Chapter 14
Edward managed to locate a path, which led downward and hugged the sheer surface of the cliff, after a bit of searching. The dirt trail was narrow, and in spots was almost non-existent, but at least seemed to go as far as the outcropping of rock that looked to be about one hundred feet below. While Edward knew the risk to the lives of everyone in the group was great, staying where they were seemed to be a much more dangerous endeavor. As it was, he could already feel a slight trembling in the ground beneath his feet, which appeared to indicate that the army of machines was getting too close for comfort. For a few seconds, he entertained the possibility of creating a magical bubble to shield their presence, but since he couldn’t be certain it would prevent the machines from finding them, he dismissed the notion, deciding that the treacherous descent was the lesser of the two evils.
Every muscle in their bodies screamed in agony, but after a half an hour the group reached the stone ledge. Upon attaining the outcropping of rock, they happily thanked Edward for making the decision to navigate the path. Katie made an exaggerated show of dropping to her knees and kissing the ground. “How lucky are we?” she wheezed, still trying to catch her breath, pointing toward the enormous dark semi-circle embedded in the cliff beside her.
“It’s true, our fortunes seem to be improving a bit,” Edward replied, attempting to not sound too overjoyed with their situation.
“When we started down the trail, the only thing I hoped for was a chance to catch my breath,” Julie admitted with a weary smile. “I didn’t expect to find shelter.”
“I don’t think any of us expected such a thing,” Brian remarked, his words coming out in a hiss as he bent over and placed his hands on his knees, gasping for air.
“I wouldn’t get too excited just yet,” Edward interjected in a serious tone. “Even though, given the location of this cave, it seems unlikely that anything or anyone else is using it, we should still proceed with caution. I’ll feel better once we can conduct a thorough search of its depths, and make absolutely certain that we aren’t setting ourselves up to be killed.”
Just as Katie prepared to make a sarcastic response, a roar bellowed from deep within the cave. The ear-shattering noise was closely followed by a screech from behind her, tearing her attention from the initial sound. It took a moment for her to locate the source of the screech, but the beating wings of Sygax eventually drew her eyes to his presence. Katie restrained the urge to laugh when she realized that the dragon was flying with the effectiveness of a newborn bird. It shouldn’t have been funny, and her mirth would likely change quickly if something went drastically wrong, like watching Sygax plummet from the sky to crash on the beach far below.
Once the young dragon had their attention, he spoke urgently to Edward. “I’ve never flown before, so I’ve also never attempted a landing. It might be a good idea for you and your friends to get as low to the ground as possible. I’m going to try aiming for the cave behind you, and hope that there’s enough room to keep me from crashing into a wall.”
“Everyone! Get as low as you can,” Edward shouted. “Sygax is going to attempt to land.” His words took a few seconds to register with the group. At first, they had thought he was joking, but when they saw the young dragon awkwardly flying closer, they quickly complied.
After narrowly escaping Sygax’s beating wings, Katie wiped sweat from her brow. She was just propping herself in a sitting position when a loud thud rattled the stone shelf underneath her. “Shit! That was a little too close!”
“Sygax?” Edward hollered toward the dark mouth of the cave. “Are you all right?” Quickly rising to his feet, he moved toward the blackness like a concerned parent.
The impact of his landing had dazed him for a few seconds, but after shaking his head to clear it, he heard the near panic in Edward’s voice. “I’m fine,” Sygax announced, the deep rumble of his words echoing from the walls of the cave.
As Edward approached the dark opening, the young dragon’s proclamation had barely reached his ears when a deafening roar belched from the depths of the blackness. The force of it shook the stone walls and created a gust of hot wind unlike anything the group had ever experienced before. Katie, Julie, and Brian were more likely to have felt something similar in the past, all three of them originally coming from portions of the United States that were known for their abundance of tornado activity, but they had never encountered wind velocities of this magnitude ... especially not from an up close and personal perspective. When the gust lessened in intensity, they were all thankful they hadn’t been blasted from their tenuous, rocky perch. Although his ears were ringing, and everything sounded like it was underwater to him, Edward heard Sygax’s muffled reply, the young dragon following up with a roar of his own.
Seconds later, the walls vibrated like a tuning fork. Unable to understand the deep, rumbling voice, and feeling as if his ears were stuffed with cotton, Edward saw Sygax turn toward him. It appeared as if the creature was trying to tell him to stay put. The youngster held out one of his front claws as if he were a traffic cop, and disappeared from sight shortly after making the gesture.
Several tense minutes passed as Edward and his friends huddled close to the mouth of the cave, waiting for Sygax to return. When the young dragon reemerged, he was not alone. The ground shook when the new arrival stomped toward the group, its massive head poking from the darkness above Sygax. The creature’s large, golden eyes narrowed suspiciously, and it studied the humans with mistrust.
“I told you that there was another of my kind nearby,” Sygax announced excitedly. “Her name is Skarr.”
