Longfang

by Mark Robson

  ‘You cannot stop this, Kira, so please don’t try,’ Fang told her. ‘I intend to see my life purpose fulfilled. You cannot take this from me.’

  ‘But why does it have to be you?’ she asked. ‘It was Shadow’s life purpose to be killed and give her heart to form the second orb, but another dragon’s heart was good enough.’

  ‘It must be the eye of a dusk dragon,’ he replied. ‘There are no other dusk dragons here.’

  ‘There’s him,’ she said, pointing at the glowing dragon next to the plinth.

  ‘He has no body.’ Fang’s voice was sad. ‘What you can see is just an echo – a shade of what he was in life.’

  ‘How will you take my dragon’s eye?’ Kira asked aloud with her own voice, choking slightly over the final two words.

  Nolita gasped and the two boys looked shocked as they, too, finally grasped what was about to happen.

  ‘There is no gentle way,’ the ghostly dragon replied. ‘I shall do my final duty as best I can. The Oracle has power that binds. Its purpose has held my spirit here for a long time. When my rider and I accepted the challenge to guard the plinth I had no idea I would be bound to serve beyond my physical death. I am tired. I seek the long rest of eternity that should be mine. Come. Claim the orb. It is what you are here for. You have passed the tests.’

  ‘But you have no substance,’ Kira pointed out, desperately clutching at reasons not to continue.

  ‘I have substance enough for this one last duty,’ the dragon replied. He raised his foreleg and his talons appeared to solidify.

  Fang walked calmly towards the plinth and the waiting ghost dragon. Kira felt totally helpless. Fang would not listen to her. He was determined. She knew his mind. The glowing creature reached out with its scarily solid-looking talons. Kira could not watch. She turned away, ducking her head and covering her eyes with her hands, as if by protecting her own eyes she could somehow save Fang’s.

  ‘Wait!’ Elian called out.

  Relief made Kira feel momentarily faint. Her knees buckled under her and she fell to the ground. Tears smeared across her cheeks under her palms. Did Elian have a way to stop this happening? She felt a hand on her back. It was Nolita’s.

  ‘Before you do this, I have some questions,’ Elian continued.

  The ghost dragon lowered his foreleg and regarded Elian with a chilling stare.

  ‘Ask your questions, rider,’ it said. ‘But be quick. That which I have waited an age for is at hand. Do not delay my reward without reason.’

  ‘The other orbs had perilous powers,’ Elian said. ‘Can you tell us what qualities this orb will possess?’

  ‘The Orb of Vision can show you many things,’ the dragon replied. ‘It can show you things that are, things that have been and even things that have not yet been.’

  ‘It has powers we can use?’ Elian asked, surprised.

  ‘The other orbs also had powers you could have wielded, if you had found the strength of will to use them. The powers are not meant for human use, though, so beware. They are fickle and there is always a price to pay for using them. Where the Orb of Vision will show you things, it will also reveal your presence to others. Do not be in a hurry to explore its power, or it may betray you.’

  ‘The Oracle told us nothing of their powers,’ Elian said thoughtfully. ‘In fact the Oracle hasn’t told us a lot about anything. What do you know of the final orb?’

  ‘Nothing.’ The dragon was emphatic. ‘I have no knowledge of the final orb and I want none. I just want to rest. Are your questions complete?’

  ‘One last thing,’ Elian said quickly.

  Kira’s heart was hammering. This was it. How could he stop the ghostly dragon from taking Fang’s eye?

  ‘I can help you to take out Longfang’s eye without causing him too much pain. Will you let me help?’

  ‘Traitor!’ Kira gasped. Her head whipped round and she glared at him. She had never felt so betrayed. ‘How could you even think about doing this to my dragon?’

  ‘He won’t be blinded, Kira,’ Elian explained. ‘He’ll still be able to see with his remaining eye. It’s clear he wants to do this. I know how strongly Ra feels about her life purpose. I know it’s gruesome. This entire quest has been nothing like I expected. I don’t want to even think about the words of the final verse. I still have to face my challenge, remember? I’m just trying to help. It will be best if I help sever the eye cleanly from the socket by using my sword and then Firestorm can heal it. This way it will be done with very little pain.’

