Dragonfire

by Charles Jackson

  “Never, Milady…” Godfrey shot back in an instant, also laying back on his own bed with hands behind his head for support. “Although…” he ventured tentatively, trying to maintain his cheekiness but suddenly feeling much more nervous “…I warrant the soul comes willingly once you’ve taken the heart captive…”

  “I – !” Nev began, starting to speak before the impact of what he’d just said actually hit home, and she was left completely speechless, certain her cheeks were positively glowing in the dark room.

  “I’m… glad… you’re awake… that you’re all right…” Godfrey murmured eventually, turning his head toward her as she met his gaze.

  “I’m… glad you’re here… with me…” Nev replied falteringly, unable to think of anything more to say at that moment that could’ve better conveyed how she felt.

  They lay silent for a long time, staring into each other’s eyes as the fire across the room crackled softly in the hearth and cast a faint orange glow throughout the room. Nev imagined that if only it were possible to forget for a few moments the terrible events of the last few days, the two of them lying there alone, talking so softly and deeply might’ve seemed incredibly romantic. Both of them were of course snoring heartily five minutes later.

  She awoke shivering in the early hours of the next morning to find the fire had died in the hearth, although enough of a glow remained for her to restart it with some kindling and another large log taken from a pile stacked to one side. Taking a moment to drag a thick quilt over Godfrey as he slept on the other bed, she quickly rummaged through her bag, still shivering, found her phone and then returned to her own bed and snuggled back under her own covers, waiting for the warmth of the fire to return.

  She thought for a moment that perhaps it might be worth getting undressed, but a check of the time on the iPhone’s lock screen put paid to that idea. Already five in the morning and dawn couldn’t be more than an hour away, something she confirmed with a glance out through the uncurtained window at a night sky clearly already lightening with the approach of sunrise.

  Cadle… resting at Cadle… resting, resting, resting…

  The whispered thought slipped almost unnoticed through her mind. Had it not been for the momentary flicker of the crystal at her throat, she might’ve thought nothing of it at all, but that single flash of bright blue was enough to put her mind instantly on alert.

  “Who are you…?” She hissed softly, keeping her voice as low as possible so as not to disturb Godfrey. Reaching out with her mind even as her fingers rested unconsciously on the pendant itself, Nev allowed herself the weakest of connections with the Shard, holding everything back for fear of losing herself as she had at the Battle of Stewpot Road. “What are you…?”

  Not even a ‘thank you’…? After all, I did save your life… There was more substance to the voice now – enough this time to recognise it – and with a soft groan of disgust, Nev rolled over to face the window on the near wall.

  “Oh, you… who else would it be…?”

  There was a faint glow from the corner of the room as a blue haze appeared, shimmering and translucent like the CGI holograms Nev had seen in so many science fiction movies. This time however, it was clearly Percy standing before her with her arms expectantly crossed.

  You were expecting Luke Skywalker, perhaps? She asked with a wry half-smile, extending her arms with palms open. Loki…? James Tiberius Kirk…?

  “Leave me alone, you bitch…” she shot back, not even bothering to look at Percy as the apparition swayed and faded in and out. “This is all your fault! And what do you mean: you ‘saved my life’ anyway?” She added quickly, anger growing as what Percy had said just sunk in. “You’ve been trying to do the exact opposite since the moment I got here!”

  LOL…! You think you managed to take out those big, beefy Blackwatcher boys all by yourself, do you? Percy asked drily, not bothering to hide the derision in her tone. Hack your way through a couple of dozen well-trained swordsmen, then focus enough Shard power to blow up a warship a couple of kilometres away...? Oh yes, that was all you… all you, who’s never seen or used a crystal before that night on the Rapier!

  “Liar…!” Nev snapped, trying to ignore the logic in her words. “Why would you keep helping me when you’ve already said yourself how much you ‘hate me’, and how you want to get your ‘revenge’…?”

