We need to go.
Rib stared out at the sea serpent lingering in the water. He could see that the magic inside its head was wearing dangerously thin. It surprised him that the bewitchment had even lasted this far.
How long is this going to take?
After Jacinth's body was dumped into the ocean, Zheal had urged Damara to come and discuss Island invasion plans with the Huskhn Chief. Rib had found himself once again shut out of the building, forced to wait and wonder what was happening inside.
He wouldn't have wandered far, except for that Memory encouraged him to, nipping playfully and herding him all the way to the coast. Now she was doing fancy tricks in the air, diving every once in a while for fish.
Rib watched her, cherishing the lighthearted spirit behind all her actions.
He remembered when he first heard that she was living as Zheal's slave. It'd felt awful. He'd thought it immoral to ever enjoy himself as long as she was the captive of men.
'Base your happiness on the happiness of others and you'll never smile again,' his mentor had told him. 'There's a time to mourn together and a time to live.'
Rib saw how delighted Memory was in the thrill of her games, how she let herself spiral out of control as she plummeted for the water. He couldn't help but smile.
Just look how happy she is, he thought. Soon it will always be like this.
I don't think anything could make me happier than that.
. . .
"I'm sorry," Damara spoke quietly in their room that night. "I wanted to leave, but I couldn't slip away." From the folds of her clothes, she pulled some bread and a slab of tough meat to add to her secret stock pile in the corner of the room. Rib wondered if she even ate anything, or if she just hid all the food she could get her hands on for their trip.
"What were they deciding?" Rib asked from the floor.
"So many things," she groaned, rubbing her hands over her face. "There came a point when Zheal just talked to the Chief and stopped translating for me. I was utterly lost."
"Well?when are we going to escape? The sea serpent's about to start thinking for itself again. It might leave. Or worse."
"I know," Damara answered dryly. She sat on her bed for a moment, brooding. Then, with a grimace, she stood. "We should go now. While its dark."
"What?" Rib blinked in surprise. "No, Damara, you need to rest."
Damara touched the glowing pendant on the chain around her neck as she appeared to consider his argument. He could see dark circles under her eyes. Even in the way she held herself, it was clear she was exhausted.
We lost Jacinth today. That can't be easy on her.
"Alright," Damara consented, sitting back down. "But we need to leave early in the morning. Before the sun shows itself."
"I'll wake you then," Rib offered. "Just get some sleep."
She gave him a slight, grim smile before slipping under the blankets and facing the wall. Rib could hear her breathing deepen as sleep soon claimed her.
He looked at the food and gourds of water still hidden in the corner of the room. Damara had gathered so much, now the pile rose above the headboard, with only a blanket draped over the top to cover it. Rib had assured her there'd be icebergs and that he'd catch them both fish, but she seemed to be bent on depriving herself, saving all that the Huskhns gave her for later.
Rib ran his eyes over Damara's narrow frame lying under pelts and fabrics.
It will be good for her when all this is over.
. . .
When it came time for Rib to wake Damara, he drew near and nudged her in the back. To his surprise, she barely stirred in response. Still facing the wall, she was curled up like a feeble creature, arms held in close, legs tucked towards her chest.
"Damara?" he whispered, peering over at her face. Her eyes remained closed, her breath sounding strange and uneven.
No, no, no. Anxiety champed on his insides. She can't be getting ill now! Why'd she have to starve herself like this?
"Damara," he tried again, nosing her shoulder.
This time, he saw one of her sickly eyes slide open a little and look at him. But before either of them could say anything, she was thrown into a coughing fit. Rib saw how she shook and knew she wasn't well enough to leave.
She needs help, he feared. But what can I do?
Damara turned her head into her pillow as she coughed even more, the torchstone trembling against her neck.
She needs help.
He knew he should get someone, but the door to their room was closed. If he knocked it down he would only draw attention away from the real problem.
Come on, someone!
Rib whined as a dog would, louder, louder.
Soon there was knocking on the door, followed by urgent Huskhn words. When Damara only continued to cough, the servants came in, shooing Rib out of the room so they could crowd around the young woman.
He paced the hall, wondering what could be done. Even if Damara could get into his saddle, there was no way she could hold onto him flying, let alone bewitch the sea serpent and Memory.
We were so close!
He felt like cursing.
We've had too many failures. This must work.
Damara has to get better.
. . .
Rib watched from the floor as the servant stood from her chair, felt Damara's forehead, and left the room. As usual, the door was left open for Rib to pass through as he pleased.
Is she better yet?
He peered at Damara half buried in bedding where she lay on her back. The color of her face had returned significantly in comparison to how pale she'd been a few days ago. Rib thought she could just as well be napping, judging by her smooth and even breathing.
Should I wake her?
Rib hated to disturb her rest after such a frightful sickness, but they were running out of time.
Maybe I should look for Memory first. We can't leave without her.
But where haven't I looked already? It's like she disappeared with Zheal.
Since Damara had fallen ill, Rib hadn't seen either one of them. He wasn't even sure the Huskhn knew she'd been sick.
Maybe Damara knows where they could've gone.
Rib was about to nose her, but he hesitated. She just looked so peaceful.
