Fantasy Even Dragons Have Their Ending ||Closed||

[Mikotsuhime]

'Apocalypse with a sugar coating' was probably a far more accurate name than Bram realized. Agni might have laughed, if the man wasn't making him bristle like an angry cat. He did not like being told he was wrong, even moreso than he did not like being wrong in the first place. But this man was an outsider, and did not understand that this was just how things /were/.

"It's fine, really," a voice piped up as May returned with a comically large pack strapped to his back. It was mostly large because of the two bedrolls, but it also held their food rations and the few changes of clothes May had brought with him on their journey. It wasn't too heavy, at the very least, and the small mage seemed to have cheered up considerably in his time by himself. If he had heard much else of the conversation, he didn't say anything. Agni eyed him carefully.

"You collected everything quickly," he pointed out, and May just shrugged.

"I had already packed up this morning. Anyways, there's horses now! Uh, Agni, are you going to ride or fly?" He asked the question with big, curious eyes, and Agni simply glanced to the skies as his answer. May nodded, and then assuaged the horses that were there. Most of them were big, being workhorses; and he was comically small in comparison to them. Watching him, Agni rolled his eyes and picked out the smallest horse that was untaken, leading him over to it. It was still big for May's size, and the small mage just stared at it for a moment before Agni rolled his eyes dramatically.

"On second thought, I will ride with you. I do not trust you remember enough of your childhood lessons to be able to do this without falling off,' he said, briefly pausing to listen in to the other conversation that was going on. He overheard snippets about sealing and great evil, and while he was certain that it was probably important, he was distracted by May petting the horse's neck, and then attempting to climb onto its back. It wasn't going very well for him. Sighing, Agni walked over and put his hands on the boy's hips, easily lifting him up off the ground. May squeaked, but managed to get atop the horse with little difficulty, and Agni climbed on in front of him.

"As soon as your companion and his witch friend are ready, then I believe we should be as well," he announced.

 

[quadraxis201]

Aksil leaped down from Azura's back. "Alright... that wasn't too bad. I managed to get four supply chests from their camp. Two of them have meats, and the other two, separately, have vegetables and spices. Azura should be able to carry them for the time being. Those chests will only get lighter as we press on, after all." Pressing his pointer fingers together, he added, "I just wish the orcs had organized their meat chests... I'll have to... organize them... later..." Aksil's words got quieter and quieter as he expressed his dismay.

He could see the group had their horses squared away, and so he grinned - even though his mouth was obscured by his scarf. "Uhm, anyway. Azura and I will follow behind, so lead on. Oh, and..." Aksil turned toward May after he was put on the horse. "I assume you know ice spells, May? It would be wise to have someone cast a couple on the chests I found, for the sake of keeping this food fresh. A rune or two on the interiors should suffice, when possible."

Aksil mounted up once more and gave Azura a few pats. "Here we go."

 

[Canth]

Alex winced when Teddy cried out. So, she was listening. He was disappointed, but unsurprised. She had always been a tad nosey. He had taught her too well. He avoided looking at her however as he sighed.

“It wasn’t really a they...it’s more like, God sent her there. Or, that’s one rendition, anyway. She’s been down in the pit since forever, since she was deemed unworthy to walk the Earth.” He kept his eyes on Vlad as he spoke, not wanting to be confronted with whatever look Teddy most likely had prepped for him.

“You can ask her,” Alex shrugged, and Ellery glanced back at him with a frown. She had been hoping he would handle this on his own. “She’ll most likely tell you exactly what I’ve just said. I’m a demon conduit. I can bring them here and send them back, it’s what I do. Sure, she’s crazy powerful and all, but she’s still a demon. And unless I called in bigger bads than myself, that’s really my best offer.”

“He is not wrong,” Ellery sighed from behind Vlad, arms crossed as she eyed her witch with the same look a mother might scold a misbehaving child with. “No amount of spell work or sacrificial offerings would coax Lilith back downstairs. We could try, if that makes everyone feel better, but I will tell you now that it would be useless.” Ellery paused, eyes drifting to Vlad.

“There is one person however, who might be able to...”

“No.”

Ellery turned eyes back on her witch. “Your plan is not much better.”

“And what makes you think she’s not behind all this? It reeks of her. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sabine and her were up to some new diabolical plan to take over the world.”

“They are not trying to take over the world.”

“You know what I mean.” Alex crossed his arms in his stubbornness. “I say no.”

Ellery sighed. “Well, fortunately for us, it is not wholly up to you.” She turned back to Vlad. “There is one witch who holds a contract with Lilith. As you can imagine, she is not exactly on our side. In fact, Alex has made it his life’s mission to be a thorn in hers. He has been surprisingly successful, which leads us to assume she will not be too keen to help. But...”

“But nothing. Besides, you don’t know that she isn’t behind this. Amaris set the meeting, but Lilith didn’t have to show up. I’m sure she consulted my mother first, which would mean contacting her is pointless. And would most likely make matters worse.” He slipped on who the witch was, but figured Ellery would give it up eventually. The Familiar watched her witch closely, knowing the last thing he wanted was to get his mother involved. They had an odd relationship that even Ellery found difficult to understand at times.

“Besides,” Alex added, “I don’t even know where she is.”

Ellery’s expression remained steady, resisting the urge to show just how frustrated she was with Alex. It would help no one. She decided they would talk in private later, and turned her attention back to Vlad.

“If Natasha is unable to assist us, then I am afraid the only option we have is for Alexander to let her in. You see now why we have not been too eager to confront the demon just yet. However...” she trailed off as she glanced back at the gathering group. “Considering the amount of power we have here in this square, should everyone agree, we may have a fighting chance.”

“You want me to siphon off their magic?”

“No...I want you to work with others for a change, Alexander.”

“But they’re leaving. To go find those kids that’re probably dead.”

“Yes, they are leaving. And we are going with them.”

Alex frowned. “But I—“

“I made the decision.” Ellery did not allow him to argue. “I have offered our help. And I believe everyone is set to leave soon. I suggest you find yourself a bath and clean up. After you finish the water Teddy gave you.”

Alex was in the process of tipping the water over where the soup had met its demise, when Ellery caught him. He jerked the cup upright with a grumble, brows creasing as he peered down at the clear liquid. After some more grumbling, he forced it down. It was awful.

“The Innkeeper went back inside. I suggest you follow him.”

Alex opened his mouth in protest, but the look in Ellery’s eye made him think better. He sighed, pushing himself up off the crate and dragging his feet to the Inn.

~

Once the horses were disseminated, Sasha was left with two remaining. He roped them together and tied them to his saddle, giving them a little slack for spacial comfort. He then hoisted himself up, setting his good leg into a stirrup and pulling his bad leg over with a free hand. The cane, he tucked into the bags he had brought and strapped behind him. Once situated, he glanced back at Mariah, who had agreed to allow to accompany them. She was seated atop a large black horse, bareback, with few bags strapped behind her. Her argument had been convincing enough and Sasha figured they could use the help. She seemed capable of handling herself.

Everyone was set, aside from the four set apart, discussing something Sasha could not overhear. But, the female, the one with the odd eyes, she had gone over and seemed to be trying to speed things up. Soon, they would be on their way.

 

[Starlit Night]

Alex didn't even look at her as he shot down her hopes for a different solution, and that—that stung. Hurt showed clearly in Teddy's face, and for a moment it looked like she might say something; but she stopped herself.

