Spoilers Ahead! This story follows the Luca Plotline, LOOSELY, and will contain spoilers.
Dragon's Touch Series Book 1
The Tower of Sorrow
Chapter 7.
Once inside the tower, Merkulova shut the door. Luca grabbed Katarina by the shoulders and looked at her. "Are you okay?" he asked as he gently checked her over.
Katarina nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Instead, she looked around. They were in a plain room with no decorations. A spiral staircase was the only thing of note other than the torches on the walls.
"Let's go," Merkulova said as he pointed his wand at them.
Luca pulled Katarina into his arms, "She got you here, she's of no use to you now. Let her go."
"No use?" Merkulova laughed. "How else will I get you to cooperate? I've done my research, boy. I need you to get the stone. Now get going." He moved to shove them, but Luca pulled Katarina away and moved to the stairs.
"I'm sorry," Luca told her after some time of climbing. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be here." He sounded sad, so Katarina reached out and gripped his hand tightly, smiling as best she could at him.
The rest of the climb was in silence and it seemed a long time before they finally reached the top. There was a large stone door that looked far to heavy to open. When Luca tried, at Merkulova's insistence, it didn't budge at all.
"Why?!" Merkulova growled. "I'm so close now, and yet this damn door!" He began to cast spells at it, but the door just absorbed them. He turned on Luca and Katarina, "You know how to open it!"
"I have no idea!" Luca yelled back at him.
"Don't lie to me, boy!" Merkulova grabbed Katarina and pulled her against him. One hand on her throat, he pointed his wand at her with the other.
"Please..." Katarina choked.
"Tell me now, or she dies," Merkulova said.
Luca looked panicked, "I don't know!"
"Tell me!" Merkulova's wand dug into Katarina's neck.
"I'm telling the truth!" Luca screamed desperately, afraid for Katarina.
"The song..." Katarina heard. "Use the words to the song."
"Sprikuenall..." Katarina forced out as Merkulova pressed on her neck. The door reacted to her words and gave off a low hum.
"What is that?" Merkulova asked her. "You know how to open it, so do it!" He shoved her down and Katarina gasped for air as Luca moved to her side.
Luca glared up at Merkulova angrily, "I swear…"
"What?" Merkulova cut him off. "You'll punish me for what I've done? Please, you are nothing but a spoiled brat. Now get her on her feet and open the door."
Katarina moved to stand with Luca's help. She was feeling weak, physically and emotionally. Softly, she said the words to the song she could hear yet again, "Sprikuenall kohdu. Sriitanmera muruto."
The door glowed bright blue and hummed the tune of the song before opening smoothly.
"Finally!" Merkulova said as he shoved the students into the room. Katarina stumbled and Luca caught her, pulling her to the side as Merkulova moved pass them. "The Dragon of Time," he said in wonder.
They stood in a large circular room, larger than the tower was. That door must have transported them to another space entirely by magic for it to have been so much bigger on the inside. Katarina supposed it needed to be, though, in order to fit the life-sized statue of a dragon. At least, she assumed it was life-sized. The dragon was western style, standing on all four legs, with its wings spread out. Its head was low as if it were bowing.
Merkulova admired it for only a moment before turning back around and pointing his wand at them. Luca pulled Katarina behind him protectively. "Get it out," Merkulova said.
"Why do you want it so bad? It has no power," Luca told him. "It means nothing!"
Merkulova laughed, "Nothing? No, it means everything. It is the heart of this country. I'm sure the royal family will do much and more to bring it back. Wouldn't they, Luca?"
Luca glared at him, "It's just a rock."
"A rock that shows the past of the royal bloodline. Now get it out."
"Is it trapped? Is that why you wont get it yourself?" Katarina asked from safely behind Luca.
Merkulova laughed almost giddily, "You haven't told her, have you?" He looked at Luca's frowning face. "Sweet, little, innocent Katarina. So, so far in the dark, are you. Luca has been lying to you all this time. You see, only one of royal blood can take the stone from the dragon."
Katarina looked from Luca to Merkulova, both men glaring at each other, "I-I don't understand."
Merkulova sighed in frustration, "Slow, aren't you? And here I thought you were an honor student."
"Merkulova…." Luca warned.
Ignoring him, Merkulova continued, "I needed someone who could hear the Carbuncle Song to get here. There are many spells and wards on the forest to make wanderers stray. But what would the point in getting here be, if I could not take the prize? I needed royalty. So I did the research, and found that the heir to the throne seemed to have all but vanished about five years ago. I dug deeper and discovered he'd been secreted away to Gedonelune Royal Magic Academy. Right where I needed him. It took time before I figured out who he was, but that earring gave you away, boy. I knew who you were as soon as I saw it."
