Dragon Fire (Rise of the Dragon Riders Book 3), page 1
RISE OF THE DRAGON RIDERS
Dragon Tongue
Dragon Scales
Dragon Fire
Dragon Plague
Dragon Crystals
Dragon Wars
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
RELAY PUBLISHING EDITION, FEBRUARY 2023
Copyright © 2023 Relay Publishing Ltd.
All rights reserved. Published in the United Kingdom by Relay Publishing. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Ava Richardson is a pen name created by Relay Publishing for co-authored Fantasy projects. Relay Publishing works with incredible teams of writers and editors to collaboratively create the very best stories for our readers.
Cover Design by Joemel Requeza.
www.relaypub.com
BLURB
A young woman and her dragon must free their kingdom from evil magic…
King Onyx has kept Tenegard ensorcelled for too long. Dragon rider Cora, along with her dragon, Alaric, are determined to free the kingdom from his sinister grasp. With the aid of rebel forces, they’re training a new wave of dragon riders—the first the country has seen in a century—but will their forces be enough to combat King Onyx's dark magic? In his quest for power and immortality, there’s no line he won’t cross and nothing he won’t risk. With the nation on the brink of war, the stakes have never been higher.
The rebels must do whatever it takes to cut off the sorcerer king from his source of power, before it's too late. If they fail to stop him, his corrupting reach will extend far beyond Tenegard.
And all hope will be lost…
MAILING LIST
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(Rise of the Dragon Riders Book Three)
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CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Epilogue
End of Dragon Fire
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CHAPTER 1
Slivers of bright morning sunlight glinted against the steel edge of Cora Hart’s blade as she spun around, whirling like a wraith, the movements of her feet practiced and precise.
She thrust her sword forward until the tip pierced the pocket of air right in front of her. She then pulled her arm back and turned to face the handful of rebels she was instructing. “The blade should feel like a natural extension of your body. In combat, you must be able to move quickly whether you are dodging a strike from your opponent or taking advantage of an enemy’s exposed blind spot. You’ll need to be light on your feet, adaptable, and quick to respond.”
Cora paused for a moment, pressing her lips together as she tried not to chuckle at the looks of bewilderment on the faces of her students. For a split second, her mind took her to a very different moment in time, one not so very long ago, when she had been the one first learning how to fight with a sword. Had she looked as awed and baffled? Probably. Her grandmother Livi had frequently remarked that life was cyclical and that it always came back around on itself. This training session was a prime example of that.
“I know it sounds a little odd,” she said to her trainees, “but you and your weapon must move as one, as if each of you does not exist without the other. Every movement should feel natural, so natural that in battle you do not have to think, only act.”
“Yes, but how?” One of the rebels, a young man named Fischer, took a step towards her, his wooden practice sword hanging limply at his side. “You make it look rather easy. Yet, when I try…” He grimaced. “Well, my results are not the same as yours.”
Cora snorted. “Trust me, I wasn’t very good at all when I was first beginning. Learning how to use a sword in combat isn’t easy, not at first anyway. But it is possible for you to learn to be comfortable handling a sword. And it won’t take as long as you think. A year ago, I was exactly like you. While I spent my life in a forge around weaponry, I never had cause to wield one. But that changed, and I had to learn just as you do now. I’m not an expert, and there’s still plenty I have to learn, but I am capable with a sword—enough that I can at least defend myself in battle if I had to. And you can learn what I know the same way I did.” She pointed at the wooden sword. “With practice.”
“Practice?” Fischer repeated, doubt still furrowing his brow.
“Yes, practice. Lots and lots of practice,” Cora confirmed. “The first thing you have to do is get comfortable with the weight of your sword, how it impacts the movement of your arm, how it affects your reaction speed. From there it’s about anticipating your enemy’s movements and thinking on your feet.” She repositioned herself in a fighting stance and ran through the sequence again, slower this time. “Muscle memory is your friend. The more you practice, the more your body will get used to the movements.”
Fischer and the other trainees mimicked her. Cora smiled as they seemed to be grasping things a bit more this time around. “Good, just make sure that you follow through with your thrust. The last thing you want is to leave your enemy even an inch they can use to escape. In truth, the key to surviving in combat is not hesitating. You don’t have to have exact precision or be the strongest, though that would help—you just have to follow through. Don’t think, just act. If you hesitate at all, even for a split second, you could die. That one second means the difference between life or death.”
