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

by J. A. Culican

  “If I win, you'll call off this attack—go back to where you came from and lead these soldiers of yours away, too.” Minx smirked. “And seeing as I won't lose, the conversation ends there.”

  The vixen cocked her head to the side, stretching her neck. “Killing you will be payment enough. I have fought a hundred in single battle, and have never lost. You'll make one-hundred and one. Prepare yourself. Here, you will die.”

  The surrounding warriors took several steps back, allowing a bit of space for the high-profile combatants. The rules of single combat were simple enough; two battlers fought till one could no longer fight. The last one standing was declared winner, and the terms set forth prior to the bout were to be honored. Fights were strictly one-on-one affairs; members of the crowd could not interfere without voiding the results of the match. Minx had taken part in a few such duels over the years, but never with such a well-known opponent. Her heart hammered in her chest as she paced about the makeshift ring with countless eyes upon her. This is for you, mom. I couldn't save you in time... but I'll avenge you, and I'll strike her down to save our people.

  Mau watched from the sidelines, growling noisily. I hope you know what you're doing, Minx. This is reckless. You should have attacked her from afar. At least that way I would have been able to step in and help you. Did you really have to do this on your own?

  After what Valry did to my mother and the other hostages? asked Minx, weighing her next volley. Absolutely. I wouldn't have it any other way.

  The fight commenced. With a swift, fluid stride, the vixen loosed a harsh battle cry and dove in, longsword passing smoothly over the ground and then slicing in a leftward arc, its tip bound for Minx's bow. The Fae huntress gauged the Wuff's momentum and eased back on her heels, narrowly avoiding the sword point and loosing an arrow which struck the glimmering shield from up-close. The arrow tip struck the glowing blue gem at its center, and without warning the orb erupted into cerulean splinters, littering the ground.

  Valry staggered back, enraged, and inspected the damage to the shield. Incensed, she threw it to the ground. Without the gem intact, whatever magical properties the thing possessed had been nullified. “You're going to be sorry for that,” she spat, taking the hilt of her sword in both hands.

  Minx defied her opponent with an easy grin, nocking another arrow nonchalantly. “Are you sure it's a good idea to throw that thing away? You're going to need all the help you can get blocking this next shot of mine. It's bound for your black heart, Valry.”

  The vixen gave a ferocious shout and rushed forward once again, her fangs bared and her muscled arms straining as they prepared a great cleave. Her speed was impressive, on par with that of the Fae, and she possessed a mastery of the sword that put just about any other warrior on this field to shame. Sweeping in with a chaotic leftward swing, Valry allowed the blade of her sword to strike the ground before she suddenly tucked and rolled backward, narrowly avoiding Minx's next shot. For an instant, the move had seemed foolish—poorly-calculated.

  That is, until the cloud of dust kicked up by the sword's tip found its way into Minx's eyes.

  “Ahh....” The Fae huntress staggered back, her eyes filled with dirt. She tried blinking it away, but her eyes only burned. Her vision had been muddied, and though she tried to clear the grime with the back of her arm, she succeeded chiefly in irritating her sight further.

  Oh no, she realized as she heard the Wuff vixen chuckle. I'm a sitting duck... Minx lowered her weapon and frenziedly tried to clear her eyes, but even as the dust fell from her lids her field of vision remained blurry.

  “Not so cocky now, are you?” taunted Valry. She raised her sword and began a casual stroll toward her opponent. “Beg for mercy. Go on, Fae. I want to hear you beg. Perhaps I'll change my mind and spare you if you beg.” A number of Wuffs on the sidelines cheered and laughed. “No, who am I kidding? I'm not going to spare you. You're dead meat.”

  Minx, desperate to survive, raised her bow and narrowed her gaze. She was hardly able to see, her eyes stinging too badly to properly focus. I'll never hit her this way. I can't aim! But if I don't do something, she's going to kill me!

  Guided by instinct more than anything, Minx nocked an arrow, strained to make out Valry's shape in her periphery, and then launched an attack.

