Kastali Dun

Koldis released a snarl of satisfaction, ignoring the gaping wound on the underside of his belly as it knitted itself back together. He wasn't the only one. Every one of his brothers had taken a beating. Even his queen had blood splattered on her beautiful silver armor. She was slower to heal than the rest of them, but still much faster now that she was mated to Talon. Not to mention the Sprite blood in her veins. As her her magic grew, so too would her healing abilities.

Every one of their injuries was worth it—seeing the first ship burst into Sprit Fire. He spared a moment to admire Dragonwall's queen. She looked like vengeance incarnate, with her golden hair coming free in strands, a bow raised in her arms, and signs of battle covering her armor.

Claire had spent hours preparing her Sprite Fire jars, putting a drop of her fire magic into each one. Sprite Fire was something the fleet hadn't anticipated. But how long would it take their sorcerers to react, to recover?

A pang of shock echoed through him as the Drengr who'd landed the first blow plummeted towards the sea, his Rider with him. There was no time to mourn. More and more jars were dropped over the ships. One vessel after another burst into flame. For a brief instant, it seemed victory was certain.

Until he looked over the fleet. There were still so many. How would they conquer such a force?

As a single swarming unit, the bats changed direction, sensing the greater threat. They sped off towards the ships. "The Sprites are reconstructing their shields," Dallin's voice filled his mind, relaying messages to the king. "They will do their best, but it's chaos out there!"

Chaos was putting it mildly. Lances flew through the air, giant arrowheads promising pain, forcing formations apart and back together. Injured pairs fell from the sky. Bats swarmed.

Talon gave his command to follow the bats. They changed direction. He beat his wings, straining against the budding fatigue in his muscles, straining to regroup with the Drengr force above the fleet. A needle of panic pierced his composure. The Oshean navy was too close to the shore. Claire's jars were barely making a dent.

A horn sounded, the call taken up, echoed by more horns. Dragonwall's fleet appeared, right on schedule, cutting through the bay's waters to follow their king. They were the last line of defense against the enemy, and would intercept the ships before they could enter the bay.

It would force the ships to change course, force the soldiers to head for the beaches north of the city, protecting the citizens behind the city's outer walls. There, Dragonwall's army would be waiting.

A dragon lance shot through the air, straight for him. He inhaled and rolled. The tip of the Ice Metal grazed the underside of his belly. He hissed. Unlike the scratches from bat claws, this was a wound that wouldn't heal quickly. "Careful, brother," came Jovari's warning when he witnessed the injury.

Only a fraction of their Drengr wore armor. There'd never been enough to outfit the entirety of their ranks. It had been split between both forts during the battle at Squall's End, much of it remaining behind when they'd departed. He regretted that now, but how could they have anticipated this?

Another lance shot towards their wing. They broke apart, scattering then regrouping. More lances came at them as they reached the ships. It was nearly impossible to hold formation. Koldis fought for third position. Talon was directly in front and to his left. His king growled as the tip of an arrowhead sliced along his forearm. The sound was echoed by Claire, a cry of pain for her mate.

With the Spriten shields now protecting those in direct danger of bats, the clash of battle hit him head on. It was an assault to his senses.

Below them, the creak and groan of war machines fired lances into the sky. It was paired with cries "Reload!" and "Fire!" Green flames sparked and crackled, swallowing up entire vessels, while new explosions went off periodically as Drengr wings fought their way towards the back of the fleet. Cries of agony for those caught in the explosions added a harrowing backdrop as soldiers were forced to jump ship.

In the sky, there came a constant whistle and hum of lances cutting through the air. It was paired with the roars of dragons and the screeching of angry bats. Bat claws against armor. Hissing cries of pain. Flapping wings. Twanging bowstrings from Riders.

Each individual sound from above and below turned into a maelstrom of noise. The sky was near impossible to navigate. This was what war looked like. Death and suffering, with small victories on both sides.

"They're deploying," King Talon warned.

Rowboats dropped into the water heading straight for Dragonwall's shores. Several wings broke away and swooped for them, breathing tongues of red orange flame, attempting to incinerate them. It did nothing. Whatever sorcerer magic protected the ships also protected the soldiers and their small vessels, forcing their wings to take up alternative tactics. They upended boats, dislodging the soldiers, but it didn't stop the Osheans. There were too many; they moved like ants with a single minded focus, swimming for the shore.

"Our Sprites are struggling," Dallin shouted in warning. "The bats are finding too many ways to work around their protection. Keep the formations together!"

