My mind quiets as we fly, and I take in the fading daylight. My mind doesn’t quiet often, but there’s something magical about these evening flights with Redara. When I’m high in the sky like this, the problems of the world seem to fade away. I allow myself this time. It’s not until Red’s sufficiently worn through some of her energy that we finally start making our way back. I don’t have the kind of night vision Redara does, but I trust her explicitly. We’ve done this enough times for me to trust her. I can see the walls of the city up ahead because of the permalight on the outsides of the walls, so I know we’re almost done for the night. Suddenly, Redara rears back, nearly launching me off her back.
“What in the world, Redara?” I call out in the darkness,trying to reposition myself on her back. “Why—” My words are cut off when a stream of fire shoots towards us, blinding me with its brightness. Redara darts to the left, barely avoiding it.
Hang on,she sends me.
Oh, shoot.My brain is still trying to process what’s happening as I squeeze my legs tight and try to keep my seat.
Close your eyes,she sends me. I squeeze my eyes shut and hang on tight. I know what’s coming next. I smell the sulfur and hear the air crackle with the heat of her dragon fire. I can see the light even behind my closed eyes. Her dragon fire is incredibly bright any time of day, but at night, it can hurt your eyes.
Did you get it?I ask. She banks hard to the right, and I tighten my legs to keep my seat.I’ll take that as a no.She races forward, and I try to catch my breath. It’s scary being at war with a guivre while on the back of a dragon any time of day, but at night—when I can’t see anything—it's downright terrifying. It gives an awful screech, and I resist the urge to cover my ears. The sound of it reverberates through my body, setting my nerves on fire. Redara shoots downward, and I try to keep the contents of my stomach where they’re supposed to be.Where is—I don’t get the question out before we collide with it. Redara shrieks as we’re thrown to the side, and I lose my grip on her back. For one awful moment, I think I’m going to slide completely off her back. But she adjusts beneath me, and I’m able to gain my seat once again.
Hang on.She starts a series of twists and turns and rolls, and it takes all of my focus to stay on her back.Right. Left. Down. Right. Up.Her directions keep me in my seat as I can anticipate which way to lean. Hours of flying together has taught both ofus the best way to handle these kind of situations, and right now, I’m grateful for every single hour I’ve spent on her back.Close your eyes.I do so immediately and see the bright flash behind my eyelids. There’s nothing after that, and I open my eyes. Redara slows her flight, and I take a shuddery breath.He’s dead,she tells me unnecessarily.
Good job. Are there any more?
She's silent a moment, and I let her do her thing.I don’t sense any.
Okay.
We fly back towards the wall of the city, but we’re both on high alert. The guivres have gotten bolder in approaching city walls. There’s a shout as we fly over the wall of the city, and I know they’re calling out to us to let us know they see us. They probably saw the dragon fire and are calling out to see if we’re okay, but we just fly right past. I’m anxious to get back and make sure she’s uninjured. The second we land, I scramble off her back.Are you hurt anywhere?Guivres may be cursed, but they still retain their dragon fire from the dragon kingdom, and it’s just as deadly as Redara’s fire.
I’m fine.
Did it get you anywhere?I ask.
Redara scoffs.Of course not.
Chapter 2
After I leave Redara for the night, I head home. I close the door behind me and tiptoe up the steps to my second floor apartment, trying to be careful on the squeaky stairs so I don’t wake Eliza. Eliza lives in the apartment below me and owns the home. She and I have a tenuous agreement. She likes the rent money, but she doesn’t necessarily like me coming and going all hours of the night. At least she’s finally given up on locking the door at night and lets me come and go as I please. I make it all the way upstairs and close the door before somebody bangs on the front door. I groan and jog back down the stairs before whoever it is can bang again. I whip open the door. “I keep telling you to come inside and knock on my door.”
Rysden doesn’t bat an eye. “How many?”
“Just one.”
“And are you okay?” Farrah asks, pushing her way past him. “That should have been the first question you asked,” she tells him and gives him a look.
“I’m good. Red’s good. Everybody’s—”
“Good?” Farrah finishes for me.
“Yep. You guys didn’t need to come check on me.”
“I know,” Rysden says, and Farrah elbows him.
“Yes, we did.”
“How close to the wall did this one get?” Rysden asks.
“It was close,” I admit. “But Red took care of it.”
Rysden nods. “Good. You have our thanks.”
When neither of them make a move to leave, I raise an eyebrow. “Was there something else you needed?” Farrah glances at Rysden, and I wait her out. I don’t have to wait long.
“Rysden sent a summons to the king of the Dragon Kingdom,” she finally says.
“Let me guess. He didn’t respond. That’s nothing new, Farrah.”
