Dragon eye, p.1
Dragon Eye, page 1
part #4 of The Battle Wizard Saga Series
Dragon Eye
Book Four
The Battle Wizard Saga
C.M. Lance
Dragon Sword
Book Four of the Battle Wizard Saga
Copyright © 2020 C. M. Lance
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.
http://CM-Lance.com
Cover Illustration by Kjersten Lance
ISBN-13: 979-8631738614
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the Kansas City Sedulous Writers' Group for reading and commenting on every word and punctuation symbol.
To my beta readers, Bill Pardadis, Kris Lance, Curt Lance, and Kjersten Lance thanks for your review and worthy suggestions.
I appreciate the effort put forth by all the readers who dropped me a note or posted a review—every comment and suggestion serves to improve quality.
Kjersten Lance, thanks for the great illustration of the dragon, Edric.
As always, I dedicate this effort to my supportive family—Kjersten, Curt, and Brianna, but most of all to Kris.
Pronunciation Guide
The following names are used in the saga you are about to read. Note that the Old Norse language has merged into Norwegian, Swedish, German, Finish, and Icelandic.
Aðalbrandr—Ahd´–thul–bronder
Old Norse—Adal (noble) + Brandr (sword)
Daisuke—Dye-su'-kay
Chinese/Japanese archmage
Giselle—zhee-zel´ (French, not German)
An Amazon warrior and daughter of the Amazon Commander
Qudamah—Cu'-da-ma'
Arabic name meaning courage.
Arab Battle Wizard
Sigurd—Sig´–erd (as in Signal)
Modern form of Old Norse name Sigurðr
Sig (victorious) + Vard (guard)
Thorval—Thor´–vul
Modern form of Old Norse þórvaldr
Thor (thunder) + valdr (ruler)
Cast of Characters
Principal Characters
Sigurd Thorval Stromgard - Sig
Thorval Sigurd Arnsohn - Grampa Thor, Sig’s great grandfather
Meredith Stromgard - Sig's Mom
Professor Arthur Herman - The Professor (archmage)
Rick Jennings - Werewolf
Giselle Campbell - Sig's Amazon best friend
Fiona Balcescu, Ph.D. - Witch and university professor
John Heathcoat - Former university dean and dark mage
Nele – World’s oldest witch and Daisuke’s greatN grandmother
Dorje – Were cheetah and Nele’s bodyguard and pilot
Oleksander - dragon
Amazons
Mary Beth - Amazon Training Master
Bella - fencing expert
Johanna
Kitty
Battle Wizards
Borya – Newly minted battle wizard
Manuel- Latin American battle wizard
Benoît
Qudamah – Arabic battle wizard
Nathaniel (Nate)
Magical Characters
Daisuke – Archmage
Dragons
Edric – Source of the magic in Aðalbrandr
Oleksander – Emerald colored dragon
Effrosyni – Slate blue dragon
Zsigmund – Copper colored dragon and Effrosynyi’s mate
Li Na
Chapter 1
Sig shut his textbook on the physics of elemental earth magic with a snap. He needed a distraction to dig out from the ennui caused by his failure to capture or even find Heathcoat, the dark mage who’d stolen his magic. Yet Heathcoat kept sending others to attack Sig and his friends. He’d hoped catching up on college classes would help. It wasn’t.
He was also getting tired of the sideway glances of concern and pity he had been receiving after returning from the last battle. There was no longer any visible sign of misfortune. His skin had long since healed from the acid burns. He wished they'd get over it—he was coping.
Calm had reigned since their team chased or killed a horde of evil beings back through interdimensional gateways that Heathcoat had opened. The plague of monsters and demons he had released fed on the bodies and souls of unsuspecting Canucks, thus increasing the strength of black magic in this world. Now the monsters were gone, black magic was back to normal, and Canada was safe, if you don’t count the freezing temperatures for three quarters of the year.
Sig grabbed his cellphone—he was bored—maybe because battle wizards were creatures of action. “Hey,” he said when Rick answered. “Doing anything?”
“Giselle and I are heading over to see you,” Rick said. “We were both studying at the library and needed a break.”
“Great, just what I need.” Sig’s best friend, a werewolf, and the redheaded Amazon Sig had an off and on relationship with were the perfect people to relieve his frustration.
Sig was in his room at Professor Herman’s estate where he’d lived since he came to college when the Professor had taken him under his wing. The Professor had been named the acting dean of the School of Magic at Northwestern University when the previous dean, Heathcoat, had been revealed as a dark wizard. Sig was heading downstairs to wait for Rick and Giselle when the doorbell rang. That was quick.
He opened the door to find Rick, Giselle, and Daisuke, an oriental mage and friend of Professor Herman’s who had helped with the Canadian campaign.
“Look who we found,” Rick said, gesturing to Daisuke.
Daisuke performed a quick bow. “My grandmother is flying into Midway in an hour. Professor Herman and I will pick her up.”
“Flying in?” Sig said.
“Yeah, I thought the world's most powerful witch would use magic, the wizard express, or even a broom,” Rick said.
