The Clockwork Heart

by T Ariyanna

  Cy jumped up from the couch, stretching. “Yeah, fine whatever. Let's go mingle with the locals.”

  They exited the house and the guards immediately responded, crossing their spears to keep Kaitlyn and Cy from wandering. With a polite tone that sounded forced, Kaitlyn said, “We just want to take a walk around. Get to know the Drakens a little better. It's only fair, right? Since we're asking for help, we should know more about you.”

  The guards looked at each other, slowly lowering their spears. “I suppose that should be fine, so long as we accompany you.”

  “I'd like that,” Kaitlyn said, holding her arm out to stop Cy when he stepped towards the guards. They gave her a quizzical glance, but she either didn't notice, or simply ignored it. “If we have any questions, you'll be right there to answer them. Besides, we don't want to get lost, right?”

  Kaitlyn cocked her head to the side, and Cy knew that her eyes were shining. Though her words sounded scripted, there was no denying that she was thrilled by the chance to learn more about the Draken. The guards moved the spears slightly, and Kaitlyn ducked under them and out of the house. Cy followed, smacking the weapons out of his face with a sneer.

  A high-pitched roar broke through the hesitant silence of the guards, and Cy clamped his hands over his head. The sound reverberated inside of him painfully, and he groaned. The ground started to shake beneath him, and his eyes shot open to see that he was the only one affected. The guards and Kaitlyn were keeping their balance, while Cy’s metal was buzzing with the sound wave. Kaitlyn looked around them wildly, but the guards were as unphased as before. Just as Cy was beginning to think he was going insane, Vyekrin came charging toward the guards.

  They dropped their weapons to the ground and backed away from Kaitlyn just as Vyekrin's head came within inches of their faces, teeth bared in a threat. Though the guards lived with dragons, the terror they felt for Vyekrin was clear in their eyes.

  “Vyekrin!” Kaitlyn chirped and she skipped over to him. Vyekrin turned to her, pure joy on his face as she stood on her toes to rub the top of his head. He closed his eyes and made a low rumbling sound in his throat, like a purr. Kaitlyn giggled, and said, “Where did you go off to? I lost you after the meeting.”

  “He came willingly to answer a few questions, and for an inspection. We wanted to be sure he was a true dragon, and not just a shape shifter under false pretenses. The fact that he has returned proves that all went well, so there is nothing to worry about,” one of the guards answered. He stepped towards Kaitlyn as he explained, and Vyekrin glared at him.

  “It's alright, Vyekrin. They're just doing their job,” Kaitlyn soothed him, and the dragon complied.

  “Not that I'm not moved by this touching reunion, but can we go on that walk or not? I'm bored to death over here,” Cy grumbled from his place in the doorway of the house. All eyes turned to him, and he shrugged. “I'm a demon trapped in a metal body. A big dragon isn't all too surprising. Definitely not enough to get worked up about.”

  Cy watched the guards closely during his last statement, but they had no reaction. So they already knew what I am. This should be interesting, then. Does everything in this world have a freaking demon detector in their brain or something?

  The second guard said, “Yes, we can take you through our colonies. We weren't told that we can't take you, at least.”

  “Great! So what are your names?” Kaitlyn asked, looking between the two guards.

  The first guard bowed low to Kaitlyn, crossing both arms over his chest. “I am Lane, at your service.” He was clad in orange armor with large red scales on his shoulders, elbows, and knees. He had thin, yellow eyes, and short spiky hair that quickly turned from white to pitch black.

  The second guard bowed as well, though it seemed an uncomfortable motion for him. “Orthros. I am but a new recruit, but I am sworn to my cause.” He was a young man, shorter than Cy, with pure white hair cropped close to his head. His armor was light green, with teal accents. His cheeks and neck were covered in the small black scales.

  Kaitlyn curtsied back to the guards. They bent to pick up their weapons, and Vyekrin hissed at them. Kaitlyn gave the dragon a stern look, and he lowered his head to rest it on the ground.

  “Where to first?” Kaitlyn asked, stepping in front of Vyekrin. Cy pushed away from the wall to join her.

  “If you want to learn the most about us Draken, there is only one place to take you,” Lane said, a wide smile spreading across his face.

  Orthros bounced on his feet, a devious gleam in his eyes. “The Arena.”

  Kaitlyn and Cy looked at each other, and he could tell they were thinking the same thing. Do they really only care about fighting?

  They followed the guards throughout the colony, Vyekrin close behind them. Most buildings were the same brick huts that Kaitlyn and Cy had been given, but there were a few that were made from hollowed peaks that hadn’t been leveled. Dragons, both wild and tame, soared overhead, circling the mountain. Cy watched as one flew straight into the mountain, but it emerged a moment later on the other side.

  “The dragons live under us, in the catacombs they dug out for themselves,” Lane said when he noticed Cy’s confusion. “We have holes that we dug so we can get down to them, too. Most don’t like living directly with us, but they don’t mind us visiting. Not even the wild ones.”

  Sure enough, they passed a small hole dug out at an angle, set with a steep staircase descending into the mountain. Thin wisps of smoke trailed up from the hole, accompanied by a chorus of roars and rumbles from the dragons.

  Vyekrin stared at every Draken that they passed, as though he wanted to fight, but none ever took the challenge. His long tail swished back and forth, forcing the Draken to keep their distance from the small group.

  The Arena was a large stadium that jutted out over the cliff's edge, and was ten times as tall as Vyekrin. Instead of walls, there were pillars around the building, holding up a ring that acted as the roof. The pillars were four feet wide each, with small gaps in-between. There was a small area between two layers of pillars that was shaded, and Drakens filled the walkway on their way into the heart of the Arena. It was held up over the edge by statues of two dragons tangled in each other in a duel.

  Roars and yells sounded from the open top of the Arena, making it difficult to hear anything else once they had gotten near. Vyekrin huddled closer to Kaitlyn and Cy as they stopped before the stadium, curling tightly around the two and pressing them together.

  The guards went ahead towards the large opening into the Arena, but Kaitlyn had frozen to the spot. She clutched at the spikes on Vyekrin's neck, staring at the open space below the stadium. Cy put his hand on her shoulder, ready to comfort her, but her gasp stopped him. Her hand lunged out, pointing to the edge of the cliff.

  Someone was falling, tumbling over themselves into the thickness of clouds below the stadium. Everyone watched as the Draken plummeted, screaming desperately.

  “Kaliyah's fighting again,” Orthros said without concern.

  Lane let out a bark of a laugh, and replied, “When isn't she? She sure likes to toss them out, doesn't she?”

  “Aren't you guys going to help?” Kaitlyn shrieked, her face going pale.

  “Why? Jayr can handle himself. Besides, he's got Wayonn with him, no doubt,” Orthros said with a wave of his hand. “He should know by now that he's never going to beat Kaliyah, anyway. It's his own damn fault for continuously challenging her.”

  “Wayonn?” Cy asked, unable to look away from the Draken being swallowed up by the white fog below. A deep, primal roar sounded close by, and a dragon sprung out of the stadium and dove after the Draken. They both disappeared into the clouds and emerged seconds later, the Draken now on the dragon's back.

  “That’s Wayonn,” Lane said with a smirk. He stepped up to the largest opening in the pillars and ushered them in. Cy walked absentmindedly, focused on the dragon and rider that landed inside of the stadium. Kaitlyn grabbed his arm and followed cl
ose behind, despite Vyekrin's objections.

  As they passed through the shadows into the Arena, Vyekrin leapt into the sky, over the wall. He landed just inside the stadium, blocking them all from sight.

  They crept in around Vyekrin, who curled around Kaitlyn and Cy once more, shoving Orthros and Lane out of the way. The dragon pulled his lips back in a snarl at the vast amount of Draken that hugged the wall. They had all stopped their cheering at his appearance, but those fighting in the center were too focused on each other to notice the new arrivals.

  There wasn’t any sort of seating, but the outer most ring of the Arena was slanted so that the standing viewers could see over each other. There was nothing separating the competitors from the spectators other than a thick black circle that marked the fighting ring. Lane and Orthros ran ahead until their toes were nearly over the line, and Cy and Kaitlyn ran after them. Vyekrin barreled through the crowd mercilessly to follow.

  A fierce was battle was taking place in the very center, the combatants wrestling on ground level. Even the two dragons were grounded rather than fighting in the air.

