A few hours ride away via dragon, an instructor, Dhe Tinac was teaching a class of students. ...... âThat's one way to defeat them, I guess,â John observed.
Tower of The Dragon
Tracy McSheery
1
Tower of The Dragon
Tracy McSheery INTRODUCTION
Lyric gave a big smile asking in the 'mother can I voice' all children learn innately, “Can I practice magic today? Dad will say it's ok if you say it's ok, so you might as well save us all time and agree now. No one will see me reading, I promise.” “Why not play with your friends?” Mira responded. Lyric whined, “I don't have any friends. Everyone is afraid of me because I can do more magic than they can.” Onir gave his best fatherly advice, “They like you. You liking them? Not so much. You need to work on your people skills. Lyric wasn't convinced. “People are confusing. Magic makes more sense.” Onir grinned, “Funny, I say the same thing about women.” Mira gave him a look that sent him running to the other room “I've already packed a lunch and the book. Go out to the hills and find a place to practice magic safely where no one can see you.” Onir returned and tossed the satchel with the book to Ember, a small dragonet with glowing patterns on his scales, who caught it in midair and flipped it to Lyric. “Be careful no one sees you, and don't get into any trouble.” “I'm not the one causing all the trouble.” Lyric looked meaningfully at Ember who looked innocently at the ceiling. “That dragonet can read your mind as well as you can read his. I'm sure both of you know what trouble you are causing.” Mira pushed both Lyric and Onir out the door. “We'll be with the town hall trying to talk the Learn representatives into allowing everyone to read.” Onir grumbled, “It's insane the school two days from here tries to tell us how to live our lives.” They both gave Lyric a hug and kiss and then heading to the town hall, while Lyric headed for the hills, chasing Ember through the afternoon crowd in the streets. A few hours ride away via dragon, an instructor, Dhe Tinac was teaching a class of students. “200 years ago across Freedom, dragons soared across the skies while giants toiled in the mountains. One group of adepts started stealing magic from others, and became so powerful a war was fought that destroyed all magic users, and set the remaining people, dragons and giants against each other. To create peace, they banned reading so that no-one would learn magic, but after decades of famines and floods magic crept back into the land. Now we teach you the tiny fragments of knowledge that have survived what is now called the War of Wisdom, but like most wars, more was lost than won. Like many things, history has a way of repeating itself...”
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Tower of The Dragon
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Lyric and Ember ran, jostling past construction workers who spin around to watch the rare dragonet flying through the crowd. The board the larger one carried came close to hitting everyone nearby, and then did bounce into a few when he finally swung back at their shouts. Lyric tried to keep up with Ember, but shouted back, “Sorry!” Ember dove under a ladder of a man painting his window shutters. He tottered backwards on the ladder and it spun around spraying everyone below him with paint. Lyric raised a hand and a green shield formed, with the paint sliding off to the ground, harmlessly. The lady on the other side of the street wasn't so fortunate. Her face was completely covered with spilled paint. The painter tried to make light of it by wiping off the paint around her eyes, and then painting a smile on her frowning visage. Unable to keep her anger any longer, she laughed and they both waved at Ember and Lyric racing away.
Ember snatched a sausage off the fork of a man talking and waving it around to make a point, that was now lost in the laughter of his friends. The maneuver cost Ember his balance and he dove under a tray filled with beer. The waiter threw it up in the air, and the worried patrons grabbed the mugs as they came down without hardly spilling a spot. The waiter shook his fist at Ember in mock anger as the whole crowd laughed. Ember swung down an alley taking a shortcut out of the village, when he ran into Ablet, out tending her garden. “Stop right there!” she commanded, and without thinking he stopped flapping his wings and fell to the ground. Lyric caught up as he sheepishly hid from Ablet's wrath. “Keep that lizard out of my garden.” “He won't eat anything green.” “Well there's a six legged rodent under my house he's welcome to!” Lyric couldn't protest in time, “No! Ember, don't!” With a crash, audible scrambling, a burst of flame and smoke, and a large amount of squeeking, Ember caught the rodent and emerged, still slurping the tail down like a noodle. “Oooh, you are disgusting.” Lyric shivered and grimaced in disgust. A scream made them look down the street and then up in the air as a huge dragon flew overhead with a rush of wings and an explosion of flame. Ablet motioned to Lyric and whispered, “Quick, come inside!” Lyric refused, “I have to warn the council.” 3
Tower of The Dragon
Tracy McSheery
Running to avoid dragons, this time Lyric took the lead. Ember following closely saw a little boy separated from his mother and doubled back, down the alley. Just as the dragon let loose a volley of flame, the tiny dragonet lifted the small boy and tossed him to safety. His mother slammed shut the window shutters as the flame engulfed Ember. To the large dragon's surprise, when the breath of flame ended, the dragonet had flow all the way up to the dragon, unharmed and slapped the much larger dragon in the face with his tail. Enraged, the dragon roared as the smaller and more agile dragonet dove out of the way of gnashing teeth. Ember raced by Lyric who was unaware of the unnoticed rescue. “Come on, slowpoke!” Dodging a dragon at the next street, Lyric had to stop suddenly as the dragon's flame flooded the entire street. Racing down the next street as that dragon flew off, two more dragon's converged and almost collided, saving Lyric.
A third tried to hover and engulf Lyric with flame, but Lyric slid under the enormous flying beast, sliding on the smooth cobble stones and without pausing rising up into a full run. Around the next corner, almost waiting was the largest dragon. Before Lyric could react, a large ball of flame erupted. Ember's eyes opened wide and then he attacked the much larger dragon as Ember appeared out of the flame, with a green shield. While Ember distracted the dragon, Lyric ran into the Town Hall. Surprised, Lyric realized it was empty. Breathing heavy, Lyric leaned against the heavy pedestal, carved with pictures of people and matching the table and chairs that filled the meeting room. Lyric's knuckles turned white, clenching the crystal from its resting place while tears froze as they hit its glowing surface. Both cold and heat pulsated from the crystal as Lyric tried once more to coax a spell from within, but without knowing the proper words, nothing came out. Ember flitted around the room in a panic, echoing the child's. Like electricity, pulsating glowing energy poured from Lyric's fingers with urgency, charging the crystal past its capacity, but with no result. “Try again; the dragons will destroy the village. Someone has to stop the dragons,” Lyric commanded in sobs to the crystal, driving more and more energy into it until it began to glow brighter as the energy overflowed. The tiny Dragon landed on Lyric as a spell burst forth. A glow enveloped the room as the electric blue flash spread out across the village, searching, but not finding anything to aid in fighting the attacking dragons. Lacking intelligence, the magical light dashed across mountains and plains, and sped about the 4
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entire planet, without finding anything that met its limited criteria to help win the fight against the dragons. The glow raced off the planet and away from the solar system. Streaking off to other solar systems, it was unhampered by the speed of light. It paused only a second on each planet before it continued on, covering several galaxies until it homed in on an aircraft flying low over the Arizona desert.
We all heard the Dragon speak, slay the Dragon. See destruction in the street, slay the Dragon. Won't a brave young knight, with a steed black and white, Track the Dragon to his lair, and trade fire for fire there. Music blared, and the ground raced past as the aircraft dived lower. The cool air condensed over the wings, leaving a wake of turbulence that stirred up the desert behind the speeding aircraft. Rabbits and lizards scattered as the jet raced by. "Colonel, Dragonslayer has disappeared from radar, and all I can pick up on the mission channel is music." "Is it any good?" the Colonel asked with a grin in his voice. "Sir?" The radio control officer was confused. "The music. Never mind, hand me your mic." "Dragonslayer, this is Longsword. That had better be the official mission music. Over." The radioman was surprised, "Sir?" "Remember, it's not just a job; it's an adventure." "Isn't that the Navy, Sir?" The jet danced to the music over the rough terrain. Several hundred years ago, slay the Dragon. Our kingdom came to woe, slay the Dragon. When a sorcerer and a mage, with dark anger and black rage, Making fire and thunder sound, with a force to strike men down, Never more be found, slain by the Dragon. The pilot responded, "Roger, Longsword. Nice weather, good music, great day for a picnic. Over." 5
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At the down beat, the jet dropped down further until it was barely above the ground, dodging large rocks, small hills and even tall cacti. The ground was a blur. "Roger, Dragonslayer. Unless your wheels are down, I'd suggest you climb a bit. Don’t want you to end up as road kill. Over." "Roger, Longsword. Negative on road kill. Proceeding to climb." The jet climbed almost vertically. "Dragonslayer, this is Longsword. That's better. Now could you vector a bit south? You are approaching drop zone for external fuel tanks." "Roger, Longsword. Topping off wing tanks and dumping excess fuel. Proceeding to drop zone to release external tanks now." The jet rolled over onto its side, seeming to fall as it reached the peak of its climb. The pilot pushed a section of the touch panel flashing 'fuel dump'. A white plume of fuel streamed out of each wing as the jet dove straight towards the ground. A touch of the afterburners and the plumes ignited into a trail of dancing flames. The streamers of orange and red flame ended, and the external tanks plummeted like bombs, crashing straight into a painted circle as the jet pulled up in the last second. "Bull's Eye!" "Bull Something, Dragonslayer. Those cans are recyclable. Be careful or we lose our deposit. Telemetry indicates a ten-G turn. You're having too much fun since we took off your training wheels. Over." "Never should have left the keys in the ignition, Longsword." The jet flipped over and resumed its original course. "Longsword, approaching attack corridor at eight hundred knots. Weapons systems armed and ready. Ready for your game of cat and mouse. Over." "Dragonslayer, copy your last. That's what our last mouse said.” The jet snapped upright. The music continued to blare in the background. "Roger, Longsword. You sure they took the warheads out? We don't want to ruin my day now, do we? Over." "Somebody probably remembered, Dragonslayer. Don't worry, that little metal box will run the whole show for you. It has to work; we haven't paid for it yet. Test will commence in sixty seconds. Over." "Roger, Longsword. Another cakewalk...” "Dragonslayer?" The voice was young - a child's voice - frightened and speaking in an unfamiliar accent. The pilot touched a button and the music faded. Again, the voice asked pleadingly, "Dragonslayer?" "This is Dragonslayer. Say your last again, Longsword. Come in. Over." The voice asked again, with a tinge of hope. "You are a Dragonslayer?" "This is Dragonslayer. Who are you? What are you doing on this channel?" "I’m Lyric. Can you save us? We need your help! They are going to kill us! Please! You must come now!" A hole blacker than the night, surrounded by an orange, purple and blue glow, opened up in front of the aircraft. With no time to react, the plane flew straight into the hole which snapped shut behind it. The sky changed to purple, blue and orange as the jet hit turbulence. The engine noise was loud and strained. "Belay my last. Abort! Abort! Longsword, this is Dragonslayer. I say again, abort! Over." The jet continued to strain in the strangely colored sky. "Longsword, this is Dragonslayer. Did you copy my last? Over." Silence. "Longsword, this is Dragonslayer. No joy on primary communications channel. Switching to emergency channel. Longsword, this is Dragonslayer. Do you read me? Over." Still no answer. 6
Tower of The Dragon
Tracy McSheery
"Longsword, no joy on primary or emergency channels. Gauges indicate air pressure well over one atmosphere. Altimeter says I'm at angels ten thousand. Backing off on throttle. Accelerometers still indicate forward acceleration and slight negative G. Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." The display panel lit up with flashing indicators and his heart began pounding harder in his chest. "Due to the blue green of the sun, and the fact there are two moons in the sky, I don't think Kansas is within our fuel range. I suspect the oxygen level is high, and the gravity low. I'm going to go down to look for a place to ditch in case the tanker doesn't show, which doesn't seem likely." The engine noise went down, and the vibration stopped as the jet slowed and descended. "All systems completely functional. I may be a bit paranoid. Nevertheless, I'll leave the weapons armed." The jet cruised above a green rolling landscape that looked strange in the off color sunlight. "I see smoke on the horizon in the direction I came from. I'll buzz on over and see if the natives are friendly." The jet hugged the alien terrain as it flew toward the smoke. "Longsword, reporting six bogeys attacking a sizable village at the edge of a canyon that makes the Grand look like the extra small. Bogeys do not return on radar. Tracking on Infra Red. Closing in for visual ID." The plane came in fast and low through the village and out. Small buildings were going up in flames, with people running around in a panic. As a Dragon spun around for another attack, they ran into the closest building, even the ones that were already on fire. "Longsword, have visual confirmation this isn't Kansas. Bogeys identified as standard issue fire breathing Dragons, sizes large through extra-extra large." The plane circled around the village as the pilot assessed the damage. "Longsword, casualties apparent. Massive fire damage to buildings, surviving natives seem to have taken cover but a few are trying to put out the fires." The pilot watched a Dragon making a pass over the village and torching more buildings. As the Dragon attacked the crowd of people trying to put out the flames, the pilot made his decision. "Longsword this is Dragonslayer, engaging Dragons." The pilot touched a panel and the music started again. Another panel activated the computer weapons acquisition system. The heads up display tracked the Dragon via IR and flashed a cross hair and tone when the Dragon exhaled flame. The pilot fired a missile, which roared off, leaving a white-hot trail of flame and smoke. The Dragon shrieked and struggled to fly toward the hills, but was not fast enough. The impact sent it into a spiraling crash. "Recycle that! Confirm one down. That got their attention. Three more missiles, five more Dragons."
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Tower of The Dragon
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The five remaining Dragons converged and came at the jet in a perfect V formation. A burst of speed took him out of their range and away from the village. “Two of the lizards just broke off and returned to the village, showing intelligence I wouldn’t have previously believed. They are drawing me away from the village so they can attack. On the other hand, I’ve drawn three away, so I’d say I’m ahead. We’ll see if I can’t even the odds with a missile or two.” Two of the Dragons dashed in different directions as the missile rocketed away from the jet. The third wasn’t able to change direction fast enough and took the explosion square in its massive chest. The shockwave shook the jet and knocked the Dragon out of the sky. It flailed in a tailspin and went tumbling to the ground. The pilot looked back and saw it dazedly trying to limp away. One of the Dragons tried to take a bite out of the wing, which luckily left only minor teeth marks, but no major damage. “There goes my deductible. Now how am I going to explain how that happened? Do you know how much it costs to paint these things?” The pilot tried to veer and almost bumped into the other Dragon. Two spouts of flame enveloped the aircraft and a cacophony of sensor warnings surrounded the pilot as the temperature rose. The afterburners roared taking the jet safely out of the barrage of heat and flame. The Dragons dashed back towards the village expecting the jet wouldn’t follow. “Not nice to heat and run, bad for digestion. Might I suggest a missile for dessert?” The frenzied beat of the Dragons’ wings indicated they knew what the roar of the missile meant. They both dived and raced across the ground. One of the Dragons took a fatal look back and snorted, giving the missile a better heat signature. The missile landed on him like a hammer blow and drove him into the ground end over end. “Who asked for the roast rump?” The pilot rolled to follow the other retreating Dragon. Zigging and zagging, they fought for position with the Dragon well aware of the danger flying behind it. “I’ve got tone, stand by for one big flash where the sun don’t shine! No I want a redo! Doover!” The last missile missed as the Dragon flew in front of a burning building and the missile hit the hotter target. The building went up, spraying debris onto other buildings and spreading the fire.
"Oops. That’s going to be added to my tab. These babies are walking away from direct missile hits. Even so, they aren’t walking fast. Three bogeys down, three to go. Zero missiles and fifteen hundred cannon rounds. Engaging now." The plane vibrated and wallowed through the sky as it slowly chased the Dragon. Wary now, the Dragon zigged and zagged, almost daring the pilot to find out what he could do without the missiles that were no longer hanging from the wings. “He can see I’m out of missiles. Bet he’s going to be surprised.” 8
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Catching sight of the Dragon through the heads up display, the pilot squeezed off a shot from the 27 mm guns that ripped through the Dragon's left wing. The next shot missed as the Dragon veered, roaring and spouting flame. The third and fourth shots went wild. Two more cross hairs lined up before he squeezed off a shot, almost cutting the Dragon’s wing in half. The Dragon fell, breathing a wisp of flame and roughly contorting in ways that the pilot expected meant broken bones as it hobbled in a quick trot on the ground. "That’s one more that’s going to have to walk home. Next?" The plane shook, as an unnoticed Dragon engulfed the aircraft with flame, startling the pilot. “That’s some serious bad breath!” Again, warning claxons sounded, and the pilot quickly turned them off. Pulling into a tight turn, the more maneuverable Dragon spun and raced away. Kicking in the afterburners, the plane caught the Dragon and paced it a hundred meters back. The pilot squeezed off a shot from the guns that choked off at as the red Cannon Empty light illuminated the screen. Hit by several of the shots, the Dragon fell and crashed into a building that went up in flames. "Longsword this is Dragonslayer, five bogeys down, one to go. Out of missiles, and the cannon is dry, I’m going to have to stare this one to death. Of course, this one is the biggest!" The jet flew a straight line with the Dragon following two hundred meters behind and slightly under. “He’s a pro. He’d be in my blind spot, except for the rear cameras.” The pilot broke left and right, finally shaking the Dragon with a burst of speed. "Longsword this is Dragonslayer, I am making my approach. The game is chicken. The big guy seems to know the rules. I'll give him the first round to make sure." The jet headed straight for the large Dragon. The Dragon broke out of its pattern and came head on at the aircraft. Just as it looked like neither could avoid the collision, the Dragon shot a gigantic plume of flame out at the jet. The jet climbed through the flame and forced the Dragon through the wash from its afterburners. The Dragon roared in pain. "Longsword, this boy plays to win, but I’ve established he isn’t fireproof. Making final approach." The pilot turned the music on and cranked up the volume. There’s but one thing left to do, slay the Dragon. Find our own Dragons too and slay the Dragon. When they come to take our lives, steal our children and our wives, We’ll turn our Dragons loose on them feed them their own medicine, Drown them in their sins, slain by the Dragon. The plane made a long racetrack turn that brought it back toward the waiting Dragon. Barely able to hold the wallowing aircraft in the air, the pilot kept one hand ready. He watched the Dragon until he could see the cold yellow eyes, and pushed the fuel dump button. A large white cloud of fuel formed behind the jet, thick and heavy in the rich atmosphere. "Climbing for the sky, Longsword!" The jet leaped out of the Dragon’s path while the Dragon tried to catch the aircraft in spume of flame. Ducking to avoid the afterburners, the Dragon flew into the white cloud of fuel. With a massive explosion, the fuel burst into flames. The Dragon's screams died as it fell out of the clouds of flame with wings and tail on fire. The Dragon feebly tried to brake, before it landed hard and became one with the ground. The pilot fought the stick as the shock waves sent the jet out of control into a black hole rimmed with purple and orange bolts of lightning. The aircraft jumped and the pilot saw a familiar sky blue and desert brown as he regained control. "Dragonslayer, this is Longsword. Where have you been? Over." The pilot released a heavy sigh and maneuvered to put the sky back to the right place. "Dragonslayer, this is Longsword. I say again, where have you been? We had to scrub the mission, and we lost you on radar and telemetry for the past twenty minutes. 9
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Now you appear out of nowhere and telemetry says you've dumped everything. Answer me, Dragonslayer!" The plane turned and headed back to the base. "Longsword, I was having some major problems there. I had to dump fuel and weapons, and I think I'm going to have problems with the flight recorder when I get back. Serious problems." "You think you had problems, wait 'til you get back here. We just blew up a million dollars!" "I'll put in some overtime, but from where I sit, I'd say mission accomplished." “Dragonslayer, this is Longsword. Say again?" "Never mind, Longsword. I'm coming home."
10
Tower of The Dragon
Tracy McSheery CHAPTER ONE
"Hail, Widow Ablet. You are well?" One dusty survivor called out, his face covered with grime, and his voice full of grit. His stentorian growl carried above the murmurs of the group winding its way through the rubble in the town streets. Ablet chased her dark brown hair away from her darker eyes and smoothed the brown woolen vest and green flaxen robes of a healer, as she continued striding down the street. "Yes. The Dragon Riders were quick today! They must have driven those rogue Dragons to the other side of the dark mountains already." She waved and turned down the next road heading to the center of the town. A bucket brigade was throwing water on a burning house as she approached. “Let me help,” she commanded. The workers ignored her politely and kept working. Ablet’s face reddened with effort as she tried to raise a shield to smother the flames. “Don’t hold your breath. She’s a healer, not a mage,” one of the fire brigade muttered as he tossed another bucket on the flames. “If I were you, I’d hold my breath if her spell smells as bad as her potions and poultices,” his partner responded adding another bucket. “Don’t distract me, you twits,” Ablet grumbled. Flushing a deeper color with anger and effort, she was visibly pushing against the air, as a gold shield surrounded the house and the flames began to die off instantly. The last bucket of cold water splashed over all three as it bounced back from the gold shield in a spray that made them all gasp and squeal. “Thanks, Widow Ablet,” the wettest of the two firemen apologized. “I didn’t know you could do that.” “Hrumph!” mumbled Ablet, and then to herself as she moved away. “Neither did I.” She smiled and shook her head, pleased with herself. A scream stopped her. Pushing her way through a crowd around a burning house, she let out a slight cry of her own. A Dragon was lying dead in the rubble. Ichor, magical fluid that filled the dragon’s veins, drained from its wounds, and a musty odor of charred meat blew across the crowd. Ablet spoke authoritatively to the crowd forming to stare. "This is terrible! The Rogue Dragons seldom do much damage; they just scare the village and steal some livestock. This is strange magic at work." Dozens of heads nodded. The village was almost destroyed near the center. A Rider on Dragon back flew overhead surveying the destruction of the town. The Rider pointed, and a blue glow shot down to surround the dead Dragon. The air around the Dragon solidified until the corpse looked like it was encased in ice. Backing out of the crowd, Ablet hurried to the Village Square to make sure the council knew of the dead Dragon. She found a large crowd ahead of her and began to force her way through. She wasn't prepared for the sight she found. Laid out under blankets were dozens of bodies. Ablet's shock lasted only a moment, any feelings of mourning placed aside as an aura of responsibility rose within her. Or maybe she simply stood up straighter. None of the injured seemed in immediate need of her healing, so she looked around for the council. She walked over to the Rider Captain organizing the effort of setting the bodies out. She was tall and tanned with her leather gear well polished and cared for. Ablet unconsciously tried to stand taller as she spoke. "Why didn't you protect us better? I demand to see the council." She looked back at the crowd, but nobody challenged her self-proclaimed authority. The Captain's expression was patient. She had put out dozens of fires already and was hot and tired with no more magic left to give. "We got here as fast as we could. This wasn't a typical rogue attack. Your council hasn’t responded to the summons. Do you know where they could be?” 11
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“They should be here. They wouldn’t hide. They have to protect the town.” “My riders have searched the town several times. Not a single council member has been found, and as far as we can tell nobody else is missing, although quite a few were killed. Since there are no signs of a magical struggle, I have to assume they are all dead or captured." Instead of commenting, Ablet simply nodded for her to continue. "This is all very strange. If someone hadn't sounded the beacon and destroyed the Dragons, when the council was taken or killed, we wouldn't have known about it at all." "The council must have activated it before they were destroyed. They can't have been killed. Not all of them. They must be trapped in their homes, but then how could they have activated the crystal? They must be dead." Her words seemed to trip over each other as they rushed out ignoring their own contradictions. "Then who called for us with the beacon? I've never heard a call so strong! And how did they manage to kill or drive off six Dragons if they were already dead or captured?" "What do you mean, Captain? I thought you and your Riders killed the one in the east village. You mean there were more?" The weight of responsibility was suddenly crushing. Ablet frowned and wrung her hands while she listened to his report. "There were five other Dragons. Four were wounded and flew or crawled away. We will try to get them to talk, but that is unlikely. The last Dragon is near death and unconscious. The fire that burned through its armored skin was a fire hotter than Dragon flame. By the time we got here, the beacon had been silenced, and your people were coming out of their cellars." Wuntle, the village blacksmith, and a likely to be a council member now, had wedged his way in with his broad shoulders through the crowd and stood listening to the conversation. His bald head glistened with sweat, and he wiped it off and rubbed his hands on his leather apron. He had listened quietly for the last few minutes. Now he spoke. "But the council must have activated the beacon and attacked the Dragons before they died. What can burn hotter than Dragon flame besides magic?" "The Dragons would not have been able to reach the village if even one of the council had responded," Ablet joined in. The Rider looked at the two of them, and spoke her words quietly so the rest of the crowd couldn't hear. "Even though the beacon was triggered, the person activating the beacon didn't use the automatic spells stored within. It is almost completely drained of energy, but the preset spells have not been triggered." Ablet realized why the Captain was concerned. Wuntle looked confused so Ablet explained. "The power to hold off an attack is more than one person can provide or control. The council stores power in the crystal each day until it holds the power of a hundred adepts, waiting to be discharged by any member of the council. When an attack occurs, one of the councils can trigger preset spells to prevent attackers from nearing the village. Or freeze strangers in a blue ice like the one which the Dragon Guardian encased the dead Dragon. There were dozens of prepared spells waiting to be triggered; each with enough force to stall an attack. None have been used, according to the Rider. Yet something took all the energy." Ablet paused, and then decided to ask the obvious question. "So if the council had died before they had a chance to protect the town, and you had arrived too late, who saved us? And who destroyed those Dragons?" The Captain turned at a rumbled, almost subsonic, call from his Dragon partner. The Dragon was looking in through a huge hole in the roof that had been burned through with a blast of Dragon flame. He nodded, and his gaze traveled over to a small, dusty form that looked particularly forlorn, even amongst all the tragedy. A tiny Dragonet looked at him with big sad brown eyes, sitting on the shoulder of a crying child hiding in the corner, carrying a tightly wrapped bundle, trying too hard not to be seen. The Captain gestured, 12
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and a green and yellow glow surrounded the crystal and slowly drifted like a cloud of smoke over to the child crying over the bodies. The Dragon's eyes searched the area around the child and then the big Dragon took a step back and nodded its huge head. The Dragon’s eyes, Ablet remembered, saw different types of light than Human eyes. She had heard they could also see magic. "Couldn't you have done that before?" Wuntle was confused. "Done what?" Ablet realized he wasn't trained in magic and couldn't see the greenish glow. Before she could respond the Captain gestured again and a trail led from the crystal to her. This time even Wuntle could see the trail, but Ablet saw the extra effort it cost the Captain. "I tried to find out who used the crystal last, but ended up with a hundred trails of everyone who had come in contact with the crystal, including you, Ablewoman. I don't have the power or control to judge the strongest connection, or the last." He sighed as he released the spell and the glow faded. The Captain listened to the Dragon for a few seconds and turned back to Ablet. "Who is the child?" She noted the look of concern on the Captain's face and wondered what he was thinking. The dust and smoke covered the child’s face except for two white trails washed clean by the tears. "That's Lyric, the only child of Mira and Onir, both of the Council. They were the strongest members of the council and it is rumored that they would teach Lyric some of the lesser spells and commands of power. They left the city of Learn to study by themselves, it is rumored. Lyric will most likely be sent to the city of Learn in a few years to be tested for power, but we all know what the results will be. I don't know who will take care of the poor child now." She could see the Captain talking softly with the Dragon even as she spoke. She was frustrated by the private conversation and demanded, "What are you and your Dragon so concerned about, Captain? As a town council member, I demand to know what this is about." He smiled grimly, and they walked further away so that none of the crowd could hear. "You and Wuntle may indeed be on the new Council, Ablewoman Ablet and Ableman Wuntle. You must understand that my companion has seen the aura of power about the child. It is the same color and scent as that about the crystal. Lyric is the one who triggered it. I need your permission to use a truth spell and ask the child some questions." Ablet and Wuntle shrugged at each other, and the Captain took that as permission from them and stepped over to the child. Attempting to calm the little dragon first, he reached out to pet it's tiny head. The tiny dragonet eyes flashed from a warm brown to a fiery red as a jet of flame bigger than the Dragon shot out at the Captain. The scales on its head, back and tail snapped up into dangerously sharp spikes and long catlike talons unsheathed from the fingers and toes. The deep blues and greens on its skin erupted into orange and red that glowed with danger. Following the flame, the dragonet clamped sharp teeth down on the Captain's glove. Ablet and Wuntle were stunned with shock. The Captain merely smiled. Calmly he said, “Eventually I'm going to need that hand back.” “Ember, let him go. It's OK,” Lyric commanded. The dragonet's eyes calmed to a warm brown and smiling it let go the ineffectual death grip on the Captains hand, but raised an eyebrow ridge as if to say, “I'm watching you.” The Captain flexed his hand and made a show of counting all his fingers to make sure they were all accounted for. “What’s that you’re carrying, Lyric?” Lyric’s reaction was terrified. Wide eyes windowed the fear behind them. Matted hair stuck to the child’s forehead. The tears continued to flow without sobs. 13
Tower of The Dragon
Tracy McSheery
The Captain gently pried the bundle from Lyric’s hands but didn’t open it. Instead, he lifted it up, taking measure of its heft. “Would you like me to hold this until you need it? I can keep it safe.” “Could you? You won’t look inside?” Lyric’s eyes opened wider lifted by the eyebrows. The child’s eager and frightened voice tore at the Captain’s heart. He considered his words carefully. “I don’t need to. I already know what is in there, and you have no need to worry about me letting others know your secret. This was your parents’ secret too?” Lyric nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m not concerned about that. I have a few secrets of my own that we might talk about sometime. Right now I must ask you some questions. Do you mind if I use a truth spell? I have to have your permission. You do not have to answer any questions you don’t want to.” Lyric only nodded. An orange glow surrounded Lyric as the Captain asked a few questions. The glow wavered a few times, but the Captain quickly ended the inquisition and returned to Ablet and Wuntle. “Lyric doesn’t know what happened, but is likely still in shock. I don’t understand the fear, but there were no lies.” Ablet made to interrupt, but he raised a hand to silence her, they all looked at the child. Lyric was still sobbing over the bodies. The Dragon Guardian lowered his voice. "Lyric is the one who attacked the Dragons, but I don't understand how. My scouts have heard some strange accounts of the battle from a few dozen that all claim to have seen it. The reports were all consistent. A large boom was heard, and then a strange object flew past the village higher and faster than a Dragon. Then it came back, moving without flapping its wings and made explosions and fire that killed or drove away the Dragons.” Wuntle rubbed at the worry etched on his brow. “Faster than a Dragon? How is that possible?” The Captain conjectured. “A spell summoned the object that attacked the Dragons from another realm and Lyric commanded it to destroy the rogues. If Lyric hadn't brought the champion, the village would have been destroyed with even greater loss of life. By Lyric's actions, hundreds of lives were saved." Ablet's and Wuntle's faces grew more concerned. This time Ablet would not be silenced. "Lyric is a young child, and knows nothing of power. Not even a ranked adept could do that!" "Ablewoman Ablet, magic can destroy cities or suspend a building in midair. Look at that canyon that separates your village from the mountain on the other side. That wasn't there until the forgotten war. We’ve forgotten most of these magics and any that can learn are needed. Your town is in danger without a council. You must select a new one, and you don’t have the previous members to help with the transition. We will have to send someone out to train your new council, even join it if you would be so open minded." Ablet thought to protest the insult to the town’s pride, but nodded. “I cannot do anything about the griffins that come to attack the flocks each spring. We will need your help and welcome the assistance.” Wuntle nodded too. The Captain lowered his voice. "You were lucky. Several times of late, entire towns have been destroyed. What some of us suspected has now been proven true. The destruction of the town is to cover the abduction or destruction of the town council. When the dragons attack the council would assemble here to defend, but someone was waiting for them, and then killed them one by one as they arrived. Someone is practicing genocide against the adepts." "But if they were killed, why would they take the bodies?" "If we knew how they were killed, we might be able to counter the spell the next time. This way we don't know what to protect against. They could be alive and during the 14
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confusion were secreted away. But then why wouldn't they have sent for help? If the village had burned, we wouldn't have known who was on the council and if there were any bodies missing." "Will the Dragon Guardians protect us?" Wuntle asked worried about another attack. "We will do our part. They are careful to attack villages far from the cities. It takes us hours to gather in forces and arrive to drive off such an attack. A lone Guardian would be slaughtered along with the village. I speak from experience. The rogues have attacked both Dragons and Riders." He stared at the crystal as if to read what had happened within. "You said you had helped charge the crystal?" His voice was searching. "Of course! I have been helping to charge it since..... Well, before I came of age." Ablet blushed. "Take a look then. Is this your village crystal?" "What do you mean?" Ablet approached the crystal and looked. Her gasp told the Captain he had been right to be curious. "It is. Yet, it is different. The crystal is the same. I know this chip, but I swear it used to be bigger and the color has changed. It used to have a yellowish tinge, with spots of blue. Now it is clear. But so cold! It practically draws energy from me." The Captain nodded. "I have seen this happen to smaller crystals worked by adepts. They pour great amounts of energy through a crystal to purify it and make it stronger. I don't suppose I could take this back to Learn?" Ablet's face was white with affront. Wuntle growled deep in his throat and shuddered without thinking. "No, Rider," was all that came out. The Captain smiled. "Then I guess we will have to send adepts here to study the crystal." Ablet realized how that would help protect the village and gave a nod along with Wuntle. The Captain took another look at Lyric. “You might want to take a look at the child. I can’t imagine how one so young could have stood the pain of channeling that much energy. It makes my nerves raw just thinking about it.” Ablet raised her eyebrows. “The energy of magic stimulates the nerves and gives a tingling sensation that can be overwhelming. It would have felt like picking up a red hot piece of metal,” she explained to Wuntle. Wuntle grunted in appreciation. “The child is brave. But what will we do? Will the child remain here? Or go to the city for trial?" "For a trial?" The Captain was confused. "For killing Dragons. For violating the treaty." Ablet showed concern in her face, mirroring the expression on Wuntle, but the Captain wasn't sure if it was for the child or for the village. He decided it could be both. "We will take the child to the city as soon as the funeral arrangements can take place." It was not a question. Neither Ablet nor Wuntle objected, but Ablet was practical. "That will have to wait until morning. Two hours after sunrise we will gather the flowers and summon sprites to sing songs of passing. It would be best to take the child after the noon meal, so that there is no chance to dwell on this loss." The Captain agreed. "I shall search the outlying lands for more clues about this attack. I will join you tomorrow at sunrise." "Captain?" Ablet's voice was careful. "Yes, Councilwoman." "Will the Dragons retaliate upon the village for the death of their kin?" The Captain almost smiled. Ablet noticed that he did not even pause to confer with his Dragon partner. "No. They do not regard those who choose to attack and destroy with any honor. They treat rogues as we might treat kin who are murderers and common thieves. Do not worry for the child's sake. There will be no rough retribution." 15
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Ablet nodded and belatedly realized that she should have been more concerned about the child's welfare than she had shown. "You will make sure they take care of the child?" "My word, Councilwoman. We have already sent word to the academy about the attack. I know some friends that can take care of the child if there is any problem." “Lyric?” Ablet called the child over. “Let me look at your hands. Just as I expected. They are raw and swollen. Here, hold still.” Ember looked at her with a wary eye that glowed red around the edges, readying a burst of flame if needed. Lyric tried to pull away. “It’s OK. They don’t hurt that bad.” Ablet smiled at the child’s courage as she removed a tiny glass bottle she had in a pocket that glowed with a bubbly blue potion that seemed to be boiling inside. “Don’t worry, a little of this, and they won’t hurt at all.” She sprinkled a few drops from the bottle and rubbed Lyric’s hands together. Then she waved her hands over Lyric’s and a green and yellow glow surrounded them. Lyric smiled at once. “Thanks, that feels much better.” Lyric sniffed and had a curious expression. Ablet nodded and whispered conspiratorially, “I’ll let you in on a secret. I just make them smell bad to keep people from asking for them too often. You got the good stuff. Now go get something to eat or I’ll make you drink some of the real bad stuff.” “Where do you think my parents are?” Lyric asked, looking fearful of the answer. “Well, child, if I knew, do you think I’d hide it from you? Right now, you are the one with the answers, and we don’t even know the questions.” Ablet rubbed something from her eye. “Will they teach me magic at Learn?” Lyric asked. “I suspect you are the one who’ll be teaching them child. Although, it would be nice if you could find that old farming spell to turn caterpillars blue. They’ve been doing us out of our best crops this year. Think you can do that for me? It’s just a simple spell my granddaddy told me, but no-one around here knows it. Granddaddy said that his granddaddy could turn every caterpillar in the field blue, and the birds would come and eat every single one. I always wanted to learn how to do that.” “I get it. The green caterpillars can hide from the birds, but the birds can find them if they are blue. I’ll learn it. I promise.” Lyric was so sincere, Ablet had to busy herself with her scarf and wipe the soot from Lyric’s face to distract herself. “Let’s get you over to that nice, warm food before those locusts make it disappear like magic. Now run on.” Ablet shooed Lyric away towards the table of food. Lyric ran off to a table where they were handing out food to the workers. Ember wrapped around Lyric's neck with its long body and was content to be fed scraps of food as Lyric ate. Ablet wiped a tear from her eye as she watched the child leave. Straightening up she turned and faced the Captain again. "I will see you after the noon meal tomorrow. Come, Wuntle, we have work to do." As if Dragon Guardians and their Dragon partners were an everyday occurrence, she turned her back on the pair and went back to help with the clean up. “Without magic lost for two hundred years, there’s only one way the village can be repaired: hard work. You supervise the cleanup, Wuntle, and I have patients to heal.” The Captain mounted his companion, with a scratch on one of his huge shoulders, and they took off with a giant leap and flap of the Dragon’s great wings. The next morning was quiet, even though the whole village was up and gathering for the funeral. Many already exhausted villagers had searched through the night to find flowers to honor their dead. Tears and whispers flowed back and forth as they made their way to a small knoll east of the village where the bodies were laid out. 16
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Ablet stood at the head of the mourners, holding the crystal carefully in her hands. She nodded, and several people began to hum. One struck a rhythm that was quickly picked up by others on hand drums and wooden tubes. Suddenly the air filled with sprites. Magical beings that loved to make music, they gathered anytime singing or music started, and joined in with a natural flair for accompaniment. They glowed vibrant colors as they played their tunes changing brightness and shades as they gave off notes that carried through the air. As more people picked up the tone, the sprites gave off a harmony to the single note, which summoned additional sprites. Finally, when the sky was glowing with sprites, the town began to sing. The Guardian Captain gestured, and a white flame sprang from the crystal to the pyre, burning the bodies and flowers. Several of the townspeople, who still had magic, had worked through the night to ready the spell. Through the magic of the white flame, there was no smoke and the only scent filling the air was that of freshly picked flowers. The voices carried across the countryside to where the Dragon Guardians looked on in respect. Cold winds blow fallen leaves through my memories. They have stripped the trees in the garden of my love. My dreams are dead now, what will I do? When I lay down to sleep, I find no rest. The stars still shine in the heavens above me. The moon still calls others to show their love. But my nights linger, never ending. I’m surrounded in darkness and despair. No sun will rise on my morning No light will shine upon my day. All the time I spent with you is gone, And with the time, went part of me. Somewhere I'll find someone who can dream with me. Someone to share my hopes and memories. Until I find the one who will sing with me. I stare out into the lonely sky. When the singing ended, the sprites swirled in a fantastic living rainbow and then flew off to look for more music, and the whole town gathered for a meal. They spoke of lost friends and family and remembered their dead. At the end of the meal, Lyric was led up to the Captain and his Dragon companion. Lifting the child and latching a few small bags of belongings to the saddle only took a minute and then the Dragon leapt into the air. Ember had a tongue out with excitement. Lyric cried but never looked back.
