Fantasy Even Dragons Have Their Ending ||Closed||

[Mikotsuhime]

Agni’s cheeks flushed to a ruddy brown as Bram laughed at him so openly, though whether it was from embarrassment or anger was unclear.

“I just said that I was not a child, yet you continue to deign to treat me as one! I will have you know that my race is far more noble and powerful than yours, and I deserve respect!” He snapped. His grip on the horse’s reigns tightened as his hands balled into fists. May gently pinched his side, hoping it would distract him, but he didn’t even bother to look. Sighing, the mage figured he’d just let him sulk until he was done.

“Yeah, I’m not really good with stealth either,” he admitted, then eyed the tree line warily. They hadn’t passed through the forest on their way to the village; their sect was located on an island just past the coast, and they had traveled from there inland, mostly through plains and farmland. In all honesty this would be May’s first time even seeing a mountain up close, and he was a bit intimidated by it. But it was Agni’s first time too, and he didn’t seem to let it bother him much.

“Yes, we should hurry, then,” Agni said as Kaida and Sasha both expressed their doubts about camping in the forest. He didn’t understand what the issue was, since he and May had been camping their whole journey so far, but he supposed that he at least trusted the elf to know best about this sort of thing.

 

[quadraxis201]

As the traveling group made it to the tree line, Azura could sense that her decision to avoid combat on the distraction team was going to be a hindrance, and so she exhaled in a sigh before proceeding to speak entire phrases while Aksil was left to translate.

"She says... hold on, this is a bit much to translate. It's not often she gives such speeches around others." Aksil cleared his throat before making his attempt.

"My unique bond with Aksil has indeed had an efect my personality and, as a result, my desire to engage in direct combat. But, as he has stated, I will have to make an exception, given the situation. It is true that my claws are a fair bit small, but they're still viable for tearing flesh if my breath does not destroy it altogether. My reaction earlier was perhaps a bit out of proportion, and for that I apologize if I alarmed you, but be not mistaken - there are circumstances at work that only my master and I truly understand. I will leave him to provide details after you have set up a temporary resting point."

Aksil paused the translation suddenly. "Are you sure you want me to...? I trust them, for sure, but... alright. If you say so." He whispered into Azura's ear before resuming the translation.

"I will allow myself to diverge for a time if these 'riders', as you call them, peak my anger enough. Though, I must warn you, it will more than likely not end well for them. Dragons of the shadows - unbound adults, to be precise - are anything but friendly toward strangers. I consider everyone present to be friends, so long as you do not try anything foolish to either Aksil or I."

Azura's eyes narrowed as Aksil translated that final sentence.

Aksil nodded. "What she says is true - I must admit that I ran into more than a spot of difficulty when I first met her many, many years back." He explained to the group. Afterwards, he turned toward Sasha. "For what reason, out of curiosity, do you wish to avoid camping beneath the trees? Would it be difficult to see the sky? Might there be venomous creatures in these woods that could strike us in our sleep? I do not disagree with you, but I wish to hear your reasoning."

 

[Canth]

Alex felt the dragon shake beneath him, and though it was obvious she was merely responding to her Rider’s remarks, he gripped tighter. He had been glancing down every once in a while to try and gain some level of comfort with their immense height, but had decided it was only making it worse. His stomach churned each time he glanced past the clouds and to the vast stretch of land below, and it seemed best for everyone if he kept his eyes trained on the back of Vlad’s head.

“Maybe I’m sulking because my pride was hurt,” he continued with a shrug. “I’m a witch. We do stupid things in the name of science, when the truth is we’re all just stubborn, prideful bastards with a selfish need to prove our intelligence and skill, no matter the cost.” It was not untrue. This was not the first time Alex had found himself cleaning up after some overzealous display of power, by himself or another. That was the language of his people: power. The more powerful the witch, the more respected. Of course, no matter how powerful Alexander managed to make himself, respect would be forever out of reach to him, though that never bothered the witch. If it did, he would have given up a long time ago.

“But,” he shrugged, feeling chatty. The Inn had failed to bring him company worth wasting his words on, but this vampire here seemed of moderate intelligence. Maybe he could engage him for the time being. They were, after all, currently on the back of a dragon together. Might as well make the most of it. Besides, the distraction from their height would be nice.

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe it wasn’t pride. Not alone, anyway. Maybe I have my reasons. Though, nobility has never been my strong suit, if you can believe it, and I’d venture to say my motives were really quite selfish.” He kept his eyes on the back of the vampire’s head as he spoke, his mind wandering every once in a while to the ground far below before he drew it back.

~

Ellery did not enjoy raising the child’s hopes, but she knew the dangers of going into battle with a heavy heart. And that was exactly what they were doing. As she allowed Teddy the time and space to contemplate the information she had offered, the Familiar had turned her ears on the conversation amongst the others. They seemed to be coming to a general agreement on how to confront the problem at hand, and while no plan was perfect and it was right to assume nothing would go precisely as they intended it to, it seemed their best chance at taking the children back. That was their first priority, Ellery did not argue otherwise. They would handle Alex’s situation when the time came. And considering Alex would most likely choose to be apart of the distraction, it was safe to also assume that Lilith would not waste much time in coming for him. She likely had spies within the stronghold who would recognize the witch the moment he stepped within a few hundred feet of the mountain. Lilith might even be there waiting for them when they arrived.

“Maybe, yes,” Ellery turned her full attention back to Teddy. “So long as they all agree. And I will not allow them to agree until they understand the full risk of taking on such a task. It is only fair. And the children remain our first priority. Once they are safely out of harm’s way, then we will decide how best to confront the Demon.”

“I was thinking,” she continued, turning her eyes back down on Teddy. “When we reach the mountain, the others have devised a plan of utilizing a distraction to draw the Riders out and allow for an extraction team to carry the children to safety. I have no doubt Alex will choose to remain on the ground involved in the distraction. I of course must remain at his side, especially now considering his weakened state and Lilith’s looming shadow. I wish that you might go with the others, to help rescue the children. I understand you wish to remain by Alexander’s side, however your talent with transformation would prove useful in both finding your way into the mountain without being seen, as well as helping to carry many children down the mountain at a time. Of course, if you feel you will be of more use to the company outside as part of the distraction, I cannot stop you. I merely hoped to lend my opinion on the matter.”

~

Sasha hesitated, for he never enjoyed being left out of a fight, but the elf was correct. He would be of most use as a guide through the Mountain to the caverns where the children were most likely to be kept. He had also promised Arthur that he would see to Beth’s safety personally, and appreciated the opportunity to keep his word. He simply nodded his assent and continued to listen to the others, glancing over at the one called Agni at the boy’s immature display and hoping he would not be a problem. Sasha was not about to let anyone jeopardize the children’s lives.

“Bandits, mostly,” Sasha replied. “Of varying size and strength and breed. I doubt they will bother a group such as ours, but I would rather not find out. Any delay, even one so petty and small, could prove disastrous if it prevents us from reaching the Mountain in time.” Sasha pushed his horse onward as Kaida did, urged him just a bit faster so as to ensure their targeted ground was covered. “Any creatures lurking beneath the trees are of the nocturnal kind and should not bother us so long as we make it out before the sun sets.”

 

[Starlit Night]

So far, Kaida had refrained from inserting herself into Bram and Agni's...squabble, for lack of a better word, but now she was beginning to wonder if she ought to step in. Whether intentionally or not, Bram seemed to be poking at Agni's sore spots, and she wasn't sure she could trust the young dragon spirit not to take offense at some perceived slight and make the argument physical.

When both broke away from the interaction in order to give their opinions on the plan, however, she decided that an intervention was not yet necessary, and left them to it.

“My skills may be turned either to stealth or to battle,” she offered. “I am content to go wherever I am most needed.”

~

Sudden hurt flared inside of Teddy, surprising her with its intensity and bitterness. So, Ellery would actively hide the magnitude of the problem before them, of the consequences of Alex's actions, from her—from family—for weeks on end: but for these strangers she would explain in full, mere hours after meeting them.

But ah, these were unworthy thoughts.

Teddy dropped her eyes, focusing on her hands as she made them unclench from the fists she had unconsciously formed. She did not like the resentment rising inside of her—it was an ugly emotion, and she shoved it aside.

“Of course you must explain,” she said quietly, because in truth, she agreed. They could not ask these people to help them unless they fully understood the risks they would undertake, if they agreed. She did not resent them the explanation that they must have, and soon; it only stung that Ellery had not given her the same courtesy.

And then Ellery asked her to go with the group that was to rescue the children, to leave the Familiar and Alex behind, and Teddy went still.

Her first instinct was to object, to insist that she stay with Alex and Ellery. She hated to be separated from the two of them when there was danger, and never had there been so much danger in their lives as there was now, with the threat of Lilith hanging over their heads. But she choked her first reaction back, because—

If you feel you will be of more use as part of the distraction, Ellery had said, and the answer to that was—no.

The distraction would be a fight, a battle to keep as much of the Dragon Riders' attention on them as possible. The majority of her attention had been on Ellery as they rode, for obvious reasons, but she had been paying enough attention to the conversation of the others to know that much. And Teddy—Teddy was not a fighter.

The clash back at the village had made that abundantly clear to her.

So, no. She could not say, with any honesty, that she felt she would be more useful as part of the distraction. And if she refused to leave Alex and Ellery, if she stayed behind with them...who was to say that she wouldn't just get caught again, as she had last time, and need to be rescued?

She didn't want to go.

But if she stayed, she would only be a hindrance.

“...Large forms are still...still difficult,” she said at last, voice barely above a whisper, as if she were admitting to something shameful. “I don't—think I could manage a dragon.”

