Dragon School: Pipe of Wings Read online

  Dragon School: Pipe of Wings

  Dragon School, Volume 15

  Sarah K. L. Wilson

  Published by Sarah K. L. Wilson, 2018.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  DRAGON SCHOOL: PIPE OF WINGS

  First edition. July 17, 2018.

  Copyright © 2018 Sarah K. L. Wilson.

  Written by Sarah K. L. Wilson.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Behind the Scenes:

  For my readers who struggle with daily pain.

  Chapter One

  I looked down at the instrument – a pipe? - in Jalla’s shaking hand and up at the empty spot where Ifrits had been descending on us like an avalanche only moments before.

  I had blown a single note. I hadn’t even known what it would do and now the Ifrits were gone. The humans who had supported them were backing up slowly, conscious that they were now outnumbered.

  I could still feel the Pipe in my hand as if I were the one holding it, still feel it on my lips as it had been only a moment before. But Jalla was the one holding it above her head, a triumphant look filling her face as her long curly hair swirled in the breeze. Around us, cheers broke out.

  “Praise to Jalla,” Prince Gahteen yelled, pride in his eyes. “War Leader of all Baojang, bearer of the Pipe of Wings and Champion of the Kah’deem!”

  From around us cries rose up, “Praise to Jalla! Praise!”

  Skies and stars! Rein in the dragons! It wasn’t Jalla who opened the Kah’deem and took the Artifact! That was Rakturan and me! I was the one who snatched it up and blew it. I was the one who suffered. Look at my hand!

  I was worried this might be the case.

  I thought that if I won, that I might also win my freedom. How could Jalla keep a person as a slave who had saved them all? I stumbled over to Raolcan. He was steadily watching the fleeing men of the Crescent Prince, like a cat watching a mouse scurry away. There were no Ifrits with them and some of the men at the back of the bowl had saddled up horses and were already chasing them as they fled.

  The thing about slavery in Baojang is that anything good you do will be credited to your master – Jalla.

  If I’d known that, I would have done things differently.

  Would you? You were trying to save your friends – including Rakturan.

  Where was Rakturan?

  Look behind you?

  I strained to look past the cheering, dancing crowd as they lifted Jalla up on their shoulders. Someone had set a pallet against the rock cliff and Rakturan was draped across it, still unconscious. He could wait a moment.

  I hobbled to where the Crescent Prince lay beneath the Kah’deem. It wasn’t as impressive now that it had been opened. The magic was gone with the artifact and my eyes had no problem looking at the cage that once repelled my gaze.

  He was breathing. I knelt down before him and checked him over. His head bled freely from a wound and he wasn’t conscious. A pair of men pushed past me, heaving him up in the air and carrying him away, but I couldn’t stop watching him as he was swallowed by the crowd. They were sweeping us all away now that victory was achieved – both victors and defeated.

  You’re in shock. Go sit down somewhere.

  What was Raolcan going to do if I sat down somewhere?

  Enkenay and I want to make a sweep to be sure they’ve all left.

  I didn’t even know what happened to the Ifrits.

  You blew them away with that pipe – like a dream that disappears in the morning.

  But how?

  I’m not sure... There were wings – like a million dragonflies flew past. But they only took the Ifrits. I blinked, and it was over. I’m not sure what to think of it. This Pipe is not in dragon legend.

  I wasn’t sure what to make of it, either. It was all as unreal as a dream. I stumbled to Rakturan’s cot and sat down on the edge of it.

  We’ll be back soon.

  I did feel shocked. My hand hurt. I looked down to see it was lacerated and bleeding. The thought of gripping anything with it made me wince. I salvaged a strip of cloth on the pallet for a bandage and wound it carefully around my palm.

  It was morning, but I hadn’t slept all night. The battle was over, but I felt like victory had been snatched from my hands. Almost automatically, I found water, wet a cloth, and dabbed Rakturan’s forehead. Jalla had bandaged his hand, but his face was battered from his fall and dirty smears streaked his face. Cleaning was a good idea. Good for him and good for me.

  My hand shook more than I’d expected it to as I cleaned his face.

  You’re in shock. You need rest. See if there is any tea at the fire there. You need something to eat and drink.

  I hobbled over to the fire and poured tea, sipping it slowly. I felt so tired that it was hard to think. I couldn’t even be upset when they finished carrying Jalla around and formed a long line, so they could take turns swearing loyalty to her. I sat down beside Rakturan, leaning my back against the rock wall and slowly sipping my tea.

  In the camp, they were slaughtering an animal and building a fire. They would feast soon, despite the early hour.

  No signs of hidden enemies. We are safe for tonight.

  I watched someone open a crate of pigeons. They flew out in a burst, the light of the morning sun catching the edges of their feathers as they flew out in all directions. I smiled. Flying felt so good. They must be happy to be free.

  By nightfall, all of Baojang will know what happened here. Those pigeons aren’t really free. They fly to serve a purpose ... just like us.

  I needed Raolcan. I needed a safe place to close my eyes and ...

