The City in Peril - Reaconia Chapter 14

The capitol, Lossain, is in an uproar after the castle fell and the royal family was disbanded, and our characters are in the midst of it trying to hold onto what little they can, and maintain control

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Fourteen: The City in Peril

 

       With hope fading, Aleks, Roanan and Rosett continued after Emmyria through the trees. Neither had said a word since the dragon had soared over them, on its way to the capitol, but every mood reflected the same, and each gaze that connected with another was darker than the now-night sky. They rose over another crest, and a great valley opened in front of them, one devoid of trees and even grass; the ground below the horse’s hooves crunched as forest turned to grit and small stones blanketed the gorge. Once again, the three mounts became visibly nervous as their eyes rolled back and their ears twitched about.

            “This is as far as the horses go,” Emmyria said, dismounting; her voice was shaky.

            “You mean we’ve arrived?” Rosett asked, she began looking around anxiously the moment Roanan helped her down from the Lord Commanders horse.

            “This close to the capitol?” Aleks questioned.

            “Yes, this is an abandoned silver mine. Empty for quite some time,” Emmy explained, “the Prince and Princess knew of nowhere better. Now, send the horses away.”

            Aleks’ hands gripped tighter onto Dandy’s reigns, not wanting to let her go.

            “They will not want to be here when we come back out with Nirare; they’ll find their way back to the capitol,” Emmy necessitated, giving her horse a firm smack on its rump; the animal reared at the contact and took off in a canter.

            “I can bring the horses back, I do not think I can�"“ Rosett began to protest when Roanan sent away the Commanders stallion with a strong hand.

“We’ve come this far,” Aleks said. Giving Dandelion a pat on the nose, he mentally said a goodbye before sending her off after the other two.

            “Now, you must promise me not to make any loud noises or sudden movements.” Emmyria said.

            “And how do we… introduce ourselves?” Aleks asked. Roanan and Rosett looked to him inquisitively, if the younger man was fearful in the least, he hid it very well.

            Emmy stared back at him blankly, worry furrowing her brow, “I do not know.”

            “And you are sure it is a good idea for us to be here?” Roanan puffed. Rosett muttered a shush to him with a reassuring hand on his back; her eyes still darted about worriedly.

            “It is what we have to do, Ro. You saw the other one flying towards the capitol!” Aleks answered him.

            “Well it’s very likely that this one will burn us to a crisp and we will be of no help at all!” the older brother shouted.

            “Roanan, hush.” Rosett whispered.

            “She knows my voice and will not hurt me,” Emmy said, “stay by my side, and everything should be fine.”

            “Ta very much, I feel much better.” Roanan scorned.

            “I need your help.” Emmy stated, with enough finality to end the discussion, “I know you are trying to be the voice of reason here, Sir,” she said to Roanan, “but think of what is happening in the city right now. I have never handled Nirare on my own and do not think I could.”

            “We did tell the King we would help, whatever it took.” Aleks reassured; he stared his older brother down until he simply nodded in agreement.

            Roanan started down the quarry’s steep wall, the jagged stones crunching under his boots, “Well, all things considered, I’ve lived a good life, though short.” He held a hand behind him for Rosett to follow, and she took it apprehensively, her whole body tense, as if she had to force herself to take every step. Even her mouth was shut tight, and Aleks thought he could hear her humming softly, trying to calm herself.

            Emmyria went down next, holding her skirts high enough to be sure her steps landed certainly amongst the rocks. Aleks followed last, squinting in the night at the path in front of him, not trying to focus on the sheer drop to his side that ended in darkness; he wondered if it would have been better to see the bottom, but decided against it.

            Balancing proved to be a problem, as the path grew narrower down the slope, and with only moonlight as their guide, Aleks’ eyes strained to find the next footing. His heart nearly leapt from his chest when he looked down, and nearly stopped altogether when Rosett let out a sharp scream in the quiet night as she fell to her knees, her foot having slipped on stone, sending a shower of pebbles down the mountainside. Roanan barely spun around in time to catch her.

            She stayed down for a moment catching her breath, but all four of them froze in place when another rumble deep under their shoes answered Rosett’s cry.

            Rocks and even boulders shifted around them as the earth shook again, twice before remaining silent for a spell. Not a breath was spared from either of them during that time, only wide eyes and confounded stares.

            “Perhaps I should lead,” Emmyria said, shimmying past Roanan and Rosett, who gave no argument in letting her go first. Roanan only shook a fist at Aleks, telling his younger brother with a look that he would make him pay for getting them involved in this. Aleks only responded with one of his guiltless grins, and gave Roanan a pat on the shoulder as he moved past them after Emmy.

            Nearing the bottom, the Princess’ confidant put her back to the rock and sidestepped warily, stopping to turn her head around a corner. Neither of the three from the eastern Woods expected to find what they did, as a great cavern opened up before them, unseen from the top ridge, large enough at the mouth to fit the entire throne room, they figured. But that was not near as shocking as what laid to both sides of the massive arch: some clad in silver, and some in a deep crimson, but all were armored, and dead; bodies of soldiers, most blackened and charred, were strewn about. Those faces that were recognizable were panicked and dread-filled.

            “Pyron armor, just like what I saw when I left home,” Rosett whispered with the last of her air supply.

            “What does it mean that the King’s men are here too?” Roanan asked, and with a tap of his foot on the backplate of a dead man, the corpse tipped over and with a snap, its head disconnected and fell to the ground, sending a shiver up each of their spines. Rosett covered her eyes in disgust. At the sound of the iron helmet bouncing among the rocks, the earth began to tremble again, though now a deep growl emanated from the dark cave, resonating through the quarry and rattling their bones.

Growing more severe, this time the tremors showed no signs of stopping, not until Emmyria bolted to the center of the cave’s entrance, and called out “Nirare!”

The rumbling stopped, and only a long soft tender growling could be heard, almost like the purring of a�"very large--kitten. Emmy motioned them to come over to her, and the three were still, even Aleks, who’s face finally matched the fear in the other two’s.

“This is your only chance, get over here, now!” Emmy commanded, trying to keep the same comforting tone in her voice she used to call out to the dragon, who’s thundering song continued.

Aleks stepped first, and he noticed that every one of his muscles shook uncontrollably, and a drop of sweat ran down his back. As soon as he crossed into the opening, the growling stopped, and it was quiet again. Not knowing what that meant made him even more uneasy; he thought he was going to be sick.

Roanan came up behind him, and Rosett after that, though she clung to him so tightly that they were almost one. The silence was deafening. Aleks could only hear the blood pumping through his own body. Then, a clicking could be heard, like the sound of plate armor rubbing against each other, or of a cart wheel bumping over the cobblestone square back in Pilant, Aleks recalled; he thought he could see a glint of movement in the shadows, a small sliver of something catching the moonlight.