Her gaze flicked up, briefly, to Azura, then dropped back to her hands. She hadn't answered Ellery's question, directly—but she was addressing what Ellery had said about helping to ferry the children down the mountain, and that would be answer enough.

-”Maybe...a griffin.”-

It would be a stretch, but—

 

[Reynarda]

Bram snorted at Agni’s declaration. Years ago, he may have hotly debated whose race was superior, but years with a vampire had taught him that such arguments were ridiculous. He let it be. Clearly the kid couldn’t take much more teaching without jumping at him.

Besides, Aksil was translating for his dragon. Bram decided at the end that he wasn’t sure what was going on and resolved to ask Vlad later. Though, the vampire would probably just shrug and say that every dragon/rider bond was different—which was vampire for “I don’t know”.

He turned in the saddle, squinting up into the clouds as if that would help him see through them. He was sure Starless would make sure that her rider fed properly, but he really didn’t want a starving vampire on his hands around a bunch of recently-rescued kids. He would double-check with the dragon once she caught up.

He would say it was a bid odd that he hadn’t spotted the swift dragon yet, but he also knew Vlad wouldn’t be urging her to catch up. Not when he could be wringing information from the unfortunate witch. Vlad certainly hadn’t offered to bring Alex out of the goodness of his heart.

Turning back around, he nodded to Aksil. “Don’t worry about the creatures that go bump in the night.” he said as if he thought the dark rider was afraid of the dark. “That’s my specialty.”



“You avoid questions like a vampire,” Vlad said with mild amusement. Or perhaps it was an average level of avoiding and Vlad was just too used to Bram declaring all his thoughts. It had, after all, been a while since he had been around his own species.

“Asteria’a says that is a lot of ‘maybes’,” he added at the prodding of the dragon. “I do not doubt pride was a factor, I just think it was not the only one. The more information I have, the better we can deal with this problem.”

Starless’ wings shuddered, and they dropped a few feet. Vlad barely noticed, but he figured Alex had not much cared for it. The dragon beat her wings, but the air was not being very kind. After a quick conversation with her rider, Starless dipped her right wing and they turned in a half-circle. The dragon caught an updraft and rode it higher until the clouds obscured the ground below.

“Sorry,” Vlad told Alex on Starless’ behalf once they leveled out. “The air was rough, so we had to climb to smoother skies.”

It was perfect, in his opinion. Starless’ keen eyes had spotted the group, but Vlad was not finished, yet. Now, not even Starless could see the ground. She could judge where the group was based on her sighting, but hopefully Alex would be none the wiser.

Vlad briefly wondered if witches were as precious with their information as vampires were. Either way, Vlad would get the information he wanted eventually.

“I am told honesty is the best policy—by my blunt companion, mostly, but he may have a point. What are these ignoble, selfish reasons of yours, then?”

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Bram did not seem to be responding to Agni's declaration, and at first the dragon was annoyed, but then he decided that it was clearly because the other man realized he had lost this battle. That made him feel superior, so he smiled and turned his attention back to the road in front of them. May could practically tell what he was thinking and it made him roll his eyes, but at least he wasn't antagonizing anyone anymore.

"I think I'd be best off helping with a distraction, rather than sneaking in," he said, because he hadn't really said his piece yet on that front and he figured he ought to. "I'm, uh, not very good at stealth and sneaking. Much better at blowing things up, which would probably come more in handy in the not-stealth route."

Agni snorted, and May promptly ignored him.

"Bandits, huh? We haven't really run into many of them, but we've mostly been passing through farmland and light woodlands since we came in from the coast. I guess they would be more of a problem in the thick of the trees," he mused.

"I have no fear of /bandits/," Agni said, spitting the word out like it was poison. He clearly considered such people beneath him, and was not afraid of making his distaste known. "But you are correct in that it would be unwise to delay any more than necessary."

 

[quadraxis201]

Aksil pulled his scarf over his mouth as Sasha mentioned bandits. "I'm used to bandits." He began. "If I were to guess, more than half of the camps I deal with belong to bandits - mostly inhuman creatures like goblins and orcs. As I mentioned before, if they see anything in sight that glistens or glows in the pale moonlight, they're not shy about stealing it faster than a wolf devouring meat. I would resort to painting the upper halves of their outfits red, but... I agree with at least a few of you, we haven't a lot of time to waste..."

"...and to respond to that comment of yours," He said to Bram, "I don't fear the dark. If anything, I 'go bump in the night', myself. Why, I remember not long ago I was set to attack a bandit camp that had stolen a royal heirloom. Humans, they were. They had to triple their guard because, as I had overheard, unsavory, nightmarish rumors about me were spreading amongst their clan. As I staked their camp out, I noticed how not one of them ever went to sleep. I eavesdropped on them, and overheard these fools saying how their next sleep would be eternal. I watched them go mad from exhaustion, constantly dumping their heads in water to keep themselves awake. Their eyes were the most bloodshot I had ever seen - more red than white, honestly. While they were arguing with their leader over how poorly planned and stupid the raid was to begin with, I picked off the isolated, paranoid members one by one. The others? They were so sleep-deprived they started bashing each others' heads in to keep from falling asleep. Regrettably for them, they forgot their own strength in the process."

Aksil smiled from beneath his scarf as he uttered that final sentence.

"In any case, I will simply follow your directions as we find our ideal camping spot."

 

[Canth]

Alexander did not blame the vampire for being curious, it was something he was guilty of himself. What he did not understand was why Vlad was eager to learn of the witch’s motives outside of mere curiosity. To help? To fix his wrongs? Were their places switched, Alex would have left the vampire to deal with his own issues and gotten as far away from the problem as possible. There was no reason for him to risk his own life and comfort for some witch he had only just met. Not that Alex assumed Vlad was intent on doing all this just for him, but the rest of humanity was not worth such sacrifice of time and energy either. He was about to say such things when the dragon beneath him dropped. His grip tightened, and he took a second to catch his breath as they seemed to hover again, only to then find themselves circling upwards in a way that made the poor witch very dizzy.

Alex shrunk against the dragon, and even shut his eyes for a moment, doing everything to avoid looking down. His stomach lurched and threatened to empty itself then and there. Fortunately for all, he kept everything where it was, and eventually remembered to breathe.

“I would…appreciate it if—if you didn’t do that again.” He was focusing on breathing and keeping his stomach under control.

“Nothing worth discussing,” the witch was growing tired of the vampire’s prying, for while he usually enjoyed such mind games the nausea was making him irritable. “And nothing I can’t handle myself. Once these children are rescued, I’d suggest you and your…blunt companion find yourselves elsewhere. Lilith is not just another monster to be slain, she will get what she came for, sooner or later.”

~

So, it was decided. It had been a while since Sasha had ventured this far. Since coming to Rhoddhiim, he had given up the more adventurous part of his nature. He remembered a small clearing not too much further, near the far edge of the forest. It would be light enough there to keep most creatures away and only the bravest or most desperate of bandits might sneak past. Surely a few dragons would be enough to turn them away. The ex-rider led the way, picking along the overgrown path, following memory when it disappeared beneath the foliage in parts.

Ellery looked upon Teddy, guilt and shame overshadowing all other emotions. She had thought she was doing what was in the girl’s best interest in keeping things from her, but it seemed that perhaps the Familiar had been mistaken in that decision. She had not anticipated them finding themselves here, traveling with strangers to right Alexander’s and her wrong. She had searched everywhere for an answer that would have put an end to this nightmare long before it engulfed the world. But now, with villages decimated and the dark sickness growing, she had no choice but to admit that things had gotten out of hand. She could no longer hide behind the excuses, for even though she had warned and advised Alex against such risks, she had aided him all the same. She was just as guilty of his transgressions as he was.

“Thank you,” Ellery whispered, knowing Teddy would do just fine in rescuing the children from the Mountain.

It was another few hours before they reached the place Sasha had remembered, and when it came into view, he slowed his horse, turning his eyes and ears to the trees around them. All was quiet, save the occasional crack of a branch and rustle of fallen leaves beneath a small animal. He broke through the thinning tree line, stepping into a clearing spanning about fifty feet in diameter. Enough space to tie the horses and lay out for the night. The sun was just starting to dip beneath the distant mountains and nightfall approached. Sasha dropped from Wildfire’s back and walked the horse to a sturdy-looking tree, where he roped the steed to a thick branch.

~

Beth had kept her eyes closed most of the flight, cracking an eyelid every once in a while to glance below, only to shut it tight when she confirmed the ground was nowhere to be seen. Her hands were bound, but she held onto the saddle as best she could. The children strapped before and behind her had mostly quieted, too frightened by their height, clinging to each other in every which way, to let out even a gasp or cry. Beth’s tears had dried and her throat was now hoarse with her shouts, and when they flew through a gap at the very top of the tallest mountain and landed, one at a time, in an empty cavern that was vast and looked to be a great Hall, everyone was silent. A sniffle here and a muffled whisper there, but otherwise no child spoke or cried or shouted.

The rest of the dragons, those not carrying children, had veered off to take perches elsewhere outside the mountain, their riders dismounting and sending their steeds to feed before turning to join the others in the Hall. Melkiell had made it clear that he was not at all pleased with what had transpired in Rhoddhiim and while no one was looking forward to whatever words of wisdom he had planned for them this evening, it would be less pleasurable to ignore his direct order.

Beth felt her knees buckle soon as her feet hit the ground, and the large tanned rider steadied her until she regained her balance. She drew in a sharp breath, realizing she had been holding her breath most of the way as well, and set shaking hands to her head as she waited for it to stop swimming. The children were all released and herded into the middle. Beth found herself squished between a young girl who looked no more than two and a boy she thought she recognized.

“Zach?” Beth whispered, blinking up at him for he was a few years older and much taller. The boy jumped in surprise and searched around.

