Taekwoon was wrong. Gathering in the courtyard as he prepared to leave with the other dragons that would be departing for Talongrace and Kokoshir, he found himself not wanting to go. Inaction might have been worse than doing something, but in that moment, before the light of the sun had even graced the horizon, the only thing he wanted to do was stay with the man that had come to see him – them – off. Taekwoon took one last look at Jonghyun’s and Jongup’s gear, tugging on straps and snugging ties, before he stepped back with a breathy sigh. He was grateful for the hand on his shoulder and the words that followed.

            “I know you’ll be fine,” Jinki murmured softly, his free hand finding Taekwoon’s and threading their fingers together.

            “As will you,” Taekwoon urged, turning to face him better so he could caress the other man’s cheek with his unclaimed hand.

            “Just… be careful, love,” he whispered, meeting the rider’s eyes in the lessening gloom.

            “I will, my heart,” the dragonrider promised, stepping close enough to press his lips against Jinki’s forehead. As expected, his other half moved further into his arms and embraced him hard. Taekwoon took a deep breath and simply tried to memorize the feel of his other half, glancing around the crowded space as he did so. He was not the only one saying temporary farewells to residents of the Aerie either. A couple dragonriders were parting ways too, their wings moving in different directions. The dragons were restless and the remaining riders were antsy, feeding into the growing nervousness of the day.

            It was all too soon when Taekwoon heard Taecyeon call out, “Kokoshir riders. Time to mount up!” Yunho would not be far behind as they readied themselves for the journey to Talongrace.

            Jinki’s arms tightened around him and Taekwoon smiled sadly. “I’ve gotta go, my heart.”

            “I know,” Jinki mumbled against his shoulder, not quite ready to let go.

            Gently but firmly, Taekwoon grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away so they could see each other again. “I will come back to you. I promise,” he soothed, drawing near to kiss him on the mouth this time.

            “You better,” Jinki laughed once as they pulled apart enough to rest their foreheads together. “Heavens watch over you,” he breathed, kissing the other man firmly before stepping back of his own accord.

            Jinki’s hand escaped his before he could really hold tight and Taekwoon’s heart sank before the smile on his other half’s face lifted it once more. “And you,” he called, nodding once as he turned and hurried over to Jonghyun. He wasn’t the last rider getting settled, but it was a near thing. He found Taecyeon mounted on his silver dragon and signaled he was ready, looking at Insoo to confirm the same thing.

            Wing Leader Taecyeon had one final look around and then nodded to himself. He raised his fist in the air and called out, “Riders! Take to the sky!” His silver dragon bellowed an accompanying cry before leaping into the air with a powerful beat of his wings.

            Taekwoon felt the cry. He understood it as if Jonghyun had told him and his blood sang with the urge to get into the air. The muscles beneath him bunched and then the copper followed suit, jerking his rider in the harness before climbing doggedly into the air. Torn between freedom and a fear that was not his own, he looked back one more time and reached a hand towards Jinki. His other half reached up and took a step in his direction before stopping and simply staring after him.

            Maybe should stay, Jonghyun rumbled thoughtfully, falling into place like he was supposed to with his wing all the same.

            You know why we can’t, Taekwoon reminded him, though he knew his dragon was only voicing what he himself already felt.

            Will face her sometime, the copper reminded him with a shrug and a glance at his own mate. Jongup seemed to nod in agreement as well, keeping pace beside them easily.

            True, but until then… we’ve a kingdom to save, he practically grumbled. He was perturbed the rumors had turned out to be true. Unrest was not so uncommon. Especially when things got harder than normal, but that Fantor and Marsh Rest had decided to actually attempt to take over Kokoshir spoke of more than just unrest. It was honestly one of the last things they needed. If war with the dragons – some dragons anyway – was coming, then they would need everyone’s help. This almost felt like a fool’s errand, but there was nothing to be done for it except to go. As the Stardust Battalion, this was part of the duty. Few in numbers they might be, but they would not fail.

            The pace they set was fast but not hard. A siege by its nature should last for a while, especially since it was the capitol city that was being attacked, and they needed to be at least somewhat ready when they arrived. If they rushed and exhausted themselves before reaching their destination, they would be of little help to anyone. Granted, a single day probably wouldn’t be enough to wipe out their reserves but given they didn’t know what trouble they would be getting into, it was safer not to risk it.

