by Mark Robson
Pell looked up at the two figures on the back of the day dragon as it turned away and a flash of hatred raced through him. What right had Jack to take Segun’s life? Pell had determined to exact revenge after the treatment he had received at Segun’s hands – not to have some otherworlder come along and do it for him. He felt cheated.
Two screeches sounded from amongst the trees below: one of deep loss and the other of triumph. Pell could feel the latter belonged to Shadow. She had overcome Widewing. It was over.
Elian followed as close behind Kira as he could without compromising her silent advance. Within a few moments she had moved inside the entrance to the Oracle’s cave and beyond the pool of natural light from the mouth. It did not extend far inside, but he could see the orange flicker of torches ahead. Kira did not dawdle. She moved forward at speed, but her footfalls were so light that they made no noise. It was hard to keep up but he concentrated on moving as quickly and quietly as he could.
Kira slowed as she approached the alcoves of the guardians, but no one stepped out to challenge them. She paused to look inside the recess on the right, but moved swiftly onwards. Elian copied her quick scan as he passed it, but there was no sign of anything living.
A loud dragon’s roar in the tunnel ahead set Elian’s pulse racing. Kira accelerated, flitting along the last short section of tunnel to where the great ramp zigzagged down to the chamber floor where the black hole of the Oracle’s well awaited them. She stopped at the entrance to the chamber and dropped to one knee as she surveyed the cavern.
Shrugging her pack from her shoulders, she put down her knives and delved deep into the top of the pack. Elian reached her just as she pulled out the Orb of Vision.
‘Quick!’ she whispered. ‘Fang’s drawn the two remaining night dragons into the back caves. He won’t be able to keep them guessing for long. Drop your pack. We’ll just carry the orbs and our weapons. Look. The two riders are blocking the way to the Oracle’s well. We’re going to have to get past them and we’re not going to do that without a fight.’
Elian was surprised to see how dark the chamber was. It was definitely not his imagination this time. The light from the torches on the walls was not as bright as it had been on previous occasions. He swung his pack from his back and quickly rummaged through it until he found the globe wrapped in cloth. Unwrapping it, he held it carefully in his left hand and recovered his sword with his right.
‘We won’t get down there without being seen,’ Kira whispered. ‘But I don’t want to give them time to think about what they’re doing. We’re going to do this, and do it fast. Get close to the Oracle’s well and lob your orb in. OK? Let’s hope the Oracle recovers quickly. We could do with some help if we’re going to get out of here alive.’
‘I’m ready,’ he replied. ‘Good luck.’
Kira did not hesitate, she was up and running down the ramp almost before Elian had finished speaking. Although she was running silently, the time for stealth was past. Elian sprinted after her. A shout of alarm sounded from the chamber floor. The night dragonriders had seen them.
Elian caught up with Kira just as they reached the bottom of the ramp. The two riders, both big men, were waiting for them with weapons drawn. Kira tried to dodge to the left, but the rider on that side was expecting the move. He swung his sword at her in a flat, slicing stroke at waist height. She evaded, twisting her body and chopping down on his blade with her hunting knife. The clang of metal on metal rang loud, echoing around the chamber.
Elian’s heart felt as if it had climbed through his chest to his throat. These riders meant business. He did not try to dodge around the second rider. Instead, he adopted the fighting stance that Kira had taught him and edged forwards, poised for the first exchange of blows. A sudden noise on the ramp above and behind him proved a momentary distraction he could not ignore. He glanced back. The other night dragons were returning! They were already out of the tunnel and in the chamber, racing down the upper ramp.
Although Elian’s distraction had only been momentary, his opponent took full advantage of the opening he had gifted him. Even as Elian’s attention switched back to his opponent an instant later, he realised his inattention would prove fatal. Everything seemed to slow down. He could not block the man’s lunge. The sword was driving towards his chest with deadly power. He tried to deflect it, but he was far too slow. The pain exploded as the blade drove between his ribs, straight through his heart and out of his back.
