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CHAPTER 6 - HELP FROM ABOVE

"Which way?"

"This way."

Draig grabbed Max's arm and pulled him along the dusty stone corridor, lined with torches.

"I really wish you hadn't done that back there." The wolf-man grumbled.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" Max protested, not resisting Draig's grip on his arm.

"Didn't do anything wrong?" Draig spluttered, skidding to a halt. He looked Max in the eye. "A little tip. When facing a room of fifty big strong knights, armed to the teeth with all sorts of swords and knives, you do not, I repeat, do not, sarcastically point out they collectively have less intelligence than the average watermelon!"

"But it was true!" Max said.

"That's beside the point!" Draig said. "I'm starting to get tired of having to save your life wherever we go. I wish you'd learn to stop getting into trouble." He continued along the corridor, towing Max along.

"If I didn't get myself into trouble," Max pointed out, "you'd be left with nothing to do."

"I'd be able to relax." Said Draig.

"Ah, relaxation is overrated." Said Max, dismissively. "Besides, if you had your way, we'd do nothing at all on every world we visited."

"Of course." Said Draig. "We should avoid getting involved whenever possible."

"Well, that's no fun." Max said. "And not really possible, what with me being the Traveller. I say, we accept we're going to get involved, and enjoy it whenever possible."

"Easy for you to say." Draig mumbled.

They continued on in silence for a time, wandering through the corridors.

"We're lost, aren't we?" Said Draig, eventually.

"Well, that's down to you." Said Max. "You were leading the way."

"That's right. Blame me all the time."

"Thank you. I will."

"You know, there are times when your sarcasm is inappropriate." Draig sighed.

"Really? I'd never have guessed." Said Max.

"I thought as much." Draig muttered. "Let's try this way." The wolf-man wandered off down a corridor he'd chosen at random, Max once again bringing up the rear.

Suddenly, a group of five knights rounded a corner ahead of them. They noticed the two of them, yelled something unintelligible and charged.

"Time for a retreat." Draig hissed, turning to run. He found Max was already at a sprint.

"You don't say." The human called back.

The clanking of the knights' metal armour followed them as they ran through the corridors, completely at random, following them as they twisted and turned.

"Where the hell is the exit?" Said Max, as they turned yet another corner to be faced with yet another corridor.

"You think I know?" Draig growled back.

They arrived at an intersection, identical stone corridors branching off in all directions.

"That way!" Said Draig, nodding to one corridor that had daylight at its far end.

They set off toward the daylight. The noises of the approaching knights grew louder around them. Those intent on slicing them both to ribbons were closing in.

Max and Draig burst from the corridor into the brightness of the open air, hoping for an escape route.

They were disappointed. While they were in the open air, there was no way for them to escape unless they happened to grow wings.

The corridor had led them to a wide balcony cut into a sheer cliff face. Just above them, they could see the rest of the castle, built directly into the cliff edge. Below was a drop of at least a mile. A beautiful vista of green forests lay spread out below them, with snow-capped mountains in the distance.

"Damn." Draig said.

"Nice view, though." Max pointed out.

The wolf-man gave his companion a withering look.

"Hey, I'm just looking on the bright side." Max told him.

Snarls echoed from behind them. They turned and found themselves face to face with a horde of the big dumb knights that were pursuing them. They were heavily armed.

Draig drew his sword from its scabbard on his back and shoved Max behind him, positioning himself between the knights and the human.

"Can you get us out of here yet?" He hissed, keeping his attention on the knights.

Max checked the Traveller Device. "No. It's not recharged yet."

"Damn."

The wolf-man and the human backed up as the knights began to approach. They were soon backed up against the edge of the balcony, with nowhere else to go.

"Any suggestions would be appreciated, Traveller." Draig mumbled.

"I'm sort of out of ideas right now." Max had to admit.

"Well..." Draig began.

There was a sudden flash of motion. A swish of air. Someone new appeared, swooping down from above on vast wings.

