Redemption - Fourth Wing

37. Anca

Chex's Pov
Because of Xaden's slip up, it was unanimously thought best that he should go back to Basgiath, and away from the frontline.
I spent the night next to Sgaeyl, and brushed my snout on her neck when she woke up to reach her Rider in the courtyard.
Her eyes bore in mine, then she said, -I'll see you soon, Little One.-
I hoped so, too.
The next couple of weeks were ordinary, made mostly by fruitless patrols, and Ronny and I kept Aifos always by our side, and one day they told us that Garrick was going back to the Academy, too.
I looked south, and for a moment wished to see my sister and Tairn.
-He said his presence was requested by Xaden,- said Aifos, -Apparently, Xaden is teaching a Sparring Signet class.-
I caught a thought flashing in their mind, -But he wanted you, too.-
-It seems so, but Degrensi refused to lend me over. Said that he's letting go away enough capable Riders for now.-
There was an unmistakable current of pride about this coming from their subconscious.
It was a cloudy afternoon, and Aifos and Ronny had been called with other Riders to launch an offensive against a known stronghold just north of the fortress, when wingbeats known to me surged overhead.
I snapped my head up, and saw Tairn's massive body gliding in the sky, and Sgaeyl's blue scales gleaming nearby; Andarna spotted me, and with a roar drew back her wings and fell into a dive.
I myself jumped on the sky and my sister slammed into me; we entwined tails and bumped snouts.
-What are you doing here?- I asked, as we disentangled ourselves and I turned to watch Tairn and Sgaeyl breaking off from the riot among which I only recognised Teine, and Andarna blew a puff of smoke in my eyes, -Don't tell me you forgot!-
I blinked off the smoke and flashed my teeth, -I didn't forget anything! I just don't know what you're talking about!-
-That's what forgetting something means!-
-It's not!-
Tairn's shadow fell on us, and his voice rumbled deep as a thunder, -Andarna, you're to stay here with your brother until we come back.-
-What? No! That's our mission!-
-Coming back from where?- I asked, and Tairn sighed, -We're flying past the wards looking for a citrine the Viscount Tecarus told us to seek.-
I widened my eyes, -Past the wards?-
My stomach knotted: Aifos and I had flown all night long at such a speed that my shoulders were aching when we went back in the outpost, and Aifos sharply told me to stay low for today when they were told to go past the wards again. None had told us the reason for this sudden attack, but now I knew that it was just a strategy to divert our enemies' focus from Tairn's riot.
-Let me go with you!- growled my sister, but Tairn didn't budge, -With Theopanie hunting you, you're far safer here.-
-But you aren't, because you can't burn venin!-
-First fire burns the hottest, which could explain the phenomenon. This mission is dangerous enough without adding a desirable target for any lurking dark wielders.-
-Has your age shortened your memory span?They're all busy to the south!-
I raised my head, and met Sgaeyl's eyes; her mind nudged mine, -Come with us.-
I lost a wingbeat, and suddenly I felt myself too light, and oddly vulnerable without the steady weight of my mate on my back.
I remembered Resson, and the wyvern's fangs deep in my throat.
I'd been alone, then.
I stretched out my mind, pushed it almost past its limits; Aifos picked it up, and immediately soothed my fatigued mind with theirs. Their voice was faint, -Chex! You alright? What happened?-
I hesitated, -The riot is here. Sgaeyl, she... She asked me to come with them, past the wards. But...-
They dodged a hurtling dagger, and power thrummed at their counterattack. Through them, I felt that Ronny banked left, and breathed out fire. Hesitation quivered in their mind, but then it steeled into resolution.
They turned to me, -Go.-
-What? Alone?-
-We are holding the enemies back for you. The skies are safe. Go.-
Ronny debowled a wyvern, and Aifos snapped the wing of another one; before cutting off contact, they sent me a quick image of a younger self who was trudging up across half Alagaesia all on their own.
They were fifteen.
I turned to Sgaeyl, -Why me? Why not my sister, too?-
-Your sister's wing is already trembling, and we must rely on speed and stamina right now. Besides, it's best if we keep one of you within the safety of the wards.-
I bowed my head, and collected this recent memory of Aifos; in it, there were swirls of Eragon's reasoning for it, ("I did the same thing, when I was only a couple of years older than you. I ran to Farthen'Dur and left Saphira behind, and when we reunited, we were stronger than before,") and the need to strengthen ourselves so that we could strengthen the bond, too.
My mate trusted their Ebrithil, and I trusted my mate.
I gave a quick, apologetic glance to a fuming Andarna, then looked at Sgaeyl after a brief glance to Tairn, -Alright. I will come with you.-
In a fit of rage, my sister spewed fire at me and snapped her teeth an inch from my neck, then drew back her wings and her scales rippled of the same shade of the sky, making her invisible. My eyes lingered on the space of sky she'd just occupied, and a slight envy curled in my chest.
