by Darren Lewis
Blue closed his eyes, hoping by shutting down one of his senses he could make another stronger.
Rarely are we given a choice, my friend and even if we both were given a different path to follow we wouldn't take it. Both you and I have seen too much and know what is at stake.
Blue's forehead furrowed as he heard the other side of the conversation for the first time. Strangely the voice was clear and he was puzzled as to why he couldn't hear it previously.
“No. No we wouldn't. Have you received any news about our friend's whereabouts?”
No. Nothing. The 'voice' offered sharply and Tarvos sighed in response.
“I see. We can but hope. I'm sorry for contacting you like this…thank you…goodnight.”
Anytime. Goodnight, my friend. Sleep well.
The creak of a leather chair echoed into the hallway and Blue could picture the chair being used. A great, hulking leather beast of furniture, it was Sir Tarvos's favourite to use as a match to his physical presence when dressing down a student. It was also just beyond the line of sight of the door. Sweating and risking possibly a great deal more than a leather strap or switch to his backside just to satisfy his curiosity, Blue gripped the edge of the doorframe and leaned into the room and found himself looking straight at Sir Tarvos. His hand clenched the wooden frame of the door so hard he feared the wood itself would crack and Blue thought he might lose control over his bladder. His heart seemed to falter causing a fresh sheen of sweat to erupt on his face. But Sir Tarvos didn't move, he was sat in his leather chair with his great arms resting on his legs, leaning forward. Blue could see him as the instructor had moved the chair to where a student would normally be standing. Sir Tarvos's gaze was somewhere far from his study and far from the walls that made this place. In that look Blue could see emotions he'd never equated with this man, worry, trepidation. As Sir Tarvos remained in place, staring into nothingness Blue heard the wooden thud of a door closing nearby and realised his luck must be at breaking point. He ducked back out of the doorway and into the dark corridors, making an uneventful trip back to his dorm room. Once there he celebrated the fact he didn't run afoul of the instructors with his bunk mates and settled down for the remainder of the night. He didn't know why but he had no intention of telling anyone what he'd seen and it was only when sleep was close that he remembered he didn't see anyone else in Sir Tarvos's study for the instructor to hold a conversation with. Puzzled, Blue had assumed he'd fallen asleep as he remembered a voice, though slightly different in tone, once more that night.
Goodnight, Blue.
It was now, a few years later that the memory returned to Blue while walking down the aisle towards the man he'd seen that night looking quite lost. Regardless of whatever expression he wore back then, Sir Tarvos was every inch the dominating presence he usually projected, his face as expressive as granite and his eyes as hard as that particular stone. In front of the stage was a lectern, placed so students could stand before their peers. When a student was ordered to take this position it marked that student's most important day in the Academy, so far at least. Blue finished his walk and stepped onto the small step leading to the lectern. As was customary the student would remove their riding jacket and place it on the grass behind them. No matter what happened next this would be the final time they would wear the riding jacket of a student. Blue did as hundreds before him had and turned to face what those approaching their sixteenth birthday called 'Doomsday.'
“Blue Cal-Tea.” Sir Tarvos invoked Blue's formal name, referencing Blue's sponsors through the academy, the rider Galatea and her dragon, Calda. “Today is the day of ascension. Today you may ascend into the light or descend into the darkness.” Blue nodded and swallowed nervously at Sir Tarvos's words and he hoped his anxiety did not show. “For twelve years you have acquitted yourself with honour towards the goal every student here aspires to.” Blue experienced a shiver ripple the length of his spine and the large breath he took that filled out his chest was one of intense pride that his studies and achievements hadn't been in vain. “But though some can enter this establishment with their hearts pure and intentions good it does not qualify them for the privilege they seek.” Sir Tarvos paused a moment and any whispered conversations occurring among the students stopped immediately to be replaced with an awful silence. Blue frowned and flicked his eyes over each instructor on the stage. “Despite your intentions and fortitude we find you, Blue Cal-Tea lacking and we must offer you into darkness.” Blue's mouth moved, repeating Tarvos's final word but no sound came forth. His face was heavy as if disbelief had robbed him of any expression. His confusion was absolute. Though anxiety and nervousness could dream up any black future in the dead of night, Blue was sure, no, certain that today he would ascend! His instructors had not spoken to him on any fault he needed to correct, his classmates, envious that he would be first to ascend, had the decency to compliment him and assure him that his sixteenth birthday would be one of celebration.
