Dragonvein (31 page)

“What I am about to show you is known only to myself and a very few others,” Halvar said. “You are not forbidden to speak of it, but I urge you to give this knowledge only to those you entirely trust.”

Ethan nodded. “I promise.”

Satisfied by his response, the king led him several hundred yards down the passage until it seemingly came to a dead end. There, he placed his finger in a small recess in the top left corner. With a sharp crack, the entire wall blocking their further progress slid to the left.

Beyond was a natural rock cavern, roughly fifty feet wide and double that in length. The small rajni stones set at regular intervals gave off a much dimmer light than those in the manor.

At first, Ethan was confused. The cavern appeared to be completely empty. But then Halvar strode to the far wall and touched a second control. A section of the stone opened as if on hinges. Ethan stepped closer. Halvar’s body was blocking his view, but he could see a light shining from within.

The king stepped aside. “This is Lylinora,” he announced.

Placed inside a recess was a six foot tall crystal. Much like the Shantara stones, its perfect facets glowed with pure white light. But it wasn’t the crystal that was capturing Ethan’s attention.

He blinked to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him, then gasped.

“It’s a…girl.”

Totally encased within the crystal was a young woman. With flaxen hair and ivory skin, she looked to be only slightly older than himself. A silken blue dress tied at the waist by a white sash hugged her feminine form, while on her delicate feet were matching slippers. Her eyes were closed as if sleeping. For a short time Ethan could only stand there, slack-jawed and amazed by her sheer beauty.

“She’s gorgeous,” he finally managed to say. “Who is she? And why is she inside this crystal?”

Halvar sighed. “She is the daughter of Lord Killian Jaymonte, the only mage ever to make it to our mountain at the end of the war. He left her here for us to watch over, protected within this crystal.”

“Is she alive?”

“Of course she is.”

Ethan ran his finger along the surface. “Can you get her out?”

“No. Whatever magic her father used to seal her inside is unknown to us. He left her this way in the hope that one day Shinzan would fall and she would be safe again.”

The king placed a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “If the prophecy is true, you must free her, then find the others. That is the only way you may defeat Shinzan.”

“What others?”

“There are supposed to be five in total. That is what the prophecy states. But it doesn’t say who or where the others are. I’m hoping that King Ganix will know more. He’s by far our greatest scholar.”

“Where does he live?”

“He rules in the north under the Salisar Mountains. Lady Thora sent for him more than a week ago. I suppose she thought he’d be able to change my mind about you. Unfortunately, travel on the surface is very dangerous for a dwarf, so there’s no way to tell when he’ll arrive.”

Ethan stood there for several more minutes just staring at Lylinora. She was perfect in every way. He began to imagine what her voice would sound like, what color her eyes were, how she looked when she walked. Only when hearing Halvar clear his throat did he snap back to reality.

“Come,” said the king. “The council will be getting impatient.”

By the time they returned to the chamber, Ethan could hear hundreds of voices seeping in from outside the manor. The idea that he may have to talk to a large crowd produced a rush of nervousness. This didn’t go unnoticed by Halvar.

“If I’m still king, I’ll address them on your behalf if you would like,” he said.

“What do you mean,
‘if you’re still
king’?
”

“I tried to assassinate you. That was in defiance of our own laws, and against the will of the council. They must now decide if I am to remain on the throne.”

Ethan watched the king closely as he returned to his seat. He was showing no sign of fear.

Soon after, the council returned and took their positions around the table. It seemed that word of the dragon had already reached their ears, for they all stared at Ethan in wonder.

Once everyone was settled, he could see that Halvar was about to speak and knew he had to act fast. Jumping up from his seat, he slapped the table twice to gain attention.

“I’m sorry if this is out of place,” he announced. “But before we get started, I want to thank King Halvar for sending his guards to find me. Also, I wish to apologize for my temporary lack of courage. I shouldn’t have run away. Thanks to the king, I’m back and now confident that I can face whatever comes next.” He bowed low.

Halvar looked at him, absolutely stunned. For the moment, he seemed unable to speak.

Lady Thora took up the responsibility. She spoke in a strong, clear voice. “Indeed, our king was most wise to bring you back. Let us hope this lesson has been well learned and the incident is not repeated.”

Halvar’s eyes moved between the pair of them. Finally, he lowered his head and smiled. “I’m sure it won’t be.”

