Arbitrate or Die (The Exceptional S. Beaufont Book 2)

by Sarah Noffke

  Sophia thought for a moment. “Why do you think that there’s only one rider we can locate?”

  “I don’t know,” Hiker mused. “I believe Thad killed most of them. He hates every dragonrider. But more importantly, Thad hates the Dragon Elite with a vengeance.”

  “You’re not going to tell me why, right?” she asked.

  “He was a bad seed, that’s all,” Hiker answered. “But I don’t know what happened to the other riders—whether they are out there, and I can’t find them, or they are all dead. That’s why you have to go and learn as much about Gordon as possible. I think he’ll offer us answers one way or another.”

  Sophia pressed the folder with the information on the lone rider to her chest, grateful for the opportunity.

  “Thank you, sir. I’ll do my best.”

  Hiker nodded. “I have no doubt about that. It’s just that your best and my way of doing things are different.”

  Chapter Eighty-One

  The Rocky Mountains with winter approaching was about as unforgiving as the Gullington. Snow crunched under Sophia’s boots when she and Lunis stepped through the portal.

  Her dragon’s face stretched with delight.

  “Is this your first experience with snow?” she asked him, watching his eyes dazzle with curiosity as he dragged his claws through the untouched snow.

  “In this lifetime,” he stated, sounding like a typical dragon with his mysterious talk.

  “It’s cold, isn’t it?” Sophia asked, looking at the stony mountains in the distance, heavy with snow. Where they were located, at the edge of a slushy lake, there was little precipitation on the ground, just a few patches of snow like where they were currently standing.

  Evergreens created a barrier between them and the peaks. Sophia suspected that many woodland creatures hid in the forest around them, although it felt like they were a million miles from any living creature.

  Sophia had gotten so used to the remote stillness of the Gullington, she realized right then how much she enjoyed it. For a girl who was born and raised in a city with four million people, it was strange to find solace in such a place.

  She always thought she’d miss the hum of the highway, the background music of her life. She’d suspected that she’d miss the buzz and amenities of the city, but in actuality, she never even thought about it anymore.

  Her heart was so full when she looked at the Expanse, knowing that the Castle was attempting to give her everything she desired, even if she was a thousand miles from modern society.

  There was something very enchanting about that, she thought as she studied the Rocky Mountains before her.

  “Saying snow is cold is like saying that sunlight is warm,” Lunis said. “It’s implied in the word.”

  “Well, I guess I’m not in the business of words, now am I?” she bantered.

  Lunis stretched out his wings, the shimmering blue catching the waning sunlight. He was somehow more beautiful in this location, but Sophia couldn’t pinpoint why.

  “How do you suspect we are going to find this Gordon Burgress?” Sophia asked. “Do you have a dragon radar that leads you to other dragons?”

  “If I did, it would be called drag-dar, but no, we don’t have that,” he replied. “The only one I can find no matter what is you.”

  “I guess that makes sense,” Sophia offered.

  “We’re going to find the lone rider through tracking,” Lunis explained. “Although the Rocky Mountains are vast, a dragon leaves behind many signs I should be able to find and follow.”

  “Yeah, that makes sense,” Sophia muttered, scanning the area and feeling like they were being watched.

  “We’re not,” Lunis stated, sensing her thoughts. “But there is something off about this area.”

  “Yeah, it’s like there’s electricity in the air,” Sophia said, hearing a buzzing in her ears.

  “You’re right,” Lunis agreed. “Something isn’t right about this place. I feel it too.”

  “Maybe it’s the lone rider,” she offered.

  He shook his head. “I don’t think so, but he might be a part of it.”

  “Well, we will figure it out. Where do we start this tracking business?” Sophia asked.

  “Look for a cave or broken trees or—”

  “Or a dragon,” Sophia interrupted, performing a quick tracking spell. As before, it created a trail of gold dust that snaked ahead of them, weaving through the trees and heading up the mountain in front of them.

