by Jordan Rivet
“Let’s hope he can keep it.” Sora turned to the kids—the young men and women—gathered around Kel, preparing to defend their mothers and grandparents and little siblings against these creatures of nightmare. “I am so proud of all of you,” she said. “I know you must be scared, but you are all my heroes, no matter what happens today.”
“We can do this, Queen Sora,” piped up a girl who couldn’t be more than thirteen.
“Just keep all the little ones safe,” called young Taklin, who was carrying a crossbow bigger than him.
“You should go.” Kel rested a hand on Sora’s shoulder. “They need you to lead them.”
“Be safe,” Sora said. Not caring that the kids were watching, she kissed Kel full on the mouth then hurried to catch up with the head of the column. It was all up to her sister now.
Selivia decided being carried in Mav’s claws wasn’t nearly as comfortable as riding on his back. Already, her shoulders ached, and the scaly talons chafed her skin. As they soared over the Fissure, the light from the setting sun streaked across the canyon, nearly blinding her.
Keep it together. You haven’t even gotten to the scary part yet.
When they broke through the glaring sun at last, she could see into the deep green expanse of the Fissure. The faint whitish blue of the Oakwind River glimmered far below, not obscured by mist for once. The sheer beauty stole Selivia’s breath and distracted her from her precarious position. She kicked her feet above the deadly drop, the yellow of her dress swirling over the rich greens and browns like a tide of melted butter. She had missed these vibrant mountains after months on the dull, rusty plains.
Up ahead, King’s Peak was the murky gray of ash and death. The brilliant jewel tones of the dragons were easy to spot. The first one noticed them when Selivia and Mav were more than halfway across the Fissure. It dove toward them through the beams of sunlight, vast poison-green wings rippling. A second dragon joined them moments later, this one the warm orange and gold of autumn leaves. The two dragons swooped around Mav, chattering and scolding him over the human girl clutched in his talons.
Their ruckus attracted the attention of the other dragons, who emerged from their roosts to see what was going on. Selivia counted as they appeared, praying all twelve were here. It would only take one to alert the rest to the people sneaking down the peak behind her. She didn’t dare look back to check on them.
The true dragons were clearly annoyed that Mav was carrying his pet human into their midst so brazenly. They shrieked admonishments at him, and he roared back, making Selivia’s whole body vibrate. A dusky blue dragon dove perilously close to her, and she couldn’t help but scream. Mav snapped at him to stay back.
She fought to remain calm. She trusted Mav to keep her safe, but that didn’t mean she was enjoying this. It turned out it was pretty terrifying to hang from a dragon’s talons while a dozen monsters snarled and snapped at you.
Make that more than a dozen. She had counted twelve true dragons flying around them, but the huge crimson leader called the Red Devil was still perched on the ruins of the castle wall, with two more dragons Selivia didn’t recognize prowling beside him, one steel gray and one pale yellow with a brown ridge down its back.
Uh-oh. Her heart plummeted right out of her toes. She twisted her head as much as she could, recounting quickly. Fifteen. Sixteen. There were more dragons here than before! They were multiplying. And if there were this many dragons up here on King’s, there could be even more patrolling the Fissure.
So far, the diversion appeared to be working. The dragons hadn’t followed Sora and the others into the Fissure. It was still light enough for her to see the woods creeping up the slope below. If they could reach the forest before dawn, Sora’s people would be protected from view while they fled to safety. It was a long journey to the bottom of the deep canyon, but they could rest in the caves and hollows on the way down as long as they reached the shelter of the trees.
A clatter of falling stones made her jump. Farther up the path, an old man had stumbled. He climbed to his feet, not quite hiding a wince. His wife held onto his arm as he regained his balance. They continued on.
The path down Square Peak wound back and forth at a steep angle. Whole sections of the mountain had fallen away over the years, and new steps occasionally needed to be cut into the cliffs. The road wasn’t designed for speedy descents, and it was even more precarious in the dying light. But they couldn’t carry any illumination with them. Better to risk a few twisted ankles than to draw the dragons’ attention.
