by Mark Robson
Despite the growing pain in his leg, once cloaked in the deeper darkness Elian felt more relaxed. The fire burning in his wound was spreading steadily in his right thigh and up as far as his hip. Every step was bought with a penalty of pain.
Elian could feel Aurora not far ahead. He led the way between the trees carefully, using branches and trunks for support whenever possible. He did not try to move silently, as he wanted to give Kira warning of their approach. A tiny flicker of light ahead pinpointed his companion’s position. Kira had built a covert fire and was heating water in a pan to brew a hot drink. She stood up as they approached.
‘Kira, this is Jack,’ Elian began.
‘Hello again,’ she said. ‘It’s nice to meet you without the air being full of stingers.’
‘Stingers? Oh, you mean bullets!’ Jack said. ‘Yes, things were rather too hot for a proper introduction last time. It’s a pleasure to meet you in more civilised circumstances. I must thank you for your help that day. I doubt I would be here if your dragon hadn’t shielded my aircraft from the enemy fire.’
‘Fang says to tell you, your thanks are accepted.’
‘And this is Jack’s overlord, Squadron Leader White,’ Elian continued.
‘Overlord!’ White choked. ‘No, no! It’s not like that. I’m his CO. . . . his Commanding Officer. I’m not a dictator.’
‘That’s a matter of opinion, Boss,’ Jack said, unable to contain a chuckle at his C.O.’s discomfort.
‘Very funny!’ White said. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, young lady, even if I can’t see you properly. It’s a bit dark here. I was told you flew here on dragons. I know my eyes haven’t had much of a chance to adapt during the short walk, but I don’t see any.’
Elian smiled. Aurora was right. His voice held an undertone that was mildly mocking. It was time to educate the Squadron Leader.
‘Aurora, would you mind giving us a little extra light, please?’ he asked aloud. ‘Keep it faint, though,’ he added quickly. ‘I don’t want to alert the entire neighbourhood to our presence.’
‘Certainly, Elian.’
Suddenly, a line of shadow behind Elian that White had taken to be bushes began to glow with a faint golden light and a huge, unmistakeable outline formed. Squadron Leader White’s face paled to the colour of his name and his eyes went wide.
‘Good God!’ he exclaimed. ‘Is that real?’
Aurora lifted her head smoothly from where she had been resting on the ground and swung around on her long neck to regard him with both eyes. She snorted and White took an involuntary step backwards.
‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ he said, his voice sounding tight with surprise. ‘And there is another one of these creatures?’
‘Right next you,’ Kira replied casually. ‘Why don’t you say hello to him? His name is Longfang, but he prefers to be called Fang.’
The Squadron Leader looked around rapidly. ‘What? But I don’t see anyth—’ he began, at which point Fang seemingly materialised from thin air alongside him. ‘Holy mother of—! Where did that one come from?’
‘He was there all along,’ Kira told him. ‘Fang can camouflage himself. He becomes all but invisible when he chooses.’
‘So it’s all true!’ White breathed softly, looking up at the enormous shapes.
‘Every word, Boss,’ Jack confirmed.
‘Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle! If that isn’t the damndest thing!’ White exclaimed, stepping slowly away from both Aurora and Fang. He was clearly having trouble believing his eyes. Aurora dimmed her inner light until she became a black shadow again. ‘If I’m honest, Jack,’ he continued. ‘When I first read your file, I thought you must be completely crackers. Now I’m not sure if you’re crazy, I’m crazy, or we’re both completely nuts. And do you know what the maddest thing is? Having seen these creatures, I suddenly think you might just have a chance of pulling this off.’
‘Pulling what off?’ Kira asked.
‘Jack wants to trade,’ Elian explained. ‘He says he has information about the final orb, but he wants help with something in exchange for the information.’
‘Actually,’ Jack interrupted. ‘I haven’t told Elian this yet, but it’s specifically your help I need, Kira. There is an enemy pilot nicknamed “The Red Baron”, because of the distinctive red triplane he flies. I’ve flown on Aurora, so I know your dragons can carry more than one person. I want you to take me on Fang’s back and—’
‘Now wait just a minute . . .’ Elian interrupted.
