Dragons of Kings (Upon Dragon's Breath Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  Jaydra set fire to their puny village. Jaydra asked me with her thoughts.

  No. Let Bower talk. I thought to her, even though my fingers were tingling as my magic started to rise. I bit down on my lower lip and tried to hold it back. I couldn’t let it go now—I had no idea what it might do.

  My magic had always been more wild than controlled. At times, I could use it to hide myself and Jaydra as well. Other times, it burst out with such power that it frightened me. I’d once almost killed Jaydra by accident, and now I didn’t want to harm these villagers—not if I didn’t have to.

  I watched as Bower and Jaydra stood still, letting the shaman and her guards back away from them.

  Turning, Bower pointed to Den Mountain, where dragons whirled around the peak. I had no doubt the dragons had their ears and eyes trained on what was happening here and were readying to attack the village to save Jaydra and me. “Look—look at the dragons of the Western Isles who now watch you to see if you mean peace or not. To see if you can be trusted.”

  The shaman glanced at the mountain and then said, “I see dragons—ready to attack!”

  “But they haven’t,” Bower said. He waved at Jaydra. “She could destroy your village and drive off your livestock, but she has not. We came here to offer peace. Think how much more fish you could bring in if you had the help of dragons. And look at how many dragons there are in the Western Isles. They could have driven you from this island years ago, but they have allowed you to share this land with them. But they could do so much more for you. Or…if you fight, they could drive you and your families from these shores forever.”

  “Are you threatening us, dragon-friend?” The shaman made the word into an insult and then spat on the ground in front of Bower’s feet. Holding up a bird skull, she rattled it at Bower.

  Mouth pulling down, he stepped forward. He looked far more like an insulted dragon right now, with his chest puffed out and his face reddening. “I am a dragon-friend, and a proud one at that. I have come to talk with you, not threaten you. I come to make peace—one in which if you will promise to live in harmony with all dragons, they in turn promise not to attack you or eat any more of your livestock.”

  Jaydra glanced down at Bower and blinked in surprise. I could feel her shock in my mind and begged her to just let Bower keep talking. But I was certain no human could ever hold a dragon to a promise not to eat pigs or goats or sheep.

  “Lies!” the shaman cried and rattled her skull at Bower again. But some of the spears dropped a little bit lower. Glancing around, I could see some of the villagers were swapping glances and thinking about Bower’s words. The old woman seemed to notice this as well for she turned on the men. “Remember what the messengers said. The dragon-girl has been entranced by dragon magic.”

  “Well, I’m not entranced,” Bower said, his tone amiable. The spears drooped even lower until their tips touched the ground. “There are enough dragons up there to destroy not just this village, but every single village on every island for miles around. Dragons haven’t been your enemy. Ever. If anything, they’ve made this a safer place to live. Do pirates come and raid your village? No—because dragons are near. Now all the dragons ask is that you take a step closer to them, that you become friends. Why is that so hard to believe?”

  The shaman’s mouth worked, but no sound came out. She seemed to be struggling for an answer and not finding one.

  The first man we’d met stroked his beard and said, “That makes some sense.”

  Bower nodded. “It does, doesn’t it? You all live on the same island, but instead of raiding each other—or trying to get the others to go away—why not work together? There is plenty of food, both on the island and in the sea. So the dragons like the taste of your pigs. Raise extras every year and trade with the dragons. They could fish the deepest part of the oceans for you, for food you would never have otherwise. They can tell when storms are coming and warn you. They can protect you from all enemies, not just pirates but other dangers, too. There is no need to keep acting as if you live on this island on your own—or to act as if dragons are here to kill you.”

  Some of the men nodded. And something else was happening.

  Women and children had edged out of the jungle as if drawn by Bower’s voice or his words. He sounded so calm and reasonable that the men of the village were nodding to each other. Only the old shaman glared at him.

