Dragonvein - Book Three (29 page)

Jassa pushed past him and hurried down the hall. After a quick glance, she waved him over. “The fastest way out of here is not far,” she told him. “You'll find a stairway around the next corner. At the top of this is another long hallway. Turn left at the end, then enter the first room on your right. This is a dining hall, and straight ahead there's a door leading into the kitchen. At the back of this there's another door that will take you directly outside. There is no reason for anyone to be in any of these areas at this time of day. But if you are seen, no matter who it is, you must kill them before they can raise the alarm.” She handed him a dagger hidden in the folds of her gown.

Ethan nodded and gripped the weapon tightly. “Thank you again, Jassa.”

“Go,” she ordered.

Cautiously, he made his way along the passage until reaching the stairs. At the top of these, the air was cooler and the scent of flowers filled his nostrils. Following Jassa’s instructions, he soon found himself in the dining hall. A long table surrounded by twenty well-crafted, high-backed chairs dominated the room. Elegant tapestries and various other works of art decorated the walls. Without pausing, he headed directly for the door leading into the kitchen.

It was locked. No matter how hard he tried, the door would not open.

“Is my hospitality not to your liking, Lord Dragonvein?” called a voice from behind.

He spun around to see Shinzan smiling broadly at him. Even when dressed in the simple attire of a tan shirt and black trousers, his strong features and confident manner were still sufficient to radiate intimidating power. Ethan’s eyes darted back and forth, searching for an alternative way out.

Shinzan held up a hand. “It is pointless. There is no escape. I knew sweet Jassa would betray me, poor thing. But you have to admire her courage.”

Realizing that he was trapped, Ethan resolved not to go down without a fight. His hand flew out to send a bolt of lightning streaking across the room. It struck Shinzan in the very center of his chest. He took a small pace back, but other than this he was unaffected.

“If you insist,” he said. “But don’t you think we need a little more room?”

He touched the large table with the tip of his finger. In a flash, it turned into yellow sand that spread out over the entire floor. Seeing Ethan’s stunned expression he chuckled. “Everything you see around you - every stick of furniture and every last tapestry - were all built with my power. But then, transmutation is not something you would have learned in great detail. No. Given your circumstances, I would think your education has been centered mostly on more aggressive magic.” His smile became a vicious smirk. “Please show me.”

  Ethan searched his memory. What could he possibly use against someone…something...so all powerful?

“
Alevi Drago
!” His voice thundered out, shaking the walls and causing the sand to dance on the tile floor. A white hot ball of flame erupted a few feet in front of him. With all the strength he could muster, he cast it at Shinzan. A mighty roar sounded just as it reached its target. Shinzan was thrown back against the wall and then dropped to one knee.

Without hesitation, Ethan sought to follow up his advantage. He raised his hands high. “
Mortio
!” A beam of red magical energy shot across the room.

But Shinzan had already recovered. By merely holding up his palm, he absorbed the attack with seemingly little effort. “You are stronger than I would have thought,” he admitted. “Not yet as strong as your father, but given time you may have even surpassed him. What a pity that time is a luxury you do not possess.”

With a flick of his wrist, a thirty-foot long serpent flashed into being in the center of the room. Ethan backed up to the wall and cast a bolt of lightning. But it had no effect whatsoever. With blinding speed, the creature moved in and coiled itself around him before he could do anything further. Its strength was unimaginable as it tightened its hold.

“I had actually thought of ending your life this way,” Shinzan remarked. “And I still may. Terrible, isn’t it? The more you struggle, the more firmly in its grasp you become. Each breath you take becomes more difficult than the last.”

Blood was thudding in Ethan's ears. He closed his eyes tightly in an attempt to shut out the pain, but there was no respite. The serpent's coils continued its deadly work, slowly crushing the life from him.

Let me in, you little fool. Let me in before it’s too late.

Martok was back. And just of time. Never had Ethan needed his ancestor's presence so much.
Yes, help me,
he begged, knowing that he had only a few heartbeats remaining before losing consciousness, probably forever.

Shinzan shook his head. “So young. And so foolish. You should have accepted my offer. This world is mine, and there is nothing you can do to save it.”

The voice that responded was strong and clear. “Your arrogance is astounding, Shinzan.”

Martok’s eyes were wide open again and fixed firmly on the Emperor. The serpent around him burst into flames and turned to ashes.

Shinzan cocked his head. “So there is still some fight left in you after all, I see.”

“You have no idea.”

