Aranya Treasury - The Complete Shapeshifter Dragons Series, page 108
In these parts there was no flat, leafy plant-layer to separate the middle layer from the middle-lower, only the waving tips of the forest in the distance, approximately three miles beneath their position in the aquamarine depths. Here, a vast shadow named Leandrial awaited them.
Little ones! she bugled gladly.
She looks well, Zip observed. Have you noticed the phosphorescent quality to her scales, Aranya? That’s new. She’s become … bluer. Brighter.
The barbels beneath Leandrial’s jaw, housing many of her additional sensory organs, waved as the Land Dragoness flicked her tail lazily, swishing toward them. Aranya realised they had never been so deep. The pressure against her pneumatic shield-layer was massive. She adjusted her wingbeat and form, performing more circumscribed beats with an increased cupping of the wing-struts on the downward stroke, lessening the lift required in thinner air while increasing direct forward thrust – semi-swimming, Leandrial called this movement. Aranya adjusted her pressure-compensation constructs and called for Ardan and Zip to do the same. As they had learned from Hualiama’s lore-scrolls, increased pressure differentials directly influenced the forms of filtering magic they required.
Besides, her little passenger needed to be kept comfortable.
Leandrial looked them over with a muted touch of her Harmonic eye-magic. She had explained that Harmonic magic examined or acted upon the natural vibration of every element of the material realm at the atomic level, which was an element of science unfamiliar to Lesser Dragons. At the simplest level, she could increase or decrease the amplitude of vibration or change its nature according to various vectors, leading to observable effects such as heating, cooling or even vaporising materials. Then, there was a host of other more metaphysical uses in the realms of her Balance-magic, which Aranya understood as a way of seeing broader global or even universal harmonies, such as the flow and probable cause and effect of events.
Very good, the Land Dragoness approved. Will you teach me all that is new about these multi-layer, responsive constructs? Where came you by this lore? Tell me everything!
As you command, o wise teacher, Zip said meekly.
I am wise, Leandrial agreed, oblivious to the Remoyan’s sarcasm.
Aranya sensed that the Land Dragon must have missed them even in three short days. How droll. How … sad. She could not imagine the loneliness of a century and a half’s enforced isolation from her kind – too staggering to frame in words.
She listened to Zip as Leandrial led them deeper, forging down to the level of the ‘treetops’, the broad, leafy terminal tufts of the snaking forest giants that stood rooted in a substrate a further three miles down – and these were not the largest under-Cloudlands forests by any means. The trunks, a mere fifteen or twenty feet in diameter for the portion they could see before they vanished in the sapphire depths a mile below, swayed gently in the air currents, and played home to a unique menagerie of under-Cloudlands life. How Aranya revelled in her newfound sight! Oh, she had never appreciated colours and details and distances like this!
They flew a mere compass-point or two east of south, angling for the mighty Urtuo-Jahû current, the great circular current that served the Middle Sea and kept its denizens alive.
From Sylakia to the fringes of the Urtuo-Jahû was a matter of a mere twelve leagues, but that was enough time for Leandrial to outline the dangers. Aranya ticked them off in her mind. Electrical pod-fish. A class of Sharp-fin predators that hunted in shoals, usually swimming against the current and relying on surprise to ambush their next meal. Eddies and whirlpools. Sentuki Squid, the flying giants of the invertebrate class together with the packs of hunting Minors they controlled psychically, and then a host of sub-intelligent draconic species.
Soon, a low rumbling communicated to their senses, agitating the magenta fronds of the forest in this area, bending them toward the southeast and the Crescent Islands.
The fringes are the most perilous, Leandrial noted. This is prime predator territory, where the voracious ones enjoy cover and camouflage, and the benefit of creatures knocked about in the Current’s swirling edges. Behold.
She pointed with her talon. A half-mile distant, the body of one of those creatures Aranya had nicknamed ‘Butterflies’ tumbled toward them, under siege by a host of Borers. As they watched, a flash of light beyond the Butterfly caught their attention. Dense shoals of sleek, fifty-foot swimmers descended upon the mess, their triple rows of inward-sloping teeth flashing white as they tore into the Borers. Beyond, a massive violet head reared up out of the current, squeezing and pulsating as the monster jetted toward the fray, its stubby yet powerful tentacles waving eagerly.
