by Nira Steele
“Here, chew this,” Tessa instructed her. “You’ll need some oxygen outside the shields.”
“What?” Andie gulped, completely confused by what she was saying.
Tessa briefly rolled her eyes upwards.
“I suppose you need to know this – there is a transparent shield covering the entire town. Don’t be concerned as you’ll pass straight through it when you leave the platform.”
Blinking, Andie frowned down at the small leaf she had been given. Folding the edges together she placed it gingerly into her mouth.
“For goodness sakes hurry up and bite into it would you?”
“It tastes awful,” Andie murmured as it touched her tongue.
“Don’t pout at me missy. Just munch on the damn thing.”
Frowning furiously Andie bit into the bitter-tasting leaf. Instantly her mouth was filled with a sweet orange flavour.
“Hey, this is quite nice actually,” she murmured.
Then she was suddenly moving. Tessa had stepped back and waved one hand quickly through the air. Andie felt the deep vibrations as the dragon rotated on the spot.
Facing the open side of the platform, the dragon began thudding towards the edge. As they approached the rim everything dropped away until there was nothing but sky. It was breathtaking, the cobalt blue expanse stretching out into infinity. Andie’s eyes slid back to the huge ebony horns gleaming in the sunlight….
Abruptly she was jolted backwards.
The dragon had leapt forward, springing from the platform like a cat. For a few short moments he hung in the air before dropping his head.
Andie felt a brief tingle before a hard gust of air slammed into her. The force was so powerful it nearly flattened her backwards in the saddle. Gripping the pommel she fought with straining fingers to keep herself upright.
The freezing cold air bit into her skin as she felt the true temperature up here. Instinctively closing her eyes, she had to force them to open to see where they were heading. As she squinted forward she managed to catch a glimpse of their destination.
She caught a single image of a distant expanse in front of her.
Andie started screaming.
And screaming.
The sound tore up through her throat as they hurtled towards the ground. They were in a dive, heading straight towards the forest nearly four kilometres below them. Everything became a blur as her eyes watered up into a haze. But she had seen what was coming and now she could not erase the image. Was this how she was going to meet her end?
Well it was one hell of a way to go out.
A saying leapt into her mind, an old Russian line her aunt always loved to quote. It was one of Andie’s favourites but she never had an occasion to use it.
‘Find what you love and let it kill you.’
Andie had actually managed to achieve it today. As she accepted her fate, the air around her began calming into a brisk breeze. A sound snapped out on either side like a ship’s sails unfurling in heavy seas. Squinting sideways Andie glimpsed a span of leathery red wing stretching out beside her.
The dragon had levelled out and brought them back into a horizontal position. Relaxing her grip on the leather pommel Andie sucked in a rough breath. The air was warmer here, still cool but definitely not icy as it had been. Blinking away the tears she gazed around blurrily at the view.
They were gliding high above the wilderness, the tops of the tall pines still far below them. To one side loomed the vertical cliffs marking the edge of the central mountain range. On the other side ran a line of lesser peaks, their summits capped with a layer of snow.
This was incredible. Andie was in a place where humans rarely ventured. It felt so serene up here, so high above the rest of the world. Then a huge pair of black horns reared up in front reminding her of what she was actually doing here.
She was riding a dragon. A living, breathing dragon.
This was the miracle she had been wishing for. She had not found her baby dragon though as this beast was far too old. Did it really matter? Because she had inadvertently discovered something far better.
A place where many dragons existed.
By a stroke of luck her fantastical dreams had led her to this moment. For years she had been clinging to the hope of actually meeting a dragon. As the tears began welling up she felt a sudden urge to express her joy.
“Yes!” she wailed to the universe.
As soon she cried out the dragon started banking around in a long curve. The wind abruptly changed direction, causing her hair whip around into her face.
Then she heard the hard thumping of wings pounding through the air. Slowly they edged towards the cliffs, falling into their shadows as they approached. As the atmosphere swirled around them they moved into the powerful updrafts of air. The dark rocky surface rolled past on one side, its jagged ledges turning to white.
Taking a deep breath Andie could really feel the altitude kicking in again. Then she realised, the leaf Tessa had given her was gone. She could feel the labouring of her heart knowing with a certainty what it meant this time. Craning her neck to the heights above Andie sought any signs of the town.
The world was becoming a blur for her now. As they ascended higher and higher she started slumping forwards in the saddle. The air pressure was dropping very rapidly and soon she would be slip into unconsciousness.
Then the sun hit her face just as the wide tiled platform burst into view.
Quickly flaring his wings, the dragon dropped swiftly to the tiles. Thudding onto the platform with a short grunt his large head snaked around to inspect his passenger.
A big golden eye was right next to her.
“Well done!”
Where was that voice coming from? Looking down blurrily Andie was greeted by a familiar face.
“Just stay put. You are looking very pale,” Tessa declared.
Andie just sat there, happy beyond words to be back on the ground. In fact she was feeling quite euphoric right now. All of her worries had suddenly evaporated from her mind. She was lost in a soft sweet emptiness where nothing mattered at all. Smiling vaguely she watched as Tessa started panicking over the stirrup locks.
