by Kyle West
I nodded. “Good luck, Victor.”
He nodded back at me and was off in a flash. His white stallion was soon lost among the rest of the mass, all heading south toward the Radaskim and gathering storm.
“It’s time,” I said.
So, we mounted up and flew with the rest of the dragons. I let them know quickly to be strong and to fight, and that Shara and I were off to find a way to stop the dust. I hoped that they understood the importance of our mission and didn’t think it futile.
As Shara and I turned our dragons toward the mountains, to come at the Radaskim from the side, none of them seemed to protest. I had to take that as a sign that we were doing the right thing, even if in truth, I wasn’t even close to knowing what I was doing.
Chapter 48
Shara and I flew alone above the forest west of the battle. We swooped low over the trees, lost to the onset of evening. None of the Radaskim dragons were over here. As I’d hoped, all of them were engaged in the battle.
While the dust hardly reached the foothills, it overhung the battlefield in a massive, impenetrable cloud, its center seeming to be focused on the exit of the pass. Looking far to the south, it also seemed the dust was thinner. So, there was something in the Radaskim army producing that dust. But from here, there was no telling exactly what it was.
I edged Flame closer to Shara’s dragon. “We’re going to have to go into that from the side.”
“You lead, I’ll follow.”
I waited only a few seconds longer before instructing Flame to go. It’s time.
I felt acknowledgement from him, and only the slightest hesitation before turning east. Connecting my mind to his, I could sense his fear. Within minutes, we would be entering the dust. The fact that it seemed to scare Flame more than fighting dragons earlier spoke volumes.
Shara, I thought. Bond with me.
She didn’t ask for the reason; within a few seconds, I felt her own presence in my mind.
I’m going to try something, I said. Something that will hopefully mask our presence with the Radaskim army. It . . . might not be pleasant.
Anything is better than dying, Shara said. I’m ready.
I couldn’t waste any more time. The closer we got to the Radaskim, the more likely it was we would be detected. The only way I could think to cloak ourselves was making them think we were Radaskim.
And for that, I had to announce our presence, only in a way that made them think we were part of their swarm. I reached out with my mind toward the dust cloud ahead, hoping to find a connection with one of the dragons there. At this distance, it was difficult, especially since I couldn’t see anything through the cloud. But in the end, I felt the presence of a dragon. I wasted no time, immediately using the Xenofold to tether it, the action so quick, precise, and practiced that it didn’t stand a chance of resisting. I read its hateful mind, its thoughts, its evil intentions, and channeled them all into the bond shared between Shara, me, and our dragons.
It felt as if we were awash in a river of poison and bitterness. I extended those thoughts from our minds, as if they were our own. It might seem strange that they were coming from two separate dragons rather than just the one, but before they noticed that, I hoped we would have figured out a way to stop the dust.
We were well inside the dust cloud, now. We wove in and out of Radaskim dragons, none seeming to give us notice. I could hardly believe it was working. The tethered dragon balked at my control. Holding his mind captive took a lot of energy. At the same time, I had to search for the source of that dust, all the while not losing my grip on the already tethered dragon.
We searched deeper within the dust cloud. There were no more dragons. I could hear the screams and shrieks of the crawlers from the direction of the battlefield, but other than that, there were no signs of the Radaskim, and no sign that they knew that we were even here.
There was no telling how long that would last.
After a few minutes of searching, and almost losing control of my tethered dragon, which now flew alongside us, a large shape materialized from ahead. It was a dragon, but of a different kind, with large, billowing wings, but a comparatively small body. It flapped those wings, slow and lumbering, and with each flap, the sky filled with even more dust. The wings seemed to be discharging the fine particles, and in such an amount as to immediately obscure the surrounding air before dissipating.
We flew past this dragon, only to find several more, doing the same thing, spewing incredible amounts of dust. I counted four of them, and there were probably more.
