Dragons Rising (9 page)

He
wore no spurs, but he grabbed the reins and dug his heels into the
drake's tenderspots. The beast tossed back its head, squealed, and
kicked off the hill. Lore's amber wings beat madly, rustling the
grass below and beating back the three paladins' cloaks.

"Fly
with me!" Gemini called down to them. "You two scum--rise!
Albinor, you walk back."

He
laughed as he soared higher, the wind in his hair. His servants rose
at his side, a new retinue for his power. He was a lord again, and he
would exert his power to get what he wanted. All those who stood in
his way would die--like the man on the beach had died.

That
miserable wretch tried to steal my lemons, so I slew him. And I will
slay all my enemies, all those who stand in my way. I will get what I
want, if the world has to burn, if I have to kill every last man,
woman, and child.
He licked his lips.
I want Domi, and I want
my Temple, and I will have both. Even if the whole world crumbles
around us, and all other souls die, the Cured Temple will rise from
ruin, and I will stand upon its peak with Domi, and I will reign.

He
curved his flight to pass over the devastation of the Horde's city.
Several pits had been dug into the charred earth, and human remains
smoked within. Many skeletons still littered the earth above these
mass graves, bony hands reaching up in supplication. The burnt corpse
of a griffin lay below, shreds of skin flapping in the wind, ribs
exposed and black. Crows and vultures flew everywhere. These dead had
once followed Gemini; the wrath of Mercy had burned them.

"You
will pay for this, Mercy," he whispered. "When I'm done
with you, you and Mother will be nothing but two more burnt skeletons
in a pit. And I'm going to piss onto your bones."

The
three firedrakes kept flying, leaving the ruins behind. A mile south,
Gemini beheld a garrison of troops--perhaps several hundred strong.
Five other firedrakes stood here, hunched over the remains of a dead
griffin like vultures over carrion. Lowborn soldiers in chain mail
moved back and forth across a dirt field, while archers stood in
makeshift, wooden towers. White military tents rose in neat rows,
topped with banners of tillvine blossoms. Gemini directed Lore to
glide directly over the camp, flying so low the firedrake almost
slammed into the wooden towers. The blast of the beast's wings
ruffled the tents, nearly uprooting them.

"Hear
me!" Gemini shouted. "Your new lord is here!" He
laughed, the power coursing through him. "Kneel, warriors of the
Spirit! Kneel before Lord Gemini Deus!"

He
dug his heels into Lore, and the firedrake blasted forth a great
stream of fire. The inferno stormed across the sky and rained down
sparks. Soldiers below rushed aside. A few men, cowed by the display,
knelt in the dirt.

Gemini
landed in a dirt square between tents. The other two firedrakes
landed behind him.

"Who
rules this cesspool?" Gemini shouted. "Come forth,
commander of this garrison!"

The
door of the largest tent opened, and a burly lord emerged, wrapped in
a samite gown and wearing a burnished breastplate large enough to
drown a pig in. A bushy, red mustache curled across the brute's pink,
pudgy face. He was busy tightening his belt and tugging up his pants,
and Gemini glimpsed the tousled head of a Terran woman in his tent.

"What
is the meaning of this?" the man blustered. "Who are you,
scoundrel, that you ride a firedrake and--"

Gemini
spoke calmly, stroking Lore. "Flame him."

The
yellow firedrake puffed out his chest and blasted forth his fire. The
stream crashed against the mustached lord, knocking him down,
consuming him. Soldiers cried out and fell back. The tent caught fire
and collapsed, and the captive woman screamed within. Lore kept
blasting forth his dragonfire as the lord rolled, begged, tried to
flee but finally fell and rose no more. When the flames died, they
revealed nothing but a charred corpse in blackened armor.

Gemini
nodded. "Good. Good!" He dismounted and faced the troops
who gathered around. All were kneeling now. "You, go fetch me
some armor, a sword, a shield." He turned toward another
soldier. "You fetch me a pack full of battle rations, and
you--yes, you, the scrawny one, go get the camp healer. Tell him to
bring his supplies with him."

When
Gemini's firedrake cackled and tossed his head, the troops blanched
and all but fled toward their tasks.

