Rysha squinted as the team flew southward over the ocean, the rising sun slanting into her eyes from the east. It shone above the fog still hugging the coast, obscuring the terrain, and she wondered if they had passed her family’s valley yet. She hoped it wouldn’t take too long to find this elder dragon and that she and Trip could return to hunt down that silver soon.

“Veering to the southwest for an hour or two,” Trip said, his voice sounding tinny as it came from the communication crystal tucked into Rysha’s buttoned pocket.

That morning, an officer with the dubious moniker of Captain Pimples had removed it from a flier for her and asked where on her dragon she would like it installed. Rysha was fairly certain it had been a joke, but he had seemed earnest, as if he could hunt down some glue that worked on scales if need be.

“For the random enjoyment of it?” Captain Ahn asked from her flier. “Or because you sense something?”

She was soaring parallel to Trip with Colonel Grady in her back seat while Trip flew with the human-form Bhrava Saruth behind him. The dragon had said he wished to experience human flying contraptions, but judging by the way his leg was thrown over one side, and his head leaned out the other, golden hair flapping against the hull, he wanted to nap rather than fly. Rysha suspected there was a reason Shulina Arya didn’t find his romantic entreaties appealing.

So many reasons, Storyteller.

“While I do believe the southwest looks enjoyable,” Trip said, “Bhrava Saruth has informed me that he senses a gold dragon in that direction.”

“Bhrava Saruth doesn’t look like he could currently sense his own butt.”

“His naps are only intermittent.”

“Uh huh,” Ahn said. “Is it the dragon we want?”

“He’s not sure yet. He said it’s about a hundred miles away. I can’t sense anything that far out.”

“Why do I envision spending the next week zigzagging across the ocean, Captain?” Ahn asked.

“At least we packed plenty of supplies.”

“Of all sorts, yes. I’m still trying to figure out why I, who have a year in rank seniority over you, ended up with smelly fish in my storage compartment, and you’re carrying bags of baked goods.”

“You can’t smell the fish from the cockpit, can you?”

“I most certainly can. And so can Colonel Grady. Doesn’t it seem like the powerful sorcerer who can probably make odors disappear should have the stinky things in his flier?”

“Well, I do have a dragon’s bare foot dangling over the side beside my ear.”

“That can’t rival the smell of dead fish.”

“Don’t be too sure. I don’t think dragons bathe.”

What? Shulina Arya cried, and Rysha worried she was truly offended. Dragons bathe frequently. Observe.

That was all the warning Rysha got before Shulina Arya folded her wings to her body and dove toward the ocean like an eagle swooping down to pluck up a fish. Only she didn’t want a fish. She plummeted a thousand feet and plunged into the water.

Reflexively, Rysha flattened her chest to the dragon’s back, pressed her spectacles to her face, and squeezed with her legs. Fortunately, magic kept her astride as they dove beneath the surface. It even kept her dry.

Rysha glimpsed startled schools of fish taking off in all directions, and then they came up again, as if they had bounced off a trampoline. Shulina Arya flapped her wings and radiated a sense of pleasure and enjoyment as water sloughed off her scales.

“My apologies,” Trip said. “I should have said that some dragons don’t bathe.”

Correct, Shulina Arya said. I will forgive you since you made those glorious wheeled foot devices. I—Hm.

“Trouble?” Rysha asked.

I now sense the dragons that Bhrava Saruth must have sensed. To the southeast.

“Dragons?” Ahn asked. “Multiple?”

Two golds, I believe, and a bronze, Shulina Arya said.

“Then that’s not the dragon we’re looking for,” Ahn said. “I suggest we zigzag in another direction, so they don’t notice us and decide to come pester us.”

“We do have two dragons and two chapaharii swords with us,” Trip said. “Spontaneous pestering seems unlikely.”

“Better not to risk it,” Ahn said. “They may smell the fish in my storage hold and be unable to resist the pull.”

Rysha tried to decide if that was a joke. If so, Ahn had a deadpan delivery.

