A glance to his side reassured him the last drawing was waiting. He only had to wait and make sure that when the dragon drew close, it knew to attack. That was the critical part of the plan.
Arriving at the castle under the direction of Raymer was only the beginning. It seemed the easy part. How was he going to make the dragon attack and make the Fairwinds Provence army mass to protect the castle?
Even more to the point, Raymer didn’t want to kill or injure the wrong people, or any people for that matter. He checked the ground below the dragon one more time. It still followed.
Raymer felt Ander place his hand on his shoulder and say, “You can do this.”
“If the dragon was attacking King Ember’s Summer Palace would you feel the same?”
“If I knew what I do, the answer is yes.”
Fleet asked, “Can you see in your mind what the dragon does?”
“No. Sometimes I get ‘impressions’ or just feelings.”
“If you get feelings, will you have to get angry at the castle so the dragon attacks?” Fleet asked.
Raymer opened his left eye long enough to wink at Fleet. Yes, that was how to make the dragon attack. Raymer had to convince the dragon he was either scared, in danger, or angry.
The suggestion from the boy arrived just in time because as he touched minds again, the dragon screamed and flew faster. The west wall of Castle Warrington lined a gray cliff. Bright Flags and streaming banners waved in the breeze. The image in Raymer’s mind was no longer dull, indistinct, or unclear.
It had turned as clear as his own vision. He was looking through the eyes of the dragon.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The dragon relayed its anger by announcing its presence with another screech that must have alerted the tower guards. Uniformed men ran or shouted. Others appeared, many holding weapons. As the dragon swept low over the west wall, the streets and squares of the castle were locations of chaos. The entire castle had erupted like an ant pile kicked by a child.
The dragon reared its head back and prepared to spit at the running figures.
Raymer shouted out loud, “No!”
He must also have ‘shouted’ in his mind. Confused, the dragon flew higher and passed completely over the castle without killing anyone. Farms and fields spread below, but even there he saw men running for shelter from the beast overhead. The dragon screamed again, a long piercing sound that drew the attention of all.
The river. Fly back to the river. Raymer fought to regain some control of the situation. He wanted to attack the castle and draw in the army, but he didn’t want to kill innocent people. The dragon ignored his first requests, but as they turned to demands, he started a high, wide turn. Raymer complimented the dragon for it, trying to calm it.
The dragon flew to the river, and Raymer managed to get it flying in the direction of the castle again. The west wall was almost an extension of the cliff. Bare walls rose, and there were few windows. He told the dragon, Attack the wall. Spit at it.
The dragon unleashed, flew at the wall and Raymer heard five of the hollow pock noises dragons made when they spit. Black splattered on the tan colored walls, but nothing happened other than a hazy smoke drifting upwards. It would leave a stain, but that was all. The dragon flew past the rampart again, and fewer people were in sight. Those few he saw were either hiding and peeking from cover or attempting to hide.
Raymer watched through the eyes of the dragon as if he watched through his own. He didn’t take the time to think about how odd it was, or a hundred other questions. Instead, he watched for an open flame, one without people too near. One touch to the dragon spit, and it’d turn into a ball of fire.
He couldn’t find a flame that fit his needs, a place where nobody would get hurt. However, since a dragon had pushed in the wall of the dungeon, he searched where a wall might be weak. Against one inside wall surrounding the castle, Raymer saw it rise three stories high. A wall that high was probably weaker than others.
There. He pointed the dragon at the inside of the wall and to his surprise felt no hesitation. The dragon turned and flew where he looked. Only a few people were on the rampart near there, and they fled in panic as the dragon dropped from the sky.
Raymer felt it land with a solid thud. Without pausing, the dragon threw itself against the stone wall, chest first. The wall shook, and a few massive blocks toppled. The dragon rammed it again, and an entire section of wall collapsed. A torch lay in the rubble, the flame flickering then catching fire to a piece of nearby wood that may have been the leg of a chair.
At the same time, a pain sharp and fierce struck. Raymer wailed as the dragon wailed. The dragon spun, finding a spear sticking out of a leg. The thrower of the spear was a frightened soldier only ten paces away, with nowhere to go. He was trapped in a corner.
The dragon drew its head back, ready to snap him in half with a mouthful of jagged teeth. The man stood no chance. But instead of cowering, he attacked by charging the dragon with his fists. He was frightened, but brave.
Do not spit on him or bite him. Raymer glanced beyond the soldier and saw others wielding spears heading in their direction. Fly away. Go now.
The dragon took a few steps at the weaponless soldier and leaped over his head, wings flapping. Raymer looked at the torch and told the dragon, Spit at that.
The dragon turned its head and emitted one pock sound. A flash of black entered, and vanished from his vision in an instant. The torch ignited in an orange ball of flame.
Raymer found himself sitting up in bed, the men in the room asking a dozen questions at once. Ander held onto his upper arm and shaking him.
“You screamed,” Fleet said.
Ander looked scared. “What’s happening?”
Raymer shouted, “We’re attacking the castle. Let me lay down and leave me alone. I’m fine.”
Raymer touched the dragon’s mind again. He saw that the dragon had in a very short time, flown away from the castle, across the river, where there were fields of corn and grain. A small farm lay directly below, a cabin with smoke rising from a chimney.
Fly low over that house. Scream when we get close.
The dragon spun, losing altitude in the process and flying right at the farmhouse. It screeched, and a man and woman appeared in the doorway. They ran back inside. Raymer cursed himself for what he was about to do. Fly low and rip off the roof.
The dragon made another pass, colliding with the roof so hard part of the house collapsed. A man and woman emerged screaming in terror, racing for the shelter of the barn. When they were clear, Raymer ordered Spit on it. Spit on the house.
The house ignited and balls of flames erupted, the rising dark and evil smoke. Raymer felt regret but locked his mind on attracting the army to massacre he wanted to prevent. He also promised to repay the farmer for the house. It would be taken care of as soon as he met with Quint.
Fly back to the castle. Raymer waited for the dragon to turn. The spears were a threat when the dragon was on the ground, and arrows when it flew too low. His next attack needed to protect the dragon more than he had.
His mind flashed red. Pain shot through Raymer so hard he felt dizzy. He realized it was not his pain, but the dragon’s. He’d forgotten about the spear. The dragon turned its head and looked at its front shoulder where the haft of a spear hung.
Land anywhere it looks safe, Raymer ordered. The dragon immediately slowed and circled a pasture containing a dozen cows and a few horses. The animals fled to the far reaches near the fence and watched with terrified eyes.