by Lisa Shearin
Count Jash Masloc was a mage and my best friend. He controlled a microportal to a mountain stream outside of Dragalon. It was just large enough to get a small bucket or a waterskin through for refilling. Each dragon would have a collapsible leather bucket strapped to her saddle. The stream had never run dry. Jash’s stash had come in handy many times, but it would be life-saving over the next few days. He was also our team tracker. Jash could sense life signs. If there was an ambush ahead—or we neared a lost civilization living inside a mountain—he would know about it.
We’d sent Indigo, one of our firedrakes, to the top of the escarpment as a lookout. The images sent back to us via the spy gem he wore on a harness showed an empty landscape. Empty of an ambush, at least. There were plenty of rocks. I knew full well that just because we couldn’t see any threats didn’t mean they weren’t lying in wait for us. Hopefully, Jash wouldn’t earn his keep that quickly.
The sun was setting beyond the mountains that were our destination, but it was already dark on the rocky beach at the foot of the escarpment. We were dressed for flight and protection from the desert winds in close-fitting leather with minimal seams, though I was certain sand would find a way in. It always did. Personal comfort wasn’t our priority.
I’d had goggles made that would darken to protect goblin eyes during the day and clear after dark to maximize our superior night vision. I’d had Bane bespell a pair for Phaelan to allow the elf to see as well in the dark as a goblin. The goggles fit closely around our eyes to protect against blowing sand.
We were as ready as we were going to be.
Our three sentry dragons each carried two saddles: one for a single rider and a second that would accommodate two.
The two-seat saddles would be positioned behind the wings, with the single saddles mounted at the base of the dragons’ necks. The three lightest team members would ride there. That would be Agata, Elsu, and Talon. Since we had the two pieces of the Heart, Agata and I would fly together, along with Phaelan, on Mithryn. Elsu would fly with Dasant and Malik on Amaranth. And Talon would fly with Calik and Jash on Sapphira.
Elsu was an experienced flier, Agata was unfazed by most anything, but Talon was eyeing Sapphira with trepidation.
I came up beside Talon, but kept my voice down. “What’s the problem?”
“Not flying. It’s flying up front.”
“The lightest fly up front.”
“Talk about incentive to gain weight.”
“Calik will be right behind you.”
Talon snorted. “And you’ll have Phaelan behind you.”
“Hopefully not screaming in my ear.”
Phaelan had only one previous flight under his belt and made no secret of the fact he’d hoped it would be his last. Right now, he was standing in front of Mithryn, out of her biting range, but perfectly inside her turn-to-ash zone. A frozen grimace that I think he intended to be a smile was locked on his face.
I strolled over.
“I take it you’re trying to make friends?” I asked him.
“I wanted to properly introduce myself.”
I grinned. “Oh, she remembers who you are. Not only are sentry dragons very intelligent, they have long memories. You were less than polite last month in the warehouse before we set sail. All three dragons were right there when you said you weren’t having any overgrown, fire-breathing lizards on your ship.”
Mithryn narrowed her red eyes and rumbled deep in her chest.
“And you just reminded her again,” he said without moving, including his lips. He tried smiling again. “I believe the lady and I may have gotten off on the wrong foot.”
I leaned toward Mithryn. “He means he was rude.”
“I think she knows that.”
“Oh, I know she knows that.”
Phaelan straightened his flight leathers. “I want to apologize.”
“Then you should be talking to her, not me.”
Phaelan cleared his throat and took a single step forward—a single, highly nervous, step forward.
“Madam, my behavior was boorish and inexcusable, and was based on unfamiliarity and ignorance on my part. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me and … uh, and not drop me to a messy death over this godforsaken continent.”
“At least he’s honest about his motivation,” I told Mithryn.
The dragon snorted in a blast of sulfuric smoke. That it was in Phaelan’s direction was merely a coincidence.
Maybe.
