Queens of Wings & Storms

by Angela Sanders et al.

  Helio began to gently turn her head from side to side editing a small flame. It was just enough light for Astra to see a flock of creatures that were traveling together in the sea. They were enormous, and almost the same color of the water. They propelled themselves through the substance with flippers she could barely see at their sides.

  Whales. They don’t eat girls. I promise. They didn’t even seem to be aware that a dragon was flying over them, and then just as they leaned into a turn, Astra saw the whales simultaneously turn on their sides and use their flipper in a kind of wave.

  They had lost light, but the moon was bright enough that, Helio panicked at the sight of the rapidly approaching ground. The dragon made a desperate twist to right herself. It was impossible for Astra to keep her grip, and she began to slip sideways. With desperate hands, she tried to hang on.

  Despite her urgent entreaties, Helio seemed hell bent on reaching the ground. It was as if the dragon was being pulled by a powerful magnet. With increasing speed, they plummeted towards the earth. Astra considered trying to leap off, but knew it would lead to her death. Only at the last second did Astra realize that Helio had overshot her landing, and that they would fall off the cliff.

  It was with great thanksgiving that she realized they had just made it. Only once she hit the earth, Helio did not try to stop. They careened over the edge of the cliff, and fell into the choppy water.

  Instinctively, Astra clawed her way to the surface, only to be knocked around by the surf. The salty water burned her eyes as she tried to find her bearings. It was to no avail. There was nothing but the rock wall of the cliff and an open expanse of terrifying blue water.

  Flailing around trying to keep her head out of the water left her exhausted almost immediately. She realized with a pang that she would never see any of the people she loved again. They would never know what had happened to her.

  Weighed down with hopelessness, she surrendered and began to sink below the surface. She was too weak to fight against the water filling her lungs.

  An unseen, but ferociously strong power propelled her up, up, up. Not even her feet were in the water now, as they swiftly climbed higher. Astra sputtered, both relieved and terrified.

  Only the claws around her middle gave her any idea who her rescuer was. Helio gripped her tightly, and with an agility that Astra would never have expected, carried them both up to the top of the cliff. Helio set Astra lightly onto her feet, and she staggered back, planning to catch her breath, and then demand that Helio return them both to the cloudtreaders.

  One look at her formerly insipid dragon silenced her. Helio was now a vibrant purple. Every scale gleamed. In the place of timid, clumsy Helio, stood a sleek, amethyst dragon with a tail that curved around her.

  Astra staggered back. She had never seen one, of course, but there were legends. Somehow, she, Astra, daughter of Drakesalve, had been bound for life to a water dragon and not just any dragon, an amethyst dragon. According to all of her father’s books, this was the rarest kind. This was impossible. Surely, her father knew, he was an expert. Did Amethysts seem plain when they were young? Is that what had happened?

  Helio gracefully turned and led Astra to a small cave. Helio stuck her head in, inhaling deeply. Astra realized that the dragon was making sure that no animals called that cave home.

  “We won't both fit,” Astra stammered.

  Helio nodded as if to say, I know that, of course. The long twining tail that Helio was now graced with reached around Astra’s waist and lifted her up and behind the dragon. While Astra watched, stunned, Helio blew fire into the small stone cave.

  “I don't think you can light a cave,” Astra prattled, suddenly very aware that things had changed forever between the two of them. Helio stepped back and, turning, deposited Astra into the now exceedingly warm cave. Her soaked clothes began to steam. “You are helping me to get dry,” she whispered. Helio gave a contented nod and lay across the cave opening.

  “Listen,” Astra whispered. “This must be your home, and I do not know how you came to be bound to me, but I promise I will release you. I don't think I can live here,” she looked around in the dim, stone cavern. “But I swear on our bond, that if you will help me get home, then you can come back.”

  She knew from the tremulous sigh given by the newly purple dragon, that Helio would help her, whatever the risk.

