High above, the moon was hidden behind a thick layer of clouds. In the darkness, he could just make Amarra out thirty yards off, and only because of her white dress. It was almost pitch black. Occasionally, the moon poked out or managed to shine through a cloud to provide a bit of light.
Karus could not have asked for a better night to make his departure. He judged it would be very difficult for anyone out in the city to see the dragons leave, even as they flew directly overhead. It was so dark that in the unlikely event they were spotted, all that would be seen from below would be the silhouettes of the massive creatures against the sky. No one would see Karus and Amarra on the creatures’ backs. At least, he hoped so.
Karus glanced around the darkened gardens. A couple of torches had been staked into the ground by the steps that led up and into the palace forty yards distant. Beyond that, there were no other light sources. That was intentional. They could not risk being seen, even by the palace sentries.
He had also taken the extra precaution of having the palace quietly emptied out, just long enough for him and Amarra to be away. Only a skeleton guard remained, along with Karus’s clerks, and they had been ordered to stay well clear of the gardens. Other than the cohort commanders, only Serma, his chief clerk, knew they were leaving.
Flickering shadows from the torches played over the damaged and overgrown gardens, giving the scene a ghostly appearance. Both dragons had made the back side of the palace their home over the last few days. The creatures had all but wrecked what remained of the once beautifully and meticulously cared for gardens, tearing up paving stones, shattering fountains, knocking over the decorative walls, and flattening the plants.
The gardens had been overgrown and neglected when the legion had arrived in Carthum. Still, it had been peaceful and pleasant enough to stroll through with Amarra as he learned her language and she Rome’s. The gardens had, in a way, been a sanctuary, well away from prying eyes. The destruction had not been done on purpose. It was just that the dragons were so massive that they could not help it.
The damage to the gardens mattered little to Karus. Carthum was only a temporary base of operations, and certainly not a permanent home. The Horde would eventually come, and from what he had learned, Karus very much doubted they would appreciate the palace gardens or Carthum, for that matter, other than for what they could loot from it. Once Karus had what he needed in transport, the legion would march and not look back. When that happened, it was very much unlikely he would ever see Carthum again. In fact, Karus planned on destroying the city as he gave it up, rather than leave anything useful for the enemy, especially the shelter it could provide.
“Let them have ruin,” Karus said to himself as his sandals slapped down on the ground.
Cyln’phax was lying down and it was still a twelve-foot climb up to her back. Karus looked back up the dragon’s side. It was a near-vertical wall of armored scales. The beasts were massive. He almost couldn’t believe they were real.
He turned to look over to Kordem to see how Amarra was progressing and had to squint to see. Holding the hem of her dress, Amarra was carefully climbing down off of Kordem’s back. He had offered to secure the packs for her, but Amarra had flatly refused him. She had insisted, making it abundantly clear to him in no uncertain terms she wanted to do the job herself. From what he could see, she seemed to have everything well in hand. So, Karus walked over to his officers. It was time to finish up his business here so they could depart.
“I think they both like her,” Dio said with a nod toward Amarra.
“They do,” Pammon said, “don’t they?”
Kordem’s head hovered over Amarra, but it wasn’t in a threatening manner. Amarra could be heard chatting pleasantly with the dragon. To Karus it was a one-sided conversation, as he could not hear Kordem’s replies. It seemed the dragons had the ability to silently communicate to whomever they wished, while screening out others when desired.
Kordem appeared much more deferential toward Amarra than Cyln’phax was to him. Now that he thought on it, both dragons showed Amarra great deference and respect. He felt himself frown as his gaze slid back to his own dragon. Cyln’phax had given him nothing but attitude, disdain, and hostility from the moment they’d met.
Like has nothing to do with it, Cyln’phax said, speaking to them all, head swinging around to look down on them balefully. We help her, human. There is a world of difference.
Dio gazed up at the dragon. He swallowed before responding. “I suppose you are correct.”
