‘Here you are,’ he said. ‘I thought perhaps that you had changed your minds.’
‘That’s what you were hoping, wasn’t it?’ said Ashfall. ‘Your presence surprises me, as does Deepblue’s. What do you hope to gain by coming along?’
‘Sanguino asked us to be his witnesses,’ said Deepblue, her voice almost lost in the wind.
‘I gathered that,’ replied Ashfall; ‘I’m just amazed that you both said yes.’
‘Where are the others?’ said Broadwing. ‘I had assumed that Deathfang and some of his council would be joining us today.’
‘He sent me,’ said Ashfall. She stared at him, as if daring him to ask why, and he looked away.
Sable could guess the reason, but she kept her mouth shut. Deathfang was afraid of Grimsleep; they all were, and she knew that Sanguino’s stock had risen considerably in the Catacombs by his mere act of challenging him.
They set off eastwards, Sable happy to melt into the background, to ensure that Sanguino was the focus of attention. This day was all about him, and she needed to make sure that he took the credit if they were successful.
The rivers of lava stretched for miles before slowing and hardening into dark basalt, and they flew over the cracked and broken ground as the mountains ahead of them grew larger. Deep ravines cut across the valley, along with ridges and ragged cliffs, where lava poured into basins. The heat rose, as did the thick vapours, which swirled around them. In the distance, Sable caught sight of a pair of dragons flying over the mountains.
‘We’ve been seen,’ she said to Sanguino.
‘Indeed. Look at them, fleeing back to their caves. No doubt Grimsleep will soon be informed that Catacombs dragons are on their way.’
She sensed a flicker of doubt in his mind.
‘Are you going to be all right with this? Patricide is taken very seriously among humans.’
‘And among dragons also, my rider, but Grimsleep is no longer my father.’
They flew until the mouths of the caves where the outlaws lived became visible, then they paused for a moment, circling.
‘I shall remain here,’ said Ashfall. ‘I will witness what occurs.’
‘I think I will stay here too,’ said Broadwing. ‘I will come to your assistance, Sanguino, if others get involved.’
Ashfall snorted. ‘I wouldn’t depend upon that.’
Deepblue hesitated. While Sable was linked to Sanguino, she wasn’t able to go into the small dragon’s mind to reassure her, and she looked terrified.
Tell Deepblue she can stay too.
‘Deepblue,’ said Sanguino, ‘please remain here with the others. I shall press on alone.’
‘Are you sure?’ said the blue dragon. ‘I mean, I will, if you say so.’
‘I do.’ Sanguino moved ahead, then turned to face the other three dragons. ‘What I am about to do, I do to redeem myself, and to bring peace and security to the Catacombs. If I am victorious, I shall return with the head of the tyrant who seeks to oppress us; and if I fall, I would ask only that you honour my name.’
‘We shall,’ said Ashfall. ‘Two months ago, Sanguino, you were a blind and feeble dragon; yet today you prove your courage. I wish my father were here to see it, but in his absence I wish you good luck; may you tear out the throat of that vile beast, and leave his flesh for the worms to devour.’
Sanguino tilted his head, then turned and sped off, his speed surging as he raced over the last two hundred yards towards the caves.
I know the part you fear most, said Sable in his mind. Be brave; it is the victory that matters, nothing else.
Twenty yards from the caves, Sanguino halted, hovering over the ruined ground, which was covered in the scattered bones of hunted animals.
‘Where is Grimsleep?’ he bellowed. ‘Will the coward known as Grimsleep emerge, or is he too scared to face me?’
A green dragon swooped down from the mountains, then darted into a cavern, its head turning to watch. Other heads poked out from the row of caves, all staring at Sanguino. Sable readied the leather sheet, getting ready to burrow beneath it.
‘I must assume,’ Sanguino called out, ‘that Grimsleep is too craven to face me. Or perhaps he is feigning deafness, pretending that I am not here. That would not surprise me. Everyone knows he is a snivelling coward; nothing but a bully who takes pleasure in tormenting the weak. Why do you all put up with such a worthless leader?’
