Rise of the Shadow Dragons

by Liz Flanagan

  Joe had never seen her like this. She was like a protective mother dragon, growling and spitting sparks.

  ‘We have to let Yannic in. He’s going to help us.’ He looked around the candlelit cavern, searching for a way to bridge the gap between them. ‘And you think this is danger­ous now, bringing Yannic down here? I tell you what will be dangerous: an island controlled by the Brotherhood. They’ll lock us up and take our dragons, just like they did to Milla in the last war!’

  Winter reached out for Fidell, who was nudging at her waist, rumbling softly.

  ‘But if we use the tunnels to hide and to take messages, we can reach everyone on the island,’ Joe hurried on, spot­ting a chance now. ‘We can make a plan, ready to fight back! We don’t have long – they’re putting my sister on trial in two days.’

  ‘Who’s fighting back? I’m not.’ Winter grabbed Fidell and clasped him close to her. Both dragons were listening hard, their golden eyes round and solemn as their people debated.

  ‘Fair enough.’ He sighed. ‘But please let me bring these people into our cave. All of them?’

  ‘Let’s just put up a big sign, shall we: tunnels this way? This was my home! It felt safe here: you promised me.’

  ‘It will still be safe,’ Joe repeated. ‘Just shared.’ He hated to break his promise, but this was more important.

  She didn’t reply for a long moment, shoulders hunched miserably. She looked like a cat with its fur fluffed up, hiss­ing and growling.

  ‘Winter, I’m sorry, but this is something we can do to help. Let’s do it?’

  She didn’t reply, but shrugged one shoulder and he decided to interpret that as permission.

  ‘Come in! Amina, Conor, bring everyone in!’ Joe shouted.

  Amina, Conor, Flavia, Tiago and Yannic came forwards, into the candlelight.

  ‘Winter? Let me introduce my best friends, Amina and Conor. Then this is Flavia, from the last Hatching Day. And Tiago and Yannic – you’ve seen them once before, when we, er, rescued Tiago. But Yannic works for my sister, really.’

  They all stared at each other.

  ‘And this is Winter, who saved my life, and our shadow dragons, Ren and Fidell.’

  Amina went forwards to sit next to Winter, crossing her legs and settling down, her dragon by her side. ‘My dragon’s name is Maric. We’re so glad to meet you. Thank you for letting us into your home.’

  Fidell leaned forwards with a curious aark.

  ‘And is this your shadow dragon?’ Amina asked. ‘Joe told us about them. He’s gorgeous!’ She put a hand out to greet Fidell, smiling warmly. ‘Hello. I’ve never met anyone quite like you before.’

  Maric reached up to touch noses with Fidell.

  Amina and Winter grinned at each other afterwards.

  Joe let out a sigh of relief, silently thanking Amina for knowing what to do.

  ‘And here’s Ren,’ he said proudly, one hand on her back.

  ‘A shadow dragon, you say? Where did you find her then?’ Conor said, bringing Ariel over to greet Ren.

  Joe met his curious gaze, feeling something thaw and ease between them. He started telling him the story of how they’d found the eggs and their trip to mine the silverblue.

  Soon everyone was crowding round to meet Ren and introducing all the dragons to each other.

  ‘Ahem,’ Yannic coughed loudly. ‘I don’t mean to break up your cosy dragon appreciation society, folks. But don’t let’s forget, there’s a battle to fight out there. And we’ve got two days. So far, we’ve only got one sword, a few kids and some overgrown lizards on our side.’

  Tiago shot a vicious look at him.

  Joe was about to snap at Yannic for underestimating them when an idea struck him, fully formed. ‘That’s it! That’s how we’ll do it.’

  Everyone was looking at him as if he was speaking another language, their faces tinted by candlelight and shadows.

  ‘That’s how you see us, right, Yannic?’ Joe paced up and down, with Ren following his every move. ‘And you’re one of them. I mean, you’re not, but you were.’

  ‘Slow down, Joe!’ Amina said. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘They don’t see us as any threat,’ he explained. ‘We’re just kids, to them. And Yannic’s one of them. So that’ll be our disguise.’

  ‘Go on,’ Yannic said. ‘Wonderboy might have something.’

