The Dragon, Blackness

The Dragon, Blackness

by Dan Green

The frozen lake cracked beneath his feet.

Fighting every instinct that he had to run and hide from this madness, Jovan steadied his nerves and brought his foot up again. Deep in the blackness beneath him, something darker stirred and his blood ran as cold as the lake. He slammed his foot back down onto the ice and this time it rang with an almost musical chime as the surface crazed in every direction. It must have heard him, or felt him, or however it knew, because now that blackness was spreading and it was clear the beast was rising to devour him for his temerity. His resolve held just a moment longer and then he was running, pounding heedless across the frozen lake toward the relative safety of the forest where his party waited with flaming torches and readied Weapons. He dared hope for a moment that this madness would somehow pay off and he would live to see the next day. Before he was halfway, the world erupted in water and sparkling diamonds of ice as the Dragon broke the surface with a piercing shriek – and Jovan knew he was still too far out to stand a chance.

Running on fear and instinct, the young hunter twisted on his heel and doze sideways just as the beast crashed back into the surface where he had been running. The impact threw him out across the ice away from his friends, but it gave him a split second to plan. The ice was thicker near the shore which was why they had sent him out to draw the Dragon in, but now it was between him and the near bank. Pushing up from the ice, Jovan ran sideways along the lake parallel to the treeline. Sure enough, when the monstrous shape smashed into the light again it was further in and facing the wrong way. He got his first good view of the monster and his legs nearly went out from under him in the shock. Longer than a skiff ship and black as the night, it was a sinuous length of muscle and scale with six wickedly clawed and splayed feet below four gossamer wings that shone iridescent in the spume. It had no eyes, but the tube of its body ended in a series of concentric rings of teeth, curved like sabres and all pointing back into that gaping maw. It let out a single barking screech and broke back under the ice.

On the shore, Killian and Jenna stood transfixed at the enormity and sheer terror of the thing, but Alyssa was already moving to keep pace with Jovan as he skidded around on the ice. She called back at the bemused pair to ready the Weapon and then moved closer to the shoreline to see if she could help. The boy might be annoying, but she had no wish to lose anyone else to the beast. At least, that was what she told herself as her heart skipped a beat seeing him in trouble. Not waiting to see if the others had made ready, Alyssa called out and tried to guide Jovan back towards them and the relative safety of the camp. She had no idea if he saw her or not, but he started back towards the trees as soon as the creature was back under the water. There was a moment of calm and she could see his pale face sweating under that stupid hat he insisted on wearing, hear the crack of his feet on the frozen lake, and the thump of her own panicking heart. Jovan was no more than a minute from the shore when the world exploded between them and she screamed as the Dragon stole him from view.

There had been a blessed moment when he thought that he had made it. On the bank he could see Alyssa waving him on and calling his name and it seemed like there was hope again. But the beast was smart and had adjusted for his moves. This time it burst through right in front of him and there was nothing he could do to avoid it. He dove forward with his knife up in the hopes of ducking under its strike and maybe landing a last blow, but that terrible ring of fangs darted down and hammered him into the frigid waters. He couldn’t feel anything but the cold and though the world filled with red about him his mind latched onto that last glimpse of Alyssa. Perhaps, he thought before the darkness took him, she had been smiling.

Alyssa howled in rage and loss as they both vanished into the lake in a spray of blood and black water. She fell to her knees and sobbed hard before clutching a rock and hurling it after the Dragon in frustration. Maybe she had liked the annoying little runt after all, but worse: with him gone the plan couldn’t work. The Weapon needed three and it was the only thing that had a hope of laying the creature low. They had come from the same place, after all, so it stood to reason – but how could they ever get the beast back into the right position again and be ready to use it? Noone from the village would come to help, especially after losing Jovan, and the chances of lining it up otherwise were next to useless. She made to snatch up another rock but her fingers curled around a block of the fractured ice instead. Alyssa gazed numbly at it for a moment before her anger resurfaced and she hurled it far out into the lake. It struck with a resounding chime that reverberated around the mountains, doubling back out over the water.

Still reeling in shock at the suddenness of the attack and loss of their friend, Killian heard Alyssa scream and curse. It shook him from his reverie and he clutched at Jenna just as the note rang out.

“We have to go!” he shouted, shaking the pale woman to get her attention.

