Dragonvein (Book Two) (27 page)

By nightfall, the howling of the beasts returned. This time however, they were much closer. Even Maytra seemed ill at ease, frequently popping her head out of the blanket, craning her neck and hissing anxiously.

Early the next morning, Ethan had an uncomfortable feeling that he was being followed. Several times he thought he spotted shadows darting behind rocks. Maytra spent most of the day circling the sky above where he had recently passed. As he felt her anxiety growing, so did his own. Something was definitely stalking him, though no matter how many times he looked, it darted out of sight before he could get a clear view.

When he drew near to the dragons’ canyon, the pursuit ceased and Maytra visibly relaxed. He felt a calm come over him as he descended. He took a moment to appreciate the magnificent creatures before him - frozen in place and locked in a desperate battle with a force of sheer evil. A tear spilled down his cheek when he thought of the unavoidable truth. They would never move again. And even the wards he had set would only delay their total destruction should he fail.

He mounted the dais. “Heather,” he called out. His voice echoed from the walls, but there was no answer. “Heather. I need your help.”

“So soon?”

The voice seem to come from everywhere at once.

“Where are you?” he asked.

“I am here,” she replied. “Though until the dragons are restored, I can no longer take physical form.”

“Something is happening to me,” he said.

“Yes, I know. And I am sorry.”

Ethan scowled. “You’re sorry? I almost killed two of my friends. Why didn’t you tell me what would happen?”

“Because I did not know,” she answered. “Would you have refused if it had been otherwise?”

“No. But I don’t understand how you couldn’t know?”

There was a long pause before she spoke again. “What you did has never been done before. With the unknown there are always risks.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Perhaps. But it is dangerous. And now is not the time. First you must find the children and bring them here.”

“And once I do that, then what?”

“Then you must travel deep within your own spirit. You must take command of it. If you succeed, the spirits within you will be silent.”

“What happens if I fail?”

“Then you will be trapped…forever. You will dwell here with us while another takes your place among the living.”

One of his ancestors would possess his body, while he remained a spirit.
The mere thought of this sent a chill up his spine.

He could feel Heather’s presence fading. But she was right. Now was not the time. Somehow he would find a way to keep the voices at bay. At least long enough to finish what he must do.

He turned to the dragons. Though their eyes were closed, their essence was all around him, urging him to have courage. And for a moment, all other voices vanished. But only for a moment. He bowed low and started back up the canyon wall.

After a mile, the feeling of being stalked returned, and once again Maytra began circling nervously overhead. Relief only came when Ethan caught sight of the border to Renald’s land. By this time, so tight was his grip on the hilt of his sword, his knuckles had turned pale white and his clenched jaw ached from the tension.

Maytra flew down to stand at the edge of the grass, glaring back and snarling. Ethan turned as well. There, just beyond a pile of loose boulders, were three creatures. He couldn’t make out details, but they stood on all fours and were roughly the size of a large dog.

“What are they, girl?” he muttered.

Maytra hissed and screeched.

After remaining in sight for a few more seconds, the creatures darted off.

By the time he reached the house, the afternoon was turning to dusk. The pleasant tang of saltwater in the air was a welcome change to the barren wastes of the past four days, and the aroma of spiced ham soon had his mouth watering. His muscles longed for a soft pillow and a warm blanket, but such luxuries would have to wait for just a short while longer.

The instant his foot touched the porch, the door flew open and Kat raced outside, very nearly knocking Ethan off his feet as she wrapped her arms around him.

“I wasn’t gone that long,” he teased, lifting her up and returning the embrace.

“So you didn’t miss me at all?” she said, feigning offense.

He put her down. “Of course I did.”

The others were just preparing to eat supper.

“I see you made it back in one piece,” remarked Markus, grinning.

Ethan responded with a wink. “Barely.”

Lylinora gave a bright smile and rose to kiss him on the cheek. “I for one am certainly glad we don’t have to listen to Kat complaining any longer,” she said in a light-hearted tone.

Her welcome pleased Ethan. Outwardly at least, she had forgiven him for frightening her.

Renald’s face remained solemn until he heard the sound of talons on wood. A moment later, Maytra scampered inside and jumped straight onto his lap. “There you are, you old rat.” The old mage smiled, unable to hide his relief.

He switched his attention to Ethan. “She managed to keep you out of trouble, I see.”

Ethan took a seat at the table. “Yes, she did.”

Jonas passed him a pitcher of apple juice. “What is it like out there?”

He shrugged. “Desolate. From what I saw, Shinzan did his job well when he destroyed this place.” He went on to tell Renald about the creatures he had encountered.

