A Storm in the Desert: Dragonlinked Chronicles Voume 3 (11 page)

The man stared at the ground in front of him.

“Stoltz?” Master Doronal prompted.

“What? Nesch Takatin?”

“Yes. I imagine we’ll need to meet with him to discuss how best to convince the Order that nahual are the things to fight instead of dragons.”

Stoltz shook his head. “No. Nesch Takatin ordered me to kill the dragon. Capu Cirtis is the one who wants your help.”

It took a few minutes to make sure they’d all heard him right. As far as Aeron was concerned, it was good news. At least the leader of the Order was of a mind with them. Now they just had to figure out what to do.

By the time Stoltz had been carried away, covered, to the infirmary, everyone was back except Willem. Master Doronal and Guildmaster Millinith went to meet with Lord Baronel. Gwen and Louis, who’d carried Stoltz away, would keep watch over the room at the infirmary. Later tonight, when fewer people were about, Stoltz would be taken to a gaol cell below the barracks.

The dragons all sat together just outside the first stable, constantly nose-touching and chirping with Anaya. Balam sat next to her in constant contact—wings, forelegs, his chin resting on her, always something touching.

Aeron sighed. When would Willem’s damn shift be over?

The dragonlinked stood nearby, all upset, saying they wished they had been able to help.

“I would have killed him right then and there!” Liara said.

“I almost did,” Aeron said. “If Anaya hadn’t knocked him unconscious, I may have. Which would have been terrible.”

“Terrible?” Renata looked surprised. “He attacked Anaya.”

“Killing someone is not to be taken lightly!” That he had thought about doing so, the fear that he might have, made his words loud and harsh.

Everyone stared at him in shock. Even the two guards glanced over.

“If you kill someone, you can’t—” He looked at the ground. In a quieter voice, he said, “You can’t . . . take it . . . back.” Aeron let out a breath. “It’s not like calling someone a name. You can’t apologize to them. They’re dead. Forever. And the fact that you killed them will haunt you forever.”

He turned to Anaya. Would he have to make that choice one day?

Balam raised his head, looked to the north, and a let out a pleading rumble.

You will bring Willem.
Anaya sounded firm.
I am safe here, now.

Balam looked at the other dragons. He let out a bark, it almost sounded like an order, and stood. A portal appeared in the sky. The dark green dragon lifted into the air and disappeared into the misty gateway.

“Well,” Jessip said, staring at the portal, “
someone
killed the man. He won’t be a threat to the dragons or us anymore.”

“He’s not dead.” Aeron barely spoke above a whisper.

They all turned to him.

“But,” Fillion said, confusion in his eyes, “we saw him carted away on the stretcher, shrouded.” His brows slowly raised, and he said, “Shrouded.”

Balam reappeared through the portal and it vanished. Before his dragon had all four legs on the ground, Willem leapt off. Not even glancing at anyone else, he hurried over.

Eyes searching, Willem said, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, for now.” He took Willem’s hand.

“Anaya told Balam what happened. It was already over by then and she told him you were both fine, so I decided to finish the shift. Balam was so worried, though, that I sent him ahead.” Willem glanced at Anaya. “Is she alright? Balam mentioned something about she’d been hurt.”

The green dragon had already returned to his spot by her side.

“A slight bruising of her chin from when she fell forward, is all,” Aeron said. “She’s fine, otherwise. Kept her head better than the rest of us, to be honest.”

He glanced about the yard. There were people at the fences, and there were the guards, of course. “Let’s go inside and I can explain to you all what happened.”

Aeron led them to his study and sat in his chair. “It all started with the fire at the loading stables.”

No one spoke until he got to the end.

“Nesch Takatin?” Renata said. “I–I can’t believe it. He seemed so . . . nice.” She waved her hand. “Comparatively, anyway.”

“Did the manis know anything about Capu Cirtis’s plans?” Sharrah asked.

“Yeah,” Cheddar said, “did he? What do they want us to do?”

“He had no idea. His instructions were to meet with us, ask for our help, and arrange a meeting.”

“Where?” Gregor said.

Aeron shrugged. “A temple or something, not too far from Bataan-Mok.”

“When are we going?” Willem looked determined.

“I don’t know that we are going. The masters went to meet with Lord Baronel about Stoltz. When they’re done, they’ll return here to discuss what we’re going to do.”

“Oh, we’re going,” Willem said. “At the very least so I can punch this Nesch piece of shit in the face.”

Aeron thought about Anaya and what had almost happened to her. “If anyone is going to punch him, I will be the first.” Still, he squeezed Willem’s hand in thanks.

“It makes sense to hide the manis away like that,” Fillion said. “It will buy his brother some time so we can figure out what to do.”

“What can we do, though?” Liara asked. “How many of the Order believes the same as the Capu?”

“That is precisely what we need to find out.” Guildmaster Millinith, Master Doronal and Master Canneth walked in the dragon door. “Let’s talk about this in the office.” She headed to the other side of the building.

As people found seats, Aeron said, “We cannot let this go. Someone made a direct attack against the Dragon Craft Guild.”

“Well,” the Guildmaster said, “against one of our members.”

“If you attack any one of us,” Jessip said, “you attack all of us.”

“Exactly!” Fillion slammed his fist on the table.

“I have to say,” Master Doronal drummed his fingers, “I agree with them.”

Master Canneth nodded. “As do I.”

Aeron thought he saw a flicker of annoyance flash across the Guildmaster’s face. “We must proceed with caution,” she said.

“Their leader wants our help,” Gregor noted.

