The Bones of Makaidos

by Bryan Davis

  She dove and shone the light on one of the crystals. Billy followed her progress with his own light. After a second or two, she hurried back and caught up. Reaching out of the water, she jerked on the rope and surfaced, pulling Billy with her.

  Keeping her light under water as they floated with the raft, she whispered, “I think they’re candlestones!”

  Billy pressed a fist into his gut. “No wonder I’m so sick. There must be a hundred of them down there.”

  Ashley whispered from the raft. “What’s up?”

  “Candlestones,” Billy said. “Lots of them.”

  “Did you feel sick when we came through before?”

  “We flew over this part, but I remember getting sick while we were in the air. It’s worse now, a lot worse.”

  “Let’s hope they’re only in one spot,” his mother said.

  Billy pulled his fist away from his stomach. “Could be. It’s easing up already. But since Goliath’s been here four years, he probably felt them, too, so you can bet Flint knows about them.”

  “Something else has me worried,” Ashley said. “I haven’t seen the wall’s glow since we came back.”

  “I was thinking it was cloud cover.” Billy looked up at the sky. “It’s pretty clear now.”

  “It’s all adding up. No shadow people in the valley and no one guarding the river. They’re probably massing their troops somewhere. Abraham’s wall must be dwindling.”

  Billy let out a long breath. The pain was almost gone. “I guess we’ll find out soon.”

  “Right.” Ashley set her transmitter on the raft. “Hold this for me. I’m calling Listener. They need to know right now.”

  Kicking with his fins to stay upright, Billy held the small box and antenna in place, while his mother kept her light trained on his hands.

  Ashley tapped her jaw and began speaking in a hushed tone. “Listener, can you hear me?”

  As he held it, the antenna turned slowly. Their tests had worked several times before. Ashley’s tooth transmitter sent her voice to the box, which boosted the signal, but since the antenna needed to point in the right direction, she had to find the correct angle as she spoke.

  “Listener,” she said again, this time a bit louder. “Are you there?”

  A static-filled voice sounded from the box. “I’m here, Ashley. I can barely hear you.”

  “I know. The river noise is terrible. Is Candle with you?”

  “He’s right outside the door.”

  “Have him call Valiant and Elam immediately. This is an emergency.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Ashley looked at Billy, a worried frown on her face. Behind her, barely visible in the flashlight’s glow, Walter and Tamara looked on. Both stayed silent.

  Listener’s voice returned, clearer now. “Ashley, Candle is on his way.”

  “Good. Now here’s what I want you to do. Run to Clefspeare and tell him that the wall of fire is either weak or gone. Flint’s army is getting ready to attack, and they might have candlestones.”

  “That’s awful. Billy told me about those.”

  Ashley kept her voice steady and calm. “We also need a ride back to the village, enough dragons for six passengers.”

  “But if Flint attacks,” Listener said, “won’t Elam want to keep the dragons here to help?”

  “Good point, but it’ll take us too long to walk.”

  “I can send Candle in the airplane.”

  Ashley looked at Billy. “What do you think? Can he fly in the dark?”

  “He can do it. If we light up a landing strip, he’ll be fine.”

  Ashley set her finger on her jaw again and looked toward the village. “Listener, that should work. Have him come to where the river meets the wall on the south side. It might not be there anymore, so he’ll have to look for our signal. When we hear the engine, we’ll shoot Excalibur’s beam into the air.”

  “I’ll tell him.”

  “If the tank’s almost empty, there’s a new barrel of fuel in greenhouse number four.”

  “Got it. I’m on my way.”

  Ashley breathed a sigh. “Four years of preparation are coming to an end. I hope we’re ready.”

  “We didn’t count on candlestones,” Billy said.

  Tamara tapped Ashley on the shoulder. “Walter says he sees the wall. It is weak and not as high.”

  “Okay,” Ashley said to Billy. “We’ll cover up. Maybe now it won’t be so bad for the three divers when they go through the barrier.”