Renald sighed heavily. “They can sense the dragons are no longer a threat to them. But don’t worry. They won’t come here.”

“What are they?”

“Cursed beasts. The few creatures who survived Shinzan’s wrath were transformed. The dragons kept them far from here. But now…” Renald cleared his throat. “Well, now they only have my wards to fear.”

“Will they attack us when we leave?” asked Jonas.

“I doubt it,” he replied. “And if they do, Lylinora should be able to handle them easily enough.”

This helped to ease Ethan’s concerns. He decided to leave out any mention of his encounter with Heather for a more private talk with Renald. Renewed mention of the spirits dwelling within him might upset Lylinora or Kat, and he was already feeling guilty enough over the incident. Instead, the others spoke to him of Kat’s lessons, as well as the preparations they had made for his and Markus’ perilous journey.

After dinner, Ethan returned to the boat with Markus. While trying to sleep, he pondered on what they would encounter once they stepped through the portal.

How many years might have passed? And where exactly would they end up?

Since drinking the dragon’s blood, fear had been something he could easily overcome. But now, with what he was about to do, it was becoming far more difficult to ignore.

Chapter Twenty-Two

E
than smiled. “I
felt the same way the first time I saw them.”

Jonas, Lylinora, Kat and Markus were standing slack-jawed and speechless as they gazed up at the six enormous dragons.

“Are they…alive?” Kat asked in a half-whisper.

Ethan stood beside her. “Of course they are.”

“Can I touch one?”

“Sure.”

She took a tiny step closer. “Come
with
me.”

After taking her by the hand, they approached one of the white dragons side by side. Ethan glanced over his shoulder and saw that Renald had stepped up onto the dais and was giving them a disapproving scowl.

“It’s not moving,” remarked Kat. “Not even breathing.”

“They’ve bound themselves to the core of Lumnia,” he explained. “Their bodies are slowly dying. But for now they’re still alive, I promise.”

She pressed her palm against its front haunch and gasped. “It’s so warm. I’ve never felt anything like it. It’s hard and soft all at the same time.” She turned to the others. “You have to feel this. It’s amazing.”

“That’s enough,” barked Renald. “Leave them alone.”

Ignoring his protest, Kat pressed her cheek to the dragon’s scales. “I wish I could hear their thoughts like you do, Ethan. How wonderful that must be.”

He touched her shoulder. “It is.”

“I said that’s enough,” Renald repeated, this time more harshly. “We didn’t come here to engage in nonsense.”

Ethan nodded and took a deep cleansing breath. It was time. He and the others joined Renald on the dais. In preparation, he had done his best to dress in a manner that would not draw too much attention.

“That’s assuming we end up in our own time,” Markus had said. “If we end up in medieval times, we’ll fit right in.”

Lylinora selected a spot and unfurled a small round rug. While she was doing this, Renald dug into a satchel and retrieved two pendants and a thin golden rope.

He handed the rope to Lylinora. “Put this on. It will help you retain your strength.”

“Is this a Rope of Making?” she asked, eyes wide.

Renald nodded. “A gift from my brother. He was one of only three mages who were able to craft them.”

After admiring the rope for a moment, she wrapped it around her waist. “Thank you.”

Renald then handed Markus and Ethan each a pendant. They were plain and unremarkable, aside from the blue rajni stone set at the end. “These will help guide you,” he said. “Lylinora used Jonas’ description of the one given to him to make them. And she cast a spell so they would be attracted to anyone from Lumnia born in her time. It should ignore Ethan as long as he wears one. When you’re ready to return, smash the stone and a portal will open. Lylinora will be keeping it open at this end.”

“You’ve told us this ten times already,” complained Markus.

“And I’m telling you again,” he snapped back. “Remember. Once the stone is smashed, you will have only a few seconds to enter. So don’t use it until you’re sure.”

“Are you ready?” asked Lylinora.

Ethan nodded. Each of them was carrying only a small pouch containing a few gold coins and a handful of precious stones. It had been decided to leave behind any weapons aside from a dagger they kept hidden beneath their shirts.

Ethan closed his eyes and reached out to the dragons.
We are ready. Help us.
He could feel their power instantly envelop the dais. He knew it would weaken them further. But there was no choice. Without their help, the portal could not remain stable. They could easily end up returning a thousand years into the future.

He looked back. Jonas was wringing his hands. Kat had been standing beside him, but was now nowhere to be seen. Unable to watch, Ethan guessed.

“Be careful,” Jonas called out.