“Lady Galatea. Please escort your charge Blue Cal-Tea away. His name will be struck from our history and the name Blue will never be assigned again at this hallowed place. This matter is closed.”
But I'm one of the best riders. Blue screamed in his mind. Calda told me so himself and he wouldn't have lied!
Blue took an involuntary step backwards and his arms were grabbed none too softly. He was turned and led back down the aisle. Faces of those sitting about him didn't register and he searched for Copper to no avail. Every face was as clear as the sky. Every face was a blur. Blue made no protest, could make no protest, as the person called to handle him, guided his path all the way back to the Academy where two large wooden doors marking the main entrance were standing open to receive him.
* * *
Lady Galatea was infamous within the stone corridors of the halls. As a person she was fiercely loyal to Sir Tarvos and equally dedicated to the students under her tutelage and sponsorship on condition she was shown complete dedication by her class and absolute respect for the mounts the students trained upon. At just under six feet in height she did not often find herself craning her neck up to speak to someone. As befitting such a prestigious rider her clothing was black leather, each piece handmade and crafted just for her use. For practical purposes in the air, Galatea wore her hair short which emphasised the pixie quality of her face. Many a student, both male and female, had developed a crush on the instructor. She was demanding, fierce, passionate and above all else a rider of high calibre. Every student, regardless of age, had watched Galatea and her grey dragon, Calda, take to the skies to demonstrate the spectacular flying manoeuvres achievable between a bonded human and dragon. But it was not only the prowess of the pair shown in the air that accounted for their fame. What all trainee riders saw was the adoration and respect that so clearly existed between the two. Rather than an emotion such as love to be the topic of many a joke amongst children and teenagers they witnessed a pure form of affection, the likes they themselves had never experienced. In addition, the fact that the affection was bestowed by such an incredible creature as a dragon was something they all dreamed of.
Blue was one of the select few entrusted to ride upon Calda's back. That honour alone accounted for many at the Academy thinking Blue would ascend with ease, along with Blue himself. The young man was still shocked at the decision levelled at him and he replayed the event over and over thinking Sir Tarvos must be mistaken and that any moment the doors to the large gardens would swing open and apologies would be bestowed upon him. The doors remained resolutely shut, and Blue irrationally hated them for not opening. The two continued moving along a dark corridor lit only by oil lanterns every thirty feet towards the rear of the large building to a set of winding stone stairs. Galatea gently positioned Blue ahead and nudged him to proceed her. As he took the first step downwards, the jolt of hitting the cold stone seemed to jolt the grey dragon's words loose into Blue's addled mind.
“You were born to this, my friend. To ride dragon back with ea
se is a formidable task. Galatea's sponsorship of you may one day change the Academy itself.” Calda had spoken to Blue as they'd soared into the pristine sky above the low murky cloud level chilling the land below. Blue had shivered uncontrollably, not with cold but with the intense pleasure of approval.
“My thanks, Calda. Ascension is close and despite my frayed nerves I think I'll do well.”
“You should.” The dragon had agreed, turning his head to fix an eye on Blue. “But remember that nothing is certain and ascension itself is to not only open oneself to another but the reality of the world we live in.” Blue had nodded perfunctorily, not really paying attention to the final piece of advice, but it seemed that nothing was going to stop his success on his sixteenth birthday.
Blue screwed up his face in confusion once again and shook his head. Calda's words from that day faded and he experienced the walk to the lectern once again, taking in Sir Tarvos's eyes and their grim appearance. Blue stopped his descent causing Galatea to curse and place her hands on his shoulders to steady herself.
Those eyes. Blue thought. Maybe Sir Tarvos did see me that night in his doorway. I saw a weakness, a different man that night. Perhaps he'd planned this all along! Blue brushed the hands from his shoulders and turned to face Galatea.