Fischer blanched slightly at her words, but gripped his sword a little tighter, holding it out in front of him. “So don’t hesitate,” he said, putting emphasis on the words.
Cora nodded. “Exactly. Now, let’s do a few more movement drills, and then we’ll practice sparring.”
It had been three weeks since Cora and her dragon, Alaric, had led an attack on the fortress in Llys, and three weeks since arriving at the rebel stronghold following the battle. The rebels, many of whom had never seen a dragon up close before, were a wiry, determined group, all intent on bringing Tenegard out from under Onyx’s thumb. They had immediately welcomed Cora and Alaric into their ranks, and it had been decided that Cora should begin helping the experienced fighters train the rebels for both combat on dragonback and the use of Dragon Tongue. And so, Cora had spent most of her time on a training ground in the Calavair Mountains, a range of low-lying mountains about half a day’s ride from the ocean-side rebel stronghold.
“Okay, I think that’s enough of that for today,” she called out a while later, clapping her hands together. “It’s not quite time for lunch, but what do you say to breaking a little early?”
The rebel trainees, red-faced and sweaty from their sparring practice, all let out various iterations of agreement. Cora chuckled as Fischer dropped his wooden sword on a fluffy patch of green grass and then plopped down beside it, chest heaving. Several others followed suit.
“Don’t forget to drink plenty of water,” Cora told them as she passed by. “You’ll need to be hydrated for this afternoon’s practice.” The only response was a chorus of groans from the rebels, which made Cora grin. She knew exactly how exhausting such training could be. It was pretty fun being on the other side of it.
Trudging through the trees, Cora headed to find Alaric. She hadn’t seen him all morning, and she was eager to speak with him. Ever since they’d bonded, Cora had found herself most at ease when she was next to the dragon. Despite everything that was going on around them, there was a sense of peace that came from her connection with Alaric—and after a grueling morning of training, she could use a bit of that peace.
Alaric wasn’t hard to find. He sat on his haunches in the middle of a small clearing. Ten or so rebels sat in front of him, their faces screwed up in concentration and focus. Alaric, by contrast, looked less focused and more annoyed than anything else.
I take it it’s going well, then? she asked through their telepathic bond.
Alaric’s eyes snapped to her face, and she felt relief
Well, yes, that’s why I’m here. But how are they doing, really?
See for yourself, Alaric said, as one of the trainees stood up and took a step towards Alaric.
The woman put her hands on her hips and looked the dragon square in the eye. “Hello,” she said slowly. “My name is Peony. Can you understand me at all?”
Cora could hear the earnestness in the woman’s voice, her hope that her efforts were working, but she could tell from looking at Alaric that he had not understood a word.
“No, nothing,” Alaric said.
Peony’s face fell when she realized she still could not understand him.
“Lunch time!” Cora called out, drawing all the attention away from Alaric. The rebels didn’t have to be told twice. They leapt to their feet and hurried towards where the mess tent had been erected.
I repel them, Alaric said glumly. I am doing what I can for them, but I do not think our sessions are doing anything other than frustrating all parties.
Cora nodded. It does seem that progress has been slow. I think it’s because the rebels aren’t fully grasping the concept of the symbols. Dragon Tongue is very complex. Perhaps our instructions are not clear enough.
I can definitely vouch for them not understanding. I’ve been working with this particular group of trainees for several days now, and we are getting nowhere.
Cora chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, thinking. I’ll talk to Strida after lunch. Maybe she can help? It still surprised Cora that Strida, the scale scavenger from her home village of Barcroft, had ended up at the rebel stronghold. She was grateful for it, though—before she and Alaric had left, Cora and Strida had started to become friends, and she knew the older girl was someone she could trust. Cora had spent nearly her entire life feeling like an outcast, a misfit with no friends and no community to call her own. That had all changed once Alaric came into the picture, of course, but her bond with the dragon had led to dangers she never could have imagined. When the situation became truly desperate, Strida and the other scavengers had come to Cora’s aid, helping her when there was no one else to turn to. That wasn’t something she would ever forget.
