Kazin's Quest: Book I of The Dragon Mage Trilogy (85 page)

Sir Galado woke with a start. His vision was blurry, and he felt a dull pain in his side. He was on a cot in a room full of injured people. White robed clerics scurried about, washing and bandaging wounds. It was light outside and the sound of battle could no longer be heard.

“You did it to me again,” said a low voice nearby. “You took off without me and nearly got yourself killed.”

“It was necessary,” said a voice from a patient on a nearby cot.

“You said that last time!” retorted the girl. “I’ve been worried sick for half the night and almost all day!”

“I’m sorry, Della,” said the patient weakly.

The girl sighed. “I’m just glad you’re still alive.”

“I’m glad you’re still alive too,” said the patient. “After we dove for cover behind the second barricades, we got separated. Is my father—?”

“He’s O.K.,” said Della. “He’s not a bad fighter, you know. He put his life in danger several times to save mine. When I asked, he said he did it for you. What do you think he meant?”

The patient smiled. “I think we both know the answer to that.”

Suddenly a figure entered the patient’s building and strode toward the elf and her companion. Sir Galado’s eyes widened. It was the Guardian! There was no mistake about it. He looked very much like the former Guardian, William.

“Hi, Kazin,” exclaimed Sherman. “How are you feeling?”

“My left arm is still covered in sores, but I’ll live.”

“Good,” said Sherman. “Are you O.K. to get up? The others are gathered in the next building discussing the rebuilding of the town. The dwarves in particular want to help. They feel guilty about their absence when we needed them earlier.”

Della called a cleric over to check on Kazin and in the interim Sherman looked over at Sir Galado.

Sir Galado pushed himself up on one elbow and beckoned the big warrior over.

Sherman approached the soldier curiously.

“What—what is your name?” asked Sir Galado.

“Sherman Takar, at your service,” said Sherman calmly. “What’s your name?’

“Sir Wilfred Galado. My friends call me Wilf. And it’s me who is at YOUR service.”

“This has something to do with that Guardian business, doesn’t it?” asked Sherman.

“Well, you certainly look like the Guardian,” said Wilf. “Are you he?”

“I’ve been told that many times,” said Sherman. “There are even some who tried to kill me for it. It’s a good thing my father trained me well with the sword.”

“Your father—oh! You mean your adopted father,” said Sir Galado. “You said your name was Takar, right? Takar, Takar, wait a minute! You don’t mean Sam Takar by any chance, do you?”

“That’s right,” said Sherman. “Do you know him?”

“We didn’t exactly get along particularly well, but yes, I know him,” said Sir Galado. “He’s short and kind of stout.”

“That’s him all right,” said Sherman.

Sir Galado shook his head. “That’s amazing! I don’t know how he got you out of those woods, but he somehow managed it. He wasn’t even supposed to be there. I always thought he just up and left when news of William’s death circulated. He didn’t seem too enthusiastic about being part of the elite guard anyway. He said it was restricting his freedom. I certainly never thought he’d accept the responsibility of bringing up a child, let alone the queen’s child. What I wonder is why he never brought you back home. I hope he wasn’t working for the kidnappers.”

“Not likely,” said Sherman. “He’s been too good and kind a father to be a criminal like you suggest. He told me there was too much danger lurking in the Black Forest and the edges of the woods for him to take me safely home. I believe him. When you’re up and about, I’ll tell you more of what I know and maybe you can answer some of my questions as well.”

“Very well,” said Sir Galado. He paused. “What happened to the war? It’s awfully quiet out there.”

“It’s over,” said Sherman. “Incidentally, there’s a few of your men waiting patiently for you just outside town. They were happy to find out that you weren’t killed. They surrendered to our forces and await your next orders.”

“How many are there?” asked Sir Galado.

“About seventy or eighty,” said Sherman. “I couldn’t stay near them because some of the older ones kept saluting me.”

Sir Galado chuckled. “It’s no wonder. We had all thought you lost in the Black Forest long ago.”

Kazin and Della came up behind Sherman and were introduced to the soldier, who learned that Della was an elf. He claimed he had never seen one of her race before.

“Did you find out any more about your homeland?” asked Kazin, addressing Sherman.

