The Bones of Makaidos

by Bryan Davis

  The silhouettes of his comrades moved about across the backdrop of the towering wall of flames. Somehow the view seemed appropriate, faceless shadows hustling about under the watch of an immeasurable light. Without desire for recognition or acclaim, these small, nondescript forms served the light’s will. Would they live through the trials? Die in the effort? Those questions seemed unimportant. The only end that mattered was whether or not the purposes of the light would be fulfilled—to protect the innocent ones and hold back the fiends who would drag them away to slaughter.

  Billy locked the scene in his mind. He would draw this portrait someday, maybe in charcoal with a splash of color for the background. Yellow and orange pigments from sempian bark would do nicely. He would call it, “The Faceless Protectors.”

  As he drew closer, one of the dragons spread its wings. With no other features visible, the shadow brought Bonnie to mind … again.

  Four years and no word. Where could she be? Had Arramos’s goons captured her? Maybe she was with Shiloh and Acacia in yet another world. And what about Sapphira? Could all four be together?

  Billy stopped the plane and flopped back against the headrest. His mind raced with jumbled thoughts. Bonnie’s face, so young and lovely. What did she look like now? The marriage prophecy, odd words that many agreed pointed to their eventual union. But did they really? The words seemed less certain than ever.

  Gabriel came to mind. Someone had to rescue him. Sure, he was one of the faceless shadows, and he knew the dangers of his mission, but that didn’t matter. No warrior should be left behind.

  Pulling his hood up, Billy hustled to the back of the plane, hopped down the airstair, and marched toward Walter. “Are you ready?”

  Walter raised his own hood. “Time to find Gabriel?”

  Billy glanced at Valiant and Ashley helping Dorian into the airplane. Dorian was on her feet. That was good news. “Right. I think everything’s under control here.”

  “Yes!” Walter said. “Another wild water slide!”

  Billy shook his head. “By the time we get there, they’ll have posted plenty of guards.”

  “Then what do you have in mind?”

  Billy thrust out his fist. “Punch straight through the wall at an unguarded point.”

  “With just our cloaks to protect us?” Walter tapped himself on the head. “Did that tumble in the river rattle your brain?”

  “Look, we already tested the cloaks partway into the wall, and the raft proved that we could go the rest of the way. We just need to get enough momentum.”

  “A dragon could throw us, maybe with its tail,” Walter said. “Then we could—”

  “Cool your jets, boys.” Ashley walked up, inspecting a broken arrow. “Your plan won’t work.”

  “Why not?” Walter asked.

  Ashley pushed the arrow between her fingers. “A dragon might be able to propel you through the wall, but how are you going to get back?”

  “I was just about to say that Roxil could shoot us back through,” Walter said. “We’re hoping she’s still on our side, right?”

  “If you can find her. If you can dodge Goliath and the Nephilim. You can’t rely on help from allies who don’t even know you’re coming.”

  “But we have two allies who know we’re coming,” Billy said.

  Walter and Ashley both stared at him. “Who?” they said at the same time.

  “Abraham and Angel. I think we won’t need a dragon at all. Just running with a full head of steam ought to do it. I’m counting on our allies to thin out the wall for us.”

  “Well … maybe.” Ashley crossed her arms, her brow bent low. “You’re missing one ally in your plans.”

  “I’m starting to sound like an owl now,” Walter said. “Who?”

  She elbowed his ribs. “Me, silly! How else are you going to find Gabriel in the dark? I should be able to detect his presence.”

  “Fair enough,” Billy said. “But we’d better get back to the village first. We should reapply the flame retardant to our cloaks and get a fourth one for Gabriel.”

  “A big one,” Walter said. “We have to cover his wings.”

  “Good point. We can’t cut holes in the back, or the fire would get through.”

  Walter rubbed his stomach. “And I’m starved. Blasting through walls of fire really burns the calories.”

  “Food sounds good. And a quick nap. We’ll go back in the middle of the day. Flint won’t be expecting us to come back so soon and in broad daylight, and we won’t be bothered so much by the shadow people.”

