His right leg gave out, and he fell. The men caught him and tried to tie his hands behind his back. His crippled hand only reached halfway down to his good one and slipped easily out of the ropes.
The men cursed and settled for binding both arms down tight against Kanvar's sides. He fought that. Squirming and kicking, but the four of them muscled him into submission, securing his arms and binding his feet as well. The biggest of them heaved Kanvar over his shoulder and started up the stairs. The others followed.
Kanvar thrashed, trying to free himself.
Indumauli's silky voice wormed its way into his mind. Stop fighting them, little Naga. Trust me. This is necessary to save you. Relax. Trust. Wait.
Why did you betray me! Kanvar screamed back into the Black serpent's mind. Indumauli's thoughts spun away from Kanvar's without answering.
The man carrying Kanvar came out on a ledge high above the trees. Billowing gray clouds obscured most of the jungle below and left the mountain peaks floating like islands in the mist.
The other three men came up beside the first, and they set Kanvar on the ground.
Kanvar rolled to his knees and looked out across the clouds. "What are you going to do with me?" he demanded. He was too high up. If they cast him down, there would be no vines and vegetation to save him.
Three of the men retreated back down the stairs without answering. The fourth moved to the far side of the ledge where the sunlight glinted off a round copper plate suspended from the rock above by heavy chains. He lifted a hammer from the ground below the plate and thumped it into the center. A loud gong sounded, almost deafening Kanvar. It boomed out across the mountains.
The man struck it again and again.
Kanvar struggled against the ropes that bound him. He had to get free.
The gray clouds parted below him, and Dharanidhar rose into the sunlight. He'd reset the bone in his wing and splinted it allowing him to fly. And fly he did, straight for Kanvar.
The village man let out a surprised yelp, dropped the hammer and raced away down the stairs.
Chapter Seven
Kanvar got his arms free of the ropes, but there wasn't time to ready the crossbow.
Dharanidhar's wings blasted air into Kanvar's face. Kanvar dropped his right hand to the sword and pulled it out. Dharanidhar reared back when he heard the sound of the blade leaving the sheath. He knew what sword Kanvar carried, knew it could cut through his scales. He'd been hurt enough from it already.
"Come back so I can finish you off, have you?" Kanvar shouted, trying to sound a lot braver than he felt. His feet were still bound, he couldn't wield the sword against the dragon very well on his knees, and he doubted his armor would protect him from Dharanidhar's fire at this close of range.
Dharanidhar roared, but his thoughts echoed with dark laughter at Kanvar's bravado. You won't survive this time, wyrmling. Indumauli can't save you now.
Kanvar noticed Dharanidhar's right claw had grown swollen and ugly. A patch of scales was missing from the back where Indumauli had bitten him.
Dharanidhar sucked in a breath, readying his fire.
"But it was Indumauli who sent me up here," Kanvar shouted. "He must have had a reason."
Dharanidhar recoiled and backbeat his wings to put more space between himself and Kanvar. You heard my voice?
Kanvar's hand shook on the sword. He didn't have the strength to hold it up in defensive position for long even with its magic. "Yes, of course. I've heard your thoughts since you carried me off yesterday."
Dharanidhar wiggled his claw where the sword had cut through his palm while he carried Kanvar. By the fountain, he swore. The sword . . . it cut you too? I thought I smelled your blood.
Kanvar lowered the tip of the sword to the ground. "Split my leg open."
Dharanidhar let out an ear-shattering roar.
Pain stabbed Kanvar's left arm, and he realized it hurt where Dharanidhar had broken his wing. The blue dragon would not be able to stay aloft much longer. Maybe if Kanvar kept talking to it, he might be able to put off Dharanidhar's attack until the dragon plummeted back down into the jungle.
Dharanidhar let loose an angry fire of breath that seared the rocks over Kanvar's head.
Missed me, Kanvar though, then realized Dharanidhar could hear him. That wasn't a good way to try to keep the dragon from killing him.
I wont miss again, you blood-sucking monster. He pulled in another breath.
The air flashed gold behind Dharanidhar, and a spurt of sparkling gold light blew into Dharanidhar's face. Dharanidhar's head lowered. He let out a sigh, straightened his wings, and drifted down into the clouds.
