Ash and Wind

Farin’s wings beat down, spreading ash in every direction. It swirled around the ruined walls of the keep and faded into the smokey air. The bleeding horizon went out of view as she landed on the broken ground in front of the boy. He didn’t look up, didn’t flinch as the ground trembled under the weight of a fully grown dragon. He just sat there, leaning against the ruined wall, ash slowly building up on his shoulders as he silently cried. His voice was already ruined from wailing for a guardian that would never return.

She had nearly missed the boy, flying above the city looking for any survivors. Bodies littered the streets from both man and dragon. A war that should never have happened. The paint strokes of a setting sun smudged with smoke and ash made the skies look beautiful, until one looked down and saw the wasted land below.

Who are you young one?

There was only the sound of quick inhales between silent sobbing as Farin spoke to the child’s mind. She took a small step closer and sniffed the boy. Very young- probably three or four, not wealthy and covered in dirt and mud. The dirt wasn’t fresh from battle but from living on farms and playing in fields with the animals. Born to be farmer, yet brought into this hell because of those who seek control. The only other smell in the air was death, coming from every direction, heaviest coming from the city, rolling over the hills and countryside down to the outlying farms.

Just one week ago the dragons had caught wind of the humans’ plans to enslave their race and decided to act first. Without judgement, nearly all dragons spread their wings and flew to the Cardinal Coast. Then as the coastal city raised their heads to the skies, the dragons slowly and methodically burnt the land to until there was nothing left but blackened ground. They flew across the northern tip of the island moving east to west, burning everything that humans had touched. Each day they moved further south until they arrived at the capitol of Longreach Island. Here, the men and women were waiting with weapons they had been building for years in secret. Tiles fell from roofs as gargantuan crossbows and trebuchets were synched and hoisted from the buildings and began to fire.

Dragons dropped like giant flies, the earth shook as one hundred fell with the first volley. The dragons moved into a tactical formation as the humans reloaded their weapons, but it was no use, another two hundred fell as they soared closer. The humans continued firing and reloading with fear and fury until the last surviving twelve dragons circled the castle and melted the stone to puddles of lava. One more dropped from a fatal wound and the last eleven scattered with the ash and wind.

Farin pushed her cart sized head against the boy as softly as she could, still almost knocking him over. He shuffled slightly too keep his balance but remained seated, never ceasing his sobbing.

I am not one of them. I do not agree with their ways.

The boy looked up at Farin and stopped for a moment, before making a grunting sound and continuing sobbing, now keeping his eyes locked on the dragon. Farin could see the heartache and grief on the young boy’s face. Not just from the tear streaks that had smudged its way through the ash and grime on his face. She could see the sorrow running deep in his eyes, the childlike wonder and happiness already gone. The most this boy had mourned before today was losing a favourite toy or maybe even a close pet. But now he had seen true destruction. An entire city burnt to the ground. Everyone and everything he had ever know either dead or reduced to nothing more than a pile of ash.

Please child, we need to get you somewhere safe.

Again the boy didn’t respond.

Can you speak? What is your name?

The two stared at each other for a moment. The wind whistled through the cracks in the stone buildings and as she waited for a response.

Jorn then. I shall call you Jorn.

They flew for two days away from the capitol until they reached Turandol’s Circle, a thick forest close to the centre of the island. It was one of the few places that had been relatively untouched from the burn due to the lack of humans and the abundance of flora and fauna. The child barely moved as Farin gently picked him up in her teeth and flew away from the burning lands. When Farin placed him down to rest, he simply lay there staring blankly at the stars, never ceasing his sobbing. Farin attempted to make a shoddy cot for Jorn, not that he tried to move anyway. She also brought back branches or whole trees with fruits, nuts and berries on them.

After four days of sleepless nights Farin finally realised why Jorn wouldn’t stop crying. A chill had set in the air as the sun began crept below the horizon and even Farin could feel the cold creeping between her scales. She felt the rumble in her chest as she internally ignited her methane pocket. She slowly let the warmth ripple through her body and curled back around Jorn and lay her bulky head next to him, no bigger than her eye. He gurgled softly and nestled closer into Farin.

Ah you poor child, you’ve been cold this whole time. I should’ve realised.

Farin used her head to nestle Jorn between her belly and jaw, then gently rested the tip of her tail over the child’s slowly warming body.

