by Thad Ward
Ike gulped. He saw the remnants of the bandage he’d put on the wolf’s front paw but had no way to be sure it would be friendly toward him. “Myra, can you ask Sunny not to attack me, please?” He failed to keep his voice from quavering.
Myra skipped up behind the wolf and patted its head. “Who’s a good girl?” she said in a babyish tone. “Don’t worry. Sunny knows you’re nice.”
“Sunny, huh?” Ike said, sheathing his sword slowly. He frowned and narrowed his gaze on Myra.
“Yup,” Myra said brightly. “When you showed me your rat, I wanted a pet of my own. I almost got eaten by a wildcat, but Sunny scared it off. That’s how we became friends.” She looked at the wolf and cocked her head to one side as if listening to something. “Oh! So you were the one who helped Sunny out of the trap. She says thank you.”
Ike looked from Myra to the wolf, who was still regarding him with an inscrutable canine expression. He gave a short bow. “You’re welcome. Thank you for helping with the goblins, and the, uh,” he said, nodding toward London’s goon, “other bad men in town.”
“Is everything going to be okay?” Myra asked, twining her fingers through the wolf’s fur. “There’s lots of fire and shouting.”
Ike walked past the two of them, grimacing in pain as he stooped to retrieve his partisan. He pulled one of Ada’s vials out of his pouch, uncorked it, and downed the contents, ignoring the bitter taste. Then he turned back to Myra and nodded. “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be okay,” he said with all the conviction he could muster.
“But you’re all beat up,” Myra said, worried. The dragon roared somewhere in the distance. “And there’s a big scary thing flying around.”
Ike walked over to Myra and tousled her frizzy hair. “You let us grown-ups worry about that. You should go home. Have Sunny keep you safe.”
The wolf chuffed, an expression Ike took for annoyance. “Sunny wants to stay and help,” Myra interpreted.
“Home first,” Ike said in a mildly reproving tone, looking between both of them. “Then you can send Sunny back to help. But not until you’re home safe.”
Myra pouted, kicked the ground, then looked down. “Okay.”
Ike watched as Myra and the wolf disappeared back down the alley. “The arsonist is down,” he said into his ear cuff. “City Team A, move to the tannery and support City Team B.”
“What?” Sky said. “How?”
“Long story,” Ike said.
“What about the fires?” Sky asked.
Ike looked back toward the street and saw multiple buildings on fire. “The dragon’s torching half the city. Fighting the fires is moot right now. We need to suppress the goblins inside the wall so the townsfolk can escape.”
Ike heard an explosion from the northeast. His heart jumped into his chest. “Ada, report! Was that what I think it was?”
“Yes,” Ada came over the ear cuff. Her voice was strained. “Sorry, can’t talk now.”
“The hole’s collapsed,” Boudica said, also sounding winded. “No more are coming through, but we’ve still got a bunch of the fuckers to deal with.”
“Hold on a little longer,” Sky said. “We’re on our way.”
“Good,” Ike said. “Gate Team, report.”
“This is Gate Team,” came Clay’s voice. “Adger’s down. We need more help. There are too many of them.”
Ike shook his head. “There’s only one way to end this,” he said. “I’m going to go have a word with their boss.”
“That’s suicide, Ike!” Dusty said. Ike could hear her grunt with effort and suspected she was talking while swinging her battle ax.
By chance, Ike caught a glint of light from the window of the shop. He looked over to see the bespectacled face of an elderly woman looking out at him.
“Don’t worry,” Ike said, the corner of his lip slowly rising into a smirk. “I’ve got an idea.”
Chapter 28
Slaying the dragon
T he dragon had decimated the market square, tearing up the cobblestones and reducing the well to a pile of rubble. Carts and crates had been shattered to pieces that lay strewn about the area. Several buildings adjacent to the square were still actively burning, providing the only light.
The dragon itself, either fatigued or simply content with its work, lay casually in the middle of the square. With its clawed limbs folded beneath it and its great tail curled around it, Ike thought it had an almost feline demeanor. It raised its head as he approached the square, tentatively sniffing the air.
