Might of the Dragon

by Jessica Drake

  “No.” Tempting as it was, Salcombe had to take a back seat for now. “I want to go after him, but Fosse’s behavior reminded me of how complacent people can be even when someone is screaming in their face that danger is coming. I want to go back to Zuar City and warn our friends.”

  “Won’t the authorities have warned them?” Lessie asked as I led her out of the stable.

  “Not necessarily. They’ll have received the warning, but until they confirm the information, they probably won’t tell the general populace for fear of causing unnecessary panic.”

  I swung myself up into the saddle, and Lessie raced through the stables and up to the edge of the small cliff just outside. With a mighty beat of her wings, we were in the air, and I clutched the pommel as we rapidly gained altitude. Rhia had found me a set of dragon rider leathers to wear, and while they didn’t fit nearly as well as the gear I’d been forced to leave behind in Traggar, it helped keep me warm.

  I’m going to have to start all over again with the armor, I thought morosely. Dragon riders decorated their leathers with scales from their own dragons—a custom that was as much for function as it was for fashion, as dragon scales were tougher than most human-made armor. I’d only had a few scales fixed to mine, but they had been precious, as dragons did not shed their own scales very often. It took years to create a full set, and I wouldn’t be able to start again until I had new leathers commissioned. That is, if I returned to the military and managed to come out of the court-martial unscathed. Which was highly unlikely.

  That’s the least of your worries, I thought, and forced myself to put it out of my mind. I devoted much of the flight time to the problem of defending Zuar City. Lange had come up with a contingency plan, knowing it was possible they would be invaded, but I doubted Zuar City had done the same. If I got there soon, there would be enough time to convince the residents to take precautions, hide supplies, and prepare to fight back in whatever ways they could.

  But what to do with Lessie? She was far too large to stay in the lower city, and I had no doubt Zallabar would target Dragon’s Table first to take out any dragons that might be there. I hadn’t seen any more of those airships, but it was possible they were sending those from another direction to attack the upper city. Since I was avoiding the authorities, Lessie would have to contact the dragons and order them to evacuate, if there were indeed any who hadn’t already been deployed. Perhaps there was already some shelter outside the city set aside for just such a purpose.

  “There is no reason for me to turn tail and hide,” Lessie argued. “I am a dragon, not a coward. Surely there is some way to put my talents to use.”

  I thought about it for a minute. “Maybe you can help evacuate some of the orphans. We can use Tavarian’s hidden valley as a refuge.” Although I’m sure he never intended Maravel Hall to be used for that purpose, I was certain he wouldn’t mind. And if he did, well, he’d have to get his ass back here so we could argue about it, wouldn’t he?

  “I’m sure the children would love that,” Lessie said wryly, “but it might not be safe for them. Perhaps we could steal an airship and use that to ferry the orphans while I carry supplies?”

  We flew for a bit longer, tossing ideas back and forth, then stopped for a rest in a pretty, park-like valley that offered a clean well for drinking and a well-stocked pond full of fish. I imagined the valley was part of some rich family’s estate, but no one came out to stop us as Lessie refueled.

  Everything is so peaceful here, I thought as I sat beneath a tree. The sun was shining, the air sweet with the fragrance of blooming flowers, and off in the distance, I could see farmers working the fields and orchards. The sight almost made me doubt my memories of the army heading this way. Could war and death really be looming so close with this pastoral scene in front of me?

  “I saw the army too,” Lessie reminded me, nudging my elbow with her damp snout. “They are only a week behind us, two at the most.”

  Her sober voice grounded me, but it also dimmed the sunshine as worry settled on my shoulders once more. “I wish I knew if our warnings have been delivered,” I said as I stroked her head. Was anything being done to oppose the incoming army? Did these farmers know that their fields and orchards would be set aflame should the enemy pass through here? Several times, we’d seen dragons flying in the distance at great speed, possibly messengers or scouts, but we’d dared not hail them or get close enough for them to get a good look at who we were, in case they recognized us and knew we were mutineers.

