by D K Drake
“Good dragon,” Micah said, patting Mertzer’s scales as the rest of his body was battered with wind and sand. “You’re a very good dragon.”
◊◊◊
Javan opened the flap of the tent to the sound of laughter and dancing and music. Night had fallen, and the fifty or so people who made their homes in the oasis were gathered around a crackling bonfire in the center of the small tent village having a grand time.
“We were beginning to wonder if you were ever going to awaken.” Lew, the brown-skinned, dark-haired chief who had fed and housed Javan earlier, offered Javan a seat by the fire and handed him a bowl of soup.
“I had a rough day, but I feel like a new man now.” Steam emanated from the bowl, and Javan decided the thick broth with chunks of meat needed some time to cool before he took a bite. “That rest did me good. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Sorry for trying to kill you. The few visitors we do get are usually bad men who mean us harm.”
“It’s forgotten.” Javan scooped a spoonful of meat and took a bite. He enjoyed the taste of the spicy meat but didn’t dare ask what it was. He could very well be eating something as disturbing as snake or monkey meat, and that would ruin his appetite. “So where’s Varjiek?”
Lew pointed to the far side of the bonfire. “Playing with the kids.”
Javan looked past the dancing adults to the laughing kids. About fifteen children and teenagers swarmed all over Varjiek. The young ones used his tail and legs as a slide while the older ones threw sticks in the air that he would set on fire with his breath. Why hadn’t Javan thought of playing that game with him before? “He looks like he is having fun.”
“As are the children. They have never seen a dragon before. Dragons do not travel through the desert.” Lew lowered his voice and stared at Javan. “So why are you here?”
“Fair question.” Javan had avoided all questions at lunch. His hosts had been too scared of Varjiek to make Javan uncomfortable by interrogating him. Now that they saw Varjiek as a giant toy, they seemed to have lost all fear of him and were back on the offensive. They did deserve answers, though, so Javan resisted the urge to go play with the kids and stayed seated to answer the question like an adult.
“I am a Dragon Collector from Zandador and am competing in the Battle for the Throne. Varjiek is the first dragon in my collection, and we are headed to Keckrick in search of a Dawn Stalker.”
“Dragons live in Zandador, not Keckrick.”
“I said the exact same thing, but Varjiek insists that a young Dawn Stalker is hiding out in Keckrick.”
“Keckrick is a big place filled with mysterious plants and dangerous animals. The humidity can be excruciating, and the people there are at war with one another. How do you plan to find this hidden dragon while battling all those elements?”
Javan’s heart sank at the realization that he had no plan. But he was a Collector and could show no fear. He couldn’t let Lew know how scared he felt. “I’m just trusting my dragon on this quest.” He shrugged, then added, “If you have any ideas, I’m open to suggestions.”
“The northwestern shore.”
A woman whispered the words in Javan’s ear, causing him to jump up and spill the soup all over the ground. “Whoa, lady! You can’t sneak up on a guy like that.”
The plump old woman with short white hair and a long blue dress laughed at him. “At my age, I can do whatever I want.”
“Javan,” Lew said, “meet my grandmother Miranda.”
“Hello,” Javan said, nodding at the laughing woman. “So where did you say I should go?”
“The northwestern shore. One of the few remaining families from the Protector Bloodline lives there. If a dragon is in Keckrick, that family is sure to be protecting it.”
“You’re sure?”
“I am certain.”
“Then I guess--”
Before Javan could finish his sentence, one of the guards rushed up and yelled, “To your tents! A sandstorm is headed this way!”
The music stopped. The kids ran to their parents. And as the people worked together to douse the fire, Lew warned Javan, “Take your dragon and fly away now. This storm could last a few hours or a few days; you won’t be able to travel until it passes.”
“Yes, sir.” Javan shook Lew’s hand. “Thank you for everything. You saved our lives. How can we possibly repay you for that?”
“Collect your dragons. Win the throne. And allow us to come live in Zandador.”
