by Craig Askham
She caught him looking, and tilted her head in his direction like a bird sitting in a bush, about to catch a worm. Her eyebrow arched, interest piqued.
“You can see me?”
For a moment, Ben thought he’d misheard her. Or that she was asking a trick question. Or that he’d imagined the question completely, especially as nobody else seemed to have heard her, or even found her sudden presence strange. He decided the simplest answer was probably the best one.
“Yes.”
She stepped forward, and everyone except him jumped out of their skins, including Lee and Caspillo’s soldiers. The soldiers, as well as Vantalon and Vykron, at least managed not to make a noise. Either Sorin or Talia shrieked, Ben couldn’t tell which, whilst Lee let rip with a far more manly yelp.
“Fu…” He dragged the word out noisily, managed to get himself slightly more under control, and finished the sentence a little lamely. “…ck me.” At that moment, Caspillo and Meryt sauntered into the shelter without a care in the world.
“You’ve met Jas, I see?” Caspillo asked, adopting his go-to bored tone to underplay what had just happened.
“Not really,” said Lee, and even in the gloom Ben could see how wide open his eyes were. Caspillo rolled his eyes.
“Jas, were you hiding again? How many times have I told you not to scare the paying customers?”
“My apologies, Caspillo.” Her voice was low, serene and powerful. She stepped forward again, eyes on Ben and Ben alone. She held out a hand, and it took a moment for him to realise he was expected to kiss it. Knowing his cheeks were turning red, he clumsily reached out for the hand and brought it to his lips to kiss.
“I am Jas Toor. I do magic that, apparently, doesn’t work on everyone.”
“I’m Ben.”
“Akelius,” Caspillo corrected, disguising it as a cough. He felt his cheeks burn all the more. Think of something cool to say about yourself. Or something funny. Or anything. Think of anything. “It’s very nice to meet you.” Someone groaned, probably Caspillo. He let go of Jas Toor’s hand, but she carried on looking at him as if she expected something more. He wasn’t usually this bad at talking to women. In some circles, he was even considered quite good at it. This wasn’t one of those circles, clearly.
“You saw me, Akelius, when nobody else could.”
“Not straight away.” For some reason, he didn’t want her to be disappointed in him. How strange.
“Very few can claim that. It’s…” She trailed off, seemingly unsure quite what it was. Ben decided to help her out, and maybe make himself look a little better in the process.
“A gift?”
She smiled, and he was smitten. This close, he could see that her hair was indeed jet black. He half expected there to be a single lock of pure white running through it, but thankfully there wasn’t. She was strikingly beautiful, almost untouchably so. It was just that cute little tuft of hair pretending to be a ponytail that made her more…human. He realised she was only wearing a simple blue robe wrapped around her body like a sari, covering one shoulder and leaving the other completely bare, exposing most of a thick silver torc around her neck, the two ends of which were both shaped into intricate dragon heads.
“No,” she said, noticing him staring at a spot somewhere below her face and perhaps jumping to the wrong conclusion. “I was going to say random, Akelius.”
She stepped away from him, and the other non-soldier members of the group instinctively jumped back out of her way, clearly still spooked at what had happened. Ben didn’t understand their fear, but that was no doubt because she hadn’t appeared in front of his eyes like a ghost. Caspillo cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention.
“Jas is a witch,” he said.
“Caspillo!” She sounded shocked at that, but actually Ben could see the faintest traces of a smile tugging at her lips. This was a little something the two of them did. A repertoire, perhaps. Burning jealousy coursed through him, violently and immediately.
“Fine. Jas is a magician. A sorceress. A minor deity. Take your pick.”
“I do magic.” Her tone was firm, and he held up his hands in defeat.
“Perhaps Jokdrath could take over at this point,” he suggested. “What with him being our official guide, of course.”
With that, he stepped back and started mumbling something to Meryt. Caught on the hop, Lee panicked and looked like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him.
“Yeah. Right. So…” The confident Lee, the one with the bravado that had put even Sorin Costache in his place not so long ago, was gone. This Lee, the real Lee, was out of his depth. Ben wondered how much he actually knew about this expedition. Did they really need him?