There is more, Shulina Arya told them as she returned to the same elevation as the fliers and stopped flapping her wings as vigorously—she could outpace the machines easily, so she had to glide often.

“More dragons?” Ahn asked.

No, humans in one of your flying boats.

“An airship?”

Yes, it is a large vessel and there are many aboard. Perhaps fifty humans. Another flying boat is closing on it. Also, the dragons are flying toward it too.

“It could be a merchant airship under attack,” Trip said. “If so, it sounds like it’s going to need help.”

“We don’t know if it’s Iskandian,” Ahn said. “And this isn’t the mission we were sent on.”

Colonel Grady leaned forward, tapped her on the shoulder, and said something that didn’t quite come through Rysha’s communication crystal.

Ahn turned her head and said, “Iskandian merchants were told not to fly or sail without an escort, sir.”

“…don’t always listen,” Grady said, followed by something else Rysha didn’t hear.

“The colonel wants us to check it out,” Ahn said. “And if there are airship pirates harassing someone, to help out. Also, he’s already composing lyrics to a ballad that features us nobly saving the lives of innocent merchants.”

“I don’t think dragons would be working with airship pirates,” Rysha said. “Unless there’s something on board the ship that they want.” Rysha still couldn’t imagine dragons teaming up with pirates. Though she supposed some dragons openly allied with nations—just as Shulina Arya and Bhrava Saruth were allied with Iskandia—so maybe it was a possibility.

“I guess we’ll find out.” Ahn looked over at Trip.

He gave the thumb-to-fingers ready sign.

Bhrava Saruth sat straighter in his seat, then leaped into the air, startling Rysha. He almost struck the tail of the flier, but missed it, and as he started to fall, he turned into his dragon form. He flapped his wings to stop his fall, then quickly caught up with Trip’s flier, his sleek golden form dwarfing it.

How was your nap? Shulina Arya asked, the words ringing in Rysha’s mind.

Not as enjoyable as I’d hoped, Bhrava Saruth replied. Flier seats are most uncomfortable. Captain Trip, why are there not proper cushions and pillows?

“Pillows?” Trip asked. “These are military aircraft.”

Which precludes that their occupants be comfortable?

“I think that’s in the rules, yes. We—hold on.”

Rysha looked over at Trip, the wind whistling against her face, but he was staring straight forward.

“I sense the dragons now too,” he said. “And I recognize one of them.”

“Drysaleskar the elder?” Rysha realized as soon as she asked that it couldn’t be, or their dragon allies would have recognized him.

“No, Telmandaroo.” Trip glanced at Ahn’s flier and added, “He’s a bronze dragon we encountered on the Pirate Isles. We helped him dispose of the self-proclaimed pirate king who was ruling over the islands with the help of a sorceress and a chapaharii sword.”

“I saw the mission report,” Ahn said. “What’s he doing out here if he has his own islands now?”

“A good question,” Trip said. “I guess this doesn’t change anything, right? We’re still going to assist these people?”

“We are,” Colonel Grady said, leaning over Ahn’s shoulder to yell the words at the communication crystal. “But keep us apprised if you’re able to learn any more information. Such as if we’re on our way to help an Iskandian airship or one from another nation.”

“Will we stop if we figure out they’re not Iskandians?” Trip sounded disapproving.

Rysha smiled at his noble streak.

“Not necessarily,” Grady called, “but we’ll have to assess the risk to ourselves and the mission. We cannot fail the king, so picking a fight may be unwise in some circumstances. Also, I have to think of different rhyming words if it’s a Cofah ship instead of an Iskandian one. It’s a more formidable nation name to work into lyrics.”

“Your life is difficult, isn’t it, sir?” Ahn asked.

“Inspiringly challenging.”

I have an update to report, Shulina Arya said, her voice as perky and enthused as ever, as if this was all new and exciting to her. Rysha supposed it was. Before these last few months, she’d only heard stories about humans and riders and missions where they worked together. The two flying boats appear to have engaged in battle. They are shooting large metal balls at each other. Also, one of the gold dragons and the bronze dragon have broken away from the others. They are coming toward us.

