The Black wing (d-2)

by Mary Kirchoff

  these woods like a deer; now it hurt just to walk slowly. Cresting the hill where the ambush occurred, she blinked in disbelief.

  The bodies of the dead knights and their horses lay in the pass, plucked clean of their gear, some half-eaten by ogres. The smashed wagon remained in its place. The area where Onyx's magical hailstorm had pounded down was still cov shy;ered in shards of ice. But Led, the ogres, and their two horses were gone.

  Only a blind man could have missed the bloody trail left by the knight and Onyx's charge. Led could easily have fol shy;lowed it to her, if only he had looked.

  Which could only mean that he hadn't bothered.

  The human had abandoned her with less thought than he had his lieutenant, though Toba's mysterious disappearance coupled with her own might have spooked the man. Perhaps he thought there was something sinister prowling the woods, stalking his little group. That wasn't beyond the realm of possibility, especially since he was, or had been, transporting a kidnapped faerie creature.

  Still, the thought that he had abandoned her so easily angered and humiliated Onyx at the same time. Her hands curled into fists. Before she could decide what to do about either emotion, she sensed more than saw a presence nearby and whirled about

  "Who's-Kadagan!" Like a feather, the nyphid drifted down from the cliff face. His brown hair had lost some of its glow; his eyes, too, were dull. New lines had formed around his mouth and eyes, turning his normally thoughtful features sour and sad. His two-foot frame was now so emaciated that beneath the furry vest, his green tunic hung like a dirty sack from his shoulders.

  "Kadagan!" she cried, rushing up to him. She had never been so happy to see anyone. "I'd hoped you'd followed us." Onyx's smile fell. "You already know what happened … to Dela."

  "Yes."

  Onyx peered around him. "Where's Joad? I could use some of his herbs right now. I ran into some trouble, as you can see. Is he nearby?"

  "He is dead."

  Onyx's heart jumped. "How?" she finally gulped. "Did some other humans catch him alone? Not Led!"

  "No, it was nothing like that," Kadagan replied flatly. "Seeing Dela's death was simply too much for him."

  Onyx put her swollen face in her hands and sighed. "I'm sorry, Kadagan. I did what I could to save her."

  "Didst thou? It seems thou hast found thy human form less disagreeable than anticipated."

  Both the question and the statement startled her, and instantly put her on the defensive. "I've learned to tolerate it, if that's what you mean. What's that got to do with any shy;thing?"

  "Only thou knows the answer to that."

  Onyx's eyes narrowed angrily at the nyphid's typically cryptic response. "How was I to know a stupid ogre would break open the wagon before I had a chance to rescue Dela? I commanded the maynus to give her energy, but it was already too late. If the maynus couldn't save her, what else could I do? What did you expect me to do?"

  "I expected thee to rescue Dela." Kadagan closed his blue eyes wearily. "None of that matters anymore. The time of nyphids on Krynn is over. I came to say good-bye."

  "What will you do now?" she asked softly.

  "I will give back the energy I have gathered throughout my life, to enlighten others."

  "Are you going to seek out more qhen students? Are you-hey, what are you doing?"

  The nyphid stood with his eyes closed, swaying softly like a seedling in the breeze. His face grew even more gray. Onyx shook his shoulders and called his name, but he didn't answer.

  Suddenly the corners of the nyphid's mouth pulled up in a mysterious smile. His paper-thin eyelids fluttered open and took on that same faraway look Dela's had before she died.

  "Stop this, Kadagan!" Onyx snapped. "You can't leave-"

  His birdlike shoulders withered like a leaf between Onyx's hands. "No!" she cried heavenward. Kadagan couldn't be gone! There was so much she wanted to learn, things that only he could teach.

  Something landed on Onyx's upper lip. She brushed it away angrily. It was a firefly-the third one she'd seen on this cold winter day. Then Onyx remembered her trip with Joad to the beautiful, mossy grotto. It was the first time the elder nyphid had spoken to her. With a voice husky from silence, he'd told her that the grotto remained green and cov shy;ered with fireflies the year round.

  "Each spends its lifetime gathering energy. They give it back to us by illuminating the night. That is a life well spent."

