Strength (29 page)

Roxie sat down beside him, saying nothing, and neither did he. In fact, he acted as if he didn’t remember anything from last night, and she wondered if he did at all. Aerigo’s mood seemed much less weighed down, more relaxed. That was some consolation.

Chapter 22

“What training am I doing on Druconica? You’re not gonna make me wrestle Horgrim, are you?”

“You got your training in the Black Canyon,” Aerigo said. He took a swig from his goat skin. “We need to move on to the next stage of your training—the final stage.”

“And that would involve…?” Even though she already knew about the power thing, she didn’t want to reveal she’d heard all of his conversation with Maharaja.

“I’ll show you what I mean when we go to Baku’s realm,” he said, sounding uneasy. “I thought of taking us to Gaia, a deserted world, but it’s closed to just about every god, which is unusual.”

“Closed?”

“A god can’t enter a closed world with mind or body, which means they can’t find its location either. Closed worlds don’t exist to any god but the one who created it, but that doesn’t mean mortals can’t follow our world-hop trail. We’ll be safer on Baku’s realm because no one but a god could follow us there.”

“Why can’t we just stay on Druconica? Or go back to Sconda or Phaedra? Or even Earth?”

“For safety and secrecy reasons.”

***

Dakar, the Elf sent to replace Chionas and Frawst, pulled back his spying spell. Aerigo’s and Roxie’s spot on the blanket disappeared behind the trees, his vision sliding backwards among the leaves and branches. Seconds later, he heard the river bubbling and splashing around and over the water mill, then saw the river. It, too, shrank away from him as his sight receded past homes and people, and back into the Fire Mountains. Dakar’s head jerked back as his mind reconnected with his body, which was encased inside a spell to keep the enhanced gravity from immobilizing him. The Elf opened his eyes and surged to his feet. “Kabiroas! Aerigo and the girl are getting ready to move on.”

“Where to?” Kabiroas asked intently.

“Baku’s realm for the last part of their training, whatever that is.”

Kabiroas went wide-eyed. “Report to Nexus immediately! Warn him of Aerigo’s plan.” He turned to their human accomplice. “Sodo! Take over spying on Aerigo.”

“Yes, sir,” both man and Elf said in unison.

Dakar reached out into the air in front of him with one hand and world-hopped to Nexus’s realm. After the jolt of his instantaneous journey wore off, his vision focused on stone steps bathed in red light. Nexus surged to his feet. Fearing for his life, Dakar dropped into prostrate position, his forehead to the floor.

“Get up!” Nexus said excitedly. “Tell me what you’ve learned.”

The Elf obeyed. “Nexus, Aerigo and the girl are getting ready to go to Baku’s realm for a final bit of training.”

Nexus took a sharp intake of breath. “They mustn’t go there!” He look past Kabiroas and the Elf turned around. Two black dragons were lying on their sides by the giant doors, heads in the air and staring intently with their fiery eyes. Two Elves stopped fencing and sheathed their scimitars. Two trolls stopped mid-struggle in their wrestling match and turned, and the third looked up as everyone fell silent.

“We go to Phailon!”

***

Nexus hovered above the mountain nearest Phailon, staring at the city in contempt. He hated its beauty and serenity. There was something he hated even more, but that person would be dead before long. Aerigo was the one being who jeopardized his prophecy, but the Aigis would be dead by the time Phaedra’s day wore out. Nexus’s private army of Elves and monsters would prove to be too much for a single Aigis.

The girl didn’t concern him. She was young and weak with no blood on her hands.

A strong wind harassed him as he floated in place. It whipped his dark hair everywhere and bit at skin, though there was no place so hot or cold that a god couldn’t survive in. Nexus felt no pity for those who suffered in uncomfortable climates. He narrowed his eyes and reached out with his mind.
‘Brago! Greigo! Hide beyond the side opposite the main entrance.’

“Yes, Nexus,” the two dragons said.

Turning his thoughts to his beastly trolls,
‘Durgil! Grauss! Harat! Hide between the two waterfalls. Stay just the other side of the wall for now.’

“We shall, Nexus,” Durgil, the lead troll, answered.

‘Gilonas! Dakar! You two hide opposite the trolls and prepare a warm welcome for Aerigo. Kabiroas and Sodo should be joining you shortly.’

