Starlighter

  “Why not? My children all died in the cattle camps years ago, and my heart died with them. The last time a human killed a dragon, they took every last child in the Assignment to the camps. You know what they do to them there.” Micah picked up a towel and twisted it. “They wring out every drop of rebellion by starving them into submission. No rebel is allowed to gain muscle from mining labors, because the dragons are afraid we will figure out that we are strong in numbers. Once we gain a little courage, we will never cast the die again.”

  “Well spoken,” Cowl said. “Yet the dragons have little to fear. It seems that having children keeps us parents cowardly.”

  “Not cowardly. Protective.” Micah pointed at himself. “I will gladly offer my life if it means keeping you and Tam together. I know her poor mother would have wanted it that way. Ever since she passed away, I just…” The old man shook his head, unable to continue.

  Cowl nodded, his eyes wide and wet. “Thank you, Micah. You are a man of the Light.”

  The remaining men cast the cube. A four, a five, and another six rounded out the lot.

  Letting out a sigh, Allender pointed at the blond-haired man who had cast the four. “You are on the bargaining cusp, Mark.”

  Mark nodded, his shoulders sagging. “Do not fear to offer me if necessary. I am not afraid to die.”

  Allender rose, nearly bumping into Jason as he took a step back. His eyes flared, and his mouth opened as if to shout, but he lowered his head and sighed again. “I apologize for my harshness. It is not our custom to belittle those who have…” He stroked his chin before continuing. “Deficiencies. In fact, deep inside, every man here has wanted to slay one of those monsters, especially Micah, so I think no one will blame you. Madness could drive any of us to commit such a crime.”

  Jason raised a hand to protest, but Wallace spoke first, bouncing on his toes. “Uncle, he’s not deficient. I saw the gateway. I saw the other world.”

  Allender stared at him for a moment. “Is madness a disease one can catch?”

  “Of course not,” Micah said. “Wallace is the sanest person here. Nothing rattles him.”

  Cowl laid a hand on Allender’s shoulder. “What is this gateway? And who is this young man? He has a strange look about him.”

  Jason bowed. “I am Jason Masters, and I want to show you a way to escape this mine so that none of you has to offer himself to the dragons.”

  “By all means,” Micah said. “What is this way of escape?”

  Allender shook his head. “He is mad. He believes in the tales of another planet, and—”

  “I tell you I saw it!” Wallace pointed at his eye. “I don’t need two to see past my nose. I know what I saw.”

  Cowl grasped Jason’s arm. “Show us, Jason. If it is madness, we will all soon know.”

  Jason looked at Cowl’s tight fingers. His grip was strong but not painful. “The way out won’t appear for about…” He glanced at Elyssa, who held up all ten fingers. “For about ten minutes.”

  “Does this gateway hide itself?” Allender said, chuckling. “If this story gets any stranger, I will have to withdraw my apology.”

  Micah frowned at Allender. “For a man who is about to be offered, your risk of offense to the Light seems higher than I would expect.”

  “Perhaps so, but we might not have ten minutes before the guard comes. Then we will not have the opportunity to test his story.”

  Wallace let out a huff. “You can just keep ignoring me, but I’m going to the gateway, and if you men don’t care about the children enough to see if it’s true, then I’ll take them all with me.”

  Jason held up his fingers. “Just give me the ten minutes. You can last that long, can’t you? The dragons can’t get to you in here.”

  “If we tried to stay,” Allender said, “they would starve us out. If we don’t acquiesce immediately, it will be more difficult to get a good bargain.”

  “I see.” Jason looked at the pit. Could the mine’s harvest add to the negotiations? “What are you digging for?”

  Allender gave Jason a quizzical look. “Pheterone, of course.”

  “I heard you mention that before. Why are you mining it?”

  Wallace waved his hand in the air. “Dragons need it to survive. We dig down to pockets of pheterone and release it into the atmosphere. I say that we should keep digging but make sure we never break into the pockets. That way, the dragons will eventually get weaker and we can rise up and break our bonds.”

  “You and your political speeches.” Allender shook his head. “Your brother would be proud. But where did that get him?”

