Courage

by Angela B. Macala-Guajardo

  “No need,” Dr. Prye said. “Research comes with risks when there are so many unknown factors, and neither of us saw that coming. Yes you broke a million-cerin machine, but it’s perfectly replaceable. At least I still have all the data I gathered from you. How do you grow and shrink, and was that moment after you woke up an involuntary set of growth spurts?”

  “They were an attempt to keep my power contained. The power tricked me. It is explosive. But the bigger I got, the easier it was to contain it and get it back under control.”

  “The other half of you described himself as a bomb. Is that accurate?”

  Aerigo opened his mouth to speak as he made a disagreeing frown. He sighed. “Partially. It’ll sound like a mythology tale if I explain what I know about it.”

  “I’m still curious,” Dr. Prye said with a smile. “You’re a fascinating person who’s part of a fascinating race.”

  Aerigo sat up and slid himself backwards so he could lean against the wall. He bowed his head again and interlaced his fingers and rested his hands in his lap. “For much of my life, I’ve been working towards fulfilling a task I’ve been given, but with no clue as how to fulfill it. I put the task aside every chance I get and instead protect people and help them as I can.”

  “What’s this task you’ve been given?”

  Aerigo looked up. “Are you as atheistic as the rest of your world?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then don’t worry about it.” He resumed his gaze at his hands.

  Dr. Prye gave him a puzzled look. “Why does what I believe matter?”

  “Because you won’t believe me.” Aerigo fell silent.

  Donai found himself feeling as confused as Dr. Prye. What could theology possibly have to do with an Aigis’ task?

  “Well, Aerigo, perhaps you could give me a chance and just explain your task. Is it linked to your powers?”

  “It is. Aigis have the power to contend with the will of a god and even kill one. The power doesn’t make us invincible or immortal. Aigis are around to keep the gods in check, and to protect their mortal creations.” His voice tightened and his forehead creased. “But as powerful as I am right now, I still have more power to unlock.”

  Dr. Prye sat in silence, digesting Aerigo’s words.

  “Part of my task is to unlock that power, which I never want to do. And with that horrible power, I’m supposed to bring a specific god to heel and stop his madness.”

  “I know you’re telling me the truth, but I still don’t know how to believe you.” Dr. Prye glanced at the computer and tapped the heel of his fist on the desk a few times. “You have no reason to lie to me about this. But still, even if I were a believer, I think I’d hope you were lying. What you described sounds horrible. Is nothing in control of this universe?”

  “The gods are, but they don’t always live in peace. The power of their will is beyond my ability to explain.”

  “Understood.” He tapped his fist on the desk again. “What happened to Kismet’s god? Did we ever have a god?”

  Aerigo studied the doctor a moment. “Every world has a god. No world can come into being without one. I don’t know what happened to yours.”

  “It’s a small consolation. And I think that answers all my questions about your powers.”

  The screen went black.

  End of Entry

  Chapter 12

  Roxie still lay on her back with the dragon bearing down on her, and still unable to move her right arm. However, she’d made some progress. She could move her fingers. She slowly curled and uncurled them, the movements weighed down with what felt like the remnants of heavy sleep. This was more movement than she could manage just a few minutes ago. If she could move her fingers, then she could move her hand. If she could move her hand, then she was getting her whole stupid arm to move.

  Her legs and left arm wouldn’t stop shaking. She was covered in sweat, and tears streamed into her ears. The dragon’s breath had gotten hotter and her skin started feeling like she was getting sunburned. On top of that, she wanted to dry off her ears so bad, but that wasn’t an option. She was reaching the end of her endurance.

  She looked past the rim of the snout, along its black curves and scales and into its beady red eyes spaced far apart and angled into the skull just enough for the dragon to look forward without having to turn its head, and they lay deep in the socket with a row of little horns posing as eyebrows.

