Chapter Three
Dragons
Suddenly my nightmare became a reality. Somewhere from behind me I heard a hideous shriek. I knew the sound, as I'd been hearing it for years in my nightmares. I pounded on the door behind me, screaming for someone to please open up and let me inside. The dark shadow loomed over me, as a dragon of blackest night passed over the turret. It blocked out the sun, and I was in a panic as the wind from its wings nearly blew me from the ledge in spite of my terrified grip.
The black dragon launched itself at the bronze dragon with another unholy screech. They were engaged in a mid-air fight, and I knew instinctively I was the prize. I couldn't help but watch as the black dragon tore into the shining dragon, leaving bloody gashes along its side.
The other dragon chomped down on a wing and tore a hole in the leathery membrane, then disengaged to circle the citadel. The black dragon didn't chase the bronze, but instead it landed to the left of me on the turret, and I realized there must be some kind of grips for a dragon to cling to. It's head turned my way, and I feared fainting again, as I saw its red eyes fix on me. I could feel its shallow breath, and it was ice cold. I stepped as far away from it as the ledge would allow, and my heels were over the far edge as five razor sharp claws reached for me.
I had a chance to realize there was no inhumanly white rider on the back of the dragon. But I somehow knew I couldn't let it take me. I let go of the hand hold, and stepped off the ledge.
I expected to die. I thought I would hit the ground or be impaled on the trees below. Instead the wind was knocked out of me as I landed in the taloned hand of the other dragon. Five claws closed around me, holding me so tight I couldn't move, though I could still see between its claws. I heard the other dragon screech at narrowly missing its next meal. The dragon holding me took to the sky, and the black menace was right behind, even though the tear in its wing made it fly crooked.
I was drawn up tight against the dragon's chest as it flew, but still I felt an icy blast hit me as the black breathed cold. The bronze circled, and I saw it bite the tail of the black, before the other dragon turned in midair to snap back. The bronze was fast, and it disengaged and flew straight up into the sky with the black close behind. There was pain in my ears that made me cry out, and the bronze turned on the black and raked it with the claws not holding me.
I was so close, I felt blood splash me, and the shriek of the dragon hurt my ears worse than the climb. Black talons reached for me, and scratched along the bronze dragon's leg as it turned to keep it from getting its prize. The bronze broke away in a maneuver that sent us tumbling toward the ground. I had a chance to see the landscape below, and the citadel looked so small, before the tumbling forced me to close my eyes.
We were flying so fast I felt my hair stinging my face with the speed. The dragon flew low, and I screamed as he headed into a forest, and trees flew past so fast they became a blur. It was amazing, as it wove through the trees without slowing down. I could hear the black as it hit trees and broke branches in its pursuit. I could also tell it was falling behind. I never knew anything could move so fast.
The bronze made a sharp turn, and I could hear the noise of the black fade. We'd lost it! I felt strangely elated at the thought that I was now the prize of only one dragon and not two. The bronze slowed, but didn't rise above the trees, and I knew it was wary of the black catching sight of it again. Then it flew into a heavy stand of trees, and landed.
It kept me clutched in its claws, with three feet on the ground. It's wings furled against its body, and it held me up for inspection. A large green eye looked me over, and the corners of its mouth turned up, as if it were smiling. Then it put me down, and its long tail circled around me, creating a small pen, as it watched me. I looked up, and realized we were completely hidden if the black dragon should fly over.
I walked around the small circle, and knew I couldn't escape. "Isn't this the part of the story where you're supposed to eat me?"
A rumbling hiss came from deep in its belly and escaped through its nostrils. It sounded enough like laughter, I smiled in spite of my fear.
It moved quick, and I was snatched up as it lumbered into deeper cover. I watched a dark shadow pass overhead and I knew the black hadn't given up yet. It took a while before the dragon relaxed its guard enough to set me down again. The tail encircled me, and it watched me as I stood in its shadow.
"My name is Be'lah." I looked up at the beast. "Are you going to eat me?" I felt ridiculous talking to a giant lizard. But there was just something about its eyes that made me believe the stories, that dragons were intelligent. Not that I'd ever actually seen one before. They were mostly creatures of legend and fairy tales. Those that were known to be in the world were rare, and they had names and legends associated with them.
The ridges above its eyes raised momentarily, then it leaned in to look closely at me. I held still, as its mouth came close enough to snap me in two. If it wanted to eat me, I had no doubt I'd be lunch. The long snout lightly touched my face, and it inhaled. I didn't move, though I trembled where I stood. I was so close I could see how truly enormous it was. I could easily lie full length on its snout; which meant it could likely eat me in one bite and swallow me whole. Its eyes were bigger than my head, and two protruding teeth were longer than my forearm.
