Rage of the Dragon

CHAPTER 7

“Be with me, Torval!” Skylan breathed, touching the amulet. He yanked the spear out of the deck and brandished it, holding it aloft, not threatening, but as a call to battle.

“I will prove that I am a friend!” Skylan shouted. He turned to Aylaen and said loudly, for all to hear, “Command the Dragon Kahg! We are going to attack Raegar’s ship.”

Aylaen stared at him, open-mouthed. She could command the dragon all she liked, but would he listen? Aylaen glanced at the spear-wielding ogres, gulped a little, and then clasped the spiritbone of the Dragon Kahg in her hand. Her lips moved. She reached down, dipped the spiritbone in one of the puddles.

“What is she doing?” Acronis asked, lowering his spyglass.

“Summoning the dragon,” said Skylan. He added beneath his breath, “I hope…”

He waited tensely, keeping an eye on the ogres.

“They’ve freed their anchor,” Farinn reported.

Aylaen cast the spiritbone in the air. The bone hung there for a moment. Skylan watched it, praying to every god in the pantheon that the Dragon Kahg would materialize.

The bone fell to the deck.

Aylaen cast Skylan a despairing glance. He sighed deeply and wondered what he was going to do next. The ogre godlord was arguing with the shaman, who was insisting that the dragonship was cursed and they should set it on fire and destroy it. The godlord-perhaps picturing himself returning home in triumph aboard the captured Venjekar-wanted to seize the ship. The godlord had no objection to killing Skylan and his people, but he wanted their ship.

Skylan picked up his sword and buckled it on.

“Skylan, look!” Aylaen cried.

The wooden dragon’s head had changed into a living, breathing head. Carved scales, their paint worn and faded, glittered and sparkled brilliant green-blue in the sunshine. The mouth-open in a perpetual fang-revealing snarl-roared defiance. The dragon and the Venjekar were one.

“Brace yourselves!” Skylan shouted, grabbing hold of the mast. The Venjekar swung around and surged ahead, leaping over the ocean, the white foam churning beneath the keel, the white-tipped waves breaking over the bow.

The ogres were astounded by the ship’s transformation from boat to dragon. A few flung their spears, but they fell harmlessly into the water. Then one ogre cried out and soon the others were roaring. They had spotted Sigurd in the ogre vessel. Having no way of knowing that this ogre ship wasn’t being manned by ogres, the godlord must be thinking his odds had improved. He began issuing orders. His ship veered round to catch the wind, the sail billowed. The godlord was determined to gain himself a dragonship.

Skylan would have to deal with the ogres eventually. But now, one foe at a time.

With the Venjekar sailing under the dragon’s control, Skylan hoisted up the useless rudder and stowed it on the deck, then went over to Acronis, who had resumed watching Raegar’s ship. Acronis offered Skylan the spyglass. Skylan shook his head. He had tried looking into that glass and had been shocked when people who were far away suddenly leaped right in front him. He considered it unnatural.

“What’s Raegar doing?” Skylan asked.

“Watching us,” Acronis reported. “And chasing after Sigurd.”

“And Sigurd?”

Acronis shifted the spyglass. He shook his head. “He’s doing his best, but ogre ships were not built for speed.”

“Do we have enough speed to stop Raegar before he reaches Sigurd’s ship?”

Acronis smiled. “I’ve never sailed with a dragon before. I find the experience exhilarating, but it’s throwing off my calculations.”

He squinted, gazing out over the shimmering waves, measuring the distance with his eyes. “Yes, I think we will be able to reach Raegar before he reaches your friends.” Acronis lowered the glass and chuckled. “Sailing with a dragon. I cannot wait to tell Chloe.”

Reassured as to their chances of catching Raegar, Skylan looked back at the ogre ship. The ogres were falling behind, but they were still coming. That godlord was persistent. The shaman shook his fist and yelled something. Skylan, remembering the magic spell the shaman had cast on him, felt his skin crawl. He hoped they were too far for the magic to have any effect.

He watched the race, dragon against dragon. The two ships bounded over the waves. He could see for himself now that the Venjekar was gaining. For the moment, there was nothing to do except trust in Kahg. Aylaen cast a glance at him that seemed to invite him to come join her where she stood at the bow. The wind blew her hair back from her face. Her lips were parted, her eyes shining. Wulfe was beside her, leaning over the rail, shouting at the waves.

