The Wings of Dragons: Book One of the Dragoon Saga (18 page)

“
What happened?”

“
Treason. Rondel and Iren
tried to kill the two Quodivar leaders.”

Balear gave the captain a confused look.
“That doesn’t make sense. Why would Rondel kill the Quodivar
leaders if she works for them?”

“
To lead the Quodivar
herself and to prevent them from exposing her. At least, so I
guess. Her plan didn’t work out the way she intended.”

Balear cocked an eyebrow to prompt an
explanation.

“
Rondel counted, as I did,
on Iren having enough strength to help defeat the Quodivar
leaders,” Amroth said. “He proved too weak, and Rondel couldn’t
match both Zuberi and an Oni at the same time. They killed her. I
arrived at the end of the tunnel right as it happened.”

“
I suppose Iren died too,
then,” Balear said. A highly bizarre and unexpected pang of sadness
struck him.

Surprisingly, the captain grinned. “Not
quite. There’s more to that boy than I ever imagined. When Rondel
died, Iren lost control and fired off some kind of white beam that
killed both Quodivar leaders in one shot. It had so much energy
that even from where I stood, its shockwave knocked me flat. By the
time I recovered, Iren had disappeared, taking one of the
Quodivar’s own horses and heading west.”

When the pair exited the tunnel, Balear
gasped at the ruin around him. The forest fire had mostly subsided,
but everything within half a mile was scorched. A few of the larger
trunks still burned, giving the scene a haunting glow. Three
horses, the sole escapees of the Quodivar’s stables, nursed their
wounds as they wandered through the charred remains.

Though cowed by the devastation, Balear
forced his thoughts back to the letter. “Sir, we should take those
horses and ride to Haldessa! The Quodivar army is on its way
there!”

Captain Angustion frowned. “Yes, but we have
a second problem. When Iren left, I noticed someone else with him:
a Kodama from Ziorsecth. I don’t know if Rondel converted Iren or
not, but based on that letter, we know she meant to. I fear we may
have seen only a glimpse of Rondel’s grand design.”

“
Grand design?”

“
The Kodama provides the
perfect cover for Iren to flee the country. Once he reaches
Ziorsecth, Iren can convert the Kodamas and other nations to
Rondel’s cause. In the worst case scenario, we could face enemies
on all sides. If Iren convinces our neighbors to attack us, Lodia
will be overwhelmed.”

Balear blanched. Even if they militarized
the entire populace, they couldn’t defeat a combined attack from
the Quodivar, Yokai, Kodamas, and Tengu. “What can we do?” he
cried. “We have to help Haldessa! We have no time to chase
Iren!”

“
Not necessarily. The crux
of Rondel’s plan for Haldessa revolves around the baths’ canal. If
I alert the king in time, he can order the canal gate shut. The
Quodivar won’t be able to infiltrate, and our archers will easily
pick off their army from the safety of the castle walls. The king
will follow my recommendations without question, so I’ll go to
Haldessa and try to prevent it from falling. You must ride west and
find Iren. Bring him back to the castle, even if you have to kill
him.”

Balear nodded, tucking the incriminating
letter from Rondel in his pocket. As he did, terrible worry swelled
inside him. “Captain, what happens if you meet the Quodivar army
along the way?”

A mad grin took the mighty soldier. “Then
may the dragons protect me. But no more time! We must ride!”

With that, they each mounted a Quodivar
horse and rode in opposite directions. Balear careened through
Akaku, though each footfall of his steed nearly made him swoon. His
body screamed at him to stop, to rest, perhaps even to curl up in a
corner and die. Very soon, he would need to find a place to camp
and recover, but not just yet. He couldn’t let Captain Angustion
down. He would locate Iren, and if the boy really had betrayed
Lodia and chosen Rondel, the devil-child would die by Balear’s
hand.

When Iren finally came to, at first he
thought he hadn’t. He opened and closed his eyes repeatedly, but he
could tell no difference. His vision gradually adjusted, and the
dim shapes of tall, spire-like conifers came into focus above him.
He remained in Akaku Forest, probably surrounded by enemies.
Through the dense trees, he spotted a couple stars. That meant he’d
been unconscious at least half a day.

