Culmination

by Selena IR Drake

  I think you are forgetting to take into account Hyperion. Spoke the double voice of Abaddon. The last time you tried one of your mirror tricks on him, it didn’t work. That same possibility might still apply now, and if he should spot whoever is flying, they will be doomed.

  The other dragons mumbled an affirmation of the fact.

  How bad is Hyperion?

  It was Abaddon alone who answered, Hyperion of Apocalypse took over the role of leader of the Shadow when Felwind of Chaos died in battle. Though the two of them were very similar in temper and elemental control, Felwind was still stronger; and ruthless. He used to delight in raiding villages and torturing the inhabitance with his power over chaos. I cannot say for certain just how powerful or bloodthirsty Hyperion has become in the last four centuries. His power now might dwarf Felwind’s or it might not. Either way, he alone will be the biggest threat you will face when you battle the Dragons of Shadow and their Keeper.

  I sighed and reclined back slightly. What do you guys suggest we do?

  Vortex spoke first. I think you should get to Zenith as soon as you can, for he is the strongest of all of us.

  I agree with Vortex. Chorused Kkaia, Atoka, and Kúskú.

  You do realize that the fastest route for them takes them right by the Hume capitol and all twelve Shadow, right? Nexxa chastised.

  Yes, I am aware of that. Vortex huffed.

  It will be suicidal to fly that way. Stated Helios. I suggest you take a safer route, away from the city.

  Nexxa and Thedrún agreed with him.

  Okay, let’s take a vote. I said, sitting straight up. All of you in favor of a direct path, speak your names.

  Vortex, Kkaia, Riptide, Atoka, Wildfire Kúskú, Symbilla, and Abaddon all said their names. And I counted each of them off on my fingers. That means it is eight in favor of a direct route and three against.

  Nexxa growled in frustration, but remained silent.

  I heard Helios sigh. Just be careful, alright?

  Yeah, we don’t want anything to happen to you or your friends. Added Thedrún.

  Thanks for your concern. I smiled though they couldn’t see, and I closed the connection. Shazza’s and Kitfox’s argument had grown very loud, so much so that I doubted they would hear me if I tried to shout over them. So I stood up and cast a spell to summon a spark of lightning between them. They both shut up in an instant and looked at me. “The five of us are taking three dragons and flying straight there, no diversions.”

  Kitfox gaped at me in disbelief while Shazza grinned victoriously.

  “Are you sure?” It was Thera who spoke. I looked at her over my shoulder.

  “With Kúskú’s illusions and the power of three spell casters, we should be able to skirt the capitol unseen.”

  “I sure hope you’re right about that.” Kitfox sighed.

  Mere minutes later, the five of us had our gear packed up and ready to go. I led the way out of the Temple of Arcadia. I paused on the other side of the narrow bridge and turned to face the Temple. I bowed my head and whispered a prayer of thanks and asked again for their help in the challenges to come. Once I felt satisfied with the prayer, I shouldered my pack and led everyone out of Arcadia, towards the sandy beach where my dragons awaited.

  ◆◆◆

  The first day aloft was spent in suppressed apprehension as we left behind the relative safety of Arcadia, only to draw closer to our biggest threat: Bakari-Tokai. My three dragons flew on at breakneck speeds and I feared their wings would snap from the strain.

  I was seated in the saddle astride Kúskú at the head of a small v formation. Kitfox was situated behind me, holding me tightly as if worried I might slip from his grasp. To my left was Thera, alone – save Visler, who was safely tucked under the hood of her wool cloak – in the saddle on Abaddon. She appeared at ease, despite the worry I knew was consuming her mind. On my right was Pox and Shazza astride Nexxa. Both of them mirrored Thera’s state.

  This is going to be a long ride. I had thought.

  I had been right.

  On the second day, I was scared out of my mind when all my dragons suddenly shouted a warning and dove for the trees. The moment the dragons touched the ground Kúskú, Thera, Pox, and I went to work hiding our location. And not a second too soon! An enormous red and black Shadow Dragon flew by just inches off the tops of the trees, looking down as if scanning for a meal. I gawked at his bulk for he was much larger than any of my dragons, and more muscular. He could easily fit the head of any one of my dragons – save Abaddon and possibly Nexxa – between his jaws.

