First Flight

by Sarah K. L. Wilson

  “You should be fighting her!” I protested. If she could send us backward, even a minute backward, we’d have to fight the same battle over and over!

  “I will stand against her. And I will stand with my bride. But first I must entrust this to you.”

  “Entrust what?”

  “The night you were taken captive after the trap failed, Baojang waited on the other side of the river, but Enkenay and I flew across to spy on them. I saw the false Chosen One talking to the Dominar. I crept close and I heard everything. She said she needed to rein him in, that he was out of control. She said that he’d destroy everything. And then she took something from him.”

  “What?”

  “You know how I can see through your eyes sometimes?”

  “I knew that was you!” My guess was right!

  “And you can see through Savette’s?”

  “Yes.”

  “Starie Atrelan can see through the eyes of the Dominar – more than that. She can control his actions. She said as much when she took it. And watching them now – it’s true. It’s true. He’s like a puppet in a street show, not a man at all. It’s that mirror magic of hers. Everything shiny is fair game – even crowns.”

  “What did she take?”

  “She took his free will. He’s her puppet now. But a puppet with a crown. The mask and not the man. He’ll never be the man again, only the mask forever.”

  I looked at the clouds around us, heavy and dark. This news was heavier. I shivered.

  “Why bring me here to tell me this?”

  “In a moment we’ll dive back into battle. I’ll help my bride to fight. She needs me by her side if she’s going to stand a chance at victory. But someone – you – needs to destroy the false Dominar. With Starie in his mind, there is no stopping what he could do.”

  “Why me?”

  His bandaged gaze seemed to pierce me. “I trust you. I’ve seen what you hide from the world.”

  Raolcan appeared from the clouds, leveling off beside us and drawing in very close. Rakturan leaned far out to the side and snagged one of his flapping chains. He pulled my dragon closer and began to help me across to his back. I obeyed his wordless directions almost mechanically, too afraid of the implications of what he was saying to be afraid of the crazy thing I was doing – changing dragons in mid-air.

  “What do I hide from the world?” I asked as I settled on Raolcan and Rakturan handed me the chain.

  “Indomitable strength.”

  I grabbed his arm as he tried to remove it, meeting what I hoped was his gaze through the wrapped bandages.

  “Thank you, Prince Rakturan. For everything.” I released him and looked down to adjust my grip on the chain.

  He was gone before I could look up again, diving headlong through the clouds to the battle below.

  That’s our cue to go, too.

  Chapter Four

  We broke the cloud cover, spiraling down instead of piercing through the dark clouds as Rakturan had. He was already near the clearing where Savette and Starie battled. Light and dark bolts of light streaked between them, countered or dodged or transformed into something else before they could hit their opponent.

  The clothing of the two women swirled and flapped in the rising wind as it howled from the east, the muddy edges of cloaks and dresses flinging water and dirt into the air like tarnished ocean spray.

  The wind caused the Ifrits to shimmer and waver and the sky cities to almost seem as if they were swaying.

  I think they are swaying.

  I braced myself against Raolcan’s back. We needed a proper saddle. We also needed to get to the Observatory, now for both Leng’s sake and the fight against Iskaris. Raolcan was already flying in that direction, keeping us high to avoid the fray below.

  Everything was easier to see from here and despite the urgency, it was hard to tear my eyes away from the Chosen One battling the false Chosen One in that empty circle of ground. The mud didn’t stop them – hardly seemed to affect them. In some places it had hardened from their battle, in others, it was still thick and soft. No one, man or beast, could enter that circle and live – though that didn’t stop the horde of Ifrits from trying.

  With the suddenness of the howling wind, Rakturan and Enkenay dove into the circle, landing just behind Savette. Rakturan’s sword was out, slicing and slashing at the Ifrits who stepped into the circle. He was like a weathervane turning in the wind. When Savette moved left, Rakturan and Enkenay moved to stay at her back. When she dodged right, they dodged with her. When she stepped forward, they did, too. I could watch them all day. Their battle was a dance of magic, power, and determination.

