Mariana's Secret

by A D Lombardo

  Drawn back into the dragon, Simone circled the area. She scanned the ground for a lay of the land and the size of the camp. On the next pass, Kai watched Ryker take advantage of the men’s distraction. Ryker converged on the group with two battle axes. Precision and speed were his greatest advantage. The warrior swept through the area, slicing down every man before they had time to react.

  Again, Ryker glanced skyward and motioned for Simone to advance. Pulled back into Ryker, Kai saw the black dragon, Simone, fly ahead. Ryker hopped boulder to boulder as he traversed down a steep cliff. Below, more men quarreled on the beach. Kai could smell the salty air. A loud thud shook the earth. Rocks tumbled down the slope.

  Kai heard a man yell, “The beast is no longer under our control, it has gone mad!”

  Men ran from a cave.

  The identifiable screech of a dragon bellowed from the cave entrance followed by fire and smoke. Soldiers scattered. What Kai could only imagine were claws feverishly scratching on stone pierced his ears. The beast was trapped and desperate to escape. It rammed the boulder blocking its freedom. More rubble tumbled down the cliffs.

  Moonlight glinted off the blades of Ryker’s axes. Fire belched out holes above the cave and around the entrance. Ryker shielded his face. Fleeing men stopped when they saw Ryker and drew their swords. Kai felt Ryker clench his jaw.

  The group clashed; metal clanged against metal. Bodies slumped to the ground at the end of Ryker’s fury. As the last man fell, Kai saw the Galloway crest on the dead man’s uniform. Again, the ground trembled. Rubble exploded from the mouth of the cave. The shock wave knocked Ryker to the ground.

  Back on his feet, Ryker ran to the cave. A dust cloud made Ryker cough and cover his eyes. Dead men lay near the entrance, burned alive. Inside, moonlight beamed through three holes above. Black soot covered the walls, and claw marks gouged the surface. The cave was empty. Ryker ran outside.

  In the distance, a set of small shacks and boats blazed in the night. Men ran screaming in terror. The black dragon, Simone, bathed the beach in fire, and men burned where they fell.

  Ryker glanced in the opposite direction; he saw a woman stumble towards the surf. She wore the remnants of a tattered blue dress. Shouting over the wind and waves, Ryker pursued and called to her. “Mariana, wait.”

  She did not stop. She walked into the surf and sunk beneath the waves. Gone.

  Overwhelming grief ricocheted through Kai’s soul from Ryker.

  Pulled back into Simone’s black dragon, he felt residual heat in his throat. Across the sand, Kai saw an arrow strike Ryker in the back, and he fell flat on the sandy beach. Back in the sky, Simone flew. Anger, followed by an unusual burning, swelled in Kai’s throat. The dragon shot a blast of fire across the line of remaining men, archers hidden on the hilltop above the cave entrance.

  Alone, Ryker lay bleeding in the sand. Fires burned across the night sky. The dragon circled above the cliffs, searching for survivors. When all was silent, Simone landed near Ryker’s motionless form. Kai saw a faint blue light briefly illuminate the sand.

  “I lost her,” Ryker moaned, rolling onto his side. “Mariana, I’m sorry.”

  Simone knelt and touched the arrow in Ryker’s shoulder. “This is going to hurt,” she said.

  ◆◆◆

  In the far reaches of his mind, Kai heard a voice call out. “Wake up, Kai.” Something pushed on his shoulder. Kai moaned. “Wake up. Kai, it’s your turn at guard duty.”

  Jostled again, Kai awoke. “Alright, already, I’m up.” He opened his bleary eyes.

  Haygan knelt beside him.

  Heart pounding from the dream, Kai sat up and swung his feet to the floor. “Haygan, we need to talk.” He looked out the window behind him. “What time is it? Seems near dawn.”

  “It is,” Haygan agreed. “Dresnor took your shift so you could take the last one. We’ll have work to do in an hour to ensure we are ready to break camp when the others wake.”

