Author Games Magi: Eriswen Faervel

Prequel #3

Mordzar watched me and Ionean for a moment, studying us. I returned the favor, taking him in and analyzing him and trying to decide if he was actually a threat.

His brilliant blue eyes shone brightly in the darkness as he watched me and a lock of black hair fell into his face. He brushed it aside and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "So, uh..."

"Right, sorry... I'm Eriswen," I told him. Ionean projected a thought at me and I could hear his annoyance.

"Why are you being so cold? You don't even know the guy. At least give him a chance," he scolded.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "This coming from a dragon. You're solitary and mistrustful by nature," I pointed out.

"I'm not that mistrustful," Ionean protested.

"Which is a miracle, considering the fact that I was the one who raised you."

Mordzar interrupted us, tapping my shoulder. I jumped, slapping his hand away and instinctively muttering the words to form a shield between us.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I just..." he stopped and tried again. "You phased out. Did you even hear my question?"

"It's fine," I reassured him, letting my shield dissolve. I swayed a little as exhaustion crashed over me again. I needed a good twelve hours of sleep at least before I would be ready to do anything with my magic.

Mordzar watched me cautiously. "Are you okay? You look like you're about to collapse."

"I'm fine," I snapped. Oops. The exhaustion must be getting to me... I don't normally come off so strongly. "Sorry. I'm just tired and I need to get back to my village." I pointed in the general direction and moved towards Ionean.

Mordzar stopped me. "Wait..."

I turned back to him, annoyed that he wasn't going to let me leave in peace. "What?"

"I'm looking for the ice dragon... and your with a dragon, so I thought that maybe you'd seen it."

"How long have you been looking?" I asked him. "And why do you want to find it?"

"I've been looking for at least a year now... but I've also spent a lot of time running from Vaxon's men. And I guess I want to find the ice dragon because I've always admired him. It's amazing, the things that he can do, and I wanted to see it for myself."

"If you've been looking for a year without any luck, then I'm sorry, but I can't help you. It obviously doesn't want to be found, and I'm not going to overlook that decision. If it wants to be left alone then I'm not going to bother it. You shouldn't either. Good luck to you, and goodbye." I turned to leave again, but Mordzar caught up to me, grabbing my shoulder and spinning me around.

"So you know the ice dragon?" he asked.

"Leave me alone, Mordzar. I can't help you."

"Please, Eriswen, I just want to look at it. Can't you at least give me a hint as to where it might be?"

"You don't seem the type to beg, Mordzar, so don't start on me. I'm not taking you to see him," I snapped.

"You're right, I don't beg. I don't beg, but I don't give up either." Mordzar's voice hardened and he stared me in the eyes, his hand still on my shoulder. "But you don't seem like the kind of girl who would refuse to help a fellow magi either. I'm not trying to invade its privacy, I just want to see it."

I pulled away from him and shook my head. "You need to work on your analyzing skills, Mordzar, because you're wrong about me. I can't help you, and I'm not going to."

"What is it with you? Is it really that important to you that your precious ice dragon not be seen by me?"

I whirled, my face reddening with anger. "Why do you want to see it so much, Mordzar? Why is it so important to you that you be able to see the ice dragon?"

"I just want to..." I cut him off.

"Spare me your lies and leave me alone, alright? Just go away and don't come back." I turned and left. Ionean joined me, looking back at Mordzar one last time. I glanced back too.

Mordzar was standing in clearing, watching me angrily. His eyes flashed when I met them and I saw something inside of him that I'd never have pinned to him. Beneath the layers of masks that he hid behind, I could tell that something was bothering him, and it probably had something to do with the ice dragon he wanted to find so badly. I looked away, mixed feelings roiling around inside of me.

Mathas would never have left a fellow magi like that, still struggling with their inner feelings with no hope of finding the one thing they sought. I couldn't do that now. Mathas might be gone, but I had to honor his memory, which meant that I had to help Mordzar, even if it was against my better judgment. Ionean pushed his head into my chest and I stumbled back towards the clearing.

I backpedaled, fear clawing its way into me. The memory of watching Vaxon ride through Odera and slaughter everyone jumped into my mind, along with the memory of me saving his life. I couldn't save someone else and watch that kind of thing again. I knew, deep down, that Mordzar wouldn't end up like that, but the irrational fear had destroyed my rational thinking and I was too exhausted from overextending myself to fight it back again.

"Help him, Eris. You can't leave him alone to continue searching for the ice dragon. Especially since if he ever does find the dragon, he'll probably end up getting hurt or killed. You know you can't let that happen."

"He's a big boy, he can take care of himself," I protested. But I knew Ionean was right. Mordzar was probably an advanced magi, and he looked like he could take care of himself, but he was still no match for the ice dragon if it decided to attack him. At least if he died, he wouldn't be able to become another Vaxon. My mind whispered.

"It isn't a bad thing to help someone once in a while," he said.

"Would you have said that about Vaxon when I was saving his life, knowing now how many lives that decision destroyed?"

"This is different, Eris, and you know it. You can't let one event destroy your entire life."

"Is it all that different, Ionean? How do I know that Mordzar isn't going to end up like Vaxon. I don't want to help someone else and end up allowing another slaughter to happen. I don't help people anymore. I can't." I threaded my fingers through my hair, twisting a strand around and watching it curl up and then straighten out again.

"Because you're scared they'll end up like Vaxon did and it will be your fault?" Ionean asked gently. "Not everyone you help will become a heartless killer, Eriswen. You have to trust yourself to make the right decisions. Even if they turn out wrong in the end, at least you didn't lose yourself because you were too afraid to act."

"I'm not... I can't watch another person that I tried to help become a killer before my eyes, Ionean. It tore me to pieces the first time. If I... I couldn't go through that again. It would break me into so many pieces that I wouldn't be able to fix myself again. I barely got through it in one piece the first time."

"Mordzar isn't like that. He's one of your kind, Eris, and he's just asking you to help him find the ice dragon."

I looked back to the clearing and stared at the trail Mordzar had trampled when he'd left. "How can you be positive?" I asked finally.

"I'm not. But someone has to help him, or he'll keep going on like he is now, with that hidden pain inside of him festering until he can't bear it anymore. All you have to do it take him to the ice dragon and you never have to look at him again."

I bit my lip, indecision swirling through me and mixing with my fears. Finally, I dashed into the forest, running to catch up with Mordzar. I grabbed his shoulder from behind and he turned to me, his face illuminated by the light of the rising sun.

"Alright, I'll help you," I said.