  Marveling, she ran a hand over the magnificent jeweled flank. “Did they disguise you? Or did you need the big salty water to turn this color?”

  Helio didn't know. The dragon did know that she was home, near the ocean that she belonged to, and she fell asleep like an infant in its mother's arms. It took Astra longer. The rocky ground was not comfortable. She had always been rocked to sleep by the swaying of the caravan. Finally, exhaustion overtook her.

  Chapter 4

  An Unplanned Courtship

  When she woke up the next morning, Helio was gone. Astra was nervous, but realized that Helio was probably going to find her some food. Astra had just given the flying dragon a happy wave when she noticed the other dragon.

  The enormous, brown dragon flew at Helio with a vengeance. Helio dropped whatever had been in her talons and whirled to face her attacker.

  Astra screamed, and although barefoot, began to run down the sand as fast as should could, afraid the huge, brown dragon would hurt Helio and realized that a young man had come running from another direction. He did not wear the growing raggedy clothes that Astra had spent the night in. He wore solid brown leather boots, tucked into there were leather pants, which Astra recognized as riding pants. His tunic was a covered with embroidery.

  “You aren’t supposed to be here,” he bellowed. Astra took a step back. “I don’t know where I am, I am sorry.”

  “Rout, Rout, come back here.” The man was astonished when Rout the dragon paid no attention to him and began to fly languidly in circles around Helio the gleaming purple she dragon.

  The anger of the young man dissipated somewhat, replaced by awe.

  “Have you ever seen another dragon that color?” he whispered.

  “No.” Astra answered, figuring that the answer was completely truthful, and, yes, wouldn’t invite too many questions.

  The dragons continued to slowly dance around each other. The brown dragon was leading, and Helio gave a graceful dip of her shoulders. Astra suddenly realized that the dragon she was bound for life with was flirting.

  “What are they doing! Can you call your dragon back?” She called out shrilly.

  “What do you think they are doing? This is why non-mated female dragons aren’t allowed in the royal enclosure, and what do you think I’ve been trying to do?”

  Astra jumped into the confrontation. “Heliotrope, No!. Come here. Heliotrope!” The dragon didn't even move an eyelash in the screaming woman direction.

  “Rout! You know your duty! Rout! You cannot do this!” The young man screamed at the brown dragon that paid him as little heed as Helio had Astra.

  The reality of this situation began to sink in. Astra hadn’t seen dragons mate before, but she was pretty sure it began with some flirting. Any man who married Astra would be bound to her dragon as well. That meant that if Helio mated with a dragon, Astra would be bound to that dragon’s bondmate.

  Seeing that Helio had no intention of responding to her words, Astra bent and grabbed a rock. It was not a pebble, but it wasn’t huge either. And anyway, no pebble would scare off a dragon, even one as silly as Helio. Screaming her name, Astra flung the rock towards her beloved dragon. It bounced off her flank, and Helio didn't seem to notice.

  The brown dragon certainly did, and he turned on Astra with frightful speed. She had no time to run from him. He loomed in front of her, with his chin almost on the ground, and then gave a controlled and deliberate snap of his teeth less than an inch from her face.

  Terrified Astra held up her hands, “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to hurt her, only scare her away.”

  The brown gave
her a glare that made it clear that he might not be so merciful next time and resumed his mid air tango. He was much larger than Helio, but managed to be tenderly indulgent with her while still seeming ferocious.

  “I don’t want to call in the cavalry. I couldn’t bear for them to shoot Rout. He is my bondmate. I can’t let him be killed,” his voice trailed off.

  “Because then you would die.”

  “Did the amethyst bring you here?” he asked. “I can make sure we get you home safely. The dragons were slowly twirling closer and closer around each other when thankfully they passed behind a cloud.

  “So I’ve always heard that this makes us…” her voice dropped to the merest whisper, “married too.”

  The young man exploded. “You mean you are bound to her? I thought you had never even seen a dragon that color.”

