Kai and Boneshadow, page 3
The next day, Kai woke early. He concentrated and felt the connection open between his world and Boneshadow’s.
Good morning, whispered Boneshadow’s voice. How’s your hand?
Kai examined his hands. His palms were still itchy, but otherwise he felt fine, and there was no sign of the cut.
“Good,” he murmured. He felt wide awake, and threw off the covers and went to wash, letting the water splash and whistling loudly. Behind him, the others groaned as they woke up.
“Ugh,” muttered Connor. “What time is it?”
“Time you were up, slow-bones!” called Kai. “Come on, you lazy lot!”
The others got up and ready, while Kai waited impatiently. He was keen to get on with the day, and felt again that rush of energy from last night.
“Remember, we have to tell Malik what we discovered,” said Mira as they ate breakfast. But when they found Malik in the debating chamber, Prince Harald was already there.
“Good morning!” said the prince. They bowed, but he just chuckled.
“I don’t think we need to bother with that,” he said. “Did you have a good evening?”
The children glanced at each other. “Yes, thank you,” said Mira politely. “Very quiet.”
“Nothing interesting happened at all,” added Erin. Malik gave her a surprised look, but the prince didn’t seem to notice anything.
“Good, good.” He frowned. “Listen, there’s something I need to discuss with you. Something important.”
Kai swallowed. What did Prince Harald know? Had someone seen them?
“Thank you for helping with the clerk duties,” the prince said. “We appreciate it. His Majesty recognises it. The talks are at a … tricky stage.” He hesitated. “My father – the king – is concerned,” he said at last. “He has heard rumours. The delegates from Borolo and Venn are here on trade talks, but they may be here for something else. The king believes … I believe … they may want to do us harm.”
Kai and the others stared at him. He nodded sombrely. “You have heard the stories of dragons, right here in Rivven. We believe they may have come from outside Draconis. My father believes that foreign forces want to use dragons against us.”
“My lord, are you sure?” asked Malik. He seemed astonished. Kai almost laughed, but then thought about it. Perhaps this new dragon was from another country? That would explain the strange uniforms of the guards. But how could they have kept it hidden in the king’s own palace?
Prince Harald shrugged. “We are not sure. But we must keep vigilant. So, clerks: as you work today, stay alert. And if you see anything suspicious, let me know.”
There was a sound at the doorway. Two servants opened the doors and the other delegates entered. Prince Harald smiled.
“Good morning!” he said cheerfully. They bowed and took their places, and the day began.
As Kai worked, he wondered about the dragon. Could it really be part of a foreign plot? Kai examined the Borolo diplomat, Lord Smale. He was tall and thin, and wore a grey padded outfit that already looked wrinkled. His face was long and pale, and his mouth moved constantly, as if he were chewing on a piece of gristle. It was easy to imagine him wanting to do harm, but hard to see him actually doing anything.
Kai shook his head and concentrated on his work. It was more copying, but today he found he didn’t mind, and he raced through it. His pen slid smoothly over the paper, neat and fast, even better and quicker than Tom, and Kai felt a fierce joy at the idea of beating him. Then he grinned – it wasn’t a competition! But if it had been a competition, he was winning, he thought, and grinned again.
Malik came to their dormitory after lunch to see how they were getting on, and they could finally speak to him alone. When they told him of their discovery, his face fell.
“You cannot take risks like that!” he said. “What if you’d been caught? Or hurt, even? What if someone had seen your dragons? You heard this morning how King Godfic fears them. What do you think he would have done?”
The children ducked their heads. “Sorry,” mumbled Connor. “We thought it was important.”
“And it was!” snapped Kai impatiently. Malik raised an eyebrow. “I mean, OK, we shouldn’t have done it, but we found the dragon, Malik! Someone is keeping a dragon here in the palace!”
Malik nodded. “Yes.” He rubbed his chin. “Well. This afternoon’s session is the last this week, then we’ll return to the Guild. Don’t go exploring again, understand?”
He gave Kai a curious look and left.
