Liberator

  Above, the vine led from his wrist to Elyssa’s two-fisted grip. With her feet planted on dry ground at the edge of the cliff and her body bending back, she pulled, grunting as she yelled. “Grab it! It’s slipping off your wrist!”

  Jason reached up and clutched the vine with both hands. “Got it!” Wet and slippery, it felt thin and fragile, but the roar of tumbling water kept any sound of breakage from reaching his ears. The surge from the north kept pounding at his waist and legs and knocking him into a twisting sway.

  Grunting and yelping, Elyssa staggered backwards until she stepped out of sight. The vine jerked upward in pulses, rubbing against the rocky ledge. With each pulse the woody fiber making contact with the rocks splintered and frayed, then pulled up and out of sight.

  Finally, the ledge drew within reach. Jason grabbed a protruding rock with one hand, swung the hand with the tied wrist to the top, and pulled himself up high enough to see the meadow. The sudden slack sent Elyssa tumbling backwards. The vine flew from her hands, and she landed on her back.

  She threw herself forward and scrambled for the vine, but Jason hoisted his body onto the ledge before she could reach it.

  Dripping from every extremity, he shuffled toward her on wobbly legs. She lay on her stomach, propped on her elbows, holding the vine loosely in her hands. With her head down, water formed in a pool under her nose.

  Jason sat heavily in front of her. “Are you all right?” He lifted his wrist to his mouth and bit into the vine. It was so tight his hand was turning purple.

  “I’m okay.” Her tone was dismal, and her eyes stayed focused on the ground. “You?”

  He chewed through the vine and let it drop. As he rubbed his wrist, he bent low, trying to see her expression. “I’m okay, thanks to you.”

  “You saved me first.”

  She braced her hands on the ground and pushed up. Jason leaped to his feet and helped her the rest of the way. He pinched the vine on her wrist. “Let me help you with that.”

  “I’ll get it.” She jerked away and turned her back. “You’d better find your sword.”

  Jason glanced upstream. The sword and scabbard lay somewhere on the bank, but they could wait. “What’s wrong? Something I did?”

  She shook her head but said nothing.

  “Hey!” He grasped her arm and gently turned her around. Tears trickled down her cheeks, mixing with the water streaming from her hair. “Something is wrong. What is it?”

  “It’s my problem, not yours.” Sniffing, she nodded toward the north. “Want me to help you find your sword?”

  “Only after you tell me what’s got you crying. You’re too strong to break down for no reason.”

  She looked him in the eye, her facial muscles drawing taut. “Do you really believe that?”

  “Of course.” He nodded at the vine, now loose around her wrist. “Look at what you just did. You lugged a guy fifty pounds heavier than you. Dead weight. You were amazing.”

  “Then why didn’t you believe in me before?”

  He mopped water from his forehead with a wet sleeve. “What do you mean?”

  “You said we would both swim, and the first one to the bank would pull the other one. But then you changed your mind and told me to hold on to you.”

  As he looked into her sad eyes, the reality of her words sank in. When the crisis moment came to pass, he decided to trust in himself, not her.

  “I guess I shouldn’t expect anything else,” she continued, sniffing again. “I mean, you’re a man. It’s natural for you to want to protect me. Right? So I should just let you be a man and stop skipping steps, like letting go of you when you’re trying to save me. In fact, I didn’t trust you enough to get us to the bank, so we’re really both to blame in a way.”

  Jason thought about her words. She was right. They both had a lapse in their trust in each other. “I can’t argue with that. I don’t know what to say.”

  Elyssa gazed into his eyes. As if entering a dark room, her pupils dilated, searching, probing. After nearly a minute, she whispered, “I guess it just takes time.”

  “You mean complete trust?”

  “Mm-hmm.” She looked to the north. “We left the soldiers pretty far behind.”

  “No use waiting for them. Maybe they’ll catch up by the time we get to the wall.”

  She turned around, her eyes again probing, this time the land to the south. “It’s about an hour away, right?”

  “I think so. Do you sense any obstacles?”

