Strife In The Sky (Book 7) (12 page)

Selene laughed.

“Seems you can be replaced after all, Kryzak. How nice it would be to have a man who can change the scenery.” She rubbed Gorlee’s tattooed head and played with his ear.

Kryzak’s eyes became hot with jealousy.

“Does that bother you?” she said, rubbing Gorlee’s bulging arms and back.

“My queen,” Kryzak said, “you know this is torture for me. I’ve died for you, and this thing has done nothing.”

“Nothing yet, Kryzak, nothing as of yet.” She stretched out her arm and opened her palm. “I’m certain that will change. Now depart from me and see that he is well trained.”

Kryzak laid the Chamal Stone between her fingers, took a knee, and bowed. With a grunt, he led Gorlee out of Selene’s chamber.

Selene drifted up the stair and resumed her place on the backless throne. The Chamal Stone was warm and living in her hands.

Let’s see what kind of memories were stored in that wonderful mind.

She closed her eyes and started to chant in Dragonese. Smoke rolled from her nostrils and over her lips. Her eyes snapped open, glowing with bright purple fires. The Chamal Stone flared and lifted from her hands, glowing like a yellow star.

Selene clutched the arms of her throne and inhaled the mystic energies of the stone. Gorlee’s memories became hers. She saw his parents, his home, his decades wandering alone. The way he toyed with people thrilled her. His great powers chilled her. Gorlee. That was his name. Good natured. Curious. He wanted to stop her. Stop evil. Give aid to the good in the next dragon war.

I won’t let that happen.

Minutes went by. Almost an hour. She savored every bit of him. She saw his friends as if they were standing right there: Brenwar Bolderguild and a bunch of other dwarves, Bayzog the Wizard, Ben the Warrior, and the great Nath Dragon. All the names and locations of their friends and loved ones became hers.

My weapons can never have enough edges.

No doubt she would need to isolate them all from each other, similar to how she had the elves under wraps with the orcs so that it wasn’t likely they’d leave their lands. The part-elf wizard Bayzog made an impression in her mind. He was more than formidable with the power of the Elderwood Staff.

We can’t have too many heroes running amok and ruining my plans. Perhaps I shall take a closer look at who his wife Sasha is. It seems Bayzog and Nath Dragon both talk about her much. Love makes an excellent weapon when you know how to use it against them.

She watched the pounding he’d given Bletver and the escape he’d made from the phantom.

It would have been nice to have him as an ally all these years. But at least I have him now.

She closed her eyes and broke the connection to the stone. The mystic memories that drifted sparkled and fell onto the dais and disappeared.

Selene clasped her fingers together and rested her elbows on the arms of her throne.

“And now I know precisely where Nath Dragon is. Poor Gorlee the Chameleon. He couldn’t have given me a greater gift.” She chuckled. “Once again proving that heroics which don’t work are only foolish efforts.”

She squawked in Dragonese.

Moments later, her pet drulture flew in and landed on the arm of her chair. Its scaly feathers were bright and colorful.

She showed it the Chamal Stone and said, “Take this to the phantom and have him take it to Bletver. He’s to keep it safe until I call for it.”

The drulture let out a throaty little roar, snatched the Chamal Stone in its mouth, and flew outside through the terrace.

Selene sat straight up and showed a confident smile.

“I think this war just might be over before it’s even begun.”

CHAPTER 28

Concealed in the brush, Nath kneeled on one knee, scanning the skies above. The Floating City hung ominously in the air. A monolith beyond expectations. Its tall buildings and high spires hosted dragons, colorful and with dark tails.

There must be at least twenty of them up there.

He reached behind his back and grasped Fang’s hilt. The metal was cool to the touch. It put Nath’s mind at ease. Having Fang on his side again gave him an edge, and that would have to be enough.

In one of the stone archways in the city, a dragon with deep blue scales stretched its wings and yawned. Little bigger than a man, the blue streak dragon dropped out of the archway, glided between the towers, and disappeared behind the cover of the buildings, only to appear again streaking high into the clouds above.

