The Final Redemption by Michael Manning (novels in english .TXT) 📗

He turned his scaly head away. “Go.Feed. Just remember the consequences of your choices.” His bodylanguage made it clear that our conversation was over.

I shook my head and beganmaking my way toward the house. I neverintended to harm any children, but his sudden protectiveness isinteresting, I thought to myself. Reachinginto one of my pouches, I brought out the diamond cubes.Might as well test these now, on somethingsmall.

It took me several minutes to set themup, moving from position to position around the building, but onceI had everything in place, it worked flawlessly. The amount ofpower required to activate the cubes was fairly large, even for anarea as small as that occupied by the small cottage, but I was ableto reclaim the power once I was finished with theenchantment.

As planned, it rendered everyonewithin helpless, while I was still able to move freely. I drewheavily on the man, but not quite as much as I had done withMyrtle. Hopefully his family would be able to cope without him fora few days while he recovered his strength. Stopping was difficult,but since I began with a clear plan and the conviction that Iwouldn’t kill, it was easier than the last time.

When I had finished, Ideactivated the cubes and carefully packed them away again. Usingthe dimensions of the cubic volume I had tested it on, along with arough estimate of the amount of aythar I had used to activate theenchantment, I was able to do some crude mental mathematics,comparing the reality to my previous calculations.It’s going to take something close to a fullCelior to use them at the fullest area I designed them tocover, I concluded. A Celior was what Ihad named my unit of measurement for aythar. It represented theamount of aythar I had started with when the God-Stone had firstbeen created. It was also close to the same amount of aythar I haddrawn from the Iron Heart Chamber.

My thoughts were interrupted when Ireached the clearing where I had left the dragon.

“What the hell was that!?” he asked ina tone that almost reeked of panic, if a dragon’s voice werecapable of conveying such an emotion.

I lifted one eyebrow and gave him mymost nonchalant expression, “Just a little test—something I createda few years ago.” I realized too late that he wouldn’t be able tosee my face inside the helm I had on.

“For what purpose?” He seemedthoroughly unsettled. “Surely that wasn’t what it appeared to be?”He stopped short of naming the enchantment.

I decided it couldn’t hurt to behonest for a change. “I originally created it with the intention ofusing it to capture one of the Shining Gods if one came calling,but I abandoned the idea later as impractical.”

“Impractical? It shouldn’t even bepossible! It’s insane…,” he spluttered.

It was amusing to see one of the mostpowerful creatures in Lothion, not to mention the only dragon inthe world, get so flustered. I didn’t make much of an effort tohide my humor. “Yes, impractical. The problem was that it wouldtake the power of a god to fully activate it. I also worried thatif anything went wrong the feedback might free Celior as well aswhichever one of his siblings I was keeping under lock andkey.”

“You’re a fool Mordecai Illeniel! Didyou not stop to consider the other consequences?” the dragon roaredat me. He had finally lost his calm.

“Which ones?”

His eyes seemed to glow. “When MoiraCentyr defeated Balinthor, the energy released destroyed Garulon,creating an inland sea! What would happen if such a thing were tooccur again? What if it involved the power of two gods? Yourfoolishness could destroy the world!” The area the dragon wasreferring to was indeed now appropriately named the ‘Gulf ofGarulon’. It was a fact I was already well acquaintedwith.

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Iretorted dryly, thinking of my first transformation into an earthengiant, “but that is precisely why I never used it.”

“That’s hardly comforting.”

“I’m dead,” I told him. “I’m not wellsuited to comforting people anymore.” Having just fed, my emotionswere more sensitive than before, and the words brought a painfulsting. After a brief pause I added, “Still think I needfriends?”

“After what I just witnessed, I thinkyou need to be murdered in your sleep, if such a thing is possible.The world will never be safe so long as you are in it,” heannounced.

The seriousness of his words struck ahumorous chord within me, bringing a laugh to my lips. It was adirect contrast to the darkness that lay over me. “I couldn’t agreewith you more, Gareth, and as soon as I’ve removed Mal’goroth andrestored Lyralliantha, I would consider it an honor if you wouldfind a way to release me.”

I had already climbed into mycustomary riding position, and the rushing wind as we took offalmost kept me from hearing his next words, spoken as softly asthey were.

“You need friends now more thanever.”

Chapter 11

My return to Albamarl wasgreeted with a noticeable lack of fanfare. Likely because no oneknew I had returned. They’d probably have done their best toprovide a huge reception if they’d known. A very warm reception indeed, I toldmyself silently. Perhaps I’m becomingcynical. I don’t think this ‘living death’ thing really suitsme.

I still wore the armor to help shieldme from magesight. An illusion gave me the appearance of amiddle-aged farmer, but anyone that brushed up against me wouldquickly realize something was wrong. Without the armor, I’d havebeen visible to any wizard within miles, a blazing beacon ofaythar.

As it stood, I would most definitelyattract Walter’s attention if I came within range of his normalmagesight, or within range of his children, but at least I didn’tglow like the sun. I wasn’t particularly concerned about beingcaptured, not anymore, but a confrontation might lead to injuringone of my former friends.

I really should have runaway with the circus, I observed,this wizarding thing hasn’t worked out well forme.

I had left the dragon several milesfrom the city before venturing in on foot. He seemed glad enough tobe quit of me for a while. Not that I could blame him. Witnessingmy latest magical innovation had apparently made him veryuncomfortable. Before we