Battle Mage: Dragon Mage (Tales of Alus) Read Online Free Page B

flight towards the school, the girl nearly missed the large dark form of a mar’goyn’lya approaching her.
    “Cheleya, what’s wrong?” Kel’lor’s voice questioned as the male mar’goyn’lya approached her in flight. In the open he was much faster than the human with her wings. He noted the odd color from the che’ther that usually preferred red or even pink wings. Black must have some meaning behind them and he knew that it must be as dark as the color she used.
    “My... my... mother,” Cheleya stammered and noted the strange, stuttering breaths as she quickly gasped. The tears and the strange tightness in her chest were new. Was this one of the emotions that the masters had warned Cheleya about when she was first given her amulet? The amulets were more than a surface illusion. Using an amulet, a che’ther truly became a human in all ways.
    Cheleya had been using her human form more and more lately. She supposed these new emotions were simply a side affect of the spell.
    “What about your mother?” the male gargoyle asked as he flew effortlessly beside her as his large leathery wings propelled him through the air.
    Kel’lor was a close friend, but the girl wondered whether she should tell him all that had happened. A che’ther rarely expressed conflict between them and certainly not to outsiders. They didn’t feel emotions like a human, though pride and secrecy were part of their nature.
    “I left my home. I am going to stay at the Academy,” Cheleya said wiping at a nose suddenly dripping, though she knew not how it formed so much water.
    “Why would you do that?” again he asked calmly and Cheleya found his calm tone was beginning to aggravate her instead.
    “What does it matter? I am not going back there. My mother doesn’t understand me or my magic and I can’t live with her any longer,” the girl complained as the two climbed higher and higher. The school actually consisted of several mountain top buildings. They were on high to keep those that were not part of them away from the secrets of che’ther and mar’goyn’lya magic. There were both secrets and dangers to those born without the powers the magicians and wizards held.
    Managing to shrug despite flying, Kel’lor replied simply, “Those without magic always seem unable to understand wizards. I left my nest decades ago. My family can fly, but they all lack any magic.”
    “Do you live in the school?” the girl asked suddenly realizing that she really knew very little of her classmate outside of the school. He was older than her and she knew that he had trained in other styles of magic before trying to learn the dragon magic. Beyond his basic personality, Cheleya didn’t know things like his true age or where he lived.
    He shook his head. “My clan has eyries on the northern mountain. I live there.”
    The che’ther had never thought about where the mar’goyn’lya actually lived. Her people occupied the valley between the spires and few of the gargoyles actually lived among them. Many shops held both mar’goyn’lya and humans in the market areas, but she guessed that wasn’t where they also lived.
    Occupying her mind with the trivial thoughts, the girl arrived at the building where most of her classes were taught. Malaketh might be around or maybe one of the other masters, she thought. Not sure what to do about Kel’lor’s presence, Cheleya said, “I think I will look for someone that can tell me where I can stay. You do not need to wait on me, Kel’lor, since I will be here when you return in the morning.
    Perched on the rail before the doorway leading into their classroom, the gargoyle smiled grimly and nodded. While the che’ther weren’t always sure of meanings behind other races’ words in their dealings, a mar’goyn’lya was able to understand the others much easier. They had more human like emotions and looked like them in some ways.
      “Well, if you think that you will be all right for tonight, then I will