Disclaimer: I don't own Pern. I do, however own most of the characters in this story.
Chapter Twelve: The Empire State Building
Though they wanted to get Thyrath and Nairyry home they also had become close friends in the short time they had known each other. Jess hadn't seen her father since she had dashed out of the condominium, and she was grateful. Her mother was in some country walking around in high heels hanging on the arm of some rich dork from Mars or something, and her father had never quite gotten it into his head that she had only been with him for the few years that she had tried to live like a normal working person. Now she was done with him and her daughter, as she had likely been done with so many other men and children.
Together the two young people had gone around New York, showing Nairyry around and spending most of their time biting their mental fingernails hoping that the next day Thyrath would fly. They showed Nairyry anything and everything they could afford, spending the finally-useful results of working over summer and on the weekends and, of course, the checks and cash of adoring relatives from unknown countries who had sent money because they didn't know them at all.
Both knew their parents wouldn't miss them; Tristan was one of many children, and not the most favored of them. He felt no worries about skipping out on a chore or two that one of his other numerous adopted or related siblings could do. Jess didn't care if she never saw her father again, and it was not as if she'd ever find her mother in the wide world.
That evening the three of them were trying to find the best route to get Thyrath, on the ground, to the hidden place Jess had suggested when the queen suddenly rose to her feet. Enough! Her cry was audible to all three. I am sick of being on the ground; I will fly to this new hiding place. Remove my bandages, Tristan, she ordered. I will try to fly now.
Where from? If you try to fly here you might hurt yourself! Her rider cried even as she unwrapped the cloth that had been tied in place only recently. Se was surprised to see that it look much better, with only a slightly paler gold place where the forked stick had punctured her wing. Maybe that arnica stuff worked really well on dragons.
High, she said. High. Tristan followed her gaze as she looked up– to the highest point in the city, the Empire State Building.
Oh, no, he whispered to himself, shaking his head. Not good. Bad bad BAD! Then he acted without thought and grabbed all his things as the others grabbed theirs, lading them into the most compact areas.
Without any other thought except to be in the sky again Thyrath knocked trees aside until she was on the path. The humans followed, trying to dissuade her, and saw that she took up the full breadth of the path.
They raced after the dragon. Finally, when they would have all fallen down in exhaustion, Nairyry swung up to Thyrath's neck and reached a hand down to Jess. After positioning the girl behind her she did the same to he boy. Jessica clung to her friend, and Tristan tried not to do the same.
Thyrath made quite an impression on the people playing a game in the field when they came out of the trees. As people either froze in shock, ran for their lives or fell on the ground and covered their heads she stopped and lifted her head, a true dragon queen.
Then she turned around them and continued on her way, with her three passengers scared half out of their skins. Nairyry continued to try to turn her dragon back but Thyrath was not even listening. At the first busy street she took a few running strides and leapt over all the cars, and once more continued on her way. All four were oblivious to all the cameras snapping around them and the several crashes they left in their wake. Down the street the gold dragon walked, carefully avoiding injury to anything except ,perhaps a few inanimate objects, and finally stopped in front of the Empire State Building.
Thyrath stood as straight as she could then tilted her head back and gave a bellow of satisfaction. Even as the echoes were still coming she crouched back on her hind legs and then launched herself at the skyscraper and took a purchase by knocking out windows so make way for her claws.
Never in her life had Nairyry been so grateful for the flying straps. Thyrath would catch her if she fell, probably, but she would not like the experience. The other humans just latched on like leaches to anything; her, the neck ridges, the saddle, her, each other…
"I never liked the movie King Kong," commented Tristan nauseously. Jess would have laughed, but she was too busy trying to stay alive.
And then, finally, they were at the top. Thyrath stood on the top of the Empire State Building like a magical legend come to life, spread her wings, stretched her neck upwards, and let loose a roar the world would never forget.
Tristan and Jess held onto the person in front and Nairyry the harness and flying straps as the queen reared on her hind legs. Thyrath lunged off the building, glistening wings spread wide–
and flew.
Below, all was hushed and reverently silent. People took pictures and even this noise seemed loud in the silence. Thyrath soared around the buildings delightedly thrumming to herself. Then, by a freak chance, a window washer's security rope broke as he leaned over for a better view of the golden dragon. His scream echoes loud above the hushed streets. In a maneuver that brought gasps, applause and cheers from her audience Thyrath spun and dove after the man.
She caught him her claws low enough above the ground to cause the New Yorkers and tourists to duck, carefully keeping from scratching him, and soared upwards once more as they exalted in the fine save.
Then Thyrath folded her wings, dropping at a heart-pounding pace for a second, and back winged neatly to keep her balance on her hind legs as she released her catch ,then settled to all fours and tucked her wings against her sides. Her expression was so satisfied and smug that Nairyry, Jess and Tristan had to smile. "Sorry about the scare, friend!" the dragonrider called down to him. "Thyrath has only just gotten back on the wing!"
Almost like a signal everyone began to cheer and ran forward to touch the dragon. For the minute she tolerated it. Many of them were scared but had been swept along by the crowd. One young girl was trying to get a look at her hero and was bowled over. Thyrath saw and, rumbling comfortingly, extended her neck, causing everyone to get out of her way. Then the dragon ever so gently picked her up by the back of her shirt in her teeth and carefully deposited the child on her own golden back with the other three.
"Are you all right?" asked Jess, taking the little girl in her arms from the queen. The girl nodded, still looking at the dragon in awe. Jess dried the girl's tears with her coat sleeve and lowered down to the arms of a woman waiting nervously below with the look of a mother terrified for her child.
The crowd had watched as the dragon picked her up and now they resumed their babble. Thyrath lowered her head and one set of lids, eyes whirling with regular green blue, but with the slightest hint of yellow, indicating that she was not entirely comfortable in this huge human stampede.
After little while, in which her riders looked around almost warily she raised her head with a snort. She rose to her feet and half unfurled her wings. With a grace and elegance a Lady Holder would have envied, Nairyry thought, she made her way out of the crowd, who parted to let her and her passengers through.
Once free of the people she started to run, wings open to give her a little bit of lift. They were nearly back to Central Park when the queen stopped so suddenly, turning to the side slightly, they nearly fell off. Tristan and Jess peered around a taught-bodied Nairyry to gasp in shock.
A barricade, with armed police, blocked their way. As Thyrath tried to back up they quickly found that squad cars and more officers prevented them from going anywhere.
"What do you think they want?" the dragonrider asked her friends softly.
"Isn't it obvious?" Tristan's voice was filled with sarcasm and scorn. "They want Thyrath." And us, she thought.
The guns were aimed at them. Nairyry decided to take a risk. "You have no right to hinder us," she called. "Once we reach an area where my dragon can take off easily she and I will leave. I have no quarrel with you. Please stand back so we may come through."
The only answer was more guns.
Tristan. Jess. Nairyry. It was Thyrath, sounding strange and as angry, yet controlled, as her rider had ever heard a dragon sound. Her eyes whirled very fast, wholly reds and yellows now. Take a deep breath.
And hold on tight.
"Uh-oh!" commented Nairyry. It was all any of them had time for.
By the time the police tried to fire at them, they were gone. The crowd behind the barrier was silent. Not one person in New York City would ever forget the dragon on the Empire State Building and how she had vanished, leaving memories and photographs as the only evidence of her presence.