Cloak & Dagger: Book II of The Dragon Mage Trilogy (40 page)

“I just saw him open his eyes for a second,” said the first voice.

Kazin took a deep breath and opened his eyes again. He squinted at the familiar face of Vera.

“Kazin? Kazin!” cried Vera excitedly. She turned to the others behind her. “It’s true! He’s awake! We did it!” She suddenly started weeping uncontrollably, hours of strenuous healing magic taking its toll on her frail body.

“Now, now, child,” said an older woman calmly. She put her arm around the cleric and gently led her from the room.

“Martha?” murmured Kazin, recognizing the voice of the druid.

“Yes,” said another voice above him. It was the first voice he had heard.

Kazin let his eyes adjust for a few more seconds. “Milena?”

“I guess I’ll let you two talk,” said a new voice. It was Adriana. She stood up and left the room, closing the door behind her.

“Hello, Kazin,” said Milena softly when the other druid had gone. “Welcome back to the land of the living.”

“Where am I?” asked Kazin. He tried to sit up but his strength hadn’t returned yet.

Milena puffed up his pillow and gently pushed him back down on the bed. “Rest for a while, Kazin. You’ll gain your strength faster that way. In answer to your question, you’re in the Tower of the Moon. Frosty brought you out of the mountains. You were in rough shape.”

Kazin tried to recall the events since the dragon took control of him. The images that came to mind were fuzzy and intermittent. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. “It’s good to see you again,” said Kazin, concentrating on Milena’s face instead. He remembered their previous adventure where Milena had achieved her status as a druid.

“I’m happy to see you too,” said Milena. “It’s been a long time. Too bad it’s during another emergency. You have a habit of getting into the thick of things.”

Kazin tried a weak smile. “That’s me.” His smile vanished and he looked more closely at the druid. Her face was haggard looking and she appeared exhausted. “You look awful.”

Milena smiled a warm smile, despite her condition. “I’ve been in healing mode since I got here.” Then she frowned. “Mermaids are dying in droves.”

Kazin shook his head sadly. “How did Vera get here?” he asked, changing the subject.

“She caught a ride on a griffin,” said Milena. “So did Mara, the head grey mage.”

“Why?” asked Kazin.

“We have a plan to create an antidote for the poison,” said Milena. “We need an experienced representative of each branch of magic to succeed. We sent the griffins to pick up Mara and Vera. I’ll represent the druids. That leaves the black mage. With you awake, we’re just about ready to make our attempt.”

“You said ‘experienced representatives’,” interrupted Kazin. “You and I are experienced, and so is Mara as a grey mage, but are you sure Vera is up to the task? Not to speak against her, but she’s only a level one cleric.”

Milena nodded. “I thought the same thing when she first got here. But it was the griffin who chose her. Apparently, the griffin was unwilling to let any of High Cleric Malachi’s senior clerics mount it. It only stood still when Vera neared it. She was the only one it would allow on its back. In retrospect, it may have had to do with the fact that she had met the water elemental previously. The griffin knew the water elemental was going to be summoned, and a cleric who had previous contact with that elemental was preferable to one that did not. Those griffins have the strange ability to sense these things. They’re smart creatures, but they can be very stubborn at times.”

Kazin nodded. “So you were just waiting for me to wake up.” The mage’s strength was rapidly returning and he pushed himself up to a seated position. This time Milena didn’t stop him.

“There is one more attendee we need at this event,” said Milena. “You’re not the only one we needed to work on.”

“Who’s that?” asked Kazin.

“The water elemental,” answered Milena. “It’s critical to have that elemental present for the cure to be created. We’ve attempted to summon it a few times while you were on your way here, but without success. It must still be weak from its time in the mountains. But Frosty senses the elemental is getting stronger all the time. He figures we will succeed very soon.”

“Then we should give it a try,” said Kazin. He started to get out of bed, but this time Milena pushed him back down. “Not so fast. It’s our turn to get some rest now. We put in a considerable effort in reviving you. None of us are ready to perform a summoning spell at this point in time. While we rest, you should too. Apparently, you’ll need to channel a lot of your magical energy to help create the cure.”