  “From the north,” Walter said. “Climbing up from the south would be impossible. Besides, we didn’t get to use the snowboards.”

  Ashley rolled her eyes. “The boards were Plan B, in case the raft didn’t make it through.”

  “Plan A, Plan B, what do I care? I practiced too hard. Let’s boogie on those boards!”

  Chapter 4

  Seeing the Invisible

  Billy lay awake on his straw bed. With thoughts of trying to rescue Gabriel dominating his mind, getting to sleep would probably take a while. Their next mission could be the most dangerous yet, but they had no choice, and Gabriel might be out there dodging shadow people and Flint’s troops, so they had to go as soon as possible. He had to make this nap a short and efficient one.

  Although dawn was breaking outside, only a bare candle near his pillow illuminated his surroundings. The hut’s window had been sealed tightly for the cold weather, so total darkness had become a way of life. But it was better that way. It would help him employ his usual plan for falling asleep.

  He blew out the candle and settled in. Darkness gave him a canopy for painting pictures in the air, a way to begin his dreams. He would mentally draw Bonnie’s face, and, since closing his eyes made no difference in the darkness, she would stay in his mind’s eye as he drifted off to sleep.

  Soon, his portrait expanded. Bonnie, now fully drawn from head to toe, knelt at her bedside. This was definitely one of his favorite scenes. Years ago, back when her father had come to West Virginia to take her home to Montana, Billy had found her praying in this position, her hands folded on her bedspread. Back then, her wings were hidden in her backpack, but now, in his imagination, they spread out behind her in all their glory. With her blond-streaked hair draped over her back, and her sparkling eyes lifted up toward Heaven, she looked like an angel.

  Billy walked into the bedroom scene and listened to her lovely voice as she prayed out loud, her cadence lacking rhythm as the words missed their obvious metric beat.

  Call to me, and I will answer you;

  Say my name, and my light will shine.

  Draw me out, and I will rise again;

  Take my hand, and I will be thine.

  Billy let the words echo in his mind. These were different, not her usual prayer, and her lack of rhythm felt odd, like a drum striking at the wrong time. Normally she asked for help to escape whatever prison she was in, and she often prayed for him, for his safety, courage, and enduring faith. This was the first time his mind ever invented the scene with her praying a poem. And the opening line was familiar, the words on her poster, the phrase that helped him understand that he had to call for a doctor instead of Makaidos.

  Makaidos. Billy let that name bounce around in his thoughts. Twice they had changed the poem and called for someone else, and now that the season of death had arrived and stayed, and with Acacia’s energizing light no longer available, a third opportunity never arose. The eclipses had ceased, and with clouds and snow often obscuring the sky, they rarely saw Pegasus or Phoenix anyway. The moons would sometimes peek through breaks in the clouds, and their light would bathe the covering blanket in a silvery glow. Even with those glimpses, the villagers agreed that until the season of death finally ended, the cycles would never return to normal. And no cycles, no Makaidos.

  Bonnie sang her prayer again, this time with more emotion. Every word seemed drenched with sorrow, yet buoyed by hope as they rose toward the sky
as an offering to God. And Bonnie glowed. Oh, yes, she glowed, far brighter than Pegasus, and with a shimmering radiance that outshone a regeneracy dome, even with all the glittering gems the dragons had gathered over the years.

  He reached for her, but, as usual, a barrier stood between them, invisible, yet impenetrable. He would have to wait still longer. Someday it would be broken. Eventually it would dissolve. … Wouldn’t it?

  Bonnie turned and stared at him. Billy gasped. She saw him! This was new. They had never made eye contact before.

  She opened her mouth, and a harsh call burst forth.

  “Billy!”

  Something shook his shoulder.

  “Billy. It’s me, Walter. It’s time to blast through the fire.”

  Yawning, Billy blinked his eyes open. “Already?”

  Walter stood over him with a lantern in hand. “You said three hours, and you got an extra five minutes.”

