Inferno Legacy: Loyalty of the Dragon (Book Two)

Chapter 28

(Merry Christmas everyone!)

Cody watched in open awe as Avalsmokes and Omen urged their winged mounts forward and the gryphons spread their wings wide to catch the air before diving over the edge of the cliff's face, their feathers waving beautifully in the rough mountain winds. Ashheart whimpered quietly as his rider disappeared from their view.

Only moments later Fearless was at the edge of the cliff astride a massive yet unusually lean lion with a shining mane of dark gold and crimson. With a twitch of his wrist the cat propelled them both over the edge and caught itself on a narrow ledge below. From there it raced for the next rock, Fearless moving effortlessly with the animal's graceful bounds. Some of the others followed him without apparent hesitation.

Cody urged his tiger to the edge and felt his heart leap into his throat as he gazed down at the practically sheer drop directly below them. He fastened his helmet and flicked the "reigns" to encourage the tiger forward. In the blink of an eye it dove to the side and fell a short distance to the same narrow ledge Fearless had landed on. The cat moved quickly from the precarious position to join the Dreamkeeper and ash-hued leopard ahead on a large rock jutting from the mountain's side.

He felt as though he was tossed around uselessly with each leap, the she-cat under him second-guessing his commands and making awkward jumps down the mountainside. It took some time to familiarize himself with the sudden movements and the erratic bunching and twisting of muscle beneath him. Soon enough, however, he was able to react quickly enough to tell the tiger which direction to leap and lean effectively into each bound. In only an hour he was able to make a quick sweep of the land occasionally between commands to assist in keeping a watchful eye over the land. At one point he marveled as the tiger slid swiftly and easily over a small patch of scree, her massive paws gliding easily over the loose stones without the slightest change in her movement. In that moment he decided to name her Scree.

For hours the group continued at a relentless pace over the rocky ledges and crags, always staying as close to the peaks of the mountains as possible to keep a watchful eye over the forests and valleys all around. The view was utterly stunning. In a large, glimmering green valley a herd of large deer bounded swiftly over a stream that cut through the land, disappearing in a copse of evergreen trees. A single golden eagle larger than a bear drifted smoothly over the treetops before suddenly snatching up a songbird that could have easily outsized any man. Rabbits the size of fully-grown lions disappeared into holes big enough for Cody to walk through without ducking his head.

But he never saw anything worthy of concern the whole day that they rode, and well into the night before they stopped. He couldn't tell whether he was satisfied or disappointed without evidence of Fearless's Reajon, though he had a strong feeling that the Dreamkeeper had spoken only truth earlier that day. When at last Fearless called for them to stop, his nerves were alight with tension, expecting an invisible force to suddenly leap from the shadows to tear him from the saddle. He noticed with relief that nothing happened. The other patrol came into sight a few minutes later, and after a brief acknowledgement they lapsed into silence, neither group holding any information that needed reporting to the other.

Some of the meat they had packed, and a deer that Destiny had caught, was quickly prepared for their supper, which they ate in silence. Cody felt the presence of his friends at his shoulders, appreciating their companionship even in the silence of the night. After they ate, Cody and Inferno retreated to the edge of Dreamrest Mountain's flattened peak to be by themselves, Cody settling by Inferno's breast. The dragon's wing settled around him, and before he knew it Cody was sleeping.