The Sorcerer's Dragon (Book 2) (14 page)

“Then…”

“Spit it out.”

“You really are one of the Sorcerers’ weapons…they created you.”

“A long time ago,” she said. “So long that I can’t even distinguish what is fact and fiction anymore. At least, not until yesterday.”

“Is that how long I’ve been asleep?”

“Yes, and I would have healed your face myself if I didn’t have my own wounds to take care of. Your friends begged me to give them some salve that would cure your burns but I told them that it might cause their skin to melt. Better to let you do it,” Alicia nodded her head toward Remi’s artificial arms. “You don’t have to worry about skin as much.”

“What’s the salve made of?”

“It comes from a secretion in my liver.”

“Ewww,” Remi gagged. “There isn’t another medicine I can take?”

“Well now you know what wounds I had to attend to. My body is one big walking pharmacy. Got a ton of cures and stuff inside of me. The problem is that while I’m rummaging around in there, I could die in the process.”

“I don’t even want to know how you figured all of that out.”

“It’s a funny story actually,” she chuckled. “If you come across a little one named ‘Ron,’ I wouldn’t ask him to tell you.”

“So what did happen yesterday? Why are we walking down this dark cavern together like old friends when you were ready to rip my throat out earlier?”

“It was true what I said before,” Alicia sighed, motioning for Remi to take a left with her down another long dark tunnel. Little holes that lead outside in the makeshift walls provided them some light, but even that was fading as night was descending. “We have many enemies here at Darkheart. Langoran hordes. Cimmerian armies. Ever since they got the shard that had my signature in it, they’ve been coming almost weekly, trying out new ways to take us down. There was once a quaint little town further down the mountain but it was destroyed in one of their assaults last month. Since then, we’ve taken to the tunnels high up. I hate it up here.”

“But what changed? What made you realize that we weren’t enemies?”

“It was the shards in your possession,” she said. Remi instinctively dug into her pockets and noticed that they were empty. “Don’t worry. I left them in Olivia’s care. I don’t want to even be near one of those things. When you touched me with that red shard, it was like you reminded me of a nightmare I once had. Darkness…trying to swallow me whole while someone laughed at me from a distance.”

“But you still attacked me after you were taken away.”

“What was I supposed to do? I thought you were a Cimmerian that had finally figured out how to subdue me. I had to kill you…but when we clashed…you suddenly froze up, like I had. It was eerie…watching your eyes go wide and your body stiffen up as I blew fire into your face. It was like you didn’t care if you lived or died—like you couldn’t even feel the pain. That was when I knew that your mind had been transported away just like mine had been. That’s when I realized that I was killing my sister, and not my enemy.”

“So…this sticky stuff. What is it? Medication?”

“It’s to keep you from screaming your head off from the pain. It’s a numbing gel that came from the mucus in my nose. I know. Not lady like at all.”

“Let’s skip that topic,” Remi winced. “So…what made you realize that I was a sister? Aren’t any of the Sorcerer weapons your enemy?”

“We’re all in the same predicament. We’re being used by the Sorcerers for their own pleasure, and none of us are sure what that is. Whatever it is, it can’t be good.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“The ominous visions weren’t enough?”

“I would like to think that we were created for good. That we’re kind of acting out in the Sorcerers’ stead.”

“Is that what you know? Or that’s what you’d like to believe?”

“I don’t want to think of myself as a tool of destruction.”

“A sword can be used to cut fruit and vegetables, you know. It can help you with your garden. It can act as a mirror when you apply your make-up. But that’s not the crafter’s intent. And with the powers we both have at our disposal, I don’t think peace is part of our intended purpose.”

“Was it like that with you from the beginning? Being able to transform into a dragon?”

“Transforming into a human is actually what I had to get used to,” she said solemnly. “Sadly, my earliest memories were of myself in dragon form, flying around a cage that was too small and accidentally burning up most of the disgusting food provided to me. I didn’t even know how delicious food could be until I was a teenager. Becoming human…that was what I eventually learned to do. I didn’t think it was possible, but one day I willed it, and it happened.”

“So you’re actually a dragon?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Are you mostly made of steel and wood? I see those limbs of yours.”

“I lost them in battle.”

“They won’t be the last thing you lose,” she said as they finally arrived at a boulder, standing in their way. Alicia pressed the palm of her hand against it and it slid back as if it was on an automated track. A dimly lit room lay before them, illuminated by moonlight. But Alicia didn’t proceed. Instead she stood there as if there was a heavy weight pressing upon her shoulders.

“I am the Sorcerer’s dragon,” she said, bowing her head so low that it nearly touched her chest. “That is my designation. There are five others besides us out there, and each of them  have been named after tools or pets. We aren’t people. We aren’t individuals. We are a means to an end. Nothing more.”

“Then what am I?” Remi asked.