  The arrow flashed across the clearing, missing Valry by a sizable margin and landing in the gut of a nearby Krah. The warrior collapsed with a scream. “Whoopsie,” taunted the vixen with a click of her tongue. “You missed, sweetheart!”

  She's coming up on your right, warned Mau from the sidelines. Get that bow up—I'll tell you where to aim! She's getting close!

  Gasping, Minx raised her bow and nocked another arrow, pivoting slowly as if being guided by an invisible hand. Where, Mau? Where should I aim?

  Keep going, suggested the Faelyr. To the right. A little further. A little further. Nearly there—!

  Valry raised her sword to strike, preparing a deadly slash. “Time's up. Goodbye.”

  Now!

  Blinking her teary eyes, Minx followed the Faelyr's command and let the arrow fly.

  What happened next sent a wave of cries and gasps through the crowd.

  And pried a scream from Valry's lips as well.

  Minx doubled back, lowering her weapon and batting the remaining dust from her eyes. Turning her bleary gaze to the makeshift ring, she found Valry on her knees. The vixen had dropped her sword, and was holding onto her left arm—which had been pierced just above the elbow by Minx's arrow. Valry hadn't expected Minx's shot, and had only managed to dodge in the last moment. Had she hesitated even an instant, it would have struck her in the neck. The shot to the arm had had the intended effect, however—she'd lost control of her weapon and was now seriously wounded. Minx grinned, teasing another arrow from her quiver and squaring Valry's skull in her sights. “Who's dead meat now, Valry?”

  The vixen snarled, tugging at the arrow in her flesh.

  “You've lost. As per our agreement, send these soldiers away from here. Call off the attack.” Minx's arm tensed. “I'll give you to the count of three to issue the order. At three...” She smirked. “Don't say I didn't warn you.”

  Valry's eyes flared and she struck the ground with a balled fist. “I'll order no such thing! The fight will continue. The Fae will be destroyed, and I will have my dragon's hide.” She turned toward Kaleb, a cruel sneer on her lips. “That one, there. Kill him and bring me his hide.”

  Minx's heart trembled at the thought. “Don't you dare!” she howled, drawing her bow to the breaking point. “If you lay a hand on him, I'll kill you where you stand!”

  “What are you standing around for?” blurted Valry. “Kill them! Kill all of them!” she screamed.

  As if knocked from a trance, the vicious warriors on the sidelines suddenly closed in, swords at the ready. These ruffians weren't going to honor the results of their single combat match; Minx should have known better than to trust their kinds in such a matter.

  Minx sent her arrow flying in a rage, but it was blocked by the abdomen of an incoming Wuff who'd resumed marching on Valry's orders. Other warriors started past her, effectively shielding the vixen from harm. Valry's form quickly disappeared from sight—the wounded leader escaped stealthily as the hordes closed in.

  Minx returned to Kaleb's side, two arrows pinched between her fingers. I won't let them hurt Kaleb. I shouldn't have brought him here—shouldn't have brought any of the dragons here. But if they want his hide, they're going to have to get through me. I'll do anything to keep him close to me—to protect him. She looked to him longingly, wished that she could tell him as much, but the din of battle grew once more to deafening levels and she was forced to focus on defending herself.

  As the warriors poured in, Minx made a solemn promise to herself.

  All right, Valry. Have it your way. Keep fighting. Maybe, despite having lost our duel, your army will still be victorious. But I'm going to promise you one thing. This will be the
most costly victory you can imagine. I'll see to it personally.

  With that, she let the arrows fly once more.

  Chapter 24

  Their numbers were too great.

  Minx, Mau and Kaleb fought as savagely as ever, cutting down Wuff after Wuff, Krah after Krah. They thinned the endless ranks again and again, but were unable to hold their ground for the sheer number of warriors. The other dragons weren't visible from where she stood, and even as she fought dozens at a time, her heart ached for them. Those dragons joined us of their own volition, and now they may be paying the ultimate price. I can't see them. Have they been slain? Has Valry taken their hides? She groaned at the thought. I shouldn't have allowed them to come. I shouldn't have brought Kaleb here, either. This was always my fight—it was always up to the Fae. By bringing the dragons, I've only played into Valry's hands.

