Third Earth, page 14
Thirty feet above the floor level, and directly in front of me, three spacious boxes lined up, separate from the wings, and with no layers stacked above. The lava spewing from the carved head disappeared behind the boxes and down a drain or something. Vice Regent Kyprios, the copper dragon, stood with official authority in the box bordering the West Wing. The box by the East Wing remained empty.
“So, the boxes by the regent are for the second and third in command?” I asked.
“Same rank, different responsibilities,” Temnon said. “The vice regent is in charge of upholding the law, and the magnus dux covers the welfare of the citizens.”
“Magnus Dux? That’s Dominath, right?”
The middle box was wider than the others, and a flash of blue light glittered on opal inlays shaped like a blowing breeze. Menneth’s serpentine drake’s body filled the box. A crown adorned his horns, fit to the slope of his eye ridges, embedded with diamonds and emeralds as round as basketballs. Unlike the other boxes, a low wall kept a huge pile of gold coins from spilling onto the ground level. Menneth coiled on the gold and surveyed the arena. He had round, amber eyes, with the traditional reptilian vertical slit for a pupil, which widened as he spotted our tiny forms at Dominath’s feet.
Welcome, guests, to the Hall of Ri Dauch, he announced.
Flames of various colors blasted into the ceiling. Huge, metal, chandelier-shaped sconces hung on thick chains caught the flames. The minerals ignited, burning a deep yellow and filling the cavern with light. Illuminated brightly, the dragons in their boxes glittered even more than usual. Grimmal’s and Lumi’s tense muscles relaxed at the burning light, and they shifted back into their stone statue forms. I didn’t know why they relaxed; being in a room packed with dragons frightened me more than the core.
“Sodium chloride,” Temnon said, pointing to the sconces. “It burns with a yellow flame. It’s the dragon symbol of welcome. If the sconces ever burn with a blue flame, you’d best take a Jent Path home.”
“Good to know,” I replied, missing the protection of my helmet.
“Try not to shake so much,” he teased. “You’re safe now.”
Humph. I’d stop shaking when I felt safe.
“Temnon! Agnes!”
Claude emerged from a person-sized door in the southwest corner—Temnon said there were waiting rooms back there—and hurried past his father to us. Thayn leaned back as he strolled, relaxed under his umbrella.
“Agnes,” Claude said, concern sinking the corners of his mouth, “you were brave to agree to this charade of a mission.”
Happy to see him, I pulled off my gauntlets to take his outstretched hands.
“Once my enchantments are perfected,” he continued, “I promise you won’t ever have to do this again.”
Only a part of me felt comforted. If I hadn’t come, I’d have missed the magma sky of the underground magic rings and the gracefully swimming dragons. The Source of Dauthaz—that was a sight I’d always cherish. I supposed there were good and bad parts to every mission.
Suddenly, the floor shook as Dominath stomped a foreleg in disgust and anger. He clenched his claws and carved the stone tile into pizza slices.
Lies! His roar and telepathic accusation rang through the open space as well as my mind. Lies and deceit.
Thayn froze, his face a mask of shock, and he wasn’t the only one. Many dragons halted in their boxes, stunned by the outburst.
The regent stood in his box. The musical jingle of delicate chains followed. Links of gold and diamonds attached to the crown draped to an ornate harness fit about his coils. As Menneth stood, the yellow light from the sconces caught the facets of the gems and sparkled. That’s why the dragons glittered so much. They wore jewelry here in the court, where splashing volcanos couldn’t melt it.
A claim so egregious requires an explanation and presentation of proof, the regent said cautiously, the dangling baubles clinking against his horns.
I shall present both to the noblesse, Dominath replied. For all of dragon history we have labored under a falsehood, and worse, we have spread this falsehood across the universe. It took the bravery and innocence of human children to bring the shadow of lies to light.
Thayn’s brow erupted in sweat. A normal reaction to a stressful situation, but the sweat seemed to surprise him. I didn’t blame him for being nervous. As ambassador to Third Earth, part of his duty was to keep the peace, and there was nothing peaceful about Dominath’s blatant accusation.
