Requiem's Hope (Dawn of Dragons)

by Daniel Arenson

  "If you ask me, those stars are nothing but pretty lights." Maev grunted. "Gods that can guide us? I'm guided by my heart. That's it. Not pretty sky lights."

  With a twist to that heart, she thought of her grandfather, the wise druid Eranor. The kindly old man, fallen to the rocs, had believed in the power of the stars. He had prayed to the Draco constellation, had tried to get Maev to pray too. She never would.

  How did those stars help you? she thought, and her eyes stung. They couldn't save you from the rocs. You fell while I linger on, no beacon to guide me.

  The pain clutched her like claws. She had not shared her grandfather's faith, but she missed him so much that breathing hurt, and her throat felt full of coals.

  The blast of wings sounded from behind, and Dorvin flew up toward them. He held a goose in his mouth, which he chomped and swallowed, spitting out the beak. "And I follow my belly, and these geese are delicious." He coughed feathers right onto Maev. "I think the flying mammoth arse here is guided mainly by her loins, which burn for me." He whistled. "Hotter than dragonfire, they are."

  She showed him her dragonfire, blasting him with a jet. He winced and swerved, dodging the brunt of the attack, though not before she had charred several of his scales.

  "You're certainly not guided by your mind, Dorvin." Maev growled at the boy. "You don't got one."

  He rolled his eyes. "That's your insult today? You're as witty as you are beautiful, Maev, old beast."

  When she tried to roast him again, he darted off with a smile to hunt more geese. Maev grumbled. The journey could have been pleasant if not for that damn boy. Alina was too quiet, too mysterious, too pious, but at least she mostly kept to herself. Dorvin was a constant thorn in Maev's side; he couldn't last a moment without taunting her, singing bawdy songs, telling rude jokes, or nipping at her tail. Sometimes Maev wanted to stab him in his sleep.

  "Let go!" she shouted when he grabbed her tail between his jaws, tugging at her just to hear her yelp. She freed herself and slapped her tail across his face, but he only grinned and flew off again.

  Maev couldn't take it anymore. She just wanted to turn back, to fly home to the others. Even her brother, Tanin—a silly oaf of a thing—would have been preferable company.

  Maev sighed. Where are you now, Tanin? Have you reached Eteer with Issari? Are you safe, and are you thinking of me too?

  The unspeakable seemed to be happening. Maev was missing her family. She wished she could fly with Tanin again, even if they'd taunt each other and often come to blows. She wished Jeid were here, her gruff grizzly of a father, even if he'd spend the journey scolding how she spat, cursed, and rushed headstrong into fights. She even missed Laira; she hadn't known the young woman for long, but over the winter, Laira had become a dear friend. The Eteerian was perhaps more quiet, more reserved than Maev, but there was strength in her, a strength Maev saw and respected.

  Where are you now, Father? Laira? Have the demons found you yet? I pray we meet again.

  Maev took a deep breath and nodded. Despite Dorvin, and despite the ache in her wings, she had to keep flying. She had to find others, more dragons to blow fire and lash claws, to fight Raem and his demon host. She would not abandon this quest.

  The three dragons kept flying: the green daughter of a king, a lavender druid with gleaming eyes, and a damn silver pest who wouldn't stop singing. The lands rolled endlessly below, mist floated, clouds roiled, and beams of light fell through the drizzle, gleaming with rainbows that appeared and vanished as quickly as winks. It was an empty land, an eternal wilderness, and Maev began to wonder if Jeid had sent her here not to find others but to protect her, to send her far from the demon threat.

  They slept that night in the forest between the trees, maintaining their dragon forms, as animals scurried around them and distant wolves howled. When dawn rose, casting rays of light between the trees, they flew again.

  The clouds were parting, and the noon sun shone, when Maev saw the city ahead and lost her breath.

  She considered herself a gruff warrior, a woman with a heart of metal, but flying here, seeing the wonder ahead, tears filled her eyes.

  "It's beautiful," she whispered.

  At her side, Alina wept as she flew. "The fabled kingdom of Bar Luan. The jewel of the west."

  Dorvin puffed out smoke and flicked his tail about. "Not bad. Sure beats that shite-hole called Requiem." He only winked when Maev glared at him.