Phaelan held firm as long as he could, but his eyes started to water as he was forced to turn away, coughing. “Is that a yes?” he rasped.
“Dragons value actions over potentially empty words,” I told him.
“Wise.”
“They are. Think of it this way—your legs will be strapped in, so while she’s probably tempted to do a couple of barrel rolls just for fun, Agata and I will also be her passengers. Mithryn likes us. Our fighter squadrons choose female dragons over males because they’re more focused. The males are too easily distracted. That means these ladies are professionals and know how to act like it. Not to mention, Mithryn knows you’re carrying Nebian black powder and a few of Bane’s toys.”
“Nope.”
“Nope, what?”
“Nope, I’m not carrying any of Bane’s toys. Bane checked my demolition gear and approved. Me going instead of him is bad enough, he didn’t want to give up his goody bag, too.”
Flying with Phaelan behind me was going to be nerve-racking enough without knowing precisely what he was carrying in his pack.
Think positive thoughts, Tam.
“Well, between liking us, and you carrying explosives, Mithryn will behave.”
Phaelan flashed a grin. “I’ll take it.”
I tried to smile. “See, you can be wise, too.”
“Good, because I’m starting to think the wise thing to do is stay right here.”
“Mithryn will—”
“This isn’t about the dragon,” Phaelan said. “It’s about the rock. What’s this I hear about Agata’s pendant liking me? I’ve got news—I don’t like it, and I’m not going to sweet-talk it into changing its mind.”
“It would not change anything if you did,” Agata said from behind him.
Phaelan didn’t jump at Agata Azul coming up behind him on silent feet. He clearly wanted to, but he’d made admirable progress in adjusting to goblin stealth. On some level, I think he might even have sensed Agata behind him.
“And it didn’t indicate like or dislike,” she continued. “Merely approval of your presence on this mission.”
“Yeah, so it can kill me.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Phaelan saw the shard hanging outside of Agata’s leather armor, raised both hands and took a step back. “Kill me, get me in its crosshairs, destroy my life. I’m a Benares. Bad things happen when rocks with names attach themselves to us.”
Agata frowned in confusion. “It was a benign reaction. I sensed no animosity. In fact, the shard responds to me in precisely the same way as it did to you earlier.”
“And it likes you? For a painless, non-evil reason?”
“Yes.”
The tension eased from Phaelan’s shoulders, but didn’t completely go away. It was all we could reasonably expect right now.
“You can’t blame me.” Phaelan’s eyes flicked nervously to the shard. “That rock on the end of your necklace came from the Heart of Nidaar, right?”
Agata nodded. “That is correct.”
“That thing’s mother tried to kill all of us. What if that little nugget wants to take us home to mama so she can finish the job?”
I had to admit that was a good question. And especially astute coming from Phaelan.
“Stones of power do not attack on their own volition,” Agata assured him. “At least this one doesn’t,” she added, as much to me as to Phaelan.
Agata knew my experience with the Saghred had made me want to avoid contact with stones of power
at any cost. But in this instance, I had no choice. The Heart of Nidaar had to be found and kept out of Khrynsani hands. No one was more qualified to hunt down Khrynsani than I was. During the voyage to Aquas, Agata had gone out of her way to allay my fears by assuring me that most gems were benevolent and their magic beneficial.
“The Heart was being wielded by a person or persons,” Agata was saying, “either defensively due to fear of us, or with malicious intent against us.” She stepped forward and placed a hand lightly on Phaelan’s arm. His tension lessened a little more at her touch. She had done the same to me more than once. It had worked then and was working for Phaelan now. “It’s our job to put a stop to both.”
Agata Azul, calmer of earthquakes and jittery pirates—and nervous goblin mages. A truly gifted lady.
“But I’m not a gem mage,” Phaelan’s gaze was curious now, and aimed at the pendant—and Agata’s chest. “What can I do?”