He was not looking when the Dragon resurfaced way out near the centre of the lake, but turned to see it twist and thrash for a moment before plunging back into the depths. Unlike the younger ones, he had been there when it had first appeared that fateful night. He remembered the blinding light, the intense noise tearing at his mind, and a feeling like the world was trying to crush him down into the ground. He had seen the trees fall and the Dragon emerge screaming from the dark, and he had seen the carnage it had caused before disappearing into the lake. It had looked just the same as it did then, lit by the day or in the dead of night it glistened black like a hole cut through reality to another place. And it was rage. All consuming, hateful and unstoppable. This was madness, he thought. What chance did mere people have against a creature risen from the pits of damnation itself? He turned and fled.

Jenna was still staring blankly out over the water, overwhelmed by what had happened, when Alyssa came back to find her. Looking around the camp, the other girl seemed puzzled.

“Where is Killian?” she asked, and Jenna simply shrugged.

“He ran away.”

“What?!”

Alyssa grabbed the dazed girl and shook her sharply. Jenna seemed to come back to herself a little, but the glazed look never really left her eyes. It was like she was seeing another place entirely.

“What happened?” Alyssa repeated.

Jenna turned to point out into the lake where the beast had last surfaced, her voice still dreamy.

“When it came up over there, he said we had to go. And he did.”

“Bastard!”

Launching into a tirade of expletives, Alyssa turned to kick at the now useless lump of the Weapon. It made a dull clang, and Jenna dated forward to clutch at her. Startled, Alyssa broke free and stepped back, shocked at the sudden animation and wild-eyed look from the younger girl.

“What are you doing? What the hells is wrong with you?”

Putting a finger to her bloodless lips, Jenna shushed gently and then let her hands fall back limply to her sides. She smiled a strange and off-putting grin that made the other girl feel deeply uncomfortable.

“Beastie sure does not like the sound of music.” she murmured.

Following the line of her pointing finger to where the steaming waters were already refreezing, Alyssa realised there might be a chance after all.

Killian was running hard, stumbling over the uneven ground and being scratched by low branches and twigs in his wild flight. He realised then that he had no idea where he actually was and stopped to catch his breath and get his bearings. With a sinking feeling in his gut, he realised he had run peak-ward and not down to the track leading home. He would have to retrace his steps and risk facing the impossible creature again, or he would have to strike out into the wild woods without provision or bearing and risk never finding his way out. He stood irresolute for what seemed like an age, hands on his knees and hiking in breath. Then there came another almighty screech from the lake and his decision was made for him – to hell with the danger, anything was better than facing that nightmare again. Wiping the trickling blood from his face, Killian strode out into the unknown woods.

“Don’t do that!” Jenna cried out, watching horrified as the Dragon burst up with an almighty screech right where Alyssa had hurled the chunk of ice.

Alyssa was grinning broadly in a most predatory way, and the other girl shied away from the gleam in her eye.

“I told you: it doesn’t like it” she whimpered fearfully.

“Right” Alyssa stated firmly, before looking back into the trees behind them.

“Now all I need is another hand to work this damned thing, and we could be on to something.”

She deflated slightly looking into the mass of vegetation and near endless ranks of trees.

“But how by the Stars am I going to find him?” she whispered quietly to herself.

“Killian?” Jenna asked softly, as if she hadn’t considered the older man for quite some time.

Alyssa nodded, chewing on her lip and deep in thought.

“Well, he always comes when I blow the whistle.”

She held up the carved wooden trinket that hung from a flaxen strap about her neck, but then looked fearfully over her shoulder to the lake. She shuddered and shook her head, sagging in defeat.

“But Beastie won’t like that.”

Smiling, Alyssa gently took the instrument and leaned in conspiratorially. Jenna did likewise.

“If we go away from the water a good bit, Beastie won’t know it’s us and would not be able to find us if it did. Right?”

The younger girl grinned sheepishly and nodded.

“I guess that would be alright.”

“Good girl. Now let’s get going before Killian gets too far ahead, eh?”

Deep in the woods, Killian heard the shrill note of the whistle and cursed roundly. When he had taken the little orphan in it had seemed like such a neat and sensible idea, and he had promised her father on his deathbed that he would always look to the child. But she had chosen not to run when he had, and he did tell her to go. But then the note sounded again and with an irritated sigh he knew he had to go. That girl was going to be the death of him, he had always said. It had better not be true. He pushed on through the underbrush, this time aiming for the sound and picking his way back down the slope.

