Dragon Redemption

by Valerie Emerson

  An unforeseen circumstance. My apologies, Mystic Nada. I did not realize what the other mortals were up to until it was too late. It was all I could do to save you.

  “Well…thank you…but you didn’t answer my question.” Nada put a hand to her temple and winced.

  The Pirr opened a gap between your material world and another…a prison. Already, the wound heals itself, but it is too late. A Wyrm has escaped.

  “Wyrm?” She’d heard of Wyrms; in fact, she’d seen them. Twisted shadows of dragons, driven by insatiable hunger. Nightmares in flesh.

  Those you know are not true Wyrms. Once, they were like us. Like dragons, it clarified. The Wyrms allied with a race of mortals called the Pirr. Whether the Pirr’s inherent cruelty influenced the Wyrms or the Pirr were corrupted themselves, I know not. It is enough that together they threatened all life. We went to war, stripped the Wyrms of their bonded companions, and exiled them.

  Nada filed the information for later contemplation; she had other concerns. “Why am I in the Astral Plane? I don’t remember entering it.”

  Opening the breach caused a backlash. I sheltered you, but it came at a cost. A Wyrm is free, and I sense it bonding to a mortal. I alone will be no match for it. You must return to your ship and leave. Tell Earth Fleet. Tell Dante.

  “Come with me. You can tell them yourself.”

  I cannot. The newly-bonded Wyrm senses you. It must be stopped—or slowed. Go, Nada. The ancient empire must never rise again. We cannot let their evil gain more of a foothold in this universe. They will destroy us all.

  “The universe? What about Haim? Is he okay? Did he do this on purpose?”

  Their goal was never cooperation.

  “What about the others? My friends?”

  Their fate is tied with yours. Go now. You are out of time!

  Nada snapped awake beneath a prickly bush. It plucked at her clothes as she stood. Her conversation with the dragon felt like a dream, but she knew it had been real.

  Behind her, a devastating bellow split the air. She pressed her hands to her ears and sprinted, pumping her legs with all she had. Splintering trees and earth-shaking roars gave chase. She pushed through the cramp in her side, through the fear in her belly turning her legs to spaghetti.

  “To the shuttle,” she yelled as she passed camp. “We must leave right now!” Her terror and the roaring from the forest galvanized the team into action; most dropped what they were working on and headed for the shuttle.

  Nada stumbled into the spacecraft and fell into the pilot’s seat. She fired the engines and grabbed the radio. “This is Mystic Nada hailing the Verne. The ground team is en route. Prep Verne to leave this system right now.”

  She stumbled over the last words as some of the team took their seats. She glanced back, counted heads—half were still missing. The compelling voice left her no choice. The shuttle door closed, and they lifted off, despite protests from what little crew had made it aboard.

  She considered turning back, but the dragon’s will clamped onto her, pushing her away from Cavey. Her overriding thought: vacate before the Pirr vessel notices.

  The shuttle sped into the elevated atmosphere. She ignored the Verne’s captain’s questions, afraid to share answers over the open channel, only repeating they had to leave the system right away. She’d explain why she’d left people and equipment behind soon enough then would have to convince the captain to do the same.

  Nada focused on reaching orbit, trying not to think of the heated reception she must soon undergo on the Verne.

  Two

  The Secret Council made the big decisions and, as leaders, held Mystics accountable for their actions. Deemed benevolent, they looked out for their members and provided protection from those who condemned or stood against Mystics.

  Dante preferred they did all that from a distance. Today, that distance was gone. He had an invitation to meet with Administrator Andrus, one of the more visible councilors who was, in truth, a decent man. But he was still one in power, and a summons felt like trouble.

  Spring was halfway over, with more grass on the ground than mud for a change, and the sun warmed the back of Dante’s neck. The Mystic breathed deep, savoring the crisp air before he stepped inside the admin building and took the stairs to the third floor.

  Jack sat forward on a cushioned bench, elbows on his knees. He stared at the empty receptionist’s desk—or maybe some point beyond it—as Dante took a seat beside him. Some of Jack’s tension melted away. At least now he’d have someone to share the pain with; although, if this meeting was good, they could celebrate together.

