Chapter 16 – The Dragon’s Graveyard
Dragons, what else could they be? Winged skeletons so large that their heads are as big as Whisper lay resting in various positions throughout a deep depression that stretches as far as I can see. I’ve heard myths of elephant graveyards in my own world. Supposedly, elephants gather there to die. In this world it actually appears to be true, but with dragons. All three of us just stand there on a plateau, gazing in wonder at the massive ocean of bones. We are so transfixed by the sight that we fail to do the obvious thing and look up. We do so after the blast of fire and a bellowing challenge thunders in the air.
“More vermin coming to feast on our honored dead? This shall not be tolerated!” Fire erupts all around us, effectively blocking all avenues of escape except the spot where a towering form lands with the force of a meteor impact. The entire area around us trembles like a magnitude seven earthquake and it’s all we can do to keep our feet. Before us is a dragon. Incredibly massive with rich black-green scales that shimmer in the early morning light, it stands, glaring at us with golden eyes with a silt in the center. Its wings cover the horizon like an umbrella, casting us in a green shadow. Its head and body are the same as fantasy dragons I had enjoyed in my youth. With narrow heads, big mouths and long necks connected to thick bodies on four short legs. It isn’t so much fun now. Sarah sums it up quite nicely for me.
“Holy shit!” Sarah says, grabbing tightly onto Whisper. Whisper isn’t doing any better, crouching low, ready to sprint at the slightest provocation. He hisses at the dragon which is the equivalent of a cat hissing at a very large dog.
The dragon cocks its head at Whisper then to me and finally to Sarah. “It speaks. Or does it cry out nonsense?” The dragon says in a voice like a landslide. It doesn’t seem to be addressing us. I think the dragon doesn’t really consider us intelligent enough to understand.
“I never say nonsense, dragon,” Whisper says, his voice a fearless snarl.
“We come in peace,” I yell, the first nonthreatening thing that comes to mind while waving my hands frantically. It feels lame saying the old cliché, but the situation drives all other conversation starters from my mind.
“They all speak and understand,” the dragon muses, looking at us more closely but never blinking. “Why have you come here if not to pillage my ancestor’s bones and to feast on the flesh of our recently departed?”
“We are lost and are trapped here in Inti. We only seek shelter and a way home,” I say, squirming under that unflinching gaze.
“Home? This world is not your home? Did the Kiraten bring you here?” The dragon asks, much of its anger gone.
“We are of clan Shifter and came here of our own accord,” Whisper says not backing down, watching the dragon carefully. “We were told to come here and wait for the Kiraten.”
“Told by whom?” The inquisitive dragon asks.
“What do you want with us?” I counter.
“Avoiding the question,” the dragon muses. “Very wise not to offer too much without something in return. As for what I want, that is simple. My task is to protect our fallen and devour anything that would defile this place. Do you intend to feast on our fallen?”
“No, of course not,” I say. At that moment the suns crest the horizon, assaulting us with intense heat. Reflexively I raise my hand, shielding my face.
Chuckling the dragon says, “Don’t enjoy the warmth? There is a small cavern to the east. There you may rest from the rising twins. We can continue our conversation later.” Gesturing with its head, the dragon pointed to a dark spot down in the graveyard inside the rock face of the plateau.
“Is there food?” Whisper asks. The trip has been rough on him and he has already lost a lot of weight.
“No. But small scavengers reside there hiding from me. Eradicate them and feast on their flesh to fill your hunger. This will please me and resolve your issues as well.”
“Thank you,” I say, my stomach rumbling. “I’m Jerry and behind me is Sarah. This,” I say patting his side, “Is Whisper. We are grateful for the help.”
“Clear out the vermin and no debt will occur,” the dragon says, fluttering his wings. It’s like standing before a tornado. The force of the wind snuffs the fire around us as we huddle down. “There is a path down a short distance away. I go to bask in the twin suns.” With that the dragon is gone, leaving scorched and trampled earth behind.
“That was a dragon,” Sarah says distantly, watching the dragon soar off in the direction of the suns.
“How incredibly perceptive you are,” my shadow says nastily from a rock crevice just behind us.
“Cowering in a rock?” Whisper sneers.
