by Andy Holland
It's probably safe around the wood, as the stench is likely to travel for some distance from the fruit trees. But it's probably worth waiting till we're almost over it and then diving to land in the wood.
Agreed, John replied. I can't see anywhere where a huge dragon could be hiding, so we're probably safe but let's not take any chances.
Moments later they were hurtling towards the ground, falling like rocks towards the protection of the wood. Long before they reached the ground the rising smell hit their nostrils.
Ugh, Wami said in disgust. I can see how it drives away the monsters. I'm not sure I can handle it.
It's getting worse, John replied, gasping. It might be worth pulling out of this dive early in case we pass out. This smell is incredible.
Wami broke out of the dive just after John did and they glided slowly down to the ground, trying to relax and adjust to the overpowering stench. After landing, they both collapsed to their knees.
This is unbearable, Wami declared. I think I'd rather face the True Dragon.
That would be death, John pointed out. We'll get used to this.
Death might be preferable. If I could make myself pass out I would.
Transform, John instructed him. Our smell is more sensitive like this. It might be easier on two legs.
Both of them transformed back to their human forms and the smell hit them afresh.
"Wow, that's still terrible," Wami said, covering his nose with his fingers. "Terrible in a different way though."
"I think it's better," John said tentatively. "At least we can block our nostrils with our hands."
"Not ideal though," Wami said. He bent down and picked up some clay and moulded it into two little stoppers before bunging one in each nostril. "Phew, that seems a little better." He handed John two lumps of clay so he could follow his example.
"Thanks," John replied, putting the clay bungs in. He sighed and leaned against a tree.
"How are you feeling, John?" Wami asked. "Is your chest hurting you again?"
John paused for a moment. "No, it's fine at the moment. It's not hurting at all. Being a dragon all day probably helps."
"Or you're distracted by this awful smell. I can't believe I volunteered to come on this trip."
"Shall we go further into the wood?" John asked. "We're quite visible here."
Wami nodded. "Visible, agreed, although probably safe enough. Still, moving in couldn't hurt, as I doubt the smell can get any worse. Look, there's a fruit tree just over there. There's a lot of ripe fruit hanging from it. No wonder the smell is so bad here. Come on, let’s see if we can find a spot where there's less fruit."
He led John into the heart of the wood, but there seemed to be nowhere without Putrid Fruit Trees heavy with their disgusting fruit. Eventually Wami threw his hands in the air and admitted defeat. "We will stop here," he declared. "We will have a little fire as well. The burning smell will reduce the smell of the fruit. You Golden Dragons pride yourselves on your speedy transformations, so you can light the fire. I'll gather some wood."
Within a few minutes they were sat around a little fire, enjoying the warmth and minor relief from the smell.
"Say, John, have you much food with you? I didn't bring a lot. Just more cold rabbit, I'm afraid. Not enough for supper and breakfast."
"You could always eat fruit," John commented drily.
Wami laughed raucously. "Very good, Gold. There was I worrying you were a humourless one. You've been very glum all day."
John shrugged. "It's hard not to think about what's going to happen tomorrow. Especially after meeting that messenger."
"I suppose so," Wami agreed. "Still, look on the bright side. If things are going well, you'll be seeing your girl tomorrow."
John's eyes brightened for a second before his face fell again. "If I’m honest, I'd prefer it if she was further away from the battle. The West of the country would be safest."
"And that's where she's from, isn't it? Then you won't have anything to worry about. Tell me about this girl that you're risking your life for. She must be something. Pretty, is she?"
John smiled. "You have no idea. But she's so much more than that. She's truly special."
Wami nodded and smiled. "Well, hopefully, with a bit of luck, tomorrow you'll see her."
John nodded and then frowned, his glum expression returning.
"I know what you're thinking, and don't," Wami said. "If you hadn't stopped to help me you wouldn't have got any further, as you wouldn't have known about this place. You couldn't have got any further today than this."