Skylan walked over to Aylaen. She moved closer to him. More nervous than he’d ever been standing in the shield wall, facing death, he held her hand. In the past she would have been offended, drawn away, made some caustic remark. Her cheeks flushed. She gave his hand a brief squeeze.

“If I died this moment,” Skylan said, “I would go to Torval’s Hall happy.”

Aylaen’s eyes darkened, changing in an instant from warm green to frozen gray. She stalked off, moving to the other side of the dragon.

Skylan stared after her, blinking in bewilderment.

“Why is she mad at me?” Skylan asked.

“Because you have cow turds for brains,” said Wulfe. “And you never listen.”

“I’m listening now,” said Skylan with a sigh. “What do your fish friends have to say?”

“That it’s too late.”

The boy went back to pouting down at the creamy froth of the waves. Skylan cast a hopeful glance at Aylaen, but she was very pointedly not interested in him. She stood tall, her back rigid, her jaw set.

Skylan walked over to Acronis. “Did you hear what I said? Why is she angry? It was a compliment!”

“Ah, son,” said Acronis with a shake of his head. “You may be a mighty warrior, but you are a mewling babe when it comes to love. The man whose spirit you freed in the Temple. His name was Garn, I think. Aylaen loved him and he died in battle. And now she is learning to love you and now you talk about dying. She is not angry. She is afraid.”

Skylan could have kicked himself. “I never thought about it that way. Why is it that every word I say to her comes out wrong?”

“Because those words come from your heart, not your head,” said Acronis. He kindly changed the subject. “We’re definitely gaining on Raegar.”

Skylan could see that for himself. The gap between the two ships was rapidly closing. He was glad to be able to turn his thoughts from love to such uncomplicated subjects as war and death.

“Raegar’s dragon is growing tired. She has traveled a far distance, all the way from Sinaria.”

Acronis regarded Skylan with interest. “How is that possible? Will our dragon tire?”

“Dragons are strong, but they lack stamina and endurance,” Skylan explained. “They can fly only short distances before they must stop to rest, which is why they sail the seas with us in search of the gemstones that are Ilyrion’s blood. Kahg is rested.”

Sounds of beating drums echoed over the water.

“That’s interesting,” said Acronis. “Raegar is ordering the rowers to take their positions. See, they are fitting the oars into the oarlocks.”

The rowers thrust their oars in the water. The drummer pounded, beating out the time. The oars moved rhythmically, blades flashing in the sunlight, water sparkling and splashing as the oars plunged into the waves. The rowers aboard the war galley were not slaves. They were men of the city, proud of their job and skilled at their work. The rowers propelled the galley through the water, though the pace was slower than when the Dragon Fala had been sailing the ship.

Sigurd was now starting to pull away. The Dragon Kahg kept the Venjekar on course, aiming at Raegar’s ship. Behind them, the ogre ship was trying gamely to overtake the Venjekar. They could not hope to keep up with the speed of the dragon through the water. The ogre godlord and the shaman stood at the prow of their ship that was falling behind, but still in the chase.

“Raegar has removed something from the dragon’s carved neck,” Acronis reported, staring intently through the spyglass. “I can’t make out what-”

“His dragon’s spiritbone,” Skylan guessed, glancing at the spiritbone of the Dragon Kahg that again hung on a leather thong suspended from the carved dragonhead. “Of course, that’s why he’s using the rowers. He’s going to summon his dragon.”

Aylaen had reached the same conclusion, apparently, for she left her position near the dragon’s head to hurry over to talk to them.

“Aylaen, I’m sorry,” Skylan said as she drew near. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“That’s because you have turds for brains,” she told him. She turned to Acronis. “Raegar has his spiritbone. I need to know what he is doing.”

“He’s lighting an oil lamp,” said Acronis, sounding amazed. “Broad daylight and he’s lighting a lamp…”

Aylaen hesitated, then she reached out.

“Let me have the magic glass,” she said. “I need to see for myself.”