“Down here!” Beth corrected sharply, still minding her volume. “It’s me, Beth.”

Zachariah looked down at her, and hesitated, before offering her a sort of half smile. Beth wanted to ask him if he knew what was going on (not that he should know any more than her, but she found the silence unnerving and sought comfort in a familiar face), but there was a cry at the back as one of the children was pushed from behind with a boot that had sorely misjudged the strength and weight deficit.

“Git up!” The offending Rider snapped, hoisting the child off the ground by the arm. “And move. On you go, forward now.”

They were being pushed and prodded down a long hallway lit by lanterns along either side. They were dim, but Beth’s eyes adjusted quickly. They bumped against one another, trampling upon each others feet and nearly knocking themselves over once or twice. Beth held her hands out as she went, keeping her balance, knowing a sudden trip could mean finding herself beneath hundreds of scurrying, frightened feet.

It felt like a lifetime of winding and weaving down a slight incline before they reached the end, which stretched out into a half-circle shaped hall with a much lower ceiling and small wrought-iron doors every few feet around the wall. It was dimly lit, even darker than the hallway they had taken here, smelt of stagnant moldy water and a rat that had died a week back and was now rotting in some hole somewhere. Beth’s nose wrinkled soon as they passed the threshold into the room.

The children were divided up and pushed into cells, about ten each. They had just enough room each to sit cross legged upon the floor. There was one stone bed that the smaller children were set upon, and two empty bowls that later were to be filled with water and bread to be shared. Beth found herself in the cell with Zach, and she sat on the floor beside him before the spot was taken. Some of the other children she recognized, others she did not. Not all were from Rhoddhiim, either. Some had been gathered earlier this morning from neighboring towns, others had been here for weeks already. Those were easy to spot, for they were thin and dirty and had a wild look in their eyes that said they were not happy for the extra competition for food and drink.

The Riders locked the cell doors, checked again to ensure all the children had been accounted for, and then left to hear whatever it was Melkiell had to say. The room fell silent once more, as the children looked about with wide eyes filled with both fear and curiosity. No one dared to breathe for a few minutes as thoughts were gathered and eyes adjusted. And then, like a balloon filled with too much air, the room burst with cries and shouts and yells to rival the battle that had broken out back home. Beth took this opportunity to tug on Zachariah’s sleeve.

“Hey, Zach, is...is Tommy here?”

The elder boy, who had still said nothing yet, looked upon the ground with sad eyes. Beth did not understand.

“Is he in another cell?”

Zach shook his head and his lips parted as if he were going to answer, but it hurt too much and he shut them instead. He turned his eyes away from Beth, still reeling from all that had happened since this morning. Beth frowned, watching Zachariah for a moment before sighing and turning away. Whatever. He obviously did not want to talk. She looked around to see if there was anyone else she might know.

Susie, a girl she knew because her mother sold corn in the market every morning, was in the back corner sobbing into her dress. Beth was not surprised. The girl had never been one for adventures, and had turned down Beth’s offers every time. Not the sort of person who would be of much use in this sort of situation, Beth thought. She turned her eyes instead to Margaret, who was a whole three years older than Beth and whose father was a fisherman two villages over out by the water. They brought fish into town twice a week and today had been one of the days they were supposed to be in Rhoddhiim. Beth knew Margaret went fishing with her father, even in the winter when the seas were rough and the skies dark. She looked scared, as they all did, but you could tell her brain was still working and she was not so overwhelmed with fear that she would be useless. Beth pushed through the other children and wiggled her way beside Margaret.

“I’m Beth,” she introduced and held out her hand. Margaret, who had watched the young girl make her way over from the other side of the cell, took Beth’s hand.

“Margaret,” she replied, wincing when the child squeezed her hand tighter than the elder girl was expecting. Sasha had always reminded Beth of the importance of a firm handshake, and since Beth’s hands were a tad too small to be considered firm, she went for a tight squeeze instead. The wince she often elicited from much bigger and older adults was a source of great pride.

“Your father runs the Inn in town, yes?”

Beth marveled at the older girl’s words. Her voice was so smooth and held none of the usual breaks and pauses and weird accents that most people in town were afflicted with.

“Uh, ya-I mean, yes.” Beth’s cheeks flushed as she stammered, correcting herself mid-sentence and worrying that Margaret might think less of her because of it. The elder girl did not seem to notice.

“I thought I recognized you. You have an elder sister, do you not? Is she here as well?”

Beth shook her head. “She was with my aunt when the Riders came. She was able to hide.” Bath’s shoulders slumped at the thought of being alone without her sister, who was older and wiser and would surely be of use in this sort of situation. But, she was also happy that her sister was not here, because goodness knew what the Riders had planned for them. Beth could not imagine it being anything good, though her imagination was not quite capable of grasping just how bad it could be, either.

“That’s good,” Margaret nodded, and her relief was genuine. “I do not know why they have brought us here, but I promise you that I will help and protect you, if you promise to do the same for me.”

Beth blinked, stunned at the thought of being charged with protecting Margaret, who was so much older and stronger and smarter and beautifuler than her. She nodded.

“I promise. We can protect each other.” Beth could not help but smile, despite everything that had happened and everything that was happening around them. She drew her shoulders back and puffed her chest out, hands folded neat in her lap as bright eyes looked upon their cell with renewed optimism and hope.

 

[Starlit Night]

The light had not yet disappeared when they reached the clearing, but it would not long last. Clearly, they must halt for the night, or else risk meeting something far more unpleasant than bandits between the trees.

As Sasha slowed his horse, Kaida and Zephyr followed suit, pausing briefly at the edge of the clearing to survey the soon-to-be campsite. It might be a bit of a squeeze, with the dragons, but—well, they would manage. Space would be found, or made.

The first order of business, once Kaida had dismounted, was to see to Zephyr. Accordingly, the saddle and saddlebags were lifted down from the mare's back, and Kaida set to brushing her companion down, murmuring soft praise for a day's work well done.

~

Teddy spent the rest of the ride deep in thought, quiet and pensive. The silence was heavy between herself and Ellery, the mood somber—but there was nothing to be said, no easy way to dispel the trouble now before them, or to erase the hurt feelings between them.

Teddy could forgive Alex and Ellery their silence and their secrets; but the sting of a trust betrayed could not soon be forgotten.

Still, by the time they reached the clearing, she had regained some semblance of normality. Scarcely had Ellery stopped their horse before Teddy was dropping lightly to the ground, wincing slightly as she stretched (a full day of riding took a toll on one not used to horseback) and then glancing around the clearing with curious eyes and a smile only slightly dimmer than her usual. Her shoulders felt heavier now, weighed down by the knowledge now placed upon them—but during the ride she had decided that acting all doom and gloom about it would help absolutely nothing, and so she did her best to ignore it.

Instead, she turned her attention to their new traveling companions.

She still wasn't quite sure what to make of them all, honestly, though she felt cautiously optimistic about the mix. Some of them were a bit strange, perhaps, but they seemed like basically good people (With the exception, perhaps, of Aksil: his habit of sharing gruesomely detailed stories of blood and slaughter had thoroughly disturbed her, and she resolved to keep a healthy distance between herself and the Dark Dragon Rider)—all of them had volunteered to go rescue children that the majority of them had no relation or obligation to, after all.

Well, she'd have some time to feel them out, now that they'd stopped for the night. It'd certainly be easier to converse around a fire (would they have a fire? She hoped so, at least to cook with, though maybe they wouldn't want to risk the flames being seen...?) than it had been on horseback.

First things first, though.

Teddy knew better than to get in the way of moving horses, so she waited until most everyone had come to a stop inside the clearing before she approached Bram.

“Excuse me,” she asked politely, her voice quiet. “Bram? Do you think your friend will join us soon?”

Dragons were definitely faster than horses, so she was a little surprised she hadn't seen Asteria'a yet. Maybe they had gotten delayed? Or—maybe they had stopped to talk about something?

She hoped that they would have stopped in that case, at least. That way if Alex was being his usual antagonistic self, he'd be safe on the ground instead of in danger of getting kicked off of Asteria'a's back midair.

 

[Starlit Night]

She stood in a wide hallway, inside a castle.

She knew it was a castle, though she wasn't sure how. She was alone—but all around her, silhouettes of people raced across the walls. Shadows cast by no one, their mouths open in screams and shouts she could not hear, their forms dancing in the flickering torchlight.

Her feet carried her slowly through the hall, calm and unhurried as the shadows flashed around her, across her, their fear and urgency like a physical presence in the still air. The castle had that particular quality of a place that had been long abandoned—though the elaborate tapestries upon the walls were well tended, and the torches in their sconces were freshly lit. The fires danced and sparked, but made no sound; all was silent inside the hall, and so it was that she was able to hear the faint flapping sound from outside, as if a great many wings were beating all at once.

At last she reached the end of the hallway, and the grand wooden doors, more than thrice her height and carved all over with intricate designs, opened before her without even a touch. She stepped out into a courtyard, the cobblestones cool under her bare feet; now the flapping became loud, no longer muffled by stone walls. The light was strange; it was midday, she knew, just as she had known she stood in a castle, and yet the sunlight was weak, the courtyard more shadowed than lit. When her eyes lifted to the sky, she saw why.

Dragons filled the air, more than she could possibly count even if they had all been standing still rather than swooping and spinning midair. They darkened the sky with the sheer number of their bodies, and collectively their outstretched wings blocked out the very sun itself. Save for the beating of those wings, they were all eerily silent.

Then suddenly, blistering heat erupted to her side, and with it came light, red as blood, painting the courtyard and everything in it—even herself—that same crimson hue.

Placidly she turned, and beheld the mountains on fire.

