The Dragon Rider (The Alaris Chronicles Book 2) Read online

  “Stand for the High Wizard,” instructed one of the younger wizards in Kanzar’s close circles. The rest of the room stood and bowed to their leader. With only a slight bow, so as not to appear too defiant, Onius took his thin frame out of his chair and then stood at attention.

  “Onius! Come and take this man from me,” Kanzar ordered.

  Onius gritted his teeth. Why did Kanzar continually pull him into things he didn’t want to be a part of anymore?

  Onius knew Kanzar was behind the organization of the King-men, mercenaries and others who had voiced their demands around the kingdom for the last few years. But Onius had hoped it was only a phase and that it would die down with time. Then, when the wizards received news of the periodic failing of the magical barrier, Kanzar had put his plans into action. Being away from Kanzar for so long, while serving the chief judges in Cassian, had made Onius blind to the High Wizard’s ambitions.

  Kanzar pushed the man into Onius’s arms. “This man is a thief and has news for us.”

  The man could barely stand. His dark blond hair was a mess, and his teeth chattered with fear. He might have even soiled his dirty clothes as Kanzar had dragged him in.

  “Kanzar,” Onius spoke. “What is this about? Why are you dragging thieves into our Council meetings?”

  Kanzar stood up and rubbed his hand over his large, bald head. His dark and beady eyes stared down at Onius. “I am in charge here, Onius. I don’t answer to you.”

  The rest of the room glanced around nervously. Kanzar had been acting more irrationally lately, and no one knew what he might do next.

  Either Onius was determined not to be intimidated or he just felt like pushing Kanzar further—he didn’t know which. And it didn’t really matter.

  “You brought the Council together for this man, Kanzar? For a thief? Don’t you have better things to worry about? Like a war?”

  “I cannot fight a war if I cannot control Cassian!” the High Wizard howled, then he lowered his voice as if he realized admitting that was the same as admitting he didn’t have control of the situation.

  His wife, Alana, walked up to him and put a hand on his arm. “Kanzar, you are trying to do too much. Let the Council help you. Now, what is the meaning of this?”

  Kanzar pulled his arm away from Alana and walked closer to Onius and the thief. “This man was caught deliberately replacing the bottles of wine for our soldiers with bottles of water.”

  The men and women in the room looked from one to the other. If Kanzar wasn’t so angry, what he said would have been funny. Onius had to bite his cheek to keep from almost laughing. His old friend Gideon, head of the thieves’ guild, had indeed been doing his part to disrupt the town.

  “Sir,” began one of the younger wizards on the Council. “Then flog him or fine him. This does not warrant a gathering of the Council.”

  Kanzar whipped his head toward the man and glared. Then, turning to one of his guards, he ordered, “Take that man out. He is no longer on my Council.”

  Chaos broke out in the room. These were esteemed wizards not used to being treated so poorly. A majority started leaving the room along with the dismissed man. They had seen enough.

  “Where are you going?” Kanzar bellowed. “There is business to discuss.”

  “Then let’s discuss business,” one of the men said, “and leave the thieves for others to deal with.”

  Kanzar motioned for the guards to take out the thief instead. “Fine. Onius, where do we stand for an attack on Corwan and Orr?”

  Onius needed to tread lightly because Kanzar was ready to burst. But, when he eventually made a move, Onius needed to be sure Kanzar was taken all of the way out. Onius was not there yet.

  “The last of the troops have arrived, sir. It has taken a bit longer than anticipated, and food and other necessities have taken longer to procure,” Onius reported. “We have heard that the Chief Judge in Orr…”

  “There is no longer a Chief Judge, Onius!” Kanzar reminded him and all in the room. “I have declared him a rebel to the kingdom.”

  Onius gave a nod to Kanzar. “Then, we have heard that Daymian Khouri has brought in a battalion of men from Corwan with Judge Azeem and has recruited others from Targon. It is also rumored that he may be in discussions with leaders in Tillimot and some of the elves from Mallek.”

