A dragonslayers tale

Fastonar did sound incredulous and she did look down. “A thief like none other, a man of my own people. He was hiding there pretending to be an ordinary elf and my oh my was he good at it. He helped me get out and we did escape the city but just barely. We roamed the lands for a long time trying to figure out how to bring the mages down, gathering lore and trying to come up with a plan. I was a warrior of light for many centuries, fighting everything I saw which could bring the dark ones more power, trying to destroy their associates and businesses.”

Dhokay stared at her, the luptay did look intense. “I think I know what your gift is Zaray, it is a good thing you managed to escape”

She smiled. “Yes, but they would never have broken me, I am way too strong.”

She closed her eyes again. “We did split up, could cover more ground that way and for years I was alone. His gift was the ability to blend in, to make everybody believe he was someone he wasn’t. He used it for all it was worth and he did manage to find a lot of information but in the end we knew that the old legends were our best shot. They told the truth.”

Shaluun was fidgeting with his hair. “He isn’t here?”

She looked down. “No, not even we are invincible, he died years ago, it was a tragic accident and I have missed him ever since. But I have kept going, I will return to the city to avenge all the dead, all the suffering. They will see my true nature when I destroy them once and for all”

Phraan swallowed hard, he felt how his heart did plunge within his chest. “Was he?”

Zaray nodded. “Yes, his name was Gilrian, he was the bravest person I have ever met”

Phraan let the name roll over his tongue and it felt odd, but in a way almost comforting. His father, finally that mysterious person had a name. Zaray did smile at Phraan, her eyes filled with a sort of gentleness. “You look a lot like him, you are taller though, and your hair is darker but otherwise you are your father’s son beyond any doubt”

Phraan swallowed, his throat felt thick, almost stuffed. “Thank you, I wish…I wish I could have met him”

She nodded and pulled her cloak tighter around herself. “Yes, and I am sure he too would have been delighted to meet you, he never knew he had fathered a child, I heard of you long after he was gone.”

Phraan stared at her, his heart beating. “You heard of me?”

She nodded. “Yes, the orcs. They spoke of the one death loves, of a half elven warrior who fought like possessed, who seemed invincible. I wanted to meet you back then Phraan but I couldn’t, the time wasn’t right. If I had contacted you it would have endangered you”

He stared at his own hands, it was so alien to think of himself as someone born of the same people as Zaray. “So my gift is simply killing?”

She nodded. “Yes, the ability to see a weakness and strike right at it, you are a warrior like none others Phraan, you started to awaken back during the orc wars. And you found your calling when you hunted dragons but now, now son of Gilrian you are complete. The weakness of human blood is forever gone, you are fully one of us now, and you will discover what that truly means”

Everybody stared at Phraan and he felt self-conscious and a bit embarrassed. “Stop glaring, I am still me!”

Dhokay nodded. “Yes, and a heck of a lot more than before”

Rhuk was almost applauding. “I have said it ever from I saw you the first time, that one has strong feet, good feet!”

Fastonar took a deep breath. “So, what is the plan now, what do we do?”

Zaray made a nasty grimace. “We enter the hidden path, but I am rather sure that it won’t be easy. They know we are coming and will try to close it up, or worse. There will be problems, no matter whom or what we are.”

Dhokay was rubbing his hands, he did look as if he was in doubt somehow. “So, how long is it since you used the hidden path to get out of there?”

Zaray looked down. “Too long, I am the first to admit that. I left the city many centuries ago, before they found the thing which enabled them to get through the wall and before they started breeding dragons again. I wanted to crush them before they rose to power once more for I knew that they would, sooner or later. I just pray I am not too late”

Dhokay stared at the enormous rock wall, it did look very solid indeed. “The path, I bet it is magical right?”

She nodded. “Yes, like another dimension, a world of its own. The wall does cut through it though, and we have to find a way to pass it. “

Ivran was lifting his head. “I don’t think I am able to do anything about that, it is…it is so powerful”

Zaray shrugged. “Yes, but I think I have a plan. I am not sure that it will work but we have to try”

Fastonar was leaning forth, he did look eager somehow. “And then, when we have gotten through, then what?”

Zaray almost sneered. “Then we destroy what we can, if they cannot get through the wall again they will be shut out from the rest of the world”

Phraan did stare at her, her eyes were rock hard and almost burning. “So, you wish to cripple them by ruining the artefact which lets them get out?”

She nodded. “Without that thing nothing they do matters. They aren’t strong enough to control it on their own”

Fastonar was frowning, his face rather closed off. “Are you sure?”

She smiled swiftly, but her eyes didn’t change, they had that hard expression still. “Yes, I am very sure. The wall was erected by mages way superior to the ones who exist now, the old texts said they used a very different type of magic too, and these days nobody is that strong.”

Thiana was looking at the strange woman with curiosity. “The source of their power, that thing the shaman called a heart stone, it cannot provide them with enough power to regain control?”

Zaray sighed. “Yes, it can. It can give more power than anyone can even imagine but we have to cleanse it. I have no idea of how so here I will just let the Gods guide me.”

Shaluun was petting his axe. “Sometimes luck is what defines the brave, we have to try”

Rhuk and Dabin were grinning. “Destroying stuff seems like a good idea. We can do that.”

Zaray was staring at her knees, her eyes thoughtful. “When I used the hidden path to get out of there I was followed by someone who had used it before. Gilrian knew how to avoid the dangers in there but even he only did it because he had to. It is truly a very different world, and one which is unpredictable at its best. We will be hunted, and that is a certainty.”

The huge dragon creature had lain down with its head resting upon its front legs, it was not moving but the eyes revealed that it was listening. Zaray turned to it. “That my friends is the species which the dragons first evolved from, I didn’t know that anyone still existed but I think that this one here in fact belongs to the dimension we are about to enter.”

Taurin turned his head and stared at it. “It is obviously not hostile”

Zaray laughed. “You are right, he want to help us. I have no idea of why though.”

Phraan looked at the beast, he had killed way larger dragons, even without any special gifts. This however did feel different than the others, it was way more primitive and he could feel that it was natural. This wasn’t some beast transformed through the use of wicked magic, it was an animal which had evolved on its own, being brought forth through eons of time. He knew it had to be intelligent, perhaps way more so than the dragons he had encountered and he believed that he knew why. The dragons created by the dark mages had been bred only to destroy, to create chaos and fear and wreak havoc upon villages and cities. A natural animal won’t do that, so the dragons had to be stupid so they wouldn’t resist the orders of their masters. It did make sense.

Zaray pointed at the wall, it was looming above them and made everybody feel tiny and vulnerable. “One more thing, when we enter the path you must not eat or drink anything from that place, if you do it will bind you to that dimension and you can never leave it, understood?”

Fastonar cringed. “So we have to bring everything with us, water and food and all?”

Zaray nodded sternly. “Yes, absolutely everything”

Taurin frowned. “The horses then, what about them? I don’t think we can stop them from nipping at grass or leaves or whatever we come across of green stuff”

She snickered. “No, that would be hard, but it doesn’t work that way with animals, they are safe so don’t worry about that. It only affects intelligent self-conscious beings.”

Dabin did grin at Rhuk. “Listen, you are completely safe then”

Rhuk did give Dabin the finger, just to show what he felt about that statement. Dhokay was obviously thinking hard. “The dark mages, can they affect the dimension? Does their will have any power there at all?”

Zaray made a grimace. “To be honest? I have no idea, when I escaped from the city I hadn’t really started to realize how much the dark brotherhood had done and what they were capable of. I was way too naïve and believed that once I was out of there everything would be fine. I do fear that yes, they can enter that dimension and yes, they can use their magic there.”