Katie was ready to bolt. Her fear of the young dragon turning on them was dwarfed by the terror she now felt. Calling the ancient creature behind Sygax huge seemed like the biggest understatement of her life. The beast’s head alone was nearly as large as the young dragon’s entire body! She could easily imagine Skarr using humans as toothpicks, but couldn’t even begin to fathom what a meal would consist of for the enormous beast. Before she could turn and run, Edward clamped a firm hand around her wrist.
Seeing Katie’s horrified expression, he whispered, “Whatever you do, don’t run. I know you are scared out of your wits right now, but try really hard to appear calm and unafraid.” He watched her Adam’s apple bob slowly, unsure of how much his words would soothe her. Letting out a calming breath through her slightly pursed lips, she nodded her understanding.
Edward quickly turned his attention back to the ancient dragon, fervently hoping his momentary lapse in focus hadn’t been perceived as an insult. His mind insisted that he do something to appease Skarr, lest she decide to turn all of them into charred bits on the stone floor of the cave.
Casting a nervous, sideways glance at Brian and Julie, Katie was shocked to see the awed expressions they wore on their faces. She couldn’t comprehend why they weren’t as terrified as she was. However, when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye, she quickly turned her attention back to the mythical beings in front of her ... and saw Edward drop to one knee and bow before the beast as if it was royalty. Within seconds, Katie realized that she was the only member of the group still standing. Brian and Julie had followed Edward’s lead, and were posing in the same manner. Even though she didn’t share everyone else’s opinion, she quickly assumed a similar stance so that she didn’t appear out of place or disrespectful.
As Skarr regarded the group, she realized by the positioning of the humans—Edward knelt alone in front of his friends, while the remainder of the group formed a line behind him—that the foremost individual was likely the leader of the small party. Before she could open her mouth to address him, Sygax moved forward and stood beside Edward, placing one of his front claws on the wizard’s shoulder in a friendly manner. “Skarr, I would like you to meet my friend, Edward. He is a sorcerer, and the only one of the humans who can understand our speech. Although, the young, dark-haired woman in the middle behind him has also aided me by giving me my first
lessons in hunting.” He knew Katie couldn’t understand a thing he’d just said, but he turned to briefly regard her nonetheless, the corners of his mouth lifting upward in a smile-like expression, hoping the friendly gesture would somehow ease her apprehension.
The ancient dragon took a step closer to the humans, cocking her head slightly, her pupils expanding as she curiously studied the wizard. Skarr paused briefly, waiting for Edward to raise his head and meet her gaze. “Why have you come to my lair?” Even though the rumble of her voice rattled the stagnant air of the cave, her tone was light and inquisitive.
“In truth, we stumbled upon your home by accident,” Edward admitted humbly, lifting his eyes to meet Skarr’s gaze. “Sygax had informed us that he felt there was one of his kind close by, but we didn’t expect to actually find another like him. Especially one as majestic as yourself,” he added, bowing his head again in hopes that his flattery would gain the dragon’s respect.
“I appreciate your honesty, young wizard. I haven’t spoken with a human in a very long time, but I must admit that I don’t recall your race being friendly to my kind.” Her golden eyes narrowed once more as she lowered her massive head, her snout a mere foot from Edward’s head, almost as if she were expecting a hostile response and preparing herself to swallow him whole.
“Let me assure you, my friends and I mean you no harm. Unless you do something to jeopardize our new relationship, you will be treated with the utmost respect,” Edward stated.
A brief rumble formed in Skarr’s throat. “Bold words for one so puny,” she hissed. “My kind is a noble race, and does not lower themselves to the treachery of humans. You can guarantee, if a dragon gives his word or vow, it is not given lightly.”
Edward took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “My apologies, Skarr. I did not mean to offend you, and I’m sorry if I have,” he responded in a hushed tone once his nerves had calmed.
The ancient beast studied the wizard’s expression, searching for signs of deception. Finally, her head rose and she backed away slightly. “Your apology is accepted.”
When Edward turned and relayed the dragon's words to his friends, a collective breath of relief reached his ears, even though they'd tried to hold it in. It was obvious to him that the tension in the air had eased up considerably, so he turned to look at his friends. Brian and Julie had raised their heads, and both wore ear-to-ear grins on their faces. Katie, however, remained sullen and withdrawn. Instead of meeting Edward’s gaze, she glanced to her left at the setting sun.
Chapter 15
In no mood to join in on the excited chatter of her companions, Katie sat on the edge of the rocky ledge at the lip of the cave with her legs dangling over the side. Staring out over the vast sea, she noticed not one, but two, ships were floating in the water beside each other, perhaps a half of a mile offshore. She briefly considered communicating her discovery to the others, but in her current state of mind she decided against it. She was not in the mood for conversation, and with her emotions churning like a violent storm, it was probably better that she kept her mouth shut. The last thing she wanted to do was start another argument, which seemed like something she had a knack for lately.