“Perhaps, Jokdrath, you’d do me the honour of allowing me to explain my own presence?” She was taking pity on him, apparently. Giving him a way out. Unsurprisingly, he grasped it with both metaphorical hands.
“Right.” He gave them all a nod. “Jas is our magic user. She works for Stillwater and…”
“Not really,” she interrupted. She didn’t raise her voice, but she didn’t have to. They were mostly sheltered from the wind, but they could still hear it blowing a gale outside. Despite this, they could all hear Jas perfectly. “I consult.”
“Of course. I was going to say that. Jas, perhaps you could say a few words about yourself. Talk our guests through what you’re going to be doing for us?”
“Yes, I can do that.” She gave him a smile that seemed to dismiss him, and he took the hint. Suddenly, a spot behind one of the female soldiers appeared to become free, and he sidled into it. Meanwhile, Jas started fingering her torc as she gathered her thoughts. Something shrieked again, louder this time, and everyone except the beautiful magic user jumped out of their skins once more. Even Caspillo succumbed to a slight twitch of surprise. “Ignore that,” Jas instructed them, holding up the index finger of her right hand. “I’ll get to that in a moment. There’s no danger, I promise you. Please relax.”
“What was that?” Vykron, silent for so long, asked the question on everyone’s lips. Jas sighed, realising she was going to have to reorder her speech slightly.
“That was a bird.”
“Bloody big bird.” That was from Vantalon. He didn’t seem the type that scared easily, and indeed he sounded more fascinated than anything else.
“Large enough to carry people on its back,” said Jas, and then left that little statement there for people to digest at their leisure.
“You what?” Lee’s ginger head popped into view from behind his soldier’s shoulder. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I’m not.”
“The birds are going to transport us to the dragon,” Ben realised, and his heart leapt when she directed a pleased smile at him.
“Correct,” she said.
“Bloody incorrect,” Lee countered.
“To travel by foot would take weeks,” Jas told him, calmly. “The dragon would be long gone by the time we got there.”
“Can’t you just…?” He didn’t finish the question, just brought his fingers out from behind the soldier and gave them a wiggle. Jas didn’t answer, just stared at him as if she didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. “You know…” He wiggled them again. “…transport us?”
“A portal?” she wondered, and he gave her a hopeful smile, which she dashed with a shake of her head. “Teleportation is not one of my skills. Perhaps I can continue speaking whilst you decide whether or not you will be able to join us.”
Lee disappeared behind his soldier’s back once again, more than a little red-faced. Jas Toor smiled understandingly at the soldier in question, who rolled her eyes in return.
“Anyone who doesn’t think they will be able to fly on the back of a Kincora, please feel free to return home now.” Caspillo’s voice was curt, almost daring. He jerked his head in Meryt’s direction. “Meryt will take you back. Speak now, time is ticking.”
“Don’t you dare,” Meryt growled
. “There are no refunds, and I’ll probably punch you really hard in the face.”
“I’m good,” Ben said immediately, and he really was. Flying through the mountains on the back of a giant bird? The adrenaline had already kicked in. Yes please.
One by one, the others nodded. Vantalon looked almost as excited as Ben felt, Sorin and Talia less so, and Vykron’s face remained unreadable. The seconds passed, and then Lee’s sullen murmur wafted around from his hiding place.
“Fine.”
“Very good,” said Jas, and held up an arm towards the open sky as if she was about to introduce a boxer into the ring. “Please let me introduce the first of your steeds for the evening.”
As she spoke, they became aware of flapping wings. Right on cue, a giant bird swept into view, stopped flapping its wings, and glided into the shelter. Landing with a delicate grace that belied its size, it folded its wings as it came to a halt, ignoring everyone except Jas, who stepped forward and dipped her head in greeting. Lee took a few involuntary steps back, slipped on some excrement, and landed on his backside with an oof. The soldier he’d been using as a shield turned immediately and offered him her hand. He took it, and she hauled him back to his feet. Turning his back on the bird, he kept an eye on it over his shoulder while he tried to see what mess his fall had created on his trousers. Thankfully for all of them, he seemed to have gotten away with it.