-One day, she'll see,- said Tairn, as he brushed my wing with his and we flew up to the rest of the riot.
My heart stuttered when I recognised the Orange Swordtail, the very same dragon whose mate Ronny had killed a couple of days ago. I refused to breathe, but she didn't even acknowledge me, and only then did I realise that now her Name of Names was under Ronny's command.
It was most definitely daunting, but I did my best not to dwell on it and to follow the rest of the riot.
Much like Aifos had said, the skies were empty, and three hours later, we landed around the clocktower in the square of the diseccated village which once had been Anca. Among all that wasteland, it was difficult for me to imagine that a citrine, or any precious stone in fact, would lay still intact.
Tairn was the first to set his claws down, and we all followed him suit, despite the Orange Swordtail had just said otherwise.
Because the village was supposedly poromish, it was built so that to keep us dragons off its streets, and the square was the only clearing large enough to host us.
Once the Riders were dismounted, off we went again, and we started scanning the sky for any signs of both enemies and undrained land.
I made sure to stay away from the Orange Swordtail, and the Red Clubtail snapped at me when I mistakenly hovered too close to him.
Tairn had taken the lead, and I dipped down next to Sgaeyl. I spread my wing and brushed the underside of hers, -Xaden is going to be all right.-
Her voice was a bit tight, -I'm trusting his confidence with his new mantra.-
-What would that be?-
-Calm, cool, and collected.-
-It has a certain ring to it.-
-It's definitely human made.-
I snorted a laugh, and Tairn flared his wings wide in front of us. His body cut the wind, and his tail swung menacingly from time to time, as if to ward off any straggling enemies.
I remembered that Aifos and Ronny were fighting them in the sky, and nervousness tightened my stomach.
-The Alagaesyan is a valiant warrior, and their dragon has slain thousands,- said Sgaeyl, -You have nothing to worry about.-
-I know. As do you.-
She huffed, but said nothing.
I was slacking down my speed because of a slight ache of my shoulders, when the Red Clubtail roared out and Sgaeyl swung her head, -The fire-wielder channeled, and the village's burning up!-
And the enemies could be spurred here by the channeling.
Tairn whipped back down so suddenly I had to jerk away so as not to be trampled by his massive wings, and I did my best to catch up with him.
Then, a wail coming from the Orange Swordtail crushed my earing, and instinctively I pressed my foreclaws on my muzzle.
-He's dead!- She cried, -My rider's dead!-
I looked at her, and felt sorry, but Sgaeyl shoved me forwards, -Do not grieve for those who aren't yours! Keep flying!-
After a quick, last glance to the mourning dragon, I did as I was told and pushed my muscles to their limits.
-Anca is made mostly by wood,- relied Tairn, -The fire is spreading out quickly. Tell your riders to meet us in the square.-
-Already done so!- snapped back Sgaeyl, -Fly faster, you gurmudgeon of a lizard!-
The smoke billowed high up in the sky, and for a brief moment I was glad that Aifos was far away.
We dipped low, when Teine cried out, somewhere to my right, -Wyverns at our nine!-
-Brace yourselves!- Thundered Tairn, and I caught a grey glimpse at my left and pivoted away, its claws snapping shut an inch away from my back.
I turned around, and saw Sgaeyl latching her fangs in the neck of the closest wyvern, black blood spraying on her blue scales.
Green fire engulfed me, and I sharply dove down, the heat of the flames from the burning village enveloping my belly.
Teine jumped in the air with Mira safely on his back, and the Red Clubtail roared out when a wyvern snatched his Rider up in the sky, its talon planted in her stomach.
She was the fire-wielder.
I spotted Violet and Xaden running towards the square, but Sgaeyl veered to the other side from the square to tear off the wings of a wyvern; Tairn was caught between three enemies, and Teine was trying to save the grieving Red Clubtail from the gaping jaws of another one.
Xaden and Violet were almost there, but neither Tairn nor Sgaeyl would make it in time.
I set my teeth, and flanked my wings, my shadow falling on my guardians' bonded.
-Tell Xaden they'll mount on me!- I said to Sgaeyl, and splayed my wings wide and landed in the square.
Violet hesitated, but Xaden pulled her forward and I promptly stretched out my leg. She started scrambling on me, and shadows pulled her on the seat, Xaden immediately behind her.
Shadows clamped on them both and across my chest, and I sprang upwards. Thankfully, I was used to carrying doubled weight because of both mine and Aifos' amour, so I found my balance after a couple of wingbeats and brought us high up in the sky.
