Chapter 81

Tobias and Cid were still shaking their heads and wobbly on their feet as they exited the transport office.

"How can I get tinnitus if it's mentally projected words? By the Thirteen!" Cid cursed.

"The first time Riley spoke to me, she about blew me out the window. She can be loud," Tobias replied with a moan, speaking as if she wasn't there.

Riley didn't care.

"I'M GOING TO RIDE A DRAGON!" she chanted like a mantra, making loops around the both of them, unable to settle down.

Cid grinned, "First time?"

The response hit like a wrench tossed into her gears, "You mean you have?"

"For the last audit. They do these every fifteen years or so, shakes things up, keeps us honest," Cid shrugged, "No reason for the last one that they ever told me about, but it's not like I know everyone."

As a result of her outburst, yet another individual was in on her secret, as Riley came to the sad realization that while she had the ability for stealth, she lacked the personality.

Yet the Generals didn't care and insisted on equipping her. Cid kept the secret like a leaky water bucket, which was to say, about as well as she did. Even her torc was black now, not silver like the ones companions wore.

Outside, it would be different, of course, and perhaps more dangerous. Still, Ranger Central had felt like the safest place she'd been since arriving.

Riley felt puzzled, still riding high on adrenaline, realizing suddenly why so many rangers chose to live here as her mind reeled between topics.

This was a community, a brotherhood, people who understood what this life was like and what it cost. They didn't care about her shape because she had earned her place among them, suffering and working as they had.

A Ranger wasn't a human but someone who did a ranger's work and went through a ranger's trials, just as she had.

Would the Blackblades feel that way about elves? Would an elf even stand a chance if they were given one?

She looked towards Cid, and her processing bricked, leaving her strung out between confusion and excitement as she heard an approaching roar, which caused her brain to reboot.

"I'm going to ride the dragon!" She cried as Tobias gripped the side of his head again.

"Riley, please stop doing that," He begged.

Riley began to spin.

"Ok, I'm a professional. Be calm; I'm a professional," she said, slowing herself down as her paws trembled and her body vibrated.

The massive beast landed, sending a shockwave of force that caused the earth to ripple as it did so before throwing back its head in a roar as the rider patted it's neck.

"That's a girl," he praised, "Stairs!"

A cockatrice pulling a staircase that looked more like siege works rushed up to the side of the massive scaled beast, as another, came up just behind.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Just a moment, wait for the arriving Rangers to disembark, and then you will be seated," a servant droned dully.

Riley thought of every airport she had ever been in.

"This is not a 737! This is a DRAGON," She shouted as Tobias sighed.

"We know Riley. It's ok," Tobias pinched the skin at the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sorry," She attempted to contain her joy, bouncing on her hind paws gleefully, scanning every which way.

Cid, true to his training, was watching her with a passive, sadistic glee.

Finally, the last ranger departed.

"Form a line and have your transport orders ready. If they are classified, a flight requisition should have been provided to you," the servant, sounding three steps past bored, announced.

Cid queued up with them.

"I'm just here to see them off," he said, stepping out of the way.

"Papers, Sir," The servant looked them over. "We will quarter your companion in the back cages. I'm talented in sleeping spells if they are prone to anxiety. Is Ranger Riley not with you?"

"You're looking at her!" Cid chuckled, pointing at the hare.

"Hello," Riley waved her paw as she noticed that Tobias had the very same cheshire grin.

"Oh, just a moment. Bilvus, we're going to need a first tier companion restraint for the seat, extra small!" He cried without ceremony.

"Dude, way to take the joy out of things," Riley complained as the servant passed the papers back.

"We do our best, Ma'am." He replied dryly.

Riley tentatively set her paw on the very alive beast.

"It's... She's... warm," even through all the fur, Riley could feel the smooth pebbly scales.

"Keep the line moving," The servant barked.

Riley hopped to the first available seat, only to be greeted by the rider.

"Let's put you in the middle. May I put this harness on you Ma'am?" He asked, patting the seat just behind him.

Tobias got seated to her left, "Do you need any help from me?"

"No, Sir, we'll see to your partner," he replied.

"You're being very professional about all this," Riley commented as she took her seat, sitting up on her hind paws.

"Well, we're normally moving around first tiers and nobles. You wouldn't stick out as oddly among their number," Bilvus replied, sliding a harness over her armor.

Straps fed around the armrests of the wooden seat and attached to the rods that held up its back. Finally, he slid a wooden panel through a channel carved in the wood at the front of the seat, granting Riley her own skybox.

"How's that feel? Anything too tight?" He asked.

Riley was trembling, her excitement surging forward, "This is real, I'm going to fly... Uh, It's fine. I can't fall, I don't think."

Trying it out, she leaned to the left, then the right, but there was only so far she had to move before the restraints caught and went taught, preventing her from doing anything but sit up.

"That's the idea. Sir, you can belt in now. It's those straps across your seat. One feeds into another," Bilvus instructed as Tobias made them click.

"This is kinda like a 737," Riley said to herself, scanning around.

Tobias' leg was bouncing.

"Are you excited?" She asked, her own emotions whiting out his own.

"I know you are. It's all I can feel and a little fear," he replied.

"I think the fear part is from the both of us. This is going to be roller coaster cool!" Riley bounced.

"Most definitely, I've never been on a flying mount before," steadying himself, he took a few deep breaths.

"I'll be here when you get back," Cid waved as the last Ranger to board crossed their path, then sat down. In practiced motion, she clicked her belt.

"Good morrow, fellows," She nodded and smiled affably as Bilvus took his seat and grabbed the reigns.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we should be in the air five hours if we catch a good wind. That will put us into Ashenvale about nine bells," he announced as Riley felt a huge surge of magic.

The dragon's wings glowed with silver white power.

She looked at Tobias, who was equally filled with wonder as a shimmering bubble appeared around them.

With the beat of its mighty wings, they were airborne. At first, it seemed like they would fall, but with each successive beat, they gained more altitude until they were high in the sky, drifting lazily around.

"Oh my God! This is so freaking cool!" She bounced as much as the restraint harness would allow her.

The dragon titled its wings, banking into the wind, pitching into a severe downward angle towards the ground.

"Oh God! We're gonna die!" She screamed.

A massive burst of silver magic wrapped around them as the ground began to blur, and the wind howled distantly through the shimmering silver barrier.

Riley, in a fit of habit, spurred on by terror, cast analyze.

Sky Strider Dragon, 2-10

Buffs: Transport Ward

Abilities: Magical Flight, Speed boost

Current level prevents further analysis.

"Cool," she exclaimed, as a nagging, petrifying fear drew her attention towards Tobias.

He was looking straight head, gripping the armrests for dear life, looking as green as the forest below.

"You got this, you'll be ok," Riley projected, forgetting her own wonder for the moment.

"Rookies," The ranger beside them shook her head, before trying to get some sleep