life.
Swords ripped out of men’s belts. The woman recoiled back, and mystic red claws sprang from her hands. Her voice became a shriek.
“Don’t be a fool, Bayzog!”
Bayzog and his staff erupted with fervent white power. The air shimmered. Ben shielded his eyes. A disintegrating force exploded forward in a thunderous flash. Ben gasped for air inside his lungs, coughing and gagging. A strong hand seized him.
“Are you alright?” Bayzog said.
Ben looked into the part-elf’s eyes and then behind him. The woman and two guards were skulls and bones, piled on ash. Similarly ashen was most of the garden behind him. Ben gaped.
“You did that,” he said.
Nearby, terrified onlookers stared. Others fled on unsteady feet.
“I did!” Bayzog yelled, raising his staff. “And I’ll do more if any more of you murderous deceivers comes any closer!”
More ran, but some stayed, evil eyes flicking to the skies now and then.
“Great Guzan, Bayzog! I didn’t know you had it in you.”
“Hang on to my robes,” Bayzog said.
“Why?”
The dark-haired wizard pointed his staff toward the sky. A flock of black-winged dragons were whooshing through the air right at them. Ben counted at least a dozen of them. He clasped Bayzog’s arm.
“Now what!”
Streaks of fire erupted from the dragons’ mouths.
“Hold on!”
The Elderwood Staff blasted lightning into the sky, tearing a hole through two dragons. Flames exploded all around them. A split second later, Bayzog brought the end of the staff to the ground—and everything Ben saw disappeared.
CHAPTER 12
Nath sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed. He hadn’t meditated since he was a boy. It was something his father had taught him. A tool to maintain focus. Nath had never considered himself a deep thinker, but now it seemed time to be one. His brow furrowed. He envisioned himself with wings. He envisioned himself as a dragon.
He slammed his fists into the bed.
“Drat it all!”
He slung a pillow across the room.
“I can make fireballs out of flames, but I can’t turn into a dragon again. This makes no sense!”
He stormed out to his balcony, tripping over the feline fury’s tail.
“Will you go away?”
The big dragon-cat, lying down, yawned and reclosed its eyes.
Nath shook his head and leaned over the balcony’s edge. It was nearing midday, and people milled about the streets, staying uniform to their daily business. He could even hear some of them singing songs and praises in his name. He folded his arms over his chest. That’s right, heap praises on the dragon who is not a dragon at all. Preposterous!
The citizens of Narnum had been in unusually high spirits since the day he defeated Kryzak in the arena. Nath, after all, had been named the champion. And the people loved their champions. Still, everything seemed too ordinary. The smiles were too big. The laughter too loud. And there were odd disturbances. Fires and small riots that were quickly snuffed out.
Nothing is ever as good as it seems. He sighed. Four more years of this. I’m not sure I can take it.
He glanced back at the feline fury. The dragon-cat filled up half the balcony. Nath rubbed his chin and said, “You’re pretty big. Maybe you can take me for a ride, perhaps.”
The fury rose upon its paws and arched its back. Smoke snorted from its nose. It brushed by Nath, leapt straight off the balcony, and soared away.
“Great Dragons!” Nath said, yelling after it. “I’m not that bad of company!”
The fury vanished among the buildings.
Nath went back inside his room and closed his balcony doors, muttering, “I don’t need your company anyway.”
“Well that’s a shame. I came all this way to see you.”
Nath’s head snapped up.
“Sasha!”
He rushed over and hugged her.
“Easy now,” she said, patting his back. “I’m breakable.”
“Oh, sorry,” he said, letting go. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No,” Sasha said, laughing. “I was
Swords ripped out of men’s belts. The woman recoiled back, and mystic red claws sprang from her hands. Her voice became a shriek.
“Don’t be a fool, Bayzog!”
Bayzog and his staff erupted with fervent white power. The air shimmered. Ben shielded his eyes. A disintegrating force exploded forward in a thunderous flash. Ben gasped for air inside his lungs, coughing and gagging. A strong hand seized him.
“Are you alright?” Bayzog said.
Ben looked into the part-elf’s eyes and then behind him. The woman and two guards were skulls and bones, piled on ash. Similarly ashen was most of the garden behind him. Ben gaped.
“You did that,” he said.
Nearby, terrified onlookers stared. Others fled on unsteady feet.
“I did!” Bayzog yelled, raising his staff. “And I’ll do more if any more of you murderous deceivers comes any closer!”
More ran, but some stayed, evil eyes flicking to the skies now and then.
“Great Guzan, Bayzog! I didn’t know you had it in you.”
“Hang on to my robes,” Bayzog said.
“Why?”
The dark-haired wizard pointed his staff toward the sky. A flock of black-winged dragons were whooshing through the air right at them. Ben counted at least a dozen of them. He clasped Bayzog’s arm.
“Now what!”
Streaks of fire erupted from the dragons’ mouths.
“Hold on!”
The Elderwood Staff blasted lightning into the sky, tearing a hole through two dragons. Flames exploded all around them. A split second later, Bayzog brought the end of the staff to the ground—and everything Ben saw disappeared.
CHAPTER 12
Nath sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed. He hadn’t meditated since he was a boy. It was something his father had taught him. A tool to maintain focus. Nath had never considered himself a deep thinker, but now it seemed time to be one. His brow furrowed. He envisioned himself with wings. He envisioned himself as a dragon.
He slammed his fists into the bed.
“Drat it all!”
He slung a pillow across the room.
“I can make fireballs out of flames, but I can’t turn into a dragon again. This makes no sense!”
He stormed out to his balcony, tripping over the feline fury’s tail.
“Will you go away?”
The big dragon-cat, lying down, yawned and reclosed its eyes.
Nath shook his head and leaned over the balcony’s edge. It was nearing midday, and people milled about the streets, staying uniform to their daily business. He could even hear some of them singing songs and praises in his name. He folded his arms over his chest. That’s right, heap praises on the dragon who is not a dragon at all. Preposterous!
The citizens of Narnum had been in unusually high spirits since the day he defeated Kryzak in the arena. Nath, after all, had been named the champion. And the people loved their champions. Still, everything seemed too ordinary. The smiles were too big. The laughter too loud. And there were odd disturbances. Fires and small riots that were quickly snuffed out.
Nothing is ever as good as it seems. He sighed. Four more years of this. I’m not sure I can take it.
He glanced back at the feline fury. The dragon-cat filled up half the balcony. Nath rubbed his chin and said, “You’re pretty big. Maybe you can take me for a ride, perhaps.”
The fury rose upon its paws and arched its back. Smoke snorted from its nose. It brushed by Nath, leapt straight off the balcony, and soared away.
“Great Dragons!” Nath said, yelling after it. “I’m not that bad of company!”
The fury vanished among the buildings.
Nath went back inside his room and closed his balcony doors, muttering, “I don’t need your company anyway.”
“Well that’s a shame. I came all this way to see you.”
Nath’s head snapped up.
“Sasha!”
He rushed over and hugged her.
“Easy now,” she said, patting his back. “I’m breakable.”
“Oh, sorry,” he said, letting go. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No,” Sasha said, laughing. “I was
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