Dragon's Claim Read online

  Jackson nods.

  "You are welcome back at any time."

  There is a hint of the same trepidation we are feeling about leaving Jackson in charge alone reflected in his eyes, though he hides it well. Perhaps the glow of the mine victory has started to fade. But he cannot always depend on us to prop up his role here. He needs to find out one way or another if he can hold his position, and if he is strong enough and a good enough leader to deserve the role. It sounds harsh. But Tajss is a harsh land.

  We thank him again and wave at the gathered villagers. There are people I will miss, people who were kind to me, to us. But this is not where we are meant to be. We have people to get back to.

  So we walk away, start on our journey, Picard running along beside us, in front of us, or behind us, depending on the mood she is in. We do not get very far before Penelope brings up her concerns about Jackson.

  "What will happen now that we're gone?" she asks, glancing over at me. "How are they going to take care of themselves? Is he going to be able to hold on to his leadership role?"

  All valid questions. I can see she wants reassurance.

  "It will be all right," I say, considering my words. "Jackson is learning his limits. If we stayed, there is the possibility that people may start looking to us for guidance, and that is not why we were there. It is best Jackson have influence over the New Villagers."

  "What about Elmer?" Penelope prods. "He doesn't look like he has any intention of quietly allowing Jackson to lead."

  I sigh. Good point.

  "Elmer has designs that do not bode well for anyone," I admit. I can feel that truth in my bones. "But that does not mean he will succeed."

  She nods, though I can see she still worries. I understand. There is no guarantee of things working out how we want them to. We can only hope they do. There is just so much we can control.

  We move on to a different topic. I do not want to dwell on the negative, so I begin to tell her about some of the flora that we see, sporadic though it is in the heat. I know this is just the kind of thing she likes to hear. Interestingly, there is not much movement as we travel. Tajss is mostly quiet on the surface.

  "I believe it is because the creatures are frightened," I explain when Penelope brings it up. "Even a deadly thing knows to duck its head when rocks fall from the sky above."

  The red, rolling sands are more peaceful than she has likely ever seen them. I see her relax into the quiet of it, and I am glad for it. She has been under a heavy load of stress, as have I. Spending this time simply bonding with my treasure sounds wonderful. Away from everyone, from the various responsibilities and requests. Here, it is just us. It is nice.

  We talk and learn more of each other as we travel, stopping periodically to rest and take care of our needs.

  "You have to give me some space," Penelope says, shooing me away.

  I do not want to leave her alone, but I understand her need for privacy too. So I compromise. I move off just far enough that I cannot see her, but I can hear her cry out for help if she needs it. She takes care of her business quickly, and then we are moving forward again.

  It does not take me long to realize something is wrong. I glance behind my shoulder again, feeling that sense of unease that lets me know all is not well.

  "What is it?" Penelope asks, looking over her shoulder as well in response.

  I catch a small glimpse of a humped back a few dunes away, the creature out of sight again in the next instant.

  "A guster," I respond grimly. "It is clearly in pursuit of us, though I do not know why."

  Not a random encounter like the previous one was. It appears too focused, following our trail exactly.

  "A...guster?" Penelope repeats, going pale. "Oh...no."

  I turn to her.

  "What?" I ask, hearing more than the usual alarm in her voice. "What is it?"

  Swallowing she reaches into one her packs and pulls out a guster egg.

  "I found them when I had to...go. I figured the beast wasn't around, so it was probably hunting far away..."

  I shake my head. No wonder it was after us. We had its eggs!

  "That was a mistake," I say mildly, my mind running through our options at this moment. Again, I would rather avoid conflict with Penelope here with me. Her safety is paramount.

  "Quickly—pick Picard up," I order, dropping one of the bags we are carrying.

  I keep two of them, but that third will weigh me down. It contains surplus meat, but we should have enough to make it to the city. If not, I can always hunt.

