It was already quite obvious that the Black Knight’s army was closing the distance. It had seemed like days since the last time he’d heard the rumble of their movements, felt the ground trembling beneath them, but it was no longer the case. As if to heighten his terror and confirm his suspicions, these weren’t the only signs that indicated how much the group needed to pick up their pace. Over the course of the last hour or so, seemingly every creature that inhabited the forest had been fleeing past them in a procession of frightened fur. The overabundance of game would have made him salivate at another time—pretty much anyone could hunt for food in these conditions, because you could just point and shoot and you would be virtually guaranteed to hit something—but now, it only served to remind him of how urgent their plight was. The crashing sounds resonating through the forest made it difficult to tell how close the army was getting, but if he had to guess, Edward surmised the machines to be a few hours behind them at the most.
Casting a sideways glance toward the dragon, Edward was surprised that Sygax had not bounded off through the trees. He could probably charge toward the fleeing animals with his mouth open, snap his massive jaws shut, and come away with enough food to fill his ever-growing belly. Instead, the mythical creature seemed distracted. His snout was raised, like he had discovered a much more interesting scent. Obviously, the dragon wasn’t concerned in the least about his stomach.
“Sygax?”
For a few seconds, the creature ignored the sound of Edward’s voice, but then turned his head and locked eyes with the wizard, cocking his scaly head curiously. “Yes?” The slits of his serpent-like pupils narrowed into a nearly imperceptible black line.
Returning the dragon’s scrutinizing gaze, Edward asked, “What is it? Is something wrong?”
“Ever since my birth, I’ve considered the fairies to be my only true family. After all, they raised me from a hatchling, and cared for me until the day you found me.” Sygax paused for a moment before continuing. “It makes the scent in the air all the more confusing to me. If I’m not mistaken, there is another of my kind somewhere close by.”
“Another dragon?” The tone of disbelief was evident in Edward’s inquiry. “I never imagined I would ever encounter one creature from your race in my lifetime, let alone two in a matter of days.”
“Unless there are other creatures on this world which smell the same as I do, there is definitely another of my kind nearby.”
Edward weighed the possibility in his mind. If there was another dragon in the vicinity, what were the chances that it would be as friendly as Sygax? Their situation was bad enough now, but could be far worse if the beast was hostile. Then again, if it were similar in temperament to Sygax, finding the creature could be a blessing in disguise. Especially if the beast was larger than their traveling companion, which was entirely possible if it had been on its own and fending for itself for a considerable length of time.
“Do not fear,” Sygax remarked, as if he read Edward’s mind and saw the surfacing fears. “If I am correct, I will speak to the dragon on your behalf, in order to quell its suspicions of your intentions and motives.”
Pulling her mechanical horse alongside Edward’s, it was apparent that Katie was frustrated by the delay. As much as she tried to keep the bitchiness out of her voice, it poured from her lips like molten lava. “Why are we stopping? I thought we were in a hurry.”
Hesitantly, Edward turned to face Katie. It was obvious that she hadn’t heard the conversation he’d been having with Sygax. Otherwise, she would likely be throwing a hysterical fit right about now. He briefly mulled over his reply, unsure of how much to tell her, then he sighed heavily. “Sygax believes that there may be another dragon nearby,” he finally responded with a slight grimace, settling on telling the truth. He could tell by the contorted look on her face that he was going to regret being completely honest.
“Are you serious?” Katie saw the almost imperceptible nod as Edward opened his mouth to answer her question, but she interrupted him before he could speak. “So, what’s the plan? Are we stopping to figure out an alternate course to avoid a run-in with it?”
Edward’s lips pressed together tightly, forming a thin line as he shook his head. “I know you aren’t going to like my answer, but—”
A mixture of terror and rage bloomed on her face. “You have got to be fucking kidding me! You know how hard it is for me to deal with him,” Katie shouted, pointing toward their young traveling companion, “and you are thinking about adding another dragon to our group? Maybe you have lost your mind!”
