Free Omensent: Revealing the Dragon (The Dragon Lord Series) by Barry Gibbons Page A

servant." Sly grumbled in a sleepy tone. "I think he was expecting to get some rest now that we're back in Sevria."
    Storm snorted unhappily, and stared at Damion with accusing eyes.
    The Deolan warhorses were prized throughout the world for their sheer size and aggressiveness, and were jealousy guarded by the Deola. The massive stallion had been a gift from his old friend Bativa, after Damion had saved him many years before from being killed by a goblin.
    "I thought I asked you not to bite the servants." Damion sighed, staring at Storm with disapproval. "They are going to stop feeding you if you keep it up."
    The huge warhorse bared his teeth, then snorted once more.
    "I know we just got back," Damion told him in a reasonable tone. "but we've had some things come up."
    Storm continued to stare at him unhappily for several long moments, then he finally sighed in resignation, and stepped forward to gently nuzzle the huge warrior.
    "I don't think I've ever seen a man and his horse have such a strong bond." Shirk mumbled, his face exhausted from lack of sleep. "I've watched that brute terror ize the stable hands for several years now, but when Damion is around, he turns into big a puppy!"
    "Storm is just amusing himself with the servants." The huge warrior defended the massive warhorse, stroking its neck gently. "He wouldn't actually hurt them." He frowned. "At least, not seriously."
    Leia hurried up to her father, then raised her arms and stomped her foot commandingly.
    Damion laughed, then reached down and picked his daughter up and gently placed her onto the warhorse's back.
    The young girl had been overjoyed when she discovered that she would be accompanying them back to the grasslands once again. They had passed through the massive multi-level city of Mercedia on their way to and from their visit with the dwarves, and she had been amazed by all the wonders that she had saw there. Damion and Raven had spent a great deal of their journey through the city chasing their daughter through the crowded streets as she scampered from one merchant stand to the next, her eyes wide as she took in all of the strange sights, sounds, and smells.
    "I sti ll don't understand why you want me to come along." Damarius stated in a grouchy tone as he heaved himself up into his saddle. "I'm sure Damion can handle anything that you may encounter, and I'm at a critical stage with the new formula I've been working on."
    "Your silly little experiment can wait, father." Lady Skie told him in an exasperated tone. "You can continue trying to blow yourself up when you return."
    "We need you along because you are, by far, the wisest man in the lands." Raven told him, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "And we may need that wisdom when dealing with the Deolan Council."
    "Oh," The old wizard looked flattered. "In that case, I'm happy to come along."
    Damion looked around and frowned. "Where's Slither?"
    "SSSlither is here." The huge shadowspawn stepped from the shadows.
    "Are you sure you're up for this?" He asked, noticing the beast seemed a bit nervous. "We'll understand if you're not comfortable accompanying us."
    "SSSlither will join you." Slither hissed firmly. "SSSlither does ss not fear the world outssside of SSSevria."
    "That's good," The huge warrior nodded approvingly. "but be prepared for anything. I'm sure the shock of seeing one of the spawn walking among them will cause concern among the Deo la. But as long as you remain with us, I doubt anyone will bother you." He looked to Captain Harper. "Are you all set?"
    "Aye," The old captain nodded confidently. "I'll take care of things on my end. After I spread the word in Sierra , I'll locate a ship heading east to carry the warning to Naquia, then set sail for Jaghera."
    Damion shook Captain Harper's hand warmly, then looked around at the others.
    "Are we ready to go?" Dar asked, climbing atop his pony.
    "About as ready as we're going to be." Sly grumbled sleepily.
    They all quietly said