“Turn the guns off,” I shouted back at Faso, “You’re just wasting ammo.”
“I can’t,” Faso replied. “Not without stopping the flow of secicao.” A design flaw, I was certain.
“Auntie Pontopa,” Taka shouted. “Finesia tells me I can use the scream.”
And you can too, Acolyte, her voice came in my head. Claim your power and show us all what you can do.
I shook my head. Don’t listen to her, I said to Taka in the collective unconscious, pushing Finesia’s voice away. Close her out of your mind.
Do we have a choice? Taka asked.
We’ll think of something. But we have to do it the right way.
I tried entering Velos into a loop the loop, in an attempt to confuse the Hummingbirds. Faso screamed out as I did so — he hated these aerobatics. And still, the swarm stuck to us, like bees after stolen honey. We just couldn’t shake them.
What are you going to do, Acolyte? Alsie asked. If you don’t call for Finesia’s help, we’ll bring you down. It would be a shame to lose your dragon and the scientist so early, don’t you think?
But you’ll also kill the boy. I thought you wanted him alive.
Oh, I won’t let that happen, Alsie said. Well, I can see that I’m not going to convince you this way, it’s time to take you down.
She let out another roar, and the Hummingbirds swirling around us began to narrow their radius. The Gatling guns seemed to be running out of ammo now. And the swarm was moving so close and fast that I couldn’t make out what was happening beyond them.
Sparks lashed out at us, stinging Velos and I felt his muscles weaken. I started to sing him a dragonsong to help him keep his strength, in the hope that a little dragonseer magic would at least get us through this. And he held his courage each time a stab of pain speared through his chest or his wings. But I knew this wouldn’t last forever.
Then, I remembered all of a sudden. Sandao’s fleet should be nearby with two hundred and fifty dragons at my disposal. Surely, these could tip the tides of battle. But I listened out for them in the collective unconscious, and I could detect no sign of them. Instead, I felt only an emptiness, as if hundreds of souls had simply been extinguished. King Cini’s fleet from Oahastin had already taken their lives perhaps. Or maybe my transformation had killed my connection to them. I tried singing out a dragonsong to call them into battle. But I got no response from them.
But instead, I got a response from something else. A presence that felt more like electrical static pulling my soul towards it. It came from the direction of the volcano. I reached out to it. And as I did, I pulled it forward as magnets pull metal.
Hoooooiiiieeee, came the first voice on the collective unconscious. Dragonseer finally found a way. This was the voice of the tribesman manifesting itself in my mind. How was it possible?
Maam, we’re here to do your bidding, came another. Us and all you’ve summoned. The voice of Lieutenant Wiggea on the collective unconscious. No, it couldn’t be. I felt a stab of fear in my chest. I hadn’t even had time to grieve Wiggea and now here he was emerging from the dead. This had to be my imagination.
Yes, Dragonseer, you did it. Colas’ voice came next. You’ve summoned your own army from the ashes, and you’ve created a new race of immortals. Upon this land a superior civilisation shall rise.
Then came a scream on the collective unconscious, and this time it didn’t come from one source, but from fifty or so dragonmen. I clutched my hands to my ears, once again, writhing in the pain. And then, all of a sudden, the Hummingbirds flew off in all directions as if they’d been launched out of random slingshots. Velos bundled through some of them, knocking some of them into the sea.
I turned over my shoulder to see black dragons. Dozens of them. They weren’t quite as magnificent as Alsie or Charth. They were rather spindly, in fact, and around the same size of a grey. But still, I could sense their raw power, and also the same kind of immortality that Alsie, Charth, and now myself shared.
Remarkable, Alsie said. So the old man did it. And there he is in the crowd.
But none of them spoke back. They simply turned themselves towards the line of airships and speared towards them. They flew in a tight formation. The airships responded by firing with the heavy-duty cannons they had equipped at the front of their hull. But these weren’t enough to shoot any of the dragons down. These creatures were now invulnerable with their only weakness at their throat. The men on the airships would have to be terribly good shots to take them down.
