Tranquility

by David Gay-Perret

  “As I was approaching this forest, I saw a number of groups of monsters here and there, over an area spanning several miles.” His face darkened before he continued, “I believe I even spotted a demon.” Glaide jumped at that.

  “A demon? I didn’t think Baras would go to such extremes. Why didn’t you get rid of him?” The dragon looked at surprised at that. He stared at the adolescent for a long time, as if he was trying to decide if the boy was joking—which he wasn’t. Finally, he let out a growl that Glaide had heard before, and which seemed to loosely correspond with laughter.

  “Me? Attack a demon? If I didn’t know you were from a different world, I’d think you were insane. Didn’t Kezthrem explain to you how dangerous they are?”

  “Of course,” the boy replied defensively. “But I thought for a dragon...”

  “A dragon might stand a chance in a duel,” Ayrokkan broke in, “but he wasn’t alone. Besides, a demon is already an exceptional warrior, both physically and mentally. But he is practically a god when he has enchanted weapons and armor. In that case, no one but the Destroyer would be able to face him, and I didn’t know how this demon was equipped. On that note... I noticed you’ve recovered something rather precious...” With that, he nodded towards the katana that stuck out past the young man’s cape. The boy smiled.

  “Yes. It was a gift! I thought it might come in handy soon...” With that, he laughed. “But back to the subject at hand. You might just be my only ticket out of here,” he continued. “Your arrival is actually quite a lucky break. I was just wracking my brain for a way to escape my enemies.”

  “And the answer found you,” Ayrokkan interjected.

  “Exactly. I’d be able to cover my tracks so that Baras couldn’t possible follow us, if I traveled with you...” Then he continued, “and that would give me more time to plan what to do next...” To himself, he added, “and to figure out how to find my friends.” Truth be told, he didn’t think he’d be able to return to Shinozuka to take on the role of Destroyer without them. Once again, the dragon seemed to be able to read his thoughts.

  “Before we go, I have a gift for you, with which we shall seal our alliance.”

  “A gift?” the adolescent asked in surprise. The dragon’s announcement brought back the tempest that had been raging in the boy’s mind a few minutes before. “I know where to find your friends,” the creature announced. Glaide had to force his reply past a lump that was forming in his throat.

  “Where?!?” he exclaimed, the words coming out louder than he’d meant them to. “Where are they?”

  “Calm yourself,” came Ayrokkan’s pointed retort. “They are in Heidro. Or at least, they were a few days ago. I spotted them as I flew over that village. In truth, I was looking for them, as I thought you might have need of them.”

  “And are they still there? Can we join them? Are...”

  The dragon lifted one foot for silence.

  “I cannot simply divine their current location, but it is certainly possible they have not yet left. I do not know what they were doing there, but they didn’t appear to be preparing to leave. It actually seemed like they had just arrived. As for whether or not we can join them... You need only give the order.” To the very depths of his soul, Glaide felt overwhelmed with joy.

  “To Heidro,” he declared. He jumped on the dragon, and in mere seconds, he got his bearings, as if he’d last flown only days before. He leaned against one of the spiky plates that stuck up along the creatures back, then he carefully attached his bag to another and made sure there was still no risk of the katana falling. Then, with a single beat of his wings, they were lifted up into the air. He hovered in place for a moment, just long enough to adjust to being in the air, and the young man could feel the reassuring solidity and power of the muscles holding them up. Dust flew in all directions, and the ground already seemed to be so far away... Then, Ayrokkan released a great roar and launched into flight. He took off vertically into the sky, and the young man couldn’t hold in a cry of both surprise and excitement.

  “I’d almost forgotten how magical it was to fly like this,” he thought with a smile. The dragon suddenly changed directions, and then they were traveling horizontally, and the boy realized they were already out of view of those below. “I’d love to see the look on Baras’ face when he realizes I’m already gone!” His thoughts were interrupted then as they accelerated abruptly.

