The High-Wizard's Hunt: Osric's Wand: Book Two (10 page)

“These blasted woods are cursed,” Thom stated as they retraced their steps to the path.

“I think I am beginning to agree with you, Thom. Except about the tree sprites. They are curious creatures, but they are not malicious. If we stick together and move quickly, we will get out of this forsaken forest by tomorrow mid’day.” Aron strode ahead purposefully while he spoke. “We will have to look for water as we go. As thirsty as I am, running into an elemental isn’t worth it.”

They made it back to the camp quickly and informed Gad and Asram of their comrades’ fates. The day had come swiftly and they continued on their way with little conversation. Gad’s arm was more swollen than it had been the night before. His eyes were red and sunken, and a sickly sheen of sweat shone on his skin. He wheezed a bit with each breath, but he did not complain at the grueling pace Aron set. All of the men wanted to get out of the forest as quickly as they could. They followed crude paths made by unseen creatures, which often took them close to water to rest and drink. They made good time, but Gad was unable to maintain the pace after a few hours. He stumbled every few steps and fell twice before Aron called a halt.

“We will rest here for a moment.” Aron stopped them in a small clearing near a stream. Gad collapsed against a tree, gasping to breathe and barely succeeding. Aron nodded his head at Shrad, urging him to walk with him across the clearing and out of earshot of Gad.

“We will leave him here. He won’t keep up, and he is only slowing us down,” Aron spoke in hushed tones, “Take Thom and Asram to find some more food and I will talk to Gad.”

Shrad nodded in acknowledgement and after speaking briefly with the other two men, they walked off into the forest. Aron crouched down next to Gad and rested his hand on the sick man’s shoulder. Gad’s eyes fluttered open, but he could not seem to focus on his commander’s face.

“Your fever is escalating.”

“Yes, Sir, I am sorry to slow you down,” Gad tried to stand and fell roughly back to the ground. “Perhaps I should stay here for a bit and rest. I can catch up when I am feeling better.” Gad attempted a weak smile. Aron nodded, knowing that Gad understood his intentions and had accepted his inevitable fate.

“Good man.” Aron left Gad to sleep and climbed a tree to survey their location. They were not as far down the mountain as he had hoped, but they had traveled further than he feared. A warm, miserable drizzle began to trickle through the leaves and he dropped to the ground just as the other men returned from gathering food.

“We found some fruit and Asram got lucky with his spear in the stream. We can eat the fish tonight when we stop,” Shrad spoke quietly while eyeing Gad sleeping against the tree.

“Good. We’ve rested long enough. If we push hard the rest of the day, we should make the ruins by nightfall.” Aron headed out and the men followed him, each glancing back briefly at Gad with mixed expressions. Thom glanced up at the grey sky and noticed a dragon circling above the clearing.

“Dragon!” Thom took off running past the others and they followed fast on his heels. They slowed as they veered off into the dense trees to use the foliage for cover. Shrad took the lead, looking up for a glimpse of the dragon in pursuit, and when he came to a sudden halt, Thom collided with him. Shrad stumbled and disappeared over the edge of a sheer cliff as the other two men skidded to a halt. Thom managed to gain his balance and skipped back from the precipice. Aron swore loudly and glanced over the edge. He growled angrily as he turned back to Thom and landed a fist in his stomach.

“You worthless piece of dragon dung! You are the curse in this forest.”

“He stopped right in front of me. What was I supposed to do?” Thom glared at Aron in defiance, holding his stomach and catching his breath.

As Aron took another step toward Thom, a dragon soared over their heads and air from its wings buffeted them. They ran back into the forest, more concerned for themselves than Shrad.

They ran, avoiding clearings and streams, until they reached a path heading downhill. They pushed themselves to the point of exhaustion before finally stopping to rest. As they came to a stop, Asram stumbled over the edge of a flat stone. Aron knelt down and brushed dirt and leaves from the rock and smiled. The smooth, stone surface was a remnant of an ancient road.

“We’ve reached the edge of the ruins.” Aron’s voice was resonant with relief and fatigue. “We will camp here tonight, and tomorrow we will try to find Aridis. The crazy old man is bound to be in the woods nearby. Make me a fire. I can taste that fish already.”