Nothing was left untouched; the entire mountain range burned, almost too bright to look at. The flames would not be content with the mountains, she knew. They would spread, and quickly, decimating everything in their path. All that could be burned would burn, until nothing was left but bare, scorched earth. She would watch it happen.

Or so she had thought. But then, between one blink and the next, it was all gone. The flaming mountains, the swirling dragons, the courtyard and the castle before it—everything disappeared, and she stood in darkness.

For a moment, she was alone. Then figures emerged, as if the shadows had pulled away just enough to reveal them. It was difficult to make out much about them—her eyes were used to the brightness of flame, not the murkiness of this place—but at last she determined that eleven people stood before her, all facing away. And beyond them, just barely visible, she made out the forms of dragons. A few of the figures seemed to glow, lit as if from inside, while others lingered in the darkness. One in particular stood out, for the shadows clung thickly to him, covering him in inky blackness and blurring out any details she might have seen. And these shadows did not appear as just the absence of light; they seethed with malevolence, tangling around him as if they wished to swallow him whole.

She gazed upon them all, silent and unnoticed. Then—a new figure appeared, apart from the rest, and did what none of the others had done.

This one turned, revealing eyes as deeply blue as the ocean, and a feminine face framed by dark hair. The woman looked grave, neither smiling nor frowning as they regarded each other. After a time, the woman beckoned to her, before turning back and stepping forward to join the group. And she found herself following, her feet carrying forward to the eleven—now twelve. Her hand lifted, reaching out to touch the closest of their number—



Lily awoke with a quiet, cut-off gasp, her eyes snapping open to the gloom of the holding cell she shared with some of the other children. It was disorienting, for a moment, to be able to see in the shadowed space—as if her eyes should still be fire-dazzled. But of course, they wouldn't be.

The fire had existed only in her dream.

The fear and horror she could not feel while dreaming struck her now, all at once, and she curled in on herself, shaking like a leaf in a gale. She pressed her forehead to her knees and wrapped an arm tightly around her chest, as if she might be able to calm her racing heart if she simply squeezed hard enough; her other hand flattened over her mouth, muffling her ragged, gasping breaths.

Gradually, her pounding heart slowed, and she stopped feeling as though she was about to shake to pieces. Eventually, her breath stopped catching in her throat and shuddering on the way out; and at last Lily was able to uncurl, her hand falling away from her mouth and her arm loosening around her chest as she collapsed against the wall behind her, limp and wrung out.

She had been having the dream for weeks, now—since before the Dragon Riders had first begun to change—but no matter how many times she dreamed it, it never grew less terrifying. Always it was the same: the castle that was empty of people, the sky so filled with dragons that even the sun could not penetrate them, and the fire devouring the mountains.

Or at least, it had always been the same.

But the bit at the end, the darkened place with the shadowed people—that was new. Before, the dream had always ended with the fires spreading, and when the flames reached her feet, that was when she would wake.

Tired eyes opened and stared up at the ceiling, their unnatural purple coloring—like the amethysts she had seen once, on a rich lady's bracelet—hidden by the shadows, turning them a simple, unremarkable dark shade. She knew better than to dismiss the dreams, especially now that something had changed. Before, she hadn't known what she was supposed to do, though clearly she was supposed to do something—otherwise, she would have stopped seeing it. But this time, she had no longer been only a passive observer to the destruction. She had been called forward, and she had gone.

The message was clear—at least, as far as her dreams went. She had to find the ocean-eyed woman, and the rest of the people, the ones whose faces she hadn't seen. And Lily squeezed her eyes shut, thunking her head lightly back against the wall in despair, because—

How was she supposed to do that when she was trapped in the heart of the Dragon Rider stronghold?

~

She was not left to wallow in her despair long, however. Scarcely had the shakiness subsided, leaving only weariness in its wake, before the tramp of approaching feet reached her ears. Lily went tense, drawing her knees up to her chest and pressing back against the wall, going still and silent in an effort to go unnoticed.

The Riders weren't there for the children already in the cells, though.

No, they came to fill what few empty cells there were left, cramming the new children into what space there was. The cell she was in was already full, so nobody new was shoved in to join them—and she could only be relieved for that. The nine others ignored her, as a rule; and being ignored was far better than being hated.

