David Wells - Cursed Bones

Anatoly finished bandaging Magda and helped her to a place behind a large rock before he spun his axe up into his hands and faced the cave entrance with Abigail and Ixabrax.

The air grew cold and still, tension rising as they waited for the assault, but it didn’t come.

“I don’t understand,” Abigail said. “He was right behind us, why isn’t he attacking?”

“Might have something to do with that sword of yours,” Anatoly said.

A moment later they heard drakini coming down the chasm.

“Dragon draught,” Magda said. “Drink it, quickly.”

Anatoly tossed a vial of the magical liquid to Abigail and trotted back to Magda with another, drinking a third as he took up a position at the side of the cave entrance opposite Abigail.

The drakini came quickly, several rushing into the cave and breathing frost in all directions at once. The temperature fell dramatically but the dragon draught tempered the numbing chill of the unnatural beasts’ breath.

Abigail cut the first drakini in half. Anatoly cleaved the wing from another. Ixabrax lunged into the fight, snapping at the next and crushing it with his powerful jaws while simultaneously whipping his tail over his head and stabbing another through the chest.

The next crashed into Anatoly, driving him to the ground and pinning him with its weight. Anatoly gained leverage a moment later and heaved the beast off of his chest, rolling over on top of the drakini and taking its head in his hands. The creature clawed at him frantically as Anatoly repeatedly beat the back of its head into the frozen ground.

Another rose into the air in an arc that would bring it down on Anatoly’s back, but just as it reached the apex, Magda’s light-lance burned a hole through its chest. It died in midair, falling on Anatoly and pinning him atop the dead drakini, brains oozing from its shattered skull.

Abigail charged the next drakini. It swiped at her with a taloned hand but she ducked under the attack, slashing back and up with the Thinblade, taking the drakini’s arm at the elbow, then bringing her sword back across the beast’s body diagonally and cutting it in half from shoulder to hip.

Ixabrax lunged past her, crushing the next two underfoot as he clamped his jaws down on the final drakini.

Anatoly regained his feet and surveyed the scene.

“Well fought,” Alexander said, appearing in the middle of the room. “Zuhl has retreated. He sent the drakini instead, and there are more forces on the way, probably half an hour out. Can you move?”

Magda staggered to her feet, her face ashen white from loss of blood. “If we are to leave this place, then we need to move now, before the dragon draught wears off.”

“I don’t understand,” Abigail said. “Why didn’t Zuhl come after us himself?”

“Cowardice and evil are character traits that are invariably bound together,” Ixabrax said.

“I think Ixabrax is right,” Alexander said. “He didn’t want to risk a fight in such tight quarters. Besides, he has a sacrifice to prepare for.”

“Whatever the reason, let’s take advantage of it,” Anatoly said.

“Agreed,” Ixabrax said.

“Several dozen miles to the north is a cave with a warm spring nearby and a grove of trees,” Alexander said. “It’s the best place I’ve been able to find for you to hide while we plan our attack.”

***

Alexander opened his eyes, ignoring the slight pain behind his forehead, and turned to Jack who was nodding off in the chair next to his bed. “You awake?”

“Sort of,” Jack said. “Anything new?”

“Anatoly and Magda managed to get Abigail out of Zuhl’s fortress.”

“So she’s safe,” Jack said, breathing a sigh of relief.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Alexander said. “Magda’s hurt and they don’t have much support, especially considering what they’re planning.”

“What do you mean?” Jack asked, sitting forward, completely awake now.

“It was part of the deal,” Alexander said. “Now that Abigail’s been rescued, they’re going to try to free the rest of the dragons that Zuhl has enslaved.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jack asked, surging to his feet. “Hasn’t she been through enough?”

“It was the only way I could get her out, Jack. I needed Ixabrax, and he wouldn’t help us unless we agreed to help his family.”

“So now that she’s free, you expect her to waltz back into Zuhl’s stronghold and cut a bunch of dragons loose?”

“Pretty much,” Alexander said.

“When does this get to be too much for you, Alexander?” Jack asked, walking out of the Wizard’s Den before Alexander could answer.

Chloe buzzed into sight. “He’ll come around, My Love.”

“I know. Honestly, I’m surprised he’s held it together for as long as he has. I know how hard it is to be away from the ones you love, especially knowing that they’re in danger when you’re safe.”

Anja stuck her snout into the Wizard’s Den. “I don’t understand why he’s mad at you. Isn’t he your friend?” In recent days she had discovered how to make human words while in her true form and was ever eager to make use of her new talent.

“Yes, one of the best friends I’ve ever had,” Alexander said. “But he’s in love with my sister and she’s in great danger right now and there’s nothing he can do to help her. It’s hard for him.”

“Is it not hard for you?” Anja asked.

“Yes, but I can go to her and talk with her and help her,” Alexander said. “Jack can’t. He’s stuck here with me, knowing that Abigail’s life is at risk, and it eats at him.”

“I can see how he would feel that way,” Anja said. “If you were elsewhere and in harm’s way, I would be distraught.”

Alexander closed his eyes but didn’t respond.

“I still don’t understand how you do that,” Anja said. “Be somewhere other than here, that is.”

“Honestly, neither do I,” Alexander said. “The best I can do is to call it magic.”

Anja snorted. “I guess I can understand that, sort of. I don’t really know how the shapeshift spell made me into a young woman, but it did.”

“Magic is like that,” Alexander said. “Some wizards understand the principles they’re using while others, like me, just wield the power at our disposal.”

Anja was silent for several moments before she spoke again, this time much softer, almost timidly.

“Where will we go when you’re healed?” she asked.

Chloe buzzed into a ball of light and vanished.

Alexander took a deep breath and let it out slowly before looking Anja in the eye. “Your mother and I have spoken of this and we agree. You will stay here when I leave.”

“No!” Anja said.

“Yes. Where I’m going you wouldn’t be safe.”

“I don’t care. If you’re in danger, then I want to be there with you.”

“Anja, you can’t. You’re just a child.”

“I’m a dragon! I can go where I choose.”

“Yes, but you won’t be safe,” Alexander said. “More than that, you sort of attract attention. Where I’m going, I’ll need to be able to hide. I can’t do that with you.”

“But I love you,” Anja said.

“I know, and I love you, too,” Alexander said. “That’s why I want you to stay here where you’ll be safe. I can’t protect you out there.”

“I don’t need protecting … I’m a dragon. But I could protect you.”

“I know you think that,” Alexander said, “but danger isn’t always something you can confront directly. I have a lot of very powerful enemies and they wouldn’t hesitate to hurt you to get to me.”

“Not if I hurt them first,” Anja said.

“Anja, you’re so young,” Alexander said. “And for all your youth, you have great power, but you don’t yet possess the wisdom to wield that power well.”