Pledged in Blood - Chapter Fifty-One (Patreon)

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Chapter Fifty-One

Photographer

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“Congratulations, Ayrah.” Nesh threw himself against me, hugging as much of me as he could. “I know it’s only a small thing, but this is big. Signing a piece of paper might not feel important to a dragon, but…” He smiled up at me, his radiant with sudden joy as if he’d just realized what we were accomplishing here. “This is big! There’s a very long journey yet to go, but this is a monumental first step.”

“I know, Nesh.” My head swam with the very idea of it. Nesh was right, it was hard for me to accept that just by signing a piece of paper, things had changed so drastically. But I fully understood that such recognition was of the utmost importance, long term. And while this was only one city, this one little act would likely open more doors to me than my claws and fire ever could. “And thank you, again. For everything.”

Nesh shook his head, still hugging me. “You’re ever so welcome, Ella. Honestly, I didn’t think you’d achieve any kind of diplomatic relationship for any branch of Diandrios for at least a year, or two.” He finally peeled himself away from me, turning his attention to Ayrah. “To which, I can only assume Melakar had a hand in.”

Ayrah offered only a knowing smile. “We’ll talk about that later.”

The gryphons approached me next to offer their own congratulations. Each of them splayed their front legs, dropping their chests to the ground in formal bow. They remained that way until at last I told them to rise once more. Then the birds hugged me, somewhat to my surprise. I returned their hugs with both forelegs, and wings, and thanked them for their support. So strange were the threads of fate, to have bound such enemies in ever-growing friendship.

It all seemed so very odd, to me. In my mind I had already been Queen, but they were all acting as if only by signing that accord had I truly ascended to the position. Such was the important of officially diplomatic acknowledgement, I supposed. I agreed with Nesh, it was likely I had only finished what Melakar started. Were it not for his murder, he might well have been the one addressing the crowds, signing his name to human paperwork. I was certain he would have made a better speaker than I. He probably would have made a better monarch, too, but I was determined to do all I could to properly fill the great pawprints he left behind.

By the time gryphons withdrew, the breeze shifted. Acrid smoke blew across me, and left my nostrils stinging. Whatever the photographers burned in their metal pans reminded me of the scent of human fire-belching weapons. Sharp, caustic, and unpleasant. At least this time they were only using it to produce light for their images, and not to blast holes in me.

I turned my attention to the people Nesh called the press. Where the name came from, I had no idea. I saw them pressing nothing. Instead, they scurred about their camera boxes, adjusting lenses, popping compartments open, swapping plates of metal and glass in and out, along with other materials. More strange, unnatural scents wafted towards me. They must have been using odd chemicals inside the boxes. Some hide things under tarps, others detached the entire box and handed it to assistants. Soon, some of them were re-adjusting lenses, and pointing their machines towards us again.

“When will we see these photos, Nesh?” I glanced over at him, then returned to watching humans fiddle about with their odd contractions.

“Depends on the type, really.” Nesh waved at a few devices. “You see, some silvergraphs will actually imprint the image directly onto glass, treated with silver nitrates and other chemicals to create a photographic emulsion. Once that emulsion has been properly exposed from light, it’s taken to be developed, and transferred over to specially treated photographic paper.” Nesh waggled his fingers. “Now, other models may use a metallic plate, or even a paper negative. Newer versions are being developed which are starting to use a cellulose negative, though those can be quite flammable. There’s also-”

“Nesh.” I gently gripped his arm. “You’re hurting my brain. When will I be able to see them?”

“Soon, probably.” Nesh chuckled, patting my paw. “They’ll probably want to place them under display glass first, to keep them safe. Just like the photos in Melakar’s home.”

Ayrah joined us in gazing at the photographers. “Not to mention that we wanted to get personal photos, as well. I’d like to get those done soon, then I have them all expediated and readied for you as soon as possible.”

I smiled at her, my ears perked. “Thank you, Ayrah. I would appreciate that.” As I looked over the assortment of cameras, I watched one of the humans extent a cloth-covered tube, ending in a lense, from the front of his boxy contraption. Seeing something cylindrical everting reminded me of a rather specific anatomical function of male dragons. I could not help but point it out to Nesh. “Look, concubine.” I pointed to it. “That one looks like it’s in need of your services.”

“Ella!” Nesh laughed, slapping my paws. “Please! Not in public.”

I tossed my head. “No, you’re right. I’m sure the camera would prefer privacy, too.”

Nesh rolled his eyes, but his smile told me he took it all in stride. “Oh, shut up.”

“Alright, love birds.” Ayrah thumped Nesh on the shoulder. “I’m going to go confer with my people, and get started on having everything certified and archived. Then I’ll give a quick word to the crowd before people start to disperse. Although…” She smirked, looking me over. “As long as they’ve got you to stare at, I doubt many of them will be going anywhere fast.”

“Very well, Ayrah.” I dipped my head. “Do your photographs-men know they are to create further images of the rest of us, as well?”

Ayrah arched a brow. “Photographs-men? Create further images?” She chuckled to herself. “You sound painfully archaic right now, Ella. But yes, they were told. Most of them will be packing up to take their stories and their pictures back to their press offices. But a few of them will remain behind to get more photographs of the group. Including Lir, and the birds.” She glanced at Blue Jay. “So go gather her up, while you? Expert as her overwatch is, I think we’ll be safe enough without it for a little while. Not as though I don’t have a dozen other people in high places watching the crowds.”

“I can do that.” Blue Jay broke away and padded towards the tall statue where Lir kept watch. He lifted his voice in a happy trill. “Oh, Lir! Picture time!”

I watched Ayrah as she returned to her various ministers. Pleased as I was by how things were going, I had no way to know if Ayrah’s advisers shared her enthusiasm. Thankfully, I saw plenty of smiles among their expressions. Granted, had any of them been feigning their happy excitement, I’m not sure I would have been able to tell the difference. Human emotions were far harder to read across their flat expressions than in a dragon’s frills and ears. I doubted I could discern a feigned smile from one that was true. But they laughed together, clasped hands, squeezed shoulders, and generally seemed to be congratulating one another on this accomplishment.

It begged the question, though. Were they all happy for the same reason? Did recognition of draconic sovereignty matter to them? Perhaps they too would have considered themselves Melakar’s friends. Or were they just pleased to have been granted access to valuable lands and resources that were located, until now, in staunchly dragon lands? I supposed it mattered little to me. I certainly could not blame them for celebrating something that might make their city far more wealthy.

“Nesh,” I said, glancing down at him. “Perhaps now would a good time to point exactly what I’ve signed away. Before Ayrah’s people come and whisk these charts out of my sight.”

“Oh, of course Ella.” Nesh returned to the side of the table, pulling the map towards me. “Let’s see.” He tapped a series of red, dashed-lines. “Ah, here we are. These lines indicate land you’ve deigned to allow Tivos to conduct exploratory mining and drilling operations.”

I cocked my head, trying to example the map. Between the way it was currently oriented, and the mishmash of confusing lines and symbols, I had trouble reading it at first. “Which side is which?”

“East, west…” Nesh tapped two sides of the map, then two more. “North, and south. Your valley is here.” He gestured over a swath of tightly packed, curving lines. “It’s a topgraphical map, so these lines indicate altitude. Although…” He scratched his chin, chuckling. “Based on what I’ve seen first-hand, I’m not sure this map is especially accurate.” He dragged a finger down the center of it. “This part looks right, at least. But I don’t know about the rest. Then again, we’ve never really been allowed across to your lands, so I shouldn’t be surprised by a lack of cartological veracity. Oh!” He perked up, rubbing his hands. “Speaking of which, this accord might well lead to some fascinating advancements in cartography.”

