Far Patrol by Alex Powell

Author:Alex Powell [Powell, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LGBTQIA+, LGBTQ lit, fantasy, dragons, rebellion, class system
Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC
Published: 2021-07-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

The day was calm, just like any other. The forge had a rhythm that Ignius fell back into without any difficulty. They helped the dragonettes with daily breathing exercises. Then, they helped run the forge, taking shifts. Kathely and the other riders would bring barrows full of coal to throw into the huge furnaces.

While the labour did require stamina, the work wasn’t exactly interesting. The shifts were hot and boring, and Ignius’s hide always came away covered in soot and ash. The water wasn’t very warm back in their dragontower, and they had to wait to use the bathing room if they weren’t the first back. They always raced to see who could get there first.

Today wasn’t different than any of the other days they had spent here, carrying out their punishment, which was about halfway over now.

Today was different only in that it was the day Cassius finally came to talk to them.

Cassius chose to nab them at the end of the day, right when everyone else was rushing back to the tower, trying to be first in line for the bath. Ignius wished Cassius hadn’t chosen right now because they wanted a bath as much as everyone else.

“Ignius,” Cassius said, “the reason I wanted to talk to you was this: my mother wanted me to discuss something important.”

“Yes?” Ignius said, trying not to sound impatient.

“You know how the council takes far too long to make decisions, and often, because the vote is split, the wrong decision is made? Case in point, your capture should have been decisively dealt with, and instead, you were left out in the cold, without an ally to lean on,” Cassius said.

“Yes?” Ignius prompted, waiting for Cassius to just get to the point already.

“Pygnia actually wants to use your capture as a reasoning for their plan to go through, trying to spin it in a positive way,” Cassius rambled on.

“Of course,” Ignius said.

“What I’m trying to say is that Pygnia wants to break up the Council of Dragons,” Cassius said.

Wait.

“What?” Ignius asked, suddenly turning to stare at Cassius. “But the council is what holds all of our houses together. Without it, Lockdens would be at the Normonts’ throats all the time, and the Myrmonts at the Rancoves’, and poor Ayrtor stuck in the middle trying to be reasonable.”

“You do have a point, but what Pygnia foresees is a new monarchy,” Cassius said. “And they want the monarch to be them, of course.”

“And how are they planning to swing that?” asked Ignius.

“Ah, well, right now Pygnia is embroiled in several stratagems, ones that I’m also a part of, to try to sway a majority of the council to give up power to Lockden. The insurgents are certainly helping on that front.”

“So why are you telling me?” Ignius asked.

“Because while you getting captured certainly highlighted why we need someone in charge with swift, decisive, executive power, we can’t have any other unexpected upsets,” Cassius said. “So I need you to keep your head down. You’ll be in the line of succession, of course.

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