“Other dragons?” Syla had been reaching for her lantern but paused.
A wing of domesticated stormer dragons flew along the coast, heading north. One came up the river and stopped to speak with Agrevlari.
“They had riders?”
Yes, the rider likely also spoke to the stormer captain.
“Vorik.”
Someone sent by his general with an update to his orders? Had the passing dragons said anything to Igliana? Were they kin of hers? Allies?
The dragons are all gone from our senses now,Wreylith said.
“Agrevlari and the other one too?” Syla jumped as something scurried through the undergrowth near her foot, brushing her trouser leg. Another insect buzzed past, stirring her hair.
Yes.
“Maybe they went with the others,” Teyla said.
“Leaving us alone to search for the component?” Syla should have found that heartening, but if the rainforest was half as dangerous as described, she would have preferred Vorik to be in the area. Even though he was undoubtedly at cross-purposes with her, she also didn’t doubt that he would come to help if he heard her scream.
“Let’s hope,” Fel grumbled.
We can sense other dragons from afar since they are so strongly magical,Igliana said.We sense most humans not at all, except by scent and sight and sound, since few have any magical signature.
We can sense the princess and the rider captain,Wreylith said,simply not from as far away as dragons.
Yes.
Syla took the commentary to mean that Vorik and his officer might be in the area but undetectable by her allies. She lit a dragonspark match. Fel stepped close to return the salve container, but he also held a hand up toward her lantern again.
“I wouldn’t. We can camp and wait until morning to search for your ruins.”
Syla hesitated. As the princess and heir apparent to the throne,shewas in charge of this expedition, but Fel had a lot more experience out in the world. Maybe he’d even traveled to the mainland before as a soldier. Or maybe he just had more of an idea what was out there.
An insect the size of a bat flew out of the darkness and toward the lit match. Syla gasped and dropped it.
In an instant, Fel had his mace out and swung toward the thing. Even with the fluctuating light as the match fell, he managed to strike the huge insect. Blood spattered Syla’s face, mingling unpleasantly with the mosquito deterrent she’d applied, and the bat-bug fell to the ground beside the smoldering match. She glimpsed a long stinger before Fel stepped on the match and extinguished it.
“We should move farther inland—away from the water—to camp.” Fel waved in that direction. “There might be fewer insects and animals there.” Something roared from the direction he’d pointed, the noise sounding more feline than dragon, and he lowered his arm. “Fewer insects anyway.”
“Are you sure?” Syla asked.
“No.”
She gazed up toward the tree with the moss bulb. Even though her eyes were gritty from fatigue, she was reluctant to huddle in the dark and attempt to sleep when Vorik might be out there, hunting for exactly what they sought. Andhehad that extra keen night vision.
We depart.Wreylith sprang from her perch and flapped her wings.Be wary. Many creatures that can threaten those without fangs, fire, and talons live in these wilds.
“Yes. Thank you.” Syla rubbed the bite mark on her hand, the skin already warm and swollen. “Wait. Can you light a fire before you go?”
In the darkness, she could onlysenseFel’s glower, not see it, but his objection had been to her carrying a lantern with her, hadn’t it?
A fire?
“So we can see the area better.” Syla attempted to share an image of a cheerful campfire, though it wasn’t as if a dragon would gather logs and kindling. More likely, Wreylith would?—
The dragon angled toward the bank and opened her maw. Fire roiled in the back of her throat.
