The dragon darted forwards, jaws open wide. Tilting its head it closed its teeth around the robot’s midsection and lifted it from the ground. It shook the robot so that its shark-like teeth could saw through it. The robot tried to get the rifle in a position where a shot would do some good. A bullet blasted a chunk of flesh out of the dragon’s side, but this only served to anger it. The robot was shaken like a doll and the dragon’s teeth finally did their thing, cutting the robot in half. The two parts fell to the ground. The robot’s upper body adjusted its position, turned the rifle on the dragon. A shot grazed its neck and as the dragon leaned forward to roar at its attacker, I saw the damaged eye. This was the same dragon I had encountered before.
While robot and dragon fought, I had to take my chance and try to get away. I used my good hand to scrape dirt away from under my trapped leg and managed to free it. Then I grabbed up the rifle and ran – or rather hobbled – as fast as my legs would carry me.
I ran blindly through the undergrowth. Behind me, I could hear the fight continuing. A shot and then a roar from the dragon. A hit but not a fatal one. And then there was another sound, off to my left – something big crashing through the jungle. A second dragon? It too must have been drawn by the sound of gunfire. I headed away from the sound. Multiple rifle blasts – and then a triumphant bellow from the dragon. I guessed that he had won. At least I didn’t have to worry about the robot anymore.
In the quiet that followed, I kept running, not worrying how much sound I was making. And as I went, I wondered whether it had really been the sound of gunfire that had attracted my one-eyed dragon friend. The data Trixie had pulled up about the sapphire dragons had said that their tongues could pick up the scent of its prey from six miles away. It knew my scent. And it had an old score to settle. The robot had probably just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. I hoped the wounds inflicted by the robot would slow the dragon down. I had one shot left in the rifle and I didn’t think it was going to be enough to stop a charging dragon. And my pistol would be about as much use as a rubber band gun.
I thought about the movement I had heard before. Were there now two dragons out there? And if so, would they fight each other or would they team up to track me? I wished Trixie was there to whisper in my ear and advise me on the behaviour patterns of sapphire dragons.
Without really being aware of it, I had been running in a wide arc back towards the wreck of the Celestia. Perhaps I was drawing on some primitive survival instinct. I wasn’t navigating by the position of the sun – because I couldn’t see it. I wasn’t sure how long it would be until nightfall, but it did seem to be growing darker. But that could have been the storm clouds piling up overhead rather than the fact that the sun was going down. I wanted to get back to the wreck before it got too dark to see. Could dragons see in the dark? Another question that Trixie could have answered.
Even when I reached the Celestia I was going to have to deal with the problem of getting inside. Climbing with two damaged fingers and a bruised knee was going to make for slow, painful progress. But I’d worry about that when I got there. I believed that my very strong desire not to be eaten would allow me access to previously untapped reserves of energy and luck.
I was aware of sounds of pursuit without really listening for them – another instance of that survival instinct, I presumed. There were two pursuers, I was sure, one behind and to the left and the other on the right that was much closer. If I had had the energy, I would have cursed loudly, blaming Old Jack Sterling for getting me into this mess. But I couldn’t spare the effort – and if anyone was to blame for all this, it was me. I decided that if I got out of this alive, I would forgive myself and buy myself a drink. And if I didn’t, well, I wouldn’t be around to blame anyone.
The trees thinned out ahead of me and I caught sight of the stained metal hull of the ship. I was afraid it might be a mirage caused by lack of oxygen – like an oasis glimpsed in the desert. But as I approached, it didn’t shimmer and vanish. A safe haven was within sight. I didn’t need to get inside, I just had to climb high enough that the dragon couldn’t reach me. His claws might allow him to climb trees but I doubted they’d get much purchase on smooth metal. My limping jog became a near sprint. I almost made it.
The dragon broke through the undergrowth and stood between me and the ship. I skidded to a stop on the wet leaves. As if this moment wasn’t dramatic enough, thunder rumbled overhead and lightning lit up the scene. The dragon leaned towards me and roared. It turned its head slightly, showing me the socket where I had ruined its eye, and then it roared at me again. I think it was saying ‘It’s payback time!’ It raked its claws through the soil, gouging out deep cuts. ‘I’m going to do this to your flesh!’ The crowd in the arena would be roaring at this point – waiting for the thumb to jab downwards, signalling that the