She glanced over at Ellery when the Familiar came close, hope sparking in her eyes again, because surely, surely Ellery could talk Alex out of this madness. Ellery was the sensible one, the reasonable one. There had to be something else, some other way to force Lilith back where she belonged that Alex was just overlooking, so stuck on the idea of acting as conduit that he was blind to the other options—

But the hope was short-lived. Ellery didn't try to show Alex that he was wrong, and the alternative she suggested...well. Teddy didn't know much about Alex's mother. She had never met her. But she had heard enough about her, from what Alex said and what he didn't, to think that asking for Natasha's help was a bad idea.

The witch might help—and Teddy trusted Ellery's judgment enough not to dismiss the idea out of hand. But she worried what Alex's mother would demand, in return for her help.

The point was moot, anyway. Alex was refusing to consider it, and with that alternative closed off, Ellery seemed to think that the only way to send Lilith back was Alex's harebrained scheme.

That wasn't the worst part, though.

The worst part was that Ellery didn't seem surprised—not even a little bit. You see why we have not been too eager to confront the demon just yet, she had said, like this had been an option they had been thinking over, trying to find a way around it for the past few weeks. And maybe, Teddy thought, something cold settling in her stomach—maybe that was the case. If Alex had been considering this for a while, now...Ellery would know. There was very little Alex could keep from Ellery, Teddy knew.

Alex had been thinking about it, and Ellery had known, and neither of them had said a word of it to her.

And she went still, and silent. She didn't voice an objection when Alex said that the kids the Riders had taken were probably dead, and she didn't help Ellery chivvy him off to a bath. She didn't so much as smile when Alex drank the water she had given him. She just watched as he trudged off to the Inn to make himself presentable; and then, when he disappeared inside, she slowly turned to look at Ellery.

“...How long?” she asked quietly, her voice sounding remote even to her own ears. “How long have you known he was thinking of this, Ellery?”

~

Bram's outburst drew Kaida's attention back, and she looked at him for a moment with quiet, unspoken approval in her eyes. Straightforward, and strong values, it would seem. She was glad to see it.

And now May had returned, and though she disagreed with what he said (it was really not alright), it seemed that that was the end of that conversation. He and Agni moved on to travel arrangements, and so she turned away, glancing once more around the group. Most seemed ready, waiting only on the few still deep in discussion.

The Familiar went to join them, and not long after the witch left, following the Innkeeper back inside, and Kaida supposed that whatever they had been discussing, they were done. Mariah's presence gave her pause; but there was no definite reason she could give for not wanting the young woman along with them, nothing but an uneasy feeling that she doubted would be enough to convince the others gathered to leave behind another capable set of hands. And so she said nothing, only resolved to watch Mariah closely, and swung smoothly up onto Zephyr's back.

 

[Reynarda]

Vlad nodded to Ellery, trusting that she knew what she was talking about. If it was pointless, there was no reason to waste time and resources in attempting it. Vlad listened to the familiar and her witch argue back and forth about contacting a more powerful witch, who Vlad was not surprised to learn was Alex’s mother. Who apparently had a contract with Lilith—no small feat. Vlad didn’t personally like the idea, either, but if there was another way than having the demon possess this witchling, he thought it might be worth a shot.

Vlad returned his quill and ink jar to their proper places under his cloak. The journal soon followed, and Vlad rose from his perch on Starless’ leg. He glanced between Ellery and Alex. He was silent as Alex disappear inside the inn before turning back to Ellery. When Teddy spoke, he turned and tightened the straps on Starless’ saddle in the attempt to give them a little privacy. Starless grumbled at him, directing him to the straps that she feared were not tight enough.

Finished, Vlad turned back to Ellery and Teddy.

“Perhaps,” he began slowly, “it would be best to exhaust other options. If his mother has other options, would it not be wise to at least see what they are? As to finding her, I am sure your witch has a locating spell in his repertoire,” he added, glancing the inn door. “Even one that could find a very powerful witch—even if she were cloaked from such things. Starless could carry us, if we ask nicely.”

The dragon in question pricked her ears and eyed her Rider. She didn’t like witches on account of their habit of using dragon bones and heartstrings, but if it would help her Rider, she would take them into the heart of wherever the coven lived.

“Hey, Vlad!” Bram called, mounting his horse. “You lot done yacking yet? We’re leaving.”

The vampire turned his head. “Yes, just a moment, Bram.”

Starless pointedly looked away from Bram as she still could not believe he had chosen a dumb horse over her.

Bram cleared his throat. “Uh, don’t you need to grab yourself supplies?”

Vlad blinked. He had entirely forgotten that there would be no humans for him to feed on during this trip. He doubted the rescue party would take kindly to him biting one of them. But the day was progressing, and there were doubtless a few drunk humans he could borrow some blood from.

“Ah, yes. I will join you presently.”

Bram nodded. “Alright gang. Let’s go save those kids."

Vlad glanced at Ellery and then at the inn door.

“You can go on and we can catch up,” he offered. He glanced around the area. “I have some business to attend to, anyway.”

 

[Mikotsuhime]

May tilted his head to the side, blinking when Aksil addressed him. It was a pretty reasonable request, really, but...

"Oh, no. I don't know any spells or runes or anything like that," he said lightly, as if it were a perfectly normal thing for a self-proclaimed mage to say. "But, uh... Hmm. Gimme a second here. Purple jade can be used to ensure a longer lifespan, which I guess you could also take to mean shelf-life, so..." He fiddled around with his bracelets, then took a pouch from his waist and sorted through it before pulling out a purple bead. He closed his eyes for a second, then tossed it to the dragon rider. "There, just put that in with the meat and it should be fine."

He didn't agree with using stolen supplies for their journey, of course, but he had the feeling that bringing up his displeasure would just cause another argument, and it wasn't something that he wanted to deal with at the moment. He kept quiet, holding onto Agni's waist so that he didn't fall.

"If we're all prepared, then we should be on our way," Agni said as he began to steer the horse in the direction of the mountain. He figured that the others would catch up quickly enough, so he had no reason to worry about them. Except for when May pinched his side.

"Wrong way," he whispered, and Agni's face turned a slightly darker shade than normal as he cleared his throat, then let the mage guide him back onto the proper track.

 

[quadraxis201]

With snake-like reflexes Aksil caught the stone that May had tossed him. "I suppose this will work. As someone who is... shall we say... less versed in the arts of these magical stones, I shall take your word for it." He closed his eyes briefly. "If it doesn't work, though... oh, well. I've experienced worse before." Aksil popped open one of the two meat-filled chests from atop the saddle and dropped the jade stone in before slamming it closed again in a semi-awkward manner.

As Agni and May started off in a certain direction, Aksil pointed to them, and instructed Azura to follow. Her footfalls were unusually quiet for a dragon, and to someone who was simply listening and not seeing, it would be easy to think that a small rabbit was passing through instead of a great, coal-black beast.

Aksil's question about why Agni referred to May as "Serpent" buzzed in his mind, but he again figured that was best saved for when he could get the spirit alone. Instead, he simply asked the traveling group, "While I was gone, did I miss any important details? A potential cause for all this madness, perhaps?"

 

[Canth]

Ellery watched Alexander leave, before turning her eyes on Teddy. They softened, and she paused, considering her words carefully. She had hoped to not have to have this conversation with the girl.

