The Dragon's Test (Book 3) (29 page)

“Take him!” Marlin commanded.

Several hands gripped Jaleal’s arms and legs, wrenching the spear from him and holding him in the air above the floor.

“I was warned,” Marlin grumbled.

“Warned about what?” Jaleal asked with trembling voice. “I just want to help!”

“You just tried to kill Lepkin,” Marlin countered.

“No, I can wake him,” Jaleal insisted. “I knew how it would look to you, so I was going to wait until the others left before I did it.”

“You expect me to believe that?” Marlin asked.

“Prelate, I see no lie in the gnome’s words,” one of the healers said. “His aura is clean.”

“See?” Jaleal squealed with a nod toward the healer. “Listen to him, let me show you.”

Marlin paused and looked intensely at the gnome.
He too saw no hint of falsehood in the gnome’s aura, but he also knew what he had just seen, as well as what the dragon had said. Finally he gave a shake of his head. “No, I can’t risk it,” he said.

“What do we do?” one of the healers asked.

“Give me his spear and then expel him from the temple.” One of the healers handed him the mithril spear and then Marlin watched the others struggle to hold the writhing creature as they quickly hefted him out of the room. The prelate looked down to the spear. “What else can I do?” he asked himself.

*****

“So, how was the training session?” Alferug asked.

Erik looked up from the round cushion he sat on in the middle of the room and saw the dwarf walking into the room, book in hand. “We just did a review,” Erik said impatiently.

“Oh?”

“Just dispelling fake images and guessing which warrior wants to bash my head in with a rattan sword, things like that,” Erik explained.

Alferug drew his mouth to the left corner and wrinkled his nose. “Ah, I see,” he commented. “Well, a review is the proper place to start, I suppose.”

Erik shrugged and drew an imaginary line on the floor with his index finger. “I don’t really feel like reading,” he said.

The dwarf sat in front of Erik and opened the book to the final page. “That’s alright with me,” he said as he turned the book around for Erik to see. “I wanted to concentrate on writing.” He took a piece of chalk from his satchel and held it out for Erik. “Come on,” Alferug insisted when Erik hesitated. “I saw how much you enjoyed the wind on your face and the power of your wings. If you want to feel that again, then we should learn how to write this.”

E
rik took the chalk and his mood improved noticeably. “Writing the rune will help me change?” he asked.

“No,” Alferug said with a frown. “Not by itself, anyway. But it will help you commit the runes to memory, and you will need to be able to do that before you can use them.”

Erik nodded and looked down at the book. Alferug placed his pointer finger just above the first rune. Erik started from the left and drew the top line to the right. Alferug reached out and wiped the line away. “What are you doing?” Erik asked.

“These are not written from left to right, like the common tongue,” Alferug explained. “You must start each line from the right and go to the left. Begin with the top stroke and work your way down, but always from the right to the left.”

“What difference does it make, as long as it looks the same?” Erik asked. He didn’t mean to sound rude, but he could tell by Alferug’s stern expression that he had struck a small nerve.

“You aren’t drawing a picture,” Alferug said. “You are writing an ancient, magical language. It must be exact, or else it will have no power.”

Erik nodded and started over. He placed his chalk farther to the right and drew a mostly-straight line to the left.

“It may feel strange at first,” Alferug said. “But that is why we practice, to get it right.” Alferug erased the line with his sleeve. “Do it again, as straight and exact as possible.”

Erik sighed and leaned forward, concentrating to hold the chalk just so. He slowly, purposefully drew the line to the left and once he finished he pulled the chalk away and looked to Alferug for confirmation before continuing. The dwarf nodded and gestured for him to continue. Next, Erik started a curved line, like a ‘C’ which was easy enough. Then he connected a third line to the bottom of the curve and drew it up to the opposite line, but he pressed too hard and the chalk broke and his line ended with a jagged hook.

Alferug leaned forward, erased the whole rune, and said, “Try again.”

In the space of three hours Erik had only drawn two of the symbols to Alferug’s satisfaction. Erik leaned back from the floor and stretched his back. His leg ached too, and it was highly uncomfortable to sit on the cushion.

“We can continue tomorrow,” Alferug said.

“No, I can continue,” Erik said. “Just, maybe let’s write on the wall instead of the floor.”

The dwarf smiled and nodded his agreement. “Alright.” He walked over to a clear space on the wall and drew the first two runes for Erik.
Each stroke was quick and exact, like the precision of a master swordsman. As each symbol was completed it began to glow slightly. The first was green, and the second was yellow.

“They glow when you write them,” Erik commented.

Alferug nodded. “I have learned the magic behind the symbols,” he said.

