part of the trap. But why wasn’t the wizard attacking? What was he waiting for? How did that other kid see him? Hmm, ‘Tiberius, no.’ Maybe the boy was a dragon lover and was begging Tiberius not to kill the cute dragon? Humans did weird things like that some times. But no, that couldn’t be right.
The dragon called out again in rage and frustration, “Why don’t you show yourself! I know you are here!”
Suddenly with a sweep of its wings it leapt into the middle of the green. Tiberius felt the crash as the mighty worm hit the ground. It let out a roar and circled itself with a blast of fire. It brushed over the heads of Ti and Marcus though.
“Come, let's begin our final dance, Tiberius!” Barcharosias roared. “I’ve waited long for this day!”
Tiberius now could do nothing but wonder. What was wrong with this crazy dragon? It was ignoring him and yet calling him by name? All at once it hit him, and terror gave away to astonishment.
The dragon said, ‘it was waiting for this day.’ That was it! The dragon was just like Salina; it could see into the future. Just like her, he got confused. It could sense him, yes, but it was expecting him to be a wizard, not some teenaged kid. That creature was terrified of him, the future him. That was crazy, too. Tiberius wasn’t going to study magic ... or was he?
Tiberius looked around. That dragon had just stopped dead in its tracks because it heard his name. Clearly that wasn’t because of his skill with a bow. Tiberius didn’t want to study magic. He didn’t trust himself with that kind of power. But now he had to reconsider. His duty was to love his neighbor as himself. If he could get the power to stop that thing, could he refuse it just because there was risk? If he blew himself up or even blew up the block, was that worse than having the dragon running around? Everything he knew and loved was in clear and present danger because of that dragon, and apparently he was the one thing the dragon feared. Dad didn’t trust the magi. He thought they were dangerous, nearly as dangerous to themselves and the community as dragons. Tiberius understood, but now he could see that he needed to be as dangerous as a dragon.
Just then, he heard the clamor of hoofbeats behind him. The cavalry had arrived at last. Tiberius and Marcus breathed a sigh of relief.
The dragon heard it too. "What's wrong, wizard?” it shouted angrily. “Cowering behind your soldiers?
"Something is wrong," the dragon said with sudden determination. "I know you can hear me. I know you are near. You know we will fight, and one of us will die. I don't know why you won't show yourself, Tiberius, but very well.”
It flapped its wings and rose above the green, just out of crossbow range, but it stopped suddenly and turned around.
“Dallen, I might have known. This is some trick of yours,” it said.
Tiberius heard familiar voice behind him.
“You’ve no place here, Worm. Go back to your mountains and sleep. This gold is not for you,” Dallen answered.
“Why doesn’t he show himself! Where are you hiding Tiberius, Dallen?”
Dallen looked genuinely shocked. “Tiberius?”
Suddenly the dragon’s eyes at last fixed on Tiberius.
The dragon started to laugh. “Ho, now I understand. He’s one of your pups, isn’t he, Dallen?”
With that he breathed a stream a fire right at Tiberius, but Dallen was there and cast a shield spell, just in time. The flames bounced harmlessly off some invisible obstacle a few feet above Ti’s head.
The dragon shook its head. “Well, Tiberius, you’ve stopped me this time. I am not going to fight Dallen and all the soldiers in the Stewardship just to speed up your death. Mark my words; die you will. You cost me a fortune today.”
Dallen spoke out. “Tiberius is under my protection, Worm. While I live he
The dragon called out again in rage and frustration, “Why don’t you show yourself! I know you are here!”
Suddenly with a sweep of its wings it leapt into the middle of the green. Tiberius felt the crash as the mighty worm hit the ground. It let out a roar and circled itself with a blast of fire. It brushed over the heads of Ti and Marcus though.
“Come, let's begin our final dance, Tiberius!” Barcharosias roared. “I’ve waited long for this day!”
Tiberius now could do nothing but wonder. What was wrong with this crazy dragon? It was ignoring him and yet calling him by name? All at once it hit him, and terror gave away to astonishment.
The dragon said, ‘it was waiting for this day.’ That was it! The dragon was just like Salina; it could see into the future. Just like her, he got confused. It could sense him, yes, but it was expecting him to be a wizard, not some teenaged kid. That creature was terrified of him, the future him. That was crazy, too. Tiberius wasn’t going to study magic ... or was he?
Tiberius looked around. That dragon had just stopped dead in its tracks because it heard his name. Clearly that wasn’t because of his skill with a bow. Tiberius didn’t want to study magic. He didn’t trust himself with that kind of power. But now he had to reconsider. His duty was to love his neighbor as himself. If he could get the power to stop that thing, could he refuse it just because there was risk? If he blew himself up or even blew up the block, was that worse than having the dragon running around? Everything he knew and loved was in clear and present danger because of that dragon, and apparently he was the one thing the dragon feared. Dad didn’t trust the magi. He thought they were dangerous, nearly as dangerous to themselves and the community as dragons. Tiberius understood, but now he could see that he needed to be as dangerous as a dragon.
Just then, he heard the clamor of hoofbeats behind him. The cavalry had arrived at last. Tiberius and Marcus breathed a sigh of relief.
The dragon heard it too. "What's wrong, wizard?” it shouted angrily. “Cowering behind your soldiers?
"Something is wrong," the dragon said with sudden determination. "I know you can hear me. I know you are near. You know we will fight, and one of us will die. I don't know why you won't show yourself, Tiberius, but very well.”
It flapped its wings and rose above the green, just out of crossbow range, but it stopped suddenly and turned around.
“Dallen, I might have known. This is some trick of yours,” it said.
Tiberius heard familiar voice behind him.
“You’ve no place here, Worm. Go back to your mountains and sleep. This gold is not for you,” Dallen answered.
“Why doesn’t he show himself! Where are you hiding Tiberius, Dallen?”
Dallen looked genuinely shocked. “Tiberius?”
Suddenly the dragon’s eyes at last fixed on Tiberius.
The dragon started to laugh. “Ho, now I understand. He’s one of your pups, isn’t he, Dallen?”
With that he breathed a stream a fire right at Tiberius, but Dallen was there and cast a shield spell, just in time. The flames bounced harmlessly off some invisible obstacle a few feet above Ti’s head.
The dragon shook its head. “Well, Tiberius, you’ve stopped me this time. I am not going to fight Dallen and all the soldiers in the Stewardship just to speed up your death. Mark my words; die you will. You cost me a fortune today.”
Dallen spoke out. “Tiberius is under my protection, Worm. While I live he
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