Chương 47: Zephyr

By the third day after Bellhaven burned, Talia had stopped pretending she understood her own schedule. She had possessed one once. Not that long ago, she could wake, eat, check the embassy, practice archery, and still have enough time left over to complain that Garrick spent too much of his day training. Now every hour seemed to arrive already carrying three other hours with it. Some of that had begun the morning after the council meeting. Bellhaven's central plaza had been packed before Talia arrived.

It wasn't like a festival or a market; the mood had been too tense for that. People stood in uneven clusters: some bandaged, some soot-stained, some merely tired enough that the skin beneath their eyes had gone gray. Repairs were already beginning around the edges of the square, and more than one shop remained boarded where fire or debris had broken through the front. Velara stood on the raised civic steps. She was still bandaged and pale, yet somehow remained capable of making five hundred people shut up.

Apparently nearly being assassinated had not diminished her skill. The announcement itself had been expected: The fire, the attack, the dead and injured, and the warning that Bellhaven had reason to believe the disaster had been deliberate. What Talia had not expected was how openly Velara spoke about the family.

"Bellhaven survived because people acted before they were asked," The Reeve's spoke, her voice carrying clear through the plaza.

"The drake siblings, in particular." That phrase alone had caused murmurs. Talia remembered looking toward Roy, who had looked equally suspicious. Velara continued.

"Aurelia prevented injuries from becoming deaths. Orion defended civilians and pursued those responsible. Garrick entered burning structures repeatedly to carry people out. Aegis extinguished a fire that our own resources could not have controlled quickly enough." Someone near the back shouted something. Talia did not catch every word, but she caught enough. Threatened us! Weeks ago! Dragon! The crowd stirred, but Velara waited patiently until the noise settled. Then she said, "Yes."

That surprised everyone more effectively than arguing would have.

"Yes. Weeks ago, Bellhaven's relationship with the family nearly ended in violence," Velara rested one hand against the lectern.

"And Bellhaven bears responsibility for that." Roy's head had turned, Orion had stared, and even Aurelia looked startled.

"We acted from fear. We attempted to impose authority before we had established trust, and when the family resisted, we treated that resistance as evidence that our fear had been justified. Their reaction was self-defense." That silenced the crowd; Talia could still hear that sentence even while recollecting the speech days later.

"And when Bellhaven later needed them, they came anyway." That was the part that changed the crowd. The muttering softened, and people began looking toward the siblings differently. Velara finished by announcing Roy's new position. Not as a Bellhaven councilor, but as the formal representative of the settlement growing beyond Bellhaven's boundary. The announcements drew more murmurs and a handful of questions, but somehow also applause. Talia remembered leaning toward Garrick.

"She's good." Garrick nodded.

"Terrifying."

"Very." They learned afterward that no one had forced Velara to take responsibility so publicly. She had decided Bellhaven needed to stop pretending the previous confrontation had been entirely the family's fault if anyone expected the new alliance to survive the next crisis. Talia had respected her more afterward, and felt a renewed sense of motivation for working hard to build the relationship further. Then the work actually started… And did not stop.

Aurelia and Orion needed to return to the settlement on foot because Regina could not safely ride Aegis for the full trip without someone beside her, and apparently putting an elderly woman on a dragon alone was considered poor planning. Talia had helped arrange supplies, bedding, then transport for the bedding. Kaelu and Kiana had needed to return to Bellhaven long enough to finalize his continuing work arrangements with Dorian.

Kiana needed tools and Kaelu needed schedules, while Dorian needed everything written down. Aegis spent two days flying people back and forth until his patience began eroding visibly. By the sixth trip, he landed at the embassy in human form and announced, "I am not a cart." Talia had looked at him.

"You're much faster than a cart."

"That is not the point."

"You carry more too." Aegis stared.

"I dislike this conversation." On his seventh trip, he did not bother complaining, which had been more concerning. Underneath it sat the problem no one had yet solved. The settlement was a day away; even longer for slower travelers or those with wagons. The road was not really a road so much as a route people had repeatedly chosen to survive. It was not patrolled, reinforced, or marked properly.

If Kaelu and others lived at the settlement while continuing to work in Bellhaven, they would currently need to cross it constantly. Talia had spent most of the morning thinking about that problem when the embassy door opened. Roy walked in, looking exhausted enough that Talia wondered whether he had accidentally left part of himself inside one of the buildings he repaired. He carried Quill under one arm in ledger form, and his hair and clothes were both untidy. Talia looked at him.

"How many buildings?"

"Six." She blinked.

"You finished all six?"

"Functional."

"That was not the question."

"Then ask a better question." He crossed the room and dropped into a chair. Quill unfolded itself from beneath his arm, stretched, and climbed onto the table. The Pact Drake looked considerably more pleased with the morning than Roy did. Talia leaned back.

