Dragon Emperor 9, page 24
part #9 of Dragon Emperor Series
I tested the handle, and it twisted easily. Then I motioned to the others to follow me inside. I pushed the door open and saw the wall of switches to my left. There were at least four dozen handles to control the routes of the pipes that directed the water flow into the city. They spanned from floor to ceiling, and a small ladder leaned against the wall next to them, probably to access the higher switches. Then I slid my gaze to the right, and there stood a mage at the wellhead.
The mage’s hood was draped low over his face, and he murmured under his breath as tendrils of deep black magic left his fingers and creeped toward the water. It couldn’t break the surface, though, and the coils floated around as they searched for a way in. The magical smoke looked like a sea of wispy snakes as they poked at the surface to find a weakness, but it seemed the Seelie fairy’s protection magic was at least making it harder for the mage’s spell to get into the water.
As I took another step into the room, the mage looked up and hissed in surprise, but I conjured a fiery bow and arrow and shot at the traitor.
The arrow flew across the room in a perfect arc and then crashed into some kind of invisible barrier around the mage.
The fuck?
Laika growled and launched a dagger at him, but it clattered to the ground a few feet away from him as well.
“He has his own protection spell,” Alyona muttered as she crowded close behind my shoulder. “Each kind has its own weakness, but it will take some time to figure out what it is.”
“We don’t have time,” I growled as I tried to figure out what to try next. Stones? Another earthquake? I doubted I could petrify him through the protection spell, so we had to think quickly.
Before we could try another tactic, though, the mage cast the spell to create nue clouds. The dark clouds funneled toward us with a fury, and he followed them with letums, the acid-filled bubbles we’d seen in Tikal. The green orbs floated toward us, and I growled when I realized the only stones I could pop them with were currently holding up the walls of the building.
As Alyona conjured the rain that would dissolve the clouds, Ravi held up her fire shield to protect the princess. Then I opened my maw and released a column of flames to destroy the letums, and they popped and sizzled as my fire demolished them. In the next moment, the princess’ magical water dumped onto the clouds, and they melted down and disappeared like cotton candy in a pool.
The mage seemed to realize we weren’t going to let him go without a fight, and he made a run for the window next to the wellhead. Then the dryads plunged their hands into the dirt floor, and suddenly, a wall of vines sprouted from the ground in front of the window and blocked his exit. He whipped around with his back to the vines, and then he held his hands out as green flames erupted from his palms.
That was new.
The magic looked like two small flamethrowers, and the fire tore along the floor straight for us. The flames melted through the soil as it rushed our way, and the temperature in the room soared.
“A flint spell!” Alyona cried out.
“More nexus shit?” I grumbled.
“Yes,” she confirmed as she eyed the flames rolling toward us. “I’m not sure how to stop them. I haven’t learned that spell yet.”
“I have an idea,” I replied before I spewed a line of fire ahead of the attack, and the green flames diverted along the line I’d made.
Then I changed my tactic and released more flames to create a circle around the green fire. Once the toxic flames were trapped inside my little ring of fire, I looked up in time to hear Nike shout.
“He’s getting away!” the noble yelled as we all tried to get around the flames that now took up half the room.
The mage scowled as he dove into the trough connected to the well and was swept away by the downhill flow that led out of the building.
“Get back outside!” I ordered, and we all turned to sprint back out of the building and around to the side where the pipe exited the structure.
As we tore around the corner of the building, I looked up to check the pipe that had provided the mage with his escape. The stone trough poked out of the side of the building and descended about two feet before it entered the side of the next building over, and the water rushed above us as we searched for the traitor.
“Where did he go?” Ravi called out as she whipped her head back and forth.
“He had to come out up there,” I said as I pointed to the trough above us that was joined to the switch building.
“I don’t see him anywhere,” Polina pouted.
“Me, either,” Trina muttered as she squinted and looked around the building.
“I wanted a shot at him,” Marina added with a frown.
“He could have kept going into the next building,” Ravi pointed out.
“I think I know just the people to help us track him down,” I reassured them with a grin and turned to my lioness and the noble. “Who wants to go on a hunt?”
“You know me so well,” Aaliyah purred as she bared her canines.
“I’m in,” Nike agreed with a nod.
Well, let the hunt begin.
Chapter 15
Aaliyah clambered up the side of the building to the half-pipe’s exit and inhaled deeply. Then the lioness closed her eyes, and a low growl rumbled in her chest.
“The water won’t hold his scent well,” she said as she hopped back down next to us. “But if I know his scent, I at least can figure out where he got off the pipe.”
“Okay, you and Nike lead the way,” I instructed.
Nike and Aaliyah walked ahead of us and inspected the ground every few steps to look for footprints of the mage on the lamb. They stooped and examined deviations in the soil and markings on the stone, and they murmured to each other as they discussed the mage’s next moves.
