The flame-thrower looked at Famri, still unconscious on the floor, and back to Garrett. With a quick nod, he raised his hand to open the door.
Garrett ran through, yelling for Hytharn at the top of his lungs. The Mesanthians were already there, already aware that something was wrong. They must have heard him shouting before the door closed.
“Healer!” Hytharn bellowed. “Healer, right now!”
And then the Second Daughter was there, screaming, crying, pointing to the arrows. “Get those out of him!” she cried, taking one of his hands. “He is fading. Quickly!”
A man knelt down beside Ruell, still cradled in Garrett’s arms, and examined the arrows. One had gone straight through, so he deftly broke off the point, and the Second Daughter pulled out the shaft, with an exclamation of pain, as the split end caught her hand. One of the other two had barely embedded at all, and was easily pulled free, but the third was deeply buried.
“Fetch cloths, someone. Lady, keep your hand pressed against that wound there to stem the bleeding,” the healer said. “This last arrow – I cannot get the point out without cutting him.”
“Then cut him,” she snapped back. “And do it quickly.”
He was certainly fast. Garrett had never seen such speedy work, but the blood poured out of Ruell even faster. His face was whiter than a sheet. The cloths arrived, and they mopped and pressed and mopped and pressed in a silent, determined frenzy. And still the blood flowed. They were all covered in it, Garrett, the Second Daughter and the healer.
“Keep pressing,” the healer said.
“It will not stop!” the Second Daughter wailed. “He is going to die! Somebody do something! Surely someone can help him?” She looked around at the circle of grave faces surrounding them, and then at Hytharn.
Hytharn squatted beside them, resting a fatherly hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “There is nothing more we can do for him,” he said sombrely. “His life is in the hands of the One, now. She will decide his fate.”
Garrett had never regretted the loss of his glass ball more than at that moment. It would have been able to heal Ruell easily, now that the arrows were out, but here he was, completely helpless. Yet they were in a tower that oozed magic. From the glowing walls to the perpetually flowing water and the windows that showed some arbitrary view, there was enough magic there to heal a thousand Ruells. And there were all those glass balls. Surely one of them out of so many could heal? It was worth a try.
He stood up, Ruell still in his arms, ignoring the Second Daughter’s protests, and ran to the centre of the tower. The balls moved in their constant rhythm, up or down, outwards and then gently inwards again, bumping into some invisible barrier. But it wasn’t a solid one, he knew that, for he’d seen Ruell and his dragon move through it without any resistance. He stepped through.
There was the slightest tingle as he passed the boundary, and then the outside world faded to a distant murmur. It was like being underwater, and he moved forward slowly until he felt he ought to stop, although he couldn’t say why. Gently he laid Ruell down on the ground and knelt beside him, holding his hand. All around him, the balls had moved away to create an empty space, but he didn’t have the heart to wonder why. All that mattered now was the boy lying beside him, the child he’d created in a dragon cave thousands of marks away, the child who’d given his life some kind of purpose and stopped him drifting.
And now he’d killed him. He’d chosen the wrong one to protect. At the moment of greatest crisis, his instincts had failed him and Ruell would pay the price. But there was still this one chance. It was a slim one, but Garrett was prepared to grasp at any possibility, however slender.
He lifted Ruell’s hand to his face, and held it there, the cold, blood-drenched hand resting against his rough cheek. Then he raised his head and spoke quietly. “Tower, I know you have a lot of magic in you, and I don’t really understand any of that. I only know that I don’t want Ruell to die, and not for myself – notjust for myself. He’s a dragon caller and the world needs him to tame these dragons and keep everyone safe and… and to teach them to live alongside humans again. He deserves to live, tower, and if you have the power, please can you make him well again? Please? Because if you don’t… if you don’t…”
Garrett bowed his head and wept.
34: Defiance (Ruell)
Ruell was dreaming. He was floating in the ocean, and it was warm, filling him with well-being. There were shoals of fish swimming languorously nearby… no, not fish. He couldn’t quite see what they were. Now the warmth was inside him, too, inside his chest and spreading outwards in a golden stream. It was very pleasant. There was sunshine, a golden light filtering from above, and then, bizarrely, stars, a sky full of shimmering silver stars, and one star in particular… he knew that star.
