Chapter One
I stared down at the Morilren Sea through a frame of dragon claws. This wasn't my first time flying within the talons of a dragon, but it was the longest flight I'd taken. Flights actually. We had to break the journey in two, taking three hours to cross Sken and Vix to reach the coast. My Dragon escort and I had spent the night on Vix's coast in a fishing village that smelled—wait for it—of fish. I know. Shocking. Gunrel, that's the Dragon, didn't like the fish smell so much. Nor was he impressed with the selection of entrees for last night's meal. Yup, all seafood. But hey, it was fresh, and my fish—sauteed in butter and fragrant spices—was the best I'd ever had. And I've dined in the Royal Castle of Sken. That's right. With the Dragon King himself. Well, not at his table, but near it. I was there by his invitation, as a thank you for my help with a beetle issue in Riscavik. No, I'm not a bug expert. I'm a Master of Vegetation. Yes, that's a real title. I have a certificate and everything. I went to school for it. It took years to graduate.
So do not call me a gardener.
If anything, it's more accurate to label me a scholar. But I'm a scholar who deals exclusively with plants. Which is exactly what brought me to my current elevation over the sea. Evidently, another Dragon King needed my services (there aren't a lot ofMasters of Vegetation around). I was hoping it wasn't another bug problem, but it had to be big for him to send for me. And offer me so much gold. Enough that I could retire after this. Either the Dragon King didn't give a shit about money or he had a huge job for me.
Then I saw something in the water below us. Something enormous.
“Holy shit!” I shouted up at Gunrel's horned head. “Look! There's a dragon down there.”
“What are you on about, human?” Gunrel angled his head to glare at me, but then his massive green eyes widened.
Because there, below us in the waves, was a surfacing sea dragon. That's sea dragon in lowercase because it was in beast form. Its long, sinuous body could be seen clearly, even from our height, and it was impressive. It? Him? They? We'll go with it. As I mentioned, it was in beast form, so I couldn't tell its sex. The sea dragon was wingless but impressive. And glorious. As it lifted its horned and finned head, the sunshine set its scales to gleaming, turning what I'd thought was green into brilliant blue. Gunrel was a red dragon. Striking, to say the least, but he wasn't iridescent. Oh, how I loved iridescent things. Some plants were iridescent, and a lot of bugs were. But I'd never seen an iridescent dragon. My heart felt as if it were flying from the sense of adventure filling it. As if I could have shot through Gunrel's claws and just glided beside him.
The sea dragon lifted its head and roared.
Gunrel roared back, forcing me to cover my ears.
Worth it. So worth it. I could feel their roars in my bones. My teeth rattled. Oh, what a life I was living! And me, a mere human.
“I hope that was a friendly greeting,” I shouted. I had to shout, what with the wind and all. Conversation is not easy while traveling via dragon.
“It was,” Gunrel assured me. “We are simply acknowledging each other. It's also a reassurance that I'm just passing over his territory.”
“Territory? Is that a king?”
“No. But all dragons consider their homes to be their territories, and the sea, this section of it at this moment, belongs to him.”
Him. It was a male. Nice to know.
“Ah.” I kept staring at the sea dragon untilhedove. Even then, I watched him until I couldn't make out his shape. “That was amazing.”
Gunrel snorted. “They are just Dragons who can breathe water. I'd rather fly.”
“You heard that?” I asked in a normal tone.
“Yes.”
“So, why have I been shouting?”
“I have no idea.”
I snorted a laugh and sprawled across Gunrel's claws. “Unbelievable.”
“That's what I was thinking. It's as if you thought my senses had diminished in this form. If anything, they are sharper.”
“That wasn't it at all. I thought the wind would mute my voice.”
“I have Dragon hearing. You could whisper in a storm, and I'd hear you.”
“Yeah, yeah, you're all fabulous, and we humans are pathetic. I get it. You know what you should get? Over yourselves.”
Gunrel snorted a laugh. “You are a funny man.”
“Thanks.” I stuck my hand out between his claws and made waving motions through the air currents. “That's what I'm going for. I like to laugh. I think laughter cures most anything.”
He snorted again. “You'd best watch your words around King Shaleros.”
