Skylar Mars and the Stolen Egg Page 20

  Skylar nodded. He hoped Doctor Wellengrad wasn’t about to kill him, then kill his friends. They were on a restricted planet, and in Galactic Explorers, people were always being killed for discovering restricted areas. Although the researcher didn’t seem like the type of person to go around killing kids, something in his gut told him the complexity of the Solar Drake’s secrets were worth killing over.

  “You’re in a rather unique situation, Mr. Mars,” Doctor Wellengrad began as he put his hands behind his back and took on a thoughtful expression. “You’ve bonded with a Solar Drake.”

  “Is that what happened?” He reached up and stroked Filzbalm’s head. “Is that why I could sometimes hear him thinking at me even with the dampening bracelet on?”

  Doctor Wellengrad’s brown eyes grew large. “You had a dampening bracelet on? Why did you have a dampening bracelet on?” He stopped pacing and stared at Skylar.

  With a deep breath to steady himself, Skylar began explaining what had happened to him, about how his mother had been killed, how he ended up at Stars’ End Academy with a distrust and fear of psychics that he had to overcome before he could properly wield his powers. How he’d occasionally dreamt of inhuman screams, which after learning he could hear Filzbalm, he suspected the screams were that of a Solar Drake mother. He told the researcher how Solaria had rescued the egg, but had been unable to keep it in her room, and how they’d decided to try and bring the fledgling back to his home world.

  Doctor Wellengrad was silent for a minute or so after Skylar completed his tale. He stroked the back of the brown drake that lay on his muscular forearm with its tail wrapped around his waist. “That’s quite the tale. At least your hearts, those of all three of you, were in the right place. It’s true that Solar Drakes don’t do well in other environments, but it’s not for the reasons that most people think. It’s also true that they are attracted to strong readers. They seek to bond with us. When they bond to a reader, part of what we are transfers to them. Even without the bonding, they’re still extremely intelligent, but when they join with a reader, that intelligence is multiplied. They understand things we never will.

  “But the bonding is not one-sided. They help open up a psychic’s talents, sometimes more than doubling a person’s mental strength. Are you stronger after the bonding or the same strength you were before you bonded?” Before Skylar could answer, the researcher gestured the question aside. “Never mind—you had a fear of psychics, so you wouldn’t know.” He sighed. “But now we have to decide what to do with you. You see, one of the reasons this planet is off-limits is to prevent people from bonding with the drakes. Everyone who bonds with a drake has to stay on the Ring.”

  The words hit Skylar like a slap in the face. He stared at Doctor Wellengrad as his guts balled up, and he felt nauseous. “But I’m just getting used to Stars’ End. I’m making friends. I don’t know where my life is going, but I don’t want to spend it isolated here on this little planet with its strange twilight and humid jungle. I want to explore the galaxy, and maybe the universe. This isn’t fair.”

  Doctor Wellengrad shook his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t make the rules. I can never leave the planet either, but my bond with Selvileigh makes it worth it. He completes me in a way that nothing else could.”

  “No, I can’t just stay here. I just flew my first space ship. It was one of the most awesome things I’ve ever done. If I stay here, I’ll never get the chance to do that again.” He turned to walk away from Doctor Wellengrad. A strong wave of soothing emotions washed over him.

  Skylar spun around and glared at the man. “No!” He thrust the calming energies back in Doctor Wellengrad’s face. “You will not manipulate me into seeing things your way. Not again. I’m tired of being yanked around by adults who think they know what’s best for me.” He took off running as fast as he could across the clearing and into the dense jungle beyond. Filzbalm clung to his shoulder and remained oddly silent.

  25

  Mother Of Drakes

  SKYLAR DIDN’T stop running until his legs began to burn. He slowed to a walk, then sat down on one of the massive roots that jutted out at the base of a huge tree. He didn’t want to stay there. It didn’t make sense. How could the universe be so cruel to him?

  “But didn’t the universe bring us together?” Filzbalm pushed his head against Skylar’s cheek.

