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Post by garethn on Nov 14, 2019 4:46:40 GMT -6
Ch 25 Summit Run
Word count 3777 (13-Jun-19)
Katie was barely able to stir from her bed the next day. Margaret had kept her supplied with food and company though even her relentless cheerfulness had not been able to penetrate the thick cushion of hopeless misery which shrouded her.
Fortunately, this had meant that she had missed the victor’s ceremony for, in her wretched state, it was impossible even to think of celebrating. The sight of Carodoc’s body, lying broken and motionless on the sand, had given the victory the sour taste of defeat. Rhiannas had been delighted to take her place and he had returned from the ceremonies in a buoyant mood that she had never encountered before in him. He instantly conferred on her the right to wear the House insignia – an almost unknown honour for a tyro.
His mood had infuriated her almost beyond reason and it had taken all her self control to stop herself from exploding and letting him know what she really thought about this victory. Instead she had suppressed her feelings, hiding them behind a delicate mental shield, and had lain, secretly grinding her teeth, until he left her in peace.
That evening, when Rhiannas was out on patrol duty, she had walked down the mews to see Liberty. He, too, was starting to recover some of his strength and she decided to return to the compound the next day.
Even Psion had been unable to break her mood of hopeless dejection when she visited him on the way back to the compound but at least he had shown enough understanding of her state to curb the worst excesses of his humour. He had insisted that she describe the race to her and, as she left, concluded with the words, “Your mother would be proud of you.”
A crowd of students gathered around them, cheering and clapping, as she gently landed Liberty in the corner of the quad. With a struggle she managed to respond with a smile as Zalibar strolled over and casually congratulated her on her promotion to prime. He allowed the applause to continue for a short time but then, sensing her discomfort, sent the students back to their practices. He continued to stare at her for longer than was comfortable, his piercing eyes burrowing into her.
“It’s tough, isn’t it,” he said quietly and for a moment Katie felt a crashing wave of relief that at least someone understood what she was feeling. “Now go and put Liberty away. I can find plenty for you to do to take your mind off things.”
That evening, cook had tried to lift her mood by baking a celebratory pudding to mark her promotion to prime. Though Katie had tried to push away the bleak, empty feeling for the evening, she still found that it tasted rather dry and sad without Carodoc squabbling over the custard jug.
True to his word, for the next couple of weeks, Zalibar didn’t give her any chance to dwell on things. As well as the additional teaching duties she had as a prime, she also had to take over organisation of tyro duties and try to keep up with her own training. When he asked her to prepare a lecture for the other primes on the Edifice gates and flutes she knew he was deliberately keeping her busy. She gave a shrug and got on with it.
His treatment seemed to be working too for, while the pain did not go away, it reduced from a burning wound to a dull, constant ache. Life would go on.
Katie found she had to be quite careful in preparing her lecture. Though, of course, she was completely familiar with the subject, she did not want to give too much away in case she found herself riding in the race again. In the end she was quite satisfied with the result and the other primes seemed happy enough though, for many, the prospect of her extracting revenge when she faced them in the cage may have discouraged them from asking too many difficult questions.
Zalibar must have been quite pleased with the lecture too because he invited her to join him and a couple of the senior nonda primes for a drink after the lecture.
Though she had walked past the doorway many times, Katie had never been in his private rooms before. She was not surprised to find them simply, almost austerely, furnished with a solid-looking writing desk by the door to the balcony and a couple of severe looking arm chairs clustered around a fire place. There were, however, a number of maps mounted on the walls and, after being given a glass of red wine, she went over to look at one of them.
“It’s the northern part of the Gobi desert,” Zalibar said as he came up behind her. “People say that there are wild dragons in the area.”
“I had wondered about that,” Katie responded. “Are there any other groups of dragons out there?”
“Well," Zalibar answered with an unusual hesitancy, there are persistent rumours of a group out on an island in the Atlantic somewhere but apart from that there are just a few solitary wild dragons and small family groups scattered around,” he answered. “If you have two dragons in any one place for any length of time, one of ’em usually ends up dead. It’s only the precepts that keep the Edifice from tearing itself apart.”
Katie thought about this for a moment then nodded. While the Precepts were astonishingly severe, with lethal duals common and obliteration of an entire family line the standard punishment for major transgressions, they certainly made it possible for the ruthless creatures to live together within such a confined space.
Katie saw that he was about to walk away and realised she was about to miss her chance. “I’ve heard mention of a lighter sort of sword being used. I think it’s called a rapier. I’m sure I’d be much quicker to the kill if I was using a lighter blade.”
“The reason that you don’t see many of them about,” he informed her, “is that dragon’s scales are so tough. Unless you’re very, very careful to keep your will supporting the blade all the time, you’re going to find yourself in a shower of metal splinters in five seconds and dead in ten.”
He studied her carefully for a moment. “Mind you, it might just work for you,” he said, nodding his head. “You’ve got the right balance of speed and brain power. Let me think about it.” He turned and stalked away leaving Katie studying the map.
She was about to make her excuses and leave but, as she glanced around the room, Hannonda, the Armenclethyfur, who was standing on his own by the balcony door, smiled and walked over to join her. “Your lecture seemed to go rather well,” he said.
“I know quite a lot about the subject,” she answered. “I’ve had to study it quite intensively over the last month.” She sighed and her eyes started to glaze over as she thought back to the gates race.
“Well, if you carry on at this rate, you’re not going to be here with Zalibar for much longer,” he told her, keen to give her something else to think about. “Though I can understand that he doesn’t want to lose you, there’s a limit to how long he can keep you hanging around here as some sort of extra teacher.”
“But I’ve only been here six months,” she replied, astonished at his suggestion.
“And in that time you’ve learnt more than most people learn in three years,” he replied. “You’re coming to the end of what he can teach you.”
Katie desperately looked behind the eyes for some sign of humour but there was none. Confused and disconcerted, she made her apologies and left but, as she battled her way across the storm-lashed quad, she realised it was true. Her time at the academy was drawing to a close and soon it would be time to return to the uncertainty of Rhiannas and the Edifice.
After the late night, it had taken Katie all her willpower to drag herself out of bed the next morning to do her stretches. There was not even a hint of dawn in the sky and, as she struggled across the dark quad into the wind driven sleet, she was still deep in thought about the idea of returning to the Edifice. She was shocked to see a cloaked figure waiting for her on the gatehouse roof and her most robust combat shields locked instinctively into place, only relaxing slightly when she heard Wastnonda’s cheerful voice saying, “Wretched morning, isn’t it?”
“What on earth are you doing here?” she inquired, still recovering from the shock. “You’re not exactly famed as an early riser.”
“I overheard Quarononde talking about you,” he explained, “and thought you might be interested.”
“What did he say?” Katie asked, suddenly very alert.
“Not much,” he answered. “He was chatting to Kiernonda last night. He seemed very pleased with himself and thought he had found a way of getting at you involving Jenko.
“Anything else?”
“No. I’m afraid not. I know it’s not that much to go on.”
“That’s quite alright. We’ll just have to make sure the two of us are ready for anything they try.”
After breakfast, Katie led a group of primes on a training flight, mounted, as usual, on Liberty, warming up with a quick circuit of the island. Rounding Dunster head, she led the wing of dragons low and hard in towards the cliffs and sank deep into her dragon’s mind, concentrating on flight and forgetting, for a time, her other worries.
When they returned, Jenko and Calbar were at the top of the tower, lashing a straw target in place. Zalibar instructed them to make passes at the target and practice using their dragon’s wing barbs to slash at the targets.
After a couple of passes it was clear to Katie that this was an area in which Liberty required neither her support nor instruction and she stopped her own practice, concentrating instead on instructing the others. “No, no!” she shouted across at Wastnonda, “You have to come up from below and allow him to stall. He’s never going to be able to get his wings round in time if you bring him in in a dive. You should know this by now!”
She was just telling him to circle round and try again when Zalibar called her in. She landed and put Liberty away and, as she emerged from the mews, he was just coming down the main stairs from the house, carrying a long wooden case.
“Let’s see whether you’re as good as you think you are!” he said gruffly, carrying the case over to one of the tables near the well and undoing the catches. Inside, nestled in a velvet lining, was a pair of shining silver-coloured rapiers.”
“They’re beautiful,” said Katie.
“I won them in a duel,” he responded. Though his voice retained its customary curt tone, Katie knew him well enough to know there was more to this than his simple explanation would suggest. “Go on! Take one and get the feel of it.”
Katie was so impressed by the appearance of the weapon that she failed to consider how her mind might react to it. As her hand closed on the hilt her mind leapt to embrace the blade and, for an instant, she was overcome by the powerful emotions surging through her.
But her attention was dragged away from the exquisite blade by a sharp mental slap from Zalibar. “How many times do I have to tell you to mask your mind, girl!” he barked at her. “I won’t tell you again. Now go through a couple of the basic exercises to get the feel of the blade.”
With a struggle, she managed to pull her surging mind back under control and ran through the first four exercises a couple of times. After the heavy, cumbersome broadswords, this blade was so light and fast she hardly had to think about moving it. It was as if it were simply an extension of her arm.
“That’s it,” Zalibar said, drawing the second rapier from the case and moving to stand opposite her. “Now let’s see how you are on the partner exercises.” He moved into the familiar first exercise. “Remember to keep your will on your blade at all times!” he warned her as she moved to follow him. “It can’t take any sort of rough treatment. It’s only there to act as a conduit for your will.”
After a couple of cycles of the simple first exercise he switched into a simple variant and, without thinking, Katie responded not with the standard riposte but with a slightly more aggressive one that Psion had taught her. As her blade flashed towards him, she realised with horror that he was not going to get his parry in in time. She tried to pull the blow but could not prevent her blade slicing through his dragon-leather jacket and biting into the flesh of his left shoulder. She stepped back, appalled and the quad fell silent as everyone turned in shock as he started to make a peculiar noise.
After a few moments it occurred to her that he was laughing. “Stop looking so worried, lass!” he told her. “I spend all my life trying to drum it into your heads how to make telling blows. I’m hardly going to give you a hard time if you actually get it right! Now put this away for me.”
She took his rapier from him and he put his hand to the wound that was steadily oozing blood.
