The din of battle was almost deafening. Xar leaned low over the dragon’s back as the huge beast zoomed over the throng of screaming monsters whose arrows clattered from the dragon’s scales. In front of him, the dragonrider sat astride the long neck, guiding the dragon. The dragonrider gave Xar the signal.

Xar slid his twin blades from their sheathes and got to his feet, crouching in the harness. The dragon came in for another pass, swooping low over the battle. Xar gulped.

Xar had to shout for the dragonrider to hear him over the noise. “I think that got their attention. Let’s fly to a safe distance so I can get off.”

The dragonrider looked back over his shoulder. “You’re not going to leap down into the heat of the fray, swords flashing?”

“I was thinking more like running into the heat,” Xar admitted.

The other man frowned. “We’re already up here. You might as well….”

Xar looked down again and wrapped his arms around the dragon. “But it’s such a long way down!”