by Bryan Davis
“Perfect.” Grabbing her just below her hips, he heaved her upward until her hands wrapped around one of the smaller branches. “Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Now hang on while I move my hands. You’ll need to swing up to the big limb that’s in front of the branch you’re holding.”
“I’m ready.”
Adrian shifted his grip to her feet and boosted her higher. She pulled free from his hands, swung her legs up, and straddled the limb with her face toward the center of the glade, bumping her head on a branch above in the process.
“Ouch!” She rubbed her scalp.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded. “You didn’t warn me.”
“I’m sorry. I forgot again.”
“That’s okay. I just have to keep reminding you.”
Adrian picked up his sword and, holding the end of the blade, extended the hilt. “I’m lifting my sword. Grab the hilt.”
Regina’s brow shot upward. “Your sword?” She reached out. When her fingers touched the hilt, they curled around it slowly. “Wow!”
“Okay. Hang on tight. I’m coming up.”
She gripped her supporting limb with her free hand. “I’m ready.”
Adrian leaped, grabbed the same branch Regina had used, and swung himself up to the limb. He also faced the glade’s center, Regina sitting behind him. When their bodies stopped shaking with the bouncing bough, he studied the inner workings of the web. As expected, the branches created multiple layers of concentric circles with the center directly over the spring. The limb they sat upon was the source of this tree’s contribution to the lowest layer, and fewer branches sprouted than farther out into the web. With more space here, if they climbed close to the trunk, it would be a lot easier to ascend into the upper levels.
He twisted his body toward her and took the sword. “Are you ready for more climbing?”
Her grin returned, wider than ever. “I’m ready!”
“Up above, there are thick limbs and thinner branches. We’ll use the limbs to stand on and the branches for grabbing hold and climbing.”
“I understand.”
“Good. Now reach up and grab the branch you bumped your head on, and try to stand.”
She complied, standing steadily as their limb bounced again.
“Now climb to the limb on the next level and reach for another branch. Use the branches as handholds and the limbs as steps. Keep doing that until I say to stop.”
“I’ll race you!” She scrambled up, as agile as a monkey.
Adrian followed, making sure she had gained control of a higher level before he heaved his body to the limb below her. With each level, he peered toward the center, checking for any sign of life within. Finally, after the sixth level, something white appeared. “Stop!”
Regina skittered down to his limb. “What do you see?”
“Something white. Follow me, and be careful.” Keeping his head low and the sword in hand, he crawled toward the center over the network of branches. Although they bent under his weight, cracking at times, they held firm enough. The sound of Regina’s quick, shallow breaths stayed close behind.
Near the area above the spring, a white shape protruded from the upper level, as if a huge ball had been wedged there from above. When he reached it, he halted, laid his sword down, and touched the shape’s cool surface. His fingertips ran across tiny lines—shallow gaps that divided it into sections that felt like scales, though not nearly as pronounced as those of the dragons of the Southlands. The dragon he had ridden in the Northlands, however, had skin very much like this.
“I think it’s a dragon,” he whispered.
She scooted up to his side, her hand falling through a gap once before finding solid support. “Is he alive?”
His hand still on the protruding shape, a slight buzz tickled his skin. “I think so.”
“And you said it’s white?”
“Yes. I saw a white dragon in the Northlands. Up there they call him a king.”
“So is this one of the Bloodless?”
“I suppose so. That means the king of the Northlands is of this dragon’s species, not Arxad’s.”
“If the Bloodless dragons have a king, why doesn’t he help them?”
“That’s a good question. Not only that, the white dragon and Arxad seemed to be friendly with each other, so it’s odd that Arxad would be frightened of the ones here.”
She pushed on a branch beneath her hand. “These are strong. How are you going to get him out?”
“I’m thinking about that.” Adrian touched the point where the body met the upper level’s matrix of branches. The woody spears pierced the dragon’s flesh, skewering it, but no blood flowed from the wounds. “Bloodless,” he whispered. “No wonder they haven’t bled to death.”
“Are they hurt?”
“Very much so. This isn’t going to be easy.”
“Are you going to take the water away?”
“First we have to figure out who they are and how dangerous they might be. If they’re awake enough to answer, I have some questions for them.”
Regina shuddered. “I don’t. If they’re dragons, I don’t want to talk to them.”
“That’s fine. I’ll do the talking.” Adrian patted the dragon’s scales and shouted. “Hello! Can you hear me?”
The dragon’s body shifted, and a low rumble emanated. “Who is there?”
“I am Adrian Masters. I have come from Darksphere to rescue the human slaves.”
“A human?” The dragon’s tone seemed annoyed. “We have no business with humans.”
“You do now.” Adrian pushed on the dragon’s scales. “I don’t think you can do much about it.”
“You mock my captivity.” The dragon groaned, mixing in a shallow growl. “If you wish to speak on friendly terms, I advise that you dispense with posturing and speak plainly.”
“Very well.” Adrian grabbed a branch above his head and steadied himself. “My brother thinks you might be able to help us.”
“Your brother? What is his name?”
“Frederick. Frederick Masters.”
