Sword Bearer (Return of the Dragons 1)

I would cut them down as well.

But if it was a trap? The circle grew fainter, then came back into focus. I needed to concentrate. Woltan’s hand squeezed my shoulder, and I felt strength and determination flow into me.

Easy does it Anders, keep your mind calm and steady. We’re going to try a couple of things.

Woltan said a word of power. The word flowed through me and out my mouth.

Klarschauen.

Suddenly I could see everything. My father, ahead of me, under the hood, breathing, alive; Gerard, the wizard from Spices, hidden in the shadows, asleep; and another presence, that I could see but not make sense of — some kind of magical being that shimmered darkly and changed color as I looked at it.

We can try stunning everything and breaking the chair away. I don’t see any other option. The beast there is too strong, and so is the wizard. But I don’t think they have noticed us yet.

They will if we make the opening any bigger. It’s tiny right now.

We’ll do the spell to break the bonds of the chair first, and then hit them with a stun, and then maybe we can get him out of there, although I doubt that beast will be stunned for more than a moment.

I felt two more hands on my shoulders then, and when my mouth opened a word surged forth and the word was frei. The word hit my father and rolled over him. I had concentrated on the chair but my father surged up as well.

That’s when all hell broke loose.

Everything that had slumbered and shimmered in the background seemed to wake up at the same moment. The beast roared. Flashing light blinded me. Cursing filled the air.

I panicked, and almost lost the connection.

But one of my hands touched the sword. I opened my mouth and out came song. The song reached out and pierced the barrier, forming a green protective sphere around my father that narrowed as it ran back to my mouth.

Kara’s hand was warm on my shoulder. Wow. Keep that up, whatever you’re doing. And widen the barrier, but watch out. We’ll try to stun them, or at least protect you.

I pulled then with all my body and soul, sucking and tugging at the green cord that bound me to my father — inside the green field of light I could feel my father reaching out to me, and then I heard him:

Anders, is that you? Hold on to the sword, and don’t break the connection.

He was weak, but himself. Why had my father never shown me any magic? Why had he left it all to my tutor? Why had he never carried the sword that hung by my side? I was filled with questions just when I need to concentrate most.

The beast attacked then. It spat out red fire that ate at the green energy surrounding my father. It felt like it was burning my skin. But I refused it. I thought of cold, clean spring water, and the beast’s fire burned on but did not hurt us. I felt pain, yes, tremendous burning biting pain, but I refused it, as well, refused to close my eyes and break the connection. I was real, and the beast’s fire was not. Then there were words of magic spoken:

Leicht

My father seemed to lose all weight, and I pulled at him. He started to move through the barrier, the green sphere filling the circle completely, blocking out the spells that were flying at us from Gerard, who stood behind my father now, in a rage, cursing us magically with words I couldn’t understand but that still burned my ears with their malice.

Durch

The gateway became more slippery. My father was coming through, but it was tight, like giving birth to an elephant. I was afraid of what would follow him, but I pulled on.

The globe popped out of the barrier.

I fell back, the globe disintegrating, my father on top of me. The lights went out, as I shouted schliessen!

But it was too late.

My father was not the only thing that had come through the gateway.

He rolled off of me and I sat up quickly.

Before I could see anything I felt it, its breath on me like some alchemical fire. I had no time to speak a word of magic — it was slashing at my face, enveloping me in liquid flame. I wanted to scream, but nothing came out of my mouth as the beast enveloped my face with its chemical burn.

My hand moved jerkily, fighting something unseen, to my sword. At last my hand was on the pommel, and an ancient word screamed out of the blade itself: