FARRELL STARED at Miceral as long as he could, but when the silence got awkward, he turned to Grohl.
“I don’t think I need to ask, but are you willing to help me?”
Grohl’s feathers stuck up and his eyes danced with anticipation. “You already know my answer. How could one brother not help another in his time of need?”
“Brother?” Prince Yudres said. “How can they be brothers?”
“Because that was the will of the Six,” Kel said.
“My brother risked his life to save Miceral, my brother Takala, and me.” Grohl puffed out his feathers. “Then he saved our brother’s life. As of that moment, he became our brother. King Rothdin, our father, made it official after he met Farrell.”
“I assure you, to Farrell and Grohl, they are as much brothers as if they had been born of the same parents,” Kel said. “And because of that bond, Farrell and Grohl can work together in a way no one else can match. At this moment we need a powerful human wizard who can meld with a powerful peregrine to defeat a dragon.”
“If you still had doubts, here is further proof,” Klissmor said. “Nothing that happens to the Champion and those who support him is by chance.”
A thunderous roar rippled through the air from across the battlefield. Qurol’s head appeared in the distance. Though they all knew he’d been there, this was the first time the dragon allowed anyone to see him. He turned his green-scaled head toward the ocean and seemed to stare right at Farrell.
“You chose the wrong day to pick a fight, dragon,” Farrell whispered.
“You are right,” Grohl said as he turned toward the edge of the cliff. “Today the sons of Rothdin will have their revenge on this coward for the death of our uncle. I will see you in the air, brother.”
Farrell smiled as Grohl launched himself skyward.
“Don’t let his recklessness take over,” Miceral said. “He thinks he’s invincible.”
“Actually, his spirit is exactly what we’ll need for this fight.” Farrell kissed Miceral’s cheek. “Together we’ll make the perfect dragon-killing team.”
“Yes, you shall!” Kel stomped his staff on the ground once. “Go, before he turns his foul magic on our soldiers.”
Farrell kept his eyes on Miceral. “Be safe, Ral. I’ll be covered in magic; you won’t.”
“I’ll just be fighting Chamdon.” Miceral winked and kissed him. “Nothing compared to a dragon.”
The flippant response was an act, but Farrell loved him all the more for trying. “I’ll join you when we’re finished.”
Before anyone else could speak, Farrell flew up to meet his brother. Despite what Kel had said, killing a dragon would be hard. Not impossible, but not easy. Grohl’s confidence was a necessary asset for this fight. Fear killed. It caused hesitation at the wrong moment. Together they would be unafraid, and that would carry the day.
He saw Grohl circling above him and pushed himself higher. Once he settled on his brother’s back, he extended his link and covered them in blue wizard’s fire. Grohl opened his beak, and they trumpeted a challenge to Qurol. The dragon glared at them, and Farrell settled against his brother’s back.
“Time to show him the mettle of the sons of Rothdin,” Grohl’s said.
To Farrell the words felt like he said them, and that increased his confidence. Their link was strong, and that boded ill for any in their path.
Chapter 30
JOINED WITH his brother, Farrell found the sensation intoxicating. He felt his brother’s power and strength as if he were a peregrine himself. Grohl and Takala had told him magic felt the same to them. The way Takala had belched wizard’s fire was proof of that.
Grohl worked to take them higher, and Farrell used the time to study their enemy. Qurol’s head was larger than a full-grown horse. Long pointed horns lined the top of his skull and continued down his neck. Two golden eyes with black vertical slits glared at them as they moved higher. His nostrils flared and he bared his long, curved teeth.
Qurol stood behind Garreth’s army and extended his massive wings. His long barbed tail swished back and forth, nearly hitting his own troops. Beyond the dragon and slightly north, Nerti, Heminaltose, and the others spread out for their charge on the enemy rear. Above them a familiar form led a swarm of peregrines.
“What’s Father doing here?” As he formed the question, the answer appeared in his thoughts.
“This dragon killed our uncle in a sneaky and cowardly way. He is here to ensure Qurol doesn’t escape a second time.” Grohl’s bloodlust coursed through Farrell. If Rothdin felt the same—and it was a given he did—he would enter the fight. Without magical protections, he would be vulnerable.
