by Mark Robson
‘That makes sense.’
Aurora entered a gentle spiral descent. Elian could see no sign of Fang and Kira. The dusk dragon would most likely have camouflaged the moment he emerged. Given his natural dark-grey colour, he would be difficult enough to pick out at night under normal circumstances. With his camouflage employed, he became totally invisible.
A broken layer of high cloud obscured the large silver moon, but the glow of it could still be seen. It took a little while for Elian’s eyes to adjust, but gradually he began to distinguish between the different shades of darkness below. He picked out the stand of woods some time before they began their approach to land. Aurora swept the area with her mind, but felt no sign of human life amongst the trees, or in the immediate vicinity of their chosen landing spot.
When they touched down, Elian remained mounted until Aurora had eased between the trees. No sooner had he begun to try climbing down than Kira was there to help. As was usual with Kira, he had not heard her coming and jumped at her touch. He could see her grin at his response, but he was more grateful for her help than annoyed by her talent for silent movement.
Aurora led them to the place where he and Pell had awaited the dawn with Jack the last time they had seen him.
‘I think I can feel Jack now,’ Aurora announced suddenly. ‘But he’s not alone. There is a group of buildings not far from the eastern side of the wood. You will need to cross an open field, but you should be able to get there unseen. I can direct you, if you wish. I was going to suggest you wait until early morning, but the hour is not as late as I first thought. My only concern is the pain in your leg. Perhaps Kira should go.’
‘No, I’ll do it,’ Elian insisted, determined to put aside his fears. ‘There’s no telling how the fighting men of this world will welcome a dark-skinned girl who paints her face. Kira is brilliant at stalking, but I think it’ll be better if I do this. I promise I’ll go slowly.’
Kira was not happy at being left behind but, to his surprise, she listened to his logic and offered little argument. Her eyes were flashing with contained anger and concern as he hobbled away into the darkness, although she did agree not to follow him unless Aurora relayed through Fang that he was in trouble. As he left, she began gathering materials for a shelter.
Elian was far from silent moving between the trees, but once he reached the far edge of the woods he could hear the distant sound of music and singing. It appeared to be coming from the direction Aurora had told him to take. No one was likely to hear him approach over the sound of the music, so he limped as quickly as he could across the open field to the hedge on the other side.
He could hear people talking and laughing now. They were not far away. He slid along the line of a hedge towards them. As he drew nearer he stayed low, remaining deep in the shadows. Nervous at how he would be received, Elian began thinking about what he would give for Kira’s skill at moving silently. He would be much happier if he could get to Jack without being seen by anyone else.
‘Don’t worry, Elian. You’re doing fine, but stay where you are for a moment and get down low. There’s something approaching you at speed.’ Aurora’s warning gave Elian the distinct impression that she was curious.
‘What do you mean something?’ he replied. A feeling of apprehension set the hairs on the back of his neck prickling and a rash of goosebumps rose on his arms.
Aurora did not answer, but a distant rumbling growl sent a shiver of fear through him. Whatever the thing was, it sounded big. What was more, it was moving fast – really fast! The distant rumble transformed into a throaty roar as the strange beast closed rapidly on his hiding place.
In a moment of rash bravery, Elian got to his feet and peered over the bushes to see if he could catch a glimpse of its advance. There was a narrow lane on the other side of the hedgerow. To Elian’s amazement he could see something huge with two blazing eyes, whose gaze cast beams of bright, white light wherever they looked. It was racing towards him at the speed of a galloping horse. Fear, together with the dark’s exaggerating properties, swelled the creature to impossible looming proportions. For a moment he froze as the great eyes swung their bright focus in an arc towards him.
‘Elian!’
The warning was timely. He ducked and placed his arms protectively over his head as the noise of its approach swelled to fill his ears. Strange rattling and squeaking noises were apparent above the throaty roar as the beast sped by no more than a few paces from where Elian cowered. It was the metallic squeak that made him stand up and look around. Jumping to his feet, he looked over the hedgerow again just in time to make out the shape of the behemoth.