  Khisanth finally understood why Joad had broken his silence and taken her to the grotto. She understood, too, why a pair of fireflies had appeared above the wagon when Dela died. And she wondered whether Joad and Dela had known to wait for Kadagan, if they expected him to follow them so soon.

  Khisanth slowly lowered herself onto a boulder. She felt light-headed from all that had happened, and she could barely breathe through her swollen, broken nose.

  As she sat there, Onyx glimpsed something shiny and black, lying in the dirt. Slipping from the boulder, she stooped and retrieved the object. An angry knot formed in her stomach as her fingers closed around a large, egg-shaped onyx stone. The young woman clenched it tightly, as if she could still feel the warmth of Led's hand on it. In her dragon form, she would have crushed it to black dust.

  Crouching on the cold ground of the pass, Onyx's mind ran through all that had happened on this very bad day. The more she thought about it, the madder she got. Everything had gone sour: she'd failed to rescue Dela; all the nyphids were dead; the knight had broken her nose and gotten away; Led had left her to die.

  The more she brooded, the more her anger focused on Led. He'd abducted Dela, incited the fight with the knights. He had fanned her fascination with her human form and then seduced her.

  Seduced her as a human, Onyx reminded herself. It was this body's fault that she'd fallen for all Led's talk. A blush rose to her cheeks when she realized just how completely she'd been taken in. Her body had betrayed her as surely as Led had. Khisanth could not set things right where the nyphids were concerned, but she could have her revenge.

  In the time it took her to close her eyes, Khisanth felt her human form stretch painlessly, until her long arms became clawed, her wings sprouted, her tail took shape. Good rid shy;dance, she thought. Springing skyward with her hind legs, the black dragon spread her wings, caught a gust, and was airborne.

  A party like Led's left very noticeable tracks. The trail west was easy to follow. Mostly it kept to the road.

  Onyx spotted the group near dusk. Led sat with his back to a boulder. As on the night before, the ogres were gathered behind him, already asleep. Two fires burned low. In the form of an owl, Khisanth hovered just above the treetops to keep them in sight while forming her exact plan.

  She soared up into the darkened sky beyond the reach of the firelight. At the apex of her climb, she willed herself back into her dragon form. Diving now toward the sleeping ogres, she summoned the acid up her long throat. Her breath blan shy;keted the sleeping ogres in deadly acid fog. They awoke screaming in surprise and anguish, but their cries died as quickly as they did.

  Led jumped to his feet and backed in horror from the grisly scene. He was totally at a loss to explain what had hap shy;pened to the ogres, for Khisanth was already beyond the range of his limited human vision. He thought he saw a shadowy, winged form, but it was nothing he could identify. His mind raced through the possibilities. He knew of no bird that large, certainly none that was capable of slaying ogres by dissolving them. He stood with sword in hand, waving it back and forth nervously, looking skyward.

  One ogre on the fringe of the group had been spared the full force of Khisanth's spray. Its left hand and much of its skin was burned away, but it was alive and nearly insane with panic. Foolishly it scrambled to its feet and started to run, a Solamnic long sword slapping uselessly at its side.

  Eyeing the creature, Khisanth soared back to the camp, opened her jaws wide, and unleashed a thin stream of steam shy;ing acid that hit the fleeing ogre on the right leg. It dropped, shri
eking and weeping, to its knees. Drawing the sword, the ogre pivoted on its knees and slashed the weapon skyward in a pathetic attempt at self-defense. Its yellow eyes turned on Led for help, but the human had disappeared.

  A huge, shadowy form slowly dropped into the range of the firelight, then landed on a rock.

  In the shelter of the trees, Led froze with horror. A dragon! The bounty hunter's breath stopped, and his hands turned instantly cold. He had heard of such creatures but never really believed in their existence. He felt terribly exposed, afraid to move. As stealthily as possible, he stepped farther back behind a tree trunk.

  Khisanth hopped down and approached the injured ogre. Trembling with fear, the creature continued to wave its sword pathetically at her from its knees.

  "I had a change of heart just after I let loose that acid," Khi shy;santh purred.

  The ogre's fear intensified at the sound of her voice. He dropped the sword.

  "Acid is a painful but quick way to die. I'd rather your boss and I have time to savor your screams."

