Dragonvein (Book Two) (18 page)

“An amazing craft,” remarked Jonas. “I never imagined traveling so swiftly. Just think what one could do with a whole fleet of these.”

Lylinora sniffed. “I prefer not to.”

“What bothers you so much about dwarf technology?” Ethan asked her.

“You should know,” she replied. “King Ganix told you the story. They used their machines to practically enslave humankind. I would not see history repeated.”

“Some people say the same thing about magic,” remarked Kat. “There are stories of how the mages ruled through cruelty and fear.”

“That’s not true and you know it,” Lylinora snapped. “It
is
true however that dwarves abused their power.”

“I don’t think King Ganix or King Halvar would do anything like that,” Ethan said.

“And will they live forever?” she countered. “What of those who come after them? Will they be as kind and wise?”

Ethan shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s just that I’m used to having machines around me. Where I grew up, they’re everywhere. And we don’t have any magic at all.”

Lylinora shuddered. “It sounds like a dreadful place.”

“Not really,” he said. “I mean, Bay Ridge isn’t much to look at, but upstate is nice. And the New York skyline at night is really something to see.”

“I think I’d prefer not to see it at all, thank you,” Lylinora said, waving a dismissive hand. “And once you’ve discovered the true beauty of magic, I doubt you’ll look back on Earth quite so fondly.”

Jonas nodded in agreement. “From what little I saw of it, I would not choose to return.”

“All you saw was a bombed out town,” Ethan told him. “It’s not like that everywhere.”

Kat jumped up and slid in beside him. “Well,
I
want to see it. If they have things like this boat on Earth, I wouldn’t ever want to come back here. Promise that you’ll take me if you get the chance.”

Ethan smiled. “Sure thing. But I wouldn’t count on us ever finding a way of getting there. Not from what I’ve been told, anyway.”

“Still, you never know,” she said. “Just remember that you promised.”

The day continued without incident, and it didn’t take long for both Lylinora and Jonas to become more at ease. Soon, everyone bar Lylinora was vying to take a turn at steering the boat. As Rakaal had said, operation was simple and direct, though Ethan couldn’t help but wonder what they might do if the engine were to suddenly develop a fault.

The first night was pleasant enough. The food provided for them left much to be desired, but they ate on deck and talked happily about simple matters and times past. It was decided they take turns at the helm in four hour shifts.

Ethan was grateful to be first. The cacophony of pleading dragon voices in his head was becoming unbearable, and the solitude of the ocean at night helped to calm his mind.

I’m coming, damn it, he thought. Leave me alone!

But they did not heed him. Once his shift ended and he was on his bed, the voices grew even louder and more urgent. By morning, he had managed to get only a little sleep.

The first week at sea passed more or less uneventfully. Lylinora purified and heated water for bathing each night, and spent the mornings instructing Kat and Ethan. Jonas and Markus did their best to keep themselves occupied as well, but the cramped conditions did occasionally cause tempers to flare between them.

By the second week even Lylinora didn’t object when Markus pushed the vessel to go faster, though at night it was agreed they should slow down considerably. In the darkness, they had already passed uncomfortably close to several small islands without seeing them until they were almost directly off the bow.

It was during Ethan’s shift on the tenth night when Lylinora joined him at the wheel. Since leaving the island, their conversation had been sparse and more formal than usual. He attributed this to the lack of privacy on board, so was glad to at last have a few minutes alone with her. She was dressed in a soft blue cotton robe, and had her hair tied loosely back. With the moonlight reflecting off the waves to give her skin a soft glow and her eyes a sparkle, Ethan found himself transfixed by her beauty.

“Do you really miss your old world?” she asked.

“Sometimes,” he admitted. “But not always.”

“I can’t imagine living in a place without magic. How ugly it would be to spend your life surrounded by machines.”

Ethan smiled. Without thinking, he draped his arm around her shoulders. In response, she leaned closer. “You’re not exactly surrounded,” he told her. “And some of them are useful. There are cars to take you where you want to go. Airplanes that can fly you anywhere. All sorts of things.”

