Soar

Chapter 30

Darriad the firebreather was Darriad the dragon rider.

"You did better for yourself than even I expected," he said, uncrossing his arms and studying me.

I stared back, knowing I was gaping but unable to stop myself.

Darriad laughed. "I've heard a great deal about you in the past few months, Azadryn."

I shook myself. "But...but I haven't heard anything about you. I don't understand."

With a shrug he said, "The price of rebellion in this part of the world, I'm afraid. The king decreed I was a common nuisance and not to be bothered with, and everyone agreed with him. I nearly don't exist by all accounts."

"Your dragons.... They are the ones fighting Umreo."

He confirmed this with a bow of his head. "The same."

"So she does know you," the dragon behind me said. "I was beginning to wonder."

Darriad was grinning wildly. "That will teach you to trust me, Nadika." A shout from the men by the fire distracted us and Darriad sighed.

"We will have to trade stories later, I'm afraid. Jurisa was right behind me," he told the purple dragon, Nadika. "As soon as these men make their choice and pack up, we will be off."

Nadika snorted sparks. "We may be here a while yet. Best tell the girl something to ease her. She's liable to catch flies with her maw like that."

I snapped my mouth shut and scowled at the dragon, but she ignored me.

Darriad hummed thoughtfully. Then, holding out his arm, he waved me over to a quieter part of the hill. I followed him. "Sit down, Azadryn. You deserve to know." He waited until I was comfortable, then sat beside me.

"I suppose the king has told you your parents joined up with Umreo when they rebelled."

I rolled my eyes. "More than once, though it never made sense."

"Even if all you know of Kalamec and Elania are rumors, it makes no sense," he agreed. "So here is the truth: Kalamec and Elania were friends of mine."

I was in danger of catching flies after all. Darriad was not smiling, and he spoke before I could begin to ask questions.

"I grew up outside of the influence of the Shaderi kingdom. My parents were part of a small community living in the northern reaches, trying to find peace while men like Niloth and Umreo squabbled for power." He rested his elbows on his knees and studied the clouds as he spoke. "I grew up with dragons, without a drop of Niloth's precious Old Blood in my veins.

"As I got older, I began to pay attention to the world around me, and I saw the danger Umreo posed – not only to Shaderi, but to the world. So I decided to do something about it, and I've been busy about that work ever since.

"People like your parents have joined us over the years: men and women who want to help their people but are prevented from doing so by the laws and traditions the king's kind hold so dear. With me, Kalamec and Elania were able to fight for their people and their home without fear of punishment. They were some of our best."

Darriad glanced at me to see how I was receiving this story. "But why were you in Hasarmon?" I asked.

"For the same reason your young friend Tryven was there, and others like him: to keep a watchful eye on the world. Men like Niloth like to pretend the lands east of the river have nothing to do with us, and that, perhaps more than his mandates about Old Blood, is the greatest threat to us.