The Dragons of Bone and Dust (Tales from the New Earth Book 7)

by J. J. Thompson

  He shook his head doggedly.

  No, he thought. That isn't going to happen. I'm going to get back home, get my powers back and rejoin the fight to beat back the lords of Chaos.

  He followed Ethmira around the trunk of a particularly large tree and a soggy branch smacked him in the face, breaking through his thoughts.

  “Careful where you are walking,” the elf called back.

  He sputtered and coughed as he wiped the water off of his face.

  “Yeah, thanks a lot,” he replied irritably as he shook his head.

  His heavy mane of hair sprayed water everywhere and he used both hands to push it up and back off of his face.

  The leather clothing that he and Ethmira wore was water-proof, as were their thin leather boots, but the journey still became uncomfortable very quickly. They plodded along faint forest paths for hours, stopping a few times to rest.

  Near midday, the elven maiden found shelter where an ancient tree had fallen over and was leaning against another. Its huge trunk offered cover from the rain and the ground beneath it was dry enough for them to sit down comfortably.

  For Simon it was a huge relief and he folded his long legs and sat down on the soft earth with a loud groan.

  “Ah, that feels so good,” he said to Ethmira as she gracefully sat down nearby and opened her pack.

  “I swear it feels like we've been walking for days instead of hours.”

  “It's the soaked ground,” she said agreeably. “It makes it twice as hard to walk when every step slips. Uses up a lot of energy. Here.”

  She offer him a packet of food, dried fruit, and he accepted it gratefully.

  “Thanks. So, considering our slower pace, thanks to me, how long until we reach the fort now?”

  She frowned as she chewed her food.

  “Probably not until nightfall. We may have to camp in the forest one more night before we reach it.”

  Whatever fruit the elves had used in the travel ration was very sweet and packed with energy and Simon ate it with great enjoyment.

  “But isn't that cutting things a bit close?” he asked as he finished his snack and folded the wrapper. He handed it back to Ethmira.

  “Not at all. Remember, we have seven days and today is only day five. We could take all of tomorrow to get to Dellis Varna and still have plenty of time to spare.”

  “Ah, that's true. Well, let's hope we don't run into any more delays. Spare time or not, I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this whole thing.”

  Ethmira rebraided her hair and then stood up, settling her pack over her shoulders again. She smiled as she waited for Simon to stagger to his feet and get ready to move out again.

  “I'm not trying to insult you, my friend, but you worry too much. We are very close to our goal now and, if we are careful, we will reach the fort tonight, or tomorrow morning at the latest.”

  She stepped out into the steady downpour again and Simon followed with a heavy sigh.

  “I hope you're right,” he said loudly over the patter of the falling rain. “It just seems like every time things appear to be going right for me, life finds a way to make them go wrong.”

  “Not this time,” Ethmira said confidently. She looked back over her shoulder. “This time everything will be fine. You'll see.”

  “I might have spoken too soon,” the elven maiden said in a subdued voice at around noon on the next day.

  She looked down at the base of the tree that she and Simon were sitting in. Both of them watched the kravon that was circling the tree and staring up at them hungrily.

  “You don't say,” he replied dryly, tightly gripping the branch that he was perched on.

  Several hours earlier they had rounded that very tree and come face to maw with the monster. Simon had thought that the first kravon they had seen on their journey was huge, but this creature made that one look small in comparison.

  He almost smiled as he remembered the reactions on both sides. The kravon had been lying still and straight on the forest floor and they had mistaken it for a fallen tree until it had reared up on its front quarters.

  Simon and Ethmira had stopped dead in their tracks and the kravon had frozen as well and both of them had stared at each other in mutual surprise. Then the elf had spun around, shoved Simon toward the tree and had yelled, “Climb!”

  Fortunately the monster had hesitated for several seconds and that had given them the time they needed to climb high enough to get beyond its reach.

  Unfortunately they were now trapped with nowhere to go. The kravon, all fifty feet of it, had settled into a circling pattern and showed no sign of losing interest in its potential meal. And the time was ticking away.

  “Don't these things give up eventually?” he asked Ethmira as he moved slightly on the wide branch he was sitting on. His butt was numb.

  “Eventually, yes. In time for us to make the rest of the trip before the portal opens? I don't know.”

  “Great. So, any ideas?”

  She didn't answer for a long moment and Simon looked up from the patient monster to find her staring at him speculatively.

  “What is it?” he asked. “Do you have a plan?”

  “Perhaps. It's dangerous and rather desperate, but we've waited long enough. If we don't get moving soon, we won't be able to reach Dellis Varna in time.”

  “Okay, I'm game. What do you have in mind?”

  She waved at the trees around them.

  “You are light and agile. I am an elf. Both of us can climb well. So, to get away from the kravon, we need to climb higher; much higher. Once we are out of the range of its eyes and nose, it will move on.”

  Simon looked down at the glaring monster.

  “Are you sure? It looks like its settled in for the long haul.”

  She stood up on her branch and looked down as well.

  “Fairly sure. The kravon aren't clever, Simon. They are beasts, and like all beasts they will only hunt prey if there is prey to be had. If it loses sight of us and can't smell us, it will leave. Probably.”

