The Defender of Rebel Falls: A Medieval Science Fiction Adventure (The William Whitehall Adventures Book 1)

by Christensen, Erik

  Planet of Hope: A History of Esperanza

  “Have you lost your mind, Will?” asked Jack. “If the dragons could have killed the hornets before, don’t you think they would have by now?”

  William shook his head. “I doubt they even knew it was hornets in the first place. The worker dragons don’t seem too smart, at least not the ones that smash rocks. Second, the fire breathers don’t move much; all the smelting gets done at the central area, and I’m sure the Elder doesn’t think of the smelters as fighters. But if he sent a few fire breathers and a couple of the big guard dragons in—”

  “Of course! They could clear out a nest with a blast of fire!” said Rachel. The others nodded in agreement.

  “Exactly,” said William. “Anyway, there’s not much more we can do here anymore. All we can do now is tell the Elder what we’ve found.”

  “Let’s bring that carcass with us,” said Jack. “We can show the Elder what’s attacking them.”

  “Not a chance!” said Maya. “You are not dragging that all the way to the Elder’s den!”

  William unsheathed his sword, still wet from the creature’s guts, and hacked the stinger from its hindquarters. “This is the most important part,” he said. “We can describe the rest.”

  “King’s nose, what’s that stench?” asked Jack as he nearly retched.

  “It must be hornet venom,” said Maya through a pinched nose. “It’s the same as the smell from the sick dragons, only worse.”

  “It’s leaking from where Will removed the stinger,” said Rachel. “I think I’m going to throw up.” The others murmured their agreement and rushed for the exit into the tunnel, where everyone breathed deeply in relief.

  “If the dragons are lucky, they won’t smell that,” said Jack.

  “I doubt they can,” said Maya. “That may be why they didn’t know what was attacking them. Remember, Hermes had no clue what we meant when we first asked him about the smell.”

  “Hey, where’re you going, Charlie?” asked William. “The main tunnel is this way.”

  “I see something,” said Charlie as he strode into the darkness.

  The others followed him about twenty feet into the darkness past the hornet nest. The body of a small copper dragon glittered in the torchlight, its insides nearly eaten away. Several larvae were still visible on what remained of the flesh, and the sour odor of venom permeated the air around the carcass.

  Maya fulfilled Rachel’s prediction and threw up.

  “Got any more of that stuff, Rachel?” asked William.

  Maya glowered at the parasites while Rachel torched the infestation. “None of the dragons in the infirmary looked or smelled that bad,” said Maya. “I never found larvae on them, otherwise I would have figured out what was killing the dragons.”

  “That’s because those dragons got away before the hornet queen could get inside and lay eggs,” said Rachel. “There’s no way hornets could carry even a small dragon, so they probably ambush them. The ones they manage to kill right here are the ones they eat.”

  “With any luck, they’ve eaten their last meal,” said William as he kicked dust over the singed carcass. “Let’s go see the Elder.”

  They returned in triumph to the Elder’s den. The great dragon expressed surprise at seeing them again so soon, but when he learned what had transpired, he acted decisively. Taking William’s suggestion, he sent out half of his smelting dragons, the only ones capable of belching fire in large quantities, along with guards and a few silver-colored drones to command them. A significant portion of the hive’s remaining dragons were being sent into danger; if the Elder lost these, the hive would likely never recover. Already he had lost three prospecting dragons since their last meeting, including the one they saw being devoured by hornet maggots.

  William asked the Elder the reason for the change in his demeanor. “You have given me knowledge, William Whitehall. Without it, all my decisions were mere guesses. I cannot move as other dragons do, but even I know that running down an unlit tunnel invites injury. You have cast light on my path. I need not be cautious now.”

  Maya spoke up with an abrupt thought. “Elder, you should have an ash bath set up near the tunnel entrance where we found the hornets. It will offer a better chance of survival for those you send against them, in case the hornets attack.”

  The Elder gave quick orders to another drone, who then departed to fulfill them. “A wise suggestion. I thank you.”

  William started to speak, but thought better of it. The Elder noticed and said, “You wish to ask me something.”

  William kicked at the dusty ground. “Elder, I don’t know how else to ask this, but what are your chances?”

  “I ask myself the same question, William Whitehall. I see three possible outcomes. One is that we destroy all the hornets and find gold for our Queen. The second is that they find nothing, and we continue as we have.” The Elder hesitated.

  “And the third?” asked William.

  “That too many of my dragons are destroyed in this hunt, and the rest of us slowly die. We would be left without means to mine metal or hunt for food, and without these we will perish. Slowly, but perish we will.”

  Jack threw up his hands in frustration. “That doesn’t answer Will’s question. What do you think your chances are?”

  “Jack Doran, I desire certainty more than you do,” said the Elder. “After all, my Queen and colony are at stake, not yours. But I cannot pretend to be certain. All I can say is that our chances are better now than they were before you brought this news.”

  William reached for his pack. “That reminds me, Elder. I brought you this.” He removed the stinger from its wrapping and placed it at the Elder’s feet. To William’s surprise, the Elder recoiled.