  “I meant. That she was the only one I had seen. Don’t you yell at me, this isn’t all my fault. Didn’t you hear me screaming her name?”

  “Heliotrope isn’t a name! I thought you were calling her by her color. Like, “Here yellow doggie.”

  “Oh, yeah, because Heliotrope dragoness just rolls off the tongue.”

  “I can’t believe you couldn’t control her? How could you take her out loose, knowing she could find a mate?”

  “Your dragon was loose! Where I come from, no one ever wanted Helio, anyway.”

  “This is the royal enclosure. It’s against the law for any unmated dragons to be here, so that I can exercise Rout. What were you thinking?”

  “I am not from around here,” she said, which was not entirely true if you counted vertical distance. “Rout? What sort of name is Rout?”

  “A warrior name, Rout the Burnished.” They stood face-to-face. “So you are really bound to her?” he asked. Astra held up her hand so that he could see the purple mark of Helio. Before her eyes, the dragon on her skin twisted and was joined by a brown dragon on Astra’s palm.

  The young man held up his own hand and watched his mark grow to expand his dragon’s new wife.

  “Bogs and Graveyards,” Astra whispered.

  “My father will know how to fix this,” they said in unison.

  “Is your father a king?” He asked simultaneously with her question, “Is your father a drakesalve?”

  “Wait. You have to be royalty if you have an amethyst, so what kingdom is your family’s?”

  “He is not a king,” she began slowly. Astra was unsure of how best to explain that her father had no idea where she was, and reaching him would be impossible if Helio refused to return to the cloudtreaders. She was afraid to do that because she was sure that a very difficult penance would await her, not to mention being walked down the gangplank by her father to be married off to the dreadful shepherd. That suddenly seemed less important as the sky was full of dragons.

  The young man stepped in front of Astra, “I won’t let them hurt you,” he said. Astra appreciated the gesture, but there had to be 50 dragons surrounding them. She glanced at the lovesick Helio who remained nestled under Rout’s wing.

  A single white dragon dropped gracefully to the ground and gave a low bow before Helio and Rout. The white dragon used a claw to scrape off a single scale and laid it at their feet. The white lumbered over to where Astra stood with Linden. The white nodded her head at them, and then launched soundlessly into the sky. With a gasp, Astra realized that her clothes had been replaced by a pure, white silk shift. Upon realizing that her compatriot had a shirt of the same silk, but no pants, Astra kept her eyes elsewhere.

  The next dragon to approach Helio and Rout was red, and after leaving a red scale, he approached Astra. He lowered his massive head and immediately Astra had red silken slippers on her feet. Thankfully, Linden now had red breeches. There was very little that could make this situation less bizarre and frightening, but a compatriot with pants on helped.

  A parade of dragons visited, and each of them left a scale and a gift for the human couple. By the time the last dragon had taken flight, Astra wore bright, blue silk petticoats, a fuchsia silken dress, and golden jewelry. Colored gems had been worked into her hair. Linden was in full military regalia.

  The gallery of dragons overhead parted, and two magnificent dragons descended. The larger one was of pure gold, and the smaller more feminine one glowed with the same amethyst beauty possessed by Helio.

  Helio and Rout began to sing, and as the melodies entwined around them, the gleaming scales left by their herd mates lifted and formed a chain that draped itself around the shoulders of Helio and Rout.

  Astra realized with a pang that these newest dragons were Helio’s parents. Clumsy, stupid, insipid Helio was a dragon princess. Astra had no idea how to reconcile the thoughts dueling within her. Helio nestled her head into her mother’s throat and trilled with joy.

  Astra felt the eyes of the dragon queen bore through her. She had always been able to sense how Helio was feeling, and it was a tremendous relief to realize that Helio’s mother approved of her. Astra stepped closer and placed her hands on the queen’s face. A vision of her mother with a much younger dragon queen came clear in Astra’s mind. She heard a soft woman’s voice say, “I believe your name is Violet.”

