The Dragons Savior

Chapter 15~The First Mage

Chapter fifthteen~ The First Mage

'We can pay you!'

'No laddy. I will not be paid to bring you to your death.'

'We won't die,' I protested in my last effort.

'I will not be bringing three young men, such as yourselves, to the Dragon Caves so that you can impress your girlfriends. I assume that you will try to kill the dragon fabled to be there. Yes? You Acuses boys are all the same.' He spat.

My eyebrows raised and replied. 'We do not hail from Acuses, we come from Athiosus to save the dragon in that cave. I suggest you bring us there or I believe bad luck will follow you for the next three years. We have a witch in our company, she can make that possible. Don't push your luck, sailor, I amn't a generous person.'

'You dare threaten me!' he lept from his stool and rounded on me.

I stood my ground. 'Yes!'

'You don't know what your meddeling with!'

'Yes, I do. I suggest you bring us or that curse will settle,' his eyes narrowed in suspition. 'Like a cloud.'

He laughed and spat 'You have no powers. Do you, laddy?'

'I mightn't, but she does.' I pointed at Elizabeth. 

'Show me.'

Elizabeth stepped forward. She took a deep breath.

In a fluid motion, she raised her hands, then her arms up.

The waves stopped crashing against the side of the boat, instead they  lifted into the air.

Elizabeth splayed her hands out and brought her hands down.

The water turned to ice.

The Fisherman gasped. Then narrowed his eyes at me. 'Fine! I'll take you!'

 

...

 

 Davids' face was a pale shade of green. Every moment or so he would throw himself to the edge of the boat to throw up. Shadow joined him in the action about half way through the voyage. Well, that makes it sound as if it were a long journey. In fact it only took a eight of the sky thanks to Elizabeth who used the water to push the boat faster.

The Fisher mans name turned out to be Duncun Port who was born in Terra Onas but moved to Acuses at the age of fifteen with his late wife, he was an exceptionally nice man by the age of fifty. He worked for a reasonably well-known tavern in the center of Acuses , The Kings Head, providing them with fish and salt (a substance found in the sea that preserved food in storage). It happened that Mr Duncun Port was a very nice man when he wasn't being an old stubburn cunt.

It was well into a light less night when we finally came to the cave entrance.

'We camp here tonight,' said Elizabeth.

'Agreed,' I said.

The Fisherman was well gone.

The moment we had all gotten out of the boat he made a gesture with his hand and rowed the Tethers out of here.

Elizabeth collapsed onto the cold jagged rocks that lay at the mouth of the cave.

Passed the rocks was a gate. On further inspection it seemed to be locked but I decided to worry about it at daybreak.

I found myself a small alcove among the rocks that was close to the water and opened my bag and begun to eat a small hare that my brothers had caught.

Each of us had enough food to last us a week in our bags, none of us knew how long we would be in the Caves. I was the only one of us that didn't have a strip of Serpent meat, which meant I had the scales instead.

I settled down with my head against my bag and hoped, against hope, that we would all live through this whole ordeal.

***

 I awoke to freezing water hit my face.

'AHHHH!!' 

I was on my feet in a matter of seconds. 

I grabbed my bag before the water hit it.

I was mostly dry. Save for the my hair and face.

Sighing, I looked around and got my bearings.

Everyone had been awoken by my outburst but no one seemed to be bothered if I was alive and in one piece. Not that it mattered. We had bigger fish to fry today.

The cavern was larger then it seemed last Moon. There was a gate at the end of the cavern. I peered past the metal barring but I could not perceive anything.

Darkness. Complete Darkness.

A darkness that will not wane...

I do suppose that makes sense, I thought.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the gate but it was stuck fast. 

I heard a rustle to my left.

To the best of my knowledge everyone was behind me, all about to be victims to the rising tide.

I turned slowly.

There stood a man. An ancient man. Wrinkles lined his weather beaten face. He was a good head shorter then I and had a walking stick.

'I have waited a long time for you Dragon Rider. Simmender awaits you in the caverns ahead. I am the First Mage. I shall give you a riddle to answer. If you answer correctly, You and your brother will venture further to my brother, the Second Mage. He will test you physically. If you answer incorrectly, your company will suffer. I will give you time to awaken your brother and when you are ready, I will come again.'

The Mage disappeared with the sound of rustling robes.

Abiding the old mans words, I awoke my brother. But not the rest. Better they didn't know they were in potential danger.