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CHAPTER TWO The Captain leaned over and yelled above the wind, “You can start smiling now. This is the fun part.” “I don’t feel like having fun,” Lyric sulked. ”Well, I could understand you feeling depressed if we knew for certain your parents were dead. But you can’t go around for the rest of your life being miserable while you wait to find out what happened.” “Why can’t I? I’m having a miserable day.” “Sometimes, no matter how bad you feel, you need to take a deep breath, and as you exhale, get rid of all your negative feelings.” ”I don’t want to take a deep breath,” Lyric insisted. “Then you might as well sleep through your days, because there is no point in living miserable every day. In fact, I’ll just take a nap now, I’m depressed too.” She patted the big Dragon on the neck. “Are you depressed too? Go ahead and nap.” Lyric ignored their little joke as they both closed their eyes. Gradually the Dragon’s wings beat slower and slower, until they were starting to glide. Then they tilted, and picked up speed as they leaned over and dived. Lyric screamed as the ground rushed closer. Lyric screamed again and shook the Captain. Ember was so panicked he let loose of Lyric and flew circles around them going from blues and greens into shades of yellow. “Coward,” Lyric shouted to the Dragonet. “Wake up. You can’t sleep now,” Lyric shouted and shook the Captain. ”Why not?” “You have to fly. You have to take me to Learn.” “Why? I’m depressed. Unless you can come up with a good reason, I’m going back to sleep.” Ember tried to lift Lyric up, but ended up just pulling the jacket up high enough to be choking. “Thanks, but I don't think you can carry me just yet.” Lyric shouted to the Captain. “You have to, you just have to. Another few seconds and we won't just be miserable - we'll be dead ” “You have to go on living too, Lyric. Because even though you are depressed, there are things that need to be done, and you might as well do them well and be happy about it, rather than make everyone miserable.” “Wake up, sleepy head.” She patted the Dragon again, and the Dragon pulled up 18
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from the dive in a breathtaking swoop. The ground rushed past with the speed gained from their drive, and then slowing as they climbed again, making Ember fly past them, and then circle around to regain a perch on Lyric's shoulder. The Captain smiled as they climbed for altitude again, and this time Lyric appreciated the spectacular view. Quiet now, they continued on for a while, while Lyric thought about those words.
Ahead, in the distance, the city began to grow on the horizon as buildings herded closer and closer to each other through the wandering field, until they congregated into one great flock. Lyric felt apprehension like a giant fist squeezing both heart and lungs as they approached the city called Learn. Flying on the back of a Dragon could have been partly to blame, and Lyric tried not to look straight down too often, at least at first. After a while it was mesmerizing looking at the tiny people, villages and farms as they flew over them. Lyric's parents and grandparents had lived in Learn for almost eight years after they had come of age. Lyric was years away from that time and felt smaller than the years showed. Sensing Lyric's fears the Captain struck up a conversation. "I understand your parents were the leaders of the council and the most powerful adepts in the region. Were they ranked adepts?" "No, Captain. They did not stay at Learn long enough. They said eight years was too long and wanted to find a village where they could study by themselves. They even talked about not sending me to Learn for training and instead teaching me at home." The Captain smiled. "I can understand that. Some of the instructors are very good, but most are average to poor, and you get more trouble with the poor ones than the good ones are worth some times. They are chosen for their ranking, not their ability to teach. Ranking is based on wizards games and ability to do parlor tricks, not ability or knowledge. A poor system at best, but it’s the only system we have. What did you parents do in your village?" "They were always busy. They taught school and had a garden that supplied the town’s spices and herbs, but they really liked helping with their magic. When the wild herds stampeded toward our town, my parents and the council drove them around the town with wind and thunder. When the griffin packs hunted the town herds, they were chased back to the mountains with adept flame and ice. When the Mayor's son fell from the roof of the council building, they worked with Ablet and sung a spell of healing that mended the bones and skin, although he was sore and stiff for days afterward." "They used adept flame and healing?" The Captain was impressed. "They used a lot of magic only said to be used by ranked adepts. The council 19
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argued about it sometimes, but mostly they liked having my parents around. Lately, they argued all the time with the rest of the council." "About what?" Lyric's scared reaction was out of proportion to the Captain's question. The Captain glanced down at the leather bundle and raised a knowing eyebrow. "Did the school complain about plain adepts doing better magic than certified ranked adepts? Don’t worry. We will make sure you are taken good care of. Look there. See the floating tower? That’s the Tower of the Dragon, the center of the school in Learn. It is the greatest piece of magic left from before the War of Wisdom, and that’s where we are going. Nobody knows how to get up there or get through the shields. It serves as a reminder of how much we’ve forgotten. Hold on, we’ll be there in just a few minutes.” The Captain smiled to mask his own concerns. They sat in silence for the rest of the ride, and before Lyric could take in all the view, they descended to land in the city. The streets were spread out below them like an intricately drawn map, with each twist and turn perfectly sketched. It was breathtaking to see the city and Lyric forgot to be scared of the height. The Dragon spread its huge wings to cup the air, and slow the descent. A small bump, and they were there. The Captain gave Lyric a searching look. "You will have to grow into a new life here. Take the opportunity to make it the best you can. Try not to get lost in your grief. I know Dragons as well as anyone alive, I can tell you that you have nothing to fear from them. If you ever have need of help, search the Dragon Riders out, and either I or a friend of mine will come. Protecting the village was my job, and since you did that for me, I owe you a favor. I expect you to call that favor some time. Take care now." She patted the brown sack. “I don't think you should be walking around with this. It could get you into trouble. I’ll keep it safe until you need it. Don’t worry about this. No one will know.” Lyric didn't know what to do or say. Ember finally made the decision by going over and giving the Captain a searching look, and then nodding to Lyric, as if to say, 'It's safe.' A tall young man in a brown robe helped Lyric down and the Dragon leapt back into the air. The Rider waved, and then they were gone.
Lyric looked cautiously at the young man. “Are you a student here?” 20
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"Yep. third year. I'm Winz, the porter for the next four hours. This is my punishment for not doing my studies. Now I have even less time to study. You are Lyric?" Lyric nodded. "Good. You are expected and are right on time. Wait here and your escort will take you to where you will be staying." Winz worked a puzzle made of strings and metal rings while they waited. Lyric looked around while waiting. They had landed in a circle in a crowded part of the city that seemed to be a designated landing area. Even as Lyric waited, other Dragons landed and dropped off people or picked others up. Lyric stared at the buildings and people. Two children were throwing sticks at each other but sneaking glances at Lyric and Ember. One accidentally tossed a stick towards Lyric. With a start, Lyric raised a hand and created a glowing green shield that deflected the stick back at the thrower. Ember started to fly off to attack them, but Lyric grabbed the dragonet by the tail and held it back the wings beating in the air but getting nowhere, and the flame shooting out harmlessly. “Nice reflexes. I wish I was that quick.” Winz remarked. Lyric smiled while the children stared, grabbed the stick, and then ran away, leaving Lyric to watch the crowd. Ember stuck out a long lizard tongue at them as they ran away. “Lyric?" Lyric turned to find an older man talking. Lyric saw that Winz had given some of the bags to the old man. “Yes, Dhe?” The old man had white hair that curled over his head as if looking for an escape. His eyes and mouth were etched with the remains of smiles and laughter. He thanked Winz and nodded to Lyric, and then he took off at a brisk walk, his old legs still spry and sturdy. Obviously Lyric was to follow. Lyric grabbed the two remaining bags and ran after the old stranger. Ember held on for the bumpy ride. "Who are you, sir?" Lyric asked, panting, after realizing the old man wasn't going to volunteer information. "Good question. A little late, though." He didn't even glance at Lyric as he spoke. “Where are we going?" "That should be obvious." Lyric decided to risk a guess. "Adept Tinac, thank you for coming to meet me." The old man turned and rewarded Lyric with a questioning eyebrow and a half smile that lingered in his eyes long after it left his mouth. "I expected to meet you eventually but not for at least four more years. Your parents were very good friends of mine, Lyric. They obviously spent time teaching you. You speak well for your age." "They might still be alive. Do you think they are, Dhe Tinac?" "I cannot say. We will both do our best to find out. Come, we had better not miss the evening meal or both of us will have our loud bellies to converse with all night.”
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They arrived at a small, but comfortable home, near the center of the town. The building appeared very old, but showed every indication of lasting forever. Dhe Tinac had to lean into the heavy door to cause it to open. The entryway beyond was thick with odors of wood and plants. The rug was styled in a pattern completely unfamiliar, the wear hinting at an age long ago when this style might have been the norm. Beautiful carvings and pictures covered the walls, telling stories or capturing emotions, to relate them to the intent observer. "Welcome to my home, Lyric, far enough to not be inside the school, but close enough to walk there in time for breakfast in the morning. For the next few months, and if you wish and I survive, the next few years, I hope this will be your home too." "My parents told me that you were a good friend, Dhe Tinac." Dhe Tinac blinked back emotions that were too raw. "They also told me that you were a stern taskmaster and forced them to work far past their abilities." "Only partially true. As they worked, their abilities grew." "Will I be in trouble?" "For what?" "I heard people in my village whispering that I caused those Dragons to be killed, and the Dragons would insist on punishment." "They might. Dragons do what they want to do, but I don't think you have anything to worry about. Dragons have a strong sense of justice and fairness. They would have struck down the six rogues to save even one human life. They will not begrudge you for doing your best to save your entire village." "Thank you, Dhe Tinac." "You are certainly welcome, Lyric. I must ask you a question, though. What exactly did you do?" "I don't know. I ran to the town hall when the Dragons attacked looking for my parents. No one was there. I picked up the crystal, but I couldn’t make it do anything. I tried to find someone who could fight the Dragons, and the crystal showed me someone. I spoke to him, and even though the words were strange, I knew he was a Dragonslayer, so I asked him to come save us and the metal bird appeared. I don’t know exactly how I did it. I only saw a little of the fight through the hole in the roof and the doorway. I was too scared to think." “Panic gives you strength that can be useful, but it is hard to control. So the Dragonslayer performed the required task as well as could be expected. How did you send the Dragonslayer back?” “I didn’t. It just disappeared.” Dhe Tinac looked surprised at first, and then smiled. "Child, you are dangerous. We’d better teach you how to end your spells. Your Dragonslayer may return, or you might get sucked into that world. Since we don’t know the spell you used, or how you started it, we can’t end it. Don’t worry about it, but do not discuss it with others. If they ask, tell them that you have been instructed by Dhe Tinac not to talk about the matter, and I do mean anyone." "Why, Dhe?" "Because until we know what you did, we must make sure no one else does it. This time your unknown spell brought a champion from another world to help. Next time it could bring a daemon like the ones that destroyed two thirds of all our people in the Great War. Now, let’s see what you do know. Can you do the ten tutor spells?" “Yes, most of them, Dhe, but I'm still tired from yesterday.” “Understood, don't worry just show me,” Dhe Tinac commanded. He sat down, and his face became the dispassionate instructor Lyric had heard stories about. 22
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“Flame.” Lyric’s hands reached out and joined at the fingertips. Lyric pulled the extended fingers apart and a small blue-green flame hovered between Lyric’s outstretched hands. “Not bad. Can you make it larger? No, don’t bother, no need to burn the house down on the first day here. Next?” “Ice.” Lyric’s fingers fluttered and outlined the shape of a circle creating a deep purple sphere. After a few seconds, a few crystals of snow condensed and fell out of the sphere. Dhe Tinac nodded. “Shield.” With Lyric’s hand flowing forward in a protective gesture, a green shield surrounded Lyric. Dhe Tinac stood and poked at the shield and his hand passed through it. Then he sent a small bolt of electricity out of his outstretched finger, and it bounced off. “Ah, Green. Very good choice. You haven’t made the common mistake of suffocating yourself with an impenetrable shield. Luckily the shield fades when the student passes out, or we’d have fewer students.” “I'm pretty good at this one. Nothing gets through my shield.” Dhe Tinac threw an apple at Lyric and it went right through the shield hitting Lyric on the head.” “You might want to reconsider that statement.” Ember flew up and started to attack Dhe Tinac, but was instantly encased in blue ice with a quick circling gesture. After crashing to the floor and rattling around for a few seconds, Dhe Tinac gestured again and the dragonet was freed from the ice, but still dizzy and walking with a wobble. Making an angry face at the mage, Ember chased the apple that was still rolling away from Lyric and after toasting it with a bit of flame, ate the apple in a few quick bites. “I didn't know you could throw things through shields.” “I presume you won't forget too quickly. I have more things to throw if you do. Living things can go through green shields. Lightning can go through blue shields and fire through red. You have to be ready to change your shield quickly and if you are going to argue with people, you'd better be ready with a few different variations. A black shield works against anything, but you either suffocate waiting for them to go away, or risk being attacked as soon as you let the shield down to take a breath of air. On the other hand if you breath quickly and they can't fire a spell fast enough, you can maintain a standoff for a few hours. Continue.” “Wind.” Lyric’s hands reached up towards the ceiling and drew down a silvery glow. A small breeze blew around them and ruffled Dhe Tinac’s hair. “Sparks.” Small sparks flew from between Lyric’s fingers. “Lifting.” Lyric gestured, and a stool floated above the ground and settled back down. “Light.” Lyric’s face turned red, and then so did the stool as a red beam illuminated it. “Shadow.” Lyric gestured, but the stool only flickered a little. “That is enough. I can see you are getting tired. I am impressed. You have the basic spells down and quite a bit of control. Many of our graduating students can’t do those spells as easily as you can. Your parents taught you well, and you have a lot of energy for one so young, especially considering all the magic you used only a day ago. Far too much energy, I’d say. I’ll have to watch you carefully.” "Do you worry that I could bring trouble?" Lyric knew the villagers had been relieved the moment the Dragon had left with Lyric on its back. "Any child your age is trouble, but you are not evil and you are not a fool. You will make mistakes and people will get hurt. That is part of growing up. If you learn wisdom, discipline and compassion, you will learn from each mistake, and eventually make fewer of them.” 23
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“I’m scared, Dhe Tinac.” Lyric’s eyes locked onto the floor. Dhe Tinac chuckled, drawing Lyric’s gaze upward. “It takes courage to admit your fears, Lyric, especially to others. That is your greatest strength in one so young, and we will do our best to teach you other skills and give you other strengths. We will fail sometimes. Hopefully the consequences will not be too costly, to you and others. Focus on your efforts to help others and you’ll find they are more forgiving of the troubles you cause. Let’s start your lessons with a song.” When the north winds blow the fire low you can hardly feel the flame And the sun dives down into the clouds and is drowned in all the rain You wonder if you’ve lost your way, trapped in doubt and pain Still you keep on walking through the rain until the sun comes out again. It takes courage to open up the door, To find wisdom, where you’ve never looked before. Give some love, and you may get a little more, If you have the courage to open up the door. I asked the man on the mountain one night, how far away are the stars? He asked me if I could touch any in sight, and how far away is far? What is the meaning of life I wondered, He said ask someone who has died. Is there hope for the human race? He sat down and cried. It takes wisdom to open up the door, To find, courage where you’ve never looked before. Give some love, and you may get a little more, If you have the courage to open up the door. Where can I find true love? He said, love is a state of mind. Make a few good friends and treat them well, and then it’s just a matter of time. Where can I find happiness, I pleaded, He finally answered with tears in his eyes. Wherever you left it, it stays until needed, and if it’s not needed, still there it lies. It takes courage to open up the door, To find wisdom, where you’ve never looked before. Give some love, and you may get a little more, If you have the courage to open up the door. "I like that. But wouldn't it be better if I didn't make any mistakes?" "Only if you want to waste your life hiding in fear of doing anything wrong. Then you will have made a huge mistake. Only an idiot believes they can live life without making mistakes each day. You will learn to accept your mistakes, make up for the troubles they cause you and others, and get on with your life. Don't spend too much time avoiding mistakes, or apologizing for them, but always own up to your mistakes. Otherwise, you'll never learn to avoid them." "How do you know I will learn?" As Lyric spoke, a bell chimed the hour. "I will see to it that you make at least two mistakes each day and learn the consequences and how to live with them, even if they are someone else's mistakes. For example, we have now missed the evening meal and will have to go to bed hungry except for a few apples, because I made the mistake of not bringing any food home for us. I didn't plan ahead. That was my mistake, but you and I will both have to suffer for it. You will learn to plan ahead to compensate for other's mistakes. Now, because you and I both talk too 24
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much, you will have to listen to your stomach growling as well as my snoring. Here is your room. I have to do my meditation so I can fall asleep. I leave you to your own devices until the second bell in the morning. The washroom is right next to your room. I shall see you in the morning." "Good night, Dhe Tinac." "Sleep well, Lyric. I can't begin to know what fears you have, but if you need to talk to me, feel free to do so. I will be honored to be your friend too, if you choose." "Thank you." Lyric closed the door and lay down on the bed. A few quiet sobs were all Dhe Tinac heard as he walked away. In minutes, the only sounds were Dhe Tinac’s gentle snores.
