Wizard Pair (Book 3) (37 page)

Zhimosom tugged on the ropes, but he could not get his hands free. He did not have enough magic to call forth fire. He was depleted. He panicked and twisted his body around trying to get free as the three monks with torches slowly stepped forward.

Zhimosom felt the bump in his pocket and recalled the vials Alwroth had given him. He pulled and tugged to get his hands into the shallow pocket and extract the vials as the monks approached. He managed to free and opened the vials, spilling their contents onto the platform. Zhimosom hoped it would work.

"I am a friend of the dragons."Zhimosom shouted. "I can call forth fire."

He heard the sizzle as the powder ignited and felt the flames warm his legs.

The monks holding torches backed off. Zhimosom looked up as the fire started to spread. "Well. Let me go!"

Danirus smiled. "If you are innocent, the fire will not harm you." He started to chant a short phrase that was quickly picked up by the others. "Sit spiritus eius reveletur," they chanted in unison, over and over again.

Zhimosom recognized their chant. It asked that his spirit be revealed. He tried to reach Rotiaqua and draw on her magic. The connection was weak, he saw her face dimly before him, but he could not hear her words. He tried to shout. "Please help me. I am in Mistwind."

The oil soaked wood caught fire immediately with a loud whoosh. It felt as if a hot wind had blown in off the desert.

An acrid stench clutched at him as the flames billowed into the air. The smoke curled around him, making its way into the clear sky. Zhimosom felt the heat, but he noticed that it was swirling around him, maintaining its distance from his body.

Zhimosom thought back to the burning fields and how he had absorbed and channeled the power of the fire. He reached out for the fire, pulling its energy into his drained and depleted body. He didn't know if he could absorb it before he succumbed to the smoke and flames.

The smoke swirled faster and faster, twisting around Zhimosom, wrapping him in a protective cocoon before wafting into the air overhead. Zhimosom breathed easier. It was hot, but not too hot. The flames guided by the smoke swirled past him. Zhimosom had hope that he might yet survive the ordeal.

Zhimosom reached for the power in the flames and drew it to himself, infusing his body with it. His magic returned, more powerful than before. He reached out, and touched the magic of the pools in Rohir and drew on them, joining his own magic with that of the fire and the water. The flames leaped higher into the sky and with one mighty whoosh, the entire pile of wood and brush was consumed. The fire died out and all that was left of the brush was ashes and wisps of smoke.

Zhimosom stood in the middle of it all, still tied to the post, but untouched. He focused his magic on the bindings and spelled them away.

The monks bowed their heads to the ground, silent as Zhimosom climbed down from the remnants of the platform and strode through the ashen remains of the fire. He walked over to where Danirus lay prostrate.

"Do you believe me now?" Zhimosom tried to control his anger. He was tempted to reach out and give the monks a taste of fire.

"You have spoken truth. The dragon's fire has blessed you," Danirus said. "Please accept our help and hospitality."

Zhimosom scowled at the monk, but decided Danirus was still his best hope of finding out more about the dragons. He allowed the monk to lead him back to the temple.

Zhimosom was guarded at first, but as Danirus spun tales of the dragons and their ancient wisdom, he was drawn in.

He listened to the monk until he could stay awake no longer. The monks showed him to the inn where he could rest up and recover. Zhimosom was glad for the day to end. He fell asleep and dreamed of dragons and dragon fire.

Zhimosom awoke the next morning and returned to the temple to break his fast with Danirus. He was still slightly wary of the monk, but he had no choice other than to accept his hospitality and roof. Zhimosom needed their help to understand the dragons.

He had contacted Rotiaqua to learn that the Wizards in Ryden had been killed to the last man. He could hardly keep his mind on the task at hand. His anger gnawed at him.

"We need to free the dragons from Sulrad's spell," Zhimosom said. "I need to know as much as you can tell me, that might help me do that." Zhimosom looked at the old monk, hoping he had something that would truly help.

"You have met one of the dragons. It came to you, it spoke to you, and it cleansed you in its fire. You may be able to summon it to you if you concentrate."

