Return of the Dragon (The Dragon's Champion Book 6) (26 page)

Njar fumbled for words. He cleared his throat and
looked back to the burning city. “You have an affinity for fire spells, it
would seem.”

“Don’t try to change the subject, tell me what is
going on,” Aparen demanded.

Njar looked to the ground and sighed. “You are a
Sahale, Aparen.”

“What?” Aparen asked incredulously. “Why do you wait
until now to tell me?”

“Let me explain,” Njar said as he patted the air. “I
wasn’t sure your gift was intact. You see, this is something that is passed
down in the blood from parent to child. Neither Lady Cedreau, nor Lord Cedreau
held this gift, but now that you know you are not, in fact, their child, you
should also know that Lady Lokton is also a Sahale.”

Aparen shook his head. “No, if she was a Sahale, then
why wouldn’t she use it to protect her home?”

“The blood of the Sahale does provide some protection
from Nagar’s Secret, but it is dependent upon the purity of the Sahale blood
within a person as well as their natural disposition. Some would say all Sahale
are immune, but that is not entirely accurate. More to the point, Lady Lokton
has a latent gift. It sometimes happens that the blood can be diluted to the
point that the gift fails to manifest, or can skip a generation before
reappearing. I doubt she actually can use the ability.”

“But mine is stronger?”

Njar nodded. “Like I said, it can skip a generation
sometimes and reappear stronger in the offspring than in the parent. Such is
your situation, except you were put into Lady Cedreau’s womb. Her blood mixed
with yours before you were born. Normally this gift manifests itself on an
individual’s seventeenth birthday. I assume that your gift was delayed due to
the magic which was used to manipulate your future when the witch coven stole
you from your rightful mother, and placed you in Lady Cedreau’s womb.”

“Are you saying I can’t use my gift?” Aparen asked.

Njar shook his head. “I spent the last several weeks
working on this riddle whenever I had a moment to myself. I think I have
figured it out, but I didn’t bring it up before because I didn’t want to
disappoint you. I am still not sure it will work. That is why Dremathor traded
his powers to Gilifan for immunity from Nagar’s spell, I don’t know if your
Sahale blood is pure enough to provide resistance to the curse once you take
the form of a dragon.”

“Then why tell me now?” Aparen pressed.

Njar closed his eyes for a moment and then he looked
up into Aparen’s eager eyes.
“Because I have seen a future
that shows you fighting Tu’luh directly.
If you are to survive, even
with your magical powers, you must be able to unlock it.”

“How do I do that?”

Njar stretched out a thumb and pressed it to Aparen’s
forehead. The image of a bright, blue rune burned into the young wizard’s mind.
“Do you know what this is?” the satyr asked.

“No,” Aparen replied.

Njar’s voice turned cold. “Use your brain, boy,” he
chided. “Reach into
all
of your knowledge.”

Aparen thought on the rune for several minutes.
Something in his mind pulled at him, as if somewhere in the corners of his
consciousness there was a key to the riddle. Aparen let himself entertain the
thought, and a vision—no, a memory—opened up in his mind. In the memory,
Dremathor was studying an ancient tome on dragons that spoke extensively about
the Sahale. At once he had access to the knowledge learned from that book and
he knew what the rune meant.

“I see it now,” Aparen said. As he pictured the rune
in his mind he could feel a fire burning within his chest.

“Continue to meditate upon this rune. Use your added
knowledge to help you unlock its power. It is the key to your transformation.
You will find that your strength as a dragon will far outperform your prowess
as a shadowfiend.

Njar pulled his thumb away from Aparen’s head and
smiled at the young wizard. “I know this is a great and terrible thing that you
have done here in the city, but you need to understand that it was for the
best. We seek balance, Aparen. That is all we can do. Tu’luh seeks to destroy
that balance. I have seen him. I beheld a great vision while you were here, and
it showed me terrible things. The dragon has gone to Ten Forts and gathered a
massive army unto himself that is like none other before. The living orcs he
subjugated with the curse, while the dead orcs he
raised
using the necromancer’s power.” Njar looked to the ground, shaking his head.
“Worse still, he raised the human dead, and they now serve in his army as well.
They will march north, and they will destroy the army at Stonebrook. If
Stonebrook falls, the Champion of Truth will not have enough time to return and
fight. You must do everything you can to hold the dragon’s army off.”

“Are you saying that I should fight the army alone?”

“Of course not,” Njar said.