“Um,” I whispered to Temnon, “is Dominath talking about the secret society?”
“I was going to ask you,” he answered.
I accessed my gift, but once again, something blocked the truth. Off to my left, several rows up the west wing, I noticed the curving black horns of that girl dragon. None of the other dragons glared at me with such hate; she had to be the one blocking me.
With determined steps, Dominath approached the big opal compass. Allow me to share with the court my experience in the core with Prince Temnon and the Arch Mage of Second Earth, Agnes Ann Cavanaugh.
Oh. He was still mad about not understanding the composition of his own planet.
Permission granted. The regent reclined again on his mound of coins.
Dominath expanded his ribcage as he inhaled a deep breath. Reddish fire elemental magic flashed around his muzzle, and Thayn shook off his surprise enough to grab me by the arm.
“Back away,” he yelled, and he yanked me behind Dominath’s rear legs.
Temnon and Claude dashed after, while Grimmal and Lumi stood protectively over us.
A cloud of fire erupted from Dominath’s muzzle, but it collected in front of him, burning in a ball of heat. Red-hued magic glittered, and the fire formed into a picture. It was us, diving into the volcano.
Dominath combined his knowledge magic with fire elemental magic to turn the energy of the fire into an image. It didn’t have the detail or color of Arch Mage Adrina’s sand movies, but it was visually dramatic. Maybe that’s why he didn’t just show them the telepathic pictures I expected. He played through our whole mission, second by second, as we descended into Third Earth’s magic rings. The dragons watched patiently until the clearness of the transition zone inside the planet’s liquid mantle changed into the pulsing, opaque magma.
The core, the regent stated as if it were fact.
I knew it wasn’t fact, but no alarms went off. That dang black dragon and her creepy, hollow eyes.
No, Dominath countered. Merely the absence of clarity. This opaque, molten rock is the true essence of magma. And this is where the lies begin.
Continuing his replay of our journey, the dragons gasped as the hardened layer of peridotite and sulfur appeared. As we plowed into the rock, a few dragons snorted in awe, but many more darkened in disbelief. At the edge of the core, Dominath stopped his fire images.
From here I would ask the Wielder of Truth to share her gift with us, as a second witness.
Thayn tensed, as did many of the dragons. All waited for the regent to give permission or denial. Personally, I rooted for the denial. I did not want to connect with all those immortal minds after being drained by the mission.
Permission granted, the regent decreed, with one caveat. To protect our guest, she must share her knowledge through you, Dominath.
Whew. If Dominath acted as a buffer, I’d be fine with that.
I protest! Vice Regent Kyprios roared, the telepathic translation graveled by anger. Choose three to hear her testimony and lessen the chance of intentional distortion.
You doubt my honesty, roared Dominath.
These are doubting times, pointed out the vice regent.
Three minds, Menneth agreed. Ambassador Thayn. You are trusted by our noblesse and bound to protect your kind; you choose the three vessels to hear and relay her images to the rest of the court.
Thayn breathed deep and projected firmly, “As you desire.”
His volume triggered an enchantment that carried his voice to the highest boxes. That was cool. My quiet talk with Temnon stayed private, but even the farthest dragons heard the public addresses.
Thayn continued, “In addition to Dominath, son of the Tine Banri’on bloodline, I choose Iloress, daughter of the Foras na Gaeilge bloodline.”
Drat it all. The black dragon with the curly horns dipped her jewel-encrusted headdress and glided from her box to land heavily a few yards away from me. Thayn’s umbrella leapt as the air she generated caught up in it. Thayn gripped the handle tightly to keep it from being blown away. Lumi’s sensitive nose twitched. She hunched low over me and hissed a twisted snarl at the dragon. Iloress ignored her.
“That smell again. Like oil,” Lumi mewed to me.
“Oil? From the sconces?”
“I don’t think so. Never mind. The smell of your fear is more worrisome.”
Iloress didn’t even spare me a glance. She arched her neck so the light from the sconces reflected off the elaborate row of jeweled collars artistically placed between the sleek spines of her vertebrae. Many dragons ogled her rather than paying attention to Thayn’s final choice.
