Bryan Davis - Eye of the Oracle

Mara held the egg in her fingertips. “I didn’t hear it say anything about his kingdom.”

“What else could it mean? Elohim wants to establish his rule through my father and protect the people from further punishment.”

Mara extended the egg toward him. “Then why did it want me to talk to it instead of you?”

“We’ll find out soon enough.” Mardon pulled down the bottom hem of his outer shirt, smoothing the material. “Come. We’ll go immediately. The sun will be too bright for you, so you’ll have to wear some kind of hood to shield your eyes.”

She pulled her coif from her pocket and held it up. “I have my veil.”

“Oh, yes. For the magma river. That should work fine.”

She tied it on and began pushing her hair underneath. “When will we return?”

“It depends on what Elohim says to my father. Could be soon; could be later.”

“Will my spawn be okay?”

“Who cares about your spawn?” Mardon twisted his sandal on the floor as if squishing a bug. “He’s expendable. He’s nothing compared to the glory of what we are about to accomplish!”

“But I don’t want him to die!”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the control room exit. “Come now. Let’s not play the fool! Do you have a safe place for the egg?”

Mara nodded. As she carefully placed it in her dress pocket, she pressed her lips together. The thought of her spawn being suspended in his new chamber without being fed tore her apart.

Mardon grabbed a lantern and flung open the door. “We’ll have to find Morgan first and make up some kind of excuse for taking you to the top. I can’t open the lower portal without her.”

“Portal?”

“Too complicated to explain fully. There is no physical path to the surface, so we have to pass through a dimensional window. You see, there are multiple dimensions ” He sighed and pulled her faster. “Never mind. Since you’re friends with Elohim now, just pray that my father likes you. Like all good kings, with all the pressures on him, he can be. . temperamental.”

“Like Morgan?”

He jerked her wrist hard, lifting her to her tiptoes. “No! Not like Morgan! My father is gentle and kind to his friends, but he has to be harsh with fools and insubordinates, or his enemies will think him spineless.” He raised a tightening fist. “No king will survive for long if he doesn’t crush rebellion.”

The pain from his vise-like grip burned across Mara’s skin. “You’re hurting me!”

“Oh.” He released her and brushed his palm on his shirt. “Sorry. I got carried away.”

Mara rubbed her wrist. She thought of a dozen snide comments to make about the gentility of Mardon’s father, but she didn’t want to risk missing out on visiting the upper lands. “It’s okay,” she whispered.

Mardon patted her on the back. “We’ll go and see Morgan first, then the endless sky.”

Makaidos stood on his haunches and gazed at the horizon. Even from so many miles away, he could see Nimrod’s Tower looming over the land, like a fist with a rigid finger pointed heavenward. Black smoke rose all around its base, the fires of belching kilns mixing with the foul gases of bubbling tar pits.

“Brick upon brick” he snorted a spray of steam “evil is growing in the city faster than I thought possible.”

“A monument to the pride of men,” Thigocia grumbled as she lay at her mate’s side. “They are supposed to be scattering and filling the earth, but obviously even Noah has no influence over them any longer.”

Makaidos sighed. “True. Most of the sons of Adam are not worthy of our service to them, but the faithful remnant still give me hope.”

“We must keep praying as Noah taught us.” Thigocia laid her head on the ground. “Your father would want you to keep your eyes on the Maker.”

“The Maker is the god of men,” Makaidos said, “and we are but dust of the earth, coarse pegs in a cosmic game. Why should the ever-living one care about those destined to return to dust?”

“Nonsense! What kind of talk is that from the king of the dragons?”

“Sensible talk. Down-to-earth talk. But it matters little. I am content to be his lowly peg.” He bowed his head, letting his snout dip so close to the ground, his hot breath scattered the sandy soil.

Thigocia’s tail moved to his brow and stroked it gently. “Are you really content, my love?”

Makaidos lifted his head and, unable to resist Thigocia’s probing stare, gazed into her deep red eyes. Her powerful mind seemed to penetrate his own, as though she could read his every thought. “Perhaps not. My joy has burned like dry brush.”

Thigocia sighed and looped her tail around his. “When our new one is born, you will feel joy again.”

“How can I feel joy?” Makaidos pulled his tail away. “Goliath had no reason to turn against Noah. His actions defy all logic. By refusing to serve even the faithful humans, he has turned against us as well.”

“You and I know that, but Goliath acts on instinct, on what he feels inside. The people of Shinar have given him reason to despise mankind, have they not? The true followers of Noah are so few now, look where they are forced to live. Rats in caves. That’s what they have become.”

Makaidos couldn’t answer. He just lifted his chin and gazed at the sky. A smaller dragon glided down, sunlight filtering through her honey-colored wings. She landed gracefully in front of Makaidos and Thigocia and bowed her head to each of them. “Father. Mother. Greetings.”

Thigocia touched the young dragon’s face with the tip of her wing. “Welcome home, Roxil.”

Makaidos curled his neck around his daughter’s and winked at Thigocia. “Perhaps joy comes in many packages.”

Roxil backed away. “Packages? What are you talking about?”

“A private joke between your mother and me,” Makaidos said, smiling. “How was your patrol last night?”

“All was quiet. No incidents.” Roxil tilted her head. “Why?”

“I was curious. I felt a twinge of danger around midnight. Something in the direction of Noah’s dwellings. Do you remember seeing anything unusual at that time?”

Roxil’s tail twitched and tapped the ground nervously. “Actually, I was talking to Goliath for a little while.”

“While in flight?”

Roxil half closed her eyes. “No.”

Makaidos thrashed the ground with his tail. “You left your patrol without relief?”

Roxil lowered her head and glared at him. “Just for a few minutes. The human village can survive for a half hour without us guarding it like winged mama bears!”

“You know they count on us for protection. Noah’s people are in constant danger from Nimrod’s raiders.”

“You think I care nothing for the humans?” Plumes of smoke rose from Roxil’s snout. “I will have you know that I uncovered trouble brewing in the city. Nimrod has marshaled a police force to capture more laborers for the tower construction. A dragon is his chief enforcer, one I have never seen.”

Thigocia rose to her haunches. “Never seen? How can that be? You know every dragon in existence.”

Roxil pawed the ground, sketching a crude dragon’s body in the sand. “He is Father’s size, redder, with longer spines at the end of his tail.”

Makaidos locked gazes with Thigocia. “No one in our brood bears such features,” he said.

Roxil scratched away her sketch. “I know what I saw.”

Makaidos stretched out his wings. “I think I should visit Nimrod’s Tower to see who this dragon is and what is afoot. The stories of corruption are too heart-wrenching to believe.”

“I wish I could come with you,” Thigocia said.