  She shook her head. “Let’s find your sword and get going.”

  After finding the sword and belt upstream, Jason and Elyssa turned to the south and walked side by side near the chasm. Both stayed silent as the waterfall’s roar dominated the soundscape.

  They stepped to the edge and looked into the gorge. White water gushed from the north, flew out over the expanse, and tumbled in a free fall until it splashed over gray stones far below, some flat and some with protruding points. In response, spray flew upward in billowing towers before raining back to the stones.

  The raft had broken into pieces, some lodged between stones and some floating westward in a new river that carried water to places unknown. Neither dragon nor human had mentioned any regions that lay outside the Northlands and the Southlands. It seemed that their focus stayed only on their territories, though the world of Starlight had to encompass much more than such a narrow view.

  Elyssa turned and wrapped her arms around Jason. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “You’re welcome.” He returned the embrace. There was no need for an explanation. “And thank you for another chance.”

  Elyssa took his hand and faced south. “Shall we?”

  “Without a doubt.”

  “Then lead the way, warrior.”

  The two marched ahead hand in hand, leaving the roar of the waterfall behind.

  Constance stood in front of one of the female white dragons, trying desperately to show no pain. Although her burns felt as if the flames were still raging across her skin, staying calm was the only way to prove to these beasts that she could speak on behalf of her fellow slaves. “I am telling the truth, Beth,” she said through her scorched lips. “A cure to the disease is coming. There is no need to, as you say, eliminate the pestilence. We have a solution, and it is only a matter of time until it arrives.”

  Beth’s head swayed in an arc from side to side, as if drawing a smile in the air. “I wish to take no chances. The soldiers from Darksphere could arrive at any time, and you can provide no guarantees. We will not allow dying humans to linger and suffer needlessly. Begin sorting through the sick. Have the strongest among you bring the weakest three to us.”

  With a sigh, Constance scanned the area. The Zodiac’s portico jutted into the street from the main building, providing an elevated porch with a roof over top. From each side, stairs led to the porch, which overlooked the cobblestone thoroughfare. Not long ago, Koren stood at the front edge of the portico and addressed a gathering of slaves. So much had changed. Now the slaves gathered again, but not to listen. They came to die.

  Dozens of slaves lay on the street or stairs, while others milled about, passing around water and bread. Some of the children slept, exhausted from fighting the illness. One man sat against one of the portico’s support columns, his head lolling to the side. With every finger missing from one hand and with no ears, he might be dead already.

  “I will do as you commanded,” Constance said, “but deciding which three are the weakest will take some time.”

  “Then choose any three and be quick about it, or I will choose them myself.”

  A whisper reached Constance’s ear. “I think she’s an ice dragon.”

  Constance forced herself to keep her focus straight ahead. No matter how many times Deference spoke up, it always gave her a start. Being only spirit, Deference had stayed as motionless as possible in order to remain invisible, though she sometimes dashed to wherever she was needed when it seemed that no drag
ons were looking.

  “So she’s an ice dragon,” Constance mumbled under her breath. “Why are you telling me that?”

  “They’ll probably breathe ice to kill the people. Tell Beth that ice might not destroy the disease. It requires intense heat.”

  “Do you know this to be true?”

  “No, but it’s a good guess. You have only a few symptoms, so maybe the heat remaining from your intense burns is keeping it from taking hold. Anyway, it’s worth a try. At least it might buy us some time.”

  Constance turned toward Beth. “I have heard about your kind. Do you intend to freeze the sickest ones?”

  “We intend to freeze everyone. There will be no exceptions. With no cure and no hope for recovery, everyone who has even the slightest symptoms will be destroyed.”

  “Then why should I cooperate? You’ll just kill me.”

  “You will cooperate, because you believe doing so will give you another hour to live.” Beth breathed a stream of ice at Constance’s feet, chilling her toes. “I know your kind. You will obey.”

  With two quick kicks, Constance shook off the ice. “Freezing them will kill their bodies, but it might not destroy the disease. It is sensitive to heat, not cold.”

