by Sarah Noffke
He cleared his throat. You’re supposed to say, ‘Interrupting drag—’
“Rooooooar!” Sophia interrupted. She stopped and doubled over with laughter.
Lunis shook his head and continued toward the Pond, swishing his tail back and forth and shaking his head. You’re ridiculous.
When they came to the cave with the thousand dragon eggs, as Sophia did every time since she’d discovered them—she simply blinked around, frozen. They were calling the place they were keeping the eggs the Nest. It seemed like the best description since that’s exactly what it was.
The young dragonrider didn’t know what to do for the eggs. Quiet watched after them, or so she thought, as she often saw him retreating from the area when she visited.
She felt like since Mama Jamba had put her in charge of the eggs, she should do something for them. When Lunis was in his egg, she’d made things warmer when he wanted that. She got him a water element when he asked for it. When Liv was too loud, Sophia ensured he had quiet. But she had been able to communicate telepathically with Lunis from the beginning. She didn’t have that ability with these dragon eggs, which was probably a good thing because how inundating would it be to have a thousand dragon voices in her head, all making demands as Lunis had in the shell.
Taking a seat on a large boulder at the front of the cave, Sophia glanced around, her eyes running over the many different colored eggs that filled the area. This was the new generation of dragons. Some would magnetize to dragonriders. Some would not. Some would go their own way, and others would want to be part of the Dragon Elite.
Some, according to Mama Jamba, would be pure of heart. Others would be corrupt. Some of the eggs would hatch relatively soon, meaning within the next few years or decades. Others might not hatch for hundreds of years.
There was so much potential before Sophia and so much uncertainty. She’d never been given a task she had absolutely no idea how to manage. Every day she and Lunis visited the eggs and just stared blankly. She wasn’t sure if it made her feel any better that Lunis seemed as lost as she was about what to do for the eggs.
I don’t think most mothers know what to do until they have to, Lunis offered, sensing Sophia’s continued confusion on the matter.
She sighed. “I get you keep calling me that so at some point you can call me the Mother of Dragons. It’s not happening.”
He chuckled. That’s not it. Okay, it sort of is. How about Mother of dragon eggs? That’s more accurate.
“How about no,” she replied.
Sophia, there’s nothing to do for them, he said after a moment of silence, his voice serious and full of sympathy.
“I know, but it seems like I should be doing something,” Sophia answered with a long sigh. “Like, should I play them music? Make it darker? Lighter? Warmer? Cooler? I simply don’t know.”
Most of the things we need aren’t related to our physical environment, he offered.
She turned and gave her dragon a speculative glare. “I’m not following you.”
What do these dragon eggs represent to you? he asked.
She knew this was a leading question but decided to play along. “A new beginning.”
And what would you do to protect that? he continued to question.
“I would sacrifice anything. Even my own life.”
He nodded. Because…?
“Because, as crazy as it sounds, without knowing these dragons…” Sophia paused, looking for the right words. They were so simple and yet saying them felt strange. “I guess I love these dragons. I love what they represent. I love that they give us hope. I love that it means justice will be upheld.”
A knowing smile crossed her dragon’s face. The most important thing in the world is love. Just offer them that, and I think it will be enough.
Sophia returned the smile. She knew Lunis was right. Even though Sophia didn’t know these dragons and could never love them like Lunis, she did have an unwavering affection for them. She was scared, though, because she had never had so much responsibility. A set of words from her father’s book rang in her head. “The more whom we love, the more responsibility we have, for we should be ready to protect them with our hearts and souls.”
She didn’t know what that would entail, but Sophia was ready to protect these eggs with her heart and soul. She knew Lunis would do the same. One day they’d hatch, one by one, and that’s when she thought the real acts of love would be required.
Chapter Seven
The Viking’s boots thundered across his office as he paced, irritation heavy in his every move. Sophia cut her eyes to Mama Jamba, a question in her gaze.
