by Jason Letts
“It wasn’t really like that,” he said.
“How could it not be like that?” She raised her voice. “You’re wearing the same clothes as this guy who’s right beside a Bolt & Keize solar station. How stupid do you think I am?”
Tommack flinched a little, furrowing his brows.
“Hey, can we calm down about this?” he said, reaching out for her shoulder. But Maglum was at her side in a second, pushing him back. Tommack threw up his arms and backed off. “I’m a traveler who’s been all over this continent. I do a little work here and there just to buy supplies, and I agreed to be a field guide for this project for a while. I knew it wouldn’t turn out well as soon as I got here, and it didn’t.”
“No, and this didn’t turn out well either. What about that story about you being a cartographer? Why did you lie to me after I saved your life?” Sierra said.
“I would’ve made it,” Tommack said. It made Sierra so angry she started to shake.
“Oh, that makes lying about who you are perfectly fine then.”
“Out here, you can’t trust anyone, and the less people know about you the better. Sure, you seemed like nice folks, but maybe your friends were marching you out here to murder you while you figured you were doing something else. Look, I don’t much mind if you want to hold it against me, but I can assure you it was nothing personal and I wasn’t trying to pull the wool over your eyes for ill effect,” he said.
“Do you know what the problem here is? That’s everyone’s first impulse—to lie, to cheat, to deceive. I know there are lots and lots of people out there who think that staying isolated and not caring about anyone allows you to do the hard things that get you places, but that’s not me. Do you know what trumps the cold-hearted, lonely life of an assassin? The team that’s all working in unison, because they trust each other and because they care about each other. I feel that way about my family, about my people back home in the ClawLands, and even about Razi, Maglum, Hinkalo, and Nemi. You may not understand it, but it’s the people around me that keep pushing me so I never stop fighting and never stop being honest.”
Sierra needed a breath after all that, but Tommack started hyperventilating. He’d found something to get offended about, and the look on his face became nothing less than disconcerting.
“Do you want some honesty? Do you want to know what really happened here?” he raved, pointing a finger as Maglum shouldered him off. “Look at the destruction around here. Look at the body. All of this happened because we were attacked by dragons when we were stationed at the top of that cliff. They came out of nowhere all of a sudden, swarms of them, and they started tearing people apart. A big one turned the solar cell into putty and must’ve knocked it clear off the edge. That’s what you’re leading us to—vicious animals like any other. You keep one around, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these days it rips out your throat.”
The vehemence he spoke with removed any doubt of his sincerity, but Sierra strongly disagreed with the assertion that Nemi was just any other animal. She’d seen the intelligence in his eyes and actions, felt his sympathy and warmth. These weren’t accidents. The dragon understood all too well what was going on in most circumstances. Odds were these other dragons here had a reason to do what they had done.
“If the dragons were so bloodthirsty, how did you get away?”
“I ran for it,” Tommack said.
“You outran a swarm of flying dragons? So much for being honest.”
But the realization that the dragons had actually been here swelled in her mind until it was all she could think of. Nemi perched on a nearby rock. If only he had a clue where they were and how to get to them. Usually he was constantly roaming, but the tension between Sierra and Tommack must’ve kept him close.
A crunching sound from the nearby wreckage got their attention. Sierra had just been there and the thing seemed lifeless, but more scraping and rattling made it clear something was inside. A section of the steel exterior started to warp, melting into a hole that a black dragon seemingly identical in size and appearance to Nemi crawled through.
“It’s not too late. We can get to safety if we move now,” Tommack urged. He clutched the bottle of alcohol in his hand.
The dragon from inside the solar station flew off down the canyon, and, as if he were tied to a string, Nemi took to the air and chased after him. Sierra was next, climbing onto the rocks and leaping from boulder to boulder as she traversed the rough terrain, barely seeing when the pair of dragons peeled around the edge of the cliff and entered another vein of the canyon.
“Nemi, wait!” Sierra called, but the dragon was gone. She was fulfilling her promise to bring him back to his home, but she’d never really contemplated whether or not he’d want to return with her when she left. There was the possibility that this would be the end. And who knew what would happen when they discovered the rest of the dragons?
The others followed at a distance while Sierra chased the cries echoing around the canyon. Turning the corner, she looked down the long, rocky canyon bed and spotted a gap in the bottom of the cliff that must’ve been a cave. It was about a mile away, and during the trek she spent most of the time marveling at the silvery, reddish-brown, and red stones littering the ground. Her stomach jumped when she realized exactly what was under her feet.
By the time she was halfway to the cave, the stones became so prevalent that Sierra couldn’t muster another step, instead spilling into a gravelly section where she dug into the loose rock with her hands and rolled around in it. It was too much. Tons and tons of it coated everything, and not a soul owned it.
This changed everything, and the possibilities cracked open her mind and let the universe in.
The others must’ve thought she’d been injured on the rocks, because they raced up to her and Razi touched her shoulder. Sierra was in hysterics.
“Are you OK? We saw you fall,” Tommack said.
“Do you have any idea what this is? It’s hematite, natural iron ore that can be melted down and combined with other elements to make steel. And it’s everywhere!” she gushed, holding pieces of the ore in her hands.
