Starlighter (21 page)

If only I could pull you out.
Koren extended a hand, grimacing as the cruel manacles tore into her skin.
I…can’t…reach…any farther!

“No! Don’t hurt yourself!” Jason looked at the water, now level with his chest. Cold and swirling, it took his breath away. At this rate, he would be completely underwater in less than a minute.

What can I do?
Koren asked.

“I don’t know. Is there a code? A secret word?”

She shook her head, obviously frustrated.
Are you alone? Is there no one you can call to rescue you?

The water rose to his neck. “I wasn’t alone earlier. Elyssa was with me, but I can’t leave or the river will reverse course, and she might drown.”

Elyssa? Tell me about her. Maybe I can find her for you. I can see what most people can’t.

With the water now to his jaw, he lifted his chin to keep his mouth above the surface. “She’s three months younger than me, maybe two inches shorter. Long reddish brown hair, green eyes, pretty face.”

As Koren closed her eyes, her brow furrowed.
I think I see her. Is her face oval shaped?

“Yes, I would say so.”

She looks wet.

“Yes! That’s Elyssa!” His words bubbled in the water. “Is she all right?”

Koren’s face scrunched tightly.
She is kneeling on a carpet of muddy grass and yellow flowers.

Jason stood on tiptoes to spit out his reply. “Kneeling? Not swimming?”

Yes. Kneeling. She is with two men
,
one old and one young
,
and they are searching for something.

“Are you seeing the past? The future?”

Koren opened her eyes. A morose expression dragged down her features.
I don’t know. This is all new to me.

Now holding his breath as the water rose past his lips, Jason stared at Koren. Could she be trusted? Might she be a figment of his imagination, planted in his brain by a snatcher? Or was she real, a true Lost One who begged for his help?

As if summoned by his thoughts, the smoky ghost returned, swirling above his head. “Release the portal, Jason Masters, or you will die.”

Jason glared at the phantom. It wanted him to fail, so why should he listen? Maybe this was all part of the gateway puzzle. Maybe filling the chamber was necessary to
get the portal to open. Could that be what the inscription meant?
Where only courageous hearts may brave the river’s flow.
Someone had to have the courage to stay put while water rose to the ceiling. If he could hold his breath long enough, the opening of the portal might rescue him.

Maybe.

The litmus finger began throbbing against his skin. He begged for guidance, but it seemed that the special powers the finger had given earlier had faded. And why not? He had found the portal. Maybe that was all the finger was good for.

Now submerged, Jason looked at the viewer once more. Koren stared back at him, her hands folded in entreaty. The current warped his view, making her lips difficult to read, but she seemed to be shouting “Jason,” again and again. As her chains rose with her clenched hands, she looked so sincere, so pitiful, so lovely.

He closed his eyes. The image of Elyssa diving into the river’s flow came to mind. Maybe she was safe and kneeling in a field, as Koren had seen, and maybe not. At this point, even if he withdrew his fingers, he probably wouldn’t find a way to escape anyway. Keeping them in the wall seemed to be the only way to survive. The opening of the portal was his only hope.

With his lungs feeling ready to explode, Jason tried to peer at the water’s surface, now up to the ceiling. No air remained in the chamber. All hope of survival seemed to wash away. Even if the portal opened, he might not have the strength to go through it.

He looked again at Koren. She had buried her face in her bloody hands, crying bitterly. With her image firmly implanted in his mind, Jason closed his eyes again, and everything faded to black.

Elyssa snatched up the rope. “I found it!”

“I’ll hold the gate open,” Randall said, taking the rope from her. “But how are you going to fight the current all the way back to Jason?”

Elyssa shot to her feet and stared at the water. Although it began receding immediately, it seemed slow, far too slow. “If the flow goes down enough, I’m hoping to find a footpath alongside the river. If I can’t, you’ll have to close the gate again so we can rise back to the surface.”

“How will I know? I can’t see down that far.”

Elyssa kept her gaze on the hole. “Tibalt will have to hang on to the rope while I work. He’ll give it a tug.”

Tibalt set his toes at the edge of the pit. “This is familiar, like a story my pappy used to tell me.”

“A story?” Elyssa asked.

“He told me about a river that changed direction.” Tibalt lifted his hands. “And you can make it change by using your fingers.”

“Yes, I know.” Elyssa kept her focus on the water as it drained toward the pit. In only seconds it would be time to jump in and float down with it. “There are holes at the gateway, and when Jason put his fingers in them, the river switched course.”