Ivran was laying down still, he was pale and Phraan thought that he was breathing in a funny way. “They will try to stop us, I just know they will”

Zaray looked at him, her eyes were almost tender. “Yes. Most probably.”

Ivran swallowed and his eyes did tell of pain. “Listen, the dragons, they are protected against magical attacks right? That I in fact killed one with magic has to have some sort of meaning, some sort of consequence, I just cannot see it”

Everybody looked at their neighbour, eyes filled with wonder. “Yes, we had to kill dragons the old fashioned way, with weapons.”

Dhokay’s voice was low and intense and then Shaluun made an odd sound. “Folks, I have an idea. I don’t know if it is worth trying, or if I am thinking the right way but consider this. Why did they protect the dragons against magic in the first place?”

Even Zaray frowned, her eyes narrow. “I don’t quite get it?”

Shaluun pointed at Phraan and the ring on his finger. “Magic leaves a trace, and that trace is like a piece of the one who created it right? Like a scent, left behind by someone who passed by.”

Ivran nodded slowly, his eyes were hazy but he was recovering, although slowly. “Yes, I learned about that. A magic item can in fact reveal a lot about its maker”

Shaluun grinned. “This is maybe far-fetched but I was thinking, there aren’t that many mages out there now is there? Even without the protection few dragons would be killed with magic, they are too many and a mage cannot really go out there and start killing dragons without being drained himself. There has to be another reason why they would use strength and time just to make the dragons that strong”

Phraan gasped. “Yes, yes damn it, dragons are hard to kill, some are impossible to slay even for us with experience, we can only hope to hurt them or help get people out of their way.”

Zaray was gaping, her eyes were huge. “Of course, we have been fools. Not that it would have mattered at all but I see it now. “

Shaluun looked at her with large eyes. “You do?”

She was nodding vigorously, head moving so fast her hair was flying around. “Most certainly! They used magic to create the dragons right? That means that some of the magic would remain in the dragon and if it was killed outside of the wall that power would be lost to the mage who created it. Can’t you see it? Killing dragons with magical means drains the dark mages!!”

Phraan stared at Ivran. “Then by the Gods, we could use a hundred mages like you lad”

Shaluun had a silly expression upon his face. “They didn’t try to protect the dragons, they tried to protect themselves. Their energy must be limited then”

Zaray swore, “Of course it is limited, therein lay their biggest weakness. Even a dark mage cannot go beyond his limits. The core to this is that heart stone. I just knew it, even that has limitations.”

Dhokay tilted his head. “It did sound very powerful if you ask me?”

She sighed and her hands moved, as if she was trying to indicate a shape in front of her. “Yes, it is, it is very powerful, but think of it as…as a lake. You can drain water from a lake, in fact you can lead water from it through countless little canals but they cannot be too wide or too big for if they are what will happen?”

Dhokay looked down. “The water will flood them and tear them apart, it will create a flood”

Zaray pointed a finger at him. “Exactly! They cannot take too much from it at once, for if they do they won’t be able to stop it, it will just keep flowing. If you grasp a tiger by the tail you’d better hold on or else you will be in deep trouble”

Phraan was no magician, he had little understanding of that power at all but he wasn’t stupid. “So, if the dark brotherhood takes too much from the heart stone it will do what to them? Kill them?”

Zaray bit her lower lip. “Wouldn’t that be just great? No, I don’t think so. Magic in itself doesn’t work that way, at least when the person in question is used to it. I bet that dark mages are well trained in warding off magical attacks and thus capable of protecting themselves against overflow. I think that the creation of these new dragons and everything else has been done with the mages as a conduit. They are the canals leading power from the lake, the heart stone. And if the dragons did die by magic then maybe that canal would remain open and well, I don’t know but it doesn’t sound like a good idea”

Ivran was listening intently, he was thinking hard. “It does make sense in a way. Like water running through a canal the magic would rip things along with it, and it bet the mages knows that. Forcing them to spend more power at once could in fact be a good idea.”

Dhokay frowned. “But it would just drain power from the stone then, not themselves?”

Ivran raised himself up onto his elbow. “Some of their own energy would be forced to join that magic, they use spells to control the power yes? And the spells come from the mage, not the magic itself.”

Shaluun snapped his fingers. “Spells too powerful to control, I have heard of such. Spells which allow the magic to run amok.”

Ivran groaned. “Yes, there are such spells, I did learn of them, but no mage would ever use them.”

Zaray was squinting, she had turned towards Ivran. “Yes, but for the sake of this conversation, let’s say that a dark mage in fact did use one of those spells, what would happen to him?”

Ivran took a deep breath, there as pain in his expression and he was breathing rather fast. “Uh, hard to tell for nobody has ever done it, but theoretically? If that mage was tapping into the energy of the heart stone while using such a spell I bet the torrent of energy would just…burn him out”

Thiana shuddered. “Literally?”

Ivran shook his head. “No, but it would drag the energy in him with it, he would be left with no magic at all.”

Phraan cocked his head. “Unless he is prepared and shields himself somehow”

Zaray nodded. “Yes, that is an option we have to take into consideration. I bet they are aware of the potential danger here and have ways to prevent it from ever happening”

Shaluun did slap his own knees, his face wry. “Know what? We need something specific to fulfil this mission”

Zaray tilted her head, looked a bit bewildered. “What?”

Shaluun was grinning. “A dark mage. One we can interrogate”

She whistled. “And that will be so easy to accomplish, are you nuts? They won’t hesitate killing at all. And believe me, they can turn someone inside out with a few words, I have seen it!”

Shaluun did still keep that grin on his face. “Yes, but dark mages are forced to be in control of themselves, chaos springs from order right? And they are probably trying to climb within their ranks all the time so magical attacks must be rather common”

Zaray blinked a few times. “Ah, yes? I do remember that even if the mages back when I was a prisoner had little to do they did bicker and fight, although subtly.”

Shaluun spread his arms. “Then an ordinary mundane attack won’t be anticipated now will it?”

Zaray did glare for a second. “Ah, they do have guards? The city is a real city and many are employed by the dark brotherhood. There are soldiers everywhere!”

Shaluun rolled his eyes. “A soldier who never has seen battle is no soldier, he may be trained well but facing a real situation does require something few achieve before they have fought a few times. A calm mind even in the heat of battle, the ability to stay cool, to keep thinking instead of acting out of sheer panic.”

Tersus had been lying down and he had apparently been asleep, but now he sat up and rubbed his head. Zaray cringed, the man had lice, he just had to have lice. There was no way someone like that didn’t have parasites. “A diversion. You need a diversion, and a huge one too”

Everybody stared and the alchemist sort of grunted and scratched his crotch, rather unembarrassed. “If there are soldiers in the city, who do you think the mages will sacrifice first when something happens? Themselves? No, the men. It is always the masses who has to pay the price when the high and mighty wants something done”

Zaray did wet her lips. “So? What are you saying?”

Tersus shrugged. “If you charge all in and just try to destroy stuff you won’t last, even a fool can understand that and I am no fool. If you are expected they will be on guard, they will look for you and everybody will be tense as shit, expecting an attack. You cannot allow yourself to be that predictable.”

Dhokay opened his mouth, he was rather intense. “Go on!”

Tersus waved his arms around and those close to him did cringe, the smell was ghastly. “They will be looking for someone powerful, for warriors, for mages. They won’t look for someone like me, a ragged old fellah with a beardless lad as a servant and not even a penny to my name. But I have something just as powerful as any mage, I have alchemy!”

