Free Born of Fire: The Dawn of Legend by Dreagen Page B

his head down to Rex and looked him over with a deep glowing green eye. Rex was transfixed, peering deeply into the large round burning emerald sphere. From behind, the cat that the dinosaur had called TyRoas stepped tentatively forward.
    “VayRonx, I was just on my way to see you.”
    “Is that right?” VayRonx replied, glancing up briefly before returning his focus on Rex.
    “It is. It looks like I might have caught the one we’ve been hunting for. The one behind the killings.”
    “Hmm, a curious statement coming from one who only moments ago seemed to be doing more accusing than suspecting.”
    “Well, he must be…that is to say…well, you can smell him! Their scent is practically the same—that of the sea!”
    “Practically yes, exactly no.” VayRonx reared up slightly and brought his massive head over to TyRoas, who looked more determined than ever to state his case. “If you allowed your nose to guide you rather than your hunger for revenge, you would have noticed that their scents, while indeed similar, are in fact quite different. Truthfully, the only comparison that can be made is that they were both near the sea at one point recently. Hardly proof that he is our killer.”
    “I just wanted to be the one to—”
    “You wanted to be a hero so your brother and the rest of us would shower you with praise.” VayRonx shook his head in disappointment. “To act for something so selfish is not becoming of anyone, TyRoas. I know for a fact your brother taught you better than that.”
    The saber tooth stared at him in silence before lowering his head with a sigh. “You’re right,” he conceded at last. “I was acting out for all the wrong reasons, and I let my emotions get the better of me, something that could have resulted in that one over there getting hurt…or worse.”
    “I don’t know if I would go that far,” VayRonx mused. “He was not the one doubled over crying over a bruised nose only moments ago.”
    “That was a lucky shot and you know it!”
    “I only know what I saw,” VayRonx replied, all the while chuckling to himself.
    Rex had been so high off adrenaline that the reality of the situation had not fully set in. Now, however, it slowly crept up on him, and he found himself weak in the knees as he watched his dream unfold right in front of him: seeing a real live dinosaur. It was then that he began to feel the familiar pain in the back of his head return. Almost immediately, he grew lightheaded. Reaching back and touching the sensitive part, he was shocked when he saw blood on his hand.
What happened to me?
he wondered.
    “Boy,” called VayRonx. “Are you all right?”
    Rex wanted to answer, but suddenly the image of the dinosaur and saber-tooth blurred as he felt consciousness quickly slipping away. The last thing he heard was the sound of thunderous footsteps moving towards him.
    Rex found himself falling amidst total darkness, spiraling wildly out of control. He tried to get his bearings but found it to be impossible. He flailed his arms wildly and kicked his legs furiously until suddenly he felt ground underneath them. In fact, he was suddenly just standing, like he had never been falling at all. He looked around at the familiar surroundings. “This place again,” he said to himself, sighing deeply. It was then he sensed he was in fact not alone. “Who’s there? Show yourself!”
    A tall, lean, fair-skinned woman with long straight silver fur that draped itself over a lean naked frame and ran down to her ankles emerged out of the darkness in front of him.
    “Who are you?” he asked, looking her up and down. “And what is this place?”
    “My name is EliCia, and I would have thought the answer to your second question obvious?”
    “Think again.”
    “I’m sorry, Rex, it is not your fault that you are unable to remember. I should not forget that. Please do not take my pushing you the wrong way. It is just that it is important you set forth on the path to reclaim your