“Nirare, I know you’re there, everything is fine,” Emmy stepped forward again.

Suddenly, a roar erupted from the darkness, loud enough to bring them all to their knees, and an open mouth snapped shut directly in front of Emmyria; the girl stood defiantly, and only had to extend her arm to pound it on the creature’s bottom lip. “That is quite enough of that, Nirare!”

When Aleks dared himself to open his eyes again, he could not believe what he saw. There was only a scaled snout the jutted out under the cavern’s arch, but even that stood ten paces high. Scales that shined almost silver in the night’s light covered snarled lips as thick as a tree’s trunk. Teeth that were bared were as tall as he was.

Those teeth parted a bit, and a powerful rush of wind engulfed them; a rancid wind, hot enough that Aleks was sure his clothes would singe; he felt slick when it stopped, as spittle condensed on his arms and face. Rosett made another disgusted sound, and Aleks saw she still had her eyes tightly closed. Roanan was the first to stand, not doing well at hiding his nerves, but it was something; he joined Emmyria and reached out a hand.

Aleks could not see the dragon’s eyes, but he was sure they were all being watched. Slowly, he stood too, trying to put on a brave face, which he knew could not break through the amazed and petrified mask he already wore. Together, they had to help Rosett to her feet, and only when they got her hand on one of the scales, did she open her eyes. It felt polished, though rough in the ridges and sharp on the edges, much like a gemstone, or the rocks that lined the shores of the river she used to play in as a child. That comforted her.

“I’m Rosett,” she said, and the brother’s looked to her confused.

“Can it understand us?” Roanan asked Emmy.

“Nirare?” Aleks asked, the word strange on his toungue, before Emmy could answer.

A low muffled growl came as a response, one that made their hands vibrate and pebbles bounce around them, and they smiled. Then, the two plated nostrils high above them opened wide and the dragon inhaled deeply. Aleks felt as if it almost lifted him off the ground, and his clothes rose from his skin; he saw the girls have to hold their skirts down, and Rosett’s hair nearly stood on end, like something unseen was pulling at the ends. They laughed at that, almost forgetting the fear that held them moments ago; and the imminent danger of their situation.

Pulling its head back into the cave, the horns along its jaw cutting grooves into the gravel as it slithered away, the dragon disappeared from sight.

“Do we follow?” Aleks asked Emmyria, without taking his eyes off the cave’s dark abyss.

“Do or not, there is no point in standing here waiting.” Roanan took a step forward, the tension in his body betraying the courage in his words.

Emmyria stopped him with a hand on his arm, “Wait, I do not think I have seen this behavior.” She took a light step forward.

Suddenly, looming high above, the dragon extended its head out far from the cave, and slammed it to the ground between them, like a giant tree falling in the woods, separating Emmyria from the other three. They had to jump out of the way; Roanan held Rosett as they fell amongst the rocks, she was shouting, and Aleks sat in shock, his leg nearly crushed by the dragon’s neck, which now slithered in front of him with clicking scales. The heat was unbelievable.

The rocks underneath shifted as the great neck curved, and its massive head came into view again, this time with a white-hot liquid bubbling around its mouth, the light emitted from it outlining each tooth with a glint.

This is it. They could hear Emmyria screaming from the other side of the scaled wall.

Not sure how, Aleks found the courage to stand, rising before the fiery cavern. In his strongest voice, he called out, “Do not do this! Please! We are friends, Nirare!” He had to do something! Not simply stand there and be burned to death. At the same time, Emmyria came running from behind, she stood next to Aleks, panting.

Roanan and Rosett joined them after a spell, and the four put up an unyielding front, trying to seem larger than they were. It took time, but the dragon closed its mouth again, extinguishing the light that came from within, the molten liquid around its mouth turning black and crumbling to the ground. At once, they all sighed in relief.

Moving as slowly as the dragon would allow, Emmyria walked along its neck, to the point where a great horn jutted out low to the ground. The three had not seen the dragon step out further from the cave, but that horn was near the shoulders, and a massive, heavily muscled, scaled foreleg glinted in the moonlight, ended with huge talons that dug into the ground. Emmyria climbed up onto the spike, Nirare’s eyes never leaving her; once she made her way further up, those great golden globes flashed to the three from the Eastern-Woods, seeming to glow in the night.

“I think that means it’s our turn.” Aleks whispered, and Rosett gasped.

“You could still go check on the horses.” Roanan joked and she had to restrain herself from hitting him as to not disconcert the dragon. Instead, she moved forward first, doing an awkward side-step, never breaking her gaze. Soon, all three were at the shoulder, and after a final look to the dragon, who’s head remained still, resting on the ground with its eyes fixed, they each put a hand on the ivory spike. When Nirare gave no reaction, Roanan hopped onto it, reaching a hand down to Rosett to help her.

After they ascended near half way, Aleks put a hand on one of the silver scales, seeming to be tipped with gold; the heat was there, but not near as intense as he felt before. It was a comforting heat, soothing, inviting, like laying in front of the hearth on a cold winter day. Feeling that, Aleks was sure they would be safe. He connected eyes with Nirare again before following the others up.

Fear and dread was replaced with excitement and wonderment as the dragon took its first step; it moved before Aleks was settled and it was as if the earth was shifting and rolling under him, and he held on to whatever he could white-knuckled as they were pitched about with each motion. Roanan grabbed onto the fabric of Aleks’ shirt and pulled him up to where the group was settled, between two great pillars of horn at the base of the creature’s neck.

A great bellowing roar came from the dragon as it shook its head, its massive neck roiling with the movement, and began crawling out of the cave.

“I think that means she’s ready to fly,” Emmyria whispered, and with her words, the four clutched tighter together, bracing themselves. She reached a dainty hand down and left it hovering directly above a gleaming scale, “I’ve seen Memora do this, so we will see if she reacts the same to me.” Two simple taps, light enough that the dragon could not possibly have felt them, was all she gave, and with them, the world surged. In only a few powerful, quick leaps, Nirare cleared the valley, scaled the quarry-side, and leapt into the air, wings outstretched.

 

            Ida DeMille struggled to catch her breath, not because of the seemingly never-ending staircase she had just climbed, but because the emotion of the day had finally engrossed her. Her frail fingers struggled to undo her apron strings behind her back and those of her overskirt, but when she finally managed, she ripped them apart, then pulled on the laces of her high-necked collar. Loosening the constraints helped some outwardly, but there was nothing to be done to relieve the weight that sat on her heart. She realized she was crying and cradled her head in bony hands.

