Clash of Captains

Chapter 4

Devyn heard the beat of wings before she laid eyes on the dragons making the noise. She narrowed her eyes at the horizon; the dim glow of the rising sun allowed for the beasts to be perfectly silhouetted against the brightening sky. While the sight might have been seen as beautiful, Devyn didn't have the time to do any sightseeing right now. Chancellor Kemble was relying on her. And not for much longer if I don't do this right, she reminded herself darkly.

Her gaze darted briefly to where the two moons were beginning to set. The moon to the left, Manaf, was turning from a new moon into a thin crescent; Manaf never got larger than a thin gibbous because of its angle in the sky. That was why it was referred to by a name that meant 'small.' Marr, on the other hand, which hung to the right of the smaller moon, went through all phases. Right now it was a waning gibbous that seemed to be shrinking timidly away from its small friend on the left.

"Alright, you bloody cowards!" Devyn shouted, finally turning to face the fleet arranged behind her. They stood beside their mounts, their dragons puffing small clouds of grey smoke into the cool dawn air. "The Ledian warriors are headed our way, so we need to get a move on! Mount up!" Her voice, deep and resounding, split through the quiet side conversations. As one, the soldiers climbed onto the backs of their dragons. Only a dozen remained on their feet, inexperienced newbies who couldn't yet be trusted with a mount. Devyn's brown-eyed gaze drifted over the fleet before she nodded her approval and turned to face her own dragon.

Twyl's deep mahogany scales reflected the dim light of the rising sun, his piercing taupe eyes examining the field before them with a sort of smoldering rage that Devyn had never seen anywhere else. His lips raised up in a snarl, making his square snout suddenly sharp. Devyn raised a hand to stroke the dragon's neck. He tilted his head to eye her curiously, before he bent at the knees to allow her to climb onto his back. The dragon's whip-thin spikes, the color of a starless sky, bristled as he straightened to his full height. Devyn carefully positioned herself in a spot where she wasn't likely to get impaled and stole a glance at the sky ahead of them. It was quickly brightening as the sun stretched higher and higher. The silhouettes of enemy riders had grown larger; they could not waste any time in getting into the air if they wanted to avoid being trapped on the ground.

"Dregians, fly!" Devyn snapped in as loud and commanding of a voice as she could manage. The wind whipped her face in a rush as her soldiers took to the sky, passing above her in a torrent of air as they launched into the sky. A hint of a smile tugged at Devyn's lips as she watched them fly on. Her soldiers, besides the newest recruits, were all well experienced in the ways of battle. She could only hope they could successfully defeat the Ledian soldiers this time around.

Devyn waited until the dragon riders had begun their ascent — and the soldiers on foot had took off across the field in a brisk jog — before giving a sharp whistle. Twyl gave a low growl before launching himself into the air. The captain could feel his muscles churning as they climbed, gaining altitude in a surprisingly short amount of time. She held tightly to his neck spikes, her legs pressing to his sides to keep herself from falling. Years of experience had built up her muscles; she no longer needed a saddle when riding like the less experienced soldiers did.

The air was chill and only got colder as they reached higher altitudes, until the pair finally leveled out and hovered slightly above Devyn's fleet of soldiers. From this position, the captain could easily see the goings-on of the battle without having to engage on her own until necessary. Devyn clenched her hands into fists to keep the tips of her fingers from going numb with the cold. Her crimson jacket, while perfect for being worn over her armor and shoulder pads, didn't do much to keep away the chill. She should have worn thicker gloves.

The Ledian soldiers had finally arrived at the edge of the field, their dragons slowing to hover in midair a good distance from the Dregian troops. Devyn heard the beat of wings begin to synchronize as the dragons subconsciously took up a similar rhythm. For a moment it matched the beating of her own heart, before Devyn's adrenaline began to dissipate. Neither side made any move to attack the other. As the chill of the air crept into Devyn's bones, the captain began to grow tired of waiting. Just attack already! She wanted to scream at the opposing soldiers. But to initiate the battle was to claim responsibility for it, and neither side was quite willing to own up to that just yet.