“You are not my minion,” Morkenstradivix said. The dragon’s voice was deep enough that Ike felt the words as much as heard them. Its tone was one of indifference as if it were observing the weather. “Where is he?”
“London?” Ike said, trying to match the nonchalance of the dragon’s tone. “He’s probably dead, a few hundred meters that way.” Ike gestured north toward the bridge.
“Are you one of his lackeys, then?” Morkenstradivix said. “Come to beg for scraps in his stead?”
“No,” Ike said. He hopped up on a stable-looking pile of rubble a few meters from the dragon to be on a better level to speak to it. “I’m here to negotiate on behalf of the people of Weir.”
“Negotiate?” Morkenstradivix said with an amused purr. “Who are you who deigns to speak with a higher being?” It snaked its head toward Ike, barely a meter away, scrutinizing him. Ike had taken the dragon’s scales for black before. Now that he was seeing it up close, he could tell that they were more like a charred red so dark it was closer to burgundy.
“I’m Isaac Fennell. I lead the forces opposing you,” Ike said. “And I’m afraid there will be more violence if we don’t come to terms.”
Morkenstradivix tilted its head in genuine puzzlement, then let out a laugh. It raised its head skyward and emitted a small gout of flame as it did so. “Did you just threaten me, worm?”
“I did,” Ike said. He stuck the point of his partisan in the ground and leaned casually against it. “We demand that you withdraw your forces, leave this city, and never return. Or else.”
Morkenstradivix laughed again, this time with a bitter undertone. “You must forgive me. I’m not accustomed to cattle being quite this uppity.” The dragon sniffed again, a bit more deeply. “Ah, perhaps that is what emboldens you so. You have defied the hound. I thought I heard it baying not long ago. I wonder what trickery you used to deprive death of its table scraps.”
“The same I’ll use to deprive you of your life,” Ike said evenly. “That is unless you have the good sense to leave. What is your answer?”
Ike could swear he saw the dragon’s eye twitch. He guessed it was unaccustomed to being treated without fear and respect. In fact, Ike was counting on it.
“Very well. Let’s talk a bit,” Morkenstradivix said. Its tone was unperturbed, but Ike had the impression that the dragon was forcing it now. “It seems my minion has been slain and my forces delayed, so I have some time to kill before the city is taken. Please, amuse me by explaining why I should tuck my tail and run.” The dragon rose and began slowly pacing around Ike.
Ike gulped, straining to keep his poker face as the apex predator circled behind him. “I’m sure you’re not scared of me personally,” Ike said. “That said, we’ve outmaneuvered your forces. The goblins are simple and cowardly. They’ll flee as soon as they suffer enough losses.”
“Is that the whole of your argument?” Morkenstradivix said. “That I should run because a few insects scatter in the wind.”
“Maybe they’re weak,” Ike said, “but you didn’t attack the city on your own. You subjugated them and waited until they had our defenses occupied.” He met the dragon’s gaze. “That can only mean you’re afraid of doing it on your own. You’re afraid of us.”
The dragon’s head snapped forward, its jaws clamping together mere centimeters from Ike’s face. He froze, staring at teeth the size of daggers and a mouth that could fit most of his torso in one bite. Its breath smelled
like an abattoir. “What foolishness,” the dragon whispered, its serpentine eyes searching him for signs of movement. “I could kill any one of you in an instant.”
“But not all of us,” Ike said. He gripped his partisan to keep his hands from shaking. “Alone, we’re not much of a threat. Together, though, we’re stronger than you. The same is true of the goblins. There’s strength in numbers.”
“Poetic,” Morkenstradivix said, “but ultimately pointless. So long as fear controls you, your strength is worth nothing. You humans are not so different from the goblins you revile. You are all greedy, self-serving weaklings who cower in the face of true strength. Some will flee. Others will grovel for scraps.”
“You’re wrong,” Ike said, defiance swelling in his chest. “We’ll fight.”
