by David Angelo
“So…” Fin said, “any good news?”
Black-Tooth sighed and rubbed his eyes, the frustration on his face answering Fin’s question before he spoke.
“We have a plan,” Black-Tooth said. “It’s not a very good one, and there’s a fifty-fifty chance it could end in total disaster, but it’s the only thing we have. It’s built upon the fact that Titan is not meant to survive an aerial assault. We believe a well-placed bombing run using Kyu’s dragon wings should cripple their defenses just enough to give us the opportunity to penetrate the fort’s walls. I’m thinking we bomb around the perimeter of the fort to disable the cannons and scatter the sharpshooters. Then we land inside and neutralize some of the ground forces, then blow up the entrance to allow our soldiers on the ground to charge inside. If this is successful, we’ll take Titan for ourselves, distribute its grain cache to anyone who needs it, and make the necessary repairs.”
“Sounds ambitious,” Kyu said.
“Indeed,” Rocklier said. “It’s the biggest operation we’ve ever undertaken, and it will test our mettle to the breaking point.”
“But I think we can pull it off,” Black-Tooth said. “We have enough soldiers, more than enough arms, and plenty of support from the surrounding countryside and the Cullidon deserters.”
“You still trust them horsefaces?” Chok grumbled.
“Their support has been invaluable to our cause,” Black-Tooth replied. “They’ve given us weapons, supplies, money, and everything we could ever need to be successful.”
“For now,” Chok said. “But the sooner you turn your back on them, the faster they’ll stab you in the back. Take it from me, all Cullidons are like that, every single one of those ugly, teal-skinned motherfuckers.”
“Watch your mouth,” Black-Tooth snapped. “Keep in mind that this Dragon Storm benefits all dragons, not just Faranchies.”
Chok nodded and took a sip of his tea, indifferent to Black-Tooth’s request.
“Still don’t trust ’em,” he muttered.
“Anyway,” Black-Tooth said, “I want this all to happen a week from now.”
Chok gasped and choked on his tea, prompting Fin to pat him on the back until the coughing stopped.
“Easy, easy,” Fin said. “Take a deep breath.”
“I’m fine,” Chok said, pushing Fin’s arm away. “But Black-Tooth, did I just hear what I thought I heard?”
“You heard me,” Black-Tooth said. “I want Titan to fall this time next week.”
“You sure that’s wise?” Fin asked. “It’s a pretty tall order on such short notice.”
“I know,” Black-Tooth said, “but time is not on our side, and we need to get that grain back as soon as we can.”
“But our current air crew is not large enough to lead an assault like that,” Kyu said. “How many more pilots do we need? Ten? Twenty? It takes nearly a month to train one.”
“Yes, but remember that a lot of our former members rejoined,” Black-Tooth said, “and keep in mind that a lot of them were part of your wing force not long ago. I’m sure they still know a thing or two about piloting a dragon wing, even if they need a brief refresher.”
“True,” Kyu said, “but that’s still not enough pilots, not to mention the fact that we need to build more gliders, and that could take weeks.”
“I told you this would be difficult to sell,” Rocklier said.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Black-Tooth said. “Look, I know that orchestrating an attack like this is difficult on such a tight deadline, but the fact of the matter is that we cannot afford to wait any longer. I won’t let parliament run circles around us, and if we continue to stall, more barns will be destroyed, and more grain will be captured. This cannot continue if we want to unite Edon. We need to stand up and teach those loyal to the Imperial Parliament of Edon that we’re not going to tolerate their bullshit any longer, and the only way we can do that is by recovering that grain and killing Tyrannous once and for all.”
Black-Tooth stood up but became dizzy and had to lean on the end of the table.
“Why don’t you take a rest?” Rocklier said.
“I’ll rest when this battle is in one of your history books,” Black-Tooth said. He made his way to the common area, where he stopped at the threshold and looked back at the table.
“You each have a week to get this all figured out,” Black-Tooth said. “That’s an order.”
