Gloria Oliver (39 page)

Once he was done, he nimbly climbed onto his own seat. “Are you ladies ready?” he asked them over his shoulder.

Mandee squealed in delight saying yes, while Talia only nodded behind her. Yllin did nothing, sitting in the rear.

“All right then.” Alos’ grin was still on full force. “Let’s go!”

In one fluid motion, Bynian rose on all fours and started forward. His wings spread out on either side and then began to flow up and down like waves on a beach. With a strong jump, they suddenly found themselves in the air.

Talia held on to the front of her saddle with both hands, even as Yllin gasped behind her.

The ground dropped away beneath them but it did so slowly and gently, not in the nightmarish chaos they were subjected to when Clarence took flight. Talia braced herself anyway, but Bynian’s flight was smooth, flawless. The beat of his large wings was strong and steady. His path was straight, without effort.

She could almost have believed they weren’t moving, if it wasn’t for the fact the terrain kept changing below them. After a few minutes, she started to relax.

Alos and Bynian took them along the mountains surrounding the school. At times he flew high amongst the clouds while at others he barely skimmed the tops of the trees.

Talia was slowly suffused with wondrous amazement. This, this was what Kel and Clarence were trying to achieve. This was the true joy of being a Dragon Knight. Pleasure bubbled inside her. She fervently hoped her friends were also sharing her feelings. This was wonderful.

Sooner than she would have hoped, Alos and Bynian turned back to return to the landing strip. A slight shadow of her previous concern returned when she realized they were going to land. This part of the flight was normally the worst with Clarence. She’d seen him go astray too many times on his landings.

Would it be difficult for Bynian or would this, too, prove easier as well?

Bynian carefully slowed their descent. He flared his wings when he came very close to the ground and was able to set them onto land with minimum effort and no skidding at all.

“We’re back, safe and sound.” Alos stared back at them, his eyes bright. He undid his straps and then started to help them with their own. “So, was it as bad as you feared, Talia?”

She glanced up at Alos, surprised he’d seen through her so easily. “No. Actually, it was quite marvelous.

Thank you both very much.”

“Yes, thank you!” Mandee piped in. “It was indescribable.”

“It was definitely better than riding Clarence,” was Yllin’s cheery reply.

“Well we’re both glad you enjoyed it.”

“Yes, indeed,” Bynian added.

Smiles passed all around.

Alos helped them down and then climbed back into his saddle. “Perhaps we’ll get a chance to do it again sometime. Though right now, the two of us better get back to work. Take care.” With a wave, Alos and Bynian left them to saunter over to the line of eager students waiting for a ride.

The three girls waved after them enthusiastically. They watched from the sidelines as three students scrambled on to Bynian’s back and after a couple of minutes the group launched into the air.

“I think I could really enjoy doing that,” Mandee said.

Talia and Yllin nodded in silent agreement.

But today would be the last day of the carnival. It would also be the last day of Kel and Clarence’s imprisonment. After today, the two would be free at last. It was definitely something to be grateful for.

Excited for them, while at the same time slightly saddened so many things were coming to an end, she dressed and headed downstairs to grab breakfast.

The usual carnival chaos raged in the kitchen, though she did notice more of the regular staff were on hand. She traded cheery greetings with people from both groups. Yet this, too, would be something which would be gone as of tomorrow.

Clarence was awake as she wheeled the first barrel into the dormitory.
Good morning
.

“Good morning.”

Isn’t this a beautiful day?
Clarence asked her.

She nodded.

Tomorrow it will be more beautiful still
, the dragon said with feeling.

She nodded again, not sure what to say. It was good he was looking so forward to it.

When she took Kel his breakfast, she found the squire mirroring the dragon’s quietly excited mood.

“Did you see the sunrise this morning?” Kel took the tray from her and shuffled to set it down on the table for her, his chains rattling as he moved. “I haven’t seen one so crisp and beautiful in a while.”

She smiled a secret smile, finding their excitement contagious. “I think you’re right.”

Kel gave her his brightest one. “We wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”

Embarrassed, she looked away. “I better be going. My friends will be waiting.”

“Talia.”

She hesitated. “Yes?”

“The fireworks display will definitely be tonight,” Kel told her. “If you and your friends come up here, the view is bound to be the best in the entire school and a lot less crowded.”

She didn’t look at him. “Thanks. I’ll think about it.” She quickly went on her way.

Once she joined Mandee and Yllin downstairs, she was dragged outside, as Mandee prodded them into a mad plunge to try to do all the things they’d been unable to get to so far.

By late afternoon, Talia was exhausted and was amazed at how Mandee still seemed as full of energy now as when they started. She excused herself to take Clarence and Kel their meals, glad for the break.

It was a good thing it would be a rest day tomorrow, otherwise most of the students would be in no shape to return to class, not if the frenzied activity she saw was any indication. Most looked to have Mandee’s same goal in mind—to try to do
everything
before the day was over.

Kel and Clarence were both still in high spirits, and Kel even reminded her again about the fireworks.

The school must really put on a show if he thought so much about it. She figured she’d find out tonight.

“Talia.” Mandee spotted her as she made her way back and ran up to her, almost jumping with excitement. “We just found out there are going to be fireworks tonight.”

“I heard about it.”

“You have?” Mandee looked surprised. Yllin stood up from where she was resting and joined them, slowly shaking her head.

“Sorry I didn’t mention it earlier,” Talia said. “But, if you want, we have permission to watch them from one of the best spots in the school.”

“We do?” asked both girls simultaneously.

She nodded. “Kel said we could watch from the roof if we wanted.”

“He did?”

The incredulity on their faces almost made her burst out laughing. “Yes. He said the carnival people really put on an amazing display and it wasn’t to be missed.” Now that she thought of it, this would also be a nice reward for her friends for all the help they’d given her over the last month. “Unless you don’t want to get the best view?”