  Desperate to explain what he’d learned, Kai led them down to the lake, clear of the others. Mist lingered above the surface of the water. Kai waited to be sure they were alone. In a whisper, he leaned toward Haygan. “I’ve had a vision of Ryker and Simone. The last thing I remember is Ryker in trouble. There was a great battle, Ryker against many others. Simone sprayed dragon fire over the beach. Men were screaming—Galloway men. Why are my father’s men guarding a dragon—my mother? In the end, an arrow struck Ryker in the back. He could be dying. My mother, she was there, and now she’s gone, gone into the sea.” In a panic to get it all out, Kai made little sense.

  “Relax,” Haygan placed a hand on Kai’s shoulder. “Your mother had visions. You prove to be more like her every day. Slow down.”

  “But we must help them. Help my mother—Ryker!” Kai insisted.

  “There is little we can do right now. Slow down and begin again. Tell me everything.”

  After slowly retelling what he saw, Kai slumped onto a rock near the shoreline. “What now? My mother’s gone. Tell me how she could be gone. She can’t possibly swim across the ocean. I have no idea where she thought she was going. Why were there Galloway men there? Does that mean my own father is to blame?”

  Haygan pushed his hands into his pockets and turned his back to the lake to gaze around the camp. “I keep forgetting you know so very little about our world, and your mother. She was very powerful. She is one of the few Katori who can turn into multiple animals. Manta rays and dolphins live in the ocean. She knows their forms well.” Haygan paused, chewing on his lip. “Her mind must be a jumble after years in captivity. If she stayed in dragon form all these years, her spirit is confused between the animal spirits within her and the human she wants to be. We Katori are warned before making the change. There are some Beastmasters who, once they connect the thread of an animal to their own, choose to give up their humanity and remain as animals. They become wild.”

  The news shocked Kai. He stood there stunned in the revelation his mother was once again lost. The reality caused his stomach to twist. Energy swelled in his chest. “How can we help any of them? How do I save my mother?”

  “When we reach Albey, I will go to Katori,” Haygan assured him. “Trust me, Ryker and Simone will be fine. It will take more than one arrow to end Ryker. Simone will protect him. If they did indeed eliminate all the Galloway soldiers, our secret is still safe. Finding your mother is another story. But there may be a backlash from your father learning his men were killed, and his dragon is gone.”

  Nothing made sense—how would his father have a dragon? Why were his men keeping it locked away? His mother was a prisoner. “Are you not worried? Galloway men were holding my mother.”

  “I am worried. What would you have me do? Ask them politely why? Has Iver ever mentioned he had a dragon?”

  Kai thought about the many conversations he’d had with his father. “A few years ago, he mentioned a dragon. He spoke of wanting to kill it, but Sigry convinced him controlling the beast for their own purposes was better.”

  “Good,” Haygan bobbed his head. “Hopefully, Iver had no idea the dragon was Mariana. If he did, I will kill him myself.”

  “So, now what? I want to go after her.” Kai demanded.

  “No, I will get word home. A ship to Ahana would take weeks; by then Ryker and Simone will be home, and Mariana is still long gone. Let the Chiefs and the Unie decide what to do. The sooner we get to Albey, the better. I am glad we are skipping the extra days in Town Hope and Chenowith.” Haygan turned back towards camp.

  “Go, wake Finlee,” Haygan motioned. “We need to begin saddling all the horses.”

  Kai did as Haygan suggested, but he hated feeling so powerless. There had to be something he could do. Maybe he could find other Katori. People who would help. His mother, after all, was the daughter of a Chief and apparently very powerful. Now that he knew she was alive, they would have to help her.

  Dawn pushed against the black sky. All over the camp, men began to rise from their sl
umber. Everyone hustled, collecting bedrolls and dousing water over campfires.

  While Kai packed his saddlebag and considered the ability to push power outward. A gift he experienced only once when he searched the world for his mother a few days ago. If he could repeat the experience, maybe he could find other Katori nearby. The question was: could he control the wave? Could he draw someone to him with this power? And would they help him?

  ◆◆◆

  Both groups broke camp. Cazier’s group head home to Diu. Kai’s group rode to Town Hope. Between Dresnor and Drew, Kai practiced reaching out. Each time the energy built, but he was unable to push the wave outward. It resisted. It fought against him.

  Clearly, he needed to do something different. Without Kendra to push him extra energy, the power built too slowly. He tried so many times he got a headache.

