Текст книги "Regent"

Автор книги: Brian Rathbone

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Текущая страница: 16 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

Chapter 18

In the most critical of times, decisions made in an instant can affect the rest of history. To experience such power is my greatest hope and deepest fear. If it comes to pass, I pray I choose wisely.

– Archmaster Belegra

Even clutched in Kyrien's claw, Catrin could see the demons below on their inexorable climb toward the top of the hollow mountain. The holes in the side of this mountain were larger, and it was apparent that these were not man-made halls. There were no decorated arches, straight lines, or right angles. The way this mountain had been hollowed out spoke of claws and jaws doing the work, and Catrin shivered at the thought of jaws powerful enough to crush stone and claws sharp enough to part granite. Kyrien's firm but gentle grip on Catrin was a marvel. Surely he could crush her without even exerting himself. She knew she was safe in his grasp, but the fact made her feel small and powerless.

I cannot make the decision. I simply cannot. You saved my life!

Catrin was unsure what he meant, but he either did not hear her or chose not to respond to her questions. It seemed he was so overwhelmed by his inner conflict that Catrin had almost ceased to exist. This would have been all right if his anxiety were not causing him to tighten his grip on Catrin a little bit more with each passing moment. As Catrin's mental shouts became screams, he realized what was happening and relaxed his grip. In his effort to let her breathe, the startled dragon overcompensated and loosened his grip too much.

In a gust of wind and the blink of an eye, Catrin went from catching her breath in Kyrien's claws to free-falling. She'd have screamed if there had been enough air in her lungs, but it was all she could do to breathe. Kyrien caught her before she took her next breath, and the impact took what air she had. It was thus that she found herself suddenly thrust into the uppermost hall, barely able to breathe and completely unprepared to face an enormous and unfriendly dragon.

I'm sorry. I could not choose. Now you must. I'm so sorry.

Kyrien wept in her mind, and Catrin reeled at the possibilities, trying to understand what he meant.

Coward!came a new voice in Catrin's mind, and it pounded until she thought her head would crack open. Traitor! Failure!

The words came from what Catrin now knew was the queen of the regents-the onlyqueen of the regents. How she knew this, Catrin was unsure, but she knew it like she knew the sun would shine. Still she had no idea what choice she had to make. She knew it was important, but she didn't know why, and she had no idea what to do about it. Standing in front of the largest regent dragon she'd ever seen, Catrin desperately tried to catch her breath. The dragon looked down on her with a clear lack of patience, but Catrin had no choice but to take time to compose herself.

Cowed by the queen's words to Kyrien, Catrin quavered and wondered what he had done to deserve such an indictment. He'd fought so hard to save Catrin. How could the queen talk to him in that way? The more she thought about it, the angrier Catrin became. Soon she snarled at the regent queen, power flowing through her.

Moving like a giant snake, the queen made an aggressive move that brought her closer to Catrin. The huge regent looked down her snout at Catrin, poised and ready to snatch her up in her jaws.

I should just kill you myself. I should do what Kyrien failed to do.

Given the greeting she'd received, Catrin was not surprised by the communication. "Then perhaps I should kill you now and finish off what the demons are taking so long to do."

Catrin could almost feel the dragon laughing, but there was no humor in that laughter, only derision and something Catrin sensed beneath it, something she was shocked to find: fear. This magnificent and powerful dragon, queen of her kind, was just as afraid of Catrin as the human was of the dragon. It was difficult to believe, but she reminded herself that she was perhaps the most powerful person in all of Godsland, and perhaps this queen of dragons had good reason for fear.

You should not be here. This should not be happening.

"I don't want to hurt you or the other regent dragons. I don't understand why you hate me and why I shouldn't be here. If you want my help, then you are going to have to tell me what is going on!"

You cannot help me unless you cease to exist.

Catrin gaped. "Surely you can't mean that."

The bones have been cast. The choice is not mine; never has it been. The choice, instead, lies upon you, and may you have more wisdom than any other of your kind. May you find the dragon's wisdom in this pivotal time. The rest of this age rests upon you.

Never had another creature held Catrin's attention so completely, and yet the effect faded and Catrin sensed things around her, powerful things– verypowerful things.

