Yells from below alerted her. Now that the Sylakians knew what she was up to, their response was swift. Catapults creaked and crossbow winches squealed as the warriors on the nearby dirigibles marked her body for destruction. Flapping her wings to increase her speed, Aranya ran along the top of the Dragonship, puncturing it many times with her claws. Quarrels! Her ears caught the sound of incoming shots. Instead of taking off, she ran vertically down the front of the hydrogen sack. Tuck in the tail. Shredded scraps of metal and six-foot quarrels sliced the air above her.
“Nice moves, girl!” Yolathion gave her neck a mighty wallop.
He hurt his hand, but she definitely felt that one. “Here come the dragonets.”
A spray of arrows greeted the dragonets as they swarmed two of the Dragonships, clawing at the tough hydrogen sacks. Aranya could only imagine the amount of repair that would take. She slewed, dodging a speculative crossbow shot.
“Come on, Yolathion. Dagger!”
“Stick with the plan!” he yelled.
Aranya rolled her eyes and snapped, “The idea’s to keep our people out of danger. Work with me.”
Two of the dragonets dropped, pierced by arrows. Her response was as if she had been branded with red-hot irons. Snaking through the air, Aranya arrowed for another Sylakian Dragonship. No way was she letting her friends die–not if she could help it.
She closed her ears to the man on her back shouting at her. Crimson closed in around her vision. She damped it down. Battle rage? Had she warned Yolathion? This was no time to go feral. Aranya ran along the top of a Dragonship, rending it with her claws, before corkscrewing tightly over its neighbour and dropping by surprise on the rear gantry of the rearmost Dragonship in their dwindling fleet. A quarrel skittered off her scales. Aranya ripped the gantry free, sending men and weapons tumbling five hundred feet to the ground. A catapult on the fortress fired but only struck a Sylakian Dragonship.
A Dragon’s laughter bubbled out over the battle.
The giant Jeradian shouted something at her about not destroying the Dragonships. Aranya let her flame lick out around them, taking care where she pointed that incredible hose of fire so that she did not explode any vessels by accident. Suddenly, Sylakian horns sounded below. Green flags and cloth popped up on the battlement walls. The men manning the catapults and crossbows stepped back from their weapons.
Friends! The evil ones have surrendered. Reluctantly, the dragonets broke off their attack. You were amazing, Aranya gushed. We couldn’t have done it without you.
That was definitely the right thing to say. The ice-dragonets broke into a chorus of yipping self-congratulation and silly dancing and posturing, so excited that little spurts of flame kept popping out of their mouths and nostrils.
Sapphire landed on Aranya’s nose, her eyes swirling with excitement. She said, Ar-ar?
Aranya stared. Sapphire, you spoke! Say ‘Aranya’.
“That was completely unacceptable, Aranya,” Yolathion ground out. Sapphire took off at once, squealing in fright. “How are we supposed to work together if I can’t trust you to follow my commands?”
“Your commands? Yolathion–”
“We agreed to leave downing the Dragonships to your little friends.”
“Who were being slaughtered!”
“Islands’ sakes, they’re just animals.”
Her vision blurred. She was so enraged, it was all Aranya could do to keep flying. “Just animals?” she hissed. Her Dragon fire screamed for release, but somehow, she barricaded it behind the wall of her iron will. “I’m just an animal?”
Yolathion smacked her neck again, this time in anger. “I wasn’t suggesting that, Aranya.”
“Well, mighty Jeradian warrior, what exactly did you mean? I’m the man, so you follow my commands? Is that how this relationship is supposed to work?”
“I don’t appreciate your tone,” he said, coldly. “Working together requires trust.
“Nice moves, girl!” Yolathion gave her neck a mighty wallop.
He hurt his hand, but she definitely felt that one. “Here come the dragonets.”
A spray of arrows greeted the dragonets as they swarmed two of the Dragonships, clawing at the tough hydrogen sacks. Aranya could only imagine the amount of repair that would take. She slewed, dodging a speculative crossbow shot.
“Come on, Yolathion. Dagger!”
“Stick with the plan!” he yelled.
Aranya rolled her eyes and snapped, “The idea’s to keep our people out of danger. Work with me.”
Two of the dragonets dropped, pierced by arrows. Her response was as if she had been branded with red-hot irons. Snaking through the air, Aranya arrowed for another Sylakian Dragonship. No way was she letting her friends die–not if she could help it.
She closed her ears to the man on her back shouting at her. Crimson closed in around her vision. She damped it down. Battle rage? Had she warned Yolathion? This was no time to go feral. Aranya ran along the top of a Dragonship, rending it with her claws, before corkscrewing tightly over its neighbour and dropping by surprise on the rear gantry of the rearmost Dragonship in their dwindling fleet. A quarrel skittered off her scales. Aranya ripped the gantry free, sending men and weapons tumbling five hundred feet to the ground. A catapult on the fortress fired but only struck a Sylakian Dragonship.
A Dragon’s laughter bubbled out over the battle.
The giant Jeradian shouted something at her about not destroying the Dragonships. Aranya let her flame lick out around them, taking care where she pointed that incredible hose of fire so that she did not explode any vessels by accident. Suddenly, Sylakian horns sounded below. Green flags and cloth popped up on the battlement walls. The men manning the catapults and crossbows stepped back from their weapons.
Friends! The evil ones have surrendered. Reluctantly, the dragonets broke off their attack. You were amazing, Aranya gushed. We couldn’t have done it without you.
That was definitely the right thing to say. The ice-dragonets broke into a chorus of yipping self-congratulation and silly dancing and posturing, so excited that little spurts of flame kept popping out of their mouths and nostrils.
Sapphire landed on Aranya’s nose, her eyes swirling with excitement. She said, Ar-ar?
Aranya stared. Sapphire, you spoke! Say ‘Aranya’.
“That was completely unacceptable, Aranya,” Yolathion ground out. Sapphire took off at once, squealing in fright. “How are we supposed to work together if I can’t trust you to follow my commands?”
“Your commands? Yolathion–”
“We agreed to leave downing the Dragonships to your little friends.”
“Who were being slaughtered!”
“Islands’ sakes, they’re just animals.”
Her vision blurred. She was so enraged, it was all Aranya could do to keep flying. “Just animals?” she hissed. Her Dragon fire screamed for release, but somehow, she barricaded it behind the wall of her iron will. “I’m just an animal?”
Yolathion smacked her neck again, this time in anger. “I wasn’t suggesting that, Aranya.”
“Well, mighty Jeradian warrior, what exactly did you mean? I’m the man, so you follow my commands? Is that how this relationship is supposed to work?”
“I don’t appreciate your tone,” he said, coldly. “Working together requires trust.
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