Tomorrow we will find you some human necessities.

—— —— ——

Jorn was just climbing one of the final branches of a pine tree as the sun crested the hill behind him. Anyone looking from the valley below would be shielding their eyes and have trouble seeing his shadow silhouetted by the blinding light. He crouched low, pulled the bow off his back, drew an arrow and waited. He sat incredibly still for an almost half an hour until Farin contacted him.

Can you see them?

Jorn scanned the forest floor below then shook his head. Farin was circling far above, but her keen eyesight could’ve picked a ferret sniffing out of its burrow.

You won’t be able to see them that easily. The Trulis might be large but they are hunters, they know how to hide in plain sight. Look for their tracks and anything that doesn’t seem quite right. There are three down there, and they are looking for you as well.

The forest was a beautiful mess of fallen trees, broken branches and thick with newly growing pines. They could be anywhere. Jorn scanned the area again until he found a broken sapling. The needles were still green and fresh, it had been broken today. His eyes circled the sapling until they nearly moved over a small cluster of young pines. Something was wrong. He could feel the breeze pressing gently against his right cheek, all the trees in his view were blowing slightly to the left, except for this small cluster, every few seconds they would expand outward ever so slightly as if they were breathing. Jorn craned his neck slowly and saw three thick, dark grey fingers slip back from the trunk of one of the pines and everything fell into place. He had seen them, and they had seen him.

The three Trulis were all down on one knee, ready to move at a moments notice. They had expertly aligned their bodies with the shadows of the pines. Even though the were almost twice the height of a man and over twice as wide, they had arranged themselves in such a way that their limbs flowed and blended in with the local flora and ground cover. Jorn’s gaze followed the hand that had slipped from the trunk up to the first Trulis’s muscular arm, which almost ran directly to its head, for the Trulis had no necks. Its round, domed head sat unmoving on-top of its body. Out of context it might look almost comical, but staring at those off-white, unblinking eyes, slitted nose and filed down teeth protruding from its mouth could send even the bravest man to bed with nightmares.

Jorn set three fingers out straight at the front of his bow, signalling to Farin the he had found them. He slowly replaced his fingers and pulled his bowstring taught. One of the Trulis shuffled a foot slightly, anticipating the attack.

Never make the first move. Always know where you stand first so you know what you’re up against. Then you’ll know whether to fight or flee.

Jorn barely moved to shake his head.

There is no shame in fleeing a battle. Fleeing means you can live to fight another day. Fighting when you’re not ready will more often than not result in death.

Jorn loosed his arrow and it flew through the air towards the Trulis. The three beasts were ready. In one steady, choreographed movement the smallest of the three dropped flat on the ground while the centre Trulis that the arrow was aimed at launched itself into the air. The remaining Trulis’s muscles rippled as it quickly stood and pushed itself to the side and backwards against its airborne companion. This in turn forced the centre Trulis forward and just to the side of where the arrow was flying directly for its eye. The arrow zipped past its head and sliced cleanly down its shoulder and arm. It grunted as it landed on all fours with the momentum of a full sprint already in motion. The other two followed close behind.

Jorn briefly considered letting another arrow loose, but instead sheathed his bow and began to scramble down the tree. The rough bark cut into his fingers as he slipped and dropped a few branches. Even before he was at a safe distance he leapt to the ground and rolled to break his fall. He hit his back hard and felt the air leave his lungs, but the adrenaline masked the pain. He ran diagonally across and up the hill, running directly up would be too much effort and they would surely catch him.

As he ran, Jorn reached for another arrow but his quiver was empty. They must’ve fallen out when he landed. He threw the now useless bow to the side and kept running. He only had to look back once to see the three Trulis were quickly closing the distance. Breathing steadily, he picked a small, weighted knife from his belt, held it by the tip and in one fluid motion Jorn leapt off his right foot and swung his left knee across, spinning him around. While he was in the air he let out a deep breath and threw the knife with all his might at the oncoming threat. He continued spinning and landed back on his right foot as the knife embedded itself in the bulky flesh of the Trulis’s arm just above the arrow wound. The Trulis didn’t skip a beat and kept barrelling towards Jorn.