I have seen the future where the humans survive, and I've seen the future where the dragons survive. It is one or the other, you see. There can be no coexistence. Kyrien knew this and still he brought you here. He left the choice to you. In doing so he betrayed and most likely doomed his kind, unless, of course, I can convince you to take a nice jump from this ledge?

Catrin did not move. The words made no sense.

Kyrien is every bit the traitor and fool I say he is. He could have let you die, could have killed you himself, yet he'd rather doom his entire species, and for what? Love?

"Then kill me."

I cannot.

"Why not?"

The dragon managed to look exasperated, as if speaking to a dense child, I cannot kill you because I have seen that future as well, and the only thing worse than a future without dragons is a future without dragonsand humans. Now there is no other way. You must choose. I have seen the future if you live, and mankind will not stop until the entire planet is consumed. Is that what you want? The future without you is far less creative, but the world will continue to flourish, and balance will be maintained. Don't you see why it must be you that dies and not the regent dragons? Do you not love Kyrien? Do you not wish to save his life and let his kind flourish? Are you so selfish that you could let him die, just so that you may live? Is there no charity in your heart? Did your mother not teach you what it is to be selfless?

The questions pounded against Catrin's resolve, and she took a step back. The last question, however, raised her hackles and put her on the attack. "Don't you dare bring my mother into this or I'll turn you inside out, right here, right now. You got that? You might think you can threaten and intimidate me, but I'm not afraid of you. At least I'm not so afraid of you that I won't fight you if I have to. And who says both of us can't survive? Maybe if we worked together, we could defeat the demons and the ferals. Then what would that future look like?"

That is the same path that leads to the death of us all. The chances are too great. There is no room for uncertainty when the fate of the world is at stake.

"No," Catrin said. "When you are unwilling to face the risk, you take away the chance for hope. Let's fly away from here now-"

Before she could finish, the dragon queen shifted and her pupils narrowed.

You either have no eyes or you wish to mock me. Which is it?

Involuntarily taking a step backward, Catrin took a good look at the rest of the dragon queen. Long and thick, her body was bloated and her wings small. A cold feeling washed over Catrin. The queen couldn't fly. When the demons arrived, she would be mostly defenseless, forced to hold her ground against the massive horde. There was no way she would survive such an attack.

Looking over the interior of the cavern, Catrin saw it was lit by only small holes that dotted the walls and outer edges of the ceiling. Most of the lair was smooth floor and nothing else, but here and there were neatly organized piles of massive stones. Some were little more than vertical columns, but others seemed to form something like a sleeping platform. Besides barricading themselves in, there was not a great deal to work with. It was only a matter of time before the demons reached this level.

Fool! You waste time when it is the most precious thing we have. You must choose. Now!

The thought of condemning the dragons to extinction made Catrin physically ill, and she couldn't keep from thinking there was some way they could all survive. Still she remained silent, and still more time passed.

Kyrien was a wretched fool to bring you here.

Farsy and Bryn by his side, Kenward watched with grim determination as their deaths became increasingly likely. An insurmountable army of demons and dragons was slowly swallowing a mountain, the same mountain where he believed Catrin to be. There had been a battle; that he knew. He'd seen Catrin fight from afar before, and he recognized the light and the sound of it. The sensations were burned into his memory from one of the most dangerous times in his life. A sick feeling clung to him, and when he looked to Bryn and Farsy, he almost wished he hadn't brought them with him, so dour were their faces.

Only the presence of the regent dragons gave them any measure of safety, and Kenward wondered about that. Already the numbers had thinned as two dragons would leave, and only one would return. Of the last pair that had gone on patrol, based on Kenward's assumptions, neither had returned, and he knew they needed to face a future without the dragons' protection. But Catrin had put them in an impossible situation. She had been his friend for a very long time; she'd saved his life multiple times and put it in great danger just as many. He knew she did not leave him in this way out of malice, and he knew the world was at war and nowhere was safe, but none of that prevented him from being angry with Catrin. Seeing one's death rapidly approaching, it can be difficult to think it is all one's own fault. Far better to place blame on someone else, he thought, than to go to your grave feeling guilty.

"What are we gonna do?" Bryn asked. "How do we even survive this? They're gonna come up here in larger numbers sooner or later, and then what do we do?"

Farsy turned back to where he saw Pelivor pacing. "Maybe the boy can get us out of here on the Eel."