Black-Tooth disappeared, leaving the dining room quiet in his wake.
“Damn,” Kyu said. “I’ve never seen Black-Tooth so agitated before.”
“He’s under a lot of stress right now,” Rocklier said, “not to mention sleep deprivation, and the fact that he came within a hair’s breadth of death yesterday. I’d say he’s pretty worn out and jostled by the ills of emotional turmoil.”
“Sounds like he ’bout lost his damn mind,” Chok said. “Either that or he has a death wish.”
“Yet again,” Fin said, “how different is this from other things we’ve done? Think about it: most of our greatest missions happened on the spur of the moment, usually with the odds stacked against us. I mean, you saved me from Triticon with a plan that you figured out only a few hours before, and we killed the leader of the church in a plan that was crafted in just a few minutes. Yes, I’m aware that this is bigger, riskier, and with higher stakes, but in hindsight, how is it any different from our other adventures?”
“You have a point,” Rocklier said. “I was getting ready to talk Black-Tooth out of it, but what you said does make sense.”
“Still doesn’t help with the glider conundrum,” Kyu said.
“I can help you build more gliders,” Fin said, “and retrain our old pilots. If we devote our time to that, perhaps it’ll give Black-Tooth and Kaw-Ki enough time to train the infantry squad and allow Chok to make more weapons. I bet that if we all lend a hand, we can have everything ready within a week, just as Black-Tooth requested.”
“All right,” Kyu said, “if you think that’s possible.”
“I know it’s possible,” Fin said. “I’ve seen it happen before, and I know it can happen again.”
Chok sighed. “I guess I can do a full-scale weapons check with Chinaw before the sun goes down, to see what needs to be mended or fixed.”
“I’ll go organize supplies,” Kyu said, “for the gliders, that is.”
“And I’ll go with you,” Fin said. “As for you, Rocklier, I think you should probably lie down for a few—”
“Absolutely not,” Rocklier said. “I may feel like garbage, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to bed right now. Black-Tooth’s right; we’ll have enough time to sleep when we’re dead.”
“Okay, then,” Fin said. “Do what you need to do.”
“What about him?” Kyu asked, pointing to Chinaw.
“I’ll handle that,” Chok said. He walked over to where Chinaw slept and held his scalding hot tea over his head.
“You sure that will work?” Fin asked.
“He may be impervious to pain,” Chok said, pouring the tea, “but not heat.”
“Ow, Elder-damn it!” Chinaw screamed, sitting up. “What’s with you, Chok?”
“Revenge for yesterday,” Chok said. “Anyway, it’s time to rise and shine, because you and I have a lot to do today.”
“What?” Chinaw asked. “What’d I miss?”
32
“VEER RIGHT,” KYU ORDERED.
Fin and the rest of the flight squad steered their dragon wings in Kyu’s direction. In the time since his first flight, Fin had grown comfortable in the air. It was a freeing feeling to be flying above Edon’s green countryside, the crisp wind gliding along his back and down his chest. He didn’t even mind the crackling noises they made, and he no longer jumped whenever the combustion box, or engine, as they were starting to be called, came to life.
“Good, now take it down a notch,” Kyu said.
“Got it,” Fin replied. He followed Kyu’s descent, his gut gearing up for
what was next. He pulled his fuel lever to slow his descent and knew that his comrades were following his lead by the popping of their wings.
Kyu made a sharp dive, and Fin followed. Butterflies flew around in Fin’s stomach, and the wind blew so hard in his face that he could hardly breathe. Fin looked up to allow himself time to catch his breath, then glanced down again to see how far they were from the ground. The green pasture was racing toward him, while the sound of the engine quieted as the fuel supply was reduced to a trickle. Not even six months ago, this would’ve given Fin a heart attack. But now it was nothing short of fun.
