How to Kill a Dragon (Heir of Dragons Book 1)

by J. A. Culican

  Valry silenced the Royal Fae with a savage kick, her leathery heel knocking the air from his lungs and sending him falling into Minx's arms. “I'll be very happy to reconsider—as soon as I get what I want, that is.” She bared her sharp teeth in a coquettish smile. “You refuse us access to your special lake, and you have no grazing lands for our friends the Krah. But we have something you want,” she mocked, taking up a lock of Minx's mother's dark hair and running it through her clawed fingers. “I propose a trade for these leaders of yours. Deliver us the hide of a Royal Dragon and we'll return these prisoners safe and sound.”

  “A dragon's hide?” gasped Minx, helping her father to his feet. “But—”

  “It's my final offer,” spat the vixen. “We won't leave here empty-handed. Either you deliver a precious dragon hide within a week, or we kill the hostages. It's that simple.” She raised her right arm over her head and made a quick motion with her hand. At her signal the entire war party began to shift, slowly backing out of the Trade Center entrance. Before she disappeared back into the mass of Wuff, Plurn and Krah, Valry paused to size up the remaining Council members and other onlookers, their eyes wide with terror. “You have one week. Be thankful I've given you that long.”

  Over the course of minutes, the war party marched from the Trade Center, dragging their hostages behind them. The Council members who'd been left behind now clustered together, exchanging panicked glances and despairing over the fate of those kidnapped. “A week? How can we hope to come up with a dragon's hide within a week?” one of them asked.

  “We already needed a dragon's hide for ourselves! Without it, the warding spell will fail and our territories will be vulnerable! We can't afford to just hand such a thing over to her,” muttered another.

  “Father,” said Minx, watching the retreating army, “Mau is waiting nearby, with my bow. If we follow the army and find some high ground, I can take out that Wuff leader and rescue mother.” She knew it was a reckless plan before the words even left her lips, but she was possessed by a fiery anger. This insult was too great to bear, and her desire to save her mother overpowered her. “One shot. That's all it will take. One good shot...”

  “No,” he replied sharply, drawing her close with a tug of the arm. “No, don't be rash. If you attack them, there's every possibility they'll overrun you. Your mother might even perish in the chaos. Don't doubt the viciousness of the Wuff; Valry wasn't lying when she threatened to kill the hostages. She's given us a week to deliver the dragon hide. This will be the only way...”

  “But, Father—!”

  “I mean it,” he continued, taking her into his arms. “It would be reckless to try and fight an entire army with nothing but a bow—whether you're Dragon Hunter or not.” He cleared his throat. “It's true that we need a dragon's hide for ourselves, but... the situation has changed. We must see to it that we can meet this unreasonable demand of Valry's...”

  “So...” Minx lowered her gaze, trying to swallow her anger. “So, we're going to give them what they want? We're... I'm... going to get them a dragon's hide?”

  Her father nodded. “Yes. And you cannot afford to fail. Your mother's life, and the lives of the other hostages, depend on your success.”

  Securing a dragon's hide to ensure the continuation of the warding spell over Pandling Grounds had seemed a big job to her only moments ago. Now, she had to somehow secure two.

  The stakes had gotten higher.

  Much higher.

  Chapter 2

  Minx and Mau both kept close watch over the outskirts of Pan, looking for signs of the reported dragon. They could not afford to let the intruding dragon escape; to do so would only prolong their quest for a hide and put the lives of the hostages at further risk.

  I can't believe it, thought Minx. She sent her thoughts to the watchful Faelyr with extra emphasis. They dragged her and the others off because we wouldn't comply with their requests. What were we supposed to do? We can't let them enter Heilo Lake, Mau.

  Of course not, came Mau's telepathic reply. But worrying about it now isn't going to change things. We need to stay calm, keep a lookout for the dragon. One successful hunt and we can put all of this behind us, she said.

  Not one hunt, corrected the Fae huntress. Two. We're on the hook for two dragons now.

