Slayer

  “You, my foe, are terrible at swordsmanship, Varb Morassdaughter! Moras would be no more proud than as foolish as you!”

  Thetra heard the sound of metal on metal, screams, and more smack-talk. Finally, when he couldn’t stand it anymore, he jumped into the middle of their fight and yelled, “Varb, I know you, and you are a fool!”

  Then Arek said, “I may not know much about you, Satym, but I do”

  “Enough!” yelled Therr’s voice. He stepped into Thetra’s view and said, “Satym, you may join the good army. But we do not trust you enough to tell you our true name of this army.”

  When well he tell me?!,wondered Thetra, frustration growing inside of him. I killed an Ognok!

  “As for you, Varb,” said Therr, looking as if in a daze. “You don’t have the right... Have the right to boss the newcomer...around.”

  Satym smiled.

  “Therr, you can’t” complained Arek, but Therr slapped him on the cheek. Arek looked so stunned, his face turned pale.

  And then red.

  “Therr!” protested Thetra. “I shouldn’t be punishing you, but”

  And Therr slapped Thetra.

  As he did, Thetra felt the same astonishment that Arek had probably felt. He felt his face grow red hot. And then he exploded: “Therr! Who are you?! You’re no leader of this army! Do you even want to kill Morchad?!”

  When his “explosion” was over, Therr said, “I...I am sorry. Thetra! I really am. But I can explain.” He took a deep breath. “I do have these kinds of seizures, as if somebody is taking over my body. I believe I might be possessed, but...” He shook his head. “Anyway, maybe you could help me get rid of whoever is trying to possess me, and...it’ll stop.”

  “Therr, I hardly even know you! Much less do I even know magic! Just one word! Fl” Then he realized his mistake, and said, “Fire.”

  “Ah. Well, I will give you a trainer some time to help you train in magic and then you could help me destroy whatever thing possesses me.”

  “I would love to help, but there are more important things that need to be taken care of, like battles.”

  “Yes, but in a battle I might accidentally betray you because of this presence that builds up inside of me and kill all of the good army. I am very powerful, yet dangerous to you. And these seizures are a secret between all of us. You two may tell your dragons, but if you do perchance tell anybody other than those creatures without my permission, then you will be either imprisoned inside of our jail cells, or, if you told one of the army of Morchad, you may be allowed to be killed by any of the good army, by anyone of your choice.”

  The four of them all nodded, and then Satym said, “I will give you something in return.” She took a deep breath, and then said, “I promise to serve you, King Therr, and the rest of the people of this army. I will never betray you to the army of...” She shook her head. “I can’t do it.”

  Therr drew his sword and pointed it at her. “Let’s make it easy and not go through this process again.”

  “I told you, I can’t say the bloody oath!”

  “Guards! Seize this girl and take her to a cell! Unless she does do something that is worth letting her out, do not let her out. And only let her out under my permission.”

  Satym threw her hands up like she couldn’t believe her punishment. “No, King Therr! I...” She shook her head like the idea she was about to explain was reckless, but then said, “I will tell you, and the three of them about my life.”

  The guards who had just walked in the room backed out of earshot, and then Satym started her story of her life.

  “I was born in Masthan Castle, of course by Vertay and Loradaw. I was their daughter and lived in the castle with only my parents for four years, while the Great War of the Aliens and Humans went on.

  “When it ended, I traveled to Mthanl, where I stayed while my parents went on and fought for this army, helping them fend off the last of the Ma, another name for Morchad’s Army, for one month before they came back for me. The current king of the good army, Jawsead, is known to be the greatest king, of any army, of all time.”

  Therr nodded.

  “Then we stayed in Mthanl for ten more years, and my parents traveled to Mt. Berr like cowards after three strangers came to our home and asked for money.”

  Strangers! thought Thetra, alarmed that they had gone to Mthanl before Toage.

  “I traveled here to join you, like my parents once did, and here I am! My fifteenth birthday was twenty-eight days ago.”

  “Well, I hope that is the truth, but I don’t believe it is.”