When he came to the cliff edge, he very nearly stepped clean over the lip, so well camouflaged by leaves it was. Peering over the outcrop it was clear that there was no way down without equipment, so he started back along the ridge the way he had come. He remembered crossing a couple of frozen streams higher up, and they might have cut a way through he could use. What he didn’t expect was that they had all converged into a pond that fed a waterfall, nor that it would be a frozen cataract spiking out over the edge. With no other way round, he stood staring at the drop and heard the whistle once again. Now frustrated and angry, he called out.

“Alright! I’m coming!”

He grunted as he crouched down and swung his legs over the precarious height and began his descent.

“I’m coming…” he mumbled.

“I don’t think he’s coming.” Jenna said dejectedly, looking down at the little wooden token her old father had made for her. She felt the first real emotion she had since first seeing the Dragon that day: sorrow. Killian had abandoned her, and he was all she had left. The tears came unbidden and she began to weep softly.

Alyssa gently took the whistle from her unresisting hands and smiled reassuringly down at the young girl.

“He might just be a bit too far away to hear it. Come on: we’ll move a little further in and try again. Let me see if I can make it work”

She brought the mouthpiece up and drew a deep breath, and before Jenna could stop her blew a strident note that echoed about the mountains.

“Too hard!” the little girl cried

They both started at the sound of tremendous crashing ahead of them, and then came the sound of heavy crashing behind them. The woods filled with piercing cries all around them. Looking back and forth, Alyssa grabbed the suddenly terrified girl and threw them both down sideways.

The Dragon was coming.

Halfway down the face of the waterfall, Killian jumped at the stressed note and missed his grip. Flailing for a handhold, he knocked loose a spike of ice that fell away noisily. More and more ice shards tumbled down as the whole cascade came away from the cliff face and plunged him down into the churning mass collecting at the base. The sound was immense, and he was pummelled by great sheets of frozen waterfall. One came down hard on his arm and there was a deep crack from the bone as it gave. Killian howled out long and hard in agony and got a mouth full of snowy fragments. Spitting and shaking, clutching his broken arm tight, he staggered up and a few steps away before the pain brought him to his knees again. The crashing sound was still ringing in his ears and he could swear his own scream was still echoing back louder and louder.

It wasn’t until the trees buckled before him and the utter blackness of the Dragon appeared that he realised it was not his voice, but the monsters that he could hear. It thrashed about and clawed at the remains of the waterfall like a rabid dog, then slumped almost defeated into the piles of ice beside him. He held his breath and willed his racing heart to be still as the beast shivered and writhed within arm’s reach. He noticed with an odd clarity that it had no smell at all. Anything that large should have reeked and pumped out heat, but it almost as if it wasn’t even there, wasn’t even real. As he looked closer, fascinated despite himself, he thought he could see distant points of light within its hide like the blessed stars but from another place entirely. He felt a sickening vertigo as if he could fall into that black sky and end up somewhere… else.

As he stared at the creature one of the mighty, webbed feet stretched in his direction and he flinched away, gasping at the jolt of pain this caused his injured limb. The Dragon instantly went stock still and Killian could almost feel it scanning about for him. He closed his eyes and prayed to the stars it would not sense him, that it would grown bored and return to the lake, that he would live through this ordeal and see Jenna just once more. He kept his eyes screwed shut for what felt like an eternity until finally the creature moved.

Pressed into the bracken of the forest floor, the beast had flashed overhead and on through the trees before they even realised. The two women stared into each other’s wide and fearful eyes, barely able to breath at the nearness of the Dragon, if only for a moment. Then realisation hit and Jenna sprang up sharply.

“Killian!”

She bolted off through the gap left by the monsters passing, and Alyssa had to run to catch up before the girl blundered into the beast and got herself killed. She caught up not a moment too soon and snatched Jenna back from the edge of the clearing where the Dragon seemed to be waiting for them. It had once been a waterfall, but the frozen cataract had been brought crashing down and lay in a scattered heap upon which the black figure starkly perched. She realised it must have been the sound of that which had drawn the creature from its lake den and wondered what had caused it to fall in the first place. Then she saw Killian. He was sat innocuously close to the beast, still and with his eyes closed as if taking a nap, but his face was an unhealthy grey pallor and he was sweating profusely despite the furs. Jenna must have seen him at the same time because she tensed as if to go to him and Alyssa had to snatch her back into the underbrush before she could be so foolish. The movement caught the Dragon’s attention and it rose, flexing its four great wings and shaking out its coils almost like a dog. As it did so, the ice pile shifted and Killian slid down towards it with a cry of agony and the Dragon took flight.

