Chapter Two: Dragon Storm
Death Canyon, Milos

Antonio heard noise overhead long before he could see anything, the sounds echoing around the canyon. "Hear that?" He punched Marcus, spoiling his shot at marbles.

"Ow! Stop it!" Marcus snapped, dropping his shooter into the ring, "I get a do-over!"

"Hear what?" Karina asked, peering around. She cupped both hands around her ears, tilting her head back to catch the sound better.

Scrambling to his feet, Antonio shouted, "Airships! It's the Creatan Navy! Come on!" Dashing out onto the pathway, he started running up the incline. Snatching his hat off, he waved it overhead, chanting, "Navy! Navy! Navy!" Shadows passed into the ground, blotting out the sun. Antonio panted, a stitch cutting into his ribs. He ignored it as he reached the top of the incline, pausing on a wider balcony hanging over the valley floor below. Shading his eyes with his hands, he searched the sky for the airships. Marcus and Karina panted up behind him. "Where are they?" Karina asked.

"In the sky," Marcus sneered at his little sister.

Karina gasped in anger and slugged him, nearly starting a fight, but Antonio shouted, "There they are!" stabbing a finger into the sky. The siblings broke apart, Marcus scrubbing his hands down his shirt front, while Karina screwed up her face, searching the sky.

"I see them!" she said. "Where are the Black Bats?" She shielded her eyes. "The Cretans're getting so close!"

The ships sailed overhead, the drone of their steam engines softer than the noise the trains made. The envelope balloons reflected the sky and the ground, making them harder for the kids to see. The Cretan flag flew proudly behind the ships. Marcus bent down, grabbing a bit of stone off the balcony and flinging it at the sky with a grunt. "No!"
Karina squeaked, grabbing at his arm. "Don't!"

"Come on," Antonio whispered, "come on." He clenched his fists, watching the Cretan ships as they sailed by. A high, shrill whistle came from the ships as some metallic balls spilled out of a hole at the bottom of the gondolas. "Get back!" he shouted, grabbing for Karina. The bombs glinted silver in the sunlight as they tumbled out of the sky.

People on the canyon floor screamed and scattered, trying to find a place to hide. One of the bombs hit a wall. The explosion sent rock flying. Karina screamed and buried her face in Antonio's chest.

Marcus shouted, "Where are the Black Bats?" over the rumble and crash of more explosions.

A woman yelled from the cave entrance behind them. "Get inside! Get inside, now!"

A strange sound cut through everything. Antonio shoved Karina toward the woman almost absently, staring up at the slice of sky he could see overhead. Dust from the explosions already darkened the canyon, the airships blocking out even more of the sky and the sun's light. Something new darted around the airships, the jagged wings silhouetted against the paler colors of the airships. "The Bats!" Antonio said, pointing at them.

Marcus joined him, leaning against the rail to watch, his neck craned back. "Those aren't the Black Bats," he said, "they're too big. What…" his eyes widened as he looked at Antonio. "What are those things?"

They screamed and wheeled like the bats, but Antonio finally saw tails, whipping around behind the bodies, bodies far larger than a person with a pair of sail wings. One of them charged an airship, ripping at the envelope with its claws. The ship faltered, tipping nose-downward into Death Canyon. The creature back-winged, giving Antonio a good view of what it was. "It's the dragons," he breathed. "They're riding the dragons!" He leaped into the air, flinging his fist at the sky. "Yeah!"

"Whoa," Marcus whispered. "I wanna ride one of those." He pulled himself up on the railing, straining to see more. "I bet if we took the tunnels, we could get up high enough to see them!"

The dragons wheeled and spun in the air, diving and circling and rising over the airships. Bullets traced after them, sending one spinning out of the sky as it screamed, crashing into the valley floor.

"Yeah," Antonio said, shading his eyes. He took a step backward. "C'mon, let's - "

A hard hand grabbed hold of Antonio's ear, dragging him backward despite his screeches of pain. "Get in here! Didn't you hear me?" Marcus grunted and fussed next to Antonio, but the woman pulled them both into the cave. She didn't let go once they were inside, either, forcing them even farther into the cave, back where the explosions just seemed to rock the floor. "You little fools," the woman scolded, "when the airships come over, you go into hiding!" Wagging a finger at them, she pointed to Karina. She waited for them, wide-eyed, gnawing on her knuckles. "Go take care of her, and if you go back outside, I'll throw you over the edge of the cliff myself!"

Marcus made a face, but joined Karina next to the wall, taking her hand. Antonio squatted down next to them, putting his hat on and pulling it tight down over his ears. The stone all around muffled the noise of the explosions, but they still shook the floor and walls. Karina whined and buried her face in her folded arms. Marcus's skin was white in the gloom of the cave, the oil lanterns blown out to keep from breaking open and catching things on fire. Somewhere, someone was crying, a soft sob that echoed around the cavern. Antonio covered his ears and pressed his face against his knees, just wanting it to be over soon.

