“I warn you ’bout bad man. He get you if you stay. Must go to hide cave.” The Frary stood up, bouncing from foot to webbed foot on Taslessian’s shoulder.
“Is this bad man Domati?’ Darci queried, wondering if Taslessian had any more sweets with him, but before she could get her answer, Gorak took off to fly ahead. “Wait!” she cried, but the Frary did not pause, forcing both of them to jog to keep him in sight. As they followed the tiny dragon creature off the animal trail, the trees appeared to grow closer together making their progress slow, the surrounding environment eventually turning into a jungle-like forest with vine-like plants dangling from the trees blocking their vision of not only what lay ahead, but also what lay behind. Gorak finally stopped at what appeared to be a wall of shrubs and vines that could not even be broken by the light. Small, dead trees strangled by a plague of creeping vines lay before them. To their surprise, at the touch of a cautions hand, the wall of brush gave way, revealing a cave opening.
A damp and decomposing smell greeted Taslessian and Darci as they forced their way through the creepers. Blinking, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the darkness, Darci could barely make out the form of Taslessian standing just ahead of her. The young wizard had picked up a dead branch on the way in, and with a flick of his hand he set it alight so that they could all see. The flaming light leapt up the enclosed walls to reveal dark green moss covering most of the grey stone. On an outcropping rock, decorated with blue and green mottled mushrooms, perched Gorak. Both of them turned to the Frary, who regarded them patiently with his large bug eyes.
“Who is the bad man?” Taslessian repeated.
Gorak averted his vision, looking around the cave, avoiding the apprentice’s gaze until he received another sweet. “Is no bad man,” he answered. “Sweet man said tell you come here. Sweet man wants to talk to you. Sweet man mean no harm. Sweet man… Sweet…” Gorak fluttered around the cave as his small tittering giggle tickled their ears. It was as if he felt uncomfortable because of the deception he had just revealed. Either that or too may sweets caused hyperactivity in Frarys. His wings moved so fast that they were a blur of orange and green as he zipped from one side of the cave to the other.
“I think we should leave.” Taslessian looked worried as his eyes flicked around the cave. Darci quickly agreed because neither her nor Taslessian wished to be trapped in a cave with an unknown enemy. She wondered how they could be so stupid as to fall into such a trap, for both felt exposed despite the encompassing walls of the cave.
They made their way back over the slick floor towards the entrance, but before they got there, two hands pierced the dense foliage, separating it like curtains. There was someone in their way.
“Let us pass,” demanded Taslessian in a voice deeper and more threatening than Darci thought possible. He held his short-sword at the ready, almost looking as if he could use it.
“You can leave if you want to for I cannot stop you.” The stranger stepped to one side of the cave entrance to show his passive intent.
With the light now shining past the new arrival, his face was visible. The strange man was almost a head shorter than Darci. He had a pointy nose and small beady eyes with hair that was a brown ring around his otherwise bald cranium. He was clothed in a simple brown robe with a hood, complete with a plated, white rope belt. He did not look like he could hurt anything, and Darci was more curious than afraid of this man, as he actually looked like a religious and peaceful monk from her world. Mentally she shook herself as she realised that she could not compare her world to this, as stereotyping could be deadly.
“Who are you?” she asked without preamble. Her nerves were on edge.
“I am the faithful servant of Grisham, one of the great wise dragons.” He bowed his head in greeting before continuing on to explain why he had been sent to meet them. Grisham’s servant was to direct them to the cave of the great dragon. He then pulled his hands out of his pockets, clasping something within his fists.
“I have a gift for you.” Opening his hands, he revealed two amulets attached to golden chains. He gave the first one to Darci and the other to Taslessian. In the centre of each was a red gem, and if you looked close enough you could see a picture within. Taslessian’s was of a young wizard with a blazing staff, whereas Darci’s blue gem contained a portrait of a female in armour with a blazing sword.
“What’s the catch?” she asked. She did not trust the weird man, no matter how harmless he looked. How did she know whether or not he was telling the truth? It was hard for her not to fall for his innocent appearance, which in itself made her all the more wary.
