The line of creatures must continue for almost an hour as we gather the blessed to leave.
By my best estimates, there are almost a hundred thousand of them, to barely more than ten thousand of us.It’s not an inspiring comparison.But our two best fighters, Hyperion and Azar, are not in fine form right now.I won’t risk the dragon I value most, and if Hyperion goes, so does Coral.
After I’ve frantically gathered the few things I have, and Sammy and Jade have done the same, we open a portal to the same place Hyperion did, a town called Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia.I tried not to show my anxiety, but I’ve been low-key terrified since Hyperion portaled out.
What if Australia’s offer was a trap?
I wouldn’t put it past Gideon to lure us somewhere new, only to attack us upon arrival, and sending a weakened flame blessed with a tiny human who’s also not doing great would be like sending a fruit basket for the US Government.
Only, it wasn’t a trap.
The hot and humid air of Darwin, Australia hits me like a warm, gloved hand when I fly through the portal, much like the unwelcome embrace of Houston’s summer air.I drag in a heavy breath and scan the area around the Charles Darwin Lookout, where the reports all invited us to come.
Then, like a sunrise over the mountains, I see them.On the edge of the lookout, there’s a platform.It’s been piled high with fruits, vegetables, grains, and other things, like piles of what look like candy?On the open, grassy areas between the lookout and the parking lot, there are blessed standing around in small groups.
It’s easy to find Hyperion, thanks to his color, and when I do, I finally relax.He’s sitting on the ground, beside Coral, eating what looks like gobbets of some kind of freshly butchered meat—disgusting—out of a large metal tub.Across from him, the Australian Prime Minister’s smiling and dabbing at his face with a napkin, sitting at a long table.If he’s nervous, he’s good at covering it up.
It’s like a scene out of a movie or something—utterly unbelievable.
“Oh.”Coral stands and waves.“The others are coming.”She points at the portal Azar opened and waves us over.“My sister’s the one with wings, there.”
The Prime Minister stands, smiling broadly.“We are just so happy that you decided to join us here in the Northern Territory.”I land close to the table, but Azar opts to land quite a bit farther away, possibly out of caution, or perhaps in an attempt to be polite.
“It’s impressive you’re here, welcoming us yourself,” I say.“We certainly didn’t expect that.”
“You know, we didn’t rush into this,” the Prime Minister says.“Well, we did, rather, but we’ve been dragon-friendly since you first landed.”
“Dragon-friendly?”I can’t help lifting my eyebrows.
“Watching the United States, it just didn’t seem like they were handling things with prudence.”His smile is mild.“I know you’re an American, and we generally like them, but you never seemed bent to destruction or domination.You could have done far more damage if you had been.”
“That’s true.”Though I do recall hating the dragons myself for quite some time.“But are you sure your people won’t change their minds?A government’s composed of a lot of groups, and the troops don’t always agree with everyone else.”
“Indeed,” the Prime Minister says.“But in this case, the reason we offered you the Northern Territory is that their very small population of right around two hundred thousand, in a very large area, voted almost unanimously to invite you.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, the country came in right around seventy percent in support of inviting you here, but this particular area...”He chuckles.“Even more than the rest of Australia, the people who live here have always dealt with and appreciated...unique fauna and flora.”
“There’s a plant here that, if you touch it, will burn fordays,” Coral says.“Like, it’ll hurt so bad you can’t even sleep.”She looks far too delighted by that.
“Tell me you didn’t already discover that yourself,” I say.
She rolls her eyes.“Come on.”
“The poor child would be curled up, screaming, if she had,” the Prime Minister says.“We’ll be sure to give you each a briefing, inasmuch as you want one, but the government has agreed to offer you all the government-owned land in exchange for a few reasonable requests.”
I’ll just bet.
“I’m sure we can come to terms on all that,” I say.
“Oh, no.”The familiar voice is one that has me jogging behind me, where I heard it.
“Sammy?”I look around, and I don’t see him, but then I see Gordon.“Where’s Sammy?”
He’s—Gordon’s frowning.Rufus isn’t doing well.
Behind Gordon, he’s right.Rufus is lying on his side, his large body barely rising and falling.
