* * *
Quiet voices drew me back to awareness, inviting in bits and pieces of the world around me. The faint smell of smoke, distant, like a recently extinguished fireplace. A soft bed beneath me. Gentle warmth. A hand in mine.
I opened my eyes to see Rik sitting beside me. A large bandage covered much of his right arm. The same side of his face was red and blistered.
Something seemed missing, like I was forgetting something significant. I couldn’t put my finger on it, so I went with what I did know. “What happened to you?”
He came to immediate attention. “You’re awake!”
“What happened to him,” Magra said, stepping around him to put a cool hand on my forehead and examine my eyes, “is that he ran into the burning forest to drag you back to safety. Now hold still and let me look at you.”
I obediently moved limbs, fingers, and toes at her directions.
She pressed her hand against my forehead once more, and I felt soothing warmth for a moment before she released me. “She needs rest.”
She was speaking to someone other than me, almost sounding like she was scolding, trying to head off an argument before it could start. I looked past Rik, trying to see who else was there.
Thone. Jec. Tarvia. Erret.
Everything went cold again as knowledge returned in a rush. I scrambled off the bed and lunged at him with a scream. My legs wouldn’t hold me. I’d have hit the floor if Magra and Rik hadn’t caught my arms. Magra pushed me back onto the bed as Rik stood between me and Erret. He glanced back at me, worry battling the fury in his eyes, before he turned to Erret. “What did you do?” he demanded, his tone dangerously quiet and cold.
Erret folded his arms and said nothing.
“Give it back.” Desperation choked my voice so that I could barely get the words out. “You have to give it back!”
Rik drew his sword. “Answer me!”
Thone stepped between the men and put his hands up. “Put it away, Rik.” He turned to Erret. His tone suggested he was just as angry as Rik. “What have you done?”
A muscle twitched in Erret’s jaw before he spoke. His voice was quiet but perfectly calm. “I did what I had to do to protect our village. And to protect her.”
I wanted to scream, to run at him, to tear his eyes out. My entire being shook as Magra tried to make me lie back down. I hardly noticed the burning pain in my side.
“Protect her?” Rik burst out. “She almost died! How can you call that protecting her?”
Thone again silenced him. “Explain.” His tone was not a merciful one.
Erret looked at me. That genuine sadness and remorse once again rested in his eyes. “I did not realize you would be hurt, raisa. I never meant for you to be wounded.”
Rik stepped to the side, blocking me from his view. “Don’t you dare speak to her.”
“Enough!” Thone snapped. He looked from Rik to Erret. “Explain yourself. Leave nothing out. Now.”
“The ring she wore,” Erret said. “It was forged of evil magic to bind the dragon to her. I only sought to free her from the influence of those magics before it was too late. I never intended for her to be hurt in this way. Nor did I realize the dragon would go crazy like it did and burn the forest.”
I tried to scream at him again, but all that came out was a strangled squawk. It was getting hard to think straight through the pain and rage, and the emptiness held me paralyzed.
Thone looked at me, then turned to stare at Erret. “Ring? What are you talking about?”
Erret shifted his weight. “I truly am sorry that this resulted in such pain. But I know even she will be grateful once she recovers. She might not have even realized how much that thing was affecting her.”
Rik’s grip on his sword tightened. “You’re going to start from the beginning and explain this. All of it. What makes you think the bond affected her? How do you know all this?”
“I don’t have to answer to you,” Erret said, his eyes narrowing at the smaller man.
“But you do have to answer to me.” Thone’s voice was as cold, as deadly as when he’d found Erret about to strike me in the inn.
Erret’s lips pinched inward before he spoke again. “We saw those creatures as attackers because we only saw them pursuing her, but we were wrong. They fight against evil magic wherever it appears. They knew how dangerous her bond with the dragon is, and so they were only seeking to end that bond before it led to the destruction of her and everything around her. What she likely never knew is that the evil magic forming the bond causes the dragon’s mind to gradually take over the person’s mind, until the dragon’s inherent desire for destruction becomes all the person seeks, as well.”
He sighed. “It’s insidious because it’s so gradual. But even we could see how she had already turned to unnaturally violent ways. It was only a matter of time before the dragon’s influence over her mind was complete. The bond, forged by evil, had to be broken before that could happen.”
