Legions of Bone: Dragon Rider Book 3

Chapter 49: The Start To A New Hero

Lillia

 Lillia watched the delicate flakes drifting through the air—careless, free—only to land softly on the ground, vanishing in pools of crimson. The returning patrol approached, soldiers, limping and wounded, their cries of pain echoing around them.

Two mages behind the base dropped the wall, the earth sinking into the cement. The soldiers passed through a thick, stone entrance before Lillia turned back to the city.

They were in a yellow zone, but it was quickly becoming red. Each week they faced more and more waves of the dead. Hundreds of them would swarm at once. They'd pile up against the forty-foot wall, scrambling over each other. Even now, fire mages walked the outside walls, incinerating the remaining dead to clear for the next horde.

Lillia wiped her face, feeling soot and grime. Her hands looked just as horrible as she felt. She hadn't slept in three days. She barely ate besides the dried rations provided by the military. And every day, she'd patrol. Sometimes she saw nothing. Sometimes she'd leave so caked in blood she didn't know what belonged to her, the dead, or a teammate.

"How long do you think it'll be until they're back?" Eirik asked, his sharp green eyes darting over the stone sculptures. Each one was crafted from enchanted stone from before their arrival. The plaza had once served as a gathering place for both religious and solemn ceremonies. Now it served as a clearing to spot the dead.

Nolan rubbed his pale face. "Probably fucking soon. You know those are just the fresher ones. They're faster, the new horde's only a week away."

"We're all fucked," Andrew replied. He sat on a stool, arms folded as he watched the TV they'd propped up on some boxes. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind if they fucking killed me. I could finally sleep."

"Preach," Lillia muttered, blowing a lock of orange-red hair out of her face. She leaned against a stone pillar, feet aching. She scanned the homes and dwellings behind the statues carved into the mountainsides. Some homes were built with materials that seamlessly blended with the earth's bland colors. And with the statues, there was enough space to do damage when the Thrawlers came.

"I'm fucking sick of this shit," Mia snapped, chucking a rock off the tower.

"Who isn't?" Eirik said, green eyes burning into hers. "We all want to go home!"

"We're all tired," Lilly said, feeling her own temper flare. "Let's just not say anything and watch for the dead."

"Shut up, Lilly," Andrew hissed. "You're not even supposed to be on this team."

Lilly ran a tongue across her teeth. "You're just pissy that I don't give a shit about your opinion."

"You're not supposed to be on this team!" he growled, flipping through the channels. "You're only here because our other fire mage died."

"You think I want to be here and put up with you stupid people?" she snapped, turning.

Not that her last team had been much kinder. Lilly was too hot-headed for their taste. Too quick to get into fights and disobey orders.

Dragon Rider, is what they called her.

She didn't give a shit. She'd always gotten along better with them. Plus, it never hurt to have friends who could breathe fire to have her back.

"Let's all settle down," Eirik sighed. "We're hungry and cold."

Lillia glowered at him before looking back to the city and sighing. He wasn't worth it. None of the people on her team were worth it.