She shuddered and pulled her robe tight around her. “I just can’t imagine it. Humans weren’t meant to live that way.”

Ethan was about to point out that Earth was in fact the place from where all humans on Lumnia originated, when a sharp pinging sound against the metal wall of the wheelhouse trapped the words in his throat. Instinctively, he pulled Lylinora behind him and peered out of the window. But there was nothing to see apart from the moonlight dancing on the ocean.

Just as he was relaxing a little, another loud ping, this time just inches away from the window, had him tense again. Signaling for Lylinora to stay where she was, he began creeping down the ladder to the forward deck.

“Are you armed?” she asked.

Ethan shook his head.

“Then you should be the one up here hiding,” she said playfully. “Anyway, we’re hundreds of miles from shore. Nothing can harm us out here.”

Ethan cast his eyes over the deck and spotted two small pieces of what appeared to be shattered bone just below the wheelhouse window. He knelt to examine them. Each one was as thin as a nail and just as sharp at the tip. Cautiously, he reached down to pick one up. As he did so, a searing pain shot through his upper body and he let out a hissing cry. Protruding from his chest, just below his left collarbone, was another of the missiles. It had penetrated nearly an inch into his flesh, and blood was already seeping from the wound.

“Get back,” he shouted to Lylinora, who had started to follow him.

But she ignored his warning and hurried down the ladder to his side. The moment she arrived, Ethan felt himself struck again, this time in the leg.

Lylinora threw out her right hand, sending a flash of light exploding over the port side. The water below erupted into dozens of tiny splashes. Meanwhile, ignoring his pain, Ethan hobbled over to the cabin door.

“Everyone up!” he shouted. “We’re being attacked.”

Lylinora kept the light blazing over the water, but nothing unusual showed itself. She waited until Ethan was inside the cabin before following.

Markus was already on his feet, sword in hand. Jonas was still rubbing his eyes while trying to regain his senses.

“Look to his wounds,” Lylinora instructed Markus. “I’ll check on Kat.”

Ethan hopped onto the bed, wincing with every movement. The tiny projectiles felt as if they were digging in deeper by the second.

Markus rushed to his side. “What the hell happened?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Something attacked us from out of the darkness. Got me twice before I could make it inside.”

Markus examined the wound. “It looks like some sort of dart,” he said, gingerly touching the end. “Made from fish bone, I think.” He tried to pull it free, but Ethan let out a cry of pain.

Kat burst in, hair tangled and clutching a dagger. Lylinora, looking considerably calmer, followed her.

“Have you ever seen anything like this?” Markus asked.

“
Sirean
,” said Jonas under his breath.

Markus cast him a jeering glance. “There’s no such thing.”

“Then what do you suppose did this?” he shot back.

Markus had no reply.

Lylinora knelt beside Ethan. “I’ll try to numb the pain, but it will still hurt a bit,” she warned. The tips of her fingers glowed as she gripped the dart protruding from his shoulder. In a single swift movement, she pulled it free.

Ethan let out a stifled grunt. “Damn! It feels like you ripped out a pound of meat.”

She grinned at him. “Mages don’t whine and complain.”

“I’m not…”

He cut off and sucked sharply through his teeth as she pulled the second dart free.

Closing her eyes, Lylinora then placed a hand over each of his wounds. Ethan felt a cold tingle shoot through his entire body. Within seconds, the bleeding had stopped and the pain was gone.

“What’s confusing me is why anyone would attack with such ineffective weapons?” Markus said.

“They felt pretty effective to me,” Ethan countered sourly. He examined his injured leg. Only a light pink area revealed that there had been any wound at all.

Lylinora stood up. “He’s right. You would need to be struck by dozens, if not hundreds of them, to pose any real threat. It would be different if the darts were poisoned, but they aren’t.”

“Well, whatever the case, we can’t just sit here,” Ethan pointed out. “I’m getting us the hell out of here.” He pushed himself up off the bed and approached the cabin door.

At once, both Lylinora and Markus were at his back. Kat also attempted to rise, but Jonas grabbed her arm, holding her fast.

