by C. Greenwood
“Who are you?” Aetios asked fearfully, looking at me as if I might be a new enemy. I realized that with the trident clutched in my hands and the blood of the man I had killed spattered over me, I probably didn’t look any friendlier than the gold-veiled warriors around us.
The dead body of a Voyager dispatched by Basil landed at our feet just then. My cousin was faring better with his rusty blade than I had thought.
“This is no time for introductions,” said Basil, stepping over the dead man and grabbing the boy by the arm. “Unless we want to die here, we have to get to the dragon.”
Maybe the young apprentice guessed that we were on his side, or maybe he just thought we couldn’t be any worse than his current captors. He didn’t protest further as the three of us fought our way closer to Skybreaker.
The dragon saw us coming and whirled, swiping his spiked tail through the mass of enemies, clearing our path. Once we reached his side, his sharp claws and knifelike teeth held the Voyagers at bay while Basil boosted the boy up onto the back of the beast.
A rushing noise filled the air, the whooshing sound of Skybreaker’s broad wings beginning to beat up and down. The wind from his wings stirred up a small hurricane of debris across the deck.
Seeing they were in danger of losing their captives, the Voyagers rushed at us. Skybreaker snapped one of them in two with his massive jaws.
“You coming?” Basil shouted to me over the cries of our enemies.
“After you.” I motioned him to clamber up the dragon’s side ahead of me. If I went up first, I wasn’t sure Skybreaker wouldn’t leave without Basil. He had no special liking for my cousin.
I didn’t have time to make sure Basil got up all right. I was startled by a rush of movement out of the corner of my eye and the pounding sound of a pair of feet running right toward me. I turned in time to see a gold-veiled warrior duck beneath the swipe of Skybreaker’s claws and aim a poison-tipped spear at the mad dragon’s neck. My heart jumping into my throat, I moved to block him with my trident, knowing if he hit his mark, we would be doomed.
Skybreaker lifted off the deck then and rose up into the air. With a quick motion, his long neck snaked out and snapped the man with the spear up in his jaws, chopping him in two.
Other enemies rushed in to take the warrior’s place. For a moment I faced them alone. Then I felt Skybreaker’s claws, strong as iron bands, close around my waist and lift me up into the air with him.
I watched the dizzying scene of the gold-veiled warriors and their golden-sailed ship dropping away as the wings of the dragon carried us up beyond their reach. A storm of spears rained after us as the Voyagers hurled their weapons. Even though the missiles fell short of their mark, the efforts of our enemies seemed to infuriate Skybreaker.
I sensed rage growing within him, probably built up during all the cruelties he had suffered while imprisoned by the hateful men with their sharp sticks and harsh taunts. Skybreaker’s powerful claws curled tighter around me, as if he had forgotten it was a friend and not a foe he held in his grip. Nervous at what he might do in a fit of anger, I tried to push calming thoughts into his mind. The last thing we needed was for the dragon’s infamous madness to return at such a crucial moment.
But Skybreaker didn’t respond to the waves of comfort I tried to direct his way. Possibly he was too enraged to notice it. Just as I thought we were drawing away from the Voyager ship and about to leave it behind, the dragon circled low again. I felt a sudden burst of heat, like the doors of a furnace being thrown open. In my awkward position, I twisted around to see fire erupting from Skybreaker’s jaws.
The stream of flames shot through the air like a fountain of lava and struck its target, the golden-sailed ship below. Immediately the canvas sails disintegrated under the heat. Liquid fire washed over the decks and ignited the masts. The panicked crew ran around like ants whose anthill had just been kicked, trying to fight the blaze.
Stunned, I could only look down on the chaos.
It had always been said on Corthium that Skybreaker was not a fire-breather, that he had never had the ability. But clearly everyone had been wrong. Perhaps some event in his youth had stunted his ability, or maybe he had just never been angry enough to use it. But he was using it now and its destructive power was dreadful.
Watching some of the Gold Ship Voyagers struggle to put out the flames while others leaped over the sides of their burning ship, I almost pitied them. We swooped low over the burning vessel one last time, and I felt the rising heat of the inferno.
I caught a brief impression of one Voyager looking up at us. Even though the lower half of his face was veiled, somehow I recognized him as the captain of the fleet, the intense-eyed Voyager I had first met back in the Blue Mermaid at Port Unity. He stood unmoved amid the chaos, not flinching at the bright flames devouring his ship. There was something unnerving at his coolness in the middle of such destruction.
As Skybreaker veered to the side and lifted us away, I lost sight of the Voyager. But I still felt his eyes on us long after we had put his ship behind us. Despite the situation we left him in, I had the uneasy feeling it would take more than dragon fire to kill that particular Voyager.
I shook the thought from my mind as we soared higher into the night sky. Other golden-sailed ships spread out over the dark waters below. They were turning around, sailing to the aid of the burning vessel. But they could not touch us up here. We passed over them, skimming a low layer of clouds, and flew toward the stars.
When my pounding heart slowed down and the cool breeze dried the sweat on my skin, I began to enjoy the flight and the relief of having narrowly escaped death yet again. Against all odds, we had freed Skybreaker. We were safe, and we had the mapmaker’s young apprentice in our possession. Maybe the boy could make us an entirely new map to replace the unfinished one begun by his master and lost when the pirates had destroyed our ship. I dared to hope we were finally on the right path, one that would lead us to preserving the past and restoring the future of the dragonkind.
Somewhere at the back of my mind tugged an unpleasant knowledge that other obstacles probably lay ahead. We may not have seen the last of the Voyagers. And what dark plans did Captain Ulysses and his pirates harbor toward us now? There could be other powerful forces in the world too, all determined to thwart us. But those were fears for another day.
Continue the adventure in Book 4, HOPE OF DRAGONS.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA TODAY bestselling author C. Greenwood started writing stories shortly after learning her ABCs and hasn't put down her pen since. After falling in love with the fantasy genre more than a decade ago, she began writing sword and sorcery novels. The result was the birth of her best known works, the Legends of Dimmingwood series. In addition to her writing, Ms. Greenwood is a wife, mom and graphic designer. Want to learn more about C. Greenwood or her books? Check out her website at www.cgreenwoodauthor.com or “like” her on Facebook.
Legends of Dimmingwood Series
Magic of Thieves ~ Book I
Betrayal of Thieves ~ Book II
Circle of Thieves ~ Book III
Redemption of Thieves ~ Book IV
Journey of Thieves ~ Book V
Rule of Thieves ~ Book VI
Catalysts of Chaos Series
Mistress of Masks ~ Book I
Betrayer of Blood ~ Book II
Summoner of Storms ~ Book III
Clash of Catalysts ~ Book IV
Magic of Dimmingwood Series
Thief’s Blade ~ Book I
Thief’s Fall ~ Book II
Thief’s Curse ~ Book III
Quest of the Nine Isles Series
Isle of Dragons ~ Book I
Sea of Dragons ~ Book II
Ship of Dragons ~ Book III
Hope of Dragons ~ Book IV
agons (Quest of the Nine Isles Book 3)