Tash

by ML Guida

  He smiled. “We’re about to turn invisible.”

  Her eyes sparkled and some of the paleness in her face faded. She sat up straighter in her seat and looked around wildly. “Really?” She sounded so excited that he almost forget that they were about to land and then the fight for their very lives.

  The ship entered Sutois’s atmosphere and shook. Fluffy white clouds glided past the ship. A whoosh rolled over the shuttle craft.

  She looked at him with excitement in those baby blues. “Are we invisible?”

  He laughed. “Yes.”

  “Wow,” she murmured.

  Agnes turned around and winked at Scarlett. “Cool, huh?”

  Scarlett nodded. “It’s amazing.”

  The cloud revealed lush trees with purple, pink, orange, and red leaves. Tall purple and red mountains surrounded the jungle. A river snaked through the trees and opened up to a large crystal lake that had a waterfall cascading down.

  Scarlett pressed her face against the window then turned around and looked at him. She smiled. “That’s the waterfall I saw, Tash. The boy’s down there.” Her voice buzzed with exhilaration.

  Tash’s lung squeezed shut and his nerves immediately bunched up. “The Gogs just came out of the jungle, and they’re circling the lake.”

  Scarlett covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh, no. We need to land now.” Her voice cracked.

  Padean shook his head. “I need to land on a flat surface. Just past the mountain is an open plateau. We can land there.”

  “But that’s so far away,” Scarlett said. “We’ll never get there in time.”

  Captain Topaz turned around. “Not for dragons.”

  She looked at Tash who shrugged. Some of the tightness around her eyes lessened, but Tash’s nerves were on fire. Riding a dragon bareback was not his idea of a good time, but he wouldn’t tell his mate.

  Padean landed the shuttle craft without incident.

  “The ship might be camouflaged,” Topaz said. “But we’re not. Set your eruptors to kill. We know the enemy, and we know what we’re up against.”

  Adrenaline spiked through his veins, making every hair stand on edge. Without question, Tash and the others set their eruptors to kill.

  The door to the shuttle craft slowly opened. Goosebumps rippled across Tash’s skin, and his gut clenched. He inhaled the sweet fragrant flowers that had haunted his dreams. Pain throbbed in his clenched jaw.

  Captain Topaz walked out first, his eruptor drawn. Tash held his eruptor and with his other hand, he clasped Scarlett’s trembling fingers. She followed him out of the shuttle. Her rapid breath gushed over his back.

  He pulled her close. “We’ll be okay.”

  She nodded, but didn’t answer. The wind blew her white hair in front of her face.

  “Shades,” he mumbled. “Just like I remember, hotter than a bubbling volcano.”

  Topaz shoved his eruptor into his belt. He gave both Tash and Scarlett a hard look. “Get ready to fly.”

  “We’re ready,” Tash said, answering for both of them.

  In a flash, Topaz shifted into a spiky yellow-orange dragon. He was smaller than the shuttle craft, but not by much. His wings were as long as some of the smaller trees. Smoke puffed out of his nostrils. He tilted his head and laid down on his belly.

  “Oh, my God.” Scarlett stepped back and put her trembling hand over her mouth. Her saucer-size wide eyes stared at Topaz.

  “Come on.” Tash grabbed Scarlett’s hand. He didn’t give her time to protest.

  He led her to Topaz’s side, then put his hands on her waist and easily lifted her onto spiny Tash’s back. Tash climbed up behind her.

  “Hang on,” he whispered into Scarlett’s ear.

  She glanced over shoulder. “Like I planned on letting go.”

  Topaz went back on his haunches, spread out his wings, and flew into the air. Wind whisked over them and Scarlett’s hair whipped his face.

  Tash glanced on either side of Topaz. Padean was on one side. He was the smallest of the dragons, but he was magnificent with his orange markings splashed onto his yellow scales. On the opposite side, Hoss was a formidable foe with his black scales and green stripe that ran down the middle of his back. His mate, Anges, rode astride and actually spread out her arms. She laughed as if this was her favorite past time. Maybe it was.

  Below, the Gogs were climbing the trail toward the waterfall cave. They were twice the size of an Arian, even the security bears. Guilt pelted Tash like angry rain. He grimaced, remembering how two security Bears, both brothers, were dragged off. One had survived, the other hadn’t.