Thone’s eyes narrowed. “Are you saying you spoke to these creatures? And you believed what they had to say? Are you mad?”
“No!” Erret paused. “I didn’t… Those creatures realized that we would never talk to them and learn the truth because, from what most of us saw, they had attacked an innocent woman. We would never listen and understand that they were actually trying to save her—to save all of us. They had to go somewhere else and find someone who would help them bring us this message.”
“Where?” Thone demanded.
Tarvia’s eyes widened in horror. She pressed a hand over her mouth.
Rik’s voice came out low with disgust, disbelief, anger. “Krenish.”
A flash of betrayal crossed Thone’s eyes. His face twisted in a dark scowl.
Erret put his hands up. “It’s not like that. Last night I was in the forest when I saw Jennik and one of those creatures approaching. I drew my sword, but they were both unarmed.” He shook his head. “I’m not so dishonorable as to strike down an unarmed opponent. I intended to leave, but Jennik explained the problem. This is bigger than our differences with them. If she had been left under the influence of those dark magics, both Krenish and Emsha would have been wiped out completely.”
His eyes searched the others, seeking understanding. “Don’t you see? There’s only one reason Jennik would have worked with these creatures. Only one reason he would dare come near our village alone, unarmed. It was because of this mutual threat, something far more critical than his pride or his desire to bully us. What could be more important than that to him but the threat of imminent death? And more than that, he promised he would sign a treaty of peace with us if I agreed to help eliminate this threat by removing the ring which formed the bond and handing it over to be destroyed. He’s willing to surrender all claims on us, our trade goods, and our land and hunting grounds over this. How could this be a lie, if he’s willing to go so far?”
His voice had gained strength through the explanation, his usual arrogance edging back into his tone. “The only possible explanation is that it’s true. That she truly was a danger. And I just saved us all.” He glanced at me, his eyes once again reflecting sorrow. “I am only sorry that she was injured in the process. I had seen her as a threat all this time, but once I knew the truth, I realized she was just an innocent victim. A person in need of help. I only wish she could have been saved without so much harm coming to her through it.”
No one spoke, some staring in disbelief, others in uncertainty.
All of the rage, all of the pain and agony wrapping up throughout me, boiled over and shattered into pieces. All that was left was the emptiness. The debilitating numbness. I spoke from the depths of that emptiness, quiet and toneless. “You’re an idiot.”
Anger flashed across Erret’s face. The others turned to me, but none of them spoke to correct my blatant rudeness to a city leader. I doubted I’d have reacted well if they had.
“Your logic is based on the assumption that Jen
nik knows the truth. You ignored the possibility that the creatures lied to him, too.”
He blinked. He obviously hadn’t thought of that.
“The bond between myself and Axen wasn’t due to an evil spell. It has nothing to do with magic. The ring harnesses a small amount of her energy. That’s what forms the bond between her and anyone who wears the ring.” My gaze shifted to the wall. “And that’s why it’s so crucial that I wear it.”
Thone stepped closer. “Go on.”
“You all know that she is my guardian.” Was. A new pang didn’t quite pierce the numbness surrounding me. “What you didn’t know is that I am just as much a guardian to her. The lie the creatures told contained a partial truth. The bond has an influencing effect between the dragon and the person wearing the ring. But it isn’t me who is influenced by her. She’s the one influenced by me.”
I found Erret’s gaze. “She cannot understand our world. She can’t comprehend our speech, our ways, even our nature as living, sentient beings. But through her bond with me, she sees our world as I see it. She can’t always understand specifics, but she understands the basic meaning of what people say around me. She sees through my eyes. It’s my perspective that determines what she sees as a safe place to rest or a dangerous place to be avoided.” I paused. “It’s my perspective that determines which people she sees as friends to be protected and which people she sees as enemies. To be destroyed.”
Tarvia’s hand covered her mouth again. Dawning understanding crossed the others’ faces.
“The way she sees the world is based on who wears the ring. If the ring is on the finger of someone who wishes destruction on their enemies…” The unfinished sentence hung for a moment before I continued. “That is why I protect the ring. That’s why I’ll never use her as a weapon. It’s my responsibility, passed down to me from my family, to protect her from being used for destruction and death.