            After a while, she opened her eyes again and found herself sunk against a wall, it being the only thing keeping her upright, and she looked down the hallway in both directions to make sure that nobody had seen her. It was dark still, as the torches still had not been fired, and only the moonlight worked at lighting her way. It was at Queen-regent Fiora’s command that the halls not be re-lit�"even though the castle had been cleared of Pyron soldiers, and the defenses of the castle restored�"and Ida had agreed with her; the girl would do nicely in her new position. Lighting the torches, restoring the castle to how it was before the attack, would tell whoever who noticed that they have quelled their enemies and overcome the threat, which could incite another attack to take the castle back.

            Lost in her thoughts, she looked around, forgetting the reason for coming up to this hall. Romay is… gone. It was cold without the torches. Memora… Her eyes welled again, though the tears grew hot when her thoughts switched to Pyron. They’ve ruined everything. She pounded a fist out, and found she had made contact with the wooden door to her own chambers. She went in quickly and slammed the door behind her, then sank �"fell �"to the floor. It was the first time she had been alone since before court, when everything changed. Her rooms were simple, nowhere near as extravagant as the rest of the castle, and she crawled to plain wash basin to splash water on her face, washing away her tears with heavy breaths. Not knowing how she found the strength, she grabbed the stand by its corner and threw it, the wooden table crashing to its side and falling to the floor on its front; the basin clattering into a hundred pieces. Her hands shook uncontrollably.

            There was a knock at the door after a time. Ida hoped her voice would not shake as well.

            “Yes?”

            There was a creak behind her as the door opened, “Are you alright, ma’am?” By her voice, it was Chanoa, the kitchen scullier, always pulled tight like string. Her room was next to Ida’s. The woman gasped at the sight of the upturned table.

            “I am fine, Chanoa,” Ida realized she had not seen any of her personnel since before the attack, and was ashamed to think that she had not even thought of them, “How are you, Chanoa? And the others; Madrey, Sisal, Arles?”

            “We were left alone in the kitchens for the most part, though Arles and young Imani went to help with the defenses and I have not seen them since. But I am hopeful that all is well. Never mind that, though, ma’am, I’ll help you with this.” She bent and began to pick up shards of glass.

            “No need, no need,” Ida grasped her wrists and brought her to her feet, “I am sure you have heard of the arrangement of Lady Fiora and His Majesty. I would like you to oversee preparations in the morning so that the transition is smooth, and for that you need rest.”

            Chanoa stood, simply nodding for a response. Ida never spoke a word, either, instead she ushered her friend out the door, closing it again with a ‘goodnight’ written in her eyes and mouth. A pop of color caught her eye, peeking out from under a porcelain basin shard, and she rushed to pick it up. It was a red gem, carved in the shape of a heart, with the letters “B.G.” on the back; she dusted it off with the corner of her apron. It must have fallen out of the table drawer. For as long as she knew, those letters were nothing to her, and only upon seeing the dead man that had been brought to the castle with a hole in his side, and the gift of a bloodied Pyron dagger presented to the king, that she remembered what �"who�"they meant. Buur Garning. Even since her memory came back to her, she had not told a soul about the man that had been her lover in her youth. A flicker sparked in her mind when she saw Buur when he came to court as audience to the King, but it was the shock of seeing him dead, she figured, that brought her memory back. But why had I lost it?

            She resolved to go see Buur Garning before too long; after he had been brought to the capitol, his body was kept in the crypt until word of his family arrived. Locked away in the cold cellar. Locked. Keys! That was the reason she had come to her chambers. Fiora had instructed any rooms and halls not in use to be locked up, to ensure the castles safety. Ida would give the keys to Philly to see that command done, as there was nothing she wanted more than a bed and long, peaceful, uninterrupted sleep. Just for tonight, she would let the young ones handle what needed to be done, and if it was not done properly, she would smack as many heads as she needed to in the morning.

            From a hook on the wall, she grabbed the large keyring and went to the door; when she found Commander Philly tonight she could at least smack his head for sending Emmyria�"Emmyria of all people! �"out into the night with those broods from the Eastern Woods. If the Commander was anybody but the queen’s cousin, and within arm’s reach, she would have killed him on the spot when she found out! That would improve her mood a little, and maybe a visit to the Kin�"to Drom.

            She was nearly to the stairs, feeling her way through the now pitch-dark corridor, when a tremor rattled the walls and a blinding flash illuminated the hall from outside.

 

            “Elior! Elior!” She lost track of how many times she had called his name, but Elaiyami kept shouting; she knew it was impossible, but instinctively she clawed and pulled at each stone of her cell, trying to tear the wall down.

            “Anything yet?” Talia Harper asked from across the opposite wall behind Elaiyami.

            “No, I have not heard anything at all today!” she said in a long, breathy sob, brushing her long red hair out of her face. Elaiyami was not sure, but she knew it had to be well after dark.

            A muffled sound came from Talia’s direction, which had to be the princess talking, but Elaiyami was too busy to focus on what she was saying. She went to the table where a plate of some kind of food sat from the night before, until she heard from Elior, she would not touch a bite of it, however, she grabbed the butter knife and began scratching away at the mortar between the bricks.

            “Our Lady Fair says that when the guards come to her next, she will have them check on him.” Talia communicated the message, then heard another muffled protest from the princess, probably from being called ‘Lady Fair’.

The princess had multiple visits each day. Even with the enemy in control, they would not let her suffer, she was too valuable of a hostage. But why would they care at all about a traitor’s son, who could very well be dead already? Elaiyami cursed herself for even thinking such a thing. She did not respond to Talia’s words, instead chipped away at the wall, the knife being the only sound for a spell.

            There were muffled shouts after a while, and Elaiyami knew that they were telling her to stop the noise. Most were men’s voices she could tell, coming from all directions, and from how loud they became collectively, the dungeons must have been full. It was easy to forget about them, the other prisoners, about anything really beyond the four walls of her cell, besides her love. She drowned out the men’s protests though, and focused only on chipping away the mortar, losing track of time.

            Then Talia’s whispering voice snuck into her thoughts, telling her to be quiet, “Stop that, Elaiyami, someone’s in Memora’s cell!” she finally heard, and then a man’s voice, inaudible through the brick. She bounded to the other side of the chamber and crouched close to the crack in the wall that she and Talia shared, trying to listen. There was no way to make out what was being said, however, the Princess’ commanding tone was unmistakable.

            “But he is only three cells over! It is not any trouble for you at all to check on him while you are down here!” Memora said to the guard, who, to her dismay, wore a red cloak. A deep blood-red. She swallowed her nerves and tried her best to keep her chin up and her shoulders square.

            “I care not what happens to that whelp, Princess.” He used her title, but there was malice in his tone; she refrained from whipping a drop of spittle that landed on her arm when he spoke. Her blood began to boil.

