The Call of Dragons

15

Raiya

Julian had gone to check on Raiya after the meeting but found the girl to be missing from her room. He pulled aside any servant, asking if they had seen her wandering about the fortress and it took several attempts before anyone revealed anything. The last she had been seen, according to the female servant, was when she had left the fortress with the other boy who had arrived. Sighing deeply, he went back to his room, sitting at his desk to begin composing a letter to arrive ahead of him at Dragonspire. Though he was worried, he knew he had to be patient and wait for her return.

As evening settled into night, Raiya found herself back in her room. When she had passed by the floor that had Julian’s room on it, she thought to check and see if he would be there. With the ball in her hand however, she didn’t want to be asked unnecessary questions or even provide an opportunity for her mentor to take it away from her. She knew he would continuously ask questions, curious about the object and it would be impossible to derail him. So, as soon as she got back into her room, she packed the ball into her bag carefully, swaddling it with one of her robes before burying it underneath everything else. When that was done, she climbed into bed hungry but far too exhausted after her long day to bother getting food. Instead, she drifted off into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning with visions of tall, blue humanoids and a beautiful, white flower filling her dreams.

Early the next morning, Raiya found herself outside tucking her bag away carefully into the wagon as Sentinel Levi checked with his squad to ensure they were ready to go. They were getting ready to head back home to Dragonspire, waiting only for Julian to finish his conversation with Warren, Seberga, and Kiana.

“Give our greetings to Sibilla and Godrick,” Seberga was saying as Raiya approached, shaking his extended hand warmly. “Ralph as well. And next time come for a while longer, Felix would love to show you around the coast again.”

“I shall keep that in mind. Tell Siana that I continue to wish for her to make a full, speedy recovery. If you need more medicine let us know.”

“Fair travels, Julian,” Kiana spoke next, shaking his hand too. Their eyes locked on each other, almost as if they were having a separate conversation privately between them.

“Do not forget about what we discussed, Julian,” Warren said, drawing the man’s attention to himself. He placed a hand on Julian’s shoulder, patting it heavily. “This sickness, if it is what we all think it is, can be the death of us all. Don’t delay in your decision and let us know as soon as you can.”

“Of course, you have my word as the Speaker of Dragonspire that your message will be conveyed exactly.”

Warren nodded his head slowly, releasing his shoulder. “Good luck to your Priyana as well for she’ll soon be rising to mate. Hopefully you will find yourselves with a stronger chief after it.”

“Ralph has done his best to send away our strongest contender, but where there is a will there is a way. Dragonspire will rise in glory.”

“Farewell, Raiya,” Seberga said gently, bending down to the girl’s eye-level. “You are also welcome at Bellasea any time you’d like. Come when it’s more warmer and you’ll find the coast far more to your liking.”

“Thank you for your extended hospitality and graciousness,” she responded, though her face remained downcast.

Seberga could sense the child’s sadness, could even guess the reason why, and so gently patted her head before straightening up.

Julian and Warren exchanged one last nod before he turned towards the wagon, guiding Raiya gently with his arm around her shoulders. They climbed into the wagon, settling down before it jolted forward. Seberga, Warren, and Kiana watched the pair leave, waving their arms in farewell. There were several dragons scattered about, belonging to Bellasea, watching the squad rise up and leave. She tried to catch sight of a specific dragon mixed in with the others, but Nymerik was nowhere to be found. She frowned, upset that she hadn’t been able to see Hyun at all before leaving. She had thought he would make sure to come down and say goodbye, at the very least to her if no one else. She absentmindedly pulled the ball from her bag, fiddling with it as Julian pulled out his book and writing tool.

She kept looking for Nymerik long after Bellasea had faded away, when the ocean disappeared, and the dragons she had watched diving into the water to capture fish were lost behind the trees.

Julian could tell that something was wrong with the girl seated next to him. When they had left Dragonspire in the beginning, she had looked around in wonder, drinking in the different scenes with excitement and eagerly asking him questions or pointing out eye-catching objects and figures. This time, however, she seemed to only focus on staring down at her hands, fiddling with a ball made from what appeared to be balite.

“What is that?” he asked, nudging her gently in an attempt to distract her from her sullen mood.

She glanced up startled, almost immediately shoving it back into her bag.

“Nothing really, just something Hyun gave me while we were out exploring yesterday. Said I had to be a good little sister and take care of it for him until we meet again.”

Julian’s brows rose in interest. He had found out the pair had been out for most of the evening exploring together, but he didn’t know anything else. This would be a great opportunity to find out more about it and perhaps help Raiya cheer up after leaving behind her new friend.

“Well, then you must do as he requested. If it isn’t a living creature, then I think you’ll do just fine.”

She pouted, unsure why he suddenly thought she was unable to take care of a living creature. “I will do my best!” she said, smiling at him.

“Good, because when you see Dragonlord Hyun again, you’ll want to give him happy news.”

“Will we see him again?”

Julian adjusted his glasses, not wanting to give the girl a definitive time frame. “Well,” he began carefully, “I’m sure he will come to Priyana’s first rise. That’s in a few months or so, not too long I think.”

