Dragon Riders

“We couldn’t find anything.” Spencer reported to Coni as he returned back to the village on a jet ski. Spencer and an entire search party had been searching for any signs of Bryson and Florence for the entire night. After hours of searching, Spencer returned to refuel his vehicle and report the areas searched.

Coni waited for him, fluttering in the air as the wind began to pick up. These mountains are vicious. She thought as Spencer dismounted. The news was heartbreaking, at this time of the night if they were still up and moving it would be best for the children to take shelter. There were dangerous creatures out there that roamed the mountains at night.

“I’m going to contact Duke Coldwater. We need a full search team out here.” Coni said.

“That would be best for them.” Spencer said. He understood the ramifications of what would happen if Coni were to contact them. He was sure that Bryson’s father would send everything available to find Bryson. He was also sure that everyone involved in this trip would be blamed for incompetence, even worse if after everything Bryson still doesn’t get found.

Still, it was better to contact for help early when it was more likely for Bryson and Florence to still be alive. Spencer suddenly stopped and looked up in surprise.

“Uh… is something flying towards us?” Spencer said as he noticed a blip in the air getting closer and closer towards them right behind Coni.

“Huh?” Coni said in surprise turning around to look at what Spencer was distracted by.

Unlike Spencer who was human, she could see in the darkness, and she recognized what was approaching them. To Spencer it was just an unidentified object moving towards them, but Coni could see what it was. It was a dragon, namely the dragon that had attacked earlier.

“I don’t believe it.” She said in disbelief before screaming out, “Get the artillery! The dragon is back!”

In an instant the men around the area scrambled to prepare their weapons. As they did a voice echoed around them like a loudspeaker.

“This is Lord Bryson Coldwater! I am riding atop the dragon! Do not fire! Marsh is with me!” A voice sounding just like Bryson rang out.

“Is this a trick?” Spencer asked unsure.

“No… it’s them…” Coni said as she focused on what was atop the dragon. It was Bryson and Florence’s signature that she sensed, “Quickly prepare for their landing!” She quickly changed her orders.

***

“Well, they aren’t firing. So I think they heard us.” Bryson said as he used magic to desperately stick himself and Florence onto the back of the dragon.

The flight over had been as horrifying as it was awesome. It didn’t help that Eimra never flew with riders before and that they didn’t have the proper equipment to ride a massive flying hairless scaley creature.

There are those who are trained to ride dragons and other massive creatures, but neither of the pre-teens has such training. All of Bryson’s horse-riding lessons did not prove to be very useful in this instance as it was case.

“Well at least we won’t get shot out of the air after all of this.” Florence said.

“Since when did you quip?” Bryson said looking back at her in surprise as he tried to ignore how tightly she clung onto him. Bryson was pretty sure this grip was less due to of fear of herself falling off and more so trying make sure that Bryson didn’t. As he tried to ignore how her body was pressed upon his back, he saw that there seemed to be lights signalling where to land.

“Do I land there?” Eimra asked.

“Yes. Go.” Bryson said stiffly as he felt Florence’s chin rest on his shoulder as she peered over to look.

“Okay!” Eimra said cheerfully as she began to descend.

“Woah!” Bryson exclaimed as the sudden change of direction caused him to lurch upwards. Florence made sure to keep Bryson seated atop the dragon as they lowered altitude.

As Eimra’s massive wings flapped as she landed down. Immediately they were met by Coni several members of the airship team and… Spencer Khan?

Bryson was taken aback at seeing him again, “What are you doing here?”

“I was helping the villages procure food. Then I heard you were lost in the mountains.” Spencer said looking joyful seeing Bryson, “Looks like I was worried for nothing, you came back with a dragon!”

“Are you two okay? Any injuries? Are you hungry? Tired?” Coni said fluttering around Florence and Bryson frantically with worry.

“We are fine for the most part.” Florence answered, “Though I do think Bryson should get a proper once over.”

“What happened?” Coni said frantically, signally for the others to prepare food and a place to rest as she moved to barely a fingertip away from Bryson.

“Florence is just being over protective. Like you right now.” Bryson said pushing Coni away from him with one glove hand, “Can I get down from the dragon first before you try to coddle me?”

