Stone Sacrifice ✔️Chronicles of Grey BOOK ONE [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twenty-Two

"What took you so long?"

Jaz grumbled at Arion. "Another raid of Dragon Knights. They wouldn't let us leave for three damn days." She looked at me. "I assume by the fact that you're still here, you found that stone of endurance you were searching for."

I shook my head. "I couldn't find it but that's alright, we'll make better time now with horses anyway." She looked surprised but before she could comment Arion asked why the Knights had raided such a small village.

She shrugged. "Apparently they're still deeming the Greyov princess still lives."

Aitch snorted. "If she still lived, she'd be long gone running for here. Nahdiera is gone to pieces. Won't be long before the king kills the lot of us."

Jaz nodded agreement. "You should have seen the market. Before the Knights came, we were gathering some things that we'd need before heading out again but there was almost nothing to choose from. Crops are failing all over, and even the early spring isn't bring much hope to the people."

"Not anything we can do on it now, so let's head out." Arion said simply and mounted his horse which had, by some miracle, remained in the trees for the three days we'd needed to hide in the mountain valley. Mine had run off but we'd spent a day searching and actually found it, another miracle.

So we headed off once again. Strolling down the road.

It was a mistake we should not have made.

I knew the dragons were still flying around. I knew they were still searching villages, I knew they would not stop searching until I was found, so why did I risk the road? Because of Aitch and jaz? Because it was shorter? I didn't know, but whatever my reason was, it had been a stupid one.

I sensed the dragon flying overhead, but I sensed many that day and the days before flying over villages and such, but when this one flew, I knew it was coming down and my eye went to Arion in a panic. I don't know why I bothered, for what could he have done about it? It was too late to run.

"Arion!" I hissed as I yanked the horse to a stop.

He turned his head around. "What—"

The dragon landed on the road in front of him, startling his horse. It was a small dragon, young but powerful. It's height was level with the horse, the rider level with us. I heard Jaz curse at the inconvenience but I was frozen solid. It was only one dragon, but what could we do about it?

"Shadows." The knight greeted, looking mostly at Arion.

"Sir Jahmus." Arion leaped down from the horse, seeming casual. "I'm on a job, but if the king has need of me I can leave for Qa'elah in a few days time."

The knight - Sir Jahmus apparently - was fairly young, perhaps only a year or two older then Arion. He had a face with delicate features, almost womanly despite his muscle. If he hadn't spent his entire life training hard to become a dragon knight, I would have no doubt thought him a woman, perhaps even a girl. His eyes were the brightest of blues, like the sky on a hot summer day, and he had a genuine look about him that made me think he was the kind of man who stopped to play with children and who rescued young squirrels from his dragons hunger.

But he was a Dragon Knight, and I of all people, knew that looks were deceiving.

He dismounted his dragon. "Not here on that business, I'm afraid." He said to Arion. "We're suppose to stop all we see on the road and have a look at your women."

As he came forward, I went over my options. I could kill him, but that would leave Jaz and Aitch wondering on why, and whatever reason I gave them, I was sure that they were both bright enough to figure out that I was hiding from the Dragon Knights. With that understanding, they could figure out - or at least wonder - who I was. This would not be good.