Alicia shook her head. “You’re the ring…a symbol of unity, and a reminder of the world that the Sorcerers left behind. You’re here to let them know that no matter what they do, they will inevitably have to step in and interfere. No one is disconnected from the rest.”

“Is that all I am? A reminder?”

“I’m sorry,” Alicia said. “But that’s the extent of your purpose. Doesn’t it explain why you’re so weak?”

Remi cleared her throat and tried not to let the disappointment break her. Just because Alicia said it, it didn’t mean it was true.

“Then what’s your purpose? Where does the dragon fit in all this?”

“That’s easy,” she said, stepping into the mysterious room. “I’m here to scorch the earth and let those who survive determine what the new world will be.”

“Who told you this?” Remi cried as she followed Alicia into the light. When her seeing eye adjusted, she saw that the room was open at the back wall, leading right back to the outside. The ground was angled upwards so that the moonlight came right in and Remi almost forgot about her condition after seeing it. There was a tranquility in the air, and she hoped that the ambience would soothe the beast. Alicia sat on one of the boulders in the corner of the room and whipped the tail of her massive fur coat behind her.

“Have a seat,” she said and Remi took one of the boulders nearby. It wasn’t exactly comfortable.

“Who told you this?” Remi repeated. “That you were to scorch the world?”

Alicia sighed and faced her, half of her visage illuminated by the moonlight, the other shrouded in black. “I met one other weapon long ago. He…wouldn’t tell me much about himself, but he said that he was searching for the others, kind of like you are. He was the one to break it all down to me.”

“Why didn’t you travel with him?”

“I was scared, and unsure of my abilities back then. Not to mention that I wasn’t sure if I even believed him.”

“What changed that? Why do you believe him now?”

“I’ve taken a long hard look in the mirror. I know what I am.”

“You actually want to kill people?”

“No,” she said casting her eyes to the ground. “But I’m good at it.”

“That’s no reason to embrace becoming a murderer. What aren’t you telling me?”

“Come here,” she said and Remi stood to her feet and walked over to Alicia. The Mistress motioned for her to stoop down and she handed Remi a tiny vial full of a blue, thin liquid. “Apply this to your face and rub it in. Pour it into your blind eye as well. It’s my way of saying sorry for what I did.”

“What part of you was this made out of?”

“My brain,” she whispered.

Remi nearly dropped the vial. “How did you—”

“—the Langorans help me with the procedures. You’d be surprised what they can accomplish with those little hands of theirs.” She ended the sentence with laughter but Remi didn’t find anything funny.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I burned your face.”

“How is it any different than what you’re planning on doing to Terra?”

“Why are you hung up on this? It doesn’t concern you.”

“I’m not going to put this stuff on my face until you tell me.”

“It’s not my face,” she snickered. “You’re the one that will have to go around scaring everybody.”

“I’ll also be reminding you every day of what you did.”

“You don’t even know me!” she exclaimed but Remi stayed firm.

“That’s the deal,” she said.

Alicia scoffed and rose to her feet until she was towering over Remi. “From the day I was born, I saw the evils of humanity. I wanted nothing more than to wipe them off the surface for how they treated me. But at the same time, I also wanted to be one. For every negative experience I had, there was a positive one. It was strange to love and hate my caretakers, but after careful observation, I noticed one constant and defining thing: they cannot change their fate. No matter how hard they work or try to better their lives, it rarely works out. And on the other hand, there are those who don’t do a thing, and everything is handed to them. There’s no rhyme or reason to the way the world goes except for those at the very top.

“Do you think this war between Cimmerian and Paragon matters one bit? It’s pathetic. They could fight each other for decades, but if the Sorcerers decide to step in, it will all be resolved in a matter of days. If they wanted to, they could shape this world to their liking with a snap of their fingers. If they can create me—an instrument of destruction—what else can they do? What else can they control? What do they already have their hands in? You and I…we’re nothing but spectators, waiting for the game to end.”

“Is that why you hide up here in your underground fortress? Because you think there’s nothing you can do? That you don’t matter?”

“We don’t matter,” she said. “All we can do is make life easier for others as well as ourselves. Ease the suffering.”

“And if your Sorcerer calls on you to scorch the world, you’ll answer?”

“What choice will I have?”

“There’s always a choice.”

“I don’t know how you can believe that.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“The longer you wait to apply the ointment, the more likely the damage will be permanent.”

“I don’t want any part of you touching me,” Remi said, throwing the vial toward the ground. Alicia barely caught it in mid-air.

“Are you crazy? My brain won’t grow back!”

“So what? It doesn’t matter in the end, right?”

“What is wrong with you?!”

“When I left to find the weapons…I…just suspected something else. When you swooped in. So big. So powerful…you embodied everything I was hoping for. I thought that you would show me the way…give me the strength to rally the others and find the Sorcerers. But you’re nothing like I thought you would be. Funny enough, I’m the centered one. I’m the one doing what the other weapons should have been doing all along. It’s sad that it all falls down on the sick girl.”

