Shadow

by Mark Robson

  ‘Thank you, Firestorm. I’ll try,’ she replied aloud. ‘I’d like to keep my eyes shut as I count, but I’m worried about falling asleep.’

  ‘Don’t fret, dragonrider. I will warn you if I sense you are sliding towards sleep. And please, call me Fire. Most dragonriders use a shortened form of their dragon’s name.’

  Dragonrider. She, Nolita, was a dragonrider! Who would ever have thought it? For as long as she could remember, Nolita had suffered a terrible fear of all large creatures – even the most gentle ones. Add to that a terror of heights that had prevented her from playing even the most simple of climbing games as a child, and the miraculous nature of her current situation became apparent. The idea that she would ever ride high in the sky on a dragon’s back was laughable, and yet here she was. If only my brother and my sister could see me now, she thought. They would be amazed.

  ‘Thank you, Fire. I appreciate your help and understanding,’ she said, realising with a start that she had not answered him. Her thoughts were so easily distracted at the moment. ‘I’m not sure this will ever be easy, but I’ll try.’

  Closing her eyes, she began. ‘One, two, three . . .’ By the time she reached thirty, her heart rate began to drop and the tight feeling of sickness in her stomach started to subside. There was still a bitter taste at the back of her mouth, but she ignored it and continued counting.

  Kira glanced left at Nolita to see how she was doing. Nolita was flying on Firestorm alongside Kira’s dusk dragon, Fang. Elian was riding his dawn dragon, Aurora, ahead of them, leading the way northwards towards Orupee and the Oracle’s cave.

  At dawn tomorrow, Aurora was planning to make a gateway into the other world. Aurora could have created the gateway at the enclave of the day dragons. There was no limitation on where she created them, but gateways could only be formed at dawn, when the barriers between worlds were at their weakest. Elian had pushed them into beginning the journey immediately after Nolita’s triumph at the test of bravery. He had made her face up to her fears and ride her dragon again, cleverly reinforcing the boost in self-confidence she had gained. Nolita could hardly refuse to climb back onto her dragon in front of her entire enclave.

  ‘Fang?’ Kira asked. ‘Do you know where we’re going to find the griffins that Barnabas mentioned?’

  Barnabas, senior rider at the day dragon enclave, had identified the ‘brave ones’ from the Oracle’s verse about the second orb as the half-lion, half-eagle creatures of legend. Even the dragons acknowledged the wisdom of the elderly rider, so Kira felt sure his interpretation of the riddling words was right.

  ‘I have some idea, yes,’ Fang replied with an amused chuckle that rumbled around in her mind.

  ‘What’s so funny? It would be good to have some idea of where the next orb might be. So where will we be heading?’

  ‘I’d rather not say just yet. Aurora and I decided it would be better to wait until we had everyone together. It’s funny, because we had just decided that you would be the first rider to start thinking about the griffins, when you asked. It must be your hunter’s instinct.’

  ‘I’d say it was common sense,’ she replied. ‘But we need to find Pell first, and that might not be so easy. Let’s start with that. Where’s the enclave of the night dragons? Have you ever been there?’

  Just speaking Pell’s name set Kira bristling with barely concealed anger. The boy’s arrogance had led him to abandon them before the quest had begun. He had not listened to reason, but instead insisted that the Oracle’s reference to the ‘brave ones’ had meant the leaders of the night dragon enclave. His misinterpretation and pig-headedness had set him on a course that could spell disaster. If the night dragon leader discovered what they were doing, he would move against them. That did not bear thinking about.

  ‘I have seen it from a distance,’ Fang said warily. ‘The enclave is in the largest of the mountain ranges in Isaa. It’s not a good idea to get too close unless you are a night dragon. They are very protective of their enclave. I do not want to sound prejudiced, but the night dragons are not welcoming to other dragon types the way that day, dusk and dawn dragons are.’

  ‘So how are we going to make contact with Pell and Shadow if they have reached the enclave before we get there?’ Kira asked.