Only once the Riders had left once more, satisfied that their new prisoners were securely locked away, did Lily's stillness melt away, her shoulders slumping. For a few minutes there was silence—but not peace, no, only the gathering tension of a storm soon to break. And break it did, screams and shouts of fear and confusion filling the air, almost managing to drown out the sobs of some of the others, and Lily pressed her hands over her ears and hid her face in her knees, wishing desperately to be anywhere but here.

~~~~~​

The parade of children passing through the Great Hall had not gone unobserved.

At the far end of the cavern, at one of the entrances leading deeper into the mountain, a woman—half hidden in shadows—leaned one shoulder against the wall and watched the swirl of activity. What she thought of it all was unclear: she watched as one detached, her eyes clear and her expression unerringly neutral.

In her youth, Aislinn Claville had been a girl with bright eyes and a bubbling laugh, who wore her heart upon her sleeve for the world to see. But no longer. Now, though her eyes were still bright there was a sharpness to them, as well, and her laughter was a rare thing. She had learned, since then, how to keep her true emotions tucked away, and even how to fake what she did not feel—she had had to.

The Mountain was no longer safe for girls with their hearts upon their sleeves.

So she saw the frightened children and did not show her compassion; she looked upon those she had called her fellows and did not betray her disgust; and when she noticed that fewer dragons and riders had returned than had left, she kept her grief safe inside her. Their actions of late had been despicable, but she could not help but mourn for them, for the people she had thought she'd known.

There was nothing to be done for them, now. But something could still be done for the children.

And as the little ones were herded off, Aislinn straightened and turned away, disappearing down a different corridor. Melkiell had called for a gathering, and it would not do to miss it, but it would take some time for the new children to be settled in the cells below. She would have that long, at least, before she must return.

And in the meantime, there were preparations to be made.

 

[Reynarda]

Bram nodded, smiling. “Blowing things up would definitely fit in better with the distraction,” he agreed.

He glanced over at Aksil. He had entirely been joking, but the dragon rider was detailing an account that was a bit terrifying. “Remind me never to steal royal heirlooms,” he said with a pseudo-solemn nod.

He turned around multiple times in the few hours that it took them to reach the clearing. He caught glimpses of the dragon as she dipped in and out of clouds. That poor kid. He did not envy him, that was for sure. Bram was fairly used to being on the receiving end of Vlad’s prying, but he also wasn’t very good and keeping things to himself in the first place.

He slowed the horse and dismounted as they reached their destination. Starless had the gear, of course, so he couldn’t set up camp until she arrived.

Bram smiled down at Teddy. “Yeah, they’ve been circling above us for some time. You worried about your witch? He’s fine. Vlad’s not…” He was about to say “dangerous” but changed his mind and settled on, “…evil. He’s just very nosy and can’t keep out of other people’s business.” Bram pointed up where an ink-blue shape flew against the dying light. “There they are.”




Vlad glanced back at the witch, who did not look well at all.

Starless even turned her head to eye the witch. Are witches supposed to be that color?

No, Vlad answered.

“Sorry, it was the air. The pressure changes sometimes,” Vlad said, mostly for Starless’ sake. “She did not do it for her own amusement.”

Vlad turned back to face the clouds in front of them and scowled. It was not that he had not expected the witch to be cagey, but now he was bordering on dismissive.

I don’t think you’re going to get much out of him. He looks ill—leave him be.

How am I supposed to deal with the problem at hand without knowing much beyond this witch is proud and stupid?

That’s unkind.

He released the bloody queen of hell.

The dragon turned and gave her rider a look with one sapphire eye. After a few seconds, the vampire sighed.

If we are to fix this, we will have to genuflect to his demon knowledge, yes? I need to know what sort of person he is, Asteria’a.

You’ll have plenty of time for that. And you could ask the familiar. I liked her.

Vlad hmphed. “I would not call Lilith ‘getting what she came for’ handling it, witchling. It seems to me if I let you handle it on your lonesome, I am going to have to deal with it later—considering the world-ending consequences.”

Starless gave the vampire another look, but he ignored it.

“Best handle the problem now rather than later, mm?” At Starless’ prompting, Vlad added, “Hold on. We are beginning our descent.”

Starless dipped her wing and circled in a large, lazy spiral towards the ground. Had it been just Vlad, she probably would have just descended in a straight line. But the poor witch was still looking a bit green, so she figured she should let them down slowly. She landed in the clearing with a few hops and then glanced back to check on Alex.

Vlad rolled his eyes, but said, “Asteria’a wants to know if you are okay.”

As the dragon crouched, Bram appeared at her shoulder and looked up at Alex. “What did you do to him?”

“We hit a patch of rough air,” Vlad said, sliding down and loosening the saddle straps.

“That’s the worst,” Bram said with a commiserative nod. “Don’t you worry,” he told Teddy as he took the saddle bags down from Starless’ back. “We’ll get some food into him and he’ll feel better.”

 

[Mikotsuhime]

May nodded his head wisely at Bram’s agreement. At least they both seemed to share experience with explosions, or at the very least distractions.

Reaching the clearing, he waited for Agni to dismount the horse first, and then whined for a hand down. Agni had snorted derisively at him - sure enough, he had reverted to his previous height some time during the trip - but helped him out anyways.

The dragon guardian did not appreciate Aksil’s tales of bloodshed, and he was going to say as much, but the landing of a dragon nearby stole away his attention. He stiffened for a moment or two, before recognizing her as the one that had left separately to them earlier, and then relaxed.

May looked up to the setting sun and squinted, then grabbed his bags from the pony’s back and began to unroll the two sleeping rolls that he had (miraculously) managed to squish and tie together to save on space.

“Huh, it should be getting dark soon... we should probably make camp before that. Did anyone bring any food? I have some salted fish but not enough for everyone here.”

 

[Canth]

Alex did not have the ability to respond to Starless’s apology. His focus was solely on ensuring what little contents were left in his stomach from the few forced bites of soup he ate remained where they were. Fortunately for everyone, he was successful, despite a few close calls.

The slow and steady spirals, smooth as they were, made Alexander’s head spin and his insides lurch. This was getting old. It had been old. He was beyond ready to be back on solid land and to never climb aboard a dragon ever again. It was something he had not tried until today and he would be happy if he never did it in the future. Though, given their current situation and Ellery’s insistence that they assist these morons in retrieving the village children, he had a sinking feeling his dealings with dragons were not up.

As the ground rushed up and freedom was in sight, Alex took a shameless handful of the vampire’s cloak and shut his eyes, waiting for it to all be over. And when Starless touched down in the small clearing within the forest, he wasted no time in rolling off the dragon’s back and landing with a thump on the soft grass. The vampire’s larger, blundering companion had come over and was saying something, but Alex did not make it out, nor did he care to. He rolled onto his back, chest heaving up and down, fingers digging desperately into the grass, eyes still closed. He did not open them until his head had stopped spinning and he recovered some of his bearings.

I am glad to see you made it alright.

The hell were you thinking, sending me up there with him? I coulda died!

You never seem to take that into consideration any other day of the week. Why should death bother you now?

Because death by falling is about as awful, if not worse than death by whatever the hell it is that’s killing me now. Slow, exhausting, and it never comes fast enough.

I will keep that in mind.

Ellery had watched the descent of the dragon with the stiffness and unease of a guardian who had seen her charge face death one too many times. And once they landed and she watched him roll dramatically to the ground, she went back to her task of starting a fire.

~

Mariah had settled in with Dark Tide, the horse resting in the grass, working his way through an apple. The young woman was nestled up against him, knees drawn in, cloak pulled tight around her shoulders, and a small sugar cube stuck in her cheek. She had set up camp further from the center, never one for fire, and had turned her gaze to the tree line that surrounded them. Green eyes narrowed as she thought she saw movement, but determined it to be some small animal. A bird or squirrel, most likely. A soft rustling of leaves as the creature scavenged for fallen seeds. She had pulled her small sword from her waist and it now lay across her lap.

~

Beth stumbled, putting her hands up against Margaret’s back to keep from falling. The children pushed and shoved down the dark hallway, the flickering candles along the walls doing little to aid their swollen eyes, red with tears and irritants. It looked as if they had been set in a hole and buried under foot after foot of fine dirt and dust before being dragged back out. Each child was hidden beneath a layer of dry, powdery dirt, clinging to their skin and clothing and hair. It sat beneath their fingernails and covered their face, muddy streaks falling down their cheeks in silent tears. They coughed and sneezed and whined as they were guided through the tunnels, finished for the day and wanting nothing more than to curl up on the hard floor of their cells and be whisked away to happier thoughts. Though, the dreams they were whisked away to were often no better than the reality they now lived.

Beth held onto Margaret’s shirt so as not to be separated from her. She was one of the few whose dirty face was not streaked with tears, and Beth looked to Margaret’s noble face for inspiration and strength. The girl was tough and strong, the strongest person Beth knew, aside from her dad. And maybe that one guy from the Inn the other day, the day the Dragon Riders came and took them away. The big one with the smaller friend and the red hair.

They were shuffled into their cells, the Riders guessing when they hit about twelve before moving to the next one. Beth followed in after Margaret and they huddled in a back corner, Margaret giving Beth a little more room in their small space on the floor. Beth looked around, but could not find Zach. In fact, most of the children in her cell were different save maybe two or three. It had been difficult to tell the children apart after their work on the tunnels and the Riders had decided against attempting to keep them organized and separated.

~

The soft drip of water hitting the stone floor every three seconds was all Ithranuil had had for company for the last few months. Eighty-nine days, to be exact. The cavern was dark and cold, and he was certain, should he see light after all this time, his eyes would melt right out of their sockets from exposure. His clothing had mostly held up, for it was quality make and he had been involved in little activity since finding himself here. His days were spent curled on the cool floor, bones bare against the hard stone, waiting. For anything, really. A sight, a sound. Someone to tell him why he was here and what they wanted. Ask him questions maybe?

Ithranuil had not eaten since he was dragged deep into this dark cavern. His kind did not require food for sustenance, and he was still very much alive despite the neglect, though in no way fit for anything but sitting, and even that was hindered by the ache in his body. He was nothing but bones these days, bruised and battered and forgotten, not a soul in the universe to notice he was missing, let alone care. His only family, he had shunned, stealing away to live his own solitary life, unable to follow in the footsteps of his people, of his ancestors, of his sister. She had likely forgotten she had ever had a brother, it had been so long since their paths had crossed. Centuries.

There was a shift in the air, a subtle rumbling in the stone, movement far above that sent a shiver through the mountain. Ithranuil looked up, pale eyes blinking at the ceiling above. A small pebble loosened from the old stone and landed on his upturned forehead. Ithranuil blinked, and then brushed it away, gaze returning to the wall across from him, which had once been jagged rock and was now smooth stone engraved with an intricate depiction of the Western Marshes, the land Ithranuil had once called home, the home he had left behind centuries ago. An almost nostalgic sigh passed through the elf’s lips, and his eyes dropped to the floor instead. No amount of hope or positive thinking could hide the fact he was trapped and the odds of his escape dwindled with each passing day.

 

[Starlit Night]

Teddy smiled automatically back at Bram, and didn't seem to notice the slight pause that indicating the substitution of the word 'evil' for something else. She hadn't thought that Vlad was evil, despite the way he had threatened Alex before, it was just that—

-”Even the most good-natured people have a limit to their patience,” she said frankly, as she twisted around to see where Bram was pointing.

And Alex was so very, very good at pushing people past that point.

Still, Bram's words were reassuring. And it was more reassuring still when Asteria'a landed, and she could see for herself that Alex was still on her back and in one piece. He looked rather more green than usual, but it seemed that her fears that he had done or said something to get himself bodily introduced to the ground at high speed had been unfounded.

She followed Bram over to the three, and while he spoke with Vlad, she knelt down beside her witch, watching him quietly. She did not speak, but after a moment she reached out to comb her hand soothingly through his hair, unable to leave him to recover alone even when she was upset with him.

She looked up again when Bram addressed her, blinking a little. He probably didn't realize just what a challenge it would be to get some food into Alex, but that was alright. She appreciated the sentiment, and she wouldn't hold him to it.

-”If you can manage that, I will be very grateful,” she said, with a quick smile.

Oh. And speaking of being grateful—had she ever thanked them, for helping save her from the Dragon Rider, before? It was hard to remember, but in the chaos of everything, she very well might have forgotten to...

Would it be strange to bring it up now?

May's question broke through her thoughts as she was puzzling it over, and—oh, there was an idea.

-”I'm going to go hunting. I can bring back anything extra I catch,” she said, before turning to Bram and Vlad to ask, “Do you like rabbit?”-

There were plenty of them in the forests, and she'd be happier if she could give them something substantial as a thank-you, instead of just words. If they didn't like eating rabbit, she could go for birds instead—she didn't like hunting birds as much, though. Too many feathers to get through.

In theory she was asking Asteria'a, too, but she didn't think she could hunt enough to satisfy a dragon.

-”I am well-stocked with bread, cheese, and such.” She heard the elf-lady offer from across the clearing. “I am happy to share, if needed.”-

And that was something else to consider, because while meat was lovely, it got a bit boring when you ate it by yourself. And it wasn't like you could hunt down bread and cheese--

Perhaps the lady would be willing to trade? It was something to think about, at least, while she was hunting.

~~~​

Lily had come to hate the powdery dirt and dust. It covered her entirely, settling in her hair, coating her clothes and caking her skin in grime. There was no water to spare to wash it off, and so they were forced to endure it. It leeched away their color, turning them all a uniform greyish-brown.

And now, it had made it inside of her, too, drying out her mouth and throat and weighing on her lungs. The journey back through the tunnels was nearly intolerable—the impatience of the Riders directing them, the crush of jostling bodies all around her, the sheer noise of it all, and now a persistent, dry cough that she couldn't seem to stop. But at last they reached the cells, and Lily found herself shoved forward at the head of the group, the weight of the others behind her pushing her to the very back, along the wall. And then the door clanged shut and the press of bodies eased, just a little, and Lily sagged against the wall in mute relief.

And then she made the mistake of moving, intending to find a bit more space where she could lay down—because when she moved her foot caught against someone's leg, and she tripped. She fell against an older girl in the corner, and, in her haste to get off of the other girl, wound up losing her balance entirely and sprawling flat out on the floor, her breath knocked out of her at the impact.

 

[Reynarda]

Look! He has airsickness! Poor hatchling. Starless lowered her head so she could properly inspect the prone witch and made a serious of rumbling crooning noises in the effort to calm his rapid breathing.

Vlad did not share Starless' pity for Alex. Mostly because he was turning over in his mind what little he had learned, not because he was heartless.

Bram brightened at the discussion of food. Yes, they definitely would need more than just the jerky and hard bread he had been gnawing on for the past few days. In fact, with this many people, he might need to make a stew. He nodded and considered what he could do with rabbits. "That would be great," he answered Teddy, pulling a pot and a ladle from one of the saddlebags. "I bet there are some root vegetables nearby. Vlad? Fetch some vegetables?"

The vampire scowled from where he had begun to lay out their sleeping rolls.

"You're the one who's always telling me vegetables are healthy."

Vlad couldn't argue with his own logic. Sighing dramatically, he rose. "What would you like?"

