by Bryan Davis
Bonnie sat next to Sapphira, one leg curled under, one knee raised, and the point of her sword planted in the dirt so she could thrust herself to her feet if danger arrived. Yereq took three sideways steps to give them room and watched, his sword clutched in both hands. He, too, would be standing guard. They would be safe, at least for a while.
The bones of Makaidos lay strewn about, so dry and stripped white, even a dog wouldn’t bother with them. Lifting her head, Bonnie looked at Heaven’s Gate. It shimmered in the vibrant sunlight. Somewhere just beyond that barrier, the God of all creation awaited their fellowship in the glory of eternal light, a place she had visited briefly, but with war raging in the sky and on the ground behind her, the splendor of Paradise seemed so foreign … distant. How could perfect peace abide so close to demonic discord?
Sapphira laid her palms on the leaves and began massaging them in an up and down motion. As blood dripped to the ground, the leaves changed from green to red. The white gem in her ring, stained now with blood, began to glow with a swirling radiance of red and white. She pulled the ring off and forced it under the roots. The radiance pushed up through the stalk’s channels, as if red and white phosphorescent paint flowed upward through its veins.
After a few seconds, she straightened her torso, though she stayed on her knees. Then, lifting her hands, she shouted, “Ignite!”
A ball of radiant white appeared in each palm. She swirled her arms, making the balls grow. They burst open, and the radiance spilled to the ground. As the light crawled along the soil, bubbling and sizzling, the bones absorbed the energy and began to glow, turning whiter than ever. The brilliance followed the red and white channels up the plant’s stalk and burrowed into the middle of the praying leaves, lighting up the entire womb.
The blood on Sapphira’s hands burned away. Like a sponge soaking in water, the plant drew in the blood from the praying leaves. Thin lines of scarlet pierced the membrane, as if creating capillaries from the outside to the life inside. Soon, the redness disappeared, leaving only vibrant green. As wave after wave of energy flowed from the soil, the bones dwindled to thin sticks and finally vanished.
When the last sparkle of radiance winked out, Sapphira shouted, “Makaidos, we call you to resurrection. The sacrifice has been made, and the blood of the innocent has purchased your new life.” Weeping once again, she cried, “Come to Second Eden and help us rid this land of the corruption that has spoiled the new beginning that Abraham tried to maintain for so long.”
As if erupting from the deepest recesses of her soul, words spilled from Bonnie’s lips, unbidden words, passionate words that seemed set on fire from the Paradise that lay beyond the gate.
Makaidos, dragon, strong of heart,
Bereft of daughter, son, and mate,
Arise and take thy crown and throne,
Become again the potentate.
Deceivers fly to wrest thy place,
To steal thy seed, thy brood, thy fold;
Forbid the theft, this love betrayed,
And seize the souls from demons’ hold.
Bonnie snatched in a breath. For a moment, she had lost her sense of reality. She had to concentrate. As the shouts, roars, and clanking of metal on metal grew louder, she glanced between the raging battle and the plant.
Reaching for the leaves, Sapphira looked at Bonnie. “I suppose I should just peel them back.”
Bonnie nodded. “I think it’s now or never.”
Sapphira pinched the tops and pulled the leaves away from the center. An egg-shaped, transparent ball sat on top of the stem. No bigger than a small pumpkin, it glowed orange. Inside, a miniature dragon tried to spread its wings, but the glass boundary squeezed in the tips. The dragon reared up on its haunches and clawed to get out.
Sliding her hands under the ball, Sapphira lifted it to eye level. She gazed at it, her brilliant blue eyes shining and reflecting its glow.
Hoofbeats sounded. Bonnie glanced toward the battle, barely able to take her eyes off the plant’s offspring. Dikaios thundered toward them, riderless and shouting, “Watch out for Goliath!”
Bonnie looked up. A red dragon swooped, his claws extended and fire blazing. Yereq leaped ahead and blocked Goliath’s dive, slashing the air with his sword. Bonnie dove on top of Sapphira and spread out her wings. Heat coated them, and something sharp dug in, but it didn’t rip her wing.