  Dante chuckled at Jack. “You must know something I don’t.” Dante pretended to smack him with the back of his hand. “Talk.”

  Jack ran a hand through his curly hair, laughing as he leaned back. “I was just thinking.”

  “They must have been scary thoughts to have you coiled like a spring.”

  Jack shook his head, then nodded.

  Dante’s eyebrows climbed higher with every gesture, and his curiosity rose with them. “What is it, Jack?” He elbowed Jack gently.

  “Remember that time I OD’ed on whatever that was in the lab? I wound up in the hospital and Julia nearly murdered Isabel?”

  “I’m sure I will never forget that.”

  “I never brought it up, but while I was out, I had this intense dream. It faded when I was awake, you know how dreams do. But lately, I’ve been having it again, and this time it doesn’t fade. It’s as vivid now as if I was still asleep.”

  “Why is this the first I’ve heard about it?”

  Jack shrugged. “I thought it was just a dream, I guess. You know how you have a song playing in a dream, then it’s stuck in your head when you wake up?”

  “That has never happened to me.”

  “Well, then, it haunts me. I dream of never-ending darkness with a terrible hunger, then a voice says ‘they’re coming.’”

  “Who’s coming?”

  Jack tossed his hands up. “That’s what I’d like to know. Too bad I wake up before the voice can answer.”

  “Hungry darkness. Sounds like a Wyrm.”

  “Maybe, but that doesn’t seem right.”

  The door beyond the desk opened. A Mystic in robes peered into the hall. She nodded in recognition of the waiting pair. “Come in. We’ve been waiting for you both.” She stepped out of sight.

  Dante got up to follow as Jack mumbled something unintelligible. Beyond was a large office Dante had visited before, with plush green carpet and a desk bigger than any one person needed. Today, no one was at the desk. Three wingback chairs were placed in a semi-circle around two dining chairs. Andrus and another Administrator sat in the more comfortable wingbacks, and the woman took the third.

  Andrus stood when Dante and Jack came in. “Good afternoon, gentlemen.” He waved at the empty seats. The difference in comfort was so pronounced, it had to be some kind of a message. Dante wasn’t sure how that meshed with Andrus standing up and being polite unless it just meant the older Mystic was nervous.

  Three administrators. Three. Dante used to be one, too, until he’d gotten in trouble. As far as he could tell, it was challenging to get multiple councilors in the same room, much less working toward a single purpose.

  “Andrus. It’s been a while.” Dante put a little more swagger into his walk before taking a seat. Jack sidled into the chair beside him.

  As Andrus settled back into his seat, the female Mystic leaned forward. “I’m Administrator Ute,” she said. “This is Administrator Luthor. You know Andrus.” She inclined her head in the barest imitation of a bow. “We don’t have much time, so we’ll get to the point. We have need of your unique talents, gentlemen.”

  “Doing what?” Jack sounded skeptical.

  “We need your unique skills and power sets. The council wishes to know what the Pirr are up to. We need to know their agenda.”

  “But what of the treaty?” Dante said. “They agreed to a non-aggressi
on pact.”

  Administrator Luthor spoke, “They can be up to something without engaging with humanity.” He raised one finger in a cautionary gesture.

  “As we found out…” Ute said with a sigh.

  “Let me explain.” Andrus met their stares in turn. “We believe the Pirr are finding ways around the treaty without breaking the letter of the agreement.”

  “How?” Jack asked.

  “There was an incident on Cavey.”

  Dante hadn’t heard that planet’s name in years. Despite all that had passed since, his stomach lurched and parched his throat, making him suppress a cough. “What kind of incident?” he rasped.

  “We aren’t authorized to share what few details we have,” Andrus said. “That is part of your task. Find out their true motivations. Learn what happened to the Genevans on the planet’s surface.”

  “What are the Pirr saying?” Jack asked. Cavey didn’t hold as many debilitating memories for him, so he was able to stay on task while Dante’s mind drifted.

