Read Online Dragonbound: Blue Dragon by Rebecca Shelley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rebecca Shelley
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy, Magic, YA), Dragons, epic fantasy, childrens book, dragonbound, blue dragon, R. D. Henham
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back legs. Thick flaps of skin billowed out between the forelimbs and the back, allowing the green to glide safely and swiftly to the ground. It landed right behind the girl and swung its tail at her again.
The girl jumped as she sped past Kanvar. The long green tail passed under her feet and slid along the side of Kanvar's leg as the green pulled it back around.
Kanvar smelled the caustic scent of the poison, but his dragonhide armor, even mismatched as it was, saved him. He froze anyway, with the crossbow leveled at the green as it charged toward him.
He waited until the green's chest was less than a foot away before releasing the bolt. It flew true, puncturing the dragon's hide and tearing through its heart.
The green's momentum propelled it forward, and Kanvar had to leap to the side to keep from being smashed as it fell in its death throes. The green light glimmered for a moment in the dragonstone on its forehead then went out.
Kanvar felt the sudden loss of life like a tearing in his own chest. He bit his lip in sorrow. He hadn't even tried to talk to the dragon. If he had, perhaps he would have been able to save both the Great Green and the girl. Kanvar wondered what Rajahansa's punishment might be for murdering a Great dragon. Better not to find out. Better to stay as far away from the Dragon King as possible.
The girl stopped her flight and turned to face him. "You killed it."
Her words cut into him in sharp accusation.
"You killed a Great dragon. I don't believe it." She took a step back toward him. "Weren't you terrified? I've never seen a dragon hunter stand his ground like that. You should have shot so much sooner."
Kanvar rubbed the sweat out of his eyes and shivered. She wasn't accusing him? She sounded impressed instead. Her smooth skin looked beautiful in the green jungle light and her lips parted in a smile as she breathed deeply to catch her breath.
"Not with this crossbow," he answered her. "It doesn't have enough force to kill a Great dragon at a distance."
Her eyes flashed from the crossbow to Kanvar's crippled arm and leg. She leaned her head to the side to get another view of him, and the smile faded from her face. "What kind of a dragon hunter are you?"
Kanvar gritted his teeth, turned away from the girl, and limped over to the fallen dragon. He was used to people seeing him as a useless cripple. He'd only forgotten for a moment in the rush of energy brought on by facing down the Great Green and casting his eyes on such a beautiful girl. Stupid. No girl would have anything to do with him no matter how many dragons he killed.
He strapped the crossbow onto his back and reached out a hand to the smooth green dragonstone. He'd killed a Great dragon, and here was the stone to prove it. He need only pry it from the dead dragon's corpse. It would be worth a lot of money as well as high praise in the dragon hunter jati.
A hand slapped Kanvar's fingers away from the stone with a stinging blow.
"You can't take the dragonstone," the girl said. She pushed him away from the fallen dragon. "It's a Great dragon. Would you dishonor the dead?"
Kanvar blinked at her. A moment ago she'd seemed pleased that he'd killed it. "I just saved your life," he protested.
The girl flushed and hugged the leather pouch to her side, which was full of purple fruit she'd been gathering in the tree. "Yes. Thank you. But you can't take the stone. Its power gives life to the jungle. Our village will be cursed if you don't let it lie where it has fallen."
"Cursed?" Kanvar stumbled back away from the dead dragon. Yes cursed. What would Indumauli think of him now? What would the Dragon King say? Kanvar imagined his own hide being peeled from his body and hung on the King's palace wall. He shuddered. "I'm sorry," he cried as he forced himself to limp away as fast as he could. "Sorry. It was a mistake."
His foot caught on a root, and he fell. The fern fronds closed over him as he hit the ground. The last of his will and
The girl jumped as she sped past Kanvar. The long green tail passed under her feet and slid along the side of Kanvar's leg as the green pulled it back around.
Kanvar smelled the caustic scent of the poison, but his dragonhide armor, even mismatched as it was, saved him. He froze anyway, with the crossbow leveled at the green as it charged toward him.
He waited until the green's chest was less than a foot away before releasing the bolt. It flew true, puncturing the dragon's hide and tearing through its heart.
The green's momentum propelled it forward, and Kanvar had to leap to the side to keep from being smashed as it fell in its death throes. The green light glimmered for a moment in the dragonstone on its forehead then went out.
Kanvar felt the sudden loss of life like a tearing in his own chest. He bit his lip in sorrow. He hadn't even tried to talk to the dragon. If he had, perhaps he would have been able to save both the Great Green and the girl. Kanvar wondered what Rajahansa's punishment might be for murdering a Great dragon. Better not to find out. Better to stay as far away from the Dragon King as possible.
The girl stopped her flight and turned to face him. "You killed it."
Her words cut into him in sharp accusation.
"You killed a Great dragon. I don't believe it." She took a step back toward him. "Weren't you terrified? I've never seen a dragon hunter stand his ground like that. You should have shot so much sooner."
Kanvar rubbed the sweat out of his eyes and shivered. She wasn't accusing him? She sounded impressed instead. Her smooth skin looked beautiful in the green jungle light and her lips parted in a smile as she breathed deeply to catch her breath.
"Not with this crossbow," he answered her. "It doesn't have enough force to kill a Great dragon at a distance."
Her eyes flashed from the crossbow to Kanvar's crippled arm and leg. She leaned her head to the side to get another view of him, and the smile faded from her face. "What kind of a dragon hunter are you?"
Kanvar gritted his teeth, turned away from the girl, and limped over to the fallen dragon. He was used to people seeing him as a useless cripple. He'd only forgotten for a moment in the rush of energy brought on by facing down the Great Green and casting his eyes on such a beautiful girl. Stupid. No girl would have anything to do with him no matter how many dragons he killed.
He strapped the crossbow onto his back and reached out a hand to the smooth green dragonstone. He'd killed a Great dragon, and here was the stone to prove it. He need only pry it from the dead dragon's corpse. It would be worth a lot of money as well as high praise in the dragon hunter jati.
A hand slapped Kanvar's fingers away from the stone with a stinging blow.
"You can't take the dragonstone," the girl said. She pushed him away from the fallen dragon. "It's a Great dragon. Would you dishonor the dead?"
Kanvar blinked at her. A moment ago she'd seemed pleased that he'd killed it. "I just saved your life," he protested.
The girl flushed and hugged the leather pouch to her side, which was full of purple fruit she'd been gathering in the tree. "Yes. Thank you. But you can't take the stone. Its power gives life to the jungle. Our village will be cursed if you don't let it lie where it has fallen."
"Cursed?" Kanvar stumbled back away from the dead dragon. Yes cursed. What would Indumauli think of him now? What would the Dragon King say? Kanvar imagined his own hide being peeled from his body and hung on the King's palace wall. He shuddered. "I'm sorry," he cried as he forced himself to limp away as fast as he could. "Sorry. It was a mistake."
His foot caught on a root, and he fell. The fern fronds closed over him as he hit the ground. The last of his will and
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