The Clash of Land and Sea.

Chapter 24

"What are we going to do?" Shane asked.

"We have to meet them and see what they want." Cass said.

They reached the top of Out Post and Rilora and Shaylin were both waiting on them.

"But what if it's a trap?" Shane asked as he climbed onto Rilora's back.

"They wouldn't try anything so close to our army and so far away from theirs. It would be suicide to attack us." Cass made sense and that helped to calm some of Shane's nerves.

"And what are we going to do about Hayden." Cass stopped strapping herself into her saddle and looked at Shane.

"We will have to come up with something. I guess we could tell them that he is somewhere else in the forest." Cass suggested. "We could say that he is getting ready for the battle."

Shane wasn't sure if they were going to believe that story or not. Let's get going. Shane told Rilora. Rilora was the first to take off of Out Post but Shaylin was close behind her.

As they flew Shane reached into one of the saddle bags and undid the straps holding it closed. The leather bag opened up and Shane pulled out a copper bull helmet. Shane pulled the helmet onto his head and tightened the chin strap, locking the helmet into place.

Shane pulled the face shield down, covering his entire body in copper armor. He looked back behind him and saw Cass put her golden phoenix helmet on.

We need to look intimidating when we land, we don't need to show them any fear. Shane thought as he tightened his gauntlets for the third time since they had taken flight. When the tree line came into view Shane began scanning the grassy fields for the horsemen.

It only took a few minutes before Rilora spotted the horses tethered to a sapling at the edge of the forest.

Do you want to land next to the horses? Shane asked.

I don't want to be in between them and our army. I think we should land inside the forest with our people. Rilora said.

Shane looked over the tree tops but he couldn't find a clearing big enough to fit two dragons.

I don't think we have that option; there is no room for us to land. Shane looked over his shoulder to look at the enemy's camp but it was too far away from them to see any details, or any dragons.

I am a dragon, I make room. Rilora flew low over the tree and when she was near where the horses were tethered she let loose her fire on the trees directly below her.

The trees immediately went up in flames. Rilora kept up her flame and poured out her fire over the already burning trees. The leaves went up in a thick smoke but the fire was so hot the trees just melted away underneath them.

Rilora lowered herself into the inferno, her wings pushing smoke and flames out away from them. Shaylin added her fire to the trees and landed just heartbeats after them.

Shane looked around and saw just a few fires burning through the smoke. The grass all around them was black and smoldering, adding their smoke to the blanket that was floating around them.

Shane was struggling to breathe through the smoke but he was a dragon rider and fire and smoke were part of the job.

Shane undid his saddle straps and lowered himself down to the burnt earth beneath him. His boots crunched into the charred earth and sent ash up into the air. Shane looked back to Cass and saw her walking towards him.