  “Cover it!” said the Elder in a screeching voice, nearly rising on his rear legs, an unexpected feat for such a corpulent and wizened creature. “Remove it from my sight!” The Elder breathed in gasps and attempted to shield his eyes with his puny wings. “What horror was that?” he asked after William wrapped it.

  William’s brows furrowed with concern. “I’m sorry, Elder, I had no idea it would affect you that way. It’s the hornet queen’s stinger.”

  The Elder slowed his breathing, opened his eyes and gazed at William with a small measure of control. “I must apologize. I cannot say why I reacted in that manner; it was not voluntary. I fear the dragons that I sent out may have the same response. I must send a warning.” The Elder dispatched another silver drone commander, leaving the central hive area even less defended. “All our eggs are in one den now. And the walls around them are crumbling.”

  William knew not to take him literally, but he could tell that even now the Elder held little hope for success. He had to do something. “Maybe we can stay for a little longer and help. Rachel has this stuff—”

  Jack grabbed William’s sleeve, and pulled him aside. “Elder, would you excuse us, please?” he said as he dragged his friend outside the den. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked as he shoved William against the rock wall.

  “Hey, watch it! What’s the deal?” asked William.

  “I should ask you that,” said Jack. “You can’t offer to keep us here again when you know perfectly well the rest of us want to get back home.”

  “But it shouldn’t take long,” said William. ”And if they don’t destroy the hornets by themselves, what then?”

  Jack jammed his pointed finger into William’s chest. “It’s not our job, Will. And it’s sure not your job to offer our help because you feel some high and mighty sense of nobility or something.”

  Maya joined them and put her hand on William’s shoulder. “We’ve done more for them than anyone could expect. It’s up to them now.”

  “If the dragons can’t survive on their own effort, then no amount of help will keep them alive for long,” said Rachel.

  “It wasn’t fair of you to volunteer our help without talking to us first,” said Jack. He was no lo
nger ranting, but he was still obviously angry.

  Rachel punched Jack in the shoulder. “Give him a break! He wasn’t trying to hurt us, Jack. He only wants to help the dragons.”

  “You’re feeling guilty, Will,” said Maya. “You believe that if they die, that somehow you failed them. But that’s not true. Giving them a decent chance to survive is more than they could have asked for.”

  William hung his head. It hurt being ganged up on like this, even though only Jack seemed truly angry. “I know. But so many dragons have died…”

  Jack broke in. “That’s not why, and you know it. It’s because your father died, and you somehow think it’s your fault, and you’ve been trying to redeem yourself ever since. That’s why you always need to be the hero, to save the day, because you couldn’t back then.”

  William’s heart slammed in his chest, as though pounding the inside of his ribcage to be released. He gripped his belt, fearing what his hands might do if he let go. “Oh, real sensitive, Jack,” said Rachel.

  “Who cares if I’m being sensitive or not?” said Jack. “It’s true. Isn’t it, Will?”

  “That’s nonsense, Jack,” said William. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

  “Oh, really? Perhaps you’ve forgotten all the times we played as kids, you had to be the rescuing hero, or the valiant warrior who saved the town. But when it came to dealing with idiots like Oz and his friends, you gave in like a beaten dog. And who had to save you then? It was either me or Sir Kevin. And now you want to play the rescuer again. And once again someone else will have to save your lousy skin.”

  “Jack, I mean it! Shut up,” said Rachel. “It’s not like he wanted to hurt you.”

  William’s face burned in shame, his breath coming in ragged shudders. Jack’s words hit hard; his accusation had merit. It was true that he had always dreamed of performing heroic deeds; it was also true that Jack had often defended him. Perhaps he hadn’t grown up as much as he had believed.

  “No, it’s okay, Rachel. He’s right,” he said finally. He couldn’t let her defend him after being accused of having other people fight his battles. “I never thought about it that way, but I suppose you’re right, Jack. You’ve never lost a parent, so you don’t know how it would affect you. I guess this is how it affected me. I try to make the world a better place, and sometimes I fail. Is that so bad?”

  Jack hadn’t expected this answer, and a sheepish look replaced his angry demeanor. “It isn’t, I guess,” he said. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “If I’m going to be completely honest, you don’t always fail, either. At least not recently. Do me a favor though, and ask us next time before you donate our time, would you?”

  William nodded. “I’m really sorry. I should have thought of that. I’ll let the Elder know we’re done here, and then we can go home.”

  The Elder was grateful despite their departure. William was learning how to read his thoughts, which was odd since he considered himself poor at reading people. It seemed as though the Elder was understating his own fears, reluctant to burden an indisposed but well-wishing ally. William did his best to bury the feelings of guilt, but he could not ignore the fact that he and the others had to leave. After all, the Town paid his wages, not the Elder.

  They plodded along the tunnel in sullen silence. They stopped briefly at the tunnel fork where the dragons were preparing an ash pit. They had discovered the body of Kaleb Antony and had dragged it to the wood pile to be burned. Why hadn’t the drones questioned them about the presence of a human corpse in the tunnels? In the excitement of delivering the news of the hornets to the Elder, they had forgotten to mention that their hive had been invaded by another human, and William wasn’t sure whether he regretted that oversight or not. He was certain Antony had acted alone, and that the dragons’ existence was still a guarded secret held by a trusted few, but he doubted the Elder would concur. No…telling the Elder would lead to complications he’d rather avoid.

