Chapter 10: Fire Drakes

Flower crossed the floor with the tray of food and set it on the table. The four guards grinned and one slipped her a coin before she turned away. She came back towards me with a huge grin on her face. I smiled and glanced at the two older girls that moved around the room serving a smooth sweet ale I had made. Everyone seemed to like it and they sure seemed to like Song’s cooking.

My eyes went to the door as the guard commander stepped in. He looked around and smiled before crossing the room. Several guards called out and a few of the traders nodded. He stopped next to me and looked back before looking into my eyes, “Fire Drakes have been spotted on the far side of the city.”

I looked across the room, “And?”

He smiled, “They will move around the city like they have in the past. Anyplace with people will be attacked.”

I glanced at Flower on her way to collect dishes from another table. I looked at the commander, “Will the guards try to do anything?”

He shook his head, “The drakes will stay outside for a few days and then continue on their way. The city lords will not risk sending people out.”

I looked around at everything I had accomplished before sighing, “I will take care of it.”

The commander blinked, “What?”

I looked at him, “I will kill the drakes.”

He looked at me as if I was crazy, “But they breathe fire.”

I smiled, “Than I will have to avoid their breath.”

I moved away from the bar and headed up the stairs. The black clothing I wore was special because it did not burn. I placed my weapons carefully and then pulled out the small vial of poison. One by one I coated the tips of several arrows before putting the poison away. When I walked back downstairs most of the people were gone. I smiled at Song as she stood in front of Flower and the two new girls, “Stay inside until I return.”

She nodded, “May the girls return to their homes?”

I glanced at the two and nodded before turning towards the door. I began a slow jog around the outer wall of the city. My eyes continued to scan the ground far in front of me. I was half way around before I slowed and watched a fire burn a little ways out from the wall. I knelt and slipped into the tall grass before moving closer. When I was a hundred paces away I placed an arrow on the string of my bow.

There were two animals that almost looked like drama except they had wings and narrower tails. From the size of the wings I doubted they could actually fly. They were at least as tall as a horse and twice as long. The fire came from the grass around the burned body of a cow. I watched and slowly pulled my bow back as I took carefully aim.

The release of the arrow was almost secondary and then I was putting a second arrow in the bow. The drake I was aiming for screamed and roared fire as the arrow sank into its eye. The other drake spun and roared as it searched for me. I released and pulled another arrow as they suddenly started charging. My second arrow slammed into the drake’s nostril and it jerked up with a bellow of rage.

The first drake stumbled and fell to its knees as I dropped back into the grass and began moving away. I could hear the roars and fire began to burn the green grass. A couple of minutes later I heard the answering roars of two other drakes. I looked through the grass at the first two. One was on the ground convulsing and the other was spasming as it staggered around.