CHAPTER THREE The next morning Lyric rose at the first bell and cleaned up in the bathroom. Barely done, when the second bell rang, Lyric rushed out and fell into step behind Dhe Tinac, who was ready to leave for breakfast. "You have to have priorities in life, Lyric. Eating is one of mine. Apples are a snack not a meal. It will be a long while before I miss another meal. I plan to learn from last night’s mistake. I hope you did." Lyric’s stomach growled loudly. "I certainly did. What will I do here, Dhe Tinac?" "Why, learn, of course. That is what the school is all about. You are a bit young, most beginning students are at least sixteen to eighteen years, but you obviously have some talent and training already. We will try to cultivate that talent. In the process, maybe we can learn from you at the same time." They entered the eating hall. Dozens of long tables were crowded with students and a few instructors. Dhe Tinac sat at one near the door. The seated students nodded politely. There was already food set on plates for them. It was only some porridge and rolls with some apple juice, but Lyric’s stomach growled again with anticipation. "Deric, you will take Lyric to the training field this morning and to the first-year classes. Lyric is a bit young, but as I'm sure the rumor has already cast its 25
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shadow, quite advanced. Lyric, follow Deric around and get to know the school and the grounds. Deric has been here almost six years and rarely gets lost anymore. In a day or two, we can discuss which classes would be most suitable for you.” “Yes, Dhe.” An older student nodded and smiled and winked at Lyric as Dhe Tinac continued. Deric had a mop of dark hair hovering over a bright face, lit with wit and enthusiasm. He was strong and relaxed with the ease of someone who had grown up enough not to worry about impressing anyone else. Lyric liked him at once. “For now, watch the other students and instructors and see if you can figure out how they learn. Except for Winz. Whatever he does, do the opposite.” “I don't like sitting in lectures.” Winz complained. “Understandable. Some instructors drone on and on. I can't for the life of me figure it out. They sit there in the general direction of sounds coming out of my colleagues’ mouths, and it seems to imprint on them like an echo plant. Then they repeat it to others and think that they know something." Lyric saw the students stifle giggles and noticed a few glares from instructors at other tables. "What is an echo plant?" Dhe Tinac raised an eyebrow to Deric and nodded. Deric waved his fork as he spoke and looked happy to be lecturing instead of being lectured to. "It's a carnivorous plant that can repeat sounds, and they are trying to train it so that it holds all the known spells and knowledge." Dhe Tinac coughed. Everyone looked up. "Sorry, food went down the wrong pipe. Continue." "It was bred from a carnivorous plant that traps birds and rodents by making noises like other small animals and insects. Dhe Flange realized that by culturing it, she could make it repeat words and phrases. After twenty years of culturing, she created a hybrid that could make speech sounds. Another ten years of work and she got it to repeat spells back if a part of the spell is said. Of course, sometimes you have to listen for minutes before you hear anything that makes sense." Dhe Tinac snorted. "Same as most lectures." Nobody laughed out loud, but Lyric could see the tremors shaking Deric as he continued. "Part of our training is to repeat spells to the echo plants until they can repeat them flawlessly." "Our students are less educated than our plants. I have told the Council of Adepts over and over. If they want to keep records, then they should bring books back. If they want to teach students to think, then they should find ways to make them think, not imitate plants." "Books? But books are outlawed, Dhe Tinac." Lyric was confused and scared. "Reading, writing, and original thinking are outlawed. Even knowledge is barely tolerated. Laws are rules. Making it a rule doesn't make it right. Do you know why books are outlawed?" Lyric shrugged. No one else at the table even blinked. The subject was too touchy. "The war of wisdom showed how little wisdom anyone had since most who claimed to be wise were killed. It also killed half of everyone else. Whole cities were destroyed.” “That’s just a rumor, isn’t it, Dhe?” One of the students asked, red hair dropping down into his eyes as he talked. “A few days walk from here are ruins of cities larger and grander than this one that were destroyed two hundred years ago. Our great city here was just a small outlying school town that was spared because it wasn’t worth the trouble to destroy. The survivors of other cities felt the earth move with their demise. The skies glowed with magic that likely killed anyone in direct view of it. Almost all the powerful mages disappeared overnight. So 26
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those who lived through the wars and had no magic of their own tried to eliminate magic completely. Our ancestors hoped by burning the books and forbidding reading and writing that we would forget magic. They even outlawed magic. They hoped we would go back to a kinder and more peaceful way of living. And for a while we did. Kinder for the griffins at least and much more peaceful for the locusts. Every few years either our wells dried up, or we were flooded. After a few decades of misery, our esteemed ancestors revised the laws that forbade all magic. They made new laws dictating what types of magic could be used. But since they couldn't write down the laws, they had to go by word of mouth and the details often were changed from village to village. Little by little magic crept back into our society, but by then generations of knowledge were lost." The unknown student had the courage to argue. "But we have created an oral tradition. We tell stories and sing songs that teach all the important issues." "You really think we didn't have songs as well as books back then, Winz? Think of all the songs that are lost because no one sings them. Think of the poetry and stories that have been lost. We hide from knowledge and hope that we never meet someone that has more knowledge than us. And if a person can live with these ridiculous rules and work only the prescribed magics we tell them to, we make them a ranked adept." "Aren't you a ranked adept, Dhe Tinac?" Lyric asked tentatively. "Very astute, child. Very rude, too. Sometimes I regret it, more often I make others regret it. I was ranked before I knew any better. Now I know better, but I’m just one of the people trying to make sense of this mess. Working here I have the opportunity to try to change the system from the inside." “Do you know how to turn caterpillars blue?” Lyric asked, hoping to change the subject. “Why, no. Although the Headmaster is fond of turning butterflies blue, I understand. Why would you care to do that? I’ve always thought it was pointless.” “The farmers need it to protect their crops from the caterpillars.” Several of the students snorted in derision. "Who cares about farmers? We are here to learn magic. Only one person in a hundred can do magic, and only one in ten of those are asked to study here. We are the elite. Why should we help those peasants?” Dhe Tinac seemed to loom suddenly, and the students shrank back in alarm. “Actually it’s ‘those peasants’ who built theses schools and pay taxes to teach you to learn magic. ‘Those peasants’ put clothes on your backs and work long hours so you have the leisure to learn. Those simple people are relying on you to make their lives better, and so they are paying you in advance by making your life better. And if you don’t learn that quickly, I personally will make your life very, very miserable.” The third bell of the morning rang and the dining room erupted with a flow of students heading towards the exits. Their table seemed to empty a bit faster than all the others. Dhe Tinac blinked, and the anger completely disappeared as he wiped his chin. "See, Lyric, if you are hungry enough, the food here is almost edible. Follow Deric and learn what you can. When you get through with your evening meal, find your way home and we will talk and see what you really know." “What about Ember?” Ember was just finishing off a big sausage and had a very full belly. “I think I will have to keep Ember in my office. I'll keep a few extra sausages on hand, just in case.” Ember quickly came over and perched on Tinac's shoulder. “Turncoat, for a few sausages?” Lyric accused. Ember nodded contentedly licking greasy lips. Deric was moving off quickly, so Lyric nodded, waved and followed. The other students whispered remarks either praising Dhe Tinac or calling him crazy. Lyric didn't know what to think. They arrived at a sandy field surrounded by tall 27
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walls. Deric stepped to the front line of at least fifty students and motioned them to move back to make room for Lyric. There were at least twenty-five lines, so there must have been well over a thousand students in the field. It was eerie the way they whispered as they warmed up. The sand captured the whispers and made the field almost completely silent. Someone clapped two sticks together, and the students snapped to attention. Another clap and they bowed to the Adept in front. The Adept nodded, and the sticks clapped again. A thousand feet stomped into a wider stance as one. The only sound was a quiet movement of sand. Another clap and right fists swung through the air blocking a thousand invisible punches. Lyric tried to follow the movements, but was always a half a move behind. Twice Lyric fell but got up again quickly. Nobody else fell. Lyric kept trying to keep up but was constantly looking around to see what the other students did and finished several moves behind and always off balance. After hundreds of movements that flowed for everyone except Lyric, they stopped. The Adept concentrated. Lyric could see the beads of sweat as they formed. One of the nearby students swayed on her feet yet remained standing. A bell rang and another Adept appeared on the balcony looking over the field. This Adept raised a hand pointing as he concentrated on the student. Again, the student rocked but kept her feet. The bell rang again, and another Adept appeared. This woman was surprisingly cheerful, smiling and waving at the student before she added her energy to the focus. With a sudden movement of her hands, like a push from a distance, the struggling student fell to the sand. Some nearby students helped her back to her feet and then snapped back into their places. The adepts on the balcony had already disappeared. The Adept in front nodded, and the students bowed and suddenly became normal students, joking and carousing. A couple teased Lyric. "First lesson is to learn your right foot from your left." "No. First you need to learn how to fall. You'll be doing a lot of that around here." "Might as well stay down, it would save a lot of time." Lyric got angry and ran off. Deric chased Lyric and quickly caught up. "What's wrong? They were just teasing." "I can't help it if I don't know what they're doing." "Of course not. That's why they were teasing you. They don't know you, and it gives them a chance to say something funny and make you laugh. You should just smile and laugh with them, and let them know you have a sense of humor. Would you rather they ignored you?" "They don't have to be mean about it!" "What's mean? You are new. You tried some difficult moves that have taken all of us months if not years to learn. You fell a couple of times and will fall again tomorrow, I bet. If you can't laugh at yourself, you have no right to laugh at anyone else." "Who says?" "Dhe Tinac for one. Me for another." "Sounds like him. But they don't have to laugh so hard." "Why not? If you ignore the laughter and work hard, in a few days you'll be better and no one will laugh. If you don't get better, they will stop teasing you. It would be rude to tease someone for something they can't help." "But I can't help it!" "Lyric, grow up. You are younger than any of us, but I suspect you want to be treated like one of us. You can't have it both ways. Either we treat you like a child, or we treat you like one of us. Which do you want?" "I want to be treated like everyone else." "Then get used to having people ask you how the sand tastes. Then, when you get better, you can show us all how it's done." 28
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"OK. I’ll try. What were they doing at the end? How did they make that student fall?" "It's called the Push. It's like levitation, or shields except the goal is to use your magical energy not to move. The adepts train us to use our wills to balance and fight. The better you ground yourself the stronger your magic and your energy control. Kind of like creating a shield and then moving it to push down someone using a shield to stand up. Except if you push and they are better grounded, you fall instead of the other guy." “So how do they decide who to push?” "Every day, they pick a student at random and use their magic to try and knock them down. It's usually someone near the front, but not always. The goal is to see how long you can remain standing while the adepts try to push you down. Depending on how good you are and which ranked adepts you're up against, three is okay. Five is very good." "What's the record?" "Among current students? Ten. That was me, and I only did it once, the average is about three. They'll never let me get away with that again, it made them look bad. The next time they knocked me down with two of the strongest adepts." "What's the all-time record?" "Eighteen. But that was almost fifteen years ago. A student named Mira. She left without even becoming a ranked adept, but everyone knows she had the power. She didn't like the Headmaster, so she and a friend left. What's wrong?" "She was my mother. She's missing, and probably dead." Deric was flustered. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. Maybe you'll be able to match her record or beat it." "Ha. I can't even stand up when nobody is pushing!" "That's better. If you can laugh at yourself, nobody can hurt you by laughing at you." "Dhe Tinac says that too?" "No. I do. Believe me, I learned the same way you will. Now let's go wash before we go to the lectures. We don't want to be the ones who smell up the room. Dhe Tinac was right about one thing." "What's that?" Lyric asked while they washed. "Most of the ranked adepts stink when it comes to lecturing. Their goal isn't to teach, but to do research. Most of them really don't care about the students. It's the worst part of their job to them, and they wouldn't do it if they didn't have to. They'd rather be experimenting.” “So why don’t they go someplace and experiment?” Lyric asked. “Ranked adepts get paid here, and they like the money and prestige. Plus, they need cheap, skilled helpers to do their experiments. They train us hoping some of us will stay around to become apprentice adepts. Students who are gluttons for punishment, or afraid of getting work in the real world, stick around hoping to become ranked adepts. The apprentices do research for the ranked adepts and let them take all the credit. Finally, after three or five years, right before the apprentice gets fed up and quits, they let them take a test to make them a ranked adept and the cycle starts over." "You don't really think that they are that bad, do you?" "You will after you've been here awhile. The ranked adepts need all sorts of classes and know all sorts of spells to qualify, but they don't take any classes in teaching. Nobody seems to understand teaching is a communication skill. They assume that if you are smart enough to be a ranked adept, you must be able to teach." "But they are ranked adepts. Doesn't that mean they know everything?" "They tend to know a whole lot about very little. Nobody knows everything, and only the foolish think that because they are brighter and know more. A smart person might figure something out faster than another might, but the answer is still the same either way. Dhe Tinac says that the bigger the ego, the smaller the mind, no matter how bright you are. I think he's right about that too." 29
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They fell silent as they joined a silent throng into the classroom. The shadows moved across the wall with only a few droning voices breaking the silence. Exiting a classroom later, Deric sighed. "Sorry your first day was that bad. I'm surprised you were able to stay awake." "I didn't understand most of what was said. I almost did fall asleep during the first class after lunch." "That's pretty brave of you to admit. Actually, I only understood half of it, and I'm graduating this year and had that class 3 years ago with a different teacher.” “They seemed to kind of ramble.” “Dhe Tinac says that since they can't write anything down, they have to just kind of circle around a subject instead of making an organized plan or keeping records of what works or what they already talked about.” “That makes sense.” “If they had spent more time preparing, they could have saved us hours of work. Instead, a hundred students collectively waste hundreds of hours because the teachers were too lazy to spend another four or five hours figuring out how to explain things better or to coordinate with each other what they teach, because every teacher thinks they do a better job than the others. Dhe Tinacs classes are much better, but you'll have to get past the beginner classes. Most of his stuff is much more advanced than anything you will have in your first or second year. Then again, rumor has it that you are pretty advanced.” “I don't know what to say.” “Just blush and ignore compliments and insults alike. I have a date tonight with my fiancée, so you'll have to find your way to the eating hall and home by yourself. Just follow the crowd when the fifth bell rings, and you'll get fed. Try not to let them get to you. You are going to have to get thicker skin or go into hiding. My advice is to get it over with quickly. After the meal, ask anyone how to get to Dhe Tinac's quarters. It's easy to get lost around here. Take care." Deric waved and raced off through the throng. Since the fifth bell hadn't rung yet, Lyric wandered around the campus trying to learn where the various buildings were, when two adepts approached. Standing to one side Lyric was surprised when they stopped. "You are Lyric?" The taller one asked. Lyric nodded. "Come with us then. The Headmaster awaits." Lyric heard two students whispering. “Look, it’s the Headmaster’s apprentices. They’ve been here ten years and still haven’t been promoted. Talk about gluttons for punishment.” Lyric tried not to smile. Without waiting, they turned, and Lyric ran to keep up. They came to an office, and as the tall adept reached to knock, the door swung open. "That will be all. Leave us," said the voice inside. Lyric was pushed roughly into the room before they turned and left. With a thud, the door closed by itself. Lyric was too surprised to know whether or not to be scared. The man behind the desk was tall and eerily good-looking. Dark hair and darker eyes that made the shadowy face even more menacing. His clothes looked tailored and new instead of the well-worn robes most of the ranked adepts wore. While all adepts' robes were black, his robes seemed to shimmer with darkness and had silver thread that glowed in the dim light. Jewelry glittered on his fingers. Looking back up at his face, Lyric saw the smile was forced and predatory. The Headmaster's voice was smooth, almost silky, and somehow seemed as fake as the smile. "So you are the child adept. Tell me now, how did you slay the Dragons who attacked your village?" Without waiting for an answer, the Headmaster gestured and whispered a spell. Lyric recognized the orange glow of a truth spell. Lyric choked out a cry of concern. “You aren’t supposed to do that with my permission.” 30
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In Dhe Tinac's office, Ember drops a sausage mid bite and flies out through a window searching for Lyric. The Headmaster sneered. “For you, it would be improper to use one without asking, and illegal, but who would judge the Headmaster of Learn? If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you. Answer my questions or you will find I know a great many other spells that you won’t even recognize.” "There was a metal Dragon who fought them. I'm not sure how it got there." The glow wavered, yet stayed orange. "And what happened to your parents? And others who were slain?" "I don't know. We never found their bodies. Nobody knows what happened." "I see." He lifted an object onto the desk and set it down. "Do you know what this is?" Lyric looked at it and shrugged. "I don't know, Adept." Beads formed on Lyric's forehead, but Lyric looked the Headmaster straight in the eye. The orange glow grew slightly redder. “Do you trust me, child?” “Of course, sir.” The orange glow turned a bright red. Lyric did too, but not as red as the Headmaster. The Headmaster concentrated, and it felt like someone was pushing hard at Lyric's mind. A shadow surrounded Lyric’s body, and Lyric’s clothes began to turn gray. With an effort, Lyric took a deep breath and mentally pushed the spell away, with the cloth returning to its normal brown. The Headmaster was surprised and responded with a feral grin and renewed effort. His face was red with effort and his breathing ragged like he had run miles. This time the air rippled with energy and the wave of magic practically knocked Lyric down. The shadow spread quicker as Lyric's head began to swim. Ember appeared at the window and startled both of them banging trying to get in. Distracted momentarily, the headmaster tried to shoo Ember away with a spell which gave Lyric time to to cycle through shield spells, none of which did anything. Using the training from that morning, Lyric reached deep into the ground and balanced, pushing energy inward. The headmaster encased Ember in blue ice and Ember dropped out of view and a large crash was heard. The headmaster returned his attention to Lyric and sent more energy into the spell. This time Lyric resisted with a panicked gesture that burst the shadow and sent it off in a spray of light that bounced off the walls of the room. The Headmaster was surprised and angry and barely held his rage in check. Lyric readied shields and prepared for a blast of flame or lightning, but instead the Headmaster smiled cruelly while panting with the exertion. He sat back in his chair and stared at Lyric with a malevolent smirk. Outside a crowd was making noises and Lyric could hear Dhe Tinac's voice as he insisted he be let into the office. “That was simply a test. You passed of course. I am impressed. I will have to test you again later. In the mean time, don’t tell anybody we had this conversation.” The Headmaster considered Lyric carefully and then gestured Lyric to leave as the door swung open. Not hesitating, Lyric rushed out, followed by the glare from the dark eyes. Dhe Tinac rushed in and loud shouting from both was heard as Lyric ran from the Headmaster’s building blinking back tears of fear, and joined a milling throng that ended up in the cafeteria. Lyric didn’t know whether to find Dhe Tinac and talk, or obey the Headmaster’s orders. Sitting down at a table brought a rush of comments as Lyric tried to eat quickly, not wanting to miss another meal. "The food is bad, but it must taste a lot better than the sand in the work out field." "Lyric must know the shortest path to the infirmary already." "Careful, they've let a first-year student have a fork, everybody stand back." Lyric was turning redder with each remark. “Can’t you leave me alone?” 31
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“Right, you came to the cafeteria, and sit down with 500 students to be alone?” "Look, the adept in diapers can change colors. Look at that red face." “Lyric is starting to look like Dhe Tinac. That proves ugly must not be all genetic.” Lyric got up and ran before the others could see the tears. The doorway was full of arriving students, so Lyric fled up the stairwell. Running blindly, Lyric reached the roof and stared out at the setting sun. Looking at the view of the city, Lyric heard whispers close by. Looking around there wasn’t anyone near, but the whispers continued. Unable to control the tears Lyric cried out. "Stop it! Why are you making fun of me?" The whispers grew louder as Lyric looked for them and became a quiet rush of murmurs. Lyric looked all around and didn't see anyone else on the roof. "Why are you hiding? Afraid of me or just being mean? I know you are here somewhere." Lyric’s voice was tinged with anger. Lyric ran around looking for the hidden voices and followed them over to the side of the building facing out over the city. They became louder as Lyric leaned further out, and more panicked. Leaning over the roof was a mistake, thick layers of dust on top of the wall crumbled, knocking Lyric off balance and into thin air. Lyric's scream stopped as a huge fist reached out and grabbed the tail of Lyric's cloak. It slowly raised Lyric up until they were eye to eye. Lyric's eyes grew wide as Lyric realized the rescuer was a statue. "You're alive!" "Otherwise you wouldn’t be. By the way, you're welcome." Still carrying Lyric, the gargoyle floated up and landed gently on the rooftop. "You can talk! You can fly!" "And you have an amazing grasp of the obvious. Of course I can talk. I talk all the time!" "And we’ve been regretting that for centuries." This voice was deeper. Lyric looked around and realized there were more gargoyles on the rooftop. Each had a different form and even a different color and texture. Lyric noticed how the stone flowed as they moved even though it felt solid to the touch. "Are all of you alive?" "Well, we're not sure about Uncle Ed, but the rest of us are." Uncle Ed grimaced. "In my generation, watchers watched, and didn't give themselves away chattering like birds." ` The first Gargoyle was indignant. "Nobody has been able to hear us talking for centuries. Did you want me to let the child fall? I still could." Lyric started to protest, but Uncle Ed interrupted. "Ignore his threats, he's harmless, and if he tried, he'd be armless. The real magic is in listening. Another magic lost."
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The first Gargoyle ignored the interruption. "How was I supposed to know this child could hear me? I was just warning Abner to be quiet, and then he tells me to shut up." "Who are you? What are you?" Lyric asked. "I'm Flint. We're stone singers, gargoyles to you.” “Stone singers?” Lyric asked. “Stones can't sing.” “Neither can Flint, but that doesn’t stop him,” another gargoyle chimed in. Flint stuck out his tongue. “We live forever, and we're indestructible." Uncle Ed grimaced and pushed Flint off the roof. After a loud crash, Flint climbed back up. "Okay. We live thousands of years, we're virtually indestructible, and we feel no pain." Abner kicked Flint in the behind. "OUCH! Okay. We live up here, and we watch to see if you are going to destroy us. Sheesh.” He turned and glared at Abner and then turned back. "Are you?" "Destroy you? I'm just a kid." "I meant you, as in your people. You met with the Headmaster. He would destroy us if he knew about us." "Why would he?” “He is an evil man. He is bent on acquiring power and controlling others. That is a terrible combination. What did he say to you?” “You don’t know?” “He protects his privacy with magic that we cannot penetrate. And we were sure he didn’t know about us until you came here. Are you sure he didn’t send you?” “I was running away from the students who were teasing me. I didn't even know you were here until I heard the whispers." "They weren't whispers, we were talking normally but using magic to hide the sound. You were breaking through our magic. You seemed to have picked it up, and now it sounds normal. Most people can't ever hear us, unless we want them too." "I guess I'm different. But why would anyone want to hurt you?" "Because we too are different. You humans destroy your own kind. You yourself destroyed or wounded six Dragons. We heard about that. We hear about everything.” “But we were being attacked. That was self defense!” “That’s what your kind always claims. We never attacked you, but you destroyed the old cities and our homes along with your homes.” “That was lifetimes ago in the War of Wisdom.” “So? Lifetimes are pretty short in wars. We live many of your lifetimes, and we can tell that nothing has changed. Now you are destroying each other again. We always get caught in the middle. We don't like to fight, but we didn't in the last war and we lost our homes because we never thought it would affect us. We've hid ever since. It's been a long time." Abner nodded and said in a deep voice. "Time." One of the gargoyles played a trill on a flute. The sprites that always came at the sound of music appeared and joined in the tune. Others clapped their hands to keep time. Lyric felt magic surrounding them. A bird flew towards the roof, but suddenly startled as if the sound only carried a few feet past them. In an even deeper voice, Uncle Ed agreed. "Time." Time, time and again my friend, we'd dream we're alive In dreams, ones that will never end, that's how we survive. It's danger we're hearing, the mobs gather around. Destruction is nearing, it’s best not to be found. Our time is upon us, a decision at hand 33
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We either retreat or we must take a stand. Hide, hide from their ignorance that destroys the unknown Find someplace with common sense, and we'll build a new home. But for now we must hide, make believe we're not here Watching and waiting in plain sight and quite near. Each time that they find us, we must disappear. Our strength our restraint, as we hide from their fear. Sleep. Sleep for a thousand years to wake in a new day And in dreams we will escape their fears, and we'll fly away. Don't move they might hear you, act like you're made of stone. Don't look they might see you, make sure you're all alone Don't soar through the skies, except in your mind. They may become wise, if we give them some time. Time. They stopped suddenly. Uncle Ed stared into Lyric, searching for an answer to an unspoken question. "That’s us. We hide, and we avoid anybody’s wrath and just try to get by without being noticed. We can change our shape and hide in plain sight or we can be in these forms that we choose.” Abner changed shape to look like a pillar, Flint changed into a huge vase but Abner grew a hand and pushed Flint over with a crash. Uncle Ed shook his head. “So we have been discovered by the slayer of Dragons. What shall we do?" Lyric was frightened. "I won't hurt you. I won't tell anyone you are here. You saved my life." "Of course we did, we had to. We honor life, we cannot harm you, but you can harm us. Do you understand honor, child?" "I think I do." "We will find out. It is not what you say that will show your honor, it is what you do. Each time you open your mouth you can lose honor. By keeping it shut you gain honor. Consider that before you speak." "I will keep your secret. Can I at least visit you?" Uncle Ed nodded and smiled slightly. Flint poked Abner in the ribs. "You see that. Uncle Ed smiled. Either that or he broke his face. Hard to tell." Uncle Ed turned to Flint. "You want to find out how indestructible you aren't?" Turning back to Lyric, Uncle Ed waved a finger. "Here is an offering of friendship. I have lived thousands of your years. I have heard all sorts of rude remarks." "And quite possibly made a few, here and there." Abner looked at the sky when Uncle Ed looked in his direction with a blistering gaze. "We know how upset you are when you get teased. There are three ways you can deal with teasing. You can fight and lose, you can ignore it and draw, or you can turn it to your advantage and win." "How do you know everyone's been teasing me?" Lyric asked. "What do you think watchers do, child? We watch you, your fellow students and your teachers. We see what they do, and hear what they say. But do you?" "What do you mean?" "You fuel the insults by overreacting. You make your embarrassment a game for others. You need to learn to ignore their comments. Failing that, you need to turn your antagonists into your friends." 34
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"How do I do that?" "Turn their insults into a joke. Watch." He turned to Abner. "Abner, you are ugly." "I know, Uncle Ed. It's hereditary." "Flint, you have the hiding skills of a blind cow in a glass factory." "I learned every thing I know from you, Uncle Ed. And thanks, that's much more complimentary than what you said about me last time." Uncle Ed smiled again. "I was being kind in front of the child." He turned to Lyric. "Do you see, Lyric? We do not take ourselves seriously, and we do not take each other seriously. But we do take care of each other." "Doesn't it hurt to have mean things said about you?" "Only when they are written in stone and thrown at you, or when you can't think of a clever comeback." Flint nodded agreement along with Abner. "You can write?” Lyric was surprised. “Of course. Only humans gave up reading and writing, and then only some humans.” Uncle Ed motioned for them to hush. "Now you had better get back down before people notice you are missing. Remember, you can almost always get out of being teased by using humor." "What if I can't?" Lyric asked, walking back towards the stairs. "We can always drop a flower pot on their heads for you, if you like. But our aim is lousy. I'd try the humor if I were you." Hoping they were joking, Lyric hurried down the stairway. Ember jumped into Lyric's arms and licks flickered across Lyric's face. “Ember wasn't a problem?” “Of course not, or that flying Lizard would be a blue ornament on my Mantel. What's wrong you look flustered?” Lyric told Dhe Tinac about the strange meeting with the Headmaster, but not about the encounter with the gargoyles. “Ember saved me by distracting the Headmaster. I don't know how he knows when I'm in trouble.” “It's easy, you are always in trouble. You have a bond that goes beyond love or magic. You are very lucky.” Dhe Tinac looked thoughtful then nodded his head and looked worried. “The Headmaster used both a truth spell and a coercion spell, which are illegal without your permission. I am glad you were able to resist. In case, it wasn't obvious, you should never give your permission for a coercion spell.” “What can I do if he tries again?” “I fear the best I can do is show you the spells and teach you to protect yourself as best you can. You will find the more you study and practice, the easier it will be to resist these spells, and I’m sure the Headmaster was surprised one so young and untutored could resist his efforts. I will have the other students help you. Expect random attacks. Try not to hurt them, it will embarrass them.” “The headmaster was very angry.” “He's always angry. Next time he will find a way to overcome your defenses, so you must develop new ones. Go now. I must contact some friends and make plans in case things get worse. For now this is probably still the safest place for you. Let me know if anything else occurs.” “Thank you, Dhe. I wasn’t sure what to do,” Lyric said. ”You did the exact right thing, Lyric, coming to me. Never be afraid to tell a grownup when another grownup does something wrong. You need to have friends you can trust, 35
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and when you do, you need to trust them.” Dhe Tinac shooed Lyric out the door, and Lyric went to do the day's homework. Reaching into a bowl he tossed Ember a sausage. Lyric’s days were soon filled with exercises, both mental and physical. With effort ,Lyric stayed awake and learned as much as possible in the lectures and from watching the older students. The Headmaster or one of his assistants always seemed to be watching, but Lyric was careful not to do or say anything that would create a problem. Visiting the gargoyles was always fun as they loved to gossip about the goings on in town and the school, but Lyric noticed they never talked about anything that wasn’t recent. Deric was breathless when he found Lyric a few weeks later, finishing dinner in the cafeteria. "Can you run down to the Singing Fountain and find Wend for me? I'm supposed to meet her, but I have to help a ranked adept with a spell she is testing, so I'll be a few minutes late." "I don't even know what she looks like. I know where the fountain is, though I've never gotten a chance to listen to the singers there." "She's tall, with long black hair. She's probably the only one in merchant's blue just waiting there, and certainly the youngest and prettiest merchant." "That should be enough. A merchant at the fountains who isn't selling anything should be easy to spot. What should I tell her?" "That I'll be there as soon as I can, and I'm really sorry." "You want me to wait with her? I'm not busy." "That would be great. I'd like you two to get to know each other. I've been telling her a lot about you." "Lying, I hope!" "Nope, the truth. But she'll like you anyway. She's really nice." Just then Winz flung a spoon full of mush at Lyric. With barely a flick of the wrist, Lyric raised a shield and sent the food back into the face of the would-be assailant. Winz laughed along with his friends at the table who were always trying to get the best of Lyric, especially after Dhe Tinac encouraged them, saying it would be good practice for Lyric. Deric laughed. “You have to stop showing off, you are going to make more enemies. Run off, before he gets a whole team together and gangs up against you. Nobody could survive an attack of that much mush.” "OK, when were you supposed to meet her?" "Five minutes ago. You're late!" Lyric took off at a trot. "Oh, sure. I'm the one who's late! I'll see you when you get there." Wend was not hard to find. Indeed she was the only one in merchant's blue not behind a stall or selling something. She was shades of dark with black hair, eyes, and tanned skin all blending together until covered up with an outfit of blue. Her eyes and smile gave her the same easy appearance that Deric had. Even so, Lyric asked cautiously. "Are you Wend?" "Yes! You must be Lyric." She held out her hand to touch fingertips in greeting. "Guess there aren't that many trainees as short as I am?" Lyric jumped in shock with the touch of Wend's fingers. A gold spark jumped between them. "You can do magic!" Wend looked around in panic. If anyone had heard, they were studiously ignoring them now. "Shhhh! Please don't tell anyone! How did you know?" "I could feel it when I touched you. Couldn't you see it? You must have been doing magic recently, and there is still some about you. It felt and looked like a shock to anyone else who can do magic. You need to learn to ground yourself if you don't want to get caught." 36
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"I've been trying, but it's hard to practice alone." Lyric's head shook, correcting her. "No, Deric has been teaching you." Wend was surprised again. "He told you?" "He didn't have to. I know he would be able to tell that you can do magic. He would never let you try anything dangerous alone. Why don't you go to the academy to learn?" "My parents want me to take over the family business, and they fear the adepts. Adepts are trying to take control of all the guilds. My parents have been fighting adepts for years, and then they find out their child can do magic and is marrying an Adept. Ironic. So they were put in a touchy position." "Some merchants do magic. Why can't you?" "The rules keep changing. Now the adepts insist only those who are Academy trained should do magic. They want members of other guilds who can do magic to become adepts and pledge their loyalty to the adepts above their own guilds. They know it will help them consolidate their political position. That's one reason why my parents won't let me become an Adept." "Sounds like there's another." "My uncle disappeared after the adepts for reading and writing, and doing a little magic.” “They killed him?” Lyric looked nervous. “We don't know. He had a poor memory, but a clever mind. He used the blue ice to keep his produce fresher. That was the only spell he ever mastered. He had started making records with crude pictures of his inventory, and marks for coins. He wanted to keep track of what was in the warehouse, but a jealous competitor reported him, and then they killed him." "But that's not writing at all! Why did they kill him?" Wend looked at Lyric strangely. "It isn’t? They said any marks on paper, wood or stone were writing. Who could argue? They took him away, and they executed him. We never even found out how. They just told us that he was dead." "I'm surprised you can stand adepts then." "They aren't all like that. Deric isn't. You aren't." "I'm not an adept,” Lyric insisted. “It will be years before I am. Deric wants to be a Dragon Guardian. Most of the adepts are alright, but it is pretty competitive and they judge each other on experiments and research instead of being good people or good teachers." "How can they call themselves teachers if they don’t have to know how to teach? Imagine if merchants weren’t judged by their ability to trade, or craftsmen on their craftsmanship? But Deric says you already have more magical skills than he does, and 37
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he's almost done with his studies. I wish I could do the things you can. I want to at least learn healing skills." "It doesn't matter what we want. The ranked adepts will keep me here until they feel I've learned enough. They don't say what enough is, but apparently I'm not close yet. Since your parents don't want you to go to the academy, you two would probably be best off in a small town or village where they would appreciate anyone with magic, trained or not." "Deric says the ranked adepts are arguing that only adepts should be able to do magic and that any others should be punished by death." "I hadn't heard that. Then I'd be in trouble because I did some magic before I came here. How can they say that? That's not the law." "When the laws aren't written down, how can anybody prove what the laws are, or were?" "True. I know every time I hear a spell, which is supposed to be said the exact same way each time, every Adept seems to have memorized it slightly differently. And the effects vary a lot with a little change in the wording. It would help to write them down. Dhe Tinac says it is a bad law." "But only adepts can change it. And only ranked adepts can vote on such things. I agree, though. I could teach myself magic if there were books and I could read." "Dhe Tinac says that's exactly why they don't want people to read. They don't want people teaching themselves or others. It would break their monopoly and risk their jobs." “Do you really think that people could learn from books?” Wend asked. Lyric looked pensive and grew silent. Wend let it continue, then said, "A penny for your thoughts." Lyric blinked. "To throw into the well?" "No, silly. It’s just an expression. This is the singing well. You are supposed to sing a song for luck. Here is a merchant’s song of friendship. Most people are always looking for some type of gain, or what’s in it for them. Even those in merchant blue know how valuable friends can be." A penny for your thoughts my friend, A tuppence I'd give for two. And once you have the coin why then, I'll sell my thoughts to you. Opinions and advice are free, and seldom worth the cost But when your time is spent with me, I guarantee you'll see your time won't be lost. Listen to me, I’ve gambled before. I know what friendship takes. I’ll take a chance if you’ll be my friend See the difference that caring makes! Share with me some memories, I'll pay you any price Share the wealth of your experience, it will make me feel so nice. Feelings can't be bought or sold, but are made with work and care. They're not to touch to feel or hold, but to give, to lend, to share. Come and spend some time with me and lend me some of you We'll invest in fun and jest, gaining interest times two. I'll see the world through different eyes, and gain your point of view You'll find that teaching someone else makes learning fun and new. A penny for your thoughts my friend, a tuppence I'd give for two. And once you have the coin why then, I'll share my thoughts with you. Lyric smiled when Wend finished. "I like that. I can see why Deric likes you. I'd like to help you learn, too. I've memorized more spells than some of the older students, despite 38
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many of them being twice my age, so if you like, I can help. I can teach you how to ground yourself. Since I just learned that recently, I know what you are going through." "Slow down. That would be wonderful, but what if you get caught?" "They won't look if we are careful and if you ground your magic when you are done. Teachers think you have to be a teacher to teach. Most don't realize that we learn more by teaching others. If they were smart they would have students teaching other students, so everyone would have a chance to teach and learn. But that would require more preparation and organization. They don't want to do more work." "You sound like Deric!" "I'll take that as a compliment." "You'd better, he's standing behind you." Deric’s clothes were all sooty and disheveled. He smiled. “Let’s just say that we decided to finish the experiment another time, after the Ranked Adept has time to recover her thoughts, and rebuild her wall. I’m surprised you didn’t hear the explosion from here. My shields must have covered the noise.” Deric and Wend embraced and sat down at the base of the fountain staring at each other and soon were lost to the world. Lyric smiled and wandered back to the school. Weeks later, the routine was set. Lyric would struggle to understand the lectures, exercise with the other students, and eat in the cafeteria, then go home. Lyric was so far advanced that instead of spending hours practicing the beginning spells, the time was spent working with the talking plants Dhe Tinac abhorred so much. Lyric was surprised to find out that it was actually at Dhe Tinac's recommendation. He seemed contradictory in many ways, and even after a full day at school, Lyric enjoyed listening to him talk. At first the conversations were stories about Lyric's parents that brought tears to both of them. Then, gradually, Dhe Tinac explained his view of the world in tales and lectures filled with bitter humor. “Knowledge has value, originally the value was in finding food or warning of coming danger. Complex associations are always built on these simple foundations. It is unfortunate my colleagues often use threats to coerce their students to pay attention, rather than using creativity to find ways to make learning interesting.” “Why is that so hard?” Lyric asked. “Some learn through examples, some through listening, some through seeing, and some with practice. There are dozens of skills and many ways to learn, but it is time consuming to find out which way a particular student learns best. So we make it easier for the teacher and didactically state that the good students will learn either way. We blame the student for not being able to glean knowledge from our poor tutorials and point out that since one or two students are able to struggle through, it can’t be the teachers’ fault that the others are so slow.” “Why don’t the ones in charge try to make it better?” “Because they rose through the ranks under the same poor system and don’t want to upset others. Teaching is hard work. And repeating the same lessons each year is boring compared to research. And without writing down the results, research is doomed to be random at best and tedious at worst.” Lyric looked around before speaking. “You think we should bring reading and writing back?” Dhe Tinac chose his words carefully. “Education is the tool we give the next generation to build their lives. To take away one of the most useful tools and forbid them to use them limits the lives they can build for themselves. They become limited to what they can learn from those around them. Which means only those who have access to the school can hope to quench their thirst for knowledge. That gives us control. We fear books 39
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because we want to control others, and set the rules by which they are judged. Only those judged worthy by us have value. And, of course, we the judiciary, judge ourselves most valued of all.” “But I thought reading is forbidden to prevent people from learning magic?” “Forbidden by whom and why? Only one in a hundred can do magic anyway. Only one in a thousand has enough control and skill to become an adept, and only one in ten thousand enough talent to become a Ranked Adept. We claim knowledge is important and then refuse to give it away freely. If it is important, why do we hoard it? If we gave it away, we’d have more qualified students and a higher level of learning, but then we might not be at the top of this new order.” “So what are schools for? To teach us how to be adepts?” “I'm sure that was the original goal. I think now schools are welfare for teachers. How many rules do you see forcing them to make sure students actually learn? Instead, they simply stand there talking and expect the student to learn.” “But teaching helps to develop power, and wisdom,” Lyric insisted. “Hmph. You are confusing practice with education. While they might be the same, they don’t have to be. Do you remember the spell of binding the Headmaster tried to use on you? Do you know why almost nobody ever uses it?” “Because it uses too much energy and control for most people?” “Good point, but besides that. Who is to decide when and how to use a spell like that? Someone else can break the binding and bind them back to another way. It comes down to who has the most power and time. Most magic is that way. Since we no longer know how to channel enough power to make the binding permanent, we resort to lectures and subtle threats to force each generation to bend to our way of thinking and perpetuate this system.” “You don’t like it here, Dhe Tinac. Why do you stay?” “Because this is where people who want to learn are expected to go. Someone needs to be here to give them a chance to really learn. I’ve taken upon myself to be the contrary voice. Besides, I have some other duties I may share with you if we have time. My first love is helping students to find their own way of thinking. All students are self-taught.” “I need to find a better teacher.” “Try teaching others and you’ll see what I mean. Look how much time we spend claiming to learn magic here when in fact we are searching rumors to discover tricks forgotten centuries ago. No, we sit here proud of our tiny accomplishments, lording our power over others, and hiding in the shadow of those with knowledge that dwarfs our own.” “What do you mean?” “Haven’t you ever noticed the floating tower? Who put it there and why? What keeps it up century after century? Ask your fellow students about it. It will prove much more interesting than asking a teacher. Then come to me and we’ll talk about it. For now, I must sleep. I will see you in the morning.” “ Good night, Dhe Tinac.” “Dream sweet, child.”