It drew back and we regarded each other. "So if I'm not your next meal, why do you want me?" To that question it dropped its head to the ground, and the one eye rolled up, as if trying to look at its head. I laughed. "You look as if you can almost understand me." It turned its head and blew a puff of air at me, then again laid its head on the ground. I imagined I could climb onto its back, like the leech from my nightmares.
An idea hit me, and I backed away from the fearsome head. I stepped to the tip of its tail, and reached out to touch it. I looked over my shoulder to see immense emerald eyes watching me. The tail was smooth and supple, but also tough. I followed the tail as it encircled me, and ran my hand along the small ridges that gradually grew larger as I neared the dragons body. It reminded me of a snake skin, if the snake had metallic scales. I reached the place where the ridge continued along the creature's back.
I looked at the dragon, and it gave a nod of its head, as if encouraging me. I boldly ran my hand along the ridge, then placed my foot on one lower ridge as I held one on its back. I took a step up, fully expecting the dragon to react. It did, but not in the way I expected. It laid down, as if it were trying to make it easy for me to climb up on its back.
The dress snagged on the scales, and I held it above my knees as I picked my way over metallic scales and an increasingly high ridge. I saw where the wings folded against its body, and as I made it past the shoulders, the ridge became much smaller.. Between the shoulders and neck I found the place where the leech would ride his nightmare mount. I climbed into the space between two large ridge protrusions. I could easily hold on to the thick bronze plate, even if the dragon flew wildly.
It turned it's serpentine neck, and saw me perched there. Again there was that strange head bob that made me feel like it approved. It could kill me in so many different ways, from the sharp teeth in its mouth, to the horns on its head.
As I looked at those horns, something caught my eye. It was a sparkle that was more than the light glancing off the scales. I moved to get closer, and it once more dropped its head. I inched along the neck, glad I'd climbed trees as a girl. The horns were deep bronze, and they tapered at an angle from the top of its skull. I climbed up to the top of the beast's head, and that's where I found the crown.
One horn had a royal crown wedged tightly onto the spire, near the base. It was a dark, like it might be made of iron, and I realized the sparkle must have been the gemstones embedded in the design. I reached out and touched it, then almost fell off as a voice in my head greeted me. "Hello Be'lah." I recoiled and fell back against the other horn.
"Was that you?" The dragon twitched its pointed ears and exhaled a loud puff of air and held still. I reached out and touched the crown again.
"Yes it is me. Do not be afraid, I don't want to hurt you." The voice didn't sound in my ears, but in my own mind.
"What do you want?" There was laughter in my head.
"Later there will be time for me to explain. But now I have to get you someplace safe before E'lee A'zhar returns with his master. Can you ride me, or shall I carry you as I did before?"
"Give me a few minutes." I scrabbled back down to the spot where I would sit. I used the sharp edge of a dragon scale to cut the bottom of my dress into strips I quickly braided into a rope. My legs were indecently exposed, but that made it easier to sit astride the dragon. I tied the rope around the ridge in front of me, and wound it tight around my wrist.
"I think I'm as ready as I can get."
The neck twisted back toward me, and I could reach its horn. I touched the crown and heard his soft voice in my head. "The black one is still out there. I'll have to fly fast to keep away from him. Hold on tight, I cannot allow it take you."
It turned and I held on tight. I still wasn't prepared when the dragon leaped toward the treetops, and the wings unfurled. In seconds we were racing toward the sun, and I was breathless with awe at the speed we were flying.
From my perch I could appreciate the beauty of the dragon. The metallic scales undulated and shimmered in the sunlight, like burnished copper. The wings beat the air with precision and power, and I held my breath as we glided over a thick forest. It was dizzying to see the ground racing away beneath us. I'd never felt anything so exhilarating in my life, except maybe when I'd cast my first spell. Yes, it felt like magic! I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up out of me.
The dragon twisted in the air, executing a turn that made me clutch my makeshift rope. The serpentine tail whipped like a sinuous rudder behind us, as it angled its head and wings to fly higher. I watched the land drop away beneath us, and the painful pressure in my ears finally equalized as we flew into the concealment of the clouds.
I was so high it was hard to breath, and the air stole the heat from my body and chilled my bare legs. I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around the thick spinal ridge in front of me and pressed my face against its hard surface. It offered me some protection against the wind.