‘Let him finish, Elian,’ Kira said quickly. ‘He’s talking to me and I want to hear what he has to say.’
‘Thanks, Kira,’ Jack said gratefully. ‘I need your help to capture him. It has to be you because of Fang’s ability to become invisible. Aurora would attract too much attention. We need to keep our mission a closely guarded secret. If the enemy realise we’re hunting him, they might try to shield him, or move him to another area.’
‘Why this man?’ Kira asked. ‘Why’s he so important?’
‘He’s their top flying ace,’ White explained, a note of passion in his voice for the first time since Elian had met him. ‘And he’s a menace! He’s shot down more than seventy of our aircraft – about a dozen of them in the past fortnight alone. He’s slippery as an eel basted in grease. One of our best pilots, Billy Bishop, came close to taking him down last year, but von Richthofen even gave him the slip. If we could take the Baron prisoner, it would dent the enemy’s morale and give a huge boost to our chaps.’
‘Will you help?’ Jack asked.
‘It isn’t fair for you to ask her that,’ Elian said, his anger barely under control. ‘Finding the final orb is my task. It should be me and Aurora taking the risks, not Kira and Fang. They’ve suffered enough for this quest. You’ve no idea what they’ve been through.’
‘I’ll need to think about it,’ Kira replied, ignoring Elian’s outburst. ‘I want to talk with both Elian and Fang before I decide.’
‘That’s fair enough,’ Jack said, maintaining his focus on her and ignoring Elian. ‘I won’t pretend there’s no danger. There is. You’re right to take your time.’ He turned to face the Squadron Leader. ‘We’d better take steps to seal off this wood, Boss. We don’t want word getting out about the dragons. Can we draft in more men to help patrol the perimeter?’
‘I’ll see to it,’ White replied. ‘Come on. We’ll head back to the mess. I’ll wire HQ for extra bodies. We need to move fast on this one. Goodnight, Elian. Goodnight, Kira. I’ll be leading the dawn patrol tomorrow, but I’ll send Jack to see you first thing in the morning . . . unless you need accommodation tonight?’
‘We’ll be fine out here with the dragons,’ Kira replied. ‘We’ve got used to camping during the past few weeks. And it will give us a chance to talk.’
‘Very well. Until tomorrow then.’
Jack and his Squadron Commander left, picking their way through the trees in the direction of their base; White kept glancing back every so often, shaking his head in disbelief. Elian sat down and gently massaged the area around the wound on his leg. It felt swollen. As he sat in silence, he could hear the excited whispering of the airmen for some time as they retreated. When he was sure they were out of earshot, he addressed Kira.
‘What are you thinking, Kira? Are you seriously considering taking Jack on this manhunt of his?’
‘Do we have any choice?’ she asked. ‘I don’t think we do. Fang says he’s willing. He and Aurora both believe Jack has the information we need to lead us to the orb. He also says his dragonsense is prickling. I’m not sure if that’s good, or bad.’
‘It could be either,’ Elian said, his tone glum. ‘Aurora said the same thing to me earlier. She’s mentioned it before. It seems to be like a sixth sense attuned to a dragon’s life purpose, but it doesn’t guarantee a happy outcome.’
‘Fang explained that, but I can’t help thinking it’s another sign telling me this is meant to happen.’
‘But it should
be my task,’ Elian insisted. ‘You shouldn’t be doing all the dangerous stuff.’
‘I’m not getting the orb,’ Kira pointed out. ‘I’ll just be getting the information you need to find it. Believe me, I don’t want to actually lay hands on another orb. I don’t pretend to understand the riddling words of the final verse of the Oracle’s rhyme, but when we find the orb, you can be sure there’ll be something unpleasant waiting for you to deal with. You’re welcome to it.’
‘Thanks!’
‘You know what I mean.’
‘I do,’ he said, his tone mellowing. ‘And I also appreciate your willingness to help. Your hunting skills and instincts make you better equipped for Jack’s mission than me. Perhaps it’s for the best.’
