Chapter 18

The guards drug Ian by the arms. He fought them with everything he had. He was losing his head, the only thing he could think about was Elspeth. How was he going to rescue her now? He knew this damn idea was a bad one. He could not yell for Merlin, because Athdar was here.

He did not know what would happen to her tonight, but he felt King Rulm would live up to what Elspeth knew him to be. He was near panic. He could not call the elements while in the castle, it would bring down the walls.

Athdar’s spell had weakened him and he could not turn to mist or teleport. Even if he could, he could only go as far as the dragon cliffs, anywhere else and he’d be too far from Elspeth. He needed to stay as close as possible.

Whatever spell Athdar used had basically turned him human. Perhaps he could pull together enough energy to call on the elements once they cleared the castle walls. He did not want Ator to come. He was afraid the guards would harm him when he failed to devour him. He didn’t know what to do. He’d never felt this way in his life, this useless, this hopeless. Bullocks he knew this scheme wouldn’t work. What the hell was he going to do?

He roared out and renewed his fight against the guards, even in his weakened state he was a source to be reckoned with. All he could think about was Elspeth. It took four guards to tie him down. The chains were heavy, with four iron rings attached to a barbed bar driven in the ground. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t budge one. He looked at the cloudless sky It was already turning red and shouted, “Ator!”

The men at each corner of the arena blew horns signaling the dragons. People were already packed in the stands shouting. “Dragons! Dragons! Dragons!”

Ian thought of the mighty Ator and his friends. He wondered who would come. Then he heard the first dragon roar and the sky filled with dragons. Ator out front. He landed near Ian as the other dragons circled, waiting for Ator’s instructions.

The crowd stood and roared. “Eat him! Eat him!” Then they stomped their feet. The roar of the crowd was immense and the noise was more than he could handle. His mind was in a jumble from the spell, his head ached, and the noise was like knife blades to his skull. Until he looked at Ator, his friend, then peace washed over him. He felt safe.

He closed his eyes then opened them again. Ator stood tall, huge, proud, and roared. He roared at the injustice of his friend. The red sky gave him a shimmery glint of red and rainbows. There would never again be another dragon as grand as Ator, and he, Ian, alone wore his mark. They were united. The sounds of the crowd died away. Ian thought to Ator, “Elspeth! Ator, she’s in the dungeon.”

“We’ll save her Ian. Don’t worry. I have a plan. Right now, let’s give this crowd and their evil king a show. Okay?”

Ian smiled. “It’s your stage Ator. Show ’em what you’re made of.”

Ator roared and blew fire high toward the sky. He flew up and low around the crowd roaring and giving them a sense of his gigantic size. Some screamed, some clapped, some froze. Ator flew back to him, gliding in for a landing.

The other dragons still circling. They took turns roaring and blowing fire. Finally, the crowd screamed, “Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!” Ator went to the first chain and clipped it in two with his mouth. The crowd wasn’t catching it yet. When Ator bit the second chain in two and had both legs released the crowd became quiet. They watched as Ator broke the third chain.

The king and Athdar stood up. They didn’t know what was happening, but they didn’t like it. “Archers!” yelled the king. “Make ready!”

The archers made ready their bows and mounted arrows, waiting for the king’s orders to shoot the dragons. He was instantly terrified for his friend, but laughter came from Ator. “Don’t fear for us, Ian. This will be handled quickly with no harm to us. Watch and learn the true courage that makes a dragon.”

Before the king could give his command, the dragons descended en masse. The crowd was silent but fascinated. They were waiting to see what happened next. The dragons circled low just above the crowd. Before the archers could even react, the dragons in line roared and blew fire directly upon them. Every archer turned to ash. The king screamed. “Seize him!” But no one moved, their fascination and fear of the dragons keeping everyone spell bound.

Ator broke the last chain. He looked at Ian. “Stand up.”

Ator called to his dragons. One by one they landed in a half circle around Ian and Ator. Ator said to Ian. “Yell loudly to me and all dragons to bow down.”

“What?” he asked Ator with his mind. “I’m not goi…”

“Do as I say!”

“Oh, mighty dragons, I say this to you now. Bow down before me!”

Ator was the first. He laid his head at Ian’s feet. Then all the dragons put their heads to the ground.

“Ken this that I am your leader! I will…”

“Shut up Ian and get on my back!” Ator held out his wing and Ian climbed aboard. Deafening noise went through the crowd. “Hurrah! Did you see that?” On and on, the crowd went wild as he climbed to Ator’s neck.

The king shouted, “Stop them! Damn it. I said stop them!” No one moved.

Ator beat his wings, extra for good measure and showmanship. Then he took off. Flying low over the crowd so they could see him riding on his back. After a few passes, he flew higher, taking to the sky as every dragon followed, different colors gleaming in the red setting sun. They left the crowd roaring in excitement. No one had ever seen anything like it and probably never would again.

Once Ator got Ian to the cave and off his back, he looked at Ian. “I’m your leader? Really? You were supposed to only say bow down. Who said anything about leader?”

He shrugged. “It was for the show, you ken.” He grinned. “Thanks, Ator. Och Goddesses! Elspeth! She’s in the dungeon. If that evil bastard lays one finger on her.” He started pacing and running his fingers through his hair. “I canna call on Merlin, Athdar is there. I doona ken what kind of power he has. If I can just get tae the dungeon. That’s it! Athdar probably willna be in the dungeon. MERLIN!”

A portal opened and Merlin came through. “Elspeth is okay for now. What the hell happened Ian?”

“Your plan, Merlin. That damn plan is what happened!”

“Tell me everything. I’m afraid I was watching Elspeth, not you. So, tell me.”

He told him the story up to when he entered the room with the eerie bottles, then he said, “Och Aye, I almost forgot.” He leaned over and pulled the small bottle from his boot. “I found this room full of these. There’s hundreds of them.” He handed the bottle to Merlin.

“That’s what I was afraid of Ian. The room is warded, it must be. There’s empty places in that castle where I cannot penetrate. This is ether. It must belong to an Aiden Baird. We have to stop this.” Merlin opened the bottle. The mist flew out of the bottle in a stream and left the cave in a bright flash.

“Where’s it going, Merlin.”

“Back to who it belongs. If I’m right that fae will sort of wake up and wonder what he’s doing. His good will weigh with his bad. He’ll have memories of everything, but now he’ll think about what he’s doing before he does it.

“If I’m correct he’ll now have a choice about his soul. He may be changed back in to what he was before they drained his ether. At least that is what I’m hoping. Finish your story Ian, so we can figure out what to do about Elspeth. Then we need to get those bottles.”

“Doona you think he’s moved those bottles by now, Merlin? If you can move your entire dwelling in a day, how long would it take Athdar tae move a small room full of bottles? I’ve failed my mission Merlin. I’ve never failed my mission afore. I’ve failed Elspeth. God’s Merlin, I have tae get there and save her.”

“You didn’t fail, son. You found those bottles. Now we know and have a pretty good idea how many we’re up against. We haven’t lost Elspeth. I’ll go immediately and bring her back through the portal.

“Go Merlin, we’ll wait here. Please be quick. I have tae see her.”

“I know Ian. I’ll return promptly.” Merlin opened a portal in Elspeth’s cell and hopped through.