by Caris Roane
Genetically, Emma was a combination of dragons and one of them was like his, a fire dragon. But she had a much larger percentage of human then he did. She would never be able to shift. Only about ten percent of the population of dragons could shift. Most of those went into the well-paid transport service of the caravans and other community-based operations like short, city-to-city flights.
Despite her skill-level, Emma wouldn’t be able to detect faint sand levels in the air or the smell of the coppery Magi dragons that the wind carried along with dust and sand.
He could smell the Magi now and because of it, his fatigue began to fall away like shedding thick, heavy scales.
Time to do battle once more.
The alarm shifted frequency and rose in volume. It began a staccato sequence that told him the full force of the windstorm had arrived at the eastern shores of their long, freshwater lake.
He reached for Emma telepathically, On three.
At your command. She dropped her cape. He averted his eyes.
One… He accessed the internal mechanism of his phenomenal shifting power and speed.
Two… He flipped the mental switch.
Three… Without a thought, he became fully dragon and filled a quarter of the enormous hangar.
At the exact same moment, he felt Emma land on the natural saddle of his upper neck in a perfectly executed maneuver. The pressure of her knees sent him flying from the hanger and into the air, straight out over the lake. Physically, they would operate as one creature, dragon and human together.
Her telepathic voice intruded. Weapons secure. Pistol with live ammo. Rifle with tranquilizers.
Well done.
Emma had been on the list of upcoming virgin riders for the past several weeks. As he always did, he studied the stats of each one.
He’d been impressed with hers.
Santos had said she was special, but in what way he had no idea or why Santos would limit them to working together exclusively for several weeks.
As he flew into the encroaching storm, however, things took a bad turn.
Emma began the normal process of capturing his mind to form a bond that would give him the ability to see what she saw. Dragon-riders also had to have the unique second, clear, impenetrable eyelid that allowed them to bear almost any thickness of sand in a storm and still be able to see long distances. They were critical to the ADF’s ability to keep the Magi dragons from taking over the entire continent.
He’d had hundreds of different riders over the decades. He knew the process. He got it.
He had to surrender to Emma’s mind-capture.
He didn’t like it, but the union of minds coupled with the sight the riders possessed during dust and sandstorms, made them formidable partners to have in battling the powerful dragons from Magiffe Province.
Yet somehow, he resisted her attempts.
Why are you fighting me? Her stern voice, which should have brought him under submission, ignited a sudden, rebellious streak, something he couldn’t control.
He began to buck, though he didn’t know why. After all, he trusted Emma. So, what the hell was this about?
Whatever the reason, he wanted the woman off him now even if it meant he’d be blind once the windstorm arrived full force.
Chapter Two
Emma’s knees and thighs were glued to Liam’s tough, scaled body. She’d practiced the bucking response hundreds of times, but never with a dragon as physically powerful as Liam. Now, she wished she’d done extra duty with two or three of the bigger dragons on the partner roster.
But it was too late to be wishing.
What had she been taught?
Lift an arm for balance, roll with the movements, try to predict the next one.
She had to get Liam under control. They had incoming in less than two minutes.
She recalled something else from her training. Sometimes the bucking response was deeply instinctual and required mental finesse more than anything else. Whatever had struck a nerve with Liam, that was what she had to address.
Liam, ease down. I’m not here to hurt you. We have eleven Magi in the draw. I need you present and with me.
His response was also instinctual, he growled, roared then belched a stream of fire that sent lighting-like pulses of flames through the blowing red sand.
Some of the sand melted, fused together then fell to the lake in droplets of molten metal. She’d seen jewelry made from what was called lake-melt.
Because they were running out of time, she tried a tougher stance. Settling her mind hard against his, she commanded, Pull yourself together, Warrior. Now! We’ve got incoming.
The telepathic shout had a better effect. The next moment, his bucking lessened then stopped. But he was breathing hard, his sides heaving.
Accept my mind. Do it now. She added the pressure of her thoughts and met his in a slab of steel-like resistance. Liam. Do it or we both die. Your choice.
One second passed.
Then another.
She sensed that the first of the eleven Magi were only five hundred yards away and moving in fast.
Another second.
Then another.
Suddenly, the steel gave way. She covered his mind and melded with it.
I can see, he said.
Good. Then let’s go.
It was the union that gave him the physical vision to see through the sand as she could. Each of them had a second set of protective clear lids that preserved the delicate tissue of the eye. The hard-blowing sand had no effect on them. But his eyes would still be vulnerable in battle, unlike hers, and his dragon vision didn’t allow for distance like her human eyes.
Dragons could also surround their riders with their energy, the same force they used to cover long lines of dragons during caravan runs. But the amount of protection it provided varied from dragon-to-dragon.
In addition, Emma had a limited form of energy that she used to surround her head. It forced the wind to veer away from her face so that her ability to breathe wasn’t affected. She could speak as well. But with just the two of them in battle, it was better to communicate telepathically, which was the only way Liam could respond given his huge dragon maw.