“For one, our target isn’t where you’re looking,” I said pointedly. “It’s up there, across a desert, and somewhere inside those mountains. We’ll need every advantage we can get. You and Talon are officially advantages, perhaps even weapons. I never leave behind weapons I might need.”
“And your team agrees?”
“We do.”
Jash.
In addition to being my best friend and second-in-command, Jash Masloc was a cheerful teaser of a certain elf pirate captain.
He glanced at Phaelan’s flight armor. They wore the same size, so he’d given the elf one of his own sets. I’d had all of our armor bespelled so it would blend with the terrain we’d be crossing by changing color like a chameleon.
“Sorry it’s not your usual crimson,” Jash noted.
Phaelan turned his arms this way and that. “But it is sleek and flexible.” An instant later, he had drawn one of the curved swords slung across his back, tossing it lightly from one hand to the other, with a meaningful look at Jash. “And not one leathery creak. I approve.”
“We goblins pride ourselves on our stealth,” Jash said. “Our armor is made accordingly.” The words weren’t there, but the intent was, and I knew Jash’s intent. Yet another goblin trait other races found off-putting. If Jash turned his intent into action and attempted to sneak up on Phaelan, even in jest, the joke would not be well received.
He and Phaelan had locked eyes. I read them both. Jash was teasing, mostly. Phaelan was saying to bring it.
I stepped between the two of them. “Gentlemen, and I am using that term lightly right now, I need—and will have—cooperation, not confrontation, between each member of this team. If that is going to be a problem for either one of you, change your attitude. Now.”
Jash and Phaelan’s eyes had remained locked while I spoke.
After a brief hesitation, Jash extended his hand. “I started this the day we sailed, so it should fall to me to apologize. Sometimes my idea of good, clean fun isn’t the same as others’. If I have delivered insult, it was not intended.”
Phaelan shook his hand. “I assure you, if you’d crossed my line, you would know.” One side of his mouth tipped up in a crooked grin. “I can also assure you that I’ll always give as good as I get, and then some.”
Jash’s answering grin was an exact match.
Great. Now it was a competition.
They wouldn’t kill each other, but the bickering and barbs to come might drive me to kill them.
I draped an arm around their necks, giving a quick squeeze to make my point. “Just be sure neither one of you crosses my line. Understand?”
“Understood,” they said in unison.
At least they said it together. For now, I’d take what I could get.
Chapter Three
Agata, Jash, and I took Mithryn to the top of the escarpment.
Agata’s connection with the Heart of Nidaar via her pendant had saved our lives once. Now it was time for the little shard to help save the lives of everyone in the Seven Kingdoms by showing us the way to its home.
Indigo’s scouting flight had shown no ambushes waiting for us. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust what we’d seen via the spy gem in Indy’s harness, but there was more to black magic than met the eye. I knew what the Khrynsani were capable of, and that included being able to conceal themselves in plain sight. The Sythsaurians were still largely an unknown variable, but their magic, like themselves, was completely alien.
Jash was there to sense the unseeable.
However, Jash’s gift involved being able to sense that something was alive. The Sythsaurians had two legs and two arms, but did they have heartbeats, blood flow, and body temperature on par with goblins, elves, or humans? We knew their magic was powerful, but how powerful? Powerful enough to cloak themselves beyond what a mage of Jash’s skill could sense? I had no doubt we’d find out the answers to those questions over the coming days, but I didn’t want our first mistake to be fatal. So as a precaution, Agata would remain veiled and shielded on Mithryn until we were absolutely certain there was no danger. She was too valuable to the mission to needlessly risk her safety.
When sticking your head over the top of a cliff in a hostile environment, a little caution could go a long way toward a longer life. Once Agata had determined our direction, the others would join us. She needed an accurate reading, and seven goblin mages and a nervous elf pirate would kick up more psychic noise than anyone, regardless of how talented, could be expected to work around.
