Invasion and Dragons Page 13

  The water seeped out of the ground, forming a small pond that was as clear as any spring-fed river. Landon picked his way through the squishy soil and grass to a large rock. He placed his knapsack, bow, and sword on it and dug out his canteen. Wading knee-deep into the pond, Landon filled his canteen and took a sip. The water was cool and refreshing. Without inhibition, Landon guzzled the water until his canteen was dry, refilled it, and downed all of that as well.

  “Thank you, Almighty,” Landon whispered, wiping droplets from his chin. He refilled his canteen for a third time and slung the strap over his shoulder. He then splashed water on his face and neck, feeling life and vigor trickle back into his bones. He desperately wanted to bathe, but he had already lingered there long enough. It was time to go.

  He turned back to the bank when he heard a high-pitched whistle, like a wind blowing through the tiniest crack in a mountain. It was soft at first, but increased in volume. It sounded all around the meadow and caused ripples in the water. Birds took flight from the trees, zipping past Landon, their shrill voices calling in alarm. Landon covered his ears and looked up.

  All he saw was a dark shape racing towards him and then huge bat-like wings flared. They beat once, conjuring a wind that had all the strength of a tempest. Trees creaked and swayed, threatening to topple. The gust knocked Landon into the pond. He yelped, and floundered in the shallow water. His canteen had slipped off his shoulder, but that didn’t matter. He needed his sword. It was still on the rock several yards away, unmoved despite the dragon’s wingbeats. Landon splashed towards it.

  An ear-splitting roar seared Landon’s eardrums, and the dragon landed on the edge of the wet meadow. It flapped its wings again, the gust knocking Landon into the water. He scrambled to his feet, wiping wet hair from his eyes, and gazed for the first time in his life at a dragon.

  It was beautiful, in a deadly, predatorial way. The dragon’s body was the size of a small house, with a long serpentine neck and tail. It stood on all fours, but Landon had the feeling it could move on its hind legs like a human if it wanted. Its brownish-red skin glowed like coals from a fire. Spikes protruded from the dragon’s head and ran along the spine to the arrow-tipped tail. Its wings were tucked against its body, with a single claw jutting from the joint. Its snout was long and narrow, and the mouth curved into a smile. Landon was shocked to see a common, human expression of amusement appear on a reptilian face. The dragon’s lips were pulled back and up like a human's, the lips pressed together to hide the teeth.

  Landon stared at the creature, rooted to the spot by fear and awe. The smile and the way the dragon’s slitted yellow eyes regarded him was unnerving. They were like human eyes, shining with intelligence and comprehension. He remembered when Liliana had talked about her dragon and how it sounded intelligent and capable of speech. He wondered if the dragon before him could speak. As much as curiosity prodded his thoughts, now was not the time to find out.

  Landon tore his eyes from the dragon’s gaze and found his weapons and knapsack. They had fallen to the ground, the sword propped against the knapsack. Landon didn’t think twice. He sprang forward, dragging his feet through the water as fast as he could. He ran onto the muddy bank and leapt for his sword, hands outstretched.

  Faster than thought, the dragon’s clawed foot shot out and snatched him in mid-leap. Landon’s arms were pinned to his sides, and he kicked his legs as the dragon lifted him into the air. He squirmed, trying to wiggle loose of the dragon’s grip, but it was like a vice. The dragon had three fingers and a fourth that acted as a thumb, allowing it to hold Landon in a fist.

  The dragon brought Landon towards its snout, cocked its head, and examined him like a jeweler would inspect a rock.

  “Let me go!” Landon shouted. He tried to sound commanding, but fear edged his voice. “Put me down right now or so help me I will—”

  The dragon snorted, blasting away Landon’s voice. Its breath was hot and reeked of sulfur. Whatever chemicals were in the dragon’s breath irritated Landon’s lungs. He coughed, gazing in terror into the dragon’s eyes. The monstrous mouth parted, and it spoke.

  “Do what, boy? Are you going to tear me from claw to limb with your bare hands?” The dragon’s voice was deep, and it sounded masculine. Landon briefly wondered if a dragon’s gender could be determined from its voice. “What are you doing wandering around this forest? Are you lost?”

