Kazin's Quest: Book I of The Dragon Mage Trilogy (78 page)

The other minotaurs, not wishing to leave their emperor alone, sprang into the enemy with roars of their own.

The dwarves followed, yelling battle cries and war chants. Sherman and Rubin went with them.

Olag signalled his people and they advanced in the wake of the dwarves and minotaurs, lending their long range support to those ahead of and above them.

For many years afterward, songs and poems would be written about the bravery and discipline of the creatures who had come to the aid of the Tower of Hope in its blackest hours.

Kazin had far less resistance than he thought he would receive as he blasted the enemy in wide swaths with his flames. The chimeras barely got close to the dragon as they were felled by dozens of skink arrows. Olag made sure his air force remained safe.

Finally, the sky battle was won. The chimeras were all defeated and Kazin had the sky to himself.

Milena directed him to the eastern and southern side of the tower, where she brought her numerous treemen to life to create havoc among the enemy.

For the first time in days, the Tower of Hope was free to go on the offensive. General Larsen wasted no time getting his cavalry to strafe the front lines of the enemy on the north side of the tower. Perenia joined them in the attacks.

Superior numbers were insufficient to deal with the experience and determination of the defenders. The fact that the skink warriors continued to fire on the attackers despite the turning tide of the battle made the defenders even more determined.

Cheers greeted the skink warriors as they made it to the tower and took up position on the battlement walls. The skinks had suffered many casualties in the rush for the tower, losing one nearly fifth of their number, but they held to their agreement and didn’t change sides like they had done in the past. The damage they had caused to the enemy was far more severe.

General Larsen sent his cavalry out time and again to press ferociously into the enemies’ ranks, and even the beleaguered lizardmages were hard pressed to repel these lightning quick assaults. Some mages rode with the cavalry and singled out any nearby enemy spell casters, while Kazin caused serious distraction from above.

The fighting lasted all day, and by nightfall, the attackers had lost heart and retreated to the mountains in droves. They were beaten by an opponent with unyielding resolve and courage.

Clerics scurried to heal wounded skink warriors and soldiers raced to find survivors out in the field who were too injured to rise.

Sherman looked north across the battlefield from the battlement walls. “I wonder if they’ll be back.”

Horst grunted beside him. “They might, when they realize how hard it will be to get away via the portal.”

Sherman looked at the dwarf curiously for a moment. Then he grinned. “Oh, yeah. Those sentries you left to guard the inside of the portal.” Then he frowned. “They won’t stand a chance, will they?”

Horst shook his head and put a hand to his chest. “They will always be honourable in my eyes, and their contribution will not be forgotten.”

Sherman patted the dwarf on the shoulder. “You said it, Horst.”

Soldiers celebrated loudly that night, but the clerics were just getting started with the healing of the many wounded and dying. Kazin walked quietly through the lower levels of the tower and listened to the intent chanting of the clerics as they drew upon their powers for healing. Milena was among them and worked feverishly to do her share of the healing. She had worked among these same clerics before and fit in as though she had never left. Della and Perenia flitted among the clerics, bringing water and bandages where required. Della looked at Kazin briefly and shook her head sadly. The death and destruction the little elf had seen in the past few weeks were taking its toll on her, and it showed. Gone were the days of peaceful strolls through a lush, lively forest filled with colourful songbirds. These were days of destruction and death.

Malachi spotted Kazin and came over to him with a weary smile.

“You have done a remarkable service for the Tower of Hope, Kazin,” he said. “Without your help, and the help of your friends, we would have been the ones to fall tonight.”

Kazin shook the high cleric’s outstretched hand. “It’s my pleasure, High Cleric Malachi. I just wish we could have arrived sooner to avoid so much bloodshed. The Tower of Strength was in a similar predicament before we arrived to stop the battle.”

“What?” asked Malachi in surprise. “You came all the way from the Tower of Strength?”

“Yes,” said Kazin. “It’s a long story. We used the lizardmages’ magical portal to teleport to the mountains north of here.”

“Of course!” said Malachi. “Good thinking! But how did you manage to activate the portal? The clerics and mages here studied it for weeks without success.”

“It’s another long story,” said Kazin.

“Another time, then,” said Malachi. “When are you leaving for the Tower of Sorcery?”

