One Cannot Deny a Blood Oath with a Dragon

by T P Sheehan

  “It is true Catanya, no one would suspect. True as much we would be killed or put into slavery.”

  Catanya seemed unperturbed. “We’d disguise ourselves as gypsies and travel with a gypsy train to the coast, procure a ship and sail away through the Southern Gap to discover new lands.”

  “I’ve never seen a ship before,” Magnus said. “Perhaps there is one waiting for us to sail beyond the Neverseas.”

  “So which will it be then, Magnus? The Ice Realm or south beyond the seas?”

  “If it’s all the same to you, I’d have us take our chances with the Ice Realm.” Magnus held Catanya close again.

  “So be it. Northward to the Ice Realm it is,” Catanya said. “But I’ve never known a Northern winter. You’ll need to keep me close to you at night.” She raised her eyebrows and bit her lip.

  Magnus poked Catanya in her side, making her squirm. He summoned Esmder and helped Catanya into his saddle. “Best we don’t return to our homes, Catanya.” Magnus did not like their chances of getting away again if either of them risked returning home.

  “Aye. I’ve told my father I want nothing more of him anyhow.” Sadness washed over her face, but she was quick to shake it off.

  “And your mother and Hannah?” Magnus felt it rude not to ask.

  “I will see them again and they will understand. As will your parents.” Catanya flashed Magnus the quickest of smiles. “Shall we go?”

  “Aye.” Magnus sat in front of Catanya and she wrapped her arms firmly around his waist, her head against his back. “We can travel through the Crescent Woods. I’ll give my letter to Lucas and have him give us provisions to see us through to the North.”

  “That’s a good plan,” Catanya said. Magnus sensed the reality of what they were about to do had suddenly dawned on her. He would not have it any other way. Esmder carried them up the western embankment and emerged from the thickets of grass to the field beyond. But they were not alone.

  “There will be no travelling north this evening.”

  It was Xavier, sitting upon Trillium with a blank expression on his face. Two other knights on black Wardemeers flanked him. They were swift to move either side of Esmder, forcing him toward Xavier. There was no escape. Esmder grew skittish. Magnus patted his side to settle him, not taking his eyes off Catanya’s father.

  A sudden darkness fell over the afternoon sky and Magnus heard a deep beating sound overhead. The darkness shifted slowly to the north and descended into the shape of a great beast, casting aside its shadow revealing its bronze markings and huge wings that held the large creature in its descent until its hind legs struck the ground hard.

  A fire dragon…

  Austagia was seated at the base of the creature’s neck. The dragon tucked its wings against its body and stood tall. It opened its large jaw to the sky and yawned. Its body shook for a moment before its jaw snapped shut and its head lowered to survey the group of men and horses before it.

  “No. No, Father. I won’t go.” Catanya leapt from Esmder’s back and walked past the knights to her father. Magnus went to do the same but the knight to his left rested a gloved hand on his leg.

  “Best you stay seated, boy.”

  Magnus stared at him, noticing how his other hand gripped the pommel of his sheathed sword. He turned to the other guard, who winked at him.

  “You’re going to the one place I know you’ll be safe,” Xavier said to Catanya. He turned to his fellow knights, addressing them. “Travel southward to Realms End. Place two men at each of the posts from Overpell to Froughton Forest. Stay fast until you hear otherwise.” The riders pulled their horses away from Magnus and charged southward at speed.

  With the two knights gone, Magnus alighted and stood beside Catanya.

  “Father, what is going on?” Catanya asked. She grabbed Magnus’s hand, squeezing it tight. Magnus tried to think of a way out. Should they run and hide, or reason with Xavier? He knew, though, that it was too late for such things. He looked at the dragon. Its large pupils reflected the amber of the setting sun. It looked from him to Catanya. Magnus felt its abrasive presence in his mind like a dream pushing to be heard. Magnus tried to resist, keeping his thoughts to himself. Catanya let go of Magnus’s hand and rubbed her temples with the tips of her fingers, staring at the dragon. She feels it too...