  Beth’s neck whipped around, bringing her head directly in front of Constance. “Do you know this to be true?”

  Constance suppressed a gulp. Spreading out her arms, she showed the burns on her skin. “I have only minor symptoms, so I assume—”

  “Assumptions are unopened windows that foolish birds fly into, and their broken bodies are evidence gathered too late.”

  “Be that as it may, I think —”

  “It matters not what you think.” As Beth looked at the sky, her growl suddenly shifted to a purr. “I see that we have unexpected company.”

  In the southern sky, two dragons flew toward them, one black and the other the more customary reddish brown.

  “Taushin and Mallerin,” Deference whispered in Constance’s ear.

  Beth let out a series of squeaks and grunts that sounded something like normal dragon language, but the words were unfamiliar. The other two white dragons skittered toward them, flapping their wings to propel their bodies.

  “What is your observation, Gamal?” Beth asked.

  The larger of the two squinted at the sky. “Taushin seeks an audience,” he said in a deep voice. “The dragon flying with him is his guide, his seeing eyes — a female, I believe.”

  “Dalath?” Beth focused on the smaller of the two. “Shall we grant this audience?”

  “By all means. There are only two of them, and one is blind.”

  Constance glanced from Gamal to Dalath, male and female. It seemed that the only differences between the sexes were size and voice. Every other detail was identical.

  “Gamal,” Beth said, “fly to meet them and explain that any word or action that violates the laws of Starlight will result in death. Since the female acts as his eyes, make sure she focuses on me just before they land. I want to see his reaction when he first notices me.”

  Without another word, Gamal took to the air. Beth shuffled toward the man leaning against the column, latched on to him with her foreclaws, and dragged him back into the open. He groaned and twitched but little else.

  Constance whispered, “Don’t look, Deference. I think this is going to end badly.”

  “My eyes are closed.”

  By the time Beth stopped, Taushin and Mallerin had begun their descent, Gamal flying on Taushin’s opposite side. Beth dropped the man to the cobblestones and rolled him a few feet away. With a great heave, she blasted a barrage of ice crystals over his body, instantly coating him in white.

  Constance gasped. Stories of such ice abounded in legends from the Northlands, but no one here had ever seen it. And now a human lay in an icy blanket, no longer groaning or moving at all.

  As the three dragons beat their wings to land, Beth looked at Constance and gestured with a foreleg. “Check him for life.”

  Her legs shaking, Constance walked to the man’s side, knelt on her scorched knees, and touched his wrist. His arm was as stiff as the mainstay of a dragon wing, cold and lifeless, and a sheet of white ice coated his entire body.

  “There is no need to check for a heartbeat,” Deference whispered. “He is dead.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m riding on your shoulders. It’s the easiest way to move without being seen. I can’t hold on to things for very long, but I can stay put without a problem.”

  Now on the ground, Taushin drew near, his head high as he cast blue eyebeams on Mallerin as she surveyed the portico area.

  Beth extended her neck, lifting her head higher than Taushin’s. “What brings you here, presumed king of the Southlands dragons?”

  “I come with news that is crucial for you to hear.”

  “You flew into danger to deliver news that will benefit me?” Beth’s purring voice seemed to glide through the air. “Taushin, from what Gamal tells me, you have no capacity for unselfish acts.”

  Taushin’s brow bent. “Perhaps that is true, but that is the way for dragons and humans alike. No one is capable of true selfless sacrifice.”

  “The world has proven that time and again.” Beth nodded at him. “Go on.”

  “Cassabrie, the greatest of all Starlighters, will come here. She resides within Exodus, the once fallen star, so you will be unable to stop her.”

  “Stop her from doing what?” Beth asked.

  A thump sounded from the Zodiac, drawing Constance’s attention. Maybe a slave had staggered in and fallen through the entryway’s open floor. In any case, the dragons didn’t seem to notice.

  Taushin spread out his wings. “With a wave of her arms and with her mesmerizing voice, she can hypnotize any dragon who looks upon her. She plans to put you in a trance and destroy you.”

