To Fight and Fly

By Crystal Grant

I landed face down in the dirt. Again. I spat dirt and scowled. “Would you stop that?”

Raddick shook his silvery mane. “To ride in the Sky War, young Myron, you must learn to ride.”

I wiped blood from my palm. “But you’re trying to throw me.”

“In a barrage of blaster fire, I cannot risk worrying about my rider falling off.”

It grated that the winged horse was right. “I don’t see the point if I can’t even practice shooting.” I caressed the blaster on my hip, itching to use it.

Raddick snorted. “Foolish boy, if I can’t trust you to stay on my back, how can I trust you not to shoot a hole through my ear? I told you to leave it.”

“Thought you’d let me try it out today.”

Fat chance of that.

Raddick had trained my father forty years ago, but over the years had become rigid and overly cautious in his instruction. To the point that I doubted we would ever join the Sky War against the splecians.

No one knew where the hostile aliens had come from. They’d arrived at the outer rim earlier that year, and already there were rumored sightings of their fierce dragerlings in the northern hemisphere of my small planet. My countrymen had taken up arms, and I was ready to do the same, just as Dad had done in previous alien wars.

But Raddick was impossible.

“Are you ready to try again?” Raddick swung around so I could mount his dappled gray back.

Once I had my feet securely in the stirrups and a firm hold on the crisscrossed leather straps over his back, Raddick settled his snow-white wings around my knees. “Now, ground your weight into your seat and grasp with your legs. Oh, surely you can do better. Grip! Your human strength won’t hurt me.”

I bit back a groan. My inner thighs already screamed.

“That’s better.” Raddick took off at a slow, easy canter. “Now, let your body move with mine.”

I swayed in time with Raddick’s rocking motion, relishing the rhythm, but the moment was not to last. Raddick tensed just before whipping his long body into a sharp curve. Clutching both the strap and his mane, I slid sideways… but stayed on!

“Well done, rider!”

His praise warmed my chest. “Can I shoot now? Or go up?”

A deep chuckle sounded in Raddick’s chest, vibrating all the way through my legs. “You’re not ready for either of those yet.”

Of course not. My fist knotted in his mane, tempted to give it a yank.

Raddick’s head shot up, ears swiveling. “What was that?”

I heard nothing beyond a few birdcalls in a nearby cluster of trees. “Birds.”

“They sound frightened.”

A piercing howl sounded in the woods, chilling my veins. A large black lizard—a dragerling almost as big as Raddick—crashed out of the trees, barreling toward us on bat-like wings. On its back rode a bald humanoid with yellow fangs and mustard-colored skin.

My heart thudded. A splecian, right here in mid-Tabith.

“Hold on, Myron!” Raddick’s hooves punched the ground in a hard, fast gallop. I bounced around awkwardly, trying not to lose my seat. “Lean forward!” he huffed.

Pulse racing, I obeyed and chanced a look over my shoulder. The dragerling soared up and over us. The splecian fired a jagged laser rifle and missed.

“Jump off, boy!”

“Not a chance!” I would not leave Raddick to face these vicious invaders alone.

Raddick didn’t argue. With a surge of power, he shot up and snapped his wings out. The force of the wind almost knocked me off again. He faltered in mid-flight as I readjusted my position. His hesitation cost him when the dragerling appeared alongside, its wide jaws clamping. Raddick swerved away. Up and down. Around and straight. Fast, slow. But the dragerling, swiping with dagger-like talons, would not be shaken.

I fumbled for my weapon and almost pitched off the side. Finally, I pulled my blaster and aimed just as Raddick dodged another attack. I slipped, and a shot from my own blaster cut a deep furrow in his shoulder.

No!

Raddick’s scream of pain tore through me as we dipped and faltered. I flattened myself against his neck as he regained his balance.

The splecian released his beast’s reins and raised his rifle again, perfectly balanced. Gritting my teeth, I squeezed my aching legs around Raddick’s barrel to secure my position. Then I aimed my blaster and fired—once, twice, three times. The splecian let out a shriek and lurched off the dragerling.

Blood flowed freely from Raddick’s shoulder. “Hold tight, boy.” He sounded weak, but soared high in one last burst of strength up over the dragerling.

I tightened my grip, breathless, as we spun upside down. Gravity loosened my grip and my stomach rolled, but I held on until we were upright again. Raddick dropped and slammed his hooves down on the lizard’s back. We hurtled toward the ground, the reptile roaring the whole way. The rush of wind filled my ears and dried my mouth. We landed hard, the shock rattling through my bones. The dragerling lay still beneath Raddick’s rock-hard hooves.

I slid off his back as he stumbled and collapsed, sides heaving and nostrils flaring. His wings lay limply against him.

“I’m so sorry.” I knelt before my teacher, heart squeezing. “I never meant…” My eyes burned.

“I’ve survived worse.” Raddick sucked in a deep breath. “Especially with your father. You handled yourself well, considering.”

“I still have a lot to learn.” I swallowed the lump in my throat, along with my pride, and holstered my blaster. “Will you keep teaching me? I promise I’ll take all the time you say I need.”

Raddick let out a sigh, his warm breath washing over my face. “Young human, I would be glad to.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Crystal Grant grew up LOVING books and stories and sometimes spent more time in her imaginary worlds than the real one. She spent fifteen years teaching first grade and shared her love of books with her students. Currently, she is writing curriculum and spends her spare time writing epic fantasy, watching old movies and TV shows, or reading books that sweep her away to another time and place.

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