Both the stranger and Taslessian looked confused, each looking at her with questions in their eyes. They obviously did not know what Darci meant by her abrupt distrust, so she chose to rephrase her question.
“Why are you giving us these valuable medallions? And what do you want from us in return?” she said, surprised at both the difference between their languages and the similarities. Even after all her conversations with Taslessian she was not yet used to talking simply.
The man sighed. “My master, the great dragon Grisham, wishes for you to have these. Why? He did not think it necessary for me to know. I do not want anything in return. I am merely doing my master’s bidding.” The monk man turned to leave the cave. “Now, we should start walking if we wish to avoid the wizard Domati. He seeks the different one, and if we do not start now he will catch up to us, and then there will be no way for us to stop him from getting what he wants.” He looked Darci up and down with a blank expression, perhaps unsure as to why she of all creatures was so valuable. Personally, Darci did not see it either, but she was not planning on waiting for Domati to find out.
Without another word, the man walked out of the cave, not even bothering to hold the wall of plants at bay. Taslessian put the amulet in his pocket and followed him without hesitation, but Darci was more reluctant. She did not trust this man, but she had no choice. If she did not follow Taslessian, Domati would capture her, and if she did follow him, who knew what dangers lay ahead? So she forced her way through the foliage, taking out her fear and frustration on the unsuspecting plants. She had no choice but to put her talisman around her neck as she jogged off after them.
The strange metal gave her a tingly feeling wherever it touched her as she placed it under her shirt. It began to burn against her bare skin but for some unknown reason she did not remove it. The burning spread throughout her body, halting her jog mid step. Inside, her emotions changed, bringing with them a strange sense of comfort. The talisman appeared to give her a new sense of bravery and relief from the stress she had been feeling. It took her breath away, but as quickly as the feeling had come, it left again, as if it had never been.
Darci was going to ask Taslessian about this but she decided against it. He appeared to be too innocent, simply taking this guy for his word. She had not picked him to be a person to follow someone without question considering the apparent dangers of this world, but who else did she have? There was no one else to turn to. Never had she felt more alone.
Chapter 3
The sun had sunk towards the western horizon, leaving only a light blue sky to show amongst the orange clouds above them. Birds were beginning to roost as their calls were gradually replaced by the chirping of crickets, eager to get the night underway. It was not until their shadows had begun to meld with that of others that Grisham’s servant finally decided to call a stop to their travels.
After a moment’s discussion, Darci left the camp again, purposely crushing an offending daisy on her way. She had to collect wood for the campfire. If we don’t have a fire, what we eat will be cold, she thought sarcastically. Taslessian and Grisham’s servant, whom Darci had decided to privately call the Monk Man, had stopped walking to make camp. “Great,” she had said to herself, “a rest!” But she had been mistaken. As soon as she had sat down, Taslessian and the Monk Man both looked at her and started to make hints about a campfire a
nd how they needed to talk about what was going to happen. In other words, they wanted Darci to get the wood so they could talk about her.
So, somewhat annoyed, she tramped around the forest, kicking a small rock around as she looked through the underbrush for firewood. It was not long, however, before Darci began to take a greater interest in her surroundings. They were still in the forest of giant trees but as they neared the mountain range, the trees had thinned, and patches of grass could be seen here and there with the greater absence of undergrowth. As it had been ever since coming to this world, life here was abundant. The sound of the crickets’ dusk symphony was a comforting and familiar background noise. Off in the distance, however, animal calls of no kind that Darci recognised could be heard. As she looked around to try to locate some of the local wildlife, her eyes came to rest on a particularly large tree.
“This is amazing,” she said out loud. The remarkable tree looked as if it had been purposely grown so someone her size could climb it. It reminded her of the Far Away Tree, a favourite story of hers back home by Enid Blyton. Stars had started to shine through the darkening blue of night. It was almost dark at the top of the tree, but even so, she thought she would be able to see for miles once she was up there. Perhaps even the silhouette of the mountains they were supposed to reach soon.
