The Clutch of Sharys: Chapter Twenty

Chapter 20: Leave it all behind 

Before Sharys could arrive to stop them, several of the hatchlings were brutally murdered, the tiny dragons lacking the strength of their older counterparts.

The cold, hard tip of a sword pressed to her throat had to be one of the rudest awakenings Cara had ever received. At first, her mind didn't process what was happening, and she tried to sit up, being quickly rewarded with a painful prick and a warm trickle down her collarbone. As she struggled to clear her vision and mind, Cara remained still on the bed, her entire body tight with anticipation. 

The wooden handle of her keeper's shank pressed into her palm beneath the blankets, and Cara swore she could feel the weight of her spear near her toes. The coverlet confining her legs would prevent her from accessing that, though, none of which mattered when a pair of green eyes glittered at her out of the darkness, a voice politely snarling, "Don't move." 

Silver metal flashed in the slim sliver of moonlight peeking through the curtains, too far away for Cara's powers to manipulate. A thought invaded her mind at the flash of the blade as Cara realized that the sturdy little warmth that had been resting on her legs was now gone. It took everything she had to not immediately bolt upright and scan the room for the baby dragon. 

Cara's chest rose and fell with agitated breath as she glared up into the green eyes that glowed at her from the darkness. "Your Hi-" Cara's words were cut off in a gurgle when the blade pressed further against her throat, warning her against further comments. They stayed there, painfully still and silent until a scuffle faintly scratched near the back of the room, followed by the click of a door and the sound of rustling cloth. 

"...Everything's ready." A soft, flat voice said, brought closer by the footsteps from the back of Cara's room.

 "Well, then." The Princess’s voice remarked, her tone also lowered to a dull murmur. "Lady Myzanti, we haven't much time, so if you value you and your dragon’s safety, you will listen closely." The green-eyed girl bent down, a firm, gloved hand shooting beneath the covers to swat aside the shank from Cara's hand before painfully gripping her arm and pulling her upright. 

Leveling the thin blade so that it now lay lengthwise across Cara's throat, the Princess instructed, "Grab your cloak. Leave the knife." Before taking a step back from the bed, leaving Cara just enough room to stand up. 

She slowly obliged, noticing the absence of her spear from the end of the bed, her heart sinking as her last hope for getting out of this was taken away. Walking to the trunk that lay at its foot, Cara pulled out the oversized jumper and traveling cloak stored there amongst her things; her neck painfully craned from keeping her neck off the Princesses sword. 

As Cara stood, another smaller blade was pressed into her back, the sabre in front of her carefully leaving her throat. The slight hiss of metal against scabbard sounded near Cara's right ear as the Princess light dug the dagger into the fleshy underside of Cara's shoulder. "Walk quick. Say nothing. Look at no one." she hissed into Cara's ear, guiding her forward and out of the room. 

Once in the dim light of the hall, Cara noticed the dark, red hair of Ahnn bobbing slightly outside of her periphery of Petra, a small cloth bundle in her arms. Every time that Cara twisted back in an attempt to see what she held, the Princess would painfully push her forward with a pricked reminder to the back. They reached the looped head of the hall before taking the staircase down, which was when Cara saw her first signs of that much was amiss that night in Cair Stacia.

For such a late hour at night, the lower castle was bustling with people as maids, delivery workers, guards, and even a few green-robed healers all dashed about, some covered in ash or blood, others carrying trays of liquid or packets of papers. Petra deftly navigated the crowd, picking up their pace and using Cara as a human shield that was painfully used to bash into someone more than once. 

At one point, Ahnn had to stop and help pick up a stack of towels that the Princess bowled into, and Cara saw her spear had been slung onto the girl's back with an unhappy grunt. As the Kitisalian girl straightened, a small grey tail slipped through the folds of fabric in her arms, sending Cara's heart racing. Her dragon was at least with her and safe, even if she didn't know what exactly was going on or why this was necessary. 

