In A Time Of Darkness

by Gregory James Knoll

  * * * * *

  He was safe. Out of breath and dizzy, but safe all the same. He had moved away from the farm, down the road a ways back towards Hensah; but he kept the farm in view—making sure that no one approached. When Grahamas was a good distance away he had rooted through his saddlebag before he pulled out a tiny, intricately carved ivory whistle. For a half an hour now, Graham had kept it in his mouth and continued to blow on it. The whistle let out a pitch that he could not detect, and more than once he had wondered if it was working at all.

  He continued regardless, though he feared the worst and his lungs felt like they would give out at any moment. It was only when he saw a shadow far down the road—moving towards him—did he pause his breath long enough to pull deeper into the forest. Graham watched and waited, making sure it was not heading towards the farm, although it seemed to be looking for something. As it got closer, Grahamas saw that it was only a man—one wearing a long, black coat, with gray hair and a well kept goatee of the same color—and not a soldier. Thinking it only a traveler he continued once the man turned around and started to head back the way he came.

  Yet when Grahamas blew again, the man stopped abruptly and angled quickly towards the forest. Graham pondered, looked at the whistle and then out towards the road, approaching slowly. “Nallar…?” he asked.

  “Well who else would it be at this hour?” the man replied in a very deep, grainy voice.

  Graham bowed, “I apologize,” he began as he stepped from the forest. Nallar flicked dark indigo orbs at him, “It has been a very long time.”

  Nallar bowed back respectively, “Aye. We have been hiding; as I imagine you have. As other remnants of the kingdom Idimus tried to erase, we would all be in danger.” His face narrowed a bit as he looked at the Champion, “I am surprised however, I believed you would have called on me much sooner—perhaps use the one favor I owe you to reclaim Highlace.”

  Grahamas turned to tuck the object back in his bag and then faced the man again, “Forgive me for my tardiness, but a favor owed from you is something one tends to hold onto. And reclaiming my kingdom is a battle I wish to win on my own.”

  Nallar chuckled slightly, “Same old Champion that I remember,” his eyes brightened a bit as he spoke.

  “Same Nallar. I did worry though, I waited so long—I feared that you may not be alive.” Graham’s mouth dared a quick smile.

  Nallar roared with laughter, “I worried the same of you hero, but I see you are well.”

  “And you,” Grahamas replied.

  “So this favor must be truly important for you to wait this long.”

  Graham looked ahead to the farm, “Aye, for a friend. I need you to take his wife and child, quickly, as far from here as possible. Perhaps to Davaina where they will be able to blend in, unnoticed.” Davaina was a far larger town than Hensah or even Tarnel, and the center of any trade that occurred in the land. People were in and out constantly, and the only place Grahamas could think of where one would not look twice at new faces—but it was the furthest town from here, and though that added increased secrecy, it was a road too hard for a woman and child.

  Nallar grumbled as he stalked from the road into the forest, “You’re lucky it’s night time. I would not do this for you in the day light Grahamas Rhivaldeon.” His eyes narrowed and Graham thought for a moment that he might deny his request. “Bring them,” he said, pulling even further into the trees, now the only thing visible was the faint reflection of the moon on his indigo eyes.

  Grahamas bowed cordially and returned to the farm. When he knocked on the door, Rhimaldez’s wife answered, a small dagger in her hand. Seeing only Graham on the other side, she put the blade away and stepped back to allow him entry. “Come in, please.” Graham stepped inside quickly as she spoke, “You know, I did not even get your name.”

  “You can just call me Grahamas.”

  She returned the bow and held her hand out, “Nice to meet you Grahamas, I’m Ramia.”

  “Pleasure.”

  “Likewise. Did you talk to Dezy?” Graham looked puzzled. “I apologize, Rhimaldez. Did you speak with him?”

  “I did.” But the disappointment written on Graham’s face confessed that he did not have good news.

  “And he’s not coming home?”

  “He feels the only way to ensure your safety and his is to continue serving Idimus.” His brow furrowed as a wave of concern passed over his face.

  Ramia looked upon it with skepticism, “And you do not feel the same?”

  The Champion shook his head slowly, “No. Which is why I came back. I know Idimus far better than Rhimaldez does. He will return with more soldiers next time—and more after that if need be. Until his goal is accomplished he will spare no life or expense. For the time being, I think it best if you are as far from here as possible.”

  Ramia’s mind ingested his words for a moment, “Where exactly?”

  “Davaina.”

  Ramia’s eyes expanded, “That is quite far Sir Grahamas.” Her glance shifted about the room, until it fell on the crib. “I would be fine to make that trip, but I worry about Merick.”

  Graham’s face softened slightly, “I have a way that is fast and relatively safe; if you trust me.”

  Ramia’s brown eyes lit up, “After tonight, yes. I trust you.”

