OathBlade (Wattys2015)

28. Night Screams*

"What is that sound?" a crewman yelled as he covered his ears.

"Don't take your hands from your work, fool!" another yelled. "Man your station, keep the ship straight!"

The sound rang out through the night, threatening the travelers with more than a mere downpour. As Elery turned her head, hoping to catch sight of what prowled the sky, Isandel walked up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Retrieve your armor, now," he told her.

She looked at him, then nodded. She rushed to her quarters and struggled against the urge to let her mind wander to all the grimmest possibilities as she readied her equipment. When she ran back to the deck, taking the stairs two at a time, she briefly glimpsed the shadow of a massive beast high against the clouds.

"What is that?" she asked Isandel.

"A dragon."

For a moment it felt as if her heart stopped. "We cannot fight a dragon here! The Mariosa will be reduced to driftwood!"

"And for that reason we must separate from the others." He took her hand and led her toward the port side of the ship. "It is a dead beast under Celestine's command. She will be after you, not the others. Should we separate from the ship we might lead the dragon away."

"Might? You would have me leave my companions behind again on a chance?" She stumbled along beside him, her arm stiff in his grasp. "Can we not fly up to-"

"What do you presume to do in the air, Princess? Even as a corpse that beast will not be easily destroyed. Especially in the air. We must take it elsewhere."

The esperite gem at her chest gleamed in the darkness as Misani returned. The strange tug she'd felt since the spirit's departure from her eased. She felt whole again.

"The others will be fine," he assured Elery. "Celestine's priority will be you, not them." He stopped at the edge of the ship and put a hand on the railing. "Stay here." He leaped onto the rail and fell over, opening his wings to fly off into the darkness.

"Elery!" Cylphi ran as well as the rocking ship would allow, all but falling into her arms as she approached. "What is happening?"

"Celestine has sent a dragon." She put her hands on Cylphi's shoulders. "Listen carefully. You must carry the others along without me."

"What? No!" Her eyes widened. "You can't just leave us!"

"There is a chance we can lure the beast away from you!" Elery squeezed her shoulders tighter. The first crack of thunder heralded the arrival of worsening weather. "Sail to The Pass. Isandel and I will lead the creature far from you. We will meet again once I've made my way to Suthri and rallied the troops under King Gaidel. Stay in the fort at Ildaugh. Defend it well. I will come back for you all."

Cylphi pressed her teeth into her bottom lip but straightened herself as best she could. She saluted, her eyes still wide and glistening. "I am afraid."

"So am I," Elery returned the salute as she heard Isandel's wing beats grow closer. She turned and climbed onto the railing and, as he came into view, she leaped. Her hand barely managed to tangle in his mane as she crashed into his neck. She hung like a hair ornament for a moment before climbing to seat herself more properly astride the base of his neck near his shoulders.

"We must fly higher than I've taken you," he warned. "Wrap my hair about your waist and tie it well."

She sacrificed her grip on his hair to do as he asked, knotting it so that only a blade might then separate them.