Heartscale

by Lola Ford

  “Dragon! I thought we told you that approaching us again would only bring disaster for your remaining eggs!” he shouted, trying to make his voice carry over the booming thunder.

  WHERE ARE THEY?

  Even if she could not hear him, she would make sure he could hear her.

  Graith felt her worry shifting to anger as she looked at the knight. Fear flashed in Braylin’s eyes, but he motioned to a sailor who stood off to the side. The man scurried away, but moments later reappeared with two others carrying a large gray egg.

  Braylin had a wicked look in his eyes as he pulled out his sword and held it above his head, preparing to swing down on the egg. Graith’s heart was in his throat watching, not understanding why Zel was only getting angrier.

  Braylin shouted one final time, “Leave now, dragoness, or I shall destroy another of your precious eggs!”

  Smoke started to pour from Zel’s nostrils, and Graith could feel her fire building in her chest. When she spoke, he understood.

  LIAR - she landed on the ship, snapping her jaw at the knight - THAT IS NOT ONE OF MY EGGS.

  The fear returned to Braylin’s eyes and his sword fell to the deck with a clatter. He took a half step backwards, his arms out in front of him.

  Zel’s vision had gone red. Her emotions were red.

  Graith was forgotten, trapped watching through her eyes. When she lost her first egg, he’d only heard the screams as the first group of men died. He and Alix had retreated as fast as Mero could run in Kelna, but he’d seen the destruction dealt to the first ship.

  Graith had never actually seen Zel kill.

  Without the worry of protecting or losing her eggs, there was nothing holding Zel back.

  A firestorm engulfed the ship in moments. The wet wood offered no resistance to the heat of her flames. Men were screaming, some jumping from the burning ship to the roiling waters below. Zel caught one in her maw, severing the man in half in one bite. The blood flowing down her throat only ignited her bloodlust further.

  Sir Braylin was caught standing still, unsure of what to do.

  It was too late.

  Zel jumped forward and landed among the flames. They licked at her scales, warming her. She roared, and Graith through Zel smelled what had to be Braylin soiling himself.

  Braylin turned to run, but Zel’s foreclaw reached out and grabbed him around the middle. His screams were lost among her growl and a peal of thunder as lightning hit the mast of the already burning ship. He tried to escape her grasp, pulling at her claws with his small arms.

  It annoyed her so she bit them off, one at a time. He screamed the first time, but Graith wasn’t sure if he passed out or died before the second. She released his body, but batted it around, like a cat with a mouse. He wasn’t moving, but she wasn’t done. She grabbed one leg in her mouth and shook. Graith could feel the spine snap and muscles rip. The sound of the body breaking made Graith want to look away, but he was stuck in Zel’s mind.

  She threw the body into the air, catching it, and swallowing it whole.

  Then she turned back to the ship.

  Taking her anger out, she ripped it apart. Wood tore into the sensitive skin of her paws, but she took no notice. Fire raged around her, hot enough that the water below started to boil.

  More sailors were killed. More wood was burned and destroyed. She was still lost to the anger that clouded her mind.

  Graith watched, unable to do anything else. Her mental anguish was overwhelming. He didn’t know what to do. So, he did the only thing he could think of - he reassured her and reminded her that he was there - other than that, he waited it out.

  After the flagship was destroyed, she chased after the other three ships. They had fled when she had started flaming, but they didn’t get far.

  The storm cleared and the sun rose before she was done.

  ***

  Zel laid upon the burnt shell of what had once been Sir Braylin’s ship. Black smoke rose into the now cloudless sky. After a few hours, the Running Ship pulled alongside the husk.

  “Dragoness Azelia? Please rejoin us!” Kali yelled across the water.

  Zel heard the girl but ignore her.

  “Zel, please! We can’t wake up Graith!” Alix screamed to her with both his voice and mind. His distress at least caused Zel to lift her head and look over at him.

  You cannot wake Graith because I have him, Alix, she said calmly.