“What was your plan? Scratching his kneecaps perhaps?” my shadow counters.
“I can battle any foe!” Whisper exclaims.
My shadow becomes a dark, humanoid shade a short distance away. “The only reason I was remaining hidden was that Jerry asked me to not be seen. I would assume this applies to talking flying alligators as well.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I say, exhausted and thirsty. “Let’s check out this cave.”
Whisper takes off at a fast pace and I watch the graveyard as he bounds forward. It seems endless. Just how long has it been here? The skeletons are all in good condition which surprises me. The sun should have cooked them long ago making them brittle. A sudden lurch in my stomach like I am falling and Whisper descends down a smooth ramp to the plateau bottom. The bones are even more formidable up close. Their empty eye sockets appear to be tracking us as we speed by. Staying in the shade of the cliff wall we find a small opening on our left. The dragon had called it small but it’s only small to a dragon. For us it’s plenty big even for Whisper. Sticking to our usual routine my shadow goes in first, returning a few minutes later.
“Interesting,” my shadow says, becoming his standard dark silhouette. “Nothing so dangerous that the rat can’t handle, but it is curious.”
“What is?” I say.
“Well, unless I’m mistaken, there are dinosaurs in there. Small ones about the size of a bear but they look like dinosaurs.” I look at his silhouette, trying to figure out if he is joking or not.
“Bullshit. How can that be true?” Sarah says.
“No bullshit, idiot woman. They look like they do in the books Jerry reads at the library. Claws, scaly, stands on two legs, reptilian, does an awkward bird walk. It looks like a damn dinosaur.”
“But dinosaurs are extinct!” I say, stating the obvious. My shadow just shrugs.
“They will soon be again,” Whisper says. Knowing a hint when I hear it, Sarah and I get off his back. As soon as we are off he bounds into the darkness, leaving us alone with the dead dragons.
“Dragons and dinosaurs,” Sarah says in wonder. “What the hell is going on?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “It makes no sense why these familiar creatures, both mythological and real should exist in this world at all. Hell, there are three entirely separate worlds separating our world and this one. I’ve never seen anything on those worlds that fits our world’s history. So why are we finding these things here?” I shake my head. It makes no sense at all.
Sarah and I look at the bones as the rapidly decreasing shadow from the cliff wall moves closer to the cave’s mouth. We do our best not to breathe too deeply. After over three weeks with no bathing we both have some juicy odors going. At one point Whisper referred to us as his very smelly luggage. I couldn’t argue. Water has been too scarce to use for anything other than drinking. Suddenly, Whisper pokes his head around from the cave’s mouth.
“Shifter, dinner is ready,” the crimson fur around Whisper’s mouth indicates he had already partaken. Getting to our feet, Sarah and I enter the cave. It is blessedly cool. Compared to the hot, dry weeks we had getting here it is beyond wonderful. Even more welcoming is the gurgling of running
water echoing from deeper in the cave. I would drool if I could. Going farther into the cave we find a paleontologist’s wet dream turned nightmare. Dinosaurs but all of them recently dead. Would they be happy or sad by it? Ignoring my future dinner I go in search of the stream. It’s a small stream from which Whisper is already drinking heavily before turning on the nearest dinosaur, gnawing on its entire head. Kneeling down, Sarah and I drink long and deep, the first time in over a week. This last week has been the worst, barely holding off dehydration.
After we drink our fill I kneel next to the nearest dinosaur. A Velociraptor if I’m not mistaken. In my youth I had often stayed long hours at the library when I wasn’t in the mental institution. Reading on any subject I could get my hands on. Being a social outcast and unable to watch television left only books as my escape from the prison that had been my life. One of my favorite subjects was monsters of any type, this included dinosaurs. I was always seeking some kind of confirmation that what I saw daily was real. How did this dinosaur exist both here and at one time in my world? I guess it doesn’t matter for my stomach has already decided my priorities. There are over a dozen dead raptors here, so with my sword I saw off two hind legs. They are surprisingly heavy. With Sarah’s help I move them into the soon-to-be sun-lit ground.
“You needn’t show me proof,” a voice says just as we near the cave’s exit. “Your word would have been sufficient.” Dropping our meal I back-pedal, tripping over Sarah and bringing both of us down in a tumble. The dragon is back, its body resting in the sun while its head is still in the shade, peering into the cave at us.