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Tower of The Dragon
Tracy McSheery CHAPTER FOUR
Lyric's form was perfect that morning, and not even the most experienced student was flowing through the drills with more grace and skill. Months of effort and practice were paying off with noticeable improvements in reaction time and balance. What had once been impossibly difficult and confusing was now relaxing almost in the flow of one movement into another, almost more like a dance than a complex and dangerous martial art.
Near the end, when Lyric was turned away from the front, a warning tingling surged, replacing the light, warm sweat with a cold chill. Without looking Lyric thought “I'm the target for the push!” Lyric carefully stood on both feet, reaching into the ground to center, and held onto the magic there by will alone. No shield could block the use of magic itself outside the shield, just inside another shield. So although you could put up a shield, they could push you over if you weren't ready. The push was taking the random currents of magic that randomly flowed through the earth and sky, and directing them. Any spell required you to gather magic and use it. The push was an attempt at grabbing a hold of the magic and going with the magic instead of guiding it. That allowed one to use larger amounts than they might normally be able to control in a spell, and Lyric was already surprising the instructors and other students with how much power one small child could control. Of course, it was easier to resist the push than to push someone else, because you had to use just as much energy in both cases to ground yourself, if you were pushing or being pushed, or you'd fall over as you pushed someone in what was called equal and opposite reaction. The one pushing had to ground themselves, and then direct magic as a force to try to offset someone else. This was as much practice for the adepts as for the students, since it usually took at least two adepts to push over one student even half as powerful as Lyric already was. It also gave the Adepts practice working together. Lyric had originally thought it was just a cruel joke, but understood it was more of an exercise that everyone participated in. Ignoring all that, Lyric concentrated on becoming fixed to the ground like one of the Gargoyles to a building. One by one the Ranked Adepts came out and added their powers, trying to break Lyric’s union with the ground. Lyric could see the looks in the eyes of those all around, cheering silently. Lyric knew by the whispers that a new record was close, or at least a chance to tie the old one. Confidence and a bit of pride surged along with a determination to show up all those who had made cruel jokes and jibes over the last several months. 41
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Finally, a dark shadowy figured appeared on the balcony heading for the assembled adepts. Lyric heard Deric’s voice at the same time. “Fall, Lyric. Just take a fall.” Lyric was confused. Why not see if the Headmaster was really as tough as he thought? The Headmaster was almost to the teachers now. “Fall,” Deric whispered, and suddenly Lyric felt another push, that literally went straight for Lyric’s feet. Startled that it hadn’t come from the teachers, Lyric was unbalanced and fell into the sand. Faster than normal the students ran for their classes. Lyric looked up through tears at the disappointed look in the Headmasters face as he glared at Deric as if he knew what had happened. He grimaced and turned away heading back to his office. Deric reached down to help Lyric up. Lyric pushed his hand away. ”Why did you do that?” Lyric asked through angry tears. “I could have held him.” “You could have gotten hurt really bad. The Headmaster is unnaturally strong. If you had been hurt, he’d have claimed it was your fault during a test. I was just trying to help.” ”Some friend you are, pushing me down.” Deric frowned. “I am a friend. A good enough friend to risk our friendship to help you. Real friends don’t always do what you want, they do what is best for you.” Deric slowly walked away. Lyric considered what he said, and realized he was right. It would just take a while to admit it to Deric. At least as long as it took for the hidden tears to dry. Walking off to classes Lyric considered sullenly that Deric and Dhe Tinac were Lyric’s only true friends. Most other students considered Lyric too young to be around or were jealous of the skill and power Lyric already showed despite being much younger. They'd talk and even partner for exercises or study sessions, but as soon as they were over, they'd leave politely and join their real friends for conversation, or play. Lyric was quiet the rest of the day. Later, Lyric was alone; busy watering and feeding the Echo plants, a process which turned out to be more complicated than with regular plants. Watering was fine, but feeding them consisted of reciting a spell to train them and then offering the cup-like mouth a piece of meat when it responded correctly. The mouth, with sharp wooden thorns for teeth, was tied firmly to a wooden stake, so no fingers spiced up the plant’s diet. Lyric adjusted the bindings as the plant grew. Lyric was one of the few students who knew enough different spells to effectively train and feed them and the only one who didn’t mind the repetition it required. Lyric even stayed while other students fed and trained the plants with spells Lyric hadn’t learned yet. Consequently, Lyric already had learned more spells than most of the fifth-year students.
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Winz poked his head in the door at Lyric fed and coached the talking plants. “Lyric, that's your pet dragonet that is always flying around here?” “Yes, Ember is his name.” “It doesn't like being teased, does it?” “Not at all. He has a habit of biting first and asking questions later. Or toasting anything he doesn't like and then biting it. Then he won't let go until he calms down.” “So how do you calm him down?” “I usually distract him with a sausage or apple.” “That sounds like it might work. Thanks.” “You're welcome.” Winz turned and walked down the hallway towards the dining hall with the dragonet firmly latched to the seat of his scorched pants. Lyric was just finishing feeding the plants when the Headmaster entered, his eyes burning with an anger that must have smoldered all day, and his lips set in a feral grin that scared Lyric as much as he could have hoped. Knowing that this morning's exercise with the push wasn't over, Lyric reached into the ground. Much more solid than the sand, and without a hundred other people vying for the magic, it came easily, and Lyric thought both feet were planted so solid, nothing would move by the time he was ready to push. Unfortunately, there wasn't as much time as Lyric had expected. The Headmaster pushed Lyric with a gesture. As Deric had thought, the power was much more than even the combination of a dozen other adepts. Even prepared, it was enough to send Lyric flying across the room like a rag doll. Stunned by the crushing collision with a table, Lyric fell backwards and knocked over a plant. It tried to break free of the restraints and bite Lyric, who quickly scrambled away from the shattered pot and plant. Lyric realized that the Headmaster had expected Lyric to be incapacitated from the push. He was furious that he hadn't done more, but his gasping breath indicated he wasn't ready for another push yet. He stalled and snarled as they circled the other tables with plants on them. “A priceless plant destroyed because of your clumsiness, child. How sad. I’m not sure if we can justify your being here when there are so many other students who would like to be here, and are more mature, with more talent.” “But I didn’t fall, I was pushed,” Lyric complained. “Are you accusing me of pushing you?” The Headmaster smiled innocently, but his eyes had an evil glint. Lyric realized only someone who had felt the strength of that push would believe someone could literally have thrown someone else across the room. Lyric would sound crazy to make a claim, and there was no way the Headmaster would prove to someone else that he could do it, to validate Lyric's accusations. “I don’t know who pushed me. I was just feeding the plants.” Lyric compromised. “I have heard that you have been trying to train groups of the Echo plants to make them available to all the villages.” “It didn’t work. I tried to get them to talk and teach each other, or teach them in groups, but they kept getting the spells garbled and messed up. Then one plant saying it wrong would confuse the other plants that had been saying it right.” “But why would you want to let villagers learn magic? That would be dangerous.” “But they need our magic the most,” Lyric protested. “We are here for more important things than helping peasants.” “Like turning butterflies blue, for instance?” “Yes. That is a personal favorite of mine. I hear you turned several classmates various colors attempting it but never did get it right. Then you claim to have meant all along to turn caterpillars blue, just because you couldn’t get it to work on butterflies. Why did you attempt such a complex spell?” His breathing was becoming slower, and more 43
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regular. Any second Lyric expected another push, and tried to brace this time. Both of them were stalling by talking. Lyric hoped that he had used up most of his energy with the first push, because without knowing what direction it was going to come from, being crushed against the ceiling was just as likely as one of the walls. Lyric talked while gathering up more energy to resist it when it came. “It never used to be complex, and I did get it right. It was a simple farming spell originally used to protect crops by turning green caterpillars blue, so the birds could see them and eat them. All the magic we know is based on farming magic or healing. The rest was lost. Besides, it is their money that supports the school. We couldn't spend time learning without their contributions, we'd be spending all our time working and planting and harvesting ourselves.” “You are telling me the history of magic? Anybody can help improve crops, or solve problems. There is no glory or recognition from helping peasants. You can't expect us to teach those fools. They can't understand our science, so why should we try to teach them anything? Enough dithering, why don’t you tell me how you summoned that flying metal beast? Otherwise, we might have to expel you for causing trouble here, breaking things and destroying precious plants and who knows what else.” “I can repot the plant. I’ve learned every spell that these plants are supposed to know. I’ve worked harder in the last six months than most of the sixth-year students twice my age. You can’t push me out because you don’t like me!” That was a mistake; Lyric felt another surge of power. “I am the Headmaster, the most powerful ranked adept here. You want to learn what I can do, child? You…” He turned purple with effort but this time Lyric didn't move. The push was many times stronger than expected, and Lyric was thankful Deric had given warning earlier. Without preparation there would have been bones broken at least. The door opened breaking the Headmaster’s concentration and the force on Lyric abated. Dhe Tinac entered with several other students and teachers as well as Ember hovering. The Headmaster looked at him with simmering hatred. Lyric felt the air crackle with energy as they eyed each other carefully while the crowd around them kept silent. The Headmaster scowled and looked back to Lyric. “You will pay for destroying that plant, child.” “But, I …” Lyric got no further when Dhe Tinac made a hush gesture. The Headmaster left in a quiet rage slamming the door with a gesture, and Lyric pleaded with Dhe Tinac. “But I didn’t do anything. He pushed me, and I knocked over the plant. It wasn’t my fault.” “It doesn’t matter. You need to learn to resist the push like every other student. He will simply claim that he was training you and you were clumsy.” “But it wasn’t my fault! And Deric was right, the Headmaster is unnaturally strong.” Deric tried to look elsewhere ignoring the implied apology. Dhe Tinac pursued. “No one is saying it was. You simply have to go on with your life. You can’t stop and live only in this one moment because you were wronged. Hush. I know you are angry. Now is not the time. We will talk later. Deric, take Lyric and go practice your music. Another ear can’t hurt. From what I understand you need the practice.” “Ouch!” Deric laughed. “The walls must have ears. Sore ones at that!” Arriving at Deric’s room, Deric picked up a guitar and started strumming. “Isn’t that the wedding song?” Lyric asked. “Well, it's supposed to be. I need to learn to play it before my wedding. It is only a week away, and I choke up every time I try to play it.” “Don’t you know the words? “Of course I do. I’ve heard it since I was your age.” 44
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“Do you know the tune?” “I’ve been playing the guitar for years. That’s not the problem. I get nervous and start giggling when I think about playing it at my own wedding.” “Then try laughing all the way through.” “What do you mean?” “Nobody says you have to play it so seriously. Play it upbeat and happy. Really try to make it sound like you are happy. Wend will be upset if you look like you are sad or scared playing it.”
“Good point. You have that right! OK. Here’s happy.” See the woman there with the long black hair. In a white dress, and a smile. Will she be my company, stay with me awhile? Come take my hand. Make me your man. Will you walk with me? Talk with me? Stand here by my side? Help me raise a family? Will you be my bride? Please take this ring. Make my heart sing. Will you share my fears? Dry my tears? Give me the years of your life? Promise to stay never go away? Will you be my wife? Come take my hand. Make me your man. “That was perfect. Only one question. What should I get you for your wedding?” “You’ve already made Wend happy teaching her magic.” “She told you?” “Of course not. But she’s gotten a lot better, and with all my qualifying exams to be a Dragon Rider, I haven’t had enough time to help her. So it had to be you. Also, you’ve gotten better faster than you should have. Faster than anyone I've seen here in all my years. You certainly didn't get that good from listening to our dear tutors here a few hours a week. You two have been practicing on your own.” Lyric felt relief admitting to the conspiracy. “It really helps me understand the spells when I try to teach them to her. She thinks differently than I do, so I have to reinterpret everything to explain it to her. I understand it better afterward.”
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“I know what you mean. But you have gotten really good. That was one reason Dhe Tinac is worried. They will try to get rid of you one way or another, and he can only help you if you are here.” “He didn’t seem to help much today.” “He can’t talk when others are around, especially in open areas. Apparently even my rooms aren’t necessarily secure from prying ears or spells. So want to hear it again?” “No thanks. You weren’t that good! Seriously, what do you want for your wedding?” “I told you, teaching Wend and helping protect her is the best gift you can give. Unless you have learned a way to get us to the Tower of the Dragon.” “What do you mean?” “That’s what the tower is called by the Dragon Riders. There is a rumor about a room in the tower that is supposed to be the honeymoon suite. But since nobody can get to the tower, it’s hasn’t been used for a while. I was hoping to figure out how to get there, and how to get through the shields and be the first one in centuries. That would make a perfect honeymoon.” “You don’t think having your friends hanging out under your windows and laughing at the slightest noise is a good honeymoon?” “I think that’s why they put the honeymoon suite in the floating tower. I’ve heard rumors that some people made it up to the tower, but nobody has made it through the shield. Hey, saved by the bell. Let’s get something to eat.” Past midnight, when everyone was asleep, Lyric went up to the school roof to look at the floating tower. The gargoyles were curious about it. Ember looked at the gargoyles with suspicious dark eyes. “We never go there because there isn’t anything to watch there anymore. It used to be a fun place, when it was still on the ground, with all the most powerful mages meeting there. Besides we don’t know how to get through the shield.” Flint didn't seem all that interested. “But you can fly up there, and you weigh more than I do. And you said all the old mages used to go there, so they used to fly up too. It has to be some sort of levitation spell, like the push in reverse. I think I know how it’s done. I need to practice.” They watched as Lyric concentrated. Lyric’s feet lifted off the ground and then flipped into the air with Lyric hanging upside down. “You’re right. You need to practice.” Ember flitted around and tried to pull Lyric higher by the feet, without much luck. “Well, Lyric’s feet are closer.” Abner noticed with nonchalant interest. “I was right about giving my feet momentum. I forgot to balance.” Lyric dropped to the ground with a crash. “You’re off balance all right. You sure you don’t want to try this from the ground? Shorter distance to fall you know.” Uncle Ed seemed to be measuring the distance with stone cold eyes. “I don’t plan on falling. If I do, I know you have practice at catching me. Stay close. I still haven’t figured out how to cloak myself the way you do, and I don’t want anybody seeing me.” “OK, but be careful. I don’t know if I can cloak a large red splat on the ground!” Abner joked. Ember didn't like the tone of Abner's comment and flew over to bite him on the nose. Abner just stared right back at the dragonet and they both blinked. Ember blew a shot of flame that momentarily obscured Abner's face, but other than a bit of soot from scorched dust, there was no effect. Abner smiled as Ember gave up and snorting, flitted away. Lyric laughed, and tried again. This time by pushing in different directions, Lyric was able to balance, the magic glowing from hands and feet as Lyric rose. 46
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“Great, but now you need to cloak yourself or everyone will see you all lit up like that.” Uncle Ed suggested. “I think I see how you do it. How's this?” Ember suddenly panicked as Lyric disappeared as a shadow in the night. Flying around, Ember crashed into Lyric, and both of them fell to the ground as Lyric laughed. “You aren't helping, you little monster.” A few more attempts after dark and Lyric began to rise to the tower. “This isn’t as hard as I thought it would be. It’s just like the push, but more energy. How will I know when I’ve reached the shield spell?” Lyric was suddenly pressed against an invisible wall. “Well, that’s one way to tell. Now what will you do?” Flint asked. “I don’t know. This isn’t like the shield spells I’ve learned about. They require someone to maintain them. This one is stronger and different. Most shields just protect against magic, so you could still throw a rock and hit someone in the head.” “Good to know. I’ll throw Abner at someone if I’m ever attacked.” Flint laughed. “Some shields protect against rocks and metal, but air and food can pass through. The push is more physical and requires constant energy. I don’t know if you could use it as a shield.” Lyric tried pushing through the shield, but that didn’t work. No matter how hard Lyric pushed, the shield yielded a little, but didn’t open, and pushed Lyric further away. Pressing harder or faster didn’t help it just surrounded Lyric’s hand. When Lyric pulled the hand back out, it came easily. “This is odd. It looks like it was designed to keep things out, not in.” “And that would help us how?” asked Abner. “Watch. Let’s see if it is supposed to keep itself out.” Flint and Abner looked at each other. Flint made a face to suggest Lyric had gone crazy. Slowly, Lyric tried pulling, and was pleased as the shield glowed a green shimmer and extended itself simply becoming thinner as it grew, like pinching a ball of clay. The pinched area was easy to move around and extend even further. Next Lyric took the now long extension and folded it back over and watched it merge and reform like water. Repeating the pulling process, Lyric pulled until there was enough room for a person in the loop and then took the extended part and pushed it through itself. The inside of the shield glowed a different color under Lyric’s efforts. “See, now the inside is outside.” “The what, the where?” commented Flint. Lyric pushed and pulled the shield more, forming a flap big enough to step inside. As Lyric had hoped, the shield slowly wrapped around Lyric’s body, until it was completely enclosed. Once inside, there was only a small resistance to moving in any direction. That had been the biggest risk, and Lyric was relieved not to be trapped forever, realizing the flaw in the plan that could have been fatal. Then Lyric pushed through to the other side and smiled at the surprised gargoyles. Repeating the procedure with the gargoyles, they soon were all inside the shield and quickly reached the tower. There was a porch with a doorway that was three times as tall as any of them. The walls were smooth as glass, and made a dull clunk when Abner tapped on them. Lyric gestured to the doors. “Well, go ahead and open it.” “What part of watcher don’t you understand, human? You open it. We watch. If you live, then maybe we go inside.” Lyric shrugged and, readying a shield, pulled the handle. The door squeaked but opened easily. Inside was a dark hallway. Lyric waved both hands and created a white light that lifted into the air and hovered over them. The light reflected off light globes that lined the hallways, but Lyric didn’t want to light up the whole tower, lest they be discovered. Exploring, they found dozens of corridors with many doorways on each one. Carefully, they opened some of the doors that weren’t locked. Lyric knew some spells to open locked 47
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doors, but apparently not well enough for most of these. The unlocked ones were often empty of furnishings. Most were offices or meeting rooms. The inside seemed much larger than the outside. Lyric suspected more lost magic was at work. “This must have been part of the old school,” Lyric whispered. The gargoyles nodded. From the ground, the building didn’t seem so big, but Lyric guessed the floating building was twice as big as any in the current school. So far they had barely covered the first of several levels. Searching the Tower they came to a room filled with thousands of books. Each of the gargoyles grabbed one and started reading. Lyric panicked. “You shouldn’t be reading those!” “This is a library. What do you think we should be doing? Dancing?” Abner reached up to the top shelf and pulled out a thick book that dumped a thick layer of dust all over him.
“But reading is forbidden!” “Don’t see any signs that say that. Good thing signs are forbidden, I guess! Don’t you want to find a way to save your villages and people? There might be something here that could warn them and protect them.” “They have protection, they need to be warned.” “Too bad. We warn but have no protection.” “Why don’t you work with the villagers? They could protect you with their magic and you could be the watchers to warn them. You have nothing to fear from them, and I'm sure you don't need protection from them. I don’t think you could be hurt by them even if they wanted to. And together, when warned, they have enough magic to protect you from Dragons.” “Dragons are the least of our problems. Even Dragon flame can’t harm us.” "I've got a thought." Flint said cautiously. "Put it back before somebody notices you took it." "No. I'm serious. Lyric is right. Without magic, we can't be hurt." Uncle Ed wasn’t convinced. "Bend over, let’s put that theory to the test." “Wait, Uncle, he’s right.” Abner commented as he shook off some of the dust. Uncle Ed grimaced. "Great. Now Abner's thinking. See the smoke coming from his ears." "No, that's dust. He really should think more often, but Lyric is right. It’s going to happen all over again. We hid out last time saying it wasn’t our fight, and many of us were 48
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killed anyway and our homes were destroyed. Hoping things get better doesn’t help. We must take action!" Uncle Ed considered. “For us to go to the villages would mean some risk, but we could always go back into hiding. Better to seek an alliance now when your people are relatively weak than to wait until the evil forces have taken over and build their base of power. Talk to your mentor. Let him know about us. We will see what becomes of this strange alliance. It grows late. We can return later, go now before anybody wakes to find you missing and wonders where you are child.” They hurried out and floated through the shield the same way down to the rooftop. Lyric said quick good-byes and headed home. Lyric was surprised that Dhe Tinac was waiting already. “You went up to the Tower of the Dragon and got through the shield spell?” “Yes. How did you know?” “I’m somewhat in tune with the goings on about the tower. However, I’ve never made it up there. I’m afraid the Headmaster is also fixated on the tower, and will have noticed that someone made it through the shields and entered the building. Now listen. I don’t want to know how you did it. I don’t want you to tell anyone else either, as long as the Headmaster is in charge. Not even Deric. Who was with you, the gargoyles?” Lyric was shocked that Tinac already knew about the gargoyles. “You know about them too? Yes we realized that they could help warn the villages of any attacks.” Dhe Tinac listened intently and explained when Lyric was done. “When you’ve been doing magic as long as I have, child, you grow sensitive to it. They may not use magic as we do, but they are magic, and I’ve known about them for years. I’ve never been able to approach them. Then again, I never tried falling off the roof.” “So you will contact the villages?” “Yes. That is an excellent plan. I agree the gargoyles are likely resistant to whatever magics are being used to surprise the town councils. A few watchers around each village and it will be difficult for them to be surprised. I will contact the ones furthest from Learn first. They are in the most danger. As we learn to trust each other, we can move more into closer villages.” “That will be wonderful!” Lyric was very pleased. “Now, on another subject. Grab your bags and move quickly, you have to go.” “Go? What did I do wrong?” “Nothing, child. You are in danger now. Hurry.” Dhe Tinac picked up two of the bags and Lyric followed reluctantly. Ember flitted around in a panic sensing Lyric's distress. "But I'm not the one who is wrong. Why do I have to leave? Why aren't you doing something about the Headmaster? Why is he doing these things and getting away with it?" "Right here and now he is the law, but he can only go so far with others around who may challenge him if provoked. If we aren’t careful he will build his base of power and become the law throughout the land.” “But he breaks his own laws,” Lyric argued. “Worse, he manipulates them. There are people who skirt the laws, bending them to allow them to get their way, and twisting them to their own use. They break the law when no one is looking, and make sure that they can't be punished by using those same laws in their defense. Those people are evil, because they are clever enough to know better, but they have no morals. It is hard to create laws that simply say, be decent, especially when the people making them are planning to break them and only plan on enforcing them on others." “Where are we going?” “To the landing site, the Dragons are coming to take you away.” 49
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“But you said they wouldn’t punish me. What did I do wrong?” “You aren’t being punished, Lyric, we are doing our best to protect you. Apparently you have friends that even I don’t know about. The Dragons must have sent for you as soon as you entered the tower.” They reached the landing site, but the Headmaster was there too, with four ranked adepts in dark, sinister robes who had their faces hidden. “Strange time to be taking a trip, child. Go back to your apartment, Tinac, if you wish to remain here in good standing. Child, we need to talk. I understand you have been to the tower. Tell me, how did you manage that all by yourself?” “No. I have nothing to say to you.” "You have to tell me. I'm the highest ranked adept and the Headmaster!" "Then figure it out for yourself." "If you don't tell me, I'll have you put to death for performing magic that is prohibited." "It isn't prohibited. That’s how you are supposed to get there. How do you think they used to do it?" "If ranked adepts don't know how to do it, it must be one of the prohibited spells! Seize the child." Dhe Tinac protested. “You can’t do this. It is wrong!” The Headmaster sneered. “The strong always win. You have your secrets old man, and I have mine. Now stand aside before we push you and see if you can still stand.” A sound like the sky being torn apart made them all turn as six Dragon Riders arrived, the dragons roaring like a giant griffin. Lyric now understood the markings on the leather jerseys which described the rank and division of the Rider. Each was a ranked adept, and with greater numbers and their Dragon companions, they outmatched the Headmaster and his thugs. The Dragon Captain smiled a cold smile. “Good evening, Headmaster. The Dragons insist that the child be presented to them immediately.” The lead Rider spoke calmly, and with unmistakable authority. A dark cloaked adept made to raise a hand, which prompted a shield from one of the Dragon Riders that enclosed the adept. Lyric admired the quick gesture that produced a strong and steady green shield with barely any effort from the Rider. The cloaked adept growled in frustration. “We are prepared to use force. You have no authority over the Riders or the Dragons.” “This isn’t right. I am the Headmaster. You must listen to me. Be reasonable.” Dhe Tinac’s smile was sad. "Doesn't your mouth hurt when you talk out of both sides of it like that? Don't you hate it when they don't listen to reason?"