“And yet, you’re still doing exactly what you’ve been designed to do. You’re supposed to keep the Sorcerers’ minds on Terra, and you’re trying to do the exact same thing with the weapons.”

“I’m not doing this on automatic, like I’m one of the Delilah’s machinations.”

“Your upbringing…what suffering did you have to endure to get to this point? And how much of it wasn’t caused by the Sorcerers?”

“I’ve thought of that,” Remi replied. “And I realize that whether they orchestrated it or not, this is what we should do. Ignorance and fear of the unknown is often the greatest enemy. If we know what’s going on, then we can respond accordingly. It’s as simple as that.”

“It makes sense…but what’s to stop the Sorcerers from taking us over when they need us?”

“It doesn’t matter because they might be able to do that at this very moment, but if we go out there and see what we can find, who knows? There might even be a cure. We don’t have to be controlled.”

“Maybe.”

“You want to know what I think?” Remi said, reaching out to hug Alicia. The Mistress tensed up under the sudden show of affection. “I think you’re scared, because of what you had to suffer as a child. The worst of humanity still lingers on your mind, and that’s why you’d rather hole up in this mountain. You don’t want to be hurt again. You don’t want to be someone’s pet.”

“The dragon isn’t scared,” she said, but even she couldn’t hide the crack in her voice.

“I know,” Remi said, knowing that Alicia was lying. “And that’s why I want you to come with me…because I am.”

She broke off the embrace and stared into Alicia’s watery eyes. “Together we’re formidable. Alone, we’re weak. If you come with me on this journey, then I’ll prove to you that the Sorcerers aren’t as powerful as you think, and that we truly do have control over our fate.”

“You can’t make that promise,” she snapped.

“I can,” Remi said, confident in her declaration, “and I will.”

Alicia stared into Remi, looking for signs of deception or doubt, but when she saw none, she took a deep breath and removed the scowl from her face. “Fine,” she said. “Let us see what you can do. I hope for your sake that I won’t regret this.”

“Thank you,” Remi smiled wide.

Alicia frowned. “Now can you get that damn ointment on your face already?”

*              *              *

“Oh wow,” Ian said, rising from his seat as Remi and Alicia walked into the room.

Remi chuckled as she caressed her smooth cheeks with her artificial arms. “You’re telling me that you wouldn’t love me if I didn’t have this face?”

“Of course I would,” he said, and she shut up. For some reason, the implication that he loved her made her feel uneasy.

“I’m coming with you,” Alicia declared and the group began looking to one another, searching for signs of approval. Based on the smiles that came across their faces, everyone seemed to think it was a good idea. “I’ll need a few hours to get my affairs in order. Talk to the others and let them know what to do in case of attack. If I’m not here, they’ll need to know how to defend themselves.”

“Take all the time you need,” Remi said. Alicia gave them a bow and then left to handle her business. Remi turned back to her friends.

“Are there any objections?”

“We can get around faster,” Harlan said. “That will be a big help.”

“Only if she’s willing to fly us though,” Remi said quickly.

“But it doesn’t make sense to walk when we can fly,” he retorted.

“She’s not our pet,” she declared loudly. “She’s an equal.”

“Okay,” Harlan said, backing down. “I was just saying.”

“Does she know where we’re headed?” Olivia asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Wasn’t the plan to find one of the Sorcerer weapons and then head out to Cimmerian to get Kace?”

Remi felt a pang in her stomach. She hadn’t thought of that. She did still think of Kace from time to time, but after being on Terra for so long, she didn’t think she would ever find one of the Sorcerers’ weapons, let alone persuade one to go with them. And now that she had met Alicia, she saw that their newfound friend was in a fragile state. She didn’t ask how long she had been in the mountain with only the Langorans for company but it had to be years. She didn’t want her first outside experience to be an expedition into the heart of those that oppressed her.

But could she leave Kace there? Until she amassed a larger army? Until she found more of the weapons? At what point did her safety and that of her friends outweigh his life?

As she took in the gazes of each one of them, she realized that she had to go save Kace. If for nothing else but the principles behind their rescue mission. What would her friends think if they thought they were expendable? And how terrible would it be for them to abandon her if she were captured? It was highly likely that it would happen someday, considering her value.

“We’re going to get him,” she said finally, and she felt the relief spread throughout the room. The atmosphere got noticeably lighter, which only confirmed to her that it was the right decision.

Remi headed out of the room to see if there was anything she could do to help Alicia, and she was surprised to see her and Lain down the hall, embracing one another. She was on her knees and he was kissing her on the forehead as she wept into her shoulder.

Remi turned back and slowly went back into the room, deciding not to bring up what she saw.