Dimwater's Demons (16 page)

“I need rest. When I am able, I will take you back to the grove.”

Leatherback looked behind him and then back to the satyr. “I could fly back,” the dragon said.

Njar cocked his head to the side. “You should rest too,” he said. “You have already made a long journey.”

Leatherback shook his head, but then the satyr pulled the panpipes up to his mouth and blew four notes. It was as if the music brought exhaustion upon the dragon. He felt his muscles go lax and he slowly slumped down to the ground and his eyes closed at the same time the ebony door of the tower was shut.

Kyra didn’t sleep more than a couple of fitful hours as she tossed and turned all night long. She couldn’t open a portal to the grove either, for it would likely wake Linny. She thought about leaving the school grounds, but for some reason, Janik and Feberik were sitting in the hallway a short distance from her room.

They had arrived only a few minutes after Kyra had returned to her room after teleporting to the rock nest and jogging back to the academy. They had checked on her, and then told her not to leave the room, closed the door, and moved to take up positions in the hallway.

Even Janik wouldn’t tell her what was going on, and Cyrus was nowhere to be seen.

She was still awake, lying in bed, when the first rays of the sun broke through her window. She slipped her feet to the floor and looked outside. The day was born with a gray, drizzly rain that slowly fell upon the school. Kyra looked toward the woods and wondered what had become of Njar.

The young sorceress went to her door and opened it. Not only were Feberik and Janik still in the hallway, they had been joined by Headmaster Herion. The old wizard was speaking to the other two, but dismissed them upon seeing Kyra open the door.

Feberik looked her way and offered her a smile, which she did not return. The large man frowned and hung his head as he turned to leave. Janik didn’t look at her as he turned to follow his brother.

Headmaster Herion, on the other hand, made his way for her room. His face was as serious as she had ever seen it before. His walk seemed invigorated by a sense of duty as well, for he strode toward her with determined, strong steps that echoed in the hallway.

“Go inside,” he called out.

Kyra didn’t move out of the way in time, and the old wizard turned her about with a hand on her shoulder and began directing her toward her bed as he entered the room somewhat forcefully.

Her mind began to race. Had he figured out that she and Kathair had seen the secret meeting? Did he know it was her who killed the wylkins? Or maybe the priests had told him something that had him upset. A firm hand pushed her onto her bed and then Headmaster Herion walked toward Linny. He shook her shoulder until she woke, and then instructed her to go to breakfast.

The young girl glanced to the headmaster, and then to Kyra. She almost shook her head as if to defy him, but the wizard pulled her up and gave her a slight shove toward the door.

“Move along,” Herion said roughly.

Kyra nodded to Linny to show she would be all right without her. Linny nodded back and then closed the door behind her.

Headmaster Herion fumed as he paced back and forth in front of her.

Kyra opened her mouth to try to head off the tongue-lashing she was surely about to receive. “Headmaster, if I could say something—”

Herion spun on her and held a finger out in front of his face, eyes wide and crazed looking. “You may not!” he shouted. “Do you have any idea what you have done?”

Kyra shook her head.

Headmaster Herion put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a parchment. He tossed it into Kyra’s lap and then pointed at it. “Open it!”

Kyra did as she was told and unfolded the letter.

“Go on, read it!” Herion said, fuming again as he began pacing anew.

Kyra looked down and read the words.

             
Esteemed Headmaster Herion,

It is with the greatest respect that I must inform you of an infiltration of dark magic and monsters in the Middle Kingdom. With a burdened heart, I am compelled to report to you that the Pools of Fate have made it known to me that there shall be an attack on Caspen Manor tonight. I should like to ask for your assistance in protecting Kyra, as she is a dear friend of mine and I should not like to see any harm befall her.

If possible, please send a few of your masters to Caspen Manor. I may need some help protecting the people there.

                            Yours in magic,

                                          Njar

Kyra frowned and read the letter again. This is what the headmaster was furious about? She looked up to the man and shrugged. “This is a warning letter. He was trying to help.”

