by Bryan Davis
She focused on the lake, an expanse that displayed a perfect mirror—smooth and placid. Yes … placid. Just have patience, and all would be well.
Soon a winged shadow appeared next to hers, growing as approaching footfalls crunched on the gravelly sand. She didn’t bother to look. Tamiel had returned. “Did you ask about Matt?”
“He is alive, at least for the time being, but it seems that he has been captured by a dragon. I advise haste.” Tamiel stopped at her side and folded in his wings. “But first, I have something for you.”
Keeping her face toward the lake, she glanced at him. He held a gun in his hand, transparent like the candlestone shooters the prison guards used, though smaller than most pistols. It looked more like a plastic toy than a real gun. Yet, a glow of white light swirled in the casing with sparkles embedded in the vortex, proving it to be much more. “What is it?”
“It’s a device Mardon and I invented.” He laid it in her hand. “I’m sure you know about a dragon’s regeneracy dome.”
“I do.” A stream of light flowed from her hand into the gun. The inner glow strengthened, and the swirl accelerated. The candlestone in her chest pulsed, creating a new jolt that sent her heart into an erratic rhythm. She gasped for breath. The pain would ease soon … she hoped.
“This gun,” Tamiel said in a professorial tone, “absorbs light energy in a dynamo of sorts. When you press the barrel against someone’s skin and pull the trigger, it injects the energy into the person and causes regeneration, much like a dragon’s dome does for a dragon.”
“Then this isn’t a weapon at all.” Bonnie set a hand against her chest. Her heart still thumped wildly. “It’s a healing device.”
“Only for the target.” Tamiel pressed a rocker switch on the gun’s casing. The tiny spinning wheel behind the trigger mechanism slowed, though it retained its brightness. “It’s off now. You should notice relief.”
Bonnie’s heart settled. As she took in a deep breath, she glared at the gun. It didn’t take an Ashley brain to figure out what it was doing. “It absorbs energy from me, doesn’t it?”
“Indeed. The candlestone I injected into you is a transmitter. It collects your energy and sends it to the receiver in this gun. As long as the switch is off, however, it will cause you no harm.”
“What’s its purpose?”
“Healing. It allows you to become like Ashley and Matt, though much more efficient and at a great expense to your health. During your journey, you will find those who need healing, and you will have the opportunity to provide it. Also, the gun’s trigger mechanism is locked with a genetic key and will not shoot unless you are holding it. You must deliver the energy yourself.”
Bonnie glared at him. “And the more people I heal, the more I suffer, and the more I suffer, the more my song gets weakened, and the more my song gets weakened, the more the world gets corrupted.”
“Your wisdom is a credit to you. Few would discern the reason for my devices so quickly.”
She forced her facial muscles to relax. Taming her emotions had to be a priority. “I have been through enough to know that a demon bearing a beautiful gift has a venomous serpent in his other hand.”
“Well stated and correct when referring to most of my fellows, but I hide nothing. I am open and honest about my goals. That is why I am able to see you.”
“See me?”
Tamiel chuckled. “How soon you forget, but you have no time to ponder this riddle. If you want to help your son, you need to leave right away.”
“Spoken by the one who is using his suffering to hurt billions of people. You’re a deceiver in spite of your claims.”
“Not at all. I freely admitted my purpose, and I will tell you more.” Tamiel’s face darkened, and the tips of fangs protruded over his bottom lip. “Eliminate all thoughts of leaving this journey. I will make sure there are many others who need your help. You will be very sorry if you fail to heed my warning.”
Bonnie forced herself to maintain eye contact. She mustn’t show fear. Giving this demon any hint that she couldn’t stand up to him would be a big mistake.
“Also,” Tamiel continued, the fangs receding, “I advise charging the inner energy cell as much as possible now.”
“Why?”
He nodded toward the lake. “The candlestone has no power over you in Second Eden, so it will not send energy to the regeneracy gun while you are in that realm. Whatever energy is stored in the gun is still yours. That is, you will not feel drained until the gun is used on someone else. But every time you use it, you will feel an echo of the power drainage, and that process will eventually bring exhaustion. Any recharge will cause pain in your heart but not exhaustion, so the two processes will have differing effects.”