John shook his head. "That wasn't what I was thinking. I was wondering how we're going to get past that army, warn the Red Dragons and find a way to stop the Blues before they sweep away everyone in their path. If that Golden Dragon is right then they could probably defeat the Reds even if they make it back to Furnace. The Reds would just take more of the Blues with them."
"That would be enough for me," Wami replied. "Look, there's nothing you can do tonight. Sleep on it and I'm sure you'll think of something in the morning." He yawned and lay back. "If I am going to die tomorrow, I'll do so fully rested, even if not well fed. Goodnight."
John nodded and lay down to drift into a troubled sleep.
Chapter 32 - Final Victory
John woke up early, having slept poorly. His nostrils were sore from the clay bungs and he removed them warily to see if he had grown accustomed to the smell of the putrid fruit. Although still quite unpleasant, it was bearable. He glanced over to where Wami was and decided to let him sleep a little longer as it was still dark. From the flickering light of their fire he could see several striped tree rats scampering across the forest floor. They were the only creatures that they had seen since they had arrived in the Circle of Death; a squirrel-like rodent that lived solely on the foul fruit that grew here. He watched as they hurried around, oblivious to his presence as they busily collected their disgusting staple diet. John turned away, wondering how any animal could stand to consume anything that smelt that bad, before the idea hit him.
"Wami!" he exclaimed loudly, causing the striped tree rats to squeak loudly in alarm. "I've got it! I know what we need to do."
"Hmmm," Wami replied sleepily, "two eggs please." He rolled onto his other side.
"Wake up!" John said loudly, jumping to his feet. "We have work to do!"
Wami turned back to him, his eyes now wide open. "What's got into you?" he asked crossly. "We can't fly yet. Can't I sleep a little longer?"
John shook his head. "No, we don't have time for sleep. I want to leave as soon as it is light and we have much to do."
"Do we? What do we need to do?"
"We need to gather fruit," John replied as he pulled on his shoes. "As much as we can carry."
"What?" Wami asked in disbelief. "John, we can't carry the fruit as dragons. The smell is much worse as a dragon, don't you remember?"
"Uh huh," John replied. "Then when we have enough fruit, I want you to tell me how we find this True Dragon."
"What! Have you lost your mind? The plan is to try and avoid them. That's why I'm here, remember?"
"The plan has changed. Just help me gather the fruit. I'll explain it all once we're done…."
Half an hour later, Wami and John stood looking at their pile of putrid fruit. They had tied together the stems from the fruit using vines cut from some of the trees.
"Do you think it's enough?" John asked.
"I don't know," Wami replied irritably. "But I do know that I don't want to gather any more of this horrible fruit. I'm going to have to burn these clothes as it is. The smell will never come out. It's possible that I may have to shave my head as well."
"Well, if the plan doesn't work that's not something you will have to worry about," John replied. He looked up at the sky. "The sun will be up soon. Are you ready for this?"
Wami shrugged. "I've always thought that I was ready for anything. This, well... this is something different—a truly crazy pla
n." He laughed. "Hey, if I'm going to die, this is as good a way as any. No one will forget this."
John nodded. "If they know about it. Of course, there's only me here and if you die, I probably will as well so no one will ever know."
Wami frowned at him, shaking his head in mock seriousness. "You have to spoil it, don't you?" He looked down at his hands, which were stained with juice from the ripe fruit. "Look at that. It's absolutely disgusting. I can't believe I let you talk me into this."
"Look on the bright side," John replied. "The True Dragon might kill you, but it definitely won't want to eat you."
"That's a bright side? Some comfort you are. I smell like I've been eaten and vomited back up again. Several times." He felt the stems tentatively. "Are you sure these are going to hold together when we fly?"
John shrugged. "The stems held them on the trees, didn't they? Anyway, that's why we have a reserve." He carefully moved one of the bundles of fruit into his bag.
