Aurora Read online

  ‘But why not just kill this man as they did the others?’ Elian asked. ‘Surely if they had destroyed his body, the Joining would have been left bodiless in the same way.’

  ‘Not quite,’ she said, her voice thoughtful. ‘By leaving the host body alive they added insult to injury. The Joining was sent to roam bodiless, whilst the host that had served it well was kept alive and unharmed. You can be sure the Joining would not be happy about that outcome.’

  ‘And this other man?’

  ‘Stayed still as we did. He showed the respect the demons require of those they let live.’

  ‘I see,’ Elian said, running his fingers through his hair as he contemplated the consequences of the shadow demons’ actions. ‘So what shall we do with the hunters, Ra?’ he asked.

  ‘Let them go.’

  ‘Just like that?’ Elian was surprised. ‘After all the hurt they caused you and Shadow?’

  ‘Well if it were left to Shadow, she would probably eat them,’ Aurora admitted. ‘But she’s in a good mood now that her wounds are healed, so I don’t think she will argue. The men are unlikely to trouble us again. Give them a warning and let them go.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ Husam was saying to Tembo. ‘You’re not making any sense.’

  Elian listened as the two hunters began discussing what had happened.

  ‘My dragon tells me you no longer pose us a threat,’ he interrupted, making sure he had both men’s attention. ‘I’m not so sure.’

  ‘Stick them with your sword and be done with it, Elian,’ Pell said, his voice cold and emotionless. ‘They tried to kill us enough times.’

  Elian had not heard the older boy approach.

  ‘Not so fast, Pell,’ he snapped, unable to mask his irritation. ‘Let me deal with this. I would rather not kill anyone unless it’s absolutely necessary. There’s been more than enough blood spilled today.’

  ‘Let Shadow do it then. She’s not squeamish.’

  Elian glared at him. Pell returned the stare for a moment, shrugged, and then stomped off in disgust. The two girls remained where they were, knives drawn, a few paces behind Elian.

  ‘Shadow, the night dragon over there, wants to eat you. She is rather angry about all the injuries you and your men dealt her,’ Elian told the two hunters. ‘My dragon, Aurora, is willing to try reasoning with her. The way I see it, I have several options – I could let Shadow have an early dinner; I could kill you myself; or I could hand you to the nearest Overlords and leave you to be executed for hunting dragons that were not rogues. But Aurora has offered a more lenient alternative. Will you listen?’

  The two men nodded.

  ‘Aurora has suggested that we let you go,’ he continued. ‘She feels enough men have died today. But if I release you, I will require you to hand over all of your dragonbone weapons, and I need to be certain that you’ll never try to hunt us again. I’m sure you’re aware of a dragon’s ability to search a man’s mind. I want you to promise me that if you hunt dragons in future, you will only seek to kill true rogues. Be careful how you reply. If my dragon senses even a hint that you are lying, we’ll let Shadow have an early dinner.’

  The two hunters looked first at each other and then at Elian.

  ‘We promise,’ they said together.

  ‘What do you think, Ra?’ he asked aloud.

  ‘Their response was genuine,’ she confirmed.

  ‘My dragon is not sure,’ he said aloud, keeping his face stern, and staring intently at first one hunter and then the other.

  ‘I vow on everything I hold sacred that I will never hunt any dragon again unless I know it to be a rogue,’ Husam said. He sounded on the edge of desperation.

  ‘Me too,’ Tembo said quickly.

  Elian pretended to consider for a moment. ‘Very well,’ he said. ‘You may go free.’

  The men heaved a simultaneous sigh of relief.

  ‘Can you stand, Husam?’ Tembo asked. ‘If you’re all right, I’ll check all the saddlebags for dragonbone weapons. I dropped my spear in the castle courtyard. The men took their weapons inside, but I’m not going back in there to retrieve them. I’d rather have the dragon eat me.’

  ‘Sensible,’ Elian agreed. ‘Only an unpleasant death awaits you if you go back.’

