The Dragon's Eyes
© 3.15.2006 By Elisa L. Williams
Dragons. Gathern shivered. Everything about Dragons scared him. They were so cold and distant, you never knew what one was thinking.
Gathern pulled his knees up and tried his best the ignore the huge beast across from him. He could hear it's steady breathing and feel it's bright gaze, and see the sheen of smooth scales out of the corner of his eye. Gathern closed his eyes. Now he could pretend that the breathing was a horse or a dog. The mental picture of a Dragon persisted.
"You all right?" Gathern jumped and looked up. Tyruin stood over him, a worried look on his face. Gathern forced a grin. "Yeah, I'm fine." Tyruin frowned and turned away, dropping the pack of things he'd bought in town. The air was still and hot, nothing moved on the open plain but the heat waves.
"I know how you feel, there's no need to hide it." Tyruin said softly. He glanced back at Gathern, let his gaze drift to the dragon and then back again.
Gathern rose to his feet brushing dust from his clothing. "How much farther?" He asked, ignoring Tyruin's last remark.
Tyruin looked thoughtful for a moment. "We should be there before dark, we have been making good time."
Gathern nodded and looked out across the wide open space between them and the dark line of the forest.
The silence was heavy with unease. Gathern turned. Tyruin stood regarding him with a furrowed brow. Gathern swallowed and turned around again. He wished they could get going.
From behind him he heard something like a sigh, but he did not look. He wasn't going to give Tyruin the satisfaction of another try at ‘helping' him. Gathern knew just what it would be: "You have been gifted for a reason. There are many who would give half their lives to have what you have, the chance to protect our land. Straik's are invisible to all but a few, the ones like you. They destroy and burn without any warning. Even the dragons can't see them till they have been paired with humans who have the ability. This is the only way to stop them."
Gathern already knew all this and realized the importance of giving the dragons sight so that they could fight. He also knew that doing so was his responsibility. It wasn't that he didn't want to help. He hated and feared the Straik's as much as anyone and maybe more because he could see them. It was just that the thought of having a dragon as a partner, having to link his mind with it, scared him. Dragons scared him.
Tyruin's voice rang in his head. He had not been happy when Gathern had first shown his reluctance. "You can't hold on to you're selfishness when it may mean the cost of many lives. You see them, others can't. We have no protection unless the humans who are gifted work with the dragons to defeat these things. Gathern, people like you are our only hope."
The first time Gathern had seen Straik's he hadn't known he was the only one there who could. He had given warning that had not been heeded. "Danger? Where? Go home and stay out of the sun." When the burning village had attracted help the survivors told of his early predictions. The word had been passed along in excitement till it fell upon the right ears. Another one had been found. Swift to act, they had sent Tyruin to escort him to where his kind were trained, along with Neytrawn, the dragon that had been chosen as his partner. His dragon. Gathern hated the sound of it.
Tyruin shifted his feet, hesitating a moment before he spoke.
"We should go now." He sounded tired, and Gathern felt a twinge of guilt. It wasn't as if Tyruin was enjoying this any more than he.
Tyruin shouldered the pack and started down hill. Gathern followed, his eyes cast down watching his own feet.
Maybe he was making this to hard. Maybe dragons weren't that bad. He glanced over his shoulder and met the clear green of the dragons eyes. He stared into their depth as if hypnotized, for a forever. How could dragons do that, give the feeling of having changed time itself? He jerked around again still feeling the eyes in his back.
Neytrawn lay still and watched till Gathern, walking stiffly, disappeared over the rise. Then, digging his claws deep into the earth, he sprang into the air. With one stroke of powerful wings he was soaring skyward.
The wide open valley between the forested hills was dry and rocky. Out from under the trees it was much hotter, but Gathern felt chilled. Open ground made him nervous. He felt small and exposed, the huge sky stretching over him. He looked up now. The sky was clear, a brassy blue that would burn when touched. The dark green shadows of the distant forest danced in the heat waves. Gathern looked over his shoulder. They had come far now. The valley offered no cover. A feeling of dread settled in his stomach.
He hurried after Tyruin, the uneven ground making him stumble. Red dust hung in the hot air, filling his nostrils and making his eyes burn. The beat of wings make him start violently. Two vultures, frightened from the carcass of some animal, rose and circled slowly away.