“I do not recall the Masters part of his name, but I remember Frederick. He tried to set us free, but he failed. He has not been here in quite some time.”
“What did he do to try to free you?”
“He is your brother. Why are you asking me?”
“I’m afraid he is incapacitated and unable to communicate.”
A new purr vibrated the branches. “Interesting.”
“Well, can you tell me?”
“I assume you saw the spring.”
Adrian looked down, but darkness at the glade’s center prevented a view of the upwelling water. “I did. I already guessed that it heals the trees.”
“It flows from an underground river. Someone blocked that river and redirected the flow to the surface.”
“Who did that?”
“The same beast who trapped us here. Our king.”
Regina gasped. Adrian raised a shushing finger to his lips. Letting this dragon know what they knew might be a mistake. “Why would your king do that?”
“To keep us from bringing retribution. The very soul of this world was violated, so it was our duty to punish the evildoers.”
Adrian regripped the branch. Keeping his body steady on this shifting foundation wasn’t easy. “How was it violated, and who are the evildoers?”
“Since you are Frederick’s brother, you are not one of the guilty. I see no need to explain.”
“Has your king sided with the evildoers?”
The dragon grunted derisively. “Alaph does what he must, and what only he can do. That is all I will say.”
“If you won’t tell me more, I won’t be able to decide whether or not to help you.”
“Frederick was unable to help us. Are you wiser than he?”
“Not wiser, but I think I have journeyed in this land to a wider extent than he has. Maybe I have learne
d more than he was able to learn.”
“A fair statement.” The dragon shifted, shaking the network of branches. “It hurts to move, but staying motionless eventually brings a greater ache.”
Adrian clutched the branch with one hand and Regina’s arm with the other until their ground and ceiling settled.
After a low groan, the white dragon continued. “Members of both the human race and the dragon race have committed grievous violations against our world. The humans have been appropriately punished, and all those at fault are now dead. Among the dragons, however, some who committed atrocities are still living. When we attempted to exact punishment, we were defeated, but only because our own king prevented us from doing what we were born to do. We are the enforcers of this world, and all who violate its soul must die.”
“Why would your king prevent justice from being served?”
“This is a question you would have to ask him. Although Alaph is not one to speak without provocation, he will respond with honesty to questions. He is unable to lie.”
Adrian searched for the dragon’s head. It lay somewhere to his left, veiled by darkness. “Well, if he were here, I would be glad to ask him. But he’s not.”
“So you think.” The dragon groaned again, this time with a mournful tone. “He is close, much closer than you realize.”
Adrian nodded. Now they were getting somewhere. Detecting a lie in this beast would determine whether or not it was trustworthy. “So, where is your king?”
“In the Northlands.”
“The Northlands? But you said he was close. I’ve been to the Northlands, and it isn’t close at all.”
“Nor is your world close to this one, yet, if you took Frederick’s path, you crossed from one to the other in the blink of an eye.”
Adrian nodded. This dragon had indeed spoken to Frederick. “So there’s a portal nearby?”
“Of a sort. It is quite different from the one you passed through.”
“Where is it?”
“Climb. You will find it. It is an arduous climb, but it is a much quicker route to the Northlands than any other. That is, if the portal allows you to pass. Not all are able.”
Adrian looked up, but it was much too dark to see through the gaps in the network of branches. At least this dragon hadn’t lied about the king’s location, but could he be lying about a portal in the trees? There was only one sure way to find out. “If I were to climb, how many more of your kind might I see?”
“There are three of us. Perhaps you will see them. Perhaps not. I do suspect, however, that the higher you climb, the slower the branches will be to heal, so if you can free the highest of us, she might be able to help you with the rest.”
“She? I take it that you are male. What gender is the third?”
“The third is also female, my mate, the king’s sister. The highest one is my sister, the king’s mate.”
Adrian set a hand over Regina’s mouth, stifling another gasp. “The king entrapped his mate and his sister?” he asked. “How could he be so cruel?”
“Again, that is a question to ask him. We might consider it to be cruel, but apparently he does not, for he thinks himself to be gentle and just.”
Adrian glanced back at the trunk. “Did Frederick attempt the climb?”
“He did not. He was concerned about taking care of some children in his charge and thought it best not to risk being unable to return.”
Adrian looked at Regina. Her mournful expression said it all. They had to learn the truth and find out if the dragons should be freed. Everything this dragon had said rang true. Maybe a human could climb up to the Northlands and learn more. Since Frederick would recover eventually, someone would take care of the children.
He laid a hand on the dragon again. “Very well. I will try the climb. If what I learn tells me that you should be set free, I will do what I can to help you.”
“May the Creator guide you.” The dragon shifted again and groaned once more. “Our agony is unrelenting.”
Making enough noise for Regina to follow, Adrian crawled toward the trunk, his sword again in hand. He glanced back at her every few seconds. Feeling carefully for each support, she kept up beautifully. At one point, her hand stopped at a gap. Her fingers felt the edges of the hole, and, avoiding it deftly, she continued on.
