The beasts reacted, unfurling from their laying down positions, rising to their full stature.
Colossal.
I wondered how the mountains could even hide their full size. Maybe theywerethe mountains. I suddenly grew a profound appreciation for Braxius’s size.
My heart pounded erratically, the strain painful. It was all I could do to stay balanced on Dae.
One stormed toward us, onyx scales glistening, ground shaking, talons piercing the rocky ledge, wings splayed. Threat glistened in its eyes.
“We’ve come to warn you. We mean you no harm.”Was this a mistake? It felt like a mistake as the behemoth form of the massive black beast quickly ate the distance.
But then the dragon coasted to a stop, sending gravel skittering toward us. It gave me a chance to catch my breath. Had I pissed myself? No, I didn’t think so. Definitely close, though.
“You speak among the dragons?”he asked, his voice soaked in ancient tenor.
I lowered my head instinctively. A creature this primordial, this foreboding, required the ultimate respect. “I speak with all creatures.”
“Is that why you ride a wild cat? Curious to see this kind of creature here.”
Technically, it wasn’t an incorrect statement. “Yes.”
“Why does it allow you such a privilege?”
Preferring to not get into the specifics of mine and Dae’s relationship, I restated,“We’ve come to warn you of danger. There is a group accessing a pool of dark magic. They know you are immune to its effects. I think they mean to eliminate you as a threat.”
Only the wind whipping through the mountain pass made any noise. I waited for a response, not wanting to press my luck. I also kind of wanted to vomit, but assumed Dae wouldn’t appreciate the proximity.
“You do not reek of the Black Pool.”
Was it a question? I pondered how to respond.“No, and I am not aligned with the group who does.”
“Why come here at all? Humans cannot stand against dragons. Your warning is unnecessary.”He puffed his chest and huffed air through his nostrils indignantly.
Befriending the dragons should be a piece of cake for me. Yes, I’d come to warn them, but if I could also convince them to stand with us, we could end this fight before it even begins. Radhak masterfully exchanged political discourse to favor his desired outcome, time for me to do the same.“We just wanted to make you aware—”
“DO NOT LIE.”His voice ripped across my mind like a vicious tornado, and I swore the trees below swayed from the force.
My body quaked involuntarily. Okay, dragons could scent ulterior motives, then. Suddenly I was grateful the dragons had secluded themselves among the mountains the past century.
“Is everything okay?”Dae asked. His muscles remained poised beneath me.
Without time on our side, I had no choice but to play the honesty card.“Those who hunt you are also planning a war against innocent people. We have no means to stop the spread of dark magic, our armies will fall. I thought, if you and your kind are resistant, you might—”
The primal tenor boomed across the rocky terrain.“Help a race that sentences itself to its own demise? Who holds no honor for life? Another has done the same before.”
I gathered he referred to the original dark wielder. If it felt appropriate to list my good deeds, I might have tried. Instead, my gaze remained fastened to Dae’s back, terror too thick to allow me to move or respond to his berating tone.
“Even you carelessly risk yours, and this cat’s life, by coming here, deigning to speak with the dragons. The Black Pool is nothreat to us. Humans are no threat to us. Your war is your own making.”
I mentally muttered to Dae, “Pretty sure we’re not getting any help.”The air at this elevation thinned, making it hard to breathe with a racing heart.
“What is that sound?”Dae asked.
Faint rumbling built, barely stronger than the wind. I peered up for the first time, witnessing the chest of the gigantic black dragon swell as he slowly inhaled. The lighter scales along the front of his throat began to brighten. At first I questioned if it was a reflection of the sun, but as the glow turned orange, I recognized what it was.
Fire.
“You do not leave with knowledge of the dragons,”he said.