“How thrilling.” I tilted my head back and forth, trying to make sense of the map. “I still don’t know what I’m looking at. Turn it so that the east end is facing this way, will you?” I tapped the table. “I don’t want to damage it.”

Nesh carefully turned the map as I requested. Then he traced his fingers across a large swath of mountainous terrain. “So this generally indicates your valley. And this…” He waved at a broad area of flatter lands. “Is some of what we crossed on the way to Tivos. Which, happens to be right here.” Nesh pointed to a settlement drawn upon the map, near a snaking river. “So all this land around it…” He circled the area in question. “Is already controlled by Diandrios, and the lands around it are generally areas of frontier. Some of which we control, some of which Shevar does. Further way, eventually you’re well beyond Diandrios, where it’s generally considered the territory of other peoples, your tribal groups, your city states, and so on. And this…” He ran his finger back towards the valley. “Is your land.”

I slowly nodded. “Yes, I follow.” I glanced at Nesh again. “As much as I hate to admit it, I like the gryphons’ maps better than yours.”

Nesh chuckled, adjusting his coat sleeves. “You’re just not used to reading topographical maps. I suspect the gryphons have some like this as well, however. They’d be quite useful for creatures that fly.”

“On the contrary.” I snorted, flexing my wings. “We need not know how high things are, because we care little for difficulty of terrain. Anything too steep to traverse, we simply fly over.”

“Suppose you might have a point.” Nesh scratched his head fur. “Anyway, let me show you what you’ve giving Tivos access too. To my eyes, it does not look too grievous a sacrifice at all, but then again, I’d planned on you taking a look at it before making your decision, let alone signing anything.”

I studied the map carefully, my tail curling. “The red lines, yes?”

“Correct.” Nesh held his hands up. “I’ll caution you that these are likely preliminary, and in the fine details it says that the expect specifics of your concessions remain negotiable. So if you don’t like what you see, you’ll have a chance to argue your points with Ayrah and her ministers, should you feel the need.”

“I should hope that such action will not be required,” I said.

“As do I.” Nesh indicated several dashed red lines that ran in parallel. “This corridor here looks to be five miles wide. This is where they’ll want to build roads, and rail lines. The main bulk of land here, roughly, fifty miles by fifty miles. Not an insignificant chunk of land, but by the standards of your valley, quite small. You’d cover that in a lazy morning’s flight.”

Estimating human measurements of distance was always challenging for me. But compared to the massive sprawl of the rest of our lands, it seemed a relatively small area, at the very edges of our terrain. While I knew some of my ancestors would have refused to relinquish even a single pawprint sized piece of land to our enemies, I had undertaken bigger goals than they would have dreamed.

“It does not seem like too dear a concession, for something so important.” I glanced over at Nesh again. “You said the fine details remain negotiable. Do you believe Ayrah’s people will try to convince her to press for more land?”

“I’ve no idea, Ella.” Nesh pursed his lips. “It looks like they’ve already worked out what will be a very valuable claim. Those mountains are likely quite rich in ores, and the earth beneath with oils, and gasses. The width of the corridor will give them room to build not only rail lines and roads, but pipelines back to Tivos. I think it’s more likely that if this works out for us, they’ll start looking to make a new deal, to expand their access.”

“I’m sure they will.” I licked my nose, drumming clawtips against the tabletop. “I could not blame them for wanting more. A dragon certainly would.”

I gazed down at the charts, studying the location in question. While it was definitely part of claims long-since claimed by dragons, it was at the very edges of our territory. It was far enough from the heart of our valley that I did not know if it even had a name of its own. If it did, I had never learned it. I suspected that Ayrah had been working on these borders and boundaries with Melakar for a long time. Truthfully, the land was probably far more valuable to the humans than it was to us. We were allowing them to access a small portion of lands formerly forbidden, a meager territorial concession. But for the humans, if Ayrah was telling even half the truth, they would discover resources of great wealth there. Which immediately brought other possibilities to mind.

“Nesh,” I said, allowing myself to contemplate a distant future I knew all too well I might never see. “If this small section of our Valley is so valuable to your people, it stands to reason the rest of it is as well, correct?”

Nesh nodded, his eyes wandering the map. “I’d imagine so, yes. That mountain range and all the lands around it have been coveted by other nations for eons, just about.” He ticked off a few fingers. “First for ores and minerals…” He tapped a few more fingers. “Then the precious metals, and of course, now for natural resources. The brighter the fires of industry burn, the more fuel we need to sustain them.”

“And these fuels are found around our Valley.” I flourished a forepaw at the map. “So assuming for a moment that my Empire succeeds and grows, we would be able to sell these things to your people, and any other nations willing to pay for them, right? How…” I tilted my head, wishing I knew more about the way the modern human-led world worked. “Would we go about doing so?”

“That depends.” Nesh leaned up against the table. “At first, you’d probably have to let other peoples have direct access to your lands, like you’ve allowing Tivos. There’s an enormous amount of often-dangerous work involved with actually extracting things like coal, and oil, and gasses. And that’s not counting the time it takes to actually find it, which is an expansive, time-consuming process onto itself.” He drummed fingers against his coat sleeve. “Then, once that’s done, everything needs to be processed, or refined, or distilled, or what have you, depending on the material in question.”

With a long sigh, I lifted a forepaw to caress my head just under my horns. “Nesh…”

If Nesh noticed my growing exasperation, he paid it little heed. “So, they’d probably want to set up refineries within your lands, as well. However, they might just ship raw and crude product back home, instead. Either way, they’d have to build transport lines, which would also need to cross your lands. Just like what Ayrah’s people are going to set up, only on a much larger scale. So really, I suppose you’d need to let them set up the infrastructure for everything, first. And then-”

“Nesh!” I slapped my forepaw back down. “Terms I can understand, please.”

“Sorry, Ella.” Nesh shrugged, chuckling. “It’s a complicated process. Basically, you’d have to let a large group of humans onto your lands to build and set everything up themselves, and allow them to do all the work of mining and extracting. Then they’d essentially be leasing the land from you. That is, they’d be paying you for the use of the land. Whether they also paid you for what they took from your lands would be something you’d have to negotiate. Now, that’s Option A. Option B-”

“Nevermind.” I shook my head. “I’m already sorry I asked.”

Nesh only smirked at me. “Option B is that your people do all the work, and then sell them the resources directly.”

I thumped my tail. “Why did you not just put it so simply to begin with?”

“Thought you’d want to know more about the process.” Nesh scratched his head fur. “Either way, you’re still going to need someone to build all the infrastructure. The easiest thing to do would be to hire humans to run it all for you. If you want dragons and gryphons to actually run it themselves, you’ll have to hire some very bright engineers to resign all the systems, machinery, and so on in a way that will allow creatures of your size to safely utilize them.”

I considered that for a moment. It sounded very expensive, even by dragon standards. Luckily, I had access to the lingering riches of far more dragons than myself. Many of my departed kin left behind sizable hoards, hidden throughout the Valley and its network of caves and tunnels. Still, I wondered just how much Melakar had actually spent earning helping to improve things in Tivos, to earn the peoples’ friendship. Whatever it was, I imagined building the sort of infrastructure Nesh was talking about would be vastly more expensive still.

