Just today he’d seen a leviathan try to eat Jolian. Being reduced to food felt ignoble and wasn’t something he’d ever considered as a likely end to his life before these quests began. Had he entered a new food chain where he was a few notches down from the top of it? How did one go about making themselves unappetizing? The thought made him want to laugh, but maybe he really did need to look into it. How do you convince a predator that eating you in particular will be disgusting or make them sick? Did he just have to run faster than his friends? He smiled at the realization that he was already the fastest.
As for Novir, he felt some sympathy at the idea of being eaten. Traitor or not, it wasn’t a good way to go. Hopefully, he’d be dead instead of boiled alive in a stew or something. The thought made Eric realize how dependent on Jolian he was to get out of here. He turned to her.
“I don’t suppose you knew he could do magic?”
She frowned. “I did not, but that may explain the cave in. I saw nothing that looked like physical force had been used to cause it, but I thought perhaps such evidence had fallen with the rocks. He appears to only know simple spells, which is not a surprise. He would do more with his life with more power.”
Eric sensed she was taking some responsibility for not realizing Novir could do magic, but he had something else on his mind. “What if he can do a spell that could help him contact someone he’s working with? That would still interfere with us.”
Jolian considered that. “The spell he cast on you was simple, as would be the one for the cave in. It might mean he cannot do much more.”
“What if he has a device we don’t know about?”
“I think the only one that could matter would be one that allows him to communicate our plans to reach Ortham.” She looked down at her brother, frowning. It seemed clear that they had been trying for the city and the Lords of Fear.
Eric observed, “True, but if he had that, he presumably would have already used it. Otherwise, why bother fleeing at all when we came out of the Kirii Cave? He could have just contacted them and remained a hidden traitor among us.”
“I think we can safely ignore him.” She looked at Eric, eyes on his hips. “We must bind my brother. The spell will keep him in human form until I release him, but he is still dangerous when he awakens.”
Eric nodded and began removing the black rope he always had around his waist. When neatly placed, it looked like a belt so that he hadn’t actually realized its nature the first time he found himself changed into Andier’s clothes. He’d seen Jolian eyeing it.
He had little experience binding people but knew how to tie various knots from his rock climbing days. Apparently, tying people up was another skill he needed to gain, but no bind would matter if Brazin woke and cast a spell. “What about his magic?”
“I have suppressed that with a spell that is normally forbidden among our kind, but it will only last so long.”
“Long enough to complete the quest?”
“Unlikely. We will need to think of something.”
Maybe this was a problem Matt could help with. That was one of several reasons he said, “We have to get back to the others. What about Brazin? I assume you don’t want to leave him, but did he say anything about what he did, like why he did it? Do you think the orb has compromised him?”
She sighed. “He said nothing I care to repeat before I silenced him. His behavior and the way he looked at me left no doubt the orb has enthralled him. This must have been before the orb left Castle Arking.”
“I was wondering about that. How do you think that happened? How did the dragons get involved? And when?”
“My brother was already at Castle Arking because he spends time among the races, unlike most of our kind. He must have become enthralled. It wasn’t until after Bolin Hill and the Lords of Fear became involved that Brazin asked me and Sebast for help. I am not sure how Brazin encountered the orb and yet did not go with those taking it. He would have been the fastest way to Ortham. It is something to think on. We must go.” Jolian gazed at her brother. “You can ride upon my back. I will carry him in my talons.”
“Where are you going to take him? I assume you don’t plan to leave him at the cave entrance.”
“The town, the one we passed on the way there. Valegis is the only safe place for him. He will remain bound, but trolls and others would get to him if left without a guard. He is still my brother and I do not want harm to come to him.”
“You think he’ll be safe in the town in human form? Will they know the truth? What do they think of dragons?”
She appraised him. “All good questions. I think we must return to your friends, leaving my brother there for now, under their guard. Then you and I will go to the town, landing out of sight and walking the rest of the way. If I fly in, they will almost certainly attack us. Dragons don’t appear often among such places, and people fear us. That we mean them