The
female paladin, the one who had flown here with him on her firedrake,
moved her mount to stand closer to Gemini. She wasn't bad-looking,
Gemini thought--young, pretty, her hair golden.

The
priests should have sent her to my bed,
Gemini thought, trying to
imagine her without her armor on.

"My
lord," she said, "the man you burned was dear to Lady
Mercy. She will hear of this, my lord."

"Oh,
I hope she does." Gemini licked his lips. "I hope she hears
and screams. I hope she screams so loudly the entire city of Nova
Vita hears. Do not worry, my darling. My sister is far, far in the
north across the sea, and the southern continent, well . . . this is
our domain." He stared into the paladin's blue eyes. "Serve
me well, my dear, and you will rise high in my favor. What's your
name?"

"Kaela,
my lord."

He
nodded. "I'll remember you, Kaela. Do not forget what you saw
here today. Do not forget what happens to those who disobey me, who
refuse to kneel before me. They burn, my sweet Kaela. But those who
kneel will be blessed."

His
eyes strayed down to her breastplate, but then Gemini clenched his
jaw and looked away. No. He would not think of other women now. Those
days were behind him. All he cared about was Domi--healing her, being
with her again.

Finally
the troops returned, bringing with them armor, weapons, food, and a
bearded old healer. Soon Gemini was flying again. He was still
filthy, unwashed, stinking, but he wore armor again. A sword hung
from his thigh, food filled a pack across his back, and an old healer
sat behind him in the saddle.

You
cannot stop me, Mercy,
he thought as he flew back toward the
hill, leaving the other firedrakes behind.
No one can. You hurt
Domi. You hurt her badly, and you will pay.

He
landed back on the hill, dismounted, and led the healer toward Domi
in her cave.

"Heal
her," Gemini demanded.

The
healer knelt and gently undid the bandage on Domi's leg.

"Spirit,"
Gemini whispered, grimacing. The wound stank. He could smell it even
standing outside the cave. Gangrene was spreading through the cut,
and pus dripped down Domi's leg. The wound was raw, open, revealing
rotten flesh within.

Oh
Domi,
Gemini thought.

The
healer shook his head sadly. He looked back at Gemini. "It's a
bad wound, my lord. It festered for too long. I'll have to amputate
the leg."

Gemini
growled. He grabbed the old man's collar. "You bloody butcher!
Is that how you treat wounded soldiers? Chopping off wounds rather
than healing them?" His eyes stung, and he barked a laugh.
"Those days are over for you. You will not be lazy here. You
will save her leg, or it will be your leg chopped off. Heal her!"

The
healer gulped and opened his pack, revealing bottles of ointments,
stitches, and scalpels. "I must at least cut out the rotted
flesh. It will leave a bad scar, but . . ."

"Do
it." Gemini ground his teeth so hard he thought they might snap.
"Save her. I order you to save her."

As
the healer chose his proper tools, Gemini knelt by Domi and stroked
her hair. Her forehead was hot, sweaty, her eyes glazed.

"I'm
here, Domi." His voice was soft, shaking. "I'm here with a
healer. You're going to be fine now." He squeezed her hand. "I
promise."

"Did
you bring me cake?" she whispered.

His
eyes stung. "I did."

Even
as feverish sweat dampened her brow, her eyes widened. "You
did?"

He
opened his pack and pulled out a bun thick with nuts and fruits and
glazed with honey. "I'm not sure what this is, but they eat it
in the south. I think it counts as a cake."

He fed her a bite. She chewed slowly. "It's good," she
whispered.

"Drink some water." He held a fresh canteen over her lips.

She drank, then smiled wanly. "What luxury. Almost beats the
Temple."

The healer cleared his throat. He had arranged an assortment of
scalpels, needles, thread, and ointments before him. "My lord,
I'm ready to begin. It will . . . cause pain. You'll have to hold her
down."

Gemini's eyes dampened, and a lump filled his throat. "Begin."
Gently, he placed his hand on Domi's shoulder.

"My
lord." The healer hesitated. "You'll have to hold her
wrists. To pin them down."

Gemini
growled, the rage rising in him again. "What are you going to do
to her, butcher?"

"I
will try to heal her, my lord. As you requested. Please, my lord.
Hold her down."

He
held her down.

The
healer got to work.

And
she screamed.

