Modern Magick

The Striding Spire: 8

'Who,' croaked Jay, eyes glued to the descending draconic menace, 'is Archibald?'

I wanted to ask much the same thing, but I had been too busy digging for my Wand. I had not yet got around to returning the Sunstone Wand to Stores after our last adventure, for which oversight (ahem) I was now heartily grateful.

Trouble is, I had not expected to encounter so direct a menace two minutes into the Dappledok Dell, and I had left it somewhere in the depths of my shoulder bag. The pup was sleeping on it, and was remarkably resistant to suggestion. 'Er,' I said, beginning to panic, my fingers scrabbling uselessly for any trace of cool gemstone beneath the pup's thick, fluffy fur. 'Duck!'

We dived for the floor. The dragon swooped, claws extended, and mercifully missed all three of us.

Wait, no. No, it didn't. Jay and I had hit the floor, but Mabyn Redclover had stood her ground like an idiot, arms crossed, tutting the way Matron used to upon finding ten-year-old Ves reading her book by torchlight well after lights out. (I was a well-behaved child most of the time, I swear).

The dragon, unimpressed with this display of disapproval, scooped her up in its long, polished claws and flew away again.

Mabyn's voice drifted back to us along the balmy spring breeze. 'I will get this sorted out! Wait there.'

Jay and I could only watch, helpless, as the dragon dwindled into the distance, taking our guide with it.

'Well,' said Jay.

I hefted my bag. I had found the Wand by then, disturbing the pup in the process, and she was now sitting up, yawning, her ears perked as she looked around. 'Time to explore after all, then,' I said brightly.

Jay gave me his what-are-you-talking-about look. He does something odd and sceptical with his eyebrows. It's hard to describe. 'Don't you think we ought to help Mabyn?'

'Did she sound distressed to you?'

The what-the-hell face became a frown. 'No. Why didn't she sound distressed?'

'My guess is that the dragon's called Archibald. Or he belongs to someone else with that name.'

'Possibly not the first time she's travelled by dragon?' Jay surmised.

'Possibly not. Shall we go?'

'She said, "Wait there."'

'I know. I heard her.'

'We aren't doing that?'

'Did you especially want to?'

'We should.' Jay said this very gravely. 'She is effectively our boss for today.'

I put the Wand away again. 'All right, then.'

Time passed.

Jay, to his credit, did a champion job of pretending not to be stupefied with boredom. He wandered about, hands shoved into the pockets of his dark leather jacket, an expression of bland interest on his face as he inspected the same outcropping of tan-coloured rock about sixteen times over.

I sat cross-legged on a nearby boulder, the pup in my lap, and stared into space.

After about seven minutes of this, he said, nonchalantly, 'Maybe we could explore a little bit.'

'We could.'

'If we don't go too far?'

'Absolutely.'

'Do you want to lead?'

'Nope.'

He set off.

'Jay,' I said.