Free Legends of Marithia: Book 1 - Prophecies Awakening: Uncut and Extended Second Edition by Peter Koevari

looked around like a startled tiger.
Feeling and hearing nothing, his pounding heartbeat filled his
ears. Keeping his sword drawn as he peeked around the corner of a
house, he found nothing but air and dust.
    “Did you forget how to cast your spells?” he
asked.
    As Vartan began to relax his body and return
the tip of his sword to its sheath, he saw it. Barreling around the
corner of the farthest house at the other end of the street was a
giant three-headed wolf, drooling acidic saliva on the ground as it
ran. It had dark grey fur and glowing red eyes, and stormed towards
him at a frightening speed.
    Be careful, this is a creature summoned from
the underworld.
    “By the gods!” he proclaimed, swallowing
hard. He stood still and held his sword up high. The blade
reflected light throughout the city from the sun. The beast leapt
high into the air to pounce on Vartan; he dropped backward onto the
ground and placed the sword’s hilt vertically, like a spear.
    Two heads cried out in pain as the third was
impaled, and blood burst in all directions. Its gigantic body
tumbled violently along the ground to crash harshly into the city
walls. Its middle head hung dead on the wolf’s body as it regained
its composure and circled Vartan warily. One of the heads bit deep
into the bleeding flesh and ripped the dead head out from its body
before returning its attention to Vartan.
    Immense pearly white fangs glistened, and
giant slimy drops of drool splashed onto the ground beside him,
steam rising from the burning acid. Its growl was so powerful that
the air in Vartan’s lungs shook from it, along with his vision. He
watched the hilt of his buried sword poking out of the beast,
desperately looking for an opportunity to retrieve it.
    Vartan stood helpless as he realised that he
had left his bow and arrows on his horse. This is it , he
thought, here is where I will die.
    He closed his eyes and prepared to feel the
sharp pain of the giant jaws tearing him apart limb from limb.
    I cannot allow you to die, Vartan. The time
has come for dragons to be seen again.
    Invisibly, Nymira leapt down from the eastern
wall. Her heavy body connected with the ground like a shockwave.
The wolf whimpered and looked around in confusion. Vartan lost his
balance and fell backwards, landing solidly on his side, screaming
out in pain as his damaged ribs held most of his weight.
    As he caught his breath and struggled back to
his feet, it happened.
    Scale by scale, her shiny, purplish body was
revealed. She was directly beside him, facing down the wolf that
was now dwarfed by the dragon’s size.
    “ What ? This can’t be happening! What
kind of magic is this?” cried Kassina, her voice tearing through
the city.
    “This is no magic, sorceress . I will
not let you harm him!” replied Nymira.
    Nymira took a deep breath and roared as she
breathed out dragons breath which engulfed the wolf, setting it
alight. The stench of burning flesh invaded the air. The wolf
howled and shrieked as it burned alive. It ran towards Vartan in a
desperate attempt to end the knight’s life. Nymira opened up her
tail, and four razor-sharp spikes flexed open as she swung them
hard into the path of the burning wolf.
    With a sickening crash, the tail and wolf met
with full force, sending the flaming beast flying back into the
city’s walls. The power of the blow shook the ground and dislodged
Vartan’s sword from the dead head, sending it spinning wildly into
the air. The conjured beast crumpled in a burning heap,
defeated.
    Curl into a ball and cover your face,
Vartan, now!
    Vartan quickly followed her instructions.
With a slick metallic thud, his sword landed deep into the ground
beside his right ear.
    “Thank you great dragon,” said Vartan,
quickly returning his sword to its sheath.
    Nymira took another deep breath and sent
searing fire in every direction around them. Houses were set
further into flames and dark screams escaped from the shadows
within them.
    Stand up