ENCHANTED WORLD SERIES BOOK 1: POSSESSED BY LORD MAGE
CHAPTER 21.5

Drake...

Drake turned to the warrior navigating the military hummer across the wide stretches of fields. He was pretty sure Queen Noelle was nowhere close to the Realm of Spells. His greatest idea took him back to the caves where Kruk and his pack had resided in the phoenix mountains in the Realm of Fire. The labyrinth of caves at the phoenix mountains were abandoned and very few people knew about them. They lied just under the most active volcano of the mountains so they were considered inhabitable. Because they didn’t have much time, they couldn’t drive all the way to the Realm of Fire. It was almost a three day drive. Instead, they decided to use a gateway found at the shores of S’un Lake just a bit outside of the Agore City. Also, Drake had several High Mage including Zach flash themselves to the caves and scout around while they waited for the go ahead.

Using the gateway was dangerous but this gateway was much more stable than the ones found in high altitudes.

Drake felt like he failed his king and his best friend. He should have known the females were planning their escape. He was at the training grounds, preparing for the morning practice with the new recruits. He heard the firing of a car but he didn’t think anything strange about it. Now, Lady Lyrah and Ethinia’s healths were dwindling and the Mage Queen was missing.

Drake had never seen Tyran more tired like the way he saw him that mid-noon. He had already lost all hope to finding his queen alive but Drake still had some hope. He didn’t believe the dragons would kill her without making demands. This was just another strategy to getting to Tyran. He still didn’t know why they Targeted Tyran. Without king Rhol of the Jinn and King Alston of the Fae, Tyran was the last standing male. If this was truly what Olena said about the true king then Drake didn’t really know how to prepare for it.

“How much further?” He turned to the driver and asked several minutes later.

The young warrior pointed to the curving of the road towards a sharp cliff that was overlooking the lake. “Just around this band, sir.”

A thick fog hung low as if the heavens too mourned the loss of the Mage Queen. She was nothing like how they had first thought of her. Drake thought her spoiled and uptight. He thought her selfish and proud like the rest of the Fae he had the misfortune of meeting in his life but she was neither of that. Within a short period of time she was able to burrow her way into a lot of the warriors and helpers’ hearts. She was stubborn and outspoken but she loved everyone and always found a way to try and help out as much as she could. Queen Noelle didn’t deserve this especially because it had been only a short period of time since Tyran got her back. Drake had seen the change in his King’s behavior. Although he was more weary and anxious, he was happier. With time, Drake knew the two would have eventually fallen in love—if it already hadn’t happened. He wasn’t a true believer of love but he knew it when it stared at him in the face!

Black clouds boiled in the sky and darkened the lake into an inky color. Angry winds whispered of the restlessness of the land and the anticipation of dark deeds. His convoy came to a halt a few yards from the gateway. He had about twenty centaurs marching alongside the four hummers armed with bows and poisoned arrows, ten well trained Mage armed with the best enchantments and a good number of shifters and beasts armed with guns and blades.

Drake jumped out of the vehicle with a scanner in his hands. He traced the magnetic field of the gateway. Soon enough, the little beeping gadget went crazy and pinpointed the exact location.

“March on!” Drake waved his hand forward.

“Ahey!” The warriors moved forward.

Thunder rumbled above them but with their task at hand, none of them noticed the bulging clouds about to spill at any moment.

Drake was still looking down at the scanner when a few rocks crumbled from the cliff beside them. His head jerked up and he held up his hand to stop the convoy. A shadow loomed just out of sight in the heavy fog but Drake’s eyes widened in understanding!

“Get down!” He barked as large boulders started raining around them.

The Mage flashed out of the way and some weaved quick spells that burst the rocks into harmless gravel. Some of the boulders hung harmlessly over their victims and levitated safely away. The centaurs kicked the large rocks out of the way but several of the shifters were not fast enough in changing or taking cover. Screams of pain erupted as more of the boulders rolled down and picked up shifters, flattening them and dumping them into the lake. The beasts also ran for cover.