  ‘I don’t believe this,’ Kira sobbed, looking up with pleading eyes at Fang. ‘Are you really going to do this?’

  ‘Yes, Kira,’ Fang replied gently. ‘It’s necessary. Elian’s offer is kind. He does not want to see either of us in pain. Look away. Do not watch.’

  Kira knew deep down that even if she wanted to, she could not look. Turning away, she buried her head in her hands and curled up into a ball. Nolita put her arm around her and crouched by her side, also facing away from the dragons. Kira felt sick. Elian’s voice had dropped to an unintelligible mutter. She reached out with her mind to Fang, but he had narrowed the bond to little more than the faintest trace in an effort to save her unnecessary pain.

  ‘Fang!’ She called his name with every ounce of her will, but he did not answer.

  The sensation as the ghost dragon’s talons eased around Fang’s eyeball and into his eye socket was one that Kira would never forget. Fang was clearly trying to restrict her access to his mind, but their bond was stronger than his will. Her left eye hurt in sympathy with Fang’s and, as the ghost dragon’s talons probed and squeezed, it felt as if her own eye would explode.

  Kira heard a loud sucking plop and the chamber spun under her. The sudden disorientation as Fang’s sight became confused, was frightening. For a moment she could see both the cavern floor and the ghost dragon in her mind’s eye. Interpreting the jumbled blend of images was impossible but she did not need to open her eyes to know what was happening. Her link with Fang and her imagination gave her more than enough information. Her left eye socket suddenly felt very cold.

  There was a faint swishing noise followed by a swift spike of pain. She cried out at the shock of it, clamping her hand even more firmly over her left eye and curling her body even tighter. She could feel Nolita’s comforting arm around her shoulders. It felt good to have someone hold her. She had never thought to see the day when she would look to Nolita for support.

  It took a moment to notice the change. A gentle breathy rumble preceded a warm glowing feeling around the left side of her head. Kira opened her eyes and stared at her knees. The flicker of Firestorm’s healing blue flames gave an unearthly feel to the chamber. The confused and disturbing double image in her mind was gone. In its place was a sensation that left her more disoriented than ever. Although she could see her knees perfectly well through both of her eyes, she felt dizzy. It was as if a part of her vision were missing, yet she had never consciously ‘seen’ through Fang’s eyes. Tears flowed in a steady stream down her cheeks, dripping to splash across her knees. She could barely feel Fang’s touch. He had narrowed the bond to the finest of mental threads, but try as he might, he could not cut her off completely.

  ‘Help me, Pell.’ Elian sounded as if he were struggling with a great weight. Still she could not look.

  ‘Balance it!’

  ‘You can let it go now.’ The booming voice of the ghost dragon sounded more distant. ‘It will not fall. The plinth will do its job. You have done well.’

  Kira could not look up. The tears would not stop flowing. Time had no meaning. How long had she been curled up, waiting? The light in the cavern had dimmed to almost total darkness and then increased again glowing with a steady amber light that did not have the flickering quality of Firestorm’s breath. Her knees were wet with tears.

  ‘It is over, Kira. Get up. Come and look. The orb is remarkable.’

  Fang’s voice was gentle in her mind. Her first instinct was
to reach through the bond, but her mind recoiled from the sensation. It was not through pain, for there was none. It was the strange sympathetic sensation of hollowness that she felt in her own left eye. Without thinking she reached up to make sure it was still there.

  ‘Ow!’ It was.

  Kira knew she had to face her dragon. She felt sick to the pit of her stomach, but there was no escaping it. His eye was gone.

  With slow, deliberate movements, Kira rose to her feet and turned. Despite her care, she staggered. The chamber floor appeared to be trying to tip her from her feet.

  ‘It’s all right. I’ve got you,’ Nolita said, her arm lending more than moral support.

  Kira was grateful, but she could not voice her thanks. Although her first intention was to turn and look at Fang, her eyes were drawn to the rich amber glow emanating from the orb resting on the top of the metal plinth in the centre of the chamber. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It literally took her breath away. For a moment she stood, transfixed.

  ‘Incredible, isn’t it?’ Fang said, his pride undeniable.

