Bonds of Fire, Page 3

  ~

  Drekken stood at the side of the small courtyard in which he had found his new charges and watched as they all mourned. Besthan had passed almost as soon as the children had been retrieved from his protection and Drekken had withdrawn to keep watch as they paid their respects. He could not allow them long, since the Feras warrior would not have been alone, but a few minutes had been begged of him.

  The two youths had their arms around each other and around the small gaggle of hatchlings of different ages and races. Despite the mountains around the valley being old dragon country, Drekken was surprised by the hatchlings' diversity. There was one Blue, stocky and already growing his wide, flat crest, clearly the oldest of the babies. He was gently nuzzling two pale Sandys, as their long, spiny tails flicked in fear and they hid their narrow heads against their human carers. The Sandys were flanking an iridescent River Dragon hatchling, who was whimpering quietly and looking up at Besthan's body. A little female Hawkhead, although standing with her companions, was looking under Malachi's arm at Drekken, her yellow eyes regarding him with suspicion. He gazed evenly back for a moment, reviewing the intelligence he saw there and then inclined his head to her.

  His move was received with a frown: it appeared more would be needed to convince the young lizard that he was friendly. Yet, his senses on alert, Drekken was distracted from his silent exchange by a sound coming from the house behind him. The crunching of rock on rock was not enough to be a human footfall, but the Feras had remote units to do their scouting for them and Drekken ducked into the doorway quickly to find the device before it transmitted anything back to base. He paused on entry, letting his eyes adjust to the shadow and cursing the fact his helmet and therefore his scanner were in pieces. It was movement that caught his eye, a shift on the surface of a pile of stones in a box in the corner and, quickly, Drekken crossed to it, arm out ready to fry any hostile find. However, there was no glint of metal in the box and, as the stones crunched again, falling towards the edges of the box, Drekken sank to his knees and took a closer look.

  The container was full of small pieces of volcanic rock that, once he was nearer, Drekken could feel giving off heat. The surface moved once more, some stones bouncing over the side of the box, and, this time, Drekken saw something pale appear up through the centre of the dark brown pile. When that something moved on its own, Drekken realised he was looking at a tiny, struggling snout. His reaction was instantaneous, he reached to help and began rapidly clearing stones away from his discovery. His big hands made short work of the light pebbles, and soon he was looking down at the delicate, miniature crest of a baby Grey Wing, broken shell still clinging to her egg-horn. Drekken's heart went out to the small creature as he saw his own dragon reflected back at him and it was pure instinct that meant he scooped the baby out of her nest and cradled her against his chest. He could feel her life, as tiny as her body, and her magic reached out to him, but, as her head fell against him, Drekken felt the baby struggling.

  Drekken knew very little about young dragons, but he did know this one needed help, and so he stood quickly and hurried outside.

  "Hey!" he called as loudly as he dared, trotting over to the youths.

  He held out his find, who fitted neatly into the palms of his hands and told them, "Help her."

  The two young men were on their feet quickly and Malachi took the dragon from him. Drekken sat on an illogical instinct to grab the baby back, but he couldn't hold down an anxiety that just wasn't his normal reaction to anything and he asked, "What's wrong?"

  "I can't believe she hatched," Malachi looked surprised and happy at the same time as worried, which didn't make Drekken feel any better.

  "We didn't know if the egg was even fertile," Yakov added, gently wiping away bits of yolk and shell from the little creature's body as Malachi examined her.

  "She's perfect," Malachi concluded, but then frowned and observed, "but she's very weak. She hasn't had her parents feeding the nest with magic, she needs to bond with a dragon, or she is going to die."

  Both youths looked over their shoulders at Besthan, their faces stricken. However, while Malachi lingered on their fallen master, Yakov quickly looked back at Drekken, his eyes widening and running him up and down before he glanced back at the baby. Malachi started as Yakov grabbed the hatchling from his companion and then Drekken was equally surprised when he found the tiny bundle back in his hands and his hands being pushed back against his chest.

  "You have to do it," the youth ordered nervously, looking up at Drekken through his long blond bangs.

  "I'm not," Drekken began, trying to hand the dragon back to the person who knew how to care for her.

  However, Malachi joined Yakov, both of them pushing the child back at him and Malachi told him, "You're the closest we've got. You're part dragon, you have magic."

  Logic told Drekken he was not the right person for this task. He was bonded to a dragon, but that had been a very unique experience controlled by Miri's magic, and he was definitely not parent material. He looked down at the baby in his hands, her eyes were closed and her head rested awkwardly on his thumbs where she did not have the strength to hold it up. He could feel her magic and her life slipping away and sense told him there was nothing he could do. Yet, sometimes in his life, Drekken had found that his magic knew better and he felt his instincts shift. Not knowing what was happening, but knowing he was along for the ride, Drekken cradled the child to him and let the feeling rise.

  Magic was something Drekken normally channelled through his implants, it did not often flow free and then only when he was working with Miri. Without his dragon, Drekken felt exposed and vulnerable as his magic slipped out of his control and opened his senses. Self-protection told him to resist, but it was far too late and as his magic drowned out his other senses, the life in his hands became his whole attention. He did not remember the bonding with Miri very clearly, the remains being made up of vague impressions and emotion. Yet, as his magic touched the little Grey Wing, his memories of that time flared and he was back with his dragon in the first few moments of their union. Warmth and confidence flooded him and he wrapped his strength around the weakening child. Her heartbeat sounded in his ears and her mind, a scattering of immature emotions, touched his thoughts.

  Senses full of dragon, Drekken had to blink a couple of times before his vision reinstated itself and then he was greeted by the sight of the bluest eyes he had ever seen looking back up at him. He smiled at her, his chest swelling with joy which, just like the magic, he had no hope of controlling. The little dragon moved slowly, she was still weak, Drekken was very aware of that through the new presence of her in his consciousness, but a flood of pride joined his delight when she lifted her head back and chirruped at him.

  "Thank you, thank you," Malachi broke the moment and Drekken jumped.

  Reality kicked back in and he took a rapid step away from the young man, scanning the area as he realised he had been totally off the grid. His actions had been wholly inappropriate for a trained soldier and the danger they were all in made him hasty as he handed the dragon quickly to Malachi.

  "She's alive," he growled, angry with himself at letting his guard down. "Now get the others ready, we have to move out in five."

  Drekken quickly turned his back on the continuing chirrups and sat on fear touching him that he knew was not his own. He did not have time for distractions, there were eight lives in his hands and he had to get them to safety. Stalking away, he went to check their exit.