This new being looked like a humanoid dragon to Max. It had green scaly skin, sharp claws and talons and a long thick tail. A face with reptilian features sat atop a long neck. A pair of big leathery wings protruded from its back.

The creature landed between them and the knights, looking back and forth between them. Max noticed the dragon was dressed in simple brown clothing, with leather boots and gloves.

The dragon twisted on the spot, whipping his tail around. In one powerful stroke, it struck across the knights. The armoured beings were thrown back, several were knocked from their feet.

"Come on!" Said the dragon, turning to Max and Draig. "Let's go!" He passed them and leapt to the edge of the balcony.

"Who are you?" Draig demanded.

"Right now," said the dragon, "I'm giving you a way to get out of here alive."

"Works for me." Said Max, stepping forward.

The dragon grabbed him and lifted him onto his back, positioning him between his wings. Max held on.

One of the knights had recovered enough of his senses to make a charge. Draig turned to face him, bringing up his sword. Their blades clashed.

"Go!" The wolf-man shouted.

The dragon spread his wings wide, but didn't leave. "I'm here to save you both." He said, holding out a hand for Draig.

A few more of the knights were about to attack. Draig noticed.

The wolf-man blocked a blow from his opponent and then struck back, savagely. His long sword smashed across the knight's chest plate, denting it deeply. The knight fell back.

Draig turned and ran to the dragon, grabbing his outstretched hand. The dragon stepped back off the balcony, pulling the wolf-man with him.

A sensation of free-fall gripped them for the first few moments while the dragon struggled to correctly angle his wings.

Their rapid descent was brought to a sudden wrenching halt. But they were still going down, Max hanging from the dragon's back and Draig dangling below them, gripping the creature's hand. They were falling quite fast.

Their reptilian saviour's face was dripping with sweat. He was straining with the effort of trying to slow them down. His great wings were spread wide, beating at the air.

"We're too heavy!" The dragon growled.

The forest beneath them was coming up fast.

"Then drop me!" Draig called up.

"No!" The dragon said. "That's not the way I do things!"

Max risked a look down at the vast canopy of greenery approaching them.

"This is gonna hurt."

And then they crashed....

* * * * * *

"Max!"

Where has that damn human got to? Draig thought, as he continued to call out the human's name and hack his way through the forest.

It had been a rough crash through the trees, and the three of them had been separated. Draig himself hadn't been injured, but it was possible that Max and their dragon saviour were.

There was sudden movement in the undergrowth to his left. The dragon sat up, shaking his head.

"Not the most graceful landing I've ever achieved..." He mumbled to himself. He noticed Draig watching him.

"Good, you're alive." The dragon said, getting to his feet. "I'd hate to have risked my life to save you only for you to die in a crash a few minutes later. Where's your companion?"

"Still missing." Said Draig. He was unsure what to make of this dragon creature. He made sure he kept his sword handy. There was no harm in being cautious.

"Well, let's find him then." The dragon said, brushing himself down and pulling off his gloves.

"No need." Called a voice from behind them.

They turned to see Max trying to disentangle himself from a bush.

"As you can see." He said. "I survived."

"Let me help you up." The dragon stepped over to him and held out a hand. Max was about to take it, but stopped suddenly, looking at it.

The hand was covered in a Traveller Device.

"You're a Traveller..."

The dragon took Max's hand and pulled him to his feet. "It's 'the' Traveller, actually." He said with a smile.

Max held up his own hand, with his own Traveller Device. "Not exactly."

The reptilian creature laughed. "Wow! It's been awhile since I last met a fellow Traveller! I'm Darist."

"I'm Max." Said the human. "And my friend over there currently scowling at us is Draig."

"I am not scowling!" Draig protested.

"Then that's a very strange expression you've got on your face." Said Max.

The wolf-man muttered something under his breath. Then he stalked past the two Travellers. "We'd better get moving. In case those knights decide to come looking for us."

Max and Darist watched him strolling away through the undergrowth.

"Is he always this grumpy?" The dragon asked.