  He’d been powerless to do anything.

  They had one dragon that had kept the creatures at bay––barely––but this time, they had three.

  The Gogs dragged their long arms on the ground like apes. Once again, they wore a silver belt that sheathed their terrible weapon that had nearly killed the dragon. Their single orange eyes in the middle of their forehead were concentrating on the rocky ledge. Lucky for them, some trees were growing out of the cliff, making their progress difficult.

  “Topaz, don’t let them get to their weapons.”

  Topaz inhaled then let loose a fiery flame that sizzled through the air, blasting the trees.

  Ph-shooosh Ph-shoosh Ph-shoosh

  The Gogs stopped and Tash smiled. Fear flared in their orange eyes. They fumbled to draw their weapons, but their large fingers weren’t fast enough. Fire raced down their fur and they screeched.

  Topaz was a Dominian Dragon, a fierce warrior breed from Zalara. Dominian fire was hotter than other dragons. Hoss, another Dominian Dragon, came from the other side and blew another stream of fire, cutting off their retreat. Their weapons melted in their meaty hands. Black smoke swirled into the sky. The stench of sizzling hair made Tash choke.

  Gogs, now a burning fireball, fell off the side of the cliff, their arms and legs flailing. A wall of heat slammed into him, and he crushed Scarlett’s back to his chest. She coughed and had her arm over her mouth.

  “Captain Topaz, one of them is escaping,” she sputtered.

  Sure enough, a singed-fur Gog, pumping his arms and legs, hurried toward the cave. He disappeared behind a wall of water.

  Tash had no way of knowing whether or not he still held his weapon. The dragons were too big to go into the cave.

  “He’ll kill the boy!” Scarlett yelled and squirmed as if trying to get away. “We need to stop him.”

  Topaz shrieked, circled, then tilted his body to the side.

  “Stay still, damn it” Tash wrapped his arm around Scarlett’s waist before she somersaulted after the burning Gogs.

  He hauled Scarlett up and jumped, slamming into the side of the cliff. Rocks and pebbles scattered down the ledge and onto Topaz’s back. Topaz pulled away from the ledge and soared toward the lake, frying the Gogs that had managed to pull themselves out of the water.

  Scarlett elbowed him in the ribs. “Tash, let go of me. We have to hurry.”

  “Calm down before we fall.”

  Luckily, she listened and remained still.

  He stepped away from her carefully. “This is when you do as exactly as I say.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Fine. But that thing is probably killing that boy.”

  All his failures clung to his back. This was one Arian he wouldn’t let die. No matter what. He cracked his neck. “Not if I can help it.” He handed her his eruptor. “We should have practiced up on the Orion or the Intrepid, but I’d hoped to keep you out of this fight.”

  She looked at the eruptor cautiously. “And?”

  “You just pull on the trigger. Remember, it’s set to kill. Don’t point it at a dragon or an Arian.”

  “I won’t.” She frowned. “But why are you giving it to me?”

  He slid in front of her, pressing her back against the rock. “Because I’m going to change into a bear.”

  His muscles bulged and his fingernails lengthened. Hair covered his body and his
teeth lengthened into sharp fangs. His senses increased to hyper-awareness. His keen hearing picked up the Gog whimpering and growling. Its foul stench of burnt hair was easy to smell. His claws dug into the rocks and dirt.

  Scarlett was still behind him, panting. She held the eruptor in her shaking hand. He hoped she wouldn’t panic.

  Another sound caught his attention, so soft he almost hadn’t heard it. The faint cry of fear sent an uncontrollable shudder sweeping through his body. It wasn’t the Gog.

  15

  Scarlett held the unfamiliar eruptor in her hand, not sure if she could shoot. It was amazingly light, not as heavy as a handgun. She’d gone to a shooting range once with her sister and brother in-law and remembered how heavy the gun had been. The recoil had made her fly back.

  Her stomach was still quivering from riding a dragon, but the sheer drop-off sent a swarm of butterflies flopping around in her gut. Her legs wobbled and her heart threatened to bust through a rib. She sucked in a deep breath.

  Pleasepleasepleaseplease, don’t have a vision. If she did, she was a goner.

