Dragon Sorcerer 2- Chapter 82 (Patreon)

Chapter 82- Mist on the Mountain

That voice. It was so familiar. It struck a chord deep within me. I heard Cami scream as the monster finished ripping its way out of the ground. A part of me noticed the adventurers springing into action. They were poorly equipped for this encounter without Galbrecht. Modessa and Liam had done fine against lesser threats like the ogres, but this was a creature created to fight dragons.

How I knew that was beyond me. I almost felt like I was in a fugue state. I couldn’t move or act. Then another voice spoke to me. No, it wasn’t one voice. There were several voices, but three of them came into focus more than any others. My world was rocked and suddenly I found myself in a waking version of the dragon dream.

A deep voice, which made me think of a roaring fire sounded through my mind. “Dragon up, little one. You are young, but must find a way. It’s only one.”

Then a softer, more feminine voice spoke. It was as smooth as silk, but I could feel a bite beneath that softness. “He is little more than an overgrown wyrmling. Is this really the path we must take? We need to help him.”

“Draconis is nowhere near this part of the world. Hatchling or not, he is alone. Besides, it’s only one baloth. Even he should be able to handle one of them. They only truly become dangerous in a pack.”

That time, as the voice spoke I saw a massive red dragon. He was looking out from a cave in the side of a mountain. He was easily the largest dragon I had ever seen, even dwarfing Draconis in my previous dreams. Then I realized that the softer voice was coming from a smaller but still massive black dragon. She was in another cave in that same mountain.

The third voice which echoed through my mind was familiar, but not in the way the monster’s voice had been. Instead, this one brought comfort and courage with it. I recognized Draconis as his brilliant blue scales shone from yet a third cave in the same mountain.

The top of the mountain was lost in the mists, although I felt a deep curiosity to see its heights. As I looked closer, I could see that there were eleven caves in the side of the mountain. Each looked much the same, and I got the sense they were the homes of dragons.

Staring at them gave me a feeling that I thought might be akin to what prey feels like when they feel dragon fear. It was powerful and twisted my gut into knots. I didn’t know what to make of it other than that I felt both fear and respect for this mountain. That and a deep need to know more that just couldn’t be satisfied. It was like being thirsty but without any water.

“He has already been stretched beyond what he should have been. Strength should never come before wisdom,” said the blue dragon I knew as Draconis. “Where are the elders to teach this generation?” The anger in his voice was only thinly veiled.

The black dragon said, “Not that again. You know the answers as well as I. Sleep shouldn’t drive reality from your mind.”

I felt a deep indignation rise up within me. Who was she, this mere black dragon, to speak to my ancestor like that? Yet, he didn’t seem to take offense at it or if he did; it was beyond my ability to perceive.

I wasn’t sure what to say to any of this, but quickly realized that I wasn’t able to speak to them. I heard the three of them discussing me, but much of it was beyond me and left my mind as soon as I heard the word. I couldn’t say if this was real or simply a figment of my imagination.

Then the large red said, “Enough of this. The physical world calls to you. There is a foe waiting for you to spill its corrupted blood.” As I took a closer look at the red, it was more magnificent than I’d been led to believe a red could ever be. It was also easily the largest dragon I had ever seen.

The black said, “First is right little one. Survive and grow strong. Seek your evolution, but know it is the path which defines you. Expect a call for I shall pester Current till he moves.”

Finally, the great blue Draconis said, “Be strong, for you carry my blood and a fraction of my memories. Trust your companion, but know that the bond is as much a trap as it is a tool. I don’t regret agreeing to it, for desperation makes strange bedfellows, but remember that the gods of men are not the gods of dragons. We were before them.”

I felt like he wanted to say more to me, but then I was flung back into my weak human body just as it was tossed by a great blow. I groaned and tried to stand up, but felt like my side had been torn open. Looking down, I saw red blood dripping onto the ground.

Cami stood in front of me with her spear up. “You can’t have him.”

The creature she shouted at was massive. Its back legs were long and folded like a frog so that it sat back upon them. Its hide was a thick like armor but as my eyes fixed on it, it almost seemed like bark. Its head was horned like a rhinoceros and I could feel magic flowing through it. The power of the earth rose up into its body.

It almost seemed like it was a creature of nature and earth magic, but then I saw how the mana flowing in it was twisted in a way I’d never seen before. Except maybe I had seen it before. It looked a bit like what the horror had looked like, I simply hadn’t known enough at the time to know what to look for. These past few weeks of studying and largely failing to learn magical theory from books had actually served a purpose. It caused my mind to think about magic in a new way.