The afternoon passed like the morning. The delegates made speeches and declarations, the head clerks wrote them down and the young dragonseers, as apprentice clerks, copied them out. Again, Kai found the copying easy and quick, and it was Tom who struggled to keep up. As Kai wrote, he watched Captain Bright, the Venn diplomat who looked more like a pirate than a politician. She seemed capable of dangerous deeds, he thought – could the dragon be hers? Could she secretly be a dragonseer?
At the end of the day Prince Harald stood and thanked everyone for their progress and work. Malik led the dragonseers back through the streets of Rivven, to the old forgotten lane, and to the tiny cottage, through the hidden entrance and the winding, changing Clockwork Corridors, and into the Dragonseer Hall.
They were home.
It was good to be back inside the Guild Hall, and Kai and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Boneshadow shimmered into view beside him and Kai rested his head against her neck.
“Hey, Bone.”
“Hello, Kai,” said the dragon. Her large mouth curled into a smile. “It’s good to see you properly again.” Then she sniffed at him. “Has something changed?”
Kai frowned. “No, why?”
“It’s just…” Boneshadow tipped her head, as if confused. “There’s something different about you. Are you feeling all right?”
“Yes, of course!” Kai shrugged. “I feel great!”
“How’s your hand?” Kai held it out and the dragon sniffed again.
“That’s strange,” she said at last. “I was sure the glass had cut into the muscle.”
Kai laughed. “Sorry to disappoint you!” Boneshadow was fascinated by human anatomy, just as Kai was interested in dragon anatomy, but today she just seemed to be fussing. Kai shook his head. “Really, I’m fine. Stop worrying.”
The other dragons had appeared too. Kai looked at Silverthief, who was murmuring to Cara. “Silverthief did a good job finding the hidden passage, didn’t she,” he remarked.
“Yes,” agreed Boneshadow, still examining Kai’s hand.
Kai frowned. “And Flameteller worked the secret mechanism, and Ironskin protected us from the flames.” He studied Boneshadow. “You don’t really have any powers, do you?”
Boneshadow blinked in surprise. “Well, we don’t know what they’ll be yet, do we? Remember what Drun taught us.” She lifted her head and, in a voice surprisingly like Drun’s, declared, “No one knows what a dragon’s power will be, but it’ll be somethin’ you need, and it’ll happen when you need it.”
Kai chuckled. “Yeah. Wish it would hurry up though.” He gazed at Boneshadow and, for the first time, had a rather unusual feeling. Boneshadow was kind, and good at caring for people. But she was a bit … boring. And she was always worrying about things.
The dragon smiled at him, pleased with her impression of Drun, and Kai shook his head. What a strange thought! Boneshadow was his dragon, and he was her human, and that was all that mattered.
“Dragonseers!”
They looked up. Berin was waiting for them. For once, she wasn’t smiling.
“Welcome back,” she said. “Malik has told me about your adventures in the palace.” She looked disapproving. “I’m sure he’s already explained what a terrible risk you all took. You must not do that again, do you understand?”
They nodded. “Hmm,” she said. “Well, it is done. And there is a dragon in the palace. We don’t know anything about it – how it got here, whose it is, even its name. We know someone is using an emerald charm to hold it in our world. And we know that, for some reason, it is very hostile. It breathes fire. It is incredibly dangerous.”
Connor said, “King Godfic thinks another country could be using dragons against us. Maybe someone from Venn or Borolo?”
Berin nodded. “His Majesty has been talking a lot about foreigners recently. He seems convinced they are a threat.” She pursed her lips. “Perhaps. And yet… This must be the dragon Tomas saw months ago. Has it really been here all this time, without anyone knowing?” She sighed. “I’d rather not send you back to the palace, but that would look suspicious. You are needed for two more days, Malik tells me. So after this weekend you will return to the palace and complete your duties. Only your duties, mind. Let Malik know if you see anything suspicious, but do not go exploring again.”
She gave them a stern look, but then her expression softened. “Malik says you did your work well and that Prince Harald was impressed. So go – enjoy your weekend, relax and soon we’ll be done.” She chuckled. “Go! Shoo! Have fun!”