“She's over a thousand years old. At her age, flying on a private jet seems like magic,” Daisuke said with a half-smile.
“Private jet?” Giselle said. “From roof of the world? Isn't a long flight from a remote site expensive?”
“Legend has it she discovered the alchemy for creating gold,” Daisuke said. “I wouldn't know. She hasn't shared the secret with me, but she has sufficient resources to supply her needs.”
†††
Two hours later, Sig, Rick, and Giselle were in the study discussing Meredith's last foretelling.
“The blight your mom saw—with monsters crawling out—was black magic and the creatures it drew into Canada,” Giselle said.
“I was in Alberta the whole time with you guys and missed seeing the one-eyed, scaly creature from her prophecy,” Rick said.
“We haven't seen anything that could be it, except for the image of a dragon in a mirror—nothing living, yet,” Sig said. “But the problem with her prophesies is that they aren't recognizable until they happen. I wish she'd work on clarity. I’m getting tired of the ah-ha moments when I realize the thing trying to kill me is what she foretold.”
“I was hoping you'd be here,” Professor Herman said as he walked in with a tall slim oriental woman holding his arm by the elbow. Daisuke and a young man followed.
Grandmother Daisuke had pure white hair, pulled into a bun, and held in place by two long black and gold needles. She wore a shimmering golden mandarin gown, with black pants showing below the knee, and golden slippers. The gown, which Sig recalled was called a qipao (Sig had no idea why or from where he recalled that), had intricate images of birds, trees, and flowers woven throughout in red, green, and blue threads.
Grampa Thor slipped into the room in time for introductions.
“Lady Nele, may I introduce Sigurd, the great-grandson of Thorval Arnsohn, whom I believe you know,” Professor Herman said. “And this is Giselle, and Rick, good friends.”
Lady Nele nodded at Grampa. “Thorval, of course I remember. And you’re a great grandfather now.”
“I’ve finally attained the honor you hold many times over.”
“Let’s not talk of how many ‘greats’ I can claim. I prefer just grandmother,” Nele said with a chuckle.” She looked at Sig for a moment, then Giselle, and finally at Rick. “A Battle Wizard, Amazon warrior, and a werewolf. Good friends for hard times.” Magnificent cheekbones showed beneath tawny skin laced with tiny wrinkles when she smiled. Her obsidian eyes twinkled.
She gestured to the tall, slim, but muscular young man. “This is Dorje, my pilot and bodyguard.”
Rick's intense amber-eyed focus on the young man was almost tangible as if he sensed danger. Sig watched Rick out of the corner of his eye and noticed when he relaxed and gave a slight nod. Sig’s tension dropped.
“Why don't you grab their luggage and carry it to the big guest suite,” Grampa Thor said.
Sig and Rick hurried out to the Professor’s Bentley.
“I noticed your reaction to Nele's bodyguard,” Sig said as he opened the trunk. “What's up with that?”
Rick chuckled. “I could tell he was a Were, but he's not a wolf. Then I realized he's a werecat. But I don't know what kind.”
“Werecat?”
“Were-cheetah,” Dorje said as he glided silently down the front steps behind them. “Very perceptive.” He smiled at them as he picked up one of the suitcases.
“Well, then you're my first,” Rick said. “No wonder I didn't recognize you. Your kind is rare. Are there any others in North America?” Rick asked.
“As far as I know, I'm the first and only to make the trip.”
“Do werecats and weredogs fight?” Sig asked.
“I hope you're not calling me a weredog,” said Rick with a frown.
Sig chuckled as he heaved the other suitcase out. “For your next trick, close the trunk. I’ll see if I can find you a treat.” At two inches shorter than Sig’s six three, Rick was wider, more muscular, and retained his super werewolf strength in human form. Despite the fact that Rick could easily take him if Sig didn’t change forms, he still kidded Rick mercilessly.
Rick shut the lid with a growl. Dorje appeared to be restraining a smile.
Chapter 2
After dinner, Sig joined Nele, Professor Herman, Daisuke, and Grampa Thor in the Professor's basement laboratory. Nele placed the small valise she brought on the workbench.
“I came because of the mystery of your weapon,” Nele said. “Daisuke said it is called the dragon sword and you want to know its provenance.”
“Yes, that is what people have told me. The medallion has been in our family for thousands of years. I'm the thirteenth Battle Wizard in our line.” He looked at Grampa for confirmation.
Grampa nodded. “Not every generation has had a Battle Wizard, but yes, I was twelfth and you are number thirteen of those who have.”
“I knew dragons well before they fled our world. I am somewhat familiar with battle wizards, but have never examined a medallion,” Nele said with a smile. “May I see yours?”
Sig glanced at Grampa and then at Professor Herman who nodded.
He slipped the chain over his head. “It can't be very far from me or bad things happen to the holder,” he said before handing his sword-shaped talisman to her.
“I'll remain close by,” she said. “Let me know the moment you are concerned.”