A waft of oily fumes confirmed Elian’s conclusion.
‘It’s a horseless wagon! First flying machines and now this! The people here are certainly clever with their inventions.’
‘Indeed, Elian,’ Aurora agreed. ‘Perhaps too clever for their own good. What have their ingenious machines gained them? I would not be surprised to learn that the fighting is linked to a drive for invention. The people of this world have had many conflicts, but this is unlike any I’ve seen.’
‘I’m not sure I want to know more about the fighting,’ Elian said. ‘I just want to find out where the final orb is and get out of here.’
The horseless wagon had squealed to a noisy stop just a few hundred paces further up the lane. Elian pushed through the hedge and ran silently towards it. He could see men emerging from a door in its side and walking up a short path to a nearby building. No one looked in his direction. Their attention was on the building ahead and talking.
‘Is Jack in there?’ Elian asked apprehensively.
‘No. There’s another building about a hundred paces behind that one. He’s there. Try to get through the hedge on the other side of the lane. The field beyond will take you closer.’
‘You’re beginning to sound faint, Ra,’ Elian noted anxiously.
‘Don’t fret, Elian. I can still hear you and there’s not far to go.’
This hedgerow was thicker and more difficult to traverse than the previous one. Brambles clung and tore stubbornly at his clothing as he forced his way through. He seemed to be making an inordinate amount of noise, but he was counting on the now chugging breath of the stationary horseless wagon to blanket any sound he made. He was through and on the move again. He could see the house. Aurora was right – it was not far. There was a gate leading from the field to a courtyard by the house. He raced across the open ground to it, trying his best to keep his footfalls light.
Crouching by the gatepost, he scanned the courtyard. No one moved. Music and laughter were emanating from within the house. No light escaped from the windows, but whatever was blocking the light could not totally dampen the sounds of a party. How could people sing and laugh with the grumble of battle in the background?
Slipping between the bars of the gate, he hobbled as fast as he could across the courtyard to the side of the building. The windows had been covered inside with something more than just material drapes. He peered through the glass, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was going on inside, but whatever had been used to black out the windows was too effective.
Frustrated, Elian stepped into the porch and listened at the door. Aside from the music, there was a buzz of conversation. It was hard to pick out individual voices. He pressed closer to the door, hoping to hear a little better. Taut with concentration, he jumped as a large hand suddenly clamped onto his shoulder with an iron grip.
‘And what do you think you’re doing, lad?’
Chapter Fourteen
The Proposition
The soldier’s voice was gruff and angry. In the dim moonlight, his silhouetted figure looked huge.
‘N . . . n . . . nothing, sir,’ Elian stammered, his tongue tangling over his words as he tried to combat the shock. ‘Well . . . that is, I’d like to speak to Jack Miller, if it’s possible.’
‘Jack Miller, is it? A friend is he, lad? Expecting yer perhaps?’
; ‘Not a friend exactly, but we’ve met before. Can you ask him if he’ll speak to me? He’s not expecting me tonight, but I’m sure he’ll want to see me. Tell him Elian is here.’
It was hard to see anything of the soldier’s expression. His face was hidden by the shadow of his steel helmet. The man was still for a moment, as if trapped by indecision.
‘Very well, lad, I’ll see if Captain Miller is willing to talk with yer. If not, then yer going to spend an uncomfortable night in the cellar, followed by a visit to the old man tomorrow. Yer can explain to him what yer business is, sneaking around. There’s been plenty shot for spying, so yer’d better make sure yer excuse is a good ’un.’
Elian was not sure whether the man was being serious, but his deep voice sounded convincing in the dark porch of the farmhouse.
‘Why didn’t you warn me he was coming?’ Elian asked Aurora silently, mentally cursing his impaired hearing for not picking up the man’s approach.
‘Sorry, I didn’t sense his presence until it was too late,’ she answered. ‘Don’t worry. If Jack does not come, I’ll get Fang to send Kira. She’ll find a way to help you escape.’