  ‘Go ahead, Tembo. Check the horses. I’ll be fine,’ Husam assured him.

  ‘Are we finished here?’ Kira asked. ‘We need to get going before Segun cooks up any more trouble for us.’

  ‘Nearly,’ Elian replied. ‘Go and mount up. I won’t be long.’

  Kira and Nolita sheathed their knives and walked to where Fang and Fire were waiting. Pell was already sitting in his saddle, clearly eager to leave. Tembo ran across the open ground to the edge of the forest. It took a while, but Elian was surprised at how fast he moved for such a big man. He returned out of breath and shaking his head.

  ‘There’s nothing there,’ he gasped. ‘All the weapons that remain with the horses are made of metal. I swear it.’

  ‘He is telling the truth,’ Aurora confirmed.

  ‘Very well,’ Elian said, sheathing his sword. ‘Remember my words, though. If word ever gets back to me, or any of my friends, that you have been hunting any dragon other than a true rogue, nowhere on Areth will be safe. We will hunt you down.’

  Aurora had moved up close behind Elian. He turned and mounted her, bounding up her foreleg and swinging into the saddle with confident ease.

  ‘Tell the others we’re ready,’ he told her. ‘Let’s see how far we can get before nightfall.’

  Aurora stared intently at the two hunters for a moment, slowly baring her teeth. Suddenly she snapped open her mouth and let loose an almighty roar that sent Tembo and Husam scrabbling backwards with their hands clamped over their ears. With that she whirled on the spot and sprang away across the open ground, spread her wings and launched into the air.

  Elian concentrated on holding on as they left the ground. The wind swirling around the great castle was fickle, constantly changing its direction and strength. Aurora compensated instinctively, but the conditions did not make for a smooth take off. Even once airborne the air near the ground was turbulent, making his dragon dip and bump unexpectedly. It was only when they had climbed clear of that low-level choppy air that Elian began to relax more into the saddle and enjoy the flight.

  The other three dragons flew in loose formation around them. Aurora turned south and east towards their distant goal of the Oracle’s cave. They had done it again. Another orb successfully secured, but not without cost.

  He remembered how upset Kira had been when she found out that Fang would have to sacrifice an eye to form the third orb. He wondered how he would feel if he and Aurora had had to make that decision. He shuddered, all too aware that it was his turn next. What sacrifice would the final orb require? The last line of the Oracle’s verse had sent shivers down his spine from the moment he had first heard it. He hoped there was more to it than the obvious interpretation.

  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.

  ‘Thinking about our task?’ asked Aurora.

  ‘You know I am.’

  ‘Do not fear,’ she said, her tone warm and comforting. ‘Our part of this quest will require no more than we can bear. The Oracle would not ask it of us otherwise.’

  ‘You seem confident of that,’ Elian noted. ‘After seeing what Fang and Kira went through, I find it hard not to worry. Pell irritates me beyond reason sometimes but I agree with his questioning of the Oracle’s motives.’

  ‘I confess I was disturbed by our last encounter,’ Aurora admitted. ‘There was something strange about the Oracle that I did not like.’

  Elian was surprised by the admission. For his dragon to imply anything but good of the Oracle was not something he expected to hear.

  ‘I’ve got an awfu
l feeling there is something that we’re missing,’ he said. ‘The Oracle knows. I’m sure it does. But it won’t tell us. There is a mystery about the restoration of the Oracle that doesn’t feel wholesome. Pell is right. We need answers. And I’m not just talking about finding the orbs.’

  Aurora did not respond this time, but he could feel her presence in his mind. She was projecting a sense of peace through the bond, but his mind was not ready to accept her feelings. There were too many questions running amok for him to settle.

  ‘Do you think Kira will ever forgive me for what I did to Fang?’ he asked her. ‘I feel awful for having helped remove his eye, but I knew it was what he wanted. If the final decision had been left to Kira, we wouldn’t have the third orb. I can’t say I blame her. If it had been you wanting to do it, then I’d probably have reacted in the same way.’