“Pappy didn’t say anything about that.” Tibalt lowered his voice and spoke in a growl. “The hero reaches for the gate by touching dragon’s teeth of eight. But enter not the dragon’s cave, or the dragon’s throat will be your grave.”

Elyssa shuddered. “I saw the dragon’s teeth.”

“So you can reverse the flow?” Randall asked.

“We’ll soon find out.” Elyssa jumped into the hole and paddled to keep her head above the surface. “Tibber will let you know if I get the flow reversed. If I succeed, I can lock the gate open with a lever I found down there. When I slide the lever back to where it was before, the rope won’t control the gate at all.”

“Why don’t you just let me close it after you reverse the flow? Then the river will be trapped behind that gate and dry up. You could walk to Jason.”

“The teeth were there only when the lever locked the gate open, so I have to take control down there. Besides, if it was dry, you wouldn’t be able to jump in and join us.”

“Join you? By jumping from way up here?”

Elyssa shrugged. “It’s up to you. If your courage is lacking, feel free to go home.”

“Courage?” Randall’s grip tightened on the rope. “Diving into an underground river to nowhere isn’t courage. It’s crazy!”

“You only live once!” Tibalt leaped into the hole. He submerged but soon bobbed to the surface and spat out a stream of water. “It tastes like soap!”

As she descended with the water, Elyssa looked up at Randall and gave him a smirk. “I understand. Tibber and I will be the crazy ones, an old man and a girl. Go back to the palace and put on some clean silk stockings and the satin underwear you keep in your top left drawer.”

“What? I don’t have any—”

“I used to do your laundry.” Elyssa blew him a kiss. “I’ll see you at the gateway.”

The rate of descent increased, and the water began a slow spin. Tibalt grabbed the rope and fed it through his bandaged hands. “When do you figure I should hang on?”

“I’m not sure,” Elyssa said. “I’ll just have to guess.” Swirling faster now, she closed her eyes and imagined the dragon’s mouth. Now open, the water would be flushing through it. How far down was it?

As she concentrated, the scene below took shape in her mind: the outline of the mouth, the bubbles in the current, and the lever, but no teeth.

The mouth drew closer and closer. At this rate, she would be there in seconds. “Tibber!” she shouted, opening her eyes. “Hold the rope!”

With light from above quickly diminishing, Tibalt tightened his grip and rose out of the water, dripping like a captured fish. “Don’t leave me hanging too long!”

“I won’t!” Elyssa gazed at the brave old man. His hands had to hurt, and fresh from his escape after a lifetime in the dungeon, here he was, ready to risk his life to help them find something he remembered like a storybook tale. His courage was amazing.

Soon a current began to pull on Elyssa’s feet. In almost complete darkness, she let her mental vision expand, hoping to find the mouth again. There it was, only two body lengths down. Water rushed through, creating a downward sucking action that would soon grab her body and sweep her into its vacuum.

She pressed her hands and feet against the wall, slowly letting them spread apart as she descended. With nothing more than smooth irregularities in the stone to grip, she fought against the downward pull.

With a loud slurping noise, the water’s surface fell below the top of the gaping mouth. The river rushed through, pulling her clothes and straining at her body. She let the pressure slide her farther down until she braced one foot on each side of the hole. Then, inch by inch, she moved one hand toward the protruding lever, now in front of her. She grabbed it and jerked it back to its original position. Eight stony teeth slowly pushed from the top of the opening and locked in place.

The water stopped its descent. Now a smoothly running river once again, it continued its never-ending flow, pushing against her lower back, as if trying to shove her into the throat. In her mind’s eye, the dragon came to life with eyes of red glowing just above the hungry maw.

“Randall can let go now!” she yelled.

The river’s tumult drowned out her voice. Had Tibalt heard her at all? And the force was incredible. Her legs wavered. The friction stung her skin mercilessly, but she had to hang on. For Jason’s sake, she just had to.

She let go of the lever and slid her right hand down a conical tooth and touched the sharp point at the bottom with a finger. Then, spreading out her hand, she touched three others.

Now for the other hand. But with her right no longer bracing against the wall, her legs and other arm began to buckle. Could she resist the wet onslaught at her back with just her legs?

As she slid her left hand down, her calf cramped. Pain knifed through her muscles from her ankle to her thigh. Any second they would give way and—

“Aaugh!” Her body lunged through the mouth feet-first, but she grabbed on to a tooth, flipped over to her
belly, and looked straight out the dragon’s maw. Water surged into her face and blasted into her mouth and nose. She couldn’t breathe. She had to let go, or else drown in a matter of seconds.