Sentuki Squid, the Land Dragoness advised.
Aranya shivered. The creature had to be a quarter-mile across, and the beak that pushed out of its underparts was capable of snaffling ten of Ardan for breakfast at a time. One gleaming, crimson eye fixed balefully upon them. She felt that gaze! No wonder Leandrial had them shielding; the creature’s menace was palpable and accompanied by psychic probing that stabbed at their brains like a thousand pinpricks all at once.
Leandrial explained, Hold firm. She seeks Minors for her herd, but she isn’t strong enough to overcome any of us. Sentuki are best left to their own devices. They’re too smart to take on a Land Dragon.
True enough, the Sentuki flashed a few luminescent warning-indicators on her hide at them, and then bent to her meal, leaving her herd to consume the luckless Borers while she concentrated on using her metallic grey beak to snap the larger Butterfly into Dragon-sized pieces, before stuffing them down her gullet with her tentacles. The rolling maul of feasting creatures drifted quickly down-current.
Time to move, commanded the Land Dragoness.
They swam-flew down a slope in the forest created by the pressure of moving air, immediately feeling the increased tugging upon their shields. Ahead, there was no apparent end or bottom to the blue, just an endless, increasingly steep slope that would take them to the lower layer and the heart of the tremendous current. Leafy fronds lashed violently beneath their compact wings. Ardan yelped as a predator ambushed him, but he beat it away by means of the firm application of a clawed paw to its sensitive snout.
Ha, he growled. I am not your dinner.
Zip’s laughter turned into a howl as a trio of pink tentacles snagged her left wing-shield and dragged her down into the forest!
Get off! yelled the Azure Dragoness, throwing lightning about liberally. Aranya swirled in, trying the same. A brace of fireball-blasts warmed up the hidden creature, while her lightning severed a couple of tentacles, which continued to writhe and spray dark green blood for several moments.
Panting, the Dragonesses winged away from the foliage.
Leandrial regarded them severely. Lack of attention will get you killed in this realm, little ones. Now, follow me!
When Leandrial’s back was turned, Zip gave Aranya a sympathetic look. Thanks for the helping paw, friend. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
What? Aranya asked defensively.
Nothing.
* * * *
Ardan eyed his companions. Odd. He could not put a talon on it, but he was convinced they were up to mischief. Both Dragonesses would bear watching.
His first concern was the Urtuo-Jahû, which swept along at speeds exceeding twenty leagues per hour, a tremendous rumbling, bubbling, buffeting mass of air. Leandrial coached them in how to take best advantage of the flow – taking long, languid strokes, and making an undulating motion of the body to provide additional propulsion courtesy of their Dragon bodies and powerful tails. She fought off enemies and allowed her small companions to rest, especially Aranya. He was proud of her. Never a word of complaint crossed her lips. Daily, she grew stronger. She worked relentlessly at understanding Harmonic and Balance magic with Leandrial; when even Leandrial tired of her incessant questioning, she bounced ideas off Ardan and Zuziana.
The great current pummelled them along the long, curving archipelago of the Crescent Islands, home to Pip’s Pygmy people. Ardan thought appreciatively back to Aranya’s further ‘requests’ of Ja’arrion and Va’assia, one of which was explicit Dragon protection for the Pygmies and a repeal of any laws and practices that treated them as animals. They were to stamp out, with claw and fireball if necessary, any form of slavery and systematic oppression of people-groups across the Island-World. Oh, Aranya. Lofty ideals!
Ideals, fearlessness, power and a ridiculous work ethic. That made for one dangerous woman.
The closer they drew to Remoy, the quieter Zuziana became. Germodia, not a chirp. Tyrodia, like a mouse. What was so difficult about the notion of visiting her family? The Shadow Dragon turned this over in his mind.
Zuziana. Aranya. What misbehaviour were they brewing? It took Ardan all of four days to work out what the Amethyst was hiding, but he had been stubborn as a man and his Dragon-form excelled at this character-strength.
Night only came to the middle-lower layer if there were no light-producing creatures about. This meant resting in apparent daytime, at regular intervals. When the three Lesser Dragons were meant to be sleeping up against Leandrial’s hide, just behind the curve of her skull, he Shadowed and slipped around to the Amethyst Dragoness. She was quick and slick, but not quick enough.