For a split-second, Emma caught sight of the lake below. The churners were working hard to keep the sand from coating the surface and killing all the fish. The sound was like hearing massive thumps as the machines kept the huge, steel paddlewheels pounding against the water. Without the churners, all the fish would suffocate.
As the first dragon approached, Liam dove beneath its massive, coppery belly and thick, trunk-like legs. Her knees moved seamlessly with his maneuvers which kept her well-seated on what was the natural saddle of his neck.
She lifted her rifle, with its tranquilizing ordnance, and fired three shots in quick succession as Liam made his pass.
The dragon fell.
She began reloading telekinetically as she’d done a thousand times in practice. She scouted for the others at the same time. Three coming up on your left.
I see them.
Liam dove deep in the blowing sand then once he was far enough on the opposite side came up high so that she had a clear shot from above on the western side of the Magi squad. She fired steadily and carefully, making each shot count then reloading almost in the same split-second.
Down the three went, falling into the lake below. Several support teams were there to collect the dragons and haul them to interrogation spaces deep in the bowels of HQ.
But as she turned, she saw that five more dragons were on them and they’d been seen. We’re live. Evasive maneuvers. Now.
Liam responded instantly and flew straight up into the air as bullets swept the flow of sandy wind beneath them, exactly where they’d just been.
Her heart hammered in her ears. They’d almost bought it.
She’d made a rookie mistake with that pass. She should have been checking her backtrail just before she fired at the other three.
But L
iam had served a long time and the enemy dragons, without riders of their own, were nearly blind in the sandstorm, so they’d escaped.
Like the trained warrior he was, he moved quickly behind the five. Keep checking the rear, Emma.
I am. The two remaining are a few hundred yards out.
He said nothing more, but again, the movement of his body allowed her to know which way they were heading.
The five dragons, however, weren’t in a tidy row like the last group. She held her pistol in her left hand. She might need it. She kept her rifle butted-up telekinetically against her hip.
As Liam dove through the air, she understood what he was thinking. She gripped his body hard as he rolled slightly so that she ended up with a clear upper view. She took her shot from the hip and the dragon began to fall. As he did, he clipped the one below him with his tail, which sent the second dragon into a roll.
Both hit the water which put them out of commission.
As expected, Liam righted himself and headed to the opposite side where the third, fourth and fifth dragons had darted toward them.
But this group had something special prepared. She said, They’re gearing up for a firestorm.
Again, Liam didn’t respond with words, instead she leaned forward almost lying against his neck as he began a swift upward flight, his wings pulling hard.
She saw the line of fire stretch out below them, where they’d just been, and felt the heat. Because Liam was a fire dragon, he could have taken the heat but not her.
She raised her rifle and took careful aim. She fired one, then reloaded. Second shot. Reloaded. Third shot. Each dragon arched then fell.
She immediately looked behind her. The last two have gained a hundred yards and moving in fast. They’re bigger, more powerful.
Liam’s voice was strong within her mind. No doubt hoping we’ll be tired from battling the first crew. Hah.
And that from a dragon who’d just brought in a caravan. Liam was amazingly strong.
They’re a hundred yards out.
I see them. I’m going to do a full three-sixty. Hold on.
Ready. She glued her body to his and kept her weapons secured at the same time. She pressed her knees so tight against Liam’s neck, she was sure she was bruising him.
He drove straight up but angled onto his back which caused the wind to catch him and drag his wings hard creating a whip-like effect and at the same time placing him behind the remaining two, monstrous, copper-colored dragons. The maneuver was an amazing feat of dragon-skill.
Once he righted himself, she fought the nausea and disorientation. She made a mental note to do more of this in practice as well. A few choice words blistered her mind as she brought her rifle up. Her arm was getting tired, so she switched sides. Left.
Understood.
He adjusted his course to come up on the opposite side of the dragons.
You’ve got a narrow window on this one.
She didn’t say anything. She felt the rhythm of his flight and leaned across his back for extra steadiness. She put the far dragon in her sites, fired once and missed. Reloaded.
Fired a second time. Missed. Reloaded.
She released a breath, waiting a split-second longer, fired again and the shot was dead on. The dragon began to fall.
Just as she was adjusting for the final shot, a gust of wind hit her on the back, her knees failed and she was airborne.
I’ve got you. Hold with levitation.
She kept her position.
He made a sideways slide and caught her, placing her back in the saddle.
She reloaded her rifle.
Once there, however, the last dragon was on them.
Fire coursed over them both. She buried her face and felt the answering surge of power from Liam’s body as he strengthened his energy shield around her and for this moment it surrounded her.
She was safe, but it was damn hot.
Gotta roll and I’ll be battling. Hold on.
Right.
She was already pressed against his body, her hands clinging to the edges of two nearby scales. As he rolled, his body pulled inward. She felt his entire tail whip around.
