Dragon Rigger (43 page)

Hodakai?

* Hodakai. Through that one, remind the serpents of how hopeless is their cause. *

Rent found himself hesitating.
I'm not sure . . .
it
might
just make them fight . . . all the more desperately.

* It matters not how desperately they fight. It matters not how many drahls they kill. Drahls are nothing; let them die. I wish only the serpents' hopelessness. I wish their rage, and their fear, and their despair. Can you do that for me, servant?
IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?
*

The will of the Nail swept over him like a pounding surf.
No
,
of course not!
he whispered.
I
will do so—at once!
It would not trouble him to deliver new instructions to Hodakai, the vacillating weakling, who would be terrified to receive them. All the better. Let Hodakai's terror be contagious; let him pass the news of defeat on to the next dragon who came snooping.
I will do so with delight,
he whispered again to his Master.

But this time he was talking to himself. The great glowing span of the galaxy had vanished, and he was staring alone into the nickering fire of the Voice Stone.

Upon their return from the Deep Caverns, Windrush watched the others in the camp fly their grief flight for those just fallen, venting their sorrow against the target wall. Windrush was weary, and had no energy to spare for futile anger. As for those who had fought in the Deep Caverns, he sent them off with such encouragement as he could, to a well-earned rest.

SearSky, to his surprise, offered encouragement to
him.
"Don't fret over the Deep Caverns, Windrush. So the Enemy has another useless acquisition. It is the lumenis we should worry about."

Windrush accepted the spirit of the black dragon's words, but he was under no illusions about the Deep Caverns. Their loss was a serious blow. And he was worried about the lumenis, too. The fact that none had been lost tonight was scant reassurance; a new attack could come at any time.

"In fact," SearSky added, "it is the young warriors I worry about most. Will they have the heart for fighting, at the end? It's not going to get easier, you know."

"I have to agree," said Farsight. "Many of them are becoming discouraged. I don't know how much longer they can keep the will to fight." Farsight's half-silvered eyes seemed to rotate in distress. "Even now, I don't know if they truly recognize the Enemy for what he is. They stand by us out of loyalty—but they may waver and fall away, if we don't act decisively."

Windrush nodded, reluctantly. "I fear we must begin to prepare for the decisive battle. We may have to strike the Enemy openly, at his heart, whatever the cost. There may be no other way."

"Now you're talking sense!" SearSky growled, his nostrils flaring with red fire. "Strike at the Enemy's heart! Enough of this nonsense about mystical answers! Leave that to the Enemy! What good will his sorcery do him if he's on his own walk to the Final Dream Mountain, eh?" SearSky shook his craggy head with barely contained battle lust, and turned to Stronghold, who was nodding nearby.

Windrush had no answer. He was continually amazed by SearSky's simplistic view of the world; and yet, at the moment, he wondered if SearSky might not be right. Perhaps they should just attack the Enemy, and when it was over, either the Enemy would be dead or the dragons would be.

"The young warriors fought bravely tonight," he muttered, thinking aloud. "Especially Rocktooth."

SearSky's eyes darkened as he turned back to Windrush. "They fought well enough for the Deep Caverns, maybe. But if we're to fly against the Dark Vale, they'll have to fight better. Smarter, faster, fiercer. And the sooner the better."

Windrush studied the warrior dragon for a moment. "In that case, perhaps
you
should train them, SearSky."

The black dragon's eyes flickered with suspicion. Behind him, Stronghold's amber eyes glowed with amusement.

Windrush cocked his head, nodding. "I watched you fight tonight—and no one in the realm fights better. You could teach the younger ones. Sharpen their skills, make them hunger for victory."

"There is no time for
training
!" SearSky spat. "The time has come to
fight
!"

"Indeed, you may be right. The time may be close—though there remain questions to which I need answers first. But—if you are right—then all the more important that you teach quickly, and well. Teach the young ones to fight as you fight."