Ben barely noticed. His own eyes were on the bird. Or Kincora, as Caspillo had called it. Her. He corrected himself without knowing his reasons. He just knew. She was beautiful and elegant, but also majestic and proud. So big that she filled nearly the entire shelter, with feathers as black as the hair on Jas Toor’s head and a white head made up of feathers much smoother than her black ones. Her beak was cruel, a sharp amber hook that matched the colour of her eyes but could slice a man in half without effort, armour and all. She loved Jas Toor, that much was clear from the looks they exchanged, and of course that love was reciprocated. The magic user’s face was fierce, and Ben knew she would die for this bird. He didn’t know much about how magic worked on Vangura, but if she only had one ability, it was this. Her affinity with animals. Could she control them? Maybe, but that wasn’t what this was. The Kincora was here of its own free will, but there was definitely something magical in their bond. It was fascinating, an absolute wonder to behold.
“Does she have a name?” The question was asked in reverence, almost whispered. It took a moment for Ben to realise it had come from his own lips. Jas didn’t look at him when she answered.
“Yes, but she does not choose to share it with you. It would take you years to earn enough of her trust to find out.”
“Oh.”
Jas turned to him, her face serious.
“She does like you, though. She has agreed to carry you.”
Ben took a step forward, hand outstretched in gratitude. It was a natural reaction, something he did automatically. The bird shrieked angrily and unfurled her wings, causing everyone to take cover in any way they could. Jas was immediately in front of Ben, protecting him, her robed body between him and the Kincora. She didn’t say anything, didn’t make any calming sounds, just stared at her until she tucked her wings in again.
“What did I do wrong?” he whispered, and finally Jas spared him a look. He wished she hadn’t, such was the disappointment in her eyes.
“Were you about to pet her?”
Immediately, Ben felt ashamed.
“Er, no. Maybe.”
Jas shook her head, looking at him as if he was the biggest idiot she’d ever met.
“She’s clearly not a pet.”
Five words. That was all it took to crush Ben. Five words, spoken as if to a child. She’s clearly not a pet. Of course she wasn’t a pet. What the hell was wrong with him? He was about to apologise when Caspillo decided to wade in with his two cents’ worth.
“Kid, please tell me you’re not going to try and do that to the dragon.”
He shook his head.
“Sorry.”
“Thank the gods. For a moment I thought I was going to have to send you back through the portal with Meryt just for being incredibly stupid. There are no refunds for stupidity, Akelius, and also, Meryt will punch you really hard in the face. Are we clear?”
Ben nodded, cheeks burning. He wanted to back away and hide behind Lee, but he was made of sterner stuff than that. He hadn’t become one of the richest men on Earth by hiding from a good telling off. He needed to recover the situation without being a dick. What would Sorin Costache do? Do the opposite.
“Will she still let me ride her?”
It was the right thing to do, and clearly not the reaction Jas Toor had been expecting. The hard edge to her glare softened as she accepted he was not only aware of his mistake, but had learned from it.
“Yes. Treat her with respect, Akelius.”
“I will.”
He waited for Jas to encourage him to step forward, and then did so, slowly. He kept his hands firmly by his sides in the process. As he got closer, the Kincora knelt and offered him a wing. Unsure whether he should use it to mount her, he shot the magic user a questioning look. She nodded. Tentatively, he stepped on the tip of the wing, more than half expecting the Kincora to shriek once and tear him to shreds with that terrifying beak. She didn’t, though. As soon as both feet were on her wing, she lifted it parallel to her body so that he didn’t have to try and climb it. He walked carefully along it, slowly forcing himself to relax, anxious that the bird not pick up on anything untoward in his manner. There were two leather saddles strapped across her back; he naturally aimed for the one at the front.
“Not that one,” Caspillo called up, keeping his tone gentle but still managing to mock him with it. Surprisingly, Ben didn’t mind being mocked by Caspillo. There was something very dangerous about the man, in the way he looked and the way he moved. If he could remain someone to be mocked rather than become someone not worthy of his attention at all, Ben would consider that a victory. He desperately wanted Caspillo to like him, or just tolerate him, and that wasn’t a feeling he was familiar with. This trip was already turning into his own personal pilgrimage of self-discovery, and he hadn’t even seen a dragon yet. Oh, and he’d fallen madly in love with a witch. What the hell was he supposed to do about that?
