by Sarah Noffke
“So I have to show an act of comradery to one of the riders,” Sophia stated.
“Again, it has to be authentic and unplanned,” Mama Jamba warned.
“I did tell you I didn’t murder Hiker even though he was all but begging me to, right?” Sophia joked.
“I appreciate that, but I’m afraid that won’t do.” Mama patted her leg once more. “You’ll figure it out, my dear. Or you won’t and it will take you several years to complete your training, like Evan.”
“But you told me completing the training is crucial,” Sophia argued, remembering how adamant the woman had been about it.
“Indeed, I did, and it is. But so were a lot of other things that haven’t happened in history,” she explained. “Unfortunately, bad things happen, and usually that’s a result of other things not happening. If you don’t complete your training in time, I fear for this world, but I already do, so it’s just more of the same.”
Sophia fell quiet for a moment, trying not to feel overwhelmed by all this. After a moment, she pointed to the television screen before them on the table in front of the couch. “Are you done with sad movies?”
The television was blank, showing just static.
Mama Jamba smiled good-naturedly as she nodded. “Yes. How about you and I watch something that will make you laugh? You seem like you could use it.”
“I could,” Sophia related. “What do you want to watch?”
“Well, I don’t know,” Mama Jamba said, yarn and a crochet hook appearing in her hands. She immediately went to work making something. She held it up. “For one of King Rudolf’s triplets.”
“Oh, wow, they get a baby blanket from Mother Nature? Is it because their father is the king of the fae?”
“Everyone gets something from me,” Mama Jamba answered. “They just don’t always know it. This is because the triplets are unique.”
“Because they are halflings?” Sophia asked.
In response, Mother Nature bobbed her head. “And other reasons, too, but no spoilers for you.”
“And destiny could change,” Sophia added.
Indicating the screen, Mama Jamba said, “Now, pick something to watch. You probably know all the hip new shows all the kids are watching? Is there something on Prime or Netflix I need to see?”
Sophia blinked at the woman. “Why do you not know everything? I’m confused by how this works.”
“As you should be. It’s very confusing. I know most things, but not everything. Like Papa Creola, I see the future, but not all of it. I can control many things, but only under the right circumstances, and all of that is subject to change if certain rules are broken.”
“Wow,” Sophia said, shaking her head. “Okay, well, how about some Trey Kennedy?”
“Oh, he’s delightful,” Mama Jamba stated at once.
“You’ve seen his YouTube channel?” Sophia asked.
Mother Nature shook her head. “No, I just know everyone.”
“Right,” Sophia said, pointing at the television and making YouTube pop up on the screen.
“Now, what does he do?” Mama Jamba asked, continuing to crochet the blanket.
“He does these spoofs where he makes fun of people: single girls, middle schoolers, white people, adults, millennials, people in the winter, moms. You know, that sort of thing?” Sophia explained. “It’s like the stereotypical behavior we all are prone to, but he calls it out, making it funny.”
“Oh, something like how moms be like ‘Kids, get mommy one of her Dove dark chocolates,’ or ‘What is this Sea World? How is there so much water outside the tub?’ or ‘How do I send a G-I-F?’ or ‘Good morning, or should I say, good afternoon. Someone slept well,’ or ‘Put your coat on and take your other one. You never know,’ or ‘How was your pool party? Were the girls wearing appropriate swimsuits?’”
Sophia peeled back, giving Mama Jamba a look of astonishment. “Yeah, that was pretty much the episode on moms verbatim.”
Mama Jamba scrunched her shoulders, looking proud. “I gave him some of my best jokes. Love that kid.”
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Two
Sophia sat atop Lunis, her fingers on the reins and her attention on Hiker Wallace as he did what he did best—pace. He strode in front of the line of dragons on the Expanse, thinking. She’d grown accustomed to seeing him pace. Fret. Worry away his thoughts.
She looked around, taking in the green hills and capturing the picture around her. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen, but she hoped to see it more often in the future. Four dragons with their riders atop them stood at the ready. In front of them, Hiker, the leader of the Dragon Elite, paced along the Expanse, his red dragon standing nobly at his back.
On the far side next to Evan stood Ainsley and Quiet, serious expressions on both their faces.
These five riders were all that remained of the Dragon Elite. After a thousand years and some odd, there were only five left with dragons. And then there was Thad Reinhart, the worst of the worst and the one they had to take down.
He didn’t have a dragon. Thad had something worse. He had perfected magitech and turned it into his dragon. Sophia knew planes and jets enhanced with magitech and all other things related to the modern world would come at her that day. It would be the worst battle she’d ever endured.
As she looked at Wilder atop Simi on her right, she nodded. Mahkah sat upon Tala on her left, and he gave her confidence. They were all the Earth had, and it had to be enough.
Hiker paced some more before halting. Clearing his throat, he looked at his riders.
“I haven’t always been the leader you wanted,” he began. “But I have always tried to be the one you needed. I looked out for the dangers, but I missed them because I didn’t know they were within me. Thad is my problem. He is the result of what I couldn’t finish.”
Hiker seemed on the verge of having a moment as he sped up, moving faster with his words, almost like he was still pacing in his thoughts.