He wanted to cry out, but he could not make a sound. In the distance he heard Kira shout his name, but it sounded as if it were coming from many miles away. A rushing sound of blood roared in his ears. The look on his killer’s face was of satisfaction as the blade rammed home. The man paused for a moment, looking Elian in the eyes and then he wrenched the blade free again.
Elian fell to his knees. The pain had already gone. Golden fire burned brightly before his eyes and consumed him. It filled his vision. It filled his mind. It filled his body.
‘So this is what it’s like to die!’ he thought. ‘It’s not so bad.’
But then the golden fire began to disperse. Suddenly, he could see the expression on his killer’s face again. This time it did not appear satisfied. The man looked awestruck and afraid. There was no pain. In fact, Elian felt perfectly healthy. He climbed back to his feet and raised his blade again. A strange tingling was still racing around his body. The feeling was particularly intense in the area of his wound and in his left hand, but he felt no pain. He felt perfectly fit and whole.
‘The orb!’ he breathed. Realising the man had heard his words, he decided to amplify them. ‘I hold the Orb of Rebirth. I cannot be killed.’
He stepped forward, clutching the orb in front of him. The man stepped back, terrified. Elian moved forward again, this time swinging his sword in a testing stroke. The man blocked, but his blade was made of ordinary metal. Elian’s dragonbone blade sliced straight through it, cutting the blade almost precisely in half. That was more than enough for the night dragonrider. He fled. Elian turned his attention to the man’s companion, who was quick to follow his friend’s lead.
‘Come on, Elian!’ Kira urged. ‘There’s no time to waste!’
The incoming night dragons were coming down the ramp towards them at full speed. Kira sheathed her belt knife and grabbed Elian’s wrist, dragging him towards the Oracle’s well. It was no more than twenty paces away. Still struggling to recover his composure, Elian stumbled alongside her until they reached the walled abyss.
Without pause, Kira dropped the Orb of Vision into the darkness and turned to face the approaching night dragons.
‘Drop it in! DROP IT IN!’ she cried anxiously.
But Elian could not do it. His fingers were clasped tightly around the orb. He knew this was what the past six weeks of pain and trauma had been all about, but he could not bring himself to let go of it. The orb had given him life when he should have died. How could he let such a thing go?
‘Drop it, Elian. You must.’
‘Aurora!’
Another challenging roar sounded in the Oracle’s cavern. Kira gasped and Elian looked around, his left hand still outstretched over the wall. More dragons were coming down the ramp. The three approaching night dragons stopped and turned. Firestorm was at the top of the ramp. Behind her were Aurora and Shimmer. Elian could see Nolita clinging to Firestorm’s back as he charged towards the surprised night dragons. More dragons were appearing – all day dragons.
‘Let the orb go, Elian,’ Aurora told him again. ‘You cannot keep it.’
‘But it—’
‘I know,’ Aurora said, cutting him short. And he knew from her voice that she understood perfectly. ‘Do it. Now! You must.’
‘Listen to your dragon, Elian!’ Kira urged. ‘Drop it! Quickly!’
A blast of fire roared from Firestorm’s gaping mouth and the three night dragons screeched defiantly. Two more screeches sounded from Elian’s right. The other two night dragons were returning.
Aurora was right. If he was going to restore the Oracle, it had to be now.
He turned and looked longingly at the glowing wonder in his hand. It was beautiful, but the Oracle needed it. Dragonkind needed it. He relaxed his fingers and tipped his hand slowly, allowing the orb to roll from his fingers. His eyes followed it for a heartbeat . . . two . . . three. Then it was gone.
It was done.
All the strength drained from his legs and Elian sagged against the low wall. He looked around. Firestorm was loosing his fiercest fire in great jets at the night dragons. They had backed away, but showed no signs of running.
‘Come on, Oracle!’ Kira muttered, looking down into the great well. ‘Where are you? We need you!’
The same question was at the forefront of Elian’s mind.
‘It’s not quite over,’ Aurora said softly, her voice almost apologetic in his mind. ‘There is one last sacrifice required.’
‘Sacrifice?’ Elian asked, confused. ‘What sacrifice?’