  Well, you need to ‘level up’, of course… Where’s the fun in revenge if I’m up against some sooky little ‘noob’ with no skills and whose only ability is to wander around the countryside moaning ‘poor me’ to every hunky, young Ryan Gosling lookalike that wanders past…?

  “Piss off…!”

  That boost of energy you felt out on the Stewpot Road, the moment you opened yourself up to the crystal’s full power…? That was me, you understand? The whole time those old farts were pooling their energy just trying to block you from healing the king, I’d ‘hacked’ in through one of their crystals and ‘piggybacked’ it right through to the source. They have no idea how much power that thing really has… although I think that with my help, you got a glimpse of a part of it.

  “You still haven’t answered my question…” Nev growled petulantly, interested now in spite of herself and propped up in bed by her elbows as Percy affected to sit upon an invisible chair and casually cross her legs beneath a long, flowing skirt.

  What… about why I’m helping you? I want a decent enemy… I told you. These men are such fools… she added, spitting out the word ‘men’ as if it were a vile profanity. Here or in our world, they’re all pigs… petty and small-minded and thinking they’re so much better than all of us. A woman… a clever woman with enough power of her own… could control all of these idiots.

  “And this Shard God or whatever it is will just let this all happen, will it?” Nev asked dubiously, shuddering as she recalled her last encounter with that booming voice as she fought vainly to save Phaesus’ life.

  Oh, they know about it all right: they want me to destroy these fools. The Shard Gods can see it… see it all so clearly. They’re sick to death of these morons and their misogynist ways, and they’ve chosen me to burn all of them. You and this silly ‘queen-child’ of yours are the perfect distraction, and while they’re scampering about all over Huon trying to find the pair of you, fighting for every mile and bleeding themselves white, I’ll be waiting in the background, building my power and waiting for my chance to strike…

  “Why would you tell me this, of all people?” Nev pointed out, almost smiling. “What’s stopping me from telling them everything you’ve just said…?”

  Oh no! Help… help… you got me monologuing…! Percy actually giggled then. Sweetie, please do, by all means: tell ‘em anything you like. It’d be almost worth it to see the look on your face afterward. Have you learned nothing about this world yet? Like me, you’re just a girl to them – not even a woman – and surely you’ve seen already how little respect they have for women here? You could go full Chicken Little, running around screaming ‘the sky is falling’ ‘til you were blue in the face, and they’d not even bat an eyelid as a comet came howling right down on top of them. They’d torture you… rape you too, no doubt… hurt you in so many ways just for fun… but they’d never believe that: that a mere girl like you or I could ever be a threat.

  “Are you even really here?” Nev asked sourly, pulling a face as she glanced down at the crystal about her neck, still flashing faintly in time with every word Percy spoke. “Can anyone see this, or are you just in my mind…?”

  Oh, who cares? No one else’s business anyway… I just thought I’d drop in to check on an ‘old friend’… make sure you’re safe and sound…

  “What, and find out where I am into the bargain, so they can send the Blackwatch after me?” She snarled softly, remembering those first words in her head. “That was what you were talking about to begin with: where I was – what I was doing. Checking up on me for your filthy new friends are you?”

 
That lot couldn’t find their own arses with both hands and a GPS… Percy sniffed with disdain …and they’re coming to Cadle soon enough regardless of whether you’re there or not. Just found myself at a loss for something to do at five in the morning and thought I’d check in with my best friend. We used to text each other all the time when we were bored.

  “That was before you betrayed me by dragging me to this godforsaken little world and nearly getting me killed… several times…!”

  Oh, tell someone who cares…! Like the old world was so wonderful… like Wonthaggi wasn’t the arse-end of existence anyway! Train, school, study, work… train, school, study, work… that’s all you ever did! You complain about your life now; what life did you have back there? Seventeen years old and you’ve never even kissed a boy yet! She sneered, throwing a nod in Godfrey’s direction. One week here and you’ve already got ‘Will Scarlett’ there following you around like a love-struck puppy!

