Blood and Fire (Book 3)

by Marcus Alexander

With one last grin he bounded off.

  Hotstepper picked her up and placed her back between his shoulders. ‘He will be fine, Charlie of the Keepers, and so will you.’

  Bunching his legs beneath him, Hotstepper sprinted towards the edge of the island and leaped into space. Wings spread wide, he carried the two of them towards distant islands.

  ‘So,’ began Charlie, ‘now can you tell me what it was that you did to me?’

  ‘Did to you?’ queried Hotstepper.

  ‘You’ve done something to me, I’m sure of it. I feel weird, like there’s some kind of electricity playing just beneath my skin, and I keep getting hot and cold flushes. I remember you healing me and then …’

  ‘Ah,’ said Hotstepper, realizing what his guest was talking about. ‘It is the blood, Charlie of the Keepers, that is making you feel this way. My blood. I’m sorry it makes you feel uncomfortable but it’s a side effect all mortals feel when they take the gift.’

  ‘Gift?’

  ‘Aye, it is a gift. A gift of life. You were not in a good way, Charlie of the Keepers. With the amount of blood that had seeped from your flesh you would not have been able to recover, at least not for a long time. Blood, Winged Ones’ blood, brings many gifts: healing, energy and unfortunately pain. But it was a necessary gift and it is what has allowed you to regain your feet so quickly after suffering such severe injuries. But Winged Ones’ blood is not meant for mortals. The side effects that you feel are the price you pay for the healing and power that it brings.’

  ‘Uh …’ began Charlie, but wasn’t too sure what to say or if indeed there was any proper response upon learning that you had taken dragonsblood. ‘… Thank you?’

  ‘You are most welcome, Charlie of the Keepers.’

  Feeling the need to clear the air, Charlie asked, ‘What is this place?’ She spread her arms wide to encompass all the floating islands. Hotstepper, looking ahead, didn’t see the gesture but nonetheless caught the gist of her question.

  ‘Our home,’ he replied simply.

  ‘I know that … but how can a place like this exist?’

  ‘Are you sure you want me to tell you?’ asked Hotstepper. ‘Would it not be more enjoyable to simply live with the mystery of it?’

  ‘Er … no,’ replied Charlie, quite certain that her curiosity would never be able to endure an unsolved mystery like this. ‘I think I’d really, really like to know more.’

  She felt his muscles ripple beneath her thighs as he chuckled. Fortunately, she was too preoccupied by all the sights to question why he and the other dragons seemed to find everything she said so funny.

  ‘We were not the first to call this realm our home, neither are we the only race that lives here, but none can question our right to dwell here. What better place for a Winged One than a realm of endless sky?’

  Charlie had to agree with him.

  ‘All that you can see,’ continued Hotstepper, ‘all of that which we call home, is the net which surrounds all other realms. You are familiar with the Great Cataclysm that broke the first land into the separate realms of Earth and Bellania?’

  ‘Well, I wouldn’t say I’m familiar with it,’ said Charlie. ‘But I’ve heard about it.’

  ‘The Cataclysm was not a tidy event. Not all the bits and pieces from the original land fitted easily into either realm. Some were lost, some were hidden and other parts, unable to resist the tidal pull of universal gravity, ended here.’

  He pointed towards a distant island, craggy and covered with trees and mist. ‘That is part of the original land.’ He pointed in a different direction to a scrap of rock made tiny by perspective. ‘So too is that.’

  ‘What about the other islands?’

  Hotstepper continued pointing. ‘That is part of the Siren’s Realm, that from the Silken Lands, those two from L’Layla; the land over there with the blue glow contains part of the Sixteenth Hell and its neighbour with the snow-capped mountains was once part of the Thrice Spun Realm. All of these have a history and all came to rest here once they were torn from their original realm.’

  Charlie’s mouth began to water at the thought of being able to endlessly adventure across all of these scraps of realms. It would be island hopping like none other!

  As they flew beneath a particularly large stretch of land she was treated to another sight.

  ‘What’s that?’ she asked, pointing towards a bright spear of light.

  ‘The true Gateway to Bellania. When we first learned it had been sealed and when it grew apparent that the pendant had been lost we were left with scant option other than to try and burn our way past Bane’s seal.’