The roar of Kyu’s wing coming back to life was Fin’s cue, and he pulled up on the lever, letting the fuel course through the pipes of the box. He pulled the wing up and felt a jolt as he sailed upward. When they were in the air, Kyu leveled her wing, and everyone followed. Together he and the rest of the squad flew over the countryside, their triangular shadows skimming the surface of the grass. Beneath them soldiers were training in hand-to-hand combat, marksmanship, and archery. Black-Tooth, Kaw-Ki, and Rocklier stood among them and studied their progress. They both looked up at Fin and the armada, and more than a few soldiers lost their concentration when the wings zoomed over them.
“All right, let’s bring ’em down,” Kyu ordered.
The engines died, and the crew landed in a lush field near their campsite. A large, abandoned barn sat nearby, which the resistance had converted into a workshop. A dozen gliders had been assembled within its walls, one for each of the new pilots in the flight crew. After the crew landed, the wings were taken into the barn and assembled in rows across the floor, with weights holding them down atop wooden skids. When the final wing was parked, Kyu turned and addressed her crew.
“As you are probably aware,” she said, “this was the final practice flight before tomorrow’s battle. We’ll meet here again first thing in the morning, before the sun comes up. For now I wish you all luck, and I’ll see you at the ass crack of dawn.”
The flight crew nodded in accordance and dispersed, but Fin stayed with Kyu by the barn.
“A week ago,” Fin said, “I would never have thought this was possible.”
“It’s amazing the changes that occur when you put your mind to something,” Kyu said. “I’m still pinching myself. I’m still not sure if it’s all really happening.”
“I know the feeling,” Fin said, nodding. “You ready for tomorrow?”
Kyu took a deep breath. “I hope so,” she replied. “I mean, yeah, I know that we have the manpower to accomplish anything right now, but I’m still anxious.”
Fin nodded. “Titan’s the biggest thing we’ve yet to accomplish, and it could be our last. But I know that Blizzard is watching over us all, and whatever happens, she’ll be there to cradle us in our time of desperation.”
“That’s rather poetic of you,” Kyu replied.
“Don’t think too keenly of it,” Fin said with a smile. “I borrowed it from a passage in one of Rocklier’s books.”
Kyu laughed. “You had me, there, for a second. At first I was thinking you made that up on that spot.”
“No,” Fin said with a smile. “But someone else did.”
Kyu smiled and put her hand on Fin’s shoulder.
“Come on, Gold Lips,” Kyu said. “Let’s head over to the tavern, see if anything else needs to be done before tomorrow.”
Fin and Kyu proceeded down the lonely dirt trail, bordered on either side by waist-high stone walls. The sky was overcast, with thick, gray clouds covering the horizon as far as the eye could see. Fin looked out over the unobstructed view of the rolling green hills, dotted with the occasional thatched cottage, their pastures full of white sheep. A soft breeze rolled over the hills and welcomed them, a moment of calm after a hectic week.
“I’m going to miss this place,” Kyu said.
“I agree,” Fin said. “It reminds me of Notnedo, same feeling and all. The people are similar too. It almost feels like I’m home.”
“Minus the Faranchilldons living next door,” Kyu said.
“True,” Fin said with a nod. “I still can’t shake the feeling of familiarity, though. Whenever I look over the hills and see all the little farms, it feels like I never left. I keep expecting to look over and see the old tree Scarlet and I used to sit under.”
“That’s how I feel whenever I visit the seashore,” Kyu said. “I grew up on the western shore, with my sister and brother and his workshop around the dunes. We had some of the best times of our lives on that beach.”
Fin smiled. “I’ve never been to the shore,” he said.
“It’s a wonderful place,” Kyu said. “I still own property out there, a little hut built from pieces of my brother’s old workshop. I used to live there with my sister before we had our falling out.”
“I hope everything works out between you and her,” Fin said. “Unless she’s living under a rock, your sister has to have heard of our recent gains. Perhaps she’ll even grant you custody of Arch if Titan falls.”
“I like your confidence,” Kyu said, “but I don’t think there’s anything I can do to make her not fear me.”
“How so?” Fin asked.