Ethan smiled and winked. “Unless I’m wrong, it will only seem like a few seconds to you.”

Lylinora kissed them both on the cheek before taking her place on the rug. Once in position, she began chanting the incantation and swaying rhythmically from side to side. After about five minutes, a small disk of swirling blue and black light appeared in the center of the dais.

Ethan glanced over to Markus, noticing the tension building on his face. “Are you all right?” he asked.

His friend gave a sharp nod. “It just brings back bad memories, that’s all. I’ll be fine.”

By now, Lylinora was dripping with sweat – hair clinging to her face and neck as the ritual grew to a fever pitch. Slowly but steadily the portal continued to expand until it was over six feet in diameter.

Cautiously, the pair positioned themselves close enough to enter in one short leap. Ethan wrapped his arms around Markus and counted down.

“Three. Two. One.”

At the very instant they jumped, Ethan felt another pair of arms suddenly encircle his waist. He looked down to see Kat smiling impishly up at him.

*

“Get up!”

The voice sounded muffled and distant, like someone shouting through a pillow. Ethan struggled to regain his senses, but his muscles wouldn’t cooperate – not even his eyelids.

“Get up,” the voice repeated.

He felt himself being lifted to his feet and dragged for several yards. For a few moments he could hear his boots scraping against what sounded like stone. The soft crunching of leaves and the musty odor of earth then told him that he was lying down again.

“Is he all right?” asked an unfamiliar voice in English. It had a distinctive southern twang.

“He…um…fainted.” This time it was Markus speaking.

Finally, Ethan managed to peel open his eyes. His mouth was dry and his head was pounding. As his vision slowly cleared, he could see that he was beneath a large oak tree.

“I’m fine,” he croaked.

Markus was kneeling beside him, looking confused and a little bit angry. He helped Ethan into a seated position.

“We need to get out of here,” he said, his eyes darting nervously from side to side.

Ethan tried to clear his head. They were in a small park – no more than two-hundred yards square. Off to his left at the park’s center, a circular fountain featuring several white marble cherubs spewed a continuous gush of water. A number of paths leading to the outlying city streets radiated out from this like spokes on a wheel.

The surrounding buildings were mostly two stories high, with wrought iron railings encircling a second floor balcony. Scattered randomly amongst these were a few larger, four or five story buildings, which to Ethan’s eyes had a more modern appearance than their smaller neighbors.

A few people were about the park, some sitting on benches and others strolling casually. One man, dressed in a pair of overalls and wearing a red cap, was standing a few feet away, a suspicious look on his weathered face.

Taking hold of Markus’ hand, he got to his feet, his mind at last getting back to something like normal working order. “Where’s Kat?” he asked, suddenly remembering her last second intervention.

“I’m right here,” she replied, appearing from the other side of the oak. There was nothing guilty or apologetic about her. In fact, she looked quite pleased that she had managed to come with them in spite of Ethan’s objections.

“What the hell!” he shouted. “I told you –”

“This isn’t the time or the place,” Markus cut in quickly. “We need to get moving.”

“That boy on drugs or somethin’,” asked the onlooker.

The thick southern accent suggested that they were at least in the United States.

“No, sir,” Markus replied. “Just not feeling good.”

Ethan waved his hand dismissively. “I feel better now.”

He could see the man frowning.
English
, he warned himself.
I must speak English.
“Sorry, sir. I think I ate something bad.”

“Ate something, did ya?” he said with obvious disbelief. “Well, you boys better skedaddle. Ain’t no loiterin’ ‘round here.”

Ethan gave him a sharp nod and set off on unsteady legs toward the nearest street. Markus and Kat were at his side at once. When they reached the street, they turned into an area that looked to be commercial.

“I should fucking strangle you,” hissed Ethan. “Now what are we supposed to do?”

Kat sniffed. “I told you I didn’t want to be left behind.”

“And I said we can talk about this later,” Markus told them both. “First of all, let’s find out where the hell we are and what year it is.”

They continued walking for a few blocks, glancing in windows they passed, all the time searching for a clue as to their location.

“One thing is for sure,” said Markus as a red sports car raced by. “It’s definitely not nineteen forty-four.”

Two young men wearing denim jackets, ripped jeans and black leather boots passed by. Their hair was all the way down their backs, and in their left ears hung gaudy silver earrings – one in the design of a skull, the other a cross. Chain belts were fastened around their waists, and both had an assortment of silver bracelets on each wrist. Their eyes showed clear signs of eyeliner, while their cheeks were heavily smeared with blush. Black lipstick completed the ‘look’.