"So how rich are we now?" Roy looked at her, then slowly smiled. Talia's eyebrows rose.

"That much?"

"More."

"You're no fun."

"I am exhausted," Roy rested his head against the chair.

"But if you must know, the amount Dorian agreed to pay is stupid." Talia grinned.

"Good stupid?"

"Very good stupid." Talia whistled. Roy continued.

"And before you become excited, most of it is staying untouched."

"Why?"

"Because this settlement is going to become expensive."

"You sound disappointed."

"I am never disappointed by money," he closed his eyes.

"I am disappointed that I now understand why Dorian smiles during negotiations."

"That seems dangerous."

"It is." Quill climbed onto Roy's chest. He opened one eye as the tiny drake settled there. Roy sighed.

"Traitor." Quill chirped. Talia smiled.

"How many council meetings?"

"Two."

"In three days? That seems excessive."

"It is."

"Did they care?"

"No."

"That sounds like government." Roy looked at her.

"You're learning." Talia folded her arms.

"That's actually part of the problem." Roy frowned.

"What is?" She pointed toward the window.

"Everyone moving. Kaelu wants to work here and live there. Regina is staying there. Aurelia and Orion keep traveling. You're here every time the council calls you. Garrick is at the cottage now. I'm here." Roy's expression changed; she could see the machinery start.

"Aegis has made so many trips that I think he's going to start charging us."

"He suggested that yesterday, but I declined."

"You can decline a dragon?"

"Apparently," Roy sat forward.

"But you're right. The road is terrible for actual regular use. We need to clear it properly, reinforce the worst sections, and add infrastructure..." Roy stared at the table, then rubbed both hands down his face.

"Later." Talia laughed.

"Later?"

"I cannot build everything this week," he reached into his coat.

"Here." He tossed something across the table; a small smooth stone. It was flat, dark, and carried a faint glyph along one side. She turned it over.

"What is this?"

"Talking stone." Talia looked up.

"Excuse me?"

"Aurelia showed me the one Garrick bought," Roy pointed.

"You channel Weave, speak, and the paired stone repeats the message." Talia stared at it.

"You're telling me this exists."

"Yes."

"And I learned to write in spite of that." Roy's expression went flat.

"Do not start."

"We could have had rocks talk."

"We did not know about the rocks."

"That seems like a failure of civilization." Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Roy held out his hand.

"Give it back." Talia closed her fingers around it.

"No."

"Then stop complaining."

"Where's the other one?"

"At the cottage."

"That's actually useful," she turned the stone between her fingers.

"So why do we still use Spark and Shimmer for messages?"

"Because writing creates records," Roy pointed toward Quill.

"And because non-magical systems still function when magic fails." Talia frowned.

"That sounded like something Edric would say."

"Yes," Roy stood.

"On that sad note, I need to check on Clover before I leave."

"You just got here," Talia sighed.

"You're going to collapse."

"Put it in my schedule." Then he disappeared into the yard. Talia looked down at the talking stone; Quill looked at her.

"Your person is ridiculous." Quill chirped. The front door opened again. Talia turned to see Rowan stepping inside. His uniform was neat, hair combed, and posture relaxed. The kind of relaxed Talia had learned did not always mean a person was actually relaxed.

"Talia."

"Rowan." He smiled.

"Garrick here?"

"Cottage." Rowan nodded.

"When is he back?"

"Aegis was supposed to bring him sometime today."

"Supposed to?"

"He has become emotionally resistant to transportation." Rowan laughed.

"That sounds troublesome." Talia studied him.

"You need Garrick?" Rowan hesitated.

"Not specifically." That caught her attention. He stepped farther inside.

"I wanted to ask about the settlement." Talia leaned against the table.

"What about it?" Rowan glanced toward the door, then back.

"Can people actually move there now?" Talia straightened slightly.

"In theory."

"Kaelu and Kiana are."

"Yes."

"Anyone else?"

"Regina is staying temporarily." Rowan nodded; he had already known at least some of that. Talia could tell - not from magic - from the way none of it surprised him.

"I've been thinking…"

"That's dangerous."

"Garrick says the same thing."

"You should listen to him." Rowan smiled.

"I want to visit." Talia paused.

"The settlement?"

"Yes," his answer came smoothly.

"Because you're building something. Bellhaven already has guards. It has watch rotations. It has people who have been doing the same jobs for twenty years."

"You're training under Edric."

"And learning a lot… But over there? You need everything. Defense. Patrols. Construction help. People who can move supplies. People willing to do jobs nobody has formally invented yet." Talia smiled faintly.

"You practiced this." Rowan laughed.

"A little."

"At least you admit it."

"I thought honesty would work better." Relevant Detail stirred. Nothing major; just a small tug she had learned not to ignore. Rowan was telling the truth - mostly. But that was not what Relevant Detail cared about; it cared about what mattered. Talia tilted her head.

