Free Dragons Shining by Michael Sperry

sir!”
     
    “Give Prince Justin your horse and double up with Hartley.”
     
    “Yes Sir”. Harold dismounted, grabbed his shield, sword and scabbard and handed his reigns to Justin.
     
    “Come Josef, Justin, Bruce, Albrite and Ender bring Rolph”, said the King. “You have seen enough blood for this day I think.”
     
    With that, they and the King’s Elite Guard rode toward Windhaven, towing the unconscious Rolph on Justin’s horse and leaving General Rankin and his men to take care of the dead.  
     
    Chapter Four – First Blood
     
    It had been two years since Owen had first changed into the red and white Vampire Dragon to kill and consume that large, poisonous serpent. Fifteen now, he had grown swiftly after that, both in stature and strength, becoming a powerful wizard in the process. Many times he had since changed, and he had honed his hunting and aerobatic skills in that form. He was a much larger dragon now, since his dragon form grew more swiftly than his Elven form, if he kept well fed as a dragon. In his human form, he had the very best instructors, and loved them both dearly. Baird trusted him with his most powerful spells, and if he tried his very best he could easily take even Dafford in the martial and edged weapon arts. One slip though, and the Master would remind him with a bruise.
     
    Baird remained unaware that Owen had found his large black spell book, and had in secret explored each spell, as far as he could at least. Some spells in the back had been inserted, and were in a different hand writing and different style. These were dark spells of black magic that Owen feared. Although he memorized them, he had never experimented with them. Also there were a couple of very powerful spells that had many warnings of probable death attached. One was an immortality spell with a notation that read: “ One in a thousand will utter this spell and live. One in a thousand of those will succeed without madness. None ever has successfully caste this spell on another, and those who have tried killed both .” Of course this immortality spell was one that stuck in Owen’s mind even better than the others.
     
    He had become adept in farming as well, and played an integral part in the farms day-to-day activities. Baird had told him all about Briana and the ‘joining’, and he was a little nervous about meeting her. He had heard about the attack near Windhaven. The whole kingdom was aghast that the evil ones penetrated so deeply without notice. Other sightings and killings had occurred further east, and even more in the Northern Kingdom where the Dwarves had fought and killed several Ghoul Vampires.  Everyone had been on guard lately, fearful of the shadows.  
     
    But this late afternoon none of that would matter, because the Toroid match this time would be for the Southern Kingdom Championship, and would lead to a final Cotera Championship match in Windhaven in two months between the North and the South Kingdoms. He never used his magic in these events, except that which maintained his human form, so the challenge was very real. The Fable’s Arch team was already respected throughout the Kingdoms as a very tough opponent, yet this was the best year since the small town was founded many generations ago. The tension had been building for weeks
     
    It was mid morning and Owen was finishing his work in the barn when he sensed Suzy walk up behind him. He turned to see the pretty brunette gazing at him. Tom had married her last year and she was now big with child. She had moved in with them when he and Tom had finished the new room additions to the house. A boy, Owen knew even if she didn’t.
     
    “Hello, Suzy. Are you feeling any better?” She had been sick again lately, just like in the beginning. He saw nothing seriously wrong though.
     
    “Well I’m over it for the moment anyway.”
     
    “That’s good then. What’s up?
     
    “Well, I just wanted to warn you about what Dan Tharp told me