by D K Drake
Taliya dropped the sword by his head and walked away. He closed his eyes and let his tense body rest.
He did have a wish at the moment. He wished he was the good guy she thought him to be. But he was Omri’s son. His fate was sealed. He had to stay true to his father.
Chapter 44
A Bumpy Ride
Kisa swam effortlessly through the water. Twirling. Gliding. Spinning. Eating whatever fish crossed her watery path.
Javan’s ride was not as effortless. He clung to the dragon’s neck with his legs and arms. He kept his eyes wide open and his mouth firmly shut. His nose burned. His ears popped. His chest hurt. But he wasn’t going to let go of the dragon.
Surely she would need air soon. He would tough it out until she resurfaced. At least that’s what he thought until he saw the school of silver piranhas wider than the length of Kisa’s body baring their teeth and headed their way.
Javan kicked the dragon.
The fish swam closer.
Javan kicked some more.
Kisa turned her head.
Sharp fish teeth dug into Javan’s left calf.
He grimaced. Air escaped from his lungs. Water filled them.
Another fish dug into his shoulder.
He screamed. This time air filled his lungs. From inside Kisa’s cave. She could teleport again!
Javan gulped in the air as he ripped the tenacious fish off his shoulder and leg. Pain from his torn flesh made it difficult to maintain his position on the dragon. He needed to find a way to patch his wounds, but he didn’t have time. Because she teleported again.
To a flowery meadow. Javan could hear water trickling over rocks in the distance. “Where are we? This looks like…Zandador?”
Kisa didn’t linger long enough to answer him. She just popped to the waterfall at the end of the river where the Iria was docked. Javan had enough time to wave at his friends aboard the boat before Kisa transported them to the beach, a field of giant mushrooms, the mowed humminglo fields, and onto the rock in the middle of her canyon.
Javan felt woozy from the series of jumps. Teleportation wasn’t as cool as he expected. He wanted off this ride.
I have never had a human sit on me before.
Javan noticed Kisa staring at their reflection in the clear water. He leaned to the side and let her see his face. He had to keep her in one place long enough to calm his queasy stomach. “I’ve never been to that many places that fast before.”
Me, either. I felt out of control. Now I feel… She cocked her head to the side and met the reflection of Javan’s eyes. Safe.
“Good.” He held her stare, smiled, and nodded. His queasiness gave way to a sense of ownership and belonging.
I also find myself wanting to serve and protect you, but I am not sure why. I am not old and wise like Varjiek. I am a young dragon who knows not much about Zandador or fighting or people.
“I am a young Collector who knows even less. How about we figure things out together?”
I can agree to that, but you must do one thing for me. Kisa spun her head around so that she was looking directly in Javan’s eyes. You must bring Taliya with us.
“I already asked her to come with me. She refused.”
Ask her again.
“What if she still says no?”
Ask until she says yes. Kisa turned her head away from Javan and stiffened her neck. Despite this bond I now feel with you, I will not leave this place without her.
Great. How was he supposed to get Taliya to change her mind? That seemed like a more difficult task than fending off that entire school of piranhas with his bare hands!
Chapter 45
Clear the Way
Micah had the power to resist. One swift move would eliminate Taliya and have him riding back to the Land of Zandador on the fast feet of Mertzer. He chose to keep his power in check, however, and utilize Mertzer’s speed to get him and Taliya back to the Iria. He wanted to play the part of the good guy long enough to get the humminglo flowers to his father.
What of Javan? Had he managed to stay on Kisa and form that collector’s bond with her? And why did Taliya help Javan ride her? Wasn’t she supposed to protect the dragon from both Collectors and Hunters?
As Mertzer sped through the trees and bushes of the rain forest, Micah decided to keep his questions about Taliya to himself. The more he understood her, the tougher it would be to turn against her.
The sun had yet to peek above the horizon by the time they reached the docked Iria. “Whew!” Taliya exclaimed, letting go of Micah’s waist. “I’m not sure which is more fun: flying on a dragon or riding on a speeding one.”
Micah’s chest puffed with pride. “Mertzer may not have wings, but he does feel like he flies over the ground.”
“That gives me an idea.” She slid off Mertzer and waved him down. “Come on. We need to talk to Cyr.”
“About what?”
“Just come.” She put her hand on her sling. “Don’t make me shoot you.”
“Fine.” Micah lifted his hands as if in surrender, ordered Mertzer to stay where he stood, and dismounted the dragon. A few minutes later, he and Taliya were in the wheelhouse with Cyr, Andre, and Lydia. Hands tied. At knifepoint.
“What have you two and Javan been up to?” Lydia glared up her sword at him, and he hated feeling so vulnerable. “None of you came back to the boat last night, and a few minutes ago, Javan popped in and out of here on a Dawn Stalker!”
“She regained her ability to teleport, and Javan was still riding her.” Taliya sounded relieved. “Good.”
“Good?” Cyr stepped in front of Taliya. “You knew we had a wild dragon lurking near us this whole time?”
“Yes. Her name is Kisa, and I made sure she posed no threat to your people. But she’s not wild anymore.” A hint of resignation laced Taliya’s words. “She’s now part of Javan’s collection.”
