Potions & Perils by Reck Well

Author:Reck Well [Well, Reck]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Marsh Douglas
Published: 2024-08-05T15:19:02+00:00

All thoughts of the gate vanished as everything shifted to survival. Eshail had finished the basic build and enhanced the spot with a few charms to stabilize the connection, but she hadn't done anything more advanced to protect the gate’s structural integrity. One blast from the drake and her work would be destroyed. She kept her eyes on the beast. It was less likely to attack if it thought she was dangerous, and the best way to show that was to meet its gaze.

She started sidestepping and moving backward. She was attempting to draw its eyes away from the aspen arch. The beast opened its mouth, letting out a deep croaking call. The noise reverberated through the air and shook the ground. It was not a good sign. The call was a warning for an intruder. Her feet moved more rapidly of their own accord. Each step took her closer to the bank.

The warning whistle kept going off. She wished she'd told Yates to stop once she realized she had Eshail's attention. There was no need to keep blowing it; that would only draw drake’s attention to the old tree. No one wanted that destroyed, especially the vulnerable Yates at the top.

The firedrake inhaled. Eshail braced for the end. Was it going to be another croak or a fiery death? Suddenly she was blown off her feet by a gust of warm, meaty breath and the concussion of an up-close croak . . . from behind.

Eshail was launched forward, landing face-first in the reeds. She rolled on her elbow to see what’d been behind her, and the large mouth of a second drake towered above her. It was enormous, bigger than their drake mother. The beast was beached, and she'd almost backpedaled straight into its maw. She lay on the ground, only a few feet away from its toothy mouth. It inhaled and croaked again, answering their firedrake’s call. Fetid, putrid breath blew past, pinning her to the ground for a second.

She lay helpless, mind racing. Eshail had no idea there was a second drake in the swamp. Her mind raced, searching for options as she waited for the end. Scraps of meat could be seen wedged between the monster’s teeth. The drake eyed her, then tensed as though preparing to leap forward and finish her.

She tensed, ready to dodge. She knew it was a hopeless effort but wanted to at least try to live. The drake lunged, jaws snapping. She felt the whoosh of air as the maw snapped. It didn't hurt. She cautiously opened her eyes in time to see the beast snake on its way, as fast as possible, toward the mother firedrake. Its eyes had glazed over. Realization dawned on Eshail.

It was technically springtime—mating season. Her head shook. But it wasn't quite spring yet—not exactly. The beasts returned to their seasonal ritual once she’d gotten out of the way.

She looked toward the shore, wondering if she could spot Fluff. Her ride wasn't present, but on the opposite shore stood Yates.

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