The Captive

by Paul Lauritsen

  They reached the hatchery in moments and Kanin soared through the wide, dark opening, landing lightly on the floor far below. Khollo dismounted, his legs stiff and cramped after so long in the saddle, and slowly hobbled towards the hatchery room.

  A few feet from the entrance, he felt it. The tension, the uneasiness, the restlessness of the infant dragons within. He stepped through the archway cautiously, looking around at the eggs. They looked unharmed as far as he could tell, but their mood seemed to have only worsened since he and Kanin had left.

  Something is very wrong, Kanin observed. They sense it on an instinctive level.

  Do you?

  No, or I would already have identified the problem and dealt with it.

  I wonder what it is? Khollo murmured, walking slowly around the circular room.

  I imagine we will find out, Kanin replied. In any case, it is a good thing the others are only three days out.

  What do you mean?

  The younglings need to hatch.

  Khollo realized what Kanin was getting at. You mean to bring them straight here?

  Yes. It is time. Past time, perhaps.

  Khollo shook his head in disbelief. Kanin, that’s awfully quick to be introducing them to new dragons.

  Why? You have been training them on the boat.

  Talking about dragons and working with them are two totally different things, Khollo replied. Besides, there are a lot of other things that need to be done. Moving to the island will be a big adjustment for them, and we need to get the holds in working order –

  Khollo.

  – and we need to find out more about the hatching process, what the young dragons need –

  Khollo.

  – and a hundred other things besides. We should spend at least a few days getting situated, then spend some time in the library learning about what to expect. Show them the great hall, of course, maybe fly around to some of the watchtowers, have them practice riding you –

  Enough!

  Khollo blinked in surprise at the force of Kanin’s mental shout. What? he asked, confused.

  You are stalling.

  Khollo opened his mouth to counter, then some small honest part of him recognized the truth in Kanin’s words. He flushed, embarrassed at the lapse, then took a deep breath.

  You think the time is now?

  Three days from now, yes.

  Khollo shook his head. It’s all so fast, Kanin. Just a couple weeks ago, they were all living completely different lives.

  They will learn fast. They’ll have to. Besides, the dragon added, many of the things you mentioned can be taken care of while the younglings are growing. The important thing is to get them out of those shells. A dragon’s growth cannot be accelerated at will. They have to have time to develop and learn as well.

  You’re right, Khollo agreed. As usual.

  When it comes to dragons. But, you should give yourself some credit too. You are wise, for a human.

  Kanin, how many humans have you known?

  Not many, he admitted. Why?

  Khollo shook his head. You’re idea of wise might be a little skewed, that’s all.

  Oh. The emerald dragon rubbed his nose against his foreleg. Well, in my limited experience, you are wise.

  Thanks, I guess, Khollo replied. He withdrew from the hatchery and climbed onto Kanin’s back again. Come on, let’s get back to the dragon hold. We have work to do.

  Work?

  Preparing the island, Khollo elaborated. If we’re hatching dragons immediately, we need to have some other things settled.

  Kanin snorted, then leapt towards the opening far above. I thought we were getting a well-deserved break, he groused.

  A break is what you had the last fifteen days.

  No, I was clearing the jungle!

  Where?

  Everywhere!

  Khollo looked around, trying to pick out where Kanin might have worked. But, for once, he could not find the telltale signs of dragon fire and charred vegetation. Are you sure?

  Well, not here, Kanin said, gliding towards the dragon hold. I cleared some of the old watchtowers. They look better now, but I do not know if they are safe to enter.

  Oh, Khollo said, twisting to look at the nearest watchtower. It did seem to stand out better, and looked barer than he remembered. Well, sorry to ruin your break, Kanin, but we do have a lot to get done.

  The dragon snorted again. I could just fly around the rest of the day. You cannot get off and make me do work if we are flying.

  Kanin.

  It was only a thought, the emerald dragon protested, gliding in to land in front of their hold. And not a very serious one at that. I promise.