“Javan has gained another dragon?” Now Andre spoke up. “That makes him twice as powerful as he was before. Do you think he will still return and assist us on our journey to Nahat?”
“Yes,” Taliya said. “He is a man of his word. I am sure he will use both of his dragons to see you safely to Nahat. In the meantime, Micah and I will ride ahead on Mertzer to clear the way by telling the villages of our plans to save Keckrick.”
“Hold on,” Micah said, turning to Taliya. He didn’t like being blindsided by her scheme. “We’re going to do what?”
“The people of Upper Keckrick need to know what’s happening,” Taliya said. “Your dragon is fast enough to get us from village to village to explain what’s going on and still make it to Nahat ahead of the Iria. They’ll listen to me and believe what I’m saying when they see you with me.”
“It would be beneficial to make peace with the locals,” Cyr said. “I would prefer to not fight our way into Nahat.”
Lydia lowered her sword. “It is a good plan.”
“So untie me.” Micah found himself wanting to help and be the hero who prevented bloodshed. Plus it would give him more time to heal physically before having to take Javan out of the game for good. “The sooner we leave, the better chance we have of success.”
◊◊◊
“Where are they?” Javan picked up the stun ball that had briefly paralyzed Micah and looked around the grove of dragon fruit trees Kisa had brought them back to. But he saw no signs of Taliya or Micah.
Was Taliya safe? He knew he shouldn’t have left her here alone with Micah. If something happened to her, he would never forgive himself.
Javan sprinted back through the trees to the spot where Kisa was pacing, being sure to keep a safe distance away from the smell of cinnamon. Most of her scales had turned colors by now, and he could see the hunger in her eyes.
You are still alone. Where is Taliya?
“She’s not here,” he said, trying to gauge whether or not Kisa considered him food. “Maybe she went back to the boat. Take me to the Iria, then go eat.”
Kisa nodded a
nd bent her front legs so Javan could easily climb aboard. He used her front leg as a step and stretched to reach the spike at the base of her neck. Before he could pull himself up and swing his leg over her side, he found himself on the shore downstream of the Iria. “That was quick.”
I will eat you even quicker if you do not get off and allow me to hunt.
“Right.” Javan let go of the spike and slid to the ground. “Return here when you are full. We’ll then begin our trip to Nahat.”
Just make sure Taliya comes as well. With that, Kisa disappeared.
“No pressure there,” Javan said. “I don’t even know where she is.”
I do. Varjiek uncloaked himself from his position in the air above Javan and landed in Javan’s path.
“Varjiek!” Javan smiled and hugged the dragon’s muscular front right leg. “I just had the most amazing morning!” He stepped back so he could see the dragon’s face. “I hung on to Kisa as she teleported from place to place, and we bonded. She’s part of my collection now. I guess that kind of makes her your little sister.”
Hmmm. Perhaps. Does that mean I can order her around?
“That is a big brother’s job.”
Good.
“She won’t come with us unless Taliya does, though. You said you know where Taliya is?”
She is on her way to Nahat.
“She can’t be gone.” Javan pointed at the boat. The movement made the fresh wound in his shoulder open up again. Irritated by the trickle of blood, he cut a piece of cloth off the bottom of his shirt and held it over the cut. “The Iria is still here.”
She is not traveling by boat.
“Then how is she getting there?”
On Mertzer.
“You mean she’s with Micah?” Javan felt betrayed, only this was worse than when Gesha turned against him to reveal the location of Gri to Omri. This betrayal cut too deep to describe.
They’re using Mertzer’s speed to reach the villages between here and Nahat. Taliya believes she can get her people to unite with those from Lower Keckrick and clear a safe path for the Iria.
Hope crept back into Javan’s heart. “You sure that’s why she went?”
I am sure.
“But you can get from village to village faster by flying. Why didn’t she ask me and you to take her?”
She knew we need to remain with the Iria to ensure its safety.
“Then you stay with the boat.” He had to find a way to get to her. Fast. He had to know if she was on his side or Micah’s. “I’ll take Kisa and catch up with them.”
Kisa will never be able to match Mertzer’s speed.
“So we’ll leave Kisa with the boat and you’ll take me.” Javan threw the bloody piece of cloth on the ground. “Taliya could be in danger. I can’t let her be alone with Micah.”
Taliya is a strong woman and a loyal friend. Varjiek nudged Javan with his nose. She surrendered the dragon she protected into your care. She would not betray you. Trust her. Let her trust us to get these humminglo flowers to Nahat.
Javan grasped the wisdom of the dragon’s words. He knew he needed to put his personal feelings aside and do what was best for the greatest amount of people. He knew it was the right choice, but it certainly wasn’t the easy one.
“Fine,” Javan said. “Let’s get the Iria to Nahat.” He just hoped Taliya would be waiting for him there and that she would be impressed by his decision to stick with the Iria rather than come after her.
Chapter 46
Joining Forces
“N
o.” The word sounded rougher than Micah intended, but at this point he didn’t care. Covering more than a thousand miles in two days over rough terrain in brutal humidity on the back of a dragon had his shirt glued to his cuts with sweat and his broken ribs radiating pain throughout his body.
