Kastali Dun

Claire's stomach lurched into her throat. She lifted her hand, shielding her gaze to look out beyond the bay, to the fleet of ships dotting the horizon. So, so many ships. She swallowed down the ball of nausea that turned her mouth sour. The view was unparalleled atop the king's tower, amidst the garden. To think, less than a week ago they'd gathered here to celebrate. Now they gathered for an entirely different reason.

Somehow they'd all managed to squeeze into the space: Talon and his Shields with her Queen's Guard standing near the battlements. Her guard formed a line, their postures rigid, gazing out in the same direction. Summer was upon them, and the humidity made it harder to breathe—or was that simply her nerves?

"Deep breaths, love." Talon's comforting voice should have been soothing. It wasn't. Nothing would fix the impending doom roiling around in her stomach.

She spun away from the approaching ships, lest she be sick all over the stones at her feet. Her gaze landed on her mate, speaking with Dallin.

"I know you wanted to fly with us, but I need someone I can trust. It must be you." Talon had a hand on Dallin's shoulder. The young Drengr frowned, an expression of indecision playing out on his face. He teetered between argument and acceptance. "It's the only way to ensure reliable communication between our wings and Claire's guards."

Dallin's shoulders dropped. He gave a curt nod—good enough for Talon, who strode away to speak with Verath.

Reyr stepped into the space Talon vacated, looking Dallin over. "I know you had your heart set on this."

"I should be flying with you, Reyr, with my brothers," Dallin said, swallowing. "Not standing here doing something any Drengr could manage." His protest was spoken telepathically, perhaps to keep the others from hearing. He'd forgotten that Claire could hear and hence, Talon. The king threw a glance in Dallin's direction, expression unreadable, before turning back to converse with Verath in hushed whispers.

Reyr nodded in understanding. "This isn't a ploy to get you out of the way, or protect you. You're young, yes. You've never seen battle, true. Your experience in aerial maneuvers with the king's wing is rudimentary, at best. None of those reasons is why you're to remain here."

Dallin exhaled.

"Our king trusts you over the fort's Drengr. Claire's Spriten guards have the most important job of all. Without them, we will all be dead. If something goes wrong with their magic, your warning could mean the difference between life and death for entire wings of Drengr. That is a heavy responsibility, one the king wouldn't put on just anyone. It must be someone from our wing."

"I am the logical choice," Dallin concluded, his expression clearing, his shoulders straightening.

Claire turned away from the exchange.

"All right, listen up." Talon spoke, garnering everyone's attention. "The fort's wings are in position. We will fly out to meet them. The farther from land the better. Stick to the plan. We keep the bats distracted, sink as many ships as possible. Once they catch on, there's no telling what will happen."

They'd found records of past battles with Oshea, one in particular. Sinking an Oshean vessel was no easy matter. They'd be protected from dragon fire, but there were other ways. Records from the past had pointed out unique solutions, such as dropping heavy boulders that ripped into the ships and broke them apart.

Claire had used her own creativity over the past few days, she only hoped it would work.

"Feowen?" Talon said, turning towards the Sprites. He'd stopped using the prince's title recently, not out of disrespect, but familiarity. They were technically family.

"Ayas Drollaya." Feowen stepped out of formation, placing a hand upon his heart.

"Aya cathalla nih brikah." You must not fail, Talon said. His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"They will do as you have requested, Drengr King," came Taylynn's musical voice. She emerged from the garden's entrance, or perhaps had been standing there for some while. "In all matters of war, there is much risk."

Claire's stomach squirmed. The princess's words were clear enough. They would try, but there was no guarantee they'd keep everyone alive. So much could go wrong.

"Thank you. That is all I ask," Talon said, nodding.

Claire spared a quick glance out over the water. The ships were closer now, closing in. Too soon, bats would be swarming and screaming in the sky. She palmed her stomach, willing herself to calm. Was she the only one close to crumbling?

Talon certainly wasn't. His expression was composed. His thoughts, too. Each one was a precise string of logic. These wings would fly here. Those wings would fly there. This wing would focus on the bats. That wing would fly backup. These guards would hold their position at the city's gates while those soldiers would maintain their infantry positions near the shoreline to confront whatever enemy landed on Dragonwall's soil.

Strategy upon strategy. Layers of planning. His focus was an iron fist.

She glanced at Reyr, who briefly met her gaze and nodded. Like the others, he gave gave nothing away. A frown pulled at her lips. How were they not falling apart by now? How did the manage to stay calm?

Except that she knew, when she really searched for the answer.

