Dragon Airways (16 page)

Tuck approached a few moments later. "Are you all right?"

Riette nodded, not trusting her voice to speak. Suddenly she felt she knew Barabas just a little bit better.

Tuck sat down next to her. He didn't have to say anything. His presence alone was comforting. "I think they're going to be all right."

In her melancholy, Riette remained silent, not wanting to spread her dark mood. "My father is dead," she said without meaning to.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"It's all right. Finny just confirmed what I already knew." The tremble in her voice didn't lend credence to her words.

When Finny returned, Riette couldn't help but cry. He carried a small square of cloth, but she recognized it. Her father had worn his uniform on the day he left, and she would never forget it; the details were deeply etched in her memory. This was the shoulder patch from his uniform, and it was more than she could bear. For so long she had pushed her father into the realm of stories and legends, things that weren't actually real, things you could lose without being torn into a thousand pieces. But this was real, tangible. It connected her memory to her loss and she sobbed. Emmet had come to see what was wrong, and Riette tried to get herself together for his sake, but it was of no use. Instead, he came and sat beside her, placing his hand on her knee and giving it a pat. This gesture brought even more sobs, and she hugged him hard. Tuck handed her a kerchief, and she gratefully accepted it.

"I'm sorry," she said to Finny.

"Don't you worry about a thing," Finny said. "I don't blame you one bit. But you got good people around you, and you'll always be welcome in my family. You and Emmet are all your dad ever talked about. I feel like I know you already."

"Thank you," Riette said when she'd calmed herself enough to speak.

"There's one other thing. Someone else has been here looking for you."

A cold feeling washed over Riette. Had the Al'Zjhon been here? Were they waiting for their chance to kidnap Emmet?

"He was a big fellow," Finny continued. "Not one you'd want to tangle with in a fight. Had fingers like pickles."

Laughing through her tears, Riette pictured Brick in her mind; the description was not inaccurate.

"He left this for you." Finny handed her a rolled piece of parchment.

Tuck, Emmet, and Finny all looked anywhere other than at the parchment as she unrolled it.

Riette,

You're a hard woman to track down. I wanted to come find you, but the news you sent of a fleet headed for Sparrowport changed my mind. I know you are alive and in good hands. I must go back and make sure our people are safe. I hope you understand. If you do make it back, which I hope you do, I will never let you out of my sight again.

All my love,

Brick

Here was another part of her life she'd been repressing. Brick loved her—always had. He'd come after her, as she'd known he would. Yet he'd had the good sense to go back once he knew she was well cared for. Even if he had been able to track her down, there wasn't much he could have done to help her. She was proud of him for going home to save the people they both cared about, though she wondered how much he could do. Perhaps, as it seemed, their efforts would be futile no matter what. Riette wasn't one to give up easily, but life kept taking things from her. Only the presence of Emmet, and, if she was honest with herself, Tuck kept her from despair. In many ways, the news about Brick came as a relief, and she felt a small bit lighter. When Barabas walked over to where she sat, the burden lifted even more. It frightened her how happy she was to see him.

"Dashiq will recover," he said. "Perhaps not completely but enough to get us back to the shallows. Needs a proper healing."

"Sparrowport?" Riette asked.

"Is in serious trouble," Barabas said. Riette made ready to protest, but he held up a single gnarled finger. "I want to help the people of Sparrowport, but I don't know if we can take on another fleet. This one really took it out of her, and the power in the saddle will be depleted before much longer."

"But we can try?"

"We can try," he said. "We can try."

The pilot who had hugged Dashiq joined them. "Thank you," he said to Barabas with a bow. "I would go with you, if you'll have me. My name is Bronson."

Barabas nodded. "How do you feel about having a very special passenger?"

It didn't take long for Bronson to catch on. "I'd be honored."

Riette couldn't imagine what it would be like to fly atop a dragon atop a diesel prop, but she was about to find out.

"I'll get you fueled up and reloaded," Finny said.

A beautiful red-haired woman approached carrying a tray of travel breads. Riette's mouth watered at the sight. She knew good Midlands food when she saw and smelled it, and these were among her favorite things. Emmet perked up as well.

"I asked Miss Gillian to bring us something to warm our bellies before the journey," Bronson said. Riette liked him already. "As many of you can ride with me as you would like. There's plenty of room."