As we got closer to the main building, Aaliyah’s golden ears perked up, and she jerked her head to the left to face the handful of houses on the other side of the road. Most of them looked to be in decent shape, not ragged like the low-class neighborhood or fancy like the banner family homes. I looked around for anyone who lived there, but the street was bare, and only a few windows faced this side of the road. It seemed we were on the rear end of the neighborhood. Then I remembered what Aggie had said about the water-based Demi-Humans, and I assumed this neighborhood was theirs, since they must like being closer to the main source of water.
“Did you hear that?” the lioness asked as she cocked her head to the side and listened again.
I listened intently, but all I could hear was the water rushing next to us. Just when I started to shake my head no, though, I heard the sound of a splash of water and a muffled voice.
“Wait here,” I said to Aaliyah. “Keep watching for the mage.”
The lioness nodded, and then I strode toward the house where the noise had come from with Nike and Alyona hot on my heels. I peeked in through the open window, and my mouth nearly fell to the ground.
The house was filled with water almost to the ledge of the window.
There was no furniture except for a table just taller than the water with a steaming mug sitting on top, and anyone sitting at the table would have a perfect view of the buildings across the road. Inside, something swam around the shallow water and then timidly approached the opening to the outside world.
A small, brown head emerged from the surface, and I nearly choked when a platypus Demi-Human popped up in front of me. Unlike the other Demi-Humans I’d encountered, this one had more animal features than human ones. His bill stuck out a few inches from the rest of his face, which was covered in dark brown fur. He wore a silky, gray tunic, and he twisted the material before he raised his gaze to meet mine. As he stood up, I saw he was furry as far down as I could see, and his webbed hands were clasped together when he looked up at me with a sense of anxiety.
“Oh!” Alyona gasped beside me and covered her mouth.
“Ah, are you, um, Lord Evan?” the Demi-Human nearly whispered as he wrung his hands. “I was just eating breakfast.”
“Yes, and you are?” I raised a brow.
“My name is Morris,” he replied, and his eyes darted from side to side.
“Okay, Morris, are you alright?” I asked and reached out a hand to his shoulder.
“Ahh!” Morris wailed as he wrenched his body away from me. “Uh, sorry, my lord. I, ah, don’t talk to many people. Just Mateo when he brings my rations. He told me you were here and fixing things up, but I’ve, uh, never seen a real dragon before.”
“It’s fine,” I assured him and raised my hands to show I meant him no harm. “I tend to make people nervous everywhere I go. They either listen to me, or I light them on fire. What can I do for you?”
“Oh, ah, maybe it was nothing,” Morris replied as he started to slink back into the water.
“I’m not going to light you on fire, Morris,” I sighed. “I just need to know how to catch the guy we’re chasing.”
“I saw a man running,” the platypus said as he pointed across the road. “I heard him in the water first. That sound travels for us aquatic people, you know. That’s why I could hear it from so far away.”
“Okay, okay, move on,” I ordered the platypus, who dropped even further into the water. “I’m not angry with you, I just need answers.”
“Well… ” Morris trailed off and looked at me for a moment. “You’re really not angry with me?”
“I’m not yet,” I grumbled.
“Okay, so I heard the water first,” the platypus explained, “and I came to see what was going on, but then he jumped out there.”
“Did you see which way he went?” Nike asked.
“He went to the back of that building,” Morris replied and gestured to the main office, but then he gasped, and his beady eyes went wide. “Oh, Dala, I hope she’s alright. Is that man a criminal? I’ve never seen him before.”
“We’ll go check on her,” I promised. “He’s a traitor to the crown, and you won’t see him again. I’ll make sure of that.”
“Oh, my!” Morris covered his bill with his webbed hands, and if it wasn’t for our current situation, the image would have been comical.
For now, we had to focus on finding that mage and anyone else who was hiding out in Colaruma.
“Don’t worry,” Alyona said with an easy smile. “We’ll take care of it. You just stay inside, okay?”
“I can’t go anywhere anyway, milady,” the Demi-Human replied and lifted a club foot up into the air. “I can use it to swim, but it isn’t great for walking. That’s why Mateo helps me so much.”
“I see,” I said, and a thought struck me. “I can try to heal it for you. I’ve never tried it on an old injury or a birth defect, but I’ll try if you want.”
“You can heal?” Morris’ brown eyes widened. “I would very much like you to try, Lord Evan.”
“Okay, let me go handle this guy,” I told him. “Then I’ll come back and see what I can do. Sound good?”
“Of course, my lord,” Morris replied with a small smile. “I won’t be going anywhere.”
“I’ll see you soon,” I promised before I turned back to Nike and Alyona. “Now, let’s go catch that Green Glass bastard.”
The princess nodded, and I pointed to the main office building as we approached Aaliyah and the others, who had waited on the road. The lioness paced back and forth, and her tail swished behind her impatiently.
“That guy said the mage hopped out of the pipe here and ran behind the office,” I explained. “Ravi and Laika, you go check on Dala. The rest of us will check behind the building and see if he’s still back there.”
Everyone nodded, and the phoenix and wolf-warrior headed into the building while we walked behind it.