  Seeing Antony again reminded him of the picture they found, the one that resembled Rachel. William was beginning to get a different picture of Rachel in his head, one that did not match her persona as a hunter. There were countless oddities and too many things unspoken for her true story to be that simple. He didn’t summon the courage to speak to her until they made camp outside the tunnel entrance. “Rachel,” he said. “Those explosives you used back at the hornet nest…those aren’t exactly standard hunter weapons, are they?” he asked.

  She was sitting near the fire, repairing broken arrows. She kept her eyes on her work as she answered. “I told you before, they weren’t explosives.”

  “So what are they?”

  “The proper term is ‘incendiary’,” she said. “They burn, they don’t explode.”

  “But I saw a big ball of flame.”

  “Did you feel a blast?”

  “Well…no,” said William. “Just a bit of heat.”

  “That’s the difference.”

  “I see.”

  She continued her work in silence. Finally she looked up at him. “You’re waiting for me to say something else, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  She dropped her arrows and crossed her arms. “Okay, no. They aren’t standard hunting equipment.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “What of it?”

  How far should he push it? Was satisfying his curiosity worth risking a friendship? What if he drove a wedge between her and Jack…or even himself and Jack? Clearly, she didn’t want to say anything. A sharp pang of guilt gripped him. Why force her? He was willing to keep the dragons’ very existence a secret, even to the point of losing the opportunity to trade with them, but here he was doing his best to expose his own friend’s secret against her will. He had focused on the idea that Rachel was hiding something, when for all he knew she was merely protecting herself, just as the dragons were. She deserved better from him.

  He shrugged and did his best to hide his previous intent. “I was thinking that if you were a standard hunter, we probably wouldn’t be alive right now.”

  Her face softened, and she smiled. Resuming her work, she said, “That wasn’t what you were going to say.”

  “No,” he said. “But I still mean it. And I’m sorry; I won’t pry anymore.”

  “Good. And I won’t make funny faces behind your back anymore.”

  William couldn’t help but laugh. How lucky he was to have fallen in with such people. He ought to be more loyal to them, instead of taking them for granted, like the way he had offered their services to the Elder without asking them. If Rachel wanted to keep her past a secret, why should he try to uncover it? She was the person she wanted to be right now, and he was friends with that person, not the one he was trying to discover. To force her into being into someone different, even someone she used to be, might destroy a friendship—or even a friend.

  Earls and Barons have long been responsible for the application of justice within their jurisdictions. While lesser matters are normally handled by clerks, the adjudication of disputes, findings of guilt or innocence, and passing of sentences are typically reserved to the nobles themselves.

  Along with these duties come the more onerous tasks of maintaining birth and death records, marriages, and other vital statistics, which are left entirely in the hands of clerks and other functionaries.

  Planet of Hope: A History of Esperanza

  “Check it out, Will!” Maya bounced into the office, her arms laden with greenery. “The first lettuce is already being harvested. After months of hardly anything but meat, I can finally have a salad!”

  “It’ll be a pretty plain salad,” said William. “Unless you have something else to harvest.”

  “Well, there’s spinach, and other kinds of lettuce too. The root vegetables will take another month or so, same with the squash and beans. It doesn’t matter. I’m going to gorge on lettuce. You should too—doctor’s orders.”

  William laughed. “I’ll wr
ap some roast mutton in lettuce. How’s that?”

  Maya smiled and shook her head at him. “You know, it wouldn’t kill you to eat more vegetables.”

  “Maybe not, but why risk it? So the river water really is clean enough for the crops? You said it might be months before we know for certain.”

  “I thought it would. But it tested clean when we got back from the hive, and I let the rabbits drink it as a final test. Not a single hint of illness.”

  “So why are the plants along the river banks still dead?”

  Maya shrugged. “I guess the poison soaked into the ground, and it hasn’t rained enough to wash it out yet. Don’t worry; we’ll see lotuses yet.”

  Sir Hiram trudged into the office and tossed his hat onto his desk. “William, have you checked the progress of the palisades?”

  “Yes, sir. They were completed late yesterday, along with the last Guard bunkhouse.”

  “You’ve written the report?”

  “It’s on your desk.”

  “Very good. Good morning, Maya. The first vegetables are in, I see.”

  “Good morning, Sir Hiram,” said Maya. “A bumper crop. Would you like some?”

  “My wife hides lettuce between pieces of bread so I’ll eat it. Can you do something like that?”

  Maya laughed. “We’re short on bread, but I’ll see what I can manage.”

  “Will you stay for tea?”

  “No, I only stopped by to brag to Will. I have to go water my herb garden.”

  “Smart girl,” said Sir Hiram after Maya left.

  “She’s saved my life at least once,” said William.

  “Yes, the incident with the wolves, if I recall. Well, compared to that and the lettuce, I’m not sure how exciting this news is, but I wanted to show you this.” Sir Hiram handed William a package.

  “The first book!” said William as he unwrapped it. “Already?”