"Monster?" Kanvar muttered, sheathing the sword. "Why's he calling me a monster? He's the huge giant with claws and fire breath."
A gold shimmer rippled toward the ledge, and a Great Gold dragon slipped into view in the cliff's shadow. It was gigantic, bigger than Dharanidhar, and older, though pristine and unscarred. Ancient wisdom shone from its eyes. The golden stone in its forehead burned with intense light, making Kanvar blink and look away. He heard a scuffing and looked back to see a man slide off of the dragon's neck onto the ledge. A man Kanvar had not seen in five years.
"Father," Kanvar whispered. His father's face was the same and had not aged at all, but he seemed bigger somehow, brighter, his wavy golden hair more brilliant and set with a thin gold crown, his movements graceful and dragon like. He pulled a hunting knife from his belt and went straight for the ropes that held Kanvar's legs.
The ropes fell away, and Amar enveloped Kanvar in a tight hug. "My boy, my boy. I thought you were dead."
An old anger filled Kanvar, and his pushed his father away. "You left me to die!"
Amar's face twisted in sorrow. "I was hurt, but I came back for you as soon as I could. It wasn't more than an hour later. I searched all over Daro for you and didn't give up until I heard word that Mani had killed you." Kanvar felt an intense sorrow burn through his father's breast.
"I'm sorry, Kanvar," Amar said.
Kanvar wanted to accept his apology. Wanted to be glad to see his father. But the hurt he'd bottled up inside for so long continued to bubble out. "You abandoned me. You took Devaj with you, but not me. Because I'm a cripple and useless. You only care about Devaj, and I am nothing to you. And now I find out you're some kind of king. Of course you couldn't have a crippled son in line for the throne."
Amar held up a shaking hand. "That . . . that's not the way it was. Or is. You've never let your physical challenges stop you from doing anything. And I encouraged that, remember? I knew you were as strong and valuable as any other boy. I took Devaj because he was helpless and dying. You weren't. I believed you had the cunning and skill to get away. And I was right. Look at you."
He ran an admiring hand down Kanvar's makeshift armor. "A successful dragon hunter. Indumauli told me you killed a lesser green serpent and a Great Green dragon. You even stood up to and blinded the most dangerous Great dragon in the world. My mistake wasn't in leaving you. It was in doubting you afterward. It was in believing a mere human woman could kill you."
Amar let out a deep breath. "Thank goodness Indumauli found you and sent you to the village. There are so few dragons or humans left who still consider Rajahansa their king."
The Great Gold dragon rumbled his agreement. True, and my joy breath is not likely to last long on Dharanidhar. He'll be back soon with a band of his followers. He knows he can't defeat me alone.
Kanvar shook his head. "Dharanidhar has gone into exile. Abhavasimha now leads the blues, and he's taken Devaj."
Rajahansa's eyes closed to glowing slits. You hear my voice? But you cannot. I smell the fever still upon you. You have not yet bonded.
Kanvar grimaced. He had no explanation for his ability to hear the dragons' voices. And he felt very uncomfortable standing beneath the towering gold dragon that perched on the cliff ledge.
Amar clenched his fists and stared hard at Kanvar. Kanvar felt him thinking, trying to fi
gure out what had happened to give Kanvar some of the Naga powers before bonding.
Kanvar recoiled from his father's mind. Despite his father's explanation, Kanvar felt angrier than ever. Bitter. Furious even. He started to shake. He sensed Dharanidhar circling below.
Then his wounded leg gave out, and he fell forward.
His father caught him. "I don't think now's the time to question the boy," he said to Rajahansa. "Let's get him home first."
"I don't want to go home with you," Kanvar cried out and struggled to get away from his father. "I hate you."
Rajahansa let out an angry growl and bared his teeth. Shield his mind, Amar. I sense Dharanidhar's presence in the boy's thoughts. Some of Dharanidhar's blood must have splashed onto your son. Unfortunate. And it will be a painful mistake to remedy.
Amar pressed a hand against Kanvar's forehead. What felt like a steel wall went up around his mind, and Kanvar's anger vanished. He gasped, feeling like he had been plunged into a black abyss. His mind went silent, and he was alone. Excruciatingly lonely.