“Normally I’d tell you that you shouldn’t get into the habit of pulling blows even in training,” he said as she wiped the blood of her rapier with an old rag and put them both back in their case,” but, in the circumstances I can hardly grumble! Thirty eight years of training idiots to handle weapons and this is only the third nick I’ve ever had… and one of those we were both looking the other way so it doesn’t really count.”
“What?”
“He was trying out some ridiculously over complicated withdrawal manoeuvre behind me and tripped. Don’t ask…”
“Mind you, as it happens, the other one was also a young lass with a rapier. Thinking about it now she even looked a bit like you… quite a lot like you.” He gave her a penetrating stare which made Katie feel extremely uncomfortable. The only other female fighter she had ever heard of who used a rapier was her mother, and she certainly did not want Zalibar’s thoughts moving in that direction.
“Anyway,” he said, still smiling his uncharacteristic smile, “I better go and let cook stitch this up for me. Keep an eye on things out here for me whilst I’m gone. When I get back you can practice your parries with Hannonda. Half speed initially so you can both get a feel for the blades.” He began to walk away but then turned back for a moment. “And whatever you do, don’t riposte,” he added, “or we’ll be spending the rest of the morning picking up the pieces!”
That afternoon, as the sky began to darken towards dusk, Katie found herself slogging uphill through the late winter rain at the head of the long procession of students. She was breathing heavily and using both her weight and will to keep her balance over the slippery mud. Though she understood what an exceptional privilege it was for a tyro to wear the House insignia, nonetheless, the smock still flapped annoyingly in the wind as she toiled her way up the hill.
The newly promoted transitor, Jenko, ran at her side. The promotion seemed to have given him previously unrecognised reserves of strength. Twice, on the steeper parts of the climb, she had pushed on in an effort to drop him but both times he’d struggled like a mad thing to stay with her.
The rain grew heavier as they climbed, driven in by the blustery north westerly winds. “This is going to make the flute path interesting,” she panted across to Jenko as they were buffeted by the wind. “Think yourself lucky that you can still use the outside path.”
“I didn’t go through all that, “Jenko gasped back, “on the way up here,” gasp, “to let you get away,” gasp, “by taking a shortcut.” He slipped behind her and followed her onto the narrow path that led to the mouth of the Edifice, gaping like an insanely ornate volcanic caldera before them.
The path passed between the Hendon and Sharfroi flutes and then led them onto the decorative stonework around the Edifice mouth. Katie relaxed for a moment, getting a feel for the grip of the wet stone under her feet, before racing on along the narrow path. Though, in a way, she was aware of the abysmal drop to each side of the strut, she shut it from her mind, concentrating instead in keeping her footing as she ran.
There was a short jump, not difficult but the landing place was slippery and the drop unthinkable. After this, the path hit a particularly elaborate section of the rim and Katie had to stretch out her arms and pull in her will to help her balance. Then came the stomach clenching long jump which needed a boost of will and then, after some more narrow struts, they were slithering back onto mud. As they started to descend, they passed Quarononde who was just about to make his own way onto the rim. He studiously avoided catching Katie’s eye.
“Keep it going,” she called across to Llynnonde, as she toiled on up the hill, a little way ahead of the rear markers and Zalibar. “Nearly there now!” After overcoming the initial panic that most newcomers to the academy showed, Llynnonde was starting to make solid progress and was certainly showing a much more serious attitude to the training than her brother managed. But Jenko used this momentary loss of concentration to slip past her. He laboured to push on ahead and managed to open up a lead of a couple of yards.
“No slacking!” came Zalibar’s harsh shout, as he passed them but he was concentrating on a couple of nonda back-markers who were still labouring up the climb so they were spared his full attention.
Jenko staggered in front of her, hit by a sudden wall of wind as they rounded a spur. Katie dodged past him and, by the time he had regained his balance, she was able to open a small lead. After checking that Zalibar was out of sight, she eased off a little to catch her breath and, as they approached the main path, she allowed Jenko to catch up with her.
“Listen,” she said, “I’ve reason to believe that Quarononde might try to attack me in the next couple of weeks.”
“Nothing new there!” Jenko gasped.
“Seriously, there’s even a chance that he might attack you to try and have a go at me.”
“Great… I’ll be careful!”
“Rhiannas is dragging me out on patrol every couple of nights so you’ll have to keep your wits about you. Make sure you have a blade on you whenever you leave the compound. I’ve got a spare dagger, if you need to borrow it.”
Jenko did not have any spare breath to answer, but he acknowledged her with a brief nod.
Katie pushed away down the track and had re-established a lead by the time they got back to the compound. But she realised that it was only a matter of time before Jenko managed to beat her.
After only a couple of hours of sentry duty, Katie was having to stretch her aching legs and wipe the rain out of her eyes as the mighty dragon relentlessly continued his patrol, heedless of the miserable weather. It was a stormy night and, though it was not quite as cold as it had been, it was wet, windy and miserable and Katie was forced to surreptitiously use her will to stop herself from freezing..
She was staring out over the inky blackness of the sea when her attention was caught by a jolt from Rhiannas.
Cold and aches were instantly forgotten as she reached down and scanned ahead with his eyes. There was a faint light ahead and, as they drew closer, Katie could vaguely make out the outline of a fishing boat. It was being tossed about at the mercy of the rough sea and the storm.
“The wind is driving them towards the island,” Rhiannas observed coldly. “They must be eliminated.”
Katie felt down towards the boat, tasting the foreboding in the minds of the two fishermen. Their boat had lost power and both were well aware of the reputation of the stretch of water into which they were being driven.
Rhiannas circled for a few seconds, studying the boat and Katie shared in the anticipation that spilled from his mind as he decided where best to strike. “Gather your will,” he instructed her. “We dive.”
One of the men on the boat had latent cerebral capability and, as they dived, he detected their presence. He instinctively pulled in his will to make a primitive cerebral scream but she casually enfolded him in her will, as if throwing a blanket of silence over him.
As his talons struck, Rhiannas unleashed their combined will which tore the boat apart with the force of a bomb. Katie crouched low over his back as they flew through a cloud of splinters and debris.
“The elegance with which you silenced that mind was noteworthy,” he observed coolly as he circled round, inspecting the wreckage. “I do not believe I could have achieved such precision.”
“It was a human mind,” Katie explained simply.
He dived down a couple more times, lashing out at the larger pieces of debris with the power of their combined minds.
When he was satisfied with his destruction, he circled once more, coolly surveying the shattered remains. Then he slipped into a dive, skimming low and plucking the two survivors from the water. “Patrol duty, though onerous, has its occasional compensations,” he commented as he ripped into the sky with the two frantic fishermen thrashing below him in his talons. Katie felt a twinge of guilt as she felt her mouth watering in anticipation of what was to come.
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Post by garethn on Nov 14, 2019 4:47:05 GMT -6
Ch 26 Ambush
Word count 4455 (13-Jun-19)
At long last spring had come. There was real warmth in the air and the woods along the top of the cliffs were alive with birds as Katie and Jenko pulled the heavy meat carts up the hill from the village.
It had taken Katie quite a while to arrange the chore rota to allow herself the chance to see Molly. She had not gone to apologise for both she and Carodoc had known that only one of them could survive the day. She did, however, want to tell Molly how appalled she was at what she had had to do to a friend.
She had felt enormously uneasy as they had walked into town but, now it was over, though it had not been comfortable, she was pleased that she had done it.
As they approached the cliff-top path, overlooking Psion’s lair, Katie felt back into Jenko’s mind. Though she was still slightly shocked at what he had done, she was fascinated by Psion’s craftsmanship. Without, in any way, being aware of what he was doing, Jenko took a large lump of meat from his cart and casually tossed it over the edge, down onto the rocky beach far below, then he carried on as if nothing had happened. If he had been challenged at the instant he threw the meat, he would have been aware that he had thrown something, but not what or why. A few moments later, he would remember nothing about it.
So engrossed was she in studying Psion’s work that she completely missed the ambush. Kiernonda sprang from the bushes on the forest side of the path and jumped on her and, before she knew what was happening, he had a dagger to her throat. Quarononde casually strolled out of the bushes and stood in front of them with a sword in his hand and a disgustingly smug expression on his face. Katie turned to face him and Kiernonda followed her round, his dagger still held to her throat.
“So,” he drawled, “throwing Zalibar’s valuable meat off the cliff. I expect he’ll get quite… excited about that.”
“Stay out of it!” he snapped as Jenko drew his dagger. “My quarrel is not with the puppy. It’s with… the bitch.”
“Mind you,” he went on in his artificially casual tone, “probably nothing like as excited as Rhiannas gets when he learns that his new neck guard has been consorting with a rogue dragon.”
“Did I guess right?” he demanded, laughing at the look of shock that flashed across Katie’s face. “I imagine that that discussion could get quite… heated.”
Kiernonda sniggered but Katie was only vaguely aware of this. She was concentrating on reaching down towards Psion with her mind.
But he was not down below in his lair!
“There are a couple of ways we can play this,” Quarononde was saying. “My personal favourite is that I have Kiernonda carve your tripes out here and now.”
Kiernonda simpered, menacingly.
“Unfortunately,” he went on, “when I turn up with your dead body, there’s a fair chance that they’ll do a mind ream on us. That means that, as long as you do exactly what I say, I’m not going to have the pleasure of killing you myself. But don’t forget, I’m just waiting for an excuse...”
Katie lost focus on Quarononde as she flipped into the cerebral domain.
Where was Psion? He was obviously not down in his lair. He would never have let Quarononde get so close without warning her.
She reached further out along the coast. Was he down in one of the coves, enjoying the spring sunshine? She reached out, straining against the limits of her will.
She was becoming frantic now and flipped back into the base domain.
“So, what’s it going to be then?” Quarononde was asking, menacingly.
It was clear to Katie that she had no choice. If Rhiannas had the slightest inkling that she had been consorting with a rogue dragon she would be reduced to charcoal in seconds. She needed help and had nothing to lose. She flipped back into the cerebral domain.
She pictured Psion’s bubbling blue cloud and poured her will into a wordless scream for help. She could sense the hollow of the Edifice resonating in response to the power of her scream and, all around her, minds reached out towards her, trying to pin down the source of this disturbance.
