. : D R A G O N B O R N : . (a MCSM fanfic)

Chapter 8: Leap

Petra and Xann both leaped up at the sudden quake.

"What the heck was that??" Petra gasped, glancing quickly around her. 

"Xann not know-- but it deep within the eahth..."  He swayed his head uneasily, ears flat against his head.  "Not close, but not fah eitheh... Xann not like it..."

"Me neither," Petra murmured, spotting a rock outcropping nearby and quickly clambering up it.  "But whatever it was, we need to figure it out..."

Xann spread his wings, leaping up behind her, and both of them caught their breath at the sight before them.  A mountain on the far side of the valley had shattered, and from the split in its side came a massive zombie, towering over the land.

"Is that a...?"

"That not good-- we need to go!"  He turned as if to go, but Petra reached out quickly.

"Xann, we can't!  Beacontown is down there-- and that giant's headed right for it!"

Xann pinned his ears.  "But Peh say town not safe..."

She exhaled.  "Then you go hide in the woods-- but I have to go help my friends!"  She leaped down from the rock, breaking her fall with a roll.  Xann jumped down behind her, looking dubious.

"Town too fah-- Peh not make it in time..."

"Well I can't sit here and do nothing!  The town is in danger!"

"Xann know..."  He exhaled.  "That why Xann help.  Town too fah... on foot."

Her eyes widened.  "You want to fly?  But Xann, you said yourself it's a few days yet--"

"We not have a few days!  Xann fly now-- come!"

She nodded, quickly moving over and climbing onto his back, gripping one of the spikes on his neck firmly to keep her hold.  "Okay... now what?"

"This part Xann not know..."  He turned back to look at her.  "Peh book talk about bond...maybe that help."

Petra went rigid.  "Oh no-- no, I can't do that-- I can't... there has to be some other way!"

Xann pinned his ears.  "We not have time for otheh way..."

"But Xann, I... I can't!  I can't!  We agreed... no mental links..."  She shook her head.  "Not again," she added under her breath.

Xann was quiet for a long moment.  "Xann trust Peh... now Peh needs to trust Xann.  Town need help... not time to delay!"

Petra hesitated, and then nodded shakily, keeping a tight grip on the spike.  "Okay," she breathed, "I trust you..."  She exhaled.  "Let's just do this quickly."

Xann nodded, lowering his head.  "Xann not sure how this work... think both must think together.  Both must trust... or bond fail."

Petra nodded and closed her eyes, trying to force the fear from her mind.  "Alright... let's do this."

She felt something pressing at the edges of her awareness, and fought the instinct to force it out.  Xann, I sure hope you know what you're doing...

Peh, that you?  The words seemed to come from within her own mind, and she started in surprise.

Yes-- yes, it's me!  Is it working??

Xann think so!  But we not have time-- we must fly!

She nodded quickly, opening her eyes.  Alright-- I don't know much about flying, but we need altitude... there, that rock!  Get up on top that, it'll give us a better chance of getting into the air!

Xann quickly leaped up on it, spreading his wings.  Petra ready?

Nope, but we can't waste any more time.  Go!

Her stomach dropped as Xann vaulted from the rock and into the open sky, and she clung to his neck spikes tightly, afraid of falling off.  They hung in the air for a moment and then plummeted straight for the ground below.

Flap your wings, Xann-- quickly!  We need lift!

With a loud, leathery thwack Xann slammed his wings down, beating them furiously.  The trees below loomed nearer and nearer, but suddenly they were rising, soaring higher and higher into the sky above.  The air current below buoyed them up, lifting them up to the clouds.

That's it!  Xann, you did it!  We're flying!

Fly yes, but how long?  Air carry us now... what if current end?

Then you'll have to fly on your own strength-- but you can do it!  I'm not too heavy, am I?

Petra fine, Xann can carry.  Now where's giant?

***

"A giant?  And you didn't think that was an important thing to tell us until just now???"

"I thought we had a few months yet!" Soren protested, "I had no way of knowing the timetable was off!"

Lukas gave a huff of exasperation.  "It's not like it matters now anyway-- we need to warn the others!  We've got to protect the town!"

"Yes, and we don't have much time!" Soren agreed.  "I'll go find Ivor and Harper-- and maybe they'll know where Gabriel's gotten off to."

"Good-- we'll need all the help we can get."  Lukas exhaled.  "I'm going to go look for Petra-- if I know the team, they're already on the way.  But Petra could be in that thing's path!"

Soren nodded.  "You'd best hurry-- it won't take that giant long to get here!"

"I'll be back before you know it!"  He hesitated.  "Soren, if you see the others, please tell them what's going on.  They need to know about that dragon..."

"Will do."  Soren dipped his head.  "Be careful out there!"

Lukas rushed out the door, hurrying to comfort his frightened horse.  "Whoa now, easy there!  It's alright-- but we need to get out of here..."

The horse calmed at his arrival, ceasing her frantic neighs, and settled down long enough for him to untie her and climb on.  With a flurry of hoofbeats they were off, galloping through the town and onto the open road beyond.

***

"Jesse, we've got a problem-- a big problem!"

Axel and Jesse both ran to join Olivia at the window, looking out in worry at the distant giant.

"A giant?  Aren't those supposed to be a myth??"  Axel's brow lifted in surprise.

"I suppose it's no more unlikely than a Witherstorm," Jesse murmured, biting her lip.  "But in any case, we need to get out there-- that thing's heading straight for Beacontown!"

"What about Petra and Lukas?" Olivia asked with worry.  "I haven't seen Petra all morning, and Lukas headed off for Soren's about an hour ago!"

"Unless someone knows where Petra went, we don't have time to go looking for her," Jesse murmured.  "We've got to prepare the town before that giant gets here!  If Lukas is at Soren's, he'll probably figure things out and meet us in the town... and if Petra's anywhere nearby, I'm sure she'll do the same..."

"I sure hope so," Axel murmured, "I don't like being two down already..."

"We don't have much of a choice," Jesse pointed out.  "It's not going to be long before that giant reaches Beacontown, and we need to be ready by the time it does..."