  Penelope rushes to pick Picard up, and I sweep the two of them into my arms, moving the bags to the side to distribute the weight more evenly. It is cumbersome, but the best I can manage.

  The guster crests the nearest dune, its eyes focused on us, razor-sharp teeth on display.

  We left the cart in the village, so we are not tethered to this spot as we were in our previous encounter. Time to take advantage of that fact.

  "Hold on," I mutter under my breath.

  Penelope tightens her hold on me and on Picard.

  Flaring my wings, I leap, using them to increase the distance I can travel.

  Then again.

  And again.

  Penelope holds on tight, her grip on me and Picard turning white-knuckled.

  The guster cannot travel as fast as I can leap with the aid of my wings, and it will have a difficult time tracking us now that we are landing only after significant distances. Still, I make sure to travel even farther than I need to, to make sure we are no longer being pursued before I touch down to the sand for good, just to be sure. I will not take a risk with Penelope.

  On the last leap, I kiss Penelope hard, judging it safe to speak now.

  "Why would you steal guster eggs?" I ask her, shaking my head.

  She shrugs, clearly embarrassed at the mistake.

  "I hear they're really good, and I thought—"

  "You did not think, love," I interrupt, amused even in my horror. "It is never a good idea to steal guster eggs, or babies from any creature for that matter. They do not look on the theft lightly."

  "That's for sure," Penelope agrees. "I'm sorry. I won't do that again."

  Picard chooses that moment to mewl as well, though the sound is low. Clearly, the kedi knows to act with caution, taking its cues from us. It will make a good pet. It did not even make a fuss when it was grabbed and held for so long, clearly sensing there was danger nearby.

  Once we've landed for good, Penelope lets the small creature go, and we continue on our journey once more.

  My wings have taken us quite close to The City and The Tribe, so we have some time to stop and eat. Tajss is again still and mostly quiet around us. Though the guster encounter has me watching with increased awareness.

  "It looks like an '80s sci-fi movie decorated with ornaments," Penelope comments.

  I take in the scenery. Meteorites and stormglass litter many of the red, rolling sand dunes surrounding us.

  "Is that good?" I ask, taking another bite of meat as I consider the sparkling sand.

  She nods, her eyes sparkling just as brightly as our surroundings.

  "It's quite beautiful, actually," she says, sighing happily as she feeds Picard another bite. "It looks...festive. And happy."

  "Hmm."

  I cannot look away from her glowing face. She is the one who is beautiful. A treasure who deserves all the treasures. I make a note of her reaction. Another clear example that shows she likes shiny things. I could stay there like that with her forever, watching her enjoy our surroundings. But we soon have to move forward again, the call of duty and responsibility too strong.

  Even closer to The City, Penelope needs to take care of her needs again.

  "We are almost there," I point out, not wanting to take another risk if we do not have to.

  "I can't wait that long," she insists, dancing in place. "I'll be quick!"

  Amusement has my mouth turning up at the corners, even as I feel
a twinge of apprehension in my gut.

  "Do not come away with anything that does not belong to you," I warn, relenting.

  She nods enthusiastically.

  "Don't worry—I've learned my lesson," she agrees.

  I do believe she has. I nod and she leaves, hurrying.

  "Do not wander too far," I call after her.

  "I won't!" she calls back.

  My unease grows as she leaves my sight. Sighing, I sit down in the sand, Picard joining me a few feet away.

  "Just a little longer now," I comment to the creature, who tilts its head at me. "We're almost there."

  I sigh again. I do not like having Penelope out of my sight, but—

  A scream has me leaping to my feet.

  "Bashir!"

  Penelope! Hearts pounding I turn towards Penelope's voice, running and leaping forward using my wings, Picard running at my side in the same direction, her sleek body surprisingly fast. Fear is an icy finger down my back as I crest the dune in her direction.

