human race, and a whole new branch of elemental magic will be founded on the works that here surround us.
“But you won’t ever get to appreciate that, Keldren, and no one in the elven empire will ever sing your praises. You will have been dead for thousands of years before this discovery; by then, the empires of the elves and the dwarves will be just so much dust.”
Keldren sat back down heavily and took up his wine glass, looked into its contents and then, with a growl, threw the glass into the fireplace. He shot Kelos a glare of such intensity that the mage scrambled to his feet, worried that he had perhaps gone too far.
“You dare speak to me in this way? You, a mere human? Has it escaped you that were it not for the elves, the human race would never have existed? We should have terminated your kind as soon as you dragged yourselves from the sea.”
“Without my kind, all this will have been for nothing. My race continues the work that you began and if you kill me, Keldren, you will never see the fruits of your studies.”
Keldren glowered, then sighed. “You’re right, of course. They don’t value me, you know. If they did I would at least be granted a post at one of the academies of magic.”
“In my time, Keldren, an entire university has been established in your name: The Keldren Dremos Enthrold School of Elemental Magic. Scholars come from all over the peninsula to study there.”
“That is wonderful, but I shall never get to see it. Like you say, our empire will crumble into dust.”
“But that’s what I’m trying to tell you! I can show you the future, Keldren. I can show you wonders you could never imagine and, in return, you can aid us in our fight against Hel’ss, using your vast magical knowledge. You may not be able to do anything to prevent the destruction of your own kind, but why not turn your talents to saving our race? A people who continue your good work?”
“And how are you going to make this happen?”
“If I can again perform the spell that brought us all to this time, then I’m certain that I’ll be able to propel us forward into our own era. But I’ll need your help with something first.”
“And that is?”
“I was only able to perform the spell in the first place because I had access to a vast reservoir of raw magic. Now, I understand that in the bay sits an entire fleet of song ships?”
“Yes? And?”
“Each of those song ships is empowered by a magical gem. If we can gain access to a store of such stones, then I will be able to use the power within them to perform the spell once more.”
Keldren laughed and shook his head.
“I don’t understand. What’s so funny?”
“Oh, Kelos. I may be Keldren Dremos Enthrold, but I don’t have access to such stores. If I were to be found in such a restricted part of the docks, I would be arrested on sight. I’m just a lowly mage in a dank basement study; I don’t have the clearance to go wandering around the most jealously-guarded of the empire’s assets.”
Kelos was silent for a moment, staring into the flames of the fireplace. “Then… then I fear we are lost.”
“Come now, Kelos. That’s not the spirit. Is this truly the man who stood up to the great Keldren? What was this vast reservoir of power that enabled the sorcery in the first place?”
“The blood of a dragon.”
“Really? Good grief.”
“See? I told you we were lost.”
“No, no. Not at all. You see, serendipity may well have placed the solution within our grasp. As it would happen, one of my colleagues, living on the borders of the Sardenne Forest, has recently written to me concerning the sighting of a great lizard in the foothills of the World’s Ridge Mountains. Now, let me see.” Keldren sorted through a haphazard pile of papers that sat upon a low desk. “Ah, yes, here we are. ‘I, with my own eyes, saw a flash of scaled flesh, the swish of a vicious barbed tail, and heard the beast’s roar; a sound which chilled me to the core.’ Hah! Yes, Alymere always had a sense of the melodramatic.
“Anyway, if this does indeed turn out to be a true sighting of a dragon, then it sounds like a trip to the World’s Ridge may be just what we require.”
“I don’t know, Keldren. It’s an awfully long way.”
“Clearly, then, you are not as well-read as you claim.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“The Zephyros Translocation. Volume Two, page one hundred and twenty-four of Elemental Sorcery and Applications of Natural Magery.”
“Yes, yes, of course! How stupid of me. I must admit that I have only attempted that particular spell once. Doesn’t it require the ink of a chasm squid?”
“It does indeed. Good job, then, that I live by the sea. Now, let us plan our journey, and then inform Silus and Emuel of the good news.”
As Keldren unrolled a map, a skein of dust detached itself from the ceiling and a coal shifted in the fireplace, rolling out onto the hearth.
But only when the door of the study flew off its hinges did the two mages finally look round.
CHAPTER TWENTY- ONE
Silus had been on the verge of sleep when the floor of his cell collapsed, spilling him into the passage below. His fall was cushioned by the short, stocky man on whom he’d landed, and who swore profusely as he extracted himself from beneath him.
“Gods below!” the dwarf said. “Where did you come from?”
Silus pointed to the hole above them.
“See, Orlok?” a female dwarf said, emerging from the darkness. “I told you that wasn’t solid rock. Surely any fool could see that?”
“So suddenly you’d like to lead this mission, is that it, Greta?”
Beyond the bickering couple, Silus could see more dwarves crowding the tunnel — all heavily armed and armoured — and amongst them several frightened human faces. His heart surged with joy when he saw Katya and Zac within the huddle, and he pushed his way past Orlok and Greta to gather them up in his arms.
“I thought you were lost forever. I thought I’d never see you again.”
“Daddy!” Zac cried, throwing his arms around his father’s neck.
Dunsany, Illiun, Shalim and Bestion were also with the dwarves; all looked on the verge of exhaustion and all were covered head to toe in rock dust.
Behind Silus, the arguing stopped as Greta and Orlok became aware of the emotional reunion.
“Yes, human,” Orlok said. “We have liberated your kind. And now the streets above us will run with the blood of the elves.”
Silus tried to hide his smile as, behind Orlok, Greta rolled her eyes.
“If it’s elves you’re looking to kill,” he said, “there’s one not very far from here. Above us are another two humans requiring liberation from the tyranny of an elf mage.”
“We’ll chop him into offal!” shouted someone from further down the tunnel.
“Our axes will drink his blood!”
Weapons were struck against shields in a quickening tempo as the lust for battle overtook the dwarves. The noise was deafening, and it took Orlok some time to calm his troops.
“You’ll show us the way?” he said, once order had been restored.
Silus held out his hand. “If you can supply me with a weapon, I’ll lead you to him myself.”
“Silus, are you sure about this?” Katya said.
“You may want to arm yourself, too. Zac, stay well back, do you understand?”
The little boy nodded solemnly.
“Above us, you say?” Orlok said.
The dwarf secured his axe and put his hands to the wall of the tunnel. He looked back at Greta and smiled before closing his eyes. Beneath Orlok’s hands the stone began to trickle and flow, yet even as it began to pool
