Sorceress

One hundred FireDrakes left Drakenmount at dusk. Less than a sun-mark later, strapped to a saddle at the base of Grigor's long neck, Aldus found himself soaring a thousand feet above the dark grassy plain. The night air was comfortably cool but the lack of any appreciable starlight made seeing much of anything on the ground below next to impossible. His total lack of concern was based entirely on his faith in Grigor's superior eyesight. What little starlight did manage to filter through the heavy cloud cover was all a FireDrake needed.

Salome has spotted a large group of humans camped ten leagues north of Gurgaon lake, a deep voice suddenly boomed inside the wizard's head. We should be there in under a sun-mark.

Having someone else rummaging around inside his head, even a trusted friend like Grigor, was a sensation Aldus found hard to get used to. It took a few moments for him to organize his thoughts enough to form a coherent reply. Grigor, please ask the others to overfly the encampment and then circle back. Our goal is to deny the Emperor Icarus, but it is also important that none of his men are given an opportunity to reach Concurie. The task will be all the easier if we offer them a convenient escape route back into the Olaug.

I understand, Grigor replied, with a slight hesitation before he continued, but there is another matter you may need to address before we arrive. I sense a great reluctance among my brothers and sisters.

What is it that troubles them? Aldus asked.

You have Aedon, so by your command they will attack, even unwillingly, but they fear the Emperor's men will have the same sort of nasty weapons the Icarians used against them.

Ah, that would be understandable, Aldus replied soothingly, but you may tell them to rest easy. Since these Nagualian Dog soldiers loath horses, it is highly unlikely they will have such dangerous machines at their disposal. Their short bows lack the range of either Balorian or Icarian long bows, so they should not pose much of a threat either, especially if we stay well above the battle field, just to be sure.

That will be welcome news, Grigor said cheerfully. I will inform the others and alert you when we are in position.

After the voice in his head went silent, Aldus was left with nothing but darkness and time on his hands to think. Though undeclared, the continent of Coronis was in a state of war. In truth a halfling war, with four amulets containing the magic of all the elfin races as the prize, it was one that would not be won by force of arms.

Just before he died, Aldus' former master, Wizard Pewlin, had entrusted his apprentice-nephew with Gweneal. Fashioned long ago by the Silver Elves, it was one of the four amulets at stake. Like all halflings, Aldus had elfin blood flowing in his veins; from which race, he couldn't know with any surety, but he fancied it to be Silver Elf blood, because of the way his hair took on a silver sheen in moonlight, and by the fact that possessing Gweneal for more than two centuries had not driven him mad. According to his uncle Pewlin, who had spent three centuries studying the amulet and its history, more often than not, insanity was the end result of being in direct contact with the amulet for any extended period of time.

Pewlin was no stranger to Penardun in his day, and it was common knowledge among FireDrakes that his great, great grandfather, Rendalt Lasairian, was the halfling responsible for their very existence. Armed with nothing more than this one bit of knowledge, Grigor had scoured half the continent in search of Pewlin. He intended to plead his case and convince the old wizard to help free the FireDrakes. It was a mission Grigor chose to keep secret, even from his brothers and sisters, since not all of them were so adamantly opposed to Magdalen's dominance.

After a long and fruitless search, Grigor had chanced upon Aldus in residence at Pewlin's old cottage. Aldus stayed there from time to time when not traveling the land in an endless quest to locate the two missing amulets. Of like minds, Grigor and Aldus became fast friends. From Grigor, Aldus learned how his ancestor Rendalt had used Aedon to meld elves with dragons and create the first pair of FireDrakes over eight hundred years before. It was because they were born of Aedon's magic that the holder of the amulet had the power to bend their will to his or her own whims.

Once Aldus discovered that spells formed with Gweneal's magic had no effect on Grigor, he was forced to abandon the idea of a head on confrontation with the sorceress as unworkable since she would surely not hesitate to send FireDrakes against him. Asking any of the other FireDrakes for help was also out of the question. Even if a way could be found to circumvent Aedon's hold over them, for reasons neither he nor Grigor could fathom, most of the male FireDrakes remained indifferent while a remarkably large number of the females openly supported the sorceress.

The better part of a year they spent formulating plans to steal Aedon back, but in truth, very little was accomplished until the fateful day Aldus experienced a vision. His Wizard's Dream had sent them both to the island of Balor in search of the Daemon Knights. It had all worked out in the end, though if not for the knight who had snatched Aedon from her hand at the crucial moment, Magdalen would now possess both amulets, and Aldus would be dead.