  “Destroy us? How?”

  “Are you unaware of the legends? The star’s membrane is coated with energy particles that will eat through your bodies faster than a whip can draw blood. One touch from her spherical chamber will dissolve you to a pile of white powder in mere seconds.”

  Beth looked at Gamal, her expression dour. “What say you?”

  “It is true,” Gamal said with a slight bow of his head. “The previous time we visited to bring justice, Exodus was safely stored in the Northlands mountains, so I did not warn you about it. If a powerful Starlighter is coming within the star, the danger is great indeed.”

  Beth focused again on Taushin. “I sense malice. You bring a solution that will benefit you and prevent our enforcement. You seek to avoid punishment and extend your rule.”

  “Of course.” Taushin bowed his head. “I did not deny any selfish intent.”

  Beth’s expression took on a skeptical aspect. “Go on.”

  “We have a device in the Zodiac that will rob Cassabrie of energy. Allow me free access here until she arrives, and I will see to it that she is rendered harmless.”

  “And what of our enforcement? You know we cannot leave your race unpunished.”

  “I will tell you where my fellow dragons are hiding. You may exact your punishment there. I ask only that you spare a few of us to continue the dragon race.”

  “A few?” Beth’s eyes narrowed. “How few?”

  “Myself, my mother and her mate, Arxad and his mate, and their daughter, Xenith.”

  “Six dragons to propagate the species.” Beth’s skeptical stare deepened. “Why these six?”

  Constance raised her brow. The same question crossed her own mind. Why would Taushin want to save the dragons who weren’t his allies and allow those loyal to him to be destroyed?

  “I need experience and counsel from the wisest leaders,” Taushin said. “And I covet Xenith as my mate. She is strong and intelligent, a fit vessel for propagation.”

  “A convenient answer.” Beth looked at Gamal. “Do you have insight?”

  “His choices are reasonable.” Gamal studied Ta
ushin. “I want to know more about the device that will drain the Starlighter. Because of our war with these dragons, we failed to complete our mission to find and restore the Reflections Crystal. This device Taushin mentions sounds as if it might have properties similar to the crystal.”

  Taushin cast his eyebeams on Gamal. “You have a sharp mind. The device is, indeed, the Reflections Crystal. Once I have destroyed Cassabrie, you may take it with you. I will have no further need of it. If you reject this offer, of course, I cannot do anything to protect you from her power.”

  “Gamal,” Beth said, “is Taushin lying?”

  The end of Gamal’s tail twitched. “Every word he has spoken is true, though, as did you, I detect deep malice. I would not trust him.”

  “I rely on you for discernment, not counsel.” Beth shifted toward Dalath. “What do you say?”

  Dalath’s blue eyes gleamed. “Kill the infected humans and lead the Darksphere army to Taushin’s dragons.

  Since we will be outnumbered, we might need the humans’ help. If Taushin proves to be untrustworthy, his company of six will not be able to withstand our fury.”

  Beth nodded. “I agree. Begin killing the humans at once. Start with the oldest and most infirm.”

  Constance raised a hand. “No! Don’t! How can you speak of justice when you kill the innocent?”

  “Innocence is irrelevant,” Beth said. “The disease has no cure, so we are merely shortening their suffering. At the same time, we are protecting those who are coming to rescue those who remain. In a sense, we will be dispensing showers of mercy.”

  “But there is hope for a cure. We can wait until—”

  “Hope for what has never existed is a man in chains waiting to fall up into the sky. Like gravity itself, the law is unchangeable and unforgiving.” Beth sprayed icy mist over Constance’s face. “Attempts to delay the inevitable are simply denials of reality and a waste of time. If you continue pursuit of your so-called hope, you will learn a lesson in the law’s merciful ways before the others do.”

  Constance brushed the ice crystals away. What could be done? If this dragon carried out her threat, hope really would die. Mallerin and Taushin whispered to each other, but they seemed unwilling to stop the plan or express an opinion.