  When we finally arrived at the outskirts of Zuar City, it was late afternoon, the sun still shining overhead. “You should stay here,” I said as we alighted on some cliffs a few miles away. “It’s not safe for you to go in during daylight hours.”

  “If you are going, then I am going,” Lessie said stubbornly. “I thought I would be okay when I let you off at Lange the other day, but when the enemy nearly shot us down upon our departure, I realized I could have lost you then, too. We are not separating again, for any reason. You promised.”

  “So I did,” I said with a sigh. Realizing there was nothing for it, I settled down with Lessie, and the two of us kept watch on the city as we waited for the sun to set. I saw no dragons coming or going from Zuar City, which hopefully meant the rider who had delivered the warning to the council was already gone. From this distance, the city seemed perfectly normal, but perhaps luck was on our side, and the citizens were taking precautions.

  If not, they would be soon, I vowed.

  The moment the last rays of sunlight disappeared from the horizon, Lessie and I took flight. On silent wings, we glided into Salcombe’s old garden, which Lessie and I had agreed ahead of time was an acceptable place to wait. She would draw too much attention if she followed me around the city by flight, and she was far too large now to walk the streets behind me without damaging the buildings or accidentally trampling pedestrians.

  “Perhaps I was a bit too hasty in my wish to grow as fast as I could,” Lessie said grumpily, “for now I wish I was small again, so I could follow you everywhere.”

  I smiled, patting her on the head. “The grass is always greener on the other side, isn’t it?”

  I bid Lessie goodbye, promising to check in with her regularly, then raced across the street and climbed the roof of the nearest building. The familiar feel of tiles beneath my feet was soothing as I raced across the rooftops, and I breathed in the scents and sounds of my city, happy to be home. As I suspected, everything looked exactly the same, which was both comforting and annoying. There were no barricades or trenches set up, no windows boarded up—or at least no more than usual—no sense of fear or anticipation. There was just the normal buzz of the city nightlife—music spilling out from open tavern doors and windows, the clop of horse hooves and the rolling of carriage wheels, the mingled laughter and conversation of men and women alike, interspersed with the occasional wail from a stray cat.

  The noise lessened considerably as I approached the Treasure Trove, the shop I co-owned with Carina Fontaine. My steadfast partner and best friend, Carina had a head for finances and the blood for treasure hunting—though she didn’t go out herself. Her father had been a treasure hunter, and she knew how to appraise art and artifacts nearly as well as I did. While my ascension as a dragon rider had brought our formerly struggling shop quite a bit of business, her skills and good business sense were the reasons the shop stayed open and thrived when it could have easily gone under due to her being overwhelmed. I was deeply grateful to her and owed her more than words could convey. The least I could do was come back to the city to make sure she stayed safe.

  As I expected, Carina was still in the shop with Kira and Brolian, counting the day’s profits and cleaning up. The sign on the door was flipped to closed, so I used my lockpick to open the door, then stepped inside and inhaled the familiar scents of leather, metal, and old parchment.

  “Zara!” Carina dropped the pen in her hand—as usual, she’d been marking up the ledger—an
d darted out from behind the counter. Her chocolate brown eyes glowed with surprise and delight as she rushed toward me, her black-as-night hair pulled into a high ponytail that nearly whipped her brother in the face as she passed. I grinned as she threw her arms around me and squeezed me tight enough that I was amazed my head didn’t pop right off my shoulders. “What are you doing here?”

  “Oh, just popping in for a little visit,” I said, not quite ready to break the spell. For a moment, anyway, I could pretend that this was a homecoming, that I intended to pick right up where I left off and continue running the shop with Carina. I would go back to the old days, where I spent half the month at the shop and the other half on expeditions, unearthing lost temples or diving beneath crystal-clear waters where underground grottos awaited.

  But dragon riding hadn’t been part of my old life, and neither had Lessie. And even though I hated this war, I hated Salcombe, and I hated the military, I still wouldn’t give up my dragon for anything in the world.