  This news seemed to be taken gravely by the others in the room.

  One man stepped forward. “Kanzar, we need to move against Daymian before he is too strong.”

  “I have sent men south, with Mericus, to secure Corwan,” Kanzar answered. “They won’t be a problem anymore, and I doubt that the southern elves are any concern.” He paced the room and glared at each man and woman. “Someone here in Alaris, though, is undermining our plans. There is a traitor in our midst.”

  His fellow wizards, a mistrusting group already, seemed to each take a step away from their neighbors. Onius tried to calm his beating heart. He was afraid the sweat on his forehead would give him away.

  Kanzar continued, “The thief I brought in is just one example of the lawlessness this town is facing. Someone is undermining our every move in this city: stealing supplies from our soldiers, moving the horses at night, and stirring up trouble in the common rooms. The thieves’ guild is behind this. But someone is behind them. I want the traitor found and made an example of.” Kanzar studied each person in the room and then settled on Onius. “Onius?”

  Onius’s heart skipped a beat as he regarded his leader. “Yes, Kanzar?”

  “You will be in charge of finding this traitor. You have authority to use every means possible.”

  Before Onius could answer, the door slowly swung open.

  “Who dares interrupt this meeting?”

  In walked Wren, a wizard in his thirties. He looked around the room, and his eyes grew big, as if he’d just realized he had interrupted a Council meeting. The man was worn and dirty. Brushing at his clothes, Wren gave a quick bow to the room.

  Kanzar glared at his guards, standing at the door with questioning looks. No one was ever allowed to enter without his permission.

  “Guards, you are dismissed from my service. Report to your captain, and tell him you are to be assigned duties elsewhere. If I hear of any other infractions, I will take your lives from you myself.”

  The men didn’t know whether to bow or to run. But, after an awkward moment, they turned and walked quickly away.

  “Wren, this better be worthy news. I am not in a patient mood,” informed Kanzar.

  At that statement, the wizards in the room nodded their heads and seemed to have pity for the poor fellow.

  “Sir, I was with Mericus as we took soldiers in boats to subdue Corwan. I stood by his side when we disembarked in the evening three days ago. I rode back here as fast as I could.”

  All eyes stared at the man. But Onius knew what was coming. He and Mericus had talked the night before the men left for Corwan.

  Now for the next step in breaking Kanzar.

  “There was no fight, sir,” Wren said.

  “What do you mean, no fight?” Kanzar asked, taking his powerful frame closer to him. Wren seemed to shrink backward from this intimidation. “You mean the townspeople just gave in? Oh, this is better than I thought.” Kanzar gave a booming laugh.

  “Oh, no, High Wizard.” Wren paused and seemed to be considering what to say. “There was no fighting because Mericus has sided with them.”

  Onius almost closed his eyes, so as not to see the temper of Kanzar, but he decided to instead take an inappropriate amount of delight in seeing the man’s downfall.

  Kanzar pushed out his hands in front of himself, and white-hot fire poured forth, immediately consuming Wren, leaving only a pile of ashes on the ground. Alana reached her hand out to stop him, and he turned toward her, pushing a gust of air, sending her flying through the air halfway across the room. She landed in a heap, and Onius wondered if she still lived.

  As other wizards around the room started runn
ing toward the doors, Kanzar sent a bolt of fire toward the table in the center of the room, and shards of wood flew everywhere.

  “I will destroy Mericus,” Kanzar said, “and take delight in burning every inch of his flesh with fire before tearing each limb from his useless body. Ready the troops, Battlemaster,” he instructed Geoffrey. “You will march to Corwan at daybreak!”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Alli was bored. It had been three days since Mericus had arrived with his men, mostly mercenaries. She had hoped Mericus or one of his men would give her an excuse to fight, but, besides the normal bar brawls between the men, nothing exciting had happened. Much to Alli’s dismay, Mericus had even proven to be quite charming, though she still didn’t fully trust any man who could turn on his own leader so quickly. Though, with a leader like Kanzar, she decided that she might need to make an exception in her way of thinking.

