Dragonseers and Airships

by Chris Behrsin

  “I just want to be certain,” General Sako replied. “The question is, why would they blockade Port Szutzko?”

  “Because King Cini must know we’re here?” I said. “I can’t think of any reason.”

  A petty officer came over with a tray full of glasses of water and sweetened wheat biscuits, and I gladly accepted one of each.

  “Unless Alsie Fioreletta has also stationed her dragons somewhere nearby,” Faso pointed out, standing up and leaning against the desk. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s another force at play in this. They’ve probably been watching us closely and now they’ve decided to take advantage of our movement.”

  “And how would they do that?” General Sako said.

  “I don’t know,” Faso replied. “Until recently, I hadn’t believed Alsie could turn into a dragon. But we’ve all seen these things happening with our own eyes.”

  “Blunders and dragonheats,” General Sako said. “Sit down, Gordoni boy. You aren’t the most important person in the room, and we all need to work out rationally what to do next.”

  “Well, isn’t that obvious?” I said. “We can’t go in by boat with the port under lockdown, so we need to take the dragons out and scout out the surrounding terrain.”

  “But that will increase our visibility,” Admiral Sandao replied.

  “Actually,” Faso said. “I’ve installed radar blocking technology on the dragon automaton, although not on Velos, as I fear it will stop Pontopa’s ability to communicate with her dragon.”

  “But that won’t stop the flock being seen by human eyes,” General Sako said.

  “Which is why we should send out my dragon automaton,” Faso said. “And I’ll go on board too, although I’ll want some extra firepower if anything goes wrong.”

  “I’ll also go,” I offered, and I scuffed my feet against the carpeted floor. “With Velos and my dragonelite,” I nodded to Talato, “and Taka.”

  “Blunders and dragonheats, why would you take the boy out there? It was bad enough bringing him out on this mission, but now you want to send him into the most dangerous places.”

  But Finesia was definitely in my head, and if anything went wrong, Taka could be the only hope of bringing me back to reality. Particularly, as General Sako suggested, if Alsie Fioreletta – the apparent right hand of Finesia – also turned out to be there.

  “General Sako,” I said. “Taka is a dragonseer and so he’s my responsibility. It is my decision where I take him, and not yours.”

  General Sako twitched his moustache. “I guess I can’t stop you. But make sure nothing happens to the boy, otherwise you’ll have to deal with me.”

  “I will,” I said. Because it wasn’t really Taka we needed to worry about, but me.

  I stood beneath Velos on the quarterdeck. Lieutenant Talato had mounted and Faso and Winda were circling in the sky on the dragon automaton above us. I didn’t see any point wasting time trying to find Taka – telepathy was definitely the fastest way.

  “Taka,” I called out in the collective unconscious. “It’s time for us to go out for a while.” I could talk to him this way since I was a dragonwoman, which also meant I was a source of the collective unconscious. And, clearly, the cyagora had worn off a little.

  “Auntie Pontopa,” Taka replied. “Didn’t you say we shouldn’t use any of Finesia’s gifts?”

  “I think talking like this is okay. As long as we don’t turn into dragons, or anything.”

  “I’m not sure I know how to turn into a dragon.” Admittedly, that was reassuring to hear. It meant that Finesia might not have carried Taka as far over to her side as she had me.

  “Good,” I said. “How quickly can you be on the quarterdeck? We’re going out to see East Island.”

  “Oh goodie,” Taka said. “Give me a minute.”

  And he got there much quicker than that, skipping on his two little legs, clearly excited he was going on a fresh adventure. He scrambled up onto Velos’ middle seat and I followed him up. Then, I pulled back on Velos’ steering fin, singing at the same time to make sure Velos didn’t roar and alert anyone to our presence.

  We lifted into the sky, and the icy wind buffeted against my face as Velos sped towards Port Szutzko, Faso’s dragon automaton trailing in our wake.

  10

  The Szutzko Mires, the name for the land surrounding Port Szutzko, were boggy and damp. Before the fog, the skies must have unleashed quite a bit of rain, for it was difficult to find a dry patch suitable for both Velos and the dragon automaton. Certainly, I don’t think Velos would have appreciated landing in swampy water.