As if in response to his thoughts, the sensation of both hot and cold radiating simultaneously against his chest captured Aldus' attention only moments before Grigor's voice erupted inside his head. We are in position.

Good, Aldus replied. Please ask the others to construct a wall of dragon-fire along the southernmost edge of the enemy encampment. Once that is done, we can begin our assault.

You know, of course, that it is unnecessary to ask, Grigor said. With Aedon you could just command them.

I know that, Aldus replied, ignoring Aedon in favor of grasping the more familiar Gweneal, but if I did then I would just be one tyrant replacing another.

True, was the FireDrake's terse reply, but Aldus could sense the sound of approval in his tone.

Within moments, a bright red line appeared below. It crawled like a snake slowly across the plain until it had grown to over half a league in length.

It is done, Grigor finally said. Are you ready to join the fray, my friend?

No, Aldus replied, but you may begin anyway.

Grigor bellowed a deep roar that made Aldus' ears ring, while his long white hair was whipped straight back by the wind as they dove toward the ground with the speed of an arrow in flight. Soon, by the light of Dragon-fire, Aldus could make out countless rows of small grey tents. Score upon score of them were already ablaze. He turned his head to get a better look just as something flew past his ear.

"Pull up, Grigor," Aldus screamed in panic before he realized that Grigor wouldn't be able to hear him above the rushing wind. Pull up, Grigor, he repeated by re-forming his words into thoughts and projecting them. You are too close. Pull up!

It cannot be helped, the FireDrake replied calmly. Any higher and my dragon-fire will not reach the ground. Most of the others will need to get even closer still, but you need not worry so. Your assessment was correct; their weapons lack the power to do a FireDrake any harm.

Sparks flew as another object bounced off Grigor's scales within a hand of Aldus' left knee. "Well, I don't have iron hard scales to protect my flesh," Aldus muttered to himself, as he drew power from Gweneal and mouthed a spell to form a protective shell of silver energy around his body. The spell was cast not a moment too soon, judging by the flash of metal as an arrow bounced off his shield barely a foot from his eye.

The rain of arrows intensified briefly, before it ceased altogether when Grigor veered up at the edge of the Imperial camp and pumped his wings to regain altitude. Up and up they went, until they were once again soaring a thousand feet above the ground.

Were you injured? Grigor asked. The concern in his voice was palpable. Forgive me, but I had assumed that you would use Aedon to protect yourself.

You were not supposed to hear that, Aldus replied with a sigh. I can see that I am still thinking too loudly, but there is no need to worry about me. I am protected by Gweneal.

I am most happy to hear that, Grigor said, but you do fling your thoughts about like a newborn FireDrake. Even as his words formed in Aldus' mind, Grigor's wings went suddenly rigid. Aldus felt weightless as Grigor turned and the grassy plains below came back into view. The barrier of dragon-fire below was now two leagues long and stretched from the mountains on the west to the edge of the Olaug on the east. With his heart in his throat, and a firm grip on Gweneal, Aldus braced himself as the ground rushed toward him at a horrific pace.

Over there, Aldus said. Do you see that large tent in the center of the camp?

Yes, Grigor replied.

That must be the command tent. Eliminate the leader, and we will have cut the head off this Imperial snake.

Hang on then, Grigor replied, as he veered abruptly to the right and they sped toward the heart of the encampment.

They were barely a hundred feet from the ground when Grigor finally leveled off. Coupled with his close proximity to the ground, his momentum was such that their passing encouraged the flames to even greater heights. Along the way, Grigor added his own Dragon-fire into the mix for nearly a quarter league before he finally broke off and pumped himself back into the sky. As they climbed, his voice boomed once again inside of Aldus' head. That seems to have broken their spirit. They appear to be on the run now. Should I call off the attack?

Aldus thought it over for a moment before deciding to err on the side of caution. I think not. We must make doubly sure we have taken all the fight out of them before we can risk returning to Penardun. We best follow and harass them until dawn. By then they will have been driven so deep into the Olaug that they will be unlikely to return.

When this is done, will you be staying on with us at Drakenmount for a while? Grigor asked.

I would like nothing better, but I cannot, Aldus replied regretfully. Once I have had a chance to speak with Swayl, I will take my leave. There is something important I must attend to in Icarus. Perhaps after that. Who can say.

I for one will be sorry to see you go, Grigor replied. My life has been much more..., interesting, with you around. There was a moment of silence before Grigor's booming laugh echoed inside Aldus' head even as his wings went rigid and Aldus braced himself for another terrifying run.

Sorceress ISBN 978-0-9783824-1-4
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