“Anything and everything. We have no food, and we don’t know what dangers we may face here.”
“And you want to explore this island alone? As you just said, we don’t know the dangers out there ... but you want to find out for yourself, without any help?”
“I’ll be fine,” he assured her.
“The dragons you will be.” She paused. “I’m coming with you.”
He tensed. “No.”
“Yes. You are not going to leave me to worry about you.”
Devarius clenched his jaw. “You need to stay safe.”
“Why? Why do you always insist I cannot tag along?”
“Because you need to stay safe,” he repeated.
“There is nowhere safer than by your side.”
His jaw relaxed.
Aquila raised her hand to his face and cupped his cheek. “Please ... let me come.”
Devarius sighed. “You have to be quiet. We don’t know what’s out there.”
“I know.”
“All right,” he agreed.
Devarius glanced one last time at the camp before taking a deep breath and stepping between the mountains. Aquila stayed close by his side, and the two of them stared ahead with wonder at the beautiful scenery. The terrain was rough and dry, but many trees were scattered across the mountainsides. He wondered if anything edible hid in the small forests. When they passed between the mountains to the other side, they stopped in their tracks. They saw a dozen more mountain peaks on each side.
“What is this place?” Aquila asked.
“I have no idea. This whole island seems to be nothing but mountains.”
A shadow passed over them.
Aquila grabbed onto his arm, her nails digging into his skin. “What was that?”
He faced her and noticed her peering skyward. His eyes slowly shifted upward, with a hand over his brows blocking the light. At first he saw nothing but blue sky, and the red and orange suns, which was welcoming after several days of gray skies. Then he saw an object high in the air. He tried to focus on it, but it was too far away and the glaring suns made it hard to see. Whatever it was had two wings.
“A bird?” Devarius said.
“Would a bird look that big if it’s that far away?”
Devarius froze. He tried to focus his eyes, but he couldn’t with the blinding suns. “It looks too small to be a dragon, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Are you sure?” Aquila asked. “Have you seen what a baby dragon looks like?”
Devarius opened his mouth, but had no words. He gulped. “No ... I haven’t.”
Her nails dug further into his bicep.
“Ow!” he said.
Her arm thrust forward, shaking as it pointed.
He refocused and looked in the direction she pointed. More than a dozen creatures flew in the sky. They were a lot closer than the first Aquila had noticed. Chill bumps traveled across his skin. He could see them a lot clearer, and they were indeed dragons. Aquila had been right. They appeared to be baby dragons. Their size was significantly smaller than the few dragons they had seen. They also appeared a little different, but it was hard to tell.
“You were right ... they are dragons.”
“I wish I had been wrong,” Aquila admitted.
Devarius dragged Aquila away from the opening and toward the forest. “They don’t look like the other dragons we’ve seen.”
“What do you mean?” Aquila asked.
“For one ... they look wild. I don’t see a single rider on top of any of them.”
“Well ... they’re smaller. They’re just babies. Perhaps they need to grow up for someone to ride them.”
“I don’t think the empire knows about this island. I don’t see any indication that any other humans are here.” He squeezed her palm.
“They could be on the other side of the island,” Aquila whispered.
“True ... but then why wouldn’t they be riding these creatures? Surely they’d be training with them as soon as they’re able to fly. And while these creatures appear to be smaller, they still appear larger than a horse, and could easily have saddles made for them.”
“A wild dragon seems like it would be more dangerous than one they’ve trained.”
“Maybe. But these creatures also look different,” Devarius said.
“How so?” Aquila asked.
“If you look closely ... they do not have four legs.”
“What?” Aquila asked.
“Do you remember the dragon from camp? When the dragonrider took us captive?”
“I tried not to look at the creature too closely.”
“Well I did. I studied it. I was fascinated by it. If we’re planning to join the Resistance, we need to know what we’re up against. The dragonriders are going to be the hardest obstacle for the Resistance. If they don’t have dragons to face dragons, what chance do they have?”
“None,” Aquila said. “So tell me, why are we seeking out the Resistance again, if there is no hope?”
“There is always hope.”
“So, what is different about these dragons?” she asked. “They don’t have the same legs?”
Devarius nodded. “These creatures have two legs and two wings. The dragons of the empire have four legs and two wings.”
“You think they’re a different type of dragon?”
“Perhaps. They look smaller as well, or at least, we haven’t seen one much larger than a horse yet. If they only have two legs, perhaps they’re supposed to be smaller creatures.”
“Why does this matter?” Aquila asked.
“The Resistance may be interested to know there are a bunch of wild dragons out here. Perhaps they can find a way to make them help.”
“I hope you’re not going to try to reason with the creatures.”
Devarius smiled. “Definitely not. Come on, let’s get back to camp. We shouldn’t stay here long, especially with these creatures out here.”
“I agree.”
Before they could take two steps backward, a creature from the sky titled its head down to face them. The dragon veered from the others and dipped its nose to dive toward the ground. Devarius and Aquila stood frozen in place, desperate to not make any sudden movements. Aquila’s hand clasped Devarius’s tightly. He squeezed back.