            In the meantime, the harder part was finding suitable locations to take a breather for the dragons that had water and space enough for all of them. The riders could eat and drink in their harnesses just fine, but their flying companions had no such luxury. Three times they paused, landing near a river or a lake or a pond, but always they kept a lookout in the sky, rotating them so that all dragons had a chance to rest. They did see several wild dragons in the distance, and there was no doubt they saw the flying wings too, but none drew close. Their numbers were not large, but with their new intelligence, the dragons would know that attacking such a group as theirs would likely be folly.

            On their final stop, they divvied up watch duties, giving each wing a turn so that the others might have an equal amount of rest. Dragons had better vision than humans, especially at night, and while it wasn’t likely they would be attacked, it was also not something any of them wanted to risk. But sleep was hard to find for Taekwoon. He was troubled by too many things…

            Troubled by his own restlessness, which he attributed in part to his dragon half. Troubled by the possibility of their sister wing turning on them due to Tiamat’s influence. Troubled about the timing of the siege on Kokoshir. Troubled about leaving Jinki alone in the Aerie…

            Mate not alone, his dragon reminded him pointedly, eyes closed as if he was sleeping but quite obviously not.

            Taekwoon frowned and shifted against his dragon’s side. Well, I’m not there.

            True. But Gain is. Combat Master. Other dragons. Safer than us right now, he almost laughed, his side expanding to bounce his rider once.

            For now, Taekwoon sighed, feeling that worry gnaw on him. He didn’t know how long this battle would take. They were only five wings – hardly enough to break a siege definitively – but they should be able to at least shift the tide. Even so, he did not wish to be stuck here if the worst came to pass – that the Dawnstar Battalion and Tiamat would attack the Aerie before he had returned. It was only a matter of time but… how much?

            Sleep now, rider. Will know more tomorrow, Jonghyun reminded him impatiently.

            But-

            Jonghyun snorted and wrapped his tail around to press against Taekwoon’s belly, practically knocking the wind out of him. The flash of cringing surprise indicated he had not meant to hit him as hard as he did. Situation not change, but can think better when we know more after we see, he explained, softening his hold so that the tail acted as a very awkward embrace…?

            Taekwoon made a face even as he rested his hand on the tail over his lap. For a dragon, you don’t give half bad advice, he laughed once, taking a breath and forcing himself to relax a bit more.

            Rider thinks too much, the copper responded with a mental shrug. Now and the next day important. Later, maybe important. Won’t know until tomorrow. You worry and make self tired. Make me tired. Bad for both of us. So sleep, Jonghyun instructed again, relaxing his wing so that it could fall over Taekwoon, further darkening the area.

            While he could have considered the tail and wing a cage or trap of some sort, Taekwoon imagined them more as shields. In his own way, his dragon seemed to be trying to protect him. It made him realize how far they’d come together and his chest briefly felt tight. “Thank you, Jong,” he whispered, petting the smooth tail again before he leaned his head back and took a deep breath, willing himself to sleep as he exhaled slowly.

            Taekwoon wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting the situation at Kokoshir to look like, but he wasn’t really ready for the reality. Firstly, the city was large, several times the size of the Aerie in fact. And it was completely enclosed by a massive wall of worked stone, keeping the attackers out for the moment. Secondly, it was absolutely full of buildings. The castle was the largest structure rising high above everything else in the midst of the sprawl, but there were plenty of other structures rising above the height of the city walls. In that, they reminded Taekwoon of the buildings in Miremaw…

            Beyond the mere appearance of the city, the countryside around it was changed too. Most of the land nearby had been cleared for what was left of crop fields and livestock. There were trees but they were a fair distance from the city itself, giving them an unblocked view of what they were up against. Circling the city from a distance in the midmorning light, they could all see that the city was almost completely surrounded. It looked as if the whole of Fantor and Marsh Rest had been emptied to throw themselves against the great walls that surrounded the capitol. In the sky, dragons danced, a dangerous but beautiful combat performance. It was impossible to tell who was who though for most did not have riders.

            Who are the wild dragons and who are the formerly bound? he wondered, hoping his dragon might offer a response.

