“You are all sorts of help today,” Soren said as he took the food.
Bevin shot him a perplexed look. Soren gestured to the mark on his cheek.
“Oh, that. Just watching out for you.”
Soren took a bite of the bread. “I was telling Dex about Aria’s demonstration. I don't know if you saw it.” He turned to Dex. “Remember when I said I had a few ideas about getting the scepter. This can help.”
In between bites, he told them of his plan to have Dex fly in low. With some distraction, Soren could slip off Dex and get close enough to Samaren to steal the scepter.
“The wizard has magic,” Bevin pointed out. “And she will be gripping the scepter. I doubt she is going to willingly let you have it.”
“So, I haven’t figured everything out. Maybe someone else goes too. Someone with magic or at least better fighting skills.” He adjusted Dex’s harness. “Let’s say I am still working out all the details.”
“You know, Soren, no one expects you to be the one to get the scepter.”
“I know, Dex, but without the scepter, without freeing the dragons, King Arden’s army has little chance of winning.” He looked at Bevin. “You want a ride?”
“Why not?”
Bevin climbed onto the dragon, and Soren followed suit. Even for this short flight, he clicked on the safety strap. Dex leapt into the air. Soren noted his color was better but still not back to its brilliant red. He would keep Dex’s involvement to a minimum. They circled the training field. A quick count told him everyone else was already there. He hadn’t had time to figure out what they should do.
“Any suggestions for practice?” he asked Dex.
“That demonstration may have gone well, but it was just a demonstration. A real battle will be different.”
“True,” Soren agreed.
“Perhaps we should heat things up.”
Soren smiled. “I like your thinking.”
Dex landed, and Soren and Bevin slid to the ground. Soren walked over to the others, bristling slightly at their scrutiny. He and Dex had only practiced with them a handful of times before going to Halo. He didn’t know any of them well, and now the group had grown bigger and had practiced for days without him. He expected there might be some resentment with him taking over. Now he would find out.
“What’s the plan?” Royce said, his arms crossed.
While Soren knew him to be the strategist of the group, he thought it would be Kincade the others would look to for direction if Quinn’s reaction to him was any indication. So, it was Kincade he addressed now.
“You’ve been running things?”
Kincade nodded.
“Let’s run through the same V formation from yesterday to warm up.”
“And then?” Kincade asked.
“And then we will see.” Soren smiled.
The others mounted their dragon. Soren did the same. Dex leapt into the air.
“Do you have a plan?” he asked as the other dragons joined them.
“We will let them get almost all the way through. On the last pass, we will see how they respond to an attack. I’ve asked Thella to help us.”
“Umm…I love this plan, but we don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“Don’t worry, Soren. I’ll just aim near them enough to give them a scare. No one should get hurt…I hope.”
Soren gulped. “You hope?”
Dex laughed. “I’ll be careful, and so will Thella.”
The dragons flew over the field in a V formation. Dex and Thella brought up the back. Soren watched again as Kincade hit every target. As they made a turn, Dex and Thella broke off. Dex soared above the others before diving toward Aria, breathing fire. The flames clearly went above her but close enough that she Blinked. Dex swung around, shooting fire at the nearest dragon. Skilor ducked out of the way but not before Soren caught Tyrus’ startled look. Soren watched as Thella with Quinn on her back flew by. The gold dragon spewed fire at Rhyn. Again, the flames came close, very close but didn’t hit Drake or his dragon. The man shouted as his dragon shied away. It was pure chaos as dragons dove or Blinked.
“Dex, ask everyone to land.”
Once back on the ground, Royce jumped off Dubbin. He stormed toward Soren.
“What was that?”
Kincade slid down from Aria. He hurried forward with his crutch. He grabbed Royce’s arm. “It was a good test. Unexpected but necessary.”
Royce swung toward Kincade. He towered over his friend. They locked eyes. Soren saw Kincade’s lips moving as he rapidly spoke with Royce.