“I suppose there is no point anymore in hoarding wealth without spending it.” I flicked my tail tip across the grassy ground. “I may as well put my hoard, and my ancestors hoards, to good use.”

Nesh nodded his agreement. “We haven’t really had a reason yet to talk about the actual expenditures and financial requirements to build an empire, but it’s likely to be very expensive.” Nesh glanced back at the map again. “However, if Tivos’ expeditions prove profitable after their initial investment in building services and transport, then that will help convince others to buy rights, or product, from you down the line. Hell, if things actually go well? You could see a bidding war down the line. The goal, of course, will be to make enough money to pay for all the investments you’ll have to make in the actual buildingpart of building an empire.”

I rumbled bittersweet amusement, lifting my head to gaze around at all the buildings that enclosed the plaza. “And here I was imagining my future Empire as little more than a fancy, large-scale clan.”

“Which it certainly could be.” Nesh turned towards me, and put a hand against my foreleg. “But if you want my opinion, Ella…”

When he trailed off, I realized he was waiting for acknowledgement. “I always do, Nesh.”

“Well then.” He patted my scales. “If you’re serious about building a nation for your people, don’t half-ass it.”

I perked my ears, not entirely familiar with that human expression. Still, the concept was easy enough to understand, but the phrase made my smile, anyway. “Very well, Nesh. I shall be certain to use my entire ass.” I waggled my haunches for emphasis.

Nesh laughed, leaning back against the table again. “Of course you will. I’m serious, though. The world is changing, Ella, faster even than we can keep up with. If you don’t want dragons to be left behind, you’re going to have to change with it. You’re going to have to make a modern nation. And unfortunately, even if you recruit countless dragons to return and repopulate the valley, none of them are going to know anything about modern engineering, mechanics, economics, sciences, technology, construction techniques-”

“Yes, Nesh.” I held up a paw, asking for silence. “I understand. We will have to find and hire trustworthy people from other lands to build things for us, and teach us how to build them ourselves.” I smirked down at him. “Perhaps some of those brilliant urd’thin engineers from Shevar that Lir was talking about.”

Nesh scowled. “Be careful how loudly you joke about that, around here.” He glanced around as if half-expecting someone to try and arrest me just for suggesting working with anyone from Shevar. “Obviously, my suggestion would be you stick with engineers and architects from Diandrios.” He lowered his voice. “But in truth, you might actually be better off trying to hire people from across the seas, when the time comes. Somewhere like the Black Star Empire, where they already work with and employ all sorts of non-humans. They do, after all, already have a good relationship with the dragons of their continent, or so goes the rumor.” He scrunched his face. “Can’t say I’ve ever seen any proof of that, myself. Of course…” Nesh chewed his lip a moment. “If the rumors aretrue, then supposed Shevar hired some of their airship engineers away from The Black Star. So if you were hiring from the knowledge pool, and you were allied with Diandrios…” He waved a hand. “That would be beneficial to us, too.”

I drew myself up, arching my neck. “Are you suggesting I share my empire’s secrets with you, to benefit you in your battle against my son’s adopted home?”

He blinked at me, his eyes slowly widening and mouth hanging open. “I…well…no, not exactly. That is…I didn’t mean it that way, but-”

“Relax, Nesh,” I said, curling a foreleg around him to pull him up against me. “I’m only teasing. Don’t give yourself a stroke.”

Nesh swatted my chest plates. “I’m not giving myself a stroke, Ella.”

“No?” I tilted my head. “Why not? Do you expect me to do it for you? My paws might be a bit big, but I’m willing to try.”

Nesh heaved a sigh, his shoulders sagging. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”

“Raninto it, I’d say.” I snorted, tousling his hair. “At least I remembered the word correctly.”

“That you did.” Nesh chuckled, though concern momentarily darkened his expression. “Speaking of which, how are you feeling so far today?”

I shrugged my wings. “Fine, all things considered. Fatigued, but given far I’ve flown the last week, and how much I’ve experienced here, I’d be surprised if I wasn’tworn out.”

“Indeed.” Nesh gestured for me to lower my head, and when I did so, he cradled my head and peered into my eyes. “You’d tell me if you were experiencing any other symptoms, wouldn’t you?”

“If I must.” I pulled my head free as soon as he was done.

“Yes,” Nesh said, thumping a finger into my nose. “You must. As for the fatigue, yes, that’s to be expected. But I want you to do everything you can to rest up while we’re here. You need to be properly prepared for the journey home.”

“I shall try.” I lifted my head out of reach. “I will admit, I am not particularly looking forward to seeing Cardinal and Pidgeon again, let alone their human friends.”

Nesh furrowed his eye ridges. “Why not?”

Slowly, I turned my gaze towards Blue Jay and Sparrow. “Because I’m increasingly concerned that they will be of different minds than our new friends. They’ll have had an awful lot of time to consider violating their promise to stay out of Melakar’s private chambers. And if they do find his notes, or the mantle? Who knows what they’ll think.”

Nesh’s scowl deepened. “I’d like to think they’d be open minded about it, just as Sparrow and Blue Jay were.”

“That’s awfully optimistic of you.” I snorted, watching as the two birds took turns posing for Lir, strutting about with their wings outstretched. “But we know little about the humans serving them, only that they were recently reassigned. For all we know, if there traitors in your ranks, those men might well serve them directly. If Melakar has evidence of their treachery…”

“They might wish to destroy it.” Nesh rubbed his chin. “I see what you mean.”

I curled my tail around my paws. “Exactly. Or they may wish to copy down anything they find useful, or steal information, or treasure, or who knows. I’d liketo think the gryphons will abide their word. After all, Sparrow and Blue Jay have proven themselves trustworthy. But they have also had the benefit of spending a lot more time getting to know me. And I’ve earned theirtrust, in return. I cannot say the same for the others.”

“No,” Nesh said, sighing. “We can’t. Still…” He shuffled his feet against the dead grass beneath us. “Nothing much to be done about it, right now.”

“No, there is not.” I licked my muzzle, flattening back my ears. “I also fear a rupture in their ranks, when they try to convince Sparrow and Blue Jay to return with them.”

Nesh rested his back against my body. “I don’t think Blue Jay is going back, anymore.”

I watched the indigo gryphon strut. He circled Lir, wrapping a wing around her. She squealed in child-like glee as all his feathers brushed against her fur. When Blue Jay saw me watching him, he splayed his ears, his beak open in gryphon smirk. His expression alone said, Lir likes me more than you. I chuckled to myself, glancing down at Nesh.

“Neither do I, Nesh.” I took a slow breath, returning to watching the gryphons. “I think I’ve provided him an opening to escape, that he didn’t know he needed. For all the good your city has done him, I cannot help but wonder if there’s always been a part of Blue Jay that feels like their prisoner. He seems to chafe at all your rules, and restrictions, and I think…” I circled a paw in the air. “I think he’s finally found something better.” I set my paw back down. “I hope that does not sound too arrogant.”

Nesh adjusted his sleeves. “Not at all, Ella. I think it sounds accurate. It’s clear enough that Sparrow fits in better with city life than he does. I think if he still had command of that squad, he’d stay, but…” He quieted a moment, contemplating his words. “Honestly, Ella, I think he’s hoping to build something better with you, now.”