“We were just bringing them out here to be cooked by the suns, ummm…” I pause, not sure how to address the dragon. “Do you have a name?”
“I am called Zinneth,” the dragon says. I think he is grinning as we get back to our feet. “You are strange creatures and bear resemblance to the Kiraten. What are you?”
“Human,” Sarah says and I remain silent. I’m not sure what I am.
“Human,” Zinneth muses, his gold-rimmed eye unblinking as he watches us set the meat out in the sun. “I’ve never heard of your kind before. Something new one of the ancient ones created, or are you of natural origins?”
Confused I just shake my head. “Hmmm,” Zinneth hums. “Which world do you to you belong too?”
“It’s hard to say,” I say. “To me it always feels like the top while this is the bottom.” Another question occurs to me. “What do you mean by ancient ones?”
“Such discussions are better left to the Kiraten when they arrive,” Zinneth says. “They spend much time studying such. I’m not all that interested in such topics.”
“Can I touch you?” Sarah says suddenly. Looking at her in surprise, I wonder if she had just given a huge offense. Zinneth doesn’t appear offended, if anything he looks amused.
“If you desire,” Zinneth answers. Hesitantly, Sarah inches forward, cautiously touching the scales of Zinneth’s head. She immediately withdraws her hand only to place it back on a second later.
“You’re hot,” Sarah says.
“It is said by all in this world that fire flows through the first creation’s veins,” Zinneth says.
“I was told this is the graveyard of the first creation. What does that mean?” I ask.
“This is the place where my kind come to die. Any that fall unexpectedly are brought here so their bones my join our ancestors until the worlds collide.”
“Yes, but what does the first creations mean?” I ask again.
“This I shall tell you, for it is also said that the first creation’s love their own tales most of all. I have been bored during my post here. Once this next millennium is over I’ll have time off before my next round of duty,” Zinneth says. A millennium… he has been here a millennium! This boggles my mind and from her slack-jawed expression Sarah is the same, but before I can ask about it, Zinneth tells the tale of the first creation.
“In the beginning, the five ancient ones found a lush living world of violent magnificence. The world was primitive lacking any sophisticated life and perfect for shaping. Thrilled by their discovery the five came together for the first and only time to create beings far superior to all others that existed. They created dragons. Into these being the ancient ones gave their greatest strengths. Dragons have the wisdom of Palentor, the hunger of Melephos, the wroth of Valerdon, the corruption of Shalarom, and the wild harmony of Belaroth. The ancient ones looked upon their creation with wonder, for never had such a being existed before. Yet none were satisfied. Each claimed that their contribution was greater than the others. Thus, they fought over us. Who shall have dominion over these wonderful creations? Of course, none shall. For we embody the aspects of every ancient one and would kneel to none. The ancient ones grew angry at their first and finest creations and then at each other. Wars broke out between the divided factions. Melephos and Shalarom fought against Palentor and Valerdon. Belaroth took no sides seeking only to maintain balance and preserve life. Many died and mass extinction of the life that was already present on this world was rampant. Seeing the eventual destruction of everything Belaroth proposed a solution. The ancient ones would divide the world into five separate planes. Each would have free rein to create anything they saw fit in their respective worlds, thus peace was restored. But what was to be done with the life that already existed and the dragons? After much debate the dragons, being the finest creation ever, would stay with the life they had come to expect. For dragons are vastly powerful and could easily dominate most life that any of the ancients could create on their own. Valerdon took the dragons and all the large violent life that already existed into his own world. There they shall remain until the worlds collide. That is this world known as Inti.”
The dragon looks smug at our expressions but Zinneth has no clue what he just unveiled. Suddenly a lot makes sense. The dinosaurs here, the five different worlds, and Solarkar, the disciple of Melephos it all makes sense to a degree. Dinosaurs never went extinct, but most were moved to this world!
“How did the worlds separate and how did the ancient ones get here?” I ask.
“I do not know. Ask the Kiraten, they might,” Zinneth says dismissively. Now that his tale is done he rolls over onto his back. I wondering what he is doing when a tremendous heat wave hits me. The shadows all around are nearly gone and the suns near their zenith. With as much dignity as we could muster we retreat inside the cave. Whisper is farther inside, looking out at the sun bathing dragon.
