The Ascending

by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

  “We’ll make one pass to aid them and get the others on the Nimbronian side of the bridge, then I’m taking you to safety!” Jaax threw over his shoulder. “Prepare for my dive!”

  Jahrra didn’t have time to respond because Jaax pulled in his wings and angled his body downward toward the top of the bridge. She cried out as her lower half lifted off his back, slamming into place once again as he flared his wings out to make a pass just over the northern side of the bridge. Pain spiked her ribs and radiated up her bad leg, but Jahrra thanked Ethoes once again for giving her the sense to wrap her arm around the chain. Her half-frozen fingers wouldn’t even close now when she tried to make a fist.

  Jaax breathed in a great deal of air then expelled it with a stream of emerald and blue flame. The heat of it washed over Jahrra, and she sighed wistfully, enjoying the momentary warmth. Those on the bridge, however, got the worst of it. The Tyrant’s soldiers screamed and dove for the snow, scattering like mice from a disturbed hay mound as they desperately tried to avoid the dragon’s flames.

  “To the mountain!” Jaax called down, as his tail whipped out, taking down a half-dozen or so more of the mercenaries.

  As they sped past the bridge, Jahrra jerked her head around, her blond hair lashing at her face. There were still several of the red soldiers on their feet, but it appeared as if the majority of them had been driven to the southern end of the bridge by the two dragons helping Jaax. She breathed a great sigh of relief when she spotted Ellyesce, nothing but a small smear of grey-blue, holding off a few men with his bow as Whinsey and Erron sprinted toward the fort. Jahrra had to have faith that Dervit was with them. She would not allow herself to think otherwise. Even Phrym and the other horses had made it to the safe side.

  “What about the soldiers that attacked the fort?” Jahrra shouted over the rush of wind and shouts from the fight below.

  “Nimbronia deployed a small legion of their guard to make sure the southern gate was secure. They’ll take care of any enemy soldiers on this side of the mountain,” he replied.

  Jahrra tightened her grip on the chains and turned to press her face into the back of Jaax’s neck. To her surprise, his tough scales felt warm, like the skin of a lizard basking in the heat of the sun. Jaax said nothing more to her as he continued to circle the mountaintop, the deep whoosh-whoosh of his wing beats gradually calming her heart. Everything had happened so fast, she hadn’t had time to comprehend how close she’d been to death. Now that she was safe, the shock began to wear off, sending tremors through her arms and legs. Jahrra gasped and lifted her head, the blast of ice cutting down her cheeks a sign that she was crying. Again. Gritting her teeth, she tried to stem her emotions. Relief at not plummeting to her death, fear at her near capture, anger and hurt at discovering Keiron’s betrayal, shame for not realizing his treachery sooner, joy at seeing Jaax whole and well … Jahrra shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut.

  Breathe, just breathe, she told herself. It will pass.

  Turning her head to the side so that her ear pressed against her guardian’s scales once again, Jahrra tried to distract herself by thinking about something else. To their right, the mountain continued to climb, far higher than all those surrounding it. Scraggly pines gave way to jagged rocks dusted with snow, and as they ascended ever higher, the city of Nimbronia, its ice turrets and frozen walls glittering white and pale blue in the late afternoon light, came into full, resplendent view.

  Jahrra drew in another breath through her nose as her eyes widened to take in the splendorous scene. The city boasted a beautiful array of crystalline towers and spires, like enormous stalagmites sprouting from the mountainside and reaching for the heavens above. She blinked her eyes, trying and failing to count the numerous turrets as they flashed by. Up and up they rose, the brilliant sun flickering off their mirror-smooth surfaces, making the city shimmer and sparkle like a rare jewel. The higher they climbed, the more sparse the turrets became until there was nothing left but a tiny spike of stone rising above all else. Shelves of ice and stone protruded from random towers and cornices, and upon them the reptilian forms of dragons stood guard. The dragons were pale in color, long and lean, with sharp features that allowed them to blend almost flawlessly into their surroundings. The famed Creecemind dragons, the frost-breathing guardians of this great City in the Clouds. Jahrra wondered why some of these enormous, reptilian guardians hadn’t helped Jaax with the standoff at the bridge, but quickly shrugged it off. They must have thought three dragons and a retinue of their elvin soldiers was enough to handle the threat.