“Since Lilith was set free,” she replied steadily. “Alex knew the risks of consulting her, knew there was a possibility she might escape. We accounted for it, and what that might mean for us. And by what means she could be sent back. We...I did not say anything because...well, because I was hoping I might find an alternative. It was wrong of me to withhold such information, but I myself was not ready to accept what had to be done. I have spent the last week searching and studying, exhausting every contact and resource.” Ellery paused again, and her eyes dropped.

When Vlad spoke up, she nodded. If Alex wanted to find her, he was more than capable. If not, she had her ways. No witch could hide from the extensive Familiar network. She did not need Alex’s approval to speak with his mother, though convincing him to go along with whatever Natasha might devise was another story.

“That would be best,” the Familiar agreed. “Teddy, I do not expect you to forgive my shortcoming, but I will answer any and all questions as we ride.”

~

Sasha was ready to get moving. The more time they wasted here discussing everything, the less time they had to get to the Mountain. They could discuss their plans for taking the children back while they traveled. He double-checked to ensure his packs were properly secured, before giving the horse a slight nudge with the heel of his foot. The horse reacted, pushing forward and following after the others. A quick glance over his shoulder showed the separate group was still holding back, but he assumed they would catch up eventually. They seemed to be discussing something that maybe the rest of the group should know, and he figured it would come up eventually.

 

[Starlit Night]

Kaida lingered for a moment longer, watching the small group around Starless to see if they were coming. It seemed, though, that some of them would be joining them later, so at last she turned away, murmuring softly to Zephyr. The mare flicked her ears back in acknowledgment and started forward, quickly catching up with the others before moderating her pace to match theirs, falling into place beside Sasha and Wildfire.

It had been many, many years since she had last journeyed to the Northern Mountains. For now, she was content to let someone else take the lead.

Aksil's choice to have Azura follow on foot, rather than from above, surprised her—she had assumed that the dragon and rider would have preferred to take to the air. But when he asked his question, she understood. It was very difficult to have a conversation, after all, when one was in the air and the others were on the ground.

“Nothing so useful, I'm afraid,” she replied. “Although, Vlad and the others seemed to be discussing something quite seriously. Perhaps they will enlighten us, when they join us.”

~

From the very beginning, then.

The chill in her stomach turned to ice, and Teddy pressed the heels of her palms against her temples, fingers tangling in her hair. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see whatever expression Ellery was wearing as she explained why she had kept this hidden.

Teddy didn't expect Alex and Ellery to share everything with her. She didn't share everything with them, either; there were some things that she just didn't want to talk about, that she kept tucked away inside of her, secret and safe. They had things like that too, she knew. She understood that.

But she had thought—she had thought that the important things, they shared.

Clearly, she had been mistaken.

Wordless, she shook her head (though whether she was actually responding to something Ellery had said, or merely venting some of her distress was unclear) and turned away. When she opened her eyes again, it was to the horse Ellery had claimed; Teddy just looked at her for a moment, her eyes far away, before she gathered herself and moved forward. She stroked the velvety nose in greeting, then turned her attention to the saddle. Her clamber up into it was not especially graceful (there was usually little cause for horses, in her life), but she got herself onto the mare's back; she moved forward in the saddle, making room for Ellery, and fixed her gaze off in the direction that the other group had gone.

Later, there would be questions. Later, she would take Ellery up on her promise to answer.

Right now, she was resisting the urge to turn into a cat and block out the potential for conversation while she just—processed everything that had happened.

 

[Reynarda]

Bram nudged his horse off after May and Agni. He had not ridden a horse in several years thanks to Vlad insisting Starless join and Starless once thinking a horse was food. He could already tell he was going to be saddle-sore pretty soon.

“We got a plan?” he asked as he caught up to Sasha and the two shorties sharing a horse.

It wasn’t that Bram really thought they needed a plan beyond, “get in, beat up the bad guys, rescue the kids, and get out”. But he also did not like silence that much. And he’d like to see what sort of people he had thrown his lot in with.




Vlad gave Teddy a pitying look as she climbed up on the horse. He did understand her frustration about not being told about a plan that could kill her friend. He, too, hated not knowing things. He watched the others leave for a few seconds before turning to Starless.

“I suppose I should feed.”

The dragon snorted at him.

“You do not have to be so patronizing,” he muttered, pulling the hood of his cloak up. “I will be just a moment.”

Starless stood and shook from nose to tail-tip, settling the saddle on her shoulders. Vlad hated the saddle more than she did, but they had both agreed Bram would fall off without a saddle, and that way Starless could manage the bulk of their supplies.

It was not difficult for Vlad to find a wayward villager staggering in the dark shadows between two buildings. The man was drunk enough he didn’t seem to mind he was being relieved of some of his blood. When he was finished, Vlad laid the man in the shadows, next his tankard. He would certainly not be surprised to wake up dizzy and with a killer headache. Vlad made a face, though. The alcohol had tainted the man’s blood and made it rather vile. But he couldn’t risk a perfectly sober individual in such a small town.

Vlad returned to his dragon and leaned casually against her. She snorted hot air at him, and Vlad shrugged.

“I am a little tired. I can rest when we stop for the night. Any sign of the witch?”

Starless flicked her tail.

“Because I thought we would see if he would like a ride.” Vlad chuckled at Starless’ retort to that. “Maybe he cannot traverse other planes, Asteria’a Noxtis Aeralis.”

 

[Mikotsuhime]

May shrugged his shoulders, making a casual sort of ‘iunno’ noise.

“The stones aren’t really magic, they’re just stones,” he clarified, because /all/ stones had some sort of meaning and specific attributes to them, not just the ones that he specifically used. He was the one who was manipulating the magic and making them actually /do/ things. “But it’ll work, trust me.”

If there was one thing May was confident about, it was his ability as a mage. If he said that something was going to do something, usually it would. Unless he was experimenting, but well, he did that on his own anyways.

Following after Sasha, Agni steered the horse while May just held onto him, glancing back at the others who were still lingering behind.

“Your friend doesn’t seem to have caught up with us. Perhaps he’s staying behind,” Agni said to Bram in a way that suggested that there was something he disliked, but he wasn’t about to say it out loud. May squinted at him suspiciously, but decided to ignore it for now.

“Well, we have enough horses, I think, to get the kids back if we go slow,” he mused. “But, uh, I don’t know. It would probably be better to sneak in than risk a fight with a bunch of angry dragon riders. I can try and come up with something when we get there, magic-wise.”

Hiding presences was not his specialty, but it couldn’t be too difficult, could it?

 

[quadraxis201]

Aksil turned his attention to Kaida when she answered his question. "I did notice that. Perhaps he will enlighten us. I would certainly like to know just how big and bad the problem is. All I know is, as someone who prefers solo work, I can't possibly take this force on myself." Still, the vampire's name was Vlad of all things? That was honestly as basic as it could get, though Aksil would never make such a comment.

May's response to Aksil's comment was next to draw his attention. "Again, I will believe you for now. Worry not."