  Drawing closer Charlie could see that the great beam’s source of light was twelve Winged Ones, each of which was breathing a non-stop stream of flame into a concave mirror placed in front of them, which in turn redirected their energies to join the others’ to become one mighty lance of flame. It was clearly striking something but the target was hidden behind a great splatter of white fire.

  A Winged One landed amidst the twelve and after a brief communication the twelve stopped their endeavour and took flight. They passed beneath Hotstepper and headed in the direction that he and Charlie had come from.

  ‘Word of your arrival and tale of the hidden Gateway’s opening spreads. My people fly to Torn Moon to discuss Bellania’s fate.’

  Looking around, Charlie noted spread wings near and distant, all heading in the same direction.

  ‘If you have so many realms to choose from, what makes Bellania so special to you? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I know I love the place, but why do you?’

  ‘It is our ancestral home.’

  ‘Huh? Hang on a minute, I thought before the Great Cataclysm Earth and Bellania used to be the same place.’

  ‘They did,’ agreed Hotstepper.

  ‘So how come you go to Bellania and not Earth? If they both used to be the same place then surely they’re both your ancestral homes?’

  ‘They are,’ admitted Hotstepper, ‘but the Cataclysm altered more than the geography of the two realms; it affected the laws that govern them too. While the Tremen can treesing and the Stomen can stonesing in Bellania they cannot do so in the realm of Earth. The same can be said of the technology of Earth. What works there does not fare so well in the realm of Bellania.’

  ‘Oh, so that explains …’

  ‘Explains what?’ prompted Hotstepper.

  ‘Well, I know it sounds stupid but ever since I arrived in Bellania I’ve always wondered why someone hasn’t tried to conquer the realm with guns and tanks and stuff like that.’ Realizing she appeared a little reckless, she hastened to add, ‘I know that’s a bloodthirsty thing to say but the thought kept popping up in my head. I mean, if there’s someone like Mr Crow who came over from Earth it’s not too difficult imagining people like him trying to gain power with guns.’

  ‘It has been tried before,’ said Hotstepper. ‘Several times, in fact. I’m not familiar with this “tank” that you talk of but we have seen cannons and muskets. A general from your land learned of the Gateways that led from Earth to Bellania. Greedy and foolish, he killed the Keeper family who guarded it and forced his way into Bellania with an army at his back.’

  ‘What happened?’ asked Charlie, eyes wide.

  ‘They formed up in pretty lines, uniforms crisp and glittering in the sunlight with cannons and muskets at the ready. The general strutted around like a vainglorious rooster and when we appeared on the horizon he ordered his men to fire.’ Hotstepper chuckled at the memory. ‘There was a lot of sizzle and a little bit of smoke but no explosion. The look on their faces was priceless.’

  ‘What happened next?’

  ‘We ate them.’

  ‘What?’ croaked Charlie.

  ‘We ate them,’ repeated Hotstepper.

  ‘But-but you can’t do that!’ stuttered Charlie.

  ‘Why ever not?’

  ‘Because you’re dragons,’ said Charlie, momentarily forgetting to call them
Winged Ones. ‘You’re supposed to be wise and honourable and … and …’

  ‘Wisdom and honour are amongst our traits,’ said Hotstepper. ‘But sometimes a lesson must be taught to those who would try to oppress others. Do not mistake my people for ravenous beasts driven only by our hunger, for clearly we are not. We are peacekeepers and peace and balance are what we revere above all else. However, once in a while foolish people must be eaten in order to maintain that balance.’

  ‘Er … please don’t tell me that Winged Ones eat Keepers too?’

  ‘What? No!’

  Not necessarily feeling any safer, Charlie added, ‘Not even once in a while?’

  ‘No! Never. The Keepers and the Winged Ones are kin. We share a common ancestry. To eat a Keeper would be like eating your own family. A disgusting thought.’

  Hearing that, Charlie relaxed slightly, although she was of course still confused as to how Keepers and Winged Ones could be related.

  ‘What about Tremen and Stomen and other Humans?’ she asked. ‘Do you eat them too?’