"Assembled and awaiting your orders, my king," came the voice in Talon's mind. Fort Kastali's fort leader.

A breath exploded from her lungs.

"It is time," Talon said.

She tightened her muscles to keep her tremors at bay. Walking to her Queen's Guard, she addressed them. "I cannot put into words my gratitude for what you will do here today, so a simple thank you must suffice." She glanced between each of them, holding Feowen's eyes the longest.

Her heart tugged with a desperate wish, to be here with them, to weave her magic with theirs as they had done in Squall's End, to protect the wings of Drengr. But she was needed elsewhere for different reasons. They would act without her.

"You are in charge here, Cousin," she told Feowen. Glancing at the others, she said, "His orders are mine."

"Ayas beyah, outah skapah." Your will, our command, they said in unison, placing hands over their hearts. She gave a brief nod and they turned away as one, towards the oncoming enemy, even closer than before. Taylynn stepped up beside her brother. She didn't miss the subtle movement, the princess brushing her fingers against the back of her brother's hand, a tiny gesture of reassurance.

It made her stomach drop with anxiety.

She moved to Talon's side—her rock, her strength. His Shields gathered close, falling deathly silent. "I suppose this is the part where I make some flowery speech about honor and courage and bravery."

Koldis snorted. "How about simply telling us what is in your heart?"

Talon nodded. His hand had reached for hers, fingers tangling together. Talon's gaze circled their little group, holding each person's eyes. She could feel the weight that passed between, as if it were her own, and in a way it was, as were the emotions surging up and outwards from him.

His throat bobbed. "This will be our first battle together as as brothers, as a family." Many of them had fought together as young Drengr during the war with the Kalds. This was different. "Each of you came to me under different circumstances, for different reasons, pledging your life to your kingdom, to your king. Sacrifice is no stranger to any of us. What we share, our bond, runs in our blood, tying our souls together.

"I would not be the king I am today without you. As king, I must ask you to make yet another sacrifice, to put your safety aside to serve me, our kingdom, our cause." Talon's thumb stroked over the back of her palm. "When we last fought, we were fighting for a different world, one far bleaker and less promising. Now we fight for something far greater—a new future, one we ourselves have forged with our own fires. Will you fly with me, brothers? Fly to protect the world we have only just begun to know?"

"Wouldn't dream of anything else," Reyr said, as the others echoed similar sentiments.

Claire's eyes blurred. She blinked back the threat of tears before they could form. The warm palm in hers squeezed.

Her mouth opened, then closed.

"Mih cralla? Would you like to add a few words?"

Her cheeks heated but she managed a nod. "I'd rather just give you each a big hug and tell you how much you mean to me—"

"We have time enough for that, I think," Reyr said, grinning.

"But," she lifted her eyebrows at his teasing interruption. "I suppose I would like to tell you that each of you is precious to me. That I love you each very much—yes, even you Koldis," she added, glaring at him when his face twisted into a feigned grimace to hide his sudden embarrassment over her sentiments. "I would rather do a thousand other things than fly into battle today, but since we must, I cannot think of better men—Drengr—to be with. I trust each of you with my life, with Talon's life. And if any of you goes and gets killed, I will find a way to hunt you down in the afterlife and rip you to shreds for being so careless."

Several snorts.

"All joking aside," she added, "I have only just come to know you, to love you. Please, please don't die on me. Please don't...I already lost one of you, once. I cannot—will not lose any more of you. Understand?"

Those words made them immediately sober. "Yes, my queen," they echoed. Their faces said enough. They were all thinking of Cyrus in this moment. The brother who would not be flying into battle with them.

"Now do we get our hugs?" Jovari asked, a small grin tugging at his lips. His words shattered the somber moment.

"Yes," she breathed, throwing herself at him first, wrapping her arms around his neck, before he passed her off to the others.

"It is time, my queen," Talon whispered against her ear, when it was his turn. He pulled her away from the others for a moment of privacy. She gazed up into his sliver eyes, letting the world around her fall away. They could gaze at each other like this, skink into their shared minds together, and find themselves in a completely different world. A landscape that resembled—as it usually did—volcanic lava fields.

"Have I told you today, how very much I love you?" Talon murmured against her lips, his forehead and nose pressed against hers. He didn't need to tell her. She knew it the same way she knew her own name. His love was a deep part of her now, the essence of it flowing through the very marrow in her bones.

"We will fly fierce and strong," he said, whispering the words for her ears only as they soaked in their final moments like this. It wasn't a goodbye. She couldn't bear for it to be. "We will show them no mercy. No one comes into my kingdom—our kingdom—with ill intent."

