Omensent: Revealing the Dragon (The Dragon Lord Series) by Barry Gibbons Page B

bit disappointed at not finding their old friend with the rest of his tribe.
    "I guess it's on to Mercedia." Damarius yawned, unrolling his bedroll next to the fire, then settling down. "I hope your friend will be able to help us once we reach the city."
    "He will." Damion told him confidently. "Bativa has never let me down when I needed him."
     
     
    **********
     
     
    They spent the next week rising early each morning at the break of dawn, and riding late into the night as they continued to make their way south through the seemingly endless plains. It was late in the afternoon when the massive city finally appeared in the distance, rising up from the plain like a solitary mountain amidst a sea of grass.
    Mercedia was the only permanent settlement in all of the grasslands, and had been constructed on the banks of the White River, a five mile wide canal that carved its way across the entire southern continent. The various tribes had been laboring nonstop for thousands of years to build the legendary structure, which had grown to monumental proportions. Thousands of merchants traveled to the fortress city each year in an effort to purchase the cattle and horses bred by the Deola, which were highly prized throughout the world.
    "Finally!" Leia sighed in relief at the sight of the enormous fortress. "I can't wait to sleep in a proper bed!"
    "You're beginning to sound a little like Sly." Damion teased his daughter, drawing a dirty look from both Leia and Sly. "You're going to have to wait a bit longer, I'm afraid. It's still another day's ride until we reach the city."
    "Do you think word has reached Bativa of our arrival?" Damarius asked, brushing his long flowing brow lock from his eyes absently.
    " Undoubtedly." Damion replied confidently. "I'd be surprised if we didn't find him waiting for us when we arrive."
    Th at evening, they pulled off into a small clearing which was located a few dozen feet from the trade road and set up camp.
    Once he had finished looking to the horses and gathering enough firewood to see them through the night, Damion went to find his wife, who was busy looking through the packs containing their supplies.
    "It doesn't look good, I'm afraid." Raven looked up with a frown. "All we have left is some dried herbs, a bag of onions, and some flour. I don't think there's much I can make out of that."
    "I guess I can take Snowfeather and see what we can hunt up," The huge warrior frowned. "but I really don't want to leave you and Leia alone."
    "We'll be fine." She told him with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, we won't be alone. We'll have the others with us."
    " Okay, I'll go." He gave in reluctantly. He turned to look to his familiar, who was perched on the branch of a nearby shrub, sleeping with his head tucked beneath one wing. "Would you care to join me in hunting up a bit of dinner?" He inquired politely, knowing the huge snow owl had spent a great deal of the previous few weeks circling high overhead, on the lookout for any danger.
    "Of course." Snowfeather replied almost immediately. "You'd probably go hungry if I didn't come along."
    "I'm going to go hunt us up some dinner." Damion told the others. "I should be back before too long." He looked to Slither, who was lurking in the shadows cast by their campfire. "Make sure you stick close to Leia and Raven. I don't want anything to happen to them while I'm away."
    "Of courssse." The huge shadowspawn assured him with a nod.
    "We'll be fine." Leia told him with a dismi ssive wave. "Nothing is going to happen. Sometimes you're just like a mother hen."
    He gave the young girl a kiss on her forehead, then moved off into the darkness with Snowfeather ghosting silently overhead.
    Once he was away from the camp, Damion drew in his magic and shifted into the form of a panther. He paused for a moment, allowing his heightened senses to take in the night, then slipped off through the tall grass in search of prey.
    "There's a fairly la rge group of wild pigs not far