Tyruin had stopped as well, startled by the suddenness of the birds flight. He waited till Gathern was beside him before beginning again. Twice he looked over and was about to speak but didn't. Gathern was glad for this because he already knew what it was Tyruin wanted to say.
As they came nearer, they saw the dead body was that of a horse. It had not been dead long, perhaps since that morning. It wore a bridle but no saddle, and looked as if it had been run to death. It lips were drawn back, its sides crusted with sweat. Long strips of hide and flesh had been torn away by the vultures.
Suddenly a cold chill washed over Gathern. Those were not the marks of vultures, those had been made by something much larger.
All at once the light seemed to dim, Gathern could hear his heart beat, each breath he drew was agonizingly slow.
"It wasn't us that scared the vultures. Tyruin!"
Tyruin's eyes sprang wide with the comprehension.
They came up over the hill, skimming the top of the forest. A blazing wall of terror roared down upon Gathern at the sight of them. It was so strong he could taste his own fear. Thinking through the black cloud he knew that he had to do something.
Tyruin could not see them, but he knew they were there. He turned in a frantic circle, eyes searching for the danger. There was nothing to see. He felt the rush of the monsters wings pass over his head. He spun toward Gathern, who stood frozen in fear. Suddenly he felt a rush of anger at the boy. He was the only one could help and he stood there staring. Reaching out, Tyruin slapped him in the face. "Gathern!!!...."
Before he could shout the rest of what he had to say, Gathern dropped to the ground taking Tyruin with him. Something sharp grazed his shoulder, and they were buffeted by the rush of wind. Instantly Gathern was up, Tyruin with him, and running out across the emptiness, and though Tyruin could not see them he knew they followed close behind.
He looked for the dragon and saw, further out, where the dust swirled high, Neytrawn repeatedly thrown to the ground by an invisible force each time he tried to take flight. Now, his wings torn and body bleeding, the dragon circled slowly his head down, watching for what he could not see, knowing he would die.
Gathern stumbled over the broken ground, each breath choking him. Behind him he heard the beat of wings. Then they were all around and over head. The noises they made were cold and lifeless, like a knife cutting through skin.
The all consuming terror that he had kept at bay, rose in his throat and left his limbs weak as water. He could feel their claws in his back. His foot caught and he was thrown to the ground, Tyruin coming down on top of him. Panic lanced through his body. He was not ready to die.
Tyruin knew they were there, the very air smelt of evil. He screamed his terror and threw up his arms to cover his head.
Gathern, laying where he had fallen, came to his knees and with amazing speed lunged to jerk Tyruin out of the way of the grasping claws only he could see. Then one was directly above him. It was so close he felt the cold hate radiating from it. So very close. And then it had him in it's claws, he knew the pain and fear and he reached out for deliverance.
With a shriek it rose, it wings whipping up the sand, still holding Gathern. Tyruin saw Gathern lifted into the air. Already it had carried him high. He floated through the air as if propelled by some force of his own. Then one took hold of Tyruin. The blackness, the blackness, the horror, the death that awaited and it screeched it's laugher.
Neytrawn fought against forces he could not see. The only things to guide him were the whisper of wings, the stirring of air. They were toying with him. The dragon snarled his hate and helpless rage. Then he was afraid. He did not fear death. It was Gatherns fear he felt. It was real and consuming and as Gathern reached out to him he reached back.
He was high above the ground, looking down on the red desert. There was a dragon there, he fought blindly and they easily eluded him. They were fanned out in a half circle, dancing and turning never still, moving in to finish it. Neytrawn reared back with acute surprise. Even as a dragon his senses took time to adjust. A blow from behind sent him to the ground. He was up above, yet down on the ground he took the fall. He was in two places at once and it was like doing everything backwards to fight on the ground and see it all from hundreds of feet up.
He was seeing through Gatherns eyes, and they had Gathern.
Neytrawn had been at the end of his strength but now he felt it flooding through his veins again. An awesome fountain of fire leaped from the dragons mouth. As he swung his head they shrieked and turned sharply to avoid the flame. Their temporary inattention gave Neytrawn the chance he needed and he was air born before they could throw him back to the ground. They rushed in on all sides but they were no match for a dragon that could see them. Neytrawn banked sharply to the right and snaking out his head caught one of them in his teeth. With a twist of his neck he sent it spinning to the ground, broken and lifeless.