  “Shut up!” Nev hissed, too angry to hide the fact that Percy had struck a very raw nerve.

  Have you kissed him yet? Bet you haven’t…!

  “Shut up, you bitch…!” She screamed out loud, the crystal flaring brightly for just a fraction of a second as a wave of energy burst from Nev’s mind and dissolved the image of Percy into oblivion.

  Woken abruptly by her shout, the apparition had disappeared completely by the time Godfrey was fully alert and fumbling for the sword he’d laid on the floor by the bed.

  “What? What is it…?” He barked, brandishing the blade wildly as he turned this way and that, shaking his head to clear his thoughts as he searched for some unseen enemy.

  “It – it’s okay…” Nev stammered, crying now that the situation was over and she was able to release all the tension she’d been secretly holding inside the entire time. “A bad dream… just a bad dream…”

  “By The Crystal, you gave me a start there…!” Godfrey breathed, chest heaving from unexpected adrenalin as he lowered the blade and dropped it onto the mattress in relief. Walking around to sit beside her on the edge of her own bed, he reached out and carefully pulled the covers up around her neck and shoulders against the cold. “Are you all right…?” He asked gently, deeply concerned by her tears and the obvious sheen of light perspiration on her forehead. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Just a stupid nightmare…” She grumbled softly, fearful of meeting his gaze in case she might somehow give herself away. “Nothing important…”

  “You should try to get some more sleep,” he ventured, rubbing his eyes and stifling a yaw.

  “No point…” she shrugged, throwing a nod toward the brightening sky beyond the open window. “Going to be dawn soon and we need to start getting ready.

  “Well, that hardly seems fair!” He declared with a grin. “A whole night gone and it barely feels like I’ve slept a wink! Nothing a good, hot bath and a solid breakfast won’t fix though, eh? I should go get the rest of my gear and freshen up.”

  “Can you stay a while…?” She blurted far too quickly as he made a move to get up, cursing her embarrassment even as her hand reached out to rest on his. “Just a bit longer…? I…”

  She was scared… scared to be alone for fear that awful apparition might show itself again… but she found she couldn’t find the words to explain that she couldn’t bear the thought of him leaving the room at that moment – that right there and then, his company was all she needed.

  “‘Course I can…” he answered with a smile, matching her gaze with one that seemed to reach right into her soul as he took her hand in his, fingers entwined. “…as long as you want…”

  “She’s at Cadle…” Percy wheezed, almost bend double as she fought to recover her breath. The force of Nev’s mental blast had well and truly knocked the wind out her sails. “Whoo, she’s a feisty little minx! If that girl ever realises how much power she actually has, you lot are in real trouble!”

  “Yes, yes… terrible danger, I’m sure…” De Lisle snapped curtly, clutching at a warm mug of tea as if it were some magical talisman against the chilly morning. “You were ‘gone’ for some time: is there anything else you might want to share? What their plans are, for example? Are they staying at Cadle?”

  Percy’s tent was one of a dozen large and very generic, eight-man canvas models erected not far from the beach as part of Harald’s Burnii command centre. She’d been given one to herself in deference to her need for modesty, although placing its only entrance directly opposite the cardinal’s had seriously restricted any feeling of actual freedom to at least come and go as she pleased. The tent itself was serviceable enough with a cot, blankets and a few pieces of fold-up furniture along with a small, cast-iron stove at the centre, its flue exhausting straight out through a reinforced opening in the roof.

  “Of course they’re not staying,” she replied with a grimace, thinking the answer an obvious one. “Harald’s bound to head for the fortress eventually, and a single battery of cannon will reduce those walls to rubble in minutes. They’re not stupid enough to think they can keep the queen safe there.”

  “The army marches on the hour,” De Lisle grunted thoughtfully, not telling her anything she didn’t already know. “But it’s a solid two day’s march at best… plenty of time for them to make an escape. The Blackwatch has been trying to lock down all the major crossroads heading south but there terrain’s too rough and too thick with trees to monitor effectively, and there are too many places where small groups could sneak past undetected.”

