The Dragon’s Mage

the sunshine.  I will be back in a short span.”

“Shouldn’t someone go with you?”

“They have questions about the battle.  General Solan has also been summoned.  There is nothing to fear.”  He kissed her forehead and then stepped away.  “Enjoy the valley.  I’ll be back before you have time to get bored with it.”

Chapter 13

The day was a lovely one.  In Dracon where the magic floated on every breeze, the sky seemed to shimmer it was so bright a blue.  Morgan was lying with her head in Ladons lap and watching the few clouds go by.  He was twining his fingers through her hair and watching the hatchlings play hide and seek.  It was especially funny because they had agreed to use their powers.  Right now Clare was a large red wolf sniffing the ground on the hunt for Rhune, who had changed into a hedge mouse and hid among the brambleberries.

He could see the wind swirl about where Melly was attempting to confuse the wolfs nose by fiddling with the air around her.

Ladon chuckled when a particular strong breeze wafted dandelions into Clare’s sensitive wolf nose and had her chuffing.

Morgan smiled softly whenever he laughed, but otherwise just watched the clouds.  Then they started forming shapes that had her gasping.  'Did you see that?'  She asked with excitement.  'It turned into a flower.'  She pointed.  'See, now a bird.'

'What is it now?'  Ladon asked just as the clouds reformed into a dragon with the most lascivious look on his face.

'Ladon...'  She warned, laughing at the trick.  'You're impossible.'

As she watched, it transformed into a man with a really big...

'What are you looking at?'  Clare called having transformed back into her normal form.  She looked up, but just like that the man disappeared and a wolf was in its place.

Morgan was going to scold him but he had the most sheepish look on his face.  She burst out laughing instead.

 I forgot.

Serves you right for teasing me anyway.

'Hey there's another dragon.'  Clare’s voice had barely trailed off when Morgan felt a spike of pain in her chest.  She gasped and looked for Melly.  She found her in the middle of the clearing head back as wind and light swirled around her.  Morgan jumped up and started searching for the danger.

'Clare! Change now and hide with Rhune!'  She called.  Clare didn't argue, knowing that when Melly was wind called it meant trouble followed.

'What is she doing?'  Ladon asked standing up and following to stand with Morgan.

'She's wind called.  The last time this happened the villagers tried to burn Rhune at the stake.'  She looked him in the eyes.  Deadly serious.  Then she pointed to the north.  'Do you recognize that dragon?”  In the distance, but coming fast, was a red dragon.

When he was close enough to recognize Ladon growled.

''Bochus.'

Melly fell out of her strange trance and fell to the ground.  Morgan ran to her, collapsing beside her and pushing back her hair.  'Melly?  What did you see?'  She asked gently but with insistence.

'He's poison.'  She gasped out, tears falling from her exhausted eyes.  'He's going to kill him with poison.'

'Who?  Melly is Bochus going to kill Ladon?'

'One or the other.  She gasped out.  'One or the other will die.  The Dragons will fall.  The beginning of the end.'  Melly grabbed her arm so hard it would hold a permanent mark.  'Morgan, stop him!  He's too young!  Poison...”  Then she passed out.

'Melly!?'  Morgan shook her trying to revive her.  'Who will die?  Who's too young?  Melly?!'  But it was no use.  She looked around for Ladon but he was across the meadow looking very tense, talking to Bochus.  Morgan prayed, even as she ran towards them, that she could get to Ladon before it was too late.

Eben!  She sent out the mental call as loud as she could.  We need you!

* * *

Morgan was almost to Ladon when he spoke through their bond.

Stay back Morgan. He is up to something.

Poison!  She yelled in her head.  Melly said he's poison.

'It was you!”  Ladon turned with a growl.  'You betrayed me to the humans.  Stole my blood and gave it to a blood mage.'

Lord Bochus looked from him to Morgan who stood a few feet behind him.  Then he smiled.  That smile said more clearly than the rant that followed he was insane.

 'I had to, don't you see.  The prophesy said if you took your place of power I would die.  It was self- defense.  Now you would destroy dragon kind with this human.  No!  I'm not the traitor here.  You are.'

'You gave his blood to the blood mage.  Why?'  Morgan called the question.

'That was the price, for the potion that made him weak enough to kill.  But I couldn't strike the blow myself.  If a seer were to search out his fate, it must look as if he played games with the humans and died for his foolishness.  That was the price I paid.'  He was so excited it had to be unnatural.  'The blood was the price I paid.'

Is he drugged?

I'm not sure but he is most certainly crazed.

'Why are you here?' Ladon asked moving so that he blocked the line of sight to Morgan.

This had Bochus blinking.  Confused and then his face cleared.  'To kill you of course.  It's the only way.'

'If you wanted to challenge me all you had to do was wait for the new moon.  Why now?'

'They can't see.'  Bochus looked around furtively.  'They won't understand.'

'Understand what?'

I'm almost there.  Keep him talking.  The sound of Ebens words had relief pouring through Morgan.

Bochus laughed then.  'I had to be able to win.'  Then he was transforming into his dragon.  Only it was something different that he became.

He retained his red color but he had grown to twice his normal size and his skin was mottled and black in places.  A spike formed on his tail and his dragon talons morphed to curved weapons.  He had two black horns on his head and his spittle hissed when it dribbled to the ground between razor sharp teeth.

Get out of here Morgan!  Ladon called before he transformed into his now tiny looking dragon between them.  Get the others to safety.

Bochus swung his spiked tail forcing Ladon to fly out of the way just as it crashed into the ground where he had stood.

Eben Hurry.  She called then yanked the earth out from under Bochus so that his talons flew up and he was rolling back away from Ladon.

He roared his rage and then flew up belching fire towards them.  Morgan called the wind sucking the air away so the fire never reached its intended target.  Ladon gave his own war cry before launching himself at the bigger dragon and using his slighter form and speed to get behind him and bludgeon him with his own tail.

Bochus went tumbling again with a wild shriek but came back fast.  Trying to grab for the much smaller dragon as Ladon flicked around him scraping him up with flashing claws.  Then with a flash of gold Ladon called his great sword and swung going for a neck shot.  But it was as if he was hitting stone.  It just made Bochus