Spirit Blade: Book III of the Dragon Mage Trilogy (13 page)

“And this allows you to control the dragon?” asked Toele incredulously. He still couldn’t believe this giant beast was under Brendan’s control.

“For the most part,” said Brendan.

“For the most part?” asked Toele. He looked nervous again.

Brendan smiled again. “The dragon is an intelligent creature. In order to get it to obey, you have to reason with it.”

“So you can get it to do what you want as long as it agrees to it?” asked Belham.

“Pretty much,” said Brendan.

“Excellent work!” exclaimed Gresham. “This could prove to be a turning point in the war if we can get more dragons to support us willingly.”

“That remains to be seen,” muttered Toele. “I doubt that dragons would be willing to fight one another.”

“We’ll see,” said Gresham. He turned to Brendan. “How many dragons are under control of an orb right now, Brendan?”

“Only two,” said Brendan. “My associate has one under control in Arral.”

“But several more orbs have been created and are ready to be used as we speak,” added Violet. “We expect word from other mages within days.”

“Excellent!” said Gresham. He pointed to the majestic beast before them. “Perhaps we can have a demonstration?”

Brendan grinned. “Of course!” He turned to the dragon and appeared to be deep in thought for a moment. Then the dragon lowered its wing and Brendan climbed onto its back right behind the head. He held on tight and the great beast stretched out its wings and launched itself into the air. It flapped its wings with a slow, methodical rhythm. Brendan and his dragon swerved in a long arc and dove back toward the courtyard. They flew in a low trajectory and surged over the assembled mages with incredible speed. Most of the mages ducked instinctively as the dragon and rider flew past. Several mages had even cast a shield spell to protect everyone from a potential attack.

The attack didn’t happen, and Brendan and Burnett rose back into the sky. The dragon let loose with a flaming fireball, much to the delight of the spectators. The fireball fizzled out before hitting the ground a safe distance away. Then the dragon and rider swung back to the courtyard where the dragon opened its wings and slowed its descent. By the time the dragon reached the courtyard, it was going slowly enough that it could come to a running stop. As the dust settled, Brendan climbed back down to the ground via the dragon’s wing.

Several mages cheered as he stopped to take a bow.

“Well done!” exclaimed Gresham.

“Impressive!” added Belham.

“I think we ought to make preparations to equip more mages with dragon orbs,” said Gresham to the others.

“I recommend we assign orbs only to mages with a higher level of magic,” said Brendan, as he strode toward them from the dragon. “It takes a considerable amount of concentration to maintain control of the dragon even when you’re just flying through the air. My associate has the rank of master mage and he can barely control his dragon. Anyone with a lower rank than a master mage should not attempt this.”

“Concentration to hang on?” asked an arch mage.

“Concentration to maintain control mentally,” explained Brendan. “The dragon is quite intelligent and always tries to seize control of its actions. If you haven’t got good enough mental control, the dragon will choose its own actions and convince you that it is in charge. It will then control you instead of the other way around. It could potentially find a way to seize the orb for itself and regain its freedom, leaving you in a vulnerable position. If you become separated from the orb, we don’t yet know what could happen, since the orb links you to the dragon. It could even mean death.” Brendan shrugged. “We just don’t know right now.”

“Understood,” said Gresham. “We will limit the orbs to arch mages and seasoned master mages for now.”

“And those who don’t mind heights,” added Belham.

Gresham chuckled. “Of course.”

“How do you recommend capture of a dragon?” asked an arch mage.

Brendan turned to her. “Once you have learned the magic associated with the orb, you will be given one and then it would be a good idea to position yourself in one of the remote villages where dragon attacks are common. Sooner or later, one will appear in search of easy prey in the form of farm animals. Then you must confront the dragon with the magical spell you have learned while holding the orb in front of you. If you succeed, the dragon’s life force will channel into the orb and the dragon will not harm you for fear of damaging the orb. To do so would kill it.”

“So you keep the orb with you at all times?” asked Belham.

“Yes,” said Brendan. “A good practice is to mount it atop your staff.” He held his out so the others could see it.

“Excellent idea!” exclaimed Gresham. “It can’t be lost so easily that way.”

“It was Violet’s idea,” said Brendan, turning a smiling face to the fair-haired mage.

Violet blushed.

“Have you thought about how you’re going to fight other dragons?” asked Toele.

Brendan frowned. “Yes, but I have no answer for that as yet.”

“How do you care for such a creature?” asked Arch Mage Doris. “It must surely have an appetite.”

