Spirit Blade: Book III of the Dragon Mage Trilogy (11 page)

Galado kicked open the coach door and sprang inside. The old man rose to his feet, a dagger in his hand, but Galado’s long sword made quick work of him. As the old man fell, screams assailed Galado’s ears. He whirled around to face three ladies in white dresses. Their features were similar enough that he guessed they were related. As he raised his sword, their screams bombarded his ear drums. Before he could silence the noise, a huge, resistant force took hold of him. “No!” a loud voice yelled. It was his own. “You cannot use my body to do this!”

Galado’s sword hand wavered as he fought for control. His vision clouded and he convulsed. “I will do it!” he growled through clenched teeth. He was no longer in control of his body. His sword hand reacted as if possessed. A swishing noise filled his ears and the screaming faded into the distance. Several moments passed and finally he opened his eyes. Sir Wilfred Galado was revolted by what he saw. Before him lay three beautiful ladies in white, blood stained dresses, their eyes open as though the last thing they saw was too dreadful to bear. The vision was so horrific, Sir Galado clenched his eyes shut and fell to his knees. He let out a loud wail of sorrow.

“See!” said a voice inside of his head. “See what you did? If you hadn’t interfered -” Sir Galado’s body convulsed again as the two spirits fought for control. When Galado reopened his eyes, it was not Sir Galado. It was the evil spirit once again. Galado rose to his feet, oblivious to the carnage around him. He laughed a sinister laugh. ‘That should teach the original spirit’, he thought.

The Sword of Dead began to shimmer and vibrate. Shadowy lights shot from the weapon and into the bodies in the coach, as well as the two guards he had dispatched outside. As before, the spirits from the sword seized control of the bodies and brought them to undead life. Also, as before, his sword lightened somewhat again. Now it swirled between dark and light.

The three women got up, as did the old man. They looked at one another with hideous grins.

“At last!” exclaimed one of the women. Her voice was only a whisper, since Galado’s sword had cut her voice box.

Galado opened the coach’s door to see guards standing before him. At first he was alarmed, but then he realized two of them were new spirits from the sword, while two of them were now part of his original crew. Only Three was still in his earlier form. When Three saw Galado looking at him, he shrugged. “No bodies left to take.” A look over his shoulder confirmed One had taken the body of the coach’s driver.

“Very well,” said Galado. “Let’s dispose of the bodies and be off.” He looked over his shoulder at the old man and the women. “Old man, you will be called Five. Ladies, you will be Six, Seven, and Eight.” He turned to the two new guards. “You will be nine and ten.”

“Yes, Sir,” said Ten. “We’ll help with the disposal of the bodies.”

Galado nodded and turned to the occupants of the coach. “You should pretend to be the owners of the caravan. Just keep out of sight. Your bodies are not really presentable with all the blood and wounds. We’ll let you find some suitable replacements as they present themselves.”

“We’ll try to find some clothing to change into,” said the old man. “It will hide some of our injuries.”

Galado nodded and turned to Three. “You do the same. I’m sure some of the guards’ clothing will fit.”

Three nodded. “Right.”

In less than half an hour they were off, an innocent looking caravan with three guards riding in front and rear, including Galado. He had also found some guard clothing so he could fit in with the rest of them.

Chapter 10

K
azin and his companions wandered quietly into the southern human port town of Malley. It was still dark, with the rising sun’s light only a dim grey glow on the eastern horizon. They had landed under cover of darkness west of the city in an unpopulated area. With minimal noise, Kazin had let the companions off his back and transformed into his human form. Zylor was turned into a human warrior with the magic being maintained by his amulet. It was Olag’s turn to use the invisibility ring to keep him concealed. That left the group consisting of several humans and a dwarf, not an uncommon sight in the human’s realm.

They wandered quietly through the town as shop owners awakened and opened their businesses for the start of a new day. Some security patrols marched through the streets but none noticed Kazin’s group, and if they did, they gave no indication that anything was amiss. Noises could be heard as ships were unloaded with passengers from the old world who had come to start a new life here among the early settlers. A few mages could be seen on the pier anxiously waiting for the passengers to disembark. They were eager to find people who were potentially capable of magic, and had all sorts of incentives to lure those newcomers to join the mage or cleric guilds for training. Many would undoubtedly join, having no source of income. Joining a guild would allow them to obtain a means of support while they established themselves in the new world. Some would be disappointed when it was discovered they had no innate magical ability. But it didn’t hurt to find out.

Kazin yearned to ask the newcomers about the world they had left behind. Most of the information he had researched regarding the old world was sporadic and incomplete. It was as if the old world had faded from memory and existence in his time far into the future. Much of the histories had been lost after the dragon wars. Even books from the old world were not to be found. Books, it turned out, were not light, and therefore were not allowed on board when people came to the new world with a limited allowable amount of baggage. But history of the past was secondary to the current quest. No amount of history would be saved if the world in the future was allowed to disappear. Kazin had to stop that aberration first.

“I could use something to eat,” grumbled Zylor.

“Me too,” said Sherman.

“The shops are opening,” said Amelia. “It won’t be long now.” She glanced at Sherman. “I think I’ll eat your share this time.”