Back in Darci’s world, her and Kellie used to walk around town looking for large trees to climb when they had nothing else to do. Darci held back a sigh of sadness. She missed her best friend. Usually they were inseparable, but she would be home soon. What a story this would make for the telling, even if no one would actually believe her.
Nimbly, she climbed up the lower branches, easily winding her body up and around the tree trunk. As she was balancing on a particularly thick branch, a noise suddenly distracted her. She crouched down to cling to the branch that she was on. She had seen something move out of the corner of her eye. Inching closer to a small hollow in the tree, she could see some kind of nest with a small, blue dragon sitting on a large, smooth stone. The tiny dragon looked straight into her eyes, showing no fear or even any acknowledgment of her presence. It was an amazing instance that Darci knew she would remember forever. Slowly she reached out her hand towards it to see what it would do, wary, just in case it was vicious. Just before she reached it, the little dragon let out a high-pitched call causing the unsuspecting teen to fall backwards.
This time, Darci could not grab the branch she was on to stop herself. An instant passed where time seemed to stand still, her arms wobbling as she tried to regain her balance, all to no avail. As she continued to fall, she closed her eyes, fearing the worst. With a jerk, her eyes suddenly opened again. The seat of her pants had caught on a branch and she found herself hanging upside-down in the large tree. The little dragon was still yelling and her pants were trying their best to come off. Slowly she reached up, but as she moved, the material tore slightly causing her to freeze, her only movement caused by the breeze blowing her hair gently out of her eyes. Darci let out the breath she had been holding while she looked around, wondering how she would get out of this mess without breaking something.
The dragon’s call echoed around the trees while little animals scurried under leaves and birds were startled out of the surrounding trees, fleeing the dreaded cacophony. A moment’s silence ensued whilst the little beast paused for breath, only to continue its outcry again, eventually disturbing the conversation between Taslessian and the Monk Man.
“That’s a baby splice dragon,” said the Monk Man in a dull tone, “and it sounds upset. Whatever disturbed it had best watch out because when the mother gets back, she’s going to be mad.”
Taslessian looked at him with dreaded knowledge showing on his face. Springing up from where he was sitting, he began to run towards the sound. He knew that if there were trouble, Darci would be in the thick of it. Only an offworlder would be stupid enough to approach such a beast. Long gangly legs easily leapt over uneven ground as he made his way unerringly towards his new friend. Cool air ran its fingers through his hair, the wail of the dragon covering the sound of his laboured breath, but not the thundering beat of his heart. If Darci had disturbed the dragon she could be in danger without ever knowing it. Splice dragons usually left their young alone in some small, seemingly safe nest whilst they hunted. However, food was never far. The adults were usually harmless, but like any animal, they could be deadly if they thought that their offspring were in jeopardy. The razor sharp tail was a deadly weapon and with its tail, it had been known to slice a man clear in half.
The sound of the dragon became louder and louder until Taslessian could no longer tell which direction it came from. He looked frantically for his friend, waiting until the dragon again paused for breath.
“Darci!” he yelled when silence broke the call.
“Up here!” came the unsteady reply.
Taslessian looked up and was startled to see Darci, dangling upside- down from the tree. “I’m hanging from my pants and they’re about to rip!”
Taslessian was up the tree like a monkey; placing one foot atop the highest root before springing up to grab a hold of the branch just below his friend. He braced himself against another limb so he would be able to lift her out of the tree, but he was too late. With an indignant squawk and a rush of air, the adult splice dragon returned. Without further warning, its tail slashed downwards at the possible threat to her child. Splinters of wood forced Taslessian to close his eyes as the tail bit into the trunk of the tree where his head had just been. He struggled to keep his balance as his hands grabbed thin air, and to his horror, he fell backwards, taking only seconds to hit the ground. The air rushed out of his lungs with a rush.