The smell of burning wood called him to
attention. He forced himself into a crouch and reached for the
Muryozaki, but its sheath lay empty on his hip.

“
Still alive, huh?” a
strong, feminine voice asked. He might have considered it
melodious, if only it hadn’t sounded so aggravated.

Turning to face the speaker, Iren saw the
Kodaman woman sitting on a fallen log, tending a campfire with a
stick. He stumbled over and took a seat next to the fire, opposite
her. The soothing heat and crackling wood did wonders for his
frayed nerves and exhausted body. “I’m glad you’re awake,” he
began, but she cut him off.

“
What brings you to this
forest, Maantec?” She pronounced the last word like a
curse.

Iren decided the best thing to do was not to
get riled up. Instead, he grinned innocently and replied, “I
rescued you from the Quodivar, and now I’m taking you back to
Ziorsecth.”

She folded her arms and scowled.
“Moron.”

His eyebrow twitched at the insult. This
stupid Kodama was just like everyone else. He should ditch her in
the woods. It would serve her right.

Rondel’s final words, however, echoed in his
head. She’d knowingly sacrificed herself so that he could escape
and help this Kodama return home. He wondered if Rondel had known
what a pain the woman was. Probably not. Then again, considering
the Kodama’s tone, the pair might have gotten along. Actually, the
woman reminded him a little of Rondel. Aside from the prickly
attitude, her deep green eyes were the same shade as the
crone’s.

“
Sorry,” he said, sarcasm
involuntarily rising in his throat, “but I have instructions, and I
don’t plan on leaving your side. You’re stuck with me until we get
to Ziorsecth. Now where’s my sword?”

She shrugged. “Not here.”

Iren nearly fainted as the final moments of
the battle replayed themselves in his memory. Zuberi had kicked
away the Muryozaki. It probably still lay there, amid the charred
remains of the forest. He swore. What was he supposed to do now,
without Rondel, Amroth, or Divinion to guide him? He didn’t even
have a simple blade to defend himself! Worse, the stupid Kodama had
set up camp smack in the middle of Akaku. If the Yokai attacked
them now, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

“
You needn’t worry,” the
woman said. “We’re perfectly safe here. There aren’t any Yokai near
us.”

He gave her a disbelieving look. “Oh, and
how do you know that?”

She pointed at the trees. “The owls.”

“
Owls?”

“
Of course. Can’t you hear
them hooting? They only do that when they feel calm and
unthreatened. If Yokai were around, the owls would either fall
silent or leave.”

Iren shook his head. “We’re totally unarmed
and defenseless here, and you’re telling me you’ve entrusted our
safety to a bunch of dumb birds?”

She sighed. “Typical Maantec moron.”

“
Hey, I went to the trouble
of rescuing you!” he replied. “Why do you keep calling me a
moron?”

“
Because you are. You have
no idea what’s going on, or what you’re meddling in.”

He growled with frustration. “I know exactly
what I’m meddling in. I’m saving your life. You could at least tell
me your name.”

The Kodama said nothing for a moment.
Finally, she answered curtly, “Minawë.”

Iren extended his hand. “I’m Iren Saitosan,
Minawë. Nice to meet you.”

Minawë eyed Iren’s palm like it bore some
terrible disease. “Moron.”

Exasperated, Iren threw up his hands. “What
makes me a moron now?”

“
Kodamas don’t shake hands.
When we greet a friend, we do this.” She placed the index and
middle fingers of her right hand vertically over her chest. When
Iren smiled and imitated the gesture, she flushed angrily and
turned away.

Several silent minutes passed. Iren knew he
should rest, but he couldn’t bring himself to. Perhaps he feared
Minawë might run off if he took his eyes off her, but he also felt
a mysterious draw toward her, even though she kept insulting
him.

“
So,” he said, “how did you
wind up imprisoned so far from home?”

Minawë glanced into the canopy, then said
harshly, “I won’t tell you. You bear both the name and weapon of
our greatest enemy.”

Iren was taken aback. “Your greatest
enemy?”

