Two Necromancers, a Dragon, and a Vampire (The Unconventional Heroes Series Book 3)

by L. G. Estrella

  The dragon bared his teeth and hopped up and down in excitement. He crouched low to the ground and then took to the air with a powerful jump and several beats of his wings. Katie watched him go. He was still a bit awkward to watch when he was on the ground, but he’d already grown surprisingly graceful in the air. Perhaps there was something to the old legends that spoke of dragons as being born to fly. Spot certainly was.

  Katie gathered her magic and rose up to join him. Amanda followed after them. Much like Spot, the vampire seemed to enjoy chasing after Katie, and the girl sometimes wondered if she should be more worried about Amanda making a meal out of her than Spot. The dragon, at least, appeared to have classified her as something other than food, and he genuinely enjoyed her company. When he wasn’t with Avraniel or the demolition rats, he was either with her or her master while they went about their daily business. It was harder to tell what Amanda thought since most of the time she acted the part of a sophisticated, often coquettish, aristocrat. However, Katie had once seen her examining cattle with Spot. The two of them had been discussing which one looked the tastiest.

  Although her master had allowed Amanda to stay at the castle, he had also taken precautions in case Amanda became problematic. And it wasn’t like Katie was helpless. Her shadows could cut the flesh of even someone as sturdy as Amanda if she put enough magic into them, and necromancy could be used against vampires since they were members of the undead. Sure, necromancy wouldn’t be enough to kill Amanda, but in a castle full of zombies and ninja rats, all Katie had to do if Amanda attacked was buy time. She could even fly away since she was better in the air than the vampire although Amanda undoubtedly had some tricks up her sleeve. Of course, she didn’t think Amanda was likely to lash out. The former councillor appeared to be enjoying her time back in Everton, and she had already begun to redecorate her chambers in the castle to give them a more distinctive atmosphere.

  “Okay, Spot.” Katie flapped over to the dragon. These flights, which took place each morning, had proven to be quite helpful for both of them, and they had improved by learning from each other. “Time to stretch your wings.”

  The dragon roared as Katie folded her shadowy wings and dove, picking up speed before spreading them to climb back upward. Their flight began above the courtyard and took them around the castle. They weaved around, over, and under the castle’s towers, bridges, and other monuments. Katie had gained a new appreciation for the castle and its bizarre but strangely beautiful design. It seemed as though each of her master’s predecessors had added something to the castle, and none of them had been particularly concerned with making sure that what they added fit well with what was already there. Katie waved to a few of the workmen as they passed. The poor fellows had been shocked when Spot had first flown overhead, but they’d relaxed considerably once they realised Spot wasn’t about to eat any of them. With their warm up complete, Katie led Spot through another circuit around the castle, going much faster this time and cutting much closer to the obstacles in their path.

  One of the things that Katie had already changed about her wings as a result of these training sessions was their shape and angle. It was one thing to examine a dragon’s wings in an illustration or after they had been turned into a zombie. It was another thing altogether to see Spot use his wings with instinctive ease, adjusting their shape and angle on the fly for maximum speed and control. Katie was learning to do the same although she had a lot of practice ahead of her. She’d also added a tail with her shadows to go with her wings after seeing how Spot was able to use even his stubby tail to improve his stability and manoeuvrability in the air. She was amazed she hadn’t added a tail earlier. Birds had tails. Wyverns and drakes had tails. Even dragons had tails. Since she’d modelled her wings on those of a dragon, it made perfect sense to try mimicking the tail of a dragon as well.

  After their second time around the castle, they banked away. The wind rushed past them as they picked up speed and raced toward the forest. This was one of her favourite parts of training with Spot. She had to push herself to keep up with the young dragon although she doubted that she’d be able to keep up forever, no matter how skilled she became. There was probably nothing alive that could best the speed of an adult dragon in the air, but it was still thrilling to test her limits, to feel wind against her face and wonder how much faster she could go.