  She returned her eyes to the city ahead, inhaled deeply, and let her eyes drink it all in. With every flap of her wings, she drew closer and more details appeared. Great triangular buildings rose from the trees; they reminded Maev of Laira's stories about pyramids that rose in the deserts south of Eteer. These structures seemed as tall as King's Column, maybe taller, and large enough to house thousands of people. Staircases rose along their facades, leading to archways flanked by statues of lions. Among the pyramids snaked lofty walls, and upon their facades stared stone faces the size of houses. Cobbled roads coiled between the trees, leading to courtyards where rose statues of robed, bearded men with their palms pressed together. Towers rose here too, some ten tiers tall like boxes stacked together. As Maev drew closer, she saw people too. They bustled along the streets, seeming as small as insects by the grand structures. Everything was built of the same rough bricks, a painting in green and gray, a marvel of architecture, sculpture, and civilization in the wilderness.

  "They're here," Alina said, her voice barely more than a whisper, as if she spoke to a spirit rather than her companions. "More Vir Requis. I sense their light in this city."

  Maev began to descend. "Land among the trees. We'll walk the rest of the distance. Safer."

  Dorvin spat an ember. "The Abyss we will! I'm not walking. We fly in like the mighty dragons we are. We roar, blow fire, and—"

  Maev grabbed his snout, stifling his words, and tugged him down toward the forest. He struggled but couldn't free himself. The three dragons descended, crashed through the treetops, and thumped down onto the forest floor.

  "I'm not releasing you until you take human form," Maev said, still clutching the silver dragon's snout.

  Smoke puffed out from his nostrils, and he gave her a deathly glare, but he obeyed. Back in human form, he crossed his arms, and his glare did not wane. Maev looked at him and sighed. The damn kid looked harmless enough—a shock of black hair, a bit of stubble on his face, sharp eyebrows, and a face tanned bronze. Maev might—might!—have even thought him handsome, had she not known how insufferable he was.

  He slapped her scaly snout. "Well, Mammoth Arse, shift too! Back into a human with you."

  She groaned but she too resumed human form. "Slap my snout again, and I'm going to knock your teeth so far down your throat, they'll bite your bullocks."

  He groaned. "Lovely as always, you are. Be thankful I didn't slap your backside." He began to trudge through the forest, heading west. "Well, come on you two! While we're young."

  Alina shifted too, returning to her human form—a woman with lavender eyes, clad in flowing druid robes, her auburn hair cascading from the shadows of her hood. She looked around the forest, closed her eyes, and clutched her wooden staff. "This place is dangerous." The druid touched her amulet, a silver circle inlaid with gemstones in the shape of the Draco constellation. "There is fear here. It is everywhere."

  Maev narrowed her eyes, and her belly turned cold. She had never seen Alina look so frightened; the druid's face was even paler than usual, and her hand shook around her staff. "Demons?" Maev drew her sword. "I don't smell any."

  "No." Alina shook her head. "A colder evil. Demons are hot and red and always moving. This fear is like blue ice, frozen, still, and very old." The druid shuddered. "Maybe even older than the Abyss. I don't know its source, but it permeates these trees. And it comes from the west. From Bar Luan."

  The druid was trembling. Maev placed her hand on the woman's shoulder. "Whatever evil lurks here, we'll defeat it. I've fought many demons before; I slew doze
ns in Eteer. I fought Angel herself and lived. I'm not afraid of whatever creature might be here."

  "Yet I am." Alina opened her eyes and stared at Maev; those eyes were deeper than starry skies, blue and purple flecked with gold. "We must be careful here. Our greatest challenge awaits us."

  Maev shuddered. She didn't fear men or demons; those were things she could fight. But what was a blue, icy, frozen fear? How could she fight something she didn't understand? She was about to ask more questions when Dorvin shouted from the forest ahead.

  "Bloody stars! Are you two following?" He peered from around a tree. "Come on! By the gods of hairy feet."

  After sharing a glance, Maev and Alina followed. The forest rustled around them, and for once, Dorvin was silent. As they walked, Maev reached into her boot, drew her hidden copper dagger, and handed it to Alina. "Keep this."