“I know what a demon’s gifts do,” Bonnie said. “They always hurt more than they help. What will be the long-term effects on someone I heal?”
“There is no hidden time bomb, if that is what you mean. I want you to have confidence in your healing power. If it proved to be a sham, you would quickly put a stop to your journey, and you know how disappointed that would make me.”
Hiding her revulsion, Bonnie looked at the gun. Although Tamiel’s attitude was disgusting, the idea that this device could help someone made it attractive. Yet, it was easy to see how it could become a self-applied leech, a way to bleed her dry as she couldn’t resist the urge to provide a healing touch. Already it felt like a ball and chain.
“But back to my original point,” Tamiel continued. “Since a recharge cannot occur while you are in Second Eden, you need to do it now.”
Bonnie nodded. During her battle with Devin in Second Eden, she had overcome the candlestone’s ability to weaken her. Yet, in the prison on Earth, the candlestones again drained her energy. The reason for the difference remained a mystery. “So that’s why the boat’s here. If I charge the gun now, the pain won’t allow me to fly over the lake.”
“At least not for a while, and I am sure you want to leave as soon as possible.” Backing away, Tamiel blew her a kiss. “Bon voyage, Bonnie Bannister.”
Bonnie took in a deep breath. The urge to gag was overwhelming. “If you’re trying to disgust me, you’re doing a good job.”
“It is all part of the plan to warp your song with every suffering moment.” He spread his wings. “While you till the soil, I will sow the seeds of corruption. Together we will bring about a reaping of the harvest, and blood will run deep and wide throughout the land … thanks to you.”
Bonnie chewed her lip. More words of exasperation begged to fly, but they would just make things worse. With anger delivering a burst of energy, she marched to the boat, untied it, and shoved it into the lake, jumping in with the same motion. A current caught the boat and pushed it speedily onward.
Not bothering to look back, she sat on a narrow bench and stared into the mist. Second Eden lay out there somewhere, and Matt was in trouble, at least if the images the hologram had displayed were timely and if Tamiel spoke the truth.
Bonnie lifted the regeneracy gun and pressed the switch. It flashed to life. The candlestone within throbbed. As her heart ached with wild, vibrating thumps, she shifted to the floor of the boat and curled on her side, collapsing her wings to fit. How long could she let the gun absorb her energy? The balance between two necessities seemed impossible to guess. She needed enough energy in the gun to help Matt and any other Second Eden survivors, but if too much drained into the gun now, using it while in Second Eden would leave her too exhausted to get through the rest of the journey.
She pressed the side of the gun against her chest. With a whisper, she called out, “Father, guide this boat to Second Eden at the speed you choose. When I enter, the candlestone within will stop draining me, so I trust you to bring about the perfect timing. Now I know why you granted me protection from its power in Second Eden and not anywhere else. My weakness here before the portal will be strength for others, and my strength in that land will be healing. You
r wisdom never fails.”
Bonnie closed her eyes. As her heart pounded through one painful throb after another, the boat floated on. The image of dragon claws digging into Matt’s body flashed again and again, ripping his flesh without mercy. Blood poured, and Matt screamed in agony. It was so terrible!
She waved a hand to cast it away. This vision wasn’t from a dream. It did no good to allow an image of fear a moment of notice. It would just harm her song.
After taking a deep breath, she whispered, “Holy Father, grant me peace. If there is a dream you want me to consider, bring it to my mind as I slumber. I trust you to be my transmitter, and in you I will rest.” Seconds later, she drifted into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter 4
A HEALER’S TOUCH
“Arramos!” Semiramis wailed. “Don’t kill me! I can still be of service to you!”
A shrill whistle sounded from the dragon but nothing more.
