Chapter 14

Tristan didn't wait around to try and sort out why the creature seemed to be upset and why it was targeting him. His feet jerked into motion as he took off after Mathias. He dove behind one of the large stones and felt the wind of the skybax's wings as it rushed above him.

"Get ready to move to the other side of this stone." Mathias instructed. "She'll turn around and come at us from this side next."

"I don't understand. What's got her upset?" Tristan asked.

Mathias glared at the other cadet. "You."

"Me?" Tristan repeated. "How do you know?"

The other boy shifted his attention back to the sky. "She's making a circle, coming this way." He shoved Tristan to get him moving. "Move to the other side. After that you'd better give it all you got and try to make it to that overhang over there." He pointed ahead. "You can crawl under, but it's too small for a skybax."

Tristan looked and sure enough, several yards veering toward the left, the rocks were jumbled together in a bigger mass and one of them jutted out further than the others, creating a dark space beneath it. He wished they would've seen it sooner. They would have to run fast to make it there before the skybax could reach them.

"Now!" Mathias hissed. "Go, go, go!"

Tristan leaped up and ran as fast as his feet would carry him toward the space beneath the ledge. He felt a shadow falling down over him. There was no time to look up. It might cause him to lose his footing as he ran at such a reckless speed. He heard a fierce scream above him and it sounded far too close. It was so loud it seemed to fill his ears, his head, and his whole body. Automatically, his hands flew to his ears and he risked a glance upward.

The skybax was nearly upon him. Huge clawed feet were descending swiftly toward him. The creature's full shadow covered him now.

Tristan veered sharply to the right in an effort to make it difficult for the creature to grab at him. It seemed to work. The claws thumped against the ground just inches away from him. Tristan tucked himself into a roll, making himself a smaller target. He heard another thud beside him, this one sending up a spray of dust. Glancing sideways he saw skybax claws grabbing at the ground next to him. Another look forward and Tristan could see the shadowy space beneath the overhang only a few more feet ahead. He scrabbled forward and ducked at the last minute, rolling into the shelter of the overhang.

He scooted to the side, remembering to make room for Mathias, but the other boy which should've been just behind him did not arrive. Tristan could hear the angry screams of the skybax close by. While breathing hard from his mad dash, he dared to peek out from his shelter for a moment. His eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open in surprise at what he saw.

Mathias stood out in the open, his head bent down and his shoulders slightly hunched in a submissive manner. It appeared that he had no intention of seeking shelter. Tristan's gaze flicked sideways, noticing the skybax which stood close to his hiding spot. The skybax shifted her attention from Tristan and back to Mathias. She seemed to be thinking hard about which on of them to approach first.

Tristan closed his mouth and swallowed hard, hoping that that it would not be him. Even though the space beneath the rock was too small for the skybax to follow him in, she could easily poke her long beak inside and jab at him if she was dead set on harming him. On the other hand, it would be worse to be Mathias. He had no shelter and no way to defend himself from the angry creature. Why hadn't he followed?

Then, Tristan heard that odd sound again, the one he'd mistaken earlier for a strange skybax call. The tones were soft and musical, carried lightly by the breeze. Tristan's jaw dropped open again when he looked back at Mathias and saw that the music was coming strait from him. The boy had lifted a long dark flute to his mouth and was piping slow, soothing notes.

Tristan watched in amazement as he realized that it wasn't just any flute. Only a dragon flute made tones capable of mesmerizing the saurians. By the looks of it, it worked for pterosaurs too. But where and how did he manage to gain the possession of a dragon flute? As far as Tristan knew, they were not abundant on the island and as a result, very pricey to barter for one—that is if there was even one available to barter for. Tristan felt frustration welling up inside him when he realized that the music which had drawn him there in the first place must've come from Mathias playing that flute. That fact alone felt like a stabbing insult.

The skybax watched Mathias closely, paying close attention to his movements and the tones coming from the flute. Gradually, she calmed down. She threw one last skeptical glance over in Tristan's direction before walking closer to Mathias. Tristan could tell by the creature's lowered head and slow walk that she had relaxed and was not upset with Mathias. She stopped in front of the boy and listened contentedly to the alluring notes which wafted from the dragon flute.