The creature landed in front of them. It was larger than a horse, but not nearly as large as the dragon their dragonrider captor had. The dragon from the camp was the size of a barn, while the creature in front of him was twice as large as a horse. Devarius focused on all the small details of the creature, noticing its two legs and two large wings. They were much different than the other dragon as well. The wings weren’t as large, and instead of being oversized and meant for gliding like a pelican, they were thinner and meant for better aerial maneuverability, like a robin. Its jaw also appeared different than the dragon’s. Instead of large and wide with a long snout, it seemed thinner and longer for its size, but not nearly as wide.
Devarius dared not flinch. Aquila snuggled herself close to Devarius, her entire body shivering. The creature took two steps toward them, paused, tilted its head, then extended its neck. Devarius clenched Aquila’s hand tighter. The silver-scaled creature moved its snout inches from the two of them, sniffed, then leapt into the air and flew backward into the sky.
Aquila let go of the breath she’d been holding.
“Did you see that?” Devarius asked.
“See what? My life flash before my eyes?”
“No ... it’s flying backward. Most creatures that can fly, can’t fly backward ... or at least they don’t.”
“Is that so?” Aquila asked, appearing uninterested.
“Yes. In fact, I believe the only one that does is the humming—”
“Devarius.”
“What?” he asked.
“I don’t care. I am scared half to death. A dragon has literally landed in front of us, approached within inches of us, sniffed us, and you want to talk about the aerial man
euverability of the creature?”
Devarius shrugged. “It’s interesting.”
“Let’s get back to camp. Then, let’s get the blazes off this island.”
Devarius shook his head. “I agree.”
The two of them rushed back to camp, traveling as fast as they could, staying quiet so they wouldn’t draw the creatures’ attention. Aquila clutched tightly to Devarius the whole way. Her touch comforted him. He held her close as they walked.
Devarius’s foot caught on something and he went sprawling. Aquila went crashing down with him, landing on top of him. He laughed, as did she. Her eyes, like swirls of chocolate, shimmered as he gazed into them. She stopped laughing as she watched him. Devarius’s mouth parted. Aquila’s face sunk closer to him as she bit her bottom lip. Devarius’s heart raced as her lips came closer. His blood boiled, his desire almost overtaking him. He’d held himself back for so long, for his own sake as much as for her protection. Their lips lingered inches from each other’s when he shifted her off of him. He couldn’t lose control.
“I’m sorry. My foot must have caught on something.”
“That is all right,” Aquila said as she brushed her hair from her face.
He tried not to look at her, disgusted with himself. She deserved so much better than him, and he didn’t want to bring her down with him. He needed to be more careful. Instead of looking at her, and feeling the emptiness in his own heart from not having her, he stepped over to where he had tripped. He glanced down and noticed something sparkle in the grass.
“What’s that?” he wondered.
He knelt down and picked it up. It was a stone the size of his hand. Devarius brought it closer to his face to inspect it. It glittered midnight blue in the sunlight. His jaw dropped.
“Is that a sapphire?” Aquila asked, her mouth open wide.
“It appears so. It’s translucent ... but I can’t see all the way through it. I wonder how long it’s been in the grass. It’s dirty.”
“A sapphire that large is worth—”
“A fortune,” Devarius replied.
He shoved the stone into his pack.
“Don’t tell anyone about it.”
“Why?”
“Greed can do many things to people. I’d rather take it to the Resistance, and let them use it. Perhaps the fortune can help them with whatever they need to defeat the empire.”
Aquila nodded.
They continued the rest of the way to the camp. Paedyn stood by a fire, roasting several fish. When Devarius approached him, he grinned.
“I told you there were fish to be had.”
“You were right.” Devarius glanced to the ground, his lips shifting from side to side.
“What’s wrong? What did you see?”
“A moment alone?” Devarius asked.
“Of course.”
Paedyn found someone else to watch the fish while he stepped away with Devarius. They made sure to stand out of earshot.
“What is it?” Paedyn asked.
“We need to leave.”
“When?”
“Immediately,” Devarius said.
“What? Why?”
“For one, this isn’t our home.”
“Well, I know that, but I spent hours catching those fish. I don’t want to see them go to waste.”
“For two, we saw dragons west of here through the mountains.”
“Dragons? Plural?”
“More than a dozen.”
“Dozen? You saw over a dozen dragonriders?”
“No ... no riders ... just dragons.”
Paedyn’s eyes widened. “Wild?”
“Yes.”
“We can’t leave yet.”
“Why not?” Devarius asked.
“The ship needs repairs. There’s enough driftwood on the beach to do it, but it will take some time.”
“How much?”
“A day ... maybe two.”
“We better make it only one.”
“We’ll try.” Paedyn clasped his hand on Devarius’s shoulder. “For now ... come back to camp. Eat. We’re all going to need our strength.”
“More than you know,” Devarius muttered.
Chapter 20
It took them only one day to make the needed repairs. At first, many of their party were afraid to leave so soon, but after seeing a dragon in the sky the next morning, they were convinced. The weather was peaceful. Not a single cloud hung in the sky. Blue skies surrounded them, but the air was crisp.
