The Secret World of Dragons
Page 30
Emma was confused. ‘I don’t understand. The Dragon’s Tear ... can do whatever you wanted it to do?’
‘The magic of the stone can do anything a strong dragon could,’ said Thal quietly. ‘It’s very powerful ... and I am the same way. If Mirth were to become master over the Dragon’s Tear, I would have no choice but to serve him, as I am connected to the stone. As much as I would hate him, I would have to do everything he asked. Do you know what that means?’
‘He would force you to command the dragons,’ whispered Emma, horrified. She touched the Sapphire Stone around her neck. ‘Thal ... he almost had the stone today. I - I nearly considered giving it to him.’ She looked up with frightened eyes. ‘What if I had done it? He would have destroyed everything!’
Thal gave her a sympathetic look. ‘The main thing is that you didn’t give it to him,’ he said softly. ‘You are the stone’s owner by blood, and since I was born to originally fit that role, I guess that makes me your protector. I won’t let anything happen to you.’
‘Thank you Thal,’ murmured Emma, biting the inside of her lip. ‘I’m not sure what would have happened if you hadn’t saved me from the Black Fortress. I’m sure Mirth wouldn’t have given me a room to stay in.’
‘I think you’re wrong,’ said Thal. ‘I believe he would have, just to please Simon. However,’ added the Dragon Child, ‘I should be the one doing the thanking. You saved my life today. If you had not said my name and released me from that curse ... we would not be free. I will be forever grateful to you, as long as my life lasts.’
‘As long as my life lasts?’ Emma repeated his words. ‘I thought you could live forever.’
‘In truth,’ Thal grimly confessed, ‘I live as long as the world lives. I am tied to its magic.’
Emma’s eyes went wide. ‘Then at the end of the month –’
‘Yes,’ interrupted Thal quickly, taking a fluid step towards her. ‘At the end of the month, if the stone is not placed back together, I will also die.’ He said it so bluntly that it almost seemed like it didn’t matter.
‘But ...’ Emma shut her mouth, unable to speak. Tears filled her eyes.
‘It’s fine, Emma,’ said Thal quietly. ‘I am confident that the stone will be pieced back together, and if it is not ... I will join my brothers and sisters.’
‘What if I fail?’ whimpered Emma. ‘What if I can’t do anything to help?’ She closed her eyes. ‘What if I’m completely useless ... like back at the Black Fortress? I did nothing –’
‘You did everything, Emma!’ exclaimed Thal. ‘Freeing me from my curse was the best thing you could have ever done to help! Listen,’ he placed his hands on her shoulders, ‘you need to trust me and believe in yourself. I’ve told you before – you have the blood of a hero in you. I know you’ll do great things. It’s your destiny.’
Emma wiped back a tear and glanced up at Thal. ‘Well, if you think so,’ she murmured, trying to smile. ‘If you say so, I’ll have to try.’ She inhaled deeply. ‘I don’t want to fail.’
‘You won’t,’ Thal reassured her. He then looked cautiously over his shoulder towards Vashgal. ‘I think we should wait before discussing anything more. We have to get farther away from the Black Fortress. With the Sapphire Stone so close, Mirth will be out looking for it.’
Emma willingly agreed.
They headed farther south, the dark city behind them and the forest just to their right. The land this way was not barren like the Outlands, though it was rather flat for a few long miles. Tall, slim trees grew here and short grass covered the ground. Soon the skies overhead matched the skies of Vashgal, and Emma and Thal took cover underneath a tree. It did not provide much cover from the rain, however, and so Thal used his leather coat as an umbrella for them both. Thunder and lightning soon joined the rain, and Emma shut her eyes and covered her ears, drowning out the storm.
‘Emmaline, what are you doing under your bed?’
‘Hiding,’ she replied meekly.
‘Come out,’ her father held out his arms and she crawled into them. He hugged her close. ‘Why are you hiding?’
‘I don’t like the thunder,’ she said quietly. ‘It’s so loud.’
‘Well, that’s fine,’ whispered Luke, stroking her hair. ‘I don’t like it either.’
‘Are you scared too, daddy?’ she asked him.
