Firestorm

by Mark Robson

  Two Guardians stepped out from either side of the cave to block Pell’s path. One wore mail of silver with a blue tabard sporting a white dragon motif. The other wore armour of black with a gold tabard bearing a black dragon.

  ‘Halt!’ the Guardians ordered in unison, crossing their spears in a gesture that was clear. ‘Why do you approach the Oracle?’

  Pell stopped and placed his hands upon his hips. ‘It’s my time,’ he responded. ‘Time and past time. The others are here now. Can we enter?’

  As Elian, Kira and Nolita approached, the Guardians looked across at each other as if seeking reassurance. A slight noise behind Elian caused him to look around. The dragons were following in single file, with the fearsome-looking night dragon leading. He hoped Nolita did not look back.

  ‘The Oracle awaits you,’ the Guardians said together. They turned aside, returning to their positions on either side of the passageway. As Elian watched them resume their posts, he realised they were dragonriders. Their dragons were there too, watching from great recesses carved into the cave walls.

  ‘How were the Guardians chosen, Ra?’ he asked silently.

  ‘Do I sense you are concerned that we may find ourselves in such a role?’ she answered. ‘Do not fear, Elian. We are not suited to such a life-purpose. There is adventure ahead of us. I feel it.’

  ‘But they were chosen by the Oracle, weren’t they?’

  ‘Yes.’

  The answer was not reassuring. The fact that the Oracle could issue a dragon with such a binding life-purpose on both rider and dragon made him wonder exactly what sort of role was pre-destined for him and Ra.

  The light in the cave gradually reduced as they moved deeper into the mountainside. Occasional torches burned in brackets fixed to the walls. They had not walked far when the cave widened abruptly, opening into a vast underground chamber. A rocky path descended ahead of them on a zigzagging ramp to the chamber floor. More torches burned on the walls and on cast-iron posts, but despite the flickering light of dozens of torches the roof and far reaches of the chamber were lost in dark shadows. Strange random pillars of rock twisted from the floor of the chamber, climbing up into the darkness high above. Great stalactites and stalagmites gave the impression of teeth in the mouths of side chambers, whilst the occasional gleam of reflected light hinted at possible wealth hidden within the cave’s walls.

  Fascinating shapes and teasing shadows would have demanded attention at any other time, but the eyes of both dragons and riders were drawn as one to a circular hole in the cavern floor. Someone had constructed a low decorative wall around it, with a variety of intricate dragon statuettes standing at regular intervals on the top. It had a diameter that would take a man five long paces to cross and from its depths twisted a strange, luminous, curling vapour.

  The smoke pulsed and swirled with light, but showed no signs of dispersing into the vastness of the chamber. Instead it hung, slowly curling in twisting eddies, fashioning and dissolving hints of familiar shapes in nebulous form.

  The four riders, followed by their dragons, descended the great ramp until they approached the shimmering column of smoky light.

  ‘Is this . . .’ Elian began.

  ‘The Oracle – yes,’ Ra answered, her mental voice full of awe.

  As they stopped in front of the Oracle there was a noise, a whisper of sound much like the faint slithering hiss of a snake crossing stony ground. Elian’s breath caught in his throat. Could this Oracle speak aloud, or would it speak within his mind as Aurora did?

  ‘I am dying.’

  It was a whisper, but a whisper that held the power to penetrate. The young people gazed into the writhing smoke and were startled as the misty substance shifted into the shape of a face. It was the face of a great dragon with eyes of fire.

  ‘I am dying,’ it repeated. ‘To ye four partnerships falls the burden of my restoration. I charge thee with thy life purpose, dragons and riders both. Thine is the Great Quest. Twice before have I issued this charge: twice the restoration has failed. This is the final chance. If thrice this charge should fail, then I shall pass to the Otherworld and the purpose of dragonkind will die. I cannot see your destiny in this. Such knowledge is denied. What help and foresight I can give is contained in this verse. Consider it well.’

  The Oracle’s voice faded and the shape of the dragon’s head began to disperse. ‘What verse?’ they all wondered. ‘What did the Oracle mean?’ Suddenly a booming thought inside everyone’s heads answered the question.

