The Wand-Maker's Debate: Osric's Wand: Book One (28 page)

Osric appeared suddenly in the tower, and the guard activated an alarm as he spun around, dropping the bow and arrow in favor of a knife from his belt. Osric was much faster and knocked him in the head with the butt of his sword, catching him as he collapsed to keep him from falling from the tower. Then he dragged him quickly to the center of the platform and began binding his hands.

Osric heard a battle cry from the ground below him. He peered over the edge quickly and saw that Machai had Aron lying on the ground and was tying his hands. Kenneth had the guard near the door restrained, and the guard that had been playing bones with Aron had his hands held up in the air with Kenneth's sword tip pressed between his shoulders. Osric saw movement from the corner of his eye, and glanced up to see the guard in the bloody apron running toward Kenneth with a cleaver raised high over his head. Kenneth was unaware of the advancing attack, and Osric had no time to
travel
the distance to save his friend. In a panic, Osric threw his sword with all of his might at the attacker, praying silently to Archana that it would hit its mark. Shock and relief filled his mind as the blade sunk deep into the man's chest. The guard's eyes went wide with surprise as he stopped his advance and stared down at the protruding sword. His mouth hung open in shock as he fell to his knees, then awkwardly toppled to his side.

Osric lashed the sentry's ankles and grabbed his arm,
traveling
with him to the chamber below. He retrieved his sword, cleaning the blade on the guard's apron. Kenneth and Machai stood in front of him, having both secured their men. The cook was the only man that lay dead, though the sentry and the guard near the door were unconscious. Machai had managed to secure Aron awake and he glared at each of them with hate filled eyes. Osric looked up at the second story rooms, as Gus appeared next to him.

“They're all sound asleep. Stop worrying, boy! Not a natural sleep either. They'll wake, but they'll have a terrible headache.”

“We need to bring all of them down and tie them together so we can watch them.” Osric said, as Machai looked around the volcano for signs of more guards. Kenneth vanished almost as soon as Osric completed the statement and reappeared crouched on the floor holding the arm of a sleeping guard. He quickly tied the man's hands behind his back and left him sleeping on the ground while he went to retrieve another guard.

Both Kenneth and Gus
traveled
up to the small chambers, bringing back an unconscious guard with each trip, while Machai stood watch. Osric dragged the sleeping soldiers over to the wall near the stairs; two irua guards and three humans, and tied them to each other. The last man Kenneth brought down had his arm in a sling, and Osric carefully bound his torso and his ankles rather than his hands. At last, they had accounted for all nine men in the volcano, and Aron's glare grew more intense as they worked.

“You will never get away with this!” Aron spat at Machai with a disdainful snarl.

“Ye keep silent, or I will be cutting out ye'r tongue. Or maybe I will be feeding ye to the dragon. I do not doubt he would love to be repaying ye for ye'r kindness.” Machai lifted Aron's chin with the edge of his axe as he spoke.

Osric was about to begin questioning Aron about the cycle of the spell when he heard a man's voice, shouting from just outside the volcano. He quickly turned and stood shocked as two men stepped through the entrance and walked to opposite sides of the chamber. One held Bridgett before him with a dagger at her neck, and the other held a horrified Pebble in one hand with a small knife at his belly.

“Nobody move! You make a move toward one of us, and the other will kill his hostage!” He was stepping to the right, holding Bridgett securely across her stomach, his head barely in view over her shoulder.

“Now, untie Aron, or this little one is my next meal!” The second man spoke in a high, shrill tone that sent chills up Osric's spine.

“You harm him and I guarantee I will be eating your eyeballs for my dinner!” Gus stepped forward in a fearful rage. “You will still be alive and I assure you, I will enjoy your screams!”

“No! Gus, stop.” Osric studied the men looking for a way to free Bridgett and Pebble. He grudgingly admitted to himself that they could not move fast enough to stop both men before one of them killed their hostage.

“Ye be a lucky bastard.” Machai seemingly came to the same conclusion, as he moved slowly toward Aron and began to untie the ropes binding his hands and feet.

Aron stood up and marched over to the unconscious men, bent over and slapped one across the face. “Wake up, you fool!” He slapped him again and spat at Kenneth. “You, bronze skinned ogre, untie these men, now!”