The children laughed and headed away. But as Kai and Boneshadow left, Kai glanced at Berin over his shoulder. She was talking with Malik, and she looked worried.
The next day, the dragonseers relaxed with their dragons. Ellis and Cara went off to explore more of the old ruins at the back of the huge hall. Mira, Connor and Tom were tinkering with some new invention of Mira’s, and Erin had gone to Drun’s hut to get help summoning her dragon, Rockhammer.
Kai wandered around with Boneshadow padding next to him. He wasn’t sure what to do. He felt in a strange mood, as if he wanted to run and shout, do something energetic, but couldn’t work out what. Energy fizzed inside him. His hands were itching again, wanting to move.
“Whose dragon do you think it is?” he asked. “The one in the cage?”
Boneshadow shook her long head. “I don’t know. None of us recognise it. It didn’t seem to want to talk. Or maybe it can’t?” She blew a breath. “Berin says we should try to forget it for now.”
“Hmm.” That was probably sensible, Kai thought. But he wasn’t feeling very sensible this morning. He nodded to Erin as she came back from Drun’s hut, with Rockhammer beside her.
“Hey,” she said. “Fancy another race?”
“A rematch?” asked Kai.
“A chance to catch up,” she said. “If you can!”
Kai and Boneshadow exchanged glances, and Kai grinned. “We’ll leave you for dust!”
They headed over to the racetrack and lined up, Kai on Boneshadow and Erin on the enormous Rockhammer.
“Ready?” asked Erin. “Steady…” Rockhammer leapt forward. “Go!” shouted Erin over her shoulder.
“Hey!” spluttered Kai. He felt a sudden, unusual surge of anger. Cheating! he thought. Cheating again! Well, it wouldn’t help them – this time he and Boneshadow were going to win, whatever it took!
Boneshadow chased after them, Kai held on tight and inside him the fizzing energy roared.
They raced along the track, Rockhammer’s huge legs pulling him and Erin ahead. Kai wasn’t worried; the big dragon would get tired later and slow. He tucked his head down against Boneshadow’s warm neck as she powered forward.
Around the first bend and into the straight. Rockhammer was still pulling ahead a little, and Kai dug his heels into Boneshadow’s side.
“Ow!” she complained. “What are you doing?”
“Go faster!” he shouted. “They’re getting away!”
Boneshadow grumbled but sped up, and at the second bend they were only a few metres behind. Some of the other children had stopped to watch, and behind them stood the grey-robed figure of Vice Chancellor Creedy. Kai ignored them and held on tight.
They hurtled along the next straight, and the next. Rockhammer was tiring now, and Boneshadow started to catch up. As the last turn approached, they were almost level. Rockhammer had the inside line, Boneshadow on the outside. They could do it!
As they reached the last turn, Erin shouted something to Rockhammer. Suddenly he started drifting outwards, into Boneshadow’s path! He was trying to force them into a wider turn, Kai realised. What to do? If he moved out he’d lose pace, and Erin would win. But if he kept his line, they would crash…
This was what Erin had done before, he realised. In the last race, she’d blocked them, risked them crashing, to make Kai give way. And he had, hadn’t he? As the two dragons thundered on, Kai realised that he always gave way. He was always the one letting others win, or putting things away for them, or doing what they wanted. Always giving way, always being nice…
The energy fizzed inside him and he snarled, took Boneshadow’s reins and heaved her into Rockhammer’s path. Boneshadow yelped. Rockhammer was much larger, but wasn’t expecting this and he reared back in shock.
“What are you doing?” gasped Boneshadow. “Let go!”
“I’m winning!” shouted Kai. “Now, move!”
They pulled ahead, and behind them Kai heard a crash. He ignored it. The air swished past and he laughed with a mad joy. Boneshadow raced along the last short straight, past the winning line and staggered to a halt.
“YASSSS!” roared Kai, punching the air. “We did it!”
