Kazin's Quest: Book I of The Dragon Mage Trilogy (86 page)

Perenia giggled and Valdez presented her with the bow.

“Thank you,” murmured Perenia shyly.

“For the elf,” continued Krendal, “we have a magical cloak, which, when worn, allows the wearer to become invisible.”

“Thank you!” said Della in awe as Valdez handed her the cloak. “Now if Kazin tries to do something wrong, he’ll think twice, because I might be standing right there watching him!”

“Hey!” cried Kazin. “That’s not fair!”

Everyone laughed.

“For the bodyguard,” continued Krendal, “we offer the sword you used the other day against the bone dragon. Considering your latest quest, you’ll need it. But when you’re done with Jarad’s shield, we’d like it back for safe keeping. It is a unique item and I hope to have Jarad duplicate it if possible.”

Sherman nodded.

“To the dwarf,” said Krendal, nodding at Harran, “we offer the ice axe he has wielded for the past few weeks in the defence of Kazin and his party. Your courage will not be forgotten.”

“My thanks,” said Harran gruffly.

“We will give the druid the Torinian Talisman when she awakens,” said Krendal. “It will allow her magic to build up quickly after being drained. With the constant healing she’s always doing, she will need all the help she can get.”

“She’ll like that,” said Della.

“As for Kazin,” said Krendal happily, “we’ve got a surprise for you when you get back to the Tower of Sorcery.”

“I can’t wait,” said Kazin.

“There is one here whose reward is hard to conceive,” said Krendal, looking uncertainly at the minotaur, “especially since magic is so taboo among your race.”

“It’s not necessary,” said Zylor. “I need nothing.”

“Except luck at dice,” muttered Harran.

The minotaur glared at the dwarf. “One of these days, dwarf. One of these days.”

Krendal stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Hmm.”

“There’s still the magical dagger,” said Valdez suddenly. He held up the object for Krendal to see.

“Oh, yes,” said Krendal. “I almost forgot. We will hold the dagger until we find the sailor—.”

“He’s at the fountain in the square,” interrupted Valdez. “I passed him on the way here.”

“At the fountain?” asked Kazin. “Are you sure?”

Valdez nodded. “He was looking down into the pool. He seemed deep in thought, so I didn’t disturb him.”

Kazin jumped up. “I’m going to see if he’s O.K.!” He sprang for the door.

“Wait for me!” wailed Della, charging after him.

“You can’t go through the portal!” said Kazin over his shoulder.

Della stopped, chagrined.

“Put on your cloak,” whispered Krendal. “It should allow you to use the portal.”

Della needed no further urging. She donned the cloak and disappeared—literally.

Chapter 71

R
ubin looked up at the statue before him. One moment he was in the middle of the war, the next he was facing the beautiful, peaceful statue of the mermaid.

The mermaid moved slowly, raising her hand to touch the key-shaped talisman around the sailor’s neck. Raw energy surged from the talisman into the mermaid. The shiny glow of the talisman faded, to be left with a bare, metallic glint.

“It is done,” said the mermaid at last. She placed a hand under the sailor’s chin and tilted his head to look at his face. “You have done well. The cycle is complete.”

Rubin’s eye watered. The mermaid was so beautiful.

“Weep not, sailor,” said the mermaid. “What you seek has been there all along. Look. Look into the water.” She lifted the eye patch and allowed him to look into the pool. Staring back at him were reflections of his eyes—both of them.

Rubin reached up slowly and felt his eye. It was there. There was no mistaking it this time. It was there. It was real. He looked up at the mermaid but the fountain was as it always had been—a dead, cold statue of a mermaid with water spilling from her breasts.

“Why?” he whispered silently. “Why did this happen?” A vision of the mermaid pointing to his head came to mind. The statue had said: ‘understand’.

Then he understood. As long as at least one of his eyes could not see the evil and death he had called forth using necromancy, he could not be corrupted by it. Rubin thought of the war he was in and his role in it. He hated killing, yet he had called forth hordes to do his bidding. Those hordes had killed for him, relentlessly and mindlessly. The brutality of the war caused Rubin to shudder and his eyes filled with tears. Then he wept, cleansing his spirit and releasing the strain of what he had done.

He was still hunched over the edge of the pool when Kazin came up to him.

“Hey!” said Kazin, shaking the sailor gently. “Rubin!”

