Dragonvein: Book One Part 6

Ethan wanted to build a fire, but Jonas forbade it. At least, he did at first. Less than an hour after they had settled down, Jonas leapt up from his blanket and began jumping frantically about, beating at his chest and legs.

"What's wrong?" Ethan asked. But he already knew the answer.

"d.a.m.n bugs!" he cried. "To h.e.l.l with it. I'm building a b.l.o.o.d.y fire."

Ethan suppressed a laugh. "Fine by me."

Only after they'd gathered together some dead branches and twigs did Ethan realize that he had nothing to start a fire with. But before he could mention this, Jonas knelt down and placed his hands directly above the heap of wood.

"Illimiz," he said, his voice barely audible. A tiny spark shot out from the tips of his fingers, instantly setting the twigs aflame. Within seconds the fire had spread to the thicker branches and a warm glow fell over the campsite.

Ethan gasped. "How did you do that?"

"Don't get too excited," said Jonas dismissively. "I can make a fire and purify water...and that's it. I have no real talent for magic."

"Can you teach me?"

Jonas shook his head. "I doubt it. It took me three years to learn that much, and I still don't know exactly how it works. Like I told you I'm a servant, not a mage."

"Come on," he pressed. "You can at least try to show me."

Jonas furled his brow and grumbled under his breath. "Come and kneel beside me then."

Ethan's eyes lit up and he obeyed at once.

Pulling an unlit twig from the edge of the fire, Jonas placed it to one side and adopted his previous position. "Hold your hands above it like I'm doing and say Illimiz," he said.

"What does that mean?"

"How should I know?" he snapped. "Fire, I suppose."

Ethan did as instructed and in a clear strong voice said: "Illimiz!"

Nothing happened.

He cleared his throat. "Illimiz!"

Still nothing.

He tried several more times before sighing with exasperation. "What am I doing wrong? I'm saying it the right way, aren't I?"

"The words are meaningless," Jonas told him. "It's the power that counts. You have to feel it inside of you. The words only focus the thing you want to make happen. A real mage works simple magic without saying anything at all."

"Then can you show me how to...feel it?"

"No."

Ethan let out a loud grunt and returned to his blanket. "Then how am I supposed to learn anything?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure yet that you should," Jonas said. "I was just supposed to keep you alive. And from what I've seen of Lumnia so far, learning magic may not be in your best interests." He could see the frustration written on Ethan's face. "There's no point fretting over it now."

The crackle of the fire almost masked the sharp snapping of a twig that came from just beyond the firelight. Ethan and Jonas both instantly leapt to their feet. Jonas fumbled for his sword, but before he could draw it, a voice came from out of the darkness.

"You had better keep your mind off magic if you know what's good for you." The voice was young and distinctly female.

Jonas finally managed to unsheathe his weapon. It looked awkward in his hand, and the weight had unbalanced his footing.

"Put that away before you hurt yourself," the voice continued.

Ethan felt for his dagger, but didn't draw it. "Who are you? Why are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding."

The voice was now coming from behind him. Ethan spun around and Jonas very nearly toppled over completely. Standing a few feet away was the young girl Ethan had saved in the tavern. Her jet black hair was bunched together in the same ponytail as before. Her pants and s.h.i.+rt were black as well, enabling her to easily hide in the darkness. She was not overly tall, but her thin limbs and angular features gave her the illusion of height. Ethan thought that she would likely grow into quite a fetching young woman in time. She flashed a toothy grin at Jonas' attempt to look fearsome.

"I'm not here to hurt you, old man," she said.

"Move on," commanded Jonas. "You have no business here."

Ethan glanced at Jonas and scowled. "What's wrong with you? She's just a child. Put that sword away."

After a long moment Jonas complied, albeit hesitantly. "She's the one you took a beating for?" He sniffed and spat. "Worthless street urchin. You should have left her to her fate."

The girl's nostrils flared at the jibe. "Worthless? I'll have you know that I'm worth far more than you." Her initial voice had been laden with the vocal trappings of a commoner. But now all of a sudden she sounded...haughty and somewhat authoritative. "And I know a servant when I see one. So why don't you go kiss a pig?"

Ethan coughed out a laugh before he could stop himself. "That's enough, Jonas. You're too old to fight with children."