He glanced about, but the other children were looking back down the track. Turning, Kai saw Rockhammer and Erin. Rockhammer was limping, and Erin had a long scrape up one arm. For a moment Kai felt a pang of guilt. But then he remembered how they’d tried to beat him, and he grinned.
“Thought you had me at the last turn, didn’t you?” he crowed.
“Are you hurt, Erin?” asked Boneshadow. She sounded concerned. “Rockhammer?”
Kai hopped off Boneshadow’s back and laughed. “That’s what you get for trying to cheat!” he said loudly.
Tom came forward, looking worried. “Hey, go easy,” he said, giving Kai a strange look. “They had a bad fall there.”
Kai shrugged. Vice Chancellor Creedy approached, and Kai looked up at him. “How was that, sir?” he asked, feeling pleased with himself. “Better?”
Creedy studied him. “It was certainly unlike you.”
“Maybe I’ve just decided not to be a pushover anymore,” said Kai.
“Indeed.” Creedy nodded, but his eyes didn’t leave Kai’s, and he seemed to be thinking of something else. By now Erin and Rockhammer had reached the finishing line.
Kai grinned. “That’s us even,” he said. “Want a decider?”
Erin looked down at her injured arm and patted Rockhammer’s side. “No,” she said in a quiet voice. “Well done, Kai.”
She turned and walked away.
“Kai, what’s going on?” demanded Boneshadow. “That was really dangerous. Someone could have been badly hurt!”
Kai shrugged. Now the excitement of the race was over, he felt irritated. He’d beaten Erin at her own game but no one was celebrating! Even Boneshadow wasn’t supporting him!
“Kai,” said Tom. “Are you OK?”
“Of course I am!” snapped Kai. “I won, didn’t I? But Erin had to make it all about her again. Just because I wouldn’t let her have her way!”
Boneshadow said, “I’m worried about you—”
“Oh, shut up!” he shouted. Boneshadow stared at him in hurt astonishment. After a second she faded out of sight, back to her world.
Kai stamped away back to the dorm, ignoring the others. That was it, he thought. No more being the nice one. No more letting people take advantage of him. He was going to stand up for himself. That’s what he’d done in the race.
And that’s what he was going to do from now on.
Later that evening, Kai lay in his bunk, staring up at the ceiling.
Dinner had been awkward. The ones who hadn’t seen the race had heard about it. Erin’s arm was bandaged. Nobody talked much. It was the boys’ turn to clear up, but Kai had walked away and left them to it. They owed him, he thought. How many times had he been the one left doing the work?
He could hear the others snoring gently, but he was wide awake. At last he crept out of the dorm and climbed up on to the roof, to a spot where the children often liked to sit, and stared out at the Hall.
It was dark. The magical globes that lit the ceiling of the Dragonseer Guild Hall were dim, like a glimmer of moonlight. Nothing was moving, no one else awake. Kai leaned against the stonework and scratched his hands.
He didn’t summon Boneshadow. He didn’t want her nagging him again about the race, or fussing about the cut. He hadn’t told her the whole truth about that; the cut was gone but the strange itch was still there, and not just on his hands – the prickle was stretching up his arms. Like Boneshadow, Kai knew quite a lot about medicine, and at first he’d been worried it was an infection. But it was on both hands, not just the cut one, and besides, it didn’t actually feel bad. It was quite exciting – like the tingle of being in a competition, but all the time. He felt great.
And there was something else he hadn’t told Boneshadow.
He always knew when Boneshadow was around – he could feel their connection in his head. But now, as he gazed up at the darkness, he felt something else. Another creature – wilder, fiercer, more powerful. He knew, somehow, that it was the dragon in the palace. He knew it was a he, and that he wanted to get out of his cage. He knew he wanted to breathe fire again. He was dangerous, and exciting! And somehow, Kai was now connected to him…
Kai sat on the roof of the dorm, watched the darkness, and smiled.
The next morning, Kai woke up and thought about his strange dream. But … had it been a dream? Or had he really sat on the dorm roof in the middle of the night? Had he really felt another dragon out there? The palace dragon?