“Interesting conversation?” Whisper asks as we draw near.
“You have no idea,” Sarah says, sitting on the cave floor. I join her, leaning against Whisper and yawning.
“I’ll tell you all about it after some rest,” I say. Whisper too stretches out, setting his large white head atop his front paws. I think that with all the information that Zinneth gave us my mind would wander but my exhaustion quickly takes hold and I fall fast asleep.
It feels like I could sleep for days if it weren’t for my empty stomach. I only get four hours of sleep before I become a caveman.
“Damn, this is good!” I say, tearing off another piece of dinosaur leg. Immediately after waking up I had collected our fully cooked meal. I feel so manly. Here I am sitting in a cave with a haunch of dinosaur leg, taking big bites out of it. Can there be anything more uplifting than that? “Tastes like chicken,” Sarah adds taking another bite out of her own dinosaur leg.
“I still prefer the raw ones,” Whisper says starting on the last Velociraptor .
“You think there are more here?” Sarah asks.
“Yes, these pests plague our dead.” Zinneth says, landing nearby in the twilight of the setting suns. The ground shakes and dust blows everywhere. “They are small and nimble, hard for me to hunt. The Kiraten clean them out when they arrive to pay homage to our dead. But they always return within another cycle.”
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“How often do the Kiraten come here?” I ask, wondering how long we will have to wait.
“Thrice a year during the season peaks,” Zinneth says. “They are due here soon. Your timing is very fortunate.”
“Do they have any supplies here like clothes and weapons?” Sarah asks, looking at her own clothes which are now mostly rags.
“Indeed, they might,” Zinneth says and then, giving a big sniff in our direction adds, “The Kiraten have supplies on the south cliff face near some natural hot water springs.”
Sarah’s eyes light up and I am afraid she might go sprinting off into the dark in search of these hot springs. Zinneth chuckles and says. “It is far from here, a week of travel for your kind,” I sigh. I’m really getting sick of traveling. “I can take you there tonight if you clean out that area of pests as well.” That gets my attention. Holy shit, I am going to ride a dragon!
Whisper looks doubtfully at the dragon. “Can you take me as well?”
“Yes, I often eat rodents of your size. Carrying you shall not be difficult,” Zinneth says confidently. Off to my right I hear a slight, dark chuckle from my shadow.
“I am no rodent!” Whisper proclaims in a hissing voice. “I am a ferret!”
“Ferrets are not a type of rodent?” The dragon asks in all seriousness and Whisper just blinks at him.
Finishing my dinosaur meal I stand up. “Thanks, Zinneth, for your kindness is most generous. Please take us to the Kiraten shelter. We’ll gladly take care of your pest problem.”
“This is going to be awesome!” Sarah says, with as much excitement as I feel.
Thirty minutes later I am flying on a dragon high above the ground with Whisper gently nestled in Zinneth’s talons below and Sarah and I holding onto his legs tightly. At first we had tried to sit on his back, but the heat he radiated became almost scalding after a short while. So instead we are next to Whisper, watching the darkening landscape drift by below.
“This is awesome!” Sarah whoops for what seems like the hundredth time as Zinneth banks hard to the left. Whisper’s eyes are closed in pleasure, his face thrust forward just like he had done in the human world in Sarah’s car. I don’t like heights and just hold on tightly, counting the seconds until we land.
My count was at about ten thousand when Zinneth abruptly dives down. With the feeling of riding a roller coaster in the dark I keep excepting the ground to appear an inch from my nose. I can’t see anything. Zinneth must have some type of expanded vision for as he draws near the ground he spits a jet of flame. The black sky is suddenly illuminated as fire coats the ground, sending small figures running. At first I think they are rats but as we draw nearer to the ground I realize they are more Velociraptors. Just how high were we? On second thought I’d rather not know. Before us is the freshest part of the graveyard, several of the dead dragons still having dried flesh on them. With a bellowing challenge Zinneth swoops low to the ground, spewing more fire at the fleeing figures, charring several instantly. I do like my dinosaur well done. After a second pass they are all gone, having taken shelter in various caves along the tall cliff walls. With a flutter of wings Zinneth lands and we disembark. Sarah’s sun-scorched white hair is swept back, a look of absolute thrill on her face. Whisper too looks like he’s going to ask for a second round. I collapse to my knees, silently saying ‘I will not be sick. I will not be sick. I will not be sick.’ Three seconds later I am bending over, losing my tasty dinosaur lunch.
