“Now I know how Kand felt,” Aldrus lamented dryly as he dangled from between his dragon's jaws. Kaikha rumbled with laughter, but it was understood between them both that this situation was dire.

Below them, Agmentha had finally settled amongst the rubble. Her ribs rose and fell at a more sedate pace, and her eyes had closed, the fall having apparently overridden the agony she was experiencing.

There was little sign of the fallen Draconian beyond a single sword sticking out of the debris.

“Agmentha-rin!” he called out. Her head twitched up momentarily, and one lid slowly cracked open again, finding him, before she settled down with a low roar of acknowledgement. “Alright, she is as well as she can be given the circumstances. Set me down by the alcove so I can check on Kand ere I pass out, too.”

Kaikha slowly approached the surviving stonework near the stairwell. With care, he bent his neck and deposited his slimy rider, and had to rumble once more at the obvious disgust as Aldrus wiped away what he could from his armor.

“Remind me to stick to your back from now on,” he said in the same dry tone. The banter provided momentary respite from the waves of exhaustion washing over the Deiman and his partner. Aldrus dragged himself forward and found Kand quietly asleep.

He reached out to feel the younger rider’s pulse, and it was then that his eyes were drawn to the bracelet given by Lord Odhran on Kand’s wrist. The orange gem had begun to glisten from within, sparkling dots of sunset yellow light waxing and waning in time to his pulse.

The Lord of Insight knows more about the bond than anyone else alive. Did he craft this to respond in some way should the bond be threatened? He watched for several more moments, but no answer was forthcoming.

Darkness threatened the edge of Aldrus’ gaze. He leaned back into the frame of the alcove and sent to his partner, This is as far as I can go for today, Kaikha. You can’t hover indefinitely. Leave me here to watch over Kand, and fly for the last abandoned watchtower we passed.

I would not leave you in this land alone, Kaikha answered. But your words hold truth. We must rest. Do not gather more trouble while we are parted.

I wouldn’t dream of it. Aldrus closed his eyes as the noise of his dragon’s wings faded to a distant echo.

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Tyrrick stirred with a wordless groan. What… what happened? He reached out toward his partner, finding their connection tenuous, more faint than he could ever recall.

Agmentha! He sent. It was long moments of silence before he felt her answering response from across the seeming chasm between them.

My foolish rider… her voice faded, rather than linger in his head. He raised one hand to his brow and felt at the dried blood on his face, only then seeing the glowing bracelet he had been gifted. His eyes widened.

What is this? He shared the question and the imagery with her, but it felt as if his voice fell away into silence. She did not answer. He reached deeper, trying to draw more from the bond, and was met by a rush of heat and brighter light from the bracelet.

From very far away, he thought that he could feel a third presence looming over him, almost as if he were touching Dei’s Grace again. He let go, and that sensation faded alongside the warmth and glow.

Agmentha, he sent again. This time his voice reached her, and she brushed back with quiet pain. I can barely remember today. But I remember that endless torment. Are you any better than I am?

These rocks are uncomfortable, she sent back.

He sat up and nearly fell over again as he took in the dark hole where the rooftop had been. Yet another sight drew his gaze before he could think any deeper on that, however. “Aldrus!” he exclaimed, seeing his master rider leaning against the alcove entrance.

When his words did not stir the Deiman, Tyrrick climbed unsteadily to his feet. His muscles cried out in residual pain, but he grit his teeth and made his way forward. “Aldrus!”

Bleary eyes blinked open. “Kand?”

“Thank Corina Dei, you’re still alive!”

“Tell that to the gnawing void in my stomach,” Aldrus said. He laid one hand to his belly and used the other to prop himself upright more. “We’ve missed two feasts, and the small meals found in these watchtowers have expired. I’m ravenously weak right now.”

Tyrrick expected to feel the same hunger pangs. Yet he found only the same general ache there as he did everywhere, and he remembered again his dragon.

Where are you? He sent her.

Down, my foolish rider, she answered distantly.

He leaned over the hole and saw her familiar iridescent scales glittering faintly amidst the rubble. She shifted and managed to draw herself partway from beneath the stones, growling at the effort. Don’t just stand there staring, Tyrrick. I need more of your energy, her voice reached him.

He frowned and reached toward the bond again. Once more, heat washed over him and the bracelet began to shine. Do you feel that? He sent her. There was definitely something else present.

I feel your energy, but… different. She answered. Warmer. Heavier.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

He sent her the image of the bracelet and explained that sense of another.

Could it be Lord Odhran? He has never been able to hold another bond since he was rescued. Perhaps he found a solution after many years.

You think he would interfere in our bond like that, though? The idea of splitting their connection with the old instructor was unsettling, despite how close Tyrrick felt to him.

I think that he has prepared something after studying the effects of what we experienced today. Remember the first time we were warned of this, all those years ago with Corvos-dei?

Tyrrick thought back across the many years and many lessons. Something about a Dei-forged dagger and the connection between creator and creation, linking dragon, rider, and Corina Dei herself.

Our Coronacrux! He remembered the sword had shattered, sending them spiraling through agony.

A direct link from her into us, made manifest into a physical object, Agmentha sent. And the destruction broke that link.

