Richard Tuttle - Web of Deceit

“Bah,” scowled the dragon. “You are just looking for a free ride. Why should I trouble myself with your difficulties?”

“Because if you don’t help us, we will never get off this mountain,” answered Bakhai.

“So,” queried Myka. “Like I am supposed to care whether or not you spend your miserable existence on this mountain or somewhere else? You have to offer me a better incentive to help you and your friends, or you will spend your lives here.”

Bakhai frowned and tried to figure out what a dragon would want that he could offer. Absolutely nothing came to mind. Myka really had the upper hand and if Bakhai could not offer something to the dragon they were stuck on this mountain. Suddenly, he laughed.

“What is so funny?” questioned the dragon.

“Just the thought of living on this mountain with you,” laughed Bakhai. “It really isn’t such a bad mountain after all. I can imagine many happy years here. Actually, it is close to perfect. The children will love it.”

“Children?” frowned Myka. “What children?”

“Mistake’s of course,” grinned Bakhai. “We are all quite young yet. We will have many years to live here and nothing to do except create children. I bet there will be hundreds of them.”

“Bah,” scowled the dragon, “children are worse than rats. I should have eaten the female when I had the chance, even though she is all bones. Very well, I will give you your ride to the jungle, but I do not go out in the daylight. Too many humans want to show their false bravery when they know a dragon is around. Wait on the peak and I will arrive after dark. I warn you, talker, if you are not ready, you will not get your ride.”

“We will be ready,” grinned Bakhai as he bowed to the dragon.

***

Mistake and Rejji sat and gazed at the Fakaran countryside as they waited for Bakhai to return. They talked about their visit with the Sage and what they thought it all meant, but neither one of them could figure out what the mysteries were that the Sage had spoken about.

Mistake told Rejji of her home life in the fisherman’s village and how she ran away. He could tell by her facial expressions and the tone of voice that she was not real proud of what she had done to survive, but she was proud of the fact that she had survived on her own.

Rejji picked up Mistake’s stick as she spoke and turned it upside down. He had marveled at how the device had reacted when Mistake used it and wondered what made the balls defy gravity as they had. He looked curiously as the balls hung straight down, but they did not quite touch one another.

“Why don’t they touch?” queried Rejji. “Shouldn’t the balls be touching?”

“I was pretty sure they did for Bakhai,” frowned Mistake. “Do you have any family left at all?”

“I don’t think so,” replied Rejji. “My grandfather kept saying my parents would return, but that was so many years ago that they left. I can’t imagine them being alive and not coming back for me.”

“Well the balls are pretty close together,” Mistake said. “We don’t even know if it is supposed to work for anyone but me anyway.”

“True,” nodded Rejji. “Do you think Bakhai will find a way off this mountain?”

“I hope so,” stated Mistake. “If Myka won’t tell him, maybe he can ask the goats or birds. There has to be a way.”

Rejji handed the stick back to Mistake as their conversation returned to Mistake’s adventures before she met Rejji. They talked for several hours and watched the sun slide down behind the western mountains. Just as their talk turned to Bakhai and whether he was safe or not, Bakhai emerged from the side of the mountain.

“Get ready to leave,” Bakhai panted.

“You found a way down?” asked Mistake excitedly. “Are the Jiadin still around?”

“We won’t have to worry about the Jiadin,” grinned Bakhai. “Myka is giving us a ride to the jungle.”

“The dragon?” shouted Mistake. “You want me to ride on that thing? It is probably a trick just to eat us.”

“Not at all,” chuckled Bakhai as he caught his breath. “She is helping us so she doesn’t have to deal with your children.”

“My children?” frowned Mistake. “What are you talking about?”

“I will tell you later,” he grinned as he detected the sound of massive wings flapping. “Just make sure we all get on for the ride. She will not tolerate any delays. Here she comes.”

The roar of rushing wind barely preceded the sight of the huge dragon as Myka hovered near the summit and then landed in a clear area.

“Come along,” Myka said tersely, “and if you tell anyone about this, I will eat your children, bones and all.”

Bakhai scampered up the back of the dragon and reached his hand down to Mistake. Mistake hesitated and Rejji grabbed her and hoisted her up to Bakhai’s arms. Rejji scurried up Myka’s back and held Mistake around the waist and instructed her to hold Bakhai. Myka snorted and grinned as she hobbled to the edge of the mountain, leaned far over the edge, and let herself fall forward. The trio screamed as if they were dying as the dragon plummeted toward the ground. Bakhai distinctly heard a cackle as the dragon spread her wings and the dive transformed into a glide.

“You did that on purpose,” shouted Bakhai. “You nearly scared us all to death.”

“I can’t hear you,” chuckled Myka. “And if I could hear you, I certainly don’t need flying instructions from a human. You just hang on and leave the flying to an expert.”

Bakhai shook his head, but had a hard time suppressing his own laughter at the dragon’s antics. The night was dark and the air rushing past them was very cool. Bakhai was forced to close his eyes to mere slits in the face of the rushing wind, but even then the sight of the land passing below them thrilled him. He could not pick out much of the detail, but he could see the difference between grassland and forest. As they glided lower, he could see streams passing below them. He was not sure of the time it took to reach the edge of the jungle, but to Bakhai, the trip was too short.

Myka flared her wings as the ground came rushing up at them and slowed to a walking pace before she landed. Mistake pulled Rejji's hands away from her waist and slid down the side of the dragon as soon as they landed. Rejji and Bakhai followed.

“Thank you, Myka,” bowed Bakhai. “We are indebted to you.”

“That you are,” smiled the dragon. “It has been a long time since I got out to see how things are going. That flight made me hungry.”

Mistake backed away from the dragon and Myka lowered her head and snaked her long neck towards the thief. Mistake was terrified and reached for one her daggers, but the huge dragon winked at her and chuckled.

“I will say you have a lot of spunk for such a small thief,” Myka laughed as she withdrew her head from Mistake. “I think I could go for a nice fat wasooki or maybe a dozen more of those Jiadin warriors.”

Without further comment, Myka flapped her wings and took off into the air. The trio watched her go as far as the dark night allowed, which was not very far. Bakhai turned and started walking along the edge of the jungle. Rejji and Mistake followed him and eventually they heard the Qubari signal and turned into the jungle.

“Welcome home,” greeted Mobi. “We did not expect you so soon. Did you not find the Sage?”

“We found him,” said Bakhai. “We need to return to the village, but some sleep is required first. Can we leave at first light?”

Mobi nodded and walked the trio back to the Qubari campsite. Bakhai told the Qubari warriors of their journey, but left out the words of the Sage. The trio shared a meal with the jungle warriors and then everyone went to sleep. In the morning the group began the trip back to the village.