"And then what?" What would Zhimosom do if the dragon came? Would it have answers?

"Then ask it how we may free it and its kind."

"The dragon never told me much before, why would it answer me now?" Zhimosom picked at this food.

"You may have formed a bond with the dragon that will allow it to come to you when it is not being actively commanded by Sulrad. Do you recall what the dragon looked like? Did it give you its name?"

"It did not give me its name, but I will never forget what it looked like."

"Then you may be able to summon it yourself."

"And then?" Zhimosom was not sure he wanted to meet the dragon again. His last encounter had not ended all that well. He had only just recovered his full strength.

"Talk to it," Danirus laughed.

Zhimosom could not help but like the old man when he laughed. He had an infectious humor and laughed heartily at almost everything.

After the morning meal was complete, they made their way to the open square. Zhimosom had to rush to keep pace with the old monk as they wound through the streets.

The square was just starting its daily transformation into the marketplace when they arrived. Vendors were setting up carts and erecting shelter from the hot sun, but most of the square remained free of people. Zhimosom and Danirus stopped in the center of the square and sat.

"Imagine the dragon in your mind. Picture its face, hear its words, draw it to you," Danirus said as Zhimosom relaxed and reached out for the dragon. Zhimosom could sense the monks excitement that the dragon might come.

"I can feel it." Zhimosom felt the connection to the dragon. It was distant at first, but stronger as he held it. No words were exchanged, but he sensed its power, saw its face, and felt the heat of the fire it had washed him with.

The wind of the dragon's landing brushed Zhimosom's closed eyelids. He opened them as the dragon settled into the damp grass before him. Wisps of smoke curled upwards from its nostrils as it carefully examined Zhimosom. "I see you have met the monks, and they have tested you."

"They have," Zhimosom replied. How would the dragon react to his request?

"You would free me?"

"If I can." Zhimosom reached out for the magic surrounding the dragon. He sensed the spell Sulrad used to command it. It was unmistakably Sulrad, but there was something else, another Wizard, and a Sorceress, and more. It was like the spells he had defeated in the Temple, only this magic was much stronger.

Zhimosom probed the spells deeper. He found the one that Sulrad had used to summon the dragon. That spell was weak and tenuous. Zhimosom could break that with ease, but the command spell was stronger. Zhimosom felt Sulrad's magic, but underneath that was the smallest hint, the merest touch of the flavor of a dragon. Sulrad must have used the magic of the dragon he had killed to command this one. Zhimosom shuddered. With that much power, Sulrad would be undefeatable.

"I feel the magic of a dragon in his spell. I saw him take the life and magic of a dragon before you carried me here."

"Yes, he has killed my kind to power his magic," the dragon rumbled. "You see that, do you not?"

"I see it. But he did not use that on you?"

"No, not at first, but he has refreshed the original command spell with the magic of my fallen brother. Sulrad is using the full force of it on the rest of my kind."

Zhimosom recalled Sulrad's magic. He felt for it, examining the command spell that wrapped around the dragon. He saw how Sulrad had crafted the spell, found a loose end, and pulled on it. It started to unravel and soon was almost completely gone, but some remained. Zhimosom could not entirely remove the command spell.

Next Zhimosom attacked the summoning spell. It was more complex, but it was only powered by Sulrad's magic. He quickly removed that so that the dragon would be free to go where it wished.

The dragon lifted its head and breathed fire into the air. "Thank you," the dragon rumbled. It lowered its head back to Zhimosom.

"My name is Kel'hin. What do you wish of me?"

"I would like to know whatever I may about the dragons and what Sulrad is doing so that I might find a way to defeat him."

With Kel'hin's help, Zhimosom prepared the spell he planned to use to free the dragons. He had carefully transcribed a few candidate spells while in Amedon. These were the most powerful spells he could find on releasing and unbinding. One spell he kept hidden. It was an ancient spell of transformation. He would only use that if there were no other hope. He wasn't even sure that it would work.

Zhimosom reached out to Rotiaqua. She was helping prepare the city in case the dragons attacked. She rested in her labor of carrying buckets of water to the top of the tower, and opened herself to him.

