Finding The Soul Bridge (The Soul Fire Saga Book 1) (33 page)

The dragon flicked its serrated tail through the place where Thist was standing, catching only air as Thist leapt clear of danger. He flicked his whip back into a roll and clipped it to his belt. He unsheathed the Dragon’s Bain sword and glanced back at the dragon. He stood still in the hall behind the pillar, his right arm exposed to the dragon’s vision. The dragon could see the fire-blade shimmering, its light made its eyes sting.  “You can bring it to me.” said Thist.

The dragon curled its head around the side of the pillar and met the steady gaze of Thist.

“What makes you think I will give you my half of the master stone?” The dragon unleashed an inferno at Thist, incinerating everything in the path of the flames. Thist held the orb of power ahead of him like a shield and what was not absorbed by the orb, was deflected to the sides and over his head. Thist could feel the intense heat and could smell the singe of his hair.

Thist rolled his fingers over the hilt of the sword as the dragon’s face came within striking range. “Look into my eyes dragon!” Thist taunted.

The sides of the dragon’s mouth twitched in a smirk as it curled its tail around the blind side of the pillar to meet Thist’s head in a precession kill strike. The scales on its body shimmered in the light of the flames now licking the stone of the pillar. Smoke billowed overhead and Thist dived to the side and rolled back to his feet just as the dragon’s tail slammed into the pillar. The pillar shattered and rubble fell from the roof and ceiling.

Thist took two steps toward the dragon and with his right hand still wielding the blue fire blade, he whipped the cape from his head with his fore arm, exposing his face. He shouted at the dragon, not with one voice but with the voices of a thousand lost souls. “Look at me!”

The dragon reeled back, knocking its head against the roof of the castle. Carved stones rained down on its head, feet and back. A bolt of flame shot from its mouth and rolled high and fast over Thist’s head. “Stay your voices.” the dragon stammered. “I had no idea.”

The dragon curled its body and tail toward itself. It turned and twisted as it started to spin in a vortex. A shroud of smoke enveloped the dragon. The smoke rose and fell in roiling bellows. The dragon shrank in size and a hissing like a boiling teapot whistled and echoed from the cloud of smoke and steam.

Thist stood and watched, not knowing what had happened as the dragon disappeared into the cloud. He stood ready. The smoke dissipated and revealed to him the most surprising sight.  From the plume of dragon smoke and fire appeared a womanly figure, gowned in flowing golden silk. She hovered above the ground, her toes just an apple’s height from the rubble that littered the floor. Her hair was long and sat gracefully upon the wind that carried through the hall. Her right eye was bloodshot. Thist’s knees became weak as he gazed at the beauty of the form before him. “Are you…” Thist stammered.

The distilled voices of a thousand angels could not compare. The soft, sweet and gentle sounds that came from the woman’s mouth were elemental. “I am Leanne-drake, guardian of the soul bridge.”

Thist faltered in his resolve. He bit his bottom lip as he scrutinized the form of perfection before him. “You are…were… a dragon.” stammered Thist.

“What I am will be revealed in good time Thist,” said Leanne-drake, “more importantly is what you are.”

Leanne-drake glided toward Thist. She extended her hand to touch his shoulder. Thist recovered his guard, took one step back into a stance and raised the blue fire blade sword above his head ready to strike.

“How can I know if I can trust you? You are an ethereal form, and what I am? I know what I am!” said Thist as the blade started to sing.

“Thist, you are the wielder.”

“Of what?” said Thist.

“You are the wielder of the soul bridge.” said Leanne-Drake, “Only the wielder can unite the two halves of the master stone. You have searched for me longer than you think, and I have waited for you. Come, put away your weapons and I will show you.”

Thist strengthened his stance, his knuckles going white on the sword hilt. The vanquishing orb glowed in his left hand as his will commanded. “What part do you play in this?”

“I am the guardian of the soul bridge, the master soul stone.” said Leanne-drake.