  Feeling proud of herself, Sophia smiled at her dragon.

  “That’s not going to work,” Lunis said dryly, not as impressed as she thought he should be.

  She scoffed. “Why not?”

  At that moment, the trail disappeared.

  “Because,” he began, “those who don’t want to be found will banish a tracking spell as soon as they notice it. And a lone rider and dragon who live far from society seem like the perfect candidates for that.”

  Sophia growled. “Case in point.”

  Lunis nodded. “And now they know we’re here, so we’ve lost the element of surprise.”

  “Sorry, rookie mistake,” Sophia grumbled.

  “Your instincts are good,” Lunis consoled. “I think you’ll be excellent at tracking dragons once I teach you what to look for.”

  “Thanks, but I’m obviously no mother of dragons,” Sophia said with a laugh.

  Steam spilled from Lunis’ nostrils as he shook his head. “You didn’t just go there.”

  “I did,” Sophia stated. “I think comparing our dragons to those in Game of Thrones is a way to really muddy things up in our present situation. I have many more references to keep you entertained as we trek through the forest.”

  “I beg you not to,” Lunis said dryly. “For one, I still haven’t seen the final season. And for two, it’s highly offensive comparing real dragons to a fantasy series.”

  “I don’t know,” Sophia teased. “You totally ruined the end of How to Train Your Dragon for me.”

  “That’s your fault for falling asleep during the movie.”

  “I was tired from training all day,” Sophia argued.

  “Also, I don’t think Hiker appreciates that your studying involves watching cartoon movies about dragons,” Lunis said.

  “No, I’m certain he doesn’t.” Sophia giggled. “But that seething look he gets when I reference scenes from the movie gives my life purpose.”

  “You will probably be the death of that man,” Lunis stated.

  “Probably,” Sophia said plainly. “But my hope is to get him to use an iPhone before that happens.”

  “And that will be what sends him over the edge,” Lunis said with a laugh.

  “Well, sooner or later, he’s going to have to pick up that Kindle if he wants his books,” Sophia related. “We will progress from there.”

  Lunis’ intuitive gaze followed the trail that Sophia had illuminated before. “At least we know which direction to head.”

  “Yes, but do you think it’s a problem that they know we are here?” Sophia asked, wishing she hadn’t made that mistake right off the bat.

  Lunis shook his head. “There’s no way to know for sure, but from what Hiker said, this Gordon Burgress is a loner. He probably just wants to be left alone. But maybe he doesn’t and is waiting to be found. It’s hard to tell.”

  Sophia held out her arm. “Okay, well, lead the way, and show me about this tracking.”

  “Yes, you will need it to pass our training.” The dragon started forward, leaving behind footprints in the snow.

  Chapter Eighty-Two

  The forest quickly grew denser, the snow on the ground thicker. Still, Sophia and Lunis were enlivened by trekking across the Rockies, springing over fallen trees and trudging through the brush.

  “Could that fallen tree be from a dragon?” Sophia asked Lunis.

  He shook his head. “No, it’s from a large drop of snow last year.” He pointed out the way she could tell, and suddenly Sop
hia could see the cause and effect of different weather patterns around the mountain. The way the branches drooped told a story. The way the stream they hiked beside trickled down the mountain told her what lay ahead. Somehow, she understood her environment much more clearly after a small explanation from Lunis.

  “That’s how we work,” her dragon said. “It only takes a small tidbit from me to illuminate a great deal for you. And of course, vice versa.”

  “Why is that?” Sophia asked, having to take five strides to each of his.

  “Because what took me time to learn, is transferred to you instantly,” he explained.

  “And the same from me to you,” she guessed.

  “That’s right.”

  Sophia turned when they reached a rare stretch of flat ground. “Should we cover our tracks?” she asked, staring at the path they’d made. There were her footprints on one side and less distinct prints from Lunis, confused by his tail dragging behind him.