Katarina looked at him in surprise, "L-luca?"
"I'm sorry," he said to her.
Merkulova snickered, "And my job became so easy when I discovered the needed Animal Speaker was his little girlfriend. Threaten her beloved familiar, and she would help. Threaten her, and he would help. Even after all his attempts to push you away, you just couldn't take the hint, girl."
Everything became so clear at that moment to Katarina. Luca's awkwardness when they were around others, his faked assault, the hiding and secrets. Everything made sense. When she looked up at him, he was frowning angrily and staring at Merkulova.
"Now, let me say it again. Get the stone out, or I will bring you both pain."
Luca pulled Katarina with him, making sure to keep himself between her and Merkulova, as he moved to the dragon. Sighing, he said his full name, "Luciano Orudeus Gedonelune." The left eye of the dragon glowed a brilliant red and Luca reached out. Grasping it in his hand, he gave a slight tug and the hard red stone came out easily. It showed him his worst nightmare, Katarina on the ground, unmoving.
Merkulova snatched it as Luca's face paled, laughing manically. "Finally! The advantage we need!"
"We?" Katarina asked automatically and regretted instantly.
Merkulova turned to her with a glare and pointed his wand, "Where you're going, you wont need to know."
Katarina bit back her sobs as Luca glared even more intensely at the Professor. "You wont get away with this. The Mages will catch you."
Merkulova laughed, "The fabled Three Mages? I don't see them anywhere, do you?" Merkulova made a show of glancing around.
"If you're going to kill us anyway, at least tell us why," Luca prompted.
Merkulova frowned, "Your stalling is getting you nowhere, but I'll oblige you. What's the fun in killing children who know nothing? Your further despair might make it more fun." Merkulova was absolutely crazy, Katarina had no doubt about that. "Here's the big secret. Gedonelune is not my country. My ruler wants this land for his own, well, really all lands. He needs Gedonelune's magical prowess, though. Taking this priceless heirloom, we plan to force Gedonelune into an alliance to fight in all the upcoming wars. King Kirnon will unite the kingdoms and rule over all."
Luca smirked and Merkulova frowned at him.
"What are you smiling about? You are about to die." Merkulova growled.
"Are they?" a new voice asked from the door.
Merkulova spun and threw a spell at the newcomer, but it was absorbed in a light barrier. Professor Dubois stood in the entrance with her arms crossed over her chest, frowning at Merkulova. She held her wand loosely in one hand.
"Don't come any closer or I'll kill them!" Merkulova pointed his wand at the students and moved to grab one, but his hand bounced off another barrier, placed by Dubois, with a loud snap. Merkulova yelped as his hand came away smoking.
Dubois flicked her wand, and the barrier in front of her disappeared, "You've lost, Loran. Put your wand down and come with me." She moved towards him.
Merkulova scowled before casting a spell at her. She deflected it with her own. He continued to throw spell after spell at her and one broke through her defenses. He thought it would hit her, but another blast came from somewhere to her left.
"You're late," she smiled as Professor Schuyler stepped from the shadows.
"Your chimera wouldn't let me go," Schuyler stated haughtily.
"Artie does like you," Dubois said, never moving her gaze from Merkulova.
Schuyler looked from the students to Merkulova, "It is now two-to-one. You have no chance here, Loran. Surrender."
Merkulova's glare deepened, "I'll smash the stone if you try to stop me!" He raised his hand in the air high. Both professors stopped in their tracks.
The two sides were glaring daggers at each other and completely ignoring Luca and Katarina. Without thinking, Luca ran from behind the barrier and tackled Merkulova. They tumbled down in a mass of arms and legs. The Dragon Eye went flying into the air.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion to Katarina as the stone tumbled in the air. Luca fought to get the wildly casting wand from Merkulova. Spells were firing in all directions as they grappled on the ground. Schuyler was running towards them, deflecting shots as he went. Dubois was screaming for Katarina to get down as she moved towards her. All Katarina saw was the beautiful red stone falling, falling to surely shatter on the cold, unyielding stone floor. Not thinking, she ran for it and reached out.
"Katarina!"
She heard Luca call out her name and white hot pain shot through her leg as the stone landed safely in her arms. Falling to the ground, she managed to slam her head against the floor and everything went black.