But she did not care because, burning across from the other side of the island, with the intensity of a laser, came the flash of Psion’s mind. “I come,” he said simply.
Katie flipped back into the base domain and found herself staring into Quarononde’s stunned face. Kiernonda seemed stunned too but he still had his knife to her throat and she was certain he would use it if she tried to free herself.
Katie fought to keep her rising panic under control. Psion was coming, she knew, but she still had to buy herself time. She had her mother’s knife at her belt but there was no way that she could get her hands on it.
Quarononde was advancing towards her, his sword swinging menacingly towards her face. In spite of the gravity of the situation, the words of Zalibar’s manual came to her, repeated in Calbar’s monotone voice. ‘The blade should always be directed towards the chest. The head can be moved too easily out of range.’
Unfortunately her head hadn’t got anywhere to go but backwards… backwards! She knew there was a ledge back there. “If all else fails,” Psion had once told her, “try something wild and extravagant.”
Pulling in her will, she pushed as hard as she could with her legs, driving herself and Kiernonda backwards off the edge of the cliff.
In his panic, Kiernonda let his knife tumble from his grasp. He clutched frantically at her as they tumbled towards the sea. Katie tried to slow her fall and steer herself towards the shelf below but, by now, Kiernonda had managed to get a grip around her left leg and the strain of controlling their combined weight left her feeling faint.
She desperately twisted in mid air and managed to take some of the shock of the landing on her arms. Still, the force of her chest hitting the stone ledge drove the air from her lungs. Gasping for breath, she scrabbled with her hands, but Kiernonda was still gripping her leg. She was being pulled towards the edge.
With a jerk of her will she pulled herself further onto the ledge, allowing her fingers to grab at a crack in the stone. She lay there, panting, for a moment.
She tried to free her leg from Kiernonda’s grip but, though he had slipped down towards her foot, he was holding fast with his arms and his will, whimpering with the effort. From above she could hear Quarononde’s harsh words and the clash of blade on blade. It sounded like Jenko was fighting to protect her.
With a couple more violent heaves, Katie jerked first her hips, then one of her knees, onto the ledge. As she started to kick out with her legs, Kiernonda shifted his grip to the ledge, clutching at the edge with his will and fingers.
As Katie rose unsteadily to her feet, she sensed Psion approaching. “I’m down on the ledge,” she called to him. “Are you hungry?”
For the first time since she had known him, Psion was at a loss for words.
“I was given to understand that you summoned me here on a matter of some urgency,” he managed to say at last. “I suspect that most of the residents of the Edifice are of a similar opinion and, I might add, are likely to be heading this way soon to investigate.”
“Then we’d better get on,” Katie said with a grin. “But I’m sure you’ve got time for a snack first,” she added, as he emerged over the cliff edge. She deliberately stamped on Kiernonda’s fingers and she heard his despairing scream as he plummeted downwards. Psion dived after him and the scream was cut off in a billow of flames.
Katie’s mind was racing. Quarononde knew about Psion and so she could not go back and pretend nothing had happened. He was bound to tell Rhiannas and Rhiannas had killed many servants for much less than that. He also knew that Jenko had been providing meat and, if any skilled operator were to look into Jenko’s mind, Psion’s handiwork would be found and they would all be killed.
Psion climbed back up towards Katie, radiating an aura of satisfaction and satiation. He half landed, half hovered on the narrow ledge and, with a touch of will, she jumped onto his shoulders.
“Okay, we need to grab Jenko and get out of here,” she informed him. “Can you carry him too?”
“Right now I could carry about twenty people!” he replied. His mind was still buzzing and she was evidently going to have to do all the thinking for the time being.
Jenko was standing with his dagger still drawn when they reappeared. “What’s going on here?” he asked, as Psion landed on the cliff edge. “Quarononde ran off when he saw that dragon.”
“There’s no time to tell you now,” she told him briefly. “Just jump up.”
Jenko hesitated.
“I’ll force you if I have to,” she warned him. “It’s your only chance of getting out of this alive.”
He shrugged, sheathed his dagger and jumped up onto Psion’s shoulders behind Katie.
Psion stepped off the edge, wrapping the three of them in a concealing blanket. As he dived, a flight of dragons swooped down towards them from the Edifice to investigate the disturbance. Katie felt out towards Jenko’s mind, ready to jump on him if he tried to shout, but he seemed prepared to trust her for the time being.
“I don’t suppose you’ve given any sort of thought as to what we might do next?” Psion asked as they darted along the coast, skimming the tops of the waves.
“It’s time to deal with Rhiannas,” she told him flatly. “Now Quarononde knows about us, we don’t have any choice.”
Psion thought for a moment then concurred. “Attack is the best form of defence,” he agreed. “We always knew it was going to come to this in the end. I would recommend that you issue a formal challenge. Not only does it provide you with certain rights and protections, it will also infuriate him. And angry dragons make mistakes.”
“I thought angry dragons just flamed people.” Katie commented mildly.
“That can, on occasion, be a mistake.” The funny little dragon banked steeply as he rounded Dunster Head. Though he would never have quite the virtuoso aerial finesse of Rhiannas, or even Liberty, he was evidently relishing the prowess that his dainty snack had restored to him.
“And how do you propose that I am to enter the Edifice?” Psion asked. “I have a significant number of enemies who will attack me on sight and, whilst I do have considerable powers of concealment, I do not believe I would be able to enter unnoticed.”
“I was thinking of taking you in through the Quaro portway,” Katie answered.
“Oh!” said Psion, evidently disappointed.
“What’s the matter now?”
“That is a slightly undignified entrance.”
Katie could not stop herself from laughing. “In terms of dignity, how do you think it compares with having your head lopped off and stuck on someone’s wall?”
“In the decade that I was excluded from dragonkind’s highest creation,” he responded in his most haughty tone, “I had not envisaged my first visit would involve creeping through a servant’s entrance.”
“I’ll make you a promise,” said Katie. “Next time you go in, it will be through the Rhian flute as a respected member of the House of Rhian. How does that sound?”
Psion gave an amused flick of his tail.
“Anyway,” she said, “once we’re inside, can you fly down to your lair without getting seen?”
“I should be able to conceal us for that short distance. I can build on some of my existing illusions. But why do you want to go down to my lair? Much as I’d love to see the place, this isn’t supposed to be a sight-seeing trip.”
“I’m going to need a sword,” she answered. “I thought it might help! Rhiannas’s sword is in my trunk in the dormitory and I don’t want to have to start dueling with Quarononde or even Zalibar when I try to collect it.”
“It would, in any case, be tremendously poor form to stand against Rhiannas bearing a sword he had lent you.”
Katie let out a deep sigh but did not bother to respond.
“I wasn’t aware that you had re-found your ability to flame!” Katie said as he turned inland and started flying toward the Quaro portway, staying as low as he could.
“It is associated with the consumption of human flesh,” he informed her in a slightly peculiar tone. “I will be able to flame for the next few weeks.”
“You’re embarrassed about it, aren’t you?” she said, amazed.
“I’ve told you before that I consider eating people to be something of a base instinct and most of the time I like to delude myself that I am above such behaviour. If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not talk about it.”
“I’ll not mention it again…” she paused for a moment. “By the way, you still have a smear of Kiernonda on your face!”
As Psion landed close to the Quaro portway, Katie jumped from his back then hurried into the Edifice. Though, as ever, the place was full of dragons, the area near the portway terrace was quiet enough.
“Come on through!” she called to the little dragon.
She heard him approaching and then there was some sort of commotion in the tunnel. After a surprisingly long time he emerged, looking astonishingly ungainly as he used his short forelegs to help him to crawl forwards. “What took you so long?” she demanded in a whisper. “And what was that noise all about?”
“The portways were not designed to accommodate someone of my size!” he grumbled. “At one stage, back there, I was stuck fast and required Jenko’s assistance to free myself. Now, should we proceed or would you rather stay here and discuss your selection of under-dimensioned tunnels?”
“Or over-dimensioned bellies?” she murmured as she and Jenko hopped onto his back. Psion said nothing but, with an air of intense concentration, glided down to his lair. Katie was now able to partially penetrate the illusion that concealed it but she sensed Jenko tensing behind her as they flew straight towards what, for him, was a solid wall.
They flashed from the light of the Edifice into darkness. “One moment,” said Psion as he applied his mind to the light panels and the lair was flooded with a delicate half light.
“Welcome to my lair,” said Psion as Jenko stared around dumbfounded at the simple elegance of the place. “Or, to be more precise, Psionon’s lair, for it is your dear, departed mother’s taste which endowed this place with the elegance it enjoys.”
“But, if this is the Psionon lair,” said Jenko, stumbling over his words in the excitement, “then you must be…”
“Psion at your service,” he responded with a bow.
“How on earth do you know my mother?” demanded Katie. She thought for a moment. “You’re much too young.”
“Your mother?” Jenko exclaimed. “I thought you were just some nonentity tyro like me. Psion at the Dom Terrace is one of my favourite battle sagas.”
“And aren’t you supposed to be dead?” he said, turning to Psion.
“I believe the phrase, ‘Rumours of my death have been much exaggerated,’ is entirely apposite,” the little dragon observed with a humourous flick of his tail.
But Katie turned sharply towards Psion. “Excuse me!” she said. “What, exactly, is going on here? I get the impression that you’ve not been telling me the truth.” Her voice remained calm but it bristled with menacing undertones.
“I have always told you the truth,” Psion stated emphatically. “Though I will admit to having avoided prematurely providing you with certain information the revelation of which would have increased yet further the peril of your position.”
“What, exactly, do you mean by that?” Her voice was ice cold.
“Do you really think that you could have played the rôle of loyal little neck guard if you had known that Rhiannas’s betrayal had led to your mother’s death?”
Katie was silenced by this revelation. “No, I don’t suppose I could,” she admitted at last.
“But I can see that the time has now come to let you know the full story of the fall of Psion. Before I start, however, I wish to reiterate one point. I have not and never will lie to you.”
Katie acknowledged this statement with a nod.
He drew himself up into his familiar professor’s pose. “Your mother loved you more than you can ever know. She sent me away at the end, sacrificing her own chance of escape to get me away. I was to look after you, though for a long while I was not able to find you. This much I have told you.”
“Yes.”
