How to Bond a Mage (Heir of Dragons Book 3) Page 5

  “I don't know,” replied Alla, downcast. “He's always been nomadic, never one to remain in the same place for very long. He comes and goes as he pleases; at times he approaches the front lines, and at others he seeks solitude to study the dark arts. I don't know where he is now and I haven't actually seen him in many days.”

  Alla's words felt sincere, and her disdain for her former master was plain. There was far too much history between the lot of them for Minx to merely drop her suspicions of Alla, but she decided then that she would attempt civility. “Well, welcome on board, I guess.”

  Mau was more reticent. Can we really trust her? Sure, she seems contrite, but after everything that's happened is it really wise to let her team up with us? Every time she comes around things tend to go south—and fast.

  It's war, replied Minx. What choice do we have? She's been as close to Torrent as anyone, and her insights may prove valuable. Since the dragons won't help us out, we aren't in a position to shoo away willing volunteers!

  “Have you explored the mountain?” asked Kaleb, motioning to the tunnels beyond. “I imagine it's rather dizzying, trying to navigate these passages. Any interesting discoveries?”

  “I haven't wandered as much as I'd like,” admitted Alla. “I've only been in the area a few days. I spent awhile in the wilds around the foot of the mountain, and only settled in this spot because it gave me access to food and water. There are a lot of tunnels, certainly. It would be easy to get lost.”

  The four of them sat in silence, listening to the waning storm. The lightning had finally ceased, and the rain was slackening. It was in this silence that a new, more concerning noise, rang out unexpectedly.

  It was the shuffling of smooth feet against stone.

  Kaleb rose, his fiery eyes plumbing the dim depths. “Who goes there?” he demanded. The storm had blown in a few bits of wood, mostly large branches from trees growing on the mountainside. Taking one in hand, he breathed upon it and set it immediately ablaze in a shower of sparks. With this, he stepped purposefully into the cavern, waving the torch aggressively before him.

  From one of the dark tunnels there appeared a slight, cowering figure. Flabby white hands moved to shield a sunken, lizard-like countenance from the oppressive firelight. It was, they soon realized with great relief, the leader of the Kurgs. “Sir,” he began, stepping further away from the light, “it is good that you have made it safely. Even as we speak, my people are arriving down below. There are parts of this mountain that we may not access—which are not to be tread except by certain feet. We will be here, sir, tending to the mountain. If you have need of us, please let me know.”

  “Thank you,” replied Kaleb as the pale thing retreated back into the darkness. “I guess we aren't alone in here after all, huh?” He motioned at the tunnels, four in total, with his torch. “Shall we start exploring? We came all the way here. Minx, you heard the voice of the mountain crying out—let's see if we can't figure out why.”

  Minx, Mau and Alla rose, falling into step behind Kaleb as he chose, seemingly at random, the passage to the right of center. Gloirs Mountain was enormous; the peak was so tall that its shadow sometimes met the waters of Heilo Lake. There was no telling how long it would take for them to explore the whole thing—much less to run into anything of interest. They'd been drawn to the mountain by its tortured cries, but now that they shuffled through its depths, all was frustratingly silent.

  Minx wondered about these sites within the mountain that the Kurgs were not allowed to cross into. How do they know so much about the mountain? Can they speak to it? Does the mountain reach out to them, too?

  Creeping nervously down the winding paths, Mau's fur stood on end. I hate this. It's so claustrophobic. I can feel the weight of the entire mountain pressing down on me. I need fresh air!

  Relax! replied Minx. It isn't so bad. The passages are large. She looked upward and to the walls in the light of Kaleb's torch, and found the tunnel they currently occupied to be rather spacious. This mountain is important, remember. We weren't drawn here for nothing, so try to pay attention instead of complaining!

  Alla and Mau fell back somewhat, leaving Kaleb and Minx at the fore. Silently exploring the depths of this ancient mountain, the Fae huntress couldn't help feeling a touch of girlish excitement. Minx had long stared up at the peak of Gloirs Mountain, but she'd never once set foot within its caverns. Exploring them now, with Kaleb close-by, carried a certain thrill. She was thankful to be spending this time with him, despite the pressures they were facing. It felt almost too indulgent.

