by F. P. Spirit
Ruka called down to them with a short laugh. “Heh. Don’t worry—it’s just a hissy fit. They’ll be back soon.”
The two squires peered up at her, both wearing expressions of astonishment. Her attempt to mollify the young humans had obviously not worked at all.
Half an hour had passed since then, during which the flying vessel had done nothing but hover there. So why in the names of all the gods was it suddenly bombarding the monolith? Ruka’s heart thumped wildly with each boom of those great cannons. It felt as if her heart was going to jump out of her chest. He’s still in there.
Her immediate desire was to change into her natural form and charge the ship, blasting it with her powerful lightning breath. She wasn’t worried about those stupid cannons. She was far too quick for those balls of energy to hit her. The problem was the other dragons on board that vessel.
She had counted six so far—two blues, two blacks, and two whites. None of them were much larger than she, probably all young adults like herself. Still, one on six was not good odds. Even with Cal at her side they would be woefully outnumbered, and Cal was not a fighter. Even worse, Maya would want to join them, and she could not allow that.
The onslaught of the dark monolith continued, the relentless booms of cannon fire and subsequent explosions not letting up. Large cracks now formed down the sides of the great structure, pieces of dark stone falling to the ground below. The tall spire wouldn’t hold up much longer. Where the heck are they? Donnie, get out of there!
Ruka felt a stinging sensation on her cheek. She put a hand to her face and pulled it away, a bead of salty moisture sitting on her fingertips. Tears? What in the world is happening to me?
I’m a dragon! A Greymantle! Daughter of Yatharia and Rodric, pride of the Glittering Isles. I have long beautiful wings and bright shiny scales. I can soar through the skies with the greatest of ease, higher than the clouds. I can swim the deepest waters faster than any fish. I can call down the storms and breathe lightning as if it were air. So why in all Thac, do I feel so helpless right now?
The young dragon hung her head, no longer able to hold back the tears that streamed down her face. Why do I feel so empty when he’s not around?
Ruka lifted the pale fleshy stump that served as a hand for these small creatures. She twisted it back and forth in front of her, staring at it with a fierce intensity. Is it this body? This small weak, fleshy form? Have I been a human too long?
Ruka struggled to fight back the tears. She wiped her arm across her face, drying her eyes as best she could. Suddenly something caught her eye—something red and silver shot out of the top of the monolith! Ruka sat forward on her branch, all else forgotten.
The dragon teen narrowed her eyes. It was two figures, one carrying the other. Lloyd and Alana!
Seconds later, three more forms flew out of the monolith. The blue one in the center carried a white figure and… a brown one! Donnie…
That had to be Elladan next to him, and that new guy, Cyclone, carrying them both. Moments later, a large amorphous creature shot out of the top of the spire. On its back sat three figures—one in red and black, a second garbed in purple, and a smaller form all in white. Elistra, Glo, and Aksel.
Ruka let out a long, deep sigh. That was all of them. They were safe. The dragon teen launched herself off the branch and fell to the ground below, landing with a soft thud on the forest floor. She gazed at the two young squires, still sitting up against the same tree, both staring at her with wild eyes.
Ruka’s mouth twisted into a thin smirk as she stood up. She motioned to them with a single hand as she strode off into the forest. “Come on. It looks like things are about to get interesting.”
Martan watched in disbelief as the monolith began to crumble before him. His mind was numbed from all the crazy things he had seen today—strike that, the last few days. Ever since the company of knights had been massacred by that green dragon, Martan’s view on reality had been turned upside down.
It astounded him that the dragon hunter had managed to get them by the great beast. He was further shocked to find out that Ruka was a dragon herself. It seemed almost beyond belief that Donatello was able to sweet-talk the green dragon into such a compromising position. Yet Martan was incredulous that he and his companions had killed the great beast where an entire company of knights had failed.
Martan thought he had seen it all at that point, but was yet again astonished when that floating ship appeared, carrying a princess from some foreign land. In his gut, he knew things would end badly, yet he was still surprised when she turned Elladan into a little grey bunny.
