They kept flying westward. The sky was blue. The land was green. A few distant hills rose in the north. The same thing mark after mark. His two fellow dragons flew silently. Dorvin couldn't take it anymore. They had been flying like this for days now, and he was bored senseless. Why had he ever agreed to this mission? He could have gone north with Jeid! Surely the north had some demons in it. He could have gone south with Issari and Tanin; Eteer was the land of demons, surely full of many interesting creatures to vanquish. Instead he had agreed to fly here, seeking more dragons, a decision he was quickly regretting. Even if he did find other Vir Requis, they'd probably be just as stiff as Alina and Maev.

"Oi, girls!" He flew closer to them. "All right, no singing. How about some jokes instead? What do you call a woman who's got a small head and a big arse? Huh? Anyone?" He winked. "Maev, you'd know wouldn't you?"

Alina only rolled her eyes, but Maev fumed. Showering flame, the green dragon roared and shot toward him, claws lashing. Dorvin braced for impact, and the two dragons crashed together. Scales cracked and their horns locked. Maev's fire flowed over him, and Dorvin shut his eyes against the heat. His scales expanded and one cracked with a blast of pain. He growled, shoved Maev off, and barreled into her, snapping at her, trying to bite through her scales. The two dragons spun in the sky, wings beating madly.

"Good!" Dorvin laughed. "Now this flight's a little more interesting."

Growling, she grabbed his horns and began tugging him down. They tumbled through the sky, the ground spinning beneath them.

"I warned you!" she shouted. "I'll cut your tongue out now."

He laughed. "You can have my tongue if you just give me a kiss."

She twisted his neck, drove her weight against him, and they plunged downward. Dorvin winced and beat his wings, struggling to slow his fall. He managed to free himself from under Maev, soar a few feet, and avoid the ground, only for her to grab his tail and tug him back down. They slammed onto a hilltop, shattering a fallen log and digging ruts into the earth. Dorvin groaned, and when he struggled to rise, Maev clobbered him so hard with her tail she knocked out his magic. He fell onto the hill, a human again, groaning.

The green dragon placed a foot against his chest, pinning him down. She panted, her tongue lolling, and blasted smoke down onto him. He reached up, grabbed that lolling tongue in his hand, and tugged it down hard.

"Looks like it's your tongue that's about to get lost!"

Maev yowled and released her magic. She slammed into him in human form, growling, and pinned him down. "Stupid boy. I used to wrestle men twice your side for a living. Now I'll show you the meaning of pain."