The Tomes Of Magic (27 page)

Hanoth grabbed hold of two dragons as they made their pass. James shot out of wave of flames to keep the other beasts away as his dragon tore into the two opponents. His claws dug into their bellies and tore outward into the wings, sending both dragons plummeting to the ground.
Taleveth whipped his tail around in a wide arc and caught four dragons in the face. His rider followed up the attack with several whips made of black. They streamed out of his palms and latched onto the closest dragons. Each of the creatures cried out in pain as their strength was being drained. The Archwizard released the dragons and began shooting fire out of his hands. James and Hanoth joined in and created a massive firestorm that engulfed the dragons and their allies. Several dragons grabbed hold of James and his dragon, pulling them down to their earthbound allies. Taleveth dove and landed on the ground a few feet from where they had slammed Hanoth. A handful of earth dragons erupted out of the ground and lashed out at their opponents. Thanos jumped off of Taleveth’s back and slammed his hands against the ground. A shock wave emanated from the spot that he struck and pushed back the earth dragons. He lifted his arms in the air and created a large protective bubble around the four of them.

“They are more powerful than I thought,” Thanos said.

“We can’t give up now. Let’s show them what we are made of,” James replied.

*

Sev stood at the edge of the forest and looked out across the plains. The signs of battle were still fresh, but the deceased had all been buried. Cassandra and Caitlyn stood behind him, watching him like hawks. Neither could guess what was going through his mind and he preferred they not know. The Empress without an empire was a definite wildcard, but he knew why Caitlyn had followed him. Though they had not had the time to explore their feelings, both knew that they cared for each other.
She’ll want me to stay
, he thought as he looked back at her. She smiled and then looked down at the ground. He turned and then walked to her side. The Ranger put his arm around her as he waited for her to regain her composure. Cassandra started to excuse herself, but Caitlyn told her to stay. The half-elf female took a deep breath before speaking.

“I know that you will refuse my request to stay, so I am coming with you,” she said.

“Out of the question. You will only slow us down,” Cassandra replied.

“That isn’t your choice to make. This is my mission and I am allowing you to come along,” Sev stared at the Empress for a moment before continuing, “Caitlyn is coming with us as well. There will be no discussion about it.”

Caitlyn smiled and threw her arms around him. He hugged her in return, choosing to ignore Cassandra. The Empress quivered in rage at how he had spoken to her. She wasn’t used to being treated that way. In fact, it had been years since she had been treated this way. Leoth had seen to it that others treated her with respect. Prior to meeting her husband, she had been royalty and nobody dared to talk to her in that manner. She had been the one who told others what to do. Sev allowed her to brood for a moment before turning to face her. He let go of Caitlyn and sighed. His task was far more difficult with the two of them accompanying him. Both Cassandra and Caitlyn waited for him to say something.

“This isn’t going to be easy. We are up against the Holy Order and a man that is as fast as or faster than I am. I may have to teach each of you to fight and I will definitely have to teach each of you how to survive,” Sev said.

“I know how to fight, thank you,” Cassandra replied.

“This will require a whole new set of skills. Being desperately outnumbered means that we will need to be able to strike with stealth.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Caitlyn replied before Cassandra could say anything.

“Good, you haven’t left yet,” Gareth said as he rode up on a horse.

“Is there something you need of us?” Sev asked.

“Leniya and I are to be wed and we would be honored if you would stay.”

*

Kimeth landed on the wall of castle Gloomvale. Janessa slid off her back and walked along the top of the wall. The soldiers watched as she strolled by them. She stopped near one of them and looked at the crest that was emblazoned on his shield. Seeing her own symbol combined with that of Rodric angered her. She wanted to order the soldier to replace his shield with one of hers, but knew it would be better to deal with the traitor first. The guards opened the door for her when she reached the keep.
Workers were going about their chores as though nothing were wrong, occasionally one or two of them stopped to greet her. The throne room was empty, so she started up the stairs toward the private quarters. She suspected that he would not dare take residence in her bedroom without her consent, but there was no doubt in her mind that he would take over her private study. The room was only slightly modified from the time that she had last used it. Rodric had put another table in place next to the original one. There was an envelope addressed to her on top of the table. Inside was a letter and a key. She picked up the letter and began to read.