“I don’t think we’re going to get a choice about picking a fight,” Trip said.

Feeling grim at the announcement, Rysha rested her hand on Dorfindral’s hilt. It hummed eagerly, and images of slashing at dragons and driving the sword between their scales filled her mind. Dorfindral was never grim.

* * *

Who comes to interfere with our plunder? the voice of an unfamiliar female dragon boomed in Trip’s mind.

He sensed the large gold dragon was about twenty miles away now, with the more familiar bronze dragon—Telmandaroo—flying at her side. It wouldn’t take them long to close the distance.

As Trip had noted before, his team had two gold dragons on its side, along with the chapaharii swords, but he couldn’t assume they would be victorious in a battle. He sensed great power from that female—her aura diminished and obscured Telmandaroo’s, making him seem meek and puny in comparison—and suspected she was old, strong, and experienced in battle.

“I think that question is for you, Trip,” Ahn said.

He snorted, but didn’t disagree. Zirkander had implied this was his mission, even if Grady was in charge. Maybe he could come up with something clever to say in response to obviate the need to fight.

“On it,” he said, then switched to telepathy to address the dragon. Interfere? That is not our intent. We wish to join you.

Join me? You’ve heard of the wise and powerful Drivortia?

Even though twenty miles separated them, Trip sensed great power scraping at his mind. He slammed his mental vault door shut, hoping the distance would steal some of the dragon’s mind-reading efficacy.

Indeed. I have met your servant before. Trip took a guess that Telmandaroo wasn’t an equal partner in whatever arrangement he’d found himself in. He invited me to become one of his minions.

A bronze dragon with minions? What a ludicrous thought. They are destined to be minions themselves.

Trip tried to sense Telmandaroo and what he was thinking, though if the bronze was protecting his mind, he wouldn’t have a chance. To Trip’s surprise, he felt the bronze’s emotions easily, simmering indignation and loathing for the situation he found himself in.

I may accept you as a minion of mine, however, Drivortia said. But do you not already belong to those two gold dragons?

Belong to? I lead them.

Ringing laughter bubbled into Trip’s mind. So that was what a truly amused dragon sounded like.

Admittedly, it had been a cocky thing to say, but he thought it might mean she would continue to communicate with him instead of switching to the dragons. Though she might not want to talk to them. She might only be coming out here to confront his team because she had sensed their presence. Had Trip, Ahn, and Rysha been in the fliers without a dragon escort, they might have escaped notice, or been noticed and ignored.

When the laughter finally stopped, Trip let loose all his restraints and attempted to project his aura outward. He knew it wouldn’t impress a dragon, especially a gold dragon, but maybe he would at least look like a useful minion.

I lead them, he repeated. They are allied with Iskandia, and I am an officer in the Iskandian military, the officer that leads this mission.

A mission to plunder that which my mate and minions are already plundering? I assure you, you’ll fail.

“They’re fifteen miles out,” Trip updated the others. “I think we’re going to have to fight.”

“I’m ready,” Ahn said.

“Dorfindral has been excited for the last forty miles,” Rysha said.

Trip decided to try one last tactic, something that might turn the tides in their favor, because if the other gold dragon, the one still back with the airships, decided to come out and help Drivortia, Trip’s team would be outnumbered.

Telmandaroo, he thought, switching to the bronze and trying to make his focus very narrow in the hope that Drivortia would not overhear. A vain hope, perhaps, but even if she did overhear, maybe it wouldn’t matter. Do you remember me?

I remember you. I see you still have those foul swords with you.

Of course. Someone must keep an eye on them. I took them from your islands, as I promised. What happened after that?

I claimed the fortress and had my minions rebuild it and bring me offerings. It was an excellent time, but then these two gold dragons came in and took over. They let me keep my life and live on the islands, but only if I agreed to serve them. Telmandaroo growled into Trip’s mind.

