The Mad Queen

Chapter Thirty-Three

I've seen you all! I've seen your crimes! I will make sure to avenge all those you've hurt. I am no longer oblivious to what your actions behind my back. I am your Queen. You will obey me or you will all burn!

~The Ravings of Queen Orianna. A speech documented during a council meeting discussing loyalty. Evidence Piece Ten in Queen Orianna's Trial.

I hold on to the spikes of the dragon tighter than I've held onto anything in my life. We are above the clouds though I dare not open my eyes. I don't want to know how high we are.

"Open your eyes princess," I jump as Nianzu's voice rings in my mind. I don't argue, I just slowly do as he told me. I gasp. It is beautiful. The sky around me is blue and glistening. A layer of fluffy clouds sits bellow making all sorts of shapes. I've never seen anything like it. It's so quiet and peaceful.

"There, not so bad," he chuckles in my mind. I frown.

"How is your voice in my mind?" I ask out loud.

"So we could communicate whilst I am in animal form. Perhaps it has something to do with our blood promise."

"Did you have it with Visara?"

"No," he replies. "Now, where do you want to go. The Lupine lands are just beyond The Lost Wood. I could fly you straight into their city."

"No," I say out loud before I stop speaking as the thoughts rush around in my mind.

"You can reply with your mind you know," he tells me. I roll my eyes but try it anyway.

"We can't just land in their city," I tell him. It is partially true. "I will have to approach slowly. It will take a while for them to trust me. I need to try and find the Mer and the Sirens. How I am going to do that, no one but Visara new of their location," I tell him with a sigh. "They were eager to help Visara so I am hoping it won't take much to convince them." The dragon banks and changes direction. I gulp, thinking about the Lupine. I know that getting the Lupine on my side will be the most difficult, even after their visit all those years ago. I am also... scared, I suppose. Scared that things will have changed since then. Nianzu's voice in my mind distracts me from those thoughts.

"They are in Tarlon," he tells me. My eyes widen as he tells me where the Waterfolk are hiding. "Visara had me take her there when she originally found them. What lake they are in now though, I have no idea." He sinks down below the clouds and my eyes widen again. I can see for miles and miles. The ground is so far below us. We fly over the grasslands I had travelled across on Trouble. I see a couple of villages, dotted here and there also.

"Nianzu," I say in my mind. I hear a grunt. "As much as flying is fun and the views are beautiful, I really think we should travel a different way," I tell him.

"Why?" he asks. "You can't be tracked this way. You also can't be seen and no one can catch you."

I sigh. "Yeah, but what about when we land. How can we be sure that when you land, we won't be seen? Plus, dragons aren't meant to exist. Even if we are high in the sky, people will see something isn't right. It is best to stay under the radar," I tell him. He huffs.

"So basically, you want me to be a horse," he grumbles.

"Yeah," I tell him. He doesn't say anything for a few moments as he begins to fly toward the ground. It is an odd feeling as his body tips forward and we begin to dive. It's exhilarating and I find myself letting out an excited scream as the wind whips my hair from my face. I hear Nianzu chuckling in my mind as he sharply banks and spins in the air. I laugh and let him do it. He's been trapped in the forest so long. It has been thousands of years since he was able to do this. Plus, the flatlands we fly over are pretty deserted and I can't see any towns or villages nearby.