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"Your time in Ankhara wasn't a total waste, I see," he said.
"Fen, this is Dara. He is the general of the aerial unit," Khan introduced. "Dara, this is Fenrys Rune-Tongue."
"The arena champion?"
"You heard about that?" Fen asked.
Dara shrugged. "News travels fast, especially when Kash gets excited about something. I'm surprised he didn't fight Khan for you."
"He knew he didn't stand a chance," Khan said with a grin.
Dara laughed. "Like that, is it? Well, let's get you two in the air, shall we?"
Dara showed them to a chimera with magnificent gold and red plumage for its head and wings and a large golden cat body.
"What a gorgeous creature you are," Fen told it.
"This one knows it too." Dara tossed a piece of meat at the chimera. Its powerful beak snapped it out of the air, the sound making Fen shiver. At times, she still dreamed of the arena and that sound snapping above her.
The chimera ducked its head down, and Dara slid a large leather ring over its head with reins attached.
"Okay, Fenrys, you get up first," Dara instructed, leading her around the chimera. It wore a double-seated saddle with a leather bar to grip on to. The chimera lay down, and Khan helped Fen into the front saddle. He took an extra harness piece from Dara, looping it around her waist and clipping it to a metal ring on the saddle's grip bar.
"Just in case you feel a bit wobbly, this will ensure you don't go anywhere," Khan assured her. He placed her boots firmly in the stirrups before climbing into the saddle behind her.
"Break her in easy, Khan. None of your daredevilry when you have a passenger," Dara said and passed him the reins.
"I'm offended that you would even feel the need to say such a thing," Khan replied with mock offense.
"He knows I'd murder him anyway," Fen said, shooting Dara a wink.
Dara laughed and moved out of the way. "Alright, take her up."
The chimera stood up, and Fen's knuckles went white from gripping the bar in front of her. Khan laughed softly by her ear.
"Try not to scream."
"I am Norse. We don't scream," Fen replied.
The chimera's enormous wings flapped hard as it launched itself into the air. Fen clenched her jaw shut to keep the scream in. Khan's laughter was drowned out by the roar of wind in her ears.
The chimera climbed higher in the sky, and Fen tried to keep looking at the back of the chimera's head instead of down at the rapidly disappearing ground.
Khan leveled the chimera out, his arms around Fen, his warm chest pressing into her back.
"Breathe, Fen. You're safe," he said into her ear. "Look."
Fen took a shaky breath, and she glanced away from the chimera's feathers. Atrahasis stretched out beneath her, a circular jewel nestled between the two rivers. The farmlands were green and golden before the jungles and the mountains rising in the distance.
"Gods, it's so stunning…" She didn't have any better words for it.
"It is. I've missed this so much. Up here, everything is quiet, and I feel like my mind can just—"
"Breathe," Fen answered.
"Exactly."
She had always dreamed of flying and was jealous of the freedom of the birds. Now, she was amongst them. She understood why they always seemed so content.