Sherman reddened and was glad it was still dark.

Harran smirked. “You owe her one.”

“I smell food,” murmured the invisible skink warrior. “It smells like bread.”

Zylor sniffed the air. “This human nose doesn’t work so well but I think you’re right. It’s coming from over here.” He led them to a bakery just off the main street.

When the baker saw them coming, he smiled happily. “Greetings! You’re my first customers. You get to try the freshest bread of the day!”

“Smells good,” remarked Kazin. He withdrew his pouch of coins. “How much for six loaves?”

The shop keeper’s eyes widened. “My, my, my! You must be hungry!”

“We’re planning to eat some now and take some with us for later,” explained Amelia.

“Of course,” said the baker happily. “But you’ll have to wait a few more minutes. I haven’t got that many prepared yet.”

“No problem,” said Amelia with a pleasant smile. “We’ll wait.”

The baker nodded and went to check on his oven.

The sky brightened as the sun revealed itself through an opening in the cloud cover, and sounds of a town coming to life emphasized the coming of dawn. A military recruitment booth was set up down the street and two soldiers prepared to enlist any interested newcomers.

“It’s not the first thing I would want to sign up for after arriving in a new country to start fresh,” commented Amelia.

“That’s a matter of perspective,” responded Zylor.

Amelia shot Zylor a glance and shook her head. “Only a minotaur would say something like that.”

Zylor grinned.

A leather shop across the street opened for business and the shop keeper came outside, yawning. A number of newcomers wandered into the street fresh off the boat in the harbour. When the shop keeper saw them, he scrambled back into his shop. A moment later he reemerged with a wheeled cart displaying a number of leather items that he had crafted, including belts, varying harnesses, and bags. A few newcomers paused to examine the wares with interest.

“That hand bag is made from the hide of a dragon,” boasted the shop keeper to a lady who was admiring the soft texture of the bag.

“A dragon?!” shrieked the lady, dropping the hand bag on the ground in surprise.

The shop keeper calmly picked up the bag and held it out to her. It seemed he was used to the reaction. “Yes, a dragon. Don’t worry. It won’t bite.” The lady, intrigued, reached out again to handle the bag. “Dragons are a common sight in this land,” continued the shop keeper. “We use dragon hide for all sorts of things.”

“If only you knew,” said Kazin beneath his breath.

“I’ll bet that bag would be kept under lock and key in our time,” commented Harran. “It would fetch a hefty sum indeed.”

“No doubt,” said Kazin.

“Your bread is ready,” said a voice behind them.

Kazin turned and paid the baker and the companions moved away to make room for the baker’s next customers, who had undoubtedly followed their noses to the scent of fresh bread.

They found a quiet area to stop and eat beside a jewelry shop, and Olag ducked into the shadows to eat his piece of bread without being spotted. After they had eaten, they wandered onto the pier to watch as more newcomers disembarked. Mages and clerics moved rapidly among the people, handing out invitations to try out for the guilds. The invitations included many incentives which would be offered to successful candidates depending on their magical aptitude. Those who showed interest were directed into the waiting wagons destined for the Tower of the Stars just east of Malley.

Amelia went to mingle with the crowds to obtain a copy of the invitation and returned to show it to the others. They studied it intently for a few minutes.

“You know,” mused Kazin, “it doesn’t mention anything about a war. These people are not being told everything they ought to know.”

“Someone should inform them,” said Amelia.

“It certainly can’t be us,” said Kazin sternly.

Amelia sighed. “I know.” She paused to look into her orb but nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Do you think the war has something to do with our quest?” asked Sherman.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” said Kazin.

“Maybe we could find out more about the war if we followed the wagons to the Tower of the Stars,” said Sherman.

“I’m thinking the same thing,” said Kazin, “but I don’t think we should follow the wagons.”

“What do you mean?” asked Harran.

“I think we should ride the wagons,” said Kazin.

“You mean, sign up for the guilds?” asked Amelia.

Kazin grinned at her. “Sure, why not? It beats walking.”

“They’ll never let a dwarf on the wagon,” said Harran. “Everyone knows dwarves don’t have magical abilities.”

“We’ll just have to make you look human for a while,” said Kazin.

Harran rolled his eyes. “Here we go again.”

“It’ll only be for the ride,” said Kazin. “I’ll change you back again when we get to the tower.”

Harran sighed. “Very well. Let’s find a spot out of sight of all these people.”

He and Kazin departed, and when they came back a few minutes later, everyone was shocked. Not about Harran, who looked like a stocky human with dark hair and eyes, but about Kazin. The mage appeared as his younger self, an image they all knew well except Amelia, who was caught off guard by the attractive blond haired, blue-eyed man approaching them. She blushed as his blue eyes looked into hers. She suddenly experienced some feelings deep inside her that she had never experienced before. “Kazin?” she whispered in awe.

Kazin smiled. “What do you think? Do I look like a naive young man looking for adventure?”

“I remember a time when that was actually true,” smiled Sherman, who noticed Kazin still had a slight limp.

Kazin laughed. “I guess it wasn’t that long ago for you, Sherman.”