  “Leave her be, please,” Magnus said, looking at the dragon. The priest spoke to the creature softly and the beast’s presence withdrew from his mind. Catanya lowered her hands.

  “Father?” Catanya questioned again, “Why do this? What good am I to the priesthood?”

  “I know you do not understand, but it is for the best.”

  “I know what is best for me,” Catanya retorted.

  “Sire, please,” Magnus said. “Give us your blessing and you will see I can give Catanya the life she deserves.” He felt desperate and, worse still, powerless.

  “We have been through this,” Xavier said. “In another time and place I would see my daughter suitored to the right man, but fate sees otherwise. As for you, Magnus of J’esmagd, I should have you disciplined for attempting to defy my decision. This is the second time you have done as much. There will not be a third.” The large silver warhorse shifted impatiently beneath Xavier who pulled hard on the reins to steady him.

  “I am not one of your subordinates.” The words escaped Magnus’s mouth without proper thought. “You’ve no authority to make such a call over me.”

  “Magnus please, don’t.” Catanya placed a hand on his chest. She turned to Xavier. “Father, I will do as you ask, but let Magnus be.”

  Magnus looked at her. “No Catanya. He must let you be.” A dreadful thought crossed his mind—a thought that could save Catanya but at great cost. Magnus stepped around Catanya and stood in front of Trillium.

  “If you must, send me to the Romghold in Catanya’s place. I will become an Irucantî.” He looked at the priest and walked over to him, now standing directly in front of the fire dragon, “I am gifted with the sword. I have been chosen as primary candidacy for the knighthood.” Magnus nervously pulled the envelope from his trouser pocket. He fumbled, tore it open and pulled the letter free. He tried to hand it to the priest who simply stared back at him. Austagia’s expression was cold and void of emotion.

  Desperate, Magnus turned back to Xavier. “It was you who selected me. Give my position in the knighthood to Lucas. Let Catanya be with her mother and sister here in the Realm.” Magnus stared at the Knight Commander.

  Xavier had the same cold expression as his brother. But then the slightest smile came to his face. “I see there is more substance to you than I first thought. True as I said, you have your own cause, but I see now there is more. You do what is best for those you love.”

  “Thank you, sire.” Magnus glanced to Catanya. She looked more worried than ever.

  “Just don’t let that be the chink in your armour. Everyone has one. Nothing is changed.” Xavier addressed his daughter. “Catanya. It is time to leave.”

  Magnus fell to one knee, shocked.

  Catanya pleaded, “Give me a moment with Magnus, please.”

  Xavier turned Trillium away from Magnus and toward the dragon. He fell into conversation with his brother. Catanya knelt beside Magnus. His heart skipped a beat. He went to talk, to reason with Catanya, but she placed a finger on his lips to silence him.

  “You’ve done all you can. You’ve done more than you can. Be silent now, Magnus.”

  Magnus shook his head. Moments ago they were both excited to be fleeing and now… this cannot be happening…

  With her back to her father, Catanya removed a plaited leather bracelet from her wrist and tied it fast to Magnus’s left wrist. She whispered a spell, “Shalla boyowa muto evavar—bound forever, forever mine. Nothing will separate this from you without breaking the spell. I am meant to be yours, Magnus of J’esmagd. Some day, one way or another, I will be. I promise.” Catanya kissed Magnus then turned about before he had a chance to object.


  Magnus stood. His boots felt rooted to the spot. Xavier helped Catanya climb onto the back of the dragon where she sat behind the priest. Xavier strapped her legs into stirrups that laced up to her knees. The priest pulled his hood up and seemed to peer out from beneath it at Magnus. Magnus wished for a sword. He wished to plunge it into the darkness of the priest’s hood. His breathing quickened, his heart raced and still his feet did not move. At Catanya’s request, he remained silent.

  With one leap the dragon launched itself, kicking up great clumps of soil. Its wings beat hard, sending a rush of wind over Magnus as it climbed into the evening sky. Three, four, five beats of its wings and the creature was so high not even a cross bow could reach it. It turned back across the Nuyan River and eastward, no doubt toward its home far away at the peaks of the Romgnian Mountains. Magnus watched as Catanya disappeared from sight.