Kazin looked around and spotted his staff in its sheath nearby. The green orb atop the staff was still intact. A moment of trepidation swept over him but disappeared as quickly as it came. He was in control now. The dragon’s voice inside his head was a mere whisper. It would not take over again anytime soon if he could help it.

Milena started for the door. “I’m glad Frosty was right about the poison.”

“What do you mean?” asked Kazin.

The druid stopped and turned to regard the mage. Her face held a look of surprise. “You mean you don’t know?”

Kazin shook his head and stared at her blankly.

Milena’s face became thoughtful. “Now it’s starting to make sense,” she mumbled.

Kazin looked at her quizzically.

“The poison was never a threat to your life, Kazin.”

Kazin wrinkled his eyebrows. “Huh?”

Milena took a few steps closer to the bed. “The poison doesn’t affect lizardmen, right?”

“Yeah, so?”

“Why do you think you’re able to open the lizardmen’s portals?” continued the druid.

“I use magic,” said Kazin.

“Where does that magic come from?” asked Milena.

“It comes from within,” said Kazin. “I guess the dragon within me -.” He broke off, his eyes opening wide as the realization crept over him.

“Dragons are physically related to lizardmen,” said Milena.

“And by taking on the form of a dragon, my immune system cleared the poison from my body!” finished Kazin. “If I had just thought of that sooner!”

Milena nodded. “I thought you had figured that out when Vera told me you sent her away because you were planning to change into a dragon. She thought you were going to die, and so, apparently, did you.”

Kazin put his hands over his face and groaned. “I’m such a fool!”

Milena patted his shoulder. “Nobody’s perfect. I’m just glad you’re still alive. If the dragon hadn’t asserted itself, you could have died, never knowing the cure was within your grasp.”

Kazin pulled his hands away from his face. He looked grim. “That doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better.”

Milena laughed. “I suppose you’re right. Even my bedside manner is failing. It’s time I got some rest. I’d better go.” She turned and left the room.

Kazin lay back on the bed but he was not the least bit tired. The ‘revive’ magic the druids had used on him made him too energetic to lie around. He decided to get up and walk around instead.

He threw the blankets aside and stood up. His robe was on the dresser so he threw it around his shoulders. His shoes were nowhere to be found so he padded over to the door in his bare feet. The stone floor was cold but not unduly so. Opening the door, he peeked into the hallway. Nobody was around. The mage entered the hallway and finally had his chance to explore the Tower of the Moon at a leisurely pace. He passed several closed doors and peeked into the open ones. Most rooms had beds with unknown figures hidden beneath the blankets.

A treeman suddenly appeared in the hallway ahead of him, and Kazin wondered if it had enough room to get past him. Instinctively, he pressed himself against the wall as the treeman approached him. With practiced ease, the treeman deftly stepped around the mage. Not a single branch or twig made contact with Kazin as the treeman glided past. Only a slight breeze indicated the treeman had passed by. Kazin marveled at the magical creature. The druids had such command over the forces of nature that it still boggled his mind.

A while later, Kazin paused at the room with the heavy, expensive lavender carpet and the walls full of paintings. He studied the scenes of dragons and soldiers and intense battles that were a depiction of the dragon wars many generations ago. His eyes were drawn to the painting prominently displayed over the fireplace. It was the one he had noticed the last time he was here. It still gave him the creeps. The wizened old mage had such a fierce, intense expression that Kazin was instantly afraid of him. But at the same time, he looked familiar. Kazin knew this mage. He had seen him before, but where? No arch mages looked like that. There were no master mages with the kind of magical aura that this mage had.

A noise behind him made Kazin turn. A treeman went past, carrying an inert form bundled in a blanket. A visible piece of tail fin protruded from the blanket, giving away the identity of its occupant. Another mermaid had perished.

Kazin sighed and followed the emotionless treeman until he came to a tight hallway that led to the stairs of the roof altar. He let the treeman continue down the main hallway, while he took the secondary path. He climbed the stairs and attempted to open the trap door to the roof. Fortunately, it wasn’t magically locked or otherwise. As soon as the door was pushed up, a strong gust of wind wrenched it from the mage’s hands and blew it open the rest of the way.