He was quiet a moment before answering, ‘I had a bad nightmare about thunder once.’
Emma’s eyes flashed open. The sound of Thal’s voice had awoken her from the memory.
‘Look!’ he shouted, pointing off towards the woods. He pulled Emma quickly to her feet. ‘The forest is on fire! The lightning must have struck a tree!’
A bright flame was steadily growing higher within the woods and the rain did nothing to hinder it. It seemed to anger the fire until it spread out towards the grasslands, licking up the grass and thin trees.
‘It’s moving toward us,’ whispered Thal, panic in his voice. He threw on his coat. ‘Quick, on my back!’
‘W-why?’ stammered Emma, but did as she was told. She climbed up onto the Dragon Child’s back and hooked her arms around his neck.
‘You won’t be able to outrun the fire,’ said Thal hastily. ‘If it moves the other way, Vashgal might be in for a surprise.’
And so Thal ran south, away from the angry fire, his leather-clad boots barely hitting the ground. Emma watched as the world seemed to move in fast-forward. A normal human could never run as fast as a Dragon Child could, and by the way the flames moved behind, Thal had been right: Emma would have never been able to outrun it.
As they travelled, the fire also travelled, and the rain died within half of an hour of running. The flames swelled and roared, growing to a frightening height as black smoke filled the air. Soon the fire was upon them, encircling and surrounding them. Thal stopped – panting for air – and glanced feverishly around, searching for some way out.
‘It’s no use,’ he said quickly, dropping Emma to her feet. He coughed as he inhaled smoke. ‘We’ll have to fly over it.’
Emma’s eyes watered from the smoke and she wiped them furiously. It stung even more after her rubbing. The flames were high and the smoke towered higher. Thal would be lucky to fly clear of it both.
‘You won’t last that long, will you?’ questioned Emma anxiously. ‘The fire is far. What if there is no safe landing farther south? Maybe we should turn around.’
‘No,’ said Thal quickly. He had his sleeve pressed up over his face to keep the smoke from entering his lungs. ‘We have to go through. If we go back, we may be caught.’
‘Call for help!’ suggested Emma. ‘The dragons will help us!’
‘There are no dragons out this way,’ said Thal. ‘Besides,’ he added, ‘even if there were maybe one or two, why would they come all the way out here – in the middle of a fire – to save us?’
‘You are a Dragon Child!’ said Emma angrily. ‘Why wouldn’t they come to save you?’
Thal sighed and closed his eyes for a few seconds. Emma waited anxiously for him to reply.
‘Okay, I did it,’ he said. ‘I extended my thoughts and said, “If there are any dragons out there, my friend and I are trapped in the middle of a fire and have about thirty seconds to live. Please hurry.”’
Emma glared at him. ‘That isn’t funny!’
Thal shrugged. ‘But it’s true.’
They stood back-to-back, watching the flames and waiting for any sign of help. Emma knew that the Dragon Child would not stay here any longer than he had said, and so she hoped someone would come. Anyone would be a big help in this situation, even one of the Dark Riders.
‘There!’ exclaimed Emma, pointing off into the smoke. The dark shadow of a flying creature slowly formed through the thickness of the smog, and it was heading straight towards them!
Thal smiled and looked over his shoulder at Emma. ‘Well, not too bad at all, Emmaline Reeve,’ he commented. ‘I owe you an apology. You were right after all.’
‘Anyone is fine by me right now,’ said Thal.
They both anxiously watched the figure emerge from the smoke. Emma had her fingers crossed; she hoped someone on their side would appear. Sure enough, through the thick smoke came Ghalgaun, his silver scales darkened by the smog but his golden eyes shining. He landed roughly onto the ground, as though the flight had tired and weakened him.
‘Ghalgaun!’ exclaimed Emma, and then turned happily to Thal. ‘I told you he was alive!’
Thal seemed less than ready to celebrate. ‘That isn’t Ghalgaun,’ he whispered, as his gaze locked with the silver dragon’s yellow eyes. ‘His name is … Silverwing.’
‘Silverwing?’ questioned Emma. ‘I never heard you talk about a dragon named Silverwing before.’
