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

anyone
else, he was responsible for the dragons’ survival. Without Mitca,
it is likely that every dragon would have been killed by the
emperor.
    “Sela, Brinsop.” He nodded, acknowledging
their gesture of respect. “I have news that I must share with all
the riders privately. Call the others back to the city. This is
important for everyone to hear.”
    “Yes, my lord,” Sela responded. Sela closed
her eyes and touched Brinsop to augment her power. Telepathic
communication was not one of her strengths, especially at long
distances. She focused, reaching out with her mind to all the
dragons in the realm. There were six dragons in Parthos, only four
of which had riders. Sela and Brinsop had been bound together the
longest.
    Charlight and Hanko were next. Charlight was
also a carnelian dragon; a female. Hanko was a human rider. Then
there was Duskeye and Tallin, the wild pair. Duskeye was a male
sapphire dragon, and his rider, Tallin, was a rare dwarf half-ling.
Tallin was half dwarf and half human. The youngest rider was an elf
half-ling—a female named Riona. Her male dragon was called
Stormshard. Stormshard was also a carnelian dragon.
    Sela instinctively grasped the dragon stone
around her neck. Her mind reached out; tendrils of thought streaked
across the desert. She stood, trance-like, while searching for the
minds of the others. It was always difficult to find the other
riders, mainly because their minds were so guarded. They had
learned to protect themselves from magical attacks. Sela found
Riona and Stormshard first, sparring on one of the rocky
outcroppings near the city.
    “Riona, Stormshard—please
return to the castle. The king has called us all back for an urgent
meeting. Do you know where the others
are?” Sela’s neck veins bulged under the
strain. Although she had decades of magical training, she could
only communicate telepathically with difficulty. The farther the
distance, the greater the exertion. Even with Brinsop’s
considerable assistance, it was a struggle for her.
    “We hear and obey, mistress. Charlight and
Hanko are in the north, searching for wild dragons. Duskeye and
Tallin flew south, hunting ostrich with the black fledglings. We
saw them pass some time ago; they invited us to hunt with
them.”
    “Please contact them and tell them to return
to the city at once.”
    “As you command,
mistress.” Riona and Stormshard broke
contact abruptly. It was jarring, but Sela and Brinsop were used to
it. Riona and Stormshard were both young and inexperienced, but
Riona was a powerful telepath. Contacting the other dragon riders
would be easy for her. Eventually, Riona could become the most
powerful of all the Dragon Riders in Parthos. Sela exhaled and sat
down for a moment to gather her strength. “Whew!” Her head was
pounding from the effort.
    “Did you find them all?” asked the king.
    “Yes. They are all nearby. Riona will call
the rest of them back. They will all be here within the hour.”
    “Excellent. Come with me. We have much to
discuss.”
    “What about the aerial watch?” asked
Sela.
    “I will double the palace guards in the
towers and put everyone on high alert. This news cannot wait. I
need to pick up a scroll in my private quarters, and then I will
meet all of you in the fortress cathedral.” The king turned and
walked briskly down the stairs.
    “I wonder what this is all
about,” said Brinsop.
    “Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe the
scouts found something interesting.” Sela mounted Brinsop for the
short flight to the cathedral.
    “It’s been months since
King Mitca has called a meeting like this, so the news must be
important. He’s smart enough not to bother us with little
particulars,” said Brinsop.
    The cathedral was on the lowest level of the
city. It was dedicated to Golka, the goddess of war and defense. A
statue of the black-skinned goddess stood at the entrance. She had
a flaming sword in each hand. Two of her eyes were in the front,
but Golka