Dragon! Book Two: "Revenge"

CHAPTER TWENTY

Gareth spoke little as they walked again. He was deep in thought about the number of people with his abilities that Ann mentioned. Eleven of them with the same powers as his, nine of them children. The idea terrified him. One Belcher in the world was bad enough, but months ago Belcher had eight followers, or mental prisoners as he thought of them. The only saving graces were that they remained untrained and immature.

A thousand ideas filled his head with questions and wonder. What if Belcher had cared for his eight instead of crossing over the mountains, and what if they had all survived? Imagine Belcher waiting ten more years when he had more experience with his powers, and he had matured? Gareth felt confident he could defeat Belcher today, but only because he was older and had better control of the sensitive powers, and he had the support of the Brotherhood and Sisterhood, not to mention possibly the King’s troops. In ten years he would not have stood a chance.

The last items considering the support of the Brotherhood and King were not confirmed, yet. Still, he expected to hear word of their support soon, especially after Belcher’s outburst the night before. Every sensitive and some who didn’t even know they possessed marginal powers had heard Belcher as much as if an earthquake had struck and would want to rid the world of Belcher.

Another idea leaped into his head and almost made him stumble as it struck like being struck from behind with a stick. Are there others?

He caught his balance. Ann’s comments about there being eleven of them alive at one time didn’t take into consideration there might be others. Only a month ago held believed there were only two—and that two at the same time was a rare occurrence. How wrong he was.

If there were eleven, there might be more. His conclusion was not founded on knowledge but inference. Even so, Gareth’s mind churned and twisted with the new implications and possibilities. But there was one item that needed to be done.

“We need to find a place to stop.”

“Legs hurt?” Ann asked, rubbing the back of her thigh.

“There is something I have to attend to. It will take a while.”

Ann glanced up at the sun. It was well past mid-day. “Why don’t we spend our time making a camp and gathering firewood?”

Gareth looked at Ramos. “Do you remember crossing here?”

“It was cold. We didn’t have coats.”

“How many nights did you sleep up here?”

“Two, I think.”

Ann said, “They probably moved slowly.” She pointed ahead where the trail they called a road rose to cross another mountain. “There is snow. If we go part of the way there, we can make camp if we’re lucky to get across the parts covered in snow tomorrow. If we stay here, we may camp in the snow.”

“Give me a moment.” Gareth found Blackie circling the side of a mountain to their left. He’d found three deer grazing in a meadow, but Gareth had told him he couldn’t eat anything so he watched while drooling. Gareth gave the equivalent of a mental pat on the neck for doing what he asked, then gave permission to attack.

The joy from the mind of the dragon pasted a smile on Gareth’s face. He waited and observed as the dragon flew wide of the clearing and lost altitude as it gained speed. It’s wings almost touched the treetops as it cleared the forest and lunged the last few feet. Two of the deer were still eating when the talons wrapped around them.

As Blackie ate, Gareth gave it instructions to return to the valley by following the road. When it arrived at the place where the body of Cinder lay, it was to notify Gareth. The revulsion slowed Blackie’s eating. It did not want to return there. Gareth insisted, and the dragon reluctantly obeyed.

“I’m ready to find that campsite,” Gareth declared.

They went down a short slope and up another. The trees were now evergreen, what few there were of them. There was little underbrush, and green moss grew on most trunks and exposed rocks. The ground felt damp and softer.

When they started to climb again, the sun had dropped noticeably. Beside the road was a drop-off on the left, and a wall of sheer rock on the right, no more than a dozen paces away. They had heard the sound of falling water before they came to a waterfall splashing over the rock of the cliff to their right.

It flowed over the lip of the wall and fell/flowed down in a narrow waterfall that Gareth’s outstretched arms could reach both sides. The rock was clean, green moss growing on much the sides of it. That was good. Drinking water without green growth is a sure way to die because if green plants cannot live in it, the water is not good. It probably has absorbed poison from the rocks or ground. Gareth touched the water with a finger. It was as cold as ice and had probably been ice or snow this morning. A wide pool spread at the bottom. A meadow was on flat ground, and trees grew beyond.

Ann nodded. She said, “Unroll your blanket and do whatever it is you have to do. The boys and I will make camp and gather firewood. Do you want me to wake you to eat or just leave food beside you?”

“Leave it. This may take a while.”

“You’re not going after Belcher, are you?”

“Not directly. But I expect he may get upset with me again.”

“Do not do anything dangerous. Have you heard back from that Brother you spoke with?”

“Not yet, but perhaps tomorrow.”

“Boys spread your bedrolls and grab a snack,” Ann called, “You’re going to need some energy to gather enough firewood to suit me for tonight.”

That drew smiles all around, and as Gareth reached out to locate Blackie, he was still smiling. Blackie was flying near the place where he needed to leave the road and fly up the valley to his father’s home. Gareth had him make the turn and begin to look for the valley where his father lived. Blackie had a full belly and enjoyed Gareth flying with him. The enjoyment of the day kept his wings beating faster than normal.