Our shielded heads rose over the edge of the escarpment, and then the rest of us, and we remained in one piece. Just because no one waited to separate our heads from our shoulders wasn’t reason enough to lower our defenses or paranoia. Both were equally valuable survival tools.
Mithryn touched down on a vast plain of rock almost gingerly, as if she expected the ground to crumble beneath her claws. We weren’t about to let down our guard, but we all at least started breathing again.
We stayed still, silent, and cloaked, with Mithryn ready to dive over the side of the escarpment if anything that wasn’t us so much as blinked.
“Nothing,” Jash said quietly from the saddle behind me.
I trusted Jash’s assessments.
But caution outvoted trust as I slid silently from Mithryn’s back, shields and veil still firmly in place.
Jash did the same.
I used every sense I had—magical and mundane—as I scanned as far as my eyes could see.
Not a trace of life.
I glanced at Jash. He nodded, and we dropped our shields and veil.
We were safe.
At least for the next five minutes.
The view via Indigo’s spy gem hadn’t done the sunset justice.
Magnificent was the only word that could even come close to describing it, and even that fell short. We stood there, gaping at the beauty of the copper and golden glow of the sun’s rays against the plain of broken rock stretching to the haze in the distance that was the mountain range, our destination.
Jash shook his head in wonder—or dismay. “Not one stone standing on top of another.”
“No obstacles means we can fly in low and fast.”
My friend chuckled. “Phaelan’s gonna love that.” He squinted. “How far away are those canyons?”
“The first one is just past the halfway point,” I told him.
“That’s a lot of desert to cross to get to any kind of cover.”
Behind us, Agata cleared her throat. Loudly.
I knew I’d forgotten something.
Mithryn was still veiled, so it was disconcerting to see Agata drop her shield and veils and slide down the dragon’s flank to land solidly on the ground.
I murmured a few words and Mithryn winked into view.
Agata stood perfectly still for nearly a minute, staring at the mountains in the distance. “They look so close.”
“Four days by foot,” I said. “All night and then some by dragon.”
“That’s not nearly close enough.” She indicated my rig
ht hand. “I need your ring now.”
I slid the ring off and passed it to her.
The ring and pendant had been gifts to my ancestor, Kansbar Nathrach, from Baeseria, the queen of Nidaar, for revealing the Khrynsani plot to steal the Heart.
While our goal was to find the Heart of Nidaar, I held a secondary hope that the Cha’Nidaar still lived in the city. Kansbar’s story had ended in suicide, the result of psychic rape inflicted by his Khrynsani interrogators. I very much wanted to meet the people who had helped him—the ancient golden-skinned cousins of my silver-skinned race.
Agata had removed her gloves and slid the ring onto her index finger, turning the stone around to face inward. The gem mage then knelt, placing her hands flat on the ground, fingers spread and pointing to the west, toward the mountains.
Jash and I waited.
We neither spoke nor moved, and had stilled our magic to ensure that nothing would interfere with what Agata was attempting to do—establish contact with the Heart of Nidaar to give us the stone’s exact location and our flight path.
A vibration came up through the soles of my boots. A vibration that quickly turned to a rumble, as if the land itself were growling.
Mithryn shifted uneasily. Agata remained kneeling with her eyes closed in concentration, so I forced myself to remain still. I quickly held up a hand to tell Jash to do the same.
Agata slowly rubbed the rocky ground with both hands, speaking soothing words I couldn’t make out. I didn’t need to know what they were. They weren’t meant for me. I wasn’t the one getting angry. However, I did have the market cornered on scared—for Agata. I wondered if stones of power could hold a grudge. Agata and Talon had stopped it from killing us all when we arrived at Aquas. Now, we weren’t off the coast in ships. We were standing on the land it called home. I wasn’t exactly feeling welcome, but I wasn’t the one who’d thwarted its attack.
Agata opened her eyes. The rumbling stopped.
“Well,” she began, “It’s not what I would call happy that we’re here.”
I remained absolutely still. “I got that impression.”