Inferno Legacy: Valor of the Dragon (Book One)

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

            With a grunt from the effort it took, Cody expertly swung himself onto Inferno’s neck right in front of the saddle. The dragon was lying down like he always did when he was about to be mounted, But for the past week or so the rider had been using a foothold to climb on. This time, however, he was determined to get what little reputation he had lost after his fight with Mordon, back.

            While he clung on to the neck in front of him for support until he could get his balance, Mora slowly approached them. She dipped her head respectfully towards the dragon, who returned the polite gesture, before she clambered into the saddle behind Cody. A broad grin was on her face when she began to truly grasp the fact that she was going to be flying with a dragon, an opportunity that probably hadn’t come along for any non-rider in centuries.

            Cody looked towards the horizon just in time to see the last rays of sunlight disappear from sight and the purple twilight take its place. In the other direction, the silver-shining moon was already dancing above the treetops and pouring its watery light. What few, dark leaves remained tethered to the wavy branches of wood reflected the light so perfectly.

The scales below the rider began to twist, bend, and curve as Inferno slowly stood and got his muscles working for the first time in hours. He shook his unusually massive head, making Cody and Mora sway slightly as if it were not a living creature, but a small earthquake. He turned his shining blue eyes towards the two people perched on his back, and their stark contrast with the mostly dark world and body around them made Cody shiver.

“Are we ready to leave?” The dragon asked somewhat reluctantly, not enjoying the plan the humans had worked out in the slightest.

Cody ignored him for a moment as he looked down at where their other companions had been about an hour ago. It would take about two hours to get to the hideout on foot, according to Lars, so he and Mordon had left earlier to make sure that they arrived to do their part in the plan at the opportune moment, as the mercenary had called it.

While Inferno would be easily able to get to the bandit stronghold in little more than 15 minutes, it was decided that they would go slowly so that they would be able to fend off vicious Cleptors one at a time, and increase their chances of winning. Their role in the plan was simplest, and yet a very terrifying and difficult one. Then again, Mora, Larson, and Mora had the most difficult and dangerous tasks yet.

With very little agitation in his movements, despite the potential danger ahead, Cody looked back at Mora and couldn’t help but smile at the determination that shown in her fiery yellow eyes. He made sure that she saw his own determination and excitement, before turning back to Inferno. The dragon’s somewhat regretful, but still rather eager eyes made the rider feel both happy and sad at the same time. Cody hoped that Inferno was just feeling overprotective of his rider, not getting the definite feeling that something bad would happen.

“We are ready,” Cody announced with a sigh, aloud for Mora’s benefit.

The dragon snorted his approval before attempting to stretch out his wings in the small clearing. Seeing as that wouldn’t work very well, he growled a quick warning to both of his passengers before leaping straight into the air. He spread his wings as soon as he was able, but it didn’t stop him from painfully skimming his paws and stomach against the treetops and breaking quite a few of them.

The dragon quickly snorted, “That was not fun. I didn’t get too badly hurt, but it definitely got me a bit.”

Cody smiled a reassuring smile before patting Inferno’s scales to display how he disliked his dragon’s pain. Then again, Inferno could have chosen to go back to the larger clearing where the two had slept before and even taken off from without any injury, but instead he chose to risk it because of their lessening time. Luckily it didn’t turn out worse, at least.