A low growling laugh came from one of the caves, and Grimsleep’s head emerged from the shadows.
‘I thought for a moment I was dreaming,’ he said, his eyes glowing, ‘but no, it really is my former son, come to die.’
‘Come out and fight,’ cried Sanguino, ‘and we will see which of us is to die.’
Grimsleep yawned and stretched his forelimbs. ‘I heard Blackrose has run off; did she tire of your pathetic and feeble ways?’
‘You told me I would never fly again, yet look at me. You were wrong then, and you are wrong now.’
The huge black and red dragon eased his massive bulk out of the cave, and unfurled his great wings. He glanced around at the other dragons.
‘This won’t take long. Watch and learn.’
He beat his wings and rose up into the sky, then unleashed a torrent of flames down at Sanguino. Sable was ready, and she ducked under the thick covering as Sanguino was bathed in fire. He reared up to protect her from the worst of it, then let loose with his own flames as Grimsleep descended to attack him from above. His jaws opened, and Sanguino lashed out with his talons. Sable knew that he was temporarily blinded by her being under the thick cover, and she flung it off, her hands scalded from touching the scorched and burnt leather. She unclasped the buckles and let it fall; it had done its job.
As soon as Grimsleep closed with Sanguino, the dark red dragon turned and fled.
Grimsleep laughed. ‘See? He flees! Too late, however. There will be no escape for you this day.’
The black and red dragon surged after Sanguino, his speed catching him up as the younger dragon hurtled away, heading south-west away from the caves.
Be brave, Sable said; stick to the plan.
This part pains me so.
I know, my beloved Sanguino, I know. It’ll be over soon.
Grimsleep was gaining on them with every moment that passed, and Sable concentrated with all her strength, using her battle-vision to guide Sanguino’s reactions. They dived down into a deep ravine, where a river of lava was flowing, and raced along it, Grimsleep only yards behind. The ravine twisted through the broken landscape of dark basalt, and Sanguino kept low as he sped along. The cliffs grew higher on either side of the narrow canyon, and the bottom was filled with molten rock. Ahead, the ravine came to an abrupt end, where a broad pool of lava bubbled and steamed, and Sanguino banked sharply to avoid hitting the cliffs. He turned, and landed on a ledge of rock by the banks of the molten pool. Grimsleep reared up, his claws out.
‘There’s nowhere to hide,’ he growled down at Sanguino. ‘You should have stayed in your miserable tomb on the Catacombs, pining for Blackrose. Where is your mother now?’
‘Blackrose was a better parent than you ever were,’ said Sanguino.
‘Then where is she? I wonder; was it her fear of me, or her contempt for you that made her leave?’ His eyes caught sight of Sable. ‘I see you have an insect upon your shoulders; it was most considerate of you to have brought me breakfast.’ He laughed. ‘I will savour the taste of her flesh once you lie dead and broken before me.’
Sable cast her vision up to the side of the cliff.
Now, Maddie!
At the top of the cliff, she could see two figures among the rocks, each wielding the tools they had brought. Together, they broke down the little dam that Sanguino had made the night before, sending a torrent of liquid rock pouring from the side of the cliff. Lava burst down into the ravine, showering Grimsleep with molten rock. His right wing dipped under the weight, his thick skin smoking and burning, and he screamed in pain. At th
e same time, Sable broke her connection to Sanguino and drove her powers into the huge dragon’s mind, his agony lowering his resistance to her. She filled him with a blinding terror as more lava covered his right wing and the rear of his body; the stench of burning scales and dragon flesh filling her nostrils.