"Nah, he's usually much worse." Max shrugged.

The two Travellers set off, following the wolf-man

"I'm going to guess that you're relatively new to the whole Traveller thing." Said Darist, as the three of them picked their way through the dense forest.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, for one," Darist explained, "an experienced Traveller wouldn't have needed help getting out of that situation back there."

"Yeah, thanks for the rescue." Said Max.

"Don't give it a second thought." The dragon shrugged. "I pull off dramatic rescues like that all the time. Comes with the job. You'll probably end up doing some yourself."

"Now there's something to look forward to." Said Max.

Darist laughed. "Don't be down about it. I can sympathise with what you're going through. All Travellers go through it. It's the readjustment phase."

"The what?"

"Well," the dragon explained as they walked, "I've met many other Travellers during my journeys. Whenever two Travellers meet, we exchange information. On Travellers and Traveller related stuff. This is the first time for you, so it's mainly going to be one way, from me to you."

He paused for breath before going on. "One of the things we've found is that for a time after first receiving the Device, everyone of us went through a period of readjustment, during which we sometimes had doubts and problems being the Traveller."

"Yeah." Max was forced to agree.

"But it passes." Darist assured him. "It just takes a bit of time to settle into the Traveller life."

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm really suited to this life." Max said.

"The Device chose you." Darist said. "It bonded to you. So you are suited. You'll come to realise that. Just remember, we Travellers are the luckiest beings there are."

"Luckiest?" Max said, surprised. "I don't see how."

"Think of it like this." The dragon told him. "We get to see more strange and wondrous things, visit more exotic and unusual places, than most beings in existence could ever dream of. We do things that no one else could even imagine doing. That's why we're lucky."

Max mulled this over.

"I went through the same thing you are." Darist went on. "When the Device first came to me, I didn't know what was going on half the time. It took time for me to settle down and get used to this thing." He tapped his Device.

"How long have you been a Traveller?" Max asked.

"Hard to say." Darist shrugged. "It's always difficult to keep track of personal time when you're a traveller through both time and space. But I must have had it for several years now. At least."

"Wow."

The dragon shot him a smile. "It's been a wild ride for the most part. There are some really fantastic worlds out there to visit. But enough of me. There must be all sorts of things you want to ask."

"Well, yeah, I suppose." Max shrugged.

"Then go ahead." Darist smiled at him.

Max asked the first thing that came to mind. "Who created the Device?" He said. "And I mean really, not what the legend says."

"So you're smart enough not to take the legend at face value?" Darist nodded. "That's good. There are some Travellers who believe wholeheartedly in the legend and take it as complete truth, no matter what anyone says."

"Interesting." Said the human. "But it doesn't answer my question."

"Truth is, no one knows." Darist admitted. "At least none of the Travellers I've ever met knew. It's just one of the mysteries of the universe that is likely never to be solved."

"Doesn't stop it being frustrating." Said Max.

"I know." Darist shrugged. "Anything else?"

Max thought about it. "Yeah, there is something. Just before he died, the guy I inherited the Device from said something about it having a degree of intelligence. Is that true?"

"It's a matter of opinion." Said Darist. "Some Travellers believe the Device is actually alive, a strange form of sentient creature. Others think it's just a machine, with some incredibly sophisticated technology and programming."

"What do you think?" Max asked.

"I think it is alive in some way." Darist mused, glancing down at his Device. "I can't explain it. It's just a feeling I get." He looked back at Max. "But you'll have to figure out for yourself what you think about it. Anything else?"

"Can't think of anything." Said Max.

"Then I should probably tell you something. A warning." The dragon Traveller suddenly became serious.

"A warning about what?" Max had no idea what he could be talking about.

Darist looked forward, toward Draig walking ahead of them. "About him."

"What are you talking about?"

Darist took a deep breath before going on. "The Device chose you because you are suitable to be the Traveller. Mentally and psychologically, you can handle it. Others, like your companion, cannot."

