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  Dex stuck out his leg, bending it to provide a step for Soren. He thanked the dragon as he climbed onto his leg. Placing a hand on the dragon’s side, he balanced himself and tossed the harness over the dragon. He stepped down, fastening the harness under the dragon and again across his chest.

  “How is that?” Soren asked as he stepped back. It fit better than he thought it would.

  The dragon peered at the harness. “It feels…” His body twitched. “A little odd but not too bad. Where did you learn how to do this?”

  Soren shrugged as he adjusted a strap he had made into a rough stirrup for his foot. He stepped back and inspected the crude design. “Growing up I worked in a tannery.”

  Soren quickly made another stirrup and attached it to the other side of the harness. He gave it a tug. Walking around to the other side, he did the same to the other stirrup before putting his tools away.

  “Is it done?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Now climb on.” Again, Dex stuck out his front leg as a step.

  Soren grabbed his bags and climbed up, noting the feel of the smooth scales as he situated himself on the dragon’s back. He attached the bags to the harness and secured a strap around his waist. He held onto the leather in front of him.

  “I’m ready.”

  The red dragon sprung into the air. Reflexively, Soren’s hand tightened its hold on the leather as he was hurtled backwards. His heart pounded. He took a deep breath as Dex continued to fly higher. When the dragon finally leveled out, Soren craned his head, trying to see the ground below, but clouds blocked his view. Dex’s wings beat slowly, and Soren began to relax, loosening his death drip on the strap before him. This wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be.

  “Be prepared,” Dex said. “We are going to Blink.”

  “What?” Soren asked, his hand again tightening around the leather. “What does that mean?”

  The dragon didn’t answer. Suddenly, the sky around him went dark. He couldn’t see anything. The cold pressed in on his skin. His ears strained to hear. There was no sound; not that of any bird or even of Dex’s wings. There was simply nothing.

  Chapter Three

  Soren’s heart pounded, he turned his head searching for the light. All he saw was darkness. His ears rang in the silence. Then it was bright and warm again. Once more, the blue sky surrounded them. He heard the whooshing sound of Dex’s wings. Something was different. The clouds were gone.

  “What was that?” he shouted as he projected his thoughts at the same time.

  “We Blinked,” Dex replied calmly. “We are now in Sholar, not far from where I was attacked.”

  “What? You mean to tell me we covered three weeks’ worth of travel in…how long was that? It felt forever.”

  “It was only a few minutes.”

  Soren heard weariness in the dragon’s voice. “Are you all right?”

  “I will be. Blinking takes a lot out of me. It will be a day or two before I can Blink again.”

  Soren’s mind reeled as he tried to adjust to this new dragon feature. It was impossible. There was no way to magically transport this great of a distance. But here they were beside a mountain that if Dex was correct were the Safford Mountains. They certainly were no longer by his village of Kenton. His mind went back to that word - magically. Dragons were creatures of magic. Who was he to say what they could and couldn’t do?

  Dex circled slowly as he flew lower. Below lay the remnants of a small village. As Dex tilted his wings, Soren could see the dry, charred husks of what was left of the houses and stores. Nothing had been left standing. Rubble lay in the street along with the bodies of men, women and children. Soren’s stomach tightened. He pushed away the queasy feeling as he tore his eyes from the scene.

  Dex landed, and Soren climbed to the ground. His eyes widened when he saw the dragon’s vibrant hide had faded to a pale washed out red tone.

  “Wow. It does take a lot out of you.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Dex looked toward the mountains.

  Soren followed his gaze. Some distance, almost at the base of the forested foothills, he noted a large mass. A few hundred paces away from the mass was another and then another.

  “Are those…”

  “Yes, those are the dragons I was with. We were scouting these mountains as a possible location for another dragon colony when we were attacked.”

  “What do you mean another dragon colony?” Soren asked. “You live in the northern mountains and always have.”

  “Our numbers have grown. Soon we will need to expand. My group was sent here. Another went into Rison. Though I don’t think that will be much of an option. King Edric routinely attacks the dragons.”