  “Onward,” Glaide shouted, unable to contain himself. Looking down below, he could just make out a few dark dots that must be the adversaries he was meant to have fought—or to have run away from.

  “Look to the right, near the trees,” Ayrokkan growled out. The boy did as he was told, and, half hidden in the abundant trees and foliage, he could just barely make out a dark, shadowy shape. Although he couldn’t make out any of the creature’s features, he understood that this was the demon. Even as high up—and as perfectly safe—as they were, he felt a shiver run down his back.

  “Would he have been able to recognize us?” he asked nervously. “Does he know where we’re going?”

  “I think he both saw and recognized me when I came,” the dragon began. “There would be no way for him to know that I’ve given you my aid, however, and he certainly would have no way of knowing where we are going.” Glaide let out a sigh of relief at that, but Ayrokkan continued, “Though, once our enemies realize you’ve escaped, he’ll certainly make the connection. Then, it will no longer be possible to keep our alliance a secret, and the dragons will become divided as they choose sides for this battle. We can only hope that we are ready when that time comes.” Glaide could read between the lines: his companion was reminding him that time was against them. He’d procrastinated long enough. In the months to come, he’d have to lead humanity towards their salvation... or their destruction. And if he waited any longer, Baras would be ready to launch his final assault. He’d likely only been waiting up until now in the hope that he could take the katana out of play first. That thought brought a smile to the young man’s lips. The battle was not yet won, but he had gained some serious advantages.

  Chapter 24

  SOME time later, Ayrokkan landed. As was his habit, he’d sought out a thick woods where he could hide himself, and his landing had been accompanied by the usual thunderous sound and spray of dirt and soil. Glaide climbed down quickly, then took a moment to stretch. He’d forgotten how painfully his muscles could cramp up from such a ride. Even if he trusted the dragon implicitly, he couldn’t help but tense up his muscles and hold on a bit too tight!

  “Whew!” the young man exclaimed. “Flying is so amazing. I’d missed that!” Ayrokkan seemed to smile in return before heading to the cover of the trees. From that position, he’d be invisible from a distance, though he could still easily chat with the boy.

  “Why did you wish to stop?” the beast asked in his deep voice.

  “Because it’s well past lunchtime. And also, I wanted to look over my map and estimate how long our journey might be.”

  “Do you have something to eat?”

  “I do. The mother of the girl I accompanied supplied me with everything I’d need.”

  “Good. Then I’ll return in a few minutes.” With that, Ayrokkan left the cover of the woods and launched himself into the air once again. Glaide was impressed once more, as he always was with the beast’s take-offs and landings. In those moments, it seemed like nothing could stand in the creature’s way. He knew his companion was going hunting, so he settled himself in carefully on the grass and pulled out the things Mehrika’s mother had prepared for him. The woman had packed a wide variety of lovely things, and his mouth watered just from looking at them.

  “And hey, there’s no reason to ration it, since I’ll soon be in a village again!” he exclaimed cheerily. He proceeded to gobble up everything he laid his hands on. As he was eating, he pulled out his map for a look. Heidro was not quite in the center of the map, but rather slightly to the west. On foot, it would be quite a distance, b
ut by dragon, it certainly couldn’t be more than a few days. Glaide had just come to that conclusion when Ayrokkan returned, though with no prey in hand—or would that be in jaw?

  “You weren’t able to find anything?” the young man asked in surprise.

  “I was, but I was too hungry to wait. And I see you lost no time launching into your own meal.” Glaide laughed before biting into a piece of bread.

  “How long do you think it’ll take us to reach Heidro?” he asked, his mouth still full.

  “We will be there in the morning,” came the immediate reply.

  “Right. It would probably be best if you dropped me off a little ways from the city. You probably shouldn’t show yourself right away.” Ayrokkan said nothing, simply bowing in reply. The simple acceptance left the boy feeling rather ill-at-ease, and he cleared his throat a bit before continuing. “Right, since we’ve both had our fill, we should continue on our way.” With that, the man and beast took to the skies yet again.