Suppose all you want, the dragon said with a condescending air. We don’t like your kind. You are beneath us, no more than dirt to be shaken off our claws at the end of the day. The dragon’s head swung to look at Amarra. However, we have sworn to assist the child of the High Father, and so we shall, to our dying breaths.
All four of them turned to look at Amarra and fell into an uneasy silence.
“I’m glad you’re going on this little journey, instead of me, that is,” Dio said, looking over at Karus with something approaching a grin. He hesitated a moment and the grin grew into a smirk. “I would like to thank you for that.”
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to save you from shouldering my burden,” Karus said, feeling sour but at the same time somewhat amused. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
Dio grew serious. “Are you certain you don’t want to take a few men with you?”
“No,” Karus said with a glance at the dragon. He had thought about it, and brought it up, but the dragons had refused him. “They said they’d take only the two of us, and that we don’t need more.” Karus paused. “This is something I think Amarra and I must do ourselves, as the High Father charged us with retrieving Rarokan.”
Dio gave an unhappy nod, but looked far from convinced.
Karus turned to Felix, who had been out and about in the city until just a short while ago.
“Did Xresex do as I asked him?” Karus asked.
“Once Amarra explained things to him,” Felix said, “he was only too eager to help. He sent several of his boys to act as emissaries on our behalf. I was delayed seeing them off. Getting them on the horses was a bit of a challenge. None of them had ever seen a horse before.” Felix paused and chucked. He looked up at Cyln’phax and then back at Karus. “In a way, it’s kind of like you and the dragons. I am sure the prospect of riding a dragon is a bit disconcerting for you too.”
“There is a lot of truth in that,” Karus said.
“Well,” Felix continued, “Valens will make sure they get to the bands of refugees he’s located. Though we don’t yet speak this common tongue, I am sure Xresex’s boys will do a good job of passing along the same offer you gave his bunch.” He paused and glanced at the dragons. “With luck, you will be back before any additional groups can join us, which I think is good. As our commander, you need to meet their leaders yourself before accepting them into the city. There are bound to be peoples whom we simply cannot live with. They will be either downright hostile or have too much barbarian in them.”
“Agreed,” Karus said, pleased that offers were going out to the nearest bands of refugees. From the latest report he’d received from Valens, ten such groups had been spotted moving through the region and were close enough to easily contact. How many would come, he did not know. With luck, several of these groups would accept his offer of shelter and food in exchange for their fighting men serving alongside Karus’s legionaries. This would ultimately increase his combat power. On the downside, it would also mean he’d have more mouths to feed. One solution created another problem.
“I’m still unhappy with this arrangement,” Dio said. “We invited them into the city. I can’t help but think we might want to delay with these other groups until we know for certain how well it will go. We take in too many and soon we might find ourselves outnumbered. It creates a security concern. Heck, we don’t know if this will work out with Xresex’s bunch.”
“That’s right,” Karus said, anger
coloring his voice somewhat. “We won’t know until we’ve tried.”
Karus sucked in a calming breath and paused before letting it out. He had to remind himself they’d not seen the vision of the enemy that the High Father had shown Karus. Besides, Karus was already unhappy at having to leave, even if it was only for a handful of days. It was unfair to take it out on his friend. Dio was only being honest with his opinion, which was something Karus valued.
“Dio,” Karus said, starting again, “it may have escaped your notice, but evil is sweeping across this land. We need allies if we are to stand any chance at all of escaping this world. We need allies sooner rather than later.” He paused and looked at his officers. “All of you have laid eyes on the orcs, but you’ve not seen the Horde. The High Father showed me our enemy. I tell you, what I saw is terrifying. You need to believe me in this. We have to take a chance on these people. It is the only way I see of us having a shot at beating the odds, which are stacked heavily against us.”
Dio held up his hands. “Karus, I did not mean to—”
Cyln’phax laughed. It was a dark, almost bitter sound that rang in his head. Karus knew they’d all heard it because their heads turned toward the dragon, gazing upward.
