Telsy turned to face Cyvr. Elves were moving about the dragons at incredible speed, strapping on saddle bags filled with food and water for the flight. These items were not expected to last long; Vrael made sure Riders and their dragons would have to eventually find their own ways to survive.
In what appeared to be a synchronized motion, twenty dragons took flight; a mass of rainbow wings filled her sight.
Let us be off, Cyvr said eagerly, his body shaking slightly. I have never participated in the Journey before. This should be exciting!
Telsy managed to leap right into his saddle and strap her legs in. Roars filled her ears as the twenty dragons participating left the amphitheater. She managed to lock eyes with her father for a brief moment.
Although nothing was said between father and daughter, Telsy caught the warning in his eyes. Cyvr was old enough and experienced enough to win this race easily. It wouldn't help their image if Cyvr made all the other dragons look weak by showing off his stamina.
Telsy nodded once and Cyvr shifted his wings.
Even though Telsy and Cyvr took off almost a solid minute after everyone else had, it wasn't hard to keep up or keep track of the multitude of colored bodies in the sky. Galbatorix was keeping Jarnunvösk at a higher altitude than the other dragons but wasn't any farther ahead of them. Cyvr flapped his wings lazily as they kept to the back of the pack. When the pack thinned and they crossed the sea, Cyvr would expand his wings.
The trees and buildings began spacing out more and more as the dragons moved closer to the coast. Telsy looked back once at the imposing castle that was at the center of Doru Araeba. The castle had been built into multiple mountains. In some spots, the peaks were higher than the crests of the castle itself. Telsy knew that those caverns that rested at the highest points of the mountains were the homes to the dragons that never chose Riders and only chose to aid in assisting the training of young dragons. Telsy also knew that the elves who created the castle spent many decades working the stone into roads wide enough for dragons to walk side by side and create reasonable living quarters for dragons of any size. She knew more about this land mass than anything else.
This had been her home since birth and she had never left the island.
Cyvr sensed Telsy's sudden unease and clicked his teeth together.
Most of the other younglings flying ahead of us have never flown to the edge of Vroengard, either. They came here when their dragons hatched and arrived here on a ship, most likely. You are lucky to have me, young one. The others are lucky as well that the distance to cross the ocean is so short. They are using up much of their energy now when the land has yet to even run out beneath them.
"But dragons can swim, of course. If need be, they can rest in the water."
In their mental connection, Cyvr laughed.
No one will want to rest in these waters once they see the serpents that lie in the shallows!
Telsy fell silent as she watched a shining wall of blue approach. Suddenly the ocean was much more daunting than before and she realized why Galbatorix was flying so much higher than everyone else.
The salty ocean breeze hit all of Telsy's senses before the ground disappeared beneath them. Her eyes watered and she sneezed twice. Tiny droplets pelted her exposed face and she raised an arm instinctively to stop the pain.
Cyvr said something in the ancient language and suddenly all the annoyances of the ocean air were gone. Telsy picked her head up and looked around.
Thank you, she said to Cyvr.
He snorted in response.
Telsy shifted again in the saddle. It had been enough hours since they left that she'd lost count and the mountains of the Spine were not even visible yet. Cyvr had shared some of his memories with her so she'd have something to pass the time with, but he would only share so much. As the hours had passed, they had discreetly passed seven dragons. Cyvr was conveniently the color of a cloud, so as long as they kept their minds quiet, the other Riders had no inclination of their presence. Telsy looked almost straight up to where Jarnunvösk and Galbatorix were flying. Morzan and his dragon, Thorn, were trailing them and right behind the red dragon was Brom on his cobalt-blue dragon, Saphira.
Before Telsy could look around for any others, Cyvr gave a start and began flapping his wings with more force.
What is it? Telsy asked.
I got a message from Isidar. We're not moving fast enough to make the coast by nightfall.
He turned the tips of his wings towards each other and as the air gathered underneath, they gained altitude but their speed slowed. Soon they were higher than Galbatorix but still a ways behind. Cyvr began flapping his wings with a greater force and they eventually caught up with the grey dragon.
Telsy thought, How can we make everyone move faster?
Cyvr didn't respond in any language she could understand.
He opened his jaw farther than Telsy had ever seen and roared louder than she had ever heard. Suddenly they were rocketing downwards and whipped by Jarnunvösk and Thorn. In what felt like no time at all, they had passed all the other dragons. Other roars followed in their wake and Cyvr finally opened his wings and they leveled out. Telsy opened her eyes tentatively.
Why did you do that? She asked incredulously.
Cyvr didn't respond for a moment but kept up his thunderous pace.
They are all younglings, he said. They are desperate to win so as long as I am setting the pace, they will follow as quickly as they possibly can.
I just hope we don't exhaust them to near death, Telsy said.