“Oh no you don’t, young lady,” he said. “I’m not going out there. And I won’t be left here alone. Besides, if the worst happens, some of us need to remain uninjured.”

The look in Jonas’ eyes denied her any argument. After letting out a loud huff, she plopped down hard on the chair with arms folded tightly across her chest.

Ethan smiled inwardly at the scene before easing the door open and taking a cautious step outside.

“What do you see?” called Markus.

Ethan surveyed the area. “Nothing so far.” He moved around to the ladder.

The moment he set foot on the first rung, he heard Markus cry out and glanced across to see his friend clutching his right arm. An instant later, pings and sharp cracks filled the air as dozens of tiny darts zipped in from the darkness. Markus quickly shoved Lylinora behind him, while Ethan scrambled up to the wheelhouse.

He was struck three times – twice in the leg and once in the back – while climbing. Spasms of pain ran through him, very nearly causing him to lose his footing.

“Get back inside,” Markus shouted to Lylinora.

Ignoring his instruction, she raised her arms skyward. “Enough of this nonsense.”

A ball of blue light exploded overhead, firing dozens of lightning streaks into the ocean. The barrage of missiles instantly ceased. Even so, the lightning continued for a full minute before stopping. The blue light then turned to white, illuminating everything for a hundred yards. Lylinora stepped past Markus to look out over the water.

Ethan was in the wheelhouse, ready to push the throttle forward if necessary. “Are they gone?” he called.

After a brief silence, Markus pointed over the rail. “There! Do you see that?”

Floating and bobbing in the swells was a small creature no more than three feet in length. Lylinora waved her hand and whispered almost inaudibly. The figure slowly rose from the water and drifted onto the deck.

Ethan could barely believe his eyes as details of the creature became clearer. From the look on their faces, neither could Markus and Lylinora.

It had arms and hands just as any human might, though with pale blue skin and fleshy webbing between its fingers. The narrow head, which crested into a ridge just above its brow, featured close set eyes and a nose that was little more than a small bump with a tiny slit on either side. The creature’s thin mouth hung half open, revealing a vicious looking set of jagged teeth, while lower down, its lean torso tapered away into a fishlike fin. Across its chest, a dark area of burned flesh still smoldered where the lightning bolt had struck.

“Is it dead?” ask Ethan.

Markus approached the figure cautiously and poked it with his boot. “I think so.”

Lylinora’s eyes darted back to the ocean several times. “We should leave at once. Throw it overboard.”

With an expression of utter distaste, Markus picked up the body and did as she asked. “I guess Jonas was right,” he said, turning back toward the cabin. “The
sirean
are real.”

Ethan pushed the throttle, sending the boat swiftly forward. At his feet was a broken dart. He picked it up and examined it closely. Markus’ observation began to repeat relentlessly in his head. Why would they attack with such ineffective weapons? It didn’t make sense.

Lylinora came up to heal his wounds a short time later, but proved to be in no mood for conversation. Clearly the encounter had shaken her more than Ethan would have thought. He was still thinking on this when Jonas arrived to relieve him at the wheel.

“I wish they had not bee
n so quick to dispose of the body,” the old man remarked sourly. “I would have very much liked to see a s
irean
up close.”

“It was…unusual,” said Ethan. “No doubt about that.”

“Markus said it was no longer than three feet long.”

Ethan nodded an agreement.

“Strange. I’d always heard they were as large as a man,” Jonas said. “A pity it had to die.” Heaving a sigh, he took over the wheel.

Ethan frowned. Something was wrong - something just didn’t fit. Whatever it was, he felt as if the answer was tantalizingly close, on the very edge of his mind.

Still puzzling over this, he said goodnight to Jonas and went inside.

Chapter Sixteen

A
s the days
progressed, Ethan could feel their destination growing ever nearer. By now, the call of the dragons was a constant, ever-demanding rumble in his mind. So intense had it become, he was barely able to concentrate on even the simplest matter, and only able to sleep for a few hours at a time.

