by Bryan Davis
Adrian shifted his gaze to Frederick and Marcelle. Both still lay unconscious on the bed of leaves and straw. It seemed that he would have to take Frederick’s place. The original four could probably teach him their survival tactics. With his ability to hunt and trap, caring for them shouldn’t be too hard.
And what of Drexel? What might he do? Although a trained soldier, he wouldn’t know how to forage in a strange world. He could easily come back at night and steal what he wanted, including one of the girls, so they would have to post a guard. In any case, Drexel’s obsession with returning home to achieve glory would be his driving force. If he couldn’t soon find a way through the portal, he might become desperate and unpredictable.
The sound of beating wings rippled from one side of the cabin to the other. Adrian grabbed his sword and jumped up. “A dragon,” he whispered.
Zeb ran to the door, his worn sandals slapping the uneven wood. “It’s Arxad. He hasn’t been here in a long time.”
Adrian joined him and looked out. From about thirty paces away, Arxad approached on foot, his head and neck snaking around closely packed trees as he squeezed his body between the trunks.
Keeping his grip on his sword, Adrian glanced between Zeb and the dragon. Zeb appeared to be excited rather than frightened. Obviously Arxad’s previous appearances here had not been menacing.
“What business do you have here?” Adrian called.
Arxad halted next to a leafy bush and extended his neck past the last tree before reaching the cabin, bringing his spiny head within fire-breathing distance. “I came to see if you arrived safely.”
“What do you care? You seemed content to watch me die at the cooking stake.”
“And you seemed content to die there.” Arxad edged closer, his eyes fixed on Adrian. “I do not expect you to understand my actions, but I do expect you, an alien to our world whom I could have killed long ago, to listen to me without a threatening posture.”
“Fair enough.” Adrian laid his sword on the threshold and walked out. When he came within reach of Arxad, he stopped and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m listening.”
“Good. Perhaps now that the Starlighter is no longer within you, you will be able to heed wise counsel.” Arxad’s head eased slowly past Adrian and swayed from side to side as he scanned the doorway. “Where is your female companion? I saw you carry her into the forest.”
“You saw us?” Adrian resisted the urge to look back at the cabin. Letting him know Marcelle’s whereabouts might not be a good idea. “How long did it take for us to elude you?”
“Elude me?” As Arxad drew his head back, twin plumes of smoke shot from his nostrils. “If not for my efforts, the patrol dragons would have eventually caught you and your companions. I simply lost track of you because I was leading the patrol away from your trail.”
“But why? Why do you care about what happens to us?”
Arxad’s eyes drilled into Adrian’s. “I care very little about what happens to you. I desire only justice and peace. If you perish in these pursuits, I will honor your efforts, but I will shed no tears. Many die on such paths.”
Adrian broke away from the stare. “Then why did you mislead the patrol dragons?”
“To protect Frederick, not you. My concern was that they would have caught you as you neared this lodging, thereby exposing this refuge and ending Frederick’s efforts.”
“So you do have sympathy for the slaves. You want to protect the children.”
“I seek long-term justice. If a few human children die during the short-term struggle, I cannot allow that consequence to skew a broader perspective.”
“Very well. Then tell me plainly. Why are you protecting Frederick?”
Arxad shuffled back a step, his ears twitching. “Frederick holds a secret that I have yet to learn, so I need to protect him until I persuade him to give it to me. There is much more to be done in this wilderness area than simply rescuing slaves.”
“Then kindly tell me what else must be done. If it’s a noble cause, I will do all I can to help you.”
“I find that to be quite unlikely. Your brother refused to help me, thereby purchasing my protection with his silence, so I assume you will join him in his refusal. It seems that distrust between our species has prevented cooperation that would result in mutual benefit, and no amount of persuasion is able to break the distrust barrier.”
“What harm would it do to try me?” Adrian asked, spreading out his arms. “I am not my brother. Perhaps my perspective will be different.”
