by Sarah Noffke
The old woman smiled sweetly at him. “Oh, darling, I’m sorry. Did I kick you? I’m so clumsy in my old age. I blame it on my restless leg syndrome.”
“Old age?” Wilder tilted his head and gave Mother Nature a flirty expression. “You can’t be a day over four billion.”
She scrunched up her shoulders and batted her eyes back at him. “Four and a half if you can believe it.”
“I can’t.” Wilder shook his head. “Whatever are you doing to remain so youthful? I want the recipe.”
“Eat what makes you feel good and always get enough sleep,” Mama Jamba advised. “That’s the secret to old age.”
“Oh, and also be the creator of all life,” Evan added slyly before turning his attention to Mama Jamba. “And how come the all-powerful Mother Nature is suddenly suffering from restless leg syndrome? I didn’t think that was a thing for people such as you.”
She pushed her plate away. “I guess something has me restless. Something that could ruin things if he’s not careful and keeps being a real pain in the ass.”
Evan’s gaze fell on the table like he was suddenly stumped. “I have no idea what could be causing you such things, but if you think of it, please let me know. In the meantime, Hiker was saying how he—”
“Wants you to shut your mouth so we can hear upcoming plans,” Sophia cut in.
“That’s not what I think he was trying to say,” Evan seethed and stuck his tongue out at her.
“What I was saying was that we need to start tracking down the demon dragons,” Hiker began. “Mama has supplied us with a map of where to find them.” He indicated the piece of paper sitting next to the scones and jam.
Evan leaned forward. “It looks like something I drew when I was six years old.”
The map did look like something a child would draw with crayons. The sketch showed the oceans and major continents all shaded in greens and blues. What wasn’t anything like a child’s drawing were the X’s and stars that moved from place to place on the piece of paper. One represented the demon dragons and the other the rider they’d magnetized to.
“You currently couldn’t draw something that good,” Wilder spat.
“The quality isn’t what’s important,” Hiker cut in. “The location of the demon dragons is what we have to focus on. I want you lot to go after the ones who have magnetized to riders.”
“Sir,” Evan began after clearing his throat. “If the demon dragons magnetized to riders, then why aren’t they showing up on the Elite globe?”
Sophia thought she knew the answer before Hiker said anything, but it was Mahkah who supplied the information.
“The demon dragons started at the Gullington and took their leave,” he stated. “They know what we’re all about and have made a choice not to be a part of it.”
“That’s right,” Hiker affirmed. “When a rider magnetized to a demon dragon in the past, they showed up on the Elite globe, and I brought them into the Gullington. At the point that they decided not to join us, once they left here, they disappeared from the globe.”
“And no demon dragonrider has ever joined the Elite,” Ainsley supplied with great authority.
It was strange for Sophia to watch the old housekeeper joining in the meeting like she was a part of things, rather than serving the Dragon Elite. It was exactly as it was and how it should be. Having Ainsley there made sense. She was the outsider with an insider perspective. She brought something different because of her intellect and background and who she was as an elf shapeshifter.
“Correct.” Hiker was careful not to look directly at Ainsley. “I don’t have any hopes that will have changed, but it’s my responsibility as the leader of the Dragon Elite to at least make an introduction, which has always been followed by a warning.”
“Which is?” Evan asked.
“Stay out of our way, or we’ll make you rue the day you were born,” Wilder supplied.
Hiker shot him an annoyed glare. “That’s not what I tell them, but it’s the gist, I guess.” He glanced back at Evan. “I warn them that we’re the supreme governing authority and they aren’t to confuse our mission or give us a bad reputation as dragonriders. They don’t have to be with us, but I won’t have them making our jobs harder.”
“For the most part, those riders have gone out alone and disappeared,” Mahkah imparted. “Demon dragonriders are usually loners.”
“That’s because they’re self-serving, which doesn’t work well for team mentality,” Hiker offered.