  “I don’t see why at this point,” he imparted. “Gordon Burgress and his dragon already know we are here.”

  “Okay,” she consented, turning back around and enjoying the fresh air on her cheeks, although it was growing colder as they progressed up the mountain.

  “Now, there is your first evidence of our dragon and rider.” He nodded in the direction of broken branches. “Notice how they are fresh, no snow covering them. And the distance between the two trees with broken branches is the right size for a dragon.”

  “Do you think they were through here since I used the tracking spell?” Sophia asked, running her hands over the broken twigs on one of the trees. A shock of electricity made her recoil.

  Lunis gave her a cautious expression. “I don’t think so. But that’s not right.”

  She pulled back her hand, giving the tree an offended expression. “What’s that about?”

  “Maybe just an electrical storm,” Lunis said, but he didn’t sound confident.

  “Could it be…” Sophia paused, not even wanting to say it aloud.

  “How could they have magical tech?” Lunis asked boldly, saying what she was avoiding. “Gordon Burgress and his dragon have secluded themselves from society. I suspect he’s far less progressive than Hiker, to be honest. I’m sure it’s just static electricity.”

  Sophia nodded, but neither Lunis nor she believed that. Something wasn’t right about this place, but there was nothing to do about it but stay observant and on guard. She consoled herself with the fact that of any of the dragonriders, she and Lunis knew best how to deal with magical tech.

  They continued to follow a path up the mountain, encouraged forward by small clues that showed a dragon had progressed that way. It had to have been before the last snowfall since there were no footprints, just broken branches and trees pushed to the side.

  “I haven’t seen any caves,” Sophia said through heavy breaths.

  “Me either,” Lunis stated. “But my assumption is that’s where they are staying.”

  “Gordon and his dragon could have built something,” Sophia offered. “And it could be shielded so we can’t see it. A cave could be, for that matter.”

  “That’s a good point,” Lunis said. “We just have to pay attention to the clues. They will lead to them.”

  Sophia hoped he was right. She didn’t want to return to the Gullington having failed. Yes, she’d been successful with her last mission, but that only put more pressure on her to be successful once more. She knew it was mostly self-imposed, but she felt a need to prove herself, not just to Hiker, but to everyone. It would probably take another century or two before that went away.

  After nearly half an hour of hiking in silence, Lunis said, “Prints.”

  Sophia’s attention snapped to large footprints in the snow that skirted around a copse of trees. She narrowed her eyes, wondering why they didn’t seem quite right. “Those don’t belong to a man.”

  “Nor to a dragon,” Lunis offered.

  “But they are fresh,” Sophia said, using the information her dragon had given her to dissect what she was seeing.

  Lunis swung around suddenly, his wings splaying, knocking snow at Sophia.

  “Hey there!” she exclaimed, her voice echoing.

  Having checked that their backs were okay, Lunis swung back around and laughed. His rider was covered in a thin dusting of snow, having been ambushed when he unfolded his wings.

  “Are you laughing at me?” she asked, kneeling.

  “No, I’m laughing at the other human woman beside you who’s covered in snow,” he said, continuing to laugh.

  Sophia was quick to form a snowball, firing at him before he knew what she was doing. He pulled up his wing as a shield when she threw the ball at him.

  “That’s so immature, Sophia,” he complained, but when he lowered his wing, he launched a dozen snowballs at her he’d formed while shielding.

  Sophia dove behind the base of a tree, avoiding the brunt of the attack. “Are you serious, you little juvenile dragon?”

  “I know you are, but what am I?” Lunis asked, a hint of mischief in his voice.

  “Do you have another dozen snowballs ready to shoot at me?” Sophia asked, her back pressed into the tree trunk and a smile plastered across her face.

  “More like a hundred, give or take,” he answered.

  Sophia looked at the single snowball she’d packed while standing there. “I vote we make a truce.”

  “Because you’re about to be buried by snowballs?” Lunis teased.

  “Because we are on a mission, Lunis,” she stated.

