Fate of Dragons

Chapter Twenty-Four, Part II

"I hope we haven't appeared unwilling," Amina said, tipping her head slightly toward their pan of food.

"Oh no, Malía knows that we'd been traveling the whole day yesterday. That's why I waited until it looked like you were almost finished."

"And do we know yet what the efforts are that we'll be contributing to?" Eriya said.

"The dragons returned with a revelation. Since arriving in Saldive, the dragons have come down with a strange sickness. Only Orrie collapsed, but, had the dragons not flown to the island, others might have."

"The island?" Amina asked.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot that you haven't heard any of it," Maira said. "Yes, the dragons flew out to an island. Some of them discovered it while flying, and somehow they knew that Orrie could heal there. Torun told me what happened."

"Why can Orrie heal there, and not here?" Eriya asked. "You said all the dragons got this sickness?" Her gaze traveled to Gypsy, bounding around the open floor as the other dragons went about their preparations.

"It's the bound magic," Maira said. "I knew there was good reason not to allow it in Arethia."

Derol caught Amina's glance as her eyes flicked to his wrist.

"Once Torun knew of this, he quickly realized that the bound magic used by the Karume was affecting the eggs. It's why they wouldn't hatch. And they won't hatch here, either. So, we're moving them. And the dragons."

"I thought the Yennar Lei temple wouldn't give us the eggs," Eriya said.

"Malía and a select few dragon riders are going to meet with their mage council this morning. They're preparing now. The rest of us are readying the transportation for the dragons here that still cannot fly, and for the eggs, once we've gotten them."

A dragon appeared over the edge of the cliff, climbing upward from Saldive. It circled above the spires once before gliding down and sliding to a stop in a cloud of dust. Its rider climbed down and began to untie coils of rope at its sides. Another group of riders approached and carried away the coils of rope.

"How can we help?" asked Amina.

Maira smiled. "I've been sent to ask if you would help construct the nets."

Fenn's face lit up. "I know how to do that," he said. "I'll show you," he added to Eriya, no doubt noticing her look of dismay.

Derol felt relieved. He had a reasonable idea of how to tie rope into a net. He was glad that he was being asked to help with something manageable. Looking over to the group of dragons assembled in the center of the spires, Derol noticed that Tesa's white dragon was not there. Astrid had been with her, and he hadn't seen her yet, either.

"Where is Tesa?"

"She and her dragon stayed at the island overnight," Maira replied. "Along with Astrid. Orrie should have enough time to mostly recover from his sickness."

But as she spoke, a movement above caught Derol's eye. The small speck grew larger and larger until it became clear that it was Orrie. As he approached, he began to circle around the sky above the spires, then he finally slowed and drifted into the open ground.

Tesa climbed down from her dragon's back, then helped Astrid down behind her. Derol stood and began to walk toward them, and when Tesa saw him approach, she ushered the small girl toward him. Astrid ran to him and he caught her in his arms.

"We've got a lot to talk about," Tesa said to Derol, nodding down toward Astrid. The small girl smiled up at him.

"Looks like it'll have to wait," Derol answered, seeing Malía approaching.