“Our kind has fought dragons long before you learned to merge with me. Father is not a foolish hatchling. He knows he needs a wizard to help him.”
That didn’t comfort Farrell as it should have. Rothdin would seek out Kel, who should not fight a dragon. He couldn’t dwell on it. They were both adults much older than he or Grohl. They’d do what they wanted no matter what he said. Instead, he focused on strengthening their protection.
Part shield, part raw power, the cocoon of blue energy was a power source for Grohl. He drew on it when he eructed fire from his mouth. The seamless transfer of energy couldn’t happen if they weren’t connected so intimately. As Kel had said, nothing happened by chance.
Garreth’s army maneuvered into an attack formation. Two legions broke off and turned north. They were too few in human form to deal with Nerti and the others. Garreth was about to learn the true price for Meglar’s aid. Garreth would not escape becoming a Chamdon. He’d be another soldier to fight, and Meglar would eliminate a potential claimant to rule the west.
Farrell directed his attention south to find the Arlefors. They were closer than he expected and had a clear path to the heart of Garreth’s army. Chamdon would struggle to contain the Arlefors in the best scenario. Without time to prepare for the attack, the Chamdon had no chance. Of course, everything depended on he and Grohl defeating Qurol.
The Arlefors would hit Garreth’s army a few minutes before Nerti and the Muchari. The two forces would take the pressure off Wilhelm, Miceral, and the others.
Satisfied the fight on the ground was in order, he turned his attention to Qurol. The dragon labored to gain altitude, but his awkward takeoff had become a graceful flight. Qurol’s greater mass slowed him enough that Grohl kept well away.
Farrell pulled his staff from his back, and Grohl turned to face their enemy. From his brother’s mind, he knew to focus his attacks on the dragon’s head. Red energy escaped the blue cocoon and raced across the air that separated them from Qurol.
Rocked by the blow, Qurol’s let out a thunderous roar. Before he could recover, Grohl belched a steady stream of wizard’s fire at the exposed head and neck. This time the dragon only grunted.
Qurol countered with a torrent of flames that engulfed his tormentors. Their shield withstood the flames, but it reduced their speed. Grohl roared his anger and directed the pair to repeat their first attack. Farrell followed the decision and fired several balls of energy. At the same time, Grohl sent fire at the dragon. The attacks had no effect this time as Qurol raised his wing and both attacks bounced off.
“Focus on flying,” Farrell said. “Allow me to control our magical attacks.”
Grohl understood his mistake and agreed to divide up the responsibilities as Farrell suggested. They turned left and then down. When Qurol tried to follow, Grohl soared up. Farrell fired at their enemy’s exposed belly. Qurol tried to block it, but the maneuver proved too fast for him to avoid. The dragon convulsed at the direct hit.
Grohl dove away and veered right, but Qurol’s massive tail struck them flush across the left side. The shield absorbed the impact, but the force of the blow sent them turning end over end. Before they could regain equilibrium, Qurol struck them with dragon fire. The flames couldn’t penetrate their protection, but the brothers could feel the intense heat.
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Farrell strengthened their shields to adjust for the heat, and Grohl flapped furiously to arrest their free fall. Twisting on his brother’s back, Farrell broke his staff apart and sent balls of blue-green energy at the closing dragon. Qurol swerved to evade the attacks, but it slowed him just enough for Grohl to steady them. A moment later the balls struck the dragon from behind.
Qurol looked backward and his pursuit faltered more. Using the brief opening, Farrell spun a golden ball of light between the ends of his staff. He snapped his wrists and the ball flew away. Free of Farrell’s constraints, the energy unraveled and widened into a net. Farrell maintained control of the spell and directed it at Qurol.
Grohl steadied the pair and pumped to gain speed as the net closed around Qurol. Snapping his fist shut, Farrell tightened the golden lines to pin Qurol’s wings to his body. Farrell squeezed again and the dragon dropped like a stone.
The net was stretched too wide to hold for long, but it gave Grohl time to maneuver into a better position. Qurol roared and strained against his bonds. Before his net burst, Farrell snapped his fingers. The solid strands of energy turned into a caustic liquid. The yellow substance seeped between scales and burned the flesh below.