“Poor baby, shall I ask the woman to change your diaper?” My shadow says.
Startled I look at Zinneth, seeing if he heard my shadow. “No, stupid, I’m hiding in your ear. I’m bored not talking with anyone.” I immediately stick my finger in my ears, scrapping away like I had a bad buildup of wax.
“Stop that, asshole! You can’t expel me that way. I’m not doing any harm.” I stop, feeling rather embarrassed.
“Sorry about that,” I say. “You just surprised me.”
“What?” Sarah asks, coming over and peering into my face. I just shake my head, admiring her beautiful face and enjoying the feeling of her hand on my shoulder.
“Nothing,” I say.
“Oh, I’m far from nothing. One day I shall show you,” my shadow says. I feel my spine stiffen and a wave of foreboding tremble through me.
Ignoring my shadow which is second nature to me, I stand up straight, taking in my surroundings. Whisper and Zinneth are splitting the roasted dinosaurs while discussing the great battles each of them had fought in. Zinneth seems rather impressed at Whisper’s description of the canine golem he fought when we took on Solarkar.
“A worthy battle,” Zinneth says, inclining his head to Whisper. “However, I have you beat my friend. Here, plaguing this resting ground, is a creature that has no name that burrows deep underground trying to feed on our dead. I have tried many times to kill the foul worm but thus far it has escaped me.”
I leave them to their discussion when Sarah points out the hot pools. In craters the size of a hot tubs are standing pools of water that steam in the cool night air. The sight of clean hot water brings my own filth to the front of my mind. It’s hard to not strip and dive right in. I surely would have if Sarah hadn’t been here. From her expression she is thinking the same thing.
“Zinneth, where are the supplies you mentioned?” I call over Whisper’s and Zinneth’s laughter at some battle exploit.
“What is the rush?” Zinneth calls back to me.
“They smell terrible,” Whisper clarifies for him. “It has been a constant challenge for me to keep their odor from my fur while bearing them through the desert.”
“That is a battle worthy of song, Whisper of clan Shifter,” Zinneth says. “I feel that my legs smell from just their touch. Tell me, are all their kind so pungent?”
“Hey!” Sarah and I say in unison. They both give us a hearty chuckle.
“The cave is right over there,” Zinneth says, gesturing with his head. I can’t see anything in the low light but head that way, joined by Whisper in case it need any clearing out.
The cave is free of dinosaurs but some rather large rats with three eyes are nestled there. They are the size of cats and Whisper swallows several whole before the remainders flee into the night only to be met with a jet of fire. Inside the cave are comforts I thought impossible just days ago. Many rows of hammocks made of a soft spongy material line the wall, resting at waist height. Touching the nearest I leave a slight imprint which quickly returns to its original shape. Under the hammocks are strange crates lined up in neat rows. They have no hinges or nails but appear to be a single solid piece like it was grown not made. Fiddling with some handle of the nearest the top opens soundlessly on its own like a tree moving a branch out of the way of passing elves. It is weird. But all concern vanishes as I see the pile of clothes inside. Suddenly I can feel all the accumulated dirt on the rags I now wear. Whisper is right, the stench is bad. With a shout of glee Sarah tears through the pile like a black Friday shopper. I don’t dare approach until she has chosen her garments along with a bar of soap which she tosses wordlessly to me. Hint understood. Fumbling, I barely avoid dropping the soap and look up just in time to see Sarah sprinting past me with fresh clothes and her own soap in the direction of the hot springs.
Now that the area is free of clothing obsessed females I can approach without being in mortal danger. Sarah has left quite a mess in her eagerness. My desire for neatness compels me to spend a few minutes returning everything to nice, orderly piles before selecting my own garments. The selection is rather limited. In the dark I can only discern two colors, a deep red and a bright, leafy green. The styles are all similar and it reminds me of a wet suit, made of a rather tough material with long leg and arm sleeves. Gathering up a red garment with soap in hand I head to the hot springs.
