by Sarah Noffke
When close to Trudy and the young dragon and rider, she turned, put her back protectively to them, and faced the crowd.
“The House of Fourteen is not your enemy,” Sophia stated in a confident tone. She pointed at the stranger next to the green dragon. “Neither is this rider of the Dragon Elite.”
“Dragonriders are taking over the world,” an elf called.
“You all think you own this planet!” a gnome complained.
“Taking what’s not yours,” a female magician remarked in a disapproving tone and shook her head.
However, the complaints were more subdued than before.
Sophia cleared her throat. “We do own this planet.”
There were mutters of protest around the crowd.
Sophia ignored it and continued, “We own this planet as protectors. Some dragonriders are abusing their powers. The Dragon Elite will work to bring justice to this situation. Right now, I need you all to trust that we aren’t your enemy. In time, we will prove that, but for now, you’ll simply have to believe me.”
Silence fell over the crowd. Sophia watched as many shifted their gaze between her and those at her back, then to others around them, as if looking for an indication from one of their neighbors about what to do next.
If it had been only Sophia there, she didn’t know how things would have panned out. The world at large was angry with dragonriders and not showing any distinction between the different groups. They feared all dragonriders at that point. They didn’t understand, and that was to be expected.
If it had only been Sophia, she believed the fear and bitterness over the recent abuse would have riled up the crowd, and they would have rebelled, taking what they saw as an opportunity for retribution. However, she wasn’t alone.
Trudy DeVries stepped up beside Sophia, her sword in hand and a punishing look on her face. “Those who are still gathered here in the next ten seconds will be held and charged by the House of Fourteen for disorderly conduct and threatening a Dragon Elite member—the highest-ranking official on this planet.”
That didn’t meet with instant acceptance. There were terse words and much grumbling after Trudy’s ultimatum.
However, when she started to count and held her large sword higher, the group lost their resolve to rebel. Many of the gnomes skirted away while throwing glares over their shoulders.
Magicians, fairies, and elves all trudged away, albeit it a little reluctantly. Regardless, when Trudy had counted down to five, almost all of the crowd had dispersed.
Sophia let out a relieved breath and turned to the Warrior for the House of Fourteen and the brand-new rider and dragon.
Chapter Eighteen
Trudy DeVries stayed tense as those around moved off, her eyes skirting from side to side as if she expected someone to double back and attempt an attack. She was a seasoned warrior and knew never to let down her guard. Something that Sophia thought she could learn from her.
When there was no one in the general area, the Warrior for the House of Fourteen turned her attention to Sophia. “I’m glad you showed up when you did.”
Sophia’s gaze flickered to the new dragonrider, and she offered him a calm smile before glancing up at Trudy. “Me too. I didn’t realize you were defending a dragonrider at first. Or that the House of Fourteen would come under attack too.”
Trudy nodded gravely. “Things have heated up a lot. If the House doesn’t do something, then we’re going to be seen as complacent. The matter with the Rogue Riders involves you, the Dragon Elite, and I support you handling it the way you see fit. I mean, you’re not intervening on House of Fourteen business and never have, and I think minding those boundaries is important.”
Something in Trudy’s tone put Sophia on guard. “The House or rather, probably the Council, isn’t as level-headed as you, are they?”
The Warrior nodded. “Some of them are. You were there and know how reactionary those others are.”
Sophia nodded. She did know, and it worried her. “Well, I’m working on some solutions. That’s why I’m here.”
“Good timing, being here.” Trudy nodded at the dragon and rider who hadn’t moved since Sophia had approached through the crowd. She was starting to wonder if they had a statue spell placed on them. “I guess I can leave you in charge of these two.”
Sophia glanced at the pair and nodded. “Yeah, and thanks for defending them. I don’t want to think what the crowd would have done to them if you hadn’t shown up.”
Trudy offered a tight smile. “Good luck, Rider Beaufont.” The Warrior gave the new dragonrider a curt nod before she strode forward and disappeared down Roya Lane.
Chapter Nineteen
Drawing in a breath, Sophia focused her full attention on the new rider and dragon, still aware of those passing. The light green dragon made it so they got way more attention than was necessary. Sophia had no idea what this guy was thinking, bringing his dragon to Roya Lane. He obviously didn’t care that the world was disgruntled about dragonriders. Or maybe he didn’t know any better. Based on the innocent expression in his eyes, Sophia guessed the latter.
“You’re Sophia Beaufont?” the guy asked in awe, his eyes flicking to her sword and her face, then doing another double-take.
Sophia nodded slowly, wondering for a moment if she should be proud of this or be on guard. This guy had paired with an angel dragon, but that didn’t mean much to her yet. Everything was so new with this generation that she wasn’t making any assumptions.
“You’re the one who helped to defeat Nevin Gooseman when he attacked Dallas, Texas,” the guy stated, his eyes wide behind his glasses. “You were also part of the forces that took down Thad Reinhart. Also, wasn’t there something about Olento Research and cyborgs?”
Sophia couldn’t help but grin. The guy was harmless, she realized, and was more likely to harm her with a hug than a punch. “You know your stuff.”