  Billy glanced ahead. The fiery wall did seem weaker, and there was no sign of a guard anywhere. But even with the prospect of an easier-than-expected exit, the thought of imminent war brought a new wave of shivers. Soon, good men would likely die. Soon, the once innocent and na”ve villagers would learn if their hardened muscles and honed skills were ready for a real battle, a battle for blood.

  When they drew within a few seconds of the wall, Billy and his mother submerged. The water grew warm, then hot. After spiking to a scalding peak, it suddenly cooled again.

  Billy surged above the water, and he and his mother, working in concert with Yereq in the front, pulled the raft to shore. He took his mother’s hand and led her to the dwindling flames, a wall that now rose to about thirty feet in height. Basking in the heat, they stripped off their dry suits and straightened out their wrinkled clothes. Yereq joined them, and the three dried out their hair and shook out the river’s chill.

  Ashley drew near, walking at Walter’s side. “I can hear Abraham and Angel again.”

  “What are they saying?” Billy asked.

  She edged closer to the wall, so close it seemed that the flames might reach out and scorch her skin. As she stared straight at the fire, she took on a strange tone, like a song, except all in one note, and breathed, not spoken, a breeze with blended voices. “It is time for us to go. We have protected you these many months, and our energy is spent. We will now fly to the Father of Lights, but we leave you three gifts. One is a final burst of energy that will release Second Eden from the shackles of the season of death, and your dragons will find new strength in the warmth of this world’s first true summer. The other two gifts you will find as wisdom guides you.”

  She stepped back and again took Walter’s hand. Then, smiling, she let out a long sigh. “They’re so happy, happy to be together and happy that they’re going to Paradise.”

  Suddenly, the wall of fire brightened. Like a rising curtain, it shot into the air, an irregular ring of flames that once drew a boundary around enemy territory. When it reached the remaining clouds, the fire absorbed every trace of vapor. The sky cleared. Stars twinkled. And far away, Pegasus peeked over the horizon, offering a scant glow over the dark area.

  A loud shout sounded from somewhere in Adam’s Marsh. A dragon’s roar followed, then silence. Only the river’s splashes reached their ears.

  Billy pulled Walter and Ashley close. “Flint’s troops. They’re getting ready to march.”

  “How much time do you think we have?” Walter asked. “The shadow people are pretty slow, but we need time to set the trap.”

  Billy watched the clouds over the village dwindle and disappear. “How long will that take?”

  “Setting the nodes will take maybe fifteen minutes. But we still have to spread the net with the airplane before we place the nodes. The fuel lines are already in place.”

  “If I’m flying Merlin,” Billy said, “and you’re spreading the net on the ground, who’ll use Excalibur to energize the bones and get Tamara transformed into a dragon?”

  Billy’s mother joined their huddle. “Just tell me what to do. I can fly Merlin for whatever that prep run is.”

  “Mom, that’s perfect. Candle can show you what to do. The maneuvers are too precise for him to do the flying, but the two of you together can pull it off.”

  “I’ll help Walter,” Ashley said. “That’ll speed up his part. Cliffside can run the magneto.”

  Billy pointed at hims
elf. “Then I’ll get Tamara to the birthing garden, but everything depends on Candle getting here soon.”

  “There’s one thing I missed,” Walter said. “When you told us what Abraham and Angel were saying, you mentioned three gifts. What were the other two?”

  Ashley flicked on her flashlight and aimed it at the ground. “I got the impression that it would be—” She dropped to her knees. “Here they are.”

  Billy looked over Ashley’s shoulder. In her palm she held a ring and a small white object that looked like a bone.

  Rising to her feet, she slid them into her pocket. “Maybe Valiant can give us an idea of what these—”

  A new voice erupted from the radio. “Ashley? This is Elam.”

  Ashley touched her jaw. “Elam, did you get the word?”

  “Yes. We’re all hustling to get prepared. Is there anything else we need to know?”

  “The wall’s completely gone now. We heard a lot of commotion, so they’re probably getting ready to march.”

  “Seen any shadow people?”

