by Sam Ferguson
Kyra nodded. “You want me to go with Leatherback tonight,” she guessed.
“Not hardly,” he said quickly as he backed away. “Apprentices should never get involved with such things.” He winked at her. “However, if you and your dragon can keep quiet, maybe you can find what is attacking the sheep.”
Kyra sighed through her teeth and shook her head. “If we get caught, then the farmer will announce that there is a dragon.”
Kathair’s smile faded and he nodded. “It is risky, but I thought I should tell you, just in case it is connected with your mother. If you don’t want to go, then I will be going with the dragon slayers. I can report back to you with what I find if you like.”
Kyra shook her head. “No, we’ll go. Where is the farm?”
*****
Only once the moon was high in the starry sky did Kyra climb up to sit upon Leatherback. The dragon purred, and then went deathly silent as it waited for her instructions. She took in a few steadying breaths, but it did little to slow her racing heart. She reached out with a slightly trembling hand and stroked Leatherback’s neck.
“Ready?” Kyra asked in a whisper.
Leatherback nodded his head.
Kyra took in one more breath and then tapped Leatherback twice on his neck. She held on tight to the makeshift harness she had placed upon him as the giant animal lurched backward and arched his back upward. He leapt so high that he cleared the tops of the aspens in the grove by thirty feet before he needed to engage his wings. One mighty flap bowed the treetops toward the ground and shook leaves from the branches as dragon and rider were propelled upward. The wind bit down, cool and crisp on Kyra’s face and shoulders. They ascended upward until they broke through a large cloud, hoping to use its cover to avoid being seen.
“South,” Kyra said as they levelled out in the air. “We are looking for a farm that is secluded, nestled in some hills to the south of Borshen.”
Leatherback growled and started flapping his wings more earnestly. The mist from the clouds below wafted out and upward, curling behind them as they soared through the night sky. Kyra kept her eyes upon the stars above for much of the journey. Her feet were secured in leather stirrups, so she let go of the reins with her hands and held her arms out to her sides. She closed her eyes as the wind rushed all around her, her body lifting and falling gently as Leatherback pumped his wings.
The two flew for over an hour in the darkness. The moon was high at their backs and the clouds were beginning to thin. Leatherback scanned the area below. As they passed over the small town of Borshen, they saw only a few buildings with any amount of light coming from their windows, all the rest were still and quiet.
Ten minutes later, they were soaring over a large field nestled between great, rolling hills. Even from their great height, Kyra could see the sheep sleeping in groups. As they passed over the flock, Kyra saw a small campfire.
“We’ll have to be careful,” Kyra said. “If the shepherds spot us, we’ll be in trouble.”
Leatherback purred softly and tilted his head just enough to look at her and offer a short nod. He understood.
The dragon banked slightly to the left, soaring in a wide arc to return to the hills. They then circled the sky long enough until they found a safe place to land. A thick copse of trees stood atop a hill on the northeast side of the valley overlooking the sheep. It was also downwind from the flock. The dragon gently descended and touched upon the ground as softly as if he were no bigger than a robin. Leatherback then bent low to the ground, huddling up against the trees to help conceal himself.
Kyra stayed in her spot, sitting upon the dragon’s back and scanning the area around them. Every once in a while, a sheep would bleat and move a few paces before laying back down in the valley, but no beast came for a long time. The young sorceress was almost worried that it would not show at all. Or, perhaps the beast was coming from downwind also, and would smell Leatherback before it approached. Time crawled by as she kept searching the darkness.
Finally, she saw something appear atop a hill to the north. Leatherback had seen it to, for he lifted his head and turned to taste the air. Kyra couldn’t make out detailed features in the soft moonlight, but she could see the animal’s silhouette. It sat upon its haunches and turned its head, presumably scanning the valley. Soon, a second animal came and sat beside it.
Kyra’s heart jumped. Had she been lucky enough to catch two garunda beasts?
One of the animals moved along the top of the hill, and Kyra got a good look at the creature’s profile. Her heart sank. This was no garunda beast. It wasn’t even four-legged. It walked upright upon two legs. It had long, curved arms that swung in front of it as it walked, counter-balanced by three tails that swished in the night behind it.
Kyra thought back to the research she had done. She was sure she knew what this creature was. It wasn’t a garunda, but it was still a dark, evil monster. She bent low to Leatherback, hoping to remain hidden from the two creatures that were now stalking down the hill toward the valley.
“Are you ready?” Kyra asked.
Leatherback snarled in a quiet, soft voice that she barely heard. “Ready.”
Kyra nodded. “We have to hit them fast and with full power. If the fight drags on, then the shepherds will see us.”
Leatherback nodded. “We kill fast,” he said resolutely.
“Okay,” Kyra began, “you fly for the one in front. I’ll hit the second one with my magic.”
Leatherback’s muscles tensed beneath her like a tightly coiled spring with teeth and claws.
“Now!” Kyra whispered.