“The full truth is this. At the start of the Year of Flame and Sword, your mother and I were ambushed up towards the Rhian flute by the combined forces of the Quaro and Hendon Houses. It was evident from the outset that we would be unable to resist them without assistance so we battled our way back to the Dom terrace.
“There we could expect and demand assistance from our sworn ally, the House of Rhian. When none was forthcoming, it was evident that our cause was lost.
“Your mother instructed me to save myself so that I could protect you. In the middle of the fight, she created an illusion of me which allowed me to conceal myself with a more straightforward illusion and flee. I have told you before that I consider myself something of a master of illusions but what she demonstrated there, in the midst of battle, was the ultimate expression of our art.
“I slipped off the terrace and, not knowing what else to do, I sank down toward the base of the Edifice in, I suppose, the irrational hope that she could save herself and I could be of assistance.
“Of course, as soon as her illusion of me was hit, it vanished.”
“Quaroclethyfur struck a mighty blow,” Jenko quoted, “and the body of her faithful servant Psion shattered into a million pieces.”
“At times your dear mother exhibited a slight tendency towards the melodramatic,” Psion reminisced with a faraway look in his golden eyes.
“Anyway, there was no way she could resist the attentions of all those attackers indefinitely.”
“Hendonnas’s jaws closed on Psionon,” Jenko quoted again, “and she was transformed into a stream of pure energy that rose into the heavens as a column of light that dazzled all who saw it and illuminated the entire Edifice.”
“At the last, her sense of drama served some purpose,” Psion said. “Whilst they were all frantically chasing her illusion out through the mouth of the Edifice, I could bring her poor broken body to this little cave, which I happened to know. And there she is.”
He indicated the little urn on the shelf at the back of the dais. “I cremated her and was waiting until I found you so that we could give her a proper funeral.”
Katie nodded, wiping a tear from her eye.
“As the Year of Flame and Sword was in full flow, I had little difficulty in assembling some of her more treasured possessions and arranging them fittingly. Once that was completed, I went out to look for you. The rest you know.”
“And there’s nothing else you’re holding back from me?”
“I give you my word that, from now on, I will withhold nothing of significance from you.”
“Thank you,” Katie said simply. The two stood in silence for a few moments, each in their own thoughts.
“Right,” Katie said, turning to Jenko. “You might be able to survive this no matter what happens to us.” Since she had taken him down to see Psion all those weeks ago, she had felt slightly responsible for the tyro. He had also made huge progress since his implanted node had been repaired and, should she survive, she could see him playing a part in her plans for the future.
He looked distinctly skeptical but said nothing.
“We brought you here against your will and, of course, as soon as we let you go you’ll hurry over to see Janenas.”
“I guess that’s what I’d do anyway,” Jenko answered.
“If we win, it’s simple. Just tell him that I’ll be over to see him soon and I’d be extremely disappointed if he barbecues you first.”
“If you beat Rhiannas, there won’t be many who would want to get on your wrong side. But how on earth can I save myself if you lose?”
“There’s a bit of a story there,” Katie began. “You remember the day I put your shoulder out. I took you down to see our friend Psion”
“I don’t remember that.”
“He stripped those memories from your head,” Katie explained. “He also did a couple of other things. “Firstly, he sorted out some problems around your implanted node which had been causing you all sorts of problems.”
Katie went quiet to allow Jenko to gather his thoughts. “Thank you for that,” he said to Psion. “That explains a great deal.”
“You are most welcome,” Psion responded. “I cannot abide shoddy workmanship.”
“Also,” Katie went on, “whilst he was in there, he couldn’t resist playing. Firstly, he implanted some artificial loyalty to me.”
“That really wasn’t necessary.”
“If you think about it, you were pretty much bound to say that, weren’t you?” Katie responded with a grin. “We’ll only know whether it’s true or not when he’s taken it out.”
“He also,” Katie threw a hard stare at Psion, “implanted an instinct in you to feed him.”
“Less of an instinct, more a reflex,” Psion commented as an aside, but he was cut across by Jenko.
“He did what?”
“Whenever you were walking along the coastal path with a cartful of meat, you threw a lump over the edge for our mutual, gluttonous friend.”
“I knew there was something up!” Jenko exclaimed. “I thought I was going mad.”
“You agreed to… most… of these changes,” she said, casting a sideways glance at Psion, “before he made them. But, of course, those are some of the memories that were scrubbed so you’ll have to trust me on this. Now I know as well as you, how unbearable it is to have somebody messing about in your head and so Psion will take the changes out for you straight after the duel.”
“Can’t you take them out now?”
“I could take them out with ease,” Psion answered, “but how, then, would you explain your action with the meat? Given the clue, a skilled mind reamer will be able to recognise my interference with the constructs in your head and you will no longer be held responsible.”
“But if people find out that you’ve been messing about with my implanted node, you’ll be declared anathema in the Edifice!” he exclaimed.
“Given this eventuality is contingent on our being defeated in the duel with Rhiannas, I believe that it is a hazard we can face with some level of equanimity.”
“I’m sorry?”
“This is only ever going to happen if Rhiannas has already roasted us!” Katie explained.
“Oh yeah! I’d forgotten that,” Jenko said.
“I imagine that it is rather easier for you to forget than for us,” Psion observed. Though his tone was cool he gave a humorous flick of his tail.
Jenko gave an embarrassed grin and walked across to the other side of the lair. He started to study one of the tapestries, deep in thought.
“Now,” said Psion, turning to Katie, “have you, by any chance, given any thought to what our approach should be in the coming encounter?”
“A little,” she answered. “He’s going to be annoyed at us for challenging him isn’t he? He’s hardly going to think that we are worthy opponents.”
“He is unlikely to stand alone in that opinion,” Psion observed coolly.
“So he’s going to want to go through the whole ‘going for height, stooping down, biting the neck’ bit.”
“I would expect him to attempt to flame you rather than attack me as you are the challenger, but otherwise you are correct.”
“Now I’ve ridden you both and I think that the two of us can just about hold him in a climb, but I don’t want to give him a start, so as soon as he takes off and starts to climb, I was thinking of diving underneath him.”
“An extraordinary tactic,” Psion commented thoughtfully, “and not without risk. We will briefly be utterly exposed.”
“He’s going to be looking up, not down.” she answered, “and he’ll be forced to turn to face us.”
“I suppose it might work,” Psion mused. “It certainly introduces the element of surprise.” He was quiet for a moment, considering possible risks and rewards.
Suddenly he looked up. “Try something wild and extravagant!” he said with a supportative nod. “You will also need to be prepared for the moment he activates your loyalty node. You will be obliged to handle that aspect of the conflict entirely by yourself. We will be under the most minute observation and any interference or even support from me would result in us both being declared anathema.”
“I’m fairly sure I can deal with it.”
“Were that not the case, I would, at this moment, be advising you, most assiduously, to flee!” Psion responded with another amused flick of his tail. “He, however, remains blissfully unaware that you are able to resist. When he discovers his error, he will be momentarily discombobulated presenting us with the opportunity to attack and, I hope, press the duel conclusively in our favour.”
Katie was quiet for a moment, thinking about the upcoming duel. Perversely enough, her hated implanted node was making it easier for her to face Rhiannas. She knew that, deep down within her, an almost incapacitating fear was churning. If it were not being so heavily dampened, she did not know whether she would be able to think, let alone go out to issue her challenge.
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Post by garethn on Nov 14, 2019 4:47:38 GMT -6
Ch 27 The End of the Circle
Word count 4966 (13-Jun-19) - Italics
“If there is nothing else to discuss then you should change your tunic,” Psion said after a few moments.
“I should do what?” Katie blurted out.
“You need to change that tunic. You can hardly stand against Rhiannas whilst wearing the Rhian Mark.”
“He has got a point,” Jenko said cautiously from across the lair. “It would look rather odd.”
“Right, fine! I can go and hack lumps off him, as long as I’m wearing the right tunic! What do you suggest I wear instead? And before you say it, I’m not going to go out there stark naked!”
There is a selection of your mother’s garments in the wooden chest over there,” Psion told her patiently, “where I am certain that something appropriate may be found.”
Jenko walked over to the chest and, after rummaging around, held up a plain linen tunic that was marked at the cuffs and collar with the Psion Family permanent wave insignia. “This’ll do fine,” he said, bringing it across to her.
“If you insist!” she conceded, “Could you turn your backs while I change.”
“Why?” asked Psion, obviously astonished. “I’m a dragon… and, furthermore, had I the least desire to do so I could effortlessly observe you using my will.”
“It’s a human female thing,” Jenko said with a laugh. “There are some things in this world it’s best not to understand!”
They turned their backs, though Jenko continued to snigger, disconcertingly, as she quickly changed.
Katie walked over to the glass fronted cabinet to collect the armour. “How does this thing work?” she asked as she gently laid her hand on the lustrous red wood.
“I don’t know,” Psion answered absently as the cabinet clicked open. “All I do know is that it responds to all true members of the Family of Psion.”
“It’s probably some sort of illusion,” Jenko said casually. “I mean, that’s what the Psion Family does, isn’t it?”
“You are, of course, correct, young man,” he said thoughtfully. “The main strength of the Family has, for generations, lain in the domain of illusions. My very lack of curiosity would point in that direction.” He started to mumble as he sank into contemplation about the cabinet. “It would, of course, explain why there is no dust...”
Katie ignored him as she took the cuirass out of the cabinet and started to uncouple the shoulder clips. Jenko turned away from a statue he had been admiring and walked across to help.
She picked up the breast and back plates and they lowered the leather harness over her shoulders. Then he tightened the straps for her.
“Thanks,” she said. They both knew what a struggle it was to put on armour alone. “He’s not going to be much use for a while.” She nodded towards Psion who was still deep in thought and mumbling to himself about illusion vectors. “Do you think that I should be worried that, five minutes before we go into a duel to the death with one of the most powerful dragons in the Edifice, my steed is busy contemplating the workings of a possibly illusionary cabinet?” She fastened the clips at her hips and adjusted the belt which sat on her waist.
Jenko smiled and stood back to look at her. “It looks good!” he told her. “How does it feel?”