Without so much as Martok lifting a finger, the sand rose from the floor and began to swirl rapidly around in a cloud.

Shinzan stiffened. “What is this?”

Martok spread his hands, causing each and every grain to sparkle with energy. “Goodbye for now,” he said. “We will see each other again very soon.”

With a mighty whoosh, the sand cloud erupted into a million tiny explosions, totally engulfing Shinzan. As he threw up his hands to cover his face, flames consumed his clothing, searing a multitude of holes into his flesh.

Then...it was over. When the cloud settled, the door to the kitchen was hanging wide open and the Emperor was alone.

Clenching his fists, Shinzan let out a cry of fury that echoed throughout the entire palace. Only slowly did he regain his composure. His prey had escaped, and there was nothing to be done. Infuriating as this was, it was just a small and very temporary setback.

Soon enough he would watch as the light left Ethan Dragonvein’s eyes.

Shinzan sprawled across his throne, one leg tossed over the side and a cup of wine in his hand. He smiled down at Jassa who was standing in front of him, eyes downcast. He wanted to feel anger, but to his surprise was only able to summon up a mild irritation toward the girl. In some ways, her actions had actually caused his admiration for her strength to increase.

“Do you have anything to say?” he asked.

“Only that I am guilty,” she replied.

Shinzan laughed softly. “Indeed you are. You betrayed me. In the futile hope that he will destroy me, you released the one person I have gone to immeasurable lengths to capture.” He clicked his tongue. “You are a naughty one, aren’t you? Do you really think he can win?”

“I know that you fear him.” Her tone was measured. “That alone tells me that there is hope.”

Shinzan regarded her for a moment. “Brave girl. Stupid girl. I do not fear him. He is an irritation. Nothing more.”

“That is a lie,” she said. “I hear it in your voice every time you speak of him.”

“Sweet child. You are beyond your depth when you attempt to understand me. But you can be forgiven this fault. Many in the past have thought they knew my mind. And all have since paid the price for their foolishness.”

Jassa met his gaze defiantly. “You are no mystery to me. You are cruel for cruelty’s sake. You kill for the sheer pleasure. You shatter lives just because it pleases you. You imagine that all this wickedness gives you power. But it doesn’t. It just makes you small and pathetic.”

Shinzan glared at her, his anger rising. But just as quickly, it melted away into amusement. “How could I possibly kill one such as you?”

“Quite easily,” came a voice from the entrance to the hall. “Once she no longer amuses you, it is precisely what you will do.”

Shinzan’s eyes shot wide. Walking straight toward him with long confident strides was Ethan Dragonvein. He glanced down at Jassa and flicked a hand. “Leave us.”

She paused a moment to give Ethan a disappointed look before hurrying away.

“You surprise me,” Shinzan said. “I would have thought you many miles from here by now. I sent men to find you, but I didn’t give them much chance of success. And yet here you are, delivering yourself to me willingly. Do you imagine I will be merciful in return for your surrender?”

A stream of black fire sprang from his hand. But instead of striking Ethan down, it passed straight though his body as if he was formed from mist.

“No. I never imagined for one instant that you would be merciful,” he said.

Shinzan raised an eyebrow. “Impressive. I would not have thought you capable of such magic. At least, not without the aid of dwarf trinkets.” He leaned forward to scrutinize Ethan. “But then, I am not speaking to Ethan Dragonvein, am I?”

“How rude of me.” He gave a long formal bow. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Martok Dragonvein.”

Shinzan started to laugh, but his amusement quickly vanished. “You are not lying. I can see it in your eyes. But how is this possible?” He wagged his finger. “Of course. Your spirit has taken control of Ethan’s body. That explains how he was able to escape. Clever. Very clever.”

“Thank you. But I think fortunate would be a more accurate description. A few seconds longer and there would have been nothing I could have done to save him.”

“And had I known this, I would have used a far more powerful spell,” Shinzan responded. He stood and strolled easily toward Martok. “When I first came to power, I heard your name spoken many times. The people of this world would often say that I was another Martok. Well, the humans did anyway. And now I can see why.”

“I actually find it insulting,” Martok shot back. “I never intended to bring Lumnia to ruin. Only to unite her people.”

“Yes, but united under
your
rule. And as I understand it, you nearly succeeded.”

“Nearly.”

“At this point, I suppose it would be expected that I offer you the chance of joining me. You know, rather than forcing me into destroying you. But I will not insult you in this manner.”