Tyrrick ran a hand through his hair. This was too much. He was not the kind of scholar that Irene was, but he understood enough that he would hesitate to forge another sword the way that they had only months ago.

So Lord Odhran made this bracelet as a… what, an intermediate source? A substitute? Using his will, if our lady’s has become unavailable?

Agmentha roared as she finally had enough strength to emerge from the fallen rooftop, and she slowly rose on battered wings until she could reach the ledge where Tyrrick and a bemused Aldrus sat.

We cannot know for sure. But I feel your presence better since you reached out like this, rather than that horrid gap when we awoke.

Tyrrick nodded. I feel you more clearly too. He let go of the effort and the heat faded once more. Can you still feel me?

There was a moment of pause before she answered. Not as strongly. But yes, my foolish rider. And with that she leaned down and nudged him hard in the shoulder. Promise me that you will never take on the foe alone again! I will not sit by and watch as you are hurt. We fight together, always. Her voice hesitated. Won’t we?

The faint hurt in her tone made him tear up. Of course we fight together! He leaned up and wrapped his arms around her head, and they basked in each other's presence for several moments.

Aldrus coughed. “I don’t mean to interrupt this touching reunion,” he said around a grin that was closer to a grimace. “But I think it is time to accept that I made a mistake bringing us out here on our own.”

Tyrrick let go and turned to him. “We did defeat two Draconians and their nexagons,” he said.

“And yet we are no closer to my sister. Not truly. This victory took its toll, Kand.”

“So we just give up on finding Serena?” Tyrrick grimaced himself.

“I didn’t say that we abandon her. But we need more information, and time to recover, before we make this attempt again.” The distant thunder of wings drew their attention. Aldrus sighed. “That should be Kaika. I wasn’t just sitting here while you two talked,” he added.

I don’t like giving up, Tyrrick sent to her.

Nor do I. But Aldrus is right. We are ill prepared to go forward, Tyrrick. Let us return and gather our strength.

“Alright,” he agreed reluctantly. “We’ll fly back to Harkon Village for the night, and then Mount Dracaena on the morrow.” The thought of waking up so early added to his displeasure, but it was better than lying through the whole night.

“I’m glad you agree,” Aldrus said drily. “Now do me a favor and help me stand up so I can get onto Kaikha’s shoulders shortly.”

Tyrrick leaned down and gripped his master by the forearms, and together they got him to his feet as the noise grew louder. Yet as soon as he was on his feet, Aldrus stiffened and looked out to the north.

“Kand,” he said. “My exhaustion is deeper than I realized. I just checked with Kaikha, and he is still minutes away. Get on Agmentha’s back and go now!”

“But what about you?” Tyrrick looked over the distance, unable to see anything yet despite the growing noise.

“I don’t know,” Aldrus admitted. “But I am the only Deiman here, and I will not jeopardize your life a third time. As your master, I am ordering you to leave!”

Tyrrick looked back at him with clear hurt in his expression. Yet before he could argue, Agmentha leaned forward and bumped him again. I will carry you in my mouth if you do not climb onto my back, Tyrrick, she warned.

Fine, fine, I understand, he sent back, and as she tilted down he hurried into the comfortable position between her shoulders. The straps took him a moment to position correctly. Then her head reached out, sideways, and she took Aldrus into her mouth against his protests. Kindly convey to your master that he only ordered us to depart, not to leave him behind. That would defeat the entire purpose in coming out here to lose another we care about.

Tyrrick grinned, not knowing that this was the second time his master rider had been captured so disgracefully. They rose higher into the air, and slower for Aldrus’ additional weight, and from somewhere behind them the first monstrous shrieks pierced the night sky.

An answering roar from the south proved that Kaikha was closing in with great haste.

“It shouldn’t be long before you can return to Kaikha-rin’s back,” Tyrrick called around her head.

Aldrus only shook his head. “Worry less about my discomfort and more about the threat closing in, Kand! Agmentha, fly as fast as you can.”

She rumbled the equivalent of a huff and began to soar over the blazing landscape.

More shrieks filled the air, closer. Tyrrick glanced around and finally detected the four shadows flying low over the raging ground, lit from beneath by intermittent bursts of flame. Where it splashed their scales they gave no notice. He sent that imagery to her, and she beat her wings harder, to little avail.

The pace of the nexagons would outmatch their escape.

Yet from ahead a bright red shadow appeared, and Kaikha reached them first. The remaining moments available to them saw Aldrus deposited carefully onto Kaikha’s back, and Agmentha soaring around to his side, so that the dragons hovered together before the enemy.

A great gray nexagon stopped before the broken watchtower. The other three, in yellow, green, and blue, thundered forward and spread out to surround the dragons. Shrieks and roars followed, yet no other move from either side.

After long moments, the gray nexagon flew forward, and stopped less than twenty feet away. Its head lowered, and a tall man with sharp, leonine features stood there, arms crossed over his broad chest.

It was Aldrus who named the Draconian with quiet certainty. “Lord Damon Reeves.” Unspoken was the cold acceptance that the leader of the Rehilo Nex Draconians had personally come to claim them, and there was little that he could do to fix this entire disaster.