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"Time to go!" I hissed.

Serali dove off the windowsill and around the corner of the building, slipping into shadows just as we heard a window burst open behind us.

"Hurry," I whispered. "We must get away from here!"

Serali chirped, and once more we blinked away. This time, though, we were far from the tall building … and much, much higher.

I felt my human body gulp.I'm just a tree. A tall, tall tree, safely rooted in the ground …

Forcing my eyes open, I looked to the north where the cloud covered mountain top flashed with its everstorm. Looking down — too far down — I looked over the destroyed section of the stronghold below us. In the center of the city rubble was a clearing full of the tents housing the dragon rider prisoners.

"Excellent!" I said. "Somewhere down there is that garden plot. If you wouldn't mind taking us there?"

Serali let out a happy trill and began to glide down, but a squig screech cut the air, making us jerk.

I turned to see a dozen squig adults racing straight towards us!

"Well, they sure are a stubborn bunch," I mused. "Perhaps we should blink away."

But Serali was focused on something below. Her eyes narrowed and she chuffed mischievously.

I didn't know what that meant, but I didn't like it.

"No, Serali. Just blink —"

But she had already leaned forward, folding her wings for a horrifying dive.

I clung to the dragon tighter.Dives were the WORST!

Air whipped past us as we fell, and my human body's heart thumped. The furious squigs swooped in behind us, the ground racing to meet us far too fast!

"Serali!" I shouted.

But she kept diving.

"SERALI!"

At the last second, she spread her wings, pulling up sharply, skimming just above the ground between tents, sending us hurtling towards a small wooden building, narrow as a chair and a bit taller than a man.

I braced for the crash, but just as we were about to hit, the air popped, and we were suddenly flying along the top of the fortress wall.

Serali pulled up and landed on the stone barricade, and I released a shaky breath, unwrapping the many, many vines from around the little creature.

She let out a chuff that almost sounded like laughter.

I shook my head at the crazy little dragon.

"Fuck!" a woman screamed. "Fucking help me!"

Serali and I watched as the tiny wood building we'd almost hit rocked side-to-side. Squig after squig flew into the small opening above the door, and a woman yelled and cursed most frantically.

Finally, the door burst open and a woman with short red hair tumbled out, pants down at her ankles, threesquigs pecking and clawing at her. More squigs hopped and flew out of the little building to give chase to the fleeing woman.

"HELP!!" she screamed. "The fucking squigs! Get them off me!"

"Shut up, Darlene!" yelled a woman from within a nearby tent. "Ignore them and they'll eventually leave you alone!"

"FUCK," Darlene cursed, scrambling to her feet, pulling up her pants.