With red and blue chalk from her valise, she sketched a diagram on the stone lab table and then laid the amulet in the middle. She chanted a song, probably either Mandarin or Tibetan. Daisuke had said Nele spoke at least ten languages, some of which weren’t used anymore. Sig barely got along in English, if his grade last semester in English composition was a sign.
“Hm-mm, nothing,” she muttered.
She removed crystals from her case and placed them at the corners of the diagram and chanted a different song.
After a long pause, she looked up at the others. “It is impervious to magic.”
Sig and Grampa Thor, the previous holder of the amulet, nodded in unison.
Raising the medallion to her eyes, she inspected it.
“You didn’t refer to it by name,” she said handing it back to Sig. “My research says they all have names.”
“I can't while I’m holding it. Not without changing forms,” Sig said. A flush crawled up his neck.
“Will you change now?” She handed it back. “I want to examine it—full size.”
“Aðalbrandr.” He said and automatically glanced at the ten foot tall ceiling as he rose—stopping with almost a foot to spare. What had been an amulet was now a five foot long sword. He unsheathed it and held the hilt toward her.
She looked at it and grimaced. “I don't think I can lift it. Will you place it on the bench, please?”
After examining it for several minutes, passing her hands over the jewel, and finally pressing her lips against it, she straightened.
“Its power comes from the jewel in the guard which is not a jewel,” she said, laying a finger on it.
“What is it?” Sig asked as he stared at the large blue object he’d always thought of as a jewel.
Her mouth curled up on one side, but her eyes remained serious. “It is a dragon's eye.”
Sig's mouth fell open, and he turned to Grampa Thor. “A dragon's eye? You mean a dragon died to create the sword?”
Nele's smile blossomed. “Who said the dragon died?”
Chapter 3
Sig looked at the group assembled around Nele. Professor Herman looked as startled as he’d ever seen him—eyebrow lifted and head tilted. Grampa Thor scowled—not his angry, eyebrows meeting in the middle, go-to-war scowl—the squinty, puzzled concentration scowl.
The rest of the group mirrored the confusion Sig felt at Nele’s statement.
“How can you get a dragon’s eye, without killing it, and before it kills you?” Sig asked.
Nele nodded and bestowed a smile upon Sig. He felt as he did when the sun broke through clouds to shine on him.
“It’s necessary to understand the nature of dragons,” she said. “Dragon mythology spans the world, just as dragons did—from China to Europe and across the seas to the Americas. Dragons were at the top of the food chain, with their armor, great strength, and powerful magic. Despite that, as mankind grew in knowledge and cunning, dragons were persecuted.”
“Sure, dragons were hunted,” Giselle said. “Farmers didn’t want them eating their herds.”
“Few were hunted because of damage they did. Most dragons realized domestic cattle and pigs belonged to men, and didn’t want to start a war by killing them. Smart enough to avoid conflict, dragons are also expert hunters that can exist by hunting wild game.”
“So how were they persecuted? And why?” Rick asked.
“The only thing dragons value above precious metals and jewels are works of art made from them. Dragons live thousands of years with but one main thought—to add to their collections.” Nele paused and grimaced. “The only thing more avaricious than a dragon is the insatiable greed of men. But, dragons valued treasure for its beauty. Man sought it for power.”
“That hasn’t changed,” Professor Herman said.
Nele nodded. “At first individuals hunted them to make a reputation for themselves as much as for the dragons’ booty. Those who managed to kill a dragon were deemed mighty indeed. Many more hunters died than dragons. But those who succeeded became rich beyond their wildest dreams.”
“Tales and legends about dragon slayers thrive. I thrilled to them as a youth, and read Beowulf over and over,” Grampa Thor said.
“Yes those tales honor individual dragon assassins. Some were even nominated as saints such as St. George and St. Carantoc of Arthurian tales,” Nele replied. “And of course in Norse mythology Sigurd slayed Fafnir. Organized pursuits are what drove dragons out of our world. The worst were the Knights Templar.”
“The order that protected pilgrims to the Holy Land?” Sig asked.
“That was the cover story in later years when they became revered. The Templars began as a group of brigands united to steal dragons’ treasures. As they grew in numbers and power—fueled by plundered dragon treasures—the Templars decimated western European dragons and pursued those that fled—mainly to North African deserts,” Nele smiled grimly. “Dragons thought putting an ocean between themselves and the Templars would suffice. That’s when the Knights began escorting pilgrims to the Holy Land—as a cover for their continuing quest for dragons’ bounties.”
Sig glanced around the room. Everyone was as entranced by Nele’s story as him. She had a way of teaching which drew the listeners and encouraged participation. “Is that why there aren’t any dragons left? The Knights wiped them out?”
“No, a dragon council was formed to seek a sanctuary. They finally settled on a home in another dimension, not as hospitable perhaps as Earth might be if it wasn’t filled with humans, but quite suited to dragons’ needs and their powerful magic. The remaining dragons around the world fled this plane, taking their treasures with them. The Templars were left with little option but to steal other men’s treasures in and around the Holy Land. Their predation led to the Crusades.” Nele took a sip of the tea Dorje brought her.
“But what does that have to do with the dragon’s eye?” Sig asked.