Bypassing the front saddle, Ben slid as gently as he could into the saddle behind and was immediately grateful that whoever had rigged it had also seen fit to provide a harness that he could buckle himself into. While he was all about the adrenaline rush, it was good to know that some provision had been taken to prevent them all from dying. There were no reins, nothing for him to hold onto except for the pommel of the saddle. He decided against mentioning it to Jas, instead thinking ahead to what her probable answer would be. Something about trusting the bird, no doubt. Or, more likely, something along the lines of why the hell would you think you’re in charge of this magnificent beast?
“I need a volunteer to ride with Akelius,” said Jas.
“One soldier per gamer, please,” Caspillo elaborated, and then sighed. “Except me. Guess I’d better go with Jokdrath Copperhead.” He did not sound too pleased at the prospect, and even saying Lee’s Vanguran name sounded like a chore. If Lee heard, he didn’t dare say anything.
“I’ll go first, then.” Ben looked around to identify which soldier had, seemingly reluctantly, agreed to be his chaperone. He saw it was the female soldier who had been acting as Lee’s cover, and guessed she was so desperate to be away from the red-haired guide that Ben Hackett, trillionaire and handsome bachelor, seemed to be the slightly less awful option. He couldn’t blame her; his own first reaction was one of disappointment, that Jas Toor hadn’t piped up to overrule Caspillo and insist she ride with him.
The soldier stepped nimbly onto the Kincora’s wingtip and, within seconds, was expertly strapped into the saddle in front of him. All without saying a word. Ben wondered if there was a suggestion box somewhere back on the other side
of the portal, where he could possibly leave a little bit of feedback about today’s company in general. Great adventure, but you need to send your staff on a customer relations training day.
“I’m Akelius.”
“I know that.” It was all she offered, three words spoken into the wind that he was lucky enough to pick up just before they were blown out into the cold night air. She was dark blonde, hair in efficient cornrows that seemed less of a fashion statement and more a way to keep it low maintenance. Of course, Ben had never experienced cornrows himself, so was totally guessing that they were any easier to maintain than a simple scraped-back ponytail. Either way, they were so close that his nose was almost pressed up against the back of her head. She smelled of leather and perfume; something from Earth, not here. The two smells mixed nicely. “Are you sniffing me?”
“Just breathing.”
“You’ll find it easier if you remove your nose from my earlobe.”
“Noted.” Pause, as he waited for another rebuke. The Kincora was slowly starting to turn, trying to face back outside so she could take off. The rebuke didn’t come, which Ben took as a confidence-building good sign. “You have a name that you use here?”
“Rima Kaseevar.” She wouldn’t have had time to offer him any more, even if she’d been inclined to, as the Kincora chose that moment to launch herself from the shelter and out into the freezing world. Instinctively, he reached for the pommel of his saddle to hold onto for dear life; when that didn’t fill him with the confidence he was looking for, he found his arms snaking around Rima Kaseevar’s slim waist. He wanted to yell out that some warning would have been nice, but the words didn’t want to form on his lips. The Kincora’s wings lifted so high that he ducked to his left, down to the soldier’s left shoulder blade, and smashed his nose into her back. Still, no words came out. The lurch up into the air was negated by a sharp drop in altitude, and Ben felt his stomach enter his mouth without invitation. Swallowing it back down before it became an issue, he screwed up his face as they fell, the feeling more intense than any skydive or rollercoaster he’d ever experienced. Then it was gone again as the bird pumped both wings, and they leapt up even higher than they’d been when they set off. The second drop was more manageable, the third even more so, and by the fourth he started to relax. Until the Kincora banked right, of course, at which point his hands cinched even tighter around the soldier’s waist and he gripped the saddle with his knees as if it was the only way he could possibly prevent himself from dislodging to a premature death. His eyes were closed, but he forced them open in order to help his brain get a grip on the situation. With the falling sensation subsiding from the pit of his stomach and his breath working hard on not being so ragged, he cast his eyes about at the beautiful view he could never have dreamed of getting any other way, and finally let out a noise.
