Dragon's Taming

by Miranda Martin

  Letting go of my hand, he makes a pushing down gesture with both of his, palm side down. Then he stomps on the ground and makes the hand gesture again. Seeing he has my attention, he then takes a step back, this time making a pushing gesture with his palms facing me.

  "Stay here?" I ask, pointing to myself and then the ground. He nods his head, pointing at the ground like I just did. I nod back, elated we're getting through to each other more and more. At least we have some kind of communication going now.

  "Okay. I'll stay here."

  He takes another step, but he's still watching me. Waiting to see if I'll move? When he looks like he's sure I'm not going to follow, he finally turns and closes the distance between him and the beam to the left.

  Gripping it with his hands and bracing his feet on it, he starts climbing.

  I automatically take a step forward but then stop myself. What is he doing? Climbing that thing can't be safe! That beam has basically been exposed to the elements for decades, most likely. I sincerely doubt it's still structurally sound, especially not with the moisture that moss and those vines would need to live on it.

  I measure with my eyes the distance from the ground to the top of the beam near the high ceiling—or where the ceiling used to be—and feel my mouth go dry.

  It's high.

  Really high.

  And I don't think Ryuth intends to stop until he's at the very top.

  10

  Ryuth

  The moss is soft under my hands, the beam slippery under my feet as I start to push myself up. This is not going to be a simple climb.

  I glance at my treasure one more time to make sure she is staying where I put her. I need her to stay away, out of danger and within sight. Reassured when I see her standing where I left her, safe, I turn away to focus on my climb.

  I must reach the red, glittering plant at the top. It will cure my treasure of the epis withdrawal that I know she is feeling. Make her feel better. Over the last few days, I've watched as she has continued to grow paler and paler. I’ve noted often the tremor in her hand as she lifts the water to her mouth.

  The epis is killing her. Epis. The cause of all suffering and evil on Tajss.

  It is only a matter of time before my treasure succumbs to the effects of no longer having it. I recognize all the signs. I curse the name of whoever fed her that terrible plant.

  So I have been searching this place relentlessly while watching her tire, watching the sickness wear her down. Desperation set in as I watched her in pain.

  I do not want her to hurt.

  I do not want her in pain.

  If I do not get this plant to help her . . . she will die.

  And that I cannot bear.

  I look up to see the ruby leaves still some distance away. I do not know how I know the plant will help her. That memory is somewhere I cannot reach, shrouded in a fog I cannot penetrate. A fog that is starting to thin, but that is still not gone. Not completely.

  I just know that the plant will help.

  Frustration gnaws at me every time I try to look deeper, to look past that barrier in my own mind. There is much more than that one memory hiding behind the veil.

  I am behind it.

  There are parts of myself that I cannot remember. But I know I am lucky that this knowledge came to me. That I know that plant will help my treasure.

  I must have it.

  I will have it.

  I focus on my goal above as I feel for firm grips and footholds, difficult to feel through the soft cover of slippery moss. But I forget that the beam is old and most likely decayed in spots, sitting in this roofless room. Stupid not to think of it.

  Part of it crumbles under my foot as I try to push up. Gritting my teeth, I slide, digging my fingers into the spongy surface of the moss to try and stop my fall.

  "Ryuth!" my treasure cries out.

  I slide a little further when I glance over at her, her eyes wide as she watches. She is still where I left her. Good. I do not want her near if the beam collapses.

  My heartbeats slow as I finally stop sliding. But I cannot stop climbing. I must keep going.

  With a grunt, I right myself from the side of the beam where I've ended up, the ground too far for me to land safely. And not far enough away yet for me to catch myself with my wings. My muscles strain as I continue climbing, my wings partially flared for balance. I inch my way up, more careful now, ensuring that every grip, every step is stable before continuing to climb.

  If I am hurt, who will care for my treasure? I need to be strong, healthy.

