Suddenly, the door opened, and a dragon from inside the room spoke to the guards. "Fetch Alicia."
Clemmons didn't know who this Alicia was, and he didn't care. What he did care about was that one of the guards nodded and moved off down the tunnel.
* * * *
Angered by Cedric's sidestep, Handley had struck out at an easier target. He'd caught Shane in the side of her head again, and stars in colors she never knew existed exploded in her vision. Shane's side ached, and her fingers found warm, red blood running from her left ear. Cedric, apparently unconcerned by Handley's anger, had sent one of the guards for Alicia to treat Shane's wounds.
Handley paced the room, his big feet stomping the stone as he walked. "Cedric, you test our patience!"
Cedric nodded. "I know that, Sire, but I am giving you the best counsel I am able. We must use caution."
"No! We must crush these humans, and then the men will follow them! Putting this creature on a pike for all to see will drive them away!"
As Shane watched, Cedric's demeanor changed. His ears folded back to rest flat against his skull, and his eyes narrowed. "I can't allow that. You'll bring down the wrath of these humans on all dragons."
As Handley wheeled on Cedric, Shane wasn't sure what she heard. From the corridor came a funny whishing sound, not at all unlike that she heard just before the dragon snatched her back in the forest. Following that was a soft thump.
She didn't have much time to consider the sounds, because Handley screamed and jumped at Cedric, intent on death, with his teeth and claws extended.
* * * *
Dave studied the scanner display to be sure he was right before calling for Sergeant Kyle and Captain Ells. He was still new enough to be worried about looking stupid. He was certain.
"Sergeant, Captain! Over here!"
Ells reached him first. "What have you got, Meyers?"
"Looks like residual radiation from a blaster, Sir." Dave held the scanner out to Ells. "This rubble is new and looks to have come from up there." He pointed high up on the cliff where fresh rock was exposed.
Kyle had joined them. "I think you're right. Good work, Private."
Ells nodded. "Well done. Sergeant, get some people over here to scan for life signs."
"Yes, Sir." Kyle turned to the team. "I want ten people watching that cave entrance and everyone else over here. If there's anything bigger than a flea alive in this pile, I want it found."
Ells started to turn to the rubble when his communicator chirped. "Ells here."
"Assault craft, Sir. We have a dragon flying in on heading two-four-niner, altitude four hundred meters, range two kilometers."
"Noted. Kill it."
"Copy that."
The ruby flash of a heavy laser stabbed out to the southwest from the ship, and Dave saw a small fireball falling to the ground.
"Nice shot. Ells out." The Captain closed his communicator. "Now, let's get moving."
* * * *
Clemmons was never any good throwing a dagger. Over the years, Landis had tried to teach him, but he could never quite get the skill down. A smile came to his face as he remembered Landis flicking the knife with a casual flip of the wrist and the blade plunging deep into a tree or wall. Landis could never understand why Clemmons couldn't do the same.
Reality hit him, and the smile faded. Clemmons had to use his dagger, and he would get only one chance. Dragons had a soft place on the side of their head, just behind the eye socket and a little below the ear. At that point, the dragon's brain was close to the skin, and only a thin layer of bone protected the vital organ from damage.
He turned the dagger over in his hand a few times, feeling the well-balanced weapon almost float in his grip. Clemmons held the blade near the tip and ran his thumb carefully over the sharp edge of the metal. It felt good in his hand, like it was a part of his body, an extension of his hand and arm.
A fast peek around the corner found the lone dragon with his back to the door, presenting a profile view to Clemmons, in the perfect position as a target. Clemmons had to step out, acquire his target, and throw the knife all before the dragon saw him. He wasn't that good, and he knew it.
Clemmons worked to calm himself, to stop the pounding of his heart and the shaking in his hands. The sweat running down his face and arms was a distraction he didn't need, but he didn't think he could stop that, either.
He jumped and looked around when Landis's voice spoke to him. My love, you can do this because you must.