Matt grimaced. Every beat of the dragon’s wings shot more pain into his shoulders as it rose and fell in its awkward flight. After hovering in a circular pattern for a moment, it steadily descended toward a rocky beach on the western side of the river beyond the waterfall’s splash point. A young woman with dark pigtails stood near the shoreline, backing away as they drew closer. She whistled and pointed at a sandy spot. “Put them there!”
The dragon suddenly swooped. The claws withdrew from Matt’s shoulders. He and Semiramis dropped onto the sand and rolled to a stop near the woman’s feet.
Biting his lip to keep from groaning, Matt sat up. The point of a sword hovered within an inch of his nose. Nearby, a purple dragon landed in a trot. Beating its wings, it skittered toward them over rocks and sand.
At the other end of the sword, the woman clutched its hilt. Mist from the splash point sprayed over her narrow face, speckling her cheeks with droplets. Tall, lean, and wiry, she looked like a toned athlete. “Who are you?” she growled. “I can see you are not from Second Eden.”
Matt swallowed. Although she appeared to be in her late teens, she carried the aspect of a seasoned warrior. “Matt. Matt Fletch—I mean Matt Bannister.” He glanced at Semiramis, who now sat next to him. “This is—”
“I know who she is.” The woman shifted the sword and pricked Semiramis’s nose. “Do you remember who I am?”
Semiramis inched away on her bottom. “You look familiar. I know many residents of Second Eden, though not all of them by name.”
“Listener!” someone called from a point closer to the waterfall. “Is there a problem?” A black male teenager stood in front of the spray, his own sword drawn. With his feet set firmly on the beach sand, his arms flexed, and his trousers and belted tunic fitting close to his trim waist, he matched Listener’s warrior presence.
“Nothing I can’t handle.” Listener kept her sword pointed at Semiramis. “How is Albatross?”
“His bleeding is worse.” The young man slid his sword into a belt scabbard. “I’ll need help fashioning a bandage for compression.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
When the young man turned and walked into the spray, Semiramis whispered, “You’re Listener? Angel’s daughter?”
Listener nodded. “I will deal with you in a moment. Right now, I have to tend to someone.” She slid her own sword into a leather sheath at her side and blew a sharp whistle. “Grackle! Guard these villains while I—”
“I’m not a villain.” Matt pushed on the sand to get up, but Listener shoved him back in place with a bare foot. An egg-like orb appeared from behind her head and hovered in place next to her ear. It flashed red, then dimmed.
“Semiramis is the worst of villains,” Listener said, angling her eyes toward the egg. “He was traveling with her, and I remember my lessons well. Corruption is more contagious than any disease.”
Matt shook his head. “I’m not traveling with her by choice. I was—”
“And you have my spyglass.” Listener snatched it from Matt’s pocket and snapped it into a holster on her belt. “A Vacant stole it just a few days ago.”
“A Vacant?” Matt gave her a curious look.
“A Vacant is a—” The floating egg zipped in front of her eyes, again flashing red. When the light ebbed, she nodded. “True. We must first establish common ground before we explain our alliances and enemies.”
Matt glanced at the orb, now floating toward her ear. Apparently this woman didn’t care to explain it. “I found your spyglass in a logjam by the lake. I didn’t know who it belonged to. And Semiramis isn’t my friend. We were kind of thrown together. The only reason we were riding that log was to survive.”
“Is that so?” Listener bent one eyebrow low. “You called yourself Matt Bannister. Are you related to Billy Bannister?”
Matt nodded vigorously. “I’m his son! And I have dragon traits. I’m a healer. If you have a wounded friend, maybe I can help him.”
Her skeptical stare deepened. “Neither Billy nor his wife had the gift of healing.”
“I know. My father can breathe fire and sense danger. I inherited the danger-sensing part, but I guess I got the healing ability somewhere else down the line.”
The orb floated in front of her eyes and emitted a series of blue flashes, as if speaking to her. She nodded in response, then drew the sword and pointed at Matt again. “I will test your words. Lead the way to the waterfall. I will tell you what to do when we get there.” She swung back toward the dragon. “If Semiramis moves, you know what to do.”
