Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
What happened?
They approached to rob them of their belongings. When men banded against them, they took an unprotected family hostage.
So, there are innocents with the aggressors?
No.
That word resonated in his head. Oldrik didn’t have to tell him. The men had killed the family. What if one was a mate or would have become a mate? Anger filled his mind.
Daddy? You’re okay. She hugged his neck hard. The last bits of her toast tumbled to the ground. Khadar suspected she had lost them in her rush to comfort him.
Thank you, Princess. I’m glad you’re here. Make sure your headphones are directly over your ears. Press them tight.
Daddy?
It will be okay.
Khadar noticed a movement under a section of the forested area. He listened for heartbeats hidden under the cover of the trees. One. Two. Three. Four. He pinpointed their locations and called out to the wildlife. An explosion of birds came from the trees. Instinctively, they knew to flee from what would come.
Redirecting his attention, Khadar scanned the area for other dragons and found none. Oldrik had obviously warned the rest of the horde to vacate the area. Khadar checked to make sure Oldrik was far enough away and saw the last of the blue dragon’s silhouette on the horizon.
He opened his mouth and roared. A blast from a green dragon could be either fire or this. Khadar focused his fierce bellow of sound on that forested patch. One. Two. Three. Where was the fourth? Zeroing in on his location, Khadar directed the sound toward the fleeing murderer. Four. The heartbeats below him were silent.
It's done.
Oldrik acknowledged his message first. The other dragons echoed the declaration.
Part of his mind had monitored Lalani’s health during the retribution. You can take off your headphones. Are you okay?
Her arms loosened around his neck as she followed his directions. I don’t understand what happened.
I know, mate. Green dragons have a special power. That’s why Oldrik called me.
The birds all flew away.
I warned the innocent creatures. Hopefully, they heeded my call.
There were those who weren’t innocent?
Yes. There was an attack at the gate. A woman and her children were killed as they waited to be screened to enter Wyvern.
Why would someone do that?
The change has brought out the worst in some. If I had to guess, they were after the scant supplies she’d lugged on their trek.
After a pause, Lalani responded. She was so close to being safe.
Khadar could hear the pain in her voice as Lalani sympathized with those murdered. She had a tender heart.
This will not be allowed to happen. Dragon justice is swift.
Lalani was quiet for several minutes as Khadar flew. He could hear her ragged breath and knew she grieved for those lost. He headed for a favorite spot of his at the base of his mountain. Scanning the area for any intruders, he discovered no one. Once he was sure there wasn’t anyone around, Khadar landed in a meadow.
It is safe, Princess.
Lalani scrambled down. Where are we?
Shifting as soon as she was clear, Khadar strode toward his mate and gathered her in his arms.
“I thought a favorite spot of mine might distract you.” He took her hand and led her down a path. Birds of all colors darted around the surrounding trees. Their music provided a cheerful chorus.
“I’m sorry you have to dole out judgement.”
“I am, too. In many ways, the crash of technology tore apart the civilization that existed before. With everyone focused on survival, there are no police officers, judges, or jails.”
“What happened to those in jail?” she asked, as if thinking through this for the first time.
“Most were automatically released from their cells.” Khadar knew many convicts would focus only on reaching their families. The most hardened criminals would see the state of society as a free-for-all. The dragons had protected Wyvern for centuries. This level of lawlessness, however, hadn’t been seen for many years.
“Come, Princess. You must see this.” He led the way around a thicket of berries, holding the branches armed with thorns out of the way for her to pass without being scratched.
He watched her face as she stepped onto the bank of a small spring. The water emerged from the ground above and cascaded into a watering hole. Lalani’s gaze darted everywhere, taking in the sparkling waterfall and the abundance of flowers.
“Wow! This is gorgeous.”
“Would you like to go for a swim?”
“I didn’t bring a suit.”
“Neither did I,” he reassured her and yanked his shirt over his head.
An impish glint shone from her eyes and Lalani pulled off the tunic she wore and tossed it onto a rock. As she worked on stripping off her leggings, Khadar stepped out of his shoes and removed the rest of his clothes. Kneeling at her feet, Khadar settled Lalani on one bent knee as he slipped off her shoes and removed the tangle of stretchy material from her legs.