  ‘Amazing!’ Kira replied aloud. And she meant it. She looked up at Fang. He looked back at her through his right eye. His left eyelid was drawn down over his empty eye socket. She did not know if he was holding it closed, or if Firestorm had sealed it that way.

  It did not look as bad as she had imagined, but she knew that without his second eye, Fang would never have a true sense of perspective and distance again. He would adapt, of course, but he would be vulnerable from the left side. Although there was nothing wrong with her eyes, her mind was struggling to overcome the disorientation she was feeling.

  Anger flared inside her as she struggled to keep her balance. How dare Fang make this unilateral decision to let his eye be taken? When they had first met, he had been quick to tell her they were one – joined from the moment she had been born. Yet today he had been quick to sacrifice his eye – which would inevitably limit them as a team. It was never a good thing for a hunter to have a weak spot – especially such an obvious one. Fang’s choice had handicapped them both.

  She could not keep the icy edge from her voice as she asked him, ‘Can you still sense anything through it?’ She pointed at the orb.

  ‘No,’ he said, without the faintest note of apology. ‘Any link I had with it was severed for ever the moment Elian cut it free. If I think at the orb I sense power, but it is not any sort of power I have ever felt before. Can you take it from the plinth? It is time we left.’

  Kira walked step by shaky step towards the orb. Nolita walked with her. As Kira approached the plinth, she found her anger replaced first by curiosity and then by a sense of awe. This orb was no larger than either of the others and yet that seemed impossible. Fang’s eye had been enormous. How had it shrunk to this size? The two boys were already standing next to it, lost in wonder.

  As the girls neared the orb, the light emanating from it intensified. Not in a dazzling way. Rather it grew warmer and more accepting. Kira walked right up to the plinth and reached out with both hands to lift the orb. The instant her fingertips made contact, she leaped back as if burned.

  Nolita staggered as she struggled to prevent Kira from falling backwards.

  ‘What happened?’ Elian asked quickly.

  ‘Did it hurt you?’ Pell asked at the same time.

  ‘No, it didn’t hurt,’ Kira replied, her voice slow, deliberate, and full of curiosity. ‘The sensation was . . . unexpected. The moment I touched the orb I saw Segun on Widewing. They were flying away from the castle. I pulled back through surprise. If this was a true vision, we will not have to worry about him when we leave.’

  ‘Touch it again,’ urged Pell. ‘See if it confirms what you saw.’

  ‘I wouldn’t be so quick . . .’ Elian began, but Kira was already moving forwards again. The flash of godlike power it had given her was irresistible. Her anger at Fang was momentarily forgotten. She reached out and placed her fingertips on the orb. This time she did not pull away.

  ‘Yes,’ she confirmed. ‘He’s definitely gone. It appears he has the good sense to know when to retreat. There is a problem, though. We have what we came for, but we’re not going to get the orb away from here without a fight. The dragonhunters are back.’

  Here ends Book Three of the Dragon Orb Quartet. Read the breathtaking climax in Dragon Orb – Aurora.

  www.markrobsonauthor.com

  FOUR DRAGONRIDERS ON A MISSION TO SAVE THEIR WORLD

  FIRESTORM

  Book 1 in the fantasy series

  Nolita is terrified of dragons! Learning to fly her day dragon is dangerous enough without irrational fears to contend with and a vicious dragonhunter on her tail. With Elian, another novice rider, she seeks the first of four orbs, to save the leader of all dragonkind. To do so, she must face her worst fears, and face them alone . . .

  ISBN: 978-1-84738-068-5

  SHADOW

  Book 2 in the fantasy series

  Pell and his night dragon Shadow must find the dark orb to help save the Oracle, leader of all dragonkind. But Segun, a power-hungry tyrant, stands in their way. Pell must use his flying skills, bravery and resourcefulness to the limit, as Segun is determined to get the orb - even if it means killing the opposition.

  ISBN: 978-1-84738-069-2

  DRAGON ORB: AURORA

  Book 4 in the fantasy series

  Elian and his dawn dragon, Aurora, lead the search for the fourth and final orb. Pursued by night dragons and helped by a WWI airman, the four dragonriders are drawn into a huge aerial battle between all the dragon enclaves. The ultimate fate of dragonkind hangs by a thread. To restore order, a terrible price must be paid . . .

  ISBN: 978-1-84738-448-5