Dragon School: Warring Promises

Dragon School

Sarah K. L. Wilson

Published by Sarah K. L. Wilson, 2018.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

DRAGON SCHOOL: WARRING PROMISES

First edition. March 15, 2018.

Copyright © 2018 Sarah K. L. Wilson.

Written by Sarah K. L. Wilson.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Behind the Scenes:

For Mom

Chapter One

“I leave for one moment and you kill two people.” Hubric grabbed me before I fell. My head felt light, but my fingers clung to the scrap of paper like keeping it safe could prevent it from coming true. “What’s that?”

He took the paper from me and pushed his shoulder under mine to help me limp back into the Raolcan’s cote.

Steady now, spider, Raolcan told me. They lie. That’s what evil people do.

They’d had Leng before. They’d tortured him and tried to kill him before and now this paper said they would do it again unless I gave them Savette - the Chosen One – or at least according to Hubric.

“Let’s take a look at that note.” Hubric held it up to the moonlight, cursed and then lit a candle in a wall bracket. I already knew what it said:

We have Leng Shardson. Deliver Savette Leedris to Dominion City in exchange for his life before the next moon or he dies. Slowly.

My head was clearing enough to stand on my own, but I still felt sick. Leng and Savette were in danger and Raolcan had just flamed Artis.

She had it coming.

She’d been a friend. She said she was in a bad situation, being blackmailed.

So she turned around and did the same to us? What did she think would happen? Compassion is good, but I don’t pity those who choose to do evil. You can’t be responsible for the actions of another, but you are responsible for your own actions. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Don’t let them say “you made me do it.” No one can make you do anything unless you want it more than the alternative.

Quite the speech. It didn’t help.

Hubric whistled. “So, they have Leng Shardson.”

“We need to find a way to save him,” I said.

He met my gaze with his flint-hard eyes. “Are you suggesting we give them what they are asking for?”

“Of course not.”

He nodded. “Good. Savette Leedris is the Chosen One. I will defend her with my dying breath – and so will you. Never forget, you are sworn to the Dominar, sworn to me, sworn to your dragon and soon you will swear to the Lightbringers. Whatever your personal feelings, those allegiances always come first.”

My voice felt shaky with tension as I forced my words out. “Are you saying I should just leave Leng out there to die? They said they’d make him die slowly.”

“We don’t know how much of that is true.”

“No,” my voice rose. “We don’t. It could all be true. Who knows how long this message has been waiting for me? He could already be dead!”

“Calm down.” His words were like ice. “Before you fly off the handle, let’s talk calmly.”

I ran a hand through my mussed hair, blinking back tears. “Okay.”

“I have a message to deliver and orders to immediately fly north to deliver it to the hands of the Dominar.”

That was expected. I nodded my understanding.

“And you should have some messages for us from the game. Did you find your contact?”

I nodded as he drew close, looking around as if he were afraid of being overheard.

As if Kyrowat and I wouldn’t tell you there were strange minds listening.

A gout of flame from Kyrowat’s stall punctuated his words.

“Fine,” Hubric said over his shoulder to his dragon. “I trust you. I won’t doubt you again.” He turned back to me. “Tell me everything he said.”

“Ummm,” I thought back. It felt like ages ago even though it was less than an hour ago.

“Quickly. Or do you think no one will notice that our dragons turned two women into piles of charcoal?”

“I played the Prince and he said it was a fool’s move.”

“Sometimes a fool’s move is the only one you have. I’d say Rakturan is definitely that. Go on.”

“He played a pair of knives.”

“That was those two assassins Raolcan just killed.”

“Really?” I felt a tingle in my chest. If I had known the code I would have expected them. “When one of those assassins played four generals he said that she meant business.”

Hubric grunted. “I was worried that was true. Four of those generals we met tonight are with the Dusk Covenant.”

“How can that be true? Are the Dusk Covenant everywhere?”

“Their influence spreads. Even more among the rich and powerful.” He leaned against the wall. “What else?”

I was looking at the moon. So big. So silver. Was Leng looking at that moon? Was he held somewhere against his will hoping against hope to be freed?

“Amel? What else?”

I snapped back to our conversation. “I played something at random. I don’t know how to play cards. He said that a hand like that’s for a Dominar run. What’s that? And something about Backwater Manor.”

“What did you play?” he looked tense.

“I don’t remember.”

“Think, girl!” His eyes were so intense that I swallowed. What had I played? It hadn’t seemed to matter. At the time.

You played three dragons.

“Three dragons.”

Hubric cursed. “We have to leave tonight for the north, Amel. We have no other choice.”

“Leng needs us.” I turned my back to him. I didn’t know what to do about Leng. I didn’t know where he was or even where to start looking and of course I wouldn’t trade Savette for him, but I couldn’t fly in the opposite direction!

We’ll figure something out, Amel.

“Did he say anything else?” Hubric asked from behind me.

“He played a full army.”

“A bold move.” I heard shuffling, like he was picking something up. His tone was light and friendly.

“That’s what the others said. He just said it didn’t matter as long as none of the rest of us had the Dominar.”

“In the end that’s what matters,” Hubric said. His tone now was so regretful that I started to turn to look at him. “It all rests on who has the Dominar.”

There was a pain in my head and the world went dark.

Chapter Two

I felt something cool on my forehead.

“Are you awake, Amel?” Savette asked gently. She was bathing my forehead with a cool cloth. I sat up. “You shouldn’t get up too quickly. Hubric said you’d have a knot on the back of your head and a splitting headache.”

He was right about the headache. Where were we?

A field near a pond approximately two hours north of the wall around Dominion City. Hubric didn’t waste any time.

I needed to get up and get going. If we’d flown two hours north of the wall, it would probably take me about four hours to go back to the city.

And say what at the wall? You have no message and they aren’t letting Purples through on their own.

I’d have to think of something. I swayed as the pain hit me like a hammer flattening pot-iron.

“Lean on me. I’ll help you drink something,” Savette said kindly. She was still so distant, but before this magical change, she’d never been so kind. “Suffering focuses the mind.”

Had she heard my thoughts?

No. She’s just very perceptive now.

And wait. How did I get here unless Raolcan carried me?

Of course I carried you.

Against my will? When he knew I wanted to find a way to save Leng?

Sometimes the best thing I can do for you is to stop you from getting yourself in trouble. Running off to try to find Leng on your own, against orders, when you have no idea if he’s even in danger? That’s a fool’s move.

Was he joking? He thought he’d done the right thing? He’d betrayed me. He hadn’t been on my side. He’d been with Hubric who hit me over the head and loaded me onto Raolcan without my permission!

I sputtered as Savette gave me a sip of water just a bit too quickly.

“Hubric will be back in a few minutes and then we’ll need to fly again,” she said. “It will be dawn in an hour and he says he has a place in mind with real beds for tomorrow night.”

Dawn? I’d been unconscious for hours! Well, I wasn’t wasting any more time.

“Thank you for the drink, Savette.”

“Of course.” She smiled in the dim light of the nearby smoldering fire. “We’re friends, Amel. You usually have to help me, but I’ll help you, too, whenever I can.”

Her words almost made me feel guilty about leaving before Hubric got back.

Going where?

Back to Dominion City.

No.

Wait. What? He was flat out refusing to go?

I’m a dragon, not a horse. You can’t just kick me with spurs and make me run. I’m staying right here until Hubric returns, and when he does, we’re going with him.

My mouth was open. I knew it was, but I was too stunned to shut it. He meant it. He wasn’t going to go with me. That gave me two options. I could go with him in the direction I didn’t want to go, or I could try to hobble across the landscape on my own.

It’s days on foot from here to the nearest town. And you’d have to carry your own food and water. And you have no idea where you are.

Frustration and betrayal filled me.

You can’t always call the shots, Amel. I’m your dragon. I will back you up into the face of death, but every once in a while I’m going to say no to your ideas.

I closed my mouth with a click, too angry and hurt to say anything. What could I do? I had no options.

“Good. She’s awake. Time to get airborne,” Hubric emerged from the shadows, drinking from a mug. Caf, no doubt.

“You hit me on the head and conspired with my dragon to bring me here against my will!”

“And you’re going to pout like a child about it? We both know you were in a jam. You couldn’t leave me and Savette and you couldn’t walk willingly away from saving your sweetheart. I did you a favor and didn’t make you choose.”

“It was my choice to make,” I said quietly.

“Trust me. You’ll thank me later. Now, mount up. If we fly hard all day we’ll be at our destination by late afternoon and finally get a hot meal, a soft bed, and some friendly discussion. It’s been a while since we slept without fleeing.”

“What about the Ifrit?” Savette asked quietly. I felt a chill wash over me. The Ifrit. I’d forgotten about him. And Starie. And Artis’ death. I bit my lip as sadness washed over me.

“What about him?” Hubric asked, casually.

“I saw the wall when we left. Something attacked the gatehouse and lit it on fire. There were people everywhere trying to put it out. I felt him there.”

Hubric shifted, sipping from his mug before answering. “You were in that sack. I didn’t think you saw.”

“I see everything, Hubric.” Savette sounded so calm, but also like she was far away. “I felt him watching us and I felt him turn to follow.”

“Why would he do that?” Hubric asked quietly.

“Because he wants Savette,” Rakturan said, emerging from the shadows. “And he will hunt her until he kills her or is killed in return. We can’t flee from him forever.”

Hubric cleared his throat. “I’m not sure what else you expect from me. I’m doing my best to keep you safe.”

“I think we take him to the Feet of the River,” Savette said quietly.

“Even in Baojang, we know about that place.” Rakturan crossed his arms over his chest, staring at Hubric through his bandaged eyes.

Hubric ran a hand over his weary face. “See Amel? This is why you need your head screwed on straight. These people want to go to a place where nine out of ten men die and you’re pining over a man who’s probably sleeping in a soft bed somewhere.”

“Why do nine out of ten men die there?” I asked.

“Because they go there looking for magic. Don’t ever look for something you don’t want to find.”

“We have no other choice,” Savette said.

The silence stretched out long and deep.

“It’s two days before we’d have to turn in that direction or miss our chance,” Hubric said eventually. “Give me until then to decide. And if you feel that thing watching, do me a favor next time and let me know.”

Chapter Three

Dawn was long past and so was noon. Raolcan flew without pause and if he listened to my thoughts that was his business, but I wasn’t directing them at him. I’d thought loyalty meant he’d always be on my side. I hadn’t expected that he’d have his own opinion – or at least, that his opinion would be different from mine. After all, I was clearly right. How could an intelligent dragon fail to see that?

It was probably a good thing that he wasn’t answering my silent accusations. I wanted to fight with him. I wanted to convince him to be on my side. His silence cut me. It reminded me of how lonely my mind was without him and how desperate I was to patch things up. The problem was, I wasn’t quite desperate enough yet to admit I’d been wrong.

I leaned back in the saddle to speak to Savette. Hubric had her riding with me even though he’d allowed Rakturan to ride on Enkenay. He’d said it was because he was worried about my head injury. I was pretty sure he just wanted added insurance that I wouldn’t fly away. As if having Raolcan on his side wasn’t enough already.

“Can you feel the Ifrit out there?” I almost shivered at my own words. Imagine being able to sense those horrifying creatures?

“Always. But exactly where is the real question.”

“How do you feel him?”

“He’s evil. A thing made of evil desire and the twisting of human power and authority. He’s everything that the light is not and now that I’m filled with the light, I can feel those things of evil. They repulse me – I don’t mean they make me sick, although I guess they do. I mean like a lodestone pulls metal in but can push another lodestone away, in that same way they push at me. We repel one another.”

What would it be like to have such a relationship with dark and light?

“And Rakturan?”

“Rak pulls me closer. I feel him always, drawing me closer and closer.”

I blushed. “I think you two should be married.”

“Have you seen any wedding chapels?”

“Maybe we’ll find one on our way.” And how strange would that be? Their wedding was meant to have been two royals uniting two lands in what would have been a massive display of pomp and wealth. Instead, they would be two people hiding and running for their lives with a pair of dusty Dragon Riders and three dragons.

“If we do, then Rak and I won’t pass it without saying our vows and pledging our futures.”