A loud whinny clashed with a dragon’s roar. Bonnie jumped to her feet. Dikaios had reared up and was battling the dragon, hooves against claws and teeth, and Yereq jumped into the fray with powerful sword thrusts, but the nimble dragon dodged every jab.
As Goliath drew in a breath to scorch his opponents, Sapphira rolled over and threw a ball of flames into his eyes. Goliath beat his wings and flew backwards, then headed high into the air, apparently making ready for another diving attack.
Dikaios trotted up to Bonnie. “Ride with me to the battle. Yereq and the Oracle will protect the dragon king. Your beloved needs you.”
“Billy? Is he all right?”
“He is alive, but there is no time to explain. Just come.”
With a flap of her wings, Bonnie jumped onto Dikaios’s back and looked at the egg. Now on the ground, it had swollen to four times its original size and was growing at an astounding rate. The outer shell cracked and flaked away. The dragon’s snout poked through, then his wings. Surpassing Dikaios in size, he shook away the shell fragments, then, extending his neck, let out a trumpeting call.
Dikaios turned toward the battlefield and took off in a gallop. Bonnie looked back. Above, Goliath dove toward Sapphira. She raised her hands and created a dome of light around herself and the growing dragon while Yereq stood in front of her, his sword raised.
Goliath blasted a stream of fire that splashed against Yereq’s chest. With a swipe of his tail, he smacked Yereq to the ground, snuffing the flames. Then, reaching out with his claws, he broke through the light, snatched Sapphira’s arm, and jerked her off the ground. As he rose into the air, Sapphira screamed, but her voice thinned out in the distance.
The newly birthed dragon, now almost normal size, shot after them. Bonnie jumped to her feet on Dikaios’s back and zoomed upward. “Makaidos!” she called. “Attack Goliath! I’ll catch Sapphira!”
Now at least a hundred feet in the air and closing in, Makaidos roared. “Release the girl, Goliath, and prepare to feel my wrath.”
Goliath flew in a slow orbit another fifty feet higher. “Long ago, you vowed not to fight alongside the human race. What has become of your cherished integrity?”
“I am not fighting alongside them. I am here to reestablish my kingdom, and you are the usurper. Now release the girl, and let us see who is the rightful king of the dragons.”
“As you wish.” Goliath opened his claws. Sapphira plummeted, but she didn’t scream. Her arms and legs flopped helplessly. She seemed unconscious, or worse.
Bonnie flew underneath, caught Sapphira, and pressed her ear close to her mouth. “Thank God,” Bonnie whispered. “She’s breathing.” As she eased her to the ground near the open plant, she looked at the Oracle’s face. A dark bruise marked her forehead, but that was there before. Apparently all the jerking around had knocked her out. Someone had to stay to protect her.
Bonnie looked at the battlefield. In the sky, Makaidos fought with Goliath, colliding, snapping, biting, then circling around for another violent collision. A smaller red dragon joined in and helped Goliath. Thigocia dove down from above and snatched him out of the sky with her claws and threw him downward.
On the ground, the invaders had made a ring around the village defenders, but Bonnie couldn’t see through to the center. Flames shot here and there, indicating that some dragons were within, apparently holding the attackers at bay. With only Billy and a few other warriors remaining, how long could they hold out against such an onslaught?
Still, the invaders seemed far fewer than before. Had Billy thinned them out with Excalibur? Where was its beam now? If he was
hurt, as Dikaios had implied, he wouldn’t be able to fight. Yet, she could take his place. If she could locate the sword, she would be able to fly into the circle, summon its beam, and disintegrate men and evil dragons.
Merlin flew over the field again. Another fuel bomb dropped and exploded among the invaders, but it was smaller, obviously something Candle and Windor had pieced together in a hurry. Still, it punched a significant hole in the attacking troops. As the plane flew away, perhaps to try to reload again, Windor stuck his head out the open cargo door and shook his fists, a blend of triumph and worry in his expression.
Something touched Bonnie’s shoulder. Twisting her neck, she looked at it—a man’s hand, large and gentle.
“Go to him, Bonnie,” a soft voice said. “I will watch Sapphira.”
Tilting her head upward, she gazed into Enoch’s eyes. “You’ll protect her? How?”
He set a duffle bag down next to the plant. “Yereq is recovering, so you need not worry.”