  Another tremor begins. Clamping my mouth shut, I hug the beam as I turn to look at my treasure, hoping she understands now the need to remain quiet when the tremors occur. I know they mean danger. And that we must not make any sound when they occur. But she still forgets sometimes, so I cover her mouth to keep her safe.

  I cannot cover her mouth from here. My eyes land on her. She stands still, her hands clenched at her sides. Her lips tight, mouth shut. Not making any sound. I feel myself relax somewhat. She understands. She understands she must be silent.

  I swallow as the shaking almost dislodges my grip, but I clench my jaw and dig my nails past the moss to the firmness of the beam underneath, holding on.

  I will not fall.

  Eventually, the tremor passes. I wait another moment to be sure there will not be another. The ground stays still. I must keep moving. I slide my hand up, searching for another grip . . .

  But then the beam shakes so hard under me, that my hand is nearly torn from the moist moss. I cry out in surprise as my body skids off the edge, my painful grip on the beam with my left hand the only thing keeping me up.

  My treasure cries out too, but I must concentrate if I am going to make her better. I cannot be distracted. Another beam has hit the bottom of the one I am climbing. The tremor most likely dislodged it just enough for it to fall. But it does not matter how it happened.

  My hand is slipping.

  Taking a deep breath, I start to swing myself, rotating my body under the beam. I need to be able to reach the other side . . . Three forceful and painful swings later, I manage to latch onto the other side from underneath the beam, squeezing it between my knees as well to give me a more secure grip. I need to make my way back to the other side to climb the rest of the way. Slowly, painstakingly, I shuffle my way up the side. My fingers burn as I clutch at the beam, my arms ache as I struggle to maintain my grip.

  Careful . . .

  Another handgrip.

  Another push . . .

  And I am back up to the top of the thick beam. I hear my treasure make an exultant sound and I smile. But I am even happier when I look up. The plant is almost within reach! Letting out a breath, I continue my upward climb, determination gritting my teeth together.

  I cannot fail.

  I need that plant.

  I will not stop until I have it in my hands.

  I hear movement to my side and turn my head to stare at the dense canopy of leaves near me. There is a rustling in them, but it stops dead when I stare. The plants themselves are not safe. And something even more dangerous could be hiding in them. I need to hurry so I can take my treasure out of this room, out to somewhere I can more easily defend.

  I drag myself up the rest of the way, my muscles burning from the effort. The climb was steep and treacherous, but I’ve finally made it to the rich red leaves I need. The almost-black of the delicate veins that run through their flesh is clear in the bright sunlight, along with the moisture gathered near the base of the stems.

  The whole plant sparkles under the light, a treasure in itself. Though not nearly as beautiful and perfect as the one waiting for me on the ground. The one who needs this plant.

  With that thought in mind, I reach out and carefully pick it up from its nest of shallow soil, gathered in the divot where the beams meet. The leaves are waxy and thick under my hands. Precious. I have what I need. I turn to my treasure, holding up my prize, proud I have man
aged to reach it. But then I feel my breath stop in my throat.

  She is looking up at me, a smile on her face, her attention completely focused on me. So she does not see the movement behind her.

  Thick vines, of a green so dark it’s almost black, slowly slither across the floor towards her, their sinuous movements stealthy and silent.

  Hunting their prey.

  No.

  They cannot have her!

  There is no time to climb down.

  Growling, I throw my arms wide and leap for her, jumping off the beam at the pinnacle of its height.

  11

  Mei

  One minute Ryuth holds up the red plant in triumph, and the next he is leaping at me from the top of the beam he's just traversed. The glittering blood-red plant is forgotten and it falls beside him, soil pattering down from the clump surrounding its roots.

  Time slows as I watch.

  I know my mouth is open in surprise as I take in his spread wings, the sun glowing through the thin membranes, highlighting the fine network of bones. His tail whips in the wind behind him, his form edged in light, backlit as he is because of the lack of roof.

