Aurora

by Mark Robson

  ‘Damn!’ he cursed.

  ‘Problem?’

  Elian started. Kira was standing right behind him. He had not heard her approach. Even through the ferns, she moved without making a sound.

  ‘I wish you wouldn’t do that,’ he grumbled. ‘You’re for ever making me jump.’

  Kira flashed him a mischievous grin. ‘It’s my favourite pastime,’ she said. ‘Pell doesn’t bite the way you do and Nolita is so twitchy that she usually sees me coming. How are you doing? I’ve never tried fishing.’

  ‘Well if that first cast was anything to go by, I should catch something,’ he replied, pursing his lips as he examined what was left of his hook. ‘I just pulled a bit hard, that’s all.’

  ‘Show me.’

  Kira sat down and watched as Elian cut the shaft of his hook from the line and tied another in its place. He baited it again, feeding the meat onto the hook so that the sharp point was free to do its work. Standing up, he whirled the bait on the cord and then released it in a lob that carried it a good way out over the surface of the water. It splashed down with a gentle plop, sending concentric ripples outwards from the point of impact.

  Elian took up the slack in the cord, watching the line as the bait sank slowly. Again the bite came swiftly. This time Elian was more careful in his response. He gave a slight jerk on the line to set the hook into the fish’s mouth and was surprised at the strength of the pull he felt as it responded. Whatever he had hooked was not small and it raced away beneath the surface, the line zipping through the water. Before he had a chance to think about what was happening he felt the second hook snap as well.

  Elian was tempted to curse again, but he resisted the urge.

  ‘Looks like you’re going to need a stronger hook,’ Kira observed innocently.

  ‘Really?’ he responded. ‘You don’t say!’

  ‘Here,’ she said. ‘Try this.’

  Kira pulled a little leather pouch from her pocket. Reaching carefully inside, she took out a metal hook. It had been fashioned with a tiny loop at the end of the shaft to make it easy to attach to a line.

  ‘Where did you get this?’ Elian asked, fascinated. ‘It must have been incredibly difficult to make.’

  ‘The man who made weapons for our tribe gave it to me as a gift before I left,’ she said with a slight shrug. ‘He liked to fish in the river near our village. I never thought I’d use it, but I’d be happy to watch you try.’

  ‘That’s amazing!’ Elian said. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a delicate piece of metalwork. It’s finer than a piece of jewellery. I’d be terrified I might lose it.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Kira assured him. ‘I’m not likely to miss it if you do. Go ahead. Let’s see if you can catch something. I quite fancy fish for dinner tonight.’

  Although for a piece of metal it was incredibly fine, the hook was considerably larger than the wooden ones Elian had fashioned. His father had told him that fish could be wary of a big hook but, given how fast they were biting, Elian did not imagine that would be a problem today. Taking care to fasten it securely to the line with a self-tightening knot, Elian baited the metal hook and stood up to make another cast. A minute later he lifted the first fish onto the bank. A sharp rap to the top of the its head with a large stone stopped it flapping around.

  ‘It’s twice as long as my foot!’ he exclaimed excitedly. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fish this big before.’

  Kira smiled at his enthusiasm. ‘There’s enough meat on it to feed us all,’ she agreed. ‘But if you could catch another, then dinner will be a feast.’

  Elian was more than happy to try. It did not take long. The second fish was not quite as large as the first and he was tempted to throw it back and try again, but common sense prevailed. Even given the ease with which he had caught these fish, there was never any guarantee that the fish would continue biting. Catching more than they could eat was wasteful so, with one last wistful look at the water, he lifted his knife to cut the metal hook from the cord.

  ‘Keep it,’ Kira said, gently placing a hand on his wrist to stop him from making the cut. ‘You’re more likely to use it than I am. I’m too much the hunter to be bothered with fishing. It’s yours.’

  ‘Really? But it was your leaving gift . . .’

  ‘And now it is my gift to you,’ she said firmly. ‘I’m not blind, Elian. You enjoy the thrill of hunting the water as much as I enjoy stalking a deer. You’ll gain far more pleasure from the gift than I will.’

