The Dragon's Game

by James Erith

  The spirit stopped and inspected the girl. ‘Tears, my dear, of loss and stubbornness will not help you now.’

  ‘I don’t care,’ she mumbled.

  ‘I’m sure you know the human expression; desperate times require desperate measures.’ The ghost lowered his voice. ‘Do not throw this precious life away. You have great qualities. You alone have the opportunity of a new life. A wondrous beginning is within your grasp.’

  Sue closed her eyes. ‘And if I was to go with you, then what would it be like? Who else is there?’

  ‘The boy and his mother.’

  ‘You want me to go to this alien place with Kemp? You’ve got to be joking.’

  The ghost chuckled. ‘The boy said the same thing too. It is a shame. He is not the same as the boy you once knew.’

  ‘He killed Gus—’

  ‘What else could he do?’ the ghost said. ‘Your friend Gus wanted to win but, perhaps, he missed his opportunity. In any case, it is not Kemp that you should blame but rather the hand of another.’

  ‘You’re talking about Daisy, rolling the stone?’

  ‘Indeed. That girl interfered,’ the ghost paused for effect. ‘She made the difference to their struggle. And what was the boy to do? Lie back? Accept defeat? Give in and die? Both boys knew what they were taking on, but her action, girl, enabled the killer blow.’

  Sue’s heartbeat quickened. ‘But Daisy? Why?’ she cried, as much to herself as to the ghost.

  ‘Daisy recognised that the boy you call Kemp had changed. All his life he had no parents and no love and now he has a mother and his heart has stirred. Daisy has unearthed a different person.’

  Sue stared into the fog and heard the roar of the flamethrower up the hill. She noted how the eerie veil of white briefly shaded from pink to orange. Sue shifted, remembering the troops setting out to burn down the house. Her head told her this was wrong, madness, contrary to all she’d ever believed or felt. But, in her heart, she observed one honest truth; survival. And when she did that, Gus’s face appeared, and his toothy grin smiled back at her.

  ‘I cannot wait forever,’ the ghost said. ‘And I cannot force you. You will have to make a choice. You must want to do this.’

  Sue groaned. ‘If I was to go with you, and the de Lowes do manage to do this impossible thing? Would you return me here?’

  Cain stifled a smile. ‘Why, of course, my dear. There will be no point in my hanging on to you. After all, I am only a spirit.’

  ‘Do you promise?’

  The ghost hummed, thinking. Then, with a severe and cautious tone in his voice, he spoke. ‘I cannot promise a thing like that because the process of transporting you is not up to me. It is done by another creature. I cannot bargain promises on their behalf. You will have to trust my word that I will do whatever I can to get you back in one piece.’

  Sue shifted on the bough of the tree.

  His tone lightened. ‘Perhaps, dear girl, I might make one small suggestion?’

  Sue’s silence told him to continue.

  ‘If you are in any way interested, let me show you where I’m from and what you might expect. It is not such a bad place and who knows, you may choose to stay, regardless of the outcome here.’

  Sue took a deep breath and was about to speak when she heard noises coming from the side.

  ‘Sue!’ Kemp’s voice rang out. ‘Sue, where are you?’

  ‘Here,’ she cried out. ‘I’m over here.’

  Before long, the heavy tread of Kemp’s feet negotiating the debris moved closer until, guided in by her voice, he appeared.

  ‘What happened?’ he said. ‘Are you alright?’ He noticed her arm. ‘You’re cut.’

  He ripped off the bottom of his shirt. ‘Not sure it’s the cleanest but, here hold your arm out…’

  Kemp wrapped the bandage around her forearm knotting the ends neatly together.

  ‘Is everything OK? I — I didn’t mean to scare you.’

  ‘I needed to think. It’s not everyday this kind of thing happens and the last few days have been so full on, I don’t know where my brain is right now.’

  Kemp dipped his eyes. ‘The soldiers have moved on; they’re probably nearing the house now, so … well, you know, you don’t have to do anything, but I really need to get my mother out.’ He looked up, searching her eyes. ‘Have you thought about my suggestion?’

  She nodded.

  ‘No one can force you to do anything,’ he continued. ‘Certainly not me. It has to be something you totally get.’