Sora’s feet ached as she descended farther into the Fissure. They escaped the haze of smoke from the dragons at last, and she breathed in the relatively fresh air for the first time in ages. Hope filled her as the soothing pine scent reached her from the woods below.
It was growing darker by the minute. She no longer had a good view of the dragons swarming overhead. She hoped they’d stay interested in her sister’s activities for a little while longer.
That dragon had better protect her.
A strange sound made Sora pause. She stepped off the path, letting people pass her. She spoke words of encouragement into the darkness, occasionally reaching out to squeeze hands and pat shoulders. She glimpsed fear and weariness on the passing faces, but also determination. And hope. This was the first time they’d had true hope since the dragons arrived.
Then the sound came again, a high-pitched whining, like wind whistling through an arrow slit. She looked around, but all she could see was the black shadows of the peaks above her and the deep blue of the night sky. Black lines crossed the sky where the last few bridges remained.
As Sora watched these lines, a dark shadow passed overhead. Then another. The dragons looked like giant crows at this distance. And they were growing larger.
“They’re coming this way,” Sora hissed. “Get ready to hide.”
Word traveled quickly up and down the road, but not quickly enough. By now, they were spread thin along the cliff side. The nooks and crannies along the way could hide some people—but not all of them.
The dragons drew nearer.
“They’ve seen us!” Sora shouted. “Run!”
She bolted down the mountainside as the black shapes approached, hoping the movement would attract the dragons’ gaze and give the others time to hide. As Sora ran, she imagined the heat of dragon fire on the back of her neck.
The old and infirm hurried to the hiding places, but others made the same choice as Sora: they ran and ran, drawing the dragons’ attention away from the most vulnerable survivors.
Stones crackled under Sora’s feet as she raced. Every second, she expected the dragons to reach her at last.
“They’re almost here!” shouted a woman running beside her. “Look at them!”
Sora couldn’t help it. She paused and looked up. Two dragons had glided down to investigate the slopes of Square Peak, one dark orange and one a pure white that glowed as if it were a specter. The dragons swooped up and down the line of survivors, their shrieks echoing through the Fissure. The white one let loose a massive burst of flame, lighting up the night and casting sharp shadows across the slopes. Two people were caught in the blast, and they fell onto the path. Mercifully, the dragons silenced their cries in seconds.
In the flash of light, Sora saw that most of her followers had managed to get off the path and out of sight. She felt the fierce pull of hope. The dragons may not realize how many people were fleeing.
The orange dragon fought the white one over the swiftly cooked meal. The dragons snarled and snapped at each other, their huge tails sending gravel flying as they scuffled on the pathway. Focused on their catch, they didn’t see the massive boulders tumbling from above them. Some of Sora’s people had been lying in wait for just such a moment. A volley of huge rocks crashed down on the giant lizards, clubbing the orange one directly on the head. The dragon collapsed with a piteous groan.
The white dragon took off from its perch like a startled bird as st
ones continued to rain down from above.
Sora cheered silently. They got one!
But the other dragon howled in anger when it realized what had happened to its comrade. It swooped toward the source of the falling rocks, understanding the landslide was no coincidence.
Screams pierced the night air as the white dragon discovered the hidden nest of defenders and unleashed its wrath. The people pelted it with weapons, but none proved as effective as the boulders from above. One by one, the defenders fell, and each cry was like a knife in Sora’s heart. But the commotion gave the refugees more time to flee. While the dragon finished off the brave Vertigonians who had killed its friend, more of Sora’s people slipped out of its reach.
Sora took off running again, urging the others to fly before her. The noise was sure to draw the attention of the rest of the dragons. They had to reach the woods. It would be another day’s journey down to the river, but if they made it to the tree line, they just might survive.
The white dragon silenced the last of the defenders and soared toward King’s Peak, leaving the crushed body of its companion behind. It would be back. And it would bring company.