"You want more responsibility."

"Yes."

"Why?" Rowan shrugged.

"Because I'm tired of being ordinary." There it was. Smaller than she expected, but more honest.

"Garrick wasn't that different from me a few weeks ago. He trains. I train. He works. I work. Then suddenly he Awakens and gets a Class connected to the drakes." Talia watched him.

"You think moving closer increases your chances." Rowan's expression flickered with calculation, then he nodded.

"I think being around Awakened people probably doesn't hurt." Relevant Detail tugged again. Talia crossed her arms.

"You've thought about this a lot." Rowan smiled.

"I told you."

"No," she shook her head.

"You thought about the settlement a lot, but you thought about Awakening more." The smile thinned, then returned.

"Can you blame me?" Talia considered that. The drakes and their powers had changed every part of their lives. If Rowan was ambitious, why would he not wonder whether proximity mattered?

"Do you think the family can make you Awaken?"

"No." Relevant Detail tugged Too fast… Talia raised an eyebrow, then Rowan sighed.

"I don't know. I think if there is anywhere nearby where something unusual is likely to happen, it's there." That sounded more honest.

"And if nothing happens?"

"Then I help build something," Rowan's tone remained easy.

"That's still better than standing gate duty until Edric decides I'm ready for another responsibility." Talia leaned back.

"Have you spoken to him?"

"No. I'm not leaving Bellhaven unless I know the family would even consider me." Prepared. Careful. No burned bridge… Talia found herself respecting that.

"You'd have to settle your obligations."

"I know. I can handle that and then make my way over. I can sleep in the Waystation until something changes, and I'm more than willing to work… So will you ask?" Talia thought. He had not asked her to approve him; all he had asked for was a path and a chance.

"I'll arrange a tour." Rowan's expression brightened.

"You will?"

"Yes. I'll tell them you're interested."

"That's all I'm asking."

"You understand they may say no, and you tell Edric yourself if this gets serious." Rowan winced.

"That part I was hoping you'd do."

"No."

"Worth trying." Talia pointed at him.

"You are annoyingly charming."

"So I've been told."

"Go before I reconsider." Rowan smiled.

"Thanks, Talia." He turned toward the door, then paused.

"One question." She sighed.

"What?"

"If Garrick's Class came from the drakes…" Talia stared. Rowan raised both hands.

"Never mind."

"Good choice." He laughed and left; Talia watched the door close. Strength. That was the center of it. Not secretly, nor was it the entire reason, but it was enough of it. Rowan wanted purpose, responsibility, and he wanted to matter. It was similar to Garrick's own reasoning before he Awakened, but the root causes felt slightly different. She knew her brother well enough to know that his desire for power came from a good place, but she had only just met Rowan.

All she could hope was that he understood that a home was not a shortcut. She stepped outside; the afternoon air felt cool against her face. For the first time all day, no one was asking her for anything. No schedules, no transport, no family member stranded in the wrong settlement. She leaned against the embassy railing, exhausted but satisfied. Three paths: Kaelu and Kiana, Regina, and now Rowan. Not guarantees, but people who had somewhere else they could choose. A chime sounded.

Talia froze; her heart jumped as a status message appeared. [Private Quest Updated.] [Create Three Paths Toward Home: 3/3.] [Private Quest Completed.] The air changed. Wind spiraled across the embassy yard. Talia stepped away from the railing as leaves lifted and dust rose.

"Oh." Behind the embassy, Roy shouted.

"What did you do?"

"I don't know!"

"That is never reassuring!" Golden Weave gathered over the open ground, twisting tighter and faster with the wind following it. Then something enormous dropped into the yard with enough force to shake the ground. Talia stared. The egg was huge; larger than any reward she had expected. Bands of pale gray, blue, and silver swirled across it like layers of storm clouds trapped beneath glass. Roy emerged from behind the building with Clover waddling after him. Roy stopped.

"Oh." Talia pointed.

"That was my reaction." The egg cracked, and wind exploded outward. Talia threw an arm over her face while Roy staggered and Clover flattened himself. Then the gust vanished, and a drake stood where the egg had been. Long; lean; larger than Shale by length, though less bulky. Its body was shaped for movement rather than force: Long legs. Long tail. Narrow chest. Huge folded wings hugging its sides. Its scales were pale and faintly luminous, with patterns that seemed to shift like wind over water.

The drake lowered its head toward Talia, calm and waiting. Roy stared too.

"How many people can that carry?" Talia looked at him.

"That is your first question?"

"Yes." The drake stepped closer; Talia placed a hand against its snout. A status message appeared. [Quest Reward Received: Gale Drake] Roy leaned over.

"Gale." Talia smiled.

"Travel." Roy's eyes widened.

"Oh."

"No."

"Oh, yes."

"Roy."

