It was cute. Knee height, iridescent feathers that changed colors as it shifted between its four feet, dancing left and right. Smoke curled from its nostrils, and licks of blue flame escaped in spurts as he barked, and its head tilted back and forth with childish curiosity.

Cove reached with his mind: Hello.

Curiosity.

“What are you?”

Images, history – racial memories – soaring with massive wings, hunting zepherlisks, and scores of other flyers.

“Skydrake,” said Grettaluna, awe in her hushed voice. “Befriend it.”

Cove squatted and extended a hand. “Why?”

“It’s a skydrake lad. They can fly.”

“Zepherlisks can fly,” his tone shaded with overt kindness. “Why not adopt them?”

"Skydrakes eat zepherlisks."

His fingers stroked the down feathers on the beast's head. Cove returned its hum. "This little thing? Those wings are... well... decorative; they remind me of Pipster's wings."

"This is a hatchling. The wings grow during adolescence, and once they do - wow!"

Rocks and gravel crunched as Essie and Gath knelt at his sides.

"Ah huh," Cove said. "Hello, little one. Do you have a name?"

An idea from the skydrake filled his mind: neverending sky, warm air underwing, and the land far below. Its head turned to Essie and blinked.

Essie whispered, "Aeternum Caelum." She cupped the drake's face between her palms, gently stroking its cheeks with her thumbs. "I name you Caelum."

Caelum licked her face, pushed Essie onto her back, and danced beside her, smoke and puffs of blue fire spurting from its mouth and nose.

Essie giggled, grappled Caelum, and rolled across the gravel beach. Back and forth, the two played.

Cove and Gath shared an astonished look.

"What the..." Cove said as he stood, rubbing his forehead.

Gath shrugged. "I guess we have a baby dragon as a pet..."

"...they do not exist."

The teenager pointed at Caelum and Essie playing tag as they dodged around and over boulders.

Cove laughed at himself. How could he deny the evidence? He'd touched the beastie. But how? This creature was out of legend and history, so ancient it was little more than hearsay and myth. Yet, there it was, romping through the surf with his niece. What is happening to my world?

DADDY! The call from Penny exploded into Cove's mind: HELP!

"Essie," said Cove. He waved and motioned for her to return. He raised his voice, projecting with all his might and mind, voice and thought: "ESSIE! CAELUM! We need to go NOW! Our family needs us!"

Caelum jumped, spinning, landing, and dashing toward Cove, gravel flung behind like dust as its claws drove it forward. Grim determination filled its face as its neck reached for the sky, and its little wings flapped, every step a wish for flight.

Essie ran a half-step behind the drake, her hair a pendant flowing in her wake as she leaped and hopped over obstacles, using her hands and body as often as her feet to accelerate, flinging herself over boulders, her body moving as if touching the ground an inconvenience.

"Go," Cove said, pushing Gath forward as he sprinted into the woods.

"What about the parasails?"

"Forget them," Cove said, "I do not foresee us needing them again."

"But..."

"Run, boy!"

"Littering?"

"We can come back later," Cove said, searching with his eyes and reaching with his mind toward Penny. We are getting the armor, then we'll be on our way!

Hurry daddy!

Her thoughts' urgency and near panic blended with the memories of what he'd seen flying over Porto. Is everyone okay?

Monsters everywhere... Mom's setting everything on fire... The soldiers are... just hurry, Daddy... The Awakening is a century early!

Smoke, soot, and ash formed a haze, obscuring their vision, and the scent of maple cookies burning in an over-hot oven clogged his nose as he dodged around trees. Light danced ahead. The clearing is close, just over there...

"Uncle Cove, stop! The spot where we left the bikes is on fire!"

Cove raced forward, holding his shirt over his face, and skidded to a stop. "No... Gods, no..." The heat forced him back, but he could see. It was chained to an ancient oak away from the others. His carbon fiber Hadrosaur Elite kitted out for Mazer with a custom-fitted Theodore & Felt seat, Blue Diamond competition shocks, Terfield custom racing gearbox, Onslo shifters, and Overlander tires with off-road tread... it was... the fire... his precious bike was slag.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

“Professor, come on!”

“We have the armor, Uncle Cove. Let's get out of here.”

A screech and a nip on his ankle broke Cove’s despair. He glanced down to see Caelum pulling on his pant leg.

“Aunt Keekee needs you!”

“Keeva,” whispered Cove. The bicycle held decades of memories; however, Kee held his heart and soul. She carried their child, his true son, and tended their daughters. She needed him. He turned his back on the machine and paced toward Essie. Cove pieced together a cart from the remains of the trailers. They loaded the Azure armor, chunks, and liners – all impervious to fire – and ran with it out of the forest fire.

Cove shoved back the tears welling in his eyes. Aside from the armor, the clothes on their backs, and one trailer, they were destitute. Oh, and the stuff they’d stolen from the {ministry}. He coughed a laugh into his fist. He didn't even own the clothes on his back; they’d been borrowed from the Brigader’s locker.

Gath and Caelum stood guard as Cove and Essie dressed in full battle armor. Power flooded him as he clicked the last plate over his chest, refilling his droui system and energizing him. Gods, what a rush!

Penny, tell everyone we are on the way and to meet at the forest edge of the beach.

I’ll try…

He donned his helmet and locked it in place. He pointed at Gath and said, “Get on the trailer.”

Gath positioned himself like a sprinter on the blocks. “I can run behind you.”

“Get on silly,” Essie said as she hoisted him by his waist and dumped him on top of the Azure. She winked. “Uncle Cove will make you a super suit, but until then, enjoy the ride.”

Cove chuckled. “You too, Caelum.” He pushed Elystria into his muscles. The Azure plates thinned, expanding to cover his new form. A whimsy struck him, and with a thought, the insignia and emblems from {the Brigader's} uniform embossed themselves upon his chest, shoulders, and helmet.

“Uncle Cove, isn't it illegal to impersonate a military officer?”

“Are you serious?”

“I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

“Our pictures are on every wanted poster in the country. We robbed and set the Porto Riddere office on fire. There is an undead army stalking our family. Ancient creatures are hatching. Your Aunt has set another forest on fire. Oh, and just in case you forgot, Heim – the god-king himself – is hunting us. Just how much more trouble can we get into?”

“Um…,” Essie said, flashing a mischievous smile, “Let's find out.”

Cove rolled his eyes and glanced at Gath and Caelum. “Hold tight, you two.” He joined his niece at the yoke, removed the soles of his sabatons, and said, “Let's do this… three, two, one, go!” Earth-shaped under their toes, conforming to each step, locking the gravel in place, and giving their empowered muscles a solid surface to push against until they lifted their foot.

Gath cried in surprise as the cart shot forward, hopping and bouncing, creaking and groaning over every bump and gully in the path as trees blurred and the air hissed past. The trail widened into a fire service road. The haze billowed into smoke and thickened into flames along the right shoulder. Cove coughed in a discordant chorus with Essie.

“Professor,” Gath said, worry tinting his words, “the tires are on fire!”

Pop! Flop! The hum of rubber on the ground shifted to metal grating on gravel, and the trailer became more challenging to pull.

“Never mind,” said Gath. “They’re gone.”

Ten heartbeats later, the gravel blended with sand, the trees thinned, and the smoke slowly transitioned to blue sky.

“Holy floating tidewraith shite,” whispered Cove as he stepped into the seventh circle of hell.