Ethan nearly burst out laughing. “Men sure have changed.”

Markus cracked a smile. “Are you sure they
were
men?”

Along the next block, Ethan spotted a police car parked on the curb.

“We’re in Mobile, Alabama,” he announced.

Markus groaned. “That’s just great. Two New Yorkers and a girl from another planet wandering aimlessly in the Deep South.”

“It could be worse,” Ethan countered. “It could have been Berlin.”

His friend chuckled. “You have a point, I guess. And at least we speak the language.” He looked over at Kat. “Well two of us do, anyhow.”

Kat simply cocked her head and smirked. “Then it’s a good thing I’ve got you with me.”

A few buildings further down they came to a corner store. Alongside the front door was a box containing the local newspaper.

Markus bent down to examine it closely. A moment later he stood up straight, eyes wide. “Would you believe it? It’s nineteen eighty-eight.”

Ethan gave a soft whistle. “Forty-four years!”

“You look pretty good for your age,” quipped Kat.

He shot her a furious glance. “I don’t want to hear from you right now.”

She shrugged and took a long, slow look around. “It’s not how I pictured it.” Just then, a blue car whizzed by. “Those things are amazing though. What are they?”

“They’re called
be quiet!
” Ethan snapped. “We’re not here for a bloody tour.”

Kat puffed up, but made no further comment.

He turned to Markus. “At least it’s cars and not panzers rolling down the street. And I don’t see any SS goons strutting about.”

Markus grinned. “So it seems like the good guys did win the war.”

“It looks that way. But I’d sure like to know how it ended, and what happened to Hitler. The Japs too after what they did to Pearl Harbor. Are we occupying Tokyo these days?”

“That’s not exactly the kind of questions we can just ask someone,” Markus pointed out. “Not unless you want us branded as a bunch of crazies.”

Ethan nodded. “I know. But I’m real curious, all the same.

“We’ll need some money,” Markus said, changing the subject. He jangled the pouch on his belt. “I sure hope they still have pawn shops around here.”

Ethan was only half paying attention. He had already removed the pendant and was holding it out as far as the chain would allow. A dim pulse of light emanated from the heart of the rajni stone. He turned slowly, pointing it in every direction. When he was facing the way they were already going, the rate of the pulse increased slightly.

“Well, at least we know the damn thing works,” said Markus. “Wait here.”

He ducked inside the store, returning in less than a minute wearing a broad smile. “The lady inside says there’s a pawn shop a mile further down.” He chuckled softly. “I must say, it feels a bit odd talking in English again.”

Ethan turned to glare at Kat. “That reminds me. Don’t speak unless we’re alone. We need to do what we came here to do and then get back.”

She crossed her arms. “I’m not stupid, Ethan.”

He snorted. “Really? Then why are you here?”

“Ease off,” Markus scolded. “She’s here, and that’s that. So don’t be an asshole.” He placed an arm around the young girl’s shoulder. “But he
is
right. You need to keep quiet when other people are around.”

She smiled up at him, pretending to lock her lips with an invisible key. “I promise. Not a word.”

As they moved on, Kat lingered every now and then to take in her surroundings, clearly impressed by the many bright lights and fancy looking goods for sale in the shop windows. While a fuming Ethan remained a few steps behind, Markus stayed by her side, doing his best to answer her questions about what the various items were. When an airplane streaked across the sky, she nearly toppled over from shock.

“You told me about those things,” she gasped. “But I don’t think I really believed it. Why would you want to go back to Lumnia?”

“Now
that’s
a good question,” agreed Markus.

“Stay if you want,” snapped Ethan. “Both of you.”

A few moments later he spotted the pawn shop on the other side of the street and stalked off toward it.

“What’s wrong with him?” asked Kat.

Markus shrugged. “I don’t know. Ever since he came back from the dragons, something about him is different.”

“And it’s not just that he seems older,” she said, nodding in agreement. “He’s…I don’t know…”

“Darker,” Markus completed for her.

The single word hung heavily in the air. Ethan had already reached the front entrance to the shop and was waiting for them with arms crossed, tapping his foot impatiently.

The moment they stepped inside, Kat’s eyes began darting everywhere. The place was packed with hundreds of various items: everything from bicycles to farm tools, and water skis to lawn mowers. Off to their left, a long, glass-topped counter displayed jewelry at one end and hand guns at the other, while behind the counter, a variety of rifles and assault weapons were set against the wall. In the corner sat an old man wearing jeans and a check-patterned button down shirt. He scarcely bothered to look up from his newspaper as the trio approached.