"Don't you keep your clothes in there?" Wami asked. "John, that's really disgusting. You'll have burn that bag now. You may as well throw anything in that bag away right now."
"Ah, stop already," John replied, opening Wami's bag and putting one of the other bundles in.
"No, you can't do that! That's my favourite bag! I've had it for years."
"You sound like a girl," John replied rudely. "If we live, I'll get you a new one. Now, how do we find these dragons?"
***
"General Perak, right on time," General Zygar said in greeting as the younger man joined him in his command centre. "Ready for the battle?"
Perak nodded, grim faced. "I'm always ready, General. History will remember this as the day that we crushed the Red Dragons."
Zygar smiled. "No, Perak; that is not our way. History will not remember the Red Dragons at all. All traces of their existence will be erased from this land once we defeat them. Today, we take one step closer to a day when there are only Blue Dragons."
Perak nodded. "Of course, sir. I'm proud to have served our cause and brought that day closer."
Zygar smiled in agreement. "Now, Perak, the other generals will arrive in a few minutes, but I wished to speak to you alone. You have the most strategic mind of all of my generals and are the one that I trust the most."
Perak bowed deferentially. "It is an honour to hear you say that, General."
"Of course. I know that you would prefer to be leading the troops today, but your ability to plan is more useful to me that your ability to lead. Besides, as my chosen successor, I have no intention of risking you unnecessarily. Now, I want to hear your view on the risks that we face today. Is there anything that could stop us achieving our victory?"
"Not a lot, General. If the Red Dragons knew the size of our force, they might retreat to their capital before we could catch them, but I suspect that they have committed themselves beyond the point from where they can retreat. They have too many troops to do so quickly and we'd cut them to pieces as we pursued them, and they'd know it. Once they find out how many we are, the only thing they'll be able to do is to try to die well. They'll go down fighting, but they will go down."
Zygar nodded. "Hiding our forces in the woods was something the other generals disapproved of, but I believe you were right to instruct them to do that. Is there anything else?"
"Just one thing, General. I admit, like you, I dismiss Xanot's fears regarding the monster as unlikely, but it is the one thing that could stop us."
Since Zygar had made the decision to gather most of his armies in one place, General Xanot had repeatedly raised the issue of the Circle of Death to the point that Zygar had threatened to demote him.
"Gah," Zygar replied irritably. "If we paid heed to every far-fetched idea like that we'd never do anything."
"Agreed, General," Perak replied. "Still, I have researched the matter to try and calm Xanot, and have found that this enemy does have a weak spot—or is at least rumoured to have one. Just behind their ears, their scales are thinner and weaker. Nothing that our claws could damage, but there is a way that they could be taken down, if executed by the right dragon."
Zygar barely suppressed a smile at Perak's ill-disguised lie. Perak couldn't care less what Xanot thought and clearly had his own reasons for researching the matter.
"Oh, and who might you be considering?" Zygar asked. "In the unlikely event that we have to worry about this."
"Who else would be willing to attack a seemingly indestructible monster?" Perak asked, smirking. "Who else would volunteer the opportunity to claim the glory of defeating it?"
Zygar smiled. "I should have known you'd say that…."
***
In a village to the north of Obud, thousands of Red Dragons were preparing to leave, accompanied by the small contingent of Golden Dragons. Mark joined Gerald and the twins after breakfast.
"Did you sleep well?" Mark asked the twins. "Feeling nervous about today?"
"Terrified," Daisy replied. "I didn't sleep at all well last night."
"You could always go home," Arthur said pointedly. "No one is making you stay."
"Or you for that matter," Mark pointed out. "I'm still not sure why you've insisted on remaining here."
"I couldn't agree more," Gerald added. "I've had to assign twenty dragons to protect you. They'd be much better used at the front."
"We're staying," Daisy insisted. "We might be too inexperienced to fight, but we can still play a part."