  “Go home now Magnus.” Xavier’s voice blew over him with the cold wind from the north. “See to it your family is safe, for the days to come will bring darkness.” With that, Xavier pulled hard on his reins and charged his horse southward.

  Darkness… Magnus remained where he stood. I see no days without it from this day forth.

  RUN

  Dusk turned to night and the stolen sun gave over to endless trails of stars. Magnus found sanctuary in them, freeing himself from his weary game of blame and anger.

  He scanned the four constellations, each reflecting a realm of Allumbreve. They were Ertwe, Jaat, Spindlefax and Couldradt—Ice, Air, Earth and Fire. Each realm had its god who looked down upon his own realm, looking over his people. He wondered what the god of fire was thinking of him just now. Magnus had looked into the eyes of one of his dragons and seen the fire in them. Some folk said the dragons were Gods themselves. Magnus was unsure. He hoped the dragon Catanya rode would get her safely to where she had to go.

  It was an hour from the Nuyan River to his homestead and with less than a mile to go Magnus saw what looked to be the glow of the setting sun rise strangely again in the west. The glow grew more intense as he drew closer, and the light flickered angrily. He thought of his parents. They had left hours ago for the Cliffs of Overpell to investigate its abandoned post. He thought of the knights been sent home early on leave—including Xavier—and of Xavier commanding his men to return to their posts. The pieces began to click together and as Magnus came to the rise before his home, the final piece lay burning before him.

  The stable, haystacks and wood yard were engulfed in fire. Flames clawed at the sky and roared with anger, hungrily leaping from one surface to another. A horse cart beside the wood yard caught some burning embers and ignited instantly, and in the middle of it all, Magnus’s homestead stood, so far untouched by fire.

  Magnus stifled a shriek. He dug his heels into Esmder’s sides, driving the stallion down the slope of the field as fast as he would go. Magnus looked about for any sign of his parents but there was none. He could hear the screams of horses coming from beyond from the burning stables. Magnus guessed they were the draft horses. There was no sign of Breona, or Staeda—his father’s Wardemeer.

  He arrived at the house where flames started to take hold in the roof’s thatching and spread quickly. Magnus dismounted and flew toward the house, shielding his face as he rounded the burning horse cart and pushed his way through the kitchen entrance at the back.

  “Mother! Father!” Magnus tore through the house, going from room to room. The house was empty. Great wafts of smoke bled through the straw ceiling, filling the rooms. Magnus coughed and looked into the fire place that held nothing more than the faintest remains of glowing embers. Mother and Father did not return.

  “Thump… Thump… Thump…”

  Magnus turned. The sound was coming from his bedroom at the end of the living room. He raced across, opened the door and stepped into his bedroom. To his alarm it was just as hot and just as smoky as the rest of the house. He looked to the small window. Standing outside was Ganister. Magnus went to shout but was interrupted by a loud roar from behind him. He turned to see the ceiling of the house collapse into the living room. The supporting beams of hardwood splintered and cracked. Burning clumps of thatching and plumes of smoke wafted through the house, choking him. Magnus cowered back toward the window where Ganister was. In his bedroom, the roof started to creak and groan as the fire took hold of the weakening beams overhead.

  Magnus’s heart pounded. He turned back to Ganister who punched through the glass window with the pommel of his sword. The window shattered inward and Magnus reeled away from the shards of glass that scattered through the room. Ganister cleared the window frame of glass in the same manner and reached an arm through the window.

  “Come Magnus, quickly!”

  Magnus reached to Ganister, gripping his forearm. He hoisted himself up and through the small window opening. Once out to his shoulders, Ganister pulled him clean in one big tug. Magnus fell to the hard ground outside. With a loud crash the remaining portion of the roof tumbled inward, sending fire, smoke and debris shooting out the window after him.

  Ganister pulled Magnus to his feet. He looked in disbelief as the walls of his family home began to crumble, falling to the inferno within. Spitting soot and ash out of his mouth, Magnus turned to Ganister, keen to ask if he knew where his parents were, but his gaze was drawn to something else—a tall black figure running toward them from around the back of the house.