The sailor looked up and Kazin gasped. The eye patch was gone, replaced by the eye that was thought to be lost.

“Rubin, your eye!” exclaimed Della.

Kazin jumped. “Della?”

Della appeared after removing her cloak. “You can run, but you can’t hide!”

“Very funny,” said Kazin. He turned to the sailor. “Rubin? Are you O.K.?”

Rubin nodded. “Yeah.”

“Would you mind telling us what happened?” asked Kazin.

Rubin related all that had happened to him since their arrival from the Tower of Hope. As he narrated the events, the endless clouds overhead opened slightly, revealing the setting sun. The sky turned bright red, a sign of nicer weather to come.

“And now the red sky and blue water are so much more vivid,” said Rubin ecstatically. “My eyesight is ten times better!”

Kazin scratched his head. Where had he heard that before? Then he remembered.

He fished anxiously through his pockets.

“What are you looking for?” asked Della.

“Here it is!” exclaimed Kazin. He withdrew the note the mage in the past had given him and read it aloud:

‘When the sky is red and the water is blue,

the conditions are right for the one who is true.

You need only look if you wish to win,

beneath the surface under the fin.’

“That’s the note the mage gave you to find the Book of Prophesy?” asked Della.

“Yeah,” said Kazin. “Until now it didn’t make much sense, though.”

Rubin scratched his head. “Well, the sky is red, and the pool’s water is blue, so if we want to win, we just look under the surface—.”

“Beneath the fin!” echoed Della and Kazin in unison.

“That’s it!” exclaimed Kazin excitedly. “The clue lies beneath the mermaid’s fin!”

Rubin peered intently into the pool with his enhanced eyesight. “There are plenty of grooves and ridges,” mused the sailor slowly. “I don’t think—wait a minute! There! It’s a dark spot under the center of one of the tips of the tail. It looks kind of—kind of like a keyhole.”

“Are you sure?” asked Della, looking where the sailor pointed. “I have good eyes too, but I can’t make it out very well.”

“I’m sure of it,” said Rubin. “It’s a keyhole!”

“Great!” said Kazin dejectedly. “The mage didn’t exactly give me a key. How am I supposed to open it?”

Rubin fingered his talisman thoughtfully. “I’ve got a key right here. Suppose we try it?”

Kazin considered. “What are the odds that it will work?”

“Ye won’t know until ye try,” said Rubin, removing the talisman and giving the key to Kazin.

“The worst that will happen is that you’ll look like an idiot swimming in the pool,” said Della, with a twinkle in her eye.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” retorted Kazin. He looked around the square. “At least there aren’t too many people about. I should be able to get this done with minimal embarrassment.”

“I could call everyone to watch,” suggested Della.

Kazin glared at her as he removed his robe and some of his clothes underneath. Then he stepped into the pool and winced. “Ooh, it’s cold!”

Della giggled.

Kazin stepped in and found that he was up to his chest in the icy water. The walls of the pool sheltered him from the sight of any potential onlookers and he relaxed somewhat.

“It’s deeper than it looks,” said Kazin, heading for the keyhole section of the mermaid’s tail. “I’ll have to submerge completely to reach the keyhole.”

Della and Rubin watched as Kazin took a deep breath and dove under, feeling for the keyhole with one hand. With the other, he slipped the key into the gap and twisted. The key turned smoothly, and Kazin pulled back. A square slab slid open, releasing a bunch of bubbles. Everything was blurry for a while to the two onlookers as Kazin reached into the opening. He pulled out an object and came up to the surface with a splash, gasping for air.

“I’ve got it!” he cried.

Rubin looked around furtively. “Shh! Not so loud! Hurry, get out of the pool!”

Kazin complied without hesitation. The water was cold. He quickly threw his cloak around his exposed body. Della helped to dry him off with the cloak while Rubin took a shiny black box from the mage’s hands.

“It’s got a clasp but no lock,” said Rubin. “Should I open it?”

“Let me check it for protective magic first,” said Kazin. To the elf he added, “That’s enough, Della. I think I’m dry now.”

“Just making sure,” teased the elf with a grin. She reached under the cloak to back up her words.

“Hey!” yelped Kazin, jumping back. He glared distrustfully at the elf while he dressed. Then he approached the table where Rubin sat with the box in front of him. He cast a ‘spell detect’ spell with his staff and it glowed a bright orange.