While the dragon shuffled closer, Matt climbed to his feet. The claw wounds in his shoulders throbbed, and every muscle ached, but this wasn’t the time to worry about pain. Someone else needed help, and Listener needed to be convinced. Although he had healed his mother, convincing himself that he could do it again would be hard enough.
As he walked toward the waterfall, the roar of the cascading river heightened. The young man who had called earlier was nowhere in sight, though impressions in the wet sand led directly into the wall of spray. Matt kept his focus straight ahead. What was that floating egg all about? Studying it more might help, but the point of a sword close behind discouraged further thought of that idea.
When he drew within ten steps of the spray, Listener called, “Walk through the left side of the mist, just to the right of the round stone.”
Matt spotted the stone, a hunk of granite the size and shape of a bowling ball. “You chose a good hiding place. I can’t see anything past the spray.”
“We weren’t really trying to hide there. Up until a little while before you came, the river wasn’t running, so our cave was easier to see. Then a bunch of logs fell over the cliff with a surge of water. That’s why I sent Grackle up there to find out what happened. You’re lucky he’s so fast.”
Matt massaged one of his wounded shoulders. “I guess getting clawed is better than getting crushed.”
“Perhaps after you prove your healing abilities, you will heal yourself.” She prodded his back with a prick of the blade. “Keep going.”
“All right. All right.” He walked through the warm spray and into a well-lit cave, illuminated by three torches embedded in sand. Six children knelt around a dragon that lay on its side, all with their hands pressed together and their fingertips touching their chins. Little flashing eggs floated about their heads, one per child, all emitting dim blue lights. The young man crouched near the dragon’s belly between its forelegs and back legs. Now wearing a form-fitting T-shirt, he spread his outer long-sleeved tunic over the scales on the dragon’s side. His dark biceps flexing, he began unbuckling his belt while an orb similar to Listener’s hovered near his closely cropped hair. “Since Listener brought you in here, I assume you are a friend.”
Matt extended his hand. “I am a friend. My name is Matt Bannister.”
“I’m not convinced yet,” Listener said as she joined them, “but he’ll have a chance to prove his story.”
“Oh, Listener, don�
�t be so suspicious.” The young man flashed a bright smile and shook Matt’s hand. “My name is Eagle. I am pleased to meet you, Matt.”
Matt returned the smile. “Is that a nickname for having eyes like an Eagle?”
“A nickname?” Eagle tilted his head, blinking. “It’s my real name.”
Listener nudged Eagle’s arm with her knee. “His companion gave it to him. Our companions suggest our names, which always correspond to something about us, either physically or spiritually.”
Matt glanced at Listener’s orb, then at Eagle’s. Might those eggs be their companions? Maybe, but it felt stupid to ask.
“Enough chatter.” Listener nodded toward the dragon. “We must tend to Albatross.”
Eagle pulled the tunic away. “I was thinking about using this as a bandage by securing it with my belt, but I don’t think it’s big enough to wrap around.”
The dragon’s eyelids fluttered, and its body heaved shallow gasps. Blood dripped from a gash in its ribs, and soot coated its scales, making its color hard to determine, though several splotches of white broke through.
One of the children, a girl no more than six years old, stroked the dragon’s scaly skin. As her egg floated in front of her nose, tears trickled from her wide eyes and down her dirty cheeks. “Are you a dragon doctor?” she asked Matt, her tiny voice barely audible over the waterfall’s roar. Still holding their palms together, the children stared at him hopefully.
“Not really a dragon doctor.” Matt laid a hand on the little girl’s shoulder. “But I’ll see what I can do to help.”
She tilted her head and rubbed her cheek over his knuckles. “I hope you can. A lot of people think Albatross isn’t brave, but he is. I know he is.”
“I believe you.” Matt knelt to Eagle’s right, his hip touching the dragon’s forelegs. “Was Albatross trying to protect you?”
The little girl nodded. “While I was riding him.”
Listener crouched close to the dragon’s neck, the sword propped on her shoulder. “Albatross is a kind and gentle passenger dragon. If you heal him, I will believe your story.”