  One of the fighters was the man that had fallen from the Arena, Jayr. He was of an average build, but he was fast and light on his feet, jumping from one position to another easily. He added flare to each attack with flips and spins, with a seemingly endless amount of energy. His hair was long and mostly gray, though features said that he couldn't be much older than Cy himself. Though his armor was polished and shined in the light, it was dull in color compared to the rainbow of armor among the other Draken. The scales he wore were a mixture of beige and light brown, matching that of the dragon fighting behind him.

  Wayonn, his dragon, had large, leathery wings, and slitted eyes. Four horns donned the back of the dragon's head, one pair rising upward and the other curling along his jawline. He had a short snout equipped with two rows of thin, dagger like teeth. He had a square body that sat low to the ground and six legs. A long tail with a bulbous tip lashed forward with great speed and force towards his opponent, but the stinger never met its mark. His main weapons seemed to be the long pincers that snapped forward with grace, the edges looking sharper than a blade.

  The second fighter seemed to be a girl, though she moved too fast to be seen well. She was a blur of purple and rich brown. Where Jayr fought with a thick, curved weapon, the girl fought with her bare hands, and she was winning.

  The dragon beside her, a small, thin creature, moved perfectly in sync with each of her master's attacks. She was covered in large purple scales with a black underbelly. All of the dragon's features were long, from her limbs, to her two tails, and her neck and head. Frilly fins lined the sides of her neck, and small horns split her face down the middle, ending with a large horn on her nose.

  Four wings spread from her back as she reared up on her hind legs. She swiped forward with black claws as her master did, and they each caught their target. Jayr and Wayonn fell to the ground, their faces bleeding. They stood together as one, refusing to let themselves be beaten. The fight resumed, though Jayr and Wayonn were clearly damaged. The girl and her dragon didn’t let up on their assault.

  “Shouldn’t we stop this? He’s getting mauled out there!” Cy yelled at Lane, shocking himself.

  The Draken was shaken out of his enjoyment, and he called back. “You can’t! Once a challenge has been accepted, the only way to end it to surrender or get knocked out. It goes against our pride for someone else to interfere, not to mention the punishment is so severe. You could get locked up, or even killed since you’re an outsider.”

  “Killed?” Cy asked in shock. Lane had lost himself in the fight again, chanting mindlessly along with the crowd.

  Cy turned back to the fight in a stupor. Jayr looked like he was barely still standing, half of his face covered in blood. Wayonn had curled in on himself beside Jayr, lashing out helplessly with his stinger.

  In one sharp movement, female master and dragon charged Jayr and Wayonn, sending them flying to the edge of the fighting ring. They skidded to a halt just in front of Cy and Kaitlyn, and Vyekrin tightened his hold on them.

  The victors stalked the defeated, standing over them as the crowd went wild. Cy looked around wildly, hoping that he and Kaitlyn weren't the only ones not swept up in watching them fight for no clear reason. Lane and Orthros had gotten caught up in the action, discarding their weapons to pound their fists in the air as they cheered.

  Through the gaps in Vyekrin's body as the dragon tried to hide the two from sight, Cy studied the victor. She was as far from a Draken as Cy was from a human. He wasn't quite sure what she was. Now that she had stopped fighting and had slowed down, her features were clear. She was very small with a slight build, but her muscles showed easily. She had brown skin and long, purple hair that was messed and wild around her thin face. Her triumphant smile showed a row of sharpened teeth, and her golden eyes shone with pride.

  She wore little to nothing. Scraps of black fabric and armor barely covered her. The purple that Cy had seen had been her own scales that covered most of her body, including her arms, legs, back and stomach, as well as the edges of her face. Her hands were tipped with black claws, as were her feet. A short tail swished happily behind her, and two wings were folded against her back, too small for use. She looked more like her own dragon than anything.

  Noticing Cy's stare, Orthros said, “That's Kaliyah. Her dragon is Polae. She's not a Draken, but you can't deny that she belongs here. Not only does she have the strongest bond with her dragon of anyone here, but she can turn into a dragon herself, for the most part. She came to us a few years ago. No one knows much about her. Only the Chieftain knows her past. What everyone does know is that she's the strongest person in Deidrich. She’s completely undefeated. She can even take down a full-sized dragon by herself!”