Arxad’s brow bent. He scanned the area as if searching for a spy, then he drew his head close and lowered his voice. “I apologize for my presumption. My own brother and I often differ, so it was foolish of me to assume that human brothers would necessarily be of the same opinion. Yet, if you learn what I have in mind, you might try to stop me.”
Adrian displayed his empty hands. “How could I stop you? I’m not carrying a weapon.”
“It is not your weapons I fear. It is your influence.” Arxad peered past him again. “May I speak to Frederick?”
Adrian stepped back, blocking Arxad’s line of sight. “He’s resting, but I’ll be glad to pass along a message for you.”
Arxad gave him a skeptical stare. “Tell him that I am going to Darksphere with Magnar. He will understand the significance of this journey.”
“To Darksphere?” Adrian bit his tongue. His tone had exposed his excitement. He had to settle down. Eagerness was the worst of negotiating tools. “Might you be able to take someone with you? One or two of the children, perhaps? A ride on your back might frighten them, but—”
“No!” Arxad shook his head as if casting away his own eruption. “I will not take anyone with me,” he said, his voice now calm. “Magnar would strenuously object, and if he refused their company, I would have no choice but to leave my passengers stranded at the portal site, in which case, Magnar might choose to kill them.”
Adrian glanced back at his sword. Could he get to the portal in time to try to stop them? Magnar going to Major Four had to be bad news. “What is the purpose of this journey?”
“You saw the black egg. Taushin the prince recently hatched, and he will soon take his prophetic place as ruler of this realm. Magnar and I hope to bring an army from your world to help us stop him. In return, we will free the slaves.”
“Why do you need an army? If he hatched recently, isn’t he vulnerable?”
“I cannot tarry long enough to explain the reasons. Ask Frederick. He will tell you. If you inform him that Taushin will try to capture a Starlighter, he will be able to put all the pieces together for you.”
“How can he capture Cassabrie? She’s just a spirit.”
“Not Cassabrie. Koren. She is physical and is already very powerful.”
Adrian nodded slowly. “Yes. Koren. You mentioned her once. You said she went with Jason to the Northlands.”
“And now she is in danger. Perhaps Jason can protect her, and perhaps he cannot. Time will tell. In any case, there is also a third Starlighter in our world. I know nothing about her or what she might do, only that she exists. The white dragon told me as much.”
“Is the white dragon the same species as you? He once told me that his definition of his own kind probably differs from mine.”
Arxad wagged his head. “The white dragons are barely dragons at all. They have no …” He looked to the side, his expression faraway.
Adrian waited for nearly a minute before speaking up. “They have no what?”
With a quick snap of his neck, Arxad’s stare returned, his eyes fiery. “I have spoken too much about them already. You have more important issues to be concerned about.”
Adrian stood his ground. He couldn’t let this dragon use his threatening postures as a manipulating tool. Still, it seemed obvious that getting more information wasn’t in the offing. “I do have more important issues. Have you heard anything from Jason? Is he all right?”
Smoke agai
n rose from Arxad’s snout, though whiter and thinner than before. “I have heard nothing since I gave him safe passage beyond the barrier wall.”
“Thank you for doing that.” Adrian watched Arxad’s pupils. The fire slowly diminished. Apparently his anger was fabricated or at least easily extinguished. “What will Magnar do if my world refuses to send an army?”
“That I cannot predict. I will, however, try to keep Magnar in check.” Arxad bowed his head in a submissive manner. “If you have any suggestions regarding how to persuade your people, I am ready to hear your counsel.”
Adrian studied Arxad’s position—a body, wing, and tail structure that could break a human’s bones, attached to a curled neck and lowered head that begged for human advice. The contrast was striking, and Arxad’s sudden changes in posture seemed orchestrated, as if he had planned every move in advance. Still, answering this request couldn’t hurt. The counsel was obvious. “Take the children. Nothing will inflame human passions more than the sight of a suffering child.”
Arxad shook his head. “That would inflame them to violence against us. They would slay us and invade without us.”
“Well …” Adrian stroked his chin. “I have to admit, you’re probably right.”