Smoke rose from Qurol’s body as he struggled to maintain his flight. Pain laced the dragon’s snarl, and the sound prickled Farrell’s skin. His spell had stung a great deal, and he expected Qurol to get more aggressive.
Grohl circled the laboring dragon, and Farrell unleashed another spell. A cloud formed over Qurol and shadowed him. As the massive body stopped its free fall, slivers of pointy red energy rained onto his exposed body. Farrell smiled at the frustration in Qurol’s howl. He twisted his head up and shot fire at the attacking cloud.
With their enemy preoccupied, Grohl, swept down and away and they launched another attack. Farrell sent balls of energy that rocked the dragon as they exploded. When the last of the cloud had burned off, Qurol surprised them by wheeling left and down. His momentum sent him diving toward Nerti and the others.
“He means to strafe them!” Grohl said.
“Focus!” Farrell said as he shared his thoughts on how they’d stop the dragon.
Grohl shot after their adversary and tucked his wings for a power dive. He snapped them out and extended his talons right before impact. Blue-flame-covered claws dug into Qurol’s back. They pieced the armored scales like they were paper. A deafening shriek filled the air, and Farrell enveloped the dragon in a weightless spell.
Grohl beat his wings with all his strength and altered Qurol’s trajectory. Slowly the trio pulled up and away from their friends.
Qurol writhed in pain and twisted his head in the direction of his tormentors. Farrell was ready for the move and blasted the snarling jaws with a steady stream of explosive energy. Qurol twisted violently to avoid the attack. Each time he gained a moment’s respite, he snapped his long, curved teeth at the pair.
When they were north of Nerti, Qurol ducked his head and the brothers were struck from behind. The thump on their shield barely registered, as the dragon’s tail lacked the weight needed to generate force.
Farrell smiled as Grohl opened his talons and let go of the dragon. Released from Farrell’s spell, Qurol’s true weight returned. He plummeted toward the ground, beating his giant wings frantically to keep aloft.
Grohl moved north and circled to make sure Qurol didn’t try to attack their friends again. Still beating hard, the dragon managed to right himself before he crashed. He peered up at his enemy with vengeance in his enormous eyes.
Perched well above their adversary, they set a course away from the battle below. Farrell used the brief respite to plan his next attack. They’d hurt the dragon, but none of the injuries were serious. Peregrine talons and unicorn horns could pierce a dragon’s scales. To get Grohl’s claws into a vital area, they needed to slow the dragon’s charge.
Qurol pumped his wings faster than Farrell thought possible. The venom in his glare spoke of the rage-fueled effort he’d make to reach the brothers. Given how fast Qurol closed on them, Grohl wouldn’t be able to outfly him.
Aware of what Farrell saw, Grohl waited for Qurol to draw closer before he took evasive action. Tucking his wings and dipping his head, Grohl entered a power dive the dragon couldn’t match. Once he’d put some distance between them, he extended his wings wide and pivoted east.
The move caught Qurol by surprise and he fumbled to maintain his pursuit. Grohl used the awkward transition to change direction and head north. Before Qurol could adjust again, Grohl spun around and flew at the dragon. Lying flat on Grohl’s back, Farrell sent a stream of green wizard’s fire at their angry foe.
Qurol belched an enormous counter, and the two attacks exploded midway between the sides. Before they collided with the dragon, Farrell ended his attack and Grohl turned west. The move was a second too late, and it brought them within striking distance of their enemy.
Claws larger than a dwarf raked their shield. Farrell’s magic held, but the blow knocked them off course and cut into their speed. Qurol executed a wide turn and chased them down.
Farrell twisted and faced the closing dragon. Grohl worked to increase his speed, and Farrell readied a ball of energy. He planned to shove it down Qurol’s throat when he opened his mouth. Qurol continued to gain on them, and Farrell steadied himself to react. As the dragon opened his mouth, a blast of yellow energy struck from above and rocked his head.
“Stop playing with him,” Rothdin said as he and Kel streaked past.
Covered in the same energy as Grohl, Rothdin swung around for a second pass at the shaken dragon. Red dots exploded from the jewel on Kel’s staff and grew into long strands of energy.