She strangled the tooth and pulled with all her might. She couldn’t let go! She had to get back to Jason.

Her fingers slipped. They were numb, frozen digits petrified by cold water and pain. The current beat against her face. Trickles forced their way through her nostrils and into her lungs. But she couldn’t cough them out. She would drown for sure. Only one choice remained: let the river take her and see what lay at the other end of the dragon’s throat.

Clenching her eyelids tightly, Elyssa loosened her fingers and let go.

K
oren buried her face in her hands and wept. “Oh, Jason! What have you done? Oh, Jason!”

She peeked between her fingers. Should she look? Would he be dead?

The egg’s black shell came into focus, but no scene of a flooded chamber returned, just her own reflection.

As she lowered her hands, her lips moved, unbidden. “Why do you lament for this human?”

She choked out her reply. “He was trying to come here to rescue me.”

“Rescue you? Why do you need rescue? You have been granted the most glorious Assignment in this realm.”

“Glorious?” Koren shook her chains. “Do you call this glorious? Shackled to the floor to serve a dragon in an egg?”

“The chains are necessary only until you learn to love me. Then you will be ready to serve me without bonds, as Zena does.”

Koren scowled at her reflection. “I don’t ever want to be like Zena. She’s a walking corpse. And, besides, if you force someone to love you, that’s not really love at all. Love has to be a choice. Chains can never bind a heart.”

“Are you saying that you would choose to love me? In your current condition of aggression and doubt, would you ever be convinced that I am worthy to be served from the heart?”

She shook a chain again. “If this is your idea of being worthy, then no, I would never learn to love you.”

“Yet if you stay in chains long enough, you will love me, so the chains must stay. It is better that you love me by force than be given freedom to choose and not love me. You see, as a slave, you have no capacity to love me yet, so I must force love upon you. At the end, your heart of devotion is all that matters, not the path you take in getting there.”

Koren glared at her torn skin and blood-stained wrists. “I beg to disagree.”

The strange voice again emerged from her lips. “I understand your doubts, but you do not know me well enough yet to trust me. When you learn, you will then understand.”

She closed her eyes. Watching herself speak the dragon’s words was beyond confusing.

After waiting a few seconds for her thoughts to come together, she replied in a firm tone, “And you don’t know me well enough to trust me, either. If you prove yourself worthy of love, I won’t need chains.”

For a moment, silence ensued. Koren barely opened her eyelid and peeked out. Somehow, her expression mimicked
the feelings she projected on the dragon—perplexed, caught in a trap.

Finally, her lips moved again. “Since you are a Starlighter, I should have expected such an interesting proposition. Shall we make a deal?”

Koren closed her eyes again. “What kind of deal?”

“You will be released—free, no longer a slave. Roam the chambers of the Basilica to learn what you may. I will ensure that no one here accosts you, and I will instruct Zena to provide meals for you whenever you wish. Visit me each evening, and we will talk. If you have not learned to love me before I hatch, you may return to your previous Assignment.”

She opened her eyes fully. In the reflection, her face took on a skeptical slant. “What’s the catch?”

“Nothing burdensome. You must wear the Starlighter’s cloak, for that will let every dragon in the Basilica know that you are under my supervision. They will think that you have submitted to me and have been allowed freedom. You must also stay in the Basilica. I cannot protect you outside these walls.”

Koren looked at her chains. They felt as heavy as pails of rocks from the cattle camps. Getting set free would allow her to escape the Basilica and find Natalla, but that would break the agreement, the deal that would sever the manacles. Was it a violation of the Code to lie in order to save a life? The Code was clear that lying for selfish reasons was not allowed, but this was different. Natalla needed her. Could she make this deal with the dragon and then break it? Risking her own life to save an innocent one was the most unselfish act possible, wasn’t it?
Yet, this wouldn’t be like one of her tall tales, designed to entertain rather than to deceive. Maybe she could make the promise, fully intending to keep it, and just pray that the solution would become clear later.

She lifted her hand, her palm toward the egg. “I agree to your terms.”

“Excellent.” Once again, her lips moved to give voice to the egg’s occupant. “Zena should return soon with your cloak, and I will command her to make the arrangements. For now, you must stay here and rest. Your freedom will come in the morning.”

Elyssa braced herself for a plunge into darkness and death, but she didn’t move. In the midst of the sound of rushing water, a voice rang out. “I’ve got you! Try to push with your feet and free hand.”