He nodded adamantly. “I’ve followed everything I can about the Dragon Elite. You all make the headlines a lot lately, but the news hasn’t been very reliable.”
Letting out a breath, Sophia combed her hand through her hair. “That’s true. The media tends to sensationalize stuff. The news gets delivered in a way that benefits those pulling certain strings.”
“Like when Nevin Gooseman was in power,” the guy guessed.
“That’s right.” Sophia extended a hand. “Why don’t we start from the beginning? I’m Sophia Beaufont with the Dragon Elite. This is a dragon who recently left the Gullington.” She indicated the green dragon who still had her head low and an uncertain expression in her eyes. “You are?”
The guy straightened. Gulped. Extended a shaking hand. “My name is Cooper. This is Sage.”
“Sage?” Sophia mused while shaking his hand. “As in wisdom?”
Cooper nodded. “Also as in the brush. Sage’s elements are plants and trees.”
“That’s lovely.” Sophia realized the color of the young dragon’s scales was reminiscent of the herb sage. It would be fascinating to meet the dragons again when they returned with riders and discover their true names and the elements they possessed.
She might have seen the dragonettes on the Expanse before they left, but it hadn’t been her responsibility to train them so this was like meeting them for the first time. In truth, a dragon, like its rider, matured and changed a lot after magnetizing.
Sophia drew in a breath, pulled her gaze off Sage, and focused on Cooper again. “However, you shouldn’t have brought Sage here. The mortal and magical world is very distrusting of us right now because of the Rogue Riders.”
“I know.” A shameful expression covered Cooper’s face. “That’s the thing. I followed everything I could about the dragons and saw that the public was growing fearful of dragons and riders. I magnetized to Sage a few days ago. My mom kicked us out of the house, saying that we would bring doom and hate to our family. I’d kept her in the garage before that. Anyway, with nowhere to go and no money, I didn’t know
what to do. I knew I needed to find the Dragon Elite, but I didn’t know where to look.”
Pity made Sophia’s chest ache. She couldn’t imagine being out in this world as a new dragonrider. It must have been terrifying, especially since Cooper’s family turned on him. Fear made people do awful things. When Lunis hatched, Sophia had her sister and Clark and lots of friends to help steer her through the new situation. Then Hiker’s note came, and Sophia knew that she had the Dragon Elite to help her. That thought made Sophia tense.
“Have you received a note?” Sophia thought that the Elite globe should have alerted Hiker about the new dragonrider. However, there was a massive influx of new dragons, and many had recently left the Gullington. Sophia could see how his tracking methods might have fallen through the cracks, especially with everything else going on with the Rogue Riders.
Cooper shook his head. “No, but something could have come to my parent’s house.” A saddened expression fell on his face, making him suddenly look so much younger and vulnerable. “I haven’t been in contact with them.”
“I’m sorry, Cooper.” Sophia offered him a sympathetic expression. She glanced over her shoulder at the Official Brownie headquarters. That business would have to wait. The main priority was getting Cooper and Sage to safety, which meant inside the border of the Gullington. It was hard to believe that new dragonriders would be joining them. Things were shifting. The Dragon Elite were growing. Never again would the Gullington be the same, and that was a wonderful and scary thing.
“I need to get you out of here.” Sophia noticed they were still attracting attention. It was unlikely that the new rider could fly, or fly well on his dragon. That was fine because Sophia hadn’t been able to ride Lunis when they entered the Gullington.
“Yeah, I don’t think it’s good for me to be here.” Cooper pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “I’ve been getting headaches since I got here and can’t see so well.”
Sophia smiled at this, put out her hand, and stopped the new dragonrider from putting on his glasses. “The chi of the dragon must have taken up residence in you.”
“What?” Cooper’s eyes looked puffy without his glasses on.
“It’s bad timing,” Sophia related, “but it happens when the dragonrider is ready, and probably venturing here cued your independence.”
“What are you talking about?” Cooper asked.
Sophia took his glasses from his hand. He allowed it although he wore a confused expression. “Cooper, blink and look around.”
The guy did as told, his vision most likely taking a moment to clear. Then his face transformed into one of amazement, and he rubbed his eyes again before looking up and down Roya Lane with a smile lighting up his mouth. “I can see. I can see without my glasses!”
This exclamation got the attention of a few gnomes making deals on a nearby corner, but they soon ignored them again.
Sophia wore a wide grin. “That’s right. The chi of the dragon would have given you better than perfect vision. When you’re not here and learn how to hone your senses, you’ll be able to see for miles. The Dragon Elite will teach you all about your new abilities.”
“New abilities…” Cooper said slowly, as though trying to digest the brand-new concept.
Sophia nodded. “As a dragonrider, you’ll be stronger and faster than ever before and have superior senses, thanks to the chi of the dragon. Not only that, but you and Sage, having connected your lives, will live longer than if you two hadn’t joined. As a dragonrider, you’re now one of the most powerful magical creatures in the world.”
Cooper’s mouth fell open, and for a moment, Sophia thought he was about to pass out. She was prepared to catch him if that happened. He finally shook his head as though trying to shake away the amazement. His short blond hair whipped back and forth.
