by Sam Ferguson
Kyra might have argued the point, but she was anxious to get to Leatherback. The priests would be coming today, so she wanted to read to him and calm him before their visit.
She rushed out from the room and through the empty corridors until she made the field outside the southern exit. A pair of instructors wearing green robes stood near a large, smooth-topped stump, but they hardly glanced at her as she ran past.
Kyra didn’t have to worry about escaping from the priests today. Since they were coming later anyway, they expected her to run on ahead. So long as she didn’t try to interfere once they arrived, they didn’t mind her extra time with Leatherback.
She found him resting in the glade, sunning himself lazily on his side with his neck stretched upward and his eyes closed.
Leatherback smiled when he saw her coming toward him, and rolled over to his stomach.
“Story?” he asked.
Kyra nodded. “I brought a fun one today,” she said. “One that should help us with the shade.”
The dragon snorted a puff of smoke and blue flame through his nostrils to show his disgust for the dark creature they had fought together.
“No worries,” Kyra said as she settled in next to his front right shoulder. “It looks like it will be a fun read as well as informative. I’ve skimmed through this book already, and I’m pleased to say I’ve found us a historian who took the time to tell the story well, and not just report the events. I found it in the library in the same section with the books about dragons. A friend at the school told me about the section last year, and that is how I was able to learn what a special egg I had found when I first came across your nest. The section is full of books about rare and extinct creatures. The story I’m going to read is the only one that talks about a garunda beast at all, so it seems like pure luck that it was filed right in the place I usually go to read, but I think you will like it.”
Leatherback brought his neck around and rested his head before Kyra’s feet, effectively wrapping her into a protective embrace.
“This is the tale of Ravenel and the Garunda,” Kyra said. “The foreword in the book says it is a favorite among the cities of southern Landale. It comes from the second century of the Era of Kings and is the first encounter with a garunda recorded in all of Terramyr.” She lifted the book and peered at the dragon’s sky-blue eye from under the book. “The garunda may be our key to slaying the shade,” she said with a grin.
Leatherback purred and his lips stretched back into a smile.
Kyra continued, quoting from the last sentence in the foreword. “The garunda is a rare creature. It’s elusive and savage, and this tale actually is one of the best texts to understanding the monster even today.” She snuggled into Leatherback’s shoulder. “All right, here we go,” she said.
“Ravenel fidgeted with his bow and glanced around the room to the eyes that now were fixed upon him. ‘I fear there has been a mistake,’ Ravenel said as he crossed his arms over his chest. ‘I am a simple hunter.’ His fingers tapped on his bow as he looked around the room once more.
Princess Lirian, who had summoned him to her court, nodded and smiled. ‘Yes, I know, that’ Lirian replied with another nod of her head that seemed to make her golden hair dance softly about her face. ‘From what I hear, you are also among the best archers to live in our land.’ She looked up from the table then and her gaze met that of his deep blue eyes. ‘Your valor in the Battle of Detean is legendary,’ she added.
“‘Even so, I have been living a life of peace in the forests since then. This creature you describe to me is strange, and I have never encountered such, nor do I wish to,’ Ravenel announced.”
Leatherback let out a throaty growl. “Coward,” he said.
Kyra shook her head and lowered the book to look into the dragon’s fierce eye. “Hold on until you hear the whole story,” she said. “You might change your mind.”
Leatherback snorted and a wisp of smoke snaked out from his nostrils to dance upon the light breeze that found its way through the rustling aspen leaves around them.
“Where was I?” Kyra asked herself as she looked back to the book. She ran her finger down the page until she located where she had left off. “Ah, yes. Here we go. Lirian shook her head. ‘In the Battle of Detean, you fought against the Khattuun, the great lion people from the east. You slew them by the score, and saved the day for all of our tribe. The other tribe leaders and city kings of our alliance each sent thank offerings to our tribe as a testament to your great acts. I would say you do know more about this beast than you admit.’
