[author's note: Telepathic speech is indicated with ~speech in italics~ ]
In the skies above the Wastelands, Alistair and his knights glided on the hot, humid winds, scanning the barren desert below. He glanced over his shoulder to check the group's formation. Everyone was in position and doing their job.
~Anyone see anything?~ he asked.
~No, Your Highness.~
He frowned. Maybe the intel was wrong, and this was a wild harpy chase with no results to show for their efforts. He came out of his pondering when the lead knight shouted.
~Your Highness! Down below to your right.~
Alistair swiveled his head, his enhanced vision making the tiny objects below visible and close-up to his gaze. ~Prepare to engage!~ he ordered.
All the dragons increased their speed, their wings silently slicing through the air as they entered camouflage mode. They dove downward toward the guards pacing around a mostly hidden entrance near a large sandy dune.
It took only one pass for all four human guards to be grabbed and carried away to a safe spot a few miles away. The knights dropped the startled humans to the ground, their weapons shattering as the knights used magic on them. Alistair nodded, and the dragons landed.
Brayden sat down in front of Alistair and shifted to human. The shortest human of the four prisoners yelped, scrambling backward in fear.
"What the hell are you? No one said you monsters could become human!"
"Your death," replied Brayden.
Brayden's sardonic grin made the panicking man pee himself. Alistair laughed, and the sound of it was too much for the frightened man. He fainted. Alistair peered over Brayden's hulking form to stare at the remaining three conscious humans. Their eyes blazed with defiance. Interesting.
~Brayden, prod them a little. These three aren't weaklings like the other one.~
~As you will it, Your Highness.~
"You will die unless you answer my questions," Brayden warned the prisoners.
The glasses-wearing human shrugged and retorted, "Don't have to ask me twice. I didn't like this gig anyway."
"Shut it, you traitor!" hissed the lean, tattooed rat-faced man sitting next to him.
"No can do, Slav. I want to live. I've got things to do. Dying isn't one of them. They don't pay me enough to put up with this shit."
"Smart man," drawled Brayden. "You, I will let live."
He flicked his finger, and one of the knights to Alistair's left lunged forward and killed rat-face, the unconscious man, and the short, rotund man who had remained silent with dragonfire. Alistair's eyes shone in amusement. This was why Brayden was the captain of his knights. The man was ruthless and efficient.
The man with the glasses let out a whistle before focusing on Brayden.
"I'm allowing you to live, human. You will tell me what you were doing guarding a hole in the sand. If your answer pleases me, I'll not kill you."
"Sounds good to me." The man shrugged. "We are part of a mercenary group hired by Doctor Shou."
Alistair's eyes narrowed. He'd heard of the infamous human scientist known as Doctor Shou. The dragon royal families had been trying unsuccessfully to capture her. She was one of the top leaders in the rebel movement. If he could catch her, it would bring accolades and rid dragonkind of a menace.
~Brayden, ask him how many are in that hiding hole, and what are we looking at when we crash it.~
"Human, full details. Now."
Glasses wasted no time in spilling his employer's secrets. The longer he talked, the more astounded Alistair was by the information. No wonder they had failed to capture any of the rebel humans. They were more devious than the lesser nobles. Just listening to their scheme was enough to make his head hurt.
~Send him back to the bunker. Put a geas on him first. We need to return and make plans for capturing the esteemed Doctor Shou.~
Alistair was baffled by Doctor Shou's arrogance. It was foolhardy to only employ four men to guard an entrance and not pay their wages on time. For someone renowned for her intelligence, she was making ridiculous decisions. Her loss. His gain.
He stretched his wings and watched as Brayden grabbed their spy by the throat and pushed a magical geas into the man's mind. Brayden released the convulsing man, standing there with a bored expression. He waited until the spy stood up, a dazed look on his face.
"You know what to do," Brayden ordered.
The spy bobbed his head and stumbled back in the direction of the bunker. The group watched him leave. Alistair ordered them back into the sky once the spy was out of range.
~Your Highness, what is your plan?~
~The information from the human was unexpected. Father ordered me to investigate, and I'll be expected to deal with the problem. We'll return tomorrow with more knights. I'm betting on Doctor Shou's arrogance. I don't think we'll have a problem capturing her and taking the rebels' secrets.~
~As you command, Your Highness.~
Alistair pondered the information they had from their spy. Experiments were taking place in that bunker. That was dangerous news. They needed to stop the humans. They didn't need another round of civil unrest because the rebels dabbled in dangerous things. Experimentation was only allowed for royally sanctioned scientists. Those approved humans had several layers of magical control measures placed on them. He would either capture Doctor Shou or kill her. Either way, she would be neutralized.
He decided to speak to his parents at dinner and get their opinions. First, though, was rest. They had made it back to the royal lands during his internal contemplation. He thanked the accompanying knights and made plans to talk to Brayden after dinner about tomorrow's raid. Satisfied with his plans, he retired to his room for a few hours of peace.
All too soon, it was dinner time. He made his way to the dining room and saw that his parents and five older siblings were seated and talking. Conversations paused briefly at his appearance before resuming. He took his seat next to his parents. His father, King Malik the White, and his mother, Queen Raine the Black, warmly greeted him.
"Alistair, my son, how did your hunt go?" his mother asked, her dark chocolate eyes focused on him.
He looked at his mother and admired her beauty. Her dark skin and curly black hair framed her round face and high cheekbones. He had inherited some of her features along with his father's height and build.
"It went well. Tomorrow, I will bring your spoils of my hunt," he promised her.
His father's grunt of approval drew his gaze to his other parent. His father's white skin was a stark contrast to the beauty of his mother's darker hue. His father's sky blue eyes studied him, making Alistair want to fidget. Sometimes his father's intense stares caused him to feel guilty even when not in trouble. His father's long, dirty blonde hair was pulled back in its usual ponytail style.
"Will the rebel infestation not be a problem for us after your hunt wraps up tomorrow?" asked his father with a tilt of his head.
"I'm fairly confident that our immediate infestation will be fixed," Alistair promised. "I will discuss my attack strategy with Brayden after dinner."
"Good. I have complete trust in your methods and your success."
Alistair preened at his father's compliment. He began eating when no more questions came his way. An hour later, he bid his family goodnight and tracked down Brayden.
The meeting with Brayden was short, sweet, and to the point. He loved having a subordinate be in tune with him. Satisfied with the next day's strategy, he sought his bed and slept peacefully, content that all was right in his world.