Dragon Blood 2: Wyvern

by Avril Sabine

  Amber soon learned the quickest way to deal with them was to throw fireballs at their wings. It was the same area Kade and Brann aimed for when they slashed at the wyverns. It was the wyverns and dragons’ biggest weakness. From the heights they flew at, survival was impossible once the wings were disabled.

  “Amber, are you hurt?” Kade asked.

  “Her upper left arm. It’s little more than a scratch. She should be able to heal it herself,” Rian said.

  Amber looked at her arm in surprise and noticed blood dripped onto Kade. A ten centimetre long gash ran along her arm. Pain burst through her as soon as she noticed it. She pressed a hand against the wound and focused on healing. She hated to think what Rian considered a gash if this was a scratch. It took her a few seconds to find the small amount of dragon blood running through her veins. It was only this that enabled her to heal.

  “I think I’ve taken a bit more than a scratch.” Brann angled down sharply, one wing barely working. Two wyverns took off after him.

  Amber couldn’t throw fireballs at the wyverns without risking Brann and was relieved when Kade flew towards him. Her relief was short lived when a cluster of wyverns came at them.

  “I can’t get to you, Brann.” Kade took a quick turn to the left, trying to avoid the wyverns.

  Amber clung tightly as she saw a wyvern grab hold of Brann and try to rip into his unharmed wing. Brann twisted in midair, trying to dislodge the creature.

  “I can’t get it off me,” Brann called.

  “Rian, help him,” Kade ordered.

  “If I help, you will fail,” Rian warned.

  Kade didn’t hesitate with his answer. “His life is worth more than the test.”

  Amber took a deep breath. “Hold off, Rian.” She unsnapped the harness and turned into a goshawk. Her smaller size made it easier to fly through the gaps between the wyverns. A second wyvern latched onto Brann and he started to rapidly loose altitude.

  She reached Brann, claws outstretched as she tore at the second wyvern’s wings. It left Brann to attack her. Amber darted out of the way of its barbed, serpent like tail and went for the wings again. She screeched in victory as the wyvern plummeted away and she turned back to Brann who struggled with the other wyvern. She harried it, going for the wings. It refused to let go. She aimed for the red eyes, barely being missed by sharp fangs as the wyvern’s mouth snapped closed.

  “You better deal with him fast, Amber. At this rate I’ll have streamers instead of wings,” Brann warned.

  “This bastard is already flying streamers. If he’d just let go he’d be eating dirt,” Amber said.

  “He’s not going to let go easy. I think his claws are-” Brann’s thoughts became a roar of pain.

  Amber launched herself at the wyvern, her wings wrapping around it as best she could. She tried not to think about what she was about to attempt as she became human.

  “Amber! Do not do it. Whatever you are planning do not do it,” Rian ordered.

  Her human arms could barely hold the wyvern as it twisted and turned, trying to bite at both her and Brann. She felt fire pool in her hands and she forced it at the wyvern. Suddenly they plummeted towards the ground and she opened her arms wide, trying to focus on becoming a goshawk. She closed her eyes as she saw Rian hurtle towards her, claws outstretched to grab her. The change came and she opened her eyes to fly out of Rian’s grasp at the last second. She headed back to Brann, who struggled to stay aloft.

  “If you pull a stunt like that again I’ll lock you in the dungeon.” Kade wheeled in close. Several wyverns trailed him.

  “Oh shut up. I managed it didn’t I?” She landed on Brann’s back. “Hold steady and try to coast.” The moment he was, she became human. Her hands held on tight and her legs pressed against his sides as she tried to keep herself from falling off. She focused on healing Brann and watched in amazement as the tatters in his wings became whole. She laughed, letting go to become a goshawk as she dropped away from him. She flew towards Kade, ignoring Rian who followed as close as a shadow.

  She wanted to shout with the rush of adrenaline that coursed through her veins from her stunt. Instead she had to make do with the harsh cry of a goshawk. She landed on Kade’s back. “Steady.” The moment he was, she became human and strapped herself in again. She couldn’t stop the grin that formed. “Yes! Let’s kick some more butt!”