Raiya, at first, wanted to disagree with him but, the more she thought of it, the more she realized that she could handle not seeing him for a few months. It also gave her plenty of time to research the object. She imagined his excitement when she shared all the interesting details she had discovered. With those daydreams playing in her mind, the girl fell quiet. Julian glanced at her, seeing the small smile on her face, and feeling his own come out in response. He returned to his journal, pleased at having been able to cheer her up.

When they arrived back at Dragonspire two days later, her mood had significantly improved. Thoughts of Hyun had disappeared, instead replaced with excited ones about reuniting with her parents and Ashari. Goldie, Eri, and Gina as well. She was eager to tell them about her journey and, as soon as the wagon had stopped, she leapt out without a care in the world. Julian called out after her, moving at a slower pace and she forced herself to stop, turning and waiting for him to catch up.

“I know you’re excited to be home but remember you must maintain yourself properly. Image is very important,” he lectured her as soon as he caught up. He understood how she felt, and he was sure everyone else they had been traveling with felt the same. Regardless, he made sure to maintain his image, carefully moving about as if he didn’t have a care in the world. It was important that he correct her when she behaved this way so that as she grew, she would understand the importance of maintaining a calm, collected demeanor regardless of where she was and who might be around.

“I’m sorry Speaker Julian,” she mumbled, feeling abashed. There were times she simply forgot she wasn’t just a servant girl anymore but someone who held a prestigious position.

“Yes, well, let’s go in then. I need to give my report to Sibilla and Ralph quickly.”

As they began walking again, this time at a more leisurely pace, Raiya asked him, “Will you need to hold a meeting to talk about what happened at Bellasea?”

“No, there will be no need to meet with the keeps. It is Dragonspire’s duty to take care of this matter specifically. The keeps, you’ll one day come to realize, don’t need to be involved in all matters. Just as we are not involved in all their matters.”

She didn’t understand though why they were to be kept unaware when they had originally been the ones to approach seeking help. She didn’t know what the plan was, but she knew if it involved the sick villages then the keeps should be informed of it as they lorded over the villages. But before she could voice her confusion, she was distracted by the conversation she was hearing as they walked through the entrance of Dragonspire Fortress.

“The Enthronement will be happening soon, yes?”

“I heard not for a few months. We’re waiting on Priyana.”

“She should be rising to mate in three or four months, if I heard correctly.”

“What does it matter when they sent that one dragon-flyer away? I thought he was going to replace Ralph.”

This main conversation was happening between three servants huddled together near the entrance. The two females exchanged knowing glances after the male had finished speaking.

“Oh, we all know why he sent him away,” one female said as the other nodded. “Everyone knew Lady Denali was sweet on the other one. Meanwhile our esteemed Chief has been known to send away his competition. It’s a repeat of the same thing a few years ago. You were there for that one weren't you Gabriella?”

“Indeed I remember how he tricked the poor General Commander. No doubt he will win now doing the same thing,” the other female agreed, shaking her head.

Raiya glanced at Julian, seeing his brow furrowed in displeasure and stress.

“Do you think it’s true?” she asked him quietly as they continued walking, the voices of the gossiping servants fading away.

“I think we all know that Ralph is capable of anything, especially when it comes to power,” he replied grimly. “Now, speaking of Ralph, I do need to speak with him and Sibilla immediately.”

Raiya was left behind once more as he ran off. A part of her wondered why he didn’t include her in these types of conversations when he was meant to be training her, but she didn’t ask. She figured that in time Julian would allow her to accompany him everywhere, much like how Rhea shadowed Speaker Joseph.

Trying to hide her disappointment at not being able to listen into the conversation, she decided she would go to her room and freshen up. Her stomach rumbled hungrily, but she shushed it as she set out. She would head down to the kitchens later knowing that Ashari would shove her full of food after having not seen her for a week.

Her mind happily filled with thoughts of Ashari’s delicious cooking, she hadn’t realized her room was preoccupied until she heard several gasps and excited shouts. As she stood in the doorway, she realized that two girls had been lounging about in the room. Marigold was seated on her bed, embroidering a handkerchief, Eri was at the dressing table, etching something on a piece of paper. They both looked happy to see her return, safe and sound.

“You’re back!” Marigold cried out, jumping up and hugging her. “How was your journey? You must tell us everything!”

Eri, who was usually quiet and kept to herself, nodded her head in agreement. Raiya had mentioned that one of the villages she’d be stopping by was Yarswell, Eri’s hometown. She was very much interested in any updates the girl could provide her with.

“Where’s Gina?” Raiya asked, craning her neck around Marigold. “Is she with Lady Denali?”

Marigold groaned at the mention of those names. Those two had been driving her crazy over the week. “Yes, she’s always with her. Even though it’s been eight months since Priyana’s hatching, the two are still the talk of the fortress. Priyana herself has gotten so big that it’s so hard to clean her now, even when it’s all four of us. How big is she again Eri?”

“She be somethin' 'bout one-hunnerd-an'-twenty feet.”

Raiya’s mouth dropped open in shock. She had only been gone a little more than a week, how did she get that big in that amount of time? “That’s crazy! Are you sure?”

“Hard not to be sure, she’s way bigger than Pavoth and Shegil. It’s crazy how she still isn’t finished growing. They say she still has another four months before she reaches full size. Eri and I are guessing that her final size might be around one-hundred-and-sixty or seventy feet.”