“I’m sorry to say this, but I think that you’re the one who’s losing it,” Brian interjected, placing a hand on Edward’s shoulder to maintain his balance as he twisted his body enough to face Katie. “I realize that I can only hear half of the conversation, but everything I’ve heard gives me no indication of it being a bad idea to seek this creature out. If anything, we can use all of the help we can get. Have you so quickly forgotten about the army that’s tracking us down? Do you really think we stand a chance against it?”
Like a fish out of water, her mouth opened and closed as if she were gasping for breath. Katie had expected an argument from Edward, but was caught off guard when she was put in her place by the normally quiet and reserved shaman. Although Julie wanted to speak up to defend her best friend, she remained silent. Tensions were already high, so she contented herself by leaning closer to Katie and pressing her body against her friend’s back, hoping that the contact would soothe her. She desperately wanted to whisper calmly in Katie’s ear, but was afraid of making the situation even more volatile. Thankfully, Edward responded to Katie’s outburst with a level head and a neutral tone of voice.
“I know how crazy it must seem to you, but Brian has a point. Without help, the four of us don’t really stand much of a chance for survival against an army.”
Tears of anger and futility streamed down her cheeks. Katie knew that Edward was right; having two dragons as allies would be far more helpful than just one. She wasn’t sure why the idea made her so anxious. After all, Sygax wouldn’t be with them if she hadn’t returned to the Tree of Life against Edward’s wishes. She only had herself to blame for the way things had transpired. Her breath hitched slightly when she exhaled, and she hung her head shamefully. “You’re right, as usual,” Katie whispered, keeping her eyes averted.
Moving his steed alongside Katie’s, Edward reached out and gently tilted her chin upward with a finger. “I assure you, if there was a better option, we would look into it.” He spoke softly, using the same tone that he’d successfully used to calm her in the past. “Whatever happens, I promise I’ll do everything in my power to keep you and the others safe.”
Unsure of why Katie didn’t trust him—after all, it was her who had sought him out—Sygax sidled closer to her. “As will I.”
Startled by the dragon’s rumbling voice, she spun toward the sound with a shocked expression and nearly slid from the saddle. Katie scrutinized the creature’s stance and locked eyes with him, searching for any sign of hostile intentions and finding none. Finally tearing her gaze away from the beast, she glanced toward Edward. “I hate that I can’t understand him. What did he say?”
“He has vowed to keep us from harm, if it’s within his power to do so,” Edward replied, the corners of his mouth turning upward in a faint smile.
“That’s pretty brave talk for one who only recently learned how to hunt,” Katie remarked, the half smirk on her face telling Edward she was attempting a good-natured joke.
Seeing the transition of her mood, and her slightly more relaxed posture, he grinned. Edward was thankful that the hostility had abated. Since their differences seemed to have been set aside, maybe now they could get down to business. Making a sweeping gesture with his hand, Edward inquired, “Sygax … would you be so kind as to lead the way?”
Chapter 13
By late afternoon, Edward realized that the nearly steady stream of fleeing forest anima
ls was no longer rushing past them. Instead of heading south, as they had been, they seemed to be veering eastward. Do they know something I don’t? The question resonated in his mind for a few seconds. He knew the creatures relied on their instincts, and were not altering their course based on a conscious decision, but even so their actions made him nervous. Should we be following their example? Edward contemplated bringing the matter to the attention of their dragon guide, but before he could open his mouth to ask, Sygax abruptly stopped and pushed the underbrush in front of him aside, spreading the foliage with his front claws in a swimming motion.
The panoramic view was breathtaking. Edward and Katie inched their mounts as close as they dared before dismounting. Brian and Julie followed suit, crowding around the young dragon to get a peek at what lay ahead. It was a good thing they’d stopped when they did. A few paces further and they might have tumbled to their deaths from the edge of the cliff they now found themselves standing on. A vast body of water stretched from one horizon to the other for as far as any of them could see. The slowly setting sun cast a brilliant, reddish-orange hue on the sea, which was so bright that it forced those who gazed upon it to shade their eyes.
