Flying on the back of a dragon was one of the most thrilling experiences that Brian had ever felt in his entire life. There were no words he could use to describe it. The freedom, the power, of being on the back of Alfeera as she soared in the sky. He could easily see why dragons were called the ‘Lords of the Skies’. This was there domain, no doubt about that.
It had taken a short while for them to be able to leave. AJ had worked some magic to somehow take a few leather jerkins form their bags and…make them more. Brian still had no idea what AJ had done, and he’d watched him! AJ said it was something to do with growing the cells that made up the leather, but Brian wasn’t sure what that meant.
Either way, AJ had turned them into elvish saddles that Alfeera and Tripha had willingly allowed to be strapped to them. Apparently they were exactly the style that the dragons had used before. Without them, their scales could end up shredding the skin on the inside of even an elf’s thighs.
Mounting had been easy enough. Somewhere along the way, AJ had spoken softly with Zee and sent him flying home. Then they had been up, on the backs of the two dragons, and they took to the skies. That first rush of rising to the air had Brian’s heart full to bursting. He felt…at home.
Words were lost in the beauty of the moment. More so when the other dragons joined them. There were hundreds, and Alfeera told him that there were plenty more. They had grown in their years in hiding. The sky itself seemed to sparkle with all the jewel tones around them. When AJ had said they were tied to the elements, Brian had expected basic colors. Green, red, blue, and for air he wasn’t quite sure.
But there were so many different shades of blue around them. Greens and browns and all in between those. For fire there were reds and oranges and some that even seemed to ripple between the two. There were even white and silver and grey dragons that looked like clouds in the sky.
At one point Alfeera’s mind voice came to him, tinged with amusement. ‘I can feel the love and the beauty coming from you in waves. It is a heady sensation, to have one so full of respect and appreciation upon my back after so long. This is a good gift you give to me.’
‘How could I be anything but respect? Or do anything but appreciate the majesty of you and your family? There is nothing I have seen to rival you. My Uncle spoke of a time long ago when your kind and mine were joined together, living in peace. His heart will soar as mine does to see your glory flying through the sky.’
Alfeera caught an air drift, rising and sliding back down it as she snorted. Throwing his head back, Brian let the wind caress him, whipping his growing hair around his head.
‘You must have been a courtier in your life, young Brian. You have a honey tongue.’ Alfeera’s voice was amused again.
Even though she couldn’t see it, his grin was wide. ‘Actually, a musician, before I was brought over to immortality. Even before my elvish genes took over. Alyck and Howi and I were in a band together. We performed all over the world.’
There was a small rumble of pleasure from deep in Alfeera’s chest. ‘You will have to sing for us.’ She told him simply. It was more of a demand than a request, but one that Brian felt he could easily concede to. Singing was no hardship for him, or for the other two. It was a part of who they were. So he gave her a wordless agreement.
Silent now, the two enjoyed the ride. Brian saw in the distance that AJ and Tripha were twisting and turning through the sky. Tripha was happily stretching his wings and was going into elaborate twists and rolls and dives that had AJ’s laughter echoing in the breeze. His pleasure even echoed along the bond.
But soon things started to look familiar. Brian saw below them the forest that he knew sat outside of Flreu’s castle. Then the castle itself came into sight.
It was amazing to think that, through magic, they had managed to fly over thousands of people and not be seen. Or to feel, as they started their descent, the magic barrier that they casually constructed over the forest near the castle. Nothing like what was on the castle ruins themselves, which made them appear as ruins until you were allowed through the gates. But a shield that would keep them from being seen by human eyes.
That didn’t stop the elves from seeing them. Brian watched as, the closer they got to the ground and the easier it was to see, the elves started to pour out the front gates. Some of them were dropping to their knees, others were crying in joy. But as one they began to sing.
Even without understanding the words, Brian knew what it was. He could feel it down in his bones. It was a song of love, and respect, and welcome. A greeting from the elves to the dragons. They celebrated this homecoming with joy. A joy that was echoing its way through Brian, straight to his heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were instantly surrounded when Tripha touched ground. Behind him, AJ could hear the other dragons landing in the dirt between the castle and the forest. To his right, Alfeera landed, with Brian grinning ecstatically on her back. AJ could feel, through the whole ride, exactly how much Brian had enjoyed it. He was glad that, at least for a while, his lover had been happy.
