The Fiery Crown Cycle: A Dragon's Rebirth

Chapter 87

As the last echoes of the explosion faded, Aiden opened his maw and caught one of the airborne fawn carcasses. It was a perfect, single mouthful. He landed with a heavy splash in the shallows and began to chew. The taste of fresh, tender meat filled his senses.

Exquisite, he thought with satisfaction. The taste of fawn is divine.

BOOM!

The sound of the explosion was deafeningly close. Garruk instantly let go of the branch, dropping to the forest floor. The sound came from the shallows. The herd! A predator!

The realization sent a jolt of adrenaline through him. He instinctively dropped and rolled, scrambling for cover behind the thick trunk of the tree he'd been climbing. Peeking out from the edge of the bark, his pointed, hyena-like snout turned toward the river.

A colossal figure stood in the water. It possessed a powerful body, razor-sharp claws, and a long, crimson tail. Red scales covered it from head to tail, leaving only its pale underbelly exposed. As the creature's immense, leathery wings folded, Garruk's green eyes widened in sheer terror.

Dragon! A red dragon!

I have to get out of here. It will kill me! It will absolutely kill me!

Move! his mind screamed, but his legs were frozen, as if trapped in deep mud.

Thump.

His left leg managed a single step back. Before a wave of relief could wash over him, the terrifying red dragon slowly turned its great head, its gaze sweeping in his direction. Garruk snapped his head back, pressing his body flat against the tree trunk, desperately trying to quiet the frantic hammering of his heart.

Aiden scanned the tree line. For a moment, he thought he'd sensed something in the shadows, but the forest was silent. My imagination, he concluded, dismissing the feeling.

He turned his attention to Azure. She had landed gracefully in the shallows, her blue wings now neatly folded. Beneath her claws, two large stags lay still, their necks cleanly pierced. Their blood swirled away in the current.

CRASH!

A heavy thud sounded from further upstream. Aiden looked over. A tangle of white scales lay in a heap on the sandy bank. Bianca had, as expected, caught nothing.

He ignored the fool and took stock of their haul. Azure had secured two fine stags. He glanced down at the crimson-stained water around his own feet. One, two… seven. Seven total, not counting the fawn he had just consumed. Five does and two more fawns. A respectable hunt.

Bianca pushed herself upright, landing with her backside in the water. She stretched her powerful hind legs out in an undignified sprawl, letting the cool stream wash over her scales. Hmph. Caught nothing. It's all Aiden's and Azure's fault. They started without me.

She looked around. To her left, the blue wyrmling was already tearing into her meal, claws holding the carcass steady as she ripped away the hide to expose the tender red meat beneath. As Bianca watched Azure take a large bite, a string of drool dripped unbidden from her own maw.

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Grrrrumble…

Her stomach roared. Bianca was starving, but she knew better than to ask Azure to share.

She shifted her gaze downstream. One, two...seven, so much food! Aiden hunted so much.

Scrambling to her feet, she padded through the water.

Splash, splash…

Aiden heard the footsteps approaching. He didn't need to look to know who it was.

“Aiden-rawr.”

A cool, damp body pressed against his left side. He paused his eating and lifted his head, meeting a pair of wide, pleading white eyes. They stared at each other for two long seconds.

“Eat,” he rumbled.

The simple word was like a magical incantation. Light exploded in Bianca's eyes. She lunged forward, pouncing on the nearest doe carcass. Her great white maw clamped down, sending a spray of cool river water arcing over Aiden's head.

“Aiden... aow, you're so nice,” she mumbled, chewing her meat.

This fool, he thought, shaking his head. Don't talk with your mouth full. But a strange warmth spread through him. She's a fool, but… she's also rather cute. He pushed the thought aside and lowered his head to continue his meal.

When they had eaten their fill, little remained but scraps and blood carried away by the current. They were sated—not stuffed, but comfortably full. The three dragons stood facing each other in the shallows.

“Is everyone full?” Aiden asked in Draconic.

“Full, aow!” Bianca's white tail wagged furiously, slapping the water and sending little splashes into the air.

Azure simply nodded, silent as always.

“Then let's be on our way,” Aiden declared. “First, we find a place to build a nest.”

He spread his crimson wings, and with a powerful stroke, lifted off from the river and into the sky.

This entire region was a vast, unbroken forest that stretched to the horizon, with no sign of mountains or cliffs.

If he could, Aiden would build their nest on a high cliff face, which would protect them from most ground-based annoyances.

If only I were an adolescent, he mused. My draconic aura would be strong enough to repel most pests. Though it might also attract others, the benefits generally outweigh the risks. But he was still a wyrmling, and he had no idea how long it would be until he reached the next stage of his life.

A gentle breeze washed over him, as if trying to carry his troubles away.

Whoosh… whoosh…

Two figures rose to join him in the sky.

The three dragons were gone.

*****

Are… are they gone?

The strength fled from Garruk's legs, and he slid down the trunk, his body collapsing against the tree. Dragons. Three dragons had come to Glimmerwood Forest. They were small for their kind, but they were dragons nonetheless. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed it.

A red, a blue, and a white. All Chromatics. It was deeply unnatural. Chromatic dragons were solitary creatures. Why were these three living together?

As he knelt there, his thoughts slowly began to clear from the fog of terror. He lifted his head and looked at the faintly red-tinged water of the shallows. The herd was gone. Not even a trace remained.

How can I possibly explain this to the clan? he wondered. "Three dragons—a red, a blue, and a white—ate the entire herd and then flew away?" It sounded like a madman's fantasy. He barely believed it himself. The clan would never accept his story.

They would execute him for his failure.

No. I can't go back. A fierce resolve burned through his fear. I cannot die like this. I will be a great warrior. If I am to die, it will be on the battlefield!

He lifted his head, his gaze fixed on the forest across the stream.

Run. Run from the clan's territory. As far as possible.

The path forward was clear. He pushed himself up with one hand, rising shakily to his feet. He staggered across the stream and plunged into the forest.

He ran for ten minutes, his lame leg protesting with every step. As he scrambled over a large, fallen log, a voice stopped him cold.

“Garruk. Where are you going?”

The voice came from atop the log. Garruk froze, his body rigid. It was the voice of a clan warrior. Damn it all, I've run right into a patrol.

With a soft thud, a figure landed gracefully on the ground in front of him.

“Where are you headed, Garruk? Aren't you supposed to be watching the herd?” the gnoll warrior asked, eyeing him with suspicion. Garruk was panting heavily, his fur matted with sweat. He had the distinct look of a creature on the run.

Feeling the weight of his kinsman's gaze, Garruk opened his mouth to explain.