  “I’m going to kill you later.”

  Amber could almost hear the growl in Kade’s thoughts. She ignored it to laugh and launch another fireball into the wyverns they flew towards.

  Brann came up on their left. “Don’t worry Amber, I won’t let him.”

  After that, the battle seemed to go quicker, the wyverns thinning. At a glance below to the rolling green hillsides, Amber’s feeling of victory became a rush of nausea when she saw the carnage they’d caused. She quickly pushed that image from her mind and focused on the one of Brann being attacked by wyverns.

  “Flinn’s team are waiting to enter the nest,” Kade said.

  “Damn. I wanted to be finished first,” Amber said.

  “I bet we have the higher body count,” Brann said.

  Amber shuddered. “Great.”

  Brann ignored the obvious sarcasm. “I know, isn’t it?”

  Amber couldn’t help smiling as she threw another fireball. She looked around for the next wyvern and was surprised to see the sky was clear. “We did it.”

  “Not quite. We have to enter the nest and make sure there are none inside. Shannon only has a couple more wyverns to deal with and then we’re all ready to go in.” Kade landed and Amber slid off him, her legs nearly buckling.

  “I’m going to ache tonight.” Amber kneaded her thigh muscles.

  Brann landed beside her and became human, quickly followed by Rian.

  “Don’t start relaxing yet. We might have a lot to get through still.” Brann removed the saddle from Kade so he could become human.

  “Time to head inside.” Kade led the way, Rian the last to enter, on Amber’s heels. They left the saddle outside.

  Amber looked around. The large rough tunnel had plenty of space for a dragon to fly through. With the way her legs ached she half wished Kade had stayed in dragon form so she could have ridden. She soon found out why they walked.

  “Over here.” Brann pointed to some disturbed earth and quickly knelt to dig in it. He unearthed four eggs, which he and Kade smashed.

  Along the tunnel, they managed to find another seven clutches of eggs. The sound of fighting filled the tunnel and Kade held a hand up to Amber. “Follow well behind and look out for more eggs.”

  Kade and Brann rushed ahead, becoming dragons as they did. Amber followed more slowly, Rian a couple of metres behind her. She carefully searched the tunnel, finding only one more lot of buried eggs. Her attempt to put her fist through the egg, like Kade and Brann had done, failed.

  “Show offs,” she muttered under her breath as she threw the egg against the opposite wall. Her eyes shied away from the exposed contents and the other two eggs soon followed the first.

  When Amber reached the central chamber, the fight was over and everyone searched for more eggs. Her eyes roamed around and relief poured through her as she saw everyone was there. They all had a few cuts and bruises, but they were alive and without major injuries. One by one, Amber checked them over and healed them. The last one she healed was Kade, who’d kept sending her to deal with everyone else first.

  Kade pulled Amber back to him when she started to move away, one of his hands curving along her cheek. “You’re looking pale. You haven’t overdone it, have you?”

  “I’m fine.” Amber ignored the slight tremor exhaustion caused in her body.

  Kade smiled. “Sure you are.”

  Amber returned his smile. “Can we go yet?”

  Kade shook his head. “We have one more thing to find.”

  “What?”

  “The best part.”

  A shout went up across the chamber and Kade l
inked his fingers with Amber’s as he hurried her over to the group that formed around one of Shannon’s warriors. Kade clapped him on the back as the warrior stepped away.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Amber stared at the tumble of colour mixed with the dark soil.

  “A wyvern hoard. They like shinny toys too.” Maira grinned as she reached out to pick up an uncut diamond and hold it at her throat. “What do you think?” She posed theatrically.

  “Bag it up.” Flinn threw a hessian bag at her before he moved away from the group.

  Crystal grabbed at Amber’s free hand. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.”

  Amber giggled. “Not as good as a castle though, is it?”

  “Oh my god!”

  Amber laughed, tugging her hand from Crystal’s so she could drape her arm around her shoulders. “Think you might be able to say other words eventually?”