  Penelope is struggling on the sand, iridescent green vines wrapped tightly around her, from her thighs up to her shoulders, more slithering around her as she continues to struggle. The nadzem vines will squeeze her to death if I do not get them off her.

  I want to run over and cut through them all, pull her out of their grip. But that might take too long, might end up with me trapped as well. Not helpful for Penelope. I take a deep breath, stilling my body so I can think more clearly. I cannot make a mistake here. Penelope could pay for it with her life.

  "Bashir!" she screams again, her calves now also covered in the vine.

  Picard mewls anxiously, hesitating as she sees the vines.

  Penelope needs to stop struggling.

  "You have to stop struggling!" I order in a hard tone meant to be obeyed. "Release your fear—it is reacting to it!"

  She gives me an incredulous, desperate look and I can see she wants to argue. Perhaps point out nobody mentioned this in her interviews.

  "Please, Penelope," I push, my own desperation making my voice hoarse. "Trust me."

  I can almost hear her heartbeat from here, her fear a potent cloud around her. Then she takes a deep breath and trusts me. She closes her eyes, going still. Taking more deep breaths. Her body starts to relax. The pulse point in her neck slows. It takes some time. Long, nerve-wracking moments. Slowly, the vines start to react to her changed state and begin to loosen their tight hold, until space appears between them and Penelope's body.

  "I am coming closer. Remain calm," I murmur, carefully stepping through them, keeping my own breathing steady and calm. I could reactivate them again if I am not careful.

  Crouching down, my feet in the gaps between the vines, I slowly slide the slack ropes of the plant off her slender body. Her eyes open and she moves her hands to grip mine just as carefully. Together, we slide her out and then carefully walk away, avoiding the tendrils strewn across the sand.

  Once we are clear of the danger, I pull her close, my hearts beating quickly, the fear shuddering through my body again, now that I can feel the emotion without repercussion. Penelope holds me back just as tightly, her body trembling against mine as we just hold each other for long moments. Picard rubs up against our legs, her mewls of worry slowly quieting now that Penelope is safe.

  "You are not leaving alone again," I mutter into her hair. "You will simply have to hold it. Or go in front of me."

  She laughs, the sound a little wet from emotion.

  "Copy that," she murmurs, rubbing her face against my chest.

  I let out a breath. She may very well be the death of me.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Penelope

  We finally make it to The City. I am so done with the journey at this point, even though we still aren't at our final destination. Miles and miles of desert and the beating suns have worn me down, despite the company, not to mention the scares along the way.

  I'm sure Bashir feels the same after having to come to my rescue twice. How embarrassing. I glance over at his profile. Even if those eggs did turn out to be delicious.

  In any case, the sight of The City is a more-than-welcome sight by now. Tension melts away from my shoulders as soon as we're inside, in the safety of the dome.

  Picard immediately jumps out of my arms, her furry head raised, little nose wiggling as she sniffs the air. She must smell Sarah. She turns to look at me, and there’s confusion in her eyes, her uncertainty about whether she should stay or go. I feel a pang in my heart, but Picard was Sarah's first.

  "It's okay," I murmur, crouching down to be more level with her. "Go. I'll see you again."

  Seeming to understand, she hops over to nuzzle against me, the affection welcome. Then she scampers away to follow Sarah's scent, obviously excited to meet her other friend.

  "Can we follow to make sure she reaches Sarah safely?" I ask, turning to Bashir.

  He gives me a gentle look, nodding.

  "Of course."

  His hand is a comforting weight on the small of my back. So we follow behind the small creature that has wormed her way into my heart as she makes a beeline right over to Sarah, where she is sitting outside near one of the buildings. She cries out with joy as Picard mewls, leaping into her lap and rubbing her furry head against her face. Sarah looks up, her eyes searching.

  "Thank you!" she calls out when her gaze lands on us, her joy easing the slight ache in my own heart. "Thank you so much!"

  I'm so happy we could do this for her. We smile and wave back before moving forward again.