  Abaddon introduced us to the leader of the Shadow Dragons, Hyperion.

  As the giant dragon flew by over head for a second time, I had to plug my ears at the volume of his wings flapping. Now I know why you guys are so afraid of him.

  Bah! Vortex scoffed. Bigger isn’t always better. That big bulk of his slows him down too much to catch us. That is how we got the upper hand on Felwind.

  Ha! You have not been on the receiving end of his Tetra Vortex technique like I have. Growled Taypax.

  That is the main thing you need to be wary of when facing him. Abaddon and Taypax said in their unified voice.

  Once we have Zenith back with us, there won’t be any need to fear that ugly old vulture! Riptide laughed.

  It was nearly two hours later before the dragons deemed it safe to return to the air. We flew for hours without interruption and at last I could see the Grand Capitol on the horizon. Granted, it was merely a black spec against the blue water and green fields, but I could still see it. I just hoped that Dimitri and his dragons weren’t watching from the towers.

  It wasn’t until Rishai began to set in the east that we were forced to land in a panicked frenzy again. This time two Shadow Dragons, both ones I had never seen before, circled overhead. Abaddon recognized them as Talisman of Ice and Maelstrom of Water. Though neither of them was nearly as large as Hyperion, they still had several meters on my dragons.

  It wasn’t until after the last rays of sunlight had faded into memory that we were able to fly on again. And fly we did. We did not dare to stop that night for food or rest; we were too close to the capitol for that.

  It wasn’t until Aruvan nearly broke the horizon on the third day that I could finally see the Eyes of the Ages. They loomed so high above the lush forest at their feet that their caps vanished into the clouds. There were a few shorter mountains in the range, and each of those was capped in fresh, white snow. The snow gave me the impression that the entire range was like the jaws of an enormous monster hidden in the ground, waiting patiently for a meal to wander too close.

  “Those mountains are too tall for us to fly over.” Announced Kúskú. “We will do our best to get you as far into their midst as possible.”

  “Alright.” I replied.

  And so the day passed, watching as the mountains drew ever closer and Bakari-Tokai grew further and further away. By midday, even more of the range of mountains grew visible, revealing jagged peaks, mountains so narrow they looked like giant needles, and dots of vegetation hearty enough to survive in the frigid heights. I even spotted the old volcano, Mount Vurapoyan, with its cap and half the cone blown clean off from its last eruption.

  By sunset, we had just flown over the first of the foothills that guarded the Eyes of the Ages. I peered earthward just in time to see a pair of bligens rush into the thicket. Within seconds, the cats’ black and white fur had them thoroughly camouflaged. I smiled, for seeing bligens was a very rare occurrence, and returned my attention to the looming mountains ahead. It would be long passed nightfall before we managed to breech the outermost wall of them. So I reclined slightly against Kitfox and napped.

  I was jostled awake some time later and nearly screamed when Kúskú dipped his right wing without warning. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized we weren’t under attack. He was only circling around a mountain. At long last he leveled out. But another mountain blocked his path. This time he dipped his left win
g and we circled that mountain.

  Back and forth, we zigged and we zagged through the mountains. Once or twice, the dragons had to climb in altitude to pass over a mountain they could not circle. During those climbs, the winds grew so cold and the air so thin I had to resort to magic to keep warm and provide air.

  At midnight I squinted through the dark to see an immeasurably wide and tall mountain blocking our way. It was then that the dragons’ progress finally ground to a halt. They landed on the side of the mountain and apologized through wheezing breaths.

  “We can fly you no further.” Kúskú panted. “The air is growing too thin to hold our weight, much less keep us breathing.”

  Kitfox and I dismounted, taking our saddle bags with us. I patted the silver dragon on the foreleg and thanked him for his help. “You, Abaddon, and Nexxa should get some rest within the Eye. You’ve earned it.”

  The trio of dragons did just that. As soon as the jewels marking their places in the amulet faded, I summoned forth Wildfire. With her there to watch over us, we could spend several hours sleeping without worry. We could also use her wings for insulation against the cold and the perpetual flame on the tip of her tail for warmth and light.