Sapphire! he growled. How long have you been hiding that dragonet, Aranya?
Ugh, keep it down to a dull roar, would you? Zuziana complained.
Ardan did not withhold his ire. Aranya, we cannot take Sapphire through the Rift! This is madness. Leandrial, you tell her.
How did you hide the dragonet, little one? Leandrial wanted to know.
Behind a highly specified auditory and olfactory shield! growled the Shadow Dragon. Completely irresponsible. I’m ashamed of you, Aranya!
Aranya said, Sapphire made me promise not to leave her behind.
The Shadow snapped, Oh, I suppose a dragonet forced the future Queen of Immadia and a Star Dragoness to boot, to pack her in a saddlebag and tell lies for a week …
Of course, the Amethyst only raised her chin and curved a protective paw around Sapphire. She’s Dragonkind. Look, I made a promise. I will not change my mind. Sapphire may well prove very useful to us.
He was about to tear strips off Aranya’s hide, when Ardan caught himself staring at Zuziana. Firstly, she had not protested. Now, he saw the Azure Dragoness’ thoughts incline to one of her saddlebags – no, not her thoughts, but his Shadow-vision somehow saw through her body to the yearning of her fires. No, no, NO! he almost howled, taking several jerky steps toward her. You didn’t!
Didn’t what? asked Leandrial. Little one, I see nothing wrong with taking a dragonet, if she’s willing to risk her life –
Not her. Her! Ardan aimed a talon at Zip.
The Remoyan protested, Me? I’m not hiding any dragonets.
No. Just something a little … larger, sneered Ardan. Come on, Remoy. Tell the truth. I’ve never seen you so quiet. You missed five predators in the last day alone, predators any self-respecting Azure Dragoness should eat for breakfast. Zip did not move a muscle. Don’t make me order a search of your saddlebags. Your guilt stinks.
* * * *
Aranya sidled over to Zuziana as Ardan’s ire swelled. “Ardan, please. I’m the one who took Sapphire against orders. Don’t be mad at Zip, too.”
“Angry?” he bristled. “I’m not angry, I’m fire-spitting furious, that’s what I am! How can I embark on a journey, on a quest of this magnitude, with any hope of success, if I’m lumbered with two freaking, colluding little liars?”
“Zip knew nothing about Sapphire, Ardan.”
“It’s not the dragonet, she has her monk in one of those saddlebags!” The Shadow Dragon swallowed, fighting to master his emotions. “Look. Here’s my last word on the subject, Zuziana. If you’re so desperate, fly the man to Remoy, marry him and send him back to ruddy Fra’anior, hear me? Or stay behind if you can’t –”
“No!” cried Aranya. “Zip, I need you!”
“AND NOT ME?”
“Ardan, calm down!” Aranya’s temper frayed at the speed of Storm-invigorated magic. “Of course I need you – I need all of you, with your hearts in the right places. Zip, tell me … it isn’t true?”
“Afraid it is, Immadia. He made me. Ri’arion absolutely forbade me to travel without him.”
RI’ARION!! bellowed the Shadow Dragon.
Aranya had rarely heard Ardan so riled. He did like things just so, but why was he so enraged about this?
Zip said smugly, “He can’t hear you, Ardan. For everyone’s information before they start fire-breathing all over this lovely current, or creating personal storms, Ri’arion’s hypnotised himself into a state of deep hibernation. If you listen carefully, you might detect his heart beat once every fifty seconds or so, and hear a single shallow breath every two to three minutes.”
“Hibernating a Human through the Cloudlands and across the Rift?” said Leandrial, shaking her head in wonder. The three Dragons gripped her scales more tightly. “Fascinating idea, little ones. You really make a Land Dragoness think. Most fascinating!”
“Fascinating?” Ardan winged off a short ways, his body rigid with anger. He threw back over his shoulder, “Since we’re all awake now, why don’t we hurry to Remoy and get this childishness over with?”
Aranya stared after him, before turning to her best friend with a half-hearted scowl. “Zuziana of Remoy, you didn’t.”
“Aranya of Immadia, you didn’t.”