“If you have counsel that does not involve dragon deaths, please deliver it. Otherwise, I must be on my way.”
“Just do whatever you can to show a compliant posture, like the head bow you just gave me. Also, allow very few to see you. If the people in power believe they control a secret that the citizens at large do not know, the knowledge will feed their egos. When they reveal the secret later, they will be able to crow that they conducted dangerous negotiations without spreading panic. Their desire to bask in self-importance will aid you greatly.”
New strings of smoke twisted up from Arxad’s nostrils. “I detect that you have much experience in this human frailty.”
Laughing, Adrian nodded. “I guarded the backside of a pompous governor long enough to learn that his ego was bigger than his heart.”
“Yes, I have had dealings with Governor Prescott. I will remember your advice and apply it as the need arises.” Arxad began a slow turn of his body while keeping his eyes aimed at Adrian. “Tell Frederick that we need an army, but the Benefile are not the answer. Their emergence might well signal the destruction of your species … and ours.”
Arxad beat his wings, helping him scoot along the path. After dodging a few trees, he entered a small clearing, beat his wings again, and rose almost vertically into the air.
Adrian walked back to the cabin. Zeb stood at the door, holding the sword. “Are the Bloodless coming?” he asked.
“The Bloodless?” Adrian grasped the hilt and propped the blade against his shoulder. “What do you mean?”
Zeb pointed at the spot where Arxad had stood. “He called them the Benefile, but they have another name—the Bloodless. I heard him and Frederick talking about them before.”
With his bandaged hand on the back of Zeb’s head, Adrian led him to the bed where Frederick and Marcelle lay. “What can you tell me about the secret Arxad mentioned?”
“Not much. Arxad always came at night, and he and Frederick talked outside. I listened sometimes, but not every time. But that’s how I learned they’re called the Bloodless.”
Adrian sat on the floor next to Marcelle. The smaller children gathered around and seated themselves in a circle, as if expecting a story. Adrian smiled. Apparently Frederick carried on the Masters family tradition of storytelling. “Okay, Zeb, just tell me what you know.”
Sitting across from Adrian, Zeb gestured with his hands as he spoke. “Some dragons are trapped somewhere, and Frederick and Arxad talked about it.”
“And those dragons are the Bloodless?”
Zeb nodded. “He and Arxad argued about whether or not they should be let out.”
“Which side was Frederick on, and which side was Arxad on?”
“I’m not sure. They just argued. All I could figure out is that they’re both worried about what the Bloodless might do.”
Adrian slid his hand into Marcelle’s and caressed her knuckles. “Very interesting.”
“Maybe just because the Bloodless hate Magnar.” Zeb shrugged. “Maybe not.”
“Do you know where the Bloodless are?”
Zeb shook his head. “Frederick never mentioned it to Arxad while I was listening. We just know that he goes to a secret place once in a while. Maybe the Bloodless are there.”
Regina, sitting to Adrian’s right, raised her hand. “I know where he gothe.”
Adrian looked her way. “You do?”
She nodded firmly, shaking the hat from her head. Her scalp, nearly bald except for short bristles of indistinguishable color, displayed a mottled pattern of scales and fungus.
“Where?”
“Not clothe. I have to thow you.”
“Show me? How could you have seen it?”
“Thinth I’m blind, Frederick took me with him one time. He doethn’t want anyone elth to thee it, but I can find it by thmell.”
“Really?” Adrian smiled. This little girl was so pathetic, yet so beautiful. “What does it smell like?”
She shrugged. “I can’t dethcribe it. But I know Frederick took me for a walk that way.” She pointed toward the rear of the cabin. “And I tharted thmelling it after we pathed the thkunk tree.”
“Skunk tree?”
She nodded again. “I can’t thmell it from here, but the otherth can thow it to you.”
“Well, then.” Adrian rose to his feet and took Regina’s hand. “If one of the others will be my eyes and Regina my nose, we’ll find the skunk tree and Frederick’s secret.”
