Theo lay in exhaustion, staring longingly into the dark depths of the mountains. Her guards seemed to be getting lax in their work- slacking off, drowsing. Now, Theo could hear the majority of Chadwick’s troops in the distance, drinking and being merry.
The few guards on duty left awake kept gazing in that direction, all with the same wistful look. Finally, one left to join the fun, and the others readily followed. Other than a couple knights fast asleep, Theo was completely alone.
Theo tensed up, realizing this was likely her only chance to escape.
Should I run? Theo tried considering her options.
She hadn’t heard from Wycker since the time he left her to the hunters. He had told her not to fight them, but never did he mention anything about trying to escape, should the opportunity arrive. Theo crouched there, staring wide eyed at her plausible freedom.
Theo was startled as she heard a voice nearby yelp, “What do I do?”
There was a pause, then- “Submit. Don’t fight them. Request to speak to the king.”
Theo turned her head slowly in confusion. What she heard sounded like Wycker and herself speaking.
“Yes, of course! I will tell him who I really am. He will help me!” Theo narrowed her eyes at a figure emerging from the camp. She was sure that was her voice. Even the conversation sounded familiar…
“No! Do not tell anyone of your true identity. You will only be met with denial and accusations.”
The figure was approaching her at a stealthy, measured pace.
Theo realized it was Tyrone. His marble white wyvern clung to his shoulder, reciting Theo’s last conversation with Wycker in his ear. Theo hadn’t spoken to Wycker for days, yet here Ivory was, presenting the dialog word for word, pause for pause, both of their voices imitated perfectly.
Tyrone reached Theo and spoke not a word. His little spy fell silent as well, squinting at her over Tyrone’s shoulder.
Theo’s heart was beating rapidly. She watched in apprehension as he met her eyes.
Out came his knife. He knelt down at her feet and began to saw through the ropes that bound her front legs. They snapped and he moved to her hind legs.
Stuck in realization, she stood totally still as more and more ropes fell to the ground. All four of her legs were untied, her wings were unbound, and the contraption secured to disable her tail now slid down, no longer attached.
Finally, Tyrone came around to face her, his expression resigned. He gently lifted his hands up and she lowered her head. In but a moment, Tyrone unbuckled the muzzle and slipped it off.
He let it, too, fall to the ground and stepped back. He now stood still, offering her complete freedom.
Theo also stood still for a moment.
Then there was a yell. One of the guards had awoken.
Theo fled on the spot, leaving Tyrone.
He should run too, she thought. Chadwick will hate him for this!
But when she glanced behind her, she saw that Tyrone still stood where she’d left him, his back to her.
What is he doing?! She stopped and turned around to watch as a couple of guards rushed forward and grabbed Tyrone, who put up no resistance.
Should I help him? Theo panicked. But as she saw men mount their horses and take up their lances and swords, her bravery failed her and again she ran.
I must warn the Colony! she instead told herself.
It was no surprise when Wycker suddenly appeared in front of her, leading the way. She followed him as she had done before, except this time there was no arrow lodged in her wing and she was determined not to be left behind. Her healing wing was still keeping her from flying long distances, though, and Wycker seemed to have figured that, for he also ran instead of flew.
They carved their way through the forest. Already, Theo could hear the men in pursuit. Her brother’s commands rung over their shouts. Yet, Theo felt confident that her hunters could not catch her at this speed.
She and Wycker came to the point where the parched wash of Iron Creek joined Swaine River. Without hesitation, Wycker flew across, and Theo determinedly glided after him, though her arrow wound throbbed in protest. They were now bounding on the same side of the unified streams as the mountain range.
They ran all the way around the mountains to where they reached the ocean cliffs of Crageria. There, they made their way through a valley in which a line of dragons stood at the ready to stop her pursuers in their tracks. Theo passed her friends, and then turned around, surprised to see her brother and some of his men already arriving.
Seeing the multiple dragons prepared for battle, Chadwick pulled to a stop and waited for all his men to gather.
Is he going to turn around? Theo wondered, but she knew her brother would never back down like that. Up above, in a canopy of tall narrow trees, Theo heard a collection of noises.
Hundreds of phoenixes dotted the branches like a plentiful bounty of brightly colored fruit. They all chirruped quietly amongst themselves, aware of the coming intrusion of humans. Then they silenced.
Chadwick’s battle cry echoed through the valley, and his troop surged forward.
The phoenixes rose into the air, circling overhead in a huge swarm of small bodies. Then they dove, shrieking. The dragons lit them like hundreds of candles as they shot past to meet the enemy.
The men cried out, batting at the flaming birds that attacked their faces and spooked the horses out from under them.
“Coming?” Wycker hissed at her and she spun around. Before her was a wide expanse of simmergrass- tough, dark reeds that stood taller than she. Wycker glared at her from within them and she entered, trying not to lose him as he led her further in.
Theo gaped as they came upon an immense, spherical nest, woven out of simmergrass. The nest was large enough to host all the eggs of the phoenixes. It was probably because of this that the birds watched over it so vigilantly in the canopy above.
At the base of the nest stood Damon and Aspen. Aspen greeted her eagerly.
“I have found the solution to counteract the firesap inside you,” Damon informed her.
Theo’s heart soared. I’m going to survive!
“You must become human first.” With that, he brought her around to the back of the nest, where she saw a simple dress neatly folded on the ground.
“We stole the dress,” Aspen admitted, as though it mattered in the situation at hand. Theo ignored her, giving Damon her full attention.
“Are you ready?” he asked her, holding up a flask.
Theo nodded nervously. She would have to do this if ever she hoped to stop Chadwick from turning this conflict into a full out war.
She let Damon slowly pour the foul tasting potion down her throat. When she had swallowed it all, he and Aspen left her silently.
There were a couple moments when nothing happened and Theo worried Damon’s potion wasn’t working. Then her whole body began tingling underneath her scaly hide and she went limp, slumping to the ground.
With a flick, her vision changed and distant sounds muffled into indistinct tones. The world began growing all around her. The simmergrass reached higher to the sky, and the huge phoenix nest became bigger still. She watched as all this happened, while more and more scales cracked and snapped off, scattering onto the earth.
Strangely, she felt none of this. When she had gone limp, she had lost all feeling.
Chapter 29