“I don’t think that name will stick as well as dragonslayer.” I chuckled as Aria rolled her eyes.
“While that is true, I don’t think our version of a dragonslayer has slayed any dragons, and some idiot has tried. I can bat away whichever moron thinks having a fancy sword will kill a dragon.”
I could confirm, despite having never been stupid enough to point a sword at a dragon. Even if you weren’t scared at all, a dragon was too huge to be any more than mildly inconvenienced by sword stabs. That and it would only be a matter of time before you were hit in the face with a paw the size of a building.
It wasn’t long before we heard footsteps approach. A familiar squeaky voice ran through our ears as our heads snapped around to see who it was.
“Hey lovebirds? Liking the new gun?”
It was Ashe, which usually meant trouble of some kind. I whipped around to see him carrying some new clothing, completely black, alongside a nifty cap that seemed to shimmer. Were those goggles?
There also seemed to be a few large burly men standing behind him, slack-jawed as they took everything in. I recognized them as from my brother’s squad. One of them even had their royal guard armor on.
“Oh. Hello Charlotte. Princess.” I’m sure they were equally stunned at the two of us sitting around the ground making bullets.
“What did you want us to do, Pact Mage?” Another voice rang behind him as Ashe handed me the bundle of clothes. I could feel little sharp indents sown into the jacket. Wait, were these dragon scales?
“So, my thought is that we should get Charlotte acquainted with dragon riding? Or try to before your big day?” Ashe turned around to face the four men. “You four are going to help me saddle up a dragon, because I am useless in that regard!”
Aria squinted before grinning with mischief. “Oh, don’t be like that Ashe.” She got up as Ashe made a little eep. “I’m sure you could do it with your magic.”
“Yes, see, but then I would be dead, and you would be…”
Suddenly Ashe found himself face to face with Aria’s dragon form staring at him. Everyone looked terrified while I gave the same expression I would to my brother when he left me all the dishes to wash.
“Okay, okay! I’ll help!” Ashe let out a yelp of panic as I gave a parting wave to Aria, taking my new set of clothes with me.
“I’m going to go change.” I watched as she lifted her massive paw to give me a wave. Cute, if that paw didn’t cause a small earthquake every time she dropped it.
“Try not to eat anyone? Maybe?”
I tried to reassure the terrified crowd as the dragon tilted her head, then displayed her rows of razor teeth in a terrifying grin. Ashe looked like he was ready to melt from fear.
I shook my head, giving Aria a cheeky glance before shutting the door and changing. While it looked like scale mail at first glance, it felt like I was wearing a heavy winter jacket instead of actual armor…Only the joints lacked any scales, giving unrivalled protection for its weight. Another relic that I doubt could be replicated, giving the short and irreplaceable supply of black dragon scales.
The cap was a curious novelty. Lined with the same black dragon scales, it sported a pair of large ear flaps, a chin strap, and a bill to keep the snow away. It felt like a cross between the traditional helmet and a winter hunting cap. It was the perfect helmet for the job, but it also implied that someone needed to fly some time ago. Were there other dragon riders in the past?
While I wanted to say that the goggles were a dead giveaway, they would’ve been useful in any snowstorm or blizzard. If humans of the past had rifles like the one Aria gave me, then shooting in heavy snow would’ve been a real possibility.
When I emerged, I must have looked like a hero from ancient times. Armed neck to toe with the best armor and weapons from the age of Trinity. As soon as Ashe saw me, he jumped up and down with excited claps.
“So, this is nifty and all, but was this the outfit from some other dragon rider or something? Because if it is, then my sister-in-law’s going to have a heyday.”
Ashe pondered on the question. “I think this was from way back when; when mages were a lot more willing to coordinate? A few of us might get together to use a flying spell for a few minutes! Unfortunately, these days gliding down is pretty much all we can do…” He seemed a bit upset at this, but quickly switched the topic.
“Regardless, be careful when you’re flying. We can only save you from one fall and the shorter the better.”
The mages working around us collectively nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Aria was looking very bored. She was waiting patiently as multiple people continued to string straps around her spines. They were large strips of leather with metal rings attached across their length so that I could climb her. It was an odd look, but it made sense for a dragon of her size.
“Do I need anything else for this?” I asked, but Ashe just shook his head.
“Nope! Let us take care of it. We got ya. Second thing, I’ll be a part of your escort force if you fall. So…try to make me do less work?” He didn’t sound convinced, and I wasn’t convinced either. Nobody bets a plan as intricate as this goes perfectly without a hitch.
Upon closer inspection, they had managed to secure a saddle on her right side by loosely fastened hooks. More hooks jutted out so I could secure myself with long leather cords. It wasn’t the most elegant system, but it worked. Probably.
Aria’s massive head turned over, her eyes shimmering. Aria, I don’t know what you’re trying to say if you’re staring at me like that.
“So what? Do I climb up?”
Ashe nodded and so I started climbing. The rings were a bit slippery, but I’d managed harder climbs. The bigger challenge was Aria’s irregular shape, and how every now and then she would fidget. Considering our size differences, I couldn’t blame her. I must’ve felt like a bug skittering up her back.
I finally got to the top and strapped myself into the seat. None of it sat well with me. Being this strapped down meant I wasn’t going to fall off, but also that it was going to be hard to escape if things went wrong.
There had to be a better way of riding a dragon, even if I had no idea what that might be. I strapped in my right arm, just in case I needed to hold on for dear life. I probably did.
“All right, Aria! You can lift off!” I readied the rifle, trying to see if I could aim while she was taking off. The answer was a resounding no. As soon as she lifted, I felt myself drawn back, only managing to hold on as one hand kept its grip on the reigns.
There wasn’t much room for anything more than a quick ascend and descend, so that’s exactly what she did. To me it was as if the world had decided to rise all the sudden before careening down.
We hit the floor with a smash, floorboards and support beams creaking and breaking underneath the strain. She had made a sizable dent in the floor, no doubt irreparable. “Okay. We are not trying that again. How was the flight?” Ashe shouted from on top as I gave a weak thumbs up.
“Not great, but as long as there isn’t a lot of rapid ups and downs, I think I’ll be fine?” I managed to hold my stomach in for now.
Aria snorted, as a section of the wall was frozen into ice. She wasn’t convinced.
Disembarking didn’t take quite so long, and as soon as I had hopped off, Aria had transformed back. A pile of leather straps fell onto the floor with a loud clang.
“Charlotte, what’s our stance on the lance? Do you think you can pull it off?” Aria’s chirpy voice rang as I stroked my chin, thinking on the matter.
