The last of the Limea Dragon riders: Dragon Master and Dragon Warrior

by Tamsin Baker

  “Of course.”

  She stroked Teramessi on the side of the head and the dragon puffed smoke at the ugly, armed guard.

  “The dragon too,” he said, tightening his jaw and grabbing hold of his spear in a threatening way.

  She didn’t bother looking at him, instead focusing on Teramessi. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re frightening her. And when you do that, she tends to breathe fire. You don’t want that inside the castle, do you?”

  To prove her point Teramessi puffed fire towards the guard, safely. The black tendrils not touching him, but it helped her cause.

  “Okay then. Just you.”

  He pointed his spear towards her and she gave him a quizzical look.

  “Why am I being treated like a prisoner?”

  “The king wants to see you,” he repeated, and his glare told her all she needed to know.

  This is not good.

  She took a steadying breath and stepped back towards Teramessi.

  “What are you doing?” The guard asked.

  “I’m just petting her for a moment. To settle her so she doesn’t kill you. Is that alright?”

  He didn’t answer, but he didn’t complain when she took another step away from him to attend to Teramessi. She stroked her dragon’s neck and wrapped her arms around the big head in a hug.

  She whispered to her dragon. “If I don’t return, fly away to Nargoya and Lordip. Do not come back.”

  The dragon made a keening, hurt noise in her throat and Nakeeri stroked her gently. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that and she was misreading these intentions. The king may want to just show her who was boss. He always did.

  “All right. Let’s go talk to the king.”

  Chapter 9.

  “Put more effort into it Bazeel, you’re not even trying today!” Kalvis grunted at the guard he was training.

  The three men around him puffed with exertion. “What’s gotten into you, captain? You never work us this hard.”

  Kalvis looked at the men staring at him as though he’d gone insane and tried to rein in his temper.

  Nakeeri had only been gone one day and he already felt like his right arm was missing.

  Although the limb wasn’t missing. It shook with adrenaline and shone with sweat from exertion. “Alright. Take a break. It’s past lunch anyway.”

  They all groaned in relief and left him.

  “Captain! Captain!” A man called as he came running towards the training area.

  Kalvis dropped the weapon he held and ran towards him. “What’s wrong?”

  He knew the man was a stable hand with the dragons, but Kalvis didn’t know the man’s name.

  “It’s Teramessi! She’s back, and without her rider.”

  No! Damn it!

  “What?” He didn’t wait for the man to answer. He just started running.

  He opened the gate and got through to the dragon paddock, his heart thundering in his chest. The stable hand kept up with him, running alongside.

  “Where’s the princess?” Kalvis asked him, knowing that Tattiena would like to know about this.

  “She’s been called. There. Look!” The stable hand yelled as they ran.

  Off to his right, Kalvis could see Leo and Tattiena running towards the stable.

  He put more power into his legs and sprinted ahead. He burst through the door and skidded to a halt. There was a dangerous commotion afoot. The stable hands were trying to calm down a very angry, fire breathing dragon.

  “What’s wrong with her?” he called out to the stable hand above the raucous. All three dragons were out in the barn, Teramessi making an awful mess banging into things and puffing smoke.

  “She’s hurt. And afraid.”

  Lordip was snorting aggressively at her and the hands were trying to calm her down with soothing words.

  Teramessi limped as she moved, circling around like a lost lamb. That’s when he saw the blood.

  Pain shot through his chest and he stumbled forward without thought. “It’s alright. Calm down. I’m here,” he said as he moved forward.

  Where the words came from, he didn’t know, nor did he stop to wonder why he was suddenly so unafraid of the magnificent beast.

  The stable hands stepped out of the way and Teramessi immediately stopped shaking, limping towards him. She made a high-pitched keening sound in her throat and tears burned in the corner of his eyes.

  She was in pain. Much pain.