So far, the
sirean
had not returned, but both Lylinora and Jonas continued to keep a watchful eye. And when they were forced to stop in order to change the fuel rod, Lylinora stood on the bow, hands glowing red – ready to unleash her deadly magic upon them should they seize this opportunity to attack.

It was almost three weeks since departing Borgen when they caught their first glimpse of the Dragon Wastes. Markus was at the wheel, and immediately called Ethan up from the cabin.

“Now what?” he asked.

Ethan stared long and hard at the distant shoreline. Mile after mile of rocky terrain in both directions was broken only by the occasional short stretch of beach, giving no indication whatsoever as to which part of the vast coast they should be making for. Eventually, he shut his eyes and listened to the dragon’s call.

“Head south,” he replied after a few moments.

“How far?”

Ethan shrugged. “I’ll know when we get there.”

He stayed by the wheel with Markus while the others gathered their belongings and changed into suitable clothing. As the sun touched the horizon, Markus slowed the boat to a crawl.

“I’m no sailor,” he said. “But even
I
know better than to travel this close to shore at night.”

“He’s right,” called Jonas from the deck. “We can’t risk hitting a rock or running aground.”

Ethan remained silent while continuing his careful watch. Slowly, a smile crept upon his lips. “We’re here,” he announced. His hand shot out, pointing to a small outcropping of rock.

Markus and the other strained their eyes, at first seeing nothing. Then, as they eased closer, a small wooden dock that blended almost perfectly with the hue of the stone could be made out.

“I don’t suppose it was dragons who built that,” remarked Jonas.

“Yeah. I thought no one lived here,” said Kat.

Ethan spread his hands. “I don’t know. But I suppose we’ll find out soon enough.”

Markus continued to steer the boat in, scraping the hull against the side of the dock and crushing several of its planks. While Lylinora treated him to a withering look of scorn for his clumsiness, Ethan leapt off and secured the vessel.

A well-trodden path at the end of the dock led up a hill and over a low ridge. The terrain all around was barren and uninviting, without even a single blade of grass – only rocky ground and a few, long dead trees. Not even insects buzzed about. It was as if the land had been completely robbed of all life.

“How far is it from here?” asked Lylinora.

Ethan gazed at the top of the ridge. The dragon’s call was now rattling in his head so loudly that it felt like steel talons were trying to claw their way out of his skull.

“I’m not sure,” he replied. “A mile. A hundred miles. I wish I knew.”

After briefly jumping back on board to retrieve his sword and his pack, he took the lead with

Markus at his back. Everyone else had an uneasy air about them as they followed up the path. Kat stayed close to Lylinora, while Jonas walked just behind them, his hand resting tensely on the hilt of his blade.

Just as they reached the top, Ethan came to a sudden halt, a look of utter astonishment on his face. The transformation was incredible. Spread before him now was a vast expanse of rolling hills covered in lush grass and peppered with a myriad of multi-colored wild flowers. The stale, dusty air was immediately driven away by their sweet fragrance. Tall trees, each one bearing a different type of delicious looking fruit, lined a well-trodden path that vanished between two hills.

“What the hell?” gasped Markus.

“Indeed,” agreed Jonas, coming up to join them. “Not at all what one would expect of the Dragon Wastes.”

Lylinora walked just off the path and knelt to place her hand on the grass. “Magic,” she whispered after a few seconds. “Powerful magic lives here.”

Ethan joined her and mirrored her actions, but could feel nothing. “Can you tell where it’s coming from?”

“From me,” an unknown voice answered from behind.

Ethan shot up, his hand flying to his sword. Markus shoved Kat and Jonas to his back and did the same.

Standing only a few yards away was an old man clad in a tattered brown robe and worn leather shoes. Bent of posture, and with a wiry ashen beard more than a foot in length, his gaze was fixed firmly on Ethan. His unkempt silver hair fell down his back in tangled knots, and his countenance, deeply carved with the lines of many years, was grim. Ethan shifted nervously under the intensity of the stranger’s piercing, emerald green eyes.

“Put away your weapons,” he ordered in a humorless tone. “They’ll do you no good here.”