  But this wasn’t about her. It was about the poor child, hiding from a monster.

  Tash had shifted into a pissed off grizzly, no he was bigger than a grizzly.

  But he had told her that the Gogs had eaten the Arians. Below, the dragons were burning the Gogs. The smoke was so thick that her eyes watered, and she could barely see in front of her. How would she find the poor boy?

  Tash growled, gnashed his teeth, and shook his head. He raced forward. For such a big bear, he was amazingly fast.

  Scarlett forced her wobbly legs to move and chased after him. The waterfall roared and hurt her ears. Drops of water sprayed on her sweating face.

  She sucked in her breath and coughed. Tash disappeared into a pitch black cave. God, what she’d give for a flashlight. The Gog could be hiding in here wounded. What was that old saying? There was nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal.

  Heavy footsteps crunched on the dirt floor. She closed her eyes, hoping it was Tash. She drew on her power, thinking about her vision, trying to locate the frightened boy.

  A loud growl froze her blood. Her legs refused to move. She couldn’t breathe. She didn’t know if it was Tash. The Gogs had screeched when they were burned, but she’d no idea what sound they made. Tash had mentioned that their language was intelligible. What if it sounded like a growl?

  She looked over her shoulder. The waterfall pelted down, and a rainbow formed int the streams of water. A soft glow of light paved the way back to freedom.

  Stay calm.

  She edged deeper into darkness. Sweat seeped into her eyes, making her vision blurry.

  A snarl turned her shaking insides into a bowl of wiggling jelly.

  “Stay back, or I’ll shoot.” Her voice was a puny whisper.

  But who would she be killing? Tash? The Gog? Or the boy? She couldn’t take that chance.

  Suddenly, everything went darker. The little bit of light was gone. The hair on the back of her neck stood straight up.

  “Oh, shit,” she mumbled.

  Heavy breathing echoed in her ears. The stench of burned hair and hate made her throat burn.

  Pitter-pat Pitter-pat Pitter-pat Pitter-pat

  Her heart thumped like running footsteps.

  “Scarlett, behind you!” Terror ricocheted off Tash’s voice.

  She whirled around to face a wounded animal ready to rip her apart.

  It’s single orange eye glared at her with pure hate. She could almost reach out and touch its hairy hide. The creature raised its hair arms.

  She aimed the eruptor at it with her trembling hand.

  Don’t make me shoot. Don’t make me shoot. Don’t make me shoot.

  But the thing wouldn’t listen. It charged snarling.

  Pounding footsteps raced toward her from behind. She knew instinctively that it was Tash, but he’d never make it to her in time.

  She pulled on the trigger and fired at the black moving mass. An orange beam shot out of the eruptor, lighting up the cave. Half the side of the Gog’s body was nothing but bubbled skin. Singed and burnt hair covered its body.

  The eruptor hit the creature in the gut. It let loose a howl of anger, rage, and pain, then collapsed, less than a foot away from her.

  Scarlett stared, and the eruptor slipped out of her trembling hand. The Gog was an ugly, hideous creature, and it would have eaten her alive.

  But she’d killed it. She’d never killed anything in her life. Tears blurred her eyes.

  Strong hands seized her shoulders from behind.

  She screamed and kicked shins and stomped on feet.

  “Scarlett, it’s me.”

  She whirled around and wrapped her arms around Tash’s thick neck. “I killed it. I killed it.” She sobbed into his chest, needing to feel his beating heart and his breath on her neck.

  He planted kisses on her face and raked his fingers through her hair. “Yes, I know.” He clasped her arms. “And you’re alive.” He lifted her chin and kissed her trembling lips. “Scarlett, I found the boy.”

  She took her quivering breath and wiped her tears. “You did?”

  “Yes. He’s back here.” He clasped her hand. “Come this way.”

  She forced her fear and panic back into her gut and made her feet move. “Is he all right? Did the Gogs hurt him?”

  “He’s alive,” Tash said grimly. “Boy, where are you?”

  “We’re not going to hurt you,” Scarlett said. “The Gog is dead. He can’t hurt you. But we have to leave here. More will follow.”

  A soft whimper caught her attention. She released Tash’s hand and knelt down.