“Ruell?” A soft voice, gentle and familiar.
He opened his eyes. A face gazing down at him, as beautiful as the heavens, a goddess.
“Ruell? Can you understand me?”
“Taia? Where am I?”
“In the centre of the tower, the magical part. You were shot, do you remember?”
“Shot?”He tried to remember but it was too much effort. Better to float here in the warm sea. But there was something…“Famri was here. And a man with fire. Garrett! Is Garrett all right? And..?” There was someone else, but he couldn’t remember her name.
“He is here, unharmed. Elestra too.”
“Ah…”He smiled.“Good.” Then, although he wanted to keep looking at the goddess, somehow his eyes closed.
~~~~~
When he woke, he was not floating in a warm ocean, he was more pragmatically situated on a soft mattress, with a blanket covering him, and his chest hurt. The goddess was still there, though, her star shining in his mind, and her face a handspan from his own. She was holding his hand.
“Mmpfh,” he said.
The goddess laughed.“It is easier to talk this way. Less effort. You are in pain. Wait…”She turned her head. “Garrett? He has some pain in his chest.”
And there was another familiar face bending over him, full of anxiety. “Mmmpfh,” he said again. “Garrett?”
The anxiety lifted and the eyes twinkled. “Don’t try to talk. Ball, take away Ruell’s pain.”
A benevolent golden light, and then warmth. The pain receded. “Better,” he said. “Thanks. Found your ball, then.”
Garrett raised a bemused eyebrow. “It found me, I think. When I carried you into the middle of all the balls, and asked the tower to heal you, this little fellow floated almost into my hand. Seems to work, anyway. Fixed you up well enough.”
“Still woozy,” Ruell said.
“You lost a lot of blood. The wounds are healed, but it’ll take you a few days to recover your strength. Just don’t do anything too energetic, all right?”
Ruell nodded. “What happened?”
“Bastards shot you, that’s what happened. Fucking Tre’annatha. Bunch of scheming, deceitful, arrogant…” His voice rose with every word, but a hand on his arm silenced him.
“All in the past,” Elestra said.
“You saved me, though,” Ruell said.
Garrett rubbed his nose. “Well, now… you’d never have needed to be saved if I’d done the right thing. I made a stupid mistake, Ruell – I chose to protect Elestra, who didn’t need protecting at all, and left you wide open to the archer. Never thought they’d try to killyou. Thought they wanted you alive.”
“So they did,” Elestra said. “But not alive and in Mesanthian hands, so they decided that if they couldn’t take him, they’d kill him. They brought the archer along for the purpose. So Famri says.”
“Still here, is she?” Garrett said.
“We could hardly leave her unconscious out there,” Elestra said. “As soon as the healers are satisfied with her, she can go. Not sure what we’re going to do with the fire-summoner, though. He wants to stay with us, but he can only shoot flames if we threaten to kill him. Still, that
’s a problem for another day. Come on, let’s leave Ruell to Second now. She’ll call you if he needs anything.”
Garrett grunted. “I suppose you’re right. Nothing energetic, you two, remember?”
They vanished from view, and then there was just Taia. She lay down beside him, still holding his hand, and they mind-talked until he felt tired again and drifted off to sleep. At the back of his mind there was something niggling at him, something he ought to be doing, but he didn’t have the energy to think about it, so he let the thought float away like smoke, wispy and insubstantial. If it was important, he would remember it.
~~~~~
Ruell woke in panic. His heart raced and sweat coated him. Something terrible was happening but he couldn’t work out what. The tower was quiet, so perhaps it was night. Beside him, Taia’s lovely face lay in a calm sleep and her silver star shone clear in his mind. She was still holding his hand. He shifted restlessly, and she stirred, then turned over, so that his hand slipped out of hers.