  Teramessi’s powerful head came towards him and his heart hammered even harder than it had from his run. He swallowed hard and extended his hand out to her. She tilted to the side as he reached for her and rubbed his hands along her cold scales.

  “Good, Kalvis. Talk to her. She recognises you.” Tattiena said from behind him.

  Recognises me as what?

  His hands slid across the cool, smooth scales and he moved closer to her.

  “That’s a good girl. It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

  Her breathing rate was too rapid and the blood beneath her was spreading across the straw like a large pond.

  “Teramessi, we need to get you fixed up. Can you lie down?”

  She made a soft moaning noise of acquiescence, then slowly slid to the floor and lay on her side.

  That was when he saw the gaping wound in her chest and the cuts on her legs. Panic zipped through his veins, making the hairs on his arms stand up.

  He turned to the stable hands. “Quick! You have to help her!”

  The men ran over and Kalvis went closer to her head, stroking her and touching her as he had seen Nakeeri do so many times.

  Tattiena was at his shoulder, speaking to him softly. “Talk to her, stroke over her nose. Her neck. Stay close.”

  He did as she said, focusing all of his energy into the dragon.

  “It’s alright, beautiful girl. We’re going to fix you up. It’s okay. Brave girl.”

  The anger in his gut grew, hard and fast. Tears clogged his throat as he continued to pet her, the magnificent beast that he’d always be in awe of.

  “Who could have done this, Tattiena?”

  His hands shook as he petted the dragon, but he didn’t stop.

  “I think I know.”

  He nodded. “Her king.”

  “Yes. Which is not a good sign that Nakeeri is still alive.”

  Teramessi blew smoke out her nose and thrashed a little.

  “Is that hurting you?” he asked her but she arched again.

  “I think she’s trying to say something about Nakeeri. It’s unfortunate that none of us understand her as I understand Nargoya. Oh, that’s it.”

  “Nargoya! Quickly!”

  Nargoya moved around the barn and lay down in front of Teramessi, her own pained noise making the hairs on Kalvis’s arms rise.

  She couldn’t be dead. She couldn’t. He would have felt it. Surely.

  “Ask her if her rider is still alive. Yes…alright…” Tattiena was speaking to her dragon but Kalvis had no idea what they were communicating or how.

  Paneer stepped up also, rounding Teramessi with care.

  “We can’t speak to our dragons per se. But there is a great understanding between us, and they communicate by other means.”

  The dragons continued to grunt and groan and make keening noises that were traumatic to Kalvis’s nervous system.

  He waited, and waited, sweat beading on his forehead as he thought of all the terrible things that could have happened to Nakeeri while he sat here waiting for her to return. Why hadn’t he gone with her? Why had he let her leave at all?

  “I think she is still alive,” Tattiena said. “But I can’t be sure. As Paneer said, this is not an exact science, and the feeling I get is that Teramessi herself, doesn’t know if Nakeeri is still alive. They may have been separated perhaps. But she had the intelligence to come here for help, so that’s something.”

  Kalvis stroked the dragon’s face and her eyes began to close.

  “No! Don’t die.
Don’t give up Teramessi! Please.”

  Tattiena put a hand on his arm. “I think she is falling asleep. It’s okay. My men have done everything they can to help her.”

  He twisted around and watched as the men poured some sort of liquid into her wounds and wrapped them with bandages. They were doing much more than he, but he still couldn’t handle the idea of losing her. Nakeeri couldn’t live without her dragon, as he was sure her dragon couldn’t live without her.

  “Sleep and heal.”

  He dropped his head and pressed his forehead to the dragon’s cheek, her breathing faint and shallow. His heart ached for her and the obvious torment she’d gone through to get here.

  He pushed up to his feet and stared down at the magnificent creature, angry fire burning a hole in his belly. This dragon had fallen at the hands of the men who she had protected.

  Disgusting.

  “We have to rescue her,” he said as he turned around to face the other people in the barn.

  “Yes,” Tattiena agreed and she ran off in the direction of the bedrooms, where her riding gear was.