Jonas glared furiously. "This one is about as much a child as I am. A thief is what she is."

"What's your name?" asked Ethan.

The girl pulled her eyes away from Jonas and bowed. "You can call me Kat." Her stare then shot back to Jonas. "And I am so a child. I'll have you know that I'm only thirteen years old. You should be ashamed of yourself...threatening a little girl."

Ethan had the distinct impression that, despite her youth, Kat possessed the street savvy of someone far older. In fact, she reminded him very much of a boy named Vinnie from his old neighborhood. His baby-faced appearance and the innocent manner he could adopt when caught doing something wrong had got him out of more than his fair share of trouble. Also, coincidentally, Vinnie was a thief. And a d.a.m.n good one too.

"What can we do for you, Kat?" he asked.

"For me?" She touched her chest and smiled. "Not a thing. You already did it. But a princess always pays her debts. And I owe you my life."

Jonas burst into laughter. "A princess, you say? Princess of what? The street urchins?"

Kat's face turned red and her hands balled up into tiny fists. "Would you please tell your servant to shut his mouth?"

"Come on, Jonas," said Ethan. "That's enough."

"Bah..." He waved his hand and sneered.

"I'm sorry, Kat," Ethan continued. "But there's really nothing you can do for me. And we can't be taking anyone along with us."

She waited a few seconds for Jonas to add a cutting remark before replying, but this time he remained silent. "I can do plenty. And I'll start by getting that stink off of you. If you try going through the Miltino city gates smelling like that, you'll never make it." She shot an accusing glance at Jonas. "What happened? Did Miss Jillie con you into buying one of her healing salves?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a round white disk that she tossed over to Ethan. "Wash with this. It'll get the stink off you. Your clothes are ruined though. You'll have to burn them."

"I appreciate your help," said Ethan. "I really do. But you still can't come with us."

She sat down beside the fire and crossed her arms. "How are you going to stop me?"

Jonas strode toward her, one hand extended. "That's quite enough of this foolishness! Get out of here!"

Kat jumped up, easily keeping out of his reach and laughing at his clumsy attempts to catch her. Ethan couldn't help but smile at the comical scene.

"Stop it," he said eventually. "You two look like the Keystone Cops."

They both stopped short to look at him with confused expressions.

"What's a keystone cop?" asked Kat.

Ethan shook his head. "Never mind. Right now, I just want to get this smell off of me."

"There's a stream about a quarter mile off the road," Kat told him. "I'll take you there."

Ethan smiled. "That would be good. Thank you."

With a furious look on his face, Jonas spun on his heels and plonked himself down beside the fire.

After digging out a fresh set of clothes, Ethan followed Kat into the night. She was seemingly unaffected by the near pitch black as she walked briskly along. Ethan, on the other hand, nearly fell on his face three times before they reached the stream.

"Wet the disc and then rub it all over you," she instructed.

Ethan began to strip off his clothing. And though he couldn't see her face, her soft gasp told him that he had embarra.s.sed her. She turned her back and s.h.i.+fted anxiously.

Ethan did as she had told him. The soap smelled like old leather, but it was far better than the alternative, and he was grateful for the relief once he'd put on the new clothes.

"You can turn around now," he said.

Kat looked him up and down. "Your servant should get you some clothes that fit better." Reaching for her belt, she withdrew a small pouch. "Take this," she said, pressing it into his palm. "Compliments of Durst."

It took him a moment to realize the significance of her words. "You mean you went back and stole this? After he almost cut off your hand? Are you nuts?"

"I figured he had it coming," she explained without a hint of regret. "There's not much there, but it should buy you a pair of pants that fit. Just don't tell the old man about it. He'll only call me names again."

Ethan couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry. I won't."

Kat smiled, then pulled him by the sleeve toward the camp. "And just so you know. I really am a princess. And like it or not, I am coming with you."

Ethan sighed wearily. "I suppose you can come with us as far as Miltino. But don't you have a home to go to?"

"Not anymore. I'm...in exile."

A runaway, he thought. "I see. But I bet if you went home your parents would sure be happy to see you."

"No they wouldn't." She looked directly at Ethan and stiffened her back. "And you should mind your own business."