Soon enough, I could see the little men running on deck, like ants. The king’s redguards, with their rifles poised. Sparks of rifle lashed out from the decks. But still, the black dragons went forward unscathed.
We are immortal, Colas said. And these men are buffoons not to flee.
We shall take them, Maam, Wiggea said next.
Hooooiiiieeee… This was a collective call of multiple tribesmen from the jungle, now in dragon form. A war cry, perhaps.
I decided it better not to reply to them. To even acknowledge their existence would be to heed Finesia’s presence. And I could still hear her nattering at the back of my head, telling me to command them into battle. But I tried my best not to put importance to her words and to keep my cool.
The dragons soon were upon the airships. Out of their mouths spouted flames of unnatural green, setting the gondolas alight as the dragons raised their claws and slashed through the balloon linings that kept the airships afloat. And then the balloons sank, and I could see the horizon once again.
If you won’t command them, Finesia said in my mind. Then I shall do so myself.
But I kept pushing her away.
Well, well, well, Alsie’s voice came in my head. I see Finesia’s still trying to grant you power, and you won’t accept it. So I shall have to go in and claim the power myself. She let out a huge roar and turned towards the volcano. Charth followed in her wake. They headed right into the volcanic ash cloud disappeared beneath it.
Meanwhile, I looked back in astonishment at a whole airship fleet dashed to pieces by only fifty or so dragons. If the Greys had that kind of power, then Cini wouldn’t even dare venture into the Southlands with is harvesting operations.
No, I reminded myself. I can’t think like that. This power comes with a huge cost.
Oh, Alsie’s voice came faintly over the collective unconscious. One more thing. You probably better use the dragons to exact vengeance over Cini’s fleet. Your own measly flotilla has been reduced to floating shrapnel. I’d hurry south if I were you.
And it pained me to realise that she was probably right.
I listened out for more signs of Alsie in the collective unconscious, but she remained silent after that. So, I turned back to Faso and Taka. “We need to go south. Our fleet is in trouble.”
“What?” Faso’s jaw dropped. “How do you know?”
But I didn’t answer. Instead, I pulled up on Velos’ steering fin. He let out a huge roar, as if wanting at least to have a little rest. But, in all honesty, we had nowhere to land.
Come on Velos, I said. This is almost over and your cousins are in danger. I sang out a song to chide him a little.
He let out an even louder roar, and then he lowered his head a little and rocked it in shame. He then flapped his wings and started to head south.
The dragonmen and dragonwomen followed in our wake. There would be no shaking them now, I realised. But I refused to reach out and command them. And, if they turned against us, I’d find a way to take them down one by one.
Even if Wiggea was in there.
Wiggea. I wanted to reach out and tell him I was happy he was still alive. But I couldn’t think of him like that. He was a servant of Finesia. A zombie risen from the dead. And the man responsible, Colas was amongst his ranks.
I shuddered and refused to give Wiggea any further thought.
And so we continued on into the distance as the volcano billowed out ash behind us and on the western horizon, the sun began
to set. Who knew how many more men would rise from the dead and become dragons.
I didn’t want to even entertain the thought.
PART VIII
Pontopa
“I would not surrender my will, no matter how hard Finesia tried to take it from me.”
Pontopa Wells
CHAPTER 22
PARADISE REEF HAD COMPLETELY CHANGED colour since we’d last flown over it and had now lost the vibrance for which it was famous. Instead, the water below looked grey, with waves still churning out of it as the eruptions from the island roared into the sky. The water also had a faint ghoul-like phosphorescence that ran across it in oily streaks. It had clearly now been tainted by the secicao blight. Colas’ actions had already prepared the land and the surrounding waters for secicao growth, and it was only a matter of time until secicao took over the massive East Cadigan Island and perhaps even spread into the larger Cadigan continent too — the largest landmass in the world.