As AJ looked at the crowd he saw his grandfather coming forward. His king. In all rights, AJ knew he should dismount and bow. But something told him to keep his seat. Tripha silently agreed with him, making AJ relax even more.
“Glory and honor to elder Tripha!” Flreu called, raising his arms wide as he stepped before the dragon. “Long has it been my friend since I have gazed upon your majesty! It is a glorious day to see you returned when we all feared that you were gone.”
“Honor to Flreu, King of the Elves.” Tripha’s gravelly voice boomed out over them all, silencing everyone nearby. “It has indeed been long since we have seen or spoke to one another. It grieves me that we come at a time of great troubles.”
“Just to have you with us again eases our burden, o great one!” Flreu declared as he dropped to the ground to bow. All around him the other elves followed suit.
For a long moment Tripha let them stay that way. Then, “Rise. Time grows short before us, and there is much to be done, and many tales to be told. I see the questions preying upon your mind. Speak the one that calls to you the most, so that we might pass by this moment and move on to things that need our attention.”
Flreu rose gracefully to his feet. In his eyes, AJ could see all the love and respect that his grandfather held for the dragons, as well as a sheen of tears. Tears that were shed in joy.
“Please, Tripha, I would know how this came to pass.” Flreu began. As he spoke, Tadgh moved up to one side of him, and Iona moved to the other. They watched with rapt attention as Flreu continued to speak. “We had thought you were gone. Destroyed by Twyla. How is this possible, this joy that you are here before us again?”
A growl rumbled through Tripha. Not of anger, but more as a sigh while he tried to find the words to answer. He looked around, speaking to all elves present. He told the tale of meeting with AJ, and bringing him to them, to what remained of their kind. Tripha spoke of how AJ had joined magic with them, and together they had created the ability to change shapes, to become the anacondas so that they might hide away and bring their race back to life. When he finished, silence descended over them.
Suddenly an elf by the name of Dwyth stepped forward and raised his fist angrily toward AJ. “You knew of their existence and spoke nothing of it to us?” He called out. Fury vibrated through this small sun elf’s body. His magic rippled around the hand he held toward AJ, an overt threat in the world of the elves. “You kept this from your own people? How dare you!”
Before even Tripha or AJ could react, Alfeera pushed her body between Dwyth and Tripha. She blew lightly, letting fire drift from her nose, and on her back Brian was holding fire in his hands. The way the sun struck them, they made quite a pair.
“How dare you!” Alfeera snorted again, her voice a growl. “Do you seek to question the authority of the elders, who bound him to silence? Do you seek to question the honor of the trulion? You dare to threaten him!”
The glare on Brian’s face almost matched the threat in Alfeera’s sharp eyes. His voice was low and hard. “I promise you, no matter who you are, you attempt to go through with your threat and it will be the last thing you ever do.”
Dwyth had gone very pale, and his arms dropped down to his sides. He tucked them quickly behind his back and dropped to a bow. “Forgive me, great one. Forgive me, trulion. I did not think before speaking.”
“Maybe you should not speak again until you learn to think first.” Alfeera rumbled. But she did slowly back away. AJ couldn’t help feeling pride in his partner, who was being a true baka. Or feeling immensely humbled before such great beings who held so much faith and respect for him. He could only wish that he would prove himself worthy.
The time was to be off of this topic, though, and on to other, more important things. “Your majesty,” AJ called down. He waited until Flreu’s eyes were upon him. “Have any of the others returned from their quests?”
“Isleen and Howi sent word that they would be home within a day, maybe two. Sofia and Marzio also went word, and they will be home with two days. Both have succeeded in their endeavors. The ones they sought will assist us in this fight. Young Geoff was the quickest and has managed to enlist the help of those in the water. He left to join Richard to try to help with the Satyrs. They are who we were waiting for, as they sent message that they were due to arrive today. Any minute, actually.”
AJ nodded his head, one hand absently gripping the pommel of his sword. It rode casually at his hip, a part of him now that he had a hard time removing. “The dwarves will come to help.” He said, and briefly told them of what had happened there, and the attack by the Krutas. “The goblins will stand alone.” Even more briefly he explained what had happened with the goblins, and the possession of the goblin by Twyla. This news caused great sounds of distress.
He had no time to fix on that. Something was nagging at his mind, and he couldn’t make it go away. “Has there been anything heard from Roth?” AJ asked suddenly.