  “Ah, an old friend is here to greet you,” Finesia said in my mind. And I would have ignored her if, at the same moment, a black form hadn’t shot through the murk straight ahead of us. At first, I thought it must have been a cormorant or a goose. But the thing turned around, and streaked across the sky above the horizon, and then I saw it to be a dragon.

  Faso’s dragon automaton let out a kind of silent hiss. I sang a dragonsong to stop Velos also opening his mouth and roaring. The last thing we needed was the guards in the town on red alert because they knew there were dragons nearby. Ratter scurried up on Faso’s shoulder, its back arched and its red glaring eyes tracking the black dragon.

  The dragon levelled down towards the ground and landed on a grassy tuft around fifty yards away. As soon as it touched down, a plume of black dust rose around it, that shortly settled to reveal a full head of dark hair, and a hard-edged, handsome face. He wore a redguard uniform – the same attire as the king’s loyal soldiers. There he stood, his hands behind his back, stretching them as he looked up at us in the sky.

  “Impossible,” Lieutenant Talato said.

  “What’s he doing here?” Taka said from behind me. “I thought he was dead.”

  And I swallowed hard.

  “Why, hello darling,” Wiggea said in the collective unconscious. “I missed you.”

  “What the dragonheats does he want?” Faso said over the speaker system. “Winda, be careful.”

  But, in all honesty, I didn’t want to know. “Wiggea, you were thrown into the lava lake by Colas. I saw you burn.”

  “And you sensed me rise again, my darling. Finesia has told me she’s been waiting patiently for you to return to us. And now, here you are.”

  “No, Wiggea,” I said. “This isn’t you. Finesia has taken control of your mind, and you’re a different creature now. We lost you to the void.”

  “Why don’t we talk in person on the ground? I’m sure your comrades will be quite eager to hear what I have to say. After all, it’s been so long.”

  “And how do we know you’re safe? You might have others waiting in ambush as soon as we hit the floor.”

  “Because, if I wanted to attack you, I would have done so already. So, stop being so ridiculous and find somewhere to land.”

  I sighed, and then again sang to Velos to stifle his sudden urge to roar out into the sky. I didn’t have a clue what Wiggea was doing here yet, or who he had brought with him, but we certainly didn’t want to add King Cini’s air fleet to the mix.

  “What are we going to do, Pontopa?” Faso’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “Can we trust him?”

  “That outcrop there.” I pointed over to a larger island that jutted out of the bog, covered in grass and mud, but looking stable otherwise. “We’ll land and find out what he wants.”

  “Can’t you talk to him using your telepathy thing?” Faso said. “I’d rather know what we’re going in for first.”

  “I’ve already talked to him,” I replied. “And this is what I’ve decided to do.”

  I pushed down on Velos’ steering fin and took him towards the land. The dragon automaton fell behind a little, so I checked over my shoulder to ensure that Faso was following suit. Velos’ claws soon scuffed against the ground, and he groaned as he landed a little harder than usual.

  Faso brought his automaton much more smoothly, and we looked over to see Wiggea s
wimming through the bog towards us, rather fast for a human.

  But then, he wasn’t human…

  “Isn’t it a bit cold in there?” I asked. “Why don’t you fly?”

  “There’s absolutely no need. And I’ve not had a swim for a while. These kinds of things make me appreciate life.”

  “You’re not alive,” I pointed out. “And if you continue to serve Finesia, you’ll destroy everything.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. Finesia isn’t here to destroy, but to create. To remodel this world into something better. Isn’t that what King Cini and scientists like Faso Gordoni have been trying to do all along?”

  I dismounted via the ladder on the armour and instructed Taka and Lieutenant Talato to stay where they were. Talato read my meaning perfectly and took her rifle off her back and traced Wiggea through the sights as he approached us through the water. If he was just like Alsie and Charth, then in human form he would be vulnerable. In dragon form, he’d be almost impervious, save for the weak point at his throat.

