Cloak & Dagger: Book II of The Dragon Mage Trilogy (14 page)

“Yes, I’m an elf,” conceded the voice.

“Why didn’t you say so in the first place?” asked Rebecca. She pulled out her dagger and started for the net.

“Noo! Don’t touch me!” shrieked the stranger in the net suddenly. It squirmed and jiggled.

Rebecca paused, surprised. “But I thought you wanted me to cut you down? Now you - oh yeah!” she added, reddening. The elf was afraid of her magical dagger. And rightfully so, thought Rebecca. Even she didn’t know what it would have done had she used it to cut the elf down.

“Use my dagger,” said the elf.

“You have a dagger?” asked Rebecca. “Then why don’t you use it?”

The elf groaned. “It’s in the pile of green stew that you made over there. I dropped it when the trap was sprung. Otherwise, I would have used it long ago.”

“Oh,” said Rebecca, reddening again. She went and retrieved the dagger, then used it to cut some of the net’s ropes.

“Careful!” warned the elf a couple of times.

“Then stop squirming!” ordered the dwarf. As it was, the net was barely within her reach.

A few cut strands later the net split open and the elf tumbled out, landing unceremoniously on the dwarf. They both landed in a tumbled heap. The torch clattered to the floor once again, but still kept burning.

“Ooof!” grunted the dwarf with the impact.

A few moments later, an elf appeared out of nowhere, flinging a plain, grey cloak over his shoulder. He stiffly bent down and offered his hand to the dwarf.

Rebecca grasped his hand and was easily pulled to her feet.

The elf smiled at her. “My name is Alric.”

Rebecca stared at the beautiful face of the elf. “I’m Rebecca. Rebecca Mapmaker.” She tilted her head to gawk at Alric’s pointed ears.

“I take it you haven’t seen an elf before,” commented Alric, seeing the dwarf’s stare.

The dwarf looked away quickly. “No. Elves never venture into the mountains; at least, not until now.” She paused to pick up the torch.

“There’s a first time for everything,” said Alric.

“Why are you here?” asked the dwarf.

“I’m on a mission,” said Alric vaguely.

“What kind of mission?” pressed Rebecca.

“It’s nothing to concern yourself with,” stated the elf. “You just go on making your maps and I’ll go my way. There is much danger in my quest.”

“There is in mine too,” countered Rebecca.

“Just stay clear of trouble and your mapmaking will go just fine,” assured Alric.

Rebecca shook her head. “Mapmaking is only a part of my quest. I’m looking for lizardman lairs.”

“What for?” asked Alric, intrigued. “You must know their magic can be harmful to you.”

Rebecca nodded. “Yes, but I need to know where the lizardmen are and then report their location to my king so he can send armies out to get rid of them.”

“Ah, I see,” said Alric slowly.

“You haven’t encountered any lizardmages lately, have you?” asked Rebecca hopefully.

Alric sighed. “No. I’m starting to lose hope of ever finding them.”

“You’re looking for them too?” Rebecca asked.

Alric suddenly realized he had accidentally revealed his mission. He decided to tell the truth. “I’m looking for a particular lizardmage. I - owe him something.”

Rebecca could tell by Alric’s distasteful tone that he didn’t owe something very nice. “Maybe we can help one another?” suggested the dwarf.

Alric shook his head. “I always travel alone.”

Rebecca could see that the elf did not want her company. Nevertheless, she handed the elf the torch and pulled out her map. “Maybe you could give me a brief description of the tunnels you came from so I can mark them on my map?”

Alric shrugged. “Sure. It’s the least I can do for someone who just saved my life.”

The dwarf looked up at the elf but couldn’t decide whether he was being honest or sarcastic. She un-scrolled her map so he could see and he gave a brief description of the tunnels and caverns he had encountered. He even mentioned an underground river he had crossed. At this, the dwarf became interested.

“Are there any tunnels that run parallel with the river?” asked Rebecca anxiously.

“Yeah,” said Alric. “But I didn’t follow them.”

“Water is the source of life,” lectured Rebecca. “Lizardmen often live near water. If we want to find lizardmen, any sources of water will definitely improve our odds of finding them.”