"Where are you, still in Mistwind? Are you coming back?" she asked.

"Not just yet. I have managed to free one of the dragons. I am going to try and do the same for the rest." Zhimosom was glad that his magic was strong enough to speak with her again, and that he could draw on her magic along with his own. She seemed to have a better grasp on drawing the magic from the pools in Rohir than he did.

"There is almost always one dragon in the air overhead. They aren't doing anything threatening, just scouting," she explained.

"How are the preparations going?" Zhimosom asked.

"As well as they can. The whole city is saddened by the loss of the Wizards in Ryden. They say there is no leader now. The Council has been abandoned."

"Who's organizing the effort, then?"

"Ashray is the only Council member left. He has been directing the efforts as well as he can."

Zhimosom felt numb. "But ... the others?"

"They're all dead. They were killed in the attack on Ryden. None survived."

"Somehow, I will find a way to make Sulrad pay for that," Zhimosom vowed. He wanted revenge for the death of his friends more than anything.

Zhimosom labored throughout the day, calling upon the magical stores of the pools and adding Rotiaqua's magic to it. He even drew magic from Kel'hin, but nothing happened. Not one other dragon responded as Kel'hin had. Zhimosom was unable to connect with any other dragon or influence them in any way.

"Why can I connect with you?" Zhimosom asked.

"There was not enough dragon magic in the spell that bound me. Sulrad killed a Sorceress and took her power to drive the first summoning spell. Much of that power was still in the amulet when he commanded me. It was the Sorceress' magic that powered the spell more so than a dragon's."

"I'm not making any progress. I'll have to try something else. There must be another source of power that I can use." Zhimosom sat back with a heavy sigh.

"There is a source you have not tried." Danirus had sat silently, watching since the dragon had arrived, but now he was animated.

"What source?" Zhimosom asked.

"There is a source of magic, deep inside the plains. It is said to be left over from the creation of the world. It is ancient and powerful."

"How do I find it?" Zhimosom was willing to try anything. He was growing weary and feared that Sulrad would not wait much longer before he launched his attack on Amedon with the entire clan of dragons at his command.

Kel'hin looked at Danirus, his large eyes wide with surprise. "You know of this?"

"We are the lore masters. We know of many things."

Kel'hin rumbled. "Our legends speak of lands with special powers, but we have been gone from this realm for so long, their location has been lost."

"I can show you where it lies," Danirus said.

Zhimosom felt that there might be hope yet. If he could find this source of power, surely he could free the dragons. He didn't need to defeat Sulrad directly to do that.

Before Zhimosom could complete his thought, Kel'hin raised his head high in the air and let out a roar. "He calls!"

"Who calls?" Zhimosom asked. Had Sulrad found a way to reassert his control over the dragon? Zhimosom reached out to Kel'hin. He saw the thread of Sulrad's magic pulling at the beast. He tried to sever it, but it was too strong.

"I cannot resist. He calls us all." Kel'hin looked at Zhimosom with large sad eyes. "Please find a way to save my kind." With that, he extended his mighty wings, launched himself skyward, and was quickly gone from sight.

"Show me where this magic lies," Zhimosom said.

"I cannot. It is many days travel from here. We have to descend to the plains. It is far."

Zhimosom knew he could not travel there by magic because he had never been there himself. He had to find a guide just as Garlath had guided him to Amedon. "Is there any way you can show it to me in your mind? Can you recall what it looks like, where it is?"

"I have never been there." Danirus shrugged. "None of us have."

Failing to get in touch with the magic, Zhimosom was eager to get back to Amedon. If Kel'hin was right, Sulrad was about to gather the dragons. It wouldn’t be long before the Priest launched an attack on the remaining Wizards in Amedon. Zhimosom would be needed there, and if he survived the battle, maybe he could find the spells he needed to harness the ancient power and save the dragons.

Library

Zhimosom reached out to Rotiaqua from Mistwind. He didn't bother to check if she was awake. "I'm coming back."

He saw Rotiaqua in his mind's eye as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "How?" she mumbled.