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With a wave and a growl and a giant flash of glowing magic, the Headmaster separated Lyric from Dhe Tinac and the others with a dark green shield. The Dragon Riders attacked it, but Lyric was trapped inside alone with the Headmaster. “Let’s see you stand against my full strength, child. I’m the strongest adept the school has ever seen. Far stronger than your mother is.” “Is? She’s alive?” “You will join her soon enough. I will find out how you do your little tricks and use you like your parents, to give me the power to control these fools. Let’s see what you’ve learned child!” Lyric barely raised a shield in time to deflect a bolt of lightning that coruscated off the green shield. The backlash bounced off the Headmaster’s red shield, and Lyric ducked as more bolts flew into the shrinking green screen. Unlike the Dragon Rider, Lyric's shield flickered and waned with panic and fear barely held in check. Dhe Tinac and the Riders battled against the four henchmen, but were unable to overwhelm their shields despite their greater numbers. The Riders and henchmen were soon exchanging spells, with gestures that ended in flames as well as bolts of energy. Somehow, despite being outnumbered by seven adepts, the Headmaster and his cronies stood fast. Even with Dhe Tinac’s help, the Riders were forced to give ground. Then the Dragons decided to change the odds. Ignoring the blasts of flame and lightning, the Dragons breathed their own fires into the shields of the dark adepts. Despite their efforts, the four adepts held their ground with smug smiles of confidence. Then all six Dragons focused on one Adept. He quickly buckled under the combined fury of six streams of flame, and his companions ignored his pleas for help as he collapsed. The next lasted little longer. Blasts of flame and a few bolts of lightning drove him back away from them right into the waiting jaws of Ember. While the dragonet's teeth were not as dangerous as the blasts from the dragons and riders, it certainly got his attention as his pants went up in flame. He finally turned and fled into the darkness with Ember throwing a tiny blast of flame in his direction. The last two adepts were gone before the Dragons could redirect their fury, with not just a little magical aid in their running steps. Their panicked faces were directed as much to the Headmaster as to the Dragons. They were doomed either way. Now the odds were fourteen to one, but the Headmaster somehow held them all at bay. He leaned closer to Lyric and whispered, “I’ll have you and your power soon enough, just as I already have your parents and their power. You can’t stop me, child. I learned more magic on my great grandfather’s knee than you will ever learn at this foolish school. He was taught by his grandfather who was a true adept, not one of these fools at this institution for the magically-challenged. True magic has been lost to the world except for my family. I have power. You have only half-forgotten farmer’s tricks. You can’t stop me.” “So my parents are alive!” Lyric reached out in both anger and hope and with a gesture pushed right through the Headmaster’s shield, rocking the Headmaster with force and surprise. The Headmaster resisted so Lyric pushed harder, focusing every lesson learned in months of practice. Shocked at Lyric’s power, the Headmaster stumbled and fell to his knees. Before he could recover, his shield was besieged from every direction. Dhe Tinac put a shield around the Headmaster to contain him. “Leave quickly. I don’t know how long I can hold him.” Suddenly, the Headmaster laughed in derision and disappeared. Dhe Tinac raised an eyebrow in consternation, and the Riders opened their mouths and eyes wide in shock. On the other hand, the Dragons didn’t seem to care. Apparently, they had seen this type of magic before and were unimpressed even hundreds of years later. Dhe Tinac was puzzled. “Now that is a useful trick. Quick, before he returns with reinforcements. Go now.” 51
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“Didn’t you hear the Headmaster, Dhe Tinac? He has my parents held captive somewhere. They are alive!” Protesting, Lyric was lifted into the saddle behind a Rider. “That is wonderful Lyric, but right now we have to get you to safety. I will join you as soon as I can. It may be a while. I have other duties.” “You just want to get rid of me! You don’t want to help me find my parents!” “Life isn’t that simple. I want to save your parents as much as you do. Don’t say things like that in anger. The pain and regret will last long after the words have faded. I can’t just run out and start looking for them. Things have to be put into motion. This is for the best. I just don’t have time to explain it all right now. Go quickly.” One of the Riders spoke. “I have a package here for the child. Our Captain sent this.” It was the leather pack that Lyric had given the Captain to hold a year ago. “The Captain has said you are an honorary Rider since you helped us last year. You are to be trusted and aided, and we expect you to do the same for us. As such, you should know that we all know how to read and write to send messages and reports. For us, this is not an option, it is a means of protecting ourselves and part of our duty.” Dhe Tinac smiled. “It appears that everybody outside of Learn knows more than the adepts.” “Dhe Tinac, here, take this.” Lyric was angry but insistent. “What is it?” Dhe Tinac didn't even attempt to open it, and seemed to be smiling as if he already knew. “It’s a book. It teaches the learning spells. That’s why I understand magic better than some of the older students. My parents taught me to read and to do magic.” “Thanks, Lyric, but who do you think taught your parents to read and gave them the book? This is a child’s primer and was found hidden a hundred years after all the other books were destroyed. As I have hinted a hundred times, a child who can read a book is as smart as any wise adult. Since you don’t need it, I’ll find someone else who does. How about Wend?” “You know about her too? OK. That would be great. I guess I didn’t get Deric the present he wanted, but this will help Wend a lot. Make sure they don’t get caught.” “I’m sending Deric out of the city right after his wedding. Most of my students will be leaving the school, as will I. Now go.” “I don’t want to go. I need to stay here and figure out how to save my parents.” Lyric’s eyes brimmed with tears, even as they glowed with anger and frustration. Dhe Tinac looked into those eyes and sadly waved to the Riders to take off. Ember wrapped a tail protectively around Lyric. The Dragon Riders nodded, and the Dragons lifted into the sky. Confused and still angry, Lyric flew away never looking back towards Dhe Tinac. Dhe Tinac watched and sang: My Little One. Where are you going? Where have you been? I know where you're going, I know where you've been, my little one. After you're gone I whisper out into the night. The words you wanted, waited to hear That might have made things right, my little one. Yes, I've always loved you, though I can't say it out loud, my little one I'm always thinking of you, You make me very proud, my little one. I have done so many things wrong. Why can't I do this right? Why can't you learn from my mistakes? Why do we have to fight, my little one? Why won't you listen? Why won't you come near, my little one? I know you can hear me. What have you to fear, my little one? I fought to make life better. To give you everything you need. Now all I get is bitterness. What more do you want from me, my little one? 52
Tower of The Dragon
Tracy McSheery CHAPTER FIVE
Most of the flight had been silent as Lyric struggled with fear, hope, excitement, relief and dread all at the same time with thoughts of a mother and father missing but alive, Dhe Tinac knowing all sorts of secrets and having a few of his own, and the Headmaster being more evil than anyone has suspected, all fighting for attention. As the initial rush of adrenalin wore off, Lyric had to resist the urge to sleep. Apparently, it was not quite successful. Lyric woke in a daze, leaning against the Dragon Rider, realizing he was speaking. Lyric leaned closer and strained to hear. “We’re almost to Mjreeve’s cave.” The Guardian shouted back without turning his head. “Who’s Mjreeve?” “Mjreeve is a 3,000-year-old Dragon who gets meaner with every year, I hear. I don’t know that he’s spoken to a human in decades, but he sent us to fetch you two hours ago, and I guess we weren’t a moment too soon.” “What does he want me for?” With a light feathery touch, the Dragon set down in front of a dark and forbidding cave high on the side of a cliff that was unapproachable to anyone who didn’t fly there. “I wish I knew. All I can tell you is that you should be honored, and the Dragons respect you more than ever. Now hurry on in. Mjreeve isn’t someone to be kept waiting.” Lyric walked slowly into the huge cave not sure what to expect as it twisted back and forth getting even larger as it got deeper into the mountain. Once around a bend, hidden from the outside and weather, lights floated around following as if suspicious of the child. Gradually it started to look less like a cave and more like a massive hallway. The floors were perfectly flat and polished smooth as tile. The walls were also smooth and polished like marble and were full of shelves with odd devices that seemed both ancient and still more complicated than anything that Lyric had ever seen outside the recent visit to the Tower of the Dragon. There was a fish tank that was made up of several shields suspended in mid air, and the fish could swim up one, jump into another floating globe of water and swim about. There were puzzles and paintings and all sorts of curious objects lying around, like a museum. A snort snapped Lyric’s head around to where the Dragon was watching. The Dragon was almost invisible except for a wavering in the air, but its appearance became more substantial as Lyric concentrated. The Dragon’s voice was very deep. “I guess that spell didn’t work.” “I didn’t see you until you made a noise. Then you faded in as I concentrated.” “Useful to know. Note to self, need to find another spell to mask noise.” The Dragon nodded in thought. Lyric looked at the huge Dragon and saw the reflection of a scared child in its massive eyes. The cave was warmer than expected, and in addition to curious objects, the walls were covered with bookshelves filled with thousands and thousands of forbidden books. "The Riders told me that you are expecting me. You don't look three thousand years old, Mjreeve.” "Among your kind, that may be a compliment, to a Dragon, it is an insult. Don't sit down on that, those are some of my favorite books." “I wasn’t about to sit on them.” Picking up one carefully, Lyric stared at the cover with its flowing title: Magics of Invisibility. "Sorry. What are you doing with all these books? I thought books were forbidden. These are about magic! They must be forbidden!" "They are all about magic, at least those in this room. And who would presume to forbid me anything? You? You come here to forbid me from reading in my own home?" 53
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"It wasn't my choice to come here. I was brought here, but they didn't tell me what to tell you. Am I going to be punished?" "Punished for that incident with the rogue Dragons? Frankly, we couldn't care less about those marauders. Those that choose destruction deserve to be destroyed. Those that protect life should live. I do wonder how you did it, but I doubt you know. So I must teach you a thing or two about magic. Then you might be able to tell me what you did." "I will be happy to learn anything you can teach me, Able Dragon. But why me?" "You are a child with a trick, Lyric. What interests me is that you know a trick that hasn't been seen among your kind for two hundred years. How did you come about this forgotten knowledge?" "What do you mean, Mjreeve? I did not mean to break the Oath of Wisdom." The fear was palpable; the sweet breath of the Dragon chilled the sweat forming on Lyric's face. The Dragon made a noise that rumbled in the cave like thunder, but Lyric realized it was laughter. "Are you laughing at me or the Oath of Wisdom, Mjreeve?" "Both, little trickster. Can you separate the truth from a simple lie?" "Of course I can tell when I've been lied to, at least sometimes." "Then let me give you a few facts, little trickster. First, Dragons do not lie. We may say things that cause you confusion, because your minds work differently and you think in such short time periods as to not appreciate the patience of centuries. We do not lie. So tell me, how did you reach the Tower of Thought without removing the shield?" "You mean the Tower of the Dragon? How did you know I was there?" "It was simply the school library building before I moved it out of reach of those fools that wanted to destroy it as well as the library it contains. I levitated it so they couldn’t harm it, and assumed a few years would be all that would be needed for your kind to return to their senses. It’s been two centuries and I’d pretty much given up hope. Actually someone there is helping keep the spell from unraveling, but I don’t know who or why. The tower should have settled to the ground years ago. A few hours ago, I felt someone tamper with the shield and discovered it was you. A simple spell I put to keep the dust out, and it keeps away your best mages for centuries." 54
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"You couldn't have put it there, Dragons don't do magic spells." "My invisibility spell wasn’t that bad, was it? Let me show you a flaw in your logic. We’ll see if it was luck." With a gesture of a giant claw, the air around Lyric became still. Lyric reached out and found an invisible and impenetrable wall, much stronger than the one around the tower. Two fists pounding against it made no sound, but both hands stung from the impact. Ember attacked the huge dragon banging and biting but not even gaining the dragon's attention as Mjreeve watched to see what Lyric would do. Lyric calmed and waited for the Dragon to remove the spell. After a few moments, Lyric realized the air supply wouldn't outlast the Dragon's ancient patience. If this was a test, Lyric would prefer to pass. Lyric closed both eyes and concentrated on the invisible wall drawing it closer rather than pushing it away. The magic brushed against Lyric, pulling the shield around Lyric, who then stepped right through without resistance. Lyric looked up at the Dragon expectantly. The Dragon’s expression was hard to read. It cocked its great head sideways and quietly snorted. "I am interested, young Lyric: how did you do that?" Lyric was shocked. "Wasn't that what I was supposed to do?" "Most would simply turn the spell off by grounding the flow of energy that formed it like this. Watch and feel the flow of magic." With a wave, another shield came up, this time visible, glimmering green and gold. Lyric felt Mjreeve extend his magic, so the swirling energy became visible and watched the Dragon remove the barrier by shutting the source of the energy that maintained the wall, draining the remaining energy. It was like blowing a candle out. Lyric had never seen anyone do something like that before. "They can start a new shield, but grounding it takes less energy, so eventually the mage making the shields will tire as much as the person attacking them. So we both learn a new truth. You learn that Dragons can use magic, and I learn you are not the simple trickster I had thought." Lyric thought for a moment. "As far as I know, no one has ever asked a Dragon if they could perform spells, we assumed that if Dragons did, someone would have seen it." Mjreeve raised a huge eyebrow and said nothing. Lyric continued. "So why don't other Dragons use spells?" "To do what? Dragons do not need protection except from other Dragons, and one particularly vexing child. And they hunt their food. Our needs are simple and are adequately met by our own bodies." Lyric thought about it. "So why did you learn to do magic, Mjreeve?" "I became intrigued by the tricks I saw your kind doing a thousand years ago. I spoke to some of your most learned experts and explored magic with them. I practiced moving rivers and shifting storms with some magician friends of mine. Spells like that take time to accumulate and control power, with many people involved, and a Dragon’s patience and power were appreciated. I even taught some of them how to fly." Lyric realized the huge Dragon wasn't exaggerating. "But nobody knows those spells anymore." "Again I remind you, I am over three thousand years old. My friends of your kind died hundreds of years ago." "So you learned magic before the Oath of Wisdom?" "There is no Oath of Wisdom, or any other kind that binds you to a life of foolishness. That is a lie, and not even a very old one. Do you believe that if everyone tells the same lie, it eventually becomes truth?" "Well, no, but..." "Well, many of my human friends were lost in that war that created your lie. Truth does not write history. The dead do not write history. Survivors write history, and that 55
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usually means the victors. They write that the losers were evil cowards and fools while the victors were courageous and fought for honor. Unless you talk to the losers, of course." Lyric was perplexed. "Then how can anyone know what really happened? What did happen? And how did you survive?" "Truth usually lies somewhere between. I watched as your people fought among themselves. I too felt that there was reason to fight, but I was captured, being foolishly proud of my abilities. Listen well. No one likes talking about their mistakes, but you must try to learn from the mistakes of others, so when you repeat them, you might at least know some way out. The giants didn't think they needed help, so they were captured. The Dragon folk knew they didn't need help, and they were captured too. I had joined with your ancestors, and together with others we formed an army so strong that we didn't try to join with the giants and the other Dragons. So we lost. Others and I were captured and used like crystals to provide magic against our own forces." "Giants? There really were giants? Are any still alive?" "Some survived, and they are still trying to understand the lessons learned. Thousands of adepts more powerful than you can imagine had died using magics too strong to be controlled and killed themselves as quickly as they killed their enemy in a battle of attrition. Until, finally, evil had won." Lyric couldn't help blurting out. "But evil didn't win! The daemons were destroyed." “There were no daemons, just evil men and the foolish men who listened to them. They won because they fought with cruelty and guile while our side insisted on being moral and just. We kept up the polite righteous fiction until we saw that we had lost. Then we became desperate and created as much death and destruction as the evil side, justifying it by our desperation and hopelessness.” “But you are saying my people were the evil ones?” "Hush, child. Evil had a short victory. Those greedy for power and control had indeed destroyed all magical threat from us. They then fought each other, each of the few trying to consolidate their position as leader. From thousands of powerful adepts before the war, to hundreds in less than a year of fighting and then just a few from internal squabbling. Those few became the rulers over a landscape wasted and torn by the battle. Survivors fled to other lands and in two centuries still haven’t returned. They ruled the few small towns and villages for a few days, celebrating their victory, blind to the damage they had done. But they had forgotten the lessons in treachery that they had so recently taught the people of the land. The few dozen evil adepts that survived were so overconfident and foolish in their victory celebrations, that the mundane people they had so recently conquered killed them in their sleep. Stealth, coordination, and poison created your victory." Lyric was almost in tears. "I never heard anything about that. That sounds terrible, but if they were evil, then they must be destroyed in any way possible." "Easy to say. Those poisoning evil magicians justified their actions as preventing future crimes. Those who cut throats, as soldiers slept in drunken stupor, don't brag about those acts after they win a war. Once the evil adepts died, there was no one to correct the polite fictions the survivors allowed themselves." Lyric nodded. "You and the giants escaped once the adepts were gone?" The huge Dragon shuddered at the memory. "It was a few days to break the spells once those who set them passed on. A hardship now long forgotten. The Dragons soon recovered, though some remain set against your kind to this day. They do everything they can to destroy you, even at their own peril. The giants disappeared into the Blue Mountains. Those of your kind that fled the land left far over the seas to lands where even my people don’t travel. There was no great magic left among your kind.” The Dragon looked directly at Lyric. “Your people created a new version of events. While they were rebuilding their torn cities and farms, there was no time to record what happened. It took 56
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five generations to repair your civilization to the point where people had time to sit and revise the unwritten history. Disease and famine were only half of it. Distrust and fear made life short and hard, as much as winters that lasted far into spring as the lands slowly healed. All that was left of magical lore was farming magic that almost anyone could do, and tricks that parlor magicians had taught those with the talent.” “Dhe Tinac told me much the same thing,” Lyric nodded. "Those who were afraid of magic banned the use of any magic except what they felt was necessary. They burned books and forbade any to learn to read or write, lest they repeat history. I was forced to save the Tower of Truth from your own people. They weren’t interested in history or learning. They left a legacy of fear and ignorance that has lasted two hundred years. Do you think you are ready to learn the truth?" "Why me?" "You have talent. You also have abilities that I do not understand. Your abilities at such a young age would have been unique two hundred years ago. Don’t fear Dragons child. We do not fear you, little mage. We can see into your heart and know there is no evil corrupting your magic. We are people who value knowledge, and I sense I will learn a great deal in teaching you." The Dragon paused and considered. "There is also a new problem that has arisen. The magic lost two hundred years ago by the armies of the dark is finding new followers with a leader I have only met in my darkest dreams. I can sense that there are people trapped, and he is keeping them alive for their magic, as I once was trapped. Try as I might I cannot locate the source or the destination, although I have flown all over the land. There is true evil, and it is alive and threatening the land. It has taken root in many of your kind, and we loathe to fight it alone.” “Could one of the evil adepts have survived? The Headmaster told me that he learned magic from his great grandfather, who learned it from his grandfather before him. Could he have taught him how to bind others to his will and give him their magic? That is what he claimed is happening to my parents, just as you were bound. When I first met him he tried to use a spell that made my head swim and made everything gray.” “Yes. That explains much of what is occurring, that is the spell of binding. Since you are alive, he is not a very powerful adept, and likely mistakes brute force for strength and ability. As much as he boasts, he knows but a few spells that he has mastered. Unfortunately since he knows how to use others and bind them to give him their power, he has the power of many, but not the knowledge to use it. The greater danger is that he may pass his secrets to someone stronger who could take over the land as he is planning.” “Are my parents safe?” “Physically yes. They are fed and cared for with their own magic, and he would not harm them lest he loses their energy. Mentally they are trapped within themselves. They could go mad with anger and frustration. It is terrible to be trapped within your own mind, only able to hear and share your own thoughts, and agonizing after every mistake and misfortune you have had in your lives. Even lives as short as yours. I still shudder with the memory now centuries old. I will not let that happen again, even if I have to drop the tower on this Headmaster to stop it.” “So what can we do? When can we free my parents?” Lyric asked in frustration. “To destroy the evil will take great effort as we don't know how much knowledge came back this time. We need to see this enemy and understand it. Then we need to destroy it." Despite the threat and the anger at knowing both parents were trapped, Lyric cringed at the thought of actually killing someone. "I have been taught that if you understand your enemy, they may become your friend." "A good sentiment, but shortsighted. Evil has the advantage because the good take prisoners, accepting surrender and finding forgiveness. That allows evil multiple chances 57
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to destroy good. If evil loses a fight, it surrenders and begs for mercy, using guile and treachery to fight again. If it wins, it will utterly destroy the good. " Lyric nodded not knowing what to say. "Last time, the evil adepts captured many of us by attacking one small group at a time. They never appeared to use overwhelming odds. We only learned after we were captured they were using their prisoner’s magic. Ten of their adepts wouldn’t appear to be much of a threat, but could fight with the power of a hundred adepts. In that way, the giants were caught unawares, and later the Dragons. Once the evil adepts had the magical strength of the giants and Dragons to control, they were unbeatable. We cannot fight again without putting together an army that is truly unbeatable." Lyric was frightened. "But where are they getting their power from now? My parents are powerful, but they aren't giants or Dragons." "Isn't it obvious? You are not paying close enough attention. They are raiding villages, and kidnapping mages. They steal the adepts’ power and all the power crystals they can find. I thought you understood child, this is how it all began, with you and the attack. The only flaw in their plan was you. You and your whole village were supposed to be dead so that none of this would be uncovered." Lyric's mouth hung open with shock. Dismay and understanding brought tears as Mjreeve finished. Then came the realization that despite the planning, spells and power, the Headmaster hadn't been all powerful and successful. Lyric's heart soared, and for the first time in over a year, felt hope. "We need to find them and free them! How did you break free from their spells? Where can I find them? Will you help me?" "It will take time. If we try to free them now, it would do no good. We have to raise an army and attack with overwhelming odds. There can be no chance that they can beat us, or we are doomed." "What about my parents, and the others they have captured?" "For now, they are safe, since they are needed for their power. Once the battle is engaged, we will try and free them. That will accomplish two things. It will distract the enemy from the main battle, forcing them to fight two fronts at the same time, and if we free the prisoners, it will eliminate their advantage." " How soon can we free them?" "Maybe a few months. Hopefully less than a year." "A year? I can't wait that long. Can't we do anything now?" "Listen, child, I have been telling you what you must do. Your parents are hidden. I was trapped in a dark temple a short distance from here, but it is empty now. They must be somewhere else hidden and must be found. You can only follow the magic back to the source if you learn the right spells and are face to face with the Headmaster as he’s using that power. Most likely that will be the power that is being used to try and destroy you. You are not ready for that, and I fear neither am I. I made that mistake before. Learn. Prepare. Every day you must find something new that you can use to survive. I have over ten thousand books of knowledge and magic. You must read one a day, or more. When you have read enough that I can send you out to find others to fight with us, we will begin. I can teach you only what you are ready to learn." “I can't read! Books are forbidden!" "Then how did you know some of my books were about magic. Do you think I'm stupid, child? Obviously you can read." "I'm not supposed to be able to. It was a secret. I'm really not very good at it." "You weren't supposed to be able to save your village, and how you did it is still a secret even to you. The rules against reading were made and enforced by the very people who are hoping to enslave you. Just because you have been indoctrinated doesn't mean you have to accept it. Stop protesting that you can't think because of some rule not to 58
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think. The first book will take a while. By the time you've read the hundredth, it will be easy. Any important task takes effort. Only a coward fears to learn." "Why do I need to learn more? I already know enough." "Enough to lose. I thought I was strong and powerful. My knowledge of magic was extensive, but I was only good at big, showy spells that took days to prepare and were useless in battle. I could shape clouds and make the sky glow. In a few hours or days I could summon a wind or make the earth groan. In my pride I was lost. Being a loser is easy. Do whatever you like when you like, without thinking first. Success is much more difficult. It requires preparing now for things that may not happen. It means doing work now that might not show rewards for months or even years. A hero in a song is always prepared and knows every answer. The songs and stories are too short to mention the years of work the hero put in to become worthy. Remember, they don't write songs about losers."
“But how will reading help me? The Headmaster learned from a real adept.” “And you will learn from a thousand real adepts. Your Headmaster learned from someone practicing half-forgotten magic in shadows taught to them by another hidden teacher. Obviously the Headmaster only has a few books or you would be dead from any of a thousand spells in any of these books. He has power, but little knowledge or skill in how to use it. Look around you. You will learn from the best adepts from over a dozen centuries. I always suspected that the evil adepts had something to do with destroying the books. Obviously they hoped to create a situation where they were the only ones with power, passed on from generation to generation. You can learn more than a few whispers and dark gestures. You can learn anything you want.” "Then which books should I read? What should I study?" "If there was time, you could read them all. For now, choose. You have to enjoy your learning. Pick topics that interest you. Study things that make you feel good. Those will be more likely to be remembered when you need them. It is easy to be unprepared, and difficult to be over prepared." “Do you know any poetry, child?” “Some.” “Here is one of my favorites. Learn it and you will know how to find your own wisdom.” The goal is to reach the limit To do the absolute best 59
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Not just to achieve the minimum But to finish and then, a new test. To do the job there is labor. The task is worked until done. The result is not subject to favor, The end is not given, but won! It is a race against the Universe On a course that traverses the stars The pace is measured in eons, The distance immeasurably far. But the path is the one that is chosen And the future does not see the end. However the fate may be woven, To the present all visions must bend. For the now is the time upon us. The here is where we shall start. Each apart yet we stand together, Together, we each do our part. Lyric smiled. “I get the point. I’ll start right away.” Lyric chose a book on magic almost at random. It took almost an hour of reading before Lyric realized that it was mostly talking about different applications and techniques of using the push, which Lyric had already discovered could enable one to fly as well as stay on the ground. The entire exercise that was considered the culmination of training at the school was simply the first of a hundred techniques now mostly forgotten, to fly, to move objects and even build buildings. Swatting flies seem frivolous, but were excellent practice at control and speed, rather than brute force. There were a hundred other applications of the push that Lyric had never considered. Days later Lyric finished the book and found out that learning different ways of using the same push that had been learned months before made the technique more familiar and better understood. The next book only took a few days. So went the first dozen or so books. After that, even the thicker books only took a day or two to read. Working out and talking with the ancient Dragon helped fill in the gaps. Hours of practice improved Lyric's skills and abilities. One day Lyric found a transportation spell that sounded similar to what must have happened in the spell Lyric had created on that strange day the rogue Dragons attacked Lyric’s village. Lyric asked Mjreeve about it and the Dragon considered. “It might not seem challenging to you, considering you pull champions from other worlds out of the air already, but it is a good place to start. For now, why don't we try something smaller like fruit from a nearby tree? You may not be able to save a village, but at least you won’t starve.” “Could that be that the same spell used by the Headmaster to disappear?” “Likely similar, but I’d wait until you can move a bag of fruit without losing a few before I’d try to transport myself if I were you.” “Why didn’t you learn this spell?” Mjreeve raised an eyebrow and huge wings. “Why when I can fly anywhere I want to go? To me magic was an interesting puzzle, until it was too late, and I learned I was the biggest fool in the land.”
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“I suppose this could be dangerous?” “Well, let’s just say that if you accidentally transport the whole tree on top of you instead of an apple into your hand, it could be messy.” “And could you fix the damage?” “Of course, I’d plant a new tree and wait a few dozen years. But I’d miss you, little mage.” “How touching,” Lyric laughed, unsure if the Dragon was being ironic or not. “First work on objects in your line of sight. Then once you know the area, you can try transporting larger objects from longer and longer distances. Finally, you can send your thoughts ahead and travel daylong journeys in a few seconds. Just don’t land inside a mountain or under the ocean. 'Oops' is not a word often uttered twice by mages.” “How far has anyone gone?” “I’d ask you that question. As far as I know, you are the only one who’s transported someone from another world.” Lyric was intent and focused, rarely talking except to ask questions as they practiced transporting fruit for the next few days. The first apple to appear out of the air to drop into Lyric's hand, was an electric thrill. The second apple was only a half an apple which caused Lyric's confidence to drop considerably. The third only disappeared from the tree and never reappeared. It took several more days of practice before Lyric could bring a whole sack of apples in without harming a single one. Luckily Mjreeve was particularly fond of apples, as well as Ember, and they enjoyed the fruits of Lyric's labors quite literally. Growing comfortable with the huge Dragon, they started to talk about other things than magic. Lyric listened intently while the Dragon recounted what seemed like ancient history from personal experience and recited poetry forgotten a thousand years ago. Months went by with Lyric growing more skilled each day. Mjreeve was quiet, one gray morning, when Lyric woke up, with thunder rolling along the hills in the distance. Lyric fixed a breakfast of warm porridge and a few boiled eggs waiting for the Dragon to say something, but the Dragon studied his books in silence. While this wasn’t rare, usually the Dragon started the day with suggestions on what Lyric should study, or reviewing the previous days lessons. Lyric knew better than to pry, and got busy with cleaning up. Lyric next practiced the slow and graceful moves for exercise and protection that once had been difficult and confusing. Lyric spent the rest of the morning waiting for the Dragon to say something, but the odd silence continued. “Is there something wrong?” Lyric asked finally. “Did I do something?” “No. You have done nothing, but still things happen and you are involved. Rumors have been cast, and they cast a dark shadow. I received a warning before you woke that your friends, Deric and Wend, have been captured, and are being held hostage by the dark adepts,” Mjreeve replied. “Why didn’t you tell me? How did they get trapped?” Lyric looked out to the mouth of the cave, as if to spot the kidnappers. “I’m waiting for more information. We cannot do anything until we understand what needs to be done.” “We have to go save them,” Lyric insisted. ”Of course, but we must plan. This is obviously a trap. We need to consider why they have done this and what their real intent is.” “Couldn’t they have been captured like my parents?” “Possibly, but the fact we know they are captured and where they are held makes this different. Suspiciously so.” “If you know where they are being held, why haven’t you done something?” ”We are doing things; I am not the only one involved. You still haven’t learned to think as part of a team, you are selfish with your concerns. We have to organize and work 61
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out a plan.” Mjreeve patiently expounded. “Where are they?” Lyric asked. “Less than a few hours walk from here. A few minutes of flight.” ”From here? What would Deric and Wend be doing here? Can you take me to them?” “I know this place well. I was trapped there two hundred years ago. My Dragon friends said that Deric wished to check on you to make sure you were OK. Someone sent a cry for help when they were near the dark temple. Your friends were foolish enough to stop and try to help. Somehow they were trapped, and Deric’s Dragon partner sent word back and then passed the word to me.” “Didn’t the Dragon fight?” “Of course, but one Dragon isn’t enough to take on two dozen dark mages. Remember, their magic is more potent with the energy stolen from others. And for some reason, Deric and Wend did not help protect themselves. That alone is suspicious.” “Wend is a healer; she doesn’t know how to fight. They must have threatened her or something, and Deric let himself be taken.” ”Maybe. That is a foul place with ancient and evil magic even older than I am that predates Dragons coming to this world or even your people. I have never gone back since I was trapped there two hundred years ago, even though it is close. A mistake I’m afraid. I should have known that you have to face evil and eliminate it, or it will eventually be used again. It would have been helpful to know what that place holds that could trap a Dragon Rider so easily.” “So what will we do?” ”We will wait. The false cry for help was meant to trap them, and trap them there. Repeating their mistake will help no one. This was all done for a reason. We will gather information and find out that reason.” “No, we have to go now, and save them!” Lyric demanded. “Think things through, Lyric.” Mjreeve counseled. “We know where they are approximately, but how would you get there? How would you keep from getting trapped yourself, and what would you do to free them?” ”You could take me. We’d chase away the magic users with fire and lightning. We’d free Deric and Wend, and I’d put up a shield and walk out with them.” Lyric countered. “And do you think they won’t be prepared for that? Something is very strange. You are also forgetting that they are more powerful than their numbers would suggest. There is something missing here, and we need to think things through before we rush off and make things worse. We cannot just react.” ”Maybe you can’t, but I can.” Lyric insisted. “You must do nothing, until we know more. Go study or at least focus your studies in finding ways to free them and maybe you will find something that we can use. I await more word from the Dragon Riders. They will let us know as soon as they find out how this happened and what this is all about.” Lyric walked away angry and sullen. Surrounded by books, Lyric picked up the one on invisibility, that Mjreeve had been studying when Lyric first entered the Dragon’s cave. Studying the book, and finding the spell the Dragon had been practicing, an idea flowed into a plan. Going to sleep early, Lyric woke up in the middle of the night. Looking around there was no sign of Mjreeve. Lyric packed some food and supplies and crept out into the dark night. Tracing a spell of finding in the air, Lyric saw a weak glowing line pointing in the direction of Deric and Wend. Levitating easily now with weeks of practice, and pulling Ember in close, Lyric set off into the darkness following the line in silence. Mjreeve appeared at the mouth of the cave, and his eyes looked through the darkness, out after Lyric. “I can protect you from so many things, child, but not from yourself. Though I would stop you if I could, and disagree with what you are doing, I will be 62
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there when I can, I will be waiting for your call.” A gesture from a huge claw left glowing lines in the air, making the words into a powerful spell of binding oath. After pausing for some food and drink, Lyric waved again and the soft glow from the finder spell appeared, stronger this time, indicating the direction of Deric and Wend. Following the glow, Lyric eventually came to a circle of mounds that looked man-made. The glow was much brighter, and Lyric ended the spell with a flick of the wrist so that the glow didn't alert any guards that could see magic. Waving a hand, and whispering some words, Lyric became invisible, a shimmer of moonlight, with only light footprints in the dirt. Learning from Mjreeve’s mistake Lyric also quieted noise around them. Lyric crept over the mound that was almost the size of a hill, and down into a grotto guarded by two groggy magic users and a dozen fighters. Completely invisible, Lyric snuck by them easily. Lyric wondered where the other magic users and guards were, and saw other entrances that were likely also guarded. Quietly, Lyric moved down into the center. Inside the grotto were Deric and Wend, tied up and gagged, bound to stone pillars stained dark with something that made Lyric shiver with dread. More than anything or anyplace Lyric had ever felt, this place reeked with evil magic. Quickly, Lyric woke Deric up and whispered in his ear to keep him quiet. “It’s me, Lyric. Keep quiet, I’ll get you out of here.” Deric shook his head violently. Lyric tried to shush him and removed the gag and started untying Deric’s hands. Deric whispered hoarsely. “This is a trap, get out of here, you have to leave us. They will notice if we move, or try to use magic. None of our magic even works here. It's a trap.” ”They can’t see me; we can all sneak out the same way. I’ll make you invisible, too,” Lyric bragged. ”No, don’t,” Deric cried out in a whisper, but it was too late. A flash of light was all that happened when Lyric tried the spell again. Shouting in the distance told them that the flash had been seen and the guards were rushing in. Deric groaned. “What part of 'it's a trap' didn't make sense to you? The 'it's’ or the 'a' or the 'trap' maybe? I tried to tell you, you can’t start any spells in here. It’s impossible. That’s how we were trapped. Any thug with a stick can beat a magic user here.” ”But I’m still invisible,” Lyric countered refusing to believe that magic was totally out of the question. “That spell was started before you came here. It doesn’t stop spells, but you can’t start one here, and now that they know you are here, they will try and trap you, run now before they figure out a way to find you.” “Too late for that, look.” As Lyric had expected, there had been guards hidden at all five entrances along with dark adepts. The ones sleeping had likely been part of the ruse. The fighters entered the grotto from different entrances, and now they were all blocked. Behind them, the magic users erected a shield that covered the entire grotto. “I think I see how they did that. I never thought about several people doing different parts of the spell at the same time to make it stronger.” ”You are a quick study. Too bad you don’t think first. How do you think the rest of us got any magic done? You spent too much time working alone and not enough with other people practicing the spells. Then again you didn't need help most of the time, but you missed an important lesson. Most of us don’t have your skill, but we work together, and we listen to others.” Deric quickly untied Wend as the fighters looked around for signs of Lyric. “Like you listening to the other Riders, who suggested they come with us?” Wend asked pointedly. Deric shrugged.
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Lyric suggested, “If we can just hold out for a while, Mjreeve will come and rescue us. He should wake up soon.” Wend shook her head. “I hope not. I heard the magic users talking after they bound and gagged us. Deric was unconscious. That was their hope all along. They think they can trap the Dragon here, and use his power to destroy everyone who stands against them. They claim it was done before.” Lyric was crestfallen. “The Headmaster knows the truth. He knew it all along. That’s how the dark adepts won last time, trapping giants and Dragons. They had Mjreeve’s magic as well as all their other prisoners. I was wrong to come here alone. This is all my fault.” Deric was grim. “You thought they were after you, didn’t you? And you came all by yourself to try and save us?” Lyric nodded. Deric went on. “I don't know whether to be proud, flattered or angry and frustrated. I guess I'm angry with you and myself. You are important to us, Lyric, and you are important to others, but the world doesn’t center around you. You have to learn that your actions affect all your friends and loved ones. Now we have to get out of here somehow, before Mjreeve comes to get you and gets trapped too.” “Should I become visible so you can see me?” Lyric asked. ”No, that’s our advantage. Are there any other spells you started before you came in that we might be able to take advantage of?” “No. I wasn’t very prepared, was I?” Wend reached out to try to hold Lyric, but ended up knocking Lyric’s nose instead. ”Ouch. My nose. It’s bleeding.” ”Sorry, too bad I can’t fix that without being able to start a new healing spell. I’ve been practicing healing and studying with local healers while Deric patrols the different villages. I’ve even met your old friend, Widow Ablet.” “That’s it!” Lyric cried out as memories of those days returned. “What’s what? Deric asked. ”The spell I used, that summoned the metal Dragon. I never really ended it, because I didn't know how I started it. It might still be there.” “How will you know? Can you use it again?” “I don’t know I never tried. I think it takes a lot of power if it's like the other transportation spells I've been learning lately. I had the whole crystal to use for energy 64
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then. I might be able to summon it again if I had more energy.” Deric shouted, “Here they come. Remember your training. They don’t expect a fight.” The first mangy looking fighter was unwary as he rushed in with a sword held in front menacingly. Deric stood relaxed as the man approached. But as the sword swung down, he stepped sideways and in towards the man. As the sword came down curving to his new position, Deric stepped sideways the other way, and forward into the man's reach rather than away, as the fighter had expected. Deric didn't try to block the blow but rather accelerated it, and flipped the man over onto his back. A quick punch erased the look of surprise on the man’s face, replacing it with a look of pained sleep. “Protect Wend,” Lyric shouted, as two fighters approached her. Wend didn’t wait for them and instead feinted as if to run between them. As they both reached out to grab her, instead of pulling away she grabbed their spears. Using them for support, she flipped over in the air wrenching their arms hard. Continuing her fall, she used her momentum and pulled them down into each other with a sickening crunch. “Protect who?” Wend snorted. “While you two are off practicing spells and waving your hands, chanting mumbo jumbo, merchants learn to protect themselves.” “My mistake,” Lyric apologized with a big smile that no one could see. The next three fighters circled at a distance having learned from the mistakes of their comrades in arms. Lyric walked right up to one, and executed a perfect spin kick that knocked him out on his feet. “Look for the foot prints,” a more seasoned fighter called out. Seasoned as he was, Wend took him down with a spin kick much faster and more precise than any of his fighters moves, and better than Lyric's best. Deric fenced with the last fighter for a few seconds until Lyric hit him over the head with the hilt from another sword. “Dang,” Deric grumbled. “Here comes another dozen, and these don’t look so easy.” ”You think that was easy?” Wend laughed. “I need to figure out how to use that spell. I can almost feel it now that I’m concentrating. I just can’t reach it. It needs more energy than I have got,” Lyric complained. ”We can give you as much as we’ve got. It’s not like we have much choice, they are sending in a few guards to try and find you now.” Four guards had started to come forward, from each entrance looking mean and menacing. They were heavily armored and were waving their swords or spears around afraid there might be several invisible magic users lurking around. As Lyric clasped hands with Deric and Wend, their magic flowed causing a surge that was visible as a glow. Lyric’s eyes closed and sought out the Dragonslayer. Whispering quietly, Lyric called out, “Dragonslayer?” Almost at once a voice responded. “Oh, no. Not you again!” With a flash that sent ripples around the grotto knocking the fighters down with fear and surprise, the three friends disappeared. Gasping for air, the three of them were laying on the floor of a strange room that looked all shiny, even the wood and the floor. “Where in blazes did you come from?” A strange man was asking, as a glass fell from his hand and shattered on the floor, but none of them understood. Remembering a spell from a book on the subject, Lyric's hands and lips moved to invoke a communications spell similar to what the Dragon Riders used to communicate with their Dragons, or talk long distances, and what Mjreeve used to talk to humans. When the spell ended, they could understand each other. Lyric gestured again, and the glass pulled itself back together again. The liquid formed a blob, which crawled back into the glass. He stared at it with a raised eyebrow, and carefully set it down on the counter. “Ok, no more for me. I guess I can guess where 65
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you come from, but why did you come here?” the man asked again. “Where are we?” Wend asked. Who are you? “I’m John Slayer. Dragonslayer to you, I would guess. How did you get here? Are you feeling OK? There isn’t as much oxygen as you are used to here on earth.” “Earth? Where is Earth? Why do I feel so heavy?” Deric asked. “This is going to be difficult. You are on a different planet circling a different sun if you understand what I mean. I’m not sure how you got here, or how I got there, but here the air is thinner and the gravity is heavier.” “We understand the planets and sun and oxygen. We are educated in our own way. But this is strange, not having enough to breathe right, and the magic is thinner, too,” commented Deric. “Can you feel it Lyric? There isn’t as much energy here.” “Yes. It feels different. Everything is harder here, breathing, moving and using magic are all slow and heavy,” Lyric agreed. “Do you think we are safe here?” Wend asked. “Safe here? That implies that it is unsafe elsewhere. Why do I have a very bad feeling about this?” John was not afraid, but Lyric's senses registered his growing concern. “I don’t see how they can track us,” Deric said, “unless they know the same type of spell and know how to follow us. I think that’s highly unlikely.” Wend was still worried. “Are you sure?” “100 percent positive! There is no way they will be able to follow us.” Just then, a fireball came through a portal that had formed behind them, and smashed into the kitchen cabinets. “Make that 80 percent.” Deric added as he ducked down and raised a shield. “Hey, I hadn’t decided to remodel the kitchen!” the pilot shouted. Lyric saw him considering some knives, grabbing all of them and throwing one at a black-cloaked mage who simply gestured and knocked it aside. Another knife fared no better. John reached up to the sink and turned on the water to the sprayer while he grabbed a heavy frying pan. The mage laughed as the water sprayed harmlessly, but didn't realize how slippery the floor was wet. When the mage took a step and fell, John correctly assumed the shield was momentarily forgotten, and hit him over the head with the frying pan. The mage screamed in pain and disappeared in a flash. “I saw that in a movie. It works. Score one for the good guys,” John shouted and ducked as another fireball came through and Lyric raised a shield that deflected the ball up through the ceiling. More fireballs and lightening struck, but Lyric noted that they weren't as powerful as the ones that had come through the portals before the Adepts had come through. Apparently the dark adepts didn't have access to the stolen magics here. “A skylight might be nice, but a bit drafty.” John commented as he ducked down further and the deflected fireballs finally blew a hole completely through the ceiling. A dozen of black-robed magic users flowed through the portal as magic fireballs and lightning flew in all directions. “At least there aren’t any Dragons. Ouch! Hey! That was almost brand new. Maybe a new entertainment center could go there,” John shouted as they narrowly missed a barrage that took out his TV and stereo. “We need help,” Wend shouted above the confusion. ”They don’t have the same power behind their spells that they are used to, although it is still more than I’d expect. Their connection must be weaker. They can’t trap Mjreeve on this world, he’d have more power than them, and they don’t have that strange grotto to neutralize him,” Deric observed. “I don’t know if I can bring him here,” Lyric complained. ”Try it. Sometimes, finding out is faster than whining and complaining,” Deric insisted. 66
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They joined hands, and again the magic flowed into Lyric. Suddenly, the pilot’s formerly spacious living room was filled with a very cramped Dragon. Underneath the Dragon were two very uncomfortable black robed mages.