Indulging in a fit of the giggles right now would probably be a bad idea, given Ardan’s reaction. Aranya could tell that Zuziana was about to erupt. She said ruefully, “So, when exactly did you plan your little charade? I promised Sapphire … well, that night before I met Hualiama, which was her idea, Zip. Sapphire’s, not mine – and just look at what it gained us.”
“Sapphire’s? Wow. So you thought, she won’t take up much room. She can get into places I can’t. She sees things I don’t – so she’d be an asset. Who’d suspect a dragonet? Right?”
Aranya elbowed her friend, knowing exactly where this was leading. “Who’d suspect an upright, virtuous monk of marrying a morally dissolute Remoyan, right?”
“Hey! You take that back, you man-eater.”
“Hey!” Aranya imitated her friend. “I’m not the one prancing about stuffing men in my handbag.”
That was too much for Zip. With a high-pitched squeal of laughter, the Azure Dragoness lost any semblance of control, causing the not-very-distant Shadow Dragon to expectorate a ten-foot wide fireball of overheated indignation. Aranya just shook her head at her friend’s antics. A dragonet stowaway – sneaky, aye, but compared to bagging a whole monk?
That Princess of Remoy had style!
* * * *
To say that Zuziana’s family were pleased by her unexpected arrival was perhaps the understatement of the century. All of Remoy turned out in paroxysms of celebration, for the rod of the Sylakian Empire had chastised their kingdom most sorely. Message hawks announcing victory were one matter. The arrival of a Dragon-Princess of Remoy, quite another. When the joyous tidings escaped the Palace, which they did at the speed of a hunting Dragon after Zip, Aranya and Ardan’s first chaotic briefing of the King and his Queens – that was the trigger. They could hear a roar rising from the Palace gates and spreading throughout the city.
Crazy Remoyans.
Zip’s sisters and mothers dragged her away. “We must unbag your luggage, daughter dearest!” gushed one of her mothers, as excited as a fledgling dragonet turning somersaults.
“Oi, Immadia. Over here.” Three sisters grabbed her, while one smiled, “Remember me?”
“Graziala? Of course,” said Aranya.
King Lorman waded through his swirling family, which numbered four of Zuziana’s brothers, including Yuka and Tarka whom she knew, and nine sisters, with a further four siblings missing here and there, barking, “Hold! O Princess of Immadia, I’ll have your hand, Milady!”
In a moment, the tiny, moustachioed King of Remoy snaffled her from the sisters, who had no qualms. They danced off to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over Ardan. Poor man. Aranya might have felt sympathetic if she hadn’t been so ragingly jealous of all the pretty, flagrantly underdressed Remoyans cooing over him. Zip had briefly warned her about hot season dress customs. That would be ‘undress’, Aranya thought uncharitably. And communal bathing. Ardan and Ri’arion were about to have their eyes opened – not that hers weren’t! Tuning in her draconic senses, she heard:
“Ooh, I didn’t know the Western Isles bred rajals for men.”
“Ooooh, these biceps! Do you eat boulders for breakfast, big man?”
“So dark; sooooo very beautiful,” gushed another sister, who could not have been more than twelve, nor an inch over four and a half feet in height. “He’s blushing, girls. So cute!”
“Grazi – oh mercy, I’m going to faint.”
“He’s leopard!”
Lashes fluttered, waves of perfume swirled and bright giggles rose around the dark warrior as his body burst into feverish embarrassment. Dragoness-Aranya could practically smell smoke from where she stood. Human-Aranya quelled her with difficulty, only to gasp as one of Zip’s mothers, Remoy’s third Queen of four, shooed the girls away – then blatantly ran her sparkling green eyes up and down Ardan’s physique herself! This provoked a rabid howl from Aranya’s inner Dragoness. Enamoured of Hualiama’s open, sweet relationship between her two Shapeshifter forms, Aranya had hoped to start listening to her inner life. No time like the present.
She managed an ugly, fire-filled snarl, “Leave my man alone!”
Ardan’s dark gaze snapped to her, jammed with passions she could only guess at.
So much for pushing him away, Immadia! Stupid emotions – Aranya shoved them inside, only to wince as an almighty thunderclap rattled every window across Remoy. Down, Star Dragoness! They were among friends … burning with humiliation, Aranya dropped her gaze to King Lorman, who held her hands gently in his own. His thumbs rubbed her knuckles, feeling the lumps and contusions there. At once, Aranya knew he knew.
