Strife In The Sky (Book 7) (6 page)

“And we are to go there?” Ben asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “And how do we get up there?”

Even miles away, Nath’s keen sight could make out catwalks and bridges that went from rock to rock once you got to the city, but there was no answer how to get up. He shrugged.

“We’ll let Bayzog think of something.”

“Do people live there?” Ben said, rubbing the whiskers on his rugged chin.

“They did once, but that was long ago. Long before my time.”

“What happened?”

“It’s cursed,” Nath said, “Abandoned.”

“Haunted?”

“I don’t know about that, but it’s foul, they say.”

“There looks to be some life. Look at those birds flying from the spires,” Ben said.

“Those aren’t birds,” Nath said, gazing their way, “those are dragons.”

“Dragons? So many? Are you sure?”

Nath eyed him.

“I don’t think we should venture where so many dragons are about. They’ll find us for certain.”

“I’m not worried about those dragons,” Nath said. “Those are small ones. They roost. They sleep. There are ways around the dragons. It won’t be a problem.”

“If you say so.”

A dragon roar echoed down the valley.

Ben looked at Nath. “That didn’t sound so small.” He peered over the edge, into the valley.

Nath did the same.

A red-orange dragon glided over the river. With a beat of its great wings, it soared upward into the sky.

Ben gulped and hunkered down. His eyes enlarged when another dragon burst through the clouds and crashed into the other. The titans roared and clashed, filling the valley with thunder. The great monsters spit fire and clawed at one another.

“Are they fighting?”

“No, they’re sparring. Dragons do that, too. Hone their battle skills. Test one another.”

Shards of fire scattered in the sky and drizzled toward the ground.

“What kind are they?” Ben asked.

“Bull dragons.”

“They seem awfully big. Are they a problem?”

Nath looked down at him and nodded.

“They’re a problem times ten.”

CHAPTER 14

Bayzog got off his horse and let it drink from the river. All the others in the company did the same. Hours earlier, Nath and Ben had come back to share what they had discovered. When he found out the Floating City hosted dragons, his stomach had sunk into his toes.

“Do you really think it’s that bad?” Nath said ironically, wading into the waters. He scooped up a drink. “What’s a few dozen dragons? … Including a couple of bulls.”

Bayzog slumped on the Elderwood Staff.

I feel old. I should not, but I do
. He rubbed the pendant under his robes.

“You miss her, don’t you?” Nath said. “I would too. Well, I do. After all, I’ve not seen her in twenty-some years.”

Brenwar stormed over.

“So, do we have a plan? Or do we wait to become dragon toast?” He eyed the sky. “I don’t think it’s the best idea to be in the wide open.”

“I don’t hear anything,” Nath said. “Take a moment and relax, Brenwar.”

“Do you see a barrel of ale around here?”

Nath shook his head.

Ben walked over with his thumbs hitched in his belt and said, “Do we have a plan?”

Bayzog liked to plan. He lived for it, but at the moment he was at a loss.

Giving it a shot, he said, “We’re here to find out who mines the crystal shards. And I’m not so sure angling for the Floating City is the best route.” He pulled the shard out of a pocket in his robes. “But I think a visit to the citizens of the River Cities might garner some answers.”

“An excellent idea,” Brenwar said with a snort. “We just waltz in there and ask them. A dragon, an elf, and a dwarf. Ha!”

“We have our advantages,” Bayzog said, eyeing Brenwar’s chest.

“No, no, no,” Brenwar said, “I’ll not be drinking any more potions again. No.”

Bayzog missed Gorlee. The chameleon was priceless at times like this.

“We can send Ben,” Nath suggested. “He’d fit in, and I bet he could discover a few things.”

Ben shrugged.

“I can do it.”

“No sense splitting up now,” Brenwar said. “We lose one and we all might be lost. I’m not for it.” He turned his nose up at the sky. “Let’s just climb up there and see what we find.”

“I thought you’d show a little more patience, Brenwar,” Nath said. “We won’t end this war in a day.”

“Maybe not, but I want to. And you should too. Time is our enemy. The deeper evil burrows, the more difficult to extract it.”

“Another day won’t hurt anything,” Nath said.

“Lives are over in a second, Dragon,” Brenwar said.

