Dragon Fire Read online

  Master Dacanay was the current Head Master. Although the monks trained daily in the martial arts and Master Dacanay was one of the highest-ranked in that aspect, the leader of the group was always chosen for another ability. The monks were the most powerful Seers in the land and beyond, able with the second sight to discern the future to an amazing degree, and the leader had to be the most powerful Seer of them all.

  Not only was he stronger than his peers, Master Dacanay was the strongest Seer the monks had seen in many centuries, perhaps the strongest since the group had been founded by the one they simply called the Oracle. The Oracle had left the Order with a set of prophecies that became the Creed for their whole existence. One of the quatrains in the Prophecies was currently the most important one of them, for it dealt with the time they now lived in and a set of pivotal events that would affect the future of all in the land.

  Master Dacanay had been meditating when he felt a disturbance in the magical energies of the land. He motioned to his apprentice, Kynin, who immediately came to stand before him.

  Kynin Searle was one of the youngest assistants that had ever been trained by the Order. His whole life he had known that he had an important task to perform based on the Prophecies.

  His heart quickening, he bowed to the Master. “Yes, Master.”

  “She awakens. We must begin your training to prepare you for your destiny. Are you ready?”

  “Yes, Master, I am ready.”

  “No, you are not, but we must do what we can. If everything were to be easy, life wouldn’t be the challenge we relish.” He smiled at his apprentice’s discomfort, but he knew his words were true.

  “Go and tell the others. We will have your dedication ceremony tonight and tomorrow your real work will begin.”

  Monk Candidate Searle bowed to his master and left to perform his task. He was filled both with excitement and absolute terror. Both emotions equally applied.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The Journey

  AFTER TRAVELING A couple of hours the wagon stopped at a wayside point on the road. They were all instructed to disembark from the wagon and were provided bedrolls to use during the night. Since she had slept on the wagon, Jailyn was not really ready to sleep again, so after arranging her sleeping area to her satisfaction, she wandered off to the side of the camp.

  Finding a small trail that extended off into the night, Jailyn couldn’t resist following it for a short distance. Since very young she had found she was able to see in the night much better than others. It was a quiet evening and she could feel the rightness of the path. Unsurprisingly, as soon as she got away from the group, she was able to sense her hounds and it was only moments until they joined her.

  “My friends,” she told them, “it appears I’m going on a journey to the wizard’s island, wherever that is. Will you be able to find me when I arrive there?”

  “Oh yes,” said the leader of the pack, whom she had named Big Boy. Hey, she had only been twelve at the time and it just fit him! “Not even the wizards in all their power can keep us away. As you well know, there is no place on this earth that we cannot go to when called by our master. We will find you, don’t fear.”

  Big Boy gave her his idea of a smile. To anyone else, it would have looked terrifying. Jailyn found it quite endearing. “You’ll do well, young Mistress. The wizard island is a good place, as yet mostly undisturbed by evil. There you will be recognized as the master that you will become.”

  He cocked an ear and sniffed the air. “One comes. We will meet you later.” They all vanished into the night.

  Jailyn looked up to see the wizard who had tested her coming into view. She didn’t know whether or not he had seen the hellhounds.

  “There you are, young lady. It’s not really safe for you to be out here alone at night like this.”

  Jailyn used her sixth sight to look around, something she had learned to do many years before and she did it unconsciously by now. Between that and the hounds she knew she was quite safe.

  “It’s safe enough, Master,” she told him. “I suspect the biggest risks I will face for the next few days are manmade and not from the natural or supernatural world.”

  Master Sabine gave her a smile. “You are quite correct on both counts, although it is rare to find such wisdom in one so young.”

  Jailyn smiled back. “I’ve been responsible for keeping young Jesse safe for so long, I fear I have outgrown my childhood.” She gave him an intense look. “What can you tell me about where we are going? Is it indeed a safe place, untainted by the evil we face today?”

  “Mostly so,” was the quiet answer. “There are those that watch us and we will have to find a way to shield you from their view, but they pretty much leave us alone. They don’t think our ways are strong enough to matter compared to what they can do.”

  He returned her gaze with his own quiet intensity. “Up until today, they were right.”

  He let the words sit with her for a moment before he went on. “Let us return to the camp. We have a long ride ahead of us tomorrow and after that an unusual voyage to complete. I think you’ll find it interesting.”

  Master Sabine was not kidding about the next day. The wagon ride was long and everyone grew tired of riding after a couple of hours. But there was nothing to do but to continue to hang on. At least the wizard was riding his own horse, something Jailyn was amazed to watch. She had never even had the opportunity to sit on a horse. The village mare, the only thing the poor horse was ever called, was restricted to the task of pulling the small buggy the elders used, but more importantly the job of pulling the plow in the spring. A few of the more prominent children had been allowed to ride her on the rare occasion she was not otherwise required, although that had only been allowed in the little paddock where the horse was kept. Jailyn and Jesse, of course, had never been given that privilege.