Osric cringed at the way Aron treated his men and hung his head as they were all untied. They were relieved of their weapons and wands, their hands and feet bound, and then forced to kneel on the ground in front of Aron as he paced back and forth in obvious frustration. The only relief in the tension was when Bridgett and Pebble were sat on the ground next to them.

“Did you think you would succeed, honestly? What did you want to do, anyway, control dragon flight for yourselves?” Aron looked furiously at his men, shoving one of the irua guards to the ground.

“No. We intend to free them.” Osric glared back up at him with pride.

“Free them? We need them!” Aron looked at Osric in confusion. “Your selfish ignorance would have isolated all of Archana's inhabitants if you had succeeded!”

“You don't know as much as you think you do.” Osric argued.

“Ye have been deceived into thinking that dragons must be caged and controlled, but ye'r beliefs do not be justifying the cruelty you thrust upon them.” Machai scowled up at him.

Aron kicked Machai in the face with a grin and watched as he fell over on the ground. “It takes extreme measures to contain these beasts! It calls for extreme men to do what is necessary to serve Archana's inhabitants.”  He grabbed Machai by the throat and spoke through gritted teeth. “And now, I will show you why I am in charge here!” He raised his dwarven blade over his head and a deep roar filled the air.

Osric looked up and saw the massive dragon sweeping down from the top of the volcano into the group of guards, accompanied by several eagles. Aron spun around and ducked just in time to avoid being grasped by the talons of one of the giant birds. Osric threw himself to the side, knocking Bridgett out of the way as the dragon landed and spewed flames at Aron's men. Several of the men's clothing caught fire, and they rolled on the ground screaming, trying to put out the flames. The dragon clutched two of the guards with his front claws and soared up out of the volcano, their screams echoing through the cavernous space. The guard who had taken the brunt of the dragon's flames writhed in agony on the ground, and then stilled, his smoldering clothing and skin sending fetid smoke into the air.

Kenneth and Machai cheered as the eagles went after the eight remaining guards. Most of them ran for cover and were snatched up in the eagles' talons one at a time. Aron screamed in rage as he watched his men being caught and dropped unceremoniously in a pile. He swung his sword wildly in the air as three eagles swooped down at him in random patterns. One dove in fast from his right and dragged his talons along the length of his sword arm. He cried out in pain, dropping the sword, and another of the eagles grabbed him and dragged him to his men.

Osric looked up just in time to see Ero land before him. “Well met, my friend.” The eagle said.

“It is good to see you, Ero!” Osric smiled and turned his back to him. “Can you free me of these bonds so I can help?” Ero sliced through the ropes with one sharp talon and Osric rose swiftly to his feet. He surveyed the volcano interior as he helped Bridgett stand. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I believe so.” She was shaky, but uninjured. “I am so terribly sorry that I failed you, Osric. The second patrol arrived much sooner than we expected, and they took me by surprise.”

“You bought us the time we needed to get inside and convinced the dragon to aid us. That is no failure in my eyes.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and asked, “Are you sure you aren't hurt?”

“I am growing very tired of having sharp blades pressed against my flesh, but I am uninjured. How can I help you open these cages?” She looked around in dismay. Ero's fire-telling had told them that there were nearly fifty dragons held within the mountain, but his words had not prepared her for the sight.

Ero ruffled his feathers and addressed Osric, “Yes, how do you propose we free them?”

Osric turned and called out, “Machai, his blood will only tarnish your blade. Leave him, and let's go over this once more while there is time.”

Machai held Aron by the hair with his axe at his throat. At Osric's call, he released him, landing a hard kick in his ribs and walked away to join them.

21 – Chain Interrupted

Gus and Osric sat side by side at the table, observing the chain of spells that cycled across the cage doors with their Wand-Maker's gifts. “Do you see the difference between the layers in the spell, boy?” Gus asked.

“Yes, I see it. There are what, eleven, no, twelve different variations in the strands?”