  “It’s good to see you, Zara,” Brolian said, sweeping me into a bear hug. He’d filled out some since I’d last seen him, his form broader and more muscular, and the smile in his eyes seemed genuine. “I’m glad dragon riding seems to be agreeing with you, considering it’s my fault you’ve become one.”

  I laughed. “You look good,” I said, stepping back to survey him. His black hair, the same shade as Carina’s, was thick and shiny, and he seemed lighter, less troubled, than the last time I’d seen him. “Full-time employment suits you.”

  “You could say that,” he said, his dark eyes unconsciously flicking in Kira’s direction. My eyebrows rose as a blush darkened her creamy complexion. Was there something going on between them?

  “Have you and Lessie been pulled from active duty?” Kira asked before I could bring up the subject. Kira was one of the orphans we’d hired on, old enough at sixteen to be kicked out on the streets to fend for herself, but inexperienced enough that whoring and thieving had been her only options. She was fiercely loyal to Carina and me for sparing her from that life, and I hoped one day the shop would grow big enough that we could employ more like her. “I can’t imagine why else you’d be back here already, now that we declared war.” She glanced at my dragon rider leathers and the dusty uniform.

  “Not exactly,” I said, wondering where I should start. I frowned as I noticed the other orphans weren’t here. “Where are Nate and Tiana?”

  “Nate found a job apprenticing for a tinkerer and moved out,” Kira said. “Tiana is living upstairs with me now, but it’s her day off and she’s staying overnight at a friend’s.”

  “Oh.” I was happy Nate had found work somewhere he could learn a new profession, but a bit put out Tiana was out so late. I hoped she really was with a friend, and not a john.

  “Tiana’s fine, and what she does on her own time is her own business,” Carina said, reading my thoughts perfectly. She seized my arm and marched me to the stairs. “We have questions, of course, but they can wait until after you’ve eaten and changed. You look hungry and exhausted, and no offense, but that uniform could probably stand up straight without you in it.”

  I laughed and allowed Carina to herd me into my old apartment, where Kira and apparently Tiana now lived. I still had a few changes of clothes stored away, which I was more than happy to change into after a quick shower. Even though I was technically still part of the military, I felt like a bit of a fraud wearing the uniform of an organization I continued to openly defy.

  Over sandwiches and tall glasses of milk, I updated Carina and the others on everything that happened. Carina was outraged over my treatment by the military, but I did my best to gloss over that, trying to get them to focus on the present danger. “I wish I could say I was exaggerating,” I told them after swallowing my last bite of ham and cheese, “but everything I’ve seen indicates that the invaders will be here soon. We have to prepare.”

  Kira shook her head in disbelief. “I believe you saw what you saw, but how can you be certain they’re headed here?” she asked. “And if everyone has been warned, is there really cause for alarm? Surely our military will defend the city, as they always have. And our dragons will stop the army with their fire before they get within striking range.”

  “No, they won’t,” I said, my voice hard. “The enemy has shrapnel cannons far superior to the ones they used in the last war and capable of destroying a dragon’s wings. Even if we sent every last dragon we have from the western border, it won’t be enough, and there isn’t enough time to mobilize our forces and bring them back here to meet the Zallabarians. The battle at the border is just a distraction to clear the way for them to take the capital.”

  Carina raked a hand through her midnight hair. “It’s all a bit overwhelming, to be honest,” she said, staring blankly out the window. “We have the muncies, of course, and the upper city guard, but that’s hardly enough manpower to stand against the army you described. None of us have any experience dealing with a situation like this. What do you suggest we do?”

  “I’m not sure there’s anything we can do to keep the city from being taken,” I said bluntly. Kira and Brolian looked stricken at my words, but I didn’t see any point in beating around the bush. “But we can protect ourselves at least. We should hide our more valuable stock in the underground cellar, and stockpile what food we can. Actually, scratch that last part—we should pack whatever we can carry and get out of the city entirely. I know a place we can hide that isn’t too far,” I added, thinking of the underground ruins of the city palace. With any luck there wouldn’t be any more matchkins or other dangerous beasts hiding down there, and if there were, we’d be well armed this time.

