Chapter 56: The Counsel of Mages

The next morning, after the mages awoke and had breakfast with Dregan's family, they discussed their plans.

"With the curse broken," said Dregan, "you all can go home whenever you please.'

"But first you mentioned Lady Iridesca," reminded Zentarou.

"She and Feamor worked hard trying to find you," Ev said from his seat on the steps where he was polishing his sword, a sentient blade named Agaru-Gurtha, or Crimson Death. "I think that's where Adynaeus went early last morning, to see what they'd found, then to search the northern coast."

"I think I hear him returning," added Aerderwyn. Dregan listened, then nodded in agreement before scowling in the direction of the door leading to Kest and Quatrill's bedroom, as if he'd heard a noise. With a wave of his hand, he casted a spell that created a shimmer over the entire wall and the door. Evarion smirked, but didn't comment as a shadow darkened over the inn and a loud flapping noise was heard.

"Trolly-molly, what's that!"

"Adynaeus," Layrina answered from the kitchen. The shadow remained for a while, along with the flapping noise, then it slowly receded, and a dragon about the size of a horse landed on the yard and stuck his head in, it's scales a lovely purplish color that shimmered with a rainbow effect.

"Dregan!" Adynaeus transformed himself into a fair-haired elf wearing simple tan clothes and entered. "What - how - when - ?" Dregan chuckled.

"A long story. But I have a favor to ask. My fellow mages and I need a ride to Salladuim. I would dimension door us there, but I think they'd enjoy the trip." The polymorphed dragon smiled.

"Whenever you're ready... but I expect a telling of this 'long story' when we're done." The mages all smiled.

"Done. Lets go." Outside, Dregan - after making several promised not to disappear again - and the mages watched as Adynaeus shape shifted again into a dragon about Natar's size, and the mages climbed on.

"Hold on." He took a couple of galloping strides, then leapt into the air, snapping his tail down for a little extra boost as his wings beat. They quickly were high above the trees, and the prismatic dragon looked back at them. "I'm going to shift to my larger form now. I'd advise not to hold on tightly, and to not sit straddling my back." Once they were settled, he abruptly grew into a massive dragon, truly the biggest thing they'd ever seen. His wingspan alone had to be ninety feet from tip to tip! As he prepared for his first initial forward beat, Dregan said,

"In the words of Cedras - " Down came the wings, and they shot forward. "I'll never get used to thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssss!"

Each powerful wing beat carried them for smiled. None of the mages had ever traveled so fast before. Within minutes they had crossed the span of the Maelstrom Desert, going to the north of it, as seemingly even the ancient dragon didn't like to fly over it. Before three quarters of an hour had passed, they were circling the Mage Keep. Adynaeus returned to his smaller size, and landed outside the gate, situated centered on the south wall. The mages slid to the ground.

"Are you coming in?" asked Dregan.

"No. This is prime sunning area." And Adynaeus stretched out in the warm sun to bask.

The two guards, both humans, pales considerably when they saw Dregan, and instantly opened the gates for the mages. But before they entered, the Dunedi turned to his fellows.

"Before we go in, I feel there's something you should know. There are no secrets in Salladuim. Iridesca can read the surface thoughts of any who enter, and has wards on the gate to alert her when any non-student passes through. She will know we're here, and probably a lot about each of you, before we get more than five paces in. All that okay?"

"I have no secrets, none that a simple surface reading could detect," replied Zentarou, knowing Dregan had said this mostly for his benefit, being a prince and all. Orko and Vivi nodded in agreement, and they entered. Before they had taken five steps in, a young elf in gray robes ran up to them, appearing as if he's run from a great distance.

"The - the Counsel, " he panted, "wha - wants to see you - immediately." Dregan smiled.

"I thought they might. You can catch your breath. I know the way." Dregan led them with great familiarity through the main keep, to a room where sat the five Counsel Mages. Dregan's description of them had been perfect, and despite the warning they remembered from his story they all looked at the shade elf to the closest left. Each felt a strong twinge of fear, but amazingly were able to shake it off. Chairs materialized at a gesture from one in tan who sat to the right of the only woman, and the Bretheren Arcanum sat down.

"It's good to see you again, Dregan," the Lady Iridesca said.

"As it is to see you, Iridesca, Mages. These three mages with me are Vivi Orunitia, Orko the Great, and Zentarou Cat."

"Iridesca says you have something of importance to show us," Feamor prompted, his voice a ghostly whisper that sent shivers down their backs. Dregan pulled out the gate cube and handed it to the elf.

"It's a gate cube, and we know some about it. But before the four of us parted ways we wanted to know if there was any underlying magics about them." The Domedi mage studies the cube for a few moments, then it was passed to each mage in turn. The length they studies it varied, and then it was handed back by Stratix.

"No nature magics," he said as Dregan took it from his hand.

"Only minor creation," said Jayden in turn.

"Heavy planar magics," Feamor whispered, "but standard for a cubic gate."

"It's of no interest to me," the fourth man, Jaskar Mageweave, said. "Although I would dearly love to speak with you, mageling," he added, looking at Vivi.

"There is magic pertaining to my Discipline," finished Iridesca. "Remnants of a curse of sorts, fast fading, and divination magic."

"Divination?" all four echoed.

"Dregan, you know what happens if one is on a plane, and pressed the side of a gate cube keyed to that same plane?"

"Of course. Nothing happens."

'Press your side." Dregan sis, and the other three cubes began to shake. Upon inspection, the mages observed that the amethyst side was flashing brightly. "Divination. If a side is pressed while on it's matching plane, it send a signal of sorts to the others."

"An alarm..." mused Zentarou, looking at the Bretheren. "Those demons are still out there. If one of us is threatened, they can call the others for help."

"Good," they all agreed. They stayed there for a couple of hours, talking of magic, how they each casted, what it was like on their worlds, and the like. Then they bid the Counsel of Mages farewell, and returned to the Syndisian Sword.