"No wind in that valley," Kenward said.

"I know but-" Farsy continued. Kenward cut him off with a look. Still, Farsy had sailed with Kenward most of his life, and he knew when not to keep his mouth shut. "We got dragons, sir. Surely one o' them could get us in the air."

"The dragons don't seem to care what I say," Kenward said. "They only seem to listen to Catrin, and I'm not sure they actually listen to her. Seems to me they're the ones doing the talking. The more I think about this whole situation, the less I like it. We can't get to Catrin, and it doesn't look like she's going to get back to us. For now, we need to proceed as if we're on our own."

Bryn nodded sadly and a tear streaked his face. "Blessings to my friend, Catrin," he said softly, not meant for anyone else's ears, but by some trick of the wind, Kenward heard him nonetheless. "Keep her safe."

Kenward bowed his head and echoed the prayer. Farsy sniffed and wiped his eye. Then they headed back toward the peaceful vale, to a place that seemed trapped in time, unaffected by the war that raged so very nearby. Six dragons watched over them.

Go!

Catrin felt the queen's compulsion acutely, and it shocked her how close to the ferals the regent queen would stoop.

Fight them. Protect me with your life. Die with honor. You will be martyred, and your name will live on forever.

"Even if human beings cease to exist? No. I don't care for your bargain. I will, however, stay here with you and protect you until my dying breath. No species will cease to exist because of a decision I make."

Fool!the queen boomed. Even the choice to not make a decision is a decision, and that choice will have consequences beyond your worst fear.

Screams echoed into the chamber as dragons and demons clashed around the openings that led to this vacuous hall. When the dragon queen faced Catrin again, there was real fear in her eyes and what looked like the recognition of one of her visions, as if she now saw the future and what she saw terrified her.

You've condemned us all! You think to protect us, but no one as daft as you could possibly save us now. If there were any other way, I'd not give this to you, but now I must leave the fate of the world in your hands, and though I despise you, I love this world more than life itself. Go, fool. Prove me wrong if you can. The bones have been tossed, and my fate is sealed, but I will do my best to buy you time.

A sound like leather on stone accompanied by rhythmic clicks announced demons in the hall, and Catrin knew time had indeed run out; now she could only act on instinct. The regent queen swung her massive body around to face the threat, and her tail smashed into a stack of stones against the outer wall of the cavern, which sent the rock flying into the demons. Bones snapped as the stone crushed rows of dark beasts. More rock collected near the entrance, constricting the demons to a narrow channel.

Catrin watched as the queen erected defenses on top of the bodies of demons, using the fallen monsters as building materials. She would have aided the queen, but the mighty serpent swung her head around to meet Catrin's eyes. Go!

This time Catrin allowed the compulsion since it only told her to turn and look. Her eyes found a huge, irregularly shaped hall that wound away from the main cavern. Glittering light danced on the floor and walls of the hall beyond, beckoning to Catrin with its beauty.

You will find what you need in there, Destroyer. Know that you have received gifts due to only the most noble, Dragon Slayer. Know that your actions will be remembered by all or by none based on your choices, World Render. May your fool of a dragon, the betrayer of his own kind, find solace in the emptiness that awaits him. You two are perfect together. Now,go!

Coerced as much by the darkness in her heart as the dragon queen's compulsion, Catrin retreated into the glittering hall. As she turned the corner, she saw things she would never have dreamed existed. There was a saddle, like the one she'd made, only hers was the crudest representation of this masterpiece. Every inch glittered in what Catrin knew was dragon ore; she could feel the energy radiating from it. Looking up, Catrin saw that enormous crystals made up the ceiling, and beyond lay open sky. Light poured in from the multifaceted crystals as they somehow gathered, focused, and amplified the light. The feeling of it was overwhelming for Catrin; never before had she felt so alive, so powerful. The sounds from the great hall kept her from falling into a trance, and she quickly turned to see what other wonders awaited. She could feel complex energies around her, energies more organized and structured than anything she'd experienced before.