Bram considered the bags of dried herbs in his pack. "Parsnips? Onions... and dandelions. Leave your waterskin."

While Vlad slipped off into the trees to collect the requested vegetables, Bram filled the pot and their waterskins in the nearby stream. He returned, whistling cheerfully to himself, the skins tossed over his shoulder and the pot held carefully in front of him to keep from sloshing all the water out. He made his way over to Ellery and the fire she had made and held up the pot to indicate his intentions.

"Mind if I use your fire to make a stew?"

Vlad returned, a variety of washed vegetables in his arms. Crouching next to Bram, he pulled out a knife and began slicing them while his companion eyed them critically.

"Yes, that should do nicely," Bram said with a wise nod. He glanced over at Kaida. "Wow, how do you get your cheese to keep? Mine always gets devoured by insects."

He really hoped she didn't say "magic", because if she had a method of keeping cheese for long periods of time, he wanted to know it. Think of what he could do with cheese!

Bram glanced over at Vlad and found the vampire tearing up small leaves and dropping them into a smaller pot. "What's that?"

"Wild mint. It is not dried, but it is better than nothing."

Bram nodded. He was still trying to figure out how to explain Vlad's apparent lack of appetite to the rest.

 

[Mikotsuhime]

May’s eyes brightened as he watched Bram and Vlad get to work on making dinner. While he hadn’t been to the mainland very often, he found their food had different flavours from what he had back home, and he was always interested in watching others cook.

“What are you making?” He asked curiously as he abandoned the wrapped package of fish he had been pulling out in favour of wandering over to Bram in curiosity. “Could I help, maybe?”

Agni eyed the forgotten bedrolls with a hint of annoyance, but he could see that May’s interest had been snatched, and it was unlikely to return to his task unless Agni said something. He considered it, for a moment, but the serpent had done good work that day, and eventually decided that in return, he would allow this idle conversation as thanks for that. He even deigned to roll out his own bedroll, eyeing the fish from his pack before setting it out so that anyone who wished could take a piece.

Sitting on the bedroll for a moment, he turned his attention to the others around them. He supposed that he could hunt as well, if they truly needed food, but he was far less capable of stealth in the forms that he had most confidence in. It wouldn’t do to alert any bandits in the forest to their presence, if they weren’t already alerted.

He turned his attention to the other dragon present, tilting his head to the side as he glanced at Vlad, curiosity building up in him.

“Is your beast not going to hunt as well? I doubt the child can bring back enouh rabbits to feed something so large.”

 

[Canth]

Alex opened his eyes to find Teddy crouched over him, as well as Starless’s head way closer to his face than he would have liked. He blinked, his vision coming into focus as his lungs relaxed and his ears stopped pounding to the beat of his racing heart. He drew in a breath and exhaled slowly. When Teddy got up to follow after Bram, he pushed himself up onto his elbows, eyes narrowing slightly at Teddy’s suggestion of going hunting. As far as he knew, these woods were riddled with terrifying monstrous beasts. Sure, Teddy could handle herself, but that did not mean he had to just let her wander off into the unknown unaccompanied.

The witch opened his mouth, but was stopped when Ellery hissed in his mind. His eyes shifted to the Familiar and she was giving him that look that he knew so well. He frowned in protest, but her eyes only narrowed in her determination to silence her witch. Alex sighed, and obliged, keeping his thoughts to himself as he sat up. He paused for a few seconds, catching his breath, before he pushed himself to his feet. Again, he paused to catch his breath.

“Be my guest,” Ellery stepped back to allow Bram room to set his pot over the fire. She turned her eyes on Teddy, her offer to hunt for the group a generous one, and a smile passed over her face. It seemed like Teddy was returning to her old self. There was obvious hurt lingering in her heart, but it was nice to see her opening up and regaining her good-natured attitude.

“We have a few fruits and vegetables left, as well as some bread.” She did not require food, and Teddy often took care of herself in that regard. Ellery had packed the fruits mostly for Alex, who had yet to touch any of their food and most likely never would. She figured it would be of better use with someone else. “They won’t last for much longer, but they are here should anyone like them.”

Alexander, hands stuffed into the deep pockets of his oversized tunic, shuffled past the fire and to the small camp Ellery had set up. There were two blankets rolled out, and he dropped onto one of them, laying back. He bunched the top end of the blanket into a sort of pillow and turned his eyes to the sky, which was growing a lovely shade of deep orange. The sun was going down and night would be upon them soon.

Sasha had packed enough dried foods for himself and maybe two others for a week or so. As much as he could fit in the saddlebag that had laid across Wildfire’s back. It was mostly dried fruits and cakes that would last months and could sustain a grown man for a whole day should he portion it properly, though they were completely devoid of taste. Sasha was not sure how well they’d fit into a stew, though should they end up out here longer than anticipated, it was good to have such resources. He had little experience with cooked meals, anyway.

The ex-Rider had set his camp easy enough, and placed a bowl with clean water before Wildfire. The horse was a work horse. He was taller than most of his kind, though built like his brethren, large and muscled. While accustomed to daily toils around the farm, the poor horse had never gone more than a few miles outside of town. He was taxed from the long ride, and it was obvious this journey was not going to be an easy one. Sasha had complete faith in the beast however, and knew him to be up to the task.

Abraham looked like he needed no help from an old man whose only talents were storytelling and general gruffness, and there were enough gathered should the man require assistance. Sasha turned his eyes to the rest, everyone seeming to be settling in for the evening. He thought he might do the same, as his gaze found the dragon that had touched down only a few minutes ago. He was intrigued by her color, and wondered about her lineage. He had never seen a dragon quite like her, and felt something deep within him spark. A long-lost flame that ignited at the sight of such a powerful and beautiful creature. Memories flooded, but they were good ones. Memories of a time when he was young and free, when he had been invincible. Or, had thought he was. Typical youth, reckless and without regard for consequence.

His thoughts darkened for a moment, but he was well practiced at pushing them aside for the happier, fonder ones. A warm smile passed his lips before he realized he was staring. He blinked, and turned his eyes to the grass, embarrassed.

~

Beth let out a small gasp as a girl came flying out of nowhere and crashed into Margaret. The elder girl was a little more prepared, and ducked down beside the child, scooping her up off the floor and pulling her backwards a tad before anyone dare trample over her. The cell was tight, the space unforgiving, and more than a few toes and fingers had been stepped on throughout their time here.

Beth shifted to give the girl room to sit, scooting further back against the wall behind her and a little to her left. Margaret did the same, releasing the girl and moving back, not wanting to scare her for having grabbed her so suddenly.

“Uh, hey, you okay?” Beth finally asked, eyes narrowing as she attempted to look the girl over, though it was hard to see in the dark, and they were all covered in dirt anyway.

 

[Starlit Night]

Teddy nodded, pleased that her offer had been well-received. Blissfully unaware of the silent battle of wills occurring between Alex and Ellery, she got to her feet and glanced back at Alex, making sure he was recovered enough for her to run off for a while. He was up, now, though he still looked a little peaked—but Ellery would be here to keep an eye on him, if he needed something.

Satisfied, she turned and made for the edge of the forest. She seemed to shrink as she moved, folding in on herself; until suddenly the girl disappeared, and it was a red-furred fox that slipped soundlessly into the undergrowth.

Kaida took up her bag of provisions, and after a last stroke along Zephyr's neck, went to join the group at the fire. There were enough people around the pots that, after a moment's consideration, she took up a spot across the fire from them, figuring that anyone else trying to help cook would only crowd them. She had not secured Zephyr to anything, and behind her, the mare shook out her mane and trotted off in search of the stream.

-”We coat our cheeses in wax for traveling,” she said, taking a small, cloth-wrapped package out of her bag to show Bran. Beneath the cloth was a small round of cheese, about the size of her palm, completely covered in sweet-smelling beeswax and stamped with a small, detailed image of a tree. “Most insects cannot get through it, you see. As for the rest, a simple preservation charm will do.”-


Teddy was not gone too long. She returned as a girl once more, humming quietly to herself (always a sign of a good hunt), with two rabbits dangling from each hand. She sat down next to Ellery and, producing a small knife from one of her skirt's pockets, set to skinning the rabbits and sectioning the meat with the deftness of much practice.

-”Are four enough?” she asked Bram, glancing up at him only briefly before returning her focus to her task. “I wasn't sure how many we'd need, for this many people, but I didn't want to take more than we would eat.”-