“You want me to go back to Stonebrook and ask them to
trust me?”

Njar nodded. “The only way this will work, is if you
fight alongside the armies of King Mathias.” Njar moved back toward the portal.
“This is not a fight I can enter. This is a battle you must wage. Do not be
afraid to search for, and unlock, your potential as a Sahale. The champion will
be here soon, all you must do is
hold
the enemy army
at bay.”

“If the dragon can raise the dead, then how do I
destroy his army?”

“You can’t,” Njar said. “The best you can do is
hold
them in place. Force the dragon to stop pressing
forward and raise his army. This may mean that you have to fight to him
yourself, but don’t allow yourself to be killed. Engage enough to slow him, and
then disengage. Keep the dragon far enough away that he cannot use his spell to
conquer the living. Let Mathias’ army fight the dragon’s army.” Njar stepped
into the portal and the portal vanished.

Aparen sat still upon the mountainside watching the
fires in the distance. A few moments passed and then he began meditating upon
the rune again, hoping to find the answer to unlocking his potential as a
Sahale. In the morning, he would travel to Stonebrook and find the king’s army.

Lepkin sat out on the terrace. He watched the sunrise
in the East. He raised a glass of mulled wine to his lips and sipped it slowly.
Lady Dimwater was still fast asleep after a long night of nursing their
newborn. Master Lepkin had come to get some fresh air before the battle would
start. His scouts had seen the signs of orcs sending smaller patrols to the
north. None had gone so far as to reach the chasm where the brook was, but a
few had gone beyond the burned forest. Lepkin knew the battle would not be far
off.
Perhaps a few days at most.
While the main orcish
army marched its way north, Commander Nials had the men preparing the field as
best he could. With the reinforcements they had received they had decided to
make a stand.

The snows had stopped falling some weeks ago and the
winter was beginning to subside, giving way to an early spring. The ground was
still frozen solid however, and the nights were still far too cold to travel
openly. Still, Lepkin had sent the rest of Stonebrook’s citizens north out of
harm’s way.

He had hardly seen Al over the last several days. The
dwarf king was far too busy organizing his own soldiers. Marlin was busy too.
He spent his time tending the wounded. A Hospital had been set up in a large
manor. In the evenings, Marlin would return to Tillamon’s house and help with
Lady Dimwater and the newborn if he had enough energy. Lady Arkyn was out
commanding the scouts as they hunted for orcs.

Lepkin watched a regiment of phalanx troops practice
in the field beyond Tillamon’s house. When he finished his wine, he rose to go
into the house, but he was stopped by a sudden shout. He looked out to where
the phalanx troops were practicing and saw that they had circled around
something. He set the empty glass on the table, situated his sword on his belt,
and ran out in a controlled fashion to see what the matter was.

When he arrived he saw a young man standing in the
middle of the phalanx troops. Spears were leveled at his throat and chest, but
he made no move to attack or to speak. Lepkin could not see the young man’s
face, as his back was turned toward Lepkin. When Lepkin pushed through the
throng, telling them to stand down, he was surprised when he saw young Eldrik
Cedreau standing there before him.

“Eldrik Cedreau, what brings you here?” Lepkin asked.

“I have come with a message, a gift, and help.” The
man stopped and smiled slightly. He looked at Lepkin, and Master Lepkin saw a
confidence that he had never before seen in the young man’s eyes. “My name is
Aparen now,” he added.

“Very well, Aparen, what is it you brought for us?”

“I have the book that you lost, Keeper of Secrets.”
Aparen pulled Nagar’s Secret out from a small pouch at his belt and offered it
to Lepkin.

Lepkin glanced around at the others before his eyes
settled on Aparen. How had he found the book? More importantly, what was the
price for which he was really offering it back now? Lepkin pulled a dagger and
moved in quick, his left hand reaching out and seizing Aparen’s wrist.

“Drop the book, and come with me.”

Aparen smiled. “Dear Lepkin, I come with an offering
of peace.”

“Then drop it,” Lepkin snarled. He pressed the blade
to Aparen’s skin and glared into the young man’s eyes. “I will end you if you
try anything.” Without breaking his gaze, Lepkin called out to the soldiers
around him. “Triple the guard, now!” The phalanx troops immediately broke into
several groups amidst shouts and stomping boots.

“A blade is of little use against me,” Aparen warned.
“Put it aside.”

