The Journey 46.

Autumn. The Province Of Wilshaw. The Kingdom Of Terrindim.

The dragon rider Daeliss looks at her dragon Sunbeam and frowns.
The large burnt orange coloured dragon has been irritable since yesterday morning.
Ever since they stopped a foreign airship, and searched it. To make sure it wasn't up to anything untowards as it headed west through the kingdom.
Even her cousin Jarmic mentioned that Sunbeam was in a bit of a mood. After the warship captain scratched the large dragon with a steel rake, as he does most nights.
Now on what's a relatively warm and sunny autumn morning. The large dragon that's been in the Komav family since the egg.
Is rolling from side to side, trying to get comfortable as he lies out in the sunshine, on a road that goes through some farmland here in the province of Wilshaw.
Daeliss Komav looks away to the right, and sees a frowning sir Malfane walking this way.
The nobleborn dragon rider looks back at his own dragon Firelight. Who is in the middle of a fallow field.
The bright yellow female dragon is circling, walking around trying to pick a spot to lie in.
When she finally does, she flaps her wings in an irritable manner, before settling them down her sides, and grunting in what can only be described as a dissatisfied manner.
More than a few of the air sailors on the nearby airships that are soon to lift off, are watching the dragons.
As not just Sunbeam and Firelight are irritable this morning. But all of the dragons with this wing of the second Balford fleet seem to be in a bit of a mood this morning.
"What is it?" quietly asks Daeliss Komav the dragon rider when sir Malfane the dragon rider walks up to her, and quietly says "We need to talk".
The nobleman who like the rider Daeliss, is from the western province of Halvarc, looks over at Sunbeam the dragon, before looking back at his own dragon Firelight.
"Beam didn't say anything to Light last night did he?" quietly asks sir Malfane as they stand upon the hard packed dirt road that cuts through some farmland here in the province of Wilshaw.
"Not that i know of" replies the commonborn dragon rider who continues with "Why?".
The nobleman slightly grunts, then with the frown still upon his face, he says to his fellow dragon rider "I asked her why she's so tetchy this morning, and after uming and ahing, and trying to put me off, she finally told me that Beam mentioned something to her last night, that's got her to thinking".
The lean, attractive young dragon rider who is still a teenager, blinks in surprise when she hears that.
Then after she looks over at her dragon, then to where Firelight is in the nearby field, she asks her fellow dragon rider from the province of Halvarc "Did she say what?".
Sir Malfane shakes his head no, then says "She didn't" followed by "No matter what i said, she wouldn't tell me".
"That's strange" murmurs the commonborn dragon rider, who after a few moments pause as she looks at the two dragons, quietly asks the nobleborn dragon rider "Light isn't in heat is she?".
Sir Malfane is momentarily silent as he looks sharply at his dragon Firelight, then at the nearby Sunbeam with a thoughtful look upon his face.
The nobleman from the western province of Halvarc then looks around, then quietly says "She can't be, there's Fireray over there".
The rider Daeliss nods her head, as she sees the other female dragon with this wing of the Balford faction's second fleet, lying infront of a stand of trees.
Female dragons in heat don't tolerate other female dragons around them. And if one was in heat, it would most likely attack another female dragon in the vicinity. Even another one in the same faction with them.
From where she stands, Daeliss Komav doesn't think the dragon Fireray is in heat. She's just as irritable as the other dragons if the couple of trees she's knocked down and stripped. That are lying nearby her, are anything to go by.
"See if you can find out if he told Light and the others anything" says sir Malfane after looking at Sunbeam the dragon, then his own Firelight. Then the other dragons with them, who are serving alongside this wing in the Balford faction's second fleet.
The commonborn dragon rider nods that she will, and says so, then after that, she gestures to the nearby fields and adds "Looks like my cousin Jarmic has given the order to go".
As warships, and support vessels start to lift off. As they continue to patrol this area of the province of Wilshaw. Which is considered to be the first of the western provinces in the kingdom of Terrindim.
After sir Malfane wishes his fellow dragon rider from the province of Halvarc good luck for the day, and heads into the nearby fallow field to his dragon Firelight.
The rider Daeliss Komav turns, and makes her way down the hard packed dirt road to where her own dragon Sunbeam is lying.
"Shall we go and find the enemy?" asks the teenage dragon rider to the large, burnt orange coloured dragon that's been in her family since the egg.
"I suppose" says Sunbeam the dragon in an unenthusiastic tone of voice as he looks at his rider.
