Moonshadow (Book 1 of the Torrent Skies Saga)

Chapter Twenty-One: The Depths, Pt 2

A roar filled the small room and shook the stones under their feet as the high pitched sound of talons scraping on stone met their ears. The dragon settled into the middle of the room, between two stone pillars that were just far enough apart for it to fit. One large green eye watching them with fury.

Fykes pushed Katerin back with one arm, other hand groping for the hilt of his sword. He shoved Katerin backward toward the hall.

Katerin bit back her scream, gulping. "We can't stay in the hallway."

He said nothing, shaking his head.

It stepped forward and snaked its head around to watch them, murder in its eyes.

"Fykes there's no way out back here! We have to fight it!" Her heart beat so hard it made her stomach hurt.

"We can't stay here," Brazen said, behind them.

Katerin was unable to push Fykes aside, so she raised her hand above his shoulder. She muttered under her breath, not looking at the rows of sharpened and gleaming teeth as it smiled at her. She released her spell and a line of electrical energy shot from her hand, blue and white, snapping in the air.

It hit the dragon in the chest as it growled. She screamed and dragged Fykes down to the floor as its head lunged forward and snapped at her. Its tail could not quite reach them, and it slammed into the stone floor, sending pieces of stone flying.

*

Brazen took the opportunity to get past them, weapons appearing in his hands. He rushed it with a shield charge, trying to force it back and give them room to move around. He swept his axe up, cutting through the less protected area on the bottom of its neck. It snarled and recoiled, moving further back into the room. Its wings were tucked into its sides, useless without the sky above it.

Brazen followed, shield held high.

A large claw slashed across his front, most of it catching on his shield, but it easily pushed him back. One talon caught his shoulder and had enough force to nearly knock him to his knees.

*

Fykes' hands shook as he pulled his blades free. He stood protectively in front of Katerin. Did she not know what this was? Was she not terrified?

Her eyes were wide, and her hands shook violently, but she stood focused and attentive.

Another talon raked across Brazen's shield from the side, sending him skidding backward even farther. Its tail snaked forward and slammed down toward Brazen, but caught a pillar instead.

*

Katerin unleashed another jet of lightning, and one deep green eye immediately focused on her. The dragon sucked in a large breath, and Katerin felt her heart stop and the world go still.

"Get down!" she screamed, her voice breaking as she lunged for the stone, dragging Fykes with her. She did not care how it scraped her knees and tore at her hands.

Brazen regained his balance and held his shield above his head.

The dragon exhaled with a whoosh of sound. A pressurized gout of sickly green acid came spewing from its maw, splattering them all. The acid hissed as it hit stone, metal, and flesh, and the smell in the air grew that much more unpleasant.

*

Fykes gritted his teeth in frustration, standing and readying his blades, pushing aside the fear that had locked him in place. The acid burned, like being dropped into the ocean with open wounds.

This is a dragon for Tyrn's sake! It takes armies to kill them! He swallowed his fear and charged the creature as it pulled further back in the room. It blocked the only exit. If he wanted to live, he needed to kill it. If he wanted her to live. As he ran he drew his blade across his palm, and the light erupted in the room like an explosion without sound. Panic clouded his mind.