“Then I’d better go back there and check out those tunnels,” stated Alric.

“Me too,” added Rebecca, re-rolling her map. She sensed the elf’s stare but pretended not to notice. They both had roughly the same goal, and there was no reason for her to go back the way she had come anyway. Hoisting her pack over her shoulder, the dwarf trudged merrily down the tunnel, leaving the elf standing there with the torch. “You coming, Alric?” she called lightly over her shoulder.

A grumble was the only response.

Part II

A New Threat

Chapter 12

T
he altar at the top of the Tower of the Moon had an eerie orange glow as it reflected the setting sun. For the past two hours the druids had prepared the area for their magic. According to Martha, they were preparing to summon an air elemental. Ordinarily, they preferred to summon a water or earth elemental since they were more closely related to vegetation and life. But when they had tried to summon either one of these to help with the poison outbreak, there was no response. The only conclusion the druids could come to was that those elementals already walked the world under someone else’s control. Determined to get to the bottom of this, the druids had decided to summon the air elemental in the hopes of finding some answers. The oracle, Amelia, had warned them that such a time would come, and insisted that Kazin be summoned then. She didn’t say why, but the druids knew better than to question the oracle.

As the sun set, the druids began their chant. It started slowly and quietly, and built up to a rapid, undecipherable crescendo. Then the chant calmed, then became rapid again.

When the sun disappeared and was replaced by the moon, Kazin could feel the magic begin to affect him and the air around him. The chanting felt like a wave rushing over him and receding again. His breathing became strained but he held his ground, anxious to see if the druids summoned successfully. He had never seen an elemental before, and this might be his only opportunity to see one.

At last there was a rush of air and a small whirlwind appeared above the altar. It coalesced into human form, but the wind around it continued to swirl.

Seeing that the elemental was present, Adriana stopped chanting. Martha inhaled deeply and continued to chant, taking on the full brunt of the summoning magic by herself.

“Why have I been summoned?” demanded the air elemental in a deep voice.

Adriana bowed respectfully. “I beg your pardon, O elemental. We are in dire need of assistance and look to you for advice.”

The elemental crossed its arms. It had a man’s face and its legs and feet were hidden in a funnel of wind. “You have successfully summoned me. What do you require?”

“A plague has come upon the creatures of the land and of the sea,” said Adriana.

“Then you should have summoned the earth or water elementals,” stated the air elemental. “I cannot help you.”

“We tried,” explained Adriana calmly. “There was no response to our summoning.”

“Are you certain you performed the summoning ritual correctly?” asked the air elemental. “Those spells are complicated for most mortals.”

“We performed the spells properly,” answered Adriana sternly. “We have performed those spells numerous times, and always successfully.”

The elemental was taken aback by Adriana’s confident answer. It said nothing.

Adriana chose this opportunity to go on the offensive. “Are those elementals still within their realms, or do they walk among mortals?”

The air elemental tilted its head back and seemed to withdraw into itself. A few moments later it re-formed its human form. A look of surprise registered on its face. “They walk among mortals!”

Adriana’s eyes widened. “Both of them?”

“All of them,” confirmed the air elemental. “Earth, water and fire!”

Adriana muttered an oath under her breath and looked at Kazin with fear in her eyes. Kazin’s neck hairs stood on end when he saw her expression. Adriana was always so stern and in control. To see that fear in her face meant that something was amiss.

Adriana redirected her attention to the elemental. “Who controls them?”

The elemental withdrew into itself and reappeared a moment later. “Many mages control the earth and water elementals. The magic I sense is the kind lizardmages use. The fire elemental is uncontrolled.”

“Where are they?” demanded Adriana.

“I sense the magic emanating from the mountains east of here,” answered the elemental, pointing in the direction of the Old Dwarven Mountains.

“Can you stop them?” asked Adriana.

The elemental shook its head. “I cannot.”

“Are the lizardmages responsible for this plague?” pressed Adriana.

“It is possible,” said the elemental. “The plague runs in many rivers. The worst spills from the water originating in the mountains.”

“How can we stop them?” asked Adriana as Martha’s chanting increased in intensity. She glanced briefly at the robust druid, who was sweating with the effort of the summoning spell.