I swallowed, tilting my head. “He seems possessed of a good heart, gryphon or not. If he truly wishes to help me forge my nation, I would be honored to have him at my side.”

“I think you’d be better off telling him that than me,” Nesh said, smirking at me.

“Oh, hell no.” I shook my head. “His ego would grow so large his head would explode and take us with it.”

Nesh laughed, nodding. “That it would.”

“Sparrow, though…” I flattened back my spines, turning my attention to her. She chided Blue Jay until he finally relinquished his wing’s hold on Lir, only to drape her own feathers across the enraptured urd’thin instead. “I know not where her loyalty lies.”

“It’s increasingly divided, I have a feeling.” Nesh pursed his lips, watching her with me. “I think it’s been quite difficult for her, to realize how wrong she’s been about your people.”

“I would have to agree.” I curled my neck to gaze at him. “But was it not also difficult for you to come to terms with how wrong you were?” I bumped his cheek with my nose. “I do not mean that as an insult, Nesh, nor to chide you.”

Nesh rubbed the soft area between my nostrils. “I know what you mean, Ella. And yes, it was difficult. Quite so, in fact.” He took a slow breath. “But I also had the benefit of my faith to guide me. As we’ve discussed, I genuinely came to believe that the gods put me in your life for a reason. That helped immensely. Once I accepted that the gods wanted me to realize I’d been wrong, wanted me to help you, it was far easier for me to move on, and start doing just that.”

I gave his palm a thankful lick, then lifted my head again. “Given how often she initially called me a demon, I cannot help but wonder if she has felt a similar revelation.”

“I’m not sure.” Nesh rubbed his chin, watching Sparrow drop to her belly. Lir scrambled onto her back, and she rose up to parade around, carrying the urd’thin. “She’s certainly a follower of the Church of Diandrios, but you can be religious without believing the Gods handpicked you for something as well.” He glanced up at me. “Not that I believe I was handpicked, mind you. That didn’t quite come out as I meant it.”

A grin parted my muzzle. “Again, Nesh, I knew what you meant. In any case, I suspect you’re right. I think she’s torn. She’s made it very clear that her career with the Legion means the world to her. And I think she still cares more for Blue Jay than she wishes to admit.”

“No!” Nesh gasped in feigned shock. Sarcasm hung heavy in his voice. “Are you certain? I’d never have guessed!”

“Alright, Nesh, alright.” I laughed a little. “I realize I’m far from the only one to pick up on the obvious. I would like to think she sees the value in what I’m trying to do. Not just for dragons, but for gryphons, and for anyone else who dares to call us friend.”

“I think she does.” Nesh returned to leaning against me. “I think the visits from the god may be weighing in your favor more than she cares for.” He put a hand to his chest. “For me, when you first told me about your vision, it was as though I was finally getting confirmation of what I already believed. That they put me in your life, because you needed someone to help you find the right path. That they wanted you to do something great, with your life. But for Sparrow…” Nesh scrunched his face. “I dunno. If she believes it, and I think she’s increasingly left without a choice, it must be different. More like…it’s suddenly being thrown in her face just how wrong she’s been, all her life. About dragons, especially.”

My voice softened, and I lowered my head. “Such revelations are never easy to accept.”

“No, they aren’t.” Nesh waved a hand towards the gryphons. “Plus, if she did side with you, it would likely mean an end to her career with the Legion. For me? I’m starting to feel like I’ve become part of something big. Something…” He waggled his fingers. “Historic. But for Sparrow, she’s already part of something historic. She’s helping change an entire nation’s opinions about gryphons, leading the way in cementing that her people are seen not as beasts, or allied foreigners, but as citizens of Diandrios.”

“A battle for acknowledgement which I am certain is just as important to her people…” I swing a wing towards the table where we’d signed the accord. Ayrah’s aides were busy setting up a camera box at her end of the table to take photographs of the documents. “As this is to mine.”

“Correct.” Nesh nodded. “The official part’s been done for gryphons for a while now, but…” He gestured at Lir. “Just like the urd’thin, gryphons are still fighting to be seen as people by everyone.” He blinked, murmuring to himself. “You know, maybe that’s part of it, for her. That she sees her people’s struggle, in you. It wasn’t that long ago, historically, when gryphons were fighting just to be acknowledged as a people. Just like dragons must now battle for.”

I watched Sparrow in silence for a little while. Unlike Blue Jay, if she noticed my gaze, she did not acknowledge it. She strode around with Lir on her back, occasionally teasing Blue Jay with a flick of her tail, or the brush of a wing tip. “You might be right, Nesh. I wonder then, if her mind has finally changed about dragons, does she now think it important to help change the minds of others, too?”

“It’s certainly possible.” Nesh crossed his arms. “But does she want to give up her own people’s fight, and her own place in our society, in order to help fight yourbattles, instead?”

“I’ve no idea.” I shrugged my wings, smiling to myself. “But if she did, I promise you she will always have a place among us. And so will her people.”

Nearby, Ayrah broke away from her ministers to return to her podium and address the lingering crowd. She again thanked them for turning out, and for their support in these difficult times. She informed them that in the coming months, her people would begin looking to hire workers to start building rail lines into the edges of dragon territory. They would also begin recruiting qualified people to work with their upcoming oil, gas, and mining explorations. Soon, she brought one of her ministers up on stage to detail the specifics of those processes. Some of the reporters moved their camera boxes nearer the podium to take more photographs.

I glanced down at Nesh, my ears flat. “Do I need to listen to this part?”

Nesh fought a disinterested scowl. “Honestly? Unless you’re planning to purchase a mining corporation, no, probably not. Those sort of enterprises are often partly state-owned, anyway.” He patted my shoulder. “I think they’d already been through everything relevant to you, Ella.”

“Good.” I rose to all fours, padding towards the gryphons. “Because I’ve already started to drown out all the legal-sounding words I don’t understand. Let us rejoin the birds until it is photograph time.”

“From the looks of things,” Nesh said, following along at my side. “It’s photograph time whenever we’re ready.” He pointed point to a trio of men who had set up their camera boxes on stilt-like legs near the gryphons. Their circular lenses pointed towards us, and a dark shroud hung from the far side of each strange contraction. The change of position now cast the city’s looming capital building as the backdrop of any potential photos. “I’d say they’re just waiting on us.”

“Then we may as well get started.” I opened a wing and scooped it across Nesh’s back, ushering him forward. “I should like one taken with just you and I, anyway. And one with the birds. Ayrah can join us when she’s finished speaking to her people.”

Nesh stretched his arms over his head, yawning. “Very well.” He shot me a sidelong grin. “I take it you expect me to talk to the photographers and tell them what we’d like?”

I pushed him forward with my wing. “Better you than me. I’d just frighten them.” The three humans looked nervous enough at my approach as it was. “Go put them at ease, Nesh. And tell them to prepare their silvergraph machinery.”

“That isn’t exactly accurate terminology, Ella.” Nesh fidgeted with his coat, surely readying an overly detailed explanation in his mind. But when I only stared blankly at him, he sighed. “Oh, nevermind.” He strode towards the other humans, raising his voice. “Excuse me, gents? Her Majesty, Queen Ellamyriss, requests that you please ready your silvergraph machinery.”