  The two spent the afternoon flying, though with the occasional break. They stopped not because the dragon was tired—after all, he could fly for hours on end—but rather to give his rider a chance to stretch his legs. After all, if Glaide were to cramp up too badly, he’d no longer be able to hold on properly, and he might fall off. Riding a dragon wasn’t exactly restful, even if the creature tried to make it as comfortable as he could for the boy.

  Those miles spent on foot also gave the two the opportunity to chat about this and that. Glaide thanked the creature on more than one occasion for his help—both now and in the days to come—they discussed their shared memories, and they talked about their hopes for the future. The young man was deeply interested in the vision of the future the dragon was dreaming of, and he realized that even if they tended not to take sides, the creatures did indeed have their own wishes and preferences.

  “By choosing sides now,” Glaide declared, “you and those who stand with you have put the fragile accord that unites your kind in jeopardy. But, it will also give you a chance to make your own mark on history.” The dragon nodded in reply.

  The afternoon passed into evening without the boy really noticing. He was once again riding on Ayrokkan’s back when he noticed the sun was starting to disappear behind the horizon. The dragon seemed to notice the same thing, speaking up then.

  “It will soon be night. We should find a place to take shelter.”

  “Of course. We should start looking for the first stand of trees large enough to accommodate you.” With that, the two began to scan the ground though, truth be told, Glaide could see nothing from that height but vague stains of color. He couldn’t possibly have put a scale to them, so what looked like a stand of trees to him could just as easily have been a great forest. Ayrokkan veered to the right suddenly, then, surprising the young man who quickly grabbed the spike in front of him. A few minutes later, they landed just before a stand of very leafy trees. Their branches began quite high above the ground, which meant the creature could easily creep under the foliage, despite the small size of the woods.

  “Don’t you need to hunt?” Glaide asked in surprise upon seeing the dragon settle in comfortably.

  “One meal per day is usually plenty. And besides, I expended little energy today. There is no need to sup.” The boy shrugged at that.

  “Huh.” Well, he was starved. He sat down and pulled out some of his food. It was only then that he realized the sun had given way to the stars, and with no moonlight, the night was a dark one indeed.

  “We need a fire,” he declared, standing up. Then, under the amused gaze of Ayrokkan, he began wandering here and there, collecting branches and dead leaves, which he piled up a few yards away from the trees. He collected a few bigger branches, too, which would ensure the fire lasted reasonably long. Once the pile was complete, he headed for his bag, collecting his flint. He got down on his knees and began rubbing the bit against the metal of his sword. He worked at it for several minutes without getting his kindling to catch before suddenly realizing the silliness of the situation. Holding in his laughter, he looked towards the dragon, who bore a great smile on his face, revealing his huge teeth.

  “Does this not bring an old memory to mind?” came the dragon's voice. Glaide knew exactly what he was referring to: when they’d first met, he’d carefully prepared a fire with his flint after the dragon had refused to help him.

  “Of course... How could I forget?” the young man replied. “Much has changed since then, because now...”

  “Now we are allies,” Ayrokkan finished. Glaide stepped back a few yards, and his heart raced. He was now worthy of the gifts of the dragons, and he was about to experience their most impressive and legendary skill.

  “And that just to produce a simple campfire,” he thought with a smile. Ayrokkan stretched out his neck, turning his head towards the small pile of wood. He’d have to be careful not to start a wildfire. For the adolescent, the whole scene seemed to play out in slow motion. He saw the creature open his great mouth, almost instantly releasing a stream of fire that was aimed perfectly, and which didn’t so much as singe a single blade of the grass around the campfire. Though the jet of flame was not long, nor terrible strong, Glaide found himself having to protect his face from the intensity of the heat, and his cape lifted from the force of displaced air. When he lowered his arm once again, a small campfire crackled peacefully there, just a few yards from the edge of the forest.

  The young man stepped towards it hesitantly.