Elian shifted his position, trying to get comfortable. A particularly nasty spike of pain shot from his leg and ran all the way up his back, making him gasp involuntarily.
‘Are you all right?’ Kira asked, kneeling at his side and placing a hand on his shoulder with a light touch.
‘Yes and no,’ Elian replied. ‘I’ll be fine with a bit of rest, but the walk seems to have inflamed my wound more than I expected.’
‘Lie down and get some rest, then,’ she ordered in a firm voice. ‘I’ll get your blankets for you. The weather looks as if it will hold fair tonight. We’ll get the dragons to shelter us and we’ll build a shelter tomorrow if it looks like we’re going to be here another night.’
‘You think you’ll be able to find this “Red Baron” in a single day?’ Elian asked after her, raising his voice as she walked away to retrieve his saddlebags from Aurora.
‘I don’t know until we try,’ she called back over her shoulder. She returned quickly with the bags and began unbuckling them with nimble fingers. She felt first in one bag and then the other before drawing out his blankets. In the dark there was always the danger of inadvertently pulling something else out with them. Anything small could easily be lost amongst the leafy mulch under the trees. ‘We’ll do our best to find him quickly,’ she continued. ‘I don’t want to stay in this world any longer than we need to.’
‘I know what you mean,’ Elian said, the constant grumbling of alien warfare sounding suddenly closer. ‘There’s something very wrong with a world where people feel the need to develop weapons that can kill at such extreme range. It’s bad enough that people fight and kill at all, but the weapons here separate the fighter from the consequences of his actions. Perhaps if the soldiers had to look their enemy in the eye as they fought, they might be quicker to resolve their differences.’
‘I’m not sure I agree,’ Kira said thoughtfully, spreading the blankets over his legs. People will always fight for a cause they believe in, no matter how bloody the outcome. In a war on this scale the leaders are the only ones who can forge peace. If the soldiers are distanced from their enemies, how much further will their leaders be from one another? I’m just glad that in Areth there are no Overlords with enough men to wage war on this scale.’
Elian fell silent. He could find no comfortable answer to her reasoning. The thought of a war like this in Areth did not bear thinking about, but once the image had formed in his mind it was hard to dispel. Wrapping his blankets tightly around his body he lay back and stared up into the treetops. Long after Aurora had curled around him and covered him with her wing, he continued staring and thinking. By the time he finally slipped into an uneasy sleep, dawn was already threatening.
Chapter Seventen
Manhunt
To Elian it seemed he had just drifted into sleep when Kira woke him with a gentle shake. It was barely light enough to be called morning.
‘Jack’s coming,’ she said, turning to the little fire she had clearly been coaxing back into life. ‘Fang and I have decided to take him on his manhunt.’
‘Do I get a say in this?’
‘No.’
‘Then it’s fine by me,’ he said.
He groaned as he tried to sit up. His leg was pulsating with pain. The bandaging felt too tight. He put his hands on his leg with the intention of giving it a gentle massage, but pulled them back instantly as if burned.
‘Ow!’
‘Leg hurting again?’
‘You could say that.’
He shuffled forwards on his bottom until he could push himself upright, taking all his weight on his left leg and hopping until he had established his balance. Dabbing at the ground with his right foot sent shockwaves of pain through his thigh and brought tears to the corners of his eyes.
‘That bad?’ Kira noted, getting to her feet and lending him a shoulder to lean on as he hopped across to a fallen tree trunk. Taking his weight on his arms, he lowered himself gently into a sitting position, wincing as his full weight settled on his bottom. Kira returned to the fire.
‘I must have overdone it yesterday,’ he replied, trying to sound as normal as possible. ‘It feels swollen again. I’m going to have to release the bandages soon, or my leg might explode.’
‘Do you need a hand?’
‘I’ll manage,’ he said, his face flushing. ‘I’ll do it after you’ve gone.’
‘Your choice,’ she said, not looking up from feeding small sticks to the hungry tongues of flame. ‘I’ve seen plenty of boys’ legs before. In my village, children often went around naked in the summer months until they had seen about ten season rotations. The older ones didn’t wear much more. I don’t get embarrassed easily.’
