The Torque

Jerri LaPoint

I was minding my own business, really. Just walking down a country road and having a chat with my companion whose main means of communication was a low growl, and whose main topic of conversation was why are we going to your town and not to my village? I had pretty much exhausted all the answers, of which the main one was because there's a family wedding I have to attend and you are just excess baggage and a burden. Rough talk, but given the circumstances, I was being as polite as possible.

We were raising quite a cloud of dust. I had her tied to the belt of my tunic with a length of twine and I was just kicking her along. I didn't want to touch her and dragging her seemed out of the question. I wanted her in plain sight at all times. She was quite powerful, though obviously not built for personal locomotion. Jewelry is like that.

She was exceptionally beautiful, as well. A torque of solid gold that shone with rare beauty even through the dust of several counties. Her surface was inlaid with spells and incantations that defied my journeyman mage level of understanding. All I knew was that gazing upon her closely made my eyes hurt and my mind grow foggy. Touching her was obviously out of the question.

She had been placed in a case at the mage school by The Powers That Be for all to examine. We had been warned that she might try to escape, though not told why she might do this or how. I found out for myself by accident. I had been working in one of the shielded practice halls and was returning to my own room late at night. The hallway was empty and I felt drawn to look at the torque. I like jewelry more than I should, and much more than the practice of magic will ever afford if I don't acquire skills and talents far beyond my current ken. So looking at the torque was unavoidable. Nothing suspicious about that desire, nor the longing that sprang up in my greedy breast upon seeing it up close.

I mistook the urge to lift the thing out of its glass case for a simple act of stupidity. To make a long story short, the torque and I had a conversation in which she explained that she had been empowered by the conjoined wills of the folk of a village. She was their good luck, their weather watcher, and their focus when blessings of children, beasts, and crops were asked of the gods. She was good at her job and she liked her job. So when she was stolen, sold several times, and finally rescued by a mage connected to my school, her fondest desire was to return home and begin her job anew.

But, no. She was too valuable to be released. She needed to be studied, her depths plumbed, her spells examined for the greater good or arcane curiosity or some such. I was shocked. I had been planning to return to my own town for a family event, elder brother getting married, family pride and all that; so it was only a small step to taking the torque with me and returning her to her own home after the family celebrations ended.

While I was packing my few things for the journey, I discovered that touching the torque made her mind loom much larger in my own and her wishes began to override my own thoughts. I practiced stepping away and then coming within her reach again, concluding that I didn't want her touching my body and it were better if I maintained some distance between us. Hence the length of twine and the kicking her down the road routine.

You see, I'm not a disrespectful person. I wanted to help her, but didn't want to enslave myself to the wishes of a piece of ensorcelled jewelry. I explained this to her, and after grumbling and moaning she agreed to cooperate.

We left by dark of night and made good progress. I attempted to rest after daybreak, but was urged on by my companion, who was concerned that the blessings for children, beasts and crops were far overdue.

About mid-day there was a disturbance in the air, and I half expected legions of angry mages to appear and carry us back to the magestry. I was relieved when only two young men appeared, one quite comely and the other built on a massive scale defying description.

The comely one approached and spoke, but I could not understand a single word. I shook my head and continued walking. He didn't seem upset, but kept pace and kept talking. To my amazement, I began to understand his words and figured it out. A translation spell. He must be a powerful mage, indeed, to invoke such a spell and have it work without my saying a word. Then I looked down. She was still mumbling and complaining and she was talking about them. The comely one and the other, whom she seemed to have determined was a dragon in human guise.

Amazing.

The nice-looking one was still talking and I began to pay attention. "...on a vacation, just wandering the countryside and we would like to accompany you...Miss."

"My name is Forswich and you wish to accompany me and my friend here." I kicked her and was rewarded with an angry grunt.

He spared a look downward. I give him credit that he did not reach down to take her in hand. "Sentient jewelry. Coran, look here."

The massive one approached and made a half bow to me. He ignored my protests and reached down to pick up the torque, turning it about in his hands and smiling as she spoke rapidly and persuasively to him. She was trying to talk him into taking her and flying to her village. Some mention of reward was made, and I could sense her pushing on his mind with tremendous strength. I would certainly have been bowled over by its power, have hurried to obey her every command, had I been so beseeched.

But the one called Coran just smiled and gazed upon the gold. "I agree, you've been badly used, Melda. I will see that you are returned home in good time. Be a little patient." He looked at me. "She is grateful for all you've tried to do for her, in spite of how she talks. She merely thinks that I can deliver her to her home a bit faster and, perhaps, in time for the autumn blessing. I have to agree that she might be correct. I offer you both transportation. First to her village, and then to your town for your brother's wedding. Are you agreeable?"

"Transportation?"

