Chapter two
"Uh, Sayna...I believe we're lost." Tiamat looked around her in the wilderness, unsure of her surroundings. The girl threw up her hands in exasperation, sitting down firmly on the wet ground.
"Well, I don't know where we are either! Why don't you fly up and see?" The dragon shifted from foot to foot, turning around. And, if dragons could blush, Tiamat would've.
"I can't fly. I told you, didn't I? And you're supposed to teach me." Sayna rolled her eyes.
"Oh, right. I forgot. Let's find a cliff, shall we? All you have to do is spread your wings and jump off it." Tiamat's eyes widened.
"What?!? I'll _kill_ myself! I can't fly for what I'm worth." Tiamat sat next to the frustrated twelve-year-old, sighing. Sayna rubbed a hand affectionately on her gold-red scales, smiling.
"I shouldn't scold you. See, you have an excuse. I can't fly either!" Tiamat grinned at her, and looked up to the stars. A silence was held between the two until Sayna spoke again.
"If only Draco were here. He'd guide us. Or Bowen, even Kara." Tiamat stared at the stars for a moment.
"He's always here."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The new dawn came, gentle hues of pale orange and pinks shining on Tiamat's scales. The pair had fallen asleep and had dropped their guard. Sayna rolled over, grumbling as someone prodded her with a stick.
"Oi! Girlie! Wake up, will yer? Watcha doin' on me fields, eh?" Sayna shot awake, aware that Tiamat had disapperaed.
"I...uh...I got lost on my way home. But it's day now, so I'll be going." The man grinned wickedly.
"You will, will yer? Not so soon, missie. Watcha doing with a pretty blade like this 'un in your full bag, eh?" The putrid land-owner licked his lips, balancing the sword in his hand. "I'm gonna earn money offa you, in th' servant markets." Sayna's eyes widened.
"You wouldn't! Besides, King Bowen and Queen Kara wouldn't allow such a thing!" The man licked his lips again.
"Ah, but they won't know, will they? It's a black market, missie. Gonna sell yer elsewhere. Yer comin' wid me!" He pointed the sword at her, the tip hovering at her neck. She scrabbled backwards, and he kicked her over. "Look, if I'm gonna earn a living, y'can't leave, right?" She rolled over, clutching her stomach. A girl of twelve isn't much against a man of around thirty. But there was something he wasn't expecting. She may have been twelve, but she had extremely strong legs. She kicked out at the parts that hurt most. "Oi!" He yelled, running after her. "Come back here! I'm not done wid you yet!" He kicked her again, and she went sprawling.
"Yer too jittery fer the market. I'd let you go, but you'd give away th' secret of th' black market. Sorry, can't 'ave that, missie! You'll have to go!" He raised the sword and she screamed, covering herself in defence. But as he raised it, he was knocked aside by something large and golden-red. Tiamat.
"Leave my friend alone, you big bully!" She roared, pulling the sword from him. She handed it back to Sayna. "Don't let him touch it again." By now, the man had blanched white.
"D-d-dragon!" He screamed, jumping to his feet. "There's a dragon! Run!" He stumbled and went in a headlong run. Sayna skipped from foot to foot, delighted.
"You were amazing! Wonderful! Great! Tiamat, you're the best!" Tiamat turned away, bashful.
"It's only 'cos I'm big and scary. I'm not really." Sayna danced around her, a spring in her step.
"You're better than that! You're a dragon and more! You stood up for what is right, didn't you? It's the Dragon Pledge!" Tiamat grinned.
"That's enough. Look, didn't you say the castle was north? That's north! See, Draco's making the North Star shine for us. Let's go." Sayna held up a hand.
"You have to learn how to fly, first. C'mon, let's find a cliff."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Dylan, I'm sure your sister is okay. She's got out of a lot of things before." Dylan was slumped over a table with a mug of ale in his hand, and he looked up with watery eyes at his friend.
"She's twelve, for Bowen's sake. She may die if I'm not there!" His friend Adam put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, friend. Knowing her, she can get out of anything. Say, we'll take the horses out later to day and look for her. How's that?" Dylan sighed.
"I guess. But quickly. I think she's headed for the castle."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tiamat stared over the edge of the cliff, Sayna on her back. She winced at the drop to the river below, and turned her great wedge-shaped head back to the girl.
"Are...are you positive I can do this? I'm sure Bowen won't mind..." Sayna waved the thought away.
"I don't think he'll be happy with a dragon who can't fly. C'mon, you can do this!" Tiamat spread her wings, staring at the wingspan.
"I think they're small." Sayna rolled her eyes.
"You're stalling! Besides, your wings are huge. On the count of three, then. One...two..." Tiamat leapt from the cliff, eyes closed. She sped down towards the ground, Sayna shrieking and clinging to her neck in terror. Suddenly, her graceful wings opened, and she soared upwards. She beat the air once, twice, and caught a thermal.