From her left, she felt a pull that was elegant and poised, yet there was a potency to its touch that promised wondrous power. Catrin's eyes fell on something that looked like a herald globe, only a thousand times more evolved. It was beautiful. Reaching out her hand, Catrin moved toward the clear glass that housed what looked like a spider, its red and black body perfectly preserved in what had almost certainly once been molten glass. Catrin could not imagine how such a thing was created, and she hesitated before touching it, nervous caution temporarily stifling her desperate need to feel it. Another crash from the great hall and a bellow from the regent queen got Catrin moving again. Her hand closed around the globe, and pulses of power coursed over her body, enshrouding her in a latticework of power that undulated and moved like liquid.

Knowing the saddle would be of no use with the flightless queen, Catrin drew her sword and held the spider globe high as she charged back into the main hall, determined to save the queen of the regents.

Only one dragon remained to guard the vale, and Kenward knew that they would soon be completely unprotected. The regent dragons were losing; that much was clear. There was nothing he or anyone else could do about it. His ship was grounded high in the mountains, and even if they could get her into the air or water, she was neither sea– nor airworthy. It would take weeks to repair her. Kenward shook his head, cursing his own foolishness. Why worry about fixing a ship that would never sail again? He should be thinking of how to dismantle the ship and reassemble a smaller ship along the water. The thought nearly brought him to tears. Never before had he been faced with the prospect of dismantling his ship, and it was like thinking of taking his mother apart piece by piece and trying to reassemble her somewhere else. He knew he couldn't do it. If he were to build another ship, it would have to be built from what existed here on the Firstland.

In truth, there were plenty of raw materials on the Firstland; what Kenward lacked were the skilled hands of shipbuilders and the leisure to employ them. As it was, he had only the hands of sailors. There was not a safe place to be found except where they stood, and with only a single dragon remaining, he wondered how long this place would remain safe. Thunderclaps split the air, and the screams of demons followed. Everyone in the vale scrambled to high ground, peering into the war-torn valley beyond and trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on. Most already realized that what they heard was Catrin, and if she was still fighting, then there was still hope.

Lightning and fire coursed in and out of the top of the nearby mountain, as if the mountain itself were breathing fire. Dark bodies were tossed into the air and fell back down into the clogged valley below, their bodies acting as weapons as they tore through the rest of the demons trying to reach the top of the mountain. A gasp from behind made Kenward turn, and he saw what had frightened Farsy. Pelivor stood with his arms raised, and power pulsed around his hands like liquid light. A stream of it stretched across the empty air, reaching for Catrin, but what was even more amazing and terrifying was the white hot line that extended from the mountaintop toward Pelivor, as if Catrin were trying to connect with him.

When the two streams of energy were still some distance apart, the air between them filled with a humming line of plasma, and once the two flows were connected, a thundering crack split the air and knocked everyone except Pelivor back. He stood rooted in place, engulfed in a raging torrent of energy. There was no fear in his face, though, only a look of awe and sudden understanding. Then he started to move like a machine, his fists pumping in and out, and each movement released a swirling conflagration that he hurled at the demons and giants.

Kenward knew this could be the savior of them all, but it also meant that the demons would know exactly where they were and would surely send forces here to deal with them. The last remaining regent dragon looked down at Pelivor and gave a cry. Kenward tried to discern what the cry meant, but it soon did not matter as the dragon leaped from its perch of stone and disappeared into the air beyond.

"So much for the loyalty of dragons," Kenward said.

Chapter 19

Sanity is but a temporary state.

– Nat Dersinger, prophet

Feeling like the wind itself, Catrin attacked. Everywhere she turned, demons flew like leaves in the wind. Her sword high and the spider globe sending light streaming out through the gaps in her clenched fist, Catrin roared a primal battle cry. Twice she pumped her fist, and thunder shook the mountain. Wild energy reached out from her and licked the walls. Her hair rustled in a preternatural wind that gusted within the charged field around her.

The regent queen turned to look at her. You should be gone. Call him to you. Use the saddle and lance. Become your destiny and leave me to my fate.

"I don't want you to die." It was the most honest thing Catrin could say.

You are a credit to your race that you would still feel that way given my treatment of you. I'm afraid it is too late to save me, and in attempting to do so, you are endangering your kind's future. We are lost but I'll not allow you to be lost as well. Nowgo! Kyrien! To me!

The last might not have been intended for Catrin to hear, but the powerful call must have been heard on the other side of the world. Catrin reeled with the power of it, but she knew now the best thing she could do was get Kyrien saddled and fight the enemy from the air. She could save the regent queen yet.