  ‘Well, the sensible option would be to wait for them to leave,’ Fang suggested. ‘If they get there before us, then the night dragons will already know that the Great Quest is underway. From what Barnabas said, that will spell trouble. What sort of trouble, I would rather not guess. The night dragons have an unsavoury reputation when it comes to dealing with those who stand in their way.’

  ‘Great!’ Kira growled. ‘So we get to sit and wait for pretty boy, while he makes life difficult for us.’ She fell silent for a moment as she started doing some quick mental calculations. ‘Fang, how long will it take Pell to get to the night dragon enclave from the Oracle?’

  ‘Depending on the weather, it takes about a week,’ Fang replied thoughtfully. ‘But Shadow is a very strong dragon. She might do it faster.’

  ‘A week? Hmm. We’ve been gone six days from the Oracle. He’s probably not there yet. I wonder . . . ’

  ‘What do you wonder?’ Fang asked, intrigued.

  ‘I wonder if we should go straight to the night dragon enclave rather than the Oracle,’ she mused. ‘We could intercept Shadow and bring Pell back to the Oracle before going off to find the griffins.’

  ‘That is a good idea,’ Fang admitted. ‘But we should not make the decision alone. Let’s talk to the others about it later. I think the urgency of getting the day orb to the Oracle will probably outweigh the danger posed by Pell’s impetuous trip to the night dragon enclave.’

  Kira was not convinced, but she could see that Fang was right about discussing it with the others. If they were to change their course, then they should all agree on it. She looked at Elian on Aurora’s back and then at Nolita. Did the girl have her eyes closed? It was hard to be certain from this distance, but it did look that way. Kira arched her eyebrows as she considered what it would be like to fly with her eyes closed. She was not sure she would like to do it for more than a few heartbeats. Flying in cloud and heavy rain when it was difficult to see was bad enough, but to fly completely blind – just the thought of it sent a shudder down her spine.

  They landed in the late afternoon near a small lake. No sooner had they touched down than Nolita dismounted and made straight for the water’s edge to wash. Dipping her hands into the lake she scrubbed and rubbed at her skin with vicious thoroughness. Kira and Elian left her to it.

  Having witnessed her bravery in the day dragon enclave earlier, Nolita’s quirky behaviour and strange little rituals now seemed somehow more acceptable. It took a special kind of strength to face one’s worst fears and overcome them. Nolita needed the rituals to help her do this. Kira found all the hand-washing a source of irritation, but she could see the positive effect it had on the blond girl. It kept her going. Kira was not foolish enough to interfere with anything that achieved this.

  They spoke little as they set up camp. There was no need. Each of them had settled into a routine, so they got on with their tasks and worked until the shelter was complete, a fire set, and an adequate pile of fuel gathered to feed the flames through the night. With all the major tasks complete, they settled around the fire to heat water for drinks and to cook food for their evening meal.

  Kira raised the subject of going directly after Pell, but both Elian and Nolita were quick to oppose her.

  ‘What if something goes wrong?’ Elian asked. ‘What if the night dragons steal the first orb? The quest is on enough of a knife-edge already. Don’t complicate it, Kira.’

  ‘The orb must go to the Oracle immediately,’ Nolita added firmly, not allowing Kira the opportunity to respond to Elian’s questions.

  One look at Nolita’s expression said it all. Kira let the matter drop. In her heart, however, she felt they might all come to regret this decision. Her instincts
were screaming at her that they should go after Pell before it was too late, but she knew that to split the group further would spell the end of the quest. To succeed they needed Aurora’s gateways to speed them from place to place. As Aurora was Elian’s dragon, he had become the unlikely leader of the group, which grated a little.

  Kira glanced at him across the fire. He was lost in thought, staring at the flames. With his fair hair and serious blue eyes, he was a nice enough boy, but he wasn’t ready to lead a quest like this. He was too naïve. Yes, he was brave and adventurous, but he had no experience of the world outside of his little village. He did have some useful skills, but he was too quick to defer to others to be an effective leader. He did challenge things if he didn’t agree, but he lacked the instincts Kira had gained during her training as a hunter. What was the core of this quest if not a hunt? She was far more suited to be the leader than he was.