“The dragons haven’t been anywhere near that size in years!” Raiya exclaimed in awe. “She’ll be the largest dragon in the world if she really does reach that size. If she isn't already!”

Marigold shrugged, crossing her arms. “Look, as impressive and all it is, feeding her and taking care of her is becoming a problem. She eats a lot more than the other dragons and she sheds her scales often, it’s a pain.”

“An' de bigga she grows, bigga Denali's ego gets too,” Eri added.

“Well, the Enthronement is happening soon, that’s probably why. I’m sure she feels that with Priyana’s size, there is no losing to the other two Queens.”

The three girls each had different thoughts and feelings regarding the Enthronement. For Eri, she didn’t care one way or another who won it. It had little to no impact on her life. For Marigold, she secretly hoped that they would win. If Denali won, it would technically be good for her because she would have a slight increase in prestige and position serving the Chieftess of the fortress. If she didn’t, she still had an elevated station and decent pay. She always kept out of the disputes in the fortress, prioritizing her job above it all. For Raiya, she absolutely did not want Denali to win. Denali winning would effectively oust Sibilla out of her position as not only the Chieftess but also as a resident within the fortress. She’d be forced out and since she already served as the Chieftess of Dragonspire, all other fortresses would be closed off for her. Her only destination lay in the Elysium Isles that floated in the middle of the four great continents.

“There’s still four more months before the Enthronement, no point in talking too much about it now,” Marigold finally said, sensing the girl's rising unhappiness.

“Yea, but you know somethin' dat's worth talkin' bout?” Eri asked, a wide grin spreading across her face. “Ever since you left, de Chief been hangin' all over her. She wasn't happy bout it in de beginning, but it seems like she don't mind as much now.”

“Oh yes,” Marigold agreed, nodding her head. “I heard that Chieftess Sibilla and Dragonlord Godrick are unhappy about this. They say it’s him manipulating to remain as chief, but what can they do? She must train Denali in leadership, politics, history, and various other things while Ralph has completely taken over flight lessons. I’m sure he’s happy about that since word is he wants Denali and Priyana to win.”

“And doan fergit Dragonlady Iva,” Eri chimed in. “She been wanderin' 'round more often. Both her an' her Queen kin usually be seen on de fields flyin' an' sech.”

“She’s training for the Enthronement,” Raiya said in realization. “Maybe she wants to try harder this time since she isn’t competing against Chieftess Sibilla only?’

“I don’t know, but all this talk about it is stressing me out.” Marigold picked up Raiya's bag and trudged over to the girl’s bed, dumping it on top. “Everyone is feeling the stress and pressure of it all and it’s still only four months away. And people say Chieftess Sibilla is too laid back, like she doesn’t care if she wins or loses.”

Raiya felt her heart begin to sink. If this was true, that meant that Sibilla and Shegil had no intention of winning at all. “You’ve been busy then. My most exciting thing was seeing what another fortress looks like. And some villages, a keep too.”

The two girls immediately jumped at the change in topic, excited. “Surely that can’t be all! Tell me what else you saw? What was it like? How different is it compared to our home? Is it true that there’s some sickness going about out there?”

Marigold’s questions left Raiya reeling. She raised a hand to stop the girl from asking anything else. “Remember, I only visited the villages at the bottom and near Bellasea, we never went top.”

Eri’s hands began to tremble, and she clasped them together to hide it. Drawing in a shaky breath, she asked, “Y'all swing by Yarswell 'fore y'all got there?”

“Is that your hometown?” Raiya asked, tilting her head.

Eri nodded her head and, upon seeing her sad expression, felt her stomach drop.

“We did stop there; they had the most cases of all the villages. But they couldn’t tell if it was a simple cold like what one of the little girls had or something deadly like what poor Hatchins had before he left.”

“Hatchins lef' de village? An' he ain't make it?” she asked distressed.

The other two glanced at each other, wondering why Eri was so invested. It was Marigold who arrived at the conclusion first and her heart went out to the other girl.

“Oh, my dear,” she said, immediately moving to envelope the other girl in a hug. “ Of course, you knew them all personally. This must be hard news to hear.”

“I’m sorry Eri, he died from the sickness in Raghun.”

Eri instantly dissolved into tears, burying her face into Marigold’s shoulders as her own, thin ones shook. Raiya didn’t know what to do, so when Marigold glanced back at her and then towards the door, Raiya leaped at the unspoken invitation to escape. She felt awful about what had happened. She had forgotten the gravity of the situation and what happened reminded her again of her own family in Galna. What if something bad had happened to them and someone delivered the news to her? The thought alone constricted her throat, and she hurriedly made her way towards the fields, wanting to seek comfort in someone she knew. She couldn’t chase after Sibilla who would be busy with Julian, and she didn’t want to bother Ashari who seemed busy preparing for the Enthronement. She would find Godrick and tell him her worries, maybe ask him to check for her if he could. But when she checked the barracks where Godrick could usually be found, he was not there. She saw a dragonlord sitting down polishing his equipment and approached him. It was upon closer inspection she realized it was Sentinel Batir. Perhaps he might know where Godrick had gone.

“You honor me Dragonlord,” she greeted him formally, announcing her presence. Her sudden appearance and voice still startled him however, and he jumped in fright, dropping both his cloth and equipment.

