A Wreck of Dragons by Elaine Isaak

Author:Elaine Isaak [Isaak, Elaine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Water Dragon Publishing
Published: 2023-02-07T08:00:00+00:00

18

Rockets fired and flame exploded across the sky. One of the dragons punched sideways, streaming blood as it crashed against the wall of bones. No. Johari gasped for breath, and cried out, “No!”

Fury’s squadron turned sharply, rushing to meet the attack. Pricks of fire in the sky expanded into blossoms of death, their contrails twisting. Another dragon spiraled out of control, sliding sideways into the water where the monsters waited. Fury’s wings lit with inner flame. Light streaked along a thousand pathways and outlined its eyes with pits of glory.

A bomb twisted into range and exploded short of its goal. Shots thundered across the inlet. The air battered at Johari’s ears. He jammed on his helmet, hoping it would dampen the effect, then he ran — straight back toward the dragons. Fracture, at least — Fracture must live! His leg spiked with pain at every step. His feet slapped the stone, his hands bunched into fists. He ran as if he could punch the bullets from the sky.

With a deafening roar of engines, Norgay slammed into view, arms extended, shoulders and forearms bristling with armaments Johari had never seen before. His chest tightened. “Stop shooting,” he subvocalized. “Immediately! Norgay, don’t kill them!”

Norgay kept firing. More dragons swept down over the saddle of stone, shrieking, jaws agape, but the dragons of the enclave were not warriors. They had no frills and produced no golden fire — they lacked the ability to generate that level of power. It wouldn’t have mattered; Fury’s attack had changed nothing.

Johari clenched his jaw and stumbled on. If he couldn’t stop the rain of bullets and blood, he could at least shield the artist. Bullets hissed along the water and shattered against stone. The shrieking overpowered Johari’s implant. His voice grew hoarse with shouting, but his subvocalizer only whined.

Three dragons together crashed into Norgay, pitching him off-course, shoving him toward the chimney as if to crush him against the stone. The bot tipped away from them and excreted a sheen of oil. Their claws skittered across the smooth metal. One, then another pulled up, flapping desperately to escape their own trap. The third one cracked its wing against stone and slid until it grabbed the rough surface with its hind legs, tail wrapping to hold it steady.

Johari reached Fracture’s pool. The blind dragon shifted, raising her head, scanning as she had before. The wounded one lay still. “Stay down,” Johari rasped, knowing it wouldn’t matter. He staggered the last few feet to the narrow shingle between Fracture’s pool and the crashing sea. He waved his arms, snatching off the helmet to extend his reach — anything for Norgay’s attention.

Four sets of spines stalked the ocean. One of the wounded dragons tumbled into the sea and two huge maws snatched at it. Tentacles flailing, they broke the dragon between them. As the winners splashed down, water surged up. The wave smacked Johari off his feet. It hurled him against Fracture’s unyielding side. Her head snapped toward him. For a moment, he felt the tingle of her touch.

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