  The evening was warm, and the fire unnecessary other than for cooking. Though it was supposedly the height of summer, this region saw little seasonal variation in weather. The temperate climate in Orupee was far more variable. What will it be like in Isaa? she wondered. Isaa was on the far side of Areth. She was not even sure whether it was north or south of the equator. Would it be summer or winter there now?

  A slight sound set her senses tingling. Something was moving in the grass behind her, closing with the stealth of a predator. Muscles tensed, she slid her hand to the hilt of her belt knife and slowly turned her head. Neither of her compatriots looked up. They were both lost in their own thoughts. It was hard to see anything outside of the cocoon of light that surrounded the fire. Shadows danced in sympathy with the flames, but there were no telltale reflections from hunting eyes that she could see.

  For a moment, Kira began to wonder if she were imagining it. The edge of the lake was only a handful of paces away. How could anything hide in such a small area? A slight movement in her peripheral vision set her heart racing again. It was a snake – a huge snake.

  ‘Gods!’ she breathed. She had seen a lot of snakes during her hunting trips, but nothing like this one. Its undulating body was far thicker than her thigh and it was so long that the middle of its body was still emerging from the water. She froze. Movement would attract its attention. It was far less likely to attack if it did not perceive her as a threat. What was it doing this close to a fire? Snakes were normally shy creatures.

  The others were still not aware of it, but Kira was hesitant to speak. Any noise might trigger an attack.

  ‘Fang?’ she asked silently.

  ‘I see it, Kira. Stay still.’

  ‘Where are you?’

  ‘Not far. I’ve camouflaged, but as soon as I move it will feel me coming. Its whole body is sensitive to movement and I won’t be able to mask my approach. I don’t want to trigger it to attack before I can intervene. The orb is drawing it.’

  ‘The orb? How?’

  ‘It’s giving off such a strong scent of blood that it’s probably attracting every predator for leagues around,’ Fang replied, his voice sounding casual.

  ‘A little warning would have been nice. How long have you known?’ Kira asked, watching with a growing sense of horror as the snake gathered its coils.

  ‘Ever since we landed,’ Fang admitted. ‘Dragons are not as sensitive to blood as some predators, but we all noticed it. We didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily. I’d say this further strengthens the argument for taking it to the Oracle and ridding ourselves of it as soon as possible.’

  The snake’s mouth began to open and Kira could no longer control the urge to draw her knife. The steel blade flashed in the light of the fire as she whipped it from her belt. She drew her weapon and the great head lashed forwards towards her, jaws gaping. She flinched, slashing the air with the blade, body braced against the expected impact of the huge reptile. To her surprise the strike did not reach her, for as the snake lunged so Longfang’s invisible jaws bit into its mid-section.

  Nolita’s hands rose instinctively to her cheeks and she screamed, the sound reverberating across the water as vast coils of the snake whipped up into the air, wrapping around Fang’s neck and rapidly constricting in an attempt to crush the dragon’s throat. Elian was on his feet and shouting. Kira scrambled around the fire to join them. Huddling behind the tiny tongues of flame, they used the fire as a fragile shield whilst they watched in fascinated horror as the two giant reptiles twisted, locked in combat. The dragon’s cloak of camouflage disappeared as the huge weight of the snake dragged him down.

  ‘Fang!’ Kira yelled, her stomach tightening as she realised just how big the snake was. ‘Fang! Kill it! Kill it!’

  Heavy and strong though the snake was, it was no match for Longfang. The dragon’s jaws had gained a good purchase. With brutal efficiency he clamped them tighter and tighter, his teeth shearing through the snake’s flesh and crushing its spine. With a savage twist of his neck, Fang bit the enormous snake in two. For a heartbeat the two halves thrashed and twisted, the great muscles reacting to autonomic triggers before gradually going limp.

  Fang’s head rose as the snake dropped from his neck. He appeared to be chewing.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Kira asked aloud.

  ‘I am perfectly fine, Kira. I always was partial to a bit of snake meat. Very tasty,’ he said, tossing his head as he swallowed the great chunk of snake. ‘I’ve not seen one this big for a very long time. It will make for a good meal.’