The offer forced Riette into an uncomfortable decision. Did she accept his offer and risk offending Barabas and Tuck, or did she fly in a rickety carriage strapped to a dragon on top of an airplane and possibly offend Bronson? The fact that she was leaning toward the latter made her question her own sanity. For the moment, she chose not to make a commitment one way or another.

Barabas was also silent on the matter, which could be explained by the steaming travel bread he held. Bacon and eggs by her guess—difficult to execute properly but amazing when done right. Riette grabbed one with the tips of red peppers showing through the bread coating. How she had missed spices other than salt! Tuck finished off his meal and made his way to where vendors displayed their wares. Even in times of war, people had to do business and handle the day-to-day necessities of life. Riette hoped he had the good sense to buy something other than pickled eggs and salted fish.

Deep down, she steeled herself against what they would find upon returning to Sparrowport, never realizing how much the place meant to her until leaving it behind. When living there, she'd felt like an outcast. Now that she had been places where she knew absolutely no one, she realized how much the community meant to her, and there was the familiar sense of surroundings. She longed to once again walk the streets, knowing where she was going and where to find everything she needed. It called to her like a distant dream. If only she could slip back into her old life, as if none of this had ever happened. The thought saddened her, though, since then she would not have known the wonders of magic and the true nature of her brother's existence. She'd learned so many lessons on this journey, no matter how painful the process may have been. There was no way she would wish the knowledge away.

When it came time to board Dashiq, Riette approached with trepidation. The dragon had been largely unresponsive not long before. Seeing her eye open was a good start, but the aging dragon moved gingerly. Riette began to consider flying inside the airplane just so Dashiq would not have to bear her weight. It seemed an unfair thing to ask of a wounded animal. The dragon, though, had a mind of her own. When Riette and Emmet approached, Dashiq reached out to them with her head and guided them to the carriage. The message was clear enough, and Riette was not about to disobey. No other creature in this world commanded more of her respect than this dragon. The valiant beast had more heart than most of the people she knew and had sacrificed herself more than once to protect Riette and Emmet, not to mention Tuck and Barabas. More and more, she thought of these people as her family. Putting her father's patch in the pocket where she carried the kerchief her mother had given her, she drew strength from them. People on both sides of the veil cared for her, which gave her some comfort.

A crowd had lined up to help put the carriage back in place, and Riette found more of the damage had been repaired. Her seat was once again whole and at least somewhat comfortable. If they lived long enough to make the trip back to the shallows, as Barabas suggested, she would be grateful for the added comfort. Nothing could have felt stranger than sitting atop Dashiq while she climbed atop the diesel prop airplane and wound her tail around it.

"Just keep her weight distributed evenly, and we'll be fine," Bronson said.

Barabas nodded.

Black smoke billowed from the engines, which issued a deafening roar. Already Riette was seeing the benefits of dragon flight over aircraft. Rushing air from the props created a turbulent wash alongside the fuselage, leaving Riette to reconsider the wisdom of this idea. No one would have heard her even if she had said something. The engines roared louder, and the airplane taxied down the airstrip. The extra weight required additional lift. Dashiq kept her wings closed. Already she affected the plane's aerodynamics, possibly preventing liftoff. Still the plane hurtled toward the cliffs, where clear skies waited beyond. Emmet had the good sense to scream. Riette joined him. Even Tuck looked to be holding on for his life.

The drop sent Riette's stomach toward her throat. The seas rushed at them as the plane picked up speed. Within moments, they were gaining altitude instead of losing it, and Riette relaxed her grip just a small amount, her knuckles already hurting. Tuck looked back, his face pale and his eyes wide. Seeing Riette and Emmet still strapped in place, he gave her a thumbs-up. Shouts rose up from the remaining Zjhon in the water and along the shoreline. The plane was still climbing and might be within gun range, but no one below was ready in time. Most were busy helping their comrades from the water. Pilots and sailors alike clung to the wreckage of airships and naval vessels. Those who had already made it to shore scavenged whatever they could from the wreckage, braving the deadly surf. Those waves were notorious under normal circumstances but were now filled with debris.

Riette almost felt bad for those who remained. The world had changed in the span of a few days. The Zjhon had gone from being an overwhelming invading force to a group of men and women facing being stranded on the Jaga, trapped between rocky cliffs, the swamp, and the sea. The shoreline was the safest route to travel to the Heights, but even that journey was one no sane person would take.

