Demonstorm

'Stole my thunder.'

And even as he opened his mouth to object, Hirad could see The Unknown was right. He had felt it the moment they had sat together as The Raven in the Al-Drechar's house a few days before. You couldn't bottle it, it was just there. He could feel it now. Strength. Belief. Spirit.

'You know it,' said Hirad.

The Unknown stood and stared him in the eye. 'And I'll tell you something, Coldheart. I've already had my soul taken from me once. And nothing and nobody is going to part me from it again.'

'We can do this, can't we?' said Hirad, believing for the first time.

'Course we can,' said Denser, his face splitting into a grin. 'We're The Raven!'

Their laughter echoed out across the open sea.

 

 

Chapter 15

 

Yasal-Naik circled Sha-Kaan very slowly, eyes following the Great Kaan as he spun on his tail, displaying his belly scales at all times. A gesture of respect, of peace and of submission. Sha-Kaan bit down hard on his pride, knowing that to gain audience with this most aggressive of brood fathers was more than he had genuinely believed he would achieve. To jeopardise that with a petulant display of superiority now would be truly calamitous folly. They both knew Sha-Kaan was the stronger dragon. This was not the time to demonstrate it.

The five young Naik circled nearby, keeping watch on the open skies, searching for the Kaan attack that would never come.

'You have killed one of my brood,' said Yasal-Naik. 'That alone is enough to see you taken from the skies with flames as your final companion.'

'The whelp attacked me despite my attitude and bearing. I had no choice but to defend myself.'

'And your intrusion into my skies is punishable equally severely.'

'Then carry out your sentence, Yasal. My only regret is that I would not live to see you confront your blindness.'

The Naik brood father continued to circle, aware of Sha-Kaan's discomfort.

'It is an action I can take at will, is it not?'

Sha-Kaan rumbled deep in his huge chest. 'Then hear me, since you have nothing to lose. Know why it is I have come here alone to speak with you.'

Yasal ceased his circling finally, clicking the back of his tongue. The rattling echoed in his cheeks. Sha-Kaan flicked his wings in acknowledgement, returning to horizontal flight.

'Let us fly, Great Kaan,' said Yasal. 'You have my attention.'

T am grateful to you.' Sha-Kaan took up station beside Yasal and followed him in a lazy glide. 'Your decision demonstrates maturity.'

'From you that is a compliment,' said Yasal. 'But don't mistake maturity for conciliation. There is none.'

'Just listen to me,' said Sha-Kaan. T am tired of your threats.'

The two dragons' eyes met across the narrow gulf between them. Yasal's burned with an anger Sha-Kaan recognised in himself as a younger dragon.

'Speak.'

'Yasal, I am not here to surrender, I am not here to challenge you. I have travelled alone as a demonstration of my veracity. You may always have hated the Kaan and despised me in particular. That is natural. All broods desire dominion and one day we will assuredly return to that state.'

' 'One day'? What is wrong with today?'

'Because today that battle is rendered pointless.'

'One of my escort mentioned something similar. Explain.'

'The Arakhe have taken Balaia,' said Sha-Kaan.

'Surely a cause for celebration.'

'You know what that means.'

'Yes, Sha-Kaan. That your melde will soon be shattered, that the Kaan will dwindle. That I need not spill one more drop of Naik blood to beat you. Merely bide my time.'

Sha-Kaan feathered his tongue in humour. 'All these things are true. But can you fly a little further?'

'Where else do I need to travel? I will have achieved the Naik's destiny. I will rule Beshara unopposed.'

'Idiot youngster,' snapped Sha-Kaan. 'Think.'

'About what? You have promised me victory.'

Sha-Kaan sampled Yasal-Naik's tone, smelled the odours of his body, faint in the wind. He was sure he was being toyed with but the Naik's bearing suggested interested neutrality.

'Should the Balaian dimension fall, the Arakhe will have everything they want. Doorways to this dimension, the dead, and thence to everywhere. Your melde, every brood's melde. You have heard the prophecies and the warnings. They are as much Naik lore as they are Kaan or Gost or Veret. They have to be stopped now.'

'You have controlled your melde dimension poorly,' said Yasal.

Sha-Kaan spat fire in sudden anger.

'Skies curse you, Yasal, I wonder why I haven't stayed at home to watch you die.'

'Because, old Kaan, you need the strength of my brood; or at least to know that your lands are safe while you sort out the problems you say have afflicted your melde. You deny your lack of attention caused what you say we now face?'

'You know the birthing cycle of the Kaan. Your attacks over my skies were not random events, after all. You know what happens around the time of our birthings. So, it appears, do the Arakhe. What they did, to use a human phrase, was give mages enough rope to hang themselves with, then sit and wait until we were not guarding Balaia's fabric. Mages ripped the fabric and we were not there. The Arakhe were.'

'You should have controlled your subjects more effectively.'

Sha-Kaan let the comment ride for a while. He wasn't being goaded now. There was a gulf in the understanding between the two broods. It was as fundamental as their hatred for one another. After a long pause, he responded.

'That is why you will never be the dominant brood.'

'How so?'

'Because you do not understand the relationship between your vitality and the independence of the minds in your melde dimension.'

'You've lost me.'

'I expect so.'

'Dragons rule dimensional space. We take what we need,' said Yasal.

'I agree with the latter statement. I take issue with the former purely because if you don't help me now, it will soon no longer be true.'

'So you say.'

'Kill me and find out for yourself,' said Sha-Kaan.

It was a challenge but he knew Yasal could not afford to take him up on it. The Naik gave something approximating a laugh.

'You intrigue me, Great Kaan. And I respect the risk you have taken travelling here alone. Foolhardy but still . . . Tell me exactly what it is you want the Naik to do. Agree a truce perhaps.'

'You and every brood,' said Sha-Kaan. 'And I am afraid a truce on its own will not be enough. The invasion of Balaia is far more advanced than you realise.'

'Accepted. State your plea.'

Sha-Kaan told him and watched all that arrogance and humour fall from his scent, his eyes and his attitude on the glide. He saw genuine uncertainty and abrupt realisation. When he had finished speaking, Sha-Kaan waited as he knew he must. Yasal's wings were twitching slightly, the skin around his eyes pinched.

'Land with me,' he said eventually. T would take food and water. And so should you.'

Hirad landed hard on his backside and laughter rang out across the deck again. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked round at Denser.