  ‘Thanks, Kira. I wish I could give you something in return. I’ll do my best never to lose it.’

  ‘I know you will, Elian,’ she smiled. ‘I think that’s what I like about you. You’re so practical.’ She paused for a moment. ‘I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier and you were right.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘We’ll only get one chance to get past Segun’s blockade,’ she said. ‘One chance, not two. We still have to get the last orb, Elian. I’m not sure we should try to take the Orb of Vision to the Oracle just yet.’

  Elian did not answer straight away. He finished coiling the line and wrapped it back into its leather wallet. Hooking a finger through the gills of each of the two fish, he picked them up and began walking slowly back up towards the campsite. Kira walked silently by his side. He could not help thinking that Kira might be addicted to wielding the orb. If so, then the longer she kept it, the more dangerous the orb would become.

  ‘Go on,’ he prompted finally. ‘What do you have in mind?’

  ‘I think it makes sense to find the last orb first and then run the blockade with both of them. The final orb might also have a power that we can use to help us.’

  ‘It might,’ Elian replied, his tone wary. ‘Then again, it might not. I’m concerned about keeping the third orb any longer than necessary. You saw what the first orb did. I saw the effects of the second as well. Neither of the orbs brought good to their rider. I’ve got a horrible feeling that we’ve not really seen the full effects of what this orb can do yet either.’

  ‘It helps us see at distance,’ Kira said. ‘What’s wrong with that? I admit that I don’t understand it totally, but the power it has is useful. Look at today, for example. Without the orb’s power, we’d be flying into Segun’s trap right now.’

  ‘True,’ Elian agreed. ‘I don’t deny the benefits. I’m just not convinced we’ve seen the full effects of carrying the orb yet. A chill runs down my spine every time I think of the ghost dragon that guarded the orb in the Castle of Shadows. He warned us against using the orb in case it betrayed us.’

  Kira frowned. It was clear to Elian that she was not convinced about this. Did she not believe the ghost dragon had been telling the truth, or was the power of the orb seducing her?

  ‘However,’ he continued. ‘I’ve also been thinking about Segun’s blockade and I think Pell had it right. We need a diversion – a huge diversion. Pell and I could never hope to draw the attention of more than a handful of the night dragons. We’re going to need help for this.’

  ‘Help?’ Kira asked. ‘What sort of help?’

  ‘Well, I was thinking that the combined help of the entire compliment of the day, dawn and dusk dragon enclaves would probably draw their attention.’

  Kira stumbled and stopped. She looked at him with wide eyes.

  ‘You’re talking about all-out war!’

  ‘Not necessarily,’ he countered. ‘I’m talking about a show of strength that would hold their attention while we sneak in and deliver the orbs.’

  ‘Orbs?’ Kira leaped on the word. ‘So you agree with me?’

  Elian nodded reluctantly. ‘I think it’s the only way.’

  Chapter Five

  Treading the Tightrope

  ‘You’ve got to be joking!’ Pell said, his eyes flashing with anger. ‘I’m not going to babysit Nolita while you two go adventuring through the other world to find the last orb.’

  The evening light was dimming fast, but th
e flickering orange flames from the fire illuminated the faces of the four companions. Despite the dragons settling down some distance away, Elian could see that the fear in Nolita’s eyes was stronger than ever. He felt sorry for her, but he knew he could not back down in the face of Pell’s attitude. He had waited until everyone had eaten their fill of fish before explaining his idea. His father, Raim, had always claimed people were more accepting of bad news when they had a full stomach.

  ‘If we’re going to succeed in this quest, then I don’t see any of us having much choice,’ Elian replied, keeping his voice calm and steady. ‘Nolita can’t go to the day dragon enclave alone.’

  ‘Perish the thought!’ Pell muttered sarcastically. He stabbed a stick into the base of the fire and a flurry of tiny sparks leaped upwards, spiralling and dancing into the air like a cloud of fireflies.