  Faso had already sent Ratter down to accompany me. The thing climbed up my back and perched on my shoulder as I walked towards the bank. Even though it sent a shudder down my spine, at the same time, I appreciated it being there. But I wasn’t sure the automaton would do much good against a dragonman.

  Wiggea reached the bank of the island and pulled himself out using a thick clump of grass. He shook the water off like a dog, and then approached and looked right into my eyes, still absolutely dripping wet.

  Wiggea – once my loyal guard dog, and the man I’d kissed while we stared out at the fiery rocks dancing out of the lava lake inside the Pinnatu Crater. Now, he should be dead. And I felt repulsed to see him looking at me with such amour.

  “What do you want, Wiggea?” I asked.

  “There was once a time that you’d called me Lieutenant. And after, as I recall, we managed to reach first-name terms.”

  “You’ve long since left Gerhaun’s military ranks and joined our enemy.”

  “But is Finesia your enemy, really? She speaks to both of us and she wants what’s best for you.” He ran a finger against my jaw. “And yet, you’ve shut her out for so long.”

  I backed away from him. “Is that how you found me?”

  “Don’t be so thick. You may have been invisible, but the boy wasn’t. He will also one day make a loyal subject. But you are by far Finesia’s favourite, much to Alsie Fioreletta’s chagrin.”

  “He speaks the truth,” Finesia said in my mind. No matter how hard I tried to keep her away, she would always come back with these little remarks. “In the ultimate battle between you and Alsie, it is you who shall win. You know that, don’t you, my dear?” I pushed her away and turned back to the matter at hand.

  “Wiggea,” I said. “You didn’t answer my question. Why are you here?”

  “Because I love you, Pontopa.”

  He stepped forward and took hold of my chin. But I shoved him back by the shoulders. It wasn’t like Wiggea to be so forward. This wasn’t like the man I’d had feelings for.

  “Don’t give me that crap,” I said. I took another step back and stared daggers at him. I worried I might end up backing into the bog. But I didn’t want to turn around and check what was behind me, in case he tried anything.

  “It pains my heart for you to treat me this way,” he said.

  “You don’t have a heart,” I said. “Not anymore.”

  Wiggea fell silent for a moment and looked me straight in the eyes. He seemed sad about what I said, but I knew it was all an act.

  “Haven’t you thought why I might be in the king’s uniform, Pontopa?” he asked after a moment.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Because you want to infiltrate his ranks?”

  Wiggea nodded. “You know full well that the port is under lockdown. And my sources tell me you need to get those icebreakers to get over to Ginlast. You could waste your own lives trying to get what you need, but that would be contrary to Finesia’s plans. And she doesn’t trust you to use your gifts to remove the guards and automatons there, even though it’s clearly the safest option for everyone involved.”

  “It’s never safe to take anything from Finesia,” I replied.

  “Oh, and one day you’ll learn,” Finesia said. “You can’t keep pushing me away forever.”

  I swallowed hard and tried to still my heavily beating heart. Wiggea watched me silently, his eyes constantly fixed on me. But I kept my distance from him, and Ratter stayed on his perch on my shoulder, continually scanning the dragonman, in case he made any sudden movements.

  “Why bother with the uniform?” I asked. “Do you think they won’t recognise you once you get close?”

  “It won’t matter once they’re dead,” Wiggea said. And a crow cawed overhead.

  Would they really deserve to die? We’d come over to perform a covert operation, not a complete massacre. Not everyone in the king’s military was bad. I’d known many honourable men and women in his ranks when I was growing up, and a couple had even been friends of the family. Now, Finesia would kill them without remorse.

  “Where’s Alsie?” I asked Wiggea. She’d announced, when the dragonmen and dragonwomen had emerged at East Cadigan Island, that they couldn’t go far from her before they were reduced to delirium.

  “She’s otherwise engaged.”

  “And you don’t mind that I must kill her.”

  Wiggea remained silent.

  “Of course, he doesn’t mind,” Finesia said in my head. “For that is my will.”