"I don't believe that." Max shook his head. "Draig is strong. He can handle it."

"It's just a matter of time until it gets to him." Darist said. "The life of the Traveller's constant journey simply cannot be handled by anyone not chosen by the Device. It's one of the few things all Travellers agree on."

"Let me tell you a story I heard from another Traveller." Darist continued. "She once made a friend on a world she visited. Took him with her on her journey. She believed he'd be able to cope with it. But she was wrong. It took time, but gradually, this friend of hers fell apart. His sanity collapsed piece by piece, leaving him a hollow, angry, mentally unstable being. She had to leave him on the first suitable world she found, for fear of what further travelling could do to him."

"But that won't happen with Draig." Max protested. "He's got a strong spirit."

"I have no doubt that he does." Said Darist. "I'm just filling you in on the reality of things. The journey will destroy your friend, no matter what you choose to believe. My advice is to leave him on the first world where you think he will be able to live. For his sake."

Max simply shook his head again. "No. I won't believe it."

The dragon at his side sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that. But you'll eventually see I'm right."

"Time will tell." Said Max, stubbornly

"That it will." Darist agreed.

* * * * * *

"I apologise for the primitiveness of the camp." Draig said. "But because of a certain someone, we had to leave the castle in a hurry, abandoning our packs and all our supplies and equipment."

"Look, how many more times must I say I'm sorry?" Said Max.

"Keep going." Draig said. "I'll let you know when it's enough."

"The camp is fine." Darist broke into their conversation.

The Wolven Knight shot the dragon a withering look of contempt, but didn't say anything further.

They had set up camp for the night in a gap in the large roots of a tall, towering tree. They'd decided to risk a fire for some warmth.

"The camp doesn't really matter." Said Darist. He was sat in front of the fire, his wings folded neatly against his back, and his tail coiled around his waist. "The Traveller's life naturally involves roughing it on occasion."

"In case you didn't notice," said Draig, from his position opposite the dragon. "I am not a Traveller. So you'll excuse me if I don't particularly like living a Traveller's life."

"Of course." Darist nodded, doing his best to sound sympathetic. But it was wasted on the wolf-man, who seemed determined to be moody. The dragon groped for a subject change.

"So tell me, Max," he said, "what kind of adventures have you had so far?"

The human leapt upon the chance to talk, and guide the conversation in a different direction.

For the next hour, Max proceeded to recount the previous adventures he and Draig had shared. Darist took it all in, but there was one point he became particularly interested in, that he brought up once Max was done.

"This Malign creature." He said. "You say he had a Traveller Device?"

"Yeah." Max confirmed.

"That's new to me." Said Darist. "Someone with a Device who is a monster. Everything I know says that the Device only bonds with good people suitable for the Traveller role."

"Here's a thought." Draig spoke up. "Maybe Malign wasn't always a monster. Maybe he was a good and suitable being when he first got the Device. But something changed him."

Max and Darist thought about this in silence. It did seem logical.

"Of course." Draig added. "It's also possible that everything you know is wrong."

"Yes." Said Darist, giving Draig a sceptical look and a strained smile. "It's a possibility." He stretched. "But for now, I believe we should all get some sleep and regain our strength. It was been a long trek through the forest."

"Yes. And we should take turns standing watch tonight." The Wolven knight said. "As unlikely as it is, there is a chance those knights will find us."

"I agree." Said Darist. "I'll take the first watch. You two get some sleep."

Draig mumbled something under his breath and lay down to sleep, his back to the two Travellers.

Just before Max went off to sleep himself, Darist shot him a look. The human was able to understand it perfectly. It was a look that said 'Remember my warning. You know I'm right.'

But Max ignored it as he drifted off. He refused to believe it.

* * * * * *

"I heard what you told him."

Darist looked over his shoulder from where he was perched on a tree root, watching the dark forest. Draig was sitting up.

"It's not time for your watch yet." The dragon told him. "You've only been asleep for a couple of hours."