  “Still? It has been fifty years.”

  “He has his father’s hatred for us.”

  Soren strode a few paces away before swinging back toward Dex. “If man has treated the dragons so bad, why are you wanting an alliance now?”

  “This army does not care if it takes down man,” Dex indicted with his head the village beside them, “or dragons,” he gestured toward his fallen comrades.

  “Why would the Southern dragons join with this army?”

  “Warnox thinks they had no choice. When they attacked, their eyes were strangely glazed over. Their movements were...off is the best word I can think to describe it. Warnox said it was magic controlling them. Only the Stave of Drachen could do such a thing, but it was lost in the Battle of Sorb.”

  Soren squinted at Dex. He rubbed a hand across his brow. “If I am not mistaken wasn’t that two hundred years ago?”

  “Yes. Drachen was a powerful wizard that sought to control what is now Sholar. He designed the scepter to control the Southern dragons. In all these years, no one has held that type of magic. Someone must have found his stave. With the Southern dragons on their side, your King won’t be able to stop this army, and the dragons have no hope of stopping them without man’s help. We need someone to get the device controlling them. This is why you must tell King Arden about the army and convince him to join forces with us once again.”

  “I am not the right person for the job.” He stomped a few feet away before swinging back around. He threw up his arms. “I am a screw up. You can ask my brother. Actually, he would be a better choice than me! He at least has access to the King.”

  “So you can ask him to help you.”

  “He won’t do that. Not after today.” Soren took a step closer, his eyes on the ground as he took a deep breath. “I am not the one to help you.”

  Dex tilted his head, his yellow eyes boring into him. “I disagree. As I said before, I have a feeling about you. And I have learned to always trust my feelings.”

  Soren huffed. He strode toward the village. His eyes trailed over the crumbled buildings. The stench of burned wood and decaying flesh assaulted his nose, but he didn’t turn away. Even though the thought of walking among the dead, turned his stomach, he found himself curiously wanting to know more. As he walked down the main street, he wished the pub had not burned. He could use a mug of ale. He turned onto another street, his eyes traveling over the bodies of slain villagers. They lay in the doorways or in front of the stores with their throats cut. He imagined their terror. A half-dressed woman’s corpse lay at the opening of a nearby alley. He imagined the soldiers had ravished her before killing her. He shook his head. Anger built within him. These people didn’t deserve to die. He couldn’t fathom a reason for the army to kill them all.

  He turned from the destruction, wandering away from the village. He spied a small house set a few hundred paces from the closest village building. In his mind, Soren could almost imagine the blackened building frame as it was before the attack. It would have been a small building, probably a two story. He imagined a pointed roof and shutters framing the windows. A flower bed lay off to one side. It was probably tended by the mother as she watched her children play as they waited for their father to return from his work in the village. His eyes went to
the front gate. There lay the body of a small boy, probably no more than two years old. And then he saw her.

  The body of the girl, her brown hair splayed across the ground, lay with her eyes open, a horrified expression on her face. His stomach lurched. In her arms, she still clutched a tattered doll. Addie’s doll. Soren shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the image of Adeline, of her smiling face and hopeful brown eyes. For a moment, he had sworn it was her lying on the ground. The young girl before him looked very much like her. And both were dead he reminded himself. At least, this girl’s death was not his fault.

  Suddenly, Dex swooped down, his claws clutching Soren’s shoulders. He lifted him into the air. Soren didn’t react. Burned into his mind was the image of the little girl who looked like his Addie.

  ***

  The blackened skin marred the dragon’s face, leaving no doubt what had killed the beast. If he didn’t see the dragon’s face, Soren would have sworn the dragon was only sleeping. Another dragon lay a few hundred paces away. It’s wing was badly mangled, and a gruesome gash cut deep into its side. Dex circled two more dragons both mortally wounded. He landed a short distance from the carnage near the tree line.

  “I should have stayed. I should have helped them.”

  Soren followed Dex’s gaze to his fallen comrades. “What happened?”

