Dragon Rise

by D. K. Holmberg

  But he still had his daggers.

  If he could reach them, maybe he could lunge, and from there he might be able to break through one of the Deshazl and get to the woman.

  They watched him, practically sensing his thoughts.

  Slowly, ever so slowly, Fes began to lower his hand to his side. He watched the woman approach the dragon, hands out in front of her, the Calling flowing from her. It was almost a physical force, and the dragon shook its massive head, the deep blue scales glittering in the moonlight, looking almost black. It seemed as if the dragon wanted to fight but couldn’t—or didn’t know how.

  “Fight it,” Fes yelled.

  One of the Deshazl poked him with the sword, catching him in the belly.

  Pain flooded him, but he ignored it.

  This was his chance. Leaning forward, he grabbed for one of his daggers. He slammed it into the man’s chest before he had a chance to react, and flung it at the woman.

  The dagger tumbled end over end, and for a moment he thought that he would catch her in the head, but the dragon erupted a massive flame that caught the dragonglass dagger and dropped it to a hunk of nothingness to the ground.

  Jaken grabbed him and pulled his head back. There was nothing that Fes could do. The dragon had been Called, controlled, and they had lost.

  “You still serve the empire,” Fes said. He tried to turn his head to look at Jaken, but he couldn’t move, not well enough to see him. “You can still serve the empire. You don’t have to serve her. You can fight.”

  He wasn’t sure whether Jaken could fight. He had to try.

  The Dragon Guard ignored him.

  “Resist what she’s doing to you. You have to fight it,” Fes said.

  The woman reached the dragon and rested a hand on it.

  “Like this creature, you are an animal. You will see.”

  The effect of the Calling turned to him.

  There had been Callings that Fes had detected before, but none of them had felt like this. This one was overpowering, enough that he didn’t know whether he would be able to resist. He wanted to respond, feeling almost as if he had to respond. It summoned him, an energy that was too much to ignore. Deep within him came the fluttering of desire to please her. If he pleased her, she might allow him to find pleasure.

  He looked at her, lust brimming in his eyes, wanting nothing more than to have that moment with her, knowing that he might have to share her, but it didn’t matter, not so long as he had his opportunity with her.

  Something whispered in the back of his mind, but Fes ignored it.

  Heat erupted, and vaguely he was aware of the dragon flying, circling overhead again.

  The dragon would destroy, serving their mistress, making her happy the same way that Fes wanted to make her happy. All he had to do was follow her commands. He wanted nothing more than to do that. And he would.

  She stood in front of him. “You will serve me well.”

  Fes nodded. He wanted nothing more than to bring her joy.

  Again, there came a deep fluttering in the back of his mind. He tried to ignore it, but it was an irritant, a whisper. As he tried to push away, he heard it.

  Fezarn.

  The name drifted to the forefront of his mind, and it took him a moment to realize that it was his name.

  A desire to please the woman washed over him again, sweeping away any thought of his name. He would succumb to her wishes. He would be with her. He would—

  The desire faded, as if slammed out of him.

  What had happened?

  Fes blinked and realized that the woman was standing directly in front of him, a dark smile on her face. Somehow, the calling was gone. He was freed.

  He grabbed for his dagger and slammed it into her chest before she could react.

  He withdrew it, the shock on her face almost comical, and turned, ready for Jaken and the other Deshazl to attack, but they had collapsed.

  Fes looked up at the sky. The dragon still circled, occasionally spouting flames, but as he watched, the creature shook itself.

  What had happened?

  Had someone struck him with a spell? It didn’t feel as if they had, but he couldn’t tell.

  He looked around and noticed a solitary figure approaching. It took him a moment to realize who it was.

  “Arudis?”

  She smiled broadly at him. She was dressed the same as before, a gray robe, and her hair was pulled back behind her head. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “How did you know to come?”

  Her gaze flickered to the sky. “I felt it.”

  “There are other Deshazl here,” he said.

  “And how is that?”

  “I… I rescued them.”

  She studied him for a long moment. “Perhaps you are more Deshazl than I realized.”

  “How did you remove the effect of her Calling?”

  “That is something you could learn if you were to choose.”

  Fes shook his head. “I don’t know that I can choose that.”

  “You have seen what the Damhur are willing to do and you would run from it?”

  “I wouldn’t run from it. We need to protect that dragon.”

  “I will take care of it,” she said.

  “How?”

  “That is another thing you could learn if you were to choose.”

  “I have questions. But first, there’s someone who needs to answer for their actions.”

  “In war, there often will be questions without answers.”

  “Is that what this is?”

  She smiled sadly. “Did you think it could be anything else?”

  Epilogue

  The capital was vibrant, alive, and every so often as Fes and Jayell made their way through the streets, he overheard voices mentioning dragons. For the first time in Fes’s life, people talking about dragons didn’t have him thinking they were insane.

  When he reached Tracen’s shop, he hesitated before he pulled the door open. There should be no reason to be uncomfortable returning to his friend, but it had been a while since he had been here, and in that time, Fes had been through too much.