"Actually, I couldn't sleep." Said the wolf-man "I was too busy thinking."

"About what?"

"As I said, I heard what you told Max." Draig told him. "It's been occupying my mind."

"And what exactly did you hear me tell Max?" Darist asked, even though he knew through his instincts what the answer was going to be.

"Max always forgets just how good my hearing is." Draig said. "I clearly heard every word spoken between the two of you. But it was that warning you gave him that caught my full attention."

"Ah." Said Darist.

"Do you really believe this journey is going to destroy my sanity?" Draig demanded.

"Look, I don't think we should be talking about this..."

"Yes or no?" The wolf-man hissed, interrupting.

Darist looked him in the eye. He saw how serious Draig was.

"Yes." The dragon replied. "I'd advise you to leave Max's company as soon as possible."

Draig wasn't listening. He was looking very thoughtful. Eventually he spoke. "I won't deny that this journey is rough on me, both physically and spiritually. But destroy my sanity? I don't believe that."

The dragon Traveller shook his head sadly. "That's a shame. Because it's the way it is."

"Even if it is." Said Draig. "I don't really care. Travelling with Max is the only way I'm going to get home."

"Find yourself a new home." Darist urged. "Because the journey will eventually grind you down. Take my word for it, I know what I'm talking about."

"I don't know you." Said Draig. "Unlike Max, I don't automatically trust Travellers. Having that Device on your hand does not make you trustworthy."

"I can't blame you." The dragon shrugged.

"So I'm not going to automatically trust your word." Said Draig.

Darist sighed. "Your choice."

"Yes it is." Said Draig. "And another thing. I..."

He stopped, listening. Something had caught the attention of his ears.

The dragon opposite him frowned. "What's wrong?"

"There's movement out there." Draig whispered. "And it's not the local wildlife. Wake Max."

Doing as he was told, Darist gently shook the human until he sat up, blearily rubbing at his eyes.

"What's happening?" Max wanted to know.

"I think those knights have found us." The wolf-man told him.

"What makes you say that?" Max asked.

Suddenly, an armour-plated knight rushed out of the trees and into the middle of their camp, sword raised, yelling a battle cry. Draig, however, was ready for him and floored him with a single punch to the face.

"Just a hunch." He said, with a shrug.

"Is he alone?" Was what the human wanted to know next.

"No." Draig replied, drawing his sword. "There's still many more out there. Get ready for a fight."

Darist noticed the pale look that crossed Max's face. "Don't worry about it." He whispered to him. "This sort of thing is what being the Traveller is all about. Don't think too much about it, just do it. It'll come naturally, believe me."

"Easily said." Max mumbled. "Not so easily done."

They stood there waiting for the attack to come. A few minutes later, it did.

Armoured knights swarmed out of the trees around them. There were about thirty to thirty-five in total, but that didn't seem to concern Draig. He waded in, sword swinging, legs kicking. Several knights were sent flying through the air in the first few moments of the fight.

Similarly, Darist wasn't worried by the three of them being so outnumbered. He leapt into the fight, using his large wings as weapons, sweeping knights out of his way.

For a brief moment, Max hung back from the battle, fear running through him.

Closing his eyes for a second, he forced the fear to the back of his mind. He had to do whatever he could to help.

He opened his eyes again, ready to join the fight, to find a knight charging at him, almost on top of him.

He ducked as the knight's sword swung and barged forward, barrelling into his attacker, knocking him down.

Turning, he found himself face to face with another opponent. Letting his instincts take over, Max lashed out with a punch, hitting him in the face. The knight fell back, clutching at a bloody nose.

Another knight ran at him. Max sidestepped his charge, sticking out a foot to trip him. The attacking knight fell, crashing to the forest floor.

This is actually kind of fun, Max thought.

"Max! Down!"

The instant the warning came from Draig, Max dropped. Just in time to avoid the axe that flew overhead and embedded itself in the tree behind him. He glanced at where it came from and saw Darist punching out one of the knights.

He glanced at the axe. Its blade was very sharp. If Draig hadn't shouted that warning...

Suddenly the fight wasn't all that much fun.

He looked to his two companions to thank them. But his attention instead went to Darist's Traveller Device. Its central crystal was glowing.

"Darist!" He called. "Your Device!"

The dragon looked down at his hand. He nodded at Max.

"Draig!" Max called. "Cover Darist! He's going to get us out of here!"

The wolf-man gave the dragon and his Device a brief glance. And understood.

Somehow, his fighting moves became even more furious. Max could have sworn he was fighting off about eight knights at a time, throwing kicks and punches, head butting some, elbowing others, his sword blade flashing as it swung back and forth.

Max did what he could to help, but after the near miss with the axe, he found himself acutely aware of how dangerous this was. He dodged and punched and dived between opponents here and there. It didn't matter really. He and Draig only had to buy time for Darist to open a dimensional hole through which they could escape.

"Max! Draig!" Called Darist. "Let's go!"

Max looked. Sure enough, the dragon Traveller was standing before a familiar black hole hanging in the air.

He was about to look for Draig, but there was no need. He suddenly found himself scooped up in the wolf-man's grip.

It seemed the Wolven Knight's reactions were quicker than Max's. Draig, carrying Max, was sprinting for the dimensional hole, knocking knight's aside left and right as he ran.

Darist was swinging his wings about, sweeping attacking knights away from their escape route. As soon as Draig was within range, he jumped forward. He sailed through the air past the dragon and grabbed Darist's arm as he went past, pulling him along as he hit the dimensional hole, passing through into whatever world lay beyond...

* * * * * *

The three companions landed in a heap in the sand.

It took them all a few minutes to untangle themselves and get a good look at where they were.

A desert. That was the best way to describe their new location. Golden yellow sand and cloudless blue skies for as far as they could see in every direction. The dimensional hole had already closed behind them.

Draig spat out some sand as he stood up. "Not much of an improvement." He said, looking around at the almost empty landscape.

Max shrugged. "At least we're not under attack here."

"Granted." Said Draig.

Darist leapt into the air, beating at the air and rising straight up. After a few minutes, he came down again.

"Just getting a look at the terrain." He explained. "I spotted a city a few miles away in that direction." The dragon pointed. "It shouldn't take too long to reach. But I don't think you two will be joining me."

"What?" Max didn't know what he meant until Darist pointed at the human's hand. Max looked down. The crystal in his Traveller Device was glowing.

"I've always found it best to use it as soon as possible when it recharges." Said Darist. "Which means this is goodbye."

"We could hang around here for a while..." Max suggested. Now that he'd made a new friend, he was reluctant to say goodbye.

Draig cleared his throat nosily, indicating an objection without actually voicing one. Sometimes Max marvelled at just how well he was getting to know the wolf-man

"No." Said Darist. "It's better that you get on your way, Max. But don't worry, I doubt I'll be the last Traveller you meet. We may even run into each other again at some point."

"It's been great meeting you, Darist." Said Max, shaking the dragon's hand.

"Yes." Draig added, completely without enthusiasm. "It's been a pleasure."

Darist nodded. "It's been a great honour to have met you and fought by your side. Both of you."

Max gave him a smile and turned away. With a wave of his hand a flash of red light, a dimensional hole opened in the air.

"Farewell, Draig." Said Darist. The wolf-man gave him a polite nod and dived into the hole.

"Goodbye, Max." Said the dragon, facing the human. "And don't worry about the whole Traveller thing. You will get used to it."

"Thanks." Said Max. "And goodbye."

As he jumped into the hole, Darist called after him, as if just remembering to add something. "And remember my warning about Draig!"

A moment later, Max was gone and the dimensional hole had disappeared. Darist was left alone in the desert.

With a sigh and a smile, the dragon spread his wings and launched himself into the air, off to explore the new world he found himself in, vaguely wondering as he went where Max and Draig might have ended up...

To Be Continued...