“This is wrong, Lady Galatea! You know it! Calda knows it! I shouldn't be here; you know that Ma'am. He wants me gone. I…I don't know why.” Just as had happened that night, Blue found he could not share what he'd seen in Sir Tarvos's eyes and what he'd heard. Galatea sighed impatiently.
“Remember your station, Blue Cal-Tea.” The lady rider chastised the young man. “I feel for you, Blue. But the decision has been made. I'm not privy to everything that goes on here but Sir Tarvos must have his reasons.”
Blue's lips moved soundlessly and for the first time he felt the enormity of the last ten minutes as if a gigantic weight were suddenly pressing him down into the ground. His knees trembled and Galatea's strong hands caught Blue under the shoulders to stop him from falling.
“But what now?” Blue whispered and he looked up into Galatea's eyes. There he saw his instructor was not lying. He saw regret, but something else that scared him more than creeping about the halls late at night, Blue saw pity. His own eyes widened in response as the rumours and especially the horror stories that were told late at night to all new students, in a cruel initiation, of what would happen to them if they failed to ascend. Blue had not thought of them for years and now the memories cruelly returned. He recalled sitting in his bunk at five years old and listening to an older student retelling the story that would induce nightmares in many of them.
“You don't think a dragon-rider, even a failed one, is allowed out of here, like that?” The older student snaps his fingers and it's the sound of bones breaking. “First they take your memory. The Lord of all dragons strips it away and it's like acid upon paper!” The boy hisses and waggles his fingers in the air. “Once the fire in your mind is raging the instructors burn you with a brand on your chest, so everyone knows of your failure. You'll be an outcast amongst humans and riders. Reviled by both and chased away from anywhere you dare lay your head!”
“Kill me.” Blue pleaded, tears of anguish and loss falling unashamedly down his cheeks.
“I have no choice, Blue. Remember that above all else I beg you.” As Blue was already in such a confused state it took a few seconds for him to realise that an instructor such as Lady Galatea would never speak such words. He quickly blotted the tears from his eyes, but before he could question her further, Blue saw Galatea's eyes look briefly over his shoulder. He began to turn on instinct but the sharp, icy jab on his neck merely led him into the dark.
Discoveries
“As far as we can ascertain we actually have two problems. The breach or rift is one and we know where that is and can actually see it. The second problem is a bit trickier.” Murmurs began in the small audience and Blue drifted lazily above their heads to get a better view of the speaker.
“It was called the Great Attractor. The best we can say in position is that it sits on the other side of the Milky Way, millions of light years away. The glare of stars and the centre of our own galaxy prevents us from observing it directly.” Blue could see the speaker and he snorted a laugh. It was Copper! Blue drifted to the ground and sat down on a bench, he nodded respectfully to the two dragons sitting either side of him. He didn't recognise them and he didn't really wonder at how they could fit inside this room.
“What we can see is a slew of galaxies being drawn in, pulled towards this expanse.” Copper explained hitting a stick against a blackboard. Blue squinted at the blackboard as at first he saw nothing at all, but the longer he stared the deeper the blackboard seemed.
“That's right, Blue. Keep looking.” Copper told him, as a forked tongue wriggled from his lips. Blue concentrated further and in the next moment felt himself surrounded by the black and accelerating out of control into the void before him. Blue screamed but there was no sound.
“Calm down.” A voice advised. “I will see you soon.” The voice didn't return but Blue was left with a feeling of confidence. He smiled and continued his race down the dark tunnel.
* * *
Blue rose from the murky depths of sleep in pleasant fashion. He was warm, comfortable and more than anything could not wait until he chose his dragon after ascendency. That blurry daydream brought him fully awake in an instant. He pushed up from the bed and hit his head on a wooden beam.