Ethan took his seat feeling very satisfied with himself.

Following this, several of the guards along with Birger were summoned to tell the council exactly what they had seen.

When they were done, the king stood to address the council.

“Although I am still uncertain as to the wisdom of the course we are preparing to take, there is no denying that the dragons have returned. This holds true to the prophecy. I still believe that it will be the end of our people should we challenge Shinzan, but perhaps Lady Thora was right when she said that our people died long ago. That we now only breathe air and occupy space, bereft of culture and purpose. If that is so, then we
cannot
die. We can only be resurrected.”

He drew a deep breath. “So, unless there are any objections, I say we should begin to make preparations for war.”

Thora was the first to applaud, quickly joined by another and another, until the entire council was clapping vigorously. Ethan felt the hairs on the back of his neck rising. What would be his role in this? Would he be expected to lead? The enormity of the situation slowly began to press down on him.

Halvar held up his hands and the room settled down. “There is no more we can do here today. And I’m sure Lord Dragonvein is tired from his journey. So, until tomorrow.”

Each member bowed to Ethan before departing the chamber. Lady Thora gave him a friendly smile and squeezed his hand fondly.

“I’m not used to that kind of treatment,” he said to the king once everyone had left. “It feels a bit strange.”

“You had
better
get used to it,” Halvar told him. “My people will be looking to you for courage in the days ahead. I pray you can provide it.”

So do I,
Ethan thought.

“Your room is still at your disposal,” the king continued. “And you may move about as you wish. Though I would ask that you take an escort whenever you leave the manor, just to be on the side of caution.”

Ethan nodded his agreement and turned to the door.

“One last thing,” called Halvar. “Thank you for keeping my honor…and my throne intact.”

He smiled and bowed his head. “Your people need you far more than they need me.”

On returning to his room, he found Markus and Jonas already waiting there. He told them what had transpired, and about the girl in the crystal.

Jonas was elated. “She lives?! That’s good news indeed! Can you take me to her?”

“Tomorrow,” said Ethan. The sight of his bed was making him keenly aware of the fatigue in his muscles. “Right now, I really am tired.”

Markus grinned and slapped Jonas on the shoulder. “Come on you old bag of turnips. Let the boy rest. I think we should find ourselves a few bottles of wine.”

Jonas scowled. “I’d kindly ask that you do not call me that.”

A sudden loud bang at the door grabbed everyone’s attention. Before Ethan could answer, it flew open and Kat stepped inside. Her face was red with anger.

Beaming, he held out his hands. “So you heard we’re back.”

Whatever reaction he was expecting, it was far from the one he received. Spanning the distance between them in two long strides, she punched him squarely on the nose. Ethan staggered back, a thin trickle of blood spilling over his lip.

“That’s for leaving me behind!” she shouted. Message delivered, she rounded on Markus and Jonas who were wide-eyed with shock. “I’ll deal with you two later.”

Her furious gaze remained fixed on the pair until they finally took the hint and hurried from the room. Ethan heard both of them bursting into laughter the moment they were outside.

“How could you?” Kat demanded.

“I had to. It was too dangerous.”

“No. How could you leave without saying goodbye?”

Ethan looked into her eyes. Though still burning with fury, they also contained a deep hurt. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I should have said something. But I was afraid you would find a way to follow us. At the time, it didn’t look like we’d be able to stay alive much longer. I…”

Before he could finish, she threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. “I know you don’t feel about me the same way I feel about you. And that’s fine. I understand now. But that’s no excuse for abandoning me without as much as a word.”

Ethan stroked her hair. “I promise. I’ll never do it again.”

Kat looked up at his face and began to laugh softly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small cloth that she used to wipe the blood from his face.

“Now I want you to tell me everything that happened,” she insisted. “People are whispering and gossiping that the dragons have returned. Is it true?”

“It’s true.”

Ethan sat down at the table and gave her the full story.

“I knew the dragons would come,” she said.

“Yeah. But now I have to figure out a way to find them. They’re calling to me in my dreams, but I don’t know what they want me to do.”

“King Ganix will know. Lady Thora told me that he’s the wisest dwarf alive.”

“King Halvar said the same thing.”

“In that case, I suggest you do some studying while you wait.”

Skipping to the door, she picked up a bundle that was lying on the floor just outside and placed it on the table. Ethan unwrapped it to find four books with strange looking symbols etched all over the covers.

