literature

The Magic Stone - 4 - A Storm of Dragons

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"Avi!" Kit shouted as his friend ran off into the night, "Avi! Wait!"

But it was no use; Avi didn't hear him, or didn't want to hear him. Kit was left alone with Brannec.

"You didn't know, did you?" Brannec said softly, "About her magic?"

"She... never told me," Kit said. He wasn't sure what to think about that; Avi was his friend, his best friend, and all that time, she could do magic! ...And she had never told him.

"Yeah," Brannec said, scratching behind his head awkwardly, "Shoulda figured that."

"We need to go after her!" Kit said, but Brannec put a hand in front of him. "No," he said calmly, "Let her go. She needs to sort this out on her own for a while."

Kit watched helplessly as Avi slipped into the forest. He wanted to help! To do something, anything! He hated being powerless like this; to see his best friend feeling so hurt and not being able to help her in the slightest.

"Why did you do that to her?" Kit turned on Brannec, trying his hardest to sound angry, "You... you should have known beter! You can't just give away people's secrets like that!" She never told me.

Brannec laughed lightly, "You'd be surprised, kid. I've been all over the place, and I've met all sorts of people. Some folks I've met wouldn't even think twice about showing off their magic."

"Really?" Kit blinked. That didn't sound right. Magic was something you had to keep hidden, wasn't it? The tribe had killed people for it. Kit could remember one girl in particular; poor Maja who had been tossed into a campfire and burnt to cinders after her magic was exposed. Kit had been very young, but he still remembered it clear as day. Would Avi suffer the same fate?

"She means a lot to you," Brannec said, "Doesn't she, kid?"

Kit nodded, "Yeah, she's my..." he paused for a moment; he wanted to say 'friend,' but was Avi still his friend? How long had she kept her magic secret from him? Didn't she trust him? And what else was she hiding from him? Could he ever trust her again?

"...your girlfriend?" Brannec offered.

"Of course!" Kit snapped, "She's my best friend!" He almost believed it.

Brannec chuckled lightly, "That's not exactly what I meant, kid."

"Well, what did you mean?" Kit demanded.

"Nevermind kid," Brannec shook his head and smiled, "I think I've got my answer."

Before Kit could demand to know what Brannec was talking about (and remind him that his name was pronounced 'Kit,' thank you very much!), a shrill cry split the night air. It was a sound Kit had never heard before, like the call of a hunting mountain bird, but deeper and harsher. A few moments later, a dark shape swept across the moon. Then another... Three more... A dozen forms, all growing nearer with each passing second...

"Dammit," Brannec grumbled as he got to his feet, "Should have figured they'd turn up sooner or later."

Kit stared up at the oncoming horde of winged shadows, "...what are those things?" He didn't bother trying to hide the fear in his voice.

"Kid," Brannec put on his cloak and picked up his walking stick, "Remember how I told you not to go after your friend?"

"...yeah?" Kit nodded.

"Go after your friend."

"Yeah," Kit turned and sprinted towards the woods. He only dared look back once he had reached the trees; by now the winged shapes were clearly visible in the moonlight. They had broad wings with sinister claws and short stubby legs like great scaly bats, but they also had long necks and long thick muscular tails. Their heads were long and tapered to thin snouts which bristled with teeth, as if someone had taken the skull of a dog and stretched the face of a lizard over it. They looked like nothing Kit had ever seen before, not even in his darkest nightmares!

Dragons!

Just as Kit turned away and hurried deeper into the woods, an orange glow burst into being from behind him. Screams quickly followed. The dragons were burning the camp! People were probably dying! Kit kept on running. He couldn't do anything to stop it. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes. Dammit! He hated being so powerless! There was nothing he could do!

Yes there is! he told himself, I need to find Avi! Brannec had said as much. Nevermind that Brannec was probably dead by now, either roasted alive by the dragon's breath, or swallowed whole, or whatever horrible thing dragons did to their victims. Kit shook his head; there would be time later to grieve over the lost. Right now, he needed to find Avi!