Through the haze of pain and his swimming vision, Killian caught a glimpse of the girls as the great shadow passed over him. He felt an odd flush of relief to know that Jenna was not actually alone. Then the immediacy of the situation flooded back to him and he staggered agonisingly towards the treeline, each step a blaze of torture that brought tears to his eyes and threatened to drown him. Somehow, he made it to the shelter of the canopy and dropped into a nest of ferns, utterly spent. He hoped the girls had gotten away, that the beast would retreat back to the water and leave them be. He hoped they would find him and help him home. Most of all, he hoped the pain would go away and he would live. Softly, he started to pray to the stars again even as the light faded and he slipped into the dark.

Still holding the squirming child to her breast, Alyssa turned and bolted deeper into the woods. Jenna was far too big for that and the going almost impossible, even with the burst of adrenaline she felt when the great shadow passed overhead. Ducking back into the lea of a sycamore, she pulled Jenna down and shushed he urgently. The younger girl was crying and looked up at her with a pleading expression.

“Please! Please! We have to go back! Killian is hurt, and I dropped my whistle. Please. They’re all I have left!”

Thankfully, she was keeping her voice hushed but she would not relent and Alyssa knew that they did need Killian after all. Perhaps the beast was heading back to the lake? She strained to hear over the persistent begging but could not pick out anything. She nodded once to herself and made up her mind what to do.

“You’re right, honey. We need to go back and get him.”

She glanced down into wide, gratefully tearful eyes and a broad grin.

“But we need to go quietly and carefully this time. The…”

She hesitated to even name monster out loud, and so mouthed the word Dragon before continuing.

“… might still be out there.”

Jenna nodded her understanding and assent, and the two picked themselves up before picking their way slowly through the ferns. They hadn’t come far at all and so it should only take then a few moments to retrace their steps to the icefall and Killian, which meant they could go more cautiously.

The older girl didn’t know what made her turn around, but as Alyssa looked back down the slope for an instant, her heart froze as cold as the lake. As if summoned by the temerity of her even thinking to say its name, the Dragon was coming right for them. This time it was not a wild, headlong crash as it had been before. This time it was hunting, and it moved sinuously between the trees like an eel in the reeds, its mighty clawed feet skimming across the bark with barely a mark and the dazzling wings buzzing imperceptibly around and between the trunks. Alyssa’s mouth formed an oh as her eyes widened in terror and her bladder loosened. Jenna turned to her puzzled and opened her mouth to question.

Just before the creature struck them, Alyssa saw with slow motion clarity a flicker of colour deep in the lamprey maw as it bore down on them. She realised that it was a piece of Jovan’s hideous hat and a swell of rage galvanised her into action. Sweeping out her arm as she tipped herself backwards, Alyssa brought them both tumbling to the forest floor just as the ring of jaws snapped shut where they had been standing. In a gust of air and flurry of fallen leaves it passed a hand’s width above their heads and vanished into the tree’s upslope of them. The two lay in stunned silence for a heartbeat before scrabbling up and following in the Dragon’s wake. It was obviously not going to leave them alone, and they still needed Killian if they were going to make the Weapon work.

As they broke the treeline, they realised they had drifted slightly and the falls were off to their left, so they ducked back into the cover of the woods and edged down. There was no sight of the Dragon but the near miss was more than enough to ward them of any complacency. They came back out almost exactly where they had been before and scanned around for Killian, Jenna softly calling his name under her breath. There was a rustle from the ferns close by and she moved to them hesitantly. They rustled again but this time the girl realised it was from a gentle rain of twigs and leaves. She looked up into the canopy see the Dragon hanging there, coiled around the trunk and spinning its teeth in what she felt must have been eager anticipation. There was no time for her to cry out, and so Jenna screeched as she leapt back – just as the Dragon fell.

The whirling stars parted and Killian snapped awake at the sound of his ward screaming in fear. He made to jump up, but the dull agony of his broken arm pinned him in place. He scrabbled around with his good hand for something to pull himself up on, or maybe to use as a crutch, and his questing fingers found a small length of smooth wood. Jenna’s whistle. She must have dropped it as she fled, but then why was she still here and yelling out? Confused, he brought the little instrument to his lips and blew weakly to no avail. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he forced himself to sit up from the waist and chewed back on the cry that tried to force its way out. What he saw was equally terrifying and baffling.

The girls were weaving in and out of the trees as the Dragon coiled around chasing them. Each would bark out a cry when it got close to the other, and this was keeping them alive for the moment. But Killian could already see that they were tiring and beast was showing no such weakness. If anything, it almost seemed to be toying with them. With a moment of total clarity, the old man knew what he had to do. He was of no use to anyone like this, and after the creature killed the two girls it was certain to come after him next. He had a promise to keep to his old friend, and so staggered up as best he could and drew in a last, deep breath.