  Ashley stared into Adam’s Marsh. “The valley’s empty. We can assume they’ll be coming in full force, but it’ll probably be a slow march. They might send a dragon as a scout, so you’ll have to stay alert.”

  “We’ll be ready. We’re keeping the village lights at normal levels for now. Better to make them think we don’t know they’re coming.”

  “Unless Merlin gives us away,” Billy said. “But we’ve done nighttime reconnaissance before. If they hear a motor, they might not think anything unusual is happening.”

  Ashley lifted a finger. “One more thing. You probably noticed the clear skies. Before the wall vanished, Abraham and Angel spoke to me. They said the first true summer will be coming to Second Eden.”

  “We noticed,” Elam said. “It’s a lot warmer. We’ll discuss how to use that to our advantage.”

  “I have some ideas cooking. I’ll let you know when we get there.”

  Elam’s voice faded as if he had stepped away from the microphone. “It shouldn’t be long. Candle has already taken off.”

  “Okay. See you soon.” Ashley withdrew the ion box from her cloak. “I’d better let Gabriel out.”

  Walter stretched, popping his back. “Yeah, I get a backache just thinking about being stuffed in there.”

  She opened the lid and spoke into the opening. “Gabriel, do you remember the directions?”

  The glow within the box dimmed. Ashley’s gaze shifted upward as if watching something rise, apparently following the source of Gabriel’s voice.

  “Good.” Ashley pointed upstream. “That’s due north, so try to keep your bearings. When you find the lake, you shouldn’t have a problem locating the boulder with the X. If the portal’s still there and you can’t get through it, come back and let me know. We can send some dragons to try to open it again.”

  As Ashley put the box away, she looked at the river. After a few seconds, she turned toward Billy. Breathing out her words in a sigh, she said, “He’s gone.”

  Billy searched for any sign of Gabriel’s light, but, of course, nothing appeared. “I guess there’s no other way he can help us in that condition, but my father and Hartanna tried to open that portal at least three times. What makes Gabriel think he’ll be able to get through?”

  Ashley smiled. “Do you need a lesson in the power of love?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Love believes all things. This is a love journey, you know.”

  “You sensed that?”

  A trembling smile bent Ashley’s lips. “Very deeply.”

  “Acacia or Shiloh?”

  “Oh, it’s Shiloh. Definitely Shiloh. When he said her name, I could feel his love.”

  Billy nodded. It made sense. Gabriel had watched over Shiloh for a long time, so developing an attachment was normal. And since they were both much older than they looked, their differences in age didn’t really matter much.

  He waved for Yereq and Tamara to join them. “Yereq, I have a dangerous assignment for you.”

  Even in a whisper, the great giant’s voice seemed to shake the air. “Speak it. I will do whatever I must.”

  “Flint has no idea you’re here. Since you look so much like the other Nephilim, and since it’s still dark, you can try to infiltrate their troops. See what you can do to sabotage their plans, but don’t give yourself away. The longer you can work behind the lines, the better for us.”

  “It will be an honor.” Yereq rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I will attempt to subdue one of my kinsmen and take his clothing.”

  Ashley pulled a white hair band from around her head and gave it to Yereq. “Use this as an arm band so we’ll know which one you are. In the heat of battle, I doubt Flint’s troops will notice.”

  “Very well.” He took the band and pushed it into his pocket. “Yet, if you see me in the heat of battle, I am likely to be noticeable as the Naphil who is killing Goliath with his bare hands.”

  Billy handed Yereq his diving flashlight and grasped the giant’s wrist. “We’ll see you at the victory feast.”

  Yereq gave Billy a sad sort of nod and walked into Adam’s Marsh, following the direction of the earlier shout.

  Heaving a sigh, Billy laid a hand on Tamara’s shoulder. “When we arrive at the village, I will rush you to the birthing garden to get you transformed into a dragon. Are you ready and willing?”

  Her eyes sparkled in the moon’s strengthening beams. “I am both, and I am also excited.”

  “Great. The other dragons will teach you everything you need to know.”

  Ashley took off her rubellite ring and slid it onto Tamara’s finger. “You’ll need this.”