  We need to check in with Rosalind. She needs to know what we know. We ask around until we find out where she is. When we finally track her down, her assistant has us wait for bit until she's done with another meeting. After all that, we're allowed in to see her while she's having her dinner.

  "Penelope, Bashir! I'm so glad to see you both back, healthy and in one piece," she greets us, her smile wide.

  I can see that she is truly, sincerely pleased to see we've made it back. I understand the sentiment. There were several times when escaping with our lives was not a guarantee. Of course, nowhere here on Tajss can be well and truly safe. Everything is just degrees of dangerous.

  "Please, have a seat," she urges, gesturing to the chairs across from her. "Welcome back," she adds before getting right to the point. I don't blame her—she’s always been the busiest person I know. Efficiency is necessary. "How did it go?"

  Her tone is lighthearted, but there is tension in the room and lurking behind her eyes. It’s been there since she learned that Gershom's followers came into possession of their very own village. I don't know how she's going to react to the details of what happened.

  "Jackson was somewhat reasonable...at least after Tessa convinced him to let us stay..." I start out.

  Somewhat reasonable is the best I can do while describing Jackson's behavior. He doesn't come out smelling like a rose when we go through everything, but that isn't because of our retelling. Bashir takes over the tale in some parts as we piece together the entirety of our stay in the New Village.

  There is a lot to get through. Rosalind's face remains impassive throughout, even when we touch on Jackson's view of her and her offer of cooperation. Even when we discuss his hidden plan with the mine, his desire to use it as leverage against her. Despite her lack of outward reaction, I can't imagine that grandstanding and rebellion is going to go over well with Rosalind.

  She listens quietly, letting us say everything we want to. When we're done, it's clear we didn't manage to make it to the point we all hoped we could. The New Village is still a thorn in our sides, despite our best attempt to make inroads.

  "You have a map of the mine?" Rosalind asks Bashir when it’s clear we're at the end of the narrative.

  "Yes, I made a copy including the veins of ore that lead out," he hands over the folded piece of paper. "Jackson has the map omitting those particular veins."

  "Excellent," she murmurs, looking at the map.

/>   When she's done studying it, she nods, lifts a piece of meat, and takes a bite. She chews on it contemplatively, her thoughts turned inward. Bashir and I look at each other, waiting for her reaction. After a few minutes of thoughtful silence, she puts down the food and leans forward.

  "They'll come to their senses eventually. With these meteorite showers, they may not even have a village to hole up in soon. So I imagine this will all sort itself out." She sits back in her chair again. "The two of you should go take a load off—eat, rest. You've done good work here. The lack was clearly not in you or your approach." She holds up the map. "And I look forward to putting this map to good use, Bashir." She meets both of our eyes individually. "I want to reiterate—you've both done exceptionally well. I thank you for your service."

  "Glad we could help," I say, standing up at the clear dismissal.

  Bashir murmurs something along the same lines. And then we're out of there.

  "That was interesting," I say to Bashir in a low voice as we head out of earshot.

  "Hmm." He looks over at me. "Let us see what she does with the information."

  I agree. Rosalind liked to play things close to the vest. Her actions would tell the true tale. Now that I've actually gone to the New Village, seen the people there, the problem seems much more real than it did before. I feel more invested now in the outcome. I know those people. They aren't all bad. Far from it. But we played our role, at least for now. We're going to have to just wait and see like Bashir says.

  "Can we check in on Sarah?" I ask, switching gears.

  Bashir nods. So we head back over to her. When we find her, Picard is still ballistic with glee, so ecstatic to find her human that she's practically bouncing off the walls, filled with energy. Sarah laughs as Picard weaves through our legs and then zips away to circle her again.

  "I can't thank you enough," she gushes. "Picard has brightened my day so much."

  I grin at the little creature's antics.

  "She's adorable," I agree, sitting down. "She would brighten anyone's day. She certainly did mine."