Chapter 15
Pain. It was all the dragon could think about. The wounds were festering. It had been driven out of its lair, its gold lost, and now its wounds would not heal. The beast’s feet were raw from scrabbling over the rocky mountainous terrain. His mind was feverish, clouded by pain and totally consumed by the voice. It was always there, always calling for him. He no longer tried to fight the desire. All he wanted was to go to the voice, which on top of everything else now promised to heal him.
Every lurching step ached. The wound in its leg was so intense that the dragon could barely lift it to move forward, nor could it support the beast’s massive weight. The wound just below its wing was even worse. The muscle that worked the wing was dying. After centuries of near invincibility, the dragon was now reduced to an oversized lizard. Enslavement would be better, the dragon freely admitted it now. The humans had somehow found a way to pierce the black scales that covered the beast’s thick hide, and now it was helpless. Of course that wasn’t exactly true. The dragon was still incredibly strong, its tail could strike and kill the largest animals in the mountains. Two mountain lions with their huge fangs had tried to ambush the dragon, but its tail had shattered the big cats’ backs. It could also still breathe fire, so no foe could come close enough to harm the dragon, but soon it wouldn’t be able to move at all. It had been lucky with the lions; together they had made considerable sustenance, but the beast had eaten nothing since. Soon it would grow too weak from hunger to keep moving, and it was too large and slow on the ground to get near any game large enough to support the dragon’s massive appetite.
It was the wizard’s fault, the dragon thought bitterly. It had been tricked into leaving the cave and lured onto the ledge where it could be wounded. If the wounds had only healed properly none of this would be an issue. It could take to the sky and have its choice of food. The beast’s mouth salivated at the thought of finding a mountain ram and devouring the animal whole. It dreamed of succulent fare-elk, or even cows or sheep that the humans domesticated-as it dragged its weary body through the mountains and vowed to have its revenge.
* * *
Zollin pondered how he might bring up the subject of the white alzerstone ring with Brianna. She seemed so happy, and the dwarves who had been kind and protective of her before,treated her with awe now. She had changed, not in a bad way, but she was not the same girl as before. Zollin had known her as the spoiled, self-centered young girl who had treated him as if he didn’t exist in Tranaugh Shire. He had fallen in love with her when she had been the girl with an iron will, refusing to be left behind or helpless in battle. Now, she seemed more content than he had ever known her to be. She was happy, laughing and almost prancing as they made their way through the dark tunnels under the mountains. She often let tongues of fire dance on her palms or on her shoulders to illuminate the caverns high above their heads.
That night when they made camp she started their fire. It wasn’t a difficult spell; Zollin had been making fire with his magic since the day he discovered his gifts, but with Brianna it was different. She could not only produce the flames, she could touch them without being burned and control them like they were a living part of her.
She didn’t flaunt her new power, nor did she use it needlessly. Still, Zollin could tell that it made her happy, and he recognized the feeling. For years growing up in the village as his father’s apprentice he had struggled to find his place in the world. He never felt like he fit in, not at home where he never measured up to his father’s expectations, not in the essentials school where he chafed under the school master’s rigid discipline, not even in their village where he was known only as the carpenter’s son. When he had discovered his magical abilities he had found his purpose in life. Brianna now had that same expression, more confident, more comfortable in her own skin.
Of course, the power, which was as evident to Zollin as the sweet scent of a woman’s perfume would have been to her suitors, only made Brianna more attractive to the young wizard. Her eyes flashed in the light of her fire and he felt a kindred soul looking back at him. The auburn highlights in her hair and the golden tan color of her skin seemed to fit her perfectly. Zollin was forced to use all of his self-control not to touch her when her shirt rose up and revealed a bit of skin above her hip as she pointed up at some geological formation. Luckily they had been on the move the rest of the day, so he had no opportunity to give in to the desire that Brianna conjured in him. Zollin hadn’t felt like he could broach the subject of the white alzerstone with her.
The truth was, he didn’t know why he wanted Brianna to wear the ring. He had given it to her on a whim while they still lived in Tranaugh Shire. He called it a wedding gift, but the truth was greater than that, it was an expression of his love for her, even though he barely knew Brianna when he had given it to her and she had been engaged to marry his best friend. He had acted impulsively, but the impulse had been driven by something deep inside him, more elemental than his magic and connected to the core of his being. But if she put the white alzerstone ring on now, would it rob her of her own power? How could he ask her to give up what she obviously felt was her true self?
They made camp at last, and Bahbaz informed them that they would reach their destination on the next day. The dwarves prepared a lavish meal, having been generously resupplied by the Jaq clan. Zollin, always hungry, ate his food without tasting it. Brianna was laughing and joking with the dwarves, but Zollin sat in silence, mesmerized by the girl who was now a Fire Spirit.
Finally they bedded down, but Zollin couldn’t sleep. He lay staring up into the black recesses of the cavern they were in. The fire had burned low, and the embers cast only the faintest light. He was lying next to Brianna, but they hadn’t really talked about things yet. Zollin was afraid that Brianna wouldn’t understand why he wanted her to put the ring back on and he couldn’t explain it himself. He just knew he wanted her to try.
“Are you awake?” he whispered.
“Yes, I can’t sleep,” she admitted. “Was I keeping you up with my tossing and turning?”
“No, I couldn’t sleep either. I’ve been wanting to talk to you, but we haven’t had much privacy.”
“I know, and even though coming down here has been wonderful, I miss being with you. I don’t miss the cold wind, but I miss being miles away from anyone else in the mountains.”
Zollin smiled. He hadn’t thought about it when they were hunting down the dragon; there were too many other things on his mind, like finding food and staying warm. But he missed the isolation, too. He didn’t want to be alone in the mountains with Brianna forever, but there was so much less pressure in the wilderness. He didn’t feel like he needed to watch his back for assassins or have whole villages depending on him for safety.
“It was nice. Do you think things will ever be that simple again?” he asked.
“I don’t know, maybe.”
Zollin wasn’t sure what he was going to say, but he felt like he had to say something about the ring. He decided his best option was to just dive right in.
“I’ve got your ring in my pack.”
“The white alzerstone ring?” she asked.
“Yes, you can have it back whenever you want it.”
“Wouldn’t it disrupt my powers?”
“I don’t know,” Zollin said truthfully. He waited while Brianna thought about things. He didn’t want to seem too pushy on the subject.
“I guess I could give it a try,” she said.
“Okay.”
Zollin sat up and began rummaging in his pack. He found the ring easily enough. It was a simple bit of jewelry, just a plain band and a small, round stone that was completely white. He could feel that it contained magical power, but even after all of his lessons with Kelvich he still couldn’t tell exactly what the white alzerstone was or why it blocked magic.