After a few more minutes of tripping, bumping navigation of the lower halls, the princess peeled them away from the crowds and down a darker hallway, which led to the base of a staircase. "Ahnn, go ahead and make sure everything's set." Petra’s voice ordered from above Cara’s head, her voice betraying just a hint of stress. 

The bushy-haired girl bobbed her head, rushing up the stairs as fast as her short legs could carry her without a word. After giving her a few seconds, Petra poked Cara's back with the knife, the blade slicing into the painful divot in her skin. "Ow!" Cara yelped, yanking forward and half hoping that her captor would topple over with her. Instead, the Princess’s hands roughly yanked her back, pulling her upright once more. 

"Oh, stop whining." Petra snapped, pushing her forward up the stairs via Cara's still-captured arm. "It's just a few blade nicks. You’ll heal up in no time." Her voice was a lowered hiss on the second part. Cara silently weighed the benefits and costs of screaming out now, suddenly pausing in her tracks on the stairs as a thought occurred to her. 

"Move it." Petra barked, giving her another shove. 

"No."

"Do you want a knife in your ribs? This is how you get a knife in your ribs." The princess said irritably, digging the point of her blade lower into Cara's back. 

"What will you do, Your Highness? Kill me and become a murderer?" 

“Murder has already taken place this night, Myzanti, and I’d sooner kill you than leave you to be used by someone else.” The princess growled, shoving Cara's face forward onto the stairs. 

Before her body had hit the ground, Cara’s arms and feet were covered within a smooth chamber of crystal, and she landed with a painful thump on the stone. Twisting her neck back, she glimpsed the princess, shoving the knife into a belt beneath her dark green cloak. Raising a few fingers, the heavy chunks of gem containing her hands rose and fused behind her, fluidly melding into one solid crystal and her limbs into a painful loop. 

Firmly gripping the back of Cara's jumper, the Princess yanked up once again, slinging Cara over a slim yet sturdy shoulder. Without further ado, she carried Cara up to the tip of the tower, firmly ignoring any wriggling and protests slung her way. When they emerged into the moonlight, the sound of flapping wings drew close as a giant, golden-horned dragon landed on the roof of the palace, alongside a smaller purple beast that carried Ahnn on its back. 

Petra hurried towards the dragon, a cry going up once they were halfway across the roof, and someone spotted the scaly bulk that had landed on the castle. Lights began shining out of some nearby towers, powerful, wide beams that quickly found and focused on the two dragons. Running now, Petra suddenly hauled Cara off her shoulder and tossed her on the ground, where she painfully rolled to a stop near her dragon’s feet, scraped and bruised. 

Moments later, more alarms went up around that palace. Cara watched as large, powerful talons descended around her, forming a hard and uncomfortable cage that lifted Cara up and away. While the rooftop of the castle slowly faded away, Cara watched numbly as small, dark figures rushed out onto the roof, watching as the dragons drew out of the range of their lights. 

Feeling wrapped and suffocated by a cocoon of confusion, Cara looked at the surrounding landscape, quickly fading to a patchwork pattern of farmland and hills. Once the chilly, wet cover of cold was broken, the enormous dragon holding her within its claws began to turn sharply, heading in the opposite direction from which they had come.

Picking up speed, the wind bit against Cara's cloak, even with the woolen jumper underneath. The air rushed past her, creating a howling gale that filled Cara's ears with its dull roar. Wishing that she could wrap her cloak around herself, Cara shifted her body upwards towards the scaly part of the dragon's claws, which was held closer to the beast's stomach. 

Slightly warmer for her proximity to the creature, she stared down at her stiff feet, encased in clear stone. Within their prison, she could barely move for the clamped confinement, but there was enough space to wiggle her toes faintly. The situation was similar for her hands; her fingers able to twitch slightly but not spread or bend. Sighing to herself, Cara looked back out through the gaps in the dragon's clutch, trying to ignore the panic that she felt slowly building in the pit of her stomach.