Stay out of the battle, and you may join us if you wish. For our dragon allies, all of Iskandia is their playground. Trip imagined Angulus sputtering if he heard the offer. The king had probably already stomped around and cursed a lot at the idea of offering the Tlongan Steppes and a weekly tribute to Drysaleskar. Providing you don’t kill any humans.

I do not kill my minions. Dead minions can’t serve you.

You’re a wise dragon.

You think to suborn my minion? Drivortia cried, her words thunderous and painful in Trip’s mind.

“Ow,” Ahn growled, apparently hearing them too. “What are you saying to that dragon?”

He is mine. And you shall soon be dead.

“Just starting a war, apparently,” Trip said. “Focus on the gold. I didn’t get confirmation, but I think the bronze will leave us alone.”

As if we were worried about a puny bronze, Bhrava Saruth said.

The two dragons appeared on the horizon, and nobody responded to him. Trip focused on the female, hoping he could force her to lower her defenses long enough for the fliers to shoot.

“I’m going to try to get her barrier down as soon as we’re within firing range.” He touched the grips of his machine guns, guns loaded with a mix of regular bullets and Tolemek’s acid-containing ceramic bullets. “Any dragons who want to help me with that are welcome to.”

I will take in my rider so she can pierce the dragon’s defenses with her sword, Shulina Arya said. You won’t have to lift a talon, Captain Trip.

“That’s good, since I don’t have any talons.”

Drivortia attacked first, before she and Telmandaroo were in firing range. Trip sensed the massive wave of power rolling toward him and threw up his defenses. The others had the chapaharii blades to dampen that power, but Trip had to concentrate if he wanted to survive this.

As the wave of magical energy slammed into his barrier, Azarwrath fed in power to reinforce it. Trip’s flier wings didn’t wobble, nor did the barrier falter. Not yet.

Trip kept the flight stick steady, driving straight for the gold female. Telmandaroo had put more distance between himself and Drivortia. It was possible that was part of a trick, that he would swoop in from their flank and attack, but Trip hadn’t sensed any deception in his words. He believed the bronze dragon truly resented his current circumstances.

Another wave of power slammed into Trip’s barrier, and he felt it through his defenses, like a jolt to his entire body that rattled his teeth and his joints. He couldn’t yet see the female’s eyes, but he could make out her maw opening. Readying to hurl fire at him?

She was within firing range, but her barrier remained up. Trip drew upon his power and tried to strengthen it with his rage—how dare the female target him over the dragons? Focusing on her mind, he hurled the mental attack, imagining her brain being crushed.

A roar sounded in his own mind, and pain erupted inside his skull as his head thumped back in his seat.

“Trip?” came Rysha’s concerned voice as Shulina Arya picked up speed and sailed over his flier to take the lead.

“I do believe she’s more powerful than I am,” Trip rasped, struggling for nonchalance though his skull pounded, as if the dragon had left a spear embedded in it.

“Not for long,” Rysha said with chilling determination.

Shulina Arya charged ahead and met Drivortia as she spewed fire.

Trip gasped, terrified for Rysha. Logically, he knew Dorfindral would protect her, and that Shulina Arya would, too, but that didn’t keep the emotion from flooding him as flames engulfed her and her dragon. Longing to help her, he urged his flier to full speed.

Shulina Arya came through the flames, flew past the female, and banked, coming in hard toward Drivortia. She tilted in the air so Rysha could jump up on her back and slash Dorfindral over her head and toward their foe.

Trip sensed the blade popping the dragon’s barrier like a soap bubble.

As Shulina Arya circled away to pick up speed for another attack, Trip soared in, machine guns pounding. Drivortia, distracted by Shulina Arya and Rysha, didn’t see him. He strafed past, slamming bullets into her chest and flank. The ceramic projectiles shattered upon impact, and acid oozed onto her scales.

Halfway through his run, the dragon got her barrier back up. The rest of his bullets bounced off.

Drivortia hurled flames, not at him but at Shulina Arya again.