"It's wonderful! You're flying!" Tiamat grinned.
"Of course I am! How d'you think we got up here?" Sayna laughed aloud, throwing her hands above her.
"Oh, the opportunities! We can go anywhere! Let's go...to Bowen's castle!" Tiamat swooped, tucking her wings at her side. She spread them once again, and they soared over the trees.
"King Bowen, here we come!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bowen stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Let me hear this again, good lord. You were watching over your fields when your people ducked at screamed at the sight of a dragon." He sighed, watching the man in front of him wring his hands. "No more dragons exist, lord. Draco was the last. Please, leave." He rubbed his temples, and Kara walked in.
"Still complaints, or more sightings?" Bowen nodded.
"Do they have to do this to me? It's bad enough that I killed my best fiend," he grumbled. Kara sat on her throne beside him, placing a hand over his.
"Now, Bowen. Calm yourself...remember, it's only dawn, and you have a day to get through." Suddenly, the guards burst in, bearing a gibbering man.
"What's wrong with him?" Demanded Bowen, eyeing the man. The guards exchanged looks, and one begun.
"It's like this, my King. He came to us, babbling about a dragon or something. We sat him down, gave him a down of ale and he told us the whole thing teeth chattering. We didn't believe him - but he showed us his bruises. He said that some whelp was on his lands, and he was about to dispatch of her when the dragon knocked him aside. It's up to you, m'lord." Bowen's gaze continued to rest on the man, and he looked up.
"Are you positive he isn't lying?" The man spluttered, foam spraying from his mouth.
"It was there, King! It tried to kill me! Pulled m'sword out of me hands in front of me very eyes...look! The cuts are there. Yer believe me, dontcha?" Bowen frowned.
"Hm, hold the man for further questioning. We'll see about this 'dragon'. Oh, and could you send out a number of patrols, just in case it's true? Good man!" The guard bowed, and the pair led the struggling, spluttering man away.
Hours passed, Bowen and Kara brooding on what had happened. As they thought, they were interrupted by a crash outside and voices.
"What kind of landing was that?!?" There was a rumble, and an answer.
"Leave me alone. *You* don't have wings, do you?" Bowen and Kara hurried out the door, gasping at what they saw. A girl and a red-gold dragon stood facing each other, the girl as young as twelve with a mask of exasperation on her face.
"You exist!" Blurted Bowen, his eyes wide. The girl fell to her knees, gasping.
"King Bowen, Queen Kara! This is Tiamat, the last of the dragons!"
"Uh, Sayna...I believe we're lost." Tiamat looked around her in the wilderness, unsure of her surroundings. The girl threw up her hands in exasperation, sitting down firmly on the wet ground.
"Well, I don't know where we are either! Why don't you fly up and see?" The dragon shifted from foot to foot, turning around. And, if dragons could blush, Tiamat would've.
"I can't fly. I told you, didn't I? And you're supposed to teach me." Sayna rolled her eyes.
"Oh, right. I forgot. Let's find a cliff, shall we? All you have to do is spread your wings and jump off it." Tiamat's eyes widened.
"What?!? I'll _kill_ myself! I can't fly for what I'm worth." Tiamat sat next to the frustrated twelve-year-old, sighing. Sayna rubbed a hand affectionately on her gold-red scales, smiling.
"I shouldn't scold you. See, you have an excuse. I can't fly either!" Tiamat grinned at her, and looked up to the stars. A silence was held between the two until Sayna spoke again.
"If only Draco were here. He'd guide us. Or Bowen, even Kara." Tiamat stared at the stars for a moment.
"He's always here."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The new dawn came, gentle hues of pale orange and pinks shining on Tiamat's scales. The pair had fallen asleep and had dropped their guard. Sayna rolled over, grumbling as someone prodded her with a stick.
"Oi! Girlie! Wake up, will yer? Watcha doin' on me fields, eh?" Sayna shot awake, aware that Tiamat had disapperaed.
"I...uh...I got lost on my way home. But it's day now, so I'll be going." The man grinned wickedly.
"You will, will yer? Not so soon, missie. Watcha doing with a pretty blade like this 'un in your full bag, eh?" The putrid land-owner licked his lips, balancing the sword in his hand. "I'm gonna earn money offa you, in th' servant markets." Sayna's eyes widened.
"You wouldn't! Besides, King Bowen and Queen Kara wouldn't allow such a thing!" The man licked his lips again.
"Ah, but they won't know, will they? It's a black market, missie. Gonna sell yer elsewhere. Yer comin' wid me!" He pointed the sword at her, the tip hovering at her neck. She scrabbled backwards, and he kicked her over. "Look, if I'm gonna earn a living, y'can't leave, right?" She rolled over, clutching her stomach. A girl of twelve isn't much against a man of around thirty. But there was something he wasn't expecting. She may have been twelve, but she had extremely strong legs. She kicked out at the parts that hurt most. "Oi!" He yelled, running after her. "Come back here! I'm not done wid you yet!" He kicked her again, and she went sprawling.