But Kyrien did not come. No one could have resisted that call, and Catrin's heart climbed into her throat. The world moved unexpectedly as darkness crowded her vision. The thought of Kyrien lost, all of his kind dead or dying, nearly brought Catrin to her knees. Needing strength, she reached out for something familiar and comforting. Like the swiftest arrow, power extended from her outstretched hands toward Pelivor. The essence of him slammed into her an instant later, and lightning cleaved the air between them.

Catrin staggered back to her feet, feeling the texture of the energy Pelivor lent her and, in doing so, learning all he knew about controlling the power and building efficient structures with energy. His mind amazed her in its precision and logic, the way he moved through problems by breaking them into smaller pieces and tackling each piece individually. Another energy responded to her call, and Catrin was shocked to see Kyrien land within the great hall. Blood dripped from what seemed a thousand wounds, and his nostrils flared with his rapid breathing. Frothy foam gathered around his legs, which trembled as he stood, panting. Never before had Catrin seen a creature that had given so much of itself. Kyrien looked as if he would drop over dead at any instant, and Catrin ran to him, her energy already caressing him, bolstering him, healing him.

No!his voice rang in her mind. Save your energy for the fight. I will survive.

Catrin wanted to argue, wanted to take the time to tend his wounds and give him time to recover, but he pushed her before him, his muzzle driving her toward the saddle.

If this must be done, then let us do it. I can no longer take the guilt. Let this be at an end.

Catrin moved as if in a dream, her mind unable to cope with the consequences of this day. Never before had she seen a species wiped from existence, and she prayed she'd never witness it again. When she sat astride Kyrien, goggles on and strapped in, she could barely remember how she had come to be there, and she marveled at the beauty of the saddle. In her hand waited the greatest shock: a lance of gleaming filigree extending from the sword Strom had made for her, as if the two had been made to fit together. When Catrin's memories began to return, she realized that the sword had been made to Kyrien's specifications, yet she could not reconcile why Kyrien would have done that if this were not supposed to happen. Taking a deep breath, Catrin had no choice but to return her attention to the present. Atop the saddle, Catrin felt secure; the many buckles on her leather flight pants allowed her to strap in. Again she was amazed at the foresight of her dragon.

Kyrien, though seeming only slightly recovered from battle, tucked his wings and charged back into the great hall. An unbidden battle cry issued from Catrin's lips, and it turned to a scream as Kyrien leaped from the heights without ever opening his wings. Demons clogged the entrances and flew into the open air before Kyrien's maddened charge. With a trail of energy leading back to Pelivor and the wind trying to tear her apart, they fell like a stone. There were lurches and bumps in their descent that Catrin eventually realized were the times Kyrien attacked. They dived along the mountain face, Kyrien extending his wings in only small amounts to make adjustments to their flight path. Catrin would have launched attacks of her own, but she could not get her body to respond; the forces acting on it were simply too intense. Even her scream was choked away.

Then the saddle pressed into her hard, and Kyrien extended his wings. Catrin saw the army of demons, giants, and men in orderly formations, waiting to fill the void when their comrades fell. Finally Catrin was able to control herself, and she reached out for energy. She nearly swooned. The saddle responded with alacrity. The charge of millennia leaped to her call. The fiery link with Pelivor surged, and the energy of the comets resonated in a way she'd never felt before.

You're burning up!

Only then did Catrin realize that she rode amid a maelstrom of fire, her body a conflagration. Without hesitation, she launched a dozen attacks at once. Pelivor's control combined with the saddle's energy and Catrin's will caused the world to explode. Ranks of the enemy, formerly so orderly and geometric from above, now looked as if they had been tossed by a giant wave. Trails of smoke filled the air as balls of fire streamed into those who scaled the rock face. Lightning reached out to anything close to the great hall, but in the back of Catrin's consciousness, she knew that she needed to be careful not to hit the regent queen. Determination filled her as Kyrien brought them around for a pass along those closest to the queen, and Catrin almost smiled as a cloud of demons filled the air before them, thrown from the great hall by a very alive regent queen.

"We can save her!" Catrin shouted.

Kyrien made no response.