The footsteps of the Trulis were almost right behind him, its rank breath almost writhing around his neck when they suddenly screeched at each other and stopped. Jorn ran for a moment longer until he heard them turn and bolt in the opposite direction. He stopped and faced them, and only realised why they had fled when he heard the house sized wings on Farin beating down above them. Farin began to land directly in front of the Trulis that had previously taken lead in chasing Jorn and now behind, making it stop dead in its tracks.

The other two ran without looking back, leaving the third backing away from Farin’s rumbling chest. Her mouth glowed as she opened her jaws as a threat. The Trulis turned to run back towards Jorn, the easier option, but was faced with the point of a sword thrust upwards only an inch away from it’s barrel of a chest. In shame it turned back towards Farin, and in the Trulis way of defeat, it knelt down with it’s arms outstretched, palms facing upward.

“What are you doing this far south.” Said Jorn, pressing the tip of the sword against the the soft fleshy part at the base of it’s skull.

When the Trulis didn’t respond, Farin opened her mouth and let some flames spill around her teeth and drip to the floor. She slowly moved her head closer to the Trulis until the flames were falling just in front of its upturned palms. It’s body quivered as the flames came closer, obviously afraid of the damage fire could do. A single flame hissed down and licked past one of it’s fingers and the Trulis jerked away too quickly and fell onto its backside. Jorn pulled the sword away just in time, but kept it by his side. When the Trulis spoke, it sounded like the hiss of a snake, yet deep with a gravelly coarseness.

“Why no you just kill?” It said, it’s words stilted and uneven “I lose. You win.”

Because we need to know why you’re here.

“Tell us what you’re after and we’ll let you live.” Jorn said, moving around to side with Farin.

“You no kill?” The Trulis laughed, then stumbled to try and find the right word. “Shame! Now no family me have.”

“Tell us,” Jorn said as he put his sword towards the Trulis’s eye, “or this won’t be quick.”

The Trulis laughed again. Farin softly nudged the sword away from it’s face.

Tell us and I’ll let you die in battle against me.

At this the Trulis’s body snapped to attention facing the dragon and smashed both of his fists together three times. Jorn winced each time.

“Honour!” It shouted. “Night tomorrow we feast on that kind.”

The Trulis pointed as Jorn as it stood and faced Farin with its thick legs spread wide in a fighter’s stance. Jorn sheathed his sword and moved forward.

“What do you mean my kind?”

“Lots of kind.” It replied. “Far up lake you see hide bad”

Thank you friend, that will be all.

Farin let the gasses build and rumble alive in her chest while the Trulis punched his fists together once in front of his face.

“Wait,” Jorn tried to interrupt. “What do you mean more of me?”

“Not friend,” the Trulis said, talking over Jorn. “Not friend but battle yes!”

The Trulis lifted his leg to take a step forward and was instantly incinerated by a blast of fire that came screaming out of Farin’s mouth. Jorn dropped to ground and rolled away as the intense heat his body could still remember from fourteen years ago washed over him. He curled into a ball and lay there until long after the heat had faded and the rumble had subsided.

When he finally rolled over, Farin sat waiting. A foggy gas still curled up from her nostrils as she looked down at Jorn. Just two smoking feet sat in front of her among the blackened earth and smouldering foliage.

I’m sorry, but it had to be done.

That day had been one of the biggest arguments between that Farin and Jorn. Afterwards, Jorn had waited until Farin was asleep to sneak away into the wilderness. He followed the river downstream to explore the lake that the Trulis had mentioned. As he stormed through the forest he thought about what had been had said.

“You had no right to kill him like that! He said there were more humans!”

I have flown this forest searching for more every day that has passed since I saved you. No humans nor dragons, just animals and wild beasts.

“Saved me? Saved me from what? So I can live here in isolation with you, an overgrown lizard just waiting to explode and burn down the island again?”

I understand that you are lonely, however…

“There is no however. I am alone. I am 16 years old now and you are over 300! How do you think that makes me feel? How am I supposed to connect to you, be friends with you?”

At this Farin had faltered. Jorn felt the break in the conversation and stormed back to his small sleeping hole. He didn’t move for the rest of the day or evening, but could see Farin outside, wrestling with her thoughts. Neither of them ate that night and Jorn stayed awake while he watched Farin curl up in her nest.

