Chapter 27 #2
Vorik couldn’t imagine having a desire to go back there and was glad the dragons had destroyed the vestiges of the storm god’s devices and statuary under the castle.
Whether it had happened intentionally or as they’d rolled around while mating, he didn’t know, but Agrevlari had been smug now for weeks straight.
Jhiton eyed a slight movement of a cloth that draped the closest buffet table all the way to the ground.
The wind, no doubt. Jhiton returned his attention to Syla as she approached, and Vorik wondered if he was genuinely curious about whatever position she had in mind.
Vorik would have expected someone who scoffed at haircuts and domestication to promptly dismiss the idea of working with the Kingdom, even if they were all supposedly allies now.
“Did you know,” Teyla was saying as she and Syla walked closer, “that we found an ancient drydella—an idol for the storm god first made by the Magendella civilization—in the laboratory below? Before the dragons destroyed everything? I didn’t get a chance to see if any existed in the desert laboratory, but having one found here suggests those people were seafaring as well as coastal visiting.
The current academic belief is that their dug-out canoes wouldn’t have allowed them to cross the Sea of Storms. Can you imagine paddling out into such a vast and dangerous body of water before modern sailing technology and knowledge came into play?
I’m aching to go back and thoroughly investigate and catalog everything in the desert laboratory. ”
“I’m aware—though I believe you tried to entice me by promising you’d investigate the medical tools and medicinal substances that might be found.”
“Oh, of course those would be prioritized.”
“Either way, I haven’t tried to forbid you from taking the trip.
” As she spoke and walked, Syla’s gaze remained on Vorik, her expression suggesting she believed he looked quite handsome with his new clothing and trimmed hair.
Maybe the bath house had been worth it. “I’m just not sure about sending troops simply for…
scholarly purposes, and it would be dangerous for you to go with only a team of colleagues.
I believe wyverns especially enjoy eating professors and other academics. ”
“I’m sure, but I think it would be worth the risk. And you could send a small squad of troops. I’m not that hard to guard. Really. Oh, but maybe send a dragon too. Wyverns are terrified of dragons.”
“It’s not as if I have a fleet of those available. My only dragon ally is busy with her new hatchlings.”
“What about Vorik’s dragon? It’s not like that green one does much besides sunbathe in the harbor and babysit now and then.”
“I don’t think it’s called babysitting when they’re your own children—or hatchlings. Parenting might be the appropriate term.” Syla touched her abdomen, a reminder that she would have personal experience with such things before long. Vorik looked forward to it.
Teyla waved dismissively. “Either way, if one of them could…” She seemed to notice Jhiton for the first time and trailed off.
Vorik didn’t think his scarred, muscular, and cool-eyed brother looked any more forbidding than usual, but Teyla said she needed to check on something and hurried back into the crowd. She almost tripped over one of the kitchen boys carrying a birdcage.
“You’re supposed to smile at women, not scowl and scare them,” Vorik murmured.
“I didn’t scowl.”
“Are you sure? Your normal expression is scowly. The scar makes it so, I think.”
Jhiton gave him a flat look. “That woman was holding a sword at my eyes when I woke up in the laboratory. If she departed, I suspect it was because she didn’t want to speak with me, not that she’s scared of me.”
“Her name is Teyla, Syla’s cousin, and if a woman hurries away to avoid a conversation with you, that’s also not a good sign.”
“I’m not seeking conversation,” Jhiton stated, though he gazed expectantly at Syla.
“There’s not much hope for you, is there?” Vorik asked, then noticed an orange dragon flying high overhead, above the barrier.
Was that Igliana? Probably so. She’d promised to attend the stormer ceremony later, part of which would be held on a ship beyond the barrier, so that dragons could be in the area—and fling fish if they desired.
Teyla came into his view again when she stepped onto the edge of the fountain and gazed up at the orange dragon.
Still holding her book, she touched the corner thoughtfully to her chin.
Maybe she was scheming about how she could get a dragon to go with her to the desert.
Igliana was adventurous and might be game.
“You look wonderful, Vorik.” Syla touched his arm, smiling at him.
He focused his attention fully on her. “You look even more wonderful.”
Jhiton sighed at their gooey-eyed gazes.
Syla lowered her arm and stepped back to consider him. She opened her mouth, as if looking for something complimentary, or at least polite to say to him, but he surprised her by darting toward the table.
A little surprised himself, Vorik stared as Jhiton swept the tablecloth aside to reveal a dragon hatchling.
Its scales were so new that they were pink instead of the red they would one day turn, and its small wings were a little lopsided since they were still in the process of forming.
Its sharp, pointy teeth worked fine, though, as proven by the bites torn out of a turkey leg clutched in its small grip.
It emitted a tiny roar at having its hiding place revealed and turned to run farther under the table, but Jhiton swept it up, holding it out with both hands.
“Oh!” one of the kitchen boys cried triumphantly, running over with his cage and tongs. “I’ll take that, sir. The chef said the little scoundrel had gotten into the smokehouse, but he wasn’t able to catch it.”
Jhiton calmly held out the dragon, shifting his grip to avoid being bitten, but he shook his head at the boy. “One does not cage a dragon.”
“Er, but if you grab it, it bites you.”
“That is what dragons do.” With deft hands, almost as if he were juggling, Jhiton kept the dragon’s teeth from finding his flesh.
