Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 162269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 541(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 541(@300wpm)
Then, almost not making the jump, he and Majesty nearly ran into the charred remains of a horse.
Right then, the horse was not immune to dragonfire.
The last had been a mishit.
An almighty shriek could be heard from above.
They looked up, and True immediately shouted, “Evade!” as the great dragon started to spiral through the air toward the earth.
He, Farah and Lahn scattered, and the ground trembled when the dragon crashed to the earth.
And, riding on, but looking back, True got his first glimpse of a Beast as creature, not in the form of a man, ludicrously tall, head sunk into a matted ruff at its broad neck, long, shocking claws raised, standing on his back hooves atop the regal, powerful body of the flailing dragon.
“I thought they were indestructible!” Farah cried in distress.
Dragons were.
Unless, apparently, they came up against a demon of the gods.
Bloody fabulous.
Another awesome and terrible shriek sounded behind them just as another dragon flapped forth and rained fire on the Beast and the dragon’s fallen brethren.
“Round and re-engage!” True roared, not liking the knowledge the Beasts could leap great heights and bring down dragons.
He pulled his reins left and Farah and Lahn followed him.
“He goes to the Mouth!” Lahn yelled. “We do not have to give chase! We can follow him!”
“We know that!” True yelled in return. “But he does not know that.”
Lahn either saw the wisdom of keeping the Beast on the run and getting the damned thing where they wanted him without delay or decided not to waste energy arguing about it as they made their round only to cut it tighter when the fallen dragon righted itself.
It took hold of the Beast in its jaws, shook it and then let fly, sending it careening across the black rock of Mar-el.
“Thank the gods,” Farah called in relief.
He had a wife who worried for dragons.
He’d rejoice about that later, seeing as, in the now, after taking that brutal roll, the Beast simply jumped to its cloven feet and raced away.
And it did this fast.
He bent over Majesty’s neck and whispered, “Fly.”
As ever, his righteous steed gave all he could give to his master.
And as they rode, hell bent for the Mouth of Triton, above them soared two dragons.
Teddy
Just Outside the Abyss
MAR-EL
The great dragons circling in the air, the sea beyond the gaping hole in the earth churning wildly, they came.
Nineteen lieutenants of four rulers (and six Mystics, wherever the bloody hell they came from) stood against the onslaught as what seemed like thousands of armed, expressionless, Airenzian, Dellish, Mar-el and even Nadirii living wraiths charged toward the abyss.
“They’ll be slaughtered,” Moira whispered.
“You stay with them, I go,” Faunus ordered Saturn.
Teddy opened his mouth to shout No! but Saturn covered it with his hand and pulled him back down behind the outcropping of rock where they hid.
And the love of his life charged forward.
Chu of the Trusted
Just Above the Abyss
MAR-EL
The Mystics were legendary.
But even they could not bring down what Chu estimated were at least five hundred men and women with weapons, no thought, no free will and no sense of pain.
And Serena was using battle magic to attempt to gain them the upper hand.
Thus, because of it, she was flagging.
“Fight, not cast!” he grunted, staving off two blows, one with sword, one with dagger.
His warrior did not reply.
He fought on and did it knowing, if a miracle did not occur, and soon, he would die by the sea fighting beside the woman he loved and men he respected.
He came to terms with that in naught but a second.
But he did so determining that his end would not come until she was no more.
So yes.
He fought on.
And even when the first Beast burst forth and the dragons pulled back, for Frey would not send down their fire if it might strike an ally, and True, Farah and Lahn on their horses exploded into the clearing, he did not feel hope.
Until he witnessed Dax Lahn of the Korwahk whirl on his arse in his saddle, jumping over the rump and landing stoutly on his big, booted feet.
“What’s that man doing?” Serena yelled.
Chu was otherwise engaged.
He could not answer, and he could not fully watch.
But that did not mean he did not catch the king of the Korwahk stand strong and dispatch a stream of challengers, most coming more than one at once, and he did this without moving either foot.
Just wielding his sword.
Even when he had to fight at his back, he simply twisted at the waist, as skilled with his blade at his rear flank as he was faced forward.
Chu had never seen the like of it.
But in that moment, he was glad as fuck for it.
Elena, Cassius and Tor rode in, chasing their own creature, and they entered the fight.
And then Aramus and Ha-Lah.
Not long after, the regiments that the realms had brought with them finally made it from where they’d gathered in hiding, and they entered the fray.