“Just as I thought,” said Kazin. He began to chant one of his numerous unlocking spells but stopped in mid-sentence. “Of course! These simple spells won’t do the trick!” He stood up, pointed the staff at the box, and concentrated. With a light click, the box opened. Inside was a thick, leather bound book.

Kazin checked for further wardings but there were none. He gingerly lifted the book out of the box and read its binding.

“The Book of Prophesy!” exclaimed Kazin delightedly. “This is it! The mage somehow hid it in the statue and it’s been there for years, just waiting for me to find it! And to think it was on Sorcerer’s Island the whole time!”

“So ye finally found the book that got ye into trouble months ago,” said Rubin happily. He slapped Kazin on the back. “Sometimes things work out after all, eh?”

Kazin grinned and eagerly opened the ancient tome to read some of its contents. Much of what he read, however, was impossible to decipher.

“You can study it later,” interrupted Della finally. “We should tell Rubin our plans first.”

“You’re right,” said Kazin, reluctantly closing the book. He quickly related the latest plan to visit the necromancer’s (and Sherman’s) home realm.

“Ordinarily I’d be happy to oblige,” said Rubin, “but I think I’ve had enough adventure for a while. Don’t get me wrong—I’ve had fun, and I wouldn’t trade in the days with all you guys for nothin’. We were a close-knit, if odd group of characters. I’ll always remember what we’ve been through together. But sailin’ is my life. I’m good at it and I enjoy it. It’s time for me to go back to my old life. Be sure to tell the others what I said, Kazin. And if any of you ever need me for somethin’, just seek me out. I’ll be waitin’ for you aboard the Lady of the Sea.”

Kazin tearfully shook the sailor’s hand. “You bet, Rubin.”

Della hugged and kissed the sailor. “I’ll be watching every time your ship sails past the elven realm, Rubin. If you ever find yourself run aground on the reefs near the elven shore, you seek ME out for help, understand?”

“You bet,” answered the sailor.

“There you are!” said a voice. It was Valdez. He strode up to the tearful trio and pulled the magical dagger out of his sack. He handed it to the sailor. “This is a gift from the Tower of Sorcery for your brave acts on behalf of the townsfolk of Marral and mages alike. You deserve it.”

“It’s beautiful,” said Rubin in admiration.

“It’s also lethal,” said Valdez. “It will always strike its target with accuracy and then return to its owner as though it was never thrown. You’ll never lose it that way.”

“Amazing!” exclaimed Rubin, in awe once again.

The four chatted briefly before going their own ways. Valdez returned to the tower and Kazin and Della returned to Marral via the portal. Rubin went to the port to await the arrival of a ship to take him south to Arral, where he planned to find out where the Lady of the Sea was operating. Kazin gave him Andron’s name and address to help him in finding his ship. If anyone knew where the ship was, it was Andron.

Chapter 72

I
t was the break of dawn when Kazin, Sherman, Della, the dwarves, minotaurs, and Sir Galado’s forces prepared to leave the town of Marral to begin their trek northeast toward the Spike Ridge Mountains.

Krendal had come to see them off, and lamented not being able to join them. His injuries were still severe—though he tried not to show it—and the business in Marral kept him tied down to oversee things. The other mages chose to stay and rebuild the town as well, except Valdez, who was eager to go on a long journey for a change.

“There should be an ambassador to represent the Tower of Sorcery,” he argued.

Krendal reluctantly agreed to let him go, cautioning Valdez to stay alive. Of the original twelve arch mages, only six were still alive. Elections would be held within the month, and he wanted Valdez back safe and sound.

Perenia headed south with the centaurs, elves, and pegasi the previous day, tearfully bidding the companions farewell. She promised to keep in contact regarding the outcome of the raider situation, and the others wished her luck in that endeavour.

King Wenzel promised more open trade between the elves and humans in the future, along with aid for Marral and the communities in the northeast.

Milena met with Kazin briefly the night before and told him she still had too much healing to do. She couldn’t leave the clerics at a time like this. Kazin tried to convince her otherwise but to no avail. Frosty intervened and offered to give the druid a ride when her work was done. He claimed he had overheard Krendal mention that another contingent of clerics was on their way from the Tower of Hope. When those clerics arrived, Milena would no longer be so desperately needed.