This would be something I’d have to report to Gerhaun and she’d be furious. Mind, it had a strategic advantage in the fact that we could create another fortress with dragons, perhaps even send a dragon queen or two over there.
Dragonheats, I was thinking like Finesia and Alsie. This secicao wasn’t good for the world, and we couldn’t exploit it. But no doubt, King Cini would also take advantage of the extra resource and set up an extra harvesting operation on East Cadigan Island. The Northern Continent’s overuse of secicao was the sole reason that dragons sabotaged the king’s harvesting operations in the Southlands. There, people drank it like tea to help them get through the hard industrial working day. But secicao leached into the soil through urine, constantly acidifying it until it got to the point that no other plants could grow. Soon enough, as Gerhaun had explained in her book Dragons and Ecology, the conditions would be perfect for the secicao blight to spread into the Northern Continent, choking the majority of the world’s population.
Now, Colas — the man responsible for the fall of East Cadigan island — was behind us in a new form. I could recognise him out of the fifty or so dragons he flew with, even though the light was now getting low. It was almost as if he lagged behind the rest of the flock a little and canted ever so slightly to one side. Wellies, I wanted to turn to a dragonwoman and rip the life out of his throat.
But, fortunately, I still had a rational head on my shoulders. I didn’t want to use any of Finesia’s abilities, nor did I want to put Velos’ life in danger.
It was then, that I realised, throughout this entire trip I hadn’t had a chance to reconnect with Taka. Granted, he had been kidnapped and so out of reach for most of it. But even since rescuing him, I’d hardly said a word to him. Expected, I guess, when you’re in the heat of a battle against a mad goddess, her sociopathic minion, a swarm of Hummingbirds, and a fleet of the king’s best airships as far as the eye could see. Still, here was my chance to make amends.
Taka, I said in the collective unconscious, and I turned around to him to check that he was still awake. He sat there, his eyes glued firmly ahead, staring into the distance with tears welling at the bottom of his eyes. Behind him, Faso had his head craned over his shoulder watching the dragons with intent. Best, I thought not to include the inventor in the conversation, although I did hope that he’d reach out and also express his apologies to his birth son sometime soon.
I’m here, Taka said, and his gaze met mine. Alsie, is she gone now?
I nodded. For now. Can you still hear Finesia?
Her voice was still nattering in my head, telling me to reach out to my minions who’d remain loyal to me until the end of time. But I kept that voice as distant as possible.
What happened to Charth back there? Taka said. One moment, I was talking to him. He was telling me never to trust Finesia. He kept telling me to never let her in. Then he just disappeared in my head.
Charth, I asked. What did he want?
He always talked to me Auntie. He kept telling me to keep the voice of that Finesia woman away, to never listen to her. And then I wanted to leave Fortress Gerhaun because the voice told me to run away. I didn’t listen to Charth when he told me it wasn’t safe. I’m sorry, Auntie. I know what I did was wrong.
And then my heart dropped in my chest. Because all of a sudden, I realised why Charth had been hanging around Fortress Gerhaun all that time. Gerhaun had told me at one point that the dragonman had sworn to protect Taka. And none of us — even Gerhaun and Sukina — had realised what from.
Charth had stayed at the palace despite being banished, because he’d wanted help keep Finesia out of Taka’s head. To stop her pushing him over to the wrong side. And then later he kept vigil over Fortress Gerhaun, as Taka’s guardian. Always keeping his promise to Sukina. Always communicating with Taka in the collective unconscious, making sure he stayed sane and kept his head around him. All this until Charth could hold on no longer. And he’d used his abilities to protect us all, despite knowing the costs.
Taka, I said. Why did you run away? I just wanted to make sure.
Finesia told me it was a good idea. Charth was the only one who listened to me. And you and Papo, never seemed to care about my birthday. But Finesia did…
I’m sorry, Taka, I said. I shouldn’t have forgotten. And I’d have to be extra vigilant now. Finesia had been in Taka’s head for a long time. I had underestimated the effects that the Exalmpora had had on the boy. Now, she wouldn’t go away — from his mind or my own.