Bayzog had never seen Brenwar so impatient before. It bothered him.

“I know,” Nath said, “but we’ve made it this far being patient. That saves lives just as well.”

Brenwar harrumphed.

“Ben,” Bayzog said with a nod, “I think it’s time you got a closer look at the River Cities.”

“Agreed.”

***

A mile upriver, farmlands and rolling terrain stretched as far as the eye could see on their side of the river. They released the horses there and waited long enough to watch them gallop out of sight. Brenwar hefted the dwarven chest on his shoulder and Nath led the way. Bayzog had gotten used to Nath’s senses. It was as if he could see and hear everything. He tripped on his robes catching up to him.

“Nath, something disturbs me,” Bayzog said.

“Oh, and what is that?”

“Are the senses of other dragons as keen as yours?”

“Good question,” Nath said, stepping over a fallen tree. “And I’d like to think not, but I can’t say for sure. Their eyes are better than those of eagles, but I don’t think them so motivated to find us.”

“Why not?”

“Dragons don’t worry about things as much as the races do. They are aloof. Not stupid, not by any means. But other than a love for people’s treasure, they have little care for people. Don’t bother them, they don’t bother you, unless you’re a gold or ruby statue.” He sliced some branches down with his claws. “It’s the soldiers we need to worry about.”

“And those bull dragons,” Bayzog said, “are they of no concern?”

“Well, they’re guarding the Floating City for a reason. I assume your hunch about the crystals is right.”

“And after what happened at Jordak’s Pass, they’ll figure we’re coming this way.” He checked the sky. The Floating City’s tower-tops hung behind the mountains, but he could see other chunks of rock that floated in the air. “And they probably have eyes everywhere?”

Ben gazed upward at his side and said, “If the crystals float like that, then why don’t people use them to fly like birds?”

“It’s not a property they have,” Bayzog said, sipping from his flask. “Though they are the rarest and most precious stone in Nalzambor. It’s called Jaxite. And what you see in the sky is where it comes from.”

“It looks alive,” Ben said.

Bayzog nodded. “Jaxite means ‘living rock’ in the old tongue. The histories say that whoever controls the jaxite controls the world. So the Wizards of Renown built a city on top of it and guarded it closely. But not all agreed on how the rock should be used. The races from all Nalzambor came to claim it. They warred for years, and the peaceful River Cities ran red with blood. The Wizards of Renown were wise. War prompted them to place a curse on the jaxite.”

“What kind of curse?” Ben asked, fingering the hilt on his sword.

Bayzog cracked a smile.

“A powerful one that is as plain as you see. Unifying their powers, they cast a great and mighty spell that lifted the jaxite from the earth to the sky. That is what you see now. And they added another spell as well. One that made the jaxite even harder to mine than mithril. It took a few years, but the races finally gave up after that. The jaxite had become useless.”

“But it seems useful now,” Nath said, climbing up a rock and lending a hand one by one to the others.

“Hence the reason for this quest,” Bayzog said, taking Nath’s hand. “And every bit of information we can acquire from the River Cities will be of great use before we venture above.”

He found himself overlooking the river that flowed through the majestic River Cities. Buildings of stone and wood lined the sandy edges of the riverbank clear off into the distance. The wharfs were busy with people who looked as small as insects they were so far away, loading and unloading cargo, mostly from small craft and barges. But a few big suppliers dipped great oars in the water.

“Seems like a nice place to live,” Ben said, starting down the other side of the rock. “I’m ready to go.”

“Wait, Ben,” Bayzog said.

Ben clamored back up the rock with a groan.

“Time’s wasting.”

Bayzog gestured to the dwarven chest on Brenwar’s shoulder.

“May I?  

Brenwar set it down with a grunt and opened it up. The vials of potions popped up in rows. In the bottom of the chest was an assortment of other things. Clothing, pendants, rings, scrolls and many other baubles and trinkets.

“How can so many things be inside a chest that is so small?” Ben asked.

“Magic,” Nath said, patting his shoulder.

Inside, Bayzog found a small jar of dark green ointment. He pulled the lid off and dipped his fingers inside it. “Come, Ben,” he said, holding his fingers out.

“What are you doing with that?” Ben said, frowning.