  It was true, she had tucked all of Graith’s consciousness into a corner of her mind. She needed him and the thought of being alone in her mind frightened her.

  Please come back? Alix begged, We saw the flames and were worried about you.

  Graith was still seeing through Zel’s eyes, and hearing through bother her mind and ears. When he heard Alix’s plea, he was surprised by how soft the boy’s mental voice was.

  Not yet.

  Zel didn’t want to think about how much time they had wasted crossing this sea. How her eggs could be anywhere in the world right now.

  Then will you at least let Graith come back? Alix sounded as if he were going to cry.

  Zel, it’s okay, Graith said. Even if I’m not here, I’m here with you. And if you return to the ship, I will come be with you.

  Fine.

  Graith wasn’t sure if she was answering him or Alix, but moments later he was laying in his hammock, slowly rocking with the ship. He tried to get up, but his body was stiff and unresponsive at first. He managed to get to his feet and stagger up to the deck.

  Kade was the first to hear his boots on the deck, but shortly Kade, Kali, and Alix were all supporting him. They helped him walk over to the railing, where he looked out across the water at Zel.

  She was black.

  Graith wasn’t sure if her hide had changed colors again, or if it was remnants of the smoke from the fire of the ship.

  Alix tugged at his sleeve, and he looked over at the boy. He looked like he’d been crying.

  “What happened Graith? Why couldn’t we wake you up?”

  “You know how Zel can take over my body? She can also pull me into hers. Last night she wanted to check on her eggs. She was worried about them in the storm, and about the fact she couldn’t sense them.” Graith’s voice sounded like gravel.

  “They saw you and killed the eggs?” Kali asked immediately trying to put the pieces together.

  Graith wasn’t sure if she was actually worried about the eggs, or just trying to figure out the situation and how to handle it.

  “No.” He shook his head slowly. “They never had the eggs. They had replicas. Fakes.”

  “I see. So why did Zel burn the ships down?” Kade asked.

  Graith stared at the young man, confused by the question. When it was apparent that he was waiting for an answer, Graith said, “Anger. Revenge. Sir Braylin was one of ship. He tried to threaten her. He must not have known she could sense her eggs. He was also directly responsible for her losing two of her eggs already. She wanted him dead.”

  “I see.” Kali’s voice carried across the water to Zel, who turned her eyes towards the group. “Well, we have a job to do. Our sources inside Oron’s castle are reliable. If they were tricked into thinking that the eggs were being moved onto the ships, they were definitely being moved. They were going to Situra, one way or another.” She started pacing as she talked.

  “This just means the clutch must have traveled by land. Do you know if Prince Brantom was on board any of the ships?” she asked Graith.

  “I don’t think so. I would’ve thought that he would have been on the flagship, and the only ones there were Braylin with a couple of guards and sailors.” Graith shook his head as he answered.

  Kali nodded, and he could see a plan forming in her mind.

  “We will deliver the scales as promised, and then head south to Veles - the only city with land access to Situra. I’ve talked to the captain already this morning, we should dock in Alluvia by tomorrow evening.” Kali looked coolly down at the dragoness. “I hope you�
�re up to flying Zel, it’s time to fulfill your end of the deal.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

  Graith

  As the day drew on, the Running Ship drew ever closer to the foreign shore. By the time the sun had set the coast of Situra had become a smudge on the horizon. Graith had convinced Zel to leave the husk of the burnt ship only after the embers had cooled which had taken nearly the full day later.

  She was smugly impressed with the damage she had done but grumbled more than once to Graith that she wished that she had dragged out Braylin’s death. It infuriated her that the knight had thought that the faux eggs would fool them.

  While waiting for night to fall, Zel tried to insist that she, Graith, and Alix leave immediately for Veles. However, both Graith and Kali immediately shot the idea down. She’d promised to deliver the scales and Graith told her firmly that she was going to hold up her end of the deal.