  Khollo slapped the dragon on the neck affectionately. I know.

  Kanin landed with a heavy thud and furled his wings. In an instant, Khollo was sliding down to land on the stone floor, then striding into the hold, Kanin trailing behind. Everything was just as they had left it weeks ago, although Khollo needed to rebuild his stores of food. That would be the first task.

  He looked around the spartan dwelling, noting the various implements and items of furniture he had crafted during his time on Ethgalin, trying to figure out what the new Keepers would need. Fortunately, he had managed to come up with a decent list back at Narne and many of the things they needed they would soon have access to.

  We’re going to need wood, he remarked to Kanin. Lots of it, and ways to shape it and join it. The Southern Star should have nails and some tools. The other big priority is food. Meat, bread, fruits.

  I can get fruits, Kanin offered immediately.

  No, Khollo said firmly. You can hunt. Find a steer or some deer and bring it back. I’ll smoke the meat so we at least have a little in the way of food stockpiled.

  The boat is bringing more.

  Yes, but you can never be too prepared. What if another storm strikes and salt water gets into the supplies?

  Bad food? Kanin guessed.

  Exactly. It wouldn’t hurt to find a way to collect drinking water as well, the young Keeper added.

  Hmm. If we had barrels, we could fill them at a spring and I could carry them back.

  We should have a barrel or two coming, Khollo said. Go, hunt. I’ll figure out what else we need while you’re doing that.

  Kanin lumbered back through the entrance to the hold, his claws clacking and scratching on the stone floor. You’d think after flying for hours on end I would get to rest, he grumbled.

  Khollo shook his head distractedly. Sorry, Kanin. There’s no time for rest. Our new Keepers arrive in three days. And soon after, we’re going to have a clutch of baby dragons.

  Then there will truly be no rest, Kanin grumbled. But it will be good. Not being the only dragon will be nice.

  I hadn’t thought about that, Khollo admitted honestly. He turned towards the entrance to the hold, and saw Kanin was standing on the ledge outside, waiting. Has it bothered you much, being the only one of your kind?

  It is lonely, Kanin said quietly.

  You have me.

  Kanin rumbled deep in his throat, amused. We share a deep and ancient bond, but you are no dragon. Imagine if you had to live your entire life among deer, or some other animal.

  That would be hard, Khollo admitted. But humans are not exactly animals.

  I’m not saying they are. But around humans, I am an oddity and an outsider. They do not know how to treat me. I am an object of fear, suspicion, sometimes awe. It can be very confusing.

  I understand.

  I know. You have had a taste of it, being a Keeper and sharing my experiences. But it is worse for me. Kanin arched his neck and looked back at Khollo, eyes whirling slowly. The hatchlings are only the beginning. They will help restore the race of dragons, so we are a part of this world once again.

  We’ll make it happen, Khollo promised. Whatever it takes, the Keepers will return, and the dragons will rise again. And we’ll take precautions against a similar decline.

  Yes, Ka
nin mused. A similar decline. Does it bother you we don’t know why exactly the Keepers fell?

  Khollo considered this. It didn’t used to, he said slowly, but people keep asking me about it. I’m starting to think maybe it should. If we knew the full story, it might help us avoid similar mistakes.

  Yes, Kanin agreed. But who would know? The Keepers would not have written it down anywhere.

  Maybe in the ancient records of the kingdoms that were around during those days?

  Those kingdoms are gone, united under the Sthan. Or conquered, some of them. I’m not really sure you can call a kingdom of so many different regions united.

  They are loyal to Relam, Khollo said, shrugging. That’s what matters.

  For now, Kanin warned. The kingdom is a big place. It would be easy for trouble to brew within unnoticed.

  Khollo frowned, disturbed by the dragon’s words. Hopefully it does not come to that. Besides, we have bigger problems right now.

  Yes, Kanin agreed, exhaling heavily. Work to do, meat to fetch. I will be back.