The black attacked out of nowhere, and I heard its screech only seconds before it struck. I felt the power of the collision, and the bronze dragon shrieked as black talons tore deep furrows into its chest. I held on tight, gripping the spiny ridge with my arms and legs, as if riding a runaway stallion. The bronze tore free of the black and cut a jagged path through the clouds in an effort to lose the monster.
It struck again from beneath us, and I was spared the sight of its jaws snapping at the belly of the dragon I rode, by the wings beating furiously to free us from the attacker. I felt the dragon twist, lashing with its tail, and bringing its powerful back claws up to counter attack. The screech of the black beast told me it had been hurt. Both dragons separated, and I felt wet. I looked to see my white dress was no longer white, and I was covered in dark red dragon blood.
My hands were slick with the blood, but I didn't know which dragon was so injured. The bronze wheeled in midair, and I fought to stay on its back. It was a fight I lost as the black collided with us, tearing into the neck of the bronze with the claws of one leg, while the other reached for me as I slid down the side of the beast to where the wing joined its body. The rope held my wrist as I dangled there, scrabbling for a hand hold.
I screamed as the black snapped at me, and razor sharp teeth grazed the fingers of my hand and severed the rope holding me to the bronze. I hit the dragon's wing as I fell, and I tried to grasp the smooth surface as I slid. For just a second, I held the rough edge, then something cut deep into the palm of my hand and I let go.
As I fell I watched the battle above me as if in a dream. The black disengaged and fixed me in its evil red gaze. Its powerful wings flapped as it launched itself for me. Likewise the bronze undulated and dove for me, folding its wings and pointing its snout my way, becoming an immense arrow heading for my flailing form.
I screamed again as I fell like a stone, with the ground rushing to meet me, and two powerful creatures hurtling from the sky in an effort to snatch me from the air. The bronze passed the black, as the black slowed to beat its wings, rather than continue its deadly dive. I was caught in a protective cage of bronze talons, as the dragon itself crashed to the ground, unable to pull up in time.
I felt the jarring impact, and the air was knocked out of me, even as the dragon held me protectively. I hurt, but I wasn't dead. I wasn't sure about the dragon. It's claws opened, and I climbed down to the ground. Its green eyes were closed, and it rested partially on its side. One wing was badly torn by the trees, and I could seen the damage the black had done in the battle. Gouges in the chest were still oozing, but the bite to its belly was open and raw.
I wasn't sure where the black dragon had gone. I'm sure it had seen us fall, but there was nowhere clear for it to land. I heard a groan from the bronze, and realized it was still alive. I pulled a thread from the tattered edge of my dress and stepped close to the wounded dragon. I couldn't reach the wound from the ground, but the tail was close. I tugged the thinnest part of the dragon, trying to drag it closer.
It moved then, and I stood on the tail like a step. I grasped a flap of the dragon's torn hide, and with the silk thread I cast the only spell I knew which might have some hope of helping. It was one we used for mending torn or broken items. I thought of the gaping wound, and how the hide needed to be mended.
The feel of the magic flowing through me was a thrill, even though I was afraid for my life. I felt the power in the silken thread, and the memory of the worm which spun the strong strand. It flowed from my fingers and the magic tugged the hide from my grasp, as the spell mended the hide at my direction. I was exhausted, and I collapsed gracelessly onto the tail supporting me. I looked up and the wound was closed, and I hoped it would heal.
I had no choice but to rest. I knew as I got better at magic it would come easier, but I was still so new even the simplest spells took a lot out of me. A screeching overhead reminded me I didn't have the luxury of rest. I weakly climbed down from the tail, and my legs gave out when my feet hit the ground. I was exhausted.
The dragon moved, slowly righting itself. One wing folded neatly against its body, but the other was torn and broken, and it hung limply on the ground. I pulled another thread from my dress and forced myself to stand. I clutched at my necklace, remembering the strength of both of my parents. I touched the wing with the thread, and again went through the mending spell.
The magic felt like an old friend as it flowed through me and warmed me. I felt the dragon wing mend, and watched the edges knit together. When the warmth left me, I collapsed to the ground and the shakes set in. I'd pushed myself too far, and the tremors in my body kept me dwon.
I had no idea how such a massive claw picked me up so delicately. But I was cradled in a leathery palm as five giant taloned fingers closed over me. I fell into dark oblivion then. When I woke, I could feel we were flying again. I moved to peek between the fingers, and again saw landscape racing away beneath us I heard the shriek of the black dragon. It was distant, but I felt the one carrying me moving faster.