"Hold your formations!" Talon cried, sending the command to every wing. But it was impossible to restore order out of chaos. A nearby contingent of bats let forth a piercing scream, bathing a scattered wing with their paralysis-inducing cries. Koldis watched in horror as the scattered Drengr froze. Before anyone could act, they were picked off, ripped to shreds, caught up in a rapid swarm that lasted seconds. Body parts and gore rained down, disappearing into the sea below.

A roar ripped free of his chest.

"We're doing the best we can, Dallin!" Talon bellowed, his words laced with panic and anger.

"It's not enough, Your Majesty. They're...they're burning through their magic!" Dallin sounded panicked, which meant the Sprites were also panicked.

Koldis swore, hissing a stream of smoke as he took in the scene before them. Too many, they were losing too many. Nearly a third of their forces were injured or dead, missing from the sky. Acidic bile roiled in his stomach, rising into his throat.

He glanced down.

Less than half the fleet burned green—not nearly enough. Those jars should have been enough to damage the majority. They had failed. A brief sense of hopelessness washed over him as he wondered how they would come out of this in one piece.

"Ignore the soldiers!" Talon cried, issuing new orders to the wings that had split from the main force. "Our military will deal with them on shore. Focus on the ships!"

"We need to stop those bats," Koldis growled, getting Talon's attention. "Otherwise we don't stand a fighting chance."

"No, we stick to the original plan," Talon countered.

"I can burn them with my Sprite Fire," Claire suggested, sounding hopeful.

"No, Claire. There is too much risk," Verath countered. A lance flew towards their formation. They were forced apart, rolling and scattering before regrouping. Their momentum carried them, sweeping them out and around the perimeter of the destruction zone. "The bats are too intermingled with our forces. Burning them would mean catching our own Drengr up in your flames. We are not immune to your fire."

"But..." Claire's gaze was trained on the forces in the sky. Even as they watched, another small contingent was ripped to shreds.

"The only reason the bats are immune to dragon fire is because of their sorcerers," Talon growled. "We eliminate the sorcerers, we leave the bats unprotected. Our forces will char them to bits. We proceed as planned—we destroy the ships." Talon's order left no room for debate. There was no time, anyway. Every moment, more of their Drengr died. But how many of them would they lose in the time that it took to eliminate the ships? He couldn't bear to think of it.

"Mih cralla?" Talon's voice again, speaking so that his entire wing would hear. "Are you ready? This is your moment."

This was why Claire was with them. Yes, she was Talon's mate and Rider. But for this battle, she was here to serve one, final purpose. Her mastery of Sprite Fire went beyond the normal abilities for a Sprite. She was their secret weapon.

"I am ready."

"Good. With me, brothers," Talon commanded, immediately turning on his wing tip. They swept around, moving towards the perimeter of the chaos. From afar, it merely looked as if the king was taking up a vantage point on the edge of battle, to better command his forces.

Koldis kept his focus on his queen, knowing Talon was capable of protecting himself. Claire reached for the buckles of her harness and freed her legs. She got into a crouching position, then stood for a better view. It took perfect balance to keep her body upright while Talon glided through the air...and something more. Sprite magic. Without it, she'd have tumbled from his back.

She began to sing, the notes of her voice catching in the wind. He felt the power seeping from her words. Talon swooped, bringing them around the fleet.

He'd never seen anything like this. She was a queen in every sense of the word, standing atop the massive black dragon as she sang forth her wrath. He felt the air shimmer with her power.

The sounds from around him were silenced. It took him a moment to realize why. Claire worked more than one form of magic. Not only was she using a binding force to keep her in place, she had woven a protection bubble about their wing to keep the call of the bats from harming them. Then her words began to change. They turned deeper and darker. He felt her malice, her anger, her drive to punish their enemy.

His gaze flicked across the sky. Only half their aerial forces remained. Gods above. More than one hundred Drengr injured or dead. How could they ever come back from such a loss?

Come on, Claire, he urged, listening to the sound of her voice. He knew more about her magic than his brothers did, having been with her as she'd developed it, deep within the forest. He knew that much of it could be done without singing. But for this, she'd chosen to revert to the basest form of magic, to reach deep into herself, to call upon the roots of what it was to be a spirit singer.

On his left, in second position, Reyr let out a roaring whoop. An entire row of ships burst into green flame. He opened his maw and let forth a bellow of his own. Talon continued to circle, their wing skirting the perimeter as Claire focused her magic on the fleet below. Her gaze remained fixed, arms outstretched as she sang.

