Dragon Stones (Book One in the Dragon Stone Saga) by Kristian Alva Read Free Book Online

don’t have to go far, but do
try to catch something larger than a rabbit for a change.”
    “Why won’t you come with
us?” pouted Karela, who was the shyer one.
She, more than her brother, bore the emotional wounds of their
isolation. When Brinsop went away on a scouting mission for a few
days, Karela refused to eat.
    “When I was a hatchling,
dragons half your age were already hunting on their own!” said Brinsop, exasperated.
    “Karela, please understand, we cannot leave
the castle when we are on watch.” responded Sela. Sela communicated
with Karela and Orshek using her dragon stone. The young dragons
were too inexperienced to block Sela’s communication. They were
forced to listen to her. They both sulked, but didn’t say anything
else.
    “Sela and I are on duty
for the next four days. Why don’t you ask Charlight and Hanko if
you can go with them? They are planning a hunt this
evening,” suggested Brinsop. Brinsop tried
to encourage the adolescent dragons to explore the countryside,
make friends with the other dragons, and enjoy hunting prey, but it
was difficult. They were still dependent on Brinsop and Sela for
everything.
    “We don’t want to go with
Charlight and Hanko. They’re so bossy!” said Orshek.
    Shlickt! Brinsop swatted
the two with her tail. “Stop complaining
and go do something useful! Don’t just lie here terrorizing the
guards!” Brinsop snorted smoke and rose up
on her hind legs, demonstrating that she was serious. The little
dragons frowned and scuttled away. They looked back a few times,
trying to stoke some pity. Brinsop held her gaze steadily, and
pointed out towards the desert. Once the young dragons reached the
end of the wall, they took flight, exploring the desert by
themselves.
    “Finally!” snorted Brinsop. “Those
two grow more stubborn every day,”
    “They won’t go far.”
    “I know. But it’s a start.”
    “They are obstinate because you spoil them.
One minute you bellow at them, and the next minute you coddle
them,” said Sela.
    Brinsop sniffed, but she
did not argue. “I worry about them. They
are not growing normally. Karela is so fragile, and Orshek is
overprotective of his sister. They are fearful. There are so many
unresolved issues. If they cannot overcome them, they will never be
able to take a rider, or even defend themselves
properly.”
    Sela patted Brinsop’s side. “They are alive.
Let us be thankful for that. They may be the only two black dragons
left in the kingdom. We are lucky to have them.”
    “Don’t misunderstand me—I am thankful. I
just wish we could do more. There are so few of us, and the ones
who survive are all… impaired in some way. The emperor has
decimated my kin. How many survive in the wild? A dozen? Maybe
less. There are fewer mating females every year.”
    “I know it is discouraging, Brinsop. But we
must continue to fight. We will save as many as we can.” Sela
talked soothingly to her dragon. Then her stomach growled.
    “You are hungry; let us
stop this depressing talk and eat. We have dawdled long
enough.” Brinsop grabbed a few live
chickens and swallowed them whole. The king kept live chickens on
the fortress walls mainly to feed the dragons. They were cheap to
raise and also laid eggs, so it was a good trade-off. Sela found
two eggs hidden in a crevice and cracked them onto a flat stone.
Solar cooking was easy in the desert, and it saved precious fuel.
The eggs bubbled up and cooked quickly. She scraped the steaming
eggs off the stone with a knife and ate them. Then she filled her
waterskin at the spigot, and rested in the shade for a few
minutes.
    Just then, King Mitca walked up to the roof.
Sela and Brinsop gave slight bows. Before the war, Dragon Riders
bowed to no one, not even the emperor. But now most dragons and
their riders bowed to King Mitca as a sign of fealty and respect.
His kingdom was the last refuge for dragons and their riders—the
only place they could live in relative safety. More than