  “Promoted,” Wallace said proudly.

  Just as Allender opened his mouth to reply, Micah laid a hand over it. “Let us not start the Promotions debate, or we will all die from a gas called hot air.”

  Jason nodded toward the ladders. “We can hide in the tunnel until the portal appears. Then if it’s safe, we can escape.”

  “How will you know when it appears?” Wallace asked. “We weren’t able to see it from the tunnel.”

  “Good question. I’ll have to figure that out when we get there.”

  This time, Jason led the way, followed closely by Elyssa and Wallace. After climbing the ladder and helping Elyssa to her feet in the tunnel, he looked back at the miners. The men were helping the children onto the ladders, whispering to them as they let them go.

  When they came within reach, Jason and Wallace hoisted the children to the top and lined them up to make room. Soon, the six men joined them, and Jason squeezed toward the front of the line, whispering “Quiet” and “Shhh” to each child he passed.

  Then, leading the way again, he soft-stepped to the end of the tunnel. When he stopped, he lowered to a crouch and peered out. The anteroom was empty. No sign of Randall.

  Tam laid her head on his back and whispered, “The dragons can get into that room.”

  “I know. That’s why I’m stopping here.” With a smile, he added a quiet, “Shhh.”

  Elyssa crept up and knelt at Jason’s side. “Where’s Randall?”

  “That’s what I was wondering.”

  “For all we know,” she said, “the gateway is open now. It’s about the right time. Maybe he’s in the gateway room with Tibber.”

  “Do you think I should call?”

  “Not too loud. I sense a shadow across the entryway.”

  “A dragon?”

  “I think so.”

  “Then I’ll have to do it another way.” Drawing his sword, Jason tiptoed into the room. A dragon-like voice sounded from the entry, making him freeze in place. It had the cadence of language, but the words made no sense at all.

  Elyssa whisper-shouted, “Jason! Tam knows the dragon’s language. She says it’s coming in!”

  Light from outside dimmed, signaling the dragon’s approach. Jason ran to the front of the anteroom and turned around, hoping to see Tibalt and the river, but only the three tunnels were there, dark in the muted light. Elyssa, the men, and the children ducked into the shadows.

  He pressed his back against the front wall and waited at the edge of the opening to the outside. If he bolted for the central tunnel at the back, the dragon would likely see him and maybe send a volley of flames, endangering the children. He had to stand his ground and either fight or make a run for the top of the stairs with a hope that the dragon would follow him outside. But then he would have to face at least two dragons…alone.

  A barrage of flames flooded the room, blasting all the way to the tunnels. Jason pressed harder against the wall. Heat blistered his arms, though they stayed out of the fire. This dragon had to be three times as powerful as the one he had slain, and ten times as angry. Smarter than Yarlan, too—that fire was likely designed to clear out any adversaries before he entered. The dragon would be storming in at any second, and this one would be tougher than any Jason had yet encountered.

  Seventeen

  As Arxad descended, Koren eyed the strip of grass that abutted t
he stream below. Two teenaged boys unloaded some of the stones from a raft they had slid onto shore, piling them into a cart, probably for construction material in the village or at the great barrier wall. One of them straightened and stared at the river with his arms crossed over his chest. Another raft floated their way, this one empty.

  Koren squinted. That was strange. Why would one of the mining crews let a raft pass their station without loading it? Surely the labor dragon wouldn’t have allowed that, would he?

  Taking in a deep breath, she shook her head. Something must be wrong, very wrong, but she couldn’t let it worry her. She had too many problems of her own.

  With bright sunlight reflecting off the water, Koren looked back at Maximus, still trailing. His flashing red eyes were riveted on her, two scarlet beacons of pure skepticism. When she dismounted, would she be able to hypnotize him? Not likely. He wouldn’t fall for that again. And would Arxad be able to protect them if Maximus decided to take revenge on her for breaking into the Basilica?

  As Arxad beat his wings for landing, Koren wrapped both arms around Natalla and whispered, “Don’t be scared. We’ll be all right.”

