The Flame Dragon

by J. R. Castle

  Ignus shook his enormous red head. ‘We will, but not yet. Not while this village remains defenceless. When the Black Guard come and they discover the village has sheltered a Dragon Knight and the true Emperor, they will kill everyone in it. I cannot allow that to happen. We must move carefully. The Black Guard cannot know.’

  He’d hardly finished speaking when a cry started further up in the village.

  ‘The Black Guard! They’re coming!’

  CHAPTER 16

  FLIGHT AND FIGHT

  Ignus transformed in an instant. His dragonform fell away in a rush of air. Scales faded into skin and his wings and tail withdrew. Within moments, the blacksmith was standing there, staring at the burning wreckage of his cottage from the village square.

  ‘Fetch buckets,’ Areck shouted. ‘We may be able to hide Ignus’s transformation yet.’

  ‘If they find a dragon in our village they’ll tear us to pieces,’ Alysa cried.

  As the band of guards approached the village, the villagers tossed buckets of water and sand onto the cottage. At the sight of the twenty-strong Black Guard they dropped their buckets and bowed. Quinn, Thea and Ignus dropped beside them.

  Some of the guards dismounted and looked suspiciously on the burning wreckage of the building, but they didn’t give the villagers permission to rise. Beside him, Quinn felt the heat coming off Ignus in waves as the villagers cowered in fear.

  Two of the Guard kicked their way through the ruins, lifting up charred timbers and shoving aside collapsed walls. Quinn recognised them as Jarin and Rowena and cursed under his breath.

  ‘What’s happened here?’ Jarin demanded. ‘What is capable of such destruction?’

  ‘An accident.’ Ignus rose from the ground to address them. It looked like he was trying to steer them away from Quinn and Thea.

  ‘A likely story,’ Rowena grunted. ‘We’re looking for two runaway trainees from the Guard. Maybe they had something to do with it?’ She turned to look at the villagers. ‘We were told they were here. You will turn them over to us now or you will all pay the price. Prove your loyalty, or die!’

  None of the villagers moved. They kept their faces pressed into the dirt.

  Quinn looked down, desperate not to be spotted. The villagers are risking their lives for us, he thought. If we don’t do something they’ll be killed!

  When no one spoke, Rowena gestured to Jarin and the rest of the small band. ‘Separate the children. We’ll check them one at a time. And then …’ she laughed, ‘we’ll kill them one at a time. We’ll soon see how long their silence lasts.’

  Jarin moved through the crowd, hauling young children away from their parents and shoving them to stand on the other side of the street. Quinn and Thea exchanged a helpless look – it was only a matter of time before he’d reach them.

  Suddenly the sound of horses’ hooves echoed down the street; a cloud of dust rose from the road. Quinn’s heart sank as the dirt haze cleared and he saw the familiar figure of Captain Goric ride into the village. Quinn gestured to Thea and together they tried to merge with the crowd of villagers. Quinn prayed that someone would cause a diversion. Maybe they would be able to sneak away.

  Goric leapt from his horse and stamped over to the children. His eyes were wild with fury.

  ‘Where are they?’ he demanded.

  The children looked on, bewildered. Some of them started to sob.

  On the far side of the road, Quinn saw Ignus getting angrier and angrier. His hands were clenching and unclenching; the big muscles in his shoulders were heaving under his shirt. Steam drifted from his mouth up into the hot air.

  Goric grabbed a boy from the crowd and leaned in close, his face twisting in a menacing scowl. The boy couldn’t have been more than seven years old. Goric hoisted him up into the air and drew his sword.

  ‘Someone is going to tell me!’ Goric shouted. ‘Or you will watch this boy die.’

  NO!

  Quinn knew he had no choice. He couldn’t let Goric kill the boy. He took a step forward and pushed his way through the crowds.

  ‘We’re here!’ he shouted desperately.

  Goric turned to where Quinn was standing and dropped the boy on the dirt. His eyes flashed like a weary predator who’d finally spotted its prey.

  ‘You!’ he sneered as he marched over, sword held high in the air. Never mind returning to the garrison, Quinn would be killed.

  But before Goric had a chance to grab Quinn by the throat, there was a gigantic roar from the crowd of villagers.