“We have thought of that,” responded Violet, “since that’s when the dragon is hardest to control. They do indeed eat an enormous amount of food. Brendan has an arrangement with his dragon to let it fly north to an area where dragons like to feed.”

“How do you know it goes north to feed?” asked Toele. “For all you know, it goes to the nearest human settlement to gorge itself before coming back.”

Violet shook her head. “While giving the dragon permission to feed, Brendan had given it instructions to leave the human settlements alone. While it was gone, we watched for signs that a dragon attack had occurred in a human settlement. As yet there have been none. A few dragons have been spotted in towns south of here, but each of those times Burnett was with Brendan.”

“That’s good,” said Gresham, “but we should continue to monitor this going forward, particularly if we manage to control more dragons.”

“Absolutely,” said Brendan, “but once you get to know one of these magnificent creatures, you’ll know they are as good as their word.”

“Telepathically speaking,” said Belham with a wink.

Brendan laughed. “I suppose you’re right.”

“One other note,” added Violet. “Brendan’s dragon will only venture a certain distance for a certain time before it feels strongly inclined to return to where the orb is located. It cannot stay away for long, no matter how hard it tries.”

“That’s good,” said Belham. “That way we know they will always return.”

Gresham rubbed his hands together. “Well, I think it’s time to get into action. We have much to do in the next short while.”

“I’ll rearrange the magical ring factory to accommodate more orbs,” said Belham eagerly.

“If you need more people I’ll get Arch Mage Tesa to assemble a team to help,” offered Gresham.

Belham blinked. He had an affinity for the short, stout mage. He had worked with her on several occasions and enjoyed her company. “I’d love the help!” he exclaimed.

Gresham grinned. “I thought so.” He gave a few additional instructions to some of the others and then everyone headed off to their respective tasks, leaving Brendan and Violet in the company of the dragon, along with the mages on security detail.

Chapter 12

A
few days had passed and the companions were heading north after stopping briefly in Ridholm. Kazin was disappointed in how little information he had gleaned from the locals. It seemed everyone in that town was too busy to talk. But he did learn a few things about the old world that many of them had left behind.

Apparently, there had been many years of drought, and food was extremely difficult to come by. Nations were constantly declaring war on one another only to discover the territory they were fighting for was just as dry and barren as their own. People quickly became disillusioned about the fighting when they discovered the people in authority were the only ones who benefitted from the spoils of war. They abandoned the army in droves, much to the disappointment of power-hungry leaders who offered substantial gold and silver to their people to fight for them. They didn’t realize that even money could not buy food that did not exist. The people instead used their money to buy one way fares on ships destined to a new land where food was reported to be abundant. Even the rumours of having to fight unusual creatures and dragons seemed more appealing that staying where they were and starving while their leaders decided what rations to hand out on a daily basis. At least they would have something to fight for in the new land.

The shipping companies were the ones who had profited the most from the arrangement. They had plenty of business, and the influx of currency meant they could manufacture additional ships at a record pace. They even manufactured warships for the Barlin Shipping Company, named after Admiral Barlin, who had been the first human to sail into the Bay of Barlin and discover a lush, soil rich land that was ideal for a new settlement. The admiral returned a second time with a number of settlers supported by a military force and the first settlement took hold in the new land. Later ships brought cattle and poultry, and from then on there had been no stopping the wave of newcomers.

Alliances were forged with the dwarves and elves, and trade was established. Magic was an entirely new concept, and the elves were astounded when they learned that many humans were capable of this ancient art. From there, human mage guilds were formed and evolved into the form that currently existed.

But that was all history. The only thing they could establish regarding their mission was that it probably had something to do with the war and the upcoming upheaval to the world as they knew it.

Now they traveled along a dusty road that was used primarily by patrols as they moved between various guard posts situated along the perimeter of the humans’ realm. This was the route they had decided upon after much deliberation. Amelia had cautioned them time and again about the need to distance themselves from any unnecessary encounters that could change the future. There had already been too much interference as far as she was concerned. Thus the less-traveled path was chosen, and here they rode on horses they had acquired in Ridholm.

Kazin did admonish the need to reach the war zone, however, and no amount of non-interference should stop them from going there, since, as he put it, the threat to the future had to be stopped. And he would do whatever was in his power to destroy it. He had no choice but to interfere when the time came.

Amelia was not pleased about that threat, but conceded it was the only way to deal with the problem.

Because they were effectively going the long way, they were all in agreement that they should make haste. What they hadn’t counted on was the dense fog that had wafted in from the east. The gaseous vents on the jagged peaks to their right were poisonous if one was too close to them, but they were far enough away that the gases were diluted to a harmless level.