Flreu shook his head, his eyes looking concerned. He understood as well as AJ did the implications that this presented. “Nothing. I thought for sure, by now…” The silence stretched over the clearing.
Trying to calm his thoughts, AJ looked to the sky. That was when he caught sight of something in the sky that surprised him. Was that…Zee? But he had sent Zee back before they left. The Pegasus should have been there by then. Unless, well, Pegasus were able to sense calls of distress. If he had heard something, he would have gone after it.
The closer Zee got, the more that the bad feeling in AJ grew. He slid from Tripha’s back, not realizing that he was gripping his sword now, ready to draw it in an instant if it proved necessary. He cut through everyone who was gathered close, heading toward the empty spot on the cliffs that Zee was headed for. As he did, the others caught sight of what he saw.
Vaguely he heard Brian joining him. They didn’t touch, instinctively keeping their hands free. Something about this spelled trouble.
That feeling of trouble faded quickly when AJ saw that it was Geoff and Richard on the back of Zee. But the feeling of dread did not go away. He found himself rushing forward even as Zee’s hoofs touched the ground. Richard wasted no time in sliding from the Pegasus’s back, Geoff held in his arms.
Bile rose thick in AJ’s throat. Half of Geoff’s face was burned, and one arm was missing. There were bandages wrapped around him that had stemmed the bleeding, but it was obvious that the man was in pain, even thought he was unconscious.
AJ embraced earth and used it to call up a bed of soft grass. He gestured Richard to lay Geoff down. “What happened?” he demanded hoarsely.
There was a glazed look in Richard’s eyes when he spoke. “Rothalo caught us on our way home. He was blasting at us with this fire. Geoff rose up a sheet of water that killed the fire off, but not before a ball of it came and sliced his arm off, and scorched his face. Roth laughed and told us to take his present home to you. He said that he’s perfect his art even more. Enjoy his handiwork, he called out, and then he just left us. Why isn’t he healing, Alyck? Why isn’t Geoff healing?”
Now that he knew the story, AJ shut off his friend’s words, leaving Brian to take care of that. He barely even heard Brian’s soothing voice as he tried to calm Richard. He didn’t even notice the crowd that was around them.
He placed his hands over Geoff’s head and his heart. Tipping his head back, AJ closed his eyes and opened his magic wide. He delved down into Geoff, automatically treating him as he would a human and putting up a weave of spirit to block the pain for a moment. With the pain gone, even in unconsciousness Geoff’s body sighed in relief.
That left AJ free to look around. What he found had him feeling sick all over again. The same thing that had been in Brian after the spear had cut his leg was festering its way through Geoff’s body. Everywhere AJ looked he found it. There was more than he would ever be able to remove on his own. The little burrs of spirit were sticking to almost every part of Geoff.
Gently, as a test, AJ pulled a few out, dissolving them as he did. He started around the stump that had been Geoff’s arm. One by one he took them out, watching closely to make sure that they stayed gone. It was a hard battle. They disappeared from the area he was working on, but the others in the rest of his body continued to repopulate. He would be able to pull them out, yes, but could he do it before they spread through Geoff’s body and killed him? There was no doubt in AJ’s mind that this was Roth’s intent.
A vast, powerful presence touched in AJ’s mind as he continued to try to work around Geoff’s stump. He recognized it as Tripha and opened himself enough to allow the dragon in. In that instant of sharing thoughts and joining together, Tripha knew everything that AJ knew, and was already thinking on it. He gave a slight nudge, requesting control of their link for a moment. Without a qualm AJ passed it along.
Now in control, Tripha wove what looked almost like a shield, yet subtly different. He laid it over Geoff’s body very gently before pulling back and passing control back to AJ. ‘This shall slow their growth dramatically. As it was, he had maybe half a day of life. Now, I say a week. By then you should have him cleared out. Healings, and cleanings, twice a day. Too much more and your strength will disappear, Alyck, trulion.’
AJ passed along his thanks as he studied the shield that Tripha had put. He committed it to memory, and was convinced that he could duplicate it if the need ever arose.
With the bond open, Brian knew everything that was going on. When Tripha pulled out, Brian slid in, offering some of his strength. ‘Do what you need to, lover. I’ll deal with the people.’ Brian reassured.
With a grateful sigh, AJ turned to start taking out as many of the burrs as he could.