the dragons for all I care. Let Ethan cross over. I will tear his spirit to shreds and laugh as he fades into nothingness.”
Lylinora glanced up at Kat. “Are you ready?”
Kat removed a small silver key from her pocket. “Ready.”
The pressure on Martok's body eased. He sat up slowly and glared at the two women. “You will pay for this,” he growled. “I swear by my ancestors. You cannot keep me like this forever.”
Neither woman responded. With the key in her possession, Kat had complete control over his movements. Though she could not compel him to walk, he would only be able to move as far as she allowed. If they'd been alone, perhaps he could have manipulated himself into a position to get hold of the key. But with Lylinora helping her, that was unlikely. So now there was only one option remaining. And Martok knew precisely what that was.
Go with them to the dragons…and then kill Ethan Dragonvein.
Chapter Five
Martok looked up at his father and smiled. He loved it when he was allowed to travel with him. On every journey he would get to see some new and magnificent wonder. The last time it had been the crystal caverns of Yulindria. And the time before that, the rushing sand river of the eastern wasteland. But this trip promised to be the most special one of all. He was now eight years old and was finally going to see what he had always dreamed of seeing. Dragons.
“How long do they live?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” his father replied. “Thousands of years, I would imagine.”
Ralmar was a great mage. In Martok’s young mind, by far the greatest mage of them all. The only thing he ever wanted was to be like him. “How do they manage to stay alive for so long?” he asked.
Ralmar reached over and mussed his son’s hair. “With magic, of course.”
The youngster considered this for a moment. “Does that mean you will live that long as well?”
Ralmar laughed. “No, son. I’m afraid not. Magic doesn’t work that way.”
“But uncle Sylas said that mages live longer than other humans. He said that's because of magic.”
“Mages do live longer,” his father confirmed. “But that’s because of magic’s healing properties. Our bodies don’t wear out as quickly, that's all. But it can’t extend our lives in the same way it does for dragons.”
“Why not? If it works for them, why can’t it work for us?”
“It just doesn’t, son. And your uncle should have told you that.”
“But if I found a way, I could make you live forever.”
Ralmar stopped to kneel and face his son. “Listen to me, Martok. Nothing, not even the dragons, can live forever. It’s just not the way things are supposed to be. We all have our time and then it’s over.”
Martok frowned. “But if I could find a way –”
“No, son,” he said, cutting him short. “And I don’t want you to think about such things. It’s dangerous. Many mages have wasted their lives seeking immortality. It’s not possible.”
He looked into his father’s eyes and recognized the sorrow that was all too frequent. “If you could have, would you have saved mother? Would you have made her live forever?”
Ralmar sighed heavily. “If I could have saved her, I would have. But no. I would not want either of us to live forever. One day my body will grow old and this life will be spent. But that is a good thing. My passing makes room for you.”
Martok simply couldn’t accept this. When his mother had died last winter his father had been devastated. It was over a month before he left their manor or even spoke a word. Martok had asked many times what had caused her death, but his father refused to tell him. He now looked at his parent stubbornly. “Well, I think there's plenty of room for both of us.”
Ralmar pulled his son in, embracing him tightly. “For now there is.” After a few seconds he eased him back and held his shoulders. “Listen to me. I don’t want you worrying over these things. And I
Lylinora glanced up at Kat. “Are you ready?”
Kat removed a small silver key from her pocket. “Ready.”
The pressure on Martok's body eased. He sat up slowly and glared at the two women. “You will pay for this,” he growled. “I swear by my ancestors. You cannot keep me like this forever.”
Neither woman responded. With the key in her possession, Kat had complete control over his movements. Though she could not compel him to walk, he would only be able to move as far as she allowed. If they'd been alone, perhaps he could have manipulated himself into a position to get hold of the key. But with Lylinora helping her, that was unlikely. So now there was only one option remaining. And Martok knew precisely what that was.
Go with them to the dragons…and then kill Ethan Dragonvein.
Chapter Five
Martok looked up at his father and smiled. He loved it when he was allowed to travel with him. On every journey he would get to see some new and magnificent wonder. The last time it had been the crystal caverns of Yulindria. And the time before that, the rushing sand river of the eastern wasteland. But this trip promised to be the most special one of all. He was now eight years old and was finally going to see what he had always dreamed of seeing. Dragons.
“How long do they live?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” his father replied. “Thousands of years, I would imagine.”
Ralmar was a great mage. In Martok’s young mind, by far the greatest mage of them all. The only thing he ever wanted was to be like him. “How do they manage to stay alive for so long?” he asked.
Ralmar reached over and mussed his son’s hair. “With magic, of course.”
The youngster considered this for a moment. “Does that mean you will live that long as well?”
Ralmar laughed. “No, son. I’m afraid not. Magic doesn’t work that way.”
“But uncle Sylas said that mages live longer than other humans. He said that's because of magic.”
“Mages do live longer,” his father confirmed. “But that’s because of magic’s healing properties. Our bodies don’t wear out as quickly, that's all. But it can’t extend our lives in the same way it does for dragons.”
“Why not? If it works for them, why can’t it work for us?”
“It just doesn’t, son. And your uncle should have told you that.”
“But if I found a way, I could make you live forever.”
Ralmar stopped to kneel and face his son. “Listen to me, Martok. Nothing, not even the dragons, can live forever. It’s just not the way things are supposed to be. We all have our time and then it’s over.”
Martok frowned. “But if I could find a way –”
“No, son,” he said, cutting him short. “And I don’t want you to think about such things. It’s dangerous. Many mages have wasted their lives seeking immortality. It’s not possible.”
He looked into his father’s eyes and recognized the sorrow that was all too frequent. “If you could have, would you have saved mother? Would you have made her live forever?”
Ralmar sighed heavily. “If I could have saved her, I would have. But no. I would not want either of us to live forever. One day my body will grow old and this life will be spent. But that is a good thing. My passing makes room for you.”
Martok simply couldn’t accept this. When his mother had died last winter his father had been devastated. It was over a month before he left their manor or even spoke a word. Martok had asked many times what had caused her death, but his father refused to tell him. He now looked at his parent stubbornly. “Well, I think there's plenty of room for both of us.”
Ralmar pulled his son in, embracing him tightly. “For now there is.” After a few seconds he eased him back and held his shoulders. “Listen to me. I don’t want you worrying over these things. And I
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