To most others, the forest would have seemed unsettling at night, but to Jorn it was quiet and peaceful. There was a soft layer of mist that covered the leaf littered ground. The warm air that rose from the forest floor brought the heavy, thick smell of earth and decaying foliage. Strong yet pleasant. Every time he stepped forward, thin wisps of mist caught the moonlight and curled its way from the back of his heal until it dissipated into the darkness. He had never ventured too close to the lake, there was never any need to. Fresh water came down the river from the glaciers to the south and if they ever needed fish Farin would fly them to the coast where they could catch a ripplewing fatter than his torso.

Jorn was so deep in thought and angry about the world he had been left to that he didn’t hear or feel the Trulis sneak up behind him and crack him over the head with the butt of a club. He was out before he hit the ground.

Jorn’s mind felt hazy and pounded like had never before. He could hear sounds all around him. Voices? Deep and sinister. A scream in the distance, then shouting. A lighter voice, almost melodic. He tried to open his eyes but with the first flicker of light between his lashes it felt like he was staring directly at the sun. He closed his eyes tightly and tried to focus on the voices. Over the distant sound of a waterfall the lighter voice spoke out again.

“He’s not one of us, we would we risk our safety for an outsider.” The voice said.

“We kill.” The menacing one responded from just to the left of Jorn. “No problem we kill.”

Jorn focused on opening his eyes again. The light wasn’t as bright this time and he squinted at the ground in front of him. The pain was crashing through his head and down his neck like a set of relentless waves pounding over and over. His weight was suddenly shifted around as his captor adjusted their stance and Jorn realised he was being held by the back of his shirt and were it not for his toes dragging on the ground, he would’ve been completely hanging in the air. He looked up and around and saw that he had been transported by five Trulis and they were standing in the only patch of sunlight he could see. With the exception of the small hole where the sun came through, the canopy above him was thick branches and leaves. He turned his head towards where his captors were facing and could see, rather well camouflaged into the surrounding forest, a large wall made from upright logs stretching far to his left and right. On top of the wall he could see several humans with arrows pointed directly at his group. There was also a small man whispering up into the ear of a much taller woman. She whispered something back to the man and he waddled away.

“I see your hostage is awake. Can he speak for himself?” She asked.

“Speak you!” Said what seemed to be the leader of the Trulis. “Now!”

Jorn opened his mouth and tried to speak but his throat felt as if it was filled with sand and stones. The air ripped past his dried throat and sent him into a sputtering cough. The Trulis laughed at his misfortune.

“Our council has come to a compromise,” the woman continued, waving her hand dismissively. “We will give you half of what you want now, and half in four months time. If we gave you everything, the last of our race would surely perish.”

The Trulis quickly huddled together and made small mumbling noises, nodded together and turned back to face the woman and the guards.

“Yes.” The leader said.

The woman waved her hand at the ground behind her and Jorn could hear shouting from beyond the wall. A split appeared and a door began to open up so he could see an encampment on the far side. A wall to keep the humans safe from the outside world. He tried to feel joy at finding more of his own kind, that the Trulis wasn’t lying about their plans, but he still couldn’t feel much past the pain in his head. Six large crates were being carried towards the gate and Jorn felt himself wondering how five Trulis could possibly carry them when one crate could only be lifted by four struggling humans.

Only at that thought did Jorn finally see the danger. He knew the Trulis were evil, they would never make deals to survive, they were hunters and killers! He tried to shout, to get the attention of any human. Nothing but a hoarse croak escaped his throat. He needed to warn them about how unnatural the small bumps in the earth that were scattered about in front of the gate were. About how the Trulis would rather die than make a deal or have mercy shown on them. But there was no use, he couldn’t speak and couldn’t move with the pain from his head. The humans walked out of the gates and towards the Trulis. When the two races were almost standing face to face, all hell broke loose.

It sounded like a mix between a bark and a grunt from their leader, and nearly 50 Trulis burst from the ground. Dirt and dead leaves flew in every direction as the human dropped the crates and tried to scatter, but were immediately cut down. 24 humans dead in an instant. The gates began to close as the Trulis rushed forward, grabbing onto the wood and pulling it back open so others could run through. Jorn could hear screaming coming from the encampment. More death.

Quicker than he could realise, Jorn’s face was in the dirt as the Trulis dropped him and ran forward with a battle cry. His head began to swim and his vision blurred. He tried to look around but all he could see was the Trulis running, but running away from the humans. His mind couldn’t comprehend what was happening. Everything was a fuzzy mess and growing darker by the second, but then he felt a familiar heat and heard the heavy beat of wings around him. Then his world went dark once more.

