Rampart of Thorns: Monsters and Magic Sword & Sorcery by Robert E. Vardeman & Richard Prosch

Author:Robert E. Vardeman & Richard Prosch [Vardeman, Robert E. & Prosch, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Cenotaph Corporation
Published: 2024-09-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Devron idly scratched at the sand flea bite.

Using magicks to wipe away his injuries was a luxury, but he understood the allure, how it must feel to be a powerful master mage controlling vast powers ordinary people never suspected. Confidence surged through him.

Just as rapidly it ebbed away.

Somehow, trusting in his own ingenuity made him feel better.

He scratched the sand flea bite, but it failed to immediately heal.

"Just as well," he said, turning to Mangle. “Come on, old friend.” He put both hands under the damaged dragon’s wings. He pulled, and tugged, and slipped about in the sand. Doubling his effort availed him little. He only moved the heavy mechanical beast a few feet.

"We've got to get you off the beach. Sand in your gears will destroy you." He laughed as a curious thought came to him. "I should build a clockwork chicken. It could use sand in its gizzard."

A cold shiver passed up his spine when he saw how Mangle glared at him. The dragon did not think his jest to be in the least funny.

"Sorry," he apologized, realizing he treated the mechanism as if it were alive.

It certainly acted like it was alive, with the attitude of a haughty domesticated cat.

Or was it only in his imagination? Devron’s agile mind had always come up with weird stories when he was a child. There wasn't any reason for that quirk to go away now that he was a master mechanician. If anything, his imagination had allowed him to design not only the two dragons but the Relfis and Porkly.

Again, he dug his toes into the sand and pushed, realizing that of all his creations he missed the mechanical pig the most.

He dropped to his knees and stared into Mangle's shining red eyes. The dragon nodded solemnly, as if agreeing.

A tingle of apprehension worked through Dev’s gut. Machines did not come alive, magicks or not.

"Come on, let's see if I can get you far enough onto the beach so the tide won't sweep you away."

Mangle snapped at him.

The serrated jaws missed clamping down on his arm by a scant inch.

“What are you—?”

Then Dev realized the dragon looked past him, out to sea. He turned slowly.

The water rose in towering waves.

Mangle shuddered under his grip. He lost his balance and sat heavily. The dragon's jaws fastened on the rucksack and tore a small hole in the tough fabric.

"What're you doing?”

Another bottle of the Arlys Springs water tumbled out onto the sand. Dev picked it up and stared hard at Mangle.

"You want me to drink?"

When the dragon's head bobbed up and down three times, he took a sip of the water. "So?"

Nothing had changed out at sea. Only now he saw with enhanced Arlys vision.

Everything had changed.

The waves gleamed energumen green, and gold shards of light danced through the streams. A blue foam formed on the beach and ebbed and flowed, pulsing with the rhythm of the water, a thing breathing and living. He squinted to better focus his newly augmented vision.

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