“Where to begin? I see my folly now. You were always the strong one, Janessa. Your uncle was the honorable one. His actions prevented massive amounts of bloodshed. My arrogance, fear, and stupidity forced his hand. I wanted things to be peaceful. You deserved to rule over a kingdom without being bothered by the petty squabbles of the neighboring continent. Alas, your bravery would have none of it. I thought I would lose you to adventure and excitement. In the end, I am not even sure I ever really had you. Even if I did, I certainly didn’t deserve you. My actions were that of a coward. Send one of the servants to the north tower, tell them to expect the worst. My actions are unforgivable.”

Janessa put the letter back down on the table. She was flooded with emotions as she turned toward the door. The letter hadn’t been entirely specific, but she was fairly certain her uncle was dead or locked in the north tower. There was a part of her that wanted to start a search for Rodric. She had no idea how old the letter was, but she knew that he couldn’t have been gone too long. The servants and guards stayed out of her way as she stormed out of the keep and into the courtyard. She paused when she reached door to the tower. The key felt heavy in her hands.
You can’t leave me now, uncle,
she thought as she put the key into the lock. She turned it slowly and then pulled the door open. There was a soft creaking noise as she entered the tower. She used a spell to create light. Her knees got weak as she saw the boots suspended in the air. She ran over to cut the body down, but stopped when she saw that it was Rodric. Her hands shook as she dropped to her knees.

“What have you done, you fool!” She screamed.

“Where is my uncle?” The Archwizard asked, using magic to cut down Rodric’s lifeless body.

“What did you do to him?” Janessa slumped down to the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks.

*

Septimus leaned back against the wooden wall of the elven prison. The guards were discussing something outside and he didn’t want to alarm them. He had overheard them say something about a wedding and decided that would be the best time to make his escape. Several elves had already left to assist in the preparations.
Incompetent fools
, he thought as he used his magic to unlock the chains. He used his magic to make a hole in the ground and then climbed into it. The hole closed up once he was inside. He used magic to create a tunnel and light so that he could see where he was going. The tunnel extended six feet out in front of him and continued to expand as he moved forward. He continued in the same direction for several minutes before opening up another hole to escape. The spot where he emerged was densely forested, but not so much so that he couldn’t find the direction of the ocean. He started off in a sprint toward the water and used his magic to move objects out of his way.

The Warlock stopped when he got to the water’s edge. He needed to find a ship that could take him away from the main continent. His safest form of travel to any of the nearby towns would be by water. He placed his left palm against one of the nearby trees and began to cast a spell. The tree began to reform into a small boat. Two pieces split off to make oars. He raised his right hand and the boat lifted off the ground and floated out to the water. Septimus climbed into the boat and waved his left hand. Both of the oars began paddling on their own. As he was pulling away from the shore, he thrust both of his hands at another nearby tree. The tree opened up and released a new staff that flew into his hands. Septimus smiled as the boat took him toward a nearby harbor town.

He jumped off his boat when it reached the dock. The harbormaster was waiting for him with a ledger in his hands. Septimus argued with him for several minutes. They bartered the price down to ten silvers, which the Warlock had to use magic to create. He preferred not to use magic in such ways, but he had no other choice in the situation. There were three different sizes of ships for him to choose from. The Warlock needed one that was small enough for him to pilot alone. Fortunately, that would allow for him to spend less money as well.
Terror of the high seas
, he thought with a chuckle. Septimus approached the smallest of the ships and began to examine it. The salesman walked up to him and pointed to the ship.

“She’s a beaut, ain’t she?” He asked.

“Yes, quite impressive. How much do you want for it?” Septimus asked.

“A fair price, one-hundred gold coins.”

“If I were in the mood to haggle, I’d try to bring you down at least ten gold.”

