Chapter 36
Captain Vorik, General Jhiton spoke telepathically into Vorik’s mind.
Few riders, even those bonded and gifted with dragon magic, could use their power to send their words to other humans, but Vorik had long known that his brother could, and that he could hear responses as well.
Yes, General?
Feeling the need to swiftly redeem himself, Vorik had been about to dive down, combat Syla’s bodyguard and any crewmen who attacked him, and have Agrevlari pluck up what he assumed was the shielder tied down beneath a tarp.
He’d hoped to handle it by himself, not needing to call in any of the other dragons and riders in the area, dragons and riders, he now realized, who must have been waiting for the general’s arrival before taking action.
Captain Lesva arrived injured at headquarters this morning with an interesting report.
Was it of how she disobeyed your orders, attempted not once but twice to thwart my mission, and do what she wished?
Vorik wanted to continue down to the whaling ship and have Agrevlari snatch up the shielder, but his dragon must have received an order or comment from Jhiton’s powerful Ozlemar to hold up because Agrevlari banked and didn’t continue his descent.
From the deck of the ship, someone fired a cannon. It boomed, the deadly projectile sailing toward Agrevlari’s belly. He twisted, not only avoiding it, but catching it with his talons as if someone had tossed him a ball in a children’s game.
That was not her report. Fortunately, Jhiton sounded more dry than irritated. There was discussion of your penis and it ruling your actions.
Hardly that, Vorik replied, attempting to convey a telepathic scoff, but he shifted uneasily on Agrevlari’s back.
He would never admit it to his brother, but his penis had been too involved in his actions lately.
Especially the night before. He should have realized the significance of those candles—and that Syla, his surprisingly wily Syla, wouldn’t mindlessly have sex with him while waiting for him to finish his plot against her people.
I was merely following my orders. It was, I trust you remember, your wish that my penis be involved in the action for this mission.
Even drier, Jhiton said, I believe I just said for you to win the princess’s trust.
Come now, brother. You knew what you intended. You specifically brought up my record with women—and the appeal of my devastating smile.
I believe those were your words, but, yes, I suspected you would sleep with her.
That is not important. The shielders are.
Captain Lesva did not believe you would find the one on this island, but the barrier is down, and wild dragons are already inland hunting prey.
You succeeded, my brother. Is the shielder destroyed? Or simply removed?
Vorik blew out a slow breath of relief as Agrevlari circled, remaining in the area but staying out of range of the cannons on the various ships.
Just because he’d caught one didn’t mean he could easily handle a barrage from many sources at once.
More than one dragon had fallen under such combined power.
Princess Syla removed it, Vorik replied, intending to take it to her island to replace the one that was destroyed. It is as you predicted all along.
Excellent. Is it now being carried on that whaling vessel? That is what Lieutenant Taglamor believes. That they are hoping to keep us away long enough to reach the harbor on Castle Island.
I think so too. Syla and her bodyguard are aboard.
Vorik thought about mentioning that he hadn’t seen the aunt, but she wasn’t a combatant and would likely be belowdecks.
For that matter, Syla should be belowdecks where harm wouldn’t as easily reach her.
But he smiled slightly, not surprised that she wasn’t.
It is not that wise of a plan, Jhiton observed. Did they not know we are patrolling the waters between the islands? Since their island isn’t currently protected, they must expect to have many hours exposed to dragons.
The surrounding guard ships have a lot of cannons and crewmen manning them.
They must believe—or at least hope—that they can keep us away long enough.
And perhaps they believe that, if they get in trouble, they can activate the shielder from their harbor.
Or even from that ship. Vorik blinked. He hadn’t considered that earlier, that a barrier might be established on the sea as well as on land. Was that possible?
Jhiton looked sharply at him. That would make sense. If they believe they can activate it at any time, they may even want to separate our forces. If they established a barrier in the middle of a battle, they might trap some dragons inside of it.
Is that going to make you hesitate to attack and try to reach it? Vorik didn’t want to fire upon Syla’s ship and watch it go up in flames with her aboard, but if his brother ordered it… what choice did he have?
We will attack it, and we will destroy the second shielder.
