The ground dropped away. Fast. It was the only way Shane could make sense of his first takeoff on the back of a real drake. The trees shrank until they became a shapeless mass far below. Even the wispy clouds became tiny white blots, barely worth noticing. The red drake's wings beat furiously as they ascended, but there were long stretches of flight where Felix simply stretched his wings and glided in an imperceptibly slow descent.
The Purple Dragon seemed to be able to conjure various physical objects at will. The massive saddle chained between the drake's shoulders was one such item. Built into the massive object were three stiff seats, one on each side and a single in the middle, where Astrid reclined beneath an ornate parasol. Shane contributed to the flight by creating a bubble of stable air around the three passengers. Brigid glanced around periodically, diligently checking the horizon for danger. Princess Astrid reclined on her chair in silence, with eyes hidden behind her shiny metal mask. On rare occasions she would comment on some irrelevant thing, as if talking to some unseen companion.
On the horizon, the edge of a vast plateau appeared. From east to west, a ten-thousand foot tall wall of rock, nearly vertical, separated the golden lowland forests from the dark pine forests of the north. Great stairs were cut into the face of this cliff, with countless switchbacks, but these were almost too small to see from the drake's back. Two massive red crystal spires, twice as tall as the rock wall, rested on the flanks of a vast waterfall.
The Teeth of the Red Dragon.
Hundreds of red drakes circled the Teeth, and at least six armies were camped along the escarpment near the two spires. One army was camped much further away, near three indistinct mounds along the river to the north. And there, amid the dark forest, was an even darker city. The first shape to appear was that of the great Steel Gondola Wheel. Then the tall, stacked tenements of the city appeared, followed finally by the crystal chasm.
Three mounds, and three bends in the river. The river was stained black, the color of iron and coal. Black River, the final bastion of the Quarian military, the final defense against any encroachment from the south. Felix approached the city with the practice of years. The lights on the towers flashed unknown signals, but the drakes did not chase him.
"Oh my! What a strange device!" Astrid exclaimed as they approached the city. She was no doubt referring to the Gondola Wheel that dominated the city skyline. It was the first coherent thing that Shane heard from the woman since takeoff from Elvira's spire outside Needlewood. Shane theorized that Astrid was talking to Elvira, but he did not have evidence as such.
The red crystal chasm was spanned by brick bridges, each with an arch in the middle and paved with cobblestone. Small airships slowly navigated through the chasm, deftly ducking under the various cranes suspended above. Rising like walls from the edge of the chasm were the layered tenement buildings. The windows were covered in mesh nets, which allowed access to higher levels in absence of ladders or ramps. The air smelled of industry: smoke, iron, and coal.
Felix must have been deeply accustomed to the city because he lined up on approach with a landing yard in the city center, near the Gondola Wheel. It was a long approach, one in which Astrid said nothing. The rooftops rushed past, and then suddenly the raised lip of the landing yard slipped just under the drake's claws. Blasts of wind magic caught in the drake's wings, and Felix gently plopped down into the mud.
"Servant!" Astrid cried. "Would you mind carrying me out of this place? I find the mud irritating."
Brigid had managed to slip away at some point. No doubt she had access to some advanced alchemical potion for invisibility. Shane established the appropriate connections to the Realms and lifted himself and Astrid up into the air. The wind mages in the yard did not seem bothered by Shane's magic. He levitated a few feet above the drake's back and waited for Felix to veer into his human form.
"Dear Felix has business elsewhere," Astrid said. "Let us be off."
As Shane floated away with the Purple Dragon, the wind mages resumed their magic and Felix ascended away from the landing yard. The Gondola Wheel was just one street over, on the edge of the red crystal chasm, and there was a long line of several hundred people waiting to ride the attraction. Shane began to descend near the front of the line.
Men in burgundy coats and hats operated the contraption, pulling levers and signaling each other with bright flags. One such man approached Shane as he settled on the ground. He glanced up at Astrid, who loomed over even the tallest people waiting in line, and frowned.