A tear welled in Adrian’s eye. Her every move painted a portrait of courage. What must it be like to glory in the splendor of sight only to lose it because of the brutal cruelty of horrible beasts? They scourged her back, forced her to carry her weight in stones from dawn to dusk every day of her life, and fed her just enough to allow for survival but not enough to soothe the gnawing hole that scourged her from the inside and never let her forget the meaning of suffering. They robbed her of the gift of vision, and now she was being called upon to help a member of a similar species.
When they arrived at the trunk, he pushed the point of the blade into the branch, making the sword stand upright, and turned to face Regina. As they both straddled the limb, he took her hand. She pulled his hand close and wrapped it with both of hers. They were cold and trembling.
“Are you going to climb farther up now?” she asked.
“Yes.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Wait here for me, but if I don’t come back, can you find your way home?”
She nodded, also whispering. “I counted our steps, and I know the smells, but I’m not worried about me.”
“Good. You’re a brave girl.”
“I know.” Her brow knitted with two deep creases. “But I am worried about Marcelle. I can’t bring her here. She’s too heavy.”
“Why would you bring her—” Adrian cut off his own words. What a fool! How could he miss the obvious? The spring could probably heal Marcelle, and it hadn’t even crossed his mind! “You’re making me feel stupid again.”
“Think of it this way. You’re getting smarter all the time.” Grinning again, she touched her chin with a finger. “I should go with you to make sure you keep getting smarter.”
“There’s no need for that.” He gazed into her eyes. Even in the brighter light, they shimmered. Why had the water healed the rest of her body but not her visual gateway to the world? “I’ll just go up a little way. If I see anything dangerous at all or it gets too far, I’ll come right back, and we’ll go get Marcelle. Otherwise, I’ll keep climbing. Sound good?”
She nodded. “Sounds good.”
“Hang on. I’m getting up.” As she braced herself, he reached for the limb above and pulled himself up, plucking the sword from its perch in one motion. He pushed the blade behind his belt and began climbing. From level to level, the gaps in between seemed to be about the same, though the limbs grew progressively smaller. Below, Regina became harder to see, her form shrinking and veiled as the distance expanded and the branches obstructed his view.
At each level, he looked toward the center. Vague white shapes appeared, maybe various parts of the lowest dragon or his first view of the second one. With long necks and tails, who could tell where one dragon began and another ended?
When he passed what seemed to be the third dragon, he stopped and looked up. The distance to the next limb was about ten feet instead of the usual four to five. A layer of fog floated just above his head, thin and swirling, as if stirred by a breeze.
He licked his finger and raised it. Not a breath of air cooled his skin. What could be stirring the fog? And why would it be there at all? It was so thin, seeing through it wasn’t a problem, so it couldn’t be hiding anything.
He pushed his hand through the layer. The fog rushed toward the contact point and wrapped around his wrist. Resisting the urge to jerk back, Adrian stood on tiptoes to get a better look.
The mist ran up to his fingertips and swirled around them, as if trying to dress them in a white glove. A tingling sensation trickled down his skin and spread toward his elbow. The mist trickled down with it, enveloping his forearm.
Adrian pulled his arm down and backed towa
rd the trunk, but the mist stretched out from the layer, as if reaching and trying to hang on. It crawled along his body until the tingles and white raiment covered him from head to toe.
A ribbon of mist connected his hand to the layer above. The tingles radiated toward the connection, as if drawing him. As the pull intensified, his feet lifted from the branch, and his body drifted upward.
Adrian thrashed, slowing the ascent, but he couldn’t pull free. He drew his sword and slashed at the fog. The blade passed harmlessly through, doing nothing but adding to the swirl. “Let me go!” he shouted, but the words sounded foolish even in his own ears.
“What’s wrong, Adrian?”
From below, Regina climbed toward him, her bright eyes pulsing.
“Stay back! Something grabbed me, and I can’t get loose.”
She scrambled up to his level and groped until her hand swiped across his foot. She wrapped her arms around his legs and pulled with all her weight. “I’ll get you loose,” she called.
“No, Regina! Let go! I can’t let you get hurt!”
“But you need me!” She rocked her body, lifting off the branch and making them both swing. “You can’t be smart without me.”
Unable to kick, Adrian put the sword away and kept his lower body as still as possible. If she fell now, she might tumble all the way to the ground.
“I’m hanging on, Adrian! Is it helping?”
He bent over, grabbed her wrist, and hauled her into his arms. Holding her tightly, he kissed her cheek and whispered into her ear. “Thank you for helping me.”
They continued rising slowly with the fog, both penetrating the swirling layer. After nearly a minute, they stopped in midair, now within reach of the limb above.
Adrian kept his lips close to her ear. “I’m going to boost you to the next level. Just reach out and grab whatever you can.”
“Okay.”
Grasping just below her hips, Adrian hoisted her to the branch. When she latched on to it, he pushed her higher until she was able to climb up and straddle it. The mist surrounded her, as if it adhered to her body, following her every move.
Adrian looked at his hands. He, too, wore the misty clothing. Streams of white ran across his skin in both directions, like an external circulatory system.