He smiled. All these years he had been right: that damned girl was going to be the death of him.

The world had contracted to just the two of them and the Dragon. Alyssa felt every heaving breath and heartbeat as if they were the tolling of some great bell counting down the last gasp of her life. Jenna look as ragged as she herself felt, and when the other girl stumbled and fell, she knew the time was done. With all her might, she bellowed the last of her frustration and anger at the beast and slumped down exhausted. There was nothing left. It was done.

Above the terrified shrieking of the younger girl, a pure and strident note rang out. To her utter amazement, Alyssa looked over to see Killian standing close by. He looked awful, but there was an odd look of serenity on his clammy face and she realised just exactly what it was that he intended to do. Tears rose unbidden, and she clawed her way up to go to Jenna. The other girl was staring uncomprehending at her adoptive father and she desperately wanted to spare the child from what was to come. The distance between them seemed to stretch into an infinity and Alyssa knew she would not make it in time. She tensed and awaited the inevitable.

The Dragon emitted a plaintive cry and rose fully into the air, wings splayed and mouth distending wide. Then, with a sudden spasm it launched itself full force at the gently swaying man. It struck him square in the middle and he simply ceased to be, coming apart in a welter of blood that spattered the trees and ground as the beast passed right through him. Then it, too, was gone. Having claimed its kill, it soared away over the trees and back towards the lake leaving the pair in stunned silence at the utter devastation they had witnessed.

Jenna rose shakily and took a step towards the remains just as Alyssa shook herself back to life and rushed to embrace her. They both sobbed as quietly as they could and though the older girl tried to guide the poor child away, Jenna simply could not tear her gaze from the ruin of Killian. When the tears died back, she gently extricated herself from the others’ embrace and went to stand over what was left of the body. Watching in grief and gut-wrenching pity for her, she Alyssa saw Jenna stoop to pluck something from the ground. She gazed it remorsefully for a moment before slipping it into the pouch at her waist. Alyssa realised this must have been the whistle that Killian had used to save their lives and offered a heartfelt thanks to the stars for him and his sacrifice. They were alive because of him.

In time, the two gathered their wits and started back down the mountain slope to their camp. It was all over now. There was nothing more they could do.

It was dark when they made it down to the frozen water’s edge. The moons reflected brightly from the ice and lit their way as the pair picked carefully along the shore to where the Weapon sat, massive and useless and pointing out over the ice. There had been no sign of the creature at all during the descent and the surface of the lake lay unbroken. Jenna slumped exhausted beside the bulk of the Weapon and Alyssa left to her grief for a moment to attend to her own. Looking out over the glowing white ice, marred only by darker patches which had been broken earlier, it look almost serene and peaceful. There was no other indication of the violence and loss that had filled the day. The tears returned, and Alyssa sobbed as quietly as she could so as to not disturb the other girls grieving. She had been through enough already.

She did not hear the approach or register anything was there until a great shape bowled her over and pinned her to the ground. Terrified beyond words, she was ready to scratch the beast’s eyes out when she realised the figure was human, dripping wet and smelly. It took her but a moment more to realise it could only be Jovan and she clung, confused and delighted to his body. Sensing she was not going to fight or cry out Jovan relaxed his grip and they embraced fully before she pulled him into the light of the moons to look at him. There was an almighty gash running from his forehead, through his temple and round the side of his head. It had obviously bled profusely but was now clotting, though the boy looked deathly pale in the white moonshine. He smiled down at her groggily and stroked the side of her face affectionately, then gently slid down to his knees.

“I thought you died out there, you idiot!” she gasped softly.

“I think I did for a bit.” he mumbled back, “But I’m doing a lot better now.”

The two of them were then bowled over as Jenna, hearing his voice, raced to embrace them both and the three tumbled onto the shoreline. All of them were weeping in relief and joy, though Jovan winced also at the rough treatment. He explained to them that the Dragon had grazed past and torn his hat off along with a line of his scalp, and had drove them both under the water. Then it had let him go for some reason, and Alyssa guessed it must have been her throwing the ice. She shared her revelation and idea to draw the beast in again, but then fell silent when she realised that he didn’t know about Killian. He looked from one face to the other and back again in the dark, saw the streaks of tears and the sallowness of loss, and then he knew.

“How?” was all he could muster.

“The Dragon got him.” Jenna answered flatly with a quiver in her voice.