  He's shirtless, the ripped muscles of his chest and abs flexed, standing out in sharp relief. His eyes are intense, his mouth pressed in a firm line as his hair blows back from his face, his horns just peeking out of the dark, flowing mass. I don't know why he's jumping or why he dropped the plant.

  But he looks sexy as hell doing it. Exotic and dangerous.

  I should be worried about why he's suddenly decided to jump. But all I'm thinking is how much I want to touch him. Desire overrides the pounding in my head and the ache in my muscles.

  He lands in a crouch just feet from me, his eyes focused on something on the ground. What is he looking at—

  "Aaaah!" escapes my mouth, and I’m falling.

  I scrape my hands and bang my knees as something pulls me to the ground with a jerk. I twist frantically to look down at my ankles where something is wrapped around them. Two separate leafy vines are curled around my ankles, tight enough that they're cutting off my blood flow. They twitch, pulsing like they have a heartbeat.

  I think I'm going to throw up. The pain in my head explodes, momentarily blinding.

  They pull me across the floor, inch by inch. Blinking away the stars and pain, horrified, I follow their length back to where they originate, almost too afraid to look.

  But I have to know.

  My breath hitches as I see the huge, bruised purple of the core of the plant. I couldn't call the thing a flower, but it's formed like it with large flap-like petals surrounding a scarlet, wet-looking center.

  It looks suspiciously like a mouth.

  I scrabble to grab onto anything around me, to stop it from dragging me farther, but it easily pulls me another six inches towards that gaping opening like there’s no resistance at all.

  I've heard of these things. We were warned about them by the Zmaj. They pull their prey into their center, where they drain it of blood and then slowly digest it in what amounts to stomach acid. It sounds even more horrifying now that I'm faced with the reality of it.

  Oh my God, please don't let me die being eaten by a plant monster!

  It just sounds so stupid. Like a really bad episode of X-Files or something.

  But then Ryuth is there, his knife flashing in the light as he slices through one of the vines wrapped around my ankle. The vine draws back quickly as if it feels the pain, the center shuddering.

  Yes!

  Then Ryuth is a whirlwind of stabbing and slicing as multiple vines spread out in a rush, trying to wrap around him in defense.

  I watch him as I sit up, trying to pull off the one still holding my ankle, but another slithers out and wraps around my thigh.

  Shit!

  I twist around, extending my arm to hook the bag I dropped. It's just out of reach. I stretch as far as I can and hook it with my fingertips. Got it! I pull it to me and in a frenzy, dig around inside it. Finally, my fingers close around the smooth hilt of the knife Ryuth brought back for me when he found the one he's using now.

  I turn back to the plant.

  "Not today, Satan!" I yell.

  I slice through the vine still wrapped around my ankle, the severed edge gushing red, blood-like liquid. Actually. Maybe it does bleed. Eeew. That's just wrong.

  As I go to take care of the one still wrapped tightly around my thigh, another vine swiftly wraps around my torso, pinning my arms.

  Seriously?

  I struggle, unable to stop my inexorable slide towards that gaping mouth. If it thinks I'm going to go down easy, it has another think coming! I’ll give it indigestion if it’s the last thing I do.

  Ryuth leaps over me. He slices through one of the vines and then takes another in his hands, his back straining, biceps bulging as he literally rips it apart.

  Yes, even in the middle of being hunted by a plant, I can still admire how hot he is. Maybe it's just one of my talents.

  Snarling, Ryuth turns back to the plant and stomps on another vine creeping closer. It pulls back with a quick rustle, the movement wary now. The center shivers again and gradually closes until it's hidden in the shadows, back where we hadn't seen it when we walked in.

  I blink at it. "I guess it’s had enough," I say shakily.

  Ryuth's rib cage expands and contracts with his deep breaths as he stares at the plant, his arms splattered with that red sap—yep, that's what I'm going to call it—his entire body still ready for action.

  He turns at the sound of my voice, his face hard. But the rage of battle clears as he sees me. He rushes over, his face a little panicked.

  "I'm okay," I reassure him as he helps me to my feet and runs his hands over me.

