I swung onto Kaelith’s back without a second of hesitation. One by one, the others followed—Zander mounting Hein with practiced ease, Cordelle scrambling atop Kass with a flash of green fire beneath his boots, Naia and Temil, Riven and her gleaming silver Lola, Tae flashing a grin as he swung onto Kieren, Jax with Koddos rumbling underfoot, and Ferrula steady and calm as ever with Narvea.
The Ascension Grounds erupted into shouts from the castle balconies as our dragons took to the sky in a synchronizedlaunch, wings beating the air with thunderous power. We didn’t look back.
They’re yelling,Kaelith said dryly.
They’ll get over it,I replied, settling low into the curve of her neck as the wind howled past.
We soared in a staggered diamond formation, Hein and Kaelith leading, the others falling into place as if we’d trained for this moment our whole lives. Below us, the terrain rushed past—rolling green hills shifting into cracked earth, charred remnants of forest left behind by too many raids. The sky grew darker the farther we flew, as if even the clouds feared the border.
The Solmian Outpost came into view like a bruise on the landscape—scorched earth, shattered walls, and the broken bones of a defense that had once stood proud. No movement. No signal. No life.
My pulse kicked.
No survivors?I asked.
Kaelith’s silence was answer enough. And then?—
Something’s coming,she whispered.
The smoke hit us like a wall.
It shimmered unnaturally across the sky, silvery gray, like mist laced with something foul. I coughed, eyes burning, but Kaelith pushed through with a fierce beat of her wings.
Behind us, most of Thrall Squad did the same. I saw Hein dip, Koddos veer slightly but recover, Lola cut through like a blade. But Narvea…
Narvea screamed.
It was a sound I had never heard from Ferrula’s dragon before—high-pitched and panicked, like something primal had ripped through her mind. She bucked hard midair, her wings snapping wide as her body arched violently to the left.
“Ferrula!” I shouted, craning around.
Ferrula was clinging to her dragon’s neck, legs locked, her voice lost in the wind as Narvea spun in a tight spiral. The green Clubtail’s eyes were wild, pupils blown wide as she twisted again and again, desperate, like something had infiltrated her bond and was trying to break it from the inside out.
Koddos, intercept!Kaelith barked to Jax’s dragon.
Kass, bring us lower—Cordelle started, but Kaelith and I were already diving.
“Ferrula!” Jax shouted.
Hein twisted sharply with Zander clutching the ridge behind his horns, trying to flank Narvea and push her back into line. But the dragon thrashed again, tail whipping dangerously close to Hein’s side.
“She’s losing control—” I gasped.
Narvea lurched one final time, her wings folding as her body jolted like she’d been struck by lightning.
Ferrula lost her grip.
“No—!”
Kaelith surged beneath her, and I reached, my breath lodged in my throat as Ferrula plummeted.
Hold steady,Kaelith warned.
I reached with both arms as Ferrula’s body hurtled toward us, her eyes wide with shock, mouth open in a silent scream. Kaelith adjusted her flight angle at the last second?—
And Ferrula slammed into me.
I grunted as the force knocked me back, but I wrapped my arms around her and held tight. Kaelith bucked slightly under the weight shift but stayed level. Ferrula gasped against my shoulder, clutching me like a lifeline.
