Ascension

by Michael James Ploof

  He nodded. “I can’t help you except to tell you to return home and give up whatever it is you are planning to do.”

  She watched him go, angry that he had so abruptly dismissed her. “Wait a minute,” she said, hurrying after him. She caught him on the street and grabbed his arm. “If I tell you why I’m going, will you give me passage?”

  “Maybe.”

  She let out a sigh and unbuckled her leather pants.

  He frowned. “That’s not going to get you anywhere.”

  She shot him a quelling look. “This is why I’m going north.” Min pulled down the corner of her pants and lifted her jacket and undershirt.

  He turned his head to one side to get a better look at the scar. “I don’t understand.”

  “When I was a young girl, the son of the Seadryk chieftain killed my mother and gave me this.”

  “You intend to kill the chieftain’s son?”

  She nodded determinedly.

  “Then I’m definitely not taking you.” He continued down the street.

  She took two quick steps and Burst into the air, sailed over him silently, twisted in the air, and landed in front of him.

  He halted, shocked. “How did you do that?”

  “I’m a lot more powerful than I look.”

  He was clearly intrigued. “There’s a rumor going ’round that the wyvern that attacked your village was killed by an Unbound.”

  She waited.

  “They also say it was a woman.”

  Min grinned.

  “By the gods,” he whispered.

  “I’m going to kill Mazer Vheck, then I’m going to become the first female dragon rider,” she said matter-of-factly. “Will you help me?”

  He smiled. “When you put it that way, how can I resist?”

  Chapter 8

  The wharf was quiet this time of night. The ships swayed gently on the high tide as water languidly lapped the dock.

  Captain Varis's ship Majesty was medium-sized, with two tall masts and a pile of netting near the stern. Mounted on the aft rail was a large whaling harpoon. Nearby was a large crate with more harpoons stacked inside. Majesty’s figurehead was a bare-breasted mermaid missing one arm, which suggested the ship had either hit an iceberg or another ship, but Min doubted it was the former.

  She followed the captain up the ramp and across the deck to the captain's quarters, but something crossing in front of the moon caught her eye.

  “What is that?” she said, pointing.

  The captain peered at the moon, and his eyes went wide. “It’s a dragon.” He glanced at her. “An Unbound. Are they searching for you?”

  “Maybe,” she hedged.

  He scowled. “They are searching for you.”

  “Let’s assume they are, in which case I need to get out of sight.”

  “Why are you hiding from them? I thought you wanted to become a—”

  “You said you would help me.”

  He pointed at his cabin, “In there, quickly.”

  Min hurried to the door and slipped inside.

  “Hang tight. I'll keep an eye on them. If they start searching ships, you’re going to have to find a better place than that. After they’ve gone, you can explain to me why you don't want to be found.”

  He closed the door, and she ran to the window behind a wide wooden desk littered with scrolls and maps. The dragon's shadow flew across the window, and she caught a glimpse of the rider. He was cloaked in a dragon-skin suit she knew was created from the molt of whelps. Wearing it, they could leap from their mounts and glide for miles. The rider wore a mask as well, and his eyes were protected by dark goggles attached to it.

  “He looked right at me,” she said softly in the dark.

  She listened, craning her neck to see where the dragon had gone, but there was no further sign of beast or rider. She wondered if it was Ryker. If so, he might have learned of Min's intentions from Johann. She didn't doubt that Johann would give up what he knew. He was her friend, but he also thought she was making a mistake.

  She chastised herself for being so stupid. She should never have told anyone her plans, and she shouldn't have told Varis she was Unbound.

  He would probably give her up too, especially if there was money in it. Looking around at his quarters and its lavish furnishings made her realize he was more than just a fisherman.

  Min waited excruciatingly long minutes, searching the sky for the dragon, hoping to see it leave, but she guessed it had landed inland, and the rider was probably searching for her in town.

  The door opened and she crouched behind the desk.

  “It's me,” said the captain.

  She stood. “Is he gone?”

  “No.” Varis peered out the door before he closed it, then turned to Min with a grave expression. “He’s asking all over town for you, and that dumb son of a bitch Chum gave you away. The rider knows you left the pub after me, so he’s looking for me too. This ship isn’t safe for you anymore. I’m sorry.”

  “Where can I go? The Unbound use their dragons as trackers. What if it catches my scent?”

  “It already has,” said Varis.

  “For his stupidity, Chum was presented to the dragon that sniffed at him until he pissed his pants. But there are ways to avoid dragons.”

  The captain went to his desk and riffled through the drawers. Mumbling to himself, he moved to a large cabinet and searched some more.

  “Ah, here it is.” He presented Min with a small vial. “Rub this on your neck, wrists, and boots. It smells terrible, but it’ll keep the dragon off your trail.”

  Min did as instructed. He was right; the stuff stunk. She handed it back to him, but he told her to keep it. “You need that more than I do.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Now get off the wharf. Head west if you can. There’s a tall cliff overlooking the shore. I’ll be sailing around that point at first light. Do you think you can use your powers to leap down on the ship?”

  “How far is the drop?”

  “Two hundred feet at least.”

  Min winced. “I’ll try.”