  Khisanth sank her teeth into the ogre's right arm at the shoulder, severing bone and muscle with a great tearing sound. The creature's horrendous wails cut the air. Khisanth savored the sounds as she bit off the ogre's limbs one by one, then dropped the torso into a snowdrift. Unconscious at last, the ogre twitched once. His blood puddled on and melted the snow, and then petered out.

  Khisanth turned her tawny gaze on Led, who stood par shy;tially hidden behind a tree. Ever so slowly she slithered to the edge of the clearing, coming face-to-face with the bounty hunter; he merely watched her come, fear holding him in place.

  The dragon reached out a claw and lightly scratched Led's right cheek.

  Trembling, he touched a hand to his cheek and saw blood on his fingers. "W-What are you going to do with me?" he managed to gasp.

  "I haven't decided yet," she said laconically.

  He looked up at her, nervous beads of sweat rolling down his brow. "I've heard dragons like treasure," he said. "Take anything of value you see."

  The dragon gave a hoarse, raspy laugh. "Do you think, human, that I need your permission to do anything?"

  "N-No," he stuttered.

  "I'm in charge now." The dragon wagged a sharp claw at him. "Come into the light, where I can see your green eyes better. Did I ever tell you, Led, that I thought they looked like wet emeralds?"

  Unable to refuse, Led stepped back into the camp. The dragon's question puzzled him. The beast knew his name, spoke as if they'd met before. There was something vaguely familiar about the dragon's voice, but… Surely a man would remember if he'd ever met a dragon.

  "What a difference a day makes, Led." The dragon's tone was lazy. "Just yesterday you were saying that dragons aren't as smart as humans. And here you are today, at the mercy of one___I guess that means you're a stupid human."

  Led blinked. The dragon's words had a familiar ring; he closed his eyes and feverishly searched his memory for the meaning. When he looked up again, though, all thoughts of the mystery fled. Onyx stood before him, her arms crossed, unashamed of her nakedness. Her nose was broken, and dark bruises circled both eyes like a mask.

  The woman looked into Led's green eyes and saw confu shy;sion turn slowly to comprehension. "You left me to die, Led."

  Wide-eyed, he looked at her. "1 couldn't find you."

  Onyx's eyes were narrow slits. "You obviously didn't look very hard. There was a path to me a mile wide."

  "I looked," Led said quickly, his tone pleading, "but I was afraid to hang around the scene of the battle for fear of

  discovery. I thought you'd disappeared just like Toba."

  "I didn't," Onyx said coldly, then her voice became almost brittle. "Speaking of your lieutenant, would you like to see him?"

  "You know where Toba is?"

  The woman raised one brow and smiled maliciously. "I have an idea." Her fingers clutched the thong that held the maynus and swords. "Free him," she told the globe.

  As if from thin air, the charred and bloody body of Yoshiki Toba tumbled to Led's feet. Jumping back, the mighty merce shy;nary could not suppress a scream.

  "Well, I guess that nearly makes us even-on that score, anyway. I killed your friend. You caused the death of mine." Onyx said. At Led's puzzled look, she added, "The creature in the wagon. The one you kidnapped, she was the last female of her kind. You killed her. You killed her father and betrothed, as well. My friends."

  Led looked more confused still. Perhaps his fear is dulling his wits, the woman thought.

  "My gods, you're dense." Onyx gave him a patronizing look of pity. "Is your ego so great you actually think you talked me into joining your little band?" She threw back her head and laughed. "It was my plan all along. I tricked you. I was going to rescue the nyphid you'd kidnapped. I would have stolen her from under your nose if you hadn't mishan shy;dled the situation with the knights."

  Onyx tapped a finger to her chin. "Now that I think about it, we're not even at all. But then," she purred, "I'm just get shy;ting started."

  She began to pace around the frightened human. "I sup shy;pose you think I enjoyed our little encounter last night, too. Don't flatter yourself. It was all part of my plan." Onyx couldn't keep from blushing at her own reminder of their union. She rubbed her temple as if it pained her.

  Led suddenly seemed to regain use of his senses. The old, fearless smile came to his lips. He reached for her hand, his own trembling. "You spoke in riddles last night, with your talk of dragons and the gathering armies. I dismissed the

  idea because I didn't want to be an ordinary grunt. I didn't know about, well, you being a dragon. We'd rise to the top, you and I. Didn't I say we made a great team?"

