Legacy of the Darksword - Margaret Weis [108]
A sensible man—or a less desperate one—would have walked away. But here was the perfect guardian and the ideal hiding place for the Darksword. I could not rid myself of the notion that the Almin had guided me here for this reason. I settled down to wait, at least until nightfall. If the charm had not worked, the wounded dragon would be sluggish and I had some chance of escaping. I settled down upon the rocks a short distance from the dragon and waited for night.
The hours I passed provided me an excellent opportunity for studying the dragon. I found myself awed by the beauty and magnificence of the creature and saddened by the fact that it had been bred to nothing but dealing death. The Dragon of Night has an inborn hatred for all other living beings, even those of its own kind. It cannot bear young and when the last of these great beasts dies, that will be the end of them.
A good thing, you say. Perhaps. The Almin knows best.
I watched its even breathing, which seemed strong, so that I eventually concluded the dragon was not dying.
Night came early to the forest. When the deepening shadows blocked the sunlight from its eyes, the beast began to stir. The dragon’s huge body lay on the rocks, but one wing dipped into the river water. I heard the water lap against the rocks and saw the shoulder bone twitch. The dragon snuffled and blew and its lower jawbone scraped along the rock as it shifted its head, endeavoring to move into even deeper shadows.
My heart was in my throat. I would have run then, but for one hopeful sign. The diamond on the head of the dragon had begun to glow dimly. Which meant that the charm had worked.
I hoped. And prayed.
I had spent the daylight hours waiting impatiently for night. Now it seemed to me that night came all too fast. Darkness closed in with a vengeance. The dragon was one with the darkness. I could no longer see it at all.
The diamond’s light was very bright now, shining with a prickly brilliance. It did not radiate light. I could not see the dragon by the gem’s glow. I could see only the diamond itself. When it suddenly lurched into the air, I knew that the dragon was fully awake and had lifted its head.
I rose hastily to my feet, leaving the Darksword lying on the ground nearby. I could have used it to defend myself, but I feared that the sword’s powerful null-magic might undo the charm. Time enough to pick it up if I needed it.
The dragon rotated its head. I could see the diamond moving and I could hear the dragon—its claws pushing its body up from the rocks, its wings lifting with a mighty splash from the water.
The dragon was searching for me. Certain that all vestige of sunlight was gone, the dragon opened its eyes.
They shone pale and cold as moonlight.
I averted my gaze, for even though the beast was charmed, if you look into the eyes of a Dragon of Night, you will end up a raving lunatic.
The dragon reared up on its hind legs and lifted its wings, spreading them out like the wings of a bat.
I was struck with such awe that if I had died then and there, I believe I would have deemed it worth death to have seen that terrible, magnificent sight.
A thousand thousand tiny pinpoints of white light glittered in the blackness of the wings, as if the dragon’s wings were made of the starlit sky. Thus, in battle, do the dragons mimic the night sky in order to swoop down unseen upon their enemies. Those tiny pinpoints of light not only resemble stars, they are also deadly weapons. A flip of the wing causes them to fall like meteors. The small shooting stars burn easily through flesh.
The lights glittered before my eyes, but none fell on me. The charm had worked. I gave fervent thanks to the Almin.
The lunar-white eyes stared at me, bathing me in moonlight. I kept my eyes lowered.
“You are the master,” the dragon said, and hatred shook its voice.
“Yes,” I replied, as boldly as I could. “I am the master.”
“I am constrained to do your bidding,” the dragon said with cold fury. “What do you want of me?”
“I have an object here,