“Did the Dark King ban you from Zandador?”
“It is a long story that you do not have time to hear right now. Get on your dragon, fly out of here and beat the storm.”
“Okay. But I will be back.” Javan nodded at Lew, gathered his things and took off on the back of his dragon toward Keckrick.
◊◊◊
Micah huddled under Javan’s blanket inside the tree hour after hour listening to the howling wind and the sound of the sand slapping the leaves above him. Both the ground and tree constantly vibrated as a result of Mertzer’s body being beaten against the trunk by the wind. He worried that the tree would uproot and expose him to the elements of the sandstorm if it lasted too much longer.
Just when he didn’t think his sanity or the tree could endure one more second of the storm, everything stopped. The wind. The sand. The vibrations. All became quiet. In the silent, cold darkness, Micah tapped Mertzer’s side. “You can move now. Let me out.”
Mertzer groaned and inched away from the opening. Micah crawled out, breathed in the early morning air and checked on his dragon. He had buried his head under his front legs, but sand still covered his body from snout to tail.
Micah lifted Mertzer’s head and softly brushed the sand off the dragon’s closed eyes. “You okay?”
Mertzer’s eyes fluttered open, and all Micah could see in the black pools staring back at him was pain and sadness. He gulped at the realization that his dragon had feelings. “Sorry you couldn’t fit in the tree with me, but thanks for keeping me safe.”
The dragon blinked and offered Micah a slight nod. Were they communicating? In a respectful way? Like friends? Could a dragon be his friend and not merely a slave? Omri would say no, but Micah was beginning to believe such a relationship might be possible.
“Think you can run? There should be an oasis not too far west of here. If you can function at even half your normal speed, I bet we can make it there by sunup. Then we can rest in the soft grass under shade of those trees all day long.”
Mertzer gave Micah another nod, raised himself to his feet and shook until most of the sand flew off him. Once Micah climbed aboard, they took off in the direction of the oasis.
Micah allowed Mertzer to set his own pace, a decision Micah soon regretted when Mertzer chose to merely walk. Eventually, however, Micah’s annoyance wore off when Mertzer’s walk turned into a trot.
His trot never did turn into a run, but they still made it to the edge of the oasis by the time the sun poked through the morning sky. Micah slowed Mertzer to a walk and steered him toward the thick patch of palm trees south of the lake. Before he made it there, though, two young boys blocked his path. One had dark, curly hair, and the other had his hair shaved so short that Micah couldn’t tell what color it was.
“Cool! Another dragon!” Curly hair looked up at Micah. “Can we ride him?”
“Ride him? No! Why would you think you can ride my dragon?”
“The other guy let us ride his dragon.”
“The other guy?” Micah kept the excitement out of his voice. He had to find out if Javan was still here in a way that wouldn’t make these boys think he was a threat.
“His dragon was bigger and could fly,” shaved head said, “but your dragon is awesome, too.”
“You have to be talking about my friend Javan and his Noon Stalker Varjiek. Are they around?”
“Nah,” curly hair said. “They left last night before the storm.”
Last night? Micah was so close to ca
tching them! “Do you know where they went?”
“Sure. He went to Keckrick to collect another dragon.”
“What?” Micah tried not to show his surprise. “He’s going after a dragon in Keckrick?”
“Yeah. I think there’s a Dawn Stalker.”
“I need to help him find this Dawn Stalker. Do you remember where in Keckrick he was going?”
Curly hair shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“I do,” shaved head said. “My mom said she heard Miranda tell him to go to the coast.”
“The coast, huh?”
“Yup.” Shaved head looked proud that he knew something curly head didn’t know. “So can we ride your dragon now?”
“No. I have to get to Keckrick.”
“But Keckrick is like a hundred miles away. Your dragon looks tired, and it’s hot out there. You can stay here with us until it cools down again tonight.”
