25. Rainbow hues.
Rainbow hues.
HARLOW
M yrval, even blind, found her way back to Dragonest. A decade of raining fire on the city must have ingrained the journey in her muscle memory. She knows the distance and the smell of human civilization.
“We’ve brought destruction to Dragonest,” I said as I beheld her shape flying toward us. “We must distract her and lead her away!”
Lord Darrington’s face had darkened. He would risk the city—his home—to protect Clarence without hesitation, but he still ordered the change of direction, only to escape the dragon’s fury.
But Myrval didn’t follow. She was after us, but in the absence of visual cues, she aimed for Dragonest, her legendary adversary.
“We can’t let her destroy the city!” I said. “Thousands will die.”
But Lord Darrington had had enough of my pestering, and he ordered his men to take me below decks with Clarence. “Protect the egg with your life, dragoner, for if it breaks, yours is forfeited.” And he gestured impatiently for me to disappear from his sight.
Before going below, I heard him order his crew to make their way to his private lab to retrieve what they needed to preserve the egg.
Clarence was awake when they rushed me inside their cabin, his arms thrown protectively over the crate that I guessed held his salvation: the egg.
“Has she found us?” he asked.
“Of course, she has. And the people of Dragonest will burn in exchange for your pitiful life.” I had no sympathy to spare for him, as sickened as he looked.
Clarence’s lips had thinned in displeasure and possibly regret, but he said nothing.
And so I was with him and the egg when the airship crashed in the city. I felt the impact when Myrval tore a part of the airship just above us, and then the lurching sensation as we lost altitude.
We’re dead , I thought. But I still grabbed the crate with the egg out of self-preservation. My back and head hit the bulkhead, and I lost my grip on reality for an instant.
Now, as I come back to myself, the cabin is filling with smoke.
I cough, eyes and lungs burning painfully.
Miraculously, I’m still cradling the crate in my arms and open the lid to peer inside.
The egg is intact and… oh, so beautiful .
Its glossy black surface turns into rainbow hues under the light.
For a moment, I can understand why Dragonest is burning as I behold the egg.
Inside the lovely shell dwells the offspring of a dragon of legend.
“Clarence!” Lord Darrington rushes into the cabin.
Dust is all over his usually pristine black coat, and he looks wild.
A whine echoes from behind the table, and he rushes toward the sound.
Clarence hangs on to his clothes as he gets a hold of him.
He appears on the brink of death, his lips and face bloodless.
“I’m sorry, my love… I’m sorry…” Lord Darrington’s mask is falling as he embraces his husband, his pain and despair all too raw.
I feel nauseated watching them, and I almost wish the dragon could end our misery now.
His mad gaze turns toward me. “The egg, dragoner. Bring me the egg. We’re—”
Gunfire coming from above interrupts the rest of his sentence. Are they shooting at the dragon? That’s the dumbest thing anyone could do.
But then, impossibly, I hear someone scream my name—and not just someone…
“Jayce!”