  ‘The Brotherhood won’t see us when we go out into the city. They’ll see children. With Yannic, they’ll see one of their own. That’s how we spread the word. We use the tunnels; we go and speak to everyone hiding at home, and we plan our fight. We are going to take Arcosi back. And we are going to start now.’

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  They sat in a circle, letting the dragons doze or roam the cavern around them. Joe tried to work through his plan, but his fears and his grief kept getting in the way. They had less than two days to stop the Brotherhood before they killed his sister.

  ‘Right,’ he began, looking at the circle of anxious faces. ‘So what should we do first?’

  Everyone answered at once:

  ‘I need to tell my family I’m safe!’

  ‘Take the dragons off the island.’

  ‘Hide!’

  ‘Fight the Brotherhood.’

  Yannic looked at them and sighed. ‘Oh my stars, give me strength! Do I have a job on my hands, or what?’

  ‘You can go, you know,’ Tiago said sharply. ‘No one asked you here.’

  Joe glanced at Yannic to see how he’d react. They needed him. He might be irritating, but he was an experienced fighter and their route into the Brotherhood.

  ‘No, no, no, my friend. You see, I’m counting on collect­ing a juicy reward from Joe’s sister, for keeping him alive through this. Been thinking of retiring to Sartola, nice little villa with a view of the sea …’ Yannic hawked up a gobbet of phlegm and spat it hard.

  Joe knew this was all an act. He’d seen what lay behind Yannic’s bravado – that bottomless grief – and he also understood why someone might want to hide that behind a mask. He was working hard to keep his own sadness at bay and focus on their plan.

  ‘I know, I know,’ Yannic was saying. ‘That also requires the general to remain alive. So you see, that’s why I’m here. To save Joe’s sister, richest woman on the island, and babysit her little brother meanwhile. Don’t tell me you couldn’t use the help.’

  ‘You want to help?’ Joe copied Yannic’s tone, arrogant and commanding, to get him to listen. ‘You can start by telling us about the Brotherhood. How many are they?’

  ‘That’s the thing.’ Yannic puffed his chest out impor­tantly now he was the centre of attention. ‘They’re only five hundred men. They’re outnumbered by the actual army who are now locked up in the barracks. They were counting on surprise. And making lots of noise. And when I say noise, I mean, chopping off—’

  ‘Right,’ Conor interrupted him, seeing Amina’s face. ‘So that’s the first thing – we need to free the duke’s real soldiers.’

  ‘Easier said than done.’ Yannic sounded as if he was enjoying this. ‘They’ve turned the palace back into the for­tress it once was. Palace grounds are locked and guarded day and night.’

  ‘We could use the big dragons you freed from the drag­onhall,’ Flavia said.

  ‘But how do we get word to the others?’ Tiago asked. ‘If they fled to Sartola? Our dragons aren’t big enough to ride on. They chose their moment well.’

  Joe put his head in his hands. There were too many el­ements to consider. It all seemed so daunting. Yannic had it right – they were just children, what did they know? His mother was injured; his father was dead. Isak was on Sartola. No one had seen Milla since she left with Thom. The city was under curfew. They’d never be ready in time. The Brotherhood would put his sister on trial, decide she was guilty, and he didn’t want to think about what that meant.

  He stopped the spiral of despair before it could take him any further down. Who else was going to stop the
Brotherhood? He had to focus on what they had, not what they lacked. They did have two days. He wasn’t alone any more. There were seven of them. And they had something no one else knew about: the secret tunnels.

  ‘All right,’ he said, looking up again, ‘we do it: sunset tomorrow. We free the duke’s army and tell everyone to be ready to join the fight.’

  The others were nodding.

  ‘How do we tell them,’ Flavia asked, ‘with this curfew?’

  ‘We take it in turns to go into the city, using the tunnels. I’ll draw you all a map!’

  Tiago pointed out, ‘And if the Brotherhood get hold of a map, we’re all finished. They’ll come down here and finish us, like rats in a drain.’

  ‘Well, we have to use the tunnels, so we have to risk the maps. Surely this is what the tunnels are for, travelling in secret? They reach all over the western side of the island,’ Joe told the others. ‘So we can spread the word in each neighbourhood. Some will have to stay here and guard the dragons.’

  ‘There are so few of us.’ Conor sounded worried. ‘We’ll need the duke’s army. We can’t do it without them.’