The three photographers gave each half-baffled looks, as if they weren’t sure if they should correct Nesh or laugh at him. I narrowed my eyes, but if Nesh felt the sharp talons of my glare raking down his back, he did not acknowledge it. The oldest of the three men, with a gray coat and silvery beard, came forward to converse with Nesh. I swiveled my ears towards him, trying to listen in. His dialect and accent were unfamiliar, and though I was certainly he was speaking Nesh’s language, it nevertheless sounded garbled and nearly incomprehensible. The older man pointed at the capital building, then gestured towards the sun and the sky, and so on. Nesh nodded along with whatever the older man was saying, and soon returned to me.

“Alright, so the senior photographer says that right now, the lighting conditions are just about perfect, as long as we don’t mind having the capital building behind us.” He tilted his head, looking me over. “Which he says, will contrast well against your scales. But he’d also like you to lie down, if possible. Says it will be easier to fit you in the frame that way.”

“Very well.”

I started to ease myself onto my belly, only for the bearded human to call out. He moved behind his camera, and stuck his head beneath the black cover. Then he waved his hand to the right. I took a few steps in that direction, and when he waved again, I took a few more. The photographer removed his head to look at me, then gave me an unfamiliar hand gesture. Wondering if I was being insulted, I glanced at Nesh.

Nesh patted my sales. “He means that’s perfect, Ella. Lay down right there.”

“Are you joining me, Nesh?” I settled down onto my belly where they’d indicated.

“Not yet,” Nesh said, backing away. “Let’s get a couple of just you, first. Then I can join you, and then so can the gryphons, if they’re willing.”

“Of course, we are.” Blue Jay settled down on his haunches to preen his wings. “I’ve always wanted to be photographed with royalty.”

Sparrow padded over to him, allowing Lir to clamber down to the ground. “I sincerely doubt you’ve ever even considered such a thing.” She glanced at me, smiling. “But yes, Ella, of course we’ll be joining you. If we’re going to be court martialed for assisting dragons, we may as well give them all the proof they’ll ever need.”

“Alright, Ella.” Nesh waved at the cameramen. “All three of them will take a photo, and then they’ll swap out their plates and prepare for the next. Don’t look directly at their flash pans, as they’ll become exceeding bright for a few moments. Go ahead and pose however you like.”

I attempted as stately a pose as I could manage while laid upon my belly. I crossed my forelegs before me, draping my wings slightly across my sides. Then I lifted my head, arching my neck in regal display. I curled my tail around myself. Nesh’s smile told me I had succeeded in achieving a proper, monarchal elegance. I informed them that I was ready, and then forced myself to gaze into the distance.

The three men all huddled under their darkened shrouds, their strange boxes and lenses focused upon me. They held up elongated bars with some kind of chemical inside. Then there was an odd popping noise, followed by a fiery hiss. Whatever was inside the so-called flash pans ignited, and sizzled with a brilliant, starkly white hue. By the time it was dying out, another man’s light-flash ignited, just as brightly. The third one followed just as the second faded away. The whole time, I focused on watching a distant, lacy cloud drift across the sky. I kept my breathing shallow to ensure my movement remained at a minimum until Nesh gave me the all clear.

“Alright, Ella, you can move again,” Nesh said, smiling. “I think those are going to turn out wonderfully.”

The three men helped each other swap out their photographic plates one at a time. It seemed like quite a process. The photographer in question remained under the shrouding, and was passed a special storage case. He opened part of the box, careful to keep out any extra light, and exchanged the used plate and its emulsions for another that ready to be imprinted with an image.

“Quite complicated, isn’t it?” I cocked my head, watching.

“That it is.” Nesh pointed to one of the cases. “Those ensure that the negatives can be properly transferred with out being ruined by any inadvertent exposure in the meantime. It used to be even complex, but the process has been refined greatly. I think once photographic film is commonplace, it’ll be even smoother.”

I snorted, flicking my tail tip. “It looks as far from ‘smooth’ as I could imagine. But I am eager to see the results, as clearly your people have worked magic with their imaging machines.”

When all three devices were prepared for another round of silvergraphs, it was time to Nesh to join me. I decided to have several taken with Nesh. I wished to have one that we could give to Ayrah to serve as an official diplomatic image of Queen and Ambassador. But I also wanted one for myself, that spoke of the deep friendship that had blossomed between us.

For the first, I remained in the same pose. Nesh joined me and stood alongside my shoulder. He stood straight up, his shoulders squared, and his wrists clasped behind his back. Nesh gazed into the distance, a stony expression on his face. I pulled my wings tighter than before, and uncrossed my forelegs. This time, I left both front paws splayed before me, my claws fully unsheathed. I flared all my frills out, their spines on full display. Where Nesh presented a proper diplomatic stoicism, I sought exude strength. Let any who looked upon the image I posed for see me and know that while I was now a Queen, I had alwaysbeen a warrior.

This time, only the senior photograph took the photo. His flash bar burned brightly, almost enough to leave my eyes watering even without looking directly at it. Nesh held his breath, and so I did the same. I refused even to blink, fixed upon the same distant cloud as before. Only when the light dimmed and Nesh exhaled did I do the same. One of the other men assisted with the transfer of plates, and soon they were prepared for the next shot.

“Alright, Ella.” Nesh turned towards me. “How shall we pose now? Let’s see.” He stepped in even closer, and put a hand on my shoulder. “I could do this, perhaps? Smiling? I think that would be friendly enough for our intents, don’t you?”

“No, Nesh.” I tossed my head, snorting. “Not even close.”

“Well…” Nesh scratched his chin. “I could hug you around the neck, instead?”

I shook my head, patting the ground before me. “No, Nesh. You will sit here against my chest, and you will like it.”

Having our images taken reminded me of the photo of Ayrah and Melakar, amidst all the flowers. The strange and unnerving visions that photograph triggered in me could not diminish its beauty, nor the joy that exuded from it. While the backdrop we had to work with was not as beautiful, I still wished for something similar. A reminder that here, in the heart of a great city, a dragon and a human knew friendship.

“Oh, very well.” Nesh heaved a sigh, shoulders drooping as if I had placed a great burden upon him. “If you insist, I’m willing to dirty my coat on your behalf.”

I rumbled laughter, ignoring the nervous looks the other humans gave each other. “You’d damn well better, Con-” I cut myself off when I realized referring to him as my concubine in earshot of Ayrah’s photographs might not be the wisest course of action. I amended myself as quickly as I could. “Conqueror of my foes.”

“Conqueror of your foes?” Nesh raised his brows. He carefully stepped over my foreleg, and then settled down onto his rump between my front limbs. “Perhaps if your foes include bullet wounds, and concussions.” He eased his back up against my chest, legs stretched out across the grass. “And your inability to accept that the gods might be real. Yes, I suppose I have helped you conquer those things.”

I curled a foreleg around him, holding him snug. “Yes, Nesh, we’re all very impressed.”

Nesh patted my forepaw. “Not to mention helping you-”

“I said we’re impressed, what more do you want?” I curled my neck, glaring playfully down at him.

“Anyway,” said Nesh, meeting my glare with a smirk. “I certainly prefer conqueror of your foes to…” He waved his hand. “That other one.”

Blue Jay warbled amusement, lifting his crown feathers. “What a shame then, that only the other one actually applies.”

“Consider yourself lucky that I’m posing for a photograph.” Nesh leaned his head against my chest plates, smiling. “Or should I offer you a series of especially crude gestures.”