“You seem so sure. He was an enemy not long ago.”

“Now he is heart of my heart and soul of my soul. The light that fills me links us. We’ve become two halves of one whole.”

Such a strange thought. “What is the light, exactly, Savette? Is it the magic that Magika’s pull from the ground.”

“I used to think so. Now I doubt it. This isn’t Magika magic. I can’t make fireballs or strike with lightning. I can’t bind or loosen dragons. I just ... I know good. I know truth. I feel the truth of something and sometimes I can make that truth real.”

“Ummm... what?”

“Like, I knew that Ifrit was nothing but dust and hate. When I was so full of the light that I could barely breathe, I pushed that truth back at him and he became what he always was – nothing but dust and hate.”

“And Enkenay? He was dead!”

“He had loved his rider, Dashira. He loved Rakturan. I showed him the truth – that his heart was full of a new rider and he had every reason to live again – and he lived.”

What a beautiful way to do magic. Transformation through complete truth. What if I asked her to show me my truth? Would it heal me, or would I be nothing but dust like the Ifrit? I should ask. No! I shouldn’t. What if I was wrong and I... better not to think about it.

I hope you’re done sulking and ready to be friends again because this silence is killing me.

Was that an apology from Raolcan?

What do you think?

Probably not, but at least we were still friends and I didn’t have the heart to keep him away anymore.

I love you, too, spider.

I felt his relief and affection intermix with my own. It had been quiet for too long in my mind.

I’m glad you’re back. We’ve got trouble up ahead.

Trouble?

Three riders on horseback. Two of the horses have large bundles – man-shaped bundles. They ride full-speed on the North Road and bear no emblems.

What did that mean?

Likely bandits or some other unsavory people. The kind who might kidnap someone and stuff them in a sack. We’ll overtake them in just a few more minutes.

Already, my lesser, human eyes could see the horse galloping ahead. Would Hubric stop for them?

Kyrowat’s already getting excited. It’s been a while since he had a nice horse dinner.

Seriously, he was pushing that myth too far. Soon, I was going to believe that they really ate horses and that was just plain ridiculous.

Chapter Four

A cloud of dust followed the horses. If we’d been chasing them on the ground it might have obscured them from our view. As it was, it only helped us see them more clearly.

Kyrowat started his descent first, talons out and feet reaching forward. The horses sped, flecks of sweat flying from them as they ran.

They’re running them to death. Why?

The horse in the lead stumbled as Kyrowat descended before him. He tumbled into an awkward roll over the dirt and stone. Raolcan and I swooped low over the road, parallel to the horses, while Enkenay landed behind them, rearing up to signal there would be no retreat.

Raolcan’s landing was more of a skid than a proper landing, coating Savette and me with dust. I spat, trying to clear my eyes as the wafting smell of sulfur and a burst of heat told me he’d flamed someone.

When the dust cleared, a horse was screaming, and another was running, riderless, into the surrounding grassland. The horse that fell writhed on the ground, his rider pinned under him and a large sack thrown clear. Another sack lay beside a long black soot mark and two bodies lay on the ground as if they had been dropped there.

I gasped at the sudden carnage.

It’s a warning to all not to mess with dragons.

We didn’t even know who they were.

Hubric suspects he does.

I dismounted, helping Savette off.

“Stay back,” Rakturan called as he moved to the lame horse. He stood so that his back was to us, hiding the injured horse’s head from view. A moment later the thrashing stopped. I didn’t look closely. I didn’t want to know what had been done.

Steady, spider.

Instead, I limped to where the first sack had been thrown clear. I heard coughing from within. It lay in the dust, worn leather but clearly man-shaped. I reached with trembling hands to my belt and produced a small knife. There was no way that these shaking hands could untie those knots. They were stretched and tight as if someone had been straining against them.

Carefully, I cut the leather thong holding the back closed and then hobbled backward, flicking my crutch into a quarterstaff just in case.

“This one is dead,” Rakturan called from behind me. He must have meant the man pinned under the horse. I didn’t want to know if he was dead before Rakturan got there.

“They’re Dusk Covenant,” Hubric called. He was near the fallen men on the ground, examining their bodies. “What were they hurrying off to, I wonder?”

From the bag I’d opened, an arm emerged and with more coughing, a man followed it. He spat and black fluid hit the ground. Horror filled me. What had we done in scaring his captors? Had we hurt him somehow and damaged him inside?

He was young but grizzled like he lived outdoors in tough circumstances. He coughed and spat again. Were those Dragon Rider leathers? His gaze met mine, so familiar and yet so different. He reminded me of Leng.

“You need some scarves girl. It’s impossible to tell what Color you are without them.”

“I’m Sworn,” I said, eyes wide as he coughed and spat again. “I’m not allowed to wear the Colors.” His own scarves were purple but tattered and dirty. “What did they do to you?”

“Killed my dragon. Cut poor Darshh’s head right off in front of me while his big trusting eyes looked at me. Hollowed me to the core. They killed Uhynmal and Nonoloes with him – Whites, not that I hold that against them. They had a group of Magikas to hold our dragons in place. They’re collecting us – Purple Dragon Riders, I mean.”

“What can I do for you?” I felt like crying watching him cough up black fluid while he spoke of his dead friends.

“A little water would be nice. Is that Hubric Duneshifter over there?”

“Yes,” I said as Savette brought him a flask.

“I’m saved by a legend,” he laughed, but his laughter quickly turned to coughing. “Duneshifter!”

Hubric joined us, helping a limping young man with him. This one wasn’t a Dragon Rider. He wore armor, but his face was bashed and bloody.

“They shouldn’t have tried to outrun us,” Hubric said.

“They’re in a hurry,” the Purple said. “Are you okay Findar?”

“I’ll live,” the soldier said thickly. He was leaning hard on Hubric.

“Why the hurry, Talsan Woodcarver?” Hubric asked.

The Purple – Talsan – smiled and then burst into a fit of coughing.

“We don’t know,” Findar said. One of his eyelids drooped over a puffy eye. “They took Casaban on the coast and before they’d finished sacking the city they stuffed Talsan and me into bags and rode away.”

“Casaban?” Savette’s tone was horrified. “Who sacked Casaban?”

“Baojang.” Findar’s voice was grim. “It was a fleet of ships from Baojang, but they weren’t alone. Someone in the city opened the gates to them and our own Magikas turned on us. Casaban should have been impregnable. I watched our own Magikas throw balls of fire at the Blacks who swarmed to defend us against the ships. I watched them call something dark and fiery from the ground. It ripped the keep apart with its bare hands.” His eyes were faraway, pain etching his face. “I fought with the others, retreating as we needed to. We’d been pushed back as far as the dragon cotes when the Magikas came. I was hit hard and lost consciousness and woke up a captive with Talsan.”

“The fools thought he was a Purple Dragon Rider, too,” Talsan said between coughs. “They’re rounding up every Purple they can find and bringing them to the Feet of the River.”

Chapter Five

“Why would they be hunting Purples?” I asked as we sipped caf together. I’d lit a fire and boiled the water with Savette while Hubric and Rakturan dragged the dead to the side and constructed pyres. With dragons on hand, lighting a hot enough fire was never a problem, although the dragons were gone right now, dealing with their own needs. Raolcan wouldn’t get more specific than that.

We’re eating. That’s all you need to know.

“I don’t know,” Talsan said. “But I know that’s why they took me and why they took Findar. They thought he was a Purple because he was fighting in the cotes and he passed out in front of a purple dragon’s cote. They took another Purple, too, but the groups holding us split up and the other group had him.”

“Was he sick, too?” I asked gently, pouring a little more caf in his mug. He smiled gently at me before suppressing a cough.

“Dying, you mean? Don’t look shocked. I know what’s happening here. I had a tight bond with Darshh. It’s fitting that I won’t outlive him by very long. No, he wasn’t dying. His dragon had escaped somehow. I don’t know how they were separated. I asked, but I was cuffed for speaking and they dragged him away. The next time I saw him he was being stuffed into a bag just like me. Poor kid. Wasn’t very old to be a full Dragon Rider. Spine of steel, though. Proper Purple.”

Hubric’s expression was grave. He reached for Talsan’s hand gripping it in one fist and saluting with the other – hand to heart. “As are you, son. Thank you for your faithfulness.”

Talsan gripped Hubric’s hand and then waved him away. “I’m more dragon than man these days. Doesn’t feel right to be so alone in my head. What do we do now?”

“We fly to Backwater Manor. There are people there who will help both of you heal.”

“Not to the Feet of the River?” Talsan looked worried. “That other Purple needs our help.”

Hubric took a final sip of caf and handed me his mug. “My messages are too important. I can’t stop for a rescue mission. Maybe the people of Backwater can help.”

“I don’t think I know that place,” Findar said. His words were still slurred and I was starting to wonder if some of his teeth were broken. He wasn’t much older than I was.

“It’s not far,” Hubric said. “They’ll have soft beds and medicine for both of you.”

Talsan looked down the road with a worried expression. Was he thinking of walking on his own to get to these Feet of the River?

“Savette, you ride with Rak,” Hubric said. “Amel can take Talsan and I’ll take Findar. It’s a short hop from here to Backwater Manor.”

His tone said it was settled. I dumped the kettle over the fire, and gathered up the mugs, wrapping them in the basket that kept them safe. The kettle would be cool enough to wrap in wool and leather in a minute and then we could leave.

“Thank you for saving us,” Findar said to Hubric.

“Think nothing of it.” Hubric’s tone was rough but I could tell he was touched by the gratitude.

“Did you catch the name of the other Purple they captured?” I asked Talsan. It wasn’t like I’d know who it was. I didn’t know any other Purples except Leng and Hubric, but I felt like he should be remembered.

“I did not,” Talsan said. He ran a hand through dusty hair. He looked so tired that I just wanted to let him sleep for a while. If Hubric was right, then there would be a place for him to rest when we arrived at Backwater Manor. He coughed, spitting black phlegm up from his disintegrating lungs. How long did he have left?

When his fit subsided he said, “He mentioned his dragon by name, though. Ahlskibi.”

I felt like someone had hit me in the belly.

Chapter Six

“I told you he was in danger!” Why did my chest feel so tight? “They captured him just like they said they did, Hubric!”

Hubric was in front of me so quickly, taking the hot kettle and basket from my hands that I hardly blinked before they were gone. He set them on the ground and grabbed me by the upper arms, looking into my eyes with a gaze full of compassion and sincerity.

“Think for a moment, Amel. Stop and think. What does this tell you?”

“That he really was captured by the Dusk Covenant!”

“When did they take you?” he asked Talsan.

“Three days ago. They fled with us on horseback that night.”

“Were there Dragon Riders with them?”

He shook his head. “Magikas. Many Magikas, but no Dragon Riders.”

Hubric’s eyes were on mine again, tenderness filling them. “There is no way that they knew he’d been captured when they wrote you that demand letter. It was a ruse. A fake. If you had returned to the city, if - skies forbid - you had brought them what they wanted, it would have done nothing to keep him safe. They lied to you.”

“But they have him now.”

“They don’t have Ahlskibi.”

“Hubric.” My voice sounded so small. “Now that we know where he is. Now that we know. We can’t fly in the other direction.”

“We can and must, my friend. Our oaths to the Dominar demand it.”

A sob caught in my throat.

“Come. We’ll find help at Backwater Manor. There may even be those who can go after your friend.”

I nodded, my vision swimming with tears.

“If I could do both I would. Last time was different. Last time I was saving you from making a mistake. This time, I feel as torn as you do. I feel as much pull as you do to fly after him, but what can we do, Amel? We must fulfill our vows. We are duty bound.”

I bit my lip. The tears were running fast down my face. Without Hubric’s hands around my arms, I’d be sagging against my crutch. I felt like someone had thrown my heart on the ground and stomped all over it. I just didn’t have the heart to fly in the other direction.

“Look at me,” Hubric said. I looked at him. His smile was gentle and brave. “I’m known everywhere for being a trickster and a bit of a magician when it comes to getting what I want. There will be a way to save Leng. I will find it without risking our messages. Do you understand?”

I nodded.

“Do you trust me?”