The handsome one spoke. "Let me introduce us. I am Marvin, journeyman mage from Terra, and this brute is actually a dragon. Coran of the DragonClan Percheus, also of Terra. And he is capable of delivering you...us...to wherever you might need to go, and quickly."

I could feel the push of Melda's mind on mine to agree with them, and so I did. And the most amazing thing happened. Right there in front of all of us, Coran stripped until he was bare naked and began a transformation that fairly took my breath away. I had heard of dragons, of course, but never seen one. They are reclusive folk and not given to socializing with humans. I'd never heard of one who could be a human one minute and a dragon the next. He went from a suntanned hunk of man to a massively winged, deep purple-hued, sharp-toothed, long-tailed, scaley, reptilian-eyed behemoth of a dragon while I watched. Then he reached down and scratched himself with talons that were capable of butchering cattle, and sighed with relief. "Transforming itches," he said.

Then he extended that same taloned hand to me to assist me in climbing to his back. When I hesitated, Marvin urged me forward and helped maintain my balance as I climbed. Then he took Coran's hand and made short work of the same climb. We were cozily ensconced on the dragon's back and she was almost purring with contentment. Jewelry does that when it gets its own way.

Coran was gathering himself to leap into the air. I could feel his muscles bunching and a building of power about me, when he stopped cold and said a word I am certain would be very rude in his language.

I peeked around his massive neck and saw the source of his anger. The cops had arrived. A group of senior mages from the school had just popped in and were moving to encircle us.

"Give up the girl," Master Todar ordered.

Coran turned to look at me sitting on his back and asked, "You want to go with them?"

"Uh...no." There were many reasons why I didn't want to go with them, not the least of which was the fact this wasn't the first time I'd stepped on the senior toes and I had been the recipient of dire warnings against a repeat performance.

"She says she wants to go with us," Coran replied, "so we'll be going now."

I could feel his muscles harden and prepare for takeoff again and held my breath. His wings spread to a truly impressive span and began a slow beat. Then he stopped again. The mages gathered around us had placed a tangle field to hold him on the ground.

I had placed the torque in a pocket of my tunic and I could feel it urging me to place it around my neck. Thoughtlessly and recklessly, I let the urge take me over. I raised the torque to my throat and felt it encircle my neck. The words were not mine, but I spoke them. "Begone, usurpers of powers not your own. I protect what is mine, and I claim the girl, the man, and the dragon for my own."

The mages around us looked skeptical, then distinctly uncomfortable as fire began to lick around their ankles. Master Todar quenched the flames with a contemptuous gesture. I knew he wanted me, and he wanted me not for myself, but for what I wore about my neck. Or, in truth, was wearing me. I said as much under my breath, and could feel Melda's agreement.

I never bothered to wonder at Coran's thoughts or at Marvin's. Apparently, Master Todar did not consider them significant for he took little heed of where he stepped, and seemed surprised when Coran reared up to a truly magnificent height on his hind legs. I was surprised, too, and afraid of losing my seat. Marvin, however, held me firmly in place before him with his knees.

He placed both hands on the dragon's neck and I felt a surge of power. I felt the tangle field dissipate and a backlash of power strike out at the mages who had held it. As one, they fell to the ground unconscious. All except Todar, who had held himself free of the field and was threatening me with dire retribution, beginning with the quenching of my powers and not ending with the most painful physical torments he could devise.

Melda took exception in a way that displeased me immensely. The gold torque melted and flowed completely about my neck, its ends joining and solidifying in place. She had made herself part of me without so much as a hint of her intent. I screamed in pain and horror at the joining.

Todar knew what she had done as soon as she began. His minions recovered from their shock, gathered about him, and they all disappeared in a flash of smoke and lightning. Marvin figured it out quickly, and Coran dropped back to all fours and looked at me in shock.

I tried to pry the metal from my neck, but only succeeded in bruising the flesh there. Melda fairly laughed in triumph, then informed me that I could either deliver her to her home immediately, or I could be enslaved to her will until my mortal body crumbled under the weight. There was no doubt that hers was the more powerful mind. Her will would determine my fate.

I had no choice. I requested of Coran and Marvin that we begin the journey to her home in all haste. There was still pain in the joining, and Marvin looked especially concerned and angry for me. "Let's fly, Dragonboy," he said roughly.

This time, with no tangle field or angry mages to block the path, Coran sprang into the air and his wings beat smoothly to gain altitude. Melda exercised her control over me and gave instructions to her home village. The flight might have been exciting or scary or boring, but I knew not. I had been assigned a small portion of my own mind in which to spend the time and had no choice but to stay there while Melda chatted up the man and dragon.

Coran was as good as his word. The flight was much quicker than walking the same distance and he had us on the ground outside Melda's village before sunset. Melda graciously allowed that he should change back into human form before entering the town, and he shimmered quietly for a few moments before settling into his massive human persona.