  “Ohhhh.”

  “Catch.” Maira called to Crystal as she threw a cut ruby towards her.

  Flinn reached out and caught it before it hit Crystal, a glare sent to Maira.

  Crystal took the ruby from Flinn to examine it closer. “It’s real?”

  “It’s not made of glass if that’s what you’re wondering.” Flinn turned to Kade. “Are you going to join Shannon and me to check for stragglers?”

  Kade looked down at Amber. “I won’t be long.”

  She nodded and leaned a little more heavily against Crystal, who was just about bouncing with excitement. Kade stared at her a moment longer like he was about to say something. Instead, he shared a look with Rian before he strode after Flinn and Shannon.

  The three of them were back by the time the last of the gold and jewels were dropped into the hessian bag. Amber was surprised to see it was nearly half full. Crystal still held the ruby Maira had thrown to her. She reluctantly walked towards the bag and started to put it in with the rest of the hoard.

  “I don’t mind if she wants to keep it.” Shannon grinned. “I’m sure she’s a dragon at heart and we all know how we are with the first hoard captured.”

  There were chuckles and smiles from the other dragons. Kade shrugged. “I don’t care.”

  Flinn was the only one who didn’t smile. “Given free and clear? Nothing owing?”

  “No strings,” Shannon said.

  “Free and clear,” Kade agreed.

  Flinn nodded before he turned to Orin. “You’re on first patrol.”

  Crystal clutched the ruby to herself. “It’s mine?”

  Amber grinned. “It looks that way.”

  Crystal danced across the chamber to Amber and wrapped an arm around her waist. “I seriously don’t know how I’ll explain this to Mum if she ever finds it, but I really don’t care.” Crystal spun around, taking Amber with her as she tilted her head back to stare at the cavern ceiling far above them.

  Kade gestured towards Maira to follow Orin and Shannon’s first warrior, she’d sent on patrol, then rescued Amber when she stumbled. “Time to go home.”

  As soon as they were outside, Kade waved Brann away from the saddle. He turned to look at Amber.

  Recognising his expression, her hands went to her hips and her chin lifted. “Don’t start.”

  Kade grinned. “I’m never letting you watch another action movie again. What did you think you were doing?”

  Amber reluctantly smiled. “James Bond at your service.”

  Kade grew serious and reached out to brush Amber’s hair away from her face. “Passing the test is not as important as your life. Or Brann’s for that matter.”

  Amber shrugged.

  “I’m serious, Amber.”

  “I got caught up in the moment. I don’t like to lose.”

  “Keep this up and you won’t see your seventeenth birthday.”

  “It’s not that far away.”

  “Amber-”

  “No. I’m tired.” She held out her blood stained hands. “I also need a bath and I’m starving. Can you keep your complaints till later?”

  Kade pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. “Just take better care of yourself in future,” he murmured against her hair.

  “I do. I’m still alive, aren’t I?”

  Kade pulled slightly away to smile down at her. “Yeah. I guess you are.” He swiftly kissed her and then waved Brann over with the saddle, turning into a dragon.

  As soon as Brann had saddled Kade he helped Amber clamber on. She leaned against Kade, giving into the exhaustion that tugged at her body, needing to be woken when they landed in the castle courtyard. Sliding to the ground, Rian caught her when her legs gave out. It seemed like seconds before Kade stood beside her as a human.

  She leaned against him when he draped an arm around her shoulders. “I forgot to ask before. Did we win?”

  Kade guided Amber inside. “They have to argue all their findings. It’ll take a few days for them to decide.”

  “Where did Maira and the other two warriors go?” Amber stumbled on the stairs.

  “Our warriors will take turns patrolling the area for the next forty eight hours to make sure every last wyvern was dealt with. Occasionally stragglers return to the nest.” Kade waited by his bed as Rian pulled the linen back.

  “I need,” Amber yawned. “A wash.”

  “It can wait.”

  “Hungry too.” Her head hit the pillow and she didn’t hear Kade’s reply.

