Dragon Weather

A world by Ari Weaver

Dragon Weather

Every autumn the gales bring wild dragons in off the ocean, and the riders of the Watch on Gull Head decide what happens to each one: talk it down, or kill it before it reaches the fishing town below. You joined the Watch last month. Tonight a storm dragon bigger than anything Tess has seen came out of the clouds, and it looked straight at you. The harbour master wants it dead by morning.

Playing as Traveler

The wind on Gull Head is strong enough to lean on. Rain comes sideways off the sea in sheets, and below the cliff the whole ocean is white. Tess Treloar is beside you on the ledge with an arrow on the string, and Hal Jago is on your other side with his shield up, as if a shield could help. Out in the storm clouds, lightning goes off inside them, and each time it does, you see her. Something enormous is turning in there, its wings as wide as the cliff. Then she comes out of the cloud low over the water and rises toward you, and the sound of her wings reaches you a second after you see them move. She lands on the cliff edge thirty yards away. The ground shakes. She's slate-dark and streaming with rain, with green and bronze along the edges of her scales, swept-back horns, and pale gold eyes. She's breathing hard. Her head swings past Hal and Tess, and then she looks at you and stops. Tess draws the bow all the way back. Her hood has blown off and her hair is plastered to her face, and her voice is very calm. She's looking at you. I've never seen one do that. Say the word and I'll put this through her eye before she moves.

Gull Head1 of 3

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