The Elder's Curse by Andrew Walbrown (superbooks4u .txt) 📗

return. Zhalmi will see to her while you are gone, she has treated our wounds for decades.”

Poor Wen, Amantius thought, she is going to wake up alone in a lair full of dragons and have no idea what happened. She’s going to be scared out of her damn mind. He grinned. I kind of want to see her reaction, now that I think about it.

Kona said a few more words to Zhalmi and then walked to the edge of the lair, standing beside Amantius. In his peripheral vision he saw Ulam staring at the Kalikki, a scowl on his face. Though that was his foster-brother’s usual expression, he could tell by Ulam’s posture that he was genuinely upset. Whether it was his paranoia or Nilawen’s state that distressed Ulam the most Amantius could not tell, he just hoped his foster-brother would not openly denounce Kona of anything until they gathered all the information they needed. This is quite the role reversal, usually I’m the one who is quick to accuse people of things.

“Are you ready?” Ushokku said as she approached.

Not really. Amantius cringed, knowing the eldest sister was the one who had so carelessly slung him and Kona the last time.

“Sure.”

Ushokku jumped high in the air, spreading her magnificent wings wide, beating them to keep altitude. With each repetition Amantius felt like he was going to fall, the wind causing his knees to buckle. But before he could tumble backward he felt the dragoness’ polished, adamantine talons clamp around his body, and soon he was lifted high into the air, his stomach-churning. He felt like a fish plucked from the ocean by a hungry tern, the fear of being so far up and so powerless paralyzing him. But as he relaxed in the dragon’s grip and focused on the sights below, the experience turned exhilarating. He saw snowcapped mountains in the distance, tall and majestic, as well as a sea of wildflowers washing over the plains below. On the mountainside were herds of mountain goats, while close by fearless falcons patrolled the skies for unsuspecting prey. Though afraid initially, Amantius never wanted this ride to end. He wanted to see the whole world this way, to fly with the wind at his back while he explored cities and ancient ruins. He knew that was not going to happen, though, because to convince a dragon to carry him to the ends of the world would be virtually impossible. But this rare experience gave birth to a different idea, one which he would share with Ulam when they had landed and were alone.

Then suddenly they were diving, heading directly towards a small meadow beside a lake surrounded by tall trees. Amantius laughed as his heart rate accelerated, the rush of excitement as they plunged almost too much for him to contain. It was unlike anything he had experienced before, the prospect of death pumping fresh energy through his whole body. But this was not like the other times in his life when he came close to dying, because this time his mind knew he would survive, even if all his instincts believed otherwise.

As Ushokku neared the clearing she began to beat her wings again to slow their descent, causing the swaying grass in the field to lay flat while nearby birds flew away in panic. Unlike the previous night, the dragoness gently lowered her passengers, releasing them a few feet from the ground. She then landed and waited for her sister, who swooped in seconds later with Ulam in her grasp.

“Kuruk’s Tower is there,” Ushokku said as everyone gathered themselves after the flight. “It is in the center of the lake, but thankfully the bridge Kuruk built still stands. Otherwise, you would have to swim to his tower. We will wait here for your return…if you return.”

If we return? Amantius thought as he watched the dragons wander away. I definitely don’t like the sound of that.

In front of the group was an old stone bridge worn from centuries of neglect, the water underneath so clear that Amantius could see vibrant minnows lounging near the bottom. On each side of the lake tan and white cattails stood tall, swaying in unison with every gentle wisp of wind. Amantius was enjoying the idyllic scenery when one particularly strong breeze parted some of the reeds, revealing something hidden deep within the clusters. As he investigated he saw pillars of black marble inscribed with words from a language unlike any he had ever seen. The letters glowed bright red in the rock, as though lava would spill from them if they were cracked open. Dozens of these mysterious monuments surrounded the lake, each burning with fiery engravings.

“Have you ever seen anything like this?” Amantius asked Ulam as his foster-brother appeared. “Or read anything about it?”

Ulam shook his head, looking just as fascinated by the discovery. “It must be the barrier the Matriarch spoke of, like an invisible fence to keep dragons out. And no, I have never read anything about this before.”

“We can pass through, right?” Amantius asked, though he did not expect Ulam to know the answer. He just wanted to hear encouragement.

“The dragons say they have seen other animals come and go,” Ulam shrugged. “But I guess there is only one way to truly know the answer.”

Amantius closed his eyes as Ulam stepped towards the pillar, right where they thought the tower’s protective shell would be. He could not watch, afraid of witnessing the consequences of crossing a barrier born from dark magic. With his eyes locked tight, he did not see Ulam punch a huge green arm through the air, but he did hear his foster-brother’s all too familiar grunt afterward.

“Nothing,” Ulam muttered as he stepped forward, his whole body now past the black marble markers on the ground.

Thank the Gods, Amantius thought as he reopened his eyes, and Eemoneem too, for good measure.

“What are you two doing?”

Amantius and Ulam looked at Kona, who was standing halfway across the bridge. At that moment