dealing with dragons. They will chew you up, armor and all, and then spit out a crumpled ball of metal. I’ve seen it happen.”
“It isn’t to protect me from the dragons, man.” King Chad grinned even wider than he already was. “I wear this stuff to strike fear in my enemies, and more importantly, to protect me from the unseen archer, or the crafty bladesman.” His look turned cold, and his face grew splotchy and agitated. “I got that slash while dispatching two of Mala-Kar’s best assassins. I didn’t see the third one come at me from behind, but Baru’s brother did. Had I not been wearing this getup that day, I would be dead or maimed.”
“What happened to Karid?” Richard knew his name from conversations he’d had with Baru.
“He took the poisoned shaft meant for me, and died a hero's death!”
Richard decided he had better be careful from now on. The king wasn’t nearly as soft as he had thought though, and the man had a mean streak, he was sure. Collaring a dragon would be treacherous work on its own. Only after he had done so would he begin to make a real plan. Some things were just a lot easier to do from a dragon’s back.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
J enka was certain Zahrellion had taken the children deep into the Orich Mountains. Her dragon supposedly had a lair in some icy valley that no man could manage by ordinary means. Jenka could feel his son’s blood in the distant north, and he could feel Amelia’s whole essence, or at least the alien part of it he seemed to be connected to now. Knowing their mother and Crystal the way he did, he had little to worry about. If he did worry, though, he could seek out Amelia’s familiarity and observe them through her young mind.
Jenka knew that Clover and Rikky were nearing the end of the tunnel they were traversing. He also knew that Golden was carrying Linux to the flats out by Swineherd’s pig farm, where they were all about to gather. He listened to everything the Dragoneers and Clover said across the ethereal, and sometimes their thoughts, too. He would be there to make the final plan with them, but he had something of the utmost importance to do first.
Jenka and Jade went into hyper-flight and caught up to Silva in a matter of moments. They followed the pewter-colored wyrm all the way to Clover’s castleand then dismounted. Jenka immediately sent Silva back to find Rikky and the others. He then carried Aikira down to her apartment. Jenka closed the door to her room behind them. He knew he was no healer, not like Rikky was, but he also knew he was easily ten times as powerful as the rest of the Dragoneers and their dragon tears combined. The plethora of anatomical knowledge he’d gained from the alien shapeshifter came to him naturally, and he channeled all of his dour into healing her.
When he was finished, he was exhausted, but he hadn’t had true sleep in years, so he ignored his fatigue and let the dour fill him to brimming yet again. He ordered a dozen rangers, and even an unoccupied ogre, to watch over her, and once he and Jade were flying again, he decided that Aikira had a fair chance of not being crippled, but she had no chance of being the old agile Aikira again. It was miraculous that little Rikky Camille had healed her enough to be toted this far.
Rikky’s strength of will, uncanny healing ability, and easy manner made it hard to be angry at him over the fact that he was in love with Zahrellion. It pained Jenka to think about the situation, though, so he forced it out of his mind.
Remembering Aikira’s lumpy, swollen body was enough to properly motivate him. It didn’t take long to get his thoughts back on track. He, like Clover and her dragon, wanted to end these wizards and their creatures. Jenka, though,would fly their heads back to wherever they came from and hang their bodies from the lantern poles along the docks, or dump them in the town square.
Golden was groaning over the full truth of her bond-mate’s condition. Her
“It isn’t to protect me from the dragons, man.” King Chad grinned even wider than he already was. “I wear this stuff to strike fear in my enemies, and more importantly, to protect me from the unseen archer, or the crafty bladesman.” His look turned cold, and his face grew splotchy and agitated. “I got that slash while dispatching two of Mala-Kar’s best assassins. I didn’t see the third one come at me from behind, but Baru’s brother did. Had I not been wearing this getup that day, I would be dead or maimed.”
“What happened to Karid?” Richard knew his name from conversations he’d had with Baru.
“He took the poisoned shaft meant for me, and died a hero's death!”
Richard decided he had better be careful from now on. The king wasn’t nearly as soft as he had thought though, and the man had a mean streak, he was sure. Collaring a dragon would be treacherous work on its own. Only after he had done so would he begin to make a real plan. Some things were just a lot easier to do from a dragon’s back.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
J enka was certain Zahrellion had taken the children deep into the Orich Mountains. Her dragon supposedly had a lair in some icy valley that no man could manage by ordinary means. Jenka could feel his son’s blood in the distant north, and he could feel Amelia’s whole essence, or at least the alien part of it he seemed to be connected to now. Knowing their mother and Crystal the way he did, he had little to worry about. If he did worry, though, he could seek out Amelia’s familiarity and observe them through her young mind.
Jenka knew that Clover and Rikky were nearing the end of the tunnel they were traversing. He also knew that Golden was carrying Linux to the flats out by Swineherd’s pig farm, where they were all about to gather. He listened to everything the Dragoneers and Clover said across the ethereal, and sometimes their thoughts, too. He would be there to make the final plan with them, but he had something of the utmost importance to do first.
Jenka and Jade went into hyper-flight and caught up to Silva in a matter of moments. They followed the pewter-colored wyrm all the way to Clover’s castleand then dismounted. Jenka immediately sent Silva back to find Rikky and the others. He then carried Aikira down to her apartment. Jenka closed the door to her room behind them. He knew he was no healer, not like Rikky was, but he also knew he was easily ten times as powerful as the rest of the Dragoneers and their dragon tears combined. The plethora of anatomical knowledge he’d gained from the alien shapeshifter came to him naturally, and he channeled all of his dour into healing her.
When he was finished, he was exhausted, but he hadn’t had true sleep in years, so he ignored his fatigue and let the dour fill him to brimming yet again. He ordered a dozen rangers, and even an unoccupied ogre, to watch over her, and once he and Jade were flying again, he decided that Aikira had a fair chance of not being crippled, but she had no chance of being the old agile Aikira again. It was miraculous that little Rikky Camille had healed her enough to be toted this far.
Rikky’s strength of will, uncanny healing ability, and easy manner made it hard to be angry at him over the fact that he was in love with Zahrellion. It pained Jenka to think about the situation, though, so he forced it out of his mind.
Remembering Aikira’s lumpy, swollen body was enough to properly motivate him. It didn’t take long to get his thoughts back on track. He, like Clover and her dragon, wanted to end these wizards and their creatures. Jenka, though,would fly their heads back to wherever they came from and hang their bodies from the lantern poles along the docks, or dump them in the town square.
Golden was groaning over the full truth of her bond-mate’s condition. Her
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