  Oh. That sends a thrill right through me, once again overriding the pain. I really need to get a hold of myself. Life and death situations are not the time to ogle him. Swallowing my throat and mouth feel like sandpaper.

  Once he sees that I am, in fact, fine, his attention turns back to the floor. He strides away, back towards the beams.

  I look back uneasily, at the shadows where I can't see the plant anymore.

  Hmm. I walk after him. Just in case.

  I watch as he looks back and forth, his face determined as he combs the area. Finally, he crouches and picks up the plant he originally climbed for. It looks pretty much intact.

  "What is it?" I ask curiously, taking in the shimmer of its leaves. It's even prettier close up. And it must be really valuable if he went through all that effort to get it.

  He breaks one of the leaves off and holds it out to me. I take it gingerly. I mean, I was almost just massacred by one of its cousins. I look back and forth between him and the leaf, confused about what he wants me to do with it.

  He takes my hand in his and lifts it to my mouth.

  "You want me to eat it?" I ask dubiously, frowning down at it.

  He pushes the leaf against my mouth. I wrinkle my nose, nausea gripping my stomach. Shaking my head but he pushes it towards my mouth again.

  All right, fine. Breathing deep until the nausea passes.

  He went through a lot of trouble to get this thing. The least I could do is not be rude about it. Especially after he just saved my life.

  "Okay, I'll eat it," I say grudgingly. It can't be that bad. I open my mouth and put the leaf in. Here goes nothing. I bite down cautiously, not knowing what to expect. But the flavor that bursts forth from it . . .

  It's like an explosion of something almost minty, but not. No, it isn't minty.

  It's . . . refreshing.

  Huh.

  I keep chewing and that cooling, fresh feeling slides down my throat to my stomach, settling the nausea that’s been cramping my stomach for days. The sensation floods my legs, my arms. It washes through my head, getting rid of the ache there.

  It flows through my entire body in a cold wave.

  I feel . . . amazing. So much better. It's like someone just snapped
their fingers and everything went away all at once! I hold up my hand and find it steady as a rock.

  Swallowing, I look up at Ryuth, my eyes wide.

  "Wow. I feel so much better!" I blink back tears at the glorious absence of pain. "Thank you, Ryuth. Thank you so much!" I step forward and throw my arms around his neck, taking another deep breath, enjoying feeling like me again.

  Ryuth puts his arms around me, tentatively at first but then pulling me to him firmly. His chest is hard against me, and the sound of his heartbeats is familiar to me now. The feel of his body against mine is comforting. Solid and steady. But now that I'm feeling better, it's also something else.

  Clearing my throat, I step back, feeling a little embarrassed at my own reaction. But Ryuth isn't embarrassed. I don't know if he can feel embarrassment though. Not the way he is now.

  He takes my hand and leads me back the way we came. The way is a lot easier for me to traverse now that I feel so much better. I don't need Ryuth's help to climb the rubble or navigate under the beams. I'm practically floating off the ground I feel so good.

  "I feel amazing!" I exclaim, laughing as I twirl over a smooth patch of floor. "This place is great! We should bring everyone back out here with us." I look over at Ryuth. "Well. Maybe after they've had a little time to get over the way you escaped," I say with a wince. "Do you think—"

  My voice is abruptly muffled as Ryuth pulls us to a halt and puts his hand over my mouth. The ground shakes underneath us for what must be the billionth time. Now that I don't have a headache and I'm not battling bouts of nausea, it's not so bad. Ryuth's sharp eyes take in the area around us, just like he always does. We wait a little longer after it stops and then continue moving.

  The quake is sobering. I may feel better, but that doesn't mean we're out of danger.

  The tremors continue to happen periodically and Ryuth still stops me with a gentle hand over my mouth as he looks out for a threat I’m not sure is real. Though I'm inclined to believe it is real after the plant incident. If he remembered that, maybe he remembered something about these tremors. At least they get less frequent the farther out we go.