‘Great,’ Elian said, trying not to lace the word with too much sarcasm. It was not that he did not trust Kira to get him out – the opposite was true. What irked him was that he might be reliant on her again to rescue him from captivity.
The soldier took a firm hold of Elian’s shirt at the back of the neck and rapped on the door with the thick end of the weapon he was holding in his other hand. Elian made no attempt to struggle. His eyes followed the weapon. He had taken it for a club at first, but it was not shaped like any he had ever seen before. He could not see it clearly in the dark, but he could tell it was not pointed enough to be used like a spear. Neither was it balanced like a staff, or shaped to swing like a club.
The door opened suddenly, golden light and a waft of warm air spilling out onto the threshold.
‘Yes? Is there a problem, Private?’
The first thing that struck Elian about the man in the doorway was his clothing. He had never seen such garments before. The shiny line of buttons, the four large rectangular pockets on the close-fitting jacket and a curious winged symbol above the top left pocket looked very smart.
‘The boy here wants to see Captain Miller, sir.’
Elian looked the man in the eyes as he was appraised. He only looked to have seen about eighteen season rotations, yet the older soldier gripping Elian’s collar had called him ‘sir’. Was he some sort of nobleman?
‘What do you want with Jack, sonny?’
There was amusement and curiosity in the man’s eyes as he waited for Elian to answer. Elian was not sure what to tell him. He did not think telling him he was a dragonrider would be a good idea, but he needed to be sure the man would take him seriously.
‘I need to talk with him privately, sir,’ he replied cautiously. ‘The last time I saw Jack he insisted the subject of our discussions remain secret. My name is Elian. Can you tell him I’m here, please? My quest is urgent.’
‘Quest, is it?’ the man said, thoughtfully stroking his neatly trimmed moustache with his right index finger. ‘You have a strange accent, lad. Where are you from?’
‘I’m afraid I can’t tell you that either, sir.’
‘Is that so? Very well. Keep him here, Private. I’ll go and see what Captain Miller has to say on the matter. I shouldn’t be more than a minute or two.’
The door closed, plunging the porch into darkness. After looking into such a bright source of light, Elian found his night vision had gone and he was all but blind. The soldier’s grip on his collar loosened slightly, but he did not let go.
‘Who was that?’ Elian asked. ‘Was he some sort of lord?’
‘A lord?’ the man grunted, giving a gruff bark of laughter. ‘Acts like one, fer sure. Most of the officers do, lad. I’m surprised yer don’t know that. Miller’s no different from the rest. If yer making this story up about knowing him, yer about to find yerself in a whole mess of trouble.’
Elian briefly considered responding, but thought better of it. The soldier was not going to believe him, no matter what he said. He barely had time to think this before the door burst open again and there was Jack. He was dressed in almost identical clothes to the officer who had opened the door the first time. His face was unmistakeably excited.
‘Elian!’ he exclaimed. ‘That’s wizard! Thank you, Private. You may let him go. I’ll look after him now.’
‘Very good, sir,’ the soldier replied. His tone was businesslike, though Elian was sure he detected an undertone of disgruntlement. The hand let go of his collar and the man suddenly stood very straight and raised his right hand to his forehead. Jack repeated the gesture and the soldier, having been dismissed, did an abrupt about turn and left.
‘It’s been so long that I thought you might not come back,’ Jack said in a low voice, drawing Elian in through the door and into the warm hallway. The other officer was watching from a few paces away. Jack suddenly noticed him. ‘Pete, can you do me a favour?’ he asked.
‘That depends, Jack,’ he replied. ‘What do you want?’
‘Can you drag the old man from the piano and tell him to meet me in the back room? I need to speak with him urgently.’
‘Seems everything is urgent tonight,’ Pete said, raising one eyebrow quizzically. ‘He won’t be happy, Jack. You know how he is when he gets singing.’