Katie was almost certain that some, or all, of the others were considering the same questions which flickered through her mind. Even so, she was compelled to ask them anyway. “Is this the edge of the world? Did we stumble past the Throne of the Gods without knowing it?” She realized that her tone of voice sounded panicky, so she cleared her throat and tried to put on a look of casual interest, as if her inquiry held no more significance than an observation about the weather.
“From what I recall of conversations I'd overheard as a boy, the elders of Elysia made reference to it being located beyond the great sea. It would seem to indicate that there is another land mass to the south. One which can’t be seen by the naked eye from where we are,” Edward replied thoughtfully.
“Well, that’s just fucking great! Are we supposed to swim?” Katie’s question sounded more sarcastic than angry, but it was clear that it wouldn’t take much to put her in total bitch mode again.
It was apparent that Edward was growing numb to Katie’s increasing hostility. Her tone didn’t even faze him anymore, though the same couldn’t be said for Brian and Julie. Even her best friend took a step backward in an attempt to avoid Katie’s wrath, like she was desperately seeking shelter from a tornado. Edward ignored the tirade and squinted into the distance. For a second or two, he was almost certain that he’d seen something.
As shadows began to creep through the forest and the refracted sunlight upon the ocean became less intense to gaze upon, he caught the hint of a reflection of an object floating offshore. “Can you make out what that is?” He pointed toward the anomaly, turning to regard Katie with a raised eyebrow.
The change in her expression was slight, but she turned her eyes toward the sea, following the line of his finger. It appeared to be a tiny ship from this distance, though she was sure it was much bigger than it seemed. “The boat?”
“Is that what it is?” He wasn’t sure what he expected Katie to tell him, but the new information registered in his mind as hope. Maybe crossing the vast ocean would be easier. If, that is, they could navigate their way down to the shore and get the captain of the vessel’s attention. Immediately, Edward began scanning the nearly vertical surface of the cliff, looking for the safest route to the beach below. Climbing down the first few hundred feet seems like a treacherous task, but as long as we’re careful we should make it that far. There’s a ledge down there where we can regroup and catch our breath, though I have no idea how we’ll get the rest of the way down. From here, it looks like a sheer drop-off beyond that point. Pursing his lips in a contorted frown, he exhaled loudly through his nose.
Feeling as if there was a glimmer of hope, Katie relaxed slightly and watched the ever-shifting expressions flicker over Edward’s face while he worked things out in his head. She saw him peer over the side of the cliff, presumably looking for a trail that led down to the beach. When she peeked below, the prospect of the hazardous journey hit her like a sucker punch to the gut.
***
After disseminating the information to Verin regarding the approximate position of the Black Knight’s adversaries, George abruptly excused himself and returned to the sky. As much as he despised dealing with the formless demon, he knew it had to be done if he were to keep up his ruse. Thankfully, Verin seemed to hold a similar opinion of George. It made their exchanges brief and businesslike, which suited him just fine. He didn’t think he could handle the situation so well if it involved friendly interactions. The mere thought of such a thing was repulsive.
As he flew south toward the last known location of the ragtag group he was tasked to keep an eye on, he spotted a column of fleeing wildlife through the thickening canopy below. If the sun weren’t still blazing in the sky like the watchful eye of a god, he might never have seen the steady stream of animals pouring through the forest. It was obvious that the wave of flesh and fur was desperately trying to get out of the path of the Black Knight’s army. Yet, what was strange, was that these creatures were fleeing as if they had a single mind and purpose. Never mind the fact that many of them often hunted their terrified comrades to fill their bellies. None of that mattered now. Finding safety and surviving to see another day were the only things on their minds.
Realizing that exposing his presence in the sky during daylight hours was risky, and seeing the perfect opportunity to camouflage himself from his enemies, George nudged the control lever forward and descended to the ground. After retracting his mount’s wings, he urged the mechanical beast toward the frightened stream of animals. His initial thought had been to infiltrate the column to its center. There, he could use their furry bodies to mask the light that reflected from his metallic steed while the sun remained an issue. It was a great idea, in theory, but as he attempted to penetrate to the middle of the herd, he found the creatures unwilling to allow him the niche to hide in. Instead, they ran faster, leaving George trailing in their wake as if he were a rancher who was herding them. It was far from ideal, but he remained optimistic that the thundering of the earth-shaking stampede would be enough to warn anyone ahead of them to get out of the way. Hopefully, it would create enough distance between himself and those he sought. At the very least, it could push them out of visual range.