“When I learn the magic, will the symbols glow like yours?” Erik asked.

Alferug shook his head with a big smile. “No, your symbols will be much brighter than mine,” he said. The two spent the rest of the day writing the runes on the wall until the bell chimed for dinner and Lady Dimwater came up to get them both.

When the three of them entered the dining hall, Erik noticed that Jaleal was not at the table, nor anywhere in the room. “Where is Jaleal?” Erik asked.

“He is no longer a guest of the temple,” Marlin said.

Erik frowned. “Why not?”

Marlin tapped his fingers on the table in front of him.

Lady Dimwater came to his rescue. “Jaleal tried to stab Lepkin with his spear,” she said coldly. She turned an eye on Marlin. “So the Prelate expelled him from the temple.”

“Why save me only to try to kill Lepkin?” Erik asked.

“The boy’s right, that doesn’t make much sense,” Alferug added.

“I saw it with my own eyes,” Marlin said. “The healers in the room saw it also.”

“I would have fried the little pygmy,” Lady Dimwater growled.

Marlin pushed his plate away. “I agree with Erik and Alferug,” he told her. “I don’t think it makes sense either.”

“Then why expel him?” Alferug pressed.

“Because I received a warning,” Marlin said simply.

Alferug started to ask a question but Lady Dimwater shook her head and he stopped. Erik glanced between the three of them, trying to decide what the unspoken message was. When none of them offered a more detailed explanation, he gave up and took a bite of his roast chicken. They ate their meal in silence and each went their separate ways at the end of the meal. Erik felt a rift in the harmony that had once been so prevalent in the temple. He found himself longing for Lepkin to wake, or at least for Al to return.

He went off to bed feeling more alone than he did during his early training days at Kuldiga Academy when Lepkin hardly spoke to him and the other boys teased him. As he laid his head on his pillow he found his mind going back to his time at the academy. He recalled the tournament where he had beaten so many of the other apprentices. He thought about his first glimpse of Lady Dimwater’s study. A slight chill ran down his spine as he remembered the ghost that had chased him through the hall.

Then his mind drifted back to the tournament and he remembered Hal, the asthmatic apprentice. He wondered where he was now. All of the other masters were either dead or in Drakei Glazei at the moment. Had they been able to send all of the students home, or had something happened to them?
He briefly thought of Orres and the others who had fallen, and then he raised his hand up to his chest. His eyes shot open wide when he realized he didn’t have his father’s ring.

He jumped down from his bed, stopping and grabbing his leg as the pain reminded him he had to move slower at the moment. The burning knot gradually lessened enough for him to climb the stairs up to where Lepkin was. He found a pair of temple guards flanking the door.

“The prelate has ordered that no one go in,” one of them said.

“Even me?” Erik asked.

The guards looked to each other briefly. “I doubt he meant him,” the other said.

“Be quick,” the first said.

Erik nodded and went in. Six healers stood around Lepkin, about to begin their spells. They stopped and looked at him curiously. “I came because I forgot something,” Erik said. “When I was in his body, I had a ring around my neck on a leather thong. I need it back.” One of the healers gently lifted Lepkin’s shirts and pulled the necklace out. Erik sighed with relief when he saw the emerald ring and he rushed forward to take it. He quickly slipped the leather thong around his neck and tucked the ring under his shirt. “Thanks,” he said. Then he slowly made his way, limping down the stairs back to his bedroom.

Once on his bed he fell asleep within minutes, clutching the ring through his shirt.

Erik stood in the center of the training room. His lungs burned and his head ached. His throat was dry and begging for a drink. Sweat dripped from the back of his neck and the front of his brow.

“Let’s try once again,” Marlin said.

“It has been almost two weeks,” Erik said. “I can’t do this.”

“If you want to take the test, you will have to be able to do this.”

“Did you have to master this before
your
test?” Erik asked.

Marlin bristled. “Mine was not the
exalted
test,” he said coolly. “But, yes, I did have to demonstrate this power as well.”

Erik jerked his head to the left and cracked his neck. He picked his hands up and held them both in front of him, palms out as if about to push someone. He focused, concentrating on the air b
etween his hands. He nodded when he was ready.

Marlin moved to a lever on the wall and pulled it. Oil rushed into a trough along the wall. Then the prelate set a match to the oil and flames
whooshed
through the room, filling it with a thick smoke. “Light banishes the darkness,” Marlin called out as he disappeared behind the film of smoke. “Your gift allows you to control physical elements as well as magical ones. Now, concentrate and banish the smoke.”

