Free Dragonforge by James Maxey

said, sounding nervous.
    In answer, an earth-dragon soldier stumbled into the courtyard. He collapsed on the brick, his own spear jutting from his back.
    “What—” said Shandrazel. Before he could finish the thought three women burst from the shadowy doorway, leaping over the guard’s body.
    The women were naked, their pale bodies young and limber, as they charged across the room toward Pet and the dragons. Normally, Pet welcomed the presence of nude young women throwing themselves at him. The fact that these women were soaked with blood and waving long black daggers over their tattooed heads made him think their visit would not be a pleasant one.
    “Shandrazel!” Androkom shouted, leaping into the sky. “Save yourself!”
    Androkom beat his wings and rose into the air, unsteady. Sky-dragons used their tails for balance in flight; Androkom’s tail was little more than a stub after his escape from one of Blasphet’s deathtraps.
    Shandrazel didn’t follow his smaller companion into the air. As the women charged, one of them threw a volley of darts. The darts struck the earth-dragon attendant who stood near Pet. The dragon shivered, then fell to the ground, no longer breathing.
    A second woman threw her darts at Shadrazel—the biggest target in the room. Shandrazel responded by sweeping his wings forward, creating a powerful gust that knocked the darts off course. Two of the women continued to charge the sun-dragon while the third picked Pet as her target. An unearthly shriek erupted from her bloody lips. She hacked the air before her with her dagger as if she were stabbing at a swarm of invisible bees.
    In the course of a decade of carousing, Pet had bedded, if his math could be trusted, a total of three-hundred seventeen women. Some of the more heartbroken ones had physically expressed their displeasure at his faithlessness. Which is to say, Pet had experience in dealing with young women trying to sink a knife into his chest. He danced aside at the last second, allowing the assassin’s knife to slice only air. He kicked out his leg and caught her by the ankle, tripping her, sending her splashing into the hot pool.
    He turned to see if Shandrazel needed any help. The sun-dragon seemed to have little to fear from the two girls. He swung his long tail around in whipping motion, catching the first attacker in the belly, folding her in two. The momentum of the blow sent the girl flying, crashing into one of the marble pillars that decorated the courtyard.
    The last woman leapt at Shandrazel, attempting to plant her dagger in his thigh. He caught her in mid air, sinking his teeth into her shoulder. She squealed as she thrust the dagger up with both hands, burying it to the hilt in Shandrazel’s jaws.
    Shandrazel’s face went limp. The girl fell to the ground, a vicious row of red puncture wounds dotting her left shoulder. Shandrazel stumbled backwards, knocking over a large clay pot filled with shrubs. He clawed at the blade with his fore-talon, freeing it. It fell to the bricks with a clatter. Shandrazel lowered his head and stared at the blade with unfocused eyes. He lurched drunkenly then toppled, his tail whipping about as if it had a mind of its own. The wounded girl darted forward and grabbed the blade, then turned toward Pet. The assassin who had smacked into the marble column was also on her feet, limping toward him, her blade held in a trembling hand.
    Behind him, he heard the splashes of the first woman climbing from the pool.
    “Ladies,” he said, raising his hands, backing away, turning in a slow circle. No matter which direction he looked, there was always one just out of sight. “I’m sure we can talk this out.”
    The women responded with laughter, spitting blood.

    Jandra could hear her killer in the outer hall. More guards had come in response to the commotion. One by one, their armored bodies crashed heavily to the ground.
    If only she could have known the poison they were using, perhaps it