“Lift your heels to unlock your feet!” the little blonde blared. “Take some deep breaths before you pass out! You’re way too big for me to catch!”
Gazing around with a blissful smile Andie attempted to follow Tessa’s simple instructions. As she sucked in air between her teeth her vision began to swim. She managed to lift her heels before a soft darkness overtook her.
Just as she started crumpling forward something seemed to stop her fall. She felt a warmth like smooth skin being pressed against her face. There was a vague scent, some kind of delicious aroma….
Next thing Andie knew she was reclining in the shade. Blinking slowly she gazed up into a pair of incredible blue eyes.
“Welcome to House Lunaris.”
The fair white Lord was kneeling just beside her. Smiling slightly he was looking straight into her eyes. Andie instantly panicked, releasing a squeak as she clenched her hands up over her chest.
“Oh look! The colour is coming back to her cheeks already.”
That was Tessa’s voice of course. Her happy little face then appeared, lunging in quickly from the other side.
The Lord rose smoothly to his feet and made a small gesture with his hand. Turning on his heels he glided off without another word. Andie released a short breath, staring at his long hair as he disappeared.
Blinking, she realised she was still on the platform. She was lying along a chaise under the columned pavilion. Glancing around Andie then noticed several older men standing just nearby. All dressed in thick dark robes, their ages bespoke some type of officials.
Arching her eyebrows Andie looked sideways at her companion.
“You are among the Draconarid,” Tessa burbled with barely contained emotion.
“Who?” Andie breathed, letting her mouth fall open.
Tessa was compl
etely engrossed though. Oblivious to Andie’s confusion she launched straight into an offer.
“How would you feel about staying for a week? His Lordship has given you permission.”
“What?”
“Would you like to stay for another seven days and ride grumpy face again?”
Andie closed her mouth. Gazing down at her tightly curled fists she tried to grasp what she was hearing.
“Okay, just give me a moment here,” she murmured. Taking in a few deep breaths she unclenched her hands. Now what had Tessa said again? That’s right, she had been given a week to stay here and ride what’s his face….
Pressing her hands to her mouth Andie stifled a squawk. This was all so sudden - she had not had any time to process it. What did she have to weigh up though? She had been invited to stay in this incredible place. They had dragons here, almost a thousand of them.
Tessa was right up next to her now, hitting her with a huge pair of puppy dog eyes. Oh well, what did Andie have to lose anyway?
“Err… yes?”
Chapter 4 - A Place Beyond the Clouds
After the success of her flight Andie was escorted back to Tessa’s house.
It was a bit of a slow journey due to her state of exhaustion. Once she was able to stand, Tessa did not seem to mind if they took their time. All Andie could remember of the walk was lying down at the end. After that she descended into a deep and heavy sleep. Ah such peace, such beautiful, blissful peace.
Sadly her respite did not last for a very long time. From deep within her subconsciousness sprang a strange and exotic dream.
She was standing on the huge tiled platform gazing up at a flock of winged white horses. Their tails were ablaze with embers as they cartwheeled endlessly through the sky. A moment later she was amongst them too and her clothes had magically disappeared. Then she sprung a set of wings but she didn’t know how to use them….
Twitching and turning, Andie’s brain tried to process her experiences. Then something began seeping into the bizarre landscape of her mind. The sounds of voices were reaching in, breaking through her strange and fractured thoughts. Sliding blurrily back into reality she was greeted by faces she knew.
“Oculus Draconis,” Terenus muttered.
Willa glanced sideways before lightly slapping his arm.
“Please use English,” she said quietly.
Glancing around Andie recognised her surroundings. She was inside Tessa’s house lying along one of the blue chaise lounges. Looking up, she instinctively flinched when she saw how close Terenus was standing to her chair. He was staring down intently at her with his brows pinched into a frown. Then he stepped back, sighing loudly as he sank into a lounge.
“How marvellous,” he proclaimed. “We never thought the stubborn beast would warm to anyone here.”
Willa looked up, turning her head to call out across the living area.
“Come here dearest. She is awake.”
Within moments Tessa was dashing past the partitions. Not breaking her stride she moved straight to the place where her father had just been standing. She looked so different now, almost regal in her long flowing lavender gown. It was still her though - the doll face, those big animated eyes - and of course the attitude. Tilting her head a large smirk began spreading across her lips.
“Of course the dragon didn’t take to any of us. We needed somebody unique,” Tessa drawled.
Andie balled her hands up under chin.
Willa began chuckling as she moved alongside her daughter. Half closing her eyes she then gently encircled Tessa into her arms.
“Let’s not forget our little petal,” she remarked in tender tones. “Her assistance today was truly worthy of recognition.”
Tessa’s eyes visibly softened in response to her mother’s attentions. Losing her grin she gently breathed an earnest reply.
“It all went so very well today. I believe even Lord Laurentius was pleased with the results. He caught Andie when she fell and carried her to the shade. He was… oh, so very gracious. It was truly inspiring to see.”
“He is an example to us all,” Willa declared as her eyes grew bright.