The sound of material tearing made him look up again, only he wished that he hadn’t. Darci’s arms flailed wildly, as, with both eyes shut, she quickly followed the fate of her friend. But instead of hitting the ground with the bone snapping noise that she expected, her fall was met with a groan.
“Are you okay?” she asked, being careful not to press further on Taslessian as she scrambled to her feet.
“The ground broke my fall,” he replied sarcastically.
Darci held out her hand to help him up, and without thinking, she pulled him up too fast, causing him to bump into her. There was a moment of dead silence as he looked deep into her eyes.
Darci’s heart leapt as he continued to gaze at her. Suddenly she began to notice how good looking he was, his strong jaw line still smooth with youth, his dark brown eyes…
Taslessian was the first to break eye contact with an uncomfortable cough. He turned away, but he was not quick enough to hide the blush that had risen to his cheeks. As he turned back to face her, he started to laugh. Now it was Darci’s turn to blush, as she realised that she had a gaping rip not only in her pants, but her pyjama shorts as well. She quickly took off her shirt and tied it around her waist. The young man hastily turned around so as not to see more than he already had.
“What?” she asked with a sly grin. She knew full well that if her pyjamas were considered immodest, that a sports bra certainly was not common ware either. She was not ashamed, the sports bra was much more modest than the bikinis back home.
Taslessian cleared his throat. “You took your shirt off!” The back of his neck had begun to flush red at his discomfort.
Darci uttered a soft laugh. “People wear a lot less than this back home. Besides, I’m sure we will be able to find a shirt in one of your sacks, or you could at least fix my pants perhaps.”
Taking a moment to compose himself, Taslessian then began to walk back to the campfire, head down, trying both to hide the hurt his body felt from the fall and the embarrassment caused by the crossing of cultures. Darci picked up the wood she had put into a pile near the tree, and followed her embarrassed friend back to camp. The splice dragon huffed out a breath through its nose before returning to its nest, satisfied that the intruders would not return.
Trudging back over the uneve
n ground was difficult in the diminishing light. Clouds flew over the stars making the path that they followed almost treacherous. Helping Darci through a particularly dark area, Taslessian stole a quick glance at her bare stomach, fascinated by the jewellery in her belly button, but he could not bring himself to look at her again. He had never seen so much skin before, and even thinking about it made him blush.
Awkwardly, Darci trumped back into camp where she dumped the firewood in the middle of their small clearing. Monk Man’s eyebrows lifted when he saw her, but that was his only reaction. Taslessian however, went straight to his sack where he pulled out one of their blankets, handing it to her so she would be able to change without showing more of her flesh.
“I could use magic to fix your pants,” Taslessian offered.
Darci looked at him and then the Monk Man. With a half-smile she threw the blanket over her head, hiding under it. With a lot of squirming around she eventually got her pants off, throwing them towards Taslessian. He gave her another funny look. He wondered why she could take off her shirt wearing only a small tight piece of cloth, but not take off her pants… unless she was not wearing any more cloth. He blushed at his thoughts before busying his mind to the one simple fixing spell that had all of a sudden become very difficult to remember.
* * *
The sky finally held nothing but the stars and the darkness of space. Crickets chirped and unknown animals cried their eerie calls, while the braver creatures came close enough to the small fire to investigate the intruders without being seen; the barest rustling of leaves and a glint of firelight in wild eyes the only sign of their passing.
Before going to sleep that night, Taslessian again inscribed the ground with the four magical marks causing the bright golden lines to reappear. They had seen no other sign of Domati, but he was taking no chances. He was sure the evil warlock would be following them in his physical presence, but where his body had been when he had confronted them in his shadow form, no one knew.
Darci’s sleep was again restless. Her dreams were filled with dark shadowy faces chasing her. One of the shadows this time however looked remarkably like the Monk Man. With a force of will she woke herself to find she was in a cold sweat. Despite her nightmare, both Taslessian and the Monk Man were still sleeping, so she got up to put another piece of wood on the fire. Her pants sat near her on a rock, showing no sign of her misadventure, so she put them on. A rustling noise not of her making caused her to look over to Taslessian.