  ‘I know,’ she replied. ‘But, I still don’t know.’

  ‘If it’s any help, I’ve been thinking,’ Kemp said. ‘Now that you understand what’s going to happen if they fail, think what would Isabella and Gus and all the people who care about you want you to do?’ he paused. ‘Die, with everyone else, or make a fresh start? I know what my choice would be if it were me. I’m pretty sure the others would feel the same way too—’

  ‘Kemp, shut up,’ she interrupted. ‘I’ve made my mind up. I’m not going to do it for you, or for the de Lowes or for Gus or whatever. If you’re right, and the world goes down the sinkhole, there’s one weenie thing we’ve overlooked. Humanity. Humanity has to survive, Kemp. If that burden rests on my shoulders, then so be it — even if it means I have to spend the rest of my life with you.’

  Kemp hadn’t considered this. ‘Oh,’ he said thickly. ‘So, does that mean you’re—’

  ‘Yes. I’m prepared to take that chance.’

  ‘Great—’

  ‘I said, shut up,’ Sue looked him firmly in the eye. ‘First things first, Kemp. Understand this; this is my choice and, from now on, you will do exactly as I say. That’s the bottom line. Get it?’

  Kemp frowned. He hadn’t figured her response would be so assured. ‘Er, yeah, sure.’

  ‘Right. Ghost, or whoever you are,’ she said into the fog. ‘I think it’s time you showed me this world of yours. Then, and only then, will I make up my mind.’

  36 PAPER DARTS

  When Daisy had traced several copies and converted them into paper darts, Archie took back the original postcard and neatly folded it into a tiny paper plane. He nudged Old Man Wood.

  Archie counted up the darts. Eight in total. ‘Can your Branchwand make the darts fly quicker?’

  ‘I’ll certainly try, young’un.’

  Archie glanced towards the plinth. 'Good, OK. So, here’s the plan. Bells, you go in the middle directly towards the beast and start distracting it—’

  ‘Sounds like a great idea,’ Isabella said, sarcastically. ‘How?’

  Archie shrugged. ‘I don’t know, make it up. Then, when you get a chance, throw a dart towards the plinth. Old Man Wood will try and give them a bit more oomph, right?’

  Old Man Wood stared anxiously at his branchwand.

  ‘What if it fires a fireball?’ Isabella said.

  ‘If it blows fire, Daisy will tell you it’s coming and then you do that protection-bubble thing with your hands.’

  He turned to Daisy. ‘Got it? Go with Isabella. When the time comes, run out and throw more darts. It’s a bit of a gamble because I’m not sure you can deflect stuff like her, so after it’s blasted a long fireball, run like crazy. And then try to get it to talk to you—’

  Isabella nodded. ‘Smart idea, Arch. It speaks inside your head about how it’s going to tear you to shreds—’

  ‘Sounds like an awesome plan so far,’ Daisy said, sarcastically. ‘And while we’re getting incinerated, what are you going to do?’

  Archie smiled. ‘I’m going to sneak around the other side and outflank it. When I’m ready, I’ll give you the sign—’

  ‘What sort of sign?’

  Archie rubbed a hair spike. ‘I’ll hoot, like an owl. You’ll know — so use your listening skill, Daisy. If it latches on to me, fly the remaining darts with the roses on to the plinth.’

  ‘Seriously, Archie. Will this work?’ Isabella asked, incredulously. ‘I mean, when ancient ma
n was preparing for this exact moment to determine the future of the worlds, I’m not sure they had paper planes in mind.’

  Archie shrugged. ‘You got a better suggestion?’

  The silence said it all.

  Suddenly a beating of wings made them look up at the jagged domed ceiling above. The beast flapped high above them.

  Archie sensed his moment. ‘Run, Bells. Go for the plinth. Old Man Wood, get ready.’

  With that, Isabella raced into the open, Daisy trying hard to keep up.

  The beast dived.

  ‘Look out!’ Archie cried.

  The girls threw themselves to the floor as the talons of the dragon narrowly missing them, wind from its wings brushing dust over their faces as it returned to its position on the tablet.

  Daisy was the first to her feet. Moments later she launched a dart. It flew up and glided, nearing the plinth. But there it remained; floating, suspended, high up in the air.