  Elian ignored Pell’s comment. ‘Of all the dragons, Fang is the best equipped to move through the other world safely,’ he continued. ‘The soldiers there won’t shoot their stingers at something they can’t see. We don’t know where the last orb is. Our best chance of finding it is to visit the dawn dragon enclave and look for clues.’

  ‘So you keep saying,’ Pell said. ‘But what makes you think you’ll find anything there? I don’t see anything in the final verse that leads us to want to look there:

  Life after death from death before life,

  Enter the new age, through deadly strife.

  Greatest of orbs is – dragon’s device.

  Gifted for ever: life’s sacrifice.

  What’s any of that got to do with the dawn dragon enclave? Look what happened to me when I went to my enclave for help.’

  ‘No disrespect to your enclave, Pell,’ Kira interjected, ‘but I doubt we’ll experience the same sort of welcome at the dawn dragon enclave that you received from Segun. The rhyme says the orb is a dragon’s device. Maybe one of the dawn dragons has already made the final orb. We won’t know until we ask. Also, we can request some of the dawn dragons to pay a visit to the dusk dragon enclave in Ratalucia. Fang ran rings around three night dragons in the snowstorm up in Isaa. Imagine the chaos a dozen or more dusk dragons could cause amongst Segun’s ranks. The dawn dragons could bring the dusk dragons through the other world and have them here in Orupee in a couple of days.’

  Pell’s expression became thoughtful as he considered Kira’s words. His brow remained furrowed, but his eyes lost some of their inner anger as he followed her logic through.

  ‘I agree that having more dusk dragons to help us would be useful,’ he conceded. ‘But I still don’t see why Nolita can’t go to the day dragon enclave alone. It’s her enclave and she’s been there before. Or Kira could go with Nolita, and I could come with you. Nolita has flown Firestorm every day for the past few weeks. It’s not as if I can hold her hand from Shadow’s back. Besides, we know now that Aurora can heal Shadow if she gets injured, but she can’t heal Fang. Putting day dragon with night and dawn dragon with dusk will weaken the partnerships. The abilities of the dragons clash, rather than complement.’

  ‘Nolita can’t go alone because none of us should fly alone at the moment,’ Elian explained patiently. ‘Both parts of this plan are equally important and cannot be entrusted to any one rider. If we don’t find the final orb, the quest fails. Aside from Fang’s abilities, Kira also has the orb of vision and I’d like access to the power it offers during my search. There might be a way of using it to find the final orb. Likewise, without the help of the day dragons we’ve got no chance of getting past Segun. If you want to give Segun a bloody nose, the best way would be to hit him with something hard. I’d say you could do worse than to turn up with a flight of several hundred fire-breathing day dragons at your side.’

  Elian watched Pell across the fire. He could almost see the picture forming in the older boy’s mind: a mass of blue dragons with a single black dragon at their head. Pell’s ego would place him nowhere else. He was close to accepting the plan. Elian could see it in his eyes, but he also knew that Pell was like the fish he had caught earlier. He was not the sort to just roll over and allow himself to be hauled in. He would fight all the way to the end.

  The biggest worry now was not Pell. It was Nolita. Leading her felt like walking a tightrope. One false step and it would all be over. She had come so far. Elian could not shake the feeling that the Oracle’s message about working together held a significance that went beyond teaching Pell a humbling lesson for his rebellious trip to the night dragon enclave.

  The blonde girl was hugging her knees, rocking back and forth gently and staring into the fire. She had said nothing throughout the exchange. When Elian had first mentioned going to fetch the day dragons he had noted that her initial expression held a mix of fear and excitement. Fear had dominated her features each time the possibility of her making the journey alone was raised. Nolita had successfully travelled with Kira all the way from the north of Isaa to the far side of Orupee. It was clear she had become comfortable in Kira’s company and Elian felt a stab of guilt for separating them especially as he knew that she did not like Pell. Was he really sending Pell with Nolita because he thought the combinations made for the best teams? Or did he want to offload Pell because he preferred Kira’s company?

  For the briefest moment Elian thought about taking Nolita with him, but he dismissed the idea instantly. Sending Pell and Kira together was a recipe for disaster.