  Soon enough, she realized, we're going to have to square off against Torrent. That's what this is all leading up to. I have to cherish this time with him, no matter what. When Torrent finally rears his head and the stage is set, there's no telling what'll happen. If one of us falls in battle, then these memories are all that will remain...

  Their wanderings saw them both ascending and descending at turns; their chosen tunnel branched off repeatedly, and in following certain of these alternate routes, they were often faced with dead-ends. From time to time, the four of them would pause to discuss the layout of the mountain and to vote on which path to take next. There were countless starts and stops, and by the time they did stumble upon something of interest hours later, sore feet and hunger plagued them all.

  One path, sharply descending, brought them to a yawning inner cavern through which a curious scent wafted. “I smell something,” uttered Kaleb as they drew near. He waved his torch about, taking in the broad lines of the cavern opening. “There's water up ahead—quite a lot of it, I think. Is this an underground lake?”

  “No,” replied Minx, “I doubt it. Maybe some of the rain flowed down into the mountain during the storm?” She kept close to him, passing into the new cavern. The dimensions of the space appeared rather grand; Kaleb's small light could illumine only a portion of their surroundings, and though the smell of water waxed dominant, they could not yet see its source.

  If there's water, maybe there are fish, too! chanced Mau. And right about now, I could use some fish. Maybe a dozen of them.

  Alla scanned the darkness with her milky eyes, visibly confused. “Is this one of the places that the Kurgs are forbidden from entering? The air here... it feels different. Very energetic.”

  They shuffled some distance into the space and soon encountered the source of the watery scent. Kaleb's light flashed across the surface of a vast pool of water, and from far-off within the dim space was heard a faint but persistent trickling. “It's... It's a spring, I think. A natural spring!”

  Minx knelt down and placed a hand in the water, testing it. It was pleasingly cool, and studying it in the firelight it appeared pristine—crystal clear. “This water looks amazing. So pure.” She looked to Alla. “I never knew there was a spring here in the mountain. Did you?”

  The half-Fae shook her head. “No, I never wandered this far down. I didn't know it was here, either.”

  The mere presence of this water had a soothing effect upon the party, who paused near the edge of the pool to rest. The waters, thought Minx, were as clear and pure as those of Heilo Lake. Is there some connection between this spring and the lake?

  Chapter 9

  They spent a good deal of time beside the pool, listening to the trickling of the spring. The chamber they now found themselves in possessed a strange air unlike any other they'd encountered within the mountain. The contours of the space played curiously with the firelight pouring from Kaleb's torch, and lent the resulting shadows something of liveliness. But it was more than a mere optical effect that gave this chamber its curious aura.

  All four of them were in agreement that, somehow, they were being watched.

  No survey of the space could alight upon the source of this odd feeling; studies of the walls yielded no staring eyes, and the clear waters were wholly unpopulated as far as could be seen. And yet... each of them in turn reported a distinct feeling of being watched from somewhere within the room. Perh
aps stranger still was the fact that this sense of being observed did not bring with it the usual dread that one might expect. There was a certain safeness to this presence, whatever it was. It felt familiar and kind.

  All four of them took turns exploring the whole of the chamber, and none found any signs of recent habitation. For all they knew, they were the first individuals to visit the remote spring. The floors were a polished, natural stone—smooth thanks to the constant dripping of spring water over the course of eons. There were no ancient artifacts to speak of, no primitive art pieces on the walls. This peaceful heart of the mountain had remained completely undisturbed since time immemorial.