‘Well let that be my problem, Pete.’
‘On your head be it then.’
Elian was surprised to see the man Jack called Pete incline his head towards him in a polite gesture of acknowledgement before he turned and entered the room where all the noise was coming from.
‘I was injured by one of those flash-bangs that explode in the sky,’ Elian told Jack in a low voice. I haven’t been able to fly for about a week now.’
‘Was it bad?’
‘Fragments of metal in my leg, hearing loss and blurred vision,’ Elian reported. ‘It wasn’t nice.’
Jack winced at the catalogue of injuries. ‘No,’ he said. ‘Not pleasant at all. Still, it’s good to see you’re a survivor. For me, it’s been months since we last met. I’ve been lucky enough not to prang any more kites in that time, but although I’m still in one piece, it’s been tough. I’ve been involved in so many scraps that I’m amazed I’m still around. We lose boys every week. Even the best pilots have been falling to the enemy.’
Elian could see the pain in Jack’s eyes. He looked older than Elian remembered. It appeared the constant conflict had affected him deeply.
‘Jack, I don’t know if you remember what I told you about my quest . . .’
‘I do,’ he said, his eyes suddenly sparkling. ‘The four orbs, the Oracle and the night dragons who are doing their best to stop you – I remember it all.’
‘Well, Ra and I think you hold the key to finding the final orb.’
‘And you’re right,’ Jack replied, his eyes twinkling.
Elian’s jaw dropped. Had he heard Jack correctly? Did he really know where the final orb was?
‘The first orb drew blood,’ Jack went on. ‘The second was formed from a heart. I take it you’ve found the third, given that you’re looking for the final one. If I solved the Oracle’s riddles correctly, then the third orb was an eyeball. Am I right?’
‘Yes . . . but how?’
‘I said I was good at puzzles,’ Jack said with a grin. ‘The mystery of the poem was rather obvious when I looked at it the right way.’
‘So what is the last orb?’ Elian asked, his chest tight with excitement.
‘I’ll tell you in good time, old boy. Don’t fret. But first I need to know where your dragon is and if there are any others with you?’
‘She’s in the woods where we left you last time,’ Elian replied, unsure exactly what Jack meant by ‘old boy’. ‘Kira and Fang are with her. Please, tell me. I must find it quickly. We’re almost out of time.’
‘That’s right.’
‘Wizard!’ Jack breathed. ‘Absolutely wizard!’ Suddenly his voice became more urgent. ‘What about Pell?’ he asked.
‘He’s gone with Nolita and Firestorm on a journey to the day dragon enclave,’ Elian said warily. ‘The night dragons have blockaded the entrance to the Oracle’s cave. We think the only way we’re going to get past them is with a show of strength.’
‘Interesting. Ah! Here comes the boss. Come, Elian. We’ve got a lot to talk about.’
Elian was confused. If Jack knew the answer to the final riddle, why was he being so evasive and what was there to talk about? All Elian wanted was the orb. Jack knew that. Why did he want Elian to talk to this ‘boss’ person?
Jack took Elian by the arm and led him gently across the hall and through a door. Another man followed them, closing the door behind him. The room was full of curiosities – machines that ticked, paintings depicting fascinating scenes and characters, oddments that might have been ornamental, or maybe had purposes that Elian could not instantly determine. Another time Elian could have spent hours poking around in this room, but for the moment he kept his focus on Jack. He wanted answers.
‘Are you still with me?’ he asked Aurora.
‘Yes, Elian,’ she replied.
‘Do you know what’s happening?’
‘Not much more than you do,’ she said. ‘But I sense no harmful intent. I suggest you listen to what he has to say. He believes he has what we need. He knew about the third orb, which gives credit to his claim. Let’s see what he wants.’
Elian met the eyes of the newcomer and recognised instantly that he was not the only one with questions. The man seemed to be about four or five season rotations older than Jack. His hair appeared to have been slicked back over his head with some sort of oil and his brown eyes were quick and alert.