“For the third, I choose Vice Regent Kyprios, who is sworn to neutrality among the bloodlines.”
Swooping on wide wings, the big copper dragon leaped out of his box and landed near us with a shuddering thud on the stone floor. The tip of his tail, a huge chunk of bone shaped like a spade, slapped the ground in front of Grimmal, spraying him with rock dust. Kyprios’s eyes, warm and deep, contrasted with his frightening spiked head and cheek bones.
“Three minds.” Thayn flicked his wrist at me, commanding me out into the open. “Go on then, girl. Do your job.”
Panic seized me. I had to open my mind to that sinister black dragon? No way!
“Girl?” An edgy grind erupted from Claude’s teeth as he quietly repeated the insult. “Enough of this mockery.”
He straightened his back and pasted a fierce, arch mage glower in his eyes. He stomped past his father, knocking his shoulder into Thayn’s, and approached the regent’s box. His magic swirled, causing the sconces to swing wildly in circles. The dragons five rows up closed their eyes against the stinging dust whipped into the power of his magic. His indignant anger echoed against the stone boxes and carried to the metal sconces above.
“Have the noblesse of Third Earth forgotten the demon invasion prevented by the Angel of the Jent Paths? Even the mighty dragons would have suffered terrible losses had Agnes not defeated the illusionist witch, Violet Lorina.”
The regent rose from his perch and shook his scales. Plates of bone along his spine flared upright in a display of aggression. We are aware of her deeds, Arch Mage.
“Then why will no one consider her desires? Have any asked if the unplanned and risky trip to the core has worn her down? Have any considered her welfare since she arrived here? My father seems to have forgotten that he represents the Odonata family and our friends first and foremost. I am Claude Odonata, Arch Mage of First Earth and second heir to the throne of the high king. Since my father has lost his talent for diplomacy, I shall stand for Agnes Ann Cavanaugh, and I demand she be shown the respect she has earned.”
A rumble of deep discussion rippled through the court. They seemed divided. Some nodded in agreement, and others snorted smoke through their flaring nostrils. The black dragoness briefly cast an inquisitive glance at Thayn, who simmered like a dark storm, and then locked those empty, yellow eyes on me. Even for a dragon, she revealed very little of what went on in her mind.
Temnon’s gaze ricocheted between his father and grandfather. He appeared to be as confused as me. Claude remained before the regent, unyielding in his body language. He’d patiently endured the lack of respect all day. I was grateful he stood up for me. But Thayn? His anger boiled—for about two seconds. Then it all fizzled away, and he joined Claude in front of the regent.
“My son speaks rightly, mighty Regent,” he said. “I have spent so many years living as a dragon I have forgotten basic human manners.” He turned to me. “Will you allow me to represent you once again, Arch Mage?”
Claude spoke before I answered. “She has me, Prince Temnon, the sciftan hero, Grimmal, and an heir to the throne of Fifth Earth, Pharess Lumi, whom for some incomprehensible reason, Ambassador Thayn continues to ignore.”
Grimmal punctuated Claude’s statement by batting the vice regent’s tail spade out of his way. It clattered across the floor, and Kyprios bristled. For several tense seconds, they stared at each other, then Kyprios diffused Grimmal’s fierce snarl with a polite dip of his head, and he pulled his tail out of the way. In return, Grimmal retracted his claws, and sat his rear legs down, his own tail curled calmly around his feet.
Claude, having reestablished his status, let his magic die as he came back to me. “Agnes,” he said softly, “you can stand up to them. Secret society aside, your needs and wants matter. If you want to go home, simply say so.”
I appreciated it. I really did. And while my initial reaction was to slap my thigh and call for home, I accidentally made eye contact with the regent. Something sad, almost pleading, filled those huge, reptile eyes. My magic warmed in response.
Aw, nuts. Now what should I do? Dang Dominath and his stupid request. Why didn’t he just show everyone? I knew at least one of the dragon spies used telepathy to hide the truth from me. Dragons were telepathic masters; an enemy might screw with my head if I gave them an opening.