“Then you will die!” Morkenstradivix roared, drawing back up to his full height. Ike could feel the wind from the great beast inhaling and see its scaled chest swell. Light shone through the dragon’s fangs before the moment of release, then it opened its jaws and a torrent of flame rushed out, scorching a cone of cobblestones and covering Ike head to toe.
For a moment, Ike felt like he was in an oven. The entire world might as well have been on fire, filled with blinding light and heat so stifling Ike could scarcely breathe. There was no doubt that this was enough fire to kill him, probably several times over, and that nothing but a charred heap would remain when the smoke cleared.
At least, that’s what he had hoped the dragon would think.
Ike ducked out of his cloak, leaving it hanging on the end of his partisan. Without its user, the effect vanished, causing the cloak to catch fire in the torched hellscape that remained. He activated Selective Invisibility and moved as quietly as he could manage while still moving fast enough to avoid taking incidental fire damage.
Morkenstradivix stood in place for a moment, watching Ike’s cloak burn with an expression that might’ve been the reptilian equivalent of a smile. This was it, the precious few seconds Ike’s costly gambit had won him. Even so, he had to make a real effort to keep moving. The dragon was already trying to kill him, and what he planned to do was guaranteed to piss it off even more.
The wolf appeared out of nowhere, darting from a nearby alley with the violent speed of a predator springing an ambush. Ike couldn’t make out much more than a brown-gray blur of motion as it dove for the dragon’s hind leg. The dragon’s head snaked around as it noticed the attack a split second too late. It roared in anger as the wolf’s fangs sunk into its tendon forcefully enough to pierce the scaly flesh and draw blood. The dragon kicked the leg backward to dislodge the much smaller creature.
The wolf didn’t bother hanging on. It jumped with the motion, landing on all fours, and darted off away from the dragon toward a different alleyway.
“Miserable pest!” Morkenstradivix boomed, rearing his head back and sending a blast of flame after the wolf. The blast struck the edge of a wall just as the wolf dodged behind it.
Another wound appeared on the dragon’s flank just as the wolf reappeared in the square, emerging not from an alley near the one where it had disappeared, but on the opposite side. It lunged for the meaty base of the dragon’s wing, coming away with a jaw full of scales and bloody flesh.
“What trickery is this!?” Morkenstradivix wailed, pivoting and smacking the wolf with its tail. Just as before, the wolf rolled with the blow. It yelped in pain but came back up on its feet, diving back into the nearest alleyway.
“Like I said,” came Ike’s voice from a nearby rooftop. “The same trickery I used on the cu-sith.”
Morkenstradivix turned toward the voice and breathed another gout of flame, setting the roof alight. Another wound appeared on the claw of one of its feet just as the wolf reappeared, this time from the alley opposite the voice. The wolf leapt for the base of the dragon’s tail, scoring a hit and retreating as it had the last two times.
“You attacked Weir without provocation,” came Ike’s voice, this time from a different rooftop. “I warned you to leave or die.”
The dragon turned toward where Ike had been standing, snarling as the final remnants of his cloak burned away. It swiped a massive claw at the partisan, reducing it to splinters. “Do you think such deception will prevail?” Morkenstradivix said. “In the face of true strength?”
“I said we’d fight,” came Ike’s voice, now from a third rooftop. “You didn’t listen.”
The wolf emerged once more. Again, a fresh wound scored the dragon’s chest. Rather than turning to the beast or the voice, however, the dragon reared up, unfurling its wings to their full span, and brought its body down on the spot, shaking the earth and creating a blast of gale-force wind. The wolf was forced away mid-leap, while Ike was thrown off his feet, tumbling several meters away and landing against the remains of a market stall with a grunt of pain.
Health: 5 / 6
“There you are,” Morkenstradivix purred. Before Ike knew it, the dragon’s front claw was resting atop him. “I will admit, you are a wily creature. I shall take pleasure in devouring you. But first,” the dragon spun its head around, “I will attend to that friend of yours.”
Health: 4 / 6
The dragon’s weight was tremendous. Ike felt as if he was being crushed beneath a car. He struggled to breathe, unable to choke out a reply to the dragon.