"It is not their skill or their strength that I question," SearSky growled. "It is their
will.
Their
courage
."

"Then give them will. Give them courage. There is great need and little time. Best you start without delay." Windrush paused, raising his head. "Unless
you
need to rest first—"

Behind SearSky, Stronghold coughed. A wreath of smoke betrayed his amusement.

Windrush caught the black warrior-dragon's gaze again. He could see that SearSky
had
planned to rest, but was changing his mind. "Good. I'm counting on you." He turned to Farsight. "Assign your weakest patrols to train with SearSky when they are not flying. But be ready. We may set out with little warning."

"Where are you going?" SearSky protested as Windrush turned away.

"In search of answers," Windrush said without looking back.

* * *

Windrush knew, as he entered the underrealm in his cavern, that what he had said to SearSky was accurate, and yet incomplete. The dragons did need to fight with absolute ferocity when the time came. But unless he found some new hope, he knew that a face-to-face battle with the Enemy was almost certainly doomed to failure.

Where are you, Jael?
he whispered to the darkness.
Why have you not come to us?

And where were the ifflings? They had spent their strength trying to reach Jael. Were they gone now? Gone forever?

As he passed through the veil of the underrealm window, those questions were dispelled by the more immediate memory of what had happened in the Deep Caverns tonight. He felt his anger rising again as he broke into the demon-rigger's presence.
HODAKAI!
he shouted.

Ah—Windrush!
the spirit answered, dancing nervously—too nervously, almost as if he had been expecting the dragon to appear.

Windrush glared at him. He had a feeling, suddenly, that he had interrupted another conversation—or at least, that Hodakai had very recently been talking to the enemy. He didn't sense the presence of anyone else here now; but there was, he thought, the lingering undersmell of a servant of the Enemy.
Hodakai, you lied to me.

I did?
the spirit squeaked.

You did,
Windrush growled.
You told me to expect the next attack on the lumenis.

The spirit writhed before his anger.
Wasn't it? Did I get it wrong?
There was a tittering quality to his voice that made Windrush certain that someone on the other side had succeeded in intimidating the rigger.

The attack was
not
on
the lumenis. It was on the Deep Caverns—as I expect you know. Why did you lie, Hodakai? Is that what a rigger's word is worth? A lie?
Windrush allowed his kuutekka to grow larger.

The rigger suddenly seemed to be gasping for breath.
You have no hope!
he rasped wildly.
No
hope at all! Give it up, Windrush! Give it up!

The dragon stared very hard at the spirit, until it twitched and grew still. It did not seem to be entirely in its right mind.
What do you mean?
Windrush asked, with a low threat in his voice.

Hodakai twitched again.
I . . . mean . . . you can only fool someone for so long. So you gave me your name! And you—you think you can trick me with it, but I won't be tricked.

What are you talking about?

You lied to
ME
,
Windrush!
the rigger squawked.
You brought
another rigger here to be your slave—and you thought you could enslave me, too! Well, it won't work, Windrush! It won't work!

Windrush was so stunned, he hardly knew how to answer.
Enslave? You fool—if I wanted to enslave you, I would not have given you my name, you drahl-baiting cavern sprite, you—!
Windrush suddenly interrupted himself.
What did you say? Did you say another rigger has entered the realm?

Hodakai laughed, his voice a desperate cackle.
Did you think I could not see past your lies?
Yes
,
your
rigger
is
here
.
But you'll never see her. Rent and the ifflings are making sure of that! You're so arrogant! You think you can—

SILENCE!
Windrush bellowed. He glared at the spirit.
I'll
say this once, Hodakai. I did not lie to you, and I have no intention of enslaving you, or anyone else.
He glared so deeply at the spirit that, for an instant, he caught the other's gaze and glimpsed a thread of his thoughts—and an astonishing network of lies that overlay his thoughts, held in place by a spell of persuasion. It appeared to be a simple spell, one that would probably only work on one as confused as Hodakai. Many of the lies appeared to come from another rigger—a Tar-skel rigger!—named Rent. Windrush grunted, understanding at last. This wretched creature truly had no idea what to believe.