  Landon thought fast. “I am a samurai trainee from Lythra,” he said. “I was sent by my king to discuss peace with your m-masters. You have no right to handle me this way!”

  The dragon stared and threw its head back. It let out a booming laugh that shook the leaves and sent ripples through the water. “A Lythran? You look nothing like a Lythran. Your eyes are not light enough.”

  “I’m half Lythran!” Landon yelled. Sensing the dragon still didn’t believe him, Landon added out of desperation, “Maccioli, King Berado’s advisor, is my uncle, and when he finds out—”

  “Nice try, Landon Dayn.” the dragon sang in a sing-song voice. Landon’s protests died at hearing it mimic music. “I know who you are, son of Diego Dayn, Ambassador of Hondel.” The dragon’s eyes glowed as it reveled in its triumph. “It was I and my tamer who met your father at the Tareth River so long ago.”

  “That . . .” Landon tried to protest, but his voice wasn’t working. He was too shocked to reply. This was the same dragon that had helped the Borikans bring Diego into Hondel. This was Tan’Loraen’s dragon.

  The dragon’s smile returned, revealing its slender teeth. It didn’t bare its teeth to the gums, but half-exposed the pointed tips as though to be less intimidating. “The emperor and my tamer have been worried beyond their wits about you, Landon. Every king is furious that you disappeared two weeks ago, but you are found. Let me take you to a safe place where we know you will not be harmed.”

  “Don’t . . .” Landon whispered. He wanted to say more, wanted to deter the dragon from delivering him to Dre’Goran, but he was mesmerized by the dragon’s mouth. Its lips moved and the tongue writhed to form words, and the teeth flashed in the sun while it spoke.

  He could not shake the voice. It sounded human, but deeper and had a growling timber to it. It fluctuated with tones, and the dragon’s mockery hinted it could sing. Landon felt like he would go mad if he heard the dragon sing. Smiling and singing were human traits, not dragonish!

  The dragon picked up Landon’s sword, bow, and knapsack in its other forefoot. It spread its wings, blocking the sun from Landon’s view. The dragon chuckled. “I may get a wheel of cheese or two for this.”

  If Landon hadn’t been so terrified for his freedom, he would’ve laughed. Cheese? Dragons like cheese?

  He had no chance to think more on that. With one great swoop, the dragon shot into the air. Landon’s head spun, his stomach churned, and his ears popped. The ground sped away from them. Higher, higher, and higher the dragon flew without any signs of slowing. Landon gasped for air, but he couldn’t breathe. He felt lightheaded and his vision blurred, yet he managed to cling to consciousness.

  The dragon flapped its bat-like wings and leveled. Landon blinked his vision clear to see Nircana’s forest below him. It spread beneath him like a dark green carpet interspersed with lighter green patches. Landon had never had a fear of heights until now. Sure he was careful when climbing trees or scaling cliffs, but it wasn’t a paralyzing reaction. Seeing trees and meadows reduced to a patchwork quilt caused a wave of terror. He didn’t realize so much air could exist between him and the tallest tree. If the dragon decided to drop him. . . . His stomach churned at the thought and bile rose in his throat.

  The forest gave way to the prairie, and Town came into view. Even from the air, Landon saw the devastation the dragons had caused to the small city. Many buildings were destroyed, burnt, or a little of both. The temple’s beautiful marble exterior was blackened on one side, and the steeple had been broken off. The courthouse had many scorch marks, and the hospital was missing one wall.
The schoolhouse was a pile of torched wood and stone, something Landon had wished would have happened as a child. Instead of satisfaction, the sight horrified him. Had there been children in there when the dragons attacked?

  Despite all this, what caused Landon’s heart to race with fear were the thousands of tents spread throughout the city and into the prairie, almost tripling the size of Town. People moved around the tents like ants, too small for him to make out their faces. Dragons of various shapes and colors prowled the perimeter, belching sparks or flames if a Nircanian prisoner strayed too close to the border. Their skins shimmered from red to orange to blue. Some dragons had the same body shape as Tan’Loraen’s dragon, whereas others had long, snake-like bodies or short plump ones. Some had two legs instead of four, club-like tails, or wings that flapped so fast they were a blur.