“Go on, dear,” the old woman urged. “Hiker, please pay attention.”
He threw up his hands and halted in front of his large desk where Sophia sat. It felt strange to be seated behind the leader of the Dragon Elite’s desk, but she’d been asked to do so to show him how to use a computer.
“I just don’t think this is necessary,” Hiker complained.
“Okay, so you’re going to address world leaders and announce you’re the world adjudicators,” Mama Jamba began, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Now, how are they supposed to communicate with you about issues that arise?”
He sighed. “Letters have worked fine for ages.”
“And how are mortals supposed to send you these letters?” Mama Jamba challenged. “Are you going to get a post box at the nearest town since they can’t send letters through the Barrier into the Gullington?”
“I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “We could set something up.”
She shook her head. “No, you need something modern and fast. You are learning how to use a computer.”
Like a child on the verge of a tantrum, he stomped his boot on the floor. “But I don’t—”
“I don’t care that you don’t want to use technology,” Mama Jamba interrupted, fisting her hands on her hips and suddenly appearing larger. “You’re going to do as I say, and you’re going to like it.”
Sophia had a tough time hiding her laughter. Hiker must have sensed this because he glared at her before directing his gaze back to Mother Nature.
“Why do I have to do this?” he asked, a growl in his voice.
“Because I said so,” she replied definitively.
He huffed. “That’s a lousy reply.”
“It’s the one you’re getting,” she fired back. “Son, you will do as I say, or you can leave the Gullington for good.”
Hiker’s eyes widened with shock. He was the one who usually kicked people out of the Castle, firing Ainsley every other day and booting Sophia out on the off days. The challenging expression on Mama Jamba’s face wasn’t to be messed with, and by the way he gulped, Hiker knew it.
“Okay, tell me what I need to do, Sophia,” he said, coming to stand behind her.
She began click-clacking on the keys, pulling up the right website. “Well, you have to check in on your email. I’ve set you up an account. This is Gmail, and here’s your inbox.”
He grunted. “I don’t understand any of the words you just used.”
She cleared her throat. “It’s fairly simple. This is electronic mail. Just go in here, and you’ll see your messages.”
He squinted at the screen. “What’s a Bogo? And what’s Nutrisystem?”
Mama Jamba snickered as she took a seat on the couch and appeared thoroughly amused.
“That’s an advertisement,” Sophia explained. “You’ll want to ignore those. Oh, and spam. Just delete it.”
“What is spam?” he questioned.
“It’s junk.”
Hiker rolled his eyes. “There’s junk in electronic form? Do mortals have nothing better to do?”
“They really don’t,” Mama Jamba chimed in, a nail file appearing in her hands. “There’s this one GIF of this lady yelling and an impassive cat going around on the interwebs. I won’t even tell you how many hundreds of hours of productivity have been lost because of that one.”
&n
bsp; Hiker looked up. “What are you talking about? What’s a GIF?”
“You’ll see once we set you up a Facebook account,” she answered, starting to file the hot pink nails that matched her velour tracksuit.
“What’s a Facebook?” Hiker questioned.
“I’m not sure if he’s ready for all that,” Sophia argued, giving Mama Jamba a careful expression.
“I want the Dragon Elite to have a new image,” Mama countered. “That means branding. You aren’t the old dragonriders of the past. You are the new Dragon Elite. When he’s ready, Hiker will have a Facebook account just like any modern-day official.”
“Okay,” he growled. “But no phones. Especially not for the men. I put my foot down there. I’ll get into electronics, but I won’t have my men’s heads clouded with such things.”
Sophia glanced up and batted her eyelashes at him. “But it’s okay for me to have my head clouded, sir?”
He waved her off. “You were tainted from the beginning. There’s no helping that.”
“Thanks, sir,” Sophia said. “I’ve set up your username as angryoldviking. I hope that works.”
Mama Jamba gave her a punishing look.