Marvin had his arm about me as we walked through town to the temple where Melda had been displayed as the focus for the people's devotion and the source of their blessings. Waves of pride and pleasure engulfed me, and then a hint that she might like to keep me as her handy spokesbody.

"Parasite!" I thought at her, unwisely but truthfully.

Without hesitation, she knocked me to my knees and began inducing pain, robbing me of breath and thought. I cried out and could feel Marvin's hands supporting me to the ground.

The dragonman stepped forward and knelt next to me. "Melda," he said quietly, and I could feel some relief as the power of the torque temporarily lost interest in punishing me and practically batted my eyelashes at him.

"Melda," he said again. "Let her go. She kept her promise. I kept mine. You keep yours."

"She is very convenient and very pliant. She will learn to be content," Melda insisted.

"You refuse to set her free?" Coran frowned.

"Go on with your business, dragon," she snarled through my lips. "Leave us or I shall truly devour her mind. I will be her and she will remain mine."

I got a little dizzy at that concept, and didn't like it. I exerted a little pressure on the box I seemed to be confined in. It wasn't a very strong box. Melda didn't think much of me. I pressed harder. Then I dug an elbow in and felt it bend. I settled down to work quietly and quickly. Keep her busy, Dragonman, I thought.

We entered the temple together and Melda's sense of triumph and relief was overwhelming. She had been honest about her longing to return. I had to grant her that. I dug in with my fingernails. The box was splintering.

Melda was leading Coran and Marvin to the female statue which she had once adorned. It was a beautiful statue, with a finely chiselled face and a terrific build. Much better than mine, but then I could walk and talk and everything. When Melda let me. I kicked the box.

"Beautiful statue," Coran remarked, caressing one of its naked breasts gently.

"Yes, indeed," Melda smirked, "carved by the most ..."

"Practically immortal," he continued and his hand slid down the statue's side to rest upon its bare stone bottom."

"The focus for worship should be immortal," Melda said proudly.

"Pity. The body you inhabit now will begin to sag soon. Wrinkles and bags all over. But this beauty will last forever."

I got very quiet inside my box. I understood his intent, even if she didn't. I just hoped to make my play as soon as he cleared the field. Lovely dragonman.

Marvin took over. "She must have been so lovely with you about her throat..."

"People came from miles around to see us."

"To see such beauty and to know such goodness..."

"We gave the blessings..." Melda almost wept with memories of her own good deeds.

Marvin straightened up, and whacked my bottom with a careless hand. "But now you have a human body and can do anything you like. In fact," he licked his lips and allowed his eyes to go smoky with desire, "we could join here in the temple if you like. I'll lock the door and we can..."

He left our side and walked toward the door.

Predictably, Melda panicked. She had never had a human body before, never had to deal with desires, hers or a man's. Unfortunately for her, my body remembered desire very well and was not at all discontent to accept Marvin's attentions.

"Coran!" she yelped. "I think I'll let this mortal go and ..." The gold began to melt again and the joining was broken. I took the momentary confusion to bust the box wide open and expanded to fill the vacuum. Melda was pressed back into the confines of her torque, which Coran removed from my neck quickly but carefully. He whirled about and placed it around the throat of the lovely statue, which accepted its burden without protest.

"Marvin, to me!" he said hoarsely, and grabbed the hand of his partner while maintaining contact with the torque. I could sense the power flowing through the pair and into the torque. The gold flowed again and there was a joining of the stone to the gold.

So recently separated from her, I could feel a vague sense of regret being replaced by satisfaction and a sense of homecoming. She was not discontent with her choice, nor with Coran's making the situation permanent. The statue was beautiful. Almost immortal.

The three of us left the temple quietly. We would let the townspeople discover the return of their torque on their own. We walked out of town and settled down for a short rest at the road's edge. "So, you have a wedding to attend, Forswich. We can deliver you there, leave you in the bosom of your family," Marvin offered.

"Yes, my brother will be married in a few day's time. I must attend. There will be merriment and dancing, and fourteen aunts and two grandmothers asking when I will be joined in wedlock myself." I loved my family, but a journeyman mage has little time for normal life.

"Would it help if you were accompanied by two fine fellows like ourselves, who showed every interest in procuring your favor but did nothing to provoke their baser suspicions?" Marvin's eyes sparkled with laughter.

"You would do that for me?" Imagine, my actually having a good time at a family gathering.

Coran nodded agreeably. "We would. And then when you tired of enjoying yourself, you could accompany us on our vacation. I'm assuming that you do not wish to return immediately to your mage school?"

Oh my. I squinched my eyes shut tight and popped them open again. "I'm a journeyman. I should journey."

The two men stood, and I was being helped to my feet by both of them. I liked it. "Let's go."