  “Don’t kill yourself trying.” Varis went to the door and peeked. He gave Min the all clear a moment later, and she hurried out.

  “Thanks again,” she whispered as she went past.

  The full moon bathed the town in silver light, but Min would have preferred it was darker. With that much light and absolutely no wind off the ocean, her movements would be easier to spot.

  She crouched low and stuck to the shadows as much as she could as she left the wharf. There was no sign of the dragon, and she heard no suspicious sounds from the village. Not much noise came from there at all, which was eerie, given how lively it had been less than an hour ago.

  She went west, away from the village. The grass was long by the shore, and there were palm trees and exotic plants with leaves longer than she was tall that would hide her well. The stars kept her on course.

  She glanced back at the village from atop a rise when she was about half a mile away. The entire place was spread out before her, and she inhaled sharply when she saw the dragon sniffing around on the north side of town.

  The sight of the massive beast was terrifying, prompting her to race through the thick foliage as fast as she could. When the trees got too tall for her to see the stars, she Burst off the ground and sailed over them, mapping her course from on high. When she came down, she Burst again to stay above the trees.

  During her fourth Burst, she saw the dragon.

  This time it was in the air, and it was flying straight toward her.

  When she came down this time, she hit the ground running, dashing into the thickest part of the foliage and ducking below a tall plant with wide leaves. Heart racing, she uncorked the bottle and doused her neck with the stinky contents, then dabbed it on her wrists and boots, gagging. It had a pungent smell that reminded her of cat urine and sulfur.

  There was no sign of the beast for many tense moments, then it la
nded so close to her that the ground shook. She clapped a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from crying out. Despite her pounding heart, she tried to breathe through her nose.

  A guttural growl, followed by a loud sniffing noise came from the right, but she dared not look. She stared straight ahead at the leaves that concealed her, thinking that at any moment a dragon head would burst into sight.

  “Do you smell anything, Lexarus?” said a voice she recognized. It was Ryker.

  A bestial grumble answered him, followed by a small whimper.

  “Well, I do,” said Ryker. “I smell meerkat piss.”

  Her heart skipped a beat.

  “I know you’re here, Min Varresh. Come out of your hiding place.”

  Min’s first instinct was to run. If she was important enough to the crown that they sent an Unbound Rider after her, she was in serious trouble. If she was caught, she didn’t know what would happen to her. Possibly imprisonment, experimentation; they might even kill her to keep her secret from the public.

  “I mean you no harm!” said Ryker.

  Leaves rustled maybe twenty feet away.

  “Stay where you are, and I’ll talk!” She yelled.

  The rustling stopped.

  “All right,” said Ryker. “I’m listening.”

  “Why are you following me?”

  He laughed. “You know why. You have the power of the Unbound, and there are many people who would like to meet you, including the king.”

  “I don’t want to speak with anyone, so go away.”

  “It doesn’t work like that, Min. We can’t just have people with the power to Bind running around the world without guidance. Surely you know your history.”

  He was referring to the War of the Unbound, which happened before the creation of the Unbound Academy and the dragon riders.

  “What will become of me if I go with you?” she asked.

  “No harm will come to you, if that’s your real question.”

  “How do you know? I’m female Unbound. Do you expect me to believe I’ll be greeted with open arms by church and king? My existence goes against everything they teach.”

  “I understand that, but I will personally guarantee your protection. The Academy protects its own.”

  “Even from the church?”

  Silence, and then, “Even from the church.”

  “If I decide not to go with you, will you let me leave?”

  “I told you, Min. It doesn’t work that way.”

  “Then I’m a criminal?”

  “You’re not. You’re an Unbound recruit, and like all recruits, you will be brought to the academy so your skills can be tested and your powers confirmed by the headmaster.”

  “And if I run away, you’ll hunt me down, capture me, and take me in against my will. Correct?”

  “It doesn’t have to be like this.”

  “Then let me go.”

  “Where would you go? You can’t run from what you are.”

  “What if I turn myself in later? I’ll report wherever you want in a few weeks.”

  “Do you think I’m stupid?” he asked, and leaves rustled again, followed by Ryker’s soothing voice. “Easy now, Lexarus.”

  The beast blew air out its nose, and she thought she felt the warmth of the dragon’s breath.

  “No, I don’t think you’re stupid. But there is something I have to do, a promise I have to keep. Once I’ve done it, I’ll turn myself in.”

  “Listen, I didn’t want to mention this, because I didn’t want to alarm you, but I’m not the only one searching for you.”

  “What do you mean? There are other Unbound looking for me?”

  “Yes, other Unbound but still others, and should you fall into their hands, neither the Academy nor I can protect you.”

  “Who are these people?”

  “Show yourself, and I will tell you more. The longer you keep this up, the longer you are in danger.”

  She searched for a way out. The thick foliage actually gave her an advantage. To the dragon, she was like a mouse in tall grass, and if she was clever, she might be able to get away. If she could somehow get below ground, she could wait out the night and join Varis in the morning. She remembered seeing caves in the porous rock face when they sailed into the harbor. If she could find her way there, she could get away from the dragon.