  ‘But they’re prisoners! We keep going round in circles,’ Amina cried. ‘How do we reach them? It’s no good tell­ing everyone in the city to be ready if we don’t have proper fighters.’

  ‘Exactly,’ Tiago cried. ‘Look, I’ve felt their anger up close. If I can’t defend myself against five of them, what chance do we have against five hundred?’

  ‘Maybe he’s right.’ Conor’s head drooped a little. ‘What do we know about fighting? The Brotherhood will kill us all.’

  Something occurred to Joe in a flash of inspiration. ‘But we don’t need to storm the walls, do we?’

  The others looked at him, puzzled.

  ‘They might not be trained soldiers, but what if we take back the element of surprise? It worked for them, so it can work for us,’ Joe said excitedly.

  Yannic was looking blank. ‘Nah, you’ll have to spell it out,’ he said. ‘I’m not with you.’

  ‘Rejoin the Brotherhood. Today, before anyone misses you,’ Joe said. ‘You can hear the gossip, see if anything’s changed.’

  ‘Right,’ Yannic agreed. ‘That makes sense.’

  ‘Then, today we take it in turns to slip out into the city, using the tunnels. I’ll copy the maps for you all. Everyone finds their families and friends. Tell them what we plan and when to be ready. But they need to lie low until then.’ The plan was forming as Joe spoke.

  ‘My cousins will fight to retake the city!’ Flavia said. ‘They’re bigger than me.’ Her cheeks flushed deep red at that. ‘I mean, most people are, but they’re really big.’

  Amina smiled at her.

  ‘When do I rejoin the baby rebels?’ Yannic asked.

  ‘Come back later,’ Joe said decisively. ‘Tomorrow we will sneak back into the palace grounds and free the duke’s army. They can retake the palace and the people can retake the city. Between us, the Brotherhood will be defeated.’

  ‘How well do you know the barracks, where the army is being held?’ Conor asked next. ‘How near can we get?’

  ‘They’ll be waiting for us.’ Tiago wasn’t convinced. ‘We’re all going to die.’

  It was Winter who persuaded them, finally. She stood up and cleared her throat, pushing her hair away from her face. ‘Look, I’m sorry I wasn’t more welcoming to you all, straightaway. I wanted to hide down here and keep Fidell safe.’ Her voice was shaky and Joe could see how hard this was for her. She went on, ‘But I’ve seen the Brotherhood in action. Joe’s right. We have to stop them. Isn’t it better to die trying to save our city and our dragons?’

  There was a long silence then. Coming from her – a girl who had been powerless to save her first dragon – the words had more impact.

  ‘It could work,’ Yannic said. ‘I know the barracks inside and out: they haven’t changed since they got rid of us. If we use the tunnels and get really close, then all you’ll have to do is break the locks open. But we make our move at night. It won’t work by daylight.’

  ‘That works.’ Joe repeated, ‘We’ll move at sunset tomorrow?’

  Everyone nodded in agreement, all except Tiago.

  Amina was jigging with excitement now. ‘Can I go into the city first? Please? We’ve been cooped up in the dragon­hall for the last couple of days, and I need to tell my family I’m alive. They’ll want to fight back, I know they will!’

  Joe moved his gaze down to Maric. Would the little dragon stay with him, even though they’d only just met?

  ‘I’m coming too,’ Flavia told Amina.

  ‘I need to spend some time with Ren,’ Joe said to Conor, ‘so why don’t we both stay down here with the dragons – they all know one of us at least. We can double up.’

  ‘Right, kids. I’ll leave you to sing lullabies to your dragons, or feed them fresh mice, or whatever it is you do …’ Yannic stood and stretched, scratching his rounded belly through the dusty black fabric of his uniform. ‘Wish me luck? See you later. Now, where’s my map? Don’t fancy getting lost down here …’

  ‘Just a moment,’ Joe said, searching through his belong­ings for one of his parchment maps. Then he led Yannic outside the quickest way, using the cave entrance above the western beach.

  When he returned, everyone looked urgently at Joe.

  ‘How far do we trust Yannic?’ Amina asked.

  ‘I won’t ever trust him,’ Tiago said. ‘But he might be useful.’

