The Spires of Dasny: 2: Queen of Dragons

by Cheryl Rush Cowperthwait

  “Grifton! Grifton, come inside!”

  Dreyth responds in a panicked voice, “Seyra, get out of there before I rip these walls asunder!”

  “No, no Dreyth. There is nothing to be alarmed about. It’s—a discovery. Grifton must see this to tell me if I’m wrong.”

  I hear Grifton squeezing through the cramped opening, squirming to move each shoulder through. As soon as he unwedges himself, I caution. “Don’t touch anything.”

  Immediately, he stands stock-still, eyes full of wonder. “Do you feel the pulsating?”

  His words tumble out in awe.

  “I do. This room feels ancient. Why would it be hidden deep within the mountain? Come see the markings, but don’t touch them. I’d hate for the walls to collapse on us.” Perhaps I’m being overly cautious, but I sense…I feel an unknown force of magic within this place.

  Grifton locks his hands behind him as he moves in front of each symbol. Even he isn’t trusting his curiosity not to reach out to follow the embedded designs. I let him discover each piece and then direct him to the light-emitting triangle crystal in the center of the room.

  “You will need to kneel to see the final sign. Look at the base of the triangle. It is clear to see the designs of the walls are all interconnected.”

  He kneels and tilts his head from one shoulder to the other, pulling the image together. His head pops up to look at me. His words fall from his lips in sudden realization. “Three symbols separate, then joined. Is this not what Hu’gan told us? A power of three?”

  I nod, still thinking about the room, wondering if it’s the markings, the room, or the crystal that fills the space around us in magic. My words fall as softly as feathers. “I wish Elky and Hu’gan were here. We don’t dare touch the walls or the crystal, not knowing what they will do.” And yet, I feel drawn to everything within this space, as if it were meant to be discovered.

  “Come, Grifton. We need to leave the room and somehow mark this part of the mountain so we can return with Hu’gan and Elky. I know this is important, but how so is anyone’s guess.”

  I have him slip through the opening first and I follow after. Dreyth paces a tight circle when I emerge.

  “What is in there?” He demands to know.

  Athan sits near Dreyth as Grifton and I fill them in on how the room looks and feels when inside. Athan asks, “And you didn’t trace the symbols?”

  “I wanted to,” I explain, “but I was afraid the room would collapse if I did. The room seems to protect a magic that feels different from any magic I’ve been exposed to. It seems ancient in some way, as if only old gods had touched them before.”

  “Perhaps the magic lies within the crystal? If we took it, what harm is in that?” Grifton holds his palms upward, head turned towards the hidden room. As I look at Athan and Dreyth, their eyes are focused to what lies hidden beyond the walls. Goosebumps run up and down my arms. Gnawing on the inside of my cheek, I sense that I am the only one who believes it would be a mistake to touch the room without Hu’gan’s guidance.

  “Seyra, I believe this is providence. If we leave here without the crystal, we go into a battle we cannot win. I’m telling you this because I’ve fought a Stone dragon. Now, I’ll tell you what else I think. I think the Stone dragon saved me.”

  I’m aghast by his words. “How can you say that? It turned you to stone! If the power that was given to me to melt the stone hadn’t come, you would be lifeless…”

  “Is that true? Yes, I was encased in stone, yet I did not die. I’ve been wondering about this. Jiblout’s dragon was attacked in the air and fell. When you took the saddle buried beneath the snow, it was surrounded in crushed stone…the stone that once was a dragon. Yet, they didn’t turn me to stone until they had me grounded. They were preserving me—for what reason, I don’t know. I suspect it’s a way of keeping some dragons they can harvest later, to help in battle or to return to their kingdom. I can only hypothesize. I’m more apt to believe the Stone dragons aren’t acting under their own will. Most likely it is the Xi controlling them to fight us, to eliminate the threat of us eliminating them. Here is another thing I’ve thought on. Why save me? They had no idea I am the Brula’r, not unless they’ve managed to already capture Hu’gan and Elky and trap their minds. No, I think it was because I had no rider. It’s the riders they feel the most threat from since they haven’t learned how to control us without using the mind of a human.”