They were the source, then. But how to stop them? There was only one thing I could think of: to take control of them. But would I be able to do that while also controlling the Radaskim and channeling its thoughts to the swarm, passing them off as our own?
There was only one way to find out.
I’m going to need your help, Shara, I said. We need to take control of these dust dragons.
And then what? she asked.
Well, I doubted I could keep control of them for long. Long enough to ground them, with luck.
We won’t have much time. As soon as we reach out, every Radaskim dragon will know that we’re here.
There was a pause as she considered this. I’m ready when you are. I know what I signed up for.
I wasn’t sure she did, but we were beyond that, now. It was now or never. I began by reaching out toward the mind of the dust dragon closest to me. To my surprise, there was no resistance at all to my searching. These dragons had hardly a shred of intelligence. Their only purpose was flying and spreading the dust. Their minds were weak – surprisingly weak.
Was it a trap?
I didn’t have time to ponder that question as I began to tether them, one by one. I faced absolutely no resistance; in fact, the single Radaskim dragon I’d tethered at first was fighting much harder than the multiple dust dragons I now had under my control. Once I’d had a few of them, it was simple to detect others like it in the swarm. I kept tethering more and more until I had almost twenty of them under my control, all still spewing the dust. Only now was I feeling the strain. Individually they didn’t offer much resistance, but together, they were more powerful.
I think I’ve got them all, or enough of them, I said.
Bring them down, Shara said.
I gave the order. Fall.
The dragons ceased flapping their wings, as their bodies tilted toward the ground. The few I could see around me were entering a dive, their wings folded back to give them additional speed. I followed them down toward the ground, just to make sure. I watched them crash headfirst into the roiling swarm of crawlers below, each letting out a lumbering bellow right before impact. One by one, their connections severed from my own mind, like lights going out in the darkness.
They’re dying, Shara said.
Through the dust I could hear the scream of Radaskim dragons. Something in those screams told me they knew what had happened.
Time to leave, I said.
I turned Flame while Shara followed on Red Tail. I let go of the connection I forged with the original dragon, the one whose thoughts we were using to mask our presence. Before completely letting it go, I sent it flying in the opposite direction, until it was a safe distance away. With the severance came a frustrated scream, the dragon immediately turning to come after us. Once I dissolved the bond shared with Shara, my head swam a bit as I fought to remain conscious. After a few deep breaths, vision returned to my eyes, though I still felt a deep sense of fatigue.
Fly, Flame, I said. Fly with everything you’ve got.
I looked in the direction of the battlefield. Already, the dust was thinning a bit. I could see some of the Radaskim dragons approaching on dark wings.
Shara and I left the last of the dust behind, flying low over the spruces and pines of the foothills. We were still being pursued by about ten dragons, but they were far behind, lagging ever more with each passing minute. They would never catch Flame or Red Tail. Still, I
urged Flame onward, wanting to leave nothing to chance.
It would likely take hours for the dust to dissipate. We just had to hold on long enough and hope that the Plainsmen’s tactics would carry the battle.
Chapter 49
When we returned, things did not seem to be going well. From the air, the Radaskim seemed to stretch all the way to the eastern horizon, the dispelling of the dust finally revealing the true scope of their numbers. The horsemen swarmed in and fell back, unleashing their seemingly endless supply of arrows into the crawlers’ ranks. The battle had gone unabated for several hours by now. The dust seemed to be thinning, but it was still thick over the main body of the Radaskim, obscuring the movements of their dragons.
And from the pass, there was still no sign of the Elekai forces.
But there was nothing to be done. I rejoined the Colonian Dragonguard, finding Captain Dailyn about to lead another charge to defend the Plains People from the sky. The two sides collided, the Dragonriders lancing two of the Radaskim dragons immediately, while the rest found themselves ganged up by our superior numbers.
The clash lasted half a minute, ending with the Radaskim falling into the swarming crawlers below. More Radaskim, however, were flying from the main body to join the fray.
