Dragons and Mages: A Limited Edition Anthology

by Pauline Creeden

  How could I attack him like that? I should’ve known he’d take advantage of the opportunity. He is a teenaged boy, after all!

  I kept running, ignoring the puzzled looks from my friends as I passed through the living room and out the front door. More than anything, I hated how I reacted so stupidly. Why did I kiss him? Granted, Drew had an amazing idea, on which I would definitely follow up.

  My steps slowed down after I passed a few more houses. I didn’t need to barge into my living room, all sweaty and flustered. If I took a little time to collect myself, I wouldn’t have to answer any awkward questions.

  When I discovered my empty, dark home, only then did I recall my parents’ plans to spend the evening with friends. I had the house to myself, which suited me perfectly. I went into my room and flopped face-down on the bed. I probably messed up everything with Drew. All because I couldn’t restrain myself. I pulled the pillow around my head and let out an agonized scream. What if he told Alyssa and now she hated me?

  The phone on my nightstand rang. Thinking it could be my parents, I dragged it over to my ear. “Hello?”

  “Don’t hang up!” Drew anticipated how I’d react.

  “Why shouldn’t I?”

  “Because we’re still friends. I hope. Look. Kat, I really like you, but if you’re not into me, then that’s fine. I’d rather have you as a friend than not have you around at all.”

  Ugh, he wasn’t making this any easier. What did a person say to something like that? I simply remained silent. Did he just say he liked me, too?

  “Since you haven’t hung up, then I’m going to assume that we’re good. So, I’ll tell you what I thought we should do with the info I gave you.”

  I clutched the phone tightly to my ear. I fought to control my emotions, and I’m sure he heard my ragged breathing. Good, he still wanted to be friends. I hadn’t messed everything up with that stupid, impulsive stunt. My heart hammered in my chest, and I clung to the lifeline of his words.

  “We could head over to Dome 5 and speak with some of the new slaves. Maybe we can work out some sort of bargain with one of them in exchange for their knowledge of the seeds. What do you think?”

  “Um.” My voice cracked. I pushed the phone away from my mouth as I cleared my throat. “Okay. What do you propose we could use as a bargaining chip?”

  “Look, I can’t come up with everything. Otherwise, where’d our partnership be? I’ll leave that up to you, but I think we should try to go over there tomorrow at the latest. You never know what could happen to those slaves, and you need that info right away.”

  “True.” His words shredded my heart. I hated the idea of slavery, even if our government thought nothing of it. Granted, none of us wanted to do the manual labor in the mines, but still, those poor unsuspecting people. Supposedly, the slaves had earned this trip as a punishment for past misdeeds, but death on a dying planet seemed a bit extreme, no matter what crime they committed on their homeworlds.

  I couldn’t believe that one more thing would interfere with my free time. Again, the timing seemed a bit too convenient, but this had come from Drew, someone who I trusted implicitly. Still. What if the vendor had passed the information to him knowing he’d share it with me?

  Wow! How self-centered could I get? Not everything revolved around my desire to help our planet. However, sometimes it felt as though someone knew my every move even before I did, and it scared me.

  “Are you still there?”

  “What? Oh, sorry. I was thinking. Sure, we can go tomorrow. Can you figure out how we can get in to see them.”

  “Yeah, I can do that. I think I know someone who can help us.”

  “Who?” Suddenly, I worried that this might open a big problem for us.

  “I’ll tell you tomorrow after I talk with him. Don’t worry. He’s a good kid.”

  “If you say so. I gotta go.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

  “Yeah.”

  I reached over to drop the phone back onto the receiver. My hand fell from the phone to land on top of Ryker’s journal. Wrapping my fingers around the edge, I picked it up and rolled over onto my back. Reading would distract my disheveled mind from thoughts of kissing Drew.

  The same as before, I ended up reading several pages in a row of random daily activities before something caught my attention. This reminded me more of Grandma Talya’s stories rather than giving me any insight into what I should do for activating the prophecy.

