Read Online Dragons Reborn by Daniel Arenson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Daniel Arenson
Ads: Link
though many were cracked or torn off, and she bled from the
wounds. Yet the fiery dragon stared at Fidelity fiercely, and she nodded.
"Save
your breath and fly!" Domi said. She narrowed her eyes and beat her wings
with more fervor.
They
flew onward, Fidelity leading the way across the city. When she glanced over
her shoulder, she saw the hundred firedrakes pursuing, and more kept rising
from the bowels of the Cured Temple, which now shone several miles away. At the
rear, Julian and Roen twisted backward, blasted out twin pillars of fire, then
turned forward and flew onward. A hundred jets of flame blasted in answer, most
too weak to reach them, but a few shrieked between the fleeing dragons. Cade
screamed as fire licked his tail, and Fidelity grimaced as sparks landed on her
wings. They kept flying.
"Requiem
rises!" Fidelity cried as she flew. "Hear me, people of Nova Vita. I
am a free dragon! Requiem is reborn!"
Though
wounded and bleeding, Cade grinned as he flew beside her, and he cried out to
the night. "Rise against the Temple! Remember Requiem! Remember Requiem!"
The
time for subtlety was over. The time for smuggling books in shadows had ended.
Now they roared their cry together, five dragons in the open sky.
"Remember
Requiem! Remember Requiem!"
As
they flew, hope began to rise in Fidelity. The firedrakes would not catch them.
Cade was free from his prison, and Domi was free from the gilded cage she had
surrendered herself to, no less a prison than one of bars and chains. Julian
and Roen flew with her again—the wisest man she knew and the man she loved.
And the most secret, forbidden of words now rang across the city—a cry of
hope, of rededication, of memory.
"Remember
Requiem!"
Before
her rose the city walls, and beyond them the open night—darkness, wilderness,
hope for escape, for life.
Fidelity
was only seconds away from the walls when new fire blazed.
Her
hope crashed.
Twenty
firedrakes rose from the walls, blasting flame her way. She reared in the sky.
The hundred firedrakes behind her shrieked with new vigor and stormed forth,
trapping the dragons between them and the new foes.
"Soar!"
Fidelity cried, beating her wings and shooting up toward the stars.
The
other dragons curved their flight upward. Jets of flame blasted beneath them.
One pillar of fire crashed into Roen, and the green dragon roared but kept ascending,
his scales charred and cracking with the heat. Another fiery pillar rose by
Fidelity, and she veered, knocking into Cade.
"Break
past them!" she cried. "To the wilderness, fly!"
She
could see nothing but fire, their flashing claws, their biting teeth. Beyond
them lay the open night; the dragons could vanish there into shadow. Yet the
firedrakes flew everywhere, forming a noose, shrieking, blasting flames.
Paladins rode on their backs, and arrows flew. One arrow tore through Fidelity's
wing, and she bellowed in pain. Another arrow slammed into her horn and lodged
there.
"Break
through!" She sneered and charged. "Requiem, with me!"
Fidelity
screamed as she slammed into one firedrake. She lashed her claws. She bit at
its scales. She swiped her tail, driving its spikes against the creature. The
firedrake bucked in the sky, screeching, and she bit out its throat. It tumbled
down, but an instant later three more beasts slammed into Fidelity. Their claws
tore at her scales. Their riders' arrows slammed into Fidelity, most shattering
against her scaly hide, but one drove through and cut deep.
Fidelity
lost her magic.
She
tumbled through the sky toward the city, a human again.
"Fidelity!"
Cade cried.
As
she fell, she saw her comrades fighting above, only four dragons, countless
firedrakes surrounding them. The city roofs rushed up to meet her.
Remember
Requiem.
She
clenched her jaw, summoned every last bit of strength inside her, and shifted
back into a dragon. She soared again.
Firedrakes
swooped and slammed into her. More rose from the roofs around her. She blasted
out
wounds. Yet the fiery dragon stared at Fidelity fiercely, and she nodded.
"Save
your breath and fly!" Domi said. She narrowed her eyes and beat her wings
with more fervor.
They
flew onward, Fidelity leading the way across the city. When she glanced over
her shoulder, she saw the hundred firedrakes pursuing, and more kept rising
from the bowels of the Cured Temple, which now shone several miles away. At the
rear, Julian and Roen twisted backward, blasted out twin pillars of fire, then
turned forward and flew onward. A hundred jets of flame blasted in answer, most
too weak to reach them, but a few shrieked between the fleeing dragons. Cade
screamed as fire licked his tail, and Fidelity grimaced as sparks landed on her
wings. They kept flying.
"Requiem
rises!" Fidelity cried as she flew. "Hear me, people of Nova Vita. I
am a free dragon! Requiem is reborn!"
Though
wounded and bleeding, Cade grinned as he flew beside her, and he cried out to
the night. "Rise against the Temple! Remember Requiem! Remember Requiem!"
The
time for subtlety was over. The time for smuggling books in shadows had ended.
Now they roared their cry together, five dragons in the open sky.
"Remember
Requiem! Remember Requiem!"
As
they flew, hope began to rise in Fidelity. The firedrakes would not catch them.
Cade was free from his prison, and Domi was free from the gilded cage she had
surrendered herself to, no less a prison than one of bars and chains. Julian
and Roen flew with her again—the wisest man she knew and the man she loved.
And the most secret, forbidden of words now rang across the city—a cry of
hope, of rededication, of memory.
"Remember
Requiem!"
Before
her rose the city walls, and beyond them the open night—darkness, wilderness,
hope for escape, for life.
Fidelity
was only seconds away from the walls when new fire blazed.
Her
hope crashed.
Twenty
firedrakes rose from the walls, blasting flame her way. She reared in the sky.
The hundred firedrakes behind her shrieked with new vigor and stormed forth,
trapping the dragons between them and the new foes.
"Soar!"
Fidelity cried, beating her wings and shooting up toward the stars.
The
other dragons curved their flight upward. Jets of flame blasted beneath them.
One pillar of fire crashed into Roen, and the green dragon roared but kept ascending,
his scales charred and cracking with the heat. Another fiery pillar rose by
Fidelity, and she veered, knocking into Cade.
"Break
past them!" she cried. "To the wilderness, fly!"
She
could see nothing but fire, their flashing claws, their biting teeth. Beyond
them lay the open night; the dragons could vanish there into shadow. Yet the
firedrakes flew everywhere, forming a noose, shrieking, blasting flames.
Paladins rode on their backs, and arrows flew. One arrow tore through Fidelity's
wing, and she bellowed in pain. Another arrow slammed into her horn and lodged
there.
"Break
through!" She sneered and charged. "Requiem, with me!"
Fidelity
screamed as she slammed into one firedrake. She lashed her claws. She bit at
its scales. She swiped her tail, driving its spikes against the creature. The
firedrake bucked in the sky, screeching, and she bit out its throat. It tumbled
down, but an instant later three more beasts slammed into Fidelity. Their claws
tore at her scales. Their riders' arrows slammed into Fidelity, most shattering
against her scaly hide, but one drove through and cut deep.
Fidelity
lost her magic.
She
tumbled through the sky toward the city, a human again.
"Fidelity!"
Cade cried.
As
she fell, she saw her comrades fighting above, only four dragons, countless
firedrakes surrounding them. The city roofs rushed up to meet her.
Remember
Requiem.
She
clenched her jaw, summoned every last bit of strength inside her, and shifted
back into a dragon. She soared again.
Firedrakes
swooped and slammed into her. More rose from the roofs around her. She blasted
out
Similar Books