  “It’s okay,” Jayell said.

  He glanced over. She met his gaze, and there was warmth behind her eyes and possibly affection. It had been a long time since he had believed himself worthy of affection.

  “He’s a friend,” Fes said.

  “I didn’t think you had many of them,” Jayell said with a smile.

  “I don’t,” Fes said.

  Nick leaned against one of the buildings, not wanting to follow Fes too closely. He wanted to keep an eye out for the possibility of an attack, and Fes appreciated that. They needed a warning, especially if Alison discovered that he was in the city before he had a chance to find her. And it wasn’t only Alison that Fes worried about. It was Carter and her entire crew.

  If she discovered that Fes had returned to the city, she could be brutal, and he had no interest in attacking her, not until he knew where her allegiances were. He suspected that hers were the same place that his used to be. Like him, Carter was only interested in money, and Fes didn’t blame her for that, but he could use it, if only he knew how.

  “Do you think it’s safe for him to be here?” Jayell asked, nodding to Nick. A hint of irritation burned on his face. It seemed as if it always would be there. Fes hadn’t been willing to leave him behind, and Nick had no interest in returning to his village.

  “He doesn’t have anywhere else to go,” Fes said.

  Jayell only nodded. “I just wonder…”

  “I wonder, too,” Fes said.

  He turned his attention back to the blacksmith shop and pulled the door open. A bell rang as he did and he looked toward the back of the shop, not surprised to see his friend leaning over the table, hammering away at a project.

  Fes stood silent for a while, merely watching Tracen work. He had a steady, rhythmic way about his hammering, a skill that Fes had always envied. What must it
be like to be so skilled at something like that? His skills were different, and perhaps useful, but not at all like Tracen’s. Fes couldn’t make anything, not the way his friend could, and fighting was only valuable when there were people to fight.

  “Are you going to…”

  Fes nodded, a soft sigh escaping his lips. “Tracen,” he said, stepping forward.

  Tracen set his hammer down and looked up at Fes, his eyes going wide. “Fes? I… I didn’t expect to see you here again.”

  “I’ll be honest, I didn’t either.”

  Tracen glanced past Fes to look over at Jayell. A smile curved the corners of his mouth. “Is this her?”

  Fes nodded. “This is Jayell.”

  “You found her?”

  Fes nodded. He hadn’t told Jayell everything that he’d gone through trying to get to her, but he hadn’t needed to. She seemed to understand that he had been willing to do whatever it took to reach her, even if that meant that he had to carve his way through hundreds of the Damhur and somehow fend off the effect of the Calling to do so.

  “There were rumors about you,” Tracen said.

  “What kind of rumors?”

  “The kind that are almost too hard to believe.”

  Fes frowned. “And?”

  “I hear you cut down some twenty men. I know you have some fighting skill, but twenty men?”

  “They weren’t skilled fighters,” Fes said.

  Tracen’s eyes widened. “That’s true?”

  Fes sighed. “There is much I need to share with you, but first, I need you to do something for me.”

  Tracen frowned. “I’m your friend, Fes. I’ll do anything.”

  “Why do you think you’ll find her here?”

  Fes glanced over at Jayell. A dragon claw necklace hung from her neck, and a hint of power emanated from her. Something had changed while she was in the fire mage temple, and it was the kind of change that had left her with a renewed focus. In the days since the dragon had reborn, returning to the world, Jayell had shown him that she had more power.

  “She will be here,” he said.

  “How do you know?”

  Fes didn’t know, not with certainty, but suspected that Alison would be here. He would have answers from her.

  Most of the other Deshazl descendants had opted to go with Arudis, and Fes had been pleased by that. Even Nina had gone, wanting to learn more about what it meant that she was descended from the Deshazl. Only a few had not, and Fes didn’t blame Dobrah for wanting to return to her husband, or some of the youngest for wanting to return to their families.

  Still, a part of him wished that he had been able to stay with Arudis. He wanted to know what it meant that he was descended from the Deshazl as much as the Damhur did. Perhaps there would be time at some point in the future. For now, he had other tasks that he needed to accomplish.

  “Why here?”

  “She’ll come,” Fes said.

  They were on a street near Horus’s section, and though he hadn’t seen any sign of Horus, he anticipated that his old employer had people watching.

  They had been there for the better part of a few hours, crouching in the shadows, remaining near the mouth of an alley, content to wait. It wouldn’t be long for evidence of Alison to appear.

  “What if your friend doesn’t send word?” Jayell asked.

  “He will,” Fes said. Tracen was nothing if not reliable, and Fes had little doubt that he would have gotten word to Alison, though he would have made sure to do it in a roundabout way. With all of the contacts Tracen now had, it wouldn’t have been difficult for him.

  They continued to wait, and near dark, he saw a familiar form.

  “She’s here,” he said.

  “Are you sure this is safe?”

  “I’m not sure about anything, but if Tracen did what I asked, it shouldn’t be unsafe.”

