to the whisperings of the gods and their eyes dim to the visions of prophecy. It is the great gift to men that they may choose their course through life. Their willful acts may change the path of a stream but the waters will come to the sea by one course or another. Drakis may choose his own path and perhaps he may find a better destiny than the prophecy foretells. It does not make him less chosen nor cause us to question the destiny before him. We serve him and humanity as we have vowed to do.”
“Well, if I may choose, then I choose life,” Drakis said. “I choose to save these pilgrims from themselves if necessary. Help me bring us to a place where we can all live in peace.”
“Then let us be off,” Jugar affirmed. “If I’m to ride this beasty so far, I’d just as soon do it sooner than later.”
Each of them pulled their palms away from their dragons and theotherworld vanished. Once more they stood atop the windswept hill north of Port Glorious. With a smile, the Lyric leaped up onto the neck of Ephranos who vaulted into the sky, causing the army to cheer wildly as she flew westward. Jugar mounted Pyrash almost at once, feeling somewhat upstaged by the Lyric. Pyrash’s magnificent wings extended and pulled him upward toward the southern sky as the roar of the army increased. Ethis swung up onto Wanrah’s neck and launched over the heads of the cheering army, wheeling toward the southeast.
Urulani tarried. She turned from Kyranish and instead strode directly over to Drakis. She took his head in both her hands, holding his gaze with her own large, dark eyes. There was sadness in them as she spoke.
“To whatever end, Urulani?” he asked.
“To whatever end, Drakis,” she answered, her voice husky as she spoke.
Then she turned, climbing the dragon’s neck. Urulani pulled on her gloves, Kyranish took two quick strides, and they were off.
Five dragon-riders took to the sky that day. The Lyric flew to the west to prepare the pilgrims to move once more. Drakis rose above the army, leading them down the coast to return to their families as warriors laden down with the spoils of their victory.
The remaining three riders flew off on their missions. All three of them were charged with keeping their goals secret. Only one of them had any intention of keeping that promise.
C HAPTER 10
Initiatives
U RULANI PEERED DOWN through the low clouds drifting eastward off the Bay of Thetis. She could just make out the coastline far below from her view over the base of the dragon’s wing. It was difficult for her to see through the slits in her new helmet’s faceplate, let alone from such a height.
She turned her head away from the wind rushing at her over the dragon’s head, which bobbed up and down at the end of its long neck with every stroke of its enormous wings. The whistling of the air suddenly increased in her ears and once again she silently cursed the fact that there had been no time to try out the strange new headpiece she now wore before continuing on the journey they had briefly interrupted by stopping at Willow Vale. She supposed she should be grateful to have even this much protection.
When their flight from Port Glorious had almost immediately given the dark-skinned raider captain stinging, reddened eyes, Kyranish had suggested the stop at Willow Vale to have a flying helmet made by modifying a warrior’s helmet. Knowing she’d be hard-pressed to complete her mission if she didn’t find some way of shielding her face and eyes, Urulani had agreed. They landed at Willow Vale and she followed the dragon’s instructions, finding an armor smith among the Khadush Clan of manticores and having him fashion the armored headgear as per Kyranish’s description and her own recollection ofsome similar helmets she had seen among the carvings in the ruins of Drakosia.
The gnome leather artisans, not to be outdone in their service to the Mistress of Air, declared they would make her a saddle for her dragon
“Well, if I may choose, then I choose life,” Drakis said. “I choose to save these pilgrims from themselves if necessary. Help me bring us to a place where we can all live in peace.”
“Then let us be off,” Jugar affirmed. “If I’m to ride this beasty so far, I’d just as soon do it sooner than later.”
Each of them pulled their palms away from their dragons and theotherworld vanished. Once more they stood atop the windswept hill north of Port Glorious. With a smile, the Lyric leaped up onto the neck of Ephranos who vaulted into the sky, causing the army to cheer wildly as she flew westward. Jugar mounted Pyrash almost at once, feeling somewhat upstaged by the Lyric. Pyrash’s magnificent wings extended and pulled him upward toward the southern sky as the roar of the army increased. Ethis swung up onto Wanrah’s neck and launched over the heads of the cheering army, wheeling toward the southeast.
Urulani tarried. She turned from Kyranish and instead strode directly over to Drakis. She took his head in both her hands, holding his gaze with her own large, dark eyes. There was sadness in them as she spoke.
“To whatever end, Urulani?” he asked.
“To whatever end, Drakis,” she answered, her voice husky as she spoke.
Then she turned, climbing the dragon’s neck. Urulani pulled on her gloves, Kyranish took two quick strides, and they were off.
Five dragon-riders took to the sky that day. The Lyric flew to the west to prepare the pilgrims to move once more. Drakis rose above the army, leading them down the coast to return to their families as warriors laden down with the spoils of their victory.
The remaining three riders flew off on their missions. All three of them were charged with keeping their goals secret. Only one of them had any intention of keeping that promise.
C HAPTER 10
Initiatives
U RULANI PEERED DOWN through the low clouds drifting eastward off the Bay of Thetis. She could just make out the coastline far below from her view over the base of the dragon’s wing. It was difficult for her to see through the slits in her new helmet’s faceplate, let alone from such a height.
She turned her head away from the wind rushing at her over the dragon’s head, which bobbed up and down at the end of its long neck with every stroke of its enormous wings. The whistling of the air suddenly increased in her ears and once again she silently cursed the fact that there had been no time to try out the strange new headpiece she now wore before continuing on the journey they had briefly interrupted by stopping at Willow Vale. She supposed she should be grateful to have even this much protection.
When their flight from Port Glorious had almost immediately given the dark-skinned raider captain stinging, reddened eyes, Kyranish had suggested the stop at Willow Vale to have a flying helmet made by modifying a warrior’s helmet. Knowing she’d be hard-pressed to complete her mission if she didn’t find some way of shielding her face and eyes, Urulani had agreed. They landed at Willow Vale and she followed the dragon’s instructions, finding an armor smith among the Khadush Clan of manticores and having him fashion the armored headgear as per Kyranish’s description and her own recollection ofsome similar helmets she had seen among the carvings in the ruins of Drakosia.
The gnome leather artisans, not to be outdone in their service to the Mistress of Air, declared they would make her a saddle for her dragon
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