“It feels okay,” Katie replied, doing a couple of experimental turns and stretches. “In fact,” she added, as she tightened the belt slightly to better take the weight, “it feels really good. Much better than Zalibar’s tatty old stuff.” She stretched round to adjust the seating of the plates on the harness.
“Could you do one more thing for me,” she asked Jenko, as she belted her mother’s poignard to her right hip.
“Of course!”
“Could you strap on my mother’s sword for me? You know how noisy my mind is when it gets a grip of even a normal sword so I’ve no idea how it’s going to react when it meets that one.”
He buckled the sword to her left hip then stood back to admire her. “You’ll do!” he said with a smile. Then he leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Good luck,” he said.
Katie smiled back and turned to Psion. She called his name but received no response.
“Psion!” she said, slightly louder. “Do you think you could possibly give the mechanics of the cabinet a rest and get your mind back on our duel?”
“Oh, do forgive me!” said Psion, shaking his head and looking slightly sheepish.
“Is there anything else we need to think about?” she asked.
“What name do you propose to use when announcing your challenge?”
“I really hadn’t thought about it. Katie, I suppose”
“Of course you could use that name,” he said. “And Rhianadoc is also possible though utterly inappropriate. I would, however, propose you use the title Psionon.”
“Psionon?”
“As I am the only conceivable contender for the title and I have already sworn fealty to you, no one could reasonably challenge your use.”
“I wouldn’t feel happy using it. I’ve started thinking of it as my mother’s name.”
“I understand. Nonetheless, I would strongly advise you to emphasise your heritage. You are the daughter of the Family of Psion, a Family that Rhian failed to support in its time of need.”
“What about, ‘Katie daughter of Psionon’?” Jenko suggested.
“That sounds good to me.” She thought about the name for a moment then nodded. “Yes, I’d be proud to call myself that. Is there anything else?” she asked.
“Not that I can think of,” he answered, his crenels rising and falling nervously.
She turned to Jenko. “Do what we’ve suggested and you should survive,” she told him firmly.
Jenko nodded rather formally then, impulsively, hurried across the room to embrace her fiercely, in spite of her armour. “Come back safe!” he told her then he turned away.
Katie did not reply but smiled at him.
“Okay! Let’s go!” she said to Psion and hopped easily onto his shoulders. He launched himself off the veranda and glided down the Edifice towards the Henge.
Katie found herself breathing heavily. She closed her eyes and tried to relax as she prepared herself for what was ahead.
“Oh oh! Trouble!” came Psion’s voice before they reached halfway.
Katie looked up to see a powerful looking dragon flying towards them, obviously intent on intercepting their path. Psion slowed though, Katie noticed, he did not completely stop. He also kept the new arrival in a position such that, should the need arise, he could make a dart towards the stones of the Henge. As he approached, she recognised the dragon as Pennas from the duel a few weeks before.
“Well, well, well,” Pennas said, with an arrogant toss of his head. “I was given to understand that you had been killed years ago. Contrariwise, you are alive and well. It appears the rumours of your being seen around the peasant villages were true. It would appear that you are carrying fresh meat for me”
Katie bristled at this and her hand moved towards the hilt of her mother’s sword.
“Might I be allowed to deal with this, young mistress,” Psion pushed the suggestion firmly into her mind. “Open conflict at this stage might not be entirely beneficial.”
“Greetings, Pennas!” he responded to the other dragon without even waiting for Katie’s consent. “You interrupt us in a matter of some import. We are on our way to the Henge to challenge Rhiannas.”
He paused briefly to let the information hit home before continuing, “Doubtless you would not wish to interrupt an undertaking of such import and I am, consequently, certain that you will see fit to make way.”
The dragon considered this information briefly. “That is a… fascinating purpose,” he responded, with an astonished flick of his wings, “and not one to be contemplated by many with ambitions of seeing the sun rise tomorrow. I can only wish you well in this extraordinary venture…” he paused for a moment. “Furthermore, were you to meet with success in this extraordinary venture, I would be interested in discussions pursuant to resolving certain ancient disagreements between our two Families.”
“Such discussions,” came his formal reply, “should properly be pursued with my young mistress, Katie, daughter of Psionon, the head of the Family of Psion and soon to be head of the House of Rhian.”
“That is also…” Pennas paused briefly once more, “an unanticipated revelation. I greet thee, Katie, daughter of Psionon!”
Katie acknowledged his greeting with a cautious nod.
“Moreover,” Psion continued, “should an opportunity arise whereby the Family of Penn could offer service to a reconstituted House of Rhian, I will recommend that my mistress attends your petition most assiduously.”
“I had forgotten what a skilled operator you are,” Pennas responded with an amused flick of the tail. “I shall look forward to further sparring with you…” he delayed, pointedly, “should the opportunity arise… verbal sparring, of course!” he added as an afterthought.
Psion performed a half mocking bow, “Now, if you would excuse us,” he said, “we have an appointment of some significance. It would be inconvenient if Rhiannas were to hear of our intentions before our formal challenge can be issued.”
Pennas invited them to pass with a similar half mocking bow.
“Wasn’t that slightly rude?” asked Katie as they started once more to glide down towards the Henge. “I mean, we’ll need all the allies we can get.”
“Pennas is not to be trusted as far as you could comfortably spit a rat,” Psion replied pointedly. “It was vital to make clear from the outset the form that our future relationship is to take.”
Evidently Pennas had put word around of their intentions for, by the time they reached the base of the Edifice, they were leading a flight of about a dozen dragons of all sizes and colours. As Katie and Psion crossed the boundary of the Henge, this flight broke away and the dragons moved to take their respective places in one of the rapidly swelling spectator rings.
“Well, young mistress,” said Psion, as they approached the Great Gong, “even if we are to die today, I am glad to have had the opportunity of making your acquaintance.”
“That’s quite enough of that!” Katie snapped angrily. “I’ll not hear any more of that sort of talk. I have no intention of dying today. We are going to win and our victory will be carved into the stones of the Edifice.”
As they flew past, Katie struck the Great Gong with the pommel of her mother’s poignard. The sound was astonishingly loud, and everyone nearby fell silent.
“You are truly your mother’s daughter,” Psion said quietly as they circled around. “If she could have seen you today, she would have been proud beyond measure.”
“Thank you, my friend,” she replied. Before the ringing from the first blow had died away, Psion swooped down again and Katie struck a second blow.
“There will be time for reminiscing later,” Katie said with determination, pulling them both out of their thoughts. “For now, we have a job to do.”
“I can imagine her saying those very words!” Psion responded with a chuckle.
The resonance of the gong built as they swung around again, filling the two with an overwhelming sense of excitement and anticipation. All other sound ceased as the residents of the Edifice turned to look at them.
As Katie struck for a third time, the Edifice was completely filled with its sound. As the sound died away, Psion landed on the Hendon gate. Katie waited until the ringing had died away before she issued her formal words of challenge. “Rhiannas,” she said, “in accordance with the ancient rites and precepts of the Edifice, I demand that you attend me at the Henge.” She did not need to raise her voice because the Great Gong resonated for her as she spoke, filling the entire Edifice with her words.
There were a few moments of silence and every neck craned towards Rhiannas’s lair.
“Why?” Katie distinctly heard a roar of flame as Rhiannas’s rage took an incandescent form. “Why should I attend you at the Henge?”
“Years ago, shortly after my birth, the House of Rhian abandoned its ally, Psion, in its moment of greatest need. For this sorry betrayal I demand reparation. I will take the House of Rhian.”
“But you are nothing but an insubordinate servant,” came the bellowing roar of contempt from Rhiannas’s lair high above them, “a servant, furthermore, who is to be exquisitely punished for this mutinous display. For what reason do you take up common purpose with this nonentity?”
“I am Katie, daughter of Psionon,” she paused briefly to give herself the chance to still the tremble rising in her throat. “Here, in the company of my trusty steed and companion, Psion, I stand unflinching before you and in accordance with the ancient rites and precepts of the Edifice, I demand that you either relinquish the House of Rhian to me or defend it with your life against my mother’s blade.” With these words, she drew the sword and flourished it defiantly in his direction.
The sword sprang into her hand and mind as if it had always been there. Normally she attempted to muffle the jubilation of her mind when it encountered a new blade but on this occasion she chose, rather, to feed it into the Great Gong. Her excitement and anticipation filled the Edifice, proclaiming who she was and rejoicing in her finally claiming her birthright. Nobody witnessing her wielding that blade could doubt that she was Psionon’s daughter and heir.
“Very well!” came Rhiannas’s defiant roar, as the echoes of her mind began to fade. “If you and this dead-beat has-been dare to stand against me then you will pay the ultimate price for your temerity!” Across the silent Edifice, the whistle of the wind in Rhiannas’s wings could be clearly heard as he dived towards them. He crossed the boundary of the Henge, braking hard, and contemptuously flicked the Great Gong with his tail to signify that he accepted the challenge, before landing on the Rhian gate.
“A plus for us,” Psion whispered to her as she resheathed her sword. “In his arrogance and rage he has chosen not to avail himself of a neck guard.”
“All being well, that’s a mistake he’ll not live to regret,” Katie responded.
“Never forget, petty human,” Rhiannas bellowed at Katie, still spouting small gouts of flame in his incandescent fury, “no matter whose daughter you are, I own you! You have presumed to challenge me. Now prepare to satisfy my hunger!”
“As for you,” he roared, turning his attention to Psion, “you will soon learn that you would have done better to remain in hiding amongst the garbage and low-lives where you belong.”
For a moment, Rhiannas perched lightly on his gate, staring at them in utter contempt.
“Remember, he is the challenged party,” Psion hissed urgently, as Katie strained to respond to this challenge with her sword. “He must put to wing first! Wait… wait… wait…”
“We fly!”
Rhiannas leapt from his gate and, as anticipated, attempted to take immediate control of the confrontation by going for early height. As they had planned, they dived underneath him. For an instant, the skin on the back of Katie’s neck crept as she knew they were utterly exposed. Then they were through and climbing steeply behind him. This forced him to turn sharply, a move which cost him time and lost him his height advantage.
They both circled slowly and cautiously for a few moments, each observing the other, then Rhiannas leapt across the intervening space gorging flame. Katie felt her mother’s spurs biting as Psion was forced to tumble to one side to avoid annihilation.