            “We have not made contact with him in some time, if you are in charge of this place now, it is your duty to see its inhabitants taken care of.”

            “You are an inhabitant too now, girl, and not in a place to throw around orders,” he handed her a dented metal goblet that the skinny man with rotten teeth grinning from behind the cell door had filled to near overflowing, “and you are too valuable an inhabitant to let go thirsty.”

            Her dry throat and empty stomach wanted her to grab the cup and toss it back without a second thought, but instead Memora only stared at it, and the hairy hand that clutched it, following the man’s arm up to his face.

            “You were in my father’s guard, were you not?” she asked, “obviously before you donned that red cloak. I recognize your face.”

            “Take the cup, girl, and keep your mouth shut.” He thrust the goblet into her chest, and she had to grab it, if only from keeping its contents from soaking her dress.

            “And what made your allegiance change so suddenly, Sir? Or was it not so sudden…?” He turned from her and stomped away, cutting her off.

            “You will go check on the boy.” She yelled after him, not as a question. When he said nothing in response, she threw the cup at him as hard as she could; it clinked off of his iron backplate, and water splashed over his head.

            In the moment of silence that it took the man to wipe his face dry, Memora knew she had made a mistake. Emmy told her quite often that she lets her temper get the best of her.

            The guard turned slowly, the water practically steaming off of his face, which burned bright red. In an instant, he was directly in front of her with an iron hand on each of her arms. Before she could react, he threw her back across the cell. Memora yelped as she flew; she hit the stone wall hard and fell to the floor, her vision blurry.

Faintly, she was aware of Talia yelling through the wall. Not faintly, she felt a hand clench onto her knee. The way she had fallen, her skirts separated, and the guard was on his knees at her side running a rough hand along her exposed leg. Her head was still swimming, but she still attempted to push his hand away.

Further aware, she noticed that even the skinny, rotten-mouthed man was trying to pull him off of her. The more Memora pushed away at him, the more the guard resisted, and all too easily positioned himself between her legs, lifting her off the floor. She began to scream, Talia was still screaming, inaudible through the wall, and the dirty man continued attempts to get the guard to stop. Everything was happening so suddenly, but it was chaos in those moments. The guard grabbed the skinny man by the throat and tossed him aside, and then turned to bring a clenched fist down on Memora’s face. He stepped away from her, leaving the princess clutching her face, stunned silent, with tears welling in her eyes.

“My lord Farwell,” the skinny man spit out, a hand to his throat, “we have been instructed not to touch her.”

“I know what we have been instructed, cook,” the guard smoothed his wet hair back, “But this one was asking for�"“

Before he could finish, the stone wall at the back of the cell exploded apart, and bricks crashed around them, the air that came rushing in was hot, and was comprised almost entirely of shrill, ear-splitting roars.

 

The city was alive with the voices of thousands. Mothers shrieked for their children, who cried out in fear; Men called to their brothers to join the fray, who’s fear also filled the night air. All around, there was fire, and more fell out of the sky from every direction, every stream bright enough to have come from the sun, it, along with the smoke, blocking out the stars.

Aleksandar Keilrich ran along the cobblestoned street, his lungs searing from the air’s heat, Roanan ran beside him with the crimson Pyron blade in one hand and Rosett’s hand in his other, pulling her behind him, Emmyria was too his other side, holding her skirts high, trying to keep up. There was no destination in mind, the only goal being to keep the dragons in sight. They had flown�"flown! �"to the city on the back of the Princess’ dragon, Nirare, and when it had sensed the presence of Pyron’s creature, Nirare crashed to the ground on the outskirts of town, and shook them off of its back before lunging into the air again to go after its winged enemy.

People filled the streets despite the present danger, trying to put out fires and close their shops and gather their families�"some even stepping out only to catch a glimpse of a dragon! The four pushed passed them all, taking a quick turn when they flew out of sight, a blinding glare of molten-white liquid streaming from them both.

Coming back into view, sounding snarls and sending up gusts with massive wings, the larger beast had its jaws clamped at the base of the smaller’s throat, and its unending neck coiled once around Nirare’s shoulders. The Princess’ dragon clawed mercilessly at the shield-skin of its attacker, sending showers of sparks and filling the air with the harsh metallic grating sounds of claw on scales; the two beasts alone louder than a thousand men at swordplay.

            Emmyria shrieked when she saw what was happening, and clapped hands to her mouth. Through the black smoke and in the dim moonlight, it was hard to focus on the battle in the sky, though it was clear that the larger dragon was unmatched. In a quick motion, it heaved its thick tail around Nirare’s body, binding its wings, and rolled above the other dragon, tucking in its own wings to plummet to the ground.

            The explosion that resounded when the two dragons crashed amongst the city was unlike anything they had heard before, and the tremors that shook the ground different from anything they had felt; the reverberations came in waves, sending people screaming to their knees all around them, even strong enough to make some buildings crumble at the force of its power.

            Roanan was the first back on his feet, and he offered a hand to his brother first, who both helped the girls rise. All four were breathing heavily, unsure of what to do next. All seemed hopeless.

            Suddenly, a stone flew from the air and hit the cobblestone with a cracking thud behind them, followed by a plank of wood that clattered along a rooftop, then, a brick shattered a nearby window, and a metal bar plunged itself upright in the dirt; debris of all kinds began raining down from above. People cleared the streets as quickly as they could, and Roanan ushered them under the eve of a still-standing shop, others had gathered there too, and cowered under the counters. The wreckage fell heavier, filling the streets like dreadful snowfall, and when it was finished, the air was heavy with dust. Only after the last pebble fell, did people poke their heads out from hiding.

            The street was surprisingly still and the people tiptoed cautiously waiting for something new to go wrong; the silence was nearly unbearable, until a great guttural roar broke it, and thrashing continued off in the distance, unseen past the rooftops.

            “That was Nirare, I am sure of it!” Emmy shouted excitedly, having feared the worst when the dragon was crushed under its larger enemy; there was no possible way her dress could ever have been white.

            “We need to get over there!” Rosett said, “It cannot fight this battle alone!”

            “Right,” Roanan said, looking to Aleks, who nodded his agreement. “Let’s go.”

            The people who ventured out eyed them curiously as they ran past, their eyes gaunt and bewildered, a mirror of their own as they stared at the wreckage of the city, and the sparse corpses that lined the streets.