Zylor was in the lead on a very large horse. Ordinarily, he would have opted to run alongside the others. Minotaurs on foot could easily keep up to mounted riders provided the horses weren’t galloping at full speed. They didn’t have any use for horses in general, except for the purposes of food. But it wouldn’t do for him to be without a horse should they come across a patrol or some travelers. He was thankful for the thick fog. This meant he did not need to be under the annoying spell that made him look human. Should someone happen along, Kazin could quickly cast the spell on him and the amulet would take over, concealing his true identity once again.

A noise to his right caused him to reign in his horse and hold up his hand. His horse’s breath steamed in the cool, damp air, a testament to its overwhelming load.

Because of the fog, Sherman, on a large horse as well, nearly bumped into the minotaur before realizing he had called a halt. The others pulled up behind them and Zylor explained that he had heard something.

After a few minutes of waiting, he shook his head in exasperation. “Maybe it was just the wind.” He spurred his horse forward and the others followed quietly.

Less than a minute later Zylor called a halt again. He snorted. “There’s something out there,” he growled. “I smell it.”

“What is it?” asked Harran.

Zylor shook his head. “I’ve never come across the scent before. It’s - irritating.”

“Maybe it’s the gas,” suggested Olag. “That’s not a scent you’ve experienced before. I can smell it too.”

“No,” growled Zylor. “It’s the scent of a creature of some sort. My instincts tell me it’s extremely dangerous.”

Olag snorted. “How can you tell it’s dangerous if you don’t -,” he broke off.

Everyone turned to the skink warrior as his eyes widened in alarm. His spiked fins stiffened and his nostrils flared. “I see what you mean, Zylor. I just caught a whiff of it. I’m chilled to the bone and I don’t know why.” He turned to Kazin. “Don’t you feel it?”

Kazin shook his head.

“Maybe someone cast a spell on us,” suggested Sherman.

“Then why aren’t the rest of us affected?” asked Harran.

Kazin did a ‘spell check’ spell and the orb atop his staff glowed purple. “That’s strange,” he muttered.

“What is it?” asked Amelia.

“There is magic in the area, but I’ve never encountered this kind before,” responded the arch mage quietly. “I should know what this magic is, but I don’t recall -.”

A scream suddenly broke the still air. A moment later it was repeated.

“Someone’s in trouble!” exclaimed Sherman. He fingered his sword nervously.

“It came from over there,” added the dwarf, pointing to the right.

“We should go help!” said Sherman through clenched teeth.

Amelia cleared her throat and everyone turned to look at her. She held up her orb. It was glowing with a dark pink. “I think not.”

The scream sounded again and everyone turned to the old mage. Kazin swallowed nervously. “We must ignore it. Let’s move on.”

They hesitated, but there were no more screams. Zylor cursed and spurred his horse forward, muttering under his breath. One by one the others followed until only Amelia was left. The group was just fading from sight when her orb turned a dark red. The further away the others rode, the darker it became. It also began to vibrate - a new feature that had never occurred before. The orb vibrated more and more violently and started to heat up.

“Guys, wait!” cried Amelia. She spurred her horse forward to catch up with the others. “Stop!”

They all turned to the spell caster as she galloped up to them in a panic. “The orb is telling me - us - not to ignore this - whatever it is. Riding away from it makes it worse!” For added effect she held up her orb. It was a brilliant red.

“But we’re not supposed to interfere -,” objected Olag. He was quite happy to be heading away from the danger.

A scream sounded again, still off to the right, but a bit further back where they had first heard it.

“I say we check it out,” said Sherman resolutely.

“I’m with you,” growled Zylor.

“We’ll all go,” said Kazin, “but proceed with caution. There is magic in the air and it could be a ruse of some sort.”

“I’m inclined to agree,” seconded Olag. “Whatever it is, it’s not to be trifled with.”

The orb in Amelia’s hand began to pulse. “I think we’d better hurry,” she urged.

Sherman was already in motion, with Zylor and Harran on either side of him. Kazin urged his horse forward with the others in order to keep up.

It took only a few moments before they reached the edges of the jagged territory where the land rose up in jutted peaks that marked the beginning of ‘no man’s land’. To travel further meant risking death. The gaseous vents and treacherous terrain, along with the stories of no one returning from this territory alive were reason enough to stay away.

“That’s funny,” muttered Harran. “I didn’t realize we had ventured so close to this area.”

“Neither did I,” grumbled Sherman. “The fog must have caused us to travel off course.”

“No doubt,” said Kazin. “I did notice the fog was getting thicker.”