“Yes, I see twelve.” Gus said, then with renewed excitement, “Oh, look, there is the interruption! That cage is unguarded!” He exclaimed, pointing at the first cage to the right of the entrance. Then he continued in an exasperated tone, “That lapse doesn't last long enough to throw a rock at the door, let alone throw meat through the slot. How did the dwarf say they feed them?”

Osric stood up abruptly and stomped off in frustration. He located Machai outside the volcano, speaking with the dragon. “Machai, may I speak with you?” The dwarf turned excitedly at Osric's approach.

“Aye, Osric, I be glad ye are here. I be learning much from this majestic creature. Thom be not only cruel and ignorant, he be a liar.” He directed his next question at the dragon. “Stargon, would ye please be telling me friend what ye just told me?”

Osric looked curiously up at the dragon. “I doubted that any would ever be capable of freeing us, but if you are truly a man of prophecy, then perhaps there is yet hope. If you succeed, the dragons will forever be in your debt, and you will need only to ask for our aid.” Stargon lowered his head gracefully to the ground before Osric in a gesture of respect. “I was speaking to Machai of the spell which contains my kin. There is a key of sorts, that must be used to stall the cycle of the spell. That is how they may open a door or a feeding slot. You must find the key.”

Osric was stunned. If there was a key that would interrupt the spell, they would have the dragons free in no time at all. “What sort of key, exactly, and where would I find it?”

“If I knew that, would I have allowed my kin to remain caged?” The dragon turned and stalked away. Osric turned to Machai with a look of despair.

“I be thinking the men will know where to find the key. Let's be asking one.” He pulled his axe from his back and walked into the volcano. Osric followed him through the entrance and across the chamber toward where the eagles were guarding Aron and his remaining men.

Machai stopped before them, and regarded them each with a harsh scowl. He watched them all silently, and then walked slowly and deliberately around the group of guards, while tapping the flat of his axe blade against his open palm. He paused and glared at Thom, but after a moment he continued on. One man sat cowering on Aron's left, and he was whimpering slightly as Machai eyed him closely. “Ye, come with me.” Machai snarled, pointing at the man with his axe.

The man cringed, but he rose silently to his feet and hesitantly followed Machai to where Osric stood near the sentry tower. Osric pulled a chair over from the table and sat the man down roughly. Machai stood next to him and rested his axe blade on the man's shoulder, eliciting a scared whimper from the guard. He recognized him as the man who had stood in the tower with the bow before Osric had defeated him. Machai looked meaningfully at the doors of the dragon cages and then back at the scared man.

“I be thinking these dragons are growing mighty hungry. Where be the key to the doors, so we can be feeding them?” The guard's eyes widened in fear and Machai leaned in close, putting ever more pressure on the blade near his neck.

“I don't know what you are talking about.” The man whined. Several eagles cried out as Aron lunged toward Machai, screaming at the guard what he would do to him if he talked.

Osric yelled out, “Restrain him!” As the eagles were attempting to wrestle the unruly leader to the ground, Thom took advantage of the chaos and broke away from the group, sprinting across the room. He disappeared through the archway farthest from the entrance, and Osric tore after him. Osric slid to a stop outside the dim chamber and lit the tip of his wand, wary of the possibility that Thom was armed and waiting for him. He stepped through the doorway, sword drawn, and Thom stood just inside with a wide grin on his face.

“You will never free those filthy beasts!” He held a small, dark crystal in his hand, and as Osric lunged toward him, Thom threw it to the ground and crushed it beneath the heel of his boot. There was a sickening crack, and Osric saw thick black smoke rising from beneath Thom's foot. Just as Osric grabbed Thom to thrust him back into the main chamber, he heard a startled yell from Gus.

“By the strands! Boy, what did you just do?! Get over here and look at this!” Osric knelt and picked up the broken shards of the crystal and ran over to see what Gus was yelling about, dragging Thom with him. “What happened? Look at the strands, boy!” Osric activated his gift and looked at the cage doors, immediately noticing what had caused Gus so much distress. Where there had been a simple yet impenetrable weave of twelve variations of strands, there was an intricate, and impossible weave of three times as many strands. Osric could distinguish the same twelve variations, but the pattern was significantly harder to follow and discern. He growled in frustration and punched Thom as hard as he could, splaying him out on the floor.