  They reached the forest, and Katie dove. This was where things got tricky. They had to manoeuvre back and forth through the trees. It was an even more difficult test of agility, and both she and Spot had run into trees before. Spot was already tough enough to shake off the impact with nothing more than an unhappy grunt and a few angry blasts of fire, and Katie’s shadows protected her from anything worse than some bruises. However, flying into a tree at full speed was still not pleasant, and they had both improved markedly over the past week.

  Spot wove in and out of the trees and scared a group of squirrels as he shot past them. His wings beat furiously as he turned and followed Katie out of the makeshift obstacle course and up into the open air above the forest. The dragon gave her a toothy grin, and the rats that had come along for a ride waved from their positions on Spot’s back. They were all wearing goggles, and they had somehow managed to cling onto the dragon’s scales tightly enough to avoid falling off. Katie smiled back and angled toward the lake. This was the part she definitely had to practice more. Flying was something she was already familiar with. Moving through the water? Not so much.

  Katie wrapped some shadows around herself to form a thin layer of armour around her entire body. Another shadow formed into a sphere to capture some air, and she folded her wings and dove down into the chilly waters of the lake. Spot was right behind her, and his body speared through the surface of the lake with barely a ripple.

  One of Spot’s biggest advantages was how good his eyesight was. He had no problems seeing in the dark, and the waters of the lake didn’t trouble him either. By the time he was an adult, his eyesight would be even better, surpassing the vision of all but the most gifted of elves. Katie struggled to keep up with him as he darted through the water, using his wings to propel him as he twisted and turned through the large rings that her master’s zombies had set up inside the lake. That was the nice thing about top-class zombies. Not only was drowning not a problem but they could also swim and dive.

  Once both of them had gone through the course, which spanned the breadth and depth of the lake, they burst out of the water and did a slow circuit of the shore. Spot nodded at something, and Katie followed his gaze. She couldn’t quite make out the figure next to the lake, but as they got closer, she realised it was Old Man. He was fishing, and Rembrandt and a few other rats were preparing a fire in anticipation of a fish or two for an early breakfast. Katie smiled and waved as Spot breathed a jet of fire into the air. It was nice to see Old Man and Rembrandt getting along, and fishing was a nice way to start the day. There were even some locals further along the shore, and they waved back nervously as Katie and Spot flew past. They did another two laps of the lake before Amanda finally caught up to them. The vampire wasn’t as fast in the air as Katie or Spot, but it was hard to see how she could be. Amanda didn’t have wings or a tail. She simply floated in the air courtesy of her vampiric powers.

  “That was certainly enjoyable.” Amanda drifted over to Katie. In the interests of practicality, she had forgone a dress in favour of a finely made, black blouse trimmed with crimson and a pair of tight-fitting trousers of the same design. She also wore a pair of dark brown boots and a black belt with a silver buckle in the shape of a griffin. It was most likely a tribute to the House of Arthurs since they were well known for raising good war griffins, and their coat of arms also featured the mighty animal. “Your master definitely knows how to set up a challenging obstacle course. I do wish I had been given the benefit of such training when I was first learning to fly.”

  Katie jerked backward as Spot nudged her with his head. He was getting bigger, all right. “I t
hink it’s more that he doesn’t want Avraniel to set up her own training course. If she did it, there would be way more fire and explosions. I’m not sure the castle would survive.”

  “Indeed.” Amanda glanced down at the lake. “Did you enjoy your time in the water?”

  Katie shrugged. “It’s okay. You’re welcome to give the underwater course a try if you want.”

  Amanda’s expression turned slightly pained. “Alas, vampires and water do not get along particularly well. I am sure you have heard of the effect that living water is supposed to have on us.” Katie nodded. Some of the old legends spoke of how living water – water found in streams, rivers, lakes, and the sea – could not be crossed by vampires. “The legends are not entirely correct. We can cross living water. However, being fully immersed in it is not a pleasant experience. As an ancient vampire of considerable power, it is no more than an inconvenience to me, but it is an inconvenience I would prefer to avoid.” She sighed. “But I suppose I shall give it a try tomorrow. It is foolish to run from our weaknesses since a skilled opponent will most assuredly use them against us.” Her lips curved, baring her elongated canines. “Would you like to see something interesting?”