  ‘She knows you meant well,’ Aurora said carefully. ‘But your action hurt her and it is not in her nature to forgive quickly. Nor will she forget. It will take a long time for her to reconcile the events of today. I have already asked Fang the same question, but his answer was an evasion. You will have to be patient. She will come around.’

  Elian could see the wisdom in his dragon’s words. Patience would be required. The problem was that they did not have time to be patient. They only had until the harvest full moon to find the final orb and deliver it to the Oracle. They had done well to get the first three orbs so quickly, partly because in recovering the first two orbs, they had gained clues about the location of the third. This time they had nothing. And in reciting the verse, it made no more sense to him than it had the first time.

  Although Aurora was not flying very high, the wind was cold against Elian’s right side. It was nothing like the freezing conditions in the mountains of Isaa, but this subtle cold was perhaps more dangerous. He had no intention of pushing anyone’s limits. The Castle of Shadows had left its mark on all of them, and Kira, in particular, would be vulnerable after the traumas of the day.

  The forest was slipping by beneath them, but the expanse of trees was so vast that for a while it seemed almost as if they were not moving at all. The sun had dipped considerably towards the horizon before they saw the first break in the trees. There was a village in the clearing, with enough clear land next to it for the dragons to land.

  ‘Fang is suggesting we stop the night here,’ Aurora told him.

  ‘I think that’s a good idea,’ he said. ‘We can barter for some decent food and possibly even get beds for the night. After weeks of sleeping on the ground, it would be great to have a proper mattress.’

  The dragons descended in a line. Firestorm led, followed by Shadow, Aurora and Fang. They landed on the open ground near the village. Elian felt his dragon pump her wings extra hard in the final few spans as the ground loomed large. The wind was curling over the treetops, creating localised rotors of air that made judging the landing a tricky business. Firestorm, Shadow and Aurora made good landings, but Fang landed awkwardly, thumping his taloned feet into the ground and staggering to an ungainly halt. Elian saw Kira lurch in the saddle, but she did not fall.

  ‘Are Fang and Kira all right,’ he asked Aurora anxiously.

  ‘I think Fang’s pride is a little dented,’ she replied. ‘But aside from that, they’re fine. Landings are bound to cause him a few problems for a while. He has lost his depth perception and learning to adjust to his limited vision will take some time.’

  Dismounting, Elian intended to speak with Kira, but a small group of people from the village was already congregating nervously nearby. From old to young, all looked at the four enormous dragons with wide eyes. Fear, awe and excitement rippled back and forth across the group of faces and they spoke to one another in hushed voices.

  Elian looked at his fellow riders and let out a soft sigh of resignation. Kira was clearly in no mood to talk to the villagers, Nolita was already washing her hands with water from her bottle and Pell would probably manage to alienate these people within two sentences. Once again, it appeared he would be the ambassador for the quest party. He did not feel comfortable in the role, but he could see he had little choice.

  Putting on his friendliest smile, he strode towards the village, opening his hands in the recognised sign for peace.

  ‘Here we go again,’ he breathed without moving his lips.

  Chapter Four

  Fishing

  Kira’s fingers tightened around the orb. As before, whilst using the orb, her sight felt as if it were detached from her body and had gone soaring through the sky until she was looking down from a tremendous height. This time, it had flown away to the mountains surrounding the Oracle’s cave. Her sight climbed so high that almost the entire range was visible, laid out in a great sweeping line across the centre of Orupee like an army of rock giants.

  Kira could not see the Oracle’s cave from this angle, but she could see where it was situated. As she stared intently at the area around the cave mouth, she began to pick out the night dragons. From so high up, they were difficult to make out, but the longer she looked, the more dragons became visible. Her caution had paid off. She was not sure what Segun had seen when she had used the orb to spy on him before, but it seemed unlikely that the night dragonriders would spot anything at this distance.

  Making a rough tally, Kira withdrew and returned to her body, placing the orb back into her saddlebag.

  ‘Well?’ Elian asked. ‘Is Segun there? What did you see?’

