Of course, what is it?
I really don’t want to drain Maija’s dragon of all his power.
And neither does he want you to. He won’t let it come to that and I won’t either. You need to create a physical connection to do this, remember? If you’re feeling anything similar to what happened with Lazuran the first time, just pull your hand away from him. If you can’t, I will do it for you.
Anders nodded, approaching Raffagaun. Standing between the two dragons, he took a deep breath, trying to calm down and assure all of them that everything was going to work out fine. He wouldn’t take too much energy and, if he wanted to, he would just step away. Looking to Zahara, Anders nodded, signaling he was ready to begin.
Raffagaun leaned into Anders so he could place his hand on Raffa’s enormous foreleg. Helping him recite the healing words that Ivan had taught them to work on large gashes in dragon flesh, Zahara spoke them in Anders’ mind, keeping his focus and accuracy on track. As the last of the words left his tongue, Anders felt an influx of magical force pass into him from the red dragon. The energy he pulled from Maija’s dragon felt as pure as it had when Anders first drew on Zahara. The electric thrumming of magic warmed his body as he sourced his own powers. Sending the tingling sensation out to his hand extended over Zahara, he began healing her wounds. He watched Zahara’s open gashes close through the haze of light glowing from his palm. Working on her back legs and rounding to her front, Anders and Raffa stitched together her most severe injuries inflicted when Killdoor had attacked.
Having healed his dragon, Anders turned the healing on himself, mentally focusing on closing the torn flesh across his back. As the stiffness left his back, Anders slowed the pull of magic from Raffagaun. Zahara’s voice in his head coached him through the easing out of the connection with Raffa. As he slowly lifted his hand from Raffa’s scales, Anders’ other hand shot to his hip and all coaching from Zahara was silenced. Anders looked down and saw his hand wrapped around Lazuran’s hilt, tightening his grip. A low whisper entered his mind, pulling his attention further into the blade. Anders flexed, trembling as he fought the urge to listen to this new, awful voice. He didn’t understand what it said, but felt what it wanted. Lazuran wanted out. Suddenly, a second voice cut through the intruding whisper and broke his attention. Anders stood in the tall grass with his hand still gripping the sword, but he no longer felt the overwhelming pull from the blade.
“Anders!” Maija shouted. Her voice brought him back into the moment. Seeing her pointed glare, Anders realized she’d been the one shouting over the whisper. Anders focused on Maija’s face and blinked as he returned to a more calm state of mind. His hand loosened and he drew it away from Lazuran’s hilt, looking around for the dragons.
Both Zahara and Raffa stared at him. He felt his head spike with a sharp pain when Zahara’s voice returned to his thoughts, What’s happened, Anders? Why did Maija shout at you?
Anders realized Zahara and Raffa hadn’t seen what Maija had and they’d somehow been blocked from his thoughts. When he took his hand off Raffagaun, they’d assumed he was finished, but Maija must’ve seen his posture and watched his hand fly to Lazuran.
I, um, don’t know, Anders lied. Did it work? he asked, trying to change the subject.
Wonderfully, she said, spreading her wings. Anders, are you okay? Nothing like the first time happened right? she asked. Anders could tell that she sensed his lie.
Um, no, I’m alright now; nothing like the first time happened.
Okay, she said. I’m going to stretch my wings. Raffa will join me, she said, turning to take flight.
From the corner of his eye, Anders saw Maija approaching warily, “What was that?”
Anders rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of an explanation, but he couldn’t. Shrugging, he said, “I don’t know how to explain it. It’s this sword.” Anders pointed to the hilt. “It’s got a presence about it that draws me somehow. It should’ve ended when I used all the energy from the crystal.”
“What do you mean, it should’ve ended?” she asked.
“When I transported us, I used all the corrupted energy inside it, but just now,” he paused. “Did you hear the whisper?”
Maija shook her head, “Anders, you’re not making any sense right now. You’re scaring me.”
Anders ran his hands through his hair, “I think it’s Merglan still working against me through this sword.”
“He’s always working against us. Just tell me what happened to you,” Maija said, stepping closer and taking his hand.
Anders nodded as he met her gaze. At last he was able to recount the events as they had unfolded from the beginning of the battle at Ryedale to waking up in the dark in Nagano. He told her everything except that Ivan was actually the true king and that he was his son and heir to the throne. Nearing the end of his story, he wondered if he should tell her about the first time he’d used Lazuran’s energy against the orcs, but decided against it. She might not look at him the same way if he told her of the evil energy that had overtaken him. By the time he’d finished talking, Zahara and Raffagaun were landing nearby.
“Get rid of it,” Maija said.
“What if I need to defend myself?” Anders asked.
“Zahara and Raffa will do that for us,” she countered.
Anders frowned. He didn’t want to give up the rider’s blade that Nadir had gifted him. After a moment’s consideration, he said, “What if I just try to remove the crystal? That’s the part that’s affecting me anyway.”
Maija nodded, “Just do whatever you need to in order to make sure Merglan can’t control you.”
Anders nodded, “I will.”
He strolled to a nearby rock on the water’s edge. Holding Lazuran by the scabbard, Anders whipped the handle down toward it. With the intensity of a wood splitting maul, he knocked the hilt onto the stone and heard a loud crack. Anders felt the freshly healed sore on his back begin to crack again, distracting him from the action. When he looked at the handle, the sapphire stood fast in its place. The crystal had broken the rock he tried to use as an anvil. Cursing he tried again. Six times Anders broke through the stones, each time nothing so much as a scratch showing on the pommel. With each swing, however, the wound continued to reform.
Giving up, he said, “The sapphire only speaks to me when I use magic, right?”
Maija shrugged, “I don’t know what it does to you, you’ve only just told me.”
“Well it does, only when I try to use magic. I don’t want to leave the sword here in case I need to use it, so I have a compromise. I’ll remove the blade and place it far enough away when I do attempt to use magic that its effects can’t reach me. Once we arrive in Cedarbridge, I’ll get a smith to remove it properly.”
Maija nodded, “If you think that will work?”
Anders thought over what he’d just said. He had no idea if the distance from the crystal was enough to dampen its influence on him, but he couldn’t leave the sword behind. He felt connected to it like it was a part of his body. Anders didn’t know if Maija would understand that, so he spoke his next words with confidence, “It will work.”
“Alright,” Maija said and cocked her head to the side to see Raffa and Zahara coming in to land.
Joining them, Zahara sensed the scene and asked, You told her?
Everything except about Ivan and the orcs, he replied, leaving out the fact he’d tried to dismember the elven sword.
Anders, she should know.
I just need more time to process it, he said. Then I’ll tell her. When Zahara gave him a questioning look, he added, I promise. She accepted his word and shook out her wings.
I think I’m ready to try carrying you again, she said. How’s your back?
Anders felt at his back, the freshly opened gash wetting his shirt again.