  Jaax tilted his wings, and they banked right, curving around the narrowing tip of the city and mountain peak. Jahrra made an effort to sit up a little and narrowed her eyes at the apex of the mountaintop. It was hard to see, what with the frosty air making her eyes stream and the fact that it was still a good distance away. But, it looked like one of those wind and weather-beaten pine trees grew from the top, its roots twining around a dark, gaping entrance just below it. Jahrra’s eyebrows lifted. That had to be the Sacred Pine and the cave Ellyesce had told her about.

  Before she could get a better look, Jaax dropped into a short dive, and Jahrra had to concentrate on staying on her guardian’s back once again. They were drawing closer to the mountain, a great wide patio with arches leading deeper into the mountainside fast approaching. Jahrra braced herself as her guardian came to a stop on the giant granite terrace, his claws scraping against stone and his great wings kicking up enough wind to make the long, pale gossamer curtains hanging before a set of tall, open windows dance like streamers before them.

  Jahrra slid from Jaax’s back, using the chains still wrapped around his neck to guide her descent. When the boot of her good leg hit the polished granite floor, her knee nearly buckled. Once she had her bearings, Jahrra pushed away from the Tanaan dragon, brushing her hair from her face. She cleared her throat and looked up at him, a hundred different words vying for dominance in her mind.

  I’m so glad to see you! I thought they had captured you! Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Don’t you ever stay behind like that again!

  Jahrra’s smile at seeing her guardian and the words she hoped to speak vanished, however, when she took stock of his face. Immediately, the blood drained from her own. Over the years, she had thought she’d seen the worst of his anger. She had been wrong. Jaax’s silvery green eyes boiled with rage, and his lip twitched as if he was fighting to keep from snarling at her. Even more than that, she could feel the heat of his fury rolling off him.

  Jahrra wasn’t afraid of this dragon. She hadn’t been for a very long time. But, she felt a twinge of fear now.

  “Don’t you ever do something so foolish again!” Jaax snarled, his words accompanied by streamers of smoke.

  Jahrra opened her mouth to speak, to apologize, but her guardian cut her off.

  “There is nothing more important than your life, Jahrra!” he continued to growl, pacing the spacious patio like a caged wolf.

  He whipped his tail in agitation, careful to miss her, and his presence seemed to double in size as he fought to withhold his temper.

  For several seconds, Jahrra was completely dumbfounded, stricken by the degree of his wrath. But, once that second dose of shock wore off, her senses gradually returned. Yes, she had done some very stupid things in her past, and as much as she resented having Jaax reprimand her, he had always been right. In this case, however, he wasn’t.

  Fisting her hands at her sides and reminding herself she had nothing to fear from Jaax except maybe his bad attitude, she snapped, “Oh? And what was I supposed to do? Give in to their demands and get us all captured?”

  Jaax whipped around and practically roared, “That would have been better than killing yourself!”

  “I did not kill myself!” she screamed back.

  “You jumped off a bridge over a nearly bottomless chasm! What did you expect to happen?!”

  “Exactly what did happen!” Jahrra shouted back. “I knew you would
act as soon as I went over. I knew those holding us hostage would be so shocked by my actions that you would have easily broken free of them and dived after me. I understood the only thing keeping you and the others from attacking the Red Flange was that dagger at my throat, so I took myself out of the equation. If I could just break free and throw myself from the bridge, you would no longer have a reason to sit there like a trained hound! It went exactly as I planned!”

  Jaax, who had been keeping his distance along the edge of the terrace, growled and moved in quickly, his head lowered and level with Jahrra’s body. She drew in a quick breath through her nose and took a small step back, forgetting her injury and nearly falling to the ground in pain. She just barely managed to get all of her weight back onto her good leg before making an utter fool of herself.