“For real?” he asked. “This is all happening?”
Sophia smiled wide. “Yes, and—”
An envelope drifted down from the sky that carried a familiar wax seal on it. Sophia reached into the air and grabbed it.
“What’s that?” Cooper glanced at the note. It was addressed to him in Hiker’s handwriting.
“This,” Sophia handed him the letter, “is your invitation to the Gullington to see if you want to be part of the Dragon Elite. Looks like your change in address delayed it from finding you.”
“Dragon Elite?” Cooper asked, his eyes wide. “Join you all? Of course. There’s no question. You all are superheroes and make the world a better place, and I can’t think of a better purpose.” He indicated the meek dragon behind him. “Now that I have Sage, we should put our powers to good use. I know that she wants nothing more than to help. She talks about the Gullington fondly all the time. She says she only left there to find me but couldn’t figure out how to return after the fact.”
Sophia smiled. “Well, when you’re ready, open the letter. It will give you directions for how to find the Gullington. Then you both can use portal magic to get there and meet the others.”
Cooper paused as if waiting for her to say, “Just kidding.”
When she didn’t, he tore into the letter, his eyes scanning it before he glanced up at Sophia.
“This is all real…” His voice vibrated with excitement. “I’m going to the Gullington. I get a chance to be one of the Dragon Elite. I’ll do whatever I must to qualify to be a part of that. Especially if I’ll eventually get to help the world and also make my mom proud.”
Sophia clapped a hand on the guy’s shoulder. “You’ll make her proud. The chance to join the Dragon Elite is open to all riders who want it. You qualify by wanting to make the world a better place.”
Chapter Twenty
Sophia waited until Cooper and Sage had stepped through the portal to the area outside the Barrier to the Gullington before she strode to the Official Brownie headquarters down the lane.
She wasn’t surprised that Cooper had mastered portal magic as a magician—a powerful spell that not all could do so easily or so young. He had magnetized to a dragon for a reason. All the dragonriders would have enhanced and above-average skills, hence one reason that a dragon had chosen them.
Still, the new dragonriders would need a lot of training, which was where the Rogue Riders would no doubt fall short. They seemed to think they already knew everything. That simply being a dragonrider made them incredibly powerful. However, one can have strength and still not be able to lift a large boulder if they didn’t master the skill of leverage.
Strategy was about doing something the most efficient and skillful way. So far, the Rogue Riders seemed to rely on their brute strength, not realizing that riding a dragon wasn’t like driving a car. One didn’t simply press on the gas and expect it to go. A real dragonrider became the vehicle, moving it as they would their legs for walking. Controlling a dragon should be as easy as a command to the brain, but as Sophia had witnessed when around the Rogue Riders, they missed crucial parts of being dragonriders because they were unwilling to learn.
Cooper would be trained by the very best. The Dragon Elite would be his new family if he so desired, not rejecting him because of fear or the world’s perceptions—which Sophia would one day change.
It felt good to know that a new dragonrider headed to the Castle. What worried her was that Cooper would meet Evan first and be scared away. She laughed to herself while thinking about poor Cooper striding up to the Castle and not knowing that it was sentient or that Mother Nature called it home or that their housekeeper was a cyborg…and their dog.
A warm sensation suddenly spread over Sophia’s chest. The place that she called home wasn’t normal even by a magician’s standard, but she loved it. The Gullington was perfect with all its eccentric ways and peculiarities. She even thought it was fun that the Pond had a dangerous sea creature in it and that on the far side of the Gullington was Falconer Cave that had dozens of strange uses, only a few that she’d explored. She could spend centuries exploring the Gullington and not unearth all its s
ecrets—and she planned on doing that.
Right then, Sophia needed others to do some exploring for her. After announcing her title to the seemingly solid brick wall, she watched as the small door to the Official Brownie headquarters materialized. She crouched and army-crawled through the opening, having gotten used to the undignified manner in which she had to enter the small office frequented by tiny elves.
Sophia half-expected to find Ticker, the son of the Brownies’ head official, sitting in the reception area as before. The little guy had taken over for his parents when they were gone, but to her surprise, the front room was empty.
From the back office, Sophia heard muttering and suspected that Mortimer was back in his office. She called to him as she strode forward, careful to keep her head ducked so she didn’t bump it on the low ceiling.
“Mortimer? Is that you? Is this a good time?”
Sophia felt bad, always showing up to the Brownie headquarters without warning. However, they never seemed to mind and always helped her out. She only hoped that she could return the favors when they needed it.
“Sophia Beaufont of the Dragon Elite,” Mortimer responded in his squeaky voice from his office. “I’m here, and this is a fine time.”
Peeking her head through the cracked door, Sophia expected to find someone besides Mortimer in his office. However, he was alone. The office was a little messier than usual as if he’d been rummaging through the file cabinets for something.
“Hey.” Sophia looked around and tried to keep the curiosity off her face. “How are you?”
The small elf sighed and tapped his bony fingers on the surface of his desk. “I’ve had better centuries, but this too shall pass.”