They circled once again but now Rhiannas had a distinct height advantage so, when his next attack came, it was even swifter. This time, however, Katie was prepared and, as Rhiannas gathered his passion to flame, she sent a probing stab into his mind which deflected the force of the flame from them.
She noticed the onlookers in the inferior ring behind them scattering as the flame fell amongst them but was tersely admonished by Psion. “Stay focused, young mistress! Shield our minds!”
Katie flipped into the cerebral domain and began to throw up her mind fortress. It was, however, not sufficiently buttressed when the first attack hit. Psion wobbled violently in the air as he threw his will in to support the teetering structure until Katie could secure it in place.
But, once it was in position, Rhiannas’s will crashed ineffectually against the walls. She even had sufficient will left over to add her own little twist to a mental thrust that Psion threw out towards Rhiannas. It was not much of a thrust but it had the desired effect.
She flipped for a moment back into the base domain to see Rhiannas’s look of contempt had changed to incandescent rage. Gouts of flame were spewing, uncontrolled, from his nostrils. “What?” he bellowed. “You continue to defy me!”
As Katie felt the implanted node spring to life, she threw out a quick warning to Psion then sank back into her own cloud. It was sending out pulsating waves, tearing at the very essence of her being.
With the familiarity of months of practice, she restructured her tower of strength to meet this new threat. The attacking waves broke against it, spreading chaos and confusion but not damaging the crux of herself.
Gradually, she started to push out her tower. As each wave crashed and withdrew she expanded the shielded area slightly until it was no longer simply a tower protecting her but, instead, a noose enclosing this despised foreign node.
And now she could begin to tighten her noose on the node: advance and hold; advance and hold; advance and hold.
“Quite soon now it will be time to give me your passion,” Psion whispered. “Let him know what you think about how he has treated you. Ready now…”
As one part of her mind continued to draw the encircling barrier ever tighter, Katie gathered her rage. Images flashed through her mind: Megan’s tumbling body, the mother she never knew, Carodoc motionless on the Henge sands and, above all, her own bitter humiliation that first evening.
As her rage mounted, the noose grew ever tighter and the node began to pulse ever more franticly, as if it were aware that its end was near.
With supreme self control, she paused her advance. “Hurry up!” she called to Psion. “I can’t hold this in for much longer.”
“Wait,” he replied impassively. The images were flashing past more quickly now as her rage mounted.
As the node squirmed and thrashed within her grip, Katie felt the resentment and anger bubbling to the surface within her. Desperately she fought against the insistent urge to crush the despised node.
“Wait,” Psion repeated.
“Wait!” By now, he was almost chanting the word, as if it were a mantra.
“Wait!” She risked throwing a glance out of Psion’s eyes to try to understand what they were waiting for but, back in the base domain, he and Rhiannas were simply locked in a tight circle, staring at each other. Whatever Psion was waiting for was certainly not out there.
“Wait!” she could now sense Psion’s own anger boiling up and recognised his reason for the delay.
“Wait!” she joined in Psion’s chant to help to control her own, now shuddering, will.
“Wait!” Psion was trembling too.
“Get ready!” It was obvious that he could not control himself much longer.
“Ready!”
“Now!” Psion screamed. Katie released the restraints and her will crashed in to crush that hated implanted node. It imploded with an eerie silence. For an instant, that silence remained.
Then Katie let out a primeval scream as the months of pent-up rage exploded out of her. She had no chance to control or even marshal the wild maelstrom of fury that came bubbling up from within. It was all she could do to channel it across to Psion in the hope that he would be able to do something with it. Katie sensed Psion’s own rage being fed back to her across their cerebral link. She shared echoes of his own loss, frustration and helplessness from his decade as an outcast, with only one desperate hope giving him the strength to carry on. The hope that one day he might be able to fulfill his cruelly betrayed mistress’s last instruction: “Look after Katie!”
But, as suddenly as her paroxysm of rage had started, it was over, leaving her shaken and empty. As soon as she could gather her senses, she flipped back into the base domain to see their combined rage tearing across the amphitheatre as a wall of incandescent, unquenchable flame.
The vehemence of Psion’s flame astonished Rhiannas and sent him fluttering backwards and to one side. Sensing their advantage, Psion pounced, leaping across the intervening space with a savage shriek. As he pounced, Katie’s rapier and poignard sprang into her hands.
As Psion raked his talons across Rhiannas’s flank, he brought Katie within range. Her first blow was deflected by an emphatic mind parry, so she jumped up and dummied to the back of Rhiannas’s neck with her poignard. As he flinched away from the blow she dropped back to her knees, using her weight and the power of her mind to drive her mother’s sword into the muscles of his left wing.
He flung himself downwards, out of range but as they began to circle once more, it became clear Rhiannas had been seriously wounded. His flying was less smooth, more laboured.
“Now we go for height,” Katie ordered him. “A Sheer Climb!”
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Psion commented mildly, almost casually. “I am not able to support you as Liberty does.”
“Silence! I have a plan but I need height.”
That Sheer Climb was the hardest thing Katie had ever done. Though Psion had greatly recovered in the last few months, he was still far from the height of his strength. After the first few wing strokes she was having to lift most of their weight with her mind. All she could do was to hold her mother’s image firmly in front of her, grit her teeth and drive them higher. At first Rhiannas matched them but his damaged wing could not take the strain and they gradually established the height difference she needed.
Rhiannas and Psion circled warily, both gathering strength for what was clearly to be the climax of the fight. “When you’re ready,” said Katie, fighting to control her breathing, “you’re going to dive on him. He’ll rear up to meet us. As he starts to flame, you jump to one side and get out of there. Is that clear?”
“I understand what you require of me, though I must confess, I am a little perplexed as to its purpose,” replied Psion. “I am not overly keen to sacrifice this height advantage. I am fairly sure that neither you nor I could manage a climb like that again.”
“You’re going to have to trust me on this,” Katie told him. “If I have to say it out loud I might realise how stupid it is.”
“That’s encouraging,” Psion observed mildly. “Very well, young mistress. I am, as ever, yours to command.”
Katie carefully sheathed her mother’s sword. “Let’s go!” she said
Time stood still as Psion folded in his wings and went into the dive. Glancing around her, she saw the three banks of circling dragons, all watching eagerly for the coming kill. ‘At least they’re getting a spectacle,’ she thought.
Katie calmly unhooked her spurs and touched her hand briefly to her leather bracelet, gently obscuring her presence from Rhiannas’s mind.
Yes, Rhiannas was rearing to face them. It was his only sensible option in the circumstances. She could feel him building his flame but could not spare the will that she would need to deflect it. “Ready, Psion, ready, ready…”
“Now!”
As Psion veered violently away, Katie calmly stepped from his back. In the heat of the battle, and hidden behind her bracelet’s charm, Rhiannas failed to notice her and, instead followed Psion with his billowing blast of flame.
Katie needed all her mind power to steer and slow her fall but her spurs bit true first time. She’d done it! She was on Rhiannas’s shoulders.
There was a mere fraction of a second’s delay before Rhiannas realised what had happened. Katie used it to sink her spurs in even more deeply, take a firm grasp of his neck crenels and shield her mind.
Then he exploded in a formless mass of white fury.
This was not the unschooled bucking of some wild dragon but the purposeful attempt by an intelligent and experienced foe to dislodge her. He twisted and turned and thrashed and rolled but the spurs held true. There was nothing he could do to move her.
He tried battering at the fortress of her mind. Blow after blow came raining down on her but she took strength from the dominant position she now occupied. His will was deflected from the fortress of her mind like water over a granite boulder.
In spite of his wounded wing, he began to fly faster and faster in his impotent rage, skimming walls, gates and even the spectator rings in a desperate attempt to free himself from this abominable parasite. As he skimmed, Katie flattened herself against his back and gently used her mind to ease room for herself.
At last he could do no more. He threw himself into long, slow, wheeling turns around the Edifice, slowly climbing towards the upper opening.
Purposefully Katie withdrew her poignard from its sheath and placed it in position above his top two vertebrae and then gently, softly, she spoke to him. “You know I have you now,” she told him. “You must submit or you die.”
“If I die, you die too,” he answered gruffly, almost, it seemed, tearfully.
“I may not be able to save myself,” she acknowledged calmly. “And you know that if we die then the House of Rhian will fall. Neither of us want that, do we?” She paused to give him the chance to think about this. “If I live, the House of Rhian will live on and, what is more, if you add your strength to mine, it will shine once more like the beacon it once was.
“Maybe,” she added thoughtfully, “you recognised that this was going to happen when you gave me Rhiannonde’s torque and her blade. And maybe that’s what you meant when you said, ‘The End of the Circle’.”
For a moment she opened her mind to him and gave him a glimpse of the scale of her ambition. “You know Rhian will never soar so high whilst you remain at its head,” she told him. “Please come on this flight with me.”
Rhiannas continued to circle for a few moments, deep in thought, before letting out a deep sigh. “Let it be!” he said as he yielded. “I am yours to command.”
Hampered by his injured wing, he performed a rough landing on the sand within the Henge. She jumped with difficulty from his back and stood, shaking a little, before him.
She looked up to see Psion circling unsteadily above him. “Come down,” she told him. “This is as much your victory as mine.”
As he fluttered down, she saw he had scorch marks down his left flank. He landed, quite deliberately, on the Rhian gate where he perched, somewhat unsteadily.
“What happened there?” she asked him.
“When I recognised your reckless intent, I did what I could to draw his attention. I was completely successful in that regard but it did necessitate approaching rather closer to his flame than was entirely prudent.”
“Thank you, my faithful servant and friend,” she said simply.
He bowed to her deeply.
She returned her attention to Rhiannas, who had now prostrated himself on the floor in front of her with his head in the Henge’s sand. She stepped forward and briefly placed a foot on his head before stepping back.
“Now open your mind to me.”
She saw his mind open to her – with his history of killing and destruction. She was about to insert a loyalty node of her own but then she changed her mind.
“No,” she said. “I know that you need your passion or you will be greatly reduced. For the sake of the House of Rhian, I will not cripple one of its most potent weapons in this way. You know as well as I that the House of Rhian is stronger with me at its head, and that is all the loyalty I need. You have sworn fealty and I shall take you on your oath.”
