The Wizard's Council (27 page)

“You taught them, you must have. There is no way they could have done this on their own. You hid the fact that you knew about the
dragons.”

“Neither of us can even explain what happened.”

“They were mine, tools of destruction to be used whenever I needed their assistance!” Arcantos yelled.

The earth began to rumble as the
dragons turned to face the three. While, Rolin and Melissa stepped back out of fear and reverence for the mighty beasts Arcantos stood defiantly. He stood in direct challenge of the creatures, demanding that they answer to him. It was a foolish move and he knew it, but his pride got the better of him. Even as the dragons approached, he refused to give up his stance. They approached one by one until they were all gathered in a circle of more than twenty dragons. Arcantos shook his head as the dragons refused to address him. Each of the dragons bowed its head and waited while the magician yelled at them. A great wind pushed Arcantos back and forced him to squint. He could hear the sound of wings, but none of the dragons was flying. The clouds gave way to a massive black dragon. It stood nearly fifty feet tall and had a wingspan of almost eighty feet.

“The Wizards have mind melded with two of my
dragons. This was not part of our arrangement. I was not told that there would be humans who could find weaknesses in my children,” The dragon spoke slowly and deliberately.

“How was I supposed to know they couldn’t resist the mind meld?” Arcantos asked, throwing his hands up in the air.

“You were to warn us of any dangers we could face, now our objective has been modified. The dragons find favorability with the Wizards.”

“You are mine. You cannot do this to me!” Arcantos yelled as he approached the
dragon with his hand held forward.

“Do not try it, fool. I will kill you before you lay a hand on me.” The
dragon rose up on its hind legs.

Arcantos used his magic to catapult himself forward, dodging the massive claws of the
dragon. He leaped up through the air and grabbed hold of the dragon’s leg. Using his magic to augment his speed, the magician scurried up the leg of the dragon and slid around to its back. The beast thrashed about, tossing the magician to the floor. It reared back on its hind legs and let out a roar. Dragons from across the battlefield joined their massive cousin in the mocking roar. The leader of the Knights of Doom stood up and tossed aside his sword. He took in a deep breath as he slowly walked toward the dragon. What little was left of those gathered watched in anticipation as the man approached the great beast. Many of the onlookers assumed that he would kneel before the dragon. Filled with rage, Arcantos dropped to one knee.

“I will not be so easily defeated!” He yelled as he grabbed a handful of dirt with his left hand.

The magician stood up and thrust his left hand into the air. A massive fist made of dirt rose behind the dragon. As Arcantos open his hand, the fist opened with it. He pulled his hand in toward his body and then thrust it at the floor. The massive earthen hand lurched forward and grabbed the dragon’s head. There was a slight struggle, but the dragon was too weak to hold out against the hand of earth. It slammed the dragon’s head onto the ground and held it there as Arcantos slowly approached. Several dragons rose into the air to assist their cousin. The magician thrust his right hand into the air, and a great wind held back the other beasts. He laughed as he reached the head of the great dragon. His right hand darted toward the beast’s horn. It attempted to shy away from his grasp, but the earthen hand held it firmly in place.

“You are mine!” Arcantos yelled as he placed his hand on the
dragon’s head.

“None are powerful enough to withstand the
dragon King’s mindmeld!” The dragon bellowed.

Arcantos staggered backward as if he had been struck by some invisible force. The earthen hand crumbled as he fell to the floor and grabbed his forehead. He screamed out in pain as his mind tried to grasp the fullness of the
dragon’s knowledge and power. His expression was a combination of awe and fear. The dragon mindmeld showed him things he could not have imagined. His mind was flooded with images of magicians of old fighting side by side with dragons. The dragon King’s pain became his pain. It was then that he realized why none had survived the mindmeld. His target was the oldest surviving dragon and had lived to see a great schism between the dragons. The pain of brother fighting brother, cousin slaying cousin, all of the dragonkin had been involved. He collapsed to the floor as the final images flashed through his mind. Entire species of dragon had been destroyed by other species of dragon. The pain engulfed Arcantos and darkness closed in around him.

*

The dragon King rose up on its hind legs and stretched its wings out as far as they would go. It let out a small puff of flames before lowering back down onto all fours. The display was as much one of intimidation as it was of success. Only a few days had passed since the return of the dragons and already they had a large force of thralls working on building them a massive castle. The dragon has extended an invitation to Rolin, Janessa, and Leon. If they accepted the King of dragons as their leader, they would be allowed an integral role in shaping the world. Rolin had arrived early, as was his custom.
This one is more powerful than he lets on
, the dragon thought as it observed the Archwizard’s movements. The dragon contemplated a single, swift blow with one of its front legs. Its fear of the Wizard’s magic was the only thing that stopped it from following through. The dragon lowered itself so as to make it easier to converse with the man in front of it.

“You have called me here,
dragon. What is it that you would have of me?” Rolin asked.

“I am here to offer you a deal, Wizard. You may join my kingdom as one of my trusted advisors. Do you accept?” The slow rumbling voice of the
dragon shook the earth itself.

“What of the others, you said they were offered this as well.”

“Janessa has already accepted the deal. She even has her own dragon now. Leon could not be found, though I understand that he is no longer truly one of you.”

“That is true, what of the others?”

“What others?” The dragon asked.

“
Melissa, Thanos, Ector, Cormac, and Emily. Will they be offered the same?”

“I cannot promise you that they will be offered the same.  Melissa is weak. Elves and
dwarves have hunted dragons since the beginning of time. We do not consort with Necromancers either. This Emily that you speak of, she has potential. However, we are unable to find any information on her whereabouts.”