X X X

The clarion blasted through the carved tunnels under Table City, jolting Julia out of her reveries. She reached for her boots as the door to her quarters banged open, Andrea poking her head through. "We're needed!"

"I know, I hear!" Julia waved a hand toward the ceiling of her quarters, indicating the sound reverberating off the stone. Tugging her boots on, she stomped her feet into the soles. She flexed her automail toes in her boot, hoping it was on right. Pulling a thick hat over her head and tying it in place, she grabbed her flight jacket from where it hung on the back of a chair and slipped her arms through the sleeves. Andrea jigged from one foot to the other until Julia pushed through the door past her. They raced to the aerie. Already, other riders were in place, tacking their dragons up for flight. The dragons screeched and whined, wings flapping and tails lashing at the excitement.
"Where's Brena?"

"Ernest took her," someone shouted, and Julia recognized Daniel's voice. "Celsus and Otho are out there, too, doing what they can. Get your headsets on now."

Tightening the chin strap to her flight helmet, Julia tried to control her emotions before running down to the dragas's aerie. The female dragons picked up on the mood of the men and women in the stable area. "Marina!" Julia made her voice a croon rather than shrill. She slipped under the canvas barricade, offering her outstretched hand. Her reddish dragon tossed her head, hissing her annoyance at this change in her routine. "Easy, Marina." Julia laid her hand on the orange-red muzzle, and the dragon lowered her head, allowing a quick caress before she pulled out of reach again. "Let's get you saddled up, and go face Creta."

As she tacked up Marina, Julia could hear Daniel on the radio, ordering two teams of five out, the rest of the dragons and riders to remain behind. "Be ready. If Creta gets past our defense, you'll be all that will keep Milos safe," he crackled.

Julia nodded grimly, leading Marina along the stable corridor toward the launching area. Marina's crest flared, her hiss loud enough to incite the remaining draga.

"Be safe, Julia. Fly well!" someone shouted.

She waved in agreement, joining the rest of the dragons at the launch area.

"We'll be back as soon as we can." Daniel led Alion, his dragon, to the launch base. He called over his shoulder, "I want a loose formation. We want to keep ourselves and our dragons safe. Remember to take advantage of your dragon's maneuverability! Does everyone have rifles at ready?"

"Ready!" most of the riders shouted, Julia touching the barrel of her rifle lightly before swinging onto Marina's back.

"What do we do if we have a problem?" Andrea shouted from the back of her green dragon, Helios.

Daniel's face was grim behind his flight goggles. "Do what you can to protect yourself! Remember, Creta has both bombs and machine guns. Keep your head! It's a more dangerous weapon than a bomb. Keep yourself and your dragons safe." He swung up onto his dragon, gathering the reins and urging Alion into the air. His team followed him, then Julia, Andrea and the rest of their team took off.

Julia's heart seemed to leap into her throat, thudding against the fragile skin there. Here, in the canyon, as Marina beat her wings to gain altitude, she could hear the sounds of gun- and cannon-fire. Smoke and fine debris clouded the air they flew through. Julia pulled her scarf up over her nose and mouth. Marina hissed, disliking the clouded air. She tried to pull higher to get over it, but Julia soothed her, keeping her within the debris, wanting to use it as cover as long as she could. Andrea and Helios flew just off her left flank, about half a wing's length away.

The clouds gave way to clear air and Marina roared her pleasure, beating her wings harder, trying to get the lift needed to soar. Death Canyon had many updrafts and thermals, and the dragons and their riders knew them all. Banking near a cliff wall, Marina caught an updraft and rose so fast, Julia's stomach felt like it slammed down into her pelvis. The other dragons rode the thermal, their shadows falling on the red rock walls.

Julia heard the gunfire, but even by craning her neck, she couldn't see any airships yet. Marina popped up over the cliff wall, giving Julia the view she needed. Smiling grimly, she turned Marina toward the airships. More to the east, Daniel and Alion led a charge against the ships. Touching her headset, Julia said, "Let's try to get behind them, and cut off their retreat!" Miranda and she had worked out plans on how to use the Black Bats against Creta, now Miranda's teachings lived on in the aerial combat of the dragons and the airships.

"Julia!" Andrea shouted in her headpiece. "Julia, we have to go north!"

North? Julia shot a glance back at her friend, who stabbed a gloved finger. Turning her head, Julia gasped out loud. Another airship slipped along near the Creta cliffside border, out of range of Daniel's team. Julia tapped her headset. "North! We need to stop that airship!" Marina bellowed her annoyance at being turned away from her prey, until she spotted the new airship. Beating her wings, she surged forward. Thankful the harness kept her attached to the saddle, Julia reached for her rifle. Making sure a round was chambered, she tapped her headset again. "Everyone prepare for the attack. Bernardo, you and Andrea take the left flank. I know it's farther away, so you two go now." She didn't wait to make sure they followed her command. "Miguel, Juan, take the right flank. We need to stop that ship." Urging Marina forward, she rotated her forefinger in the air then flung her hand forward, indicating the attack.