  ‘Ignus, wait!’ Quinn shouted, but it was too late.

  Ignus tipped back his head. A torrent of smoke exploded out of his mouth. An inhuman bellow erupted from his throat and there, in front of the Black Guard, Ignus transformed.

  ‘What?’ Goric cursed. ‘It can’t be!’

  The guards stumbled back in shock. There hadn’t been a full-grown dragon in the Islands for twelve years. Most of the guards had never seen one, and they’d never expected to face a real Dragon Knight.

  Ignus turned on them. Fire ripped from his throat, tearing into a group of guards. They fell back, screaming. Ignus roared again, leaping forward. Claws flashed out, ripping through the magical black armour with a devastating screech of tearing metal. The armour could stop most weapons, but it was no match for a furious dragon.

  The guards fell back, shouting and yelling, but none of them were willing to approach Ignus, and Quinn didn’t blame them. They spent their time bullying villagers, stealing and executing unarmed peasants. Now, suddenly, they were faced with a real foe.

  With a beat of his wings, Ignus lifted off the ground, sending dust swirling across the square. He swooped above the village, blowing carefully directed bursts of fire over the guards. Quinn watched as he saw Rowena burst into flames, her armour no match for Ignus’s power.

  ‘Woah!’ Thea gasped.

  Goric screamed with rage and went on the offensive. He had been in Vayn’s army when they had taken the Imperial Castle and he’d fought Dragon Knights before – there was no way he’d let Ignus get away without a fight.

  ‘Attack formation!’ he shouted, raising his magical shield. ‘To me!’

  Guards came running and formed a wedge behind Goric. His magical sword glittered frosty and blue in the air.

  Ignus swooped down. His claws grasped a group of guards attempting to shelter behind the houses and tossed them over the roofs. Quinn saw the familiar figure of Jarin go flying through the air and come crashing down like a sack of potatoes.

  ‘Forward!’ Goric screamed. His formation of Black Guard advanced, hiding behind their shields. Archers raced to their flanks, notching arrows to their strings.

  Ignus swung around and sent a blast of fire towards them. Goric lifted his shield. Magic sparkled, and the fire cascaded off it, burning the ground around the guards, but leaving Goric unharmed. His cruel face twisted into a laugh.

  ‘The Emperor has not left us defenceless against your evil, Dragon Knight,’ Goric shouted. Behind him, his men loosed their arrows. One bounced from Ignus’s thick scales, but the other lodged in one of his wings. He let out another roar of fury.

  Quinn turned to see Areck and Alysa transform. Areck’s body twisted and jerked. Heat rose from him in waves. In seconds, a flame dragon crouched on the street, like Ignus, but smaller. Alysa bent over, and her body elongated and darkened. She seemed to flicker, as though mist was drifting between her and Quinn. She transformed into a stone-grey dragon and stood next to Areck, ready to fight.

  The two dragons launched into the air to join Ignus.

  Quinn and Thea watched in awe as the dragons joined forces against the Black Guard. Areck and Alysa weren’t nearly as large or powerful as Ignus, but the Guard couldn’t defend in three directions at once. Areck picked up a burning tree and dropped it into the formation of Black Guard, forcing them to scatter. Alysa dived down, snatching up the fleeing guards and dropping them from high above the village. Alysa, the tracker, had no problem twisti
ng and turning the torrent of arrows, homing in on her next battle. Ignus’s great bursts of flame sent whole groups of guards scurrying for cover.

  But the guards with bows and arrows were causing trouble. The arrows had been magically enchanted, and they were firing harder and faster than ordinary arrows. The dragons had to dodge and twist in the air. Even if they missed on the way up, the arrows would pose a threat once more as they swooped back down.

  Areck darted down onto the battlefield and opened his mouth, puffing out an enormous cloud of smoke. Alysa beat her wings and sent the swirling smoke across the battlefield. The blinding screen of fog hid the dragons from the guards, giving them a chance to mount a fresh attack.

  ‘Take hostages!’ Goric yelled to his men. ‘Use villagers as shields.’

  Quinn stared at Thea in horror.

  ‘We’ve got to do something,’ she shouted.

  ‘Quick, to the forge … we have to arm them,’ Quinn said.