“I still don’t like it,” the larger man muttered as he strode a few feet away before swinging back around. He ran his hand over his beard as he regarded Soren. “Your stunt did show us areas that need work,” he admitted grudgingly. “Battles are full of chaos. We have been focusing on our attack. Let’s not forget they have dragons too. We need a way not to run into each other and to ensure we Blink to a safe location.”
“Communication between the dragons can help,” Soren said.
Royce nodded. “That is good but in a pinch, we need to know where they are going. Let’s say everyone goes to the right when they are confronted head-on with another dragon. That of course works if we encounter one of our own.” He paced as he stroked his beard. “Blinking is trickier.”
“Blinking in a hurry is always dangerous,” Dex said. “If the goal is to do only a short jump, I would plan to go higher.”
Royce considered it. “Yes, being above would be best. You would be farther from any archers on the ground. We need to remember they will be attacking from there too.”
“But,” Dex continued. “We dragons still need to be aware of our surrounding. Blinking in the middle of that type of chaos should be a last resort.”
“Agreed,” several of the dragons said at the same time.
“Let’s give it another try,” Royce said. He gestured toward Soren. “Attack whenever.”
Tyrus rubbed the back of his neck. “I can still feel the heat.”
“It wasn’t that close,” Dex said.
The man glared at the dragon. “I beg to disagree. Watch the flames.”
“They will,” Soren assured him as he sent a stern look toward Dex.
The dragon riders mounted their dragons. Soren climbed on Dex and watched as the others took off. He double checked the harness straps before urging Dex into the air. The red dragon climbed higher and higher until he was well above the others. Thella flew to the opposite end of the training area. Suddenly, she turned, barreling toward the others. Flames burst from her jaws. Cabis veered to the right with Thella right behind him. Dubbin slipped behind her, releasing his own flame. Thella Blinked, reappearing above and behind the red dragon. Fire burst from her jaws. Dubbin dove out of the way.
“What are you waiting for, Dex?”
“Just observing. You wanted me to take it easy.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to. Remember, I can feel your worry.”
And with that, Dex dove. He aimed for Aria. The golden dragon saw him and flirted away, making the same quick moves she had displayed yesterday. Dex followed suit, staying a dragon’s length behind her. He shot out flame. Aria Blinked, reappearing above and slightly behind Dex. She opened her mouth, flame bursting out. The heat had Soren ducking. Dex flew lower, pressing his wings against his sides, allowing Aria to fly by. As she did, Dex shot flame toward her. She veered away. Flames came close to Dex’s right wing. Soren twisted in his seat.
“Calrona,” he said as Dex dove out of range.
Dex flipped in the air, turning to face the other red dragon. They flew head on. Each dragon breathed out a stream of fire before veering to the right. Soren felt weak, exhausted and knew the feeling came from Dex.
“We are done. Tell the others to land.”
He half expected Dex to protest, but the red dragon landed, and Soren slid to the ground. His legs almost buckled under him. He used his hand to stead
y himself against Dex as his eyes sought out Royce.
The man grinned. “Now that was fun.”
“And better,” Kincade said as he joined them. “We will need more practice.”
Soren took in Dex’s pale color. Even though he had not Blinked even a short distance today, Soren knew yesterday's long one still had him worn out. He would need more recovery time.
“Agreed,” he said to Kincade, “but it will have to be tomorrow.” He patted Dex’s side. “You should go hunt and then get some rest.” As the red dragon leapt into the air, he turned toward the others. “Tomorrow morning, we will run this drill again. Until then work on target practice and making sharp turns.”
As the other dragon riders returned to their dragons, Soren called out to Kincade and Royce.
“I’d want to discuss something with you, get your opinion,” he said and gave them the brief plan to get the scepter.
Neither said anything for a moment. They exchanged a glance.
“Tricky,” Royce said.