"I was not aware that any Purple Dragons were visiting the island," the man said. He bowed. "But you are welcome to ride the Deluxe Gondola. Please, follow me."
"So polite!" Astrid said.
The man in the burgundy coat opened a velvet rope and led them through to the loading platform.
"Are there other Dragons on the island?" Shane asked.
"You have not heard? A Green Dragon is visiting for the All-Island Faire."
"Oh right, the Faire. I forgot that it was this month."
"There are even some Rilnese scholars at the Faire," the man said. "In spite of the recent tragedies in the border cities. I've heard that the Flying Machine Society is meeting in the park right now. The Rilnese seem to be quite keen on the concept. I heard it is quite the scandal."
"Flying machines?" Astrid asked. "Ah, so my brother must have known."
Shane did not respond to the strange comment. They reached the left-most edge of the middle of the great steel wheel. The gondola car slowly rotated up out of the chasm and came to a rest at the end of a short metal ramp. The man in the burgundy coat unlocked the door and led the previous occupants out through the opposite doors. Then he waved for Shane to enter.
The interior of the gondola car was furnished with velvety seats and paisley wallpaper. The windows of the gondola car also seemed to be high-quality crystal glass, with a slight rainbow sheen.
"The door is open right?" Astrid asked, standing at the threshold.
"Yes, Great One," the operator said. He began pumping a lever to prop up the seat. "I am going to assume that the two of you are not alone? There are weight and balance concerns, for a machine of this size."
Astrid needed to duck to fit through the doorway.
"I think we have a third companion nearby," Shane said. "Sometimes she can be hard to spot."
The man nodded. Then he closed the door and locked them inside. After a few moments the massive steel wheel began to rotate, and the gondola car ascended away from the loading platform. Then it stopped. Periodically it would move and then stop moments later. The operators at the loading platform were cycling all the people out of the wheel, one car at a time. Astrid muttered to herself occasionally.
When their gondola car reached the very top of the wheel, Shane could see the entire city. One of the three hills along the winding river chasm featured a luscious green park. Half a dozen airships were tied down around that field. That must be where the Flying Machine Society is meeting.
The wheel slowly rotated around to the opposite side, and then their gondola car began to descend into the chasm. The nearby chasm wall was dark crimson and lined with pale fractures. As they descended the light grew darker and darker, until the opening to the chasm was like a wide lightning bolt far above. Shane's car came to a rest at the very bottom of the wheel, just a few dozen feet away from the rushing black river below.
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"Sing to me, my beloved sister. Sing to me of what you see."
That's right, she must be talking to her sister. But what does her sister see? And why did she seem surprised that I was not a girl?
Shane rubbed the stubs of his cut hair uneasily.
"Princess," a feminine voice said. Brigid began to materialize in one corner of the gondola car. "You reveal too much to your servant."
"Don't be a bore," Astrid replied. "This place is so beautiful! In all my centuries of life, I have never seen such a place. How positively serene."
It was also not like anything Shane had seen before. The solid black mass of water, the Black River itself, flowed through the chasm below. The chasm was filled with light the color of Quarian blood. The gondola car was at the very bottom, hanging in isolation with no mortal object nearby, surrounded only by the natural beauty of the strange place.
For one brief moment Shane caught a lone tear streaking down Astrid's face.
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The waiting room to the Lord Paladin's office in the Teeth was made almost entirely from finely-polished, varnished wood. The rugs had been imported from some distant land, and the oil paintings on the walls all depicted the Red Dragon. Soaring. Fighting. Burning.
The door slid open noiselessly, and a familiar and unwelcome form strode through. Tall and built like a tree trunk, his blood-red hair was streaked with pale pink and even some gray. The founder and Supreme Commander of the Heritage Militia, Albrecht the Oathbreaker.