Terrifying does not begin to describe the Horde, Cyln’phax said to them. The dragon’s intense gaze bored down upon them. The words boomed in their minds. This world is a backwater. The Horde on Tannis is but a tiny shadow of what it is on other worlds. Still, that shadow alone should keep you all awake at night. The enemy is coming for us. It will not rest. There is no reasoning, no negotiated peace. There will be no mercy. The Horde will keep coming until we all have fallen. The dragon fell silent a moment. The Horde terrifies me more than you can ever hope to comprehend.
Pammon, Dio, and Felix exchanged glances. Karus knew what they were thinking. Whatever frightened such a fearsome creature as Cyln’phax was something to be taken very seriously. Karus turned back to the others. He needed to use what the dragon said to reinforce his own position.
“I could not have said it better. That is why we need additional allies,” Karus said, gesturing toward the dragon. “We will not be able to face what is coming by ourselves.”
No, you cannot, the dragon said. I am pleased one amongst you has some semblance of common sense. I have come to learn it is a rare quality with you humans.
Karus glanced up at the dragon and shook his head. Cyln’phax shifted almost impatiently, and the ground trembled with the dragon’s movement. Karus understood it was time to go. There was no point in delaying. The sooner he was away, the quicker he’d be back.
“Right,” Karus said, turning to Pammon. “I should be gone no more than a week at most. Look after the shop for me, will you, Pammon?” Karus paused and felt a shadow of a grin tug at his lips. “Try to keep Dio out of trouble, will you?”
“Me?” Dio asked, suddenly looking hurt. “Cause trouble? Karus, how long have we known each other?”
“Yes, he means you.” Felix grinned.
“We’ll hold things together for you,” Pammon assured him, sharing a look with the other two officers. “Don’t you worry. Get that bloody sword and return to us quick as you can.”
“We will deal with everything else after that,” Felix added, “including finding additional allies.”
A sheepish expression crossed over Dio’s face. He jabbed a thumb at Felix. “What he said.”
Karus gave a nod before turning away and walking over to Amarra. She had climbed up to secure the last pack and was clambering back down off the dragon’s back. A look of excitement shone in her eyes as she spotted him coming over. Her hair had been tied back into a single tight braid, that ran down her back.
“I ready,” Amarra said. “Are you?”
“I am,” Karus said, wondering if he should check her packs to make sure they were properly secured. No, he decided after a moment’s reflection. It was important that he show trust in her. “Let’s get moving, then, shall we?”
Amarra grinned as she looked up into his eyes. Her enthusiasm was almost infectious—almost. Despite being deeply troubled about leaving, he felt a slight lightening of his mood. Absently, he glanced back at his officers, who were talking amongst themselves. They certainly appeared troubled. It was no more than he felt himself, and his concerns about leaving returned in a rush. He sucked in a deep breath and released it.
As he turned back to Amarra, she leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
“Have faith in High Father,” Amarra said and kissed him again. “You no worry so much.”
“It’s kept me alive this long,” Karus said.
“Put worries aside. Now we fly.” Amarra shot him a wink and turned back to Kordem. She hiked up her dress, exposing her shapely legs, and began climbing back up onto the dragon’s back. As he watched her pull herself up using the dragon’s scales for handholds, Karus brought a hand up to his cheek where she had kissed him. He shook his head and chuckled. Amarra had a boundless optimism that he found quite refreshing, almost invigorating and restorative to the spirit. He found he could breathe a little easier when Amarra was around.
Karus walked back to Cyln’phax. The dragon swung her head around to regard him as he approached, but said nothing. With a nod to his officers, Karus gripped at the rough edges of the armored scales that ran along the dragon’s side and pulled himself up and onto her back. Climbing in his armor took some effort. Once up, he made for the spot he’d selected for himself. He had left thick leather straps to tie himself onto the dragon’s back just ahead of where he had secured the packs.