  The emerald dragon took off from the ledge outside the hold and soared across the jungle. Khollo watched for a moment, then retreated deeper into the hold. It was time to get to work.

  Chapter 21:

  Arrival

  By the time Kanin returned, Khollo had compiled a rough list of the basic things each hold needed to function properly. Some of it was coming on the Southern Star, but there were other items, like mattresses, which would have to be fashioned from what was readily available.

  The first priority though was to smoke the meat Kanin had brought back, one of the large steers from the northern plains of Ethgalin. It took Khollo nearly an hour to gather enough wood for the fire, and hours more to carry out the smoking process. While he was working on that, Kanin began clearing some of the buildings close to the hold for his amusement, torching sections of the jungle and revealing time-tarnished stone underneath.

  By the time the meat was smoked, night was falling and Khollo and Kanin were both weary. They slept well that night in the dragon hold, knowing they were home.

  The next day passed slowly. Khollo rose early, which Kanin grumbled about for hours afterward, and began gathering leafy fronds for mattresses. He also spent some time measuring the various pieces of furniture and tools he had built for himself, preparing instructions for the new Keepers to follow when they arrived. In the afternoon, Kanin was sufficiently recovered from flying to take Khollo to the northern plains again, where they harvested a massive bundle of the river grains and brought them back to the hold. Khollo spent the rest of the day baking, preparing flat bread and loaves to add to their food stores.

  On the third day, Khollo and Kanin both slept in. They knew it was to be the day the Southern Star arrived, but they also knew the ship would likely arrive in the evening, based on how far out they had been when Kanin intercepted them. By the time Khollo woke and wandered out of the dragon hold to look out over the jungle, the sun was halfway to its zenith and climbing.

  The young Keeper ate a large breakfast of meat and bread, regretting the fact he had not harvested some of the jungle’s fruits the previous day. There would be time for that though, and if he took the new Keepers with him to gather the fruits he could spend the time teaching them what was good to eat and what was not. There were many things about this island he would have to teach them, Khollo realized. Only now that he was back on Ethgalin did he realize how much he and Kanin had adapted to the jungle, and how much they had learned from Ezraan.

  In the early afternoon, the two Keepers finally flew out to the northern shore of the island, where the Southern Star was due to arrive. Kanin landed right by the mouth of the river, on the narrow strip of sandy beach that girded the entire northern edge of Ethgalin. Khollo dismounted with a contented sigh and stood on the warm sands, shading his eyes with one hand as he gazed northward.

  Nothing yet, Kanin reported. And I can see much farther than you.

  Khollo shrugged and sat on the beach. Then I guess we wait.

  Kanin rumbled in agreement and dropped to the sand as well, shaking Khollo where he sat. The dragon quickly created a comfortable wallow in the beach, wriggling until it conformed to his body even better than his bed in the hold.

  This is how we should have spent the last two days, Kanin mumbled drowsily.

  Khollo laughed at the recumbent, scaly form. You lazy creature! We got a lot of good work done.

  I am not lazy, Kanin protested, I just know when to take a break and enjoy doing nothing.

  The young Keeper laughed again and lay back on the beach. You’re still watching for the ship, right? he asked, glancing at Kanin.

  Of course, the dragon replied immediately. I am not lazy.

  Khollo rolled his eyes and let the matter go.

  An hour passed. Then two, then a third. A little to the south, herds came to drink for the evening, crowding the river with their numbers. Kanin eyed the animals from where he lay on the beach, but made no move to pursue any of them. Khollo spent the time dozing and resting, also loath to move from his comfortable, warm spot.

  Finally, as night was beginning to fall, Kanin lifted his head from the ground and stared towards the horizon. Sensing the shift in the dragon’s mood, Khollo sat up as well, ignoring the twinge in his ribs.

  They are here.

  Khollo grinned triumphantly and looked to the north. Just visible above the waves was a sail, growing steadily closer.

  They’re late, the dragon grumbled, settling back to the beach. And it will still be some time before they make land.

