The HaRT Knight Decaverse

Heir of Magic

Chapter 25

A Meeting on A Bridge

Fabien had been riding upon his Draco-Equus for the last two days straight to meet the deadline set for him, and it had paid off. He arrived at the legendary Dragon Bone Bridge before the sun reached its zenith on the third day.
Made from the skeleton of Lucius the dragon king, on the exact place Michael Charlell had killed him in the last battle of the Dragon War, the Dragon Bone Bridge was an awe-inspiring sight. The bridge was almost a hundred stades long and crossed three regions and two rivers. Even on his Draco-Equus, Fabien passed easily through the mouth of the fallen dragon’s skull that rested in the Sand Region.
In the distance, standing in the exact center of the bridge, was a figure in a white robe. The wind gathered up his pale blond hair dramatically as he waited for Fabien to stop beside him.
Fabien leaped down and said, “Greetings, Peramier.”
“Greetings,” Peramier said with a handsome smile and a funny little sweep of his one hand to the side. “Every time I see this bridge, I am struck anew by how unstoppable Cain would become if he got his hands on the same power Michael used to slay this behemoth.”
“I take it you didn’t ask me to come all this way to remind me how big Lucius was,” Fabien snapped.
“No, I asked you here because I wanted to know if you found anything in the remains of Moondrake,” Peramier said.
“No. I dug through the rubble for weeks before Alistair told me I was wasting my time.” Fabien’s head jerked to one side as the thing inside him took control momentarily. In its rough snarl, it said, “Those bloody birds all but worshiped Saniel. They kept everything the fool ever touched in a museum. I’m surprised they didn’t keep his turds in jars so they could worship them.” With difficulty, Fabien wrestled control back.
“Your condition is acting up again, I see,” Peramier said.
“Ever since the events on Moondrake it's been especially boisterous,” Fabien admitted.
With a sudden tenderness in his voice, Peramier said, “Septimus, perhaps—”
“Do not call me that,” Fabien snarled.
The muscles in Peramier’s jaw tightened for a second, but as he spoke his voice was calm and friendly. “Fine, Fabien then. Perhaps you should leave the rest to me. The longer you do Cain’s bidding, the worse your condition will become.”
“You just said it yourself,” Fabien said, holding his arms out to his sides to indicate the fallen dragon. “With the power that did this, the user would become unstoppable. I’m not stopping until I’ve found it.”
Peramier sighed but seemed to know it was a lost cause to argue any further. “Fine. You said Alistair told you, you were wasting your time. What did you mean by that?”
“Alistair questioned a so-called moondrake scholar who specialized in the life of Saniel. He told Alistair a story about how two days before boarding a ship to spend the rest of his life on Moondrake, Saniel spent the night at an inn where all his possessions were stolen. He was forced to arrive on Moondrake in his small clothes and with nothing else.”
“So he didn’t have it either,” Peramier said. “Well, we should soon know if Barquiel had it, the army already passed the halfway point today. It should reach Pensilisurbis I a few months.”
“Already? How small is the force if it's already that far?” Fabien said.
“Actually, it’s the largest force we’ve ever deployed. Thirty-thousand Celecarta, nine-thousand captured and trained Trolls, and six-hundred-thousand abominations warriors.” Peramier smiled brightly and snapped his fingers. A flash of energy, like a bolt of lightning, vaporized a large willow tree a few stades away from the bridge. “You seem to forget what I am sometimes. I’ve been helping Guerra to speed up his trip.”
“Six-hundred-thousand.” Fabien whistled, making sure not to show any signs of being impressed with Peramier’s trick. “Cain must be pretty desperate.”
“He is,” Peramier said. “In fact, he wants you and me to join his army for the battle.”
“Only the three of us? What about his dog?”
“Spooky will sit this one out. Cain wants the city in one piece,” Peramier said.
More fun for us, the voice said gleefully.
Fabien sighed. “Fine. I’ll meet up with the army at—”
“Actually, before you join us, you have another task,” Peramier interrupted him.
“A new target?” Fabien said with almost indecent eagerness. “Who?”
“Kohr,” Peramier said.
“Kohr? The Kohr? As in the Silver General?” Fabien asked in shock.
Peramier grinned. With a wave of his hand, he produced a piece of parchment. “We intercepted this message a while back.”
Fabien took the parchment and read;

To King John Gerard Swan.