Against his better judgement, Martan almost shot the monarch, but that was when the invisible stalker began to hunt him. Martan never got a glimpse of whoever, or whatever it was, but he felt its presence nonetheless. The occasional sound that didn’t fit in the woods, the silence of nearby wildlife, the odd flowery smell—all these things confirmed his suspicions.
The archer began a deadly game of hide and seek with his invisible foe, moving as silently as possible from place to place in the surrounding woods. His opponent was good—whenever Martan found a new place to hide, it would not take his stalker long to close in again.
Their game of hide-and-seek continued until Glolindir, Lloyd, and the dragon hunter showed up. The ensuing battle seemed to draw his stalker’s attention away, but it was short-lived. As soon as the fight ended, it began tracking him again.
Martan considered showing himself at that point. The others had appeared to reach an agreement with the princess, but it was against Martan’s nature to take risks. So, he continued to hide until the others left on those strange, ghostly horses. Martan followed, leaving the meadow behind, and thankfully his stalker as well.
It took Martan less than an hour to reach the monolith, but when he got there, there was no one in sight—neither the party nor the princess. Yet the airship had followed them as well, now hovering just above the tall black structure. Martan decided to keep to the forest, wondering what would happen next. His question was soon answered in a most chilling way, when the floating vessel opened up with cannon fire upon the monolith.
Martan’s body went cold as he watched the tall structure begin to crumble. He could only assume that his companions were inside. The dour archer sat by, watching the wanton destruction helplessly from his hiding place in the trees. With no other recourse, Martan resorted to prayer. It was only the second time he had prayed in years, both in the last few days. Still, his first prayer had been answered in the form of Cyclone. So what could it hurt?
Goddess Synopei, I know I don’t pray much, or really at all if I’m being honest, but if you are listening, please help my companions. They are good folk, a little strange at times, but their hearts are in the right place. Don’t let them die like this, buried under all that rock.
Martan suddenly felt foolish. Would a goddess like Synopei really care what he thought? The dour archer shook his head, then abruptly went wide-eyed. Something shot out of the top of the monolith! It was red and silver. Martan narrowed his keen eyes. That’s Lloyd, and he’s holding Alana!
Moments later something brown, white, and blue flew out behind them. That’s Cyclone! The dragon hunter was carrying Donatello and Elladan.
Not a second later, a huge bird-like creature shot out of the top of the spire. On its back sat three figures—one in red and black, a second garbed in purple, and a smaller form all in white. Elistra, Glo, and Aksel!
Martan let out a huge sigh. Somehow, by the grace of the gods, his prayers had been answered. An ironic smile crossed Martan’s lips. Perhaps there was something to this prayer stuff after all.
Ruka and the two squires slipped swiftly through the dark forest, somehow managing to maintain their footing despite the ground shaking beneath them. The sounds of cannon fire and rumbling of stone echoed through the trees as t
hey went. Though the thick foliage blocked her vision, Ruka pictured the rest of the monolith crumbling to the ground in her mind’s eye. Even to a dragon, the thought of something that huge being demolished was staggering.
It took just under ten minutes for the trio to pass through the half-mile of woods. A few dozen yards from the clearing, Ruka threw her hand up and signaled for a halt.
The cannon fire had suddenly stopped. The sounds of crashing stone had also died down, replaced by only the occasional rumble. Ruka motioned for the squires to wait there, then slowly moved ahead through the brush.
At the edge of the clearing, the teen caught sight of a lone figure crouched behind a bramble of thickets. It was a dark-haired man garbed in brown and green leathers, a bow and quiver slung across his back.
Martan.
Ruka adjusted her course toward the solitary archer, swiftly drawing up next to him. As she did so, the trees parted, revealing the clearing beyond. The glade had all but disappeared, replaced with a towering cloud of black dust and smoke. The thick veil of dust rose high above the trees, blocking everything else from view. There was no sign of the monolith or her friends.