“You must stop the summoners from controlling the elementals,” said the air elemental. “You must go there and physically stop their magic.”

Adriana looked helplessly at Kazin. She was getting nowhere.

“How do I find the lizardmages?” asked Kazin, speaking loudly.

The elemental turned to the mage. “I can guide you there with my wind. Beyond that, there is nothing I can do to help. Perhaps you can find and control the fire elemental, who is also in the mountains. The fire elemental may be better equipped to assist you.”

Suddenly, the air elemental began to lose coalescence and a strange expression appeared on its face. Martha’s chanting increased in pitch and intensity and she fell to her knees.

Shocked and alarmed, Adriana demanded, “What’s wrong? What’s happening?”

The elemental grimaced and moaned. “Someone else is trying to summon me! I - cannot maintain my form!”

Adriana immediately added her magical energy to Martha’s, chanting frantically.

The elemental managed to regain its form temporarily and directed its attention to Kazin. “Do not allow the lizardmages to prevail! If they do, your destruction is assured! Follow my wind!” The elemental gave a last, painful howl and swirled into its natural form. With a sudden whoosh, the elemental’s essence departed the altar and surged between Kazin and the druids on its way across North Lake. A tremendous wind blasted in its wake as Kazin staggered over to the druids.

Adriana was kneeling beside Martha, who lay unconscious on the floor.

“Is she alright?” shouted Kazin above the howling wind.

Adriana looked up and there were tears in her eyes. “She is the most powerful druid there is. Her power exceeds mine by far, yet she does not know it. If some harm has come to her because of this -.” The druid broke off and her serious demeanor returned. “You must stop the lizardmages at once, Kazin! Amelia said you would do it! Go! Go at once!” She pointed after the trail of wind the elemental had left behind.

Kazin nodded and started to turn but paused. “What about Della and the sailors?”

Adriana rose to her feet and literally shook with rage. “I will take care of them, fool! Go! Go now!” She pointed again.

Kazin knew better than to argue. He took two steps toward the tower’s edge and transformed himself into his dragon form. Leaping from the edge, he soared awkwardly into the wind, the gusts pushing him faster than he had ever gone before. When he was nearly beyond the view of the tower, he felt a refreshing burst of energy enter his body. Stabilizing himself, he directed his path to match that of the departing elemental.

Adriana returned her attention to Martha, satisfied that her ‘refresh’ spell had reached the mage. She was suddenly sorry for losing her temper. It wasn’t Kazin’s fault that everything had gone wrong. He was one of the few people who could save them. At least, so Amelia had said, and Amelia was always right.

Kazin flew like the wind - literally. His speed was at least five times faster than he had ever gone before. That’s why he nearly had a heart attack when he heard a voice beside him.

“Hi, Kazin!”

“Wha -?” Kazin looked beside him in surprise.

“You didn’t think I’d miss all the fun, did you?”

“Frosty!” exclaimed Kazin in delight. He regarded the speaker without slowing his pace. Frosty was a magical white unicorn. He was also Kazin’s familiar. A familiar was a creature linked to a mage by the magical bond between them. Kazin couldn’t believe his luck when the unicorn had come into his life a number of years ago, but was thankful that he had. He owed his life to Frosty on more than one occasion, and the support he had received when things got dangerous had been invaluable. Right now, his familiar was there because he sensed the danger Kazin was in and knew he needed help. Sprouting wings magically, the unicorn surged along to join him. Where the unicorn had come from Kazin couldn’t even hazard a guess, and he knew better than to ask.

“It’s good to see you again,” said Kazin. “It’s been a long time.”

Frosty tilted his head so that his clear, white horn reflected in the moonlight. “More than two years since I last checked on you.” His lips did not move as he spoke because he communicated telepathically.

“That’s too long,” stated Kazin. “We’ll have to correct that.”

“Agreed,” answered Frosty. “So what’s happening this time?”

Kazin knew the unicorn was not much for small talk and quickly filled him in on what he knew.

“Do you think you’ll find the fire elemental?” asked Frosty somberly when Kazin had finished.

“I hope so,” said Kazin. “If I - wait a minute!” He glanced over at the unicorn. “Aren’t you going to help?”