‘That’s because I never have,’ murmured Thal. ‘I don’t know who this is, but he claims that he is a friend … and that he wants to help us.’
Emma glanced nervously around at the fire, and then said urgently, ‘I guess that’s a good enough explanation for now! We need to leave!’
‘Right!’ declared Thal. He then jumped with ease onto Silverwing’s back. The silver dragon leaped over to Emma and Thal extended a hand to her. ‘Come on, it’s time to get out of here!’
He pulled her up onto the dragon’s back, and Emma realized that there were no saddles or anything else to hold onto. She grabbed Thal’s waist as Silverwing shot off from the ground, screaming until the smoke filled her lungs and she was forced to cough.
Thal laughed. ‘Are you sure you’re the descendant of the great Lucian Reeve?’ he asked.
Emma pressed her face into the back of Thal’s coat and gave a quiet sigh. ‘No …’ she mumbled, but the sound of Silverwing’s flying drowned out her voice.
The dragon flew south until the fire was far behind them. They passed over a clear lake, the dark and starry sky above reflected on its surface. Silverwing flew low, dipping his claws into the water and gulping up a few mouthfuls to rid himself of the taste of smoke. The dragon continued flying throughout the rest of the night, and Emma soon fell asleep.
In her dream she was back in Emburn. She had just gotten off of her bike and parked it on the lawn of the school. When she entered the building, black dragons were lingering in the hall, stepping around corners, and emerging from classrooms. They noticed her standing at the entrance, and she turned to run, but her feet felt like they weighed a ton. Before the creatures could catch up, her eyes fluttered open and she was back in the real world.
Daylight had come again, but far behind the smoke from the fire still rose and clouded the air. They were still flying over the lake, and – for a second – Emma found herself surprised to be sitting behind a strange, black-haired rider. She quickly reminded herself of who he was.
‘Thal, where are we going?’ she asked him.
‘Do you see that island over there?’ he questioned in reply.
A small expanse of land rested upon the lake, boarded by a pretty, white beach and covered farther inland with lush trees. There was a tiny lagoon in the shape of a half-circle at the very centre of the forest. Emma smiled at the sight. It looked like a pleasant place to live, or at least stay on vacation.
‘There is someone waiting for us there,’ said Thal quietly.
‘Who?’ questioned Emma.
Thal did not immediately reply. When he did answer, he said, ‘Silverwing says that it is a friend.’
Emma was not entirely sure if she could trust this dragon yet, but Thal had said that Silverwing meant them no harm and the dragon had saved them a few times now. If the visitor in the forest was good, then Emma could ask them for their help to save her friends. She bit her lip in thought. Matt would surely want to get out of prison, but what about Simon? Was he really completely and truly serious about joining Mirth?
‘Hang on!’ called Thal.
It was the only warning Emma had before Silverwing plunged into a swift dive. The lagoon rapidly faded out of sight the nearer they came to the island, and Silverwing landed on the beach, his claws digging into the soft sand. Thal jumped down, landing on all fours, and lifted sand into his hands as he rose to his feet. The specks of white trickled down through his fingers.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve last been here,’ said Thal. ‘It doesn’t look like it’s changed much.’
Emma slid down over Silverwing’s side and joined Thal on the beach. Her feet slipped and sunk as she walked.
‘What’s this place called?’ she asked.
‘Besides paradise?’ Thal smiled and looked towards the forest. ‘I call it Crescent Island.’
‘Did you live here before?’
Thal started towards the jungle-like trees. ‘For a little while,’ he answered.
They headed into the tropical forest with Silverwing following carefully behind, trying not to destroy too much of the foliage. The air was warmer here and Emma almost believed that she was on a tropical island. She brushed away a few large leaves and stepped over a raised tree root, then – with Thal’s help – climbed up a steep hill of flat stone. She spotted a coloured bird on a tree branch before it darted away into the sky above and a furry creature with its tail sticking out of the hollow of a tree.
‘We’re here,’ said Thal. He pushed back a big leaf and stepped out onto the shoreline of the lagoon Emma had seen earlier from upon Silverwing’s back. It was a beautiful place, with a high waterfall pouring into a sparkling pool. A cave sat behind the falls, a rocky trail leading from the shoreline to the entrance of the cavern. The mist from the waterfall concealed whatever hid inside the cave.
