The Dragoneer Manual

Chapter 30 - The Maige Castle

 As they soared through the sky, a dark form began to take shape in the distance along a coastline. She squinted her eyes at the tall, pointy shapes pointing up to the sky.

"Woah," Rory said. "Is that a castle?"

"Sure is," Bluejay said, nonchalantly.

"So this is a tour of Aerland's best landmarks," Rory said. "In New York we do these on buses."

A sharp laugh escaped Jay's lips.

"I think I can do a bit better than a city bus tour," he said, leaning his body slightly to the left.

Zermit responded to Jay's body movements and followed suit, adjusting his wings to turn left toward the castle. His snout pointed slightly downward, and they began to descend.

"What castle is this?" Rory asked.

"The Maige Castle," he replied, as the black silhouette grew larger and larger in their field of view.

"The Maige!" Rory stammered. "Wait... why are we flying toward it?"

"Zemit needs a snack break," Jay said.

Rory tightened her grip on his arm, which was still around her stomach.

"You're taking me to the Maige castle?! Are you trying to send Isla into a rage?" she exclaimed.

"What I do is none of Isla's concern," he said, patting her head with his free hand. "Besides, do you see the size of the castle?"

Rory stiffened as they soared between two enormous spires.

"Yeah, I do. Exactly my point," she said.

"We won't run into her," Jay said, rolling his eyes.

Zermit flared out his wings and slowed down on his approach, and Rory's stomach lurched upwards. With a graceful motion, the dragon stuck out his claws and touched down on the ground, spraying dirt behind him as they landed.

"So my instincts were right after all," Rory said.

"How do you mean?" Bluejay asked innocently.

"You are taking me somewhere to kill me."

He chuckled, leaping off the saddle, and offering his hand to Rory.

"I guess you'll just have to trust me," he said, a coy smile playing on his lips.

Rory groaned, narrowing her eyes sarcastically.

"Fine," she said, dramatically taking his hand with a huff. "But for the record, your princely charms don't work on me."

Zermit bowed lower to make it easy for Rory to slide off onto the ground. As she slipped onto the ground, Jay took a step closer toward her, trapping her between him and Zermit.

"Oh, don't they?" he asked, his face dangerously close to hers. He was still grasping her hand.

Rory's heart fluttered so intensely, her words caught in her throat. With a smirk, Bluejay dropped her hand and took a step back.

"I'm only joking," he said.

As he turned, the wind picked up his long cloak and sent it soaring behind him. When her breath had returned, Rory straightened up and followed him.

They entered the castle though a what Bluejay called the 'side door.' It was a massive arched door made of black stone. With a wave of Bluejay's hand over a white symbol engraved on the front, it opened mechanically.

Rory tiled her head back to look at the dark castle, which loomed high over their heads. Strong wind licked at her cheeks, but she could barely feel it over the awe that filled her when she saw the interior of the castle. The entire hallway was lit with incredible chandeliers of prism glass, and a rainbow of colors danced along grey walls that were intricately adorned with expertly crafted engravings.