“Did I mention I don’t really like Dragons?” John asked, but nobody paid him any attention. “I would think Dragons don’t particularly like you,” Mjreeve grunted uncomfortably. “Lyric, I assume this means you hadn’t ended your previous spell, and it backfired?” “Something like that. I’ll explain later. Right now we are in trouble.” Lyric shouted back. The black mages were throwing fireballs and exploring John’s house in curiosity that made them less lethal than otherwise. The two that had been in the room before the Dragon finally recovered from shock or at least got a breath. “Get off me, you stupid Dragon,” one shouted. The other one tried to shush him. “Do you really want to draw attention to us, considering where we are?” ”I thought Dragon breath was bad!” The first complained. “That’s one way to defeat them, I guess,” John observed. “What are you going to drop on the others?” He foolishly looked up, thinking it was safe. “Duck!” Lyric shouted. John was confused. “Just how big are ducks on your planet? I mean dropping a Dragon on them, I can see, but a duck?” “No, DUCK!” A very angry Dragon shot a huge stream of flame at a surprised magic user who had the misfortune to pop her head up to see what the commotion and screaming was about. She disappeared in a flash, and the flame went past where she had been and destroyed a wall full of trophies and plaques. “All my things! My favorite junk,” John complained. The Dragon gestured and with a whirlwind, all of John’s destroyed possessions flew back onto the walls and shelves, repairing instantly. John was impressed. “Do you do birthday parties too?” He had to duck down as another lightning bolt slammed down on his position. “No, but I do funerals,” Mjreeve rejoined as he fired magical fire and Dragon flame at the remaining magic users. The two underneath him had crawled out and disappeared along with several that hadn’t waited to be attacked. By this time, half the house was destroyed. John, Lyric, Wend, and Deric stood outside as the Dragon vented his rage on the three remaining magic users. John flipped open his cell phone and dialed a number as he looked at the wreckage 67
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of his house. “Hello, USAA? I’m afraid I need to file a claim on my fire policy. The damage? I’d say about 75 percent of total.” Another barrage of blasts and fire shook the house and leveled it. The Dragon shook his huge wings and knocked over the chimney. “Wait a minute. Make that 100 percent. Possibly more.” He paused to listen. “No, I really can’t say the cause of the fire. No, I can’t say. No, no one was injured, but I’m afraid I don’t know how it started.” He gave a glaring raised eyebrow to Lyric, who looked away sheepishly. More questions followed. John’s neighbor walked up and stood next to him. “Are there any witnesses?” John looked over at his neighbor who was nodding wide-eyed at the ongoing disaster. “Yes, but I don’t think they know what happened either.” The neighbor shook his head, his mouth hanging open in awe and shock. The house shook again as the last of the magic users fled. With a gesture, the Dragon quenched the remaining flames. Lyric was both relieved and embarrassed. “We are sorry, John. I don’t know what to say. You have saved us again just by being here, and we destroyed your home.” “Don’t worry, what are friends for? Who are you again? You owe me one, kid. In fact, you owe me two.” “I think I can fix most of the damage.” With a wave of his claws, Mjreeve repaired all of the damage to the house. “I need to learn that spell,” Lyric commented amazed. Wend agreed. “Considering how much breaks around you, I’d agree. We all need to learn that spell.” John was stunned. “Wow that is amazing. I don't mean to nitpick but you forgot to fix the palm tree.” “Living things can't be repaired like stone and glass. Given time we might heal it if it is still alive, but not even magic can defeat death.” “I knew there must be a catch.” Mjreeve gathered the friends around him. “Come now, we must go before they return. We don't have enough power here to keep this up against a larger and more prepared group of attackers. We will go back on the spell that brought me here, unless Lyric has figured out the original one and can end it?” Lyric frowned, embarrassed. “Not yet. Sorry, John.” They waved, and the Dragon and the three young magic users faded into nothingness. John wondered back over to the kitchen now completely undamaged, and noticed his neighbor still standing in shock. He reached down and poured him a drink out of a bottle and glass from the kitchen. “Here, you need a drink.” ”Thanks,” the neighbor said, and threw the drink into his face. “Thanks, that helped.”
Lyric, Mjreeve, Deric and Wend all appeared outside the Dragon’s cave with hardly a scratch. Even those Wend was already busy healing. By the next morning, they were 68
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rested and ready for the day. A quiet breakfast ended with Mjreeve announcing the plan. “You must go inform the other Dragon Riders,” Mjreeve told Deric. “The dark adepts will not be pleased to have been defeated again. The next time they will set a trap that they feel we cannot escape. Warn the other riders to avoid that place.” He turned to Lyric. “You almost destroyed all hope. We are fortunate you are as clever as you are lucky. If I had been trapped again, we would have helped in our own destruction.” “I’m sorry, Mjreeve. I didn’t know what else to do.” ”You could have listened. Maybe someone else can teach that. Now you must go find other allies. In a few weeks or months, there will be another trap. We must be ready. I need to prepare, and so do you. Go now to find the giants. They are likely to be our greatest allies in this battle.” “How am I going to find them? Where should I look? Can’t I stay longer?” Lyric asked. “It is time for you to go, Lyric.” The Dragon’s voice echoed with regret. Lyric protested. “I’m not ready. There are hundreds of books left to read on strategies of war and fighting spells alone.” “You need to practice and become proficient at what you already know. You cannot gain control while learning something new every day. You have to consolidate your knowledge.” “But.” “Silence. Do not argue. It will be time soon to fight for your parents’ freedom. You must be ready.” “Yes, Mjreeve.” "Practice your magics in private. If you can help it, do not let anyone know what you can do. Only use the minimum of your skills, lest you alert others and create suspicion. We still have not uncovered your secret of summoning otherworldly help, so we must find help here. On this map is a village. Go there and offer your services in exchange for any help they are willing to give. The people there have much to teach you, and will be necessary for us to win. You must stay there at least until you get them to tell you how to find the giants in the Blue Mountains." "Thank you, Mjreeve." "You are welcome, little trickster. Remember, you only get one chance to meet someone for the first time. You can introduce yourself as a friend, a fool, or an enemy. Always be careful of what you say. Listening will make more friends than talking. When you listen, they may suspect you for a fool, but when you talk, you remove any doubt." With that advice, Lyric walked out of the cave and began a new journey completely alone.
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Two days of travel had given Lyric a chance to think about everything that had happened and many things that might have gone better or worse. Ember was taking a nap wrapped around Lyric's shoulders full from a lunch of roasted apples. A noise ended Lyric's reveries. Ahead on the winding road was a swirling cloud of dust. Barely audible, screams and laughter floated along the wind. Lyric raised a ward of protection and hurried down the road to help. Ember flew above Lyric but within the bounds of the ward that the dragonet could sense. The ward shimmered in the air, like a shield that worked on the mind instead of physical objects. One of the many new spells Lyric had learned from Mjreeve’s books, it made anyone or thing with harmful intent look away or become distracted. Still running, Lyric approached two strange looking fighters, surrounded by ten griffins. The screams and laughter were coming from the fighters as they drove the griffins back with their weapons. One of the fighters looked up with surprise when he noticed Lyric. "Child, you are obviously running the wrong way. However, it was very courageous for you to come here and make it convenient for us to save you." The speaker was only slightly taller than Lyric with immensely broad shoulders. His hair and beard were made up of brown curls that shook as he laughed, which was most of the time. He wielded an ax and batted the attacking griffins with a shield. The other fighter then looked around and noticed Lyric for the first time, having been preoccupied with the griffins. "I'll say convenient. It wasn't like we were going to be able to run off and save anyone. You want to watch my back there? That last griffin almost took off half my butt." The second speaker was tall, very slender and held a long sword in his right hand and a dagger in his left. His black hair and goatee were neatly trimmed, and his leather outfit was also black and neat.
"Don't worry, Arjay, half of nothing is nothing. You don't have a butt, so nothing to lose." "What do you mean I don't have a butt, Daav? I have a nice butt. All the ladies say so." "Trust me, I have a butt, my other friends have butts. Except for the butt of a joke, you don't have one." While this inane arguing was going on, the griffins circled. Every few seconds, one would dash in and an ax, a shield or a sword would flash out, and the claws would quickly fall back. None of the griffins seemed injured, and neither did the two fighters, but eventually the griffins would tire the fighters out. 70
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"Excuse me, child, but could you back up a few paces. We are ... [Arghhh! That was too close!] going to have to move into those hills to save you." "Eh, Daav, have you noticed that the child doesn't seem to need as much saving as we do? As a matter of fact, the griffins seem to be ignoring everything, but your belly and my butt." "Take that, you overgrown housecat! You're right, Arjay. There are more than enough of these overgrown rat catchers to go around. It's definitely odd that they don't attack the appetizer over there while they wait for the main course to tire out." Daav kicked one griffin in the snout and bashed another with his shield, swinging at yet a third with his ax. "Hey, you. Appetizer. Why don't they attack you? Not that I want them to, you understand. Just getting bored and need something to think about. This is getting old, slash, shield, kick, slash, shield, kick. Nothing exciting ever happens to us." Lyric realized they were still at risk, and expanded the ward to encompass all three of them. Instantly, the griffins stopped attacking. Growling and looking confused, they stalked away, looking back and sniffing as if to find a hidden prey, but then shaking their heads and moving on. Arjay looked crestfallen. "Great. Now we go into the tavern and say, 'You should have seen it. Surrounded by thirty griffins in the middle of the desert. No cover in sight. No water. Fighting for hours, just the two of us. One by one, we slay the great beasts, and another one comes out of the desert to replace it. Finally, as our last strength ebbs with the blood flowing from our wounds, a kid wanders along and the griffins skulk away.' That will get us a lot of free drinks." "I don't think the girls will go for it, Arjay." "Maybe if I raise it to forty griffins?" "Nope." Lyric was concerned. "I'm sorry. Are you wounded? I don't see any blood or anything." “That's not the point, child. We were having a good, heroic battle, and you ruined it without even asking. Kids have got no manners these days!" Lyric was surprised at the reaction. "I could take off the wards and drive them back with some thunder and lightning if you like." Daav was curt. "It wasn't that much fun." Arjay was not as sure. "What about my griffin skin coat?" Daav snorted. "Yeah right. It gets so cold here. Run off and chase down one of the bigger ones and talk it to death and the kid and I will wait here for you. Would you hurry though? It's almost dinner time. The griffins are probably hungry too." "Wouldn't want to keep you from dinner. You're right. Forget the coat. Would have lost it in a card game anyway." Daav looked around. "Might as well make camp here. Do you have a name, kid? Or should we keep calling you Appetizer?" "Lyric." "Know any other good tricks? Like how to summon up an inn or something to drink besides stale water?" Arjay looked half expectant, but frowned when he saw Lyric's head shake negative. "I can get you some food if you like. Fresh fruit. I can transport it from some wild groves I found a few leagues back. I just learned how to do it. It’s neat!" Daav looked at the sky, beseeching the heavens. "Ay, kid, you don't volunteer information like that. You don't know who we are. You saved our butts, or mine at least. Arjay's if he had one. Until you know us, you need to learn to keep information to yourself. Tell us your name and then wait and see if we are on the up and up." Lyric nodded. "And how long does it take before you know if someone is trustworthy?" 71
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Arjay laughed. "I've been with Daav for twenty years, and I still don't know if I'd trust him. He's OK in a fight, but he starts so many of them. I couldn't tell you how many times I've had to negotiate with the magistrate to keep him out of the local lockup." "Keep me out? The only reason I hang around you is I'm still waiting for you to pay me back the five gold you owe me." "Owe you? I thought you were the one who owed me!" Arjay was indignant. "Great, now I'm never going to see that ten gold." Daav wiped away an imaginary tear. "A minute ago it was five!" "Interest. It doesn't matter. It's not like you were going to pay me back anytime soon anyway." "Where were we? I got sidetracked." "You were telling me not to trust strangers." Lyric volunteered. "Right. You have to choose your friends carefully. Luckily your enemies will choose themselves. You make a mistake, and you'll pay for it for the rest of your life. All five heartbeats of it. By the same token, friends are chosen for life." "I have more enemies than friends, I think." "You need to choose better then, child." "I don't get to choose. Things just happen. And I have no control over them. Everybody turns against me. Nobody cares what happens." "It is all in your attitude, snack. You can be a victim or you can be a participant. If you feel like the world is punishing you, then you are carrying around your own prison.” Arjay piped in. "You know what the song says." "Which song?" Lyric asked. Daav and Arjay smiled at each other. "Quick ,before the child reconsiders." "The Appetizer asked for it! Remember that, we can't be held responsible." "Like anyone considers us responsible!" Arjay whipped out a bag-whistle. Like a flute, but instead of blowing into the end, the user inflated a bag. It had a woodsy tone as he quickly played up and down the scales. Daav stretched a skin over the shield and made a deep sounding drum. On the count of three, they began to sing. Sprites appeared at the first note and played along in harmony. Lyric took the opportunity to eat while they sang. The sentence is life The day it started, you crawled out the womb. The day it ends you'll lie in the tomb. And in between you've been living each day. You've been found guilty, here's the price you'll pay. The sentence is life. Have you ever felt that you've been paying for crimes? That you must have done in other lives, in other times? Well, it's this life you should be worried about. For here there's no parole, no way to get out. The sentence is life, it's life, it's life. The sentence is life, it's life, it's life. The sentence is life, it's life, it's life. The sentence is life. The sentence is life. I didn’t do it. We all heard you say. But if you knew it was wrong then why did you stay? 72
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It wasn’t my fault. We really don’t care. You should’ve known better, and you shouldn’t have been there. The sentence is life. I was provoked! Well, it still makes you wrong. They made me do it! Why now that’s a new song! They always blame me! Maybe it is your turn. If you don’t want to make trouble, then you'd better learn. The sentence is life. Lyric smiled as they played, but when they were finished remarked, "I don't get it." Daav looked at Arjay. "Should we sing it again?" "Nah. I think there are laws against that. Look, Lyric. Living is hard work, and if you cheat and take shortcuts, you'd better expect to pay for it eventually. Everything you say, everything you do, will affect the rest of your life. So will the things you don’t do, every action you don't take, every friend you don't make, every time you take the easy way out, you end up paying the price for the rest of your life. You can complain about things happening to you, or you can get on with your life." Daav nodded. "Sometimes the price is small. Sometimes. But you have to accept responsibility for your actions. And if you go around with a chip on your shoulder, you end up punishing yourself as all the jerks try to knock it off. Be cautious, but have fun." "I knew there was a catch!" Arjay smirked. Laughing, they patted each other on the back. Daav turned to Lyric and said. "So tell us all about you, kid. What are you doing out here all by yourself?" "I'd better wait until I know you better," Lyric cautiously replied. "Did you hear that, Arjay? The child listened. Now there's a story to tell." "No one will believe it. I'm sticking to the forty griffins. Much more credible." "Well, if the kid's not talking, I will." Daav volunteered. "Like it would have stopped you, anyway," Arjay laughed. "How someone with no butt, could nonetheless get it in trouble so often, is beyond me." "Hey Daav. Your magic spell worked again." "Magic? Spell? What do you mean?" "You started talking and the kid fell asleep. I should have had you talk to the griffins. Might have killed them with their sensitive hearing and all. Here, have some fruit. Must be from the kid's grove. Remind me to thank the child in the morning." "Think our fruit mage here can do any other tricks?" Daav looked pensive. "We'll never know now that you've given out the wisdom of the ages. You could have asked before you said to clam up." "Wouldn't have been fair." "Fair. That word has caused more trouble than any insult I've learned." "Too true. Get some sleep. I'll take the first watch." "I bet the kid put up a ward to protect us. We can both get a night's sleep." "See there you go. Thinking again. You're going to hurt something if you keep that up. You keep risking that non-existing butt on assumptions, and you'll cost me my precious butt. Unless you want to wake the sleeping Adept here and ask, I'm standing my watch." "Prudence wins again." "Get to sleep and don't call me Prudence." "G'night Daav." "G'night Arjay." 73
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Early the next morning Lyric woke to find Arjay still sleeping and Daav reading a book. "Good morning, Daav." Lyric's eyes went wide at the sight of the book. "Morning, sleepy mage. Be quiet. Some mornings I wake up grumpy. Today I'll let him sleep in. What are you staring at? Don't look at me like that. You said you could get more apples. Whatever Arjay told you last night while I was sleeping was likely a lie. Or else it was a mistake. Or maybe I couldn't help myself. What are you staring at?" Daav’s words rushed out almost tripping over each other. "Daav, you’re reading a book!" "No, I'm not." "Yes, you are!" "Not any more, I’m not. I'm arguing with an appetizer when I should be asking for breakfast after we saved your rear yesterday." "But you were reading a book a moment ago. Weren't you?" "How do you know this is a book, and how do you know I'm reading it? Maybe I was holding it upside down and staring at the pictures." "That wasn't upside down." "How do you know if you can't read?" "How do I know? Hmmm. So were the pictures interesting?" "Ha, got you. You can read! Well, guess what? So can I. And so can Arjay. In fact, almost everyone outside of Learn can as far as I hear." By now Arjay had woken up. "And with those big ears he can hear pretty far. So do you have any good books on you, little mage?" "I don't have any books. Don't you know reading is against the law?" "Show me where it says that!" "I can't show you. It isn't written down; writing is against the law too." "A likely excuse." "Here, I'll write down that it is the law." "Just writing it down doesn't make it the law." "So just saying it does? Arjay, would you do the honors?" "My pleasure! Reading is legal! Everybody must learn to read! Those who can't read will be punished for the rest of their lives." "Sounds good. How shall we punish them?" Daav asked. "We'll make them take the worst jobs, and make them feel like they don't know as much as the rest of us." "Works for me. Satisfied, kid?" "But you two can't make the law!" "We can't? Arjay, I thought you said we could!" "Beats me. I thought we could. Why can't we?" "Only the adepts can make the law." "Says who?" "The adepts." "Sounds fishy to me. And let me guess, they appoint themselves and each other?" "Well, yes. But some adepts are good." "That implies some aren't. You know what's wrong with this system, kid?" "What?" "You can't have a government police themselves. They never admit they are wrong or corrupt." Arjay nodded. "I don't mind the adepts making the laws, even if I don't like them. But I don't like the adepts then choosing who can be an adept, and they certainly shouldn't be allowed to police themselves. That encourages corruption." 74
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Daav agreed. "Are adepts supposed to charge people to do magic?" "Well, not really." "They get paid by the school, right? The people pay for them to live comfortable lives doing research and teaching and not farming and hard back breaking labor. But let a person ask an Adept for help. The first piece of magic they do is make the coins in your pocket disappear." "They make more money in a day doing projects on the side than most people do working a full week." Arjay agreed. Lyric was confused. "But they had to work hard to get the training." "And the training was paid for by the people too. So how do they pay them back? By charging peasants to do magic they were trained for in schools paid for by those same peasants!” "But their jobs don’t pay very well. What do you expect them to do?" "I expect them to worry more about helping others than getting pats on the back from their fellow adepts for improving work that someone else has already done, and nobody cared about that time either." "You are bitter because they can do magic, and you can't!" Lyric was surprised at the anger in those words. "You may be right, kid. Or maybe not." Lyric felt a tiny burst of magic, and an apple appeared in Daav's hand. "OK, maybe not. I’m a quick study too. By the way, aren't you too young to be an adept?" "I'm not an adept. I only studied in Learn for a year. Then I had to leave. I don’t know why I’m arguing. I agree with you. I can read, and I think the rules are wrong, too. I’m tired of being punished." "Kid, you talk too much. Everyone knows about the child who summoned a strange metal bird who destroyed six Dragons. Everyone’s heard about a child who was about to be punished by the Headmaster for destroying property, but was sent to the Dragons for even worse punishment. There is a big reward for that little kid." "Are you after the reward?" "No. We were sent by Dhe Tinac to make sure you made it to your next stop unharmed." "I thought he didn't care, he sent me off to the Dragons, and I could have been killed." "Now you’re the expert on Dragons, too? What would have happened if you had stayed? Have you thought about that?" "The Headmaster was going to question me?" "People never return from those questioning sessions. They all happen to have committed some crime or another. Of course, those crimes are never written down, but nobody ever sees them again. Dhe Tinac had to get you out of there fast. He didn't have time to discuss it. The Dragon Riders were going to get you out when they got the request from your friend Mjreeve. You have to learn to trust your friends." "Then Dhe Tinac is still my friend?" "For life, Lyric." “I can protect myself, you know,” Lyric insisted. “Let’s hope they always attack you with griffins,” Arjay smirked. “I can do better than that,” Lyric bragged as a shield formed glowing a bright blue green. Arjay threw a stick and a rock, and they both bounced off the shield. “Not bad, kid.” Ember flew up and tried to singe Arjay with a blast of flame but he easily kept the dragonet back with his sword and shield. While Lyric was proudly smiling at Arjay, and Ember's mock battle, Daav threw an apple that bounced off the side of Lyric’s head. 75
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Lyric winced. “Again with the apples? I keep forgetting.” “You are good, Kid, for a kid, but not good enough. Every adept knows the weakness of that particular spell. You need to not show off so much. You expose your own weaknesses, and you don’t find out the other guy’s. Come on, we need to decamp and hit the road.” Arjay added, “Don't worry about making mistakes, worry about not admitting it and fixing it.” Dave agreed, “Like this, Ember, move to Arjay's right away from his shield and then blast him with flame, when he raises his shield, use your tail and knock him down.” Arjay laughed, “like that's going to work now that I know it's...” Ember dodged left, zigged right, and let lose a jet of flame. Arjay quickly raise his shield blocking his sword arm, and Ember slapped him with his tail and knocked him down. “Then again, that might just work in a pinch.” Arjay agreed as he dusted himself off, while Ember took some victory circles. They quickly broke camp and set off. They walked down the road, each lost in their own thoughts for the next several hours. Halfway to a new set of hills, Daav’s banter turned serious. “You want to watch your step around here. These people are a bit upset at adepts and might string you up and ask questions later.” “Why? What happened?” Lyric was curious. “See that dry riverbed over there? Two years ago, it wasn’t dry, and the farmers around here had some great crops and were pretty wealthy. They worked hard to build an irrigation system taking advantage of the water coming out of the hillside, and it gave them two crops instead of one in the summer. An adept came by and demanded they pay extra taxes for adept assistance.” “Everyone is supposed to pay taxes.” Lyric was distrustful of the people already. “True. But the taxes kept getting raised until no matter how hard they worked, and no matter how clever or industrious they were, all their extra income was taken away. And the adepts refused to give any extra help even though they were paying more taxes than anyone else.” “So what happened?” “They finally decided not to pay the additional taxes. For a few months, nothing happened. Then the city sent out a dozen ranked adepts. The villagers were prepared for a battle including the council who had a few adepts of their own, but the ranked adepts never came near the village. The ranked adepts worked for three days and then left. The villagers thought they had won until they noticed that the stream started to dry up.” “It could have just been the season.” “It’s been two years now, and not a drop of water has gone by in that time. Somehow, the ranked adepts stopped up the water, and now the town can barely pay the regular taxes.” “That’s not fair.” “True, and so we don’t want to be pulling any apples out of thin air around here, OK?” “No. No apples.” “Where are you going?” Lyric had suddenly walked off the road towards the dry riverbed. “I want to find out where the water went.” “You happen to know the spell or something?” Arjay was curious instead of worried. “No, but if the water stopped, it has to be somewhere. Those mountains don’t look like there is an opening for a river and the hills closer aren’t tall enough for it to be coming from a lake in the mountains. So it must have been from an underground river that comes through the hills.” 76
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“Kid has a point, Daav.” Arjay agreed. “So do pitchforks. In fact, they have more than one point. So we are out voted. Let’s get out of here as fast as possible.” “I want to see if I can find out where they plugged it up. Maybe I can do something.” Lyric insisted. “Kid, it took a dozen ranked adepts three days to stop the water. You think you can just walk up and fix it?” “Possibly. It takes months and dozens of people to build a house, but one person with a torch can burn it down in a few minutes.” “Kid has a point….” Arjay stopped as Daav glared at him. “Here it is.” Lyric stopped suddenly, looking up at was once a waterfall from an underground spring coming straight out of the side of the mountain, but was now only dry well worn rocks and dust. “Yes. Here it is. Here what is?” Arjay looked around curiously. Lyric’s hands were coaxing magic out of the air. With glowing golden trails and electric blue sparks the images stayed in the air as Lyric waved. “This is where they stopped up the water. I can feel the magic holding it together. They locked up the water inside the mountain right here. I think I even know the spell they used. Very simple like a shield, but for water. Very strong, but I think I can use the technique Mjreeve taught me to shut it down. Yes,that is it.” Lyric talked through closed eyes. Daav whispered. “And here they are. The people who are going to plant a tree, so they can hang us on it when it grows tall enough. Of course, they’ll keep us locked up until then. Let’s get out of here. Now!” Lyric’s eyes snapped open. “Yes, now!” Lyric started running back the way they had come. “Kid, if you hadn’t noticed, there are angry people running towards you. Let’s go this way.” Daav was panting trying to catch Lyric, pointing south while Arjay pointed north. “Kids these days. And here I thought this one was convenient to save on a day to day basis.” Arjay loped along. Lyric ran right past the villagers who slowed not sure what to make of the intruders running towards them rather than away. Just then a loud crackling crunching noise filled the air, and the ground began to shake. Daav and Arjay suddenly lost their smiles and ran faster. Catching on the townspeople turned and followed them. Suddenly, Arjay stopped and laughed. “Look, Lyric, we are out of the riverbed. We don’t have to worry about getting wet anymore.” Lyric was still running, but called back. “Arjay, that water has been building up for two years.” With a burst of speed, Arjay was suddenly ahead of the pack. An explosion knocked them to the ground as the riverbed burst at the base of the hills and erupted with an avalanche of water shooting out of the side of the mountain, bypassing the waterfall like a spout. Running as it swept around them, everyone was soon soaked with spray and laughing as soon as they realized they were far enough from the lake that had suddenly appeared, to be safe. Daav stopped and looked as the villagers stared at them. “If that doesn’t rate a free dinner, we’re never coming back to this town.” The biggest farmer nodded. “We’d throw you a feast if we had the food, but we can certainly come close now.” He raised a muddy boot and contemplated it. “I’d say breakfast too. Come with us!” He clapped both Daav and Arjay on the shoulders and herded them towards the village. “Kid, you are just full of surprises. We will have to save you more often,” Arjay remarked as they slumped through the mud. 77
Tower of The Dragon
Tracy McSheery CHAPTER SEVEN
“Nice day for a morning stroll.” Daav chirped. Arjay groused. “Humph. Three day's walking and not a single battle to be sung about." Daav responded. "Nor did we have to bury you. Consider it a wash." Lyric smiled. "How long until we reach the town?" "Just over that hill." "Why didn't we go there last night?" "We weren't invited. In fact, we still aren't. But you are. We'll watch from the top of the hill, but that is one place you only go on invitation." "Why?" "You’re the expert on everything, kid. Once you know, tell me. All I know is that there are never any problems on that side of the hill. No animals attack, no bandits, no vagabonds. Kind of peaceful, I guess." "Kind of spooky. Gives me the shivers." Arjay responded. Daav ignored him. "And nobody knows why. They are polite. They are generous to a fault, but they are also completely silent on who protects them. Quite a mystery. Well, here we are." "Will I see you two again?" Lyric's eyes were misty. "Of course. Wherever you find trouble, we'll be right smack in the middle of it." "Probably the cause of it!" Arjay piped in. "Feel free to save us anytime, kid. We'd be glad to call you friend." "Thanks. I'll miss you, too." "Hurry now, kid. We've got battles to fight and maidens to save." "Humph. It's the maidens who are fighting us off usually. Anyway, there is your reception committee. Take care. And make sure you keep to yourself until you know who your friends are." Lyric gave them both a quick hug and then turned and walked down toward the village.