  “You can’t leave our son,” Leo called out to her.

  Tattiena came back into the room, her thick warrior outfit on. “Oh, don’t even think of stopping me from going.” She turned to one of the blood covered dragon handlers. “Go into the castle and tell Mia that I need to leave for a while. She’ll find someone to feed my son while I’m gone. Nargoya will not want to stay away from her hatchlings for long, so she’ll need to hurry straight back. I can probably convince her to fly us over.”

  “Us?” Leo asked.

  Tattiena rolled her eyes. “Yes, us. I know you want to come, and I want you by my side. Lordip may carry you, Kalvis. If Paneer consents. It will be the fastest way to travel.”

  Paneer stepped over and joined their hunting party.

  “I agree, we must get to Tumurk as quickly as possible. Lordip will carry us both. We’ll be slower with two riders, but it is possible.” Paneer nodded, and headed off to the nursery to speak to his dragon.

  “So we’re going to break into a castle and steal her back?” Kalvis asked, blood thundering in his ears.

  Tattiena nodded once. “Yes. Pretty much. You better arm yourself well.”

  Kalvis didn’t need to be told twice. He headed off to the training yards once again to fill his pockets with the weapons of destruction that would save his dragon rider.

  Chapter 10.

  The steel around her wrists was cutting into her flesh. There was dried blood between her fingers where the blood had run and set. She probably shouldn’t have fought so hard to escape when they’d first tied her up, but it wasn’t in her nature to go quietly.

  This is such a mess. Why didn’t I just listen to Tattiena and stay in Gregorick? I would be warm, and safe, and free. Lying next to Kalvis in a bed.

  Tears threatened her stoic composure and she blinked them away. She shifted on the rocky floor that she sat upon and rotated her shoulders to keep the blood flowing.

  Her hands were bound in front of her, as were her ankles. She could barely stand up and if she did, walking was not an option.

  “Who are you?” One of the guards yelled out suddenly. Her head shot up and then she heard a scream and a thump.

  What’s going on?

  She wriggled forward in her cell to see what was happening. Kalvis’s face appeared between the bars.

  “Here you are! Thank the goddess. We’ll get you out!”

  He’s come for me! I never thought he would.

  He struggled with the cage door and she held her hands up, showing him that she was bound. “The keys are on the guard’s belt.”

  He nodded and left as she struggled to a stand.

  She waited in the silence and the shock begun to ripple away enough to think properly. He’d come for her! Just like in her dreams. But how? How had he known something was wrong? And how had he got here so fast?

  Teramessi!

  Oh, bless her beautiful heart. She’d probably gone for him. Though Teramessi had never let another ride her before, she must have done it for Nakeeri’s welfare.

  Kalvis was back, working on the door, and then pushed it open.

  “We’ve caused quite a stink out there. I think we’re going to have to fight our way out.”

  He opened the wrist binds with a key, and then dropped into a kneel to work free her legs.

  She pushed away the chains and rubbed her raw flesh, willing strength and blood back into her body. She hadn’t eaten in a day and had barely slept. Luckily, that wasn’t an unusual thing for her. She would recover soon.

  “Who’s we? Who else is here?”

  He jumped to his feet. “Oh, only Paneer… and the prince and princess of Davuno.”

  Kalvis grinned, his white teeth shining in the darkness of the cell.

  They’d come for her. They’d all come for her.

  “Do you have an extra sword?”

  He pulled a long sword from his belt. “For you. Where’s yours?”

  “They took it before my meeting with the king.”

  Bloody bastards. Disarming her, then taking her to a king who sentenced her to a public flogging and then death, hadn’t been the type of welcome home she’d expected.

  She weighed the sword in her hand. It was made well and was lighter than her own. She should be able to wield it well.

  “Oh? Your conversation with the king? Did that go well?” he asked, one eyebrow kinked

  She snorted at him, marvelling at his ability to turn the situation humorous.