  Minx turned to Kaleb as he stomped on a fallen Wuff and pummeled another with a hammer fist. “Kaleb, now that Valry's shield has been destroyed, can you shift? Take flight and round up the other dragons. Take them far away from here.”

  “What?” spat the dragon shifter, baffled. “Why in the world would I do that? We need all the help we can get!”

  She launched an arrow into the throng and stepped back several paces. “I should have known better. Valry's forces are after a dragon's hide, remember? You and the others should never have come here. If one of you dies, she'll get precisely what she wants. They're going to target you more—focus their attacks on you and the other dragons. Get out while there's still time.”

  “You're insane,” he bellowed with a hearty laugh. “If we die, we die, Minx. We knew what we were signing up for.” He stopped the charge of a spear-wielding ape-man, shattering the shaft of his weapon and striking his center of mass.

  “But Kaleb!” Her quiver was running low again. She emptied it against the next wave of newcomers and hurriedly plucked up a fresh quiver from a dead archer nearby. “We can't win. There's no way they'll let up. I wish we could keep going, but they're going to overwhelm us. They've probably breached the Trading Center already. It's only a matter of time before—”

  Kaleb thrust a dirty finger against her lips, silencing her. He looked up to the sky, eyes brimming with fire. He appeared to be tracking a scent with great interest.

  “W-What's the matter?” she asked.

  Nodding to himself, Kaleb began to laugh. He socked a limping Wuff and wrenched the flail from his grasp, throwing it into the crowd of oncoming swordsmen.

  They were heavily outnumbered, pushed to the limits of their strength. The situation hardly warranted laughter. “Have you lost your mind? What're you laughing about? What's happening to you, Kaleb?”

  He only pointed up at the sky, where dark grey clouds swirled with the dust of battle.

  From behind one of those clouds, without the least warning, there came a sudden flash. The cloud dissolved instantly, and from high up in the sky there barreled a blinding knot of orange flame. A fireball.

  The fiery blast sped toward the ground, striking the army with earth-shattering power. An enormous swath of the battlefield erupted into bright flame, and the dark warriors caught up in it were immediately engulfed. Screams and moans rose up from them as they tried in vain to put out the fires that ravaged them.

  The answer to those screams came in the form of more fireballs—dozens of them.

  The earth was pummeled by a succession of blistering fire blasts from high above the clouds. Dark shapes could be glimpsed in the sky—shapes composed of jagged wings and long, stony tails. They descended over the battlefield, sailing with such closeness that their combined shadows made the day seem like night for those standing below.

  “They came!” shouted Kaleb. “Those old codgers! They finally got over themselves!”

  The generals of the Pyra Clan soared overhead and prepared to drop another volley of fire blasts. Despite countless hours of bickering and their intense dislike of the Fae, the military leaders of the Talon Range guard had ultimately decided to lend their aid. Their searing attacks, so concentrated and relentless, threw the dark army into utter chaos. Their ranks were permanently broken, and the petrified warriors all took off in their own directions, trying to save themselves. Where minutes ago, they had been so thick as to seem endless, they were now sparse—taking cover in trenches or running for the woods and hills.

  There must have been twenty or thirty Royal Dragons in all, and they continued launching attacks until the whole of the field had been reduced to embers. Their coordinated strikes consumed dozens, perhaps hundreds, at a time, and the survivors retreated as swiftly as their legs could take them. For the duration of the battle, Minx, Mau, Kaleb and the other dragons had held off the enormous army, and had known their struggle to be in vain. Their defeat had been certain.

  Now, with the appearance of this air support, the tide of battle had turned completely.

  Cheers erupted from the Trading Center as the fire bombings continued and the dark army was further dispersed. The territory had not fallen; despite immense struggle, the Fae had succeeded in defending the main gate and repelling the attackers. Minx's eyes swelled with tears as she watched them cheer. We pulled it off. Despite the odds, the plan actually worked. She looked to Kaleb, wiping her eyes covertly. He was right all along. There was another way to save my people.