“I have been a dragonrider since before any of you were born, but I’ve learned our years mean nothing.” His eyes darted to Sophia. “I’ve learned wisdom comes from listening.” His gaze darted to Mahkah. “I’ve learned experience comes from sacrifice.” His eyes moved to Wilder. “I’ve learned positions come to those who go through hell and back.” And finally, his eyes went to Evan. “And I’ve learned ingenuity comes to those who challenge the world around them.”
He moved until he was right in front of Bell. “You all have stayed by me, some of you longer than others, showing your loyalty. That has always been appreciated. I know you’re waiting for the fight. It is here and it wants us, and it will not be done until we are done. Men…riders,” he corrected. “We have spent a long time waiting to be needed, and our time is here.”
Hiker mounted his dragon in an easy series of movements that brought him up on the large red magical creature.
“I can’t thank you enough for staying true to me,” he stated, holding Bell’s reins. “However, I have one more request, and it’s probably the hardest one yet.”
Hiker looked each of them in the eye before gazing at Bell. “If all else fails, if I don’t succeed, elect a leader of the Dragon Elite who will keep you honest until the end.”
“That’s your request?” Ainsley asked, holding up a basket. “I have muffins. Does anyone want muffins for the journey?”
Hiker shook his head. “Would you get out of here, woman? We are having a moment.”
Ainsley pointed at Quiet standing close by. “He said it was all right to interrupt and your speech was drivel and I should offer muffins to soften the boring part.”
Hiker shook his head. “I’m trying to rally my men. People. Riders.”
She shook her head. “No, you’re boring them. If I was giving a speech, it would go something like—”
“You’re fired, Ainsley,” Hiker said flatly.
She bowed. “It is about time, sir. I’ve been waiting for this moment. I’ll see you when
you return.”
He nodded. “See you later.”
She turned and headed for the Castle in the distance.
Quiet also muttered something before ambling off, leaving the riders and their leader staring around blankly.
Sophia sensed they were all waiting for that “Braveheart” moment, and they might not get it. She smiled at Hiker and mouthed the words, “You’ve got this.”
He smiled. Tightening his hands on the reins, he led his dragon in front of them. Bell moved with unique grace, striding back and forth as if she were pacing like her rider.
“I’m sorry if I have faltered,” Hiker began, his voice stronger than before. “But follow me into battle, and we will not fail. I will fight Thad. You will take down his arsenal. And we will show our rule once more over this Earth. Even if we are the last of the dragonriders, we will be the very best this planet has ever known.”
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Three
The dragons rose, their wings flapping in perfect unison. Hiker was in the lead, directing his riders outside the Barrier, where he’d open a portal close to Thad’s facility.
The Dragon Elite rode in formation, Evan and Sophia bringing up the rear. The sun was just rising over the Gullington, but where they were headed, it would still be night, which was important for their plan.
In truth, none of them knew exactly what they’d face. They could have taken time to do reconnaissance on the area, but Hiker had said it was time to act. There would be weapons. Fighting. Resistance. They were aware of that, and it was as much preparation as they needed.
Sophia had never ridden among the other riders like this, watching the tails of the dragons stream behind them in the wind. She felt a rush of emotion, her mind trailing back to ancient memories that weren’t hers. In a flash, she saw Hiker riding next to Adam, the wind ripping through their hair and beards as they raced through a torrential rainstorm. She saw battles where intertwined dragons plummeted toward the ground. She saw the first rider, Alexander Conerly, flying over a clear blue ocean.
It’s the chi of the dragon, Lunis said in her head. It’s connecting you to the memories of other riders like I am often connected to the collective consciousness of dragons.
Wow, I didn’t realize that was possible, Sophia said.
Anything is possible, Lunis said simply. You’re embarking on a pivotal adventure, and this is your first time to ride alongside the Dragon Elite. It’s triggered memories of your own.
Sophia was speechless, feeling the ancient winds the riders who came before her had felt. She felt the power of the dragons around her, a collective power that sent out a frequency unlike anything she’d known.
At that moment, she was connected to the past and the present of the Dragon Elite. The power of her own flowed around like the wind, and she made peace with the element that had always made her shrink in on herself.
She felt the blast of cold and didn’t even consider hunching over to avoid the wind. Instead, Sophia straightened on Lunis, drinking in the breeze and holding her face high. She braced her shoulders and rode into the wind alongside the other Dragon Elite, for the first time feeling like one of them.
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Four
Sophia was the last to come through the portal, coasting in over the flat and sprawling city of Dallas, Texas.
The skyline was lit up, blotting out the stars. The moon hung overhead, a giant full orb high in the Texas sky.
Did you know it was a full moon? Sophia asked her dragon, having been too preoccupied recently to have made note of such things.
Of course, I did, Lunis replied. I can feel them approach.
That will make things interesting tonight, Sophia offered.
It will give me certain advantages, Lunis stated. I’m both strongest and most vulnerable on the full moon.
How is that possible?
That’s how it is with most things, he explained. A bodybuilder bulks up to be stronger, but it also makes them a bigger target.
