Dragon Riders

Chapter 11: Truce

Serafina POV:

Shoot! I cursed mentally. I felt Aspen's amusement bubble up. Be quiet! I asserted.

Payback, she crooned, teasingly.

Shut it! I boomed internally. The resounding silence alerted me she got my message. Orion beamed as he walked towards us, his wings covered in a thin layer of flames.

"Serafina!" He called. "A Nature Dragon! Congrats!"

"Thank you," I blushed.

"Purple suits you!" He gushed, seeming to not be distressed by the fact our types were enemies.

"And red you!" I responded politely. Cade seemed oblivious to the fact Orion and I were having a moment and leapt of my back.

"Wow!" He declared. "You are a huge Fire Dragon!" Orion removed his gaze from me and turned his attention to the human in front of him. "You must be at least 30 ft. tall, right? A 60 ft. wingspan?"

"Yeah," Orion responded. "I actually am. What is your name sir?"

"Sir?" Cade scoffed. "No need for fancy titles; I'm Cade. And you? What are you called?"

"I am called Orion," he replied smoothly. He then turned to me and eyed my helmet questioningly. "A Teff?" He then fixed his gaze upon Aspen. "May I meet your Viy?"

"Of course!" I answered. Aspen slid gracefully off my back and took her place next to Cade.

"I'm Aspen," she introduced herself. "You must be Orion!"

"Yes," he was taken aback. "How did you know what I was called?"

"Well," she divulged. "First of all, you just told Cade. Second, Serafina and I have a mental connection and she thinks about you all the time! She often... "She trailed off when she caught my piercing glare. Orion turned back to me, grinning.

"You think about me?" He asked, surprised.

"Yes," I admitted.

"Nice to know," he commented. "That makes two of us." My heart skipped a beat. "You want to go on a fly?" He challenged.

"Sure," I responded, "But you have to carry my extra passenger!" I gestured to Cade.

"Deal!" Cade and Orion said in unison. I looked back at Aspen as we exchanged knowing looks and agreed mentally. She hopped back into the saddle and Cade actually made it onto Orion's back with a high jump, not crashing into his side.

"3..." He counted.

"2..." I teased.

"1!" We shouted together. We both flapped our wings as fast as we could and shot off like lightning. We corkscrewed around each other as we ascended upward. We tunneled through the thick layer of clouds and remerged with droplets on our spikes, wings, or hair. We leveled off, flying straight at the orange sun melting down behind the cloud bank. I drifted closer to Orion and he turned and smiled at me. His fangs sparkled in the glow of the setting sun. I felt the barricade surrounding my heart begin to crumble. My mind recalled this similar smile from the day we first met. I felt Aspen grow amused.

So mature! I chided.

Like you're any different with Cade! She countered.

True, I concurred, how about a truce?

A truce? She pondered.

Yes, I restated. A truce. We both agree to stay out of each other's personal lives.

Sure, she agreed. Finally. Enough with the petty teasing. Suddenly Cade jerked sharply and toppled off Orion's back. As if Orion already knew it would happen, he dove, leveled off, and angled himself beneath the shrieking, flailing boy. Cade noticed and stopped screaming; he straightened himself out and landed perfectly on Orion's back.

"How did that happen?" Cade asked in astonishment. "I heard a voice in my head!"

"It's obvious!" Aspen toyed with him.

"It is?" He pondered.

"Totally!" I joined in.

"I don't understand either, Cade," Orion stated.

"You all have a connection!" Aspen confessed.

"What?" The two gasped in unison.

"Oh yes!" I agreed. "Cade, you're a Viy, and Orion, you're a Teff!"

"Congrats!" Aspen squealed in delight, then she gasped. "We have to get you to the Queen Dragon so she can make it official!" Cade was still gawking, but managed a high pitched,

"Okay!" I nervously took Orion's paw and lead him to the Hiji. They saw us descending and began to whisper amongst themselves. Our feet hit the ground and Cade and Aspen slid off and bowed, as we kneeled, in front of the King and Queen Dragon.

"Rise," commanded Rowena; we obeyed. "What is it you seek?" Aspen stepped forward and explained.

"Your majesty, my friend, Cade, and Orion have a mental connection. Is there a way to know if they are really Viy and Teff?"

"But of course," she replied cooly. She opened a hidden drawer in her throne and rummaged through the contents. She grabbed a scroll and closed her secret compartment. She opened it and blew the thick layer of musty dust coating the paper away. She cleared her throat loudly and announced "Orion is a Teff, and Cade is his Viy. Congratulations!" She waved her hand and raised Cade into the air in a ball of light. As he was lowered, I gazed at his attire. He wore a pair of black slacks and and a silver top like Aspen's, but made for guys. A pair of goggles rested in his messy hair and he had boots similar to hers. Orion had a beautiful leather saddle on his back now and on his head was a sliver helmet just like mine. He met my gaze and grinned wildly at me. I couldn't help but think that we matched.

"How about a race to the furthest Ure?" I taunted. "May the best Viy and Teff win!" Aspen giggled and back flipped onto my saddle.

"You are so on!" The boys declared. Cade mounted Orion with a running jump. On the count of three, Orion and I raced up into the sky and soared far above the forrest tops of Beliu.