Our dragon allies crave to hunt the elioks and other prey on that island, and I’ve promised them that after we do this, they may.
We will, however, not commit all our forces at once, and I will watch for sign that the princess intends to lift that tarp and use her moon-mark to activate the shielder. We will be careful.
All right, Vorik said, but he bit his lip, contemplating ways to keep Syla alive.
Judging by the determined look on Jhiton’s face, he intended to sink that ship. Probably all of the ships.
Vorik would have to get Syla off before that happened. She would never forgive him for helping destroy a second of her people’s shielders, but… it didn’t matter. What mattered was that she survived. If she hated him forever afterward, so be it.
Syla felt like a coward for crouching in the protected wheelhouse while men fired cannons and harpoon launchers at the approaching dragons and Fel stood like a rock before the fake shielder with a crossbow pointed skyward.
But she had no weapons, no way to attack dragons.
Even if she could now use her power for more than she’d previously believed, she would have to touch an enemy to affect him or her.
That was the way her healing magic worked.
“I’m not inviting any of them down for touching.” She thought of Vorik, but he was among those preparing to attack, his Agrevlari flying side by side with the ferocious black dragon.
They hadn’t yet joined the others in diving low to spit flames and fire arrows at the ships, but she had no doubt they would. With his brother here—his commanding officer—Vorik wouldn’t show Syla any mercy.
As cannons boomed from the guard ships, and a flaming harpoon shot from the bow of the whaling vessel, she pulled the figurine out of her pocket again. Asking Wreylith to come help wouldn’t be fruitful, but she had to try anyway.
When she curled her fingers around the red glass, it was warm to her touch, and an image of the red dragon flying through the bright blue sky came immediately to her. Did that mean Wreylith was close?
Yes, through the link, Syla saw the red dragon flying over the sea toward Harvest Island’s cliff-filled northern shore.
For a silly moment, she thought Wreylith had sensed her peril and was coming to help, but the dragon’s route would take her past the battle, miles to the east. Of course.
She had to have heard the barrier around the island was down and that she could hunt prey.
The elioks. Maybe those other wild dragons had even told her.
Syla grimaced at the thought of poor Harvest Island being inundated with dragons, but, if they primarily wanted to hunt, maybe they would leave the towns and croplands alone.
The elioks were in the forested wilds to the southwest, an area only lightly populated by humans, mostly nomadic hunters and foragers.
You’re welcome, Syla thought, attempting to send the words through the link that existed between Wreylith and the figurine.
Puny human, you dare interrupt me during this important time! came Wreylith’s booming response.
A blue dragon dove low over the whaling ship, talons angling for the canvas-covered decoy as its rider fired arrows at the crew.
Syla held her breath, forgetting to reply.
All it would take was one dragon lifting that tarp, and the riders would realize the trick, that the shielder was on another ship.
From the deck, numerous archers loosed arrows upon the dragon and its rider, and a swift-thinking gunman swiveled a cannon on a rotating mount to fire at the dragon. The weapon boomed, its projectile shooting straight for the aerial assailant.
The dragon spun in the air, defying gravity as it dodged the cannonball.
Though it succeeded, the maneuver altered the dragon’s route.
Its talons clipped the railing of the ship instead of wrapping around the decoy.
Its wings splashed water before the creature gained altitude again, unhurt.
No doubt, it would fly up, bank, and dive again.
Or another would. Thus far, none of the cannonballs had struck the agile dragons.
I thought you were dead, Wreylith added when Syla didn’t respond.
No, not yet. My death may be imminent though. Before these dragons kill me, I wanted to let you know that I’ve removed the shielder from Harvest Island. You and your kind may hunt the elioks.
You!
Yes, I.
Why would you remove the barrier that keeps dragons from these islands?
Castle Island is more populous, so we need the shielder over there. We do plan to repair ours and replace the one on this island, so I suggest you hunt your fill soon.
Wreylith didn’t answer. Was she even now hunting?
Crouched in the doorway of the wheelhouse, fingers clenched around the jamb, Syla spotted the black dragon circling high above. Was the general watching and commanding his troops from afar, or would he be the next to try for the decoy?