  Kira was the most able leader of them all, yet she was also able to follow when the situation demanded. She was tough, both mentally and physically. With her painted face and her braided hair she looked, from head to toe, the hardened tribal huntress. The intelligence and strength behind her eyes lent confidence to those who followed her lead. She had some strange ideas at times, but Elian respected her skills and liked her straightforward approach. Although he knew her to be capable of subterfuge, any ulterior motives that Kira might have were subtler than Pell’s.

  ‘Fire tells me that Nolita is close to despair,’ Aurora warned. ‘She draws a lot of strength from Kira’s company. Fire is worried. He says she is considering drastic measures to avoid having to go with Pell.’

  ‘What sort of measures?’

  ‘He would not say,’ the dragon replied. ‘But I can tell from his tone that her plan would not help our cause. You had better talk to her.’

  Elian thought for a moment. He did not know what to say to Nolita, but he knew that Aurora was right. If he did not deal with her feelings now, she might do something silly – hurt herself, or worse.

  ‘What do you think, Nolita?’ he asked gently. ‘You’ve not said anything yet.’

  ‘Why would you care what I think?’ she replied, still staring into the fire. ‘I’m just here to make up the numbers now.’

  ‘Nonsense,’ Kira said quickly. ‘You’re as much a member of this team as any of us. Of course it’s important what you think.’

  Nolita looked up from the fire and met the eyes of each of the others in turn before beginning to speak. ‘I think we’re in out of our depth,’ she said eventually. ‘I think that all paths are fraught with danger and that I should never have been chosen for this quest. I’m not suited to life as a dragonrider. I’m not comfortable with any of this. I don’t want to fly to Racafi with Pell and I certainly don’t want to go back into that other world again. Given my own choice I wouldn’t fly anywhere – but you know that already.’

  ‘I sympathise with your feelings, Nolita.’ Elian reached across and placed a hand on her shoulder as he met her troubled gaze. ‘But what do you think we should do?’

  ‘I think we should give up on the quest,’ she sighed. ‘Segun is brutal and ruthless. He will kill us all rather than let us deliver the orbs to the Oracle now. He’s got a mass of support from his fellow night dragonriders. Even if we do get the day dragon enclave to intervene, what good can they do against an army of night dragons?’

  ‘She has a point,’ Pell acknowledged. ‘If it came to a straight fight, t
he night dragons would dominate. They are stronger and faster. Besides, I’ve been having second thoughts about restoring the Oracle for some time now. Let’s just say for a moment we’re successful and we find the final orb in time and somehow get past the blockade – what will happen when we throw the last orb into the Oracle’s pit? I don’t trust the Oracle. It’s up to something. It’s not been telling us the full story about these orbs. I get the feeling it’s been playing us for fools ever since we set out on this quest.’

  An uncomfortable weight seemed to settle in Elian’s stomach. A strangely cold burning sensation crept up through his chest to the back of his throat as he recalled his last encounter with the spirit creature. Pell was right. The Oracle had not been totally honest with them. When Pell gave it the second orb, Elian had not felt at peace in its presence. There had been something in the Oracle’s voice – a note of greed maybe? He had tried to put his concerns out of his mind for the sake of his dragon’s life purpose, but doubts had been raised. What was more, he knew his dragon shared those doubts.

  The crackle and pop of the fire seemed to get louder as an awkward silence settled. Other noises began to intrude on Elian’s thoughts. Insects chirruped and whirred through the air on gossamer wings. The leaves whispered at the caress of the evening breeze. An owl screeched, the sound carrying across the water with startling clarity.

  ‘The question we must ask . . .’ Kira began. She paused until she was sure she had everyone’s attention. ‘The question we must ask is: What is the alternative? Let’s say we accept that the Oracle has ulterior motives. I think the Oracle’s agenda is unlikely to be as dark as Segun’s. We need to think about what will happen if we abandon the quest now. We know something of Segun’s intentions from Pell’s experience in the night dragon enclave. As soon as the Oracle is dead he plans to launch an offensive. Is he serious, Pell? Does he really think the night dragons can dominate Areth?’