  As he spoke, Bower was waving his hands and walking back and forth and looking directly at the villagers as if they were his friends. Even to me, his words were having an impact. I was starting to think it really didn’t make any sense that villagers and dragons couldn’t find a way to share such a small island.

  “But they always fight—with each other and then with us,” one of the guards said. “And messengers came to tell us dragons were getting ready to fight again. But help is coming.”

  The old shaman kicked the guard hard in the leg, causing him to grunt. He shot her an irritated look and stepped away.

  Bower held up his hands again. “Do they fight? Or do you just hear them making noises? Dragons are loud.” Jaydra gave a low roar as if to confirm this. Bower walked over and put a hand on her side. That seemed to impress the villagers more than anything. Glancing around, Bower said, “Let the dragons prove they can fight for you. That is surely better than having to climb Den Mountain to battle flying, fire-breathing dragons.” He grinned, making the idea seem ridiculous. He even got a few uneasy smiles. Moving away from Jaydra, Bower asked, “But who are these messengers you speak of?” The shaman stumbled backward, holding her staff in front of her as if to fight off anyone who might stop her. “It’s evil magic he is using. Say nothing. Shun these two. They’ll kill us all!” She ducked into one of the smaller huts that wasn’t on stilts.

  The villagers in front of us swapped uneasy glances, and a cold trickle slipped down my spine. I tightened my fingers around my knife. Had the shaman just undone all Bower’s good words?

  The man who had first stopped us glanced at me and told Bower, “The messengers came to look for her.”

  Bower’s head jerked up and he said, “Did they also go to see the Hermit?”

  The man stroked his beard again. “Yes, when we told them a hermit lived on the island, they seemed to want to see him.” The guard shrugged. “I told them he was just a crazy hermit and lived too near the dragons, but they said they had boats. We didn’t see them after that. But they said the king was sending his ships to protect us.”

  Bower grimaced and muttered, “Enric.”

  My heart seemed to stutter. Enric was sending ships? How many?

  Jaydra suddenly lifted her nose into the air and snuffed deeply. Wood. Iron. Black-powder. Hatred. She breathed in the winds of the world and then looked to the east.

  Where? How far? I thought to Jaydra and then edged closer to Bower. I tugged on the sleeve of his skin tunic.

  “What is it?” he hissed. “These are delicate negotiations and—”

  “Something’s coming. Jaydra smells it.” I glanced over at Jaydra, who was now spreading her wings and looking ready to take flight. “Jaydra smells wood and metal.” I left out the fact that dragons could also smell emotions. That didn’t seem as important as finding out if these were the king’s ships coming to the island.

  Zenema’s voice slipped into my mind. They are, Saffron. Ships come from the east. Tall, belching smoke and with soldiers. They will be here before long.

  The air shook with a distant boom. The villagers ducked as if thunder had sounded.

  “What is that noise?” one of the villagers asked.

  “Cannons,” Bower said. “It’s not a good sound. It’s a huge gun, shooting fire that is more destructive than any dragon’s breath.”

  The villagers started to mill around, and one man ordered the others to stay calm. Children were crying now, and women huddled close to the huts.

  A cackling laugh broke out. The shaman stepped from her hut, carrying a cloth bundle as if she
intended to flee the village. “You think you are the only one with tricks, dragon-girl? I once studied with the Hermit, before he thought me not pure enough! Well, I have hidden the king’s boats from you until now, just as you hide your dragons from us. The king will reward me when he finds out I, the witch of the Western Isles, lured his dragon-girl into a trap for him!”

  She vanished into the forest.

  Bower looked from villager to me and asked. “How far aware are the ships?”

  Close. Three ships, Jaydra told me, and I told the same thing to Bower, for I wasn’t certain he would hear Jaydra’s thoughts.

  Another boom shook the trees and something crashed into the forest, knocking four tall trees into splinters. I didn’t know if these were warning shots, or some sort of signal, or if the ships testing the range of what Bower had called their cannons.