Septimus reached into his pocket and created the necessary coins. He pulled them out and handed them to the ship salesman. He took the title to the ship. His hands shook from the amount of power it took to create the coins. The Warlock leaned on his staff as he walked toward his new ship.
Needs a name
, he thought as he made his way up the gangplank. It was a small ship with a small room that could work as his quarters. There was only one sail on the ship, but it work for what he needed. His hand rested on the wheel as he moved his staff in the direction of the anchor. The anchor reeled itself up. He smiled as he modified the wind to push his out to sea. Flames came out of his staff and whipped around to the side of the ship. The fire began to burn the name “Deathbringer” into front and back of both sides of the ship.

Argos landed in the courtyard of the Isle of Magic’s main castle. Paul climbed down and allowed his dragon to wander. He laughed as the majority of those gathered backed away. The atmosphere was somewhat different from the last time he has visited.
Be careful
, Argos communicated telepathically,
there is more than just fear in those gathered
. Paul nodded and looked around for any sign of Kadegar. The Supreme Wizard slowly made his way through the crowd with several of the higher ups in tow. They stopped when they spotted Paul. He could see by the look on their faced that something was off. The crowd backed off as Paul approached the Supreme Wizard.

“Where is Emily?” He asked.

“I’m afraid there has been a bit of a tragedy,” Kadegar replied.

“A tragedy. What kind of a tragedy?”

“We were attacked by the dragon King and Emily did not survive.”

“Impossible, the Isle of Wizardry is far too powerful to be overrun by dragons.”

“The dragon King led the attack. There was nothing we could do.”

“Lies!” Paul yelled as he pulled his sword.

Flames ran up the sides of the sword as he swung at Kadegar. The Supreme Wizard jumped backward and shot a lightning bolt at Paul. He used magic to ricochet the bolt toward one of Kadegar’s Wizards. The flames on his sword expanded as whipped it around for another strike. His sword missed all of them, but the fire tore into the enemies. Argos flew back around and unleashed a barrage of fire.
We need to leave
, the dragon’s thoughts filled Paul’s mind. He pulled back toward the dragon, but continued shooting fire at his opponents. The Wizards used their magic to block the fire and rush forward. Paul climbed onto the back of Argos. Together, they did everything they could to push back Kadegar and his minions. The Supreme Wizard pushed forward through the flames and lightning, leaving the rest of his men behind.

“You are not escaping me!” He yelled as he thrust his hands forward.

Vines shot out from the ground and grabbed Argos and Paul. They wrenched the dragon to the ground.
We need to get free
, Paul thought as he used his magic to extinguish the flames around his sword. He began hacking away at the vines, but another sprouted up for each that he cut. Argos attempted to leap off the ground, but the vines held him in place. Kadegar and the other Wizards took up positions around the dragon and its rider. They began a spell that would combine all of their power into one blast against Paul and Argos. Paul could feel the power being transmitted from Wizard to Wizard. He threw his sword into the air and used his magic to multiply it several times. The swords sprang into action and began slicing the vines that were holding the dragon down. They were cutting faster than Kadegar’s magic could replace them. Argos let out a roar as he launched himself into the air. The vines snapped and the dragon broke free, escaping the blast that the Wizards were preparing.

“I will find you, Paul. You brought the taint of the dragons to this island!” Kadegar yelled.

“You killed her, didn’t you?” Paul asked.

“Of course, I had no other option. She was connected to the dragons through you. It was inevitable.”

“I will have your head for it!” Paul screamed in rage.

*

Thanos nodded to James before letting the barrier fall. The fire magic master shot a jet of fire out at the nearest earth dragon. Hanoth jumped forward and tackled the same dragon to the floor. Thanos thrust his right hand forward, shooting a bone spear into another earth dragon. The flesh around the spear began to decay at a rapid pace. He thrust both his arms out sideways and small bone knives flew out and hit multiple earth dragons. Taleveth crushed one of the dragons between his claws and smacked another with his tail. Both Archwizards climbed atop their dragons and launched into the air. The dragons climbed higher and higher as their riders knocked away other flying dragons. They used the clouds for cover as well as for ambushing unsuspecting enemies. Their tactics slowly whittled away at the enemy dragons.