  Skylar reached up and stroked the drake’s head. “Yes, it did, and now that I know it’s you who’s trying to talk to me and that you’re able to help me control my abilities, I appreciate it, but I don’t want to be planet bound. I’ve been in the stars and I want to stay there.”

  Filzbalm nodded slightly or he might’ve just been pushing his head harder into Skylar’s hand. “I like it in the stars, too. They make an endless sky, even if we do need the ships to fly across it.”

  “And that, my child, is why we fight so hard to keep our children here.” A deep female voice filled Skylar’s head. He looked up into the branches of the tree and found a pair of brilliant red eyes looking back.

  As he stared up, the eyes grew closer. Every so often, as the source of the voice moved down the tree, it would pass from the thick shadows through a spot of soft light, leaving no doubt in Skylar’s mind that she was a Solar Drake, but much larger than Filzbalm or any of the others that he’d seen so far. Skylar sat frozen to the root as she came closer to him. His pulse pounded so loud in his ears he wondered if he would be able to hear the next things she said—if she said anything at all before jumping on him and eating him.

  When she reached the lowest branch, she walked along it for a moment before her thick, heavy tail whipped up around her front legs. She lay her massive head down on her tail, but continued to stare down at Skylar. In the shadows, it was impossible to see clearly the color of her hide. It kept changing as the dappled light played over it. She was every color he’d so far seen in Solar Drakes, but none had looked the way she did. She was vivid and vibrant, like she was her own color spectrum. “Skylar Mars and Filzbalm, you two represent a very complex problem for me, one I foresaw back when the eggs were first stolen. I suppose it was only a matter of time before some entrepreneurial person thought to exploit our species. For nearly a thousand years, the treaty we formed with the Central Galactic Council has held.”

  Skylar finally found his voice. “And what was that treaty?” He couldn’t say why, but he knew this drake was extremely old and extremely powerful. Knowing that didn’t help push back the fear inside him.

  “That I would keep my children here on the Ring and we would never leave the Armstrong system. I would’ve preferred that the council leave us in peace. Particularly after I saw what exposure to your readers did to my kind. There is such a thing as too smart. But the drive to explore is stronger. It was wrong of me, perhaps.” She slowly shook her head, and a feeling of sadness rolled off her. “I’m happy here on the Ring, as your people call our planetoids. I just call them home. But in exchange for keeping us isolated, I agreed to let a small research facility be built here so the council would know if any of my children left the world. They are the council’s eyes and ears here.

  “For many years things have been quiet. People respected our isolation. There was only a bare minimum of information released. Even on tours of the research facility, it was never revealed that your kind and mine could bond. We specifically asked that no strong telepaths, beyond the research team, be allowed on the planet. From time to time, one would slip through our screening, like you did. Your friend Del is very smart. An excellent example of his species.”

  Skylar chuckled nervously. “I’ll tell him that.” Skylar began to wonder where his conversation with the drake was going. It was nice to know part of where the prohibitions on travel to and from the world came from, but it didn’t explain everything, like what was going to happen to him.

  “So, you want to know what I will do with you?”

  “Yes.” Skylar nodded as he struggled to keep the fear out of his voice. “
That would be nice to know.”

  “I would very much like to continue to go out into space, Mother Of Us All.” Filzbalm stood tall on Skylar’s shoulder and rested his forelegs on the top of Skylar’s head. The little drake’s courage at speaking so strongly to the much larger drake helped push some of Skylar’s fears back, and he relaxed slightly. “Skylar would be good to travel with. He’s a very special young man, at least compared to the others at his school. He also chooses his companions very well.”

  “I agree that he does choose very good companions.” She tilted her head slightly and peered at Skylar through just one eye. Her gaze sent shivers through him. It felt like she was looking more deeply into him than anyone ever had. All that he’d ever known or experienced was laid bare for her. It took everything he had to stand there and allow her to study him.

