by Linda McNabb
‘It would have been better to let the dragon die.’
Seth turned to see Neras sitting cross-legged in the darkest corner of the room. He was still just a faint outline but Seth could tell the boy was worried.
‘I couldn’t,’ Seth replied with a heavy sigh and a shake of his head. ‘It would have been my fault and I never again want to be responsible for the death of any living thing.’
‘I guess the dragon would have influenced you as well,’ Neras agreed. ‘I can’t stay out of the staff for long but I needed to give you some advice.’
‘Why can’t you stay?’ Seth asked. He had almost grown used to having someone to talk to in the short time they had been gone from High Gate. He doubted he would be making any friends here at the castle either.
‘I’d rather not be near Oran. It’s a long story but we don’t have time for that. You need to listen to me…
Seth nodded that he was listening.
… the dragon will try to kill you.’
Seth felt one eyebrow rise as he stared at the shadowy figure in the corner. The longer he stared at the young wizard the clearer the image became until it was almost as if the boy was actually there. The torn and burnt clothes seemed even worse now that he could see Neras clearer. It looked as if he had been attacked by a dragon himself! After a dozen heartbeats Seth frowned. Eagan hadn’t mentioned this. ‘Why?’
‘It is her nature. If she kills you she will be free to fly off and kill anyone she comes across. Only you can stop her.’
‘Her? How you know it is a female?’ Seth asked.
‘White dragons are male, black are female.’ Neras sounded distracted.
‘So how do I stop her from killing me?’ Seth asked turning to the doorway as he heard footsteps in the distance down the corridor. Then he looked over at the egg which sat on the exquisitely embroidered bed cover. It was barely glowing and the dragon inside wasn’t moving at all. He figured the dragon wouldn’t be that big when it first hatched so how much of a threat would it really be? Perhaps it was able to breathe fire at birth?
There was no reply from Neras and Seth turned back to the shadows. The young wizard was gone. Seth frowned and sighed deeply. This vanishing trick was getting annoying.
The footsteps slowed as they came nearer and Seth wasn’t surprised to see Ryker appear at the doorway. The apprentice looked pleased at the green clothes and nodded.
‘I still don’t know if he’s strong enough to control the dragon. Is it really worth the risk?’
Seth had to force himself not to let his gaze stray to the hazy form in the corridor just behind Ryker. Ryker gave no indication that he had heard the wizard and smiled at Seth. It made Seth’s skin crawl and he looked down at the floor, pretending to be bowing in greeting.
‘Seth, are you rested? I thought perhaps we should hatch the dragon tonight. Bring it along and we’ll get started shall we?’
Seth tried to shrug as if he was unconcerned but he was nervous. He wished there was some other way to save the dragon as he had a very bad feeling about what he was about to do.
He picked up the egg easily with one hand and tucked it against his side, then reached out and picked up the staff with his free hand. He leaned on it as if balancing the weight of the egg. He needed to talk to Neras again and he was keeping the staff close by just in case there was a chance. He didn’t fancy facing a fire-breathing dragon without knowing how he was supposed to protect himself. Ryker looked a little surprised but made no comment as walked over to join him. Seth followed Ryker down the corridor with the semi-invisible wizard trailing along behind him.
Seth had seen castles before and even been inside a couple during his years living rough. Often he had found work in the cellars or kitchens, but it never lasted long once the livestock started dying and the food spoiled suddenly. He knew his way around the lower levels and had found that most castles had been designed in similar ways. The corridors they travelled upstairs were sumptuous and expensively decorated, with windows that looked out onto the rolling countryside. Below ground there would be just as many corridors, but they were usually dark, damp and smelly and used only by the servants to make their way unnoticed to serve their masters.