  Today, she strode around the marketplace, looking at trinkets to bide her time. The weather had cooled as early fall settled in, but it was still warm and sunny in the southern desert. She spotted a head of red hair up ahead and wound her way through the vendors, selling everything from fruit pies to head scarves, to see the unique phenomenon.

  Coming closer, she saw that it was as she had thought. A small group of elves from the southern Elvyn city of Mallek. Their red hair hung straight past their shoulders, tucked behind upswept, pointy ears. They were darker and not as fine-featured as Breelyn, but Alli suspected the king’s protector was a rare beauty, even among the fine-featured northern elves.

  The elves were talking about trade to a local merchant, trying to work out a deal to bring seafood from the Blue Sea to the market in Orr. The merchant seemed excited about the possibility. With the barrier blocking access to the sea for one hundred and fifty years, it would now be good business to be the first to carry the exotic seafood. Alli smiled with the thought that their world had just grown so much larger.

  Hearing a ruckus behind her, she turned to see what the commotion was about. The crowd parted, and Mericus, along with the governor, strode forward to meet the elves.

  “Welcome to Alaris.” Mericus greeted them as if he held some authority there. The elves moved their attention from the man they had been talking to over to Mericus. Recognizing one that wielded influence, they stepped forward and greeted the wizard and the governor. They bowed and spoke with a slight accent.

  “We are interested in developing trading terms with our esteemed neighbors,” one of them said. “My name is Calanon, head merchant in Mallek. And this is Ambassador Theolin and our negotiator, Raina.”

  All three bowed to Mericus. Alli watched the two men and one woman look from Mericus to the governor, obviously trying to figure out who was in charge.

  “I am Judge Mericus, and this is Governor Makin.” Mericus motioned the three elves to him, away from the local merchant. “Why don’t we continue this conversation inside, where we can discuss trading terms for all of Alaris?”

  The elves’ eyes widened at this unanticipated potential boon to their business; however, the local merchant looked crestfallen and sent dark looks toward Mericus.

  “My good man,” Mericus said, addressing the merchant. “Once we settle on terms, I will send you a finder’s payment. Thank you for your services.”

  Alli’s eyes opened wider. That was not expected. Most men in Mericus’s position would have just bullied their way to the business. Rewarding the merchant seemed to set everyone at ease and, in short order, made Mericus out as a fair negotiator.

  Mericus turned and caught Alli’s attention. “Wizard, you may accompany us also,” he said with a smile. “I would like you to observe my intentions firsthand.”

  Alli didn’t know what to say and so followed behind the group. She noticed the other merchants who heard the exchange whispering and pointing to Mericus. They clearly didn’t know why Mericus was there, but the whispers Alli heard seemed mostly positive. The man was definitely worth watching over. She picked up her pace and soon came up beside Mericus.

  “You do not hold the authority to negotiate for all of Alaris, Mericus,” Alli pointed out to him. The three elves were busy conversing with the governor.

  “I know,” he said, and then the man actually winked at her. She rolled her eyes, thinking about Roland. Him again! She pushed that thought farther from her mind.

  “But they don’t know that, do they?” he continued. “Maybe, by the time the negotiations are final, this war will be done and I will have that authority.”

  “You presume a lot,” Alli said darkly. “What are you doing to help the cause while sitting around here, safe in Corwan?”

  Mericus frowned. “Don’t lecture me on politics, young lady. You have no idea of the plans that are being carried out right now. Things in Cassian are not so peaceful for our esteemed High Wizard. While he is dealing with local concerns there, we will establish treaties and a base of operations here and in Orr.”

  Alli grunted. “We’ll see. There will be fighting before this is over, I’m sure.”

  “Speaking of fighting…” Mericus said, sounding calm again. He rubbed his hand over his short goatee and smoothed out his burgundy robes. “I brought a battle wizard with me. Wren is his name. Have you seen him?”