  “I’m gonna live, you stupid dragon.” Oh, talking was a mistake. Roxie gasped for breath and started coughing. Her body shook and her limbs began to fold. She tried to straighten them but her coughing forced her knees all the way to her chest, and the back of her left hand was just above her forehead, bringing the foot-long fangs alarmingly close to her chest. Knowing her limbs were about to give out, she shoved aside the snout and rolled the other way. The ground vibrated as the dragon took a nose-dive. Roxie surged to her feet and started running, her right arm flopping around. She grabbed her forearm and hugged it to her stomach.

  Her legs moved automatically as her brain absorbed what just happened. After who knows how many hours of struggle, she was on her feet and breathing fresh air. Cool air. Air that didn’t make her want to gag. All that clean air made her feel a little lightheaded but she didn’t care. The ground was vibrating under her in a loping series of four thuds as the dragon chased her. Apparently it had already concluded that it didn’t need flight to catch her. And to her dismay, she had nowhere to hide. In every direction she looked there was nothing but a grayness that darkened to black.

  Suddenly, the ground began to turn green and sprout blades of wild grass. Ahead, the darkness parted to reveal a willow forest with a small camp at its roots. It looked exactly like the one she’d taken the poison darts in. She ground to a halt, fearing her dream would get worse if she went there. Maybe Elves would pop out of the forest and try to kill her as well.

  The dragon’s thuds lost their rhythm and one of its massive limbs bowled into her. Roxie flew like a one-armed Superman before landing on the grass, right behind the log Aerigo had slept against. Roxie scrambled to her feet and had enough time to notice that her right hand had made a fist at last, before the dragon came at her again. She turned and ran under its belly. There had to be a good eight to ten feet between the belly and her head, and its torso had to be big enough to crush a house if it laid down. The dragon twisted around and swiped at her. She dug her hand into the grass and dirt, then launched liked a sprinter pushing off blocks and ran back towards the camp. The dragon spun to meet her. Roxie tried to dart to the side, but a tail as thick as her body came at her. She dived back under the belly just in time to let the beast smack itself with a bone-snapping whip crack. She darted for the other side and the dragon slammed a foreleg in her path. She ran into it and bounced off. It shouldn’t have been possible for something that big to move faster than her. Well, she was dreaming, but still. Roxie steadied herself and gave up on running. She understood she was going to have to make a stand at some point, but she wanted to get her right arm working first.

  Her arm had no puncture marks, no signs of poisoning, but yet it was glued to her stomach. Wait... She relaxed her muscles and her arm dangled by her side. So she had been using more muscles. She tried to bend her elbow again, but it was like trying to do a biceps curl with more weight than she could manage.

  Something hard and warm smacked her in the back of her head and shoulders, and the next thing she knew, she was pinned to the ground. Not only that, she’d been squished into the dirt and couldn’t move, much less breathe. The dragon had dropped onto her. Squirming, Roxie began to panic. The more she struggled, the more she sank, but the more she sank, the more space she had to move. The longer and harder she struggled, though, the less air she had available. That was enough to get her adrenaline going back to full steam.

  Roxie pulled all her limbs under her, but when she pushed against the dragon’s massive weight, she sank deeper into the dirt. She curled up lik
e a beetle. If the ground were more solid, she could find out if she was superhumanly strong enough to heave her way to freedom.

  As if in answer to her needs, the ground grew firm under her forearms and shins, and then it felt like a cobblestone road beneath her. The only place she’d encountered such roads was in Phailon. Why would her dream put her there?

  Roxie tested her right arm for functionality. She could make and unmake fists with ease, and move her elbow and shoulder with some difficulty, but it was enough. She sucked in a deep breath, braced her back against the dragon, and exploded upwards. The dragon’s weight felt like an entire pig pile pinning her down, but the scaly pile rose a few feet in the air and thudded to the ground beside her. She stared dumbly a moment, not quite able to believe she’d just hefted a multi-ton creature all by herself. The dragon was far bigger than an elephant, yet she’d been strong enough to move it. The dragon lifted its head and she took off along the streets.

