Avondale: The Golden Door

The Drake War

It only took me an hour to get used to flying. By noon I was so comfortable riding Nisvārtha that when we landed for lunch I almost fell over trying to walk again.

After lunch we all took off again, the quietness of the sky was almost magical, so I didn't break it. I rode for hours in silence, sitting straight on Nisvārtha's shoulders as I watched the grassy plains change to vast expanses of sand and stone. I watched the tall rock formation far in the distance, with each passing hour it grew larger. Before it had been the size of my thumb, now it was the size of my hand.

I used the long hours to think about everything I had learned, and found it wasn't much. I knew Sanna's story, and Havala's story, but everyone else remained a mystery. I knew about Nīrina Clan, and Clan Maretu, but barely anything about the other three clans. I needed to find out about Benki Clan. I should know where I am headed, but honestly the thing that bothered me the most was how little I knew about Avondale as a whole. I didn't know its history, its religion, or its culture. I knew the five species of dragon...vaguely, but I knew nothing about drakes or the other in-depth details about the other types.

I sighed and dragged my eyes away from the sharp point of Dragon Spine Temple. Śarat had named the few landmarks we could see right now. The tall mountain range to my left was called the Dragon Spine Mountains, but most just referred to them as The Spine. The tallest point of The Spine, apparently, was the Temple, and the home of Gāli Clan. The rock formation in the distance was Grey Rock, and within Gash Canyon lived Grey Rock City. Śarat had gotten distracted before I could ask more.

The sky was shifting from its late autumn blue into the purplish-grey of twilight. Nisvārtha spoke his first words in hours, and called for everyone to land for the night. Suruli flew off to inform Sanna while Śarat and Nisvārtha began their descent.

I held on tightly with my knees, but stayed sitting upright. The falling sensation was fun, like going down a slide, at first you're scared but once it starts you want to keep going. We landed gently and I slid off, stretching my stiff limbs. I knew that in the morning I would be in pain, but I didn't care. Riding a dragon was like riding a horse, I just needed to get used to using those muscles.

Havala joined me while the others built a fire and prepared the afternoon's catch. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

I straightened from my stretch and looked at her. "Tired, a wee bit stiff, but fine for now." I stretched my arms above my head. "I'm going to hate Shade in the morning though."

Havala chuckled. "Here," she held out a clay bottle stopped with a cork. "I haven't flown in a while either so I had Suruli make us this."

I opened the bottle and smelled it, it didn't smell like anything. "How much should I drink?"

Havala shrugged. "A few good swallows should be fine, it will lessen the pain you have tomorrow."

I nodded and started to drink. The fluid tasted like someone had dumped the contents of a teabag in water then added salt and raspberry juice. I got three chugs down before I had to stop, any more and it would come back up.

"Ugh," I handed the bottle back to her. "That's awful."

She rolled her eyes at my expression, "What did you expect medicine to taste like?"

I scowled, but didn't reply, remembering the revolting medicine Ma would shove down my throat the moment I coughed or sniffled.

Something hot and wet licked my arm and I turned around to see Sanna giving me a feral grin.

"You're such a child." I teased as I wiped my slobbery arm on his mane.

I am four-hundred and thirty years old! He protested.