  The job she'd been assigned earlier that day had only become more complicated over the course of hours. Minx needed not one, but two hides. The wellbeing of her mother and the other hostages notwithstanding, the elders of Pandling Grounds still required a dragon's hide to re-cast the protective spell over their territory. The magic involved in working the protective spell could use no substitute. It was only because of the magical barrier that the homelands of the Fae had remained safe and peaceful for so many years—and if she failed now, that safety and peace would evaporate in the blink of an eye. Rather than being remembered as the valiant Dragon Hunter, she would go down in history as a failure if she returned empty-handed. This was something that her pride would never allow her to bear.

  Discussions with her father had been tense and unproductive. She'd pitched him all kinds of different rescue plots, considered different ways to return the hostages to safety without surrendering the precious dragon hide they so sorely needed. He'd dissuaded her at every turn, and had rather cryptically assured her that “The Silence protects, no matter the cost.” She'd pressed him about the meaning of this—what, or who he meant by 'The Silence'—but he hadn't replied.

  Her job, then, remained the same. She still needed to secure a dragon hide. Except that, now, she was working for Valry, too, whether she liked it or not.

  What do the Wuffs want a dragon hide for? pondered Mau.

  Minx thought about it a moment, toying with the tip of an arrow as she kept watch across the canopy. They probably want one for the same reasons we do—to cast a warding spell. That has to be it. We all know the dragons are becoming more active, so it's no coincidence that they're looking for protection, too.

  Ah, you're right, replied Mau. So, when we secure a hide, will we be handing it over to Valry immediately, then?

  Minx tensed at the question. She felt her hands were tied. On the one hand, instinct told her she needed to protect her mother above all costs. If the Wuffs hurt her mother, or worse, she'd never be able to forgive herself. And yet, the importance of the dragon hide to the people of Pandling Grounds could not be overstated. The elders needed it as soon as possible in order to ensure the continued protection of their territories. Without the protective spell in place, a good deal more bloodshed was possible. No. We're going to have to give it to the elders. The warding spell takes priority.

  I see... mewled the Faelyr somberly.

  Since the kidnappings, Fae all across the tree-city of Pan had been mobilized to keep a lookout for dragons. Minx and Mau had personally taken up a spot on wise Winterlimb, and looked far into the distance for signs of the beasts. As she kept watch, she found herself returning to one particular question.

  Why, of all times, had the dragons started becoming active now?

  For countless years since the close of the Great Dragon Wars, the terrible creatures had maintained a ceasefire with the Fae. Conflicts between the two races had been few and something like real peace had sprung up between them. Now, that peace was rapidly crumbling. The dragons had become active in their lands once more, and were being seen by multiple witnesses in Fae territory. Minx couldn't guess why the dragons were on the move again after so long, but this—along with the unrest among the Wuffs, Plurn and Krah—left her ill at ease.

  Look there, said Mau, breaking into her thoughts.

  Minx turned to the distance and spied a flicker of red flashing between breaks in the forest. Far at the edge of Pan, in a small glade, walked something that cast a long shadow. She glimpsed the reddish shimmer of a scaly wing, noted the presence of a ruby-studded tail, and knew that this remote clearing was under the authority of the Fae. The creature sunning itself in that glade—a fire dra
gon of immense size—was in clear violation of the treaty between the races. Do you see that? she asked Mau. I think it's a fire dragon—Pyra Clan. What's it doing over there?

  Mau set her narrow eyes on the distant beast. Aside from breaking the treaty? I don't know.

  Well, continued Minx, let's go and say hello, then. She loaded her full quiver onto her back, took up her bow and began descending at once from Winterlimb's heights. Mau followed close behind, claws rapping steadily against the aged wood of the steps. Where there's one dragon poking around, there are bound to me more, she thought, reaching the forest floor and racing at once to the glade at the territorial boundary. Maybe we can strike down two in one day—give Valry what she wants and still provide for the village.

  Mau seemed to lack her partner's enthusiasm. Need I remind you that this is the first time we'll be taking on a dragon? Let's focus on a single dragon and see how that goes before we start looking for more trouble!

