‘My lord!’ An ashen-faced oarsman peered out from behind a spinefruit tree. He flinched and ducked back again as a ball of fire erupted in the trees behind Kheda.
The warlord flung himself into the shelter of the spine-fruit’s shadow. Do you have any gems?’ he demanded. Did you pick any up?’
No, my lord,’ the hapless rower quavered.
Kheda looked back to see a pillar of flame snaking up into the sky. The dragon sprang into the air and circled it, lashing at the writhing scarlet fire with its tail. It was all far too close for comfort; Kheda could feel the heat on his forehead.
‘Come on.’ He drew a sword and began hacking a path through the tangled underbrush. ‘Chazen!’ he yelled. ‘To me! We need gems to fill the creature’s mouth or we’ll all get eaten!’
A couple of terrified archers appeared on either side of a tandra thicket. Neither had bow nor arrows but one clutched a small coffer in his shaking hands. Kheda hurried forwards and seized it. His heart sank. It was his physic chest.
‘That’s something,’ he said tightly. ‘Look after it. But we need gems.’
‘My lord.’ Another rower appeared, this time holding one of the coffers of jewels so grudgingly sent from the Daish treasury.
‘Good man,’ Kheda breathed with heartfelt relief. ‘Are there any more?’
There were stirrings further along the shore. Unseen, some man called out to another, passing the word of Kheda’s appearance and of his search for gems.
‘Come on.’ The warlord led his stunned, disparate band further away from the dragon.
The creature was now roaring horribly at the pillar of flames. Every time it blasted the taunting inferno into oblivion with its fiery breath, the stubborn blaze sprang back up again.
That hauberk was definitely bad luck. Whatever Dev’s doing, how much longer can it last? ‘My lord.’ A handful of shocked oarsmen appeared from behind a sandy outcrop.
‘Gems.’ One thrust another small coffer at Kheda.
The warlord took it and looked around the stricken handful of survivors. A strange calm came over him as he put the only plan he could think of into halting words. ‘I’ll see if I can distract the beast, then I’ll make a run for it. Get yourselves over to the far side of this island. Find the most northerly point. Wait until dusk and try to flag down a fisherman. Don’t light a fire, that’ll only attract the beast. I’ll try to join you.’
‘My lord—’ the man still clutching the physic chest protested inarticulately.
‘Give me that.’ Kheda took the ebony and silver coffer and knelt to open it. He found a small wax-sealed box and tucked it inside the front of his sweaty, sandy tunic. ‘Go on. You have to take word of what’s happened back if I don’t return.’ He looked at the men now staring at him, aghast. ‘I can’t and won’t ask any of you to do this. This is my duty to you as your lord.’
And how better to find out if I am truly doing the right thing by Chazen, or if I’m truly cursed to die by the magic that I’ve brought to this domain.
‘Go!’ he barked, with all the authority he could summon.
Slowly, the survivors of the disaster backed away. As they turned to see where they were going, they began to move more quickly. Soon they were running away through the forest, heedless of the noise they were making.
Kheda picked up the two jewel coffers by their rope handles. They weren’t overlarge but were still heavy enough to drag painfully at his arms as he walked slowly out from the shelter of the trees. The dragon had finally managed to quell the impudent flame Dev had raised against it and was stamping violently on the ground where Kheda had left his armour. Its vehement throbbing growl made Kheda’s head ache.
The warlord walked slowly down to the waterline and scanned the debris, glancing up at the dragon with every second step. He saw another battered chest and splashed into the shallows to retrieve it. Movement caught the corner of his eye and he halted, knee-deep in the water. The dragon was looking at him, heavy blunt head cocked to one side. Faint trails of smoke rose from its nostrils. It snorted and the smoke stopped.
Kheda straightened his back and stared the dragon straight in the eye. It looked back at him, unmistakable intelligence in that white fire lighting its ruby eyes. Kheda swung one of the coffers at aim’s length, backwards and forwards, the arc lengthening with every swing. Putting all his strength behind it, he flung the little chest down the beach. The dragon’s eyes followed it as it flew through the air and landed with a solid thud further down the waterline.
Kheda stood still. The dragon stared back at him before turning to look over its shoulder into the unrevealing trees. Kheda threw a second chest, the effort forcing out an unintended groan. The chest landed and broke open. The dragon’s head whipped around and the light in its eyes glowed brighter. It took a pace forward before looking at Kheda again.
He threw the third chest as far as he could. It fell not far from the first, Daish workmanship holding firm. Just what I don’t need. What do I do now? There’s no way I’m going any closer to open the cursed things!
The dragon took another few paces forward, its attention switching between the two unopened coffers and the one spilling bright jewels over the white sands. Kheda began walking slowly backwards, feeling his way as best he could to avoid tripping over broken wood and bodies. The dragon ignored him as it crouched low to run its tongue over the scattered jewels.
Kheda risked a glance over his shoulder as he shifted his path towards the tree line. A few more men were dragging themselves out of the water and scrambling across the sand. He looked back to see that the dragon wasn’t interested in them, and was advancing on the two unopened chests.
Now Kheda was half-way between the waterline and the trees. He abandoned caution as the dragon broke open the second coffer with a splintering claw. He ran for the forest, but rather than join the fleeing rowers, he doubled back towards the blasted ruin of the tandra thicket where he’d left Dev. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to recall the oath the wizard had taken. Caught unawares, he skidded to a halt as he saw the black footprints charred into the dry leaves. Curbing the urge to shout out the barbarian’s name, he forced his way through the entangling brush. Behind him on the beach, the dragon’s growl had softened to an unnerving croon.
Dev hadn’t got far. Kheda fell over him behind a green-stained outcrop. The mage was lying in the shade of the rock, eyes tightly closed, arms wrapped around himself and shaking violently.
Kheda dropped to his knees. ‘Dev,’ he whispered urgently, shaking him. He snatched back his hand as the coarse hairs on the wizard’s forearm slid away to dust beneath his seared fingers. The heat within the mage was singeing him hairless.
Back on the beach, the dragon roared with sudden fury. Kheda heard the deafening clap of its wings. He looked at Dev. Before he had time to think, he caught up a rock the size of his fist. He winced as he smacked it into the side of Dev’s head. The wizard moaned and went limp. Kheda ducked as the dragon made a pass overhead, the wind from its wings setting the leaves rattling. As the shadow passed, he tried to drag Dev further into the shallow hollow beneath the overhang and tested the wound he had inflicted with careful fingers.
You don’t seem to have cracked his skull. That’s one good thing. Or is it? No one would have batted an eyelid if you’d returned without your awkward slave, who could then be safely praised as a hero for spending his life in your service.
No, we’ve been here before. I didn’t kill him then and I won’t kill him now, not unless it’s the only way to save ourselves from the dragon. I owe him more than that.
And he owes this domain a more valuable death, if it comes to it. There’s still much his blood could do to wash away the stain he’s brought to these islands.
Kheda glowered at the unconscious Dev as he reached inside his tunic and brought out the wax-sealed box. Cracking the tightly fitted lid open, he found that the speckled powder inside was still largely dry. Forcing the unconscious wizard’s jaw open, he tipped a hefty dose on to his tongue. After a moment’s thought, he ripped the sleeve from his tunic and bound the wizard’s mouth closed. Then he ducked down as the dragon swept overhead again.