  “We’ve got to go now,” Tash demanded.

  “Shhh.” Scarlett glanced up at him, but the darkness hid his face. “You’re scaring him.”

  Tash scoffed, but thankfully, remained silent.

  She cleared her throat. “I’m Scarlett Fox. What’s your name?”

  Silence was her only answer.

  “We need your help,” she said. “We want to rescue the imprisoned Arians.”

  “You can’t help them. We’re not strong enough,” a small voice answered.

  “We’re not alone. We brought dragons.”

  “You did? But you’re not a dragon. I’ve never smelled anything like you.”

  “No, probably not. I’m a human from Earth. My visions brought us to Sutois.”

  Something moved. She held her breath, waiting patiently.

  “My name’s Clayton. They…they killed my dad because he found a way out.”

  Tiny sobs broke Scarlett’s heart. “I’m sorry, Clayton. What about the rest of your family?”

  “My mom pushed me through the crack in the cave. I saw them…I saw them kill her. And…and eat her. I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t save her.”

  Scarlett reached out her arms and touched him. “I’m so sorry.”

  The next thing she knew, he was clinging to her. He wasn’t a small child. He felt like a ten or eleven or twelve-year-old boy, but she rocked him as if he were. He felt bony as if he’d been half-starved.

  Tash moved and knelt next to them. “Clayton, my name’s Tash. Can you take us back to the cave?” This time his voice had softened.

  Clayton sniffed. “You’re the captain of the Intrepid, aren’t you?”

  Tash sucked in his breath.

  Scarlett stilled hoping Clayton wouldn’t rip Tash’s last shred of dignity.

  “Yes, I am.” Tash’s voice was hesitant as if he were afraid of what Clayton would say.

  “We knew you’d come. We knew you would.” Some of the fear and sorrow had left Clayton’s voice.

  Scarlett frowned. “You did? How?”

  “Because the Master was afraid. That’s why my dad wasn’t afraid to widen the crack. But the Gogs discovered it.” The same fear returned to his trembling voice.

  “Who is the Master?” Tash growled. “A Kamtrinian?”

  “No,
the Kamtrinians and Gogs work for him.” Clayton’s voice was barely a whisper.

  Scarlett rubbed Clayton’s back. “Is he a shifter?”

  He unwrapped his arms, but remained right next to her. “I think so, but he never shifted. I would hear a roar sometimes.”

  “That could be anything,” Tash grumbled. “We can’t hide here, Clayton. Time is running out. The Master plans to blow up the cave.”

  “No! You can’t let them. He’ll kill the rest of my friends and my little sister.”

  “Will you help us find it?” Scarlett hugged him.

  “Yes. But I’m afraid.”

  “I’ll tell you a secret,” Scarlett said. “So am I.”

  Tash stood. “You two aren’t the only ones. We’ve got to go now.”

  Scarlett took Clayton’s trembling hand. “Are you ready?”

  “I guess so.” His hesitant voice ignited her protectiveness.

  She squeezed his hand. “I promise I will protect you.”

  “My mom had shifted into a bear and she couldn’t even save herself.” His sadness choked up Scarlett’s throat.

  “I know, honey,” she said. “But we’ve got dragons and one pissed off Captain of the Intrepid.”

  “Okay. I’ll take you there.” He held on tight to Scarlett’s hand.

  Her chest tightened and raw determination pumped through her. She’d protect this boy with her life. She couldn’t imagine the horror that he’d witnessed. Watching both parents die. No child should endure that. Whoever this master was, he needed to be punished. Maybe Topaz could burn him alive.

  They walked hand-in-hand out of the cave. Clayton winced and used his palm to shield his eyes. Her eyes widened at Clayton’s appearance. A gray thread-bare shirt, if she could call it that, hung loosely over his shoulders. There were more holes than material. His narrow hips could barely keep up his tattered gray pants. It was definitely a uniform.

  His brown shaggy hair hadn’t seen a barber in years. Dirt was smeared on his face and clung to his fingernails.

  “How old are you, Clayton?” she asked gently.

  Clayton shrugged. “I think I’m twelve. I’m not sure. You lose time in the mine.”

  Topaz walked toward them. “I see you found him. Does he know where the mine is?”