“You mean as you insulted Ethan?”

Shinzan spread his hands. “What do you expect? I was dealing with little more than a boy. I offered to send him home.”

“And would you have?”

“Of course not. I would have flayed the skin from his bones and used it to decorate my walls.”

He moved closer. “This control you have over his body - is it permanent? Oh, please tell me that it is. How glorious a battle we would have. You and I, face to face. Two giants fighting for the future of this world. And how fitting that these father and son bodies we use would be the vessels for our ambitions.”

“You will not win,” said Martok, ignoring the question. “The people of this world can, and will, stop you.”

He waved a dismissive hand. “I welcome them - and especially you - to try.

His tone then turned hard. “But I'm afraid you have remained in place too long my friend. Very foolish of you. Now you will suffer the consequences.” His eyes began to glow red as he looked up to the ceiling. “Bring the body to me when you are done,” he commanded.

When he looked down again, Martok was gone. In a way, he almost regretted that the battle he had described would never take place. The rumble of the dragon’s roar carried into the hall from many miles away. He smiled and returned to the throne. Foolish indeed. It was little wonder that Martok had failed in his conquest.

* * * * *

Martok sprang to his feet and looked to the sky. There it was in all its majesty, its silver scales shimmering in the sun like a living jewel. But this was a beauty marred by evil. Outwardly, the dragon still held all the splendor of when it was free. But its spirit was now dark and tainted by Shinzan. It was cut off completely from its kin and the world that was its true home. Rage swelled in Martok's chest. This crime would not stand.

“I will release you,” he muttered softly.

He knew Shinzan would think him a fool for lingering. But the Emperor would soon learn differently. Martok did nothing without purpose. It had been his hope that Shinzan would send the dragon to dispatch him, and he had traveled to the very edge of his ability to project his image as far away as possible from the Emperor's power source. Shinzan would not risk coming this far out himself. Here, he would not hold an advantage and could most likely be driven back – though not completely destroyed.

The dragon hovered several hundred feet above the ground, its gaze fixed firmly on its prey. In response, Martok raised his hands and waved them in an exaggerated circle. The sky began to swirl, forming numerous black clouds that quickly joined together to create one enormous thunderhead. After emitting a mighty roar, the dragon came swooping down.

“
Parma Tegat
,” Martok shouted.

Flames spewed down from the dragon’s maw. But these were easily deflected away by an invisible force and sent harmlessly to the ground. Undeterred, it raised its claws to seize Martok. But just as the mighty talons were about to sink into him, he vanished in the blink of an eye, reappearing a second later twenty yards to the creature's left.

A bolt of lightning descended from the clouds, striking the dragon in the center of its back. It threw its body around savagely, roaring in rage and pain. Three more bolts struck in rapid succession, and for a time it looked as if the creature might be fully subdued. But then it made a remarkable recovery. With smoke rising from the ruined flesh on its back, the dragon fixed its black eyes on Martok and charged.

Standing his ground, Martok turned up his palms. The ground beneath the dragon erupted with such force that its enormous weight was lifted at least ten feet into the air. Chunks of rock and soil scattered, then turned into a quivering mass of molten lava that hovered directly above the creature as it dropped heavily back down into the deep crater that Martok's spell had created. Though badly stunned, it managed to keep its feet as it landed. Not that this was going to save it. Before it could even think about scrambling up out of the pit, the lava poured down, instantly cooling and solidifying. The dragon jerked and twisted, flailing its head back and forth wildly and creating several small cracks in the solid stone that was now encasing its legs. But it was all to no avail. It was trapped and helpless. Eventually it became still, with just the sound of its slow hot breaths indicating life.

Martok closed his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Bending down on one knee beside the pit, he placed a hand on the ground. The earth began to tremble and a gentle hum emitted. At the same time, a green mist seeped out from below, covering the dragon's entire body. Once this had fully settled, all went still. In the ominous silence that followed, the dragon looked directly at Martok. For an instant he felt he saw gratitude hiding somewhere in the impenetrable blackness of its eyes. Then they closed for the final time.

The flash could be seen for miles, and the booming sound easily heard within the Imperial palace. Having shielded his eyes, Martok removed his hand and gazed sorrowfully at the pile of ashes that had once been the mightiest and noblest of creatures.

He looked over his shoulder. Shinzan would be well aware of what had just happened. And the fact that the 'all powerful' Emperor had been helpless to prevent it, in some small way salved the wound inflicted on him for being forced to end the life of a dragon.