  Pacing, I listen to his thoughts and some ring true but I’m not convinced about all. “If this is true, tell me then how the Xi could control the Stone dragons?”

  Dreyth rumbles in thought. “There are many ways to control a being. For some it is with power, for others it’s with the risk of harm to family. With the dragons released from deep within the crevasse, perhaps it’s with the promise of great lands and open skies? But, if the crystal holds a power we can use to win this battle, it is worth the risk to take it from the room.”

  I hang my head in indecision. Somehow, I know there will be a cost. I saw what happened with Grifton just touching the outer wall. A roiling sensation in my stomach pushes bile to my throat that I strain to swallow. Exhaling a deeply held breath, I concede.

  “I’ll do as everyone thinks is right, but only if Grifton gets on Athan and waits outside the cave. Dreyth, you must leave too. If—anything happens, flee! Don’t wait for me, just fly away from the mountains.” Hot tears spill down my face as my heart thrums wildly against my bones.

  I wait as they make ready to leave. Dreyth turns to reassure me. “I will be right outside the cave opening. I won’t leave, no matter what, so make sure you run straight for the opening.” His eyes too, fill with tears. “If I could do this one thing for you, I would do it.”

  I turn to make my way through the narrow opening. I hear, “Sparrow, you are my life. Return to me or my life holds no meaning.”

  I can’t look at him for fear I would run to him now. Everything in my being tells me this room was set into place for three beings to be there, to accept the magic it holds. It, the room or the magic therein, refused Grifton’s touch to the point I thought he was losing his senses. I extract myself from the sliver of an opening and stand alone in the room. I don’t know how to do what I’m going to do. I don’t know what gods to pray to for help. I bow my head to each of the three walls in turn and thank them for allowing us to find them in our time of great need. I kneel at the side of the crystal, telling it I am one of the three chosen to protect our dragons and our kingdom. I tell it I know there is a great power unleashed through the power of three. I tell it I am Seyra, First Rider and Queen of the Dragons of the Spires. I am worthy of its gift to take into war, to become part of the three that will save our kingdom.

  The light from the crystal pulsates. A silver light splays from its center and hits one wall, directly on target of the engraved symbol, followed by a golden light hitting the second wall on the symbol and lastly, a blue beam locks onto the third symbol. I’m in awe as the chamber is flooded by light and the light bounces off the walls and spirals together as it raises to the top of the room, pushing and bouncing against the seam where the walls have met. I hear a rumble. The ground starts moving beneath my feet. My jaw drops as fine sand trickles from the top of the room until a steady stream of it seeps down.

  Oh no! I lunge for the crystal and snatch it up with the edge of my cloak and hurry through the jagged opening. I feel it resist, as if it’s moving close together. Gritting my teeth, I squirm until one shoulder and leg is through. A violent shaking has me pinched between the walls. A monstrous roar sends shivers through my soul. Through the dust, I see Dreyth. He rips his talons through the rock, opening small spaces by my shoulder and leg. In one mighty thrust, I pull myself free. With no time to waste, Dreyth snaps me up in his mouth and flies out of the cave. He flies to where Athan and Grifton are circling away from the mountainside. We land and I slide out of Dreyth’s mouth, wiping his secretions off my head and cloak.

  Chapter
22

  A massive thunderstorm rings the mountain. In one enormous blast, the side of the mountain bursts open, spewing rock and dust in all directions. Three lights continue to spiral and weave one against the other before exploding across the sky. I hold my breath. For a moment, the sky is aflame with the three colors pointing in three directions. It is achingly beautiful. It feels like the world has been cut into three chunks and it haunts me.

  I slip and slide up Dreyth’s side. Hammering rain beats down against us but we have nowhere to hide against the storm. We have to go forward. Unlatching one of the leather saddlebags, I drop the crystal inside.

  Dreyth and Athan cut a path to the east, slowly drifting southeast. The storm is relentless. The cloud demons whip and scratch at us causing great strain on the dragons. Lightning crashes overhead; a brief jagged light illuminates the way. I see them at the moment Dreyth does. He reaches out to Athan and myself, “More scouts ahead! We must ground near the forest.”