Right, Sophia replied. If you turn on your supersize skills, we’ll have benefits, but you’ll be a larger target.
Exactly.
The pollution that hung over the city was a stark contrast to the clean air Sophia was used to in the Gullington. The city of Dallas was filled with rows of cookie-cutter houses and roads, planned out on a mass scale. Buildings and bright lights stretched around the highways, where traffic moved sluggishly along, commuters headed home after a long workday.
Hiker spun the compass in his hand, and a confused expression appeared in his eyes. He pointed to Sophia and waved her forward.
“Why her, sir?” Evan complained from beside her.
“Because,” Hiker yelled.
Sophia clenched her heels tighter to Lunis as he sped up and navigated between Mahkah and Wilder. The pair slowed, making room for her as she pulled up next to the leader of the Dragon Elite.
“The compass shows we’re right on top of his facility,” Hiker explained to her, the wind tangling his words. She made them out, thanks to her enhanced senses.
Sophia glanced down to find the city had abruptly stopped. Pastures dotted with trees spread out in front of them. It was possible Thad Reinhart lived in a modest cabin on a farm on the outskirts of the city, but knowing what she did about the man, it seemed unlikely. This compass wasn’t just taking them to Thad Reinhart. It was also drawing them to a huge source of magitech energy.
A mostly empty series of pastures definitely wasn’t the spot for magitech power. Yes, magical power, but to have magitech, there had to be technology. There was no getting around that.
“Did Thad know about the Barrier at the Gullington?” Sophia asked.
A perplexed expression crossed Hiker’s face. “Well, of course. Early on, I tried to recruit him for the Dragon Elite, shortly after I magnetized to Bell and him to Ember. I thought being a rider might change him.” He shook his head, obviously disappointed. “I was naïve then.”
Sophia withdrew the frequency disk Alicia had given her from her pocket. “I think it’s possible Thad created something similar to what we have at the Gullington.”
“The Barrier,” Hiker stated. “So his facility can’t be seen or found by those who aren’t welcome.”
“And they also wouldn’t be able to enter,” Sophia said, slowing the dragon.
Hiker followed suit, as did the other riders at their backs, until they were all hovering over the field, the dragons flapping their wings to keep them aloft.
“If that’s the case, how are we going to get in there?” Hiker asked.
“The Barrier keeps out anyone who isn’t a Dragon Elite or serving them,” Sophia explained. “However, Thad couldn’t have the same parameters, I don’t think. His would be controlled by magitech.”
She set the controls on the frequency disk the way Alicia had shown her. Hiker watched curiously.
“If this works, sir, it will only bring down the security for a moment,” Sophia explained. “That will be our chance to slip through. If it doesn’t work, we have to find another way.”
He nodded. “Then let’s hope it works.”
Sophia turned a dial on the disk and held her breath as the red meter on the front rose, showing it powering up and disturbing outside magitech frequencies. It wasn’t choosey according to Alicia, so it would put all magitech offline for a brief period. The longer it was on, the more it could do, but stronger devices would resist after a short time.
It was lucky for the Dragon Elite they weren’t reliant on magitech; otherwise, it could bring them down too. The compass was magitech, but it had already gotten them to their destination. Now they had to pull the disguise off of the facility.
“Here we go,” Sophia said, watching as the meter rose all the way.
Hiker searched the area below them, his eyes anxious.
She flicked her eyes from the meter to the dark pastures, worried it wouldn’t work.
Then, like Christmas lights flickering on for the first t
ime in a season, a giant base materialized below them, spreading out a great distance.
Hiker let out a sound of shock. “For the love of the angels!”
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five
The main headquarters of Thad Reinhart’s enterprises wasn’t like the Chainley facility Sophia and Lunis had visited, where they’d freed the slaves. That was tiny compared to this.
This was like a small city or a large military base. The tarmac stretched on, surrounded by lakes and irrigation ditches. Dotting the asphalt were dozens of jets, 747 planes, tanks, army jeeps mounted with guns, and semi-trucks. On the north end of the facility were multiple buildings and large warehouses, and in the center was an impressive fifty-story skyscraper. Without magitech, there was little way Thad Reinhart could have shielded this place.
The Gullington was hidden, but that was by an ancient and mysterious power fueled by whatever controlled the Castle. The House of Fourteen was similar, but it was fueled by the power of the founding families.
As far as Sophia knew, Thad Reinhart didn’t have access to that level of magic. Technology was his strong point, and he’d fused it with magic to create a very impressive arsenal of magitech and security measures.
The base flickered below them like a lightbulb about to burn out.
“We have to go now,” Sophia urged, waving those behind her forward.
Hiker sent Bell into a nosedive, and her large form took on the shape of a missile as it raced toward the ground. The others followed as the barrier to the military base began to fade. They had to get through before it did since Sophia wasn’t sure she could get it to come back using the frequency disk. Bringing it down for this long had been a stroke of luck since whatever fueled it had to be a huge source of energy.
Alicia had also advised Sophia that magitech was intuitive and learned. A really advanced system taken offline by something will patch itself until it figures out how to troubleshoot the problem for the future.