If I just had wings, getting into that city would be a lot easier.

He eased his way through the brush and forest to another vantage point facing the eastern part of the city.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Great Dragons!

Dragons were scattered the same on this side as everywhere else. Some of their eyes gleamed like diamonds, and others were closed. Nath dug his nails into his palm. He had to get moving and help Bayzog. Otter Bone had even said there was a greater menace within than the dragons. Not to mention that even if he managed to make it into the Floating City and out, he’d still have to navigate through the bull dragons. They had his scent. They’d be looking for him.

He scanned the great rock the city floated upon. There were catwalks high above that led from the city onto other rocks floating on jaxite above. But they were a hundred feet above him, maybe more.

I can’t jump that high. If Bayzog were here, he’d take me up.

He eyed the stones that hung in the air. There were many small ones the size of boulders that hung suspended in the air.

Like the rocks that help you cross a rushing river.

That’s interesting.

There were hundreds of stones scattered over the expanse. Nath could see a path leading upward toward the city. But it was no simple feat. The distance from one rock to another looked to be over twenty feet.

Alright then. That’s one option.
But how can I climb them without being seen? Is this the way Otter Bone meant for me to take? It hardly seems safe. Only one way to find out.

He scanned the tops of the city buildings, eyeing the dragons roosted and gliding through the city.
But what do I do about them?

He combed his fingers through his mane of red hair, buckled his brows, and snapped his fingers. He slipped the potion vials he’d taken from Brenwar’s chest out of his clothes. Each was colorful, but not bright. He put the royal blue and lavender mixtures back and kept the emerald green. He shook its contents in front of his eyes. It began to bubble, fizz. A tiny tornado formed inside with bright sparkles.
I can’t believe I almost forgot about this. Now I just need something to use it on.

Nath crept back into the forest. The potion would work on many things. Living things. But he needed to find the right subject. He stopped at a burrow in the grasses and put his ear to the ground.
Nothing in there.
He trekked around with his head on a swivel. Shoved leafy branches from his face.
Has to be something I can use here.
He lifted his chin up. Something buzzed overhead. A hornet nest. He smiled.
Perfect.

He scaled the tree and crawled out on the limb that held the nest in place. The nest was bigger than Nath’s head, and the black-and-gold-winged hornets buzzed with more fury the closer he crawled toward them. Nath huffed a plume of smoke at them. The buzzing subdued. It didn’t stop a few dozen hornets from landing on him, though. Each was big, about half the length of his finger, and he knew their stings were almost lethal to most people.

Nath chuckled. He remembered a time when he’d dropped a hive onto a camp of orcs. He could still see them scrambling and flailing their arms and kicking their legs. A camp of thirty-some orcs, reduced to nothing in seconds. He had freed a pair of green lilly dragons that day. It had been over fifty years ago, maybe longer.

“I didn’t have my scales then,” he said to himself as several of the hornets tried to sting him. “I had to be more careful. One of your brothers still managed to put a knot on my chin.”

He blew another ring of smoke, scooted over the branch, stretched out his arms, and plucked off the nest. The hornets started to cover his arms, chest and face. He hopped out of the tree, landed on cat’s feet, and made his way back toward the river canyon’s edge.

“This better work,” he said, eyeing the mystic vial though the coat of hornets he wore. He flipped the cork off the vial, stuffed the vial into the nest, and poured.

One … two …

The nest sprang to life.

Three!

He slung the nest high in the air. Over a hundred feet up it went, reaching its zenith, where the entire nest seemed to hover for a moment.

Come on, now, work!

The hive exploded in a burst of buzzing golden light. Dozens of hornets, maybe hundreds, grew ten times in size and streaked through the sky. Their golden wings buzzed with roaring fury. They zigzagged like sparkling gold fishing lures in the air, scattering everywhere.

A dragon roar caught Nath’s ear. Followed by another and another. He dashed beneath a leafy overhang in the rocks.

Dragons streaked through the sky, jaws wide and snapping. Their eyes were wild, and their wings beat in chase.

The golden-winged hornets looked like huge flying gold nuggets to the dragons.