  “What are you going to do when you get there? I thought they would kill your eggs if they spotted you?” Kali asked, arms crossed and foot tapping loudly on the deck.

  That is why Graith and Alix need to go, I need help rescuing them.

  Zel tried to sound like she believed herself but fell short as she tried to imagine either Graith or Alix being able to fight their way into or out of a situation.

  “Oh yes, an old man and a young boy. Neither of whom can wield a weapon?” Kade asked, joining into the conversation.

  “I’m not old!” Graith muttered, while running a hand over his face, feeling for any new wrinkles.

  She argued for a bit longer, but finally gave up when Graith and Alix told her flatly that even if she left, they wouldn’t go with her.

  Alix had climbed onto her back when she’d returned to the ship, and he’d spent several hours using an old rag to try to wipe her scales clean. Little of the smoky darkness came off.

  “What did you do - char your scales?” he asked, licking his thumb and scrubbing at one spot, but it stayed black.

  No, she huffed, shuffling on the deck. The boat rocked slightly, and Alix nudged her, encouraging her to shrink herself. I just need to take a bath. But I think that it will be good cover for us anyways, flying at night.

  She looked over her body. Every inch was a sooty matte black. She stretched out her wings to look at the delicate skin of her wing sail. Even the skin was black.

  ***

  When the shore of Situra finally became visible, activity on the ship jumped to life. Kali directed sailors to do a final inventory check. Men were running about doing her bidding. While she was giving orders Graith and Alix tried to stay out of the way. Zel had to become air borne as the sailors were still skittish moving around her.

  Kade was calmly standing to one side, leaning his back against the mast. He would be dealing with the sale of the wares when they docked. He was the merchant between the two of them, and Kali grumbled more than once about his ability to make friends wherever he went.

  As Kali tried to give him instructions on docking for the fifth time, he grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around, steering her to Graith and Alix.

  “This is yours for the time being. Please don’t feel hurried on returning it, but I would much appreciate it if you left now,” he said, rolling his eyes and shoving his sister forward slightly.

  Kali stomped her foot in frustration at the treatment. At the same time, she spun and swung her small fist at her brother’s face. However, Kade was already moving away and laughed as she missed.

  “You ass!”

  She let out a small screech of annoyance before turning back around to the waiting man and boy. Her demeanor changed instantly as she looked between them and then up at Zel. She was calm and Graith could see her thoughts churning as he watched her. She waved at Zel to get her attention.

  Yes, Kali? Zel asked as she watched the girl.

  “Azelia, the scales are stored in a large crate which the sailors have hoisted inside a net. I think that will be the easiest way for you to carry them. Can you lift them directly out of the cargo hold, or do I need to have the men move it onto the deck?” her tone was even and mature once again.

  I can try, she said, lowering herself down. to position the ropes in her foreclaws.

  As Zel reached down into the hold and pulled at two looped handles the boat rocked once again. After one unsuccessful wing beat, Graith saw Zel increase her size. Wood creaked as the crate slowly lifted into view.

  It was larger than Graith anticipated. He could have easily stood inside it without his head touching the top, and with his arms spread wide without touching the sides. The net swung gently above the deck before Zel maneuvered it back down, then landed behind it.

  All right, I’m ready to go. If you are ready, climb on.

  She was shrinking quickly while lowering her shoulders for Graith and Kali. They would be able to ride, sitting on to the smooth junction where her neck and back met just before her wings. Graith settled himself in front, and Kali slowly made her way up behind him. Her face was tight and pale, and she kept looking back at the deck. As Zel quickly grew larger, Kali let out a small squeak as the deck moved away.

  “You all right? This was the Market’s idea after all,” Graith asked as she tried to settle in place.

  “I’m fine.” Kali shifted again, trying to find the best hand and leg holds, “Azelia, how long do you think it will take to get to shore? We are going to the far side of Alluvia, Doreen told me that there is a large shrine with a dragon statue that we should be able to see. That’s our rendezvous point.”