Tristan grew cramped inside his shelter. He felt something tickling the back of his hand and looked down to see a spider skittering across it. He flicked it off and threw a pebble after it just for good measure. It seemed wrong that he was cowering beneath a stone overhang while Mathias remained out in the open bonding with a skybax. What made him feel even worse was the fact that the skybax had chased him into hiding. Tristan realized now as he watched the two, that when he'd dashed around the rock face and tumbled right into Mathias, the skybax no doubt had been watching. She'd mistaken his actions for violence toward Mathias and she'd reacted in anger, defending the other boy. Tristan wondered if the night skybax would defend him if he thought he would be in danger. Probably not, considering how little time he'd spent with him. Then again, the skybax had gone out of his way to help him out of the pit. Apparently he was going to have to risk more night hikes in order to get to know the nocturnal skybax better. The problem was the fact that as each night passed, the moon grew smaller, offering less and less light. It would be nearly a month before the next full moon. Also, he couldn't go out if the moon was covered in clouds. There were far too many ifs, not enough time, and not enough light.

Finally, Mathias stopped playing the dragon flute, the last few notes melting into the wind. By now the skybax had crept close enough for the boy to reach out and touch her. Tristan watched with bated breath, waiting to see if the boy would do it. Mathias set the dragon flute down beside him and simply watched the skybax. They stared into each other's eyes for several moments. Then, Mathias pointed to the dragon flute which lay on the ground.

The skybax tilted her head to one side, considering his gesture. She bobbed her head, then spread out her wings, flapping them slowly. Tristan watched as the wings created a gentle breeze, making the small clumps of grass nearby bend back and forth. A smile spread across Mathias's face. He nodded as if he understood something. Then the skybax backed away and waved one wing tip toward him before taking to the sky.

Tristan remained in hiding until Mathias beckoned for him to come out. He walked stiffly from being cramped beneath the rock overhang for so long. "I hope you conveyed to her that I'm not a threat. I don't look forward to being chased down like that again." He said grumpily while brushing spider webs out of his hair.

"Behave more cautiously in the canyons and the skybaxes might realize that." Mathias replied.

Tristan tried hard not to show his annoyance at the other boy's superior attitude. "You know I didn't realize you were there in the first place. You could've moved when you heard me coming."

"I didn't hear you until the last second. The wind was blowing and I was playing the dragon flute. At least I had enough sense to set it down before you slammed into me. If not it probably would've broken in that tumble." Mathias reverently rubbed his fingers across the smooth side of the instrument. "While you ran for shelter, I sprinted back up the hill to fetch this."

Tristan looked down, noticing the intricate details of colorful spirals painted on the flute. "I didn't know you played." He said. "Where did that come from?"

"My mother gave it to me." Mathias said with a sigh. "She's an accomplished musician. I think she had high hopes of me being one too, but I chose to become a skybax rider instead. She gave this to me before I left for Canyon City."

"Did you used to play a dragon flute before you came to Canyon City?" Tristan asked, annoyed with himself for being so intrigued.

"Yes, some. But mainly to make my mother happy. I had no idea it would come in so handy here though. The skybaxes seem to like it a lot."

"Yeah, I saw that. You're lucky." Tristan mumbled.

Mathias smiled, seeming to forget his irritation with the other cadet for the moment. "I know the skybax's name." He said with a touch of wonder in his voice.

Tristan chewed on his lower lip, saying nothing.

Mathias couldn't seem to conceal his excitement. "It's Windsong."

"Windsong?" Tristan repeated in an incredulous tone.

"Yes. Windsong."

"Well no wonder she likes your music then." Tristan said, not meaning to sound irritated, but his words fairly dripped with the emotion.

Mathias noticed it and reverted back to his superior attitude. "Haven't you started a bond with a skybax yet? I mean, you've had plenty of time to."

Tristan frowned. "Well, that's the whole reason why I came to Canyon City, is it not?"

Mathias rolled his eyes. "Right. I forgot." He said sarcastically.

Tristan suddenly decided that he was wasting his time chatting with this cadet. "You know what? I've got things to do and evening is coming on. I'm going to continue on my way and leave you alone here with your dragon flute."

Mathias gave him a short wave. "No problem. It's not like I asked you to stay and chat anyway."

Tristan fought the urge to verbally lash back. It took all his concentration to walk away, faking a confident manner. As soon as he knew that he was out of sight, his shoulders drooped and his footsteps grew heavy. The wind played with his hair and tugged at his clothes, whispering things he couldn't understand. In the distance, far behind him, he heard a few sustained notes of the dragon flute. It tangled with the wind until Tristan couldn't tell which was which.