Alison Goodman - Eon - Dragoneye Reborn

I checked on Lady Dela. She was edging behind the stack near the grate, the folio angled to catch the moonlight. Ahead, Ryko was fighting with his back against the bales, two guards raining blows on him. He was blocking most of them and frantically dodging those that he missed, the slicing thrusts ripping dusty holes in the bale behind him.

'Oy' I shouted, running at the closest of his attackers.

The man spun around. I saw Ryko's eyes cut to me — shock turning to fury — then my view was blocked by the guard. This one was older, more cautious, shrewd calculation on his lean face.

'You should surrender,' he said. 'Then perhaps your friends will survive.'

I answered with the Monkey Dragon Third: a series of quick cuts aimed at the neck. But this man was no over-confident youngster. He stopped me by sweeping his swords outwards, the weight of each connection pushing my swords wide. I felt my grips slip and loosen. He swung his right sword back, lining up a hilt punch to my head. Gritting my teeth, I tightened my right grip and brought my blade down onto his hilt. I heard him curse as the cut just missed his fingers and sliced into the leather binding. He broke away, deftly swinging the sword around.

Kinra's knowledge was still bright within me, but my body was tiring. Her rage could not keep me going much longer.

At the corner of my vision, I saw Ido, swords drawn, coming up the alley. Ryko saw him too and, in a desperate lunge that left

him unprotected, slashed a wild stroke at the Dragoneye's head. It missed, and Ryko's back arched as his opponent's sword plunged into his right side. Then the guard in front of me attacked and my focus narrowed into deflecting the flicking thrusts that threatened to disarm me. Was Ryko hurt? Dead? I could not take my eyes off my opponent, but the clanging sounds of sword on sword and the heavy pants of pained effort gave me hope.

'Pull out,' Ido ordered.

My swinging cut sliced through air as my opponent immediately ducked sideways, making way for his master.

'Try and take the islander alive,' Ido ordered, jerking his head back at Ryko. 'And then find the freak.'

The guard dipped his head and retreated. If Ryko was hurt, he would not last long against such a cunning fighter. I raised my swords, trying to catch extra breath in the momentary lull.

Ido smiled at me, and swung his swords up into a mirror of my own. He had discarded the heavy embroidered Ascendant coat and his thin linen undershirt showed the broad lines of his shoulders and chest. I had felt his massive strength in the Dragon House at Daikiko. He was quick too. I flexed my toes, trying to ease the weakness of exhaustion already trembling through my legs.

'You fight very well for a cripple,' he said. 'Perhaps you have access to more power than you claim.'

I met his amber eyes. There was no silver Hua threaded through them — he was not using his dragon power — but there was a light in their depths made of madness. How did you fight a madman? I tightened my grip on Kinra's swords; a wordless prayer for the power to stop him.

'You've killed all the other Dragoneyes, haven't you? Even the apprentices,' I said, watching for the flicker of tension that would herald his attack. The sounds of Ryko's grim battle echoed against the stone walls, but I could not look away from Ido's eyes.

He edged forwards, pushing me back a step. 'Sethon has forced my hand. He thought he could use me to take the throne, then turn around and use the Council to kill me 'He snorted, his heavy jaw lifting with disdain. 'Now there is no Council, Only you and me, and more power than Sethon could evei imagine'

All you've done is left the land without its guardians,' I said. 'There will be no land to rule.'

'Don't you see? When 1 have you, I'll be its guardian.' I lis face was alight with his own truth.

'It's time for the dragon throne to be reunited with the dragon power.'

Suddenly his blades were hissing through the air. Kinra's reflexes raised my swords in time to stop the sledgehammer blows, but the impact forced me backwards. I le swung his weapons around again, the high bludgeoning connections scraping against my hilts and locking into them. My borrowed knowledge told me he was well trained; far more accomplished than a normal Dragoneye. He leaned into the crossed swords, the pressure of his weight straining my muscles into shaking fatigue. Up close, I could see the rings of exhaustion and drug use under his eyes; my attempt on his dragon had depleted his power. Even so, his strength was overwhelming. And the smile on his face filled me with sick fear. He wanted to hurt me. The only way I could disengage was to retreat. But if I went further down the alley, he would see Lady Dela behind the last stack. It would be her death.

Horse rears and kicks.

My body knew the form and my mind snatched at the hope. Calling on Kinra's energy, I pushed up against his blades and thrust them outwards, sending a vicious kick at his knee that jarred my bad hip. He jumped back and slashed at my foot, just missing it. I staggered a few steps to regain balance and realised I was level with Lady Dela's hiding place. She had slipped down the wall and was crouched on the ground, still hunting through the pages. Her head snapped up. For a second I saw panic in her

eyes, and then she recognised me, the fear shifting into a moment of desperate, silent communication. She was close to finding something.

I looked back at Ido, terrified he would follow my focus. The sounds of Ryko's battle were further apart. Was his staunch strength finally failing?

'Your skill is far too great for your training,' Ido said. 'What kind of dragon power is this?'

1 ignored the question, watching as he gathered himself for his next attack. I could not risk retreating any further. I spun my swords into the whirring Goat Second and ran at him. The shock of the collision resonated through my whole body. My right sword blocked his chest cut, the strength of his blow too light to be anything more than a feint. The knowledge was not mine nor was the swinging angle of my left blade that stopped the vicious attack on my legs. Ido pulled back, his smile gone.

'Don't be a fool, girl,' he said. 'Even with this extra skill, you'll fail. I need you alive, but I don't care what condition you're in.'

I suddenly understood his pattern of attack: hacking at hands, slicing at ankles. He didn't want me dead. He wanted me helpless. For a second, the realisation made my vision haze with white terror.

'My lord, we have the islander,' the older guard called.

Ido kept his eyes on me. 'Is he alive?' he asked.

'Yes, my lord.'

Ido smiled. 'If you surrender now, Eona, you can save your friend a great deal of pain.'

I tightened my grip on my swords.

Ido raised his eyebrows. 'Or do you have enough steel to let him die in agony?'

'No,' I whispered.

He started forwards. I raised the swords and stepped back. If I gave up, he would take my will forever.

Ido's smile widened. 'Bring the islander here,' he ordered.

The two remaining guards approached us with Ryko's body slumped between them. I lis head was bowed and a dark spread of blood from under his armour had seeped into the cloth of his trousers. It clung wetly to his thigh, Ido motioned to the guards to drop their burden at his feet. Ryko's body lolded onto the stone with a slapping thud. His lace was turned towards me, his dark skin drained into grey hollows. I chanced a look at the guards — both of them were injured, deep lines of pain and exhaustion on their faces. Ryko had made them work hard for their victory.