Short Story- Dragon Sorcerer Part 5 (last part) (Patreon)

Part 5- Into the Enemy’s Lair

Cami’s sire gasped and dropped his foreleg to his side rather than striking her. It was just as well; I wasn’t sure how attached humans were to their sires and didn’t know if she would have appreciated me killing the impudent man. Something had caught his attention, though. A second later, Cami seemed to notice it as she let out a small gasp while staring off into the distance behind me.

When I turned, I saw a man flying through the air. Something about that struck me as annoying. The little creatures multiplied like roaches and spread out all over the world so much so that my kin had been forced to live in a desert to avoid contact. Now they were trying to lay claim to the air, which was the domain of dragons.

It only got worse as he drew closer. My vision was nowhere near as keen as it had been before and I was still adjusting to the way that my eyes were so close together, but even I could see him now. What were the odds? In a world of humans where I could only identify a handful, this happened to be one of them, and not one that I was keen on seeing.

His fine armor with the strong buzz of enchantments was not something I would forget. Less than a dozen hours ago, he had been amongst those who drove me from the only home I had ever known. My hands clenched, and I was grateful I didn’t have claws or the pressure I exerted would have pierced this soft flesh. Hate bubbled up in me, but sadly it was coupled with fear.

It would have been hard to say, which I felt more strongly, but I forced myself to exhale and prepared to lie or fight. I was in human form and I knew one thing from the dragon dream. A dragon’s innate magical ability to shapeshift is much harder to discern than human polymorph spells. Those spells give the being the shape of something, whereas my ability makes me human. It would require an archmage to have any chance of piercing the veil of my ability.

My mind raced as I struggled to come up with a story that made sense to me and might fly with the little that I knew about humans. Then he came to a stop. His feet never touched the ground,, but he did descend so that he only floated a little bit above us. His eyes rested upon for a moment longer than was comfortable but I decided that was simply because my attire was so much more striking than theirs.

“Ho, farmer, what has happened here?”

“Gods cursed adventurer, never around when you’re needed. A massive dragon swooped in earlier. He started killing and gobbling down my herds. He practically ate half my herd and ruined me. I tried hiring some knights to deal with the brute, but as you can see, they didn’t fare well.”

I laughed at the embellishments he made. If he thought I was huge, he should see my mother. Of course it would be the last thing he ever saw. The armored adventurer also laughed after looking at me. “I’m looking for a dragon, but he was hardly huge or capable of devouring an entire herd since I last saw him this morning.”

Then he turned towards me, “And who might you be, good sir? Judging from that outlandish shirt and your foppish good looks, I’d assume you are a bard, but I don’t see any pack or instruments. I’ve never known a bard to be without the latter and it’s hard to travel without the former.”

Cami spoke up before I could. “He’s my friend Nico. After the dragon killed all the knights and scared away my father and the other farmers, he saved me. He used some type of illusion to trick the dragon into leaving. The last I saw; the monster was flying low and headed in that direction.” She pointed to the northeast as she spoke.

The armored adventurer whistled and seemed to appraise me again. “That is a might feat of magic. I apologize sir mage, I didn’t know. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir Galbrecht, paladin of Miseria. Might I know how a mage as young as yourself has already left the university?”

Once again, my mind was racing. A paladin. I knew the word. He was some type of holy knight. In this case, dedicated to the goddess of healing. Something about that didn’t mesh with my recollection of the man who had invaded my home earlier today. “A goddess of healing has need of swords?”

“Ah, not the first time I have heard that question. Healing takes many forms, but we are the shield for those who would heal. I have been traveling with a priestess from my order and some other adventurers. But you didn’t answer my question, young mage.”

The casual way that he described his thieving and murderous ways set me off again, causing me to answer before I fully thought it through. “I’m not part of any mage university. What I know of magic, I have taught myself.”

Cami and her sire gasped while Galbrecht’s hand strayed to the blade hanging from his belt. “A wild mage? Or perhaps you were apprenticed to another and are soon to attend the university.”

“Are you deaf? Leave me alone. I have no master nor any need to attend a university for mages.”