Lylinora stepped forward, her hands glowing red. But before she could speak, the old man flicked his right index finger as if casually dismissing something of no consequence. Lylinora was instantly pushed several feet back and the glow around her hands was extinguished.

“That will be quite enough out of you, young lady,” he scolded. “Too much of your mother in you, I see.”

Slack jawed, Lylinora stared down at her hands in disbelief.

Markus took a step forward, but Ethan caught his arm. “Who are you?” he demanded.

The old man regarded him for a long moment and then grunted. “Nothing at all like your father. Ah well, that may be for the best.” He looked over his shoulder. “I see the dwarves were kind enough to furnish you with a vessel.”

“I asked you a question,” pressed Ethan.

“So you did,” he replied. “And I have not yet answered.” His gaze shifted to Jonas. “And you…what’s wrong with your sight? Don’t you recognize me?”

Jonas crept forward, eyes narrowed. After a few seconds, he stiffened. “It can’t be. It’s impossible.”

“Who is he?” asked Ethan.

His question was ignored. Jonas’ gaze remained fixed on the newcomer. “Renald?” he asked in an awed whisper. “Is that really you?”

The old man snorted. “What’s left of me. But I see the years have not affected you. Bloody portal magic, I suppose. Well, come on then. Let’s get going.”

“I’m not going anywhere until I get some answers,” Ethan told him.

“Ethan,” said Jonas. “This is your uncle – Renald Dragonvein.”

Ethan’s eyes shot wide. “My uncle?”

“Yes, your uncle,” Renald repeated irritably, pushing past him and starting down the path. After a few yards he stopped and turned. “And unless you enjoy that incessant voice rattling around in your head, boy, I suggest you keep up.”

Lylinora was still unable to move or speak. Kat, standing beside her, had a mystified expression on her face.

Ethan placed a hand on Lylinora’s shoulder. “Are you all right?”

His touch sparked a reaction. She blinked several times and clenched her fists. “He shouldn’t be able to do that.” She looked up fearfully at Renald, who had already started hobbling away. “No one can cut a mage off from magic like that. We should get back to the boat.”

“Jonas says he’s my uncle,” Ethan responded. “I think we should go with him.” It was unsettling for him to see Lylinora so disturbed and afraid, but he knew he must continue. “If you want, you can wait on the boat. I’ll come get you when I’m sure it’s safe.”

After thinking for a moment, she shook her head. “No. If you go, I go too.”

Ethan gave her a reassuring smile and led the way onward. They had walked no more than a few steps when Lylinora gripped his hand tightly.

“Stay close to me,” she said.

“I promise.”

It didn’t take long for them to catch up with Renald, though he all but ignored their presence. After rounding the next hill, a small cabin came into view. It was sturdily built with a spacious porch across the front. Off to the side and further back stood two lesser structures – the aroma of meat clearly identifying one of these as a smoke house.

Renald opened the front door and gestured for them to enter. “Leave your things on the porch. It will be cramped enough inside without all your junk making it worse.”

He pointed to the small dining table, then tottered over to the stove. “I haven’t had guests in some time. So it will take a while for a meal to be ready.”

“We have food if that helps,” offered Jonas.

Renald ignored the offer. Instead, he looked away from everyone, scratching his chin. “I know it’s rude,” he muttered. “But you can’t expect me to cook for so many people.” He waved his hand irritably, as if swatting an invisible fly. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

The entire party looked at one another, unsure what to make of this odd behavior.

“Excuse me,” said Ethan. “But who are you talking to?”

Renald gave him a sideways glance, then with a flick of his wrist, lit the stove with a spark of magical flame. “Jonas, fetch me some water. There’s a well in the shed beside the smoke house.” He nodded to a large pot in the corner. “Purify it if you don’t mind. You still remember how, don’t you?”

Jonas hesitated only briefly. “Yes. Of course, My Lord.”

“And hurry back,” said Renald. “We have much to discuss.”

“We do indeed,” agreed Lylinora, a sharp edge to her voice. “For example: How were you able to block my use of magic?”