Did I? I was still mad about before.

He was looking out for you then. He looks out for you now. As do I. We will find a way to honor our obligations and rescue Leng, too. Likely, Ahskibi is already working to free him.

But where was Ahlskibi when he was captured? It didn’t make sense that they could be separated.

We don’t know. All we know is that we are in this together. Give Hubric the gift of your trust. He has been nothing but kind to you.

“I trust you,” I said, hoping Hubric understood how hard this was for me.

“Then let’s fly.”

Chapter Seven

“Was Leng hurt when you saw him?” I asked Talsan. We’d flown in silence except for his coughing, but the question wouldn’t go away. It seared through my mind like a hot poker.

“Yes. I’m not sure how badly.” Talsan said between coughs. “He was hunched over. Favoring his right side.”

The good thing about Purple Dragon Riders was that they told the truth.

You’re eating a hole inside yourself with worry and anger. You’re not helping anyone with that.

But what other alternative was there? I couldn’t shut off anger like you turned a spigot. I couldn’t stop worrying any more than you could stop the rain.

Focus on what you can do.

What could I do sitting on the back of a dragon? Maybe, I could help Talsan.

“What are you thinking about, Talsan?”

He coughed, laughed and then coughed again, his breath coming in wheezy spasms. “I was wondering how soon my death approaches, Sworn.”

How did you comfort someone who was dying and couldn’t be saved?

“I just keep feeling like there is something more I need to do before I go. Maybe it’s saving this Purple rider. Leng, did you say his name was?”

“Yes.”

“And you are friends?”

I nodded.

He slumped to one side coughing.

“Do you need help, Talsan?”

When his coughing subsided, he spoke again. “No. I’ll be fine. No one can help me now, though I hope there will be a hand to help lead me over the chasm to the next world.”

I shivered.

“Don’t fear death, Sworn. It comes for us all.”

“You’re not afraid?”

“I didn’t say that.” He coughed.

Was that smoke I smelled? Wood smoke? The smell was getting more powerful by the moment. I scanned the ground, but it was hard to see anything beneath the blanket of thick trees. They stood high and broad so that their canopy blocked a clear view of the ground beneath it. Up ahead was a river winding through the trees.

There! There’s a dark patch along the river.

So there was. Hubric angled Kyrowat toward the dark patch and we all followed, but there was fear in my bones as we descended. Hubric had spoken of Backwater Manor – a place of allies and warm dinners. Was that where the smoke was rising?

What Hubric didn’t say because others were listening is that it is also an outpost of the Lightbringers. I just caught that in Kyrowat’s thoughts. A safe-house of theirs like the farm where you met the Dominar and received his message. It’s manned all year round.

Someone had lost their home down there.

Worse. It’s not just smoke I smell. There are dead people below.

As we descended lower, we finally broke the canopy of the high trees, flying beneath their branches along the winding river. The dark patch drew closer. Savette was signaling anxiously from Enkenay’s back. Something down there disturbed her. Her signals weren’t clear. Was she simply alerting us?

Perhaps it was Dusk Covenant on their way to the Feet of the River.

Was that near here?

Maybe you should have paid more attention to your lessons. If someone launched a boat from here, the river would take them as far as the Feet of the River by morning.

That was fast. Nearly as fast as a dragon could fly.

It’s a mighty river – the Great Drake River.

It figured that it would be named for a male dragon. I’d never seen anything faster than Raolcan – except the Ifrit.

Now that we were closer, I saw the charred foundations of several small buildings and one long building up the hill from the water. The smaller ones looked to be the size of cabins – perhaps a dozen of them. The larger one was four times the size. Perhaps a storehouse or Great Hall of sorts. The smell of smoke was thick, but there was very little smoke left. Tiny tufts of white swirled up from the wreckage.

The fire is out now. All that remains is whatever didn’t burn.

A boathouse stood untouched with a pair of long riverboats tied to the dock. Whatever lit this place ablaze must have burned fast and quick. It hadn’t destroyed every building.

My hand went to my mouth involuntarily when I saw the first heap of burnt clothing on the ground between the buildings. My other hand joined it when I saw the second. There were at least a dozen people strewn in the ashes and three dead horses.

Skies send mercy. Rain of mercy. Sun send warmth to bring us back from the edge of death.

Behind me, Talsan cursed between his coughs. There would be no help for him or Findar here.

Chapter Eight

“We’ll gather the dead and bury them properly,” Hubric said as we landed.

“No, we can’t stay,” Savette said. Her head whipped wildly from one side to the other like she was looking for something.

“They’re my friends,” Hubric said, wearily. “Lightbringers. That’s Tessa Goodhearth there on the ground.” He pointed to one of the figures. “Why would we not stay to properly care for her body?”

“There’s something in the air ... something not right...” her voice faded out.

Hubric rubbed his forehead, looking, for the first time since I met him, his full age. “Of course, there is. It’s the smell of my friend’s burning flesh.”

I swallowed. What a horrifying thought.

“They deserve to be decently and respectfully laid to rest. Can you give me a solid reason not to do that? Do you feel some sort of enemy around? We saw no one from the air. Whoever did this is gone.”

Savette shook her head. “It’s just a feeling. A terrible, terrible feeling.”

“Do you feel the Ifrit here?” Hubric was already climbing off Kyrowat. He did not expect her to say yes.

“I feel evil just like his ... but I don’t feel him. It’s like an echo of him. Usually, you can feel him in the earth since he is made of earth.”

“But not right now?”

“No...” she seemed uncertain.

“Then let’s get to work.” Hubric strode over to his fallen friend and I got down from Raolcan, helping Talsan to do the same.

“Who is the girl with the bandaged eyes? The one who can feel evil?” he asked.

“Savette Leedris.” What point was there in lying? He wouldn’t live out the week.

“A Castelan?”

“High Castelan,” I corrected, but I was just distracting myself. I’d never dealt with so many dead bodies as there were today. I wasn’t sure I could handle more.

Talsan bent double in a fit of coughs, spewing black all over the ground. He spat, wiped his mouth and then turned back to me. Was there anything I could do to ease his pain? No one should die like this.

“It’s worth it,” he said when he caught my eye. “Darshh was the best of dragons and my very best friend. I’m dying now because we were so close that our souls intermingled. There isn’t one without the other anymore, but it was worth it.”

That was something I understood. I felt the same way about Raolcan.

You know you are my life.

“Come on,” he said, gesturing for me to follow. “We’ll gather up the poor souls who ran toward the docks.”

I followed him, grateful that he walked slowly enough that I could keep pace with him.

“I’m glad to see you’re a Purple. All the best of us are Purples,” he said.

I glanced behind my shoulder. Raolcan leaned gently over a body Hubric had laid out. I knew he was about to honor the dead with his flame. Hubric and Findar had already moved to another fallen victim but Savette clung to Enkenay, shaking from head to foot while Rakturan tried to console her. Was her magic affecting her again? I hadn’t seen her so affected since the night at the healing arches. It set my teeth on edge.

“I’ve met more than my share of Purples, or so Hubric says.”

“Oh, we’re rare alright. Don’t even know each other half the time, if we didn’t go to school together. It’s a lonely life and even our council are taciturn and prefer to be alone. It’s a good life, though. None of the competitive brutality of the reds or the sycophantic words of the golds. I never could see the attraction to that. Healing is good, but it was clear pretty soon why Whites are our enemies. You can’t get a straight answer out of one of them. Blacks are stuck. Stuck in one place forever like a planted tree. Who chooses that? If I wanted to be stuck I would have stayed on my parents’ farm.”

“You left out the Greens,” I teased. It was too bad Talsan was leaving this world. It was better for having him in it.

“Thick headed fools who rush to conclusions without thinking. You’ll learn that if you run into them often.”

I already did know it, but I still missed Lenora, Olla, and Orra. I honestly hoped to see them again. I wouldn’t even mind seeing Ephretti if she rode in here with a plan to save Leng.

We leaned down to gather up an elderly man whose prone form was half-charred. A tear slid down my face. He’d had friends and maybe family. Who had done this to him? He had no weapon marks or arrows on him.

“Never seen a man die like this,” Talsan said, sadly. He took the man’s long belt knife and put it in his own belt before helping me lift him.

I tried to follow his lead and grip the poor soul under the shoulder, but he was heavier than I thought, and I lost my grip, dropping him and even losing my balance so I fell to the ground. Embarrassed, I struggled to stand again.

“I’m so so-”

“Down!” Talsan seemed panicked.

I looked up to see a figure rising up from the river. Water poured off his enormous body, sliding away to reveal a massive, towering form of smoke and fire. A steam-like hiss erupted from his open, cavernous mouth.

Behind me, I heard Savette scream at the same moment that the Ifrit lunged toward me.

Roll to the side!

I obeyed without questioning Raolcan, rolling to the side and then planting my crutch and heaving myself back on my feet. I wasn’t fast enough. The Ifrit lunged towards me again. He was about to knock me off my feet. To kill me, as he’d likely killed the old man I’d been trying to respect. I couldn’t run fast enough, couldn’t dodge, couldn’t even fight such a massive creature. I clenched my jaw and squinted my eyes. At the last possible second, Talsan leapt between us with an ululating cry. The Ifrit scooped him up and threw him, dashing him against the ground. I fled toward Raolcan. He darted past me, clearly on the warpath.

Faster than even my dragon, a bolt of light sprang from the hands of Rakturan and Savette. It sped past Raolcan and towards the Ifrit. Together, Rakturan and Savette screamed, lifting off the ground like they were being drawn up by ropes, their hands clasped together.

The bolt struck the Ifrit and he went white and then the white light flared out from him in a wave toward us, knocking first Raolcan and then me off our feet and throwing us backward to the ground. My head rang and my vision doubled, purple images filling what little clear vision I had.

By the time my vision cleared, there was no more Ifrit in sight.

Chapter Nine

Are you hurt?

My ears were ringing. Purple images danced across my vision. But no, I wasn’t hurt. I pulled myself up on my crutch. My leg and hands were shaking. He’d been waiting for us. Lurking under the river like a horror of the deep. Was Raolcan hurt?

No.

I limped over to Talsan. His body was twisted in a way that bodies weren’t meant to be twisted, like a wrung-out rag. Behind me, I heard Hubric’s voice raised. His pitch was too high, like his own ears were ringing, or perhaps emotion was simply overpowering him.

“I thought you said you couldn’t sense it here?”

I stumbled to my knees beside Talsan. Black fluid leaked from the corner of his mouth.

Savette’s voice countered Hubric’s. “It must have been the river. It cloaks the earth beneath it. I didn’t feel him because he was hiding under the water.”

Talsan’s breath was gone. I closed his eyes. That he was dying already didn’t change the deep sadness blossoming in my heart. He’d been one of us. A Purple. And he’d been desperate to save Leng, just like me.

“You should have mentioned that you couldn’t feel him under water!” Hubric sounded as desperate as I felt.

“Leave her alone.” Rakturan’s words were almost a hiss. “Didn’t you see her blow the Ifrit away? You aren’t her sworn master like you are Amel’s. Finding Savette doesn’t make her your keeper.”

“I’m so sorry, Talsan,” I said. I searched his message pockets. I didn’t expect there to be one. Wouldn’t he have mentioned it if there was? All there was in his message pockets was a battered deck of cards and a small, palm-sized leather-bound book, tied with leather lashings. I unbound it and began to read.

Ibrenicus Prophecies

Copy penned by Talsan Woodcarver

He’d had his own book of prophecy, just like Hubric. Did that mean he was a Lightbringer? I tucked the book in my own empty message pocket and the deck of cards in the other and took the long knife he’d removed from the old man and put it in my belt. I didn’t want to forget Talsan. He’d saved my life. He’d given his for it, instead. And these things had mattered to him. I’d use them and remember him.

The argument behind me was getting louder. I stood up. I didn’t think I could drag Talsan to a pyre on my own.

Let me take care of him and the old man. I think the other humans need your help.

I swallowed back a lump in my throat, not even bothering to blink away my hot tears. Talsan shouldn’t have had to die like that.

He was right, though. He did have one more thing to do before he died. His death was noble. We will remember him among dragons, even as we remember Darshh, his companion.