‘We will shroud Phailon in darkness, Nexus,’
answered Dakar. ‘
And then we shall cast it—cliff, enemy and all, into the ocean.’

Two black winged shapes flew over one part of Phailon’s outermost wall. Three trolls climbed over the Twin Falls wall and ended up having to kill a few humans to keep their presence secret. The Elves summoned a thick grey fog, which mixed with the colors of sunset. It engulfed the bustling streets, one block at a time.

***

Leviathan stopped flying among the stars. Baku and Din pulled up beside him and the dragon’s body shivered involuntarily.

“What is it, Leviathan?” Din asked. “Why are we stopping?”

The dragon growled deep in his throat. Din and Baku exchanged worried glances. “Give me a moment.”

***

Aerigo and Roxie flinched at the power of Leviathan’s voice in their minds.
‘Aerigo, Roxie. It’s Leviathan. I apologize for interrupting your training, but I have something important to ask of you.’

“What is it?
”
Aerigo said.

‘I need you to go to Phailon for me. Something’s not right.’

“Why can’t you go? Rox and I haven’t the time to spare.”

‘I know,’
Leviathan said.
‘But neither do I.’

Aerigo hesitated, then said, “Can it be ignored?”

‘No! The evil there is growing as we speak. I wouldn’t have bothered you if it wasn’t that important.’

“Isn’t there anyone else you can send?”

Roxie’s heart tugged at her to go to Phailon. She didn’t want anything to happen to the beautiful city. She could feel Leviathan’s distress through their mental link.

‘Aerigo!’
Leviathan said in a pained voice, then fell silent, as if reluctant to say more. Seconds ticked by in dreadful silence and he whispered,
‘My icon is there.’

Aerigo took an unsteady breath, his eyes flashing yellow. “Where is it?”

‘It’s the geometric teardrop floating above the giant pillar in the center of Phailon. Please don’t let anything happen to either that or the pillar holding it up. Hurry!’

Aerigo nodded. Roxie felt like an invisible hand removed itself from her forehead. “What’s so important about Leviathan’s icon?”

Aerigo grabbed Roxie’s hand and yanked her into motion. They darted among the trees laid out like a labyrinth. “If you destroy a god’s icon, you kill the god, or so the legend goes. I’ve never heard of anyone’s icon being found before.”

“Maybe we should look for Nexus’s after we save Leviathan’s.”

“Rox, I don’t even know where Baku’s is.”

***

“I’m sorry to see both of you leaving so soon,” Antares said to Roxie and Aerigo.

“I’m sorry, too, Antares,” Aerigo said. “Thank you for your hospitality. Your cooks are the best, as always. And thanks for replenishing our packs, too.” The three of them crossed the entrance hall, and the doors opened for them.

“I take it you got what you needed from King Maharaja?” They stopped at the top of the stone stairs.

“Yes.”

“Good. Last night I dreamed of a gathering darkness beyond the borders of Drio. I sent Mick and Jack to investigate this morning. I fear our peace with the Balvadiers has come to an end. If so, then my people are caught unprepared.”

Roxie sent her mind vision north of Drio and saw grey outlines of two men running as fast as their short legs could carry them. Mick and Jack. Aerigo’s snarl snapped Roxie’s vision back to the temple. His eyes burned red.

Mick’s horror-filled voice echoed from the temple’s north side. “The Balvadiers are coming! They’re armed!”

“Prepare yourselves!” Jack shouted.

Roxie and Aerigo rushed to one side of the temple. Mick and Jack ran before an approaching army cresting the horizon. A bristling forest of spears and a sea of banners rode the giant, mooring mass of shields and uniforms. Roxie heard Aerigo whisper, “Not again.”

“What do we do now?” Roxie asked nervously. Both of them were needed in two places at once.

Aerigo bolted towards Mick and Jack.

Before he could clear the temple platform, someone landed in front of his path, causing the rock under Roxie’s feet to vibrate, and Aerigo skidded to a halt. Maharaja growled with narrowed eyes. Aerigo took a step back.

