Lady Naravie Greyson

  The lead Dragon who had spoken eyed us as the other two paced around us. While the Leader was massive, the other two were only double my size. All three moved lightly and I was struggling to keep my wings pinned down to shield Odessa as she clung to my leg.

  Mother had her claws deep in the soil as she stared down the leader. The Green Dragoness was missing an eye and one of her front legs was gone. Scars covered her body and her stare was that of someone who was more than familiar with battle.

  Mother bared her teeth but bowed her head to the Dragoness.

  “We meant no trespass. We only wished to pass through here on our journey. We did not mean to disturb you and your children.” Mother said, her voice cutting through the sound of the storm.

  One of the two smaller dragons hissed.

  “She lies! What reason would they have to bring Humans here if not to slay us?”

  “It is strange that Humans would be with them on their travels.” The other said with their mind.

  “Why do you bring Humans into our realm?” The leader asked.

  Mother was silent as she glanced down to Tiran and Irand. The Dragoness slammed her tail onto the ground and Mother coiled her own tail around my Brothers.

  “They are my sons.”

  I eyed the Dragoness but pushed back along the telepathic bond with the Dragon who had spoken earlier. I felt their mind clamp down on mine as I tried to speak to them.

  “Please. We mean no harm, we just wished to pass through on our way. We did not mean to intrude on your lands.” I pleaded as the wind pressed me to the ground and I covered Odessa with one of my wings.

  There was a brief pause before I was pulled into the connection and I left my body behind as I entered a mindscape. I was falling through an open sky as the Dragon hovered in front of me. I flapped my wings to keep myself aloft as they stared me down. I saw ragged scars across their neck and a wariness in their eyes.

  “What do you seek to the southlands?” It was a young woman’s voice, almost songlike as it spoke.

  “A Friend of my Mothers, she says he can help one of My Brothers.”

  “With what? Does he bring sickness?”

  I was silent for a moment, not sure if I should disclose Tiran’s secret to a stranger.

  “Speak or you will not be returning to your body.”

  “He… was not born with a body he feels is his own. And we seek another Dragon to rectify that.”

  She was silent as she hovered before me, her Emerald and Sapphire Scales glistening in the sunlight of her mind. I could feel as if her gaze was peeling back the layers of me, seeing right through to my thoughts.

  “You mean no harm?”

  “None.”

  “What is the woman with you?”

  “She is a creature of magic in human guise to allow her to travel with us. And my Partner.”

  “She is scared for you.”

  “You all are quite intimidating to one so small.”

  “True. I shall speak with my Mother. Remain cal-” I was ripped from her mind and pulled back to my own body as something massive slammed into me and I felt hot blood coating my side.

  “Get out of her Mind!” I heard a voice scream as pain erupted from my wing.

  My eyes snapped open as I looked up to see the other smaller dragon standing over me, her claws buried through the membrane of my wing and digging into the scales in my side. I let out a hiss of pain as I tried to lash out with my tail. I stopped as I heard a cry of pain next to me. My eyes snapped over to the source as I saw Odessa trying to crawl out from underneath me, one leg bent below the knee, tears rolling down her face.

  My vision went red and I opened my jaws and let out a torrent of flame into the Green Dragon’s face. The effect was immediate, she recoiled and I scrambled to my feet, one wing hanging limply as I stood over top of Odessa, shielding her from the wind. The other Dragon was getting ready to attack again and I saw Mother behind her, about to lunge herself forward. I braced myself as the Wind stopped and I heard a thunderous command.

  “ENOUGH!”

  All of us stopped to look at the Large Dragoness with the missing eye. She was standing next to the one I had spoken to, who was baring her teeth at the one who had attacked me.

  “Sister! Cease your attack, it was I who pulled her into my mind! She does not mean harm.”

  The Attacking Dragon stared for a moment before hanging her head and tail like a scolded child and trotting over by the other two. Mother stood stone still as she watched the Dragoness walk and I saw her eyes flick to me with worry. My wing was reeling with pain and I felt my side warm with blood, not terribly deep injuries but painful ones.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  The Large Dragoness walked over to me, her missing leg hardly slowing her stride and she looked over the wounds. I heard her let out a sigh as she glanced over at Mother.

  “I apologize for the hostile greeting. We are not used to peaceful visitors. My Daughter tells me you travel to the south in search of a Dragon for one of the young men with you?”

  I felt Tiran’s gaze upon me, not a withering glare but a concerned look.

  “Indeed.” Mother replied.

  “Would I be correct in assuming you search for Xaranta of the Black Mountain?”

  Mother blinked in surprise but nodded her head.

  “It is a journey of a few weeks under ideal conditions. With a wounded wing your Daughter will not make it there. If you are willing I will tend to her wounds and you should be on your way within two weeks.”

  “I can carry her there.”

  “The forces of Tesvin’s Church made landfall on the edge of the Desert several months ago. Can you evade their weapons while carrying so many young one?”

  Mother let out a Hiss and fluffed her wings but remained silent.

  “If I remember you rely on Power not speed, Lone Dragoness of the Mountains.” The Large Dragoness said with a chuckle.

  Mother blinked and tilted her head in confusion.

  “Of course you would not remember, It was some centuries ago when we encountered each other last. Four if my memory still serves. You threw me into a lake and told me ‘Leave or I will do far worse’ when last we met.”

  I watched Mother stare for a moment before she lowered her head in an apologetic motion.

  “I apologize for our last encounter, Heskari of the Tempest.”