Mark sighed in defeat. "Well, as long as you stay towards the back when the fighting starts, I'll tolerate this. John would never forgive me if you get hurt. He probably won't forgive me for letting you get this close to the action."
"You couldn't stop us even if you wanted to," Daisy replied. "Do you think we will end the war today?"
Mark shook his head sadly. "No, and I think Noah is right; this is a mistake. We've seen the size of their army, remember, I don't think this is wise at all."
"The army you saw we defeated!" Gerald declared triumphantly. "Sure, they'll have other forces, but we'll smash those too."
Mark shook his head again. "They must have known how you would react to the burning of Obud. They've invited this attack and they wouldn't have done that unless they were ready for it."
"Unless they thought they were ready, just as they thought they were able to take Furnace. You'll see. By tonight, the Blues will be fleeing as fast they can."
Mark smiled in spite of himself, admiring the Prince's conviction. "Very well. Come, we'll join the others. It'll be time to leave soon."
***
An hour after sunrise John and Wami were still flying over the seemingly deserted Circle of Death, scouring the horizon for signs of a True Dragon. Are you sure there is a True Dragon here? John asked. We've been flying for ages now. I thought these things were meant to be huge. Should it really be this hard to find?
We could always just draw it out, Wami replied. Make loads of noise and let him come and find us. Of course, it'd probably just eat us and I guess that would spoil the plan.
John ignored his reply. Do you really think we can sneak up on this dragon? I mean, we must smell pretty bad at the moment. Surely it will smell that from a long way away.
Not when we're flying this fast, Wami replied. No one goes looking for one of these things. No, you'd have to be really stupid to do that. It isn't going to be expecting us to look for it.
Well, we need to find it soon. We're running out of time. The battle could already be starting.
I don't know why you're complaining, Wami replied. We're flying in the right direction and we’re getting near to the northern edge of the Circle now. If we'd found it on the southern half of the Circle this task would have been much harder, impossible as that seems.
John carried on looking down at the ground. Surely it shouldn't be this hard to find a creature as big as the one that everyone had described. He started to wonder if Wami and all the others had been exaggerating. If it wasn't as big and terrifying a
s they'd described, this plan might not work.
Hey, John, look over there, Wami said all of a sudden, nodding towards John's left. In that group of trees there.
John looked towards the trees and at first saw nothing. Then there was a slight movement, but he couldn't work out what it was. Is that it? he asked. It doesn't look so big.
Are you crazy? Wami asked. How big did you expect it to be? Are you looking at the right thing?
I think so, John replied. Down in the trees, just to the right of that rocky clearing.
Wami laughed. No, John, look again. It's filling the whole clearing.
John gasped, realising that he was just looking at the creature's foot. It was asleep and sprawled out across the ground, lying on its side. It's huge! That thing can really fly?
Yes it can, and faster than us, Wami warned. Don't let its size fool you. Are you ready to do this? As soon as it wakes up, we need to be ready to move, and move quickly. Very quickly.
I'm ready, John replied. Stay up here. I'll follow you after I get rid of these fruit. Make sure that you fly in the right direction; I don't want to have to think about anything except dodging that thing, so I'll be following you.
Don't worry, John, I know the plan. I'm happy just to be navigating. Do you want to take my fruit as well, just in case you miss?
No, I won't miss, John replied. See you soon. John turned away from Wami and began his dive towards the sleeping dragon, hoping that it would stay asleep long enough. He studied it carefully as he approached. Its size was truly incredible and he couldn't believe that something so large existed, let alone was capable of flying, and flying quickly at that. It was sleeping soundly and lay facing away from him. He held the bundle of fruit tightly in his claws as he approached, his heartbeat racing in anticipation. Here goes nothing, he thought before hurling the fruit at the head of the sleeping monster...
***
Wow, there are so many of our dragons, Daisy said to her brothers and Mark, admiring the troops lined up in the streets leading to the ruin of Obud.