  He looked at her skeptically but nodded agreeably.

  “Well, let's try it then. The clock is ticking.”

  “That it is. Very well then, follow me. Remember to take your time and make sure of your footing as you go.”

  She began to climb and Simon followed carefully.

  The old tree they were in was thick with branches and leaves and they soon lost sight of the kravon. But as they disappeared into the heights, the monster began hissing in rage, a high-pitched whistling screech that made Simon shiver.

  “Are you sure that thing can't climb after us?” he asked Ethmira, who was a dozen feet above him.

  “I'm sure. It's much too heavy and its rear legs are set too far back on its body. A young kravon could climb after us, but we could shoot it long before it reached us.”

  “That's reassuring,” Simon said, not feeling all that reassured.

  He adjusted his bow across his back and patted it fondly. He hoped that he wouldn't have to put his skill with it to the test.

  They kept climbing, with the yowling of the kravon still echoing up from below. Branch by branch they ascended the tree until Simon lost track of how high they had gone. The big red and green leaves of the tree blocked both his view of the ground below and the sky above. If it hadn't been for the slowly fading sound of the enraged monster, he couldn't have been sure that they were really making any progress at all.

  His arms and legs were aching and sweat stung his eyes as Simon finally pushed through the canopy of leaves and was blinded by bright sunlight. He raised an aching hand to shield his eyes and squinted as he looked around.

  “Hey! We've reached the top of the tree,” he exclaimed with delight.

  Ethmira smiled at him and pointed at the tree trunk that extended above them.

  “Not exactly. But the high branches can't support our weight from this point upward.”

  She scanned the forest and took a deep breath. Her smile wid
ened.

  “But we are as high as we can be. It is lovely, is it not? Even my people rarely get to see the forest stretched out beneath them like this.”

  Simon nodded as he turned in a slow, careful circle.

  The tops of many of the trees still rose above their heads, but even so it appeared that they were standing on an undulating carpet of leaves that rippled and flowed with the wind like a green ocean. The spicy scent of the foliage and the cool breeze revived him and he could feel his fatigue draining away.

  “Gorgeous,” he stated. “It was almost worth running into that kravon just so we could get to see this.”

  He snorted a laugh and looked at Ethmira.

  “Almost,” he repeated.

  She chuckled and then nodded at something behind him.

  “Dellis Varna,” she said in a more somber voice.

  Simon turned carefully, holding on to a narrow branch and checking his footing as he did so. When he saw what the elf had staring at, he gasped in surprise.

  “Wow. It's huge.”

  “Huge and ancient, my friend. The skills it would take to build something like that have been lost to us. At best, we might be able to repair it. Then again, perhaps not.”

  Many miles to the north, a range of mountains seemed to grow directly out of the forest. They stretched up and over the trees, towering higher than anything that Simon had ever seen in person. He imagined that the Himalayas must look like that to those who had once traveled to Nepal to challenge them.

  Thank God we don't have to climb those colossi, he thought, feeling a little dazed.

  At the base of the mountains, still looming over the forest, was an immense structure that almost appeared to be carved out of the ancient rock itself. Gray and faded, the towers and walls of Dellis Varna looked like they were glowering at them from miles away.

  “How far?” he asked in a weak voice. He was awed by the fort.

  “On the ground? Four hours. Up here? Too far.”

  Simon looked at Ethmira, who returned his stare grimly.

  “We have to descend again and hope that the kravon has moved on. I can travel fairly quickly through the treetops but even as agile as you are, my friend, you cannot move as fast as I can. No offense intended.”

  “None taken,” he replied with a rueful smile. “I'm well aware of my limitations, believe me.”

  “Good. But we can take some time to carefully move toward the fort up here, before we begin the climb back down to the ground. It should help to lose the kravon, in case it is more stubborn than we want it to be.”

  Simon rotated his shoulders and settled his pack more comfortably on his back. Then he pushed his bow back into position and gave Ethmira a thumbs up.

  “Let's go then. We're burning daylight.”

  She looked at him quizzically.

  “Interesting phrase. Very descriptive. Off we go then. Mind your footing.”

  It was fairly easy to step or jump from one large branch to the next and the pair made decent time as they moved directly toward Dellis Varna. The sun was still high and Simon guessed that they still had four or five hours of daylight left before it became too dark to travel.

  Every once in a while, Ethmira looked back to check on his progress and finally, after an hour or so, stopped and waited for Simon to catch up to her.

  He hopped across a large gap and grabbed on to a small branch to steady himself. He was breathing heavily and sweating but the steady breeze cooled him down quickly and he felt exhilarated by the journey. Something about leaping from tree to tree kept his adrenaline level high and he had never felt more alive.

  Probably because one misstep means a long fall to your death, his inner voice said dryly. He ignored it.

  “How are you doing?” Ethmira asked him. She still looked fresh and energetic, and balanced on her branch easily.

  “Good, actually. Really good. I'm not even tired yet.”

  Simon noticed that he was speaking more quickly than usual and the elf narrowed her eyes as she regarded him.