"We will make them regret the day they thought it wise to attack," she breathed against his mouth.

"Yes, my queen." He hesitated, holding her hands in his, sandwiched between their chests. "You are quite good with a bow, are you not?"

"Excellent, as a matter of fact," she teased right back.

A gleam lit his eyes, the eager edge complementing his wild gaze. As a Drengr, Talon and his kind were not that different from dragons. Dragons lusted for battle and bloodshed. The Drengr were simply better at leashing themselves.

Today, they needed to abandon their leashes.

"You will let it out," she told him. "You will do whatever it takes to protect our people."

"Yes, my queen."

"You will not hesitate. You will strike true. You will strike hard."

"Yes, my queen."

"You will be the king you were always meant to be."

"Yes, my queen."

"And when this is all over, you will take me away somewhere where we can be alone, where I can show you the king you are to me."

"Yes, my queen." With each affirmation, his gaze darkened.

She swallowed, then nodded, her forehead still pressed to his. "Then let us get this dealt with."

He took a step back, their hands still clasped. "Yes, my queen."

His eyes held so much meaning, so much trust, love, devotion, determination.

She dropped his hands at last, backing up to give him space. Already, his Shields were jumping from the battlements, shifting midair into their forms, taking their places in the sky. A quick glance towards the fort showed jeweled forms rising into the air, like gems stranded together into jewelry. They awaited orders from their king and queen.

Talon transformed, the action taking mere seconds. She reached behind her, to feel the Rider's bow at her back. Talon had given her a fine weapon, one she cherished beyond measure. Beside it, Pelwyn's quiver and phoenix arrows waited. She'd strapped her Spriten blade to her hip. It was shorter and wouldn't get in her way. Not like Cyrus's Sverak. It had been a difficult decision, to leave it behind, but she couldn't carry that many weapons upon her person. It felt...not wrong, per se, but not right, either. As if she were excluding him.

A mental snort dashed that thought immediately. I don't need a material object to be here in your head, you know.

Her mouth twitched but her insides swelled with love.

Someone else's chest swelled, too. Talon's emotions betrayed how he felt, hearing Cyrus speak. Being able to hear Cyrus was new for him, and while it chafed at old wounds, it also brought him peace.

I am glad to have you with me, my friend, she said, knowing full well that his battle experience would come in handy. But there was no more time for sentiment. The Oshean fleet was closer than ever. Close enough that she could begin counting the ships. She spotted the smudges of color that made up their flags.

She took off at a run. A battle cry fell from her lips as she vaulted from Talon's forearm onto his back. She made quick work of the buckles around her legs. Her Spriten quarterstaff was already buckled into place.

Talon waited for her signal, then unleashed a roar. It was quickly swallowed up by hundreds of similar battle cries. He lunged, springing into the air, clearing the battlements and sweeping downward before riding the air currents high into the sky. She turned, gave Dallin one final look and said, "We are only a thought away. Be safe," to which he returned a similar sentiment.

She confronted the sight before her.

They looked like insects at first, locust, perhaps, their dark bodies lifting from ship decks. Their enemy took flight, swarming and splitting, reforming. Her stomach dropped, plummeting at the sight. A fresh wave of fear washed over her. "Breathe, love. Acknowledge your fear and move past it." She nodded.

The swarm of bats writhed and twisted high into the air like a tornado, then split into several different formations, coming straight for them, leaving the ships behind to catch up. Behind the King's wing, the Drengr from fort fanned out into an apex with their king at the forefront. Challenging roars split the sky wide open. She joined her voice with theirs, listening to it mix with the voices of other Riders.

Bow at the ready, she nocked an arrow, waiting. Seconds ticked past, the bats growing larger and larger. When they were close enough to see their true size, she pulled her bowstring taut, remembering everything Pelwyn had taught her. It was as if he'd trained her for this moment. The fear she felt vanished, replaced by fierce concentration. She located the closest formation, partitioning her mind, then fired. The arrow hit its mark, disrupting the swarming formation. A bat plummeted towards the sea.

Dragons lifted their voices in triumph. Their queen had landed the first shot. Pride welled through her chest—Talon's pride.

Silence swept over her, encircling her wing within an eerily quiet bubble. Spriten magic. Her heart beat once, twice, creating heavy pounding sensations against her chest. There was an instant of clarity, as the writhing formation of bats churned in front of her. Talon's claws were outstretched, ready to draw blood. She braced herself. Talon burst through the enemy formation, scattering it. They were swept into the churning mass of furry bodies and leathery wings. He rolled to avoid impacting her against a nearby bat, and the world heaved, her stomach lifting into her throat. Then they were upright again.

