Tag: magic

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.

“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.