  ‘Beyond time’s bright arrow, life-saving breath,

  Love’s life-force giving, slays final death.

  Orbs must be given, four all in all.

  Orbs to renew me, stilling death’s call.

  ‘Delve ’neath the surface, life’s transport hides,

  Healing, restoring – bright river tides.

  Enter the sun’s steps; shed no more tears.

  Attain ye the orb; vanquish the fears.

  ‘Release the dark orb – death brings me life.

  Take brave ones’ counsel, ’ware ye the knife.

  Exercise caution, stay pure and heed,

  Yield unto justice: truth will succeed.

  ‘Ever protected, the dusk orb lies

  Behind the cover, yet no disguise.

  Afterlife image, unreal yet real,

  Lives in the shadows, waits to reveal.

  ‘Life after death from death before life,

  Enter the new age, through deadly strife.

  Greatest of orbs is – dragon’s device.

  Gifted for ever: life’s sacrifice.’

  The voice stopped. Elian blinked several times, his thoughts awash with confusion. He sensed that Ra was similarly baffled by the strange verses.

  ‘What was that all about?’ he asked her, hoping she would understand the meaning of the twisted rhymes.

  Ra did not answer. Suddenly the shape of the great dragon’s head re-formed in the smoke, its fiery eyes seeming to look directly into Elian’s. For a moment it seemed that the Oracle saw through to the very core of his being. The close scrutiny made him feel naked, small and insignificant; his soul laid bare for the Oracle’s inspection. To his relief the sensation did not last long, for its gaze shifted across the group, pausing briefly to regard each in turn.

  ‘The answers ye seek are in the words I have given ye,’ the giant whispering voice said. ‘Heed them well, for they will lead ye along the path of that purpose for which ye were created. I can lend ye no special strength with which to face the trials ahead. Ye have what ye need. But beware! Only in unity will ye find the strength to prevail. Enmities must be put aside. Day, night, dawn and dusk must work together in this if ye art to succeed. I charge ye now to swear on whatsoever oath ye do hold most dear. Pledge to be true and to hold together as one. Do ye swear?’

  ‘I do so swear.’ The words were out of Elian’s mouth before he realised he had uttered them. The presence of the Oracle was so powerful that he doubted he had the will to deny its order, even had he tried with all his heart. Around him and in his mind he heard his fellow riders and Aurora echoing the oath.

  ‘It is well. Do not delay. My presence fades. The orbs must be brought with all speed. Each orb ye bring will purchase more time, but if I do not receive the final orb by the harvest full moon I shall fail and pass on. On ye depends the future of dragonkind. The purpose that has held dragons to the noble path for millennia lives or dies with me.’

  Chapter Seventeen

  Dragon Pact

  ‘Come,’ Pell commanded as the four riders neared the mouth of the Oracle’s cave. ‘Follow me.’

  ‘What gives you the right to give orders?’ Kira challenged, her eyes flashing with irritation. One look at Kira’s expression and Elian was glad he was not standing in Pell’s boots. The Racafian girl was tough as nails. It would take a fool to face her down when she was in this mood.

  ‘I am clearly the eldest,’ he replied, oblivious to the danger signals. ‘I’ve s
een sixteen rotations. It’s obvious I should lead. Besides, I’ve found a good campsite nearby.’

  ‘Offal!’ Kira retorted, her voice sharp. ‘If the oldest is going to lead, we should listen to Fang. He’s the oldest dragon here. All of the dragons are older and more experienced than we are. Why should it be a rider who leads? The Oracle seemed more dragon than human.’

  It was a good point, Elian realised. He had automatically started thinking about the challenge they had been set. The verses were baffling. He knew he was unlikely to unravel any meaning from them. If anyone could solve such riddling words, it would be a dragon. Dragons were renowned for their clarity of thought, and for wisdom born from long years of worldly experience. This was a dragon problem. It was logical that a dragon should lead. To his surprise, Nolita interrupted the brewing conflict.

  ‘We made a promise – a pact – to work together,’ she said tentatively. ‘“Only in unity will ye find the strength to prevail.” We don’t need a leader. We need to agree.’

