Inferno Legacy: Valor of the Dragon (Book One)

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

       The fear was engulfing Blackscales, but his curiosity was beginning to come over him as well. He heard the rustling once more, and could hardly keep himself from bursting away from the shelter of Inferno’s wings. But he did notice that the dragon was much less rigid than he was before, and he certainly wasn’t growling, as much as earlier. He wanted to question him, but he could feel through their mind link that there was nothing to fear. In the very least, if these people were foes, they weren’t much of a threat. Then again, the dragon could just be trying to conceal his fear.

            It finally got to a point where the rider couldn’t look away anymore, and he raced out of the cover of the Inferno’s wings and leapt a few feet forward until he was just in front of the dragon’s chest. That was when he saw the person that he assumed was leading the attack.

            She was a woman, who was unusually beautiful and walked with elegant grace as she strode from the cover of the trees. She had unusual-looking silver clothing with black trim, and she was covered with various weapons from knives tucked in her shoes to a bow over her shoulder. The first truly startling part about her was a small silver crown that swirled around her head like waves of silky, liquid metal. The crown also appeared to have a few small emerald gems in them that shone a pale green color in the autumn moonlight.

            What really caught Blackscales by surprise above all other things and relieved him to no end, was the single pointed ear that was hardly visible under her lustrous dark-brown hair with odd teal streaks running through it like a river of thread through the dark beauty of the rest of her hair. She was an elf, and therefore, an ally.

            “What a truly magnificent dragon,” The elf woman called out to them from about a dozen feet away.

            Both Inferno and Blackscales took a moment to bask in the glorious comment, pride glistening in both of their eyes, before the rider shook his head to clear his thoughts. The woman’s companions, likely elves as well, remained in the dark forest so that they were hardly visible, probably because they wanted the leader of their company to be alone with the dragon and rider for the time being.

            Finally, Blackscales got the courage to clear his throat to avoid having a raspy voice in their first encounter, and said with as little hostility as he could manage, “Who are you exactly, and why are you stalking us like this? Oh and why did you shoot at us?”

            The elf chuckled slightly, obviously unoffended by the hostility as she replied with similar grace as before, “I am Fril, the Elf Queen’s second-in-command, and sort of her military leader when it comes to battles or wars. She and Heyrick sent me to find you, and the firing at you was just a little test to see how…resilient you were.”

            Blackscales was very startled about several things she was saying, but one of them startled him most and he quickly asked, “When did they send you, and why?”

            “Heyrick told us of your injured friend, and he sent me and some of the elven warriors out to save her for you,” Fril replied, looking even more graceful and majestic with each passing second.

            “I’m sure I can bring her there myself. I really want to be with her, so pardon me if I sound mistrusting,” Blackscales replied, a little more hostility in his voice.

            Fril’s slight small turned into a frown as she said, “But Heyrick was sure that you would want to save your other companions from our enemies.”