Those last words sounded formal.

They are dragon funeral rites.

I glanced at Raolcan. His eyes looked glassy, too.

“We aren’t bound to you, Hubric. We don’t have to stay with you and we don’t care about your Lightbringers!” Rakturan’s voice was louder.

I spun and headed towards them, trusting Raolcan to do his work for Talsan. Hubric stood with his arms crossed and Kyrowat’s head right behind him, like he was backing Hubric up. Rakturan and Savette stood opposite to him, their own arms crossed, their bright eyes penetrating the scarves wrapped around them.

Off to one side, Findar coughed miserably, looking from one group to the next. If we’d hoped to keep our identities quiet, we hadn’t succeeded.

“And where would you like to go?” Hubric’s voice was icy, his eyebrows raised as he spoke.

“The Feet of the River,” Savette said. “There is something there – don’t ask me what – something that we need.”

“Leng is there,” I said. “Or will be soon.”

“What could you possibly need at the Feet of the River?” Hubric asked, frustrated.

“Read your prophecies,” Savette shot back. “You know exactly what I’m talking about:

The light brightens and grows

Crown to toes

But fragile lies

Our key to the skies

And only the arrow

Shot from the bow

Can steel us for

Coming war. “

“It’s an obscure passage,” Hubric said angrily. His hoary eyebrows knit together as he peered at her, but I noticed Kyrowat back up a bit and begin to look toward Raolcan. He was no longer as certain as his master. “And it doesn’t mention the Feet of the River.”

“Where there are feet there are toes,” Savette said triumphantly.

“Ridiculous!”

“Whether it means that or not,” Rakturan said, quietly, “tomorrow we will fly east with Enkenay and follow the Great Drake River to its Feet. We’ll find out for ourselves.”

“Come with us!” Savette pleaded.

“I cannot.” Hubric hung his head, clearly torn. “My messages are too important.”

“Important enough to leave Savette with no one but me to protect her?” Rakturan asked.

“They could stop a war. They could keep our Dominion whole,” Hubric said, his words as heavy as stones. Each one laid down carefully. “I dare not break my vow.”

I dared. I realized in that moment that I dared to defy Hubric and break my vows to go after Leng. Perhaps, in the morning, I would fly east with Savette and Enkenay.

Hubric’s head whipped toward me. “Did you like watching Talsan die slowly? Did you like watching him cough up his life?”

“Of course not!” I was horrified he would suggest such a thing.

“Vow magic is real, Amel. Leave with them tomorrow, and that will be you. You might live long enough to save the boy, but not much beyond that. And Raolcan would die with you.”

Could that really be true?

He’s right about the Dragon Rider vow magic. You know it keeps us within our alcoves when we are in training. You know it can bind a rider to their dragon so that their lives are intertwined. Trust me, he is likely correct when he says we will die that way.

I thought Hubric was on my side.

Hubric is on the side of the Lightbringers and the Dominion. You are his vassal. In his mind, it is your job to plant yourself firmly on his side.

“The dragons are exhausted. Our enemy is vanquished. Let’s finish honoring the dead, clean up, and set up camp. There is nowhere else nearby to go. We might as well camp here.” Hubric’s tone was so sorrowful that I almost thought he might be sad to have to fight with Savette and threaten me.

If you don’t know how torn up he is, you still have some growing up to do.

Chapter Ten

By the time we’d honored the dead, built camp and cooked dinner, none of us were speaking anymore. We all knew who wanted what. Savette, Rakturan and I all wanted to go to the Feet of the River and Hubric wanted to deliver his message to the Dominar. I couldn’t leave Hubric. He didn’t want to leave the Chosen One.

At one point - I didn’t even hear what prompted it - Rakturan said, “What are you going to do to stop us?”

After that, there was nothing but bitter silence and cold anger between us all. Hubric searched the rubble and found a bottle of something, but he didn’t offer to share it. He sat and drank in front of the fire as the shadows grew into the dark of night.

Rakturan and Savette set up one of our tents and hid themselves within. I heard the susurration of whispers when I passed it, as if they were in deep discussion. Would they decide to go on without us like they were planning? If they did, they would be on their own and impossible to hide from prying eyes. They’d also have no one else to help if it turned out the Feet of the River were already crawling with Dusk Covenant. If I couldn’t go with them, then they should at least wait for us.

I helped Findar get comfortable, sharing our blankets with him. I’d be a bit colder tonight without the extra blanket, but at least I had Raolcan. I was worried about Findar. His injuries seemed severe and he winced often with pain.

“Do you think you can sleep like this?” I asked, leaving him close to the fire.

“I’ll be fine,” he said, his words tight and his eyes on Hubric. Even someone outside our party could feel the tension between us.

With a sigh, I left him, finished tidying the campsite, and curled up in my other blanket against Raolcan. With the Ifrit gone, we didn’t need to watch the camp so carefully. We knew who had destroyed this place and he was gone now.

Enkenay says he will keep watch for the first stretch. Raolcan was as tired as I was – more, perhaps. He and Kyrowat had seen little sleep in the past week.

I’m so tired I will sleep for a week if you don’t wake me. Tell me if there’s any trouble. We should be safe here.

My own feelings and thoughts were tangled knots. I didn’t want to think about the decisions that would be faced tomorrow morning. Would I have to choose Hubric over Savette and Leng? I refused to dwell on it, forcing the thoughts from my mind. There would be enough heartache tomorrow morning.

Just sleep...

I thought I heard Raolcan’s thoughts fade seconds before sleep found me, too.

Everything was silent when I woke, stretching in the dim light of early morning. My blanket had fallen off and the fire was out. Shivering, I nuzzled against Raolcan, feeling his snore vibrate through his entire body. At least he was warm. I tried to get comfortable again, but I couldn’t. There was something about the quiet that troubled me. Had there been crickets last night that were gone now? Was that it? Or some other sound that was missing now? I stood up, letting the blanket fall to the ground. Across from the dead fire, Kyrowat snored, his breathing matching Raolcan’s. Good thing Enkenay was keeping watch.

Hubric was sprawled by the fire, without a blanket, arms and legs spread outward. Who slept like that? It was as if he had nothing troubling him at all, while I was plagued with worry. I swallowed down irritation and walked around Raolcan’s sleeping form to check on Savette and Rakturan.

Their tent was gone. So was Enkenay. I glanced down the river in one direction and then the other, my heart pounding. It must be a mistake. Maybe they went for a walk. Maybe they needed some time alone for a few minutes. Maybe they decided to fish.

The boats at the dock were gone, too. That must be it. They’d gone fishing. I hobbled down to the dock, looking up and down the Great Drake River for as far as I could see. There was no sign of a boat. No sign of a dragon. Nothing but water, waving reeds, and the occasional diving bird.

Heart thudding, I raced back to the campsite. In my sudden clarity, I saw that Findar was also gone. He’d taken my extra blanket with him. Behind me, the sun rose in the sky, shining its golden beams across the ground, painting it gold and black in the tiger stripes of dawn. A long black shadow stretched out from Hubric’s prone form, but in the golden light, I saw something I hadn’t noticed earlier.

Blood.

I hurried toward him, dropping to the ground.

“Hubric! Hubric, are you okay?”

At his groan, I almost sobbed with relief. His hand went to his head and I pushed it away, studying the gash on the back of his skull. It was shallow, I thought, already crusting over.

“What happened?” he asked.

“They’re gone,” I said, and I could hear the panic in my voice.

“Savette, Rakturan, Enkenay, and Findar. All gone. The boats and the tent and my blanket and everything they had.”

“Slow down.” He stood, shakily, hand still clutching his head, while the other hand patted his Dragon Rider leathers urgently.

“Gone where?”

“I don’t know! I woke up and they weren’t here! What are you looking for?”

“My messages,” he said, a look of absolute horror on his face. “They’re all gone, too.”

Chapter Eleven

“Someone must have hit you over the head,” I said, reaching for the healing kit in his baggage nearby. With the wound already healing, it was easy enough to bandage it. “Hold still.”

“Not Savette. She wouldn’t have hit me.”

No, she wouldn’t have. “I don’t think Rakturan would, either. They probably slipped away so that they wouldn’t have to say goodbye and fight with us about going.”

“Findar.” Hubric cursed. “What did we really know about him?”

“We knew he was hurt. And we found him in a sack, carried by our enemies.”

Hubric batted my hands away as I finished the knot. “Enough with that. We haven’t the time. What if Findar hit Savette and Rakturan over the head and hauled them off, too?”

“Enkenay would never have flown them.”

The dragons snored on. Why didn’t they wake? Hubric followed my gaze and snorted.

“My fault,” he said. “Dragons can enter a deep sleep to replenish what was lost in prior days. It’s why they can fly for days on end without a proper sleep. I told these two they could enter it and replenish. I thought that with the Ifrit defeated and Savette and Rakrturan on our side...”

I nodded. It made perfect sense.

“Both boats are missing,” I said.

“So, he could have loaded them into the boats...”

“I think you’re upset, Hubric.”

His eagle-eyed gaze locked onto mine. He shook his head and began to stuff loose items into his bags, scanning the burnt-out husks of the buildings.

I tried again. “If Findar had kidnapped Savette and Rakturan, then Enkenay would still be here. I think that they left first on Enkenay. Probably to go to the Feet of the River and probably as soon as we were asleep. I think that after that, Findar saw his chance, stole your messages and hit you over the head to keep you from chasing after him. It makes sense that he’d take a boat. It’s fast. Raolcan said it would take you to the Feet of the River in a single day.”

“And the other boat?”

“Maybe he didn’t want us following.”

We looked toward the river and then Hubric said, “Come on.”

I followed him to the dock, looking down the river with him, a second time. This time, I saw the second boat stuck in the reeds, so far down the river that it was almost out of sight.

“Your theory holds up,” Hubric said.

“Findar must think that your messages would be valuable to the Dusk Covenant.”

“Of course, they are!”

“Can you deliver them without the physical copies?”

He sighed. “We don’t read the messages. I don’t know what they say.”

“That seems like a bad policy in this situation.”

“It’s been our policy for the last hundred years.”

“Age doesn’t confer brilliance.”

His laugh was so bitter that I flinched.

“Oh, don’t flinch like that, girl.” He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. The lines on his face looked deeper. “You didn’t leave me, Amel. You didn’t sneak off into the night even though I know you wanted to.”

“No, I didn’t.” I felt overwhelmed with an emotion I couldn’t explain. It brought tears to my eyes. Hubric’s own eyes were glassy.

“You stayed with me. You kept your vow.”

I nodded, unable to speak at the emotion. I didn’t know what I was feeling – because it was just a flood of feelings. Frustration and relief. Loyalty and anger. Affection and bitterness. It was a toxic, roiling mix of it all because I wasn’t sure if I should be proud or ashamed, if I should feel cherished or captive. I felt like a big hot mess.

“That means something to me, girl. I know you didn’t just stay to save your own skin. You chose to stay. Now we are in the pot together, about to get cooked. But we’re not alone. We’re together and I’m just grateful to have you.”

I couldn’t hold back tears. Especially when he hugged me. He was the prickliest person I’d ever met. He was like a second father. He drove me crazy. I thought maybe he understood me.

“We’d better wake the dragons,” he said when he was done hugging me. “It will take them a few minutes to wake up fully. Can you re-saddle them while I take a gander around?”

“Sure,” I said.

Raolcan was incredibly difficult to awaken. In the end, I pushed one of his eyelids open with two hands while shouting “Wake up!” in his face.

It took him about thirty seconds to glean the situation from my brain as I saddled him and loaded the gear we had left.

We’re in big trouble.

Understatement.

Something is different between you and Hubric.

Hubric and I were friends. I moved to saddle Kyrowat. He let me, but the look in his eyes was suspicious and he burped once into the trees, lighting a small one ablaze, as if to remind me that I was a human and he was a dragon.

You were always friends.

A different kind of friends. Like me and Raolcan.

That’s called ‘family.’

Like Savette.

That’s family, too.

We needed to find her and to find Leng and to make them safe, but there were fewer of us now. What could two Purple dragons and two Purple Dragon Riders do?