  Her voice was a little thinner than normal, and Zel briefly showed Graith how scared the girl was.

  Not long. I would say before the moon has fully risen.

  Zel grabbed the netting once more and tensed her hind legs in preparation for lift off.

  Ready?

  “Ready,” both Graith and Kali replied.

  “Be safe and we’ll see you tomorrow!” Alix cried from the crow’s nest. Graith had to chuckle slightly, the boy did have an affinity for heights.

  Spreading her wings, she gave a single mighty lunge, pulling herself and the crate into the air. The motion rocked her riders, and even Graith had a moment’s hesitation on whether riding the dragoness into town was a good idea.

  What if they fell?

  Kali let out a single scream, and clutched tightly to Graith’s waist, before burying her face into his back. He smiled slightly, as it reminded him of Alix on their final ride out the swamp and away from Kelna. Kali and Kade weren’t that much older than the boy. He patted her arm reassuringly.

  Then they were soaring. The last light of the day sparkling off the water far below. Graith was fascinated, looking left and right - even leaning a little to the side. When he did so, Kali gave a small squeak and clutched him tighter.

  “Do you even have your eyes open back there?” he asked, wondering if she was seeing the beautiful sight.

  “- no -”

  The single syllable came out between gasps of breath.

  “Well, you’re missing out,” he said, leaning to the right again slightly for a better view.

  “- I’m - good -” was all Kali could manage.

  Graith, Zel said, be careful. If you fell, I would have to drop the scales to catch you.

  Graith grinned, and looked down once more, before settling into the crook of Zel’s neck and looking forward.

  The steady beat of Zel’s wings, Kali’s soft breathing, and the wind rushing past his ears were the only sounds Graith heard as the last of the light slowly faded away.

  Alluvia was a pool of light below them and to the right. Zel was flying around the city, rather than directly over it. Graith understood her logic, but he wished that they didn’t need to be so secretive. The architecture was drastically different than Lutesia, with low flat buildings with large openings in strange courtyards in the middle.

  Since the night was still young, ethereal wisps of music carried through the chilly air to the trio, along wi
th the noises of a city. Screams and yells, and dogs barking, doors opening and closing - chaos that created a cacophony of sound.

  Graith dragged his eyes forward, away from Alluvia.

  As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he blinked.

  Then he blinked again.

  And a third time.

  Several miles outside the city, a statue of enormous size loomed. At their current altitude, they were level with the top of it.

  It was a dragon.

  Its wings were spread wide, and it was rearing on its hind legs with its head thrown back. It looked as if it were about to spew fire.

  A dragon’s ire captured perfectly in stone.

  ***

  “We’re here,” Kali’s faint voice floated on the wind.

  She must have opened her eyes at some point.

  I’ll land there, Zel said showing Graith her intended landing spot -in the center of the shrine.

  She immediately tilted her wings to spiral slowly around the massive dragon. There was no one at the shrine this late at night and Graith doubted that anyone could see her this far from the town. She and her two passengers were exhausted, all three more than ready to land on the solid ground.

  When the crate hit the ground with a thunk, Kali squeezed Graith startled by the sudden end to the long flight. The moment that Zel’s feet touched the ground though, Kali vaulted off the dragon. She took two large steps away, and then threw herself onto the ground, arms spread wide.

  It wasn’t that horrible was it? Zel asked Graith worriedly.

  No, she’s over exaggerating, he told the dragon.

  Graith let himself slowly slide down Zel’s broad shoulder, landing stiffly on his feet. The flight hadn’t taken that long, but between Kali’s death grip and the fact there had been no saddle, Graith was stiff and sore.

  As he paced in front of the shrine, trying to get the blood flowing back to his extremities, Graith examined the stone dragon further. Zel barely came up to its knees and she was currently at her largest size.

  While he walked, Zel gave the statue a once over, then curled up between the two massive legs. She dramatically lowered her tail - which had nearly finished healing and was looking noticeably less stubby - slowly to cover her eyes.