Kit turned his attention to the ground. Avi's trail was easy enough to pick up; her skirt had turned over all the leaves wherever she went, exposing their dark damp undersides. Kit followed her trail as quickly as he could; through the woods... past a small brook... up a slope... I recognize this path, Kit noticed, and picked up his pace. There was no need to track anymore; he knew where Avi had fled to.

As Kit neared the overturned tree where he had shown Avi the stone, he heard the soft sound of someone crying. Kit slowed to a crawl and peeked over the fallen tree and into the hole. Avi was there, lying in the dirt, curled up into a ball, and sobbing. Warily, Kit crawled down to the mouth of the hole, "Avi?" he asked cautiously, "...are you alright?"

Avi sniffled weakly, "Go away, Kit."

"It's okay, Avi," Kit tried his best to sound consoling, "I... you..." He didn't know what he should say, "It's gonna be okay."

"No it won't," Avi sobbed, "It's my fault. It's all my fault."

"That's not true," Kit slid down into the hole beside Avi, "You heard what Brannec said; he said you're not strong enough yet for dragons to notice you. It couldn't have been you."

"You're wrong," Avi reached into her skirt pouch, "I know it was me." Before Kit could reassure Avi again, her hand emerged from her pouch and the hole was filled with the soft watery blue light of the stone. Avi's tears formed glistening streaks on her face in the unnatural light, "I took the stone! I had it with me the whole time! That's how the dragons knew where to find us! You see, Kit? It is my fault!"

Avi continued to wail about how it was all her fault, in between sobs. Kit didn't know what do. Was there anything he could do? Dammit, he didn't want to see Avi like this! Nevermind that she had hidden her magic from him or that she had taken the stone! She was his friend and that was all that mattered! Kit leaned forward, took Avi by the shoulders, and kissed her firmly on the lips!

Avi and Kit held the kiss for what felt like an eternity. Finally, Kit pulled away and looked Avi in the eye. "We're going to get through this together!" he said, summoning up all the conviction he could muster, "You understand, Avi?" Avi nodded and tried to smile as best she could. "Good," Kit tried to smile, and moved to wipe the tears from her eyes. She was going to be alright after all.

She never told me. The thought would not leave him alone, no matter how he tried to banish it. This was no time for silly doubts! His friend needed him! Is she my friend?

All of a sudden, there was a loud noise just outside the hole, like a large tree snapping in two in a storm! Avi and Kit both shrank a little deeper into the hole, "What was that?" Avi whispered, as the sound came again. "Don't worry," Kit tried to sound reassuring, "Whatever it is, it can't find us down here."

"I know you're here, little human."

The voice sent shivers of terror down Kit's spine, and it wasn't just because something had followed him. The voice itself was terrifying, like something between a taunting enemy and a snarling beast! It rumbled with malice and screeched with vicious delight! It was positively inhuman!

"No!" Avi whimpered softly, "No no no no..."

"It's okay, Avi!" Kit whispered, "It'll move on in a minute or two." Predators were lazy. they always moved on after a while; every hunter knew that. Kit pulled Avi close to him. She was warm. Warm and soft. It felt nice. She felt nice... "It's safe down here."

"I can smell you, little human!" the horrible voice cackled, "Come on out!"

"It's all my fault!" Avi wept, "It's all my fault!"

Kit looked up at the mouth of the hole. He had to do something and fast! That dragon didn't know exactly where they were hiding, but it was only a matter of time before it sniffed them out. Or maybe it had already found them? Maybe it was just toying with its prey?

And then Kit realized something! This dragon keeps saying 'Little Human!' He thinks there's only one of us!

There still might be a chance for escape!

Just not for him.

Kit looked back down at Avi. "Whatever you do," he whispered into her ear, "don't make a sound."

Before Avi could protest, Kit sprang up out of the hole.
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