‘Wow,’ breathed Emma. ‘This place is beautiful! I can’t believe you used to live here!’
‘Back then, it wasn’t a complete luxury,’ said Thal.
Emma looked to Thal for a better explanation, but he instead walked towards the path that led into the cave and so she was forced to follow him. Silverwing slipped into the pool of clear water and swam under the waterfall. Emma clambered up the rock path and joined Thal just as the silver dragon climbed up into the cave from the water. Huge drops of water fell from his scales as he moved over to the side and sat down.
Inside the cave, there was a blackened spot on the ground where a fire once existed and two logs sat on either side. Beyond that was a short tunnel into another room. Thal motioned for Emma to head in first, and so she did. Silverwing left his head lying beside the opening, one golden eye peering in through the small entrance.
The second room was like a bedroom, with two hammocks on either side of the room. One of them looked as though it would fall to pieces if you touched it. There was a ledge that stuck slightly out from the wall that acted as a shelf, and a tiny tunnel leading up through the roof let the sunlight in.
But standing in this room was someone Emma would never imagine to see here in her wildest dreams.
‘Dad?’ she questioned, completely bewildered.
Lucas Reeve smiled and slid off the new hammock. His dark hair looked like the wind had gotten to it. He walked over to Emma and pulled her into an embrace.
‘I’m so glad you’re okay,’ he whispered, hugging her close.
‘But … dad, what are you doing here?’ asked Emma, pushing herself away from him. She was just as happy to see him, but she had not expected him to be here! Not in Dragonis!
‘I came to find you,’ replied Luke. ‘As soon as I found out about the stone – which reminds me, what exactly were you doing snooping around inside the piano?’
Emma flushed and looked away. ‘N-nothing,’ she stammered. ‘I was just … just playing and it didn’t sound right, so I …’
She did not have to finish, because Lucas had already figured it out. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.
‘I guess I should have hidden it in a better place,’ he mumbled. ‘Your curiosity is really something else.’
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br /> ‘I still don’t understand how you got all the way out here,’ said Emma. ‘Did you ride Silverwing to the island?’
‘Silverwing … that’s his name, is it?’ murmured Luke. ‘I never knew. He just showed up to help me.’
Emma could not fit this all together. It was so strange … so unlikely for him to be here, even if he had been looking for her! Why was he with Silverwing?
‘Dad … have you been here before?’ she asked quietly.
Luke gave her a surprised look. ‘I – uh –’
‘Maybe it’s time we gave Emma a history lesson,’ said Thal softly.
Lucas Reeve glanced towards the Dragon Child, who now had made his appearance in the small room. ‘Thalendor … you’re … back.’
Emma’s eyes widened in surprise and she stepped away from her father, shaking her head. There must have been a logical explanation for what he had just said. Though, try as she might, she could only come to one conclusion.
Only two people knew my name …
‘Lucian,’ she whispered.
Luke looked to her in alarm. He held up his hands in protest. ‘Now hang on, Emmaline,’ he said. ‘Don’t jump to conclusions here –’
‘It’s true, isn’t it!’ demanded Emma. She stared at her father, the feeling of unfamiliarity rising in her chest. It felt as though she had not known him all these years … that everything he had ever said was just a lie.
Thal folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes, a slow smile working its way across his lips. ‘Emma … I have a bit of a confession to make,’ he said.
Emma glared at the ground. ‘I don’t want to be here anymore,’ she said bitterly, trying hard not to cry. She had not saved the dragons, her friends were captured and it was partially her fault, and the man she called her father, someone she had known all of her life, was possibly someone entirely different! Her whole world had tipped upside-down … and just because of some stupid stone!
‘That day … when I came to your house …’ said Thal, ignoring her griping, ‘the reason you came running out to the kitchen was because I knocked over a mug. You see, I didn’t mean to do that, but I was surprised by something I saw.’ He looked over to Lucas. ‘There was a picture on your fridge, Emma. It was a picture of you and your father. Of course, I was a little shaken by this photo because I thought the man in the picture to be dead.’