Why Petra had felt the need to abduct her in the middle of the night was beyond her, but what confused Cara further was how she had managed to get into her room. Cara had made well and sure that her door was locked and barricaded, and yet no sound had disturbed her slumber when Petra had entered. Cara mulled over this problem, shivering as a familiar buzz tingled at the peripheries of her body.

Huddling closer to the warmth above her, Cara numbly looked out onto the horizon, staying still as they flew. She wasn't entirely sure how long time stretched on before the wingbeats overhead slowed their pace, the sprinting part of their journey seemingly over. The air around Cara's ears dulled its loud monotony, and shreds of conversation between her two captors drifted down to her as they slowed to a more leisurely pace.

"-it was a reckless plan, Your Highness, and my opinion will not change." The flat voice of Ahnn was the first that Cara could make out as her dragon’s dark silhouette drifted closer, outlined by starlight and the day-old moon. 

“It was not. I refused to sit there and leave her to be snatched up for my half-siblings." The Princesses' self-assured voice replied, sounding slightly affronted. 

Cara couldn't quite make out what Ahnn said in response, but Petra's following words were quite clear. "Yes, I know what I'm doing! We'll be fine once we reach Cair Demesis." Her high voice sounded outraged, which was made all the more amusing to Cara when Ahnn's flat voice said, "...if you say so, Your Highness. It is still only a summer home," In response. 

Something about the way they spoke to each other belied a deep connection, but the sound of dragons flapping through the air blocked most of their words out. The next words that Cara could make out were what seemed to be Ahnn emotionlessly listing off the names of several houses that the Princess gave short, curt responses to. 

"Kastae?" Ahnn asked first.

"They didn't change. All went towards Garner, but that's hardly a surprise given their parent’s position at court." Petra said, tone dismissive.

"And Manlis?" 

"Also unchanged. Irena walked into that room wanting blood." Petra’s voice was sour with disdain. 

"Well, she certainly got it, one way or another... Kalatis?" Ahnn inquired, voice thoughtful. 

"Unsurprisingly, the events of the evening changed their vote. Last I had heard going in, they all planned to vote for the Garner, but after what happened…" Petra's voice sounded soft with emotion as she trailed off, some unsaid hurt cutting the words short. 

"It's unsurprising the way things played out. They're a bunch of hotheads, and she knew what price they would demand for such an act." Ahnn's voice remained unshaken as she spoke to her Princess, the wingbeats of their dragons filling the silence for a while. 

"It doesn't help." Petra finally began, "That there's so damn many of them, even with an heir down." 

It was then Ahnn's turn to stay silent for a moment, an action that Cara guessed was hesitation from the way the Kitisalian spoke next. "And House Aspas?" Ahnn prompted, voice carefully devoid of anything that could be called a reaction. 

A long, loud sigh issued forth from the Princess, turning into a slight groan near the end. "Well, Pavlos and I voted the way we said that we would, but the other two changed their votes at the last moment. Not that it mattered by the time that they cast them, but the betrayal remains the same." Petra's words were laced with bitter anger as she spoke of her siblings.

"Your Highness. We should have gone with the others back to the family estate." Ahnn said, sounding as though she had repeated this mantra several times already.

"Yes, well, if I wanted to be captured or assassinated by acting like a sitting duck, I'll keep that in mind." Petra icily replied, taking her dragon further ahead with a few extra wing strokes. Cara could see through the gap in the dragon's claws the way that Ahnn stared after the princess, face devoid of reaction. 

After a few minutes of pouting and keeping her pace slightly faster than Ahnn's, Petra seemingly got bored of being on her own, because her dragon slowed down markedly, allowing the smaller creature to catch up. However, rather than immediately rising towards Petra, Ahnn soared downwards to look at their captive, giving Cara a chance to inspect her riding setup. 

The traditional Kitisalian method of riding called for its practitioners to kneel the entire time, legs anchored to the saddle and their torso moving freely. Ahnn was no exception to this, the girl gripping the handles looping under her dragon’s wings that the Kitisalians used instead of reins. Looking upwards, Ahnn's bright amber-brown eyes quickly flicked over to where Cara lay huddled, briefly meeting her gaze. 