“Lady Thora gave these to me,” Kat said. “They’re the only books she could find on human magic. She told me most of them were destroyed when Shinzan came. I tried reading them, but I can’t understand hardly any of it.”

Ethan ran his hands over the covers and traced the symbols with his index finger. “Thank you. And thank Lady Thora for me.”

“I will.”

Kat then went on to tell him about her time with Lady Thora and her granddaughters. In spite of his fatigue, he listened attentively. When she was finally done, she stood up and hugged him goodbye.

“I’m glad you’re safe,” she said quite seriously, then gave a mischievous smile. “But you really did deserve that punch in the nose.”

Once alone, Ethan took a few minutes to flip through the pages of one of the books. He was excited by the possibilities of what they might contain. But for now, it would have to wait. The exhaustion was overwhelming. Even the walk to the shower felt like it was up a steep hill.

He was asleep seconds after slipping beneath the blanket.

Chapter Twenty-Three

E
than spent most
of the next few weeks in the underground chamber alongside Lady Lylinora. The first time he showed her to Jonas, the old man had wept openly.

“She is just as I remember,” he said. “Radiant, isn’t she?”

Ethan agreed wholeheartedly. “She’s breathtaking. No doubt about it.”

“You
must
find a way to free her,” he urged. “She was a very talented mage, especially for someone so young. She could teach you much.”

Sadly, the books given to him by Kat had thus far been of little use. They were confusing and vague. Ethan guessed they were written for someone who’d already learned at least the basics of magic. It was like trying to study physics without knowing simple addition and subtraction. Nevertheless, the possibility that hidden somewhere within the pages was the key to freeing Lylinora was enough to keep him trying. For hour upon hour he sat in front of the crystal, reading and re-reading each book.

The fact that he spent so much time there did not sit well with Kat, and she made her displeasure obvious. Frequently Ethan would venture down to the cavern only to find that the door to where the crystal was kept had a pile of rubbish shoved in front of it. Every time he asked her about this she would just throw up her hands and bat her eyes innocently.

Some nights he would simply sit in front of Lylinora and stare at her dreamily. Whenever Kat saw him doing this she would sneak up behind him and topple his chair. One time, his head struck the ground so hard it almost knocked him unconscious. After that he made a habit of placing a bottle in front of the door so he could hear every time it was opened.

The voices of the dragons persisted. Their desperate calls were now echoing in his mind even when he was awake. He tried to talk back, but was never able to make them hear him. The only time they were truly quiet was on the occasions he fell asleep studying in the cavern. This prompted him to take a small cot down and begin sleeping there as much as possible. Naturally, Kat hated this, and frequently he would wake in the morning to find Lylinora’s crystal smothered over by blankets.

King Halvar spent his time making preparations. Ethan attended the first few council meetings, but they dealt mostly with matters of supplies and defenses. By the end of the third assembly he decided not to return unless called for.

The king visited him frequently and kept him updated on progress. And though it was clear that he did so out of courtesy rather than need, Ethan was happy that the king’s melancholy was beginning to lift. Whether this was due to seeing his people smiling and laughing with renewed hope, or possibly the calm acceptance only understood by those destined to meet their end, Ethan wasn’t sure. Either way, he had grown to enjoy the king’s company.

“You should go out into the city more,” Halvar often suggested. “You spend too much time in that cavern. A young man like you should not be looking so weary all the time.”

But Ethan was totally focused on his study. In response he would smile politely and nod, yet with no real intention of taking up his suggestion.

Halvar had ordered all tunnels leading to and from Elyfoss be set with special rajni stones that would seal the mountain completely if activated. Shinzan, he reasoned, may be able to shatter their gates, but blasting through mile upon mile of solid rock would be an entirely different proposition. Only the dwarves themselves possessed the tools to cut through the mountain rapidly enough to be a threat. The downside was that, once sealed in, even with their superior equipment it would take them more than a year to get out again. This meant that provisions would need to be stockpiled and new ventilation shafts drilled. The undertaking was enormous, but the dwarves were undaunted. Ethan thought back to the way they had looked when he first arrived. They were a worn and beaten people then, filled with fear and anger. Now, although fear still remained, a new life had been breathed into their hearts.