“Only that I’m more well-known than I thought,” said Sherman. “I guess I should return home and see how popular I really am.”

“Did you defeat Grakath?” asked Sir Galado anxiously.

“I never even saw him,” said Sherman. “I was too busy with other battles, including your bone dragon.”

“Bone dragon?” asked Sir Galado. Then he remembered seeing the huge, white beast soaring above the battlefield. “Did you defeat him?” he asked breathlessly.

“In a manner of speaking,” said Sherman. “I took out one of his eyes and he left the battlefield shrieking in pain.” The warrior looked back at Kazin. “We were in no condition to finish the job, though.”

“You mean Grakath is still alive?” asked Sir Galado.

“Grakath—you mean that was him?” asked Sherman, bewildered.

Sir Galado nodded, his eyes widening frantically. “He will be back—you can count on it! No one hurts him and lives to tell about it. It is his way! His magic is more powerful than you know!”

“We almost defeated him once,” said Sherman grimly. “We can do it again.”

“Next time he will be ready,” muttered Sir Galado. “You won’t stand a chance, unless—.”

“Unless what?” asked Della.

“You said you injured him,” mused Sir Galado. “That means he will be recuperating from his wounds. He won’t be expecting anyone to attack him right now. Not after such a costly battle.”

“So you’re saying we should go after him right now,” said Sherman. “I presume you know where he is?”

Sir Galado grinned. “He’ll be back at the palace. I guarantee it.”

“How do we know we can trust you?” asked Della suddenly. “You were just fighting on Grakath’s side. You’re an enemy!”

Sir Galado nodded solemnly. “That’s right; I was fighting on his side. Circumstances prevented me from doing otherwise. But now there’s a chance that the rightful Guardian can resume his position. I was charged with bringing the Guardian back to his mother, but I thought him dead in the Black Forest. Now that I know he’s still alive, I can finish what I set out to do many years ago. By bringing the Guardian back, the queen’s advisor—Grakath—will lose his support among the nobles and hopefully we can be rid of him for good. No one ever liked him but the queen, and she seems to have lost her senses since he showed up.” Sir Galado glanced up at Sherman. “I will follow you now, Guardian. It won’t be easy to overthrow Grakath, but I’ll die trying if I have to.”

Sherman looked at Kazin and Della. “It looks like I’ll be going home sooner than I thought.”

“Count me in,” said Kazin.

Della grabbed Kazin’s sore arm and the mage flinched. “You’re not going anywhere without me, Kazin. I mean it!”

Sherman chuckled. “Let’s tell the others. I suspect they might want to come along too.”

“You’ll need an escort,” said Sir Galado, getting out of bed. He stood up stiffly and winced, his hand going to his side.

“Maybe you should—,” began Sherman.

“Nonsense!” snorted Sir Galado. “Let’s go!” He pushed past them and out into the daylight.

They arrived at the doors to the next building just as the meeting was adjourned. Krendal shook hands with all the leaders and thanked them profusely for their help.

“We will ever be grateful for your timely intervention,” said the arch mage solemnly.

“And we will act far more quickly next time,” said King Wenzel.

“You can count on it,” added King Mython. He looked proudly at his daughter. “At least some of us are not afraid to put our lives on the line for the sake of others.”

“Father!” exclaimed Perenia, blushing.

Kazin came up to the gathered leaders and thanked them as well. Then he called his former companions together. They excused themselves and followed Kazin back into the building they had just vacated.

Krendal spoke briefly with a nearby mage and then followed the others in, closing the door behind him. He still limped badly from his earlier injury, but no clerics could convince him to take a rest. His pain was still evident, but he stared down anyone who even considered telling him to sit and relax.

Kazin leaned over to whisper into Della’s ear. “Where are Milena and Rubin?”

“Rubin disappeared after the war ended,” responded the elf. “As for Milena, she’s sleeping. Healing your wounds took a lot out of her, you know.”

“Oh,” said Kazin sheepishly.

When everyone was seated at the long table, Kazin rose and addressed his friends.

“I have an announcement to make,” began Kazin. “The leader of the enemy forces still lives. He was the one who was in the form of a bone dragon, which I’m sure everyone saw last night.”

There were muttered grumbles at the memory of that creature.