“Ravenel bowed his head reverently before replying. ‘My apologies, milady, but the Khattuun are a great and proud race. They are like lions, and also like men. True it may be that they are fearsome warriors, and among the most feared on the battlefield, but they are much easier to understand than this beast you ask me to slay.’
‘“I understand,” Lirian agreed softly. She stood from her ivory throne and motioned for everyone except for Ravenel to exit the room. The large hunter watched as the others filtered out of the room, each murmuring and whispering. After they were all gone and the guards closed the doors, Lirian moved in closer to Ravenel. ‘The foul garunda beasts that have attacked our fair city of Kilistyrin, are more dangerous than normal beasts of prey,’ she admitted. ‘However, they do somewhat resemble the fierce mountain cats that roam along the great mountains in the east, though these creatures are much larger. The primary cause for concern is that their presence is only a prelude to the appearance of a much more sinister creature.’
‘“A demon of some sort?’ Ravenel guessed.” Kyra paused here and nudged Leatherback with her foot. “This is where it gets interesting, so keep listening.”
Leatherback didn’t say anything, but his blue eye fixed itself on the back of the book as he waited for the story to unfold.
Kyra cleared her throat and resumed reading from the book. “Lirian shook her head. ‘A shade,’ she said simply.”
Leatherback growled again, this time in an angry tone. Kyra didn’t bother to pause the story however. Now that she had him hooked, she continued on without stopping.
“Ravenel sucked in a breath and backed away. ‘You expect me to slay a shade?’ he asked incredulously. ‘It would be easier to best a Khattuun with my bare hands,’ he declared.
‘“I will not lie,’ Lirian began. ‘I have sent others already, and they have all perished. However, we have enough information to know that there are two garunda in a cave to the east of here. It is my belief that they guard a single shade.’
‘“No,’ Ravenel said. ‘I would need an army, and even then it wouldn’t be enough.’
“Lirian shook her head. ‘I have sent groups to fight already. They have failed. I believe we stand a better chance if we send one man alone. That way there is less risk of being caught. You are a master with your bow, and you are skilled in stalking and hunting prey of all kinds.’
‘“I hunt game. This is not the same,’ Ravenel protested.
“Lirian nodded and a frown dragged her ruby lips down. ‘Yet, if someone does not defeat the garunda and the shade, then we shall become little more than game for a far more sinister force that walks upon our plane.’”
Kyra nudged Leatherback with her foot again. “See, my friend, I told you this would be a good story.” She continued, “Ravenel stood silently. He cast a glance to the door behind him, and then looked back to Lirian’s desperate eyes. ‘A shade cannot be beaten by an arrow,’ he said. ‘A shade is a Verr’Tai, or blood elf, twisted by Attek’s curse into something akin to a vampire, only instead of drinking blood it drains your very soul and life force. Even if I could slay the two garunda, I wouldn’t be able to scratch the shade.’
‘“I know full well what a shade is,’ Lirian chided. ‘Only days ago, I watched helplessly as the two garunda stalked into the city and ripped apart men as though they were made of straw. The shade came soon afterward, devouring all who challenged her.’
‘“They have one weakness that I know of,’ Lirian said. ‘The rays of the sun burn them, and force them into their holes and burrows.’
‘“I am sorry for the misunderstanding,’ Ravenel offered as he began moving toward the door. ‘It just isn’t possible.’
‘“We have no one else,’ Lirian called out after him. ‘As I said before, the warriors we could spare have already gone to the cave, and none have returned. We have only a few men left capable of wielding a sword, and we need them here to defend our citizens from the continued attacks.’ Ravenel continued walking to the door. ‘We won’t leave,’ Lirian said. ‘This is our home.’
‘“Home is where you decide it to be,’ Ravenel countered.
‘“We are not nomads,’ Lirian argued. ‘To move north would be to offer ourselves as slaves to the mighty kings and tribes of the north. To go east would be to die by the claw and fang of the Khattuun. We have no ships capable of assisting with a mass exodus, and it would take months to reach the sea. Besides, the garunda and shade would hunt us down as we fled. Tell me, where are we to go?’
