Albrek's Tomb by M. L. Forman
“Return,” Alex commanded, changing Thrang back to his normal self.
The table tipped over with a crash, and Thrang staggered to his feet.
“You could have waited until I was off the table,” Thrang grumbled.
“You could have landed someplace else,” said Alex.
“Thrang?” Thorson questioned in disbelief. “You’ve learned to change shape?”
“Don’t be stupid,” said Thrang. “Alex changed me so we could come and talk to you.”
“Are you in trouble? Are your friends trapped somewhere? Should I call the family to arms?”
“No, no, no,” said Thrang, grabbing Thorson by the shoulders. “Everything is fine, but we’re in a hurry. We only stopped in the city to collect the treasure we left with you. I don’t have time to explain everything, and I don’t know where I’d begin if I did have time.”
“Yes, of course,” said Thorson as he clutched Thrang’s hand. “Have you heard the news?”
“What news?” Thrang questioned.
“Stories have come from the Lost Mountains,” Thorson answered, motioning them to follow him. “The details are sketchy, but they said a great evil has been destroyed there.”
“That is true,” said Thrang. “Alex has done a great service for the dwarfs of the Lost Mountains, and he has been named a lord of their city.”
“A man named lord of a dwarf city?” Thorson said in surprise. “That is something unheard of.”
“Alex is one of the greatest wizards there ever has been,” said Thrang as if that explained everything. They started down the stairs that led to the lower chambers.
“You are too kind,” said Alex from behind the two dwarfs.
“Not at all,” Thrang answered. “I don’t know a lot about wizards, but I think you’ve done more in your short career as a wizard than most other wizards do in a lifetime.”
“Perhaps,” Alex allowed, hoping that Thrang would change the subject.
“Here we are,” Thorson said as they came to the door of the lower chamber. “Sorted, just as you asked.”
“You’ve done us a great service, brother,” said Thrang. “I would offer to pay you, but I know you wouldn’t accept.”
“And you are correct.” Thorson laughed. “It is an honor to have served you, and to be honest, a great pleasure to sort this treasure for you.”
Thorson unlocked the door and threw it open, but the room beyond the door was dark. Laughing at his own forgetfulness, Thorson turned to get a lamp.
“No need,” Alex said, conjuring up the familiar weir lights.
“Ah, a wonderful spell,” said Thorson, watching the weir lights dart into the room. “I wish I could learn to do that.”
“Your magic is worse than mine,” Thrang said with a laugh.
“And we don’t have time for me to teach either of you now,” Alex said, catching Thrang’s eye.
“Yes, we do need to hurry,” said Thrang. “The others are waiting, and we still have a long way to go.”
“You will spend the night at least,” Thorson objected.
“No, we must go,” said Thrang. “Alex, you are better than I am at storing things quickly. Will you place all of this in your bag and hold it until we can divide it properly in Darvish?”
“Darvish?” Thorson questioned. “Why are you going to Darvish? You’ve already been there once.”
“I don’t think I should say,” Thrang said slowly, looking at Alex for help.
“Tell him why, but not how,” said Alex as he turned his attention to the room full of treasure.
“The empty tower will vanish it two days’ time,” said Thrang. “We’re taking the new oracle to the tower before it fades forever.”
“But that’s at least a week of hard riding,” said Thorson. “Even as a raven, you’ll be hard-pressed to reach the tower before it’s gone.”
“We’ll be there before it fades,” said Thrang. “Don’t ask questions that I can’t answer, brother.”
“As you wish,” said Thorson with a bow.
Alex stored the treasure in his bag and stood beside Thrang once more.
“If you have the time, Thorson, you may want to set out for Benorg,” Alex said with a smile. “We will be going there after we leave Darvish.”
“So you’ve found it?” Thorson said happily. “You’ve found what you were looking for?”
“And more,” Thrang answered.
“We will be in Darvish at least a week,” Alex said. “After that, we will be returning to Benorg.”
“A week?” Thrang questioned.
“I believe that is the normal celebration time when a new oracle comes to power,” Alex explained.
“And this oracle travels with you?” Thorson questioned.
“Yes,” Thrang said with a laugh. “She’s been with us all along, only we didn’t realize it.”
“Kat is the oracle?” Thorson said in surprise. “I . . . I don’t know what to say.”
“Then say nothing,” Alex suggested. “It is not our place to judge oracles or decide who should be an oracle. It is best to simply accept them and what they say.”
“Yes, of course,” Thorson said with another bow.
“Come now, Thrang. We must go,” said Alex, starting up the stairs.
Thorson walked along quietly as they made their way back to the garden. The chair and table were still lying on the ground, and Alex and Thrang helped Thorson set them back in place. Thrang hugged Thorson good-bye, and once again Alex touched him with his staff. The raven that was Thrang flew up and circled the house, waiting for Alex to join him.
“Come to Benorg, if you can,” said Alex. “The party there will be a thing to remember.”
“Yes, I will,” said Thorson happily.