  The dreamed up version of Phailon was very grey and hazy. Smoke and the glow of large fires filled the gaps between buildings, but not a single fire was to be found. Neither was there anyone else, not even Rooke, Aerigo’s friend who’d died in Phailon, or the Elves. Roxie took a zigzagging path along the streets, hoping to make herself difficult to follow. Several hazy blocks later, she slipped into a darkened building, which was empty. No people, no furnishings, not even a light switch--not that she wanted to turn one on and clue the dragon in on where she’d run off to. Roxie crouched to the side of the doorway, away from any windows and wracked her brains for a solution to her dilemma. This was the second time she’d faced a foe so much bigger than her--wait!

  When she’d faced Daio, she hadn’t known that she could turn into a giant as well, much less how to do that. Now she’d had Aerigo demonstrate the danger of growing while touching a living, thinking being when he’d killed a troll. She needed to find a way to apply the same tactic to the dragon without putting herself in a position to get eaten. This meant killing the dragon. But, since this was a dream, killing held no real consequence. She could live with that no problem.

  Roxie stood, ready to face the dragon as she’d ever be.

  The building shook and rock cracked as the room crumbled all around her. Roxie ran out and found herself face-to-foreleg with the dragon. She leapt the last few feet and latched on, which was like trying to wrap her arms around the hood of a car, and she stood on its clawed foot. And that was the moment she realized the error of her decision.

  Before Roxie could concentrate long enough to slip her awareness into the river of time, the dragon came at her with open jaws. She let go of the scales and developed a lump in her throat. Massive fangs enveloped her like cell bars, and she jumped and braced her hands against the ridged roof the dragon’s mouth as her booted feet struggled for purchase. The dragon moved its tongue around, trying to squeeze her to the back of its throat. Roxie stomped and kicked it towards the throat and out from under her, but the tongue wrapped around her waist and hips. She spread her feet and leaned against the tongue’s tug.

  Compared to battling the weight of the dragon, the tongue was nothing. As if the dragon had just read her thoughts, it let out a menacing growl that doused her with its hot, sulfuric breath. Roxie fought the urge to vomit, but wondered if she should let herself do so. Maybe the taste would sicken the beast enough to spit her out. However, she hated vomiting, so she’d have to find another way out of her latest predicament.

  There was maybe a three-inch gap between the rows of fangs. Considering the dragon couldn’t do more than try and swallow her, which wasn’t working, Roxie had all the time she needed to concentrate on growing. She sucked in a lungful of putrid air and closed her eyes, then concentrated. The sensational upwards rush of growing took over her senses, and the dragon spat her out. She stopped growing and opened her eyes just before she landed unceremoniously on the cobblestone street, then popped to her feet and gratefully sucked in the cooler air.

  The dragon, which looked not as huge as before, worked its jaw a few times, then turned on Roxie and spread its mouth wide. A smoldering glow rose in the back of its throat, and Roxie took off, dragon fire chasing after her.

  The fire missed by a long shot. The dragon roared its frustration. Instead of feeling the ground vibrate underneath her feet, Roxie heard the sharp snap of leathery wings. She snuck a glance behind her. The dragon was going straight up and above the height of the city. She put a building between her and the flying dragon, then, placing her hands on the stone to steady herself, concentrated on growing once more. While feeling her body expand, she counted to five, then stopped. The nearest doorway was no taller than her knees. Hopefully she was now big enough to wrestle with the dragon. She was certainly too big to fit in its mouth, but she needed to be big and strong enough to take a few seconds of beating before she gave it the hug of death. But first, she had to coax it within range.

  Roxie heard a shriek behind her. She turned to see the dragon diving at her with its wings tucked near its sides and its body streamlined like a bullet. She faced it with fists slightly raised, her heart in her throat. The time for running was over.

  A fireball appeared between her and the dragon, and rapidly grew, heading straight for her. Roxie side shuffled to the next building and the fireball detonated right where she’d been standing, taking out the wall of the first two floors and sending soot and debris everywhere. Roxie stared, eyes wide. There was nothing but a charred crater left.