“How so?” asked Amelia, confused.

“Right now I appear like I was many years ago,” said Kazin. “But the way you saw me earlier is how I look now. When I came to ask for my friends to aid me in this quest, I appeared older than they remembered, because I came from the distant future to recruit them in their time. I am much older because I come from further into the future.”

“I see,” said Amelia.

“We’d better hurry,” urged Olag suddenly. “The last of the wagons is preparing to leave.”

The companions hurried to scramble aboard. There were still several places available to sit and Kazin patted the seat next to him.

“Sit here, Olag,” he murmured in a low voice.

“Thanks,” hissed the invisible skink warrior.

Amelia sat to Kazin’s right while Harran, Zylor and Sherman sat across from them.

The ride was uneventful but bumpy, and the mages and clerics came around to get their names to submit to the testers at the Tower of the Stars. The companions gave fictitious names since they planned to sneak away upon arrival.

Star City was the city where the Tower of the Stars was located. It was named after the reef formation at the entrance to the Bay of Barlin where it entered the sea. The reef formation was called Ten Star Reef, and the ten reefs were beacons to inbound ships of the new world beyond.

Although the wagon made good time, it was well into the day when they arrived in the city. The tower was immediately visible, located high up on a mountainside overlooking the Bay of Barlin and the reef formations beyond. Gasps of awe were heard as the newcomers looked up at the impressive tower. They had obviously not seen it as they had passed it in their ship during the wee hours of the morning. The tower had turrets along the walls with cylindrical buttresses on the corners, and the center rose well beyond the buttresses like a giant square turret with many levels. The lower levels were larger than the ones above them and balconies sat atop the levels beneath. There were six levels in all, and the top was adorned with a flag bearing a crest not familiar to the companions.

“It’s definitely not the same as what I remember,” said Sherman.

Harran’s eyes widened and he pointed to the left. “Where is the mountain range? This can’t be the same place. The mountains are not high enough!”

“That’s because things changed during the dragon wars,” explained Kazin. “Most of the tower was destroyed when the upheaval took place, and the mountains were formed around that time. The dwarves lived in the mountains to the north and migrated to the new formations after the dragon wars. That brought a whole new era of prosperity to the dwarves, who were rapidly running out of valuable minerals and gems.”

“Of course,” said Harran, nodding. “I remember all the ancient digs in the northern mountains.”

“They’re not ancient at the moment,” said Kazin. “I’m sure there are plenty of dwarves working those mineral deposits right now.”

“Interesting,” said Harran thoughtfully.

The wagon came to a halt and Kazin and his companions hopped out. It was learned that the Tower of the Stars was where the white mages currently operated from, and where new mages of all types were evaluated as to their magical aptitude and inclination. Everyone was led along a path toward the tower, but no one was monitoring the convoy of potential new recruits. It didn’t take much for them to make a break for it, and they worked their way down to the commercial part of the city. It was just past noon and vendors were excitedly preaching their wares. The town was bustling with both locals and visitors, many who had arrived by boat in the local port.

They paused at a warehouse with a dark alcove so Kazin could transform Harran back into his bearded self. Kazin opted to remain his young self at Amelia’s request. Then the companions entered an even busier marketplace. Everything was being sold from exotic foods to goods from other lands, especially articles of elven or dwarven origin.

Amelia chose to withdraw her orb and saw a pinkish glow in its depths. “Something is not right about this place. We have to be careful.”

The companions remained alert as they moved through the marketplace.

At one point they passed a dwarven vendor who shouted, “Spirit blades! Come get your spirit blades! Dwarven quality and craftsmanship, enhanced with magic! Lightweight and solid! Come get your magical spirit blade! The Sword of Dead! Expert magic, expert craftsmanship!”

Sherman paused mid-stride and a shiver ran down his spine. Olag bumped into him and cursed quietly. Sherman turned to look at Kazin and knew the mage had heard the same thing.

“What’s wrong?” asked Amelia.

Sherman had already turned to examine the dwarf’s display of swords. Dozens of swords lined the table where the dwarf presented his wares. They were chained together to prevent theft. One glance at the swords caused the big warrior’s shoulders to slump. Most of the swords were exactly identical. He could not tell one from another.

“Well?” asked Kazin quietly beside his friend. “What do you think?”

“Um, guys,” interrupted Amelia, tugging at Kazin’s sleeve. She lifted her cloak to reveal the orb as it emitted a dark pink glow.

“Sherman?” pressed Kazin, unfazed.

“It’s the same as the sword I was supposed to bring,” said Sherman sadly. “They all are. I had no idea it was so common.”

“I don’t think your sword was common, Sherman,” said Kazin, eyeing the arrangement before him. He looked up at the dwarf, whose thick black beard and hair almost covered his face. “Which one is the ‘Sword of Dead’?”

The dwarf became evasive. “I don’t know. They’re all magical, but some are more potent than the others. Take your pick. You might get lucky and get a good one.”

“Why did you call it the ‘Sword of Dead’?” asked Kazin. “Where did you come up with a name like that?”

The dwarf shrugged again. “It’s what the mage who made it called it - I mean them.”