“Archers, aim and shoot!” Drake instructed as he too removed his double guns and peppered the large dark shadow with bullets.

A shriek of promised retaliation echoed in the cliffs as the shadow took off and large flapping of wings cleared up some of the fog making it visible.

“Dragons!” Someone shouted and guns together with arrows and energy balls began to fly towards the cliffs.

Six more shadows took off from the cliff and circulated around the convoy like scavenging birds watching for their prey!

Deformed bullets rained back down on the warriors as they harmlessly bounced off the hard dragon scales and arrows snapped and dropped. Not even the Mage were effective with their energy balls.

Drake knew if he let his convoy fight off seven dragons it was their death sentence so he turned to them and yelled. “Get to the gate now!”

Before they were able to get away, balls of fire began to rain on them. The first line of warriors exploded into flames. Cries of agony and shock rang all around Drake as he watched his fellow warriors burn and die in front of him. One of the centaurs dashed for the lake but the flames had already engulfed him and his charred body floated lifelessly in the water.

More fire balls dropped on them from every direction until they were surrounded by the inferno. This strategy took Drake back in the time when Kruk rendered terror across the lands. He could still hear the cries of women and children as they fled to safety. He could still smell the pungent scent of burnt flesh, blood and death! It was happening all over again.

“Commander, we can’t win over the dragons.” Feror, one of the fierce leaders of the centaurs, breathed hard. He had scorch marks marring his right arm and the side of his face.

“Get the males out of here, Feror.” Drake hissed as he felt, Red, his dragon fight to come out. Finally he embraced the change, roaring in retribution for his warriors. Large, ruby scales rippled against his skin as bones popped and muscles stretched. His emerald pupils stretched and his body expanded skywards. Soon, large wings with razor sharp edges stretched out from his back as the Red overtook his keeper and stood amongst the warriors. He threw his head back and shrieked a warning to the other dragons then took flight.

Drake became a watcher as his beast, the dragon, took over. He watched as Red hunted down the rogue dragons as if he was in a dream.

Destroy each one of them. He psychically commanded.

Of course, keeper. Red purred with venom as he attacked the other dragons.

Long razor sharp talons were outstretched in front of Drake as he raked the side of the first dragon. Blue glassy scales cracked and fell to the ground. The dragon roared as blood spurted out of the wound. Another dragon attacked Red from behind but it was much smaller and not very fast. Red whipped his wings forward and spun towards the smaller dragon catching it but the neck and beheading it immediately. The dragon fell from the sky, shape-shifting while at it.

Cold claws passed through one of Red’s wings and caused his flight to falter. Blood oozed from the wounds but Red didn’t stop.

Fire ball. Drake instructed Red and the dragon released a large blazing fireball towards the attacker.

The dragon shrieked and plummeted towards the ground. Red was right above him making sure he died in his landing. With outstretched talons, Red grabbed the dragon by the chest and pushed him towards the ground. The dragon crushed with a sickening crack and slurp sound as Red’s talons dug into his chest and shredded his heart. The dragon died on the spot.

A fireball hit Red right in the middle of his back and caused him to fall forward. Two more dragons came towards him with their jaws open and their sharp teeth dripping with saliva ready to crunch his throat but two energy balls scored a six pointer as they flew right inside the mouths of the two dragons! The dragons writhed with pain as the energy balls burnt them from inside and turned them into ashes.

Red looked down at the bruised Mage and nodded his head. They nodded back and went to help the injured towards the cars.

With four down, the remaining three were nowhere to be seen. Drake wondered if they had gone back to report to their commander but as Red turned for the gate, a large blue sharp tail slapped him across his cheek and more claws shredded his wings. Blood oozed from his face and the cut hurt like a bitch. Whatever pain or injury that Red suffered, Drake also felt because they were two entities sharing a body, mind and soul. Red was disoriented for a moment and plummeting fast to the ground. Two more dragons were above him. One he recognized because of the bloody gush on his side and the other was another small dragon. Red tried to get his wings to work but the damage to one wing was too much and soon he found himself landing hard on his back. He knew he cracked a rib or two due to the fall but he was still strong enough to fight off the dragons. He waited and watched as the two dragons came down towards him with their curled claws first...