FireFalls Bound

Machai clung tightly to the leather straps that secured him in his seat on Treethorn’s back. He had not had many chances to ride on dragons, and she was, by far, the fastest creature he had ever encountered. Their first day in the air, they covered twice the distance Machai had expected. Seven days into the journey from Braya Volcano, they were crossing above the last stretch of the sea and Machai was anxious to be back over solid ground. He glanced over at the dragon’s other passenger and grinned widely.

“Ye be looking a bit green.” Machai laughed at the expression on Thamas’ face.

“I have never been fond of flying, and this dragon is absurdly fast.” The former Contege of the Stanton Vigiles grimaced as Treethorn banked suddenly to the left.

“There is nothing absurd about my speed. I would travel much faster, but I fear you
walkers
would be unable to hold your seat.” The dragon’s singsong voice drifted back to them.

The sun was descending rapidly toward the horizon as night approached.

“Treethorn, can ye be getting some rock under me feet before it be dark?” Machai asked.

“Only if I go faster. Do you think you can take it?” Treethorn laughed with her response. “At this pace, we will be landing after nightfall.” Machai and Thamas exchanged looks of mild trepidation, but both nodded and gripped the restraining straps tighter.

“Aye, girl, do what it be taking to get us over this stretch of water. Ye will be swooping down to catch us if we be falling, yes?”

“Of course. A dragon would never let her passengers fall to their deaths if she can help it.”

Machai grunted. Since Osric had freed Treethorn and the other elder dragons from their caged prison on Braya Volcano, the dragons were no longer compelled to provide transportation for Archana’s inhabitants. However, Osric had asked them to continue to fly walkers where they needed to go to maintain the element of surprise. Prior to their liberation, the dragons complied with the demands to fly passengers out of fear that their kin at the volcano would suffer otherwise. With the malicious motivation severed, Machai hoped that the dragon’s loyalty to Osric would be enough to ensure them safe passage to his home. So far, Treethorn had shown only the best of intentions toward her passengers, and her free spirit and quirky sense of humor made for pleasant company. The trip to the Dwarven realm was Treethorn’s first long flight since being released from her cage. She was enjoying the freedom immensely, and she did not seem to mind sharing her journey with a human and a dwarf.

Machai could sense the power of the creature as Treethorn’s muscles tensed beneath them in preparation. She pulled her legs tighter to her body and let out a sharp cry as she pumped her wings back nearly to the sides of her body and streaked across the sky. Machai felt the force of the air press him down and backward against the seat, straining the leather straps holding him in place. The leathery skin on his face stretched over his bones and his eyes watered relentlessly in the wind, causing tears to stream from the corners of his lids and dry rapidly to a stiff crust. A cry of surprise escaped his throat, but in the rush of their flight, the sound eluded his ears. Within moments, the rocky shoreline appeared ahead of them and Treethorn angled downward slightly to the coast. They dove toward the water at an alarming rate, and just when Machai was sure that it would be impossible to avoid the depths of the sea, Treethorn spread her wings and leveled out just above the waves. She laughed joyously as she dipped the tips of her wings into the water and caused a shower to rain down on her passengers. She slowed their flight as she neared the rock cliffs, and glided gently down onto a sandy shelf of beach enclosed completely by water and cliffs. As she landed, Thamas quickly untangled himself from his harness, leaped down from her back and stumbled to the water’s edge. He proceeded to empty the contents of his stomach into the sea foam while Machai roared with laughter from his seat. He unlashed their gear and dropped it to the sand before clambering down Treethorn’s tri-jointed wing to the beach.

“Aye, ye be the swiftest creature alive, Treethorn. Me friend willn’t be keeping his strength up if ye be doing that again, though. We best be traveling at an easier pace, for his sake, of course.” Machai grinned up at the dragon with a wink. He was glad to be on solid ground, but he was quite sure his stomach still resided in his throat as he began sifting through their gear to find food and blankets. Checking to see that Thamas was still busy near the water, Machai whispered, “It may be that I should be teaching ye a faster way to travel, without the ill effects of the wind, eh?”