“Just a little farther!” Sora called. The others were beginning to falter around her, gasping for breath. “We’re almost to the trees.”
She expected the dragon to return with his friends at once, but they got farther and farther down the mountainside without any sign of pursuit. What was happening up there? Could Selivia have distracted the true dragons enough to stop them from returning to the Fissure?
All Sora knew was that she had to reach the woods before dawn.
32.
Mav
SELIVIA thought the distraction was going rather well until the Red Devil got involved. Mav glided around with Selivia hanging from his claws in her bright-yellow dress, looping the surviving bridges and skimming along the rooftops. The other dragons flocked after him, as if expecting him to offer her for their dessert.
Then the Red Devil launched off the castle, roaring louder than the Firelord himself, and swooped toward them. Mav ignored him at first, continuing his dizzying flight over King’s Peak. Selivia swung from his claws as if she were a rag doll.
The Red Devil became more aggressive. He snapped at Mav’s tail and battered his face with sharp wing tips, intent on expressing his dominance over the insolent newcomer. He even reared up and stuck out his chest, as if to emphasize his size advantage.
When Mav didn’t respond to these taunts, the Red Devil opened his crimson jaws and unleashed a stream of Fire. Selivia felt the blistering heat on her cheeks as Mav blocked the blast with his wings. The bright-gold spray didn’t hurt Mav at all, but it would be a different story if the liquid touched Selivia’s skin. This is not good.
The other true dragons screamed and chattered as their leader harried the rogue. The newest among them watched the exchange closely, as if they weren’t sure they had chosen the strongest dragon to follow. The Red Devil seemed to realize this, and his efforts to provoke Mav intensified.
“You’re doing well,” Selivia called to Mav. “You’re so brave. You don’t need to be afraid of this fellow.”
Mav roared in response, but she sensed his energy fading. They had been in the air for hours. Her arms had long since gone numb. She couldn’t expect him to keep this up much longer. Had they bought Sora and the others enough time?
She twisted toward Square as Mav made another pass over the eastern bridges. Another dragon was flying out of the Fissure! It was a luminescent white that made it stand out against the shadows. As it neared, she saw a touch of red at its jaw that looked suspiciously like blood. Selivia’s heart stuttered painfully. She didn’t dare think about who had been caught on the slopes of Square Peak.
The white dragon reached King’s and flew toward a dusky-blue dragon perched on top of a tavern, snapping its jaws in agitation. It was going to give away their secret! It would summon the rest of the dragons to attack the people escaping through the Fissure.
No, not yet. We haven’t given them enough time!
Before she could do anything, the Red Devil gave a terrifying snarl and dove straight for Mav’s neck. He latched on, and the dragons rolled through the air, a whirl of creaking scales and flashing claws. They plummeted twenty feet before Mav managed to pull away from his attacker—Selivia screaming the whole time.
Mav unleashed a vicious roar that vibrated all the way through Selivia’s body. But instead of attacking the Red Devil, Mav dove toward King’s Peak like an arrow. At the last instant, his wings flared wide, and he skimmed over the tops of the buildings. Before Selivia knew what was happening, Mav let go of her, and she tumbled to a stop on an open patch of ground.
She was too shocked and shaken to climb to her feet. He had dropped her! Mav was already swooping away. She couldn’t believe he was actually leaving her alone in the middle of all these true dragons.
But the others weren’t looking at her anymore. Every fearsome, scaled head was turning to follow Mav’s progress across the sky. He streaked through the air, letting loose a bellow to shake the roots of the mountain. Then Mav barreled straight into the Red Devil.
The attack took the larger creature by surprise. The Red Devil flailed out of Mav’s range, snarling as he tumbled through the air. He barely managed to right himself. Mav attacked again.
Over and over, Mav flew at the Red Devil. He snapped his jaw, trying to grab the larger creature by the neck and hurl him to the ground. The other dragons flocked closer, utterly absorbed in the fight. Their shrieks rattled the stones and shook the ruined buildings all across King’s Peak. Blasts of Fire illuminated vicious teeth and slashing claws as the giant beasts fought above the mountain.