  “Ganister!” Magnus shouted, pointing to the approaching man. The assailant was equally as tall as Ganister, his chest and arms layered in metal armour finished in a dull, black hue. The rest of his body was covered in black cloth and his face was partially covered by a kerchief that tied into the spikes of the black helm that extended to his collarbones. He would have been invisible in the dark of night if not for the light of the fire.

  The man came at them fast, wielding a pair of black swords finished in the same dull, black steel as his armour.

  Ganister pushed Magnus aside with his free hand and reeled around just as the warrior swung one of swords down on Ganister. Ganister shifted at the last moment, parrying the blow with his own sword before raising it above his head and bringing it down on the man with all his might. The warrior swiftly knelt on one knee and raised a blade to bear the force of Ganister’s blow. Magnus was frightened by the man’s strength. He had always thought of Ganister as the most powerful man in all of Allumbreve, but this black warrior was equally as large and twice as menacing.

  A Quagman! Magnus guessed.

  The black warrior leapt toward Magnus as Ganister recovered his position. It was an unexpected move. Magnus tried to run, slamming his shins into the low stone garden wall, falling clumsily. He flipped onto his back and tried to scamper backward, slipping over the damp grass beneath him. The Quagman was moving fast. His dark eyes were fixed on Magnus. He raised both swords and held them as daggers then thrust them down. At the last moment, Magnus twisted and rolled over to his right and the blades sank into the soft ground.

  Ganister was upon the overextended man in a flash, kicking his legs out from under him. The menacing Quagman fell to the ground hard, and before he could recover Ganister drove his sword through the warrior’s back. He held it fast until the Quagman stopped struggling. Satisfied he was dead, Ganister pulled his sword free and moved to Magnus.

  “Listen to me Magnus, you must follow me as fast as you can and don’t look back. You hear me?”

  Magnus was still staring at the dead man lying beside him. Ganister shook Magnus who nodded feverishly. “Yes… follow you.”

  Together they ran northward from the house. Magnus leaped across the rise of the open field like a gazelle in stark contrast to Ganister’s bull-like, lumbering motions. Equally as effective, they never left one another’s side. Fuelled by fear, Magnus felt as if his legs were propelling themselves. Once over the rise, Magnus tried to look back but Ganister grabbed his arm, forcing him to go on.

  “Keep moving, don’t look back,” he p
anted. But Magnus stopped.

  “My father, my mother. Ganister—where are they? They left the house hours ago.” Fear started to grip Magnus and he began to shake. The cold night air pierced through him, accentuating the shaking. He stood in the field wearing only his loose tunic, pants and boots.

  “I will look for them Magnus. But you are not safe here. The Quagmen will be looking for you.”

  “Why are they looking for me?” Magnus asked.

  Ganister took a deep breath and appeared to Magnus to be stifling frustration. “Because you are Bonstaph’s son.”

  This meant nothing to Magnus. He had more questions and was about to voice them when he heard a ghastly sound from back over the rise toward the house. It was unlike anything Magnus had heard before—a kind of bellowing shriek that reverberated through the night sky and shook the ground beneath him. It chilled Magnus even more than the cold. Ganister grasped his arm again, pulled hard and forced him to run. They sprinted down the plain of the north meadow, away from his home. A quarter mile away was the low stone wall and beyond that the Crescent Woods.

  “We must get to the Woods!” Ganister panted, almost completely out of breath. Magnus had none left to reply.

  Magnus and Ganister threw themselves up and over the four-foot wall and sprinted to the first of the oak trees. The amity of darkness came as they moved deep into the woods and the cold chill of the night air was replaced with a warmth and stillness afforded by the green canopy above. Magnus was glad for the respite but was no more certain what they were running from. What was that screaming creature?

  The comfort of the woods was short lived. From the northern field came the awful shriek again.

  “Get down, Magnus!” Ganister pushed Magnus to the ground and lay close beside him, his hand still holding him fast. Peering out through the woods and beyond the boundary wall, Magnus could see a dark blur of movement in the night sky, circling around the empty field twice before moving back northward toward his home.