The lean, attractive young woman from the west of the kingdom of Terrindim, refrains from frowning at hearing that lackluster tone from her dragon, and instead says "Who knows, we might find some and actually get into a fight".
That seems to perk up Sunbeam, who rumbles and mentions that getting into a fight with the enemy, whether they be dragons or airships, would be rather satisfying on such a warm, and sunny autumn morning.
The largest of the Balford faction's dragons waits a little while, so that more of the wing they're serving with, lifts off the ground. And spreads out into the grid pattern that captain Jarmic Komav has devised.
The large, burnt orange coloured dragon, is the last of the dragons to depart.
In a relatively good mood at the prospect of getting into a fight with the enemy.
Whether it's the Golmard faction, or the Salmain faction. As a few of their dragons, were spotted here in the province of Wilshaw, yesterday afternoon.
Heading predominantly to the northwest as they go out from their wing in the second fleet of the Balford faction.
Then circling back to the wing, to inform them as to what's going on.
The rider Daeliss and her dragon see no sign of the enemy, whether they be Golmard or Salmain faction. During the early morning, on the fairly warm autumn day. Warm in comparison to the days recently in this part of the kingdom.
It's near midmorning, when they've left the farmland well behind. And they're flying over some rough, and wild looking country in the west of the province of Wilshaw.
That Sunbeam the dragon who is about to turn, and do a lazy circle, so that he can head back to their wing.
Goes briefly stiff, and tense. Which his rider, Daeliss Komav immediately knows he's spotted a threat of some kind.
Then as the large, burnt orange coloured dragon turns slightly to the right, and almost jumps forward, as he increases speed.
The commonborn dragon rider in the Balford faction quickly looks around, trying to see what Sunbeam has spotted, when all of a sudden they disappear.
The rider Daeliss who knows they're teleporting, holds on tight to the straps she knows are holding her into the saddle.
She can't actually see them, or even feel them. For when you teleport, everything is black, and your senses are deprived. As you're unable to even feel your body too. Being teleported is the most disembodied feeling one ever undergoes. Apart from death.
It's a good thing the lean, blonde, attractive young woman from the western province of Halvarc. Took hold of what she thought was the straps holding her into the saddle.
Because they reappear in midair with Sunbeam in the middle of a vertical dive.
Out of the corner of her left eye, the rider Daeliss catches a glimpse of an airship they're diving by.
The largest of the Balford dragons whips his tail out, whacking the airship.
To what faction it belongs to, Daeliss Komav has absolutely no idea. Because they're flying too quickly for her to try and identity it
The commonborn dragon rider from the west of the kingdom of Terrindim, both with her mind, and by shouting out to Sunbeam, asks him "What's happening?".
When suddenly the large, burnt orange coloured dragon smashes into something from above.
From the roaring scream of anger that Daeliss Komav hears, she immediately knows it's another dragon they've just hit.
The lean, blonde teenager who has been the rider of Sunbeam the dragon for the last three years.
Grimaces as she's violently flung about in the saddle at the base of her dragon's neck. Flung from side to side, as he attacks with vigour.
The rider Daeliss can't recall her dragon this reckless in battle with her in the saddle.
The commonborn dragon rider is about to yell at Sunbeam to be careful, but she knows it'll be a waste of time. As he's hell bent on attacking the other dragon with all his might.
Daeliss Komav gasps as the wind is knocked out of her, as she's flung to one side in the saddle.
Then as she looks to one side, as Sunbeam batters and whacks his opponent.
The dragon rider in the Balford faction catches a glimpse of the other dragon.
The commonborn dragon rider, who still to this day, is the youngest dragon rider in all of the kingdom of Terrindim.
Is momentarily surprised that the other dragon is blue, and not a shade of red.
It takes her a moment to realise that the light blue dragon is in the Salmain faction.
Who she wasn't really expecting to encounter today. As the information they got last night when camp was set up.
Was that the Salmain faction's forces that have been spotted here in the province of Wilshaw, are in the very north of the province, not here in the west.
Daeliss briefly thinks about grabbing her handheld crossbow, but quickly gives up on that idea. As she's being violently whipped from side to side in the saddle to be of any use against the enemy dragon rider.
The commonborn dragon rider from the western province of Halvarc, who is having a hard time trying to see what's actually happening.
As they're spinning in the air, as Sunbeam batters the enemy dragon. Hitting it with claw and fang, as well as using his wings to whack the smaller blue dragon in the Salmain faction.