She couldn’t see anything, but she felt the blow as he struck the other dragon hard. She brought her pistol into her grip and forced herself to watch as Liam grappled with the dragon. If she could take a shot, she would.
But it was all she could do to hang on as the battle continued. She felt the other dragon strike a blow against Liam’s side, the powerful tail-strike vibrating up and down Liam’s long, muscled body.
Liam began to fall.
Liam? Was he okay?
Hold steady.
Right. He was doing a feint. But would it work?
She saw the dragon flying toward them. She’d be crushed if it struck.
Take a shot with your pistol, Emma, straight and true. Aim for the eye.
The Magi’s bright yellow eye, tiger-lined with black, loomed closer and closer.
With the handgun in her right palm, she secured her grip on the closest scale for balance, her knees pressed like iron against Liam’s body. She felt a protective vibration of energy pass through Liam only this time, she knew she could access it. The small part of her that was dragon took hold and attached. It was Liam’s energy shield the one he used to cover and support four miles of dragons.
She couldn’t believe she’d done it and that she’d done the attaching.
The enemy dragon added a strong bat of his wings, coming in for the kill. The horizontal slit of his grotesque eye stared at her and she knew the Magi was having a laugh at her expense.
But even as Liam started to pivot in order to protect her from the brunt of the hit, she said. Wait. Let me take the shot. I can do this.
You’re not in position.
I will be. Trust me. Hold.
Secured by the energy flowing from Liam, she rose to her feet and faced the oncoming beast. She held her pistol with both hands.
Emma, are you standing up?
Yes, now hold for two more seconds. I’ve got him. Trust me.
A pause, then, Holding.
She thanked the dragon gods of her world for making her practice as much as she did, for the life she’d been given, for Liam’s exceptional energy shield. Then she squeezed the trigger.
With only a few yards to spare, the bullet entered the Magi’s eye.
The dragon reared back screaming and flailing then fell a hundred feet into the lake below.
The last dragon was down only this one would be dead when it hit the water.
But they’d done their job.
How the hell did you do that, Emma? And what did you do?
She thought it would be better to show him. She began moving within Liam’s energy and walked straight up the length of his scaly, spiked neck. Can you feel what I’m doing?
What the fuck? You’re walking my neck? How is that possible? I’m not covering you and even if I was, you couldn’t do what you’re doing? This makes no sense.
Liam, I don’t know how it happened, but I mentally attached to your energy and I knew the ballgame had just shifted. Thanks for trusting me.
The entire time she made the ascent, she looked around her, scanning the depths of the red sandstorm. But there were no more enemy dragons.
Below, she saw the support craft in the lake pulling several now-human Magi dragons from the water. The tranquilizers often forced the shift.
She scanned the windstorm still blowing hard. Attached now to Liam’s energy, she no longer worried about her own limited energy shield. She was completely protected.
There are no other dragons in the sky. The storm will end soon, maybe another five minutes.
I’m heading back to base.
When she reached Liam’s massive dragon skull, she stretched out between the rows of exotic silver horns that defined him.
Why are you on top of my head? She could feel his dragon body shake with a chuckle.
So. I can
see what you see.
And you’re sure it’s my energy that’s keeping you there?
It is.
Unbelievable.
Can you feel it, Liam, how I’m caught inside the power you exude? Sweet gods of Dusane, it feels like lightning. I don’t ever want to leave.
He said something she couldn’t quite understand but it sounded like a serious grumble. She supposed it bugged him that she was inside his personal space.
Well, too bad for him. She had a view of the lake, all churning with the various machines designed to keep the surface from getting clogged with sand. She could see hundreds of fish gathered in circles around the machines, staying alive.
With so many dust and sandstorms blowing across their world, the human-dragon inhabitants had found ways of protecting their food sources. For millennia, the lakes had been churned during these brief, invasive storms to keep the aquatic life breathing and healthy.
The sand carried on the wind wasn’t always a bad thing either. As the particles fell to the bottom, it fed the entire ecosystem with all kinds of nutrients, the way the sandstorms of Africa on planet Earth would cross the Atlantic and feed the Amazon basin.
Now, of course, the machines were mechanized and powered with the heat, energy and brilliance of electricity.
What a world we live in. We’re blessed, Liam, aren’t we?
Yes, we are. But all I want right now is a thick, charred steak, a keg of beer, and to hit my bed hard, maybe sleep for a week.
Right. Of course. She was on a total high, but Liam was beyond exhausted, just as he should be. She didn’t know how he continued to fly.
They were no more than fifty yards out with the lake-front closing in fast.
Her virgin ride was over.
I apologize for my rookie mistake.
You’re allowed. And I apologize for resisting your mind-capture. A blast of hot, smoky air followed. She realized he’d just yawned.
The winds finally dissipated and as she looked back over her shoulder, she could see that there were at least twenty boats in the water all working to secure the ten dragons that fell alive into the water and to recover the corpse of the eleventh.
Santos should be happy with this haul.
Should be, but something has his ass in a twitch.