  I set the mug down beside me. My eyelids were heavy. Just one moment to rest. I closed my eyes.

  Sleep carried me away.

  Chapter Two

  I woke, rubbing my eyes blearily. Pain shot through my hand.

  Awake?

  I had fallen asleep on the rock beside the pallet Rakturan had been lying on - but now Rakturan was gone, the blankets rumpled and empty. Raolcan’s back was to me, the end of his tail flicking back and forth.

  “I’m awake.” Where was Rakturan? Was he safe?

  He woke a few hours ago and Jalla called him to her Council. She named him her Kadesh – Right Hand War Leader. That’s like a second in command.

  And he was fine with that? After everything? He basically had what he earned stolen from him!

  He doesn’t see it that way. He thinks like everyone here in Baojang does. They have a strange code of honor based on years of tradition and careful negotiation. It’s not even written anywhere, people just learn it from growing up in it. Even reading minds, it’s hard for me to grasp all the nuances.

  I thought Purples didn’t like listening in on people’s minds unless it was “their” person.

  There was a feeling of chagrin through our mental link. I stood up, awkwardly, my leg stiff and painful from lying on the rock. I eased up on my crutch, shifting my weight until it fit right and cinching the s
trap before hobbling out to join Raolcan in what he was doing.

  The thing is... he began awkwardly. I tousled my hair and tied my scarves again, limping to where his head was so that I could see him while we spoke. ...the thing is, I’ve grown a little too used to humans. I find myself dipping into their minds by accident.

  You do? I was stunned. I followed his gaze jumping backward when I realized the area in front of him was completely filled with Sentries, their riders nowhere to be seen.

  I’ve grown tame. He flamed, blasting the closest Sentry, which yelped, zooming away to the other side of the make-shift corral. Someone had set up a net around it. On the other side, Enkenay was grinning, his jaw pressed flat to the rock floor so he could watch the Sentries.

  He called that tame?

  Yes. It is a shame to all dragons everywhere that I accommodate humans so much. You won’t mention it to anyone, will you? That Enkenay knows is bad enough ...

  I laughed. He’d just flamed a Sentry for no reason and he called himself tame? I rested a hand on his snout.

  “Your secret is safe with me.”

  “Secret?” I hadn’t heard Jalla sneak up. When I turned, she was standing behind me with her hands on her hips. I didn’t like that look. With her shoulders thrown back and her head held high, she looked like the Great Leader she was. I swallowed.

  “Raolcan thinks the Sentries would taste good.”

  Nice cover. It has the added benefit of being true. They smell like fish. I love a good salmon, roasted to perfection a second before eating it ... or raw. Really, I’m an easy dragon to get along with.

  Jalla laughed. “Tell him to leave them alone. They are your allies now.”

  “My allies?” My eyebrows rose.

  “I heard what you told me at the Kah’deem.”

  I thought hard. What had I said? I couldn’t remember.

  “Don’t play coy now,” Jalla said. “When you grabbed that handle instead of me, you told me – loud and clear – that you would die to keep me safe, that you would sacrifice yourself for my fame and honor. I heard you, Amel. I honor your loyalty. You shall be my X’erac.”

  “What is an X’erac?”

  “My Wing. You will carry me everywhere I need to go and you will be ranked higher than all other flying things in my army – dragons, Sentries, anything else that flies.”

  “Mosquitos?” I quipped.

  “If we find a way to organize them, then yes.”

  Didn’t she know a joke when she heard one? “I need to get back to my land. Savette needs me.”

  “Don’t worry. We’re already headed there,” Jalla said. She was holding the Pipe of Wings in her hand, twiddling it back and forth as if she were nervous about something. “First, we will gather at A’beranza so that all the Princes may pay homage. Then we will move to the Dominion and fight back the Ifrits as your Dark Prince promised the Troglodytes. After that, we’ll conquer the Dominion for Baojang. Everyone wins!”

  My mouth fell open. “You can’t!”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Then you underestimate my capabilities. Don’t make me take back your new role, X’erac. There are other ways to live as my slave. I require someone to lick my boots clean. Would you like that role?”

  I gritted my teeth and shook my head.

  “And with that useless leg, you can’t march anywhere. As the X’erac you won't have to. I will fly everywhere on the back of your dragon. I’ve taken a liking to him. Oh, and you’ll be happy to hear that the Gold Dragon Rider has recovered and will be joining us on the journey. Though he won’t have your prestigious role as my personal mount’s driver.” She smiled widely. “Eat something. We leave in an hour!”

  I watched her go, energy sizzling in her every movement. Around her people came with questions and left with orders. It was easy to see why she was accepted as their leader – if you assumed all the nonsense of getting any honor your slave won was acceptable, that is. What worried me was that she was a force to be reckoned with, she was widely regarded as my owner, and she meant to invade my land and subjugate it. Whenever I thought things couldn’t get more complicated, they did.

  Welcome to life. It’s a wild ride but it’s better than the alternative.