Bayzog rubbed it on Ben’s cheeks and muttered some mystic words.

Ben’s face shone brightly, then dulled.

“Is that it?” the warrior said.

Bayzog capped the jar and set in back in the chest.

“That’s it.”

“What does it do?”

“It’s Adderack’s Aversion Balm. It will keep the soldiers from pressing you.”

“Does it make me ugly?”

“You’re already ugly,” Brenwar said.

Nath laughed.

“You’re fine, Ben,” Nath said, staring at him. “Just different. The balm works well.”

Bayzog nodded. Ben’s visage had gone from something strong to something forgettable.

“You should go,” the part-elven wizard said.

“Agreed,” Nath and Brenwar said.

“But,” Ben said, but Nath was already shoving him along.

“Find the Water Dog Inn,” Bayzog said, “and don’t ask too many questions.”

“Be back by dawn,” Nath said, waving him onward, “Now hurry on.”

Ben looked back over his shoulder a couple times, then disappeared into the woods.

“That was strange,” Nath said, “but really effective. And he’s going to need it.”

“Why do you say that?” Bayzog said.

“Because those little people in the cities you can’t see,” Nath said, pointing down the river, “most of them aren’t citizens. Those are Barnabus soldiers.”

“Are there many orcs?” Bayzog said.

“Some. Why?”

“Oh, well, let’s just hope he doesn’t cross too many of them. They aren’t often disturbed by uncomely anything.” He shrugged and glanced down the path Ben took.

“Should I go after him?” Nath said.

“I’m sure it will be alright. Ben is a cautious man.”

CHAPTER 15

The phantom dropped down on Gorlee, covering him instantly in darkness. His big triant body shuddered from the cold, and fear sunk into his bones. The phantom’s voice was an eerie howl in his head.

Keep going, Gorlee. Keep going!

He squeezed his eyes shut and steadied himself. Pushed hard on the rocks that supported his enormous frame. Brenwar’s voice spoke in the back of his mind.

Courage frightens evil.

He dug into the rock and surged upward.

The phantom tore at him like a mighty black wind.

I have courage!

Up Gorlee went.

I hate evil.

The phantom pulled at his arms and legs. It felt like icicles were forming on them. He shook. He dug in.

I have courage. I hate evil.

No longer shackled by the mithril chains, Gorlee climbed a dozen feet at a time. Straining against the dark force, he continued his ascent up the great pipe that led out of The Deep.

I have courage. I hate evil.

The phantom let out more angry shrieks the higher he climbed. He could feel its hatred. It stabbed at his heart with frigid hands.

He screamed but no sound same. He slid downward, toes and fingers clawing at the walls. He pushed his mighty arms into the sides of the hole.

No! I have courage. I hate evil.

His ascent began again. Up, up, up the deep well he went.

I have courage! I hate evil!

I have courage! I hate evil!

I have courage! I hate evil!

Blinded, he kept going. One hundred feet. Two hundred feet. Minute after agonizing minute.

I have courage. I hate evil.
Five hundred feet. Arms trembling and legs shaking, he summoned all of his strength.

The phantom passed through him. Shocked him. Burned him. Poked icy holes in him. Gorlee did not stop.

I have courage! I hate evil!

I have courage! I hate evil!

I have courage! I hate evil!

I have courage! I hate evil!

Every minute was agony. Forever. Tormenting.

I have courage! I hate evil!

I have courage! I hate evil!

His hand felt a rim.

Can it be?

He swung his elbow over the ledge. The phantom howled and yanked him back down to his fingertips. He hung there with all the phantom’s power and hate pulling him back down in. Gorlee’s grip slipped. He hung onto the lip with one hand.

The phantom howled in triumph.

No! I will not fall! I will not fall!

His fingers started slipping.

I have courage! I hate evil!

I have courage! I hate evil!

He channeled his reserve power. His bones popped and crackled. His hulking form grew once more. He tore his arms away from the phantom’s grip, grabbed the rim, and heaved himself upward.

The phantom covered him like a black slime. It felt like being in a tar pit. He pulled one arm free from the blackness then another. His head burst into the light. The phantom screamed. One leg at a time, Gorlee climbed out. He sucked in the fresh air.