“Let Hanoth speak to them about a truce,” Thanos said as they descended out of a cloud.

“You think they will go for it?” James asked.

“Every one of them that falls brings the advantage closer to our favor. Our tactics have proven superior. It may take time, but we win if this pace continues.”

James nodded and then patted Hanoth on the back of the neck. He was unsure how much the dragons were connected now that the dragon King was slain. Their behavior seemed to show that they were far more feral than before. Thanos watched as James closed his eyes and seemed to go into a trance. The dragon and rider exchanged expressions as though they were waging a mental war. James snapped out of the trance and shook his head in frustration. Hanoth’s expression was a mix of indignation and triumph. Thanos used magic to probe at the minds of both individuals, but the dragon and rider snapped back ferociously. The death magic master sighed as he watched the two reenter their trance. He could tell that they were communicating telepathically, but he was unsure if it was similar to the bond he shared with Taleveth.

“We are running out of time,” Thanos said.

“Hanoth wants to eliminate as many threats as possible before offering a truce,” James replied.

“Do what you need to convince him. I am going to check on Rolin.”

Thanos watched as the two began their telepathic argument once again. He laughed as he shook his head.
Surely we do not look so foolish,
he thought to Taleveth. His mind was flooded with amusement as the dragon held back a laugh. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind while he prepared to contact Rowles. The phoenix had been following the illusion master since the end of the battle with the dragon King. There was no telling what Rolin would do now that he had avenged Melissa. Had he the means, Thanos would have sent spies after Janessa and Paul as well. He had settled on the one who he saw as the most powerful of the three. His mind jumped from location to location as he tried to find the fire bird. Much to his surprise, Rowles and Rolin were at the top of the dragon tower. The bird watched and reported from his hiding spot.

*

Rolin glanced over his shoulder. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. The stillness around him seemed to say otherwise.
It is probably Lethos
, he thought. He ran his hand along the massive carcass of the dragon King as he made his way closer to the head. The mighty dragon King was even slightly frightening in death. Rolin had never seen a dead dragon before and wondered at what rate the body would decay. It was the only corpse that the other dragons had left on the battlefield. He was unsure if they did so out of hatred or fear. The beast that had ruled over them for far longer than Rolin even knew was finally dead. He had represented the dragons’ best chance of returning to power in Canai. There had been a short period where it seemed as though he had even succeeded at subjugating the Wizards as well.

“Well, it appears to be over now,” Rolin said as he placed his hand on the dragon King’s head.

“I will not die so easily,” the dragon replied as his head rose off the ground.

The Archwizard stumbled as he backed away from the dragon King. His heartbeat picked up as the dragon rose up on his feet. He created a sword of silver and waited for his opponent to make a movie. The dragon King stepped back and growled. His wings were torn, but he was far from defeated. Rolin scolded himself for being so foolish. He rushed toward the King with his sword held in front of him. The dragon batted away the significantly smaller Wizard. He slammed into one of the pillars and then crashed to the floor. Pain coursed through his body as the dragon King engulfed him in flames. Rolin used a spell to knock aside the flames. The two opponents stood staring at one another. They both could see the determination in the other’s eyes. The dragon King refused to give in to the physical pain and Rolin refused to give in to his fear. He rolled to the side as the dragon tried to blast him with another swath of fire.

The Archwizard darted forward, jumping just as the dragon’s front paws swiped at him. He dug his sword into the dragon’s chest as he attempted to climb up the beast. His opponent reared back, trying to send the Wizard flying. Rolin held the sword tightly, but it slid loose and he slammed into the nearest pillar. He rolled to the side as the dragon’s tail came crashing into the column. The pillar came loose and began to fall toward the edge of the tower. Rolin used his magic to redirect the falling column into the dragon. The creature roared and shoved the rubble out of the way. He looked to and fro, attempting to find the Archwizard. The Wizard used his magic to shield him from view as he snuck up behind the dragon. He plunged his sword into the beast’s tail. The dragon King whipped his tail around and the sword nearly sliced clean through. Rolin grabbed hold of the tail and slashed at the tail.