Sophia sighed. “I’m kidding. You’re HikerWallace. I didn’t know what your middle initial was, sir. Is it G for Grumpy-McGrumpisons? I can make you HikerGWallace.”
He shook his head. “It’s Alexander.”
“The young dragonrider is kidding you,” Mama Jamba offered.
“Oh, one of those sarcastic jokes again.” Hiker scowled at Sophia. “You know I don’t get those and appreciate them even less.”
“But sarcasm feeds my soul,” Sophia argued.
“You don’t want her soul to starve, do you?” Mama Jamba asked, pretending to be interested in his reply.
“I think if it dimmed her feisty spirit a bit, that would work well enough,” Hiker said, returning his attention to the screen. “Now, how do I know what spam is?”
Sophia giggled. “Well, if it’s trying to sell you something, it’s considered spam.”
“Fair enough,” he agreed, nodding like he got it. Sophia suspected he didn’t.
“Anyway, from there, you just click on the messages and read them.”
Sophia demonstrated and showed the five-hundred-year-old giant how to answer his email. It felt like she was teaching trigonometry to a monkey, but it was progress.
Hiker continued to nod. “Okay, I’ve got this. You said for today, at the press conference, I need to look at the round things when being interviewed.”
“Cameras,” she corrected. “And yes. That’s how they record you. You want to have your chin up and exude confidence.”
Hiker bolstered his chest, appearing proud. “I can do that.”
“And you shouldn’t answer any questions about technology or the modern world,” Mama Jamba cut in. “Have those sent to your email.”
“Who will answer those?” he asked.
“Sophia, of course,” Mama Jamba answered.
Hiker nodded with caution. “You’re headed to the House of Fourteen to manage that situation?”
Sophia smiled. “Yes, don’t worry. I’ll have them eating out of the palm of our hands by the end.”
Hiker grimaced. “Ducks eat out of the palm of your hand. I want them to be like meerkats begging on the far side of the pond for treats.”
Sophia sighed. “We need to work on your references, but yes, I get your point.”
Chapter Eight
Mama Jamba thought it would be a good idea to have all the dragonriders accompany Hiker to the press conference. Sophia suspected Mother Nature also sent them as a confidence boost. She’d actually pulled her aside as they were leaving and whispered, “Don’t let him look like a fool. Tell him to stand up straight when you see him slouching.”
Sophia dutifully nodded and watched the men file out of the Castle.
Mama Jamba ushered her to the door and then pulled her back. “Oh, and don’t let Evan speak to anyone if you can manage it.”
“Okay,” Sophia replied and turned back for the exit.
“Tell Wilder not to smile at ladies because they’ll think he’s flirting,” Mama Jamba called.
Sophia paused. “I’m not telling him that.”
“Fine, fine,” Mama Jamba sang. “Oh, and Sophia.”
She turned around yet again, expecting the old woman to say something silly. “Study the audience. I suspect this press conference will bring out the Dragon Elite’s enemies.”
Sophia tilted her head to the side. She sensed there was something Mama Jamba wasn’t saying. “Enemies. I thought with Thad Reinhart gone, our enemies were too.”
Mama shook her head. “He was our most immediate threat. Thad knew about the Dragon Elite. There will be others who are highly curious about its return. The Dragon Elite doesn’t bode well for their selfish desires.”
“Do you know of anything specific I need to look out for?” Sophia asked.
Mama Jamba’s head jerked to the side, looking at the dining hall. “What’s that, Ainsley? You need help? I’ll be right there.”
“I didn’t hear her,” Sophia accused, her brow furrowing.
“Because she didn’t call out, but she obviously needs my help if she’s thinking of putting raisins in the banana bread.” Mama Jamba hurried off, her slippers scratching on the stone floor. “Not so fast, my dear! Raisins go in the trash. Not in baked goods.”
Sophia shook her head. No one would believe Mother Nature was such an eccentric woman whose favorite foods were pancakes, pickles, and saltine crackers.