  But as the morning wore on, Jailyn noticed that the view outside the wagon began to change. The hills and valleys began to give way to a more flat land and the river that flowed beside the roadway changed from a rapidly flowing narrow stream into a broad, slowly moving river. Then she began to catch the slight smell of salt in the air. Off to the front and left side, at first only barely visible as a thin blue line, as they came around a bend in the road suddenly there it was, the sea.

  Astonishing! Jailyn had never seen anything like it. As far as her eye could see the deep blue stretched out to the far horizon. As she stared out at the water, she could sense the waves and it was as if they rose and fell in time with her breathing. She could sense the fish swimming below and the other creatures of the deep. Then she spotted a school of dolphins and suddenly they leaped high into the air as if vying for a chance to see her. Jailyn felt a strong connection with them and she felt a warm, happy feeling.

  But the road moved around another bend and she lost sight of the dolphins, instead turning her view to stare ahead as the walls of a city came into view. That had to be Yarmouth, Callidore’s northernmost port city, as they had learned in their studies at the feet of Master Radcliffe. As they passed through the gates, Jailyn knew they were drawing near to their destination, at least for the wagons.

  The next step in the path to her destiny awaited.

  Master Sabine had said a voyage, and as the wagons drew to a stop on the docks Jailyn realized he’d meant onboard one of the ships waiting beside the docks. They all looked huge to her, even the one that stood in front of them, although at least it was slightly smaller than most of the others.

  Master Sabine had ridden on ahead and he stood animatedly talking with the ship’s captain and another wizard. Finally with a shake of his head, he came to stand in front of the students, who had all disembarked by this time.

  “Your ship isn’t quite ready for you to board. It’ll be a few minutes while they stow the remainder of their cargo. While we’re waiting, I’ll explain the rest of our voyage.”

  He indicated the other wizard. “Master Yrbarin will be accompanying us
for the remainder of our journey. He’s an air wizard and we need him to control the winds for our trip, as well as to open the entrance to the wizard island.

  “The island is guarded by a circle of winds that make it impossible for all vessels not in possession of an air wizard to enter. It’s one of a number of magic barriers we have established for your protection. No one and nothing can come to the island without our permission.”

  Although his voice didn’t change with his last sentence, Jailyn sensed just a little less conviction in his statement, as if he was considering the one exception to that. Jailyn once again wondered if he’d seen her hellhounds, for she was certain they could enter the wards protecting the island without problems.

  Master Sabine didn’t give her long to think about it because he continued, “Our journey will take a few hours, so I suggest if you haven’t already done so, you should partake of the light meal you were provided when you exited the wagons. As wizards, you should not have to worry about seasickness.”

  He paused as the ship’s captain caught the Master’s eye with the signal indicating they were ready for them to come aboard. “Good. It looks like they’re about ready, so everyone grab their packs and follow me aboard.

  “I would suggest to those of you that do not have a water affinity you should stay well back from the ship’s railings. Those that do, I expect you’ll be drawn there, so such a request for you would be meaningless. You’ll learn a lot more about your affinities when you begin your training, so don’t worry if you don’t fully understand.

  “When we arrive on the island you’ll all meet our Head Master, who will explain much more about your training and about the island. You’ll also meet your instructors who will work with you day-to-day. I can tell you now that it won’t be easy, but you must be prepared to work hard, for there is much to learn.”

  The students quickly gathered their small packs and hurried to do his bidding. Some of the students looked quite nervous as they climbed the gangplank, but for Jailyn it was exhilarating. She could feel the water beneath them and it called to her. As her thoughts were swept along, she felt the school of dolphins once more. They swam just outside the entrance of the harbor. Jailyn felt their pleasure and joy as they awaited her.

  Master Sabine was right. It was going to be an interesting voyage.

  A few minutes later their ship cast off and eased away from the dock. The voyage began smoothly. The wind was blowing offshore and the tide going out, so the air wizard was not required to aid the movement to exit the harbor. The crew quickly hoisted the sails and then gradually unfurled them to allow the ship to slowly increase its speed. Jailyn had not moved from her spot by the railings, although for some reason she had felt drawn to the bow so that she had water on three sides of her. No one opposed her, so that was where she took her station.

  Master Yrbarin came to stand near her, using his abilities to scout the winds ahead. Jailyn didn’t know how to explain it, but she felt his efforts as he reached into the clouds in her view, gently grasping the winds before letting them go. Then they reached the mouth of the harbor and she forgot all about him, reaching out to mentally touch the dolphins as they approached. She gave a happy little squeal as the dolphins began jumping across the bow right in front of her. She could almost reach out to touch them, they were so close.

  “Joy to you, mistress,” the dolphins whispered in her head, their happy exuberance contagious as she felt their gentle caress. Jailyn could feel their thrill at the freedom of the sea, their joy at the beautiful day, and their welcome to her. She was awestruck by those feelings.

  Beside her Master Yrbarin had watched her strong but untrained observation of his work, the mental projection of oneself that was needed to reach out into the clouds obvious to one of his skill level. Air and water affinities for sure, he thought to himself. Then he was as amazed as she was when the dolphins leaped across the bow in front of them, and he could feel if not comprehend their communications with her. Air, water, and animae. And I bet that’s not all. Master Sabine was right. I believe we’ve found our future champion.