The gryphon shook himself, ruffling up his feathers and laughing. “What a shame that would be.”

I kept my front limb curled around him for the photograph, but adopted a friendlier expression. I perked my ears this time, and kept my frills settled against my head. I smiled, my paw parted. Keenly aware that a maw filled with sharp teeth might not look especially friendly to a human, I endeavored to keep from showing off too many of my fangs. Then I turned my head down to gaze not into the distance, but at Nesh, as if I was smiling simply to be in his company.

Truthfully, I was.

Again, the flash bar ignited, and burned ever so brightly. I found that holding a smile on my muzzle was more challenging that staring into the distance, but I preserved despite the growing discomfort. Still, by the time I was able to move again, my muzzle ached slightly from the effort. I worked my jaws, rubbing my cheek with a forepaw.

“Remind me not to smile so widely for any more of these.” I licked my nose and set my paw back down.

Nesh patted my encircling leg. “Just be glad it doesn’t take as long as it used to. Up until recently, you’d never have seen a smile in a photo, for just that reason.”

“Rather like I doubt anyone had ever seen a photo of a dragon, until Melakar’s visits became common place.” I flicked my tail tip, only for a scowl to replace my smile. I flattened my ears. “At least, not a living dragon, freely posing of their own accord.”

Nesh pursed his lips, shrugging. “Not in this nation, anyway.”

I growled under my breath, then shook myself, wings rustling. “Not us not discuss unpleasant things, right now.” I turned my gaze towards the gryphons. “Birds, will you join us while they prepare for more photos?”

“Certainly.” Blue Jay padded closer, with Sparrow behind him. “Where would you like us?”

Nesh pointed towards the senior photographer. “You’d better ask him. He’s awfully picky about composition.”

Blue Jay waved a wing for his attention. “We’re going to join the next photograph. Where would you like us?”

The older man stared at him a moment, then studied the rest of us. He shaded his eyes, peering at the capital building beyond us, and the distant crowds edging the plaza. Then he stared up at the sky for a while before finally returning his attention back to Blue Jay. “Right, bloon’en onna lift, broon’en onna reet.” He signaled for the others to help him prepare his flash pan.

Blue Jay stared at him, and blinked twice. “Ah, yes, of course.” He turned around to face Nesh, whispering. “What did he say?”

Nesh tilted his head to the side. “Blue one on the left, brown one on the right.”

Blue Jay dipped his head in thanks, then ushered Sparrow forward with a wing. “On her Majesty’s right side, if you would.”

“As you like.” Sparrow sauntered over and settled down on her haunches alongside me. She mantled her wings, and then fluffed herself up. “How’s this look?”

Blue Jay chirruped at her as he joined me on the other side. “Look like you’re trying to make yourself look bigger.”

Sparrow glared at him, though her honesty belied her angry look. “I am.” She clacked her beak at me. “If I’m to appear in a photograph alongside her scaly Majesty here, I’d rather not be completely dwarfed.”

“How do you think I feel?” Nesh wriggled around to offer the female gryphon a smile.

Sparrow only chittered. “Like a human, I should imagine. You’re going to have to get used to being the smallest person in any photo with Ella in it.”

“Oh, nonsense.” Nesh leaned back against me once more. “Why, in only a moment, we’re going to get a photo with…” He looked towards Lir, trailing off.

Lir flattened her ears, growling. “Yes? You were saying, Sharpshooter?”

“I was saying that…surely, before long, we’ll…” Nesh gulped, waving a hand. “Surely have cause to…take photos with humans shorter than myself.”

“He’s saying,” Blue Jay said, swishing a wing towards her. “That your people are more adorably sized than his own.”

Lir folded her arms, grinning at him. “Acceptable. But only when you say it.” She shot Nesh a glare. “You better refer to me as a gods-damned titan.”

Nesh bent forward across my front leg, offering a stilted bow. “Certainly, your titanic resplendency.”

The urd’thin sighed, her ears drooping. “Now yer just patronizing me.”

Nesh stiffened. “I’m sorry! I genuinely don’t seem to be able to win, with you.”

Lir waved him off. “Nah, don’t worry about it. I’m used to it from humans. I’m just givin’ ya shit.”

I lowered my head to nip at Blue Jay’s neck. “Are you all preened up and ready to have your image created, or not?”

“Taken.” Blue Jay clacked his beak. “The proper way to say it, is taken. You have a photograph taken, not created.”

I tilted my head. “No, you don’t. They are not removing your appearance, nor are they stealing the ensuing picture. They are creating one with their light box machine and their chemicals.”

“Technically,” Nesh said, stroking my foreleg. “She’s not wrong.”

“Of course not.” I arched my neck. “I always know better than Blue Jay.”

Blue Jay only stared at us. “Just tell her, will you Nesh?” He preened his wing, arranging his feathers just so.

“Picture first.” Nesh waggled a finger at Blue Jay. “Everyone ready?”

Blue Jay gave an aggrieved squawk. “Not even close. My plumage is far from-”

“He’s prepared enough.” I fixed my gaze on the senior photograph. “Create your silvergraph now.”

The old man ducked beneath his cloth shroud, and Blue Jay squawked again. He hurried posed with his wings stretched, and his held high. Sparrow matched his posture. The photographer grumbled to himself, moving his entire contraction back several paces. He emerged, fiddled with his lens-tube, and then ducked beneath the curtain again. Soon he held up his flash pan. One of the others checked it, then patted him on the back and moved away.

The familiar bright light blossomed to life, popping and sizzling. As before I resisted the urge to look at it, focusing this time on the crowd on the plaza. Ayrah’s people had finished talking now, and some of the crowd as if it was starting to disperse. As our audience thinned out, those who remained jostled for position. People further away moved closer to the barricades, seeking a closer look at the exotic monarch visiting their city. Horseback soldiers patrolled the lines, but aside from a bit of pushing and shoving, the people seemed peaceful.

When the light dimmed and the bar containing it was lowered, we all relaxed. Blue Jay immediately returned to preening himself, while Sparrow smoothed back all her fluffed up plumage. She shook out her tail, and it’s feathers tickled my scales a little bit. Lir came forward while the humans prepped the latest photographic plate’s emulsion for transfer. Without asking, she clambered up onto Blue Jay’s back, and settled herself against his shoulders. He did not seem to mind, and I imagined he’d already given her blanket permissions to hitch a ride whenever she chose.

“Hey, pretty birds.” Lir pointed to one of the cameras, already prepared for its next imaging session. “Can I get one with just you two?”

Blue Jay twisted his head around, smiling. “It would be my pleasure, Lir.” He chirped at his commander. “Join me, Sparrow?”

Sparrow heaved a deep sigh as she walked past me to accompany him. “I shall never grow accustomed to hearing you call me that.”

“And here I thought we were sticking to code names, to prevent unwanted identification?” Blue Jay draped a wing across her back.

“I sincerely doubt it’s going to matter, at this point.” She glanced at his wing, but did not protest or pull away. “Especially should these photographs circulate.”

“Fair point,” Blue Jay said, his ears perked. “But her Majesty back there’s going to call us whatever the hell she wants, no matter what. If we’re going to end up working for her Empire, we may as well adopt whatever monikers she assigns.”

