Page 106 of To Fight and To Fold

Time seemed to slow as Aaryn's pulse raced in her ears like thunder, though there were no storm clouds.

In the midst of it all, an odd thought occurred to her.

She wished Thea were here to see this.

"Let's go," she shouted to Starspark.

His wings beat on either side of her, lifting them off the ground, just like Vaelen's dragon, through the barrier, and into the setting sun.

"Hold on tight," Vaelen warned.

Starspark dove, an arrow through clouds, precipitation stinging Aaryn’s cheeks. As they flew lower, the light dissipated, the effects of the setting sun felt more on the ground than in the circle.

"Do not leave this dragon, do you hear me?" Vaelen called in her ear.

Aaryn nodded.

"I'll show you where to go. We'll find who we can, and return."

Her heart galloped; her hands clung to the saddle, Starspark warm beneath her.

In the dark, she saw the glow before she realized what it was.

Fires. Smoke. Destruction.

Aaryn's hands tightened on the harness. The scales on her vest felt heavy, the belt around her waist a trap.

Dragons flew past them toward their safe haven in the clouds, and some circled the fires.

Vaelen was solemn behind her. "We'll save who we can."

"Should we put out the fires?" Aaryn asked, her heart aching at the sight of so many homes, boats, the market, burning.

"You can always rebuild a home. You cannot rebuild a person."

Her arm extended past Aaryn, her finger pointed toward a small beach, surrounded by fires. "There."

Aaryn directed Starspark there with a squeeze of her knees, a gentle tug of the reins. She had not even thought about the correct way to fly a dragon.

She'd just done it, as if Starspark sensed her intentions before she acted.

Her elation was short-lived, because the saddle suddenly went light when Vaelen jumped, landing as softly on the ground as Starspark did a few seconds later. She took off, and Aaryn's first instinct was to follow, but Vaelen's words rang in her head.

Do not leave this dragon.

So Aaryn waited. She watched from the sand as boats in the harbor burned. As the market went up in ashes.

Skymore was once known for its tourism and magic islands, lavish in riches. But ever since the Great Dragon had sealed himself to protect them and magic had been restricted, they'd become known for their fishing trade. It was a cramped community along the waters of a thousand families of fishermen trying to make a living. A hard-working people.

And now they burned.

Evergale had done this.

Why? Why hurt these people with so little, when Evergale had so much?

It made Aaryn want to scream and cry and rage and give up and fight all at once.

Vaelen returned moments later, pointing her staff in Aaryn's direction. Behind her a small family followed. A tearful mother of three, a haggard-looking husband.