  The young Keeper grunted in reply, realizing his excitement had been a little premature. Well, we can wait a little longer.

  We’ll have to.

  Khollo glanced at the dragon, bemused. What’s gotten in to you? You should be excited!

  Work is coming, Kanin grumbled quietly, and the sand feels good on my scales.

  See, like I said, Khollo replied, lazy.

  Maybe, the dragon murmured drowsily. Maybe lazy is not such a bad thing sometimes.

  Khollo shook his head and wandered down the beach a little ways, eager to be on the move. But when he returned, the Southern Star was still a distant, blurred shape on the horizon, bobbing on the waves. Frustrated, the young Keeper began pacing back and forth along the waterline, glancing at the ship every now and then to mark its progress. He was aware Kanin was watching him, and he could hear the dragon’s amused thoughts across their link.

  You will wear a hole in the beach before they get here, the dragon observed finally, barely containing his mirth.

  Khollo glared at Kanin and stopped pacing for a moment. You can’t wear a hole in a beach.

  Hasn’t stopped you from trying.

  The young Keeper started pacing again, ignoring Kanin’s comments. The Southern Star was closer now, maybe halfway to the beach, but it might as well have been in Narne as far as Khollo was concerned. What was taking Eralm and the others so long?

  An hour passed since the ship was first sighted. Khollo could finally make out individual figures on the deck of the ship, and progress was visible as the Southern Star grew larger with each minute. Finally, the bow of the ship ran up on the shore with a soft grating noise, canting over to the side slightly. Two sailors vaulted over the railing, beach anchors in hand, and ran them up above the high water mark. There, the anchors were driven deep into the ground.

  “Beach anchors set!” one sailor shouted back to the ship.

  Khollo moved up beside the ship, looking up at the railing. An instant later, a wide plank was shoved over the side to act as a ramp, nearly landing on his head. The young Keeper yelped and scrambled out of the way, falling into the shallows with a splash.

  Jorgen’s face appeared at the railing, frowning down at him. “What are you doing down there?”

  “You almost hit me with that plank!” Khollo retorted, getting to his feet and shaking water and sand off.

  “Oh,” Jorgen said, n
odding. “Why’d you decide to stand where the plank was going?”

  “Obviously I didn’t know it was going there,” Khollo growled.

  “Where else would it have gone?”

  Khollo stared up at the first mate, then shook his head in disgust and wandered away from the ship a little ways. He looked back once, and caught Jorgen grinning impishly.

  A moment later, another grinning face appeared at the rail and Sven walked down the ramp to the beach, a pack slung over his shoulder, a small crate of supplies in his arms. He trudged up the beach to where Khollo stood and deposited his load with a grunt. The others were disembarking as well now, though they carried only their packs.

  “So,” Sven said, straightening. “This is it?”

  “Yes,” Khollo said, raising his voice so the other three could hear as well. “Welcome to your new home. Ethgalin, the island stronghold of the Keepers.”

  “Wow,” Halena breathed.

  “It’s not what I expected,” L’tel said, shaking his head in wonder. “Look at those plains! And I thought Gobel-Tek was fertile!”

  “And the forests,” Aralye added, pointing. “Looks like there might be good hunting in there.”

  “Lots of it,” Khollo agreed. “The plains too. The ancient Keepers maintained herds on the island before they fell. When the Order disappeared, the animals were left to roam free with few natural predators and no dragons to reign in their populations.”

  “I’m sure Kanin enjoys that,” Sven remarked.

  “He does,” Khollo agreed, glancing at the emerald dragon, still sprawled comfortably in his sand hollow. “He also seems to like the beach and the sand.”

  Sand is comfortable, Kanin rumbled drowsily. And it will make my scales shine brighter.

  It will?

  I think so. It is rough, and will scour the surface nicely.

  They won’t scratch?

  I will pretend you did not say that, Kanin huffed. Dragon scales are hard and tough. They would never be scratched by something as insignificant as sand.

  Sorry, Khollo muttered.