  “Why is he taking us to the river?” she asked.

  “I don’t know, but I think we can trust him.”

  Arxad skidded across the water and ran up onto the shore, finally stopping in a smooth slide on his belly. “Get down quickly,” he hissed, “and keep me between you and Maximus.”

  Pulling her cloak up, Koren slid down his right flank and helped Natalla join her on the shore, a blend of dark mud, green grass, and finger-tall mushrooms. When Maximus landed within dragon-breath range, Koren grabbed Natalla’s hand and ran under Arxad’s neck to the opposite side. She crouched there and listened.

  “Why have you come here?” Maximus asked.

  “Koren had a vision of a boy drowning. This is the only place he could be. There is no other abundant supply of water.”

  “Arxad, you are among the wisest of us all, but you have been taken in by the spells of this sorceress. She concocts dreams from her imagination and uses them to hypnotize us. She did the same to me, but I will not be deceived again.

  Koren peeked around Arxad’s body to watch, making sure Natalla stayed put.

  Arxad shook his head, as if dazed. “I saw great quantities of water. I thought perhaps the river had flooded. Since the young man seemed strong, I could not allow him to drown. We need such slaves. They are the best workers.”

  “There is no flood. The river runs the way it always has. Your compassionate ways have allowed the witch to take control of you. Can you not see how she has used you?”

  Arxad eyed the empty raft. “Yes, I see now. She is a sorceress, indeed.”

  “It is good to see you coming to your senses.”

  “What shall we do?” Arxad asked.

  “Destroy the escapee immediately, but I want to see the redheaded one die a Starlighter’s death.” A wicked smile revealed Maximus’s sharp teeth. “Her suffering would bring me great pleasure.”

  Arxad bent his neck and turned back to Koren, scowling fiercely, yet his voice was as soft as a whisper. “Take Natalla to the mine station marked by the bent tree. Run as fast as you can, and do not look back. If you hesitate, you will die.”

  Swallowing hard, Koren looked at Natalla. “Are you ready?”

  She nodded, her chin quivering.

  “Then run!” Letting go of Natalla’s hand, Koren dashed toward the forest, her cape flowing behind her.

  “They are escaping!” Maximus roared.

  “I will get them,” Arxad said. “You take the two boys to the other side of the forest. We cannot have witnesses to a summary execution.”

  “No, Arxad! I must stop them now. Stand aside!”

  As Koren rushed onto a tree-shaded path, dragon shrieks filled the air behind her. She ached to look back, but Arxad’s command still pounded her brain. If you hesitate, you will die.

  Natalla ran at her side, her eyes straight ahead and her shorter arms and legs pumping hard. She seemed brave, at least for now. Under the cover of the tallest trees in the region, the dragons wouldn’t be able to see them, but soon they would have to emerge from the forest and traverse the higher, rockier ground where only a few stubby trees dotted the landscape. Would a passing dragon swoop down and snatch them up with his sharp claws, or would he just cook them as they ran?

  As soon as they burst out of the forest, Koren cringed, expecting the worst, but the skin on her back stayed painfree and cool. She looked up. Nothing appeared but blue sky, the sun, and a lone vulture soaring lazily on the breeze.

  They slowed, but Koren dared not stop. “Nice and easy now,” she said, puffing as she jogged. “Remember, don’t look back.”

  From the corner of her eye, Koren watched the cloak’s cape flap behind her. It slowed her pace slightly, but no matter. Natalla wouldn’t have been able to keep up with her at full speed, and since the cloak offered her protection before, it might be useful later. Besides, it seemed to be a part of her now, a symbol of who she was. It felt…right.

  Ahead, the path disappeared, leaving nothing but a field of rocky soil, wiry grass, and a dozen or so stunted trees no taller than the girls. The land sloped upward, not enough to be called a hill, yet enough to make them push harder to keep going.

  After several minutes, Koren reached the crest of the rise and stopped to wipe her forehead. Shielding her eyes, she scanned the arid lands ahead. The squatty trees looked like stooped old men, their scant hair flapping in the warm breeze as they searched for morsels of food among the tufts of grass.