“He was definitely here,” Aaliyah growled as she sniffed the air. “Maybe five or ten minutes ago.”
“Yes,” Nike agreed and inspected a stone on the side of the building. “He is either tired or injured. He laid his hand here for a moment before he moved on. He left a handprint on the stone, and there are water droplets in the mud. He probably didn’t think about how the water would leave a trail for us.”
“Good, let’s hope he continues to be a dumbass,” I muttered. “Which way did he go?”
“The footprints appear to go east,” Nike replied with a frown as he squatted next to the tracks. “But why would he go back the way he came from? Surely, he knew he’d run back into us.”
“A spell,” Polina suggested as she bounced up and down on her toes.
“Yes, I bet it’s a diversion spell,” Trina pointed out.
“Oooh, yes, we’ve seen it a few times on missions,” Marina explained with a vigorous nod.
“So, we can’t completely trust the footprints,” Aaliyah determined. “Plus, the scent is carrying from the east. We should go that way. It makes more sense.”
“Got it,” I said with a nod. “Polina, Trina, and Marina, go up front and tell Laika and Ravi to walk on the other side of the buildings headed east. We’ll keep tracking from the back side. We don’t want to risk him getting away again.”
Although this time, I’d be more prepared to use my water magic if he tried again. A few pokes with the magic, and the mage would end up regretting his escape plan.
The dryads nodded and jogged around the building to catch up with the others, and Aaliyah and Nike continued to follow the scattered trail the mage had left behind. Alyona and I followed them to the end of the building and waited for the others to appear on the front side. A minute later, Laika came around the corner and peeked over at us. She gave a thumbs up, and we all continued to walk and look for clues to the mage’s hiding spot.
We stopped at the next building, and I creaked open the back door. The interior of the room was pitch black, and I could hear nothing moving except the water in the pipeline. So, I had to think of a better plan to quickly search the building.
Then it came to me, and a grin stretched across my face as I reached down into my spiritual sea.
Predation: Activated
Skill: Echolocation
Oh, hell yeah.
I opened my maw and released a high-pitched sound wave. The sound seemed to travel around the room, and the waves created vague pictures in my mind’s eye. I could nearly see the shapes around the room of a stack of boxes, the pipeline running overhead, and a pile of tools on the floor.
“He’s not here,” I muttered back to Alyona, Nike, and Aaliyah.
“How can you tell?” Nike asked as he tried to search the dark room.
“Newest skill.” I smirked.
Then I pulled the door shut and signaled to move on to the next building.
As we walked, I wondered if I could use the echolocation with one of my other powers to cover more ground. Being able to throw a fireball around a corner would be badass. I’d have to meditate and figure out the best way to use my new power.
After a few minutes and two more buildings, we’d reached the end of the water district. Only a pump house remained ahead of us before we would run into the cavern wall.
Laika, Ravi, and the dryads trotted over to us as we figured out what to do next.
“His scent is stronger here,” Aaliyah muttered as her amber eyes narrowed.
“The physical trail has been diverted again,” Nike pointed out. “He doesn’t want us to look in that last building.”
“Then that’s exactly where we should go,” I concluded. “Come on.”
We walked around the pumphouse at the end of the pipeline where the half-pipe split into dozens of smaller pipes that spread out into the city. The building was long and narrow, and as we got closer, I could hear water rushing inside, as well as several hushed voices.
“They know we’re here,” one voice said.
“So what?” another snapped. “They can’t stop us.”
I had a feeling the arrogant voice belonged to the mage I’d wanted to find for a couple weeks now. I was ready to face Xavier and tear him to shreds.
“This is it,” I muttered. “There are people inside, and they’re talking about us.”
“I can hear them, too,” Laika agreed, and her furry gray ears twitched atop her head while her bushy tail swayed with agitation. “Let’s get them.”
“No more sneaky entrances,” I decided. “We’re going in, guns blazing.”
“Guns blazing?” Ravi echoed and raised an eyebrow.
I’d already struggled with explaining movies to my Inati companions, so I wasn’t even going to try to explain a western.
“Full force,” I explained. “We’re going to bust in and kick ass.”
“Yesssss,” Aaliyah hissed and bared her long fangs. “Finally.”
I looked across my group as we all drew our weapons, and I paused to wait for the nods that everyone was ready. Aaliyah stretched her fingers, so her claws extended to their full length, while Laika pulled her daggers from her belt and gripped them in each hand. Nike pulled the Sword of Light from his spatial storage, and Ravi conjured her own fiery sword in her hand. The dryads and Alyona could rely on their magic, and I had a whole arsenal in me.
When we were all ready, I grinned and kicked open the door, and we all rushed in. The mage from the wellhead stood in the middle of the room waving frantically at two other men. Another three guards were posted up just inside the door, and all six heads whipped around at our entry.
“Hey!” one of the guards shouted as he and another guard rushed toward us. “Xavier, get out!”
I scowled at the mage’s name and watched as the one in the middle of the group looked directly at me.