Bonnie looked at the giant as he struggled to his feet. His uniform was soiled and scorched, but as he straightened and lifted his sword, he seemed strong and alert.
Behind Enoch, the gate had split slightly, allowing a brilliant light to radiate from within. “Go now. The glory of Heaven is an effective deterrent. No one will dare approach while Yereq and I guard the Oracle.”
She grabbed his hand, kissed it, then leaped into the air. Flying as fast as she could, she lifted over the invaders’ siege circle and landed at the center, dodging a ball of flames launched by Clefspeare. The great red dragon stood next to two fallen men lying under a lean-to of battle shields, ferociously guarding them with a barrage of fire against any invader who dared to draw near.
Hartanna and the other females spewed their own flames, weaker but effective. The invaders held up shields to protect themselves, but they had to stay back.
Elam, Valiant, Barlow, Gabriel, and Flint jumped and jabbed at the closest enemies, each with shields up to ward off arrows and spears. Flint seemed invigorated by the battle, though his movements lacked the crispness and vigor the others displayed.
Ashley knelt near Billy and Walter, making sure the shields over their bodies stayed in place while holding another shield over her own head.
“Where is Excalibur?” Bonnie shouted.
“Over here!” Ashley waved her arm. “Get under cover!”
As Bonnie ran, an arrow whizzed by her head. An invader charged toward her. Valiant slung a dagger and pierced the attacker’s neck, instantly felling him. Five more attackers charged. Valiant raised a shield and, like a battering ram, drove into them, pushing all five far into the crowd. In a mad flurry of swords and spears, Valiant disappeared.
“Valiant!” Bonnie cried.
Flint ran after Valiant, swinging his sword to cut an opening. As if swallowed by the attackers, he, too, vanished.
Ashley yanked Bonnie down to a crouch. “Stay low! We can’t help them now!”
“Are Billy and Walter all right?” Bonnie asked.
Ashley shifted the shield, partially covering both herself and Bonnie. “Billy got knocked unconscious, but I don’t think it’s serious. He’s been mumbling your name. Walter’s alive, but not for long. I need Sapphira to help me do a healing.”
Bonnie shook her head. “She’s out cold, but she’s safe.”
Ashley pulled Excalibur from Billy’s grip and passed it to Bonnie. “Go get ’em, tigress.”
Billy raised his head and called out with a groggy, “Bonnie?”
“Hush.” Ashley pushed his head back down. “You’re in no shape to help.”
“I’ll do you proud, Billy.” As Bonnie rose to her feet, Dikaios burst into the circle and joined them. “Karrick has fallen, but when Roxil flew to protect him, Goliath knocked her down. The coward is up to his old tricks and now stands with a claw on Roxil’s underbelly threatening to kill her if Makaidos and Thigocia approach. They are at a stalemate.”
“We can’t do anything about that now.” Picking up a shield from the ground, Bonnie used her wings to mount Dikaios. “Let’s make like a clock, if you know what I mean.”
Dikaios bobbed his head. “I do. Proceed when ready.”
“You’re a sitting duck up there,” Ashley said.
“But I’ll get a better angle on the enemy.” Holding the shield in one hand and Excalibur in the other, she summoned the beam. The brilliant light shot into the air. For a moment, the surrounding invaders became stone silent. Their wide eyes told Bonnie that they had seen what the beam could do, and now that they were within range and no longer mixed in with the village troops, she could wipe them out in a hurry.
While Dikaios turned in a circle, she swept the beam over the heads of her allies and into the crowd of invaders. The dragons ducked as the beam passed by. Clefspeare blew fire at any invader who lowered his shield to load an arrow or throw a spear.
In explosions of sparks, the enemy troops vanished—fifty, seventy, one hundred. Some retreated while some managed to shoot arrows. A few pinged against her shield, but one hit Dikaios’s front leg. He grunted but continued his rotation.
Bonnie kept the sword in place. Fifty more vanished. Another twenty. As invaders ran for their lives, the remaining ones shot their arrows wildly. Clefspeare and Hartanna flew into the air and chased the retreating men, blasting their unguarded backs, while Elam, Gabriel, and Barlow pursued the stragglers. Now it seemed that only thirty or so remained.