  “They have declared the surface uninhabitable. They claim to be ‘fixing’ it.” Luthor said with a sour expression. “So far, we’ve honored our treaty by keeping our distance.”

  Jack nodded. “So why us? We aren’t spies. We’re just Mystics.”

  “You aren’t just anything. You’re two of the most powerful humans in existence. Perhaps the most powerful,” Luthor said, sounding displeased. “But comparing Dante to Coraolis would be like saying one swimming pool has one more cup of water than the other.”

  “Okay.” Jack leaned back. “Objection number two, we’re maybe the most recognizable humans the Pirr know.” Jack gestured at Dante, whose bond with his dragon was so strong, it manifested in his facial features. Only four humans looked that way, and Jack was one of them too.

  “That can be corrected.”

  Dante raised his eyebrows. “Corrected?”

  Andrus held up a hand and stood. “With your consent, we can make you unremarkable. It can be done…with your dragon’s cooperation. And, if you wish, when your mission is over, we will undo it.”

  Dante ran his fingers over his face, feeling the bony ridges. He’d accepted his new appearance; it was just part of his bond with the dragon. He missed looking human, sure, but he wouldn’t trade his dragon for it. He projected an inquiry through the bond and received a mental shrug in return. It had no opinion and didn’t think it would affect their connection.

  “All right. I’m in.”

  “Just like that? Why?” Jack looked shocked.

  “If something is happening on Cavey I want to know what it is. Besides, I always wanted to be James Bond.”

  “This is a serious matter,” Andrus said.

  Dante waved him off. “I know, Andrus. You don’t have to worry about me. What about it, Jack? I’d rather have you at my back than most people.”

  “Since you put it that way—and I’m not ‘most people’—how can I say no? And who’s James Bond?”

  “Jack, I thought you were a big 20th century buff. We have some movies to watch.”

  If Jack was going to have second thoughts, it would have been the previous week. Fake orders were made up to put him and Dante on a far-off ship, out of the way. They were taken to a nondescript building near Earth Fleet HQ, where he went to sleep with one face and woke up with another.

  It was his own face, but the change was so drastic he was startled by every reflective surface. His eyes had softened, the pupils going back to little black circles. His skin was smooth, just skin, and he had to keep his hands in his pockets to keep from touching his own face all the time. His face was sore, but not overwhelmingly so.

  They were given a week to recover. Per orders, Jack and Dante stayed indoors while their faces healed. They stayed at Dante’s apartment, living on takeout and watching James Bond movies. They hadn’t seen Coraolis or Julia. The implication they shouldn’t see each other was out there, but when game night rolled around, Jack decided it was easier to feign ignorance with the high-ups than ask permission. He and Dante threw on some hooded sweatshirts to conceal their faces and went to see their friends.

  It hadn’t required much dragging. Dante was as stir-crazy as Jack, and the only time he showed any nerves was the moment between knocking on the door and Julia opening it. And stared.

  Jack had trouble keeping a straight face and grinned as she peered at them. Her puzzlement gave way to surprise, before she pulled them inside the apartment.

  “What is this? What did you do?” She pressed her hand to Jack’s cheek, gently, as if she thought she might hurt him.

  “It’s for the mission. It’s very hush-hush.”

  She frowned. “I’m not sure you should have come over. Isabel and Ingram are here.”

  Jack froze. Julia and Cor were one thing. He knew they could keep a secret. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Isabel. No, his nerves had more to do with her seeing his ‘human’ face for the first time.

  “Jules? Who is it?” Coraolis called from the kitchen.

  “If we can’t trust our friends, who can we trust?” Dante threw an arm around Jack and propelled him forward. “It’s us, Cor. Jack and I decided to crash your party.”

  “Oh no! Hide the buffalo dip—” Coraolis appeared and went from jovial to concerned in two seconds flat. He gave Jack and Dante the same scrutiny Julia had, but he frowned a lot harder.

  “This was done for your mission, wasn’t it? Are you sure this is wise?” he asked.

  “Jack made me do it.” Dante put his hands up in surrender.

  Jack rolled his eyes. “Oh sure, blame the dumb one.”