  The druid shook her head. "My faith in the stars protects me, as does my staff. They are all the weapons I need. And I have a feeling weapons will be of no use here." She shook her head, auburn hair swaying. "We will need more than metal in Bar Luan."

  Maev didn't know what that meant, but she kept her sword drawn. This blade—she had forged it herself in Grizzly's old smithy—had served her for years. Whatever enemy waited here, she swore that she could slay it—with metal if not dragonfire.

  They walked through the forest. The trees were different here than back home; she did not recognize them. Their trunks were pale and coiling, soaring far taller than any trees Maev had ever seen. Their roots twisted like serpents, wrapping around boulders and smaller trees. Mist floated and dark birds flitted between the branches. The air was thick and soupy, rich with the smell of age. Everything seemed old here, ancient beyond knowing, and the trees seemed to stare into Maev, disapproving of strangers disturbing their old guard upon the land.

  After a mark or so, the trees finally parted, letting in cool air. The city of Bar Luan lay before the three Vir Requis.

  A cobbled road stretched ahead, lined with brick buildings that stood several stories tall, each level smaller than the one beneath it. Stone reliefs of animals, druids, and warriors rose upon the walls, gazing upon the sunlit boulevard. Two great statues, each larger than three dragons, flanked the road, shaped as robed men with the heads of apes. When the companions stepped down the road, entering the city, Maev gaped. The pyramids rose ahead, even taller than the great King's Column back in Requiem. Staircases ran up their sides, lined with many statues. Towers, walls, and silos rose everywhere, some topped with gardens, their walls sporting embossed faces larger than men.

  Just as much as the architecture, the people of Bar Luan amazed Maev. They were a small, slender folk, no larger than her friend Laira. They wore flowing white robes, and elaborate copper plates hung upon their chests, the metal inlaid with gemstones. Maev half expected guards to rush forth and attack, but she saw nobody carrying weapons. The people walked with bowed heads, rushing from home to home. Their faces were pale, their lips trembling. Only a few raised their eyes and seemed to notice Maev and her companions; they quickly looked away and shuffled off, a tremble to their knees.

  Alina tightened her robes around her. "I sense great fear here."

  Dorvin rolled his eyes. "You don't say. What wonderful, magical powers of insight will you reveal next?" He spat. "These Bar Luanites are more timid than sheep. Bloody stars." He turned to look at Maev. "Psst, Mammoth Arse. You see any Vir Requis around here?"

  Maev was about to grumble and slap the damn boy, but suddenly she froze and sucked in her breath. Her heart leaped and cold sweat washed over her.

  "Mammoth Arse, what the Abyss?" Dorvin tilted his head. "You look like you saw a damn ghost's dangling naughty bits."

  She blinked. "I . . ." She blew out her breath slowly, her fingers shaking. "It's nothing."

  But she had seen something. For an instant—just a heartbeat—Dorvin had been . . . Oh stars, but he hadn't looked like Dorvin at all. No skin had covered his face, leaving only red, raw flesh and terribly white, bulging eyes. But it had lasted just that instant. He stood before her now with the same mocking, tanned face.

  "I know I'm devilishly handsome, Mammoth Arse, but you have to stop staring." He patted her cheek. "Now come on. If the druid here says there are Vir Requis in this pile of rocks, we'll find them." He began walking deeper into the city. "The locals won't bother us; they scatter as soon as I walk near." To demonstrate, he jogged forward a few steps, then laughed as the Bar Luanites fled.

  Maev was going to follow when Alina grabbed her arm and held her close. The druid narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Maev. "What did you see? You're afraid."

  The vision filled her mind again: Dorvin with flayed skin, a living corpse. Maev licked her dry lips. "I . . . I don't know exactly. A quick vision of Dorvin hurt." She took a deep breath, trying to steel herself. "I'm simply tired and he's been fraying my nerves. Let's keep going."

  The young druid kept staring at Maev, head tilted, her purple eyes intense as if trying to peer into Maev's mind. Finally Alina nodded, tugged her hood lower over her face, and began to walk forward. The two women followed Dorvin through the city of stone.