“Ravenel stopped in mid-step and looked down to the floor with a great sigh. He could sense the feeling of desperation within Lirian’s voice, and he well understood the plight of the city and vassal towns that belonged to the tribe. Within his mind two voices were heard, one urging him to defend those weaker than he, and the other seemed to be shouting for him to run far away from this dark place. He closed his eyes as he sorted out the possible consequences of his actions. In the back of his mind came the nagging notion that none of the nearby tribal lords would be likely to send aid, despite the alliance, and he knew the townsfolk had no place to flee to. Lirian was correct. If he refused to help, then no one else would.
‘“There is no one else,’ Lirian repeated, as if she was confirming Ravenel’s thoughts. ‘We are prepared to pay you three fold the usual price for a dragon’s bounty.’”
Leatherback snarled. “They hunt dragons?” he hissed. “How much do they pay for one like me?” The anger in his voice was not lost on the young apprentice.
Kyra blushed and quickly turned the page. She had been so wrapped up in the story that she had forgotten to skip that part. She reached out and stroked Leatherback’s neck. “Don’t think on it, Leatherback. No one will hunt you, I promise.”
Leatherback rolled his head to the side on the grass, growling softly. “Continue story,” he said after a moment.
Kyra skipped over the part that detailed the payment before continuing. “Ravenel turned back around to face the woman and, despite his fears, within moments he found his head nodding in agreement with her. ‘You said you had a map for me to use in finding the cave,’ Ravenel said dryly.
“Lirian nodded. She moved to the table beside her throne and picked up a rolled parchment. ‘The path is marked for you,’ she said. Ravenel took the map. He unrolled it, studied the markings, and then rolled it again and shoved it into his satchel. ‘May the gods protect you,’ Lirian offered.
‘“Perhaps you failed to notice, but the gods abandoned us two centuries ago,’ Ravenel said flatly. He then left without another word. As he opened the door to step out into the full, late-morning sunlight, he was greeted by a crowd of people. Some of them he recognized as members of Lirian’s court, others were faces he didn’t recognize. Most were women, though there were a few older men and some children in the group as well. They all clamored for him, begging him to deliver them from their plight.
‘“I am no savior,’ Ravenel said under his breath as he pushed through the pressing throng. He left the city as quickly as he could, escaping the pleading and wailing masses as he finally made it beyond the outer walls of the city. He followed the roads that led east, then turned sharply north when he reached the pine forest of Goresthin. He walked along a babbling brook, stopping only for a few moments to drink from the cool, crystalline waters and eat a mouthful of bread and dried apricots that he had packed in his satchel.
“The evening light fell darkly upon the hills before the mountains, barely lighting the way for Ravenel as he carefully climbed up the rocky, dry riverbed that led to the cave. He looked up at the waning light through the trees and sighed. He had hoped to reach the lair before the beasts woke to prowl. Along the trail he found scattered bones and large piles of droppings, the sure tell-tale signs of a predator in the area. He stopped to examine the leg bone of a deer and ran his fingers through the grooves.
‘“That’s some set of teeth,’ he remarked as he set the bone back on the ground. He readied his bow in his left hand and pulled one arrow out of his quiver, sticking it in his teeth for quick retrieval while he pulled another arrow and held it to the string.”
“He has no magic,” Leatherback commented, a hint of concern in his voice.
Kyra smiled and shushed Leatherback so she could continue reading. “Another twenty minutes of picking his way up the slope over the lichen-covered rocks in the fading light brought him to a large, black hole that led into the side of the mountain like an ever-open mouth waiting to swallow the unwary. Ravenel felt a shiver run down his spine when he heard the wind howl through the cave, but he shrugged it off quickly, knowing that he had work to do. He crouched low next to a waist-high boulder and scanned the area around him before setting his bow down to reach for his satchel.