Few places were more deadly than the Jaga swamp. The land itself seemed to reject the presence of man. Those who did wander into the jungle were almost never seen or heard from again. The rare few who claimed to have survived any length of time in the jungle were haunted by the experience, and none ever wanted to talk about it. These were among the tales Riette had always thought to be little more than stories. Having flown along the swamp's edge, though, she now believed every word. The place oozed evil and hatred, writhing with glossy-slick life large enough to be seen from the air. Riette now had experience with enormous serpents, but she still had difficulty imagining snakes that large. It was as if the swamps were a single creature with a great many arms. The images would haunt her nightmares.

Within a short time, though, the swamp and Dragonport were left behind. Stark cliffs whizzing by at an impressive rate, Riette settled in for what would likely be the shortest leg of their trip. Emmet leaned up against her and fell asleep. They were going home.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Most problems can be solved with a hotter fire or bigger hammer.

—Joren, blacksmith

* * *

When the airfield at Sparrowport came into view, Riette's heart sank. They were too late. Debris covered the airstrips, and some were almost completely destroyed, looking as if they had been blown up by massive bombs. Beyond, Sparrowport proper lay in ruin. The sight instantly brought tears to her eyes. The life of every person she knew was now in question. By the looks of things, they might all be dead. A thousand years of architecture had been reduced to piles of rock and plaster.

Bronson made the wide turn to line up with the airstrip. Riette hoped he wouldn't attempt to land. Slowing, the plane soared over the airfields.

"It's one of ours!" someone shouted from below, and a remarkable thing happened. The debris piles began to move—not all of them, but enough to clear a narrow landing strip. Bronson made a wide turn, and Riette scanned the horizon, seeing nothing. While Bronson lined up with the newly cleared landing strip, Dashiq uncoiled her tail and spread her wings. Within the span of a breath, they peeled away from the aircraft. The dragon landed amid the obstructions blocking one of the larger airstrips, once again displaying the advantages of dragons over man-made craft.

Bronson showed his skill and landed cleanly within the narrow strip. People ran toward the airplane and pulled a massive net over it the instant the engines stopped. The need for camouflage gave Riette chills. Once she and the others climbed down from Dashiq, the dragon curled up beside the remains of a downed plane, practically disappearing into the landscape.

Bronson appeared from under the netting, and faces she recognized surrounded her. They might not have run to her with open arms, but it was the warmest reception she'd received since leaving Sparrowport. The debris was moved back into place, much of it on rolling platforms.

From town came a formidable figure. Through trenches and ironworks securing the barrage balloons tied to them strode Brick. The changes in him were immediately obvious. The swagger with which he walked spoke of far more confidence than the boy who'd been afraid to kiss her. A man approached and Riette felt her heart flutter. She'd tried hard not to worry about him all this time, but the concern had always been there, weighing on her. Now that weight was gone. Not only had he survived, but others had too. Though her home looked like a near complete loss, the people mattered far more than the architecture. Buildings could be reconstructed.

"You're a difficult person to track down," Brick said when he got close. Even his voice sounded deeper and more commanding. She liked it.

"So your note said."

"Ah, so you got my note. Good," Brick said, looking embarrassed. "I would have come after you . . ."

"So your note said," Riette responded, but then she smiled and let him off the hook. "You did the right thing."

Brick nodded. "I wish I could've done more. We lost a lot of good people. And town . . ."

"Can be rebuilt by the people you helped save."

The muscle-bound man flushed deep red, but then he looked at Tuck. "Is this the boy you've been running around with?"

Riette hadn't noticed Tuck walking up behind her until that moment, and when she turned, he looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else. "Now, Brick . . ."

The much larger young man approached Tuck, looking him up and down. "I remember you," he said, his face a grim mask. "Welcome home, lad!" Brick swept Tuck up in a bear hug that made the smaller boy's eyes bulge. "You did good. You did real good. She needs someone to look after her."

Riette wasn't certain how to take that remark and considered kicking Brick in the shins. It wouldn't be the first time.

"It's a good thing you're back too, Riette," Brick said with a grin. "We've had no seamstress. People have been walking around with split trousers and holes in their socks. Quite horrifying, really."