Gareth spotted the valley as Blackie flew over the crest of a mountain. The change in colors of the vegetation was as obvious as a lighthouse on a dark night. The sun was low in the west but wouldn’t set for a while. The long shadows would help Gareth convince Blackie to do what he must.

As the dragon flew nearer Gareth saw smoke rising from the chimney of the old house. It was worth trying to draw Belcher out into the open, so he shifted directions and flew right at the house. When he was close there had been no movement of anyone rushing outside to see the dragon, so Gareth ordered Blackie to shriek.

It passed low over the house and still nobody rushed outside. Turning, Gareth ordered Blackie back and this time, he spat three times. The balls of black struck the side of the house and splattered, spreading and dripping down the walls. The acid started eating away at the first touch.

There was still no reaction from inside. Gareth had Blackie circle once again this time headed directly for the fireplace below the chimney where the smoke emerged. Blackie spat once. The black ball of tar struck and some must have reached the fire. A ball of fire erupted, orange flames rising and spreading. They reached the earlier dragon spit, and the fire flared even more.

The whole house was soon a raging inferno. Blackie flew over again and circled, searching for Belcher or anyone emerging from inside. Anyone who ran from the fire faced Blackie and an angry Gareth controlling the dragon, but nobody came.

The light was failing, and there was still the original task Gareth had come to accomplish. He had Blackie fly across the lake in the direction of the pasture where Cinder lay. Blackie resisted. Gareth used all his persuasion, including images of local carrion eaters feasting on Cinder’s body.

Then he projected the thoughts that said Blackie could cure all that. In a few passes, he could spit enough acid to coat the body of the black dragon, acid that would render it impossible for animals to eat. Blackie could reduce the body to basic elements and return the creature to nature. It would be what Cinder wanted.

Gareth found the cracks in Blackie’s reservations that finally convinced the dragon to fly over and spit. In the growing darkness, as Gareth planned, Cinder was just a darker shadow in the meadow of growing shadows. If Blackie got a good look at the rotting corpse, Gareth didn’t believe he could have convinced him to do what was necessary.

In all, Blackie made four passes at Cinder, repeatedly spitting each time. Then Gareth had him fly back to the burning house. It was now almost all blackened ashes with only a little flame licking stones here and there. One section of the house still stood and without instructions, Blackie spat one more time and it leaped into flame.

There were still no people in sight, not that Gareth wanted to kill others, but his rage inside was such that he wanted Belcher dead and would feel satisfied if he had burned in the roaring fire that had been his father’s home.

“Fly to the mountains and spend the night. Tomorrow fly to me.”

Gareth left the mind of the dragon and returned to the blanket in the clearing. He went to the waterfall and tried to clear the bad taste from his mouth. He knew it was his mind telling him of the bad taste, but burning his father’s house and spitting acid on a dead dragon had drained him. Physically and emotionally Gareth was spent.

Ann and the boys watched him. All were under their blankets, still wearing their coats trimmed in fur. Ice had already formed on the edges of the waterfall and by morning, it would be an ice sculpture.

They waited for an explanation. He didn’t feel like talking. He said, “I’m done with my chore. I’m going to sleep.”

“Eat first,” Ann commanded, her voice telling him he had no choice in the matter.

At his blanket, he scooped the mixture of nuts and dried fruit into his palm and placed piece after piece into his mouth while reliving what he’d just gone through. It didn’t satisfy him. The smoke had meant someone had built a fire and Belcher knew of his destination. If it was not Belcher at the house, it was one of his people, but from the way he treated Ramos Gareth didn’t think any of them would be allowed to live in the fine home. Certainly none would live in a home finer than Belcher.

But he had seen nobody run from the house as it burned. Gareth didn’t believe anyone could have run and not been seen from above. There were too few places to hide. Remaining inside was to die.

The only option that made sense was that while there was a fire, the builder of the fire had left the home before the dragon arrived. Perhaps he had gone to the orchard to pick fruit, or to the lake to catch a fish. Maybe he simply took a walk in the beautiful valley.

It mattered little. He had not been home. Gareth considered himself a peaceful man, a man who resolved problems without bloodshed, but he had tried to kill Belcher today. The realization had not sunk in until he reviewed his actions. What would Sara think if she saw what he’d attempted in the valley? Even in his mind he had become a vengeful killer for the first time in his life.

He could try to excuse his actions by the mistreatment Belcher gave others, or that Belcher killed his father and Cinder. But none of that was enough to turn him into a killer. Or did it? That was the question he tried to resolve.

Gareth found the food missing from his hand and his mind no more at ease than earlier. He opened his eyes and found the two boys sitting on the same blanket playing a game with a twig they tossed in the air and tried to anticipate the fall. Gareth didn’t know the rules, but he did know that they were acting like boys for the first time instead of beings who were manipulated by adults.

He might have smiled at their antics but at the far edge of his consciousness, he found a wisp of Belcher lurking. Watching. Learning.

“I almost had you today,” Gareth said.

Wicked laughter answered, followed by Belcher’s response. *But you failed.*