The skies filled with chaotic roars that echoed off the rocks. The hornets buzzed in fury. They flew through the skies, into the forest, and beyond. Hundreds of hornets and dozens of dragons.

Nath stepped out of his hiding place and dusted off his hands.

“That should keep them tied up for a few hours. Just like fish, dragons love shiny things.”

He sauntered over to the ledge and faced the nearest hanging rock. It was a twenty-foot leap away and about ten feet up. He stepped back a few paces.

I’d better get a run at this.

He dashed over the ground and flung himself upward.

Too far! Too far!

He glided over the floating rock, stretched out his arms, and splashed into the river. Emerging, he yelled, “Great Dragons!”

He swam to the riverbank and climbed the vines. Standing on the ledge again, he flung water off his arms and said, “Let’s try that again.”

He leapt up in a perfect arc and landed flat on his feet on the floating rock. It teetered. He steadied himself with his arms, and with his keen eyes he traced a path to the city, on the floating stones.

It took another long hop impossible to man, followed by another and another. Every rock was different than the last. Some were big enough for many, and some barely big enough for him. One slip, and he’d have to start all over again. Halfway across, he looked down at the river rushing far beneath him. The wind whipped his hair, and every rock he landed on wobbled and teetered.

There must be another way they came up here. 

He crouched, craning his neck toward the sky. If a dragon saw him, he’d be an easy mark.

Keep moving. Halfway there.

He leapt onto stone after stone after stone. Some went up. Some down. Some left. Some right. His path spiraled, but he was getting closer. He stood on a smaller stone, barely wider than his shoulders, balancing himself. The next stone was a big one twenty feet wide and ten feet high, but it was more than thirty feet away. He gathered his legs under him. Tried to steady himself in the wind.

I can do this.

His legs exploded upward. Up he was going with his arms stretched out when a gust of wind hit him. He landed on his chest on the rock, with his legs dangling off. His fingers clawed at the rock. The rock titled toward him. When he started to slide off, Nath caught a glimpse of the water rushing beneath him.

I’m not doing this again. For Bayzog!

He raised his arm up and slammed it down like pounding a nail. By digging one set of claws into the rock after another, he heaved himself up, legs and all.

“Whew!” he said, drawing his arm across his forehead. He stood up, looked down at the river, and waved. “That should be the worst of it.”

A growl rumbled behind him.

He whipped his head around.

“Sultans of Sulfur!”

All he saw was dragon teeth and scales.

CHAPTER 29

“What is this place?” Brenwar said.

Otter Bone had led them for hours through the forest, using Brenwar and Bayzog as eyes. Bayzog couldn’t help but be impressed. Considering the fact that the sage was blind, he gave excellent directions.

“A hideout,” Otter Bone said in his firm but smoky voice. “Of sorts. We’ll wait here until the others arrive.”

Bayzog rubbed his belly. He’d been nauseous the entire walk, but he was getting better. He took a seat on small wine barrel and leaned back against the cave wall. They were a few dozen feet deep in a cave that opened like a mouth into a forest. He closed his aching eyes and took deep breaths through his nose.

“The queasiness will pass,” Otter Bone said, shuffling over and staring right past him with glassy eyes. “Most likely by tomorrow.” He stretched out his work-laden hands with heavy knots for knuckles. 

Bayzog grabbed one of those hands and led him down into a sitting position.

“Your hands are awfully rough for a sage,” Bayzog said.

“Yours aren’t exactly soft for a wizard, or an elf,” Otter Bone said back. “I used to be a fisherman until the gift came to me. Over fifty years from birth I’d fished, when blindness struck me and a new sight was revealed to me. This cave,” he said, craning his neck around, “I lived here alone for over a decade. Everyone thought madness was upon me.” He sighed. “So did I. Those were dark times.”

Brenwar picked up a wine casket, shook it, and tossed it down. One by one, he went through a dozen of them.

“Your hideout doesn’t have any rations.”

“They will come,” Otter Bone said. “They will come.” He nudged Bayzog. “I thought dwarves were more patient.”