An arrow whizzed in and knifed into Bonnie’s sword arm. She drew her arm back and dropped Excalibur. As the sword fell, the beam died away. Flapping her wings, she jumped off Dikaios and lunged for the hilt, the arrow protruding from her forearm, but a hand scooped Excalibur up before she could reach it.
One of the attackers, a tall muscular man in ancient Egyptian garb, swung Excalibur at Bonnie’s neck, but just before the blade could strike, a shield blocked it with a loud clank. The shield bearer lowered his shoulder and bulldozed the attacker, knocking him flat on his back and sending Excalibur thudding to the ground. As Bonnie’s defender snatched it up, a dragon flew by and smothered the attacker in flames.
The defender turned and smiled. “That was a close one.”
“Billy!” Bonnie gave him a one-armed embrace. “Thank you!”
He whispered into her ear. “You did me proud. Now let’s finish the job.”
She flew up to Dikaios’s back and, using her good arm, helped Billy mount in front of her. With Excalibur’s beam once again surging, Billy shouted, “Let’s round them up!”
Dikaios leaped ahead. As he passed one fleeing invader after another, Billy raked the beam across them. When a man vanished, his armor kept running for a moment before crashing to the ground. Soon, he had cleared the field of enemy troops.
After dousing the beam, he jumped off Dikaios and ran to Ashley while Bonnie followed, flying a foot or so off the ground. Ashley had tipped the shields over, exposing Walter’s pallid face to the sun.
Billy knelt next to him and touched a deep gash across his forehead, placed there by an enemy sword. “How is he?”
She shook her head. “Not good, and Bonnie says Sapphira’s not available.” She looked at him, her eyes wet with tears. “Can we try a healing with Excalibur?”
“In a heartbeat.” He stepped a few paces back. “Everyone stand clear!”
Clefspeare rose into the air. “I must see what I can do about my father’s new threats,” he said. “I suggest you join us after you restore your friend.”
Ashley covered Walter’s body and slid her arms underneath. “I’m ready.”
Billy reignited the beam, but just as he angled it toward the ground to send its energy through the soil, someone shouted, “No!”
With a quick jerk, Billy raised the sword again. He turned toward the voice. In front of Heaven’s Gate an elderly man waved an arm. “With the gem intact,” the man called, “Excalibur is too powerful in this realm. It will likely heal him, but it will bring great harm to th
e healer, perhaps even death.”
“I’ll risk it,” Ashley shouted. “Walter’s dying.”
Billy squinted at the old man. “Is that Enoch?”
Bonnie nodded. “We’d better listen to him.”
“Bring him to me!” Enoch said, gesturing for them to come. “I will tell you what to do.”
Billy let the beam die away and ran to Walter. “Come on. Let’s get him on Dikaios.”
Bonnie, Ashley, and Billy hoisted Walter in place, and Ashley mounted with him, holding his limp body in a sitting position. She gave Dikaios a gentle kick. “Let’s move!”
As Dikaios galloped toward Heaven’s Gate, Billy reached for Bonnie’s hand and nodded at a gathering of dragons. “Elam and the others are already there. Come on.”
“You go. I have to check something.”
He pointed at the arrow protruding from her upper arm. “How bad is it?”
“Just break it off for me, but leave a few inches.”
Taking a deep breath, he grasped the shaft. “Here goes.”
She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. The arrow snapped. Pain stormed from her arm, through her spine, and down to her toes, but it quickly eased to a dull throb. As tears welled, she nodded. “I’m okay. Thanks.”
While Billy ran toward the garden’s western wall, Bonnie scanned the ground and eyed each nearby body. She spotted one of the village’s distinctive orange and red uniforms dressing a body that lay underneath a tall thin man sprawled facedown with his limbs splayed.
With a beat of her wings, she half ran and half flew toward the pair. She fell to her knees, rolled the top man over, and slid his blood-spattered body to the ground. His blond hair, dirty and matted, brushed back from his face. He blinked, revealing blue eyes, glassy and dilated. A companion attached to a thin chain floated out from under his shirt and hovered next to his ear. It flashed a dim blue light. As if in response to its light, Flint smiled weakly.