The Path To Magic Book 1: The Sorcerer's Curse

Chapter III

"That's just... sad." Lit said, sharing a glance with Mihangyl.

"I don't want your pity." Kikimora snapped.

"You don't understand, Kikimora." Liojah said gently. "You may be loyal to your death, but the Emperor wouldn't give a second thought if you died to help him awake the Collectaar."

"Ios." Kikimora snapped, quickly standing up from her corner. "I will not have anything to do with you!" With that, Kikimora stormed out of the pavilion.

"She's touchy." Mihangyl observed.

"Thanks, Mister Obvious." Lit retorted.

"Kikimora doesn't-" Liojah started. A scream from outside plucked the rest of the words out of Liojah's sentence. As Liojah and Lhoris quickly exited the pavilion, Lit and Mihangyl were right behind them.

"What's going on, Gyl?" Lit whispered.

"It's here to destroy us!" Someelf wailed. As Lit looked around, her eyes met blue eyes that crackled like fire. The eyes belonged to a dark purple scaled dragon, who had a Blue-Silver dragon next to her. A silver dragon lay unconscious at their feet.

"Please! Help him!" The blue-silver dragon cried.

"Halio!" The dark purple dragon pleaded. "Halio Iendrayd!"

"Iendrayd?" Liojah gasped. He quickly descended to the ground.

"What happened to Iendrayd?"

"The Liikin happened." The blue-silver dragon snarled.

"Tundi," Liojah asked, "are you sure?"

"Of course he's sure!" The dark purple dragon snarled. Her fiery blue eyes darted around.

"Luzzarai," Tundi said with a look.

Luzzarai snorted, and pulled her wings close to her.

"The Liikin used poison on his guards' spears," Tundi explained. "Uzzysada met her end to the poison, and thanks to Luzzarai's curse on the Liikin, Iendrayd is alive. Barely."

"We carried him here from the Dragons' Sky Palace." Luzzarai snarled. "Thanks to the fact the Emperor somehow managed to make a law in five seconds that if anyone saw a dragon they were to kill it or call soldiers. We've been chased from almost every town!"

"Every town?" Lhoris asked, and shared a look with Liojah.

"You are welcome here, Tundi." Liojah said. "Iendrayd will be cared for as if one of our own."

"Do you know the enchantment?" A tree elf asked as she came over and began inspecting Iendrayd. Lit noticed Luzzarai watching the elf through narrowed eyes.

"Luzzarai could tell you." Tundi stated, bumping his wing against Luzzarai. She shot him a look, then sighed.

"It's bad." Luzzarai said after a moment. "He used magic that can only be overrode by light magic."

"Abyssal magic." Liojah stated. "And where would he know that, Luzzarai?"

"Leave me alone!" Luzzarai whipped around to meet Liojah's stare with steely eyes. "You want to know what's wrong with him? Then maybe leave me alone."

"I think we still have some light magic from Argia." The elf that was healing Iendrayd spoke up. "She left some last time she visited."

"Thank the Dragoia there's some Light magic here." Tundi sighed. Luzzarai leaned over, and whispered something in his ear. Tundi's eyes widened.

"Please tell me you have Goldroot." Tundi whispered.

"Goldroot?" Lhorise echoed. "Where do you expect us to get that?"