Windrush tugged at a thread of the persuasion spell, trying to loosen it. He couldn't tell if he had succeeded or not.
You are misled by the lies of others,
Windrush growled into the creature's thoughts.
A rigger in league with Tar-skel! No wonder you're confused! And you believe that the ifflings are in league with the Enemy?
Never!

Hodakai pulled back indignantly, trying to gain release from Windrush's gaze.

What do you know of this new rigger?
Windrush asked.
Where is she?

That brought a snarl from the spirit.
Then
as the iffling said, you do intend to—

She is a
FRIEND!
Windrush roared.
A friend to the realm! Whoever
told you differently was no iffling! It was the ifflings who brought her here! Do you understand? They risked everything to bring her to the realm!

Eh?
The spirit seemed completely bewildered now. Windrush tried once more to loosen the spell, then released the spirit from his gaze. Hodakai gasped and shuddered.
But it told me—

Who told you?

It said it was an iffling!

Windrush nearly exploded with frustration.
It
was
not
an iffling! Have you ever heard of ifflings siding with Tar-skel? Have you, rigger?

Well . . .
no
 . . . The rigger flickered.

No—never!
You have been listening to lies! Hodakai! Where is she? Where is the rigger?

Hodakai flared with uncertainty. Windrush couldn't tell if he was thinking for himself again or not.
How would I know?
he whispered plaintively.

You know she's here! What else do you know?

Well, I—yes, but—

Windrush rose enormous in the underrealm window.
Hodakai, do not test me further! If you intend to stand against me, say so!

The rigger-spirit quailed.
I—NO!
I don't know! That is—

That sounded more like the old Hodakai. Windrush sighed wearily.
Tell
me
what you know,
he growled.

Hodakai was almost cowering.
Very little! Really!

Tell me what you know.

Well, I—just that she's been captured.

Captured!
Windrush tried to disguise his anguish.
Tell
me where!

How
would I know? You tell me one thing, Rent tells me another! Rent said she was coming to enslave me.

Rent!
Windrush cried.
Whoever he is, he's a liar! Think about it! Think! Why would a rigger come here just to enslave you?

I—well—it's not that—I mean, Rent is a rigger too. Of course, he . . . I . . .
Hodakai's voice choked off into inaudibility.

Windrush was so angry that he reflexively vented flame over the spirit jar—meaning it not so much for Hodakai as for this Rent, whoever he was. The flame-image passed harmlessly over Hodakai's kuutekka, but startled him nonetheless. Windrush asked tightly,
Where is the rigger now?
Where has she been captured?

Hodakai struggled to put words together.
She arrived—somewhere in the south mountains—that's all I know. That's really—all I know!

Windrush stared at the spirit-flame. If that was true—if Jael had arrived in the southern mountains, if there was even the slightest chance that Hodakai was telling the truth—then he should send every dragon he could spare, to look for her. Except, how could he spare any? For an aimless search through the southern mountains?

Hodakai sniffed.
So—you got it out of me. What you do with it is your problem. But you should also know . . .

Windrush waited.

You
should know . . .
Hodakai said slowly, but as though he were winding up to something. Suddenly he burst out,
Your
cause is hopeless! Hopeless! The Nail has everything he needs to complete his plan. The Words will be fulfilled, and you will never see your Dream
Mountain
again
.
Unless . . .

Unless what?
Windrush growled.

Hodakai's flame quieted.
Unless you surrender now.

Windrush stared at the spirit.

Hodakai spoke again, his voice like a chant:
No
hope. Unless
you
surrender
.
Unless
you give it up.

The dragon hissed.
Who told you to say that? Rent?

Hodakai became agitated, but didn't answer.

What else do you know that you're not saying?