Fine. I was tired of being the victim. If I had to connect to that black dragon, I’d do it on my terms. Dominath downloaded tons of facts and details all balled up into seconds of connection. If I copied the download method and tossed the information into their brains, I’d limit my risk.
It was worth a try. I gathered the images of the sun larva inside Third Earth and condensed them into a telepathic explosion. In a sassy, defiant, and very impulsive moment of revenge for being used over and over again, I adjusted my spell, adding a split second of the pain Dominath endured. With a flash of my magic, I hurled it to every mind in the room—except the three Thayn assigned to me.
It was all over in moments.
Like popcorn, the dragons in the bleachers jumped in surprise and pain. After the initial shock, they postured, aggressively extending wings and boney plates, ready to fight. As the images of the sun larva played in their minds, they understood that the pain belonged to Dominath. Most of the dragons’ angry displays faded into appreciation.
Not all of them, however. I noticed a rusty-colored wyvern on the bottom level of the stadium who stuck out her forked tongue at me, vibrating it like a rattlesnake tail. Yeah, she didn’t like me at all. A few others also flared with animosity toward me.
Likely candidates for the secret society, I thought to myself. I took note of their coloring and position and sent my impressions directly to the regent. Still processing the images of the sun larva, his head whipped to me at the additional images. I nodded politely. He settled back into his box; his astonishment clearly expressed in his lion-faced features. He glanced in the direction of the rusty wyvern.
“What happened!” Thayn shouted out loud.
Oh, yeah. Thayn. Hmm. I guess I forgot about him, too. That will teach him to ignore my Lumi.
Arch Mage Agnes has testified as requested, Dominath answered.
Watching the black dragon twitch in confusion filled me with delicious satisfaction for a good ten seconds. Then her hatred permeated the still air and slammed into me. I collected some magic, just in case she decided to roast me with her fire breath. Instead, she stomped a petulant foot and stormed out the rear exit like a baby, her tail slamming into everything it reached. Not exactly the actions of a calculating spy, maybe she wasn’t the one blocking me. Maybe she was just jealous of the attention I got. Great. I slighted a dragon mean girl.
This young one gave mental testimony to the entire court? While specifically leaving out the intended recipients? Kyprios didn’t sound offended but impressed.
She does have jurisdiction over all the magic of Second Earth, Dominath reminded him.
Still, for one so young to have such command of her power… Kyprios’s inner musings trailed off.
While I understand your statement, Arch Mage Agnes, the regent said, please share your testimony with my vice regent and Ambassador Thayn. Let’s not harm our hard-fought alliances. As Iloress chose to leave, I’ll ask one of her kin to catch her up later.
That was a reasonable request. I sent the same spell to Kyprios and Thayn. As expected, they jumped, poised for attack, and then settled into acceptance.
“Agnes,” Thayn breathed, “what is the spell the sun larva is gathering? Will it threaten Third Earth?”
He had a good grasp of magic for a non-wizard.
“Not for a really long time,” I responded with confidence. “Sun larvae think in millennia rather than minutes.”
“But is the spell a threat to this world?”
I tried to answer him normally, but pure, eternal truth poured out of me instead. It happened when the truth was too important for me to muck it up. My voice rang with power as it radiated though the cavern.
“Solar phoenixes exist to give life, not take it. The spell’s intent is to encourage the inhabitants of a planet to find a younger home before the planet can no longer sustain life. Third Earth’s final stage of existence approaches.”
“That can’t be,” Thayn muttered to himself. “Third Earth is strong.”
“Agnes can only speak the truth, Grandpa,” Temnon said. “Look, her scars are glowing. That means she is using her magic to speak with the authority of the Wielder of Truth.”
It was a lot for the dragons to take in. I mean, no one wants to know their planet is about to die.
“It’s still thousands of years in the future,” I tried to console them.
Not so far away for immortal beings, Dominath reminded me.
The regent jumped from his box and magic surrounded his claws as he floated to the ground level. He looked just like that little guy, Bandlash, as he paddled in the magma.