            Won’t know until we get closer, was the not so reassuring response. Hold, he practically chirped as Taecyeon held up his hand to draw their attention. Wing Leader speak. Dragon speak.

            Understood, Taekwoon nodded, splitting his attention between the city and the sound of Taecyeon’s voice in the distance, bolstered by his dragon’s stronger delivery. Again, he heard the words as if Jonghyun was telling him and it slightly unnerved him that he’d become so proficient in listening to dragonspeak…

            Taecyeon explained that they were going to have to split their forces to cover more ground initially. This far out, they couldn’t get an accurate understanding of what was happening so two wings would skim the outer forces, getting a general count for artillery and defenses. Taecyeon’s wing would head for the castle to get an update on the King and royal family. Another wing would fly perimeter to see what the Kokoshir forces and defenses were like. And Insoo’s wing – double the strength of a standard wing – would take to the sky to get a feel for dragon numbers and opposition. When his dragon finished speaking, Taecyeon signaled for them to break apart, trusting them to know best how to approach their assigned position.

            Insoo signaled his riders closer so they could hear, filling in the blanks for Chaerin’s group especially. “We’ve got the skies above Kokoshir,” he called out, making sure the newest riders could hear him. “Stay together. No heroics. This is a testing run to see their strengths and weaknesses. We don’t know which ones are on our side so be careful,” he reminded them, looking around the group to make sure everyone was listening. “Understood?!” he shouted, waiting for the response.

            “Yes, sir!” came the unanimous response from human throats. A chorus of dragon cries rose up in response and Insoo grinned. The expression faded quickly, but nothing could banish the feeling of togetherness and exhilaration they carried with them as he raised his fist and signaled them forward.

            Taekwoon’s blood thrummed with the possibility of combat and his skin tingled. He knew his dragon was close to the surface now, hungry for a fight. The fire in his belly faded a bit when they drew close enough to see the ground noticeably changed beneath them. Trees had been broken and uprooted, the ground torn and outer buildings demolished, but equally unmissable were the bodies… He didn’t know how long they’d been fighting for exactly but there were already a fair number of dead lying strewn around the field, both human and dragon alike.

            That will not be us, Jonghyun promised fiercely as he felt Taekwoon’s uncertainty and discomfit.

            No. It won’t, he echoed, a new kind of knot forming in his stomach. He’d been in plenty of skirmishes, mostly practice, but this was new. This was… war. And he found he didn’t like it. His human side didn’t anyway. His dragon was still hungry… Taekwoon shivered as they headed into the heart of it.

            The first foray was frantic and dangerous. Most of the dragons in the air were wild. Unpredictable and undisciplined, they were difficult to react to. Insoo’s primary wing held fast, secure in their training and unshakable in their trust. His secondary wing suffered from the fast paced and fear inducing environment. They started falling apart almost immediately when harried by wilds, panic in their eyes and heads swiveling instead of relying on their dragons. Their unraveling only invited more attention as the wilds seemed to smell or sense their weakness.

            Insoo noticed almost immediately and changed their formation mid-flight. Jonghyun moved almost effortlessly as he followed the wing’s lead and flew to encircle their own, creating a buffer to defend their allies. Jongup flew low guard and Taeyeon had upper, warning of surprise attacks from either direction. Solidified and grounded once more, the dual wings provided an intimidating front that allowed them to pass through like a battering ram. At a cry from above, the wings split in half, veering out like a school of fish as a blue careened through the open space they’d been in. Another cry for the all clear had them moving back seamlessly. Mostly. The newcomers were jittery. So was Insoo’s wing. They were just better at hiding it.

            Relying on Jonghyun to keep them in formation, Taekwoon kept a constant watch, counting dragons and riders alike as he could. They kept moving and mixing with each other so it was difficult to get an accurate number, but he could safely say there were upwards of thirty or more wilds flitting around, not counting the ones already hounding the city itself. Looking at the ground, it was probable there were dragons hiding in the woods or nearby as well. What was more troubling were the dragons with riders – about three wings worth. Those were staying well away from them… but they were being left alone by the wild dragons. Obviously, they weren’t part of Kokoshir’s defenses, but unless they were mercenary groups of formerly bound dragons, he didn’t know where they would have come from.

            Rider. Fei says one is familiar, Jonghyun explained, jarring Taekwoon from his speculation.