Aparen’s calmness unnerved Lepkin, but he was not
about to let that show. He had known the boy as an Apprentice of the Sword, but
he obviously had some sort of magic power now, otherwise he could not have
teleported into the field amidst the soldiers. “I think you would find it hard
to use magic if I slit your throat.”

“I mean you no harm,” Aparen assured him. “Remove the
knife.”

“How did you come by the book?”

“I found this yesterday in a cavern. A mountain near
Pinkt’Hu had swallowed an old orcish fortress, and deep inside that fortress I
found an altar that Gilifan used to resurrect Tu’luh the Red.”

“And how did you get the book?” Lepkin asked. “How can
I know that you are not in league with the dragon?”

“Dear Lepkin, if I were
,
what
good would it serve to give you the book now?” Aparen dropped the book at Lepkin’s
feet. “I come to you with an offering of peace. I show you that I have
destroyed an army the dragon was raising against you. Don’t you understand?
Gilifan resurrected the dragon. They used Nagar’s Secret. They turned thousands
into their mindless soldiers. Thousands more they raised from the dead as
zombies, and I destroyed them. The dragon has now moved south, to Ten Forts. He
is using his magic to build another army against you. This is an army unlike
any other you have ever faced. There will be orcs and humans fighting alongside
each other. Those who have not been turned to living slaves by the dragon will
be raised as zombies. Is your army prepared to fight monsters that look the
same as their comrades before they died?”

“How can you be sure of this?”

“I have spent a great long while studying the ways of
magic. I have no way to prove to you that what I say is true other than to give
you the book. I can say that I am on your side. I do not want Tu’luh to enslave
the Middle Kingdom any more than you do. I am here to fight the dragon.”

“How can you possibly expect to fight the dragon? And
how can I believe that Tu’luh has been raised from the dead?”

“Let me go, and I will show you,” Aparen offered.

Lepkin shook his head. “No, you will show us.” He
moved around Aparen, still holding his knife in place on the young man’s neck.
He slipped the toe of his boot under the large book and flicked the book up to
his left hand. He slammed it into the young man’s stomach. “Hold this with both
hands,” he said. Lepkin then urged him forward. “Let’s go and have a talk with
someone else. Remember, if you try anything, I will slit your throat.”

They got as far as the table where Lepkin had been
sipping his wine before Dimwater and Marlin emerged from the manor.

“Some of the men told me what happened,” Marlin said.

“Read him,” Lepkin told Marlin. “Do it now.”

Marlin took one look at Aparen and then nodded and
made a gesture with his hand for Lepkin to move the knife away. “I see no
deceit in him.”

“Are you sure?” Lepkin pressed.

Marlin nodded. “He is strong, and has far more power
than I would expect for someone of his age, but he is no threat.”

“That isn’t entirely accurate,” Lady Dimwater said
suddenly. She moved in close and smelled the side of Aparen’s neck. “You are a
shadowfiend, I can smell it.”

“And you have demon blood running through you,” Aparen
countered. “Does that make you an enemy?”

Lepkin shoved Aparen onto his knees. “Hold your
tongue.” He looked up to Dimwater and then glanced to Marlin. “Why didn’t you
mention that?” Lepkin asked Marlin. “Surely you can see the difference in his
aura enough to know what he is, just as you can with Dimwater.”

The prelate sighed disapprovingly. “Assuming he could
deceive me, I suspect he is strong enough that he would have already attacked
if he had come to cause trouble. I say we let him speak.”

Lepkin growled and roughly shoved the young man
forward while yanking the book back. Aparen didn’t show any sign of aggression
or resentment. He slowly stood and then turned to Marlin. “I can show you
something.” Aparen brought a single hand up before the two of them. He muttered
a word and then an orb of silver appeared in his hand. “I have not performed
this spell before, but I believe it will give us some insight into Tu’luh’s
mind. I was just explaining to Master Lepkin that I found this book in an old
orcish ruin buried in a mountain east of Pinkt’Hu. They have used the spell
already, but I destroyed Pinkt’Hu and everyone in it, preventing that army from
assaulting anyone in the Middle Kingdom.”

Lepkin glanced to Marlin. Marlin nodded, showing that
he thought Aparen was, in fact, telling the truth.

Aparen muttered a few words and the silver orb flashed
yellow, then white. The orb then cleared of all color, allowing Lepkin to stare
into it. Lepkin saw a large chamber, as if it were in a stony mountain. In the
center of the chamber he saw an altar. Beside the altar he saw Gilifan and a
large, silvery dragon.

“Tu’luh has returned,” Marlin gasped.

