I am Dragon (Dragon Fires Rising Book 2) Marc Secchia (most read books .TXT) 📖

to become a metal sandwich. The King’s cavalry, about fifty in number, drew themselves up with impressive discipline – but they were well outnumbered, four to one by his estimate.

Why the inadequate protection? Was this due to rushing back to the capital for medical treatment? A King’s false sense of security?

“More soldiers moving among the trees,” Azania noted. “This is a serious attack.”

“Cowardly sneak attacks tend to be,” he grumbled. “Ready to show these fools what it means to ambush allies of T’nagru?”

“Ambush the ambushers. Nice.”

“Or just beat them around the head with a few trees?”

“Whatever works.” The Princess wriggled about as she tried to use her ornate waistband to tie herself on somehow. “Not enough material. This will be a test of my leg muscles. Ready.”

Arrow to the bowstring. Fires bubbling just below boiling point.

Those fools would burn!

Dragon swooped low across the grassy meadow, still visibly soggy after the heavy morning rains. The weather was overcast but not raining just now. A low rumbling of hooves carried to his ears as the attacking knights began to sweep forward, picking up speed as they trotted toward the King’s position. He pumped his wings furiously. Close timing. Once they tangled up, he would have a much harder time separating out friend from foe. But if they could hit in one clean sweep …

Azania called, “Save a roar for scaring the light cavalry. The heavy mounts are trained warhorses. They might not spook easily.”

Smart. Always thinking.

He felt her knees tighten and heard a snick as she plucked an arrow from the quiver. His chest tightened from within as the fire built down low. Did his chest even glow? Might need to test that out one night.

Half a mile. Top speed. Totally committed. His every sense reached out, measuring, evaluating, plotting, deciding. The attacking cavalry surged as they mounted a full charge. Thundering hooves! Clods of grass and mud sprayed behind them as if a massive beast rent the ground with its talons, smoking and snorting prior to falling upon its hapless prey. Fifty Dragon lengths. Fifteen. His wings flexed with supple grace as his neck curved sideways. They would pass almost directly over the King’s troops.

Fire laced his throat with beautiful, molten heat. No reason to question how this was even possible. He was Dragon. Hearts afire!

GRRROOAARRGGHH!!

Six strides before the heavy cavalry struck the King’s shield line, white Dragon fire slashed into the faces of those charging knights. So fast was he moving and so quick his head movement to try to spray along the length of the line, he missed several. They struck hard and heavy. Horses shrieked, their hooves lashing like crazed wheat mill, while the knights struck out with their longswords. The rest of the line collapsed as if by magic, smoking bodies and ruin sliding up to the King’s foot soldiers.

Briefly, he saw men peering from behind their shields in utter shock as a Dragon roared overhead.

Thwock! Azania’s precise shot took out one last knight, right at the end.

“Swerving.”

She clamped onto his neck as he adjusted direction, continuing the rush toward the light cavalry force harassing the King’s rearguard. They broke and scattered in all directions.

I – AM – FIIIIRRREEE!!

Superheated white clouds of fire billowed over the field as they chased the light horse away. Stretching out his paws, he plucked riders off their mounts and threw them at the dense regiments of foot soldiers which had emerged from the treeline. Kerump!

Brraa-hurgh-HARGH!!

Clapping his wings sharply, he shot upward to avoid the trees and then began his turn to line up a second pass. Here came Chalice, a furious yellow dart. Reaching the last few of the heavy knights as he circled, she kicked out with her hind paws. He heard the impact right across the field. Crunch! The azure shields fell.

Raising a robust cheer, the King’s knights extended their own charge, rolling up the flank of light cavalry as the enemy riders tried to flee.

“Those foot soldiers are trying to reach the King!” Azania cried.

Fierce fighting raged down there. A sixty-strong detachment engaged the King’s last line of defence. His shield wall had turned to run back toward the skirmish. Dragon eyed up another regiment to his left paw. Ugh. Leave them for the moment.

“Let’s get in close.”

As he shot back over the treeline and out toward the beleaguered royal force, Dragon felt a handful of arrows lodge in his soft hide. Great. Might as well invite them into his lair, too. Skimming in once more, he angled his body for the hit. Nothing subtle about this. A Juggernaut belly-and-paws landing crushed half a dozen of the enemy as they scrambled to get out of the way. Tail lashes, paw strikes and several violent snaps of his jaws dealt with several more. From the corner of his eye, he saw Chalice barrel into the other regiment, full-bore. Battle madness? Really, he needed to teach her that the old methods only got a Dragon hurt.

That said, here was a fool waving his sword in his face.

Dragon punched him atop the head. Clang!

“Take that!” Azania yelled, stabbing a soldier in the throat with an arrow as he tried to drag her off Dragon’s neck.

He whirled, stamping on and tail-slapping every scrap of blue he could see. Careful with the white. Several of them were lining him up with javelins!

“We’re allies!” he roared.

“Friends of Amboraine!” Azania yelled, ducking a stray javelin. “For the King!”

They understood that bit.

Someone shouted, “The Dragon’s with us! Strike the blue, men! For the glory of Amboraine!”

Aye, this bloody brawl was glorious. Nitwit.

Reaching over heads, Dragon poked and slapped enemy soldiers with his bared talons until they decided that retreat was an excellent idea. Should have figured that out the moment he rose out of that city in