  “Thank you.” Tamara lifted her hand and looked at the gem. “Some of the other dragons had one. I did not.”

  After a few minutes, Merlin’s familiar drone reached them, steadily increasing. Billy ran out to a flat area, lit up Excalibur, and pointed the beam at the ground. It drew a long line through the snow, creating Candle’s runway.

  As soon as the plane rumbled to a stop, Billy hustled everyone on board. His mother jumped into the pilot’s seat, while he settled into the copilot’s. “Think you can take off in the dark?” he asked.

  “Just watch me, flyboy.” With a wink, she throttled up and rolled Merlin down the bumpy runway. A few seconds later, they were airborne.

  Billy nodded at the windshield. “See those pinpoints of light way out there?”

  “Yes. What are they?”

  “The village’s lanterns. The birthing garden is on the north side; that’s to the right. There’s room to land, but you’ll have to make a quick drop and stop. Then you and Candle will take off again.”

  She pushed the airplane toward top speed. “Let’s get it done.”

  Chapter 7

  The Hybrid’s Seed

  Billy climbed the stairs to the village’s rampart, an eight-foot- high mound Valiant and Sir Barlow had constructed a year earlier to provide a good view to the northeast where Adam’s Marsh lay. He crossed the rough beams that made up the rampart’s eight-by-eight-foot deck and stood next to Windor behind a waist-high parapet. The teenaged boy had stayed at his lookout post for hours, his keen eyes surveying the field in the light of the moon.

  After four years of bitter cold, the temperate air felt stifling, though it was likely no more than sixty degrees Fahrenheit. Billy aimed Listener’s spyglass toward Adam’s Marsh. Since Enoch’s gift had not provided prophetic glimpses in years, Listener had stopped using it so frequently, but it still provided a great view of the surrounding area.

  With Pegasus casting its radiance over the fields and forests, Walter and Ashley were easy to find. Riding Firedda northwest and southeast along the village’s northeastern border, they were spreading out a thin-filament net across a field.

  In preparation for the construction of the rampart, the villagers had cleared the dead and dying trees just outside the village. They hoped to be able to see
the enemy coming, and now they had room for the huge net. Coated with iron filings, it would serve as a heating coil for the unsuspecting shadow people who were likely to make up the first wave of invaders. Then, when the second wave arrived, the villagers could spring trap number two, the fuel lines that lay underneath the net.

  Firedda landed gracefully. Walter and Ashley jumped off and dashed around for a few seconds, pulling the net and staking it down. After camouflaging it under the melting snow the best they could, they climbed back on Firedda to fly to the next spot.

  Billy looked at Pegasus, still low in the sky. At this rate, Walter and Ashley would be done pretty soon. Ashley’s idea was brilliant, as usual, but would it work? No one knew exactly what the shadow people were made of, so all this preparation might be worthless. At the very least, it should light up the enemy, allowing the villagers to better attack their shadowy bodies.

  He shifted the spyglass to the south and spotted Merlin. His mother and Candle had made the initial drop of the net and were now flying toward the dragon launching field. Soon he would be able to reunite his mother and father, but not right away. Clefspeare would be gathering the dragon air force and their pilots together for battle, and his mother volunteered to work with the women of the village. They and the children were preparing for their part in the battle, setting up the hospital, which once flew high above but now sat just outside the village’s western border.

  Nodding at the progress in the field, he lowered the spyglass and looked at Windor. “Report to Elam and Valiant and tell them the net’s in place. I see no signs of enemy troops yet.”

  “I will tell them.” Windor hustled down the rampart’s five wooden steps and nearly ran into Elam.

  Elam grabbed the teenager’s shoulders and kept him from falling. “I heard the message. You will find Valiant with the dragons at the launching field.”

  When Windor disappeared in the darkness, Elam joined Billy at the parapet, carrying a lantern and wearing the village’s battle uniform. The lantern’s flame seemed to be mimicked by the sunburst design on Elam’s tunic, a symbol of the fire God had given both man and beast, a demonstration of power and light from above.