Zaray sort of grunted. “And you suggest that you go in first?”

He nodded, a wide grin cut the face in two and Peter did turn green, the man didn’t brush his teeth that were for darn sure. “Yes, we hide, we prepare and then we set off something which will confuse them. I bet the dark mages won’t expect the power of alchemy, they will be looking for magic and find nothing and then, when they are scratching their heads trying to understand this you may strike”

Phraan did tilt his head. “Know what? That might even work”

Dhokay nodded slowly and the wild eyes did reveal some reluctant respect. “It may, but Tersus, if they catch you?”

The alchemist nodded. “I know, I know, no mercy will be shown or what? Believe me, I am not afraid of death. But I am afraid of having lived in vain and I have seen what those dragons do, I want to help and if my life can save some poor sod so be it”

Peter nodded. “That goes for me too, I have done some stupid things in my life, but this…this is not stupid at all”

Shaluun and the two dwarves did look a bit shocked. Rhuk pulled at his beard and he did look a bit nervous. “Listen, I have seen that you have brought a lot of stuff with you but can you really create something which can pull the attention of the mages away from the fact that the rest of us is coming?”

Tersus nodded. “Mages or not, they are flesh and blood and I have ideas, and the means with which to put them into action. “

Zaray folded her arms, her expression a bit stern. “Right then, when we reach the city Tersus and Peter must prepare the way.”

Everybody just nodded and the alchemist dragged Peter aside, apparently to discuss the plans. The others did fall silent and Zaray stretched. “Let us rest and prepare ourselves. The hidden path may have changed a lot since I used it, so don’t be surprised by anything you may see”

Thiana and Taurin did look worried and Fastonar was chewing on a piece of dry meat and his eyes were distant. Phraan did lie down and he felt the mountains as something which was almost pushing down on him, even when he couldn’t see them. Another dimension, he just wondered what that meant. He felt the ring, it didn’t move and it was as if it was a part of him now, merged with his flesh and bone. It probably was, if he was to remove it he probably had to cut off his finger. The dragon laid there breathing slowly and Phraan wondered at its motifs, there had to be a reason why it had chosen to stay with them, not go back to its own place. It was so different from all other dragons he had seen, not only was it wingless but the shape and the body was …he couldn’t quite find the words to describe it. It was powerful, elegant, the hide thick and the claws and jaws capable of creating terrible injuries but that wasn’t its prime function. Like Zaray had said, it was natural.

Phraan missed Vitile, and he missed Imeah too, her death still filled him with rage and he was going to seek justice for this, for it all. He just knew that he would have to wait. The small camp was silent, Rhuk and Dabin did feed the horses and Zaray’s mule and Phraan looked over at her. She had met his father, travelled with him, had known him. Phraan’s heart was overflowing with questions now, and he was aching to find the answers but this wasn’t the time for it. Zaray did notice that he was staring and she got up and walked over to him, sat down. Fastonar did throw a suspicious glance at her but she ignored it. “I said that some things were for your ears only and I meant it.”

He looked at her, then he looked down. “Yes, I remember.”

She sighed. “It isn’t easy for you, and I understand. Learning new things about oneself never is.”

He pulled his legs up, leaned his chin onto his arms. “I agree, I haven’t really been able to understand any of it, yet. I don’t even know what I am capable of now.”

Zaray did cross her legs, she was very agile and her eyes did reflect the faint light there rather well. “The difference is subtle Phraan, but you will sense it when you need it. When you fought those dreghil, what did you feel, deep within?”

Phraan swallowed. “I felt…content, as if it was what I was born to do, as if killing such deviltry was a job I needed to do and did well”

She caressed his arm. “Yes, you did very well. Your father would be very proud of you”

Phraan felt sad again. “I am so sorry I never got to meet him, what was he like? His personality I mean?”

Zaray snickered. “Stark raving mad, no that was poorly expressed. He was…cheerful, brave, often way too bold and he did love life Phraan. He was so full of it, so sparkling with just sheer joy. Oh he could be a rogue for certain, use a mouth so foul a troll would pass out hearing it and in a fight? Even a God would run for cover. His wrath was legendary Phraan, he was a fighter like none other.”

Phraan looked down. “So what was he doing in that city then?”

Zaray lowered her voice, leaned her head onto his shoulder, like two intimate friends would. “Here come the things which only you are to hear. Listen well”

She closed her eyes and her voice became so low it was almost impossible to hear, even for him. Her lips didn’t move, for anyone watching she looked as if she was half asleep, seeking warmth from his body. “He wasn’t there just to steal, he was there because my tribe sent him. They knew where I was, but they hadn’t come up with a way to get someone in there undiscovered, before he volunteered”

Phraan swallowed. “Why was that? Aren’t there elves in the city?”

She was breathing slowly, eyes still closed. “Yes, some. Trapped there after the wall was erected. But we are different Phraan, and this is what you need to store in your heart and not tell anyone. Our magic is primeval, it is the original force from which all other magic once came”

He blinked, pretended to be working on the laces of his boots. “And?”

She was heavy against his chest. “The heart stone may sense us the moment we get through the wall, and so can the mages. It can recognize us, and it will most certainly reach out to us in some way if it does.”

Phraan frowned. “And that is a bad thing?”

She nodded. “They have corrupted it remember? It serves the dark mages, the brotherhood. Its pure force tainted by an evil will. The mages will try to catch us, in every way that they can. Just because we are who we are.”

Phraan felt confused. “So it is under their control?”

She nodded slowly. “Indeed it is, but I don’t think it wants to be controlled.”

He sighed. “Yes, I remember what that shaman said, that the lands were different before.”

Zaray grasped his hand, caressed it. “Phraan, the mages will want to drain our powers, to merge them with that stone. That way they can access our skills and use them. I know that this is what they did to weaker mages back in the days.”

Phraan hissed. “That is terrible!”

She let out a soft sigh. “Yes, and that is why my tribe sent your father to find me. I was getting old enough to access my true powers and they couldn’t afford that this fell into the hands of the brotherhood. Gilrian too had to cloak his true nature, to avoid detection. He had a magical amulet which allowed him to hide his magic from the heart stone but that was lost when he died. He did face some tricky situations but managed to get out of them, not by using magic but by using his charm and his wits. He was very charming when he wanted to, could probably twist even a troll around his little finger given enough time. “

Phraan smiled, a sad smile. “I am not that charming I fear”

She giggled, a small movement revealed it. “No, you are blunter I must say, not as sophisticated. But here is the thing, they will try to find us if they are made aware of our presence, and we cannot let them do that. It may ruin everything”

He nodded and pulled his boots off. “Why can’t the others be told of this?”

She sighed. “Because we will endanger them! And if they don’t know this they cannot reveal it, even under torture. “

Phraan looked down. “The mission before all else?”

She smiled but it was a sad smile. “Yes, so if the heart stone does reach out to you don’t let it gain access to your soul, ward it off, close your mind. It is impure, it will seek to corrupt you.”

Phraan remembered something. “Imeah?”

Zaray pulled her cloak closer to her body. “Is already at work Phraan, she was cursed, and now she is free from the curse. Her spirit will help us, you’ll see.”

Zaray seemed to genuinely wish to sleep like that, curled up to him so he just pulled his blanket over himself and let her stay there. “Thanks for the warning though, I will keep my eyes open”

Zaray just mumbled. “It isn’t the eyes which should be alert, it is your soul.”

She appeared to drift off into sleep and Phraan did too, after a while and some serious thoughts.