Ruka felt her throat tighten, and fought hard to choke back a sob. Donnie…
Abruptly she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Ruka turned her head toward Martan. The tracker wore a grim smile as he pointed to a spot off to their far left.
Ruka gazed past him, her keen eyes narrowing as they pierced through the thick black dust. About a hundred yards away, near the edge of the forest, a small group of figures huddled close behind the trees. Red, white, brown, purple, and blue, the familiar colors elicited a deep sigh from the young teen. Thank the gods, they’re alright.
Ruka stood up and slipped past Martan, motioning for the tracker to follow. As the pair skirted around the edge of the clearing, the wind kicked up, swiftly dissipating the thick cloud.
Ruka’s eyes went wide. The monolith was completely gone, in its place a high mass of broken black boulders. The immense pile spread out so wide that it nearly filled the once-open area. That would have crushed anyone, even a dragon.
Ruka and Martan had nearly closed the gap when the companions finally filtered out of the woods. Ruka’s keen ears picked up their words.
“Well that was close,” Donnie quipped. There was a slight quiver in the elf’s voice that belied his attempt to be nonchalant.
Elladan brushed off a thick layer of black dust from his normally white outfit, his anger thinly veiled. “A little too close if you ask me.”
Aksel, as usual, spoke in a calm tone, though he eyed the huge pile of black rubble with obvious trepidation. “Let’s count our blessings. We’re all alive and in one piece.”
“No thanks to the Princess.” Alana sounded more agitated than Elladan as she wiped off some black smudges from her silvery armor.
Ruka silently agreed with Aksel. I’m just thankful you’re all alive.
It was strange how much these small people had come to mean to her in such a short time. They were not even of her species, but they felt more like family than her own in many ways. Maybe it was their bravery, or the way they all cared for each other. Perhaps it was merely their willingness to actually do something.
The dragons she grew up with were boring, stuffy, judgmental creatures, obsessed with protocol and ancient history. They were more likely to talk you to death than do anything to help themselves, let alone anyone else.
Ruka and Martan finally reached the section of forest behind their friends. They were just about to exit the woods when a strange voice made them both halt in their tracks.
“Now that wasn’t very nice,” a feminine voice said in a mildly accusing tone.
Ruka swept her gaze across the glade, settling on two forms, about twenty feet back in the direction they had just come from. Neither had been there when they had passed that point mere moments ago.
The first figure was a slim, pale-skinned woman with long, flaxen-blonde hair that reached almost down to her waist. She wore a long, tight-fitting black dress trimmed with gold designs and white ruffles. Yet despite its length, her dress managed to reveal great portions of the woman’s skin.
A thin smirk crossed Ruka’s lips. Nice outfit, lady. Looking for attention much?
The woman’s slim nose was slightly upturned, displaying both an air of dignity and offense at Alana’s words. Ruka could only surmise that this questionably-dressed human female was the Princess Anya of Lanfor she’d been warned about.
Next to the Princess stood another woman with bronzed skin and a wild mane of curly red hair that dangled down to her shoulders. This other woman was garbed completely in scarlet, a tight-laced leather bodice over her long-sleeved dress and full skirt. Though unarmed, she carried herself with an air of supreme confidence.
A growl nearly escaped Ruka’s lips. For some reason, she felt an immediate dislike for this woman in red.
Elladan was the first to respond, his head cocked to one side as he glared at the Princess. “Well, leaving us in the basement of the monolith wasn’t very nice, either.”
Alana drew up next to the bard, fixing the petulant monarch with a hard stare. “Not to mention nearly bringing it down on our heads.”
Anya appeared unfazed by the accusations. Her demeanor remained cool as she waved a slim finger at the lady knight. “Nearly is the operative word… plus, I only used the starboard guns. I figured that would easily give folks as resourceful as you enough time.”