  “It depends.” Katie had learned the hard way to always ask for clarification first. Sometimes, her master asked her to do something interesting – only to foist more of his paperwork on her. “What do you have in mind?”

  “I believe you are familiar with the legends regarding the gaseous form that some vampires can take.”

  Katie laughed as Spot stopped flapping his wings and draped himself over her, so he could rummage through her pockets. She’d forgotten about the pouch full of nuts she’d left there yesterday, and the dragon prodded her with his head until she opened the pouch and tipped the nuts into his mouth. “Do you have a gaseous form?”

  Amanda’s blue eyes turned crimson and violet. “Give me a moment. Because of… certain things that were done to me in the Nameless Citadel, I am only now regaining my full power.” Her lips curved up into a wicked smirk. “I shall have to thank your master for all of the excellent… nourishment he has organised for me.” She closed her eyes. “Watch.”

  Katie gasped as Amanda’s body dissolved into a cloud of crimson and violet gas. The cloud shifted with the breeze for a moment before it shot off like a comet. It moved much faster than Amanda had been able to fly. It stopped and then moved back and forth before racing off again.

  Spot’s eyes were drawn to the cloud. Katie wondered what he saw with the enhanced vision that came courtesy of his being part astral dragon. Chase?

  “It does seem like we’re supposed to chase her.” Katie flapped her wings. “Okay. Let’s see if we can catch her.”

  It turned out that although Amanda was much faster in her gaseous form, her manoeuvrability was much worse. The vampire could move very swiftly in a straight line. However, turning was a lot more difficult, and she slowed down considerably. In contrast, she’d been able to bank and turn far more sharply without losing speed when she was flying normally. It took them about ten minutes to catch the vampire, and Katie laughed as Amanda returned to her corporeal form just in time for Spot to tackle her in mid-air. The force of the impact would likely have broken half the bones in Katie’s body, but Spot had already learned to moderate the force he used when interacting with others. When playing around with Katie, he was far gentler since he’d realised that she was far more fragile than either Amanda or Avraniel. It was the same with the rats. When Spot played with his tiny friends, chasing after them and grabbing them in his claws, he was always careful not to hurt them. He’d even developed enough control to pick up the rats with his mouth without harming them with his razor-sharp teeth. Amanda was a different story. He’d learned that she was incredibly durable, so he didn’t have to hold back.

  “Careful there, little dragon.” Amanda chuckled as Spot nuzzled against her cheek. The dragon was puzzled by how cool her flesh was compared to the others, but she was the first vampire he’d met. “And please be careful around my clothes. I cannot simply keep buying new ones since I find myself somewhat lacking in funds…” It went unsaid that everything Amanda had with her had been seized when she’d been captured. Fortunately, she hadn’t had anything too important with her, and she was entitled to several accounts she’d established under pseudonyms before she had faked her death. The banks responsible for those accounts had survived into the present day, and the accounts had accrued a considerable amount of interest over the centuries. Unfortunately, it would take some time to develop a plan that allowed her to access those accounts without giving away her identity. The Council wanted to keep her return a secret as long as possible.

  “And you should conserve your energy, Spot. Unless I am mistaken, you still have some training to do.” Amanda pointed at the castle. “Perhaps we should go and finish the rest of your training now.”

  The three of them flew back to the castle and circled it. Targets had been set up. It was something Katie’s master wasn’t enthusiastic about, but Avraniel had insisted, pointing out that if they ever had to besiege anything, Spot could prove to be very useful, especially once he got bigger. The targets, not unlike those used for archery, were set up in parts of the castle that had been specially prepared with runes and seals to ensure the castle remained unharmed. Only once Spot had demonstrated that he was accurate enough to consistently hit targets at a reasonable distance on the testing field the demolition rats used was he given the go ahead to aim for the targets scattered around the castle. And when it came to blasting large areas with his fire, Spot still had to use the field. Normal fire couldn’t burn the castle down, but Spot’s fire was a different story.