Leatherback launched into the air, clearing the entire hill they had been hiding upon before using his wings. Two flaps of his massive, leathery wings put Kyra within striking distance. She reached out and sent a bolt of lightning out from her hand. It zipped through the night sky, flashing blue and silvery light across the grass until it struck the bipedal monster in the chest. The creature howled and flailed its arms, which she now saw were really long hooks that could be used to mutilate its prey.
A moment later, Leatherback snarled and jerked downward. Kyra reacted instantly, reaching for the reins and steadying herself. She looked down to see Leatherback rip his foe in half by pulling it with the talons on his forelegs. The creature never even knew what had hit him. The lifeless pieces fell to the ground with a sick, wet thabump!
Sheep were up and scattering now, bleating and calling out their alarm.
“Finish it,” Kyra called out. “We’re out of time.”
Leatherback banked hard as Kyra pulled in against him. The mighty dragon was so close to the ground that he half flew, half ran along the hillside toward the second creature. Kyra’s magic had stunned it, but not killed it. The monster let out a terrible scream, and then turned to flee, but Leatherback was far too quick. The dragon lashed out with his left foreleg and took the creature’s head from its body. The legs stopped, and the body remained motionless, standing in place for a brief second before Leatherback’s tail slammed into it, knocking it across the hillside. The dragon then dropped the creature’s head and turned to the north, barely clearing the tall hill and escaping into the clouds before Kyra noticed the shepherds cresting over the southern hill with torches.
She smiled and patted Leatherback on the shoulder. “That was good,” she said.
“No garunda,” Leatherback said.
Kyra nodded. “True, but we took care of things that the shepherds never would have been able to beat on their own. We may have even saved their lives tonight.”
Leatherback purred softly and flew back toward the aspen wood.
When they arrived and settled into the cool glade, Kyra was surprised to see Njar sitting upon the large rock that had become his habitual perch. His furry form was only slightly visible in the darkness, but she knew it was him. The satyr slid off of the rock and approached them.
“You went out hunting?” he asked pointedly.
Kyra nodded.
“Of a sort,” she replied evenly. She slid down from Leatherback and pet the dragon once more on the side of his neck. Leatherback turned his neck around so he could nuzzle her with the top of his snout. Even with his soft, gentle sign of affection, the dragon managed to nearly topple Kyra onto her face. She stumbled forward two steps and Njar shot his hands out to steady her.
“What were you hunting?” Njar probed.
“Some shepherds to the south had reported that their flocks were being killed. We went to help.”
Njar shook his head. “Let the shepherds deal with wolves. If they were to see you, Leatherback would be condemned to death, and you would have to flee as well. You have already been blessed to receive lenience from those in authority, but don’t underestimate how thin their tolerance is. If the public at large were to discover that a dragon lived in the Middle Kingdom, they would call for his blood.
Leatherback snarled and spat a small orb of blue fire into the air. “I hear you,” Leatherback said.
Njar nodded. “I don’t say this to upset either of you. I say it as a sincere warning.”
Kyra finally put all the signs together and recalled the name of the beasts that they had seen. She blurted it out, partly because she was happy that she finally remembered what they were, and partly to show Njar that they were doing something important. “They were wylkins,” she said. “Two of them, in fact.”
Njar stepped back from Kyra and glanced from her to Leatherback. “Wylkins you say?”
Kyra nodded. “I remember now. I had read about them before, but I couldn’t remember their name when I saw them. They had three tails, walked on two legs, had large, scimitar like hooks for arms, and they had spikes along their shoulders and backs.”
“You killed them?” Njar pressed.
“I hit one with a lightning bolt, but it only stunned him, so Leatherback finished him off along with the other.”
“Did you use fire?” Njar asked as he turned to Leatherback.
The dragon shook his massive head. “No, I used claws.”
Njar nodded. “That is good. A dragon’s flame could be seen for a long way, and there is nothing else quite like it. I won’t say that what you did was smart, but I am impressed that you found and killed two wylkins.”
Kyra smiled smugly. “It was nothing.”
Njar shook his head. “But tell me this, what were you after?”
Kyra’s smile faded. Did Njar know about the garunda beasts also? Surely he hadn’t heard her read the story out loud to Leatherback, so how could he know? Perhaps he had seen a vision in those magical pools he had shown her before. That must be it; he had looked into the future.
“I was hunting garunda beasts,” she said honestly.
Njar nodded and reached up to stroke his beard thoughtfully. “You are going to hunt the shade that attacked you, aren’t you?”
Kyra folded her arms. “Why does everyone seem so surprised by this? He killed my mother.”
“I am a satyr,” Njar said. “I do not understand vengeance. I seek balance. If you tell me that you are hunting this creature out of anger, then I would caution you to alter your path. Remember, you must help Leatherback stave off Nagar’s Blight. The more you remove him from this glade, the more the power of the curse will affect him.”
Kyra hung her head low and nodded. She hadn’t thought of that. She had been so focused on the garunda that her only thought was of getting closer to the shade. “I understand, she said.”
Njar produced a staff in his hand and held it out. “I noticed you had misplaced your staff. Remember, it was made with the same magic as that which flows in this glade. If you must hunt outside, then take it with you at all times. It does not offer the full protection of the glade, but it will help Leatherback. I’ll make a harness for it attached to the side of your saddle so you can carry it easier.”