Tibber’s voice! Did he have a grip on her wrist? With all the water pelting her skin, she couldn’t feel his hand.

While kicking with both feet, she clawed the rocky side. Like a fireball, her body slung forward and out of the dragon’s mouth. Then the current reversed her momentum and kicked her back toward the dragon, but Tibalt wrapped an arm around her waist and held her fast while bracing his feet against the rocky wall.

“If we don’t work together,” he said, “we’ll be dragon bait. I’ll hold you while you touch that rascal’s teeth.”

Now shivering with relief and cold, Elyssa reached for the sharp points and pressed the pads of her fingers against them. As she held them in place, she spoke into Tibalt’s ear. “Notice any changes?”

He shook his head, slinging droplets into her face. “Nothing yet. Maybe it needs more body heat.”

“If I have any left.” Elyssa pressed harder—so hard, the points pierced her skin, but it was too dark to tell if she had drawn blood. The pain was awful, but she clenched her teeth, determined to keep pushing until the river changed course.

After a few more seconds, the ground shook and seemed to tip slightly. The water slowed to a halt and sloshed against their faces. Elyssa pulled away from the teeth and sucked on the most painful finger, the salty taste of blood sharp on her tongue.

Soon the river began to flow again, this time toward the gateway.

Tibalt shouted, “I think we’re about to go for a ride!”

Elyssa wrapped her arms around him. “You keep us afloat for a while. When you get tired, I’ll take over.”

“Are you sure?” Tibalt began to paddle. “I can try to swim all the way.”

“Trust me. I’ve done this before.”

The rush slung them into the tunnel leading toward Jason, the water now warmer than last the time but still uncomfortable. Elyssa gritted her teeth, trying to keep from shivering or thinking about the possibility of finding Jason lifeless at the gateway’s entrance.

As they rushed along, she penetrated the darkness with her mental vision. At times, she kicked against the walls to keep from smashing into them. Soon a hint of illumination entered her mind. The chamber was near. Would Jason still be there?

She probed further and searched for signs of life. Nothing. No warmth. No movement. Not a stir.

After a few seconds, light rushed into her vision. She opened her eyes and groped for shore, shouting, “We’re here, Tibber. Swim!”

Her hands slapped the riverbank, and her feet scraped against the bottom. She trudged out and scanned the area, her heart pounding. Jason lay on his stomach near the wall, motionless.

Dripping and sliding, she ran to him, laid him on his back, and checked his pulse. Nothing.

She lifted her head and screamed, “Tibber!”

“I’m coming.” Tibalt sloshed to Jason’s side and dropped to his knees. “He looks as dead as a fence post.”

Elyssa pushed on Jason’s chest with rhythmic thrusts. “Can you do this for me?”

When Elyssa slid her hands away, Tibalt put his in their place. “Like this?” he asked as he copied her motions.

“Perfect! Keep it up!” She tilted Jason’s head back, opened his jaw, and covered his gaping blue lips with her mouth. Her body shaking all over, she blew. Then, after taking a quick breath through her nose, she blew again and repeated the process several times, listening for any sign of recovery and mentally probing his body for the slightest change.

Finally, Jason coughed and spat. Elyssa jerked away and waved for Tibalt to stop. She helped Jason rise to a sitting position and patted him on the back while he continued hacking. “Just keep coughing it up. Get all the water out. You’ll be fine soon.”

Tibalt took one of Jason’s hands and rubbed it briskly. “Better get some blood flowing, boy. You’re as blue as a baby bonnet.”

After several more heaves, Jason shook his head hard before staring at Elyssa with wide eyes. “What happened?”

Elyssa grinned. “You drowned.”

He looked up at the wall. “Oh, yeah. I kept my fingers in the holes until I blacked out. Pretty stupid, I guess.”

“Not at all.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I’m sure you did it for me.”

Jason’s eyes shot wide open again. “Koren!”

“Koren? Who’s Koren?”

“The girl in the portal.” Jason climbed to his feet and staggered to the wall. Touching a dark glass oval, he looked back at Elyssa. “We talked through this window. She’s on the dragon planet.”

Elyssa rose and, rubbing her wet arms, shuffled closer. “You talked to one of the Lost Ones?”

“Well, not really ‘talked.’ I read her lips.”

“She told you she was a slave?”

Jason rubbed his wrist and nodded. “She was in chains, bleeding. It was really sad.”

“Can you see her now?” Elyssa tried to peek past Jason. Had he really seen someone, or was it all a dream?