"Do you understand what this means?" Talia laughed.

"You just said that about talking rocks."

"That was different," Roy circled the drake.

"Can it carry two?" Talia looked at the long back.

"Probably."

"Let's try." That was apparently enough discussion. The Gale Drake did not resist as they climbed on; it actually lowered itself slightly as if it already understood what was expected. Talia sat in the front, with Roy behind her. Once they were on, messages began to appear. [Riders Present] [Wings Prepped] The Gale Drake's wings unfolded, showing off their enormous stature. They were not broad like Aegis', but narrow and built for speed. A faint shimmer formed around them. [Air Cabin Closed] Talia reached out.

Her fingers met nothing, but the air surrounding them looked different. It was curved and polished, like sunlight glancing off invisible glass. Roy leaned sideways.

"What is that?"

"No idea." [Take Off] The Gale Drake then began to run. Talia grabbed the ridge ahead of her as Roy swore. The wings extended as the ground dropped away. They climbed above the embassy, above the roofs, then above the treeline. Talia laughed as Bellhaven spread beneath them Then another message appeared. [Gale Force Activated] The world vanished into a blur. Talia felt one sharp push backward, then smoothness. No screaming wind or air pressure trying to rip her from the drake.

The invisible cabin held, and Bellhaven shrank behind them. Fields blurred. Forest became color. Roy shouted something. Talia turned.

"What?"

"I SAID—""You don't have to yell!" Roy stopped.

"Oh." The cabin was quiet, which was stranger than the speed. They were moving impossibly fast, and yet Talia could hear Roy breathe. She looked ahead, and the cottage appeared.

"No." Roy leaned around her.

"What?"

"That can't be right." The settlement grew beneath them: Waystation, fields, cottage, and people moving. Talia looked back. Bellhaven was gone behind the horizon of trees.

"How long?" Roy fumbled.

"I don't know."

"That was like two minutes." The Gale Drake slowed rapidly. The change should have thrown them, but the air cabin softened it. They circled a couple of times, gently lowering toward an open section of land. The wings widened, and the drake landed in the grass with barely a jolt. Talia slid off with Roy following. Aurelia came running first, then Orion and all the others. Garrick, Kaelu, Kiana, and Aegis. Regina followed behind, though she kept her own slower pace. Aurelia looked toward the Gale Drake, then Talia.

"What is that?" Talia grinned.

"Mine." Roy pointed toward Bellhaven.

"Two minutes." Aegis looked at him.

"What?"

"Bellhaven," Roy's voice rose.

"Two minutes."

"That is not possible."

"It just happened." Aegis folded his arms.

"I am faster." Talia laughed.

"You are not." Aegis looked offended.

"I am a Storm Dragon."

"And apparently slow."

"I am not slow." Roy was already spiraling.

"Kaelu can commute." Kaelu blinked.

"What?"

"Bellhaven," Roy repeated.

"Two minutes."

"No."

"Yes," Roy turned.

"Aurelia. Emergency transport. Council meetings. Supplies we can't send through Spark and Shimmer. People. Injured people. Visitors…"

"Roy." Orion tried"No," Roy kept going.

"We still need the road, obviously, because one Gale Drake cannot replace infrastructure, but this changes the timetable completely."

"Roy."

"Protected passenger routes. Scheduled travel. Bellhaven shifts. Kaelu's work. Regina visits." Regina raised one hand.

"I did not request scheduled transport."

"You might."

"I might not." Roy ignored that. Aegis looked increasingly pleased.

"So I am no longer required to carry everyone." Everyone looked at him. Aegis smiled.

"This is excellent." Talia laughed.

"That's what you care about?"

"I have carried twelve people in three days."

"Not at once."

"That does not improve the experience." Aurelia had already moved to the Gale Drake. The drake lowered its head toward her so she could pet it.

"It's beautiful." Talia walked over, the excitement returning all at once; her very own drake. Roy had Quill, the siblings had their bonds, and now Talia had something that had appeared because of a path she had created. She placed both hands against the Gale Drake's face as it leaned into her. Talia smiled.

"One thing left." Aurelia looked at her.

"Name?"

"Obviously." Aurelia studied the drake. The long wings, the shifting pale scales, and the faint curl of air that never seemed to leave its body.

"Zephyr." Talia repeated it.

"Zephyr." The Gale Drake chirped, a soft burst of wind rolled through the grass.

"Yeah," Talia laughed, resting her forehead against his snout.

"Zephyr." Behind her, Roy had already resumed explaining how this changed regional transportation. Aegis was arguing that top speed was not the same as combat speed. Regina was telling Kaelu she refused to commute anywhere at that velocity. Orion told everyone to stop planning around a drake that had existed for less than ten minutes. Talia barely heard them. For once, the solution she had spent days trying to figure out was not waiting for her tomorrow. It was standing in front of her, and it had a name.