When they saw one of their own spiraling towards the desert, they redoubled their attack, screaming their rage.
Through Gathern's eyes Neytrawn saw himself veer away, and as Gathern continued to watch him, he came back around again. Neytrawn could not see the Straik that held Gathern. To be able to Gathern would have to look at it. Neytrawn flew up so he was almost right over head, and he was looking up past the one that was carrying Gathern and at himself directly above.
Neytrawn's attack was so swift none of the Straik had time to react. His claws sunk deep and he carried it down, the others tucked their wings and dove after him. Straight to the ground it seemed, but at the last moment the dragon pulled up. Some of them were not fast enough and hit the ground and were thrown into the rocks.
Then the Straik that held Gathern opened his talons and released the boy.
Still seeing through Gathern's eyes, Neytrawn saw the ground rushing up to meet him.
The wind tore at Gathern and blinded him. He was falling and below him he saw the rocks. He turned in the air and he saw Neytrawn. The dragon tucked his wings and was free falling. With amazing speed he reached Gathern. The force with which he caught him knocked the wind from Gathern's lungs. As soon Neytrawn had the boy he strained skyward again. For a moment they stood still, as the dragons wings fought to keep them from the ground, then they shot up.
They were regrouping, finding their strength in numbers. Gathern looked frantically for the one that held Tyruin, but could find no sign of him. He had little time to think about it though. They were flocking together at one end the valley. Now they would be more carful, now that the dragon could see.
It was imperative that Neytrawn was able to see, meaning Gathern had to be with him and watching at all times. Neytrawn landed smoothly and in a matter of seconds Gathern had scrambled onto his back, sitting in between the ivory spikes that lined the dragons spine. Neytrawn had been on the ground mere seconds but they had seen their chance and were rushing across the valley, flying low.
"Hold on." Gathern barely had time to grab onto one of the spikes, and no time to get over the surprise that Neytrawn had spoken to him in his mind, before they were all around them.
It happened too fast to think. They came in on both sides and over head. Neytrawn swung into the one on the left, and down. One made a grab for Gathern, trying to pluck him from the dragons back. Neytrawn spun away and then came back up behind them.
Gathern and Neytrawn were so closely linked the boy could anticipate every move the dragon would make. They joined minds and thought together, Gathern always looking just where Neytrawn needed to see.<
The battle spirt that is in every dragon was now aroused in Neytrawn. They surrounded him like a pack of dogs around a panther. The dragon fought with a certain amount of enjoyment, using every bit of his ability. They are smaller but a dragon is more agile, as was proved when Neytrawn twisted around, almost folding double to catch one of them in his teeth and had barely flung it from his jaws before he had done that same to another.
The battle had been won. They find their strength in their invisibility and in numerical superiority. When two more had been lost the three that were left suddenly broke off the attack and veered away, flying hard towards the hills.
The hunger for battle would have sent Neytrawn after them had he not been so badly wounded. Now that the excitement was leaving them, both boy and dragon began to feel the pain. And as Neytrawn landed with a jolt another thought pushed to the front of Gathern's mind. Tyruin!!!
Gathern slid off the dragons back and finding his legs would not hold him, dropped to the ground. Neytrawn crouched beside him, breathing hard. He to was scanning the open ground for any sight of Tyruin.
The dust was settling in a red haze, the sun had come back out and beat down with renewed ferocity. Gathern felt sick and empty. It was his fault. Perhaps if he had reacted faster, if he had given Neytrawn sight sooner, then Tyruin would be here now.
He sat there in the heat, to tired to move and without reason to try. Feeling a sudden movement from Neytrawn, he looked up. Tyruin stood leaning against a rock at the edge of the rock field. He straightened with effort and came towards them. His clothes were torn and bloody but the look on his face was one of awe and pride. Suddenly Gathern found that his limbs worked again and he scrambled to his feet. He met Tyruin half way there and they stood looking at each other and there was nothing to say. Tyruin's eyes misted for a moment and he reached out to grasp Gathern's shoulder. Neytrawn watched with his guarded gaze. To Gathern it looked like the dragon smiled.
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