It was the plan of sneaking in, though, that actually got Aksil somewhat excited. "Well, remember how I said how I was well-acquainted in the art of stealth?" He began as he pointed to his eyepatch while Azura strode alongside May and Agni. "Let's just say that this patch is more for decoration than ocular protection. My secret, if you will, is beneath it. If possible, I could always give a demonstration when we have a moment for a rest. I will warn you, though, there is a good reason why I keep this eye hidden from the masses, so... there's that. Oh, and as for Azura, she'll just hide wherever she can while I'm sneaking around. That's what typically happens on my assignments, so don't be concerned."

 

[Canth]

Ellery watched as Teddy looked like she might make a run for it, but when she turned and found the horse, the Familiar’s shoulders relaxed. Good. So long as she came along, they could talk things through. She waited for Teddy to scramble atop the horse, before stepping forward and hoisting herself up into the space Teddy had left. None of them had ever had much use for a horse and Ellery thought she remembered riding one once before. In another life, perhaps—she had the skill, though none of the memories. She fell into it easily however, establishing an instant kinship with the creature. She would carry them far.

“Thank you,” she looked down at the vampire, hesitating as if she wanted to say something else. She decided against it however and merely nodded and nudged the horse around. They caught up with the group, and Ellery brought them to the rear, not yet willing to turn her back on most of their traveling companions. Not when she had Teddy on the horse with her.

~

Sasha rode in silence at first, preferring it that way. He had a lot on his mind anyway, and wanted the time to clear his head and prepare for what lay before them. The elf maiden came up beside him and he spared her a half smile, before turning his eyes forward once more.

In front of them lay miles and miles of field. Rhoddhim was a farming town, and though the crops had suffered greatly with the heightened demand from the Riders, the townspeople worked twice as hard to maintain their land. Beyond Rhoddhim, a vast forest that separated them from the fishing town to the East and the mountains to the North. There were ways around it, but their time limit would not allow for such caution. The forests were known to be home to bandits and thieves, but Sasha did not anticipate much trouble from them. They were cowards, and one look at the two dragons in the company would send them on their way. There were other creatures that lived in the forest as well, but sightings were infrequent. Besides, they had no other choice.

Sasha looked over at Bram when the man spoke. He did not answer at first, allowing the others to take the lead. Magic and secret stealth powers were not his thing, and he knew little about both. As a Rider, he had dealings with many sorts of people and his experience was vast after years trading and dealing with every creature and being imaginable. However, he had wasted little time on learning the details of everyone he came by. He had little to no use for magic, or stealth. Still, given the task that lay before them, it would do to keep an open mind.

“Getting in will be the difficult task,” he finally spoke up. “Once inside, I can lead us to where the children will be kept. The outside however, the only entrances are high above, one at the top of the mountain facing West, the other maybe twenty feet beneath, on the South. Sentries stand watch day and night, and given the current regime, and the fact that they will have heard of what happened in Rhoddhim by now, I can guarantee the watch will be doubled, if not tripled, until they find whoever it was who disrupted their raid.” Sasha paused. “And who killed their men.” His eyes dropped for a moment.

“It is important to keep in mind that it is not the Riders alone we will need to conceal ourselves from, but the dragons as well. Their senses surpass the average human, and even those not infected or swayed will still feel an obligation to their Rider, and whether they wish to or not, they will give us up. I...may have a man on the inside,” he mused, eyes narrowing, hating to revisit the memory. “If she is still alive. She will not have succumbed.” He knew that in his heart. She was too strong to be swayed by evil temptations. He also believed her to not be the only one left of moral fortitude. The issue was what Melkiell had done with them.

~

It was funny what a bath could do for a person. A long soak in warm water, and Alexander Volkov was a new man. He shook out his hair, which was in desperate need for a cut, and pushed it back out of his face. He sniffed at his clothes, nose wrinkling, and decided to switch them out for clothes that were exactly the same, but without the smell. He shifted in his shirt, pulling at the fabric as it hung loose from his narrow shoulders, the material uncomfortable against his protruding ribs.

“Here,” Arthur came up behind him, making sure the witch had dressed before turning the corner. He held out a small bundle. “Jus’ some food. Bread, nuts, some fruit. Won’t last long, but it’ll get you through the next couple’a days.”

Alex looked down at the bundle. “Uh...thanks,” he took it, finding it a tad heavier than he expected. “Alright, I should get goin’ then.” He gave an awkward half smile and a nod, hesitated, then turned to leave.

“I saw what you did. With that Dragon Rider.”

Alex paused, and turned back to Arthur.

“Could ya do it again?”

Alex remained silent, watching Arthur with curious eyes. The loss of a child could make a parent do crazy things. At least, that was what he had always been told. It was interesting to see it first-hand.

“The man who took my Beth, his name is James. If...if you see him, up in the Mountain, I...” he had trouble finishing the thought. Alex waited, but when it was obvious the Innkeeper had said aloud all he could, the witch sighed.

“Look, I can’t promise you who’s gonna die and who’s not. I’m gonna do what I have to, I can’t be wasting my time on revenge.”

Arthur’s eyes fell to the floor and his shoulders dropped, mind racing as he tried to sort through everything.

“Alright, fine. If I see the guy—I’m not gonna go looking for him, but if I do come across him...I’ll see what I can do. But,” Alex added when Arthur perked up. “This is a dark path you’re walkin’, pal. When your daughter asks you why the bad man lit the other bad man on fire, you’re gonna be the one tellin’ the story. Just...think about what story you want your girl to hear.”

“Thank you,” Arthur clasped his hands together in his relief. “Really, from the bottom of my heart, I would do anything to go with you to find my Beth myself, but...I know she will be in good hands with you and the others.”

Good hands? Maybe he was mistaking Alex for someone else. The witch grabbed up the small bag at his feet and stuffed the bundle inside, then slung the bag over one shoulder.

“Yeah, okay,” he replied lamely, glancing over his shoulder. “I really gotta go. But thanks for the food. And the bath. I hope everything works out.” He paused, and then spun on his heel and pushed through the door.

Everyone was gone. Ellery had informed him they were going to get a head start, and that the vampire and his dragon had remained behind. He was not quite looking forward to further interrogation. Maybe he could be the one asking the questions this time.

Alex found them easy enough; the dragon was hard to miss. He walked up, one hand in his pocket while the other held onto the bag’s strap.

“So...where to?”

 

[Starlit Night]

Kaida returned the smile, but perhaps sensing that Sasha was not in the mood for conversation, did not try to engage him. She gazed out at the miles upon miles of farmland before them, wondering if she ought to raise her hood again. But it seemed unlikely that they would meet anyone, going this way, and the group had already gotten a good look at her face, and didn't seem especially curious about her. And it was pleasant to have the sun on her face and the wind in her hair, so she left the hood where it was.

Her attention turned to Bram at his question, and she considered it as the others voiced their thoughts and opinions. Stealth did seem to be the more reasonable option—better than fighting their way through the entire strength of the Dragon Rider force, certainly. However, the trouble would be—

She looked over at Sasha when he finally spoke up, and nodded her agreement. The easiest way to get into the Rider's Mountain was by dragonback, and it would be difficult to hide the approach of a dragon. In theory, they might be able to climb to the entrances—but it would be a perilous climb, and there would be little in the way of cover, once they got higher up.

“Perhaps a diversion would be possible,” she suggested. “If we were to split into two groups, one could engage the Riders in battle and draw their attention away, allowing the other group to slip by unnoticed, find the children, and get them out.”