Thist was confused. The mere sight of the beautiful figure was wearing him down. He toyed with possibilities in his mind,
‘Was she a dragon or a lady? Was she aware of his weaknesses, was she exploiting them?
’ His heart raced, his mind raced. He sheathed his sword. The glow of the blue sword extinguished in the sheath. He returned the orb of power to his shoulder bag.

Leanne-drake descended to her feet. “What convinced you?”

“Evil is not attractive,” said Thist. “Even in your dragon form you were the definition of beauty.”

Leanne-drake stretched out her hand to take Thist’s hand. Thist hesitated. He made eye contact with the dragon lady and he saw something familiar in her eyes, like something calling him home.

“It’s okay.” said Leanne-drake. “Come.”

Thist reached out in faith and took her hand. A pulse of energy surged strong and warm from his hand all the way up his arm and up his neck.  “Where are we going?”

“I will take you to the master stone.” said Leanne-drake.

She led Thist along a wide corridor in the castle. Ornate pillars held up the ceiling and roof in long stone arches. They were carved on the curved surfaces and painted on the flat surfaces. A touch of gold punctuated the fine edges, just enough to lend the architecture an air of class without wasteful want.

As Thist walked behind her, he admired the skilful crafts that constructed the castle. “Which form do you prefer?” asked Thist trying to make light conversation.

“Each form has its purpose, I do not prefer any or the other, just what I need to be seen as in the moment.”

Thist wrangled with her answer in his mind.
‘Am I being trapped by an evil shape shifter?’
As if sensing his thoughts, Leanne-drake turned to him and smiled broadly, “Relax, I’m not going to bite.”

Thist hesitated, “How do I know that you are the guardian that I seek and not the subverter?”

Leanne-drake stopped walking and looked at Thist. “How do you know about the subverter?” she asked.

“I listen when people speak.” said Thist, “And I remember.”

She let herself be scrutinized by Thist. “What do you see Thist? Do you see evil?”

“I don’t know.” said Thist. “Can one
see
evil?”

“Surely you know that you can.” she said. “Have you ever known a person to have a look that just seems out of place?”

“Yes!” said Thist. “Like when your skin crawls when you talk to someone, as if their words do not match their smile.”

“Yes,” said Leanne-Drake. “Like a feeling of dread or danger when a person speaks to you and you feel that you cannot trust them.”

“Sure.” said Thist “Why, where are you going with this?”

Leanne-drake pulled back her gaze from Thist and led him forward. “Trust your instincts. But be careful, the subverter is a snake.”

They continued walking. The building was emanating groaning sounds, like one that was on the brink of collapse. Part of the basement roof was falling and the sound was returning in alarming echoes.

“You mean he is not a person, but a serpent?” Thist hastened the pace.

“No Thist, the subverter is in the form of a person but he is very crafty. Be vigilant or you may not notice his presence.”

“How do I know that it is not you?” Thist’s mind was starting to play tricks on him, the voices in his head were chattering but he could not make out what their meaning was.

“I can hear the souls that you carry, they are restless.” said Leanne-Drake.

As they trotted along the long corridor, Thist put his hand on the pouch of diamonds that he carried in his pocket. It was an absent minded fidget which he had developed.

They stopped at a small wooden door. Leanne-Drake opened it and beckoned Thist to walk ahead, but Thist hesitated. ‘Go on.” she encouraged. “We’d better hurry.”

A narrow spiral staircase wound up and out of sight. Thist started to climb the stairs. He could see it wind upward only a few yards ahead as it curled around the central pillar. He climbed a few stairs and then looked back to see if Leanne-drake was following. “Go on.” she said.

Thist gathered his courage and climbed the stairs. After a score of stairs had passed, he stopped and looked back. Leanne-Drake was hovering just above the step where she would have stood, just an apple’s height above it. She settled on the step the second that she realised she was being watched.

“I’m out of breath.” panted Thist. “And you are hovering like an ethereal…”

Thist’s eyes filled with horror. “You…you are the ghost from the haunted tavern.” Thist fumbled for his sword, it was stuck. Goose flesh raced up his spine as he saw the dragon lady shift between forms. He was confused and frightened.