“How do you get rid of them, sir?”
“Call the mother.” Jhiton looked at Syla.
She nodded. “I’ve let her know. She’ll be here shortly.”
A roar came from below the cliffs, announcing Wreylith’s approach.
“Oh.” The boy saw the red dragon soar over the courtyard wall and scurried away, attempting to hide the large cage as he disappeared into the crowd.
Not batting an eye as the great dragon swept down on them, Jhiton merely held his captive aloft.
Like a mother cat plucking up a kitten with its jaws, Wreylith took the hatchling from him.
Then, instead of flying back to her cave, she settled on the roof of one of the towers overlooking the courtyard.
“Wreylith will stay for the wedding.” Syla looked at Vorik. “We’re to be honored.”
“Oh, I am. Agrevlari says he’s observing remotely while he watches the other seven hatchlings. It’s going to be utter chaos, you know, when they’re all capable of escaping the lair and running around the castle and the city.”
“In hindsight, I possibly should have argued more vociferously when I asked Wreylith to choose a cave location a touch farther from the city.”
“Possibly,” Vorik said blandly and almost suggested that he’d seen some nice-looking caves over by the Freeborn Faction camp. Sending the hatchlings to pester Atilya seemed like a fair return after she’d tried to drug him.
“General Jhiton,” Syla said, “thank you for coming today. We’re as honored by your presence as we are by Wreylith’s.”
“You spoke of a position.”
“My brother doesn’t believe in small talk,” Vorik said.
“I see. Yes, General, I did.” Syla took a bracing breath and looked at Vorik for a moment.
He nodded supportively, though he had no idea what she meant to offer Jhiton. Nor could he imagine what position within the Kingdom Jhiton would possibly accept.
“My current General of the Militaries,” Syla said, “who oversees the enforcers and protectors, as well as the Royal Fleet, is retiring. Since he was involved in some of the assassination attempts on my life, I wasn’t motivated to implore him to stay, but that leaves me with a vacancy that needs filling. ”
Vorik’s jaw sagged open as he realized where she was going.
“Typically, I understand,” Syla said, “one promotes another officer from within the military, but… I don’t know many of those men and women well yet, and I gather there was a lot of complicity insofar as writing up the orders for assassination attempts.
If you’re interested, I would like to offer you the position of General of the Militaries. ”
“Why?” Whether Jhiton was surprised, repulsed, or honored, it didn’t come out in his flat tone.
“I’ve seen you fight.” Syla smiled faintly, though this had to be hard for her. How many times had she said that she hated Jhiton? Jhiton who’d been responsible for the deaths of her family. That was as great a crime as trying to have her assassinated, surely.
“My record in leading men to victory has not been impressive of late.” That had to gall Jhiton to admit, but his face remained hard to read, his tone flat. “My competence shouldn’t tempt you to desire my leadership for your military.”
Vorik wanted to object to there being anything wrong with his brother’s competence and say that the gods themselves had been among those working against him, but he waited to hear Syla’s response.
“A wise man—” she looked toward Sergeant Fel, “—said I should put into office those that I can trust rather than those with the most exemplary records.”
“And you trust me?” Jhiton’s eyebrows twitched upward.
Vorik scratched his cheek, somewhat fascinated by the conversation.
Syla looked toward the tower where Wreylith perched, using talons and her maw to keep her wayward hatchling between her legs.
“I think I’m getting a feel for where you stand,” Syla told Jhiton.
Jhiton gazed at her, as if he was trying to read her mind. Or maybe he was debating if he was actually interested?
“I would need to continue to train the Sixteen Talons to ensure they remain fit and don’t give in to gluttony and sloth.” Jhiton eyed Vorik’s squad mates noshing at the end of the table.
“Of course,” Syla said. “I have no doubt that you’re capable of handling both duties.”
“Is flattery how you’re recruiting other candidates for leadership positions?”
“I bribed my new island lord with the company of a woman.” Syla glanced at Fel again.
“So you adjust your tactics based on what you believe will entice the individual.”
“I think about what the individual needs, yes.”
“And you think I need flattery?” Jhiton asked.
“I think… you’ve lost what was giving you purpose and need a challenging new duty.”
He continued to gaze at her. Thoughtfully? Despite his probes, it wasn’t a hostile gaze. Vorik could tell that much.
“I will consider your proposal,” Jhiton said, then walked toward the men at the table.
Vorik lowered his hand. “I’m a little stunned.”
“You don’t think he’s the right man for the job?”
“Oh, I think he can do it and that your soldiers, should any with hostile thoughts toward you linger, will be terrified to cross him, but I can’t believe you trust him.”
“I don’t think he’ll assassinate me after he gave his word that he wouldn’t, and it would be wiser to have him here, supporting us, than meandering around the Sea of Storms simmering with discontent.”
“That’s smart and probably true.”
“Thank you.”
As an official called out that the ceremony would begin soon, Vorik decided that if Syla could win Jhiton’s loyalty, it could be an even greater step toward solidifying the peace between their peoples than marrying a chief.
“Could be?” Vorik murmured to himself, looking fondly at Syla. No, it definitely would be.
They clasped hands, and he kissed her.
THE END
Thank you for following along with the adventures of Syla and Vorik. I hope you liked the story!