Without saying anything more, Alex changed himself into a raven, flying up to meet Thrang over the house. He could see Thorson watching them with a look of wonder on his face, before he was lost from sight.
Alex and Thrang flew close, climbing slowly back into the mountains where the rest of their company was waiting. It was not a difficult flight, but by the time they saw the campfire, Alex could tell that Thrang was growing tired.
“Alex,” Arconn exclaimed as Alex changed back to himself in front of the elf, “I wish you wouldn’t do that. Or at least give me some warning.”
“Sorry,” Alex said with a laugh. “It’s easy to forget such things. Now, where has Thrang gotten to?”
Thrang squawked loudly as he hopped in the snow next to the tents that had been set up. Alex turned to look at him and, at the same time, broke the spell that had changed Thrang into a bird.
“A pleasant enough way to travel,” Thrang said stiffly. “More tiring than horseback, but pleasant just the same.”
“You make an excellent raven,” Alex said. “Now, I think you should rest with the others. We still have a long way to go, but I don’t think we will start too early.”
“Early would be better than late,” Thrang said as he yawned. “Less likely to be seen, and we need to get to Darvish quickly.”
“There is time,” said Alex. “And I doubt we will be seen. Even if we are, it fits into the legend, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Yes, of course,” said Thrang, walking slowly to his tent. “Wake me for breakfast, then.”
Alex smiled as Thrang walked away, and then turned back to the fire and Arconn. Arconn looked as if he wanted to ask a hundred questions but didn’t know where to begin. Alex took a chair from his magic bag and sat down next to the fire.
“What is it you want to know?” Alex asked.
“Nothing and everything,” Arconn said with a smile.
“That is easy and difficult,” Alex said and started to laugh.
“How long have you known? I mean, how long have you known that you could take the dragon form without losing yourself?”
“I wasn’t sure until today,” said Alex. “I almost lost myself when I went after the thunderbird, but then the
“What did it say?”
“It tried to magically change me back to my true form. It didn’t know that I was both man and dragon, and it thought it could force me back into the shape of a man.”
“But the spell didn’t work,” Arconn said.
“No, but it made me think. At the time, I thought I was only a dragon and I couldn’t remember what I was before,” said Alex. “When I thought about it, though, I remembered what I was. The memory was enough to allow me to see my true self as both man and dragon.”
“I am glad you did not lose yourself,” said Arconn.
“So am I,” Alex agreed. “But I must admit, I would rather be lost as a dragon than as any other living thing.”
“Even a man?”
“Yes, even a man.”
Arconn fell silent, and Alex allowed himself to rest in front of the fire. He wasn’t tired at all, but he needed to relax his mind. Several things were happening all at once in Thraxon, and he seemed to be in the middle of all of them. Not only had they recovered the Ring of Searching, which had been their goal all along, but he was about to take Kat to the empty tower, where he hoped she would be able to enter and become the oracle. Then there was the crown of Set, which Alex needed to return to King Thorgood. Thrang probably knew what Thorgood had promised, but Alex knew he didn’t want to talk about it until Thorgood was present.
Apart from everything else, there was also his link to Salinor and the other dragons. There was the evil spirit, Mog, which he had defeated in Nethrom’s cave, and there was the hidden conspiracy Bane had talked about. These were all important, but Alex didn’t know why exactly. It was like some huge puzzle, and he didn’t know what the picture would be when he put all the pieces together.
***
“At the speed you flew yesterday, we should reach Darvish before noon,” Thrang said to Alex over breakfast. “That leaves a full day and a half before the tower fades.”
“We won’t reach the tower today,” Alex said softly.
“Why not?” Arconn questioned. “Surely there is no reason to delay.”
“No real reason,” Alex said with a smile. “But part of being an oracle is what people think.”
“And you don’t think the people of Darvish will accept me as an oracle if I arrive today?” Kat asked.
“I think they will accept you, but that’s not enough,” Alex answered. “There needs to be a legend, something impressive that will be passed down from generation to generation. You realize that you will live for a very long time as the Oracle of the Empty Tower.”
“Yes, I’ve been thinking about that,” said Kat. “I think that is the part I fear the most.”
“Fear?” Thrang questioned.
“Perhaps fear is not the right word, but it is the only word that seems to fit,” Kat said, shaking her head. “I think Arconn must know what I mean. After all, he has lived for a long time.”
“You don’t want to see your friends grow old and die,” Arconn said in a kindly tone. “You don’t want to see those you care about fade, only to be replaced by others you do not know.”
“Yes,” Kat said, staring into the fire. “Men live a short time, dwarfs a little longer. Only elves and oracles seem to go on for ages.”
“And wizards and dragons,” Nellus said, glancing at Alex.
“Some wizards and some dragons,” Alex corrected. “Still, I can understand Kat’s fear because I have felt it too.”
“There are sorrows, that is true,” Arconn said thoughtfully. “We lose those who are close to us, and we are sad when they are gone. Still, there is the joy of life and the knowledge that those we love are never really gone, as long as we remember them.”
“Wise words, but they offer little comfort,” said Kat.