  She gestured to her darkened accommodations. “Yes. Can’t you tell.”

  Suddenly he pulled her into his body and kissed her, hard. The heat of his body brought a moan to her throat and she clung to his shoulders, unable to believe that he really was here. And not a figment of her imagination.

  When he pulled back, his breathing was laboured. “I was afraid.”

  She placed a hand on his heart and felt the frantic beating beneath her palm.

  “Don’t be. I’m fine.” She wore no shoes but she could run on anything. “Let’s go.”

  He took out a knife from his belt and together they bolted up the stairs and out into the sunlight. She blinked blindly as the light hit her eyes.

  “Watch out.”

  Metal clanged above her head as Kalvis saved her from getting her neck cut in half.

  “Damn! Thanks.” She raised her sword and stood back to back with her captain of the guards.

  “Where are the others?” she yelled out as the noise around them became louder.

  “Coming. By the sounds of it.”

  Tattiena and Leo ran to them, both covered in blood. Leo was wounded. His shoulder was wrapped in cloth.

  “We need to get out of here. Do you know a way?”

  Paneer ran up to her and she’d never been happier to see the male dragon rider. She’d believed she had no friends in the world, but it appeared that she was wrong.

  “Lordip is waiting at the cave. We need to go. Now.”

  She knew a way out. “This way.” She took to the streets, running past the poor people that Tumurk had so many of.

  A soldier came at her and she parried her sword with his, slicing him across the belly and pushing him to the ground.

  “Follow me.” she called to her rescue party.

  She weaved through the city and made her way to the secret entrance to her cave. Her feet pounded on the rocks and just as she thought they were free and clear, she skidded to a halt.

  A dozen of the king’s men, and the king himself, blocked off the entrance to her tunnel.

  Obviously, not so secret after all.

  “Where are you going, Nakeeri?” The king’s taunting voice quivered through her mind.

  “Home.”

  “Your home is here. With me. And your people.”

  My people? They’ve never been my people.

  “My home has always been where Teramessi is. And she isn’t her
e. Your people have never made me welcome, and you…you do not deserve to be king.”

  His gaze flared and she lifted her sword.

  “Now move out of my way. We are going home.”

  The dragon riders beside her lifted their swords and the men stood at their backs to protect them.

  Luckily, Tumurk didn’t have a huge army. Too many wars. Too many weak men.

  “Didn’t you ever work it out, Nakeeri? Why I wanted you to stay?”

  “You liked the protection a dragon gave you.” And the fear it struck into those who dared to oppose you.

  He shook his head. “No. It’s because you are my daughter. You must stay. Stay with me.”

  Pain whistled through her chest. Every childhood memory she had flashed through her mind. Would her father threaten her with death?

  “No.” It wasn’t possible.

  The king had many by-blows. Everyone knew that. But her?

  “Yes.” The king nodded.

  She wouldn’t believe it, and even if she did…

  “You let me starve! You let me whore myself for food!” She choked on her tears, the memories of all she’d done as a child making her want to fall to the ground in pain.

  “You need to die!” Kalvis’s scream tore at her, he raised his sword and ran at the pack of soldiers protecting the man who may be her father.

  Tattiena and Leo ran after him and they fought hard as the king’s men battled with them.

  Nakeeri pulled herself together and twisted around, slicing a soldier who’d come at them from behind.

  “Run, Nakeeri. Get to the cave.” Paneer screamed as he fought off the men coming at them.

  “No way.”

  She kicked and sliced, parried and cut down the men still coming at them.

  “I won’t leave without any of you.”

  Paneer grabbed her arm and they both ran for the tunnel. Tattiena’s sudden scream of pain caught her attention, and she was suddenly behind them groaning, blood covering her dress.

  “She’s hurt!” Nakeeri cried, reaching for her new friend.

  Tattiena’s sword dropped to the ground as she swayed on her feet. Her eyes were closed and she looked ashen.