  As Orthros had been giving his explanation, Kaitlyn had become interested. She struggled against Vyekrin's grip, though the dragon didn't notice. She got free, standing just outside of Vyekrin's grasp, staring at Kaliyah without a shred of fear. Cy worried she had forgotten she wasn’t simply in one of her fairy tales.

  Kaliyah scanned the crowd, and her eyes met Kaitlyn's. They turned dark. Cy saw the reaction in the other girl, and moved to grab Kaitlyn, but Kaliyah was too fast. With a voice as loud as a dragon's, Kaliyah yelled out, “Who will be my next challenger?”

  The crowd swelled as they pushed and shoved, either to get out of the way or to be the first to approach her. Cy fought against the raging crowd, but he was no match. As he lunged for Kaitlyn, he tripped and pushed into her. She stumbled into the fighting ring, landing on her hands and feet just in front of Kaliyah.

  Cy stared in horror as the girl's smile became twisted. Cy crawled forward, inching for Kaitlyn. Ignoring Cy altogether, Kaliyah said, “Just who I was hoping for. So, you're not a Draken, but you got a dragon, too, huh? That's no fair. You can't just come in here and steal my fame. But I'll show them just how worthless you are.”

  She bent down and grabbed Kaitlyn by the back of her shirt, yanking her to her feet. Kaitlyn yelped as she writhed in the girl's grasp, gaining Vyekrin's attention. The dragon sprang into action, using his tail to knock Kaliyah's feet from under her. She dropped Kaitlyn, and Vyekrin scooped her up and set her down on the back of his neck. She clung to his small, curved horns as the dragon reared back and hissed at the girl.

  Polae tackled Vyekrin, and they rolled over each other on the hard ground. Kaitlyn was flung from the dragon's back, sprawling toward the center of the Arena. Cy lunged to his feet and tried to chase after her, but he was held back by every Draken that could reach him. He clawed at them with his talons, but he couldn't break through their armor. He tried cursing and pleading, but they wouldn't release him. Cy could do nothing but watch as Kaitlyn was forced into a fight against Kaliyah.

  Kaitlyn

  Kaitlyn felt Vyekrin tense under her, but it was too late. He fell to the ground, and Kaitlyn lost her grip on the dragon’s horns. She w
as thrown onto the hard ground and skidded further and further into the fighting ring.

  Kaitlyn! Vyekrin’s voice screamed in her mind, and she cringed at the sudden intrusion. Please speak to me! Run, Kaitlyn, run from here and do not stop until you are safe!

  We can speak through our thoughts? Kaitlyn asked herself automatically. She shook her head at the thought, sure that she was imagining things, but she did as Vyekrin said. She felt her limbs, but they were all stiff and sore. I can’t move, she thought in response, her words slow and slurred even in her mind.

  You must, do whatever you can to get away. Once I remove this threat, I will come to you. I swear. But you have to save yourself! Vyekrin called back, confirming her curiosity. We have a strong connection, you and I. and I refuse to lose you again!

  At his words, she could feel a strange tugging in her chest, pulling her towards the dragon. It felt as though there was a leash binding them together, a tangible force that held the dragon to her side. Even this short distance felt like too much now that she knew of the bond.

  Vyekrin’s pleading was enough to motivate her. echoing his desires, she wanted nothing more than to eliminate the space between them.

  She gathered all of her strength and pushed herself onto her knees. Her arms throbbed and stung, scraped from the fall and covered in a coarse red dust. She tried to wipe them off, but found that the red color was from her blood, staining the pale ground.

  Roaring close by caught her attention, and she turned to see the two dragons lashing at each other. Polae coiled her neck and sprung like a snake, but Vyekrin caught her easily in his large hands, pinning the dragon to the ground. Polae had the advantage with her flexibility, and smacked Vyekrin with her two tails, stunning him. She jumped and grabbed Vyekrin, wrestling him to the ground.

  Behind the thrashing dragons, Kaitlyn could see Cy's horrified face. His metal features were mangled by pain and rage as he struggled against a hoard of Draken that held him back. Their two guards were lost in the crowd, and Kaitlyn wondered if they would’ve helped if they were able.