That was her first rule in hunting: take only what you needed, no more. It was disrespectful to be wasteful.

~~~​

Lily froze as someone grabbed her, her breath stuttering to a stop as whoever it was pulled her up and back and then—let her go?

She was sitting up by the wall, now, and she timidly glanced up to see the older girl, the one she had fallen into, shifting back. Oh. Oh, of course—there wasn't much room, with twelve of them all crammed in here. If she had stayed where she was, someone would have stepped on her. The older girl had been helping her, even after Lily had crashed into her like that.

That was awfully nice of her.

Lily released her held breath and softly took in another, raising her hands back to her mouth as the breath caught and made her cough. A second girl spoke, this one looking closer to her age; Lily looked at her, keeping her eyes on the lower half of Beth's face rather than meeting her eyes (a habit she had picked up, to keep people from looking too closely at her own eyes' coloring), and nodded. She was fine, just a little winded.

Then she looked back at Margaret, not meeting her eyes either, and ducked her head in silent apology.

 

[Reynarda]

Bram grinned, not only delighted to have an audience, but also to have someone curious about his cooking. "I'm going to turn the rabbits Teddy brings back into a stew," he explained. "Plus the vegetables and some herbs."

He extended a small pouch containing dried thyme so that May could see it. "You can drop a few pinches of this in. Then taste a bit and see if that's a good flavor or if it needs more. Wait until we put the vegetables and rabbits in, though."

Bram paused in making sure May didn't get over-excited and dump all his thyme into the pot to stare at Kaida in awe. "You coat it? That's brilliant! I might have to forego the spell, though. I'm not one for magic."

Vlad looked up from his tea attempt with raised eyebrows at Agni. "I beg your pardon."

Starless lifted her head and shot Vlad a look. She could tell by the vampire's tone of voice that he had heard perfectly well and was giving Agni a chance to change what he had said. I doubt he meant that as an insult, little fire.

Vlad lifted his nose. "Asteria’a Noxtis Aeralis is no beast."

I can hunt. Should I?

Vlad glanced over at where the dragon was lounging by the tree line. Are you hungry?

No. The deer I ate two days previous is quite enough for a few days.

"She will hunt if she is hungry," Vlad said, his tone still slightly clipped. "She does not need to eat every day."

With that, the vampire dumped the vegetables into the pot, earning a growl of annoyance from Bram. This changed to a smile, however, as Teddy returned. "No, four is perfect. Thank you so much." He glanced over at May. "Hey, kid. May, right? Check in that bag there and see if there's any oregano."

Who is this human? Starless asked, partially to distract her rider, but also because Sasha had been staring at her. He has...

The dragon flicked through a variety of images and ideas that Vlad found essentially impossible to translate into words. When Vlad relayed his confusion, Starless cast about for a few seconds before eventually sending him an image of the magical mark on the inside of his own left wrist. It was the symbol of his family, and appeared when he developed his magic, but it had been a gift from Starless' clan of dragons as an expression of their gratitude and connection to Vlad's family.

I am not sure how my cousins bestow gifts on their two-legs no-wings, but he seems to be touched by us.

I think he was a rider.

Starless pondered this, wondering what it was like to have bestowed such an honor on a human. Her own mother had been shocked to find a vampire family worthy of such a connection with the great dragons. There seemed to be many humans. They raised delicious cows and were food for her rider, certainly, but they also seemed to be very afraid of things--especially dragons. This human must be a special human if a dragon would agree to partner with him.

Do you think he would speak with me?

Vlad blinked. At first, Starless had been sullenly silent towards Bram for months--to be honest, the vampire still was not sure what had changed her mind, but he had suspected she and the slayer had had quite the heart-to-heart. What was special about this human? And how would he feel about a strange dragon asking to be granted access to a part of his mind?

Even if he agreed, would he understand you? You do not think in words, Asteria'a.

Nor do you, little one, but you still manage to translate it to your speaking. Starless rose. Come. You will ask him.

Vlad rocked to his feet and waited as the dragon skirted the campsite, carefully minding everyone's bed rolls and the food preparations. Once she was close to the old man, Vlad strode over to her and dipped his head to Sasha. "Pardon us. Sasha, was it not? I do not think we were properly introduced. I am Vladimir Drakonii, and this is Starless Night Sky."

Starless dipped her head in greeting.

Vlad shifted, not at all liking that his dragon was asking him to ask a strange man if he was willing to open his mind to her for the purpose of communication. "Asteria'a--Starless, I mean, was wondering if you would be amiable--that is, feel no obligation, of course--"

Starless shook her feathery mane. For sky's sake, little fire.

Don't rush me. Vlad cleared his throat. "She was wondering if you would speak with her."

 

[Mikotsuhime]

May getting over excited and dropping the whole thing into the pot was definitely a possibility, considering how he was practically vibrating at the opportunity to help cook.

“Ok, a few pinches right? I’ve never really tasted this stuff before so I don’t know what it’s supposed to taste like,” he admitted, but didn’t allow it to curb his enthusiasm at all. Once Teddy had procured the rabbits he waited patiently for his role, though he wasn’t quite able to keep quiet while waiting. “I’ve never actually really cooked before. Usually when we go and visit the coast we take rations with us, and back home all the cooking is done by the cooks in the compound kitchen.”

Agni made an amused noise from where he was settling down against his bedroll.

“It’s servant’s work. Fitting for such a boorish man,” he added, and May scowled at him. Clearly Agni had taken offence to the way that Bram had treated him, and he didn’t plan to forgive it any time soon.

“You’re being rude! He’s sharing his food with us, you know,” May pointed out, more than a little exasperated, but Agni turned his nose up.

“I have no intention of eating anything that man prepares,” he said stubbornly, and May sighed as he scratched the back of his head in frustration.

Vlad’s irritation caught him a bit off guard, but he merely held his head high as he crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to take back what he had said. In truth he just didn’t want to hunt alone, if he were going to obtain more food for the rest of the journey, but he would die before actually saying that out loud.

“I will call things as I feel,” he shot back, and May almost wished Vlad would hit him or something for being a brat, but that wouldn’t actually solve the problem.

“Why don’t you just go to sleep if you’re not going to eat?” May asked, and Agni glared back at him.

“I will not sleep when there is a possibility of bandits from the forest. I plan to keep watch tonight,” he explained, and May squinted at him.

“That’s... suspiciously nice of you. What are you planning on doing?” He asked, and Agni’s glare only grew in intensity.

“Do not be rude to me, serpent! I told you my plans. You just, continue cooking, or whatever frivolous thing you plan to do.”

 

[Canth]

For Teddy’s benefit, Ellery would not admit it aloud, but she felt a rush of relief pass over her when the girl finally returned from her hunt. Ellery was glad to see her so proud and confident, and to see her making friends. Their lives had been dictated by Alexander’s persistent search for power, and the constant threat of his mother, so that the opportunity to build relationships outside their small band had never presented itself. By nature, Ellery had no need for bonds outside that with her witch, but Teddy would benefit from the interaction. It was not good for a young woman to be trapped in one way of life, without the ability to explore herself and her world. The Familiar hoped Teddy would make the most of this experience.

“And yet you seem to have surrounded yourself with it,” Ellery stood slightly behind and to the left of Bram, watching as the man began to put the stew together. Like a witch’s brew, but far less lethal. She looked down at Bram, a curious smile upon her lips, crystal cat-like eyes sparkling with an amusement she rarely felt when her heart was always burdened with Alexander’s exploits.

“Why stray from magic when it is woven in the very fabric of your life? Would it not be wise to embrace it?”

Sasha was content with watching. He had little to offer at this point, not being versed in foodstuffs beyond non-perishables, and found himself instead focusing on what lay ahead. He had every reason to believe Beth was still alive. If the Riders were interested in killing the children, they would have taken care of such business back in the village. They needed the children for something, and Sasha had a feeling they were not simple bargaining chips. If the Riders wanted more livestock and provisions, they could simply take what they needed, kidnapping children would not be necessary. Something even more dark and sinister than Sasha had originally imagined was brewing, but the ex-Rider had no idea where to begin in figuring it out.

Movement woke the elder man from his thoughts, and he looked up to find the smaller of the two companions that had joined their party. Sasha thought he remembered his name, having heard his larger companion introduce them back at the Inn.

Sasha gave a simple nod, confirming his name, and his eyes shifted over to the dragon, who seemed to be waiting impatiently for whatever it was the man before him was having such a hard time saying.

Sasha waited in silence, not one to rush another, having appreciation for taking the time to find the right words. And when Vlad find the right words, it took a second for them to sink in. Sasha blinked, eyes moving back to Vlad, narrowing slightly, and then shifting to Starless once more. She wanted to speak with him? As in, through a mental link? It had been fifteen years since he had shared thoughts with a dragon, there was little telling if he would even remember how. A part of him was thrilled at the idea, though the rest of him was terrified. What would Lolath think? Would she feel betrayed? And would he even be able to handle such a presence in his mind? Certainly all the memories and emotions he worked so hard to keep buried would resurface instantly.

“I’m not so sure that is a good idea,” there was pain in his eyes as he looked upon Starless, but curiosity as well. “I...” he paused, releasing a heavy sigh.

“But, who am I to deny her? Should you wish to speak, my mind is open.” Sasha remembered the first time he had opened his mind to Lolath. The experience was not one he would ever forget.

~

Beth watched the girl. She did not seem much younger, maybe even the same age, though a little smaller. She appeared apologetic, head bowed, though she did not say anything. Beth frowned.

“I’m Beth,” she introduced. “That’s Margaret. We’ve got an alliance goin’, where we look after each other. You want in?” Beth did not consider herself naive, nor had she anticipated inviting anyone else into her inner circle, but the girl looked like she could use a friend, and Beth felt a sort of kinship with her. She did not know why, and did not know if they even had anything at all in common, but she decided she liked the girl and wanted to be her friend.

 

[Starlit Night]

Kaida smiled in the face of Bram's enthusiasm and re-wrapped the cheese in its cloth covering before leaning over to deposit it beside him. A gift, both so that he could explore the coating and enjoy the cheese inside, if he felt that strongly about it. His desire to avoid magic did surprise her, for a moment, but it wasn't as if he was the first person she had ever met who preferred to stay away from magic, for any number of reasons. So she didn't ask, merely humming thoughtfully instead.

-”Be careful of wax worms, then. They don't eat the cheese, but they are fond of beeswax, and if they break the seal then other creatures can get in, as well.”-