A scream sounded again, this time much closer. One of the horses whinnied and the others became skittish. Amelia cast a spell on the horses which immediately calmed them.

Zylor dismounted. “The horses aren’t going any closer. We’ll have to leave them behind.”

“Someone will have to stay with them,” said Kazin as he and the others followed suit. “We can’t risk them being scared off.”

“I’ll stay,” offered Olag.

“Very well,” said Kazin.

“We can tie the reins to these outcrops so you don’t have to hold them,” suggested Harran. He tied his horse’s reigns around an obsidian stalagmite-shaped rock that protruded from the ground at an odd angle. The others followed his example.

Within moments everyone was ready to proceed. Just then another scream sounded, followed by a short cry.

“I’ll lead the way,” said Harran. No one argued. His instinct with finding his way in the mountains was legendary.

As the skink warrior watched the others disappear into the mist, he suddenly realized he was going to be alone with only the horses for company. He didn’t want to face the dangers the others were about to face, but being alone was just as bad. Olag hoped they wouldn’t be long. Suddenly a thought struck him and he shuddered. What if they didn’t come back? What if they succumbed to whatever was casting those spells and he was left to fend for himself? He certainly couldn’t go to the humans for help, and his own kind wouldn’t even recognize him. He would be a freak of nature, and would be shunned by everyone. The skink warrior would truly be alone. Olag groaned inwardly and chided himself for going on this quest. It was a bad idea. Only one thing gave him hope. That was the knowledge that the group he now traveled with was the most courageous, savvy, and capable crew he had ever encountered. They had gotten out of some extremely dangerous situations before. This was no different. If anyone could come back from this current undertaking, it was they. Besides, they were his friends. They were also honourable. They would never abandon him. Somehow he had earned their trust, and he wasn’t about to let them down either. They were in this together.

With a sigh of resignation, the skink warrior hunkered down between some smooth outcrops and opened a can of trail rations to distract his troubled mind. At least he still had possession of the invisibility ring should he need it.

Harran crept forward slowly. He pointed ahead of him. “I see the outlines of a cave,” he whispered. “We must be close.”

The others crowded around him and squinted into the fog. Suddenly, the fog lifted slightly, revealing a strange sight. Left of the cave entrance was a dry, lifeless tree. Bound to it was a young woman in a tattered dress. Prodding at her with some sharp sticks were a pair of orcs. They were drooling and gurgling in glee every time they succeeded in eliciting a moan or cry from their captive.

Sherman drew his sword and started forward with Zylor at his side when Kazin cried, “Stop!” They looked questioningly at the mage.

“It’s an illusion!” said Kazin. “It’s not real!”

The woman screamed again and Sherman winced. “Are you sure? It sounds awfully real to me.”

Suddenly Harran began to jump around uncontrollably. “Get them off me! Get them off me!” His legs were covered in red ants.

“Ignore it!” yelled Kazin. “It’s not real! It’s only illusion!”

Then a giant bat swept down on the mage from above. Instinctively, he swatted it aside with his hand and felt it slash his arm. He cursed at his reaction. “It can’t hurt you unless you believe it’s real!”

Meanwhile, Harran was still hopping around and the warrior and minotaur were on their way to deal with the orcs. Amelia was using magic to deal with the giant bats as they became more and more numerous. One bat swooped down on Kazin again, but this time he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Nothing happened. As the bat made contact with him, it vanished. The illusion had no effect if he refused to believe in it. Now he had to convince his friends of that. He walked over to Harran and held him firmly by the shoulders. “They’re not real!” he yelled into the dwarf’s face. By now the dwarf’s legs were entirely covered with large red ants. “Ignore them! They’re not real!” Kazin repeated.

Harran squeezed his eyes shut and repeated. “They’re not real. They’re not real.” As quickly as the ants had appeared they vanished. The dwarf opened his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

“That’s how you resist,” said Kazin. “Don’t believe the illusion is real.”

Harran nodded.

Kazin glanced back at Amelia as a giant bat struck her and vanished. She had heard Kazin and was tuning out the illusions. She gave the arch mage a wan smile and nodded. “I’m ok.”

Kazin heard a clash behind him and spun around to see Sherman and Zylor engaging the orcs in combat. Strangely, the orcs had acquired swords and shields. Even more alarmingly, they seemed to increase in size, becoming larger every moment. Within seconds they were bigger than even the minotaur.

“Sherman! Zylor! They’re not real!” cried Kazin, running over to the struggling fighters. Perspiration beaded Sherman’s forehead as he fought in desperation against an ever growing foe.

The warrior fended off blow after blow, having changed from attacking to defending tactics.