Dragonblood by Anthony D. Franklin Read Free Book Online Page B

the young dragon was doing. The ceremony had begun!
    * * *
    He’d eaten well, and after the bath he’d returned to his cave to wait for the beginning of the ceremony. His scales fairly glowed. All, it seemed, was going well. Even Smort had not shown his muzzle all day. Cloudia had been dispatched to meet Tallon on the east summit. That would be the way he’d be climbing. She would let him know when Tallon had arrived, and she would escort him to the ceremony so there’d be no mishap.
    It seemed he’d only closed his eyes when he felt the summons. Leaving his cave, he saw that, sure enough, the sun was beginning to set. Scores of dragons ringed the mountaintop. A low, deep hum vibrated fro the throats of all those dragons. He could feel it in his bones. The ground shook with the sound. At a gesture from the senior elder, the humming ceased completely. The sudden silence was deafening.
    “Who comes before us on this, his naming day?” All the elders spoke as one.
    The young dragon stepped forward. “I am the son of Fracco, son of Mothag, son of Groth...,” and he continued to name his father’s ancestors for fifteen generations. Then, he did the same for his mother. “I am the son of Blessa, daughter of Bresca, daughter of Lempis...”
    An elder spoke, “It is well you have come before us this day. You will leave behind the days of childhood and take on the mantle of an adult.”
    “Tell us what deeds, what actions deem you worthy of a name, youngling.” demanded another elder.
    The young dragon launched into the traditional litany, listing his studies, his physical prowess, his mental disciplines, etc. The elders nodded at the appropriate times, and seemed almost bored with the ceremony. They’d done this countless times. Then, suddenly, their attention was snapped to sharp focus on the young candidate.
    “While flying home one night, I was wounded by a human archer. I admit it was my fault for flying too low. However, I have learned a great lesson from the incident, and perhaps gained more than I could have ever imagined.”
    Confused murmurs arose from the surrounding dragons. The elders looked at one another in near panic. They of course knew of the wounding, but they had not expected the candidate to mention such a faux pas.
    It took some time to regain order among the throng. The young dragon took that time to scan the crowd for sign of Cloudia and Tallon. Suddenly, Cloudia shouldered her way through the crowd. She was alone! Slowly, she shook her head. The Creator must be laughing, the young nameless one thought.
    Nothing for it but to forge ahead. The young dragon took a deep breath and spoke into the uneasy silence. His wounds had bled. A human had somehow ingested his blood. A nameless one had bonded a human. His Bondmate was even now on his way to complete the blood rite. He –
    Roars of horror sounded from scores of dragons. The elders had lost complete control of the ceremony. Panic reigned. Fracco and Blessa stood apart from the crowd, heads down. Only Cloudia looked at him with any sign of support.
    It appeared all was lost. It was a bold plan. Only adults were allowed to bond, and even that had not been done for ages. Perhaps they’d only exile him. He’d miss his parents. He could not ask Cloudia to give up her position and follow him into exile.
    “SILENCE!!” The elders ordered, and twelve massive tails thumped the ground hard enough to bounce boulders. Gradually the area grew quiet. They were about to pass judgment.
    * * *
    Tallon clung to the weed with failing strength. Each time he’d tried to pull himself upward, the small plant would loosen a little. Its roots were not deep, and his weight was too much for it without support for his feet. So close, so bloody close, only to fail. His hand was starting to cramp, and it suddenly seemed such an easy thing to just let go and end the pain of failure.
    Just as he was about to let go, he felt a sudden support under his feet. What? He