I dipped my wing low and sharply spun around, and shadows latched themselves on the wyvern closest to Tairn while Sgaeyl finished the other off. Tairn smashed the head of the last one with his Morningstartail, then whipped his head to me and growled, -Don't let Silver One fall!-
I flashed my teeth, -I will never!-
Sgaeyl cried out, -Fire!- and I whirled around and my own flames clashed against the bluefire; then, I shot up, splayed my wings, and with a sharp twist of my body positioned myself so that I could clamp my teeth at the start of its tail and had to lock my muscles against the whiplash, my tail flicking backward to regain balance.
The shadowy bands tightened their grip around my chest so harshly I almost wheezed out breaths.
My wings flared wide, and my jaw tightened, and the wyvern screeched and tried to slash me with its claws, but I kicked its belly with my back claws while Tairn dug his fangs in its neck and broke it with a toss of his head.
Then I snapped shut my right wing and threw myself into a tight roll, the teeth of another one coming up inches from my scales. My Swordtail caught its wing, and Sgaeyl dug her daggered tail in its hind flanks and littered its neck with a series of brutal bites from which it had no way of surviving.
-That was the last one,- relied Tairn to all of us, -We must fly back as quickly as we can. We aren't the only wings here.-
-I wouldn't have known,- grumbled Sgaeyl, and I snorted smoke.
Thankfully, none of us reported too deep of a wound, but only when we landed in a clearing far enough from the smoking Anca did I realise that we lacked one of us.
-Where's the Orange Swordtail?- I asked as Violet scrambled off my shoulder, Xaden behind her as usual.
-She's dead,- said Teine, and at the relief tugging my heartstrings I lowered my eyes in shame.
After Tairn and Sgaeyl had their own Riders up on their backs we could take up to the sky again, but the journey back was a bit longer than the previous one.
When I flew past the wards, my mind immediately sought out Aifos, and I let out a roar when I saw them looking up at me from the courtyard.
They laughed when I almost barreled against them, and their eyes flickered on my body, most likely looking for injuries.
-I'm fine, my love,- I purred, and pushed my snout on the crook of their neck. With my eyes closed, I breathed them in, and my body slackened.
They wrapped their arms around my jaw, and I rumbled low at their annoyance of not being physically able to wrap me completely around their body as they longed to. I pressed up my snout even more, and they rubbed their palms on my scales.
-I'm proud of you,- they whispered, and I caught a glimpse of their new scars, and remembered the Orange Swordtail.
-She's dead,- I said, -Grady's dragon. She's dead.-
Their shoulders dipped, and their fingers jerked, and my same guilty relief swarmed quickly in their mind.
Then they stepped back, much to my displeasure, and turned to Xaden. They tilted their head, but Xaden nodded sharply, then glanced briefly at me.
Aifos mimicked him, and smiled at me, -He said you saved his life and Violet's.-
-I did what I had to do.- I arched my neck and chuffed, -But yes, I did save their lives. And my guardians'.-
My breath itched at the low tone of their voice, -Good.-
Then, Ronny reached out to me, -Ah, finally you're here. Your sister's been giving me a headache ever since we came back. Do come here, or else I'm going to throttle you both.-
-Why me? I didn't do anything wrong!-
-She's been spitting your name so much that if I heard it again even by chance, I would rip off my earing.-
Aifos rolled their eyes, -Now, you're simply exaggerating.-
-Do try to keep up with her, and then you'll tell me.-
-Don't act as if you weren't complaining just now!-
He grumbled, then showed me his position and retreated. Aifos rubbed their eyes, "Eighteen and a hundred years old dragons," and Tairn snapped his teeth at them. I flashed mine, then nudged him harshly with my wing, -It's your fault if Darna grew Ronny mad with her complaining.-
-I did it for her. Her wings wouldn't have hold the speed of this mission, and/-
-Sure, yeah, whatever.- I looked at Aifos, then rolled my eyes, making them giggle behind their hand. Then, I splayed my wings, and quickly flew to Ronny, and had to listen to my sister drowning me and my bloodline in every kind of insult.
-You know that, as far as we know, we share the same bloodline, right?- I said as she'd stopped briefly to gasp a breath, even though we'd been strictly communicating telepathically.
She engulfed me with fire and straight up throttled me, and we scuffled on the ground until I threw snow in her eyes and she rammed her back claws in my belly. I doubled over with coughs, and Tairn had to slam his morningstartail between us, just like he used to when we were hathclings.
-Enough now. You're way past your Dreamless Sleep, act like adults.-
-I'm sorry?! And you stop acting like an old, wingless lizard, always spitting out nonsense none asked you to and!-
She went on and on, and I met Ronny's eyes and snickered at his utterly defeated face.