  “And,” the dragon whispered on a low, rumbling growl, “what would you have done if they had not been surprised? Who would have caught you if, for some reason or another, I became incapacitated? What would have happened if you hadn’t timed everything just right and ended up with a slit throat?”

  Jahrra crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. “That wouldn’t have happened,” she grumbled, feeling a little deflated.

  Jaax regarded her with those deep eyes of his and, for a moment, Jahrra felt uncomfortably crowded. He was far too close to her, something that would not have bothered her if he wasn’t in such an intense mood. She drew upon what gumption she had left, using her flagging energy to keep it going, and looked into those eyes, trying hard to read them. The anger was there, there was no doubt about that, maybe some fear and irritation as well. And something else, something she couldn’t name. It was an emotion she had seen in his eyes before, on very rare occasions when his control slipped, but just like all the times before, it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, sinking beneath the surface to lurk and hideaway in the shadows once more.

  The Tanaan dragon lifted his head then and stepped away from her, turning so that he faced the open air on the other end of the patio. He released a deep breath, one he seemed to have been holding for a week. When he spoke, his voice was oddly flat and disconnected.

  “Through those curtains is a great room. There are couches, chairs and cushions and a fireplace on the far end. Through the small door on the left you will find everything you need to get cleaned up. I suggest you take advantage of our host’s hospitality. The staff will come by later with tea. All I ask is that you not leave the room, Jahrra. We will talk later.”

  Before she could say anything else, Jaax stepped up to the very ledge of the patio and spread his wings, then dove out into the great wide open space. Irritated, Jahrra hobbled to the place where he had leapt, pressing her hands against the balustrade. The height of this particular corner of Nimbronia was dizzying, but she swallowed back her fear. Jaax glided away from the mountainside, an emerald flash of color against all the grey and white. Where he was going, and why he had left her alone, she could only guess. Matters to do with the incident on the bridge and reporting in to the king of this enchanting place, most likely. She hoped he was going back to fetch their friends and make arrangements for Phrym to be brought to the stables. If there were any stables in this place of towers and ice.

  A sudden shiver coursed through Jahrra’s blood, and she drew back from the edge of the terrace. She wasn’t cold, although the temperature was low enough to give her goose bumps. It was the memory of what she had done, and her guardian’s reaction to it, that caused her teeth to chatter. Jaax was right to be concerned, but they were at war. Risks had to be taken if they wished to survive, and she had every right to take those risks, just as her guardian did.

  Wrapping one arm around herself, Jahrra turned and headed for the three tall arches leading into the great room, using the rough granite wall nearby as a crutch of sorts. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and the thought of a nice, hot bath followed by a warm meal and uninterrupted sleep was making her feel better already.

  She passed through the gauzy curtains and paused, surveying the foreign room before her. The first thing to strike Jahrra about the chamber was its immense size. Like an enormous cavern carved out of the side of the mountain, the room was large enough to hold a dragon. Well, a few dragons maybe. Jahrra closed her eyes and pictured the winged reptiles she’d seen soaring around Nimbronia’s mountain peak. This room wasn’t big enough to hold one of them comfortably, but someone like Jaax, or the two dragons he’d brought to the bridge, might find this room adequate.

  Opening her eyes once again, Jahrra continued her perusal. A grand fireplace, its throat flickering with red fire, took up part of the far wall. Ornate tapestries worked in the silver, blue, grey and white of the city of ice hung from the stone walls. Far above, stalactites descended from the ceiling, their tips emitting a pale blue light Jahrra could only guess resulted from some magical enchantment. More lights, these located in the basins of tiny alcoves carved all along the walls, only added to the exotic ambiance of the room. A few chairs and a large cushioned bench with a back stood before the fire, and beside the hearth Jahrra eyed a stack of blankets and more pillows piled neatly in a large wicker basket.