  ‘Nolita’s right,’ Elian said quickly, recognising the good sense in her words. ‘Kira, Pell’s already found a campsite. Let’s go and take a look. Staying here’s just wasting precious time. We’ll need to work together to solve the riddles and get the orbs before the harvest moon.’

  ‘Fine then,’ Kira conceded reluctantly. ‘We’ll follow Pell to this campsite of his. The flight will give us all some time to think.’

  Kira gave Pell a final withering look before leaping up Fang’s side and into her saddle. She was so annoyed with the night dragon’s rider that she gave no thought to getting Nolita back into a dragon saddle. Nolita felt emboldened by the encounter with the Oracle. Something inside her had changed. She could feel it. When the great dragon face had appeared in the misty smoke she knew she should have been a quivering wreck on the floor. Instead all fear had slipped from her like a cast-off robe and she had felt strong – strong and bold. The giant whispering voice had spoken to them all, but in her head it had also spoken words of encouragement with an authority unlike any she had ever encountered before.

  It was strange. Nolita could not remember what the Oracle had said to her in secret, but the echoes of its whispering voice had a lingering effect. Could she really be what the Oracle wanted? Could she ride a dragon and complete a quest of great importance? Would she become a heroine like the ones she had always loved to hear about in stories?

  She looked at Firestorm. He was hers and she was his. She knew she could not deny it any more. But although they had not yet left the Oracle’s cave, the bravery she had felt in the presence of the powerful spirit creature was already fading. She took a step towards her dragon. He was watching her intently and she could feel his excitement through the bond. He wanted her to ride him. She took another step, but then the flood of revulsion and fear swept over her again with renewed ferocity.

  Nausea gripped her and she turned with her head in her hands.

  ‘No. I can’t do it. I’m not strong enough.’ Nolita’s voice was barely more than a whisper, but Elian heard every word.

  ‘Yes you can, Nolita,’ he said, misunderstanding. ‘Listen, I know the ride here was frightening. To be honest it scared the hell out of me as well. But not all flying is like that. It’s normally smooth and predictable. It’s hard to describe how wonderful it can be. Come on – don’t miss out. Besides, I can’t leave you here. There’s nowhere for you to go. Climbing down would be impossible. Did you see the cliffs as we landed?’

  ‘I tried not to look,’ she admitted.

  ‘Well trust me, the drop from the ledge outside the cave was vertical for several hundred spans. Let’s get on Ra’s back here. That way you won’t see how high up we are until we’re airborne. As I see it, Ra’s your only way down unless you ask Firestorm to take you.’

  Does Elian know how close I came to that? she wondered. She sighed and turned to eye Aurora with a mixture of suspicion and fear.

  Elian could almost see the wheels turning in her mind. He watched her expression as she cast a glance back at Firestorm. There was a look of sadness about him. Was it guilt that made her look away so quickly, or continuing fear?

  ‘I will not give up on you, Nolita,’ Firestorm whispered in her mind. ‘You are strong enough. The Oracle knows you are. I know you are. I’ll be ready when you are.’

  Elian took her hand gently in his. She was shaking. ‘Come on,’ he said, keeping his voice soft. ‘I’ll tie you to the saddle again. It’ll help you feel safer.’

  Tears rolled down Nolita’s cheeks, but she nodded and allowed him to help her climb up Ra’s foreleg and into the saddle. She minimised touching Ra’s scales with her hands. The feel of them brought a sour taste to the back of her throat and the dizziness she had felt when flying in towards the cave threatened to start again the moment she settled into the saddle.

  Elian was amazed by her reaction. He loved touching his dragon’s scales. He felt it incredible that someone could find the sensation repulsive.

  Elian hoped fervently that Nolita would not be sick this time, but with the wind playing across the mouth of the cave, the launch from the ledge was unlikely to be into smooth air. Taking care not to tie the rope too tightly around Nolita’s body, he secured her to the saddle and climbed up behind her.

  ‘Hold on tight, Nolita,’ he said gently. ‘This will probably be a bit rough again. Be brave. It won’t last long.’