“Have I been summoned? Or are you here to deliver a message?” he asked, half-rising thinking she was a servant running an errand for someone.

“No, I wanted to know if you knew where Commander Godrick has gone? He’s normally here during the day.”

“Oh,” he said, sitting back down and picking up his stuff. “The Commander is somewhere on the fields running drills with the newest batch of flyers. Just follow the greenwings scattered about the fields and you’ll find him.”

“Greenwings?” she asked, wondering if he was referencing a specific plant or animal.

Batir chuckled at her confused expression. He had always been fond of children and their innocence, and she reminded him very much of his own daughter discovering something unfamiliar. “Greenwings are what we call the new, inexperienced flyers. They’re the ones who Bonded with a dragon in the recent Hatching Ceremony.”

“Oh, I see! Thank you for your help!”

Though she bowed formally to him, he didn’t notice, going back to his polishing. She left quickly, not wanting to bother the man anymore and looked for groups of people who might match the description he gave her. It didn’t take her long to find a small group of flyers sitting down sharing a meal together. They were talking and laughing quite loudly, piquing Raiya’s interest as she drew closer. Slivers of the conversation entered her ears as she approached the group, careful not to draw attention to herself too much. It was then, as she drew as close as she dared, that she recognized several members of the group. The blonde twins, the dark-haired brooding man, and one of the other females that was red headed.

“I saw you! I saw you!” one, the blonde female, cried out while pointing at her twin who was shaking his head adamantly.

“No! Dat was Sirius and Sindryt!” he responded back just as quickly, pointing at another person.

The dark-haired one seemed to perk up at this, shooting the other boy that had mentioned his name a nasty glare.

“Oh, right. Blame it on those two oddballs, ‘erbert. But even Commander Godrick knows it was you, that’s why he had us take a break,” she continued gleefully.

“I’m serious Laura! Besides, didn’t you and Lamryl get scolded by Sentinel Daemwans just this mhrneng?” Herbert shot back.

The gleeful grin immediately disappeared, and she sighed despondently. “It’s not Lamryl’s fault, it’s mine. I just want to do somet’eng mhre than learn stupid drills every day. We’re new flyers, I get it, but it’s been eight mahnths already! I’m ready to do mhre, have my own squad, and conquer de whrld!”

“Not this again,” he sighed, shaking his head. “You’re too into those fairy tales we ‘eard groweng up.”

“No, it’s dat tapestry. You know de wan hangeng in de great hall? Chieftess Thalia and Tassarth breat’eng fire down on somet’eng. It looked so awe-inspireng to me dat I knew I would do anyt’eng to become a dragon-flyer just like ‘er.”

“But you don’t know anything about her?” Sirius mumbled, not really speaking to get an answer but voicing his thoughts aloud.

The rest of the group exchanged glances, surprised at his interjection when Sirius normally kept to himself. Then, Laura’s eyes landed on the familiar-looking approaching girl, and she perked up immediately, pointing towards her. The group all turned to see who she was pointing at and, upon seeing her, broke out into whispers.

Raiya was close enough to catch one of the whispers, “-her, is it no?” She suddenly felt self-conscious, but she needed to find Godrick and this group was her best hope. Before she could say anything, however, Laura beat her to it.

“I know you! You’re dat servant child who became an acolyte to Speaker Julian!” Laura exclaimed. “I remember seeing you at de feast too, befhre Jacoby scared you away.”

“You honor me dragon-flyers,” Raiya greeted first before nodding her head. “Yes, that’s me.” Brief images popped up in her head of a boy with a long, red braid and a missing arm but she shook them away, feeling slightly sick.

“I know dey said you were young but wow, up close you look really young, no mhre than thirteen hr fourteen surely,” she said surprised as she got a closer look at the girl.

“Oh, leave aff her, Laura,” one of the girls, the red-haired one said. “She’s no here for ye tae nagg.”

“I just turned eleven.”

The entire group’s mouth dropped in shock, their eyes widening.

“Non wai,” another girl spoke up. “Ai think she’s youngair than Victairi.”

She was curious as to who Victoria was but didn’t think it her place to ask. Instead, she was about to ask where Godrick might be, but someone else once again beat her to speaking.

“I think you possess a great mental fortitude to do what you do,” Sirius murmured quietly. Raiya got the impression that he seldom spoke and if he did it was never to praise. Feeling touched, she bowed her head in acknowledgement and thanks.

“Maybe we should introduce ourselves first befhre giveng out random compliments, eh Sirius?” Herbert laughed nervously. “I’m ‘erbert Bailey, from Kaerndale Fhrtress. This is my older twin sister Laura. Sirius is de wan dat just spoke. ‘e’s usually quiet so don’t expect too much from him. De red-haired girl who spoke earlier is Scarlett Fraser, and de wan sitteng next to ‘er is Erika Roussy.” He pointed at each person he named, continuing around the circle. “Over dere is Rian Mac Niadh, nothrious prankster so don’t take anyt’eng ‘e says too seriously.”

The freckled-face ginger-haired boy called Rian grinned wide, his eyebrows waggling at her in comedic fashion.

“I can be serious w’en I need to be,” he said lightly.

“Whit is usually never so dinnae heed him,” Scarlett said, tossing her long hair back behind her while glaring across at the freckled-faced boy. Erika, seated beside her, nodded in silent agreement.

