“Fly into battle?” echoed the Torak. “What do you mean?”

Myka snorted and smoke blew out of her nostrils. “Do you think I am just something to ride so that you can enjoy the scenery?” she quipped. “I am a winged warrior. Have you not figured out what my specialty is?”

“I am to fly you into battle?” gasped the Torak.

“So,” chortled the dragon, “you are not so stupid after all. I guess the elven princess was mistaken.”

“What did she say?” Marak asked indignantly. “Which one was it?”

Myka snickered and soared upward again, rising along the face of a snowcapped peak. She flew over the peak and headed down again. Marak saw that they had just entered the valley of StarCity. The Sakovans shouted and pointed at the dragon as Myka soared low over the streets of the city. The people scattered before the flying behemoth, and Myka cackled joyfully.

“Into each life a little levity must fall,” quipped Myka as she glided to a halt atop the palace.

Palace guards raced to surround the dragon, but they halted when they saw Emperor Marak sliding off the dragon’s back.

“Which princess said I was stupid?” frowned Marak. “What did she say?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Myka said innocently. “I wonder if that last bank loosened something upstairs, if you know what I mean.”

Myka chuckled and winked at the Torak. Marak tried to act stern, but he realized that he was being toyed with. He started laughing just as the Star of Sakova arrived.

“I am glad that you can find humor in this situation,” frowned Lyra, “but I cannot. My people are about to start dying. I find no humor in that.”

“It was my fault,” apologized Myka. “I thought some humor would ease the tension of the situation.”

“Ease the tension?” echoed the Star of Sakova. “Does that include soaring into StarCity and terrorizing my people? You are very fortunate that my archers did not pepper you with arrows on your flight here. I am not sure what kind of sauce would go good with a giant lizard.”