  I find it interesting that the five families who carried the artifacts would want to keep the old dragon traditions alive even though they’d never see or bond with a dragon themselves. It gives me hope for our future that people cared so much for our world to retain this part of history.

  It’s still a mystery how the five tourney games are connected with dragon-riding skills, but all of the entries I’ve seen so far seem to confirm it. Is it too much of a coincidence that there are five tourney games and five artifacts?

  Some of them are obviously related, such as the sword and gladio and batalo, because it used to allow a small blade during the fights. But the other three don’t seem to fall into any kind of reasoning. Unless it’s designed that way to confuse the government. I guess I’ll never know the truth of it, but I wish I could ask Aaliyah about it.

  I’d always wondered why the domes had such strange designations, especially the shard and book. I never did buy the reasoning the people used to explain it. But now that I know about the five artifacts, it makes total sense to name each dome one of the five names.

  I had to shut the book because my blinks kept lasting longer and longer. If I didn’t get into a more comfortable position, then I’d end up with a nasty kink in my neck. I believed Ryker. I would risk everything to save Heliok.

  Very seldom did I lament the idea of going to school. However, today seemed so tedious because I had more pressing matters to take care of than hearing my instructors prattling over data I most likely would never use in my adult life.

  Somehow, Drew managed to arrange for a boy named Thomas to take us to Dome 5. How he knew the boy, I had no idea. But, if Thomas could get us inside to speak with the slaves, then I wasn’t complaining.

  I stared at the clock, watching in agony as the second hand barely seemed to move. Why did some hours positively fly by while others seemed to crawl along and last an eternity? Normally, I thoroughly enjoyed aerobiology, yet Leanne seemed bent on making a nuisance of herself throughout the second half of the class.

  Maybe I simply paid more attention to her. However, it did seem as though her shrill voice carried over to where I sat at my desk, ostensibly studying my textbook. With only thirty seconds left of class, I slammed my book shut, ready to spare my ears from more of Leanne’s snide comments.

  Unfortunately, my movements must have drawn Leanne’s attention. She strolled over to my desk, leaning over the large work surface.

  “You were so quiet today. I guess you decided to take my advice and shut up.”

  “Whatever makes you feel better about yourself, Leanne. Excuse me. I’ve got somewhere I need to be right now.” I stood up and slung my bookbag strap over my shoulder. The bell rang, and I moved away from my desk. All my thoughts turned to my meeting with Drew.

  Leanne stepped in front of me, blocking my exit. “I’m not through talking with you.”

  “Tough luck. I’ve got an appointment to keep. Move, please.” I crossed my arms if only to keep myself from punching the smug expression off the girl’s plain face.

  “Move, please,” she mimicked childishly. A bark of laughter escaped her mouth. “I heard your stupid plans to run the tourney have fallen apart. Too bad you suck as a leader.”

  “Yeah, too bad. I don’t have time for your pettiness, Leanne.” I side-stepped, rudely slamming my shoulder into hers as I passed her. Ignoring her sharp intake of breath at my abrupt departure, I raced out of the classroom. I needed to meet Drew near the campus exit closest to the corridor leadin
g to Dome 5.

  I hoped he would have already arrived with our guide. The last thing we needed was to have Leanne discover where we planned to go. I’m fairly certain she’d create some sort of trouble, just because it seemed like something she’d enjoy doing.

  As luck would have it, Drew stood alone at the school exit. “Where’s Thomas?”

  “I don’t know. He said he’d be here.” Drew’s gaze frantically scoured the crowds.

  “He better hurry up.” I didn’t even want to voice my concern about Leanne. Besides, I hated the idea of missing out on my special class for nothing, but the possibility of getting vital information kept me hoping. A few minutes passed, and I swear I heard Leanne’s shrill laugh in the distance.

  Just when I began to think we should call it all off, an unfamiliar boy came running up, skidding to a stop directing in front of us. “Sorry, I’m late. Nichols kept us after class.”

  “No time for excuses, let’s get going.” Drew started walking.