Sophia remembered Gordon Burgress, a lone dragonrider who she and Lunis had encountered in Colorado. He had been brainwashed by Thad Reinhart to try and destroy the Dragon Elite by using magitech to sever the connection between dragons and their riders. It was a horribly traumatic experience for both Lunis and Sophia.
“Thad Reinhart had a team though, and they were all demon dragonriders,” Ainsley stated, new anger suddenly welling up in her.
“Yes, but Thad was a leader who could bring people together,” Hiker told her, his eyes still not meeting hers.
“Unfortunately, only for the detriment of my planet,” Mama Jamba declared and shook her head.
“Unfortunately,” Hiker repeated. “But it’s still my responsibility to make the introduction and warn them. They’re brand new to this world, and I hope that they might want to contribute to it rather than be a drain on it. Most demon dragonriders, except for Thad and his band, have simply wanted to exist on their own and lead a quiet life, which is fine. But this is a new generation, so I think it’s hopeful to expect new things from them.”
“Those are high hopes, son,” Mama Jamba stated.
“You’re the one who recently said that evil knows no bounds, but that if paired with good, then great things could happen,” Hiker argued.
“That’s one hundred percent true and exactly what I said,” Mother Nature countered. “However, I’m simply warning you not to get your expectations too high. This is a new generation, so you should expect new things. It might be good, and it might be bad.”
“Being self-serving isn’t always a bad thing,” Sophia mused, her eyes on her plate but not really seeing it.
“That’s appropriate for the spoiled LA girl to say,” Evan teased.
She shot him a repulsed look. “If you’d let me finish, I was going to say that self-serving isn’t inherently evil. Good can come out of it.”
Evan put both his elbows on the table and leaned in her direction. “I’m going to challenge you on that, Pink Princess.”
Sophia thought for a moment. “Well, think about the railroad in the United States. It was an endeavor done by those who wanted to make a profit and to the detriment of those forced to build it. They were self-serving, but then look at the good that came out of the railroad system.”
“So you’re promoting slavery?” Evan asked with a sly grin.
Sophia’s eyes widened. “Are you insane? Of course, I’m not. I’m highlighting that self-serving people can be connected to contributions that benefit society. So like Mama Jamba is saying, if good and evil come together, great things could happen. It’s simply that the demon dragonriders would need governing so that they don’t abuse the system.”
Wilder nodded. “Yeah, if the railroad was done right, and by that I mean morally, then you’d have the benefits without all the problems it created.”
“So you’re saying that the goals of a demon dragonrider as a self-serving person can be good and provide direction,” Mahkah said in a careful voice, like working this out as he spoke, “but that’s where they would need the moral compass of an angel dragonrider.”
Mama Jamba smiled at him. “Well put. That was always the intent of creating both angel and demon dragons. It’s about creating balance. It just so happens that the balance was never fully achieved. Many of the demon dragonriders were seen as bad and hunted by the House of Fourteen, dwindling their numbers. Then Thad Reinhart came along and created more problems with his army. Then of course, we had
the Great War, which made you all ineffective for centuries. What we have now with the new generation is a great opportunity.”
When she finished speaking, no one said anything for a long time, all seeming inspired and overwhelmed by the possibilities that lay before them.
Finally, it was Hiker who broke the silence. “So you all go after the new demon dragonriders out there. Extend a hand to them. Invite them here, and we’ll see if we can finally create balance in this world among the angel and demon dragonriders.”
Everyone nodded as Trin strode in from the kitchen carrying an empty tray to clean up the dishes.
Ainsley glanced up at the cyborg and smiled. “Breakfast was lovely, Trin. You’re doing a fine job.”
The sideways, half-mechanical smile Trin flashed was full of nervousness. “Thank you, Miss Ainsley. I had a good teacher.”
Evan wadded up his napkin and threw it on the table while shaking his head. “Is everyone around the Castle going to start being all nice to each other from now on?” He stuck his nose in the air and did an impression of Ainsley. “Hiker, please pass the jam? Trin, you’re doing fine work. Sophia, you’re not an annoying pest.”