They went up several sets of stairs and finally up a spiral staircase that wound around the inside of one of the towers. The room it led to filled the entire top floor of the tower and commanded a view of the entire land nearby and over the distant marshes. It was clearly the room of a wizard with spell books lying open on various small tables next to well-used thick candles. Scrolls lay on the floor and an unmade bed by the window made Seth wonder why the apprentice bothered with a whole castle when it was obvious he spent most of his time in this one room. A layer of dust lay on many surfaces so Seth guessed the castle staff were not permitted up here.
One side of the room was partitioned off with heavy dark green curtains and Ryker walked over to them and dragged them aside. Seth gulped as the other half of the room was revealed. He was sure that nothing would surprise him now, but still he found his mouth dropping open as he stared.
The entire side of the room was encased with immense metal bars creating a very large cage. The top of the room was three times as tall as Seth and he could only guess that it had been built to imprison a dragon but he had no intention of asking.
‘You can put the egg down in there,’ Ryker said, swinging back a human-sized door and holding it open for Seth.
Seth avoided eye contact and made a show of struggling in with the egg as if it were heavy and placed it down gently in the middle of the huge cage. It was duller still and Seth gulped as he wondered if they were too late already.
‘It shouldn’t be heavy. The bond is not strong,’ Oran said in a sour tone as Seth came out of the cage.
‘Right, let’s get our deal done first,’ Ryker said with a broad smile as he placed one hand on Seth’s shoulder and guided him over to a table near the window.
‘This is more than our agreed use of magic. Can’t you just make him promise to obey you?’ Oran asked.
Seth let his eyes flick past where the wizard’s voice came from and saw an old man standing in the shadows holding a leather-bound book.
‘Now then, Seth. There’s just one more thing we need to do before we hatch that dragon of yours,’ Ryker said and put his hand in his pocket. He drew out a pendant on a thin leather necklace. The pendant was a large black circle with four arrowheads sticking out at spaced intervals. Seth noticed that it was the same design he had seen on the castle gates and it was also stitched onto the top of his green tunic. It was a label that said he was owned by Ryker. ‘I thought you might like this.’
Seth reached out and took the pendant and frowned at how cold the metal was. He held it for several seconds and Ryker kept staring at him until he slipped the leather thong over his neck. The metal settled against his chest and sent a shiver through him.
‘Bind!’
‘Bind, obey and honour – forever,’
Seth moved back a little in surprise as the apprentice snapped out the single word, echoed and added to by the wizard. It didn’t sound like a simple contract to do a few tasks for the apprentice. He knew in an instant that he would rather risk the mists of the marshes and head back to Eagan than work for this man. He reached down to take the necklace off. He would take his egg and leave.
He reached inside the neck of his tunic and frowned as he found nothing. The necklace and pendant were gone even though his skin still felt as cold as if it were still there.
‘And now we hatch your dragon. Shut the cage door after you go in,’ Ryker said, and the tone of his voice had changed completely. Gone was the gentle, encouraging man who only wished to help and Seth looked up to see the apprentice staring at him with a cold expression. ‘I won’t ask twice.’
Seth gulped and shook his head. ‘I’m leaving.’
‘Really?’ Ryker said in a slow drawl and both eyebrows rose as if daring him to do so.
Seth p
ulled his shoulders back as he straightened up to look the apprentice in the eye. Ryker simply returned the look with building impatience. Seth took one step towards the cage, intending to pick up the egg and go but a sudden stabbing pain shot through his chest. He doubled up in agony and gasped for breath as an intense coldness spread through him. As he thought about leaving again the pain increased. His heart sank as he knew he had made a deal that couldn’t be broken.
‘Aren’t you leaving?’
Seth looked up as a tear escaped the corner of his eye. He swallowed hard as he shook his head and the pain began to subside. He straightened up and walked into the cage then pulled the door shut. The metal bar clicked loudly into place and he stood still. What had just happened? What sort of magic had been done? He felt a dread fill him as he realised that he had left his escape too late. Seth realised he was still holding Neras’ staff and he wished he had listened to him. It looked as if there wouldn’t be time to hear what advice the wizard had wanted to give him.
‘Hatch!’
‘Hatch, come forth and serve.’
