Fight And The Fury (Book 8) Read Free Page A

more difficult to see with every step. Straining his eyes, Brenwar lost Bayzog in the forest. At the same time, the copper dragons froze their wading in the waters. One barked an awful sound to the others. The others barked back. Their serpent eyes shone like yellow moons, narrowing while their necks swayed from side to side.
    Brenwar’s knuckles turned white on War Hammer’s handle.
    “What are ye doing, Elf?”
    He glanced over at Ben and caught Ben glancing at him. The well-knit warrior pointed at the stream, his lips mouthing the words, “He’s there. He’s there. Right in front of them.”
    Brenwar inched forward, squinting.
    There!
    Bayzog stood like a sapling on the edge of the stream, easing his staff into the waters.
    A copper dragon stood in the waters no more than twenty yards away, eyeing the spot where he stood. It barked. A sharp dreadful sound.
    Bahhhct! Bahhhct!
    It waded deeper into the waters.
    “‘Wait for my signal’ he says,” Brenwar grumbled. “He can’t signal if he’s dead.”
    ***
    With fire charging through his veins, Bayzog eased the Elderwood Staff into the waters. He could feel the power of the dragons, who were strong like iron, powerful like a gale, but little bigger than a large man. But he’d already seen one rip Horse Neck apart like a cat does a mouse.
    Don’t think about that. Block it out.
    He’d already used magic to conceal himself. An old elven spell he’d learned when he was young. But now, so close, there was only so much you could hide from the powerful sense of a dragon. The most excellent hunters in the world.
    Feeling the dragon’s eyes burning a hole right through him, he summoned his power and fed the Elderwood Staff that rested in the waters. The silvery stream burbled a bright spark of blue under the surface. The spark spread. The waters began to crystalize, crackle, and turn to ice. In seconds, the mystic power raced from one side of the stream to the other, forming a huge slab of ice.
    The dragons barked back and forth, thrashing in their frozen bounds. The giant ice slab held their legs and bodies fast. They roared at the frozen waters. One of the three’s neck was frozen under. The nearest dragon showed Bayzog a vicious stare and opened its jaws wide. A stream of acid shot forth.
    Bayzog dove, but failed to beat the acid, which burned into his legs.
    ***
    Ben heard the waters crackle and watched in amazement. The waters turned to a sheet of ice, damming up the stream in seconds. The cold expressions of the dragons he’d never seen on their serpent faces before. Surprise that quickly turned to anger. A black stream of liquid sizzled from the copper dragon’s mouth, and he heard Bayzog cry out.
    Twang!
    The first arrow went into the copper dragon’s neck.
    Twang!
    The second clattered off its horns. He reloaded and aimed. Brenwar charged between the dragon and his sight with War Hammer waving like a banner.
    “Shades! Get out of the way!”
    ***
    Brenwar barreled through the forest towards the river bank. His knees sprang into action the moment the dragon opened up its maw. Instantly, he knew he’d be too late to warn Bayzog to get out of the way. Instead, he watched the part-elf fall in a heap of agony.
    “I’ll give you a fight, Lizard!”
    Brenwar’s boots hit the ice, and Ben’s arrow whizzed into the dragon’s neck. The dragon’s head recoiled back. Another arrow ricocheted off its horns. Brenwar slid across the ice and swung.
    Pow!
    He caught the beast full in the chest, rocking it back. He drew his arms back to strike again.
    Whap!
    The dragon’s tail knocked him across the ice. He scrambled to his feet, slipped, and fell down again. He popped up just in time to see the dragon’s lungs fill with air.
    “Uh-oh.” It was one of those moments he wished he carried a shield. Flat footed, he curled up into a ball. “This is going to sting.”
    Twang!
    Boom!
    Brenwar’s head popped up. The dragon was in smoking pieces. He twisted his head