Riette could no longer resist that kick in the shins. No matter how he harassed her, though, seeing him soothed her soul. She was home, for what it was worth. Not everyone here loved her or was comfortable around her, but they knew her and she them. They were a community, and when the need arose, they helped each other.

"In truth, you would have been a great help in creating the barrage balloons," Brick said in a more serious tone. "We should get back to the shelters. They'll be coming soon."

"The Zjhon?" Riette asked, her fears returning.

"It takes them longer to get here now that we chased their ships farther offshore."

"How'd you manage that?"

"The Zjhon aren't the only ones who can innovate," Brick said with a note of pride Riette had never heard from him before. "I modified the smithy forge and used parts from downed aircraft to fashion a new weapon. People call it the Ship Sinker. Who am I to argue? The name suits her. She's got triple-walled compression tanks and a barrel twice as thick and longer than anything they could haul across the sea."

"Where is it?" Riette asked.

Brick pointed back the way they had come. She didn't see it at first since it resembled other piles of debris littering the airfields, but then she noticed the circular opening of a massive gun barrel protruding from a downed airship. Sandbags reinforced the structure and were also packed around the barrel. "We only left enough space to sight and aim the gun. They've yet to do any serious damage to her, so they concentrate on grinding the bunkers into dust. They've come a bit closer to success on that account, but we're holding our own. How are things on the other fronts? We've had no news since I left Dragonport."

"The other two fleets have been mostly destroyed," Riette said.

Stumbling, Brick looked back to her, his jaw slack. "What?"

"It's true," Riette said to a crowd of faces who had turned to hear what she would say. "Barabas DeGuiere and the Drakon seized Azzakkan's Eye from Argus Kind." These words brought sharp intakes of breath and incredulous whispers. "Using a magic saddle and Azzakkan's Eye, Dashiq and Barabas eliminated almost all the Zjhon aircraft. The remaining naval fleets are sizable but ill prepared to lay siege on high ground."

"All save the one offshore here," Brick said, rubbing his chin. "We've held them off this long, and we've a few surprises for them today. They may think they've crippled us with their bombs, but they have made us stronger and more determined to survive, if only for the chance to seek vengeance."

"You've done well," Barabas said. "Most would have accepted defeat under the circumstances, but you all have shown the Zjhon what the Midlands are made of. You should be proud."

"No time for pride," an older man said. "Too busy not dying. We should get to shelter before they get here." Riette allowed the man to pull her along and into what looked like nothing more than a pile of rubble. Within, though, she found reinforced walls made from multiple sheets of metal most likely from downed Zjhon aircraft. "They drop it from the sky, we use it against 'em. That's the game we play. Today they'll find out we've been saving up."

"Remember to wait until they are past the barrage balloons before releasing!" Brick commanded.

Not a moment later, aircraft engines approached; it gave Riette the crawls. It was like waiting for death to arrive and hearing it come the whole way. Those around her showed greater nerve, waiting with determination for the chance to make their wrath known. Riette wasn't certain what they had in store but wouldn't have to wait long to find out.

The first wave of diesel planes swooped down over the littered airfield. From what she could tell, no one even noticed Dashiq, the plane, or the location of the big gun. No shots were fired and no bombs were dropped until the aircraft approached the barrage balloons. Not wanting to get tangled up in the purely defensive and passive aircraft, the bombers took aim at the balloons first, which would allow the next wave to come in lower. Still out to sea, they would arrive minutes after the first wave. She wasn't certain how much of this she could take. Waiting for the enemy to drop bombs on her head was perhaps the most nerve-wracking experience she'd had yet.

"Now!" Brick commanded.

A series of loud thrums, booms, and thumps followed. The air above the barrage balloons was suddenly filled with tiny orange spheres that exploded into puffs of smoky dust. There was no way for the airplanes to avoid the cloud of tiny projectiles, but Riette wondered just how effective the munitions were since none penetrated the planes themselves.

"Get down!" Brick ordered.

Metal shutters were lowered to cover the openings through which they had watched. That's when the bombs struck. Never had Riette been so bombarded by sound and pressure; it made it feel as if her head might implode. Emmet had his hands over his ears and rocked back and forth next to her. She did her best to comfort him until the episode passed. In this instance, she could hardly blame him. Most of her wanted to crawl in a hole and hide. This bunker was not far from the mark. Dust and stone pelted them after more bombs exploded, but nothing penetrated the rock and metal surrounding them.