“That’s why I travel. Because those creatures hate all beings that live on the surface and would love nothing more than their own personal dragon to unleash on the world above them. If I stay in one place, they are able to track me down to try to get their hands on the ring.” I shook my head, never breaking eye contact with Erret. “And because you were so stupid, so eager to believe you were right, that my bond with Axen was based on some evil magic, you’ve gone and handed them exactly what they need to destroy us all.”
Erret sputtered. “That can’t be true. She… she’s still under the influence of the spell, that’s all. If what she says is true, then how is she even still alive? The creatures could have killed her and taken the ring when they first attacked. They had the opportunity.”
“Kill the bonded person, kill the dragon. They want their weapon intact. Killing me would have killed Axen and made the ring worthless.” Something inside me felt that I should be speaking with anger, with conviction, with some emotion, but nothing could pierce the deafening numbness.
“But,” he tried again, “you must be mistaken. If these creatures really are only seeking to use the ring to make the dragon attack all of us, then why hasn’t it happened? It’s been over a day now.” A note of triumph entered his tone. “If what you said is true, then they would have already attacked.”
“The bonding process is… difficult. Both for the dragon and the person. The unbonding process is even worse. Bonding with a dragon too soon after an unbonding places the person into the middle of that, combining the two into one. It’s too dangerous.” A flicker of light, just a glimmer, forced its way through the numbness. “They have to wait for Axen to recover before they can attempt to form a bond with her.”
Erret had no response to this.
Rik turned on him. “You almost killed her! And you might have killed all of us, all because of your stupid pride!”
“Enough.” Thone exhaled heavily. “Leave, Erret.”
“But—”
“Now.”
Erret stared. “I did this to protect us. All of us. And we have no proof she’s telling the truth.”
“You had no evidence that Jennik and that creature were telling the truth, either. She’s right. You accepted their story because it matched what you wanted to believe.”
“It’s my duty to protect our village from any threat of danger—”
“Enough!” Thone seemed to grow another handspan taller and broader. He pinned Erret with a cold, unforgiving glare. “It’s your duty to bring any matter of concern before the village as a whole, so that we can decide a course of action together. You took this into your own hands. Now you may have doomed us all. Get. Out. Now.”
Erret fled.
I hardly noticed the exchange. The flicker of light had grown stronger, one single thought driving the numbness back.
The creatures hadn’t bonded with Axen yet.
I swung my legs off the side of the bed and stood. My knees buckled and almost gave.
Rik steadied me. “You need rest.”
I shook my head. “They haven’t bonded with Axen yet.”
He stared, clearly not understanding.
“It’s not too late. I have to get the ring back before they can form the bond.”
Comprehension dawned in his eyes. He nodded. “I’ll go. You stay here and recover.”
That wasn’t about to happen. “I’m going.”
“While I admire your courage,” Magra said, putting a gentle hand on my shoulder, “you’re in no shape to go anywhere.”
What I wouldn’t give for a burst of energy from Axen right now. The thought burned through me like scalding acid, leaving me too raw to care about tradition or propriety. I turned to face her squarely. “You can give me enough energy to get me through this if you choose. Or you can refuse. And I’ll go anyway, and someone will have to retrieve my broken, bloody corpse from underground.”
She gasped and took half a step back. Glanced over at Thone as if looking for help.
Jec gave me a slow nod before addressing Magra. “She’s made up her mind to go with or without your help. You’ll have to decide whether to help her or wash your hands of her death.”
I almost expected Thone to scold me, to tell me to get back into bed, that this was too dangerous. Instead, he simply squeezed Tarvia’s hand. “I’ll go, as well.”
“We all will,” Jec said. “As many of us as can swing a blade.”
“No.” There was one possibility I hadn’t brought up before, not wanting to make things any more complicated than they already were, but now it had to be said. “It’s likely the creatures lied to recruit Jennik’s help. But it’s also possible they promised him something else. Protection for Krenish. Treasure. The right to watch Emsha be the first to burn. If Jennik was in on the lie, then now, with Axen gone, is the perfect time for them to attack. You have to stay here and protect your village.”
I took a deep breath. My legs were shaking and threatening to give out again. “Besides, the creatures’ tunnels are small and dark. Greater numbers won’t be an advantage. It’s better for one person to go in and evade detection than for a mass to enter and try to fight on their territory, on their terms.”