The egg cracked with a sound that hurt Seth’s teeth and he felt like his feet were glued to the stone floor as he watched. The egg glowed brighter and brighter from the crack and then a light exploded around him and he shut his eyes against it. He could see purple flashes against the inside of his eyelids and knew he wouldn’t be able to see even if he did open his eyes.
Another loud crack told him the egg had broken open. Seth tried to slow his breathing as now was not the time for his fear to rise up and kill the young dragon. Now that Seth had traded his freedom for the dragon it would be wasted if she died.
‘He won’t last more than a few seconds. Get ready to run! You’ve just wasted more magic than you should have used in fifty years.
Seth flicked his eyes open and for a second he wondered if the dragon was even in the cage with him. All he could see was black. He blinked a few times and then realised that it was the dragon he was looking at. The dragon sat motionless and her red eyes focused on Seth with a menacing glare. Seth wondered why the dragon had bothered to choose him if it intended to kill him anyway.
The dragon’s hide was either wet or so smooth it shined and a small flame licked around her nostrils. Seth wondered why she hadn’t already attacked then he saw her head sag slightly. The dragon was very weak although she was doing her best to hide the fact.
‘What is the meaning of this?’ the dragon asked, looking at the bars and walking slightly unsteadily towards them. She reached out one claw and swiped at them, cutting cleanly through them as if they were made of paper. Seth was amazed and more than a little nervous. Ryker’s horrified gasp showed he hadn’t expected this.
The dragon sat down, appearing to be trying to gather her strength, and then it turned to face Seth.
‘And you are the one I felt? You are nothing more than a child, no match for MoonFlame. Once I have killed you… and the puny one over there, for I detest wizards and their keepers… I will leave.’
‘MoonFlame, is that your name?’ Seth asked, wondering if talking would distract the dragon long enough to think of a way to get Neras out of the staff and ask him what to do. He flicked his gaze over to Ryker and saw that the apprentice was backing slowly out of the room. ‘Mine is Seth.’
‘You almost let me die!’ MoonFlame snapped and a jet of flame shot out of her nostrils. The dragon stood up and advanced on Seth with a glare of hatred.
‘I didn’t know. I thought they would take you away,’ Seth replied as he backed away several steps.
‘Only a coward retreats,’ MoonFlame said in a low snarl. The dragon reached forward with one leg and swiped at Seth. Seth ducked away but the edge of one claw raked across his shoulder. Pain coursed through him and he clasped one hand over the wound that was already bleeding profusely.
He felt an anger rise within him and he straightened up and glared at MoonFlame.
‘I did not go through all I have done to be treated like this!’ Seth shouted. ‘I have done it all for you. I could have just let you die. You may not like humans but without me you wouldn’t even be here!’
Seth took a step towards the dragon. If he was going to die he would do it without fear.
‘So do your worst. Be alone in the world. I can tell you that it’s not a lot of fun. Even someone like you needs a friend.’
Seth stood his ground and continued to stare at the dragon. A small frown tugged his eyebrows down as he saw the dragon shrink back a little and then lower her head.
‘You take life,’ MoonFlame said simply. It pointed with one claw at several dead mice in the corner of the cage and then sagged a little more. It looked at Seth with a mix of revulsion and fear. ‘Do not take more or I will die.’
Seth’s eyebrows went from a frown to almost vanishing into his messy blond hair in surprise. Instantly, he pulled back his anger and slowed his breathing. The dragon recovered a little but did not advance again.
‘You should get your wound stitched.’
‘How do I know you won’t try to kill me as soon as I turn my back?’ He eyed the dragon a little warily.
‘You don’t. For now we agree not to kill each other. The strongest one will rule when next we match our wits and minds.’
It was as good as Seth was likely to get and he nodded once as the dragon scooped up the dead mice and ate them. He turned around and headed for the door of the obviously useless cage. Ryker was nowhere in sight and it wasn’t until the cage door banged against the metal that the apprentice showed his face at the door.