Kincade nodded. “But there is the element of surprise.” He looked at Soren. “The wizard could be a problem. How are you going to handle her? Surprising her won’t help if she turns you into a frog.”
Soren shook his head. “I don’t know. First, I need to make sure I can get to her.”
“Reminds me of the Duggan ploy.” Royce ran a hand through his beard. “A training exercise,” he said to answer Soren’s curious look. “I think it could work. It would be helpful to study the battle field. We can speculate where the wizard will be.” Royce’s stomach growled. “Let’s continue this discussion over lunch.”
Soren fell into step with them. At least they hadn’t told him he was crazy for even wanting to try.
As they ate, Royce went into detail about what he called the Duggan ploy which he and his team had used during the Solara Games, an annual competition where members of the guard competed in sword battles, archery and riding. The highlight of the event was a competition where different groups raced to recover a treasure box. Soren recalled the games. He remembered his failure at them had led to his leaving the guard after only three months. Royce and Kincade apparently excelled at them, having taken top honors for years.
“It is very similar to what you suggested, Soren,” Kincade said. “The wizard is the biggest problem. I don’t know much about magic. I would assume she will have traps or spells to protect her.”
“She can,” Soren agreed. “Then again, maybe she doesn’t think anyone can get that close to her.”
“Maybe,” Royce said, “instead of speculating, you should go talk this over with Cane.”
Soren’s stomach flopped. He dreaded being in the wizard’s presence again. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he didn’t think Cane approved of him anymore than General Thayer did. However, he knew Royce and Kincade were right. He needed the advice of an expert in magic. As they made plans to fly over the battle field, Soren excused himself, figuring there was no putting off the inevitable.
He walked down the hall. He paused before Elden’s office. He wondered if they were still working on the box. Cane would not appreciate the interruption. Soren almost left. But he realized no matter when he approached the wizard, Cane was sure to be annoyed. Reluctantly, he knocked. From within, someone called for him to enter. As he did so, his eyes jumped between the two wizards. Elden stood bent over the wooden box while Cane read the book Soren had brought with him.
“What is it?” Cane asked.
Soren was curious about the box, but the annoyed look on Cane’s face had him rushing to tell them of his plan instead.
Cane shook his head. “I know you made it pass Drachen’s traps. Don’t let those acts go to your head. This is totally different. This is a wizard, in the flesh and blood, who will not willingly give up the scepter. I doubt you can even get close to her.”
“The others think it can work.”
Cane chuckled. “And some of them believe you to be a dragon rider.”
Soren’s fingers curled, balling into fists. He fought back the urge to walk over and punch Cane’s smirking face. He took a deep breath. “Do you have any suggestions?”
Cane turned to Elden. “Do you have a pommer stone?”
“I do.”
“It could protect you from a magical attack or two.”
“Could?” Soren’s eyes widened.
“It depends on the attack and the strength of the magic.”
“And you didn’t give it to me when I went to Drachen’s fortress?”
Cane smiled. “I didn’t know there would still be magic there. Plus, it wouldn’t have helped against those traps. They may have been set by a wizard, but none of them were a direct magical attack.” He noticed Soren’s confused look. “Drachen wasn’t there to throw spells at you. That would have been a direct attack. That is what Samaren will bring.”
“What type of attacks?”
“Power bolt,” Cane said.
“Fire ball,” Elden added.
“Move the ground below you.”
“If she has potions made in advance, she could blind you, make you dizzy, make it so you couldn’t move.” Elden shrugged. “The list goes on.”
Soren paced the room. As he had left the others, he had felt confident about this plan. Now after hearing Cane and Elden talk, doubt crept in. He couldn’t handle a magical attack. It would be better to have someone go with him. Someone who could fight. Kincade was a sharpshooter but tied to his dragon with his leg injury. While Bevin had served him well in the past, he still walked with a limp. He shook his head. Even if he took one of them, they wouldn’t be able to help him against the magic. He knew who he needed. He turned back to Cane.