  By the time they reached the center of Town Hope, Kai felt drained. He was no closer to finding his mother or drawing another Katori to his side. Duke Eugene Sknash was pleased to see him, as was his wife, Heidi. Familiar faces gathered around to shake Kai’s hand, each delighted to see him return. Hands reached for him, and a few young children touched Smoke’s thick fur.

  The town was prosperous and healthy. Lord Sknash had turned the community around. Real joy and affection flowed from person to person.

  “Lord Sknash,” Kai extended his hand.

  “Your Highness, Prince Kai.” Lord Sknash bowed in respect. “Wonderful to see you. Your lead scout was just telling us you are not staying the night. I can understand your desire to make haste to your destination. I have requested some food be brought from the university kitchen to serve you and your men.”

  “You are too kind, Gene. How is the construction coming along? Last summer, you started building a dormitory. Or was it a library?”

  Gene laughed. “Well, both actually. We completed the dormitory this spring. I am afraid we were a bit too ambitious. The library will take considerably more time. I hope the structure will be finished before winter. The interior, well, I want to make it rather engaging for both teachers and students, and that takes time. Educating the masses is a priority.”

  “Sounds wonderful.” Kai grinned from ear to ear, hearing the pride in Gene’s voice.

  Year after year, the once poverty-ridden town expanded. The signs of slavery and fear were gone. While the duke and his wife continued to share their plans, the back of Kai’s mind was focused on the realization his mother was once again lost to him, and he needed Katori help to find her.

  Torn with the idea of staying to learn more and reaching Albey, Kai and his group said their goodbyes. It was going to be a hard two days ride straight to Chenowith.

  Along the way, he continued to practice pushing his power into the world. This time he held onto the light and pressed it inward. He felt the pressure build and build until it pushed back. Kai focused on the hillside and pushed the pulse into the woods with one thought attached—Hello, is anyone out there? Help me. He had no idea if anyone was there or if they would answer his call.

  His mind followed the wave. High on the mountainside, four lights—Katori—radiated like beacons back to him. Unfortunately, he did not have control of the flow, and his message also washed over his small group. One bright light beamed ahead of him—Haygan, and one dimmer Half-Light behind him—Shane. He heard Shane speak to his father. “Dad, did you feel that? Something… someone… I heard a voice in my head. How odd, I noticed something like it a few nights ago.”

  Kai knew what Shane felt—his searching. Seems even Half-Lights heard him. Ahead on the road, he saw Haygan bolt out of line and gallop in his direction. His stern look told Kai that he was in trouble. “Dresnor, Drew, do you mind if I ride with Kai for the next bit?” Haygan asked.

  His men nodded and dispersed amongst the group. Haygan and Kai rode in silence for a few minutes. Kai could only imagine Haygan was formulating how to chastise him without drawing too much attention to their conversation. The agony of waiting blossomed into a fist-sized rock in his stomach.

  “Kai, what are you doing?” Haygan scolded. “Don’t answer that. Better yet, how far did you send your little message? And to whom?”

  Feeling guilty, Kai cocked his head east toward the mountains. “Far enough. Though I have no idea if they will come.”

  “Oh, they will come. If only to see who you are. Foolish, bloody foolish mistake. I am warning you, Kai, you must stop this before the wrong people take notice.”

  Haygan never said another word, but Kai could see the turmoil rolling around in his uncle’s head.

  ◆◆◆

  An hour later, the sky let loose. Torrential rain fell from dark clouds, soaking them in seconds. The blinding rain forced them off the road. They took shelter under a cluster of trees. Huddled together, they waited. When the rain eased, they ventured out into the drizzle.

  They needed to keep going. It was a messy wet trot. Mud splashed on the horses’ legs. Water dripped into Kai’s eyelashes, and he wiped his face. The wind shook the trees. The rain continued to pour from the sky in buckets. Thunder rolled through the clouds and lightning cracked the sky. As the rain resumed its full wrath, they were again forced from the road to wait out the weather.

  Their feet swam in growing puddles. Water collected around them faster than it could soak into the soil. Haygan nudged Dresnor. “Do you hear that?” he asked.

  “Besides the rain and wind?” Drensor’s eyebrows knit together with worry. “I don’t hear anything else. What do you hear?”