  He wasn’t sure the dragon was going to answer. Though Dex stared at the nearest corpse, his eyes held a far-off look. Soren jumped when he finally responded.

  “We were checking out the mountains as I said. We wanted to see how close the nearest villages were. There is one on the other side. I suggested we check this side of the mountain too. We came upon the army destroying that village. Mallox said we shouldn’t interfere. We turned away and flew toward the mountains when the Southern dragons attacked. They swooped in shooting fireballs. Beldin went down first and then Flana. Mallox ordered me to go. I didn’t even hesitate. I Blinked back home.” Dex shook his head. “I should have stayed.”

  “And you would be dead, just as they are.” The little girl’s image flashed before his eyes. He closed them, pressing his hand over them. “What do we do now?”

  “You’ll help?”

  Soren paced away from Dex as he struggled with what to say. The urge to say no was strong, but he couldn’t shake the image of that little girl. He could still see her clutching the doll. Addie’s doll. He shook his head. No, not Addie’s doll. It was merely one like it. A worn doll that had been loved by a little girl just as Addie had loved her doll. And now both girls were dead, dying much too young. He didn’t want that to happen to another little girl, not when he could do something this time.

  “I will deliver your message to the King. I can’t promise he will believe me.”

  “Then you will make him. And you will convince him to align with the dragons.”

  Soren smiled. “I wish I had your confidence. What do we do now? You said you couldn’t…what did you call it?”

  “It is called Blinking, and it drains my energy. I won’t be able to do that for a day or two.”

  “Do we wait here or fly back? The army gets closer to Ballinger all the time.”

  Dex’s gaze returned to the fallen dragons. “My brethren are planning an attack to delay them. Hopefully, it will turn out better than this.”

  The dragon’s eyes filled with sadness as he moved away. Soren watched the dragon as he wandered among the dead spread across the mountainside. He paused before one of the dragons a few hundred paces away. Suddenly, pain exploded in the back of Soren’s head. His hand automatically reached to the spot. He winced as he touched the bump already forming. He turned, scanning the trees about a dozen paces away. He saw the next rock coming but had no chance to move. It struck his forehead above his left eye. This time he staggered as the pain burst caused him to close his eyes. He dropped to his knees, holding his temple.

  “Ahhhh….” Someone screamed. It wasn’t the sound of fear or pain but a battle cry.

  Soren’s eyes flew open. A man rushed toward him, a dagger in his hand. Soren struggled to his feet, twisting slightly to deflect the man’s attack. Too slow. The blade sliced into his arm. He felt the rush of pain as blood seeped through his shirt. He kicked his foot out tripping the man.

  “Soren,” Dex called. “I’m coming.”

  Soren pulled his own dagger as another rock hit him in the thigh, stinging. He glanced back, catching sight of a boy probably around twelve years old. The boy bent down for another rock. But Soren forced his attention back on the older man with the dagger. The man’s filthy clothes were wrinkled as if he had slept in them. Grass and leaves were nestled in his hair and beard. He dashed forward, slashing at Soren with his blade. The reckless attack was easy to avoid. Soren grabbed the man by the shoulder, jabbing his dagger into the man’s stomach. The man screamed as Soren pulled the blade out.

  “Don’t kill him! You’ve done enough!” a woman wailed. She hurled herself toward Soren with a long knife in her hand.

  He let go of the man and turned to face her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another rock hurling toward him. It grazed his forehead as he tried to duck. Soren heard the rushing of Dex’s wings right before the dragon grabbed his shoulders. The woman flung her knife toward them as Dex rose into the air.

  Chapter Four

  Soren saw the blade coming as Dex soared a little higher. It hit the dragon’s leg, bouncing off the thick skin. A dark line of blood quickly formed. It began to trail down Dex’s leg to his claw and on to Soren’s shirt and finally down his wounded arm. He had a brief image of the blood causing him to slip from the dragon’s grip.

  “Land,” he yelled. “You are hurt.”

  When the dragon didn’t respond, he wondered if the beast had even heard him. Dex continued to fly up the mountain side. Soren spotted a clearing among the trees. A stream ran nearby.