Health: 3 / 6
The wolf came into the square at the far end. It was panting and wounded from the dragon’s counterattacks. It let out a long howl at the moon overhead, then raised the hackles on its back and charged the dragon.
Health: 2 / 6
“Loyal,” Morkenstradivix said, “but futile.” As the wolf charged forward, the dragon took a deep breath and let the fire out in a wide cone. Ike watched helplessly as it rushed out to meet the wolf in midair. All he could see was a vague outline beyond the flames.
Health: 1 / 6
That was when the second wolf caught Morkenstradivix by the throat. The dragon’s eyes opened wide in surprise. It caught its breath at the last second, giving the first wolf an opening to land on his face. The first wolf raked a claw across the dragon’s eye.
The weight suddenly lifted off of Ike as the dragon reared up in pain. It caught the wolf that had taken its eye in its jaws. The wolf whimpered and went limp, then shrank, reverting to its statuette form and clattering to the square.
The wolf around the dragon’s neck raked with its back claws, rending the dragon’s scales and tearing away a chunk of flesh as it fell to the cobblestones. It landed in a spray of blood, growling with strands of the dragon’s neck muscles in its muzzle.
Ike got to his feet and put a little distance between himself and the spot he’d been laying, doing his best not to gasp too loudly as he caught his breath. He’d let the summoned copy of Sunny lead the attack, hoping that Sunny herself would catch on and exploit the dragon’s confusion. A fresh-made version of the songbird statuette had provided the distraction from the rooftops. And, of course, Ike had used his invisibility to take advantage of the dragon’s openings. His contributions had been smaller, but he figured any extra damage would help.
Morkenstradivix swatted at Sunny. The attack was clumsy, however, giving the wolf an opening to retreat to another alley. Ike could tell the dragon was in pain, its fear from losing an eye overshadowing its rage at being attacked. He saw the decision on the dragon’s face as it unfurled its wings.
“Not so fast!” Ike rushed forward, jumping for the dragon’s neck as it leapt into the air. His arms failed to completely encircle the neck, causing him to slip down its back. He struggled back up and jabbed his short sword down into the meat of the dragon’s shoulder, sinking it in like a knife through butter.
Then Ike was in the air. The world was a blur of motion. One moment he saw the night sky, the next he saw the back of the dragon’s wing, then he saw the city beneath him. He held onto the sword, now slick with the dragon’s blood, for dear life.
Morkenstradivix roared in fury,
snaking his head around to snap at Ike without having an angle of attack. “Human filth!” it bellowed. “You dare to challenge me!? Your allies will be the ones to suffer for it!”
The dragon leveled off, giving Ike a dizzy moment to realize it had been doing aerial maneuvers to dislodge him. Now that the dragon was flying straight, Ike could see the wall of the city approaching beneath them. Despite knowing which way was up now, he still couldn’t do anything but hold on for fear of falling.
Then he heard it: The clash of weapons, the shout of voices, and, above the din of combat, a song. He heard a woman’s voice singing strange words in a made-up language, accompanied by a chorus of deep male voices and even deeper drums. The unmistakable song brought to mind memories of mighty Nordic heroes from a beloved old game shouting dragons out of the sky with their defiance.
Ike looked beneath him as the dragon flew past the wall. For just a moment, he locked eyes with Milly, her hood down, her head back, standing tall as she sang before the encroaching army of goblins. Dozens of guards, players, and ordinary townsfolk stood with her before the storm. Clay braced the half-collapsed gate. Dusty cleaved the head from a goblin as it mounted the wall, kicking its body back to the sea of green below. They were losing, but they weren’t budging, and every eye looked up at the dragon as it passed.
“Watch them as they burn!” Morkenstradivix howled. The dragon banked in a wide semi-circle, giving it a course that would run directly over top of the gate, then began to inhale.
Ike could feel the heat building in the dragon’s body beneath him. He struggled to rise or free a hand, which only caused him to slip and nearly fall. There was no choice. He had to do something, but he had to keep hanging on.