‘“Beyond time’s bright arrow, life-saving breath,”’ she quoted. ‘“Love’s life force giving, slays final death The Oracle reiterated the need in the final verse with: “Gifted for ever: life’s sacrifice.” The Oracle is already dead. It knew it would die before we brought the four orbs. The only way it can be reborn is for someone to give up his life force. Someone must die.’
‘Die!’ Elian exclaimed aloud. ‘But the dragonet in the egg died. That was the sacrifice, wasn’t it?’
‘No, Elian,’ Aurora said softly. ‘The Oracle chose carefully for this quest. We questors are the ones who have to make the sacrifices. For Nolita it was blood. For Pell it was to be his dragon’s heart . . .’
‘Wait a minute!’ Elian interrupted. ‘You mean me, don’t you?’
‘Not just you, Elian,’ she told him. ‘We must both make the ultimate sacrifice. It is our life purpose to see the Oracle rebirthed. Dragonkind will be saved through our gift. There is no need to fear. It is a glorious life purpose, Elian. We will live for ever in the memories of dragons and riders everywhere.’
‘But I don’t want to die!’ he told her through the bond. ‘Becoming your rider was supposed to be an adventure.’
‘And it has been,’ she said gently. ‘It has just been a little shorter than we expected. We have no choice, Elian. “Love’s life force giving, slays final death . . .”. Without the final sacrifice, the Oracle cannot be reborn. There does not need to be any pain. Remember your fall from the Devil’s Finger? You were ready to die that day. This is the fall you were destined to make. Don’t be afraid. We’ll dive into the Oracle’s well together. Wait there. These night dragons cannot stop us now. We are about to begin our final adventure.’
Elian looked over the low wall at the yawning black chasm below and his stomach churned with fear. Tears welled in his eyes. He did not want to end his life this way. Memories of happy days with his parents came thick and fast in a jumble of images. He remembered playing with friends in his village, his father telling him bedtime stories and his mother serving up special food for family occasions. The roaring fight in the chamber faded as his dreams filled his mind, but could not be totally banished by his reverie.
Suddenly new images intruded – plumes of smoke, ragged lines of tired men marching with their weapons held ready, night dragons swooping down to attack his village, his parents’ cottage in ruins.
‘Stop it!’ he cried out, hitting his temple with the heel of his right hand. ‘That’s not real.’
‘No, but it will be if the Oracle is not reborn.’
‘You don’t know that for sure, Ra.’
‘I know enough of Segun and his followers to assure you life without the Oracle will not be pleasant.’
‘What is it, Elian?’ Kira asked. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Ra thinks we’re the final sacrifice – me and her,’ he croaked. ‘She wants us to dive into the Oracle’s well together.’
‘But that’s crazy!’ she gasped. ‘Surely the Oracle didn’t mean that to happen.’
‘I’ve had bad feelings about the quest for a while now,’ Elian said, his tears running freely down his cheeks. ‘There was something about the way the Oracle acted when Pell and I were here last time that left me feeling very uneasy. I don’t want to die, but Ra is sure this is the right thing to do.’
‘You can’t, Elian! It’s wrong.’
‘I don’t think I have a choice. Everything we’ve been through has brought us to this moment. If I don’t go through with it, Segun will win and the world will suffer.’
‘There’s always a choice,’ Kira insisted. ‘There must be another way.’
‘FIRESTORM! NO!’
Aurora’s cry demanded attention. She was locked in combat with a night dragon, trying to force her way through to Elian, but it was Firestorm who had made the breakthrough. The battling blue dragon forced its way through the cluster of night dragons and ran straight towards him. He froze. What did Nolita and Fire think they were doing? Separating themselves from the rest of the dragons was a sure way to become vulnerable. Then Elian realised. Firestorm was not battling towards him. He was heading for the Oracle’s well.
A night dragon lunged at Firestorm from the right as he broke through their ranks, but Firestorm ignored the wound it dealt to his hindquarter.
‘Get down Elian!’ Kira yelled, hitting him with a shoulder charge that flattened him just in time for Firestorm to leap over them and disappear into the black nothingness of the Oracle’s well. As the blue dragon passed over them, Elian caught a glimpse of Nolita clinging to his back. She was smiling. Smiling!