  Chapter Ten

  Amber woke with the sun, trying not to groan and wake Kade who slept beside her in dragon form. Every muscle in her body ached. Even her stomach. It was so empty she almost felt sick. Beside her Kade became human as he slowly woke.

  “Sorry.” Amber rested her palm against his cheek, surprised to see her hands and arms were clean. She guessed she’d been more tired than she’d thought.

  Kade turned his head so his lips grazed her palm. “Feel any better?”

  “Worse. I need to soak for a week.”

  “Your bath will be ready in a couple of minutes.”

  Amber looked towards the door where Rian rose from a mattress on the floor. “Tell me you didn’t sleep there last night.”

  Rian moved away from the door as it opened and two women entered, taking away the mattress and bedding. “Your bath is ready.”

  “Rian? Did you sleep there last night?”

  “You told me I was to say I did not sleep there last night.” Rian strode across the room and pulled out a change of clothes for Amber.

  Amber staggered out of the bed, grabbing the clothes Rian held out to her. “We will talk about this. You’re not lying across my door. How comfortable is that for a place to sleep?” When Rian continued to remain quiet and expressionless under her glare she growled and spun on her heel, slamming both the bedroom door and bathroom one behind her. “Damn warriors,” she muttered, knowing they could hear her.

  Her mood improved dramatically when she slid into the bath and saw the plate of bacon and eggs set on a small table beside the tub. By the time she emerged from the bathroom, she felt almost human. It had helped that she’d figured out how to use her healing ability to take the stiffness from her muscles.

  Back in Kade’s room, Crystal sat on the bed waiting for her, the ruby lying in the middle of her crossed legs. “I was beginning to think you might have drowned.”

  “Glad to see you worried enough to check on me.”

  Crystal grinned. “Did you know we get a share in that hoard once it’s valued and shared out evenly?”

  Amber looked to Kade who nodded. She turned back to Crystal. “What will I do with part of a hoard?”

  Crystal continued as if she hadn’t heard. “And you can choose to have the value in gold, dollars or pick out some of the jewels.”

  Amber waved a hand in front of Crystal’s face. “Are you still in there or have I lost you to that ruby?”

  “Seriously. This is like a dream. Castles. Dragons. Pretty rocks.” She held the ruby up. “Please don’t pinch me because if I’m sleeping I’d rath
er not wake up.”

  Amber laughed, dropping onto the bed beside Crystal. She spared a glance for Kade and Rian and wondered what they were silently plotting. Deciding she’d deal with them later, she turned back to Crystal. “No dream. See.” She pinched Crystal.

  “Hey!” Crystal squealed, slapping at Amber’s hand.

  Kade approached the bed. “How about we go for a long walk? Unless you two had something else planned?”

  “Why?” Amber looked between Kade and Rian and her eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out what was behind the offer.

  “Because there’s a lovely little creek I played in when I was a kid. I thought you might like to see it.”

  “That sounds cool.” Crystal grinned. “If I can bring my new toy.”

  Rian rummaged around in the wardrobe then strode to the bed to drop a black drawstring bag in Crystal’s lap. He turned to Kade. “Do you need me to collect anything?”

  “A blanket and something for morning tea,” Kade said.

  Crystal popped the ruby in the bag. “Make that heaps of food. I’m starved.”

  It seemed like everyone wanted to go. Amber sighed. So much for having a lazy day. “I don’t suppose we can get to the creek by car.”

  “We don’t have cars. Can you ride a horse?”

  “I love horses.” Crystal hopped off the bed. “I’ll run and tell Flinn where I’m going.”

  “Try not to invite him,” Kade called after her.

  “I can’t ride,” Amber said.

  “You can sit behind me then.”

  Amber leaned back, her arms spreading out to the side as her head hit the mattress. “Only if I can be completely unenergetic.”

  Kade leaned over her, his hands resting on the bed, one on either side of her. He slowly smiled. “I think that can be arranged.”

  Amber wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer. “And I bet I could make you forget about picnics.”