  “This spring... it might be linked to Heilo Lake. What do you think?” asked Kaleb. The mountain isn't so far from the lake. It's possible, isn't it?”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” replied Minx. “These waters are so clear and pure. This spring may feed the lake.” Pacing about the edge of the pool, she was reminded of the vision she'd had—the one depicting the formation of Heilo Lake and Gloirs Mountain. In the vision, projected into her mind by the lake, she had witnessed an ancient dragon weeping over his lost love. These tears had flowed, over time, to fill the crater where his beloved had been buried. This was how Heilo Lake had come to be. The dragon himself, slowly petrifying over the course of untold years, had himself become Gloirs Mountain. Maybe there was something to that vision after all. Maybe... Heilo Lake wanted me to know that this spring was here, and that it feeds the waters of the lake. I've never heard anyone talk about this place before. If the Elders or others knew about it, surely it would have come out. But there's no sign that anyone's ever set foot here before us.

  The discovery of the spring felt important, though none among them could grasp precisely why that was. “Should we keep going?” asked Alla. “Maybe we should explore some of the other passages. There could be more to this spring than what we can see from here.”

  “I don't know...” Kaleb looked up at the ceiling narrowly, seeming to track something in the darkness. “Something tells me that this is where we were supposed to end up... That this is our destination.”

  Just then, there was movement.

  It came from all around them—from the darkness itself.

  All four of them stood stock still, listening, though no sound came. The shadows undulated, and whatever stirred in them masterfully evaded Kaleb's meager firelight. Minx thought to take up her bow, but she was so overwhelmed at this manifestation that she couldn't remember how to use it. Mau clung to her side, shivering in terror as the gravity in the room seemed to shift.

  They had unwittingly disturbed something, it seemed—something that had been at rest for a long, long time.

  Suddenly, there was a brief flash of light. It was not a bright light—in fact, compared to the glow of the torch it scarcely registered. A faint white aura permeated the walls and ceiling of the chamber; gossamer strands of pure light were gathered in an unseen hand until they formed something of a tight weave. Gradually, the glow took shape—became something that the awestruck adventurers could visualize.

  Spread across the ceiling was the ghostly reflection of a tremendous dragon. The walls of the room were enveloped by his glowing wings, and his massive eyes stared down at them from above. The vision came and went from view, flickered unsteadily for a time, and then suddenly vanished.

  It was then, as the room returned to its prior darkness, that the voice arose.

  “Who is this that disturbs my rest?”

  The voice, though tired, possessed a halting firmness. None who heard it could muster their own tongues to reply, and instead the four of them clustered together, frightened at the booming vocalization. They felt the voice vibrating deep within the rock, and these vibrations entered their own bodies, shaking them to their cores.

  “Who goes there?” demanded the voice once again—and this time in a harsher tone.

  It was the dragon shifter who eventually replied—though not without some evident trepidation. He shuddered as he spoke, his knees knocking together and eyes wide. “I am Kaleb, of the Pyra Clan, and these are my friends. Who is it that we have disturbed?”

  There was a long silence. Breathless moments passed until the voice finally returned in bone-rattling answer. “You have awakened the Great Dragon Gloirs, lord of this mountain. What has brought you here this day, Kaleb of the Pyra Clan?”

  Kaleb was at a loss for words. While he grappled with his tongue, Minx stepped forth and answered the awakened dragon. “We were summoned here,” she said. “The mountain cried out to me in a vision. We have arrived, and we are at your service.”

  There came another silence—ponderous and nerve-wracking. “I have slept for centuries,” continued Gloirs. “Untold years have passed since I was plunged into the sleep of grief. Now, I have awakened, and my love remains far from my sight. Why is this? I know she still lives; we are bonded, the two of us. Her presence persists in my very heart, and yet we are distant. Once, I felt her close to me at all times. The feeling has waned, however... I have not been able to sense her as before. Something has changed...”

  “Who is your love?” asked Minx. “Was she... a Fae?”

  The others stood in silence, awaiting an answer.

  “She was,” came Gloirs' eventual reply. “And who are you?”

  “I am Minx,” she replied. “A humble Fae. I have seen, in visions, the love you shared. It was the flow of your tears that made Heilo Lake, was it not? You have mourned your love all these years?”

  The spectral dragon grunted in the affirmative. “It is so, young Fae. Once, when these lands were new, our peoples were very close. Heilos and I were in love, but...”