Just about anything.

“There was nothing left in any of the buildings. Nothing of value and nothing that says this was a safehouse of the Lightbringers.” Hubric came up from behind me. “We have no reason to stay. Best to mount up and leave. I have a plan.”

“A plan?” That was more than I had.

“We’ll go up as high as we can and look for allies. We need those messages back and we need to protect the Chosen One. We can’t do this alone. Follow my lead and mind the signals.”

I nodded, although we both knew that since we were Purples, it was the dragons who would be doing the flying – and most of the communicating.

Aren’t you glad we’re here? You’d be lost without us.

Chapter Twelve

We spiraled upward slowly, following Kyrowat.

The trick is to get as high as we can. It’s a clear day. No cloud cover. If we get high enough, we might see other dragons.

How far would they be when we found them?

They could be very far. Days away, even.

Would we see the Feet of the River?

Sort of. Everything will look very small to you. We’ll mostly be scanning for movement, and by “we” I mean Kyrowat and me, of course.

Of course. Sometimes I wondered why dragons ever agreed to let humans ride them. We seemed to get all the advantages.

A long time ago, long before the Dominion, dragons were free and roamed the land without human interference. There were few humans then and those that there were lived mostly to the north of here. In those days, volcanoes were frequent things and tremors shook the lands. And in those days, the Ancients of Baoqueea – the nation that existed before Baojang – brought up Ifrits to exercise dominion over their enemies. Nations lay in ruins and people were shredded like stalks of wheat in the harvest.

We dragons suffered, too. We were unorganized and scattered. We were hunted down and destroyed by Ifrits. All but Haz’drazen, Queen of Dragons and her brood. She sought a new land for us to increase and find safety in the south where the red of volcanoes bloom in the skies.

It was there that she found a man – Haz, the first of the Dominars. Haz and his small nation made a truce with Haz’drazen- it’s how she received her name because she was just ‘Drazen’ before but when she adopted him she became ‘Haz’drazen’ or ‘Dragon of Haz’ - and together they routed the Ifrits and drove back Baoqueea. It was on that day that dragons and the Dominion swore one to another that we would forever be bound to the prosperity of the other. You give of your young and healthy and we of ours to form the dragons and Dragon Riders that defend the Dominion - and with it the safety of our shared lands.

As much as it pains me to admit it, there are some things that humans do better than dragons.

Such as?

I said I’d admit it, not that I’d elaborate.

I couldn’t help but laugh at that.

There. Hubric signals to us.

His signal said we’d be heading north by northeast two hours. I couldn’t see a thing except for the ground below laid out like a tiny carpet. I could barely make out the track of the winding river or see where it flowed into the gray sea beyond. The air felt too thin. It made it hard to concentrate.

Heading lower. Hold on.

We dove, following Kyrowat’s swooping trajectory and I was grateful when the air began to thicken again. What had Kyrowat seen?

I saw them, too. A group of about twenty Reds. They fly toward the coast – east - and south. Perhaps they have heard of the fall of Casaban and fly to her aid.

Perhaps. It didn’t seem like enough to take back a city, but what did I know of war?

We’ll know soon enough. We will intercept them in about two hours. Rest and be patient.

Patience had never been my strongest point, but I had something to occupy me. As we flew, I took out the small book of Ibrenicus Prophecies I’d found in Talsan’s pocket and began to read.

These are the prophecies collected by Ibrenicus of Haz, son of dragons.

For the time comes soon in which these prophecies will be needed so that the world is not broken by a war between the earth and the sky. For long years we have fought, but peace is brokered, and we lay down arms. We shall grow sleepy in comfort and one day our children will have forgotten the grim battles fought for the peace they think they hold in their palms.

We know it is never so. No man owns peace. No man may hold it tightly and forbid its theft. We may only respond when war is brought to our gates and pray we respond rightly, for truth is often mocked and lies win hearts faster than flames consume a forest. Who can stand when men give way on every side to the force of their desires twisted against them?

It is for the wise that I collect these words and store them up in this book. That when the Chosen One arrives you will recognize what you see. When your salvation is near, you may lay hold of it. Do not wait. Do not doubt. Seize life while you still have breath and peace before it has dissolved like snow.

Eerie words. Ibrenicus was quite the optimist.

And yet, Raolcan reminded me, you have seen what the Dusk Covenant can do. You have seen the Ifrits they have raised up. Does a battle between the sky and the ground really seem so strange?

Some of my worst enemies were in the sky, too. Wasn’t it obvious that Starie and Mistress Elfar were bent on their own purposes?

Haz’drazen will never permit Ifrits. Perhaps it doesn’t mean every dragon and every creature of the land. Perhaps it means the heads of them will be at war.

I wasn’t very good at this speculation.

I have a bad feeling that you will need to learn it. We are the only ones who can keep Savette safe, and I grow certain she is the one of that prophecy.

Him, too! Was he planning on joining the Lightbringers?

You joined. That means I did, too. Though Hubric needs to make your joining formal. I think he planned to do that at Backwater Manor with others of the Order, but that didn’t happen. He was as troubled to delay your formal entry as he was by Findar’s betrayal.

It mattered a lot to him.

I have a bad feeling that this coming war will be a close one. Every soul on one side or the other counts. Every choice will mean death for someone down the line. We must be so careful to be wise in what we do.

I bit my lip. I was anything but wise. I’d wrestled with each decision along the way; often not certain I was making the right one. Why was so much on my shoulders? Weren’t there better people for this job? Hopefully, there really would be wisdom in this little book I carried. If there wasn’t, the consequences could be deadly.

Chapter Thirteen

We met the Reds as they landed beside a tributary of the Great Drake River. They landed in formation and crisply dismounted like it was a military drill – which I supposed it was. I noticed that though they wore leathers and scarves like regular Dragon Riders, they also had badges and insignia on their leathers and their dragons’ saddles prickled with weapons. Polearms, swords, shields, bows, and arrows – they were like flying armories. The scales of the Reds looked thicker, tougher, more gnarled that that of our Purples.

Are you saying they look more masculine?

Actually, they looked more like someone had left them in the ocean and they’d developed a barnacle crust. Raolcan’s mental laughter made me smile. So, he didn’t like thinking some other dragon was more masculine, did he?

There’s nothing tender about me, Amel. Not even my ego.

Liar.

Fine. I’ll admit it. I wish I had a thicker crust.

If he wasn’t careful, I’d be the one laughing and now was a bad time for that. Kyrowat landed in front of the Reds seconds before we did. The closest Red snapped at him and Kyrowat reared up, flaming the grass beneath the Red’s feet. A blaze of grass fire rushed through the group of Reds accompanied by loud curses and shouts.

“Hubric Duneshifter,” the rider of the Red dragon said as he strode forward. “I see your Purple is as touchy as ever. Well met, friend.”

“And you, Cynos Vineplanter. Is that still Mionshc? He looks more crusted than ever.”

“Don’t say that too loud, or your friend won’t be the only one lighting grass fires!” Cynos laughed heartily.

He was heavyset for a Dragon Rider – almost as thick as a warrior was – with thick black hair and stubble across his brown chin. Knives and short swords were strapped all over the outside of his leathers. Was it possible that I could wear those even though I was Purple? They made him look so intimidating.

Only if you learn to use them. Otherwise, someone will grab one from your belt and stab you with it.

I didn’t want that.

“Do you fly to Casaban?” Hubric asked, stamping out the fires as he dismounted Kyrowat. Was that a smirk on Kyrowat’s face?

Cynos nodded. “We were headed to the Capitol when we received word of the fall of Casaban and we set out that very hour. I wish I had more dragons, but we were off on guard duty watching the back of a traveling High Castelan and he required no more protection than this.”

“I have also heard of Casaban. The situation is dire – but what will you do with only twenty dragons?”

Cynos frowned. “Hold them back, I suppose. Keep them from taking more territory until we are joined by others. Only a week ago we received news of the fall of Vanika – a sky city! – and now this. These are dire times, Hubric. Do you carry messages to the north?”

“I did.”

“Did?”

Hubric looked uncomfortable, his eyes wandering over the Reds as they cared for their dragons and took care of necessities. I took the moment to dismount and secure my crutch.

“We rescued two men captured by our enemies in the fall of Casaban,” Hubric said eventually. I could tell he was ashamed to admit it. “In the night, one of them stole my messages and fled.”

“And how did he outrun Dragon Riders? Are Purples as slow as people say?” Was he teasing, or mocking? It was hard to say.

“He had a boat and the river is fast.”

Cynos nodded.

“So, you go with your apprentice to recover the messages.”

Hubric nodded. “But I have a small problem.”

Cynos smiled cynically. “Would a Purple talk to people if they didn’t need help? You would have let us pass without ever knowing you were here if you had the choice.”

“Don’t take it personally.”

“Trust me, I don’t. The rest of us are very happy without your company.”

This time it was Hubric who frowned. “The Dusk Covenant gathers at the Feet of the River. We heard news that they stole Purple Dragon Riders at the fall of Casaban and brought them there. That’s where our messages are heading. We don’t have the strength to recover them on our own.”

“The Dusk Covenant? They’re the stuff of stories. No more real than unicorns or machines that replace horses.”  Cynos shook his head, reaching into his dragon’s saddlebag to pull out a water skin.

“Who do you think was responsible for the fall of Vanika?”

“Baojang.”

“Alone? We were there. We saw what happened. Baojang may have led the charge against the Dominar – long may he reign – but it was the Dusk Covenant that felled the city.”

Cynos swallowed, worry etching lines in his forehead. “You were there, you say?”

“Yes,” Hubric said. “I bore messages from the Dominar to Dominion City. Now, I am on my way back – but I can’t bear messages that I don’t have. Please. Please, Cynos. Reds are our allies. Help us to recover the messages and our captive brothers. A few days will not make a difference to Casaban.”

“It could. You know what a raided city is like. You know how badly we need to take her back and bring safety to her people again.”

Hubric ran his hand over his face. “You know how important our messages are. They mean the difference between men moving or stationary, supplies sent or people starving, war or peace. Please, Cynos. Please help me recover them.”

Cynos stood a long time looking at the burnt grass at his feet while behind him the other Reds bustled around making the most of their temporary stop. Eventually, he looked up at me.

“You took a cripple as an apprentice?”

“Yes,” Hubric said. I liked that he felt no need to explain himself.

Cynos gave me a long look. I clenched my jaw and looked back with a steady, level gaze. He didn’t know me. He didn’t know that my leg made no real difference at all.

“You see things others don’t, Hubric Duneshifter. If you say these messages come first over Casaban – well, maybe you see something I don’t.”

His mouth twisted like he was going to say no to us anyway. He couldn’t. If we didn’t have his help, who else would help us? They would kill Leng. Kill Savette and Rakturan when they arrived. Destroy the messages or use them against the Dominar. I didn’t know everything that they’d do, but I knew the Dusk Covenant well enough to know that they’d use anything they could to destroy us all.

“This is a matter of war or peace, of life or death for us all, Cynos Vineplanter,” I said, keeping my expression hard as a rock. He must see how desperate this was! He must.

He stared at me with wide eyes, like he hadn’t expected me to speak, but after a moment he nodded.

“We fly with you,” he said and then turned to Hubric. “Three days. No more.”

Chapter Fourteen

“There they are,” Hubric said. “The Feet of the River.”

What had I expected from that name? Maybe I’d linked it to “foot of the river” in my mind, like the foot of a mountain. Maybe I had thought it would just be where the water poured into the sea.

That would be the mouth of the river.

And of course, this was that, too.

We were perched low on the rise of a hill about a mile away, our dragons hiding on the other side of the huge outcropping. Hubric and Cynos had insisted that we climb to the top – with his lieutenants – and watch the Feet of the River from this vantage point. They’d produced a number of small telescopes and were carefully scanning the entire area with constant warnings to me to avoid making a “profile” by getting too high.

That was how I came to be lying on my belly, in the dirt, looking out over a panoramic landscape where the rushing Great Drake River rolled in muddy turbulence into the greeny-blue tide of the Eastern Sea.  I wished I had a telescope like the Reds did. They had a lot of very interesting equipment that we should really consider.