It hit the roof with a loud bang that was louder than the howling wind itself. Kazin climbed onto the roof, fighting to keep the wind from ripping his cloak away.

On the roof, he saw Mara, the grey mage, struggling to prepare some items in preparation for the summoning spell. He went over to assist her. When the grey mage saw Kazin, she immediately stood up as a sign of respect for the arch mage.

Kazin smiled. “Hi, Mara. It’s been a really long time, hasn’t it?” He had to yell to be heard above the wind.

Mara smiled back. “Yes. Last time we met, you were just an ordinary, impulsive mage. Now look at you.”

“A lot has changed,” yelled Kazin. A sustained gust of wind tried to roll over a heavy sack at Mara’s feet and Kazin and Mara struggled to push it back into position. A nearby stone slab was the only convenient item, so Mara held the bag while Kazin pulled the stone up against it to support it.

“Let’s go inside!” yelled Mara when that task was done.

Kazin nodded and followed the grey mage inside. Another battle with the wind ensued as Kazin attempted to close the trap door. He finally won that battle and the door slammed shut, eliminating the outdoor noise with it. At the bottom of the stairs, Kazin rejoined Mara and they walked down the hallway. As they went, Mara told Kazin of the latest events as she had perceived them on her journey north to the Tower of Hope.

Kazin was shocked at how widespread the poison was. He was also surprised at the effects of the dwarven spirits. “That’s fascinating, Mara! Those dwarven spirits may be part of the answer to a cure!”

“That’s why the druids had me prepare the spirits as well as the faelora herbs for the summoning. If the water elemental is truly that weak, we may need to have those ingredients ready at the spur of the moment in order to create the cure.”

“Good thinking,” said Kazin. “I guess the druids had time to think things through.”

“I just hope we can pull it off,” said Mara.

“So do I,” said Kazin. “I hate seeing so many lives being lost.”

“Me too,” said Mara. “I just hope it will be worth the effort.”

“What do you mean?” asked Kazin.

Mara stopped and turned to the arch mage. “We may be saving people from the poison in time to be massacred by the creatures emanating from the mountains.” She went into detail about the loss of the outposts north of the Tower of Hope.

Kazin was aghast. “I’ll bet that was what they were planning all along! They needed to weaken the human mages in order to have the upper hand when they attacked! Their strategy was so successful they spread the poison across the whole land! Now all they have to do is walk in and seize control!”

“Not if the grey mages can help it,” intoned Mara. “We are more numerous than black and white mages combined, and fewer of us were affected by the poison. We were far enough south that we had enough advance warning, so we took the proper precautions. Most of the grey mages are poison free.”

Kazin nodded. “That’s encouraging news, Mara. Your mages are the last line of defense for humankind.”

“High Cleric Malachi has sent a plea to the dwarves and elves for military aid, but there was still no reply when I left,” added Mara. “I doubt they will be able to help in time anyway. The High Cleric expects the attack at any time. Scouts were sent out to investigate the edge of the mountains for activity. Not very many returned, but those who did encountered a darkness so fearful and a wind so powerful they fled in terror. Something is going to happen and we won’t see it coming until the last possible moment.”

“I would be more useful there,” said Kazin. “By flying as a dragon, I would be extremely useful in scouting as well as fighting.”

Mara gave the arch mage a curious stare. “Are you sure you want to change into a dragon again so soon?”

Kazin shook his head. “I don’t want to, but wanting to and having to are two very different things. I have the ability, so it should be used if it’s needed.”

“That’s true,” admitted Mara, “if you look at it that way. But I’m guessing you’re needed here first. I’m sure the druids will let you go as soon as the cure is completed.”

“As long as the water elemental can be summoned,” said Kazin. “If it takes too long, I may have to leave anyway.”

“It won’t come to that,” said a voice behind them.

The mages spun around to face the speaker.

“Frosty!” exclaimed Kazin. “I understand I have you to thank for rescuing me!”

Frosty held his head high at the instant recognition and praise. “Of course! Saving you from yourself is no easy task!”

The irony was not lost on Kazin. “I owe you big time for this, Frosty.”

“Naturally,” said Frosty sullenly. “It’s not easy being your familiar.”