Kyu kicked a rock down the road. “It’s hard to explain. For now let’s just say that I’m not like other people, and because of that, people don’t think I’m a good mother.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will once your child is born. Then you can imagine what it’s like for someone to take him or her away from you for reasons that are beyond your control.”
Fin stopped. “Hold on, what did you just say?”
“I said you’ll understand—”
“No, the first thing. The thing about my child being born.”
Kyu froze and slowly turned to face him. She looked uncomfortable, like she was expecting Fin to fly off the handle.
“She didn’t tell you?” Kyu asked tentatively.
“Tell me what?”
“Scarlet’s pregnant,” Kyu said. “She said she was going to tell you.”
“But she told you first?”
“She came inquiring to me after she found out,” Kyu said. “I’m the only woman in this group who has had children, and she came to me for advice.”
“She can’t be pregnant. We’ve been using that tonic that Kemp made, and—”
“It failed,” Kyu said. “Kemp found out a week ago, when she got a letter from one of the twins we saved last month. One of them managed to conceive despite drinking the tonic. Kemp then performed a test to determine the tonic’s efficacy, and it turns out that she made a critical error that rendered it useless. That is why she couldn’t attend that meeting last week, because she was trying to decipher what went wrong.”
Fin turned away from Kyu and propped himself against the wall, his body trembling, heart racing. He felt like he was going to faint.
“So it…did nothing?” Fin said in disbelief.
“I’m afraid so,” Kyu said. She approached him.
Kyu sat down next to Fin and calmly placed her hand on his shoulder. He didn’t respond to her touch at all, almost like he had turned to stone.
“We talked about having kids,” Fin said, breathless, “but we always said it would be after the Dragon Storm.”
“That’s what Chok and I had agreed on,” Kyu said.
Fin nodded thoughtfully. The realization came slowly, like a rain washing away the plans for the future he had laid out in his mind.
“Are you sure you and Scarlet are ready for parenthood?” Kyu asked.
“I don’t know,” Fin said. “I don’t know what kind of parents we’ll be. But I know I’ll never abandon my own flesh and blood.” Fin glanced at Kyu. “I didn’t grow up with my parents, and neither did Scarlet, and while we both ended up fairly well, it’s an experience I never want any child to suffer, let alone my own. We’ll need all the help we can get, but I’ll be damned if I let our son or daughter grow up in an orphanage like his pa
rents did.”
“Good,” Kyu said. “And just know that the resistance is here for you. If you and Scarlet need anything, we’ll be there. The resistance was there when Chok and I had Arch, and the same will happen for you when the time comes. I promise.”
Fin felt a small tingling behind his eyes, and a single, large tear rolled down his cheek. He had never felt more grateful for his friends, for Kyu, and he knew this promise was for real.
“Thanks,” Fin said.
“Anytime,” Kyu said. “But I would make a slight suggestion.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t tell Scarlet that I let her little secret out,” Kyu said. “I’m the only one, aside from Kemp, who knows right now, and I think she’d rather tell you herself.”
“Of course,” Fin said, wiping his eyes. “I wouldn’t want to rob that moment from her, when she says to my face that I’m going to be a dad.”
Fin and Kyu sat against the wall, listening to the birds chirp and the sheep bleating. Fin felt at peace, both with himself and with the circumstances of his situation. He felt as though a crisis was diverted. Almost as soon as it had melted away, the mental image of his future reformed, now with a new addition to his ever-growing family. He could see himself now, kissing his child on the head before heading off to fight the final battle before the Dragon Storm. Fin smiled, his tears collecting on the edges of his cheeks.
Then he remembered. “What were you saying earlier? Something you said I would understand when our child is born?”
Kyu sighed. “I guess now’s the best time as any to let it out.” She stood up and walked to the edge of the road.
“I’ve thought about bringing it up numerous times, but I could never muster up the courage.”
“If it makes you feel uncomfortable—”
“No,” Kyu said. “I could die tomorrow, and if that happens, I don’t want the team to think I didn’t trust them enough to tell them when I was alive.”