  If she was lying, Satym didn’t show it. She had a great poker face.

  “Really?”

  Satym’s skin showed a hint of paleness. “I told you, the rest of my secrets are still stored in my brain.”

  “Do you want to go down to that cellar? Guards, come closer!” Therr kept his gaze on Satym.

  “I cannot tell you about my” She stopped herself before she could say more.

  “About your what?”

  Satym then stood up and walked out the door, heading upstairs to the hallway that was dedicated to the great warrior of the army, Kolga.

  The next thing Thetra heard was glass breaking, as he, Therr, and Ardk followed Satym to the hallway, running as fast as their legs could handle.

  Then, when Satym was in sight, he pointed his wand directly at her andseeing her turn around with shock on her faceyelled the only magical word he knew: “FLYR!”

  Flames spread from an inch away from his feet up to her body until they covered her from head to toe. Thetra released the fire on the floor, but kept the fire on her there, until he realized it was to her advantage.

  She drew her sword and screamed a wild war cry, then threw it at Thetra.

  Thetra was too smart for her. He deflected her blade with his, but he also realized that her sword had some magic on it from her. She was a magic user. Thetra marked that he now knew one of her secrets, and then he used the magic stored with her weapon to send it flying back at her.

  She obviously had a power with fire, for she sent a column of it to slow the sword, and then she grabbed it out of the air. But she still stared at Thetra with an open mouth.

  Arek and Therr had been watching them duel this whole time, and yet they still didn’t help Thetra.

  Maybe, just maybe, she stores everything in her sword. If I touch it, maybe I can find out some of her knowledge and find out what her most important secret is.

  “You cannot best me!” shouted Thetra.

  Then she dipped the blade into flame, and with fire in her eyes, chucked it at Thetra once more.

  This time he grabbed the handle out of the air and since that particular part of the blade wasn’t lit up, he was able to see inside of the sword.

  He pulled out many things. Many useful things indeed. He found one bit of knowledge, and it was obvious that it was her most prized secret. He could not read it though. But he at least knew it was in Vengeance.

  As he pulled himself out, he just barely had time to see Satym creating a giant fireball that she was about to throw in his direction and it would not be pretty.

  After she had put it all together, she did the final stitch with a few words from the “magical language” and then threw it up in the air. Then, after going up about 150 feet, the fireball spun around and kept spinning, then threw itself at Thetra.

  He knew no other magic words besides “flyr” and if he said that, the fire would increase its amount and engulf him in flames harder.

  Then Arek ran in front of Thetra, grabbed Thetra’s wand, and yelled, “Vourgé!”

  “AREK!” screamed Thetra. “What are you doing?!” Thetra stared at his brother in awe, and wondered how he had learned any magic.

  “I’m teaching you a magical lesson, Thetra.” Then he said the word again, this time louder, and sent the fireball back at Satym.

  She accepted it and stored all of the fire in her wand, then said
, “Drema albak kördas!” At her words, blue light erupted at Arek’s feet.

  Thetra blinked for a second, but regretted it.

  When he opened his eyes, he saw nothing where Arek had been. Satym had made him disappear, perhaps.

  “He is in my wand! If you want him out, you’ll have to get past me.”

  “Then I will get past you!” shouted Thetra, and Therr stepped forward also. Together, they touched swords and charged the evil sorceress.

    

  Therr

  What am I?! I’m no leader of this army, what I am is a frightened jackrabbit! I can’t believe I just stood there while Arek was sucked into that cursed witch’s wand. I can’t believe I just stood here while Thetra almost lost his life fighting for me and the rest of this army! I should give the responsibility to him, or at least tell him our name.

  “DD!” yelled Therr, and pointed his sword at Satym.

  “That’s right, Therr!” yelled Satym in a mocking tone. “Show me who you are.”

  “You don’t know our true name, but Thetra, you have the right to!” Then he let loose a savage cry and flung his blade at Satym’s throat. “Take that!”

  As the sword hit her chest, it made an awkward bang sound. When it did this, Satym disappeared.