  When the army had largely retreated into the distance, some of the high-ranking dragons descended. They shifted into their human forms, picking off stragglers with their bare hands in savage displays of strength. Kaleb's father was among them, and Minx watched as he casually broke the back of a screaming Plurn with a knee strike. Stepping over the body of his defeated foe, Kaleb's father approached with a wave. “You did well, keeping them at bay till we arrived. I suppose we got here just in time.”

  Kaleb met his father with a tight hug, chuckling. “I wish you'd been here earlier! It took you long enough!”

  Minx watched as the sky was blackened with smoke. Her daydreams and visions had been plagued with this kind of destructive scenery for a long while. She'd always imagined her homeland engulfed in flames, her people crushed—it had never occurred to her that such visions of destruction might apply to her enemies. She watched the last of the army retreat into the distance and wondered if Torrent had been among them.

  Perhaps he had been orchestrating things from the rear, or else he'd sat out this round.

  Whatever the case, it felt incredible to deal him such a decisive defeat.

  I guess that's it, huh? We really won, uttered Mau.

  We won this round, yeah, replied Minx.

  She never once doubted that this round was merely the first of many, of course.

  Chapter 25

  The aftermath of the battle brought many things to light.

  The First, supreme leader of the Fae, presided over a special session of the High Council. He'd been thoroughly pleased with the outcome, and heaped praise on the brave warriors who had defended the Trading Center during the siege. He gave special mention to Minx's father, thanking him for his leadership and courage. Various prisoners of war had been taken after the end of the battle, and each of them were tried in the court of Pan. Their sentences proved harsh—though those who were willing to provide information about the army and its leaders were granted more clemency.

  From these prisoners, some interesting intel was obtained—intel which pointed to dark machinations that had been for some time in motion.

  The powerful and enigmatic Torrent had planned to send dragons into the lands of the Fae in the hopes of conjuring up great strife. He'd hoped to inflame the old prejudices and incite new wars between the two races. Others corroborated Torrent's alleged fascination with Fae and dragon hybrids, though none could definitively say what his ultimate aim was in this area. That the recent troubles between their peoples had been stirred up chiefly by Torrent, The First and the members of the Council hadn't the least doubt. Much had been whispered about his power—his pro
found magical abilities. He was regarded as a threat during these proceedings, but the Fae leadership remained uncertain just how serious a threat he truly was.

  For Minx, the hours after the battle were a blur. She had gone with Kaleb and Mau back to her place. There, the three of them had collapsed, dazed and exhausted. Kaleb had drifted off in Minx's bed, snoring peacefully, while Minx and Mau had curled up beside one another next to the bed frame. They might have remained there, sleeping, till the next day, had they not been awakened by a hard knock at the door.

  Minx awoke first, sitting upright. “Y-Yes?” she called out. “Come in.”

  The door opened, and standing on its other side was none other than Kaleb's father. Clad in his rust-colored armor, he smoothed out his beard and stepped into the humble abode, sparing her a gracious nod. “Hello, I'm sorry to disturb you. I've come to collect my boy, and to thank you for saving him.”

  “Oh, I see...” Minx stood. Kaleb was still snoozing, his face sooty and hair tangled after the battle. She nudged him carefully. “Kaleb, wake up. Your father's here.”

  The dragon shifter jerked awake mid-snore. “Huh?” he muttered, sitting up. “I wasn't sleeping, was I?” Meeting his father's gaze, he wiped the heaviness from his eyes and stood up. “Ah, hey. What's going on?”

  “Nothing much. I've come to collect you,” continued his father. “Let's return home, shall we? It's time we get back. Your mother is worried sick, I'm certain.”

  “Go back?” Kaleb cleared his throat. “Already?” He glanced at Minx. “I, uh... Well, to be honest, father, I was hoping to stick around here awhile. You know?”

  His father chuckled, but appeared unmoved. “Perhaps you can stop in for a visit sometime, but now we must return. I'm afraid we've wasted enough time here already. Our only moral obligation is in the defense of our homeland. We must return to the mountain, lest we fail in our responsibility. Come, Kaleb.”

  “Hold on,” insisted the young dragon shifter. “Why do you say that? After everything that's happened, I thought that... you know, maybe our kinds could move forward.”