Quiet muttered something from the other side of the table, and Trin laughed in response. “I agree. We should all be nice to each other and exclude this one.” She pointed in Evan’s direction.
He rolled his eyes. “That’s fine. When I tried being nice to that one, he made my life hell.” Evan thumbed in Quiet’s direction.
The gnome mumbled, and everyone at the table except for Evan, nodded in agreement.
He widened his eyes and looked at Wilder. “Wait, you understood what he said?”
Wilder nodded. “Of course, mate. That was as clear as day.”
Evan shook his head and glanced at Hiker. “Sir, you didn’t really get what Quiet said, did you?”
Without planning it, they’d all joined in on the joke—even Hiker, surprisingly. The leader of the Dragon Elite nodded and combed his hand through his beard. “I did.”
Evan stood at once and glared down at all of them. “I don’t believe it. You can’t all understand what that gnome says.”
On cue, Quiet muttered something else inaudible. In unison, the entire table all laughed, like they understood what he said.
“Oh, for the love of the angels,” Evan declared, threw his arms up, and marched from the dining hall. “I’m done with you people.”
“We were done with you first,” Trin called after him before exchanging a delighted wink with Ainsley. She was getting on well as the housekeeper, and it was benefiting everyone, even Evan who secretly loved the attention. There were many ways that the changes in the Castle would benefit the dragonrider, but he wasn’t ready for them quite yet.
Chapter Three
The green of the Expanse seemed brighter when Sophia set off in the direction of the Cave after breakfast. Hiker all but booted the dragonriders out of the Castle, saying they shouldn’t delay with the tasks he’d assigned them. He was usually impatient, but it was a little elevated and Sophia thought she knew why.
Although Hiker could get the riders out of the Castle, Mama Jamba wasn’t going anywhere. She was probably perched on the Viking’s sofa in his office like usual, giving him and Ainsley no privacy at all. What was the point anyway since Mother Nature was privy to pretty much everything?
Sophia enjoyed the cool wind that swept across her face. It was a clear morning, and the dragonettes were “playing” on the grounds of the Gullington, wrestling or attempting to fly. On the other side of the Expanse, Sophia spied the “mature” dragons: Bell, Coral, Simi, and Tala.
Her dragon Lunis was somewhere between where the dragonettes gathered and the older dragons. It was almost like the positions of the various groups spoke volumes. The older dragons were removed from the new generation, unwilling to fully embrace their casual ways, which were much different than how they’d matured. Back in the day, it wasn’t acceptable for dragons to play. Then there was Lunis, who was somewhere in between the two generations and seemingly connected them. The older dragons had accepted him from the beginning. The new generation followed him around, copied everything he did, and idolized him.
Sophia was careful to give the dragonettes a wide berth as she passed them. Many were practicing their fire skills, which took a little while to develop, but more importantly, it required them to hone their aim. Most of the dragonettes hadn’t mastered it and rogue fire spraying around like an out of control hose was the result.
“Did you bring your phone?” Lunis asked her when she was close enough to hear him over the ruckus of the angel dragons at her back.
Sophia withdrew the mobile from her pocket, held it up in the air, and waved it back and forth. “Why?”
“I have friends I need to talk to.” The blue dragon hid a smile.
She pulled the phone back. “By friends do you mean a rooster named Goose and a penguin named Tex?”
“Hey, don’t judge me if my best friends are all campers on Animal Crossing.” Lunis pretended to be offended.
Sophia laughed. Evan had spread his Animal Crossing addiction to the blue dragon—a wholesome game where they harvested the orchard, fished, and fulfilled requests for the various characters. It was a smart game that gave constant rewards, offering dopamine hits over and over again.
“Don’t you have it on your iPad?” Sophia asked, then shook her head while listening to the question she’d asked out loud…to her dragon.