  “Fine,” he acquiesced. “Go ahead and pretend to make the truce and then fire that snowball at my face like you were planning. Then we will progress as we should.”

  Sophia stuck her head out from behind the tree. “It’s not any fun when you spoil it like that.”

  He shrugged. “Well, it’s all spoiled by sharing headspace with me, so deal.”

  Sophia threw the single snowball at Lunis’ head but he ducked in time, avoiding being hit.

  Laughing, he looked over his shoulder to where the snowball landed and stiffened, seeing what had made the tracks they’d found.

  Standing only fifteen yards away and looking hungry and angry was a large black bear.

  Chapter Eighty-Three

  Sophia marveled at the sight of the huge black bear, having never seen one in person. She was grateful that between her and the massive creature stood an even bigger animal.

  However, the black bear wasn’t as deterred by the sight of the dragon as she thought he should be. Instead, the sight of the dragon seemed to enrage the bear, putting it on the defensive.

  It rocked back on its hind legs, opening its mouth wide. A ferocious roar spilled out, echoing through the valley where they stood.

  The ground shook under Sophia’s feet when the bear dropped back onto its front feet, its body quaking from the movement. It was half the size of Lunis but had a menace she didn’t think should be underestimated.

  Lunis protectively turned his back to Sophia, facing off with the bear.

  “Lun…” she said, a warning in her tone.

  “He started it,” Lunis remarked.

  “He’s a bear,” Sophia argued.

  “As long as he’s challenging me and my rider, he’s an enemy,” the dragon said, lowering his head and taking a step forward.

  The black bear didn’t appear intimidated. It immediately shot forward, swiping its large paw through the air at Lunis.

  The dragon darted to the side, throwing his wing up to hit the bear.

  The beast jumped onto Lunis’ back.

  Sophia screamed and drew her sword, but she didn’t know what to do. It was hard to differentiate the furry creature from her dragon as Lunis swung around, teeth chomping as he tried to grab the monster on his back.

  The dragon’s tail flew through the air, nearly hitting Sophia in the face. She dropped to avoid a collision, her face in the snow.

  Lunis slung the b
ear off his back, sending the six-hundred-pound beast into a snowdrift nearby. An eruption of white shot into the air, blanketing everything in sight.

  Lunis shook like a dog after a bath and shot a neat stream of fire at the bear, causing it to retreat up the mountain. The snow around them melted at once and a stream of water rushed toward Sophia.

  She was still reeling from the strange sequence of events when she noticed something just above on the nearest ridge. For a moment, she thought the bear had stopped retreating and was spying on them from up high. Then she made out the distinct figure of a man with wide shoulders and squinted to get a better look.

  It has to be Gordon, Sophia thought.

  Lunis was checking himself, having received a few puncture wounds from the altercation. He wasn’t looking when the man, covered in animal pelts and a long red beard, brought up a strange-looking device. Sophia at first thought it was a gun. She tensed, ready to dive out of its way, but saw it wasn’t a normal gun. It was large and strangely shaped, and the thing that shot from it wasn’t a bullet. It was a streak of electric blue, followed by a thundering sound.

  “Lunis!” Sophia yelled, throwing herself on the dragon, which did little good since her body barely covered his.

  He swung around as she slid off him, catching sight of the lone dragonrider headed east up the mountain. Lunis picked up his foot, about to start forward, when something sprang from the trees where Gordon Burgress had been stationed.

  A yellow dragon, bigger than Lunis but not by much, rose into the air, a murderous sound spilling from its mouth. It focused its green eyes on Sophia and Lunis before flying off to the west, the opposite direction its rider had gone in.

  Sophia and Lunis turned to each other.

  “What just happened?” Lunis asked, still disoriented from the attack with the bear, his wounds fresh on his back.

  “I don’t know,” Sophia answered. “Gordon shot us with something. Magical tech, I think.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” Lunis said. “And I didn’t feel anything.”