Those who had been standing behind him, all part of the regular Nimbronian guard, reluctantly moved forward.
Jaax shook his head, partially to get rid of his lingering battle fury and partly to remove the freezing wet snow from his face. He clenched his teeth and hissed as soon as he did so, however. One of the nasty side effects of giving over to dragons’ rage was a terrible migraine.
“I imagine your head is ready to split into two,” Ellyesce muttered with cautious mirth. “I’ve never seen a dragon so consumed by his own fire before.”
If Jaax had the energy, and if he didn’t think it would make his headache worse, he would have laughed. Instead, he lifted his front foot to his forehead as if that simple gesture could ease his suffering.
“Do you find amusement in every situation, Ellyesce?” he asked, his voice rough and hollow.
He glanced up, his eyes narrowed against the light of late afternoon. Ellyesce stood before him, arms crossed over his chest, his head cocked to the side as he examined the dragon with a curious look.
“Of course, Raejaaxorix. One does not live as long as I have without learning how to deal with life’s many hardships by finding whatever joy one can. In every situation.”
Jaax groaned and fought the temptation to collapse onto the bridge and take a nice, long nap.
“I only hope you left Jahrra in one piece. The way you came tearing around that mountain with death and pain burning in your eyes makes me worry for her safety.”
The great dragon grimaced and cracked one eye open. “Jahrra is fine. The worst she received from me was delivered in harsh words. Nothing she hasn’t experienced before.”
“Ah,” Ellyesce mused, as he stepped forward.
Jaax felt the elf turn and lean his back against his scaly neck.
“There is weight to your lack of words, my friend,” Jaax grumbled, knowing Ellyesce had more on his mind than he was willing to share.
The elf shrugged, once again something Jaax discerned from touch and not sight.
“Oh, nothing too heavy, I assure you.”
“Out with it,” Jaax demanded, not bothering to open his eyes again.
Ellyesce sighed, letting the air escape his lungs in a slow wave. His voice was calm, quiet, and held the tenor of a wise teacher addressing a beloved pupil when he spoke. “I am only wondering what you were more angry about, the Tyrant’s men nearly capturing Jahrra, her jumping over the edge of the bridge, or the fact that for a few minutes, you had absolutely no control over the situation.”
Jaax’s eyes snapped open this time, and he lifted his head, hissing at the spike of pain burrowing into his temple. The movement forced Ellyesce to transfer all his weight back to his own two feet, but he remained close to his Tanaan friend. Jaax’s first reaction was to snarl at Ellyesce and tell him he was wrong on all accounts. But the fact of the matter was, his friend had a point. And, it wasn’t just one of those factors that had pushed him over the edge, it was all of them. And perhaps, something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
Letting his anger out on a long sigh, Jaax closed his eyes again and said quietly, “I fear, once again, you may be right, old friend.”
Ellyesce nodded and re-crossed his arms over his chest, hunching his shoulders as he did so. It had been a very long week for him. On top of the responsibility of getting Jahrra safely to Nimbronia, he had been forced to fight for his life after spending several days living off of poor rations of food and even less sleep. He had some wounds from the skirmish that still needed tending to, including a few lacerations being kept numb by snow packed between his skin and his clothes. But none of them were life-threatening, and he could sleep for a full week once they reached Nimbronia proper. At the moment, his dragon friend needed his calming tone and words of wisdom to bring him down from his bout of rage.
“I’ve not seen you lose control like that in a very long time, my friend. But, I am not surprised you did.”
Jaax released another sigh which came out more like a snort. He was about to respond to Ellyesce’s comment, but the familiar whoosh of giant wings grabbed his attention. Lifting his head once again, the Tanaan dragon caught sight of two large forms approaching from the north. As they drew nearer to the bridge, Jaax made an effort to sit up, determined not to appear weak in front of his own kind.
The first dragon landed with reptilian grace some yards behind the soldiers and guards who had gathered around. The great beast shook herself like a wet dog, then immediately turned her attention toward Jaax. Her pensive expression melted away into a smile when her eyes met his. Jaax could only return the gesture. Pale blue grey in color and displaying all the characteristics unique to the Korli race of dragons, Sapheramin was a welcome sight, indeed. Behind her and looming like a protective thundercloud was Tollorias, Sapheramin’s colleague and mate. Tollorias was larger and his coloring was closer to dark slate, but he, too, shared the wrinkled face and sharp crest of the Korli race. His dark amber eyes snapped with fierce intelligence while they scanned the bridge, opposing mountainside and air for impending danger.
“Jaax!” the female Korli stated in her melodious voice. “What on Ethoes happened to you? I thought the plan was for you to get Jahrra to safety and leave the scattering of the vermin to us.”
Jaax winced as the memory of his assault upon the bridge came back to him. Or more accurately, the fuzzy bits and pieces that managed to break through his still muddled thoughts. That was the problem with letting his instincts take over. Not much was remembered after the frenzy passed.
“He was overcome by the dragons’ rage,” Ellyesce offered, stepping away from his friend.
Immediately, Sapheramin’s golden eyes turned to him. She tilted her head to the side and studied the elf the way a large lizard might study a beetle it found appetizing. To his credit, Ellyesce stood his ground, refusing to yield.
“You seem familiar to me. Have we met?” the female Korli finally asked.
Ellyesce smiled and shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of. My name is Ellyesce. I am an old friend of Jaax’s.”
“He was also a good friend of your uncle’s,” Jaax cut in, his voice still a bit gruff.
Gritting his teeth, he made an effort to stand, telling his sore muscles to quit their complaining. Once steady on his feet, he returned his gaze to Sapheramin. She had stopped studying Ellyesce and was now regarding him, her lips draw tight, her expression trying very hard to remain blank. Jaax had told her of Hroombra’s death through a letter, regretting the fact he could not do so in person. She had written back, expressing her sorrow but vowing the Coalition must work even harder to bring about peace in their world. It would do great honor to Hroombramantu’s legacy if they were to succeed in their mission. Jaax had agreed heartily.
“Well,” she said after a breath, “it is an honor to know you, then. My uncle was a great judge of character.”
Regret and a hint of sorrow flashed in her eyes, but she tucked it away quickly before smiling. The act displayed her deadly teeth, but it was a warm, friendly gesture, and Ellyesce returned it.
“And it is an honor to meet you as well.”
“I am Sapheramin, and this is Tollorias,” she nodded to the watchful dragon behind her.
Tollorias dragged his attention away from his constant perusal just long enough to nod once to Ellyesce, before returning to his duty as the ever-vigilant protector.
Sapheramin rolled her eyes.
“Don’t mind him. He thinks Cierryon has decided to send out legions of Morli dragons, and they are to arrive at any moment to strike me dead.”
A snort of laughter came from the crowd of assembled guards, and Tollorias turned and narrowed his eyes in that general direction. This only made Jaax and Ellyesce smile.