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Tracy McSheery CHAPTER EIGHT
Once over the top of the hill, Lyric was surprised that instead of a group of warriors, a group of tiny people less than a meter tall. “I’m Lyric. I was told you’d be expecting me?” “Of course. You are welcome. I’m Piro, designated scapegoat and sometimes leader of this group of troublemakers. Please make yourself at home. We are here to teach and to learn. I understand you are an expert at doing the unexpected.” He was barely half as tall as Lyric, with straight blonde hair, a big round nose and ruddy cheeks. His clothes were well tailored but looked like doll clothes because of their small size. “I’m a bit confused. I thought I was coming here to learn how to fight, and you would then help me search for the giants.” “It is much more important to learn how not to fight. Then you can stop trying not to fight when you need to protect yourself! Don’t worry about the giants. They’re always wandering the hills around here somewhere. You’ll bump into them, I’m sure.” “I don’t understand, I thought they were in the mountains.” A short woman snorted. “Hills, mountains, men are always exaggerating about size.” The woman winked at Piro, and he laughed. “How can you be experts at fighting? You don't have to worry because you’re tiny and can hide.” “You are wrong. Hiding never works. Trust me, we’ve tried it. To gain knowledge and understanding, learning and practice is essential. Magic alone is never enough. We hide to conserve, to keep from fighting over land and resources, not out of fear.” Lyric didn’t believe them. “This must be a mistake.” Piro smiled at Lyric. "We have been making mistakes for a while now. We've gotten good at them. When you want to make big mistakes just ask us how." Lyric sputtered, "I don't want to make mistakes. I want to save my parents and my friends." "Save them from what?" "I don't know," Lyric admitted. "Then you made a mistake. You have to know what to expect. You have to prepare for every possibility or bring enough help to cover all contingencies. What did they do to win last time?" "I'm not sure, I guess they lost." "And what if the enemy doesn’t do exactly what they did last time?" "I don't know. I'd fight them as best I could? I have to do something. I can’t wait forever." “You don’t have to. In fact, the sooner, the better. Being eager is your biggest advantage right now. Listen. Here is a song I want you to learn." With a clap of his hands other tiny people, several with stringed instruments, surrounded Piro. In a high chorus they sang while others danced on the walls and even the rooftops and did amazing acrobatics: He who hesitates is lost, She who hesitates is lost, Don't underestimate the cost. Whoever hesitates is lost. As long as the world continues to spin, The emphasis is always placed on win. If you expect to finish, You’ve got to begin. And He who hesitates, She who hesitates, Whoever hesitates is lost. It's getting started that can frighten you so. But get going or you may never know. Everyone wants to be the one who has won. Everyone wants to sit back and have fun. But somebody's got to get the job done. 79
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And He who hesitates, She who hesitates, Whoever hesitates is lost. It takes courage to admit when you're wrong. Before the opportunity is all gone. Accept your mistakes, and apologize. Responsibility will open your eyes. If you live to regret it, you will have become wise. 'Cause He who hesitates, She who hesitates, Whoever hesitates is lost. Think about the things you say, And all the little games you play. So many ways to procrastinate, So many excuses for being late, So many reasons for avoiding your fate. And He who hesitates, She who hesitates, Whoever hesitates is lost. It's obvious you know what to do, And that they underestimate you. You’ve got to walk up, look them in the eye. Tell 'em give you the chance to do or to die. You know you may lose, but at least you can try. Cause He who hesitates, She who hesitates, Whoever hesitates is lost. Breathing heavy from dancing while they sang, Piro clapped Lyric on the shoulder. "So do not hesitate when it is time for action. On the other hand, don’t be foolish and act without thinking. I know it seems arbitrary, but you either learn or lose. Learn from other’s mistakes if you can, or learn from your own mistakes, but don't say you'll figure something out when you get to it. Prepare. Then do it. Don't stand around waiting for someone to push you, or until the time is right. Don't jump in too soon, but don't wait forever. Or you'll be lost, like a thousand others who never get around to doing the things that would make their lives better.” “How do I know when to act? What if I make a mistake?” “Then learn from it and move on.” “How do I prepare if I don't know what's going to happen?” “Prepare for everything. The hard part isn't preparing it's knowing when to do something.” “I think I understand,” Lyric nodded. The words made sense, but were full of confusing options. “Good. Now go with Mata and clean up before the evening meal. Today you rest. Meet my people and learn your way around the village. Tomorrow we talk. Then the next day we talk some more. We will see how much you know, and how much you are willing to work to prepare for the day when you have to be responsible.” Lyric was too confused to argue. Weeks passed by quickly with the little people. They were hard working, but pleasant, telling stories that always had a moral as they worked while Lyric studied or tried different spells that the books had described. Lyric practiced magic and grew more confident, spending most of the time studying with Piro, often talking while they worked. Piro knocked, and then walked into Lyric's room and pulled back the covers expecting to wake up Lyric. Instead Ember started, and flew at Piro. Biting down hard on Piro's hand the dragonet was surprised to hear a clanking noise as the teeth encountered impossibly hard skin. A snort of flame only produced a raised eyebrow from Piro. As Lyric entered the room, Piro smiled and made a shushing gesture to Ember and winked. Ember looked confused and just blinked back. “Let's go outside and you can practice your drills while we talk and work at the same time.” 80
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Piro had an apple in his pocket and as soon as Lyric formed a green shield tossed it, but Lyric was prepared this time, and switched to a red shield. Pleased as the apple bounced off harmlessly, Lyric was surprised when Ember on cue from Piro shot a blast of flame right through the red shield, causing Lyric to jump in surprise. “Pride is not a bad thing, but you should wait until you’ve succeeded at something to show your pride,” Piro admonished. Lyric laughed and shook a mock angry finger at Ember who was sheepish, until Lyric tossed him the apple. In midair the dragonet torched it, caught it and chomped it down. Lyric practiced switching from Red, to Green to Blue shields until they were a blur of color. At first the confusion of working and talking and studying simultaneously bothered Lyric, but Piro explained, “Magic can’t always be done in a quiet room, especially if you want to save your skin.” Lyric was practicing different types of shields when Piro interrupted pointing to a garden wall near the river bank almost as tall as Lyric. "Hand me that rock. No. The big one near the bottom. See, it's loose." Lyric reached and pulled, but the rock wouldn't budge. Figuring this was some sort of test, Lyric concentrated and used the push to loosen the rock from the others wedged around it. A few more nudges and the rock seemed loose enough to be removed by hand. Lyric pulled out the rock no longer wedged into the wall and jumped back raising a protective shield as the entire wall fell down. Not just a few rocks, but hundreds came crashing down. Luckily, Lyric’s shields kept them from having their feet or legs crushed. "Now look what you've done. Nice job on the shield. Good reflexes. Too bad you didn't think before you tried that. Wasn't it obvious that big rock was the corner stone of the entire wall?" "Me? But you told me to hand you that rock." Lyric was red-faced and angry and almost broke into tears. "True. Well my garden is more important than my neighbor’s is. She'll have to fix that wall herself. By the way, take a few breaths or you will pass out. You need to be able to keep calm no matter what mistakes you make. Now hand me a few more of her rocks." "That's not right." Lyric said, breathing slowly and trying to remain calm. "Why not? Don't I deserve to eat? I'm building the garden myself. My neighbor isn't even here. Why should I go find rocks when there are plenty right here?" "But that is like stealing. You have to respect others property, even when they aren't around. Otherwise, they won't respect your property." "OK. I'll go get some rocks over here from the stream bed, but that is more work." "What about the wall?" "You broke it. You fix it." "But I was doing what you told me to do." "OK. Cut off your hand." "No!" "Why don't you?" "That would be stupid." "But I told you to do it." "I don't have to do something stupid just because someone told me to." "Say that to yourself every morning when you get up. Say it every day at lunch. You will live a long life and make everyone around you think you are wise. So why did you give me that rock?" "I didn't think that it would make the wall fall down. I wasn't thinking about how it would effect others, and I was showing off I guess." "Hmmm. Let’s focus on those first three critical words, “I didn’t think”. And what did you think was holding the wall up? Magic?" 81
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"I didn't think." "Ah, those words again. You did now. If you learn that lesson, and a few hundred others, you will be considered wise." "How did you get to be so wise, Piro?” “Don’t be impertinent, child. One of the perks of being wise is you get to claim forgetfulness when someone asks rude questions about your nefarious past. Quickly changing the subject, how is this wall going to get fixed?” “I guess I'm going to have to fix that wall myself." "See. You are becoming wise already. Why don't you fix the wall with magic?" "Because that wouldn't be fair?" "Nah, don’t expect life to be fair. If you have a knack or edge use it. You would be foolish not to take advantage of your skills when you can." "How about because I don't know how?" "Well, now would be a great time to figure it out. Don’t expect to know the solution every time. Sometimes you have to be creative and think fast. Break it down to little problems that you know how to solve, and use that technique over and over. Your spell to fix little things is the same spell needed to fix bigger things, applied more often.” “That makes sense.” “Wisdom is like this wall. Moving one rock does not build a wall and learning one lesson does not make you wise. Both take work and time. When you get a thousand pieces of knowledge, and organize them to make them stronger by the way they're integrated, you have wisdom. You don't do it quickly, and you don't do it haphazardly. Most people don't do it at all.” It turned out that using a variation of shields and the repair spell that Mjreeve had used on the house, Lyric could push and lift the rocks in place and even hold them while adding other rocks. Lyric became good at handling two or three different shields at the same time. After Lyric finished building the wall back up, Piro asked for the same rock at the base. "No. The rock is holding up the wall. Here, use this one instead." Lyric went to the stream and brought back a rock the same size. “Who's wall is that, anyway?” “Mine of course. But you knew that didn't you? You are learning.” “I have a good teacher.” “ If you are willing to learn from your mistakes you have the best, teacher, life itself.” The next morning Piro approached Lyric with a scroll. “Your friend the Headmaster has learned you may be traveling alone, searching for lost knowledge in the Valley of the Lost City of Despair. He is planning an attack to capture you in two days. This time he is bringing an army in case you have any more friends. Away from Learn, he won’t be restrained from using magics that would show the evil he is about.” “What will we do?” Lyric asked. “Pack your bags. It is time to stop avoiding fights.” “I haven't found the giants in the Blue Mountains.” “Giants and heroes are never around when you need them. You want to save your parents? Now's the time.” “Who will be there?” “Your friends, their friends, and the friends of their friends. It should be quite entertaining.” “I'm grateful for your assistance, but I don't see how you can help. They will hurt you, and I can't protect you if I don't know what they are going to do.” 82
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“We'll figure out some way to protect ourselves, focus on figuring out what you will do to save your parents when the time comes.” “How far away is the City?” “One day. We'll leave immediately. Plans will be made along the way, and we must waste no time.” “I don’t understand. I’ve read of the city, but I wasn’t planning on searching for anything there.” “You are now. Your friends set this up. It is a good plan, and we will need you for bait. That’s what friends are for. Then when they expect to take you and a few friends hostage, we will be ready. By the way, I’d keep working on those shields if I were you.” “How do we know how many of them will be there?” “Good question. You are learning. We have been collecting information and rumors from across the land. There will be at least a thousand, maybe more. Some ranked adepts are calling themselves dark adepts and, as you know, are using magic to capture magic users and steal magic from them. Most of their Army are soldiers who go into towns looking for supplies, food, and new recruits and luckily for us, they spend a great deal of time drinking and talking. They get their members from the malcontents and misfits that want to take shortcuts to earning power and respect. The less they know, the more they talk and brag about their abilities. We have to be careful, but this is our best chance to find out what has happened to your parents and the others, and stop this menace.” "But I haven't found the giants in the Blue Mountains." "Giants and heroes are never around when you need them. You wanted to try and save your parents? Now is the time. Rely on yourself and your friends. Make do with what you have. Don’t waste time wishing you had more or you will never get things done. Now, we will go and find how much you have really learned. ” “Who will be there?” “Your friends, their friends, and the friends of their friends. Despite the trouble that follows you around like your shadow, that is a lesson you have learned well, make friends and keep them. Friends are like money; the more you save, the better off you’ll be when you really need them. Dhe Tinac, Deric, Mjreeve, Daav, Arjay and all those you have helped and befriended will be there when you need them. My whole village will come. It should be quite entertaining.” Lyric didn’t think the little people could help, but was polite enough to thank Piro. “I am grateful for all your advice and assistance. How far away is the City?” “One day, but we must leave immediately. We will sleep on the road tonight. There are plans to be made along the way, and we must waste no time.”
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Tracy McSheery CHAPTER NINE
The sun crept cautiously up over the horizon, fearing the day as much as Lyric. The goose bumps on Lyric's skin were a mixture of the morning breeze and fear. Deric was there by Lyric’s side along with Wend. They had joined the strange assembly last night, coming in to their camp on the back of Dragons that had quickly left to gather others. Daav and Arjay were laughing and arguing with dozens of fighters who had wandered in this morning, making enough noise for an army ten times their size. There had been visits from a few hundred gargoyles, and then they disappeared along with most of the little people. Some of their army was hidden so far back the battle would be over before they could join in. It was hopeless as far as Lyric could see. Daav and Arjay were ecstatic. Looking out, they could see for miles in every direction. There were rocks all about casting long morning shadows, and a few plants, but nowhere for an ambush. Lyric’s friends seemed gathered for a strange reunion. The Dragon Riders had chosen Deric to represent them since he was Lyric’s friend. They would be over the horizon waiting for Deric’s signal. Wend had insisted on coming along as a healer, despite Deric’s protests and was fast becoming friends with Ablet, from Lyric’s village who was there with many of the other villagers to fight for their cause. Wuntle waved a heavy hammer at Lyric along with a shiny new shield. “Think of all the practice at healing I’ll get,” Wend said with a smile. Daav and Arjay liked her immediately. Dhe Tinac arrived on another Dragon that dropped quickly, let off the passenger and sprang back into the air before the dust settled. Dhe Tinac smiled and surrounded Lyric with a great big hug. “I’m glad you didn’t start this without me. Someone has to take notes while everyone else creates history.” Mjreeve looked at Dhe Tinac and gestured, creating a glow. “So you are the mage that has been keeping the library safe.” Dhe Tinac was surprised. “The latest of many. It is an honor to meet the mage who created that spell in the first place. I didn’t realize that the Tower of the Dragon was meant to be taken literally. I did my best to keep the tower spell grounded. That much power takes a while to dissipate, it should be good for a year or two without me.” Lyric stared in surprise. “You are the one who keeps the tower floating?” “No, I just maintain a very strong spell that could unravel if someone wasn’t paying attention. You see, I had duties that kept me from coming with you that would have been difficult to explain or for you to understand without the knowledge you have now. I have some experience with power and knowledge of a few spells that might prove useful. The Headmaster is going to have a few surprises today.” No wonder the Headmaster had never been able to directly threaten Dhe Tinac with that much power and control behind him, Lyric thought. Dhe Tinac smiled at Lyric’s amazed look. Piro sauntered in to their circle like he was returning from a morning walk. "Glad to see I'm not late. I was checking positions one last time." Deric laughed at how serious the little man took his importance in the upcoming battle. "Lyric has been telling me about you. Your people seem very wise and careful. Promise me that you’ll stay back, so you don't get hurt." Piro nodded, with a gleam in his eye. "People who are prepared rarely get hurt compared to those who don’t prepare." He turned to Deric and Wend. "Life is about trust. Trust others to do their job, unless they ask for your help. Do not expect anyone else to come to your aid unless you ask, because they trust you can take care of yourself. Finally, trust evil to lie and cheat, even 84
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after they lose.” Dhe Tinac agreed. “With magic, one person could be safe against a dozen of attackers, while another standing apparently alone, with no one visibly attacking, might be in great peril. You must choose your enemy and only fight when you have to. We will first try and convince the Dark adepts to leave in peace." "It will never happen." Deric was adamant. "I agree, but Dhe Tinac is right, though, We must try." Piro turned to address the gargoyle that walked in from the desert. "Welcome, Stoneface. Are your people ready?" Lyric gasped, “Uncle Ed?” “Well, young mage, I see you are once again in the center of the storm,” Uncle Ed growled wryly. Deric was perplexed. "You two know each other? Lyric, you have the strangest friends!" Piro and Stoneface both laughed and looked at Deric. “I agree!” said Stoneface. “The strangest!” Piro added. Stoneface nodded. "It has been many years. Piro has always been a friend to us. Not much of a view from their new buildings though. I liked the old ones better." “The new ones suit us better, they remind us to conserve our resources,” Piro replied. “New?” Lyric said. “They looked pretty old to me.” But nobody said anything in response, although Piro seemed to wink at the ancient gargoyle who smiled a bit more than usual. Lyric and most of the others felt a surge of magic. To anyone with magical skills there was a shock wave of purple energy passing around them. Mjreeve dove out of the sky and settled down next to the group just as the first wave of energy from a massive spell being cast passed them. Lyric was surprised. "Did you feel that? That was the Headmaster. Mjreeve, can you see anything?" "Our plan worked, maybe too well. It is time, the enemy is here." Lyric saw a Dragon approaching in the sky with a Rider on its back. Behind it were dozens more Dragons with Riders. That wasn’t what the Dragon had meant, however. Glowing orange arches had sprung up in the middle of the empty land and out of the weird glow hundreds of adepts and soldiers were appearing. Lyric nodded. “That’s why the Headmaster didn’t press harder to find out how I transported the Dragonslayer. He already knew a similar spell. Then why meet here? Why not just kidnap us like the others?” Mjreeve snorted. "In Learn, hundreds of adepts would have sensed the spell, so he must only use it far from the city. Some spells require the caster to be familiar with the location or in view of the subject. He can’t kidnap what he can’t find. He must use the rogue Dragons to get to a destination and then transport the hostages to another location.” Dhe Tinac added, “He can move his whole army here in a few moments, instead of having to travel for days, and be visible." Piro agreed. “Look at them streaming out of those arches, too far away for us to attack the portals before we’d be overwhelmed. A nice trap is brewing. His army is rested and ready for battle. This will likely end badly. He must have scraped every sewer for the rats in this pack.” Another surge of energy rippled through the air like the wind with more portals opening behind the hills. “I'd say there are at least fifty portals opened now,” Dhe Tinac warned. “Shouldn't we try to stop them?” Lyric asked. “Firstly, we don't know how. Secondly, they are using up a lot of magic that we 85
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would rather not face. We aren't worried about numbers,” Piro answered. “You might not be, but I am. At a hundred through each portal every minute, there will be an army of 50,000 fighters and dark mages here in another ten minutes,” Deric calculated. “Ah, only 50,000? Now 60,000 and I'd have worried,” Daav started to count on his fingers. “Arjay, you take the 25,000 on the left, I'll take the 25,000 on the right.” “Your left or my left?” Arjay countered. “You think it matters? “Sure it matters. I'm right handed, and the ladies say it's my better side.” “OK then, you take the ones on the right.” “Your right or my right?” “Arjay, once this battle is over, I'm going back and feeding you to those griffins.” Their banter died down as more and more of the dark cloaked enemy arrived through the portals. Black hooded figures appeared all around them from behind hills and rocks. Lyric’s friends were completely surrounded by hundreds of black adepts and thousands of unruly fighters. Nobody made any overtly threatening gestures, but the menace became more apparent as more adepts and fighters continued to appear. Piro smiled up at Mjreeve. "We will not stand by and watch until it is too late. We still owe you for freeing us two centuries ago. This time we work together from the start, agreed?" "Agreed. You have already helped by teaching the child, and moving the battle out of the cities. This time there will be survivors. You have given their people a future." "We'll see about that shortly. The rest? Teaching others who wish to learn is always a joy. For two hundred years, I’ve been expecting something like this and trying to prepare. Then in a few months, this child turns all my plans upside down, and I had to start over. It was a great challenge, and more fun than I can remember." Surprised at their composure, Lyric looked back and forth at the two chatting, while the enemy approached. "Mjreeve, I don't understand. We will be challenging 50,000 of them with only a few hundred of us? I thought we were expecting a thousand or two, not fifty thousand." "A trap within a trap. We are not alone. All those numbers are useless against magic users, as they can only attack a few at a time, or they run over each other, and they only have a few hundred more magic users.” “Now you sound like Daav and Arjay.” “I hope that’s a compliment, I’m not quite sure. As soon as the enemy is preoccupied, you must seek out the prisoners and free them." Mjreeve growled a stentorian rumble that shook the ground as another Dragon approached. Long scars covered the wings that bent at an odd angle like they had been broken and only roughly mended. The snorts exchanged by both Dragons threatened a magical fire no water would quench. A Dragon landed with a single Rider on its back. Lyric nodded in recognition. "The Headmaster." The other Dragon kept a wary eye on Mjreeve. The Headmaster’s smile came off his face as a sneer. "You brought friends, Lyric. However, you didn’t bring quite enough this time. You are surrounded. Give yourselves up and I might make your lives as my prisoners less painful." As he spoke his army swarmed forward to surround them completely. Piro spoke up. "I don't think so. Why don't you leave, free the prisoners, and we will let you go with no one getting hurt?" The Headmaster was amused. "A tiny man with big words. I've never even heard of your people. What are you? Pixies? Brownies? You must have some magic to be standing 86
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here so calmly. Let's see." With a gesture, a bolt of lightning came from the Adept’s fingers. It crashed against Piro with no effect. Piro didn't even bother raising a shield or trying to deflect the bolt. He simply ignored it like it wasn't worth worrying about. “Don't stand there, attack him!” The headmaster gestured to two huge fighters who advanced menacingly. “Wait, I'm not done talking!” The two paused as Piro shook a warning finger at them. “What are you waiting for? Attack!” They started running toward Piro who raised his small cane causing them to pause as they readied their swords to strike him. “Let the battle begin!” He looked into the surprised eyes of the Headmaster, raising his small staff. “Maybe you know our older name.” He struck his staff on the ground hard, as he began to grow, his words come out with a sound like a tree falling. His voice echoed and rumbled like thunder getting louder and deeper with each echo, ”The Giants.” The giants and gargoyles revealed themselves as Piro grew from one meter to ten meters tall, and his cane became a huge club the size of a tree. “Mamma!” Cried the fighter who had towered over Piro a second before and now found himself riding one of the boots, sailing into the air and smashing down on a dozen of his fellows. “Mamma!” Cried the second fighter as he too sailed into the air. Lyric was stunned as a hundred odd phrases and jokes suddenly took on a new meaning. Hundreds of other tiny people appeared, having been hidden inside rocks. All around, other giants grew from tiny men and women into huge warriors. At the same time, the rocks and boulders melted and grew limbs and heads. Lyric laughed in sudden understanding, realizing how the little people had been hidden in plain sight: the gargoyles were there by the hundreds. Lyric recognized a few from Learn, including Flint and Abner. Abner stood in front of an adept with a long, heavy staff. Unsure what to do, he leaned forward, made shooing gestures and said, "Boo! Run away, run away!" The adept smirked. "Let's see what you think of my magic!" She swung her staff and Abner cringed. "Don't tell me. It's going to hurt. I just know it will." A swirl of dust picked Abner up and spun him around, shaking him. "Oh, that tingles. Do it again!" "Tingles? Then let's see how you like lightning!" A bolt came out of nowhere and struck Abner. Singed, he blew a smoke ring, shook off the dust and said. "I’ve discovered electricity!" "Well, if I can't stop you, I can at least destroy your friends!" She turned and began sending blasts of lightening at the other fighters. Being ignored hurt Abner more than the blasts had. "No, you don't!" Abner reached forward and melted around the adept, covering her from head to toe. The shape was hers, but the features on the face were all Abner. "Now what are you going to do, Miss Smarty Pants Adept?" said an extra mouth on the side of her face. Suddenly a bulge appeared around Abner's waist, inflating him like a balloon. "Oh. That." Abner continued to inflate growing bigger and bigger. Finally, he popped. Small pieces rained down all around the exhausted adept. She panted as she bent over with her hands on her knees. 87
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"That will teach you, you stupid piece of rock." All around her, the pieces suddenly shook and then shriveled up to become smaller versions of Abner. Instead of one big Abner, there were now dozens of smaller ones." "Look, Uncle, I've split. There are dozens of me now!" Uncle Ed tapped the head of an adept who collapsed, and swung the staff to block a bolt of fire from another. Looking at all the small Abners, he shook his head. "Whose side are you on, lady? I’m going to live to regret that. You might not." The adept rolled her eyes and collapsed under the dozens of Abners that swarmed over her. Tiny and in pieces, he was still made out of dense stone that weighed much more than she did. A soldier fired a crossbow arrow, which Lyric deflected off a shield, sending the arrow right back at the soldier and landing point first in the soldiers shoe, causing him to hop up and down. “Another enemy you made, Lyric,” Deric laughed. “He’ll have to stand in line, I think there were a thousand or two ahead of him,” Lyric countered.
Lyric watched the battle swirl with spells and people as each side engaged the other. Some parts drew immediate attention with the sound and fury of the fighting. Piro was attacking left and right. Dhe Tinac and Mjreeve were casting spells to protect fighters from adepts, and directing resources. On the other side, the Headmaster had quickly retreated into the back of his army and was shouting orders as well as blasting entire groups with flame, ice, lightning and other spells. Each giant or gargoyle effectively canceled out several adepts, so both sides were evenly matched so far. The Dragon Riders were communicating with Deric to keep their command informed and keep the Dragons on the other side from helping. Aerial battles blazed overhead as roars of flame and fury shook the sky. Piro swung his huge club at an adept who refused to retreat. The valley echoed with a crash every time the club hit the shield. Piro couldn’t get through the shield. However, the adept couldn’t attack. Piro didn’t seem bothered. “Interesting strategy, Able Adept, but flawed logic.” “How so, Giant?” “You use all your energy to make a shield. You make it small, so the energy is concentrated, but you notice that you don’t send your shield deep into the ground?” “Give it your best shot. I’m curious to see what sort of magic you have.” “No magic, just a wicked slice. FORE!” The giant bellowed. “Four? You are hoping to scare me with loud numbers?” 88
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“No, not four. Fore.” Piro took a powerful swing and the mage sailed off over the hills like a huge golf ball. As predicted, it sliced to the right. Arjay raised one eyebrow and commented wryly, “I think you need to work on your stance. Aren’t you supposed to replace your divots? This is no way to run a battle or a golf game.” Daav stood next to Arjay with an apple floating above his hand. “Brandy, Arjay?” “Ok, but just a nip.” “On the apple, Arjay.” “Such a waste.” Arjay poured brandy over the apple and Ember lit it on fire. Daav gestured, and the apple flew off and hit an adept in the back of the head going right through his red shield. The adept screamed as the flames caught in his hair and clothing. With a pop, he disappeared from the battle. Daav took the next one Ember and Arjay had prepared and sent it through a green shield. The apple went through without stopping but the flames went out as it went through the shield, but as soon as it passed through it reignited, causing the adept to drop her shield and run around screaming, until someone else caught fire and two adepts doused them with protection spells and then all four disappeared. Daav saw Lyric staring and yelled an explanation: “They have shields to protect from magic and arrows, but not against dessert.” With another gesture, more flaming apples passed right through shields that stopped magical fire and mundane arrows. The flambéed apples hit their targets, producing screaming, panicking mages and fighters. On the other side of the battle, Flint was pounding against the shield of an adept with no effect. “Stupid rock! You can’t break my shields,” the adept bragged. “OK. I believe that.” Flint flew up out of sight. “Ha. Coward!” The adept crowed, pleased with his success. Then a whistling noise made him look up. Down from the sky came a streak, closer and closer. The adept increased his shields as much as he could, and the sound of the collision shook the entire battle field. Where the adept had been standing there was just a bump in the ground. The battle stopped for a few seconds while everyone stared in awe. Then the mound moved, and a stony hand reached out. Pulling himself out of the dirt, Flint dusted himself off. “He was right. Couldn’t break his shield. On the other hand, I figure in about ten minutes or so, he’s going to need a bit more oxygen.” “Half that I’d say,” One of the little Abners joined in. “He must be a bit panicked by now.” “Wonder if he knows the transportation spell?” “Bet you he will learn fast. How will we know?” Abner questioned. “Measure the size of the mound when his shield collapses” Flint suggested. “Good idea. Remind me to do that when things settle down.” Abner went back to attacking other adepts. Within seconds, the fight was raging full force. Magic crashed against magic as bolts of energy flashed against arcane shields. As Lyric moved to help, Mjreeve raised a restraining foreclaw. "Now is the time for the real battle to begin." "What do you mean?" "Traps within traps. We have their attention now. Our forces are evenly matched. They have more fighters, but they can't crawl over each other to get to us without exposing themselves to our magic. And they are craven to attack without numbers. We outnumber them in magic users, but they have more magic. They are stealing it. Your parents and the others that have been kidnapped are being held suspended between life and death. You 89
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must find them now that they are drawing the full power, they can't hide it from you. Trace the flow of power now that they are using it constantly and indiscriminately. If we can follow it back to its source, we can cut it off and defeat them. If not, even with the Giants and Gargoyles, we may lose." "But what if I can't free them?" "Then we will still have to stop the flow of magic. That will have to be your decision." "They might die if I make a mistake." "They will certainly die if you don't act, along with thousands of others." "It's not fair." "Tell that to those risking their lives to help you. Quickly now! I will help, seek your parents magic in the flow. Listen for it like the sound of their voices. Smell it like the scent of your mother's hair or your father's breath. Close your eyes and reach out to them." Lyric concentrated on the battle ranging about them and made gestures that seemed to coax the magic into becoming visible. The energy flowing from the dark adepts was more tangible, forming a smoking breeze of black and purple and Lyric watched the direction it came from. Following the current of power, the source became more tangible until finally Lyric could see it as a pulsing red flow of energy inside the dark, smoky exterior. A searching spell sent along the blood-red glowing trail found the captives, but Lyric didn’t know how to free them with a whole range of mountains between them. As if recognizing Lyric, the flow suddenly felt welcoming and then a powerful surge of energy. “I’ve tapped into their flow, and I’ve found them, but I can't seem to stop the spell. What do I do now? Should I try to transport them here?” Lyric shouted. “No. They are safer there. It is unlikely they will be attacked there, but here, they would be destroyed in the fighting or force us to divide our forces further protecting them. They will be weak and confused for an hour or so when the spell ends. Try to get more magic from your parents. The spell draining them will resist you, but your parents know you even in their magical sleep. If you can get them to freely give you their energy, I think you'll be able to tap into the rest of the flow. Then through you, we can all take the energy, eliminating their advantage.” “Do you think we could have recess now?” Daav asked. “I have to go to the bathroom. Can I be excused?” Arjay asked. Lyric ignored them and concentrated on the feel of magic flowing all around now. “It's working,” Lyric shouted. “I can feel the power shifting! Help, I can't take it all.” “Then share it,” Dhe Tinac instructed. “You risk taking too much and burning yourself out. Everyone try to keep in physical contact with Lyric and take as much energy as you can handle.”