“How do you know what that is?” Tommack asked.
“Oh, when the Wozniaks are always gloating about the miraculous source of their incredible wealth, you know what hematite is,” she said.
Tommack nodded slightly, but it was clear he couldn’t grasp the significance of it. He didn’t understand the lives that could be saved because of it or how it could change the world. The shock of it all sent her reeling.
“We have to go back. Madora—we need to go back to Madora. Let’s go. We have to get there now,” she said. Her head was spinning and she was out of breath. They’d been traveling for at least a month. If it took the same amount of time to get back, it’d be too late.
“What? Why?” Tommack asked. Certainly “Madora” had gotten through to Razi and her raiders, who were casting confused looks about.
“My father is about to do something more terrible than you could possibly comprehend, and it’ll be completely unnecessary because of this,” she said, clutching fistfuls of the silver and blood-red ore and letting it slip between her fingers. “I have to save him, and if we don’t get back to Madora now it’ll be too late.”
“It’ll take forever to get to Madora,” Tommack said. “And who’s your father?”
Getting to her feet and brushing herself off, she looked him in the eye.
“My father is Lowell Bracken, and I’m Sierra Bracken,” she said. Tommack was taken aback.
“No way. Aren’t you ultra-rich and powerful?”
“We’re not, but no matter how destitute we are, we won’t stop standing up to those who get their money and power through disenfranchisement and extortion. Now if you’ll excuse me,” Sierra said, turning back for the cave.
She knew what she needed to do. There was only one quick way back to Madora, but to get there she’d need Nemi’s help. Proceeding closer to the mouth of the
cave, Sierra could already feel the billowing heat pumping through the air. A strange moisture made the metals on the ground shine red from a hellish glow coming from inside the cave. Peering inside, she saw that the chunks of ore became rounder and smoother, egg-shaped, and were gathered in bunches along the sides. Deep inside the cave, the ground dipped into a bright red blur that must’ve been a lava flow.
Starting to shake with fear, Sierra couldn’t bear to look back at the others and let them know that she was having doubts about facing the dragons and making it out alive. What if they weren’t all like Nemi? Where had he gone anyway? She ventured just inside the mouth of the cave, already sweating.
“Nemi sol!” Sierra called, using the old familiar command that never failed to draw him to her. Something emerged from the darkness in the upper reaches of the cave. Nemi soared to her side, sweeping around her and shrieking. His movements were erratic in a way she’d never seen before. As if the darkness above came to life, a multitude of black and silver specks disengaged from walls and perches, all careening toward Sierra, who had nowhere to go. The creatures, countless of them, swirled around and around her, some collecting on her shoulders and head before flapping away and rejoining the swirling mass of monstrous life.
“Sirra!” Razi called, and Sierra glanced back at them outside, where they looked in with obvious concern. All Sierra could feel was the rush of wind from so many flapping wings. Countless glinting eyes caught the light. It was exhilarating and comfortable at the same time. She imagined falling back into them and letting them carry her away.
A tremor shot through the ground beneath Sierra’s feet, requiring her to put her hands out or fall. Heavy breathing and the movement of something large in the cave made her eyes go wide. Sierra staggered back outside as not one but two giant dragons consumed her field of vision on their approach. As they ventured into the light, she marveled at their scales, long necks and tails, folded black wings, and sheer size. Their feet weren’t much smaller than cars.
The dragons stopped before her, sniffing around and eyeing her. The swarm came to rest on the rocks. Were these the parents? Sierra thought it was a reasonable guess. She observed how they were all made of metal. They were born of it, breathed it, and reacted to it. That was how Nemi could melt steel and crack iron depending on his temperature. Sierra also surmised that the dragons might be the most advanced species of the sauruses they’d encountered around Plagrass, similar to humans and primates.
One of the larger dragons shifted its head awfully close, blowing scalding hot breath out of its nose. Teeth like elephant tusks jutted out of its mouth. Sierra had no defense against it. The trepidation vanished when Nemi climbed onto the tip of the dragon’s nose and began to squawk. All the rest of the others followed in a chorus that must’ve echoed throughout the entire canyon.
When the screeching, which was sonorous enough not to be unpleasant, ended, Sierra reached out to allow Nemi to hop into her hand. She’d fulfilled her promise, but now she had to ask a favor.
“Nemi, I know you can understand me. You’ve always understood me. We have to go back to Madora and quickly, or else my father will do something that would be terribly foolish in light of everything I’ve seen here. Can you please help? Everything depends on it.”
There seemed to be little recognition from Nemi, who didn’t do anything more than peer back at her. The larger ones moved to lower themselves to the ground, presenting their sides to her. It was an invitation to climb on, and Sierra hesitantly reached up for the bones protruding from the back of one to climb on. Once she was in position, she looked over to her group, all of whom stood speechless a short distance away.
“This train is pulling out of the station. What are you waiting for?” she hollered, waving them over. The shock of it hit Razi, who needed both Maglum and Hinkalo to keep her from falling over. The two men pulled her reluctant body forward. Maglum had more of an adventurous streak and didn’t hesitate to climb onto the back of the other large dragon. Razi shook her head but scampered on, making the creature groan. Hinkalo, still somewhat injured, needed a hand but climbed on behind.