Magra sighed and put a hand on my arm. Warmth flooded through my body, bringing with it a surge of energy. She gave me a scowl. “Since it seems I can’t convince you to care about your own well-being.”
I squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”
“Two can hide just as well as one,” Rik said. “I’m coming.”
Magra finished her work, and I turned to the door. “No. I’m going alone.”
Curious, frightened gazes followed me as I passed through the inn, retrieved my sword, and marched back out to the road. The holes in the road were all covered by the planks, but I passed the wood surface into the forest on the other side. It wasn’t hard to find the large tree, the one with the hole the creatures had tried to drag me into. The villagers had covered over the hole, but hadn’t managed to collapse the tunnel entirely. It didn’t take much digging before I found t
he entrance. A sick feeling washed over me at the memory of the last time I’d seen this hole. I funneled it into more fuel for my determination and pressed on.
Daylight vanished behind me as I crawled into the tunnel. Part of me instinctively wanted a candle, but I ignored the desire and slowed my crawl while my eyes adjusted. Years of spending a portion of my life in caves eased the transition, and it didn’t take long before I could see well enough to navigate without running into anything.
The tunnel broadened gradually, larger and larger until I could just barely stand upright. The edges were choppy and rough, not smooth as they’d been near the surface. If anything came, I could flatten myself into one of the dips in the surface and hope I went unnoticed.
It was a flimsy hope, and I knew it. I had adequate dark vision. These creatures lived and breathed nothing but darkness.
I ignored the logic my brain was trying to impose on me and pressed on toward an upcoming bend in the tunnel.
Movement. I spun my sword into ready position and heard a sharp grunt. The creatures coming around the corner had already spotted me. I lunged forward, slashing madly. I had to silence them before they raised the alarm and let their entire army know I was there.
I felt, rather than saw, two of them fall under the first strike, another with the second. Hands caught at my ankles and knees, yanking hard. I lost my balance and fell into a heavy lean against the tunnel wall, trying to shove myself back up with one hand while swinging with the other hand. Little flecks danced around me, the smallest glow from their eyes as they surged at me, grabbing at any limb they could get hold of.
I’d overestimated my dark vision. Or underestimated theirs. My clumsy strikes hit nothing but air. A lucky swing caught something, but only a glancing blow. Not enough to slow them down.
They, on the other hand, had me pinned against the wall and nearly had my sword arm incapacitated. I struggled to twist free, but there were too many. Or they were too fast. I couldn’t tell in the dark.
Hands yanked harder at my legs, and I shot down the wall, hitting my head twice on the descent to the tunnel floor. A heavy weight landed on my chest. I could dimly see the creature standing on top of me, a large rock held above his head, poised to smash it into my face. I twisted and struggled again, trying to knock the creature off, trying to break free.
A light flared to life back the way I’d come and shot above my head. I got a brief glimpse of the snarl on the creature’s face before the light extinguished into the wall beyond me. I couldn’t see anything in the aftermath of the bright light, but a whooshing thunk sound preceded the creature on my chest staggering and falling away, the rock thudding to the ground beside me.
The creatures hissed and snarled, their grips on me loosening some as they struggled to recover their dark vision and identify the new threat.
Another light flared, closer now, and Rik lunged at the creatures, knocking some aside with his bow in one hand and slashing through more with his sword in the other.
I jumped on the opportunity to break my sword arm free and lash out at the momentarily blinded creatures, freeing myself from the many grips. The two of us together, aided by Rik’s lantern, brought a quick end to the rest of the group.
Rik passed me and retrieved an arrow from the wall, checked to make sure the shaft was still straight, and returned it to his quiver. “Were they able to sound the alarm?”
“Not that I could tell.” I dusted myself off in a pretense for what I was really doing, pulling myself back together. I’d been foolish to charge in here alone, even more foolish to assume I wouldn’t need any sort of light source. Rik had thought better on both counts. I felt the painful pressure of words that should be spoken. “I—”
“I told you I was coming.” He shouldered his bow and turned toward the curve ahead. “Are you ready?”
I gripped my sword. Nodded.