  Jahrra’s daydreams of lying down and sleeping for a month were shattered when someone knocked sharply on the door. She tensed before directing her eyes to the right. Two pale wooden doors, fashioned similarly to the front entrance of Jaax’s mansion in Lidien, took up another archway carved from stone. The larger door was obviously for the dragons, and the smaller one Jahrra assumed was to be used by the more diminutive races of Ethoes.

  The knock came again, followed by a tentative, “Miss Jahrra? Might I come in?”

  The voice was kind and feminine. The promised staff member with tea, perhaps? Taking a deep breath, Jahrra stepped forward, grateful for the railing along the wall as she descended the three steps into the room. Crossing the room itself was a bit more of a challenge since she didn’t have her crutch, but she managed to limp to the door even if it took an age for her to get there. Worked into the smaller door was a lattice-work grate. Jahrra flipped back the metal flap and peered out. Soft brown eyes in a pale face regarded her with some curiosity. The face smiled.

  “Hello! Lord Jaax sent word earlier that I was to bring a tray of food up for you, and something to change into. May I come in please?”

  Jahrra gazed past the young woman and noticed a wheeled cart piled with plates and trays of unfamiliar food. The woman stepped back and lifted the lid from one of the trays revealing what looked like roast beef, mashed potatoes and some steamed vegetables. The smell of the food wafted in through the grate, and Jahrra’s stomach growled.

  The maid beamed, and Jahrra felt her cheeks warm. Perhaps she should eat something before her bath and much needed rest.

  “Yes,” Jahrra said, clearing her throat a little. “Please, come in.”

  She unlatched the door and opened it wide.

  “I thought you might say that,” the woman responded cheerily as she steered the cart through the entrance.

  “My name is Saria, by the way.”

  Jahrra studied the woman as she moved the cart close to the cushioned bench.

  “And you already know who I am,” Jahrra said lightly, her focus entirely on the food.

  The servant laughed. “I know. The entire city is talking about you. I mean, we were before you arrived, but now everyone is going on and on about how you threw yourself off that bridge.”

  Jahrra flinched and came suddenly alert. She limped over to the couch, leaning against it for support, her fingers digging into the fabric of the backrest. “What?”

  “Oh, yes. Many of us had a clear view from the turrets and balconies on the southern side of the city. And those who had a telescope or pair of binoculars, well, they got to see even more! So many members of the Tyrant King’s army had you good and caught, but the way you escaped! Brilliant! My friend Glenna said the look on Raejaaxorix’s face when you shoved the handsome elf and fell over the
side was enough to intimidate a mother boarlaque protecting her young!”

  Many thoughts spun through Jahrra’s head at that moment: the painful reminder of Keiron’s duplicity, disbelief that they had been able to witness everything with such clarity, a flash of fear at the recollection of the drop, knowledge that she and Jaax were so well known in Nimbronia ...

  But the only thing she blurted when she found her voice was, “You know Jaax?”

  Saria’s brow furrowed as she continued her task of laying out the food. “Well, not personally. I don’t think anyone does, really. Except for his majesty, King Dhuruhn, and his family. Oh, and of course the Korli dragons Sapheramin and Tollorias. They are diplomats who live here most of the year, and whenever Jaax is here, they are with him.”

  Jahrra thought back to those strained minutes on the bridge and the two other dragons with her guardian. They must have been this Sapheramin and Tollorias Saria was talking about.

  “Anyway, you are big news here, and everyone is going to want to meet you or at least get a good look at you. Ha! All the other staff are intensely jealous that I was chosen to bring up your dinner. Oh, and here I am prattling on and not letting you enjoy it!”

  Jahrra glanced over. The girl actually looked troubled. As much as she seemed to be thrilled to get the first look at this new and strange arrival, letting her enthusiasm distract her from her job had bothered her. In that moment, Jahrra’s respect for this young woman rose a few notches.

  “I’ll let you be now. There is plenty here for you to choose from, so eat as much as you want. There is a selection of clothes on the lower shelf,” she indicated a large reed basket on the bottom level of the cart, “and the bathroom is just on the other side of that wall, behind the fireplace. There is a hallway that curves around. Everything you need can be found in there.”