Renald sniffed. “Young people. You learn to make a bloody fireball and you think you’re already a mage. Your father was far too indulgent with you. Letting you wander off, playing and frolicking when you should have been studying. And as for your mother…well…let’s just say that she wasn’t exactly the brightest of mages.”

Lylinora’s face reddened. “Mind what you say about my mother, old man.”

“I’ll say what I please,” he shot back. “Do you even know
how
I took your power?” He waited for several seconds before answering his own question. “Wards, my dear. Simple wards.”

Lylinora knitted her brow. “That’s not possible. No ward can do that.”

“Wards can do many things,” he said. “They have kept this land fertile. They keep the foul beasts who roam the wastelands at bay. And they tell me that one among you is in contact with Shinzan at this very moment.”

This announcement caused the entire party to stir.

“Who?” asked Ethan skeptically.

“We’ll get to that later,” he replied, as if unconcerned by the matter. “First of all we need to get that voice out of your head.” He gave a high-pitched whistle. “Come on out, you old rat. It’s time.” His words were met by silence. “I don’t care,” he continued. “He can’t learn anything if that bloody voice is thundering away all the time.”

After another long pause, a sharp clicking sound came from the porch outside. Renald opened the door. At his feet stood a tiny dragon, almost identical in size and shape to the one Ethan had seen before, only this time it was white with black spines. It took a step inside and regarded Ethan, growling menacingly.

“It’s beautiful,” gasped Kat.

“
It
is a
she
,” corrected Renald. “And she has a name.”

“Maytra,” said Ethan in a half whisper, before Renald could continue.

“Can you hear her?” asked Lylinora.

Ethan nodded slowly. Tears were welling in his eyes and his hands began to tremble. He slid from his chair and knelt, extending his hand.

Maytra glanced up at Renald, who nodded his approval. Slowly, she approached Ethan, still growling and hissing. Ethan extended his arm further, but in a flash she snapped her jaws, clamping down on his thumb. Before he could react, she released him and backed away. Blood was dripping from the wound, but Ethan gave no immediate reaction other than to lower his head. Then, after a few moments, he began to weep, his falling tears mingling freely with his blood on the floor. Soon, great sobs were shaking his entire body.

“What’s wrong?” asked Markus.

“Give him a moment,” said Renald. He bent down to stroke Maytra’s head. “I know that was hard. You can go now.” The tiny dragon let out a screech, then scurried from the house, taking flight as she passed the threshold.

“Why is she so small?” asked Kat.

“She was cursed as a hatchling by Shinzan,” Renald explained. “Along with Jafari, her mate.”

Lylinora moved to join Ethan, but was halted by a stern look from Renald. It was more than five minutes before Ethan finally stood up and returned to his seat.

Renald sat in the empty chair across from him and took a long breath. “I think you’ll find that your powers have now returned,” he told Lylinora.

At once, she reached out for Ethan’s injured hand, but he pulled abruptly away, holding it to his chest. She touched his shoulder. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I killed him,” Ethan said. His voice was tormented and distant. “And now she’s all alone.”

“Who’s alone?”

Ethan looked up to meet her gaze. “Maytra. Her mate was the dragon who came to save me in the forest from Hronso.”

“The effects will subside shortly,” Renald told him. “Right now, you’re just feeling what Maytra feels. Her rage; her pain. The irreplaceable loss. She opened herself up to you so that you could block out the call of the dragons. You should now allow Lylinora to heal you.”

Ethan nodded and held out his hand. After the wound had been closed, he laid his head on the table and continued weeping.

Realizing that he had been gone far too long, Markus asked, “Where’s Jonas?”

Renald’s face tightened. “Gone for now.”

Markus rose sharply from his chair. “What do you mean, ‘gone’?”

This was enough to shake Ethan from his sorrow. He too shot Renald an accusing stare.

“He lives,” the old man added. “But I cannot have him near when we discuss sensitive matters. It’s bad enough that you have brought him here.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” demanded Kat.

Renald raised an eyebrow. “You speak this way to your elders?”

She drew her dagger and joined Markus. “I’ll do more than just talk if you don’t tell me where Jonas is.”