She reconnected to Sanguino and he surged forwards, his jaws opening. Grimsleep’s front talons were raised, but Sanguino swept past them, his teeth clamping round Grimsleep’s throat, and his own claws ripping down the chest of the huge dragon. Bones crunched and snapped in Grimsleep’s neck as Sanguino closed his jaws, and Grimsleep’s body began to fall. His tail hit the lava pool, then his rear limbs sank into the abyss of molten rock. Sable gripped onto the harness as waves of heat and vapours enveloped them. Sanguino beat his wings, using all of his great strength, and tore through Grimsleep’s neck, severing the huge, scarred head. The rest of him fell into the pool amid an eruption of steam and vapours as Sanguino retreated, his father’s head gripped in his front claws. He flew to the end of the ravine and collapsed onto the rocky ledge. A plume of lava had sprayed across his left flank, and the scales were blistered and angry-looking, and Sable could feel the pain tear through him.
You did it, my brave Badblood.
Sanguino gazed down at the head of Grimsleep on the rocks next to him. ‘I did.’
Sable shot her vision back up to Maddie.
Perfect timing, Maddie, perfect. Now hide; Ashfall and the others are coming.
She saw them scurry into the rocks of the cliffside as three dark specks approached through the sky. Ashfall was in the lead, with Broadwing and Deepblue behind her. Deathfang’s daughter raced towards them, then stared down in disbelief. Half of Grimsleep’s headless body lay next to the pool of lava, while the other half was submerged beneath the molten rock. Her eyes went to the monstrous head lying by Sanguino, and she let out a gasp.
‘You did it!’ cried Deepblue, coming closer.
The small blue dragon swooped down and landed next to Sanguino, her nose sniffing at the burns along his flank.
‘How?’ said Ashfall, hovering above them. ‘We saw you flee in terror.’
‘I tricked him,’ said Sanguino. ‘I made him think I was scared, and then I turned here, made my stand, and slew him. With my own teeth, I tore out his throat. The beast is dead.’
Ashfall tilted her head, as if bowing before him. ‘I underestimated you.’ A laugh escaped her. ‘My father will have trouble believing this, but I am a witness.’
‘As am I,’ said Broadwing. ‘This was a mighty deed, Sanguino.’
‘I told you,’ said Deepblue; ‘I told you he could do it.’
Sable smiled, feeling the intense pride swelling through Sanguino. It had been her plan, and her stubbornness that had cajoled them into carrying it out, but she was content for the dark red dragon to take all the glory. She lifted her hands from the harness grip, and noticed that they were scalded and shaking. Her clothes were ruined from the flames, and she started to feel the pain from the burns she had received.
‘Go back to your father,’ Sanguino said to Ashfall, ‘and bear him the news. I shall follow on in a moment, and I shall deliver the head of Grimsleep to Deathfang as I swore I would.’
Ashfall tilted her head again, then beat her grey wings and soared away to the west. Sanguino sagged as soon as she had departed, as if exhaustion and pain were about to overcome him.
‘Deepblue,’ said Sable. ‘Maddie and Millen are up on the cliff, as they too wished to witness the fall of Grimsleep. Please bring them down here, and be careful; humans are very fragile.’
‘I shall,’ she said, then took off.
‘My rider,’ Sanguino said once they were alone; ‘without you, none of this could have happened. You are bonded to me now, and I to you. I never thought it possible that I could love a human, but I love you. Promise me that you will be my rider forever.’
‘I promise.’
‘And I make this promise to you; I will protect you, always. You are mine.’
Deepblue returned, a human clasped in each forelimb, and set them down gently next to Sanguino. Maddie ran towards the dark red dragon, and clambered up the harness as quickly as she could. She stared at Sable for a moment, her eyes wide, then threw her arms around her.
‘Ouch,’ groaned Sable. ‘Careful. I got a little bit scorched back there.’
‘A little bit?’ said Maddie. ‘Malik’s ass, Sable, that was insane. You are insane.’
Millen joined them, and they strapped themselves into the harness.
‘Are you ready?’ said Sable.
‘I am,’ said Sanguino.
He gripped onto Grimsleep’s gigantic head with his forelimbs, as Deepblue soared upwards to join Broadwing, who was circling overhead.
‘Let’s go home,’ said Sable. ‘We’ll take the head to Deathfang, and after that, I think I might need to go for a little lie down.’