“I appreciate the offer, but my dragon is fine. He can run fast. We’ll get through the desert before it gets too hot.” Micah grabbed Mertzer’s reigns and pointed him south. He was too close to Javan to let a little thing like heat stop his progress. “No time for rest, Mertzer. We have to get to Keckrick now.”
How about his luck? He would be able to return home with three dragons, not just two. His father was going to be so proud!
Chapter 16
Keckrick
Javan’s first glimpse of Keckrick came in the dark when Varjiek landed in the head-high grass of the region an hour or so before midnight. The dragon had used his size and weight to trample out a campground and ensure no snakes or other uninvited critters were hiding where they wanted to sleep.
The wonderful soft feel of the grassy bed enabled Javan to snooze peacefully until after nine that morning. He still felt weak after having the life zapped out of him in the desert the day before, but the good night of rest combined with the breakfast of energizing fruit he brought with him from his new desert friends got his day off to a great start.
Once Javan finished eating and packed up, they had taken to the skies to try to spot the dragon he had come to collect. Although he didn’t see any dragons, what he did see from the air amazed him.
“This place is extraordinary.” Javan drank in the beauty of the land below him as he soared westward through the sky on Varjiek’s back. Every shade of green he could possibly imagine in every sort of shape and size he could think of covered the land in the form of grass, ivy, plants, ferns and leaves.
Vibrant pink, purple, red, yellow, blue, and orange flowers poked through the greenery on the trees and shrubs in random places. They weren’t just any flowers, though. The colors popped as if they were electrified. He wasn’t sure if the flowers were actually that gorgeous or if everything appeared brighter after being in the flower-free zone of the desert for the past three days.
In addition to the stunning landscape, Javan spotted a few tigers milling along the streams, heard birds singing from the treetops, and took note of several small villages scattered between the trees.
I do like this land. It reminds me of home. The scale beneath Varjiek’s left ear turned from grey to gold. I know I am going to eat well today.
“Let’s pick up the pace and get to the shore. While you hunt, I can walk the coastline in search of the dragon.”
Excellent plan. A patch of scales right under Javan’s hands burst into gold. I am growing hungry and am eager to begin my hunt. Hold on!
The wind slapped Javan’s face and his ears popped as Varjiek went from floating like a lazy eagle to zipping through the air like a supersonic fighter jet on a time-sensitive covert mission. The change of speed also turned the beautiful landscape into a colorful blob that resembled a picture a preschooler might scribble if given a piece of paper and box of crayons.
Javan felt queasy by the time an almost completely golden Varjiek landed on the white sand of the Keckrick coast. Seeing the red ocean wasn’t as much of a shock as the first time he saw it more than a month prior further north in Zandador, but he still didn’t like it. Oceans should be blue, not red. Some of the things he saw here in the Great Rift just didn’t make much sense.
He slid off Varjiek and sat in the sand with his eyes closed hoping the queasiness would soon pass.
Wow! I forgot how much fun flying is. I love that my wings work again! Varjiek flapped his wings, dusting Javan with sand.
“Yeah. That was a real blast.” Javan put his head between his legs to keep from losing his breakfast and covered his ears to keep his eardrums from popping out of his head.
Are you okay? I forgot I had a human riding me who might not be able to handle my maximum speed.
“I’ll be fine.” He waved Varjiek off. “Go. Hunt. Eat. Come back and find me when you’re full.”
Yes, sir. Goodbye! Varjiek left with a whoosh, and Javan soon found himself being lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves lapping against the sand. Without daring to open his eyes, he laid back, covered his face with his hat, rolled up his sleeves and enjoyed the sensation of the cool breeze across his skin.
He could search for the dragon tomorrow. Today he was going to simply be a beach bum. As long as he kept his eyes closed, he could pretend the water was blue, and he was just a teenager skipping school to play at the beach.
He liked the idea of letting himself be a normal kid from Earth for one afternoon, not a man on a mission to collect dragons, overthrow a ruthless king, and free the people of Zandador. Sometimes that pressure was overwhelming.