"And so it begins," Talon said.

Her ears filled with her raging pulse. It beat beneath her skin, pounding like battle drums. Images, projections began flooding her mate's mind. She separated herself enough to concentrate. Fiery pain erupted against the back of her neck. Talon roared, the sound mixing with her own pained scream. She felt a bat's claws digging in, then disappearing as he rolled away to safety. She clenched her teeth, ignoring the gush of hot blood that trickled down her skin.

"You're all right," Talon encouraged, feeling the pain as if it were his own. "Just a scratch. It will heal." She pushed the painful sensation from her mind, ignoring it as more bats swarmed them, reaching with their claws. The sound of them against her metal armor made her shiver.

Another arrow was already in hand, her bow nocked. She fired, turning in her harness to get a an eye on her intended target. Other riders were doing the same. Arrows flew at the swarming formations. There were six. Her Spriten guards had split their magic to protect all those who interacted with the swarms.

Talon tumbled in the air, caught off course as bodies churned about them, knocking them around. Each time he got his bearings, another flutter of wings, another furry body, slammed into his. Too many to fight off, like being swept up in a current.

She gasped, as if drowning. Each breath was a struggle. Her hands worked of their own accord. She fired arrows in rapid succession, forcing the swarm to regroup. Talon's wing of Drengr burst free and for a brief moment, sound returned to the world, loud screams of frustration from the bats as they realized their attempts to paralyze had failed.

They circled around just as the swarm rushed, swallowing them up again.

Additional wings moved in, creeping past them along the perimeter, heading towards the ships. She prayed they would go unnoticed, that they would hit their mark. Until then, they had to keep the bats distracted.

Each of her arrows struck its target, staying lodged long enough to inflict damage, before disappearing and reappearing in her quiver. If she ever saw Pelwyn again, she would fall on her knees and thank him for such a gift. Other Riders would eventually run out and return to the fort for refills. This would allow her to remain on the front lines.

A deep pain pierced her chest, stealing her very breath. She gasped, curling inward on herself. The first death. She felt the dragon lance accompanied by its projection. Felt the light leave the Drengr's mind as he died. The last sound was his Rider's pained scream before plummeting towards the sea below. There was no time to look out towards the ships. She saw enough to know the weaponry they carried. A cry lodged in her throat, paired with the deep sense of gut-wrenching loss. Riders didn't live long without their dragons.

"Stay focused." Talon's command was firm, unyielding.

She inhaled, gathering her strength. She drew another arrow, nocked, then moved around for a clear shot. Bats swarmed Talon's wing. His mind was chaos, and somehow, he juggled it perfectly, separating projections and giving updated orders. He played the role of commander and warrior simultaneously. Flawlessly.

Another sharp pain filled her, and then another. Two more deaths. The other wings were nearly upon the ships, dodging a sky filled with lances as the fleet fired upon them. She pushed the painful sensations away, counting down the seconds. Just a few moments more, and they would make it. Her arms began to shake, sweat beading along her temples. How much time had passed? Each minute felt like an eternity.

Bats dropped towards the sea, but not nearly quickly enough. Just enough to remain distracted, and then—

"They made it!" Talon turned on his wing tip, circling them around. His Shields broke from the swarm following their king. She caught sight of the approaching fleet, just in time to see a projection. One of their Riders dropped the first jar.

Her hearing returned.

She watched, transfixed, as the jar plummeted, its insides dancing with a faint green glow. It smashed against the deck below. Her Sprite Fire exploded outward, swarming over the surface of the ship like a rapidly growing infestation.

A concussion of air and its accompanying boom hit her a moment later, rustling the hair around her face, stealing the breath from her very lungs. The entire ship went up in flames and the world paused in shock. Then a lance drove straight into the heart of the Drengr who'd made it possible. He dropped from the sky. Seconds later, his glittering blue scales were swallowed up by the sea, both Drengr and Ryder lost. 

⭐🌟 DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!🌟⭐

Happy Friday, Bookdragons!

Gah. We made it. We're here, thrust into battle, finally. If you're like me, the anticipation of something is always worse than the something itself. Waiting sucks! But we're here and we made it. Now we can only hope that everything goes smoothly. 

I'm working on next week's chapter, so I have no idea what will happen. JK. ...sorta.

Hope you are having a great week!

-Mel

ps. Many of you know I write to music. For this chapter, I had viking style battle music playing in the background. You can find tons of it on YouTube. Highly recommend!