As he said that Eimra lowered her body to make it easier for them to dismount. Florence let go of Bryson and landed down first, she then looked up at Bryson and extended out a hand offering to help him down.

“I can get down myself.” Bryson grumbled as he ignored her hand and swung his leg over to drop down. It was higher than he had expected and he stumbled a bit as he landed. Florence helped catch him as he stumbled, looking expressionlessly at Bryson as he frantically brushed her off in embarrassment.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s going on with the dragon?” Spencer asked.

“Hello! I’m Eimra, I have you to thank for getting back my nest.” Eimra said with a wave of a claw.

“Um, explanation please.” Coni said looking up at the ice dragon in bewilderment, remembering that Bryson and Florence had inexplicably arrived on an ice dragon. An ice dragon that was likely the same ice dragon that they had to fight off when they first landed.

“Right, so you remember our theory that something chased the ice dragon out of it’s territory?” Bryson said reminding Coni.

“Yes.” She said with a nod remembering.

“Turns out the theory held water.” Bryson said jerking his head towards Eimra, “This is Eimra, she’s an ice dragon.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Lord Bryson here told me how you helped chase away those ice giants.” Eimra said giving Coni a polite bow of the head.

“Oh… hello Eimra. Thank you for bringing them back.” Coni said greeting her awkwardly, unsure what to make of this.

“It’s the least I could do for thanks. They even held heal my injuries!” Eimra said showing her patched up wound.

“That reminds me. I need to apply a better wrap for that wound.” Florence said, “It’s dark out I recommend that you rest immediately after I do.” She then glanced over to Bryson.

“Meh.” Bryson grunted, “I’m tired. Dragon go find a place to rest and get someone to help Marsh, Pinop you’re in charge, I’ll explain later, Khan I’ll sort out payment with you in the morning and someone take me to my shelter.” He ordered as he trudged himself past the group.

One of the other men ran up to Bryson, “I’ll lead the way sir.” He said as he guided Bryson to his room. The others began to disperse as well.

“Let me help bring the, er, patient over to an area where you can better treat… her.” One of the medical team said to Florence, who simply nodded and beckoned Eimra to follow.

“Good to see Bryson completely fine.” Spencer said with a smile.

“Yeah, he doesn’t seem phased at all, despite the dragon.” Coni said looking over to Spencer, “You should rest too. You’ve been out all night.”

“Right.” Spencer said with a yawn, “What about you?”

“I’m a pixie. I don’t need sleep.” She said, “Besides, I need to go and organize everyone else.”

“Alright then. Good night.” Spencer said as he left. Letting Coni finish up her orders given by Bryson.

***

I wish I could’ve had breakfast first. Bryson complained to himself. Ah, well you caused this Bryson. You may as well suck it up. He argued internally as he yawned and went down the stairs of his temporary lodgings.

The locals were rather kind with offering them a place to sleep. There were a few extra buildings that were currently unoccupied as some of the villagers would often be out travelling weeks at a time. These homes were far better than the tents that Bryson was originally prepared to sleep in.

Instead most of the crewmembers are sleeping in tents while I get a proper room. Bryson thought slightly guiltily as he passed the kitchen looking longingly at the pantry. Heading over to the door he went to grab his coat.

As Bryson went to open the closet before stopping short. Right practice. Bryson recalled and instead flicked a finger and the closet swung open. Then extending out his hand the coat magically floated onto him. Out of the pockets he pulled out two seal leather gloves and wore them.

Fully ready now, Bryson opened the door and headed out. He saw that Eimra the ice dragon was already talking to Coni, the village’s leader and a few other members of Bryson’s crew.

Before he reached them he spotted Spencer Khan getting on a snow ski. Spencer who saw him as well gave him a wave.

“Hey Lord Bryson! I’m heading out.”

“Already? Isn’t it pretty early?”

“I have to report the completion of my quest. It’s quite the lengthy trip, thanks for giving me the snow ski.” Spencer said.

“Well we needed to pay you somehow.” Bryson grunted.

“Hey.” Spencer said a bit hesitantly.

“What?”

“How’s Viola?”

“Doing fine, just settling herself in her new environment.”

“Could you tell her I said hi?”

Bryson looked at Spencer for a moment before answering, “Sure.”

“Awesome! Thanks, and good to see you again!” He said as he put on his helmet and revved up the snow ski and drove away.