Glancing at the massive wings, which were still folded back, Karus knew with certainty in moments he would be in the air. He found that thought more than a little disconcerting. The dragon had warned him to tie himself down, and Karus fully intended to do so.
He made himself comfortable, for he understood he would be in that position for some hours to come. Karus began tying the straps around his waist. He tied the other ends of the straps tightly around several of the closest spikes. Once he had finished work on the knots, he checked them again just to be certain they would hold, tugging on each for good measure. It was a makeshift job, but would do. Should traveling by dragonback become a regular occurrence, Karus wondered if some form of a saddle could be fashioned to make it more comfortable for the rider. It was certainly something to think on.
Are you prepared, human? Cyln’phax asked, looking back at him. Karus sensed an eagerness to be off and away.
“My name is Karus.”
Your name is “human” until you prove to me you deserve to be called by anything other. With that, Cyln’phax arched her head up into the air. The dragon stood, causing Karus to rock alarmingly on her back. The leather straps tied about his waist held him firmly in place. Despite that, he grabbed onto the nearest spike to his front. Cyln’phax extended her wings. Karus looked over at his officers below and to the right.
Pammon, Dio, and Felix backpedaled rapidly, seeking to gain space as the dragon’s massive, leathery wings unfolded. Karus could not believe the creature’s wingspan, which he estimated to be at least one hundred thirty feet.
Beneath him, he felt the dragon flex her powerful shoulders. The wings extended farther. A heartbeat later, she gave a mighty flap, leaping forward and up into the air. Then, she gave another powerful flap of her wings. Karus felt pressed into his seat. He looked down and was alarmed to see the ground, shrouded in darkness, rapidly retreating from view. He gripped the spike even tighter as the dragon continued to climb, beating her wings in steady pulses that propelled them upward and at greater speed into the night sky. The cool night air, at first a breeze, began to blow as a strong wind in his face.
Karus glanced backward, wondering how Amarra was faring. Behind them, perhaps one hundred yards distant, he saw Kordem following after Cyln’phax, wings pumping at the air. In the darkness, Karus could barely make out Amarra on Kordem’s back. Karus suddenly grinned. Somehow, he s
uspected she was fully enjoying the experience of flying. He could almost picture her delightedly laughing.
His stomach clenched as he looked downward at the ground far below them. He’d never much liked heights. Flying like a bird, Karus decided, was an experience he could have happily done without.
Cyln’phax began to beat her wings at an increased pace. Judging by the force of the wind, the dragon was continuing to pick up speed, even as she climbed ever higher into the night sky. Karus turned back to face front. The wind blew more strongly in his face, whipping about his ears. It was like standing outside in a storm, without the rain, facing the power of the wind head on, the strength of it trying to batter him backward.
He looked down again and off to the right. Much of the city below was obscured in darkness. There were few lights, as it was very late. He was able to make out the city walls marked by the sentries’ watchfires and torches. They twinkled as little, bright sparks in the greater darkness.
The watchfires disappeared beneath the dragon’s wings as they left the city behind, even as they climbed higher and higher. The moon abruptly appeared, slipping from behind a cloud in all its brightness. It illuminated the edges of the nearest clouds. They were so close, Karus almost felt he could reach out and touch them. It was an incredible thought and he marveled at it for a moment before looking downward again toward the ground. The moon bathed the land beneath them in a pale white glow. Karus sucked in a breath at the beauty of the view.
Without any warning, and just as he was getting comfortable with flying, Cyln’phax abruptly banked to the right and tucked her wings back. She dove for the ground. Karus’s stomach did a backflip as the land below them began rushing up to meet them. He clung tightly to the spike, wondering if something was wrong, even as he floated up off his seat an inch or so before the straps stopped any further movement. The wind buffeted his face and chest, pushing powerfully against his death grip on the spike and the straps. The wind screamed through his helmet. He did his best to keep from crying out in panic as the dragon hurtled toward the ground.
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