The area used for the breeding of dragons was vast, a bowl shaped plain some miles north of the gorge where the city was placed. It was divided into sections by huge walls and several mages were at work there. It did take a lot to do this, and the beasts did also have needs like all other living beings. Now the storages were almost empty, there wasn’t much meat left and the dragons were hungry and very impatient. The other creatures too were waiting to be unleashed and the mages were busy making preparations. Back when Ognias had awakened the dragons the strong had been called back to the city and from them the new flock had been created. Natural breeding didn’t allow them to change the beasts very fast, dragons will only start to lay their eggs when they are mature, which for many of the species could take more than a hundred years. The mages didn’t have time for that, but the gems which had been enriched by the power of the magical source did speed things up. Dragon after dragon had been subdued with magic and a gem forced into its chest. Then it was just a matter of days before the transformation started, making the beast so much stronger than before. The other creatures too were changed, ancient spells and ideas left by the first ones made into flesh and the dark brotherhood didn’t doubt even for a moment that this horde of monstrosities would make everyone surrender to their rule.

The plain was buzzing with life, roars and shouts filled the air and the mages who dealt with the transport of the creatures were placed at one end of it, constantly chanting. A wall of light had appeared between them and the beasts did rush forth, disappearing into it and reappearing somewhere out on the plains. The magic was crackling in the air, making it heavy and hard to breathe in. This was the start of the final attack, soon everything they had would be out there and nothing could stop them. Thousands of dragons had already been sent south and with them other monsters as well, these were among the last groups to be sent off.

When Simaon killed Jurza he opened up a new position as high mage, it was already claimed by one of the senior mages there. Siverel had been a friend of Ognias, one of his most loyal followers and he had never forgiven Simaon for murdering his friend. Simaon had been useful, but not very wise and now he was glad that the man was dead. The body had been fed to the dragons and the entire brotherhood had been celebrating. Siverel stared down at the plain from a platform built into the mountain side, he was not all that impressed. Like Jurza he knew that they went along too fast, that they ought to have tested the new dragons first, to have waited for yet a couple of decades. But the brothers did push forth, eager to finish what they had started and he knew that little could change their opinions.

He sighed, his hands caressing the cold metal of the railing and he made a grimace. He did doubt his brothers, all of them. Few did have the discipline the ancient ones had had and none of them their wisdom. This was something he would have to work very hard to control and he didn’t think that they would be able to rein these monstrosities in whence the lands surrendered.

Just like the dreghil Simaon’s little obedient idiots had unleashed, it was written all over the ancient texts that this was something the first dark mages just had thought about, not something they really truly wanted to use against an enemy. There is a huge difference between reality and fantasy, and between having an idea and turning it into something so terrible. Somehow the dreghil had disappeared, the mages who had unleashed them had been punished, it was just natural and he was rather sure that the dreghil had been too unstable to exist for very long. They had probably just dissolved and that was good for the very idea gave Siverel the creeps. The balance wasn’t there now, it was all a giant mess and he hated the fact that he would have to be the one to find heads and tails to this madness. Simaon had been whipping them all into frenzy, they had been storming towards the goal like a herd of racehorses down a track, quite literally dying to get there first and now he was the leader of a huge house which had been built on a bog, not solid ground.

He groaned and turned around, went back into the deep tunnels. He knew of Simaon’s plan, the magical force which had killed one of their dragons and then been felt a few more times, he did see why Simaon would want to claim that force for himself but the man had really been a giant airhead. The dreghil hadn’t stopped that person and whoever was with him or her, so now he would have to get something organized. Several mages had in fact been killed, they had dropped dead for some reason and he knew that there was something else out there, something which made him truly doubt Simaon’s sanity. Simaon had left such a royal mess it made Siverel wish that they had buried Simaon after all, that way he could have pissed on the man’s grave.

He had read the old prophecies and they did make him worry, he did respect his forefathers and he did see that they had been wise and able to see things in a very different light than the mages and brothers of these days. He was the last bastion of that old tradition and he did miss Badrian and his calmness and understanding of the past. He walked by a few servants who bowed deeply and saw that the brotherhood had gathered around lord Buraz, Arabur stood next to him and looked very important and Siverel snorted and ignored them, walked straight by the door. His respect for the brotherhood was minimal since neither of them were true mages, they just saw mundane power as worth anything, money, wealth, influence. In the old days the brother hood had all been mages and things had been so much better. The ability to change the very fabric of existence with a word, to peer into the deep mysteries of nature and creation and understand them, nothing could ever be as precious as that.

He did hurry back to his chambers, like most mages his rooms were rather Spartan and contained little luxury. The only joy Siverel did allow himself was a bathtub. He loved hot baths, and he had since he was a child. He had been a very frail lad when he grew up and his mother had taken him to hot springs quite often since it eased the ache in his bones. A frail body did force his mind to become strong and it did. He was not as strong as Jurza had been nor as wise as Ognias but he was practical. He knew how to lead and how to keep everything together without losing sight of the details. He was sure he would be able to do his job well, as long as nothing went wrong. He sat down by his desk and wrote a note, his handwriting was elegant and powerful and he grasped the note when the ink had dried and brought it outside to a servant. “Take this to the head of the city guards. It has to happen immediately. And then show it to brother Asmal, his mages has to prepare”

The servant just bowed and ran off and Siverel sighed and sat down, opened a book. It had once belonged to Badrian and it showed a drawing of an odd looking blade. He had no idea of what sort of sword it was but the sight sent shivers down his spine. Badrian had marked that page, but why? The language this book was written in was unknown and the book so old it was a miracle that it still existed. He stared out into the air, he had felt what Jurza too had discovered, that the crystal which allowed them to get the dragons through the wall had been weakened. It had felt quite odd to be near it and he didn’t understand why? Had they drained it somehow? He had ordered a mage to create a conduit from the true source under the city to the gem, to make sure that it didn’t just close their gate so to speak. It was the only idea he had managed to come up with. There was something there he just couldn’t grasp, something he didn’t understand and that was annoying to say the least. He had visited the gem earlier that day and he had almost felt a sort of presence there. It had been fleeting and very weak so he hadn’t been able to get a grasp at what it was.

He closed the book and sighed, stared down at his own hands. Siverel was a very tall lanky man with thin hair and a drawn face. Some would say that he did look melancholic, and that he appeared to be a very soft and mellow person. Siverel wasn’t like some other mages who believed that you had to be like ice to be able to control the forces of chaos, he didn’t enjoy ordering people around and he did absolutely not enjoy forcing others to do things they didn’t like. He could be strict and even cruel if he needed to but he preferred to have faith in his co-workers and let them do things the way they thought were best. Things worked best that way, he had discovered that many decades ago and he had seen first-hand what sort of havoc too strict discipline can create within a crowd. His father had been a general in king Vhandar’s army and he had been very fond of extreme discipline. When a battle was to be fought his men were the first to flee, simply too broken to care whether or not they were being killed by the enemy or hanged by their own. He would never go in that direction.

But the presence was growing in his mind, creating a distraction and he grimaced and got up, walked to his library of ancient books and scrolls. He stared at the titles, some of the books were priceless and he loved them like his children but there was nothing there which could explain this to him. He was wringing his hands, the main library perhaps? There was a lot there and he was sure that the books gathered in what had been Badrian’s little collection could shed some light on this. Badrian had collected so much, things nobody even though about anymore. He put his cloak on and made sure that he did look calm and collected, wandered outside without looking at the guards placed by his door.