  Billy looked at the bed on the other side of the hut. Elam had still not slept. “Where’s our warrior chief?”

  “Interviewing Yellinia. He never gives up on our missing-in-action troops, so he’s trying to get every clue he can about Sapphira and Bonnie.” Walter threw a cloak over Billy’s legs. “It’s got a fresh coat of fire-be-gone. You’re all set. I told Ashley we’d meet her at her hut.”

  Billy climbed to his feet, put on the cloak, and strapped on his scabbard. “When does Elam want to try the transformation?”

  “It’s done. That’s why I called her Yellinia instead of Dorian. They decided it was better to go ahead and transform her so Thigocia could heal the arrow wound.”

  “Great! Now we have six dragons.”

  Walter nodded toward Billy’s scabbard. “I put Excalibur back, but you might want to move it to your belt for this mission.”

  “Right.” As Billy made the adjustment, Walter pushed open the door and allowed Billy to go through first. Still working on the belt, he blinked at the morning light. Snow was falling again, but not heavily. “If the beam worked on the garden soil, I guess the bones of Makaidos are still functioning.”

  “They sizzled up a storm. Excalibur worked great.”

  Billy and Walter jogged toward Ashley’s hut. “Any effect on the two plants?” Billy asked.

  “Zero. They’re both still bulging. The ugly one looks about ready to pop.”

  When they reached the hut, Ashley was standing outside the door, her arms crossed tightly as she bounced on her toes. “Which dragons are we flying?”

  “Grackle and Albatross,” Walter said. “They’re good and rested.”

  Ashley shivered hard. “Perfect. Heated scales.”

  Walter picked up a duffle bag near Ashley’s feet. “Does this one have the snowboards?” he asked.

  She nodded, tight-lipped and still shivering. “And more flame retardant and a few smoke bombs, just in case.”

  “Are you okay? It’s not any colder than usual.”

  “Just tired, I think.” She bundled her cloak tighter against her body. “That makes me colder.”

  “What did you get? One hour of sleep?”

  “Maybe two.” She nodded toward the door. “My other bag’s inside, the one with a cloak for Gabriel, and my ion box.”

  “I’ll get them.” Walter disappeared inside.

  Ashley smiled at Billy but said nothing. A ring glittered on her finger, a new one Walter had given her when he proposed marriage.

  Billy grinned. Even after three months, it was still hard getting used to thinking of his old buddy as an engaged man. For most of the four years they had lived in Second Eden, Ashley had said many times that he wasn’t old enough, that their ages were too far apart, but when he single-handedly mowed down four Vacants who had trapped her in one of the greenhouses, she changed her mind.

  Sure, he was still only twenty, but living in the rigors of this world had definitely made a man out of him. He had helped Ashley design the farming greenhouses and suggested a great way to funnel geothermal energy to a heating coil system throughout the greenhouse network. Although digging through the frozen ground was bitter, backbreaking work, he never complained or took a day off. And his ability to organize and teach the villagers the intricacies of the technology was amazing. He had translated the scientific jargon into the common language so that everyone understood well enough to work without constant supervision.

  And the results spoke for themselves. Without Walter’s labors, by now everyone might have starved, but their food supply had proven to be more than adequate. So one day while he was showing Ashley his new idea for keeping snow from overloading a roof, he took her to the top of one of the greenhouses where he had built a snowman kneeling in front of a snowwoman.

  As Billy and Ashley continued waiting for Walter, Billy imagined the roof scene, having heard every detail from Walter a dozen times.

  “What’s going on here?” Ashley said as she pushed off the top ladder rung and stepped onto the roof.

  “The snow dude is asking the snow dudette a question.” Walter touched the kneeling snowman’s head. “But he’s younger and a whole lot dumber, so it took him a long time to get enough courage. That’s why he took her up on the roof, to do it privately. Down on the ground there’s always someone asking a question or needing help.”

  “I see.” Ashley crossed her arms and looked back and forth between Walter and the snow sculptures. “What question did he ask?”