“No Thist, wait, you are confusing me with something else, I have been trapped here in this castle for nearly a thousand years.”

Thist willed himself to relax. The sound of crumbling walls and floors echoed through to them, a reminder of the situation’s urgency.

“We should hurry Thist, a few more steps and we will be at the top.”

Thist ran for the top of the stairwell, this time without looking back. He decided that if he had fallen into a trap that it was too late, and if not, then haste would be a wise choice regardless. The building was failing.

Thist reached the top of the stairwell and froze at the sight he beheld. The colour drained from his face. In front of him was a stone door that blocked his way.

The door was carved from granite and it was unclear how it would open. It was a familiar, door shaped carving, as tall as any normal door but three times as wide and it was round on the top. The stone was engraved and looked like something official and precious should belong behind the door. Thist ran his hands over the door, the engravings were clean. The picture on the stone door was clear. In the centre of the door was a large carving of a gemstone, the size of a man’s head, but only half of it as if the gem was divided. Many lines were drawn from the centre piece and flowed to the edges of the door like strings. Each string was held by a person kneeling. Thist put his hands to his temples and then in a stern voice Thist said
“Shut up you voices… just…”

Then Thist remembered. “This is the door we saw in the caddels!”

“What is the matter?” asked Leanne-Drake as she floated up the last steps to the door.

“The door.” said Thist. “I have seen one like this before.”

Leanne-drake looked puzzled, “A door like this? Exactly like this?”

“Yes.” said Thist.

“Where?” begged Leanne-Drake. “Tell me where?”

“In an old cave system, probably a mine of some kind from another time, deep underground, I called it the caddels of voices. What is the door for?” asked Thist.

“This is a magical vault door, only a ‘Drake’ can open it.” But it requires two of us.”

“There are only one of you here.” said Thist.

“No.” said Leanne-Drake “I believe there are two of us here now. We must hurry, the building will fall around us. Quick, put your hand here.”

Thist put his hand where Leanne-Drake pointed. Leanne-Drake put her hand on a similar part on the door. The stone door had deep grooves carved into it just like the one in the caddels that Kelvin had found.  A golden glow started to emanate from the centre, growing and spreading over the whole door. “Yes.” said Leanne-Drake as her face lit up in a broad smile. “You
are
a Drake.”

The glow spread over the whole door. It opened, revealing a strange sealed room. In the centre of the room was a pedestal with a large crystal half sphere. It looked like the moon which was cleaved in half by a war axe.

“What is that?” asked Thist.

“That is the soul bridge.” said Leanne-Drake.

“It looks broken.” said Thist.

“It has been split on purpose and its parts have been separated and locked away.”

“Why?” asked Thist.

“We originally did that to try to stop the druid from crossing over from a previous life to the next life.” said Leanne-Drake.

A loud thundering sound shuddered through the stairwell reminding the two in the vault room that their time was limited.

“Take it.” said Leanne-Drake “Let’s get out of here before we come to our grief.”

Thist grabbed the crystal half-moon, shoved it into his shoulder sack and bolted down the stairs after Leanne-Drake.

Thist felt confused. Now everything felt surreal, like he was in a dream that he could not control. The reality around him seemed like a hallucination, or perhaps a night terror that he could not wake from. He ran down the stars after the dragon lady. “Is this real?” He shouted.

“What?” shouted Leanne-drake above all the noise of the crumbling building.

“Is this for real?” shouted Thist as they entered the corridor. “Am I dreaming or is this really happening?”

The two of them ran for an opening in the wall. There was rubble everywhere and the dust was thick. The opening wasn’t far but Thist was in doubt whether he could best every obstacle between himself and his safety. Leanne-Drake scampered over the rubble like it was a polished marble floor. Thist dodged falling boulders, bricks and mortar and made it through the opening just in time. He looked back and witnessed the castle crumble into itself. He looked around and saw Leanne-Drake standing in the full sunlight. She was beautiful but something was missing. Thist could not think what it was as he was still gasping for his breath.