The main library was underneath the citadel and it was enormous, a cavernous hall with row upon row of books and you could easily get lost if you didn’t know where you were going. Thankfully Siverel knew the library like the back of his hand and he walked straight to the shelves holding Badrian’s collection. He stopped and stared, which books to start with? It was an important question for even with his knowledge there were thousands of books and scrolls in the collection. He saw that Badrian had organized them by theme and he made a small grimace and wandered off to an entire shelf dedicated to the theme ghosts and apparitions. The presence had felt as if it was someone, not something and with the number of deaths in this city, well, ghosts were not that unthinkable. He picked a random book called “The spirit in lore and myths of olde” and sat down to go through it. He was used to reading a lot of text in one go by simply skimming over it until he saw something which caught his interest. This book was well written and very well put together too, the different topics easy to find and he sat down to focus.

After a while he had to rest and rub his eyes. The light down there was very bright due to magical lighting but it did strain the eyes and he blinked and made some grimaces to soften his muscles. His jaws were aching for he had the unfortunate habit of clenching his teeth when he was reading fast. He had just one chapter left and he doubted that he would find anything there, but the book had been read a lot, he could see that and only Badrian would have bothered as far as he knew. It had to contain something valuable. He took a deep breath and started to read yet again and before long he stopped and had to stare, he started reading slowly, what was this all about? He was gripped by a growing suspicion, ran over to another part of the shelf system and ripped another book out of the rows, opened it and slammed it down onto the table, his fingers seeking something he knew he had heard Badrian read out loud decades ago. He stared down, compared the texts and his heart was hammering harder and harder, his eyes got huge and he sat down with a thud. He felt nauseous, this could not be true. Cold sweat did break out all over him and he stared out into nothingness. Too late, it was too late, what was he to do now? “Oh Gods what have we done?”

His voice was a mere whisper, he held onto the table with both hands, as if he was afraid of collapsing onto the floor. He stared at the words written in the book, words some long forgotten mage once had left there as a clear warning. Badrian hadn’t managed to make the connection, he had been too used to thinking in a linear fashion, Siverel however had a mind which sometimes would behave like some rabbit in a field of cabbages, one hop in this direction and another in that direction and the result would be a very winding path. He leaned back, rested against the chair, feeling slightly exhausted. “So, this was what they knew, what the past has hidden from us. Badrian was right all along, she will return, the one we have forgotten, and with her…”

Siverel did mourn the fact that none of them were elves, elven memory can last for ages and never fade but a human can live for a century at the most and if not written down on solid paper that person’s thoughts and memories will be lost forever. He was lost for words, also for actions. He was the leader, they should obey him but that was in theory. He would never be able to make them change their mind and it was already too late, none of them strong enough to control what they had created. He closed his eyes and felt old for the first time in his life, his strength drained by this. He sat there for a while, just trying to come up with a plan, then he took a deep breath and his eyes were hard when he opened them. “Yes, it is as it must be, I know what I have to do now.”

He got up, closed the books and hid them on the shelf. The brothers couldn’t learn of this, he had to play his cards very well. He now knew what Badrian had done, it was very clear. And he did understand, and he did also agree. There could be no victory, no glory. The only one triumphant when all this was over would be death. He gasped and leaned onto the shelf. There would be no way back whence he did this, and he would face neither mercy nor understanding. They would never understand. He walked back towards his rooms feeling a strange sort of strength, he had made a choice, and he would stand by it, come what may. His orders had been given and couldn’t be changed without the others getting suspicious but he could do more, so much more. Even strength is worth nothing if it can be turned against you. He ordered a meal to be brought to his rooms, the plan had to be made in detail, and he couldn’t allow himself to do any mistakes at all. After he had eaten he sat down with some parchment and a pen, he had developed his own personal alphabet and nobody else would be able to understand this. Finally he would be able to do something truly grand, something which would be remembered throughout history and change the world. He felt truly humble as he put a pen to the parchment, he just prayed that nothing went wrong.

The morning had come with freezing rain and they were shivering as they prepared to find the hidden path, the horses stood in a small group and looked less than happy and Phraan saw that Ghaday did appear among the rocks, the huge creature just passed by the dragon which lay there as if it was the most natural thing in the world and he wondered. The cat disappeared again and Phraan saddled Drake and saw that Zaray was staring at the vertical wall with an odd expression on her face, she did look as if she did loathe the very existence of that mountain. Everybody got up and they took off, the dragon was following them, its eyes were calm and Phraan did yet again wonder what it did know and what it did want. Zaray did find a very narrow path leading towards the rock face, some boulders lay there but otherwise the ground was surprisingly even and covered with sand and it did look as if the massive mountain had somehow been pushed up, from the very bowels of the earth itself. The smoothness of the stone was unnatural and it did shine, like polished glass. Zaray did ride along it for a couple of hours, then she slowed down and gathered the group around her. “You all have water and food for many days?”

Ivran had gotten a lot better but he was still not himself, he had however managed to bring them lots of bread and sausage and also water skins. It was very clear that he started to get a grasp of the gift he carried and that his understanding of it got stronger. “Yes, we do have enough for a small army”

Zaray turned towards the wall, she did look nervous. “Remember, you are to enter a different realm altogether, nothing here is what it seems to be. Don’t let yourself get thrown out of balance.”

She closed her eyes and raised her hands, a strange pattern of light started to appear upon the rock, as if the rock was transparent and the pattern hidden behind it. It did glow brighter by the second and then the surface of the rock changed and looked like thick mist. Zaray grasped the mule by the reins. “Hurry now, it only stays open for a few minutes”

She pulled the animal after her and disappeared into the mist and Phraan turned his head around and took a look at the surroundings, to remember them if this was the last time he saw this world. A shadow passed overhead and he gasped, it was flying dragons, hundreds of them, huge monsters and they were all heading south. There was indeed not a moment to waste anymore. He followed Zaray into the mist and it felt like walking into a waterfall, only that it wasn’t water at all. He gasped and closed his eyes involuntarily, Drake neighed and he felt that the others were right behind him. When he did open his eyes he did stare at something completely unbelievable and he couldn’t trust his own eyes at all. This was just too much! First of all, it was obviously summer, and it was hot too, and the landscape which surrounded them was as far from the naked mountain plains as you could possibly get. They were surrounded by softly rolling hills, all covered with forest and they stood in the middle of clearing between two hills. Up in a distance the magical wall could be seen, as a shining piece of glass. Zaray did look shocked. “Right, this is not the place I went through on my way out so many years ago but I sort of guessed that this could be the case.”

Phraan gaped, the trees were giants, with wide and rather flat canopies and the place had a sort of vibrancy to it which was breath-taking. It felt like a wonderful place, he couldn’t describe it otherwise. Taurin and Thiana did embrace each other and both did grin from one pointy ear to the other, they seemed to be completely stunned by this forest. Phraan had to shake his head for a moment, wood elves!

Dhokay and Shaluun had their weapons within reach and Tersus was glaring with eyes so huge they looked as if they were about to pop right out of his skull. He did look ridiculous. Peter was just curious and Phraan had to admit that it was a very lovely place. Huge vines did grow up along the branches of the trees and they had flowers in bright colours and Zaray sighed and pointed up ahead. “The wall is our goal but it will take us time to get there. It is farther than it looks from here”

She grasped the mule by its reins and it snapped at her, angry since she had disturbed it. There was grass and green plants everywhere and the horses were already very busy stuffing themselves. It did look like an absolutely stunning and lush forest somewhere south, perhaps on one of the islands along the coast but it was warmer and there were more species. Phraan did look at the trees, they were obviously very old but strong and healthy and he felt that this land was in its prime. Dhokay was grumbling. “It looks normal enough”

Rhuk and Dabin had sort of sought each other’s company, they stood so close together one could have believed that they were trying to get in under the skin of the other dwarf and their eyes were huge and filled with fear. Crap, dwarves are in fact afraid of dense forests, the gods alone knew why but they were. Both held their axes in vice like grips and were sweating and Rhuk was glaring at the trees and he was pale. “Akhi curse it, they will fall over us!”