  “It was when we were both much younger, Ereneya Stone Scale. You have nothing to apologize for for defending your home.”

  “It was still rather rude for me to throw you into the Lake. I believe I had already won the fight by that point.”

  “Indeed you had. But it allowed me a chance to reflect and to clean my scales. I was much less inclined to fight after that. Now then, will you accept my hospitality in recompense for our hostile greeting.”

  Mother was quiet for a moment as she looked over my injured wing. I attempted to flap it and I was rewarded with pain for the attempt. Below me Odessa whimpered softly as she cradled her broken leg, crying into the scales of one of my forelegs.

  “I think I would be a fool to refuse.” Mother replied.

  “A wise decision. Alvina, tend to the Hatchling and her mate. If you will follow me, I will guide you to our home.” Heskari said as she took off with her mighty wings.

  The Dragoness I had spoken to earlier trotted over and gave me a look of apology.

  “I am sorry for my Sister. We have had… bad experiences with others who have come to our home. Can you assume your humanoid form?” She asked as she lowered herself down.

  I shrunk myself down and knelt over Odessa, feeling the warm blood coating my back and side. My clothes were already sticking to me as the blood soaked them. Odessa gave me a look of pain and I lifted her as gently as I could. She buried her face into my neck as she sobbed from the pain and I climbed onto Alvina’s back. She shifted as I sat myself down in between her back spines and she lifted off the ground as gently as possible.

  She simply glided through the air gently and easily, far more graceful than mother or I could and she followed her Mother’s Path as My Mother flew alongside us, keeping a careful eye on Alvina as we flew. We rose higher and higher until we broke through the low clouds and coasted upon the sunlit white above them. In the distance I saw a…. A Castle. That was the only way I could describe it. We were heading straight for it and as we approached I took in all of its grandeur.

  It was massive, easily large enough to house the three dragons, if not many more, and it seemed to rest upon the clouds but as we approached it I saw that the clouds seemed to be pouring off of it like steam off of a pot of boiling water. The Walls of it were lined with Large Windows and I saw multicolored glass artwork in them like those in the churches back home.

  The walls were formed of massive stone bricks and Green Crystals were embedded in them that looked like the Wellstones in the spring below our own home. The walls were smooth and the stonework was beautiful but in places it looked as if it were half finished. We sailed up the side of it and Alvina landed upon a large area within the center surrounded by roofs of Green colored wood and Gray Stone Bricks.

  The other two Dragons landed first and Mother and Alvina followed after them. As we set down I watched Heskari and the Other Dragoness shift down into their humanoid forms and once I had carried Odessa off of Alvina’s back she shifted down as well. Mother remained in her Full Draconic Form for a moment, looking like a cornered beast. Heskari ignored her and made her way over to me, one arm reached out to press against my wounds while the other was merely a stump on her shoulder. I grimaced as she pressed a gentle hand to my side where the puncture wounds were.

  “Can you help her first?” I asked, gesturing to Odessa who was still quietly sobbing into my neck.

  Heskari nodded and gestured for me to follow her. I obliged and Mother shrunk down and followed after us with Tiran and Irand close behind. Heskari led the way through twisting halls that flowed smoothly through the stonework and eventually led us into a room that looked close to an infirmary. Heskari gestured for me to set Odessa on a Cot and I obliged, crawling into the one next to her. She looked over at me and gave a weak smile. Heskari and Alvine approached and pulled up Odessa’s pant leg to reveal a short length of bone sticking out from the skin in her shin. My stomach churned and I could see their grimaces as Odessa gritted her teeth as they gently passed over the wound.

  “Dear, bite down on this. It is going to hurt but the bone must be set with magic. Are you ready?” Heskari asked as she held a length of leather close to Odessa’s face which Odessa bit down on.

  Odessa nodded and Alvina gripped either side of the break which earned a cry of pain from Odessa. The fractured bone glowed bright like a star for a moment before the light faded and I looked back to see the wound still open but the bone now set back in its proper place. Looking over, Odessa had passed out and the strip of Leather had fallen from her mouth. The two of them spent a few minutes bandaging the wound and gently coating it with a salve before placing a blanket over her and approaching me.

  I removed my coat and shirt and grimaced at the smell of blood that emerged alongside the cloth peeling off of my skin. I looked down to see three puncture wounds in my side below the ribs, only slightly larger than my fingers. I felt more cuts on my back but I could not see them. Heskari clicked her tongue as Mother and the others stood near the entrance of the room.

  “While I must commend your ability to act quickly dear, perhaps next time you wait for one of us to say that they are indeed enemies.” Heskair said softly as cold gel slid along the cuts on my back.

  “She is rather quick to fight since….” Alvina trailed off as she spoke in our minds and I saw their faces all fall as she did so.

  I didn’t press the subject and Alvina pressed more of the salve onto my side wounds. It was Quiet until Mother spoke into my mind.

  ‘I do not trust them.’

  ‘I saw her Mind. She seems Kind.’

  ‘It could be a trick.’

  ‘They just healed Odessa’s leg.’

  ‘We need to move.’

  ‘She said Tesvin’s forces were near Xaranta’s home.’

  She fumed near the door but I couldn’t be bothered to care at that moment. I was exhausted. We had been flying for hours and now that my body had calmed down I wanted to sleep. I did not believe Alvina had ulterior motives and I had seen her mend Odessa’s leg. As they finished applying some bandages I moved my cot closer to Odessa’s and curled up in the bed as someone placed a blanket over me. I could deal with whatever was coming in the morning.