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Lyric shuddered as the magic twisted and found a new channel to power the spell with the excess energy. A familiar voice echoed in Lyric's ears. “Home base, this is Dragonslayer. Help. Oh, help. Help, help, help, help.” CHAPTER TEN “Stay in control, Lyric.” Dhe Tinac’s voice was calm. “Try making a shield to protect your friends.” “Wait. I hear the Dragonslayer crying for help. I can almost see him. The sky is a pale blue, and there is a loud high-pitched noise. The clouds are moving by like we are flying.” “Ah, the universe seeks balance. It is your turn to help him. The first spell was dormant once you drained the energy out of the crystal. Then when you needed help and had more energy from Deric and Wend, you called it again. Now with a new source of energy, it resumes. Be careful, you might not survive on that world. Don’t let yourself be drawn in entirely this time. But maybe your Dragonslayer can help us even as you help him.” “There doesn't seem to be room on his Metal Dragon for me. I can see it if I close my eyes. I’ll ask if he can help.” Lyric’s eyes closed in concentration. “Mjreeve, Dhe Tinac, I hear him clearly now. It is the Dragon Slayer. I was right, he is calling for help.” Dhe Tinac didn’t seem surprised. “Then, you must help him.” “But now? What about the battle?” “The battle may last for hours or days. Leaving the spell open might be a threat that can be used against you. Either way, honor demands you repay the debt you owe. The spell you cast before was never ended, and there remains a bond. Close your eyes and let the spell draw you to him.” Lyric’s eyes closed, but now Lyric saw through the eyes of the Dragon Slayer and heard through his ears. Lyric spoke softly, afraid to startle the Dragonslayer. “Dragonslayer, can you hear me? It’s Lyric.” “You again? Hmmm, this time I don’t think I’d mind disappearing. Or reappearing. I hear Hawaii is nice this time of year.” “I don’t know what you are talking about. Could you help us, Dragonslayer? How did you destroy those Dragons last time?” “Mark 60 Stinger missiles. Don’t leave home without ‘em.” “Great, could you come and use them now?” “I’ve got bad news and very bad news, kid. The bad news is I used all four of mine. The worse news is that there are about eight of them right behind me.” “Eight? Great!” Lyric was excited. “What? Don’t you like me, kid? Doesn’t anybody up here like me?” The pilot sounded slightly irTimted. “Could I use those missiles, Dragonslayer? Would you mind?” Lyric asked politely. “Not at all, kid, plenty to share. You can have all of them as a matter of fact. Just what do you plan on doing with them?” “We are fighting a battle and need all the weapons we can get. I will take your missiles and send them to the enemy. That’s what you are supposed do with them, right?” “Took me two years of flight school and another five years of practice to get it right, but you’ve got the gist of it. You sure you can grab them as soon as they are fired?” “Pretty sure. Are they much bigger than fruit?” Lyric didn’t sound all that confident. “Close enough for government work. Since they have my name on them, I don’t see why I can’t give them to you. Stand by. One red hot missile coming right up. Maybe more.” The pilot switched radio channels until he found something. “Yo. Screwballs, you two still 91
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following me? I should charge you for flying lessons.” The pilot didn’t sound worried at all, but Lyric could tell he was tense. "What are you going to do now, American? You are out of missiles, and your comrades have run away."` “They were ordered to return. If you hadn’t noticed, we took out six of yours including the two I got. You only winged one of ours. The two of you aren’t going to get me that easy.” “Yes, your missiles work very well. However, you don’t have any more, and you were so busy shooting down my men that you didn’t see us approaching. By the way, I hope you won’t mind my four friends joining us. We don't have your flight simulators, so we’ll practice on you.” “Six to one odds? Lucky for you, I’m in a generous mood. I’ll accept your surrender now.” “You must have some secret weapon maybe? You better use it soon, for all your zigzagging, it will only cost us more of our missiles. Or should I say “yours” since we buy them from you. I hope they work. They are still under warranty I think. If they don't destroy you, I will demand a full refund.” "Well, on behalf of my government, I think I’ll repossess them.” The pilot was still maneuvering as he avoided the aircraft trailing behind him. They kept getting in each other’s way as they tried to line him up for a missile. “Ha, you are funny, American. You going to make us ill with bad jokes?” “Going to stare you to death. Worked for me once before." “Good. Stare at our missiles.” Lyric understood the threat from images in the Dragonslayer’s mind. "Dragonslayer, I am ready." "That makes one of us. You’ve done this before with me and my jet, missiles and all. Missiles alone and flying mach two should be easy, right? Don’t answer that, I don’t think I want to know." The pilot straightened his course, allowing the following aircraft to lock on. Almost simultaneously, two missiles fired as two of the following aircraft tried to shoot him down. Lyric saw the warning flashing on the strange table in front of the pilot. The plane itself spoke. "Warning. Incoming missiles." The heads up display showed two red circles showing the pilot where to look for the missiles. Suddenly there were more dots, six of them. Lyric saw them rapidly approaching and sent them back to the flight of enemy Dragons. The white fire from their engines left a cloud of smoke trailing behind, but the pilot didn’t seem to appreciate the beauty. Shifting back to the battle at home momentarily, Lyric yelled to Daav, “Guide these instead of the apples. Toss these at someone you really don’t like.” With all the energy from the hostages, transporting the missiles was effortless once they reached this side of the portal. Daav didn’t even hesitate. “Oh, nasty dark mages? Want to see a neat trick?” The first two missiles appeared on cue above Lyric's head. With a gesture and a look of concentration, Daav reached out and pulled the missiles out of the sky and into a crowd of dark mages surrounded by enemy fighters. Arjay looked at his flaming apple and shrugged, tossing it over his shoulder. He reached out and guided the next wave of two missiles into another group of mages that were stunned by the explosion that rivaled magic for it's power and intensity. By then Daav had the next two and sent them into a group that had a shield up trying to protect themselves against this new threat. The flame went out from the missile as soon as it touched the shield, but it's momentum that carried it in, and the detonation was thunderous. Ironically the shield contained the blast making the explosion doubly effective. The shield rippled with the energy like a bubble and then dissipated into a cloud of glowing 92
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dust. Lyric’s eyes remained closed, but Lyric’s ears heard the explosions as the missiles collided with the enemy. Without pausing, another four missiles sped towards the Dragonslayer and promptly disappeared just like the first set. "Was that OK, Dragonslayer?" "Hot damn!" "I'm sorry. Should I go?" "Not yet! Could you do that again? Can you do anything else?" "I can gladly get rid of other missiles as easily. Or I could throw fire or lightning at those flying machines." "Great." The audible warning cut off halfway. "Warning, missiles bearing. Threat is gone." "Should I try to destroy their machines?" "Just a second. Only fair." The pilot touched a switch again. "Hey, Dirtball. You still on this channel?" "Waiting to hear your dying words, Ugly American. I don’t know how you are jamming our missiles, but we have more." "How about these words. Surrender or you and your wing will be destroyed." "Your jokes are a waste of my time. Prepare to die, American." "OK, but don't expect any more favors from me." The pilot switched off the radio. "Kid, do your stuff." Flames appeared out of the air in front of the jet and streaked over to the six attacking planes. Two of them dived as the pilots ejected. “I’m sorry, Dragon Slayer, that didn’t work as well as I thought it would.” “Not as much oxygen here, but it worked great, kid. Two down, four to go. Seems familiar.” “Could you fly towards those clouds? There might be some lightning there that I can use.” “Roger, boss.” The pilot switched back on the radio. “You guys ready to surrender yet?” “You will die for that, American!” The radio conveyed the anger in the enemy pilot’s voice. “I’ll believe it when I read it in the papers.” “Warning, incoming missiles.” The missiles disappeared and reappeared behind the enemy lines on Lyric’s home world. Daav targeted the rogue Dragons and the most powerful adepts who were furthest away from the front lines, where they thought they’d be safe. They were wrong. Dead wrong. As Lyric had hoped, the clouds were full of energy. Lightning shot out at each of the planes. As the bolts of energy hit, the engines and computers stopped. "Hey, Dirtballs. Please make sure your seats are upright, and prepare for landing. A very hard landing." Several ejection seats fired at almost the same time as the planes began to fall from the sky. Only one enemy jet remained flying, as the pilot successfully restarted his engines. “I’m sorry, Dragonslayer. I can’t do anymore for a while. I’m exhausted. The energy here is difficult to reach. I’ve got all the energy I need back home, but it isn’t helping here. Can you stall for a few minutes?” “I’ve got one more weapon up my sleeve. Watch this, kid. It’s called a bluff.” The pilot made two quick turns and a climb that ended up with him chasing the remaining enemy aircraft. “It’s been real, it’s been fun, but I’m afraid I’m getting low on fuel, so I don’t have time for more games and fireside chats. I’m getting tone, and in case you’ve 93
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forgotten your training from your correspondence school for jet jockeys, that means you are locked in, and weapons are armed. You have three seconds to eject before you’re a bad memory. Three, two, one.” Between two and one, the pilot of the other plane ejected. The plane fell into a dive and crashed. The Dragon Slayer waved at the pilot as he flashed by. The other pilot waved back in a gesture Lyric didn't recognize. “I don’t understand, Dragonslayer, I thought you were out of weapons. He still had missiles. He could have killed you.” “It’s called a bluff, kid. I took out two of his buddies before you showed up. You took out five of them when he thought I was unarmed. So when I told him that he was about to get recycled, he wasn’t going to argue. It works best when you are ahead. And never bluff when you can’t afford to lose.” “You could afford to lose that bluff?” “Hmmm. Kid, you ask too many questions. The alternative was for me to eject. Unless I can find a gas station up here, I still might have to walk home. Too bad I don't have some of that high-oxygen atmosphere of yours, I have to go 200 kilometers that way on fumes.” “No problem,” Lyric concentrated and fed air into the pilot's engines and pushed with all the magic that was available. With a roar, the jet climbed and accelerated into a portal that formed in front of the jet. The pilot was pressed back into his seat, barely able to move for seconds. “OK, OK. That got me two hundred kilometers in one second, which is flat out impossible, and I can tell there is going to be another big story that I have to come up with to explain it away. I can see the tanker on radar less than two minutes out. I can keep this duck waddling for that long.” "I understand. I must go now, Dragonslayer. Thank you." "Thank you, kid. And here I thought explaining away what happened the last time you contacted me was hard. There should be a medal for creativity." With that, the spell was ended. This time, understanding how the portals and links worked, Lyric made sure it was grounded and wasn’t going to start again. Lyric stood up and saw that the battle was still going strong, but they were better off. The damage from the missiles had made the enemy more cautious, and they were further back. Mjreeve had thrown up powerful shields to protect their fighters and the small group commanding them, while the battle raged all around. A short distance away Daav was again throwing flaming apples in every direction. “This just isn't the same now, but boy do they duck when they see flames.” Daav grinned. “The mages are now protected from your flaming apples, but they refuse to extend their shields to protect the fighters,” Mjreeve snorted with exertion. “I cannot do anything about the flow of stolen energy. The magic is too different and tainted for me to control it.” Dhe Tinac was equally concerned, “I cannot handle the power. I am too old to control that much energy. I believe you distracted them child. We may have a slight edge, but they are still more powerful and our forces will eventually tire. Can you stop the flow of stolen power?” Lyric focused on the flow of energy, but was unable to stop or even deflect it. It washed around Lyric’s shields and even through them, invigorating Lyric. “I can’t stop it, but I can tap into it so that we can draw as much energy from it as they do. That gives me an idea. I just learned a new trick I hope will work.” Lyric whispered in Mjreeve’s ear. Mjreeve boomed it out to the entire battlefield. “Forces of Light. Stay away from the dark magic users, or risk death. The next dark adept to use magic gets their very own missile.” 94
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Abruptly, the battle stopped. It was suddenly almost quiet without the explosions of thunder and lightening. “Where is Archan? Tell Archan to strike them, while we hold up shields.” The Headmaster shouted. Lyric looked around to see who Archan was. However, the issue was moot. “Archan retreated, after being injured by one of those missiles,” a dour voice announced. Lyric smiled at their good fortune. While each side stared at the other, Lyric whispered to Piro. “Be ready, I’m going to try and cut off their supply of magic by using it up before it gets to them. I think I can put my own shield around the whole battle field. Since it is bigger it should both use up and stop the flow of energy to the dark adepts. I don't think they can defend themselves without the extra energy." Energy poured out of Lyric and shimmered in the air. "Help me, Mjreeve, I think I can create a standing shield around this entire plain, like the one you put around the Tower. It will have to be large, and all this rock makes it difficult to control and ground the spell. Luckily, it will be just as difficult for them to break it. If I make it outside them, the energy they are stealing from the prisoners won’t get in. Our people are still too mixed in with their fighters to separate them. See if we can pull back without being noticed.” Dhe Tinac stepped up and helped the Dragon while Lyric erected a shield of containment. “It’s trying to give me all the energy now. Even the shield can’t use up all this power. The dark adepts don't seem to be able to tap into it, but it's going right through the shield to the Headmaster and me.” Dhe Tinac nodded. “You are both directly connected to the magic. Be wary he must be able to tap into it from anywhere. The energy has to go somewhere until you break the spell. Maybe we can find some way to use that energy.” Just then Lyric felt a push stronger than any Lyric had ever felt on the practice field. It moved Lyric away from Tinac and Mjreeve and out in the open. Others attacked them keeping them from rushing to Lyric's aid. Lyric tried to yell for help, but nothing came out of suddenly frozen lips. As if he was standing close, Lyric heard the Headmaster’s voice. “I will destroy you child. Better yet, I’ll bind you over to be my puppet, and you’ll be the cause of everyone’s loss.” Lyric felt panic and a surge of energy. “No.” Again Lyric resisted the push and this time, pushed back, feeling the Headmaster give slightly. “No!” Again Lyric shouted, and this time others turned to see what was happening. Harder Lyric pushed, and felt the Headmaster losing his ground. The red and orange pulsing spell of control was already forming, but without the focus of the Headmaster, it was wavering, incomplete. Lyric focused on the push. The images of Lyric's parents trapped helped form a focus. Months of practice from the daily workouts came to bear, and Lyric felt confidence and determination combine to strength and resilience that surprised the Headmaster. Since both had access to the energy from Lyric’s parents, it was an even match. A few fighters had pushed closer and attacked. Lyric wasn't able to raise any shields and saw two swords rushing in. Ember appeared suddenly and feinted towards the fighter's right, let loose a blast of flame, and then as he raised his shield, hit him solidly in the face with the long tail, knocking him end over end. The other fighter turned away from Lyric, and before Ember could respond was skewered on the fighters blade. Ember twisted and repeated the maneuver of flame and tail knocking the fighter out with the blade still passing through the little dragonet's body. Hitting the ground hard the dragonet's eyes closed. Wend quickly pushed through the fighters and grabbed the body. Lyric's eyes filled with tears and rage. Stepping forward Lyric raised a green shield. Before any of the fighters or mages could respond, Lyric took another step and the shield flashed to blue, then another step 95
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and it was red, until as Lyric approached the Headmaster the shield was white and nothing was getting through or blocking Lyric. Lyric suddenly pushed, and the Headmaster stumbled and then fell. Embarrassed and enraged, he quickly rose and dusted himself off, but he had already lost control of his push and his anger prevented him from regaining it. With his rage apparent, he also forgot his half formed spell. Lyric took advantage of this mistake and wrested control. The spell resisted, but with the energy already collected it had to go somewhere, and Lyric coaxed it into a more completed spell. Lyric waved a hand encircling the potent spell and binding it yet tighter. “You are too late. You can't stop it now. It's growing too fast and already has too much energy.” “Then I won't stop it.” Lyric backed up as the Mjreeve and Tinac moved forward until they were together again. The headmaster and his army moved back as the glow from the spell became too bright to look at. Lyric took the spell and considered. “I have a plan Dhe Tinac, but it will require you to trust me. It will require everyone to trust me. There is a spell of coercion and binding forming. I think I can make it bigger, but if I make a mistake it will bind everyone, not just the dark adepts.” “Are you sure you can control it child?” Dhe Tinac asked, considering the consequences. Lyric nodded. Dhe Tinac continued, explaining to the others. “We can bind them to only do good. It can be broken, but only with time and by someone who wasn’t also bound. I think all of the Headmaster’s most powerful allies are here, so this should work for a while at least.” “But we can’t bind them all at once!” Deric exclaimed. “We can, there is a huge amount of power here, but we risk binding ourselves too. It will happen to all of us, one at a time. If we are bent on doing good, it shouldn’t change us. It may destroy those bent on doing harm, and trying to resist. “ Deric considered, “They have killed hundreds in their thirst for power. I am not worried about their rights. But won't they resist? How will you bind hundreds if they all protect themselves?” “They will never group together to defend the one we are attacking, so we are really only attacking one at a time, and they don't know which one, so we have a huge advantage. We have too much power for one individual to resist, with the tables turned like this.” Lyric felt the Headmaster make one more desperate grab for control of the spell, and again the months of practice made defending the spell almost easy. Lyric completely controlled the spell of coercion now. The Headmaster faded back into the crowd, screaming for everyone to attack Lyric, yet moving away and refusing to attack himself. Already busy with their own problems, his minions were being overwhelmed or held at bay, with no one free to pay him any attention. Lyric felt a change in the air. With the Headmaster leaving, there was suddenly more energy available. Lyric took a deep breath. “I feel like I’ve started over with more energy. Let’s see if I can share it. Only the Headmaster and I have access to the stolen magic now, and he's busy running away. I think I see how he shared it. Let's see if I can do the same.” Mjreeve nodded, “We shall see if we can't make better use of it.” The defenders stood taller and refreshed as energy flowed into them as if from a crystal. Lyric smiled at Dhe Tinac. “You start binding them. I’m going to see if I can put another shield around the fighters that are away from our side.” Dhe Tinac considered. “We need to be in the center for this to work. We must get them to attack one position and surround them with the rest of the army. Then we will build two shields, one inside the other, or one like a doughnut.” 96
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A crash and soft explosion sounded as the Headmaster finally coerced someone else into calling Lyric’s bluff. It was too late. The sounds were fizzles and pops compared to the bolts and blasts a few minutes earlier. With a rush of panic, dozens of adepts attacked with renewed frenzy, but with a fraction of their former power. With their source of energy gone, the adepts began fighting individual scuffles and were indeed more worried about their personal safety than fighting as a group. Some adepts and fighters had surrounded a group laughing over the sounds of battle as they fought. Lyric recognized Daav and Arjay antagonizing at least a hundred rough looking fighters. Lyric fought through dark adepts to get closer and help. "Now we've got them where we wanted them," Daav shouted. "Maybe where you wanted them. I wanted them there. Way over there," Arjay countered. Lyric struggled trying to help, trying to maintain one spell and start another was a skill not yet mastered. Lacking the stolen energy, the fireballs and lightning were unable to penetrate Daav’s shields, but could still be deadly if they hit someone else. Daav reached over to Lyric and received a shock as energy flowed from Lyric to him. Daav gestured, and a new shield formed. The fireballs stuck to the shield and simply fizzled out of existence. "That was neat, but I need more firepower, kid. Know where we can get some watermelons?" Daav asked, looking completely serious. "Great. I was afraid we'd miss lunch with all this ruckus going on. Care to lend a hand, young mage, before we have to turn deadly and let Daav tell a story?" Lyric laughed at their forced humor despite the dire situation. "I think we can lend more than a hand now. Work your way into the center. We have a plan." Arjay raised an eyebrow. “Your plan involves us getting surrounded by their entire army?” Daav laughed. “I think the kid has been around you too long, Arjay. Now we have to get ourselves surrounded before we get to the real fighting. Some strategy!” As Daav’s group penetrated into the center of the Headmaster’s army, they were quickly surrounded and became the focus of the attack. Their progress was slowed by a hundred minor skirmishes that were quickly repulsed but moved them back and forth almost randomly as they counter attacked. Mjreeve carefully maneuvered, and their army moved gradually and without obvious intent. Once they had made it to the center, they held their ground while, slowly, the rest of their army joined them. Now the adepts were surrounded by hundreds of giants and gargoyles. Magic flew back and forth as reinforcements from both sides arrived. Lyric resisted the urge to help them, knowing that the important task was to refine the spell of coercion. A dozen of variations came to mind from dusty books that had gone into great detail about this type of spell. Lyric was relieved that the months of reading and training were now paying off, as the spell the Headmaster had tried was only the simplest of variations, and with time and energy, Lyric could make it a hundred times more potent. Now if only they could last until the spell was complete! Like a sketch being brushed over to form a complete painting, Lyric's hands sketched, pulled and grabbed energy out of the air, reshaping and re-crafting the spell, mixing pulsating colors of energy, twisting them into bands of rainbows, and giving it a texture and substance that the Headmaster had never imagined. Piro's voice boomed over the sounds of battle as he pounded his club against the shields of a mage. This one had learned the lesson from his unfortunate fellow’s trip over the hills. Neither was doing much damage to the other, but each giant effectively canceled out a mage. Piro lectured as he battered the adept’s shield, "Never attack unless you have an overwhelming superior forces, and only then to protect yourself. Do you remember how to build a wall yet, child?" 97
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Lyric nodded and built a wall of magic around the party in the center. Layer after layer went up, visibly glowing with the blasts of energy from the mages attacking. While the attacking mages couldn't force their magic through it, Lyric's magic could flow in or out at will. None of the attackers realized the threat until those in the center stopped attacking and joined their wills with Lyric's. Then another wall went up around the black adepts, trapping them between two walls with their own magic rebounding and striking them. As the walls began to close, the stronger mages panicked until they had stunned or killed their fellows. There was a very real threat of being crushed between the two immense shields. Finally, the fighting stopped. The silence was eerie after the noises of battle. Mjreeve's voice boomed in the silence. "It is time, little mage. We will see what these fools do with the opportunity for truth and honor." A glow surrounded the stunned adepts and fighters, including the Headmaster, as Lyric erected a golden shield around the blue one. With the help of Mjreeve, and with energy from Lyric, Dhe Tinac created a spell that started as a gray shadow and quickly surrounded all the adepts and black clad fighters. Confused in the growing darkness, they screamed and raised protective shields that only served to harm those nearby on their own forces. The darkness flowed around them until they couldn't see each other or what was really about to happen. Lyric finally released the spell of coercion that had been building with energy all this time. Now massive and brimming with energy, it easily crashed through the individual shields of the mages as if they weren't there. With the energy of a hundred trapped adepts, the spell pushed through their personal defenses just as easily. As they resisted, it simply overpowered them, slowly turning them gray, including their clothing. Lyric dumped all the remaining energy flow into the spell, gradually overwhelming even the strongest mages. The spell seemed to jump from one person to another, gaining speed as Lyric learned to control it, and gained practice with each mage. Stopping only seconds for the mundane fighters, it simply bathed them in gray and moved on, no match for their unskilled resistance. Finally, after what felt like hours to Lyric but was only a matter of long minutes, there was only one person left, the Headmaster. Even with the strength of the trapped mages, the power to control and bind so many was taking it's toll on the captives. All the shields and transportation spells had drained them of most of their energy, and Lyric felt them collapsing one by one, as their energy was depleted. As the Headmaster resisted, the flow of energy from the captives wavered and then stopped completely, but Lyric wasn't done. With the help of Lyric's friends, more magic poured in, and supported the spell, which seemed to resist trapping the person who originated it. The Headmaster screamed in rage and resilience, but his frustration was apparent in his flushed face, knowing the inevitable outcome as his coloring faded from red to gray. Finally, he, too, was bound, and the energy flow stopped. Suddenly, maintaining the huge shields was impossible without the extra energy, and Lyric felt crushed with the weight of all the magic being drawn.. With a wave from Lyric, the shields disappeared. Lyric's entire body burned with the pain of too much magical power pouring through a body never meant for such energy. Lyric's eyes watered with the burning pain, but there was no question of stopping yet. "Do you think it will work, Mjreeve?" Lyric whispered through painful lips. "There is a quick way to find out. Ask their leader to release the prisoners." As a precaution, Lyric raised a blue shield. It was not strong enough to protect them completely, if the headmaster used lightning, but it would keep them from being killed if the spell hadn't worked. Lyric knew the Headmaster would only attack if he thought he could harm them. Still slightly stunned, the Headmaster stood as they approached. He gestured, but instead of a blast, his color turned a sickly shade of gray. Some of the fighters moved as if 98
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to attack but simply froze in place with confused expressions on their faces. "You cannot harm others until that spell wears off." Lyric said. "You foolish child. I will destroy you yet,” the Headmaster grimaced. Another gesture pushed the shade of gray darker but had no other effect. Lyric spoke to Mjreeve. "I guess that means it works." "You cannot harm us now. Will you tell us how to release the others?" "Very well. I know when I'm defeated. Lower the shield and I will release them. You have my word. I will not harm anyone." Nodding, Lyric lowered the blue shield. The Headmaster made another gesture, but the expected blast didn't appear. His coloring became even grayer. "You lied child, you didn't lower the shield." "Imagine you calling me a liar. I did lower the shield. You can't do any magic to harm people. Not even indirectly. If you even think of hurting someone, you can't do magic." "That's impossible." "If you say so. Will anyone else help us free the prisoners?" One defeated adept waved her hand. "I will try to release them, if you free me." Deric shook his head, correcting her. "You are already free. We don't need to coerce you or threaten you. For the rest of your lives, you will be free to do anything you want. Except hurt someone." The adept considered. "This will not harm anyone. Let me try to free them." Dhe Tinac nodded for her to try. She concentrated. "I can still work magic! I can tell from here it worked. Thank you." As if on cue, the Headmaster tried again, and turned another shade of gray. Advancing on Lyric, he made as if to strike the child. Instead, he froze in place. The other dark adept asked, "How long will he stay like that?" Daav laughed. "Until he stops trying to hurt someone. It could be a while. Quick, let’s find some pigeons!" "What will you do with us?" The woman adept asked. Lyric looked at Dhe Tinac who spoke. "Nothing now. We already did it. You are all free to go. I would hope you try to find new lives to atone for your crimes. We will make sure everyone knows what you have done, but you still have your knowledge and power, so you can be of use. In case it isn't clear, you cannot hurt anyone.” Lyric spoke. “The book wasn't complete in all the details, but I think people have starved to death stuck like the Headmaster there, refusing to let go of their rage." The woman forgot herself and quickly flew into an angry rant. “A book! How dare you read from a book? That is against the law!” Dhe Tinac answered her with a glare. “And killing and imprisoning others, isn’t? Picky, aren’t we? Haven’t you any shame?” The adept’s face went blank with the realization of the awkwardness of her moral position. She gave an uncommitted nod. Relieved or embarrassed, one by one the dark adepts walked away towards Learn. Only a very few had enough power left to transport themselves away, let alone any of the others without the stolen energy.
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Tower of The Dragon
Tracy McSheery CHAPTER ELEVEN
Several formerly dark adepts showed Dhe Tinac the transportation spell, eager to show their rehabilitation. It was almost the same spell Lyric had been practicing with fruit, and later even the jet, with slight differences that Lyric only half understood that allowed it to stay open longer, and Daav winked at Lyric as they watched, since they both already knew the spell. Wend approached carrying Ember. Lyric's eyes filled with tears and then opened wide as the dragonet looked up with big brown eyes. Wend smiled, “I told you I've been practicing healing spells with your friend Ablet. With all the magic around here, I figured I could put some to good use.” Ablet showed Lyric a vial of the clear liquid and winked. Still weak, Ember licked Lyric's hands as Lyric carefully stroked the skin where there was still a scar over the wound. Piro had shrunk down to his smaller self, “That was the easy part. Winning is never as simple as it seems. Now we take on the responsibility of our actions.” Dhe Tinac agreed. “We must rescue the captives. The Black Adept shrugged. “Only the headmaster knows where they are, and he's probably not talking.” She pointed towards the still figure. Mjreeve considered, “Lyric, see if you can find them through your connection.” “I can't open a portal spell to there, I can't figure out where they are accurate enough.” “Then help them open a spell to here!” With a gesture, a portal opened in front of them, and a few rushed through to help those on the other side. With the help of the Dragons and Giants, who still had some magical energy to spare, more portals were opened and all of the prisoners were brought back to their location while others were taken to tend to those prisoners who were too weak to be moved. Others were brought back on the back of Dragons, including Lyric’s parents. Lyric’s parents shared hugs and tears with Lyric and their other rescuers. “Uncle!” Wend cried as she recognized one tired man. "Where are we?" Lyric’s mother asked. "You've been held captive, used like crystal talismans by the evil adepts," Dhe Tinac explained. "What is this place? It looks like a ruined city from the air." Lyric’s father’s voice cracked from lack of use. They looked like they had been fed and kept clean, but they were pale and weary as if they hadn't slept for days. Their eyes were tired and hollow, and their voices carried an initial sadness that faded as they shared their joy. Mjreeve answered, "You are standing on the ruins of Promise, now called the lost city of Despair." Dhe Tinac patted Lyric's shoulder. "We might have to live here now. We cannot go back to Learn. There were quite a few adepts that weren't in cohorts with the Headmaster, but still followed his lead. They will not resist taking over the reins of power and trying to keep the status quo, with themselves as the new leaders. It will be years before they accept what we’ve done. Even though we saved them, they will resent that we have broken their stupid law not to read. This would never have happened if they had tried to teach instead of just hold their jobs. Those left at the school will never admit their mistakes.” Deric nodded. “Some of the Headmaster's followers must be holding key positions in guilds and at the school who didn't come here today. They will be in hiding, but will use their positions to influence the guilds and merchants to keep the rules the same or risk losing their positions of favor. The black adepts are not all gone, and those that remain 100
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have learned to be more cautious. We will have to build a new school here that makes learning easy on the students, not only on the teachers. With hard work, we might be able to rebuild this city in a few years. The location is ideal.” “It may be possible to rebuild it faster with the right magic. I read a spell once.” Mjreeve was pensive. "Piro already taught me how to rebuild walls with magic," Lyric laughed. "How could a giant teach you magic? Giants don't do magic." Mjreeve’s voice was teasing. "I've heard it said, there is something to be learned from everyone." "The kid's still learning. There is hope yet,” Daav said, chuckling. “I want more proof than just winning an improbable battle against impossible odds.” Arjay insisted. "So raise the ruined walls. Feel the shape that once was, and the magic that lies broken and scattered in these rocks. The bones of a city long dead." With a wave of his claw, the image of a building grew before them. Lifting his other hand, the rocks glowed with a light of their own. "Let's see how well Piro taught you to build walls, little mage." "These aren't just walls, it's an entire building, Mjreeve you should do it. You fixed the house after it was destroyed." Lyric complained. "Dragons don’t do magic! In this case, this is too much for me.” “Then how do you expect me to be able?” “I expect you to try with me." Mjreeve seemed to have forgotten they had just fought a battle. With a look of grim determination, Lyric reached up and put a hand on the dragon’s shoulder as they both gestured and looked at the image and the rocks that glowed. Sweat dripped from Lyric's face as the rocks teetered back and forth and started to roll towards each other. With a groan, the building began to assemble itself. Rocks groaned and dust swirled until the building stood reassembled in the same place it had stood centuries ago, albeit still cracked and dull. It glowed softly within the gentle radiance from the image of what it had been. "Very good, little mage. I've always wanted to be able to do that!" Mjreeve said with a chortle in his voice. "What? I thought you could." Lyric was surprised. "No. I've never mastered that spell well enough that I could reconstruct things from damage done long ago. I only seem to be able to repair things when the damage is recent. I think I see how you did it. Now let's see what the other buildings at least looked like. Piro, lend me some strength." "Gladly, old friend." Piro placed a giant hand on the Dragon's shoulder, and the image of the building spread until there was an entire city outlined in a ghostly glow. The colors of the buildings were apparent, and even flowers and fountains were visible in the transparent likeness. A ghost of what it once was. "Well, child. If you want to sleep under a roof tonight, it is best we get started with the real work of the day. Just make the stones conform to the image you see." "You're kidding. I can't possibly rebuild the city by myself." "True. Too bad you did not think to bring friends with you." "Oh." Lyric turned to the crowd around them. "Can you help me?" "We are here to help when you need it, Lyric." Dhe Tinac placed a hand on Lyric's shoulder, while Wend placed a hand on the other shoulder. Lyric’s parents held each of Lyric's hands. Deric held Wend’s hand and reached out to Daav and Arjay. Daav looked at his hand and wiped it off on his vest. "Evil adepts always leave a sticky mess. Sorry." Arjay 101
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cringed a little but took Daav’s hand anyway. Then everyone held hands, raising them up as Lyric looked at the flickering city. "I guess that there is only one way to find out if we can really do it." With a musical hum, the magic rippled from the crowd and visibly flowed into Lyric. Lyric's hands tossed the magic into the air, and it splashed into the ground. The ground rumbled and shook. The earth split in places and buildings rose out, half demolished. The clouds roiled across the sky as the magic swirled around the broken city and started to repair it. Faster and faster, like a tornado in reverse, building things, rocks and dust burned with a golden flame as they fused into solid walls. Marble buildings and glass Towers rose up and stood strong as the glows were replaced by real substance. Even the building Lyric had already restored glowed brighter, and the cracks and dull finish disappeared to be replaced by a metallic sheen on the now solid wall. One strange face asked. "This is very beautiful, but how will we eat? How will we earn money?" Wend smiled at the question. "Some of us still know how to work for a living. I imagine there is a farmer or two here, along with some engineers and artisans." People all around nodded or raised their hands. "A community is more than buildings. We can raise our families here, and no one will tell us how to live our lives or what we can learn. If we treat others well, they will stay, and more will come. The buildings we left behind were no better than these. If we don't like the rules they make elsewhere, then at least here we can make rules we can live by. I want to build a family and be with people I care about. If my husband and these friends are all that live with me in this city, it will still be our home.” Dhe Tinac agreed. “This is our Promise now! Here we will build a city where everyone can learn, where anyone can read, and where all have the right to help make the laws that bind us.” Lyric gushed to Deric, “I never did get to give you your wedding gift. Maybe now I can. Hold my hands. Ground yourselves and when I say now, push as hard as you can straight down. Now!” As they rose into the sky Mjreeve gestured and Deric and Wend's clothing turned shimmering white. They spiraled around the tower until they lightly landed on the balcony. Wend kissed Lyric while Deric gave Lyric a hug. Then Lyric dove over the side with the air rushing around, and Ember catches up and circled around as they flew. Then they float gently to the ground surrounded by friends cheering. The sprites appeared on cue and the air filled with sound. I make you a promise, and I’ll tell you now, If you practice each day, you’ll get there somehow. It may not seem easy, but it’s worth the try If you want to go forward then reach for the sky. I’m telling you true, I’ve been there before If you hold my hand, I’ll go there once more. I know when you’re near, I’m never alone We share a hope, that all of us own. Sit back and plan out your dream Make sure you put together a team Know when to take your first step 102
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Don’t stop, your not quite there yet. There are those who find success, Others know it’s made By taking the time and working hard Climbing up the grade. Some have answers without a sweat, most go to great pains. To learn, to work, ‘til each goal is met, to earn their meager gains. We each must find ourselves a plan, to make ourselves a home By giving others a new friend, that they can call their own.
THE END
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