She paused then announced, “I name you Rhiandu! Rhiandu, you may rise.”
“I am touched,” the newly named Rhiandu replied as he raised his head from the ground. “But now you are the head of House you should, perhaps, remove Rhiannonde’s torque, mistress.”
“No, I think I shall continue to wear it,” she answered him with assurance, “not only because it is beautiful but also as an indication of the link between the two of us. All who matter will recognise this soon enough. Any others we will deal with.”
“Then may I be the first to honour you with your new name. I greet you…”
Rhiandu paused for a moment before filling the whole Edifice with her new name.
“Rhiannon.”
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Post by garethn on Nov 14, 2019 4:48:30 GMT -6
Postscript
Word count 2618 (13-Jun-19)
“Hail, Janenas!” Katie called as she guided Rhiandu down towards the Jane veranda. I would parlay.”
“Hail, Rhiannon,” Janenas responded. The elderly, bronze dragon advanced cautiously to the entrance of his lair. Though he evidently hoped to avoid conflict, he was as prepared as he could be if she left him with no choice. There were combat shields protecting his mind but they had been hastily erected and were pitifully inadequate.
“Alight in peace,” he invited her formally. Psion swept down and landed on his veranda.
“I was informed of your intended visit,” he said. “What, pray, do you wish to discuss?”
“I intend to take your servant, Janedoc.”
“What could possibly possess you to do that?” he exploded, more in astonishment than anger.
“I recognise strengths in the boy far beyond those you perceive.”
“He is bound to me by mind lock.”
“I am aware of that. Indeed, it was so clumsily emplaced as to massively hamper his effective training as a neck guard. I would go as far as to say that, if the damage you caused when you inserted it had not been rectified, he would have not survived to achieve his current status of transitor.
“Not, of course, that I would ever admit to having anything to do with the mind lock of somebody else’s servant,” she added as an afterthought.
Janenas thought for a moment.
“While he is next to worthless, he is, nonetheless, my final servant. Were you to take him from me, it would be beyond my powers to save the ancient Family of Jane. You put me in a position where I have no choice but to fight you.”
“My advisor, Psion, has made me aware of your plight. Would it make your decision easier if I were to offer the Family of Jane the formal protection of the House of Rhian?”
Janenas considered the offer for a moment. “Though I find it personally degrading to be forced to accept such vassalage, the advantages of such an arrangement for my Family are beyond question. It would provide a continuity and stability we have not enjoyed since the Year of Flame and Sword.”
“You misunderstand my intentions,” Katie said formally. “I do not seek a vassal. I seek to join your Family to my House with bonds of mutual trust and understanding.”
“But I have nothing to offer in such an arrangement,” Janenas exploded, astonished by the generosity of the offer.
“You have your name and your honour and, with my support, you will be able to restore your Family to its former glory and beyond. But make no mistake.” Her mind suddenly grasped his and, for a moment, she allowed him to glimpse the scale of her will and her determination. “Though I do not demand Jane’s vassalage, I would be placing my trust in your Family and, should you ever breach that trust without the conventional quarter year notice of termination, I will personally destroy your line as utterly as if it had been declared anathema.”
Janenas was quiet for a long time as he considered what she had just said.
“Were you to accept my offer, I may be able to provide you with a much more competent neck guard. This neck guard would ride without the encumbrance of an implanted node and be bound to us by ties of personal loyalty.”
“Such a neck guard would, beyond doubt, greatly enhance the puissance of the Family of Jane, but I was not aware that Rhian possessed such resources.”
“The rider I have in mind used to go by the name of Janedoc.”
The elderly dragon put back his head and laughed.
“You know, of course, that I have no realistic choice open to me but to accept,” he replied once he had managed to compose himself. “The brazen insolence of the offer, however, goes some way towards placating me. You will fly high, young lady.”
“I intend to, sir, and, what is more, as you have chosen to accompany me on that flight, the Family of Jane will do the same.”
+++
The students in the quad scampered aside as Rhiandu circled down out of the clear, blue, spring sky to land on the mounting platform.
“Hail, Zalibar!” Katie called from his shoulders.
“Good morning, my lady,” he replied with a bow. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” He stood, as ever, with his arrogant swagger but, for one who knew him as well as she did, his mind’s sturdy shields could not quite conceal the waves of unease washing around within.
“A couple of things,” Katie replied as she hopped off her dragon’s shoulders and walked down the steps to join him. “Firstly, I wish to thank you for the education you gave me here. Though it was, at times, not the most gentle, without it, I would not have survived to achieve what I have today.”
Slight flickers of relief leaked through his adamantine shields. “You put it to good use,” he answered gruffly. “After that duel, I’m going to have to re-write a couple of the chapters of the manual.”
“You could get Calbar to help you,” Katie suggested.
“I could do that,” he smiled. “He already knows it better than I do myself.”
“Secondly,” she went on after a brief pause, “I’m going to take Liberty from you. You know as well as I do that he’s never going to be of any use to you here. Within three months, however, I shall see to it you get a couple of solid nags as compensation.”
Zalibar did not look happy with this at first but, as he thought about her offer, she saw him relax. “Fair enough, I suppose. He’s a superb beast but you’re right. Since the Gates Race he’s barely tolerated me riding him, let alone the clumsy dolts we have round here. A couple of steady nags will serve me much better.”
“And finally, subject to final confirmation, Jenko is going to be moving to the House of Rhian, though he’ll continue to ride as neck guard for Janenas. I’d like to send him back down here to complete his education… as a nonda.”
Zalibar nodded his assent.
“If you’re done, lass…” he began, but then he saw Rhiandu stir menacingly and caught Katie’s eye.
“Excuse me, ma’am. Old habits die hard.”
Katie said nothing but smiled indulgently and Zalibar looked momentarily embarrassed before regaining his familiar poise. “May I give you some advice, my lady?” he said.
“I would be extremely foolish not to pay careful attention to any well intentioned advice,” Katie answered cautiously.
“Be careful. Those that rise too far, too fast, can attract unwelcome attention. There are forces at work around the council that could see you as a threat. It could be dangerous for you.”
“More dangerous than as Rhiannas’s tyro?”
“Aye, I suppose you’ve a point there. Just don’t think you’re safe because you’re out of here,” he said, glancing around the quad.
Katie smiled. “Thank you for that,” she said. “I’ll bear it in mind.
She started to walk back to Rhiandu but suddenly turned back to the teacher. “Did you know?” she asked.
“I certainly didn’t know,” he answered promptly, “or I’d have been obliged to inform your master.” He nodded to Rhiandu. “But let’s say, I was less surprised than some others when I found out who your mother was.”
He paused for a moment then added, “And yes, she was the other person to wound me with a rapier!”
She hopped back on her dragon’s back but then stopped. “By the way,” she added, as an afterthought, “you’ll have to satisfy one condition before the nags are delivered.”
She sensed him stiffening. “And what might that be?” he growled.
“You will have to get the scullery roof fixed,” she said with a smile. “You could even see to the steps up to the tyro dorm at the same time.”
As she took off, she could hear Zalibar’s course tones ordering the students back to practice but, with her knowledge of the man, she could sense his laughter bubbling just below the surface.
+++
“Good afternoon, Markeshnon!” Katie called as she cruised down toward the Markesh veranda.
“Enter my lair in peace and friendship,” the middle aged lady responded warmly. She led them to the back of the lair where a young green dragon was stretched out - young but bigger than any horse. Markeshnon hopped easily onto his back and began to casually massage his first vertebrae. As the creature stretched into her stroking, Katie couldn’t shift the image of an overgrown pussycat from her mind.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Markeshnon asked.
“I have a favour to ask.”
“Please name it? I’ll do my best to oblige.”
“I’d like to borrow Margret, please, just until I get myself sorted out.”
“Of course you may.”
She considered the request for a moment. “Indeed, we have something of a tradition that friendly Families and Houses mark the transfer of leadership with a gift. Would you care to take her permanently? Though, of course, we will miss her here, she has trained her successor well. I see she will be of even greater value to you.”
“Thank you,” Katie said simply. “That is much more than I could have hoped for.”
“One other thing,” Markeshnon added after a moment’s thought. “On occasion, good Margret will proffer unsolicited advice or warning. When she does so, pay careful heed to her words for I have never known her predictions to go awry.
Katie nodded thoughtfully as she returned to the veranda, recalling Margret’s words of prophecy and caution before the gates race.
+++
“Clang!” Rhiandu, who was perched at the back of the dais, had flicked the House gong with his tail.
“Jenko, Margret, and Liberty are summoned to attend the lady Rhiannon,” Psion announced. He was perched in his most erect pose, near the front of the dais.
Katie tried to settle herself more comfortably into the elaborately carved stone chair. In the two hours that Margret had been back in the Rhian lair, it had been brought out of the store room, polished and set on the dais. Katie had no idea how she’d managed it - the thing must weigh a ton - but suspected that she had bullied Rhiandu into helping.
‘Thank goodness she’s even managed to find a couple of cushions from somewhere,’ thought Katie. ‘The stone looks extremely grand but is not exactly comfortable.’
“Clang!”
“Jenko, Margret, and Liberty will approach the dais,” Psion announced.
‘They’re keen on their ceremonies, these dragons.’ Katie thought as she shuffled uncomfortably inside the formal robes. ‘Goodness knows where she found these. They’re probably some of Rhiannonde’s old things.’
Margret caught her eye momentarily as she approached and Katie knew she was being rebuked for not paying attention properly. She felt that it was slightly strange to be being told off by someone who was not even a member of her house yet but in a way it was comforting. Another servant who would tell her what she thought and not what they thought Katie wanted to hear.
“Clang!”
The lair fell silent. All eyes were on her.
“I have summoned you to formally take your oath of service to the House of Rhian,” she began clearly and without hesitation, “but, before I do, I require each of you to make a decision.”
The faintest hints of surprise came from the minds of Psion and Rhiandu, but she silenced them with a mental nudge.
“Jenko, Margret, and Liberty, you are to accept significant positions in the House of Rhian. Into such posts, I will accept none who do not come willingly.” Katie paused to allow this to sink in.
“Any of you may walk from the lair now and will go with my blessing and my thanks for what you have done for me so far. Jenko and Margret, should you require transport to the world beyond the island, it will be provided.”