  Dreyth leads us low. A dangerous flight as the wind still pushes us in gusts, but we need to blend with the landscape if we’re to get the upper hand. Time passes slowly as we skim the boulders and stream, headed for cover. Finally, we near the forest and land. Dreyth hurries Grifton and me into the safety of the trees as they squirm to get their girth between trees and back into the density of cover.

  “Were there only three?” I rasp.

  Dreyth nods. “That looks like their tactics. Two of the eastern wingless dragons with one Stone dragon. It makes me think it takes two of the Xi dragons to be able to fully control the Stone dragons. If it’s some form of mind control, it’s very weak. I would say there would be hope by taking out the eastern dragons but it didn’t help me any, even when a wingless dragon was killed. I wish I knew if Hu’gan has sent part of his warriors behind his movement. Otherwise, they could make it to the Spires, unchecked.

  “What do we do?” I’m torn between catching up with Hu’gan and destroying those heading towards our home. I look frantically in both directions. “Should we find Hu’gan or chase the scouts?” I ask, mopping the rain from my face.

  He looks into my eyes with flaring embers. “We go after them. We can’t allow them to get to the Spires. We’ll have to use whatever powers we possess.”

  As frightening as this sounds, I have to agree. The Spires wouldn’t know what hit them with the Stone dragons. A flash of lightning brings an idea. “Lightning Magic! Dreyth, you and Grifton can both use Lightning Magic. Wouldn’t that blast even a Stone dragon?”

  His eyes narrow as his belly-fires raise a notch. “It’s worth the try. Last time I was too busy fighting to attempt to try it. Now, with Grifton’s help and you doing anything you can to divert those Xi and their dragons, we stand a chance. Let’s go!”

  With renewed determination, we chase the storm—and the ones who seek to destroy us. It’s a dangerous game. The night and storm hide our adversaries well. I jump when the crackle of lightning sizzles nearby. I’m near prone against the shield of Dreyth’s head. Shifting to look to my left, Grifton rides low on Athan too, but with sword drawn and clutched tightly in his hand. I glance to my Ziphan. It remains eerily quiet since we left the cave. Still thoughts weave through my mind at what that crystal is that rests in my saddle bag…and what it does.

  I grit my teeth to still their chattering. Even without the whipping snow we left behind, the wind and rain isn’t much warmer. Rain cascades down my head. Even the cloak I wear is saturated and the hood streams a waterfall down my face. As much as I hate riding in the storm, it offers protection by hiding us from sight and rinsing away our scent.

  The next multi-flash of lightning exposes the dragons. Almost in unison, Grifton and I sit upright. We ready ourselves for what awaits. Only now, the Ziphan begins to glow at my side. Pulling it out of the hoops holding it to Dreyth’s side, I wrap it close to my body.

  Dreyth rumbles in my mind, “Be on the ready. We strike the Stone dragon at next flash.”

  Whether it’s been communicated to Grifton through Athan, I don’t know, but he seems to be as ready as I am. The air is charged with the storm’s electricity the moment before spiked-barbs of lightning erupts in the sky. I cling to the shoulder harness as Dreyth pulls almost vertical, spewing his Lightning Magic at the Stone dragon. A flash later, Grifton hits it across its flank. Booming roars overpower the sky thunder. The Stone dragon whips around to face us.

  The Ziphan glows and energy pulsates up my arms as the whole of the spear illuminates a neon-green. Ripples spread as waves that wash around Dreyth and Athan. Looking on in wonder, I hope for the best.

  A burst of flaming mud and stone is hurled straight at us by the Stone dragon. I only have time enough to offer an exclamation to the Stars and Moon! It hits Dreyth mid-torso and falls as a sheet of stone. My eyes spring wide. We’re shielded! The Ziphan has shielded us against the Stone dragon!

  Dreyth and Grifton waste no time. Repetitive bolts of Lightning Magic pound at the Stone dragon, now close enough I can see scales being ripped away. Suddenly, Grifton drops his head, clutching its sides. Shocked, I realize the Xi warriors are working to break his magic by controlling his mind.