  Quinn and Thea ordered the villagers to try to reach Ignus’s forge, running for their lives across the square and away from the guards.

  Suddenly, Thea’s magic surged ahead of them and something came flying through the air towards the crowd. Quinn blinked as a chainmail shirt dropped over the head of the nearest villager. A moment later, a flurry of helmets spun across the street, landing on unsuspecting villagers’ heads.

  Thea was using her magic to arm the villagers. They had a chance to defend themselves.

  The people of this village had risked their lives to protect him and Thea. If Quinn wanted to be Emperor he’d have to show the villagers he was worth it. He’d have to show them he was willing to risk his life for them as well.

  As the Black Guard strode from the smoke towards the forge, Quinn drew his father’s sword. His heart was pounding and heat was rushing over his skin. He gave a sideways glance to Thea, who’d salvaged a small sword and dagger from Ignus’s forge.

  ‘Let’s do this,’ she cried.

  ‘For the Twelve Islands!’ Quinn yelled.

  He launched himself at the Black Guard.

  The first guardsman lumbered towards Quinn, shouting. The heavy sword came down, but Quinn was already dodging to the side. His golden sword whipped out, catching the guardsman under the arm, clanging against the armour and sending the guardsman to the ground. Two more stepped in front of him. Quinn slashed at them and they fell back. Sweat dripped in his eyes and his dark hair flapped across his forehead. He spun, hacking at the next guardsman. Smoke rushed across them, and Quinn charged forward.

  The guards had their magical black armour and years of training, but Quinn had always been fast, and his father’s sword seemed alive in his hand. It was like it knew what to do before Quinn did. It scarcely weighed anything as it swished through the air.

  A guard reached for one of the villagers. She tried to defend herself with the spear she’d picked up, but the guardsman sliced it in two with his sword. Quinn leapt on the man’s armoured back and brought the hilt of his sword crashing down on his helmet. The dragon-shaped hilt flashed as magic collided with magic. The guard went clanging to the ground in a heap.

  Quinn charged once more. So this is what it’s like to be a Dragon Knight, he thought, fighting against anyone who threatened the people of the Twelve Islands! Power seemed to race up and down his arms. He turned, looking for more guards to fight – seeing Thea twist and turn in action, using her magic to protect the villagers.

  ‘Quinn!’ a harsh voice snarled.

  Quinn snapped around to see Goric stalking towards him. His face was twisted into a mad smile. His helmet was missing and blood was dripping from a cut above his eye, but his sword was covered in blood too.

  ‘There you are, you wretched dog!’ Goric shouted. ‘How dare you leave the garrison? You should know there’s no escaping us.’

  This was it – Goric would try to end him once and for all.

  ‘And you should know I’ll never be a filthy guard,’ Quinn cried. ‘Not while I have dragonblood coursing through my veins.’

  Goric looked shocked and disgusted, his mouth twisting into a grimace. ‘Dragonblood?’ he sneered. ‘Of course. I always said there was something wrong with you and now I know I was right.’ He spat on the ground and paced towards Quinn, huge and menacing. ‘The dragons were a curse on this land, boy. Forget being bound, I’m going to take your head and deliver it to your wretched aunt. Then she’ll know what it means to conceal a dragon. Then she’ll know the price for defying me!’

  ‘In that case you’ll be killing the true Emperor,’ Quinn spat back.

  ‘What?’ Goric snapped.

  Quinn flashed his sword at Goric. ‘Recognise this?’

  Goric looked like he’d seen the ghost of Emperor Marek himself. He seemed to sway slightly on his feet, as if his legs were about to give way. ‘No,’ he whispered. ‘That sword was lost long ago …’

  ‘And now it’s back,’ Quinn continued, ‘along with the Dragon Knights. And soon, Emperor Vayn will be finished!’

  ‘NEVER!’ Goric exploded. He threw himself at Quinn, his sword flashing down. Quinn flicked his wrist and brought his blade up to block it, battering it away with all his force.

  In a fury, Goric hacked at Quinn from every direction. Goric was faster and stronger than his men, and his sword glowed blue with frost. A single cut of it would turn Quinn to ice.

