Dragon Wings -- Ch. 39

Chapter Thirty-nine

"Are… are you sure there's nothing I can do?"

Eva looked back at Cial, annoyed, but her expression softened once she saw him. "Cial, the most you can do right now is let Lilac recover on her own. She's a strong girl. She'll be fine."

Cial looked forlornly over to where Lilac was sleeping. Her stomach rose and fell easily enough, but her other wounds looked bad. Aside from the scrapes she had accumulated from tumbling along the ground, a couple of her ribs had been broken, and deep burns formed ugly patches along her right side. She looked awful. And Cial could not shake the feeling that it was somehow his fault.

Eva had been studying him, and let out a sigh. Until recently she had not known about Lilac's existence. Like the rest of the Fleet, she had assumed that Lilac had died long ago. Eva knew firsthand all the pain that Lilac's "death," had put Lydia through, but at this point seemed to harbour no ill feelings. She stared sadly down at her niece. "You are too young for battle," She murmured, almost to herself. "All of you. Zor, too."

"No, we're not." Cial countered. "We're thirteen, and I think Lilac's fourteen. We're not midyears anymore. We'd be expected to fight if we were back in the Fleet."

"We weren't at war back then." Eva said softly. "You're all just children. I wish the Leaders could understand that."

Cial opened his mouth for another retort, then found that he had none. What if Lilac had been forced to stay in camp rather than come with him to fight? None of this would have happened in the first place. And Zor. Zor's innocence had drained away ever since that day the shadow dragons first appeared, and he had seen things in the Healer's Cave that would give the toughest of Fighters nightmares. If things like this could have been prevented…

But it was the Fleet way, to treat trainees as adults. Could the Fleet way be wrong? Cial remembered the Dark Leader saying something of the sort in a dream… The Fleets are flawed. Corrupt, even. Could he have been right?

No. He couldn't think that way. Cial shook his head, as if trying to dislodge the thought. That's what the Dark Leader wanted him to do, to question his own motives. The Dark Leader was evil and that was all that mattered.

"Cial?" Someone called into the cave, and Cial looked up. He didn't know the dragon personally but recognized him as one of the messengers the Leaders used. The dragon dipped his head briefly. "The Leaders have called for you."

Cial sighed. He really was getting tired of the Leaders and their consistent inability to decide on anything. If this was what Leadership was all about, he'd rather not get involved. "All right, I'll be there soon." He told the messenger as calmly as he could manage, and went to exit the cave.

The sun was bright as Cial emerged. It was midday and the dragons were out and about, training or hunting or eating. Cial noticed out of the corner of his eye the way the masses seemed to part around him, giving him his space. It might have not been any conscious effort on the part of the dragons, but it isolated him nonetheless, and without Lilac by his side Cial felt all the more lonely.

The Leaders were all seated in their usual place. Cial hurried over and sat down in their midst, shadowed by their forms against the sunlight. Kohari nodded at him, and Cial returned the gesture.

"I've thought over all of this since we last spoke." Relli was the first to talk, gazing at the other leaders intently. "I believe that Scarwing's original idea, that we send a small squadron in to assassinate Exaiyen, is valid."

"Valid," Kohari agreed, "But perhaps not logical. How is this squadron to know where Exaiyen is? I imagine they would have some trouble finding the cave."

"Well, that's easily solved." Akios rumbled. "Cial could accompany the squadron for awhile, and point them in the right direction."

Cial looked up, but Kohari was shaking his head. "I do not like the risk…"

"Without risk, there is no reward," Scarwing challenged. "Isn't it for Cial to decide?"

Cial blinked as all eyes suddenly turned upon him. "I… I don't mind, Kohari. I've been fighting recently anyways, I don't see how this is much different."

"It's very different." Kohari told him, his voice low. "For one, you have always been surrounded by the Fleet dragons, and watched over as you fight. There is always someone to have your back. Out there you will be in the middle of many enemies, with only a small group to protect you."

"Really, it's fine," Cial insisted, though his stomach twisted slightly at the thought.

"I'm glad that's settled, then." Scarwing continued with a glint in his eye. "They'll move under the cover of darkness. Cial will point out the cave, the squadron will go in, and then the war will be over."

"You are forgetting one thing," Lukos intoned, turning to face Scarwing. "What if the army continues fighting despite the death of their master? What then?"

Scarwing seemed at loss for words. Kohari managed a bitter smile. "Well then, I think we'd best hope for a miracle. The best Fighters in the world won't help you when your enemy outnumbers you ten to one."