            The dragons or riders? he asked to clarify.

            Both, was the unwanted response.

            Focusing his attention on the riders again, Taekwoon let his dragon rise up to sharpen his vision. It took a moment to settle on the relatively stationary figures – his attention kept trying to follow closer targets, but when he realized who it was, he gasped, feeling like he’d been punched in the gut. “Jungsu,” he breathed, his eye twitching at the discovery. Two of them would likely be the riders who had defected with him, but the others…

            His stomach dropped when they heard dual cries from above and below and Jonghyun banked hard, throwing them out of formation but also out of harm’s way as a group of dragons tried to pincer them from both directions. Fear thrummed as a dragon and rider cried out and started to plummet from the sky. One of theirs! Taekwoon’s heightened senses picked up on the falling dragon and it felt almost like things had slowed down – a copper but not Jinyoung’s. A woman’s. Sunhwa’s dragon!

            In mutual agreement, Jonghyun simply continued his banking turn into an upside down nose dive. Across from him, he could see Jinyoung doing the same, following procedure. His focus was solely on catching up to the flailing copper, mostly oblivious to any other dragons. Jong, Taekwoon urged, as he nudged his dragon to move closer.

            Understood, the copper responded effortlessly, swerving gracefully to flank Jinyoung as Jongup fell into place on the other side. A beast of a bronze tried swooping in from the side and Jonghyun tensed, waiting for the right moment. Taekwoon clung tight and hunkered low as he realized what his dragon was going to do. His stomach still clenched when the copper swiftly leveled out, opened one wing just enough to cup the air, and spun impossibly fast just beneath the bronze. The creature howled in fear and pain as the spinning claw strike nearly gutted it, raking down the unprotected belly.

            Taekwoon didn’t see where it went as they were moving past it already. He got a jolt when Jongup tangled with a red, practically colliding in midair, and then they were moving by them too. Jinyoung had caught up to Hana, and JB had a hold of her, but he was struggling to get them to level out. Her dead weight wasn’t helping and it was going to be a rough landing if he couldn’t pull up more. Get under her! he called to his dragon, undoing his harness and grabbing his riding hooks, just in case.

            Hold on! Jonghyun cried out, the call for his rider and JB both.

            Taekwoon’s heart jumped into his throat as he got a stomach turning view of the ground rising up to meet him. He flinched and clung tighter when Jonghyun lurched under the weight of the dragon above him. His dragon groaned at the strain on his outstretched wings. Taekwoon cringed and closed one eye as the buildings felt all too close. And then they were pulling away and up. Trepidation set in when he could see soldiers below, watchful eyes peering up and weapons at the ready. Oh heavens please let them realize they were on their side…

            We are good, Jonghyun told him, talons moving close to help secure Taekwoon as he clambered back to his harness.

            Looking up, he could see they really were. JB had leveled out and was carrying Hana by himself now. JB gave the signal they were good and Taekwoon took it as a sign to return to Insoo. Jongup fell into place beside them as they flew and they made their way back to their returning wing. Even after he was back in his position, it felt like his heart would never slow down and he couldn’t help but cast another look at Jungsu as they made efforts to land in the city. He could have sworn the rider had made some kind of signal just before they’d been attacked. He might have been imagining things, but… in these times, he wouldn’t put anything down as impossible right now.

            Their first introduction to Kokoshir was anything but encouraging. Jinyoung was able to get Hana to help within the city, but her condition was not good. One of her wings had been savaged and she’d suffered strike wounds on her other side. It looked like the dragons had been aiming for Sunhwa by the position of the claw marks. While she stayed with her dragon, the rest of Insoo’s wing converged in the same space under the watchful eyes of the city guards.

            “Good job with that rescue,” Insoo congratulated once he’d checked on Hana himself.

            Jinyoung and Taekwoon ducked their heads in acknowledgement and gestured at their dragons. “They did all the work.”

            “True,” the wing leader nodded with a weak smile. “But you helped guide them.” He turned to look at the rest of his charges and gave them encouraging nods in turn. “Well done. All of you.”

            Chaerin’s group was still shaken and even the more seasoned hands seemed paler than usual, but they had done well, all things considered. None had broken rank other than those that should have. They would have needed a few more dragons to catch Hana had the smaller sizes moved to help instead.