He knew a great deal about the Dragon Riders, she saw. Knowledge of the mountain's entrances could be explained by simply having dealings with Riders, but he spoke of the senses of dragons, and the bond that would obligate even uncorrupted dragons to betray the presences of strangers to their riders, with familiarity. And to have a contact on the inside, someone known well enough to be certain that she would not have fallen to whatever madness had come over her fellows—

If she is still alive.

It was a sobering thought. Surely not all of the Dragon Riders had agreed with the changes made by their new leader—there must be some yet untainted by whatever evil had come over the others. Yet this new leader, this Melkiell she had heard of, he did not seem the type to suffer challenges to his authority. Riders who still ascribed to the honor of past generations would have been a threat to his leadership, which begged the question:

What had happened to them?

“...Do you have a means of contacting this person?” she asked, expression gone grave. He looked pained, and she hated to prod at what seemed to be an upsetting memory, but she had to ask. They could not afford to ignore the potential for another ally.

~

Teddy spent the first portion of the ride in silence. She sat stiffly upright, her back perfectly straight, not relaxing back against Ellery as she would have in ordinary circumstances. She left the reins and the direction of the mare to Ellery, her hands resting in her lap, still, as she stared off over the farmlands, not really paying attention to the scenery.

It hurt, that Alex and Ellery had hidden this from her. And she didn't want to talk to Ellery—not while she was still reeling from the shock of it all. But Teddy was a practical person. After a while, she recognized that if she wasn't going to talk to Ellery while they rode, then she might as well change forms and have done with it.

And she wanted answers more than she wanted to avoid conversation.

So she took a slow, deep breath in and turned her attention away from the rolling fields, her gaze falling upon the others of the group as they started to plan. She listened absently to their discussion; but when she spoke it was to Ellery, her voice low and quiet.

“How dangerous is this to him, Ellery?” she asked, not looking up at the Familiar. “Really?”

 

[Reynarda]

Bram caught the look Agni was giving him and had a bad feeling the dragon-prince knew. “He’ll catch up,” Bram said confidently. “He had something he had to do.”

Bram nodded, agreeing with May, who he liked better, anyway. As to the discussion of stealth, he shrugged. Stealth really wasn’t his thing. Kicking down doors, on the other hand, was. But if everyone agreed that they should be more discrete, he couldn’t really go and kick any doors down.

Bram tilted his head at Sasha, who seemed like the strong and silent type to him, so he was a little surprised when the man spoke up.

He nodded to himself. “You certainly seem to know a lot about how these Riders operate,” he mused cheerfully.

Bram thought on this predicament more, but he needed Vlad for sneaky plans. He did like the sound of diversions, however.

“What about the dragons?” he suggested. “We’ve got, what? Two?” He glanced at Agni. “And a half? Two and a half dragons? Surely if they did the full-frontal-assault-thing, everyone else could sneak around and get the kids.”



When Alex strode out, Starless shook her mane.

Vlad chuckled. “Yes, he does smell better.”

When Alex asked where they were headed, the mischievous side of Vlad wanted to announce that they were going to get information from his mother this very instant. Fortunately, the logical one that pointed out Alex would consider the arguments of his Familiar far more than those of a vampire he had just met.

“We were going to catch up with the others.”

Starless crouched, and Vlad pulled himself up into the saddle.

“Unless you have a stop you need to make?”

Starless grumbled deep in her chest.

Vlad smiled. “But Starless would like you to know she makes the final decisions about destinations, so you might want to ask nicely.”

The vampire held out his hand to help Alex up. “You are either going to want to hold on or use the leg straps.” He grinned. "Or both."

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Agni bristled, his eyes narrowing as he gave Bram a look that might have killed a lesser man.

“Did you just count me as half a dragon?!” He asked, indignant, and May sighed. He didn’t know if Bram was baiting Agni on purpose or if this was just how he was with everyone, but for the moment he was just glad that Agni lacked his cousins’ ability to spit fire. Otherwise he was sure that Bram would have been quite roasted by now.

The discussion of getting into the dragon rider’s lair brought about a whole other mess of problems, including how to be stealthy when they had two or three dragons of their own on their side.

“A diversion is a good idea,” May supplied, and Agni frowned over his shoulder still him. He glanced at Aksil briefly, as though gauging the worth of his supposed ability before dismissing it and turning his eyes back to the fields in front of them.

“I can mimic the appearance of one of their mounts. Perhaps the one of the rider the witch killed. The serpent can likely create an illusion to cast the appearance of the rider upon one of you,” he suggested, and May blinked before enthusiastically nodding his head.

“Y-yeah! I mean, he was left behind, right? Nobody else was around when the man died, I don’t think. If we create a diversion, then we may be able to sneak someone inside that way. Though I don’t know... can you fool the other dragons?” He asked Agni, and the younger man snorted through his nose.

“Easily enough. We are of a similar species, and the way we communicate is not that different,” he answered, sounding a bit offended that May had even asked, but the mage was already distracted by something else, by the suggestion of a man on the inside and the familiarity that Sasha seemed to have with the dragon riders and their hideout.

“Do you... are you familiar with the dragon riders, then?” He asked the older man quietly, as though he were afraid of offending him. “I mean, more than the average person.”

 

[quadraxis201]

Aksil listened to the others as they formulated a plan, and spoke his own thoughts when they were finished. "A diversion will prove useful. I could personally sneak in and see what I can do to help free any children." As he chimed in with Kaida's suggestion, he pulled out one of his daggers and inspected its trailing-point blade. "As I could not assist in retrieving the captured children from the floating dragon, I want to help this time for sure. My weapons will make short work of any ropes or nonmetal bindings that hold them."

Azura turned her head and made a short noise.

"I won't get too violent, Azura. At least, not in the presence of the prisoners. I don't want anyone throwing up or getting too frightened. This is quite a different case, and I will simply have to accommodate."

Once Sasha mentioned the idea of having to hide from the dragons as well, Aksil shook his head. "Getting past dragons will not be a problem for someone like me. Even the sensitive noses of wolves cannot detect me. If there is a way for me to make entry easier for the rest of us, I suppose I will take on such a task."

 

[Canth]

A distraction might work. They could draw the bulk of the Riders’ forces from the Mountain, focus them on something other than a small group hand picked to sneak in and find the children. There would be Riders to contend with on the inside, however Melkiell was a proud leader, not one to take challenges likely. He would send his best and brightest to the front lines, leaving the weaker to guard the prisoners. They would be easy enough to get through for most of their company. It was not a bad idea. In fact, it was probably the best chance they had.

Sasha considered this, mulling the details over. He was once again staring out in front of them, lost in thought as the others conversed, when Bram spoke, and he was brought back with Kaida’s question. He blinked, eyes flickering downwards for a second before turning back up. He avoided looking directly at her.

“Yes,” he nodded after another pause. “It may take time, but my connection to her dragon should still be in tact.” It would be difficult, but Kieran would hear him. It had been so long since Sasha had felt the soothing comfort of a dragon’s thoughts in his mind.

Sasha was not one to lie, though he had not expected to be confronted with so many questions. Fortunately, Beth had aptly prepared him for such an eventuality.

“I was one,” he glanced over at the mage. Something sparked in his eye, a bitter-sweet memory of what he had once been, of what he had once had. It was quickly replaced with the deep sadness that had swallowed him whole those ten long years ago. It was all that really needed to be said on the subject. It would explain his extensive knowledge and his relation to the contact he had mentioned. They could decide the rest for themselves. Sasha had never told the story aloud and had no intention of doing so now—ten years was not nearly long enough to wash away the pain that haunted every waking moment of his life.