Jorn woke to whispers around him. Then fell back into a deep sleep. He woke up once again sitting upright with a spoon to his lips and a foul liquid trickling down his throat. Then nothing. Finally he opened his eyes. He was in a dark room made in the same style as some of the abandoned log cabins Farin had shown him in forest. He could smell his own sweat and odour rising around him. His throat felt just as dry and scratchy as the last time he could remember out in front of the wall. Or was that all a dream? There was a pitcher of water beside the bed and he tried to reach for it but his muscles didn’t work properly. He knocked it onto the ground with a loud clatter in the silence. He heard a shriek from another room and suddenly his bed was surrounded by more people than he could ever remember seeing. They told him how Farin had crashed through the trees, leaving herself impaled and wounded. How the Trulis had run from the dragon and some had trampled over Jorn’s almost lifeless body. Then how she blew fire across the forest incinerating the trees and Trulis so there was nothing left to catch fire. Then finally how she delicately scooped up Jorn’s limp body and pleaded with their leader to help keep him alive. They didn’t need much convincing, especially when Farin offered to stay and protect the humans from any further attacks. And there were more attacks, three more in the next five days, but nothing in the next four while Jorn had been slipping in and out of consciousness.

In the following eight days as Jorn slowly recovered and could now slowly move around, there had been only one more pitiful attack, but the humans expected there might be more with reinforcements in the future. On the eight day his nurse finally let him walk outside. Jorn hobbled through the centre of what he now realised was a small village. Several squat buildings all made from layered wood sat on either side of the pathway with a few fenced in animals and gardens. He reached the front gate and was cautiously let outside where he saw Farin, neck extended, head resting on the ground waiting for him. As soon as she saw Jorn walk through the gate the earth shook as she jumped to her feet and bounded toward him. She put her head down to the ground again and Jorn raised his arms as high as he could to embrace her.

Come, we have things to discuss.

Farin picked Jorn up and walked near the spot where he was first held hostage by the Trulin. The sun was shining brightly through the same hole in canopy and was lighting the ground in a golden green brilliance. Beyond the illuminated ground, the earth was black and only a few stumps remained. Above the scorched earth was another, much larger hole in the canopy where. Jorn lay down on the soft earth and gazed up at the leaves in the many remaining trees, dancing and flickering in the soft breeze that danced through the branches.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the humans?” He asked, not a hint of ill-omen in his voice. “We could’ve helped them.”

Farin lay her body on the ground with her head in line with Jorn’s body so she could properly see him with one eye.

I…I didn’t want to lose you.

There was a moment of silence as the words sunk in for both of them. The breeze continued its dance through the trees and Jorn felt a shiver run down his spine.

I thought that you would find you own kind and they would never accept me after the death and destruction my kind has brought upon these lands. I have never been alone. Not in my entire life. Just the thought of it…

Jorn let Farin trail off and both sat in silence for a moment longer.

I need to leave.

“What?” Jorn tried to sit up too quickly and hurt himself in the process. “I’m just starting to get better. You said you would protect us!”

That is why I need to leave. I’m going to cross the ocean and find the others who would not contribute the destruction and bring them back to defend and rebuild. This must not happen again.

“Why can’t I go with you?” He asked softly, knowing the decision was made.

Some of the places I am going are not made for humans. I spoke with Callah and we agreed that I would leave after I could say my farewell. Do not make this harder than it needs to be Jorn.

Farin stood and stretched her wings as far as she could, casting a great shadow over Jorn and the burnt clearing beyond. She brought her wings down a few times, warming up her muscles and sending plumes of ash, dirt and leaves into the air.

I am sorry, Jorn. Truly. But when I return we will rebuild this land.

“Please come back Farin.”

I will Jorn. With as much haste as I can muster. Farewell.

Jorn tried to say goodbye but only choked on his words, so he nodded in return and felt his eyes begin to well with tears. The air filled with debris again as Farin’s mighty wings dropped down and lifted her off the ground. Jorn shielded his eyes from the litter that was spiralling around him, but an instant later the forest was quiet. Jorn lay back down in the sun and let the tears roll freely down his cheeks as he watched the newly picked up ash swirl in the wind.