!”
The portal of fire opened, and a gout of flame leapt out, enveloping the dragon. For a moment there was nothing but the flash of orange flame and a smear of black smoke against the blue sky. Then the dragon appeared out of the fire, completely unfazed.
“It’s still coming!” Lexi shouted.
“Fire didn’t even faze it,” Tiberius said in surprise.
The dragon roared again, and this time it spewed fire from the long, pointing maw. Tiberius barely had time to raise his shield spell again and divert the yellow flames before they set the war ship ablaze. His only success was staying on his feet. He felt the contact of the fire against his spell, but it was more like a strong wind than a physical blow.
The dragon circled, looking back to see what kind of damage its fire had done to the ship. Tiberius felt a shock of fear, knowing they couldn’t keep the battle up much longer. The captain was shouting orders to the soldiers crewing the ship. Ropes were pulled, and the sails angled. Tiberius felt the ship descending but he knew it wasn’t fast enough.
“What if it can see in the mist?” Lexi asked. “We’ll be blind, but it might not be.”
“I don’t know,” Tiberius said.
Dancer trilled sadly, and Lexi put a hand on the small creature.
“I won’t sacrifice her,” she said. “You’ll have to throw me overboard, too.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Tiberius said as he hobbled toward the ship’s rail.
“Tell me you have a plan,” she asked, the desperation clear in her voice.
“I’m working on it.”
Tiberius was thinking of every spell he knew. The healing spells were no help, and neither were most of the spells he’d learned from Princess Ariel. Fire didn’t seem to faze the dragon; that left wind and light spells. It might be possible that lightning would hurt the beast, but Tiberius didn’t know if he could control the power of the lightning spell. He could unleash the magic but he might hurt himself in the process or, worse yet, destroy the war ship if the lightning got out of control.
“Try putting it to sleep,” Lexi said. “You’ve done that before.”
Tiberius thought back to the night attack of the huge creature on the plains far below. The Hoskali called the creatures Draccons, and Tiberius had managed to cast his sleep spell on the beast, but for some reason he felt less hopeful about using the spell on the dragon.
“I’ll try,” he said. “ Somni Incantatio ,” he chanted.
He could feel the magic moving out toward the dragon. It felt weak, and for a moment he wished he still had the Balestone. When he’d cast the sleep spell in his father’s palace with the Balestone fused in his back, the magic rushed out like a tidal wave and rendered nearly a hundred soldiers unconscious in the blink of an eye. His sleep spell now felt like he was tossing a thimble of water at a forest fire.
The dragon didn’t seem aware of the sleep spell. Tiberius felt the magical power contact the beast. He had to move the spell constantly to try and keep it on the dragon, which flew through the air almost like an eel swimming through water. The dragon’s wings slowed after a moment, and the beast veered away from the war ship.
“It’s working!” Lexi shouted.
But then suddenly the dragon arched upward, flying above the war ship, and Tiberius couldn’t force his magic around the huge balloon sail that held them aloft.
“Damn!” he shouted.
“All hands brace!” the captain bellowed. “We’re entering the mists.”
Tiberius looked at Lexi as the bright world around them faded suddenly to dull gray. They could barely see across the ship through the thick mists, and Tiberius felt exposed. Lexi took his arm, and they waited to see what would happen.
Chapter 3
Leonosis
The newly crowned king paced. He felt frustrated, angry, and above all impatient. Leonosis huddled in the back of his own mind. His body felt weak, but Draggah didn’t seem to notice. The demon ate only to
The portal of fire opened, and a gout of flame leapt out, enveloping the dragon. For a moment there was nothing but the flash of orange flame and a smear of black smoke against the blue sky. Then the dragon appeared out of the fire, completely unfazed.
“It’s still coming!” Lexi shouted.
“Fire didn’t even faze it,” Tiberius said in surprise.
The dragon roared again, and this time it spewed fire from the long, pointing maw. Tiberius barely had time to raise his shield spell again and divert the yellow flames before they set the war ship ablaze. His only success was staying on his feet. He felt the contact of the fire against his spell, but it was more like a strong wind than a physical blow.
The dragon circled, looking back to see what kind of damage its fire had done to the ship. Tiberius felt a shock of fear, knowing they couldn’t keep the battle up much longer. The captain was shouting orders to the soldiers crewing the ship. Ropes were pulled, and the sails angled. Tiberius felt the ship descending but he knew it wasn’t fast enough.
“What if it can see in the mist?” Lexi asked. “We’ll be blind, but it might not be.”
“I don’t know,” Tiberius said.
Dancer trilled sadly, and Lexi put a hand on the small creature.
“I won’t sacrifice her,” she said. “You’ll have to throw me overboard, too.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Tiberius said as he hobbled toward the ship’s rail.
“Tell me you have a plan,” she asked, the desperation clear in her voice.
“I’m working on it.”
Tiberius was thinking of every spell he knew. The healing spells were no help, and neither were most of the spells he’d learned from Princess Ariel. Fire didn’t seem to faze the dragon; that left wind and light spells. It might be possible that lightning would hurt the beast, but Tiberius didn’t know if he could control the power of the lightning spell. He could unleash the magic but he might hurt himself in the process or, worse yet, destroy the war ship if the lightning got out of control.
“Try putting it to sleep,” Lexi said. “You’ve done that before.”
Tiberius thought back to the night attack of the huge creature on the plains far below. The Hoskali called the creatures Draccons, and Tiberius had managed to cast his sleep spell on the beast, but for some reason he felt less hopeful about using the spell on the dragon.
“I’ll try,” he said. “ Somni Incantatio ,” he chanted.
He could feel the magic moving out toward the dragon. It felt weak, and for a moment he wished he still had the Balestone. When he’d cast the sleep spell in his father’s palace with the Balestone fused in his back, the magic rushed out like a tidal wave and rendered nearly a hundred soldiers unconscious in the blink of an eye. His sleep spell now felt like he was tossing a thimble of water at a forest fire.
The dragon didn’t seem aware of the sleep spell. Tiberius felt the magical power contact the beast. He had to move the spell constantly to try and keep it on the dragon, which flew through the air almost like an eel swimming through water. The dragon’s wings slowed after a moment, and the beast veered away from the war ship.
“It’s working!” Lexi shouted.
But then suddenly the dragon arched upward, flying above the war ship, and Tiberius couldn’t force his magic around the huge balloon sail that held them aloft.
“Damn!” he shouted.
“All hands brace!” the captain bellowed. “We’re entering the mists.”
Tiberius looked at Lexi as the bright world around them faded suddenly to dull gray. They could barely see across the ship through the thick mists, and Tiberius felt exposed. Lexi took his arm, and they waited to see what would happen.
Chapter 3
Leonosis
The newly crowned king paced. He felt frustrated, angry, and above all impatient. Leonosis huddled in the back of his own mind. His body felt weak, but Draggah didn’t seem to notice. The demon ate only to
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