At first, Selivia could only gape at the ferocious conflict, quaking with fear and trying to rub feeling back into her arms. But she was wasting her opportunity to escape. She pulled herself up and hurried toward the nearest sturdy building, a Firejewel shop with its door hanging ajar. She crouched in the doorway, ready to duck inside if any dragons noticed her.
The two great true dragons fought in the midnight sky. Now that Mav wasn’t trying to protect Selivia, he became far more aggressive. He hadn’t been running out of energy after all. He snapped at the Red Devil’s neck, swung his huge knobbed tail, even spurted flames. The Fire only annoyed the Red Devil, but the combined attacks forced the crimson monster to fall back.
Bit by bit, Mav gained a more favorable position. He grew braver with every attack, and the watching dragons responded to the show of strength, roaring and squalling, growing increasingly frenzied. It was like watching a duel. Mav was attempting to assert himself as the new leader. This wasn’t about Selivia anymore.
As the battle raged above, Selivia scurried through the vacant streets, taking refuge in doorways where she could. She was too far from House Silltine to reach her friends, but people had to be hiding out in other places. The darkness covered her as she crept through the city, praying the distraction would last long enough for her to get more survivors off King’s Peak.
Back in the caverns, Kel had theorized that a great place to hide from the true dragons would be the King’s Arena. The dueling venue was large, but it didn’t have doors or windows big enough to admit a full-grown true dragon. Located on the opposite side of King’s Peak from House Silltine, it wasn’t far from Selivia’s current location. She made her way toward it while Mav continued to battle for the leadership of the true dragons overhead.
The Red Devil didn’t want to give up his position easily. He was still the larger animal, with the fighting skills to back up his bluster. Mav had also just spent a year in captivity, and he hadn’t fully recovered his strength. The Red Devil renewed his attacks against Mav, timing his moves better, and the tide began to turn in the Red Devil’s favor once more.
Mav screeched as the Red Devil latched onto one of his wings and sent him crashing into a bridge. Selivia wished she could help. She had encouraged this fight, prompting
Mav to stir up trouble with his own kind to help her. But she couldn’t do anything against the Red Devil. And every minute the dragons spent fighting was another minute her friends could make it deeper into the Fissure.
She snuck through the city, pausing every few yards to make sure the dragons were still occupied. The contest grew more desperate with each passing moment. Mav wasn’t moving as fast as before, and one of his wings had suffered a large tear. The Red Devil looked injured too, but he currently had the upper hand. Selivia feared her friend wouldn’t make it out of this contest alive.
The hulking form of King’s Arena came into view at last. Selivia held her breath and darted across the empty cobblestones outside it. Too absorbed with the battle, the dragons didn’t notice the girl scurrying through the dark to the athletes’ entrance.
She made it inside at last. The entrance was pitch black. Her footsteps echoed as she made her way toward the main arena, wishing she’d brought a light. She heard movement up ahead, like the gentle rustle of sleeping people. She had no idea how anyone could sleep through the ruckus outside.
“Hello,” she called softly when she reached the arena floor. “Is anyone there?”
No one answered, but she heard movement again. Breathing sounds filled the vast space. There were definitely people here. Living people. Why weren’t they responding?
“I can’t see you,” she said. “This is Princess Selivia. We are escaping the mountain tonight. We have to go while the true dragons are busy.”
Still, no one answered. Then a scraping sound came from nearby, and something smooth and hard touched Selivia’s hand. She jumped a foot in the air and bumped into a warm body as she stumbled backward. She heard that rustling sound again, like crinkling paper.
Then light blasted from about twenty feet away, and the arena was illuminated in a single sustained burst. Selivia gasped. Someone had decided to hide from the true dragons here: the entire hall was filled with cur-dragons. Wings rustled, and light glinted over dozens of scaly bodies. The little creatures gathered closer to the princess, spewing bursts of light, as if to confirm what they’d seen.