Don’t turn traitor on me just to get great gear!

No one said anything about being a traitor. That glass was just extremely handy.

“Let your apprentice take a look,” Cynos said handing Hubric the glass.

Hubric handed the glass to me with an indulgent smile. “What do you think, Amel?”

“Where can we get one?” I asked, raising it to my eye and studying the river banks hungrily. I’d been longing for a closer look at these.

“See, she should have been Red,” Cynos said, but I barely heard him.

Along the river bank, were a series of statues – or at least, they had been statues at one time. And when they had been, they must have been almost as tall as a sky city. Now, what must have been hundreds of years later, they were rubble – huge white stone chunks of rubble-strewn along the river bank, larger than houses or even guard towers, in some cases. All that was left of what had once been statues of twenty people on each side of the river bank, was twenty pairs of feet, broken off at the knees, or ankles, or in a few cases the thighs. Where their sandaled toes met the river, the water lapped around them, rounding the feet off so that they were blocky and worn compared to the exquisite detail of the ankles and knees above them.

“Reds aren’t known for their acceptance of physical difficulty,” Hubric said, diffidently.

“I saw no difficulty when she scrambled up the hill. The girl is fit,” Cynos said. I would have preened under his praise a month ago. Now, I had more important things to think about.

“Who were they?” I asked.

“The statues?”

“Yes,” I said.

“No one knows anymore,” Cynos said. “They guarded the Great Drake River from our enemies who might come this way.”

“By means of the river?”

“Or the sea, I suppose,” he said.

Reds don’t talk to their riders. That’s why he doesn’t know the truth but look at Hubric. I bet he looks bemused.

He did.

It’s because we know there wasn’t always a river here.

There wasn’t?

In the days when dragonkind were young, this was a split in the earth, and from it, our enemies drew up the Ifrits. We – the people of the Dominion and the dragons - fought them long and hard and when they were banished from this earth, we built the statues to remind us always to stay on guard against them. But that was long ago in the days of the First Dominar. And people forget things too quickly.

But dragons remembered.

We have long memories. Even those of us who live short lives tied to humans.

I’d forgotten about that. I had the terrible feeling of all the air being sucked out of my lungs at once. Because of me, his life would be shorter. Because of me, he would die young. He would die in battle or die like Enkenay was going to before Savette saved him and there was nothing I could do about it, because even if I lived a long life – for a human – it would be a short life for him.

Don’t spiral away, Amel. It will be as it is. I made a choice.

But he hadn’t chosen life as a dragon bonded to a human.

I did choose to live it with you.

He did. And his explanation of this being a big deep pit of Ifrits didn’t explain the river.

When we drove the Ifrits away, the ancients rerouted the river to flow down this path instead. It was a great feat, accomplished by humans and dragonkind working together to move the earth and rocks to do our bidding. We filled the pit with water to keep away any thought of bringing Ifrits back to this land.

That was all well and good, but I suddenly had a terrible feeling of foreboding. After all, Savette – who could usually sense Ifrits - had not sensed the Ifrit beneath the water. What if there were hundreds of them waiting beneath that river. Waiting in their pit. Gathering one upon another. Until one day, they broke free.

Down in the rubble around the Feet, I saw something stir. I peered through the glass at it, uncertain about what I was looking at. A group of people walked out from behind one of the statues. The bottom half of their faces were stained red, like someone had painted half of their faces, and their hair stuck up a hand-width into the air. I’d never seen anyone like them before.

“Who are they?” I asked Hubric handing him the glass.

He peered through and then his face went white and he handed it urgently back to Cynos.

“Rock Eaters are here.”

Chapter Fifteen

“Rock Eaters,” Cynos said, his tone full of horror. “There! Just past the wave breaks. Three ships flying black flags.”

“What does that mean?” I whispered to Hubric.

“They come from the dark continent,” he whispered back.

“Baojang?”

“Baojang is on the dark continent, certainly. The Rock Eaters lie deeper within. They don’t speak a language we know. We have sent emissaries to them in the past. They kill our people ruthlessly and without warning. What little information about them that has trickled back worries us. Their customs make no sense to us. We cannot seem to communicate, and they have no mercy.”

“There are men of Baojang here, too. I see their saffron pennants. Perhaps a hundred mill around the Feet close to the sea. I think I see tents. They are camped here.”

It was hard to see anything between mounds of rubble, but Cynos was expert with his glass.

“Any sign of Dragon Riders?” Hubric asked, scanning the ground.

“See that hilltop between us and the sea?” Cynos asked. I peered towards it. The land jutted upward, ending abruptly in front of the Feet and the river. Had it been carved by water or by the hands of man and dragon before the monuments were set in place?

“I see it,” Hubric said, squinting.

“Take the glass again.”

Hubric lifted the telescope up and grunted. “I see them. Four Purple Dragon Riders in heavy stocks. There must be twenty magikas around them, meditating – or something – and a dozen large tents.”

“Do you see Leng?” I asked, anxiously. I wanted to see through the glass myself, but Cynos already had it back, peering through it at the hills.

“Maybe,” Hubric told me. “I can’t see faces clearly.”

Cynos ran a hand through his hair. “But where are the messages you lost? In that camp, or the one on the beach, or somewhere else?”

“Wherever they are, those Dragon Riders need to be freed.”

“Agreed,” Cynos said. “But what are they doing to them there?”

Hubric knows. Kyrowat is a very clever dragon.

“They are using them – using their ability to speak to dragons – but amplifying and extending it with magic. They are using it to keep dragons and men of the Dominion far from here.”

“What are you talking about? What ability to speak to dragons?” Cynos looked mystified.

“It’s a Color secret,” Hubric said, looking uncomfortable. “One we are sworn to keep quiet about. But right now, you need to know this. Purple dragons – so elusive and strange to the rest of you – can speak into the minds of man. When they choose their rider-”

“They choose?”

“Listen. Don’t interrupt. When they choose their rider, they start to speak so frequently that the rider also develops the ability to stretch out with their mind – at first it just results in greater range between the dragon and the rider. Then, it moves to sensing little things about people – things they can’t quite explain. In the end, we can start to read thoughts, too. Who knows how far it could go? Most Purples don’t live as long as I have.”

Cynos’ face was pale. “I don’t think I like the sound of that. Tell me you aren’t reading my mind.”

“Your mind?” Hubric laughed. “I wouldn’t dare. Who knows what filth you have in there? It would be like eating garlic and tasting it on your breath for a week.”

Cynos laughed but I could tell he was relieved. “Let’s go back down the hill so we can talk freely.

We climbed back down the hill as carefully as possible, working not to make a sound or cause a rock to tumble or fall. We didn’t dare alert our enemies to our presence. At the bottom of the hill, in a cluster of tall trees, Cynos motioned us to form a tight ring and Hubric spoke again.

“Kyrowat thinks that they are using the Dragon Riders as a mental shield to hide what they are doing here. Perhaps they fog the mind of those passing so that they do not notice those gathering here. Perhaps they plant within them the idea to go elsewhere. All of it would have to be amplified by magic – but there are plenty of Magikas on that hill...”

Cynos grunted again. “Then they’ll use it on us when we venture close.”

“We’ll need to be prepared for that.”

Cynos gave Hubric a long look and then cleared his throat. “Us, but not you, my friend. You are hereby charged to fly directly to the Dominar and tell him of what has transpired here.”

“Charged by who? You’re no master of me!” Hubric looked put out, his face flushing with his words.

Cynos shook his head. “You know this as well as I do, Hubric. As long as we were only recovering your messages, you led. Now that there are enemies invading the Dominion, this is Red territory and we have dominance here. This battle is mine to fight. And I will fight it without you.”

Hubric leaned in close and I thought he was trying to keep his voice from carrying to me or the lieutenants, but I could hear him just fine. “This is suicide, Cynos. You see our enemies out there. Any attack on them is sure to be met with more force than we can possibly handle. You need every dragon and rider. Don’t deprive yourself of two Purples.”

“One Purple.” Cynos was so calm. And yet, Hubric’s words about suicide hadn’t even made him blink. Did he already expect to die?

Yes. As soon as they saw the assembled forces they knew they would have to fight – and die – for the Dominion. Their dragons also understand.

“Then let’s send the girl, my apprentice. She’s already delivered her first message. She’s ready to carry word to the Dominar on our behalf. She met him in person. She’s ready.”

Why did it sound like he was pleading?

Cynos shook his head grimly.

“I know why you ask, Hubric.” He laid a hand on Hubric’s shoulder. “I’d give you this if I could, but I can’t. I need every dragon I can get. I must have hers. But not yours. This message could mean the life or death of our Dominion and you are a full Dragon Rider, fully mature and ready. We can’t possibly send a half-baked Purple to deliver this message when we have a full Purple to do it. I’m sorry, friend, but the answer is no. You will fly away and tell the Dominion of this threat and we will stand and fight. If the girl survives the battle, she will be free to return to your side. Now, I’ll give you a moment to say your goodbyes while I discuss strategy with my men. I hold you on oath to do as promised, Hubric. Don’t try to trick me or to swap places with her. Your word compels you.”

Hubric looked slightly chagrined, as if he was planning to do exactly that, but then he nodded and put his fist to his heart.

“By my word and the truth, which is all I have, I will deliver your words to the Dominar – long may he reign.”

Cynos nodded briskly and turned away and Hubric rounded on me.

“I can’t get out of this one, Amel. He has me by the word and there’s no getting out of it. I’m bound as sure as magic.”

He looked so agitated that I laid a hand on his arm. “It will be okay, Hubric. I have Raolcan.”

He nodded jerkily, like he was holding back tears and pulled his neck scarf off to retrieve a leather cord. He pulled it free and gently placed it over my head. On the end, a message cylinder dangled.

“There’s directions and a map in there to a place I know north of here. It’s coded, but you’re a smart girl and you’ll figure it out. If. When. If...” He coughed. “I don’t know what I’m saying. When you get out of there with Savette and Leng, you’re to follow that map to the hidden place and wait for me. I will be as fast as a cat caught on the feast table and I’ll get right over there to retrieve you. Understand?”

I nodded. But how could I promise anything? After all, we weren’t supposed to part ways, but his previous obligations bound him. And I was just as bound in so many ways. How could I know what promises I could keep and which ones would unravel me?

Hubric took a silver ring from an inner pocket and handed it to me. “It’s my davari to you, Amel Leafbrought.”

Like the one Leng gave me? My eyebrows knit together.

“It’s not like that one from Leng. It’s not a romantic gesture. It’s a promise. My promise to you. I’ll come back for you. I promise.”

I took the ring and when I looked up there were silver trails on the old man’s face. He frowned and looked away, not wanting me to see him cry.

“I believe you, Hubric. Be safe.” On an impulse, I hugged him. He patted my back awkwardly.

“I’ll be back for you, girl. Don’t let me down, now.”

“How would I do that?” Our hug broke and I swayed backward on my crutch.

“By dying. That’s how. Don’t die.”

I laughed, relieved that it was all he was asking, but he seemed serious when he patted my shoulder and strode away. I wished - as I watched him walking so quickly in the other direction - that there were stronger things than words to communicate how you felt. Mine just never felt substantial enough.

Chapter Sixteen

“Over here, girl,” Cynos said, gesturing to me. I joined the circle that now had all twenty of the Red Dragon Riders. “Remind us of your name?”

“Amel Leafbrought.” I tried to make my voice strong, but it was hard with Hubric leaving. I hadn’t realized how much I’d grown to depend on him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him checking Kyrowat’s straps and then whispering something to Raolcan before he mounted up again.

“And you have this wonderous gift of being able to speak to your dragon, Amel?”

I felt my cheeks heating. “Yes.”

Cynos nodded, briskly. “Then this is our plan. The Magikas may be Dominion citizens, but if they are fogging the minds of those who come close for the sake of our enemies, then they are enemies, too. They have forfeited their rights to our protection. Understood?”

The men in the ring nodded and I added my nod. Obviously, anyone working with the Dusk Covenant was my enemy. I didn’t need reminding of that. Behind the group, Kyrowat leapt in the air and Hubric gave a sign of farewell.

