Tamara Rivers

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  • Ariadna’s Star: Post 17

    Ariadna’s Star: Post 17

    “…And that’s when you showed up,” Astralux says. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you both.”

    Undabouclier, who has one massive dark blue wing over Astralux, nuzzles her neck. “I’m glad you’re okay.” His deep voice, even gentle as it is, causes the needle in my hand to vibrate and I pause.

    Of course, I’m having a difficult time stitching up Astralux’s wound on her back leg, because every time I do I feel like I’m pricking myself. Blinking back tears of pain, I press my lips together as I insert the needle, digging in-between Astralux’s blood-stained white scales. My leg twitches at the sensation, feeling the needle. Astralux does a better job holding still.

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  • Ariadna’s Star: Post 16

    Ariadna’s Star: Post 16

    My heart is racing as I watch the new dragon and rider circle above us against the blue sky. Then the dragon swoops down, and my eyes widen.

    This is the fourth dragon I’ve seen in the last few days. And this is the largest dragon I’ve seen yet, both in size and in build, its wings beating with a rushing wind as it lands with a heavy boom. I have a suspicion, based on the three prior ones that I’ve seen, that this dragon is male, though all I have to go off of is that Astralux beside me has a feminine appearance and slender look to her that the others don’t.

    This new dragon’s scales, which are as large as shields across his neck and back, are a deep blue color that becomes turquoise at the tips of his four paws, his tail—which ends in a strange bulb—and along his short spines. He has a pair of horns that curve back over his head, protecting his skull, and his large blue green eyes glance between myself, Astralux, and then across the small stream to where Vladykar Lochan and Pesokvlgazu are.

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  • Ariadna’s Star: Post 15

    Ariadna’s Star: Post 15

    I flinch as a bolt zips past my head, so close I feel the wind off its black vanes as it passes by. It hits Astralux and digs between two of her gleaming white plate scales on the back of her neck. She growls as a trickle of bright, glittering blood runs down her neck, and I clamp a hand to the back of my neck, sharing in her pain through our bond. The dragon still has a bolt sticking out of the back of her right leg, somehow running despite the agony, crashing through the forest.

    Behind, the sunlight glints off the light bronze scales of Pesokvglazu as he grins with long, sharp teeth, snaking his way between the trees in pursuit. On his back, Vladykar Lochan is calmly loading his crossbow with another black-vaned bolt, his gaze locked on us.

    “I can’t outrun them, and I still can’t fly,” Astralux mutters.

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  • Ariadna’s Star: Post 14

    Ariadna’s Star: Post 14

    “Fire,” I say.

    “Fire.” Malik, the leader of the tribal people who have taken Astralux and me captive—and yet, treating us like we were guests—looks back at the flames on the pile of sticks between us. “Fire,” he repeats.

    I nod, smiling. Since this morning, Malik and I have been slowly trying to understand each other. It’s hard to have any actual conversations, since we’re still learning the words it takes to describe the world around us. But between that, the gift of animal skin clothes like what these tribal people wear, and being provided plenty of food, it’s gone a ways to calming my nerves.

    A man comes rushing into our midst, hurriedly calling to Malik. At the same time, I hear a throaty roar from beyond the animal skin tents all around us, and I rise to my feet.

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  • Ariadna’s Star: Post 13

    Ariadna’s Star: Post 13

    After maybe half an hour of walking, the tribal men in animal skins holding my arms stop. I peer around, seeing only more trees. But I can smell something—people, I realize. I look back to see that the rest of the men are slowly dragging Astralux along by ropes tied to her front legs. The beautiful dragon is still fast asleep from whatever strange paste they had spread on her and tipped their arrows with. I can feel the slight pain through our shared bonds of her wounds, but it isn’t enough to wake her.

    Leading this tribal group is a tall and sturdy man who wears an elaborate bone and beaded necklace around his neck. He stands nearby, watching as the men continue to pull Astralux close. Then he gives a whistle that sounds like an owl hooting. I hear a similar owl’s hoot from ahead. It must be some sort of signal.

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  • Ariadna’s Star: Post 12

    Ariadna’s Star: Post 12

    “You should probably keep the bones,” Astralux says. “And maybe the fur, although I did tear that pretty bad.”

    I look from the beautiful, shiny white dragon beside me to the remaining bones of the bear, the meat eaten between the two of us. They need some cleaning, but I realize that Astralux is right—the skull itself could be bleached to make a great bowl. The fur is unusable, nothing but shredded tufts haphazardly tossed about the place.

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  • Ariadna’s Star: Post 11

    Ariadna’s Star: Post 11

    Chapter 2: Allies & Enemies

    My eyes grow heavy, even as the sun shines down on me. But there’s no point in trying to sleep—not perched awkwardly on the top of Astralux as I am, clinging to her spines.

    “I know you don’t want to talk too much about the bond,” I say, “but can you tell me where the Wards are?”

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  • Ariadna’s Star: Post 10

    Ariadna’s Star: Post 10

    —A bright, beautiful light explodes in front of Astralux across the stream’s water before us.

    I stare, utterly astounded, before sliding down Astralux’s back. I try to use the back of her front right leg like she showed me to climb down, but I miss and fall to the grassy ground below. “Oomph!”

    “Estelle?!” Astralux asks, her tone worried.

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  • Ariadna’s Star: Post 9

    Ariadna’s Star: Post 9

    “How many Vladykar dragons are there?!” I ask incredulously.

    “Why would I know?!” Astralux asks with a growl that reverberates throughout her draconic body.

    Astralux reaches out with her claws, digging into the stone of the corridor to make a sharp right turn as another blast of green-hued pale yellow acid blasts out at us. Beyond, I can just make out the bright lime green eyes of the dragon Saurentais as he chases after us. The faint light in the corridor that glints off Astralux’s bright white scales reveals that he has light-colored scales like Astralux. It’s hard to make out much else as Astralux scrambles along the tight stone corridor.

    “You might be bonded, but you can’t escape me!” Saurentais roars, the sound echoing through the corridor.

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  • Ariadna’s Star: Post 8

    Ariadna’s Star: Post 8

    It’s getting harder and harder to see as we fall, the faintest light glinting off Astralux’s iridescent white scales. At last, I spot the bottom of the hole. Astralux uses her wings to coast at the end of our drop, and both of us cringe at the pain and cramping this causes her right wing, until she lands amongst the stones at the bottom. Finding her footing, Astralux crawls into a dark space, revealing a small cave within the maze of caves we’re already in. No doubt this will hide us if Vladykar Lochan or Pesokvglazu look down the hole. If they could even see this far.

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