will be the time.
“What do you command, Father of Dragons?”
Choose one dragon of each color to be your commanders. Bring them here, to me, and I shall bless them with the powers of old.
“As you wish, my lord.”
Reshikk leapt from his stone perch and flew a circle around the volcano. He let out a cry that sent birds erupting from the jungle below. The call to gather echoed long and far. Soon dragons began to emerge from the underground chambers in droves. Reshikk landed on the stone perch jutting out of the side of the volcano and watched them gathering. Soon every dragon on Drakkar Island was bowing before him. The sun shone bright in the morning sky, causing the dragons’ scales to shimmer like jewels.
“The Father of Dragons has commanded that I choose one dragon of every color, so that he might bless them with the powers of old.”
The dragons began to stir, and a chorus of growls, gnashing teeth, and scraping claws sounded below. Fights broke out among the alphas, who pushed and clawed their way to the front of the group.
“Enough of this!” Reshikk roared, shaking the ground below them. He spread his massive wings, each nearly a hundred feet long.
The physical display silenced the gathering, and all bowed before their king once more.
“All who think themselves worthy to become one of the blessed, step forth now.”
The black dragon Ez’Rah was the first to step forward, which pleased Reshikk. The black stood proudly before his king and was soon joined by nearly three dozen others, some of whom were females.
Reshikk swooped down from his perch and landed before the brave dragons. He walked the line slowly, staring down at each of them. Choosing one from each color was not an easy task. He had watched them all for weeks. They fought often, as all dragons did, both for play and position. The alphas had been determined through battle, but there were many females who had proven fierce as well. One of them, a long, slim red with a crown of long curved horns, had proven too fierce for any male save Reshikk to dominate and breed with. She had given him three strong dragon eggs already.
He stood before her and stared into her fiery eyes. She was unrelenting in her gaze, a feat that few dragons could achieve.
Reshikk offered her a toothy grin. “The Father of Dragons has chosen you, Fiorra the Red.”
She straightened her neck proudly and strode forth past the two red males to take her place beside her king. One of them, an old dragon with a terrible scar across his snout and more than one broken horn, gave a roar and shot fire into the sky.
Fiorra shifted and whipped her pointed tail suddenly. The infuriated alpha saw the blow coming, but he was too slow. With a twitch of the hips Fiorra cracked her tale like a whip, impaling the red through the eye. The alpha howled and grabbed at his face, reeling back.
Reshikk gave a roar and pounced on the red, grabbing the injured dragon by the throat and spraying his chest with green venom. The acid clung to the scales and burned through to the flesh and bone beyond. The red dragon cried out in pain and horror, desperately bathing Reshikk in flame. Soon, however, the red fell to the ground dead, its chest eaten away completely by the sizzling acid.
“My word is the will of the Father of Dragons! Act against that will, and you shall lie smoldering at my feet!”
He chose Ez’Rah next, and a blue dragon whom he had been watching closely for some time. Another female joined the blessed, and soon the nine dragons had been chosen. They followed their king to the top of the volcano and landed, awaiting their god.
“Father of Dragons! I have returned with those I have deemed worthy of your blessing. See into their hearts and minds. See that they are prepared to die for your glory.”
No voice shook the heavens, no light split the clouds. But the dragons suddenly reeled, wings spread wide, and were lifted into the air by an unseen force. Their scales glowed
“What do you command, Father of Dragons?”
Choose one dragon of each color to be your commanders. Bring them here, to me, and I shall bless them with the powers of old.
“As you wish, my lord.”
Reshikk leapt from his stone perch and flew a circle around the volcano. He let out a cry that sent birds erupting from the jungle below. The call to gather echoed long and far. Soon dragons began to emerge from the underground chambers in droves. Reshikk landed on the stone perch jutting out of the side of the volcano and watched them gathering. Soon every dragon on Drakkar Island was bowing before him. The sun shone bright in the morning sky, causing the dragons’ scales to shimmer like jewels.
“The Father of Dragons has commanded that I choose one dragon of every color, so that he might bless them with the powers of old.”
The dragons began to stir, and a chorus of growls, gnashing teeth, and scraping claws sounded below. Fights broke out among the alphas, who pushed and clawed their way to the front of the group.
“Enough of this!” Reshikk roared, shaking the ground below them. He spread his massive wings, each nearly a hundred feet long.
The physical display silenced the gathering, and all bowed before their king once more.
“All who think themselves worthy to become one of the blessed, step forth now.”
The black dragon Ez’Rah was the first to step forward, which pleased Reshikk. The black stood proudly before his king and was soon joined by nearly three dozen others, some of whom were females.
Reshikk swooped down from his perch and landed before the brave dragons. He walked the line slowly, staring down at each of them. Choosing one from each color was not an easy task. He had watched them all for weeks. They fought often, as all dragons did, both for play and position. The alphas had been determined through battle, but there were many females who had proven fierce as well. One of them, a long, slim red with a crown of long curved horns, had proven too fierce for any male save Reshikk to dominate and breed with. She had given him three strong dragon eggs already.
He stood before her and stared into her fiery eyes. She was unrelenting in her gaze, a feat that few dragons could achieve.
Reshikk offered her a toothy grin. “The Father of Dragons has chosen you, Fiorra the Red.”
She straightened her neck proudly and strode forth past the two red males to take her place beside her king. One of them, an old dragon with a terrible scar across his snout and more than one broken horn, gave a roar and shot fire into the sky.
Fiorra shifted and whipped her pointed tail suddenly. The infuriated alpha saw the blow coming, but he was too slow. With a twitch of the hips Fiorra cracked her tale like a whip, impaling the red through the eye. The alpha howled and grabbed at his face, reeling back.
Reshikk gave a roar and pounced on the red, grabbing the injured dragon by the throat and spraying his chest with green venom. The acid clung to the scales and burned through to the flesh and bone beyond. The red dragon cried out in pain and horror, desperately bathing Reshikk in flame. Soon, however, the red fell to the ground dead, its chest eaten away completely by the sizzling acid.
“My word is the will of the Father of Dragons! Act against that will, and you shall lie smoldering at my feet!”
He chose Ez’Rah next, and a blue dragon whom he had been watching closely for some time. Another female joined the blessed, and soon the nine dragons had been chosen. They followed their king to the top of the volcano and landed, awaiting their god.
“Father of Dragons! I have returned with those I have deemed worthy of your blessing. See into their hearts and minds. See that they are prepared to die for your glory.”
No voice shook the heavens, no light split the clouds. But the dragons suddenly reeled, wings spread wide, and were lifted into the air by an unseen force. Their scales glowed
Similar Books