  They walked along the boardwalk, moving between the towering gray buildings of craggy stone. The pyramids soared ahead, their tips shrouded in clouds. Statues lined their way, each taller than dragons, shaped as stoic priests in flowing robes. Trees rose along the roadside and between the buildings, their pale trunks coiling, their roots rising between the cobblestones like sea serpents breaching from a stony sea. The place was deathly silent. It was a city large enough to house thousands, but Maev saw barely a hundred people, all hurrying about as if the air itself hurt them. One woman, her long pale hair gathered into a bun, ran across the street, tears in her eyes, swatting at invisible insects.

  "They're all bloody mad," Dorvin said, turning toward Maev and Alina. "Look at that one." He pointed at an old man who sat in the corner, hugging his knees and rocking, begging in a strange tongue.

  Maev knelt by the old man. She tried to soothe him with soft words, but he kept rocking and shaking, not acknowledging her. Sweat beaded on his brow, and his eyes stared into the distance. Tears rolled down his cheeks.

  "Dragons!" Dorvin said, forming a little dragon with his hands, the fingers flapping as wings. "Have you seen dragons?"

  The man's mouth opened and closed wordlessly, and he covered his eyes. Even Alina, singing softly, could not soothe him. They tried approaching a few other people, and Dorvin again performed his little dragon show, but everyone here had the same reaction. They stared at the empty air, whimpered, and fled.

  As Maev walked through the city, seeking anyone who could help, she frowned. Something felt wrong in her mouth. When she tapped her tongue against her front tooth, she winced. The tooth was loose. Maev grumbled. Too many damn fights. Too many punches to the face. It was a wonder she had any teeth at all. As she kept walking, her tongue kept seeking that tooth, wiggling it. It felt ready to fall out, and the more she played with it, the looser it became, yet she couldn't stop. Trying to ignore it, she pointed at a great pyramid that rose ahead, taller than the others.

  "If there's a king in this place, he lives there." Gilt covered an archway high upon the pyramid, gleaming as a beacon. "If anyone here would know about Vir Requis, he will."

  They kept walking, heading toward the pyramid. The massive structure seemed close, but as Maev kept walking, it seemed to keep getting farther away. She turned around a bend in the road, walked between buildings, and found herself heading in the wrong direction, leaving the pyramid behind her.

  "Stars damn you, Mammoth Arse." Dorvin grabbed her arm and tugged her. "This way."

  They turned around a corner, and the street became narrow and steep. The houses alongside seemed to close in around Maev, silent and craggy as prison cell walls. The road kept twisting, growing more and more narrow. Maev cursed and ran, having to escape, to find the pyramid again; she couldn't even see it now, only the stone wa
lls around her. A great sense of urgency filled her. She knew she had to find the pyramid soon, to save whatever dragons she could. If she was late, they would die. She would fail. Requiem would fall, and her father and brother would die in fire. She kept running, lost now, and she realized this was no mere city; it was a labyrinth, and she was trapped within it.

  "Dorvin!" she cried. "Alina!"

  They did not answer. She looked around but couldn't see them, and she panted, and cold sweat soaked her. She tried to shift into a dragon, to soar and find them, but she couldn't grasp the magic. Whenever she felt the tendrils of starlight within her, they fled her grasp. She cursed again. She forced herself to stand still, to focus, to grab the magic. But it was no use; she was too nervous, too scared, and the power evaded her, leaving her in human form. She ran again.

  "Dorvin and Alina!" she shouted, running through the maze. "Stars damn it, where are you?"

  She did not focus on finding the pyramid anymore, just to leave this maze, to return to the boulevard, to feel oriented again. As she ran, shadows darted behind her. At first she thought them her friends, but no. Red eyes blazed in doorways and alleys, and black wolves bristled, baring their fangs. With growls, the beasts burst into a run, chasing Maev. She ran, fleeing them, pawing for her sword but not finding it. Damn it! Where was the blade? The sun dipped behind the buildings, shrouding the labyrinth in darkness, and the wolves were gaining on her, and—

  "Mammoth Arse!" Dorvin grabbed her shoulders. "Bloody stars, you almost ran over me. What are you running from?"

  She blinked. "I . . ." The sunlight was shining again. She stood on a cobbled street, and the pyramid rose ahead behind trees and homes. She shook her head wildly. "There were wolves. Did you see them? More wolves like the demon ones we saw."