Fall of the Dragon Prince by Dan Allen

Author:Dan Allen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: YA Fiction
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press
Published: 2017-02-03T04:09:37+00:00

Chapter 16

Montazi Realm. Ferrin-tat.

Wings beat the air heavily as the challengers’ dragons rose at the start of the race—all but Akara.

The fruit dragon screeched a protest as Terith snapped the reins that pierced the neck spines behind Akara’s head. She turned her head obediently away from the rising group and ran over the ground, wings folded tight against her sides.

Startled spectators scattered as she crashed through the brush onto an overland trail. Bushes and branches whipped at the armor-scaled and leather-clad pair in vain.

The fruit dragon had the most developed legs of any of the species. Terith used Akara’s speed to his advantage, gaining ground as they neared the domed summit of Ferrin-tat.

Terith turned the dragon aside into a clearing. She climbed into the cup of a waiting catapult, a new long-range version Werm had demonstrated for Ferrin only weeks before. Terith slashed the tether with his knife. As the huge counterweight swung down, Akara catapulted into the air, wings tucked full.

Cheers erupted from the crowd in the clearing behind them as they effortlessly gained valuable altitude, coming level with the leaders who had gone around the center ridge of the megalith.

Pert wasn’t in the lead, at least not at this stage, but the sprint dragons would fall out eventually in the long climb to the summit of Candoor. Terith hoped his plans would be enough to get Akara through. Her training was as thorough as any dragon in the realm, but she wasn’t bred as a pure racer. The dragons of Neutat were bred for something else entirely. For now, clever tricks kept him in the competition. But by the end, it would be down to grit and luck.

The sun shone through scattered clouds as the dragons began the descent on the opposite side of the megalith. Terith relished the feel of the air in his face. Below him, the already familiar first bridge approached. The other dragons were diving toward the low bridge, taking their heavy riders with them, but Terith stayed high. When all the riders had nearly finished their descent, and only after settling into the strongest updraft, Terith repeated the three whistles. Akara bobbed her head three times.

Then he leapt.

Akara tucked her wings in a drop-rock dive as Terith stretched his dragon-wing chute. His descent slowed into a gentle glide as Akara plunged fearlessly.

“Do it,” he urged.

Less than a half hour after the near death experience with the dral, Akara fearlessly dove for the bridge again, the product of centuries of Neutat breeding solely for loyalty and courage.

Terith cheered as she passed under and dashed unhindered, slashing effortlessly through the crowd of dragons circling to rise against the down draft on the other side of the bridge.

This, the steepest climb of the race, began to separate the challengers. Two fruit dragons, burdened by their riders, had already set down on ivy branches to rest mid-climb.

Pert’s velra, its massive wings punishing the air with solid savage strokes, passed the resting challengers without a glance, and made rapid progress on the sprinters.

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