"No. Please. Let me go." He struggled in his father's strong grip.
Rjahansa let out an angry hiss. Get him under control, Amar. I can't carry him like this and Dharanidhar is coming back.
Amar's mind slipped past the steel wall into Kanvar's. Be still, he ordered and forced Kanvar's body to obey.
Kanvar's body went limp. Try as hard as he might, he could not move. No, Kanvar pleaded. Let me go. I don't want to be alone.
"You won't be alone," Amar responded in a firm reassuring voice. "Not for long. We will find a suitable companion for you. You will bond properly and be at peace. I promise you. You are my son. I'm trying to help you. Not hurt you." He handed Kanvar to Rajahansa, who lifted him onto the back of his neck just behind his head.
The plates on the gold dragon's neck had a natural smooth indent, perfect for riding. Amar climbed up behind Kanvar and wrapped an arm around his chest. Rajahansa lifted his head, and the plates on the back of his skull came down to lock the humans in place so they wouldn't fall as he leapt into the air, flapping his great wings.
The sudden surge into the air made Kanvar's stomach flip. Rajahansa's wings rippled out in smooth steady strokes, making Kanvar's flight yesterday with Dharanidhar seem like a turbulent ocean compared to Rajahansa's slick glide across the sky.
They skimmed the top of the clouds, winding around the great peaks deep into the mountain range. The high air tasted sweet and light on Kanvar's tongue, but he grew dizzy from lack of oxygen, and his fever alternated between burning hot flashes a cold chills. He shivered though his father still controlled his body, refusing to let Kanvar struggle against the arm across his chest. Not that Kanvar would have at this height. He had no wish to experience the long plummet to the ground below.
When Rajahansa started his descent, Kanvar barely felt it, the dragon tilted so smoothly in the air. Kanvar might not have noticed at all if the clouds hadn't suddenly come up to meet him. Then he found himself inside them. Hot and wet. The moisture settled onto his skin and hair, and dripped down the scales of his armor. The misty gray nothing twisted his insides into a painful knot. He felt as if his father had reached inside him and torn out a piece of his soul. He was empty. Alone. Imprisoned in his own mind. He pushed against the wall his father had created, but he could not escape. His thoughts were trapped inside his empty mind, and his father held his body hostage.
Then abruptly they came out below the clouds into the center of a bowl of towering mountains. Rajahansa turned and glided toward a flash of gold up against one of the hills. As they drew closer, Kanvar saw it was a palace of huge glittering gold walls, open windows and vast halls beyond.
Kanvar gasped. Even with all he'd read about the original palace at Stonefountain this building seemed larger and more splendid. Kanvar couldn't have imagined such a building in all his most vivid daydreams.
"It's actually smaller than the original palace," his father said, still connected to his mind enough to sense his thoughts. "Just a shadow of it."
Kanvar could not believe it. No human building came anywhere near the vast and complicated architecture of Rajahansa's home.
The gold dragon swooped in through one of the windows, which was wide enough that even with Rajahansa's great size he had no trouble flying through the opening and landing on the glittering gold floor. His great hind legs and claws left dazzling indents in the golden surface. He folded his wings and lowered his neck so Amar could slide off, dragging Kanvar with him.
As soon as Kanvar's feet touched the ground, his father returned control to his body, though he left the wall firmly around Kanvar's mind.
Kanvar limped away from his father and the dragon, went to the window, and looked out. Below the castle, black mountain cliffs went straight down over several thousand feet to the jungle canopy. He saw a flash of blue skim along the trees below and disappear as it reached the cliffs. He shook his head and blinked. There were no stairs cut in the rock. No dangling vines long enough for him to climb down. They'd brought him to a gilded prison.
"Welcome home, Kanvar," his father said. "I think you're going to like it here. Come with me. We need to tend to that leg. Too bad Indumauli didn't do it, but he couldn't risk nicking you with his poisonous fangs." He started across the vast chamber to an arch on the far side from the window.
Kanvar stayed by the window. His right leg shook, threatening to give out on him. His left leg twisted awkwardly behind him as useless as ever.