Cynos keep his voice low but he spoke briskly. “We’ll fly straight to the hilltop where they have the Purple Riders. If they are using them to fog minds, we need that to stop first or we won’t be able to route our enemies or even engage them. The Magikas holding the Dragon Riders are our first target and freeing them is our first priority. Amel, as a Purple trainee with the ability to speak to your dragon, your job it to keep us focused and clear. That means asking your dragon to remind ours why we are flying toward that hill. Understood?”

I nodded.

“We will chant to ourselves why we are here. ‘Fly to the hill. Free the Purples.’ Over and over as we fly, we will say these words. Understood?”

There were fist to heart salutes all around and I hurriedly added my own.

Cynos nodded, satisfied. “Formation D seven with Amel tucked on our six. She is an honored guest and to be treated so. She is unfamiliar with our maneuvers, so expect that.” He turned to me. “Watch for the signals. Some will be unfamiliar to you, but some are standard signals. Do your best to keep up. Once your task of keeping us alert is complete you will join us in freeing the Dragon Riders and await further orders.” He turned back to the group. “Rock Eaters and Baojang invade our lands in this place. We know our duty. We know our Color. With our blood and lives we will defend the Dominion. We will repel her enemies. We will lay havoc to her plans. Defend the Dominion.”

“Defend the Dominion,” they chorused back.

Cynos gave us a hard smile and saluted. “Mount up!”

I followed the others toward Raolcan. My heart hurt that Hubric wasn’t with him and my hands were shaking at the prospect of a battle my allies were certain we would lose.

Hold onto courage, Amel. We will free Leng and help Savette. Have I let you down yet?

Never.

Then don’t doubt me now!

When I joined him, hunkered low in the grass, I couldn’t help but give him a hug around the neck.

Let’s go get your friends.

His straps were secure and load safe. Hopefully, Hubric had taken whatever he needed from my pouches.

He left you a medical kit.

I mounted up and stowed my crutch, settling into the straps. As I tightened the last one, Cynos signaled launch and shot into the air. Behind him, the Reds launching in waves, and we were last, launching into a stiff breeze with our minds set on our task.

“Fly to the hill. Free the Purples,” I said. Would Raolcan remind the Reds?

I’ll be like a bee in their ears. Finally, a chance to annoy Reds without any chance of fall-out. You have no idea how they set themselves up for it.

They did?

Trust me, those gnarled Red giants take themselves way too seriously.

At that moment, we crested the top of the hill and flew up over it and for the first time, I saw exactly what we were dealing with all in one wide dragon-view.

Chapter Seventeen

Our first target was to our right, the tall hill crawling with ant-like creatures – Magikas and Purples- as Hubric and Cynos had seen in the glass. There were many of them. Enough that I felt a hard lump forming in my belly at the thought of sweeping into all those Magikas bent on taking back my friend.

“Fly to the hill. Free the Purples.” I chanted.

Down. Closer to the water I could see the other camps, and out in the bay were the ships they’d seen. It might be a small group - as far as invading armies were concerned – but it was large enough that my head felt light and I thought I might lose my lunch.

Standing on a rocky outcrop over the river, stood Rakturan and Savette with Enkenay behind them. Their blindfolds were off, and light flooded the area all around them. Rakturan stood straight and something – magic? – amplified his voice so that I could hear it even this far away.

“Men of Baojang,” he said. “I am your prince - Rakturan. Come to me. Rejoin your prince.”

There was a stir in the ranks of Baojang and a matching stir in the ranks of the Rock Eaters. What had Savette and Rakturan gotten themselves into? They were powerful, but powerful enough to take on an army? I didn’t think so.

One thing at a time. Focusing on everything will make it seem too large and you will crumble. Pick one thing and focus on that first. Until the ward keeping us away is down we can’t help, and neither can anyone else.

“Fly to the hill. Free the Purples,” I said aloud.

In front of Savette and Rakturan, the waters of the river parted suddenly and an Ifrit rose up out of the water. Behind him, a second one began to emerge. That was too many! They couldn’t handle more than one. We’d seen what one could do alone. There was just no way that they could fight two at once.

A third Ifrit emerged from the depths as the Rock Eaters began to form ranks behind them. The men of Baojang moved purposefully toward Rakturan. Were they going to join him as he’d asked, or were they also bent on his death?

Confusion hit me like a wall. Why was I here? I suddenly didn’t know. Were we going the wrong way? Weren’t we supposed to be heading west? There had been something about a ward? No, that wasn’t right. I was flying a message to the Dominar. I should be doing that right now.

“Fly to the hill. Free the Purples,” I said. It sounded ridiculous. What hill? What purples?

Ahead of me, I noticed the Red formation growing ragged as dragons swooped in loops to turn instead of flying forward. Raolcan? Were we supposed to do something about that? For some reason, it felt like I was supposed to...

Hold fast. Keep saying the words. I’m ordering the Reds back around.

His mind felt focused. He knew what we were supposed to do.

“Fly to the hill. Free the Purples.”

At the front of the formation, Cynos began to sign an order to wheel the formation. Raolcan! Could he stop Cynos’ dragon?

Mionshc. He’s a stubborn one, but I am under his skin. He won’t wheel.

Two dragons at the far left of the line fell out of formation but quickly settled and returned.

Seiddet and Lekwbeh. They have weak minds. I must keep an eye on them.

We were close enough now that I could see the Magikas scrambling into formation on the hill. There were two lines of them, encircling their prisoners, arms in the air and ready to attack us. The frantic feel to their movements was a welcome sight – at least they hadn’t planned for this. But what could our dragons do with the captives at the center? If we attacked the Magikas we would flame the prisoners for sure.

No wonder Hubric had found it difficult to pick out Leng. I couldn’t see faces clearly even now. The prisoners were arranged in what looked like stocks. Their heads and hands locked into a series of long boards that formed a ring on the top of the hill.  From there, they could see every direction. How terrible! And were stocks really necessary? I felt any shred of compassion I had for the Magikas below leave me. On the boards above the heads of the prisoners, the brand of the Dusk Covenant was burnt deep in the wood.

My heart was racing now as I chanted the words, “Fly to the hill. Free the Purples.”

Our formation tightened, so that now I could see my fellow riders chanting the same thing as we dove toward the hill together. We’d passed the confusion. We were going to make it!

I swear, it’s been like herding cats. Did I say dragons were intelligent? You can scratch that. These fools couldn’t find their way out of an egg.

Who could do that in the first place?

Dragons. Or at least the ones who leave the egg and make their way in the world.

One Magika in red robes waved a staff over his head and together they launched fireballs at our formation. All joking died as we rolled and dodged to escape the flames. Two of our dragons flamed back, but their flames came dangerously close to the prisoner formation at the center of the Magikas and the Magikas dodged aside from the flames.

Cynos was signaling vigorously and I could tell from the feeling of Raolcan’s thoughts that he was concentrated on keeping the Reds focused. I needed to think of a way to get to the prisoners past those ranks of Magikas.

Two Reds dropped back and Raolcan snapped at one as it passed, flaming at the tail of the second. They spun back into line and we swept upward with the rest of the formation, following Cynos. He was signaling to swoop up, regroup, and then dive together toward the hill, all flaming at once.

It would be effective. Together, with our dragon’s bellies shielding us from their fireballs as we flew in a tight formation, we could set the entire hill ablaze. But what about the prisoners? We needed to keep them safe and then we needed to get them out of those stocks! Was it a key that unlatched them? We’d need to find the key.

Not a key.

Oh, look! I saw it now, too. There was a lever that could be pulled to open up the entire mechanism and let a prisoner out. Simpler and more heavy-duty than a lock and key system. I supposed they never expected anyone but the Dusk Covenant to make it up that hill in the first place.

It was in that moment that I saw him. Leng! His head was twisted slightly upward, like he was struggling to look up at the sky.

He was there! He was really there! I needed to get down and get him out of those stocks. My hands itched to do it and my heart raced with excitement. If we could just fly close enough, we could swoop in while the others were fighting. We could-

Stop distracting me! We can’t free him until the fight here is done. Focus!

Fire tore through our ranks and around me yells and grunts filled the air. Raolcan hissed as a fireball hit his tail and I gritted my teeth hard, apology filling my thoughts. I shouldn’t have distracted him. The dragons on either end of our formation flamed and then each one in turn flamed in pairs at Cynos’ sign. Even those with riders clearly burned by the Magika’s flames kept in formation as we dove toward the hill.

Fire wreathed the top of the hill like a blazing orange crown. Three Magikas, lit like candles, stumbled out across the hillside and fell down the steep sides, rolling through the grass and trees, spreading fire as they went. Distracted by the fires around them, even those untouched by our flames could not focus to launch another attack.

I should have felt relief that we’d quelled their attack, or sadness for the Red Dragon Rider I saw fall from his saddle, his body a charred mass. Instead, I was filled with terror as I watched the flames rolling toward the prisoners at the center of the hill.

Chapter Eighteen

We had to get down there before the flames got to the prisoners. They were roaring across the grass, slowly eating up everything in their path, whether tents or flags or the clothing of the Magikas they touched.

Hold on.

I gripped the reins as our formation wheeled in a large loop together around the crown of the hill, but my eyes were on one small figure in the distance, held in place by cruel stocks. As we dove again, our formation burst apart, each individual dragon breaking off to chase the scattered Magikas. Raolcan dove straight toward the stocks. Would we make it in time? The flames were licking the base of them as three Magikas fought the blaze. If we dropped into that mess it would be one against three, but they would have the fire to distract them.

I’ll drop you right onto the lever. Unstrap now so you are ready to leap off and throw it clear.

Leap off? Throw the lever in the middle of roaring flames? My heart hammered in my chest, but my clumsy fingers scrambled to obey, fighting against the leather straps to loosen them and work them off. We were already diving in closer, the air rushing around me. And we must have been getting close because it was feeling hot on my face. I was jolted as we landed hard on the ground.

Now.

I grabbed my crutch from its place and leapt down, stumbling over the uneven terrain. My lungs and heart raced with the intensity of the moment, but the hot air seared my lungs and I clutched my chest, coughing as I stumbled to the lever. Behind me, I heard Raolcan blast a gout of flame off. I glanced over my shoulder to see him dodge out of the way of one of the Magikas, searing another with his flames.

I grabbed the lever with both hands, but it wouldn’t budge. Down the line, a scream erupted as the flames reached the prisoners in the stocks. No! This couldn’t happen. I was here. All I needed to do was pull this lever - and it was stuck. I grabbed the top of it again, pulling down with all my weight. Nothing.

Help comes.

Maybe one of the other dragon riders was on their way? I spun around to see Raolcan battling three Magikas as they leapt and spun through the flames, firing balls of flame at him. Were they somehow immune to the fire? He worked hard to keep them all at bay so that their flames missed both him and me.

I scanned the sky for help, but the Reds were out of my line of vision. Had another enemy appeared, or were they still in battle against Magikas scattered across the hill? Where was this help coming from?

And then I saw it – a dark figure growing closer by the second, swooping toward the hill. Good. Hopefully whoever was riding him was faster than I was. I worked at the lever. Were the coughs I heard my own or someone else’s? Would there be any Purples still alive by the time we freed them?

Stand aside. That wasn’t Raolcan’s voice! I’d heard that voice in my head before.

I leapt out of the way the second before Ahlskibi landed beside me, grabbed the tiny lever in his massive jaw and pulled it down. The gears creaked and squealed and then the locking mechanism freed. I rushed down the line to the first Dragon Rider. Not Leng. I hurried to help him out of the stocks and left him coughing and leaning against the wood as I moved to the next prisoner.

Almost done here. Something is happening in the river valley. Cynos rushed that way.

The next rider down the line was dead. A fireball must have hit her before we even reached the lever. I tried not to look as I skirted past her toward the next one. I couldn’t see who it was around the curve of the strange structure. When I finally turned around the bend, I saw the Dragon Rider slumped in the stocks. A gleam from the fires around us reflected from his nearly-bald head. Leng!

I scrambled to his side, tugging at the stocks and freeing him. His head hung low and I shook him. Had he breathed in too much smoke?

He shook his head and then looked up at me.