‘NOLITA!’ he cried, scrabbling to get out from under Kira. He looked over the wall, but they were gone – swallowed by the darkness. ‘NOLITA!’
Kira’s hand grasped his shoulder. ‘She’s gone,’ she said, her voice filled with a terrible sadness. ‘And so will we be if we don’t get away from here!’ she added more urgently. ‘Fang tells me Firestorm sent us a message as he and Nolita fought to reach the well. Nolita wanted us to know that she had no fear of death. Her fears were of physical things and Firestorm was proud to help her with her brave plan.’
Aurora, Shimmer and the day dragons were forcing the night dragons back by weight of numbers, but their fight had turned very ugly. Most of the dragons had already sustained wounds. Fang suddenly attacked out of the darkness, taking one of the flanking night dragons by surprise. But, finding themselves unexpectedly outnumbered, the night dragons were putting up a ferocious fight and the conflict was edging ever closer to the Oracle’s well.
Elian allowed Kira to drag him around the well to the far side, but he could not stop staring into the pitch darkness below. He half expected to see Firestorm and Nolita fly back up out of the hole at any moment, but he knew in his heart it would not happen.
The first distant rumble sounded almost like a part of the mêlée that raged at the base of the main ramp. There was no mistaking the second, though. The floor of the chamber shook with the force of it. At the back of the cavern an enormous stalactite broke free from the roof and shattered on impact. All around the cavern, the battling dragons paused and looked as one towards the Oracle’s well.
With a suddenness that took Elian totally by surprise, the light level in the chamber brightened as it had when the Oracle had arrived in the past. This time, however, it brightened until it felt as if they could be sitting in the afternoon sun. There was no breathy sighing sound, or misty rising smoke. One heartbeat there was nothing. The next a roaring blue column of fire erupted from the well.
‘HOLD!’
The voice was like thunder. It rolled around the chamber with a force that neither man, nor dragon would dare disobey. The air was alive with the smell of power.
‘THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER FIGHTING. NIGHT DRAGONS, RETURN TO YOUR ENCLAVE.’
The blue column of fire twisted and expanded, racing out through the exit tunnel and, as Elian and Kira were later to discover, up into the sky high above the m
ountains of Orupee where it gave a similar order to the dragons still fighting in skies. In that moment all conflict ceased. No dragon could deny the Oracle in the fullness of its power.
The column of flame retracted again until it hung above the well. A face resolved in the fire – a face that was both Firestorm and Nolita at the same time.
‘Nolita? Are you . . .’ Elian began.
‘Dead?’ the Oracle completed in his mind. ‘No, Elian, Nolita is very much alive. Her human body died. That was a necessary part of her transformation, but she is very much alive in the fusion that makes me who I am. She thought she would never understand Firestorm, but now we are one. The decision to sacrifice themselves was made by both rider and dragon together – finally Nolita found peace with her destiny.’
Tears formed in Elian’s eyes and began to trickle down his cheeks.
‘But you are . . . I am . . . I’m supposed to be you,’ he stammered.
‘Do not feel you have failed, Elian,’ the Oracle said kindly. ‘You have not failed. Feel rather that Nolita and Firestorm exceeded their life purpose. I did not foresee this fusion, but it has worked out well. The Great Quest was successful. I have been reborn. And I vow to you that I shall do my best to see dragonkind flourish in Areth. Aurora will inevitably feel unfulfilled, as her purpose was overtaken by the actions of your companions. Be ready. I will call on you again in time with a challenge that will satisfy both of your needs.’
‘It is over, then?’
‘Yes, Elian. It is over, for now,’ the Oracle confirmed. ‘Go in peace and enjoy some time with your dragon.’
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Aftermath
‘You killed Segun, didn’t you?’
‘No,’ Pell replied, his voice emotionless as he regarded the speaker. ‘I would have done it, but another man beat me to the killing blow and I vow I shall never forgive him for it. Shadow finished Widewing, though. She’s resting in the trees over there, but beware. She is ready to fight again if you make it necessary.’
