Chapter 3: The Riders
The two riders returned to their airship and landed in the main room. It was a large room, big enough for the four total dragons that lived aboard the ship. Matthias and Carn slipped of their dragons and helped take the light flying saddles of the dragons' backs. Tron lumbered off into his corner and settled down to rest. Hoth flew back into the open air, having hinted about going hunting.
"So what do you think of them?" Carn asked as he hung his jacket on the wall, "Are they trustworthy?"
"Don't be silly, they are simply a cruiseliner, they know nothing of the skies," Matthias replied. He bent down and pulled the captain's revolver from his boot. "See, a simple gun from the academy for airships in Rome. He probably doesn't even know how to use this thing."
Carn stared at his friend. "How did you get that? I saw it in his belt, but how did you steal it?"
"Easy, same way as I stole the knife out of Tron's saddle that you keep in the stirrup." He showed the slim blade to Carn's astonished face.
Carn grabbed the knife and dismissed the matter. He finished with the saddle and moved into the dinning room. He sat down and poured himself a glass of water. Matthias sat down opposite and grinned.
Wing beats were heard as the two other riders arrived. They stomped around in the main room and entered the dinning room.
The first was a rider carrying a bow in his hands, a mallan over his shoulder. He wore a dark green tunic and brown pants. His face was obscured behind a curtain of dark hair that hung down over his nose. He shook it aside to smile at the two in the room.
The other rider pushed him along with his hand. He was a tall rider. He also carried a bow, but no bird. His tunic was orange and had black trim in an ornate pattern. His face was set in a grimace and he motioned to a cut on his arm. It was the beak mark of a large mallan, most likely the one the first rider was holding.
"Carth almost shot me!" he exclaimed. "Stupid bird attacked me and was two feet from my head when this idiot shot it with a fire arrow."
Carth smiled and shrugged. He threw the bird on the table and all could see that it was a worthy prize. He gestured at Evander and passed a cloth to him to bind the wound.
"Did you see that other airship? It was massive! I haven't seen one so big before." Evander said, referring to the Wind Rider.
"We met her captain today and agreed on escorting her. Those people are useless in the air." Matthias said. "I pity them, but they can help us too."
"What ever you saw hawk boy," Carn grinned and ducked as Matthias threw the mallan at him. It then did a strange thing. The dead bird curved in mid-flight and headed back for Carn. It contacted with his head and sent it forward into the table.
"Hey, no elemental powers in the ship unless for work!" Carn exclaimed as he rubbed his head.
Matthias smiled, got up, and went to train in the next room with his long sword.