“Anyway,” continued Kazin, “we have decided that it is best to destroy the necromancer while he is still weak. In order to do so, we must return to the necromancer’s homeland and go to his palace. Sir Galado,” said Kazin, indicating the general, “has agreed to take us to the palace to attempt to rid his land of this evil man.

“I know we have all served together for a long time,” said Kazin solemnly, “and I know that some of us have responsibilities that demand our attention. But I owe you all the opportunity to make the choice nonetheless. Anyone who wishes to come with us is welcome to do so. If not, I understand. From here, some of us may go our own way and we may not see one another again for some time.

“It has been a pleasure and a joy to travel with you all,” added Kazin proudly. “I have learned much. I will always cherish those days. The times were harsh, but we survived despite our differences and grew out of it with a sense of accomplishment. I thank you all for your support.”

Kazin looked at each of his companions starting with Harran.

The dwarf stood up and his eyes were moist. “I enjoyed our companionship as well. It was with this company that I learned that our races can indeed get along. At first, humans were suspicious of me. It took a human—a magic wielder no less—to set me on the proper course. I learned that our differences make us unique, not inferior or superior. Together, we were able to confront insurmountable odds. Alone, we would have been lost. This was shown again when our races joined to fight a common enemy. We should always remember this.

“As far as going on this mission,” continued the dwarf, “I would love to go along, but there are some major changes taking part in the dwarven realm. I have received word that a new king will be elected. The old king has taken his life and he had no children to succeed him. It is a shame that it had to be that way, but nothing can be done about it now. I have been nominated by some of the nobles to replace the king. A combination of factors has led to this. First of all, some previously hidden records have surfaced indicating that I am descended from the original king who was overthrown several centuries ago. Secondly, the army has given me full support, claiming my selfless act to go to the aid of the humans on my own was the sign of a true and honourable leader. In any event, I must return home to fulfil my destiny. However, I will postpone my departure to escort you to the mountains safely, upon my honour.” Harran saluted in true dwarven style, placing his right hand on his left shoulder. Then he sat down.

Zylor rose and cleared his throat. “The minotaurs will double that escort, and we will die before we allow any harm to come to you. As for coming along, my duties prevent me from leaving my realm for extended periods of time. There is much rebuilding to do, and I must be there to oversee it. I’d just like to add that, though our races are distrustful of one another, perhaps in time we will learn to live together peacefully.” Zylor grinned. “There is a long road to travel before then, but travel it we must.

“I learned much from each of you,” continued the minotaur, “and your brave and honourable deeds will not be forgotten. I know now that, regardless of what race each of you belongs to, you will fight for what is right. I admire and respect you for that.” Zylor sat down and ‘glared’ at everyone to hide his emotions.

Perenia straightened and wiped tears from her eyes. “Oh, this is sad! Why don’t we just promise to visit one another and be done with it?” The centaur sighed and looked sadly at Kazin. “My father forbids me to go gallivanting off the way I did. He wants me safe and sound back home.” Perenia giggled. “He says that the younger centaur males are competing for my hand in marriage! Apparently they look up to me and think I’m some kind of hero!”

“You are!” said Della.

“I don’t feel as though I did anything special,” said Perenia.

“Heroes never do,” said Sherman, “but as far as those in this room are concerned, you’re very special indeed.”

“Oh, phooey!” said Perenia shyly. “You’re just saying that because you like the way I look in human form!”

Sherman reddened. “Well, you are quite attractive that way—.”

Perenia fingered the talisman. “I’ve still got this!” she teased.

Just then a knock sounded at the door and Krendal stood up and hobbled over to answer it. He opened the door and allowed the guest to step inside. It was Arch Mage Valdez, carrying a large sack.

“Speaking of magic items,” interrupted Krendal, “I’d like to make an announcement of my own.” He hobbled to the head of the table with Valdez in tow.

“Each of you will be rewarded by the Tower of Sorcery for your efforts during the war. Arch Mage Valdez will present each of you with a token of our appreciation.

“For the centaur,” continued Krendal, “we have a magical bow. The bow will allow you to hit your mark every time.” Krendal winked at the centaur. “Now you can pick who you want to marry you by challenging him to an archery contest. When you find someone you like, just aim off target and the arrow will go there.”