boy yet stronger than any grown man in the Horde.
The
boy had grown even larger.
"I
will not serve the spawn of reptiles!" Shafel spat into the dirt. "As
you slew our old king, I slay you now. I will rule the Horde!"
With
a battle cry, Shafel leaped into the air. With what seemed like inhuman
strength, he soared onto the stage and swung his mace toward Amity.
Korvin
roared, leaped forth, and shifted in midair. His wings beat and his claws
swiped.
Pain
exploded as Korvin blocked the mace's blow. The iron head slammed into his paw,
shattering two scales. Korvin yowled and would have blasted Shafel with
dragonfire, had he not stood so close to Amity and the clerics.
"Careful,
little man." A charcoal dragon, Korvin snarled down at Shafel. "You're
big but not big enough."
With
shrieks, the dozen griffins flew toward the stage, Shafel's warriors on their
backs. Amity screamed, shifted, and soared as a red dragon. Korvin sneered and
blasted fire skyward, trying to hold off the griffins, but the beasts mobbed
him, flying in rings. Shafel leaped onto one griffin, brandished his studded
mace, and charged toward Amity.
"Stop
this madness!" shouted the head cleric. The man slammed his staff down,
and thunder boomed. A blast of lighting rose from the staff, piercing the sky,
sending griffins and dragons tumbling backward. "In the name of Adon, you
will not shed blood in the holy city of Gosh Ha'ar!"
Korvin
beat his wings, hovering in midair. Amity flew beside him. A dozen griffins
flew all around. The cleric stood below, staff held before him.
"I
will burn my enemies!" Amity sneered.
The
cleric stared up from below, eyes burning behind his demonic mask. "Even a
queen may not shed blood upon holy ground. Here in Gosh Ha'ar, Adon himself
touched the mountains and spilled forth water. If you shed the blood of the
Horde here, the crown will never be yours." The cleric stared up at Shafel
next. "Stand down, Shafel! If you shed blood here, Adon will curse you
too, and this crown will never sit upon your head."
The
dragons and griffins landed on the stage beneath the mountains.
Shafel
wheeled his griffin toward the crowd, and he raised his mace high.
"Hear
me, Horde!" the giant shouted. "I am Shafel, son of Sha'ar, slayer of
Ka'elor the Sand Asp. I slew thousands of Templers in the last war. I shatter
boulders with my fists, and even dragons fear and dare not strike me. I am your
new king! Kneel before me!"
Across
the crowd, thousands knelt.
Amity
stared in disbelief, then turned toward the cleric. "Crown me! Now!"
Yet
Shafel stepped forth, knocking her aside, and snatched the crown from the old
priest. When the giant tried to place it upon his head, Amity leaped out and
grabbed it. The two stood facing each other, holding the crown between them.
The
crowd stared.
Amity
glared up at Shafel. He loomed above her, thrice her size.
"Choose
a place," Amity hissed, eyes blazing. "Choose a place for me to slay
you."
The
giant snorted. "Wherever you walk, girl, I will hunt you. Wherever you
step off holy ground, I will be there to crush you under my heel."
He
yanked the crown backward. Amity tugged the other way. With a crack, the crown
shattered, scattering finger bones.
Korvin
stared, heart sinking.
We
wanted to find an army. Now our army, like this crown, shatters.
FIDELITY
The dragons
flew over the dark city of Nova Vita, a hundred firedrakes flying in pursuit.
Fidelity's
heart pounded, and pain drove across her body. A crossbow's quarrel dug through
her back, wind whistled through a hole in her wing, and several of her scales
had fallen in the battle, revealing bleeding flesh. The city streamed beneath
her, the firedrakes screeched behind, and her lifeblood dripped away, but
Fidelity laughed.
Cade
was free.
Her
sister flew with her once again.
"Domi,
can you keep flying?" Fidelity cried, tears in her eyes.
Her
sister flew beside her. Her scales of many colors shone in the firelight, red
and orange and yellow,
The
boy had grown even larger.