“And lastly,” Herbert interrupted before the back-and-forth could continue, shooting them all warning looks, before continuing, “but definitely not least, our youngest member, Victhria.” He patted the shoulder of the girl seated beside him, her dark black hair was pulled up into two pigtails and her round face smiled adorably up at Raiya. “S’e’s thirteen mend you.”

It was Raiya’s turn to be nearly shocked. She knew that some flyers could be young, but she hadn’t met any of them and considered them more of a novelty. But here sat someone barely two years older than her and already Bonded with a dragon.

“Nice to meet you,” Victoria said softly, her shyness apparent with how she pressed herself closer to Herbert’s large form.

“Nice to meet you all as well, my name is Raiya Marlo.” Raiya bowed politely to the group, missing the glance between Herbert and Laura upon hearing her name.

“You know, I’ve always been interested in Speakers and deir unique ability,” Laura began, a certain recognizable gleam entering her eye. The rest of the group tried to stifle their groans for they knew that whenever she got that look in her eye, she was about to say or do something she shouldn’t. “And it’s almahst time fhr us to go back to traineng so, do you think you could ‘elp me locate Lamryl?” she asked innocently.

Raiya stared at her, knowing full well this girl could call her dragon herself. She wanted to say no, not fancying the idea of being some sort of entertainer for strangers. However, they knew where Godrick was and were even going to him soon. If she humored them this once, then maybe they could take her along.

“Why yooehrs?” Herbert asked in irritation. “S’e should call mine.”

Immediately the group broke out into animated cries of wanting their dragon to be called. Raiya panicked, wondering how this squad was so disorderly. If Godrick knew how they behaved during his absence, he would punish them severely.

“I just need one name and the location,” she quickly interjected. At her response, the group briefly quieted and glanced at each other. Laura was the quickest to recover and speak though.

“Lamryl. S’e’s in de nearby fhrest bhrdereng this field.”

“Lamryl. Nearby forests. Okay, give me a minute.”

She closed her eyes, her mind drifting away. As their voices faded out, new louder voices faded in, swarming around her. She felt them trying to push themselves into her head, yanking her mind around. The different channels of these voices expanded before her, many branches leading off in different directions. But Raiya had the information she needed to focus on the channel leading to Lamryl’s mind, the distinct path glowing green softly in her vision. She wrapped that channel around herself, using it as a shield to block out all the other voices that ceaselessly spoke to her. A green dragon filled her vision, standing in the forests with her head cocked to the side, sensing the unfamiliar voice infiltrating her mind. A foreleg was raised as if she was poised to run at any moment, to escape this intrusion.

‘Lamryl, will you please come here to me?’ Raiya gently asked.

‘And who are you?’ Lamryl inquired, her voice soft and bell-like.

Raiya could hear the surprise and curiosity in the young dragon’s thoughts. If she wasn’t careful, Lamryl would shut out the link quickly.

‘My name is Raiya and your flyer, Laura, asked me to call you.’

A brief pause, then, ‘Laura asks for me? But why did she not call for me herself?’ The young dragon did not wait for Raiya’s answer however, already moving in their direction. Raiya could feel Lamryl separate her channel into two, one connected to her mind while the other reached out presumably in search for Laura’s. Through her connection, she could feel the dragon’s concern and distress, wondering if something might have happened to her flyer.

Raiya quickly tried to ease the dragon, saying, ‘She’s fine! She just wanted me to show that I can talk and call to other dragons.’

Lamryl did not respond however, and Raiya sighed, hoping the dragon had listened and understood. That was all she could do. She broke her connection with the dragon, her eyes slowly opening as the world slowly spun back into place. The first thing that came into focus was Laura’s face, a far-away look in her eyes. It was obvious that she was currently in communication with Lamryl and that might explain why Lamryl had not responded to her. Of course, the dragon would immediately blend her mind to her Bonded first and foremost. Then, not a second later, the thundering whoosh of Lamryl’s wings beating the air announced her arrival. Everyone turned and squinted up into the sky, seeing the rapidly approaching figure. Laura got up and began to run to meet her dragon, her arms thrown wide open as if she would catch the large creature within her embrace. She didn’t have to run far though. Despite being one of the newly hatched dragons, Lamryl’s descent was both quick and elegant, landing easily in front of Laura who came to an abrupt halt at the sudden obstacle.

Raiya knew that Godrick would commend the dragon for her fine control of motor skills at so young an age and wondered if she was potentially a Specialist instead of WarFury. As she thought this, Laura wasted no time hugging the slender head bowed to her, before the two made their way over. Everyone else had lost interest, most returning to their own conversations and food prior to the initial interruption. For them, this was nothing special. They had their own dragons and readily felt that special Bond. For Raiya and many others who looked on from the side, the Bond would always prove to be an amazing thing to witness. Such a connection between a human and a dragon was often indescribable, as many would tell others when asked. A twinge of envy rung inside her. If she had been lucky enough to be born into an upper-class or even middle-class family, she too might have had a shot at Bonding with a dragon. But the only connection she would ever have with one is that provided through her gift. The more she interacted with these magnificent beings, the more she learned about them and saw them, the more she wanted one. She often dreamed that she would claim a dragon, form that special connection, and fly through the skies freely. She dreamed that she would no longer need to satisfy that itch by talking to dragons belonging to others, but by communicating with her own dragon. She dreamed that she could share her soul with such a unique being, to have a permanent friend and ally. And she’d wake in tears, knowing those dreams were fruitless fantasies reflecting her heart’s innermost desires. She wondered when Bonding with a dragon had become her most ardent wish.