Zaray rolled her eyes. “Listen to yourself dwarf! These trees are healthy, they won’t fall. Even a hurricane couldn’t fell these trees”

Dabin was panting. “Oh they will, they want to crush us, I know it!”

Dhokay had to glare at the two. “If both of you hacked away at one of these trees with your axes you would still have to spend at least a week before you managed to fell it, so relax. The trees are not dangerous”

Rhuk just mumbled something about silly brainwashed elves and Dabin looked down, his chin was trembling. Shaluun pointed at something. “Folks, look at that!”

A herd of deer had entered the clearing and now the animals were staring at them from a distance, obviously curious. Phraan had believed that this land was like the one he was used to but now he had to reconsider that notion. The deer were huge, larger than Drake and bright white with a blood red stripe along their backs. They had very long necks and two very long tails each and the head was wide and rather long and they had antlers which looked more like a shrubbery than normal antlers. The leader let out a bawling sound and the herd moved along, a few little ones hesitated and stared at them with huge innocent eyes before they followed their moms. “Those are the most peculiar deer I have ever seen!”

Phraan had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, deer that large? Zaray got up onto her mule. “Like I have said, don’t let anything here shock you, and try not to touch anything. We have no ideas of what’s harmful and what’s not.”

They started riding through the forest and the trees were like enormous columns, here and there sunlight streamed through the canopy in bright beams and the forest floor was rather even and covered with a dense layer of dead leaves. There was a track there, probably made by the deer and they followed it. Phraan was on guard the entire time and the huge cat was called forth and watched their left flank while the dragon took the other. A world this lush and full of life is never without dangers. Huge insects did zoom back and forth between the trees and once a dragonfly did hover above them, the size of a huge eagle. Rhuk and Dabin didn’t say a word, both were too shocked and Tersus was sitting there trying to make notes of everything he saw. They had ridden for a while when they saw yet another example of how different this world was, some animals came into view using the track and they were the size of rabbits but they appeared to have six legs, two sets of very powerful hind legs and a set of very long front legs which looked like arms with very long fingers. The ears were so long it did look absurd and it was obvious that these were herbivores for they were munching away at pieces of dry bark which had fallen from the trees.

Dhokay cringed. “That has to be extremely dry food if you ask me! “

The animals did notice them and let out some peculiar chirping sounds, then they sort of jumped over to the nearest tree and shot upwards with powerful kicks. They were obviously able to jump all the way up to the lowest branches in one go. Zaray was gaping and the others did stare too, it shouldn’t have been possible. Thiana and Taurin were still in awe and they did sort of tune into the forest they rode through, their faces did reveal a great deal of joy and wonder and Taurin pointed at the trees. “They are so old, I cannot even describe it. I think these trees could be more ancient than our own world, they grow so slowly!”

Zaray looked back at them. “Can you communicate with this forest?”

Thiana nodded. “Yes, we can feel it, it welcomes us, but there are dangers here. We can sense that the forest tries to warn us.”

Shaluun held his axes near and Peter had attached his sword to the saddle horn, so he could reach it easily. They were all nervous, but also caught by a feeling of reverence. This world did seem very pure, it held little which could be seen as evil in any way. Thiana pointed at some huge flowers which grew on a bush not far from the path. “Do not touch those, the pollen is poisonous and can cause you to suffocate”

Phraan smiled at her “Good, keep warning us”

After a while they reached the bottom of the valley and here it was rather moist and a small river did run through the landscape, rather slowly. The water did tempt them but they remembered that nothing there could be eaten so they used their water skins instead. They had crossed when Taurin suddenly shouted a warning and it wasn’t a second too late for a short legged animal with one pointy horn did rush out from a bush with a roar and aimed for Dabin and his small horse. The animal looked as if someone had deliberately cross bred a rhino and a warthog and it was ugly and obviously pissed. Thiana had her bow ready and fired within the blink of an eye and the animal fell with an arrow through its eye. The horn could easily have gutted a horse. Taurin swallowed. “It wasn’t really aggressive, it wanted to defend its territory but it would have killed anyone getting in its way”

Phraan smiled and looked at the dead creature, it had very thick hide but here and there he did see some scars and if he wasn’t very wrong about it, those were the scars of claws. Surely there were predators there. He made the others aware of it. “When the prey can jump up into the trees that way, and other animals have armour like that I think it is safe to say that there are some creatures here we’d rather not bump into”

Dhokay swung his hammer around, as if to familiarize himself with its weight. “I agree, everybody, keep your eyes and ears open.”

Peter didn’t look at Tersus but he sort of scoffed. “And your noses, who know, maybe there are really smelly beasts here!”

Phraan managed not to laugh, it was rather clear what Peter was referring to but Tersus didn’t notice that little hint at all. He was too busy trying to sketch the dead animal. Zaray rolled her eyes. “Let’s go folks, it is a long way to the wall, we’d better get moving”

The city had been quiet after the group left and Janok had ordered the soldiers to strengthen the surrounding wall with sharp poles and also using what was referred to as foot-irons. It wouldn’t do much good against a flying dragon but any creature running around on the ground would get their feet pierced. He had gotten some special made, way larger than normal and they were buried in the sand so the sharp spikes were out of sight. Janok was nervous, there hadn’t been any major attacks since the group left them and Crassian shared his worries. The officer was often seen on the wall, helping with the work or asking questions, he wanted to know as much as he could about the dragons and their strategies. It was already very apparent that they didn’t just attack randomly, they were controlled and sometimes they skipped smaller settlements and went straight for the large ones. The other outposts had answered, attacks everywhere, from the east to the west and the dragons did move south like a steady glacier, pushing everything in front of it out of the way.

The city did contain a lot of refugees and every building was filled up to under the roof. The major problem now was the lack of resources, there wasn’t enough food, and the drinking water was dwindling too. The wells had started to run dry, they hadn’t been dug deep enough and couldn’t supply this many people with water over time. Some tried to dig down, some wells were large enough for that and it seemed that it was a success but Janok was not convinced that it was. He knew a thing or two most others didn’t and he had already ordered that all the water from the new wells was to be boiled before anyone drank from it, used it too cook or took a bath. There were people everywhere and the hygiene was suffering, the latrines were overflowing and the stench attracted flies by the million. Janok feared an outbreak of disease just as much as he feared a dragon attack. They had seen lots of dragons lately, the scouts had seen huge herds moving southwards and species they hadn’t encountered before. Some even said they had seen some sort of ghastly wolf like monsters in the night and they had been followed by what the soldiers had described as undead dwarves and some sort of ghastly apparitions which glowed in the dark and dissolved everything around them. Many of the patrols hadn’t returned and he knew that these brave men were dead.

Janok sat in his office and he was reading through the diary of a man who had been the commander of this city three centuries ago, he had been in a similar situation, not dragons but drought. The city had been flooded with desperate people and before long many were dead. In fact the death toll had been so great many believed that the gods would claim every living soul in the area and it was in fact an old native who saved the remaining population. He convinced them that the city was cursed and everybody left to get away from it and then the disease stopped. The old ones knew that it was in the water and Jacobar of Twelve towers had written it all down. The natives of the land had told him that the disease originated from the small voles which lived under the grass roots. They didn’t get sick but people would if they drank water contaminated by their droppings and when it got dry the voles would be forced up to find more food and their habit of shitting while on the move proved to be fatal to many. The city with its abundance of food was like a feast to the small rodents and that was why the old commander had made it against the law to kill a cat, and made it mandatory for every household to keep at least one.