  Astra pressed her hands over her heart overwhelmed with love for the dragon who had given up so much to fulfill a bond that had been forced upon her as well.

  The king ponderously approached her and stood for an unbearably long time searching her soul. The king and queen took their leave, with the queen looking over her shoulder longingly at Helio, while her daughter sang happily after her. Astra did not need to speak dragon to know that Helio was assuring her mother she was home, and they would see each other again soon.

  The departure of the king and queen was a cue, as one the other dragons turned in the sky and flew away.

  It was only then that Astra became aware of the small army of men on horseback circling them at a distance.

  “Your Highness,” said a man with gold epaulets as he dismounted and gave a bow.

  “Are you all right, sir? We saw the hordes.”

  Linden leaned closely over the older man. “I am, Concord, but we need to get to my father. We have an emergency.”

  The soldier glanced at the prince’s hand and his eyes flew wide. “Of course, Your Highness.”

  With a flick of his hand, two horses were brought forward. Prince Linden immediately climbed into the saddle.

  “Do you need help, miss?” Concord asked Astra who stood rooted to the ground. She had never seen a creature like the one standing and snorting in front of her now.

  There was only one possibility that could come to the mind of a terrified cloudtreader. “Did I bring on the apocalypse? But then there should only be four of you.” Her voice drifted to silence. The cavalry exchanged bemused looks.

  “Perhaps you would rather ride with me?” Concord asked gently. Only their vigorous training kept the army from exhibiting their shock at such an outrageous suggestion.

  “Couldn’t I just walk?” she asked.

  “It’s too far, my dear. If you are only used to using horses for plowing, I understand your cautiousness, but I swear that you will not be hurt.”

  “I haven’t plowed with…those. I’ve never seen one before.”

  The men exchanged high-eyebrow glances. “Where are you from, young lady?” General Concord asked, seeming to question whether she was a liar or a lunatic.

  Before she could formulate an answer, the dragons brooked this detente. Helio sang to her, and Astra ran to her.

  “Yes, yes, the dragons will come too. Please, we must be on our way.”

  Helio dropped her neck, and Astra climbed on. The army was gobsmacked by the slip of a girl riding a dragon.

  Linden called out, “What are you doing? That’s crazy, you will get killed.”

  For the first time since they had first seen Rout the Burnished, Astra felt an inner strength. “I do it all the time,” she called, which was not strictly true, but she had d
one it. She would confess it all later, she told herself. The thought made her grip onto Helio’s neck all the tighter. Confess it to whom? If going back meant being shepherd Ezekiel’s second wife, was staying here any worse? Did she even have a choice? She had always heard that separating bondmates for too long caused them both to die.

  Helio twirled up into the air, and Astra gave a cheerful, confident laugh, and whispered into the dragoness’ ear, “Don't show off enough to kill me, please.”

  It was much more comfortable to witness her surroundings from the familiar air. Beneath them, woods, and farms, and small towns with busy outdoor markets unrolled in a symphony of greens and browns.

  Rout easily caught up with them and trilled at Helio. Astra surmised that he was telling Helio to wait until the army caught up to land by the way she began languid wide circles.

  It was astonishing, all that lay beneath her. The castle was large and turreted. Formal gardens were laid out replete with large fountains and streams. She could see paths that she suspected were traversed by the horses, and within the walls, a large kitchen garden could be seen.

  Astra thought to herself that she would have to pay close attention to what she ate. She had no idea which vegetables were clean to eat.

  Rout made a small noise, and Astra looked down to see that the army had caught up and was ready to enter the gates. Rout went first, and Helio followed close behind him. They landed in a broad grassy field, and Rout threw his head back and trumpeted what Astra could only assume was an announcement of his new marital status.

  Astra was reluctant to disembark, unsure as she was of what awaited her. Rout draped a massive wing over Helio, and Astra crouched under its weight. Linden dismounted and was able to calm the brown dragon. The prince clamored onto the dragon and settled beside Astra.