Weysh turned back and snapped at Noriago, desperate to sink his teeth into whatever he could, but Noriago darted back. Weysh roared. Fire crackled painfully in his chest, and all his dragon instincts screamed at him to unleash it, but his man-mind held him back. Instead, he charged and stopped short at the last second, sweeping his tail around in an attempt to knock the other dragon off his feet. But Noriago leapt over it and slammed into Weysh. He clawed at Weysh’s shoulder, trying to pull him down and wrap his jaws around his neck. Weysh bucked, frantic. If Noriago got him by the neck he’d be finished.

He beat at Noriago with his tail, using it like a whip, but Noriago wouldn’t let up. So Weysh rolled, praying everyone in the street had the sense to have gotten far clear of them. He slammed Noriago into the ground and scrambled to his feet. Weysh wanted more than anything in that moment to turn around and rip into Noriago with his teeth or melt his eyes with fire, but not here, where people could get caught in the blaze. He tried to take off again, but agony zipped up his left leg, ripping a piercing screech from him. Noriago held Weysh’s leg between his jaws, and the only way Weysh would fly off would be missing a limb. He swiped at Noriago with the claws of his other leg, aiming for his eyes, until at last Noriago let go.

Weysh dropped clumsily to the ground. The two of them bent low on all fours and circled each other, growling and snapping. Noriago roared and charged for him again. Weysh roared back and charged to meet him, heedless of his injured leg.

A piercing whistle sent pain lancing through his eardrums and he stumbled, his claws skidding on the stone.

“Change back immediately or we will use whatever force necessary to restrain you,” said a female voice, magically amplified.

Weysh’s anger diminished, leaving behind only a cold stone of dread in his stomach. He changed and slowly put his hands over his mouth, facing the contingent of peacekeepers fanned out around them, swords drawn.

Noriago changed a second later and put his hands over his mouth as well, but Weysh could have sworn he saw something like triumph flash in his eyes.

The woman at the center of the officers stared out from the shadow of her metal helmet. “You are both under arrest for reckless endangerment,” she said.

Noriago ripped his hands from his mouth. “I would like to formally charge—”

A spark crackled through the air and hit Noriago right in the chest. He fell to the ground, convulsing.

The woman turned to Weysh. He pressed his hands tighter against his mouth.