            A flash of movement caught their eye as a great set of wings rose outstretched into their view above the buildings, and came down like billowed sails, sending clouds of dust curling about. Then more screams and terror-filled shouts sounded, and crowds of people appeared, running away from the melee. Parents dragged their children behind them, men carried the elderly, and women carried a few personal possessions, even horses were out in the streets, all wide-eyed and frenzied, trampling through the masses. All were bloody and tattered, like an army of the dead scampering through the streets. The four avoided them the best they could, holding onto each other, though in their hurry, the people of Lossain paid them no mind. Every bump and tap resulted in a fresh swipe of blood, or a yelp from those whose limbs were broken, that they held to their sides; to their horror, they realized that many people being carried were no longer among the living. The screams of panic and fear were enough to make any sane man mad.

            Rosett closed her eyes and tried to recall happy thoughts, Roanan led her along, and she held Emmyrias hand behind her, and relied on them to be her guide. Sweet Cecelia. The image of her sister bounced along in her head, pigtails bouncing and little skirts flowing, relaxed her a bit. The form of her brother appeared and picked up their little sister. Endreas. I’ll have to write him when I have the time, and to my mother and father, not that they would believe a word I wrote, or care for that matter--.

            “There they are!” Emmyria shouted, and when Rosett opened her eyes again, they were past the people, past the shouting and bloodied, haunting faces; instead, what lay before them was a ruin, a part of the city whole not hours earlier, now crushed and ravaged. Houses were now stacks of splintered kindling, shops leveled to nothing, their goods strewn about the cobbles; fires blazed in every spot they could catch, and a grimy smoke filled the air. Above it all, giants raged.

            Nirare had gotten to its feet and now had its jaws clenched on the throat of the larger dragon, directly behind its horned jawline. The obsidian-scaled beast twisted its neck wildly to break free, like a worm cut in two, and clawed at the Princess’ dragon, who was struggling to maintain its grip. A shower of sparks rained from were a claw grated along Nirare’s shoulder, and with that, the smaller dragon recoiled, bellowing a howl, it released its hold and hurtled away with a great show of wings. Before the bigger animal could gain ground, though, Nirare lit up the night with an immense torrent of flame. This time, Pyron’s beast backed away, each step crushing more buildings into dust and creating more wreckage. Nirare was unrelenting, and continued the surge of fire on an impossibly long breath, until the scales of its neck and chest glowed red-hot; finally, its opponent took wing and circled away, its dark scales immediately camouflaging it against the midnight sky. For a moment, all was silent, except for a rumbling bray that Nirare sounded as it searched the sky for its challenger.

            The four watchers peered towards the stars as well, looking for any sign of the Pyron dragon’s return. Sounds of movement brought their eyes back down, and they saw Nirare sink to its stomach on the ground, its neck arched in a great loop as it sniffed at its shoulder.

            “It must be injured,” Roanan said, and began to walk forward. The others followed, stepping over planks and debris that turned the once clear, straight road into a labyrinth. Amazingly, they met other people along the way, some walking and some crawling from shattered buildings that, looking at the debris, they should not have survived. Everywhere, there was indications of those who had perished; limbs protruding from under rubble, spatters of blood across the street, a wailing family member kneeling next to their loved one. The four helped where they could while they went along, it was indecent not too, the people they could assist immediately running away from the wreckage, some never taking their eyes off of the dragon that still rested among them.

            Suddenly, they heard a faint shout for help, its source unseen through the smoke. It was a woman’s voice, calling from a direction that took them away from Nirare. Another desperate call sounded.

            “We cannot leave her,” Rosett said.

            “Right,” Emmyria agreed, “but we have to get to Nirare, and get the dragon out of the city!”

            “You and I can manage that,” Aleks said to the Princess’ confidant. What did I just agree too? She nodded.

            “Okay,” Roanan said after a moment of thought, “we split up now, Rosett and I will help if we can, and you two get the dragon. If it leaves, go with it, we will meet you back at the quarry,” he grabbed Aleks by the shoulder and pulled him in for a quick hug, “you be careful.”

            “You are the one who always gets yourself into trouble!” Aleks said, he gave Rosett a hug too before turning to leave, “we will see you later.”

            Roanan and Rosett disappeared into the haze, and Aleks and Emmy turned to Nirare, who laid beyond multiple heaps of rubble and debris. Aleks climbed over the first, and offered a hand to Emmyria, who lifted her skirts to follow him over.

 

            “Is there anyone there yet?” Memora called out, through the gaping hole in the wall of her cell. A hole large enough to get her arm out, yet not big enough for her whole body. 

            A hand appeared through the other side, and tried to budge some of the stones, it was Talia’s hand, her having had the luck of escaping, her cell wall being demolished completely, “No one yet,” she said.

            “Someone help us, please!” Elaiyami shouted, who also was set free from the blast.

            “Oh, I cannot stand to be in here any longer!” Memora whined, she looked down at the floor, where falling bricks had crushed in the head of the guard that attacked her. Amazingly, a candle flame still burned brightly, having survived the blast, and illuminated the scene in grisly detail. Lord Farwell she remembered the little dirty man say, and she gently touched the tender part of her cheek where he had struck her; of the cook, he was nowhere to be seen. The door had been slammed shut when part of the roof had caved, the man must have made it out before then. Memora tried to avert her eyes from Lord Farwell’s brain matter dribbled across the floor, but could not, and when she saw a piece clinging to the hem of her skirts, she nearly lost her breakfast. “Get me out of here!”

            Talia was still trying at the bricks, “Oh, please, you were not even in here half a day!! I should leave you in here as long as we were!”

            “Hello! Somebody?” Elaiyami called again.

            “Do not even joke, Talia!” Memora demanded, and she tried, also unsuccessfully, to push a stone free.

            She heard the blacksmith mutter something under her breath, but decided to ignore it, “Any word on Elior?”

            “He’s still trapped, too. And I fear he’s not strong enough to help himself.” That last part she said quietly, for Elaiyami not to overhear.

            She remembered Elior as he was when he was brought before the King to speak on his father’s behalf. The man could barely walk and speak on his own; her father had given Elior her brother’s throne to sit on for the hearing, and that was nearly a fortnight ago! She could not imagine the state he must be in now. “How sad.”

            “Hello! Can you please help us?” They heard Elaiyami say delightedly.

            “There’s someone here.” Talia said and disappeared from Memora’s view.

            “Wait, do not leave me! Who is it?” She cried out after her.

            Two figures walked out of the smoke, a man and woman, their hands linked, when Elaiyami saw them, she ran in their direction, “Please, sir, we need help!”

            “Yes, what can I do? We heard you calling.” The man said back.

            “We have friends that are trapped, and we cannot get to them.” Without another word, Elaiyami turned to the stone wall that held Elior, “One is here, and one in the room on the other side.”

            Rosett eyed the building, seeing the cells that were revealed by crumbling bricks, “These are the city dungeons, Roanan.”