“Tu’luh does not look like that,” Lepkin argued.

Marlin shook his head. “A new body, but I see the same
aura within. It is him. The beast has returned to Terramyr.”

Lepkin was not overly convinced by the orb that Aparen
used, but Marlin’s word was good enough for him. He did not need to see anymore
to know that Tu’luh was real.

“Does this orb show the present or the past?” Lady
Dimwater asked.

“This orb shows the past.” The orb melted into
Aparen’s hand. “Because I was inside the chamber, I was able to capture some of
the past and put it into this orb. As I said before, I had never done this
before, so, I was unsure it would work. That is why I grabbed the book. I want
you to understand that I am a friend in this battle. I do not pretend that I
wish to stay in the Middle Kingdom when this fight is over, but I do not want
the dragon to win.”

“How long do we have?” Lepkin asked.

Aparen shrugged. “I do not know. The master who taught
me is Njar, a satyr. It is he who told me that Tu’luh has gone to Ten Forts to
raise a large army.”

“What did you say?” Lady Dimwater asked as she grabbed
Aparen’s shoulder and spun him toward her.

“I said Tu’luh has gone to Ten Forts to raise an army.”

Dimwater shook her head.
“No, the
name of your master.
Who did you say it was?”

Aparen frowned. “Njar, he is a—”

“I know very well who he is,” Dimwater said quickly.
She looked to Lepkin. “If Njar taught him, then we have nothing to fear.”

“What is it that you suggest we do?” Lepkin asked. “I
should trust him because you know his master and Marlin says his aura is clear?”

“I know Njar,” Dimwater said.

“And since when have you ever doubted me?” Marlin cut
in. “I may be blind, but my eyes see more than yours.”

Lepkin stared hard at Aparen for a long while. He
didn’t like it. It all seemed too easy. “Why would Tu’luh leave the spell
behind?”

Aparen shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “I only know
what I showed you.”

Dimwater interjected, holding her hand out for the
book. “Perhaps there is something wrong with the spell,” she said. “If they
have already used it, then it should have done more than conquer a city.
Perhaps its reach was not what Tu’luh expected. If this is the case, then he
would have transferred the power to some other artifact. Something that can be
carried before him to dominate all that
stand
in his
way.”

“So, then back to my question,” Lepkin said. “What
should we do?”

“I suggest you run.” Aparen said coolly. “I will stay
here and fight the dragon.”

“Where should we go?” Lepkin pressed.

“Go north. I have enough power that I can fight and
hold the dragon and his army off. You should take your army and retreat
northward until the Champion of Truth has met with you again. When he returns,
then you will have the power you need to defeat Tu’luh and destroy the curse.”

“How do you know of The Champion of Truth?” Marlin
asked.

“We do not have time to discuss it all. I don’t know
why you chose Erik to be your student, but I have heard it was because you saw
something in him that you had not seen in others. If this is true, and you have
such a gift of discernment, then look at me now to see whether I am a friend. I
am asking you to trust me.”

Lepkin nodded. Despite the young man’s history,
Dimwater and Marlin both felt it wise to believe him. If they did, then Lepkin
had to believe him too. “I imagine Commander Nials may wish to raze the city if
we were to evacuate. We could leave you a house, if you wish,” Lepkin said.

“Razing the city will make no difference. The army
that comes here has no need of food
nor
shelter. The
evil magic that the dragon uses will sustain all who have been raised from the
dead. Even if the elements kill them, he can raise them again. We should save
ourselves time.” Marlin said.

“It isn’t me we need to convince,” Lepkin said. “It’s
Nials.”

“Then let’s go and speak with him now,” Dimwater said.

“Gather what equipment and supplies you need, and then
make haste to the north. I will do battle with the dragon as I can, and buy you
as much time as possible.”

Lepkin reached out to retrieve the book. “And what
shall I do with this?”

“Give me a moment,” Dimwater said. She closed her eyes
and weaved a spell over the book. N orb of light, very similar to what Aparen
had used, grew on the book and a flood of different colors streamed from the
book into the orb. A moment later, Dimwater took the orb in hand and the energy
transferred to her body. After a moment she opened her eyes. “From what I
understand, the magic that has been enacted has been transferred to an amulet.
It has no more power within itself than it used to. So, as long as you do not
use your dragon form, you should be fine. However, the book still contains the
actual text of the spell, so you should take it with you. Let’s hope that Erik
can destroy it when he finds us.”