When news came that King Ganix would be arriving in less than a week, Elyfoss erupted into a beehive of activity. Ganix was well loved and respected amongst the dwarves. Even more so than King Halvar. The council thought that a celebration was not only appropriate, but would also ease the mounting pressures put upon the people as they readied their beloved city for war.

It was just two days before the expected arrival of Ganix when Ethan burst into Markus’ room, his face alight with excitement. His friend was sitting with Jonas, teaching the old man how to play chess on a makeshift set he had pieced together.

“What’s got into you?” Markus asked.

Jonas didn’t bother to look up. So far, he had been beaten in every game they played, and he was not willing to admit that the
‘scarred brute’
as he liked to call Markus when irritated, could outwit one as educated and cultured as himself…even in a game he had only just learned.

“Come on down to the cavern,” panted Ethan. “There’s something I have to show you.”

When they arrived, Kat was already there. Predictably, the covers and pillows were missing from Ethan’s cot and a blanket was draped untidily over Lylinora.

Moving the table and chairs aside, Ethan stood in the center of the room. “You should stand back,” he warned.

Once they were well clear, he held out his right palm and closed his eyes. After several deep cleansing breaths, he opened his eyes again and whispered: “Alevi”.

A ball of green flame appeared, hovering a few inches above his hand.

“Very nice,” said Jonas. “A good start.”

“Yeah,” said Markus. “But did we really need to stand back?”

Ethan never took his eyes off the fire. “That’s not what I wanted to show you.” A roguish grin grew from the corners of his mouth. “Alevi Drago!” he shouted.

This time there was a blinding flash and a loud roar that threw all three of the spectators hard against the nearby wall. They stared in a combination of terror and wonder as the flame took the form of a massive pair of dragon wings spanning the entire width of the cavern. The heat was so intense that they were forced to shield their faces. Kat screamed and tried to run, but the fire blocked the way out.

“Enough!” cried Jonas.

The flame instantly vanished, leaving Ethan standing there, completely unharmed and with a smile stretching from ear to ear.

Markus was trembling, unable to speak, while Jonas was looking only mildly pleased.

“Not bad,” he said. “I’m not sure how useful it is…but not bad.”

Ethan was crestfallen by his lack of enthusiasm. “Not bad? What do you mean? You know how long it took me to figure that out?”

“I once saw your father conjure a flock of fire-breathing eagles to chase off bandits that were plaguing a village,” Jonas told him. “And he did so with very little effort. You’ll need to show me more than a pair of flaming wings before I’m impressed.”

Ethan was about to say something back when he noticed Kat on her knees, weeping into her hands. He hurried over and touched her on the shoulder.

“Are you all right?”

Her eyes shot up. An instant later she slapped him hard across the cheek. The crack of the impact bounced loudly off the stone walls and left a bright red mark on his face.

“You should have warned us!” she yelled, wiping her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” said Ethan. “I was just excited. I didn’t think it would scare you so badly.”

Kat pushed herself to her feet and stiffened her back. “I wasn’t scared. It just surprised me.”

“Don’t worry,” said Markus. By now he had regained much of his composure, though was still looking a touch shaken. “It scared me too. How did you do that?”

“It was right at the end of one of those books,” Ethan explained. “Most of it is too confusing for me. It’s not like it just tells you to say something definite. It talks mostly about the essence of magic, how it combines with the elements, where you draw the power from…stuff like that. And even when it does give you words, it’s not specific words. It’s a series of possible words or phrases that may or may not be right, depending on what you’re combining them with.”

He shook his head, as if to clear away the muddle. “But then I found this one…and I understood it. Don’t ask me why, but it just made sense.”

“What was it?” asked Kat, doing her best to look calm again.

“Dragon fire,” he replied. “And you’re wrong, Jonas. It
is
useful. I only made wings because we’re inside this cavern. But I can make it into any shape I want. Well, I think I can. I can’t see any reason why not.”

“Then we should make arrangements for you to go somewhere with more room,” Jonas said. “What you’ve achieved may not be much compared with an experienced mage, but you could certainly stop a few soldiers with it. Or at the very least, scare them away.”

“I say that you should get the hell out of this dungeon and celebrate,” added Markus.

Ethan glanced over at the still covered crystal. “I think I should stay here and keep on working.”

“I think you spend enough time ogling that little b…” Kat stopped herself from uttering the next word. “Just for a little while. Please.”

Her pleading eyes and Markus’ inviting smile soon forced Ethan to give in – on the condition that Jonas came along too. The old man groaned unhappily but agreed.