            He eyed the two girls suspiciously, both with red hair, one short and sturdy, the other tall and serene, despite the soot and tattered clothes, “You are criminals?”

            “We are not.” The shorter one spat, “I am a blacksmith from Knoll Hill, and she is a Lord’s daughter from Temple Rock. We were imprisoned here, yes, but falsely accused. All of us.”

            “Now please, we need your help. We asked others who escaped, but they all ran as soon as they were free. Nobody else has come along since then!” Elaiyami pleaded.

            “Where are you, Talia? Hello!” they heard a muffled shout call out.

            “Is that one of them?” Roanan asked.

            “Yes, she’s the, ah… noble’s daughter,” Elaiyami stammered. Roanan walked over to the wall and crouched down to see how he could help, when he saw the Memora’s face looking back at him, he stammered.

            “Princess!”

            “Oh, you are one that came on behalf of my father’s letter! It’s good to see you!” Memora said back, “Please, can you help me?”

            “You know who she is?” Talia asked.

            “Of course, we were actually given the task of finding her from her father and the Lord Commander. My name is Roanan, now let’s get her out of here.”

            “Let’s try to find something to break the stone away,” Rosett said, and started searching the rubble around them, Elaiyami joined her.

            “You have word of my father?” Memora asked.

            “Not now, Princess,” Roanan voiced.

            “What about Emmyria? Or my mother, the queen?”

            “I will share all I know when were sure it’s safe to say.”

            “At least tell me if Nirare is still there! Talia said it was dragons that did this.”

            “The dragon is here, not to be alarmed, but I think it was injured trying to chase the other off.”

            Memora was phased by what Roanan said, but did not let it show, “You need to make Nirare leave,” she instructed, “Any moment now, the city watch will arrive, and Nirare must be gone before they do.”

            “Not to worry, my brother and your friend Emmy are taking care of that as we speak.” Roanan said through grimaced teeth as he tried to work loose a stone, “You just worry about getting yourself out before the watch arrives.”

            “Will this work?” Elaiyami asked, climbing down from a heap of rubble with a twisted metal rod in her hands. Roanan took it from her and jammed it into the mortar, the brick he was working on fell free.

            “Emmyria has never handled Nirare on her own before.” Memora’s words were to herself, but her concerning tone was apparent.

            “She did just fine bringing her to the city.” Roanan said. To that, Memora was aghast.

            “Emmy flew here on her own?”

            “We were with her,” Roanan esplained, “myself, Rosett and my brother Aleks.”

            Now stunned, Memora faltered a moment, “Nirare is not good meeting new people.”

            Another stone crumbled away from where Roanan was chipping.

            “Trea’s hell, this is going to take all night!” he said.

            “Do not give up,” Elaiyami whispered behind him.

            “We need something sturdier.” Roanan said, and with that, he went to Rosett and pulled the Pyron sword out from under her cloak. Tearing a sleeve off of his tunic, he wrapped the cloth around the blade and held it tight.

            “Stand back,” he told Memora, and using the heavy pommel like a hammer, pummeled the wall around its exposed edges. One by one the bricks fell away, filling the air with mortar turned to dust and the tinging sound of metal on stone. Stopping to wipe the sweat from his brow after a long while, he eyed his work, and reached through, “I think we may be able to get you through, take my hand.”

            Feeling her grasp from the other side, he led her to the opening, and though he let her figure out her positioning, he pulled her through. When she was nearly halfway out, Rosett and Talia rushed to her, trying to aid as best they could.

            “I cannot get proper footing.” Memora said, struggling; as if instructed, the three around her pulled harder, and soon, they had her free from her prison.

            Memora breathed a sigh of relief as she laid on the ground, her helpers crumpled around her. “Thank you all,” she said simply and rolled onto her knees, in a laugh she finished, “Though I nearly lost my shoe.”

            “Now, please, help me with Elior.” Elaiyami was still at his cell, hard at work with the piece of twisted metal. Roanan grabbed the Pyron blade again and helped Rosett to her feet. Talia reluctantly reached a hand down to the princess, who graciously took it and stood, arranging her dirty skirts.

            “It is a pleasure to meet you again in person,” Memora jested, and Talia nodded in return, shrugging it off to join the others.

            Roanan met Elaiyami, crouched next to the brick opening, and tried to peer inside; The cavernous cell was pitch dark and not a sound emanated from it, though the smell was indescribable.

            “You’re sure someone is in there?” Roanan asked her quietly.

            “Of course I am!” she shouted, “but he has not spoken a word for quite some time.”

            “If you can hear me in there, stand back!” Roanan shouted, then, ushering the girls away, hammered again at the loose bricks. One by one they fell away until finally, Roanan surrendered to his exhaustion and let the sword fall to the ground; his breath was heavy, and his hands shaking, he spoke through grimaced teeth, “That will have to do.”

            It was enough, and as soon as Roanan backed away, Elaiyami was there, ready to climb down into the cell. Before she made a step, however, Talia grabbed her by the arm, holding her back.

            “I’ll go.” The blacksmith said.

            “But I want to help him!” she pulled away.

            “Elaiyami, no. If the worst has happened, you do not need to see him like that.” Tears pooled in Elaiyami’s eyes, and Memora stepped forward to console her, giving a nod to Talia, who climbed into the cell once Elaiyami was turned away.

            A few moments of silence passed as they all curiously stared into the dark cell, waiting for any sign from Talia.

            “I need help down here!” they finally heard out of the darkness.

            Roanan, despite his fatigue, jumped onto the rumble and began sliding down into the cell. Rosett, too, managed as much as she could. Memora stayed with Elaiyami, keeping an eye on their surroundings; the smoke in the air still clung low to the ground, and the night air was growing cold. She nearly expected troops to walk through the smoke at any moment, whether they were her father’s men or Pyron’s, all would attack at the sight of the dragon. What is taking them so long? Her eyes again found the black abyss of Elior’s cell.

            “Elaiyami, they are coming out!” Memora spun the girl around to face the cell when she saw the shapes emerging. They had a slow time going, but not due to physical strain, almost as if they were being as careful as they could, like children handling a raw egg, trying not to drop it or let it crack. Roanan had the man’s arm propped over his shoulder, holding him up, while Talia supported his other side, and Rosett tried to keep his feet from dragging along the bricks. Elior could barely even hold his own head upright.

            Tears began flowing from Elaiyami’s eyes the moment she saw him, she jumped to them and grabbed Elior’s face in both hands, and brushed his matted hair from his eyes.

            “Oh, you liar, you little liar! You told me you were fine, you promised me you were fine!” Elaiyami ranted, as he only stared back with sunken eyes, then she kissed him, “Oh, I love you.”