This creature was corrupted and whatever was natural about it had been turned on its end. Now, though, I had to focus.

I shook my head. The creature was cut and bleeding all over. Modessa had clearly been at work on it, but her blades had failed to find a fatal blow. I glanced around but couldn’t find her at first, then I saw Lisella leaning over the rogue’s prone form as she cast a healing spell.

The next thing I saw was Liam shooting the beast. His explosive arrows, which so easily destroyed ogres were clearly hurting the baloth but every wound he caused seemed to close up almost as quickly. Then one of the arrows hit, and the beast howled in pain. Whatever power of restoration it had seemed to have reached its limit.

It leaned forward and the spikes upon its back all flew out in a volley. Liam spun through the air impossibly dodging as many of them as possible, but he couldn’t avoid them all. Two of the spikes found his body and sent him flying backwards into a tree. I stumbled to my feet, trying to get my bearings. The monster would surely kill the elf now, but instead it said in that gruff voice of it, “Stronger than I expected mortals. A little snack and I’ll be back to finish you.”

Then it turned and started moving with a rapid loping pace that was half hop and have running. The fog in my head was clearing up, and I felt the bond with Cami. Her face was smeared with dirt and blood, and I could tell she was tired.

“What happened do you?”

“Uh…” I wasn’t sure how to explain it even to her.

The creature burst out of the ground. It blasted into you, and I almost thought you were dead. The bond told me you weren’t, but I couldn’t even feel your heart beating in your chest. If Modessa and the others hadn’t intervened that thing would have killed both of us.” She shook her head as though trying to get rid of a bad memory. “I didn’t like feeling so helpless, but there is something unnatural about that…”

“Baloth.”

“What?” Cami asked.

“A baloth, that’s what it’s called.”

“How…” she started to ask, but then closed her mouth. I saw in her eyes that she realized how I knew that. “Was that… uh… what happened?”

“It was different. I’ll share with you soon, but we know that we need to stop that creature. It is an affront to nature and to dragons. Part of it creation involves part taken from dragons and then corrupted. I don’t know all the details, but I know we need to kill it before it recharges.”

Cami looked over at the adventurers, and my eyes followed. Modessa was back on her feet. Lisella’s healing powers were truly potent. Together, the two of them were helping pull Liam free.

Lisella looked over. “If you’re up, we could use some help here.”

I was torn. Everything inside of me cried out to go and fight the baloth. But, from what Cami said, I’d be dead if they hadn’t intervened. It wasn’t like it didn’t serve their purposes to fight the baloth, so I didn’t take it for some altruistic action but it wasn’t nothing.

I ran to where Liam was pinned, as I quickly made up my mind. “It ran off, we have to stop it before it recharges.” Then I reached up and grabbed one of the spikes, which was deep in the ranger’s gut, pinning him to the tree. They had managed to pull the other one free, but this one was as thick as my forearm and stuck several inches into the wood.

With a great heave, I pulled it free. Liam began to fall, but I caught him. He braced himself against the tree and managed to groan, “I’ll be okay. The village is that direction. Do you think it could be headed there?”

I nodded my head. “Yes, it draws strength by eating the innocent. Don’t ask me what constitutes the innocent or how I know, just know that its kind are the mortal enemies of dragons.”

Modessa said, “I’m all for stopping, but we need a tank. I couldn’t get a solid blow off against it. It’s hide is thick, and the regeneration is as powerful as a troll’s.”

I shook my head. “This is my battle.” Then I glanced at Cami, “No, it’s our battle. Come help us as you can, but I’m going to kill it.”

Then I leapt thirty feet away and began my transformation mid-air. I was so rushed that I didn’t even slow the transformation, but showed just how rapidly I could change. None of the adventurers said anything, but something in the back of my mind said I might regret this. Then again, the baloth needed killing, and it needed to be done now.

I dropped my shoulder and hooked my tail around almost like stairs to enable Cami to climb atop my back. When she didn’t move, I asked, “Come bonded, we hunt.”

She didn’t need any further invitation. In a moment she was on my back and an instant later I had leapt into the air. I couldn’t hold back the roar of delight at taking to the air. I’d flown recently, but it wasn’t the same. This was what it was like to be a dragon on the hunt. Let all my foes tremble.