I am Dragon (Dragon Fires Rising Book 2) by Marc Secchia (famous ebook reader TXT) 📕

But the Queen –

I APOLOGISED!! “Is that not enough?”

“Don’t you roar at me! Go cool off somewhere. Go on. Shoo!”

“I’m not a hatchling! You can’t talk to me like that.”

“Then don’t act like one.”

You always have to have the last word, don’t you?

She turned her back, clenching her fists at her sides. I’m so mad at you, Dragon, I don’t know what to say anymore! Please just … leave. Take your stupid swagger and your fake bluster and go!

He staggered. Blind with despair. Here it came. At last, his best friend in all the world had turned against him, as he knew she must. It had been inevitable from the start. A despised Dragon could not change his scales. Even after all he had done for them, these idiotic Human insects could not see his heart, nor could they bring themselves to trust a Dragon. Not even his Princess. She hated him. Wanted him gone. How could the very best work of his paws break even this bond he had thought inviolable?

Azania, please … his voice broke.

Go away!

Her tiny finger pointed at the sky in negation.

Terrified he would do or say something he would forever regret, he took two steps past his once-companion and friend and launched into the sky with such a violent surge, the rush of air slammed and broke several Palace windows.

Blitz the Fritz. Wrecker of everything.

What had just happened?

He fled blindly into the evening, neither knowing nor caring where he went. All he knew was that he wanted to be as far from Zunityne and all Humans as a Dragon could be in this sanity-forsaken Vaylarn Archipelago. Why had he ever flown up here? She had lost no time in ditching a misfit, misfiring Dragon for the King she had dreamed of for so long.

It came as a shock when he flew above water once more. The ocean glistened like mercury in the moonlight; he kept low, for a white Dragon did not want to be seen or tracked easily. Up in the night sky, he’d shine like a comet.

On and on he raced, so close to the lapping waves that the spray and moisture wet his scales, and the scent of salt filled his nostrils. Maybe he would take a swim. No, only when he reached the end of all land. When he could go no farther, then it would – he spied an oddly shaped white shell in the water. An upturned fishing vessel! Braking hard, he swung around, searching for survivors. No-one would just leave a fishing vessel like this, surely?

There! A dark head bobbed in the water. A man clutching an oar. He looked ready to slip under.

Landing carefully nearby in the water, Dragon stretched his wings and swam toward the boat. Had it been attacked by Sea Serpents? The fang marks and long scrapes on the hull suggested as much – if so, where were they? Why had they given up?

Reaching the man with a few smooth strokes, he raised him up from the water and patted his back. “Come on, there. You’ve got this.”

“Uh … wife … children …”

“Where are they?”

“Underneath. Hiding. There were Serpents,” he coughed. “Serpents in the water, but they fled … music, do you see?”

Poor fellow. Delirious. Taking the man in paw, Dragon startled as he realised he must have a broken leg. It should never fold like that near the ankle. He swam to the small fishing vessel and looked it over. Nothing here. Only – he tapped upon the hull with his knuckle.

A muffled voice called, “Mikian? Help, I’m so tired, I can’t hold on anymore …”

“Don’t worry, I’m here.”

“Mikian? Who’s there?”

“Emrici, it’s a … it’s a Sea Dragon!”

“I’m here to help,” he reassured them. “Come on. Let’s get you out of there. How many are you under there?”

“Five.”

Dragon shook his head. This mother had kept four children – very small children, as it turned out – alive and afloat beneath the overturned vessel in the face of a Sea Dragon attack? The power of motherhood never failed to amaze.

One at a time, he drew them into his paw. The oldest was barely the age of the youngest Prince; then came twins no older than two years of age, and a babe in arms. The mother slumped gratefully upon his back, lifting her children up top, thanking him with every other breath. The husband dragged himself up too, shivering with shock. Tears of thankfulness wet his face as he embraced his wife; he took the twins onto his lap as best he could.

“Mikian and Emrici, do you need the boat? Where were you travelling at this time of the night?”

“Dragon, we were returning from a family get-together over on Izni Isle in the early evening.” Dragon winced. Must have been adrift for hours. “We live near Lord Jenarzam’s lands on the western shore. Are you the white Dragon we heard about?”

“Perhaps I am, but please, tell no-one I was here. Agreed?”

“Oh aye, we won’t tell a soul.”

“Mummy, why are we swimming on a Dragon’s back?”

The mother patted his shoulder as he righted the damaged boat, and tipped it up to pour out the seawater. “Because he’s a nice Dragon, that’s why.”

Nice. Worst word in the world.

In his experience, the nice Dragon never got anything at all. No hoard, no female and no honour. Was that not the way things were?

Pulling the small fishing vessel along, he swam them up the coastline and eventually, with directions, right to the front door of a simple hut located on the coastline. He drew the boat well up onto the beach and carried the husband up to his bed. After foraging for wood for a warming fire, he hunted a Ruby Snapper for the