Jarvit

Jarvit Ch12 p3

A thud came from behind them and Jarvit felt the ground tremble. They turned. It was Holen.

‘You’re hurt!’ Jarvit saw a large hole in the scaled breast. A black syrup like liquid slowly oozed out of it and trickled down the dragon’s body.

‘It is nothing. Release the boy father. This is between you and me.’

‘You are not my son. She lied to you.’

‘I am the result of your handiwork. Mother kept me hidden from you in the spinney. She knew this day might come and that only flesh of your flesh could destroy you. I lived for this day.’ The dragon Holen roared and sent flame shooting out across the sea. Jarvit felt D’Braggatio tremble.

‘You cannot harm me while I have the boy.’ D’Braggatio tightened his grip on Jarvit. ‘You need this boy to live. The Worthy needs this boy. You will take us to a safe place.’ Holen bellowed with laughter.

‘I did not risk exposing myself just for some brat who believes he’s special.’

‘You lie, worm! This boy and his future have been your main concern. It was you who took him from Quilp! You were the cat who attacked Quilp! You transmogrify! A dryad’s power if ever there was one. You are her son. How proud she would be if she had not just faded away.’

‘You killed her.’ Holen roared.

‘And I shall kill this boy too if you do not do as I say. I know how much he means to you.’

‘Him! He is nothing to me. What do I care for him or the Worthy? You destroyed my mother and all her kind. You tore up the roots of her tree. You took her powers. My only concern is that you pay for what you have done and that I make you pay. She was everything to me. She kept me safe and strong. All things change I know, but you, you destroy. Your greed for power has blighted everything you have ever touched. The boy is a pawn in the Worthy’s game, not mine. He just brought you to me. Have done with him and face me.’ He reared up on his powerful hind legs and bellowed. The black ooze ran down his ivory white underside. Jarvit felt bereft after hearing Holen’s words. He had thought that the magical being had cared for him.

‘The boy is nothing to you eh? Let’s see about that.’ D’Braggatio cried and pushed Jarvit off the cliff. Jarvit flailed his arms and legs and screamed as he fell. The cliff face rushed up past him. He tumbled past flying birds. The wind was cracking and bellowing in his ears. The rocks and waves at the foot of the column zoomed towards him. He closed his eyes.

Jarvit felt as though he had landed on a cushion. He felt scales and rough skin. He opened one eye, then both. He was being held in a dragon’s talon and it was skimming along just above the water. He relaxed, Holen had caught him. He looked up at the great body above him. Wings out stretched with a rhythmic beat. He marvelled at the power there. Then he turned to look forward and saw that Holen’s black dragon head was looking at him. The golden eye winked, Jarvit could swear it was a wink, not a blink. His heart lifted.

Holen rose and soon they were crossing over land. Jarvit watched the tapestry of hills and trees pass beneath him. Then he recognised a clearing in the middle of a group of trees. Holen banked and turned. He flew down toward it. Uncurling his claw he let Jarvit roll out onto the bare earth in the centre of the clearing. He did not land.

‘Goodbye my friend,’ he said and began flying upward.

‘Beast you are mine!’ Jarvit heard D’Braggatio’s cry. He looked and saw that the warlock was clamped onto Holen’s neck. Jarvit guessed that D’Braggatio had leapt onto Holen as the dragon had dived to save him. He saw that D’Braggatio was blasting at the dragon’s black scales with magic. Holen doggedly flew upward. A drop of rain splashed on Jarvit’s face as he lay looking at his friend’s flight. He felt too weak to move. Another heavy drop fell on his hand and he turned to look at it. It was black. He glanced skyward; it was not rain as he had supposed, it was Holen’s blood. The dragon looked little more than a bird now. As he watched he saw Holen fold his wings. The body of the dragon plummeted straight down towards him along with Lord D’Braggatio. Jarvit watched it approaching.