  “Water. Debris, runoff from above. I can hear it. There is a creek northeast of here, it comes down the hill and runs under the road up ahead. There, through the trees, you can see it. The stream is starting to swell. If it overflows, it will flood this area and the road ahead of us. We need to move and get back on the road before it gets washed out.”

  “Agreed,” Dresnor nodded. “We need to find higher ground. Everyone back to the road. Move quickly. Go north—to higher elevations. Then we’ll find a new place to take shelter until the storm passes.”

  Everyone started moving. Rain beat on Kai’s head and shoulders. Each footfall sank in the over-saturated soil. He used Ember to steady his stride. Water filled the ditch near the road—a foot deep. The compacted gravel road made for faster travel, but it was a muddy mess.

  Using his sight, Kai gleaned the hillside. Haygan was right; the creek was beginning to overflow. Water pushed up its banks. Debris-filled water would soon rush in their direction. “We need to move faster,” he called out.

  Through the thunder and rain, nobody heard his words. He urged Ember faster, up next to Marduk and Shane. Marduk managed two horses, his white mare and a packhorse, which pulled a small cart. “Marduk, you need to go faster,” Kai urged. “Everyone needs to move faster, or we won’t make it.”

  Marduk popped his horse’s rump and forced him into a trot, along with his packhorse. Shane kept pace, quickly putting distance between them and the rest of the group. Drew shouted to the scouts, and they charged ahead with Marduk.

  As the group divided, Kai looked between the two groups—the men pulling packhorses and carts were falling behind. Kai turned toward the stragglers, but Dresnor pulled at his arm. “No, Kai. We need to keep riding.”

  “I need to help the others,” Kai insisted. “They aren’t going to make it. Here, take Ember ahead.” He forced Ember’s reins into Dresnor’s hand and slid from the saddle. Ember, GO! Kai instructed his horse to make for the hilltop, pulling Dresnor with him.

  Kai raced to the lingering group. His uncle, Haygan, joined him, shouting through the wind and rain. “Do you seem them?” Haygan pointed into the hills. You brought them here. I warned you to stop.”

  Confused, Kai searched the mountains. High on a rocky ledge, four people stood. Their hand motions seemed familiar. Each pulled energy from their surroundings and rolled it in their hands and tossing it skyward. “What are they doing?” he yelled, but Haygan moved to help the others.
<
br />   Guards tugged at the packhorses and those pulling carts. The cart’s wheels sank into the muddy road. Panic emanated from each horse. They reared and refused to budge. Kai ran to help; he sensed their fear. Standing between them, Kai laid his hands on two horses to connect to their spirits. Calm, peaceful thoughts flowed from his soul.

  The men pulled the reins. Kai took a step, and the horses inched forward, but the carts pulled them back. The cart’s wheels did not budge—they were gripped by mud. Again, they tried. The wagon jerked, but the wheels held fast. Kai ran behind one cart, and Haygan took the other. They pushed the sinking carts free. Kai and Haygan both encouraged the horses forward. Free from the mud, they crept along.

  Yelling for the guards to go faster, Kai motioned for the guards to dart ahead. “Ride on,” Kai instructed. “Take the packhorses. We’ve got the carts.”

  The guards darted ahead, each dragging a packhorse behind their own horses. Kai and Haygan ran between the horses. With each step, they moved a little faster. The cart's wheels moved easier. Random gravel spots supported their weight. Haygan’s team moved ahead until his cart’s wheel sank in a muddy sinkhole.

  Kai ran to his uncle’s aid, hefting the cart out of the mud. With them moving again, he returned to his horse and steered them around the muddy sinkhole. Confidence flowed through his touch to the horse, and they quickly gained momentum. They trotted through the rain. Thunder and lightning cracked the sky, but the horse was not afraid.

  The others waited up the hill. The water washed over the road, and Haygan crossed in ankle-deep water. Through the trees, more water raged. Kai kept running. He could see a debris-filled wave was coming. When his team reached the overflowed creek-bed, now a raging river, Kai encouraged the horse to run into the now knee-deep flow.

  Deeper and deeper, the water rose, eroding the path in front of them. The horse hesitated. The small creek that had once run under the road now flowed freely over a fifteen-foot-wide swath. Kai urged the horse to continue. With each step, the water gushed around him. He felt the ground beneath him begin to wash away. Keep moving, he urged the horse.