  Joe looked at their suspicious faces. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell them Yannic’s secret, but he resisted, and lied instead. ‘We can trust his love of gold. And we have plenty of that.’ He explained about the secret hoard. ‘We might need to bribe him with it in the end, but for now, don’t breathe a word about it, right?’

  ‘What’s stopping him bringing the Brotherhood straight down here and killing the lot of us?’ Conor was more direct.

  ‘We can sleep in a different cave, and we’d better have another plan in reserve,’ Joe said slowly. ‘Wait for me here. I’ll bring some of the gold – in case we need to persuade anyone.’

  Leaving the others, Joe took Ren and went back to the cave where he’d found her egg. As soon as he was alone with his dragon, the sadness came rushing back. Prrrtt? Ren asked, sensing his distress. She kept very close to him, her claws clicking on the rocky tunnel as they walked.

  As long as he was busy, Joe had managed to keep his grief at a distance, but now it returned, heavier than ever. Tears pricked at his eyes. Even if he was successful and man­aged to rescue Tarya, his father would never know. If he got his revenge and the Brotherhood were destroyed, his father would never know. For the rest of his life, Joe would do things and Nestan would never know. For a moment, he wanted to lie down right there and never move again. Only Ren’s constant presence kept him going.

  They reached the egg cave.

  ‘See this? This is where I found you,’ he told her, going inside.

  She walked in, looking around her with interest, and sniffed the box that had held her egg and Fidell’s.

  ‘And see this?’ He opened the casket. ‘This helps buy our victory.’ He filled his pockets with the gold.

  Back in the large cavern, Joe divided the gold between them. ‘Keep it hidden from Yannic. Use it however you need. I trust you.’

  Then Winter, Tiago, Amina and Flavia said goodbye to their dragons and left them behind with Conor and Joe. They set off for the outside world, each with their job to do.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Joe and Conor spent a busy day looking after the six dragons. It was awkward at first. They were polite and stiff with each other as they fed the dragons and spoke to them.

  ‘Conor, I am sorry.’ Joe realised he had to break the tension. ‘Can I try to explain?’

  Conor had his back to him, bending over to cut meat for the dragons. He tensed, and paused at his task.

  ‘I know I should’ve sent a message. My par
ents …’ Joe swallowed hard and struggled on. ‘They showed me I was wrong, but at the time, I really did think you were all better off without me. What I did on Hatching Day …’ He took another breath. ‘I was out of control. I had to be sure it wouldn’t happen again, maybe worse next time. I … I hated myself. And I thought you must too.’

  ‘Idiot,’ Conor said. He put his knife down, dipped his hands in the stream and turned to Joe, blinking hard. ‘As if! We missed you. But I’m glad you told me. Come here!’

  They stood up and hugged quickly, while their dragons squeaked and growled in relief.

  Conor sat back down and reached out for Ariel, smooth­ing her scaly neck as he spoke. ‘I’m really sorry about your dad. When did it happen?’

  Joe told him about his father’s death; Conor described their months in the dragonhall, and the awful day the Brotherhood arrived. The terrible news that a dragon had been killed had thrown them all into shock. The day flew past as they tended to all the dragons.

  The girls and Tiago arrived back, one by one, bring­ing news, water and more food for them and the growing dragons.

  Flavia was breathless. ‘I did it! I found my way home and told everyone the message. They’re going to pass it on too. Everyone will know by nightfall. They’ll be ready to take the city back as soon as we’ve freed the duke’s soldiers.’ Her expression was a strange mixture of pride and worry. ‘It worked, just like you said, Joe!’ Now she grinned at him for the first time since they’d met. ‘I walked under the noses of the Brotherhood a dozen times today. Not one of them noticed me. I might as well be invisible.’

  Winter came in behind her. ‘I’ve told my mother and her neighbours.’

  ‘Thank you, Winter.’ Joe slumped in relief.

  Conor said, smiling, ‘There you are, Joe, it looks like your plan will work. Shame we needed a city under siege for your hidden talents to emerge.’

  Amina came in last, buzzing with triumph. ‘Done!’ she cried. ‘And I have spare black clothes for us all if we’re to move at night. The craftspeople are ready to act and retake their neighbourhood. I really think it could work, whatever Yannic thinks.’