  Elian gave Ra the mental nod that they were ready to launch. Kira and Pell were already airborne on their dragons. In the tunnel behind them Firestorm waited patiently. The day dragon would follow once they were in the air. Elian knew this was not going to be a typical launch as there was no room for Ra to extend her wings whilst they were in the cave. The only time she would be able to stretch them out wide would be when they reached the ledge, by which time they would have run out of acceleration room.

  ‘I’ll try not to drop too far from the ledge when we launch,’ Ra assured him, backing up a few more steps.

  ‘Good,’ Elian replied, ‘because if you do, I’ll not be surprised to see Nolita throw up whatever’s left in her stomach. She’s petrified, Ra, and I’ve got to admit that I don’t blame her. I’m feeling a little scared myself. It’s one thing to fall off a cliff, but we’re about to deliberately run and jump off one. You’ve got wings, but I haven’t, so I can’t help feeling this is an insane thing to do.’

  Ra gave a snort of amusement and then shot forward with the fastest acceleration Elian had yet experienced. As they emerged into full daylight Elian took a sharp intake of breath, and felt Nolita do the same as Ra leaped from the ledge. The dragon’s wings snapped out to full stretch in the blink of an eye. There was the slightest of lurches as she dropped until the lift from her wings increased enough for her to settle into a stable glide. The drop lasted but a split heartbeat, yet it was sufficient to trigger a piercing scream from Nolita.

  ‘Relax, Nolita,’ Elian shouted in her ear. ‘Your screaming might break Ra’s concentration. I don’t want her to crash because of a silly distraction.’

  Ra had used the trick effectively on him during his first flight, and it worked just as well on Nolita. She clamped her jaw shut tight and gripped the front saddle horn with all her might. The air in the high mountain valley was still turbulent. They bounced and lurched through the tricky up and down drafts, following the two dragons ahead.

  Ra gradually caught up with Fang and Shadow, and Firestorm moved forwards to settle into a formation position alongside them. The turbulence calmed abruptly as the four dragons flew out of the tight valley throat and into a wider, less extreme valley beyond. Pell and Shadow turned to the left and descended towards an extensive area of woodland in the broad valley basin. The other dragons followed. Within a minute or two they all landed gently in the meadow next to the eastern edge of the woods where a stream emerged from the trees.

  No sooner had Ra landed than Elian began to help Nolita out of the saddle. He knew she would be keen to get off Ra’s
back as swiftly as possible, and he could feel that Ra was eager for the same result.

  On reaching the ground Nolita staggered across to the stream, fell to her knees and began scrubbing her hands with fearsome vigour in the clear water. The frenzied cleaning clearly brought her comfort.

  Kira went to the edge of the woodland to take a look around. Pell followed a few paces behind her, his strutting gait oozing self-confidence. Elian strode to intercept them, anticipating an explosion if he was not at hand to mediate.

  ‘It’s a good spot,’ Kira conceded grudgingly to Elian as he approached. She gave Pell a sideways glance and Pell’s lips twitched for a moment into an expression that Elian interpreted as smug satisfaction. ‘The water looks clean,’ Kira observed. ‘The tree canopy is dense and there’s plenty of material to build a shelter. I’ve already seen rabbit and deer, and there’s lots of bird life. We can send the dragons out hunting whilst we build our shelter and set a fire. What do you say, Elian?’

  ‘I’m fine with that, but what do the dragons say?’ Elian asked, deliberately furthering Kira’s earlier point about dragons being equal to humans.

  ‘We should stop here. Thinking time would be useful. Firestorm agrees,’ Ra said.

  ‘Ra and Firestorm are in favour,’ Elian relayed aloud.

  ‘Fang too.’

  ‘And Shadow,’ Pell said. ‘A shelter won’t take long to build if we all help. Is Nolita all right? She seems a little strange. Is all that washing necessary?’

  ‘It is to her,’ Kira snapped. ‘Washing helps her cope. Her fears are so strong they stop her enjoying things that we take for granted. Unfortunately her worst fears are of dragons and heights. She’s done well to get this far.’