◊◊◊
“He couldn’t have made tracking him any easier.” Micah stood in the middle of a beaten down circle of grass he and Mertzer stumbled upon a few miles after entering Keckrick. The smashed grass was still green and limp, so the dragon-sized circle had to have been made recently. “But where did he go from here?”
Micah couldn’t see anything but grass from where he stood and fought to remember what the map of Keckrick looked like. He hadn’t bothered to memorize details, because he never thought he would find himself in this tropical land. He had only put in that kind of effort with the desert map because the desert bordered Zandador, and he wanted to be familiar with any territory bordering his homeland.
Now he was cursing himself for not paying more attention the geography of the other regions in the Great Rift. He closed his eyes and worked to picture the map hanging on the wall of the map room in the castle.
From what he recalled, the middle third of the country was uninhabitable due to the thick rain forest and torrential storms that swept through from the coast to the canyon on a year-round basis. The upper third and lower third also experienced constant rainfall, but the rain forest canopy wasn’t as thick, and the storms weren’t as brutal as in the middle of the region.
He shouldn’t need to head too far south, though. His hunt should take him west toward the shore. And since this grass served as a buffer zone between the desert and jungle-like areas, he may not even need to deal with the humidity, plants, and animals found further south.
“That’s what we’ll do, Mertzer.” Micah got his bearings from the early afternoon sun and turned to face the dragon. “We’ll head west straight through the grass.”
Mertzer snorted and stared at Micah. His white scales looked dry and crusty from the morning walk through the desert, and his lifeless eyes told Micah he didn’t have the heart to take another step without some recovery time.
“We can wait until the morning, though. I want to give Javan time to collect that other dragon, anyway.” Micah licked his chapped lips and realized his dragon wasn’t the only one who was parched. “In the meantime, I am going to find some water.”
He grabbed his canteen from Mertzer’s back, then went ahead and unstrapped his bags to free Mertzer from the load he had been carrying for days. Mertzer seemed to appreciate the gesture, because he rolled over and rubbed his back in the grass.
“Stay here until I return. If I’m not back by dusk, go ahead and find something to eat. If I
’m not back by dawn, come find me.”
Having delivered his orders, Micah drew his sword and began cutting his way south through the grass.
He soon discovered that he enjoyed the challenge of tromping through the grass. His muscles had started to atrophy from lack of use over the past few days, and having to slice his way forward for hours made him feel like he was engaging in some excellent sword training exercises.
He thus found himself a bit disappointed when a swipe of the sword ended the grass covered-land and opened up the world of the rain forest. Here at the outer edge, he could walk through the palm trees and ferns and dandelion bushes without having to forge a path with his sword. He missed both the work and the whirring sound his sword made during the blade-cutting action.
That mesmerizing sound was now replaced with a chorus of chirping, buzzing, and hissing animals. The sounds warned him that he would now have to remain constantly on guard in case one of the animals was stupid enough to bother him.
At least the way the long leaves drooped from the trees and the brightly colored flowers popped along the path made the scenery more pleasant than seeing nothing but grass every which way he turned.
The scenery improved even more when he finally found a stream trickling through moss-covered trees. The cool, clear water acted like medicine for his hot, dry skin as he splashed it on his face, and he couldn’t remember ever tasting anything so refreshing when he took his first sip.
After relishing several more sips, he filled his canteen, dodged a leech that nearly attached to his hand, and followed the stream further into the jungle. He figured if he stayed near the water, he would eventually find people. People could provide food for him to eat and a bed for him to sleep on, and he wouldn’t have to worry about them reporting back to his father.
All the people here should have a healthy fear of the King due to the trading relations between the regions. Micah wasn’t sure of the details, but he knew that if Keckrick didn’t meet the quota of medicinal plants Omri demanded, Omri would send a Justice Unit through the portal that connected the two regions. Like in Zandador, the mission of a Justice Unit was to kill and destroy anybody or village who made Omri unhappy.