  “And if he didn’t?”

  If he didn’t, then there would be a different issue. Not only would he be forced to confront Alison, but it was possible that he would be betrayed again. This time, he was ready for it and had Jayell with him.

  He stepped out of the alley, appearing from the shadows.

  Alison stopped. She looked from Fes to Jayell, who hid behind him. “You aren’t alone.”

  “I’m not,” he said.

  “Do you intend to attack me?”

  “I just want answers.”

  Alison shrugged. “I’m not sure that any answers will satisfy you.”

  “No? Not anything that would explain why you betrayed me? Nothing that would explain why you turned me over to them?”

  “Who do you think that I turned you over to?”

  “You don’t need to be coy with me. I escaped.”

  Alison frowned. “Escaped what?”

  “You didn’t know?”

  “Fes, I was only going to turn you over to the emperor. Nothing more.”

  He frowned. That didn’t make sense. How had he ended up with the Damhur if she had intended to turn him over to the emperor for the thousand gold that was on his head?

  “It was more than that, and you and I both know it. It’s always been more than that.” He took a deep breath, needing to get this out. “You’ve used me. Whatever affection you had for me was either never real or is gone.” He flicked his gaze past her at the approaching soldier.

  She jerked her head around, looking at the Dragon Guard. “What is this?”

  “This is me making sure that you don’t hurt me again.”

  “Fes, I think you’re mistaken, I didn’t—”

  The Dragon Guard reached them, with Jaken in the lead. When he had recovered, he had barely said anything to Fes, and it had left Fes wondering how he might react, but Fes had helped protect the empire. He hoped that was enough.

  “This is her?” Jaken asked.

  Fes nodded. “This is her.”

  “Fes?” Alison asked.

  Jaken grabbed her, lifting her under the arm. “The empire does not have much patience for those who serve the rebellion,” he said.

  She watched him and shook her head. “Fes, you don’t understand. You’re making a mistake.”

  “For the first time with you, I don’t think I am,” he said.

  Jaken motioned to the other Dragon Guards, and they dragged Alison off. He watched her leave, the pain and fear on her face difficult to watch, and he turned away.

  When they were gone, Jaken turned to Fes. “The price on your head is gone.”

  “I know.”

  “You could serve the empire more directly.”

  “I’m not sure that I can,” Fes said.

  “I’ve seen you fight. We need men like that. Men like you.”

  There was a part of him that was tempted. Serving the empire directly meant a certain consistency, and if he were willing to be Dragon Guard, he wouldn’t have to fear his place, but doing so would put him at odds with something else that motivated him. It was surprising that it did, but he couldn’t deny that part of him that wanted to understand how he was connected to the Deshazl.

  And if he served the empire, there was something else that he worried about. He might have to betray the dragon. He didn’t know why, but he felt a connection to the dragon and felt a desire to protect the creature.

  “I will fight, but it’ll be a different way.”

  Jaken studied him for a moment. Had he ever considered what had happened to him? Did he realize that his Deshazl connection was what had made him vulnerable to the Damhur? Or had he never even considered it?

  Jaken turned as if to leave before hesitating. “He has us searching,” he said.

  Fes frowned. “Searching?”

  “For the creature. Just so you know. He has us searching.”

  Fes watched him for a moment before nodding. It was a warning, and perhaps an opportunity. “The creature is safe, at least for now,” Fes said.

  Jaken started to turn. “Don’t make yourself an enemy.”

  Fes flashed a
smile. “I don’t intend to.”

  With that, Jaken marched off down the street, joining the rest of the Dragon Guard, leaving Fes with Jayell.

  “What now?” she asked.

  “Now… Now I need to begin to understand my potential.”

  Grab Dragon Bond, book 4 of The Dragonwalker.

  A Dragon has risen. Now the fight to protect it begins.

  Still trying to master his magic, Fes begins to understand the nature of his power— along with the risks. With a resurrected dragon once more in the world and with the empire believing the worst of the threat is gone, the remaining Deshazl must stop the Damhur incursion into the empire. When a rescue of captured Deshazl goes wrong, Fes finds that his knowledge of his Deshazl abilities might not be enough.

  Having lived most of his life caring only for himself, he’s now a part of something greater. A war thought ended a thousand years ago returns to the empire, but the powers that stopped the war the last time are no longer.

  Fes must choose how deeply he wants to get involved. Stopping the war means that those he cares for can understand their heritage and finally unravel the secrets of the empire, while failure means a fate worse than death—for both his people and the dragons.

  Author’s Note

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you so much for reading Dragon Rise. I hope you enjoyed it. If you would be so kind as to take a moment to leave a review on Amazon or elsewhere, I would be very grateful.

  I’m also always happy to hear from readers! Email me at dkh@dkholmberg.com. I try to respond to each message. Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook as well!

  Review link HERE.

  All my best,

  D.K. Holmberg

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  Also by D.K. Holmberg

  The Dragonwalker

  Dragon Bones

  Dragon Blessed