  Plunging deep into the woods, sprinting through the close-grown trees and coming up on the edge of the sought-after glade, Minx came to a sudden stop, gaze drawn to the bracelets on her wrists. The stones in them had begun to glow an ethereal blue.

  Chapter 3

  The stones, thought Minx. The dragon is close. The precious stones set in the magical bracelets she wore possessed more than mere beauty; the orb-shaped stones set off a warm blue glow whenever a dragon was near. This made them an indispensable aid in her line of work. Without having to wander through the trees and accidentally reveal her position, she could now be assured that the target was near, and that her eyes had not deceived her while she'd kept watch in old Winterlimb.

  The dragon they needed to hunt was close now. Very close.

  Noting the bluish glow of the stones, Mau crept silently across the forest floor, seeking other signs of the beast. This dragon isn't shy. He's come right into our territory.

  Minx stood stock still, basking in the momentary silence and piecing together a plan. Her eyes skipped from tree to tree, finding traces of shadow fluttering between the trunks just a short distance away. The gleam of fiery scales caught her eye as the thing shifted its great weight and entered into view between the breaks in the foliage. It still hadn't sighted her or Mau, but if they didn't get moving, it soon would. In order for them to succeed, it was necessary that they act swiftly and ambush the thing. She gave Mau her marching orders telepathically and teased an arrow from her quiver. Mau, you're going to run up behind the dragon and knock it off guard. When you've distracted it, I'll move in for a clean shot. Understood? Don't get too close, don't engage it seriously. You're running interference for me. Keep it busy, but don't get yourself killed. It may take me a bit to size up a good shot, but it should only take one if we do this right...

  Gotcha. I'll give him the run-around so that you can move freely in the woods. Just don't take too long. If he starts lobbing fireballs at me, I don't know what I'll do. Mau remained very low to the ground, her wide paws guiding her toward the break in the woods where the dragon presently idled. Then, with a burst of ferocious speed from her powerful hindquarters, she barreled through the trees with all the swiftness and silence of a summer breeze.

  The arrow was nocked with a single fluid motion and the Fae huntress shifted soundlessly between the trees, drawing closer to the ruby-colored giant and preparing to unleash a surprise attack. Mau would let her know when she'd entered into the perfect range, and upon Minx's say-so, the Faelyr would strike. Then, when the winged beast proved sufficiently distracted, she'd cut it down to size with a well-aimed shot. OK, Mau, are you ready? she asked, testing the tension of her weapon. I'll see about climbing one of the trees for a better vantage point. Either that, or I can crouch near the edge of the woods and go for a weak spot.

  Up ahead, she watched the dragon move, as if it had suddenly taken notice of something in its surroundings. Minx froze, uncertain if the beast had noticed her or the Faelyr. Its large head, studded in ivory horns just above the brow ridge, turned toward the woods, and one of its gleaming yellow eyes scanned the treeline. The tip of its rusty snout was tipped in a small, blunt horn, and visible just past the edges of its lips were myriad fangs of terrifying length. The longest of them seemed nearly the length of Minx's forearm; a single bite from that fearsome mouth was all it would take to kill most anything unfortunate enough to end up in range. The red titan's long, snake-like neck turned this way and that as it peered through the woods, and its dense body, studded in shimmering plates of red, scaly armor, was raised on four dense legs as big around as any of the trees in sight. Two tremendous wings sprouted from the creature's back, ribbed in shining veins of red and laced with a black, leathery membrane that could capture an incredible amount of air with every flap.

  This was her target, the thing she'd been sent to hunt—the very thing she'd trained her whole life to kill. A dragon, she thought with a tremor of wonder. This is it. This is the real thing... Standing in the woods, waiting for Mau to make her move, Minx couldn't help but be awed by the sight of the great and terrible creature. OK, Mau, I think he's noticed us. Go ahead—attack him now! ordered Minx, placing her back to one of the trees and waiting for the Faelyr to strike.

  But there was no reply.

  Mau, I said to go ahead, attack.