They cried again, then and hugged each other warm all night.

` The dawn light dappled serenely through the canopy above and played across his face. For a few blessed moments Jovan thought he was waking from a harsh dream into a peaceful day. The wound in his head screamed at him then, and he knew this was going to be no such thing. Gingerly touching his torn scalp, he made to rise but found an arm draped across his chest holding him down. He looked over to see Alyssa nestled into him and behind her Jenna pressed into her back. They both looked exhausted but restful, so he slipped out from under her grasp and carefully rose, walking to the edge of the lake. His breath misted the air and it was several moon tracks until the thaw would come so he was unsurprised to see the water still frozen all the way out to Alten Tor. Then nature reasserted itself and he darted off out of sight of the girls to relieve himself, then he set about cleaning up and sorting through their packs to find food and drink. It was even more chill in the shadow of the Weapon, but it did offer some shelter from the lake front. He was just debating a fire verses a cold breakfast when Jenna stirred and came over to him.

“Morning, kiddo! How are feeling today?”

“Sore.” she grumbled sleepily, and then her eyes cleared and watered slightly. She pondered a moment longer and looked up at him.

“Numb.”

He felt for her, he really did. He had lost his own father at a young age, but she had lost two now and that was just inconceivable. Whatever he his relationship with Killian before, nothing mattered now but the girls and getting them through this. He decided cold was better than the risk and started breaking the rations into three dishes. Even though he tried not to wake her, Alyssa joined them shortly after and they ate ravenously Each kept casting fleeting glances towards the lake, but all seemed still and safe for now. The Dragon only ever seemed to kill once a day, but it was not worth relying on any timepiece of man to determine its actions. Jovan studied the Weapon again as he ate and wondered yet again where it had come from, and why it had landed here in trees when the beast appeared over the village. Nothing new ever happened in the Vale so the two oddities had to be connected, didn’t they? He remembered when they had first found it, and how in scrambling all over the strange mound they had set it off before. One hand in each side aperture, and one balanced on top. What possible reason could someone have had to make anything that way? It made no sense to him, but then again that could be because he was human and not… anything else. The thought of the Makers chilled him as it always did, and he focussed on the remains of his repast.

“What do you think we should do now?”

Alyssa had been deep in thought and throughout, but obviously unsure she opened the question up the others. Jenna paused with a mouthful of cheese and bread but made no attempt to say anything. Jovan set his mouth firm and spoke with far more certainty than he felt.

“We kill it. Nothing has changed, except we lost a good man yesterday.”

Jenna chocked slightly, and Alyssa laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The girl smiled shakily through the sudden tears and turned to Jovan, swallowing hard.

“We kill it.” she affirmed.

“Very well.” Alyssa nodded and steeled herself for the task ahead. “But how do we do that with only the three of us? Our plan needed four: three for the Weapon, and one as bait.”

The memory of Jovan disappearing under the Dragon and the red water spraying in the light made her shudder, but she pushed the thought away. He was here and all was well. Why did that make her flush hot and avert her gaze? Ignoring her discomfort, or possibly not noticing it, Jovan stood and looked up at the Weapon.

“The plan remains the same. We have to draw it into the line of the… light, whatever it is this thing does, and set it off like we did before. I just need to find a way to be in two places at the same time.”

Jenna giggled at the absurdity, but Alyssa knew he meant it. This was crazy: there was absolutely no way that they could make the old plan work with only the three of them. To both of heir surprise it was Jenna who spoke up.

“I have an idea about that” she mused, “but I don’t think you’ll like it much.”

“What is it?”

“Yes, what?”

The girl thought for a moment and then put her hand to the pouch at her waist. Alyssa remembered the whistle and realised what she was proposing.

“We can’t do that, honey. If we call the… thing to us that way, it could come at us from any direction. We need it to be out there over the lake if he hope to hit it.”

Crestfallen, Jenna dropped her hand and said nothing. Jovan stepped in.

“That was a really good thought, though kiddo. I liked it. But the only way is to get it up in the air, and for that I need to go backout there. Then I run like the Dark Hells back here and join you guys for the big show. What do you say?”

“No!”

They both looked at Alyssa, and even though she went red in the face again she pushed on.

“There is no way I’m letting you go out there and stir that bastard up again without a way to set this thing off!”

She slapped her hand against the Weapon to emphasise her point and huffed with that face he knew signalled she meant business. It had always worked in the past, but this was far more important and he had to be strong. If he didn’t do this now, he wouldn’t have the nerve again and she would most likely talk him into letting her go – and that was not going to happen.