“I suppose as soon as my companions are up to it,” said Kazin. “Why?”

“Haven’t you heard?” asked Malachi. “There is a large force of undead approaching Skull Lake! They’re reported to number in the thousands!”

“What?!” exclaimed Kazin. “When? Where did they come from?”

“They were sighted exiting the Spike Ridge Cliffs in the north a couple of days ago,” said Malachi.

“The Spike Ridge?” asked Kazin in bewilderment. He suddenly remembered Sandor’s dire warning of the black tide coming out of the north. At first Kazin thought he meant the battle at the Tower of Strength. Then he figured he must have meant the battle that had just ended. It wasn’t that at all! It was the battle that was still coming! Sandor was right! The Tower of Sorcery was now exposed!

“How?” asked Kazin. “That cliff face is so solid that the dwarves can’t even penetrate it with fire sticks!”

“I don’t know,” said Malachi. “I guess it could be another magical portal or something. You’ll have to ask Krendal for more information—which reminds me, he wants you to contact him right away. With all the commotion in the past twenty-four hours, I forgot to tell you!”

Kazin and Malachi entered the orb room a few minutes later and the high cleric activated the orb.

A mage Kazin hadn’t seen before answered and left to inform Krendal. A few minutes passed and Krendal’s face appeared in the orb. His face was lined with worry and bags were under his eyes, evidence of lack of sleep.

“Krendal!” exclaimed Malachi. “You look awful!”

“That’s about how I feel,” grumbled the arch mage. “You don’t look so great yourself.” He brightened when he saw Kazin. “Ah, Kazin! I see you found a way into the hornet’s nest!”

“It wasn’t easy,” admitted Kazin, “but we managed.”

“He’s being modest!” exclaimed Malachi. “Kazin and his allies fought against overwhelming odds and, with the help of the tower’s defenders, drove the enemy back into the mountains! The war over here is over!”

Krendal brightened at the news. “You’re kidding?”

“It’s true!” said Malachi.

Krendal smiled at Kazin. “You have done well, Kazin. Once again, you have proved yourself as a conscientious and valiant representative of the black tower. I will see to it that your deeds are recorded and made known in the next arch mage elections which are coming up in about a month. With three positions already in need of filling, you will have a good chance to fill one of them.”

“Make that four,” said Malachi sadly. “We lost Arch Mage Grenier early this morning. He lost too much blood from his chest wound. I shouldn’t have allowed him to join the cavalry in the early stages of the counter attack earlier today.”

Krendal shook his sadly. “Don’t blame yourself, Malachi. If anyone is to blame for this, it’s me. I made a serious tactical error sending too many forces to the Tower of Strength, and now I’m trying to correct that mistake with very little to build on. I left both the Tower of Hope and the Tower of Sorcery far too undefended. Now we are all paying the price.” He looked at Kazin. “Kazin is turning out to be a real godsend. He helped end the war at the Tower of Strength, and was instrumental in driving the hordes away at the Tower of Hope. Moreover, his effort to convince the elves to join us was successful, if belated. If I get out of this alive, it’s thanks to Kazin.”

Kazin looked away, his face red from such high praise by the arch mage.

“We’ll be sending some forces at once to aid you,” said Malachi suddenly. “General Larsen is preparing to start out early tomorrow with those who are fit to travel.”

Krendal snapped to attention. “What? No! I won’t make the same mistake again. I’m not leaving the Tower of Hope undefended just to save our tower!”

“You won’t be,” said Malachi. “The skink warriors will be guarding our walls. They are excellent archers, and they can—.”

“You can’t trust skink warriors!” blurted Krendal. “They have no allies!”

Malachi looked at Kazin, then back at the arch mage. “You can thank Kazin for that too, Krendal. Somehow, he and his companions have made a deal with the skinks. They’re on our side now.”

Krendal looked between the two mages. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” he murmured.

“Do you want me to come to the Tower of Sorcery?” asked Kazin.

“I suppose,” said Krendal, “but by the time you get here, don’t expect too much to be left. If the Tower of Sorcery is in enemy hands by then, return to the Tower of Hope. At that point, hope will be all that’s left.”