~

Ellery maintained the silence, leaving Teddy to work her way through everything on her own. When the girl was ready, she would speak—trying to force a conversation would only make matters worse. The others were discussing tactics, and the Familiar listened with keen interest. They seemed to have come to the conclusion that a distraction would be their best course of action. Some of the louder and larger of the group would remain outside to challenge the Riders directly, while a small team of their more stealth-equipped would sneak in to retrieve the children. It was risky, but so was any other plan they might come up with. And the mage spoke of his abilities with confidence. She did not doubt he would live up to expectations.

Ellery looked down at Teddy when she finally spoke. Relief filled her as her shoulders dropped and she smiled, though only because Teddy could not see her. She gathered herself, taking a second to decide just how to break everything to Teddy—because she was done lying and Teddy would see through any sugar coating she might attempt.

“Very,” she finally responded, her voice even though her eyes were sad. “I fear he may not be strong enough to take Lilith head-on. She is more powerful than any demon he has ever faced, and I do not think Amaris will aid him in his plight. I believe Alex is correct in assuming Amaris is in part responsible for Lilith’s escape.” She paused for a second, because she was also responsible. Her whole life was dedicated to Alex. She was born to protect him, nothing else mattered, and she had failed him. She should never have allowed him to pursue Lilith.

“Teddy, I…” Ellery paused again, shutting her mouth as her eyes dropped. “I do not think Alex will live through this.”

~

Alex watched as Vlad got up onto the dragon’s back. He had never ridden a dragon before and was not sure he wanted to change that. He eyed Starless with skepticism, looking from the vampire to the dragon as they seemed to be communicating. Telepathically, he assumed, as most dragons communicated with humans. He knew of dragons that could speak the common tongue of man, but they were few and far between and most dragons found it was simply easier to use thoughts over words.

“Uh…I’m good, no need for stops,” he was still feeling a tad faint from earlier and, without Ellery at his side, thought it might be best not to test the dragon that was going to be flying him through the air hundreds of feet above the ground. Ellery would be so proud of him. He glanced at the offered hand for a few seconds, as if he had the choice of turning the ride down and walking instead. He was not good with horses either. There was a reason the trio had always walked everywhere.

Finally, for the sake of curiosity (he was slowly starting to feel like his old self again), he took the vampire’s hand and pulled himself up onto the dragon’s back, rocking as he tried to get steady. He looked down at the straps Vlad had mentioned, and after fidgeting with them, managed to get his feet in. He secured his pack on both shoulders, and made sure to secure his pockets as best he could so as not to risk everything flying out. Once he thought he was ready, he set his hands on either side of him, against the dragon’s hide.

“So,” he glanced over the side of the dragon to see just how high off the ground they were, despite having not taken to the sky yet. “You come here often?”

 

[Starlit Night]

Kaida hummed consideringly.

“We would need one dragon, at least, to go with the group retrieving the children, in order to ferry them down from the Mountain,” she said, but her tone was thoughtful—working through the problem, not shooting down Bram's suggestion. “Two might still be plenty for a distraction, though.”

Dragons were formidable opponents, even for other dragons. And they didn't necessarily need to win against the Riders' forces—just delay them long enough for the second group to get out with the children.

“Perhaps along with a few other people, to aid in the battle? The Riders might grow suspicious if they were fighting only two riderless dragons...”

Then again, perhaps they would be busy enough fighting not to notice. Still, best not to rely on that, she thought. The Dragon Riders had ever been well-trained, when she knew them; and from what she had seen during the fight in town, it would seem that they had lost little of that competence.

Agni and May's idea for a disguise met with a nod of approval. She was a little surprised, but pleased, at the abilities of those around her—they had come together by chance, but it seemed that they were a well-rounded group. The question still remained as to whether or not they would be able to work smoothly together, but at least for now the pieces were coming together, forming the beginnings of a plan that might just work.

“If the one disguised were able to quietly remove the sentries from their posts, then the others would then be able to come up, as well,” she mused, then turned to Sasha as he began to speak.

He did not meet her eyes, she noticed, and wondered if she made him uncomfortable. But perhaps it was only the pain of his memories that made him act so. Either way, her wonderings were overshadowed by what he said, her eyebrows lifting slightly in surprise. It was no small thing, to form a connection with another's dragon. Not impossible, but certainly unusual.

And—ah. A former Dragon Rider...that explained much.

She didn't press further, only dipped her head in acknowledgment, silent in respect for his grief. The use of 'was,' the sadness in his eyes, the absence of his dragon—they said all that there was to say.

~

The words seemed to settle heavily on Teddy's shoulders, and her gaze dropped to her hands, her fingers tangling together. Of course it was dangerous—she had known immediately that it would be. But hearing Ellery say as much seemed to make the danger all the more real.

Amaris was the most powerful demon Alex had a contract with, but if she couldn't be trusted to help put Lilith back, then—

I do not think Alex will live through this.

Teddy stiffened, her head jerking up.

“Don't—!”

Don't say that! It almost slipped out, but she caught the rest and choked it back. She had wanted the truth—she had wanted Ellery to be honest with her. And now she was being honest.

But Teddy desperately didn't want that to be the truth.

“Then—then he can't. If doing this would kill him, then he—can't. He—“

Alex couldn't die. She couldn't let that happen. They had been through too much together for him to leave her now, he couldn't.

“—but.”

The word sounded like it had been dragged out of her, and now her soft voice cracked, anguish leaking through, because—

“He has to, doesn't he? If L-lilith isn't put back, then—“

She wasn't young enough to not think of the bigger picture, anymore. If things kept on the way they had been, this past month, then more people were going to get hurt. People would die—maybe lots of people.

Teddy tipped her head back to stare up at the sky, pretending that the burning in her eyes was just because of the brightness, and wished--just for a moment--that she were selfish enough not to care what would happen to others if this mistake wasn't fixed.

“So unless we find another way—“

But Ellery had been searching and searching, these last few weeks, and hadn't been able to find one. And if the wisest person she knew couldn't find a way to put Lilith back without putting Alex in danger, then—

Teddy's voice died in her throat.

 

[Reynarda]

Bram had absolutely counted Agni as half a dragon and didn’t have Vlad present to elbow him in the ribs. While the vampire only dug at people he despised, Bram enjoyed digging at everyone—though, his digs were generally entirely harmless fun while his companion’s were purposefully scathing.

“You’re like two feet tall, fourteen, and currently humanoid,” Bram pointed out, as if Agni was unaware of his appearance and was not glaring daggers at him. “So, yeah. Half a dragon. However,” Bram amended amiably. “That’s not a bad idea, half-pint.”

Bram produced jerky from a pocket and munched thoughtfully as he considered the diversion. “Yeah, makes sense,” he agreed with Kaida’s analysis. “Starless wouldn’t mind taking me, I don’t think. We can communicate well enough,” he added with a shrug, as if being able to communicate with his traveling companion’s dragon without being a Rider himself was perfectly normal. “That would just leave Azura to pick a rider, then, I guess, since Aksil is doing the sneaking. If Agni is sneaking in, he might as well help ferry the kids out.” Bram nodded to the dragon in question. “If that is amenable to his dragonliness, of course.”