The air around them suddenly filled with teeth and claws, reaching for Catrin and tearing at Kyrien's already tender hide. Nothing could have prepared Catrin for the maneuvers Kyrien undertook to keep them both safe. It seemed impossible that they were still alive. A sizzling, crackling sound followed by a loud boom made her wonder how much longer that would remain true. Light exploded around her, and Catrin felt the shock of it, even though Kyrien took the brunt of the attack. His flight became erratic, and Catrin scanned the skies, ready to protect the stunned dragon from any new attacks. Kyrien regained stable flight, but Catrin knew he was not fully recovered. Ferals came in close, and Kyrien's reactions seemed delayed. For a brief instant, Catrin's mind registered the fact that the dragons were all riderless. She wasn't certain what it meant, but she was certain it meant something. It was not something she could ponder long.

When the buzzing, crackling sound filled the air around them again, Catrin searched the clouds and seas, trying to find its source. It was coming from the ships, which were now moving in formation once again.

Catrin opened her mouth to tell Kyrien, but he was already turning to dive for the attacking formation of ships. Just when Catrin thought the lightning would strike, the air exploded with fire, but she felt no pain, only the radiated heat. Alongside them, a feral dragon was engulfed in a web of charged air. It folded up like a swatted moth, dropping beside them. When Kyrien pulled up, the dragon continued falling and struck a warship on the prow, driving it underwater in a shower of exploding timber and sending its masts crashing into the ship adjacent to it.

Missed me.

Catrin almost laughed-almost.

No dragons had gotten close enough for Catrin to use her lance, but it felt good in her hand, far lighter than she would have believed from looking at it. Even as thin and delicate looking as the gold wire comprising it would seem, it felt solid and gave her confidence. When she pointed it at the next ship she could hone in on, she applied her will, and the lance responded. The delicate wires hummed and shone, light dancing across them in rolling waves with shape and texture. Like mist over the world at daybreak, it flitted along the surface and even over the empty areas between the wires. Erupting from the tip of the lance like liquid smoke, it roared through the air toward the ship. When the beam of energy struck amidships, the warship did something Catrin had never seen before: it imploded. It started slowly then accelerated, essentially folding the ship in half and sending it to rest at the bottom of the shallows.

Kyrien banked away from another feral attack, and Catrin could hear the cries of man and demon from below. There was panic in many of those cries, and as unlikely as it was, Catrin felt as if the battle were turning in her favor. The ships had no way of avoiding her attacks, and it was just a matter of time before she took all of them out, stranding them, just as she'd done to the Zjhon when they had invaded the Godfist. Sending waves of devastation into the midst of every formation of ships she could see, Catrin did her best to cripple them. Only the ferals were able to disrupt her attacks. Kyrien's evasive maneuvers made taking aim exceedingly difficult, and many of her attacks missed their marks. Those that landed, though, were equally as destructive as the first.

Doing their best to stay above or behind Catrin and Kyrien, the ferals made for elusive targets. They knew how dangerous she was, and they had no intention of giving her a clear shot. Instead, they tried to hide in Kyrien's blind spot and attack Catrin from above. It was an extremely uncomfortable feeling knowing she was being hunted from behind, let alone from above and behind. Somehow Kyrien seemed able to sense them and managed to keep Catrin outside the reach of their attacks. Twice he was able to cause ferals to collide with one another. The first pair had simply flown off in separate directions, but the second pair collided with a sickening crack. Though the impact had killed only one of the beasts, the two became hopelessly tangled, and both plunged into dark water. Neither rose again.

The problem was that all of this was but a distraction from their true purpose, which was to defend the regent queen. It seemed only an instant had passed, but when Catrin looked back to the top of the mountain, waves of demons were swarming into the great hall, and no more flew from the entrances. Panicked, Catrin shouted to Kyrien, but her voice could not be heard over the rush of the wind. Still, Kyrien made straight for the great hall, his own anxiety radiating from him. Both seemed to realize that their attacks on the ships and ferals may have come at the ultimate cost. Catrin's skin felt clammy, a prickly feeling making her shift in the saddle. Hurling vortices of air before them, Catrin knocked the demons clear, making a place for Kyrien to land. Even as he glided in, Catrin pumped her left fist, and from her right hand issued pulses of power that traveled down the lance, intensified, and pounded back the demon horde.