“Not this time.” he stated firmly, “I’m going. Be ready.”

He took a brief pause to shake out his aching muscles and stretch before setting out what he needed from them.

“Alyssa: you come this side of the Weapon and put your arm in here. Jenna, you hop up on top and put your hand in that dent up there. Now don’t either of you move once this starts! I am going to be coming back fast so I need you in position, or this could all go horribly wrong really quickly.”

He stepped in to place a comforting hand on Alyssa’s shoulder and looked deep into her eyes.

“I’m not going out as far this time because I’m going to use the ice trick you figured out. It should give me enough time to get back here. Now I’ve seen how it moves; I think I can make it from there. I think I can make it”

She wasn’t sure if he was reassuring her or himself, but he broke away and waved up at Jenna as she scramble onto the Weapon and he made for the water’s edge.

“See you in twinkle, kiddo”

“Wait!”

Torn by desperation and hope, Alyssa wrestled with her frustration at the cruelty of this moment. She dearly wished that she could counter with a better plan, that there was some other option open to them, that she could somehow articulate all she felt in that fateful, agonising instant.

“I can’t lose you again.” she breathed.

Jovan looked back at her with that infuriating and adorable lopsided grin of his and held her gaze for a moment longer. It told her everything she ever needed to know and with a slump of her shoulders she smiled sheepishly back. Again, with that smile, and this time a wink.

“You couldn’t if you tried.”

And then he was gone, down the slope and out onto the ice once more.

As soon as he set foot on the frozen lake again, Jovan felt all of his certainty and courage bleed away. He had no idea if he could actually pull this off or not, but at least he had his backup plan. If it looked like he wasn’t going to make it, he was going to divert his runaway from the girls and give them a chance. Maybe this time the elders would listen to them and actually help then, though he doubted those old fools would risk anything until the Dragon came for them personally. He hefted the chunk of ice he had selected – big, but not unwieldy to throw a good distance – and started out once more. He kept glancing down to see if he could see the black moving beneath him, but the surface was frosted with ice from the night and he couldn’t make anything out. He prayed to the starts that the damned beast was further out and much deeper. It would be better for him if was way over on the far side, and then he chuckled at the thought. Surely it would be better for everyone if it was back where it had come from and then he could go home and get warm! He recognised the stress reaction and calmed his breathing.

When he got as far out as he felt comfortable with, Jovan turned back to gauge the distance and contemplate how quickly he could cover the ground. The frost would give him a better grip, but he had to admit was still woozy from yesterday and that would go against him. Looking into the treeline, he could just make out the girls and thought they were in the right place. The shadows would help keep them safe if things did go badly, and for this he was grateful. Jovan realised he loved them both in that moment and his resolve slipped. The thought of the Dragon coming up through the ice turned his bowels to water and he needed to pee again. But then he thought of it diving at the girls and everything else just sort of… went away. He turned serenely and drew back his arm for the throw.

Briefly, Alyssa thought he was going to turn back. It was madness what he was planning and he had to know that, right? She held her breath for a heartbeat, but then he set his shoulders firm, turned, and launched the ice shard high into the air. Before it had even reached its zenith, he was on the move and pelting back to them. She nearly choked on her held breath when her heart leapt into her mouth. Bouncing up and down in sympathy she willed him to reach the shore before the ice hit but it fell so quickly, tumbling and sparkling in the dawns early light, and the tinkling chime of the impact sounded like a death knell.

The Dragon broke through almost exactly where Jovan had placed the shot and it soared up into the air trailing ice and water. Yesterday, everything had seemed to be moving in agonising slow motion, but knowing what to expect this time, the beast now seemed to be moving impossibly fast. It arced over and fell like a comet for the tiny figure racing towards them. Alyssa saw in a flash that there was no way Jovan could cover half the distance needed to get back and she was torn with indecision. Standing here felt pointless now, but what could she do against that creature when it and he were so very far away?

Clearly, Jovan realised the futility of what he was doing, and threw himself sideways to roll across the ice, just as the Dragon smashed into the surface and sent debris flying high. The impact bounced Jovan to his feet again and he started running in a different direction. Alyssa thought he must have gotten turned around before she caught on to what he was doing. Angry, she cursed at him under her breath for doing this to her and went to pull her arm from the hole in the Weapon. A quiet, calm voice stayed her action and she looked up at Jenna’s smiling face.

“It’s alright, ‘Lyss. This is going to work, and Jo will be fine. You just have to stay right there for a bit longer.”