“Would you or Elden consider coming with me?” He watched as the two wizards exchanged glances. “You could combat any magic.”
Cane shook his head. “It will take strong magic to destroy the scepter. Both Elden and I will be needed. We cannot risk ourselves with your risky plan. Have you spoken to General Thayer about this?”
Soren shook his head.
“Do so. Get his approval, and we will get the pommer stone for you. We will also make a few potions you can use against her.”
“I have a few ideas,” Elden said.
Figuring that was the best he would be able to do, Soren thanked them and made his exit. He would rather not run this by General Thayer. The man just didn’t like him. But if he was required to talk to him, he might as well get it out of the way too. He stopped a guard walking down the hall and found out General Thayer had gone to check the troops that had arrived that morning. He was expected back at any moment. Soren wandered outside, figuring he might as well wait for him.
“Hey, Soren,” Quinn said. “Are you done meeting with Cane?”
“Yes. How did you know I was meeting with him?”
“Kincade mentioned it. Are you heading back to the dragons?”
Soren shook his head. “I am looking for General Thayer.”
The young guard pointed. “Here he comes.”
Soren excused himself, calling to the General. The man scowled at him.
“I need a moment of your time,” Soren said.
General Thayer grunted and indicated Soren should follow him. Once inside the General’s office, the General sat down, absentmindedly waving his hand at the seat on the other side of his desk. Soren sat. When the man just stared at him, Soren took that as an invitation to tell him about the plan. If he expected General Thayer to be excited or pleased with his idea, he would have been disappointed. The General was stoic as he listened.
“Risky. Too many things could go wrong.” He shrugged. “But it is your life.”
“Do you have a plan to retrieve the scepter?”
“I know the wizard thinks the scepter is important, but this is war. I know about battles and strategy. Whether the scepter is retrieved and destroyed is not of importance.”
“How do you plan to stop the dragons?”
“I
sn’t that why the King made this alliance? He believes your dragons will take care of them.”
“I saw the aftermath of the battle in Baycliff. Many dragons on both sides died.”
“Not my concern.”
“Men died too.”
“Men die in battle all the time.” The General waved his hand as if dismissing him. “Go ahead with your plan. I have nothing to lose.”
The callousness of the General’s words turned Soren’s stomach. He rushed from the stuffy room and out into the courtyard. He spotted Quinn waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
“What are you still doing here?”
“Umm…just waiting…”
“For me?” It dawned on Soren he hadn’t been alone all day. “Look, I don’t need someone watching over me. Who?” He shook his head. “Never mind, I know who. Bevin. Go away, Quinn. I’ll take care of this.”
He whirled around, wondering where he would find Bevin. He saw Darvin. He hailed the young captain. A few minutes later, he was on his way out of town. As he turned down another street, he saw Quinn trailing behind him.
“Quinn, go away. I am fine.”
“Maybe but I have my orders.”
Soren shook his head. “If you are coming, you might as well walk with me.”
He waited for Quinn to catch up to him. They walked in silence. Quinn hung his head. Soren sighed. It wasn’t his fault he supposed. He debated saying something to him but didn’t know what it would be. Soon enough this whole situation would be resolved. They crested the hill to the northwest of the village and stopped. Before them lay a sea of tents. Off to one side, hundreds of men practiced, some with swords and others with bow and arrows. Soren wondered how he would find Bevin in this mass when he saw the man talking to some others a few paces from the training.
Bevin noticed him and walked over. “Hey, Soren. Come to check out the army?”
“What is the meaning of this?” Soren gestured at Quinn. “I don’t need a keeper.”
“That isn’t what I hear.” He gestured to the fading bruise on Soren’s check. “Your father isn’t going away. Who knows what would have happened if Royce and Kincade hadn’t been there? Or if I hadn’t been there the other time. I spoke to the other dragon riders yesterday, and I spoke with Dex this morning. We are all in agreement.”
Blood Bond Page 24