Bram did fall respectfully silent at Sasha’s revelation, however. He didn’t know what it was like to lose a dragon, but he did know what it was like to lose a loved one.





As soon as the witch was situated, Vlad bent low over Starless’ neck. The dragon cocked her wings up, and then pushed them down, leaping into the air as she did. She beat her wings down repeatedly, glad she had been carrying her Rider and a far heavier no-wings two-legs than this slight witch. It had certainly strengthened her wings and made takeoff easy. As they rose, Vlad made sure his back was not suddenly breezier than it should be. It would be a bit awkward to have to tell the Familiar he had dropped her witch.

Vlad was silent until they reached an acceptable cruising altitude and the beating of Starless’ wings ceased. He glanced over his shoulder and quirked an eyebrow at Alex.

“That sounds like a question my traveling companion would pose to an unfortunate woman in a tavern. Or, worse, the barmaid, herself.”

Starless sent him a feeling of embarrassment.

“He did not seem embarrassed.” Vlad grinned and glanced back at Alex. “But to answer your question, no. We heard about the disturbance our cousins to the west were causing and came to investigate.”

Not that we expected them to listen to us if it were merely the new leader, Starless added. She apparently wanted that translated as she had used actual words instead of images and concepts. We are just exiles from the east. But we had to try.

“Starless adds that we did not expect them to listen to us if it were merely a policy change as we are just travelers from the east,” Vlad translated. “But we had to try.”

Exiles.

Travelers.

Exiles. They would have known. The Council would have sent word.

Yes, well, he does not need to know that.

Vlad glanced over his shoulder again. While he had the witch where he could not escape, he figured he might as well attempt to gain more information. “And you were there just to sulk about your plan gone wrong? Why did you attempt to summon Lilith? Surely it was not just pride?”

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Agni was just about ready to get off his horse and throw hands with Bram, and it was only May wrapping his arms tightly around his waist that kept him firmly situated where he was.

"How dare you! I am already 18, I am already a man," He snapped angrily, because his age was a bit of a sore spot. He was by far the youngest guardian by at least a hundred years, and technically he wasn't even a full guardian yet. Until his grandfather, the current dragon guardian, saw him ready and worldly enough to take on his position, he would remain as the little guardian instead. In truth he was still in training, but he did not want these people to know that. He doubted that what little respect that they held for him would last if his true designation were revealed. Luckily nobody seemed to know what his title really meant.

At the dig about his height, he crossed his arms and huffed; his form seemed to shimmer for a moment, and then he was taller - a mere inch taller than Bram himself, though his age stayed the same. He was, after all, a spirit; his physical body existed on another plane, and the one that he used in this one was a mere manifestation of his thoughts that he could, more or less, change at will.

"You were making rude comments about my height?" He asked derisively, a smirk on his face, and May sighed.

"You're being petty," he muttered, and Agni huffed again, though his new height stayed the same. May knew he would likely revert it through the night, just due to the comfort he held with his previous form, but for now he was apparently set on being a brat.

"Hm. Well, we'd need somebody to pretend to be Agni's dragon rider," May explained, because Agni had chosen this plan, so he /had/ to be ok with being ridden. And while he looked a bit peevish about it, at least he didn't complain. "And then he will /definitely/ help the kids come down. Right, Agni?"

Agni nodded his head, back to looking as regal and dignified as he could sharing what was essentially a pony with another man. At least his weight had stayed roughly the same, May thought as he looked down at their mount.

When Sasha mentioned that he used to be a dragon rider, May chewed his lower lip, fidgeting with the cloth at Agni's back.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, because it seemed like the appropriate thing to say.

 

[quadraxis201]

Azura's head shot up in surprise when Bram mentioned the idea of her being on the distraction team, her pupils narrowing as she made a series of staccato noises in protest.

Aksil calmed her with gentle strokes down her neck. "It's alright, it's alright. You won't actually be engaging in any direct combat, just drawing attention off of the rescue team. I know this is a markedly larger task than what we're usually assigned to, but we'll both be fine. We have to be." Looking back over to Bram, he stated, "Azura has a tendency to get a bit... clingy sometimes. She can defend herself while I'm away on normal jobs, but grand undertakings like this are a bit much for her. She'll have to manage, though." Aksil's head tilted back down toward Azura's. "Right?"

Azura's head drooped as she emitted a sad purr.

"If anything happens, feel free to let me know and I'll abort the mission and help you. I know that these children are important, but you'll always be the most important to me." He wanted to mention how he would not allow his dragon to die, but considering how Sasha seemed forlorn about what he had mentioned, Aksil omitted that additional tidbit out of respect for the ex-Rider. "If such peril finds you, gods forbid, hide as fast as you can and keep avoiding whatever strikes the enemy might throw at you. Both of us know you're fast on your feet, after all. I mean, you did tell me how you managed to outmaneuver a small horde of nagas once. Those guys were awfully swift. Compared to them, this should be no problem." After that pep talk to his dragon, Askil looked back up. "We should maybe set up camp somewhere to prepare for this heist and ensure that we're calm and collected."

Azura grinned and chirped in a way that could be interpreted as joking.

"What? I... no, I'm not suggesting that just to show off my-"

Azura spoke again, to Aksil's dismay.

"No, seriously. I'm not. Please don't put words in my mouth. However useful it is, I don't intend to act like that here."

 

[Canth]

Ellery was silent as Teddy worked through what the Familiar had just said, wrestling with both the undying hope that all things would work themselves out in the end, and the inevitable outcome for anyone dealing with someone as powerful as the first demon. Ellery has been fighting the truth since the day Alex had suggested going to Lilith, but despite all her hundreds of years of experience and knowledge, she had come up with nothing that might give even the semblance of hope that Alex might survive this one. His body had grown weaker and weaker with the passing years, and it was a surprise he had lived even this long. The Coven had given him ten years, fifteen if he was lucky. He was pushing thirty, longer than anyone of his condition had managed, out of pure stubbornness. It was foolish to think he would live forever.

“Like I said earlier, with this group, this range of magic and experience, we may stand a chance against Lilith. But,” Ellery closed her eyes for a moment, drawing in a breath. “I cannot promise it will be enough. And I cannot promise any of them will be willing to risk their lives for the very witch who thrust this world into the chaos that now suffocates it.” It was a lot to ask, especially when she did not even know if anything they did would be enough. Or if any of them would survive an encounter with Lilith, especially those with little—if any—experience with such creatures.

“An impossible decision lies before Alexander, and I would give anything to be able to take it from him. But,” she paused for a moment. “This is his path and his alone. All we can do is walk alongside him and strive to make his path as easy and painless as possible.”

Ellery looked down at Teddy. “I know this is much to ask of you, but Alex needs you. Now, more than ever.”

~

Sasha was not comfortable with pity, and so he merely nodded his appreciation of May’s apology for his condition and adjusted his attention back to the plan. The distraction. At least one dragon would prove necessary from ferrying the children down from the mountain. This Guardian, ‘Agni’, would prove the most useful for such a task, Sasha thought. Given his ability to take different forms, it would make him more suited to sneaking into the dragon stronghold without detection. Most average dragons would not be so lucky. It seemed the group had come to that conclusion. They had also determined it would be best to have riders stay back with the other two dragons who were charged with the distraction.