  Carina scowled. “I’m all for securing our valuables and stocking up on food, but I’m not going to run away,” she said. “This is my home, and my business is here. I can’t abandon it, and you shouldn’t either.”

  Carina’s words were like a slap in the face. “I’m sorry,” I said as sharp pinpricks of guilt stabbed me. I’d had very little to do with the shop in recent months, and though Carina never complained, I felt terrible that I’d dumped the bulk of the work on her. “I guess I haven’t been a very good business partner, have I?”

  “Don’t be silly,” Carina said. “You’ve put your life on the line for this shop more than once, and without you, we would have closed a long time ago. I know you’ve been distracted by all of this turmoil,” she said more gently, laying her hand atop mine, “but don’t forget you have a home here, Zara, and that it’s worth defending.”

  My throat tightened with emotion, and I battled against a sudden wave of tears. “That’s why I came back, isn’t it?” I asked, putting on a brave smile.

  “Yes, and that’s why we love you.”

  With that, Carina sent Kira and Brolian back downstairs to finish cleaning up, while she and I went down into the cellar beneath the shop to prep it. We spent hours cleaning out the dark, dingy place, then went back upstairs to finish cataloguing all new additions to the shop so we could determine what needed to be stored and what we would keep in the front. After all, the Zallabarians weren’t arriving for at least a week, and we didn’t want to clear out the storefront altogether when there was a chance we could make some coin.

  “Speaking of coin,” Carina said, pulling out a small but hefty purse. “Most of your share of profits is in the bank, but I can give you a portion now. You’ll be needing it now that you’re back.”

  I took the purse, feeling guilty all over again at the mention of my share. “You don’t need to keep setting aside half for me,” I said. “After all, it’s not like I’ve been earning it.”

  “Again,” Carina said calmly, though temper sparked in her eyes, “the shop wouldn’t be running if not for you, Zara. You’ll take your fifty percent share, and I won’t hear another word about it.”

  The fierce undercurrent in her voice sparked something within me, and I threw my arms around her in a sudden burst of emotion. “I love you,”
I mumbled into her hair. “You know that, right?”

  “Yes,” Carina said with a laugh, the tension vanishing. “Now stop being such a sap and help me out here.”

  We worked into the wee hours of the morning and then stumbled to Carina’s house a few blocks away to catch a few hours of rest. I gave Lessie a quick update before I passed out on the guest bed.

  When I woke up again, it was to find a note on the kitchen table, Carina nowhere to be found.

  Went out to get supplies, the note read. Leave a note if you’re heading out before I get back.

  I washed up, grabbed some toast and jam from Carina’s larder, then found a piece of paper and scribbled a note back that I was going out to check on Lessie. I found her exactly where I had left her. The remains of a sheep carcass were littered nearby.

  “Sorry,” she said, though she didn’t sound the least bit apologetic. “I was hungry, so I went hunting.”

  I wondered briefly if the farmer she’d stolen the sheep from would agree with Lessie’s use of the term “hunting” in this scenario. Or had she snatched one from one of the livestock freighters at the docks? “You could have woken me up if you were hungry,” I said, a little grumpy. Lessie’s coloring was very distinctive, and there was a good chance her theft would be traced back to me. “I would have found a legal way to get you food.”

  Lessie snorted. “You needed your rest. Don’t worry so much, Zara. Soon enough, a missing sheep will be the least of this city’s worries.”

  “True.” I sat down next to her. “So, where shall we begin?”

  After conferring with Lessie, I decided to make Salcombe’s old residence my home. There was no need to impose on Carina when there was an entire house here; the way I saw it, Salcombe owed me after the hell he’d put me through, and his yard meant I could stay near Lessie rather than having to sleep all the way across town. The front door and most of the windows were still boarded up, but I used my lockpick to gain access through the outside entrance to the cellars, then went up the stairs and inside the house.