  She mentally shook off her shock and faced the dragon. Three more fireballs sailed towards her like a baseball out of a pitching machine set at full speed. She dodged the first two with quick footwork, but she defensively raised her arms and the third one exploded and sent her sprawling, ears ringing. Roxie shook her head and stuck fingers in both ears, but all she could hear was one high-pitched ring wail as she sprung back to her feet. The dragon crashed into her and together they went somersaulting through a building, then out the other side, separately rolling to a stop. Roxie flopped onto her back and kept her eyes shut as she listened to the building fall and the ring in her ears fade. Thankfully, for Phailon’s sake, it was just a dream. The building collapsed on itself with a prolonged rumble, accented by deep cracks.

  Two clawed paws pinned Roxie to the ground by her shoulders. The dragon came at her with its jaws tilted sideways, so it could bite of her head like a gardener would clip a rosebud. Roxie tried to raise both arms, but she couldn’t budge them, nor did she have time to grow. Using her superhuman speed, she tucked her knees to her chest and socked the dragon in its stomach, sending it flying over her head. The dragon snapped air just behind her head and fell with a ground-vibrating thud. Roxie twisted to her stomach, clamped both hands around the dragon’s snout, and concentrated on growing.

  The dragon broke from her grasp with a shriek and spread its wings. Roxie scrambled to her feet and locked the dragon in a bear hug, the monster’s shoulders level with her chest. There was no way it could take flight now. She closed her eyes again and was dimly aware of claws and teeth tearing at her through the sensation of an upwards rush. Soon, it felt like she was holding a squirming animal to her chest. She stopped growing and brought her awareness fully back into her nightmare. The dragon was no bigger than a puppy to her now. It had its teeth clamped to one of her shoulders and was growling away.

  Roxie had expected the dragon to die, but maybe it didn’t matter under these circumstances. She seized the dragon behind its head and pulled it off of her. It squirmed and growled louder, and Roxie tossed it onto the street when it tried to bite her arm. The dragon leapt for her face. In one swift motion, Roxie caught it midair and pinned it to the ground, causing the ground to vibrate yet again. She had barely any moving room between buildings, and she almost banged her head against the nearest one. She was now kneeling a bit awkwardly, but she didn’t care. She had won the fight for her survival and sanity.

  The dragon fought to free itself, but Roxie just bore more of her gigantic
weight down on it. “Give up already. I beat you.” The dragon squirmed a moment longer, then went limp and heaved a sigh that sounded like a whale exhaling. It began to slowly flick its tail like an agitated cat. Roxie cautiously let go. The dragon slowly rose to all fours and backed away a little, glaring at her with its red eyes. “I won, fair and square--well, not that fairness had anything to do with it.”

  “You did, Aigis,” the dragon said in a deep, gravelly voice. Its form grew transparent. “But I have one last fight for you.” The dragon arched its neck and spat a fireball that hit her squarely in the chest, then vanished.

  Roxie clutched at her sternum and tried to catch her breath. The wind had been knocked out of her, but she had a foreboding feeling that it was something more than that. Apparently it was a fight for air-not for fresh, cool air, but any air at all. Her windpipe felt a tenth the width it was supposed to be. She wanted to cry out for help, but Aerigo was busy keeping his power in check, and she was still stuck in her nightmare.

  Wake up, damn it! Wake up or die! Still clutching her sternum, Roxie toppled onto her back and straightened her legs out. The buildings and smoldering night sky grew white and bright, and then she saw a tiled ceiling and fluorescent light shining in her eyes. Roxie sat up, or rather she thought she did. There seemed to be two of her. One was lying on a gurney with a sheet covering her up to her collar bone. Her eyes were shut, her complexion looked sunburned, and her necked looked all bruised. She was looking down at herself.

  Roxie looked about what appeared to be a room of the hospital Aerigo had mentioned. Near the foot of her gurney sat a lady in scrubs, who was raising an eyebrow at the machine by the head of Roxie’s gurney. Roxie flung her second self--or whatever she was--in the lady’s direction and mentally screamed, Help!