CHAPTER 70

The shrill cry of the nuckelavee paled in comparison to the prolonged wail of a banshee, and when she opened her eyes, the nuckelavee had bolted away from the rocks in fright. Mike ran to her and grabbed her by the arms and pulled.

"I've got you," he said, his voice a bit raspy, then threw her over his shoulder and moved toward the rocks. The nuckelavee had run away, but was already circling back. Mike had bought them time, but it was going to be close.

The hole in the rocks was a gap no more than a couple feet across, and Mike pushed Beth in first. She gasped for air, but was able to pull herself along into the depression. When she looked down, she saw that Mike was trying to follow, but only got in a few feet before he was pulled back out of the hole.

She couldn't even yell his name, and could only watch in horror as the nuckelavee tossed Mike into the grass and circled him. It lashed out a couple of times, and Mike dodged its blows, but it was clear that it was only toying with him.

The nuckelavee let out a gurgling laugh that became a shrill cry, and charged at Mike once more, arms spread wide. It was nearly on top of him when a blast of lightning tore from the clouds above, ripping into the nuckelavee and shoving it away from the pile of stones. The demonic being fought to regain its footing, and a large shape slammed into the ground between it and Mike.

At least twenty feet tall, the large creature that had just saved Mike roared, and the demon ran. All that could be heard over the distant rumbling of thunder was the angry cry of the nuckelavee, a shrill call that promised torment if it ever saw them again.

The beast turned around and looked at Mike, tilting its head from side to side. Covered in sparkling, iridescent scales and plumage that reminded Beth of a bird, it had a giant horn centered on its forehead right between a pair of violet colored eyes that sat above reptilian jaws.

"Mi... Mike!" Beth squirmed toward the entrance of the hole and gazed up in awe. The dragon lowered its head and gave him a sniff, then let out a huff that blasted his hair away from his face and nearly knocked him over.

"You are not a banshee, but you smell of the fae," the dragon spoke, its voice rumbling like thunder. It slid its serpent-like body to the side and laid down, resting its large jaws on an enormous paw. Even in the dark, Beth could see the upward tilt of a grin. "When I heard the call of the banshee, I saw the nuckelavee hunting and chose to intercede. However, I arrive to find a man-ling instead. How curious."

"Yeah, that was me." Mike stood to face the dragon. "We're trying to get an audience with the faerie queen, but have no idea where we are going and ran into that thing you saw."

"I see." The dragon tilted its head to look at Beth, then back at Mike. "You two are dressed in a noble fashion, though look to have fallen on hard times. I happen to know where the court of the faerie queen is. Maybe I can be of assistance to you?"

Mike could feel the energy radiating off of the dragon that had saved their lives, and at its offer of assistance, he felt his heart swell. Whereas his whole being had been suffused with precognitive terror in the presence of the nuckelavee, he felt nothing but warmth from the creature before him.

He helped Beth out of her hiding spot so that they could both see the dragon better.

"The nuckelavee is a dangerous creature," the dragon said. "I am surprised that you chose to travel its lands without adequate protection."

"Oh, very little of this was planned," Mike explained, rubbing a sore spot on his ribs. When the nuckelavee had tossed him the first time, he had landed on a rock, and was fairly certain his ribs were bruised, if not cracked. "We came here to meet with the faerie queen, but got a less than friendly reception."

The dragon nodded sagely. "I, too, am a stranger in this land. You may call me Quetzalli."

"I'm Mike," he said, then pointed at Beth. "This is Beth."

"Are you a quetzalcoatl?" Beth asked.

"I am." The dragon smiled. "Though that is not a word I have heard in some time."

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "This is a long way from Central America."

"It is. I took refuge here many years ago as civilization and science caught up with my kind. Luckily, the queen was willing to let me stay in exchange for my services."

"What services?" Mike asked.

"The rain earlier!" Beth was shouting now in excitement. "That was you in the storm, wasn't it?"

"It was." Quetzalli answered. "It is my job to help regulate the weather here, and to ensure it rains when it is needed."

"Couldn't the queen just do that?"

"The queen is powerful, yes, but she is not omnipotent. In the past, she would need to travel to a region such as this to enact such a feat, and it is well known that there exist many creatures who love to toy with the weather. I save her time, and she lets me ride the clouds of her realm. It is a peaceful arrangement."

"So there are others like you?" Beth asked. "You aren't the only one?"

The dragon shrugged, which sent a ripple through its serpentine body. "I have not spoken to my siblings in many years, but at one point, I was not alone."

"I thought Quetzalcoatl was a god or something," Mike pointed out. If he had known he would be dealing with so many mythological beings when he was older, he would have spent more time studying religion versus how to escape quicksand.

The dragon laughed. "My oldest brother had a way with people, but yes, they considered him a god. As is often the case, that was not entirely true, but the title afforded him some liberties, and my kind were highly revered for a time."