WREN Book Three Prince of Dragons

The passing night

No sooner had I settled to Tanwen's back did we reach the height of the fight. Cordgi was alone. The water dragon beneath him twisted around his own body sending out jets of water. It was working, for now. I stifled the cry as Tanwen turned toward the lone rider. Another dragon was coming up fast on our left. I swung to prepare for engagement.

The manic face I saw grinning at me nearly had my heart stop. I knew she had loved to fight. Her thirst for the kill had been part of the reason I despised her so much. Talkien was a mighty bronze and orange dragon. His wings stand nearly as far apart as Tanwen's. In full health once more, he was a frightful sight to gaze upon. I wasn't the only one thrown by the pairs arrival.

Betha urged her mount into the battle before us. I saw the tip of Talkien's tail had a spike broken already. What did she put him through? I didn't have time to ponder this. We were engaged as soon as we rose to the height of the fight. I leapt to my feet.

Tanwen dove for a rider who was more focused on Cordgi than what was around him. I leapt free of my Nuare. My staff prodded the back of the knights head as I landed behind him. He twisted around, I slammed the butt of the staff between his eyes. He went cross eyed a moment before slumping in his seat. The dragon I stood on shifted to a vertical climb.

I knew what I should do. Knew that this was war. That killing was going to be unavoidable, but I didn't have the heart to randomly kill a dragon. Even if this one was doing its best to knock me from its back. I felt my feet sliding along its spine.

'This isn't your fight.' I forced the thought through his block. It's screaming cry as I tore apart the walls it had manifested, was nearly as bad as a death cry.

I fell from the dragons back. Spreading my arms and feet out I slowed my fall. In midair I twisted around to survey the battle. Cordgi was looking up at me, a wild grin on his face. I suppose seeing me falling through open space no longer terrified him. His sword came up to shunt aside a blow of fire. Neffy meet the magic with his own as he doused the fire dragon. He had great aim as well as powerful jets of water. He surged the water down the fire dragons throat. I chuckled.

Tanwen was engaged with another dragon. It's rider was attempting to climb to her back. Good luck with that! I thought as I saw the ice forming along her spine. I shifted my free fall. There she was. I watched as she looked like some ghostly Phoenix rising up to meet me.

The fight raged behind her red wings. Her eye was set upon me so she wouldn't accidently sail past my body. I watched as her magnificent wings spread out so she could shift her flight pattern. Her back was presented to me. I chuckled pulling my limbs back to angle toward her. I was still a few feet away, when I saw the other dragon bearing down up on her.

Zia wasn't going to move. She had taken her eye from me, believing in me to make any last minutes tweaks to get to her. She wouldn't change her position, even if it meant she took the killing blow that was coming for her. I was about to shout out a cry. Any other dragon could break free to save me, it didn't have to be her! I couldn't just watch her die!

My vision seemed to tunnel in on the immovable fire dragon. She twisted her head to blast away one dragon that I hadn't seen. It used her body to block itself from my view. With its head engulfed in flame, it nearly collided with her. Zia shifted minutely to allow it to pass. It reached a pinnacle of its flight before twisting falling back as its brains boiled under the intense flame from the royal dragon.

The first dragon was still intent on the fire dragon waiting for me. I saw another dragon was rising up. This one was darker than the water dragon. It looked as if a piece of volcanic ash was floating in the sky. Krudgel rammed into the dragons underbelly, knocking it off course from the beloved royal. I laughed as I landed safely on my paranuares back.