  He took the words right out of my mouth. Thomas didn’t seem phased by Drew’s tone. Together, we rushed through the exit, past the guards, and into the tunnel for Dome 5.

  I could’ve sworn the guards looked at us funny, but they kept their mouths shut and didn’t attempt to prevent our entry. My overactive imagination must have dreamed it all up, and I willingly talked myself out of anything different. Soon after entering the shoddy neighborhoods, I realized why Thomas had offered to guide us.

  The streets did not have the order to which I’d grown accustomed in Dome 2. In fact, the disorganization seemed appalling. What types of leftovers had they used to create these living quarters? If I dared to call them that at all, that is.

  I’d heard about the differences in how we lived from the other domes, but after my visit to Dome 3, and now this, I fully comprehended the disparity between us. It also helped me recognize why the kids from the other domes acted toward us in such a hostile manner. Guilt washed over me for my bad thoughts about Leanne and her terrible attitude.

  I shook my head to clear it, I had to pay attention to my surroundings. What if I got separated from Thomas and had to find my way back alone? One thing still puzzled me. I needed to discover what the person would want to trade for their knowledge. I hoped I had it.

  Already we had passed the rows of houses. More than a little strange, the trail slanted slightly downhill. In all of Dome 2, the landscape had been leveled almost to perfection. I felt my feet slipping on the gritty soil, also an unusual experience since I spent so much time keeping my feet solidly under me during my sparring matches.

  Thomas didn’t have any trouble maintaining his footing on the downgrade. As if he had felt my gaze on him, Thomas turned and grinned at us. “We’re almost there. My dad’s the guard on duty tonight. Just go along with whatever I tell him. Okay?”

  I’d wondered about that little detail as much as I worried about discovering a bargaining tool. Lengthening my stride, I caught up to Thomas. “What do these people need? How will I get them to help me?”

  Thomas looked at me, obviously confused. “You don’t need to give them anything. They’re slaves. They have to tell you what you want, or they’ll get beaten.”

  Frowning with a mixture of dismay and anger, I glanced over to Drew to see if he felt the same degree of outrage as I did. “That’s not right, Thomas. Is that really what happens to these people?”

  Thomas shrugged.

  Did he not realize these were people we so casually discussing?

  “Sure, but only if they cause any trouble. If they do what they’re told, then they have a great life.”

  Is he kidding? A great life? From the squalor surrounding me, it didn’t look like anyone in Dome 5 had any happiness. I opened my mouth but shut it again when I caught Drew frantically shaking his head. After all, I hadn’t come here to change the slavery situation, and my outrage wouldn’t help them either. Still, this slavery problem would need future consideration.

  The path narrowed until we had to travel single-file with Thomas in the lead. The foul smell of unwashed bodies and improperly maintained waste facilities wafted around us. As if these people needed any more problems, it seemed inhumane to make them live in filth and foulness as well.

  Up ahead, the path came to an end where a locked gate and an armed guard stood on duty. I hoped the man really was Thomas’s dad, or we’d be in trouble for trespassing. Thomas’s pace didn’t waver as he came to a stop in front of the guard.

  “Hey, Dad. We’ve got an assignment to speak with a few of the new slaves.” Thomas tipped his head to indicate Drew and me.

  I admired the boy’s poise. I felt myself fighting the urge to fidget as the guard stared hard at each of us. Fortunately, the foul smell proved enough of a distraction to keep me occupied until the guard nodded.

  The guard took out a badge and held it in front of the security lock until a green light showed. A clicking sound rang out just before the gate swung inward. “You’ve got twenty minutes. Don’t make me come in there to get you.”

  Thomas grinned and nodded sharply. He skipped past his father. Drew and I rushed to follow him before someone decided we really didn’t have any business being here. My relief at our entry abruptly ended as I took in the deplorable living conditions of the slaves.

  Barely clothed people scooted out of our way, avoiding any eye contact, presumably as a means of self-preservation. My blood boiled at how we’d always been told the slaves were treated with respect. Nobody deserved this. Nobody.

