Starfinder

THE VIEW FROM THE HILL

LADY ESME CARRIED FIONA far from the fighting, setting her down on a hillside overlooking the battlefield. The flight left Fiona breathless as she tumbled into the dandelions, then watched Esme drop soundlessly to the ground. The beautiful Skylord said nothing as she observed the unfolding battle. She sat down among the flowers like a child, wrapping her arms around her knees and her delicate wings around her shoulders. Fiona approached her carefully, wondering why she didn’t speak.

“Esme?”

The Skylord tilted her golden head. Her brilliant eyes flicked toward Fiona, then back to the battle. The strangeness of her unnerved Fiona.

“You know who I am, don’t you?” asked Fiona.

Esme smiled. “You are Fiona.”

“That’s right.” Fiona knelt down beside her in the dandelions and buttercups. “You saved me. You brought the dragons to help us, didn’t you?”

Esme’s gaze tracked upward, toward the dragons burning up the sky. Out on the field, the centaurs had regrouped. Fiona heard the keen of Jorian’s horn, but could not make him out among the throng. The remaining Skylords flew in confused circles, some of them abandoning the fight. Her uncle’s airship pursued them, joining the dragons in the hunt.

“Who are they?” Fiona asked, gesturing toward the dragons. “Are they Merceron’s friends?”

Esme looked unhappy. Frail, too. The garments she wore were haphazard, obviously thrown together just for modesty. But she really was beautiful, and Fiona had no trouble understanding why Leroux had loved her.

“Dreojen?”

Esme pointed toward one of the distant dragons. Fiona smiled. Merceron’s mate was smaller than the others, but still a powerful, magnificent sight. Suddenly she remembered the mask Jorian had drawn on her face.

“Esme, you have to take me back,” she said. “I can’t stay here. I belong with the others.”

Esme grimaced as she watched her fellow Skylords tumbling from the sky. “You will stay here,” she said. “Safe.”

Fiona couldn’t understand. “Hey, you brought them here,” she said. “What did you think would happen? You should be down there fighting with the dragons. We both should.”

“I am a Skylord,” said Esme. “I could never harm another.”

“After what they did to you? Huh. I’d be glad to fight them if they did that to me.”

Esme had no answer for her, or if she did she didn’t speak it. For Esme, speaking came with effort. Fiona supposed it was from being a bird for so long.

“Okay,” said Fiona, standing. “You can sit here and watch if you want, but I have to go.”

Esme reached up and seized her hand. “No.”

Fiona pulled free. “Esme, I have to! I promised I’d fight with them. I can’t just run away.”

“The battle is done,” said Esme. “You will stay here. Stay safe.” Her eyes fixed on Fiona, determined. “I will protect you.”

With a sigh Fiona collapsed back into the flowers. If she tried to flee, she was sure Esme would just scoop her up again.

“Moth’s out there too, you know,” she said. “Why don’t you go and find him?”

“Moth is safe.”

“How do you know?”

“He is special to Artaios. He will not be harmed.”

Puzzled, Fiona tried to locate Moth on the field, but they were too far away to see much of anything. Up in the sky she saw the Avatar, but no dragonfly, and wondered if Moth and Skyhigh were dead.

“What will happen now?” she asked. “What will you do, Esme?”

The lady lowered her chin to her knees. “I do not know.”

“Can’t you go back to the other Skylords?”

“I am an outcast now. Artaios proclaimed me so.”

“Then you can stay here, with the centaurs,” said Fiona. “I’m sure they’ll take you, just like they did me. You’ll be a hero, Esme.”

“Hero?” Esme’s expression darkened. “I am a traitor, child. If I am ever remembered for anything, it will be that.”