The Hidden Crystal

Chapter 13

An hour later, Kelnor's good mood was gone. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, tapping his foot and scowling at the assembled team while casting occasional irritable glances at the stone door to the barracks.

Srot was late.

Char shifted his weight to his right side. His head was still throbbing, but at least he hadn't thrown up so far. He wouldn't be able to once he transformed. Vomiting was human, not dragon.

So was shivering, he realized, feeling the goosebumps rise on his arms. His eyes wandered to the spot where he'd dropped Iris two days ago, motionless and blue.

Why hadn't he thought of that before flying with her?

"Alright, let's go over it again," Kelnor barked. "The second team's mission was a success, so we're pressing deeper into human territory. Mostly archers, watch out for mages. The king's mage wasn't in the last battle, but the humans have multiple mages of varying skill level. Do not underestimate them. We stay high, move fast, hit hard, get out. Got it?"

Char tore his gaze from the floor and straightened his spine as he responded with the rest of the team. "Yes, sir."

A loud crash echoed through the flight cavern. Char didn't have to look to place the sound; he and Rath had burst through that door fast enough to knock it to the ground often enough for him to know. He stepped back against the cavern wall. Kelnor would waste no time with his transformation, and his dragon form was massive, even by dragon standards.

"Sorry I'm late!" Srot exclaimed, breathless from running. "What did I miss?"

"We'll fill you in on the flight," Kelnor replied in a brusque voice. "Let's move."

The rest of the team joined Char against the wall as Kelnor's red eyes glowed and a blast of cold air swept through the cavern. In a blink, their commander had transformed, nearly crushing Srot under rock hard red talons. Kelnor headed toward the exit, ducking to keep the protruding ridge of thorny red scales on top of his head from scraping against the ceiling. His tail uncoiled and stretched out behind him, long enough for the tip to flick the fallen door at the back of the cavern into place when he launched into the air. Red wings unfurled, bending the trees below with his first downstroke, sucking them upright again with the upstroke.

Thrak followed, and then Srot, shedding a few deep purple scales on the cavern floor with his exit.

Char and Rath, the wild cards, always took up the rear.

"So, are we gonna behave this time?" Rath asked, flexing his muscles.

Char sighed. "Just go."

Rath smirked. His blue eyes glowed; a fourth blast of icy wind whipped Char's black hair around his face; and then his brother was in dragon form, hardened muscles bunching and extending under glistening black scales as he raced toward the exit. He never walked out, not even when they had been children in flight school, when missing the correct wing stroke meant tumbling down the mountain. He always ran, and he always expended far too much energy with the takeoff, usually adding in some sort of barrel roll for flare.

Char couldn't count the number of times he'd launched out after Rath and swatted him to the ground while his brother was off balance, just for the fun of it. Lines of broken trees streaked the mountains from such incidents.

He wasn't in the mood for that today. They were on their way to another battle, and they couldn't risk any injuries from stupid games, anyway.

He called up his magic and forced it through his veins. The rush of ice was exhilarating. In less than a second, his frail human form was gone, and he was a mass of muscle and scales, swishing his tail across the cavern floor.