We hurried forward in silence, Rik keeping his lantern low and dim. We needed enough light to see, but too much would be a beacon announcing our approach. Speed and secrecy were our best allies.
The tunnel wound back and forth, growing deeper at a steady rate. The length and silence stretched into an oppressive weight against me. Would we find the ring before the creatures could use it? How would I get it back safely if they used it before we could reach them?
Shouldn’t I be saying ‘thank you’ or something like that to Rik?
I glanced at him, but his focus remained forward, his eyes scanning the tunnel ahead for any signs of movement. I followed suit. We turned a corner and almost ran headfirst into a cluster of creatures. One creature shrieked before Rik’s blade silenced it. Its comrades lunged forward, but with the lantern gleaming, we had the upper hand. The cold emptiness inside of me felt a little bit easier to endure with each creature that fell under my sword.
The last one bolted down the tunnel, screaming madly. I was about to throw my sword, but Rik was faster. The creature dropped with an arrow standing proudly erect from its back.
Rik extinguished the lantern, and we both pressed ourselves into the uneven tunnel sides, hiding as best as we could behind larger ridges. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until my lungs began to ache.
After several minutes passed with no signs of incoming attackers, I cautiously pried myself off the wall. “I think we’re safe,” I whispered.
The lantern returned to life. I blinked several times. The light was dim, but still felt painfully bright after the pure darkness that had surrounded us moments before. He gave me a nod, and we fell in step side-by-side once more. I wondered where Axen was. What she was doing. If she felt as lost and alone as I did.
I was distracted from my thoughts by a faint glow ahead. I stopped, putting up a hand to signal Rik.
He immediately stopped and put the light out.
Sure enough, the tunnel ahead looked brighter than the inky blackness behind us, if only by a little. We pressed against the sides of the tunnel once more and edged our way forward, our senses on alert for any signs of incoming danger.
I couldn’t figure out what the light ahead meant. These creatures were underground dwellers. They functioned better in darkness than in light, didn’t they?
We came to a gentle curve. I stopped at the edge of the turn and peered around.
My breath caught. The cavern ahead was massive. Axen could have stretched out from nose to tail without brushing any walls in any direction. She could have stood upright and stacked a second dragon on her shoulders without reaching the top.
Tunnels stretched out in all directions from the cavern. Ours met near the top. Narrow ramps connected some tunnels to others, wrapping around the outside edges of the cavern in meandering and uneven spirals, but many tunnels had no visible ways to be reached.
The light came from rocks embedded in the walls throughout the cavern, glowing the faintest blue light that combined to give the entire space an eerie, almost sacred feel. It was still less light than Rik’s dimmed lantern, but enough to see what we needed to see.
Rik kept his lantern extinguished. Partially because the rocks provided adequate light. And partly because the cavern was alive with movement.
At first it seemed that the walls were moving, but as soon as my eyes adapted to the fainter blue light, I saw that it was the creatures. They rarely used the ramps, instead simply climbing directly up the walls at insane speeds. Vanishing into tunnels. Emerging from others. Clustering in the center of the ground below and then rushing off in different directions. It was a hive of excited, rapid action.
My stomach twisted. Getting ready for their moment of glory, bonding with a dragon and using it to unleash death on the world above.
A flash of the old terror tried to resurface at the sight of so many creatures in one place, but it quickly faded. The emptiness inside of me and the drive to resolve that emptiness were stronger than the fear.
Still, looking down at the massive network of tunnels, something inside of m
e couldn’t help wondering if this had been such a good idea. How would we know which tunnel to take? How would we get through so many creatures unseen? I hadn’t expected such an enormous space.
Rik eyed the cavern over my shoulder. He looked ready to say something. I steeled myself for an argument. He was going to try to convince me to give up, that it was too dangerous, that we’d just get ourselves killed down here. And while I would never agree with such a plan, I knew he was right.
“It’s huge,” he whispered. “I can’t believe this has been here, so close to us, and we never knew it.”
I remained on edge, ready for the moment he dropped the other shoe with arguments to give up or go back for more fighters. “I doubt it has been. They have some settlements, but mostly they make their homes as they go. The larger earthquake we felt was them digging this so they would have a home base while they came after me.”
His eyebrows shifted upward. “They made this in that short time?”