  When she blinked, the feeling vanished. “Yes, you are a remarkable young man who has a mark to leave on this galaxy and beyond. And you, young Filzbalm, have much to contribute as well. I don’t think it would do my people good for you to remain among them. You’ve seen too much in your short life. You know more than just our jungle. I think you would stir a wanderlust in others that might well be the undoing I have sought to prevent.”

  She sighed. “When the others from your academy arrive, I shall speak with them, and I advise Doctor Wellengrad of the exception being made to the treaty.” She uncurled her tail and stood. “Don’t make me regret my decision. I also set you a task, one that may not be easy. In your travels, when you meet Filzbalm’s brother, send him home. He and his human will not be allowed to return to space. They are too dangerous. Already I can feel the disturbances they create.” Without unfurling her wings, she ascended the tree and vanished from sight into the thick canopy.

  Skylar sat there on the root, more questions running through his mind that he wished he’d asked. Somehow, he knew that when he saw her next, he wasn’t going to get the opportunity to ask personal questions. Still, he sighed happily. “We get to return to space.”

  “Yes,” Filzbalm agreed. “It’ll be a most exciting life that we shall live.”

  “I think exciting will be a good start.” Skylar looked up through an opening in the jungle canopy. The second planetoid shone bright and green against a background of stellar dust. A huge river cut through the green. It was one of the most unique sights he’d ever heard of in the galaxy, and he got to see it. If he had any say in it, it was going to be just the start of the amazing and wondrous things he was going to see as he explored the universe. With Filzbalm on his shoulder and his powers under control, there was nothing he couldn’t do.

  26

  Ramifications

  SKYLAR SET his plate in the small sink in the back room of the research station as Del came running in. “Solaria’s Uncle Phil has entered orbit. He’ll be here in a little while.”

  “That’s good.” Skylar ran water over the plate. The simple chore made him think of being home with his mother.

  He frowned. He’d been too late to prevent another mother from dying as she’d protected her young. Doctor Wellengrad had assured him that the eggs were going to be fine. The father drake had survived, and some of the younger drakes in the forest who didn’t have nests at the time were more than willing to help him incubate the eggs. The researchers would help make sure the babies grew up just fine. Since they had all already bonded to other drakes, there wasn’t a risk of them bonding to any of the other ones in their care. One drake to one reader, that was the way things worked, and since they didn’t bond to feelers or movers, none of the others had anything to worry about. Even Phil would be safe to come to the Ring.

  Doctor Wellengrad walked in as Skylar dried his plate. “She’s asking that we speak with your Philaneo when he arrives. She says if it’s all right with the Central Galactic Council, he and I can negotiate with her to amend the treaty.” He leaned against the counter next to Skylar. “I never thought I’d see the day when the treaty would be renegotiated.”

  “I’m sorry I caused this problem,” Skylar said, setting the dish towel on the counter.

  “But you saved Filzbalm.” Doctor Wellengrad put his hand on Skylar’s shoulder. “And you and your friends were doing the right thing by trying to bring him back. I’m not sure even your teachers at Stars’ End would’ve known what to do if you’d taken a Solar Drake to them. You might not have used the right methods to get him back here, but you did try.”

  “It’s all we could do,” Skylar replied.

  “Got a ship landing,” Melody said as she rushed in. “Guess we get to go home.”

  “You’re not a reader,” Doctor Wellengrad said. “You wouldn’t have had to stay anyway.”

  “Oh.” She looked at Skylar. “They swore us to secrecy about this place. I guess that’s better than having my memory wiped.”

  “Definitely,” Del said. “But we’re going to keep our mouths shut about all the other drakes here, even with Filzbalm staying with us at school.”

  Skylar sighed and missed Filzbalm’s weight on his shoulder. The little drake was out in the forest, had said something about wanting to speak to the Mother of All for a while before it was time to go. “At least he's getting to go with us. That’s the important thing.”

  “It is,” Wellengrad agreed. “Now, you said Philaneo is a Pantherian, like Solaria. To make things easier on them, I’ve set up a room with some air conditioning so we can all talk and they won’t have to wear envriosuits. I left word for Philaneo to land next to that building.” He got a faraway look. “Drakes are coming out of the jungle. We’d better head to the room and get ready.”