  “Incredible,” he murmured admiringly. “I’d heard tales and legends, but to see it with my own eyes...” Imagining creatures capable of spitting fire and flying carrying out his orders brought a mixture of pride plus a little fear to the boy’s heart. Was he really capable of being in command of such power? He set those questions aside to ask another.

  “And can you change the force it comes out with? Or maybe send out fire balls, instead of streams of fire?”

  “We dragons have a million ways to spit fire; we can produce long or short jets of it, strong ones, or weak ones. We can send out fireballs, big or small, alone or many. And we do so with ease, instinctively, like a human moves their fingers without having to contemplate how to pick something up. And so we can change the way we breathe fire according to our circumstances.” Glaide nodded in reply, unable to look away from his fascinating companion. With time, the fact that he knew and was working with a dragon, not just any old creature, had become almost normal in his eyes. But in the face of the wonder he had just seen, he seemed to see Ayrokkan in a new light. He felt a mixture of incredulity, respect, and even that fear that he had first felt when the dragon had appeared before him near the mountains of Oclin-Fer six months earlier boiling up inside of him.

  “And now that you have a fire, you should probably take advantage of it,” the dragon commented. “Didn’t you wish to eat?” Glaide shook his head to clear his mind.

  “Right, yes...” He settled in opposite the forest. Despite the deep twilight, he could easily make out his companion, whose scales reflected the flames that danced between them. Seated as they were, he’d be able to chat with the dragon easily, while still enjoying the warmth of the blaze and the glittering light of the stars. He went back to sampling his provisions in perfect silence, enjoying his meal as Ayrokkan sat across from him, the creature’s gaze fixed on the flames and his eyes half closed, obviously lost in his thoughts. After a while, the boy slowed his pace and began nibbling more distractedly at the bits of food he laid his hands on. A question was swirling about in his mind, and thought he didn’t want to bother his companion, he finally decided to ask it anyway.

  “So, what actually made the dragons decide to ally themselves with me?” The piercing yellow eyes of the creature focused on him as he continued, “I know you were observing me for many months, and that your opinion of me must be based on many things, but which of my choices or actions was the deciding factor?” Ayrokkan moved his head closer to the boy before he gave his resp
onse.

  “You are a perceptive one,” declared the creature. “It is true that our choice came after a great deal of deliberation, and we would likely have continued to deliberate for a good while longer had you not done something that convinced us conclusively.”

  “Uh-huh... And what was that?” Glaide asked, terribly curious.

  “Your actions in regards to the girl.” The boy knew the dragon meant Mehrika. “From the time I left your side,” continued the dragon, “we watched you. We watched you learn, fight, and continually prove your inner force. Your moral strength was undeniable, and you became quite capable with a sword. But, could we offer our power to a warrior who was unable to bring aid through any other means than force? Wouldn’t someone like that exploit our strength when discussion alone would have sufficed?” Glaide nodded slowly as the dragon continued, “From our point of view, you well and truly saved the life of that young woman. You gave her back the will to live.”

  “But she did that entirely on her own. She’s the one who had to confront her memories and her fears.”

  “She gained courage to do that because you were at her side. She drew her strength from yours.”

  “I don’t have enough strength to save everyone...” the boy said softly.

  “That’s true, because you are but a man. However, your perseverance and the strength you’ve acquired will allow you to forge a path to accomplish your objectives, and that path will not be one covered in the bodies of your followers, as we so feared. You will know how to take care of them.” Once again, Glaide wondered if he was worthy of the confidence this creature placed in him. In the days to come, would he really know how to protect the lives of those who went with him?

  “I already have the task of protecting my magg. It’s more than time that I rejoin her. I haven’t failed at that task, because I left her to protect her, but now I need to be at her side,” he thought then. Out loud, he continued, “I’m reminded of how, on the day I decided to leave my friends, I promised myself that I would return to try to find them once again when I knew how to wield my sword, of course, but more importantly, once I was able to shoulder the weight of being responsible for their lives. I think that day has come; I believe that I do know how to protect them, and I’ll do all that I can to make sure this world manages to become what it wants to be.”