Elian was lost for words, but was saved from trying to answer by the sound of approaching feet. It was Jack. Elian hoped the airman had not heard the conversation.
‘Morning, Kira. Morning, Elian. What did you decide?’
‘I’ll take you flying,’ Kira answered. ‘But I want to know your plan first. Trying to pluck him from his machine won’t work. He’ll have straps holding him in his seat.’
‘My plan is to have Fang grab von Richthofen’s machine from above and force it down into allied territory,’ Jack suggested.
‘What do you think, Fang?’ she asked. ‘Could you do that?’
‘I don’t know,’ Fang answered. ‘I could try, but the machines have little substance to them. If I grab the machine and it falls apart, then the man we’re looking to capture will die.’
‘Fang’s not convinced,’ she relayed. ‘He thinks your flying machines are too fragile.’
‘Damn and blast!’ Jack cursed. ‘He might be right, at that. But we must try. I’d rather not kill von Richthofen, but if there’s no alternative, then his death will be acceptable.’
‘To you, maybe,’ Kira replied, her voice flat and cold. ‘But it’s not acceptable to me. Fang is not a killer for hire, no matter what the reward. What other options do we have? Can we snatch him from the ground?’
‘I suppose it’s possible.’ Jack scratched his chin as he thought about it. ‘Our intelligence sources have given us a pretty comprehensive briefing. Here, look at this map.’
Jack pulled a folded piece of parchment from his pocket that was unlike any that Kira or Elian had ever seen before. It was thinner and whiter than the parchment used for books in Areth. When he unfolded it, they were amazed to see an incredibly detailed map had been drawn on one side. Every symbol was precisely drawn.
‘In a nutshell, Richthofen and his Jasta – sorry, his team of pilots – are based somewhere between the town of Peronne, here . . . and this town, Cerisy.’ Jack pointed at the places on the map. ‘This line here is the Somme River. The whole area is a mess. You’d need to be harbouring a death wish to try to fly there deliberately in one of our planes . . . but on an invisible dragon? It could be worth a shot.’
‘That doesn’t sound clever, Kira,’ Elian said.
‘How do we get there from here?’ she asked, ignoring the warning in Elian’s voice.
‘We’re here,’ Jack said, pointing to a blank area on the map. ‘We fly north until we reach the river and then follow it.’
‘If these dots are towns, that’s a large area,’ Elian obs
erved. ‘How will you find him amongst the thousands of men out there? Do you even know what he looks like?’
Jack reached into his pocket again and pulled out a picture. The image was remarkable. Elian and Kira had never seen such a lifelike portrait.
‘One of our spies brought this back from Germany,’ he said. ‘The Red Baron is a national hero. Getting a picture of him was easy.’
‘The artist has captured his expression in amazing detail,’ Kira observed, studying the picture of the young man carefully. ‘I’ve never seen such a clever piece of art. But Elian’s right, even with a painting like this we’ll struggle to pick him out while on dragonback.’
‘It’s a photograph, not a painting,’ Jack said. ‘I can’t explain photography, but the process produces fine pictures . . . and you’re right – it’ll be a needle-in-a-haystack job. We’d do better to concentrate on looking for his machine. A red triplane will be easier to spot than a man’s face.’
Kira took a final look at the face of the man they were to hunt. Straightening suddenly, she pointed at Fang. ‘Mount up, Jack,’ she ordered. ‘We’d better get going. We’re not going to find him by standing here and talking about it. Let’s go for an initial scouting trip and see what we can find.’ She buttoned up the front of her jacket and pulled on her mitts.
Jack followed her example. He fastened his jacket, put on a pair of gloves and a soft leather cap that covered the top, back and sides of his head, extending down over his ears and fastening under his chin. A pair of transparent eye covers, attached around his head by a stretchy band, completed his outfit.
‘Those eye covers are such a good idea!’ Elian commented, admiring Jack’s goggles.
‘I’m amazed you dragonriders can fly without goggles,’ he replied. ‘It must be almost impossible to see anything. I’ll get you both a set of headgear later.’
‘Be careful,’ Elian warned Kira.
‘Always,’ she replied.