  Bower strode into the village. “You have to get your people to safety. I don’t think those ships care what they smash, meaning your village could be destroyed. Go to the Den Mountain and hide in the caves—the mountain is too strong for the cannon, and the dragons will not harm you. They have given their promise to be your friends. But you must go.”

  The villagers started to shake their head, and Bower raised his voice, “When the king’s soldiers come, they will not leave until every man, woman and child is dead. You know the truth—that dragons exist. This means they cannot…they will not leave you alive. Please, you must go. Hurry.”

  Heads were shaking, but I could see worry and hesitation in the eyes of the villagers. I stepped forward. “Bower is right. Those messengers? They killed the Hermit. His grave is next to his tower. Go and see his grave of piled rocks if you do not believe us.”

  Bower nodded and called out, “Any of you who can lay a trap, do so. Make your village unsafe for any who invade it. And go to the dragons. They will defend you.”

  “You ask much of us,” a woman said, holding her child close to her breast.

  Bower shook his head. “No, I only ask that you put your trust in the dragons you know and not the strangers who are coming and who have weapons that can do that.” He waved at the fallen trees, now starting to smoke and burn.

  “Bower,” I shouted. “We have to go as well.”

  “Send a message to Zenema!” he said. “Ask her to take in the refugees from the village. Den Mountain can withstand an attack, and we need to do what we can to repel these ships.” He reached for my hand and held it tightly. “I am sorry, Saffron. I failed to protect you. Enric found you.”

  Bower did not fail. A shadow rippled over the ground. Ysix flew low overhead, her scales gleaming in the sunlight.

  Bower has proven a worthy leader of humans, but Ysix still does not know if Bower is fit to lead Ysix’s brood just yet! Go with my blessing. Ysix and her den will see how well these little ships burn under dragon fire. The false king will never even hear where they sank. But know this, Bower of Torvald, when you have need for dragons, call. We will come.

  “Thank you, Ysix,” Bower said, the words almost hushed. He turned back to the villagers and shouted, “Take only the essentials. The dragons can fish enough to feed you, but go now. Quickly!”

  For a moment, they hesitated, and then the man who had first met us waved at the trees and shouted, “You heard him. Let’s go before our huts our smashed just as those trees were and our bodies, too.”

  I stepped closer to Bower and nudged him with my hand. “It looks as if you have finally started to find out who you really might be. And that might be a king.”

  6

  Northward

  Chaos erupted in the village, leaving Saffron and me standing there and trying to help. I had always thought a battle would be terrible and scary, but this wasn’t even a fight yet and it was already confusion, with villagers falling and running and sometimes shoving at each other. Thankfully, a few of them seemed to keep their wits and they were able to get the others organized. Saffron and I couldn’t do much more than lead the way to Den Mountain, the villagers following in clumps. Saffron asked Jaydra to fly and scout out the ships and keep an eye on them.

  Jaydra rose into the air at once, and disappeared up into the clouds that almost always dotted the sky over the islands toward the end of the day. And that might be something that helped us—it was nearing sunset and I wasn’t really certain the ships would try an attack at night. Not if they couldn’t see any fires—and there would be no moon tonight. That might give us a few hours to prepare.

  I wasn’t really sure the villagers and the dragons would get along. Would the villagers treat the dragons with respect? Would the dragons understand the panic the villagers were in? I was worried for them, I had to trust in Zenema and the other dragons.

  We reached Den Mountain and started to climb the rocky sides. The villagers had trouble and I almost wanted to urge them to let the dragons take them up to the caverns and tunnels, but it was difficult just dealing with dragons overhead. I could hear their wings flapping, their calls and hisses. It seemed as if there were dragons everywhere, flying around the peak in ever contracting circles. I could feel their agitation, and my hair and clothes were buffeted by the breezes their wings created. I had never seen an entire flight of dragons, and they reminded me of the way birds flock in gigantic groups. The only creature still calm seemed to be Zenema, who sat at the edge of one of the stone perches, staring out to the glittering blue sea to the east.

