WREN Book Three Prince of Dragons

Red dawn rising

"I'm going." I told Kyain.

He waved his hand to the dragon walking away from us. Turning to me he grinned, patting my arm. His face was closed to me. I couldn't read his mind as my head seemed more empty than usual.

"You need them, as they need you. What is it they used to say, fight fire with fire?" Kyain smiled at me.

"I've sent nearly all our fire dragons out." I told him he shook his head wagging a finger in my face.

"No, no." He chuckled.

"Fight an old friend, with an old friend." He offered. I frowned.

"I think he means me." The sound of that voice made my body stiffen.

Instinctively I straightened up, my fists closed as I flung up every wall I could muster. Keiji had been the first fire knight to treat me as a friend. He had seen how many belittled me for living in the dirt, smelling like dragon dung or mud all my life. He had given me hope for a future with them one day. This one...

Slowly I turned my stiffened body around. She stood there looking far worse than the last time I saw her. Her long golden hair was chopped short, just below her ears. Her staff was just a broken driftwood piece. The clothing that covered her body was tattered at best. I could see the wide inexperienced thread work that had attempted to fix it. She had been the one to led most of the knights against me. She had fought me with everything I did. Wouldn't let me talk before others, causing me to stutter whenever I was around them. I had reverted back to only using my mental voice near her.

I recalled her dragons as well. It was from the royal hatcheries. He had befriended Zia who was livid at the abuse his Nuare had put me through. That relationship had ended because of me. Talkien had been a fire dragon of perfect pedigree. A royal in his own right, the perfect suitor for someone of Zia's heritage.

"I would rather cut my own throat than to have you watch my back." I growled.

"Look at you, so strong, so noble, but just as stupid as I recall!" She insisted. Yet there was a smile on her lips.

She gestured to the clothing she wore. "No emblem, no royal taylor to fix them." She stated. My heart was racing as I glared at her.

"Talkien?" I asked, deciding to use as few words with her as I could.

I watched a hunched man walk up behind her. He leaned heavily upon his staff. One arm was up clutching his chest. His long flowing red, orange and yellow hair was matted, what was left of it that was. Burns covered his scalp. I felt sickened at seeing his condition. I shuffled forward.

"You were always more concerned over an animal than a knight!" She hissed, swinging the staff to attempt to block my progress to her Nuare.

"Because the animals were far better humans than the knights!" I hissed coming to meet her face to face.

It was at this moment that it occurred to me, I wasn't a scared little boy any longer. I had trained under the best of men. I knew how to fight. I rode a fucking queen, she wasn't going to stop me any longer. The fire raged in my eyes as I met her glare.

"Easy, Betha!" the dragon spoke in a soft calming tone.

'We need his help as much as he needs ours.' Talkien added.

She lowered the staff. "I have done all I know how to do to help him. We left the kings fight when he ordered us to kill one of our own."

"Fauner?" I guessed. She hung her head.

"Dose Zia live?" the dragon lifted his bent head to meet my gaze.

"She did two nights ago." I hissed. I saw his relief.