  “And how do I know you’re not lying? How do I know you’re not saying exactly the same thing to Alsie?”

  “So, you’ve finally decided to acknowledge me. We’re making progress, my dear acolyte. Things are going according to plan.”

  I cursed and shut herself off again. I shouldn’t even be responding to her. She was that dangerous.

  A flock of crows had now gathered where the single one had flown overhead. They cackled out into the sky as they circled around us, as if they could taste death on the air. Meanwhile, the fog was thickening, and the air was getting colder.

  “Do what you want,” I said to Wiggea. “But regardless, we’ll fly into the port and get the icebreakers our own way.”

  “But I don’t think you’ll want to do that. Not when your friends and my old comrades are in peril.”

  My heart skipped a beat. “What do you know, Wiggea?”

  “Simply that the king’s automatons are on the way to ambush your little fleet. And if you don’t do something about it, they’ll wipe them out in one.”

  “No, that’s nonsense,” I said. “We scouted the area and saw nothing in the air or on the sea for miles.”

  Wiggea’s stern expression became a cocky grin. I didn’t like this new Wiggea one bit.

  “That’s because they’re not coming from on land or on the sea.”

  “Dragonheats, what do you mean?”

  He took a step to the side, and a plume of black dust rose around him. I stepped backwards even more so I didn’t inhale any of that magic, and Ratter hissed loudly at him from my shoulder and bared his razor-sharp teeth.

  “I’ll handle the icebreakers, Pontopa,” Wiggea said. “You go back and help our friends.”

  “Wiggea…”

  “Didn’t you say you’d call me Rastano before I died? I would much rather be on first-name terms.”

  “Wait… Wiggea…”

  “I’ll always love you, Pontopa. And I’ll protect you for eternity.”

  And those words left me feeling both empty and disgusted at the same time.

  Wiggea rocketed into the air in dragon form and speed off towards Port Szutzko. I watched him go a moment, kind of sad that we’d lost a good man… Or more, that I’d lost a good man. Then I turned back towards Velos and rushed back up the ladder. Ratter leapt off my shoulder as I did and scurried back towards the dragon automaton.

  “I heard everything through Ratter,” Faso called
over to me. “So, we’re going after him, I take it? We can’t trust him, surely?”

  But deep inside I knew that he wasn’t lying. He had no reason to. “We’re going back to help General Sako and Admiral Sandao,” I said. And I mounted Velos and strapped myself back in.

  “I knew you’d do the right thing,” Finesia said as we lifted into the sky. I tried my best to ignore her presence as I turned Velos back in the direction whence we’d come.

  11

  Once we got out of the Szutzko Mires, the fog had lifted quite substantially. But still the sky remained grey, and it retained a cold humidity. It was late afternoon, and the light had dimmed. Beneath us, the sea was calm and the soft lapping sounds of the waves susurrated from below.

  Soon enough, we came in view of the Saye Explorer. General Sako was out alone on the quarterdeck, looking out towards Port Szutzko, probably wondering if his grandson would return safely.

  I pushed up on Velos’ steering fin and landed him on the deck. Lieutenant Talato and Taka dismounted fast on my command, and I removed the helmet that Faso had placed in the compartment beneath my seat before I dismounted too. General Sako now stood at the bottom of the ladder, pungent fumes rising from his secicao pipe. He turned his head between Lieutenant Talato and me and regarded us underneath furrowed eyebrows.

  I sang a dragonsong, to instruct Velos this time not to head to the dragon carrier, but to keep aloft. He seemed to prefer this and didn’t show any signs of resentment as he cleared space for Faso and Winda to land. The dragon automaton touched down, then lowered its neck, creating a ramp for Faso to slide down while Winda scurried down the segmented tail at the back. Faso lifted himself off his haunches, then dusted down his suit, then approached.

  I looked down at Taka, who looked awfully pale. “Go to the bridge to get warm,” I said. “We’ll meet you there soon.”

  He nodded, and I watched him climb down the ladder to the lower deck, until he disappeared out of view. I turned to General Sako, who had remained silent up to this point, waiting patiently for my attention.