  As they entered the hall adjoining the room with air-conditioning, the air filled with the flapping of delicate leather wings as the drakes swarmed the building, led by Filzbalm.

  Skylar held out his arm and Filzbalm landed there before running up to his shoulder.

  “She wants me to report back every week on what I have learned. We don’t have to come here, simply sending a report to Doctor Wellengrad will be fine. She trusts him more than any human who has ever led the researchers before him. I think she just wants to make sure we’re staying out of trouble.”

  “Probably.” Skylar laughed as the familiar form of Phil entered the building. He was droopy and moving slowly in the heat, but wasn’t wearing an envirosuit. Behind him stood the sleek, bald form of Professor Aduncus. The professor didn’t feel happy. Skylar swallowed hard.

  “You must be Philaneo.” Doctor Wellengrad stepped up to Phil and offered him his hand.

  “Doctor Wellengrad.” Phil returned the handshake, then frowned at Skylar. “Allow me to introduce Professor Aduncus from Stars’ End Academy. He was with me when I received the call to come here.”

  Doctor Wellengrad’s eyes widened. “Professor Aduncus, I’ve heard of you. You’re one of the most powerful readers around.”

  Professor Aduncus held up his arm, displaying a dampening bracelet identical to the one Skylar had been wearing for weeks and that was still in Del’s pocket. “And I have blinded myself to retrieve my students.” He glared hardest at Del. “Although I may leave my grandson here in your care.”

  Del rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on, Grandfather. We were just trying to do the right thing.”

  “And sometimes that’s not enough,” Professor Aduncus said solemnly. “The universe has rules for a reason. We will be discussing many of those before we leave the planet, and on the way back to school.”

  Skylar didn’t like the sound of that but kept his mouth and mind closed.

  “Please, gentlemen, let’s go into the room we’ve set up to accommodate Philaneo and Solaria while we discuss the matters at hand.” Doctor Wellengrad swept his arm toward the front room off the hall. “We are sorry for the tight accommodations, but we do our best to limit disrupting the environment here, so we try to not cool rooms more than we need to. The smaller the room, the less we disrupt.”

  “That’s fine,” Phil said as they entered th
e room. “I just want to get out of this heat. Due to my travels with Intergal, I can tolerate it more than most of my people, but this is pressing even on me.”

  “Uncle Phil!” Solaria hollered and threw herself at him. She was out of her envirosuit and looked a lot better than she had earlier.

  Happiness rolled off both of them as they hugged. Skylar felt a little jealous. Solaria had a loving family while he still missed his mother very much, and often wondered if the pain of her loss would ever lessen.

  Filzbalm landed on his shoulder. “You’ve got me. I might not be a mother, but I’ll never leave you. We are together now, forever.”

  “I know.” Skylar reached up and stroked the drake’s head. He recalled the sights of the dead researchers, each with a lifeless drake at their side. The researchers had been shot, but the drakes had no injuries that he’d been able to see in his quick look. It was as if they’d just died when their bondmates had perished. He hadn’t taken the time to confirm that with Doctor Wellengrad. He didn’t like the idea that if something happened to him, Filzbalm would share his fate, but it was too late to turn back. They’d bonded and that was that.

  “All right.” Phil released Solaria and turned to the rest of them. “Would someone please explain exactly what is going on here? Our communication was brief when you lot called for help.”

  “Well…” Skylar felt it was his place to start. He began with Solaria taking the egg from Pathal and didn’t stop talking until he got to the point where they’d gotten a hold of Phil and he’d agreed to come rescue them.

  “I thought there was something you three have been hiding,” Professor Aduncus said. “I have to say that I’m not overly surprised. I’ve been feeling a presence in school that I couldn’t identify. I’ve consulted with Ms. Grissom and the other teachers who are high enough levels to feel more than just the basic emotions and thoughts you students put out. We knew there was something amiss, but we couldn’t put our fingers on what it was. We even consulted a seer, and she couldn’t help.”