The Queen of Death

38

The shifter didn t waste a word to argue. He wrapped an arm around the young elf’s waist, then vaulted both of them over the console to land on the main deck below. The ship started to pitch, but Sallah darted forward and grabbed the wheel, bringing the Phoenix back under control.

As the airship stabilized, Burch and Esprë disappeared through the hatch, into the darkness of the airship’s hold. With his stepdaughter as safe as she could be, Kandler turned his attention back to the dragons. The two of them growled at each other for a moment in their arcane tongue. When they were done, the smaller of the two dove forward, straight for the Phoenix.

To Kandler, it looked like the dragon might be launching an attack. The justicar looked for the telltale inhalation that such creatures employed before loosing their caustic breath at a hapless foe, but it never came, nor did the dragon extend its claws.

At the last moment, the dragon beat its wings once, and it scudded right over the top of the bridge and through the ring of fire. As it went, Kandler noticed it seemed smaller and paler.

The dragon seemed ready to slam right into the ship’s main deck, and Kandler’s stomach tied itself in knots as he wondered if it meant to go after Burch and Esprë. If the dragon wanted to, it could probably rip right through the wooden planks before anyone could do anything about it. Kandler drew his fangblade and hoped that if anything could slice through a dragon’s armor it would be a sword forged from a dragon’s tooth.

Then, just as the dragon alit on the deck, its back to the observers on the bridge, it changed. It morphed from the fearsome monster it had been into a tall, thin person with short hair the color of blood. It—or he, as the creature now seemed to be—wore a shirt and trousers of perfect black, cut in a style that Kandler had never seen, ancient and timeless at the same time.

The new arrival turned toward the bridge and acknowledged Kandler and the others with a brief wave. He had a long, sharp face, an aquiline nose, and high, pointed ears. The only flaw—if it could be called that—in his preternatural beauty was a scattering of reddish freckles that stretched across both of his high, sharp cheekbones and his nose.

In another face, these might have humanized the bearer. Instead, they made him seem even more alien in the way they set off his unblinking, crimson-colored eyes. His sharp smile, in which every tooth seemed a fang, completed the image in a horrifying way.

“Welcome to the Dragonreach,” the man said, his voice— which bore no kindness, only disdain—was higher than Kandler would have guessed. “This is the gateway to the path that leads to Argonnessen, and we have been charged with protecting it. State your business in this part of the world, or we will help you along into the next.”

“We … Kandler’s voice faltered. As he gazed at the man who stared up at him expectantly, he couldn’t help but think about the dragon soaring through the sky just off the Phoenix’s stern.

“We’re on our way to establish a trade relationship between Argonnessen and Thrane,” Sallah said.

The man scoffed. “We have lived for untold millennia without needing anything from the younger races. Your goods are not wanted here.”

“What of Seren?” Te’oma said, her voice far more like Ibrido’s now. “The people who live on the isle that rests in your land’s long shadow may not be so satisfied with their lot.”

The man smirked. “Well said, cousin, but don’t think your mixed blood will carry you far with me or the barbarians who take so much pride in the way they supposedly guard our gates. Many dragons see such as you as aberrations, insults to our blood that should be laid to rest before they can spread.”

“We wish only to travel to Seren,” Kandler said, trying to avoid any confrontation with their guest. “We mean you no disrespect.”

The man stood there silent for a long moment, the wind flapping at his clothes. “Very well,” he said. “We will escort you there. You will not proceed any farther, nor will you deviate from the path on which we lead you, or we will burn you from the sky.”

With that, the man turned and walked toward the starboard gunwale. He climbed up on to it and balanced there for a moment in the rushing wind. Then he leaped over the side of the airship and disappeared.

A moment later, the smaller dragon rose above the ship’s starboard railing, rising fast on swift-beating wings. He moved out toward the front of the Phoenix and matched the airship’s speed right there.

“Follow that dragon,” Kandler said to Sallah. “I’ll be right back.”

“Aye,” the lady knight said with a nervous wink.

Kandler sauntered down from the bridge and made his way to the hatch. With a quick glance to the rear, he noticed that the dragon behind the airship could not see the hatchway from here. The bridge blocked its way.

“These dragons seem much friendlier than the last one we met,” Kandler said as he slipped below the deck.

Esprë rushed forward and threw herself into Kandler’s arms. He could feel her shivering there for a moment. Then she pushed herself away.

“Don’t do that again,” she said. “I can handle this myself.” She held her arms tight around her and scowled at him, her anger warring with relief.

“Good for you,” Kandler said softly. “I don’t think I can.”

“I know I can’t,” said Burch. “Two dragons flapping around us over the middle of the Dragonreach? I’m just happy to still be sucking air instead of water—or fire.

“What’s the plan now?” Esprë said.

Kandler wanted to reach out and hug her, but she clearly didn’t want that right now. Instead, he rubbed his chin and said, “I told them we were heading to Seren to set up a trade agreement, and they seemed to buy it—or not care enough about it to object. They’re escorting us there now. You two should probably stay down here until we get there, just to avoid any more trouble.”

“Sold,” Burch said. He leaped into the nearest hammock and stretched out his long, furry legs.

“But …” Esprë started.

Kandler didn’t cut her off. He waited for her to continue. When she didn’t, he prompted her. “But what?”

“But shouldn’t you have asked me first?”

“You weren’t there.”

“Because you had Burch take me down here.”

“True enough,” Kandler nodded. He put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Esprë. I’m used to treating you like a child still, and I’ll have to work to get over that. I can tell you one thing though.”

“What’s that?” she said, her lower lip poking out in a suspicious pout.

“I’m never going to stop trying to keep you safe, no matter how old you get.”

Esprë tried to snarl at this, but she ended up grinning instead. “All right,” she said, putting her arm around Kandler’s waist. “Just next time try to give me a bit of warning, eh?”

“Sure.” Kandler leaned down and kissed her on the top of the head.

“Ahoy, below!” Monja said as she stuck her head down through the hatch.

“What is it?” said Kandler. He noticed Burch slide right down out of his hammock, ready for action.

“Land ho.” The halfling grinned. Then her head disappeared.

Kandler started up the ladder. Before he crawled out the hatch, he turned and said, “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Stay put here.” He looked at Esprë. “Please.”

“All right,” she said with a wistful frown.

Up top, Kandler followed Monja out to the bow. Te’oma and Xalt stood there shading their eyes and peering out into the distance.

“Right there,” Xalt said, pointing toward the horizon straight ahead of them. “You can just see it.”

Kandler squinted, trying to ignore the red dragon flapping along ahead of the airship, and followed the direction of Xalt’s finger until he spotted it: land. They’d spend a long time out over the waves with nothing to see on any side but water, sky, and clouds. Despite the company they’d brought with them, the justicar felt like jumping with joy at the sight of the tops of the high mountains ahead, stabbing just out of the waves.

“Welcome to Seren Island,” Te’oma said. “Let’s hope it’s not the last place we ever see.”