“
Moron, you don’t even know
your own history? A thousand years ago, the Maantecs started a war
to subjugate the other species on Raa. Among those who still
remember such things, that conflict is called the Kodama-Maantec
War, although it involved all the races on Raa. After fifty years,
we beat back the Maantecs until at last they retained only their
original territory, Serona, west of Ziorsecth Forest. The Maantec
emperor refused to surrender. As the Kodamas marched on the Maantec
capital, he stood atop his tower at its center and uttered a foul
curse.”

Iren forced himself to ask the follow-up
question, “What did the curse do?”

Minawë stared into the flames. “You know
that Kodamas who leave Ziorsecth die, right? That wouldn’t happen
naturally. The Maantec emperor, with the aid of none other than
Divinion himself, altered the structure of our bodies. He died in
the process, but his spell nevertheless slaughtered every Kodama on
the battlefield that day. It all but wiped out our species.” She
glared at him. “I awoke during your fight with the big human. I saw
you use that beam against him. You consider yourself the Holy
Dragon Knight? What nonsense! You’re just like him, just like Iren
Saito.”

Shock ripped through Iren. “You bear both
the name and weapon of our greatest enemy,” she had said. Now he
understood. He was named after the last emperor of the Maantecs, a
Holy Dragon Knight who had perverted Divinion’s magic for his own
dream of conquest.

Iren clenched his teeth. Rondel had named
him. Why would she name him after such a horrible person? An image
of the old hag’s lifeless body flashed before him. He’d never learn
the answer now.

Still, he refused to accept that he could be
like Iren Saito as Minawë had claimed. In frantic defense he cried,
“You can’t lump me in with some conqueror from a thousand years ago
because of what I did at the fort. I don’t even know what happened!
I didn’t have the Muryozaki, yet I still used Divinion’s
magic.”

Minawë rolled her eyes. “Moron, that doesn’t
make it better. That beam didn’t come from Divinion’s magic. It
came from yours.”

Iren started, perplexed. “I don’t have any
magic,” he countered. “The only magic I’ve ever used came from the
Muryozaki.”

“
Naturally,” she replied,
as though his quandary made perfect sense. “You probably never
received any training. Back at the fort, your body reacted
instinctively, prompted by strong emotions and your
life-threatening situation. It used your magic first to shield you,
and then to slay your opponent.”

“
I told you, I don’t have
any magic!”

“
Except for humans, every
sentient species on Raa has magic. They draw it passively from the
environment without even thinking. It’s part of our biology. The
way Mother explained it to me, our bodies have ‘semipermeable
membranes.’ Magic can flow in, but it can’t escape. Unless, of
course, the person forces it out in the form of a spell. Mother
could tell you more, if we make it to Ziorsecth.”

Although he couldn’t decide whether he
believed Minawë about him having magic or not, Iren smiled a
little. Though only in passing, the Kodama for the first time
sounded accepting of the idea that he would accompany her to
Ziorsecth. Wanting to keep her in a good mood, he decided to at
least act like he believed her. He said, “So our bodies absorb
magic passively, and we use it in spells. But until the fort, I
never cast a spell. Does that mean I have eighteen years worth of
magic stored inside me?”

Minawë shook her head. “No, although you
absorb magic at a constant rate, your body can only hold so much.
Think of the magic as water and your body as a bucket. The water
pours into the bucket, but at some point, if the bucket isn’t
emptied, the water simply spills out. Using magic can increase the
amount your body can hold, but overusing it can deplete your
biological magic.”

Up until now, Iren had followed her well
enough, but now he got thoroughly confused. “Biological magic?”

“
Yes, the magic that
sustains life. Biological magic allows us to grow, to survive, to
exist. Like food and rest, biological magic preserves us. Its
presence keeps us young and fit, and it’s the reason for our
immortality.”

Iren put up a hand. “That’s enough. I’ve
played along to this point, but now I know you’re just seeing how
far you can take this. I know I’m not immortal. I’m eighteen, and
I’ve grown up at the same rate as all the humans my age.”

“
Of course. Early in our
lives, our bodies use some biological magic to develop into
adulthood. Once we reach maturity, however, the magic shifts from
growth to maintenance, keeping us at our strongest. We can stay
that way forever, theoretically.”