Chapter 42 Balor #2
We took flight again, the sudden lurch as she pushed off the ground, sending my stomach into my throat momentarily.
The world falls away beneath us; the landscape transformed into a patchwork of green forests and gray stone.
We know they are tracking her and Thauglor, and it appears our plan is in motion, the knowledge sitting cold and heavy in my gut like a stone.
I sit with Lily against Mina’s frill as we fly between Thauglor and Klauth, the tiny hatchling’s body warm against mine despite the icy wind that whips past us, stinging my eyes and making them water.
Her obsidian scales absorb what little warmth the sun provides, while Mina’s body heat rises through her emerald and silver plates, creating a bubble of comfort against the harsh elements.
Abraxis is on Thauglor’s back for this long part of the journey, his silhouette unmistakable even from this distance.
His wing still cannot sustain flight for as many hours as is needed today.
The membrane thinner than it should be, veins more prominent where they should have faded with healing.
Klauth roars, the sound so powerful it vibrates through the air and into my chest cavity, rattling my ribcage.
Then, several seconds later, Thauglor does the same, his deeper voice creating a harmonious counterpoint that seems to echo off the mountains surrounding us.
I watch Abraxis run and leap off of Thauglor’s back and shift, his human form blurring and expanding in midair, bones cracking and reforming with sounds like splitting wood.
The minute he’s airborne, he roars, the sound young and vibrant compared to the ancients, and then Mina joins in, her voice higher but no less commanding.
The cacophony is almost physical in its intensity, pressing against my eardrums.
Lily does her little roar, more of a high-pitched chirp that carries the promise of future power.
I watch Mina turn her head to look at her baby; the movement causing muscles to ripple beneath her scales in fluid waves.
If a dragon could smile, Mina is. I can see the corner of her mouth slightly turned up before she faces forward again, a maternal pride that transcends species.
A symphony of roars rises from below us, each distinctive voice identifying a different species of gem dragon.
The sound bounces off the mountain faces, creating an eerie chorus that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Mina circles overhead, her massive wings catching updrafts that create pockets of stillness in our descent.
The landscape below comes into sharper focus with each passing moment—crystalline structures jutting from the mountainside, reflecting sunlight in prismatic displays that dazzle the eye.
Klauth lands first, the impact sending a shudder through the ground that I can see even from our position in the air.
Dust and small debris swirl up around his massive form, catching the multicolored light from the crystal formations.
Then Thauglor descends, his landing more controlled but still powerful enough to create small tremors.
Finally, Abraxis touches down, his smaller form creating less disturbance but still impressive in its grace.
I don’t understand what Mina is waiting for until Thauglor spreads his wings wide; the membranes catching the sunlight like sails unfurled, casting a shadow over the assembled gem dragons.
Mina starts her descent then, spiraling down in ever-tightening circles, the air rushing past us with increasing velocity, making my eyes water and breath catch.
Her landing is controlled and not even slightly jarring, like how Abraxis used to land, her massive talons gripping the earth with precision that belies her size.
She remains standing, her body tense and alert, head held high.
Lily and I move away from her frill, the tiny hatchling’s claws scratching lightly against her mother’s scales as she repositions herself.
Mina raises her frill, the membranes stretching taut and revealing the delicate network of veins within, and arches her neck in a display that is both beautiful and intimidating.
Voices from beings I can’t yet see rise to meet us, the words carrying on the mountain breeze.
They are all saying what, as a family we have said before.
Mina looks like the goddess Tiamat reincarnated, her scales catching the light in ways that transform ordinary green and silver into something otherworldly, almost divine.
The comparison isn’t far off—her presence commands attention, draws the eye like a lodestone pulls iron filings.
For whatever reason, Mina is refusing to lie down, her body language radiating defiance, tail twitching slightly in agitation, stirring up small clouds of dust with each movement.
Slowly she turns her head and stares somewhere, her golden eyes narrowing to slits, before deciding to lie down, the movement surprisingly graceful for a creature of her size.
Her scales rasp against the rocky ground as she settles, the sound like thousands of tiny knife blades being sharpened simultaneously.
I take this opportunity to climb down her scales to the ground, each one hot to the touch despite the cool mountain air, edges sharp enough to cut if I’m not careful in my descent.
My boots hit the earth with a dull thud, the impact jarring after the smoother experience of flight.
Lily moves and climbs up onto her mother’s head to rest between her frill and horn, finding the perfect perch that allows her to survey everything happening below.
“Is there a reason Mina isn’t shifting back?
” I move closer to Abraxis as we watch Klauth and Thauglor speak to several gem dragons, their bodies catching and refracting the light in unusual ways, skin seemingly embedded with tiny crystals that shimmer with each movement.
My voice is barely above a whisper, the words carried away by the gentle mountain breeze almost as soon as they leave my lips.
“Klauth hasn’t told her to yet. Gem dragons are stringent traditionalists. Look around. All the females are collared,” Abraxis practically whispers to me, his breath warm against my ear, carrying the scent of night air that always clings to him.
Slowly my eyes move around the faces watching us, taking in details I missed in our dramatic arrival.
I’ll be damned—every single female wears a collar, bands of precious metals embedded with stones that match their scales, the restraints beautiful but no less symbolic for their aesthetic appeal.
The sight sends a chill down my spine despite the warmth of the sun, a visceral rejection of what these adornments represent.
Probably seeing Mina shifted and Lily as a hatchling is unknown to them, a breach of protocol that has created the tension I can feel thrumming through the air like an over-tightened string.
I watch Mina keeping her head high with her daughter well out of the reach of the population, her massive body creating a living barrier between Lily and any who might approach.
Her nostrils flare with each breath, taking in the foreign scents of this territory, muscles coiled beneath her scales, ready to move at the slightest provocation.
Klauth and Thauglor eventually walk towards Mina, their gait measured and deliberate, shoulders back and heads high in a display of dominance that seems to satisfy the watching gem dragons.
Lily glides down and lands on Thauglor’s shoulder, barely fitting, her small claws digging into his clothing for purchase.
The contrast between her tiny black form and his imposing stature would be comical if not for the gravity of our situation.
Mina shifts back, the transformation accompanied by the sound of bones reforming and scales receding into skin, a process that still fascinates me despite having witnessed it countless times.
She bows to Klauth, the movement graceful and practiced, before pressing her nose under his jaw, an acknowledgment of his dominance that I know costs her greatly, given her independent nature.
Her scent changes slightly with the display, a note of displeasure evident beneath her usual fragrance of ozone and wildflowers, detectable only to those who know her well.
Klauth places her diadem upon her head, the silver circlet catching the light in dazzling patterns, before motioning for the family to follow.
We’re apparently back to the dominant drake protocols again, the rigid formality so at odds with our usual interactions that it feels like we’ve stepped into a historical reenactment rather than our actual lives.
I fall into step behind Abraxis, the basilisk within me alert and watchful, sensing the undercurrents of danger that run beneath this seemingly diplomatic visit.
The gem dragons part before us, their jewel-toned eyes tracking our every movement, the weight of their collective gaze almost physical in its intensity.
Behind their beauty lurks something cold and alien that sets my teeth on edge, a reminder that not all dragons adhere to the more progressive values our nest has embraced.