Alana’s eyes went wide as she mouthed the words, Only the starboard guns…
The lady knight appeared as if she were going to say something more, but Anya cut her off with a negligent wave of her hand. “Anyway, I did not come here to quibble. I am leaving shortly, and since you are now out in the middle of nowhere, I’ve decided to offer you a ride.”
Ruka’s eyebrows shot up in astonishment. Is she daft?
The young dragon girl swept her eyes around the group. Everyone appeared as shocked as she by the unexpected offer. Even the stoic Cyclone arched an eyebrow. Alana, however, exploded into a vehement rant.
“A ride? From you? Are you insane? Do we look stupid enough to get on a ship with someone who just tried to kill us?”
Once again, Anya seemed unperturbed by the lady knight’s outburst. She gazed calmly around the group, a thin smile slowly creeping across her dark pink lips. “Don’t look now, good Dame, but I do believe your companions may not all agree with you.”
Alana eyed the Princess darkly, before sweeping her gaze across the others. Ruka did so as well. Apart from Alana and Cyclone, the rest of the group wore mixed expressions.
Alana placed her hands squarely on her hips and gazed heatedly at her comrades. “You can’t be serious. You want to go with her? After what she did? Not to mention that evil creature she travels with.”
The lady knight waved an armored hand at the woman in red next to Anya. Ruka narrowed her eyes as she returned her gaze to the scarlet-clad woman. Evil creature?
The truth dawned on her all at once. Oh… she’s a red!
The sudden revelation explained Ruka’s immediate dislike of the woman. Chromatic and metallic dragons had been sworn enemies for ages. It was so ingrained in them, that their scorn for each other had become a subconscious reaction.
No one responded at first.
Elistra, next to Glo, whispered something in the elf’s ear. His eyes widened ever so slightly, then a strained smile spread across his lips. “The monolith and all that was in it is gone, but the Cult is still out there.”
Lloyd drew up next to the tall elf and crossed his arms, his expression grim. “Glo’s right. We can’t leave Ravenford unguarded.”
Aksel glanced briefly at Glo with a single eyebrow raised. The elf nodded to him almost imperceptibly. Aksel shrugged, then faced the agitate
d Alana with a wan expression. “I’m afraid I have to agree with Lloyd and Glo. The longer we take to get back, the more time the Cult has to plot its next move. Not to mention that Seth is out there on his own.”
Alana eyed the trio sharply, then shifted her gaze toward Elladan. “What about you?”
The bard eyed the Princess dubiously, a single eyebrow raised. “Well, if she promises not to turn anyone into a bunny…”
A girl-like giggle escaped Anya’s lips. She responded to the bard in a highly suggestive tone. “Ah, but Elladan, you were just so soft and cuddly.”
Elladan’s eyes softened as he gazed at the flirtatious Princess, his hardened resolve melting away. A familiar half-smile abruptly spread across his lips.
Alana let out an exasperated huff, and turned her eyes instead toward Elistra. “Surely you don’t agree with this lunacy.”
Elistra pursed her lips together as she silently regarded the lady knight. When she finally answered, her tone was carefully measured. “While I am not a fan of the Princess, all things considered, the situation does call for expediency.”
Alana’s mouth dropped open ever so slightly. That was obviously not the reaction she had expected from the seeress. The lady knight swept her eyes around the rest of the group, her expression one of extreme frustration. “Well, you can all do whatever you want. I, for one, want nothing to do with this crazy Princess and her evil entourage!”
With that, the lady knight spun on her heel and stormed off into the woods, walking almost headlong into the hiding Ruka and Martan. The dragon girl swiftly backed further into the trees, holding up a single finger to her mouth. Alana came to a quick halt without saying a word.
Meanwhile, Anya ignored Alana’s declaration, amiably addressing those still in the clearing. “Well, my ship leaves in an hour. If you wish to join me, meet me in the meadow south of here.”
Ruka stepped silently around Alana, and peered out through the trees. The Princess and her dragon friend had disappeared, leaving the party alone to talk amongst themselves.