  “Heilos?” remarked Minx. “Is... Is that the name of your lost love?”

  Once more, the dragon grunted. “Yes. She and I shared a deep love, but we were forbidden from marriage.” Gloirs loosed a weary sigh. “Curious that you have found your way here after all this time, young Fae. And you, Kaleb of the Pyra... Why, it's possible that your line is descended from my own. I would be keen to know more about your lineage, and to know what has become of our people over the centuries. Can it be that the dragons and the Fae are allies once again?”

  Kaleb hesitated, sparing an uncomfortable laugh. “Not exactly, no...”

  Suddenly, the ancient dragon loosed a sharp gasp.

  Minx did, too, as a chill ran down her spine and her mind was flooded with a familiar presence.

  “Heilos... Can it be?” uttered Gloirs. “Heilos has awakened!”

  Minx felt the weight of the lake pressing down upon her, could feel its psychical pull on her even as she stood within the shadowed mountain. “Yes,” she began, listening closely. “I can feel it, too... The lake has awakened...”

  Heilo Lake is speaking to you again? interrupted Mau. Well, what is it saying?

  The Fae huntress shook her head. It isn't speaking yet, but... but I can feel its presence.

  “The lake has awakened?” asked Alla. “What does this mean?”

  Minx stood in wait, listening for the voice of the lake. “I'm not sure... but I have a feeling we'll soon find out.”

  Chapter 10

  The ancient dragon's tone shifted somewhat as he continued. It was as though a great, longstanding weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “My friends,” he announced rather cordially, “you must seek Heilos.”

  “You wish for us to go to the lake?” asked Minx, staring up at the vague glimmers of light on the ceiling.

  “I do,” continued the dragon. “She has awakened. The situation is dire, but... I can now feel her. I have longed for this day. Go to her, please. If she should perish, so shall I... And it appears that there has been a recent change—a change that has caused Heilos much suffering... Something pains her...”

  “Torrent's magic,” muttered Kaleb. “He tainted the lake with his dark magic.”

  “Not only has Heilos been tainted by this great evil, but all those who are c
lose to her have also been affected. Anyone tied to Heilos is in a similar danger. You see... if Heilos and I are nullified, then the magic of this very spring will cease. It has been from this spot that magic has ceaselessly flowed all these years. Defend it by saving Heilos in her hour of need. If the darkness overcomes her, all will be lost.”

  “So, the magic comes from this spring?” asked Minx, kneeling down and collecting a bit of water in her palm. Even in the unreliable torchlight, it looked crystal clear—almost unnaturally so. “This is the spring that feeds Heilo Lake?”

  “Yes,” replied Gloirs. “These are potent waters. They have been defended since times immemorial. But if Heilos and I fall...” The spectral dragon appeared in dull relief for a brief instant, spreading his wings across the ceiling of the cavern. “All magic will be lost. Even now, this dark force threatens its erasure.”

  This ancient dragon had been slumbering within the mountain for eons, shattered by the loss of his love. It reminded Minx of her father, who'd similarly shut down after her mother had died at the hands of the Wuff. Valdar's condition had only worsened in recent days, thanks to Torrent's meddling with the lake. Having been terrified over her father's decline into senility, she thought to ask the wise old dragon's advice on the matter. “Ancient Gloirs, please help me to understand something. My father, a wise and powerful Fae warrior, has lately been ill. He, like you, lost his love—the one he was bonded to. The recent troubles at the lake have only worsened his condition. His mind, you see, has betrayed him. Can anything be done? You have suffered the loss of a bonded love as he has; surely you can think of some way to mend his fractured mind?”

  The dragon fell into deep thought for a time. “I am sorry for your father's troubles. I cannot say whether it will have an effect, but I urge you to take some of these waters. Collect directly from this pool and have him drink the untainted waters of the spring. If the villain behind Heilos' suffering is a Fae utilizing dark magic, then I believe these clear, untainted waters will cleanse him of his ills.”