Clemmons realized the voice came not from the dark cave around him, but from inside his head. The soft sound of his life-partner spoke to him again.
You're Shane's only hope, and you must believe in yourself to save her. Just believe in yourself the way I have always believed in you.
Fearing attracting the dragon's attention, Clemmons silently nodded. Landis always believed in him and supported him, no matter what. It seemed death hadn't changed that. Clemmons took a deep breath, and his pulse slowed as his hands steadied.
He stepped into the passageway, squarely facing the dragon's profile. Clemmons's arm came up, his hand stopping near his ear, and the blade of the dagger glittered in the torchlight. Like he was outside of his own body, Clemmons saw the look of calm concentration on his face as his eyes and brain worked their magic. His hand came forward in a quick, smooth motion, and the dagger flew on its path toward the oblivious lizard.
The blade flickered as the knife moved silently through the air, tumbling end for end, and still the dragon didn't move. In an instant, the dagger reached its target, and just like when Landis would throw his knife at a tree, the dagger struck the lizard's temple blade-first and buried itself to the hilt in the dragon's skull.
The lizard didn't make a sound, but he slipped quietly to the floor of the cave.
* * * *
Dave worked in the rubble with the rest of the team. Other than bits and pieces of dragons crushed by falling rocks, they hadn't found too much so far. It looked like the creatures had Rawls pinned down, and she fired her blaster at the cliff face to bring down the rocks. While he wasn't an expert at ballistics, Dave figured she would have been under the rocks, too. So far, they hadn't detected any life signs, but his briefings had told Dave about the ore in the ground here that could block scans. They needed to move a lot of rock to be sure they didn't miss anything.
Corporal Degnan was working about three meters away when he paused, staring at his scanner. He called out, waving his arms at the Captain. "Life signs! Over here!"
The team converged and started moving the rocks, gently and one at a time. They lifted a large stone, and the eye of a dragon stared up at them. It blinked a few times in the bright afternoon sun. Ells sighed and swung his rifle around. He fired once, and the eye closed for the last time.
Dave stared at the carnage of dragon brain splattered on the rocks. He couldn't help himself, even though he knew better than to question an officer. "Captain, why kill them?"
"A couple of reasons, son. One is that, right now, these things are our enemy. You never leave an enemy able to hit back. Ever." He slipped his rifle back on his shoulder. "More important, it was suffering and dying. We couldn't save the creature—we just don't have the skill or time. I don't want to see anything, especially a soldier, suffer. Better to put it out of its misery. I'd hope my enemy..." Ells paused for a moment. "Or my troops—would do the same for me."
Dave watched the Captain's back as he walked away to help in the search. Maybe this wasn't the right career for him, but Dave knew being a warrior for more than half a century would have to change people. He'd come to understand that most grunts had a fatalistic streak, and he hadn't had time to develop that worldview yet.
He walked to an area near the base of the cliff where none of the others had worked yet and started to move rocks, checking his scanner as he went. Dave had moved maybe a dozen stones when his scanner beeped. He rolled another rock, and the sensor beeped again. "Life signs!"
T
he others joined him in moving debris, and Dave braced himself for another bout with gore. Two other grunts moved a boulder, and Dave saw a hand—a human hand.
* * * *
Clemmons heard no sounds from the room to indicate anything in there was amiss, but he had a time limit. The other guard would be back at any moment, and Clemmons needed to get in the room and be gone before that happened, hopefully with Shane in tow.
A sudden crash from inside the room forced his hand before he had a chance to develop a plan. There was one dragon was inside, but as far as he knew for sure, there could be a hundred. Landis's words echoed in his mind once again.
Just believe in yourself the way I have always believed in you.
"I do."
Clemmons grabbed the handle on the door and threw it open wide, rushing into the room with his sword at the ready.
Other than the room holding only two dragons instead of a hundred, the scene confronting Clemmons made little sense to him. He saw the two lizards fighting, claws and teeth snapping and slashing at each other. Their blood covered the floor in bright splashes, and their snarls filled the air as they slammed into the walls and furniture.