  ‘Bells, throw another!’ Daisy said.

  Isabella cocked her arm and released. The dart flew straight, but instead of remaining motionless, the beast, now back on the plinth, reverted into a coiled snake, extended upwards so that it reached high into the air like a stretched spring. Then it leaned out towards the paper dart, opened its jaws and gobbled the dart up.

  A strange, high-pitched screech filled the chamber, the sound crashing into their heads.

  Your answer to getting the tablet of the labyrinth is to throw thin, wooden birds. I am most amused. Is this what the old man taught you?

  The beast, now a small dragon, sat on the edge of the plinth staring down at the girls. Then, with a puff of smoke, the suspended dart burst into flames, its charred remains dancing to the ground.

  Laughter resounded.

  Look at me; I’m a baby dragon, fighting baby children.

  ‘Don’t listen to it,’ Daisy yelled, shaking her sister. ‘Think of something else, anything.’

  ‘I can’t. Its voice vibrates like a chord right through to my toes.’

  ‘I’m going to run for the far side,’ Daisy said. 'To the exit passageway on the over there—’

  She heard a strange clicking noise. ‘Incoming fireball! Isabella! Now!’

  Isabella reacted fast. Her hands reached up as a stream of fire flashed out of the dragon’s mouth. Isabella pushed back sending the flames back from where they came.

  The dragon roared, confused at being engulfed by its own flames.

  Daisy slipped out from behind Isabella and ran, stopping only to launch another dart before sprinting off across the floor. This dart lacked thrust and crash-landed short of the stream.

  Three down.

  Isabella stood alone in the middle of the cavern, trembling. She looked up. Now, on the plinth, sat an enormous beast, four times the size of the baby, smoke pouring from its nostrils, snarling back at her.

  All she had to do was run twenty metres and throw the dart — if Archie’s theory held. And she could be there in a flash. But just as she readied herself, a voice called out.

  I am bored of you, pathetic children, it said, the noise rattling around her brain rendering her helpless.

  The beast reared up on its hind legs.

  Time to get rid of you once and for all.

  It took off and flew directly at Daisy, its razor-sharp claws outstretched, menace firing from its eyes.

  37 A STRANGE NOISE

  Although the going had been treacherous and exhausting, Stone willed them on, the blast of the flamethrower displaying rocks and upturned trees and holes in the ground before the fog wrapped around them, like a blanket.

  ‘Sir,’ Lambert announced. ‘Buildings dead ahead. Got a glimpse of stonework on the last burn.’

  ‘Excellent,’ Stone replied. ‘Quicker than I hoped. Any idea of distance?’

  ‘Fifty metres at a guess, could be more. These things reach a hell of a long way.’

  ‘How much fuel in the tank?’

  Lambert inspected the weapon. ‘Three or four more blasts, sir, if we keep them short.’

  Stone shook out a leg. ‘Reserve fire until we’re up there. Reckon you can find a path?’

  ‘I’ll do my best, sir,’ Lambert replied. ‘Don’t think there’s much in the way. Straight on up.’

  ‘Good. No time to waste, soldiers, Let’s move.’

  They began the ascent to the cottage, each following close to their heels of the man in front, the only sounds their breathing and the clinking of metal and boots squishing at every tread.

  A short while later, Geddis stopped and called out ‘Halt!’

  He bent down, the others following.

  ‘What is it, Geddis?’

  ‘A strange noise, sir. Listen.’

  Instinctively the soldiers remained statue-still, straining their ears.

  Stone stroked his moustache. ‘Sounds familiar. Like animals.’

  He pulled out his radio. ‘Come in units.’

  A radio crackled back.

  ‘We’ve got a strange noise heading our way. Have you come across anything…’

  ’Sir,’ one of his men yelled. ‘It’s a stampede, heading directly towards us.’

  The noise, hooves pounding the ground, was coming up fast.

  The men squatted. Lambert shuffled the flamethrower around his torso and pulled out his handgun.

  Stone’s fingers gripped the cold metal of his automatic too.

  ‘No animal would be crazy enough … Get down!’ Stone ordered, but his words were lost amidst a crashing of hooves and whinnying and neighing.

