Talon the Black (Dragonwall Series # 1)

Chapter 21 - The Marble Dragon

Kengr Planes

Claire adjusted her position in the dip of Jovari's neck where it met his wing joints—for the zillionth time. She scooted around on the bedroll folded beneath her, wishing it offered more padding. Dragon scales were as hard as glass, and although the scales themselves were smooth, the places where they joined together were anything but.

Her body ached with soreness. Each movement sent her muscles screaming. It was impossible to get comfortable. She ground her teeth and gave up, turning her attention to the land beneath them, wondering how Reyr's trip north was going.

The grassy landscape was completely flat. Monotonous. Every so often, they passed over a small grove of trees. These clusters of irregular growth were the only distinctions offered up by the otherwise lifeless world below, which appeared to stretch out indefinitely.

They'd been flying nearly two days. The excitement had long worn off, replaced by her increasing worry. There was nothing to do but speculate about everything that might happen, everything that might go wrong. Which made the time alone in the sky worse.

She couldn't tell what made her uneasy, exactly, but she had a hunch as to why the pit of her stomach wouldn't relax. Her nights were filled with dreams of dark, cloaked demons. They hunted her, even in sleep, looking for the Dragon Stones. Unease prickled the back of her neck. She glanced over her shoulder. A dark smudge on the horizon caught her gaze, but when she blinked and squinted, there was nothing there, just wide open sky.

They will not stop hunting you until they have the Stones.

Her conscience had grown increasingly pesky as of late, giving its opinions and facts more and more frequently. It especially showed itself when she had misgivings. The thoughts were hardly reassuring. But she didn't question it anymore. She was too overwhelmed.

***

Their second day in the sky was just as tedious as the first. Jovari and Koldis were courteous enough to stop twice so she could stretch her legs and relieve herself, but they never transformed to talk to her. It was a lonely existence.

With only her mind for company, her thoughts often drifted to Cyrus. If he were he still alive, how might things have gone differently? Would he be in her place, weak and delirious on the back of Jovari, getting rushed to the capital by his companions for magical healing? Would she be sitting at home in her farm house, condemned to live out the rest of her life wondering if everything had simply been a dream?

"Dusk is approaching." Koldis was in her mind, drawing her from her thoughts. "We should be upon the Marble Dragon soon."

"Not soon enough if you ask me. I am eager to be rid of my...added weight."

She clenched her jaw, desperate to say something cutting in return. There were few things she hated more than being considered a burden. But when she opened her mouth, her voice died. She didn't have the gut to do it.

At least one positive thought improved her otherwise dismal mood. The hope that the Marble Dragon might allow her some genuine rest. Their journey south from the Gate had taken them out of the hills and deep into the flat lands. The ground in these flat lands was hard and uncomfortable to sleep on, littered with pebbles and rocks. After days of flying through her world and then Dragonwall, she craved a soft bed and a hot meal.

She didn't have to wait long to see the Marble Dragon. The sun was sinking when Jovari descended toward what looked like a giant white boulder starkly distinguished against the dull landscape. It was aptly named. The landform was indeed a giant chunk of white marble, carved into the shape of a sleeping dragon.