  “Every Nircanian within twenty miles is down there, Landon,” said the dragon. Its head was slightly turned so its voice could carry over the wind. “It took us quite some time to round them all up, but there they are.”

  Landon couldn’t speak. Will’s family was down there. He lived ten miles southeast from Town. He prayed they were still alive.

  “I must admit, it was fun hunting down the Nircanians. It was like a game of weasel-mouse. Like you, some Nircanians tried to run away or fight or both, but we won in the end. We even gave your leaders a place of honor in their own prison.” It laughed again before letting out a jubilant cry. It was answered by roars and bursts of flame from its fellow dragons below.

  The dragon’s head dipped, and its body followed suit. Unlike before, the dragon had its wings spread wide rather than tucked into its body. It was not as unnerving as take-off, but it still chilled Landon’s heart to watch the ground sweeping towards them. The dragon glided towards the central square, and men poured from the courthouse and temple. Spears and breastplates glinted in the light as the men took up positions around the perimeter.

  Landon saw the soldiers for a second and then the dragon landed. His neck cricked painfully from the sudden jolt, and the dragon’s foot released him. He was only a few feet from the ground, but the sudden drop terrified him. He opened his mouth to scream, but the sound lodged in his throat. Landon fell into a crumpled heap, too shocked to move.

  He laid there until his brain realized he was free. Staggering to his feet, he scanned the olive-skinned faces around him. It was like being among the Borikans again. The Dagnorians’ eyes narrowed then widened when they recognized his face. Their mouths twisted into leers, and a few turned to their companions and chattered excitedly. It started out as a murmur but grew into a clamorous roar. Landon expected them to rush him, but they held their ground.

  “Sri’Lanca,” said one man with a blue cape, “where did you find him?” His sea green eyes stared at Landon in wonder.

  “Wandering around the forest like a lost hatchling,” the dragon replied. It dropped Landon’s knapsack and sword on the ground. It then sat, folding its legs beneath its body like a cat. The tip of its tail twitched.

  Landon stared at his sword, aware that every eye watched with bated breath. Just like in the meadow, his belongings were halfway between himself and the dragon. He wanted to run for it but knew the dragon was faster than him. Besides, he still felt nauseous and weak-legged.

  “Go on, Dayn,” said the dragon. “Take it. I know you want it.”

  Landon licked his lips. “No thanks. You can have it.”

  Every man in the vicinity burst out laughing. They leaned on their spears and each other, imitating Landon’s words. Landon stared them down, trying to appear braver than he felt.

  “Captain,” Sri’Lanca said, “will you inform my tamer that Landon Dayn has been found. I believe he wishes to discuss a few words with him.”

  The blue-caped man turned, ran up the courthouse steps, and entered. It took all of Landon’s control to keep his fright from blatantly showing. “Judan’s here?” he asked.

  The dragon smiled but said nothing. Landon didn’t press him for an answer. He scanned the crowd, searching for a way out. As if reading his thoughts, the soldiers shuffled a few steps forward, creating a wall of breastplates and spears.

  “Damn,” Landon said through gritted teeth. There was a way he could get out of this, he just had to think. He glanced again at his sword. From a distance, it looked like any other weapon. As far as he could tell neither dragon nor soldier recognized the hilt for what it was. So long as Tan’Loraen didn’t notice, Landon could talk his way out of this mess.

  It wasn’t long before the captain appeared at the courthouse doors with the Dagnorian advisor at his side. Landon’s palms began to sweat as they descended the steps.

  The soldiers shuffled aside so Judan Tan’Loraen could enter their circle. He wore the same white suit, with the same gold dragon insignia, as he had worn at the council. He sauntered to Landon and stopped an arm’s length away.

  “Hello, Landon,” he said, grinning wide. The square quieted to hear him. “I am so glad we found you.” He gestured to Landon’s pack and weapons. “Sri’Lanca, if you don’t mind.”

  The dragon plucked up the items and handed them to Tan’Loraen. He tossed the knapsack to a soldier. “Search it,” he said. “If you find anything of importance, bring it to me. Otherwise, you may divide the contents among yourselves.” He turned his green eyes once again on Landon. “You look like you had an accident with a swamp, boy.”