Laura returned to the group, out of breath, but with a silly grin plastered across her face. “Wow!” she exclaimed. “Dat was awesome! I’ve always wondered how Speakers do it, can you explain? Witnesseng didn’t really tell me much.”

“’ey Lamryl,” Herbert greeted, ignoring Laura’s excitement. “Was Hakhrath with you?”

Lamryl shook her head, causing the young man to pout. “W’ere’s dat giant blue beast av mine gwan now?” he muttered, closing his eyes.

The dragon merely gazed at him calmly and while she did that, Raiya took the time to study Lamryl to figure out her class. She was small, probably about thirty feet long at this point. Her scales were the color of fine jade, and she possessed an elegant, long body with a thin neck and tail. The fan-like appendage on her tail seemed smaller than most other dragons. Her fore and back legs were thin. She could not possibly be a WarFury because her body did not seem strong enough for battle, but it looked like it was built for speed. Her wings were wide-set and, when looking at her face, Raiya’s eyes were immediately drawn to her slender features. She couldn’t imagine trying to hug that head though, especially when she realized there were also bone-like spikes sprouting from the back of Lamryl’s head and tail. The glowing emerald-green eyes swerved to her, sensing her gaze. Raiya already decided that this dragon was a Specialist but to her surprise, Lamryl, reading her minds, refuted it.

It was her turn for her mouth to drop open in shock.

After a brief second of analyzing the girl, she snorted, seemingly just as unimpressed with her stature as Raiya had been of hers. Pink tinged the girl’s cheeks at being called out by a dragon after having misjudged her.

Laura began to laugh. There was no doubt that Lamryl was currently informing her flyer of what had just happened. “Lamryl may look small and weak, but s’e is actually quite strong,” she informed the flushed girl. “Size isn’t always de greatest endicathr av strength and while s’e may not be as strong as de largest dragons, ‘er speed mhre than makes up fhr it.”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be rude. It’s just that from what I’ve studied with Speaker Julian and seen for myself, most War dragons are built bigger.”

She eyed the girl carefully for a moment as a new thought slowly crept into her brain. Her eyes gleamed once more as she asked, “Have you ever flown on a dragon befhre, Raiya?”

Her fellow flyers choked on their morsels of food whereas Raiya choked on her own saliva. Laura, however, remained unfazed at the chaos her question asked, the twinkling gleam in her eyes all but spelling trouble.

“Dragon balls Laura! Are you tryeng to get exiled hr somet’eng?!” Herbert coughed out, pounding on his chest.

She casually reached up and tightened the ponytail that kept her silvery-blonde hair out of her face, shooting him a look that clearly said, ‘I’m not technically doing anything wrong.’

“No, no I…I’m not…I can’t…?” Raiya stumbled over her words, trying to control her own coughing whilst simultaneously figuring out why she was being asked this. Raiya had of course never sat on a dragon, not even Sibilla or Godrick had allowed her to fly with them. There were no laws forbidding it at Dragonspire specifically, if the dragons and their flyers were willing, they could transport people and often did to make journeys faster. However those were on the Specialists dragons and one would require a permit before they would be allowed on, even if with the permission of the flyer and dragon. When it came to the other dragons, it was considered rude, however. You never asked to fly on someone’s dragons, especially a War dragon or a Queen. She had heard other continents were more lenient on this, but the west and east tended to follow the same sacred ideology of preventing the common-folk from being on a dragon.

Sensing the girl’s discomfort, Laura softened her approach.

“Shrry, av course t’engs must be different ‘ere in Valencia,” she said sheepishly. “W’ere I come from, we nhrmally don’t have any problems with it. In fact, dere is a traineng program at Kaerndale Fhrtress dat allows future tributes to learn how to be a flyer by menthreng under wan.”

Raiya found herself continuously surprised by what came out of Laura’s mouth. So other fortresses in different continents did indeed have their own rules then.

Herbert nodded his head in agreement. “S’e’s right. Av course, it’s not’eng like beeng an actual flyer and de dragons don’t speak to them, but they do learn how to fly by beeng on dem with deir Bonded. It’s an imphrtant learneng step fhr would-be dragon-flyers.”

Raiya looked between the two, wondering why she had never thought about it before. Pale skin, silvery-blonde hair, and clear-blue eyes reminiscent of Sibilla. Laura was taller than most other girls she’d seen, and she had no doubt that Herbert too would be extremely tall despite his stocky build. The accents that not only they but most others in their group possessed. It was clear that most of them were from Anikka, the north.

She opened her mouth with the intention to say something intelligent, like asking more about the program, but what escaped her instead was, “What’s snow like?”

The group exchanged glances before breaking out into laughter.

“What?” Raiya asked, feeling foolish and self-conscious all at once. She had only read about snow, and it sounded like such a magical thing to witness and experience, she was sure many others who had never seen snow in their life would also be curious.