  “Then, I will wait for you outside. Come out whenever you’re ready. And may I suggest that you bring something to hold Merick in.” Ramia accepted and Graham withdrew back out the door and away from the porch, turning an eye to the forest that Nallar had stepped into, wondering if he was prepared to make the journey.

  His idle thought was broken when he heard the door creak open behind him, turned to see Ramia exit, leather straps now crossing over her chest. As she backtracked to close the door, Grahamas saw Merick sleeping soundly bundled in a blanket of animal fur that was sewn onto a wooden plank. “This will do, aye?”

  Graham tilted his head with approval but followed with a stammer, struggling to find the words for what he had to say. “You trust me, but what you’re about to see may shock you…perhaps every terrify you. Let me assure you Ramia, there is nothing to fear.” Ramia shifted, somewhat nervously, but followed Grahamas all the same; curious now as to what could possibly scare her after the already frightening night.

  “Nallar…?” he questioned to the forest.

  Large indigo eyes, far grander than when he went in, peered out from the trees as he approached.

  Ramia gasped as a large, square-shaped, scaled nose pushed from the shadows. She almost turned to run, but her curiosity held her in place. She only peered harder as the head came further. As it crept, she saw a massive mouth three times her size, overburdened with sharp teeth, surrounding it a jaw line detailed with spikes. The same grew along the bridge of its nose, along the head between its two, slim, reptilian eyes and down the portion of its neck that she could actually see. Along the back of the thick head were four more, much larger that angled back and curved to protect the back of his skull. Even in the moonlight, its scales a brilliant white, flawless in their design, and one laid intricately over the next—forming a perfect barrier. The nose drew even closer and the short, wide nostrils twitched slightly. “It’s…it’s a dragon.” The large eyes looked her over, long and slowly before blinking a few times as his mouth drew closer. Ramia raised her hand, resisting the urge to pet it. “Is it nice?”

  “I assure you Miss, I am quite pleasant company,” Nallar said, bowing his massive head to her, the fur on its chin as well as that growing on the side of his face and neck swayed rhythmically in accord. “I am Nallar.”

  Ramia’s face expressed utter awe. “He talks!”

  Nallar chuckled and the huge maw seemed to smile slightly, Ramia reached out to drag her hand along one side of his face, watching his eyes close. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Nallar, I am Ramia.” She turned her back to him for a moment, speaking over her shoulder, “And this…is Merick.”

  Again, the
huge head dipped. “Well met. I am to take you to Davaina Miss.”

  She accepted with a turn of her head, but gave a still-shocked expression to Grahamas.

  The Champion hoped the night was dark enough to mask his embarrassment. “I’m sorry. Perhaps I should have told you beforehand…” was all he could think to say.

  She shrugged playfully and gave her focus back to the dragon, who had turned his immense body and tucked his white wings against his sides, revealing the fur that ran along his back. He knelt down as far as he could, yet was still twice as high as Ramia. “Trust me?” he asked in a low voice. Ramia did but she was wondering how this was going to work. “Good,” he bent down pushing his nose close to her, “Climb on.” Ramia obeyed and crawled up, wrapping her arms around it tightly. She increased her grip as Nallar turned his long neck around and rested his chin on his back, allowing her to position herself on it. She worked her way into the fur of his back, gripping tightly then asking, “Does this hurt?”

  Nallar swayed his head from side to side before each of them turned their eyes to the Champion. “Thank you Sir Grahamas,” Ramia said, bowing as best she could on Nallar’s back while Grahamas returned the gesture from the ground.

  Grahamas dipped his head in direction of the dragon, “I am indebted to you Nallar.”

  The dragon tilted his head, “No Champion, we are even now.” His body rose, towering three times Graham’s height, wide white wings topped with black spikes spread out to reveal thick, leathery membranes canvassed over long curving bones. The lizard took a thundering step out as the dark claws on his broad feet dug slowly into the earth, “Hold on Miss.” Ramia clutched his fur even tighter, amazed at how Merick could still be sound asleep against her back. Nallar flapped his wings once, then again and his body slowly lifted into the air. With each pull, Nallar rose until he was a hundred feet above Grahamas. He hung there for a time, his wings beating in a slower rhythm to leave him idle in the air, turning his body completely vertical with his neck stretching up towards the sky. When he had reached a suitable height his head bowed, angled towards the horizon, then his whole body plummeted towards the earth. He stretched out his wings, his frame leveled out and he flicked his tail twice before he soared over the Champion. Grahamas heard Ramia shriek with delight as Nallar flapped again and they disappeared into the night with incredible speed.

  “Safe journey Ramia…” Grahamas whispered. Nallar was honorable and he would see Ramia safely to Davaina. Though he wondered how long she would need to stay there, at least she would be safe. He hoped Rhimaldez was faring well, wherever he may be.

  All was silent and Graham turned his weary eyes towards the road, preparing to make the trek back to Hensah and take advantage of the few hours of night that were left.