“Trying to help!” Herion shouted. “Do you have any idea who Njar is?”

Kyra nodded. “I know he leads a tribe of satyrs in Viverandon. He is a wizard, like you.”

Herion shook his head. “He is nothing like me, dear girl!” Herion spat. He snapped his fingers and a chair materialized in the room in front of where Kyra sat. “Have you never heard that satyrs are tricksters and fiends?” he asked. “Have you never read anything about those terrible creatures?”

Kyra scowled at the headmaster and shook her head. “He has been nothing but kind to me.”

“How did you meet him?” Headmaster Herion asked.

Kyra closed her mouth. She was not about to betray Njar. It was he who maintained the aspen wood to help Leatherback.

Headmaster Herion sat in the chair and leaned in close. “Does he know about your dragon?”

Again, Kyra said nothing.

“All right, be silent if you must, but you will listen.” Herion leaned back in his chair and folded his thin arms across his chest. “Njar is not who you think he is. I don’t care if he has been nice to you or not. He is a traitor, and an enemy of the Middle Kingdom.”

Kyra drew her brow in together and shook her head. “You’re wrong,” she said.

Herion shook his head slowly. “No, I am not. Did you know he once led an army against the Middle Kingdom? It was before King Mathias’ time on the throne, but it’s true. Njar led an army of four hundred satyrs against us. They had called a meeting to discuss balance in the Middle Kingdom, and the effects of Nagar’s Blight since the Battle of Hamath Valley. So, King Jarek, Mathias’ father, took a host of officers out to Kelboa, an island in the sea to the north west of here. Njar arrived by ship, accompanied by three of his so-called councilors. They went into the meeting place, a manor that no longer stands, and started the talks. By all accounts from the survivors, the king led a peaceful summit there, but Njar had betrayed him. Instead of coming to discuss a way to rid our lands of the curse, portals opened up in the manor and the satyr army came rushing in. They killed all but three men. A wizard named Dremathor, who was close to the king, escaped in the fury and was able to take down more than a quarter of the satyr army. He has never been heard from since, and it is widely believed that he later died from the wounds he suffered there. The other two survivors were a pair of young wizards. One you know as Cyrus, the same man who rescued your mother.”

Kyra’s eyes shot wide. Cyrus had never mentioned anything like that before, but then again, Kyra had never told him of Njar before either.

“Before you start to come up with more excuses, I should tell you that I was the third wizard,” Headmaster Herion said. “I was much younger then, but I was there and I remember it like it was yesterday. I can still smell the stench of blood and charred flesh.” Herion stood up and shook a fist at her. “I held my dying king in my arms and watched helplessly as his life ebbed out of him. Njar and thirty of his soldiers were able to escape death, but they had dealt our kingdom a major blow that day. One the likes of which I shall never forget.”

Kyra shook her head. “No, this must be a mistake. Njar wouldn’t do that. He is peaceful, and only fights if he must. There has to be something else.”

“I was there,” Headmaster Herion said. “You were not. If you don’t believe me, then you should talk with Cyrus.”

Kyra held her hands up and looked away. She needed time to think it through. This didn’t sound anything like the satyr she knew.

“You should know something else,” Herion said. “After I received this letter before dusk, I sent the priests out to find your dragon. He is gone.”

Kyra frowned and shook her head. Tears welled up in her eyes. “No, that can’t be right. He never leaves that area.”

Herion slapped his hands together. “If you have just handed a dragon to Njar, then we are all in a lot of trouble.”

Kyra stood up. “You’re wrong,” she said. “Njar is the one who helped me and Leatherback. He brought us to the aspen wood that shields Leatherback from Nagar’s Blight. His efforts must be working, because even the priests from Valtuu Temple say there is no taint to be found in Leatherback.”

“Kyra, you are dangerously close to expulsion!” Herion shouted.

“Then expel me!” Kyra yelled back, not giving an inch of ground. “You think I like living here and seeing Feberik? Go ahead and send me away. My father has already denounced me after my mother’s murder, so why should I care if you want to send me away too?” Kyra’s hands balled into fists and her eyes would have melted the wizard like wax had she had that kind of power.