His father whirled back around to face him. "Can you walk? Do you want help?" His father had always been sensitive to Kanvar's feelings when he was young. Always asking if he wanted physical help instead of assuming he needed it. Kanvar blinked back moisture that came into his eyes. His father had not changed. He was still brave, strong, courteous, and thoughtful. It was Kanvar who had changed, Kanvar who had become angry and bitter. But no. He'd forgiven his father long ago. He had no reason for acting the way he had on the cliff.
Amar took a step back toward Kanvar. "Dharanidhar hates Rajahansa and me. Our disagreements with him have been long and bitter. Plus, I imagine, he's furious about losing his sight and having Abhavasimha replace him. Those feeling were not your own. You accidentally created a mental link with him when you wounded him. But it is not a true bond. I've blocked his mind from yours so you can think clearly. You feel empty now because you have the fever and your soul seeks its companion. Dharanidhar is not a suitable companion. In fact, I'm sure he'd violently reject such a suggestion, not that Rajahansa would ever allow it. Only Great Golds have the right type of blood to bond with the Nagas."
Kanvar shuddered. "He called me a blood-sucking monster. What did he mean? Even . . . even after he realized our minds were linked, he tried to kill me."
Rajahansa who had stood unmoving during this exchange shifted and let out an angry rumble.
Amar looked up at his dragon. Let me handle this, Raj. He strode back to Kanvar.
"Dharanidhar is a cranky old dragon. Don't worry about it too much. Come with me and I'll explain everything." He put a hand on Kanvar's shoulder. "You're hurt. Will you let me carry you?"
Kanvar shifted. Sweat poured down his aching body. He doubted he could stay standing much less walk any distance. "I'm a lot bigger than I used to be."
"Yes. You've grown up."
Kanvar nodded.
"Will you let Rajahansa carry you?"
Kanvar shuddered and staggered backward. His father grabbed him and pulled him away from the window. "Rajahansa will not hurt you."
"B-but I killed a Great Green."
Rajahansa let out a deep growl. Indumauli said it was in self defense. Was it?
Kanvar could barely make out Rajahansa's voice through the wall his father had placed around his mind. "I . . . I don't know." Kanvar's leg gave out and he sank to the floor. The fever jumbled his thoughts and memories.
Rajahansa lowered his head to stare Kanvar in the face. A Naga is allowed to protect his own
life. If Mahanth was stupid enough to attack you, than he deserved his fate. He shouldn't have been hunting the villagers in the first place. They are under my protection. He broke my laws and paid the price for it. Without asking for permission, Rajahansa scooped Kanvar up in his claw and carried him out of the chamber into a hall.
Tapestries and giant paintings of dragons and men lined the hall. Arched doorways big enough for Rajahansa to pass through led off into chambers hung with jeweled chandeliers and alcoves with life-like statues of dragons and their Nagas. In one such chamber a dozen young gold dragons sat on their haunches along a rock table the spanned the length of the room, great quill pens clutched in their claws as they put words to paper. Shelves full of scrolls and bound books lined the walls.
Not all civilization has been lost, Rajahansa said as Kanvar stared at the dragon scribes in wonder.
The hall narrowed and came to a section with smaller doorways. Rajahansa eased Kanvar to his feet. Amar wrapped a strong arm under his shoulders and led Kanvar into a smaller room. Kanvar's boots made indents in a plush red rug that covered the floor. A cool wind gusted in through a window that overlooked the cliffs. A decoratively carved wooden bookshelf stood up against one of the walls. Bound volumes lined the top two shelves in neat rows. Dozens of scrolls filled cannisters along the bottom one.
Kanvar's jaw dropped. "So many books." He'd seen a few scrolls before. The dragon hunter jati training master owned a few and taught all his students to read. Kanvar's mother had kept a single bound volume in their home, a copy of the Dragon Hunter's Guide written by Kumar Raza.
"Gold Dragons are scholars for the most part," Amar helped Kanvar ease down to sit on a mattress made from some smooth cream-colored material. Kanvar had never felt anything like it, and it was so soft, like sitting on billowing clouds. Far more than just a mat on the floor. The mattress was held up by a metal frame shaped like a silver serpent leaping from ocean waves. Across from the bed, a life-sized portrait hung on the wall.
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