Scourge of the Dragons by Cody J. Sherer Read Free Book Online Page B

can reach them before they get to
their stronghold.”
    “How can we have failed so easily?”
    “We did not fail. They’ve only five soldiers
left. Another surprise attack and your friends are as good as
free.”
    *
    Melisandre fumed as she watched her former
subjects setting up the strange device in her former throne room.
The dragons were ordering them about and she had only caught a
small portion of their orders. She knew that the device was somehow
related to the dragon’s new master, but she had no idea what the
device was. There was a part of her that desperately wanted to try
to disrupt their task, but she knew she would be better served
looking for an escape route. Her former subjects placed the last
piece together and the device began to hum. A small opening was
created above the device. The opening began to grow and Melisandre
could make out a figure on the other side. A cloaked man stepped
through the opening. He disengaged the device before looking around
the room.
    “Home at last,” he said as he sat down on
the throne.
    “My master, it is good that you are here.
This is the former Queen and her subjects,” the gold dragon
said.
    “Excellent, I like efficiency in my
servants.”
    The man walked over to the Queen. He stopped
and began to examine each of them one by one. There was something
about him that felt off. He looked like a human, but also like an
elf. His long black hair had small patches of gray at the temples.
He had a stern face that looked like a strange combination of a
human and an elf. Yet none of that unnerved her as much as his
eyes. One purple eye and one gray eye. She shivered and forced
herself to look away. Her reaction brought a chuckle from the
strange man. He sighed before turning back to his throne.
    “You have no idea who I am, do you?” He
asked.
    “There is something unnatural about you,”
She replied.
    “Yes, my mother was a human enchantress and
my father was an elven sorcerer. Two types of magic run through my
veins just as the two bloods run through my veins.”
    “Your kind is forbidden.”
    “That is why I was away for so long. You
elves have so many dirty secrets. Yet the humans seem to scheme so
much more. It is hard to say which I am more ashamed of. No matter,
my identity no longer rests with the elves or the humans.”
    “What do you want with me?” Melisandre
asked.
    “A simple answer for a simple question. Your
loyalty or your death. It matters no which you choose,” he
replied.
    “You’ll need my army, of course. The dragons
are powerful, but they cannot invade other kingdoms.”
    “My army will be here soon. Once they’ve
arrived, I think your army will prefer to join us. You see, I could
crush you like a bug. I will give you a week to decide. In the
meantime, enjoy your old dungeon.”

A Champion of Night
    Hadrin trudged along behind the others. He
felt a mixture of curiosity and betrayal. His father had kept
something important from him. Yes, it was for his own good, but he
was no child, not anymore. The others knew better than to tell him
to hurry up, though he was surprised that Ungaroth cared.
Everything he had been taught about the night dragons made him
believe they were always out for themselves. He let out a sigh as
he looked at the room. There were no decorations and little else.
The dragons had taken up the three spots at the end of the room.
His companions were taking the seats at the table facing the
dragons. He slid into his seat and stared down at the table. Obrin
cleared his throat before standing.
    “I should be the one to go first. How far
back should I go?” He asked as he turned to Ungaroth.
    “For now, just the basics. The rest can come
later,” the dragon replied.
    “This applies to Wrotan in some ways as
well. Hadrin is one of the only of his kind. I do not know the
specifics of the timeline, but hundreds of years ago a young elf
maiden fell for a human. What she did not know at that time was
that this man was a wizard.