And Strida had managed to learn a bit of Dragon Tongue on her own and without a dragon, thanks to Cora’s instruction to visit the caves her grandmother had shown her as a child. That had led to Strida eventually leaving Barcroft and ultimately finding her way to the rebels—which, of course, had led her to meeting up with Cora again after she and Alaric had arrived at the stronghold. It seemed yet another example of the cyclical nature of life Nana Livi had so often spoke of. Everything truly did seem to have a way of coming back around.
It is worth a shot, Alaric agreed. At this point, I think we need to consider all options. The rebels just are not progressing like they should be at this point.
Cora sighed. I know. And I worry that we don’t have much time to get everyone ready. Our escape from Llys to the stronghold will have Onyx searching the area for their base. It’s essential that we get the rebels trained—and, ideally, ready to bond with dragons of their own—so that they will be ready to defend themselves if Onyx comes pounding on their front door.
Alaric snorted. It will be quite difficult for them to reach that point if they can’t even achieve the basics of Dragon Tongue.
Agreed. Let’s just hope Strida has some ideas for us.
Cora shoved her braid over her shoulder and swiped at a few errant strands of hair whipping around her face. Frustration pooled in her gut. You know, sometimes I think it might be best if we just struck out on our own. I mean, don’t you think the rebels’ cause would be served better if we headed for the capital? At least there we could figure out Onyx’s plans or look for your mother. I feel exactly like I did back in the Meldona Forest. Tamsin kept telling us how important training was and that we shouldn’t rush back to Llys, but if we had attacked the fortress even a day earlier, we might have gotten to your mother sooner, before she was moved to the capital. I don’t want to make that same mistake again.
The back of Cora’s neck burned hot when she thought of Tamsin, the former rider who had trained her. She had trusted Tamsin implicitly, only to learn that Tamsin was the one who had betrayed the previous dragon riders to King Onyx, who then slaughtered them. Tamsin had betrayed her own people and lied to Cora and Alaric. The fact that she had done so to save her dragon did not excuse her actions in the slightest. It was a blow Cora still hadn’t quite recovered from. The training she’d completed with Tamsin had been useful, at least, and the same things Tamsin had drilled into Cora were now the things she was passing on to the rebel trainees. Still, that did little to quell the sting of Tamsin’s lies, the betrayal Cora felt deep in her bones.
Alaric cocked his head back and forth, studying Cora’s expression. Do you really believe that is what we are doing? Repeating the past?
It does feel that way at times, Cora admitted, but not all the time, I suppose. I just struggle with knowing what’s the right thing to do, you know? As the first new rider in so many years, I feel like I have a duty to be a leader, and as a leader, I sort of feel like I should be out there, doing more to fight the great evil that threatens us all. Is that stupid?
No, it is not stupid. If anything it is brave. But Cora, you cannot discredit what everyone is trying to do here. You and I cannot face Onyx alone. You know this. We need the rebels at our backs. And remember, not all wars are won on a battlefield. Alaric let out a sigh of his own. I do understand your frustration, though. Every day that goes by with my mother in captivity, I wake feeling as though there are stones inside my belly. I worry for her and what Onyx may be doing to her or others of my kind. But you and I must take things one at a time. We are stronger in number than we could ever be on our own.
You’re right. It’s just hard to accept that some days.
Hard indeed, Alaric agreed, yawning. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to grab a bite for myself and then find a particularly shady patch of forest to nap in for a while. I am rather exhausted from my attempts at communicating with several humans at once.
Cora smiled. “I bet. See you in a bit.” She watched as Alaric dipped his snout and then unfurled his wings, launching himself into the sky.
CHAPTER 2
Thanks to the mountain coverage around the stronghold, the dragons did not have to worry about being seen when they took off hunting or when the riders were practicing flying with them. The locals in the area were used to dragon herds living nearby, which helped provide the necessary cover for the rebels as they trained.
There was a village called Whitethorn situated in a valley a few miles away, close enough that the rebels were able to access key supplies as needed, but they were always careful to go in small numbers and send different people each time. Cora speculated that there were some members of the village—suppliers they were regularly in contact with—who had likely put the pieces together. However, thus far, they did not appear to have alerted anyone, which led Cora to believe that they were sympathetic to the cause.
The mess tent had been supplied with fresh game and vegetables from the town, and the savory aroma of lunch wafted towards her as Alaric disappeared among the clouds. Following her nose, Cora made for the tent, joining the end of the line.
