A second dragon, slimmer and of a lighter hue, landed between them and the first dragon, shadow dappling its spiny back. Both shouted in the draconic language, each retort louder than the previous one.
Wobbly and massaging his head, Tibalt looked over Randall’s shoulder. “That critter slung me like a dead cat.”
“Good thing you have nine lives.” Randall spied his gleaming blade near a patch of burning leaves. “I need to get my sword. Otherwise, when this dragon battle is over, we might be the prize.”
“Dinner for one?”
“Exactly.”
“Then what are we doing here? The last I heard, the mice don’t wait around to see who wins the cat fight.”
“True, but I’m hoping one of the cats might be on our side.”
The second dragon switched to the human tongue. “We need not kill them. I will assume responsibility and take them to Taushin myself.”
“You are a betrayer, just like your mate,” the drone said. “I cannot trust anyone in Arxad’s family to act according to Taushin’s wishes.”
“She must be Fellina,” Randall whispered. “Jason told me about her. She
is
on our side.”
“Stay there. I’m smaller than you.” Tibalt dropped to his belly and slithered toward the sword.
Fellina growled. “Leave them be, or prepare to fight.”
“You think you can fight me?” The drone snorted. “You are a mere female!”
“I find it comical that a drone would make an issue of gender. You boast as if you still possess masculinity, though your whiny voice proves its absence.”
“Be silent! Your mindless chatter will let them get away!” The drone flew toward Randall, but Fellina leaped in front of him. When they collided, the two bit and clawed at each other. Snapping jaws and piercing shrieks ripped through the clearing. Wings flailed, and tails swung and thumped. Fellina pushed her way on top and, like a striking adder, thrust her gaping mouth at the drone’s neck again and again, but hard scales repelled every blow.
The drone slapped Fellina with his tail and rolled over her. Now on top, he clawed at her vulnerable spot.
“Help her out!” Tibalt tossed the sword. As it rotated, Randall timed the hilt’s arrival, snatched it out of the air, and charged. He dove between the two dragons and plunged the blade into the drone’s belly. Blood spewed over his legs and spread over Fellina’s scales.
The drone snapped at Randall, but he rolled out of the way just in time. Fellina was not as fortunate; its teeth gouged her underbelly. While Fellina thrashed, Randall hacked at the drone’s neck with all his might. After several blows, the neck severed, and the drone’s body rolledto the side, though the head, with a foot or so of neck dangling, stayed attached to Fellina’s abdomen.
“Be still!” Randall shouted. “Let me check your wounds.”
“I will not!” Fellina batted the head away and rolled upright, beating both wings to balance. Scarlet blood covered her belly, but it was impossible to tell how much of it belonged to the drone. “I will not have the teeth of one of Taushin’s brutes spearing me for another second.”
As she heaved deep breaths, every exhale carried a shower of sparks that drizzled over the underbrush and ignited small fires.
“Well done,” Randall whispered.
“Yep.” Tibalt rose to his feet, brushed himself off, and called out, “You sure taught that drone a thing or two!”
Fellina’s eyes flashed. “Do you think I rejoice in this conquest?” She glared at Tibalt, again spewing sparks-filled breaths. “Did I kill a dragon to rescue a pair of fools?”
Tibalt backed away, a finger raised. “Apparently at least one fool who can’t keep his mouth shut when he’s supposed to.”
Taking a deep breath, Randall steeled his trembling legs and strode closer to her. “Please accept my sincere apologies, Fellina. My friend was in a dungeon for decades, and he sometimes doesn’t think before he speaks. We are in your debt.”
The fire in
Wobbly and massaging his head, Tibalt looked over Randall’s shoulder. “That critter slung me like a dead cat.”
“Good thing you have nine lives.” Randall spied his gleaming blade near a patch of burning leaves. “I need to get my sword. Otherwise, when this dragon battle is over, we might be the prize.”
“Dinner for one?”
“Exactly.”
“Then what are we doing here? The last I heard, the mice don’t wait around to see who wins the cat fight.”
“True, but I’m hoping one of the cats might be on our side.”
The second dragon switched to the human tongue. “We need not kill them. I will assume responsibility and take them to Taushin myself.”
“You are a betrayer, just like your mate,” the drone said. “I cannot trust anyone in Arxad’s family to act according to Taushin’s wishes.”
“She must be Fellina,” Randall whispered. “Jason told me about her. She
is
on our side.”
“Stay there. I’m smaller than you.” Tibalt dropped to his belly and slithered toward the sword.
Fellina growled. “Leave them be, or prepare to fight.”
“You think you can fight me?” The drone snorted. “You are a mere female!”
“I find it comical that a drone would make an issue of gender. You boast as if you still possess masculinity, though your whiny voice proves its absence.”
“Be silent! Your mindless chatter will let them get away!” The drone flew toward Randall, but Fellina leaped in front of him. When they collided, the two bit and clawed at each other. Snapping jaws and piercing shrieks ripped through the clearing. Wings flailed, and tails swung and thumped. Fellina pushed her way on top and, like a striking adder, thrust her gaping mouth at the drone’s neck again and again, but hard scales repelled every blow.
The drone slapped Fellina with his tail and rolled over her. Now on top, he clawed at her vulnerable spot.
“Help her out!” Tibalt tossed the sword. As it rotated, Randall timed the hilt’s arrival, snatched it out of the air, and charged. He dove between the two dragons and plunged the blade into the drone’s belly. Blood spewed over his legs and spread over Fellina’s scales.
The drone snapped at Randall, but he rolled out of the way just in time. Fellina was not as fortunate; its teeth gouged her underbelly. While Fellina thrashed, Randall hacked at the drone’s neck with all his might. After several blows, the neck severed, and the drone’s body rolledto the side, though the head, with a foot or so of neck dangling, stayed attached to Fellina’s abdomen.
“Be still!” Randall shouted. “Let me check your wounds.”
“I will not!” Fellina batted the head away and rolled upright, beating both wings to balance. Scarlet blood covered her belly, but it was impossible to tell how much of it belonged to the drone. “I will not have the teeth of one of Taushin’s brutes spearing me for another second.”
As she heaved deep breaths, every exhale carried a shower of sparks that drizzled over the underbrush and ignited small fires.
“Well done,” Randall whispered.
“Yep.” Tibalt rose to his feet, brushed himself off, and called out, “You sure taught that drone a thing or two!”
Fellina’s eyes flashed. “Do you think I rejoice in this conquest?” She glared at Tibalt, again spewing sparks-filled breaths. “Did I kill a dragon to rescue a pair of fools?”
Tibalt backed away, a finger raised. “Apparently at least one fool who can’t keep his mouth shut when he’s supposed to.”
Taking a deep breath, Randall steeled his trembling legs and strode closer to her. “Please accept my sincere apologies, Fellina. My friend was in a dungeon for decades, and he sometimes doesn’t think before he speaks. We are in your debt.”
The fire in
Similar Books
