Jake's Quest - Wizards V Read Free

dragons hovering above us fled as Galator took chase.
    Fluffy put a protective wing over me as I struggled to restore my shield around us. My view was blocked by his wing so I switched to magical sight.
    At first I thought they had all hopped as no dragons were visible in the heavens. Then two burst into existence and gouts of dragonfire spurted across the sky as they tried to cook each other. Then they were gone again. The fight was being fought mainly in glim, a halfway house between reality and hop space. The dragons maneuvered in glim and waited for their enemy to become visible. Only in reality could they use dragonfire against each other.
    Angry burst of magic flames shot across the sky.
    “Galator is winning.” His flames were much stronger than theirs and his aim was excellent.
    Fluffy aimed a wave of disagreement at me. [Galator is grievously hurt. Only his anger sustains him.]
    Whether injured or not, it was clear the other dragons were not willing to stay and fight. I could sense they had fled. Galator dropped back into reality and glided down towards us.
    [HELP HIM] Fluffy shouted as Galator’s descent became a plummet. Dragons fly by magic, being far too heavy to fly on their wings, which they use for fine flight control and effect. Galator had no control at all.
    Fluffy was using his magic to slow Galator down, but Galator was very heavy and his magic was having little effect. I added my own power, which was much stronger and between us we brought him down to a perfect three point landing.
    I was running towards him before he landed.
    [ WHAT ARE YOU DOING, WIZARD? ]
    He might be injured, but he sure could shout.
    “I can heal you.”
    The damned lizard was thinking about it. I stopped, all too aware I was facing the front end and Galator breathed dragonfire. Fluffy put in a word.
    [He is very good at healing dragons.]
    I can read dragon faces very well and Galator was in agony. If he didn’t let me help him soon it would be too late.
    [VERY WELL.]
    I stepped forward and put a hand on Galator’s face. So like Fluffy’s, but so much bigger. My consciousness expanded and encompassed the dragon’s body, flowing through his arteries and examining his cells.
    Dragons have evolved to resist dragonfire, but the other dragons had hit us at point blank range and my shield had not extended to Galator’s tail. In some ways it was surprising that his flesh had survived at all. As it was, his back end was more barbeque than dragon.
    But if there is appropriate material available, and if the rest of the body is strong enough to survive the shock, a wizard can remake flesh from what remains. The problem was that there were tons of flesh involved, more than Fluffy whole body weight. I bore down on the problem and felt my magical reserves depleting at an astonishing rate. There wasn’t going to be enough.
    I felt a claw touch me and fresh power surge through me. Fluffy was adding to my power and he seemed to be tapping into other dragons, for he was providing far more power than he possessed. The flesh healed and I stimulated Galator’s adrenal glands to try to offset the shock his body was going through.
    It was done. I dropped to the ground and opened my eyes. Perhaps a hundred dragons surrounded us, creating a vast circuit that had been feeding Fluffy as he fed me. The dragons started to hop away until only the three of us remained.
    “Why did those dragons attack us?” Despite my tiredness that question was uppermost in my mind.
    [NOT ALL DRAGONS THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE YOU SEEK. THEY THINK YOU REPRESENT A GREATER THREAT THAN THE DIABLI. THEY WILL BE HUNTED DOWN AND KILLED FOR THEIR TEMERITY TO ATTACK AN ELDER.]
    I have enough blood on my hands and there are far too few dragons in the multiverse as it is. They are a dying species.
    “Don’t do that, I withdraw my request. Do not kill them for doing what they think is right. I will watch the Diabli for you without conditions.”
    Galator stared at me.