“Bollocks.” He hissed through clenched teeth rubbing the back of his head rapidly. Shaking his head in annoyance Blue rolled carefully over and came face to face with a chicken. It stared down at him with the disdain that the majority of fowl carried on their faces when confronted with humans. Blue rolled his eyes left to right as he tried to remember the night before. “How much did I drink last night? And where the hell am I?” He asked the chicken but it simply pecked at something more interesting on the rafter than Blue before trotting off. As Blue frowned and followed the chicken's progress along the beam he was able to study where he had ended up. Blue lay on a shallow cot, just big enough for his shoulders to squeeze on. His legs and waist were covered in a grey wool blanket. To his left was a wooden wall and judging by the darkness above, Blue assumed he was near the roof. A look to his right confirmed this and Blue saw he was on a narrow platform, twenty or thirty feet above the floor. Hay bales were stacked as neatly as hay bales could be stacked and at the far end of the building Blue could see the foot of two large doors.
“What on earth am I doing in a barn?” Blue could still not retrieve any memory of the night before and assumed all this was Copper's idea of a practical joke.
Blue rolled back onto his front and inched his way off the cot, the gap between the cot and a nasty fall was less than two feet and Blue did not want to ruin joining with a dragon by breaking any bones, though he was quite adamant that Copper might not be quite as lucky when Blue got his hands on him. Blue caught sight of the top of a ladder close by and he breathed a sigh of relief. He crawled over and gingerly eased his legs onto the rungs. The wooden ladder creaked and groaned at Blue's weight and he screwed his face up in anticipation of a crash landing amidst sharp stakes of wood. The ladder held firm enough so Blue descended as quickly as he dared. On the ground Blue checked himself out. His fine riding clothes were gone and replaced with a simple pair of black jeans and t-shirt, white trainers and a light grey raincoat. Blue scoffed in disgust, never thinking that Copper would stoop so low as to hide his clothes as they were the most valuable items Blue possessed. Appraisals of attire complete Blue studied the barn but gleaned nothing more than it was daytime and sunny from the streaks of light coming through the wooden planks making up the wall.
The chicken by now had somehow made its way to ground level and was standing near a smaller, man sized door in the larger barn door clucking to be let out. Blue cocked his head and then rolled his eyes.
“Fine. That's just fine, now I'm
playing bloody servant to a bloody chicken.” Blue sighed and walked the short distance to the door and opened it. Golden sunshine streamed into the barn causing Blue to squint, and he was temporarily blinded as he stepped through the door. The chicken clucked once more at Blue before racing off to whatever it needed to do next.
“You're welcome.” Blue whispered in a sour tone.
As Blue's eyes adjusted to the glare the shape of a large house across a field of corn became visible and he could hear the deep grumble of an engine being started in that direction. Blue figured he would have to extricate himself from this embarrassing position devised by Copper and return to the Academy under his own steam. With that in mind Blue started walking towards the chugging engine.
* * *
Blue paused as he neared the large farmhouse. The entire front of the house was catching the hot sun's rays making the off white wood shine almost painfully and turning the windows into square holes of pure white fire. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes and despite the predicament he now found himself in Blue was quite relaxed. The aromas of the farm mixed with the sound of the gentle breeze over the cornfields almost made him wish for more time in this place. Something troubled him though, all he had learned of the majority of the human race led him to believe that places like this didn't exist. That as lower creatures than that of dragons and riders they were forced to eke out a small existence for themselves, scavenging and relying on their betters for sustenance.
“Hey! You!”
Blue opened his eyes and turned to the source of the voice and saw a young girl, perhaps nine or ten, with long brown curly hair, wearing a simple summer dress, staring at him while swinging back and forth on a rope swing hanging from a massive tree.
“You're new here aren't you?” She asked scuffing her feet on the ground, bringing the swing to a stop. “That's okay.” She added before Blue could answer. “My daddy can always use a helping hand around here.” The girl approached Blue completely unafraid and took his hand in her own. He looked into the girl's dark eyes and thought how pretty they were and how they matched her dark, wavy brown hair perfectly. “Thank you.” She seemed to reply to his unspoken thought and led him towards the farmhouse. Blue shrugged half-heartedly. Obviously the girl was offering her thanks in advance for aiding her father in whatever he needed.