  “There,” he said. “The clearing. Land there.”

  Dex circled the area. “It’s a good location. Far enough from the others.”

  Soren nodded even though he knew the dragon couldn’t see him. He didn’t expect their attackers would follow them here, especially as now they had the man’s wound to secure. He had hit more toward the man’s side, probably causing a flesh wound rather than something fatal. It should keep them busy and away from him and Dex.

  As soon as his feet hit the ground, Soren scrambled onto the dragon’s back. He grabbed his pack and slid back down. Rummaging through it, he pulled out his medical bag.

  “How bad is it?”

  “Merely a flesh wound, I believe. Take care of your own wound first.”

  Soren shook his head as he grabbed his water pouch and poured some on the dragon’s wound. Cleansed of the blood, it was only a second before another dark-red line appeared. The thin gash, about four inches long, didn’t appear too deep. Soren poured a powder on the cut to stop the flow of blood.

  “It doesn’t look too bad,” he said, stepping back. He pulled off his shirt that now had his own red blood mixed with the dragon’s dark red, almost black, blood.

  “Thank you,” Dex said.

  Soren grimaced slightly as he bathed his cut with water. He took a cloth and wiped away the blood. As with Dex’s cut, blood welled out of the cut as he sprinkled it with the same powder. He picked up his stained shirt and tore off the sleeve not drenched in blood and used the material as a bandage.

  That settled, he checked his bag to see if he had the ingredients for a healing tonic. Muttering to himself, he pulled out a pouch and a small pot. He glanced at Dex. The dragon’s face revealed his bemusement.

  “What?” he asked as he tried to calculate in his head how much potion it would take for a dragon.

  “I’m just…Never mind. What are you doing?”

  “Making a healing tonic. I think I have what I need or can find it. I don’t know how much I will need for someone your size, or if it even works on a dragon.” He stood with the small pot in his hand. “I need water.�
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  He was glad they had a stream nearby. He filled his pot and the water pouch. Before heading back, he searched for any plants to use to strengthen his potion. Fresh ingredients were always the best. He found a few nestled among the greenery that grew near the stream’s edge. As he walked back, he collected wood for a fire. Dex watched him as he returned and began stacking the sticks.

  “Where did you learn this?” Dex asked.

  Soren didn’t answer as he tucked smaller pieces of kindling around the sticks. When he was done he turned to his bag for his flint. Suddenly, a burst of fire came from Dex’s mouth lighting the firewood.

  “How do you do that? Don’t you burn yourself?”

  Dex chuckled. “Dragons are tough. Plus the fire never touches our skin. We simply create a spark in the back of our throats and breathe out.”

  “Your flame is steady. Didn’t you say the Southern dragons shot fireballs?”

  “Yes. I have often wondered how they do that. It would be better in a fight. I think you are avoiding the question. Where did you learn your healing arts or are all humans adept at it?”

  Soren ducked his head. “I learned it from my mother. She was known for her healing touch. If we are going to keep this fire going, we will need more firewood.”

  He jumped to his feet and stalked off into the forest, well aware Dex watched him. He snatched a branch and another as he tried to clear his mind. Thoughts of his mother still caused an ache within his chest. At least he couldn’t be blamed for her death.

  By the time Soren had finished his meager meal of bread and a few berries he had found, the tonic was ready. He deemed there would be enough for tonight and one dose tomorrow. Neither of their injuries were severe. He doubted he would need to make another batch.

  Nestled by the fire, he pulled the piece of metal he had taken from his room. He rolled out his tools and selected one. The metal was larger than most he had worked with at the blacksmith. There most of those items were ornate daggers or sword handles. He had also done a few broaches or clasps. When he had seen this metal plate that had been rejected for a piece of armor, he knew he had to carve something into it. When no one was watching, he had snatched it and snuck it home. Now he put his hand on the cool metal and tried to envision a design to carve. He glanced at Dex, who lay curled on the other side of the fire and began to work.