Just because she would not ask did not mean that others would not, though, as was proven when Ellery spoke. Kaida lifted her gaze to the Familiar's face and tilted her head slightly, content to observe for now. She had not seen much of the Familiar and her witch before, at the town, or of the child who traveled with them—there had been too much going on then. Now, though, there was plenty of time to begin getting to know her new traveling companions.

Teddy, for her part, fairly beamed at Bram's thanks. She liked to be helpful, and she didn't often get a chance to be helpful by getting food—Ellery didn't need to eat, and even though Alex needed to eat, that wasn't to say that he did. So mostly when she hunted, it was to feed herself.

But it was nice to hunt for someone else who appreciated it.

She laid the rabbit skins out in front of her, using them as makeshift plates as she separated the meat from the bones and cut the meat into chunks of roughly equal sizes. When that was done, she set her knife aside and looked up.

-”Is it okay to put the meat in now?” she asked, gesturing to the stew pot.

~​

Beth. Margaret. An alliance to watch out for each other.

It sounded so very nice, and Lily tried to answer, she really did—to give her name, to say that yes, please, she'd like to join them, something. But the words caught in her throat, piling up one after the other like a physical mass, slowly choking her.

She closed her mouth again, frustration prickling behind her eyes before she closed them, resigned. They wouldn't want her, now—not after they learned how she was broken. But not answering at all would be rude, and they had been nice to her.

So she nodded (yes, she wanted in, because that was the truth of it, after all) and made herself open her eyes as she lifted her chin and tapped her fingers against her throat, trying to get her message across. She hoped that they would understand, and not think that she was just ignoring them; it was too dark for them to read anything she tried to write, and without that, this was all that she could think of.

 

[Reynarda]

“Yeah, just a few, then taste it. Oh, cooking is really easy,” Bram assured May with a grin. “You just do what tastes right. If it doesn’t taste right, add something.” He bristled, however, and changed his tune slightly when Agni insulted him. “‘Servants’ work’! ‘Boorish’! Cooking is an art-form! You are just jealous you are incapable of creating a masterpiece out of such simple ingredients,” he said, waving his ladle dismissively at Agni. “Good. I don’t want you eating anything I prepare, either, you over-grown worm.”

He was prepared to unleash more poorly-chosen insults when Kaida gave him cheese. Handing the ladle to May and motioning for him to stir the stew, he picked the gift up and inspected the wax coating. “Wax worms? I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.” He bobbed his head to Teddy. “Yeah, put it in. Careful—you don’t want to splash yourself or May.”

At Ellery’s observation, Bram cleared his throat. “Surrounded myself with it?” he echoed, his tone suggesting he had no idea what Ellery meant while his failure to meet her gaze suggested otherwise. “‘Woven’ is an interesting way to put it,” he muttered, glancing at Vlad. “I feel like ‘tangled up in it’ would be more suitable. ‘Woven’ makes it sound like I wanted it and it has rhyme or reason. The exact opposite is true, I assure you.”

Vlad, as if sensing what the slayer was saying, slid his eyes to his companion and frowned.

Bram shrugged. “Anyway. I didn’t surround myself with it. It jumped me in a back alley.” But his curiosity got the better of him, so he sighed. “Alright, I’ll bite. Exactly how would I ‘embrace it’?”

Vlad shifted his weight from his left foot to his right and back again—partially because he could not believe he was asking this man they had just met to allow Starless into his mind, but also because he worried how Starless would respond should he decline. Would she accept his desire for privacy graciously, or would she take offense?

The vampire blinked, more than a little surprised when Sasha agreed to allow Starless into his mind. He stood nearly perfectly still, save for his eyes, which flicked between human and dragon. Starless, nudged him off lest he stand awkwardly next to her, pretending to not be attempting to eavesdrop. Reluctantly, Vlad left his dragon’s side and returned to setting up camp.

Starless turned her deep sapphire eyes on Sasha and dipped her head in thanks. She listened to a brief second to the sound of his mind before deciding how to proceed. It was a tad difficult as she was very used to the swirl of concepts and images in her rider’s mind, but Bram’s more linear method of thinking enabled to organize her thoughts better to make sense.

Sasha, bright one, she greeted, using a term of honor in her clan. First, let me offer my deepest sympathy for the absence of your dragon. She paused, allowing the sympathy to pass between them. But I must admit, my reason for addressing you is my curiosity. My clan does not take riders often. We only trust one family even near our nest. She tilted her head, a rapid series of Vlad’s ancestors flashing across her mind. In truth I only took on my rider because he needed me after the… passing of the rest of his family. She paused, mostly to keep her grief from washing over Sasha in waves, but also because it was difficult to filter out the true nature of Vlad’s family from their conversation. She had seen Bram’s nervousness and worry about keeping Vlad’s non-humanness a secret and was certain he would not appreciate her accidentally telling this ex-rider such things. She nodded to Bram. And this one I took on due to what I saw in his heart and his friendship with my rider. Tell me, then, rider, what your dragon saw in you. Truly, you must be a special human to be granted such a gift. I have no doubt my cousins have no lower standards than my own clan.

Vlad was finding it difficult to set up camp while Starless spoke with Sasha. The dragon kept mentally nudging him off, so he wondered over to where Alex was sprawled on the blankets. He crouched so as not to be towering over the little witch. “Feeling better, Alexander?”

 

[Mikotsuhime]

“Overgrown—?! How dare you! I am not a worm! You are an insolent pain!” Agni snapped back, and May winced a little from where he was still stirring the pot, taking a little taste once the rabbit was added and screwing up his face in consideration like he knew what he was doing.

“You have too many legs to be a worm,” he pointed out, and Agni turned a harsh gaze upon him, so he shrugged as he turned back to Bram and the soup. “He doesn’t actually look like what he did earlier. He’s just shy about what he actually looks like, so he tries to look more like an actual dragon when people are around.”

Agni’s cheeks reddened, and he sputtered a little bit.

“I am /not/ shy! These people have no right to see my actual body, imitation or not,” he insisted, and May rolled his eyes but otherwise didn’t push it.

Instead he eyed Bram again, stirring the soup slowly with a curious look on his face.

“Well, I think how you just described magic as a pest that stuck onto you is kind of an example of how not to embrace it,” he pointed out. “But then I can’t imagine living without magic. It makes everything so much easier.”

 

[Canth]

Ellery’s eyes flicked over to the one called Agni. She had been watching him with a close eye since their first encounter, not quite sure what to make of him. Power practically radiated off of him, and she had not missed his transformation back in Rhoddhiim. She had never met anyone like him, and that bothered her. As a Familiar with thousands of lives and centuries of experience under her belt, she could assume she had come across most everything. Of course, there was always room for improvement, and she felt as if she was always learning, every single day, but to never have even heard of such a creature? That seemed suspicious. She did not trust him in the least, and would not until she had learned more of his kind and their temperament. So far, she was not pleased with what she had seen.

Fortunately for all, Bram was distracted from furthering his insults of Agni, when the elf maiden set the cheese before him. Ellery was not too concerned, but had watched the exchange carefully, shoulders stiffening. It was folly to think a mis-matched group of wandering travelers would come together without tension, but they had larger issues ahead without squabbling amongst themselves.

The Familiar’s attention was drawn from Agni and placed back on Bram when the Hunter spoke on her comment.

“All things have reason. The rhythm which our existence flows to might be beyond our comprehension, but that does not mean it does not exist. There is purpose in all, even the darkest and most evil of things. To fight Fate is setting oneself up for failure. It will destroy your from the inside, out.” Her voice fell off, and her eyes flicked over to Alex for only a second before she blinked and returned her attention to Bram.

“You don’t have to use it, but maybe open yourself to the possibility that your current situation, whatever it might be, could be the path you were always meant to walk.” She paused. “Or not, just a thought. Alex rarely listens to my advice.”

~

Sasha closed his eyes, worried they might show too much of his buried grief should the dragon’s mind prove too potent a guest. The sensation was exhilarating, and a sense of freedom he had not felt in years washed over him. It was the initial shock, the memories, the nostalgia. He felt his burdens and worries wash away, as if they were nothing. He remembered that first time, when Lolath and him had joined minds, and the world had finally made sense.

Starless began to pass thoughts and images on through his mind, and he opened his eyes once he was certain he was ready. The ex-Rider looked up to the dragon as she spoke, giving her his undivided attention.

The Dragon Riders of the North are chosen as well, he assured. A bargain was struck long ago, between the people of the Mountain and the dragons that inhabited them. Three families of dragons agreed to ally themselves with the Mountain People, to protect and aid them in exchange for food and protection from those humans who sought to harm them. Human opinion of dragons has always been a shaky one, and most often than not, the humans’ fear leads them to do terrible things.

Sasha paused for a moment, before continuing, being sure to present his own images of thought as he explained.

Eventually the three families were united under one Queen. Every five years, the Queen lays her eggs, and young men and women from the Mountain are chosen to stand before the eggs at a hatching. The young dragons choose their Rider. I am not sure why or how they choose, but the bond established that day is for life.

Sasha had asked Lolath a few times why she had chosen him that day, but her answers had never been more than a simple: Because I saw You. Whatever that had meant.

~

Alex has been content to drift off then and there, eyes falling closed as his perpetual exhaustion took over. But, when a dark shadow fell over him, that thought was interrupted.

“Peachy,” he grunted in response to the vampire’s supposed concern. Alex highly doubted it was true concern, but then he was only going off personal experience. “You come up with any more questions?”

His eyes were still closed, and he shifted his arms up so that his fingers intertwined behind his head. Ellery would have called him out for being rude, but she was busy talking with the others and was not here to scold him.

~

Beth frowned, watching the girl expectantly. Her eyes dropped to where Lily was motioning to her throat, flicked back up to the girl’s eyes, and fell once more to her throat. Beth’s confusion only grew and her frown deepened.

“You have a cold? I mean, tha’s fine, I’m sure it’s nothin’. I can’t imagine—what?”

Margaret had nudged Beth and given her a look that was enough to silence the younger girl, which was not an easy feat. The elder girl turned her eyes on Lily, her expression softening.

“You can’t speak?” She kept her voice low, so as not to alert the few Riders keeping guard. Beth looked between the two, working through what it meant that the girl could not speak. Was her throat sore? Did she not know how?

“That’s fine,” Margaret continued. “We would still love to have you in our team. We could always use more help.”