  Rakturan’s light joined Savette’s feeding it as she fought. They were growing slowly distant as we flew to the Observatory, but I kept one eye on Leng and one eye on her.

  I was worried about him. He seemed to be struggling against his bonds, but so high up, if he freed himself, what hope would he have? The fall was too far. If he could just hold on!

  He can’t just give in. That’s what you love about him.

  He shouldn’t die, either!

  With the added power of Rakturan, Savette pushed forward. Starie stumbled, catching herself at the last minute on the corpse of a dragon and pulling herself back to her feet. Yes! She was tiring! Together, they were too strong for her.

  I could feel the cheer building inside me. We could still win this war! We could!

  Like a silver arrow shooting from a bow, the Dominar launched from the Observatory on dragon-back. The circling dragons who were guarding the Observatory swirled into a line, flapping hard to catch up to their leader and surround him in an honor guard. Sunlight glinted from his crown and mask, as he searched the battlefield. What was he looking for?

  He comes to aid Starie.

  His pointing finger proved Raolcan right. But now they were flying right toward us and we would have to make a decision. Would we follow them and fight Iskaris like I had promised Rakturan, or would I rush to the aid of my husband? I’d already made that decision. Already decided that the personal outweighed the important.

  Hurry, Raolcan, hurry!

  Amel, we have a problem.

  The Dominar and his Silvers were headed straight for us.

  There wasn’t time to dodge them. There wasn’t time for delay. We needed to get to Leng! How much time would he have before the cords holding him failed? Or worse, until he wiggled free of them. Why couldn’t he sit still?

  Hang on tight! This might get crazy!

  The Silver dragons swooped past us so quickly and forcefully that I was rocked in my seat as wings beat against me and flames singed my hair. I held on to the chain, white-knuckled, my only thought for Leng.

  Please let us get to him in time, please!

  Why would Iskaris string him up there as bait if he wasn’t going to stay around to guard the prisoners?

  He knows what he is doing. He’s distracting you and anyone else who might care about dragon riders.

  A trap?

  Remember – he’s controlled by Starie. Aren’t traps like this her way of dealing with opponents?

  They were. And yet, I couldn’t ignore it.

  Silvers still shot past, flaming and snapping at us as they passed, but they had a goal and we weren’t it. They refused to be distracted. When the last one jostled us and Raolcan could finally get wing space, I almost breathed a sigh of relief, but we still had a long way to go. Where was Hubric? I could use his help?

  We were getting closer. Any moment now. Any moment ...

  The Observatory was so close that I could see Leng’s face when the Magikas stepped out, filling the windows. Hands lit up like torches, they opened fire on us, throwing one ball of fire after another. The first one splashed across Raolcan’s face, but he dodged the next and the next.

  Raolcan? Are you okay?

  He didn’t stop flying, didn’t stop pushing right into the teeth of the fireballs. Why didn’t he slow?

  One of the
Magikas was leaning over the edge of the arch. He pulled a wicked looking knife from his pocket and began to saw at the rope one of the “X’s” hung from. He kept glancing up, looking at us as if he was trying to finish before we could get there.

  Hold on tight! These fireballs keep pressing me backward. If I duck under them...

  He leaned to the side, leaving me breathless as I fought to keep my seat. With no saddle, my bad leg was useless for holding on and I slipped to the side, dangling again by the chain. There was a horrific scream and I gasped, looking wide-eyed at the “X” plunging to the earth. Had that been Peln? I didn’t have time to scream before a second plunged after it. That was Ashana!

  Raolcan was flapping as hard as he could, but I was a dead weight hanging from a chain around his neck, swinging and swaying so hard that I thought my arms would give way. A fireball splashed across his chest, the fringes of it singing my hands.

  No, no, no!

  The last “X” plummeted past and I screamed as my gaze locked with Leng’s. The grip of my hands slipped down the chain and I was tumbling with nothing beneath me but air and mud.

  Chapter Five

  Boom!