  ‘I can see this idea does not rest easily with you. Charlie of the Keepers, allow me to reassure you that we only ever eat those who deserve the punishment and that we only do so when an example must be made. Only the most cruel and most twisted are torn by our teeth. Besides, Humans, Tremen and Stomen don’t taste that good and they take a terrible time to digest. Believe me, Charlie of the Keepers, a Winged One with stomach cramps is never a pleasant sight.’

  As horrified as she was, Charlie couldn’t help but smile a little at that.

  ‘Of course, taste and indigestion aside, there is someone who we aim to dine upon soon.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Bane.’

  Charlie nodded quite contentedly at that thought. There was no doubt that eating anyone was morally wrong but she was prepared, just this once, to put morals aside for the person who had stolen her parents and brought war and terror to the realm of Bellania.

  Sitting back, she relaxed and watched the stars and islands drift by.

  39

  Rumbling Hunger

  ‘How much longer will this take?’ asked Charlie.

  ‘Not long,’ said Hotstepper, but sensing her disquiet, he enquired, ‘What’s the rush?’

  ‘I don’t know if Nibbler told you but Sylvaris is –’

  ‘Ah … Sylvaris, the Jewel of Deepforest. We know the plight that Sylvaris is in but we must gather our numbers before storming back to Bellania. Our little brother has told us how Bane’s armies have grown and how the Stonesingers have been swayed from the path of peace. But rush we must not. My people are scattered and it will take long hours to gather enough wings to crush Bane’s rebellion. Time enough for you and me to reach the Hunger’s Isle and return.’

  Doing her best to put thoughts of Sylvaris aside, Charlie stared at a distant swathe of clouds and twinkling stars. She lost track of her thoughts for a few moments until Hotstepper suddenly fell into a shallow dive, ducking his neck and pulling his wings in. Their destination was a strip of land that looked like it had been ripped from a tropical beach. There were stretches of sand studded with palm trees and ivy-covered boulders bordered crystal-clear waters. As they grew closer they could see brightly coloured fish in the water and the ruins and toppled columns of ancient buildings.

  Hotstepper landed in a cloud of disturbed sand. A flock of bright orange birds, shocked by their arrival, took flight in a chorus of trills and tweets.

  ‘Get down, Charlie of the Keepers,’ said Hotstepper.

  She slid to the ground. The sand beneath her shoes was so fine that it squeaked when she moved, the air smelt fresh and the island was wonderfully warm. She gazed around, hoping to catch sight of their mysterious host, but other than the palm trees, boulders and ruins there was not much to see. There were a few hills towards the hub of the island and Charlie could see a large cave at the base of one. Perhaps, she thought to herself, they would find this ancient Winged One there. After all, what better place to find an old dragon than in a big cave?

  ‘Should we start –’

  ‘Did you bring me something to eat?’ boomed a big voice.

  Charlie jumped and likely would have fallen if she hadn’t lurched into Hotstepper’s flank. Realizing that the question was perhaps directed at her, she said, ‘Ah … no. No, we didn’t.’ She looked around and even overhead but could find no body to match the booming voice.

  ‘What?’ snorted the voice. ‘You came to meet the Rumbling Hunger and brought no food? What kind of mortal makes a foolish error like that?’

  There was a creak, then a groan and with a shocking abruptness a large patch of boulders moved. Charlie yelped and backed once more into Hotstepper’s side, then watched with eerie fascination as the boulders stood up and turned round to reveal that they were, in fact, a Winged One.

  Bemused, Charlie rubbed at her eyes.

  It was a dragon like no other. He was as large as Torn Moon but so old that his muscles and scales had taken on a craggy appearance. And even though he stood right in front of her, his scales, which were the colour of burnt umber and bronze, almost seemed to blend into the fabric of the ruins, making it easy to appreciate why she had at first mistaken him for a part of the landscape.

  The Winged One’s huge head and soft brown eyes grew close as he leaned down to inspect his guest.

  ‘So you mean to tell me that you didn’t even bring a snack?’ said the Winged One.

  Realizing that Hotstepper wasn’t going to come to the rescue, Charlie said, ‘Er … sorry, no.’

