Jaeger drew out a strange gun with a minuscule barrel, which he pointed at Marc. I lunged at him and threw myself on his arm. The gun went off and fired a projectile like a porcupine quill into the rear wall. The quill detonated on impact, blowing out a huge hole in the wall.
Jaeger grabbed me by the throat and yanked me off the floor so we were at eye level. “You bitch!” I gasped when he tightened his grip, cutting off my air.
Ramaro released his captive and tried to run to me, but the sailor grabbed him about the neck and flung him through the gaping hole created by Jaeger. That gave me an idea, and my hand fumbled in my pocket until I found what I needed.
Ramaro’s scales. I grasped the package tightly and shoved the paper into Jaeger’s face. The contents exploded and invaded every orifice. Jaeger stumbled back and released me, where I crumpled to the floor. He clutched his face as huge welts appeared all over his cheeks and forehead. One even protruded from the tip of his nose.
I wish I could have laughed, but a roar from Marc made me turn around. The sailors were still trying to tackle him, but he swept them aside with his wings. He was now completely a creature of legend, long and lithe, with a bit of a bowled belly. He stretched his wings and flapped hard, causing a tempest that flung men and furniture around the room.
“Marc!” I shouted as I flipped over onto my butt. “Marc!”
His brilliant blue eye fell on me, and there was some recognition in it that gave me hope. Then he started marching toward me, his thick, clawed hands breaking every board he touched. Instinct told me to run, so I scuttled backward. He caught me after a few steps and slipped his long neck under me. I yelped as I slid down to land on his back, where a few rough ridges stopped any further slippage. I twisted around and wrapped my arms around his neck as he stood.
The swirling eye moved faster, and a terrific tornado swept around us. Men clung to the walls and the nailed bed to keep from being blown out the enlarging hole at the rear. The ceiling rattled until it broke under the strain, and boards and furniture flew up and out. The man at the helm leaped over the front railing as Marc leaped into the air. He flapped hard and took off into the brightening sky.
I looked down and beheld Jaeger standing in the huge hole, his eyes filled with fury.
I also saw a small shape climb over the rear of the ship. “Hey!” Ramaro shouted as he waved a claw. “Down here!”
My heart skipped a beat, and I tugged on one of Marc’s scales. “We have to fly by the ship! Ramaro’s down there!”
He didn’t even turn his head to me, but continued to flap.
“Please, Marc!”
His body shuddered at his name, but he stretched out his wings and dove sideways toward the ship. The crew drew guns and fired at us. I could see and hear the bullets clink against his iron-hard scales, leaving nothing more than a few scratches. I wasn’t so tough, and one of the bullets nicked my arm. A hiss escaped me as I clapped a hand over the shallow wound.
Marc whipped his head around, and his blue eye blazed with fury. I shook my head and stabbed a finger at Ramaro, who had been noticed by one of the crew. “I’m okay! Just get down there!”
Marc snorted and returned his attention to his dive. He swooped us around the rear of the ship so we were hidden from the whizzing bullets. Ramaro flicked his tongue at the man who crept toward him and leaped off the back. He landed neatly in front of me and used his claws to clutch onto the scales.
Marc flew us away from the ship and toward the brightening horizon. The bullets ceased and silence fell over us. There was only the soft flap of his wings as he kept us aloft a hundred feet over the water.
Ramaro twisted his head around and frowned at the blood that dribbled down my arm. “Are you alright?”
I managed a shaky smile. “I’m okay.” My eyes invariably fell on our ride. I brushed a hand over his scales. “Will Marc be alright?”
Ramaro sighed. “It’s been a long time since he looked like this, so there’s no telling what effects will linger once he’s changed back.”
Hope was rekindled inside me. “Then this isn’t permanent?”
“I hope it’s permanent enough to get us back to the Tempest,” he mused as he squinted at the horizon. “Otherwise, we’re dead.”
I leaned to one side and studied Marc’s bright blue eye. “Does he. . .does he even know what he’s doing?”
My companion sighed. “Even if he didn’t, a dragon always goes back to its lair, and there’s no place he feels safer than on the Tempest.”
I examined his large body and lithe wings. “How is this possible?”
He wrinkled his snout. “Haven’t you learned enough yet? Magic is everywhere in our world.”
I looked up at him and cocked my head to one side. “Can anyone do this?”
Ramaro cleared his throat, and his tongue flicked out. “Well, not anyone, but the captain can do it.”
A violent ripple ran through Marc’s body. I tensed and latched onto his scales as Ramaro did the same. “Is that supposed to happen?”
“No,” Ramaro told me as he cast his gaze to the horizon. “We’d better hope we find the Tempest soon or we’re headed for a wet landing.”