  Light seared across my vision. For a second, I thought I saw Starie through Savette’s eyes. She was cursing, her hands flung outward with dark light crackling from her fingertips. My pupils burned so deeply that they felt like they’d been branded. This time – even without Starie’s curses – I knew what had happened.

  Please, be before they fell! Please be before they fell! But I couldn’t count on luck or the favor of the skies and stars to let this time-mirror land in my favor. What if when it happened everything went worse?

  But how could it be worse than this?

  My vision cleared suddenly.

  We’re back. This time hold on harder!

  This time I had a better plan. The Silvers dove out of the arches, shooting toward us but I fumbled in my jacket and whipped out the Pipe, raising it to my lips and blowing. This time I had them!

  Nothing. They didn’t slow. They hit us with the edges of their wings and flamed at us just like last time. What-?

  Starie is in their minds, just like she’s in Iskaris’. You can’t take control where she already has.

  My brilliant plan was gone.

  My eyes were glued to the wooden “X” they had tied Leng to. It swayed in the wind. What did it feel like to be him, dangling out over a muddy battlefield so far in the air that you could see birds flying beneath you?

  I bit my lip. My breath was coming too fast. This couldn’t happen. We had to stop it.

  I ducked low as Raolcan darted forward, under the Silvers. I blew the Pipe again, knowing it would do no good to gain their help, but still hoping, hoping that somehow I could stop this.

  The gusts of wind shook me as our speed increased and then from below, three figures began to grow. They were climbing through the sky like birds, but these birds were purple.

  They heard the Pipe!

  I recognized them! Hubric rode Kyrowat, but with him were Rasipaer – his proud neck jutting out – and Ahlskibi – whole and well!

  His wound was not mortal. He just needed deep rest to heal. But they were caged. Rasipaer in the cage you saw until Eluci set him free. And Ahlskibi was a prisoner of the troops with the Dominar.

  My breath caught in my throat as they joined us. We had a chance! If we could just get there before the Magikas had the brilliant idea of cutting the ropes...

  We were all flying at full speed, hurrying toward the hanging crosses. What if they cut the ropes while we were still cutting the prisoners loose?

  I couldn’t watch Leng fall again!

  He was heart of my heart, life of my life.

  Concentrate. Focus. See the hooks at the top of the crosses?

  The cables the crosses hung from were fitted with hooks. Where did Iskaris keep finding these torture devices? Did he have them commissioned?

  No. They are common in sky cities. Usually, they don’t hang vertically like this. Usually, cables are affixed to the loops at each end of the beams and they hang horizontally. They are used to carry heavy loads up from the ground to the sky city above. They tie ropes around those hooks to secure the cargo. If you slip one of my chains over the end of the hook, I can still catch the weight if they cut the rope.

  But could he? The beams were heavy and Leng would be attached to them, making them even heavier. Could he carry that much weight from a chain around his neck?

  I should start doubting you every time you have a plan. I bet you won’t like it any more than I do. What am I, a cat?

  A cat?

  An animal who doesn’t know how to work?

  That was a harsh judgment of cats!

  We were almost at the beams.

  Show me a cat that works for his dinner and I’ll take it back.

  “Leng!”

  His wrists were bloody where the straps dug into them and his face was white and drawn.

  “Amel.” He sounded like he was in pain.

  Quickly, I hooked the chain onto the hook and glanced over to where Hubric was reaching across to hook Ahlskibi’s chain into the hook on Ashana’s beam. Would he be fast enough to help Peln, too? What would he do there? Kyrowat had no chains weighing him down – and nothing with which to catch a falling cross.

  “I’m here, Leng. Let me cut you loose.”

  I pulled a belt knife from my pocket, sawing at the strap around his wrist. The seconds dragged out, too long, too long.

  Behind me, I heard the same piercing scream I’d heard before as Peln’s “X” broke free of the cable.

  Determined not to let that happen to Leng, I sawed harder. The strap broke.

  Feet next so he didn’t fall. I sawed at the cord around the first one. The seconds dragging out too long. There!