  ‘We’re in trouble,’ Kira replied, her lips tightening into a thin line. ‘I counted at least fifty night dragons in the valley outside the Oracle’s cave. I didn’t get close enough to do an accurate tally, but once I’d got to about thirty I realised it was irrelevant. Segun has set up a blockade and it won’t be easy to get through.’

  ‘Fifty!’ Elian gasped.

  ‘I imagine there will be more coming, too,’ Pell observed, his voice emotionless. ‘He’s probably sent word for the entire enclave to gather there. Unless we get in, he wins. The Oracle will die.’

  ‘Can’t you just get Fang to camouflage and sneak past them?’ Nolita suggested.

  ‘It’s not that easy,’ Kira said, shaking her head. ‘That’s exactly what Segun will be expecting. He knows our abilities now. That’s why he’s brought in so many riders. It looks as though he’s given up on beating us to the orbs. Pell’s right. He’s attempting to set up an impenetrable perimeter around the Oracle’s cave.’

  ‘What about a diversion?’ Pell suggested.

  ‘What sort of diversion?’ Kira asked. ‘It needs to be spectacular if it’s to have any hope of drawing away enough of the night dragons to make any difference.’

  ‘I’m not sure yet,’ Pell admitted. ‘I thought maybe Elian and I could draw them off while you sneak in and deliver the orb.’

  ‘You’re not leaving me alone,’ Nolita said, her voice cracking with a squeak of fear.

  ‘No one’s leaving anyone alone,’ Elian said firmly. ‘We need some time to think. If we make a wrong move now, the quest will fail. Whatever we do, it’s likely that we’ll only get one chance. The chances of all those dragons just happening to be in the vicinity of the Oracle’s cave right now are too remote to be considered. Segun devised this blockade some time ago. He’s thinking ahead. We need to do the same if we’re going to outwit him. Let’s set up camp while we make our plans.’

  It was a good place for a campsite. The hulking peaks of central Orupee dominated the western skyline with their snowy caps, but the dragons would have to fly for an hour or more before they entered the range. They had landed in an idyllic green vale next to a small lake. The evening was warm and the air was alive with the sounds of insect life. There was a constant low-level buzz of flies, while butterflies fluttered on silent wings and an occasional bee meandered in dancing flight across the green surface.

  A light breeze brushed through the leaves of a nearby stand of mature trees that offered plentiful resources and a great location to build thei
r shelter. The water in the lake tasted fresh and harboured a potential source of food.

  Elian noted rings on the surface of the water where fish were rising. He had a coil of fine cord in his pack that had been there since he left home, but he had not considered using it until now. His father had shown him how to fashion hooks the previous summer.

  After the bleak windswept landscape around the Castle of Shadows and the freezing conditions of northern Isaa this place seemed like paradise. It had been easy to forget that although midsummer had passed, autumn was still some way off. The leaves were still a rich green, with no sign of turning. If it had not been for the pressing nature of the quest, Elian would have been more than happy to enjoy the weather and relax. The prospect of basking next to the lake with a fishing line in his hand was most appealing, but other priorities called first.

  It took less than an hour for the four riders to build an impressive shelter under the trees. Armloads of ferns made for a soft bed under the cover of a lattice of branches. On top of the lattice they arranged more layers of ferns, with the tips pointing downwards and the shiny side of the leaves uppermost, to encourage any moisture to run down the pitched surface.

  The sun was still high in the sky when Elian sat down at the bank with his coil of fishing cord and his assortment of swiftly fashioned wooden hooks. He selected one, tied it to the end of the line and baited it with a small piece of meat. He tied the other end of the line loosely around his wrist. It had been tempting to fashion a pole, but Elian had no intention of messing about playing with the fish. He would settle for hauling them onto the bank to cook over the fire later.

  To his delight, the fish were all too happy to oblige. The first offering of meat was snatched before it had barely sunk below the surface. Elian gave a sharp tug to set the hook, but he was a little too enthusiastic – the hook was not strong enough to take the sudden load and he felt it snap.