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

their rapid-fire interjections became very, very silly indeed. Dragon laughed so hard he began to hiccough, forcing him to have to dive outside to let rip with a mighty snort of fire. That set Azania off. She had the best laugh when she truly let go; an infectious, throaty gurgle that kept setting everyone else off. Even Chalice came over to join in the fun.

How beautiful a paws for laughter, Dragon told her.

Hilarity!

Not so great for the flowerbeds outside, however. They suffered a rather dreadful fate.

* * * *

The following morning, Princess Yuali took the royal sisters for a guided tour of the fortress city. Time to show off the dark-skinned infidels from the desert to the marvelling populace, Dragon muttered sourly.

Azania brought back a rather less testy report. Exhibit number one, two foreign Princesses – the older dressed in very decorous Princess attire for a change; a gorgeous deep red gown that suited her literally to the ground – had received a rapturous reception. Flowers, cheering and an honour parade around the city. These Humans. Always an excuse for some sort of party or occasion whereupon they would dress up and behave in lunatic ways. Truly astonishing.

“And here I thought the peasants were rioting,” he sniped.

Yuali’s eyes popped wide.

“They tend to do that around Dragons,” he confided. “We torch their barns and they come after us with pitchforks and axes.”

“Nothing like that in this kingdom,” Azania put in hastily.

He purred, “Of course not. The citizenry is wonderfully well behaved. However, our Yardi has only managed to entice one blacksmith from an entire kingdom into a future of glorious riches. Blacksmith plus wife, to be fair. That is a poor performance from Amboraine, Highness.”

His Princess gave him a fierce glare. “Stop winding everyone up. Chances are very good they will send a strong army down south.”

“Trying to defuse the tension around here.”

“If you want to go defuse something, would you take a quick scout and tell us how soon the King will be here?”

As if triggered by her words, a trumpet fanfare resounded from the highest tower of the castle. Dragon eyed it with interest. He liked high towers, especially those that claimed to be the highest tower in the land. In particular, he liked what he had found inside one just recently. Pleasant memories!

Endless trouble, mind.

Only the best sort of trouble. The kind of trouble that got a Dragon all fired up – polish up his finest evil Dragon laugh, hurgh-hurgh-urgh! Maybe the King should be greeted with the sight of a huge white Dragon sunning himself atop his tower.

No, he was a sick man. Where had that nasty idea popped up from?

Suddenly, the trumpets rang with a completely different sound. Urgent. Stirring!

“What’s that?” he snapped.

“It’s an alarm – someone must be attacking the King’s party!” the blonde Princess cried. “Oh, Dragon –”

“Azania. Chalice. With me!”

Ten seconds later, he launched out of the castle courtyard as if he had been shot from a Dragon bow. Never mind sunning himself atop a tower. He had a much better greeting in mind for King Harilan.

One that involved decimating his enemies.

Chapter 14: Dragon Fires Rising

WITH YUALI’S FINAL CRY about bandits ringing in his ears, Dragon was more than startled by his initial view of the battle site. The King’s party, carrying the royal white banners of Amboraine, must have just emerged from the treeline about two miles from the city when they had come under attack by what struck him as a compact but well-organised army. Actual knights. Not ragtag bandits. He concluded as much even from a distance, by the colours of their armour and the well-ordered deployment of troops.

He pointed his fore-talon. “Renegade lord fielding a proper army?”

“Looks like it,” Azania said.

“Where’s the King?”

“He’s on a pallet right in the centre. See where his cavalry have encircled him? They’re trying to get him aboard a horse or he might be crushed by the hooves.”

“We’ve – probably – a hundred knights riding in support from the city,” Chalice called over.

On the negative side, there were plenty of light cavalry already at play upon the field of battle, with azure blazes on their shields and uniforms. They fanned out rapidly, engaging the rearguard of the King’s column as they rushed to form ranks and resist.

“That’s good, but our allies will be too slow,” he said. “Chalice, I’m going to do my sprint. Will you come in behind and mop up anything I leave with extreme prejudice?”

“Done. Go, Dragon.”

Drawing a deep breath, he threw his power into the flight. He accelerated so hard, Azania, who had not had time even to throw a saddle onto his neck, had to cling on for dear life. She had her bow and arrows, however, having been armed with the intent of going target shooting. This would be high speed practice. Minus a saddle or belt to hold her on.

She hiked up her dress and clung on with her feet and knees. “The reason I wear trousers is – this!” she shouted angrily.

“I know. Careful, alright? You’re not wearing armour either.”

“You’re as soft as a hatchling, Dragon.”

Grrr! “Totally forgot. Thanks for the reminder.”

“Use your fire as much as possible. They’ve a detachment of archers just at the treeline. What else? Foot soldiers engaging the King’s Guard, and – I make that at least forty heavy knights and up to a hundred light cavalry. They’re going to try a charge to break through to the King.”

“I see that.”

He did not know a great deal about cavalry tactics, but he had read about the use of heavy cavalry to break enemy lines. The King’s detachment of foot soldiers rushed to form a shield line facing those heavy knights. Pity those men. They were about