“It’s a kind enough offer, and all,” said Margret gruffly, “but I can’t imagine anywhere else I’d like to go.”
“Then I take it you wish to remain and take the oath.”
“I certainly do,” answered Margret.
“I’m delighted to hear it,” Katie said with a smile.
“And you, Jenko?” Katie said, turning to him. “Psion has now removed your implanted node and the artificial ties of loyalty that bound you to me though, if I know him, he might just have ‘forgotten’ to remove the impulse to feed him regularly.”
“That’s an outrageous suggestion,” Psion protested.
“I note you describe it as outrageous rather than untrue!” she responded. The complicated little dragon knew that she like to catch him out and she was starting to suspect that, from time to time, he was deliberately giving her the opportunity to do so.
“Let it remain,” Jenko said with a laugh. “If that’s the price to pay for having him save my life then I’m happy to pay it!”
Katie smiled briefly then her face turned serious once more. “So, will you accept the offer to leave this place with my thanks and good wishes?”
“I would also not know where to go,” he answered, “though I do have one thing to ask.”
“What is that?”
“I would like everyone to stop using my old name. Jenko is a hopeless, stumbling boy. If I am to be fit to serve the House of Rhian, I need to be more than that.”
“How does the name Rhiannonde sound?”
The newly named Rhiannonde froze. To simply be a servant in one of the Great Houses had been at the limit of his dreams. Now he was being invited to become a member of her House. He stared at her in open mouthed incredulity until Psion gave him a friendly mental nudge.
“Thank you…” he managed to reply. “Thank you, cousin. There is no name in the world that I would rather bear.”
“Then, cousin, from today, that is the name you will bear,” she told him with a smile.
“And what is your decision?” she asked, turning to Liberty. “Though I felt it was fitting to make the offer to all three of you, I only ever thought that you might take me up on it. I know you quite well and, though you cannot speak, I know that you understand that you are now free to leave if you wish.”
“Mayhap you do not know me as well as you presumed, my lady,” the black dragon responded in a low sonorous tone. “I am perfectly capable of speech however, hitherto, nothing has been said to me that I deemed worthy of a response. That now has changed.”
Katie stared at the dragon, wide mouthed with shock, whilst, to her left, Psion chortled with glee.
“You were correct to consider the possibility that I might not accept,” the black dragon continued, “for I, alone, have known the true taste of freedom and, for that reason, its removal aggrieved me beyond all reason.
“But the very fact that you make this offer removes at a stroke the source of the aggravation. No longer is this simply the imposition of a more sophisticated and onerous form of servitude. Rather, you are freely offering me a place in one of the Great Houses, with all the associated duties and privileges.”
He paused for a moment.
“Because you gave me the option of refusing, I choose to accept.”
“I thank you in the name of the House of Rhian,” she answered him formally.
“Then the three shall step into the throne room,” she announced. “There, I shall take your oaths.”
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Post by garethn on Nov 14, 2019 4:48:58 GMT -6
Glossary
Amendraig The best rider in the Zalibar’s academy.
Base Domain Real world (cf Cerebral Domain).
Cerebral Domain The realm of the mind.
Cerebral Potential How much mental work an individual can do.
Cloud World The term Katie uses to describe the cerebral domain.
Council of the Edify The central council that keeps the Edifice and island running smoothly.
Crux The mind’s central node. The essential core of a person.
Crenels Upright leathery flaps running from the dragons head, down the back of its neck.
The Edify Orriginally the creators of the Edifice. Now used to describe the leader of the eleven remaining Houses.
Family A group of humans and dragons living under the control of a single head of Family.
Gorat A poison which is utterly banned by the Precepts.
The Henge Circle of stones at the base of the Edifice.
Implanted Node Master’s presence left in a subordinate’s mind.
Latents People, normally from outside the island, who are not yet aware of their cerebral potential.
’Lath Command ‘fight’!
Nag Dragon crushed into almost mindless servitude.
Neck-Guard Subservient riders protecting the dragon’s vulnerable first vertebra.
Nonda Rider Family members.
Noviate Junior pupils in academy.
Poignard Long thin dagger. Can be used in attack or defence
Portway Foot entrance to the Edifice.
Precepts Fundament rules of Dragon society. Deviation is massively punished by all dragons.
Prime Senior pupils in academy.
Ring Pathway Internal paths around the Edifice cut into the overhanging walls.
Terrace Open flat area on ring pathways. Found in front of each portway, where a number of ring stairways converge.
Transitor Intermediate pupils in academy.
Transition Either: Pass into or out of Edifice through a flute. or: Swap between base and cerebral domains.
Tyro Trainee neck guards.
Year of Flame and Sword Civil war in which dozens of Families were obliterated which took place around the time of Katie’s birth
Characters
Calbar Grimly competent transitor tyro from low ranking Family. Not much natural talent but will work to achieve what he wants. has learnt Zalibar’s entire training manual
Carodoc Senior tyro; comes from a long line of senior retainers in Caro House.
Caronas Powerful female dragon, head of Caro House; Carodoc’s master.
Hannonda Strict but friendly senior student; current Armenclethyfur.
Janenon Elderly, bronze coloured dragon; head of Jane Family which suffered greatly in great clearout.
Jenko (Janedoc) Noviate tyro from Jane Family. He is completely out of his depth in the academy. The harder he tries the worse it gets.
Kiernonda A friend of Quarononde, member of Kier Family vassal House to Quaro.
Liberty Wild dragon broken by Katie. Nearly as long as Rhiannas but less bulky Male, almost black with a red flashes.
Lippit Moderately docile nag. Greyish green. Size of a large elephant.
Llynnonda Qietly competent transitor Nonda - about to be promoted to prime.
Molly Clothes store keeper.
Markeshthain (Margret) Elderly housekeeper much trusted, highly competent and friendly.
Markeshnon Dragon head of the Markesh Family - friend of the House of Rhian.
Nolan Noviate girl tyro who was promoted to transitor shortly after duel. Competent and cheerful. Slightly bossy. Quite tall with long, fair hair tied back in a ponytail and a slight twinkle in her eyes.
Nero Brown, male nag dragon; long and slender, jittery in flight.
Pennas Green dragon - head of house; Former enemy of Psion.
Psion Former servant of Katie’s mother.
Quaroclethyfur Highly able Quaro sword master.
Quarodu Most powerful dragon in the (humans lead) Quaro House.
Quaronas Human head of the Quaro House.
Quarononde Second child of a Quaro House; chip on his shoulder that his older sister is favoured in succession; currently Amendraig.
Rhiannon, Rhiannen Human head of House of Rhian and his wife, until the Year of Flame and Sword.
Rhiannonda, Rhiannonde Children of House of Rhian, killed at the time of the Year of Flame and Sword.
Rhianadoc Name given to Katie by Rhiannas but she rarely uses it.
Rhiandu Rhiannas’s title until the Year of Flame and Sword.
Psionon (Silke) Katie’s mother.
Taloon Large and green female nag, not yet completely docile.
Towan Blotchy brown coloured nag, size of a large horse.
Wasty (Wastnonda) Transitor nonda; slightly aloof but friendly - dosen’t really try.
Wastnonde Noviate nonda, Llynnonda’s younger sister.
Zalibar Headmaster at the academy. Not a member of any Family.
The Great Houses of the Edifice
Kuthbar (Senior) Dragon led House.
Quaro (Senior) Human led House. Attacked Psion at the start of the Year of Flame and Sword.
Dom (Senior) Human led House.
Rhian (Senior) Dragon led House which only has one member due to Rhiannas’s short temper and inability to avoid obliterating servants.
Hendon (Mid) Dragon led House. Attacked Psion at the start of the Year of Flame and Sword.
Sharfroi (Mid) Human led House.
Jera (Mid) Dragon led House.
Han (Mid) Human led House.
Wast (Low) Human led House.
Cindar (Low) Human led House. Lost many members and retainers in the Year of Flame and Sword.
Llyn (Low) Human led House.
Dai (Cursed) Nothing has been heard about the cursed Dai line for centuries.
Other Significant Families
Skrell (Upper) House obliterated by Rhiannas during the Year of Flame and Sword.
Caro (Middle) Dragon led Family, bound to, but not vassal of Quaro.
Kier (Lower Middle) Human led Family bound to Quaro.
Markesh (Lower Middle) Dragon led Family, vassal to the House of Rhian.
Jane (Lower) Dragon led House which fell on hard times in Year of Flame and Sword when most of its Family members and servants were destroyed. An ongoing pattern of temporary allegiances has kept it going since.
Titles The following titles are frequently added to the end of a ‘Family’ name
…clethyfur Sword master. …doc Principal human servant to a House. …du Lead dragon in human run House. …nas Dragon head of House. …nen Head of House’s spouse. …non Human head of House. …nonda Appointed next in line for Family leadership. … nonde Other children of Rider families. (Usually with nickname)
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Post by sniper69 on Nov 15, 2019 18:32:01 GMT -6
Thank you for sharing this excellent story. Definitely riveting from start to finish. It seems there will be a sequel?
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Post by garethn on Nov 16, 2019 6:30:54 GMT -6
Thank you for sharing this excellent story. Definitely riveting from start to finish. It seems there will be a sequel? There are vague plans for two more books in the series but, sadly, real life is taking over and I have to go back to find a real job! I’ve just released a new Erotic romance called ‘A Kitten Called Cat’ on Inkitt / Wattpad if anyone’s interested. Definitely can’t release that here because PAW doesn’t impose age restrictions! - GN -
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Post by bluefox2 on Nov 16, 2019 8:39:12 GMT -6
Very well done story sir.
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Post by texican on Nov 17, 2019 2:16:41 GMT -6
G, Outstanding.... Thank you.... I have been to www.inkitt.com/GarethN and found that many of your books that I have already pleasantly read.... Keep up the excellent work.... Regards, Texican....
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Post by NCWEBNUT on Nov 22, 2019 18:27:27 GMT -6
Dragon tales are at the very top of my read list any time I find one, and this one read very well, I look forward to seeing more such stories from you involving this wonderful Dragon Tale
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ahsga
New Member
Posts: 32
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Post by ahsga on Dec 6, 2022 0:15:23 GMT -6
Great story! Thank you.
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