I am trudging along in chains and at the end of a long line of dragons. Behind me is another line of dragons, all chained together and marching along while our captors ride horses and eating their fill. In front of me, Thelia is still deep within herself, still blank as the day we met the male in the stables. He rides with the others, not saying much, but always had a glare in his eyes. At times I catch him eyeing Thelia, as if hungry. I always bare my teeth at him, always am sure he knows I plan to kill him. He just laughs and rides away.
I have stopped begging Thelia to help me. I have stopped trying to make plans with her, to escape and find a way home, stopped saying anything to her. But I have not given up. I plan on getting away. I plan on gutting Gideon, beheading Edgar and his men, and saving the dragons.
When we stop that night, I sleep beside a male dragon who has white hair and sunken eyes. However, as I'm trying to catch any word of the guards' conversation, the dragon pulls closer to me and whispers, "In a week we are to enter a fight with a leader's army. They plan to use us as fighters. But they have weakened us enough that we do not run for our lives."
"Why fight?" I ask softly.
"Because the leader is one of several who do not see us as animals."
I turn and look at him. "Poison?"
He nods. "It is addictive but is slowly killing us."
I nod slowly, nod my head. And while I knew that anything I might come up with was dangerous, I began to form a plan. It was fatally dangerous. I could be killing most of these dragons, however, I knew that they would rather fight for their freedom than against those who were innocent. "Listen. No bad. Jose dragons help."
I knew he couldn't understand me, but that did not matter. All that mattered was that he trusted me.
I drew in the dirt. 'Zargis.'
The male became alert. "You know him?"
I nod.
"Is he coming?"
I nod again. 'Kesar, Otreg, Cam.'
Hope filled his eyes, then it dimmed. "They won't know where we are."
I grin at him. 'Clues'
"What do you mean?"
I drew the very first clue I left for Kesar, waited. The male stared at the drawing in fascination. When he looked at me, I knew he understood. I wipe the picture away and wrote, 'Jose draw. Jose Kesar help. Kesar dragons help.'
He nods. "You're Jose?"
I nod. I point to Thelia and write her name.
"Is she your friend?"
I nod but write, 'Zargis female.'
His eyes widen before narrowing. "She's my queen! They are hurting my queen!"
'Thelia scared. Zargis help. Jose Thelia help Zargis.'
He nods, looking not completely certain he understands. "There's one more who must see our king."
I nod, already knowing about Juskah. But I write, 'Wait. Jose think. Jose talk ready.'
I'll tell the others and they'll pass it along. When you have a plan, tell them my name. It'll be the signal for them." He writes it in the dirt. 'Atuss'
As Atuss had said, we arrived at a grassy area where yards away, a huge army waited, weapons glinting in the morning sun. I leaned to the female beside me on the left and whispered the name, then did the same with the male on my right. I felt the adrenaline rush as they prepared for my plan to start. I didn't know how to tell them what I needed them to do, so I found the leader of the other army and looked him in the eye. He stares back, furrows his brow.
I sit with my legs crossed and head bowed. Around me, the dragons do the same, except Thelia. I noticed she was confused, looking at us. It was what I had hoped, that she would come out of her stupor and look around.
The queen of all dragons glances around from us to the army in front of us, seems to come to a realization, then sits, bowing her head.
Atuss grins at me from a few dragons away. I just had to hope I was doing the right thing.