As I finished speaking, his blade came out while he chanted the words to a prayer. My awareness of magic immediately told me this was no empty petition to a goddess, but rather an example of divine magic. Then he said, “It is the law of the land and decry of the king that all mages must study at the university in Caminah before being allowed to practice in the realm. As a champion of law and servant of Miseria, I cannot allow you to roam the land unguided.”

I slowly breathed in deeply. It was a common way for me to calm myself. It also enabled me to use my breath weapon. Except, then I remembered I didn’t possess a breath weapon in this form. The more I thought about it, the more I realized he could likely kill me in this form. I would have to switch back to my natural form and then I expected I could defeat him.

The aura of power around him was not insignificant,, but he was only one man. The adventurers had been too much for me, but not if he was alone. I glanced all around and caught a glimpse of another human figure flying toward us. He or she was at the very edge of my currently limited sight, but I had to assume it was one of his companions.

“Surely, if my magic is strong enough to trick a dragon, I have little need of a magical university.” I wasn’t entirely sure what a magical university was, but I knew I didn’t want to be forced to go anywhere. The entire point of this had been to travel freely amongst the humans.

“Quite the opposite. You are young and so I will assume ignorance on your part. The king’s decree was made precisely because of you. Talented but uneducated mages are as dangerous as dragons in some ways.”

I snorted at that, but apparently he took it as a general disagreement rather than contempt for human mages. Instead, he continued, “My party and I have to return to the capital and report on our mission. If you come freely, I will speak to the proctors at the university and get you admitted. The fact that you drove off a dragon at your age will make you quite the phenom.”

Cami squealed. “Can I go too? I want to be a mage.”

Her sire said, “Shut up, girl, before I beat some sense into your head.”

I growled under my breath, but before I could intervene, Galbrecht’s sword was pointed at the man’s throat. “That is no way to speak to a woman, even if she is little more than a girl.”

Even if the paladin was floating a few feet away, the farmer clearly felt the threat and cringed back before saying, “She’s my daughter. I’ll speak to her however I like. You church folk are the only ones worse than adventurers, always poking your nose where it don’t belong.”

“The authority granted by my goddess gives me license to ensure the well-being of all those in the realm. If she is your daughter, then you have even less reason to speak thus. The child has done nothing wrong, and she is of an age to attend the university. I will simply choose to believe that your threat to strike her and keep her from being tested was spoke from fatherly concern that your daughter would be gone for years to study.”

Galbrecht’s gaze seemed to bore into Cami’s father. I still didn’t know his name, but then again, one rarely asks the name of vermin. Then he turned toward Cami. “Are you invoking your right to be tested for magical aptitude?”

She nodded vigorously. I was still shocked by how the human head could move on their stubby necks. “Yes, Sir paladin. I have dreamed of it.”

“Well, too, new students for the academy would almost make up for the limited success we have had in our mission. I will call the rest of my party here and our mage, Simon, can test you. If you have the ability, then I swear upon Miseria that you shall get your chance to attend the university.”

Cami was practically jumping up and down at this point. “Oh, thank you, thank you.”

Then Galbrecht’s expression grew grim. “But should you not have the ability, then you must obey your father. This is the place of children. Fear not, you are what fifteen or sixteen?”

“Fourteen, Sir Albrecht.”

The paladin shook his head. “I must be getting old. You youngsters seem to look older every year. Well, either way, if you lack the talent, then you will have your own husband and family within the next two or three years. That, too, is a meaningful life. We can each only do what the goddess created us for.”

Those words echoed in my ear as I pondered what they meant for me. I could try to make my escape, but as I thought about it, this might not be the worst. If they would take me to the capital, I would get to learn a great deal about the humans. That and perhaps there would be merit in learning about human magic. It couldn’t be that hard if monkeys could learn it. I was a dragon, after all.

How little I knew in that moment, though. It would be sometime before I came to appreciate the scope of my ignorance. Still, but for the arrogance of my youth, I never would have embarked upon my grand adventure. It would be an adventure which gave rise to the Dragon Sorcerer.