I have received your latest request for my immediate return to Pensilisurbis. However, as I’ve stated in all nine my previous replies, my current mission with the royal blacksmith is not only in the interest of Pensilisurbis, but in the best interest of all Primoris. The individual who the royal blacksmith and I have made a commitment to is likely to be the key to finally defeating Cain, which I’m sure you will agree is the greatest threat to your kingdom.
I understand your concerns, Your Grace, however, I assure you; the city is perfectly safe in my absence. I have left strict instructions with the lieutenant generals who are more than capable to keep the city safe until I return.
At the time of writing this letter, we are a few miles north of Bellerophon City. We will reach our destination within the next month, after which, we will begin our journey back within a day or two.
While I am aware Your Grace is uncomfortable with my absence, but please try to understand, once I return to the city, I will be accompanied by the answer to end the oppression Primoris has been under for years and finally set Pensilisurbis free.

Regards
General Kohr.

“Who is this ‘key to finally defeating Cain’ he’s talking about?” Fabien asked as he finished the letter.
“No idea, but Cain wants you to capture everyone you find in Kohr’s company.” Peramier said.


“Come now, Alexander, I’ve taught you better than that, haven’t I?” Chaka asked, smiling as hundreds of little fireballs flew at him like birds swooping down on a swarm of insects.
Close-by, Alexander won down on one knee and breathing hard. “I didn’t want to humiliate you.”
Chaka gave a roaring laugh and sent two of his own fireballs soaring at Alexander’s head. With tremendous grace and speed, Alexander caught the first ball, guided it around in a circle, and sent it flying back at Chaka. The second fireball he swatted to the side where it hit the ground and sent a fountain of dirt and rock into the air.
Chaka, meanwhile, had caught the ball of fire Alexander had sent back at him and was attempting to return it to its original target int her same way, but just as he started to turn on the balls of his feet, Alexander triggered his trap. The tiny ball of flame erupted into a gale of flames that took the form and shape of a serpentine dragon that coiled itself around the pride warrior.
“Very creative,” Chaka said with an amused chuckle.
Alexander tried to force the dragon to close tight around Chaka, but his pyroturgy mentor snapped his fingers and the dragon exploded in a rush of flames that recombined several feet away from him into a giant flaming lion.
“Not this again,” Alexander groaned.
The lion roared and pounced, but Alexander was ready for this; he slapped his hands together, and the moment he brought them apart, the dragon burst into two rivers of flame that found their way to his waiting hands. Two thin strands of fire were now hanging from his wrists. He whipped them back and forth, leaving gashes in the earth where they struck. In a blaze of red, he swung the fiery whips above his head and brought them down on Chaka, who caught both strands in one hand with ease.
“Surely you didn’t think my own technique would work against me,” Chaka said. He gave an evil grin and Alexander knew he had made a terrible mistake. The thin strips of concentrated flames burst into two raging infernos. The furious flames reached him before he could break their connection to his wrists and the licked at his skin, leaving ugly blisters behind. As always, the introduction of real danger and pain caused instinct to take over and the next second, Alexander transformed the two trails of fire into a flaming tornado that sped towards Chaka and swallowed him within seconds.
Shade, I killed him, Alexander thought in a panic, but then a screeching roar sounded and the whirlwind blew apart to reveal Chaka, unharmed.
“I think that will be enough for today,” Chaka said.
Alexander dropped to the ground right where he was standing and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Good. I don’t think I have much left in me, anyway.”
“Your improvement over the last month has been unlike any I have ever seen before,” Chaka said, patting Alexander on the shoulder.
Alexander just smiled and took a big gulp of water from the watermelon-sized egg the pride used to store water.
“Sounds like the pyroturgy training is going well,” Dante said.
“Very,” Chaka said, smiling first at Alexander and then at Dante. “I think he might be ready for the trial by next week.”
“Good. Good.” Dante said, beaming. “I just got a letter from Alexander’s next two teachers. They are only a week away from the village. This was about three weeks ago which means they should be here by the end of next week.”
“Your timing is impeccable, Master Dante,” Chaka said, impressed.
“I should think it is your timing that is impeccable, my friend.” Dante gestured to Alexander to get up and said, “Now if you will excuse us, it’s time to start today’s Gate Magic lesson.”
“Good luck,” Chaka said, slapping Alexander on the shoulder before leaving in the village’s direction.
“Who are my next teachers? Sounds like they must be from far off,” Alexander said.
“They are both from Pensilisurbis. One will teach you geoturgy, the other will teach you tactics and the minutia of leading an army,” Dante said.
“Geoturgy? So he’s a druid? He can’t be a Stonelites,” Alexander said.
“Not exactly no. I’ll explain it all when they arrive next week. For now, let’s focus on our Gate Magic lessons, shall we?” Dante asked, stomping his staff on the ground and causing a pentacle key to form instantaneously around him. A cylindrical war of translucent red energy rose around the wizard like a pillar of glass. “Today’s lesson, barriers.”