Dailyn called for the men to break off, and the rest of the Dragonguard went with him. Shara and I followed. I noticed the Dragonguard’s numbers were fewer, now. They must have sustained heavy casualties while Shara and I had gone to deal with the dust.
As the force of Radaskim pursued, about equal in number, I saw what Dailyn’s plan was. He was leading them right to Guardian Mian’s airships, which were floating over the center of our army. The Radaskim broke away right before they could be in range of them, however. A few deafening salvos fired off all the same.
But then, a blinding, orange brilliance ignited the sky, followed by a crackling boom. One of the ships was engulfed in flames, its gondola already sinking toward the ground at breakneck speed. Flaming, screaming people jumped overboard as the airship sunk lower, faster and faster as its envelope burned with a hellish light. Falling among the ship was a single, black dragon, dead and covered with flames.
A suicide flyer. I felt coldness creep over me.
Thankfully, the ship had been relatively isolated from the rest, which was probably why it had been picked as a target. All the same, the other airships averted course with it. One well-placed explosion could cause them all to go up in flames.
It would not take the Radaskim long to take advantage of this vulnerability.
“Protect the ships!” I shouted.
Dailyn heard and repeated the order.
“Here they come,” I heard Shara say from Red Tail next to me.
And indeed, they were coming. From the dust, still thick over the Radaskim host, they appeared. First dozens, and then hundreds. They had hidden their true strength, and now, sensing weakness, they were willing to bring their full power to bear.
The damaged airship at last hit the ground, bursting into another explosive plume of flame. The ground had been mostly cleared below it, but seeing those flames, and imagining them spreading to the other ships, filled me with dread. There were hundreds of Radaskim dragons coming, now. I had no doubt they were sending all their strength at once.
We were going to lose more than one ship this time, but we could still try to protect most of them. I flew on ahead, with Shara at my back. I turned and faced the Dragonguard, as well as the free Elekai dragons that did not have riders. There were perhaps two hundred left, all of them hovering behind me. I did not bother calling out. My voice would be lost to the din of battle.
Instead, I connected to every mind I could, transmitting my words through thought alone. Many of us will die in the next few minutes, I said. Maybe even all of us. This might be our last stand. So, fight, as if this is your last fight! The entire world depends on us!
The Radaskim dragons were halfway to us, now. In response to my words, our own dragons were roaring their defiance.
Keep them away from the ships and keep out of the ships’ way. If we lose those ships, then we lose everything. The dust will be gone soon, and with the dust, they’ll lose the main advantage they have. Fight on, fight with everything you have!
I turned back, waiting only a moment before flying forward. The rest of the dragons followed behind, a final charge from both sides to decide the fate of the battle.
* * *
It didn’t take long for the two air forces to collide. I drew deeply from the Xenofold, knowing that I needed every bit of concentration I could get. My mind became aware of all the Radaskim dragons closing in, about twice our own number.
There’s too many. Where did they all come from?
It wasn’t a question that could be answered right now. Whatever the case, they meant to end us now, before they lost the dust completely.
Our own side formed up to engage the advancing Radaskim, but their line was longer. They now had two dragons for every one of ours. Some of them must have reinforced from beyond the mountains; I could see no other explanation.
Shen’s ships were spreading wide, so that if one went down, it wouldn’t take the rest with them. They evenly distributed themselves over the entirety of the line, readying themselves to turn broadside at the dragons’ approach. Guardian Mian, then, realized there would be no escaping this. Proudwing stood in the center of the air armada, the fires of the downed ship below reflecting off its side.
The Radaskim dragons began their ascent, and the Elekai rose to meet them. All fell away as the fight commenced. Flame, with a roar, closed his teeth around the neck of a maddened Radaskim. I held on tightly as he entered a dive, as I joined in the fight by reaching for the dragon’s mind, dulling its senses and allowing Flame to tear at its throat. A fountain of purple blood issued from the wound, and the dragon’s whitened eyes clouded as it entered a dive for the ground below.