Suddenly, a ghastly hiss sounded outside, distant but loud enough to carry through the room's well insulated walls. Rib jerked his head back as Damara sat bolt upright, her light blue eyes wide open.
"The serpent," she gasped, wasting no time to slip on her sandals and stand up. "How long has it been? We have to go now!"
"What- but," Rib sputtered, taken aback by how quickly she awoke.
The screams of multiple people rose, followed by a terrible smashing sound.
It's actually happening! The sea serpent's attacking the port!
Damara pulled Rib over to her hidden stock pile and started emptying his saddle of nearly everything to make room for the necessities.
"Don't take out the potion book!" Rib whispered, scared she would discard it in her haste.
"I know that," she hissed back without pause.
Worn-out clothes, a purse of money, the firesap cure given to them by Gavin's father?all were cast onto the bed.
Rib stared at the potion now useless to them, sadness slowing his fast-beating heart.
That was meant for Jacinth. For when everything was over.
We should have just cured her. Then she could have died in peace.
He only felt worse when he heard the sound of bells being extracted and discarded as well. They clinked as they hit the ground and Rib gazed down at them, remembering the time Gavin gave the first one to him so many months ago.
'You are one odd dragon,' his old friend's humorous words echoed in his head. Rib had the impulse to pick the rusted bell up in his mouth and take it with him, but knew it'd only cause him trouble.
I won't ever forget, he promised himself. And someday I will see Gavin again.
; The feeling of Damara aggressively shoving food and gourds into the large compartments of his saddle aroused him from his gloomy state. The pile was soon packed away, topped with a large blanket from the bed. The young woman was just fumbling to fasten her belt around her waist when Captain Sprague burst in.
"Damara, you're awake!" he exclaimed. "Hurry, your serpent's gone out of control!"
"Where's Zheal?" she demanded, pushing past him and into the hall. "Why didn't he see this coming?"
"He left days ago," Sprague stammered as he tripped after her. "To gather troops."
What? Rib followed them out the room. And he took Memory with him?!
"Rib," Damara ordered the moment she stepped outside. He sprang forward, letting her mount his saddle. As soon as he felt that she was ready, he flew towards the place where Damara and Zheal had crafted their magic, abandoning Sprague.
Rising over the surrounding houses, Rib could see the sea serpent tearing apart a large ship, its spiny body twisting grotesquely. People were swimming through the floating debris in a panic.
We should help them! Rib thought and began to go off course.
"Focus!" Damara yelled at him over the commotion.
Right, he remembered, correcting himself. We need to stop its attack.
Rib landed in front of the building and Damara rushed in. He stuck his head into the doorway, peering through his inner eyelids to see the magic inside. The hearth where dragon fire once burned was dead. Damara swept past it, straight to a sack full of magic.
"Wait!" Rib said as she came back with the bag in hand. "Take Zheal's too so we can dump it."
"It's not here," she answered. "Move."
"What?" Rib stared around the room and saw that she was right. "Where'd it go?!"
"Don't you see?" Damara growled, pushing against him until he moved out of the doorway. "He's gone for the dragons in Wystil."
No. Rib froze as she swung herself up into the saddle. Tide, Lynx, my siblings?He's going to bewitch them all!
"But you told him not to!" he cried.
"Yes." Damara sounded grim. "I told him it was too dangerous and now he's stolen away to impress me."
But why?he can't?
The serpent gave another loud hiss, snapping Rib out of his shock.
We have to get to Wystil.
Without another moment's hesitation, he flew directly for the shore, where archers loosed arrows on the water beast that wrecked the docks. Each arrow just glanced off the serpent's ruddy orange scales.
Rib was careful to avoid them as he headed towards the great beast's head. Straightening with a shipwreck in its jaws, the serpent locked its eyes on him and dropped the mess of wood and metal to the waves. Every one of its sharp teeth gleamed white in the morning sun, some with rope caught on them. Its tongue unfurled inside its gaping mouth.
Rib thought he glimpsed a body in the back of its throat before Damara threw her magic right at the beast. Rib held his breath, watching the large powder cloud billow between him and the sea serpent that inhaled just as it had before.
When it did, the serpent relaxed and stared expectantly at them. Rib wasted no time to land on its head so Damara could direct it away from Husk. The water surrounding them was littered with debris. Huskhns helped their fellow people out and away from the beach. The archers now held their bows loosely, staring up at Rib and Damara on the docile water beast.
"Which way?" Damara asked, hurrying down the bridge of the serpent's nose for it to see her.
Rib concentrated on what direction Wystil should be and told her. Damara pointed the serpent in the same direction and it obeyed, swimming forward.
"Damara!" Sprague called from the port, but they quickly left him and everyone else behind.
Rib watched Husk and all its rocky mountains and red-leaved trees get smaller and smaller as the serpent glided swiftly through the waters. Damara moved back up to the crown of the beast's head and sat against its webbed frill with a heavy sigh. The torchstone cast a fiery glow, like an ember on her pale skin.
We've done it, Rib thought. Dragon fire and the potion book?we have all we need for Wystil.
Except?Anxiety prickled his insides as he thought of Memory.
And Zheal, with his sack of powder.
What will we find when we get there?
Chapter 27