Chapter 9
The Vow
A lea Tanton, Tordue, Western Khatanax – 12th Luddinch 5252
Belinda walked into Leksandr’s study, and the demigod courtier closed the door behind her. The room was in semi-darkness, with the shutters closed to keep out the bright sunshine. The Sixth Ascendant was sitting on the floor in front of the Sextant, his eyes closed.
‘You asked for me?’ said Belinda.
Leksandr said nothing. Belinda frowned and remained where she was, watching the Ascendant for any signs of movement. His chest was rising and falling, but he seemed to be deep in meditation.
‘Leksandr?’
Nothing. Belinda sighed and sat down on one of the chairs by the wall. She had been summoned, no doubt, to provide an update on her search for a Quadrant related to the salve world, but perhaps he had forgotten. She glanced around the room, then settled in the chair to wait.
Her thoughts went to Silva, and she wondered how her great granddaughter’s search was going. She had been contacting her most days, and during the previous morning had spoken to her after she had arrived by ship in Capston in the Southern Cape. The rumours swirling around the town all said that Belinda had surrendered to the old enemy, and that the rebellion was finally at an end; and the news had saddened Belinda. Silva’s spirits remained high, however, and her mission had given her new purpose. Belinda had ensured that the vision gods and demigods who were sweeping the continent looking for Kelsey had finished with the Southern Cape, and she had directed them to move their search northwards to Kinell, starting with its capital Kin Dai. Belinda’s own search had also moved there, after she had re-visited the cavern of Fordamere by vision. It had been painful to gaze upon the unburied bodies of the slaughtered Fordians that littered the streets and plazas of the Yoneath, and her hatred of the Ascendants had grown. Within the cavern itself, she had followed the tunnels where she had seen Van and Sohul take Corthie, but beyond that the trail had gone cold.
Aside from the searches, the rulers of Old Alea had been occupied with the aftermath of the great earthquake that had struck twenty days previously. Thousands had died; exactly how many, no one would ever know, as no regular census was maintained in the city, and the slums that had been affected were inhabited by untold numbers of the poor. Tens of thousands had been rendered homeless, not only by the earthquake, but by the devastating fires that had raged for days, incinerating entire districts. With winter looming, starvation was going to finish off many more, but neither Arete nor Leksandr seemed concerned by the toll on mortal lives; keeping the population pliant and under control was of far more importance to them. Both the Bloodflies and the Blue Thumbs had hosted games since then, in an attempt to persuade everyone that normality had been restored, but the city granaries were almost empty, and the free food dole had been suspended. Soldiers were being recruited rapidly, in expectation of the riots that would inevitably follow once the markets ran out of anything to sell.
She began to grow impatient, and sent a tendril of her vision powers across the room to Leksandr. His eyes were cl
osed, leaving her unable to access his mind, not that she would have been brave enough to do it. She stood, and paced the room for a moment, then her eyes caught on a wall display above the cold hearth. A round iron shield was pinned to the wall, and below it was an old sword. She swallowed, her gaze going from the sword to Leksandr. She walked to the hearth before she could stop herself, her steps light. The sword looked like it hadn’t been moved from the wall in many years, and the blade was tarnished and stained.
It would still work, she told herself. Leksandr was unarmed, and oblivious to her presence. She remembered the promise she had made to herself to kill them. There had never been an opportunity to do so, but it was also true that she hadn’t gone out of her way to try. Her fear had kept her cautious, and she had never progressed from fantasising about their deaths to putting any such plan into operation. Her hand reached for the blade.
The door swung open and Arete strode into the room.
‘Leksandr,’ she cried, not seeming to even notice Belinda; ‘get up.’
Belinda turned, her arm dropping to her side.
‘What are you doing here?’ said Arete, her eyes beginning to narrow. ‘What were you up to just now?’
Belinda frowned. ‘I’m waiting for Leksandr; he summoned me.’
‘Why didn’t you just wake him?’
‘I didn’t want to interrupt his meditation, or whatever he’s doing.’
Arete rolled her eyes, then stepped forward and shook Leksandr’s shoulder. ‘Wake up.’
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