Acronis handed over the spyglass. Aylaen put it to her eye, looked where Acronis pointed. Raegar seemed to leap in front of her and she gave a start, just as Skylan had done when he first used it. Aylaen lowered the glass, regarded it with frowning suspicion.

“I don’t like this magic.”

“It is science, my dear, not magic,” said Acronis mildly. “Someday I will explain how it works. Look again. You will get used to it.”

Aylaen raised the glass reluctantly and forced herself to look through it.

“He’s holding the spiritbone over the flame of the oil lamp. He’s going to summon a fire dragon.”

“I take it this is magic,” said Acronis. “Not science. If you could explain…”

“Dragons have the ability to take their shape and form from the elements,” said Aylaen. “The Bone Priestess dips the spiritbone in the element she believes is best-suited to her needs. You saw me splash water on the spiritbone of the Dragon Kahg. He is a water dragon now.”

“Raegar has decided he’s going to summon a fire dragon,” said Skylan grimly. “He’s likely going to order his dragon to set fire to our ship. Once Fala has destroyed us, she will go after Sigurd, set fire to his ship.”

“The Dragon Kahg would never allow that,” said Aylaen firmly.

“Raegar’s dragon will be hard to stop if our dragon won’t fight!” Skylan said, speaking loudly.

Kahg’s red eye swiveled in his direction, a spark gleamed, the eyelid flickered. The dragon did not slow his speed through the water. The Venjekar flew at Aelon’s Triumph, slicing through the waves. Acronis took the glass. He watched a moment, his expression thoughtful, then he handed the glass back to Aylaen.

“You are saying that Raegar plans to summon the fire dragon, cause it to come blazing to life.” Acronis shook his head. “Your cousin Raegar is a fool. He will have a mutiny on his hands.”

“Because of the dragon?” Skylan was puzzled. “His soldiers should be pleased to know that a dragon is going to fight with them.”

“That is how a Vindrasi warrior would think,” said Acronis. “You’ve been around dragons all your life. The first dragon those men saw just destroyed their city, slaughtered thousands. How do you think they’re going to react when a dragon bursts into life over their heads?”

“An uprising against Raegar won’t matter to us if his dragon sets the Venjekar on fire,” Skylan pointed out.

Aylaen was keeping watch on Raegar through the magical glass. Skylan marveled at how quickly she had taken to using it. Science … magic … one and the same to him. He didn’t take to either.

“Raegar is chanting,” Aylaen reported. “I can see his lips moving.”

“How would he know the ritual to summon a dragon?” Skylan asked. “He’s not a Bone Priestess.”

“The Dragon Fala must have told him,” said Aylaen. “The rituals we use for our dragons are ancient, but they originated with the dragons.”

A ball of fire burst in the air above the war galley and the Dragon Fala came into being. Her scales were bright burnished- orange, her crest reddish-gold, and her eyes blazed red. She was long and slender and graceful. The sunlight shone through her diaphanous wings. She opened her mouth and fire flared from her jaws. Her talons trailed flame. Raegar gazed up at her in pride. But in a moment, he was engulfed in chaos.

Raegar-thinking like a Vindrasi-had not bothered to prepare his crew and, as Acronis had predicted, the sight of a dragon blazing to life right above them sent the crew of Aelon’s Triumph into panic. The drummer beating out the time stared up at the dragon, let out a horrified shriek, and flung himself to the deck, knocking over the drum. The rowers were stationed belowdecks and they could not see what was happening. They heard the scream, however, and the sudden silence when the drumming ceased in mid-count.

Some stopped rowing, while others continued. The blades crashed into each other. Heavy oar shafts rebounded back on the rowers, striking them in the head or chest, knocking them from the benches. On the deck above, sailors were crying out in terror; the soldiers were grabbing up their spears, ready to hurl them at the dragon. The archers were taking aim with their bows and Raegar was running across the deck, bellowing that the dragon was on their side. Two spears arced toward the dragon. Fala snorted a puff of flame at them and they went up in smoke. She cast an annoyed glance at Raegar, who was knocking the weapons out of the hands of his men.

Skylan grinned. He almost felt sorry for his cousin.

Almost, but not quite.

The Dragon Fala flew toward the Venjekar, her wings trailing fire.