“The group infiltrating the Rider stronghold should be as small as possible. Those of our company most suited for stealth. The main focus of the Dragon Riders will, should everything go as planned, be on the distraction. To serve as a proper distraction, we will need enough of a force to at least pose as entertainment to the Riders. Melkiell will not bother to waste his time with two dragons a couple defiant townsfolk—If we could limit the extraction team to maybe three or four, that would leave a substantial enough group behind to hold the Riders’ attention long enough to allow for the retrieval of all the children.”

They would need to iron out the details, but as Aksil had suggested, they could figure the rest of their plan out while camped. They still had hours left of sunlight, and the forest was not much further, the trees visible in the distance and growing more defined with each passing minutes.

“We should make for the tree line,” he advised. “Depending on when we reach the forest, we will either make camp before entering or once reaching the other side. I would suggest against making camp beneath the trees.”

~

Alex watched as they took to the sky, climbing higher and higher until the people below were mere ants. He clung to the dragon tighter than he would like to admit, his heart leaping within his chest his breath catching in his lungs. While curiosity overthrew his fear, he decided he would never again ride a dragon unless it proved absolutely necessary. The witch had trouble coming up with a scenario in which it would prove as such.

“When you look like this,” Alex replied, gesturing towards his face. “You take what you can get.” He was not hideous by any means, but most found his gaunt figure to be off-putting. He did not mind—there were plenty of people in this world desperate enough that he rarely found himself wanting.

Alex looked down at Starless when Vlad added her two cents. He had never interacted with a dragon in such a personal way and, though he had read enough on dragons to have a general understanding of them, he was surprised at how coherent she was. Sure, Vlad was doing the translating, but it felt so seamless, and Alexander was momentarily distracted enough from their immense height by the desire to learn more about the communication methods of dragons.

“So what if it was pride?” He turned his attention away from his curiosities and back on the vampire. “I’m a witch—we have enough of it to go around.”

 

[Starlit Night]

Kaida eyed Aksil as he assured Azura that she need not engage in combat, surprised by the dragoness's apparent aversion to battle. It was not unheard of for dragons to avoid combat, for a variety of reasons—but as her Rider seemed to delight in battle and bloodshed, Kaida would have guessed that Azura would, at least, be used to such things.

An oversight on her part, it would seem.

This was something of a blow to the forming plan—they were not overwhelmingly well equipped to take on the Dragon Riders as it was, and if they could not count upon one of the two dragons to engage the enemy, that was a significant loss to their potential force. The others of that group might be hard pressed to pick up the slack. But if Azura did not wish to fight, then there was little to be done about that.

Willingness for battle could not be forced, nor should it be.

She did not comment, leaving the two to their pep talk and turning instead to the question of who would infiltrate the stronghold.

”You must go, of course,” she said to Sasha. “You are the most familiar with the mountain.”

She had come to know the inside of the Rider's Mountain fairly well, in her visitations; but always her time there had been as a guest, not as a resident. And things may well have changed, in the years since she last stepped foot inside the Mountain. Best to leave navigation to one who had known it within this generation of men.

“Aksil has already professed his ability for stealth. One other, in case he leaves the group inside the mountain to go to Azura's aid.”

There was no judgment in her tone as she said this—Aksil's admission that he would abandon the rescuing of the children should Azura need him was unsurprising. Such was the bond between dragons and their Riders.

“And if Agni chose to switch to humanoid form between flights, that would be four.”

If not, perhaps they could spare one more to go. The question would be who—but that could be decided later. Now that they had the framework of a plan, it seemed that the group was anxious to move more swiftly, and for good reason. There would be ample time for planning once the daylight had left them.

-”We had best make haste, if we are to hope to pass beyond the forest before nightfall. Unpleasant things move during the night; and darkness falls quickly under the trees.” So saying, she pressed her heels lightly against Zephyr's side, and the mare obligingly increased speed.

~

Had Teddy been privy to Ellery's thoughts, she would have argued. Not that Alex could be expected to live forever, of course—no mortal could lay claim to eternity, though many had tried. But where Ellery seemed to view thirty as the upper limit on his lifespan, Teddy would have argued that he had years and years to live, yet.

In her more somber moods, Teddy recognized that, barring some horrible fate befalling her person, Alex would not live as long as she would. But thirty—thirty wasn't supposed to be the end. The end wasn't supposed to come until he was old and grey, until he had conquered his illness and finally, finally been able to live a truly happy life.

Alex needs you now.

Teddy covered her face with her hands, and in the little dark space she had made for herself, she let herself just breathe. In and out. In and out. In—

On the third exhale she lowered her hands, and forced back the prickle in her eyes. Alex didn't need her tears. He didn't need her grief, or her anger.

What he needed was someone to hope—because the gods knew he wasn't going to, himself.

“But there's a chance,” she said, and now her voice had steadied. At last she looked up at Ellery, and her face was set, her eyes clear and determined. “With these people—there's a chance.”

It would be enough.

It had to be enough.

 

[Reynarda]

Bram was fairly sure Agni was lying about his age. He considered asking the “man” if his mother knew where he was. But Bram also knew he was terrible at guessing age, so maybe he really was eighteen.

But then the kid actually freaking grew right in front of him. Bram threw back his head and laughed.

“Kid,” he wheezed. “You are something else! I have never had someone pull a stunt like that when I teased them!” He calmed his loud laughing to loud chuckles. “Whew, my hat is off to you, Agni. That was great.”

Bram continued chuckling to himself even as the others continued with discussing their plan. He tilted his head at Aksil as he watched the man interact with his dragon. His relationship with his dragon seemed to be vastly different than the dragon/rider relationship Bram was used to. It seemed that Aksil was the protector of the two. As to the pair Bram was used to, Starless was like Vlad’s overbearing elder sister who was hellbent on keeping him out of trouble. Which was good. Vlad needed someone to take care of him as he was a bit of an idiot.

And he was always getting hurt. It was odd because Bram often came out of things unscathed. And yet, Vlad blamed him. Weird.

He nodded, agreeing with Kaida. That sounded like a good plan.

“I’m not stealthy,” Bram said with a shrug. “Best I join Starless. Vlad’s a sneaky little bugger, though. He won’t mind assisting the rescue party if he's needed.”

Following the lead of the others, he nudged his horse on faster, aiming for the trees.




Vlad glanced back at Alex with another quirked eyebrow. He wasn’t really sure what passed for attractive among humans, much less witches. Bram claimed that he was a fine specimen of manhood, but the hunter also thought he was funnier than he was, so Vlad wasn’t sure if he should base his estimations of beauty standards on Bram. His companion never seemed to lack for attention, but Vlad was not sure if that was because Bram would flirt with anything or if it was because he was actually good at it.

“Have you attempted using your charming personality?” Vlad asked, amusement coloring his words.

Starless snickered, shaking her mane of feathers to indicate she liked the joke.

When the witch answered his question, Vlad glanced back at him, the amusement gone from his eyes. “I have plenty of pride, witchling, and it has not driven me to such drastic measures.”

Starless made a disagreeing grumble, but Vlad ignored her. Drastic measures, yes, but not world-ending-if-it-went-wrong drastic measures.

“Had it been pride, I doubt you would have spent so much time sulking. No, you had another motive—though, more noble or not is yet to be seen.”