Sparrow clicked her beak. “We are not working for her Empire.” She flattened her wings, peering back at me across them. “At least, not yet. And not officially. Andon the off chance we’re forced to do so, after being cruelly cast out of our own homes for high treason?” She pinned her ears, glancing at me. “I should expect Her Majesty…” The way she spoke my title made it sound like sugared poison, sweet yet toxic. “To issue me a very important position, and to start using my real name.”

I only smiled at her. “I shall certainly consider it, Ambassador Avalek.”

The way her eyes widened made me wonder if she thought I’d actually forgotten her real name. “I can’t say I do not like the sound of that.” Then she tilted her head, eyes narrowing again. “Ambassador of what?”

I shrugged my wings. “Gryphon relations, I assume, but realistically whatever you like.”

Sparrow gave a little warble, her tail twitching. “I shall give it some thought.” She turned away, but the thoughtful, half-flattened position of her ears told me she would truly do just that.

One of the lower ranking photographers took charge of the gryphons’ photo with Lir. He directed the two of them to stand next to one another, with their wings folded back and their heads held high in prideful display. Lir sat up straight and tall, one hand placed on the back of Blue Jay’s neck. She perked her ears as high as they’d go. An immense grin split her muzzle, and while holding it might leave her jaws aching, I had no doubt her joy was genuine. She was fascinated by gryphons as Nesh was by dragons.

While they held still as the photo was taken, I turned my attention back to him. It still seemed strange to think that he’d swiftly become my dearest friend. Nesh was quickly growing to understand me in ways very few did. Hell, in some ways, Nesh probably understood me better than I understood myself. It was rare for me to have known a friendship so deep, and rarer still for it to form with a human. Though I had held other vassals before Nesh and Ayrah, they were the only two who had truly earned my deepest respect.

I lowered my head, hugging Nesh against my chest. I nuzzled at his face, whispering to him. “I’m glad you’re here with me, Nesh.”

Nesh smiled, rubbed my nose, and then hugged my muzzle in return. “I’m glad I’m here with you too, Ella.”

I licked his cheek, ignoring his protests. Then I simply held him, savoring his warmth and company until Ayrah was finished with her business. When I finally saw her returning, I lifted my head to watch her approach us. She carried her coat over her arm, seemingly unbothered by the day’s frigid temperatures. As she still wished to be photographed with us, I guessed her willing to tolerate the discomfort in return for a more formal appearance in the lasting images.

“Hello again, everyone!” Ayrah gave us a wave. “Sorry about the delay. I wanted to be sure and give my ministers time to explain a few things to people while most of the crowd was still here.” She glanced up at me. “Of course, to be honest things are still very up in the air. You, and I will have a lot to negotiate, but…” She trailed off, glancing around. “I understand you’re only here for a short time, and as this was all a bit of a surprise, I won’t try and shackle you to a negotiating table just yet.”

“Good,” I said, playfully snapping my jaws. “Or I should have to take your table back home with me.” Then I held up a paw. “Nesh explained to me the gist of it, and that it does not go into effect for a year or so.”

Ayrah nodded once. “You’re recognized immediately, and we’ll start taking bids for rail line construction contructs, and get engineers to start designing some facilities, mapping out some expeditions, and so on. But the actual exploratory mining and drilling won’t happen for a while. I’m hoping that will give you plenty of time to both pursue Melakar’s other initiatives, and to return her for more formal negotiations.”

“I will certainly try.” I gazed beyond her to the group of people still huddled around the table, talking. “You clearly have many advisers.”

“That I do.” Ayrah scrunched her face. “More than I’d care to, to be honest. I’ve a minister for just about every damn thing you can imagine. Still, they’re good people, and while we don’t always agree, I appreciate their opinions. At some point…” She looked back the way she’d come. “You’ll need to meet with and discuss some things with them, as well.” Ayrah returned her attention to me. “However, in the interests of avoiding overwhelming you, we’ll leave the formal introductions for another day.”

I licked my muzzle, my ears splayed. “I appreciate that. All this…” I gestured at the table where we’d signed the accords, and then waved a wing at the massive crowd around us. “Is almost more than I can take, already.”

Ayrah put a hand on my shoulder. “I know, Ella. You’re doing great, though. And you’ll get used to it soon enough, I promise.” She jerked her thumb towards her ministers. “They’ve all spent some time talking with Melakar, so they have a general idea of how to deal with a dragon. Just…” She smirked at me. “Try not to scare them too badly, hmm?”

I snorted, tossing my head. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”

Ayrah only laughed. “No, I’m sure you don’t.” She pivoted, glancing at the gryphons. “I take it I’m the only one who hasn’t yet had her photograph taken?”

Blue Jay gave a little warble. “That would be correct, yes. But we’re all ready when you are. Do you want one with everyone, or just Ella?”

“Both, if you’re willing.” Ayrah passed her coat to one of the photographers, ignoring his bewildered look. “Hold that, will you?” Then she turned back towards the rest of us. “I’d like to get one with the whole group, then I’d like to get a formal one with Ella, and a casual one with Ella. How’s that sound?”

“Like three more poses than I should like to have to hold.” I lashed my tail, but was not going to object too harshly. “I shall concede to three more, but than I am finished with this nonsense for the foreseeable future.” I flicked a few clawtips towards the photographers. “They have created countless images and yet I have not seen a single one.”

Ayrah laughed again, shrugging. “That’s how it goes, Ella. Hopefully we’ll have them ready by tonight. Otherwise I’ll be sure yours are finished and put into glass in time for you to take them home in a few days.” She gestured for the gryphons and Lir to join us again. “Alright, you three, why don’t you crowd in?” Then she glanced down at Nesh. “Care to stand for this one? Might be easier to see us all if you and I are on opposite sides of Ella, with the gryphons around us. Lir, you can come stand in front of-”

“I ain’t standin’ in front of the dragon.” Lir hopped off Blue Jay’s back, glaring up at her boss. “I’ll look tiny!”

Ayrah heaved a weary-sounding sigh, as if she’d heard all this before whenever they took photos with Melakar. “Fine, Lir, stand wherever you want.”

Lir trotted up to me, offering me her friendliest, most hopeful looking smile. “Mind if I sit on your head?”

I blinked, flattening my spines. “On my head?”

“Yeah!” Lir pointed. “Right up there, between your horns. That way everyone can see me in the shot.”

“No.” I shook my head. “You may not sit upon my head.” I twisted my head around to peer at myself. “You may, however, stand upon my back.”

“Deal!” Lir scrambled up my front limb, and in no time at all was standing upon my back. She grasped at my neck, dull claws digging against my scales for purchase. Then she leaned over, hanging half off my neck. “How’s this look? Professional dragon rider, or what?”

Nesh stood up, gazing at her. “I rather doubt that’s an actual profession. However, you look properly in charge up there. Oh!” He brightened, smiling at the urd’thin. “You know what would really look sharp?” He feigned drawing a pistol from his coat. “You should hold your revolver, like you’re ready for danger.”

Lir perked up her ears again. “For once, Sharpshooter? We agree.” She drew her little firearm, and spun it around her fingers. Then she posed with it, one hand on my neck, holding up her gun in the other as if ever vigilant. “How do I look? Pretty badass?”

Nesh smirked. “Extremely badass.”

“Lir,” I said, resisting the urge to glance back at her lest the movement shift her balance at the wrong time. “If your gallivanting about atop me causes you to accidentally shoot me with that, I shall be quite cross with you.”

“Nah, don’t worry, your Majesty.” Lir spun the gun around again. “Hammer’s not even cocked or nothin’.”