The area is thick with steam, like a blending of a sauna and a dense fo
g. I do my best to maintain my delusion of dignity and not run like Sarah had but really really want too. I guess that just makes her more honest with her desires than I am. Stumbling in the fog an alarmed voice suddenly calls out.
“Use that one there!” Comes Sarah’s voice from a now visible sunken crater. I can only see her head just above the rim of the pool and she looks amazing. With the constant danger, dehydration and near starvation I almost forgot how attractive she is. Now her skin is all healthy and pink, her face flushed from the heat. Her hair is damp and plastered to her head like a fine silk shawl. I swallow hard and feels very warm all of a sudden, despite the crisp night air.
“Uh, ok,” I say with my usual smoothness. Summoning a will power that could make a fifty year veteran Chinese monk jealous I wrench my gaze from Sarah, finding my own nearby pool. Feeling Sarah’s eyes on me I quickly strip down, hoping the steam in the air would hide everything and jump in the pool. It is bliss. I feel instantly lighter as a week’s worth of dirt dissolves away.
“What, no song and sexy dance?” My shadow mocks for my ears only. “You know she was watching you rather intently. In all fairness it was hard to miss with your pale skin. You have to be the only person able to spend weeks crossing the desert and not get a tan.” Embarrassed, I sink beneath the water until his mocking laugh becomes unintelligible.
Hot water fills my nose and soaks my hair. Surfacing I take a deep breath, leaning against the side of the pit. Looking at my clothes I take the bar of soap from the top of the pile and examine it. It looks like soap but with a distinctive texture that I’ve never felt before. I hope it isn’t made from animal fat but at this point I will use anything. I scrub everything from my weather-worn feet to my shoulder length copper hair.
“At least you smell better now, Shifter,” Whisper purrs from behind me.
“I feel better also,” I say stretching out. “It’s like a hundred years worth of dirt and exhaustion has left me all at once.”
“Truly? Shall you carry me for the rest of our journey then?” Whisper asks, cocking his head at me. Then quick as a snake he darts in his tongue hitting me like a wet blanket. He gives a ferret chortle as I topple over, splashing water everywhere.
“Is everything ok?” Sarah’s voice says, coming up from behind Whisper. She is dressed in a luscious green tunic that emphasizes her cool blue eyes and pale hair along with her shapely face. Getting to my feet I see that her garment is similar in style to mine and looks like a diver’s suit, showing off all her curves. Sarah suddenly reddens, turning her back to me she sprints off into the darkness. The reason for this strange behavior becomes apparent as I look down, realizing what I had inadvertently done.
“Bwhhahahaha!” Whisper’s laughter rang out as I dive below public line of sight. Whisper finds this so funny that he rolls over onto his back his legs twitching in the air like a dreaming puppy his tail thumping up and down repeatedly. I wonder if drowning would be preferable to facing Sarah and Whisper…
It’s a night of laughter and joy that I haven’t felt since being stuck in Inti. Most of it is at my expense as Whisper reenacts my embarrassing accidental flashing to Zinneth. The dragon really doesn’t understand the trouble but finds it amusing all the same. He keeps grumbling about overly complex mating rituals that send me and Sarah blushing. Going to sleep that night I keep playing over the day’s events until the dream cmes.
It is the girl again but this time things are different. She isn’t strolling causally through an open courtyard with a soft dress, safe and sound. Now she is barely clad in torn rags, strapped to a marvelously designed chair of the same design as the crates we found in the cave. It is beautiful and elegant and appears grown instead of constructed. It makes what is happening to her even crueler. Bound with thick, heavy straps her head is lowered with her leafy green hair covering her features. She isn’t moving.
“I shall ask you again Shame of Valerdon, what has the corruption shown you.” A tall, imposing figure says, looming above the girl. He has a casually cruel look about him, bearing a strong resemblance to Solarkar. He has the same leafy green hair like the girl but has my slit green pupil eyes. He’s wearing a full body suit of armor composed of black scales that creak as he kneels before the girl.