  “Go on, Spot.” Katie urged him on. “Go for it.”

  “Burn them all!” Avraniel bellowed from the walls, waving her arms around like a madman. “Come on, Spot! Show these dorks what a real dragon can do!”

  Spot needed no further encouragement. The dragon lanced forward like a bolt from a crossbow. He unleashed a jagged tongue of flame at the first target. The attack hit cleanly, and the wooden target dissolved into a pyre of black flame. But Spot barely noticed since he had never stopped moving, his keen eyes picking out the targets. Timmy and Avraniel moved them each time – or rather they told some zombies to move them – and Spot hardly skipped a beat before belching out three bursts of flame, one after the other.

  It was impressive, Katie thought. Spot’s accuracy had already been good, and he was becoming increasingly skilled at attacking from long range and at waiting until the very last moment to attack. Both skills would serve him well in combat, and Katie had helped her master dig up as many accounts of dragon attacks as they could to try to identify the best ways for Spot to use his fire. He still wasn’t as agile in the air while he was breathing his fire as when he wasn’t, but he should improve with time and practice. It was actually a little scary. Katie had never understood how dragons, even young ones, could be so ferocious, but she understood now. There was something instinctive – something primal in their blood and their very nature – that pushed dragons to fight and test their abilities. Spot had already gotten into several scuffles with some of the larger zombies, and her master had encouraged him to try his luck against them on a regular basis. Short of finding another dragon for Spot to wrestle with, it was the best way for him to learn how to fight.

  Spot finished off the last of the targets and landed beside Avraniel. The elf immediately lavished him with praise, and the pair ambled off for his morning feeding. Of course, Katie’s master had come up with a way to make even feeding fun and educational for the dragon. Katie and Amanda both landed as some zombies lurched out of the castle with a cage full of pigeons and a large container of what Katie strongly suspected had once been a cow. The zombies opened the cage, and the pigeons hurried off.

  “Give them a second,” Avraniel chided as she held Spot back. “It’s too easy if you go after them right away. Give them a head start. It’ll be
more fun if you give them a chance.” She waited a moment longer and then cackled. “All right. Get them, Spot!”

  Katie winced as Spot made short work of the pigeons. She couldn’t help but feel a bit bad for the birds. They simply weren’t fast enough to avoid a hungry dragon that could use fire too. The pigeons weren’t very filling, but they were fun to chase, and they gave Spot practice at hitting small moving targets. There was more fun in store for the dragon as the zombies tossed chunks of cow over the side of the wall. Spot dove after each chunk, gleefully snatching them up in his jaws. Once he’d eaten his fill, he headed back to the courtyard where there was some rock and ore waiting for him. A few blasts of fire would ensure that he had some molten rock and molten metal to eat.

  “It is truly remarkable how much he has improved in only the past week.” Amanda took another sip from the gourd at her waist. It was definitely blood. She caught Katie staring and moved to offer some before realising what she’d done. “Ah, my apologies. Amongst vampires, it is customary to offer a companion a sip of whatever blood you might have on hand at a time like this.” She paused as Avraniel and Spot lobbed fire at each other before the dragon settled down to enjoy the rest of his breakfast. “I have been meaning to ask, but is this normal? When I was last in Everton, the poor fools who were trying to train dragons ended up in their stomachs.”

  “To be honest,” Katie said. “We’re making things up as we go along. It’s something my master is good at, now that I think about it. Everyone else who has tried to raise dragons has been, well, eaten or burned to death. Sometimes both. I think the only reason Spot didn’t come after us after he hatched is because we’ve got Avraniel. She meets all of the criteria baby dragons have for who their parents are. Spot thinks Avraniel is his mother and, for all intents and purposes, she is.” Katie’s gaze drifted over to where Avraniel had begun to melt some of the rock for Spot, showing the dragon how to melt the rock without creating a mess.