I looked down at Nesh, moving my head as little as possible. “Does that mean it’s safe?”

Nesh shrugged. “More or less.”

I hissed at him. “How much more, and how much less?”

“You’ll be fine, Ella.” Ayrah strolled around the far side of me, opposite Nesh. “Everyone just take your positions, will you? Nesh, to her left side.” She waved at the gryphons. “Sparrow, you come over here by me. Blue Jay, you stand by Nesh.”

As everyone moved into position, the senior photographer came forward to talk to Nesh. “Nee’em birds in’ere.” He pointed towards me. “Breekin’a comp’sition.”

“What’s he talking about, Nesh?” I brushed a paw across Nesh’s coat.

Nesh scowled up at me. “I think he’s suggesting we place the gryphons next to you, and Ayrah and I stand on the outside. For compositional purposes.”

The photographer traced a vague outline around me in the air with his fingers. “Bigg’un inna’center. Smallen’s atta points.” He traced a few more odd lines. “Tree’ingle, tree’ingle. See?”

I flattened back my ears. “Tree angel? Nesh, I have no idea what he means.”

“Triangles.” Lir tucked her gun away and scrabbled back down to the ground. “Don’t any of you know anything about art composition? You can maximize visual interest by creating triangles.” She grasped Nesh’s hand, and lead him around the other side of Blue Jay. “Handsome bird, squeeze up to her Majesty, there. Sharpshooter, you stand on this side of my feathered friend.” She peeked around him to Ayrah. “Boss, you and Gorgeous do the same, huh?”

“Oh, for the love of…” Ayrah threw her hands up, sighing. “Alright, alright. If it will appease his artistic ego, I’ll play along. But only for this one photo graph.” She switched places with Sparrow, and soon the two gryphons were brushing up against me. Their feathers tickled my scales. Ayrah folded her arms, grunting. “Happy?”

The photographer pointed at me, and then the others. “See? Tall’un, short’un, short’est.” He traced a triangular shape with two fingers, from my head, down over the gryphons’ and humans’ heads, and then across the ground beneath our paws. “Tree’ingle. Now’at’s right comp’sition.”

“I hardly give a damn about the artistic merits of a photograph I only want as a keepsake.” Ayrah kept scowling as she glanced at Lir. “Will you get back into position so we can take the damn photo?”

“Working on it, Boss.” Lir scaled me in a flash. In a blink she was hanging off my neck again, her revolver in hand. “Ready.”

The photographer returned to his camera, peering at us from behind it. “Yer ginna lov’at.”

“I’d damn well better,” Ayrah said. “Just get it done.”

Once more, we all held still when the flash bar ignited. We posed as long as we had too, and when the light finally vanished, Ayrah dusted off her hands. “There. With that nonsense concluded, I should like two more.” She waved at the other two camera boxes. “Those two will be fine, if they’re ready. I’d like one casual with Ella, and formal. We’ll do the casual first, and then take the formal with the capital building behind us. So move out frame, please.” She made a shooing motion at Sparrow and the others. “All the way out of frame. Give us some room, will you?”

Sparrow gave an irritable sounding chirrup, but moved out of the way. “Oh, very well. Come along, Kraas. Let’s return to that VIP area, and pretend we’re special. We’ll let the bossy mayor have her moment.”

“Careful, now.” Blue Jay padded around me to nip at Sparrow’s tail, following her a short distance away. “Given her position, we do technically work for her.”

Sparrow batted her tail against his face. “That’s alright, I happen to be friends with a very influential Queen.”

“Yes,” I said, lowering my head towards Ayrah. “Do treat my subjects kindly, won’t you? Our future trade arrangements may hinge upon it.”

“Oh, I assure you, your Majesty.” Ayrah crossed an arm across her belly, bending forward. “I shall have your gryphons thrown in only the finest of traitors’ dungeons.”

I glanced after the birds, my ears flat. “I tried my best.”

Sparrow ruffled herself up, looking like a grumpy chick. “Yes, I’m certain you did.”

Nesh came to my side, and held his hand up to Lir, who still stood upon my back. “While it’s clear you don’t need my help getting down, I’m inclined to offer it anyway.”

Lir gave a happy little chittering sound as she tucked her revolver away. “And I, for once, am inclined to accept your chivalrous gesture.” She leaned down and grasped Nesh’s hand, allowing him to help her down from my back. “Thanks, Sharpshooter.”

“My pleasure, Lir.” He swept an arm towards the gryphons. “Now, shall we move out of frame before your boss chews us out, next?”

“Probably a good idea.” The two of them walked together to join with the gryphons, who were making their way back to the roped off area on the other side of the plaza.

When we were alone, Ayrah took her place at my side. She rested a hand on my shoulder, offering me a warm smile. “Ready when you are, Ella.”

“Very well.” I curled my neck to smile down at her, deciding that if she could hold such an expression long enough for a photo, then I could as well. “Do your worst, silvergraphs-man.”

It did not take too long for the next image to be completed. By the time it was finished, my jaws ached a bit, but not too badly. As two of the men worked to prepare the silvergraph, the third one repositioned his box for one more image. While he did so, I worked the discomfort out of my jaws.

“Alright, for this one?” Ayrah pointed towards the capital building. “I want that to be the background, with some of the crowd behind us, as well.” She waited while the photographer lined up his shot, then turned to address me. “And I want us to be pictured shaking hands, as an image to go along with our trade agreement. A symbol of cooperation among our people, our species. How’s that sound, Ella?”

“Honestly?” I licked my nose, gazing out across all the hundreds, if not thousands of people, all gathered here. They’d all come here to see a dragon, sign an accord with a human. And now, all those who remained would witness us participating in their hand-shaking ritual. I’d seen it done often enough amongst their kind to know it held great symbolic value. To the watchful crowd, seeing their leader shake hands with a dragon would mean something. Something important. “It sounds historic.”

“That’s the idea,” Ayrah said, her voice a little softer, more subdued. Then she glanced at the photographers. “I’ll expect this one to be front page, on at least several major publications. Along with the photos of the signing. Is that clear?”

“Crystalline, your Ladyship.”

This time, it was one of the lesser photographers who answered. The fact that he was the one who replied suddenly had my questioning their actual seniority. Perhaps the older man was simply employed and given general carte blanche because of his skill in his trade, while the younger one was actually in command. Or maybe he was some kind of intelligence operative Ayrah placed within the reporters, to ensure they told people what she wanted them too. Or perhaps I’d simply spent too many hours in a human town already, listening to Blue Jay and Lir talk about spies and operatives.

“Good.” Ayrah turned her attention back to me. “Mind standing for this one?”

“Not at all.” I pushed up to all fours, and then shifted around to face her. I lifted a foreleg, extending it towards her, careful to keep my claws sheathed. “I’ll let you grasp me first, for safety’s sake.”

“Appreciated.” Ayrah straightened her back, staring up at me with a stony, unreadable expression. She reached out, and wrapped her hand around two of my fingers. “How’s that?”

“Fine.” Gently as I could, I closed my paw around hers. “Is this too tight?”

Ayrah shook her head. “Nope. Alright, gentlemen. Whenever you’re ready.”

The photograph went back behind his camera, ducking beneath his shroud. He raised the flash bar, and I steeled myself for its unnaturally bright light. It ignited, and we held our pose. And just like that, my place in history was crystallized forever.