  ‘He’s all right,’ Kira told the others, trying to sound casual. Nolita was pale with shock and Elian did not look a lot better. ‘We’d better be on our guard tonight. Fang tells me the orb is giving off a blood scent that’s attracting predators. The dragons will keep watch, but we might want to hold a watch of our own as well.’

  ‘I’d say that’s not a bad idea,’ Elian agreed.

  The night passed without further incident. The dragons positioned their bodies to form a protective circle around the riders’ shelter. The proximity of the dragons set Nolita shaking, but she was so exhausted from her trial earlier in the day that, despite her reaction and the shock of the snake attack, she was quick to sink into a deep sleep. Kira volunteered to take the first watch and quickly realised the steps the dragons had taken made her efforts redundant. When the time came for Elian to begin his watch, rather than wake him, she slipped into the shelter alongside him and left the dragons to their vigil.

  Chapter Three

  The Hunter’s Instinct

  On waking to the eerie light of pre-dawn, Kira was glad that she had decided not to keep the watch going. They had all benefited from a good sleep and there was no telling what time of day or night it might be on the far side of the gateway. The other world that Aurora took them to was frightening. It was a place of war and danger unlike anywhere in Areth. They all needed their wits about them to negotiate it safely and get back to the Oracle with the orb.

  The sudden roar of a big cat made her sit up straight. It sounded close. For an instant her mind flashed back to the first time she had heard that noise.

  ‘Don’t worry, Kira. It knows better than to come any closer.’ Fang’s voice in her mind was calm and measured.

  She didn’t reply, but was reassured by Fang’s presence. The feeling triggered memories of her first overnight trip into the savannah, and Manoush, the hunter who had taken her. He had inspired similar feelings of safety. A fond smile crept across her face. Despite the hunter’s status, everyone in the village called him Moo because of his size and leisurely gait.

  He had never walked like the other hunters. Where they stalked warily through the long grass and bushes, Moo moved in a gently meandering fashion, unthreatening and slow. His big brown eyes, wide face and huge torso portrayed a certain resemblance to the village cows, but his appearance was deceptive. Moo was one of the most successful hunters in her tribe. He was also a maverick. Other hunters did not like working with him, despite his frequent successes.

  Kira was delighted when Moo sugges
ted the overnight trip to her parents. He convinced them by suggesting that if she were sufficiently frightened by the experience, she might decide to give up on the idea of becoming a hunter and turn her attention to something more appropriate for a girl of her age. Her father had been grateful to the big man, not suspecting for a moment that Moo had no intention of allowing her to get frightened – quite the opposite.

  The strange hunter had shown her many useful hunting tricks, and with his hulking presence at her side she had learned to respect the dangers of the night without fearing them. Even the roaring of the lions as dawn broke had been more fascinating than frightening. When the big man dropped her off at the family hut the next morning, her father expected her to be a quivering wreck. He could barely conceal his anger when she bubbled with enthusiasm over the experience. She could still picture Moo’s sly wink to her the moment her father’s back had turned. He was a good man, was Moo.

  A horrible thought suddenly crossed her mind. If the orb was drawing predators to them here in Areth, what sort of attention would it attract in the other world? The warmth of her memories died in an instant and icy needles shot through her belly. ‘Best not to think about that too hard,’ she told herself.

  They all had a quick wash at the water’s edge, under the watchful eyes of the three dragons. Then it was time to gather their things and mount up before the sun broke the horizon.

  ‘Are you sure you’re going to be all right riding alone, Nolita?’ Elian asked.

  ‘I’ll manage,’ she mumbled. ‘If I’m ever going to get over my fears, I need to keep working at it.’

  Kira gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. Nolita impressed her more with every passing day. Elian did not look convinced, but Kira stared at him until he backed off and resumed packing his gear. He was acting like a mother hen. Nolita had a full set of flying gear now, so even if they emerged from the gate into the freezing air of high altitude like last time, she would be prepared. Firestorm would look after her.