Kyra nodded. “I am sorry,” she said. She took the staff. “I promise I will keep it with us.”
“One more thing,” Njar said. “If you were to tell me that you seek to kill the shade in order to protect and restore the natural balance in this realm, then I would grant my blessing upon your quest.”
Kyra looked up at him, wondering whether he might be willing to help her in a more active capacity. “What do you mean, exactly?”
Njar sighed and shrugged. “I may know a thing or two that could help.”
Kyra shook her head. “I can’t lie to you. I would do it partly to rid the Middle Kingdom of the shade and his evil powers, and to stop the creatures which obey him, but mostly I am hunting him to avenge my mother.”
Njar stepped in and placed a heavy hand on Kyra’s shoulder. “Would you hunt him even if your activities threatened to kill Leatherback? Remember, those priests will see the taint in him. I will see the taint in him. If it appears to grow at all, we will use all of our powers to destroy him.”
Leatherback snarled fiercely, but Kyra held out her hand. The dragon’s eyes glowed angrily and the fire burned in his throat.
Njar pressed his questions. “If you had to choose between protecting Leatherback, and slaying the shade, which would you choose?”
Kyra sighed and looked longingly to her angry friend. She would be torn if she could not find and kill the shade, but she could not risk losing her best friend. “If it came to that choice, then Leatherback and I would fly north, and we would forget about the shade,” she said.
Njar patted her shoulder. “Then I will lend what help I can. Go back and sleep tonight. Return tomorrow, and after the priests leave, I will show you something.”
“What?” Kyra asked.
Njar turned and walked away. An orb of light opened up, and Kyra could see Viverandon through the portal. The satyr stopped and turned back. “I know of strange creatures attacking throughout the Middle Kingdom. They are dark, evil beings, so it is hard for me to completely discern what they are, but perhaps we can find the garunda together. I will show you what I know tomorrow.”
*****
Linny shook off the early morning chills that had grabbed hold of her on the short walk she had taken from the carriage to the entrance to the school. The sun had not quite peeked over the horizon, and the weak light that was seeping into the area did little to chase away the yawns that beset the young girl as a result of her bumpy ride to Kuldiga Academy. She shuffled her feet nervously as the man in front of her limped terribly, nearly dragging his left leg with each step. It was painful to watch him walk, and the young girl could only wonder what had caused such a deformity in his leg and his bent wrist.
When they finally stopped in front of an open door, the man with the crooked hand knocked on the doorway and an old voice instructed them to enter.
Linny passed through the doorway to see an elderly man sitting in a chair reading a book while dressed in what appeared to be his pajamas. The man looked up and smiled from behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
“Janik, what has you up here so early this morning?”
The man with the crooked hand bowed his head and then replied, “Headmaster, this is Linny Ravia. She has come for the remainder of summer term in preparation for her first year here at the academy.”
The headmaster closed his book and stood on his feet, pouting out his lower lip and clasping his hands behind his back as he approached them. “It’s a bit late to begin summer term,” he said. “You are already a couple of weeks behind. There will be much to catch up on.”
Linny nodded. “I will do my best, sir,” she said in a mousy voice.
The headmaster smiled. “Well, I suppose we can make it work. What school will you be in?”
Linny didn’t understand the question. She was here at this school. Where else would she intend to go?
Janik answered for her. “I have her papers,” he said. “She is studying sorcery.”
The headmaster frowned. “Hmm.” He reached out and took the papers in hand, shuffling through them and giving them only a cursory once-over. “Well, all of the sorcery mast
ers are away at the moment on assignment. You’ll have to give me some time to scrounge up a suitable instructor.”
Linny nodded.
The headmaster tossed the papers onto the chair behind him and then turned back with a smile. “My administrator is on leave for the summer as well, but I will have him process your paperwork properly upon his return. Until then, let’s have you bunk with the other first-years that are here for summer term.”
Janik cleared his throat. “Beg your pardon, Headmaster, but we don’t have any other first-years here. We are renovating their dorms this summer, as you instructed.”
“Ah yes, quite right,” the headmaster said with a nod. “Very well then, I have an idea. Janik, take her up to bunk with Kyra Dimwater.”
“With Kyra, sir?” Janik echoed.
The headmaster nodded. “Sure,” he said. “She is the only other apprentice sorceress here at the moment. Besides, she is only going in to her second year, so she is close enough to young…” The headmaster stopped and looked to the young girl. “What was your name again, dear?”
“Linny, sir,” she said.
“Right! As I was saying, Kyra will be close enough to young Linny’s age. Once the renovations are done, and the other incoming first-years arrive, we can move her back into her proper age group.”
“As you wish,” Janik said with a slight nod. “Come on, Linny, let’s go.”
Chapter 7
Kyra was had only been able to get a few hours of rest by the time she had made it back to Kuldiga Academy and before someone knocked on her door. She stretched and yawned, trying to shake the sleepiness from her body. Another knock came at the door.