The presence of the furniture puzzled him for a moment. A table stood against one wall, and a chair designed for a man rested on the floor, overturned by the struggling dragons. Then he saw her.
Shane sat huddled in the corner of the room, her knees drawn up to her chest, and she watched the dragons carefully. She looked ready to move quickly if their huge bodies thrashed in her direction. He doubted it was fear that made her hunker down. There was no question in Clemmons's mind that Shane simply used good sense in being ready to get out from under a falling dragon before it crushed her.
Her face was bruised and bloody with fresh blood trailing from her ear. Her chest, always so shapely and attractive, looked bulky and padded with bandages that showed underneath the course shirt she wore. Clemmons noted Shane guarded her right side and leaned in that direction, like she protected her body from more pain.
And despite the gore and dirt that covered her, Shane was still lovely, a beautiful damsel held by horrendous dragons and waiting for her knight to rescue her.
The dragons noticed him and turned as one to face Clemmons. The smaller one grinned, teeth glistening wetly with trails of blood trickling down their length.
Clemmons shifted his sword in his hand and smiled. "Come on. I believe it's time for you to meet your maker, and I believe I'm just the one to do the introductions."
The small dragon roared and charged. His training and experience kicking in, Clemmons knew the beast was tired from its fight with the other lizard, so he stood his ground, sword at the ready.
At the last moment, Clemmons stepped sidewise and spun, whipping his blade up and out then pulling it firmly back towards his body. As the razor-sharp edge bit into dragon flesh, Clemmons felt the sudden absence of resistance as the lizard's head fell from its body. Clemmons whirled to face the larger dragon, avoiding the death throes of the first. A fighting smile came to his face.
"Now, I avenge the atrocities you have done to Shane and the death of Landis." Clemmons pointed at the large dragon with the tip of his sword. "You're next."
* * * *
At first Shane hadn't even seen Clemmons come into the room. She'd been too busy trying to stay out from under the feet of Cedric and Handley and trying to avoid being under them when they hit the floor. She stared at Handley's body on the floor, marveling at how easily Clemmons had dispatched the king.
Then Shane heard Clemmons say Landis was dead.
The room swam around her, and she didn't think it was because of her injuries. Clemmons had to be wrong or, perhaps, he spoke only metaphorically.
She had to snap out of that chain of thought, though, because in the same breath as announcing Landis was dead, Clemmons threatened Cedric. No matter if Landis lived or not, too much blood had been spilled already.
As Handley and Cedric had fought, Shane saw Cedric defended himself but never went on the offensive. He didn't want to hurt Handley, whether it be because Handley was his king or because he didn't want to wasn't clear to her. The only time Cedric pushed an advantage in the struggle was to keep himself between her and Handley. Cedric had tried to protect her.
Shane tried to get to her feet, but the pain in her side ripped though her like a bullet, and she sat down hard on the floor. She held out her hand to Clemmons.
"No, Clemmons! Don't harm him."
"Rest, Shane. I'll deal with this beast." Clemmons traced little figure-eight shapes with the tip of his sword as he pointed it at Cedric.
"No! He tried to help me."
Cedric leaned back on his haunches. "Sir knight, I may be your enemy, but I mean you and the lady no harm now."
Clemmons glanced from her to Cedric and back again. "I don't understand."
Shane managed to gain her feet. "I don't either, but I believe this dragon is honorable and wants peace with men."
Cedric nodded. "I can speak only of peace. I want to stop the killing before men and dragons are both all gone."
She stumbled to stand beside Clemmons, and he slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side as he turned to put his body between her and Cedric. His sword never wavered from pointing at the dragon.
Shane almost laughed out loud when the image they must present hit her. She felt a little like Deja Thoris on the arm of John Carter as he protected her from the ferocious Tharks on the surface of Barsoom. The three probably looked like the cover of a two-credit romance novel for teenage girls.
