Lightning flashed, and she saw the combatants in the air, Wreylith already engaging with a blue dragon. A green was flying past the confrontation, continuing toward Teyla and Syla.
Swearing, Syla hurried toward the pit that Wreylith had thus far excavated.
“Take cover!” she called to Teyla.
If only thereweremore cover. While Wreylith had dug out many rocks, there wasn’t yet anything like a cave that they could hide in. Groping in the dark, Syla scrambled into the pit, but, even crouching low in it, she feared the dragon would easily spot her.
Teyla drew her sword, but she also ran, not foolish enough to believe she could best a dragon.
Shrieks of pain came from the aerial battle, but Syla dared not lift her head over the edge of the pit to check on Wreylith. It didn’t matter. The green dragon found them anyway.
Lightning flashed above it, but no branches streaked out to blast it. The storm god probablywantedone of his creations to stop Syla and her team.
As if the green dragon knew who she was and that she was in charge, it folded its wings in to dive at Syla.
“Look out.” She backed away from Teyla, not wanting her cousin to be injured too. At the same time, she fumbled for the buckle of her medical kit, wanting to pull out a scalpel. Such a tiny blade wouldn’t do much to a dragon, but it was all she had.
Syla didn’t have time to open the kit, not with her hands shaking and the dragon’s talons extending as it arrowed toward her. She flung herself to the side of the pit, hoping that she would be lucky enough to avoid being plucked up.
Teyla leaped in front of her, swinging the sword. The dragon jerked its leg out of the way, avoiding the slash. It still managed to snatch up Syla, and she gasped as strong talons wrapped around her, plucking her up. They tightened painfully around her torso but didn’t slay her outright.
I have one of the puny humans,the dragon boomed to all in the area. As the female flapped her wings and flew out of Teyla’s reach, leaving her cursing and swinging her blade at only air, she added,I sense that she has a small amount of magical power. That makes her important to her people, yes? Could she be bartered to them for the destruction of the shielder artifact? The Island of Eliok must remain free for all dragons!
Syla squirmed, trying to free herself, but as soon as the dragon flew higher, she stopped. The last thing she wanted was for her captor to release her so that she plummeted to the hard rocks below.
The strap of the medical kit slid off Syla’s shoulder. She slapped it to her side, not wanting to lose it, then remembered her thought to pull out a scalpel. Maybe if she managed to stab the small blade between the dragon’s toes, the spot would be vulnerable enough to convince it to release her.
Lightning flashed again, revealing the ground below. The dragon hadn’t flown high into the air—instead she seemed to be heading toward the sea—and the drop was about fifteen feet. Sylamightsurvive such a fall…
Slay all the humans, and get this red monster off me!the other dragon cried.If they are dead, they can’t—Shrieks split the night.
Busy with her battle, Wreylith wouldn’t be able to help Syla. Careful not to lose her medical kit, she delved into it, groping for the scalpel. But she brushed something that tingled with magic. The jar of burn ointment she’d been thinking about earlier.
She almost dismissed it—ointmentcouldn’t help in her predicament. But lightning flashed again, a branch striking a boulder below and splitting it. Again, she thought of Teyla’s words.
“Attracted by magic,” she whispered.
You are not valuable enough to barter?the dragon carrying her asked.
I’m the queen of these people. I’m very valuable. If you put me down, we can negotiate.
I must fly back to assist my ally. Wreylith is strong.
Yes, she is.Syla fished out the jar, closed her medical kit, and struggled to get her arms close enough together to reach and remove the lid.And she’s my friend. If you don’t let me go—er, lightly set me down—she’ll come and slay you.
I will slayyoufirst. You presume to keep dragons out of lands which dragons wish to visit.
The gods gave these lands to humans.As a gust of wind spattered cold rain onto her cheeks and whipped at her clothing, Syla got the lid off the jar. She slid her fingers in, then stretched them upward with the ointment. All she could reach was the side of the dragon’s leg, but she managed to smear the goop on.
What is that?
Burn ointment.Syla realized it was probably pointless, that the magic couldn’t possibly be strong enough to attract lightning. If it were, one of the bolts would have struck her medical kit already.
The dragon shook her.Cease touching me with that. It is slimy.
If Syla hadn’t been in such a predicament, she would have laughed—maybealldragons shared Wreylith’s disdain for unctuous substances.
Yes, it is.Syla smeared more onto the dragon’s leg as well as its foot and talons. Maybe, even if lightning didn’t strike, the ointment would cause the creature’s grip to slip.