“We get asked that a lot here, so we just find it funny whenever we hear the question noo. Hoo is it? Pure freezin’. Ach well, it’s a pain in the erse tae get rid o’ if it’s in the road,” Scarlett answered, an impish grin spreading across her face as she thought back to her clan’s struggles when traversing the frozen fields during her childhood.

“Not reahl-lee a pain, just drajens are too lazy to ‘elp oot,” Erika corrected her. “Snow can bé a beautiful theng. Eet eez soft and fluffy, but supair culd and not fun aftair eet melts. Oh, and you ‘ave to be careful because eet eez easy to be buried een eet. Thosé who live by la mountains ‘ave to be careful, zumtimes lairge amounts of snow weehl come tumbling down wiv such surprizeng quik fairce zat you’ll bé covaried befairé you know eet, struggling to breathe.”

“Specialists are meant to help out on things like that you know,” Sirius piped up. He opened his mouth to speak some more but was interrupted by the two.

“There he goes noo,” Scarlett sighed.

“Now you’ve dwan it,” Rian groaned.

Sirius shot them a dirty look, closing his mouth quickly.

Victoria, who had been quiet throughout the conversation, spoke up, glancing at Laura. “Were you going to ask Miss Raiya to fly with you on Lamryl? Is that why you brought it up?”

Laura winked at the little girl quickly before refocusing on Raiya now that the topic had been brought back up. “So…since Lamryl is now ‘ere, did you want to try…flyeng on a dragon?” Upon seeing Raiya’s blanching face, she quickly said, “It won’t be extremely high up and it won’t be long eider, just up a few feet and den we’ll come back down. Surely you must be curious?”

Raiya hesitated. She knew that even if it was okay at Kaerndale, Dragonspire was different. Lamryl wasn’t a Specialist either so if they were caught, they’d both get into a lot of trouble and that’s if she didn’t fall off to her death. Yet, she couldn’t deny that she was curious and filled with wonder at the idea. This would be a small balm to ease the ache she felt in wanting her own.

“Maybe just to sit on the back of her?” she finally said, still hesitant. “I don’t think I’m ready to fly, I don’t even know how. But it’d be nice to experience what it feels like being on a dragon’s back.”

Laura didn’t press for more, immediately agreeing to the girl’s counter proposal.

“’erbert, ‘elp us,” she ordered as she beckoned Lamryl to lie down.

Sirius and the others remained seated, not wanting to be involved. Their faces clearly showed that they were uncomfortable with what was happening and knew that even if they didn’t do anything, they’d be equally punished for standing by and watching it happen. They could only hope that no one happened to come around and see what was happening.

Lamryl dropped down and Raiya noticed that there appeared to be a built-in rope netting attached to the saddle that Laura must use to climb up. Indeed, she was correct as without hesitation, Laura grabbed the rope netting, quickly scurrying up and swinging herself over the saddle with an ease that came with years of practice.

“So, some safety tips befhre you climb up… You can climb right?” Herbert quickly asked and when she nodded in affirmation he continued, “Okay so some safety tips are makeng sure you have three points av contact…”

That was all Raiya heard. Even though he continued to speak, she couldn’t focus on what he was saying. Now that she was standing this close to Lamryl, the rope net swaying slightly before her, a very real sense of fear and danger had overcome her. Lamryl was a small dragon, but she was still extremely large to a human and that was very easily displayed up close. This beast oozed strength and power. She could easily toss the girl aside like a ragdoll and she was supposed to climb up onto the back of such a magnificent creature? Alone by herself?

“…and remember—"

“I think I’m too small,” she said, cutting him off. She began to back away, changing her mind, but a sudden firm hand on her shoulder kept her in place.

“Yes, you’re small. But so am I and so is Laura. If you think about it, we’re all small w’en compared to a dragon. You’ll be okay.”

She could appreciate his attempts at being encouraging, but she wasn’t comforted much. It didn’t matter either way, his hand on her shoulder was a clear indicator that he wouldn’t let her back out so easily. So, she forcefully clamped down on the fear swirling inside her and, with shaking hands, reached out towards the net, hoisting herself up. Inch by inch she worked, not daring to look down or up. She kept her eyes level with her hands until she felt a gentle touch on the top of her head. Glancing up, she saw Laura’s hand extended towards her, waiting to help pull her up. But just as she was about to grasp it and climb up the last bit, a deep roar blasted through the fields, causing Lamryl to leap up into a defensive stance. The sudden movement caused Raiya and the rope net to sway with alarming intensity. Laura frantically grabbed onto whatever she could to maintain her seated position, nearly being flung off herself. Raiya held onto the net for dear life, her eyes squeezed shut as she prayed for someone to help her.

Herbert had quickly backed away from Lamryl, his face growing even paler as he stared off to the side at a rapidly approaching dragon.

Nythointan's descent was rapid as was his fury. The dragon snarled and snapped at Lamryl who backed away from the threatening actions and anger emanating from the other dragon. Godrick slowly swung himself over his saddle and descended his dragon. The look on his face was thunderous and his voice equally so.

‘Get off that dragon you foolish child,´ Nythointan snapped at her.

The girl’s eyes flew open upon hearing his voice and she swung around to see the furious dragon and his flyer approaching the group. She didn’t need to be told twice. She scurried down the rope netting as fast as she could. Her foot ended up tangling in the netting near the bottom and, with a yelp, she fell back, landing on the grass with a resounding thud. But she couldn’t be concerned about herself when Nythointan looked like he would rip out Lamryl’s throat. She had wanted to find Godrick, but not like this.