Then as the rider Daeliss finds herself looking backwards, straight up into the midmorning sky.
She sees a couple of enemy vessels further up in the sky. One already damaged by Sunbeam's tail.
That warship is heading to port, and listing as one of it's masts is down.
While the other vessel, a twin masted fighting bark. Is dropping in altitude, getting closer to the battling dragons.
The lean, blonde, teenage dragon rider in the Balford faction is about to shout out a warning to her dragon Sunbeam about the approaching enemy warship.
But she doesn't have to, as suddenly an energyball, one of the largest ones Daeliss has ever seen. Suddenly appears above them, and shoots up towards the descending enemy bark.
Which quickly turns to starboard to try and avoid the oncoming energyball.
The dragon rider from the west of the kingdom of Terrindim, doesn't actually see the energyball hit, as she finds herself upside down, looking down at the ground just five hundred feet below.
Daeliss Komav definitely hears the energyball hitting the enemy warship.
And as Sunbeam bites at the enemy dragon, and they tumble so that the teenage dragon rider gets a brief view up into the sky again.
She catches sight of the warship in the Salmain faction that was descending, breaking apart as it's been split in half by the powerful energyball cast by Sunbeam the dragon.
Daeliss Komav grimace as she's flung backwards in the saddle, as Sunbeam wrenches his head and neck back.
As he does, the commonborn dragon rider in the Balford faction hears the smaller Salmain dragon roar in pain.
Then Sunbeam is suddenly free of the enemy dragon. And Daeliss or Dae as she's called by those who know her well.
Looks down as her dragon goes to dive, and she blinks in surprise. As she sees the enemy dragon spinning out of control, rolling and twisting, minus most of it's right wing.
Sunbeam the dragon spits out the large section of wing in his maw, and he goes into a dive, pursuing the enemy dragon that's tumbling out of control towards the ground.
The rider Daeliss holds on as tight as she can as the large, burnt orange coloured dragon dives downwards.
The teenage dragon rider then winces as she sees the Salmain dragon hit the ground with force.
Hitting so hard, that it's rider is flung out of the saddle, and goes flying a good fifty feet to one side, before hitting the ground just as hard as his dragon did.
The commonborn dragon rider from the western province of Halvarc immediately knows that the enemy rider is dead. As no way he could of survived an impact like that.
Besides the painful roar from the Salmain faction dragon that's still alive, is a dead giveaway that it knows it's rider is dead.
The enemy dragon's roar is abruptly cut off, as Sunbeam crashes down upon him.
Daeliss Komav who for a moment, thinks she's going to get flung out of the saddle too.
Winces, as she see blood go spraying out to one side when Sunbeam yanks his head in that direction.
Then the largest dragon in the Balford faction, vigorously shakes his head and neck from side to side.
Making the rider Daeliss hold on for dear life, praying to the gods that she stays in the saddle.
Suddenly Sunbeam stops shaking his head, and his rider blinks in surprise as he hops to one side, and as she looks down and sees what's happened.
For a few moments, Daeliss Komav doesn't exactly know what's she's looking at.
Then she realises that the smaller, light blue coloured dragon in the Salmain faction lies dead on the ground.
And off to one side is it's head. Which Sunbeam the dragon has torn off it's neck.
The large, burnt orange coloured dragon hops more to one side, then hunkers down low.
After a few moments, Daeliss Komav feeling that her dragon has settled down.
Undoes the straps that hold her into her saddle, then she gets out of the saddle, and slides down the side of the large dragon that's been in her family since the egg.
The rider Daeliss walks around the head of Sunbeam, and glances to one side, and grimaces as she sees the headless enemy dragon lying nearby.
As in the distance, a good quarter of a mile away behind them, the remnants of the enemy bark smashes into the ground.
Daeliss Komav looks at her dragon Sunbeam, and notices the completely wild look in his eyes.
"Beam" says the rider Daeliss "Are you alright?" adds the lean, blonde attractive young woman, who is a dragon rider in the Balford faction, who follows that with "Sunbeam?" as her dragon doesn't seem to recognise her.
Then the commonborn dragon rider sees Sunbeam's eyes clear, and he focuses on her.
There's a few moments of silence, then the large, burnt orange coloured dragon says to his rider "My name isn't Sunbeam" he briefly pauses, then nods as if coming to a decision, then he adds "My name is Kov" . . . . . .