  “We didn’t want to leave without seeing you guys,” Dante said, clapping Coraolis on the shoulder. “Hey, it’s fine. I trust Ingram and Isabel nearly as much as I trust you two.”

  “It isn’t too late to…” Coraolis stopped when Isabel squeezed past him to grab Jack’s wrist.

  “Come sit down. Ingram’s got a new dice game…” She looked at Dante’s face, then Jack’s, tilting her head to the side. “Something’s different about you two.”

  “I was waiting for someone to notice,” Dante said. “Yes, I got a haircut.”

  Isabel scoffed. “You got that haircut three days ago, and I already told you you’re pretty. Now come on. Let’s play.”

  Ingram’s eyebrows twitched when he saw the changed Mystics, but he didn’t comment; instead, he dove into explaining the game. They played a while, then switched to a card game.

  Jack was eliminated first and went out to the balcony. The night was cool enough for a jacket, but he liked the feeling of the crisp air on his skin. The sky was washed out by the city lights, and the few stars he saw were probably only satellites. He’d see his fill of stars soon.

  Isabel joined him at the rail, tilting forward to look down at the traffic below. “Are you okay?”

  “Why? Do I seem like I’m not?” Jack gestured at the city and across the open land toward the Academy of Mystics. “It’s nice out here. Gives me a chance for some fresh air.”

  “It is.” She gazed down, a deep line forming between her brows. “You’re acting fine. I know you like it on the balcony. I’m just worried.”

  “Worried?” Sure, he’d gotten a little snarky when Ingram won, but what was game night if not a chance to trash talk his friends?

  She fetched an annoyed sigh. “If you don’t want to talk about it, don’t. I just thought, if you lost your dragon, you’d be upset.”

  “Lost my dragon? No, I…” Jack touched his own cheek, reminded of the sudden drastic change in his appearance.

  “Really, if you need to talk, I’m here.”

  He stifled a laugh that wanted to bubble up. “I haven’t lost anything, Izzy. We need to be incognito when we go out there this time.”

  “Oh. Okay. Good. I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Thank you for asking.” Jack patted her shoulder. “It’s nice to know you care.”

  “Of course I care, dummy.”
She squeezed him around the middle, then stepped back before he could respond. “I’ll miss you when you’re gone.”

  “I’ll miss you too.” He tried to read her expression, but the wind blew her hair into an impromptu veil.

  Jack had wanted to be more than friends with Izzy for a while. Maybe it was time to ask. She’d admitted she cared about him, and they got along great. Isabel had become dear to him without even knowing it.

  “Maybe I could take you out to dinner on a date when I get back?” he asked.

  She pushed her hair out of her face and stepped closer. The line between her brows deepened, causing him to wonder if she and Ingram had something going on; they spent a lot of time together—albeit work time—and they had come over together too. Maybe he’d just put his foot in it. He considered taking the invitation back.

  “If I say yes now, you’ll always think it was because you changed your face.”

  “No, I won’t.”

  “Are you sure about that?” She let out a breath as if she’d been holding it.

  “Is this a no?”

  “No. Not exactly.”

  She stood on her toes and tugged at his collar. He bent forward a little, and she gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

  “Ask me when you get back.”

  Jack stayed rooted as she vanished into the apartment. He turned and leaned on the rail and watched the city with a half-smile.

  A few minutes later, Dante stuck his head out. “Hey, you ready to get going? We’ve got an early flight tomorrow.” He cocked his head. “What’re you grinning about?”

  Jack shook his head. “Nothing. Let’s go.”

  Dante smirked. “Yeah, it looks like nothing. Come on. You’ll have a nice, long spaceflight to tell me all about this nothing.”

  Three

  Coraolis sat back in his chair as Andrus put the coffee pot and a platter of pastries on the glass-topped table. He peeked sidelong at Julia, and she gave him a tiny smile. He was sure she found it as strange as he did to be invited to the elderly councilor’s home, stranger still to be seated in his breakfast nook while the man bustled around the kitchen. Most of all, it had been bizarre to be greeted at the door by Nada, who was sipping coffee in a seat across from them.