Herion was about to say something else when the door burst open. He and Kyra looked to the doorway and saw Lady Arkyn, a beautiful blonde-haired half-elf.

“I have the report,” she said.

“Out with it then,” Herion said.

Arkyn nodded. “There are four human casualties at Caspen Manor, all of them are Blacktongues.”

“Blacktongues?” Herion echoed. “I thought them extinct.”

Arkyn shook her head. “There is more. I found a small clearing with scorch marks all around and trees that had been splintered and burned. In the clearing, I found three ash piles. I collected samples.” Lady Arkyn moved her hand to a small leather pouch and produced three glass vials filled with gray ash.

Headmaster Herion took the glass vials and turned them over as he held them up in the sunlight. He whistled through his teeth as they sparkled and shimmered a strange, greasy purple color.

“They are the remains of wraiths,” Lady Arkyn said.

Herion nodded his agreement. “That they are.” He gave the vials back to her. “What of the servants, and Lord Caspen?”

Lady Arkyn shrugged. “None of them saw anything. One of the servants heard an explosion and later saw smoke rising from the forest, but no one saw any sign of an attack until I arrived and found the Blacktongue bodies.”

Kyra then asked, “Do Blacktongues wear tattoos across their bodies?”

Lady Arkyn nodded.

Kyra folded her arms and looked back to Headmaster Herion. “I opened a portal to the woods outside my old home. I would have walked through, against Njar’s orders for me to return here, but Leatherback pulled me away. As I was held in the air, a Blacktongue came through the portal and looked as though he wanted to kill me. Leatherback stomped on him and tossed him back through the portal. Now tell me, does that sound like Njar was trying to hurt us?”

“Njar?” Lady Arkyn asked. She turned to the headmaster. “You didn’t mention he was involved.”

Herion waved Arkyn off. “Did you see any sign of him?”

Lady Arkyn shook her head. “None,” she said.

“Speak of this to no one,” Herion told Lady Arkyn. She nodded her head and exited the room, closing the door after her.

“Njar isn’t our enemy,” Kyra said.

Herion shook his head and sighed. “Then where is Leatherback?”

Kyra shrugged. “Let me go to the grove. I will look for him.”

“Out of the question,” Herion replied. “I can’t send you out there alone.”

“Then the priests will go with me,” Kyra said. “They trust me. They know I am not lying.”

“I don’t think you’re lying either,” Herion clarified. “I am only worried that you have been deceived.”

“Very well,” Kyra began, “then you can come with me too.”

“What?” Herion squawked. “Go traipsing about looking for a dragon that officially I have to pretend doesn’t exist or else the king will have my head? No, thank you!”

“You, me, and the priests. If we all go together, then you will see the truth of it.”

Herion opened his mouth to speak, but the door opened again.

“Oh for the love of the Ancients, what is it now?!” Herion shouted as he wheeled on the intruder.

To their surprise, Cyrus stood in the doorway. He bowed his head.

“I do apologize, but perhaps I could offer my assistance,” he said. “I will accompany Kyra to the grove.”

Herion narrowed his eyes on Cyrus. “Who told you about this?”

Cyrus snorted. “Does it matter?” he asked. “What matters is we have an old enemy that is meddling in our affairs. I will accompany Kyra, and then I will repay the satyr for what he did to our king those many years ago.”

“No!” Kyra said. “You cannot do this.”

Herion stroked his chin, then he nodded. “Very well,” he said.

Cyrus then held up a finger. “However,” he began, “I might wonder why an enemy would send us a fair warning.”

“What?” Herion replied.

Cyrus shrugged and looked to Kyra. He winked at her and then pointed to the letter. “You say he warned us of the attack. I just heard Lady Arkyn’s report of the event at Caspen Manor. I should say that I am of the opinion Njar is on our side in this fight.”

“What on Terramyr would make you say that?” Herion asked.