“I told you to ignore the Balvadiers, Aerigo,” Maharaja said with an edge to his voice. The two gave each other challenging stares. Roxie backed up, expecting them both to break into a fight, an Aigis versus a tiger more than a head taller, twice as heavily built, and able to send people into trances with a look. Maharaja pulled back his ears and bared his teeth, hissing.

Aerigo bowed his head and hunched his shoulders.

“Do
not
to go to this city I see in your mind. I sense a trap.”

Antares ran past Aerigo and the King for an animal horn hanging on a temple pillar, and brought it to his lips. The Druid sounded a single powerful note that echoed off the temple walls, the city gates, and the surrounding mountains. He sounded three more long blasts, their echoes carrying along the Fire Mountains to the southern cities. Roxie stuck a finger in each ear to get the ringing in her head to go away.

“Even if it is a trap,” Aerigo said gravely, “I still have to go.”

The air suddenly felt like the pressure was dropping and Roxie looked up. A powerful presence like Baku’s and Din’s emanated from clear blue sky. A black dot became visible, then grew and began to take shape. Snakelike, with a great expanse of wing on either side, a mighty dragon bore into view.

“Beloriah!” Antares exclaimed. “Our god has come to save us!”

“Listen to my warning,” Maharaja said to Aerigo. Roxie peeled her eyes from the first real dragon she’d ever seen, finding the King’s voice irresistible to ignore. “I sense much death if you choose to go to the white city.”

“There’ll be even more death if I don’t.” Aerigo glanced at Antares, whose eyes were stuck on the dragon flying towards them. Beloriah landed just north of the city, causing a tremor that even the Balvadiers must have felt. For a moment Roxie feared the temple was about get shaken from its foundation.

The dragon’s sheer size left Roxie staring with her mouth agape. Beloriah was nearly as big as Mount Azriel, and when he spread his leathery wings, they seemed to span the mountain range. He let out a thunderous roar and then slashed a mountain with his tail. Trees were felled and dirt slid down the slope.

The dragon god’s next guttural roar was laced with fury. “Evil spies of Nexus!” he yelled, glaring at the gash he’d made.

Roxie sent her mind vision to the gash and saw someone even older than Aerigo lying on the ground.

Beloriah rounded on the army. “And you! Fools! Put down your weapons and stop this madness! There are real enemies elsewhere.”

“I hope you’re right, Aerigo,” Maharaja said gently to Aerigo. “My heart begs you not to go. I fear you’ll lose more than you can bear.”

Roxie felt Aerigo’s eyes on her. He turned back to the King and clenched his fists. “The future isn’t set in stone,” Aerigo said, then turned and walked away. “Let’s go, Rox.” He put a hand on Roxie’s shoulder and held out his other in front of them.

“But the past is Aerigo,” Maharaja said. “The past is… Be careful.” The King left as quickly as he came.

For a moment Aerigo hesitated, but then he set his face into a determined expression and squeezed Roxie’s shoulder.

***

Nexus sensed Kabiroas arrive in his realm and summoned the Elf to right in front him in midair. Kabiroas looked at him, flinched, looked past his booted feet, then started flailing like a drowning person.

“Is he coming?” Nexus asked.

“Y-yes,” Kabiroas said between gasps. “Please put me down!”

The Elf had gone rather pale under his scratches and bruises. “You look like you’ve been clubbed by a troll. What happened?”

“Beloriah happened,” Kabiroas said unhappily. “He sensed our presence. H-he killed Sodo. Nexus, I don’t like heights.”

“Oh well. You’re still alive and whole,” Nexus said, heedless of the bleeding bruise on the Elf’s forehead. He darted his attention to a few hundred yards before the city’s main gate. Aerigo and the girl had arrived. Their minuscule frames bolted for the stone bridge, and Nexus’s chest swelled with hate. His fingers itched to wrap around the Aigis’ neck and squeeze.
So close…
“It’s almost time to compete for the reward. You’ll be joining Dakar and Gilonas. You will wait there for my command to advance.”

“Y-yes, Nexus.”

Nexus flicked a wrist, transporting Kabiroas to where the other Elves waited. He gazed at the buildings shrouded in fog and fading light. Phailon looked like it had been partially swallowed by a murky ocean. “I want our prey to be deep into our trap with no way out,” he whispered to himself.