"I
will not serve the spawn of reptiles!" Shafel spat into the dirt. "As
you slew our old king, I slay you now. I will rule the Horde!"
With
a battle cry, Shafel leaped into the air. With what seemed like inhuman
strength, he soared onto the stage and swung his mace toward Amity.
Korvin
roared, leaped forth, and shifted in midair. His wings beat and his claws
swiped.
Pain
exploded as Korvin blocked the mace's blow. The iron head slammed into his paw,
shattering two scales. Korvin yowled and would have blasted Shafel with
dragonfire, had he not stood so close to Amity and the clerics.
"Careful,
little man." A charcoal dragon, Korvin snarled down at Shafel. "You're
big but not big enough."
With
shrieks, the dozen griffins flew toward the stage, Shafel's warriors on their
backs. Amity screamed, shifted, and soared as a red dragon. Korvin sneered and
blasted fire skyward, trying to hold off the griffins, but the beasts mobbed
him, flying in rings. Shafel leaped onto one griffin, brandished his studded
mace, and charged toward Amity.
"Stop
this madness!" shouted the head cleric. The man slammed his staff down,
and thunder boomed. A blast of lighting rose from the staff, piercing the sky,
sending griffins and dragons tumbling backward. "In the name of Adon, you
will not shed blood in the holy city of Gosh Ha'ar!"
Korvin
beat his wings, hovering in midair. Amity flew beside him. A dozen griffins
flew all around. The cleric stood below, staff held before him.
"I
will burn my enemies!" Amity sneered.
The
cleric stared up from below, eyes burning behind his demonic mask. "Even a
queen may not shed blood upon holy ground. Here in Gosh Ha'ar, Adon himself
touched the mountains and spilled forth water. If you shed the blood of the
Horde here, the crown will never be yours." The cleric stared up at Shafel
next. "Stand down, Shafel! If you shed blood here, Adon will curse you
too, and this crown will never sit upon your head."
The
dragons and griffins landed on the stage beneath the mountains.
Shafel
wheeled his griffin toward the crowd, and he raised his mace high.
"Hear
me, Horde!" the giant shouted. "I am Shafel, son of Sha'ar, slayer of
Ka'elor the Sand Asp. I slew thousands of Templers in the last war. I shatter
boulders with my fists, and even dragons fear and dare not strike me. I am your
new king! Kneel before me!"
Across
the crowd, thousands knelt.
Amity
stared in disbelief, then turned toward the cleric. "Crown me! Now!"
Yet
Shafel stepped forth, knocking her aside, and snatched the crown from the old
priest. When the giant tried to place it upon his head, Amity leaped out and
grabbed it. The two stood facing each other, holding the crown between them.
The
crowd stared.
Amity
glared up at Shafel. He loomed above her, thrice her size.
"Choose
a place," Amity hissed, eyes blazing. "Choose a place for me to slay
you."
The
giant snorted. "Wherever you walk, girl, I will hunt you. Wherever you
step off holy ground, I will be there to crush you under my heel."
He
yanked the crown backward. Amity tugged the other way. With a crack, the crown
shattered, scattering finger bones.
Korvin
stared, heart sinking.
We
wanted to find an army. Now our army, like this crown, shatters.
FIDELITY
The dragons
flew over the dark city of Nova Vita, a hundred firedrakes flying in pursuit.
Fidelity's
heart pounded, and pain drove across her body. A crossbow's quarrel dug through
her back, wind whistled through a hole in her wing, and several of her scales
had fallen in the battle, revealing bleeding flesh. The city streamed beneath
her, the firedrakes screeched behind, and her lifeblood dripped away, but
Fidelity laughed.
Cade
was free.
Her
sister flew with her once again.
"Domi,
can you keep flying?" Fidelity cried, tears in her eyes.
Her
sister flew beside her. Her scales of many colors shone in the firelight, red
and orange and yellow,
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