That left only Tommack, who watched the scene with crossed arms and pursed lips.
“You’re unbelievable,” he said to Sierra.
When he came forward, the swarm of dragons rose up and hissed at him, stopping him in his tracks. Sierra noticed that one of the smaller ones was missing a leg.
“I don’t think they like you,” Sierra said. But she couldn’t see leaving him behind. “Nemi!”
Nemi flapped to Tommack’s shoulder, quieting the others down and allowing him to traverse the rocks to Sierra. He climbed on the dragon behind her.
“I’m not sure about this,” he said.
“I still haven’t forgiven you for being dishonest.”
The dragon underneath her emitted a thunderous roar before rising on its hind legs and leaping into the air, where its wings took over and lifted them higher and higher. Sierra wrapped her arms around the protruding bone in front of her and strained to hold on. The ground was already so far below, and the wind was dizzying. Nemi made it onto her shoulder and crawled under her shirt.
The dragon leveled out at a certain altitude, giving Sierra a chance to look at the canyon and the plateaus below. It looked inhospitable and treacherous, but it contained the makings of a revolutionary force like none Iyne had ever seen. Behind them, the sun was setting and the darkness was coming. The only question was if they’d reach her father in time.
CHAPTER 9
Tris was already nerve-racked by the time they came to her with the news. Despite being wrapped from head to toe in pristine manila-colored lace and cloth, she had to go out and climb the bell tower to see for herself. On the way, a million thoughts raced through her mind, and chief among them was how much would need to be rushed to finish patching up the walls and tiling the floors. When she made it to the top and looked around toward the Still Sea, she gasped at the silvery steel ships leading the darkness from beyond the horizon.
It was difficult to say how exactly she’d expected the Wozniaks and the Illiams to arrive. Perhaps a private jet they could’ve landed somewhere, or one of their sporty yachts. But no, Velo and Portia came in massive clipper ships that could smash straight through the wooden galleons that normally docked at Madora. Most likely there were hundreds, if not thousands, of people with them. Tris’s lower lip trembled. How could she possibly convince them to hand over a mountain of resources without it resulting in a disaster?
The Defender was nowhere to be found around the bell tower, but certainly he was somewhere watching the smoke stacks sail toward shore, biding his time and waiting for his opportunity to strike.
Tris descended from the tower, making sure to stay clear of the wet plaster and the foundationless walls. The compound was less a palace in the making than a house of cards ready to topple over at the slightest provocation. Running along the main structure’s sandy alley, she raced into the dining room where she saw her beloved Lowell with his new partners, Milorka and Leeser.
“Did you see them?” Tris gasped, and Lowell shot up from his seat to hold her.
“I know. We’re going to have our hands full, but we can do this. The family depends on it,” he said. His tone was comforting, but it only made her worry more.
“But if they realize who I am,” she stammered.
“They won’t. Velo Wozniak met you maybe once twenty-five years ago. He might remember how he looked that night, but not anything about you. That’s the kind of person he is. Portia Illiam, she’s about as social as a deranged hermit, and I’ve never even seen her outside of a conference room when there was business to do. They already have in mind what they want, and forcing it out of them will be as simple as making a disappointing first offer. The meeting and the people they bring will not be an issue, unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless the Commerce Titans decide to get involved. They won’t do anything before the a
uction ends, but after that there’s no telling how they’ll try to get in the way.”
Tris had seen that look in Lowell’s dark brown eyes before. He always had the same focused squint when he had plans to do something reckless.
“Don’t worry about them. When they see those ships they won’t dare do anything,” Tris argued, more out of hope than certainty.
“I’ll take care of it,” Lowell said, smiling and touching her cheek. “You’re going to be great.”
And then he was gone with Milorka and Leeser, all of them walking side by side out of the mess hall like old friends. She took pleasure in seeing him getting along with the Madorans, but sooner or later they were going to get themselves hurt. There was nothing she could do about it; Lowell always had a mind of his own.
The ships and the darkness seemed to race each other to Madora, arriving at about the same time. The palace was shabby and full of eyesores, Tris noted as she exited the gate of their compound and headed toward the port. Their artisans, the families, and the local residents lined the streets leading toward the Still Sea while Tris and an envoy passed to meet the visitors. Tris walked slowly, touching their shoulders and offering sympathetic smiles. Most of these people had been working on this for so long, many with no idea of what it was really about.
Stopping at the long walkway stretching along the shore, the party waited for their guests to arrive. They gasped when one of the big steam clippers crashed and sunk a moderately sized fishing vessel. It struck an ill note to watch someone’s waving hands sink below the surface and then have to put on a big smile and pretend to be happy.
Because of the incoming clippers, many of the local ships wisely decided to clear out, leaving the long steel monstrosities plenty of room to dock. One docked right in front of them while the other seemed to patrol just offshore. The nearby one extended a walkway of its own, which the Cumerian sailors secured for their passengers.