A sound behind her indicated someone had entered through the secret entrance and now waited quietly, obediently, like a respectful servant should. Unlike some, she commanded authority and didn’t tolerate abuses to respect, though one had disobeyed her recently and caused no end of trouble.
Irritated by the memory, the queen asked sharply, “Have you received word from the castle?”
“Yes, my queen. They arrived safely just as you intended.”
“And what of the elf?”
“He will join them shortly.”
She turned toward him menacingly, eyes turning to red fire as a glint of her power surged. “See that he does…or I will devour you alive.”
A feeble, “My queen”, was all he could muster as he bowed and backed out of the room.
Heading for a tall shape covered by a golden cloth in one corner, she decided to see for herself, for these spies couldn’t be trusted despite their sincerity. She pulled the cloth to the floor, revealing a shimmering portal that seemed to show a portrait of herself. Her depiction wore a soiled gown that had known better days. Time had a way of changing such finery for the worse without good care. The woman’s body had fared only slightly better, dirt smudging each cheek, her hair dirty and matted. Some might have thought the queen gazed upon some impending future reality, but she wasn’t even really looking at herself at all. Smiling grimly, she put one hand to the mirror’s edge, spoke a magic word, and stepped through, vanishing from Olliana.
After a moment of flashing colors and whooshing air, he stepped onto blackened and charred earth, blinking in the sunlight. Mountains loomed all around and deep green forest covered everything but the area just before him, which looked to have been blasted with fire so severely that nothing grew here anymore. His eyes searched the sky for threats, but nothing appeared. No signs of movement came from the slopes’ craggy shadows and cave openings, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t being watched. He’d maintain a constant vigil lest his death appear on wings, but for now everything seemed fine. He was alone.
As he glanced about to get his bearings, he noticed a faint trail leading away from the Dragon Gate behind him. Raith’s eyes lit up and he set off at a jog, his distaste for such exertions forgotten. Time was short, for the champions wouldn’t take long to kill that stupid dragon. While he’d long admired the creatures, he’d never met one before the banishment. He knew some dragons were smarter than others and was certain that this dragon hadn’t been the famed Nir’lion. He’d probably not have gotten past that one. Curiosity as to her whereabouts lingered, though it occurred to him that perhaps she had died here somehow. It was something to ponder later.
Now he had to get to the soclarin ore, retrieve a healthy supply, evade the Ellorians when they arrived, and get back through the gate. Then he’d find his way back to the horses and eventually reach his secret tower in the crags of the Naken Peaks. He would learn to fashion magic items from the ore as Soliander had done, and once ready, would bring all of Honyn to its knees.
With lust for power distracting him, he made quick progress up the winding path, shadowed by the thick canopy of trees. The dragons wouldn’t see him now unless one shape shifted to human form and followed, but he doubted they would. Dragons didn’t care to remain in that form long and had little reason to suspect anything was here. Soliander had undoubtedly not told them of the ore, and unless they’d discovered it on their own, they were none the wiser.
The trail ended in a thicket that only someone in armor could pass without getting shredded, and while it looked natural, he suspected otherwise. He murmured a quick incantation, but nothing happened. Gripping his staff for more power, he tried again. This time the brush parted to reveal a short path. He smirked and set off.
The winding trail soon deposited Raith in a narrow, sloping ravine of rough stone that rose sharply toward a natural cave. Feeling clever for getting this far, he started for the mine opening, pulling a fist-sized bag from a pocket. It would hold far more than it appeared, being enchanted to be nearly bottomless and hold tons of weight without burdening the one who carried it. It neatly eliminated the need for help, which was just as well. He’d never have gotten assistants here anyway and it spared him the trouble of killing his hired help yet again, not that he really cared.
He’d taken no more than a few steps when the rock wall beside the entrance broke apart. It didn’t fall to the ground as expected, instead forming itself into a humanoid shape taller than him, two powerful arms and legs attached to a muscular torso. The menacing head turned to him with a sound of grating stone, two hollow eyes narrowing as it stepped in his direction.
“A stone golem,” he muttered, disappointed. “I should’ve known.” Only blunt force could defeat one but his staff would snap like kindling. Magical power was his forte anyway. His eyes on the heavens, he focused his will on a cloud and spoke.
“Uusrolinip, uusrarkitor!” Two arcs of fire, two blasts of light!
With a loud boom that echoed off the mountains, a forked shaft of lightning struck the golem in the head and leg, but it continued forward as if nothing had happened. Raith realized too late that it wasn’t the force of lightning that blew things apart, but the effect on the material’s composition. Earth was largely immune to it. He had wasted energy and had only so much time before it reached him.
The stone golem stopped to touch the rock wall and a large boulder rolled out of seemingly nowhere. The