“You can’t fight against the Vassnier. We will compel you to obey. Or would you rather submit yourself to the five and receive their judgment? I doubt you will receive such leniency a second time.” Reaching out the man roughly cups the girl’s chin, bringing her face in line with his own. Bruises and cuts cover most of her face, the same blue blood that Solarkar has trickles from her mashed lips. “If it was up to me, Shame of Valerdon, I would cut off your head and mount it on the wall for all to see what happens when you break the divine rule.” With practiced malice he backhands her with an alarmingly loud thwack. Her head whips backwards, sending a spray of blue blood arcing through the air before she falld limp again. She never cried out.
“Guards, persuade this filth to be more cooperative,” the man says, wiping his gauntleted hands on a cloth pulled from a pouch at his side. Getting to his feet he takes several steps backwards as another figure I hadn’t notice before approached. My eyes widen. There hadn’t simply been two in here but closer to a dozen, all armed for dragon slaying. Are all of them here for just this girl?
The guard is even taller than the man, wearing a full suit of yellow armor that looks like snake skin. I can see nothing of his features as a form fitting helmet covers him entirely except two small holes under the nose and a small reflective lens over his eyes. All the other guards are similarly dressed save for the first man himself. A strange spear is held tightly in both hands like he’s afraid the girl would leap forward and seize it from him. The shaft is a rich, deep black with glowing sigils of light carved along its length. The tip is a large, blunt crystal glowing with a bright light that pains even me though this is just a dream. With a jab, the guard thrusts the crystal against the girl’s exposed flesh. A hissing sound, like water dropped in oil, erupts followed by the girl’s screams of agony.
I forget that this is a dream. I forget I am insubstantial, little more than a memory or a weak ghost. I just know that there is no way in hell I am just going to watch. Moving with none of the sluggishness I felt the other times, I grab the spear shaft with both hands. The reaction is instantaneous. The sigils flared many times brighter along the shaft and I feel my hands burn under its touch but I don’t care. With the force of a much larger man I break the spear in two, watching in satisfaction as the lights die. The guard yells out his surprise as the weapon breaks and then his horror as I fling the pieces aside. I feel powerful. I feel great. It’s like everything in the world suddenly becomes my plaything and for a moment I can do anything. The fear of the men around me is intoxicating and I give a low, menacing chuckle just like my shadow always does.
“It’s here! Do it now!” The man in the black scale armor cries out. All the crystal tipped spears flash at once, burning me like I have just been caught in the blast of a nuclear explosion. Light has become pain and I shrink before it. “There it is!” The man calls, though I can no longer look in that direction. “Capture it!”
Capture it? Is he talking about me? This is just a dream, how could I be captured? Whether or not he truly could have I will never know for in that instant the girl acts.
Blackness erupts out of her like an oil rig explosion, damping the hated light. Now above the girl is a tall figure of darkness, much like my shadow. Stretching to the ceiling the dark figure takes up most of the room, the darkness rather substantial and thick. With a dark hand it bats aside the men like leaves in the wind. They go sprawling and the light is extinguished. The darkness, having spent itself seeps back into the girl going into her body through her eyes, ears, mouth and nose.
Raising her head she looks at me with puffy and swollen eyes. “Go, and don’t co
me back. Find Morith. He can help you get home.” With that said she collapses, lifeless and sagging in her restraints. The dream ends just as the black armor-clad man gets to his feet looking right at me.
It’s early evening when I awaken and I am alone. Presumably Sarah and Whisper are outside the cave with Zinneth. I sit up in the hammock I had been using inside the Kiraten supply cave. My heart beats wildly, perspiration soaking my face. Surely that had to be a dream. There is no way that could be real.
“That was new,” says the dark voice of my shadow. “Where those the dreams you were speaking of?”
“You saw that?” I say startled.
“Saw it?” He gives a low chuckle. “I was there with you this time. The girl’s got spunk, I’ll give her that, though her shadow is a rather weak thing. I would have taken the men entirely if we were entirely there. I would punish them for brandishing those nasty light sticks at me.”
The girl’s shadow? Is that what I saw? A shadow like mine? Who is this girl? Getting to my feet I am about to go to Sarah when she runs into the cave flustered. Before I can give a replay of what I just saw she speaks.
“We’ve got the trouble. The Kiraten just arrived and you won’t believe who they are!”