“Yes,” Guildmaster Millinith allowed, “but there is dissent in their ranks. And he knows it. Elsewise, he would have sent an official delegation. Instead, he sends one man, alone. And that messenger was intercepted and given a mission in direct opposition by the second-in-command of the Order.” She looked at the people seated around the table. “Think on that. Before we can decide what our best course of action is, we need information. Information about what exactly is happening down there and how Capu Cirtis thinks we can help.”

Aeron hadn’t really thought it all through. She was right. Rushing headlong down there could be a mistake, could end up with someone getting hurt. Even so, he felt like they had to do something, like
he
had to do something.

“I can go and talk to Isandath,” Renata said. “Maybe he’s learned something by now.”

“No.” The Guildmaster shook her head. “I need you here, helping me.”

“I’ll go.” Polandra stood. “I’ll find out what Isandath has discovered.”

“I’m going with you,” Aeron said.

“Actually,” Guildmaster Millinith said, “all of you that can ride your dragons are going.”

“What?” Aeron looked at her. That would be far too many people.

“At least to the caves. It will give the rest of you a gateway destination near Bataan-Mok. Everyone except Aeron and Polandra will return.”

That made sense, Aeron supposed. And, it would give everyone a chance to burn off some energy.

“I want to go, too.” Liara stood. She glanced at Polandra. “But I’ll need a lift.”

The copper-skinned girl nodded. “Sure, I can take you.”

Fillion looked at Gregor. “Would you like to go, too?”

Gregor shook his head. “No, I’ll visit another time. I was in the middle of some research when all this insanity began.”

“Research?”

“Yeah, I’m,” Gregor glanced at the Guildmaster, “researching some unusual salts.”

Fillion’s brows raised. “Oh. Right. Okay.”

“Everyone get ready,” Guildmaster Millinith said. “I’d like you all to leave within the hour.”

The portal appeared within the enormous, geometric glass sphere. A huge ball of slowly swirling mist, it was brightly lit from behind, or rather, from the ‘other side.’

It must be nice and sunny there, Aeron thought, unlike the half-overcast weather that had moved in here. Not surprising. The caves were in a desert, after all. It was probably sunny all the time.

The geometric sphere vanished, and the mist began to fade in the center of the portal, revealing a bright blue hole in the gray sky. Aeron felt the pulsing of a great deal of magical power from Renata as she maintained the portal.

“Let’s go,” she said. Xochi lifted up into the air.

Aeron and the rest of the dragonlinked followed into the portal.

He’d never seen so much dirt. And exposed rock. And scraggly brush. He glanced to the right and caught sight of a spire of stone rising dozens of feet above a craggy cliff. It nearly reached to where they hovered.

It’s very different, here.

But pretty, in its own way.

Aeron nodded and patted Anaya on the neck.
Yeah. It has a severe kind of beauty, doesn’t it?
And it was definitely warmer here. He wondered if he should have left the winter gear off.

Renata and Xochi led them down to the top of the cliff, near the spire.

After landing, the dragons and riders began looking around, all intensely curious. The ground ended at the edge of a deep ravine, a drop of at least seventy feet to the dry bed of an ancient river below. The land before them was of ravines and small canyons running through plains full of brush and the occasional crooked, stunted tree.

“Ow!”

Fillion, squatting, sucked on a finger. He pointed. “Do not touch these funny plants. The fat, short ones.”

Polandra glanced at it. “A kind of barrel cactus. Those thorns are sharp. Especially the very fine ones that are hard to see.”

“That’s a cactus?” Aeron stepped over and leaned down for a better look. “I’ve never seen one like this before.”

“Just be wary,” Fillion said. “They bite.”

Renata chuckled. “This way.” She led them to a large opening at the base of the spire.

Shadows played along the walls, dancing, as the lanterns moved in their hands.
The tower of rock was wider than it had looked from the air. The passage angled downward to a large room. A wide ramp of soil and sand that ran along the right wall took them to the floor.

“That is where Xochi was born.” She pointed to a raised area in the sand. The ramp curved around it.

“What happened to her egg?” Sharrah looked around.

“Nayra disposed of it, in case curious eyes came through.” Renata shrugged. “She never leaves any evidence that dragons have been here.”

“Smart,” Cheddar said, nodding in approval. “If anyone ever comes through, better that there is nothing for them to see.”

“From discussions with Xochi about her memories,” Renata said, “I think the dragons used this as a kind of meeting room. At least when they lived here.” She looked up at the top of the ramp. “The speaker would stand up there while the others stood about here on the floor.”

“This sand is very fine.” Liara let it fall through her splayed fingers.

Odd sounds drew Aeron’s gaze.

Behind them, Anaya was rolling in the near-powder covering the floor.

“Are you . . . ” He stared at her. “Purring?”

This sand feels fantastically marvelous.

Aeron burst out laughing. “Fantastically marvelous, huh?”

“Balam, no!” Willem said, but it was too late.

All the dragons had joined Anaya. The dragonlinked backed away as sand flew. Their bond-mates gave off the same quick, stuttering rumbles, Anaya had. It wasn’t dragon laughter and it wasn’t their giggles either, it was much faster. They sounded, more than anything, like enormous cats, purring.

Willem let out a gusty breath and shook his head. “I’m going to have to brush you down again.”

Renata squatted and grabbed a handful. “You know, I never thought about it before, but this sand isn’t from around here. All we have is a much coarser river sand that is more like very tiny pebbles.”

Polandra said, “I suppose it could be from the Shining Sands.” She shrugged. “There are supposed to be hundreds of miles of enormous sand dunes there.”

“Possibly. But how did it get here?” Renata frowned. “And so much of it?” She glanced around the room. The entire floor was covered, much of it at least a foot-deep.

Aeron twisted his lips in thought. “You don’t suppose the dragons could have carried it here? Wasn’t this a dragon House a long time ago?”

“It was.” Renata nodded. “But, what? They carried it here handful by handful?”