Landing day happened so quickly Mani felt that his head was spinning. No sooner had they spotted land than they were sailing toward the westernmost tip of Watt, the port city of Allemann, with massive anchors lowering to bring the ships to as much of a stop in the water as they would ever know. A fleet of smaller transport vessels peeled out from the docks, followed by flights of dragons taking to the air. It was a majestic sight to witness from the decks, and with all the dragons in the air (including Ro), he finally felt like he was someplace that could be a home to him.

If it wasn’t for all the war going on. He sighed and looked around, assuming he would need to do something once the transport boats pulled up, but then caught sight of the baroness…Maid Aegirine, as he had to remember to call her. To out her in such company would likely put her life on the line.

He walked over to where she was staring up at where over a hundred dragons were running drills and patrolling.

“The sky is filled with dragons,” she whispered, awe in her voice.

“Not quite,” he replied with a teasing tone.

She grimaced, but did not look away from the dragons she was watching. “I know that is not literally true, but it seems that way, doesn’t it?”

“It is nearly a full wing of flights. You have never seen so many at once, have you?” Mani said, but it was not a question since the answer was obvious on her face.

“I have never seen a flight bigger than thirty or so, even at court.” She clutched at the railing of the ship as she spoke, never switching her view of the sky over the port. A few sailors commented politely that their transports would be pulling abreast soon, probably assuming she was anxious to get back on solid ground.

It was clear to Mani that she didn’t care about that, not in the least. Watching the majestic beasts swoop and bank and turn held her attention like a magnet. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. “I remember seeing Queen Theaedra for the first time, the reflections of her pink and white hide sparkling like diamonds in the air as she circled the palace atrium for a landing. I was a girl, less than ten, at court for the first time.” She glanced over at the sailors, making sure they were not within hearing of her. “After all my trials at court, the thrill of watching the queen and her guard had worn down to a dull interest. Familiar. But here I see how wrong I was. The sight of them in flight sings through my bones. It is watching joy in motion, and I am in awe.”

“You speak of the poetry of flight,” Mani said, thinking wistfully of his own clan back home, of the holidays where thousands of dragons would fill the skies like confetti.

“I am revealing too much, perhaps. But I have never been more jealous of anyone or anything in my life than I am right now of those who can take to the skies.” She smiled softly but kept staring at the dragons as the transport ships drew closer.

“It is indeed mesmerizing.” He leaned against the railing, mirroring her pose, looking at the dragons. “Those of us with dragon in the blood find it alluring in ways that are mysterious and torturous. I will never turn, never know the taste of it, same as you. Yet it calls to us.”

Maid Aegirine dipped her head at that, remembering that she had told Mani a while ago about her uncle.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“But in Kaaltendt, most never know. There are just too few dragons to ever make an impression. Not that your dragons aren’t majestic,” he added quickly, “but there simply are not enough of them.”

“Even the queen’s personal flight is less than ten,” she said in agreement. “The rest are all her guards.” She glanced over at him. “How big is the queen of Akanata’s flight?”

“One hundred and forty, but that does include fifty guards.”

Maid Aegirine gasped like a maiden, hand over her heart.   

Mani chuckled. “There are at least that many in flight now.” He waved a hand at the dragons of Watt. “My family’s flight is forty-two. But then Mother collects strays.” He sighed heavily, but waved off her questioning look. It was a long and, honestly, boring tale of too many husbands and too many (in his opinion) step-siblings.

They both stood quietly for a while as the ship slowly drifted in place, the transport ships finally bumping up against it, causing all the sailors to burst into motion. Mani suspected the maid was supposed to be helping Dr. Worthan get ready to depart the ship, but he was enjoying her company and her honest words too much to possibly send her away by asking.

“Oh, Ro!” Mani waved happily at his beloved, who flew over the boat, his dark green hide sparking with light, three equal-sized companions who were strangers to Mani trailing him. The admiral turned and came in low, sailing by with his belly toward the boat, one wing dipping the water, creating a massive spray that drenched Mani and Maid Aegirine. She screeched and jumped backwards, dripping seawater, while Mani laughed like a madman.

“You beast!” he yelled as the admiral crowed loudly, gliding back to shore.

Agadart stood with her hands out to her sides, the cold water spilling off her body, weighing her dress down. Mani flapped his jacket, spreading water around him.

“What a jerk, that man, he is no nobleman,” Mani grumbled with a grin on his face, then stopped when he saw Maid Aegirine’s expression. “Oh, I forget you are not used to dragon games.”

“What?” She glared at him, wiping at her face and pushing wet hair out of her eyes.

“Dragons are fastidiously clean in every aspect except when it comes to play. It does not occur to them, in their flying form, that normal people such as us might not want to be sprayed with filthy seawater or mud.”

“Mud?” Maid Aegirine croaked. A cabin boy ran up and handed them towels, glancing nervously behind himself at the quartermaster, who was scowling.

Mani patted at himself with the towel, ignoring his waterlogged hair in an effort to salvage his clothes. “Mud. It’s a horrifying story which always makes Ro laugh like a demented fox.” Mani was still smiling. “It’s a sign of affection, really.”

Maid Aegirine blushed furiously at that, shoving her face in the towel to cover her reaction. “In Kaaltendt, dragons do not come close enough,” she said, her voice muffled.

“I know. Another aspect of your people I find cold and perplexing.” Mani finally rubbed at his head. “I’m not sure a single one of you would survive a week in Akanata; my brothers alone would delight in swoop-splatting you.”

Maid Aegirine lowered the towel, glaring at him suspiciously. “Swoop-splatting?”

Mani grinned again. “Flying by so close and so fast that the backwash of their wings send you sprawling to the ground.”

She stared at him. “They would do such a thing to a maid?”

He nodded, wondering how she would handle it happening to her. Ro was too dignified to do that to random people, but he had certainly done it to Mani a few times. He stopped himself there, remembering her wish to keep them at arm’s length. Understandable, of course. He sighed.

She was back to staring at the flights — he counted at least three — with longing. There was something there, something about her that spoke to him of dragon lairs and the petrichor of their breath.

He stepped away from the railing, leaving her be. He had his own luggage to gather for their departure from the ship, and as Matrica he was in charge of the dragons of Endestern for the time his own dragon was shifted and in flight to meet with his brothers miles inland.

There were still days of travel ahead as they needed to cross nearly all of Watt to get to the eastern front. He was not looking forward to it.