"Yer too jittery fer the market. I'd let you go, but you'd give away th' secret of th' black market. Sorry, can't 'ave that, missie! You'll have to go!" He raised the sword and she screamed, covering herself in defence. But as he raised it, he was knocked aside by something large and golden-red. Tiamat.
"Leave my friend alone, you big bully!" She roared, pulling the sword from him. She handed it back to Sayna. "Don't let him touch it again." By now, the man had blanched white.
"D-d-dragon!" He screamed, jumping to his feet. "There's a dragon! Run!" He stumbled and went in a headlong run. Sayna skipped from foot to foot, delighted.
"You were amazing! Wonderful! Great! Tiamat, you're the best!" Tiamat turned away, bashful.
"It's only 'cos I'm big and scary. I'm not really." Sayna danced around her, a spring in her step.
"You're better than that! You're a dragon and more! You stood up for what is right, didn't you? It's the Dragon Pledge!" Tiamat grinned.
"That's enough. Look, didn't you say the castle was north? That's north! See, Draco's making the North Star shine for us. Let's go." Sayna held up a hand.
"You have to learn how to fly, first. C'mon, let's find a cliff."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Dylan, I'm sure your sister is okay. She's got out of a lot of things before." Dylan was slumped over a table with a mug of ale in his hand, and he looked up with watery eyes at his friend.
"She's twelve, for Bowen's sake. She may die if I'm not there!" His friend Adam put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, friend. Knowing her, she can get out of anything. Say, we'll take the horses out later to day and look for her. How's that?" Dylan sighed.
"I guess. But quickly. I think she's headed for the castle."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tiamat stared over the edge of the cliff, Sayna on her back. She winced at the drop to the river below, and turned her great wedge-shaped head back to the girl.
"Are...are you positive I can do this? I'm sure Bowen won't mind..." Sayna waved the thought away.
"I don't think he'll be happy with a dragon who can't fly. C'mon, you can do this!" Tiamat spread her wings, staring at the wingspan.
"I think they're small." Sayna rolled her eyes.
"You're stalling! Besides, your wings are huge. On the count of three, then. One...two..." Tiamat leapt from the cliff, eyes closed. She sped down towards the ground, Sayna shrieking and clinging to her neck in terror. Suddenly, her graceful wings opened, and she soared upwards. She beat the air once, twice, and caught a thermal.
"It's wonderful! You're flying!" Tiamat grinned.
"Of course I am! How d'you think we got up here?" Sayna laughed aloud, throwing her hands above her.
"Oh, the opportunities! We can go anywhere! Let's go...to Bowen's castle!" Tiamat swooped, tucking her wings at her side. She spread them once again, and they soared over the trees.
"King Bowen, here we come!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bowen stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Let me hear this again, good lord. You were watching over your fields when your people ducked at screamed at the sight of a dragon." He sighed, watching the man in front of him wring his hands. "No more dragons exist, lord. Draco was the last. Please, leave." He rubbed his temples, and Kara walked in.
"Still complaints, or more sightings?" Bowen nodded.
"Do they have to do this to me? It's bad enough that I killed my best fiend," he grumbled. Kara sat on her throne beside him, placing a hand over his.
"Now, Bowen. Calm yourself...remember, it's only dawn, and you have a day to get through." Suddenly, the guards burst in, bearing a gibbering man.
"What's wrong with him?" Demanded Bowen, eyeing the man. The guards exchanged looks, and one begun.
"It's like this, my King. He came to us, babbling about a dragon or something. We sat him down, gave him a down of ale and he told us the whole thing teeth chattering. We didn't believe him - but he showed us his bruises. He said that some whelp was on his lands, and he was about to dispatch of her when the dragon knocked him aside. It's up to you, m'lord." Bowen's gaze continued to rest on the man, and he looked up.
"Are you positive he isn't lying?" The man spluttered, foam spraying from his mouth.
"It was there, King! It tried to kill me! Pulled m'sword out of me hands in front of me very eyes...look! The cuts are there. Yer believe me, dontcha?" Bowen frowned.
"Hm, hold the man for further questioning. We'll see about this 'dragon'. Oh, and could you send out a number of patrols, just in case it's true? Good man!" The guard bowed, and the pair led the struggling, spluttering man away.
Hours passed, Bowen and Kara brooding on what had happened. As they thought, they were interrupted by a crash outside and voices.
"What kind of landing was that?!?" There was a rumble, and an answer.
"Leave me alone. *You* don't have wings, do you?" Bowen and Kara hurried out the door, gasping at what they saw. A girl and a red-gold dragon stood facing each other, the girl as young as twelve with a mask of exasperation on her face.
"You exist!" Blurted Bowen, his eyes wide. The girl fell to her knees, gasping.
"King Bowen, Queen Kara! This is Tiamat, the last of the dragons!"