“I can show you the skunk tree,” Zeb said, “but it’s not real close, so we’ll be gone for a few minutes. What will the others do if Drexel comes back?”
Adrian looked at Marcelle and Frederick lying motionless on their bed while Orlan stood next to them with a sword in hand. It seemed strange to see these warriors under the protection of a child they had come to this world to protect. “Go on,” Orlan said. “I’m not afraid of that rodent.”
“Perhaps not.” Adrian patted Orlan’s shoulder. “Maybe I can sneak out. If we leave the door open, Drexel will believe I’m in here, and he won’t come close enough to see that I’m gone, especially if you talk and chatter as if everything is normal. My guess is that he’s far away and won’t show his face again.”
After concocting a plan, Orlan wheeled the cart into the cabin. Adrian climbed inside with his sword and covered himself with the deerskin. Orlan, accompanied by Zeb and Regina, pushed the cart out the front door, around to the back, and deep into the forest until they were hidden in a thicket—ivy-covered bushes nestled under a low, arching limb from which thick, vertically hanging vines created a gapped curtain.
When Adrian climbed out, Zeb pointed at a narrow path that weaved through the trees and sloped gently downward. “That way,” he whispered.
“Thank you.” Adrian laid a hand on Orlan’s shoulder. “I trust that your strength will endure. Have courage.”
Orlan nodded and hurried back to the cabin.
Staying low and holding Regina’s hand, Adrian skulked along with Zeb at his side. Regina kept her head high, her scalp bare, having forgotten to bring her hat. The path bore traces of recent foot travel—trampled leaves, broken twigs, and nearly invisible impressions. All three sniffed the air. At least two scents dominated, a moldy odor signaling their nearness to wet, organic debris and some kind of pungent musk, perhaps the skunk tree.
“You can see it from here,” Zeb said, pointing.
About forty paces ahead, a massive tree stood to the right of the path, its hefty limbs hanging so low, they partially blocked the way. With white bark covering the tree from its trunk to its twigs, and leaves of blue and silver filling its branches, it didn’t resemble any trees back on Major Four.
When they reached it, Adrian touched a limb crossing the path at wa
ist level. Its bark felt smooth and cool, almost like marble. He inhaled deeply. Indeed, the odor resembled that of a skunk, though sweeter somehow, not as noxious. He rubbed one of the blue leaves between his fingers. It was tacky, leaving a thin residue on his skin. A silver leaf grew next to it, smoother and silkier. Both displayed fingerlike projections, four long and one short, very much like a human hand, though the silver ones ended at a point while the blue ones were rounded.
Adrian brushed the residue off on his trousers. “I’ve never seen a tree like this. Does it bear fruit?”
“None that I’ve seen,” Zeb said. “But its colors change. The leaves switch from blue to silver and back again. It’s hard to tell unless you mark a leaf. It takes about three days.”
“Do the ends change as well? I mean from rounded to pointed and back again?”
Zeb nodded. “Pretty strange, isn’t it?”
Adrian studied several leaves. It seemed that they all were mature in their colors and forms, not at a stage in between. “Strange is an understatement.”
“Well, I got you to the tree,” Zeb said as he ducked under the limb. “But I don’t know where to go from here.”
Adrian bent low and guided Regina to the other side of the limb. The path split into three—one straight ahead and the others veering off left and right. The path to the left, narrow and overgrown, was clearly the least traveled. “We’ll start that way,” he said, pointing to the left. “I’ll let Regina guide me from here.”
Zeb scratched his head. “What do you want me to do?”
“Go back to the cabin with the cart. Help Orlan any way you can.”
Zeb plucked one of the blue leaves and pushed it behind his trousers waistband. “These are the smelly ones. I like to carry them around. It keeps the beasts away.” He pulled another leaf from the tree and extended it to Adrian. “Want one?”
“No, thank you. It might confuse Regina’s sense of smell.”
“Okay. See you later.” Zeb crawled under the limb and ran back toward the cabin.
When the sound of his footfalls died away, Adrian crouched next to Regina. “Are you ready?”