Page 67 of Of Scale and Blood

Kaia turned lazily and flew toward Esan, Yara and Rua taking up position on the left and the right behind her. We flew in that formation through the long hours that followed, stopping twice for privy breaks—which caused much amused discussion among the drakkons, who couldn’t understand why we simply didn’t defecate or urinate on the wing like them. Trying to explain caused even more hilarity, and their joint decision was that drakkons were definitely “better” designed.

I couldn’t actually disagree with that.

It was just after three by the time we finally reached the aerie. Rua and Yara preceded us, then Kaia trumpeted her return and swept in, landing on the strip then striding gracefully inside. Gria waddled over and twined necks with her mother, happiness radiating through her thoughts. Guilt twinged through me, even though I was well aware that Kaia could have returned home any time she wished. I detached everything then slid down her leg and removed the neck girth.

Fly tomorrow? Kaia asked, presenting her eye for a scratch.

I need to speak to my father first, so rest up tonight and fly with Gria in the morning to feed. I’ll update you when I can.

Gria appeared under her mother’s neck.Must scratch.

I grinned and obeyed.

Harder, she demanded.

She’s going to be a queen one day, isn’t she?I asked Kaia.She definitely has the attitude.

My line always queens.

Except when they’re males,I said wryly.

My males always worthy of queens. Fact.

I chuckled softly and left her and Gria to their snuggling, carrying her gear over to the hooks. Once Kele and Hannity joined me, we retreated, walking through the shield and making our way at a reasonable clip through the myriad of tunnels.

Even so, dusk was settling in by the time we reached Esan.

Once we were through the gates, I collected the packs that contained the armor from them and said, “Go home and rest, both of you. If we do fly out tomorrow, it won’t be until after dawn. I’ll have word sent.”

They both saluted, then Kele touched my arm. “Make sure you take your own advice and get some food and rest tonight.”

“And ignore the mating heat?” I replied with a grin. “Unlikely.”

She laughed, squeezed my arm, and followed Hannity. I took a deep breath, then headed for the war room to make my report.

My father, mother, and Jarin were leaning over the main continental map, their expressions grim. Alarm slipped through me. “What has happened now?”

“A report just came in via Hopetown’s council. A trading boat who’d been hoping to restock supplies at the port scribed them an update on sea conditions.” My father glanced at me. “According to them, Ezu has been overrun by hundreds of strange golden birds.”

CHAPTER8

“Hundreds?”I repeated, horrified. “Surely not.”

Though it would certainly fit with what that rider had said before he’d died.

Ezu was the most distant of the Jakarran Islands, and a good day’s sailing away from the other four. It was also relatively small, being only a fraction larger than Halcraft or Zergon. Unlike those two, or indeed any of the other islands, it wasn’t blessed with volcanic caverns, having been formed from a deep undersea eruption. It was instead half covered by thick forests, but that would offer Ezu’s people little protection from the riders or their ground forces—especially given what had almost happened to the escapees from Kinara.

“The weather was apparently foul,” Jarin said. “And the captain was running without lights because of the recent reports of pirates in the area?—”

“The pirates likely being ships belonging to the riders,” I cut in.

Jarin nodded. “It was luck that they even saw the birds—it was a combination of a flash of lightning and a barrelman with a long viewer pointed the right way.”

“Hard to be a good judge of numbers from such a distance and in the dark,” I said.

“Indeed,” my father said. “But I think his ‘the entire island seemed washed in gold’ comment is evidence enough that there is a sizable force building there.”

“But why? Ezu doesn’t give their riders a good base from which to attack,” I said. “It’d have to be a good day’s flight from there, and that wouldn’t give them the necessary time to inflict true damage on us before daylight sweeps in.”

---