‘What’s wrong? What happened?!’ she cried into his mind. Her attempts at communicating were rebuffed, all she felt when touching Nythointan’s mind was his anger, fear, and disappointment.

Laura knew she had fucked up and was about to pay a heavy price. She hadn’t expected Godrick to show up, telling Lamryl to keep an eye out for Nythointan, yet here the pair were. But her concern lay not with her, but with Lamryl who was facing the brunt of Nythointan’s vicious temper. The snarls and growls and occasional snaps at her dragon caused her to quickly climb down Lamryl and stand in front of her dragon protectively. Lamryl had gone into a crouch, both a defensive and submissive posture, her eyes never moving from Nythointan. The two were obviously communicating with each other, but neither Laura nor Raiya could break through the barrier to hear what was happening. Not that it mattered because the two had their own problem to face as Godrick finally reached the group.

His face was red, his form shaking as he tried to speak through his fury.

“Commander Godrick—” Laura began, wanting to apologize profusely.

“Quiet greenwing!” he roared out, interrupting her. He came before Raiya, roughly grabbing her by the shoulders and firmly shaking her as he spoke. “And you! Have you gone mad Raiya?!” She struggled to free herself from his grasp because it hurt badly, but he would not relinquish his grip. “About to fly on a dragon as if you knew how! As if it was a simple thing like riding a horse! As if it wasn’t incredibly dangerous and requires proper training! Have your lessons with Julian taught you nothing except to be an even more foolhardy girl?”

“I wasn’t going to fly on her!” she cried out in response to his aggression, her voice laced with pain as tears began to fill her eyes. She wasn’t lying, she had only meant to sit on Lamryl briefly, she never intended to fly.

“That is not what Nythointan told me! Lamryl told him everything!” he continued to shout at her. “You would lie to me now?”

Raiya had no idea what Lamryl had told Nythointan because she had clearly told Laura her only intention was to sit on the dragon, not fly.

Herbert could see the pain Godrick was inflicting on the young girl, physically and emotionally, and he couldn’t stand watching it happen.

“Sir, please,” he said, approaching the pair. He placed his hand on the older man’s forearm. “Dere was no intention av flyeng. S’e was just goeng to sit on Lamryl briefly, hwanstly. We thought it would be a unique experience fhr ‘er to have and might benefit ‘er as a traineng acolyte. In de nhrth, we avten do this ourselves.”

“Herbert is right, sir,” Sirius said, standing up and coming to Raiya’s other side, putting a hand on the other forearm. “We weren’t going to make her fly or anything honestly, just to have a seat on the back of one.”

Godrick roughly let Raiya go and she fell backwards from the force. He didn’t care. He whirled on the two boys, swinging his arms roughly to remove their hands.

“You’re not in the fucking north and I don’t care what customs you have there, but you better adapt to the ones here, or I’ll see to it that you are personally sent back. As for the rest of you,” he pointed to the others that had remained seated witnessing what was happening with shock, “you better pray to the dragon gods of old that I may yet still let you attend the Enthronement. In the meantime, you will re-learn the rules and customs of this fortress alongside discipline, honor, and respect. You will notate the Codex five times each and submit it to me by the time of the Enthronement if you wish to attend. You will also have an increase in your workload, from your chores to your assignments. Your flying privileges have been revoked for a month. Not that you’ll be having time to fly anymore now.”

Hearing this, Raiya struggled back to her feet, feeling the need to defend these people from her father’s wrath. “Please,” she began to beg. “It’s my fault, I asked—”

“Quiet, child! The last person I want to hear anything from is you!” he interrupted, his face darkening in anger once more. It looked as if he could barely breathe, and she did not dare challenge the stormy look in his eyes. “Leave this field immediately. I will talk to both Sibilla and Julian about what just transpired and your alarming behavior.”

The tears came forward once more and she frantically glanced to Nythointan for help. She didn’t want Julian yelled at because she was doing stupid things, the poor man did not deserve that. But Nythointan swung his head away from her and the brief glimpse she had of his golden eyes held no sympathy for her.

‘You brought this upon yourself child, now you must weather the consequences of your actions.’ Behind his message lay the full force of both his and Godrick’s overwhelming disappointment in her.

Raiya hung her head, glancing from underneath her hair at the people who she had gotten into trouble with. Even though it hadn’t been her idea and she had been forced into it, if she had continued to resist long enough then none of this would have unfolded. She was startled to see that, while most of the group seated did not meet her glances, Laura did. With a small smile at that.

“Don’t worry,” she mouthed and then winked.

Herbert also met her glance with his own, nodding his head slightly to show he did not blame her. Sirius, though his face remained expressionless, waved a small good-bye to her. With one final glance at the scene, she turned and slowly trudged her way back to the fortress. She had wanted to meet up with Godrick earlier to tell him everything, but now she hoped she never ran into him again. She was terrified that he’d still be angry with her. Her shoulders ached and she rubbed them, wincing at how her own touch caused pain. She was sure they were bruised. But that didn’t matter right now. As an acolyte, she had started a problem and now she had to figure out how she could fix it. That was her job after all.