Chronicles of Den'dra: A Land Torn: Ancient Powers Awaken by Spencer Johnson Page B

seized a child from the edge of the group and held the mother back at sword point. When he had reached the center of the group again with his soldiers at his side he put up the sword and drew a dirk and held it to the child’s neck. The mother screamed and if Encer had had his sword on him he would have parted Verkal’s head from his body’s company. It was only by the drawn swords of Verkal’s escort that the crowd was held back.
    “ Tell me or I will drain this brat’s blood onto the snow. I will then take another one and do the same until someone tells me. And just in case you get any ideas about feeding me a story, I will be taking all the children with me when I test the validity of the artifact.” The mother was sobbing on her knees now. There was a hue and cry raised but to no effect. Encer could see In Verkal’s eyes that he was willing to do whatever it took to attain his goal even if it meant spilling innocent blood.
    “ It’s Inadar, she is what is keeping the dragons away.” Encer didn’t know who had spoken but he realized that the girl wasn’t at his side any longer. His frantic search was cut short as she was thrown out of the crowd towards the soldiers and Verkal. He released the child he had held at knife point and motioned a couple of his soldiers towards Inadar. She was seized and standing in front if Verkal a moment later.
    “ One brat is as good as another as far as I am concerned.” Encer held Mytera back from doing what he himself wanted to do. Facing the soldiers and as unarmed as he was there was no chance he could recover Inadar.
    “ The dragons left her and since then they have kept us from leaving the valley.” Encer would have throttled the speaker if he had been within reach. The already hopeless situation was worse and better at the same time. Verkal stared at the girl in front of him with a new look of greed and disappointment. He wasn’t going to kill her until he got what he wanted but Encer knew what the man did to Gifted.
    “ How do you do it?” Verkal held his sword tip to Inadar’s throat.
    “ I... I don’t do anything.” Inadar was clearly terrified and was shaking like a leaf.
    “ The dragons left you so you must be special. I will take you apart piece by piece until I find out how you do it so you might as well tell me now. If anyone told you not to tell me it was because they were selfish and didn’t want to share.” If it hadn’t been such a dire situation it might have been comical. The man was holding a sword to a child and demanding the secret of controlling dragons while lecturing her about people being selfish. Oddly Inadar stopped shaking and stood erect. Looking up into the cloudy sky she began speaking.
    “ Iradaemi, Rothlt, Setur. Coemathu, burenthu. Elm'riso quir undesthrack.” The words were clearly uttered but incomprehensible. Another language. Inadar turned white as a sheet and fell to the ground before the soldiers at her side could catch her. Verkal was left standing over her with a confused expression. Before he was able to gather himself a thundering roar shook the valley.
    *****
    “Iradaemi, Rothlt, Setur. Save us, protect us. Heed my call and destroy the iron shells.” Iradaemi kept repeating the call as she beat the air with her wings. Her patrol had been near Dragon’s Hamlet as usual. Following the sudden terrified call she made her way north with all the speed she could summons.
    Dragon hatchlings while formidable in their own right to anything smaller than a domestic dog had a defense mechanism like most creatures. A newborn fawn has no smell and blends into dead grass to hide from predators. A newborn gazelle can run like the wind scant hours after birth. Dragons can call other dragons of their bloodline to their aid in times of danger. It made sense that Inadar was able to call any dragon she chose because she was a dragon lord and descended from the bloodlines of the first dragons. With age the gift usually faded but some