Egbert trudged along the rocky mountain trail practically
dragging his resistant mule up the steep incline. The gray, overcast
sky cast a foreboding tone to the already grim task that lie
ahead - just around the next bend.
"Master, you do not need to do this," Egbert pleaded over his
shoulder to the cloaked figure astride the irascible mule. "We might
still turn around and be back in town by nightfall tomorrow."
The white-bearded man looked up from the large tome he had been
poring over the entire journey; how he could read anything on the back
of a jouncing jackass was beyond Egbert. Egbert did not have to turn
around to see that those all-seeing eyes were drilling into the back of
his head.
"Always the doubting student you are, young Egbert, full of
skepticism and uncertainty. And that is why you will never become a
mage of any great power."
Egbert shrugged off the last bit of his mentor's comment. The
mage was constantly degrading him, but Edgar accepted that as part of
his schooling. The old man did hit a chord, though; Edgar was
seriously doubting the elder wizard's power this time.
"But, a dragon, Master? Why cross a dragon if you truly do not
have to?" Egbert stopped, staring up at the mouth of the cave in the
black stone of the mountainside. A thin wisp of steam curled out
dissipating quickly in the cool morning air.
The wizard, too, was looking up but with a look of
determination rather than the fear that his protégé wore. He slammed
closed the heavy, leather-bound tome and slid from the back of his
cranky steed. He stretched his sore back to its full height and felt
the vertebrae crackle back into place. He dropped a withering glare
over his nervous assistant.
"Why, you ask? Why do I go to do battle with one of the
grandest creatures in all of the lands?" He paused to watch the lack
of confidence crease Egbert's face. "Because I, Shaltezar the
Powerful, am no coward, and because I alone possess more potent magics
than all of the wizards in the East Provinces together! I will destroy
this menace to the lands, and I will be able to retire with one of the
greatest trophies in my considerable repertoire."
Egbert stared incredulously at his teacher who had puffed up to
twice his normal size with all of the considerable flattery he had
given himself. With a huff, Shaltezar the Powerful thrust his
well-worn spellbook into Egbert's hands and moved to begin the short
scramble necessary to reach the dragon's cave. Abruptly Shaltezar
turned back to Egbert with a harsh gaze and a single skeletal finger
held up in warning.
"Egbert, I will return shortly after having swiftly dispatching
this miserable beast. I do not want to come back and find that you
have sneaked a peek into my grimoire." With that, he resumed his
climb.
Egbert stared down in disbelief at the heavy tome in his
hands. He could not even remember all of the times he had wished to
glance upon the pages of this considerable book. His fingertips itched
to draw back the cover and read one of the arcane spells inside; but he
had been warned, and somehow he knew that if he opened the manual, his
teacher would find out and he would be in the worst trouble his short
life had ever seen. He decided to resist his urges.
Egbert looked up just in time to see that his mentor had gained
the ledge in front of the dragon's cave. The old mage straightened his
robes and cast a few spells of protection upon himself. With a stern
look down to his apprentice and a nod that suggested he was about to
undertake the most menial of tasks, Shaltezar the Powerful thrust
himself into the dragon's lair.
"Come out and meet your death, you miserable wyrm," the
wizard's magically enhanced voice boomed from the cave. "Your days of
pillaging towns and devouring young maidens have come to an end."
Egbert nodded approvingly at his mentor's courage and even
chuckled at the words he used to force the dragon to become enraged and
make a foolish mistake that would mean his demise at the hands of the
powerful spellcaster. Egbert prepared himself for the long battle that
would now ensue between the two strong opponents. Spell combat,
powerful dragons were known to be have the ability to cast spells too,
was notoriously drawn out as the combatants attacked and defended
attempting to wear each other down over time.
The earth-shattering roar that Egbert expected did not come;
the sound from the cave was more of a snort. Billowing yellow flames
erupted from the cave leaping out hundreds of feet. Egbert threw
himself to the ground and his mule brayed in terror and bolted. The
heat radiating from the gout of flame was so tremendous that Egbert
thought he was going to be cooked to a crisp even this distance away.
As suddenly as the flames had come, they stopped. An odd sound
made Egbert glance up toward the mouth of the cave that was glowing red
from the heat of the great wyrm's breath. Bouncing down the
mountainside and coming directly toward him was a flaming object.
Egbert watched in dismay as he recognized the burning travel boot of
his now deceased mentor.
Egbert stood and brushed himself off. He glanced quickly at
the barbecued footwear that had come to rest only ten feet away then
his eyes fell upon the spellbook that he had so unceremoniously dumped
on the ground. With a shrug, he lifted the tome from the mud and went
about the arduous task of retrieving his mule.
Why would a wizard cross a dragon, you ask?
My friend, I cannot, for the life of me, figure that one out.
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