  To their right, the river flowed back toward the forest, promising Koren and Natalla a drink of water before they reached the mines. Upstream, the river bent slowly to the left until it disappeared behind a mesa in the distance. A tree stood near the mesa, the tallest tree in the area. Yet it, too, had a severe crook in the middle that made it bend toward the rocky uprising, as if bowing in worship.

  Koren studied the scene, remembering what she had once learned about this mine. The rock outcropping was ovular in shape, with two entrances on the side facing her—the main entrance near the right side just before the mesa bent away, and a secondary entrance near the opposite bend on the left. The stream flowed within fifty paces of the right extremity, and upstream it meandered until is passed out of sight behind the mesa.

  Farther away, near the horizon, smoke billowed from another mesa, the higher yielding of the two mines now in operation. What had happened there? An explosion?

  Koren shifted her gaze back to the first mine. At the point where the river flowed closest to it, three dragons stood at the water’s edge near two empty rafts and a large unidentifiable lump, partially shielded by the dragons’ bodies. After apparently discussing something, one of them flew to the left side of the mesa, landed, and walked into the secondary entrance.

  “I see dragons there,” Natalla said.

  “Three of them. Two Royal Guard and a patrol, I think.”

  “Did you notice the empty rafts?”

  Koren nodded. “I don’t see any humans walking around, so something’s going on inside the mine. It can’t be good.”

  “What do we do? If we go to the mine, they’ll see us for sure.”

  “I know. I know.” Koren studied their movements for a moment before pointing. “One of them went into the secondary entrance, so he might be gone awhile. It’s big enough for dragons to enter.”

  “Secondary? How do you know so much about it?”

  “Wallace was once assigned to that mine. The last time I saw him, he was collecting stones at the raft drop-off point, and he told me all about it.”

  “How long ago was that?”

  Koren bit her lip. The memory of Wallace and his handicap pierced her heart. As she replied, her voice trembled. “Four years, Natalla. I haven’t heard from him in four years.”

  “Why not? He could easily send word through the gossipers.”

  “He…??
? She swallowed hard. “He was boasting about his plans to destroy the great wall, and I called him…” She pulled in her lip again. Even her nasty, busybody tone came back to mind, but she didn’t dare mimic it. “I called him a one-eyed swamp puppy, too small for his duck feet and too big for his britches.”

  “But that was so long ago. You’ve grown up since then, and you’ve been studying the Code every—”

  “It was stupid, Natalla!” Stiffening her arm at her side, she clenched a fist. “Stupid! Evil! I don’t blame him for not forgiving me.”

  “Did you ever ask him to forgive you?”

  “In my daydreams, a thousand times, and he forgave me there. But in my nightmares, he just stood and shook his head sadly, as if I had broken his heart forever. If I could just see him again, I’d drop down on my knees and beg him to forgive me.”

  Koren raised a fist to her mouth, but she refused to cry. Such an emotional upheaval over so small a thing!

  “At least you might have a chance someday,” Natalla said gently.

  Koren looked at her. “What do you mean?”

  This time, it was Natalla’s turn to pull in her lip. Tears began to flow, tracing the dried tracks on her cheeks. “If…if it wasn’t for me, Stephan would still be…” As her voice trailed away, her shoulders began to shake.

  Koren hugged her close. Poor Natalla! Her dear brother was dead, and ever since the trial she had suffered in silence. Now she blamed herself, and who could possibly talk her out of it? In so many ways, her accusations were true. But what did that matter now? She was sorry, but Stephan would never come around to whisper the three words she so desperately needed to hear—I forgive you.

  “Look!” Sniffing back her tears, Natalla pointed at the mine. The two dragons flew awkwardly, burdened as they dragged a heavy load along the ground. “Are they carrying a dragon?”

  Koren squinted. A long neck hung low from the dragons’ claws. “No doubt about it.”

  Natalla raised a hand to her mouth and gasped. “Did the humans kill it?”

  “That would explain a lot.” Koren waved an arm. “Come on. Let’s get down there while they’re distracted.”