If his scales could, he would have erupted into gooseflesh at the sight of her. His queen, doing the unthinkable. Another swath of ships burst into flame. It was working. Gods above! It was working!

Just as a third stretch of vessels burst into flames, the bats changed direction, as if finally realizing who the true threat was. But it was too late. Whatever magic Claire had woven, she'd woven it tight. Their wing stayed in motion, and try as they might, the bats could not penetrate the barrier Claire had set in place. It was more than what the Sprites had done. It wasn't simply an absence of air, it was an invisible wall that she'd blanketed them with. Bat after bat rammed against her shield, but it held firm as he voice carried.

More and more of the fleet burned.

On the shore, tens of thousands of soldiers had formed ranks. It was less than the one hundred thousand traveling with the fleet, but still significant. It would put a dent in Dragonwall's army. They'd worry about that later.

He was vaguely aware of Dragonwall's navy, forming an unbreakable line. If Claire succeeded, there would be no need to engage them. The bay would remain protected, keeping the bulk of the battle north and west of the city.

Claire's voice faltered and cracked. It began to waiver, to weaken. The sound of her gasping between words tightened his chest with fear. He glanced below. Only a handful of ships remained. She'd done it. She—

"I...can't!" Claire's body went limp.

Koldis bellowed at the same time his king screamed. He watched in horror, time slowing, unfolding, as Claire lost consciousness and tumbled from Talon's back. Without the magical barrier, the bats broke through their cocoon of safety.

His heart stopped.

Talon forgot their formation and plunged, streaking into the swarm after Claire. She toppled, her limp form slamming into the back of one bat, then buffeted by the wings of others. Koldis braced for the paralyzing screams that would kill them—kill his queen. The screams did not come. Somehow, the Sprites had been watching their queen, had managed to weave individual protections around her and the rest of the king's wing. He didn't have time for relief.

There was only crippling fear.

They followed their king. Talon fought tooth and claw. He was a mate enraged, breaking through the swarm to follow his queen as she dropped to the sea below. They reformed, keeping a tight pack about their king, diving with him. The sea swept up to meet them. Talon's forearms reached. He snatched his mate's limp body seconds before she struck the surface.

Were it not for her armor, the bats would have destroyed her, broken every bone in her body, bruised every stretch of skin, scratched wounds too deep to heal from. Thank the gods for starlight silver. He'd kiss his Spriten mate, kiss her brother, kiss every damned Sprite in existence, for creating the material that saved his queen.

A roar of relief burst from his chest—from the chests of all his brothers. Their wing swept around and Talon headed straight for the keep. He was vaguely aware of Reyr giving an order to the remaing wings in the sky. The bats followed them towards the king's tower. They were close enough to see the Sprites on the battlements—or what remained of them. Only four bodies stood. A sigh of relief showed Taylynn with her hand tightly clasped in her brother's.

They were singing, their eyes fixed somewhere behind him. A moment later, he felt the heat of Sprite Fire at his back. He didn't need to look, to know. What remained of the bats was destroyed. In diverting them from the battle, they'd separated them from the Drengr, allowing Taylynn and Feowen to use what remained of their magic to destroy them.

Beside them, Jeanine stood, an anxious expression on her face. The other guards had crumbled to the ground, unconscious, their magic entirely spent. A couple had bloodied noses. They would recover, but they would be no more help for this battle.

Talon swept over the tower, releasing Claire from his grasp. She dropped. Dallin caught her up in his arms, pulling her against his body.

So small. His queen looked so small and frail. His stomach squirmed. Already, Taylynn was rushing to Claire's aid, brushing a hand over the queen's unconscious face. Pride muddled with worry. She would live. She would be okay. She had done something so incredible, the bards would sing of it for thousands of years. She had destroyed what remained of the Oshean fleet, but it had taken its tole on her body.

"Get her to safety," came the king's orders to Dallin. "Ensure that she is well protected as she recovers." Talon's voice was laced with anguish. It went against Talon's nature to leave her, but he was a king, and he a duty to his kingdom as much as his mate. With reluctance that could be felt to the deepest depths of his core, Koldis followed. The king's wing turned and departed. They had a battle to win.  

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Happy Friday Bookdragons!

I don't know what it was about this chapter but it took me WEEKS to write. I kept chipping away at it, then rewriting, starting over. It really challenged me and I don't know why. But...I completed it. My own little minor victory, I suppose. Not as amazing as Claire's victory, but still.

Don't worry, there's more anxiety inducing moments to come before we reach the end of the book. 

See you next week!

-Mel