She stifled the giggle welling up inside of her. "Clemmons, I can't say how I know it, but Cedric isn't an enemy." He turned to face her, and Shane felt safe for the first time since leaving Landis's arms. "Trust me."
Clemmons stared at her for a long time, but the tip of his sword slowly dropped to point more at the floor than at Cedric. "I do trust you."
Cedric remained on his haunches. "We must move the guard's body. The other will return soon."
Clemmons nodded. "Shane, you rest." He pointed briefly at Cedric with his sword. "You help me."
Chapter 5
Just Wave Goodbye
He didn't know why, but Clemmons found himself trusting the dragon purely on Shane's word he could be trusted. The idea would have seemed ludicrous just a few hours ago, and it was still ridiculous now. But the fact was that Clemmons felt comfortable sheathing his sword while Cedric helped him move Handley's body to the wall and drag the guard's body inside to close the door.
Clemmons went to Shane's side and righted the chair before helping her sit down. "You're hurt."
"Nothing too bad."
Cedric stood near the door, his pointed ears aimed at the portal, listening for the returning guard. "I have sent for Alicia. She will be able to care for Shane."
Shane touched his arm. "Clemmons, you said something has happened to Landis."
The sadness rose up in him again, but Clemmons knew he had no time to deal with the distraction now. He also had to answer Shane, to give her some explanation. "Yes, he's dead, killed while distracting the dragons so I could get into the cave." He didn't want to cry, not because of Shane's presence, but because of the dragon. Shane would accept his tears and see them only as the expression of grief they were, but Clemmons feared Cedric would see them as weakness.
She tried to stand, but pain washed across her face. Shane tugged his arm, pulling his face to her level. "I am so sorry." She kissed his cheek softly, and a wave of chills run through his body.
"He died to save you, and it's now up to me to finish that task so he will not have died in vain."
Cedric's ears twitched. "The guard returns with Alicia. Be ready, knight, but I'll try to cover things."
"We can trust Cedric." Shane's beautiful eyes told Clemmons all he needed to know, and he moved off to stand behind the door, out of sight of the guard.
A knock came on the door, and Cedric opened it. The g
uard hesitated a moment. "Where is Chaucer?"
Cedric blocked the door with his body. "King Handley sent him for something. You may leave Alicia and take your post."
There was a long silence, and Clemmons wondered if the guard might insist on entering. "Very well."
A young woman entered the room, and Cedric quickly closed the door. When she saw Clemmons hiding behind the door with two dead dragons, her eyes went wide, but Cedric gripped her arm and spoke softly. "There is no need for alarm. Stay quiet, Alicia."
She stared at the bodies. "What is happening?"
"This is Sir Clemmons, and he is here to rescue Shane."
"But..." She stared at Handley's corpse. "The king is dead."
"Yes, that couldn't be helped." Cedric used his hand, the talons touching the woman's face with a fascinating tenderness, to turn her to face him. "We need you to treat Shane's wounds. Can you do that?"
Softness played over Alicia's expression, and she reached up to stroke the side of Cedric's face, tracing a line down his jaw. "Yes, of course."
The girl attended to Shane, and Cedric turned to face him. "When Alicia has done what she can, she and I will try to lure the guard away from the room so you can get Shane out of here."
Clemmons shook his head. "No, we stay together. What would stop you from going for more guards?"
"Just my word of honor I won't do that. You have no chance to escape without my help, and I want you to escape."
Clemmons doubted the dragon's motivations. "Tell me why."
"While Handley was paranoid, I did agree with him on one thing—Shane's people are powerful, and they could destroy us. We may have already brought their wrath down on us, but we can hope they will understand Handley was mad."
Alicia placed a fluffy wad of gauze in her ear and Shane winced. "Cedric is right. We need his help, and my people will surely react poorly to my capture. We have to stop them by showing them I'm alive."
Knights of Desire [Flights of Fancy 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 9