Dragon Sea- Mage Reborn by Brian Ference & Chris Turner

Author:Brian Ference & Chris Turner
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Cave Creek Publishing, LLC
Published: 2018-08-14T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13.

THE DRAGON PENS

They came before the communal lodge, a rambling wooden longhouse crafted of thick, old sea firs set back from the common ground at the fringe of the forest. A rounded roof with sandy-colored sea moss grew from its low sloping slats. An overhang provided shade and small thick-glassed windows allowed light; heavy wooden doors with large brass knobs stood dead center. Darek could still hear the faint roar of the ocean through the nearby trees.

Jace thrust the doors open with his claw hand, and he and his hearty riders piled in with eager grunts. Some members hauled in wicker baskets filled with fish while others dumped bags of sea vegetables into the large cauldron at the front. Fires were stoked under the stew pot and fresh filets were put on the braziers.

Darek looked in awe at the immense size of the hardwood table running the length of the hall with enough seating for hundreds to feast.

“We are a dwindling breed, Darek,” Jace commented. “I hope to recruit enough to fill these halls to celebrate our conquests.”

Black columns rose up into the gloom, giving sturdy support for this massive structure. The air lay heavy with smoke from fat torches flickering like small dragon fires. Cooked roasted snapper and sea eel began to sizzle, sending tantalizing odors wafting over the fire and into Darek’s nostrils.

Jace sat at the head of the table with Darek and Meira to either side. Tand and others sat farther down, as echoes of blustery talk and backslapping filled the hall along with the clink of dishes and cutlery being set out. A large, bearded man with a curved hook in his left ear began filling mugs of ale and passing them around. Jace seemed better able to maneuver with his taloned hand than Darek might have thought. He skewered fish on his plate and even used it to scratch an itch on his neck.

The other thirty riders, nine of them women, appeared accustomed to this crude prosthetic. Which led Darek to believe by merit of the man’s expertise, all had realized that such a disability was really just cosmetic and so afforded him the proper respect. They looked a grizzled but hardened crew dedicated to their work despite their small numbers. “Where do your riders go after you’ve trained them?”

Jace sighed. “Brave souls, these men and women. Not much to draw us, though. It’s a dangerous life, battling sea serpents, Black Claws and pirates, dying at sea with no headstone to mark one’s accomplishments. We contract out to the highest bidders much more these days, like common mercenaries. But without a breed like us, I fear the Red Claw way of life will die out. It used to be that we could defend ourselves with ships and schooners, but now—”

“When was that, Jace?” piped up a lean man with a mouthful of snapper. “About 150 years ago?”

Jace snickered as did others. “Not far-off, Mell. You know as well as I, the Black Claws, Free Band pirates and serpents encroach on us more every day.

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