  “Are you sure? You sound...strange.”

  “Sure? Sure I'm sure. I'm as sure as I've ever been. Shouldn't I be sure? I assure you I'm sure.”

  He realized as he said it that he was speaking gibberish and closed his mouth with a snap.

  Ethmira nodded wisely.

  “As I suspected. The collista is affecting you adversely. Blast it, I'd rather hoped you'd have become adjusted to it by now, considering how long you've been with us.”

  Simon leaned back against the trunk of the tree he was standing in and breathed slowly, trying to calm his mind and think clearly.

  “Collista? What's that? I've never heard of it.”

  “Not surprising. My people take it for granted. We're long used to it. It is a chemical that many of our trees exude to attract birds that then help by feeding on insects that are attacking the trees. It has a mild euphoric affect on us, but as I've said, we are used to it and mostly immune to its influence. You obviously are not. Unfortunately that means that we are going to have to descend to the ground, monsters or no monsters. One of the side-effects of collista is confusion of the senses. It affects depth-perception. Now, let's start heading downward while the chemical reaction is still light.”

  Damn it, Simon thought angrily. Leave it to me to screw things up.

  He crouched down, slipped a leg over the branch he was on and slowly climbed down to another branch below it. This was going to take a very long time.

  Chapter 4

  The forest around them was getting dark and shadows were choking the undergrowth by the time Simon and Ethmira reached the ground. They stopped about fifteen feet up and the elf joined Simon on the thick branch he was squatting on.

  “We'd best make camp up here tonight,” she whispered as her eyes darting from one tree to the next. “Even if that kravon isn't following us, there could be others around, or other predators. The ground is the last place we want to be caught in the darkness.”

  Simon was looking around as well and also straining his ears to pick up the slightest suspicious sound. But the forest was quiet, with only a few distant bird calls breaking the silence. Even the wind had disappeared.

  “What about hunters that can climb? You've mentioned a few nasty creatures that can do that.”

  Ethmira nodded, still scanning the area.

  “That is true, but such animals are rare in this part of the forest. Keep an eye open for large spiders; some of them have a mildly poisonous bite, but other than that it is the ground-based monsters that concern me.”

  She nimbly hopped to another nearby branch and sat down with a tired sigh. She moved so that her back was against the large trunk of the tree, extended her legs straight out along the branch and smiled at Simon.

  “Relax,” she told him quietly. “It could be a long night.”

  The wizard copied her and settled onto his branch. It was surprisingly comfortable and the bark was softer than he had assumed it would be. He shifted his pack until he could rest against it and hung his bow from a leather tie on his belt, next to his quiver.

  The pair had stopped on the way down to eat a quick meal of dried fruit and meat and drink some water. Simon had noted that his euphoria had faded the lower he'd climbed and now he was tired but his head was clear again. It was a huge relief.

  “I may fall off of this branch if I sleep,” he said worriedly.

  Ethmira was quick to reassure him.

  “We will take turns standing watch, if that is acceptable. You go ahead and rest now and I will wake you in a few hours. And have no fear; I won't allow you to fall.”

  Simon thanked her and she answered him with a wink. Then the elf settled back and began scanning the forest from her perch.

  The wizard sat back and closed his eyes. Nervous or not, he trusted Ethmira completely. If she said that she wouldn't let him fall, then she would not, and he allowed himself to drift off to sleep with one less thing to worry about.

  Simon
woke up with someone's hand over his mouth. Before he had a chance to struggle or make a sound, Ethmira spoke softly into his ear.

  “Be easy, my friend. It's me. Wake up and try to be quiet. Something is moving beneath us.”

  He nodded silently and she removed her hand and stepped silently back to the branch she'd been standing on when he had fallen asleep.

  The wizard rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked around blearily. The forest was gray in the pre-dawn light and Simon realized guiltily that Ethmira had let him sleep most of the night while she stood watch. He sighed and, when she looked over at him, made a gesture upward at the lightening sky.

  She seemed to understand what he meant and just smiled and shrugged in return. Then she pointed downward and touched her ear and he nodded and focused his attention on the forest floor.

  Something was moving in the gloom below; something heavy that made the tree shiver slightly at each footfall. It stopped and a low rumble of sound made goosebumps rise on Simon's arms. It was the growl of a massive predator.

  He looked over at Ethmira and mouthed the word, “Kravon?”

  She shook her head decisively and his eyes widened.

  My God, he thought. What the hell is it?

  A movement from the elven maiden caught his eye and he saw that she was pointing upward.

  Yeah, better up than down, weird chemicals or not.

  He nodded and she gestured for him to go first.

  Climbing as quietly as he could, Simon began moving upwards. He had definitely become more deft and his technique had improved immensely and he rose through the branches with barely a whisper of sound. He remembered ruefully just how clumsy he would have been, doing this just a few months previously.

  Well, at least I've learned something while I've been here, he admitted to himself.

  He still missed magic though.

  Ethmira crept up behind him, moving like a shadow and, as the morning light strengthened, kept an eye on the ground below as she came. But there was nothing to see; whatever had spooked her was either hidden or gone.