Terenus gave his family a withering look.
“When you’re both done with your swooning I need to brief our guest. She needs be informed of the task she has been set.”
“It can wait,” Willa stated crisply. “This is a day we should be marking with a small celebration. Now where have you been hiding that particularly fine wine my dear?”
It turned out Andie had slept away the entire afternoon. Mildly astounded, she watched on blearily as everyone left the lounge room. Sitting up slowly she turned to gaze out through the large lounge room window. Outside the deep navy expanse was already filling with the evening stars.
She relaxed, finding some comfort in the view.
After a while Terenus finally returned. Mumbling to himself he was now cradling a very old bottle within his arms. Heading slowly towards the dining table he released a very loud sigh. It took him some time to eventually place the bottle upon the table. Then he frowned as he turned to face the lounges.
“You are permitted to remain here for just one week,” he told Andie. “Your one condition is you must ride the red dragon every day. This is your role if you choose to accept it - to entice the beast to stay here.”
Slightly knitting her brows Andie leaned forward so she could see him properly around the partitions.
“So I take it he’s not from here then?” she enquired carefully.
“No he isn’t and he’s only just arrived,” Terenus responded.
Andie paused for a moment and rubbed a finger under her chin.
“If I may ask, how do you know he wants to leave then?”
Emitting a short huff Terenus turned away from her and returned to his task. Filling up four pewter goblets he then collected up two into his hands. He wandered slowly into the lounge area and placed their drinks upon a low central table. Sitting down he then glanced at Andie before his eyes moved towards the window.
He obviously wasn’t very keen to talk to her. She needed to do something, anything to encourage him to speak. Pulling herself upright she swung her legs around to sit directly facing him. Leaning forward she collected up her goblet and pressed it carefully to her lips. Taking a sip she let her eyes grow wide as the liquid trickled into her mouth.
“This is amazing,” she said softy. It wasn’t an act either as it really was a beautiful smooth wine.
It seemed to do the trick. Meeting her eyes Terenus leaned forward to collect his own glass.
“The dragon was very wary when he landed. In fact, we fully expected him to take off again,” he stated levelly. “We were lucky though as he picked a platform with a very large cave adjoining it. He went straight into it of course but then he refused to let anyone approach him.”
“Oh.”
“Then you arrived.” Now Terenus’s eyes had narrowed. “Maybe he doesn’t perceive you as a threat or perhaps he is just fond of humans. It’s difficult to tell at this early stage.”
Andie dropped her gaze to the floor. How was she meant to interpret what he was saying? Raising her eyebrows she began rubbing the side of her face.
Terenus suddenly smiled at her.
“Do not be alarmed as dragons are fickle creatures. We are actually very pleased he has taken to you.”
Glancing back up she pressed her lips into a little smile. Releasing a sigh Terenus reclined languidly along his chaise.
“The whole point of this offer is to encourage the beast to stay here. Sadly there are things happening in the world which he needs protection from.”
“For goodness sakes,” Willa declared as she glided past the partitions. “You might want to start by explaining where she actually is.”
Rolling his eyes Terenus made a little huff.
“I’m getting ahead of myself here. I’ll fill you in on the basics.”
It turned out Andie was within a township
of just over one thousand people. Known as House Lunaris it was set high upon the rim of Nevari’s central mountain range. The lofty settlement was established here fifteen hundred years ago. The inhabitants were called the Draconarid – a race of beings who could actually see dragons.
“So people like me can’t see them then?” Andie asked before taking another sip of her drink.
“That is correct,” Terenus replied. “Dragons have the ability to hide themselves. It’s one of the many natural talents they possess. The Eye stone you are wearing allows you to see them.”
Tessa returned to the lounge area where she perched on the end of her father’s chaise.
“They can harness elemental energy due to the capacity of their brains,” she revealed. “Each dragon has special powers which are particular to their breed.”
“Oh really?” Andie breathed as her eyes grew wide with curiosity. “How many types are there?” she asked quickly.
“There are several but you are only permitted to see the one you’ve already met,” Tessa informed her. “Our dragons are white like the moon, hence our House’s name.” Then the cheeriness faded from her face. “The one you rode today is from the House of the Sun,” she added sombrely.
Terenus cleared his throat loudly, abruptly bringing the conversation to an end. Willa moved up behind him and gently placed a hand upon his shoulder.
“I think she deserves to hear this dearest,” she breathed softly to him.
Looking up at her Terenus rubbed a thumb under his beard.
“Well I suppose it is common knowledge now and it would be best if she heard it from us.” Letting his hand drop his eyes then fell to the floor. “The House of the Sun, or House Solista as we call it, has been abandoned. Two months ago a part of the township was completely destroyed. The upper level was razed including the royal palace.”
Andie tried not to look too shocked but it was hard to manage.
“Oh my god,” she muttered as her face went slack.
“The dragon you met today has travelled all the way from Central America. He is a refugee from what remains of their community. He’s flown over four thousand leagues to reach us here in the central Pacific Ocean.” Pausing for a moment Terenus took a long draught of his drink. “Sadly he is the only one we have received.”