Janok was afraid that history would repeat itself so he had placed soldiers by every well and water source and they had fires burning and boiled water by the barrel. It was the only way to be absolutely sure. Crassian wasn’t that nervous about epidemics, he was afraid of the dragons and he tried to make people realize that it wasn’t any safer there than out on the plains. A small group of people was hardly anything the beasts would bother with but a city like this? It would be a sure target, sooner or later they would come. Crassian was a very brave man, he had never been afraid of death but he saw the countless faces cramped together behind those rather puny mud walls and he shivered. It would be a massacre. He did have his pride and his honour and he did try to rouse his men and prepare them for a fight they couldn’t win but it was hard. He didn’t want to watch good men die, and he didn’t want to see all the women and children die neither. Trying to make people leave was hard, a few did see the wisdom in his words and took their belongings and left but so far that wasn’t more than perhaps a hundred souls in all.

Janok had managed to gather all the men who could possibly fight, he had divided them into platoons lead by experienced officers but they didn’t have that much of anything. Most had only their ordinary tools at hand, shovels, pitch forks and axes. They had a few hunters who had good bows and the smiths had been making arrows by the thousands but what good would arrows do against a huge dragon? The city’s defences were pathetic and Janok knew that it was just symbolic. If the dragons did attack they wouldn’t last more than a few minutes, at the most. Days had gone by since the group left and Crassian remembered the last battle and its outcome. If that woman hadn’t fought for them they would all have been dead. Crassian did go to Janok late one evening, the first wells had run dry and some were getting desperate. It was cold and the winter had definitely fastened its grip over the land but people do need water nevertheless and the lines were long in front of every well that was left. It was a rather dry country to begin with and the ground water was deep. Janok was reading the latest reports, the scouts had reported several villages which had been completely erased off the map, and they had found remains of humans and animals scattered around.

Crassian sat down and his eyes were bloodshot, he hadn’t really slept all that well for days. “Janok, do you have any pigeons left?”

Janok did look up, he did look gaunt and his eyes were haunted, all these people were his responsibility now. “Just a couple, why?”

Crassian took a deep breath. “We need to warn the cities to the south, the dragons will reach them soon”

Janok shook his head. “The birds we have won’t do. They have never been south, they have been used for messages between us and the camps to the west of here. They won’t find their way south”

Crassian swallowed hard. “That is too bad. The south needs to be warned about what’s coming”

Janok sighed, leaned his head into his palms and he did look very tired. “I know, I do agree with you, totally. But like I said, we have no birds”

Crassian looked down, his suggestion was really not one he enjoyed to make but he had to. “If you send riders….”

Janok pointed at the map. “I have had the idea, believe me. But it is a ride which is hard as it is, and long. Even at full speed it takes weeks to reach the southern realm and the conditions are far from optimal. There will be dragons hunting those riders, constantly”

Crassian nodded. “Yes, they would have to be brave, and willing to sacrifice everything”

Janok folded his hands, stared at Crassian. “You are brave enough, you are a very capable knight and you do have a few soldiers left who are good riders. I suggest that you take this mission”

Crassian took a step back. “No, I am not expendable, I am needed here. I have to fight to defend this city and the people in it”

Janok stared out of the window. “Crassian, this city doesn’t matter. It is hard to understand and even harder to say but it is the truth. We are perhaps fifteen hundred souls, if the dragons reach the major cities like Twelve towers or Oakfell the death toll will be tens of thousands”

Crassian felt oddly cold, Janok was right. “But even a warning may not be enough, those dragons….”

Janok smiled, a very sad smile. “Yes, they are monsters, much worse than those which were fought fifty years ago. But Crassian, if you stay here you will die, I am sure of it. None here will make it if the dragons do come for this city. Our defences are a joke, merely a way to mask the inevitable. If you go you may save some, isn’t that a worthy cause?”

Crassian closed his eyes. “It feels like cowardice.”

Janok patted his back. “It is not, the group left to try to stop the dragons at their source, and if they do manage to do that there will still be hordes of beasts out there, heading south. Go and warn the cities Crassian, you know the swiftest routes. You can do it”

Crassian swallowed hard. “Is that an order commander?”

Janok smiled, a very sad smile. “It is, tomorrow you will ride with as many men as you wish for, and the best horses we have here. You will leave at dawn”

Crassian sort of slumped forward and Janok grasped his hand. “It is not cowardice Crassian, it is common sense and a soldier knows this. You may have to sacrifice a few to save many”

Crassian took a deep breath. “Alright, I want just four others, a huge group will be easy to spot. I need fifty horses though, we’ll leave the animals behind whence we have exhausted them. Ten horses for each man should last us a while.”

Janok sent him a proud smile. “You will have it, it will be ready.”

Crassian did salute the old commander and left the office, he had to pick four of the best riders and he didn’t want to pick anyone with a family. Besides, he wanted small lean guys who weren’t too heavy and able to ride for days. Choosing the right ones would be quite a job, he was rather sure that many would volunteer but they had to volunteer for the right reasons, not because they just wanted to get out of there.

When the morning came Crassian did have four riders ready, all were young guys and all were eager to go and do their duty. The horses were tied up in a long row behind each man and Crassian had put on armour and carried two swords and a spear. They all had spears and two had chain mail but the last two didn’t have armour at all. They didn’t own any and finding some that fit would take too long. They didn’t carry many provisions, they would have to hunt for food and they wouldn’t stop except for a couple of hours each night. All the men he had chosen came from the population to the west of Twelve towers, they were originally nomads and lived their lives on horseback, and they would be able to sleep while riding if the need should arise. Janok wished them good luck and Crassian didn’t hesitate, there was no time for heartfelt goodbyes. He spurred the dun mare he had chosen to ride first and they thundered out of the city. If they were to beat the dragons to it they would have to ride hard, have luck on their side and give a damn about their own safety and comfort.

Janok did see them go, they disappeared into the distance and he knew that he never would see any of them again. They were hope, a very fleeting hope but the king could perhaps save at least a few if the message reached him before the dragons did. The islands could shelter people from the wingless creatures but a winged dragon can find you wherever you hide. No, Crassian was the last straw, a desperate act of courage. If they were to make it only the group was capable of saving them. Janok did walk back inside, he had ordered that the city was shut off, nobody inn and nobody out, the snow would soon hide all tracks, he didn’t want the paths to lead beasts to them. Some people had already fallen ill for not all did heed the warnings and there were more than one type of disease you can catch in such a crowded area. There were fleas and lice everywhere, the houses were cold and dank and there was little wood to burn, everybody lived in misery and Janok went over to the small alter placed by the door. He did light a candle, not that he had much faith in the Gods but this time he would pray, and mean every word he said. If they were to be saved it would require a miracle.

A group of the younger mages had gathered inside of the gates of the city, they were staring back at the citadel and their eyes were narrow and their expressions were rather harsh. None of them liked this, they saw that soldiers were ordered out and patrols were formed and distributed all over the city. The population had never been anything but cattle to them but they saw that this did create some disturbance and that was never good. The population did serve the mages and the brotherhood as their workers and servants and they just couldn’t do without them. The magic and the constant search for new knowledge was time consuming and there was no time for mundane tasks as preparing food, washing and cleaning and keeping the citadel in perfect order. Now some people started to question the current state of affairs and they couldn’t afford a rebellion.

