Inferno Legacy: Loyalty of the Dragon (Book Two)

Chapter 26

                Cody continued to spar for what felt like days, but when he considered what time it was he realized that only an hour had passed. Every once in a while he was allowed a few minutes to rest, but then was forced to stand back up and continue to fight the next person, while the other two fought each other to keep and endless stream of practice fights and allow Fearless to give tips to and observe his different warriors-in-training.

                Finally, when Cody found that he could barely lift his sword, Fearless called for them to stop. "I must admit, you are all pretty talented fighters considering you've never had any true practice your entire lives. Still, you all need to build up some muscle! Every day I expect you to practice simple but menial tasks like hauling heavy rocks, and especially practice your fighting when you can, where you can. Later this week you need to return, and I expect more muscle. Now go and find something productive to do."

                Without hesitation, Cody and his friends wearily exited the cavern and started walking together in whichever direction their feet took them. They couldn't tell where they were going or why, but they all went nonetheless. Cody felt shaggy fur brush his fingertips but barely noted that it was Ashheart before continuing through the passage. Before long the passage opened up to the main hall, where Playful stood impatiently, alone.

                "Where are those dragons!?" She shouted angrily, a surprising and terrifying change to her voice.

                "Inferno and Destiny were not in their stalls, nor our room for that matter," Ashheart commented nervously.

                All weariness vanished from Cody's limbs as the realization suddenly came to him. "They're missing!?"

                "This is the only way outside from this part of the realm, and I've been here since two hours before dawn!"

                "Standing here shouting isn't going to solve anything," Avalsmokes pointed out as he shook with terror. "Playful, h-have you been outside in the main tunnels at all today?"

                Their mentor shook her head slowly as she tried to make sense of things. But as soon as her head moved Avalsmokes and Cody pelted away, the others trailing behind more slowly. By the time Cody reached the door Aval was already heaving it open, despite the obvious pain it caused his weary muscles. Ignoring the ache in their limbs, the two raced down one eerily empty hall after another. Then suddenly they burst into the tunnel, chests heaving and legs shaking with the tremendous strain their running had caused. Cody gasped at what he saw.

                Only a few feet from the two riders, Willful sat on his gryphon in front of a score or more soldiers, all heavily armed for battle and astride their own winged mounts. The king's armor was especially grand: all black but with a ripple of blue that passed over the scale formation it was composed of. The gauntlets on his forearms had sharp, dark blue spikes extending at least six inches out, if not more. Last of all was his richly decorated helmet, where the metal on either side of his face extended into a graceful yet threatening pair of eagle wings just under a foot long.

                "What's going on?" Cody asked Willful worriedly.

                When the king realized who it was he relaxed a bit and heaved a great sigh before explaining, "In the dead of the night those dragons of yours kidnapped the guards that were on duty without us every realizing it. The dragons dropped them off on a mountain over a hundred miles away and sped on, far away from here. The guards summoned their mounts and arrived only a half-hour ago."