"Reload," Brick ordered. People moved with alacrity, not questioning his commands. Pride swelled in Riette's chest at seeing her friend lead so effectively. She'd always known he was special and would do great things, but this was not what she would have guessed. He was a talented smith in his own right, and she suspected a bright future awaited him—if any of them survived. A late detonation rocked the bunker after the shutters had been raised, reminding them all nothing was guaranteed.

"Listen," Brick said.

The incoming aircraft made their approach, another wave of bombers following closely. Also, the bombers that had just attacked could still be heard flying back to the awaiting fleet, the tone of their engines distinguishable from behind. That tone changed and became intermittent before stopping altogether. People worked feverishly to open the rear shutters in time to see the planes dropping from the sky. Explosions rocked the far end of town, not far from Quarter Yard, where Riette and Emmet had once lived. It was an odd thing to cheer for, but Brick had, indeed, inflicted great damage on the enemy.

"Double flight coming in, people," Brick shouted over the cheers, an edge of panic in his voice. "Get ready! Reload!"

No matter how quickly they worked, it would not be fast enough. With a path cleared through the barrage balloons and no antiaircraft weapons at the ready, these planes would have easier targets to hit. Despite the substantial defenses Brick and the people of Sparrowport had erected, they would not last long. There was no time left to do anything except pull the metal shutters and hope. Unable to take her eyes away, Riette watched the planes approach through a growing gap in the stone walls. These were different than those that had come before. Hanging beneath each plane was a single, massive bomb. The Zjhon continually morphed their tactics based on their enemy's weaknesses.

Brick must have seen this, for he shouted before Riette could get the words out. "Evacuate the bunkers! Scatter! They mean to end us now. Some of us must survive!"

Though she knew he was right, Riette was transfixed, unable to pull her eyes away from the approaching planes. Then movement on the runways caught her attention. At first she thought the people were clearing a landing strip again, but Dashiq unfurled herself. Once the planes passed overhead, she leaped into the air.

"Come on, Riette!" Brick shouted.

Tuck was closer and grabbed her by the wrist, but she remained rooted in place.

"Wait," she said.

Brick opened a shutter enough to see what was happening. He held his closed fist out behind him, a silent command to hold. Many had already fled, but Brick, Emmet, Tuck, and Barabas remained. A pit of fear grew in Riette's gut. If she were wrong, then she might have killed them all. Dashiq, though, had other plans. In spite of her injuries, the valiant dragon took to the air behind the aircraft. No turrets were installed on these planes, which had been modified to carry much larger bombs. The pilots never saw her coming. While the formation slowed for a deadly approach, the dragon used all her speed to reach the lead plane and latch on to its elevator. Tearing it free, she sent the plane crashing into the one next to it. The chain reaction took out three planes.

Looking as though she, too, might fall from the skies, Dashiq winged away. The lead plane struck the ground first, hitting the trenches between the airfield and town. Even from a distance, the explosion rocked the bunkers, and Brick slammed the shutter closed. Riette endured stinging dust that rushed in through the crack. The next two planes struck an instant later. Debris filled the air, threatening the remaining planes. It was Dashiq, though, who did the most damage. Razing the formation with blue-tipped fire, she sent planes in every direction. Most crashed, some fled, but one continued, smoking and sputtering.

"Get down!" Brick shouted.

The sound was horrifying. Louder and louder the damaged plane grew until it struck the bunkers squarely. The initial impact collapsed the roof, leaving Riette staring up at the sky through a now enormous gap in the stone. The airplane remained partially intact and flipped end over end. The following explosion was deafening but lacked the punch of a direct hit, which would likely have killed them all. Even as it was, people screamed in the aftermath, Riette included. Pinned beneath a pile of rock, she couldn't move. Brick lifted the largest piece of debris off of her; the pain almost made her swoon, but she held on to consciousness, knowing it was a matter of life or death. Desperately she searched for Emmet, tears filling her eyes. They should have run—all of them. Her foolishness had cost them dearly. They still might not have escaped in time, but that didn't assuage her guilt. Only when Brick uncovered Tuck did she draw another breath. Her friend was bleeding and covered in dust, but as he unfolded himself, Emmet was revealed. He'd saved her brother, and Riette loved him for that.