Keeping an eye out for enemies was a lot more complicated than merely searching around for sketchy characters in the audience. The press conference, even with strict security, was still full of excited reporters and officials.
It had been decided the dragons would attend in order to really set the stage. What better stage than the front lawn of the White House, the home of the President of the United States.
The four dragonriders stood beside their dragons behind the podium, where Hiker was perched. He hunched over to get closer to the microphone.
“Stand up straight,” Sophia whispered, knowing the leader of the Dragon Elite could hear her just fine with his enhanced hearing.
From his back, she saw him shake his head slightly, but he did straighten as he cleared his throat, making the crowd go silent.
“I’m here to inform the world, after a long stint outside our control, the Dragon Elite are back,” Hiker began. “As you’re aware, the House of Fourteen was instrumental in making magic visible for mortals. During the period prior, the Dragon Elite lived in the dark ages, unable to perform our role for centuries. However, we are and will forever be the adjudicators for this great world. Our rule supersedes those of governments. Our justice is meant to protect. I’m grateful to be able to say the Dragon Elite has taken our rightful place once more. All matters fall under our jurisdiction. Our say is final. We will ensure a peaceful tomorrow for those pure of heart. The rest will be punished for their crimes. There are no exceptions to this. The Dragon Elite is supreme authority reigning over Earth. I’ll now be open to questions.”
Hands shot up around the large crowd. Sophia tensed. Beside her, Wilder took note. This was the part where the leader of the Dragon Elite either showed their dominance or his lack of knowledge of the modern world. It could go either way.
“Mr. Wallace,” a young woman in a navy-blue pantsuit began, “Do I call you mister, or do dragonriders go by a formal title like Rider Wallace?”
He coughed. “Hiker is fine.”
Damn it. We need a formal title, Sophia said telepathically to Lunis as she recognized the misstep. The President of the United States doesn’t go by Tricia.
That would be weird since her name is Lisa, Lunis quipped.
You get my point, Sophia stated. Why don’t we have titles?
Like King Wallace, Lunis questioned.
No, not like king, she replied.
Like Sir Grumps-A-Lot, Lunis asked.
Again, no.
“What makes your rule supreme?” a reporter asked Hiker, her voice smug.
“We are the Dragon Elite,” Hiker declared with confidence. “We have always been the ruling authority over nations and organizations because we are unbiased. We have no interests other than to preserve peace for all.”
“Hiker Wallace,” yelled another reporter standing in the middle of the crowd. “How is it that you and four other dragonriders are going to manage the world’s problems?”
Many eyes in the crowd glanced at the five dragons at Hiker’s back, four riders beside them. The dragons had received a fair bit of interest, but not as much as Sophia would have liked. The world was growing weary of magical creatures, not giving them the reverence they deserved.
“You do see the dragons?” Hiker questioned, his voice rising booming over the microphone.
Sophia bit her lip and hoped Hiker kept his temper in check.
“You do know dragons are the most powerful creatures on Earth, and we are their riders, right?” Hiker continued.
“Sir, I get that dragons are strong, but…” The reporter chuckled, “I really don’t see how disputes over oil in the Middle East or hostage situations in foreign nations can be resolved by some fire-breathing creatures.”
“That is because you are a narrow-minded imbecile who hasn’t seen the Dragon Elite operate,” Hiker fired back at the reporter.
Oh, man, Sophia thought, lowering her head and wondering how to deescalate this.
“Go, Hiker,” Evan said on the other side of her.
Sophia elbowed him hard in the side, earning a murderous glare.
“Mama Jamba said for you to keep your mouth shut,” she whispered from the corner of her lips.
“Yeah, well, later my fists are going to have something to say to you,” Evan whispered back.
“Can’t wait to have that conversation with them,” she murmured. “Get the ice pack ready for your knuckles.”
“I won’t need them, Pink Stuff,” he replied, indicating her paisley pink and silver armored top. “But I’ll have bandages ready for you.”