  The other foot now.

  Hurry!

  I fumbled with the knife and it fell, glinting in the air on the way down. Leng would have a pocket knife. I looked up at his pale face to ask the question.

  “Do-”

  He dropped out of sight so quickly that I barely had time to gasp before Raolcan plunged down, too, dragged to the earth by the weight of the heavy cross.

  Chapter Six

  I craned to the side, searching for Leng and the heavy cross ... there! He was almost on top of an Ifrit! If we didn’t level off...

  Hold on!

  I dug my fingers under the chain around Raolcan’s neck, holding on for dear life as he whipsawed back and forth, his wings flapping with powerful strokes. He was trying to level us off, but the cross was heavy. He had to let it pull us to the ground!

  And land on an Ifrit’s head? I can see through the eyes of the fighters below. They struggle to fight as he tears them to pieces. He’s supposed to be joining the others around the Dominar, but he is distracted by the screaming people and the fire and mud. He wants to destroy, rend, and grind to dust. He will not stop until-

  Shake out of it, Raolcan! Get out of his head!

  Wow... Yeah. Good call.

  Beneath us, chaos reigned as soldiers ran or charged through puffs of smoke and deep mud holes. The boards and logs they’d thrown across the mud did little to give them solid ground. I could see the Ifrit roaring and leaping, still right beneath us, see the cross dangling at the end of the chain.

  These were all farm fields except for the army encampment. None of that stands now. Not even the garrison.

  I hadn’t noticed that – I should have. I’d been in that garrison – but I had other things on my mind. Where was Leng? Why couldn’t I see him?

  He’s freed his other hand.

  We were sinking as Raolcan’s strength faded.

  Lower.

  Lower.

  The cross fell into the dust of the Ifrit and it looked up, eyes ablaze and mouth opening wide. Like a snake, it seemed to open wider than the Ifrit was until the flaming void swallowed the cross whole with a spine-shuddering snap.

  Someon
e was screaming. They were screaming so loud.

  We fell, but to the side, avoiding the Ifrit, and soaring in an unexpected arc out of the danger below and to a little rise at the base of the city.

  I wished that person would stop screaming. I wished I could breathe easier. I wished I didn’t feel so light headed. The world was going black...

  Seriously, stop screaming.

  Hands shook me.

  There was ground under me and Raolcan’s hot scales against my back. Hands shook me.

  “Amel? Amel, are you okay? Talk to me! Tell me you’re okay!”

  I opened my eyes. Dark, steady eyes met mine. They were beautiful. More beautiful than a thousand sunsets. More precious than a thousand diamonds. More-

  We get the picture.

  Leng! He was alive! How was he alive?

  “Leng!” I gasped, reaching for him. My voice shook and the side of my face was twitching uncontrollably.

  He had already cut his own bonds and climbed up the chain. Didn’t you know that? You were the one looking down there. I literally saw it through your eyes.

  All I’d seen was that mouth.

  You need to work on observational skills. Thank the skies and stars that you have me! You’d be lost on your own.

  “You had me worried there, heart of my heart.” His hug crushed me. His arms were so thick and strong. He was alive. Breathing. Living. His face scruffier than it should be and his scent musky.

  Being taken prisoner and kept in a cage isn’t great for personal hygiene.

  “You’re alive,” I breathed, burying my face into his neck and drinking in the bliss of his warm skin.

  “So is Ashana. Ahlskibi saved her in time.”

  I dragged my face reluctantly from his neck to see Ashana and Hubric walking toward us. Ahlskibi and Kyrowat followed.

  Leng kissed my forehead affectionately. “I need to check on my friend. Don’t fly off anywhere.”

  He ran to Ahlskibi as I adjusted my crutch.

  “Peln?” I asked, looking around me. We were on a heap of rubble so close to the base of the city that it was out of the battle – for now. It looked as if there had been a building here before. Maybe one of the storage buildings where goods were shipped up and down from the city. It was hard to tell with the whole thing a heap of rubble.