The young mages had been ordered to protect the magical wall and make sure that nobody managed to get through it and they saw that order as sheer bullshit. Why should they fear anyone? The city had magical defences, and they were strong too. This was a waste of time and way below them. The old man Siverel had lost his mind for sure, they were mages, and they shouldn’t have to bother with this. The wall was not going to fail, the magic allowed them to transport things through it to the outside world, not the other way around. They were five and they did all see themselves as the future leaders of the brotherhood, even as the high mage. Jurza had been a boring old fart and Siverel was even worse, these old men were too fond of the past to be allowed to rule their future. They lacked visions, they lacked ambitions. Surely some of the older and more experienced mages had been very useful since their skills made it possible to change the dragons and to create so many great new horrors. But they didn’t allow the young ones their well-deserved place in the spot lights, the younger mages felt that they were being held back and they hated it.

Back in the days the training had lasted for at least twenty years, even after a mage left the academy. That meant that very few were any younger than forty years of age before they became a worthy member of the brotherhood. These days some had chosen the path while they were still studying and the youngest among the dark mages was barely twenty five. Naturally enough they were eager and full of themselves and also full of self-confidence. They needed to compete, to make everybody else see them for who they were and they all saw themselves as very valuable and high in power. The older mages were men who could have entered the academy again as teachers and nobody would have reacted, they were just like all other elderly chaps, nothing about them gave away their dedication to the dark path. These youngsters on the other hand would stand out in every crowd because of their rather outrageous attempts at making themselves look unique. Some shaved their heads, or parts of their heads. Others wore bizarre jewellery or strange clothing and tattoos and piercings seemed to be mandatory. The older mages scoffed and shook their heads, they knew the dangers of wearing too much bling while being around magic. A lightning bolt usually goes for anything with metal in it and some of the young ones were lightning rods by now. The experienced ones were having a small bet going on which one would end up fried first.

The five were wandering towards the magical wall, it was an awe inspiring sight and even they found it impressive still. They looked at each other and one of them shrugged. “So, what are we to do?”

They just stood there, the wall rose from the ground and looked like a solid piece of aurora borealis, it was hauntingly beautiful and the magic from it felt like the heat from the sun onto their skin. One of them sat down onto a rock. “Listen, this is freaking boring right? We are to guard this wall, and it doesn’t need guarding. I say we try something new”

The oldest of them frowned. “What?”

The younger mage pointed at the wall and he was obviously having an idea, he gestured against it and his face was rather eager. “I have heard the others speak of what’s behind the wall”

The oldest one was a mage in his early thirties, he was a rather calm man with strong belief and he was very intelligent. He saw himself as the only really qualified mage among them. “The plains are on the other side silly!”

The young one shook his head, he had shaved his head except from right below the top of it where a thick lock had been kept and it formed a very long thin braid he had woven metal threads into. It did look idiotic the way the older mage saw it but it was fashionable. “No, that is further away. There is some sort of magical pocket between the wall and the plains. I heard the former high mage say it once. It is a dimension of its own”

The leader looked at the young mage with a cold glare. “And?”

The young one grinned. “We are to guard the wall aren’t we, nobody said anything about us guarding it from this side?!”

The leader rolled his eyes. “Are you as daft as you look? Have your brains rotted? If you pass through the wall you won’t be able to get back to this side!”

The young one grinned, he did look very triumphant. “Oh that won’t be a problem, for I have this!”

He picked something out of his pocket, it was a tiny metal rod covered with mysterious symbols and the leader gasped. “Oronor, where in hells name did you get that one?”

Oronor did grin even wider. “Oh, I nicked it from the vault, I bet it will bring us back just fine now won’t it?”

The leader was panting, what the young one had done was outrageous. Mages who had sworn themselves to the forces of chaos didn’t follow rules and yet they had to, and this young one had just broken a very important one. Do never remove anything from the vault!

He took a deep breath. “Yes, it will get you through but it may also send you somewhere else, and you will have no idea of where! It is too dangerous, you are insane! This thing was in the vault for a reason, it can bring people through magical barriers yes but we don’t know anything about the possible dangers. If it was safe it would have been used to get the dragons through, years ago. You need to get the permission of the high mage to go through the wall, in any manner. We can send the dragons through but not ourselves without the high mages controlling the transport, it is too dangerous. The balance can be shifted.”

Oronor shook his head. “That is just bullshit, are you a coward? I am eager to learn, isn’t that what the old fossils always nags about, that we ought to learn? I am about to learn what’s behind the wall and I won’t let anything stop me”

The leader bit his lower lip. “It is dangerous you twat, you have absolutely no idea of where you’ll end up. There are so many dimensions and some are lethal, there is no guarantee that you’ll end up in the same one as these so called intruders, which I by the way doubt even exist”

Oronor was laughing. “I am no fucking novice right, I know how to take care of myself and I won’t be alone, who’s with me now, come on guys, don’t be cunts”

The other three grinned and stepped forth, all looked eager and the leader felt a surge of panic. They were about to do something extremely stupid and he didn’t have the power to stop them. Four against one is never fair, even if he was the strongest among them. Oronor was throwing the leader a very wry smirk. “See? You can guard this goddamn wall from the inside, we’ll go and make sure that nothing attacks it from the important side.”

He tried to come up with something to say but his voice wouldn’t work, he had a bad feeling about this, a very bad feeling. “Remember the brothers who died? You could end up like them”

It was the only thing he managed to come up with. The four shook their heads and shot him some rather overbearing glances. “They were fools, I bet they used the wrong spells, or maybe those undead dwarves did devour their souls, it doesn’t matter. We won’t do any mistakes”

Oronor did gather the three around him and held the magical rod high above his head. “We’ll stop this nonsense, Siverel is an old idiot, a dotard who sees danger where there is none. Come now, I want to see what’s behind the wall”

A faint glow did surround the four and they walked towards the wall with determined steps. The leader stared helplessly as they walked straight through the shining barrier as if it wasn’t there and he closed his eyes and tried to breathe slowly. This was just terrible, they had no idea of what they were doing! The magic controlling the wall was very delicate, he knew that bringing the dragons through put a great strain on it and that was why they couldn’t just send dragons to the plains every day. They had to wait to let it recharge itself and he was afraid of a sort of bleed effect. When they brought in new pwople and goods they always waited for many months before trying again and it was always the best mages who did the job. These idiots had punched a hole in the wall this way and he was bloody sure it wouldn’t just close itself up. This would weaken their defences, a lot! He sat down on a rock, stared at the place where the four had disappeared and he cringed. If this went to hell he would be the one they would blame, he had to find a way to ensure that this didn’t end as a complete disaster but what? He had learned a lot more than those four since he was older and also, he did wish to learn for real, not just to gain power. A hole in the wall meant a hole in the wall and it wouldn’t just pierce this dimension but all dimensions.

He bit his lower lip, should he run off and warn the high mage that the four had done this? Then he could come out of it as a hero but then again, he should have stopped them and he hadn’t. He had one weakness which a dark mage shouldn’t have, he did have empathy and he didn’t like to kill. He tried to think, frantically, was there any spells he could use to close up the hole? His mind was reeling, going through every lesson he had ever had and then it dawned upon him, yes, that was a good one. He got up and focused, felt the connection to the magical source and smiled, this would work like a charm. He called forth the magic and uttered a spell, the words were surprisingly soft and he saw that the wall shimmered for a moment. Good, it was done, they were safe. He had shut off the hole, nothing would get through. He had done his job, now he could just sit there and wait for the others to fuck things up and he wouldn’t help them. He chuckled and conjured up a nice comfortable armchair and some food and drink. Nobody would blame him now, he was safe.