“If you do not wish to go to Darvish, we will not go,” Alex said softly.
“No, I must go,” said Kat in a determined tone. “I just hope it will be worth it.”
The others did not speak, mostly because they didn’t know what to say. How could any of them tell what the future held? How could they know if Kat would find being the Oracle of the Empty Tower worth the effort and the sacrifice?
Alex realized for the first time how similar his life was to Kat’s. He would probably live a long time as a wizard; Whalen had told him as much. How would he feel when his friends—the people who had taught him so much and been with him on his adventures—grew old and died? It was difficult to think about, but he knew it would happen.
“We should be going,” Alex said after several minutes of silence.
“I thought you said we wouldn’t reach Darvish today,” said Thrang.
“We won’t, but the dragon will,” Alex answered. “We’ll let the people of Darvish see the dragon today so the crowds can gather for tomorrow.”
“And then you’ll take us all to the city?” Thrain questioned.
“No, I will take only Kat,” Alex answered. “I will find a place close to the city for us to camp. Then tomorrow, before dawn, the rest of you will walk to the city. I will join you in the crowd later. After all, I don’t want to change into my human form in front of the crowd.”
“And I will be left alone to try to enter the tower,” Kat said sadly.
“You will enter the tower and become the oracle,” Alex said confidently. “After I deliver you to the tower, you will dismiss me as if I were your servant. That will help build your legend and reputation. I will fly away and vanish from the city, returning as a bird and meeting the others in the waiting crowds.”
“Very well,” said Kat. “I see the wisdom of your plan. I just hope I can enter the empty tower without going mad.”
“You will be the oracle,” Alex said again.
“How can you be so certain?” Kat questioned.
“Why else would you be traveling with a dragon?” Alex laughed.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The Oracle Returns
It was almost midday before Alex found a hiding place for them near the city of Darvish. He’d managed to slip into the trees near the road without being seen, and he left his friends there to make camp. Alex took flight once more and deliberately flew low over the city. He let out a great roar as he circled the empty tower and watched as the people of Darvish ran for their houses. When the city guards began to gather and form into groups to defend the city, he turned and flew back toward the mountains, vanishing behind the clouds and taking the shape of an eagle.
“An impressive show,” Arconn said as Alex changed back into himself by the campfire. “The people in the city must have been terrified.”
“Perhaps,” said Alex with a wicked smile. “We’ll give them a few hours to shake off their fear and remember the legends about the tower.”
“Do you suppose all legends come true like this?” Barnabus asked as he handed Alex a plate of food. “Crafty wizards doing things so the people will believe?”
“I don’t know,” Alex answered. “I think most legends come true because people believe in them and want them to come true, with or without the help of wizards.”
“I think most come true because they are meant to,” Arconn said. “I’ve been around for a long time, and I’ve seen and heard many legends. All the legends that have come true have done so more by luck than anything else.”
“Perhaps,” Thrang said. “Though I don’t really believe in luck or chance. I think there is something more—something we haven’t found a name for yet.”
“Whatever it is, I’m glad you are all here with me,” Kat said with a weak smile. “I don’t think I could do this alone.”
Later that day, Alex flew back over the city of Darvish, but this time the people did not run and hide as they had before. Once again he circled the tower, and once again he roared, but the city guards did not assemble to fight him. The people watched him, pointing and whispering to one another as he flew off toward the mountains.
When Alex returned for the third time, the sun w
“The city looks ready for your arrival,” Alex said to Kat when he returned to their camp. “People are already gathering near the tower.”
“Yes, your plan is working perfectly,” said Kat. “I hope it doesn’t fail tomorrow when I try to enter the tower.”
“It won’t,” Alex said reassuringly. “I’m sure you can enter the tower, and I think you know you can as well.”
“Perhaps,” said Kat with a slight smile.
None of them felt much like sleeping that night, but they all tried. Alex felt no need for sleep, having spent most of the day in the dragon’s shape. He sat beside the fire with Arconn, watching the stars move across the sky. It was well before sunrise when Thrang roused the rest of them, and they all prepared to go to the city.
“We’ll see you at the tower,” Thrang said, bowing to Kat. “May fortune smile on you this day.”
“You are most kind, my friends. I am in your debt,” Kat answered with a bow of her own.
As the others left, Alex turned to Kat. She looked a little nervous, and perhaps a little pale, and her clothes looked worn from the long journey.
“I don’t think you should enter your tower looking like that,” Alex said, trying and failing to frown.
“No, I suppose not,” said Kat, smiling weakly. “But I don’t have anything an oracle would wear.”
“With your permission,” said Alex, bowing slightly and raising his staff.
He touched Kat lightly on top of her head with his staff and a ball of white light covered her for a moment. As the light faded, Kat looked down at the long silver-white gown that Alex had created for her.
“It . . . it’s so beautiful,” Kat said, tears filling her eyes. “I’ve never owned a gown as fine as this.”
“It seems correct for the occasion,” said Alex. “Your friends may always remember you as Kat, but from this day on, you will be Katrina, the Oracle of the Empty Tower.”