Rysha sat astride Shulina Arya’s back, her sword resting on her thighs as the team flew closer to the smoking airship. After the first battle, she felt confident they could handle another dragon, but seeing the armored pirate ship harrying the ponderous Iskandian air freighter made her uneasy. Dozens of cannons and shell guns lined the pirate ship’s deck, and Rysha could make out dozens and dozens of men with rifles, most of them near the railing and firing across the gap.
The Iskandian ship, its balloon torn and losing gas, wasn’t putting up much of a fight, not anymore. Fires burned in numerous spots on the deck, and several ragged holes gaped on both sides of the hull. If the vessel was forced to land in the water, it wouldn’t float, not for long. Even if Rysha and the others managed to drive away the dragon and the pirates, could Trip fix a mess like that to save the ship?
She glanced over her shoulder. Shulina Arya had outpaced the fliers, but Rysha could still see his flier—and the bronze dragon soaring beside it. She knew Trip had talked to that bronze back on the Pirate Isles and could understand why he’d wanted to spare his life, but she didn’t trust Telmandaroo. She suspected he would say anything to save his life and would betray a new ally as quickly as befriend him.
The gold dragon has seen us, Bhrava Saruth announced. And he called me a delusional and overstuffed gold turkey. I do not like him.
“There are a lot of injured and hurting people in that airship,” Trip said. “Our airship.”
“Let’s have our dragons focus on the gold dragon,” Colonel Grady called from the back seat. “Ahn and Trip will take down the pirate vessel. We’ll have to wait until after we’ve dealt with the threats to help the crew and see if we can save the ship.”
“Yes, sir,” Ahn and Trip said.
Rysha patted Shulina Arya’s back. “It looks like we’re fighting another dragon.”
This is what I enjoy. To prove that my mother was wrong and that I am not a weakling. I am a strong dragon and am good at protecting those who are not strong.
Rysha smiled. She hadn’t heard Shulina Arya explain why she liked helping humans before but could see why the dragon would feel prickly toward those who used their power to pick on the weak.
Shulina Arya headed straight toward the male gold—he was busy bathing the Iskandian airship’s envelope in flames and did not look at the newcomers. That was surprising. Did he not yet know that his mate had been grievously injured? He had to.
I can sense a few of his thoughts, Trip spoke into her mind. He’s distracted. He knows his mate was injured, but he’s focused on something else. He wants what’s inside the Iskandian airship.
Which is what?
I’m not sure. Food, I think. Pods? Beans? And some long sticks.
Sticks?
Canes? Maybe it’s lemongrass.
Rysha snorted. Catnip to dragons, I’m sure.
Shulina Arya arrowed toward the male dragon and was almost close enough to breathe fire when he lifted his head and glared at them with icy green eyes. They weren’t a deep emerald like Trip’s but a chartreuse, more akin to the light flaring from Dorfindral’s blade.
The male roared, and fire roiled from the depths of his pink throat. It shot a hundred yards, directly at Shulina Arya.
She didn’t flinch. She erected a barrier and flew straight into the flames.
Be ready, Storyteller! You can drive your sword down his gullet.
I’m ready.
Rifles fired from below, startling Rysha. They were close to the airship battle now, and she’d almost forgotten about the pirates. Some continued firing across to the Iskandian freighter, but more men pointed their rifles upward, shooting at Rysha and Shulina Arya.
The bullets bounced off Shulina Arya’s invisible shield, again manifested in a way that it protected Rysha even though she wielded Dorfindral. She gripped the hilt, smiling as they closed on the male gold, starting to feel that no single foe could stand against them.
Shulina Arya attempted to fly her close enough to strike, but the male must have sensed the chapaharii sword. He twisted in the air, flapping quickly away and lashing at them with his tail. Shulina Arya snapped her jaws to the side, catching the very tip of that tail and clamping down.
Rysha crouched, ready to join in the skirmish as soon as she was close enough. The male hurled a mental attack at them. Even protected by Dorfindral, Rysha winced, feeling something that felt like a hurricane gale knocking around inside her skull.
Shulina Arya cried out, letting go of the tail and shaking her head. She stopped flapping her wings, and they dropped. Rysha’s heart sprang into her throat, and she dropped to her belly, afraid of falling off.
Shulina Arya recovered just short of landing on the Iskandian airship’s smoldering envelope.
Machine guns fired behind them, Ahn and Trip taking a run at the pirate airship. Most of the crew ran for cover and to return fire as the fliers passed, but Rysha spotted a woman in black glaring in her direction. Next to her, a man in a pointed blue hat raised a bow.
Rysha almost laughed. What was a bow when everyone around that man was firing shell guns and rifles? Then she remembered that she was using a sword.
Bhrava Saruth flapped past after the fliers, breathing flames at the pirate ship and lighting its envelope on fire.
Brace yourself, Storyteller. Shulina Arya flapped her wings to take them back toward the battle, but there was a wobble to her flight that hadn’t been there before. The male is very powerful with mental attacks. I was not completely ready for that. Here he comes, aiming for us again.
Rysha crouched again, hoping to get a chance to injure the gold so he would be less of a problem. But she kept an eye on that archer, suspecting he was more than he appeared. The man no longer faced her and Shulina Arya. Instead, he focused on one of the fliers. Trip’s.
Trip flew his craft straight into the airship, between the deck and the envelope, its wings tipping left and right to avoid supports and cables. He fired all the while, driving the crew to dive for cover or run below decks.
The woman in black didn’t flee. She lifted a hand toward him as the archer at her side fired.
Rysha was too far away to see if there was anything special about the bow, but she blurted a, “Look out, Trip!” just in case.
He tilted his wings so the arrow clunked into the underside of his flier instead of hitting him, but he let out a startled oath. Red lightning shot from his cockpit, from Azarwrath. It streaked toward the woman and the archer, but did not strike either. Trip yelled in surprise and pain as if something had struck him.
“Sorceress,” Captain Ahn announced with surprising calm.
“Drop me off,” Grady ordered.
Now, Storyteller, Shulina Arya ordered, and Rysha wrenched her attention from the other battle as the dragon took her straight into another gout of fire.
Rysha couldn’t see anything but yellow and orange flames writhing around her, the heat palpable against her skin, even with her sword’s magical protection.
“Ready,” she said, raising Dorfindral.
They had to be closing on the male’s head. Shulina Arya banked hard, and a pale green eye came into view, far too close for comfort. But close enough to strike?