“There’s a lot of them.” I almost cringed at my own words. True, but I’d just pointed him back toward a really good reason for us to abandon hope and flee.
He studied the cavern once more. “We can assume the leader or someone of similar importance would be the one with the ring,” he whispered so quietly I could barely hear him. “And most likely figures of importance would be in the grandest area. Biggest tunnel, possibly even decorated.”
He was strategizing. Planning how to proceed, not talking about turning back. I hadn’t expected that. I felt a sudden rush of gratitude.
He studied a moment longer, then gestured. “That one looks most likely. More traffic coming and going that way than the other ways.” He gestured toward the other side and lower. “That one down there would be my second guess.”
They were good guesses. He was right, both of the tunnels he’d pointed out were larger and had more creatures flowing through them. More of the light rocks clustered around the entrances, too, if I wasn’t mistaken.
“So the only question left is how to get there unseen.” He moved back and leaned against the opposite wall, one hand rubbing his chin in thought and the other hand lightly tapping his leg. Dirt streaked his arm where he’d leaned against the wall behind me.
I found my eyes drawn to that arm. “Hold still.”
He immediately reached for his sword.
“No, hold still,” I corrected. I approached him and ran my hand over the dirty spot. The walls were slightly damp, enough to make the dirt into a sort of thick mud. Enough that my work spread the dirt further over his arm. I pressed his wrist against the wall and examined the arm in the blue light.
The dirt blended against the wall seamlessly.
He saw it, too. “Perfect.” He rubbed the rest of his arm against the wall and set to work smoothing the mud.
I crossed back to the other wall and grabbed some mud. Skin, clothes, hair, everything had to be covered. I hadn’t bothered with any sort of sheath for my sword, so the shiny metal had to be coated, too.
I finished in time to see Rik spreading the last bits of mud over his neck. He’d done a good job coating himself, save one patch of light golden skin showing through at his cheek.
He looked me over. “You missed…” He touched his nose.
I scooped a little more mud off the wall and spread it over my nose.
He shook his head. “No, um…” He touched his nose again.
I tried to spread the mud better, and then he was standing in front of me. He cautiously reached forward, moving slowly and watching my eyes for any signal of refusal. I held still and waited. He carefully brushed his fingertips over my nose, getting the missed spot covered.
“Thank you.” I hesitated, feeling suddenly aware of his closeness. “Um, you…” I tapped my cheek.
He reached up, nowhere near the right spot.
I touched his cheek and smeared mud over the patch, his skin disappearing under the dirt. My eyes flicked upward as I finished, found his gaze fixed on mine.
I quickly stepped back. “You’re set.”
“You, too. Thanks.”
I nodded, gripping my sword tighter than necessary. I crossed to the tunnel wall with the most light and pressed myself into one of the gaps behind a ridge. “Does it work?” I closed my eyes.
A rustle of movement silenced any answer Rik was about to give. He pressed back into his own gap, all but disappearing behind a ridge as a group of creatures climbed into the tunnel, some pulling themselves up from below and others dropping in from above. Grumbling snarls crossed between them.
I closed my eyes. Held my breath. Didn’t dare let a single muscle move except for my fingers, slowly clenching around my sword’s hilt.
The snarling sound passed me without pause. Continued along. Past Rik. No signal that either of us had been spotted.
The sounds gradually disappeared down a further curve in the tunnel. I waited until all was silent before I chanced cracking my eyelids.
The tunnel was empty.
I exhaled in relief and peered outward to make sure nothing else was coming.
“It’s clear,” Rik’s voice came from right beside my ear.
I nearly jumped straight out of my mud coating.
“Sorry,” he whispered, stepping out of the different gap he’d pressed himself into at some point while my eyes were shut. “I wasn’t trying to startle you.”
“It’s fine.” I scanned the cavern once more. No signs of any interruption in the activity around us, but that would change in a hurry once those creatures found the ones Rik and I had dispatched further up the tunnel. “We’d better go.”
He nodded. I could see a certain grimness in his look, made all the darker by the mud coating his face. I felt the same in my own heart. We weren’t going to make it out of here alive. It was just a question of how far we’d get before we were caught. But I wasn’t about to accept or acknowledge that fact. It looked like he wasn’t, either.