“I don’t see her now.” Jason reinserted his fingers into the holes. “I’ll try again. Maybe—”

“No!” Elyssa jerked his arm back. “You might reverse the river again.”

“What’s wrong with that? You’re both safe. Besides, we need to turn on the warm air before we freeze to death.”

“Randall might come. He was supposed to follow us.”

“Might
come?” Jason repeated.

“Well, he never said for sure, but I think he will. He just has to summon the courage to jump.”

“Oh, he’ll come,” Tibalt said, cackling. “This pretty young lady shamed him down to a toadstool. If he’s half a man, he’ll be here.”

“Speaking of which…” Elyssa walked to the river’s edge, hugging herself and shivering harder. “We’d better watch for him.”

Jason’s voice spiked. “What’s more important? Watching for a guy who might come, or trying to get in touch with the girl on the dragon planet?”

Elyssa spun back toward him. “Get the water out of your brain, Jason. The girl you dreamed about might not be real.”

“She’s real. I’m sure of it. She responded to me.”

“Then she’s safe for now. She can wait a few more minutes.”

“Wait for what? Koren is a slave in chains. Randall is a trained survivor. After we go through the portal, the river will probably turn back our way. He’ll be fine.”

They stared at each other, neither flinching. Tibalt glanced at them in turn. “Well, this is all a bunch of fish feathers! If Jason’s fingers came out of those little worm holes when he fainted, then he wasn’t the one who changed the flow to what it is now. Whatever you did back there with those dragon fangs, this river is now a one-way paddleboat stream, at least until your blood drips off those teeth.” He marched to the wall and inserted his fingers, pushing his bandage back and exposing his raw wounds. “You watch for Randall. I want to see the slave girl.”

The moment his fingers slid to the back of the holes, the lights flashed on again. As before, warm, dry air swirled throughout the chamber, and the dragons pulsed,
but this time, the firelights from the dragons’ mouths changed direction and breathed on the window. Like oil spreading across a pond, the oval expanded and covered the lights, as if a dense cloud had shadowed every speck of radiance.

Tibalt’s eyes widened, and he drew his head back, but he kept his feet and fingers locked in place. “It’s my pappy’s story!”

As the glass stretched out, it brightened, turning from black to gray to white. Soon it became transparent, as if no barrier stood between them and the scene on the other side. The new room appeared to be an extension of their own chamber, yet with sunlight flooding in from a passageway at the far side and a staircase that sloped up and out of sight.

Tibalt looked at his hands. “I can still feel the tingle, but there ain’t any holes.”

“It looks safe enough,” Jason said as he reached a hand into the new chamber.

Elyssa clutched a fistful of his wet shirtsleeve. “If that’s the dragon world, it’s not safe.”

“This is what we came for.” Jason touched the sword hilt at his hip. “I’m ready.”

“No use standing around,” Tibalt said. “A door that opens is bound to close, and this one might slam shut in our faces.”

Elyssa looked back at the river. “What about Randall? If he comes, he’ll be trapped here.”

“We can’t afford to wait.” Jason let out a huff. “I feel bad for Randall, but we have to save the Lost Ones. This might be our only chance.” He pointed at the sword
brackets. “If he comes, he can grab a sword and wait for us.”

“I’ll stay,” Tibalt said, shivering as a draft blew in from the new opening. “It looks like I’m the only one who can open this door, so if he shows up, we’ll find you. Randall’s a good tracker.”

Jason nodded. “And we might need his photo gun.” He grasped Tibalt’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. That’s not cold making my bones shake. I want to delay meeting any dragons for as long as I can. You know what the old song says. When you offer a hand, make sure he’s a friend, or when you draw back your arm, it won’t have an end.”

Jason nodded at Elyssa. “And what’s causing your shivers? The cold or the prospect of meeting dragons?”

“Both.” She resisted the urge to grab his hand and march with him into the other world. That’s what would happen anyway, but skipping steps now would be out of line. He needed to make the offer.

As if reading her thoughts, Jason reached for her. “Let’s find a warmer place in the dragon world.”

“By all means.” She smiled and took his hand. “Lead the way, warrior.”

Koren opened her eyes. The light of morning filtered in from the air vent in the ceiling, barely visible in the radiance of the fiery geysers. The egg was there, still black and shiny, with her reflection again staring back at her. Yet much had changed since she first came into this new Assignment only hours ago. The chains lay on the floor
nearby, the manacles open. A soft pillow supported her head, and a thick pad cushioned her body; gifts from Zena, who had become far more courteous than before.