  Thetra looked at Therr in awe and asked him, “What did you do? Is the sword enchanted?”

  “’Twas. Didn’t know it still is.” Therr looked at where the girl named Satym had been before she disappeared, then went over and retrieved his weapon. “I put a spell on it years ago when I first became leader.” He shook his head. “Never knew it was still there. But she’s not dead.”

  “Is she inside the sword?” asked Thetra, alarmed at the possibility.

  “I doubt it. It probably sent her off to some place like Hetal or Masthan. At least some place close by. She’ll be back in maybe a week or two.”

  “She said that her parents are at Masthan Castle, yes?”

  “She’ll probably visit them.”

  Thetra nodded. It made sense. Then he said, “Shall we search for her?”

  “Not until you learn magic, my apprentice.”

  “Wait. You’re going to teach me? I thought you said you would give me a real trainer who had a dragon and was a witch or wizard.”

  “Oh, I will. I just will tell you a few spells that might save your life.” Then he thought for some and finally decided upon Mwegh, Agham, and Lognaë. He told every last syllable to Thetra so that he would say it right, then taught him the definitions.

  When they were done, Thetra repeated, “Mweghma: deflect kill shot; Agham: a summoning word; Lognaë: a kill shot.”

  “Yes, now you will practice each. Fathr will send a kill shot at you, but he will put a spell on it so that it won’t kill you. If it should hit you, it will only put one mark on your arm, and I will erase it.”

  Fathr walked out and said, “Greetings, Wandearner. Are you ready for your lesson?”

  “I am.”

  “Get in your positions, wizards!” yelled Therr. “Remember, we will not kill, just maybe hurt. Fathr, you will attempt a kill shot at Thetra here, but you must put spells on it so that if it does hit him, it will not kill.”

  Thetra saw Fathr put spells on, and then he got back in his fighting position.

  “Alright, Thetra. Because he put on the spells, it should be a red light coming at you. In a real fight, the death color is gold, the color of evil.

  “Fight!” yelled Therr.

  As soon as he said it, Fathr said one word: “Lognaë,” and as he said it, Thetra saw a fast bolt of golden energy flying towards him.

  That’s not right, he quickly thought, and then shouted at the right time, “Mweghma!” and the golden light was collected into his wand.

  “FATHR!” exclaimed Therr. “You almost killed the Wandearner!”

  “I am sorry, Master.”

  “I have to kill,” said Therr, in a tone like he couldn’t believe it. “I have to punish you by death, my youngling, my watchman!”

  “Master, I have failed you, but if you give me a second chance”

  “I’m not giving you anything!” Therr roared. “Lognaë!”

  And Fathr the watchman crumpled, lifeless, for he was no more.

  Arek

    

  A SWORD’S

  EYE VIEW

  “How do you like being in a sword?” asked Satym to Arek. “I’m not releasing you until you talk!” Then she smiled and shook her head.

  Arek tried, for he heard her. He could see her and hear her, but couldn’t talk to her, which meant he couldn’t get out of the sword.

  He was so frustrated, he had an idea: if he got so mad, he could use his anger to break out of the sword.

  No wonder Thetra told me I had “anger issues,” whatever that means.

  He felt his tiny-puppy-dog face burn red-hot. Then he yelled a spell he had heard somebody of the good army say: “Hrregön!” Destroy.

  The sword shattered, and Arek immediately had the thought that the sword was the most important sword in the whole of Kiolerasdarque.

  “What have you done?!” exclaimed “Satym the Wise.”

  “Well, I talked, and I released myself,” said Arek, and then grabbed a wooden staff that was leaning against the wall in her “room-of-peace-and-quiet” and threw it at her.

  It hit her nose with a loud thump as blood splattered everywhere. She growled, and tried to grab Arek but he was already out the window. He heard her following him in the direction of southwest, for they had to travel from La lakr-sonx all the way to Destville. They were about to cross all of Kiolerasdarque.

  Transport Spell One: “Gragra, Destville!”