“First he pulled out a mini crossbow, made similar to the design an elf warrior might use, with vine and leaf patterns etched into the sides. The weight and balance of the crossbow were of such fine craftsmanship that the weapon could be wielded very quickly and with the utmost precision to deliver a powerful, deadly punch to almost any of the lesser beasts in the realm, despite the fact that it was only a fraction of the size of a normal crossbow. Ravenel had even used this same crossbow to slay a frost bear with a single bolt to the head.
“He rigged the mini crossbow to a harness that enabled him to hang it over the back of his left shoulder for easy access, and a bandolier of bolts, filled with various poisons and toxins, crossed over his chest to ensure easy loading of the deadly weapon.”
Leatherback sighed woefully. “Poisons will not work on the shade. We know that from the book Cyrus gave you before.”
Kyra nodded. “Yes, but this tale has a secret that Masters of Shadow did not tell us.”
Leatherback purred and a slight grin pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Then read on, and tell me.”
Kyra smiled and continued where she had left off. “Then, once the mini crossbow was secure, he reached for the trusty hand-axe that hung from his belt. The blade gleamed as he turned its silvery steel to the side and applied sticky oil to the blade. It was a toxin from the rubosia tenedera flower, a powerful paralyzing agent that he had used on large beasts of prey in the past. Once the oil was in place, Ravenel turned the axe over in his hand and inspected its workmanship. His lips curled upwards in a smile as he read the dwarven runes inscribed along the steel neck.”
“Dwarves!” Leatherback said excitedly. Ever since they had finished reading Ascension, one of the five books in the Chronicles of the Dragons of Kendualdern, Leatherback was always excited when he heard about dwarves.
“Shush, or I’ll never finish the story on time,” Kyra reprimanded.
“Sorry,” Leatherback grunted.
Kyra hid her grin behind the book as she peeked over the top just enough to see the frustration on Leatherback’s face. She had never had a little brother, but she had often imagined that a small brother would act much like Leatherback. A squirmy, impatient soul trapped in a body he could not yet fully control, who never knew when to sit and be still. The only problem was, this particular body was the size of a small house, and tipped with claws and fangs, and that was to say nothing of his ability to fly or breathe fire.
“Continue story,” Leatherback grumbled.
&
nbsp; Kyra’s cheeks reddened and she ducked back behind the pages to make sure Leatherback wouldn’t catch her grinning at him, then she continued. “As if sensing the impending battle, a howl came from deep within the cave, reminding Ravenel that he had not the luxury of time. He quickly hung his hand-axe back on his belt. Rotating the strap of a satchel slung over his right should that held several daggers and other useful items, he pulled the satchel to rest in his lap and removed two vials of flammable oil. He was quick to put a small strip of cloth in each glass vial and then tuck them gingerly into his belt for future use. Ravenel then checked his tinder kit to ensure his striker was easily accessible. He tucked it into his pocket and then he grabbed his bow and stalked off into the cave.
“Each step inside the cave came slow and deliberate as Ravenel searched the darkness before him, refusing to be caught unawares by the likes of a garunda beast. He smelled the foul, musty stench of mold and blood, a most pungent odor that almost had him gagging. He pushed on, pausing whenever he heard an echoing growl from deeper in the cave.
“Deftly he avoided the piles of bones randomly discarded in different areas of the cave. As he went deeper, he discovered signs of human victims as well. He found a dismembered leg here, a bloody, dented helmet there, and the odd shield or discarded sword. Judging by the remains, he guessed there must have been at least fifty to try their luck against the garunda.
“Minutes later the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and a shiver formed goose bumps over his arms. Something moved nearby. There were heavy footfalls on the stone floor nearby, a black form slinked by him, and he spotted red eyes gleaming at him in the darkness. He brought out the striker and lit the cloth attached to one of the oil vials. He threw the vial in the direction of the eyes and watched with glee as the glass shattered and spewed flame all around the cave.