  “Sleep well,” I said to my friends as I snuggled up to Kitfox, “Tomorrow at dawn, we’re hiking.”

  ◆◆◆

  The morning light of Aruvan painted the sky and mountain snow. Thick, grey clouds turned to rainbows as the light brushed against them only to vanish a moment later as they warmed. A slight breeze moved in from the east as if telling the world the sun had risen at last. All was calm and peaceful.

  I stood atop the snow, staring out at the jagged peaks of the Eyes of the Ages. For a moment, I was just a girl standing at the top of the world. I was not a Dragon Keeper on a mission to save the world. I did not need to fear for my life or those of my friends’. I had no enemies. For a moment, I was free. Free of all worries, obligations, and doubts. I was just me; on the mountain top.

  I wanted to stay like this forever.

  But as Rishai began to break over the horizon, I forced myself to turn away. I had wasted enough time. Now we had to get moving.

  The snow crunched loudly as I walked up to the cocoon of Wildfire’s wings. I gently parted her wings and slipped between the gap. The short blast of cold air instantly roused Shazza and she pulled a dagger as she bolted to her feet. When she realized it was just me entreating entrance, she relaxed.

  I asked her to wake up Thera and Pox. She nodded once and started on the task. I set about doing the same for Kitfox and Wildfire. A look of confusion clouded Kitfox’s gaze for a moment, then he recalled what was happening. He yawned widely, revealing his fangs, as he peeled the fur blankets off. I clapped him on the shoulder and left him to begin the chore of packing up.

  I glanced over at Shazza as she moved away from Thera to rouse Pox. Thera was quick to rub the sleep from her eyes and begin packing. Visler complained about the early rise, and firmly attached himself to Thera’s shoulder, where he dozed. The younger Feykin was a bit more stubborn to wake so early. Finally Shazza resorted to ripping the blankets off the sleeping girl.

  It wasn’t long after that that the five of us and Wildfire were packed up and trekking along through the snow atop the mountain. The dragon complained of the cold and wet and asked to trade places with another dragon. So I summoned Atoka. The ice dragon, of course, had no problems with the cold. In fact, Atoka acted more like a child with a new toy. She bounded here and there, rolled, and kicked up great clouds of snow. She even took a running start and slid over the snow on her stomach! We all had a good laugh at her antics. I couldn’t help but wonder if she did it on purpose just to cheer us up.

  We trudged on for several hours, pausing only once to let Kitfox hunt the wooly goats that thrived in this region of the mountains. It wasn’t long before he caught a sizable nanny, and one that would feed us for quite a few meals. We lashed the carcass to Atoka without bothering to clean it. The cold temperatures coupled with Atoka’s ice powers were sure to freeze it in no time anyway.

  We started off again. After a while, the sky overhead turned as black as night despite both suns clearly being visible. It was also getting harder and harder for us to breathe. So Pox took a minute to weave a spell that covered each of us in special bubbles that supplied air. Then she taught the spell to me and Shazza. Thera already knew it and cast a larger bubble around Atoka.

  ◆◆◆

  It was late afternoon when my empty stomach begged for a break. So I found a rather level spot in the snow and called everyone over. Atoka formed a cocoon with her wings and sealed it with a blast of icy air. As I cast a fire spell to warm us, Shazza and Thera dug the dried jerky and bread out of the pack. Kitfox went to work on stripping the wool from the nanny, a task that interested Pox. The young Feykin sat a bit away to watch him.

  After several minutes spent bent over the carcass, Kitfox noticed her gaze. He smiled. “Want to learn?”

  Pox smiled and moved closer.

  I watched the lesson as I ate, amazed that Kitfox had the patience to teach one as young as Pox. I couldn’t help wondering if he would be the same way with our daughter.

  “This is always the least glamorous part of hunting.” Kitfox said with a laugh. “Now, I’ve already cleared a good portion of the wool away from where I’m going to be cutting, so I’ll have to teach you that some other time.

  “Because this is a female, what you do is take your knife,” and he showed her his, “and insert it here,” he sunk his blade into the carcass at some point between the hind legs that I couldn’t see, “and make an incision along the belly, all the way to the throat. Be careful you don’t cut too deeply. Doing so might nick the intestines and contaminate the meat. Now, Atoka and the weather partially froze this, so it is a bit tough to cut, but it should look something like this when you’re done.” Pox took a minute to look at the cut and nodded.