Bryson only shook his head at the shrinking figure before heading towards the pixie and the dragon.

“What have you been discussing?” Bryson asked as he approached them.

“Oh hello Lord Bryson!” Coni said greeting him as few other of the airship crew left, “Miss Eimra here was just explaining to me about how she even got to these mountains.”

“I see, so you now know that she originally came from the Fairy Realm?”

“Yes, from what I remember it is quite a common practice in order to make sure that a clan of dragons doesn’t get too big.” Coni said nodding her head.

“Why is that?”

“Too many dragons in one area is just asking for a destructive fight. So some leave the clan, voluntarily or not depending on the clan and dragon.” Coni explained.

“Yes. They were very mean with my banishment.” Eimra said with a huff.

“But they don’t usually kick them out into another realm.” Coni said looking over to Eimra, who seemed to turn a deeper shade of blue.

“Well… I may have accidentally warped here.” She said sheepishly.

“What?” Bryson and Coni said in unison.

“When I found out that I would have to leave I made a bit of a scene.” She said not looking at either of them in the eye.

“Okay…” Coni said slowly.

“It might have led to me accidentally activating the seer’s warp stone.”

“Seer?” Bryson asked.

“It’s a dragon’s clans most powerful magic user.” Coni explained.

“I see. How do you activate a warp stone accidently and go through it?”

“It’s a very long story.” Eimra said in an embarrassed tone that indicated that she would rather not say.

“Alright, well that aside what happens with you now.” Bryson said deciding to move past this subject.

“I suppose I would return to my den.” Eimra said before realizing something, “That is if you would let me.”

“You’re asking for permission?” Bryson said in surprise.

“You are the lord of this land are you not? I would need to.”

“Well, yes. It’s just a bit strange that a dragon asks for permission.” Bryson said. I wonder how many people have had this experience before. Bryson wondered.

“But I owe you. I probably would have died if I was stuck with my wounds up in the mountains.” She said bowing her head to Bryson.

“Hmm.” Bryson thought for a moment, “You’ve already lived here for a number of years correct?”

“At least for a decade.”

Bryson then looked over to Coni, “Have any of the villagers ever reported a dragon occurring before?”

“Aside from recently, no.”

“I try to leave humans alone. Though I have on occasion stolen a few books here and there to read.” Eimra said before quickly adding, “It gets boring up there okay!”

“I didn’t say anything.” Bryson said. Though that does explain the books, wait a minute. Bryson realized, “Wait how do you steal books without anyone noticing.”

“Oh I use my humanoid form.”

“You can do that?”

“Not every dragon can do that.” Coni complimented.

“Well, I’m not that good. I can’t get rid of all my dragon features, and I can’t really do it with my wound right now.” She said rubbing her bandaged area.

“Do not transform. It will mess with the patchwork.” Florence ordered suddenly appearing.

“Ahhh!” Eimra yelled in surprise. A small spray of snow showered the area. Bryson turned around in time to avoid the snow from splashing on his face, he also raised a gloved hand to protect Coni from the spray.

“You came out of nowhere.” Bryson said eyeing Florence.

“I need to make sure that she doesn't do anything that hampers her recovery.”

“Thorough, aren’t you?”

“It is my job.”

“Hmm.” Bryson grunted unimpressed while Eimra recovered from her scare. Once she did, he regarded her, “Considering you’ve had no issues with the people here, you can return back to your den. Though I will need to report that you are now in this region… which could be a bit of a headache.”

“How so?”

“You’re an ice dragon, they don’t usually appear in this continent. If you are planning on living here, I will need to report your existence.”

“Oh, that’s fine.”

Bryson gave a small nod. Father is going want too keep an eye on her. He thought, feeling a bit bothered by the fact.

“Well, I could take her back.” Coni said.

“Back where?”

“To the Fairy Realm.”

“You can?” Eimra asked perking up.

“It’ll take a few hours and some supplies, but I know the spell for it.” Coni said.

“What kind of supplies?”

“Nothing expensive just need the space to create the circles.”

“Well do you want to go back to the Fairy Realm?” Bryson.

“Absolutely.” She said nodding her head.

“Alright. I’ll tell father.” Bryson said. And hopefully he won’t mind. He thought internally.