As the momentum of his flier carried him past his foe’s tail, Trip imagined Rysha being bathed in flames, and that built far more rage in him than any affront to himself could. He launched that rage and all his mental energy into an attack, again targeting the dragon’s mind.

Drivortia’s barrier faltered, and he sensed pain from her. He didn’t know if it was from his attack, from Shulina Arya’s attack, or from the acid, but he was relieved to know they were doing damage.

Machine guns fired behind him, Ahn taking a run. Colonel Grady’s roar came over the communication crystal, and as Trip took his flier in a loop so he could come back for another attack, he spotted Grady standing in his seat, one hand gripping his harness and the other slashing at the dragon.

Trip couldn’t tell if they got close enough for him to strike her, but he trusted that some of Ahn’s bullets had found their mark.

Help me, you coward! Drivortia cried.

Trip sensed not only anger but compulsion in that command.

Telmandaroo flew toward the battle, coming in behind Shulina Arya.

Look out! Trip warned her, then piloted his flier toward Drivortia’s back.

As Shulina Arya whipped around to face the threat of the bronze, Drivortia got her barrier up again. Trip had been about to fire, but he released the trigger. Red lightning streaked from Azarwrath’s scabbard, snapping and flashing all around the dragon. Trip sensed her magical barrier flickering and could tell Drivortia was wounded, but she might recover if he didn’t do something.

Shulina Arya hurled flames at the bronze dragon as Bhrava Saruth came in from behind Telmandaroo, battering him with a wave of power. The bronze was hurled to the side, head over tail as he tumbled through the air.

With the others temporarily busy, Drivortia spun away from Trip, her tail snapping toward his flier. He threw all his energy into strengthening his barrier and had the satisfaction of seeing the snake-like appendage bounce off. A jolt went through the dragon as Azarwrath hurled more lightning at her.

Trip met Drivortia’s eyes, yellow reptilian eyes the color of her fire, and clenched his fist and launched another mental attack. Her head whipped back, much as his had earlier, and she screeched like a dying pig.

She’d finally had enough. She hurled one final desperate attack that Trip and Azarwrath deflected, then flew downward, toward the ocean. Drivortia spiraled out of control, and Trip’s first thought was that she was already dead. But he sensed life from her, sensed the pain rolling off her. She struck the surface of the ocean and disappeared, plunging into the dark depths.

Her magic protected her as she sank quickly, reaching the bottom and crawling beneath a rock ledge. She must have tamped down her aura because she seemed to disappear from Trip’s senses.

That dragon is playing possum, Shulina Arya said. Shall we go down and finish her off, Storyteller?

Rysha looked over at Trip. Ahn and Grady flew closer, also looking at him. Hells, maybe he was leading this mission.

“She’s not a proven enemy of Iskandia,” Trip said, “and she’s clearly given up. I think we can leave her. As the colonel pointed out, this isn’t truly our mission.”

He looked around for Bhrava Saruth, expecting him to have an opinion.

Have no fear, Bhrava Saruth said. I have removed the threat of the dastardly bronze.

He was behind Trip’s flier, flapping his wings enough to hover while he gripped the bronze dragon by the throat. Telmandaroo hung limp, his long neck trapped in Bhrava Saruth’s jaws.

At first, Trip thought him dead, with his spine broken, but he sensed life from the dragon.

I did not wish to attack, he told them, his voice meek.

He is cowardly and easily manipulated, Bhrava Saruth said. Shall I slay him?

“You don’t think he’d like to become one of your worshippers?” Ahn asked—apparently, the dragons were sharing their telepathic words with everybody.

Dragons make poor worshippers. They do not know how to be affectionate and appealing.

Let him go, Trip said. He’s no further threat.

Hmmph.

Based on that dubious response, Trip wasn’t sure Bhrava Saruth would actually listen. Trip met the dragon’s green eyes, gazing steadily into them, and tried to convey that this was his mission and he’d been put in charge, at least when it came to dealing with other dragons.