  King’s ships bring their filth with them. Zenema’s thoughts held such scorn that I almost tripped. I would not want any dragon, but especially one as powerful as her to ever be angry at me.

  Looking out from high on Den Mountain, I could see three fat-bellied ships, their dark wood blackened with tar. They seemed wide and slow, and their sides bristling with cannons. The vessels seemed to have anchored in the largest bay in the island, not far from the village where we had been. The ships had no masts, but each vessel had a strange metal chimney from which belched forth oily, black smoke. A black sweep spoiled the water behind each vessel, spoiling the pristine blue waves. More of Enric’s magic I guessed.

  Ysix and her brood swirled over the ships, diving in low and fast every now and then, but I noticed the flames they shot at the ships did no damage—there were no sails to catch fire and the decks seem protected by metal. However, Ysix and the other dragons at least kept the sailors and soldiers from coming onto the decks.

  The sun was setting and I wondered if the sailors would try to land at night and would they try an attack directly at Den Mountain? Or would they raid the village first? I wasn’t sure, but the first order was to get the villagers settled.

  Thankfully, Saffron told me that Zenema had commanded one tunnel to be kept for the villagers alone. Saffron and I were able to settle the villagers there, and once they figured out the dragons weren’t trying to attack them—or eat them—they got down to sorting out sleeping arrangements, food and water.

  Leaving Saffron to help sort out supplies for the villagers, I headed back outside to stare at the dark waters and the darkening sky. Every now and then a boom shook the air as one of the ships set off a cannon. I could see fires in the forest below, and I wondered if the ships would simply stay in the bay and try to pound the island into dust. Ysix and the other dragons returned to Den Mountain, and then Zenema’s voice echoed in my mind, commanding me to attend her.

  I climbed up to the higher rocks where she perched, my heart thudding and even more nervous than when I had faced the villagers.

  Speak to me, Bower of Torvald, Zenema asked, her thoughts rumbling. The last time I flew against any human was well over a hundred years ago at the fall of Torvald itself.

  “You were there?” I stammered, amazed. “Is that why you sent Saffron to the mainland to learn the truth of her heritage? Do you know of the Flamma-Torvalds? I am—”

  I bit off the last words. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know if I were anything like one of my ancestors.

  Zenema growled at me. Her wings flutte
red and her words came into my mind again. When the time is ripe, I will tell you of these things. But if Bower wishes to do his ancestors proud, advise me now.

  “Well, uh…why are you asking me for advice? I mean, I’ve read Strategicus, but don’t dragons know how to fight?”

  Against villagers. And in the old ways. But Bower grew up in Torvald. Bower knows the creations of Enric. We do not.

  I thought I caught a hint of sadness in her words, and it seemed wrong that so powerful a dragon should feel sorrow at not knowing how the world had changed. I stood a little straighter. “I’ll do my best to remember what the old books and manuals told me—and mix it with what I know of Enric and the mainland. There have been a lot of battles recorded. I read General Berison’s chronicle of his exploits and his military manuals. But that was a long time ago. And…well, a lot of our history has been twisted and blotted out.”

  Speak of what you know, Bower.

  “Well, one of Berison’s tenets was study your field.” I looked to the darkening vista before us. The water had darkened, with the setting sun leaving a streak of gold across the waves. The island seemed darker than usual, with no village fires burning. The island itself was shaped a little like a squashed star, with points of land sticking out into the water, shallow bays, and Den Mountain rising up at the very center. Rivers wound through the island, with the largest river making a wide loop and then emptying out into the largest bay. Forests covered most of the island, with clearings here and there, and the villagers had their settlement near the river, not far from the bay edged with golden beaches.

  Crossing my arms, I told Zenema, “Enric’s ships look to have anchored in the bay—they must know the river is the fastest way to the village. But it’s Den Mountain they have to conquer if they want to wipe out the dragons.”