“Dreaming,” he muttered.

“You’re not dreaming. It’s me.”

“Ahlskibi.”

I looked behind me and nearly leapt at the huge head right behind my shoulder.

That’s the last of the Magikas. They fought hard. I’ve rarely had a human put up such a fight, Raolcan said.

Ahlskibi leaned past me, nuzzling Leng with his huge head. Leng tried to straighten, but stumbled forward, and I quickly got an arm under him to help him stand. His body must be seized up from being stuck in place for so long. What would his mind be like after such suffering? I couldn’t think about that now. I had to concentrate. There were other riders to save.

I flew around the others. They do not live. I’ll get the one you saved. Get Leng ready to ride. I’ll be there in a moment. We need to get back to the valley. I’ve lost track of what is happening there, but Cynos flew that way as soon as we removed this barrier. It must be serious. Cynos isn’t the type to leave a job unfinished.

Ahlskibi would want to carry Leng.

Ahlskibi is in no condition to carry anyone right now.

Leng shook himself, caressed Ahlskibi with one hand and then pulled himself slowly straight, seeming to see me for the first time.

“Amel? Can it really be you?” His dark eyes were full of so much hope that I just wanted to reassure him.

“It’s me, Leng.”

I have him. Okay, get ready.

Leng reached up a shaking hand and caressed the side of my face. I winced – not from his touch but from the look of his raw, bleeding wrist. He needed help and care.

No time.

“It’s really you.” He gathered me in his arms, so tenderly, so gently that I could barely breathe from the affection that welled up in me. He was safe and living. He felt warm and strong against me, despite his injuries and suffering. I hugged him back, pulling him gently closer, reveling in the safe feeling of being in his arms.

“I was so worried,” I said. How did you tell someone that they were slowly becoming a part of you? How did you keep from scaring them with how real it felt? Laying my cheek against his chest felt like coming home. I didn’t want to move from this spot. What if I let him go and he was gone again? What if I lost my grip for a second and he was hanging by a thread over death one more time? He lived too dangerously. He loved things that were too dangerous.

The same things you love – adventure, truth, and doing good in an evil world. Can you hurry it up? We have a valley full of Ifrits to deal with.

Raolcan landed behind us, the flames licking at his feet.

Climb on.

“Wait,” Leng said, before I could pull away from our embrace.

Gently, so gently, in the middle of flames, swooping dragons and the remains of a hard-fought battle, he took my face in his battered hands and gently kissed my lips. I leaned into his kiss, savoring his love and loyalty. I didn’t want to ever stop kissing him.

You’re going to have to. I can’t keep these flames back anymore and we have big problems below. How many Ifrits do you think kisses kill? My guess is zero. Shall we place wagers on it?

Leng broke away, caressing my hair one last time, his eyes filled with love and pain. “I can hardly bear to part with you again so soon. You’re all I’ve thought about these past days. You and Ahlskibi.”

“Ride Raolcan with me?”

“I can’t. Ahlskibi needs me, too. He’s been through a lot.”

Where had he been all this time?

It’s an interesting story, but not one for right now.

Raolcan was practically hopping from foot to foot as we broke apart and walked in opposite directions to our two dragons.

“I have so much to tell you,” I called to Leng as I mounted Raolcan. The other Dragon Rider we had saved made room for me. He sat crooked in the saddle, like he was struggling to straighten. “Stay safe until I can.”

Leng smiled at me as he mounted Ahlskibi without a saddle or reins. “I’ve made it this far.”

Barely. He’d barely made it this far. No wonder Dragon Riders had short lives. And I’d fallen head over heels for one of them. I didn’t want to stop loving him, either. I’d take the risk and the potential pain just to be close to him in the moments that we could be.

Are you about done?

Yes, but only for now. No promises for later.

Chapter Nineteen

Raolcan launched into the air, kicking up high so we could see the whole valley laid out below. The rushing river threaded through the Feet of the River, but below us, a battle raged. Savette and Rakturan stood at the center of it on their rocky outcrop. Some of the men of Baojang must have joined Rakturn, because the Rock Eaters and Baojang fought, but between them, Ifrists fought, too. I watched Savette raise a hand as light shot out and took one of the Ifrits in the chest, evaporating him in an instant. Was she growing more powerful?

Cynos and the Red Dragons swooped among the earth-demons, flames, and weapons their only defense against the power of the earth. How many of those horrifying creatures lay beneath the water before they were summoned up? How many more lay there even now?

I clutched the saddle as Raolcan dove toward the battle, but I wasn’t thinking about a strategy of any kind. I’d already seen the battle and what we were up against. Twenty-three dragons – if we were that many now that some of the Reds had been killed in the attack against the hill top – and a few men from Baojang - were not enough to win against an army of Ifrits. Not even with the Chosen One on our side. If Hubric was here, he would have had some prophecy to quote.

One like this?

Surrounded on every side, not overcome,

Light battles the depths, commands armies come,

Her battle not with mortal man, but earth and fire

Ancient ally returns in battle dire.

Did Raolcan know the prophecies, too?

Did I forget to mention it?

Yes. He definitely forgot to mention that.

I grew up with them.

Like a Castelan. Dragons taught their little ones a lot better than poor farmers did. I had no idea prophecies even existed before I met Hubric.

Below us, a wall of men in Baojang saffron crashed into the red-faced Rock Eaters. I cringed at the screams below as steel met flesh. This was so wrong. People shouldn’t wreck each other’s bodies like stomping through Fall leaves. Weren’t we too precious for that? Wasn’t life too precious to be poured out all over the river rock?

Cynos’ wave of dragons flew between the Ifrits, swirling and flaming in intricate formations. If only it did much good. The earth creatures batted at them, roaring with mouths of open flame, but they were not slowed as they poured out from under the river and toward Savette and Rakturan.

Their ring of Baojang fighters was thinning as the larger army of Rock Eaters and traitorous Baojang warriors pressed against them, desperate to reach Savette and Rakturan on their tall rock. Dotted among them were Dominion Magikas. I’d never be able to trust one of them again, whether they claimed to serve the Dominion or not.

We dove toward the human battle, Raolcan and Ahlskibi flaming the men at the flanks of the Rock Eater side, rolling to take bursts of fire from the Magikas on their bellies.

The Purple Dragon Rider behind me held tight to my waist, his head lolling slightly. He needed medical care, but there wasn’t time now. I reached behind me to tighten his straps. He’d better not fall off. Raolcan could only do so much at once.

I’m already a bit of a wizard doing this much.

What are you doing? Flaming a couple of enemies and flying in circles?

He needed teasing right now. This situation was too intense. Even from here, I could see we were losing. Whatever had happened to Ahlskibi had weakened his flame. It still worked, but his bursts were small compared to Raolcan’s.

Savette and Rakturan fought in twin precision, but they were vulnerable up on that rock as the Ifrits pressed forward, despite Cynos’ attack.

I’m doing more than you think. I promise you. Help comes.

We circled again to attack the rear of the Rock Eater’s army, barely dodging the attacks of the Ifrits who were closing ranks with the rear of their army. Behind me, someone screamed. I spun to look behind my shoulder. Two Red dragons slammed against the ground, dragon and rider instantly dead and the very rocks shaking and rolling at their fall. Behind them, a third dragon was thrown by an Ifrit against one of the statues on the river bank. He hit it hard, sliding down the statue onto the rocks below where blood mixed with the turbulent waters of the Great Drake river.

My heart was in my throat. We were dying. There was no help coming. What was Raolcan even talking about when he said help could come? There must be thirty Ifrits now, and our army and dragons were fewer by the minute.

Raolcan rolled suddenly and I clung to his saddle, gritting my teeth. A cry of pain right behind me told me that our situation was serious. We plummeted toward the earth, rolling so quickly that I couldn’t tell up from down. Raolcan pulled out of the roll at the last second, his belly skimming the earth as he swooped back up to the sky, gaining height slowly. Was he hurt?

A bit. I’ll survive.

I turned to look at the man behind me. Where he had been only moments before, there was nothing but broken straps and a smear of blood.

We got too close to one of the Ifrits. We must take more care.

But could we? Below us, Savette screamed as she disintegrated an Ifrit right in front of her. Rakturan raised a hand, light shooting out of it to destroy a second Ifrit. But their army was gone, slain before them to a man. Enkenay crouched in front of them, flaming Rock Eaters as they pushed the assault over the bodies of the fallen. It wasn’t enough. They’d be overrun in minutes.

I saw Ahlskibi land on their flank, swaying from the effort of his flight. Leng leapt off his back, drawing a short sword as the two prepared to defend Savette’s flanks.

Where was Cynos? Was that him sprawled across the ground on the far side of the river? I couldn’t tell from here. There were only two Reds still flying. The rest littered the rocky river banks, lumps of sacrifice and loyalty laid out on the ground they lived to defend.

We would join them soon. I was certain of that. There were too few of us. Good thing Cynos had sent Hubric away so that he wouldn’t have to die here with us. I finally understood why he’d looked at me like he had when he left. He’d been sure that I wouldn’t survive this.

I swallowed as I watched the Rock Eaters begin a chant, shaking their weapons on every beat. I was afraid of them. I could admit that now. As afraid as I was of the powerful Ifrits and the mindless damage they inflicted.

Now! Raolcan said. What was he so excited about?

We spun to land beside Ahlskibi, Raolcan joining his defense against the onslaught of the Rock Eaters. I held tightly to his saddle, not daring to dismount.

Don’t dismount. Stay on.

No need to tell me twice. The earth shook, a terrible earthquake choosing the perfect time to shake us like kittens in the mouth of a strange dog. Leng stumbled, grabbing Ahlskibi for support. I looked anxiously to him, but his expression was determined.

Our enemies were not daunted by the shaking earth. They weren’t daunted when – to my horror – the ground between us and the Ifrits burst open in a long rip, river water pouring into the gash as it lengthened across the course of the river. They paused, though, when the first figure flew out from the rent in the earth. Their faces filled with horror when a burst of twenty more poured through the gash, body upon body upon body rocketing from the tear in the earth up into the sky, wings unfurling, and arrow-like necks extended as they shot upward.

It couldn’t be. They were dragons. More than I could possibly imagine in every color I’d ever seen and a few more.

I gasped, letting go of Raolcan’s saddle to splay my hands out across his neck. I needed to feel him - alive under my hands - to remind me this was real and not some illusion.

It’s real. I told you help comes.

The Ifrits understood what was happening first. They scattered, fleeing out from us in every direction, their only aim to put distance between themselves and the swell of dragons. Flames burst where the dragons found them before they could escape.

The Rock Eaters, as one person, dropped their weapons, falling to their knees in shock.

My shock was just as great as theirs. Where had these dragons come from? What were they doing here? I looked to Leng who was shaking his head in confusion. I looked to Savette and Rakturan, who spun - hands clasped together – in wonder, watching the dragons as they flew.

Raolcan? Do you know what is happening?

The voice in my head was not his. It was many dragons all at once – hundreds of them. I flinched at the force of it.

Prince of Dragons. We greet you.

I shook my head. Were they talking about Raolcan?

This time it was he who spoke to me, a note of chagrin in his mental voice. Did I forget to mention that I was a prince?

I was pretty sure he hadn’t forgotten, and he was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

Gladly.

Soon. Once this mess was sorted out.

That’s right. Focus on the problem before us and not on a tiny detail about my ancestry that I failed to mention.

I’d be irritated if I wasn’t so ridiculously grateful.

Hold onto that feeling. It’s exactly right for this moment in time.

Read the rest of Amel’s story in Dragon School: Prince of Dragons

Behind the Scenes:

USA Today bestselling author, Sarah K. L. Wilson, hails from the rocky Canadian Shield in Northern Ontario where she lives with her husband and two small boys. Her interests include the outdoors, history, and philosophy. Her books are always about fantastical adventures in other worlds.

Sarah would like to thank Harold Trammel, Eugenia Kollia, and Sarah Brown for their incredible work in beta reading and proofreading this book. Without their big hearts and passion for stories, this book would not be the same.

Join Sarah’s mailing list for news about her books.

Visit Sarah’s website for a complete list of available titles.

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Behind the Scenes: