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WHEN FLYING WITH DRAGONS, sometimes the best one can hope for is a well-executed dangle.
—Tuck, dragon groom
* * *
WITH HER HAIR TIED up in the tightest bun possible, Riette let the wind hold her in place. Never had Dashiq flown so fast, nor had any dragon in a thousand years. Having the tales she'd grown up on suddenly become reality, heroic figures now flesh and blood, made Riette question everything. Nothing was as it had been in Sparrowport, but not everything was bad. No matter how difficult and terrifying things had been, she knew Emmet better now than she had her entire life. She was proud of him and understood his behavior so much better. The more magic he came into contact with, the less frequent his outbursts and episodes became.
No matter how fast they flew, nothing could make such a journey short.
"And for today's inflight meal, we have smoked fish strips and pickled eggs," Tuck said.
Riette wrinkled her nose. It felt like forever since she'd eaten anything other than smoked fish and pickled eggs.
"And whatever you do," Tuck continued, "don't ask for salt."
Diving low, Dashiq extended her claws forward and dragged them through the water, sending thick spray over her passengers. Barabas shook his head. It didn't take long for them to dry, and they ate in silence, having long since run out of things to talk about. When Dashiq roared, even Barabas jumped. Moments later, a form was visible in the air before them. His movements erratic and his flight path too low for comfort, Berigor carried two passengers. No matter how she'd felt about Keldon Tallowborn in the past, Riette was happy to see the men alive, grateful for what they had done to help Barabas, Dashiq, and Emmet. If not for their bravery and ingenuity, Riette would likely have had to watch her companions die. She'd seen the battle from above; Dashiq would not have been able to dodge such overwhelming fire. Based on Berigor's flight, he had not come away unscathed.
"We were going to come back for you," Keldon said after the initial shock of seeing Dashiq approaching at such high speed and wearing a glittering saddle, "but he's hurt bad."
"You did plenty," Barabas said. He would have gone on, but the dragons interrupted with a conversation of their own. Riette had no idea what their roars conveyed until Berigor moved over top of them. Dashiq slowed, matching his speed. Lower the larger dragon came, claws extended. Riette trusted Dashiq implicitly, and she didn't think Berigor would intentionally hurt them, but he was an enormous creature who was visibly injured; one mistake could be deadly. A moment later, his claws closed around the root of Dashiq's tail.
Firmly connected together, the two dragons wobbled in the air, dangerously close to the waves below. Riette nearly screamed when Berigor's torso came close to crushing them all. As Dashiq pushed them higher, the larger dragon exerted tremendous downward force. Soon, though, the majestic creatures found synchronicity. Trimming his wings, Berigor moved into a more aerodynamically sound position, and the air around them became less turbulent. Gradually their speed increased, but never did they quite reach the speed Dashiq could attain alone.
Whatever comfort level Riette had developed with regard to flying adragonback, nothing had prepared her for this. Emmet appeared unconcerned, but at least Tuck had the sense to look worried.
"What are we going to do?" Riette asked, unable to endure the silence any longer.
Tuck shrugged. "The war ain't over yet, but at least the war ain't over yet." He had a way of saying things that made no sense yet made perfect sense. "The gods have been watching over us thus far. I just hope they haven't grown tired of us."
"The gods?" Riette asked. "With all the terrible things that have happened, you really think the gods are watching over us?"
"Perhaps they are having a good laugh at our expense," Tuck admitted. "I like to think there might be someone on my side, and maybe every once in a while, they might nudge things in my favor."
"And what if you're wrong?" Riette asked.
He shrugged. "What's the use of being right if it don't make you feel no better?"
Resisting the urge to correct his grammar, Riette responded, "What's the use of feeling better if you're wrong?"
"I suppose it's all in how you look at it," Tuck said.
Barabas nodded and Riette let the conversation drop. All she really wanted was to be back on dry land, able to walk and stretch. She worried her bum would be completely flat when the trip was finally over. Seeing the dragon's blood trees come into view was among the happiest moments of her life. They had at least made it this far. She was not home yet, but she was one step closer. Part of her wondered if any home remained for her, but just being back in the land of her birth would be reassuring. Not until she'd had to leave had she realized how comforting familiar surroundings could be. Another part of her wanted to see the faces of people she cared about. The thoughts brought tears. The wind sent them streaming back along her cheeks, and she rubbed her eyes. Dashiq made the final approach. With a roar, Berigor released his grip on Dashiq and soared away from her, his wings popping and cracking as he extended them after so much time mostly retracted.
Moments after Dashiq alighted on the rocky, shell-filled shoreline, Berigor landed not far away, groaning on impact. Everyone dismounted with haste and remove the saddles. Keldon and Tarin attended to Berigor. Riette helped Emmet down and assisted in unstrapping the carriage. Their makeshift repairs had made it more difficult to remove and apparently far less comfortable for the dragon. Once they had the carriage lowered to the rocks, Dashiq moved to Berigor, her glittering saddle still firmly secured. The two dragons had a low conversation of rumbling, whines, and woofing grunts.
"You should have told me what you were doing," Barabas said to Keldon. For a moment the two men just stood and stared at one another. "But I also appreciate what you did. Your sacrifice was great."
"You would not have agreed to the plan," Keldon said. "I knew we could do it but didn't have the time to explain it to you, so we left while you all slept. It was clear you needed the rest before you would be fit for battle. I took a calculated risk."
Barabas nodded his head and said no more. Reaching for the pocket of his long coat, he found it torn, the contents lost to the wind. He sighed.
"Let me have your coat," Riette said.
Barabas gave her a confused look.
"Just take it off, and let me have it."
The tall man nodded and did as she instructed. From within her bags, still stowed away in the carriage, she retrieved her sewing kit. It had been so long since she'd sewn, the needle felt strange in her hands. Even with a thimble, her fingertips were soft and tender in comparison to when she had worked as a seamstress on a daily basis. It did not take long, though, before she found a rhythm that soothed her senses and brought a familiar calm. It was as if her mother were there with her. Stitches became difficult to see through her tears, and when she wiped them away, she did a double take. What was that sticking out of the water?
"Look out!" she shouted.
Emmet hit her then, knocking her sideways and causing her to fall on the stones, skinning her palms. The coat, needle, and thread flew to one side. An instant later, heavy shot struck the place where she'd been standing a moment before. A shower of hot rock and shells erupted, stinging anyone close. More cannon barrels were visible when Riette looked back to the water. Scrambling to get herself and Emmet to safety, Riette realized there was no safe place to hide. The island was smooth and worn. The dragon's blood trees, all that protruded above the surrounding stone, were too far away to be much use at that moment.
Her brother's coat collar in her hand, she ran for the trees. Berigor roared and thrust himself between the air cannons and the six people on the shoreline. Those lurking below the waves were relentless, and the dragon cried out. Dashiq, though, took to the air. Never had Riette seen such an angry creature. Light flared around the metal structure embedded in the right side of her face and the glittering saddle, which was currently empty. Azzakkan's Eye blazed. Electric plasma erupted from Dashiq's open jaws. Like a tornado of fire laced with lightning, the torrent blasted back the shallow waters and exposed three oblong ships somehow operating while fully submerged. Riette couldn't imagine how terrifying it must be onboard such a vessel and counted her blessings she was a dragon rider. She'd never thought of it that way until then, but the benefits were obvious when your mode of transportation can also act on its own to protect you.
In that moment, Riette was exceedingly thankful for dragons. No more shots were fired, and what remained of the underwater craft disappeared back under the waves. Cannon barrels still protruded from the water but now rested at odd angles, the ships listing and turning in the surf.
"There will be more!" Barabas barked.
No one needed to be told what to do next. Wiping blood from a cut not far from her eye, Riette considered herself lucky. Once again her brother had saved her life. She had underestimated him, indeed. It made her swell with pride and guilt at the same time, though she'd begun to forgive herself for being wrong for so many years. She'd done her best and would do better going forward. Nothing was more important at that instant than getting the carriage strapped back on. It seemed foolish now to have taken it off; even knowing Barabas had wanted to inspect Dashiq for wounds. They were at war, and they had been careless; a price would be paid.
Al'Drakon and Tarin ran toward their saddle, but Berigor removed that option. Swooping across the shoreline, the dragon grabbed one man in each claw and flapped his mighty wings, no matter how much it must hurt. Lacking Azzakkan's Eye and the stone-encrusted saddle, he flew away looking no better than when they had first encountered him.
"To the Heights!" Keldon shouted while dangling from Berigor's claws.
"We'll meet you there!" Barabas bellowed.
* * *
SMOKE ON THE AIR WAS the first sign they had reached the war zone. Cloudy skies made for unpleasant flying and low visibility. In spite of that, wreckage that was scattered across the waves was unmistakable. Here and there masts protruded from the water, and in some cases, large sections of dirigible remained afloat. Some wreckage was still occupied by airmen clinging to it in hopes of being rescued. Cries for help were replaced with warning shouts. Dashiq ignored them.
There had been no sign of Berigor for days, and now Riette suspected she knew why. The larger dragon was headed for the Heights. Dashiq had taken them farther south to where the fleet gathered. The hum of engines announced airships ahead, and they were on full alert. Urgent orders being issued made it clear they knew Dashiq and her passengers were coming. The dragon exerted power with grace and ease, flying with a level of confidence and speed that put even airplanes to shame. Fire and lightning danced along the copperwork reconstruction of her face, and Riette braced herself, habitually double-checking Emmet's straps to make certain he was secure.
Chaos erupted when Dashiq burst from the clouds above the main Zjhon fleet. Airships crowded the skies, many of which still bearing the planes they had transported across the vast seas. Riette thought for an instant they might not be too late, that there might be a way to save her homeland yet, but then planes streamed from the naval fleet and dropped from the airships carrying them. The air became the most dangerous place on the planet. While the cannons below were no doubt loaded with heavy shot, they did not dare fire into the air above them, knowing they would take out their own ships and aircraft as well. Small shot, however, was a much better risk, and U-jets screamed through the air, casting streams of scatter shot before them.
Dashiq navigated the wind, guided by a symphony she alone heard. With subtle movements, she dodged fire and aircraft alike, all the while placing herself in such a way that any fire directed at her and her passengers was also aimed at another jet or airship. Many pilots realized this too late when the dragon darted out of their path, revealing one of their own now in the line of fire.
Dancing through the air fleet, Dashiq used the planes against the naval fleet, causing them to collide with one another and damage the ships below. Some, though, she simply grabbed out of the air with her jaws and whipped her neck to send them hurtling toward her target. Those above and below the carnage saw what was happening and abandoned caution. Heavy weaponry opened fire; no one was safe or immune.
Completely changing her tactics, Dashiq dropped low and raced along the waves, forcing all the guns to follow. It took a few moments for the lumbering guns to move into place and commence firing again. It was a foolish thing to do, but panic had set in. Dashiq was no normal dragon. Lightning danced over her entire body now, and Riette gasped when she realized it pulsed over herself and Emmet as well. There was no pain; she felt invigorated by the energy. It flowed from the saddle and around them all. Riette noticed the stones decorating the saddle no longer shone as brightly and slick as they once had. She didn't know how much power the saddle possessed, but there appeared to be limits.
At the sound of air cannons firing, Dashiq soared straight upward, large stone shot narrowly missing her exposed breast. Some had expected this move and left their cannons aimed skyward, but the dragon had effectively divided their fire and made evasion more manageable. From the high-pitched shouts below, it was clear her tactic had been effective in getting the Zjhon to attack themselves. The air fleet moved north, toward the Heights, their bomber fleet mostly intact. Dashiq pursued and only then released the pent-up energy pulsing around them. Riette felt it rush out of her along with her breath. Emmet appeared ready to pass out, even Barabas swayed in his saddle. Wood canvas and even metal burned at the touch of dragon fire. Within minutes, the entire fleet of airships lit the clouds before crashing into the sea.
Airplanes zipped past, firing rounds that made the air sing of death. Only the dragon's evasive maneuvers kept them alive. It was a tenuous existence, and Riette continued to lament her lack of control over the events that ruled her life. Holding on with all her strength, she was powerless and small up against forces that would tear her world asunder. Diesel planes now approached, outfitted with the largest firing tubes yet. Smoke poured from them, and rockets took flight. Zipping through the air across an erratic flight path, these missiles followed the dragon's movements, and even more concerning were the explosions when they got close. With her ears ringing and the ends of her hair singed, Riette knew it would take but a single direct hit from one of those weapons to knock them from the sky.
Dashiq lashed out, filling the air with dragon fire, and Riette sensed the strain it put on dragon and saddle alike. Aircraft dropped from the skies like a deadly rain, and most of those loaded with rockets exploded before hitting the water. Within minutes, much of the eastern Zjhon fleet had been destroyed.
Not looking back, the dragon flew north. A portion of the air fleet had escaped to assault the Heights, and there was little chance Dashiq would make it to the mountains in time to prevent major damage and casualties. But she was in a perfect position to make sure those aircraft had nothing to come back to.
"They are beaten!" Riette shouted. "We should finish them off!"
Barabas shook his head. "We've only so much magic. The Heights can hold against the likes of them. We must save our strength for what's to come. This is far from over."
Riette crossed her arms over her chest but considered his words.
Farther inland, the weather cleared and the Heights were visible in the distance, along with the aircraft circling the mighty peaks. Darting between those shadowy silhouettes were dragons.
"We have to save them!" Riette shouted involuntarily.
"The Heights will hold," Barabas said.
Dashiq continued to fly north and west.
"There's no one at all defending Sparrowport. We can fly around the swamp to the north and stop at Dragonport."
No one flew straight over the twisted Jaga swamp. It was said wild dragons ruled those skies. Such were the stories told to children in Sparrowport to keep them from wandering too far, but Riette had never seen a wild dragon. Riding a dragon made her second-guess that preconception. All dragons had seemed like mythical creatures, just stories and legends, until she had seen them herself and they became real. The thought gave her chills and made her wonder how many of the dangers from fireside tales were also real.
Dashiq, unlike any other dragon, gleamed in the afternoon skies. Her copperwork facial reconstruction now smooth and sleek, no green remaining. Details previously obscured or worn beyond recognition had been restored. The metal had been lovingly crafted in intricate detail. Metal scales lined up with flesh-and-blood scales, but around the eye was a design that did not mirror the opposite side. The dragon's real eye was much larger than Azzakkan's Eye, but the radiating lines and interlocking triangles that filled the space appeared almost natural. It was a masterwork requiring magic—the last magic his people then possessed. Some hated Barabas for that, and he had done it anyway, knowing it would be the case. Now he returned with far greater magic and refused to use it to save them.
True to his prediction, though, those within the Heights must have fought valiantly since the air around the mountain was free of airships by the time it disappeared from sight. When Dashiq slowed, it came as a surprise. Riette had thought she might soar all the way to Sparrowport faster than the most powerful airplane. Instead, she landed on a sizable island that showed signs of being used by humans. Several docks floated within the natural harbor, but no ships were moored there. The few buildings scattered along the shoreline were dark, and no smoke rose from chimneys. The air smelled of salt and the distinct odor of the shoreline.
"Why are we stopping?" Riette asked.
Barabas shrugged. Dashiq turned back to look at Riette and made it clear she was to disembark. Riette owed the dragon her life, but under such scrutiny, she felt small and weak and feared she might become lunch. It was an unrealistic fear, but she did not want to risk a dragon's wrath either way and hurried to get herself and Emmet unstrapped. The reddish clay shoreline was uninviting, but Riette wanted nothing to do with the buildings there. She'd much rather be back in the sky than remain in this place another moment. It gave her the crawls. Emmet stayed close by.
Barabas and Tuck did their best to tend to Dashiq, whose needs were not entirely known or understood by Riette. The cloudiness of the stones embedded in the saddle was an indication their time and resources were limited. Perhaps some magic remained in the atmosphere, as the tales said, but that required one to believe the tales of gods and goddesses were at least in some part true. It was a difficult thing for her to reconcile, yet she had the results before her. If the tales really were true, then what remained was a mere shadow of the power that had once been and would someday be again. Even those who believed true magic would return along with the goddess agreed it would be thousands of years hence. Hardly something that would help in the current circumstances. They had found a small well and already threatened to run it dry. It was a terrifying realization. They had faced but half the Zjhon strength. Barabas was right; this wasn't over. Previously the full extent of the change in the saddle had been hidden. Now she understood.
Barabas was a man who made difficult decisions and did not appear to second-guess himself. Riette envied him. So often she questioned her decisions and actions, and for a great portion of her past, she had been very wrong about so many things, it was difficult to trust herself to make the right decisions going forward. No matter how much she had hated him not so long ago, she found herself wanting to understand Barabas, to know what he thought and what he would do. She felt safe with him, even though the entire world was falling apart. People had said it was an exciting time to be alive with so much innovation and change going on around them, but Riette would have been just as happy for everything to have stayed the same. The cost was far too great.
No matter how unexpected the break, it felt good to walk. Emmet never left her side, and she wasn't certain if it was out of fear or something else. When he spoke, it came as a surprise.
"Dragons," he said, pointing.
Shielding her eyes, Riette scanned the horizon and drew a sharp breath when she realized how close the two dragons had come without their noticing. Though the Drakon should consider them allies, it was disconcerting. Barabas and Tuck calmly watched the dragons approach, which was all that stayed Riette's rapidly beating heart. Even so, she dragged Emmet back to Dashiq's side at a fast walk.
"Do you know them?" Riette asked Barabas.
He nodded.
It made sense that he would, and Riette felt silly, but she was tired of being left out and uninformed. It was time she started to take charge of her own life, and she had to do what was right for Emmet. Wandering around, following a crazy man and his dragon might not be the best answer. It was false but she couldn't stop herself from thinking it anyway.
The dragons that landed were both larger than Dashiq, but they treated the older dragon with a certain amount of deference. Each dragon bore two riders, and Riette's breath caught in her throat when she recognized Keldon. Berigor had saved all of their lives, and seeing Keldon without his dragon seemed unthinkable.
"When you didn't arrive at the Heights, I had to come looking for you."
Barabas nodded. "How is Berigor?"
The man hung his head. "It's not good," he said. "The healers are working with him, but his wounds are grievous. He wanted to be here—" A man who was among the toughest warriors Riette had ever seen cracked at that moment and could speak no more through his grief and worry. No matter how much she hated to see another human being suffer so, it gave her some semblance of hope for herself.
Tarin was among the men who accompanied Keldon. Riette did not recognize the other two. All three remained silent and stoic. "We weren't certain we would find you," Keldon continued. "But I'm glad we did. We need you back. I was wrong."
"No," Barabas said.
"But I cannot be Al'Drakon knowing you are the one of which the legends speak. Dashiq is Al'Drak, which makes you Al'Drakon. The choice is not yours. You gave her Azzakkan's Eye. You saved her. And now we need you to save us all."
Riette held her breath, knowing how much it must have hurt Barabas to be cast out and accused of treason.
"No," Barabas said again.
"The choice is not yours," Tarin said.
Turning back to his dragon, Barabas waited. Dashiq watched. Humor dancing in her eye, she snorted and nudged him with her maw. Barabas put his hands in the air and turned back around to face the Drakon. "Fine," he said. "Keldon Tallowborn, I charge you with managing the war effort from the Heights and seeing to your dragon's needs. I order the rest of you to follow him and do as he says; he's not nearly the fool he's made himself out to be."
Tarin had the courage to laugh.
Keldon shook his head. "And what will you do?"
"Exactly what I was already planning to do," Barabas said. "We will go to Sparrowport."
"Then let us go with you," Tarin said. "You decimated the southern fleet! I would not believe it if I didn't see it for myself. Fortunately others also saw it, or no one in the Heights would ever have believed. It's an honor to have fought with you, Al'Drakon."
"You have served well, Tarin. Do me a favor and stay alive until this is all over. I'll buy you a mug of ale."
Tarin's reaction showed he valued the gesture far more than any tankard, and Riette had to once again adjust her notion of who Barabas DeGuiere was. Every time she thought she had him figured out, he changed, and every time, she cared for him more. It was starting to frighten her. All the things in her life she had loved had been taken from her save Emmet. Who would be next? The thought made her tremble.
"When the Heights are secured, you may come find us," Barabas continued. "Until then, you will serve me best by maintaining order and dealing with what remains of the southern fleet, though I suspect they already know they are defeated."
"You are a good man, Barabas DeGuiere," Keldon said. "You embody the true meaning of what it is to be Al'Drakon. Thank you."
Barabas nodded. Nothing was different for Riette and her companions, but the way these other men regarded Barabas had completely changed. The more Riette thought about it, the more she realized things had changed for her as well. Now she needed to understand what it was and what exactly it meant.