Page 74 of Red Dragon
Good. Wreylith’s eyes turned back forward, a wide waterway emptying into the sea visible ahead.Igliana may need it. The young are never stoic.
When they reached the mouth of the river, sandbars visible where it flowed into the sea, the dragons turned inland to follow it upstream. Unlike smaller streams they’d passed, the waterway was wide enough that the branches of the trees couldn’t stretch across it, so they could easily trace its route. The branchesdidobscure everything along its banks from above, and as they soared inland, Syla realized they would never spot the remains of human civilizations from the air. They wouldn’t spotanything. Hoots, screeches, chirps, and roars promised a great deal of wildlife inhabited the area near the riverbanks,but unless something flew out of the trees and over the water, they couldn’t see any of it. Further, it had to be the season for flooding, because the river stretched far beyond its banks and into trees that grew densely together, vines and foliage making it impossible to see far.
“Can you fly lower so that we can look into the trees on either side? Or even swim up the river with us on your backs?” Syla had no idea if dragons were like horses that could ford a waterway with their riders still astride. She knew their kind fished, capturing everything from octopi to walruses to nosh on, but hadn’t heard of them cruising for miles in the water. Their bodies didn’t seem designed for that.
Wreylith growled.Dragons are notboatsfor humans to float upon.
“Sorry.” Syla didn’t know what the rules were—was flying with a rider on one’s back less ignoble than swimming in a similar vein?
Wreylith angled lower so that she skimmed closer above the water but added,Dragons are also not porpoises that would swim around with humans clinging to their backs, nor do we, other than for fishing purposes, flit around in the water.
Perhaps oblivious to the words, Igliana dove into the water with a splash and swam about like an otter, looking quite pleased to cool off in the river. Teyla wrapped her arms around her pack, trying to keep it dry from the water droplets flying up.
Wreylith growled again. It might have been a grumble, accompanied by thoughts of the immaturity of youth.Fish in those waters have fangs sharp enough to pierce dragon scales, and they are dumb enough to attack our kind. Giant piranhas, hurricane eels, and freshwater megalodons are especially tedious.
Syla thought the comment for her but Igliana replied.I am not so young and poorly traveled that I am not aware of thedangers of the great rainforest rivers. I am merely cooling my belly after a long flight. I have also been expending my magic to keep my riders from falling off.
Riders should be capable of holding on of their own accord without needing you to magically strap them on, as if you were one of their beasts of burden.
Syla hadn’t known a dragoncouldmagically strap a human rider onto its back. Since she’d figured out her own method, she wouldn’t ask Wreylith about doing that in the future. She could already guess how warm the response would be.
Igliana screeched and flew abruptly out of the water.
Fel and Teyla lurched, and Teyla almost lost her pack. Before Syla could ask what had happened, Igliana contorted, twisting in the air so that she could fly upward and breathe flames onto the river. The water rippled, and shadows stirred under the surface as something retreated.
I warned you,Wreylith said blandly, continuing to fly upstream, keeping at least a few feet between her and the surface.
Igliana huffed and flew after her, perhaps reapplying the magical straps for her riders, because Fel and Teyla settled back, their faces less alarmed.
Glad for Wreylith’s assistance, Syla didn’t allow herself to feel wishful, even if the power she had to continually use to stay on was taxing her and making her wonder what would happen if she fell asleep while riding the dragon. She imagined splashing into the middle of the river and being devoured by whatever type of fish or shark had thought Igliana a tasty treat on which to nibble.
As they flew farther upriver, numerous aerial creatures departed from the branches, either to hunt or due to their alarm at dragons passing nearby. Syla peered as far into the trees as she could on either side, but she couldn’t see anything tosuggest humans had ever lived in the area. With the floods, it seemed impossible, though they did spot a few high banks where the water didn’t flow inland. Still, the trees were as dense as anywhere else and kept them from seeing far.
“I don’t suppose you have any maps that mark old civilizations?” Syla waved toward her cousin’s pack.
“Yes, but the one I was consulting earlier is very old. This area hasn’t been explored much by our people since the storm god’s work changed everything.”
The stormers hunt in these areas,Igliana said.They may know where the ruins you seek lie.
“Uhm.” Syla hadn’t entirely forgotten that she was a stormer-allied dragon, but it had slipped her mind, and she hoped she hadn’t spoken openly about anything that she didn’t want to get back to her enemies. “We’re competing with them in this.”
As it was, she hoped Vorik and his colleague—had that other rider been their equivalent of an archaeologist or other research specialist?—didn’t know that people had once cultivated the moss bulbs.
You do not believe they would give you information?Wreylith asked.The rider who knelt before you and stimulated your sex orifice must feel compelled to please you.
Teyla and Fel both looked over, and Syla’s cheeks turned molten.
“He’s not— He didn’t. I mean, humans don’t talk about such things.” Flustered, Syla took her spectacles off and wiped her sleeve over her face. The humidity was making her sweat. The moltenness of her cheeks didn’t help.
“If you were wondering,” Teyla said, “we could kind of guess what was going on.”
“I was choosingnotto guess.” Fel shook his head and looked toward the trees. Hell, werehischeeks red? Maybe there werethings about his princess that he preferred not to know. After all, Syla was young enough to be his daughter.
“There were noises,” Teyla added.
Syla groaned and dropped her face against Wreylith’s scales. She wondered if Vorik’s dragon embarrassedhimin front of other people.
Because he is compelled to please you,Wreylith said, unperturbed by the discussion,he may answer your questions related to your quest.