To his surprise, Bhrava Saruth opened his maw. Telmandaroo tumbled out, falling dozens of feet before he recovered, flapping his wings and regaining his altitude. Blood dripped from the crushed scales of his neck, and Trip felt sorry for him, even if he’d been involved in pirating. He hadn’t truly wished to attack this group.

Telmandaroo looked down toward the ocean, perhaps checking on the gold female, then over at Trip.

Human, you have saved my life. Telmandaroo sounded puzzled, either at the idea that his life had been in danger or at the idea that a human had bothered intervening on his behalf.

You’re not going to offer to make me a high-level minion again, are you?

No. You are not a minion. I see this now.

Trip lifted his eyebrows. He wasn’t sure what he had done to deserve such esteem, but he would not object.

We’re going to stop the attack on the airship, Trip said. Will you come?

Telmandaroo hesitated. You wish me to fight against Drivortia’s mate? He is surly, grumpy, and has bad breath.

I had no idea dragons were concerned about such things.

You are a strange human, Captain Trip, Shulina Arya said. You believe dragons don’t bathe, and you also believe we like our breath smelling foul?

Well, I didn’t know. Until a few weeks ago, I didn’t know any dragons at all.

That is odd, given your heritage.

There’s much odd about me. Trip caught Rysha’s gaze and smirked wryly. He almost added his familiar statement, that he was glad Rysha liked odd men, but the dragons probably wouldn’t understand.

I will accompany you, Telmandaroo said. I do not wish to battle Drivortia’s surly mate, but if you slay him, I can return to my islands and rule there again. I could become a great ally to your nation in the future.

Telryn, Azarwrath said. That bronze dragon wishes to use you.

Yes, it’s not the first time. So long as he doesn’t attack us, I’m content.

Hm.

“Let’s go,” Trip said, speaking aloud as well as telepathically, so everyone would be sure to hear. “That airship could be in splinters by now.”

Shulina Arya pumped her wings and took the lead. It is a beautiful day to save lives, she announced. And also to valiantly slay enemies.

Rysha patted her on the neck.

Bhrava Saruth picked up his pace so that he could fly beside Shulina Arya. Telmandaroo flew beside Trip’s flier, with Ahn and Grady on the other side. They were an odd little squadron.

She is sleek, Telmandaroo spoke into his mind.

What? Trip glanced around, wondering if that comment had been sent directly to him or to everyone. Neither the other dragons nor Ahn, Rysha, or Grady reacted.

That female dragon. She is sleek and young. And supple. And she didn’t call me an imbecile. Will you tell me her name?

Shulina Arya.

Is she the mate of Bhrava Saruth? I’ve heard of him.

I don’t believe they’re mates, no.

Excellent. Perhaps I will invite her to my islands when I get them back. I could have my minions rub her and polish her scales.

I’ll wish you luck with that. So far, she hasn’t appeared impressed by dragon wiles.

Bhrava Saruth spun in the air ahead of them as he flew. As far as Trip could tell, Shulina Arya didn’t notice. Or noticed and didn’t care.

That dragon is foolish. Even bronze dragons know him to be so.

It is possible that a different style of courtship would impress her more.

Telmandaroo fell silent after that, contemplating courtship styles perhaps. Trip was glad. He wanted to complete his mission and help his country, not help dragons get dates.

Trip stretched ahead with his senses, looking for the airships, but he needn’t have bothered.

“Smoke ahead,” Ahn said.

Trip nodded, spotting it. The airships were lower than their fliers, only a few hundred feet above the ocean, and one was losing altitude as the squadron approached. The faint booms of cannons reached Trip’s ears, and a gold dragon swooped back and forth above the balloon of the damaged craft.

The smoking airship was painted in the blue and gold colors of Iskandia. Trip had been afraid of that. It wasn’t a military craft, but it had clearly come from their shores.

“Colonel Grady says we’re going in,” Ahn added.

“I’m ready.” Trip hoped they weren’t too late.