His sword ripped through the flesh and cut off a large portion of the tail. The dragon King crashed to the floor, lacking the necessary balance to keep himself standing. He rose back up, but kept his front paws on the floor. The Wizard had struck a blow that essentially forced the dragon from standing on his hind legs. Rolin threw his sword into the dragon’s front left paw. He ran and jumped at the sword. The dragon King raised his paw, but not fast enough. Rolin’s sword tore through another chunk of flesh as the weight of the Wizard pulled it away from the paw. The Archwizard used his magic to propel himself up to the dragon’s neck and thrust his sword into the side of the neck. He pushed upward and yanked the sword out. His free hand grabbed hold of the dragon’s lower lip. The dragon King swatted at the Wizard, but he was too quick. He launched himself up and onto the dragon’s snout. His hands trembled as he stepped forward and drove the tip of the blade into the dragon’s forehead.

The beast roared in pain as the sword dug a few inches into his head.
You shall be avenged
, the Archwizard thought. Hatred surged through Rolin as he threw all his weight onto the sword and it slid further into the dragon’s skull. The beast slammed down onto the top of the tower. Rolin tightened his grip on the sword as he was nearly thrown off the dragon’s head. He pulled the sword free and lowered himself onto the top of the tower. The dragon’s ragged breath slowed as his last moments approached. A smile formed on Rolin’s face as he looked at the massive beast. He had finished the job. Wanting to be certain that the dragon was indeed dead, he walked around to the dragon’s neck and lifted his sword high above his head. The sword came down with as much force as he could muster. It took several chops before he finally severed the head from the beast. He threw the sword aside and returned to the front of the dragon. The beast’s eye stared at him blankly.

“Survival was never an option for you. You killed her and for that I can never forgive you, nor can I forgive myself. However, I am not done with you. You thought that death would be the worst outcome of your plan. You were wrong!” The Archwizard yelled as he pressed a small silver crystal into the dragon’s forehead.

*

King Orlin slid the final stone into place and then wiped his forehead. The dwarves, looking for a change of scenery, found a clearing in the Old Forest for their new fortress. Before starting on the castle, they set up a tomb for Cormac and Thralin. Orlin slid the lid closed on Thralin’s casket before turning to the crowd. There were two plaques next to the coffin, one for each of the dwarves. Even though they didn’t have Cormac’s remains, they still honored him with a plaque next to his cousin. The King called the others forth and watched as they paid their respects to their dead brethren. He allowed those closest to the deceased to pay their respects before opening up with his speech.

“Today marks a new beginning for the dwarves. Our people have called the subterranean caves their home for centuries, maybe even longer. It is with a heavy heart that we move away from our ancestral homes. One day, when the world is less chaotic, we will return. Until that time, we will live on the surface with our allies. Together, we will spread peace and harmony to world. A world that needs a rest from the recent times of fighting. So much was undone in so little time, but we will rebuild it. We will come back stronger. This victory was won through the sacrifice of many of our dwarven brethren. Let these two be a symbol for all those lost in pursuit of a better life for our people!” The audience erupted in applause at his speech.

“Your majesty, might I say something?” King Aithen asked as he stepped up to the casket.

“It would an honor, King Aithen.”

“Not many of you know who I am. Nor do you know my people. We are the gnomes and we have tried our best to live peaceful lives underground. There was a time when I thought that our two peoples were vastly different. At first, Cormac showed me just how much we have in common. After that, he did something that I could never have guessed. He showed me that our two peoples are vastly different. You see, the gnomes have always looked out for their own. Even in this most recent war, we did not participate in the fighting. The best we did was to help ferry supplies with our machines. Cormac showed us the fighting spirit of the dwarves. He showed us that courage never truly dies. My people are not a warlike people, but we banded together under his leadership and we survived. It was truly an honor to have known such a great man,” The King turned and placed a hand on the coffin.