I smelled the ozone of the lightening strike, and heard it crash into the woods to our right. The sky was clear and blue, and the sun was near the horizon. There was no reason for lightening to be striking. I felt suddenly energized as fear took me. It was the leech! I couldn't see it, but I knew my nightmare was chasing me – chasing us. The bronze dragon was now more than my protector, it was the only thing standing between me and certain destruction.
Through scaled fingers I could see the dragon drop below the tree line. Suddenly we were weaving between the dense trees with speed and grace I wouldn't have believed something so large could accomplish. I could hear the breaking of the trees in the distance, and knew the black was following us. Another lightening bolt narrowly missed us and I screamed.
I felt the dragon wheel, and I wanted to close my eyes as I could see the black dragon racing toward us with its deadly white rider. There was a pathway of leeched forest trailing it, as the rider was stealing his power from the living things below.
The bronze dragon spun in a twisting flight and dove below the black, raking its belly with one set of claws. Then it changed direction, and came up from behind to snap at the rider. I watched mesmerized as the dragon's jaws somehow gripped the rider without shredding him. The rider was lifted and tossed through the air, and I watched as his fall slowed and he drifted out of sight. Again the dragon changed direction, and he raced the opposite way of where he'd tossed the rider.
We flew out over the water of the sea, and the clawed cage lifted me to the dragon's mouth. Before I could scream, the great maw opened, and I was tossed inside! The jaws locked shut, and I could feel the dragon dive. I held on to a large pointed tooth to avoid being swallowed. Dark, humid, and almost airless, the space played on all my fears, as I imagined being swallowed whole.
It took some time to get over my terror, and realize the dragon was neither chewing nor swallowing. It was holding its breath and keeping its mouth tightly closed. I felt we were still underwater, and the beast had protected me in the only way it could.
When the mouth opened again, it was dark. I stepped gratefully out of the maw. I could hear the sea, and realized we must have come up in some kind of seaside cavern. I felt the spray of the water hit me, and realized the waves were well below me. As my eyes adjusted, I could see I was on a ledge in a cavern, and the opening must have been below the waterline. It had to be the dragon's lair.
I felt something tap my hip, and I was surprised to see it was the dragon's outstretched claw. It pushed against me until I realized I was supposed to have a seat in the scaly mitt. Once it had me in its grasp, it moved deeper into the cavern. I was in total blackness, and I felt rocked gently in the dragons hand, as it traveled impossibly deep into what seemed like a series of caves, joined by connecting tunnels.
He slowed down, and I realized I could see dim shadows and hear something moving up ahead. There was light ahead, and as we got closer, it became easier to see. Finally the tunnel opened up into an enormous room. I stared in shock as the ceiling of the cavern disappeared it was up so high, and I couldn't see the far walls. It looked big enough the dragon could easily fly. The dragon walked into the cavern holding me.
There were magical glowing rock formations illuminating the obsidian walls and casting diffuse light into the space, and there were several more spaced along the floor. The dragon effortlessly hopped over a stream flowing down the center of the cavern, and the lights glowed brighter in the section of cave where he stopped.
It was then the movements caught my attention. The dragon set me down, and I stood transfixed as I stared up at three more dragons. I shook, and when the brightest one dipped its head to peer at me, I collapsed backward into the waiting claws of the bronze. The dragon taking my inventory gleamed golden in the light, and I was stunned by its intelligent blue eyes.
As soon as the golden dragon pulled back another one poked its snout at me. This one was silver and it had large soulful gray eyes. It sniffed me, then the flesh surrounding it's teeth pulled back as if to smile, or terrify me with its deadly display. The bronze dragon swatted at the silver, and they exchanged several clicks, growls, and grunts, making me wonder if it was dragon speech.
A black dragon held back, and it was the biggest of them all. It was terrifying even at a distance, and it startled me to realize it looked just like the dragon that had chased us. Its snout was short and blunt, and it was so black it seemed to absorb light. It didn't have horns on its head, but instead a reptilian cowl fanned out around it's face. It reposed on powerful legs, and even it's front legs were the size of tree trunks.
As I stared, the bronze dragon stepped closer to the black, while I was still sprawled in its unclenched hand. We stopped a respectful distance away, and the black head turned my way. It didn't come any closer, but molten gold eyes fixed on me. Several deep grunts and growls issued from its closed snout, and the bronze tossed his head and backed away.
I was again set down, and I was beginning to feel reasonably sure I wasn't going to be eaten, though the silver dragon continued to watch me as if it felt I would be tasty.