable shade of blue.”

  “Ah, it is a kai–‌ling then. A dragonet, I call them. Its rather unusual to see one so early in the day, when it is still chilly.”

  Now it was trying to bite the barrier in frustration. “Seems it wants to get in,” Stoller observed.

  “Is it carrying anything?” MacCrimmon asked, strangely.

  “Why would it…‌oh. Yes, it has something like a stem in one claw.”

  MacCrimmon struggled to sit up, and Markus hurried over to assist him. “It’s probably been sent then, with a message. The people here use them for that purpose. Let it in—‌they are not dangerous.”

  Dubious, Ardhuin made a small opening in the barrier. The little dragonet wiggled through immediately, apparently able to sense where the opening was as soon as it was made. It was making a repeated khi–‌khi–‌khi noise in a high tone, and launched into the air, circling around Ardhuin. It made no attempt to attack, and Ardhuin reluctantly held out a hand.