Free The Divine Apprentice (The Divine Series) by Allen J Johnston Page B

to reassure himself as much as his beloved teacher.  He was met with silence.  Before he could say another word, he heard what had Zayle so concerned.  At first, he was hoping it was his imagination, but in the pit of his stomach, he knew he was about to find out what his master was afraid of and why the dragon had reacted so intensely.
    The sound was starting to get closer but that could not be.  The dragon was racing through the forest as swift as the wind.  Trees and brush alike passed by in a blur.
    What in the world could match the speed of a dragon, much less catch it? Kade thought in despair.
    “Master, do you hear it?” Kade yelled over the wind.  Again, he was only met with silence.  “It sounds like something is following us.”
    “Kade, you must get the dragon to move as fast as it can.  We are in grave danger outside the Barrier Calling,” Zayle said with so much conviction that Kade felt his throat constrict.  He swallowed hard to loosen his chest and took a deep breath, ready to scream his panic.
    “Dragon, run!  Run for all you’re worth!” Kade yelled.  The dragon understood the urging as its huge muscles bunched and exploded with a burst of speed that left Kade speechless.  He felt a rush of adrenalin as the wind raced by.  This was sheer power and grace.  The dragon twisted and turned better than any cat could, as it dodged in and out of trees on its headlong race for its life.
    By his guess, Kade surmised that they were halfway to the barrier, but it was about that time that he could feel the vibrations of something heavy hitting the ground behind them.  He looked back and saw the tops of the trees moving as something easily shoved them out of the way.  He knew something massive was coming after them at speeds even greater than the dragon’s.  Kade rubbed his eyes, not believing what he was seeing.  The trees were falling and moving, but there was nothing there.  He rubbed his eyes again and looked as hard as he could but still…nothing.
    It was then that a childhood story came rushing back to him about cats and invisible giant creatures made of the Divine, and he knew, in an instant, that it was no story.  These were facts that Zayle had told him, and when Kade would refer to them as stories, Zayle would never say different.
    “Master, I think we are being followed by…something,” Kade forced out past the fear that threatened to choke off his voice.
    “I know, and I know what it is,” Zayle said with certainty.
    The dragon sensed their urgency and added yet even another burst of speed.  Kade was almost speechless as the ground blurred by.  Each stride covered a great distance, and yet, Kade was pushing for more.
    “Use your Divine Fire Calling.  We need to slow it down so we can make it to the barrier!” Zayle yelled over the wind.
    “But, I can’t even see it.  How am I supposed to fight it?” Kade asked in desperation.
    “Just start throwing your Divine Fire where you think it is!  Try!  You must!”
    Kade was thankful for the dragon’s smooth ride as he turned as far as he could and started throwing Divine Fire over Zayle’s head.  Performing the moves for the calling was a challenge and was dangerous beyond understanding.  For Zayle to ask him to do so on the back of a dragon that was racing wildly through the forest could only mean the worst. 
    Kade was rewarded as his first Fire Calling exploded against something unseen.  It was massive and it scared Kade to death.  Whatever it was hesitated only momentarily when the blue fire erupted against it, but then it was back at full speed with a roar of hatred and anger.  The hairs on the back of Kade’s neck stood up, but he forced himself to continue throwing the Fire Callings as fast as possible.  To his dismay, each calling was swatted aside.  The being was determined to catch them, and Kade knew with complete certainty that if it did, they were done.  Because of the smoke trail coming off the