"Father," Felix sneered. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Discussing military strategy. You disrespect your mother, boy. You should visit her more often."
Felix said nothing. He stalked past his father into the Lord Paladin's office and slammed the door.
"You should not be consorting with those thugs," Felix said. The Lord Paladin, pot-bellied and bald, sat behind his massive black desk. His pudgy face was impassive.
He reached for a glass of amber brandy and took a sip. "Do you want a drink Felix?"
"No. And you should give up the stuff. I worry for your health."
The Lord Paladin did not reply. He simply signed at the bottom of the document on his desk and then stowed it in his desk drawer.
"What changed?" Felix asked. "You used to be the best flier on the entire continent. New Paladins would pay anything to get personal flying lessons from you. And now, instead of flying, you gamble with the recruits and stay up all night drinking."
"I did not want to be sober when the war with Riln finally started," the Lord Paladin replied. "I am hoping you didn't follow me all the way here just to chastise my personal business, soldier. Why are you here? Did you come to apologize to the Viscount?"
"I need help," Felix said.
"That's hard to believe. The reports from Needlewood say that you killed a dozen enemy drakes by yourself and you made it look easy. No Paladin has accomplished such miracles in three decades, at least."
"There's another Dragon on the island."
"I'm aware. He is visiting the All-Island Faire. Green Dragon. Big guy, with very expensive tastes." He took a sip of his brandy.
"No, a Purple Dragon. And she did something to me. She blessed me. Gave me power somehow. She treats me like a servant."
The Lord Paladin's pale face lost all semblance of color. His dark red eyes went wide with shock.
"A Fate Binder? And did she alter your fate, perhaps?"
"I have no idea what that means. But I think so. She said my fate is tied to hers. Either way, I need to arrange a meeting with the Red Dragon immediately. If anyone can help free me from this servitude, it will be the Red Dragon herself. Also, the Purple Dragon seems to be able to read my mind, so she is probably listening to this conversation."
The Lord Paladin sighed, stood up, and opened the shutters, bathing the room in sunlight. The second red crystal spire loomed across the span outside the window. Felix waited for the Lord Paladin to speak, but the man said nothing.
"Can you give me orders that will allow me to meet with her?" Felix asked.
"I can. Very well. Your orders, soldier, are to travel to the city of Flood's End. You shall then meet with the Red Dragon in-person." He sat back down at his massive desk and scribbled the orders on an official document. Then he signed it. Felix snatched it up instantly.
"Thank you so much!" Felix said. He stood up and turned to leave.
"Felix," the Lord Paladin said. "Be very careful."
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Hundreds of people roamed around the rolling hills of the city park in Black River. Most of the people were Quarian, with dark red hair like Felix. Shane saw a handful of Rilnese people as well, with their dark blue hair and foreign clothing. The airships tied to the grass each featured some exhibit or another. A new design for an engine to drive the propellers, new shapes for the gas bags, new mechanisms for rotating the rudder, and other marvels.
However the most popular attraction on the field was a raised wooden platform lined with colorful flags. Shane skipped ahead of the line with Astrid and Brigid in tow, and set them down in the clearing in front of the stage.
The shrill sound of a whistle filled the air, and a red-haired constabulary marched up to Shane. He was about to start screaming when he seemed to catch notice of Astrid. His mouth dropped, but he quickly recovered.
"There is room over there for Dragons," the constabulary grunted as he pointed to a roped-off area just in front of the center stage. A massive, eight-foot tall man with dark green hair stood on the grass behind the rope, surrounded by his shorter kin. The constabulary moved the rope aside to let Shane pass through.
The people with dark green hair all prostrated themselves on the ground, and even the eight-foot tall man bowed deeply. When he spoke, his voice was a hearty rumble: "Princess Astrid, it is a great honor. How long has it been? At least five hundred years."
"I do not keep track of every encounter with peasants," Astrid replied.
The Green Dragon did not seem insulted at all. "Is your brother here with you? He was always interested in flying machines."
