Chapter 52 #2
Ziggy comes walking out with his kittens, their small forms darting between his legs like playful shadows, followed by Lily, the green and silver hatchling, mine, and Klauth’s hatchling trailing behind him in a parade of scales and wings.
The sound of tiny claws clicking on stone mingles with excited chirps and the rustle of developing wing membranes.
Looking around, I see Balor with his son coiled around him, the basilisk’s serpentine form wrapped securely around his father’s torso like living armor, six eyes bright with curiosity as they take in the preparations.
“Are we ready?” I ask as I watch Abraxis moving around, arranging hatchlings along Mina’s frill with the careful precision of someone handling priceless treasures. His movements are sure and gentle, each placement calculated for maximum safety and comfort.
“Almost there!” Abraxis yells down as he gets my daughter in place, his voice echoing off the courtyard walls. I can see her tiny form nestled securely against Mina’s massive neck, wings folded neatly against her small body.
Balor comes to stand beside me, his boots crunching softly on the gravel scattered across the courtyard stones. “I’m going to fly with you,” he says calmly as he looks at Mina, who turns her majestic head to regard us with golden eyes that seem to see everything.
“Why? Not that I mind,” I say quickly, curiosity coloring my voice as I try to understand the tactical reasoning behind his decision.
‘Everyone on my back has a way to escape but Balor and our son. If I need to muster a lightning strike, I will fry him and my progeny. Ziggy will be with you too.’ Mina’s voice flows through our bond like warm honey, practical and protective, and I look at Balor with new understanding.
“Mina, just filled me in.” He nods and bumps fists with Ziggy, the gesture casual but carrying the weight of trust and brotherhood.
Mina launches into the air, her massive wings beating with thunderous force that creates downdrafts strong enough to stagger those of us still on the ground.
Dust and loose stones scatter as she makes room for the rest of us to shift one by one and take off.
I watch Mina circle over the lower courtyard, her form graceful despite her enormous size.
She roars—a sound that reverberates through the mountains like rolling thunder and makes my bones vibrate in sympathy.
The call echoes off distant peaks, and I see other dragons launching up into the sky, circling with her in a display of aerial majesty that takes my breath away.
The amount of dragons airborne at once has not been seen since I was young, their wings creating a symphony of rushing air and powerful beats that fills the sky with primal music.
Our flight is thirty-three families strong, a number that speaks to our growing power and influence.
Thirty of those families are flying with us, bringing their hatchlings on this momentous journey.
That’s sixty adults and over seventy hatchlings making the journey.
None of the adults are even close to the size of my mate, their forms dwarfed by her magnificent presence, and it makes my chest puff up with pride that threatens to burst from my ribs.
Klauth shifts next, his form flowing from human to dragon with practiced ease, and launches, making room for me with powerful wingbeats that stir the air into miniature whirlwinds.
I shift, feeling my bones stretch and reshape, muscles expanding as my dragon form emerges, and lie down on the warm stone, letting Balor and his son, along with Ziggy, climb onto my back.
Their weight settles between my shoulder blades, familiar and comforting.
When everyone is ready, I launch into the air, my wings catching the mountain thermals with practiced ease, and turn towards the southwest, leading the flight with steady, powerful beats.
Mina moves to my left where I can see our daughter on her neck clearly, the tiny form a precious black dot against her mother’s massive scales.
I know she positioned herself there for my benefit, allowing me to keep visual contact with our most precious cargo.
The gesture fills me with a warmth that spreads through my chest like liquid fire.
Klauth moves and flanks Mina on her left, and I can tell she has his son positioned where he can see him, the red hatchling visible against her emerald scales like a ruby set in jade and silver.
With a flight of dragons this big, we blacken the sky as we fly over the academy grounds.
Our shadows pass over the buildings below like storm clouds, bringing both awe and apprehension to those who look up.
Mina makes a location vocalization, her call cutting through the rush of wind and wing beats, making sure the flight is keeping together.
The sound is both musical and commanding, carrying across the formation with perfect clarity.
Klauth responds next, his deeper tones harmonizing with hers, and then I add my voice to the aerial chorus.
One by one, the dragons behind us respond, their calls creating a symphony that echoes off the mountains and valleys below.
I keep a mental tally of each voice as it joins the count.
Sixty-three adult dragons in flight, sixty-four present.
At the end of the vocalization, the head count is complete—everyone is accounted for, each voice confirming safety and position.
Mina may not know it, but she is doing exactly what the dominant dragonesses that came before her would do.
Her instincts guiding her to protect and organize with the wisdom of countless generations.
She’s keeping her flight safe and together for the long journey.
Watching her natural leadership fills me with fierce pride and love.
The winds are with us, carrying the scents of pine and snow from the mountain peaks, and giving us good thermals to glide on occasionally, our wings spread wide to catch the rising air currents.
By my calculations, we should be at the gathering in about an hour, maybe two, depending on wind conditions and the needs of the younger fliers.
This will hopefully be the first of many gatherings, the beginning of a new era where our family leads not just through strength, but through the bonds of love and protection that unite us all.