Free Shadow Dragon by Marc Secchia

found. Not that Dragons had any hair–not even nostril hair, which would be crisped by the first sneeze of Dragon fire. They did not unearth so much as a rumour.
    Her overzealous imagination had her picturing a Dragon beneath every boulder. It did not help that the more southerly of the Western Isles took on craggier, toothier outlines, as though monstrous Land Dragons had gnawed upon their rocky bones in ancient times and spat out the remains. Nor did the Black Dragon’s stalking of her dreams cease. He lurked constantly, his presence a spectral migraine which refused to relinquish its hold on her brain.
    The Sylakians gave up ground. Beran pushed harder, saying that a significant battle was looming in the near future. The only question was where and when.
    One evening, as they sat around the conference table in the Immadian flagship’s forward navigation cabin, which doubled as Beran’s quarters, with Yolathion and two other Immadian leaders, the King thumped his finger on the map between them. “Naphtha Cluster,” he said. “We arrive tomorrow. Our intelligence says the Sylakians attacked the place about two months ago and razed it. Not far beyond is the start of Ur-Yagga Cluster, the biggest in the West–over four hundred Islands and two very well equipped Sylakian bases, which underpin their entire operation here in the Western Isles. This, my bones tell me, is the real battle.”
    “We should start our eastward attack,” said Yolathion.
    “South,” said Aranya. “We should go south. The Black Dragon said–”
    The Jeradian placed his hand over hers. Dragon-Aranya would gladly have bitten that quelling touch. He said, “Proceeding south from here, King Beran, leaves our eastern flank vulnerable. By now, the message has travelled to Sylakia. Thoralian will not stand idle.”
    “Aye,” said King Beran, tapping a scroll lying on the map. “He’s declared himself Emperor of the Island-World and decreed a schedule of worship. This report from our agents in Sylakia Town suggests that his family is on the move. That, we can safely assume, means Shapeshifters. At least one Dragon has been spotted–a Red, of a monstrous size.”
    “All the more reason to find this ally,” said Aranya. She and Zip used to joke about the evil empire of Sylakia. Now, it had become a reality. She pictured a dark, ravaging shadow rising over the Islands, and irritably suppressed an accompanying surge of nausea.
    Beran stroked his beard. “Did Fra’anior say that this beast was friendly, Sparky? Or just that you were to find it?”
    Aranya frowned. The Black Dragon’s inarticulate roaring had filled her dreams once again, the night before. Why would Fra’anior not trust her to complete what he had demanded? “No. Only that I was to locate it–I assume he meant, ‘recruit the Dragon to our cause’.”
    “Proceeding further south exposes our flank,” the giant Jeradian repeated. He frowned when Aranya extracted her hand from his grasp. “I’m with King Beran on this. We need to consolidate our position.”
    “Aye,” said Beran. “I’ll sleep on it. My best ideas come in the middle of the night.”
    She glowered at the map as the meeting broke up. Aranya hated it when her father sided with Yolathion. She was so on edge. Was it just her Dragon senses? Was her target near? Why had the great Black Dragon not been more specific? And why, for that matter, if he was one of the Ancient Dragon Powers, did he only have the power to visit her in her dreams? What did that portend?
    In a moment, she and Yolathion were left alone as King Beran left to speak to his Steersman.
    Yolathion’s strong hands massaged her shoulders. “Islands of stress in here,” he said.
    “Yoli,” she changed his name to the intimate form, “why do I feel that I’ve offended you? Every time we talk strategy, you and I end up butting heads like male ralti sheep in the mating season.” She wanted to add, ‘I wish you’d back me up just once,’