“Don’t look so surprised, Grandson.” Kel looked triumphant riding on Rothdin’s back. “I am not too old to learn from someone else.”
He wanted to protest Kel’s involvement, but he welcomed the help. Thus far he hadn’t found a way to seriously injure their enemy. Even the usually effective red bands failed to hold the angry dragon. Grohl used their father’s diversion to circle away to better coordinate their attack.
The series of twists and turns Rothdin executed left even Grohl envious. Through them all, Kel hurled magical weapons at the irate dragon. None of them appeared hurt Qurol, but he grew more frustrated with each blow. He belched fire that missed by a wide mark. Then he snapped at the streaking pair and caught only air. Finally he spun his tail wildly but hit nothing.
“We must close with him,” Rothdin said. “Only the talons of a peregrine or the horn of a unicorn can pierce a dragon’s armor.”
“I have a plan, but I need to get him over the ocean,” Farrell said. “We were trying to get him there when he caught us with his tail.”
“Water will not slay a dragon,” Kel said. “Listen to your father and close with the beast.”
“I’m not planning to drown him,” Farrell said as Grohl streaked toward the sea. “The water will hold him still so we can strike. I don’t have time to explain, but I need you both to trust me.”
Rothdin continued to fly circles around Qurol but inched the battle west with each pass. Kel peppered their enemy with a slew of darts and explosions. Each move brought the dragon closer to the edge of land.
Farrell reached into his endless pocket and pulled out the two unicorn horns Lenore had given to him. He tucked them into his belt, and Grohl executed the rest of their plan.
“Break off and let us lure him away,” Farrell said.
He took one of the horns and surrounded it in blue energy. When Rothdin disengaged, he sent it to Kel. His grandfather caught the offering and secured it in his belt.
Farrell fired several blasts of red energy at Qurol that stung enough to get his attention. “Father, you and Kel keep ahead of us.”
“What are you planning?” Rothdin asked as he did as Farrell requested.
“I’m going to use the ocean to hold him long enough to shove Nordric’s horn into his black heart.” H
e caught the hatred in his voice and bit down. “Kel will do the same with the horn Lenore left me. He can explain the rest.”
“Be safe!” Rothdin moved farther away, outracing his son.
Farrell launched a series of strong attacks to ensure Qurol maintained his pursuit.
“ENOUGH OF THESE COWARDLY INSULTS! CEASE YOUR FLEEING AND FIGHT ME!” Though he hadn’t heard the voice before, Farrell instantly knew the speaker.
“If you want us to stop, you need to catch us, you lumbering fool!” Farrell said.
Grohl cleared land’s end and strained to put distance between themselves and their foe. Despite his efforts, Qurol gained on them, belching flames. The effort to strike at his enemy slowed him each time he breathed. Grohl made good use of the advantage.
Farrell kept up the return fire. By the time Grohl tucked his wings and dove for the choppy ocean, his staff was nearly empty. He transferred power from his armor and said a prayer to Khron for the gift.
“THE OCEAN WILL NOT SAVE YOU FROM MY WRATH!” Qurol followed them down. “MY FIRE WILL BURN YOU EVEN THERE.”
Farrell stowed his staff and threw himself flat against Grohl’s back. They hit the cold, frothy waves and sliced into the water like a polished stone. Farrell connected with the ocean and pulled them farther below the surface. The twinge of fear from Grohl was smothered as Farrell explained how the shield would supply them with enough air.
Linked with the water, they felt Qurol’s massive form follow them blindly into the seas. He sent another stream of flames at them. Farrell used his control of the water to smother them before they struck.
When they were deep enough, Farrell solidified the water immediately around Qurol. An angry roar confirmed that Qurol finally realized his plight. Exerting more control, Farrell tightened his grip on the thrashing dragon. He pushed Qurol toward the surface, and he and Grohl followed their prey up.
Locked tight in the water’s embrace, Qurol strained against his bindings. Farrell clamped down his hold and kept them moving upward. He and Grohl broke the surface first. Grohl stretched his wings and lifted them skyward. Rothdin and Kel circled above them, gleaming in the clear blue sky.
When Heroes Fall Page 44