           

            “Be careful with Nirare, after the battle, the dragon could still be aggressive!” Emmyria told Aleks as he stepped towards the resting beast.

            The dragon had charred the rubble around it, making a nest of red-hot timbers and debris. It laid in a coiled circle, with its neck looping in a high arch, sniffing the wound near its shoulder. With a great breath, a cloud of steam spread over the wound, and the blood boiled until it darkened to a glistening black, coagulated and hardened; Nirare ran its tongue over the blood, the saliva making it sparkle more; a black scale amongst the others of blue and gold. Seemingly content with its work, Nirare lowered its head to the ground, and closed its eyes, ready for sleep.

            “Nirare?” Aleks whispered, he figured he was just out of reach if the dragon were to lash out, and did not want to get closer.

            Nirare slowly opened its eyes and they slowly rolled in their sockets to stare directly at Aleks, its stare one of annoyance more than anything.

            “Are you alright? Do you remember me?”

            It was only a flicker of movement, but Aleks saw the dragons eyes flash from him to Emmyria and then back. Without lifting its head, it let out a grumble and flashed its teeth. To the beast, it was the smallest of noises, a coo, but still, the ground rumbled.

            “What does that mean, Nirare? Give me a sign.”

            Emmyria stepped into the bite-range first; despite her countless encounters with the beast, it still made her nervous, “I think we’ll be fine,” she said shakily.

            There was no movement from Nirare as the two inched closer. Aleks thought a silent prayer to himself, hoping it would remain calm; the look in Emmy’s eyes told him she was doing the same.

            Then, suddenly, the dragon’s eyes popped open, wide and alert, and it stared wildly into the smoke-filled distance, raising its head. The movement startled both Aleks and Emmy and they jumped back, instinctively looking in the direction that Nirare pointed.

            “Did it hear something?” Aleks asked. Emmy gave no reply, still catching her breath from their fright, but they both still stared and listened. Nirare let out a yearning bray, lifting its head higher.

            “I think there is something,” Emmy finally said, after an indistinctive muffled cry was heard.

In a rattle of timbers and rubble, Nirare shifted in its nest, and let out a deeper rumbling growl. Its head was now passed them as the dragon slowly slithered forward in the direction of the calls.

“Quickly, climb on!” Emmy told Aleks and pushed him forward by the shoulder.

“What do you mea�"“ he resisted.

“Nirare is no longer paying attention to us, and is about to leave us behi�"“

Before she was even done speaking, a great clawed foot crashed down just behind them, and Nirare began to hoist its body off the ground. Aleks hurriedly reached out and grabbed the closest of Nirare’s spiked horns, one jutting out at the base of its neck, and began to climb, Emmyria directly after him. She was right about the dragon paying them no mind, because Nirare stood to full height before they were prepared, and left them clinging to the side as it began to move; it was like hanging onto the side of a cliff during an earthquake.

The grip Aleks had could have been better, but still he reached a hand down to hang onto Emmyria, knowing she was at an even worse angle below him, trying his best not to look at the ground, now fathoms below; she let out a cry with every massive step the dragon took forward.

Even from that height, they heard the shouts clearly now, a girl’s voice, shouting the dragon’s name.

“It’s Memora!” Emmy gasped excitedly.

“My brother and Rosett are there too!” Aleks said, seeing their shapes step out of the smoke, though he did not recognize the others with them.

“Nirare!” the princess yelled again, she was running hard�"they all were�"with her skirts held to her knees, heels clicking on the cobbles. Rosett and the other girls were right behind her, and Roanan trailed, carrying another man, draped loosely, in his arms.

Without hesitation to the strangers of the group, Nirare crouched down and arched its neck low, head almost touching the ground right in front of them, eyes only for the princess. Roanan, Rosett and the others, however, backed away nervously when the dragon’s head stopped before them. Memora jumped up onto Nirare’s bottom lip and slammed into its scaled snout in a great hug, “Oh, how worried I was about you!” she cried.

“Memora!” Emmy called, and the princess’ confidant leapt to the ground from Nirare’s shoulder. A startled Memora peered around the corner of her dragon’s head, and was shocked to see her friend.

“Emmy!” the two girls ran to each other and embraced longingly, words between them an incomprehensive twittering prattle. Aleks jumped to the ground as well and went to the faces he recognized; he hugged Rosett and put a hand on his brother’s shoulder, who was crouched low to the ground, supporting the unresponsive body he held; the two other red-haired girls were knelt around him too, one of them calling what must have been his name, Elior.

“We have to get out of here!” Roanan shouted to the group as a whole, “we saw the city guards coming.”

“Right,” Memora said, “they are doubtless stationed all around us now.”

“What are we going to do?” Rosett piped.

“Your uncle is commander of the guard!” Talia shouted, “have him call them off!”

“My uncle cannot be implicated in this any more than he already is!” Memora defended, “It’s out in the light now, but I have broken the law by having Nirare, and Phillip knew about it the whole time. It would destroy his reputation and standing if that were to be known.”

“What about your mother and father? Surely they would not arraign their own daughter!” Elaiyami said.

“Why would they not? Besides, they are probably still in the castle, which, if you haven’t noticed, Elaiyami,” she gestured to their surroundings in a spin, “was overthrown!”

“We have to get out of here…” Roanan said again, this time to himself.

Nirare perked up again, and stared into the smoke, causing everyone in the group to look around wildly. It was eerily still for a moment.

Emmyria put a hand on Memora’s arm, speaking only to her, “Nirare is our only way out.”

“I know,” the princess whispered, looking to her dragon, “it seems it has come to that. I’m worried, though, about Nirare with all of these people.”

“If you think I am even touching that monster, you thought wrong!” Talia shouted, evidently having heard their conversation.

“What else would you recommend?” Memora barked back.

“And where would we go?” Talia argued.

“You can stay here for all I care!” Memora’s tone even surprised herself, “As for the rest of us, I have family�"“

“�"If even your parents cannot help us, why would any other of your family?” Elaiyami interrupted. “Anyway, they are on different continents if I remember correctly.”

Memora stared in hushed defiance, though had no argument; “The ones who would help without question, yes,” she finally said, “My father’s family are on the Suites and my mother’s in Key Square on the Plains.”

            “How helpful.” Talia snapped.

            “Oh heavens! Will you stop attacking me?” Memora said, “You think I have not already thought of all this a hundred times over?”

            “Stop it, please!” Aleks said, “we’ll figure this out, now stop fighting.”

            His words brought silence yet again, every one of them eyeing each other, hoping anybody would have a suggestion.

            “Our home is destroyed; we cannot go there.” Roanan said.

            “I do not want to go back to mine.” Rosett muttered.

            “Mine burned down.” Talia added.

            “My family is already in bad standing with the crown.” Elaiyami shot a side-glance to Memora.

