Rhiannon - Dragonrider

Chapter Eight - Rhiannas

The dragon's cloud world presence burned so unbelievably brightly that my mind was kind of dragged half way across. "Food!" I heard the thing thinking as it circled calmly through the chaos of the storm. "How convenient; I hunger."

Suddenly it broke from its circle and swooped down towards us. I was thrown to the deck by some sort of overwhelming blow that seemed to come out of the cloud world and then the creature smashed the roof off the little cabin with a contemptuous flick of its tail. Megan let out a scream as the two of us were showered in a hail of splinters.

"Don't hurt us!" I screamed at the dragon over the roar of the storm as I pulled myself unsteadily to my feet. "We need to talk."

I guess the thing was surprised by my reaction.

"Does the wolf parley with the deer?" it demanded, "or the eagle make discourse with the hare?" Why, pray... why, prey... should I listen to you?" But it paused for a moment. "Nonetheless, you, too, show courage in standing before me to meet your doom. For this, you may say your piece before you die!" The awesome creature continued to wheel in tight circles round us.

"I had to come to the island," I explained hurriedly. "I've been called here."

"You had to come here?" it replied in mocking contempt. "What do I care for your petty ambitions and motivations? I am the mighty Rhiannas of the House of Rhian. Why should I suffer you to live?"

My mind raced, desperately trying to think of some way of saving my life. "Maybe I can do something for you... serve you in some way." I tried to shout but, in my effort to make myself heard over the fury of the storm, I found myself sort of shouting my words out into the cloud world.

A hint of surprise flashed across the creature's mind.

"Intriguing!" it said... and I could sort of tell that its thoughts were being pushed straight into my brain rather than said as proper words. "You are capable of cerebral communication, be it of a most primitive and unschooled nature. Such talent is uncommon in Outsiders... and, beyond question, you penetrated our defences to a disconcerting degree. My fellow border guards and I are not normally so lax in our duties. Mayhap you have serviceable talents after all."

He continued to circle, deep in thought.

"However, none come to the island without paying the guard. What do you bring me by way of tribute?"

My eyes darted around the shattered wreck, looking for something... anything... I could offer to the thing to get it to spare my life. They landed on Megan who was still lying, whimpering, in the bottom of the boat.

"More intriguing still!" the creature observed. "You would sacrifice one of your own kind to save your hide. Such an unclouded perception of the price of survival is certainly not common amongst humans."

"No!" I screamed. "That's not what I meant."

"Are you certain about that?" the creature demanded. "Let me be clear. You offer me nothing I do not already possess for both your lives were forfeit the instant you crossed the boundary of the guardian storm. If the offer stands you may, for a while at least, live. Rescind it and you die."

I couldn't do anything but stare at the monster, paralysed by the horror of the decision it was forcing me to make.

But the creature ceased its circling and turned to face me, hovering in the air like an enormous hummingbird. "I must soon resume my patrol duties and I can brook no further delay. My offer will not be improved. Decide now."

I felt the refusal rising inside me but I just couldn't say the words. For a moment I stared at the creature in horror before falling to my knees and covering my face with my hands.