Wait...Drake said softly. Wait for it...wait one more second—now!

Red pushed off the ground and spun around with his sharp wings stiffly held open away from him. The edge of the wings caught the blue dragon on the neck by surprise and decapitated him. The smaller dragon screeched and ascended again, away from the danger. Drake watched as the two shadows flew away into the mountains.

Are you okay, keeper? A words filtered into his head as Red collapsed to the ground just as the Heavens finally opened up and large splotches of rain began to fall.

I’ll be fine, Red. Drake assured the dragon. I’ll take it from here.

Suddenly, the change began to take place and Drake wished he hadn’t opted for it. It hurt like nothing before. His back was shredded into ribbons, his chest was already changing color due to his broken ribs and his cheek burnt like someone poured acid on it.

“Commander!” Feror galloped towards him. He placed his bow over his shoulder and helped him to his feet. “Are you okay?”

Drake cringed when he legs refused to carry him and gave out. The centaur caught him before he was able to give the ground a good-bye kiss. “I’ll be fine.”

“We found the gateway, just a few feet from here but I think it’s best if you returned to the fortress with the injured.” Feror suggested.

Drake looked up at the centaur and chuckled. “I know you just didn’t ask me to go back home right now. I’m your second in command and leader of this convoy...” black spots began to appeared in front of Drake’s eyes and they coagulated until he couldn’t see anything, just a ringing sound in his ears.

From a distance he heard Feror call out his name but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t reply as he fell into unconsciousness.

Drake pried his crusty swollen eyes open and tried to get his bearings straight. The last thing he remembered was that he was at the S’un Lake looking for the gateway. Now, it looked like he was in the infirmary back at the fortress. He cursed lightly and turned to his side. Storm was resting on the next bed with his arms under his head. He turned to him and grinned mischievously.

“Good morning, sunshine.”

“Fuck you.” Drake hissed because his tongue felt too heavy to roll and form words. “Why am I back here? Where’s Feror?”

Storm turned to his side and said. “And I thought I was grumpy after my little encounter with the dragons. Feror and the remaining warriors crossed the gate about two hours ago. You together with the seriously injured warriors were brought back.”

“They can’t go alone. No one else knows the caves but me.” Drake hissed again.

“They didn’t.” Storm sighed and shook his head. “Thanks to you, Lord Mage flashed himself to the caves the moment you guys arrived. He left the royal guards in charge of their royals. You should have seen his face.”

Drake was afraid of that. The Lord Mage way already on the edge. More attacks only pushed him over the brim of his control. Lord Mage knew the caves as well as him. If his gut was right then Queen Noelle was somewhere down there with a team of dragons and maybe even Ron.

“How many were there this time?” Shadows danced in Storm’s eyes as he recalled the attack on him and Lady Lyrah.

“Seven.” Drake cleared his throat. “Two escaped but we killed the rest.”

The room was silent for a moment and Storm finally asked the question that no one ever talked about again. “Do you think what Olena said about the True King is happening now?”

Drake didn’t know anything anymore. Though Tyran was close to him and they had been close ever since the war with Kruk, the ancient Mage had never talked about the past. It remained a mystery to everyone else. It was as though a spell was cast in the enchanted world to make people forget about really happened back then. No one seemed to have the exact details and the ones who do kept them tightly under-wraps. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.” he admitted.

“Me too, man.” Storm sank back on his bed and blew out a breath. “Sucks to be stuck in here when all the action is out there.”

“Don’t say one more fucking word.” Drake warned him.

Storm chuckled lightly and closed his eyes.

Drake felt exhausted as sleep stole over him once more...

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