Tricked Into Flight

Chapter 8

*Katerina's POV*

I picked another piece of fish off the bones and pushed the remains into the fire. It had been a long time since I had baked fish. The only rivers or lakes I dared go near were close to villages, but the locals rarely appreciated strangers taking their fish.

As boredom set in, I rearranged the contents in my backpack for the third time. None of my clothing needed to be mended or cleaned. I had already sharpened my belt knife and dagger. There was nothing left to do.

I glanced up as a dark gray dragon descended to the top of the cliff. The dragons had come and gone a few times, although I hadn't seen this one before. I fiddled with a stick and rechecked my shields.

The lack of anything to do left me with far too much time to fret and worry, although I was beyond grateful that I was down here and not up there. Occasionally Rakota or the purple dragon glanced over the edge to check on me, but their heads only remained visible for a few seconds.

With a sigh, I regarded the bow yet again. My fingers were sore from my numerous practice sessions, but at least it was something to do. My aim had gotten a bit better, but the rabbits still weren't in any danger.

Collecting my practice arrow, I stood up and once more took aim at the hapless tree. Luck was with me, and the arrow hit the base of the tree. Not as high as where I was aiming, but at least it hit the tree.

I collected the arrow and shot it yet again, but this time, the arrow flew past the trunk like it usually did.

As I began trudging toward the greenery, I muttered, "Whoever said practice makes perfect clearly forgot to say how much practice was needed."

"You can practice later."

I jumped and spun around, only now seeing Rakota drifting to the ground as lightly as thistle down. How did a creature that big make no noise at all? I exhaled and rested my hand over my racing heart.

"Go grab your arrow, and let's get going."

I bit my lip but ran to get my arrow. My steps were slower on my return. "Umm, may I ask where we're going?"

"We're going to see if the mages are still in the valley, which is unlikely," he said shortly as he lay on his stomach and folded back a wing for me to climb into the saddle.

Above, three other dragons took flight. As much as I wanted to suggest I could just stay here, there were no nearby roads or villages, and this was the easiest way for me to get closer to civilization. If the mages really had left the valley, that would be the perfect destination. It was close to a road, I'd know where I was, and I could resume my aimless wandering while avoiding dragons and mages.

I quickly climbed into the saddle as my mind started whirling with the possibilities, although I didn't let that distract me from making sure the harness straps were properly arranged and secured. I really didn't want to fall off.

Rakota watched me closely but made no comment. His upward gaze and a deeper breath were my only warnings to grab onto the handle as he leapt into the air and spread his wings.

I held on tightly as his powerful wingbeats propelled us almost straight up, rapidly catching up to the other three dragons. Their scales were vibrant, and even the dark gray one's scales somehow had a subtle glow and iridescence in the sunlight.

They were truly majestic, and if I hadn't been so worried about them discovering my magic, I'd be able to properly appreciate their power and grace. Unfortunately, they were equally as dangerous, and I was like a mouse carefully balancing on the back of a tiger.

Rakota's insistence on "repaying me" for helping him wasn't something I had expected, but he still didn't seem happy about it. Perhaps it was some sort of code of honor like many knights had, and he was secretly hoping I'd disappear and save him from having to make such a long flight.

Did I dare try sneaking away before they left the valley? If it hadn't been for his magic, the trees would have made it simple. Would he look for me or would he be glad I left? I'd already mentioned he could drop me near any village or road. Could he be trying to give me a subtle hint by stopping here?

I watched the ground below as I kept mulling over my options and the potential outcomes. If Rakota was doing this due to a code of honor, having three other dragons present would force him to look for me, and he'd be more than a bit annoyed. If he didn't search for me, I'd finally be away from the dragons, although the mages could be hiding nearby and there was a chance they might recognize me.

Regardless of what I did, there were risks. I'd been avoiding mages and healers all my life, so such internal debates weren't new to me, but this situation was much more precarious. All it would take is one dragon or mage looking a bit deeper...

The trees below became larger, breaking me out of my current thoughts. There was a road ahead and a small lake not far from it, but I didn't see a valley. As I leaned a bit to the side to look straight down, I realized that flying no longer terrified me. I still kept a solid grip on the handle but trusted the straps to keep me on Rakota's back.

The dragons spread their wings and glided in a slow circle with their heads facing a patch of trees that looked like the rest of the sparse forest.

"If we break the cloaking spell, the mage will know," the orange dragon said, her feminine voice carrying clearly. Her horns were shorter and had a slightly different curve than the other three, which I took note of so I didn't accidentally call her Sir.

The purple dragon curved his neck down as he peered at the trees. "The alarm spell is strong along the ground, but it's weak higher up. A simple shield will prevent the spell from detecting us if we go through the topmost section."

I blinked slowly at the ground, feeling very lost and wishing I knew more about magic and how spells worked. Could a cloaking spell make a valley look like another section of forest? The mages had trapped Rakota in a valley, and I didn't see a valley.

"I'll go first since my spell-blocking amulet should take the brunt of any magic," the orange dragon said. "Qwest, I want you above and slightly behind me in case they're still here and have more than one spell ready. If they launch more than one attack, they'll hit me and leave you free to spellcast."

She folded her wings and dove straight down with the purple dragon following like a shadow. The gray dragon wasn't far behind them. My hands gripped the saddle handle as tightly as possible as Rakota's wings pulled in halfway.

For a second, nothing seemed to happen, but then one wing tipped down, sending us into a plummeting spiral. The wind made my eyes water, and I rapidly blinked the tears away so I could see, not daring to release my grip and wipe them. My heart pounded so loudly in my ears that I wasn't sure if the wind was whistling over the harness or Rakota's scales.

The trees below suddenly hazed over, and like walking out of fog, the valley appeared. Rakota's wings snapped out, turning our dive into a super-fast flight. The other three dragons also circled the valley swiftly, necks craned as they scanned the ground.

Flickers of strange magic brushed against the edges of my shields, terrifying me even more than the dive had. None of the dragons looked at me, still focused on the ground below. My chest burned, and I exhaled my pent-up breath. One of them must have cast a proximity spell and had likely dismissed my presence in their search for other humans on the ground.

With such spells flying around, the safest place might actually be on Rakota's back. I wasn't sure what to think about that.