            Insoo’s attention shifted to the sky and he squinted against the sun, trying to make sense of everything. The attacking dragons were mostly maintaining their distance in the sky but the other Stardust Battalion wings were missing, which meant they were either still on their respective runs or they’d already landed. “Well. Let’s go find our companions,” Insoo urged with a determined sigh. He moved to speak to the nearest guards and see what information they could glean about the location of the other riders.

            It took longer than it probably should have, but after they all managed to reconvene within the safety of the walls, once they’d gotten clearance from the city guards and such, they could go over what they knew. Two severely wounded dragons – one from a different wing – and numerous smaller injuries had left a stark impression on all of them. The riders were shaken but mostly unharmed. Unfortunately, those were the very least of their problems.

            “The King and his family are safe, but the city is only at about half-strength,” Taecyeon admitted with a heavy sigh. “Talongrace requested aid in light of scouting reports they’d had from Bondsland and they sent their entire cavalry force as one of the only ones that might get there in time. We’ve still got foot soldiers and archers but next to no skirmishers.” Not that it would matter all that much. The skirmishers would have been no good from within the city walls and getting out to get into position would have been pretty impossible at the moment anyway.

            “Fantor’s got some ballistae in their ranks and Marsh Rest is constructing a battering ram to try and break down the gate,” one of the other wing leaders explained with a heavy sigh.

            The secondary wing leader added, “And their forces are ready for a long haul. They’ve got plenty of wagon supplies and plenty of men to guard them and attack the city at the same time. I think they really did send their entire forces,” he scowled, thoroughly annoyed.

            “Our allies are a bit thin but secure for the moment. The walls are strong and that’s their saving grace really,” the final wing leader offered, scratching at his stubbly face. “Plenty of murder holes to hide in and they’ve got a fair bit of burning oil stockpiled to keep the gates clear for now. And with a large chunk of their forces gone, supplies will last a bit longer, but the bigger problem are the bloody dragons,” he grumbled, casting a look up. “They’ve hardly got any formers here and no mercenaries on their side,” he added with some confusion.

            “We estimate the wilds to be at least thirty strong, if not more, and there are at least three full wings with riders to be counted in their number,” Insoo added with a grimace. “The wilds are also acting more coordinated than expected, even given their newly gained intelligence,” he admitted with an uncertain shake of his head. “Never seen em strike as a pack before. Not like that,” he frowned, glancing over at Chaerin’s group. Sunhwa was notably absent as she would not leave her dragon’s side.

            “We’ve flown right into Tiamat’s maw haven’t we?” Taecyeon laughed bitterly, arms crossed over his chest and expression dour. He freed one hand to rub at his chin, obviously thinking. “Kokoshir has held the walls for this long. Our focus will continue to be countering the dragons in the air. For now, riders, take a rest. Wing Leaders with me. We shall confer with the King to discuss our best plan of action,” he continued, waving at the four other men to follow him.

            Rider, Jonghyun nudged gently, prompting Taekwoon to look up to see what his dragon wanted him to see. Chaerin was looking at him like she wanted him to say something. She nodded at the departing Insoo and gestured at him as if it was supposed to be obvious.

            “Oh, shards,” he grumbled under his breath, making a face. Rolling his eyes once, he nodded in understanding and then shook his head as he spoke to Jonghyun, Could you let Gunwoo know Jungsu is in the wing of dragon riders? Oh! he gasped, suddenly recalling something. Ask about Yongguk too. Mate would want to know, he added by way of explanation for his sudden inspiration.

            Of course, his dragon huffed in amusement, more for the latter comment than the former. Why she not say? he asked after pausing for a moment to deliver the messages.

            Probably because it might be suspicious if she did, he explained with a grimace.

            Why? Is she not wing mate now? his dragon wondered, clearly confused.

            Taekwoon couldn’t blame him. They’d sent her out here with the rest of the riders which should mean they trusted her and the others, but… in this, she might be too close to the situation. After all, Jungsu had been in their group before they’d gone their separate ways. Humans… think too much, was all he could offer his dragon, knowing it was insufficient but it was also enough. Strangely. Jonghyun snorted at the answer and gave the impression of irritation. Same, Jong, he admitted with a heavy sigh. Same.