Nodding once in satisfaction, the girl pulled her dragon back up to match her princess’s height. "Your Highness. The guest is doing fine, by the by." She informed Petra, who said nothing in reply.

Light crept over the sky, paling the horizon into peachy dawn. With the additional visibility, Cara could faintly make out black shapes piercing through the clouds below her, now clearly mountain peaks, which explained why she was having such a hard time catching her breath. So high up, the air was paper-thin, giving little sustenance to her lung with each breath that they tried to draw in. 

Reprieve came quickly, though, as the dragon holding Cara tilted gently forward, heading downwards between the stony faces of the peaks. After shivering once again due to the freezing brush of clouds, her body itching as the cold crept through her clothes, Cara caught sight of their destination up ahead on a large, flat cliff. High in the mountains, yet low in a valley was a grey stone castle, built out of the same rock as the surrounding terrain on a flat, solid foundation. The rooftops of the palace were also painted dark, possibly helping to further conceal the castle from any unwanted visitors that passed overhead.

"See, Ahnn? I told you we'd make it alright. Soon we'll be relaxing in sprawling courtyards and arching halls of the Aspas summer home," Petra's voice beamed out, full of self-pride.

"Your Highness. Arriving was never the hard part. Simply put, that would be what comes after." Ahnn's tone was measured with a small amount of scolding as she addressed the Princess. 

"Yes, yes. You're right. Let's get down there and let the staff know we're staying for a while." They drew closer to the castle, beginning their initial descent. Cara could make out quite a few towers, the closest of which looked to be crumbling slightly, its roof collapsed inwards. 

"Your Highness. The vaulting death traps over there do look particularly inviting." Ahnn dryly observed. 

The wingbeats over Cara's head intensified as Petra pulled ahead, Ahnn's patient voice trailing behind them. "Your Highness, as I explained earlier, this is a summer residence and one that's not been used in-" 

Cara couldn't hear the end of Ahnn's lecture, as the princess directing the beast that carried them had urged it ahead, leaving her nagging lady behind. The wind roared for a few moments before suddenly dying down, and Cara's body jerked painfully forward into the dragon's claw, knocking the wind out of her. 

She was silently grateful that her little hatchling was not with her, instead of being carefully piloted by Ahnn behind them. Cara was thrown upward and then down once more as the dragon came to a sudden landing on the flat sun pad that extended out over the bottom of the mountain. 

Cara had a moment where she held her breath, both from pain and waiting for the stones to crumble out beneath them, but the ground didn't so much as shudder on their arrival. She couldn't see the castle too well from where she lay, but she could see several caves carved in an unnaturally uniform line in the nearby cliffs, the sound of roaring water filling her ears.

Ahnn soared past, cleanly landing her dragon much closer to the doors than the Princess had. Cara could hear her land and walk away but was distracted by Petra hopping off her dragon boots landing nearby. The Princess shook out her short blonde hair before walking over to the claw Cara was currently clutched in and tapped her dragon’s underbelly twice. Immediately released and tumbling sideways, Cara quickly found herself reacquainted with the hardness of the stone ground, hair flying everywhere and getting stuck in her mouth.

"Your Highness." Ahnn's flat voice started, footsteps bringing her back to them. “As I said, the staff is gone. In addition, this residence appears to be in considerable disrepair from its disuse. I would suggest-'' The Princess cut her off, loudly talking over the rest of Ahnn's words.

"-that I return to my House's estate with the rest of my siblings. That's not happening, Ahnn. I refuse to walk into a death trap." Petra walked towards Cara, and out of the corner of her eye, through fuzzy locks of red hair, Cara saw the Princess’s eyes glow.

The rigid, immovable stiffness around her hands eased, allowing Cara to slightly sit up as the Princess turned on her heel, addressing Ahnn once again. "Well, let's get moving." Petra chirped, heading towards the castle. "Everyone has to start from somewhere."