“I do not like the sound of this one bit. Melissa and I shall be taking ourselves elsewhere. We will not stand for your inability to accept our friends!” Rolin slammed his staff on the ground as he spoke.

The dragon reacted almost instantly. Its front left foot shot forward, claws flashing out at the Archwizard. Rolin thrust his staff up at the dragon’s coming foot, hitting it between its two front claws. The beast reared back and bellowed in pain. Melissa rushed forward to pull Rolin back.
The fool brought her as well
, the dragon thought as it stood up. It launched a massive fireball at the two Wizards. The flames engulfed the spot where Rolin and Melissa had been standing. As the flames died down, Melissa was standing above a weakened Rolin. She thrust her arms forward, and a massive icicle rushed toward the dragon King. It slammed into the creature just below the left shoulder, causing it to bellow in pain. Several other dragons witnessed the altercation and swooped down to attack Melissa. Rolin, still lying on his back, held out both his arms. The ground around the two of them began to shake, and a dome of earth shot up to protect them. A sustained assault from the dragons brought down Rolin’s shield.

Each of the
dragons held back to allow the King to deal the death blow. A loud screech sounded through the skies. The dragon looked up to see a streak of red coming down from above. It twisted on its back legs and smacked the oncoming Phoenix. The firebird was sent sailing through the air and crashed through several trees in a nearby forest before striking the ground. Rolin yelled out in shock as he watched the bird plummet to the ground. The dragon looked back down at the Archwizard, reconsidering the finishing blow.
His spirit is broken
, the dragon King thought as he turned back to the two Wizards. It took a moment to allow the two to absorb the moment before it spoke to them.

“The offer stands one last time and is extended to Melissa. I was wrong about this one. That is not something I often admit,” the
dragon’s spoke slower than usual.

*

Thanos rested him arm on the head of his dragon. He was fascinated at the connection that they shared and wanted to know how it had come to be. His knowledge of dragons had been minimal prior to this interaction. He had heard tales of dragons forming bonds with other races, but never would he have assumed that a skeletal dragon could do so. However, the whispers in the back of his head said otherwise. A single name had been on his mind for some time, Taleveth, a name that felt foreign and familiar all at once. It seemed to Thanos that the dragon was communicating with him. He slid onto the dragons back and it lifted off, heading in the direction the Wizard wanted. It was another benefit of their connection. Thanos did not need to command the dragon. The skeletal beast knew what he was thinking the moment he thought it.

The view from atop the
dragon was a thing of majesty. Thanos couldn’t help but smile as they flew high above. He watched as houses turned into specks and cities looked as though they would fit in his hands. The dragon began to descend when it spotted their destination. Wind threatened to knock Thanos’ hood back and reveal his true nature. The right side of his face had been burned down to the skull in many places. He had been forced to tear away some of the other parts of skin as they had begun to fester. His face was an outward sign of how he felt inside. Everything he had known was torn from him, and a part of him felt dead inside, but another part of him had never felt so alive. Soaring through the skies with Taleveth had renewed his thirst for knowledge. If he had been able to bring the dragon back from the dead, could he not also restore it to its former glory? And if so, could he not also heal his own body?

His thoughts were interrupted as the
dragon touched down just outside the Necromancer’s former home. Much to his surprise, some of their army had survived decimation by the Holy Order. A handful of Fallen Knights approached with a Lich at the side. They were not nearly enough to face off against a real army, but it was a start. Something about the idea of using the undead legions was unsettling to him, but he had little choice. His appearance alone was enough to make most flee.
Is it fair to them?
The question seemed to pop into his mind. Thanos already knew the answer to the question, but he felt the need to have the mental discussion with the dragon anyway.

What other choice do I have?
He asked Taleveth.

Let it be our last option. Seek out the others. Do not sink to the level of the Necromancers, I can feel that it appalls you,
the dragon answered.

Thanos nodded, he would have to seek out other means for striking a blow at the Holy Order. In the meantime, he needed to find a way to alter his appearance. He kicked himself for not having learned illusion magic as Rolin had recommended when he first injured his hand.
There must be a way
, he thought as he dropped to the ground. A high-pitched screech sounded from high above. Thanos looked up to see a red flash plummeting to the ground. He held out his arms and used a spell to slow the falling mass. As the object slowed, it became apparent that it was not an object at all, but rather a Phoenix. The bird tried to move toward Thanos, but the flight had taken away most of its strength. It was shielding something in its left wing. The Archwizard recognized it as Rolin’s Phoenix, though he had always thought it was a spell. He approached it cautiously, not wanting to scare the injured creature. It slowed rocked back and forth before falling onto its side. Thanos gasped in surprise when he saw a small baby Phoenix come out from under the other’s feathers.

“Rolin, what have you done?” Thanos asked as he dropped to his knees.

He has sided with the Pactbreakers, that man is no longer an ally of yours
, the dragon’s voice boomed in Thanos’ head.

Rolin would never willfully side with those scum
, the Archwizard’s reply gave the dragon some pause.

Perhaps there is a way to save him. Now is not the time for such things,
human. We must ensure our own safety now,
Taleveth seemed frightened for the first time since he melded with Thanos.

The Archwizard nodded as he contemplated his situation. Entire kingdoms had been thrown into turmoil because of the Knights of Doom and the Wizard’s Council. It was a time of chance, he could feel it in the very air he breathed. Now was his time to consider his own role in the coming events. The uncertainty was both exciting and daunting. Canai had been driven from an uneasy peace into a series of wars. Now it stood on the brink of anarchy. The board was set, pieces had been revealed and arranged. Thanos waited with a single die to cast. His turn would come in time.