  Onyx let her cold hand rest in his as she considered his anxious words.

  "You've got to believe me, Onyx. I thought you were the one who abandoned me." Led bent his head to hers, his lips brushing her cool ones. He pressed himself against her naked body. "We were so good together. I should have known bet shy;ter."

  "Yes, you should have," the young woman mumbled in agreement against his lips. Onyx could feel Led relaxing against her, eyes closed. In a heartbeat, the dragon Khisanth replaced Onyx. She jerked him off the ground and held him up like a child examining a bug. Before the mercenary could cry out, his handsome face disappeared into the dragon's jaws. Then it was too late.

  There was nothing left for him to scream with.

  PART TWO

  Chapter 10

  Khisanth's neck muscles tensed into thick black cords. Her scales rose like hackles. There it was again, that malevolent, watchful presence. Someone was definitely following her. Or some shy;thing. The dragon squinted skyward from the trail she'd beaten through the tamarack to her lair. Turning a full circle, Khisanth scanned the horizon. As before, she saw nothing to confirm her suspicion.

  Ever since she'd started across the Miremier to the Great Moors in search of a lair, the dragon had not been able to shake the feeling that someone was watching her. That was many lunar cycles ago, when snow had still blanketed the tamarack and ice had covered the ponds-not long after she'd eaten her human lover. Led's death was a delicious memory for Khisanth, and she used it to reckon time-one season after the devouring of Led, four lunar cycles since,

  and so on.

  She'd discovered the huge fen she now called home on a practice flight with Kadagan past the sandy desert on the western edge of the Endscape peninsula. Strong westerly winds had made flight difficult that day and pushed the heavy, pungent scent of stagnant water and rotting humus within reach of her sensitive nostrils. Kadagan had told her that the Great Moors were so vast that it took an entire day for the winds to push the clouds from west to east above them. Some instinct had told Khisanth that she belonged in such a bleak place, that a lair in the swamp would soothe her soul the way a cold meal sated her stomach.

  After the events at Needle Pass, Khisanth couldn't bear the thought of living near there. She felt no kinship with m
oun shy;tains. Neither was she interested in returning to the tiny, unremarkable lair the nyphids had found for her in the grass shy;lands of Endscape. The dragon had never liked it anyway.

  Khisanth's soul had stirred with the memory of the moor. Taking whatever treasure she fancied from Led and the dead ogres, Khisanth had gathered up her maynus choker and headed straightaway for the swamp. She had not looked back.

  Khisanth usually explored her pond, her territory, by foot as a dragon. To practice her qhen techniques she would occa shy;sionally take on the forms of smaller creatures indigenous to the area-such as field mice or mundane serpents-to view the swamp as they would. The dragon had been curious to see how her lair looked from a muskrat's reed-and-mud dam in the center of her pond. The furry, beaverlike creature had been delicious.

  Now, as she approached the hollow tree lair she'd taken for her own, Khisanth's gaze fell happily on the area sur shy;rounding it. Large, looming willows and other water-loving trees fanned out to where the earth met the dark purple sky. Low-growing shrubs covered everything else, hiding slip shy;pery bogs. At odd intervals the dead gray stumps of stripped pine trees poked skyward through the greenery, giving the tamarack an invitingly bleak appearance.

  Khisanth walked the perimeter of her small pond. The southern edge was flanked by graceful willows whose drap shy;ing branches fanned the filmy surface of the pond. Their size attested to their ancient origins; most of them towered more than three times Khisanth's height. Best of all, their trunks were thick with knotted roots that formed tall, vaulted arch shy;ways where the water lapped against them.

  Khisanth stepped into the chill, murky pond and waded toward an enormous tree whose roots arched majestically some eight feet above the pool's green surface. She bent her head to the water and half ducked, half swam, through the archway into the tree.

  Nature had hollowed the place as if it were intended as a dragon's lair. Bright, glowing lichen that looked almost mag shy;ical clung to the moist, corklike walls. Pond water reached halfway through the chamber. Toward the back of the lair, the tree climbed onto the bank and provided solid ground for abed.