Compared to the beginning of their journey, their travel back was peaceful. No storm threatened them, no dragonriders followed them, and no hunger slowed them. They returned to the land of Kaeldroga, along the southern side, and went up the second river. The journey took almost a week.
When they reached the end of the river inland, Devarius and Paedyn anchored the ship. There were many other ships and boats at the bank of the river, and a few people as well. Thankfully, during their journey, there’d been no signs of the dragonriders. Devarius hoped they had lost them for a while. He sold the ship to a merchant at the bank of the river. At first, Devarius felt guilty selling a stolen ship, but they needed the coin.
Devarius led his party north to Cephrae Bay. He knew it would cut days off their journey to cross the bay instead of traveling around it. At first, several people in the party complained. They wanted to rest. The long journey began to wear down even the most resistant. Devarius convinced everyone to continue on. He reminded them of the dragonriders pursuing them. Many had stopped worrying about the dragonriders since none had been seen since Vaereal, but he reminded them that they were most likely still being chased. They needed to reach the Resistance to be safe.
When they reached the bay, Devarius found several ships docked on the water. After talking with a few of the captains, he found one willing to move his entire party across the bay for a fee they could afford. Devarius paid the captain half, with a promise to pay the remainder once arriving. He hoped their party wouldn’t draw the captain’s attention, but he imagined they didn’t look like normal travelers.
The waters at Cephrae Bay were calm, and their crossing easy. After crossing, Devarius paid the captain and led his party north into the small forest. Devarius and Paedyn set up camp south of Ceydar in the small forest. More than a week had gone by since they’d left the island, an island Paedyn had named Adeth Peak Isle, which Devarius deemed a good name since he believed it was an island of death. He had imagined his death there several times in his dreams.
Once the camp was set up, Devarius strode over to Paedyn. “Are you ready to find this contact in Ceydar?”
“Why? So he can tell us where to go next? Can’t we just stay here in camp for a few days before we’re told that we’re still more than halfway from our destination?”
Devarius snorted. “I know you’re tired. I’m tired as well. But they are more tired than us.” Devarius nodded to their twenty-seven companions in the camp.
“Then let them rest,” Paedyn said.
“To what end? The longer we stay in one place, the greater chance the dragonriders have of finding us. What if they find the captain who helped us across the bay tomorrow, or the day after? Do you think he’ll stay quiet about leading a party of nearly thirty across? Do you think the dragonriders won’t fly over here after hearing about it?”
Paedyn gritted his teeth and exhaled loudly out his nose.
“The faster we reach the Resistance, the faster we all get a much needed rest.”
“Fine. Let’s get this over with.”
Devarius nodded. He told Aquila to stay at the camp and watch over everyone. Then, he and Paedyn traveled north to Ceydar.
The gates at Ceydar were massive. The guards at the entrance looked at them circumspectly, and after a short interrogation, they allowed them inside.
“Where to again?” Paedyn whispered.
“The Blind Mule.”
Paedyn nodded, and the two of them continued walking through the stree
ts. Compared to any other village in Kaeldroga, Ceydar was massive. It was the size of a city rather than a village, but it wasn’t as developed. It took them over an hour before they found the small tavern. It was hidden in the back of a small alley, with a worn sign showing an eyeless mule.
Devarius paused on the outside of the tavern for a moment. He took a deep breath and stepped inside. Paedyn followed at his heels. Unlike the tavern in Vaereal, the Blind Mule was crowded with people. They walked over to the bar and sat.
“What’ll it be for you?” the barkeep asked.
“A room.” Devarius slid two coins on the bar. One, a gold dragon, the other a gold crown.
“Fine.” The barkeep studied the coins closely before sliding over a key and pointing to the stairs.
Devarius grabbed the key and headed to the stairs. Paedyn followed him. The room was at the end of the hall upstairs. Devarius glanced around before using the key to open the door. Once inside, Devarius sat on a rocking chair. He sighed. Paedyn strolled over to the bed, collapsing onto it face-first.
Devarius tilted his head back and yawned.
Paedyn rolled onto his back on the bed. “What now?”
“We wait.”
The two of them waited in silence for over an hour. Neither spoke. They were exhausted from their journey and had little to say. Paedyn snored on the bed as Devarius closed his eyes.
A knock at the door startled them. Devarius’s hand dropped to his dagger. Paedyn sat up in the bed, eyes alert. Devarius stood and opened the door.
A young woman leaned against the door frame on the other side. She looked to be in her early twenties, with tight-fitting leather armor and a scabbard at her side. Devarius pressed his lips together and raised an eyebrow.
She raised both of her brows. “Well? Are you going to invite me in?”
“Umm? Sure. Come in.” Devarius stepped aside and gestured with his hand. “I’m sorry, it’s not often a woman shows up to invite herself into my room.”
She raised a brow, studying him up and down. “I don’t see why not.”
“Excuse me?” he asked.
She shrugged, stepping past him. “Nothing.”
Devarius closed the door. When he turned around, he found her sitting in the rocking chair. He scratched his stubble.
Dragonia: Rise of the Wyverns (Dragonia Empire Book 1) Page 9
