Page 40 of Immortal Alliance

I shake my head as Pyre creates a portal and we walk through it, arriving in the Ashlands of the Veil. The signal from the mirror is much stronger here and I can finally feel it. I help Pyre in his search for the foreign energy that pulls us towards it. It fades in and out, like whoever is using the mirror can’t sustain a connection for more than a few seconds.

A loud roar breaks through the silence, sending the harpies scattering. The ground quakes as the dragon lands only a few feet away. His large emerald eyes glare menacingly at me and I feel the urge to flee.

“Careful, Baron,Wynrothis a guardian of this realm as much as we are,” explains Pyre. “He’s an elemental dragon, which means he can wield virtually any natural power he comes in contact with. The two of you need to be properly introduced.”

I hesitate to follow my mentor as he walks closer to the great beast. He grasps my hand and forces it flat against the dragon's muzzle. My hand shakes, and I hear a voice in my mind.

Reach out to him, Baron... let him connect with you. Show him you’re a guardian.

The large black body of the dragon stretches nearly from one end of the Ashlands to the other. Those enormous fleshy wings and glistening scales do nothing to bring down my sudden burst of fear.

“Pyre, I watched your friend here,” I start, looking at the dragon. “Barbecue some of Theren’s soldiers and then electrocute some more,” I remind him. “I think I’ll sit this one out and just watch you from a safe distance.”

“Don’t be a coward, Baron. Connect withWynroth.”

I close my eyes just to shut Pyre up and open myself to feel the power of the Veil. It doesn’t take long for the giant serpent’s voice to blare through my mind.

I am Wynroth!

I jerk back and stare at Pyre as I try to comprehend what just happened. The proud smile on my friend’s face is unsettling as much as it is pleasing.

“What the hell was that?” I ask. “Why was his voice in my head?”

“That form of magic is very old and very rare. It was only used by powerful spellcasters and rangers who tended to the mystical beasts throughout the realms. You learned it much faster than I did,” he explains. “Being able to communicate telepathically with a creature of the Veil without years and years of practice is almost unheard of.”

“It has to be your blood boosting my abilities,” I start with a shrug. Then I face the dragon again.

I am Baron and Pyre is training me to one day become the Guardian of the Veil,I think the words to the dragon.

It nods slowly as Pyre whispers something and the creature takes to the sky once more, looking much more appealing from a distance.

“Maybe one day he’ll let you ride him.”

“Not fucking likely,” I say. “You were using his eyes to see that night, so I know you watched him all but decimate the Veil Forest.”

“It’s in his nature to kill anything from the physical world that poses a threat to the Veil, so his choice to burn the forest was his way of eradicating multiple threats at once. Count yourself lucky I had enough control over him to keep him from killing all of us,” Pyre snorts. “The demons, harpies, spirits… they have nothing on Wynroth. He’s powerful and he’s been in the Veil much longer than I have. Wynroth predates even the Sentinels.”

I shrug and try to imagine anything older than those who guard the wellspring of magic at the heart of the Veil. It seems pretty impossible, seeing as how they were practically little more than dust, insects, and bone.

Either way, I follow Pyre through the Ashlands and up that damn mountain. We make it to the Echoing Spire in time to see that no one, aside from Flumph and Noni, has returned from their quests. The sprite and the little house brownie look worried.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Noni been thinksin’ that we oughtta get dickhead and Aima outta the Unseelie palace or else Pretty ain’t gonna have nobody to back her up when she come back,” Flumph grumbles.

Noni shakes her head. “No, that what Mr. Flumph say. Noni hear Theren talking to Mr. Cambion about escaping soon, and she think Master and Mr. Vampire should help them.”

Pyre and I share a look. There’s no way either of us is willing to help save Cambion or Theren, unless it’s absolutely necessary to our overall mission.

Noni tells us what she and Flumph have seen, and we come to the conclusion that giving Cambion and Theren the opportunity to explain themselves is as far as we’re willing to go once they’re rescued, unless they can otherwise prove their trustworthiness.

***

THEREN

Oronrel

“No more putting yourself in danger when I’m not there to protect you,” I groan. “I can’t... I can’t handle the thought of something happening to you. I need you, Eilish. Whatever’s between us is too much for me to handle. Don’t provoke him. Promise me.”

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