“O.K.,” said Kazin. “First, I have to return to the mountains to activate the portal so that Emperor Zylor and his force of minotaurs, along with the group of dishonoured dwarves, can return to their lands. Then I’ll catch up with General Larsen’s group.”

Malachi gasped. “Did you say the minotaur emperor?”

Kazin looked at the high cleric and grinned. “Yes. He’s the one that accompanied me last time I was here. He merely returned a favour. You healed him, and he paid you back. He is as honourable as a dwarf.”

Malachi shook his head in stupefaction.

Krendal coughed and drew their attention. “I keep thinking I’m on top of things, Kazin, but you never cease to amaze me. When you’ve sent the emperor and his group home, return to the Tower of Sorcery. It seems you bring luck wherever you go. We could sure use some right about now.”

“I’ll do my best,” said Kazin.

Chapter 64

K
azin and the others were overwhelmed by the stench of the bodies in the portal’s entrance. The dwarves guarding the inside of the entrance had done well, killing ten times their number. Their own bodies were found a good way back into the tunnels.

Horst had his dwarves bring their bodies outside for burial. He vowed to document their brave deed when he returned home.

After this was done, the dwarves and minotaurs bid farewell to Kazin and the others, and Zylor vowed to find a way to get his army through the dwarven mountains to aid the humans beyond.

“I’ll get there as soon as I can, Kazin,” said the emperor.

“I appreciate the effort,” said Kazin. “Good luck to you, Zylor.”

“And you,” said the minotaur. He entered the portal for the last time and Kazin waited until Zylor had plenty of time to make it through. Then he let the portal close and pointed his staff at the spot where the outline of the portal still shimmered. He concentrated for a few minutes and felt the magic course through his body, into the staff, and out into the portal.

The portal imploded and ceased to exist. The blast was loud and shook the ground where the companions stood, but the rumbling diminished after a moment and then all was still.

Kazin transformed into a dragon and Sherman, Milena, Della, Rubin, and Perenia—in the form of a human warrior—, climbed onto Kazin’s scaly back. Kazin soared into the air and headed east for the Tower of Sorcery. He ignored the rumbling of hunger in his belly and flew quickly.

During an overnight stop in Castor, Kazin found out that they were well ahead of General Larsen’s army. Not wishing to wait, the companions departed early the next morning for the last leg of their journey.

They reached Sorcerer’s Island that evening and Sherman told Kazin he had to go home to sort some things out. He booked passage on one of many ships transporting goods from the mainland and departed within the hour.

Perenia, Della, and Rubin booked rooms in an inn on the island and spent their time exploring the multitude of shops set up in the Square.

Milena and Kazin entered the Tower of Sorcery (how Milena managed to enter the black tower Kazin didn’t know, and the druid refused to explain), and they ran into Arch Mage Valdez sitting at a desk.

“How’s the arm?” asked Kazin.

Valdez looked up. “Kazin!” He rose to his feet and embraced the young mage. “It’s good to see you again!” He flexed his arm and smiled. “It’s as good as new!” Then he noticed Milena and bowed deeply. “A druid! It’s a pleasure to meet you! I am Arch Mage Valdez.”

Milena smiled. “Hello. I’m Milena.”

“Welcome to the Tower of Sorcery,” said Valdez. Then he frowned. “How did you get in here? You weren’t on my list of authorized guests.”

“You’d better check your list of unauthorized guests,” joked Kazin. “Druids have a way of getting in where you least expect them.”

“To be sure,” said Valdez. “Come. Arch Mage Krendal waits eagerly for your arrival.”

He led them to three blue circles in an alcove and they disappeared into another level of the tower.

Valdez led the others into a lecture hall where black mages of all ranks were gathered. Krendal stood on a dais at the front of the hall addressing the mages. Valdez quietly led Kazin and Milena to one side to wait until the speech was over.

Valdez leaned over and whispered into Kazin’s ear. “He’s almost finished.”

Kazin nodded.

“As you know,” said Krendal, “our main body of soldiers is still several days away. We have few clerics and soldiers available to aid us, and the civilians are ill-equipped for war. That means it is up to us to bear the brunt of this attack. With the Tower of Hope now secure, a force under General Larsen marches east to come to our aid, but that help may come too late. Already, the outlying areas east of here have been laid to waste, and scouts report that the enemy will be within striking distance of Marral by the day after tomorrow