While the intermittent stop at the villages along the way had served to ease the physical distress, having to play nice with the hostile people such as the tall, striking chief with broad shoulders and a neatly trimmed beard standing before him at the end of the second day of travel ate at his conscience and had zapped him of all ability to cooperate.
Micah folded his arms over his sore chest and squinted into the setting sun while facing Taliya and Anley, the chief. “Mertzer goes with me.” He hadn’t been racing toward Nahat in such a painful manner only to leave his dragon behind at the last minute.
Anley mirrored Micah’s folded arms and responded in a deep, deliberate tone. “We must leave now if we are to join with the Iria and prevent bloodshed at the gates of Nahat.”
“Micah,” Taliya said, “we have to get you to the portal by tomorrow, and the river stands between us and Nahat. Mertzer is too terrified of water to swim across, and there is no other way to get him to the other side. You can come back for him after you talk to your father. Right now we have to get on Anley’s boat, intercept the Iria, and take the river the rest of the way to Nahat.”
“I want to get to the portal more than anyone here,” Micah said, “but I cannot return to Zandador without Mertzer. My father would assume the people of Keckrick captured the dragon and will have the entire region destroyed as punishment.”
“So tell him the truth,” Taliya said.
“My father is not always interested in the truth of a situation.” Micah looked beyond Taliya and studied the blue-streaked dragon lurking in the trees just west of the village. Soon streaks of green, purple, and pink would emerge. Micah needed to let the dragon hunt, but first he had to find a way to get Mertzer to Nahat. “Does the river become more narrow between here and Nahat?”
“No.” Anley shook his head. “It becomes wider after the split.”
“What split?”
“About ten miles from here, the Ishom River which flows east forks off into the Aron River which flows southeast and takes us through Nahat.”
“Yeah,” Taliya said, “but the Ishom takes a slight turn north and becomes much more narrow as it flows through the hills north of Nahat.”
“Narrow enough for a dragon to jump over?”
“Yes.” Taliya smiled. “Yes. I believe Mertzer could make such a jump. Then it is not far from there to the northwestern gates of the city.”
“The northwestern gates?” Anley’s brown face crinkled into disdain. “No one uses the northwestern gates anymore.”
“Why not?” Curiosity made Micah forget about the sweat dripping down his face.
“They were permanently sealed after the destruction of the city. No one has used them or even been to that section of Nahat in centuries. You will not be able to enter the city from there.”
“Maybe people can’t,” Micah said, relishing the challenge, “but have you ever seen the damage the poison from a Dusk Stalker can do to iron?”
◊◊◊
“It’s dark,” Javan said, urging Kisa forward along the riverbank. Clouds covered the moon and stars, making the early hours of the night seem more like the darkest hours of the morning. “You can’t even see it.”
Yes, but I can feel it. She slowed her steady pace and drew to a stop. I need to wash off before continuing.
“Kisa, you’ve taken like twenty baths in the last two days. Letting a speck or two of dirt stick to your scales is not going to hurt you.” Javan tried to keep the irritation out of his voice. He liked the adventurous, upbeat attitude of the dragon, but he didn’t much care for her obsession to keep herself clean. “Forget the bath and keep going. We need to catch up with the Iria.”
Kisa huffed, stuck her nose in the air, and plodded onward. She made a show of swishing her tail and shaking her body in an effort to rid herself of whatever dirt she believed was currently defiling her pristine white scales. It made for an uncomfortable ride, and Javan was about to give in and let her go for a swim when she calmed herself and crouched as low to the ground as she could get. I hear Taliya.
Javan tuned his ears to the sounds around him. He could make out the flowing water of the river two steps to his r
ight, the rustling of leaves from the woods to his left and random howls, chirps, and slithers of unseen animals all around him. But no Taliya. “Are you sure? I don’t hear anything except the sounds of the rain forest.”
I am certain. It is the whistle she wears around her neck meant for my ears only.
“Ah.” Why hadn’t she blown that whistle a few nights ago when they couldn’t find Kisa in her cave? “Follow the sound. Take us to her.”
Kisa spent the next few minutes weaving through trees and over roots and around rocks. She kept her ears attuned to the noise Javan couldn’t hear until he ordered her to stop as they rounded a bend in the river. “Whoa. Hold up here.”
Up ahead, boats of varying sizes spanned the width of the river. Torches burned brightly from the bow of each boat, and people milled about on the decks as if waiting for something.
“It’s about time you got here.” Taliya stepped out of the darkness and positioned herself in front of the dragon. “I thought I was going to have to blow this whistle all night.”
“Hello to you, too.” Javan could only make out her shadow, so he slid off Kisa in order to meet her face to face on the ground.
Tell her she has to come with us to Zandador, Kisa said.
He ignored Kisa and nodded toward the water. “What’s going on? This looks like a blockade. Are the people not going to allow the Iria through?”
“Now that would mean I failed in my mission to unite Upper and Lower Keckrick.” She winked at him. “I’m too lovable to fail in such a mission.”
Javan relaxed a little, but he still had some unanswered questions. “Where’s your best bud Micah? And what’s with all the torches?”