  Landon glared at him, aware of the mud caked to his damp clothes and hair. “What do you want?” he said defiantly.

  “The same thing promised to my emperor before you were born.” Tan’Loraen turned the sword in his hands, studying the handle. “Sayre promised you to us in return for driving your mother out of hiding. My emperor and I worked hard to convince the other rulers that Dagnor was the best place to keep you. We got what we wanted, yet right when we had a satisfactory treaty written, you disappeared on us. You and the treaty. I thought you cared about your surrogate people, Landon.”

  Landon glared at him. He wanted to justify his action, but it wouldn’t matter. Tan’Loraen wouldn’t understand, or care.

  “Sir.” One of the soldiers strode forward and handed the treaty to Tan’Loraen. He took it and, without looking, tucked the envelope into an inner coat pocket.

  “What did you intend to do with the treaty, Dayn?” he asked softly. “Rewrite it?”

  “It could do with some fixing,” Landon retorted. His thoughts raced for a way out of this mess, but he was surrounded by men and dragons. It would take a miracle for him to escape.

  “And the sword?” Tan’Loraen continued. “Were you going to use it against Sri’Lanca, or do you have another, more powerful weapon?” He examined the hilt with a professional eye. “I expected you had the treaty with you, but the Wizard’s Seal is a surprise.”

  “It’s just a decoy,” Landon said, frantic. “I didn’t want to bring it in case someone like you recognized it. It’s still with my parents in Tsuregi.”

  Tan’Loraen shook his head. “Katsunaka gave us a detailed description of your katana, Dayn. I have a sketch of it in my office right now.”

  “My father has the Seal. He took it out,” Landon attempted but Tan’Loraen chuckled.

  “Keep trying, Dayn. After your disappearance was noted, Kastunaka tore your parent’s rooms apart searching for the Seal. After some coercion, your mother confessed that you had the sword, and that it still contained the Seal.” Tan’Loraen hefted the katana. “I asked them myself how the sword contains the Seal, but they refused to answer that.”

  Rage filled Landon. “What did you do to them?”

  Tan’Loraen smiled. “Enough. Sri’Lanca,” he said, turning on his heel. “Good work. I’ll have several wheels of cheese sent to you tonight.” He gestured at Landon with the sword. “Bring him.”

  Landon had no time to move. Six soldiers surrounded him, and took each of his arms. They didn’t bind his hands but marched him after Tan’Loraen. Landon tried to break
free and was rewarded with a sharp blow to his calves from one of the spears. He stumbled and would have fallen if it weren’t for the Dagnorians holding him. They snarled at him to move and yanked harder on his arms. Landon regained his footing, but his legs smarted with each step.

  Behind him, Landon heard Tan’Loraen’s dragon say, “See what happens when you find a runaway Dayn, Mateo? You get cheese with your dinner.”

  As Tan’Loraen climbed the courthouse steps, Landon’s pulse raced. Of course they would take him here. Although Nircana was a peaceful country, it still had to deal with criminals. Most of them were foreigners evading their home authorities, but they had to be kept somewhere until a trial. Landon had been to the courthouse twice before. Once for a school trip, and the second was when a Caborcan thief had stolen one of his family’s pigs. The building had made him nervous both times—but now it scared him.

  His eyes drifted to the third floor where the jail was located. Even from the ground he saw the small windows fitted with iron bars. The bars were too close together, and the eaves too far away for a prisoner to grab if they managed to get through. There was no way he could escape. He would sit in a cell until Tan’Loraen took him to Dagnor, but at least he wouldn’t be naked and buried in a mountain.

  Landon hung onto that thought, trying to ease his fears.

  Upon entering the building, Tan’Loraen led the way to one of the courtrooms on the main level. A soldier broke away from Landon’s circle and opened the door. Landon was bustled inside and thrust into a chair facing the judge’s bench. As soon as Landon was seated, his shirt was ripped from his body and leather cords were tied around his chest, wrists, elbows, calves, and ankles. It happened so fast that he didn’t have time to struggle. Landon tried to keep a calm composure, but being bound and bare-chested resurfaced dark memories. He bit his lip so he wouldn’t whimper and tried to steady his breathing.