Treethorn looked down at him in doubt and said, “I find it very hard to believe that you can teach me anything that would make me faster, dwarf,” and she flew off to find herself a meal. Machai and Thamas quickly set up camp under an overhang of rock and built a small fire. They spoke little while they ate, and soon darkness surrounded them. They both started when Treethorn dropped back onto the beach.

“I must admit it is nice to have a dragon in camp, so we can both get some sleep. However, my nerves are still very much on edge from that last stretch. Perhaps you could train me further in the use of weapon and wand, Machai?” There was a hint of excitement in Thamas’ voice, and Machai rose to his feet and drew his wand.

“Aye, ye are learning quickly. It be much easier to instruct ye than Osric, and I nearly took off Kenneth’s head ‘fore he caught on. How would ye like to be trying me axe this time?” Machai hefted the heavy weapon in one hand and offered it to Thamas. The man looked a bit intimidated, but he reached out and grasped the handle firmly. The strain on his face was evident as he attempted to adjust his grip on the axe.

“All that time locked up at the volcano seems to have taken its toll on my strength, friend. I will stick to my short sword until I have regained some of it.” He smiled wryly at his own inadequacy as he handed the weapon back to Machai.

“Aye, it will be coming back swiftly training with me, don’t ye be worrying,” Machai reassured him, and they walked out onto the open stretch of sand lit by the flames of their campfire. Treethorn watched them warily as they exchanged blows and used their wands for both offensive and defensive spells. She may have enjoyed their company on the flight, but she had a severe distrust of metal weapons. Machai blocked most of Thamas’ sword attacks easily. When Thamas managed to cast an offensive spell that tangled seaweed around Machai’s ankles and advance with several rapid strikes at the same time, it caught him off guard. Just as Thamas grinned, thinking he had finally bested the dwarf, fire sprang up between them along the sand and Machai roared with laughter. He hooked Thamas’ blade with his axe and leapt back, pulling the sword from his grasp and through the wall of fire. Treethorn tilted her head to the side and watched with an amused expression as the fire dwindled, leaving no mark upon the sand. “Ye be getting much better, but ye must never be having more faith in ye’r own abilities than ye’r opponent’s.” Machai handed Thamas his sword and returned his wand to its pouch on his belt.

“I must say, I am quite glad we are on the same side, Machai. I would not want to cross blades with you in battle.” Thamas sheathed his sword and sat down near the fire. “How long do you think it will be before we get to your mountains?”

Machai looked at Treethorn and thought for a moment before he replied. “Perhaps it be only a day, as fast as she be.” Thamas looked at him in shock. The Dwarven Realm was far to the north and he had expected the dwarf to say another five or six days. Even as fast as the dragon was, he could not imagine that they could cover that distance in as little as a day. “I be anxious to arrive at me home. Ye should be getting some sleep. We’ll be leaving ‘fore the sun rises.”

Thamas looked as though he would ask more, but instead he just nodded and curled up in his blankets with his sword in easy reach. Machai waited until Thamas was deep into sleep and then walked out onto the beach. Treethorn watched him with big, swirling eyes as he approached, her head resting gracefully on the sand.

“I be thankful for ye’r willingness to be carrying us to me home.”

“After all of the years I spent locked in that dreadful volcano, I am happy to be flying again. You and the human make pleasant enough companions.”

“Aye, I believe he be a good man.” Machai sat in the sand near Treethorn’s head and his tone indicated his hopefulness. “I be wanting to share a new magic with ye. It will allow ye to travel much faster than ye can be flying, and I am feeling that I should be home as soon as be possible.”

“No creature can travel as fast as I fly. Is this new magic dangerous?”

“Aye, it be dangerous, but it will’nt hurt ye. Some people will be wanting to use it for evil, so we must be careful who we be teaching it to. The High Wizard be trusting ye, so I be trusting ye too. Would ye like to learn?”

Treethorn’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Yes, I would like to learn this new magic very much.”

*

Thamas awoke and looked around in confusion.

“Machai, this is not where we were when I fell asleep. What happened? And why does my head pound so?”

Machai looked over at him from across the small campfire and a tinge of guilt crossed his features. He added some more wood to the flames and avoided Thamas’ gaze.

“Eh, I think ye may have hit ye’r head. Do ye not be remembering camping here last night?” Treethorn perked her head up and snorted, swishing her tail and turning her head away from the campfire.