  “Min?” He said her name, and the dragon growled and stomped impatiently.

  Maybe I should give up. Maybe I should go with Ryker and stand before the king, she thought. But the other half of her mind warned of danger and persecution. “Ryker, are you a devout Kruthian?”

  “Yes,” he said without hesitation.

  “Then you believe the word of the Good Book to be the absolute truth?”

  “Yes.”

  “And the book says God gave his Son the power of the Unbound, and therefore only men have the power?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then what does that make me?”

  “It makes you a miracle, Min. Don’t you see?”

  She hadn’t ever thought of it that way, and the idea put a smile on her face. “I will come with you, Ryker, but you have to promise to take me somewhere first.”

  “North, I assume?”

  “Yes.”

  “I will take you to the Unbound Academy. How does that sound?”

  “My destination lies beyond the Unbound Isles,” she said cautiously.

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Then I must bid you farewell.” Min Burst through the foliage, rising into the night air twenty feet and flying away from Ryker and Lexarus.

  Chapter 9

  Ryker yelled her name, and she glanced back to see him mounting his dragon.

  She Burst again to keep from coming down. Her fear and the adrenaline coursing through her veins lent power to her Burst, and she shot fifty feet into the air, waving her arms and screaming. The moon spun in her vision, and the world turned upside down. She twisted to get her feet under her as she fell toward the rocky ground. She Burst again when she straightened out, swan-diving through the air. A quick glance back revealed Ryker on his magnificent red dragon easily pacing her as they glided through the moonlight. She looked westward as she came down, relieved to see she was approaching the cliffside.

  She slowed her momentum and touched down ten feet from the edge. She skidded to a stop, sending pebbles tumbling over the edge. They fell over a hundred feet before disappearing into the frothing waves crashing into the jutting stone below. She looked as far over the edge as she dared and spotted multiple openings in the rock face. Most were marked with bird droppings, and she prayed they went farther back into the stone mountainside than a few feet.

  The dragon roared, and she glanced over her shoulder. It was flying straight at her, low to the rocky ground. She mentally recited the maneuver she was about to make, then before she lost her nerve, she leapt backward off the ledge. She spun her arms as she fell, staring straight down and waiting for the perfect moment. Approaching one of the dark alcoves, she Burst suspended her downward momentum and floated beside the cliff. She grabbed the edge of the opening with both hands and deftly pulled herself up.

  The dragon flew out over the water and glided back around, but she didn’t see Ryker on its back. She didn’t bother looking for him. She had landed in an opening that led to a small cave, and she squeezed through it on her hands and knees. Ryker would not be able to follow her.

  She continued moving into the mountainside on her belly. It was pitch black, but she felt the air gently blowing on her face as the Earth breathed. She knew there was a larger chamber ahead, and she crawled inch by inch until the tunnel finally opened up. A pinpoint of silver light ahead drew her like a magnet drew iron, and she desperately crawled toward it.

  She soon found herself at an opening to a vast chamber. The silver sliver of light came from a crack in the earthen ceiling high above and shone down on a small pool of water. She climbed down to the smooth stone beside the pool
and tested the water by dipping, then licking her finger. It was fresh, so she knelt, cupped her hands, and drank her fill.

  A wave of exhaustion washed over her, leaving her eyes droopy and her mind muddled. She splashed water on her face a few times and slapped her cheeks. She had never Burst so high or so far in her life, and the effort had left her utterly spent. She just wanted to curl up and fall asleep, but she was afraid she would sleep past sunrise in the dark cave and miss her ride with Captain Varis, so she fought the lure of dreamworld and formulated a plan.

  Ryker wouldn’t be able to get to her in the cavern, but he could wait outside the cave for her to come out. Therefore she needed to lure him away from the hole she had climbed into and make him think she had exited somewhere in the tunnel system. As her eyes became accustomed to the faint moonlight, she was able to make out other tunnels branching off from the main chamber. Some were much larger than the one she had come through, and Ryker might be able to enter through another cave. With the dragon sniffing about, it was only a matter of time before the tunnels were found.

  But she could use that to her advantage.

  It was still five hours or more until daybreak, so she set out to explore and mentally map the cave system. One of the largest tunnels took her on a twisting turning trajectory to an opening that led to the surface. The moon and stars shone brightly, making it easy to see her surroundings. A canopy of palm trees and the leaves of tall plants hid the opening from the world. She climbed one of the trees to get her bearings. The village was east, the ocean was west.

  There a dark shadow of a dragon flew across the moon. It circled the island, and try as she might, she couldn’t tell if Ryker was on its back or not. If he waited at the opening where she had climbed in, she didn’t have a chance of getting away.

  First things first, she told herself. Step one, lure Ryker and the dragon away from the exit.

  Lexarus wouldn’t be able to smell her because of the meerkat urine, but there was one way to put her own scent out there that would be hard for the dragon to miss. She checked her surroundings to make sure no one was nearby, pulled down her pants, and squatted. She felt silly peeing on the edge of a chute in order to attract a dragon, and she really didn’t know if it would work, but she had to go anyway, so she figured it couldn’t hurt. In case that didn’t do it, she let out a fake cry of terror.