  I utter, “Fly!” and I’m lifted away from Dreyth, running on rain bands to reach the Xi on his flying lizard of a dragon. I land on the snout of one and run full speed into the warrior, unseating him. A weak scream pulls from his throat as he plummets off the dragon. I spin the Ziphan in my arm as the scythe end tears through the eastern dragon’s flesh. Leaping to the next wingless dragon, I hit the backside and run, leaping over the spikes of its back, slipping behind the warrior before he can spin in his seat. Using the Ziphan, I run it through the warrior, pulling it out before he tumbles. The undulating dragon makes a rapid spin and I’m cast from its back, flailing against the air. I have but a moment to register— I’m doomed.

  Out of the thundering darkness, I briefly see Dreyth falling. “Dreyth!” My heart rips through my throat. Squeezing my eyes shut, I brace for impact. I hit full-force and the air is squeezed out of my body. The world goes black and quiet.

  A fuzzy sensation of warmth washes over me. If this is death, I hold its embrace. A lifetime or moment later, for it’s hard to tell in this cocoon of warmth, I see a flickering light. A buzzing fills my eardrums. My eyelids flicker and open. Nothing makes sense. A dark shadow hovers over me and then, I’m thrown full-force into the living.

  Grifton works frantically removing my rider jacket and what remains of the tunic underneath. Dreyth has a wild fire blazing in front of me, calling my name over and over. I moan as blood bubbles from my lips.

  “Seyra, awaken! You must heal yourself before you die! Seyra!” Dreyth’s voice booms and then fades as a falling echo. Grifton’s tears splash my face as he takes one shattered arm and places my hand against protruding ribs.

  I hear a scream like a banshee swirling over my head. Was that me?

  Grifton moves my other arm over the first one as I scream obscenities loud enough to make the thunder blush. My back buckles and shakes as bones find their positions. I beg to go back into the warmth and darkness and away from those who are tormenting me. The warmth hears my plea and envelopes me, sending me spiraling down into the deep.

  The darkness is not a void. My body falls through the storm. Falling, falling and there is nothing to grip. The Ziphan beats across my legs in my fall. Then there is Dreyth, spiraling head-first into the deep. I hear him scream in my head to fly. It’s too late. I hit a moving mountain and feel my chest crush. Before my eyes fail, I see blood everywhere, seeping out from under me.

  I’m vaguely aware of my chin being manipulated. Bitter clumps of leaves coat my tongue after the warm fluid works its pathway down my throat. What god is this that toys with me after my death? I concentrate on the deep, struggling to swim even deeper still. With each pull to sink deeper an opposite pull is waged against my body. My mind cries out to the gods to stop, to let me fall and come to rest in a slumber with no dreams. I have b
een a rider, a warrior, a queen. I have done all asked of me. Let me rest. My dragon awaits me in the sky above skies.

  ‘No!’ a voice or memory of thunder rips wide my slumber. ‘My Sparrow, I am here. We both live. You must fight to return or all will be lost. I caught you! You fell upon my back and saddle. Seyra…’

  What cruel deception this voice plays! I felt the impact. I saw the blood. I saw Dreyth plunging head-first. He is dead—I am dead. Send me to the sky above skies. My answer is the thunderous roar of my King, my Dreyth, somewhere in the darkness, searching.

  “Seyra! Open your eyes. Your wounds are healing. Look at me, I am here with you.”

  This voice is louder, closer than the one before. Water again spills across my face, like a bucket of warm water thrown against me. My eyelids flutter. I stare into an enormous green eye. I can only croak out, “Dreyth?”

  His head leans upward and roasts the top of a rock ceiling. Grifton rushes forward and wedges a saddlebag under my head to raise my position by several inches. I wince and he steps back. My cloak has been dried and lays across me as a blanket. Trying to sit upright tears loose another scream. “W—what happened?”

  Everything moves swiftly around me. Dreyth leans his face right above me, Grifton holds out a mug of drink and Athan moves around in a circle before the blazing fire.