‘You’re still alive?’ Ryker said in surprise. He flicked his gaze from Seth to the dragon and back again.
‘What did he do? It should have killed him.’
Seth would have liked to answer the wizard but he still didn’t want to let on that he could hear – not yet. There might be a way to break the bond of oath to service and if there was he wanted to find it. Being able to overhear them talk might give him some clue as to how to do it.
‘You might as well dismantle the cage,’ Seth said with a shrug. He had no intention of telling Ryker what had happened. Then he frowned as he looked back at the dragon. It was already larger by almost half again. It was growing very fast. ‘How is it supposed to get out of there?’
‘The roof can be removed,’ Ryker replied, pointing to a crank handle on the wall that looked like it would wind back a curtain or open a high window.
‘I am hungry. I wish to hunt.’ MoonFlame approached the cage but did not attempt to destroy it.
‘Would you open it then?’ Seth asked, nodding at the blood oozing through his fingers as he kept the pressure on his wound.
Ryker looked irritated at being told what to do but one glance at the dragon spurred him into action and the apprentice quickly wound the roof open. Seth smiled despite the pain in his shoulder. It seemed the power wasn’t totally held by Ryker when he had a dragon on his side. He hid the smile with a cough though, as irritating an apprentice and a wizard was probably not in his best interest.
MoonFlame flapped her immense wings a few times and shook them as if drying them, then leapt into the sky with a speed that made Seth realise that the dragon would have just gone through the roof if they hadn’t been able to open it.
‘No eating humans!’ Seth shouted after the dragon and received a roar in reply. It was a frustrated sound and Seth hoped the dragon would obey. He stared at the dragon as it flew off. Seth knew he was the stronger of the two for now, but what would happen when the dragon recovered and grew larger and stronger?
Ryker looked at him again with a puzzled expression as if trying to work out how a young boy had managed to tame the huge beast. The apprentice went to the door and pulled hard on a long, thick cord that hung in a recess in the wall. Hurried footsteps came closer and a breathless woman peered in the door. Her eyes opened wide in surprise as she took in the cage and the open roof, then the blood on Seth’s shoulder.
‘Stitch his sho
ulder,’ Ryker said, and dismissed them both with a wave of his hand.
Seth followed the woman out of the room and heard the apprentice and his wizard talking as the door shut.
‘Do you suppose he really can call on the wizard in that staff?’ Ryker asked.
Seth looked down and realised he had been holding the staff all along. Blood had dripped on it and he wiped it on his tunic.
‘Impossible. The dragon would not have accepted him as master if he was an apprentice.’
Seth grimaced a little as the voices faded away. The dragon hadn’t actually accepted him at all. It was simply a truce for the moment. He looked down at the staff again and hoped he had time alone to talk with Neras before the next battle of wills.
The woman led him down to the lower levels of the castle and to a room with a narrow bed against the wall. Rows of jars lined one wall and Seth guessed this was where any ails were treated.
‘Now just sit still, young master,’ the woman said as she fussed around getting hot water in a bowl and laying out several very large needles on a cloth. ‘My name’s Clara.’
Seth laid the staff down next to him and tentatively lifted his hand. The wound was still oozing, and was quite deep, but at least it had gone numb. Clara peeled back his tunic and stared at the injury with a frown.
‘What in the marshes have you done? Were you having a sword fight with the master?’
‘Something like that,’ Seth said and went to shrug, but Clara pushed his shoulder to keep it still.
‘Well, a right mess you’ve made of this,’ she said, tutting disapprovingly. She nodded at his green clothing. ‘I take it you’re here to stay.’
Seth didn’t reply for a few seconds. He had no idea if this woman would run straight to Ryker with anything he told her. ‘Maybe.’
Clara helped him take the tunic off completely and she looked at him and pressed her lips together, then nodded knowingly. ‘You’re staying. Better get used to it.’
When Seth looked at her with a puzzled expression she went to a drawer and took out a hand mirror.