Erik took in a couple of shallow breaths, reflexively coughing as the thick, hot smoke seeped into his lungs. He called upon his power, focusing on the smoke. It started as a tingle at first, and then felt like a rush of heat inside his chest. For a moment he thought it was the smoke, or perhaps the heat from the burning oil, but this time it was different. He was generating the heat. He concentrated, letting his inner fire build to a peak before opening his mouth. In his mind’s eye he envisioned a blinding light bursting out of him, like it had with the Blacktongue by the brook, but the reality was much less impressive.

A small, almost indiscernible flash sputtered out from him. Instead of banishing the smoke, it only made it swirl in front of him slightly under the force of his yell. Then it closed in and he succumbed to the stinging heat of the smoke. As he feel to his knees, coughing and sputtering he heard a click somewhere behind the smoke and a few seconds later the smoke dispersed out through the open windows above them, as it had many times before over the last week.

“That was good,” Marlin said with a huge smile on his face.

“Good?” Erik coughed.

“I saw the spark that time,” he said enthusiastically.

“A spark?” Erik laughed and fell back on the floor, exhausted. “I would be more effective if I lit a match and threw it at the smoke.”

“No,” Marlin said. “I have seen many students unable to produce a spark that bright,” he said. “And for most, myself included, it takes at least a year to become this good. Your progress is astounding!”

Erik lifted a tired hand and twirled a finger in the air. “Woo-hoo,” he said.

Marlin came to sit next to him. “Enough for today. Go and practice your writing with Alferug. We will continue this tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait,” Erik said as he lurched up, struggling to get his elbows under himself. “Couldn’t we just practice this at night so I don’t have to breathe in all this smoke?” Erik asked.

Marlin rustled his hair and stood back up. “Then what would the distraction be?” he asked. “This test was designed to be passed under physical duress.”

“Who thought of this stuff?” Erik asked as Marlin helped the boy up to his feet.

“It is meant to help you prepare for the challenge ahead,” Marlin said flatly.

“It feels like someone with a lot of time on their hands sat around thinking of horrible ways to torture people,” Erik shot back. “Remember that gauntlet test you put me through the first time I came to the temple, you can’t tell me that a normal person thought of that, and now you are trying to suffocate me.”

Marlin chuckled. “The Champion of Truth is destined to dispel
Nagar’s Secret. You, Erik, are the only person capable of destroying the magic that the enemy would use to enslave us all. It is a magic that can’t be beaten by the sword. It is itself a shadow, a thick fog of darkness, and we need to train you to use the light in order to banish it forever.”

Erik nodded. “Why not just take the book and throw it into a volcano, wouldn’t that destroy it?”

Marlin paused for a moment and stroked his chin. Erik could see that the man was thinking very carefully before answering. “The book is only one aspect,” Marlin said. “The first time the book was used, it unlocked Nagar’s Secret on the Middle Kingdom. Even if we could destroy the book, which we can’t, without banishing the magic it unlocked, the threat will still remain. The Ancients cannot return until the curse is lifted from this land. To do that, we must destroy the magic itself, those who seek it, and find a way to dispel the book.”

“And throwing the book, made of paper, into a volcano wouldn’t destroy it?” Erik asked skeptically.

“It is not a simple book. It is a very powerful magical artifact. No physical element, even a volcano, can destroy it. Do you remember that Allun’rha was able to counter the magic during the Battle of Hamath Valley?”

“Yes, I read about that with Al,” Erik said.

“You will have to find that book and finish unlocking its magic in order to finally dispel Nagar’s Secret and destroy the book.”

“Well, if he already had the spell, why didn’t he destroy Nagar’s
Secret?”

“He wasn’t strong enough,” Marlin replied. “He was a powerful wizard, but even he was not able to finish the battle.”

“What happened to him?” Erik asked.

Marlin was silent for a moment. “
Most think he died, but no one knows for sure,” he said after a moment. “Come, let’s go see Alferug in the library. I am sure he is getting anxious.”

The two of them walked down a couple of levels and went into the library to find the dwarf pacing in front of a large easel filled with blank parchment. A small jar of black paint rested on a round table nearby, along with a paintbrush. When he saw the two of them he smiled and pointed to the easel.

“Are you ready?” he asked Erik.

Erik sighed and nodded slowly. He went to the easel and took the paintbrush in hand. “From the beginning?” he asked.

“Of course,” Alferug said.

Erik nodded and dipped the paintbrush into the jar of paint. He made the first stroke, perfect and exact. Then he made the curve, the next stroke, and finished with the last three strokes and stepped away from the easel.