I’m sorry too, Auntie Pontopa, Taka said. But now, you’re a dragonwoman. You can do what Charth does, right?
No, I said. I have to be careful. Finesia is dangerous, you have to understand that Taka. She’s our enemy, and though she’s in our minds, we can’t let her control us.
I understand, Taka said. And in his eyes I saw a sense of wisdom well past the child’s age. Almost as if Sukina still lived inside him. As I felt she lived inside me sometimes — there to keep us both sane.
We’ll get through this together, I said.
I’m sure we will. You protect me and I’ll protect you.
I smiled. Something like that. But in future, make sure you listen to Gerhaun and me. We tell you things for a reason.
I know. It’s just the voice was so strong.
We’ll work on it, I said. Unfortunately, I’d have to put the poor child in the dark room with the spider automaton and teach him how to control his mind much earlier than I’d hoped. But Finesia had left me with no other choice.
“Don’t tell me you two are doing that meditation thing again,” Faso said. He had woken up to us and had stopped staring at the V-shaped line of dragons following us now.
“I’m merely having a heart to heart with your son,” I said. “And Faso, it’s about time you had one too.”
“But we don’t even know if we’ll survive today,” Faso said. Then he lowered his head in shame as he noticed my hard stare. “Okay,” he said like a scorned child. “You’re right. Taka, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have forgotten your birthday.”
Taka turned around to face him enthusiastically. “Is that all?”
“No,” Faso kept his head bowed down low as if afraid of his own son. “I’m sorry I didn’t let you in when you wanted me too. I wanted you to learn the technology and how to become a great inventor, but maybe you’re not ready yet. I guess you need time to discover yourself before you discover science.”
I shook my head. That’s not it, Faso, when will you ever learn? But Taka seemed to take this as a satisfactory apology.
“Apology accepted,” he said, and he turned back to me.
Faso’s jaw dropped in shock. He shook his head hard, and he looked unsure if he should chide Taka for insolence or laugh along with him. After a couple of seconds, he went with the latter and let out a nervous chuckle. “Right then, so I guess we have an hour or so to go.”
Darkness was almost upon us now and either there was no moon in the sky, or it was concealed by the wall of volcanic ash behind us. Be
neath it, I could see the red glow of lava streaking across the island. And the green phosphorescence of the sea seemed even brighter as night came closer. There was now a coolness to the air, unexpected in this part of the world, but no doubt as side-effect of the eruption.
Taka, Faso and I spent the rest of the journey in silence, making no noise except the occasional rustle of clothing as we shifted in our seats for comfort. Meanwhile, the roar of the volcano diminished with each furlong we flew, until all that could be heard was the howl of the wind and the flapping of the dragon’s wings behind us. Dragons who were now invisible to the night. What they would do when we reached our fleet, and the ambush that Alsie had told lay in wait for us, was anyone’s guess. They might act as our allies, but there was no way I would reach out to them and ask for their help in battle. There was no way I’d call on any of Finesia’s gifts.
Alongside the voice of Finesia, every so often I heard Colas’ voice, or one of the tribespeople’s, the tribal chief’s, or sometimes even Wiggea’s. They babbled nonsense now, as if afflicted by madness. They certainly didn’t have the eloquence of myself, Charth, and Alsie.
Ah, but that will change, Finesia nattered at the back of my mind, once this land becomes rich in secicao. The more they can draw from and twist the nature of the collective unconscious, the stronger their human form will become.
No, I said. These men are dead. They’ll never be human.
But, if Sukina was there among them. You’d maybe listen to her.
I gritted my teeth. Why was I even letting the empress in? Sukina would never succumb to your will, Finesia, I said. And with those words I shut her out of my head.
Dragonseers and Bloodlines: The Steampunk Fantasy Adventure Continues (Secicao Blight Book 2) Page 26