  The men scattered in all directions.

  ‘What the bleeding hell was that,’ Stone roared. ‘Missed me by a millimetre.’

  ‘Horses, sir,’ returned Geddis, panting.

  ‘I know that, you dimwit. Why are they charging us in this?’

  Geddis cocked his head. ‘They’re coming back, sir,’ he said, his eyes flashing from side to side. He ran.

  ‘We’ll see about that,’ Stone said, and he pulled out his weapon, loosening a couple of rounds into the fog.

  But the thunder of hooves didn’t abate and, before he knew it, the animals flashed into view. This time, instead of galloping through, the animals stopped and reared up, then kicked out, bucking furiously.

  Stone felt the full force in his chest, propelling him down the hill. He crashed into a pool of mud, pain ripping through his midriff. As the animals tore off, Stone reached for his weapon and fired randomly into the gloom. He sank back, listening to the sudden quiet.

  As he inhaled, splinters, like sharp knives, cut at his rib cage. A crack or two, he thought. Nothing more. Nothing he couldn’t cope with. He folded his left arm across his chest making it bearable. Where was that damn flamethrower? Lambert had it.

  A groan from nearby caught his attention.

  He crawled on his hands and knees, picking his way to the noise.

  Rolling over a large tree bough, he held his sides until the pain faded and moved on. The moaning, now sporadic, sounded close.

  ‘Sir!’ he heard, the cries laced with agony.

  Stone found the soldier lying under a boulder.

  ‘Everything alright?’ Stone asked.

  The man blinked slowly as Stone’s face came into view.

  Stone checked the man over, finding blood seeping from a wound in his upper breast. ‘Blimey, caught you a cropper, didn’t it?’ Stone said.

  Pulling out his knife, Stone cut open the fabric to inspect the wound. Then he realised what had happened.

  Stone whistled. ‘What’s your name, lad?’

  The soldier, his face pale and his eyes wide, stared back, struggling to form his words. ‘Vincent, sir.’

  ‘Got any family, Vincent.’

  Vincent’s breathing laboured and momentarily, he closed his eyes tight. ‘A little girl, sir.’ He grabbed the commissioner’s arm, digging in his fingernails. ‘Tell her,’ he breathed, a desperate sense of urgency filling him, ‘tell her that I saw a unicorn. A bea
utiful white unicorn.’

  Stone shook his head. Death and delusion, hand in hand. He pulled out his automatic and placed the barrel to the soldiers head. ‘Sure,’ he said, ‘I’ll pass on the the message.’

  Then, he squeezed the trigger.

  38 ARCHIE’S PLAN

  ‘Archie!’ Isabella screamed. ‘What the hell are you doing?’

  Sensing Archie’s move to the other side of the chamber, the beast changed tack.

  ‘Look out, it’s coming your way—’

  Archie was running when a ball of fire engulfed him. He threw himself to the floor.

  ‘Hell!’ Isabella said, her eyes bulging. Flames danced on Archie’s jacket.

  Isabella flashed over and smothered the flames.

  ‘What is it with you, Arch, you reckless lunatic. What about the plan?!’

  ‘Daisy was attacked. I couldn’t watch without doing something. She took a claw to the shoulder. Lucky it didn’t take her head off.’

  ‘Look out!’ Daisy screamed from across the chamber. ‘Incoming!’

  Isabella stood up and faced the beast, extending her hands in front of her. The flames curved around them in an arc. The dragon flapping close, roared, blowing Isabella to the floor.

  ‘Send another dart, while it circles,’ Daisy yelled, clasping her throbbing shoulder. ‘NOW.’

  Isabella dusted herself off, pulled out the paper dart, straightened it as fast as she could and jerked her arm forward. Old Man Wood flicked his branchwand, and the mini paper-plane zoomed towards the plinth.

  ‘And another,’ Daisy yelled.

  ‘We only have two left!’

  ‘Do it! NOW.’

  Isabella fumbled, straightened the dart and sent it on its way.

  In a flash, she pulled Archie up and together they ran, the noise of flapping wings closing in on them.

  ‘Incom—’

  Archie dived into a narrow gully pulling Isabella with him. Flames licked the stone behind them.