No sooner was the dragon dispatched, Flame veered upward to meet the attack of a large Radaskim that was diving from above. I tethered its mind, forcing it to veer aside. The connection suddenly broke, allowing the dragon to regain control and chase us.
Flame circled around, only to have a view of three Radaskim flying directly for us. Behind those dragons, the Proudwing was veering to port, exposing its cannons to the dragons on the same trajectory as us.
Dive, Flame!
Flame screamed and entered a dive, just as soon as the cannons went off. I didn’t have the chance to see what happened; I was deafened by the blasts. At the last possible moment, Flame drew up and flew low over the ground, where several crawlers leaped up and snapped their jaws in the wake of our passage.
Flame flew back up and turned around again, right into the thick of battle. Cannons continued to fire from the airships. But amid the screams of dragons and the reports of cannons came an even more terrifying sound.
An unholy roar sounded from the direction of the ships. I veered Flame back, only to see the Proudwing erupting into flames. Its envelope had a breach amidships, where several Radaskim dragons had broken through the line. Those dragons were now aflame, but the damage had been done.
Guardian Mian had come too far forward, probably seeing the danger I was in. He had risked himself and his ship to save me. I watched in horror as the Proudwing sunk toward the earth. No one would be surviving that. No one could survive that.
Another thunderous boom sounded as the ship crashed onto the plains below, and for a single moment, the Radaskim swarm was illuminated in a single, nova-like burst from the ship’s remaining gas. Plumes of flame shot from the additional breaches in the envelope, and the remaining ships were beginning to pull back, away from the emboldened Radaskim, which were now targeting them with reckless abandon, all but ignoring our own dragons.
Protect the ships! I called, making sure the message was received by every one of our dragons.
The other Elekai joined me as we chased after the Radaskim. Nothing mattered now
besides protecting the armada. Our numbers were too few to protect every point of the line, so we could only be as close to the ships as possible, protecting them at the source of the attacks.
That would place us at risk of going up in flames, too. But if we did nothing, the entire fleet would be lost. And when that happened, the ground army would be lost, too, along with all hope of victory.
Fight, I said. Fight with everything you have.
The fighting rejoined. Flame crashed against an oncoming Radaskim while I reached out toward its mind, taking control of it and causing it to drop quickly toward the ground. Other Radaskim homed in on me. I weakened them, such as I could, while Flame did the rest. Dailyn and his Dragonriders fell in around me, lancing many of the beasts as they got close. I watched as one Dragonguard fell to his death after his dragon was tackled by a Radaskim.
The battle was a chaos of wings, screams, and death. Deep in the Xenofold, I reached for whatever Radaskim dragon was closest. One on one, they were no match for me, but it was the sheer number of them. Flame and I worked together as a team, dispatching one after another, but even so they got their own bites and claws in, until Flame’s body leaked purple blood all over. I could feel his pain, his growing weakness.
Get back, Flame. You’ve done enough.
Flame roared, and only hesitated slightly before wheeling around, with three fresh Radaskim on his tail.
North, Flame. Past the ships.
Flame obeyed, now fleeing for his life. I turned to see a stream of black dragons following in our wake. Not only that, other Elekai dragons were fleeing now, too. The screeching Radaskim, smelling blood, were in hot pursuit. The airships opened fire upon them, felling a couple, but more joined the chase, until there was something like ten of them after me alone. They knew who I was, and that killing me would end the war for good.
I deepened my connection to the Xenofold, feeling for the dragons behind me. They were nearing. Flame wove in and out of the airships, and as soon as we had passed them, they began to fire on our pursuers. Another explosion sounded from behind, and I felt the heat of the flames lick my back. The night was alight once more, revealing the Plains People horsemen below battling with the crawlers under the ships. Another ship went up in flames and started to sink.