  Minx paused, still receiving no answer.

  Mau, are you listening? More than the enormous dragon looming just beyond the treeline, Minx was distraught over the ominous silence. Their telepathic link had never been disrupted before, and surely Mau was still within range of her thoughts. So, why wasn't she responding? This was no time to go silent! Mau, began the Fae huntress nervously, you're scaring me. Where are you? We need to launch the attack before—

  The scaly titan to her back loosed a sudden grunt. Minx turned very slightly, peering around the trunk of the tree to see what it had reacted to, only to find herself locked in its burning yellow gaze.

  It had found her.

  Having lost the element of surprise, Minx stepped out from behind the tree, raised her bow and let fly a well-aimed arrow. The shot raced through the trees and met its mark with a rattling crash—though it did not prove the killing blow she'd hoped. Instead, the simple arrow had ricocheted off the heavy plating of the dragon's brow and had snapped against the dense white horns atop its head.

  And to her horror, the beast wasted no time in retaliating.

  Rising to its full height, the fire dragon stretched its neck upward till its flaring snout was nearly buried in the canopy. It loosed an earth-rumbling growl, and tendrils of black smoke poured from its nostrils. The reddish skin along its throat swelled, and without warning it opened its terrible maw and belched forth a rain of fire which crashed through the trees and scalded the forest floor.

  She felt the heat wash over her as she dove to her left, rolling through the sizzling undergrowth and emerging into the windswept glade. Before she'd even regained her feet, Minx had taken another arrow from the quiver, and without hesitation she quickly nocked it and sent it flying upward, toward the dragon's neck. The razor-sharp point struck the thing's stony red plating, but could not penetrate, leading the shaft of the arrow to erupt into splinters.

  There was no time just then to launch a third, for before she could nock another arrow, the Royal Dragon's rock-like tail was upon her. The powerful appendage, studded in boulder-like scales, rushed in from her right like a sledge, and it was only by a swift dodge that she avoided being crushed by it. The thing's tail struck the ground with cataclysmic fury, sending up a cloud of dust, grass and debris. She took several steps away from the creature, clutching her bow and searching its enormous form for a vulnerability.

  There was no denying it. She was shaken. Though she'd trained a long time for this moment, she now realized that no amount of training could ever have prepared her for the real thing. The slightest movements of this Royal Dragon were enough to crush her. It could destroy her with a single fiery breath or slash her apart with a flick of its cla
ws. In her time as a hunter, she'd scarcely encountered a foe that could stand up to one of her arrows, much less two. This beast had shrugged off both shots effortlessly. She felt herself an annoying mosquito buzzing in the face of a savage lion—weak.

  Teeth grit, she launched another volley. Now wasn't the time to sulk. Two arrows, let loose in quick succession, were sent upward toward the dragon's head and neck while it tried to pull its dense tail from the crater it had made in the ground. Both of them, to her dismay, failed to deliver; the first disintegrated against the thing's diamond-like scales, and the other, though it struck a softer part of the creature's underbelly, resulted only in a scratch.

  More agitated than threatened, the terrifying dragon reared up on its hind legs, its massive wings flapping and sending an oppressive gust about the glade that nearly swept her off her feet. No sooner had she found her legs did the beast loose another blast of flame—this one shooting out in a concentrated column like magma spewing from the mouth of a volcano. The incandescent blast ripped through the air, leaving everything in its wake melted and singed beyond recognition. Trees in the area ignited for the heat of the attack, and though it missed Minx by a small margin, the air temperature had swelled to an almost unbearable high. She felt woozy as she dodged, had trouble breathing in the boiling air.

  All around her, small pockets of forest were burning. She realized she would not be able to escape safely—and felt a great pang of shame at even having considered a retreat. There has to be some way for me to injure it... Some place to shoot it that'll take it off guard... She grit her teeth, knees knocking together despite her best effort to stand firm. Her guts churned and an unfamiliar feeling needled her mind. There's no good way to attack it. The plating is too strong, and now that it's enraged, it isn't going to give me enough time to aim.