Mandee and Yllin glanced at each other and then Yllin answered enthusiastically for both of them. “Let’s do it!”

As the sun dropped toward the horizon after she took care of her chores, the three of them split up and went to turn in their coupons at their favorite food stalls. With loaded arms, they joined up again and made their way indoors and then as unobtrusively as possible threaded their way to the fourth floor and on to the stairs to the roof.

Talia stopped in surprise when they got there; a blanket was already set out for them close to the edge.

She quickly glanced toward Kel’s door but it was closed. Her friends didn’t question their good fortune and sat down on the blanket making themselves comfortable.

The three of them ate with the last of the fading light, expectantly waiting for the show to begin.

Without warning, a white streak rose to the heavens and then exploded in a resplendent shower of blue sparks. Talia and her two friends gasped as the light expanded and faded, seeming so close they could almost reach out and touch it.

Music poured up from below as another streak rose to the sky followed almost instantly by two more.

The first burst into a dazzling red butterfly while the other two formed a curtain of green for it to fly above.

With her eyes full of wonder, she glanced back as she half rose, determined Kel should share in this, his punishment be damned. She didn’t make it to her feet before she sat back down, chiding herself for having ever worried. Kel’s door was open and he was sitting inside it, officially still in his quarters but yet able to get a view of the magnificent display.

After a moment, he noticed her gaze and waved at her, sending her a bright smile. She quickly returned it and then turned back to enjoy the show.

Appreciative oohs and ahs drifted to them from below along with the timed music, but otherwise it was as if the show were for their eyes alone. Talia gazed at the display, totally enraptured by it, not having imagined such wonder was possible.

Magic must have something to do with it. Surely they couldn’t have gotten all the effects they saw purely from powder. The crystal waterfall made her heart sing with the beauty of it. She had never seen anything like it.

After almost an hour, a giant flurry of rockets launched into the sky and exploded in a kaleidoscope of colors so bright it seemed almost like day. Applause rang out from below even as the music softly wound to a close. Sadly, the wondrous display came to an end.

She glanced back over her shoulder but Kel was already gone, his door closed once more.

“It was fabulous!” Mandee exclaimed breathlessly.

Yllin nodded her agreement, her eyes still dazzled from the last of the fireworks.

“They were grand, weren’t they?” Talia said, grateful Kel made such a point to get her to see them from here. It was a sight she’d not soon forget.

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TALIA LEISURELY MADE her way downstairs. The games and contests had gone late into the night but she hadn’t stayed up for them. Many had, however, trying to squeeze all they could into the time they had left at the carnival. She grinned, doubting too many people would make it downstairs until much later in the morning.

As she entered the dining hall, she found she basically had the place to herself. Food was set out the same as on the days of the carnival, so she picked up a plate and served herself. She sat down and instantly dug into her meal, but after a minute forced herself to slow, reminding herself she had no reason to rush anymore. Today she was officially once more just one of the hundreds of students here—only having to deal with the typical chores of a rest day. She looked down at her plate and sighed. She was already missing them and it wasn’t even a few hours. Would they miss her as well? Probably not. She wouldn’t in their place—she would just try to forget the whole unpleasant business and put it behind her.

Things would now go back to the way they were before. She sighed quietly again and ate her breakfast nowhere near as enthusiastically as before.

She saw no sign of the squire or dragon in the morning as she went back and forth with her filled buckets of water. Whenever she ventured outside, she looked up at the sky, wondering if they were out flying together, trying to make up for lost time. But there was no sign of them, only of the carnival people packing up their wares and loading their dragons so they could go on home. She toyed with the idea of going into the dragon dormitory just to say hello, but didn’t, knowing she had no right to be there anymore.

During lunch, her eyes kept gravitating to the Administrator’s table, looking to see if Kel would show.

The room grew pretty full, students and what carnival people still remained availing themselves of the noon meal and conversation. She was almost done with her own meal when she finally spotted him.

Kel took his usual seat, his eyes downcast, not looking at or speaking to anyone. As she watched him, she suddenly understood the awkwardness he was feeling. Kel sat with teachers, not students, with people above him. Students would be below him. He possessed no real peers. And his offense had been against one of those above him. He’d not spoken to any of them in a month, and there was nowhere else he could go.

Her heart ached for him and she wished she could do something to help him. Even as the thought passed her mind, however, one of the teachers at the table turned to face him and cheerfully said hello. Kel looked up, appearing surprised, and returned the greeting, a shy smile momentarily flickering on his lips.

He looked even more surprised, as a few moments later Nertak showed up and sat down next to him slapping him heartily on the shoulder. The old man didn’t normally eat at the table.

“Talia, what are you looking at?”

She snapped her gaze in another direction as Sonsan asked her question. “Ah, nothing. Just trying to see how many of the carnival people are left.” She felt her cheeks grow warm at the lie. She hoped those around her wouldn’t notice.

“Hey, looks like the squire is back.” Dyl half stood and pointed in the direction of the Administrator’s table.

Talia grimaced, wishing they hadn’t noticed it.

“Does it mean you’re off the hook now, Talia?” Sonsan asked her.

She didn’t look at her directly as she answered. “Yes. My duties ended last night.”

“So you can tell us all his secrets now?”

Talia glanced over at her, her face hard. “There’s never been anything to tell. Would it really hurt so much just to leave him alone?”

Sonsan stared at her in amazement, a grin tugging at the edge of her mouth. “You sure do seem awfully concerned about him. Could it be there’s something between the two of you? A prisoner and jailer dalliance? You have spent a lot of time
alone
with him.”

Talia felt her ire at the brown-eyed girl rise, though she tried stubbornly to squelch it. “You can believe whatever you want.”