  “What you do now is break the rib cage so you can remove the heart and lungs. Most hunters have a hammer or axe to do this part. Me? I just do this.” He punched the area of the chest where sternum was, and there was a sickening crack as the bones gave. “It is also recommended that the pelvis be broken to make it easier to remove intestines and reproductive organs. I don’t like doing that because I always end up with a nasty mess and bunch of very sharp bone shards in the meat, so I’ll fish all of that gunk out the hard way.

  “So now that the ribs are broke, we open her up and remove all the organs. Watch yourself on the ribs though because they tend to be quite sharp.” He leaned in and started plucking out the organs as he had described. “And that is pretty much how you clean a kill.”

  “And the dragon watching gets to eat all the good parts.” Atoka said, eyeing the organs sprawled out on the snow. Kitfox chuckled and began tossing her the bits and pieces. She caught them with a great snap of her jaws and licked her lips. Visler complained with a squawk, so Kitfox tossed the homunculus the goat’s heart. He chirped happily and dug in, eating greedily until the last morsel was gone.

  “Thank you for the lesson.” Said Pox.

  Kitfox grinned as he scooped snow from the ground to wash the blood off his arms. “No problem.”

  “Who taught you how to clean kills?” Shazza asked.

  Kitfox continued scrubbing off the blood as he looked at her. “Freya did. Why?”

  The Dákun Daju shrugged. “Just curious. You do good work.” She uttered a short string of Kinös Elda and the blood on Kitfox’s arms slipped to the ground.

  “Thanks.”

  Shazza dipped her head in a nod.

  Kitfox caught my stare as he turned to pack the carcass. He winked at me and smiled. I couldn’t help but smile back.

  ◆◆◆

  After a few more minutes of resting and digesting, I called the team back into action. By nightfall – actual nightfall, not the fake one caused by the height of the mountain – we were already on the descending side of the mountain sl
ope. Clouds began to form, and the mountain top was shrouded in fog. Our clothes quickly grew damp and uncomfortable. I asked if anyone wanted a break, but they all voted to keep going. So Thera and I lit orbs of light and we pushed on.

  Several long hours passed before we broke through the bottom of the thick cloud barrier. Once the wet fog of the clouds receded, we could see what lay before us. And my high hopes suddenly came crashing down. Even more mountains stood before us, stretching on into the din of night and vanishing like ghosts. Mirror Lake was nowhere to be found.

  I sighed in defeat and called for a rest.

  “You can rest when we’re closer to the lake.” Said Shazza.

  I gaped at her. “There’s no way I can scale who knows how many mountains in sear—“

  “Xy, the lake is right there!” She growled, pointing into the distance. I followed the invisible line drawn by her finger to the dark valley below. It took me several minutes of watching before I realized there were actually little pinpoints of light amidst the jagged teeth in the valley. As I studied them, I realized they twinkled.

  I smiled in spite of myself. “Stars.”

  “Well it’s about time.” Kitfox muttered as if just noticing it. “I thought we were never going to find the darn thing.”

  “Come on.” Shazza said and walked away. “I want to get off of this mountain.”

  “Same here.” Thera called as she followed in the Dákun Daju’s footprints. Though I was eager to reach the lake, I just didn’t have the energy to climb all the way down the mountain slopes.

  Atoka yawned widely and snapped her jaws shut with a strange click. “We dragons are not made for walking long distances like this. Flying requires less energy.”

  An idea suddenly occurred to me and I called for everyone to stop a moment. I touched the jewels of the Dragon’s Eye and summoned forth Kúskú, Nexxa, and Abaddon. With the trio of saddled dragons to ride, we reached the valley home of Mirror Lake in only a few minutes.

  The temperature was quite warm compared to the slopes of the mountain, so much so that it lulled me even deeper into exhaustion. Before I ran completely out of energy, I changed into some drier clothes. Too tired and wore out to endure eating or talking, I unrolled my sleeping skins and laid out on them. Before I knew it, I was adrift in dreams.