“One of the dragonettes broke it,” he admitted. Annoyance flared in his eyes as he glanced at the group wrestling in the distance.
Sophia nodded. “The youth these days don’t know how to take care of things.”
“The last time I try to teach them about technology,” Lunis complained. “Anyway, I’m sure my friends miss me, and I need to compete in the fishing tournament. Hand over the phone.”
“A please wouldn’t hurt you.”
“It might,” he countered and winked at her. He wrapped the end of his tail around the phone in her hand and jerked it free, then tapped on the screen with the claw of his good foot. “Ooooh, look at that. I can dress up some of my friends since I’ve leveled up our friendship.”
Sophia laughed. “Yes, that’s how friendships work. Once you get to a certain level, then you can start telling your friends what to wear.”
Lunis glanced over the phone and raised an eyebrow at her. “Are we to that level yet?”
She rolled her eyes and drew her attention to his injured leg. Lunis had sustained injuries when they’d battled the Tarrasque. Sophia knew because of their telepathic link that he wasn’t letting on to how much it inhibited him. She’d been grateful to see Lunis on the Expanse after the battle, believing he’d recovered. However, he then spent all of his time on the lawn, unable to fly up to the Cave since he couldn’t spring off the injured leg.
However, Mahkah, who wasn’t prone to optimism but rather realistic expectations, had stated that he thought Lunis could make a full recovery. He needed time at the Gullington where Quiet’s powers could heal him. Still, it was hard for Sophia to know that her dragon was suffering and there was nothing she could do about it. She decided not to bother him with it right then. He downplayed how bad it was because he didn’t want to make her worry. She understood that and would do the same in his position.
“So how are your real friends doing?” Sophia indicated the older dragons lounging by a field with the herd of sheep. Thankfully, Lee’s water treatment fixed the sheep all over Scotland and they were no longer exploding, making them once again the main staple of the dragon’s diet.
“They’re grumpier than ever.” Lunis’ gaze flicked up briefly to regard the four large dragons before his attention returned to the phone held in his tail. “Oh, I got a new t-shirt!”
Sophia was about to question this when she realized he was referring to the game he was playing. “It will take the old dragons some time to adjust to having the dragonettes in t
he Gullington. They had it all to themselves for centuries. It has to be weird.”
“Everything is weird to the old fogies,” Lunis supplied. “They don’t do change very well.”
“Well, that’s something I’d like to see different with the new generation.” Sophia studied the large dragons regally bathing in the sunlight.
“I think they’ll take after you as the one who spawned the new batch of eggs. What will be interesting is when the first few new riders come to the Gullington. New personalities, and you possibly having to share a bathroom with another girl rider.”
Sophia scoffed at him. “I’m not sharing my bathroom. I hadn’t thought much about another girl rider, but it makes sense there would be some this time around.”
“Then you won’t be the only female rider,” Lunis teased. “You’ll have to share the attention.”
“As the only girl among four ancient guys, I’m okay with that,” Sophia related. “Yeah, Hiker is sending us after the demon dragonriders so I might bring some new friends back with me.”
Lunis shook his head. “Demon dragonriders won’t come here.”
“That’s what most assume too, but there’s hope that they might be different—being a part of the new generation and all.”
“That’s not hope. That’s being unrealistic.” Lunis’ tongue hung out of his mouth as he played his game and thought out his strategy for maximizing resources so he could upgrade the campsite. “I was talking about when the angel dragons return with their riders.”
Sophia’s eyes widened. “Wait, some angel dragons left the Gullington? You didn’t tell me.”
“You didn’t ask,” he teased and scrunched up his face as he played.
“Do you think they’ll magnetize to riders?”
“If they do, then it will show up on the Elite globe, and you’ll know about it,” Lunis answered. “It’s hard to tell. Not all dragons elect to have a rider. They also don’t do it straight away. Sometimes a dragon chooses to live a few hundred years before they magnetize. I’m codependent, so I magnetized to you right away.”
