Dragon Airways (24 page)
Authors: Brian Rathbone
Food and wine was brought to the table, and the atmosphere became a bit more relaxed. Emmet reached for a sweet roll at the same time as Lienna. Their hands touched. She met his eyes and smiled shyly. Emmet wasn't certain which of them blushed more furiously.
"Perhaps relations between our lands are already on the mend," Finny said with a sly smile.
Rodram raised his eyebrows and looked at Lienna, who now averted her eyes, turning an even darker shade. Keldon Tallowborn laughed from his belly, and it was the youngest Emmet had ever seen him look. It would have made him feel good if the laughter were not at his expense. Even so, he dared a glance back at Lienna. She must have sensed his gaze, for she looked up and giggled.
"There are less pleasant matters that must yet be dealt with," Rodram said. "All those listed as war criminals within this treaty have been captured save three. Agger Dan, Casta Mett, and the one they call Grunt have thus far evaded capture. I can assure you the people of the Firstland will scour land and sea to find them, but we also request your assistance in this matter. Our access to the air is . . . not what it once was."
That last remark made some in attendance shift uncomfortably. The aircraft they now lacked had not so long ago attacked this very place. Not much damage was still evident, which was among the reasons Dragonport had been chosen as the location of this meeting. The devastation of the Heights and even the reconstruction of Sparrowport were perhaps too stark a backdrop for the makings of peace.
"There is nothing we can do to take back the harm done to you and your lands," Rodram continued. "Though we lost many lives at the hands of a failed ideology—if you can even call it that—we've caused even greater damage to your lands on top of lives lost. To show our commitment to enduring peace, I've brought with me some of our best engineers and aircraft designers and their families. Perhaps we can, at least in some small way, be a part of rebuilding that which has been lost and make a better future."
"This is most appreciated," Keldon said. "Casta Mett, on the other hand, proposes an ongoing, long-term threat that must be neutralized. Given her ability to locate magic and her companions' survival skills, we cannot consider ourselves safe until they have all been brought to justice."
Finny nodded in agreement, as did Rodram. Barabas patted Emmet on the knee, now wearing a sad but peaceful smile.
"There is one final matter with which I will ask your assistance," Rodram said. "This young man was found in the Firstland wilderness, where no one in their right mind would go. It took a brave crew to rescue him. He says he's from Sparrowport."
A young man Emmet suddenly recognized stepped forward. Destin Brightwood had aged well. No more was he the skinny, pasty kid the others picked on; here was a young man who'd survived in the wilderness and no longer feared death. Emmet could see it in his eyes. They both had changed.
"Thank you, Rodram," Finny said, "for bringing him home. Perhaps we can convince one of the dragons to fly him back to Sparrowport."
At the mention of dragons, roars filled the air and a stream of dragons returned from a successful fishing expedition. Finny went pale. "Just stay here and everything will be fine," he said, contrary to the look on his face. Lodiarch spotted him and roared in excitement. Finny ran. He made it only a few steps before the huge tuna Lodiarch had been carrying struck him full in the back. A moment later, Lodiarch landed, looking proud. Finny pulled himself from the ground, but before he could scold the dragon, Lodiarch licked him from toe to hair.
Lienna giggled.
All over the plateau, dragons found their bonded humans and showed them their catches. No one was safe.
"Is it always like this with dragons?" Rodram asked.
Barabas chuckled. "Give 'em a couple decades. It'll wear off."
Emmet stood, watching the chaos around him.
"Can I come with you?" Lienna asked, meeting his eyes for only a brief instant. "Grandfather doesn't really need my help at the moment."
Rodram said nothing to contradict her.
"You might want to stay here a moment longer," Emmet said, hearing Golegeth's roar. Though he'd mostly broken the dragon of trying to sit in his lap while eating, excitement was clear in his dragon's voice. His brethren were not exactly setting a good example.
Emmet ran. Behind him, Lienna giggled. Golegeth swooped and scooped Emmet up in his free front claw. In his other he held some kind of fish Emmet didn't recognize. The species mattered little at the moment. The dragon did not land; instead, he circled above Dragonport with Emmet dangling from one claw, his fish from the other, bragging to his brethren. Only when Berigor issued a deep roar did Golegeth return to the field. He placed Emmet gently enough on the ground but held his human in place while he ate. There was little doubt who was really in charge.
Without fear, Lienna approached. "Are you all right?"
"I'll be fine," Emmet said, struggling to break free of Golegeth's grip. "He's not normally like this. He's just excited to see his kin."
"He's beautiful," Lienna said.
Golegeth released him and turned to regard Lienna. He sniffed her twice, sending her hair and skirts flying, then licked her across the face. Embarrassed, Emmet feared she would be upset, but she just laughed. The sound lightened his soul, and he'd never be the same again.
Barabas came to Emmet's side, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I've spoken with your grandfather," he said to Lienna. "He thought you might like to take a ride on a dragon."
"Really?" she bounced with excitement.
"If the conditions are right," Emmet said. "We're going to see a man named Tellymore. People call him Telly. Brick told me so."
Emmet could not have been happier. Perhaps flying within the tierre would allow him the appearance of having some control over the situation. Before he helped Lienna into the tierre, though, a family from the Firstland approached. While the mother and father weren't all that remarkable, Emmet could not look away from their son, an awkward boy with ears a little too large for his head. He shone like a new star.
Nodding to Barabas, Emmet pointed. "Magic."