  This Arek yelled, which he had also heard among the many spells he had learned throughout the “army-of-good-and-powerful.”

  And he appeared in Destville, Kiolerasdarque.

  Satym didn’t.

  Arek let loose a laugh, for he had finally gotten rid of her. Just to be sure, he yelled, “Gagra, La lakr-sonx!”

  He felt himself run into a big wall in the air as he tried to travel. He tried again, failing once more.

  “Arek,” said Therr, who walked up and stood next to him. “You have used too many spells without a wand. You pushed past your limit. Unless you kill an Ognok and earn a wand, then you will never be able to use magic again.”

  When he said that, Arek was so mad; he went to bed even though it was only lunchtime.

    

  Thetra

    

  TRAINER AND TRAINEST

  “Thetra,” said Therr, “meet your magic-trainer, Savar.”

  Oh no, thought Thetra.

  The man looked like a thief. He was dressed in all black, and his voice was sharp clicks.

  “I am...Savar, your magic trainer.” He held out his hand to shake it, but Thetra just put a hand up and declined. Savar lowered his hand, a frown on his face. “Don’t worry, rider. You’ll trust me soon enough.” Then he let loose a loud cry, and then said, “Alright, back to work.”

  “I’ll leave you two to train,” said Therr, walking away with a smile on his face.

  “So, Savar. What spells are we going to learn first?” Thetra forced a smile.

  Then Savar laid a book down in front of Thetra. Thetra gasped. It was the same book that they had bought from Ullio’s Bookstore. Then Thetra yelled, “You thief! You were the one! It wasn’t Mr. Sacvren after all! It was you! But I killed you.”

  Savar didn’t give in. He stayed there, looking at Thetra with a frown on his face. “Excuse me?”

  “You know what you did! The Guards of Destville should arrest you for your crimes!” On cue, the guards ran out and grabbed Savar, throwing him to the ground.

  “I did nothing!” protested Savar, and Thetra felt a twinge of abuse.

  “Let him go,” growled Thetra, finally making up his mind. “But if he does do anything I or you don’t like, seize him.”

  Th
e guards nodded, then hurried back to their positions.

  “Sorry,” said Thetra, looking down. “I just got...carried away.”

  “No problem,” said Savar, and once again he surprised Thetra with his clicking voice. “Now for the training...

  “Open up the book and read every spell, but not aloud.”

  “It’s blasted Elvish! I’m no”

  “Just do it.”

  Thetra obeyed his master, and to his surprise, the language was easy to read. It felt a bit unlike English, but he understood it like he had been speaking and writing the language all his life.

  “It’s Ridish. The riders made it long ago during the old Dragon Days in the wars so that they could give speaking signals to each other without the other army knowing.”

  “You were a rider?”

  Savar took a deep breath. “Don’t tell this secret: I still am a dragon rider.”

  Thetra almost threw up right then and there. “You what!” he whispered. “What’s your dragon’s name? Where’s your sword? What color is”

  “Ah. Those questions are to be kept secrets. You will learn about my sword as we go along though, my traineest.”

  And so Thetra did his first order: he read the book from cover to cover. It took him three days, but he did it.

  On the night of the first day of their training, Thetra felt an unusual pain on his nose. He walked over to the mirror but didn’t see anything unusual.

  And then he saw it: his nose was being flattened. He nearly yelped, but held his tongue. Then he closed his eyes and waited for the process to be over.

  When he felt the pain no more, he lowered his hand from his mouth and took a look at himself.

  And this time, he yelped.

  His nose was completely gone, and all the skin around it had turned to baby skin. He was a Dragon Rider.

  Therr came rushing into the room, and when he saw Thetra’s new look, he nearly screamed. Then he asked, “What is wrong with you?”

  “I’m a real Dragon Rider.” He threw his hands to his side, feeling helpless.

  “A dragon rider without a nose, that is. Now, I’ve never seen a real ‘Dragon Rider,’ but I do not think they lose noses. Morchad is hard to imagine without a nose.”