  Chapter Three

  It wasn’t until the third day of travel that I managed to catch Rakturan alone. Every moment from dawn to dusk had been filled with Jalla – transporting her, carrying her things, helping to set up her tent and prepare her food and “polishing” Raolcan’s scales.

  “I want him to shine,” she said. “He is the mount of a Prince of Baojang.”

  “Aren’t you a Princess?”

  She sniffed “I was a Princess, but that doesn’t sound tough enough for the War Leader of all Baojang. I have ordered my followers to address me as Jalla, the Winged Prince.”

  My eyebrows rose before I could stop them.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” Jalla said. “The Pipe of Wings is mine and it is the symbol of my authority. Best to use it, don’t you think?”

  “Have you tried to use it again?”

  She flushed and left in a hurry. She’d been trying to use it when no one was looking. I’d seen her doing it. I still wasn’t sure exactly how it worked, but I knew one thing – it didn’t work for Jalla.

  Even at dusk, when Jalla was finally out of my hair for a few hours, she was meeting with her war leaders – and that included Rakturan. Which had made it hard to find a chance to see him. It was only now, as I gathered water at a tiny spring that poured from a rock in the desert that I finally caught him alone.

  He was retying his blindfold. His eyes were brighter than ever. I probably should have asked him how he was – or awkwardly tried to find out if he had endured the same horrors I had in the Kah’deem’s trial – but I was worried about being interrupted. What if I lost my chance to talk to him?

  “How are we going to get Jalla to support Savette instead of chasing her own agenda?” I asked, abruptly. I finished filling the first waterskin and grabbed a second. I wanted to be sure no one suspected I was having a conversation with Rakturan and our waterskins always needed refilling. Except for Jalla and her wine, people drank water here constantly. There was something about the desert that made the water taste so much better.

  Rakturan frowned. “Jalla is the Winged Prince. All of Baojang kneels to her authority. It’s not for us to question her.”

  I made a tsking sound behind my teeth. “That doesn’t sound like you, Rakturan.”

  He grabbed my forearm, getting my attention. I wished I could see his eyes, but the lines on his face were pronounced with the tension behind them.

  “I didn’t beat the Kah’deem and Jalla did. That means I serve her, Amel.”

  “She didn’t beat it either,” I hissed. “I did.”

  He swallowed. “I didn’t know that.”

  “She claimed it because I am her slave.”

  He looked away. He knew as well as I did that I was in this position because of him.

  “Which means that it’s up to you as her second in command to find a way to convince her to support your wife, not invade and destroy the Dominion,” I said. I looked around worriedly. I didn’t see anyone listening, but that was the problem with eavesdroppers – you never saw them.

  Rakturan’s voice was rough when he spoke. “She could support Savette and help her and still take the Dominion in the end. We are sworn to destroy the Ifrits and Savette is the Chosen One – an enemy to Ifrits. The goals are the same. Who owns a piece of land means very little compared to that goal.”

  “That piece of land is my home!”

  “So what? As Jalla’s personal Dragon Rider you have a position of power. You can live happily in your home under her rule. You’ll be fine and the Dominion might be better with a code of honor brought to them. I have to go.” He glanced around just as I had. “You should know Savette is still my heart and my life. But now I am also loyal to my cousin, Jalla, the Winged Prince. You should be, too. It is a m
atter of honor.”

  But I was not loyal to Jalla. I was loyal to Shonan. I’d made promises to him and I meant them. Maybe Rakturan was just saying those things for the benefit of anyone who might be listening.

  Or maybe he is from a different culture than yours. Maybe loyalty and honor look different to him than they do to you.

  I ground my teeth.

  You shouldn’t do that. It will give you jaw problems. You don’t want to be forced to eat gruel for the rest of your life, do you?

  I didn’t care what I ate. I cared about the Dominion. Freeing the land of Ifrits wouldn’t be much of a relief if I was handing it over to Jalla.

  I like Jalla. That doesn’t mean I think she should get everything she wants.

  I began the long, dusty walk back to camp, juggling the waterskins and my crutch while trying to avoid pressure on my injured hand. Doing things with only one leg and one hand was harder than it looked.

  There was a line of caravans snaking to Jalla’s pavilion. As we traveled, local dignitaries congregated anywhere we stopped to pay her their respects. She had already appointed authorities and tax-gatherers at every stop we’d made. I was surprised no one had tried to kill her yet. In my experience, people didn’t like having their money taken.

  People like to think they are a part of something important. Maybe they live small lives and their dreams never come true, but if they can just get close to someone who is living her dream – who is everything they wish they could be – well, it makes them feel like they’ve achieved something by proximity. They forget these people are at their very best only people – with all the flaws and aches that come with that. And yes, they will pay for the privilege of that proximity. It’s worth it in their minds.

  Were dragons ever so stupid?

  Have I mentioned that Ahummal is driving me crazy? Just keeping him from flying off and flaming a caravan is taking all that Enkenay and I can manage. Have you checked on Renn lately?