  Alli shook her head. “I have not noticed a wizard with your men.”

  “Hmmm. I’m sure he is around somewhere. After our meeting, could you see if you might find him? I think a battle strategy meeting would be helpful.”

  “Sure,” Alli mumbled. She didn’t have much else to do. Though something about Wren’s absence started worrying her, but she didn’t know why.

  The negotiations went longer than Alli thought possible. At first, she was interested in monitoring Mericus and his intentions. But, after a few hours, she became convinced that the man was being truthful about negotiating fairly. Creating a fishers’ guild in Corwan to work with the elves from Mallek was their current topic, and the elves’ faces were beaming with their success.

  “What about protection?” Alli asked. It was her first input in over an hour.

  They turned to her with questioning looks.

  “While you transport the goods across southern Elvyn, what about bandits and thieves? You will need protection.”

  Ambassador Theolin spoke up first. “My dear girl,” he began, “in Elvyn, we don’t have highway robbers and such.”

  Alli felt silly now, and her face turned red. She didn’t know what to say.

  “I think Allison here is just being cautious, Ambassador,” Mericus jumped in to save her. “With the barrier newly down, there will be many in Alaris, Tillimot, and maybe even in Elvyn looking for new opportunities. Sometimes these opportunities breed problems. It’s always better to be prepared.”

  The ambassador nodded his agreement, and the discussion continued on and on. Alli still didn’t trust Mericus. Things were going too smoothly and easily. She stood up to stretch her legs and walked to the nearest window. It looked north, toward the convergence of the Dunn and Corwan Rivers.

  It was late in the afternoon, and both rivers glowed like bright orange ribbons of reflecting sun, winding their ways through the brown desert surroundings. Something flashed in the distance and caught her eye. It wasn’t in the rivers themselves but on the road that paralleled the Corwan River from Cassian to Corwan.

  There it was again: a flash of light, reflecting off of something. Her battle sense took over, and she then grasped the situation.

  “Gentlemen,” she said, turning around with a grim smile. “We have company.”

  Mericus jumped from his seat and was the first one of the group to reach the window. The others followed.

  “Blast it, Wren!” he said. “Wren was always one of Kanzar’s men, groveling for his attention.”

  Allison raised her eyebrows. “Like you did, Mericus?”

  Mericus didn’t take this bait and ignored her accusation. “That is why he hasn’t been around. He went back to warn Kanzar. Now Kan
zar sends his men here to find me.”

  “Good. I was getting bored,” Alli said with a smile.

  “This isn’t a game.” Mericus grew serious. “Kanzar is probably furious at what I did. He will be sending Battlemaster Geoffrey; Alana, Kanzar’s wife; and others, I am sure, to take Corwan and apprehend me.” He glanced at Alli as if waiting for her to make a comment. “He will then turn his sights to Orr.”

  “So, we will need to stop him here then,” Alli said confidently. “You have the men you brought. The governor has his men. And you have me.”

  “Kanzar will have wizards also.” Mericus ground his teeth. “What about Judge Azeem’s men?”

  “They will be halfway to Orr by now,” stated the governor.

  “I will send Tam to get them,” Alli added. “We can hold these men off a few days until Azeem’s men arrive.”

  Mericus turned to the three elves, whom had stood silent during this exchange. Then he explained the situation to them.

  Raina and Calanon gave questioning glances to their ambassador. He was the eldest and took the lead. They nodded to him, and he then spoke to the group.

  “We can help also,” he admitted. “Though I am not prepared to offer many men or to commit my land to a war, we do have a small group of elves just across the river that could be persuaded to help our cause.”

  “It seems ridding Corwan of Kanzar’s men would help to solidify our position in these negotiations, wouldn’t it?” Raina said, summing it up.

  Mericus laughed. “My, you are shrewd negotiators. We would be happy to accept your help. I have read books about the fighting prowess of the southern elves. How many do you have?”

  Raina actually blushed. “Five hundred, sir.”