"On it, Julia!" Miguel shouted as his burgandy-red dragon leaped forward.

Julia guided Marina with her knees, straight at the rear end of the airship. She wasn't close enough to take aim, but it wouldn't be long before she was.

"Julia!" Andrea's wail ripped through her headset. "There's a train on the tracks! The ship's heading right for it!"

X X X

The whistling roar of a cannonball was like nothing Edward had ever heard. It crashed through the side of the train car, flinders flying everywhere. The ball smashed into the wall, rolling, and Edward raised his head from Winry's back to track it. Flashing sparks confirmed a hissing sound. "Bomb!" he screamed, raising his hands to press his palms together, the transmutation circle forming in his mind faster than the realization he could do nothing.

Next to him, Alphonse scrambled onto his knees, the bell-chime accompanying the clap of his hands ricocheting in the broken space. Blue lightning exploded from his hands as he touched the floor. A ripple opened up into a hole, the bomb dropping through. It exploded as it rolled down, the shock wave thundering up through the car.

Winry squeaked as their part of the train pushed up into the air, the metal groaning. Edward and Winry slammed into Alphonse, the seat legs pinning the three of them together. Alphonse grunted. "Al," Edward said, forcing a question into that simple syllable.

"I'm fine," he growled, struggling to get his elbows free of their weight.

Underneath Edward, Winry trembled, and he wished he could tell her everything was going to be fine. Instead, he braced his feet against the wall of the car, hoping he wasn't pressing against glass. He didn't risk a glance down. "We have to get out of here."

"Suggestions welcome," Alphonse grumbled.

"A hole for us to get to the tracks?" Winry said, only the faintest quaver in her voice.

Alphonse gave her a look that Edward read as, 'why didn't I think of that?' He clapped his hands together, and opened a hole just beyond their seats, a ladder leading down to the track below. "You go first, Winry."

"You're closer!"

"Stop arguing!" Edward growled. "They could be sending another bomb!"

Winry stiffened at his words. Alphonse's eyes narrowed sharply as he said, "Then I should go last. Both of you need to go."

"Yeah, Winry, go on." Edward gave her the slightest shove. She met his eyes, and he wished she hadn't. She'd always been able to read him too well. "Go. Al and I'll be right behind you." Managing a smile, he made his fingers release their grip on her, thinking he'd probably left bruises behind. Not caring. Edward brushed the tips of his fingers over her bare arm as Winry eased toward Alphonse cautiously.

The metal groaned under her, but Alphonse didn't let Winry hesitate. Catching her elbow, he urged her on, even though he had push himself up so she could wriggle beneath him to get to the hole. "You're next, Ed."

"Al," he grated out.

Alphonse narrowed his eyes, helping Winry balance on the rungs of the ladder. "You're next," he repeated, brooking no argument.

If Alphonse was anyone else, Edward would argue, but he'd beaten his brother only once that he could remember. Showing his displeasure by baring his teeth, Edward wriggled over to the hole, dodging Alphonse the best he could. In his head, he counted seconds from the last bomb hitting the train car to now. The train stopped moving – had the engine been hit, too? He didn't want to think about it, but it worried him. The car should've been pulled apart by the force of the explosion and the tug of the engine. If that had happened, he wouldn't be scrambling down a skinny ladder with his brother's feet in his face.

Winry squatted between the rails, her face so pale, she looked like she'd bled out. Edward dropped next to her, laying his hand in the center of her back for a second. From under the train car, they were hidden, and the car overhead blocked part of the sun's blaring light. He watched as the ship drew closer. The cannon's mouth looked huge, even at this distance. "Al!"

"On it!" Alphonse let go of the ladder, staggering ever so slightly. Edward grabbed his leg, holding on tight until his brother steadied himself. With a quick nod, Alphonse indicated he was all right, and knelt next to Winry. He peered out at the ship, and Edward knew Alphonse had to be thinking the same thing – even as close as it was, a transmuted rock spear wouldn't reach it. Alphonse transmuted a hole in the land bridge, another ladder, leading down. "Go!"

The boom of the cannon made Winry freeze. Edward felt her stiffen beside him as he turned toward the cannon. Alphonse swore as he clapped his hands, making a wall, pushing it up into the train car. The ground underfoot rumbled and the metal above wailed. Edward wrapped his arms around Winry. She grabbed Alphonse's arm, clinging to them both. Alphonse shoved them all, and the last thing Edward remembered was the sensation of falling, before his head struck something on the way down.