  I grabbed Thomas’ arm. “Why don’t these people have any decent clothes?”

  Thomas shrugged. “I guess they’d only ruin them in the mines.”

  “That’s not a good enough excuse. They should have work clothes and everyday clothes.”

  “I don’t know about that, but I don’t think anyone wants to waste resources on these people.”

  Drawing in an angry breath through my nostrils, I instantly regretted it since I inhaled the stench of the nearest latrine. My hand flew up to cover my nose, and I whispered, “Eww.”

  Drew cleared his throat. “Where are the new slaves kept?”

  “Just over here. They haven’t been assigned to the work crews yet.” Thomas turned to the left and unerringly walked to a ramshackle hut.

  These people didn’t even have doors for their living quarters. Several men huddled inside the shack. All of them looked worried, except one who stood up and stepped toward us, scowling with his fierce glare.

  “Are you coming to take us to Silas?”

  “Um, no.” The man stepped rudely past me and stopped in front of Drew, ignoring me entirely.

  To his credit, Drew did not cower at all. Instead, he stood tall and answered directly. “No. We were told you were from a place called Tuala.”

  “Yes. What’s it to you?”

  Thomas punched the man in the arm. “Mind your tone! What’s your name?”

  The man’s hands balled into fists, and he looked down at Thomas with undisguised fury. “I’m Grobin. If you touch me again, boy, I’m going to break your arm.”

  “Well, Grobin, you need to learn your place here. Do as we ask, and you might be given an audience with Silas.”

  Thomas’s reply sounded haughty enough to rub me the wrong way. Already, I hated this encounter. I had to do something. I stepped into Grobin’s line of sight, unable to be ignored this time. “Tell me what you know about growing seeds on Tuala.”

  “That’s women’s work. What would I know about it?”

  “Be that as it may, I’m sure you like eating. Unless we can figure out how to grow the seeds we brought from your planet, then you’re going to get mighty hungry.”

  Grobin’s eyes roamed up and down my body long enough to make me feel dirty. He nodded. “I’ll tell you what you want to know, but only if it’s you alone.”

  “Fine.”

  “I don’t know,” Drew said at the same time.

  I could handle myself. I shook my head
. “It’s okay.”

  Thomas and Drew stood back, their faces full of doubt. I gestured for Grobin to walk away from the shack so I could ask him my specific questions. “I’m sure you’ve seen the women working with the seeds.”

  Grobin nodded while falling into step beside me for several more paces until we stopped out of sight of my friends. “I guess. What do you need to know?”

  “How do you get the seeds to sprout? How long do they take to mature? How do you know when they’re ready to harvest?”

  “You sure don’t know much around here. It makes a difference depending on the seeds you have.”

  I nodded, already feeling like Grobin, and I had made a connection of sorts. I spent the next few minutes giving him the details and what I knew. He then gave me useless information about rain cycles, soil conditions, and cold seasons as the indicators. None of his information would be useful on our planet.

  This whole encounter had been useless. “Thanks for the information.” I turned to go when Grobin’s hand shot out and grabbed my bicep. Instantly, I froze.

  “Where do you think you’re going, girl? I deserve payment for my assistance. I’ll take that right now.” He hauled me toward him, crushing my body up against his filthy belly.

  Immediately, I pulled myself back. My reaction must have surprised him since he let go of my arm. Taking advantage of my sudden freedom, I whirled on my heel to make my retreat. That was a mistake.

  Grabbing me from behind, he twisted my arm behind me until I felt my shoulder pop out of its socket. The pain flashed through my shoulder, even as my hand instantly went numb. His hot breath washed over my ear with his harsh whisper. “I didn’t say you could leave.”

  I let my body relax, lulling Grobin into a false sense of superiority. As soon as I heard him chuckle, I stepped backward and slammed my foot into his knee. His grip released, and I turned at the same time. My good hand came up with my knuckles held out where I thrust my fist into his exposed throat.