“So long as this oaf of a bandit stops calling me an old sack of turnips,” he said.

“You make fun of my poor scarred face and then complain about that?” cried Markus, trying hard to sound offended.

“It wasn’t me who started with the insults,” Jonas countered.

Kat blew an exasperated breath. “And
I’m
the one who’s supposed to be a child.”

They headed upstairs and quickly came across an unused parlor. Markus found some wine and a few bowls of fruit to get them started, and soon they were talking and laughing as if the world around them had never gone awry. Even Jonas looked like he was having fun, especially when telling them stories of some of his boyhood misadventures. Birger stopped in briefly to tell Ethan that King Halvar would like him to join the council the next day. Ethan asked him to stay with them for a while, but the dwarf politely declined.

After another hour or so, Ethan struggled to his feet.

“If I have to see the council tomorrow,” he told them, moving toward the door on rather unsteady legs. “I need to sleep off all this wine.”

“You always were a lightweight,” teased Markus. “Even Kat here can outdrink you.”

She pursed her lips. “He just wants to get back to Lylinora.”

“She
is
quite the beauty,” Markus chuckled.

Kat snarled and punched him on the arm. “She’s not
that
pretty.”

His chuckle turned into a loud laugh. “Is that why you cover her with a blanket?”

“She looks better that way.”

Jonas wagged his finger. “Jealousy is unbecoming in a young woman.”

“I’m not jealous,” she protested, then promptly stamped her foot.

Smiling to himself, Ethan waved goodnight.

“Maybe I’m just a
little
jealous,” Kat admitted, once he was gone.

“Ah, the bitter sting of young love,” remarked Jonas.

She glared at him and growled. “Just give me some more wine you old sack of turnips.”

*

Ethan very nearly fell down the ladder on his way back to the cavern. He cursed himself for drinking too much: the morning was sure to bring a dry mouth and a sore head. He regretted not bringing some water with him, though on reflection, he knew he would have fallen for sure, and probably broken his neck as well, if he’d tried to climb down with a pitcher in one hand.

On reaching the cavern, he pulled the blanket away from Lylinora and plopped down on the floor in front of her. “I’ll get you out,” he promised softly. “Whatever it takes.”

After a few minutes, he crawled over to his cot and rolled on top. The lack of a pillow, and the fact that he’d left his blanket on the floor beside the crystal, was annoying. Then the room began spinning. For a minute he thought he might vomit. Slowly though, the impulse subsided and he managed to drift off.

He had no idea how long he’d been asleep. But Birger would come to get him if he was late for the council, so he guessed it must still be early. As expected his mouth was dry and his tongue felt like used sandpaper. With a pounding head, he groaned and forced himself into a seated position.

“Too much wine?” said a kindly male voice.

Ethan scrambled to his feet and pressed his back against the wall. “Who’s there?”

His vision was still blurry, allowing him to make out only shadows at first. He shook his head and blinked several times. Slowly the haze cleared to reveal an old dwarf wearing a red satin robe. He had a long silver beard and hair, and was sitting in a chair just a few feet away from Lylinora. His bright green eyes twinkled in the light of the crystal. There was a warm smile on his face as he folded his hands in his lap.

“If you need a moment, I’ll wait,” he said.

“Who are you?” Ethan demanded. “And what are you doing down here?”

“A bit grumpy I see. No matter. I can fix that.” He reached in his sleeve and pulled out a silver flask. “Drink this,” he said, tossing it over to Ethan.

Ethan regarded the flask suspiciously. “What is it?”

“It’s not poison, if that’s what you’re worried about. Drink. It will make you feel better.”

Ethan unscrewed the lid and sniffed. It was odorless. He took a cautious sip. Tasteless as well. But cold. Ice cold. Almost instantly, his dry mouth went away. He took another, much larger sip. His head had now stopped pounding. He suddenly felt fully refreshed, as if having enjoyed a good night’s sleep.

“What
is
this?” he asked.

“It’s an extract from a rare mushroom that grows deep in the mountains near my home.”

The dwarf stood and bowed. “I am King Ganix. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Ethan’s jaw went slack. “I…I mean…well…I’m sorry if I was rude.”

Ganix laughed and waved his hand. “The fault is mine. I was anxious to meet you. I should really have waited until later in the morning.”