  As they cleared the harbor, the winds began to grow more contrary, so Master Yrbarin busied himself with his task, forgetting about the young lady. He deftly diverted the winds nearby to the ship to turn their direction to the desired one to move them. If necessary, for a short time he could manufacture a strong wind to move the ship, but it was much easier to manipulate what was already there. By this time the sailors had the sails completely unfurled, so the ship moved swiftly along.

  Beside him Jailyn was continually distracted, her thoughts drawn alternately to the depths below, the air above as Master Yrbarin manipulated the actions of the wind, and the dolphins as they now had abandoned their jumps across the bow to swim beside the ship. She was so preoccupied that she didn’t see him as Master Sabine came up to stand beside her, although she couldn’t help but feel him as he drew near.

  Earth wizard, she realized suddenly. I wonder if he finds it stressful to be so far from his home affiliation. Mentally she reached out to “feel” his psyche and there it was. Deeply hidden, but he longed to finish their journey so he could touch his element again. That’s sad, she thought and she mentally reached out to comfort him.

  Beside her, Master Sabine found himself gradually relaxing. As usual, he had grown restless as soon as he had boarded the ship, the water cutting him off from his friend, the earth. Trained to avoid manipulation by spirit wizards, Jailyn’s touch was so gentle he almost didn’t recognize it, but as his awareness grew he realized she’d been doing it for some time.

  I’m glad she’s on our side, he thought, carefully keeping his thoughts deeply within. Oh, what havoc she could wreak if she decided to be naughty.

  All this time, none of them had spoken, but Jailyn suddenly broke the silence. “The beast that swims below, is he friend or foe? He barely will speak to me, although I don’t feel any animosity there.”

  She pointed to the deck below them, drawing his attention to the waters below and even as an earth wizard, Master Sabine could feel the huge whale beneath them. He shook his head. “I think he’s just curious. All of your friends probably attracted his attention.” He waved his hand toward the dolphins, who still swam beside them.

  Even as they watched, the whale moved off, gradually resuming his feeding from the nutrient-rich waters. “Yeah, he’s already grown bored. He says I talk too much,” Jailyn told him. “But I can’t help it. This is all so very exciting and new to me. It’s as if I’ve awakened for the first time in my life, ever since I touched that magic ball of yours.”

  “In a sense, that’s true,” the Master told her. “It was all there, just below the surface, except for your animae, which you’ve already been exercising considerably.” He looked at her intently. “How long?” he asked softly, “How long have you controlled the hellhounds?”

  “Ah, I had hoped you didn’t see them. Six years, but they are my friends. I have promised to only use them for good and I intend to keep that promise,” Jailyn told him quietly, her own gaze just as intense as his.

  Beside her, the Master just nodded. “Among other things, the test you took shows your intentions. If you had been harboring evil thoughts, the colors on the ball would have been much darker. Your touch was quite refreshing to feel.”

  “I’ve already seen enough bad in the world, I only wish to do my part to help others,” she told him with a smile.

  Her gaze drew darker. “Although, if I ever find the one who killed my parents, I’ll make sure he suffers the fate he deserves.”

  With considerable effort, Master Sabine managed to keep silent. Her desire for revenge burned so brightly for that moment, he wanted nothing more than to help her. Beside them, Master Yrbarin barely kept his grasp on the winds. Only his years of training allowed him to keep his concentration.

  What Jailyn didn’t know was that both men knew exactly who had killed her parents, but they dared not say, lest she attempt to leave
her training to search for that revenge. No, she wasn’t ready yet, but both knew the day would come where she would have to confront that one. For everyone’s sake, they hoped she would be ready.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The Wizard’s Island

  THE WIZARD’S ISLAND was isolated from the rest of the world by magic. The only way one could enter was by permission and that was only if they could get past the winds that constantly circled the island. Almost as strong as a hurricane, the winds were so strong no ship could pass without an air wizard to create a path. It was frightening to the students to watch as they approached the dark, violent storm that surrounded the island, especially the ones with enough air affiliation to feel the force of the wind in front of them.

  Jailyn watched in amazement as Master Yrbarin, in the most difficult work he’d done so far, forced a path into those winds directly in front of them so that the ship was surrounded by a bubble. She could feel the force of the wind as it swirled around them, a storm within the storm. Unable to resist, she reached up and smoothed out the tendrils of that swirl that fed the sails so the movement of the ship settled. If Master Yrbarin had been able to spare any of his attention from his task, he would have watched her fine touch in wonder. He was enough aware to sense how fine a control she already had without having taken a single class.

  Finally, they cleared the winds to come out in an area of clear skies. There they gazed upon the reef that surrounded the island. The waves, agitated as they were by the winds, dashed violently against the reef. No admittance here they said, but the Captain of their ship knew there was a single path through and he steered their ship toward that opening.

  Of course, it was not that easy. A huge chain stretched across the otherwise open channel. Two trolls stood station in the tiny gatehouse that controlled the chain. Huge beasts, they possessed just the intelligence of a child but the wizards controlled this pair and the few others who spelled them from time to time.