Lost in her thoughts, Katie didn’t hear the scuff of approaching footsteps. Startled when Julie’s hand touched her shoulder, she nearly jumped out of her skin, and almost slipped from the outcropping of rock. If her friend had not clamped her grip on Katie’s upper arm when she did, the resulting fall would have been fatal.
“Jesus! You scared the crap out of me!”
“I’m really sorry, Katie. I honestly thought you heard me coming,” Julie apologized. “Are you okay? You’ve been acting kind of strange today, and it’s starting to make me worry.”
For a moment, Katie assumed that Edward had sent her friend over to check on her, but when she turned to face Julie, she saw that the expression of concern in her eyes appeared genuine. Inwardly, she cursed herself for ever doubting her best friend. A tear blazed a zigzag path down her cheek, which Julie saw immediately and wiped away. “I’m sorry, too. I guess I’ve been spending more time inside of my head than I should. This whole aging thing has really been hard to deal with,” Katie confessed.
“Shit! I don’t know how I forgot about that,” Julie admitted, cheeks turning red as she sat down on the ledge beside her.
Offering a weak smile, Katie exhaled a gentle sigh through her nose. “I do,” she remarked, hiking a thumb toward the mouth of the cave. “It’s easy to get overwhelmed by something you never imagined was real. It’s almost like watching everyone you know go through a second childhood.”
“I must admit, I felt that way when I first realized my recent captivity wasn’t toying with my mind and making me hallucinate dragons, but now … the novelty of them seems to have worn off a little. You have to accede one thing though,” Julie stated, pausing momentarily, “they should make very good allies.”
“You’re probably right,” Katie admitted, “but I don’t trust them.”
“I won’t pretend to understand why you feel that way. You should at least give them a chance, though.”
For a while, the two young women sat in silence. The sky had grown dark during their conversation, and they contented themselves with staring off into the black abyss of night.
***
As the first of Desolace’s moons crept above the horizon, footfalls approached. The small campfire that Edward had constructed in the mouth of the cave flickered in the slight breeze, casting strange, elongated shadows over the rocky ledge. A soft voice carried on the wind, and Katie turned toward the sound.
“Skarr has agreed to help us cross the sea,” Edward stated in a near whisper. Julie’s head whipped around, and an excited expression bloomed on her face after she'd heard the declaration.
“That is great news!”
Katie remained silent for a few seconds, as if she were brooding over the announcement. A sigh hissed through her narrowly parted lips. What she wanted more than anything was for the mythical beasts to prove their loyalty by aiding them in a fight, but that opportunity hadn’t arisen yet. “Are you absolutely sure that the Throne of the Gods is on the other side?”
“I’m positive,” Edward replied. “Skarr has confirmed what I was told when I was younger.”
Although it was difficult for her to take the word of a dragon, she could see in Edward’s eyes that he was already convinced. “So, how is a dragon going to help us? Does it know how to steer boats?” She could tell by the expression on his face that he wasn’t taking her questions seriously. Thankfully, Edward didn’t indulge her sarcasm and allow Katie to start an argument. Instead, he answered her nonchalantly, being careful to keep his tone neutral.
“Skarr is going to permit us to ride upon her back, and will fly us to the southern lands.”
Distracted by Katie’s inquiry from a moment ago, Julie didn’t hear Edward’s explanation. If she had, she would likely have been unable to control her excitement. Seeing a dragon for the first time was one thing, but actually riding on one’s back would have felt like winning the lottery. Instead of being thrilled with the prospect of flying through the sky upon a mythical creature, Julie was preoccupied and confused. “Hold on a second. Katie, did you say boats?”
“Yeah, why?” She pointed toward the water below, a sliver of moonlight gleaming across the dark liquid and confirming Katie’s statement.
“Oh, shit!” Julie began scooting backward away from the ledge, a look of abject fear suddenly etched across her face.
“What’s wrong?” Edward asked as the blonde woman bumped into his legs, which prevented her from moving closer to the cave. When she glanced up at him, the only thing he could see in her eyes was terror.
Her lips trembled, and for a brief moment she wasn’t sure if she could speak. “One of those boats looks the same as the one that Mr. M put me on when he abducted me and brought me to this crazy world.”
The mere mention of their old school bus driv
er’s name caused Katie’s head to whip around as if it was on a swivel. “Are you—” The question died in her throat. Her mind spun furiously when the implications of Julie’s declaration struck her like a sledgehammer to the gut. Getting to the boat drifting offshore was no longer an option, and she nervously glanced past her friend to where the ancient dragon patiently stood. Illuminated by the flames of the small campfire, Skarr watched and listened while the humans exchanged information, wondering how long it would take them to realize they were out of other options. As Locking eyes with the enormous beast, Katie knew what she would have to do: she had to get over her fear of the mythical creature. Surely, it wouldn’t be long before Edward took charge of the situation and ordered everyone to climb onto the dragon’s back.
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