His mind exploded with anger. Dragon rage consumed him, and there were golden stars everywhere, small ones, diving and rolling and screeching with fear, and huge ones, filled with a cold, implacable rage. The sky above Drakk’alona was alive with them, full of flames and wings and shrieks of pain.
Ruell screamed and screamed again.
Taia woke instantly, and reached for him. As soon as she touched him, the dragons were gone and their terrible anger with them, although Ruell’s heart still raced. It was an effort to breathe.
“What’s happened?” Garrett was there in just his shirt, sword in hand, Elestra just behind him, one hand on his shoulder, as if for support.
“Dragons! The dragons are here!”
“They’ve been here all along, Ruell.”
“No,adultdragons, and they’re mad as fire, and ready to spit-roast meand the little ones. The adults have been calling them, but they wouldn’t come. Oh Gods, what am I to do?”
“You’re a dragon caller,” Garrett said. “Tell them to back off. Wait – why are there no Drakk’alona troops on the hill? There are no eyes out there I can see through.”
“If there are angry dragons out there, I expect they’ve run away, or taken refuge underground,” Elestra said.
“No, not in the cavern either,” Garrett said.
Ruell detached himself from Taia, bracing for the onslaught on his mind. It wasn’t so bad when he was expecting it. The young dragons were hysterical with relief to know he was still alive and safe. Most of them were far out to sea, keeping well clear of the maelstrom, but several clustered near the tower, circling in agitation. Over the edge of the sea, the early morning sky was dark with dragons, massive adults flying back and forth, tails lashing. Below the tower, the city still slept, unaware of the danger.
Ruell stretched out his mind.“Khanassha? Are you all well?”
“Ruell! Yes, we are well. No serious damage. The Great Ones would not really hurt us, not unless we truly defy them. We were so worried, Ruell. It was horrible being out of contact with you. We could not see you! It was as if you were dead.”
“I was injured, that’s all. What happened to all the soldiers outside the tower?”
“They were eaten. Ohhh…”The dragon must have seen his shock, for his mind filled with sorrow.“Why are you sad? They were not friendly. They would have hurt you.”
“Yes, but…”Ruell abandoned any attempt to explain to a dragon why they shouldn’t eat humans. Perhaps there would be time for that another day.“Khanassha, I can see a lot of adult dragons, but who is in charge? Who do I need to deal with?”
A long silence, filled with apprehension.“It is the Illustrious Maajhasha who is to challenge you, Ruell, and if you cannot master him…”
“I understand,”Ruell said.
He stood up and reached for Taia’s hand, shutting out the dragons again. “Well then, this is it. My time to be a dragon caller. My challenge.” He hoped his voice wasn’t wobbling too much. Lifting her hand to his lips, he lingered over the kiss far longer than necessary. Then he held her hand to his cheek. It was warm and soft, cupping his face like a favourite blanket. The silver stars shimmered in his mind, Taia’s anguished, the others heavy with sadness for both of them, but with something else beneath – excitement! For perhaps there would truly be a dragon caller in the world very soon. He laughed, catching the mood. “At least it will soon be over.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Garrett said, his voice cutting the air like a sword. “We’re safe enough in here for now. They’ll get bored and go away.”
Ruell huffed a breath. “You think so? Let me see…”
He released Taia’s hand and searched in his mind – so many dragons! But he recognised Maajhasha at once, for he it was who’d flamed the palace and hatched the young dragons.
“Maajhasha? Why are you here?”
Overwhelming anger. It almost knocked him off his feet.“To kill you, pretender, and reclaim what is ours.”
“I’m not a pretender! I’m a dragon caller and I command you to go away!”
“Never! Come out here and face me, or must I drag you out?”
“You cannot force me to leave this tower. Its magic protects me.”That was a guess, but a reasonably confidant one.
A hesitation.“That is true. The work of mages defeats even the Illustrious Maajhasha. Even so, I shall wait here for you, pretender, until you emerge from your wormhole to meet my challenge. And if you are too cowardly to face me, I shall demolish your city, stone by stone, and burn what remains. And if you still do not emerge, I shall move on to the next city and the next until there is no stone left standing and no human on the face of the earth. And that would please me greatly, pretender. Perhaps I will do that anyway. I have been bored for too long, and humans grow too presumptuous. It is time they were taught a lesson.”