"I don't want to talk about my brother."
"Forgive me," the Green Dragon said. "No insult was intended."
Gasps from the crowd punctuated the arrival of a little old Rilnese man on the stage. He wore spectacles and a fashionable blood-blue suit. "Patrons of All-Island Faire, behold!" he cried, "our latest design for a heavier-than-air flying machine!"
A platform built into the wooden stage began to rise into place, carrying with it a fish-like craft with an oversized rudder. The thin wings on either side of the craft were cambered a bit like a drake's wings, angled slightly up at the tips, and a propeller was built into the nose. This revelation brought gasps and applause from the crowd.
And then, screams.
Brigid, remarkably, did not seem to be alerted at all by the screaming, but Shane reflexively turned around and scanned the field. Felix, with his distinct horns and fluid spine-sails, crashed down on the field behind the spectators. A few moments later he pushed his way through the crowd and jumped the rope to stand beside Astrid.
"How fortunate!" the Rilnese man on the stage exclaimed. He pointed straight at Felix. "Friend Paladin, you soar through the heavens with true mastery! Tell me, good sir, what do you think of the craft I have designed?"
Bewildered by the outburst, Felix did not reply at first. He regarded the craft, then his eyes darted about suspiciously, resting finally on the massive Green Dragon. The huge man had crossed his arms, and his face was filled with satisfaction.
"Is this a joke?" Felix asked.
"How rude," Astrid said. "Felix dear, certainly you can spare a few comments about the design?"
"Fine. This design is terrible. It will not fly."
"What a remarkable opportunity!" the man on the stage announced. "Friend Paladin, come up on stage with me. The greatest minds in Riln have been set to the task of designing this craft. Our methods are without imperfection, and yet you say it cannot fly. Come, explain yourself."
Felix glanced at Astrid, who nodded. Then he hopped the rope again and leapt up onto the stage, looming over the little old Rilnese man. Shane was not ashamed to admit that he also wanted to hear the opinions of such an experienced flier.
"It will drop nose-first into the ground," Felix said. "Also the rudder-thing is too big. It does not look like it will be able to turn without flopping over and side-slipping into a spin."
With this comment, half a dozen people walked up around Felix holding notebooks and pencils.
"Well, let us take these criticisms one at a time," the presenter said. "Why do you think it will nose-dive into the ground?"
"Well, it does not have a tail," Felix replied. "The wind will strike the top-leading edge of the cambered wing, and cause it to pitch down. Then, more of the top-leading edge will be exposed to that wind, causing it to pitch down faster. Then, you hit the ground and die."
The other engineers on the stage wrote down every syllable that came out of the Paladin's mouth.
"Imagine a see-saw," Felix said. "With a pair of main wings at the front and a much smaller pair of wings at the back, angled slightly down. The smaller wings in the back enter the nose-dive first, causing the back of the see-saw to rotate down. This causes the main wing to pitch up, and it escapes the nose-dive."
The presenter nodded vigorously. "And what about the rudder? We have designed the craft to be turned like a ship, on a horizontal plane that is lifted above the ground."
"A rudder like that would cause the nose to yaw to either side. One wing would swing forward, and the other wing would swing back. The wing that swings forward has increased airspeed and therefore increased lift. The opposite is true for the wing that swings back. Then, the whole affair would slip sideways, as if it had been placed on an oiled surface at an angle. This side-slipping motion would cause air to strike the rudder, compounding the effect, causing the craft to flip over and spin."
"Remarkable!" the presenter said. "You surmised all that information with just a glance!"
"I've been flying for ten years," Felix replied. "Watch, let me show you." He jumped off the stage and began to make his way through the crowd.
At the top of the grassy hill, Felix sembled into his drake form with a roar, drawing more screams from the crowd. Then he demonstrated the various maneuvers, proving his point to the engineers on the stage. And all the while Astrid had a wicked grin on her face.