Roy groaned loudly. “Don’t matter. There’s an army of the Dark One’s vermin up there, and as far as I can tell, it makes a pretty effective wall between us and whatever plan you’re trying to cook up.”
This was where Alex was going to put her foot down. She had more than a half-baked plan. “Okay,” she said. “What’s the difference between our dragons and mechs and everything up there?”
Roy chewed on his cigar as he leaned out of his mech. “All right, I’ll bite,” he grumbled. “What’s the difference?”
Alex flashed her mischievous grin. “What’s up there doesn’t have four legs,” she started. “Which means they expect the fight to be in the air. And only in the air.”
A sparkle danced behind Roy’s eyes as he caught onto what Alex was saying. “Hm. I guess there’s more to you than crazy ideas. You got crazy ideas offering a little bit of hope. All right. If we’re all gonna die anyway, what’s the harm in trying something new?”
Chapter Two
Roy, Toppinir, and Alex discussed the plan. Somehow, they were going to funnel the flying creatures to the ground. At first, it seemed like a straightforward idea. A problem eventually arose, though.
As the three were planning, Jollies casually pointed to the sky. “There’s more of them than before.”
When Alex looked up, she was shocked to see that Jollies was understating the case. The number of monsters had nearly doubled in the ten minutes Alex had been speaking to the two veterans. If this kept up, there would be too many of the Dark One’s forces to fight in any way.
Brath sauntered over to the discussion, his face smugger than usual. “You guys are spending way too much time talking this through,” he snapped. “We need to get in there and do some damage.”
Toppinir chuckled under his breath before saying, “We all saw how that worked out for you. I think it would be best if we don’t make the same mistake as you did.”
Roy tried to hide his snickers but was unable to. Brath blushed, but he didn’t back down from his point. He threw himself into the argument, defending his opinion with vigor.
At this point, Alex knew talking sensibly wasn’t going to happen. The moment Brath joined a strategy session, it devolved to irritated sighing and the occasional brief but intense shouting match.
Alex went for a walk, staring at the sky. She made her way to Chine, who was sitting away from the other dragons, blasting his claws with thin streams of fire. ‘Sup, Chine?
Chine lost interest in grooming himself and peered at Alex with his large, unfathomable eyes. Something on your mind, Dustling? You seem perturbed.
Alex gestured upward as she sat down across from Chine. You ever see anything like this before?
Chine nodded as he followed Alex’s gaze. I have seen these creatures before, but I have never seen them like this. From my understanding, shooting stars rarely hold monsters. When they do, those monsters are ancient, eldritch. Not such base creatures as vrosks.
What do you mean about shooting stars holding eldritch monsters?
Chine blew out a flame that briefly illuminated Alex’s face. Her eyes were dilated, almost reptilian, nearly the same as her dragon’s. Many of the eldritch Old Ones were conceived in a place between realms.
They were not born of flesh and blood, as many of us are. It is difficult to understand how they were conceived, but many of them were incubated in meteors and asteroids. When those rocks hit the realms, the Old Ones were born.
The meteor above was still stationary. The green aura around it spiked and withdrew as if it were a living thing. Do you think there might be something like that in there? Alex wondered.
Chine had grown bored looking at the sky and returned to grooming himself. Perhaps. But whatever is incubating inside is not an Old One. It is something new. Perhaps something worse.
Good talk, Chine. You always know just what to say to encourage me.
How is that encouraging, Dustling?
Sarcasm, my dude. Sarcasm.
Alex sat there for some time, thinking about what the dragon had said as she watched the sky. Holmorth had been in the meteor, but he had only been on the outer crust. It was almost as if he were a guard, protecting something more important within the meteor. What do you think we should do? Alex asked.
Chine’s scales ruffled as he stood and shook his wings. Roy and Toppinir are not like you and the rest of Boundless. They are soldiers, and they have been soldiers for some time. They have orders and they follow them. You, on the other hand…”
Yeah, I know, I don’t listen to orders.
You say that as if it were a fault. Thinking for yourself is an admirable quality, one that dragons respect greatly. It is a quality that will never fail you. Why should now be any different?
Alex crossed her arms as she tossed herself to the grass with a loud huff. All that it’s done so far is get my friends and me in trouble. What’s it going to get me this time?
The dragon leaned over Alex, looking her in the eyes. Perhaps victory. Or are you so weak-willed that a simple disagreement will sway you?
Alex rolled over and sat up as she pointed at Chine. You know what? I’m not a huge fan of this attitude. So, no. I’m not going to let it stop me. Now excuse me. I have a point to go make to Roy and Toppinir.
Alex marched up to Toppinir and Roy, coughed as loud as she could, folded her arms, and waited for them to turn. “There’s something in the meteor,” she said. “Don’t know what it is, but I know Holmorth was only the tip of the iceberg.”
Toppinir