            “Mine are on the other side of the realm.” Emmyria whispered.

            Suddenly, Nirare let out a rumbling growl, and a heat emanated from its body that made the group step away. The scales on the dragon’s chest glowed red-hot.

            “What is it, Nirare?” Memora asked.

            Then, an unseen voice shouted from the distance, “You there! Halt in the name of the King! We have you surrounded.”

            Memora, with a hand to her face in an effort to stop the heat, ran towards her dragon and put a hand on its foot. The dragon, who had begun to flare itself out defensively, crouched back to the ground at her touch.

            “Everybody climb on, now!”

            “Aleks, help me with him!” Roanan said as he struggled again to lift Elior’s body. Rosett ushered the other girls hesitantly towards the dragon.

            The faint sound of clanking armor and marching footsteps could be heard now over the shouts of commanding officers. Still, though, no forces could be seen through the smoke and ash.

            Memora began to climb, followed by Elaiyami, scaling the dragon’s hide hastily. Rosett was next, she had the Pyron blade, and carried Roanan’s things, as he had his hands full; when the brother’s reached the scaled trunk of a leg, Roanan slung Elior over his shoulder, a groan the only resistance the weak man gave, and took his first lunge up, directing Aleks to be directly behind him if he needed help. Memora, now at the base of the dragon’s neck, instructed Nirare to crouch even lower for them with simply a touch. Aleks was sure he was the only one to see it, but he noticed everything about her, and would have been embarrassed if she had seen him eyeing her now, crouched on the neck of a dragon, yellow hair and skirts flying on the wind, the soft glow of firelight caressing her skin… he abruptly looked away when her eyes flicked towards them, face flush. He noticed Roanan was now well above him.

            Elaiyami was more willing to follow them up, her concern for Elior greater than the fear of the dragon. Talia, however was more reluctant, and now stood alone on the ground below them, equal parts stubborn and afraid.

            The sound of marching footsteps grew louder and shapes began to appear out of the smoke, armored and many.

            “Do not fail to cooperate!” one of the commanders shouted, followed by cries from other garrisons, who had all come to a stop, circled around them, weapons drawn. Taking a quick look, Memora was pleased not to see her uncle’s face among them.

            “Talia, make your decision!” the princess called from above.

            “On behalf of the Royals and this realm, step down and answer for your crimes!” another commander called.

            Talia inched towards the dragon when the armored circle of soldiers took another step forward. “Trea burn for this,” she muttered, and before she could talk herself out of it again, she jumped onto the dragon’s foot.

            Seated as close together as they could, linking arms and grasping clothes, Aleks, Roanan, Rosett, Memora, Emmy, Elaiyami and Elior sat and braced themselves for what they knew was coming.

            “Last chance,” Memora said, “where do we go?”

            “Nighton.” Rosett said, not letting the question linger once more, “I have cousins there. It’s secluded.”

            “If it’s there at all,” Roanan mumbled under his breath, and Rosett punched him in the arm.

            “Alright, Nighton it is. Hang on, Talia!” Memora called out. Then, again, she reached down and gave Nirare the gentlest tap on a scale, and the world shifted.

            Aleks closed his eyes and hugged tighter the bone spike next to him, knowing they soon would be too high for his stomach to handle, and could feel others’ hands on him tightening their grasp on his clothes. The first gust came as Nirare stretched out its wings, and the heat roared with it. Elaiyami let out a cry, as well as others, but Aleks had his teeth gnashed together too hard to let any noise escape.

            There was an uproar from below, from the army, when the dragon extended its full reach; a clamor of gasps, shouts, and cries. Aleks could picture horses going wild and men cowering in fear, but could not open his eyes to see; he could hear orders and instructions being yelled, as well as the crash of rubble with each footfall of the beast they rode, but he only focused on his breathing. A second gust came, and another stomach-churning lurch with it, filled with heat and smoke. Then a third. Finally, Nirare took the leap it needed to gain some air, jumping over the circle of armed men, and launched itself off powerful legs, taking wing into the night sky.

            When, and only when, Aleks was present in his own body again, he opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Memora looking back at him, looking past him he figured, the moonlight revealing a tear that had fallen down her cheek. Aleks turned his head, following her gaze, and saw the capitol city of Lossain sprawled out behind them. One would not think it was the middle of the night by how the city stirred, and he could not believe the expanse of the damage; everything glowed in fire, everything except the castle, which was dark in every window, and nearly disappeared among the forest surrounding it. He looked forward again, and this time caught the princess’ eye, and they held their gaze for longer than was deemed appropriate. Then, Aleks simply smiled at her, not knowing what else to do, except to pull her in and hold her close, and she smiled back, wiping her tears and brushing her hair out of her face against the wind; she turned around after a moment and clasped hands with Emmy next to her, and they mumbled something he could not hear.

            Lowering his eyes, Aleks allowed himself to relax some, releasing his grip off his brother’s arm, trying, without luck, not to stare at the blur of forest far below them. As much as he tried, he could not shake the nauseous feeling that stirred within. Roanan must have noticed, because he gave Aleks a pat on the back in an effort to comfort him; his brother seemed as comfortable as if they were kids again laying on the beach back in Pilant, and leaned against a giant spear of bone. Rosett rested against him, head on Roanan’s shoulder, wind in her hair and her eyes closed, but there was no way she could have been asleep. Once they were in the air, the red-haired girl�"Elaiyami, Aleks remembered�"had crawled in front of them and propped herself on an elbow to lay next to Elior, she seemed captivated by him and had her arm draped across him, her hand gently caressing his bruised face; the slow, irregular rise and fall of the man’s chest the only signal of life left in him. Emmy and Memora were ahead of them further still, near the base of the dragon’s neck, and stared ahead into the night, talking to each other, hair and skirts flying behind them. Every so often, they would glance back at the group, and whenever the princess did, Aleks would quickly shut his eyes and pretend to be resting to avoid anything embarrassing. I feel like an idiot around her, he thought to himself, and smiled, as he did every time she came to mind.

He wondered how Talia was faring by herself on the dragon’s foot, but again could not bring himself to look down and check on her.

            Looking at the people around him, he reflected on the time that had passed since he left home, all of the events that had led them here, to this night, flying on a dragon’s back through the sky, driven out of the capitol, with the threat of the Pyron clan always eminent, and now probably enemies of even the royal army. It seemed like destiny that all of them had met, for what purpose he did not know, but for now, it was them against the world. Aleks tilted his head skyward and became engrossed in the stars, he knew at this moment, all of them were exactly where they were meant to be, and that this adventure they were on was far from over.

Author's Note

Been a while since I've uploaded a new chapter, hope ya'll enjoy!