Jonas let out a loud sigh when he saw them approaching. "So you've agreed to let her come along, I take it?"

"Just until we reach the city," he replied.

Jonas shook his head and wrapped himself in his blanket. "b.l.o.o.d.y fool."

Kat retrieved a pack she had hidden nearby and settled down beside the fire. Ethan wanted to question her further about her parents, but the girl was fast asleep before he had the chance to say more than a few words.

Jonas was still awake and brooding, tossing small pebbles into the flames.

"I think she's a runaway," said Ethan.

"An orphan most likely," he replied. "And I would bet that she's trouble for us."

"She's a child, for G.o.d's sake. And she's alone."

Jonas sniffed. "And you think having her with us will keep her safe? If you want to protect her you should send her away...tonight. Our path is no place for children to follow. Even one as mature as she pretends to be." He turned his back and laid down. "Princess...bah..."

Ethan glanced over at the sleeping girl. Her waif-like limbs were curled up into a ball as if holding a stuffed toy or favorite pillow. How could she be looked upon as anything other than a child? What did it matter that living on her own had forced her to grow up faster than she should have to? He knew his share of kids back in New York who acted tough on the streets, yet all they really wanted was parents to protect and love them.

But the reality of the situation had to be faced. It was most unlikely that he would be able to do anything to help her. And as much as he hated to admit it, Jonas was right. If people were coming after them, she would be in danger. The guilt he felt about imperiling the farmer and his family was still a raw wound that did not need compounding. All the same, he knew that persuading Kat to leave them would be difficult - perhaps even impossible. She was certainly committed to tagging along, and he doubted very much that she would quietly accept being abandoned once they arrived in Miltino. In that case, he'd have to wait for the right opportunity to give her the slip.

He tried to sleep for a time, but his dreams were filled with images of battle. Not the familiar nightmare of D-Day - that would have been almost pleasant by comparison. What he saw now was ten times more brutal and cruel. Thousands of men were scattered upon a battlefield, moaning and begging for death. Yet death did not come to anyone. They bled and bled from exposed bowels and severed limbs, and still death was elusive. There was only the unbearable pain. Ethan found himself walking among the wounded men and tripping over their mangled forms. Each soldier he pa.s.sed pleaded for help, but there was nothing he could do.

Then, in the near distance, the figure of a man appeared. The shadows hid his features, but Ethan could feel that his eyes were fixed upon him. The figure spread his arms and black flames spewed skyward, swirling like a vile maelstrom. Ethan wanted to run, but his legs were suddenly too heavy.

The fire soon covered the heavens in black death, spinning faster and faster. He could no longer see the figure, yet he somehow knew that he was still there. Next came a thunderous roar, and red flames split the black sky in two. The two powers battled for control, but the darkness was too strong and threatened to consume the light.

"Help me!" It was a strong feminine voice crying out. But from where, he couldn't tell. "I need you! He'll kill me if you don't help. He'll kill us all."

"Where are you?" Ethan shouted in response. "I can't see you."

But there was no reply. Then another tremendous roar shook the ground. A colossal dragon, this one with blood red scales and black spines all down its back, descended from the red flames and landed twenty yards in front of him. The impact nearly threw Ethan from his feet. Its piercing eyes fixed on him. Coward. The word was unspoken, yet he felt it clearly in his mind.

The dragon turned to where the figure had previously been standing and with tremendous strides ran headlong toward it. The creature opened its maw to spew forth a great spear of fire. But the flames had only traveled a short distance when black fire shot out of nowhere to meet it. The blackness quickly overcame the dragon's attack, and an instant later it enveloped the creature in dark flaming h.e.l.l. Another roar split Ethan's ears; waves of pain racked his body. It was as if he could feel the agony the dragon was experiencing. Screaming, he dropped to his knees and covered his face with his hands.

Coward.

The word echoed in his head again and again.

Ethan sat up, heart thumping crazily and drenched in sweat. It took him a moment to realize that he was now awake. But even when he did, the feeling of dread persisted. The sun had yet to break the horizon and Kat was still sleeping soundly. Jonas, however, was awake with his arms wrapped around his knees, staring at him.

"Bad dreams?" he asked.

Ethan nodded. "You could say that."

"Care to tell me about it?"