Tricked Into Flight

Chapter 17

*Katerina's POV*

As Rakota took flight, I glanced at the village and smoking crater. Goosebumps prickled along my arms as I recalled how dozens of spells had flown through the air. I hoped the villagers had escaped unscathed, and I wondered if any of them had gotten a good look at me or recognized me from my earlier stop. It might be wise to avoid this place for many years, and I took careful note of the road as we gained height so I could mark it on my map later.

True to the dragons' earlier discussion, we flew southwest toward the lake we had camped at instead of following the road north. I took out the remainder of my bun and nibbled on it as I tried to decide if I wanted the dragons to find the mages quickly or search for five more days until Rakota said he'd fly me to the southern city.

Finding the mages would involve another heated battle. Dragons might be powerful, but as I had just seen, they weren't invincible. I could very well die in the fight if a spell got past Rakota's defenses or if he fell out of the sky. Not finding the mages would mean spending five days on the red dragon's back while he searched, and two more until we reached the city. That was a lot of time and a serious gamble.

I gazed at the roads and villages below, once more wishing that sneaking away was a viable option, but Rakota had made it quite clear that he'd track me down. Was it worth trying to wander off and then claim I'd just gotten lost while collecting firewood or looking for berries?

How did tracking and tracing spells work? From the hints dropped, it seemed like they needed something I had been in contact with, like an arrow. All of my belongings were in my backpack– I broke off that thought and closed my eyes as I internally called myself ten kinds of idiots. I'd been sitting in this saddle for more hours than I'd carried that arrow, which meant they could easily find me if they wanted to.

The dragons likely wanted Randel and me to check more villages to see if the mages were there, and Randel clearly lacked the imagination and skills to do it himself. I could have several dragons looking for me, which wasn't a welcome thought. There was also the risk of Rakota sensing my hidden magic if he used sensing spells to find me. I grappled with the unpleasant options and associated risks.

My best option was to ask Rakota if he'd be willing to consider anything else and hope for a different answer than my previous attempts.

"Rakota?" I tentatively asked.

His head turned to the side just enough to look back at me. "Yes?" Like our previous conversations while flying, his voice wasn't distorted by the wind and almost seemed to be right by my ears.

"Um, I appreciate your earlier offer to fly me to Emerson City, but after seeing that battle with the mages and knowing another one is coming, would you be willing to discuss other locations, such as a closer village? I don't mind walking..."

"No, a nearby location isn't an option. Other places roughly as distant might be a possibility."

I'd expected the first half of his reply, but not the last part. It wasn't wise to question a dragon or argue with one, but I still wanted to know more, so I said, "I don't understand..."

"There are rules," he replied vaguely, facing directly ahead once more.

His words were less than helpful but reinforced my theory about a code of honor.

He glanced back again. "And if you're thinking of wandering off on your own, I'd track you quite easily with magic." He continued watching me, waiting for a reply.

I felt my face flush. "Uh, thank you for that information."

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, he began a slow descent to the lake we had camped near last night. A quick scan of the surrounding forest confirmed there were no roads nearby. I could see one in the distance, but if I had to guess, it was a full day's walk away.