"You're
killing her!" Gemini shouted.

"Hold
her down!" was the only reply.

"I'm
going to kill you, you butcher! I'm going to--"

"Hold
her down, my lord! I must cut out the diseased flesh."

Gemini
trembled with rage, and his tears fell, but he held Domi down as she
screamed and thrashed, as the butcher cut at her, pulling out bits of
her, widening the wound, letting the sandy pus flow out. She kept
screaming, and below in the valley, Gemini's new firedrake screamed
too as if feeling Domi's pain.

"He's
almost done, Domi," he whispered and kissed her feverish brow.
"Almost done."

The
healer pulled out a needle and thread. And Domi screamed again, and
Gemini nearly passed out but forced himself to look, forced himself
to gaze at that gaping wound.

You
did this, Mercy. You hurt her. How you will scream.

It
seemed ages before the healer completed his work. The rot had been
removed, the diseased flesh cut out, the wound stitched. It was not a
clean stitch; it sank down, a valley in her leg. Part of that leg had
been removed. It would never return, Gemini knew.

But
you're still perfect, Domi. You're still beautiful.

She
was sleeping again, sweat drying on her forehead.

"I
will apply ointment to the cut, and I will change her bandage every
day," said the healer. "I don't know if the rot will
return. If we're lucky, her leg will heal."

Gemini
nodded. "This ointment here? The white one?"

"Yes,
my lord. I suggest returning her to our camp, where I can continue to
treat her."

Something
hard and cold filled Gemini's throat. "You want her . . . back
at the camp. Why?" He clenched his fist. "Do you want to
boast of your prowess? To speak of her to anyone? What are you after,
old man?"

The
healer glanced up from his work; he was busy applying the ointment.
"My lord, I seek only to heal, to--"

"Only
to heal? And yet you flew here with an army! You flew here under
Mercy's banners, flew with the force that burned the town, that slew
thousands, that sank ships, that hurt Domi. Do you serve my sister
still? Do you send your secret words to her?"

Gemini
trembled with rage. He couldn't trust this man. He couldn't trust
anyone. Mercy was still scouring the world for Domi and the other
weredragons. None must know of this cave. None must know that Domi
had survived the assault. This man would speak. He--

"I'm
done with my work, my lord," said the old healer, interrupting
his thoughts. "Would you care to return to the camp now?"

"Oh
no." Gemini rose to his feet and smiled thinly. "You will
not be returning there, my friend. Your tongue is too loose, your
words worse than the poison you drew from this wound." He drew
his sword.

The
healer gasped, rose to his feet, and scampered backward. "But .
. . my lord! Please, my lord! You need me to heal, to--"

"I
already have your ointments." He stepped closer, sword raised.

The
healer fell to his knees and groveled. "Please, my lord. Please
spare my life. I'm only an old healer. I only seek to serve you. I
would never speak of the girl, I promise you, my lord, I--"

Gemini
burst out laughing. "Calm down, old man! Don't worry. I still
have some use for you."

The
healer looked up with red-rimmed eyes. "You do, my lord?"

Gemini
nodded as he thrust his sword into the old man's chest, leaning
forward to drive the blade deep. "Of course. My new firedrake is
hungry, and there's nothing like fresh meat to sate its appetite."

Gemini
laughed and kicked the corpse downhill. It rolled down the slope,
crushing anemones, breaking against the granite stones. As Domi
slept, the firedrake feasted, and Gemini smiled. He turned to gaze at
the sea.

"You
tried to drown me in those waters, Mercy," he whispered. "You
tried to burn Domi. But we're still here. We're still alive and
fighting, sweet sister." As the firedrake guzzled down the old
man's legs, Gemini's grin widened. "And we're coming for you."

 
 
CADE

The
two dragons were gliding through the night when the shrieks rose
behind them.

"Cade!"
Amity said. "You're squeaking. Did you eat something bad? Are
you gassy?"

The
red dragon flew at his side, nearly invisible in the darkness. Her
wings stretched wide, rippling in the wind.

"That
wasn't me." He glanced behind him. "The sound came from
back there." He shuddered, golden scales chinking. "Firedrakes?"

He
tried to peer through the darkness but saw nothing. The moon was only
a sliver, the stars shone, and the land below was nothing but
blackness.