he heard a fallen branch snap as if some large beast had stepped on it. The stag bolted, wheeled and raced off back where he had come from.
“ Darn. What comes ?” thought Justin. Casting his passive senses in the direction of the noise, only darkness was there. Darkness deeper than the woods in starlight was moving in his direction. He could hear many two legged creatures approaching, yet he could not see them. He was about to force his senses beyond the barrier when he remembered Rolph’s tale. The darkness slipped past him and he could now see the tall, broad and ugly form of Orcs. He faded into the tree with a passive cloaking spell not even their Malaga or the huge winged serpent would detect. It was the serpent that was making most of the noise. Knocking down saplings, it would have to fly soon because the forest was tight toward their camp.
“I am up a tree ”, he thought with alarm. “ There is always the Change ”. Justin cast his mind toward Rolph: forcing his way through his friend’s weak shields.
“ Rolph. Wake Up. You are in danger!”
“Wha, huh.....Who is that? ... Justin? Where are you?”
“I am at the creek up in a tree, well concealed. There is a Malaga with about twenty Orcs headed toward the camp. They are cloaked by the Malaga. He has a Black Dragon Serpent. Get your weapons and the horses and retreat. They will not see me, and I can cloak my presence. Hurry, they will be upon you soon.”
“We will NOT leave you, Justin. We will wait on the other side of the field.”
“Just GO, NOW!”
The Black Dragon spread it’s wings and with great effort rose from next to the stream so nearby that wind from it’s wings buffeted the tree Justin was hiding in. As it cleared the trees, Jason spotted the darkened Raven clearly, following. The Dragon was gone, so he reached out and stripped away the Raven’s shields and ripped the life force from the bird with a high spell. The Raven squawked as it fell from the sky, and a stream of alien memories were stripped as its mind was silenced. “ I don’t have time for this now ”, though Jason as he tucked these bird brained images away.
Jason removed his clothes, his swords and tied them along with the bow. He then leaped out of the tree with his arms wide, and changed into a burnt orange yearling dragon. He flapped his wings and quickly rose higher and higher over forest. It was then he heard a different mind: A powerful mind. Another Dragon!
“I am coming, Justin”.
“Who is coming?”
“I am Denise. We are both of the fourteen. I heard your pleas to Rolph because I am so much like you and was out hunting as a Dragon for practice. Save your friends. I will be there soon, and I will warn the King”.
Justin was higher than the Black Dragon now, and he could see the field below. The Orcs had not quite reached the field but the camp was burning. His friends were still in the field, galloping to the other side with his horse in tow. They would not make it. As the Black Dragon swooped down on them, his friends turned to fight. Jason uttered a strong defense spell and caste it over his friends just before the Black Dragon blasted them with flames. He dove from above, folding his wings back. He would hit the Malaga from above and behind.
When the flames did not fry them, the Malaga sent a rippling bolt of black lightning that crashed against the ward. Justin felt the draw of power weaken him, but he was committed now.
“We are dead for certain”, thought Rolph as the dragon swooped upon them. In defiance, he ordered the reversal and attack, and they sent four arrows into the beasts head and neck just before the flame consumed them.
“Wha... we are saved”, he screamed. “Shoot again!” The flames had hit wards that had come from nowhere. They fired four more arrows before the lightning struck. Again they were saved, so they fired once more. The beast screamed in pain
“ Darn. What comes ?” thought Justin. Casting his passive senses in the direction of the noise, only darkness was there. Darkness deeper than the woods in starlight was moving in his direction. He could hear many two legged creatures approaching, yet he could not see them. He was about to force his senses beyond the barrier when he remembered Rolph’s tale. The darkness slipped past him and he could now see the tall, broad and ugly form of Orcs. He faded into the tree with a passive cloaking spell not even their Malaga or the huge winged serpent would detect. It was the serpent that was making most of the noise. Knocking down saplings, it would have to fly soon because the forest was tight toward their camp.
“I am up a tree ”, he thought with alarm. “ There is always the Change ”. Justin cast his mind toward Rolph: forcing his way through his friend’s weak shields.
“ Rolph. Wake Up. You are in danger!”
“Wha, huh.....Who is that? ... Justin? Where are you?”
“I am at the creek up in a tree, well concealed. There is a Malaga with about twenty Orcs headed toward the camp. They are cloaked by the Malaga. He has a Black Dragon Serpent. Get your weapons and the horses and retreat. They will not see me, and I can cloak my presence. Hurry, they will be upon you soon.”
“We will NOT leave you, Justin. We will wait on the other side of the field.”
“Just GO, NOW!”
The Black Dragon spread it’s wings and with great effort rose from next to the stream so nearby that wind from it’s wings buffeted the tree Justin was hiding in. As it cleared the trees, Jason spotted the darkened Raven clearly, following. The Dragon was gone, so he reached out and stripped away the Raven’s shields and ripped the life force from the bird with a high spell. The Raven squawked as it fell from the sky, and a stream of alien memories were stripped as its mind was silenced. “ I don’t have time for this now ”, though Jason as he tucked these bird brained images away.
Jason removed his clothes, his swords and tied them along with the bow. He then leaped out of the tree with his arms wide, and changed into a burnt orange yearling dragon. He flapped his wings and quickly rose higher and higher over forest. It was then he heard a different mind: A powerful mind. Another Dragon!
“I am coming, Justin”.
“Who is coming?”
“I am Denise. We are both of the fourteen. I heard your pleas to Rolph because I am so much like you and was out hunting as a Dragon for practice. Save your friends. I will be there soon, and I will warn the King”.
Justin was higher than the Black Dragon now, and he could see the field below. The Orcs had not quite reached the field but the camp was burning. His friends were still in the field, galloping to the other side with his horse in tow. They would not make it. As the Black Dragon swooped down on them, his friends turned to fight. Jason uttered a strong defense spell and caste it over his friends just before the Black Dragon blasted them with flames. He dove from above, folding his wings back. He would hit the Malaga from above and behind.
When the flames did not fry them, the Malaga sent a rippling bolt of black lightning that crashed against the ward. Justin felt the draw of power weaken him, but he was committed now.
“We are dead for certain”, thought Rolph as the dragon swooped upon them. In defiance, he ordered the reversal and attack, and they sent four arrows into the beasts head and neck just before the flame consumed them.
“Wha... we are saved”, he screamed. “Shoot again!” The flames had hit wards that had come from nowhere. They fired four more arrows before the lightning struck. Again they were saved, so they fired once more. The beast screamed in pain
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