  Quinn parried and twisted, using instinct to fend Goric off. It was one thing fighting him back at the garrison, but it was another to do it for real. This time he wouldn’t just break his sword – he’d break his neck.

  Goric cried out and swiped again, putting all his weight behind his weapon. Quinn brought his sword up, but Goric had caught him off balance and his ankle twisted under him. The force of the blow sent ripples of pain up through his sword and his arms, and suddenly, muscles convulsing with agony, his father’s sword was knocked from his hand. It spun away into the smoke on the makeshift battlefield.

  Goric let out a shriek of triumph.

  ‘So much for dragonblood,’ he cried, bringing his sword above Quinn’s head.

  Quinn stumbled in the dirt and threw up his hands as the sword came crashing down …

  CHAPTER 17

  THE END AND THE BEGINNING

  Quinn braced himself for the impact and the searing pain. But as the sword came down he heard a clanging noise instead. He opened his eyes and watched as the sword bounced back up into the air. He looked down at his arm, where he’d expected shattered bone and blood. Instead, it was covered in smooth, golden dragon scales. Even Goric’s magic sword couldn’t pierce them.

  Quinn felt a surge of power course through him.

  Goric’s mouth fell open in shock. Then he snarled and lifted his sword again. ‘Surrender or die!’

  ‘I’ll never surrender to you!’ Quinn cried.

  The golden scales had given him just the chance he needed. He scrambled to his feet and desperately swung at Goric with his open hand. His fingers scraped across Goric’s face, gouging a bloody chunk out of the Captain. Goric reeled back, clutching his cheek.

  Above, Quinn saw Ignus swooping and swirling, fire snorting from his nostrils like a volcano out of control.

  ‘Ignus!’ he called. ‘Over here!’

  The dragon wheeled in the sky, but not fast enough. Goric recovered and came at him once more, his face red with blood and rage.

  Quinn darted across the ground as his scales faded and picked up his golden sword. As Goric tried to slash at him, Quinn turned and brought his blade down on Goric’s armour. It cut through the magic metal with ease, leaving a bloodied gash across the chainmail.

  ‘I am the true heir to the Twelve Islands,’ Quinn roared. ‘And I say you’re not welcome on Yaross any more.’

  Goric was stunned. The terrifying scowl on his face was replaced by shock and fear. He was about to reply but before he could form the words a shadow appeared above him and plucked him from the ground like a vegetable from the dirt.

/>   ‘Ignus!’ Quinn cheered.

  The flame dragon lifted Goric into the sky, his leathery wings carrying him upwards high above the village. With a twist of his powerful limbs, Ignus let him drop, flinging him towards the ground.

  With a scream of anger and crunch of metal, Goric landed on the ground like a ragdoll.

  Quinn stared in shock. He’d never thought he would see the end of Goric. For years the Captain had made his life hell and now he was defeated. A few days ago Quinn thought he was nothing special but now, as the final few scales faded from his arm, he felt proud. He had dragonblood – and it had saved his life.

  ‘Quinn!’

  Suddenly he snapped back to reality. Thea!

  ‘Quinn, look!’ she said, running over to him.

  As the smoke from the battlefield cleared, the villagers began to cheer. Everywhere, the Black Guard were fleeing. Seeing their master defeated and the resistance from the villagers, they’d lost their nerve.

  Quinn felt elation bubble up inside him until he wanted to jump up and punch the air. ‘We did it!’

  Thea beamed back at him.

  Heavy wings beat above them as Ignus came down to land on the street, transforming back into his human form. The villagers crowded round him with thanks.

  ‘We have won this battle,’ Ignus rumbled. ‘We should be proud, but I do not think this village has seen the last of the Black Guard. This time we caught them by surprise, but next time they will be prepared.’

  As if on cue, Quinn heard a whooshing noise rising fast like a fire catching in a barn. He spun around.

  ‘I sense magic,’ Thea cried. ‘Something’s happening!’

  Purple flames leapt up from a pile of smouldering rubble. Quinn stumbled back, shielding his eyes. The flames rushed together and a fiery image appeared. Quinn saw a thin face marked with cruel scars and twisted lines. The dark, angry eyes flashed in the purple flame like a vicious animal’s. The mouth was twisted into a sneer of hatred.