  ‘Foolish mortals,’ grumbled the Winged One. ‘And as for you,’ he prodded Hotstepper’s chest, ‘you certainly should have known better.’

  ‘Forgive me, eldest,’ said Hotstepper and gave a brief bow of deference.

  The Winged One snorted again, then started to amble off. He paused to look back over his shoulder. ‘Well, are you coming or not?’

  ‘Who, me?’ asked Charlie.

  ‘No, I’m talking to all the other visitors who decided that today was a good day to drop by without bringing a gift.’ He rolled his eyes when Charlie hesitated. ‘Yes, I’m talking to you. The Human girl with the scruffy hair. Yes, you. Come on, let’s go and see if I can curb my hunger with some snacks, otherwise I might grow so hungry that I decide to eat you.’

  Having only just heard how Hotstepper had a history of eating criminals, Charlie faltered. She couldn’t work out if this strange Winged One was being serious or not, nor was she too sure how safe he was. He certainly looked strange and from the way his stomach kept rumbling it was obvious that he was hungry.

  Rumbling Hunger

  ‘Go on,’ said Hotstepper, and he gave her a gentle nudge. ‘You’ll be safe enough. Just listen to his words and do all that he asks of you.’

  Charlie hesitantly made her way over to her host.

  ‘And you,’ said the Winged One, looking at Hotstepper, ‘can wait here. And next time you visit make sure you bring something tasty with you.’

  Without checking to see if Charlie was following, the Winged One headed towards the hills.

  40

  Wisdom

  ‘Sooooo,’ began Charlie, ‘should I tell you why I was brought here?’

  ‘Ssssh!’ said the Winged One.

  Crouched by the water’s edge, he watched with intense interest as a large, brightly coloured fish swam lazily back and forth.

  ‘Er …’ began Charlie but fell silent.

  She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting but it certainly wasn’t this. The large dragon had ignored her for the last ten minutes. She knew that he was considered wise so she figured this was supposed to be a test of some sort … The only trouble was that she had no idea what sort of test it was or what she was supposed to do.

  There was a flash of movement as the Winged One hauled the fish from the waters, threw it into the air, caught it with a click of his teeth and swallowed it whole, all in one smooth motion.

  �
�Yummm,’ said the Winged One with a contented smile. ‘Nothing like a little Fluttercarp to ease the wait between lunch and afternoon teatime. So, my little wayward Human, what did you say your name was?’

  ‘Charlie Keeper, er … sir.’

  ‘Pfft. None of these foolish manners,’ protested the Winged One. ‘I’m definitely not a “sir”. Call me Rumbling Hunger or if you must shorten my name “Hunger” will do. So tell me, little Charlie, what did you hope to get out of this visit to my wonderful island of fish and coconuts?’

  ‘Um … I’m not sure,’ admitted Charlie. ‘Torn Moon and Last Laugh said there was a hole in my soul and that you would know how to fix it.’

  ‘Is that what they said?’

  ‘Yes, sir. I mean, yes, Hunger.’

  ‘And why do you think they sent you to see me? Do you suppose they thought that learning how to fish for Fluttercarp would help this hole in your soul?’

  Charlie fidgeted. She knew he was teasing her but his size, obvious age and unusual behaviour were making her feel flustered. ‘I guess they sent me to see you because you’re wise?’

  Hunger rolled his eyes. Seeing the flash of another Fluttercarp, he turned his attention back to the lake. ‘Wise, huh?’ he said with a distracted air. ‘Do you meet many wise people, Charlie?’

  Sensing that this was a weighted question, Charlie gave it some thought. Images of Azariah and Lady Dridif came to mind. ‘I think I’ve met some wise people.’

  There was a splash and a curse as Hunger stabbed his paw into the water only to miss the prize. The Fluttercarp spun away, then returned in slow teasing circles just out of Hunger’s reach. ‘And what,’ said Hunger, pulling his wet paw from the lake and shaking it dry with a look of displeasure, ‘do you think makes a person wise?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Charlie. ‘Age?’

  There was a growl as Hunger tried and missed yet again. ‘Age? Pah! I’ve met plenty of old farts who somehow managed to stumble through life without a thimble of wisdom to share between them. Do you have any other ideas as to what might constitute wisdom?’