  Walter got down on his knee, mimicking the snowman. “I’m not a hundred percent sure. That’s the reason I brought you up here. I was wondering if you could read his mind and figure it out for me.”

  “Is that so?” Ashley stood in front of him and copied the snowwoman’s stance. “Judging from their facial expressions, my guess is that he’s asking her to have a cup of hot cocoa with him.”

  “I doubt it. They’d both melt.”

  “Good point.” Ashley stroked her chin with a gloved hand. “I guess I’ll have to do a little mind reading.”

  As new snow began to fall, Walter pushed his finger into the snow dude’s ear. “You’d better hurry. I’ll bore a hole into his head so his thoughts will leak out.”

  After several seconds, Ashley shook her head and gave a mock sigh. “I just can’t imagine what he’s thinking. His brain must be so cold, it totally choked.”

  Walter took off his glove and then Ashley’s. Taking her bare hand, he looked into her eyes. “For years I felt like a snowman in your sight—stiff, stoic, and stupid.”

  “Alliteration?” Ashley said. “Very clever.”

  “Shhh. I worked on this a long time.”

  “Oh, sorry.” Taking on a doe-eyed expression, she gazed at him lovingly. “Please go on.”

  “Anyway, I felt like a snowman. I knew I was too young for you and too immature, but as I worked year after year, I grew up a lot faster than I would have at home, and I melted away my shallow shell until I became limber, lithe, and loquacious.”

  “Loquacious?”

  “Right. Elam gave me that word, but he wouldn’t tell me what it means. Anyway, . . .” He pressed a button under his coat. A sizzling sound rose from the snowman, and the snow covering his outstretched hand melted, revealing a metallic coil holding a ring. Walter took the ring and extended it to Ashley. “I have no doubt that I am now ready to be a husband to an angelic anthrozil.” Swallowing, he paused for a moment to steady his voice. “Since your father isn’t available, I asked your mother for her blessing, and she gave it without hesitation, so now I ask you. If you believe me to be worthy of taking your hand in marriage, I vow that I will never let it go. We will be side by side in everything we do, together in every adventure, just like we said when we clasped hands after you sang ‘Amazing Grace’ for your grandfather. I now ask for your grace.” He cleared his throat and spoke the final words with power and clarity. “Ashley Stalworth, will you marry me?”

  As Billy let the image melt away, Ashley smiled at him. “I hope you don’t mind,” Ashley said, “but your thoug
hts were so vivid, I listened in.”

  “Was that the way it happened?”

  “Word for word, except you didn’t finish. My answer was, ‘O worthy warrior, you need no grace from me, for your request fills my heart with joy. I am the one receiving the blessing, for a noble knight has asked for my hand, the same knight who willingly laid down his life for me time and again. He melted my heart of ice so that I could hear the heralds of Heaven proclaim the amazing grace of God. I gladly accept, and it is most appropriate that you brought me here, for I want to shout from the rooftops that Walter Foley has asked for my hand in marriage.”

  “I know. You shouted so loud I thought the war had started.”

  As they laughed together, Walter exited Ashley’s hut, her bag in hand. “Sorry,” he said. “Emerald’s father stopped me. He wanted to give me some pointers on being a good Adam.”

  Billy patted him on the back. “No problem for a noble knight.”

  The three hurried to the dragon launching field. Listener had already strapped on the seats and waited next to Albatross.

  “I explained your mission to them,” Listener said. “They know what to do. They promised not to get scared if Vacants show up.”

  Even from where he stood, Billy could feel heat from the passenger dragons. They would definitely provide a comfortable ride, but since they had disappeared after the battle with the Vacants, Elam wasn’t comfortable with using them for important missions. When they finally came back after several weeks, they seemed contrite, so they were allowed to return to service in non-battle situations.

  Albatross lowered his head, allowing Billy to climb his neck. Walter and Ashley mounted Grackle, Walter taking the front seat while Ashley tied her bags to the back.