Chapter 99: Entertaining Possibilities

Chapter 99: Entertaining Possibilities

Aaron had once stood over a map in Orins council room, and taken a step from the coastline all the way into Onekin itself: an easy enough flight, for a dragon.

Easier still to fly straight north, to the forests and cliffs beyond the enclave, where humanity had no eyes. The enclave, where humanity had all but exiled their kingbarely guardedon the basis of the dragons own strange behavior. And then those same dragons had retreated at springs end just as usual, so that everyone would assume theyd gone home. Home on the dragons isle, where there was now a kirin killing the Late Wakes scouts and making it near impossible to stay there for long by the very nature of its presence: a kirin with an emperor was a kirin with pull, and humanity had no emperor of their own to guard their loyalties. The dragons had worked hard, to make sure they barely had a king.

And so the last of the adult OSheasthe last of the line keeping humanity unitedwas at the farthest town from any backup, guarded largely by those whod been chosen to watch him die.

And now they were under attack by dragons, just in case King Orin needed a little help with the dying. Well played, that.

Aaron stood now by his arrow slit window, and watched the first dragon dive.

Humans had chosen this stretch of the cliffside with purpose: the stone here curved back towards itself in a crescent, allowing the ballista rooms scattered about the cliff to cover for one another. A rather important feature, when the large windows they fired through were the most likely place for a dragon to enter.

As the dragon dove, it was answered both by the window it targeted and by shots from across the way. It evaded the first; had to tuck its wings and drop like a stone to escape the rest. A second tested their defenses soon after, to much the same result.

It was near impossible to tell how many there were. They were camouflaged, bodies dark against a black sky, distinguishable more by how brightly the false stars glittered on their sides than by any true silhouette.

Another dragon made a run. It dropped away as the others had, but the night was young.

Aaron scanned the sky again. Found the only dragon-shaped thing not bothering overly much with camouflage. It spiraled lazily above the others, playing with shooting stars and light bursts over its sides. A dragons Death.

One dragons Death. And it might just be that counting Deaths was becoming less of a reliable indicator on how a battle was meant to go, but Aaron couldnt help but compare that singular number to all the Deaths whod been hanging about the enclavers recently.

That was likely not good.

Hed had plans for if dragons attacked Onekin. Not incredibly well-laid plans, given how much they relied on others to set things up for him, but plans. He did not have plans for dragons here.

The griffins had retreated from the seaward side of the fort. He could still hear their shrieks through the stone walls, but what meaning theyd held was lost under the nearer shouts of men and women and running boots and the rattling of heavy things being moved about as the militia stirred itself.

Five dragons broke from those above, and dove down all at once. Ballistae across the fort thrummed as they drew fire from all sides.

Which was the point.

Each ballistae could cover for the others, but they could only be reloaded so fast. And that last testing of their defensesthat last taunting of the militias firehad left those defenses near empty.

The dragons fell on them in a dark wave, scales glittering with stars humanity had no right being so near to as they spat tarballs at every window in their path. They retreated again, just as swiftly, dropping out of range and flying low over the waves until it was safe to ascend once more.

Theyd been moving too fast to properly aim their fire. But already smoke was billowing through one window, with the shouts and screams of men coming distantly to Aarons own, and the night was yet young. Each ballista down was one more hole in their defense. If the dragons could take out one window at each sweepeven one window every third sweep, every fourththeyd have the fort crippled by dawn.

This far north, it would be a full day or more before any meaningful reinforcements could reach them, even if a message had been sent the moment the dragons had been spotted. None had. In fact, it was likely that the only way a message could make it through was if the messenger could cut through the forest; there was no way a horse and rider would make it past this gauntlet on the coastal road.

Well played, indeed. And that might rather explain why the dragons had seemed to have it out for Aaron, specifically. He was the only one who could get a message out. So. Should he?

Another dragon dove. The ballista rooms held their fire. It spiraled back up, tauntingly in range for the whole arc of its flight.

But their king had spoken. And they were listening. Even if it was simply because he was the only one with the rank to mediate between them, they were listening. For tonight, at least, he was their king again.

Your Majesty, Aaron said, because formal was best, when trying to prop someone else up as worthy of respect. Have you thought on getting a message out?

I rather thought that was your job, royal messenger, Orin replied. He was leaning against the table a bit, and rather paler than a healthy man should be, but there was a steel to him.

It is, Aaron said. And Ill be delegating. To her.

The Lady raised an eyebrow at the thumb hed hooked her way, which was the least surprised reaction around the table.

You are going to send away one of our single most effective fighters, Orin repeated, just as the battle begins?

No one can make it by the road, Aaron said. Its too exposed, and the dragons will be expecting it. But I sincerely doubt theyre watching the seas.

The Ladys eyes brightened. The selkies.

Are there any, among the seals here? Aaron asked.

There always are. Though Ive never spoken with those here, she said.

Jeshinkra exchanged a look with Orin.

It wont hurt, the king allowed. How soon could a message reach the nearest town?

That rather depends on how motivated I can make them, the Lady said. And whether we can trust them to relay the message from pod to pod, or must rely on those I speak with here to make the journey. Half a day at the earliest; never, at the latest.

Perhaps the promise of as many fish as we can roast for them, so long as were still alive to do the cooking? Aaron suggested.

The Ladys lips quirked. A steep bargain. Ill see what I can manage.

And why does the Lady herself need to go? Orin asked. This is your job, Lord Sung.

Apparently His Majesty was feeling formal, too, in front of all these other lords. But Lord Sung for both Aaron and his sister was going to get confusing, if it kept up long. Even worse if someone started calling the Lady that, too.

Good thing he wasnt planning on staying long. It had been Orins question, but it was the Ladys gaze Aaron held as he answered.

Theres more I need to do here. Youll have to trust me.

And if that trust happened to send her out alone on the seaward side during an active attack from that direction, well. For once, that wasnt actually the point. And it wasnt like hed be any safer where he was going.

And what, exactly, am I trusting you with? Orin asked.

Your Majesty, the Lady said, her eyes still on Aarons, and a certain delight growing in her own. I suggest you trust my apprentice. And have the bells ring six, if you please. Things are about to get entertaining.