***
An hour after inserting himself within their midst, George noticed that the portion of the column of frenzied wildlife ahead of him was making a sudden turn toward the east. It seemed to indicate a potential threat loomed close by. Since he hadn’t been able to infiltrate the center of the herd, he was able to decide for himself whether or not to continue following the animals instead of being swept along with the fleeing creatures. Having this freedom, he chose to slow his rate of travel. Part of him was curious about what had caused the column’s sudden direction change, while another part considered a return to the sky. It was difficult to tell just how much daylight was left through the dense canopy of leaves overhead, but the quality of the light that filtered through the leaves told him the sun had not yet set.
Once he made up his mind to stay on the ground, George continued heading south at a more cautious and subdued pace. He was thankful for the decision to travel slower when, after a few minutes had passed, he found himself staring out over the open sea from the dizzying heights of a jagged, rocky cliff. Now the herd’s sudden detour made sense. The alternative, which had run through his mind briefly, had seemed ludicrous: the idea that the animals feared the small group of men and women, even if one of them was a wizard.
As he gazed out over the vast body of water, George had trouble focusing his attention. This was not due to the sunlight shimmering on the water’s surface, making it difficult to see, but rather because there was more than one thing that caught his eye. The first of which was the vessel he had seen on his prior trip, bobbing on the gently rolling waves like a buoy. Th
is time, however, it wasn’t the only thing he saw in the water. If his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, George could swear that there was another ship navigating the currents, heading south as if to meet up with the stationary vessel, And, if he wasn’t mistaken, the new boat bore a striking resemblance to Morgana. It didn’t seem likely, mainly because Morgana reminded him more of a subway train—with the integrated computer route maps that displayed on a monitor in the main cabin—than anything else. However, after everything he’d witnessed in his time on Desolace, he had to consider the possibility that he might have missed a detail during his prior trips aboard the strange ship. Either that or there were hidden controls on the vessel, ones that he would never have found unless someone with greater knowledge of Morgana’s inner workings had told him about. If such were the case, who was piloting the vessel?
As if that were not enough to think about, George saw movement to his right. It was just at the limit of his vision, so he couldn’t make out any of the finer details, but it appeared to be the small group of the Black Knight’s adversaries. Although it was difficult to tell for certain from this distance, it seemed as if they were somehow working their way down the side of the cliff. Determined to get a better look, George crept westward through the underbrush. He remained close to the edge of the sheer drop-off, making sure that he didn’t lose sight of the group as he inched nearer.
Ten minutes had passed when he was finally close enough to confirm his suspicion, but soon after he came to the realization that he was right, the small party disappeared from view. He hesitated briefly, and considered returning to his mount. If he attempted to follow them on foot, he would likely plummet to his death. Or, at least, the body of his younger self would be in danger of dying, but that would put him right back where he was before … without a host. Before George could complete the thought and turn to make his way back to his mechanical steed, a piercing, half-growl, half-screech resonated through the forest from somewhere nearby. Nervously, he scanned the immediate area, but he saw nothing at first. Light was seeping out of the day as dusk approached. His heartbeat pounded in his ears like a bongo drummer strung out on cocaine while he waited to see if the sound would repeat itself, although he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to hear anything over the thrumming beat of blood in his eardrums. He had almost convinced himself that the noise had been a wild animal hiding amongst the trees, but movement caught his attention once again. Turning toward it and squinting, a lump of fear formed in his throat. His mind tried to insist that what he saw was a hallucination, but his eyes claimed otherwise. Awkwardly beating its wings and flying through the air just beyond the edge of the cliff was a creature he’d never thought to be real … a dragon!
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