Well, that was clear enough.“I shall meet you.”
Ruell took Taia’s hand again to shut out the dragon’s exultation. “They will not go away,” he said quietly. “I have to go out there, or they’ll destroy Drakk’alona.”
“Youdon’t have to,” Garrett said again, grabbing his arm. “You nearly died less than a day ago, and you’re a long way from being healed. At least wait a day or two to recover your strength. Or longer. Or don’t go at all. Stay here and we can tunnel our way out. We’ve got enough willing hands here, the Gods know. No one will think any the worse of you for turning away from this. It’s too risky.”
Ruell smiled. “So says Garrett the gambler. You’ve taken some huge risks in your time.”
“But that was when it was only my own hide at stake. This isyou, Ruell. You’re myson, and it’s my job to protect you from risks. Don’t do this.”
Still smiling, Ruell rested his hands on Garrett’s shoulders, looking down at him. He’d never been more aware of Garrett’s lack of height, and he noticed now how tired he looked – not old, exactly, but well-worn, like a comfortable pair of old boots. And just like those boots, he was familiar and easy to get along with and always there for him.
“I have to do this,” Ruell said quietly. “You can’t protect me for ever, and this is my destiny, one way or the other. Whether I prevail or whether I fail, it was meant to be. The Gods will decide, and I’m content with that, and I hope you will be, too.” He turned to Taia. “Where are my clothes?”
Weeping softly, she helped him dress, and he made no protest, although he could have managed fine by himself. His wounds were healed, with no pain beyond a light aching. He was tired, though, and if he could have slept undisturbed for another quarter moon, he’d have been very happy. But there was nothing to be done about that. He wouldn’t have to walk very far, and then it would be about the power of his mind. And the power of Maajhasha’s mind, of course. Which one would be the stronger?
Taia pulled him close for a final kiss. Her lips were wet, tasting of salty tears.“Go and defeat your challenger, sweet dragon man, and come back to me safe and sound.”
“You will not fail!”
“If I should fail, remember me, but don’t grieve. You’ve given me an incomparable gift, and I can’t imagine better memories to take to my death. You have all my love, always.”
She couldn’t answer him, but he felt her desolation as strongly as his own.
Then he released her, and the shimmering silver stars were gone, and there was nothing in his mind but dragons – small, terrified dragons and huge, rage-filled dragons. And Maajhasha, already gloating in anticipation of victory.
Garrett walked him through the empty cavern to the metal door, using his new glass ball to open it.
“So… do you have a strategy?” Garrett said, sounding almost as calm as if asking if he wanted beef or mutton in his stew, although perhaps his voice wavered ever so slightly.
“I have to get him to flame me,” Ruell said, surprised his voice was so normal. His hands were shaking but at least he sounded confident. “Dragon fire gives me power, and maybe this time it will be enough to make me… transition, whatever that means. Or find this stone thing under my breast bone. Not much of a strategy, really, but it’s all I’ve got.”
“Sounds reasonable,” Garrett said. “See you later, then.” His voice wobbled very slightly, but he slapped Ruell on the back, gave him one long look, then turned and walked briskly back towards the tower. Ruell understood. Garrett had never been much of a one for words, but the churning emotions were clear in his eyes.
Ruell stepped through the door and out onto the hillside, still grey in the half-light of dawn. He was further round the hill than he’d expected, and lower down, overlooking the crowded wharves and warehouses that lined the river. If he’d thought of finding a better location to meet Maajhasha, he was to be disappointed, for almost at once the air above him was full of dragon, the creature landing on the slope lightly for such a big beast. He was a handsome fellow, Ruell had to confess, with shimmering wine-coloured scales and the most luminous eyes he’d ever seen. Those eyes were fixed on him now, swirling rapidly.
The Dragon Caller Page 32