“Good,” Alferug said. “Now, take that one down, set it on the floor.” Erik did as he was asked and went to paint the next rune, but Alferug held a hand up and stopped him. “This time, I want you to imagine the meaning as you draw the rune. It isn’t enough to just slosh paint around. You have to feel it.” The dwarf cupped a hand to his heart for emphasis.

Erik sighed and closed his eyes to clear his mind. Then he opened his eyes and focused on the meaning
of the rune as he redrew it. This time, as he finished the last stroke the paint changed from black to green and the rune glowed and hummed. Erik smiled and looked to Alferug. The dwarf was almost as excited as he was.

“Do the next one!” Alferug said as he churned his finger in the air. Erik ripped the paper down and quickly drew the next rune, focusing on the meaning and letting his hand flow with the symbol. As with the first, the paint changed color. The symbol glowed bright yellow, almost hurting Erik’s eyes.

He took the paper down and drew the third. As he finished each rune, it would glow a different color. Once he finished the last one the room began to hum and Erik felt a rush of wind around him. He looked to see Alferug’s beard floating up in the whirlwind and laughing giddily.

“Well done!” Alferug shouted. “Can you feel it, boy?” he asked.

Erik felt the wind rush into him and for a brief moment it was as if he was in the sky again, soaring on great, powerful wings with the cool breeze caressing his face. Then it faded and the runes stopped glowing.

“I could feel it,” Erik said.

Alferug stepped in and poked him in the chest. “Right here,” he said as he drilled his finger into Erik’s heart. “This is where the magic comes from. Keep at it, and you will be back in the sky soon enough!” Alferug clapped his hands. “Ha ha!” he shouted. “This is wonderful!”

Erik laughed out as well and went back to the easel. “Again!” he shouted.

“Yes, yes, do it again, boy!” Alferug agreed. “Let’s see if we can take some books off the shelves!”

*****

Erik woke to the sudden sound of his door bursting open. He sat up in his bed to see who was invading his sleep, but all he saw was a wall of flames closing in. He rolled off his bed and ducked under the rush of flames. Thick smoke filled the room, making it impossible to see. His heart raced in his chest and his eyes stung from the smoke. He coughed the bitter, harsh smoke out of his lungs as he gasped for air. The roar of the flames was almost deafening. The smoke grew so thick that he could almost feel it closing in around him, choking the clean air out of him.

He wasn’t sure what was going on. In his half-awake state he was disoriented, and couldn’t think clearly. All he knew for sure was that if he did nothing, he was going to be burned alive.

Instinctively he called upon his training over the last week and rose to his feet. He put his hands in front of him and called upon his power again. The spark appeared inside his chest and grew until its intensity matched the fire around him. Then, he closed his eyes and opened his mouth.

A great light burst out from him and dispelled the smoke as the day chases the night. The flames rolled back, shrinking away from his power and then the room was still. Despite the fact that it was still dark outside, the inside of his room was bright, as though the sun was shining directly above him.

There, in the doorway, stood a very pleased Marlin. The man was smiling and clapping softly. “Well done,” he said. “Well done indeed.”

Erik’s heart started to slow and he looked around him.
None of the furniture in the room showed any sign of the fire, nor were there any scorch marks on the wall, or any wisps of smoke left. “This was a test?” Erik asked incredulously.

“You are the one who said we should do it at night,” Marlin pointed out.

“I meant
without
fire and smoke!” Erik said.

Marlin patted the air and stifled a chuckle. “Relax, this is the final phase of the training,” he said. “Once a student is able to show the spark, no matter how small, the next phase is to catch them while sleeping.”

“I’ll ask again,” Erik started. “Who thought of this stuff?”

Marlin couldn’t help but laugh now and he stepped into the room and closed the door. “I’m sorry, I really am, but over the years we have learned that a student never progresses beyond a simple spark unless they are put into a situation where they actually think the danger is real.” Marlin calmed himself and took a moment to straighten his face before continuing. “Given the fact that all of our training is about how to discern truth from error, we also discovered that we could never fool a student once they had progressed to this stage unless we waited until they were deep asleep.” Marlin walked forward and put a reassuring hand on Erik’s shoulder. “Do forgive me,” he pleaded. “But it is the way we administer the final test.”

“The final test?” Erik echoed skeptically.

Marlin nodded. “Well, there is
one
more for you.”

Erik looked at Marlin’s white eyes for a moment and then a smile crept across his face. “You mean?”

Marlin nodded. “Tomorrow I will take you downstairs. There you will go through the Exalted Test of Arophim, if you believe you are ready.”

Erik smiled and hugged Marlin. “Thank you!” he said. Marlin hugged the boy back for a moment and then pushed him away.

“Get some sleep,” he said. “You will need it.”