With that, she slipped off the Weapon and slid down the opposite side.

“Trust me!” she called out.

Mouth agape, Alyssa hesitated and turned to see Jovan dive out of the way of another attack that split the ice and spun him out further. She boggled at the unfathomable situation and was about to go around to Jenna when a shrill, strident note burst out across the lake. Instantly, the Dragon twisted towards them and tore across the surface, claws and wingtips throwing up sprays of diamond dust to iridesce in the long light. Frozen in fear, Alyssa could only watch transfixed as the beast came straight at her with its teeth churning and she knew she was about to die.

The first thing was a feeling like ants crawling in her hair and Alyssa started at this. Then came the low whine and the smell of fish, and against all reason she recognised what this meant. Closing her eyes against the terrible sight of the approaching Dragon she spat the taste of blood from her mouth just as the Weapon fired. Even through her closed eyelids it was blinding and the sense of immense pressure forced the air from her lungs. Still she clung to the side of the Weapon and prayed with all of her might. Please, she begged the starts above, please; let this work!

Jovan heard the note and his heart sank. What was that girl playing at? He saw the Dragon turn to shore and screamed after it the hope of distracting it, but the creature was intent on that clarion call. Scrabbling on the loose ice littering the lake surface, he made to go after the beast thought o what end he did not know. Desperation drove him on. Then, against all expectation, the Weapon fired. Just as it had before, it poured forth a column of light that filled with streaks of fire and roared like an angry God. These magnificent rays pierced the Dragon like a multitude of spears and it bellowed in agony and rage as it was transfixed upon them. This time, however, the light faded away almost instantly as if the blackness of the beast was soaking it up and devouring it. His heart sank as it blinked out and the Dragon still hung in the air like an angel of death, and he knew that they had failed utterly.

The Weapon didn’t work.

With a pop she felt more than heard, Alyssa realised the Weapon was done. Gasping in a breath to cheer, she opened her eyes and felt her world shatter into despair. The Dragon lived. It hung suspended in the air, wings and limbs splayed in every direction like a bug pinned to a display board and was not moving, but seemed unharmed even though she had heard it screech in pain. This was not fair! All they had done, all they had suffered, and it was for nothing?! The rage that flared within her burned and she turned the cheer into a bellow of rage and denial.

Just as she did so, something opened up in the air around the Dragon. It was a sphere of perfect darkness, unbelievably darker even than the creature itself. Yet she could still see it: motionless and taut. The air fizzed and it sounded like a billion gnats rose on the wing all about her. The smell of fish came back intensely strong and the ants crawled over every inch of her body. It was the Weapon, and it was working.

Recognising the sensation of the Weapon, Jovan looked up to see the sphere of darkness engulf the Dragon. There was an odd feeling on top of this, and he realised he was lifting off the lake surface, and that all about him chunks of ice and snow were raising as well. For a terrifying instant he thought the Dragon was going to drag him into the swirling darkness as a final revenge, but then it let out a piercing wail and the sphere collapsed taking the beast with it. There was an enormous backwash of pressure and Jovan was slammed bodily back onto the frozen lake. It cracked under his body but thankfully held. He lay there for a long time gasping for air trying to reconcile what had just happened. Then it hit him: the Dragon was gone. It was gone and he was still alive! He barked out a laugh and bolted up, ignoring the pain in his head and the aches of his body, to run as hard and as fast as he could back to the girls.

They were alive!

Alyssa sagged with relief when Jovan finally got up. She had feared the worst and could not bring herself to go and find out. She met him on the shoreline and they embraced fiercely before kissing with a deep passion. They broke off when Jenna coughed, and then she too joined the hug. They laughed with relief and wept openly, revelling in the simple joy of survival.

Finally, Jovan could not resist any longer and had to ask.

“How did you get the Weapon to work?”

Alyssa shrugged in genuine confusion, and they looked to Jenna who pulled back and smiled coyly.

“I said you probably wouldn’t like my plan.”

Jovan knelt down to her eye level and looked at her quizzically.

“What do you mean? The whistle worked, but what does that have to do with the Weapon?”

Again, that coy smile and Jenna pointed back to the bulk of the Weapon.

“Killian helped.”

Finally understanding, Alyssa gasped and struggled to comprehend the enormity of what the girl was saying. Jovan looked back and forth between them in confusion and Alyssa could only stare at him agog.

Jenna explained.

“You only need a hand on the top to make the Weapon work, and Killian was still holding my whistle when I found it…”