  “Then they’re going to slip through… simple as that,” she shrugged, not caring in the slightest. “I got the sense they were definitely preparing to move out, but nothing as to where or in what direction. I doubt they’d tell her that anyway, and she probably wouldn’t recognise any of the place names if they did.”

  “And that’s all you got out of it… after all that time…?” The cardinal growled suspiciously, eyes narrowing as if daring her to lie to his face.

  “Yes, that’s all I got…” she replied, doing exactly that. “She wasn’t exactly in the mood for chit-chat… although I can’t imagine why: there’s nothing quite like being visited by a blue ‘ghost’ in your quarters at five in the morning to inspire great conversation…”

  “It is said that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit…” De Lisle pointed out, scowling darkly.

  “Really…?” Percy countered, making no effort to moderate her sarcasm whatsoever. “I’d have thought not being funny was the lowest but then, what do I know…?”

  “Just keep track of her,” he replied tartly, turning to leave and throwing one last instruction over his shoulder. “I’ll expect you with me at the head of the column in an hour’s time…”

  “Looking forward to it…” she called back, but he was already gone.

  The rest of the group were already ready and waiting as Nev and Godfrey finally stepped out through the main doors of the palace itself into the bright light of a crisp, cold morning with bags over their shoulders. Randwick sat astride a large stallion at the head of the column, dressed in a fresh set of chain-mail and boiled leather armour, a sword at his belt and his beloved staff slung diagonally across his back, held snugly in place by a leather thong. He wore no hat or helmet, his long grey hair tied loosely at the back of his neck.

  William’s horse stood next in line, the younger man resplendent in a pristine new set of armour and the same style of white uniform and blue piping he’d worn the first day they’d met, lance once again at his side, standing upright and mounted in a specially-fitted socket fixed to the right side of his saddle. Tied to the lance’s shaft just below its pointed steel tip, a large, triangular pennant of bright blue fluttered lightly in the breeze, displaying the falcon’s head of the Huon family crest. Both horse and man seemed nervous and eager to be off, his mount snuffling and tramping its feet as it swayed this way and that as if ready to break into a gallop at any moment.

  Queen Charleroi waited third in the group, her appearan
ce a marked change from anything Nev had seen in the last few days. Dressed plainly in khaki breeches and a loose-fitting cotton blouse of dark green, her only bodily protection of any kind appeared to be a light vest of fine, silvered mail worn over the top, the whole ensemble covered by a long woollen coat of dull brown for use against the morning chill. A khaki riding cap that was at least a size too large had been snugged tightly over her ears, beneath which her long, dark hair hung heavy behind her in a single ‘fishtail’ of intricate plaits. A short, jewel-encrusted rapier hung at her belt beneath the long coat while across her back hung a large recurve bow and a quiver full of arrows.

  Behind those three, a troop of four guardsmen in uniforms identical to William’s waited patiently, their own lances also displaying the same bright blue royal pennant. Four more horses without riders also stood idly by, two clearly intended as pack animals, their backs and multiple saddlebags loaded with a variety of supplies, while the other two wore saddles like the rest.

  “No guesses as to who they’re waiting for…” Godfrey grinned, resting a comforting hand gently on Nev’s back as they stood for a moment on the entrance steps and took in the scene.

  “Just give me a moment…” she breathed softly, suddenly captivated by the impressive majesty of the sight and already fumbling inside her jacket pocket for her phone. “I so need to get a photo of this!”

  “I’ll get the horses…” he suggested with a nod, accustomed enough to her eccentricities by now to accept the statement in his stride. “Let’s not keep the queen waiting too long, yes?”

  As he jogged across the cobblestones to the pair of riderless horses and took the reins, she turned the iPhone sideways and filmed a long, panoramic shot of the entire courtyard, taking in not only the mounted party but also the crowd gathering to see them off, one that must’ve numbered at least two dozen and growing (not counting guards watching from the ramparts themselves).